And when I'm not studying?

Skype is the best invention ever! Like most technological advancements, I was about 5 years late on discovering it. 

Back to School

School started this week! A lot of people have been asking me what exactly I'm studying. I will try to explain. 

Here is a brief description taken from the school's website:

"The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem immerses our students in the study of classical Jewish texts. Men and women of diverse backgrounds learn together in a rigorous, challenging and open-minded environment. This learning experience nurtures a deep and personal connection to our Jewish heritage, a love for the Jewish people and Israel, and the knowledge to become leaders in the Jewish community."

As the description says, the student body is truly diverse. There are people from all over the world, who come from all walks of life. There are young and old students, observant and non-observant (in the religious sense), liberal and conservative, and everywhere in between. There are people who are coming right from college, and others who quit their high-paying corporate jobs to study for a year. There are those who want a career in the Jewish community, and others who simply find this kind of study enriching. It's quite a unique community.

So what does "text study" mean, anyway? It means analyzing and interpreting text to not just understand the obvious, but to uncover the hidden meanings within it. Here is an example. For simplicity sake, I chose a selection from the lyrical genius, Justin Bieber: 

"See i never thought that I could walk through fire
I never thought that I could take the burn
I never had the strength to take it higher
Until I reach the point of no return
And there's just no turnin back
When your heart's under attack
Gonna give everything I have 
It's my destiny
I will never say never"

So, if I was analyzing this text, I would ask: What does the Biebs mean when he says "take it higher"? Take what higher? And to what height? Where is the Bieb's "point of no return?" What does "point of no return" mean to me? What does it mean to have your "heart under attack?" I have a hard time believing that the Bieb's will NEVER say never: How would the impact of the song change if the text was "I will rarely say never?"

You get the idea. Except we do this with classic Jewish texts, rather than contemporary song lyrics. You might be thinking, where is the purpose in all of this? To be honest, I don't know that I really understand the purpose in it yet. As of now, I find it enjoyable, interesting, challenging, frustrating, and fascinating. 


This I know for sure: it is exhausting to study for 8 hours a day. Luckily, tomorrow we deviate from our normal schedule and take field trips around Jerusalem. I am going to crawl around the tunnels and discover secrets in the City of David. Bum bum bummm.

My locker at school: Never have I felt more Jewish.

Basil Lady

This week, I have been taking one-on-one Hebrew lessons in the morning. I'm finding it really helpful, because the learning that I did on my own was pretty scattered. I've been trying to speak Hebrew on the street with people, which is a bit frustrating. I will ask a question, and then they respond so quickly that I don't understand. I give them a helpless look that probably falls somewhere between looking frightened and looking like I just ate a sour piece of candy.

I thought all hope was lost until I ran into a nice guy on the street who didn't know English. He looked about 45. Our conversation went something like this (in Hebrew):

Man: What time is it?
Me: What?
Man: What time is it? (pointing to my wrist)
Me: ...Nine.....fifteen.
Man: Are you from America?
Me: Yes
Man: New York?!
Me: Near there.
Man: Do you like Israel?
Me: What?
Man: Do you like Israel?
Me: Yes it's nice.
Man: Do you have a boyfriend?
(Luckily, my Hebrew teacher taught me that when someone asks if you have a "friend" it means a boyfriend. Otherwise, I would have said 'yes, many!'"
Me: No.
Man: I love you. (Picks a flower from off the bush and hands it to me). 

So, that was weird.

Anyway, here is a picture of my Hebrew teacher and me. We looked like twins today (minus the baby bump). Even the same sandals! She is very sweet, and most importantly, very patient with me. She even laughs at my jokes sometimes:

What else? Tonight there was a "meet and greet" at my school. There were a lot of really nice people, and I had some great conversations. When I got home, I looked in the mirror and realized I had a piece of basil between my two front teeth. Awesome. Great first impression, Lauren. Just call me "basil lady."

Here are some more fun pictures from the past few days:

After an overwhelming trip to the grocery store, my friend and I made a home-cooked meal! This was our first attempt at shakshuka, a middle-eastern dish. Let's just say that we have some room for improvement.

 Yum!

Andrew and Kyle play "shesh-besh" (backgammon), a popular game in Israel

Pictures of my apartment and the 'hood coming soon!

