אני מדברת עברית (I speak Hebrew)

Every week, our ulpan takes us on different mini-trips around Jerusalem. Beforehand, we each learn about a specific location, and then have to present it to the group (in Hebrew, of course!). It's a fun change-of-pace from the rest of the week, and an opportunity to see different places in Jerusalem.

Over the course of the ulpan, we went to the shuk (market), the German colony, the Street of the Ne'vi'im (Prophets), and the Old City. So, if you're interested in hearing random stories about these places in elementary, broken Hebrew... I'm your girl.

I didn't take too many pictures (I was too busy, you know, learning?). But for those of you that think I'm not doing anything in Israel except having fun... well, you might be right. 

Pardes classes start next week!

 Beautiful Leah on a beautiful Jerusalem day! 

Osnat, our amazing teacher for the day! 

Narrow alleys of Old City, Jerusalem

Me, Heather, and Naomi in the Old City, Jerusalem

A word to my fashion-forward friends...: Sorry.

Walking through Mamilla

Silliness in Mamilla

Hundreds and hundreds of flash-cards. Meh.

Summa Time

Just some pictures of summertime in Jerusalem...

This sign hangs in every room of my ulpan (where I study Hebrew).

Apparently, if I repeat this affirmation 12 times a day, I will speak Hebrew fluently.

So far, it's not working. But... baby steps. 

Blue skies!

After ulpan, we decompress with a walk on the rakevet.

Beautiful flowers like this are all over my neighborhood. I love seeing the different colors wherever I walk against the Jerusalem stone.

In the summer, there are all kinds of concerts and outdoor events in Jerusalem. 

This was at the Mosh Ben Ari concert. So fun!

Friends waiting for the concert to start! 

 Jerusalem summer nights! Me, Naomi, and Sara

The nightlife in Jerusalem is very interesting. It's a strange mix of college students from Hebrew U, sketchy backpackers, Hassidic Jews dancing in the street, army hotties, and 18 year-old Americans drinking for the first time.

Needless to say, the people-watching is prime.

 Shadester on Emek Refaim.

Elizabeth, my dear friend and soul mate, will be here for the year! Traveling, learning, and living all over Israel. And playing with me, of course.

Balabasta festival: The shuk (market) transforms into a huge festival on Sunday nights in the summer. 

Yes, that is a giant pair of underwear hanging on a clothesline.

Naomi and I at the Balabasta festival.

Frequently Asked Questions #4

"Where in the world are you?"
After two months of being in the states to work at BCI and to visit home, I'm back in the holy land for another 10 months of study!

"Another year in Israel? You must really like hummus."
Yes, I sure do.

"Seriously, I thought you were only staying for one year?"
There's a saying that goes, "Man plans, God laughs." There is also a saying that goes, "Sometimes we're just not sure what the hell our next step is, so much to the chagrin of everyone around us, we take more time to soul-search."

Ok, so that was an exaggeration. I had a few options for what to do after my year in Israel. After a long application and interview process, I was accepted into my rabbinical school of choice (yes, that means studying to become a Rabbi). For multiple reasons, I wasn't quite ready to take that step this fall. However, I do know that I want a career in Jewish education, and I was generously offered an opportunity to stay at my school to learn for another year.

Professionally, this advances me. Personally, this enriches me. Plus, another year of living and learning in Jerusalem? Sign me up.

"Did you have a good time at home?"
Yes! It was wonderful to see my family and friends. There is a lot of excitement right now in the family, gearing up for my brother's wedding in September. I also got to catch up on all the music/movies/books/fads that I missed while living abroad. Shas of Sunset, "Call Me, Maybe," Fifty Shades of Grey, ....I've missed you, America.

"Fifty Shades of Grey? Really, Lauren?"
Sorry I'm not sorry.

"So, when do classes start?"
Classes at school don't start until September. Right now, I am in ulpan, which is intensive Hebrew learning. Every day, I spend 4 hours in class learning to speak Hebrew. It's both really fun and very challenging. But I'm already starting to see improvement in my confidence and abilities, and I want to make modern Hebrew a priority for myself this year.

My goal? Hold a simple conversation with a quick-speaking Israeli without looking like this:

In addition to speaking modern Hebrew confidently, my other goals for the year include advancing a level at school, hiking more in Israel, and learning to live fully amid uncertainty. And of course, eating gallons of hummus.

A Taste of HOME

Adrienne and Jason tied the knot! I was so happy that I could be there to share their special day with them... along with some of my best friends. It's good to be home!

 Kenz, Me, Adrienne, & Shelby

 John & Shelby

 Fact: Mackenzie will be annoyed that I posted this picture of her and Dave

 :)

 Peas in a Pod!

 meep meep.

 the BEAUTIFUL bride!

Silly

 On the dance floor...

 Mackenzie and her new pup, Bella

 Puppy Love

:)

New friends :)

Onward, State

Graduation, 2008

A great piece I read about the Penn State football scandal: 

"Apparently, Sports Illustrated will run a cover this week that reads 'We Were Penn State.' Sports Illustrated and so many others clearly have no understanding of who We are. As a second-generation Penn State grad, I have grown up idolizing Penn State, Joe Paterno, and the excellent institution of higher learning that Penn State was, is, and will always be. I am one of hundreds of thousands that consider the Penn State community something unique and special. This goes beyond a football field. This goes beyond school pride. The culture at Penn State, in no small part because of Joe Paterno, taught all of us how to be better people, better friends, and better members of our families and our community.

