FAQs #3

When I talk to friends and family from home, these are their most frequently asked questions.

Check out pre-Israel FAQs here and here.

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What's it like to live in Jerusalem?
Jerusalem is a fascinating, vibrant, and complicated city. There is always something interesting to do, whether it is going to a concert in the shuk (market), attending an art festival, going on a beautiful hike, or wandering through a museum. I am certainly never bored. On a basic level, I love how easy it is to live a Jewish life here. For example, everyone has off from work on the high holidays (whereas in the States, it's a challenge). Living in Jerusalem is a feeling that is hard to describe, but I do know that I am thankful every day to be having this experience.

On the other hand, there are also a lot of bad drivers, radically-religious people, and dirty cats. So... can't win 'em all, I guess.


You've been in Israel for over 2 months! Your Hebrew must be really good.
One would think so. But, unfortunately, I don't have too many chances to practice my modern Hebrew, since I'm with English-speakers all day. My biblical Hebrew, on the other hand, is improving quite a bit. Which, in the real world, doesn't really help me at all.


Do you like your roommates?
I am happy to say that I love my roommates (and not just because I know that they are avid readers of my blog...hey, guys!). My one roommate, Laura, is from Toronto and she goes to Pardes, also. My other roommate, Todd, is studying to become a rabbi at Hebrew Union College. Together, we like to cook delicious food, play heated games of banana-grams, and have deep, wine-induced conversations. They also put up with my shenanigans.


Here's our most recent picture together:

Har har. We say that we are like "Three's Company," even though none of us have ever actually watched the show.


Do you like your school?
My school is GREAT. I find it to be a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere, and it's a wonderful learning community. This particular kind of learning challenges me in a very healthy way. Every day, I leave feeling like I learned something new and fascinating, even if at times, I feel like I want to bang my head against the wall.


Did you make a lot of friends?
Yes, Mom, I made friends.

And what do you do outside of school?
Between classes and the extra-curricular activities that are offered, I don't have too much free time outside of school. Usually my free time is spent with new and old friends; going out to eat, cooking big dinners, or exploring Israel together. I just started taking a "scribal arts" class, where I am learning to write Hebrew letters, in the hopes of making artwork with it (you know, because I needed another art-hobby). I also started running again this week. Now that the huge chunk of holidays are over, I anticipate getting into a more regular rhythm.


What do you miss about home?
The biggest thing I miss is, of course, being geographically close to my family and friends. Also, I miss fall leaves, Penn State football games, cheap home goods, and good Mexican food.


Stay tuned for more FAQs!

RAIN!

Today, it rained in Jerusalem for the first time this season!

Why is this so notable? The middle east faces a chronic water problem. Every bit of water is crucial to the well-being of this arid region, and when there isn't rain, people suffer in a dangerous way.

At the end of Sukkot (which was last week), Jews say a special prayer, in hopes of having a season of plentiful, beneficial rain. Other faiths also have prayers for rain (check out this article from last year). In this area of the world, rain is considered a blessing.

When it started raining, everyone in my class got up to look out the window and watch. Down the hall, people were excitedly saying to each other, "did you see the rain?!" It was exciting to find such significance in something that I once took for granted.

This year, may the Middle East be blessed with RAIN.

Looking out the windows.

Hannah checking out the rain.

"Truly it may be said that the outside of a mountain is good for the inside of a (wo)man"

The thing that I love about sukkot in Israel is that it feeds my hippie tendency to want to be outside. I went on a three-day camping trip to the north of Israel with my roommate and his friends from school. It was a perfect opportunity to relax and unwind, explore a different part of Israel, and be inspired by the beautiful, great outdoors.

On day one, we went on a water hike. It was really fun and I only fell in the water, oh, 15 times? Unfortunately, there are no pictures from this comical adventure, but here is everyone afterward setting up camp in a forest.

Building the fire.

Todd, Jay, Aaron, Sam, and Jay Shir. 

Jay Shir was our fearless guide for the trip.

 Sam, me, and Lindsey 

After cooking a delicious dinner, we sat around the fire relaxing for a while. It was a little colder than we expected, and when it was time to fall asleep, a Druze wedding nearby started blasting Arab music. So, yea, I'd say sleeping conditions were pretty optimal.

Day Two: A small lake at the bottom of the mountain.