Shalom, Israel!

I started my time here by staffing a 10-day trip, and now I'm finally settled into my apartment in Jerusalem (pictures to come soon!). Here are a few anecdotes to illustrate a few ups and very few downs:


The Good
In the past 10 days, I've had the opportunity to see Israel through the eyes of people who had never seen it before. In our whirlwind tour, we traveled to the North, to Tel Aviv, to the desert, and finally, to Jerusalem, doing everything from rafting down the Jordan River, to going to a co-existence seminar, to experiencing Israeli nightlife, to walking the streets of the Old City. This was my 6th time staffing this trip, and although nothing was new, everything was fresh, and felt like I was seeing it for the first time. I was reminded over and over again why I made the decision to spend time here, and am looking forward to discovering Israel on my own, outside of an organized trip.

I also met some great people, ate an obscene amount of falafel, and didn't leave anyone behind. Great success.

Here's a picture of my co-staff and me from my favorite part of the trip. We rafted down a river in the North. I look like a 12 year old, but at least a really happy 12 year old:

The Bad
On our first day in Jerusalem, I was walking with a participant across the street to use a bathroom. A gentleman on the corner approached us and said (in an American accent):

"Just so you know, people in this part of the world are either going to laugh at you, or feel sorry for you." 

 I wasn't sure what he was getting at, but I thought he was making a joke about being Americans, or maybe referring to the fact that we just got off of a big tour bus. So I said, with a smile, "excuse me?"

 "I'm just telling you, the way that you're dressed, with everything flapping around. I'm assuming you're Jewish? You should read what the Torah says. It's not sexy. People are going to laugh at you."

First of all, nothing was "flapping around," thank you very much. We were very appropriately dressed. In George Costanza fashion, I thought of many things afterwards that I could have said, but in the moment, I was so startled that this complete stranger had the audacity to say this that I just gave some sort of "talk to the hand" motion and walked away. I know... harsh.

Unfortunately, this is not such a strange occurrence. In fact, I feel that people have been looking at me funny since I got here, even though I try to blend in. There are a lot of people who hold strong beliefs here, and believe that their way is the only way. One of my challenges this year will be to not let the actions of a few nut-jobs influence my opinion of whole groups of people. I am confident that there are many more good, welcoming people here to outnumber the rude ones.

The Amazing
I'm here in beautiful Jerusalem. I have amazing friends who have already made me feel welcome. Last night, I went to a relaxing and delicious Shabbat dinner. This week, I start my Hebrew lessons, and next week, my classes start. More to come soon!

Flowers from a friend to welcome me to my apartment!

Yalla Bye

This afternoon, I went and did some last minute shopping at the local mall (made famous by this gem). I've had this feeling lately that I'm going to forget something, or won't have what I need. This has resulted in me purchasing a ton of things that I not only don't need, but don't have room for. Awesome.

But as I sat on the bench in front of the Deb, savoring my greasy Auntie Anne's pretzel, it hit me for the first time: I'm leaving TOMORROW and starting a new chapter in my life.

Dodging the throngs of juvenile delinquents, I quickly left the mall, finished my errands, and packed up the rest of my luggage (which is definitely oversized and overweight; sorry, Swiss Air).

Next time you hear from me, I'll be writing from the holy land. Peace!

Cheesin'. If I don't lean forward, I'll fall over backward (seriously)

Some Random Hippie Jewish Yeshiva

"I mean you should be stressed. your moving to a new country where you don't speak the language for a year with pretty much one suitcase worth of stuff and you are going to some random hippie jewish yeshiva that no one knows about to study stuff that you might not even like with people who will probably be weird..."

Over the past few months, I've been asked quite a few times why I'm moving to Israel for the year. Not just "what are you doing there?" or "what are you studying?" But why?

I decided it's time to blog about this. Not only did I promise it in FAQs back in April, but I also have been asking myself this question these last few days, and could use a reminder. Also, I can't fall asleep, and there's only so many episodes of Millionaire Matchmaker that I can watch (lies...I'm shamefully addicted).

Back in October, I was starting to think about next steps in my career/education. I was really happy at my job, but felt an urge to get out of State College. After all, it was my 7th year there. I was starting to feel like I was living in Never-Never-Land: everyone else was staying the same age, but I was getting older. More importantly, I was craving learning and education.


