Got my shoes tied tight, boy I hope I don't get in a fight....
Sorry for the Billy Madison reference, but it's the best way I could describe my frame of mind this evening. Tomorrow I will be having my first day of school in about 5 years. This should be interesting. Keep in mind that this is not my first day at Pardes, that doesn't begin until September. Tomorrow I will be starting a Hebrew Ulpan at Hebrew University. An ulpan is an intense language course, and mine will be lasting for 5 weeks (June 24-July 31). Almost everyone from the Educators Program will be taking it with me (1 girl is taking her ulpan in Haifa), so I'm looking forward to meeting them. Also, I'm ready to take an ulpan. Everyone I know that has been through one says it helped their Hebrew immensely. Hopefully, I'll get the same benefits from it.
This was my Monday
I woke up today around 8:30 this morning and got ready to head into town. Keep in mind that I've never gone to Hebrew U before, so I really had no idea of how to get there. I knew it was either near French Hill or Mt. Scopus (or both???). I was able to get a ride to French Hill, and I thought it would be right in front of me, and as usual, I was wrong. I asked someone how to get to the university, and in quick Israeli fashion he just said "Straight ahead". With those directions I assumed that it would be right in front of me (what would give me that impression??). I'm walking and walking and walking and I don't see a thing. Finally (as I'm sweating like it's my job) I ask someone else and he points out that I was going in the totally wrong direction. Good start. So I correct myself and start heading to Hebrew U. Made my way in, and tried to figure my way through the campus. I have to say it felt great being on college campus, but I felt a bit out of place. For those of you who have heard the song "I Wish I could Go Back to College" from Avenue Q than you would understand. The song is talking about how great it would be to go back to the carefree days of college, but at the end the singer realizes how awkward he would be because he'd years older than everyone else. Well that was me today. All the Americans taking the ulpan are 20-22 years old. It was interesting. On to the day though. I had to register for classes and get my student I.D. card. There was a place to get passport photos done on campus, and I must say that these were the best passport photos I've ever seen. I really look great. She made six of them, I used one for the card and I'm actually keeping the other 5. After I finished with the registration I headed into town to get some lunch and do my usual wandering around streets to find cool places. By the time I was done with that it was about 3:00 PM, so I headed to Pardes to meet with Aunt Gail and head home with her. We went to Ma'ale Adumim first to meet some of her friends, and then got a call from Elana asking to be picked up in Jerusalem. I didn't mind this at all simply because I love going through the city. Everything intrigues me about it, the traffic, the people, the buildings, the signs, the smells (good and bad), literally everything. I hope that excitement doesn't disipate the longer I am here. We then came home, had some leftovers and now here I am. That's all for now.
I'll make sure to keep my shoes tied tight tomorrow, and will pack a quality lunchbox. Talk to everyone soon!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
First Shabbat and some traveling
It is not Sunday afternoon and I just returned to Jerusalem. We are experiencing a hot spell right now. Jerusalem is brutal right now, and it is actually unbearable to be outside during the high point of the day. I'm hoping it'll end soon, because I know it won't be much better once we get into July...
On to my days....
The last time we spoke I was sitting at the Jerusalem bus station about to my buy my ticket to head up to Kibbutz Ohalo for Shabbat with Shosh and her group. I got on the 2 PM bus, and settled into my seat with my 5 kilos of rogalach, flowers, and mountainsmith bag (my backpack was under the bus). The bus ride was normal and easy, I was able to have my own seat for the whole ride and got a little cat nap on the way up. Israel truly amazes me at how it can change within an hour or two of driving. Even during this hot spell, the north still is lush and very green. Very different from the desert climate that surrounds Jerusalem. As we got deeper into the north I started wondering where my stop was. I had asked the bus driver to announce when we arrived to the Kibbutz since I wouldn't be able to recognize it. I knew it came after Kibbutz Kineret, and once I saw the sign for that I hopped out of my seat and asked if Ohalo was next. he nodded, stopped the bus and I got off. I looked around for a second, with my accessories in hand, and realized I couldn't find the entrance. Every kibbutz I had ever been to had some sort of sign to let you know how to get in. From what I could see, that didn't exist. I called Shosh to see where she was only to find out that she wasn't arriving for another. (disclaimer! Keep in mind that I was supposed to be staying there incognito, thus I didn't find it a good idea to try and 'check in'). I continue walking around, find a cemetary that I assumed that wasn't it. Walked out, cursed the heat, and continued up the road to find the entrance. Lo and behold! I found it. I walk in, make friends with the receptionist, asked if I could hang out in the lobby, and take a seat. While waiting for her group, I was throughly entertained by a group of French tourist who crowded into the lobby and were yelling about everything possible. I couldn't understand a word they were saying, but I couldn't stop staring at the short pudgy man, that refused to wear a shit. It was like an awful painting. You don't want to look, but you are curious at how it was put together. Thus you stare. After that fiasco, I, along with the receptionists, made of the tourists. Shosh and her group arrived around 5:45, and I couldn't have been happier. I greeted her with flowers, and the whole group let out a resounding "awwwww". I guess my reputation had proceeded me. I knew that Shosh was in work mode, so I was more than happy to help her with anything possible (especially since she worked as my chaperon during a couple trips to Colorado last February). I already knew I was going to assist Noah, her co-staff, in services so Noah and I sat down and went over what we wanted to do. After meeting for an half hour, I finally went to my room and got see Shosh. The first word that comes to mind when I got to see her was 'refreshed'. I had missed her so much, and it felt so good and reviving to be able to hug her again. To say the least I was looking forward to Shabbat...
