Le'hitraot Yisrael...

Sunday, June 13, 2010

I thought today would be my last day at school but I texted my teacher last night and not to my surprise did she tell me that the students would not be there today. I spent the day running errands and hanging out with Anna before she left today. We had Ulpan where everyone said goodbye to Anna. Its crazy how far we have all come as a group and now it quickly ending.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Today I decided to get out of Ashdod and do some last minute exploring of Tel Aviv I went to see Sex and the City 2, to be honest it is so embarrassing watching these American movies abroad, what a horrible way to represent Americans. Afterwards I went to eat some interesting chummus for lunch then headed to Azrielli Tower. It is one of the tallest buildings in Tel Aviv. On the ground floor it is a huge mall and if you go to the top there is a restaurant with a beautiful view of the city. I headed back to Ashdod and began organizing and packing to go home.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Today was our Mega Event to close out our program. We had a ceremony where our host families, teachers and friends were invited to come celebrate our time and work here. The head of the Department of Education in Ashdod spoke, a host mother, my friend Aron and a student. We also had a nice slide show and Amalia made a music video of all of us. It was a nice event. Miri and Zahavah came so it was nice to have their support. After wards we all went out in Ashdod. It was nice to be together with everyone, there are some crazy personalities in our group, there is never a dull moment.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Today Jordan and I went to say goodbye at school, not surprisingly many students not there. It was a wonderful experience working there but a bit frustrating that for the last month we were really not needed. I met up for lunch with Molly and Sarah and we headed to the shuk. Gabby and I got small gifts for our host families and we went over to give it to them and say goodbye. Of course as soon as we walked in Miri was preparing drinks and desserts for us and they loved the gifts, they may have even liked our homemade wrapping paper better than the presents.

We stayed for a while and all talked and all of a sudden Zahavah was like, its time to do your hair, isn’t that why you came over. So before I knew it I was in her work room and she was giving me a hair cut. I admit she did a pretty good job but it is a bit shorter than I would have liked.  It was time to say goodbye, it was hard for everyone but it means we really enjoyed getting to know each other and spending time together. They are really sweet women and Gabby and I are so thankful for all they have done for us. I hope to be in touch with Zahavah and see her when she comes to the states to see her daughters.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Today we had our last group meeting. There was a big map of Israel in the room and we all had 2 stickers with our names on it. One by one we all shared 2 places that we found to be meaningful or fun places to us. I chose Haifa because I think it is a unique city purely because there does not seem to be any dramatic culture or religious clashes going on there that occur in the other big cities in Isreal. The Jews and Muslims get along pretty well, it’s the Bahai capitol of the world, there are great universities there and it’s a technology hub which creates great jobs for Israelis. My second sticker I put in the Negev. It seems so simple and cliché but it was nice spending so much time there during Passover, hiking, exploring, cooking, singing and sleeping in the desert.

After the meeting I headed to Tel Aviv which ended up being more than I bargained for. I decided to take a sherut (shared cab service) so I could avoid security with my bags in the Ashdod and Tel Aviv central bus stations. When I showed up to the pick up area a man told me he has been waiting for an hour and he thinks no one has come because of the World Cup game. Meanwhile its boiling hot outside and I want to collapse. I little while later I talk to a man who you would assume his job would be to organize the cabs who says, they will come soon, later he says, they are in the way, later ten minutes. Meanwhile an old lady is bugging me to use my phone to call her mom and when I let her she drops my phone and says nevermind then proceeds to keep asking me for my phone, there is a man with one eye who I cannot really communicate with and many other people are speaking Russian to each other so I have no idea what is going on. Eventually I convince 2 men to share a cab with me, the one with one eye is playing child games on his iphone the whole time with obnoxious noises and the driver and other man are speaking Russian so its not even like I can pretend to know what they are taking about. Travelling with luggage (in the heat) is never fun but this, really was not fun. Hopefully soon I can look back and laugh.

I went out with a few friends for a delicious dinner and most of our Oranim group was heading out to celebrate some birthdays together and the end of our time in Israel. It was so nice that so many people showed up. We all usually traveled outside of Ashdod with the same few people so it was nice to be in Tel Aviv together. The night was a success.

Friday, June 18, 2010

This morning I met up for brunch with some of my friends, relaxed and headed to the airport. It’s been a crazy ride and I cannot believe its finally ending. I have made some wonderful friends, I have a new perspective and appreciation for Israel and its people and I have many new memories to bring home to the States. I am sure this experience will play a role in the decisions I make and the opinions I form the rest of my life.

The Begining of the End

 

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

This morning I was sent to work in a warehouse type building sorting these things that I asked many people what they were and never really got an answer that made sense. They are stored in these bean bag sacks in wood chests. We opened up the chests and tossed the bags into huge bins around the room, it was basically and never ending game of basketball\bean bag toss. I was with a nice group of girls and we had a great time doing it. We took a break and went to this little hut where people meet up for coffee, tea and snacks and then back to work until lunch.

We did the same work in the afternoon and it felt nice to really see some progress. We were told that the US was going to deliver ammunition to Israel Saturday night and so this is why we were organizing and cleaning up to make room for whatever was coming. In the evening we had a lecture regarding capture soldiers and how Judaism and the army handle these situation and what they must consider. It was unreal to see the ratio of captured prisoners or terrorists that Israel gives up just for a few soldiers. We debated how we thought Israel should handle such a situation and one interesting idea that I thought was interesting but had never heard before was that if the army will not do everything in its power to get is soldiers back than why should they be risking their lives for the army and country. It is definetly not an easy situation either way.
 

Wednesday, June 9, 2010
 

Today we were sent back to continue our job from yesterday. The usual breaks, tea, water, hot desert weather. By this time in the week we were all getting pretty sick of the food and used to the routine of the base. We had an evening activity where we were presented with awards and wrapped up the week. Overall everyone had a really nice time and it was a worthwhile experience.
 

Thursday, June 10, 2010
 

Today we only had a half day at the base so our commanders got permission to take us to the Dead Sea in the morning. It was a nice surprise and a nice ending to the week. We got back in the afternoon and went to Tel Aviv to celebrate Molly’s birthday and Anna’s last weekend and Polina joined us. It was so nice to see her but it was sad to say goodbye, she really did a lot for Anna and I and enriched our experience while we were here. After wards we met up with our friend Eyal who worked with us last summer at camp and who is returning this year. He was traveling all year so it was so nice to finally see him in his country. Many of our Israeli friends came out; it was so nice to see people before we head home.

 

Friday, June 11, 2010
 

This after noon I headed back to Ashdod for my last Shabbat dinner with Amram and Zahavah. They had a lot of company over so it was quite the feast but a lot of people speaking Hebrew quickly so it was hard for me to follow. I am surely going to miss her cooking, the first chance I get I will try to copy some of her recipes.
 

