Once in a Flooding Negev

      This is me on the side of the road in the negev (desert) in Israel. Because of this rare delay, we had to stay at the youth hostile for and extra six hours crammed into one room where all 74 of us blamed the world and was completely frustrated with what had happened. After about an hour, some of my friends and I got up and played games, danced to fun music, and snacked on all our Israeli goods. Once we were finally on the road, we had to stop in the middle of there road and wait for the tractors to clear the path. Although it was quite a hindrance to our schedule, we definitely made the best of it and now have a great story to tell. I mean seriously, how often does the negev flood and how lucky were we to be able to witness it and be there for such a once in-a-lifetime experience!

The Gadna Goods

     This is me with Hannah F and Sam Bakal in the Gadna participating in one of our 7 hours of gun safety classes. I have to say it was definitely worth it for how much I enjoyed the gun range, and getting to learn how to strip and clean an M16. Ganda was one of the most memorable experiences from my 4 month trip to Israel and I hope to someday make Aliyah (join the Israeli army) myself and hopefully be a combat medic That would also work towards my goal of wanting to be a trauma surgeon. Just like my time in the Gadna, becoming a trauma surgeon will be challenging and exhausting, but it will pay off for the feeling of accomplishment in the end and the knowledge that all those experiences are what will eventually lead to the person I can only hope to become one day.

Trust the Tel

     A Tel (if you missed my older posts) is layers of old civilization built on large hills. Over many years, of being built one on top of another, it's almost impossible to tel (no pun intended) what's a part of what. From the top it seems like one giant maze of rocks, but they have so much more meaning. Above is a picture of me scaling the tel walls. It almost looks like I'm in a trench because there were so many different parts to the tel and sometimes scaling the walls between two of them was the only way to get to the top of the other. Sometimes in the mornings, a few friends and I would hike up to the Tel to watch the sun rise and make breakfast and some strong Israeli coffee with our pakal cafes. (A oak is like a small burner mostly used in the Israeli army to make coffee) If there's one place in Israel I miss the most, it's probably there, on the top of the highest peak of the tel, watching the sun rise and witnessing the whole world around me come to life.

Bedouin Style

     This is a story I absolutely love to tell. Our group went to some Bedouin Tents to stay at, ride camels, and try all their different foods and liquids...? Haha well when dinner time came around, we all laughed and chatted about the wonderful day we had... And then the shekels came out... Max bet Jonah 80 shekels to drink a, filled to the rim, cup of goats yogurt, and Jonah offered the same bet back to him. They then decided to put both their 80 shekels in the middle of the table and give the 160 NIS to whoever would take the challenge. My thinking was that for ~$40 I could pound a cup of goats yogurt and get ice cream right after. Little did I know, there had been a delay in the arrival of the ice cream, and the water had just run out. I did it and got the 160 shekels, but waited almost two hours feeling sick before I could get the taste out of my mouth hahaha. I have to say it was definitely worth it, not just for the money, but more so for the story I can get to tell, and the memory I get to keep forever.

Purim Like an Israeli

     Happy Purim! We all dressed up and met random Israelis on the street to hang out with! This was one of the funnest holidays I spent in Israel and I'm so happy I got to experience this fun day like a true Israeli. For Purim we dress up and remember all the great kings and queens of Israel and drink wine, scratch that, grape juice! 

Birthdays Always Find a Way

    Yes, birthdays still happen in Israel! My roommates and I decided to try to make Lauren a cake for her birthday... in the microwave. The first one exploded and left chocolate cake batter all over the kitchenette, but it was worth it to see how much better the second cake turned out, perfect for her special day.

Two Peas in a Pod

     This is when our group went to a Mosque to learn about the culture of Islam and lifestyle of Muslims. We were asked to cover our hair and wear skirts and tops that covered our knees and elbows. We removed our shoes before entering and got to see how similar our religions are, almost like two peas in a pod, just from neighboring vines. This was such an eye opening experience and I'm so glad I got to learn so much and take pictures with my good friend Rocky.

