M-16 is No Match For Me

I think completing my last blog entry really motivated me to work on it some more so here is another blog entry within the same week-I’m starting to catch up! You should all feel important considering how much time I spent writing this one so enjoy!

January 16 -23, 2011

Me and my oversized uniform

My alarm went off at 7:15 very early Sunday morning for Shacharit (Morning Prayer services). Then, after breakfast, we had an hour to finish getting ready for our "Israel Experience Week". Basically the entire month of January entailed the 2 weeks of Winter Break and the rest of the month for experiencing Israel before our Nativ group was split up into our 3 groups and shipped off to our new homes for second semester. For the first week of “Israel Experience” we were given 4 choices: A trip to Poland, a week volunteering in Haifa, a week archaeological dig, and a week experiencing the Israeli army in a program most Israeli high schools do called Gadna. I chose the army experience because I already visited Poland last Summer, and I knew I would never have a chance like this again to truly get a glimpse into the life of a real Israeli. When we arrived to the Sde Boker army Base in the South of Israel, we were immediately treated like new soldiers. Our Nativ group of the 20 of us was then divided into two groups. Basically the whole day was a foreshadowing of the week ahead of us; discipline was going to rule our lives. Whether we were getting our clothes (with missing buttons) or getting holly mattresses and smelly sleeping bags, we were under constant time restraints. There was some physical labor but mostly it was running from one tree to another light post in 15 seconds, and to stand in formation ( 2 lines standing in position), so for the rest of the day we did a lot of practice with discipline and if we moved after the time was up we had to do pushups. Our group of 20 was then divided into 2 tsevets(Hebrew army lingo for group) of 10 and were assigned a Mefakedet (commander) – ours was named Avigail. We didn’t just practice our discipline, we also had classroom time where we heard a poem about what it takes to be a soldier. I was really impressed and impacted by the poem and its depth on the life of an Israeli soldier. After a decent dinner that was improved by the shoko(Israeli specialty of chocolate milk in a bag instead of a box), we had an initiation ceremony where all the Tsevets gathered to meet the head Mefakedet and listen to the importance of the army and how lucky we were to get an experience like this. It was a little weird because all the other tsevets were from a huge Israeli group but our small group was American so one of my friends, Sean, translated the instructions. After the initiation, we were given our single hour of free time that all soldiers are given right before bed (yes, only an hour, no breaks during the hard working day). Even though that hour is designated for getting ready for bed and showering, all our Nativ girls made a pact in our tent that we wouldn’t be showering the entire 5 days we would be at Gadna because it was soooo cold and we’d have to run from the bathrooms to our tent at night with wet hair – we’d take dirt over pneumonia any day. When the hour was up, our Mefakedet came into our tent to make sure we were all in bed with the lights out and even stayed in the tent to make sure we’d go to bed (though there wasn’t a need, because we were so exhausted from the full day).





I woke up Monday morning to the sound of screaming Mefakedets in every tent, waking up the whole base at 5:30 in the morning! Today was the day we had anticipated and been expecting since we had all signed up for Gadna – our field day! After getting dressed, praying, and cleaning up our tents (the exact way as it would be expected in the army) we started our Masa (Hebrew for journey); we walked all morning for almost 3 hours, but when we arrived to our destination we were rewarded with a breakfast that was yet again improved by the chocolate milk. The whole day entailed field work – learning different ways to crawl, fall, and even walk.  We played games to practice all our new learned techniques and I could feel the bruises and welts grow as I would do pazatztas (certain ways to fall into crawling position). To make us look like real soldiers in the field, we even put mud on our faces and sticks over our uniforms for camouflage! But it wasn’t until after lunch that we really got to put all of our new learned skills to practice. Our tsevet (group) was going to compete against the other Nativ tsevet; by using our new camouflage and hiding techniques we were able to act like soldiers in battle. Each team was given 10 “grenades” and a certain amount of bullets. Even though it wasn’t real, adrenaline rushed through our blood, it was so intense and even a bit nerve wrecking because you didn’t know if anyone was lurking behind the other side of that rock or bush you were hiding behind. Ultimately each team won a round – but the competition between our tsevets wasn’t over yet. Both teams had to build hideouts that would be necessary during a war and it needed to meet 3 qualities – that it be hidden, comfy, and can protect. Our team’s hideout impressed the Samelet (assistant to the the Mem Mem(the mefakedet of the mefakedets))as we acted out a war scene that exemplified all 3 qualities. After a day full of scrapes, bruises and hard work, we headed back on a bus to reach the camp ground before sunset. To end the day we had some classroom time (it was very nice to get to sit after a hard day’s work) where we learned about and discussed friendship in the army. When you’re faced with such grueling circumstances, you can’t help but form bonds that will last a lifetime. Then after dinner we got to meet with the Mem Mem and learn about gun safety – as we would be shooting guns on our last full day of Gadna! That night I didn’t even wait for our hour of free time to be over, I was so exhausted from the day’s work – but before bed I saw that my knees had turned into murals of black and blue!

Picnic Breakfast after our long "MASA" (journey)

Matt (my partner in the competition) and I with camoflouged faces

My Bruised knee by the end of the week!

 

It was a lucky day when we got an extra hour of sleep and didn’t get woken up till 6:30 on Tuesday! After working in the field all day long on Monday, Tuesday was designated for the “classroom”. After starting to learn about gun safety with the Mem Mem the previous night, we continued learning and preparing for shooting the gun aaaall day. We learned about the 3 ways to shoot a gun (standing, kneeling and lying down) and the pros and cons of each position. Since lying down had the most contact to the ground, you had the most steady shot, thus we would be shooting in that position the following day. We also got to practice holding the gun and pretending to shoot it. We practiced following the orders and commands the Mem Mem would be giving us the next day in order that we would shoot the gun safely. When I first was handed the practice gun, I was surprised at how heavy it was and was overwhelmed with the feeling of holding a gun even if it wasn’t able to shoot. Since I was a little overwhelmed by the intensity, I forgot to cock the gun when I was given the order, so I was really glad when I got the second chance to practice, because I did it correctly and felt much more prepared for when it would be time for the real thing. Even though we ended the day with more classes about the army and its importance to Israel, Tuesday had definitely been the day of the M-16.

Though I thought I was lucky that we got to sleep in until 6 on Wednesday, I wasn’t so happy to find out that our tsevet’s chore that day would be to clean the bathrooms. It turned out to be not as awful a job as we thought, though it definitely wasn’t the most pleasant of jobs. Just when we thought our time of being active (like in field day) was over, we got to participate in a competition with all the other tsevets. There were tons of stations that we got to circulate through. It was also important to cheer and have a lot of team spirit because it helped with your score no matter how well you did in that specific station. I did feel pretty special at one station – we had to take turns sprinting to a specific spot where we had to do a quick pizatzta and once we were on the ground we had to quickly pick up a stone lying on the ground and throw it at a water bottle on the ground. We each had a turn after turn and were supposed to knock down the bottle as many times as we could, and I was the only one to knock over the bottle the entire time! Ultimately it was really fun just to play around and have a break from all the orders screamed at us constantly and just have fun with friends. After the surprise competition it was the time we’d all been waiting for… we were going to a shooting range to shoot M-16s. The bus drove us to a deserted field in the middle of nowhere (obviously for safety) and then they told us we’d each go into the “shooting room” by tzevet and go through the commands to shoot the 11 bullets that were already loaded in our guns. When it was my tzevet’s turn we walked in and sat on our mats in silence but with huge smiles of excitement and anticipation on our faces. Elkana, Nativ’s assistant director, and Aaron, one of the counselors, were also there and able to take pictures of us all while we waited and followed the commands. The whole experience was so surreal, adrenaline pumped through my veins and it seemed as if the experience was over before I knew it. Though some of the “soldiers” in my tsevet described shooting the M-16 as cool, I felt that wasn’t a very fitting description. Holding the gun in my hand and pulling the trigger was really intense, it was definitely scary, but also exciting and while it made me feel like I had power it also made me feel powerless because I was dealing with such dangerous machinery. No matter how it felt, I was pretty proud of myself once I’d finished and even more proud when I’d found out I’d made 7 out of 11 bullets on my target! (My other friend who has shot guns before got 8 and this was my first time!) As a souvenir we all got to keep a shell of one of the bullets we shot and the yellow target sheet with all the bullet holes in it. We came back, still in shock from the experience and had lunch. Though we thought nothing more exciting could happen after the gun shooting that day, our tsevet was in for an extra special treat. The next day would be Tu B’Shvat which is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the trees and all the fruit that they bare etc. Jews celebrate this holiday by eating special fruit and by planting trees, especially by planting them in the land of Israel. Trees are obviously very important for the earth, not just because of their fruit but also what they do to help the environment. A lot of times people will even pay for a tree to be planted in Israel in honor of a celebration or as a gift. Our tzevet got the honor to be the only tzevet of the base to plant trees in the base, and we got to plant 4! Since the land is so dry in the dessert we had to use pick axes to dig the holes and then add fertile soil so the trees would actually grow in such a dry a climate. We even got to bring our fourth tree to the Mefaked Habasis (the commander of the entire base) so it could be planted in front of his office, it made our honor even greater. We even got an extra half hour of break that evening before bed and since tomorrow would be our last day they told us we’d get to sleep in till 6:30 again! We definitely went to bed happy from our exciting day and sad but excited for our last day of Gadna.