We headed back to Tel Aviv and Anna, Molly and I went out with Nitzan who is coming to camp with us. Its been great getting to know the Isrealis that are coming. It will be a nice transition for all of us. 

Saturday, June 12, 2010

This morning the girls and I had brunch on beach together. We sat for hours enjoying the food, weather and company. We headed back in the afternoon to prepare a group dinner for our house and some of the other people from the program came by to hand out. We reminisced about the past 5 months and the crazy adventures and emotions we have all experienced. As my time here comes to a close I am thankful I had the patience to blog and make it until the end and I thank the few of you that may actually still be reading...

Airplane Ride & Volunteering for the IDF

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Today I went to the beach with Anna and Molly, it was so relaxing to be there and enjoy water and each others company. In the evening our whole group went on a boat ride around the port of Ashdod, it was nice to be able to spend time together and see great views of the city. At night I went for a walk with Anna to a huge playground in the city. After almost 5 months in it still amazes me the diversity you can see when you walk around this country, young teenage couples, religious women with tons of children, and anything else you could imagine.

I really began to feel the end coming and to think about what it will be like to go home. It will be difficult to express what I have been through here.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

This afternoon we had another advocacy enrichment, teaching us how to represent Isreal when we get home, I am starting to feel as though we are being bambarded with these lectures but it’s almost over. We then had Ulpan and headed to Tel Aviv. Molly, Sarah, Anna and I went out for a nice dinner and drinks, its been wonderful spending time talking with them as we went through this crazy adventure together and I cannot believe its all starting to wind down.

Friday, June 4, 2010

We strolled around Tel Aviv, exploring some new streets today and then headed home for Shabbat. My host family was out of town so I joined Anna with her family. It was a lovely evening, very different from my usual Shabbat. It was a very lively family with 3 daughters, and a friend. We laughed and sang the whole meal together. It was nice to have a new Shabbat experience here and see how everyone makes it special in their own way.

Afterwards we headed to Tel Aviv for the evening, as our time here comes to a close the celebrations begin.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Today I was invited to share the very unique experience of flying over Israel. My friend Aron was got a tour in a private plane from his parents for his birthday and invited Anna and I to join. We met the pilot at his house and headed to Dov airport, a local airport in Tel Aviv. We went through some surprisingly tight security at the deserted airport.

We helped prepare the plane and before long we were up in the air flying over the Tel Aviv coast line. It was a beautiful sight. Its nice that I have been here long enough and experienced enough to recognize much of what I was seeing. We flew a bit south over Rishon LeZion and a few other smaller cities. Before we knew it we had already hit the Judean Mountains, its unreal how quickly the terrain changes. Jerusalem was quite the sight from the sky. We could see Yad Vashem, Har Hertzl, the Knesset, the Old City, Western Wall, temple mount, East Jerusalem and the Jewish settlements.  I hope the pictures do it justice. 

Afterwards we headed further southeast to the Dead Sea. The colors were incredible. We landed at what they call the Masada airport but it was nothing more than a runway and Bedouin tent. The pilot had a friend in the area who picked us up and took us to the Dead Sea for a quick swim then we headed back to the airport for some delicious labane, hummus and pita. We were supposed to fly back over Be’er Shevah and Ashdod but because of the mess going on with the flotilla and everything the airspace was closed. We headed back the way we came and landed in Hertzellya on the way home.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

This week our program is going to spend on the military base called Hatira in the south. We are doing a program called Sar El where Israelis and non-Israelis alike volunteer with the Israeli army. Hatira is an ammunition base about an hour south of Be’er Shevah. In Ashdod we met one of the officers who would be with us for the week and we headed to the base.

Overall today was a pretty boring and relaxing day, depending on when you ask me. We arrived at the base, had lunch which was not too bad and unpacked in our rooms. We are 18 girls, staying 9 and 9 in to rooms. It feels very much like camp and its nice to be living with people that were in other houses during the program. After we settled in we met up at the building where they keep the uniforms to pick ours up along with sleeping bags and pillows if you were lucky enough to get one. Putting on that uniform was a really interesting experience. It was nice to not think about what to wear and to look the same as everyone but on the other hand you are wearing a uniform that comes with a lot of emotions. People are very passionate about the military and their pride to their country and Israel is obviously nothing different, in actuality there may be even more controversy and emotions when discussing the Israeli army.

We just hung around the rest of the afternoon and went to dinner together. Its amazing how much of a routine exists on the base. After dinner we did some activities as a group, relay races and such. It was a nice day getting to know our group in a new way and I am looking forward to the rest of our time on base.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Today was our first day actually working on base. We were all sent to do different work. Many of us were bussed out of the main area of the base where the soldiers eat and live and we drove for about 10 minutes through the Negev. Many of the roads were lines with manmade hills where on one end there were doors where they stored a lot of the army’s artillery. I went with a few other girls to a lot where they have different containers for storing things. We sorted through containers to see if they sealed well or not. After about just an hour we sat and enjoyed coffee with Aaron, the man who worked there as a civilian, and 2 of the soldiers. It was pretty hot out but we were a bit shocked how quickly we took a break. Just before 12 a shuttle came to pick us up and take us to lunch. Now that we had been there for a day we started to understand how army meals and food work, the same food over and over again, meat lunches, dairy dinners.

We had a break after lunch and then back to the container area. Aaron seemed to be very tired that day and just hung out with us and told us stories. I always thought the country was really relaxed but the army seems to be run in some ways in the same fashion, at least this base is very laid back, I am would imagine that they are each different. We had dinner than a commander of Sar El came to talk to us. It was nice that he took the time to come, he talked to us, as many have before, about how we are the best representatives of Israel and its important we go home and share our experiences to shed a different light on the situation that is here.

Israel and its Neighbors

Sunday, May 30, 2010

School in the morning as usual, half of the classes cancelled. Things are really starting to unwind as the year ends. You think kids in America get distracted at the end of the year... Because of the exam
schedule here the last month is basically impossible for me to follow what is going on.

Monday, May 31, 2010
 
Today I had off from school so I decided to head to Jerusalem to run some errands before I left. I went in with my friend Aron, first we walked by the Israeli Supreme Court and Knesset (Parliament) and then we went shopping in the Old City.

While we were there I got an email from the NYTimes Update that there had been 10 people killed when Israeli soldiers boarded a boat headed for Gaza with foreign aid. I did not know what to make if this and we had heard recently in the news Israel was encouraging the boats to stop in Ashdod to be check out first on their way in but that did not happen. (Egypt gave the same offer). We continued on and headed to the Western Wall. It was interesting to think back to my first experience at the Wall this trip. I was thinking how it was one of the first times I was going to the wall knowing I would be back in the near future so I did not necessarily need to feel rushed. This time, I went thinking this probably is my last time. I had a nice time being there alone and its nice to leave on a good, content note.

