oof I have not posted in awhile, and my life events for sharing are piling up! (and I must stop saying oof so much!)
Christmas in Israel
…does not really exist. Just a day like any other (and it was Shabbat, so Jerusalem was especially dead). So on Christmas, what better to do than leave Jew-city and head to the birthplace of Jesus Christ— Bethlehem! I went with a few friends, one of whom had previously been to Bethlehem. I had no idea what to expect… a manger in the middle of a field? What does modern day Bethlehem even look like? Would it be crazy on Christmas? Bethlehem is in the West Bank and as such is an Arab town, not a Christian town. From from the bus stop, we walked past a bunch of shops, all with signs in Arabic (meaning none of us could read anything) and arrived at Manger Square. It didn’t seem like anything special, but there were some Christmas decorations and lights and we could see the Church of the Nativity across the way. First thing to do: get coffee. We see a sign for a coffee shop and diner, so we pop in and they seat us and give us menus… even though we just wanted coffee…. and then were peeved when all we ordered was coffee. Then we grabbed some 5 shekel felafel (cheapest I’ve had yet! equal to about $1.40) and went to wait in line to get into the Church of the Nativity, which was built on the site Jesus was born… sooo no manger. There was a big line, but it moved pretty fast. I think the city was more packed on Christmas Eve, especially at night. Anyway, the inside of the church was very ornate and glitzy, so we looked around a bit and then left. We didn’t have too much time and didn’t feel like schlepping anywhere else (there are other sites to see, like Rachel’s tomb, but we would’ve had to take another bus or cab), so we meandered back through the shuk, with piles of potatoes still covered in dirt, fresh from the earth!
We decided to continue our day of Jesus by going full circle. After returning to Jerusalem from seeing Jesus’s place of birth, where else to go but the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City to see the site of his death! It was also very busy. We saw the stone on which his body was lain, which I guess people take holy water from and then upstairs we saw the hole into which the crucifix was placed. I’d like to go back again and explore some more on a less busy day.
christmas , posted with vodpod
New Years in Israel
… also does not really exist. I mean, it does, but not the same as everywhere else in the world. Why? Because New Years to Jews means Rosh Hashanah. So, they call it Sylvester instead (the Catholic saint whose saint’s day is Dec 31). It was also a New Years unlike any other because it was on Shabbat. Rather than going into town the maybe go to a bar or club, we decided to just extend the Shabbat dinner we hosted at our apartment into the night. The one rule of the evening was that everybody had to bring their own bottle of wine.
We had been having electricity issues earlier and were able to get all of the outlets working again….except the dude (the hot water heater for the shower). So, no hot showers for us. Well, on December 31st, the sun set and Helene and her 2 friends visiting went off to shul, and my other 2 roommates had other evening plans. I went over to Ryan’s to shower, and when I came back ALL OF THE POWER WAS OUT. Shit. I was home alone with nobody to contact and in about a half hour I was to be joined by Helene and our other 6 guests for dinner. Disaster! I didn’t know what else to do besides to lighta bunch of tea candles around the apartment, finish getting ready, and wait for everybody to get here for an interesting surprise. But everybody seemed to take the “surprise” quite well and were excited for a Shabbat dinner unlike any other. Nobody minded the lack of proper light and none of our food really needed to be hot, so we had Shabbat dinner and our New Years Eve celebration by candlelight (oooh, so romantic). Definitely a New Years I will never forget!
More about my winter-break-less winter to come soon…
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I spent this past weekend in Sinai with my friend Ryan and his sister Brittany, who is in town visiting. It was just a hop, skip and a jump away down to Eilat and over the border into Egypt. And it was absolutely the best weekend ever! What’s in Sinai, you ask? Desert and mountains? A bit of biblical history? Yes, and so much more!
We met the best group of guys from Cairo (seriously really awesome guys) and spent the entire weekend with them! We didn’t really have any official plans, just a checklist of things we wanted to do, and these guys totally took care of us and made it all happen! I can’t stop thinking about the trip- I want to go back SO BAD. The following are the 10 commandments for an amazing trip to Sinai:
1. Thou shalt ride camels. duh.
Not as uncomfortable as expected! Besides some difficulty in getting my short legs over the camel’s hump to get on, and some interesting noises and tongue action with Brittany’s camel, it was smooth riding!