Me shooting the M-16

7 bullet holes in my target sheet!

pick axing the hole for one of the trees

My tzevet with one of the newly planted trees

Fast asleep and still enjoying my sweet dreams, I was abruptly awoken by the sound of screaming Mefakedets waking us up a half hour earlier than expected and screaming that we only had 7 minutes to be dressed and ready outside in our “chet” formation with our tents already cleaned. Once we were in our “chet in front of our Mefakedet with our shirts tucked in and still yawning and in shock from the early wake up, she told us that we had just gone through a drill that most soldiers have to do to be ready to move in case of emergency battle. We were then ready to head to our surprise closing ceremony which really meant that our experience with Gadna was coming to an end. We marched in two lines, tsevet after tsevet, to David Ben Gurion (the first prime minister of Israel)’s grave – which is where our army base was located next to. With the closing ceremony they presented awards to certain “soldiers” and gave some speeches to the Mem Mem Alef (commander of our group of tzevets) because it was her last day after a year of working at the Sde Boker base. There were lots of tears, but it wasn’t till we were marching back that my tears started to fall. I have had Reynode’s Syndrome since freshman year – it’s when I have poor circulation in my hands and feet and in cold weather my hands and feet can even go numb. I was having issues with the hard cold nights of the desert so the army gave me a pair of gloves to use (which I still have as a souvenir!) but that morning that we were up early was particularly cold since the sun hadn’t come out yet. Since we stood completely still during the hour long ceremony in the cold weather, my feet had gone completely numb in certain parts and were in more pain than I’ve experienced in my feet due to my syndrome. With each step I was in more and more pain, but I didn’t want to complain, so when my friend next to me saw me sniffling she thought I was just overcome with emotion from the ceremony. As I tried to explain my pain the real tears fell and everyone else thought I was crying because of Gadna, so, after the sun came out as we walked back and warmed my feet out of pain, we all laughed at how they thought I was crying because Gadna was over and not my pain. After a picnic lunch and cleaning up the base/packing up to get ready to leave, they had one extra surprise left for us before we got on the busses. The 2 Mafekedets of our Nativ tsevets and the Mem Mem and the Samelet were all standing there to give us our own personal ceremony where all of our Nativers received pink award sheets because we were an especially good group. The Mem Mem said that she has never given awards to an entire group the whole time she’s been on the base (a year!) but we were all such hard workers they thought we all deserved something. Though it was almost time to get on the bus it was finally time for what we’d been waiting for since we were assigned to our Mefakedets… they weren’t our commanders anymore so we got to have a Q&A. With tons of laughter we found otr that our mefakedet was 3 days younger than me! Apparently a lot of times she wanted to laugh at things we did but she’s not allowed to because of her position in the army, it was so fun to see that she was just a normal teen like the rest of us, but weird at the same time to think that we had looked up to her like a real leader the whole time! After listening and following all her orders and commands and then finding out she was our age, it really opened up the world of the army as a place of order and the importance of your actions to keep order which is necessary in time of war. On the ride back to Jerusalem, I not only slept to make up for my exhausting week, I also reflected on my new realizations of the Israeli army. I learned how uniting it is to have the army be mandatory, because even if your job isn’t to fight (which most people’s isn’t) it still forms a united nation. I also realized from all the extra chores I had to do every day to keep the base in order, that being in the army isn’t always just fighting in the field; it’s about working together and being a part of something important.  By the time I’d dropped my bags in my room I jumped in the shower to wash off 5 days of dirt and hard work, and got in my pajamas. By 9 I was in bed and zonked out – ready to make up for all the lack of sleep.

My Tzevet

 

After 11-and-a-half hours of sleep, the sun shining through my curtains woke me up in time to catch breakfast from the cafeteria. After a morning of cleaning and unpacking (slash starting to repack for the next trip), I had a  quick lunch that was a refreshing change from Gadna food, and headed to the shuk for a few things I’d be needing that Shabbas. One of which was some drinks to take to Abby and Evan Ravskis’ for Shabbat dinner that Friday night.  As I’ve written many times before, Evan is/was my chevruta(study partner) for one of my classes at the Conservative Yeshiva; in fact we have an additional member in our study group, Ari Rosenblume who is on Nativ with me.  Since it was our last Shabbat in Jerusalem before we left, Evan and Abby had us both over for Friday night dinner. They also had invited a couple other friends, of whom I knew, and it was just a great night full of delicious food and laughter. I was so glad to have that extra time with Evan and Abby before I left for Karmiel. Plus Evan remembered how much I love his salmon, so he made me that while everyone else had chicken, I felt extra special and was glad to leave them on a good note (though I knew I’d see them again).

There was still one more lucky couple I wanted to see before I moved to Karmiel – Alex and Laura Freedman f course! Since Alex is my cousin I had to spend my last Shabbat with him even if I didn’t want to (but luckily I really did!).  I also wanted to make sure I spent my Saturday morning services at Kedem where I have made my own community considering most of the congregants are my friends from the Conservative Yeshiva. It was a little sad giving good bye hugs at the end of services to all my friends, but I was still looking forward to lunch with Alex and Laura. Like always, the food was delicious and we had so much to talk about, like my Gadna trip and their upcoming honeymoon trip to Italy. I was so glad I had gotten that extra chance to spend time with them before my move, and it made my Shabbat extra special.

Sunday morning was the start of our “Israel Today Seminar”- basically 3 weeks to get a better understanding of Israeli society and stepping outside of our Nativ bubbles. Our morning with reality began with David Horovitz, the Editor of the Jerusalem Post, one of the most popular Israel Newspapers that can also be accessed from jpost.com.  Though I’ve never been huge into politics, it was interesting to hear his view and points on Israel, especially the West Bank issue… which was a good setup for the next part of the day. We were off to explore the settlements in Gush Letzion, located in what is known today as the West Bank. In society outside of Israel, the news often presents the settlements as a road block to peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. Settlements are also portrayed as rundown villages with temporary housing with only extremely religious Jews that stubbornly won’t leave the territory. I’ve always been confused about the situation – like I said before, I’m not into politics! Even though I’m still confused (it’s obviously not simple or else there’d be peace in Israel), after visiting a kibbutz and Efrat (two settlements within the West Bank) and listening to “Settler Bob”, I definitely have a better understanding of what is going on, and an even better understanding than most people just by seeing it first-hand. One big revelation I learned is that the settlements aren’t run down at all, other than the parts that are empty because the government has forbidden any further construction in those territories; the settlements are actually really pretty and established “towns”. I also learned most of the people aren’t the typical Ultra-Orthodox Jews, just Jews that believe this is the Jewish homeland and that we shouldn’t give up the land considering Israel is already so tiny. It was also interesting to discover that the reason the territory is called the West bank is because the Palestinians don’t want to call the land by its real names- Judea and Samaria- because Judea officiates that it has claim to the Jews. Even though I’m still confused, I am very glad I got the chance to understand a bit more about the land that I love living in. The day got even better as the evening approached with more learning but in a much more entertaining way. All of Nativ was going to Tel Aviv to watch a play put on by the Deaf and Blind. I had no expectations before going, but even if they had been high, they wouldn’t have been let down. The show was called “Not by Bread Alone”, and was performed mostly by people who were BOTH deaf and blind. There were some people who were just deaf or just blind but even if they could hear, they could only hear because of hearing aids. We basically got to hear their life stories, dreams, and watch performances, which was mostly miming and dancing. One of the most interesting parts was how they introduced the play; all the actors and actresses were sitting and making bread! (hence the title). As they kneaded and rolled the bread they introduced themselves, though most of them just stood while the three people, who could talk, spoke for them. I was so impressed with all the performances, there was one guy who was born blind and became deaf at 11 but could still talk (thought it wasn’t extremely clear it was still hugely impressive). At the end of the show we also got to eat the bread that they had made at the beginning of the show- it was super delicious and hot out of the oven! The evening left me so appreciative of both my sight and ability to hear; but I also learned that it’s always possible to overcome obstacles we face.

