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.