2. Thou shalt drink Bedouin tea.
It is SO good- usually made with sage and served sweet. Bought some to make at home! nomnomnom
3. Thou shalt eat Bedouin breads.
First encounter: Arriving in Egypt at 5am, we stumble upon freshly baked giant pitas straight out of the oven- got a whole bag of them for like 15 cents.
Second encounter: All the meals we ate at the camp we were staying at came with these huge super thin soft stretchy “pitas”. We at them with everything!
Third encounter: Sitting around a bonfire at the camp, I notice one of the Bedouin guys rolling a ball of dough. I didn’t think anything of it, but awhile later I look over and see him put his hands into the pile of dirt/ashes next to the fire and pulls out a giant “pita”, baked by the fire’s heat! Bedouin’s are amazing. He dusted it off, tore it into pieces and passed it around the circle.
4. Thou shalt climb Mt. Sinai and watch the sunrise.
Yes, Mt. Sinai as in the mountain Moses climbed and received the 10 Commandments (according to the Bible/Torah). And yes, it is actually a mountain. So when you want to be at the top for the sunrise, that means you climb it in the middle of the night. In the dark. It was FREEZING. But the sunrise was beautiful and the experience was totally worth it!
5. Thou shalt lounge on the beach.
Under palm trees, in hammocks, or on cushions in the sand. Napping, listening to new friends playing guitar and singing, eating, or doing nothing. Glorious!
6. Thou shalt snorkel/dive.
Ah, the beautiful reefs of the Red Sea- a diver’s heaven. Unfortunately, we sinned. It was a bit too cold to get in the water… alas, I shall return when it’s warmer!
7. Thou shalt hike the colored mountains.
So so so so beautiful. What looks like rock is actually sand- you run your hands along it or kick it and the hard surface falls away revealing layers of different colored sands. So amazing!
8. Thou shalt eat seafood.
The Red Sea is FULL of deliciousness! And we know I’m not getting any shrimp over in kosher-land. We were up to our elbows digging into a seafood extravaganza dinner- twice!
9. Thou shalt sleep in huts.
I love the Bedouins! Sleeping in a hut felt so authentic, although it got damn cold at night (at least not as cold as at the top of a mountain, though!)
And lastly,
10. Thou shalt not worry.
It was a watch-free, cell phone-free, computer-free vacation. When we were all sitting around doing nothing, nobody was worried or upset. Sinai is not a serious or fast-paced place, and we embraced that 100%. Of course, not without the help of our Cairo friends- they made everything so easy for us! But we still got to see/do everything we wanted. Stress free 
We took billions of pictures- check out some I already posted on Flickr, and the rest to come soon!
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happy hanukkah!
…or as they say here, Hanukkah Sameach! Here’s how I’ve celebrated the festival of lights over the past week:
Wednesday: I came into work on Erev Hanukkah and there were sufganiot (jelly-filled doughnuts) all over the office (ah, the perks of working at a Jewish office)! I was at Ulpan for the first night of Hanukah. During break we lit the hanukkiah and had sufganiot. A lot of the kids at Ulpan aren’t Jewish, so it was nice explaining to them what the traditions are. My teacher explained the story in Hebrew… not sure how much of it was actually understood. And we played dreidel at the end of class. I didn’t know this before, but Israeli dreidles are special- usually, the letters on the dreidle are gimmel, nun, hay and shin, which represent the first letters of: נס גדול היה שם meaning ’a great miracle happened there’… BUT in Israel, instead of a shin (for ‘sham’ meaning ‘there’), there is a pey because the great miracle happened HERE (‘po’). After class, we went to Osnat’s house (she’s the woman that coordinates our apartment stuff) for Hanukkah dinner, including more sufganiot of course.
Thursday: sadly, a day without sufganiot… but definitely made up for during other days.
