We are leaving in 1 hour for Russia, where we will be spending Passover helping lead seders in two different cities in Siberia- Chelyabinsk (near the border with Kazaksthan!) and Tyumen (the second wealthiest city in Russia because it has so much oil). After spending 5 days with these two communities, we then fly to Moscow where we have 2 days to sightsee and also will be celebrating my 29th birthday in Moscow. Crazy crazy on all fronts...Siberia here we come. We are going with other students as part of the HUC Pesach Project, where 40 students are traveling all over Belarus, Ukraine and Russia to help lead seders.
Linda (Evan's mom) was just here and we had a wonderful visit with her. The flowers are all in bloom and springtime brings such an amazing energy to Jerusalem. We will post pictures soon.
But life hasn't been all roses either - our (rental) car was broken into last week when Linda was visiting. Losing stuff is annoying. Losing stuff that costs money is upsetting. And losing my journal felt like losing one of the best parts of this year. But alas, I will write again and start anew. But it's been a rollercoaster of a few days.
It looks like we are moving to LA...we are trying to get excited about it and dream of the beach and endless good sushi. I imagine LA to be a new sort of promised land...or at least that's one of my coping mechanisms for dealing with our extreme disappointment.
Vicious Kitten is turning 18 next week. I still remember the day she was born on Landershire Lane in Plano, Texas. I feel so blessed to have had such a wonderful kitten in my life all these years. I've always remarked that if everyone in the world got half as much love as Vicious gets the world would be such a better place.
It is crazy to think that when we return from Russia, we'll only have 1 month left. A month where Grandma Shirley is coming to visit - which we're very excited about, a month of very important Israeli holidays- Yom Hashoah (Holocaust and Heroes day); Yom Hazikron (Memorial Day -which does not mean sales like it does in the states and is a very real and solemn day or so they say) and Yom Haatzmaut - Israeli Indepence Day, where Israel is celebrating her 60th birthday. A lot of excitement, and a lot going on. A lot of transitions, beginnings and endings. Yes it's that time again.
Have a wonderful Passover and happy springtime.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Riding 4 Reform
I just returned from a 5 day bike trip through the Negev Desert to support the Reform Movement in Israel. I had no idea what to expect on this trip, and I sit here now feeling so grateful that I had the opportunity to go on this ride (and that my body and bum lasted 5 days on a bicycle.)
50 of us set out from Tel Aviv in 115 degree mid-day heat on Sunday. There was great excitement as I met fellow HUC students who are studying in the states, rabbis and cantors who left their congregations this week to support the ride, and Israeli teenagers who are participating in a year of service before going to the army. Before leaving, we sang Hatikvah together, and I think for the first time this year I was truly moved, looking around at everyone in their jerseys, thinking about the cause that I was advocating for, and anticipating the 5 days of riding I was about to embark on.
There is really nothing like riding through Israel on a bike. On buses I usually sleep so I always miss the scenery, and it would just take a bit too long to walk from Tel Aviv to Eilat. There was a great sensation of riding through the country, feeling like I was doing something Jewish, yet it was SO different from anything I had ever done in Israel, or in my life for that matter. I noticed the scenery around me, felt the dust of the desert all over my body, REALLY felt each rock and bump in the road, and loved having truck drivers and people waiting for their buses wave happily to our group as we rode by.
As our HUC group rode into Eilat, our extremely supportive fellow students cheered and waved signs. I took a moment to look around, give Jenny a huge hug and kiss, and feel a real sense of accomplishment and new connection to Israel. The scenery was breathtaking, the people were adventurous and interesting, and I feel absolutely great. Thanks to everyone who supported me on this ride and I definitely plan to go next year if there's anyone else interested!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Evan and the Ride for Reform
Just wanted ya'll to know - Evan is currently on the Ride for Reform, a 5-day bike ride from Tel Aviv to Eilat, which is over 300 miles. He is on day #3 and really loving it so far. You can read more about it on the blog: http://riding4reform2008.blogspot.com/
The ride supports the Reform movement in Israel. I'll be going to Eilat (which is on the Red Sea) on Thursday with friends to meet up with the riders and celebrate with them. We'll post pictures when Evan is back in Jerusalem. Wish him luck his final 2 days as he rides through the hot Negev desert!
The ride supports the Reform movement in Israel. I'll be going to Eilat (which is on the Red Sea) on Thursday with friends to meet up with the riders and celebrate with them. We'll post pictures when Evan is back in Jerusalem. Wish him luck his final 2 days as he rides through the hot Negev desert!