The Sabbath
Shabbat was certainly welcomed by everyone there. The previous week had been hectic to say the least, and the prospect of taking a deep breath and taking it all in was more than enticing. We first went down to the beach to sing a song, and explain all the options for tefillah (services). Noah and I lead our group to the room and began. The service itself were parallel to what I did when I was working with NFTY. I was okay with that for this situation, since most people in the room didn't know any of the prayers, but for my first Shabbat in Israel I was looking forward to a very spirited Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma'ariv. Luckily I have plenty more Shabbatot to come for me to enjoy, for the birthright group this is their only one. I wanted to make sure they got as much out of it as possible.
From there we had dinner, nothing special to report about except for the fact that I was starving and enjoyed eating very much. I also did my second rendition of Aishat Hayil for Shosh and I must say that the second go around went much more smoothly. After dinner we had an oneg, and I finally was able to get the bounty of carrying around the rogalach all day. It was very tasty, and I was happy that Shosh's group got to enjoy them also. After that we had a tish, which is nothing more than sitting around on Shabbat and telling stories. Traditionally you tell Rabbinic stories, that either talk about Shabbat or teach something. In this circumstance, the floor was open to everyone to share a random (Jill, I hope you noticed that) story that has opened to them in their life. I shared the Chick fil A story of course. Once the tish was over, we went to bed and it felt great.
The next morning we were able to sleep in, and I lead a Parsha HaShavua lesson for Shosh's group. This was a bit easier since the Parsha was Shelach Lecha, and it's my Bar Mitzvah portion. In fact this past Shabbat was my 15th anniversary. I taught a lesson about faith, since that is one of the main themes of the Parsha. Faith in oneself, and people around you. I felt it was appropriate for the experience they were having, and some of them told me afterwards that they were able to take a lot from what I taught. Those are always my favorite moments. Next was some free time and lunch. During the afternoon we had an activity about Jewish identity. This is a hot topic on Birthright, since every participant really comes from all over the board in how they see themselves as Jews. We were split into three groups, and I went with Noah to help him. We would hold up signs with different Jewish aspects on them, some examples of these are "Fasting on Yom Kippur", "Keeping Kosher", "Learning how to speak Hebrew", "Making Jewish Education a Priority for your children", and "Marrying a Jewish man/woman". The discussions were very intriguing. Some of the people were a bit more on the observant side, and wanted to learn to speak Hebrew, and wanted to make sure their children had the same background that they had. Others (including all the Israelis in our group), didn't really have or need a dedication to these traditions. It was eye opening to many of us, where varied the Jewish demography is around the states and in Israel. I contributed some, but tried to hold back and let the participants dictate the conversation. After the discussion, I took a nap since the heat of the day really took a lot out of me. Shosh woke me up around 7:45 and we started practicing for our Torah readings. You might ask "What were you reading Torah for?" Well, that's a great question! Birthright trips give the option of letting any of their participants become Bar or Bat Mitzvahs if they haven't already done so. 4 girls in Shosh's group wanted to do this, and 2 girls wanted to receive Hebrew names. We did an abbreviated mincha services (just the Torah service to be exact), I acted as gabbi and Shosh read for the first two, and we switched for the last one. All six girls came up for their aliyot, and after the Torah service gave a brief speech. For the girls receiving names, they spoke about why they chose those names. The four girls who became B'not Mitzvah spoke about their commitment to the Jewish people, why they chose this moment to go through with the ceremony, and to teach something to the rest of the group. All six girls put a lot of thought into what they spoke about, and all did a beautiful job. After the ceremony we had havdallah, and prepared to go to Tiberias for the evening.
That night we went down to the pier, and spent the evening out and about. Shosh, Noah, and i went to dinner at a dairy restaurant (so Shosh could actually eat something) and enjoyed the random nice weather. Overall wasn't the most the eventful evening, except for the stomachache I had after dinner.