New friends hiking up Mt. Bental

 Well, I look awkward. But a pretty good view!

At the top of Mt. Bental

Roomies at the top of Mt. Bental

The group at the top of Mt. Bental!

Jay, Lindsey, Ziggy, Aaron, Sam, Jay Shir, Me, & Todd

Lunch break in the afternoon. We did a lot of eating.

:)

Hiking to our campsite for the night.

Hiking at sunset... so pretty.

Sunset on day two. 

Day 3: Playing cards before starting our 15k hike on the Golan Trail.

The view... beautiful!

Taking a little break.

Making sure we're not lost.

Ziggy, Lindsey, & Aaron

Cooling off.

More hiking...

...more hiking...

Dear Israel... you're gorgeous!

Sunset over the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). A great end to a great trip. 

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. 

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. 

The winds will blow their own freshness into you, 

and the storms their energy,

while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."

-John Muir

"How Great it is that you have come Home"

Egyptian Interviewer: "Gilad, what can you say about the 

4,000 Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli prisons?" 

Gilad: "I hope they will be released as long as they don't go back to terror. I hope this deal will promote peace"

After more than 5 years in Hamas captivity, Gilad Shalit is back home in Israel.

For the past 5 years, Israel and the Jewish world have been pleading, protesting, and praying for his release. At almost every prayer service that I've attended in Israel, there has been an added prayer for the well-being and speedy release of Gilad. His family has been living in a protest tent outside the prime minister's home for over a year. There have been banners, bumper stickers, marches, and rallies around the world to release him.

Because military service in Israel is mandatory, his captivity really hit home for Israelis. Gilad became everyone's son, everyone's brother, everyone's loved one.

Today, finally, he is free.

But unfortunately, it comes at a very heavy price. Over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners are being set free in exchange for Gilad. That's 1,000 for ONE. All of these prisoners were directly involved in terrorist attacks in Israel. My heart breaks when I think about the families of these victims, and the emotions they must be feeling right now. My mind races when I think about what this means for the future of Israel.

And just as Gilad is being welcomed back to Israel with open arms and tears of joy, so too, are these prisoners, as they return to Gaza and the West Bank as heroes.

Israel's leadership is consistently placed in unfair and impossible predicaments. Do you keep the promise of "bringing home any soldier, at any cost?" Do you save the life of one innocent man if it comes at the price of possible future violence? What is the value of ONE human life?

These are extremely difficult questions, and I certainly don't have any answers. While Israelis are rejoicing at the return of Gilad Shalit, they are also expressing feelings of sorrow for the bereaved families, and anxiety about the future.

One of my classmates very eloquently wrote:

"Whatever your view on the circumstances of his return, I have been proud these past few days to be surrounded by strong moral voices who have pushed me to think about how we value life, and about how we...demonstrate that value."

Today, Israel demonstrates that it values life. Welcome home, Gilad.

Some notable articles:

• Netanyahu's Remarks Following the Release of Gilad Shalit
• "Bravo for these people, these Israelis"
• "Everyone's Son"
• "Netanyahu reaches out to families of terror victims"

Time of Our Joy (!)

Art by Kyle Lebell

Sukkot is a Jewish festival (yes, another one!) celebrating the autumn harvest. The word "sukkot" means "booths," and it refers to the temporary huts that the Israelites dwelt in when they wandered in the desert for 40 years. 

In contrast to Yom Kippur, Sukkot is meant to be a happy holiday, and is often referred to as the "season of our rejoicing." We are actually commanded to be happy.  

During the festival of Sukkot, we build a sukkah in order to dwell in it for 7 days. My experiences with building sukkot in the states have been minimal. The past 3 years, I've helped to build the one at work, which usually resulted in multiple splinters, my boss getting hit in the head with a 2x4, and an article in the campus newspaper making us sound like total weirdos. Happy times, indeed.

But in Israel, the experience is much different. First of all, most schools have off during the festival of Sukkot. Everyone that has the space builds a sukkah. Everywhere you turn, there are people carrying sukkah supplies and the "four species." Restaurants have set up sukkot so that customers can eat in them. In Israel, it's not weird, or odd, or foreign... it's just what Jewish people do.

So, my roommates and I jumped on the Sukkot-bandwagon and built a sukkah. We are actually very fortunate to be able to build one (on our balcony), as many apartments don't have space. We anticipate many good, happy times over the next week...

