Its slowly sinking in that I actually live here...

Warning. This post is being written under the influence of seudah slishit/havdallah wine.

Wow. I have so much to update on I hope I can remember it all! I started summer school this past week. Summer session includes each week: 15 hours of ulpan, 3 hours of biblical history, 1 hour of cantillation, 1.5 hours of t'fillah, 3-5 hours of field trips, and 2 hours of Education. Besides Education which starts Monday, I've started all my classes. Ulpan is interesting. Rather than having the 4-5 normal levels (alef, bet, gimel, dalet, and hey which are the first five letters of the hebrew alphabet), since we have such small classes we are divided into Level 1 (Alef and Bet), Level 2 (High Bet and Gimel),and Level 3 (Dalet and Hey). I am in level 1, which is great for me. I know all the grammar taught (thanks Dorice!), most of the vocab, but can't do conversation to save my life. But my comprehension skills are quickly growing, so yay!  I like ulpan a lot, but 15 hours a week is a bit intense.

Cantillation is learning how to chant Torah. So those of you have had the experience of hearing me sing, or try to do anything musical, will understand how the class and I do not get along. Luckily its only a 6 week class and I'm already done with class one. Education starts this week, which I am super excited about, since thats what I am going to school for! Biblical History is interesting and I like a lot, since history I find very fascinating and easy to learn since its just memorization. We also go on biblical history field trips every week. Last week we went to the Haas Promenade, where we had a view of most of the city, and Ramet Rahel, which is a site of an archealogical dig which found many buildings and pots and such.

School and homework are definitely keeping me busy, but  I have managed to find free time to meet up with friends and hang out. Last Sunday a group of 13 of us went to go see the final Harry Potter. Now seeing a movie in Israel is quite different than seeing a movie in the states. First off, there are assigned seats, so you get to the theatre early so you can all get seats together. We all ended up in the first row, but it was fine since unlike American theatres, the screen is set up higher and much farther back. Also, in Israel movies there is intermission. Yes, like during a play. Exactly halfway through the movie (and no, they don't try to make it at a convenient time) the movie just stops and there is a short (3-4 minute) intermission. Then, as suddenly as the movie stopped, it starts again and everyone scrambles for their seats.

Yesterday most my classmates and I went to spend the day and Shabbat in Tel Aviv, which is a beach city about 45 minutes--hour from Jerusalem. I spent the morning on the beach and playing in the Mediterranean which was AMAZING. Afterwards, a few of us went to lunch/brunch at a superb place called Benedicts and then walked around an art fair. We then headed over to the Mamal Port and ditched the heat in an a/c'ed coffee shop for a while. We then walked over for Kabbalat Services which were held on Mamal Port overlooking the water. It was absolutely amazing. There was so much ruach (spirit) during the service and everyone was so happy to be there. They also sang "What a wonderful world"(which might be my favorite song ever) in Hebrew. And yes, I cried.  It also just amazing me how no matter what kind of mood I am in or how I am feeling, how Friday night services  always calm me down and cheer me up. Afterwards I grabbed dinner with a few friends, then waited for a very long time for our bus, which we later realized was at Mamal Port... only in Jaffo which is 30-45 minutes away from Tel Aviv. So we got back to Jerusalem much later than expected, but it was totally worth it.

This evening, a couple of my classmates invited everyone over for Seudah Slishit (the required third meal during Shabbat day). We alll noshed on leftovers and had a major jam session and sang songs. It was so much fun and just a great way to bring about the end of Shabbat. Later we all met up at a park near my apartment and had a beautiful havdallah with classmates and alumni/random people we picked up along the way.  Then 2 classmates and I walked around the neighborhood of Yemin Moshe. Yemin Moishe is the first Jewish neighborhood built in modern day Jerusalem outside of the Old City. Its all residential and walking, there are no streets or cars. It is absolutely gorgeous and had many small parks. I am so excited to go back and explore and see all the other wonders it has to offer. Even better, its just 2 blocks from my neightborhood.

On a very different side note, several people have asked me about care packages and what I need. While just an email or blog comment would be great, if people do want to send me packages things I would love include:
Kraft Mac and Cheese
Relish (they don't sell it here and my tuna and egg salads are getting lonely!)
Burts Bee's chapstick
Magazines (surprise surprise they are all in hebrew here)
Anything else you might want to send me.

Again all packages and mail go to:
Becka Ross
c/o Hebrew Union College
13 King David Street
Jerusalem, 94101
Israel

Today I had the most incredible day so far. I'm hoping I can describe it accurately, but I'm not sure words can really describe how I'm feeling and what I experienced.

I really wasn't looking forward today- another day of orientation and lectures I don't find incredibly interesting (how many times can we discuss why we are here?) and oh yes, placement tests for Hebrew and Biblical History.

I'll skip over all the mundane things that occurred this morning and skip to after lunch. We had sessions called "Yavne: The Past Isn't What It Used to Be". Instead of being talked at, the professor had us break up into chevruta (small study groups) and discuss some questions looking at both texts he provided and other resources we could find around the library. I loved being able to delve into the texts and stories and really find out what the main points were and what we can learn from them. I was finally getting to learn hands on, which was just amazing. And my group worked really well together and we bounced ideas off of one another, all bringing our different backgrounds and knowledges to figure out what Yavne was and its importance. It just made me so incredibly excited to begin school and learning with my classmates.