Friday: We spent ALL afternoon on Friday making latkes!!!!!! It made me miss home a lot- waking up to the smell of mom cooking latkes, wearing her hanukkah apron and getting to eat all the mess-ups And also brought back memories of making latkes in college last year, when Nikki miraculously acquired us a food-processor for the evening! Well, we don’t have a food processor here and Helene is old-school, so she hand-grated 6 potatoes (3 regular, 3 sweet potatoes) and onions. The dinner that night was meat and lunch the next day was dairy, so we made all the “batter” in one bowl and then Helene manned the diary pan and Orly manned the meat pan, and I formed the latkes and took turns putting them in each pan. We made a mess and the whole apartment smelled like latkes (which I happen to enjoy), overall it was a success! Dinner that night was one of the best- a great group of people, great food, and not too many of us.
Saturday: Our great dinner from the night before was followed by an equally 
wonderful lunch hosted by us the next day! It was delicious, and again a great group of people! Afterwards, we all took naps and then journeyed into town to walk around the Jewish Quarter in the Old City to look at all of the hanukkiot outside people’s homes (here, they have these glass boxes to put their hannukiot in so they put them outside their doors). It’s really pretty and makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside Then I went to Kalindi’s for her birthday! Kalindi is Michelle’s (friend from home) friend from college who also happens to be in Jerusalem so we’ve hung out a few times now. Anyway, Kalindi’s apartment is super cool, plus she made dinner, there was cake/brownies and ice cream and I met a lot of new people! We sat up on her roof for a bit and had an amazing view (including the Old City).
Sunday: Zehava (a co-worker) and I had to work in the evening, unfortunately. But we got to spend some time with 2 Guinean men, 1 who only spoke French and the other spoke French and just a bit of English. So we tried to explain Hanukkah to them, which proved quite difficult with the language barrier. But we showed them a hanukkiah and bought them sufganiot!
Monday: I went to Rebecca’s (my supervisor) house for dinner! She has 2 little boys, who are ADORABLE, and love Hanukkah of course! Between Rebecca, her 2 sons, her parents who are in town, and myself, we lit about 8 hanukkiot. And thank goodness we did, because the power went out! Luckily the candles provided enough light to get us through dinner. Afterwards, I went to a Hanukkah party!!! It was at a friend Rivki’s apartment and it was SO impressive- very nice looking snowflakes hanging from the ceiling (props to her roommate), and goodies galore (!)- apple crisp, mint hot cocoa, gingerbread men, etc.
Tuesday: Another co-worker (she referred to us as ‘friends’ on the phone tonight, which made me happy) took Laura and me out to dinner tonight. She had originally invited all 4 of us over for Hanukkah dinner, but Orly and Helene are out of town, and she said she was sick of Hanukkah food, so we went out! It was really nice to spend time with her, especially with just the 2 of us- sometimes the 4 of us can be a bit much! And the food was delicious of course!
There’s still one night left, but overall it has been a delicious and festive Hanukkah! It’s definitely different here- there are giant hanukkiot all over the city and you can see them in everybody’s window too. Everybody says Hanukkah sameach, and I have never eaten more sufganiot in my life! But I miss the winter time and the spirit of the season. I wonder what it will be like here after Hanukkah is over… probably not like in the States, where it lasts through all of December and into January.
I will leave you with this video (which has absolutely gone viral here, and everywhere I think!):
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Here are 2 articles (the first longer, the second quite brief) both relating very much to my work here and reading them definitely stirred up some emotions in me. I honestly did not know much about refugee/migrant issues before starting work with CIMI, and definitely did not know anything about Israel’s migration policy and issues. But in my almost 2 months here, I have learned quite a lot.
For ‘Lost Boy,’ Vote in Sudan Is Homecoming
This NY Times article is about Sudan’s Lost Boys (explained in the article) and brings up many issues I am becoming every more familiar with- the upcoming referendum (keeping my fingers crossed that it’s peaceful), refugees/migrants, diaspora-homeland relationships, etc.