Israel Musings
Has it really been 6 weeks since we've written? Today I was thinking about how unnatural writing on this blog feels for me...and how I wish it came naturally to me, the way writing with an old fashioned pen and paper do. I always wonder- who is out there reading this blog? Who is out there reading all blogs - there are so many of them, how does one even keep up?
Having the blessing of several first-time visitors to Israel (including Alyssa, Evan's younger sister; Jeremy, my older brother, and my parents and soon Linda), has been wonderful, exciting and also made us reflect a lot on Israel as we showcase her during our whirlwind tours and guiding of family. As Dave Mendelsson, Evan's favorite professor, always says- the mission and motives of any group are important - and just as an educator must think about the goals and intentions of any trip, so too, have we reflected on how we can showcase the many complex sides of Israel and how our visitors can view, understand and learn about this place in 10 to 12 day trips.
I've also been thinking about my first trip to Israel and how so much of it is a blur - but the one thing that remains sharply in focus is the feelings, the utter emotions I felt as a 17-year-old, standing before the Kotel for the first time, thinking about Grandpa New Mexico (as I lovingly refer to my maternal grandpa who lived in Albuquerque), and what he would have said if he could stand with me at the Kotel (which, of course today, could never happen, because the Orthodox have succeeded in transforming the Western Wall into an Orthodox synagogue where men and women are separated..but back to focusing on things I like about Israel) or the communal group feeling of sleeping overnight and hiking up the Roman ramp at 4 am for a Masada sunrise..or the feeling of being part of 100 Jews from 12 countries on an international leadership BBYO group. How would my life be different today if I hadn't experience that pivotal month in Israel?
And so, we try to jam pack it all in. My mom complained that I was a drill sergeant with no patience - on the second point, she may be right and is one of the few traits I have in common with Israelis, who are infamous for their lack of savlanut (patience). But I was a drill sergeant for a good reason! There's this amazingly beautiful, complicated, difficult, wondrous country I want my family to see! And only 24 hours in a day to do so! And so much good food to eat, and cobblestone little streets to meander, and people to see, and places to hike, read, explore, see and to soak it all in. All in this tiny sliver of land, not much bigger than New Jersey.
My rabbi friend, Steven, who is visiting from Chicago who brought 100 people here from his synagogue asked me recently over nana tea (mint leaves) at the David Citadel hotel, what are some of my favorite things about living in Israel. Here's my attempt to name just a few:
* Shopping in the shuk (market) every week for the freshest produce around
* Walking everywhere in Jerusalem and not relying on public transportation
* Sitting on our amazing mirpesset (balcony)
* Listening to the joyful singing outside our windows every Shabbat evening and morning
* Meeting people who are seeking something in this very spiritual city
* Questioning the world and its crazy politics, especially because I believe Jerusalem really is the center of the world and hence, has been plagued with conquests, wars, religious wars for well over 2,000 years
* Meandering in the Old City and sitting on the roof of the Austrian hospice, looking at all the roofs and seeing how the Christian-Jewish-Muslim parts of this city blend together from the rooftop view...if only it were that easy...although Christians, Jews and Muslims have lived peacefully for many years all in the Old City together - coexistence in action!
* Seeing the lush green forests of the North, the rolling hills of the Kinneret (Galilee), the browns of the desert, the soaring mountains and the blue beaches of Tel Aviv
And to close, with some words from my journal from a recent tiyul (trip) to the Negev desert:
"Meditation outside in the desert. It's beautiful here, fresh air blowing gently, hearing singing off in the distance, sitting under acacia trees, walking through the dry and unforgiving desert, just as the Israelites must have done...feeling such a connection to this land, to this place, to Israel, to Zionism, despite all her problems, struggles and grievances and despite all the Israelis that I love to hate. Tiyul #3 - hiking in Har Shlomo, feeling such a proud sense of accomplishment - I'm a hiker! Sitting at the peak, overlooking Israel, Jordan, Egypt (Sinai) and Saudia Arabia off in the far away distance. What a crazy feeling seeing Israel's enemies so close, and yet such majestic beauty - the soaring red cliffs, and orange and brown and the dazzling blue waters of hte Sea of Eilat which lead into the Gulf of Aqaba.
I think the desert moves me in a way that other places don't. I'm sure it has something to do with Arizona, with beautiful, big open skies, with a a sense that this is such a big, open world and survival can be so hard, so prickly - and so beautiful and that mountains - like the mountains of Sandia Peak are the first part of nature I fell in love with...