Winter Break Explorations Part 2

Well, I’ve been on Tiyulim and traveling nonstop and have gotten even moooore behind on my blog (who knew that was possible!?!) but now I’ve officially moved to Karmiel and I am ready to devote my time to catching up and AND keeping up with this blog, I promise. So I guess we’ll continue with my winter break adventures…

January 9 - 15, 2011

It was Sunday morning and my second week of winter break. Tali Marcus and I had to wake up extremely early (5 am!) because we were going to Hamat Gader Hot Springs! I had heard about this place from a family friend, Adam Ganson, who had moved to Israel; Tali and I were so excited for two days where we would actually be able to swim in the WINTER! Even though we almost missed our bus to the hot springs, once we made it on the bus we knew we could now begin our relaxing vacation. By 10 we arrived at the springs, got settled in our room, and made our plans for the day. Since Tali and I both weren’t traveling out of the country we decided to really enjoy these two days of relaxation and booked full body massages for 3 o’ clock and even rented white plushy bathrobes to wear around the springs and spa (best $7 I ever spent). After booking the massages we headed for the long-awaited hot springs and my expectations were more than exceeded! Not only was the water amazingly hot and in tons of different pools with different types of Jacuzzi’s to help with your skin, metabolism, and more, the weather was ALSO between 21-24 Celsius! (That’s 70 -75 Fahrenheit). Tali and I spent all morning in the water moving from one pool to another and laying out in the unexpected and much appreciated sun, soaking up all the Vitamin D we could get. It was especially amazing that the sun only went away around 1:30 when we had lunch, and when we went back to the hot springs for another half hour before our massages, the sun came back out so we could enjoy our last bit of the hot springs for the day. Even though the springs sometimes emitted the scent of sulfur, it had been such an amazing day and really beneficial for my skin, or at least that’s what the springs were supposed to do. After I got wrapped up in my warm fluffy robe, Tali and I headed for the spa for our massages! I had never had a massage in my entire life, but even if I’d had any expectations they would have probably been exceeded. Not only were the hot oils soothing on my skin (which had already been “cared for” by the hot springs,), the ambiance of the room and the rainforest soundtrack all added to the most relaxing massage. Then, when I called my parents to tell them about how relaxing my day had been, it was made even better when they told me they’d take care of the massage as my belated birthday present! That evening instead of going to a restaurant in Hamat Gader, Tali and I were kind of on “house arrest” in our room. Since we’re in Israel, which is the Jewish State, the Hot Springs Park closed at 5 and reopened at 6 just for men (Judaism believes in modesty so most religious people tend to swim separately because of bathing suits). Basically, Tali and I weren’t allowed to leave our room by 6, and thus, it was time for a picnic dinner. We came prepared with chumus, veggies, a can of corn, pickles, and cans of tuna- what a feast. After dinner, what else was there to do but watch movies on tv. There were only two English movies playing on the tv, and we were lucky enough to get to see Hotel for Dogs since the other movie was something really depressing and dramatic (it didn’t go along with our vacation’s theme); it was funny how the “Hotel for Dogs” star, Emma Roberts beat out her star- actress aunt, Julia Roberts, when we decided that a “Hotel for Dogs” was a better choice of a movie than watching a leukemia patient slowly die. What made the day even better is that we fell asleep at 10 after such a fun day in the sun!

Those robes added the perfect touch to a relaxing vacation

It was WINTER!

We were so relaxed (and oily) after our massages

After going to bed so early, who would have thought that Monday morning we could still sleep till 10, but luckily the sun shone in the windows and woke us up in time for us to enjoy our second and last day at the relaxing Hamat Gader Hot Springs. After remorsefully waking up, Tali and I made it to the springs area by 10:30 and got our complimentary iced coffees (delicious). The weather and water was just as nice as the day before – hot and sunny! Since the last bus left at 3, Tali and I wanted to take advantage of the rest of Hamat Gader before we had to leave, so by 11:45 we bid a due to our robes and the relaxing hot springs and had a delicious lunch at one of the restaurants in Hamat Gader. Though we made sure to enjoy the lunch, we had to rush a bit because there was a parrot show at 12:30 that I really didn’t want to miss. Basically, not only does Hamat Gader feature an amazing spa and Hot Springs, there’s also a crocodile farm, parrots, and a petting zoo (plus some ancient ruins that we didn’t have time to see)! Tali and I just made it in time to see the parrot show, it was so cool seeing parrots do tricks like ride bicycles and even solve simple math problems! After the show ended we walked around and saw all the alligators, crocodiles, and monkeys, and then got to pet a baby deer and some bunnies! We were able to fill up our whole day and make it in time to catch the last bus of the day back to Jerusalem. If my day hadn’t been good enough, that evening I got treated to a delicious dinner that was only as wonderful as it was because I got to see family friends from Cincinnati. The Zakems are members of our shul and also friends of my family, their youngest daughter, Mimi, is my friend and a year younger than me, and their older daughter, Rachel is here for the year in Israel – so they came to visit her. Not only was the package they brought me from home a really nice treat, I always love seeing friends from home, even if Israel is becoming more and more like home every day.

one of the pools had a such a funny sign

Our free iced coffees made for a great morning

The parrots were so talented!

The fattest crocodile we could find

We got to pet this cute baby deer!

The Zakem family and I

After seeing family friends the night before, what else was there to do but spend the following day with family! Technically Laura Seidenberg married into the “family” that we’ve created with the Freedman family, but I was so excited to spend an entire day with Laura that that little technicality didn’t change the fact that I’d be spending the day with my new “cousin”. Though our day didn’t entail a whole lot of “adventure”, it was definitely fun. We began our day with one of my favorite spots of Jerusalem – the shuk (outdoor market). I don’t know what it is about the shuk, but it never gets boring, no matter how many times I go. Maybe it’s all the different produce every day, maybe it’s all the new crowds hoarding the stalls, or maybe it’s all the smells of fresh pastries and rugelach , either way, I love it! Laura and I had fun finding dried fruit (delish!), fresh fruit, and some veggies for the stir-fry we’d be making that night for dinner. After shopping and getting fresh squeezed fruit shakes, it was time to help Laura with her afternoon babysitting job. Laura “nannies” every afternoon for the sweetest 5-year old girl Ella, and language isn’t a barrier considering Laura was hired to help keep Ella practicing her English that she speaks at home. Ella was such a cutie and in no time she was holding my hand and asking me tons of questions. That day we took Ella to the mall because there was a candy making activity for kids – Laura and I basically sat and watched till she had finished and then her mom picked her up. Ella gave me a huge hug goodbye and she asked me to come help babysit again (though I don’t know if I will ever have a free afternoon like that in Jerusalem). Apparently she STILL asks about me coming to visit! After the babysitting, Laura and I returned to their apartment for cooking! We chopped and boiled and came out with a delicious asian stir-fry, whole wheat pasta, a delicious salad, and fresh, juicy strawberries for dessert! I came home that night after dinner with Alex and Laura, exhausted and ready for bed but so happy from a fun “family” day.