One of my friends/mentors suggested that I look into a year of studying in Israel. I thought this idea was pretty crazy. I'm a very practical person, always using reason and logic to make my decisions. Not only would I be quitting my job, but I would be spending money to live somewhere else for a year, and I wouldn't be earning any kind of degree or certificate. This was certainly not practical, but I checked out the website anyway.


The program looked interesting, and there was something very appealing to me about studying Jewish texts and taking Jewish studies classes (I know, super Jewy). I quickly dismissed it, and said it "wasn't for me." For the next month or so, I checked out the website every day. Finally I decided that there was a reason that I kept looking at the website; something was drawing me to the program. I applied, just to "have it as an option."


I had the opportunity to visit the school when I staffed a trip to Israel in January. Secretly, I didn't want to like it, because then it would become a realistic possibility. I wanted to be able to just cross it off the list, and say, "that's not for me."


I had a good feeling as soon as I walked into the school. Everyone was very warm and welcoming. I was able to sit in on a class in the morning. I won't get into the details of the class, but the essence of the lesson was "following your dreams." We talked about how it's hard to follow your dreams, and it usually requires risks. Sometimes, we don't even know where those dreams will lead, but we need to take a leap of faith in order to figure it out.


Well, shit. If this wasn't a sign, I don't know what is. Is it possible that this actually IS for me?


Yadda, yadda, yadda, a couple more things happened, and here we are seven months later, and I'm about to leave for Israel. The quote at the beginning of this post was said by a friend of mine (who will be studying in the same program as me:), in a hilarious attempt to validate my fears. It encompasses a lot of what I'm feeling right now, which is uncertainty. I'm not entirely sure that I'm going to love (or even like) what I'm doing, and I don't have a perfect answer for why I'm doing this. 


But I do know that for once, I'm doing something impractical, and following my heart instead of my head. And that feels pretty awesome.

Happily Ever After

Two of my best friends got married this past weekend! It was a true honor to be a part of their wedding as the Maid of Honor. Here are a few pictures from a weekend full of love, laughter, friends, and good times:

 The happy couple at the rehearsal! Mackenzie and Dave met our freshmen year at Penn State.

Bowling! This is where Mackenzie's competitive side comes out. 

See comment above. 

Me and the handsome groomsmen (and good college friends) on the way to the rehearsal dinner. 

Mackenzie and her bridesmaids at the delicious rehearsal dinner! Jess (on the right) is Dave's sister. 

The (ridiculously-good-looking) bridal party after the rehearsal dinner. 

"We're getting married TOMORROW!" Look at those smiles. 

As part of my bridesmaid gift, Mackenzie got me this necklace :). She wants it to remind me of her when I'm away. As if I needed a reminder. 

Best man and maid of honor! Derek and I before the wedding. 

Taking silly pictures before the ceremony. 

Isn't she lovely... :) 

Bridal party bobble-heads! 

Dancing the night away!  

 Best friends from home (missing LC)

 This is happiness :)

Two peas in a pod at the wedding

Happily ever after! :)

Visa... Check!

On Tuesday, I went to the Israeli Consulate to get my student visa (holla!).

I've been to Israel several times before, so I shouldn't have been surprised with the amount of security that we had to go through just to get to the office.

After checking in at the front desk, my mom and I put all of our belongings in a locker (besides my visa documents and ID). We were sent upstairs, asked a few questions, went through some more security checks, and finally reached the consular services.

"Hi! I'm here to obtain a student visa. I'm studying in Israel!" I said enthusiastically. I think I secretly hoped for a "good for you!" or at least a little smile (after all, I'm a fellow MOT*). Instead, he reached for my documents and said, "ok."

I quickly decided that I shouldn't practice my Hebrew with him. Somehow I don't think he would be impressed with my verb conjugations or the various articles of clothing that I can name.

He looked over my carefully-prepared documents for a few minutes, looked up at me, shrugged his shoulders a little and said, "Ok."

I watched him do a few more things behind the desk. During this time, I was thinking about how FINE Israeli men are. This guy had the typical dark, curly hair, dark eyes, and Mediterranean-tanned skin... a true semetic-stallion, as I like to call them.