Afterwards I went to meet up with my friend Rachel Kosoff who is in Israel with her family. We were about to head into the Muslim quarter of the Old City and we noticed most of the stores were closed. We went in to one to see what was happening and we learned that they were all closing down for 3 days in solidarity with what happened with the boat headed to Gaza. That is when I knew things were a bit more serious than I expected. I walked around a bit longer with Rachel and then Aron and I headed back to Ashdod for afternoon volunteering.

As we drove back into Ashdod we noticed a lot of traffic and got a text from a friend that there was some commotion going on at the port.

I got to my volunteering and we had a new student today. We were nervous about his English level and all of a sudden he started speaking to us in English. He was born in Argentina, learned English there, moved to Israel a while ago for 2 years in Eilat, then moved back to Argentina and now was back in Israel for the past 6 months. He was a very interesting, bright young boy. I asked him about what was going on in the news today and the possibility of war. He answered saying that he really enjoys summer and is looking forward to it so he hopes if there has to be a war its in the fall. It continues to amaze me of the realities of this country. This boy who has not even lived here for that long has to think about such problems as war and how it will effect him. These kids are not sheltered from anything here.

I went home and we watched the news a bit and all shared our opinions and experiences of the day. A few of my housemates were at the port witnessing the Pro-Israel protests going on. I heard there were 2 Muslim women sitting there watching what was happening. They spotted a Muslim man wearing a Free Gilad shirt and pin (the soldier who is still captured) and they started to get in an argument with him, probably saying, how can you be a Muslim and stick up for Israel and its military and then all of a sudden the pretty quite protesters were chanting and singing around all of this. I am sure this was quite crazy to witness. There was also tons of media crews in Ashdod because the boats were brought here to be searched and they took many of the people from the ships from here to jail, I heard many went to Be’er Sheva, others opted to be sent back to their countries.

For those of you following the media, you obviously here different things from different people, you can learn for yourselves and make your own opinions. I really do not know what will happen from here but to be honest, it does not feel like much had changed around me. Maybe its my American bubble or maybe I am right and things are going on as usual, who knows. We have not received an email from the program or anything and things are continuing on as normal.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

This morning I woke up to write my family an email about the situation here and I immediately noticed that I heard planes flying overhead. We hear them every once in a while and its just usual military procedures and I am sure people checking up on Gaza but its been pretty constant today. I am not really sure what is going on and you all probably know just as much as me.

I went to school today and worked with a new class of 9th grade girls. They were very sweet and we just spent the period introducing ourselves. 4 out of the 5 girls were born in France and lived there until they were between the ages of 7-10, the other girl was born in Israel but of Indian background. The diversity and stories of the students from this school and the Jewish people as a whole never ceases to amaze me.

This afternoon we had an enrichment regarding the Israeli Army which happened to come at a good time but I wish we had talked more about current events. After I went with some of the people in my house to jump in to the Mediterranean, we are only here for so much longer and I do not want to take these last few weeks for granted.

Our Israeli friend Ohad drove in for dinner and we made him a big (semi- American feast). We cooked eggplant parm, garlic bread, salad and quinoa. We made sure to be really Israeli and make sure he was stuffed before he left.

National Drills & Natural Pools

Sunday, May 23, 2010

This morning we walked to Jaffa to eat at Mr Shakshukah, a famous Shakshukah place. For those of you who do not know what shakshukah is, it is a stew of tomatoes, onions, peppers and they cook a few eggs sunny side up inside and eat it with bread. I went to ask for a menu and she said “breakfast” in Hebrew and I said yes. After a few seconds I realized there is not a menu, breakfast means they will bring out several salads and bread and eventually shakshuka will come. It was pretty good, fun experience. We walked back to get our stuff and headed back to Ashdod for Ulpan. Tonight I took a walk with Aron around the city. There is this big play ground with slides taller than anything we would ever have in the US. I have been meaning to go on it and my time here is coming to an end so we enjoyed ourselves on the playground for a but and then got some frozen yogurt. It is always nice to get 

out at night. 
 

Monday, May 24, 2010

Today I went to the alternative school and cooked with one of the teachers. We made a cake and mini bureka type pastries with olives inside. It was nice cooking with her but I wish more stuents had showed up so I could spend some time with them. In the afternoon I ent to volunteer at the Marshall center with Allison. We taught the kids animals and did review a review of all of our previous lessons, they are fun with tons of energy, especially 2 new students who showed up today.

 

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Today I once again had off from school. It was nice to have some time to myself and catch up on things I have been neglecting. This afternoon we had a group meeting and afterwards Anna, Aron, Eric and I decided to go out to dinner in the Industrial Port area of Ashdod, it was a fun night out with friends. 
 

Wednesday, May 26, 2010
 

Today there was a practice drill with a siren through out the country at 11 am. Everyone had a plan of what they are supposed to do and supposedly every knows their responsibilities. We were in the classrooms and were instructed to go into on specific classroom in each building that has this heavy, bolted door. Lets just say cramming in several classes of crazy Israeli boys is not so pleasant or quiet but it was an experience non the less. As simply and routine that this was for them, you kind of have to take a step back and think about it. They have a nationwide drill practicing incase of bombs or a war or whatever you could imagine. My teacher was telling me that in Ashdod in the 2009 Gaza War the kids had weeks off of school and the sirens would go off often. I could not imagining living a life with that reality. As unserious as the kids seemed to be taking the drill, they do understand it and know that it is a must. 

 

Thursday, May 27, 2010
 

Today Oramin took all of the groups on a trip up north. We first went to a lookout point up north and learned about Alexander Zaid, who was a man who brought his family to Israel in the early 1900’s to stake out and protect the land that the JNF had been buying up until more Jews would move here. The view was a bit hazy because there was tons of sediment in the air. It was a weird storm that was happening. In America you would have thought it was about to downpour at any second but it was just this crazy hazy day all over the country.

After we drove to the mountains just north of the West Bank for a small hike and view but it was incredible how little visibility there actually was, it was a bit disappointing because I heard it was supposed to be beautiful.
 

Our last stop was Gan Hashlosha National Park where there were huge natural pool. It was beautiful, I think it was the closest I have ever felt to being in paradise. There were these pools connected by mini waterfalls and the area was surrounded by green grass and palm trees. Truly beautiful.
 

This evening our friend Polina came to visit us in Ashdod! It was so nice to have a visitor. We took her out for dinner on the beach and had a wonderful evening catching up with her.
 