Having the blessing of several first-time visitors to Israel (including Alyssa, Evan's younger sister; Jeremy, my older brother, and my parents and soon Linda), has been wonderful, exciting and also made us reflect a lot on Israel as we showcase her during our whirlwind tours and guiding of family. As Dave Mendelsson, Evan's favorite professor, always says- the mission and motives of any group are important - and just as an educator must think about the goals and intentions of any trip, so too, have we reflected on how we can showcase the many complex sides of Israel and how our visitors can view, understand and learn about this place in 10 to 12 day trips.
I've also been thinking about my first trip to Israel and how so much of it is a blur - but the one thing that remains sharply in focus is the feelings, the utter emotions I felt as a 17-year-old, standing before the Kotel for the first time, thinking about Grandpa New Mexico (as I lovingly refer to my maternal grandpa who lived in Albuquerque), and what he would have said if he could stand with me at the Kotel (which, of course today, could never happen, because the Orthodox have succeeded in transforming the Western Wall into an Orthodox synagogue where men and women are separated..but back to focusing on things I like about Israel) or the communal group feeling of sleeping overnight and hiking up the Roman ramp at 4 am for a Masada sunrise..or the feeling of being part of 100 Jews from 12 countries on an international leadership BBYO group. How would my life be different today if I hadn't experience that pivotal month in Israel?
And so, we try to jam pack it all in. My mom complained that I was a drill sergeant with no patience - on the second point, she may be right and is one of the few traits I have in common with Israelis, who are infamous for their lack of savlanut (patience). But I was a drill sergeant for a good reason! There's this amazingly beautiful, complicated, difficult, wondrous country I want my family to see! And only 24 hours in a day to do so! And so much good food to eat, and cobblestone little streets to meander, and people to see, and places to hike, read, explore, see and to soak it all in. All in this tiny sliver of land, not much bigger than New Jersey.
My rabbi friend, Steven, who is visiting from Chicago who brought 100 people here from his synagogue asked me recently over nana tea (mint leaves) at the David Citadel hotel, what are some of my favorite things about living in Israel. Here's my attempt to name just a few:
* Shopping in the shuk (market) every week for the freshest produce around
* Walking everywhere in Jerusalem and not relying on public transportation
* Sitting on our amazing mirpesset (balcony)
* Listening to the joyful singing outside our windows every Shabbat evening and morning
* Meeting people who are seeking something in this very spiritual city
* Questioning the world and its crazy politics, especially because I believe Jerusalem really is the center of the world and hence, has been plagued with conquests, wars, religious wars for well over 2,000 years
* Meandering in the Old City and sitting on the roof of the Austrian hospice, looking at all the roofs and seeing how the Christian-Jewish-Muslim parts of this city blend together from the rooftop view...if only it were that easy...although Christians, Jews and Muslims have lived peacefully for many years all in the Old City together - coexistence in action!
* Seeing the lush green forests of the North, the rolling hills of the Kinneret (Galilee), the browns of the desert, the soaring mountains and the blue beaches of Tel Aviv
And to close, with some words from my journal from a recent tiyul (trip) to the Negev desert:
"Meditation outside in the desert. It's beautiful here, fresh air blowing gently, hearing singing off in the distance, sitting under acacia trees, walking through the dry and unforgiving desert, just as the Israelites must have done...feeling such a connection to this land, to this place, to Israel, to Zionism, despite all her problems, struggles and grievances and despite all the Israelis that I love to hate. Tiyul #3 - hiking in Har Shlomo, feeling such a proud sense of accomplishment - I'm a hiker! Sitting at the peak, overlooking Israel, Jordan, Egypt (Sinai) and Saudia Arabia off in the far away distance. What a crazy feeling seeing Israel's enemies so close, and yet such majestic beauty - the soaring red cliffs, and orange and brown and the dazzling blue waters of hte Sea of Eilat which lead into the Gulf of Aqaba.
I think the desert moves me in a way that other places don't. I'm sure it has something to do with Arizona, with beautiful, big open skies, with a a sense that this is such a big, open world and survival can be so hard, so prickly - and so beautiful and that mountains - like the mountains of Sandia Peak are the first part of nature I fell in love with...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Alyssa's visit and February updates
What a past few weeks it's been- the rollercoaster of life has been keeping us busy with plans, friends, family, life decisions and the general hum-drum of life. We celebrated a lovely 4 year engagement on February 9th by hiking in Ein Gedi, just as we hiked up some 400 stairs up the Duomo in Florence, Italy when we decided to spend the rest of our lives together. Climbing seems to be an important idea for us - so we vowed that every year on Feb 9th (or as close to it as possible) we'll do something that involves climbing, hiking, or some new adventure bringing us to a higher place.