“They were more happy than me,” he said. “They don’t have schools, they don’t have good hospitals, there’s a lot of mosquitoes around here, but still, still, within them, they were so happy, happier than all of us with bank accounts.”
And that made him rethink his plans.
“I belong here,” he said. “The rest of the world doesn’t need me, no, but these people, they need me. I have a reason why I’m still alive, the reason to tell the whole world that these people are good people. They are human beings, they need help, they need shoes, at least.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/world/africa/28sudan.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp
Netanyahu: Israel might close all state borders
Israel does not have a coherent migration policy. They never thought anybody but Jews would be immigrating here… but they didn’t realize that Israel’s proximity to Africa and its high level of development compared to surrounding countries would be pull factors for migrants (whether coming for better economic opportunity or seeking asylum). This tiny country (the size of New Jersey) is now facing over 1,000 migrants/month crossing the border from Egypt. On the one hand, Israel was created as a safe-haven for a peoples that has been persecuted for thousands of years, who have been refugees throughout history, so how can they turn their back on those also seeking safety or a better life? Alternatively, there are those who are quite concerned with maintaining the Jewish majority here. Regardless of opinion, Israel has yet to develop an efficient/effective/humanitarian response. The situation for these people is not so great- no rights, a very long refugee status determination process, no right to work and a policy most can’t completely wrap their heads around. So for Netanyahu to call Israel a “humanist country” in regards to migration (it indeed is humanist in some other regards) and to deem these “infiltrators” “extremist” grinded my gears a bit.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3991054,00.html
On the bright side, this is what is making me passionate at work!
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ups and downs, highs and lows
I have quite a bit of updating to do! It’s been a very busy few weeks… not at all the daily norm. In the week following my last post, I went to Tel Aviv 4 times in 3 consecutive days… which was so draining! Who knew sitting on a bus actually took energy?
Anyway, I was looking forward to the CIMI conference in Haifa for the following 10 days, thinking it would be a little more relaxing. False. It was 10 long days, about half of which we traveled around Israel. But it was a wonderful experience in which I learned a lot and met some amazing, inspiring women. Kate said it was one of her favorite parts of her year here and I was very excited about it. The course was titled Mobilizing Diaspora Civil Society for International Development: A Capacity Building Workshop for Women Leaders of Diaspora Associations (short and sweet, right?). The course participants were women from around the world who have migrated and are now leading development activities in their country of origin and/or country of residence and the course content focused on diaspora community building, women, and capacity building. This is one of the key areas in which CIMI works, so I was looked forward not only to being there for the course but also getting a better understanding of the real-world activities that are actually taking place. We stayed at the center where the course was held so I got to know the women pretty well through all of the sessions and talking during meals, bus rides, etc. We did some site visits to organizations in Afula, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
back-breaking work, I can only imagine
Additionally, over the weekend I joined the women on their tourism/site seeing travels (because I’m still a tourist here!). The highlights were a tour in the Old City, a Bedouin women’s weaving project and the Dead Sea! While I enjoyed the course very much, it was also exhausting. The sessions would run from 8:30am-6pm most days, and during breaks and in the evenings some nights I still had other work to do! It was a bit stressful and tiring. But Kate and I found our moments of freedom and fun- seeing the new Harry Potter movie one night and eating Nutella (straight out of the jar) another night.
While the end of the course was festive and celebratory, for me it was also a bit emotional and sad. Not only did Kate leave, for good (she arranged the end of her time as a JSC fellow with CIMI so that she could stay through the course but make it home in time for Thanksgiving), but it was also sad to say goodbye to the women.
I was actually looking forward to coming back to Jerusalem and returning to normalcy a bit. But my first day back (Thursday) was tough. The hardest part was Kate not being there. I am really really going to miss her. On top of that, I had been booted from my desk while I was gone. Plus, the day was very long- after work I had to escort a woman to the airport in the evening. I got back to Jerusalem at 11:30pm. Thank God for the weekend!
hello books!