The Tel Aviv Breze

     Almost every Thursday we went to a different city in Israel and had free time to explore, shop, laugh, and grow to love Israel. This was in Tel Aviv with my friend Matt. A few friends and I rode bikes all around Tel Aviv, ate some delicious pancakes, and took pictures at one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. The air was cool and crisp and felt refreshing riding through the city with people I now call my family.

Big Brother Follows My Footsteps

   This is a picture of me and my brother before I left to Israel, almost one year ago! Now I'm so excited to announce that he will be exploring Israel through the same program I did (NFTY EIE) and he is counting down the days until when he leaves for this amazing journey!

The Action of America is the Reality of Israel

     After watching several fictional movies about wars, bombings, terrorist acts of violence, and other action themes, I realized something. In America we can say those are fake, we can believe that they don't exist in reality because well they don't exist in America, but for Israelis, that does exist. Every time we Americans see a child crying out of fear or a family running for shelter, we see it as a fantasy. We see it this way because that's what these films stimulate, but mainly because we don't know. We aren't aware of what's going on in Israel, we don't know that people across the world are running to bomb shelters everyday as a part of their lives, and frankly a lot of Americans don't care to know. I can sat from personal experience that it's a lot easier to watch films when you know they're fictional. Being in Israel makes it difficult for me to watch some of these action films, even if I'd seen them previously. It stimulates fear and frustration knowing this is actually happening all the time right here in Israel, in such a beautiful place.

     The same thing can be said about the Holocaust. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that every American knows what the Holocaust is, whether or not they believe it happened, they have heard of the general idea. When I watched movies about the Holocaust in America, I felt sad. Living in Israel, even for only four months is changing the way I see the world and the way I see myself. Now looking back at when I was in America, I can't believe myself. I felt sad, sad doesn't even begin to explain how the Holocaust makes me feel. Sad is not even a word that should appear in my vocabulary when I think of the Holocaust, but it did. Sad was the word that came to mind when I watched those American movies in America. Now, being in Israel words that come to my mind are devastation, and reality. America makes certain realities seem like fantasies and as Americans we view them as fantasies. The hard part about being in Israel is realizing that America is living in a fool's paradise and Israel is the reality.

What It Means to Be A Jew

     To me, being a part of עם ישראל (the Jewish people) means being a community. It means becoming instant friends with the person sitting next to you simply because you are both Jewish. Wherever I go I feel connected and proud to be part of such a small minority in the world because that's what gives me the pride to call myself Jewish and to call the Jew I just met my family. When I was at little outdoor pocket of shops type of thing, I was looking in a small store talking with my friends when a lady taps me and says, "super is cheaper." This was a stranger, a random Israeli that saw a tourist buying a snack and she went out of her way to speak English to me and make sure that I was at the right spot. So was she really a stranger? In my eyes, she wasn't a stranger, she was my family, my friend, and someone I would be proud to represent at home in America.

      In America, I've had people ask me why I wear my Jewish star outside of my shirt rather than hiding it. I have people give me sympathy for being Jewish because there are so many more moral rules and such a small minority now a days. I have even had people tell me they would help me convert to their religion so that I wouldn't go to hell. Here in Israel, I don't have to answer those questions or explain to people what the Torah is, I get the freedom to be Jewish and where being proud is an expectation rather than a shock or an outlier to society. Israel is and always will be my home and I will never lose my Jewish pride.

When the Bullied Becomes the Bully

     I recently read an article about Ethiopians and their struggle to be accepted in Israeli society. This was such a shocking piece to read, especially considering that the Israeli people are the ones that should be the first to accept them considering the fact that they know exactly what discrimination feels like. It just seems so unimaginable that such discrimination is taking place in the one place where the Jewish people are supposed to feel accepted and protected from discrimination. Just like it's mentioned in the Tanakh, the connection between men is more important than anything else, and this 'rule' should be applied to everyday life. Regardless of where they came from or what they believe, they should still feel the safety of Israel and not be discriminated against.