This morning we woke up at about 6:50 and got ready to pack up. I had a very nice shower, and went to breakfast. Shosh's bus driver was nice enough to drop me off in Tiberias so I could catch my bus. It came on time, I found a seat, put on my Ipod and passed out. I woke up when we got to Jerusalem and started gathering my belongings. I got everything together and got off the bus, and had to go through another set of security to enter the bus station. This is where the day got sticky. I emptied everything (or so I thought) out of my pockets and went through the metal detector. It beeped. I realized I had my Ipod in one of my cargo pockets, I took it out and put it on top of my one of my bags. After I went through the metal detector again I put my Ipod in one of the side pockets of my mountainsmith bag. This is where I always put my Ipod. I walked through the bus station and went outside to catch another bus to go into town. I looked in my bag, and to my disbelief my Ipod was nowhere to be found. I was crushed. I ran across the street, back in the bus station to retrace my steps and speak with security to find a lost and found. Nothing. Nowhere. So now I'm Ipodless. Before any of you respond with a "Marc! How could you be so irresponsible?!?!" Please don't, I'm already pissed at myself. It sucks, but atleast I still have my external with everything backed up.
Anyhoo, I'm at Pardes now and will be going to get something to drink soon. I look forward to hearing from everyone!
On to my days....
The last time we spoke I was sitting at the Jerusalem bus station about to my buy my ticket to head up to Kibbutz Ohalo for Shabbat with Shosh and her group. I got on the 2 PM bus, and settled into my seat with my 5 kilos of rogalach, flowers, and mountainsmith bag (my backpack was under the bus). The bus ride was normal and easy, I was able to have my own seat for the whole ride and got a little cat nap on the way up. Israel truly amazes me at how it can change within an hour or two of driving. Even during this hot spell, the north still is lush and very green. Very different from the desert climate that surrounds Jerusalem. As we got deeper into the north I started wondering where my stop was. I had asked the bus driver to announce when we arrived to the Kibbutz since I wouldn't be able to recognize it. I knew it came after Kibbutz Kineret, and once I saw the sign for that I hopped out of my seat and asked if Ohalo was next. he nodded, stopped the bus and I got off. I looked around for a second, with my accessories in hand, and realized I couldn't find the entrance. Every kibbutz I had ever been to had some sort of sign to let you know how to get in. From what I could see, that didn't exist. I called Shosh to see where she was only to find out that she wasn't arriving for another. (disclaimer! Keep in mind that I was supposed to be staying there incognito, thus I didn't find it a good idea to try and 'check in'). I continue walking around, find a cemetary that I assumed that wasn't it. Walked out, cursed the heat, and continued up the road to find the entrance. Lo and behold! I found it. I walk in, make friends with the receptionist, asked if I could hang out in the lobby, and take a seat. While waiting for her group, I was throughly entertained by a group of French tourist who crowded into the lobby and were yelling about everything possible. I couldn't understand a word they were saying, but I couldn't stop staring at the short pudgy man, that refused to wear a shit. It was like an awful painting. You don't want to look, but you are curious at how it was put together. Thus you stare. After that fiasco, I, along with the receptionists, made of the tourists. Shosh and her group arrived around 5:45, and I couldn't have been happier. I greeted her with flowers, and the whole group let out a resounding "awwwww". I guess my reputation had proceeded me. I knew that Shosh was in work mode, so I was more than happy to help her with anything possible (especially since she worked as my chaperon during a couple trips to Colorado last February). I already knew I was going to assist Noah, her co-staff, in services so Noah and I sat down and went over what we wanted to do. After meeting for an half hour, I finally went to my room and got see Shosh. The first word that comes to mind when I got to see her was 'refreshed'. I had missed her so much, and it felt so good and reviving to be able to hug her again. To say the least I was looking forward to Shabbat...
The Sabbath
Shabbat was certainly welcomed by everyone there. The previous week had been hectic to say the least, and the prospect of taking a deep breath and taking it all in was more than enticing. We first went down to the beach to sing a song, and explain all the options for tefillah (services). Noah and I lead our group to the room and began. The service itself were parallel to what I did when I was working with NFTY. I was okay with that for this situation, since most people in the room didn't know any of the prayers, but for my first Shabbat in Israel I was looking forward to a very spirited Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma'ariv. Luckily I have plenty more Shabbatot to come for me to enjoy, for the birthright group this is their only one. I wanted to make sure they got as much out of it as possible.
From there we had dinner, nothing special to report about except for the fact that I was starving and enjoyed eating very much. I also did my second rendition of Aishat Hayil for Shosh and I must say that the second go around went much more smoothly. After dinner we had an oneg, and I finally was able to get the bounty of carrying around the rogalach all day. It was very tasty, and I was happy that Shosh's group got to enjoy them also. After that we had a tish, which is nothing more than sitting around on Shabbat and telling stories. Traditionally you tell Rabbinic stories, that either talk about Shabbat or teach something. In this circumstance, the floor was open to everyone to share a random (Jill, I hope you noticed that) story that has opened to them in their life. I shared the Chick fil A story of course. Once the tish was over, we went to bed and it felt great.