It took us a while to find the supplies...

 Great job, guys. I'll just stand here and take pictures.

 Ok, this picture is totally posed. But I swear I helped to build it. Really.

 Making decorations!

 Todd's a rabbinical student AND an artist.

Be Happy, it's Sukkot!

My contribution. Chag sameach (happy holiday!) from Na'omi 9!

Exploring the Old City

"Once I sat on the steps by a gate at David's Tower, 

I placed my two heavy baskets at my side. 

A group of tourists was standing around their guide and 

I became their target marker. 

'You see that man with the baskets?

Just right of his head there's an arch from the Roman period. 

Just right of his head.' 

'But he's moving, he's moving!' 

I said to myself: redemption will come only

if their guide tells them, 

'You see that arch from the Roman period? 

It's not important: but next to it, left and down a bit, 

there sits a man who's bought fruit and vegetables 
for his family.'"
-Yehuda Amichai

Last Thursday, my school took trips around Jerusalem. I was fortunate enough to visit the Old City of Jerusalem.

I have been to the Old City before, but this trip was a bit different. The goal of the trip was to learn about the residents living in the four different quarters of the city. Instead of focusing on the typical tourist sites, we wanted to learn about the people: their identities, their narratives, and the struggles that they face living at the center of the monotheistic world.

The Old City

Until the mid- to late-1800s, the Old City was the entirety of Jerusalem. It is roughly divided into four quarters: Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Armenian. The area of the Old City is approximately one square kilometer, and is the home to 37,000 people. Aside from 2 cities in India, the Old City is the most densely populated area of the world. 

I find the Old City to be a beautiful, yet complicated place. Inside its walls, I feel a unique intensity that is different than any other place I've visited. The city palpitates with a religious and spiritual energy that is breath-taking, yet overwhelming.

In other words, if I stay in the Old City too long, I get totally freaked out and feel like it's a little hard to breathe normally. Here are some pictures from the four different quarters:

This is the entrance to the St. James Cathedral in the Armenian Quarter, where we started our tour. The Armenians are a very small, close-knit community. The quarter is actually surrounded by its own wall, further insulating the community from the rest of the Old City. At 3:00pm on weekdays, anyone is allowed to enter the cathedral to see the daily prayer service. It was BEAUTIFUL (but no pictures allowed).

St. James Cathedral

St. James Cathedral. The service took place through the reddish doorway.

Outside the St. James Cathedral

Young men from all over the world come to this seminary to become Armenian priests.

Walking through the streets of the Old City

A rare open gate to the Armenian Quarter. As I mentioned above, it is very difficult to have contact with the Armenian community.

Next, we went to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. This is the quarter that I'm most familiar with, yet I wouldn't say I feel "at home" here. The Jewish Quarter is full of homes, yeshivot (Jewish learning institutions), small stores, art studios, and much more. The Western Wall, the holiest place in Judaism, is in the Old City (though we didn't go there today). 

School's out!

Israeli soldiers having a meeting in the Old City.

Israeli girls play outside of school.

Enter the Christian Quarter. Most of our time in the Christian Quarter was spent at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a beautiful and sacred site in the Old City. The church is believed to be the place where Jesus was buried, and is therefore an important pilgrimage site. 

On the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

On the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

We had the pleasure of speaking with a Franciscan friar, who told us about the people and the history of the church. He also spoke about the delicate "eco-system" within the church, because of all of the different denominations represented there.

Photo credit: Daniel Shibley

Inside the church.

Photo credit: Daniel Shibley

Inside the church.

Photo credit: Daniel Shibley

Last but not least, we went to the Muslim Quarter. The Muslim quarter is the most densely populated, and is the home to perhaps the most recognizable site in Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa mosque. The Muslim quarter is also where you can find the best hummus. Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures from this quarter because it was nighttime and difficult to take pictures. 

Photo credit: Daniel Shibley

This is the gold dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Sunni-Islam. 

As we were finishing up our tour, overlooking the Old City, the Muslim "call-to-prayer" began at several different mosques. It was a rich and beautiful mixture of sound, and a very appropriate way to end our day. Overall, I found the day meaningful and enriching, yet I wish we had the chance to speak with more people. It certainly gave me the desire to learn more about the communities within this diverse city.

After a long day, it was time to leave the walls of the Old City and breathe normally again.