Friday, May 28, 2010
 

We decided to make an Israeli breakfast of our own this morning. Everything turned out well, especially the omlettes that Anna made us. We decided to go to Ashkelon for the afternoon  and met up with one of Anna’s childhood friends who made aliyah. It was interesting talking to him and getting his perspectives on life in the country now that he has been here for a little while.
 

We headed back for Shabbat dinner. This week my host family at with Gabby’s. It was really nice eat as a large group and try Miri’s cooking food.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

This morning we met up with Alon, Nitzan and Ohad, 3 of the Israelis coming to camp this summer. They drove us to these little natural pools outside of Jerusalem. We sat there for a few hours snacking, talking and enjoying each others company, it was a very Israeli experience. After we drive to Abu Gosh, a predominantly Arab city outside of Jerusalem that is famous for its chummus. We shared chummus, pita and falafel. It was nice to have them show us around for the day so we were able to see things we could not get to as easily ourselves, especially on Shabbat when there is no transportation.

Shavuot and More...

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Normal day here in Ashdod. In on of my classes I was talking with one of my Ethiopian students and she was telling me how sometimes she is worried to travel outside of Israel because many people are unaware of the Jewish Ethiopian population. It is interesting to get their perspectives on even the simplest things in life that many other people take for granted. 

Monday, May 17, 2010
 

Ashdod held the weekend Shuk today because on Wednesday it is a holiday. I rode my bike there and did some shopping. I officially realize how hot it is getting because a not so difficult bike ride left me very tired. In the afternoon was the English Bagrut exam, what we have been helping the students prepare for months. The teacher asked me to come in from 1 in the afternoon until 6 to help with the test. I sat there for a while watching the teachers run around yelling at each other as they tried to organize all of the different tests, componenets and students.
 

After a while I went sent to read a few passages out loud to one of the lower level classes. Jordan and I waited around for a while until they just sent us home in the afternoon. Turns out we were not much help that day after all.  

Anna and I decided to go to Tel Aviv for dinner, we found a recommendation online and it turned out to be delicious. We split lamb kabobs and a couscous dish. The waiter said the restaurant is famous for these cooked sweet potatoes in a sauce and brought us some to try. It was obviously delicious. Afterwards we walked to Rothschild street and enjoyed a glass of wine and chocolate balls together.

 Tuesday, May 18, 2010

This evening my program went to a local kibbutz to celebrate Shavuot together. It was a unique experience, most people wear white and are celebrating the harvest season beginning but there are actually a lot of reasons we celebrate and the meaning has evolved a lot over the years. Its celebrated on the kibbutzim because that’s where the harvest is extremely important to people. There was a performance put on by different groups of people living there, the children and adults included. At one point they also bring all of the babies born in the last year to the stage to honor them. It was a fun experience.

Afterwards I went to have dinner with my host family. Its traditional to have a dairy meal. I could not believe how much food there was pizza, pastries, fish, salads, eggs, fritattas, baklavah, cheese cake. It was quite the celebration.
 

Wednesday, May 19, 2010
 

This morning we had off from school so I went to the beach with people from the program. Then in the evening we headed to Tel Aviv for a nice dinner. Afterwards we went to this bar where they had “bira v’shira,” beer and singing. Its kind of like group Karaoke where they project the words up to famous Israeli songs on the wall and everyone in the bar sings together. I have never seen anything like it but everyone seemed to be having a great time.
 

Thursday, May 20, 2010
 

This morning I went out to breakfast with Anna and Molly, it was one of the best Israeli breakfasts yet. We had no place to leave our bags and sat there at the restaurant debating for a while until I said lets just ask the waitress if we can leave them here for a few hours, when I asked her she agreed without hesitation, only in Israel. Anna and I walked around Tel Aviv for a while and then met up Polina. We went to this trendy jewelry and arts festival in Tel Aviv. Then we strolled around a bit and Polina gave us a mini tour of the area. After wards we met up with Amir, who is coming to camp this summer, the 4 of us hung out for a while and went out to dinner to celebrate Polina’s birthday at a place called King George, the food was great and cheep, its always fun going out with Israelis because they know where the best spots are.
 

Friday, May 21, 2010
 

Anna went shopping this morning and then I spent Shabbat in Ashdod with my host family. Zahavah’s sister was there and Amram’s sister in law and Shlomit, their daughter was there for a few minutes, getting ready for a flight back to the US. It was nice having a dinner with a few more people.
 

Saturday, May 22, 2010
 

Anna and I both found out we didn’t have school on Monday and were meeting up with our Israeli friends for a party tonight so we decided to spend the night in Tel Aviv. We had a wonderful, relaxing day on the beach. We wanted to try something new for dinner so we asked a few Argentinean olim (immigrants)  for a suggestion and they told us about a cheap Middle Eastern restaurant so we took their advice and it was not a disappointment. After we went to a party Alon was throwing for all of the Israelis heading to camps this summer. It was on the roof of a building with amazing views of the city, all 4 of the Israelis came and we had a good time together.  

Kugel, Israeli Borders and a Relaxing Shabbat

 Monday, May 10, 2010

This morning I went to the alternative school. I decided to try out a new class and went to the cooking class. It was like nothing I have ever experienced. There were several students in this industrial kitchen all working on their own project. The teacher would comment or guide them when necessary but basically they all knew what they were doing. They were making anything from chocolate pastries, to pizza berekas (pastries you find in the Middle East), pizza rolls, pastry cream puffs to pizza topped with traditional Israeli corn, olives and tuna. Just as everywhere else I have experienced they constantly snack and constantly offer you what ever is around. Everything we as pretty good. I was “sue chef” for one of the boys who was making 2 large pizzas. We made the dough from scratch and he used tomato paste as a base to make his own tomato sauce. It was amazing to see their confidence and love for the food. These are kids who did not succeed for whatever reason in normal school so its nice to see them working hard here.

This afternoon I went back to the Marshall Center to work with the students teaching them English. We had a new 10 year old girl show up today who barely knew English. I decided to work with her not realizing what a challenge it would be. I reviewed the with her but it was nearly impossible for me to teach her vowels without any knowledge of teaching English. How do you explain to someone that just because there are the same letter combinations does not mean they are going to sound the same at all. It was quite the experience trying to work with her.