Today absolutely made up for it. I spent the whole day with Dave (whose birthday we celebrated last night!). The only real goal for the day was to go to the market near the Old City to get groceries… but we made plenty of stops on the way. This morning we embarked on our journey and on the way… 2 shekel books on the street? (and a wonderful shop inside) Yes, please! While my purchase may not be a literary masterpiece, I think it’s acceptable for 70 cents! Then we wandered through the Friday Bezalel art market- lots of pretty things, delicious bread from a very nice man (I’ve been nibbling at my olive loaf as I type) aaaaand DOGS!!! I hadn’t been to this art market yet, but apparently this shelter is there every week with all their dogs. They were soooo cute and friendly! Dave and I both had our favorites. Off we went… and then Dave got a haircut. I felt like an intruder as the only female in the barbershop. The next stop- Old City for some delicious felafel and an absolutely amazing view of the Old City from the roof of the Austrian Hospice. Finally we made it to get groceries (not before having a popsical first, of course). Then it was home, where we watched the sunset from the balcony with a beer and some chocolate
Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving, of course! I sadly missed what I heard from my roommates was an amazing dinner last night, while I was at the airport. Missing Thanksgiving has made me realize that I am a bit homesick, longing for friends and family and feelings of togetherness and love. It has been really interesting talking with non-Americans about Thanksgiving… they just don’t understand how much we love it and how important it is. Anyway, I am thinking about making mashed and/or sweet potatoes and green beans for dinner tonight in honor and will imagine all of your lovely faces around the table.
So, I think that just about brings you up to speed with my life (sorry for the long post. more photos on Flickr). I’m looking forward to the remainder of the weekend. I have deemed tomorrow cafe day… meaning my plan is to sit in a cafe all day (re: coffee/tea, catching up on the Hebrew I missed while I was gone, and maybe some reading). This weekend is much needed to rejuvenate- from the past few weeks, and in preparation for what I can only imagine will be a busy few weeks coming up at work with Kate gone, another colleague leaving, and a lot of course follow-up. But I think we will FINALLY be getting internet for real this week, meaning I can have clear, sustained Skype video calls!! Looking forward to seeing all your faces (hint hint).
lots of love.
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the 1st month
Yep, it’s been a whole month. I kind of feel like it’s flown by, but it also seems like it’s been longer. Regardless, it’s time for the obligatory “looking back on the 1st month” post. The following are my thoughts, reflections, observances and adjustments from my first month here:
1. There are cats on the streets. They are gross and they are everywhere. I hate cats.
2. I shower with a dude. No, I am not sharing some steamy sexploits on my public blog. The dude is the hot water heater for the shower (it’s a Hebrew word). You have to flip this switch on about a half hour before you want to shower (unless you’re showering late enough in the morning or in the afternoon- it’s solar).
3. It’s still summer-ish. I didn’t really miss Halloween so much because it didn’t feel like Halloween time- no crisp fall air, no changing leaves. Most days are still in the 70′s (although it is significantly colder at night). Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to wear- summer clothes are too summer-y, but it’s not time yet here for sweater dresses, courdoroys or wool skirts. It’s weird thinking that Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away.
4. I’m not as terrible at staying in touch as I used to be! The reality that I don’t have established, guaranteed times to see friends from school and friends/family from home (re: school year and breaks cycle) has finally set in. Now it’s time for real-world staying in touch. And it’s not sod hard- I’ve been taking advantage all sorts of internet chatting, emailing, Skype, and I think I’ve been pretty good so far about keeping this blog updated!
5. Keeping Kosher (in our apartment) is harder than I thought. As a vegetarian, I though it’d be a piece of cake- just dairy dishes for me, please! It’s not necessarily so complicated, but it just takes a lot more thinking.
6. I don’t know if I could ever live in Israel for real. Not that I was at all considering it, but everybody I meet asks if I’m making Aliyah, which has made me wonder if I theoretically could live here. It’s a place whose existence is constantly in a state of threat. It’s a place marked by prejudice, judgement, and fear. I can’t imagine having to go through a border crossing every time I wanted to visit friends or family who lived 10 km away (but on the other side of the West Bank wall). I can’t imagine being surrounded by countries who are enemies of the state. I also can’t imagine living in a country governed by religious (yes, democratic, but also religious) law. I am in no way saying that my time here is unhappy and I am in no way saying that there isn’t still racism and every other -ism in the States and sure, a terrorist attack could happen any moment, anywhere in the States too. It’s just different here and I don’t think it’s a place where I could ever be completely comfortable.