Laura and I really enjoyed our Fruit Smoothies

Wednesday was pretty unadventurous, another relaxing day enjoying vacation. I treated myself to some frozen yogurt and went to bed early, excited for my last day of vacation and travel

I woke up Thursday morning before the sun was out, but I didn’t need the sun to wake up, I was excited enough to make it to the bus station at 7 am. I met my cousin, Chana Pentelnik, at our platform 18, ready to spend the day together in Zichron Yaakov and have another family-vacation day. Zichron Ya’akov is this little town in the north known for its wineries and art boutiques. I thought it would be fun to go with Chana to see all the little art shops and to go to a wine tasting. Needless to say say we got a few surprises along the way that made the day extra special. When we arrived at Zichron Ya’akov, we got dropped off right in front of the “wine road” which was really just a cobbles stone street with toooons of art and clothing boutiques, it was so cute with its lampposts and flowers, I felt like I was in some European town. Right away we met a cute puppy that followed us around for a bit while we explored the street. Just when we got sad because the doggy left our side, we stumbled upon a paper mill! After seeing lots of pottery, jewelry, and glass work, we thought the paper mill would hold something new and different to look at. Though typically the paper mill would have been another cute shop with lots of cool homemade paper, we were extremely lucky that we had come that very day. That Thursday, Tut Neyar, the paper mill company, was actually peeling the stalks of their special wood and collecting the fibers from it that they use to make their special paper. So, coming from a social family, we immediately wanted to help and learn how to make paper. We peeled stalks of wood and scraped bark off of the fibers, it was so cool. There was also a man taking photos of the paper making so I asked him to take pictures of Chana and I with my camera; when he left the owner of Tut Neyar told us that he was actually a famous Israeli photographer, Tal Glick, who does photography for things like National Geographic! As if things weren’t working out in our favor enough, the other woman there who was volunteering at Tut Neyar offered to take us to the Tishbi winery instead of us having to take a bus. Things worked out even better when we got to the winery and found out we had an hour (perfect amount of time for a lunch at the winery’s restaurant) till a tour of the winery (in English) with a wine tasting. It was really cool learning about the process of making wine – the importance of the wood of the casks and how long the wine sits etc. Plus, 3 members of the Maccabeats (the accapela group Yeshiva University that has recently become famous for their Jewish Parodies) were in our same wine tour. When it came time for the actual tasting, not only did I enjoy distinguishing between the different flavors of the 5 different wines, Chana and I made another friend who offered us another ride back to Zichron Ya’akov-it definitely pays to be social! It was late afternoon when we got back to the wine road, and even though some of the stores had started to close, luck struck us again when we found this second hand clothing store. Chana and I definitely had fun looking and trying on some of the crazy clothes and were very entertained. We even were able to each find something cute to buy – my new dress is very artsy and crazy (very me), and Chana’s skirt seemed like it was made for her. Before our bus ride back we were also able to stop in to this cool “World of Stones” shop we had seen before but it had been closed for the owner’s lunch break. There was beautiful jewelry, stones, relaxing music and incense. It was very unique and Chana even bought a few pretty stones - it was a nice ending to a day of adventure and luck and after the bus ride back to Jerusalem I got my in my bed and passed out from exhaustion.

Welcome to Zichron Ya'akov

Making paper and getting photographed by a famous photgrapher!

Hardworking and adventurous cousins

Lunch was in such a beautiful setting

Cheers!

Even though Friday was officially the end of break and we were supposed to be back in Jerusalem with Nativ, we didn't have any real Nativ commitments till that evening for Shabbat Services. I wanted to take advantage of my last bit of “break", Before our closed Shabbat which would immediately be followed with a week of "Israel Experience" . I was so excited when I found out my friend, Shir Cohen, was able to come to Jerusalem for the day to visit me. I met Shir 2 years ago in Cincinnati when she came for the year from Netanya, our sister city, as a "chaver” (Hebrew for friend) from Israel". She spent the year educating Jews and non Jews about Israel but also became my friend. I've seen Shir a couple of times since I've been in Israel but it was a great end to my vacation to be able to see her again. We met up in Emek Refaim which is a cute area in Jerusalem with lots of shops restaurants and a nice community; Shir had found out from her cousin that they were having a Farmer’s Market and I was up for the new experience. I met Shir outside at 10 and was sooo excited to see her; after our huge hug we walked around the market which turned out to be really cute. There were tons of natural food stands sampling their granolas, and my favorite... jewelry stands. Shir and I loved looked at the beautiful metal work and stones in the rings and necklaces - it was definitely a girl’s day out. After looking around we decided to get some fresh fruit smoothies and just catch. I got to hear all about how her army services was going and she wanted to know how Tamar's visit and my winter break had been (of course i had nothing but good news to share). Then it was my turn to be tour guide for the day- Shir pointed out that she was the tourist and I had lost that role after living here for so long. I led Shir to the Bezalel Art Fair in the center of town and we loved looking at more jewelry plus there were wooden crafts and we got to watch a glass blowing artist make a little frog- it was very impressive! From the show we walked straight to the shuk, where I yet again impressed Shir with my knowledge of getting around. Shir hadn't been to the shuk in a very very long time and was extremely amused and was so happy I had taken her to both sites. After a really fun morning Shir had to go see her cousin before going back home to Netanya, but we planned to meet in Haifa one weekend when I move to Karmiel. I didn't really do much after I left shir, I mostly worked more on my blog and made last minute skype calls before Shabbat. Since it was a "closed" shabbat all of the Nativers who hadn't left for the Poland trip came down to Shabbat services. It was sooo weird to see almost everyone together and even though it meant our break was over it was nice to see the community and hear all our strong voices in unison, welcoming in the Sabbath. After a typical Nativ Shabbat dinner, with delicious vegetable soup, I played a few games but was exhausted and fell asleep reading my book at 10!

It was great seeing Shir!

The glass blowing was so cool

Since it was Shabbat, I thought  that my body really needed rest, and I certainly guessed correctly and woke up Saturday morning to my watch saying that I had slept a full 12 hours. Even though it was now too late to go to synagogue I was glad I had let myself sleep in- I obviously had needed it considering I usually can't sleep past 8:30 and I knew I wouldn't be getting much sleep in the upcoming week. Lunch wasn't till 12 so I spent the morning cleaning up my room and reading- the perfect way to enjoy a restful Shabbat morning. After lunch I enjoyed playing some fun card games, like Fluxx, and then read some more before afternoon prayer services, dinner, and evening services. I had to do laundry that night and pack for the next morning's Gadna (fake Israeli army for a week) trip and did more work on my blog of course (even if it doesn’t show since I’m way behind), but then went to bed early, anxious and excited for the following morning.

Winter Break Explorations Part 1

Yes I’m still catching up so get ready to hear more about Tamar’s visit and my Winter Break in Israel…

December 31, 2010 – January 8

It had been a week since Tamar had arrived, and though the week had gone by too quickly it had been full of fun and we still had one more Shabbat to enjoy together before she left for America. Since it was Friday, we returned to the shuk (out-door market) one more time and visited Ben-Yehuda street (the center of down town) for some last minute shopping. We got back in time to grab our already-packed bags and head to the bus; we were going to spend Shabbat at our cousin’s apartment in a northern suburb of Jerusalem. When we got to Shira’s apartment we got an awesome surprise, our other cousin Batsheva, and her husband and adorable baby boy, had been able to come spend Shabbat with us too! We had hoped she would come for Shabbat but had never found out if Shira was able to find another apartment for one of us to stay in. Luckily some neighbors had gone out of town for that Shabbos, so we got their apartment and Batsheva got the extra room in Shira and Yitzi’s (her husband) apartment.  It was so sweet they gave us the extra apartment, and it was nice to have our own space together for Tamar’s last bit of time in Israel, though we spent the majority of time in Shira’s apartment. It was awesome being with more family, helping cook in the kitchen and having a relaxing Shabbat, after all the adventure and nonstop movement that past week. After a delicious dinner with yummy soup, salmon, and salads that I helped make, we played some fun bananagrams (a favorite game of mine) and played with Batsheva’s baby, Meir Simcha. Even though it was New Years Eve, in Israel it’s not really celebrated because they celebrate the Jewish New Year instead, which is like a modified lunar calendar. So around 11 we went to bed and Tamar and I enjoyed being together for one last night.