That afternoon, we had a program where we were broken in 3 groups and went on walks around the city, ending in a faculty member's home. My group went to Abu Tor with Nancy Lewitt, our head of Student Services. Abu Tor is considered a mixed neighborhood in Jerusalem, although what this means is that while both Arabs and Jews live in the neighborhood, they each stick to their own side of the area. We walked all over and learned about the area's history and saw some incredible views.

View from Abu Tor

After walking around, we went to Nancy's house for snacks and to talk. We got to hear all about her experiences living in this mixed neighborhood during the various intifada's. We had just a incredible discussion about what it means to be Jewish or Arab and about nationality and other topics. I learned so much and it was so great to just be able to ask questions in a welcoming and comfortable setting. Afterwards we sang a niggun (wordless song/chant) and then just all talked and hung out. 

Afterwards, a friend and I decided to head to the Old City so he could take pictures for a homework assignment (we had to take a picture of something that challenged, surprised, or inspired us and write about it). I hadn't yet ben to the Old City, so of course jumped on the chance to go. We climbed up to the Zion gate (many switchbacks-- think the Multnomah Fall hike Portlanders, only on Jerusalem stone in the sweltering heat) and walked around the perimeter of the Old City to get to the Kotel (western wall). Along the way we saw bullet holes in the wall from previous wars. We were able to see gorgeous views of Jerusalem. 

An incredible view of Jerusalem from right outside the Old City

We entered the Old City and walked to the Kotel. Now, I had no idea how I would react. It is an incredible site-- the remaining wall from the second temple. People come and pray at the wall at all hours. There is a lot of controversy around the wall. Men and Women are segregated at the wall, and the Men's area is probably 3 times the size of the women's area. This means that men are able to spread out and pray and get as close to the wall as they want, but women are crowded into a small area and often pushing to get within touching distance of the wall. Women also aren't allowed to read from the Torah at the wall. I hope to write about this more later after I attend a Women of the Wall service (where women gather once a month to pray and read Torah near the wall) I didn't go down to the wall, I decided I wasn't ready for that. I was feeling so many emotions just being so close to it. I wish I could describe how I felt, but its something you just need to experience for yourself. I look forward to spending much more time at the Kotel and figuring out what it means for me personally and my connection to it. 

The Kotel

Afterwards, we just walked around the Old City. Its so interesting, because once you leave the wall, mixed in with the homes and historical sites, are gift shops and pizza joints. Its just such a juxtaposition. 

I am so excited for the rest of the week, and for the rest of the year. Today totally re-energized me and reminded me why I am here. I cannot wait to experience all HUC, Jerusalem and Israel has to offer.

The Old City at night

Settling in and Shabbat

I've been meaning to update for a couple of days, but I have been quite busy. I still haven't conquered the jet lag, and end up taking long naps during the day, which kills a lot of my productive time. Orientation starts tomorrow, so hopefully being on a set schedule will help get me into a routine!

I celebrated my first Shabbat in Jerusalem, which was awesome. A group of us went to Kol Haneshama for Friday night services, which is a progressive temple in Jerusalem. Progressive Judaism I'm told is a mix between reform and conservative. It was a very interesting experience. They do a lot of the prayers silently, including the V'Ahavta and the Amida. I wasn't used to a lot of the tunes, and there were a lot of prayers I didn't know. I'm looking forward to going back there and getting to know the service better.

After services, most of us went to potluck dinners at students homes. My group was about 10 women, and it was so nice to just talk, relax, and eat good food.

Saturday morning I went to services at HUC. I really enjoyed them, and using a siddur I was familiar with (Mishkan T'Filah). I also saw Cantor Korn there, who is the cantor at my parents synagogue back in Lafayette. After services, a group of us realized we hadn't made Shabbas lunch plans, so we all brought our leftovers from out potlucks the night before and had a potluck lunch. Once again, it was just really nice to get to know my classmates and hang out.

Saturday afternoon there was an Alumni program at the school which we were all encouraged to go to. I honestly thought it would be boring, but it was so interesting. The theme was about how to teach Israel to Jews in the diaspora. I was fascinated by everyone's ideas and the discussions that ensued. Later, we all celebrated Havdallah, the end of Shabbat. Havdallah is my favorite time of the week, and it was just so magical being able to celebrate it in Jerusalem.

Afterwards, many of my fellow classmates and I went out to Ben Yehuda, which is a strip filled with restaurants, bars, and shops. The streets were brimming with Birthright groups, summer Israel trip groups, and just so many people. It seemed every 5 steps we took someone else ran into someone they knew. (For the record, my running into people I know count for the week is at 5).

I'm slowly getting acclimated to life in Jerusalem and even more slowly figuring out my way around the city. I really want to just walk around and explore, but its been so hot that it makes it miserable to do so. Hopefully once it cools down this is something I can do.