7. The shuk is a wonderful, beautiful. Local, fresh produce for super cheap, plus everything else you need. I wish we had the same in the States. Why is the concept of local, seasonal produce so difficult in the US? Sure, we can’t grow pineapples and we want pineapples. But when I am in Illinois, why does my corn have to come from outside the country? When I am in NY, why does my apple have to come from Washington? Do I really need those strawberries in December? It’s not even a question here. Almost everything comes from Israel and there are no watermelons because they don’t grow watermelons here.
8. Tequila tastes like Pez here. I don’t know why, but it does and it’s weird.
9. I dry my laundry on a clothesline. I’ve been hang drying my clothes now for the past 2 years, with occasional loads in the dryer here and there. But here, everything goes on the clothesline outside or on the drying rack. It’s beautiful I feel so authentic!
10. Judaism is different here. Everybody told me that before coming here- they said Judaism in Israel is much more cultural and much less religious. But that doesn’t even scratch the surface. I am not going to go into all the bajillions of differences here vs. home. All I’ll say is never have I talked about or thought about Judaism and my own beliefs more in my life (and in no way do I mean that I am “flipping out” [i.e. becoming more religious through time spent in Israel] or having any type of spiritual journey. If anything, my existing views have become more solidified and clear.)
There you have it. A clean list of 10 things about my life thus far in Israel. The good, the bad and the ugly…. not really so much bad and ugly though (besides the cats), just different. 1 down, 11 left!
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balance
I’m finally starting to find my place and feel comfortable here. I think I’m achieving a good balance for myself between being in Jerusalem and not, between spending my weekends eating Shabbat meals and not, and between alone time, time with roommates and time with friends. I think I’m also starting to see more parts of Jerusalem that are making me feel happy here, like a Middle Ages festival and eclectic cafes.
Between my now 4 weekends since I’ve been here, I’ve Shabbat-ed a lot! When I say Shabbat-ed, I mean eating the meals. 2 weekends it has been Shabbat dinner Friday night and lunch Saturday afternoon. And my goodness that consumes almost your whole weekend. The meals are so great and it’s really nice to spend the weekend with friends and new people and just relax and hang out (and eat a ton, of course). On the one hand, on those weekends, I haven’t really done anything and I’m scared that suddenly my year here will be gone and I won’t have done any weekend activities. But on the other hand, you don’t really have to think about what you are going to do over the weekend- you just Shabbat! It’s also crazy for me thinking about the fact that some people do this every weekend- 1. when do you ever get to do anything? 2. I’m used to having these big long meals like 5 times/year… I can’t imagine eating like this every weekend! But, like I said, they are very much so enjoyable.
Anyway, this weekend I did not Shabbat at all- it made the weekend so much longer! I first was worried that I wouldn’t have anything to do, especially because all 3 roommates were Shabbat-ing all weekend. Luckily, my 2 Ulpan friends were happy to spend the whole weekend with me and it was perfect! Friday late afternoon we went and sat and drank coffee at a great cafe that’s open on Shabbat and then moseyed on over to another wonderful cafe for a bit to eat and more drinks. We basically just sat around for 6 hours and had ourselves a wonderful evening.
The 3 of us planned to spend today together too and go to Bethlehem, but it was rainy… so plan B! We went to the Israel Museum (which they added on to and apparently now it’s 4 times the size and just reopened). It was exhausting! Soooo big and so many different things inside- historic artifacts, traditional dress and religious items, modern art, a huge model of the Old City and the Dead Sea Scrolls, of course.
No shame being a tourist... Israel's version of the big red LOVE letters (thanks, Ulpan!)
Old City model circa the 2nd Temple
Israel's take on the Bean
Afterwards we headed back to their place for coffee, cake, relaxing and a movie. It’s so nice to just be and enjoy the company of others and not worry about plans or anything… and that’s exactly what this weekend was! And it made me feel like I am finally living here for real.