Bat Sheva, Shira, Meir Simchah, Tamar, and I

Saturday morning we woke up to 2011. Tamar says there were fireworks at midnight and she had even had a short conversation about them with me when they went off, but apparently I was sleeptalking because I had no recollection of any of it! Either way, 2011 wasn’t really our focus, I wanted to have the best time with Tamar, as it was her last day in Israel. We helped Shira get ready for lunch while the men were at shul (the center Jews pray in), and after another delicious meal, there was more relaxing, games, and catching up with the cousins. It was another really relaxing Shabbos, which is always needed after such busy  weeks. After Havdallah (ceremony to end Shabbat), we called our family friends, the Weiner family, who live 10 minutes away from our cousins, because we were going to their house for a visit before Tamar’s flight. It couldn’t have worked out any better, because we were so close to them and Tamar had really wanted to see them before she left Israel. Dinner was delicious as it always is with the Wieners but the real treat was seeing everyone. As I’ve mentioned before, we met the Weiner family when we moved to Baltimore and I was just a baby; it worked out well because they have 3 daughters the same ages as my two sisters and I. Since we had talked to them earlier to make these plans, both Michal and Navaa came in for that Shabbat, not to mention Yael was already there. It was especially great for Tamar to get to see Michal and have a chance to catch up, while Yael and I had some fun together.  Plus, a while ago Imma found a letter that Tamar had written Michal when we were still living in Baltimore and the Wieners were in Israel. There was even a picture included in the letter that I drew for Yael! Even though Imma sent it with family friends a while ago, I waited for Tamar’s visit to reveal the long lost letter. The revelation was worth the wait. Being able to share the surprise with Tamar there made the visit with the Weiners even better. Unfortunately we had to get back to finish Tamar’s packing, which meant we only had a few more hours together, but the last visit with the Weiners was a perfect way to end her visit. We got back around 10, but her sheirut (taxi to the airport) wasn’t coming till 2 am, so we got a few more hours to spend together and have final sister bonding. We watched 2 of our favorite movie – Singing in the Rain and Princess Bride- which helped keep us stay awake and let us reminisce on our fun time together. When the taxi/shuttle thing came for the airport, it turned out my friend Aviva was taking the same one, which was nice that they’d both have someone (plus they got to talk a lot so Tamar got to know another one of my good friend’s better). As I gave Tamar a final hug goodbye, I started to cry unexpectedly, and even though I was so sad to see her go, it was definitely an unforgettable visit and the fact that she was able to come at all was amazing

Tamar, Michal, Yeael, and I altogether after 6 years!

Even though I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, after staying up late with Tamar, I had to wake up early Sunday morning; we had to move out of our rooms so they could clean them and put us in new rooms for winter break, since most people would be traveling and not be on base. It was also weird being back because break had started Thursday night, but I’d been too busy with Tamar to realize, so a lot of people had already left for vacation and Nativ was pretty empty. By the time I finished rushing around with suitcases and boxes I was pretty worn out but glad to be done with that stress, and I had a great afternoon to look forward to. Since I knew I’d be missing Tamar like crazy, Yael had promised the night before that she’d spend the day with me and go shopping to help distract me. We were able to kill two birds with one stone- cheer me up and find 2 amazing dresses for Yael’s cousin’s Bar Mitzvah! Plus I found an awesome pair of jeans, another bonus to the afternoon. Seeing Yael was fun as always, and it was nice to have a day out on the town. That night Dena Rapaport was also able to stop by. She wanted to comfort me after Tamar’s recent departure, plus she brought me back a few treats from home , including letters from my Imma, Grams, Aunt, and cousins!(she had just been back in Cincinnati for the week). It was great as always to see Dena, just hanging out and sharing stories about Cincinnati and Tamar’s visit. And the goodies from home were an extra comfort.

I decided that after the nonstop moving with Tamar’s visit, which had been like starting winter break a week early, that Monday was a good day to just debrief and take a day off from everything – it was winter break after all. My body really appreciated sleeping in and I spent most of the day relaxing and working on my blog (as you know, I was and still am, very behind on it). After a busy day I was glad to get a call from my friend, Jake Gillis, who was in Israel on a program through his college, he had free time for the afternoon and night. The whole evening went perfectly! I got to see Jake and we walked around Emek Refaim, a cute area with lots of restaurants and shops, and even saw a couple of his friends.  Though Jake had to disappear for dinner with his group, I already had plans for a Sushi dinner date with Dena Rapaport that we had organized the night before. I hadn’t had sushi in far too long and greatly enjoyed me tuna-avocado-carrot- roll, but not nearly as much as the fun time with Dena. My night wasn’t over after dinner though, because Jake had more free time and wanted to meet up again and take advantage of the time that we were both available in Israel. We wound up going to a karaoke bar with some other mutual friends on Nativ; it was definitely a new experience for me, but I was very amused and even got up and sang with Jake for one song (though I let him do most of the singing). It was definitely an experience, but it was nice to have such a packed evening after a boring morning – no matter how relaxing and necessary it was.

It was so great to see Jake

Dena and I had such yummy sushi

Kareoke was a very interesting experience

After enjoying a day of vegging around, I decided one more was in call for my winter break before I started my adventures around Israel. I tried working more on my blog of course, plus I did a looot of research and planning for my trip I wanted to take Sunday and Monday. I even tried to go to the Israel Museum, but after we missed the bus, it was too late to catch the next bus before the museum would close. Instead of the museum I got to cuddle up with a book, before I got to go out to dinner with the Seidenbergs! Alex Freedman married Laura Seidenberg literally the day before I came on Nativ, but since Alex is our cousin we got to meet Laura and her family a few more times before the wedding. Since they were in Israel they invited me out to dinner to the Anna Ticho House. Not only was I excited for the restaurant that I’d heard great things about, but the Seidenbergs are such a warm and loving family and I couldn’t wait to spend the evening with them. Even though Laura’s youngest brother, Adam, couldn’t join us for dinner, he was on his high school Israel trip and staying at Agron, so I had already been able to see him.  I was really excited to see Laura’s sister, Lindsay, and her parents, and the evening wasn’t a letdown.  Not only was my sweet potato soup and Anna Ticho Salad delicious, hearing about the Seidenberg’s visit in Israel was really interesting and made for an awesome dinner.

Wednesday finally arrived and after Tamar’s visit, I was finally going to be doing more travel during winter break. Tali Marcus and I were going to Tel Aviv, and she even got us a place to stay. After taking the bus we arrived to her family friends, Mary and Alberto. They were so cute. Apparently Tali is friends with their grandkids and knows them from Boston, before they made aliyah (moved to Israel).  Mary had plates of fruit salad all set up, and then fed us lunch – she even made a special vegetarian soup just for me!  They were so cute and kept making sure we had enough to eat, plus they had such cool stories about making aliyah to Israel; after lunch they told us how to get to the center of Tel Aviv and when we asked what time we should be back, Mary said, “Any time, your big girls, we trust you”-it was so cute! With Mary’s directions and my newly acquired “knowledge” of Tel Aviv after Tamar’s visit, we made it to Allenbees, which is the road with all the fun and cheap shops near the beach.  It was fun walking around but Tali and I had heard of a gluten-free falafel place from my family friend, Michal Weiner, who has celiac disease, like Tali. We knew it was near Rabin Square, near the Dizengoff mall, so we grabbed a bus and enjoyed some window shopping for a while. Tali was really excited when dinner time arrived. Since she’s celiac she can’t eat falafel because the pita is made of flour, of course, and everywhere else they put flour in the falafel balls. This was Tali’s first falafel since coming to Israel (and since being diagnosed with celiac diseas), and I think the 4 month wait made it even yummier. After such excitement, we found a movie theater in the Dizengoff mall; apparently it only showed “small” films that don’t play in a typical theater but that just made the experience even better. We saw some Woody Allen movie call, “When you meet a Tall Dark Stranger,” and it was definitely off the beaten path. There wasn’t even a real plot or ending to the movie, it was like life, there are no happy or sad endings, it just keeps going on. It was definitely weird and has some funny moments, plus our movie tickets included free ice cream which is where we went to next. With free ice creams in hand, we walked around the Tel Aviv streets window shopping at the higher-end shops that we didn’t get to see on Allenbees and enjoying the nice weather. Even though it was pretty early, Tali and I were exhausted from our travel and walking around all day so by 10 we decided to find a bus to get back to Mary and Alberto’s… which was another tiring adventure in itself. We walked around for an entire HOUR! Apparently the bus that we needed to get back to the apartment didn’t stop on Dizengoff Road so we had to walk all the way to Rabin square to find the right bus stop. Rabin Square is the square where Yitzchak Rabin, one of the best Prime Minister’s of Israel, was shot right after a rally in Tel Aviv in support of his peace-making plans. Yitzchak Rabin was all into making peace, such as with Egypt. Unfortunately not everyone agreed with his treaties and a disgusting extremist shot him just because he opposed Rabin’s ideologies. It was really intense being in the square at night and I decided that “getting lost” had been a blessing in disguise since I got to re-see the square and think about Rabin and Israel.

Tali was really happy with her first bite of falafel!

What an interesting movie....

Free ice cream tickets!