The next morning we were able to sleep in, and I lead a Parsha HaShavua lesson for Shosh's group. This was a bit easier since the Parsha was Shelach Lecha, and it's my Bar Mitzvah portion. In fact this past Shabbat was my 15th anniversary. I taught a lesson about faith, since that is one of the main themes of the Parsha. Faith in oneself, and people around you. I felt it was appropriate for the experience they were having, and some of them told me afterwards that they were able to take a lot from what I taught. Those are always my favorite moments. Next was some free time and lunch. During the afternoon we had an activity about Jewish identity. This is a hot topic on Birthright, since every participant really comes from all over the board in how they see themselves as Jews. We were split into three groups, and I went with Noah to help him. We would hold up signs with different Jewish aspects on them, some examples of these are "Fasting on Yom Kippur", "Keeping Kosher", "Learning how to speak Hebrew", "Making Jewish Education a Priority for your children", and "Marrying a Jewish man/woman". The discussions were very intriguing. Some of the people were a bit more on the observant side, and wanted to learn to speak Hebrew, and wanted to make sure their children had the same background that they had. Others (including all the Israelis in our group), didn't really have or need a dedication to these traditions. It was eye opening to many of us, where varied the Jewish demography is around the states and in Israel. I contributed some, but tried to hold back and let the participants dictate the conversation. After the discussion, I took a nap since the heat of the day really took a lot out of me. Shosh woke me up around 7:45 and we started practicing for our Torah readings. You might ask "What were you reading Torah for?" Well, that's a great question! Birthright trips give the option of letting any of their participants become Bar or Bat Mitzvahs if they haven't already done so. 4 girls in Shosh's group wanted to do this, and 2 girls wanted to receive Hebrew names. We did an abbreviated mincha services (just the Torah service to be exact), I acted as gabbi and Shosh read for the first two, and we switched for the last one. All six girls came up for their aliyot, and after the Torah service gave a brief speech. For the girls receiving names, they spoke about why they chose those names. The four girls who became B'not Mitzvah spoke about their commitment to the Jewish people, why they chose this moment to go through with the ceremony, and to teach something to the rest of the group. All six girls put a lot of thought into what they spoke about, and all did a beautiful job. After the ceremony we had havdallah, and prepared to go to Tiberias for the evening.
That night we went down to the pier, and spent the evening out and about. Shosh, Noah, and i went to dinner at a dairy restaurant (so Shosh could actually eat something) and enjoyed the random nice weather. Overall wasn't the most the eventful evening, except for the stomachache I had after dinner.
This morning we woke up at about 6:50 and got ready to pack up. I had a very nice shower, and went to breakfast. Shosh's bus driver was nice enough to drop me off in Tiberias so I could catch my bus. It came on time, I found a seat, put on my Ipod and passed out. I woke up when we got to Jerusalem and started gathering my belongings. I got everything together and got off the bus, and had to go through another set of security to enter the bus station. This is where the day got sticky. I emptied everything (or so I thought) out of my pockets and went through the metal detector. It beeped. I realized I had my Ipod in one of my cargo pockets, I took it out and put it on top of my one of my bags. After I went through the metal detector again I put my Ipod in one of the side pockets of my mountainsmith bag. This is where I always put my Ipod. I walked through the bus station and went outside to catch another bus to go into town. I looked in my bag, and to my disbelief my Ipod was nowhere to be found. I was crushed. I ran across the street, back in the bus station to retrace my steps and speak with security to find a lost and found. Nothing. Nowhere. So now I'm Ipodless. Before any of you respond with a "Marc! How could you be so irresponsible?!?!" Please don't, I'm already pissed at myself. It sucks, but atleast I still have my external with everything backed up.
Anyhoo, I'm at Pardes now and will be going to get something to drink soon. I look forward to hearing from everyone!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Oh find me a home!!
It's Friday afternoon now, and I am sitting in the Tachanat Mercazit (Jerusalem Central Bus Station) waiting to hop on a bus to go up to Kibbutz Ohalo. It is located near the Kinneret and I'm excited to be going up north, it has always been one of my favorite parts of the country. Probably because it isn't a desert.
Yesterday I didn't do very much, I spent most of the day apartment hunting for this coming fall. I've gone through this process so many times in the states that I sometimes take for granted how easy it is there. Shosh, Andy, and I are looking for an apartment within walking distance of Pardes (since Andy will be there also :), with 2 bedrooms, and fully furnished. That last part might seem odd to request, but you need to understand that when an apartment is labeled as 'unfurnished' they really mean nothing. No fridge, stove, cabinets...nothing. It forces us to be a bit more picky about where we are. Everyone keeps telling me to be patient and we will find someething, but patience isn't one of my specialties. Anyhoo, I got in touch with a couple of real estate companies and put the word out to everyone we know, so I'll keep y'all updated with what we find.