Tonight Gabby and I went to cook with our host mothers. I told them a while ago I wanted to show them how we make kugels (Ashkenazi food). My host mom bought all the ingredients but when I showed her the recipe she was reluctant to cook it with me until Miri told her it would be good. I think she thought it was really unhealthy. The 4 of us spent the night cooking and talking. It was funny cooking with them, we were very Israeli about everything, they insisted on doubling the recipe, our measuring was rather vague and they insisted in adding raisins and walnuts to the recipe which worked out well. (I am not sure what kind of cheese we used either.) After over an hour of anticipation the 7 mini kugles were finished. In the end everything worked out, they loved it and even asked for me to give them the recipe. Its nice spending time with them aside from Shabbat.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Today at enrichment we had a lecture on the history of the borders of Israel. The Lecture started back in the biblical time and we talked about what borders and areas were mentioned in the Bible with Abraham to Moses entering Israel. Until 1517 there are so many wars and takeovers within the land its impossible to keep it all straight and the Turks basically rule the land until they lose World War One. When the Turks takeover is when the walls that surround the Old City were build that still exist today. Only the specific Western Wall\Kotel exists from the second Temple. In the late 1800’s the Turks are becoming weaker and weaker and the British and French slowly move in, eventually taking over once the Turks lost the war.

The chaos that existed with the British making promises with everyone in the area and back in Europe was unreal and complicated to understand. They were making promises with a Turkish ruler Hussein, the secret Sykes Peacock Agreement with the French and the Balfour Declaration, declaring the need for a Jewish homeland. Eventually they pulled out in 1947 and soon after the Jew declared Israel as a country therefore starting the War of Independence. Borders were set after the war in 1949 called the Ceasefire lines. If there was one thing we were supposed to get out of the lecture is that ceasefire lines are lines that exist until peace is made and then they are considered a border or until another war breaks out, also known as the Greenline. Everyone thought there would be peace with Jordan first because they would want the Palestinian Refugees to be able to go back into the land and leave Jordan but that did not happen as quickly as everyone had hoped.

In 1967 there was a lot of territory changing hands but the only “border” that Israel considers that changed is the area of East Jerusalem which was annexed, in their terms, opposed to being occupied, under military control. There is a lot more to be discussed but here is not the place for it. Now we have actual borders with Egypt and Jordan which are good but have created a lot of problems regarding the Gaza Strip and the West Bank which Egypt and Jordan want nothing to do with. This whole talk really gives new meaning to the idea and possibility of a 2 state solution.

As much as I have already felt like I have known before these enrichments, sitting through them makes me realize how much more complicated it actually is and how detailed and intertwined all of these issues and topics really are.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Today I went to Jerusalem with Sarah and Michael to represent Oranim and recruit people from the Birthright program for long term Israel programs. In the evening we went out for dinner in Jerusalem to celebrate Michael birthday at this really cute restaurant. Its amazing what you can find behind little allies when you stroll around Jerusalem.

Thursday, May 13, 2010 

We did a bit more recruiting this morning then Sarah and I headed to the Old City and the Shuk. We had some kubbe soup and chummus at a restaurant in the market, bought some fruit and headed back to Ashdod. This evening I headed to Tel Aviv with some friends to go out we got some late night lamb pitas and headed back on the late bus.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Today Anna, Sarah and I ran some errands around Ashdod and I had Shabbat dinner with my host family. Shomit, their daughter was in from the States for the night so she joined us. It was nice to have some home cooking, it seems like its been a while.

Afterwards Molly, Sarah and I headed to Tel Aviv for the night.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

This morning we went to the beach for a while. Its so relaxing sitting on the beach, people watching and enjoying the breeze.

It was such a nice evening so Anna and I walked to the Kishatot, restaurant\beach area in Ashdod and got dinner. This is the only area of the city that is busy on Shabbat. The Shabbat dancing was going on until almost ten o’clock at night and people were walking around everywhere.  We ordered a tuna salad and kebabs to split and it was so much food. Its unbelievable how big the portions are here. Kebabs in Israel are kind of like little sausages of ground beef cooked on a grill. They were the best I have had yet in Israel and the meat was so juicy. It was so nice to get out and enjoy the beautiful night.

BiBi Natanyahu, HaDag Nachash Concert, Touring Tel Aviv & Weekend in Eilat

 Sunday, May 2, 2010

There is no school today because it is Lag BaOmer so we had a long Ulpan session today. During the afternoon I went with Aron, one of my housemates, to Café Hillel to catch up on some work and emails. Its so nice sitting in the cafés here and feeling a part of the Israeli society, or at least being able to see what people do on a day to day basis. 

Monday, May 3, 2010

Today I went into the alternative school in the morning because my school did not need me to tutor anyone. I showed up and hung out with a guidance counselor for a little while, helping her with paperwork. I could not believe they actually sent me to do her busy work, I will definitely not to that again. Afterwards I went to the English class but there were only 2
students there taking a test so I went home.

This afternoon I went for my second week to volunteer at the Marshall Center. Only one girl showed up but we had a good time with her. We taught her food vocabulary then played some games with the words. She is such a positive, sweet girl. Even if its just her Allison and I enjoy showing up to work with her.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Today MASA held a conference in Jerusalem for all of their programs. They were trying to give us the tools and support to bring back our new knowledge and passion for Israel or to give us information on how to make aliyah. Most of the lectures were not so interesting and I felt like I was stuck in a bad college lecture but one was pretty good. It was a panel of olim (immigrants) and they each told their story of how they came here and what helped them make such a life changing decision. It was interesting to hear their stories and perspectives.

At the end of the evening Benjamin Natanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, addressed us. It interesting that because its such a small country even though he is extremely busy there are less organizations and conferences asking for his attendance than would be the case in a larger country. MASA is also an off shoot of the Israeli government so it was nice of him to appear. After wards there was a HaDag Nachash concert, which was a lot of fun. They are one of the most popular bands in Israel right now. I even knew a few of the songs which was nice.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Mekif Yud as usual, volunteered at the alternative school this afternoon.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Today we took a group day trip to Tel Aviv with everyone from Ashdod. We started off at the port of Tel Aviv where we heard about the history of Tel Aviv and the important battles that took place on the beach there. Before Israel was established it was being run by several resistance movements. At times these movements were fighting each other took. A big battle took place on the beaches between Ben Gurion, leading the Haganah (later becoming the IDF) and Begin, leading the Irgun which later joined up to be a part of the IDF. In the end Ben Gurion and his followers proved more successful therefore becoming the basis of the IDF and the foundation of the state of Israel.

Afterwards we walked to Rabin Square and learned a lot of the history about Yitzchak Rabin. Also a war hero who took part in many important wars in Israel’s history. We ended the day at teh Palmach museum, learning what it was really like to be a part of such a unique resistance movement in the 1940's.

Friday, May 7, 2010

This weekend we have an organized Oranim trip to Eilat. Today we left Ashdod very early in the morning to head down south. Our first stop was a hike in the middle of the Negev. The first part of it we climbed ladders and ropes until we got to the top of the mountain, then we walked along the top for a while and the last part we were climbing down through what was an old river bed. It was a really nice, yet challenging hike. The weather is definitely starting to warm up, especially the further south you go. We headed to Eilat to get ready for Shabbat and then went out for the night.


