It's Not the Same:Hummus and Pita

I've been home for a while now and Israel is visible in my room. Maps of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa hang limply on my door as if to remind me that, though they are not the real thing, if I can close my eyes, I can still see remnants of my time in Israel. Experiencing the culture of Israel gave me a chance to reflect on the positives and negatives of America. Now, don't get me wrong. I love America and am very lucky to be born into such a great country (especially now when there is chaos all over the Middle East), but there are certain things about Israel (like besides everything) that I like better and Israel. For example, the food. There is no way I can eat American pita, hummus, or surprisingly, cottage cheese.

While Israeli pita is sold in supermarkets, it is still not the same. It doesn't have the fresh smell of flour and yeast that wafts not only up and down the aisles, but also lingers on your hands for hours afterwards. My nose doesn't tingle with delight when I choose a bag of pita in the supermarket. As I pick up the pita, I can't feel the heat as it warms up my hands. The pita is not fresh and does not beg to be eaten at that moment. There are no the dew drops on the bag thus instead of ripping open the knot, you place it neatly into the carriage.  You don't hear Americans yell "Wow! 5 sheks (roughly $1.50) for 10 pitas?" In America, you can't taste the oil and the floury thickness of the bread. You taste a flat round pancake that is easily severed in two. So, I am stuck with a circular piece of bread. And to dip in what? The hummus in America is not even close to the taste of hummus in Israel. There is an ingredient missing. Lemon juice? Garlic? Tahini? I don't know, but either way I refuse to eat it because the taste is so dramatically different. My tongue tell me that I am eating an entirely different condiment. In order to remedy this problem, I have resolved to make my own, which tastes 100 times better than American hummus and while it is not close to Israeli hummus, it's more of a chickpea concoction than the Sabra brand is. And then there's the cottage cheese, or as they say in Israel, Coh-Tij. I don't know what it is, but the cottage in Israel is...creamier. Milkier. Just more...edible.

Ok, so maybe I'm snob when it comes to food (I am certainly enjoying my Starbucks now), but you don't know the differences until you have tasted them. It's like eating American cheese all your life and then going to France and eating Brie. You can never go back. Or like eating supermarket brand chocolate and discovering that Hershey and Nestle exist. Or even pizza. Store bought pizza is ok, but Italian pizza is the real prize. The food is better an ocean away because it isn't processed as much and no one cares about eating healthy. Ok, that sounds wrong. What I mean is that people eat based on what their body tells them, not society. They will eat white bread, 3% milk, 5% yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream, 25% cheese. Yet despite what may seem like unhealthy food choices, there are very few overweight people in Israel (and in the Eastern Hemisphere, in general). When I first arrived in Boston, one of the first people that I saw was overweight. It's kind of a shocker you don't realize. People in Europe just aren't fat. And it's because the food is more natural in those countries. If I really knew what I was eating in the US, I'm pretty sure I'd throw up Though Food, Inc. and Supersize me did a good job on that too. C'mon, America. Isn't it time to start eating organically and not the GMO crap?

It's Not the End

My last week and a half in Israel consisted of exploring the country and hanging out with friends.

I went to Chevron with a friend from the program. I looked at the website beforehand to see what kind of tour it was going to be. Apparently, though, I was the only who did not get the memo to wear a long black skirt and a black shirt. I was in jeans and a pink jacket. I stood out like the smell of fish at the shuk. Our first stop was Rachel's tomb, where we entered the West Bank. The bus drove between two tall cement walls. While I felt isolated, I knew how much these walls protected the Israeli people. Rachel's tomb was pure chaos. There was construction on the women's side so the men's side was split for both. Because it was time for the morning service, a lot of religious school groups were there. Just imagine trying to swim through a sea of feisty religious women. It's not a pretty sight. In addition, the 13 year old girls were texting on their phone. I personally felt no connection to this place, but I was respectful. These girls are supposed to feel a greater connection and they were busy texting their friend about some stupid comment.

Our next stop was the actual city of Chevron. There, we saw the tomb of Ruth and Yishai (Jesse). The tour guide didn't say much about the history of them. Nor did he say much at the Beit-Hadassah museum. I learned more reading the captions of the pictures than I did from him. There was no historical context. He didn't explain why Chevron was so important, besides the fact that the patriarchs and matriarchs are buried there. He didn't talk about why the city is split up. He didn't talk about the conflict between the Arabs and Israelis. After a quick break for lunch, we walked to the Machpela, or the Cave of the Patriarchs. The tour guide kept on persisting that everyone would feel a connection to the Seventh Step and I felt guilty for not feeling anything. I mean, personally, I think, the Kotel is more exciting. It was cool to see the temple and the tombs of Avraham, Yitzchak, Ya'akov and Sara, Rivka, Leah, but let's be honest. Do you really think there is a body in these elaborate boxes? It may be the place where these characters were buried, but there's no way of knowing for sure. I felt the historical connection, but the emotional connection was not there. But even if I were to feel a connection, like I do at the Kotel, I wouldn't feel the need to kiss the ground. They were just people like you and me. Sure they were the founders of Judaism, but they were still humans. We were at the Cave of the Patriarchs during Mincha, the afternoon service and one of the Rebbe's was crying as he prayed. I think it's wonderful that you have such a great connection to this place, but it's just a building where the patriarchs are buried...maybe. I guess I don't have that deep connection.

Before I left Israel, last Sunday, I went to a reserve and absorbed the last bits of Israel. I took in the sea and the Old City walls. I closed my eyes and took a picture of the beautiful country so that I can remember it exactly as I see it and feel it. As I flew home on the airplane, we flew over the beach in Tel Aviv. The same one I went to the first day I was in Tel Aviv. For now, everything came full circle for I will be back in this Holy Land once again.