The weather here is parallel to our lives - lately there have been some spring-like days, where the sun is shining, the weather is warm, life feels wonderful, refreshing and charged with so much excitement...and then there have been the frequent rainstorms (and more potential snow tomorrow!), and the usual gray cold dampness of winter where we are feeling stuck. Happy to say that there have been many more days of the former - Evan is busily engaged in his 2nd semester of school and training for a 5-day bike ride from Tel Aviv to Eilat where he will be biking 300 miles with the Ride for Reform. Our Pesach Project preparations are underway, where we will be going to Moscow in April.
About the whole next 4 years of our life: still no decisions or news. But the good news is that we are in a better place than we were and have come to a new place of questioning, discussing, dreaming and envisioning a great next few years in either NY or LA...will definitely keep ya'll posted. There are still many unanswered questions and things cooking as I like to say, so time will tell soon...because there are so many logistics that we need to start thinking about post-June.
Our friends David, Gal and Dahlia left last week. I referenced them in an earlier post, Gal is 5 months pregnant and the baby's lungs are not developing correctly and they left to seek the best medical care, which happens to be in San Francisco, where they are from. Evan and I helped plan a healing service for them which was such a beautiful, moving and difficult night. We are keeping them and their baby in our prayers- it will be a long road, fighting for this baby's life but they are strong and we ask you to also send positive energy their way.
We have been blessed with many visitors this year - most recently Alyssa, Evan's sister came here on a Birthright trip and extended her ticket to spend an additional 5 days with us. Tonight we had sibling night, when Jeremy arrived and the two of us with our siblings dined on a fine dinner we threw together after Evan almost had all of the Budget office in Jerusalem chasing him (long story: but next time one is in Israel don't use Budget car rental!)
Evan and Alyssa outside Jaffa Gate: Signs were up everywhere celebrating the 40 years of reunification of Jerusalem (gained in the 1967 War). Now this year Israel is celebrating her 60th birthday in May. We're really excited to be here during these milestone events.
Alyssa and Jenny at the Tishbi Winery restaurant in Zikron Yaakov - a great foodie place! Alyssa loved picturesque Zikron, even on a cold February day it was charming and felt like a dreamy little village.
The cutest siblings ever- Alyssa and Evan in our apartment
The day we turned over a new leaf: Hiking in Ein Gedi, Getting Physically Recharged and Taking Life by Zest Again (and amen to that)
Sending you all love...
Jenny and Evan
The weather here is parallel to our lives - lately there have been some spring-like days, where the sun is shining, the weather is warm, life feels wonderful, refreshing and charged with so much excitement...and then there have been the frequent rainstorms (and more potential snow tomorrow!), and the usual gray cold dampness of winter where we are feeling stuck. Happy to say that there have been many more days of the former - Evan is busily engaged in his 2nd semester of school and training for a 5-day bike ride from Tel Aviv to Eilat where he will be biking 300 miles with the Ride for Reform. Our Pesach Project preparations are underway, where we will be going to Moscow in April.
About the whole next 4 years of our life: still no decisions or news. But the good news is that we are in a better place than we were and have come to a new place of questioning, discussing, dreaming and envisioning a great next few years in either NY or LA...will definitely keep ya'll posted. There are still many unanswered questions and things cooking as I like to say, so time will tell soon...because there are so many logistics that we need to start thinking about post-June.
Our friends David, Gal and Dahlia left last week. I referenced them in an earlier post, Gal is 5 months pregnant and the baby's lungs are not developing correctly and they left to seek the best medical care, which happens to be in San Francisco, where they are from. Evan and I helped plan a healing service for them which was such a beautiful, moving and difficult night. We are keeping them and their baby in our prayers- it will be a long road, fighting for this baby's life but they are strong and we ask you to also send positive energy their way.
We have been blessed with many visitors this year - most recently Alyssa, Evan's sister came here on a Birthright trip and extended her ticket to spend an additional 5 days with us. Tonight we had sibling night, when Jeremy arrived and the two of us with our siblings dined on a fine dinner we threw together after Evan almost had all of the Budget office in Jerusalem chasing him (long story: but next time one is in Israel don't use Budget car rental!)
Evan and Alyssa outside Jaffa Gate: Signs were up everywhere celebrating the 40 years of reunification of Jerusalem (gained in the 1967 War). Now this year Israel is celebrating her 60th birthday in May. We're really excited to be here during these milestone events.
Alyssa and Jenny at the Tishbi Winery restaurant in Zikron Yaakov - a great foodie place! Alyssa loved picturesque Zikron, even on a cold February day it was charming and felt like a dreamy little village.