After a great night’s sleep – in a real bed – and a yummy breakfast courtesy of Mary and Alberto, Tali and I headed back to Allenbees for a second round of shopping.   Tali was actually going to meet up with friends from home that were on a different “year abroad” program in Israel, once I returned to Jerusalem that evening. One of her friends, Julia, from junior high was visiting Israel too and had nothing to do all day so we invited her to hang out with us. After walking around the shops on Allenbees – and finding slippers for Tali – we went through the shuk (outdoor market) and bought delicious strawberries and sunglasses for me. After talking with Michal Wiener earlier, she had given us a list of some gluten-free restaurants, including the falafel stand from the night before. We walked and walked in search of “Fresh Kitchen”, but our persistence paid off. The restaurant was really cute and “fresh”; with each dish the menu gave symbols that said if it was vegetarian, vegan, low-cal, etc… and most importantly, Gluten Free! Julia, Tali, and I all really enjoyed our lunches, and I was especially pleased with my Brocoli and Mushroom Pesto Salad – I had really been craving broccoli so it hit the spot just right! After such a filling meal, we all enjoyed a walk along the beach before it was time to head back to Mary and Alberto’s so I could get my stuff and head back to Jerusalem. Though I was exhausted from another day of adventure, it wasn’t over once I got back to Jerusalem… I went straight to the Weiner family to have a sleepover with Yael.  Even though we had planned to stay up all night watching movies, we passed out in front of “Guys and Dolls” by 11o’clock, but spending more quality time with Yael before my move to Karmiel was super fun… not to mention I got an invite to continue my stay through Shabbat, an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Tali, Julie, and I, loved Fresh Kitchen

Though I was staying over a second night for Shabbat, I hadn’t gotten any clothes and still had a few things to take care of that Friday before the evening. It worked out perfectly that Beth had to go to work that morning, so she was able to drop me back at Nativ. After I had showered, unpacked from Tel Aviv, and repacked for Shabbat at the Weiners, it was finally a good time to see Mattan Silberstein, my staff from my summer program two years ago. The summer before my senior year I went on USY’s Eastern Europe / Israel Pilgrimage, where I traveled through Prague, Vilna, and Poland, the first two weeks and then explored Israel for 4 more weeks. Not only was the trip life changing, I made great friends and also bonded with my staff. I was so excited Mattan was in Israel and it worked out so well that neither of us had plans for Friday day. It was so great showing Mattan how much I knew the city and had grown up since Pilgrimage. I showed him my special stands at the shuk (outdoor market) and had fun hearing how his Israel trip had been so far. Seeing Mattan made for a great afternoon and when I got back to Nativ, I had just enough time to get ready before the Weiner’s picked me up for the weekend. We were lucky with the schedule again, as they were able to pick me up on the way to Friday night services. This week was a special Friday night service at their synagogue with special songs to make for an even more joyous welcoming of the Sabbath. From services we went back to the Weiner’s for a delicious dinner –as always, and another fun sleepover with Yael!

Seeing Mattan was great!

Saturday morning was just like I’d hoped. I always have the most relaxing time at the Wiener’s, especially when it’s Shabbat –which always makes for a perfect vacation. Yael and I slept in and then relaxed/talked all morning. After lunch we resumed our “hanging out” time and played Bananagrams. I really didn’t want to go back to Nativ that evening and leave my “restful resort” and fun with Yael, but I knew I had to get back and get ready/pack for the next part of my Winter Break Explorations…

CRAZIEST SCHEDULE EVER! Part 2

Yes, I just posted the last blog entry and am continuing to make up all my late postings, so get ready for more crazy entertainment, there’s a lot…

December 22 – December 30, 2010

Even though the Conservative Yeshiva had started their break, that didn’t mean I was done with classes. Since the other Nativ students still had classes, Nativ wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be jealous so they created a special “Nativ Week” at the yeshiva with special classes just for us… how considerate :/ . Even though it would have been nice to have a break like all the other students, I was really excited for one of the particular classes they had lined up for us that Wednesday. Rev Shmuel is the Rosh Yeshiva (head Rabbi at the Yeshiva), and through listening to his many Thursday sichot (lessons/speeches), us Nativ students have been able to piece together different parts of his life, which seemed extremely interesting. The class that afternoon was “Questions with Rev Shmuel”, in which we could ask the Rabbi any questions we had. Of course the question from both Sean and I was to find out more about Rev Shmuel’s life, that led to him being the head Rabbi of the Conservative Yeshiva. The question was well worth it. Rev Shmuel told us about how he was raised in a Conservative Jewish family, but after high school he moved to Israel instead of college and joined the Charedi (ultra religious) community for 12 years to study at Charedi Yeshivas. Throughout his time studying he always felt like something was missing. He wanted to study more than what the Yeshivas were offering and eventually realized the Charedi community wasn’t for him. Of course there were a lot more stories and events that led to his role in Judaism now, at some points it even brought tears to his eyes, I was so glad we had the chance to hear his life story. The day continued with more interesting Jewish discussion; we were having our last Beit Midrash session that night, where JTS students come to Nativ to lead classes about Judaism for any Nativ students who are interested. For our last session the girls and boys were separated and we had a discussion about our feelings on women’s role is in Judaism. I loved hearing everyone’s views but I was also sad that it was our last program for the trip; I had found it so interesting studying with other Nativ students, not just at the Conservative Yeshiva.

The next morning I woke up extremely excited. Tamar was coming that night (well technically the next morning but she was technically supposed to land at 3 in the morning). Even though all I could think about was Tamar, on all her flights and long layover in Poland, I still had a full day ahead of me. We had a day off at the Yeshiva that Thursday, so I figured I’d take advantage of the free time by exploring Jerusalem. That morning after breakfast, my friend Sean and I went to the Underground Prisoner’s Museum he’d heard about. I had never of this museum, so I was especially excited to explore a place I knew nothing about. The second we arrived I knew this wasn’t going to be like a typical museum, considering we had to wait for a guard to electronically open the “jail” gate for us. Basically the “museum” is held in what originally was a Russian women’s hostile, and was later converted into the central prison by the British mandate in 1918-1948. It was so interesting learning that the prison was not only used for basic criminals, but for hundreds of Jewish underground fighters (members of Haganah, Irgun and Lechi), who were fighting against the British mandate to free the land of Israel and establish it as the Jewish State. I didn’t even know such organizations were going on, and even during the Holocaust and World War II. I learned so much and all the rooms were set up like how they would have been for the prisoners, the videos were even surprisingly good. I was so glad I had spent my morning taking advantage of Jerusalem; I had fun and learned so much. When I got back, I realized I should probably get ready for Tamar, so it was time for me to do laundry and get the room ready for her visit. By the time I had cleaned everything, it was time for dinner. As I’ve mentioned before, Paula Sass, a friend I met in USY, was studying at the Hebrew University this semester; my friend, Ben Roth, and I are both friends with Paula, and since she’d be going back to America soon, she had us over for dinner to bid goodbye. It was so exciting to see her and her apartment, plus helping with dinner was a bonus. I miss helping Imma cook at home, so chopping and stirring the stir-fry helped make it even tastier. After a delightful evening, I had more fun just hanging out with friends, and even though it was already midnight, I was too excited about Tamar’s arrival so I watched the movie, “Easy A”… at 12 am. Halfway through the movie I was greatly surprised by a knock on my door… it was my good friend Jake Gillis, all the way from Pittsburgh. I know Jake from USY and was so excited when I found out he was coming to Israel on a college program for a couple of weeks. I had tried to see Jake earlier that day but his schedule went later than expected, so he surprised me by showing up unannounced, the second he got free time. I was sooo shocked to see Jake and tremendously excited. Even though I was exhausted, I hung out with Jake for a bit to hear how his trip was going, and promised I’d see him again, but it was time for me to sleep. I said goodnight and kicked out all my friends from my room once they finished the movie. I fell asleep, ready to wake up to a call in the middle of the night from Tamar, and at 5:30 I woke up to a voice I’d been waiting to hear for quite some time. Even though Tamar’s plane had been delayed, she had finally landed and was catching a Sheirut (giant taxi used for the airport that stops at many cities, but is cheaper than a private taxi) that minute. She said shed call when she was at the gate, so I went back to sleep, though it was hard because of my excitement.

Sean looking at newspaper articles about the underground Jewish fighters

I got to go inside a tank!