My Family At Home

     I was told to write a post about my synagogue at home. The only problem is that I don't go to a specific synagogue and I don't have a congregation at home, I have a family. It's not that I'm not religious or that I don't feel that I have a connection with God or feel the need to pray, I just don't agree with the idea that going to a temple or synagogue means that I have to agree with their ideology or their practices of Judaism. For shabbat and high holidays my family and I go to our other family's house. I went to a private Orthodox Jewish school for most of my elementary years, and everyone at the school became my family. Wee go to my fourth grade Jewish studies teacher's house for pesach and to the principle's house for shabbat and many many more.They accept what we think about Judaism and are always excited to share their ideas with us. I am so grateful to be a part of this community where I am accepted for what I believe and for the traditions in my family. I feel it's very important to be a part of a community, whether it be a reformed temple, or an orthodox family, it makes such a difference to be involved. I love being a part of this amazing community and I am so happy that I found this family to join.

Parents Week For Everyone

     March 17 was parents week. Although my mom didn't come then, (she came at the beginning of April instead) there were so many other parents that wanted to take me to dinner or to the grocery store or simply be like a parent to me since mine were not there with me. It was this week when I felt so happy to be here, surrounded by so many Jews that are here for the same reason I am. it was this week, when I felt proud to be a part of such an amazing community that I'm not sure I would find anywhere else or even in another religion. Everyone treated me like family and acted as if they'd known me all their lives.

     Throughout history, Jews have shown time and time again, that we are Jews, we will be a nation, and we will fight for our right to be Jewish, whether it be reform, conservative, modern orthodox, ultra orthodox, or a convert, we will stick together when the hardships come and we will all be Jews. In the Holocaust for example, the strong didn't ask the weak how religious they were before helping them. When no one has the right to dress how they want or the way they believe, say prayers whether it be 10 minutes or 3 hours, when you take away the details, all you have left are Jews.

A Purim with meaning

     My first Purim in Israel was almost 2 months ago. I still remember it, because it was when I finally learned the true meaning behind Purim. I used to not even think of it as an important day, just another one of those holidays where you dress up and have fun. I later found out it was so much more. It represents the story of when the Jews were threatened with their lives, yet again, and yet again they didn't give up. They fought for what we have today and they overcame that obstacle.

     Jews have shown so much resilience, over and over again, and no matter how many times history repeats itself, and despite the amount of anti-Semitism, and regardless of the fact that we are such a small percentage of the world, we survived, and we fought for what we believed was ours and we won. For the first time in my life, Purim was not about finding the best costume or having some great party, it was about remembering another one of those times when Jews refused to give up and gave me the life I have today.

Women: Pure or Lucky - Impure or victimized

     Daf Yomi analyzes a page of Talmud every day. A recent page, was on the topic of women being raped in prison/jail and if they are pure for their husbands or not. It clearly states that once a woman has had sexual relations with anyone other than her husband, even if she is forced into it, she is considered impure and her husband cannot 'be with her'. It shows that if a women is sent to jail for her husband crimes, usually for debts, she is less likely to be raped considering the fact that a man is less likely to pay for an 'impure' wife. However, if a woman is sent to jail/prison for her own crimes, she is more likely to be raped noticing how many of their husbands were disgraced by their wives and no longer cared about them or if they were pure, and especially recognizing that many of the women involved in these crimes, were not married. I think the system explained here makes sense, but it should not be happening in the first place. It seems so unfair that a women who was victimized to such an extent would then be punished and humiliated by their community, and they are no longer allowed to be with their husband because they are considered impure.

Prepared for a fantasy

     The Etgar Keret story "What Do We Have In Our Pockets" tells about a man who was everything you could possibly need, in his pockets. His ideology was that if there was a girl at a pay phone that needed some change, he would have it and they would fall in love and his life would change forever. I think this is only applicable in certain situations, and without meaning to I find myself putting one of everything in my purse or backpack even if I know I personally won't use it. It seems flawed at the second part where your life will change if you are that prepared, almost like a fantasy.