The cutest siblings ever- Alyssa and Evan in our apartment
The day we turned over a new leaf: Hiking in Ein Gedi, Getting Physically Recharged and Taking Life by Zest Again (and amen to that)
Sending you all love...
Jenny and Evan
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Snow in Jerusalem
Vicious Kitten looks out at the snow on our huge balcony.
Jenny in the snow (in our neighborhood). It was so much fun!
Friday, February 1, 2008
A very long month
We apologize for not writing much lately. Life has been keeping up really busy - and has dealt us with some frustrating moments recently. So it's now 6:23 am and since I (Jenny) don't seem able to sleep in longer than 6-hour intervals anymore I'm awake, my head running with a thousand thoughts. I've been sick for weeks - part of it just plain sickness coupled with travel, stress and mental exhaustion on multiple levels and finally after returning from the US, my body just broke down two days ago. We trudged in a snowstorm to the doctors office to find out I have a sinus infection and an ear infection - which has been quite painful (and why I wake up so frequently). I only felt a sense of relief when the doctor told me because I was beginning to think I was going crazy and was happy to have a name for my ills. The snow was beautiful - and it was amazing how it didn't get all black and smooty the way it does in NYC. Of course the Israelis had no idea what to do with the snow, most roads weren't plowed and almost everything remained closed (even with just a few inches!).
A few weeks ago we were scheduled to go to London and Scotland for a one-week vacation following Evan's finals. The day before we were supposed to leave, we noticed something wasn't right with Vicious Kitten. After finding a vet and spending 2 hours with him that night where we ran many tests, including an ultrasound and hooked her up to an IV, we knew we weren't going on that trip. After bringing her to the vet every day for 14 days (where she received liquids via an IV, had many blood samples taken and received a daily dose of antibiotics) she has recovered and has a whole new zest for life. We are so grateful she is doing so much better. She is back to her old self, eats more now than ever and seems to have become even more of a princess than before! Our friends in London and Edinburgh understood - and it was just another reminder that we can only plan so much in life and then the rest happens...And god willing, we'll celebrate chai (18 = life) birthday in Jerusalem in April. I can think of no better fitting place to celebrate life than here in this city.
Speaking of which, last night we received some very upsetting news about some of our friends here. It's still confidential so I can't give details but let's just say they are facing some really scary health and medical issues and will be returning to the US far sooner than planned. The whole thing hit really close to home and even with my body that feels heavy with infection I am trying to send them positive energy and strength, for they will need it in the coming weeks.
We too are battling our own internal fight with HUC. Every time I think about it my blood pressure seems to rise and as many of you know, last year they assigned Evan to the LA campus, our second choice. We think LA could be a really great city and it would be amazing to be close to Phoenix and to my family - but were very upset by the arbitrary nature of how the school assigns students to campuses. We recently wrote a damn good appeal letter and it was rejected (as were 4 out of the 5 other people who appealed). The school cites reasons like needing a certain amount of students on each campus which is not a sufficient answer when we are dealing with something as big as the next 4 years of our life. I can't get into all the other thorny details on a public blog, but let's just say this whole experience has not been pleasant. Meanwhile, I was just in the States for my last Wexner conference in Florida and then flew up to NY for a very short period of time for job interviews. I had many - so many that my head is swirling with thoughts about what I want and am feeling totally mentally drained. We're in a very weird place these days - fighting a school that doesn't seem to care two shits about its students and because I work there there is another layer of complication. I know all organizations are bogged down in inefficiency, bureaucracy, and arcane policies - but HUC has shown me a whole other side of this - heck, I think it gives NYU a run for its money in terms of organizational hoops you have to jump through (and it's probably 1/100 of the size or budget of NYU).
The thing is that we feel really unsettled. We have for the past 8 months since this whole mess happened. It's no longer just about a geographic difference between NY and LA, as we said LA isnt such a bad place and could offer us some fantastic new opportunities - but increasingly becoming about the messed-up, unfair and totally arbitrary process and bullshit HUC is putting us through. So many things have happened recently that I know we can only plan so much...and that everything works out in the end...and that health issues can trump everything...but still we are filled with so much anxiety, wondering, waiting, fighting, stressing these days.
We'll keep you posted as the drama continues to unfold. Meanwhile I cant help but think about how it's the wee hours into February 1st and it's time for a new energy...a letting go of sorts...always easier said than done...