Saturday, May 8, 2010

This morning I went with a group of people to snorkel in the Red Sea. There is a section of the Sea marked off as a nature reserve and it was incredible to see the fish that were there. The views from everywhere were beautiful. I am not sure I have ever been to a beach town surrounded by mountains. The colors are truly beautiful with the red rock mountains and bright blue water. Afterwards I went to hang out at a beach restaurant. They have this floating raft in front of the beach where people can swim out to. We met some nice Israelis from Tel Aviv who were down for the weekend.

Its amazing how you look out of the beach and see Jordan and the largest Jordanian flag flying. What a crazy place. I personally do not think Eilat is anything amazing but for them its an escape and a quick vacation, to me coming from upstate NY just being on the beach in Tel Aviv is enough of an escape or vacation.

After havdallah Oranim planned a party for all the participants at a local bar. I went to dinner with a bunch of friends at a tasty restaurant and then we headed to the party for a bit. It was nice to see everyone together but many of us headed back early to get some sleep for our busy day tomorrow.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

This morning we woke up early to go on a hike before heading back up north. Because it was so hot they decided to do a shorter hike with us but it still had some great views of Egypt (the Sinai) and Jordan. It is amazing how close all of the countries are to each other and how arbitrary the borders are. After we drove up to Mitzpe Ramon (the Ramon Crater) for a view and explanation of the area. There are these 3 natural craters which were formed when the plates shifted also creating the Great Rift Valley and all of these crazy other geological things that happened that are unique to the area. They actually are not craters but there is no word in Hebrew that describes what they are so the word crater is used. If you want a better explanation do some research and let me know what you find!

Afterwards we drove up to Sde Boker, the kibbutz where Ben Gurion spent his last few years and where he chose to be buried. He is a truly fascinating man, who can be compared to the many great leaders of the 20th century and I highly recommend you learn more about him. I cannot do justice to his life in my blog but one thing I do find very interesting about him is that he was born in Russia and along with his friends he started to speak Hebrew and teach the language to those in his youth group. He clearly always had a love for Judaism and a homeland for the Jews. Many say because of the hard choices he made in the 1940’s and especially the Independence War made it possible for there to exist a Jewish state and that it has survived this long. At the grave there were many soldiers there with their brigades. They are brought there for ceremonies throughout their service to the country.

Middle East Talks, Bedouin Food & Lag BaOmer Bondfires

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Today I had school and Ulpan, its nice to be back in to a routine.

Monday, April 26, 2010

This afternoon I started volunteering at the Marshall center with my friend Allison. Only 2 kids showed up but we had a great time working with them. We taught them clothing, colors and body parts. They were so appreciative of us. We got a call later from the supervisor at the center saying that the kids said that had a great time. Its really nice to get positive feedback for our work because that does not always happen in the schools.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Today we watched a video in Enrichment about the idea of advocating and lobbying for Israel by Alan Dershowitz. It was a truly powerful, sickening and informative movie on the different perpectives and issues that are being dealt with here in the Middle East. It gave some great points that I had never heard of before. If at all interested I recommend the film.

The evening I went for a walk with my friend and we stopped by the makolet (bodega) for some chocolate. The guys who work there were eating some “al ha’aish” chicken and insisted on me trying their last piece, I could not say no. Once again, only in Israel. These are the little things I will miss when I head back to the states.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The schedule at school is getting more and more sporadic because the students are starting to study and take their Bagrut exams. I helped out with their studying but as I was talking to them English did not seem to be so important, they were much more concerned with their science and technology exams. I worked a bit with the students in the lower levels today and its incredible to see the difference, these students can barely communicate with me.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

This afternoon Kineret, our city coordinator, organize a trip to a Bedouin village for us. Through her fathers work her family had become friends with a Bedouin family that live in the Negev on one of the many unrecognized areas by the Israeli government. There is a lot of politics around this because there are several communities of Bedouins which have adapted and receive many services from the Israeli government while there are many that haven’t. We saw a presentation on the Bedouin culture. It is definitely interesting to learn about and I recommend you do some research to learn more about them.

A few things that stuck out to me, they men can have as many as 4 wives, they were nomadic people but with the establishment of states in the Middle East they are no long able to live that way, the male Israeli Bedouins serve in the Army, many stay in it professionally. They women are slowly allowed to be educated but still they get married at a very young age and are not brought out into the public so much. Its really controversial to think about their society. To them it makes sense to protect the women and that women do play a large role in the household and are greatly respected but to us, the western cultures, by marrying more than 1 wife and shielding them from society is not how we respect and honor them. It can be very difficult and interesting to compare cultures.

After the lecture they brought us out some of their tradition food, big laffa bread, labane (delicious Middle Eastern cheese), chummus, Arab Salad and fruit. It was all delicious. When the food was brough out the head of the family, the Imam who spoke with us walked over and took some of the laffa bread to cover the food to keep it warm. Its interesting to me how people can be resourceful in different cultures and in the dessert. Bread is also such an important staple to the Middle Eastern Societies and I notice Jews really treating bread as a holy food as well.

After we ate the Imam told us some stories and gave us an opportunity to ask him questions. We found out he has 3 wifes, I think 18 children and he is unaware of how many grandchildren he has. He is the head of the whole family and is in charge of all of the finances. In Israel for every child you have the government gives you money and the more children you have the more money you get, this seems to help out the orthodox families as well as the Bedouins and other cultures. It is a big problem and drain on the system, I am not sure how much longer it can last like this.

Tonight I headed with some friends to Tel Aviv for the weekend.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Today Anna, Molly, Sarah and I met my friend Dorin for a typical Israeli brunch. Dorin worked at camp with me a few years ago and we still keep in touch. It was nice to see her again and have my friends meet her. Afterwards we walked around Tel Aviv for the afternoon checking out the stories and such.

Anna and I went home for Shabbat dinner with our host families.  It was nice to see them again and it was a very quiet, relaxing dinner with just the 3 of us. After Anna and I took a sherut back to Tel Aviv to spend the rest of the weekend. 

Saturday, May 1, 2010

This morning Anna, Sarah, Molly and I had a delicious brunch on the beach in Tel Aviv. Its amazing the difference you see between Tel Aviv on Shabbat and the rest of the country. The beaches are packed with people eating, tanning, enjoying family time. It is such a social scene. You could sit at your table all afternoon and no one would ask you to leave for the next group. So much is going on around you but at the same time it is a relaxing way to spend the day. We headed home during the afternoon to rest before Lag BaOmer started tonight.