It was also a bit of a hectic day at the Kirschner house. Uncle Alon is heading back to the Memphis to be with his father who is ill. I felt very bad, because it seemed to me that I was getting in the way everywhere I was standing or sitting. I am trying to be as helpful as possible to Aunt Gail just to ease to the burden of everything going on. Judi came over to cook dinner, and I was very happy when she said tha Ira was coming home that evening. We had a very nice dinner as a family, and it was great to see and hear the interaction of their family. Again, it felt like I was at home. When we finished, Uncle Alon finished packing and he, Aunt Gail, and Ira left for the airport. I spent some time with Elana and Judi, and around 8:45 Oren, Judi's husband, came over to eat some dinner and pick her up. This was great since I haven't met him yet, and everyone in my family has been raving about him. I'm very excited to have some time when Oren, Judi, Shosh, and I can hang out.
This morning I woke up and finished packing my stuff to head up north. I left Kfar Adumim very early, and went to check out a house near school. Unfortunately it wasn't what we are looking for, so the search will continue. From there I headed to the Jerusalem Shuk. For those of you that have been there before you can attest to the chaos that ensues on Friday when everyone is running around to be ready for Shabbat. Put that along with all the stuff I was carrying around and you can just imagine how smoothly this trip went. I went to Marzipan, one of my favorite bakeries, to pick up some rogalach for Shosh's group, and of course for myself. I also picked up some flowers for Shosh and I was off. At this point, I am carrying around my backpack, mountainsmith bag, 5 kilos of rogalach, and some flowers. I was bumping into people everywhere I turned. I was entertained by the end. I caught the 74 bus to the bus station and for the first time went through the first noticeable security difference from when I was here before. The bus station while I was here on Nativ, was an open air station and you could really pass and go anywhere you wanted. Now it is a very nice building, but the security is very intense. Before entering the building you must empty out your pockets, but your bags on a table, and walk through a metal detector. Once you have entered the building, there is an X-Ray machine to check out your bags. It wasn't inconvenient, but it was noticeable. Now I am sitting in an Aroma coffee shop and waiting.
I think it's about time that I go by my bus ticket. Shabbat Shalom everyone, I miss y'all dearly and can't wait to hear from you
Yesterday I didn't do very much, I spent most of the day apartment hunting for this coming fall. I've gone through this process so many times in the states that I sometimes take for granted how easy it is there. Shosh, Andy, and I are looking for an apartment within walking distance of Pardes (since Andy will be there also :), with 2 bedrooms, and fully furnished. That last part might seem odd to request, but you need to understand that when an apartment is labeled as 'unfurnished' they really mean nothing. No fridge, stove, cabinets...nothing. It forces us to be a bit more picky about where we are. Everyone keeps telling me to be patient and we will find someething, but patience isn't one of my specialties. Anyhoo, I got in touch with a couple of real estate companies and put the word out to everyone we know, so I'll keep y'all updated with what we find.
It was also a bit of a hectic day at the Kirschner house. Uncle Alon is heading back to the Memphis to be with his father who is ill. I felt very bad, because it seemed to me that I was getting in the way everywhere I was standing or sitting. I am trying to be as helpful as possible to Aunt Gail just to ease to the burden of everything going on. Judi came over to cook dinner, and I was very happy when she said tha Ira was coming home that evening. We had a very nice dinner as a family, and it was great to see and hear the interaction of their family. Again, it felt like I was at home. When we finished, Uncle Alon finished packing and he, Aunt Gail, and Ira left for the airport. I spent some time with Elana and Judi, and around 8:45 Oren, Judi's husband, came over to eat some dinner and pick her up. This was great since I haven't met him yet, and everyone in my family has been raving about him. I'm very excited to have some time when Oren, Judi, Shosh, and I can hang out.
This morning I woke up and finished packing my stuff to head up north. I left Kfar Adumim very early, and went to check out a house near school. Unfortunately it wasn't what we are looking for, so the search will continue. From there I headed to the Jerusalem Shuk. For those of you that have been there before you can attest to the chaos that ensues on Friday when everyone is running around to be ready for Shabbat. Put that along with all the stuff I was carrying around and you can just imagine how smoothly this trip went. I went to Marzipan, one of my favorite bakeries, to pick up some rogalach for Shosh's group, and of course for myself. I also picked up some flowers for Shosh and I was off. At this point, I am carrying around my backpack, mountainsmith bag, 5 kilos of rogalach, and some flowers. I was bumping into people everywhere I turned. I was entertained by the end. I caught the 74 bus to the bus station and for the first time went through the first noticeable security difference from when I was here before. The bus station while I was here on Nativ, was an open air station and you could really pass and go anywhere you wanted. Now it is a very nice building, but the security is very intense. Before entering the building you must empty out your pockets, but your bags on a table, and walk through a metal detector. Once you have entered the building, there is an X-Ray machine to check out your bags. It wasn't inconvenient, but it was noticeable. Now I am sitting in an Aroma coffee shop and waiting.
I think it's about time that I go by my bus ticket. Shabbat Shalom everyone, I miss y'all dearly and can't wait to hear from you
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Same as it ever was?