A few weeks ago we were scheduled to go to London and Scotland for a one-week vacation following Evan's finals. The day before we were supposed to leave, we noticed something wasn't right with Vicious Kitten. After finding a vet and spending 2 hours with him that night where we ran many tests, including an ultrasound and hooked her up to an IV, we knew we weren't going on that trip. After bringing her to the vet every day for 14 days (where she received liquids via an IV, had many blood samples taken and received a daily dose of antibiotics) she has recovered and has a whole new zest for life. We are so grateful she is doing so much better. She is back to her old self, eats more now than ever and seems to have become even more of a princess than before! Our friends in London and Edinburgh understood - and it was just another reminder that we can only plan so much in life and then the rest happens...And god willing, we'll celebrate chai (18 = life) birthday in Jerusalem in April. I can think of no better fitting place to celebrate life than here in this city.
Speaking of which, last night we received some very upsetting news about some of our friends here. It's still confidential so I can't give details but let's just say they are facing some really scary health and medical issues and will be returning to the US far sooner than planned. The whole thing hit really close to home and even with my body that feels heavy with infection I am trying to send them positive energy and strength, for they will need it in the coming weeks.
We too are battling our own internal fight with HUC. Every time I think about it my blood pressure seems to rise and as many of you know, last year they assigned Evan to the LA campus, our second choice. We think LA could be a really great city and it would be amazing to be close to Phoenix and to my family - but were very upset by the arbitrary nature of how the school assigns students to campuses. We recently wrote a damn good appeal letter and it was rejected (as were 4 out of the 5 other people who appealed). The school cites reasons like needing a certain amount of students on each campus which is not a sufficient answer when we are dealing with something as big as the next 4 years of our life. I can't get into all the other thorny details on a public blog, but let's just say this whole experience has not been pleasant. Meanwhile, I was just in the States for my last Wexner conference in Florida and then flew up to NY for a very short period of time for job interviews. I had many - so many that my head is swirling with thoughts about what I want and am feeling totally mentally drained. We're in a very weird place these days - fighting a school that doesn't seem to care two shits about its students and because I work there there is another layer of complication. I know all organizations are bogged down in inefficiency, bureaucracy, and arcane policies - but HUC has shown me a whole other side of this - heck, I think it gives NYU a run for its money in terms of organizational hoops you have to jump through (and it's probably 1/100 of the size or budget of NYU).
The thing is that we feel really unsettled. We have for the past 8 months since this whole mess happened. It's no longer just about a geographic difference between NY and LA, as we said LA isnt such a bad place and could offer us some fantastic new opportunities - but increasingly becoming about the messed-up, unfair and totally arbitrary process and bullshit HUC is putting us through. So many things have happened recently that I know we can only plan so much...and that everything works out in the end...and that health issues can trump everything...but still we are filled with so much anxiety, wondering, waiting, fighting, stressing these days.
We'll keep you posted as the drama continues to unfold. Meanwhile I cant help but think about how it's the wee hours into February 1st and it's time for a new energy...a letting go of sorts...always easier said than done...
Monday, December 10, 2007
Wanderings on Shabbat
Written by Evan - as he explores Shabbat experiences...This picture is of one of the hundreds of menorahs outside in Nachalot (a neighborhood next to ours)
Generally speaking, when I leave my apartment I know exactly where I am going. For instance, most days I walk out of my front gate with the understanding that I will travel down Keren Kayemet Street, cut through Independence Park, pass the American Consulate, cut through the little alleyway, and walk down Moshe Hess Street, ending up at school. Yet are rare moments like last week, when I left my home on Saturday morning and decided that I would do something that I had promised myself that I would do since my arrival in Israel. That promise was to wander through the neighborhood of Nachlaot and find an Orthodox synagogue that somehow “would speak” to me, and I would pray, or daven, with them.
To be honest, I am not exactly sure what that meant, a synagogue that “would speak” to me. Regardless, I took my tallit, siddur, and some water (just in case I ended up far from home), and set out for the neighborhood of Nachlaot. The time was just about 9:45, and little did I realize that most of the synagogues in Nachlaot finish services by 11:00am. Saturday morning in Nachlaot is quite fascinating. There are men roving the alleyways, kids playing in the street, women chatting outside of the synagogues, and a few secular Jews enjoying the tranquility of Shabbat, taking pictures of the synagogues and old buildings that are so characteristic of this neighborhood. I felt quite peaceful and solitary as I walked through the streets of the neighborhood, despite the fact that I was surrounded by Jews. I know I could have asked a friend to join me on this “quest”, but for some reason I wanted to wander through Nachlaot on my own. So much of our experience here in Israel is focused on the collective, I suppose I just wanted something for myself on this Saturday morning.