Miss all of you back in the States!

First day in Jerusalem

My first full day in Israel can be described in one word: hot. I am apparently far to used to the Portland rain and cooler weather. Today was 90, tomorrow is suppose to be hotter-- oy.

My plan to conquer jet lag by screwing up my sleep schedule before coming to Israel apparently did not work. I work up at 5:30am after about 4 hours of sleep. I spent the morning adding all my education classes and homework assignments into my calendar (a rather time consuming task). Because of the time difference I was also able to watch a bit of the Giants game online (nice 14th inning win boys).

I headed to the campus early this morning to check in on campus, get my registration forms, and pick up my phone. Note that I do now have my phone here so feel free to call me!

Sign at the entrance of the campus

Later in the day Elle and I headed to the grocery store so I could have food to eat! It was quite an experience-- I spent much of it staring at pictures on labels and hoping I bought the right thing. Guess I'll find out soon enough!

This afternoon I headed back to the campus (which is a very nice 8 minute stroll from my apartment) for a campus tour. On the way to the tour I ran into my friend Gertz from camp, which was very exciting! The tour was awesome. I didn't realize how big the campus was! I'm pretty sure I'll spend my first few weeks around campus getting lost since its so large (and since I have zero sense of direction).

Afterwards, there was a mixer on campus for us to meet our fellow classmates. It was really great getting to meet everyone and see who I will be spending my next year with. Its a small class,  37 students (last year's class had 65), and thankfully everyone seemed nice. We'll see if I have the same opinion in a few months! After the mixer, I accidently ended up passing out for a few hours and did not make it to a jam session that some fellow classmates were having. I suppose I'll just have to wait until a later time to show my classmates my special music skills. 

A few other random things to note:

There is constantly music playing in the streets outside my window and fireworks going off. Last night I fell asleep to the sounds of a klezmer band playing and this morning listened to people singing to a newly married couple. 

In my apartment all the light switches are outside the room you want to be. So if I want to turn on/off my bedroom light I have to go into the hallway. As you can imagine, this has resulted in me tripping several times. 

Cats are the squirrels of Israel. They are everywhere. So along with the music outside my window, I'm often treated to the sounds of cat fights. 

Some pictures for your enjoyment (happy Mom?):

 The YMCA in Jerusalem. Yes, this is a gym. I'm pretty darn excited to check out the inside.

Entrance to my apartment complex. Soon I'll put up actual pictures of the apartment. 

The Case of the Nearly Stolen Suitcase and other travel adventures

First blog from Israel! Are you excited? Cause I am!

First, before I get to the Israel part, I just need to say what an awesome last couple of weeks I had in Cali and Portland. Giants games, weddings, epic floats, and just hanging out with all my friends.

Both of my flights (Portland to Newark and Newark to Tel Aviv) were fairly uneventful, I just slept for most of them. I even had an empty seat next to me on my flight to Tel Aviv so I could stretch out! Unfortunately, the man in the isle seat slept the whole time and wouldn't wake up, which made it very hard to go to the bathroom. Finally I just started yelling at him, "Sherutim! Sherutim!" (bathroom! bathroom!) and he got the idea and got up. 

I did however learn several things during my 7 hour layover in Newark:

1) Although it sounds like New York, Newark is actually located in New Jersey
2) People in New Jersey really enjoy their leathery skin and having their butts hang out of their short shorts. People from Portland do not enjoy this view as much
3) Newark Airport is taking a stance against technology by not having any accessible outlets to charge electronics

I landed in Tel Aviv around 3:45pm on Wednesday, and easily went through customs and got my bags. I met up with one of my fellow classmates outside of customs in hopes we could ride a sherut (a shared taxi van) together to Jerusalem. Unfortunately since we were going to different parts of Jerusalem we were put on separate sheruts. And here is where my adventure really begins.

There was one other large group of people on my Sherut, an Israeli soldier and his family who were visiting him. The driver dropped them all off then we headed to my apartment. We got there and he was taking out my bags, and handed me two and started to walk away. I asked where my third bag was and he said, "What third bag?". We looked in the back of the sherut and sure enough my bag was gone! Now, this was bad enough, but this was my suitcase with all my underwear! It is not something I could wait for it to be found!

I convinced the sherut driver to take me back to where he dropped off the family before. He showed me which building they walked into, and together we just started knocking on every door! After several doors I found them and my bag. They claim they didn't realize it wasn't their bag-- I'm pretty sure they just wanted all my shoes!

So the driver took me and my bags back to my apartment building. I got there, and realized that none of the doors were numbered, so I didn't know which one was mine. Again, door to door knocking. Luckily the first people home knew Rayna who told them I was coming, and they showed me where I live.

I spent the rest of the night getting to know my roommate Elle and unpacking. We had a fabulous dinner at the coffee shop next to my building. While unpacking, there was live klezmer music playing and children dancing in the streets. It hit me then that I am in Israel. I am here for a year and get to experience a place unlike any other. 

Tomorrow morning I'm off to HUC to get all registered and then time to explore the city! I promise to take pictures for the next blog post!