As I'm getting more accustomed to life here, I'm beginning to notice differences from when I was hear on Nativ. I don't mean in the people, because I haven't really been here long enough or interacted with them enough to sense anything. More so, I'm referring to the cities. They are very developed. Jerusalem has always been this way, but I can tell they are trying to refine themselves and become an elite city (of course it already is in so many ways). The european feel is unmistakeable, I just it doesn't take away from what makes this city and this area so unique to begin with.
On to My Day
Yesterday was somewhat low key, I left the Kirschner's house around 10 AM, and headed into town. Something you must understand about my commute into Jerusalem is that there is not a consistent bus that comes into Kfar Adumim. I can't simply wait for 5-10 minutes and expect a ride. I wait next to the bus stop near the house and put my hand out and wait for someone to pick me up. Now I know some of you are probably reacting with a "What the hell is he thinking?!?!" but you should know that there is a checkpoint to enter and leave Kfar Adumim. All Israelis have yellow licsense plates, and they are the only ones who can enter the town. Also, almost everyone in town that does not own a car uses this as their way of getting to Jerusalem. I got a ride with a very nice man, who did not speak very much. He dropped me off at French Hill where I caught the 6 bus into downtown. I spent a couple hours walking around, seeing if I could remember some old hangouts and try to discover some new ones. I also got my first shwarma since arrving here. Of course I went to Maoz, which is located on King George right off of Ben Yehuda. That stuff is so good. Then it was off to Emek Refaim. I hopped on a bus, and purposely got off much earlier than I needed. I truly enjoy walking down that road. It's one of the great things about Jerusalem. Every neighborhood you go down, it is a totally different feel. Down town is very Israeli feeling. From the shops to the people. One Emek Refaim, all of a sudden you feel like you have arrived to a European town. Everything is very laid back, people are saying 'hi' to one another, and the restaurants and shopping have a very different feel. Instead of touristy shops, there are boutiques. Instead of cliche eating places, there are cafes. I walked down there, and had so many memories. I thought about knocking on doors to the houses of people I knew, but didn't want to take the chance that they had moved away. I made my way all the way down to Pardes, and met up with Aunt Gail. We went home around 5:15, and were given a ride by a teacher at Pardes, Rabbi Reuben Gruben. He was a very sweet man, and very smart. Soon into the ride he wanted to know what my story was. So I gave him my shpiel (I've become very good at this). At the end he said something that I've thought many times recently "Wow, you really do have everything". It's true. I've felt very lucky over the past few years for many reasons. The friends, job, and experiences in Colorado really changed how I feel and how I approach my life. Shosh coming into my life, helped me to feel comfortable with who I am knowing that I was loved. Being accepted to the Educators Program, helped clarify what I want to do with my life, and how I am going to do it. I've never felt more ready to take the challenges that stand in front of me and more importantly to succeed in all of them.
For now, this is all. Take care everyone and I look forward to hearing from all of you.
On to My Day
Yesterday was somewhat low key, I left the Kirschner's house around 10 AM, and headed into town. Something you must understand about my commute into Jerusalem is that there is not a consistent bus that comes into Kfar Adumim. I can't simply wait for 5-10 minutes and expect a ride. I wait next to the bus stop near the house and put my hand out and wait for someone to pick me up. Now I know some of you are probably reacting with a "What the hell is he thinking?!?!" but you should know that there is a checkpoint to enter and leave Kfar Adumim. All Israelis have yellow licsense plates, and they are the only ones who can enter the town. Also, almost everyone in town that does not own a car uses this as their way of getting to Jerusalem. I got a ride with a very nice man, who did not speak very much. He dropped me off at French Hill where I caught the 6 bus into downtown. I spent a couple hours walking around, seeing if I could remember some old hangouts and try to discover some new ones. I also got my first shwarma since arrving here. Of course I went to Maoz, which is located on King George right off of Ben Yehuda. That stuff is so good. Then it was off to Emek Refaim. I hopped on a bus, and purposely got off much earlier than I needed. I truly enjoy walking down that road. It's one of the great things about Jerusalem. Every neighborhood you go down, it is a totally different feel. Down town is very Israeli feeling. From the shops to the people. One Emek Refaim, all of a sudden you feel like you have arrived to a European town. Everything is very laid back, people are saying 'hi' to one another, and the restaurants and shopping have a very different feel. Instead of touristy shops, there are boutiques. Instead of cliche eating places, there are cafes. I walked down there, and had so many memories. I thought about knocking on doors to the houses of people I knew, but didn't want to take the chance that they had moved away. I made my way all the way down to Pardes, and met up with Aunt Gail. We went home around 5:15, and were given a ride by a teacher at Pardes, Rabbi Reuben Gruben. He was a very sweet man, and very smart. Soon into the ride he wanted to know what my story was. So I gave him my shpiel (I've become very good at this). At the end he said something that I've thought many times recently "Wow, you really do have everything". It's true. I've felt very lucky over the past few years for many reasons. The friends, job, and experiences in Colorado really changed how I feel and how I approach my life. Shosh coming into my life, helped me to feel comfortable with who I am knowing that I was loved. Being accepted to the Educators Program, helped clarify what I want to do with my life, and how I am going to do it. I've never felt more ready to take the challenges that stand in front of me and more importantly to succeed in all of them.