After passing by two small synagogues, I walked by a small door leading into a basement. From the ground level, I could hear men singing Siman Tov joyously from below. “This is my synagogue!” I thought to myself. I walked down the dark, musty stairs into the modest basement where I saw men joyously dancing around the podium, one of them holding a baby. Some of the men were standing, others sitting. A few were reading from various books, others were singing and festively joining in the conversation. I could see women behind the mesh curtain also celebrating amongst themselves. I surveyed the large bookcase in front of me. It took me several moments to choose a siddur, and I made my way a few rows in just as the celebration of the baby came to a rousing finish. Part of me felt so comfortable there, yet I had no idea what to expect. So many questions came to my mind. Does this congregation get visitors very often? They all seem to know one another. Will they call on me to read Hebrew or for an aliyah because I am a guest? Am I dressed properly? Do I fit in here at all? What is going on at H.U.C right now?
This was not my first time in an Orthodox prayer environment; on the contrary, I grew up going to an Orthodox summer camp every summer and many of my friends to this day are Orthodox Jews. Yet it has been some time that I have davened with them, and because I was by myself in a synagogue that I had never entered until that day, I really felt just a bit unsure about the whole situation.
My experience in this little synagogue lasted only about 45 minutes, as I had spent a good deal of time wandering the neighborhood before I finally sat down there. The most interesting piece of the service in my opinion was the Birkat Kohanim. Three men approached the ark, took off their shoes, and covered themselves with their tallitot. They held their hands up high, and I could tell they were making the Priestly hand signal under their tallitot. I had never seen this ceremony before and was grateful to witness it for the first time in my life.
During Musaf I closed my eyes and enjoyed the orchestra of male voices each singing and praying with their own tones and intonations. I thought to myself how beautiful the medley of all of the voices sounded, despite the fact that my personal preference is to have a chorus of both male and female voices when I pray. As the service ended, I quickly packed up my tallit and quietly walked up the stairs into the bright morning sunlight. It’s interesting to think that most likely nobody there really noticed my presence at the service, but it had an impact on me. My relationship with Orthodox Judaism is complex, and in recent years I really felt no desire to enter an Orthodox synagogue. It was important to me, however, to embrace this aspect of my past and to struggle with the question how Orthodox Judaism relate to my life and to the liberal Jewish community as a whole. As I walked home down Ussishkin Street, I noticed that all of the synagogues that were so vibrantly davening only an hour ago, were now quiet and dark. I knew I had made the right choice; I had fulfilled my promise to myself, and could not wait to see where I would be for Shabbat next week…
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Daily Grind
It's been ages since we've written (by we: anyone who know us well will be able to tell which half of we is writing this blog!). Life has been very busy and fulfilling lately. We just returned from our 2nd HUC tiyul (trip) where we went up north to Caesaria (site of old Roman ruins), Zipporia (another site of ruins, where the Mishna was written) to Tzfat (very cool hippie-Jewish town and center of Kabbalah) and Haifa. We learned a lot and had some good times. The North of Israel is so different from the rest of the country and met with some really interesting people doing good things in the world of Jewish education, at a school in Haifa.
But enough about our trip- I wanted to give you some info about our daily existence in this amazing country. Both Evan and Jenny are very busy, another big surprise! Evan is playing on the HUC flag football team and has games every Tuesday night. A few weeks ago, Jenny, along with about 25 other HUC students and partners, came to the Homecoming game. Dedicated fans we were, standing there in the pouring rain! Evan loves playing on the team and is quite the athlete as well!
The two of us volunteer every week in Mevasseret Tzion, a suburb of Jerusalem, about 20 minutes away, in an Ethiopian absorption center. We work with a family (picture forthcoming): with Sanay (the dad), Tababu (his son, around 10 years old) and Haftami, his other son who is 6 and the cutest thing ever. The first few weeks were somewhat awkward- they speak better Hebrew than we do, but their first language is Amharic and have only been in Israel for 1.5 years. They are new immigrants and it is funny watching the 5 of us struggling to speak in Hebrew! We play games with them, including Memory and kador regel (Hebrew for soccer). We have developed a very nice relationship with the family and it's a really nice part of our week, getting out of Jerusalem and being in a totally different world. About 2,000 Ethiopians live in the absorption center and life is not so easy for them in Israel- learning to adjust to a very difficult culture, learning a new language, taking conversion classes- the politics of Judaism in Israel...The Ethiopians must take a conversion class here , but that's for another story about the power of the rabbinate in Israel.