After he stamped a few more things, he said that I was done, and should receive all of my documents in the mail. I didn't realize that I had to leave my passport. In a last-ditch effort to have a positive interaction, I flashed my best smile and said, "please don't lose my passport!"

He looked up at me with his dark, sexy eyes (and expressionless face) and said, "Ok."

I think he liked me.


*MOT = Member of the Tribe

Off The Grid

And by "off-the-grid," I mean I'm currently living at a stunningly gorgeous summer camp in Simi Valley, California, with pristine facilities and a food selection that's better than most hotels I've stayed at (hello, waffle bar). My friends think that it's a hippie camp where we hold hands, meditate, practice yoga, and sing songs of peace. That might be half-right.

Ok, but seriously. This summer, I have the privilege of working as a program fellow at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute (BCI), a program of the American Jewish University in California. I participated in this program in the summer of 2009, and consider it one of the most exciting, challenging, and transformative experiences that I've ever participated in (check out here, if you're interested in my experience or incredibly nerdy scrapbooking skills).

BCI has been described as a "summer camp for adults," as it brings together young Jewish adults, ages 18-26, from all around the world. While there are some parallels to Jewish summer camp (like bumper-stickered nalgene bottles, dirty birkenstocks, and a plethora of random food allergies), this place is so much more.

BCI is a 26-day program in which participants are immersed in Jewish learning, culture, and community, with an emphasis on the arts. Referred to as a "laboratory for living Judaism," BCI is a place for participants to explore their own Jewish identity in a pluralistic and welcoming setting.

Ok... how do I describe this in words that doesn't make it sound like I'm drinking the proverbial kool-aid?

Jewish life is fun, rich, exciting, challenging, beautiful, diverse, deep, creative, complicated, and inspiring; BCI exemplifies this in so many ways. This year, we have participants from all over the U.S., Canada, India, Israel, Argentina, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, and Switzerland. We have participants who identify as orthodox, reform, non-denominational, religious, traditional, humanist, conservative, and atheist. We have participants who grew up in tight-knit, isolated Jewish communities, participants who grew up as the only Jewish person in their town, and participants who come from places where it's very difficult to be Jewish.

Our staff is as diverse as our participants. We have artists, rabbinical students, cantors and other Jewish professionals who share their talents in different and creative ways. Throughout the summer, we have visiting scholars, musicians, actors/actresses, yoga teachers, and even sexual health educators, vegan bakers, and recovering addicts from a local Jewish rehab center. While the teaching and learning is diverse, it is all through a Jewish lens, illustrating the richness and complexity of what it means to be Jewish.

Don't get me wrong, all this crunchy-granola-goodness has its challenges, too. We work really hard, and the participants are consistently pushed to challenge themselves. It can be tense and frustrating at times. But it's entirely worth it to be a part of the magic of this place.

But speaking of crunchy-granola-goodness, I have to go get ready for the sweat lodge tonight. Namaste.

Nomadic Living

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in Lord of the Rings that "not all who wander are lost," a phrase that became popular for outdoor/adventure enthusiasts and those annoying "Life is Good" t-shirts. Sure, not all who wander are lost... but some are.

The past month has been a pattern of packing, going, un-packing, staying, re-packing, and going again. I took myself on a two-week road trip, spent a weekend packing up my life in State College, and am currently sitting in the Atlanta airport en route to work at a summer camp in L.A. (don't ask me why I booked such an ass-backward flight).

Let me say more before this starts to sound like a ridiculous humblebrag. (PS- I just learned what a "humblebrag" is... hilarious). I am extremely thankful for this "time off" to be visiting friends and taking time for myself. But I'm sure my busy schedule is a product of my inability to sit still, my reluctance to just relax. I'm afraid that if I stop for too long, I'll think too much about what I'm doing and where I'm going... and I won't have the answers.

It's a strange feeling for me to pack my life up into boxes, not sure when I'll be opening them again. I won't have a feeling of permanence for a while. While many of my friends are getting engaged, buying houses, adopting dogs and making other long-term commitments, I feel as if I'm just floating around from place to place.

But I guess my wandering isn't aimless. I'm not really lost. I have a sense of where I'm going, and the rest I'll figure out along the way.

For now I'll just enjoy sitting at the Atlanta airport, eating my medicore, over-priced, breakfast while watching people go ape-shit when they miss their flights. Life is good.