For now, this is all. Take care everyone and I look forward to hearing from all of you.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Aaaaand I made it!
Well, the last 2 days have been interesting. After being delayed at the Atlanta airport for an hour (not to mention sitting on the plane for an extra 45 minutes before taking off, and flying in circles around Dover, Delaware). We spent most of that flight doing wedding stuff, I actually got to contribute some ideas and I think Shosh actually liked them :). Upon arrival to LaGuardia, we got a cab to JFK and the waiting began. We settled ourselves near the ElAl desk, and within an hour we saw that our flight was delayed from 2:20 AM until 5:40 AM. Oy.
At JFK
Shosh switched into work mode because about a 1/4 of her group either had their flight canceled out of Chicago or was delayed. So really the delay for our flight to Israel was a blessing because it helped to insure that all except for one participant were able to make it. Once everyone in her group were checked in we made it down to the gate at around 1 AM, and hunkered down for the wait until we finally took off. Thankfully, we were not delayed anymore and took off around 6:15 AM.
The Flight
The flight itself was not bad at all. I'm used to traveling with groups of teenagers, so I assumed every flight to Israel was full of lould kids who were hooking up the whole time. This one was very quiet (probably because everyone was exhausted). We sat down (Shosh and I had our seats next to each other), and I immediately passed out. I think I slept for the first 3 hours of the flight (but I really had no idea), but Shosh was the champ of sleeping. She was out cold for the first half of the flight, I was impressed and somewhat jealous. We watched a couple of movies on the plane, talked about wedding stuff, listened to some music, and simply waited for our arrival to Israel.
The Arrival
The landing was met with applause from the whole plane, and it started to sink in that all of this was for real. A moment of angst, excitement, and sheer fear hit me all at once. My normal list of questions hit me. Where am I going to live this fall? How am I going to do in school? What if no one likes me? Did I bring enough underwear? As always though, this moment of panic was taken with a gentle kiss from Shosh, and an assurance that everything is going to be great and to just enjoy it. We went to the customs line, and waited (it was a lot longer than I expected), then finally went to get our luggage. I should mention here how absolutely beautiful Ben Gurion Airport is now. I guess renovations happened a few years ago, the arboretum reminds me a lot of the Atlanta airport. I was really impressed. At the baggage claim, I was happy to see both of Shosh's bags already on the belt. I pulled those off and waited for mine. One came out....and I waited....and waited...finally we realized that the belt that brought the bags up was stopped. There were some that were almost out, and mine was one of them. So in my moment of impulse and impatience, I hopped up and started putting bags on the belt. It was a good moment, I must say. From there, I got a cab, and was taken to Jerusalem. I met up with Aunt Gail at the Hyatt Regency, and we were off to Kfar Adumim. I knew Aunt Gail and Uncle Allen had moved, but they really have a great house here. So much space, huge difference from their apartment in Ma'ale Adumim. It felt great to get to their house, put my stuff down and get into bed. I was restless for about 10 minutes, and the next thing I remember was waking up peacefully this morning, or atleast that would've been nice. Aunt Gail forgot to mention the construction that was going on this morning. It wasn't a problem, I woke up to that laughed for a few minutes and went back to sleep.
My First Day
I woke up around noon today, and felt really good. I took a shower (which made me feel even better) and got ready to head into town with Aunt Gail. I'm going to have to perfect my routine for getting into town since there won't be a direct bus but I have faith that I'll be able to do it. Once we were in town we changed buses to get on the 21 bus which takes me down to Emek Refaim, and more specifically Pardes. I had forgotten how great it felt to simply walk around this city, to hear Hebrew spoken everywhere, it also made me a little feel a little self conscious about my Hebrew and how much I do need to practice. I spent about 2 hours at Pardes, met a few of the staff members, a couple of teachers, and some of the students that I will be joining this coming year. One pleasant surprise was running into Benny Levy, he and I were staff members at Ramah Darom for two summers. It was great to see a familiar face. I'm not usually one to talk about the 'vibe' of a place, but Pardes really does give off a feeling of Jewish identity that I haven't felt for a long time. This isn't a place that everyone came from the same background, and you are expected to have a certain level of knowledge right away. There were people from all walks of life. All of them are excited to learn about one another, study Torah, and live in Israel. It really did make me feel more comfortable for what is to come.