Other daily things: Jenny takes ulpan on Monday and Wednesday nights and lyat, lyat her Hebrew is slowly improving! My ulpan class is a wonderful mix that represents Israel- we have people who made aliyah here (from France and the US), students who are Palestinian Christian, Evangelical Christians from Brazil, Czech Republic and Germany, a few people like myself who are here for 1 year, a Catholic woman from Ireland and even a priest who is Palestinian! Many people in my class have lived in Israel for several years too - what a crazy and interesting country this is! One woman has been here for 29 years and is still struggling to learn this crazy language. The take-away from that is not that this woman is not smart, but rather, that there are so many English speakers in Jerusalem that it is possible to get by on English.
Evan just finished his midterms at HUC and is still very much enjoying school. His favorite days is Wednesday, when he has his Israel Seminar and has the opportunity to learn from many diverse characters in Israeli life, including the Israeli "Mr. Television" (everyone called him the Walter Cronkite of Israel), authors, rabbis, settlers, peaceniks and economists.
We promise to write more soon! We're getting ready for Becca and Charlie's visit...YAY! We are going to Petra, Jordan with them and then later on, Molly comes, as does Jodie. It is the beginning of a month full of guests and friends visiting. We're having our annual Hanukkah party this year on Thursday night. Happy Hanukkah!
But enough about our trip- I wanted to give you some info about our daily existence in this amazing country. Both Evan and Jenny are very busy, another big surprise! Evan is playing on the HUC flag football team and has games every Tuesday night. A few weeks ago, Jenny, along with about 25 other HUC students and partners, came to the Homecoming game. Dedicated fans we were, standing there in the pouring rain! Evan loves playing on the team and is quite the athlete as well!
The two of us volunteer every week in Mevasseret Tzion, a suburb of Jerusalem, about 20 minutes away, in an Ethiopian absorption center. We work with a family (picture forthcoming): with Sanay (the dad), Tababu (his son, around 10 years old) and Haftami, his other son who is 6 and the cutest thing ever. The first few weeks were somewhat awkward- they speak better Hebrew than we do, but their first language is Amharic and have only been in Israel for 1.5 years. They are new immigrants and it is funny watching the 5 of us struggling to speak in Hebrew! We play games with them, including Memory and kador regel (Hebrew for soccer). We have developed a very nice relationship with the family and it's a really nice part of our week, getting out of Jerusalem and being in a totally different world. About 2,000 Ethiopians live in the absorption center and life is not so easy for them in Israel- learning to adjust to a very difficult culture, learning a new language, taking conversion classes- the politics of Judaism in Israel...The Ethiopians must take a conversion class here , but that's for another story about the power of the rabbinate in Israel.
Other daily things: Jenny takes ulpan on Monday and Wednesday nights and lyat, lyat her Hebrew is slowly improving! My ulpan class is a wonderful mix that represents Israel- we have people who made aliyah here (from France and the US), students who are Palestinian Christian, Evangelical Christians from Brazil, Czech Republic and Germany, a few people like myself who are here for 1 year, a Catholic woman from Ireland and even a priest who is Palestinian! Many people in my class have lived in Israel for several years too - what a crazy and interesting country this is! One woman has been here for 29 years and is still struggling to learn this crazy language. The take-away from that is not that this woman is not smart, but rather, that there are so many English speakers in Jerusalem that it is possible to get by on English.
Evan just finished his midterms at HUC and is still very much enjoying school. His favorite days is Wednesday, when he has his Israel Seminar and has the opportunity to learn from many diverse characters in Israeli life, including the Israeli "Mr. Television" (everyone called him the Walter Cronkite of Israel), authors, rabbis, settlers, peaceniks and economists.
We promise to write more soon! We're getting ready for Becca and Charlie's visit...YAY! We are going to Petra, Jordan with them and then later on, Molly comes, as does Jodie. It is the beginning of a month full of guests and friends visiting. We're having our annual Hanukkah party this year on Thursday night. Happy Hanukkah!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Bethlehem, The West Bank
Too exhausted to write now...will write in a few days but in the meantime wanted to post a few pictures from our most recent trip, only 15 minutes from Jerusalem, but into another world..
This is the wall- the separation barrier between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. It was quite high with graffiti all over it, in English and Arabic.
Our host family that we stayed with in their house, they were a lovely Palestinian Christian family and were very warm to us.
The border - I thought this picture was really telling of what goes on in Bethlehem; an Israeli army vehicle is patrolling the area, while a busload of tourists is coming in to the West Bank.
This is the wall- the separation barrier between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. It was quite high with graffiti all over it, in English and Arabic.
Our host family that we stayed with in their house, they were a lovely Palestinian Christian family and were very warm to us.
The border - I thought this picture was really telling of what goes on in Bethlehem; an Israeli army vehicle is patrolling the area, while a busload of tourists is coming in to the West Bank.
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