"So how do I reconcile that with the allegations that a few individuals, including Joe Paterno, remained silent about the terrible actions of Sandusky? Honest answer is I can’t. The allegations do not gel with what each of us learned from our university, and yes, from Joe Paterno. Penn State has always been a beacon of how to do things the right way. Of putting academics and building quality young men and women ahead of fame and wins. I cannot reconcile these allegations with the culture that helped mold who I am. The culture that helped teach me that success is only sweet when done right. That a loss with integrity is better than a win without it. That who we are as men and women is more important than fleeting glory. I cannot reconcile what people are saying of my school with the school I lived and experienced.

"But then, that’s how I know that Penn State is what we all know it to be. The apparent actions of a few individuals were tragically void of ethical wisdom or compass. But they are not Penn State. I am Penn State. We are Penn State. All of us. The hundreds of thousands that have become better people because of our school and the unique community it fosters. I find it sadly amusing that the NCAA handed down such unprecedented sanctions partly to, apparently, try to change the culture at Penn State. Clearly they know nothing about the culture at Penn State.

"These individuals seem to want us alumni to stand on the highest hills, screaming in anguish as we rip and tear our degrees into a thousand pieces, burning our Penn State belongings, and then burying ourselves in the mud in shame as we screech, weep, and wail about how we must repent for attending such an institution, how we were once Penn State, once unique and admired, but no longer.

"But we won’t. The actions of a few do not define us. The knee-jerk reactions of others will not end us. Our school taught us more than organic chemistry and music theory. It taught us to persevere. To overcome. To succeed – with honor. That is who WE are. That is what WE are.

"On September 1, Penn State will play its first game of the season against Ohio University. I wish I could be there. I wish I could hear what the world will hear. The earth-shattering cries of more than a 100,000 people, echoing from Erie to Scranton, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, of WE ARE PENN STATE. The cheer will not be merely for football. It will be for all of us. It will be a declaration that we are more than this tragedy. That we will not go quietly into the night in despair and shame. That we will improve, overcome, persevere, and excel – with honor.

"So to those so gleeful over the tragedy and the repercussions that have befallen Penn State, to those that so happily write us off as defeated and finished, to those that want to discount and disparage our pride, tradition, and principle of Success With Honor, I have bad news.

"WE ARE, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, PENN STATE."

-Pat Weaver, 2001 Penn State Alum

We Will Build This World With Love

Every morning, BCIers take part in avodah projects around camp. Avodah, meaning "work" or "service," is a chance to give back to the camp by improving it. In addition, avodah is an opportunity to be outside, and connect with the earth in a different way.

This summer, I had the privilege of coordinating the work at the outdoor prayer space. We use this space every Friday night during BCI for services. Our goal was to beautify and prepare the area each week for Shabbat.

A wise and slightly eccentric teacher once taught: "what we see in the earth, we see in ourselves." So, if we are working on earth that is overgrown, messy, and full of weeds... what can that tell us about where we are at in our life?

For me, the work that we did in the prayer space was linked very closely to another part of the BCI day: avodat halev. We start and end each day with avodat halev, meaning "service of the heart," as an opportunity for each BCIer to share something about themselves that the group might not know about them. 

In the space of avodat halev, we heard stories of tragedy and triumph, of deep-seated pain and suffering, of facing adversity and overcoming it. We heard stories that reflect all aspects of the human condition: hope, joy, sorrow, shame, love, hate, etc.

For me, the purpose of the time is to truly acknowledge and honor the wholeness of another. Life teaches us to be strong, and to bury the things that hurt us. We walk around with our guards up all the time, putting up a front of happiness and perfection. But this ritual is a rare opportunity to listen to someone else bear their soul, and say to him/her, "I see you, not just in the beautiful things that you are, but also in your brokenness." Whoa.

How does this relate to the work in the prayer space?

When we first started working on the prayer space, it was a bit of a mess. Weeds were everywhere. Rocks were moved out of place. Paint was fading. It was still beautiful; it just needed a little work to help it shine again.

We had a vision and set goals. We got our hands dirty and weeded, planted, and painted. We knew that we couldn't fix everything, and therefore didn't strive for perfection. 

As we worked, we talked about the important things going on for us. We talked about the baggage that we all brought to BCI, the things that we wanted to let go of. As we transformed the prayer space, we were also transforming ourselves. We learned to accept ourselves in our wholeness; in our beauty and our brokenness.

So maybe it is true: "What we see in the earth... we see in ourselves."

Entrance to the prayer space. A little overgrown, but still beautiful :)

The (slightly unorganized) prayer space

Photo by Michael Murray

Photo by Michael Murray
Emily paints the mural.

Building the path to the prayer space

Mural leading up to the space

Mural leading down from the space.

Painted benches...

Photo by Michael Murray
Silliness on the last day

Fun with paint on the last day!

Joy

“Shabbat is like nothing else. 

Time as we know it does not exist for those twenty-four hours, 

and the worries of the week soon fall away. 

A feeling of joy appears. 

The smallest object, a leaf or a spoon, 

shimmers in a soft light, and the heart opens. 

Shabbat is a meditation of unbelievable beauty.”  

A taste of BCI Shabbat...

Beautiful!

Friday afternoon planking.

Before this picture was taken, Sydney worked with her "Toranut" group to turn-over the dining hall. New tables, nice silverware, flowers, decorations... all to set a fresh atmosphere for Shabbat!

Road closed on Shabbat

Photo by Elizabeth Keating

Setting up candles.

Photo by Elizabeth Keating

Challah-braiding! This was my station each week. 

Pre-Shabbs Silliness :)

Figlet and me! :)

Roomies

Pardes beauties :)

Room decor... courtesy of Nikki Fig!

Little Ruthie will be in Jerusalem this year!!

Sydney and D'ror

2009, represent!

2012 Fellows... Some of the most inspiring people I've ever worked with!

Joy :)

Nikki : Lauren :: Kayla : Sydney :)

Shabbs attitude