Just an hour later, at 6:30 am Friday morning, I was at the gate of Agron, helping Tamar inside with her suitcase, after many many hugs of course. Of course we were both so tired, so we talked and talked till we fell asleep. I woke up at 8:30, got myself breakfast (and brought some back for Tamar, when she woke up), and after I showered, it was time for Tamar and I to start our day. After working out many plans for our exciting week-and-a-half together, we headed out for the Jerusalem arts fair and shuk (outdoor market) for an easy day after all the traveling. It was exciting for Tamar to first of all just see Jerusalem after FOUR years! Apparently, a lot has changed, and yet a lot has stayed the same. It was nice just walking around the city with Tamar, checking out the beautiful pottery and jewelry, etc. at the arts fair. From the fair we walked to the shuk, which is always busy and a big highlight of Jerusalem. Tamar and I even ran into Jason Mellman, a friend from Cincinnati who had moved to Israel this year. If that weren’t a crazy enough surprise, just as Tamar and I were choosing which scarves to buy at the shuk, I saw my Chevruta, Evan Ravski, and his wife Abby. I was so excited to get to introduce them to my sister; I guess the shuk isn’t just great for shopping, it’s a great place to see people too. After the adventurous morning, Tamar and I still had to pack overnight bags because we were spending Shabbat with Alex and Laura Freedman. We arrived at the Freedman’s and there were even more hugs, but then we got ready for Shabbat so we could make it for services at a shul Laura and Alex like to go to. Clali, the name of this shul, is known for its famous “Lecha Dodi”, a song sung during the service that welcomes in Shabbat. The services are mostly silent and not very exciting but when the congregation sings Lecha Dodi, they use a beautiful tune that makes their shul well-known. Unfortunately for Tamar, her jetlag hit in only for that song, and she couldn’t keep her eyes open during it, which was very ironic.  After services, all four of us enjoyed a relaxing and DELICOUS Shabbat Dinner. I loved spending Shabbat with Tamar, and of course the Freedmans; I especially loved how natural it was to be right back with Tamar, it made my Shabbat amazing. After having such fun talking (and eating), not only was Tamar exhausted, but so was I and we passed out by 9:45.

what a surprise to see Jason at the shuk

Spending Shabbat with Alex and Laura is always fun

After 11 hours of sleep, it was time to get up for synagogue, though Tamar and I both could have both slept longer after the little sleep the night before. It was surreal waking up next to Tamar, she was finally hear in Israel with me! After services at Shira Chadasha, we came back with Alex and Laura, and Nina Schneider too. Since we were staying with the Freedmans, they said I could invite a few friends over for Shabbat lunch so Tamar could meet them too. Since we know Nina from home, this was a great time for Tamar to get to see and spend time with her. My friends Tali Marcus and Aviva Pollack were supposed to come too, they just weren’t meeting us at Shira Chadasha. Tali arrived for lunch right on time, but Aviva wasn’t there. Tali had thought Aviva left before her so she came by herself but after waiting another half hour, we decided to start without Aviva and hope she’d show up eventually and hadn’t gotten lost (apparently she hadn’t printed out the directions before Shabbat and couldn’t never found Tali, but she was able to see Tamar later which was nice). It was still a fun lunch being with my friends and family, especially Tamar. And after Shabbat was over Tamar and I gave big hugs goodbye to Alex and Laura and hoped to see them once more during Tamar’s visit.  Tamar and I came got back with just enough time to get ready for the evening’s awaiting festivities. Last month the girls from our group, Karmiel, got together for brunch and some Karmiel-girl bonding- and had a blast. So another girl coordinated a dessert night for our group’s girls for more bonding. Of course Tamar was more than welcome, and, even though hanging out with a bunch of 18-year-old girls wasn’t at the top of her-to-do-list, she came along in great spirits, plus I was excited for the chance of her meeting a big group of my friends. We had made reservations for this cute restaurant called “Little Italy”, planning to get desserts; unfortunately after they realized all 17 of us were only ordering desserts, they kicked us out! None of us realized how much of an issue it would be that we weren’t ordering real dinners, but apparently the manager didn’t want to waste their seats on a group of girls who wouldn’t be spending more money than just desserts. We were pretty lucky that just down the road was “Cup o’ Joe”, sure it wasn’t as fancy as little Italy, but they took in our whole group, and the atmosphere was really welcoming. Tamar and I decided we actually needed some dinner since we had been in such a rush and had run out of time to have any. We shared a delicious Haloumi cheese salad. The Haloumi was cooked in this delicious Asian sauce, needless to say, we were both left very full. After dinner Tamar and I got to hang out with one of my friends Allie Griff for a while, and I was glad Tamar was able to get to meet another friend on a closer level. That night Tamar and I moved into Dan Brenner’s apartment and watched a movie in bed, which put me to sleep while Tamar knitted my scarf.

My Karmiel girls and I

It was great that Tamar got to meet some of my friends

The next morning it was the start of a normal week in Jerusalem, including more “Nativ Week” classes at the Yeshiva. The director of Nativ and the director of the Yeshiva both exempted me from most of my classes so I could spend time with Tamar, but I wanted her to come to at least one of my classes – I thought she’d find it interesting and it would be nice for her to be with all my Yeshiva friends. I decided on the class that my Talmud teacher would be teaching that week, since he had taught me the most classes and was one of my favorite teachers. The class was on being a “sofer” (scribe for holy Jewish documents: Torah, Mezuzahs, and Tefillin). We learned about the specific materials and calligraphy used to make these holy documents and even got to practice the special calligraphy with ink and special quill tips. After introducing Tamar to my Yeshiva-world, we had to grab a quick lunch. We wanted to go to the museum Yad-Vashem and have enough time to “take in” the exhibit. It was no question that lunch would be Moshiko’s- the best falafel in Jerusalem, from even before Tamar was on Nativ. After eating such a delicious and quick lunch, it was a perfect “dessert” for Tamar to run into a friend she hadn’t even known was in Israel – because that kind of thing ALWAYS happens whenever you come to Israel; you’ll be in this far of country and see EVERYONE you know. Since Tamar had co-oped in Australia 2 years ago, she had rented a guest house from a family who she became close with, and of all the people to run into, she got to see Tali, their daughter. Tamar was so excited to see someone she knew, especially because of how random it was! Though they both wanted to stay and catch up more, Tamar and I still had plans to go to Yad Vashem. Yad Vashem is this Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem that leaves me speechless.  Even though I had been to Yad Vashem just 2 summers ago, the exhibit was just as jaw-dropping as ever. The architecture really works with your emotions, and the path led out is truly spectacular. As you are led through the journey of the Holocaust from start to end, you learn something new with each visit, and can watch movies and read facts that touch your heart. I highly recommend it to anyone who comes to Israel. After that emotionally draining experience, Tamar and I stopped by Har (Hebrew for Mount) Herzle to see the grave of Theodor Herzl, the founding father of Israel. We didn’t stay long though because we wanted to get back so we could get dressed for our fancy dinner to come. Most people in America have probably heard of groupons, where you can buy coupons online for amazing deals but they only work if a certain quota of that coupon is purchased. I was able to find something very similar in Jerusalem, called groupbuy; when I got an email giving a great deal for some fancy restaurant, it was around the time Tamar and I were making plans for her visit and I thought it would be a cute treat for us to go there. The restaurant was called, “Polly’s”, and though it was a little difficult to find at first, it was well worth the hunt. The restaurant had a pretty “outdoorsy” feel, inside. It was fancy with cloth table cloths and napkins, and the food was delicious. I got a tuna steak, because I hadn’t had one since before I came on Nativ and missed it a lot. Tamar got a goat cheese salad with pesto and seame-toasted-goat cheese on crackers and covered in grilled vegetables –we shared and had a fun and fancy evening together, I was very proud of that groupbuy purchase