I’ve got more pictures from this weekend, the Middle Ages festival in the Old City last weekend (who would’ve thought?), and others posted on Flickr!
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a day in the life
I feel like I’m back in Ithaca- every morning I have a very scenic 25 minute walk uphill to work… seems like the JDC office has replaced MVR in my life.
About half the walk is up a nice tree-lined street. The flowers here are absolutely beautiful- so vibrant and full! I pass so many bushes like this. I’m tempted to take pictures of them all.
And then I pass Hebrew U’s Givat Ram campus… very colorful stadium stands, and some intense campus security (maybe not so scenic).
… past tons of Israeli Ministry buildings. They all look the same.
And then a lot of weird “sculptures”.
I have a nice big desk at work that has lots of plants on it There are tons of plants all over the office, plus lots and lots of courtyards. There’s an endless supply of coffee (nescafe or Turkish) and tea just down the hall from me.
On Sundays and Wednesdays after work I hop on the 9 bus to go to the city center for Ulpan. There are 2 number 9 buses with different routes… both say “mircaz ha’ir” (city center) on them… but they don’t both go there. WTF? So every time I get on I have to ask.
And on non-Ulpan days, sometimes I go to the Shuk after work. I’ve finally navigated it on my own now, which is much less stressful on non-Friday afternoons. I can get 5 bananas for the equivalent of a dollar, a half kilo of lentils for about a buck fifty, 3 carrots for less than 50 cents and a tub of hummus for less than 2 dollars. Last week Orly and I went to get spices, finally! (we started cooking last week and have only had salt).
This is Moshe, the spice guy- very friendly.
And sometimes when I come home straight from work, I can see the sunset from our balcony
I guess it doesn’t seem too exciting, but it’s the little things that count, like saying “boker tov” (good morning) and “lehitraot” (see you later) to the super friendly security guard every day on my way in and out at work, or walking with a girl my age who was trying to find Agrippas st. (I was headed there too) and helping her practice her English, or being able to form sentences in Ulpan class (saying “I want chocolate cake and ice cream”), or hearing about my roommates’ days spent teaching English to at-risk youth or developing programs for Bedouin teens and being able to share something exciting about my work day with them as well, all over a glass of wine of course.
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Tel Aviv vs. Jerusalem
Tel Aviv is seen as the modern, exciting, young urban city, and Jerusalem as the old, historic, religious city. Never having been to Israel before, I didn’t know what to expect out of either city. I was obviously very excited to find out I’d be spending the year in Jerusalem, but then I kept hearing people’s thoughts on the 2 cities and how so many people knew friends living in Tel Aviv and how there weren’t that many young people in Jerusalem… and I kind of thought my year would be more fun spent in Tel Aviv.
After my first week here, I was still unsettled, hadn’t met too many new people and was feeling the oppression of the intense religiosity and oldness of the city. I went to TA for the first time on Monday night for work and loved it- the secularity was so freeing! It was modern, there were dogs and babies and bikes everywhere, and it’s on the Mediterranean! I felt so much more comfortable there. I asked my coworker Kate on the ride there what she thought of the 2 cities (she, too, had never been to Israel before her year here). She responded that her opinions oscillate- sometimes she loves the richness and history and beauty of Jerusalem, but sometimes she loves the freedom of Tel Aviv. Sometimes she finds Jerusalem culture overbearing, and sometimes she thinks Tel Aviv is too dirty.
I returned to Tel Aviv on Thursday night and stayed through Friday afternoon. I stayed with a friend who has 2 dogs (!). We ate hummus and drank wine, took the dogs to a park, went out for a drink, and spent Friday at the Art fair (it’s twice a week and so good- will definitely be going back!) and the Shuk. Overall a very enjoyable visit.
I got back to Jerusalem as the Shabbat siren was sounding and all the stores were closing up, and walked home watching the sun set. I felt conflicted- the city is beautiful, it felt good to be “home,” and the idea of embracing a day of rest is really nice. But Shabbat is actually really inconvenient and stressful in Jerusalem- EVERYTHING (save a few establishments) shuts down- no shops, no food, no buses.