To be honest I do not much about the holiday but it is supposed to be a happy day that falls between Passover and Shavuot. There was a famous Rabbi many many years ago whom many of his students were sick and they all became better that day. I am not sure where it all ties together but somehow it does. I think over 800,000 Israelis flocked to his grave to celebrate tonight. People all over the country build bon fires, bqq, dance and sing through the night. I walked around the beaches of Ashdod and its was quite the scene. People everywhere with fire build anywhere they could find a nice piece of land, and I am not talking little fire, many were huge bond fires. As I was walking around I bumped into a few of my students who invited my friend Sarah and I to come to their barbeque. We hung out for a bit then headed home. I asked them why they did not have their own bonfire, just a grill, they said, “we are too lazy, we are mekif yud, and if we did make a fire, we would have made it so bit it would cover the parking lot.” Got to love them for their honesty. They really have this Mekif Yuf mentality.

Memorial Day, Independence Day and My Parents Visit...

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Today was a short day at school and then I used the afternoon to catch up on odds and ends, including compiling my blog, which is not a easy task. This afternoon we had an enrichment dealing with the Remembrance Day and Independence Day coming up. We divided into groups and discussed issues that surrounded these holidays.  I was in a group that discussed the mandatory military service here and if comes from a sense of obligation or from pride.  For the most part we felt like it should be obligatory to serve. The basis of this country is founded on the military, it affects all aspects of life, it is what makes and helps define someone as Israeli. If people had the choice I am sure now because of the standard many would still serve but this country would not exist with out a strong uniform army. We read an interesting article about Bar Rafaeli, a famous Israeli supermodel who avoided service by marrying a family friend, a story written from an American who served in the army and a poem about military service here. It was interesting to hear everyones perspectives on the topic.

After wards we watched a movie about Michael Levin, a American who made aliyah to fight as soldier in the Israeli army. After high school he did a year studying program in Israel with the intensions of making aliyah and serving after. He was a very determined, dedicated, positive person and did whatever it took to serve Israel in the units he most desired to work in. He was visiting his family in 2006 when the Lebanon War broke out and he decided to head back to Israel to fight, they did not need him in battle and people told him to stay put and relax but again, he did what he could to serve. He made it into Lebanon and was killed trying to secure an area with his unit.

A few days later they held a funeral service for him in Har Hertzl and his family flew over, it just so happened to be on T’sha B’av. One of the commemorative fast days in the Jewish calendar where we remember the falling of the Temples and other tragedies that took place in Jewish history. His parents biggest worry was they would not have a minyan (10 adults) for the service which would prevent them from having a public service. When they arrived at the cemetery there were lines and lines of people, they assumed there were several funerals that day but it turns out people traveled from all over to support the family. Over 1,000 people showed up. The images were incredible. It seemed as Michael really was the definition of a modern day hero.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Today in school we working on teaching formal letters to the students. The first thing that confused me is why are they learning them in English class, in the states we would never learn to write a formal letter in our foreign language even if it was a commonly used language. Many of them chose to complain to principal, so I asked one of the girls, what is his name, she did not know. I could not believe she did not know, she said it was because they have a new one every year so what is the point in knowing the principle. Yikes. Their complaints were unbelievable yet completely valid. They were frustrated with the teachers no showing up, having a teacher on maternity leave every 3 months, no consistency amongst the substitues. It was interesting to hear all of their concerns. (Every school is not like this, I hope to don't paint to horrible of a picture, this is just my experience.)

After school I went to the shuk than to try out a new volunteer place. It is an alternative school for children who did not do well in regular school and they also have afterschool programming. It seems like a really nice community of students and teachers\volunteers. Everyone was welcoming and generally interesting in hanging out with us and teaching us the games they play. The kids get 3 meals a day there so we cooked up some Israeli Panini’s for them (pita, cheese, olives) and they were pretty good.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Today in school I was talking to the students about their thoughts on Memorial Day and the issues that the country faces. One of the students said that people have already died for this land and by giving it up the country is making those deaths in vain, I am not saying whether I agree or disagree with that but I never looked at it from that perspective. One of the teachers said that in the future Israel may not exist so we need to do what we can while we can, its incredible how diverse or negative some peoples’ perspectives can be. I had Ulpan this evening then I headed to Tel Aviv to see my parents who arrived today. We walked around the area where they are staying a then had dinner in Neve Tzedek, a neighborhood of Tel Aviv. It was nice to see them and I am looking forward to the next week with them.


Friday, April 16, 2010

While my parents were sleeping I went for an amazing run along beach in Tel Aviv. Its amazing how active and lively the city is. Afterwards I explored a bit with my parents, going to Rabin square and the shuk with them. I love the chaos of the shuk but I guess it was a bit overwhelming for them. We stopped and had some lunch and falafel before we headed back to their place.

We got ready for Shabbat and drove to Ashdod so I could give them a mini tour before we met up with my host family. My parents decided they wanted to experience temple in Ashdod so my father went with my host father Amram and his friend Itsik. I think my dad learned a lot about Israel and Israelis on the 8-minute walk to and from synagogue. They talked about Israel saying the country will always be at war but the people do not necessarily feel it. They asked my father if he felt like he was in a country at war? For sure you do not feel that way here. They also showed him where rocket had landed during the operation with Gaza in 2009. During the service my dad said he was waiting for just one word of English, at any point, but no such luck. I went with my mom and it was nice to experience it with her but it is definitely not as interesting as when you sit below with the men.

We headed back for dinner, it was Amram, Zahavah, my parents, myself and their nephew, Sholomi. It was nice to have him here because he and I did a lot of translating. As the food came out, salads and fish, my parents thought that was it but to their surprise the food kept coming. I was glad my mom got to taste everything so she can help me try making it when I get home. We managed to have some interesting conversations despite the language barriers. I found out Amram came in 1951 at 10 years old by himself and his family came 10 years later. That is just how it was when Israel was a young state, they needed people to come and establish the land and fight in the army. It was also common for religious women to get married to make sure they did not have to enlist in the army and this is why Zahavah and many others were married so young. It was a nice evening overall and I am really glad my parents got to meet my host family and experience life in Israel from another perspective than as a tourist.


Saturday, April 17, 2010

Shabbat in Tel Aviv is so different than the rest of the country. People are out an about everywhere, headed to the beach, brunch with friends or a walk along the board walk. My parents and I went to Jaffa to walk around, we had lunch along the beach, and rested on the beach for a while. We went out for dinner and then I headed back to Ashdod with Sarah whose parents were also visiting and were in Tel Aviv.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

We had school in the morning and after lunch we drive up to the Atlit detention camp. It is a camp where Jews were sent to when they were caught for illegally entering Palestine pre-1948, it was ironic and unfortunate because many of these Jews had just escaped the Holocaust to make it to Israel only to be locked up again. There are some amazing stories that came out of this camp, people were reunited with lost family and friends that they did not even know survived World War II. On the other hand I cannot imagine making it all the way to Israel and feeling trapped there.