Tamar saw Tali from Australia

Yad Vashem's architechture is so impressive

After going to bed with full stomachs, we woke to an adventurous day that awaited us; the day before Tamar and I had spontaneously decided to go to Tel Aviv on Monday. Since Tamar’s visit only had Jerusalem and Eilat in-store, she thought it would be nice to visit another city. Not only did the spontaneous day hold promise, even the bus ride was fun. This past summer the family visited Leah and Matthew, where we all went to Northern California for vacation… and listened to the book, “Percy Jackson”, on tape. What else could make an hour long bus ride fun other than more “Percy Jackson”, so Tamar and I had a nostalgic start to the day with the action packed children’s story. After listening to such adventure, we faced some of our own as we got off the bus in the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station – neither of us knew which bus to take from the station! We had both assumed the other knew what to do once we got there, but alas we stood lost in the station. Luckily, we had already planned to call our friend, Michal Wiener, to see if we’d be able to see her in Tel Aviv that day, so we just called her from the bus station – even though she couldn’t see us, she did give us directions to the shopping area/beach so we’d be set for the day. When we finally got to Allenbee – the road with all the cheap shops that leads to the shuk (outdoor market) and beach, we realized our jackets were extremely unnecessary, it was in the high 70’s! The weather was gorgeous and it was time for shopping! It was mostly just fun walking around and looking at aaall the shops, but when it came for lunch time we went to this road where they host the famous art’s fair on Tuesdays and Fridays. It’s so cute with little café’s, tooons of fabric shops, and some boutiques too. Lunch was fun in the sun with my fresh salad and Tamar’s quiche. We got to sit down at a cute café’ outdoors and soak up vitamin D that Tamar’s had been missing a lot this winter in Minneapolis. Of course, after lunch, we needed to help our food digest by… doing more shopping! It was a good thing we went, we were able to find Tamar a really cute dress (that she could wear in the hot Tel Aviv weather) and a winter hat for me. The rest of the afternoon called for more sun time… on the beach! We even found someone willing to take cute sister photos, and enjoyed listening to more Percy Jackson, and reading our own books. We even got a little color on our cheeks (who knew we’d need sunscreen in the winter?). It was definitely a disappointing shock to get off the bus in Jerusalem and have the harsh weather hit us after such a “summery” day, but it made us appreciate our spontaneous trip even more.

Tamar and I had so much fun together on the beach



You always need at keast one jumping picture...

Since my official Nativ Winter Break hadn’t officially started, even though Tamar was visiting, I felt like I should go to at least one more class at the Yeshiva, even though I was excused. It was good we had had such a busy and tiring day in Tel Aviv because Tamar didn’t mind sleeping in while I went to my morning class, and I was really glad to see all my Yeshiva friends together one more time.  When I finished with class I met up with Tamar in my room so she could shower and we could start our day in The Old City of Jerusalem. The Old City of Jerusalem is the original “Jerusalem” that holds all of the ancestral history that has led to Judaism today. The entire Old City is enclosed in a huge and beautiful stone wall with 4 gateway entrances and inside there is David’s citadel, The Kotel (Western Wall), the Dome of the Rock, and tons of other Religiously important sights, not just to Jews. Since there is so much to see and it’s really important to see with each visit to Israel, Tamar and I designated our whole afternoon to touring it. Luckily it’s literally a ten-minute walk from where I live (we have an amazing location!). To get to the Kotel – which was THE key sight on our list! – we walked through the Arab shuk (market); they sell tons of little items, jewelry, scarves, shoes, everything! There’s always shouting and bartering and it’s so much fun, the chaos is a part of the experience. We took some turns through the shuk and wound up at our desired destination – The Kotel! We both were able to pray and it was extra special for Tamar, after not being there in 4 years. From the Kotel we had to pick up a quick lunch – falafel is great to eat on the go J - because we had heard about a free tour of the old city and we didn’t want to miss it. The tour was definitely not what we expected but it was very interesting. The tour wasn’t a religious tour at all, but much more diplomatic. Even though all the facts were right, it was still weird to hear about our holy sites without any emphasis on Judaism, but since I already knew all the Jewish facts, it was definitely interesting to hear all the other stories and it was nice to be taken around the city and see things we hadn’t yet gotten to see. After the Kotel part of the tour we left the group, we wanted to get back to Nativ base so Tamar could see JJ. I’ve mentioned JJ before, he used to work for Nativ, and though he doesn’t anymore, he led our 6 “Jerusalem Tours” at the beginning of Nativ. When he worked for Nativ, Tamar and he got extremely close and he was definitely a person that was top on our list of people to see. Even though Tamar and he didn’t get tons of time together, Tamar was really glad she had gotten the time to catch up on life and just see him. The rest of the night worked out well with both mine and Tamar’s schedule. While I had my usual mandatory Tuesday evening activity with Nativ –I got to make homemade hot chocolate by stirring chocolate into milk on a stove top, yummm J - some of Tamar’s friends had come in from Tel Aviv for a friend’s bachelor party and she was able to grab a coffee and catch up with them before the party. The whole day went accordingly, even when I had Nativ commitments, and we went to bed as early as possible, knowing we had an early wakeup call and long bus ride ahead of us.

The Arab Shuk and all it's craziness

Tamar finally made it to the Kotel

Tamar and I before the tour

Wednesday finally arrived… very early in the morning! Tamar and I got up at 5:15 in the morning so we could catch a city bus to take us to the Central Bus Station for our 5-hour bus ride to Eilat. Luckily our tickets worked and we made it on the bus and left on time for the south! Halfway through the bus ride we got an extra bonus to the trip… Sarah Ganson, a family friend from Cincinnati, got on the bus, it was so surprising to see Sarah, especially because a bus to Eilat is pretty random and small, but it was definitely an awesome surprise. We told Sarah how we had planned the trip to Eilat becuase we thought it would be a typical winter in Jerusalem (cold, wet and very rainy), and so we had planned to at least have 2 days of warmth in the southern most city of Israel , Eilat. Yet irony was on our side… we arrived to a very cloudy and wet Eilat. Even though weather in Jerusalem had been surprisingly gorgeous and warm, not to mention our extremely hot and sunny day in Tel Aviv, we were still looking forward to a day on the beach and maybe even snorkeling with dolphins. But alas the weather did not seem to correlate with our plans. From the bus station we checked in at our hotel, which was a nice treat for us both, but we were still in a disappointed mood about the weather. Rather than sit inside and mope, we decided to head to the center of town (in the few layers we had). We walked around and browsed at all the cute kiosk shops, and had a really nice lunch with a view of the deserted beach. We even came across a cute little art gallery and after looking at the paintings and sculptures, we walked outside to SUN! It wasn’t much but it brightened our mood, and we sat in a park, soaked in as much sun as we could and listened to our favorite Percy Jackson. Once the sun started to fade we walked back to the hotel, and even though our outlook on the Eilat trip had gotten a bit better, after talking with Imma our moods were much better. Mommies make everything better, and Imma reassured us that it was actually kind of funny, and even though we couldn’t really enjoy the beach or dolphins, we had each other and to just make the best of it… which is what we did J. After laughing at our ironic situation we relaxed in the hotel room and got to watch Matilda which was playing on the tv. Then we went out for a yummy dinner right next to the hotel and even sat outside - it was surprisingly warm enough. The rest of the night we spent together in our hotel room, having fun watching Sister Act and another movie with the actress from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and doing crossword puzzles.

It was so funny to run into Sarah on the bus

Tamar and I enjoying the burst of sun outside of the art gallery

 We woke up the next morning to actual rain, which we couldn’t do anything but laugh at. Plus rain is important in Israel, so at least Israel was getting some, especially in the south! Since swimming with the dolphins was out of the question, we planned to spend most of our day at the underwater observatory. The Underwater Observatory is a very popular sight in Eilat, it’s basically an aquarium, but there’s a whole observatory underwater too, where you can see all the fish and coral in the Red Sea. Tamar and I had lots of fun; we took lots of fun pictures with all the sea-creature-statues and found all the exhibits beautiful. We even got to see them feed the sharks in the shark tank! We had a beautiful view of the sea while we had our lunch. Plus they had just installed this new movie/ride called Oceanarium. Even though the story line was a little silly, it was another fun activity, especially since the seats moved, and it took up time- and we had aaall day since we couldn’t really relax on the beach haha. We made it back to town with time to walk around and shop some more. Tamar and I got matching scarves and each got a couple of necklaces; Tamar even bought me a purse to thank me for all the time I took off from my friends and all the planning I had done – it wasn’t necessary but I had been looking for a purse like this for all of Tamar’s visit and the surprise was extremely appreciated! We made it back to the hotel with just enough time to do another crossword puzzle and make it back to the bus station to catch the bus back to Jerusalem. That night I had to pack up my room because they wanted us packed for our move to Karmiel before winter break started. Tamar was able to pack up her suitcase too, since she’d be leaving right after Shabbat L, and we fell asleep exhausted from Eilat and packing.

There were camels outside of the observatory!

Tamar and I with a giant turtle head

cold but enjoying the view