But on this Shabbat in Jerusalem I had an absolutely wonderful night out and spent Saturday afternoon with my roommates at the Armenian Shuk in the Old City. It is possible to do things on Shabbat- you just have to try harder. I was so caught up with trying to make up my mind on the two very different cities and realized I’ve been here less than two weeks- it is way too early to be making any judgments! I shouldn’t be wishing I was in Tel Aviv instead when I haven’t even had a chance to give Jerusalem a chance.
At the end of the day, I am happy to be here. I am still finding my niche in this city and figuring out the people and places here. Tel Aviv is super easy to get to, so I can always have that balance. But I had a great time in Jerusalem this weekend and know that there is still so much more yet to be discovered.
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penthouse suite
soooo our apartment is amazing! big rooms, nice open kitchen and living room area… and the biggest balcony you can imagine! Seriously- probably as big as our whole apartment. And we’re on the roof! One bedroom opens up onto the balcony and 2 other rooms (1 is mine) have little private balconies! SO much nicer than the decrepit Collegetown houses I’ve lived in the past 3 years. It’s still quite bare though- white walls, tile floor, and very little furniture so it’s quite echo-y. And it’s in a nice, safe area… we’re just kind of awkwardly in between like 3 different neighborhoods (Rehavia, Rasco and Nayot). But we’ve got bus stops nearby, some restaurants up and down the street and a close grocery store. It’s also like a 20-25 minute walk from work… which I turned into an almost hour long walk this morning when I accidentally took the “scenic” route to work… aka made a wrong turn because I thought I recognized something. Poor choice.
Anyway, this past weekend I experienced my first Shabbat in Jerusalem. We met with this woman from the Young Adult Center on Friday morning who kind of talked to us about some things in Jerusalem and we walked around this cute neighborhood I could definitely see myself spending time walking around…. and then we went to the Shuk. ohmygod I am never going on a Friday afternoon again- quite an experience, but not one I’d like to have again. Friday afternoon, everybody does their Shabbat/weekend shopping because the Shuk is closed on the weekend, starting about mid-afternoon on Friday. IT WAS INSANE! It was probably also super stressful because you HAVE TO keep track of everyone you’re with or else you will lose each other- and there were 5 of us. I was also trying to do a lot of shopping since we have almost no food, so it was a headache trying to figure out what I wanted and where to get it. Needless to say, I was very relieved to get out of there.
Friday evening, my supervisor had us over for Shabbat dinner, which was absolutely wonderful! She is great (which I will probably mention every post). Her husband who I briefly met the day before also works at the Joint. They just moved and their apartment is beautiful and their 2 little boys are adorable! Food was sooo good and it just felt nice to be in a home.
2 other JSC fellows (a married couple) going to Kiev, Ukraine for the year are in Jerusalem now and we had Shabbat lunch with them on Saturday, with a bunch of their other friends too. Again, so nice! And a delicious meal of course.
And I also squeegeed my floor on Saturday… because I guess that’s what you do with tile floor in Israel (it was very dusty from the balcony construction). I guess I’ll have to get used to that!
Tonight I had my first Ulpan class! I know some basics, so I didn’t learn too much tonight, but it was a good review and I was able to help the Russian guy next to me who was struggling. The class is taught basically all in Hebrew (not everyone speaks English, and it’s a good way to learn!) There are people from Chile, Norway, Italy, Russia, Belarus, Israel, Wales, Spain, and maybe even more places I can’t remember in the class- crazy! I met 2 guys who are doing a fellowship at the Botanic Gardens (sababa!) which is pretty close to our apartment- and they live on the next street over!
So Sundays and Wednesdays are going to be VERY long- straight from work to Ulpan until 8:30. I was ready for bed when I walked in the door tonight! Tomorrow I’m going to Tel Aviv in the afternoon for work with Kate to interview a Nigerian man for a CIMI pilot program- I’m very excited!
That’s all for now. Shalom!
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