Afterwards we drove to Haifa for a ceremony on a Navy base. When we arrived we heard a few stories from different Israelis and their military experience. Momo, the head of our program told us that only 19 of the 25 men he started in the army with are still alive today. Here, everyone has a story, everyone has served, and everyone knows several people who have not made it to tell their own story. Its unbelieveable how emotional and real this day is for everyone. I was given the opportunity to lay a rose in honor of 1 of the 31 soldiers who were killed that had served from this base at some pointing time. We sat there in the bleachers where the ceremony was set up along the water of the Mediterranean. It was quite a scene, people were calm and the mood was subdued.
 
Monday, April 19, 2010

This morning I went to my schools Yom HaZikaron Ceremony. The students and teachers all show up in while and some alumni who are currently serving in the army come back to be a part of the ceremony. Like Holocaust Memorial Day, I could not understand most of what was going on but it was nice to be a part of the event. There was singing, readings and at 11 am the national siren went off again.

After the ceremony I went to Jerusalem with Anna to meet up with my parents, we walked around Ben Yehudah street and went out for lunch together. Although it was a somber day, many people were already preparing for the craziness that would happen that night. Early we had discussed in my program if its appropriate for the 2 days to follow each other so closely (Memorial Day and Independence Day) and I thought of course, it’s a unique dynamic and it brings people into a happy state of mind but I also see the other side.

All over Jerusalem (and the rest of the country) they have set up stages for concerts that will be happening through out the night.

At night we watched the ceremony on TV that was taking place on Har Hertzel, its incredible what a performance they put on. You feel like you are watching the opening of the Olympics all over again. Later we could hear fire works and the parties had officially begun all over the country. Anna and I went to spend the rest of the night with Amir, an Israeli who is coming to camp with us this summer.

(concert on the streets of Jerusalem)

He and his friends decided to celebrate with a typical Israeli barbeque. He lives 10 minutes outside of Jerusalem in the hills that many people drive by but never think about what may be there. So we drove to this park\forest area near by with a beautiful view of the surrounding hills where we hung out eating, drinking and singing all night. He invited us to sleep over and join his families barbeque the next morning.


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

We spend the majority of the day relaxing and eating with his family and friends at their Memorial Day barbeque. Friends and family showed up all afternoon bringing salads and spreads to eat with the meat. Everything was delicious and everyone was friendly. Its amazing how quickly the time passes, it was already late evening and Amir drove us back to Jerusalem. I walked around Jerusalem with my parents at night we tried some of the street food, ice cream and pizza. Yum.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I took a bus back to Ashdod early in the morning to go to school and voluteer and then I headed up to Tsfat to meet up with my parents. Unless you are in a big city its not always that quick to get around. I took a bus back to Jerusalem and miraculously made it just in time for a bus to Tsfat. Because a lot of religious people live in Tsfat you can only imagine what my ride was like.  We stopped half way for a quick bathroom break and several of the men got off to pray. It was quite the experience, as I have said many times throughout my Israel adventure, Only in Israel.

The crying babies did not particularly start to bother me until the end when it started to get dark and the roads started to wind a lot. I could not help but picture my sister Cheryl on this bus having a nervous break down. When I finally arrived I met up with my parents and we had a some traditional “al ha’esh” (bbq) meat and salads for dinner and headed to this nice little bed and breakfast we were staying at in Tsfat.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

We spend the morning walking around Tsfat looking at all of the different art galleries. Its nice to be able to talk with the artists themselves and see where they get their ideas and inspiration. This afternoon we drove out to the country and my dad and I took a short hike around Mount Hermon.
There was basically a 360 degree view of Israel as you walk around the top of the mountain. Afterwards we drove across the country (not to far) to Rosh Hanikrah which is basically the Northwestern most point of the country where there is the border with Lebanon. We took a cable car down in the the grottos there and saw some beautiful fews of the Mediterranean. On our way back to Tsfat we stopped to have dinner at traditional Arab restaurant in a little Arab village. We had some delicious meats and salads as usual. Its amazing how much food you get everywhere you go.

Friday, April 23, 2010

This morning we drive to Akko which is a smaller city on the Mediterranean 45 minutes North of Haifa and happens to be a town with a very large Muslim population. We walked around, visited to the shuk and went to the port for lunch. You could see across the bay the view of Haifa. After we drove to Haifa. We met up with my friend Polina and she drove my parents around to see different view and areas of the city. It was really nice for my parents to once again see Israel from an Israelis perspective not as a tourist. Afterwards we went to have a delicious dinner in the German colony. We all learned a lot that meal as we discussed many hot topics that exist in Israel and America.

(Port of Akko)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Today we toured the Golan Heights with a guide which worked out great. First we drove directly north of Tsfat to the border with Lebanon. (It used to be called the Pan Handle, the area Israel gained in 1948 before the Golan Heights was annexed.) Almost the whole day as we drove around we could see the border fence. We stopped at a Kibbutz Misgav Am for a view. When the state was first founded people build kibbutzim and moshavim all over the north and in many parts of the south for the sole purpose of laying claim to the land, besides farming there are not really big industries there but it is necessary to use\farm\work the land, proving ones claim and love for it.

We drove North along the Hula Valley and stopped at an old UN base that was handed over to the Israelis when the UN left. There was a Koach (strength) memorial there in honor of 28 soldiers who had fallen in a battle there to secure the north. As you tour around the area you can always see the border of Israel and its neighbors because it is always obvious that the Israeli land is heavily cultivated where the other countries land is not usually be used. We drove along the northern most border of Israel where there are several Druze villages and stopped for an amazing Druze lunch, I think I ate the best falafel I have ever eaten. As we came down the Eastern side of the Golan Hights we went to Mount Mental which is a  old military base which has a great look out to Syria and Lebanon. Our guide mentioned how an American Politican once argued with Israel to move the border back just a km or so but Israel refused. When one hears this story they often get angry with Israel but when you are actually viewing these borders you understand that in a tiny country moving the border a km will be giving Lebanon the tops of 3 maintains that look directly into Israel and the Sea of the Galilee which would be extremely dangerous for the country. Its really a whole other ball game when you actually visit these places and see what is going on.

 

(view from bunker)

I decided to skip the crazy bus ride back after Shabbat ended and my parents drove me to Tiberus to get on a sherut to Tel Aviv. I met up with Noga, a friend from camp there and than headed back to Ashdod after Shabbat.