Wow, I am really not doing well at keeping up with this blog! But, at least I have a good reason-- and its not just homework. I have actually been going out and experiencing much of Jerusalem.

A couple weeks ago I went to a Beitar Jerusalem game, which is a local soccer team. Soccer games here are very intense! Beitar Jerusalem is known for their rather offense chants, which include, "Your mother is a whore" and "suicide-bomber" (when a member of Beiter makes a mistake on the field). Alcohol isn't allowed to be sold in the stadium, since the fans are already so rowdy and out of control. We also noticed that at least 95% of the people attending the game were male-- very interesting. Beitar Jerusalem lost horribly to Haifa, but it was a very fun experience!

At the Beitar Jerusalem game

As I mentioned before, Hannukah is approaching, so sufganiyot are appearing all over the place. I have been taking full advantage of this and have had chocolate filled sufganiyot, sprinkle covered ones, caramel ones-- yum! And still so many more to try!

Classmates enjoying their first sufganiyot of the year

Over thanksgiving, my class along with the Rabbinic students from JTS and Ziegler (Conservative Rabbinic schools) who are spending their year in Israel, spent 4 days in the Negev desert in the southern Israel. It was quite an adventure. Our first day we spend the afternoon visiting a community in the Negev, and learning about their different achievements and challenges. We then walked into the desert (a common theme for this trip) and read poetry about nature and got to reflect just being in such a beautiful place. That night we all walked into the desert (see?!) and ate a barbequed dinner around a giant bonfire and sang songs and got to know students on the other programs. 

The next day, Thanksgiving, we were given the option of going on a hike through Park Timna, or a more challenging hike up Har Shlomo. I decided to challenge myself and go on the Har Shlomo hike. Unfortunately, its not so much a hike as a climb/scaling up the mountain at times. There were several times were you pulled yourself up the mountain using a rod sticking out of the rock. And the way down-- let me just say as someone who is afraid of heights this might have been the scariest thing I have ever done. But it was absolutely amazing and so worth it!

Classmates and I on the top of Har Shlomo

Thanksgiving night we had a lovely turkey meal at Kibbutz Ketura, a kibbutz associated with the conservative moment. (JTS and Zeigler students stayed at Kibbutz Ketura while the HUC students stayed at Kibbutz Yahel which is associated with the Reform movement). Unfortunately the next day I wasn't feeling so well, so I stayed in for the day while my classmates visited different eco-green Kibbutz and went to Eilat. 

Saturday, we again walked into the desert for our Shabbat morning services. We walked for about 20 minutes, until you couldn't see any sign of civilization. It was absolutely amazing to be out there, completely surrounded by nature and quiet. I always love outdoor services, and this may have been one of my favorite ones ever. Afterward, we spent the afternoon relaxing on the kibbutz before heading back to Jerusalem. 

Me hagbah'ing (lifting) the Torah during our service

Photo credit to Elle Muhlbaum

I'm approaching my halfway mark for time in Israel, which seems crazy! I've already seen, experienced and learned so much here, and am excited to see where the next half of my adventure here takes me!