     Another way to view this story, is how it relates to Jews in the sense that in the past, Jews had to practice professions that were easy to pick up and move, such as a doctor (knowledge stays with you anywhere you go) or someone who sells jewelry or pearls because that is also easy to move. They had to be prepared for every situation just like man in Etgar Keret's story.

Women of the Wall

     Yesterday we went on a Jewish History tiyul to the Kotel and joined the women of the wall. It started as it normally would, then without anyone taking notice, a man passes a small Torah from the men's side (he opens the gate and shits it quickly) and U.S. Women continue to pray and begin using the Torah. Once the men realize what has happened, they open the gate and men come rushing in physically pushing their way through women on the women's side of the wall. They were screaming things in Hebrew and yelling הספר שלי (the book/Torah is ours) and women were shouting back הספר שלנו (the book/Torah is ours). It went on like this for about 5 mins with shouting and pushing and men trying to take back the Torah before the guards showed up and got all the men back on their side.

     I grew up in a private (orthodox) Jewish school, and I had an modern orthodox bat mitzvah. I had it at 12 and instead of reading from the Torah, I recited the ashes chayil with translation. Everything I was taught about Judaism is against the idea of women reading Torah. Many of the people that were there think of how terrible the orthodox men are and were acting, and in some sense I can understand why they are mad at them, but thinking deeper about the topic, they have a right to be angry. They have the same right to their belief as we do to  ours. All they saw was a bunch of Reformed Jews taking a Torah from the men's side and reading it with all the women. This is against the entire base of their beliefs and of Hal'cha. I don't know if I can agree or disagree with what happened yesterday 100%, all I know is that I am so happy that I was there to witness the first time a Torah was brought on the women's side at the Kotel. I can't help but feeling an outrage of pride and joy for being there on a very important day in Jewish history/

To Love Responsibility

     After reading an article on Michael Oren, an author, and past Israeli ambassador, I questioned myself. Michael Oren grew up with dyslexia, and was faced with many anti-Semitic challenges that made it difficult to achieve his goals. With his determination and love for responsibility, he got himself moved to an honors English class, and learned Hebrew. I am so blessed to have good health, an amazing family, and an amazing opportunity to be studying in Israel, the Jewish state that so many people don't have the privilege of visiting, but am I taking it all for granted?
     I look at myself and think that I've worked hard and earned the wonderful life I have, but the truth is, without luck I would not have been where I am now, and Michael Oren didn't have the luck I do, but he earned his life. He studied as hard as he could, set his mind on something, and fought to get it, no matter the challenges. Reading this article made me realize that I have been taking my life for granted and every opportunity in it. Someday soon, I hope to push myself as hard as I can, become the person that I know I can be, and find the same love for responsibility that Michael Oren found at such a young age.

Revitalizing Jewish Prayer

     An article about revitalizing Jewish prayer discusses how discovering better ways to pray will keep us from losing a core of Jewish religious life. From my point of view, the core of Jewish religious life will be lost if we continue to change the ways of Jewish prayer. I can understand the concept of wanting to adjust our beliefs, and some of the laws of הלכה, to adapt to the modern world, but adapting to the modern world and completely changing the base of our religion. The idea of revitalizing Jewish prayer is flawed simply because of the way it's defined (according to this article). It states that revitalizing Jewish prayer is a way of altering what each of the laws mean. I would define revitalizing Jewish prayer as adapting the practices of  הלכה to apply more towards the modern world, while still keeping the basic laws and beliefs that can still be practiced in the modern world. For example, the sacrifice of animals is no longer an applicable law to our current day and age, but saying a short blessing before eating something is something that can still be done today without negatively affecting our daily lives. I personally say a prayer before anything I eat or drink to constantly remind me to be thankful for the life I have, and although I do not follow some of the other rules of הלכה, that does not mean that I don't understand the concept and relation in in faith to God.