After Pardes I went downtown to meander a little, and more importantly to meet up with my cousins, Judi and Elana. I walked around Ben Yehuda, and went to discover some of the backstreets that I used to know so well. One of my goals for this first week is to rediscover this city, and to not feel like I could get lost at every turn. I had some success, but still need to wonder around a bit more before I feel totally comfortable. I met up with Judi and Elana around 6:30, and we went to get some coffee. It felt great to sit around and catch them up on everything that has been going on. We had so many stories to share. I wanted to hear about Elana's Birthright trip with Shorashim, and both of them wanted to hear details about the engagement and other wedding details. I was happy to share on all accounts. Before the trip I was really underestimating the importance of having family here with me. I knew I was going to do enjoy it, but now I see how important of a resource they are for me. Everyone is so excited to explain details to me and help me to get my head wrapped around everything that is going on. Spending time with Judi and Elana made me think back to my first Saturday night in Atlanta when I went to a party at Anne's apartment. There were so many friends from high school there, that I had seen and kept in touch with but I hadn't really just sat around and chatted with them for so long. It's amazing to me how people grow up, and are able to fit into their own skin. No matter how long you've been away from someone you are close with, whenever you get together with them it feels like no time has passed at all.
Anyhoo, that's all for now (wow, that was long). Let me know what you think (ie. if you want the entries to be any shorter, what details you are looking for, etc.). I look forward to hearing from everyone.
B'shalom
At JFK
Shosh switched into work mode because about a 1/4 of her group either had their flight canceled out of Chicago or was delayed. So really the delay for our flight to Israel was a blessing because it helped to insure that all except for one participant were able to make it. Once everyone in her group were checked in we made it down to the gate at around 1 AM, and hunkered down for the wait until we finally took off. Thankfully, we were not delayed anymore and took off around 6:15 AM.
The Flight
The flight itself was not bad at all. I'm used to traveling with groups of teenagers, so I assumed every flight to Israel was full of lould kids who were hooking up the whole time. This one was very quiet (probably because everyone was exhausted). We sat down (Shosh and I had our seats next to each other), and I immediately passed out. I think I slept for the first 3 hours of the flight (but I really had no idea), but Shosh was the champ of sleeping. She was out cold for the first half of the flight, I was impressed and somewhat jealous. We watched a couple of movies on the plane, talked about wedding stuff, listened to some music, and simply waited for our arrival to Israel.
The Arrival
The landing was met with applause from the whole plane, and it started to sink in that all of this was for real. A moment of angst, excitement, and sheer fear hit me all at once. My normal list of questions hit me. Where am I going to live this fall? How am I going to do in school? What if no one likes me? Did I bring enough underwear? As always though, this moment of panic was taken with a gentle kiss from Shosh, and an assurance that everything is going to be great and to just enjoy it. We went to the customs line, and waited (it was a lot longer than I expected), then finally went to get our luggage. I should mention here how absolutely beautiful Ben Gurion Airport is now. I guess renovations happened a few years ago, the arboretum reminds me a lot of the Atlanta airport. I was really impressed. At the baggage claim, I was happy to see both of Shosh's bags already on the belt. I pulled those off and waited for mine. One came out....and I waited....and waited...finally we realized that the belt that brought the bags up was stopped. There were some that were almost out, and mine was one of them. So in my moment of impulse and impatience, I hopped up and started putting bags on the belt. It was a good moment, I must say. From there, I got a cab, and was taken to Jerusalem. I met up with Aunt Gail at the Hyatt Regency, and we were off to Kfar Adumim. I knew Aunt Gail and Uncle Allen had moved, but they really have a great house here. So much space, huge difference from their apartment in Ma'ale Adumim. It felt great to get to their house, put my stuff down and get into bed. I was restless for about 10 minutes, and the next thing I remember was waking up peacefully this morning, or atleast that would've been nice. Aunt Gail forgot to mention the construction that was going on this morning. It wasn't a problem, I woke up to that laughed for a few minutes and went back to sleep.
My First Day
I woke up around noon today, and felt really good. I took a shower (which made me feel even better) and got ready to head into town with Aunt Gail. I'm going to have to perfect my routine for getting into town since there won't be a direct bus but I have faith that I'll be able to do it. Once we were in town we changed buses to get on the 21 bus which takes me down to Emek Refaim, and more specifically Pardes. I had forgotten how great it felt to simply walk around this city, to hear Hebrew spoken everywhere, it also made me a little feel a little self conscious about my Hebrew and how much I do need to practice. I spent about 2 hours at Pardes, met a few of the staff members, a couple of teachers, and some of the students that I will be joining this coming year. One pleasant surprise was running into Benny Levy, he and I were staff members at Ramah Darom for two summers. It was great to see a familiar face. I'm not usually one to talk about the 'vibe' of a place, but Pardes really does give off a feeling of Jewish identity that I haven't felt for a long time. This isn't a place that everyone came from the same background, and you are expected to have a certain level of knowledge right away. There were people from all walks of life. All of them are excited to learn about one another, study Torah, and live in Israel. It really did make me feel more comfortable for what is to come.
After Pardes I went downtown to meander a little, and more importantly to meet up with my cousins, Judi and Elana. I walked around Ben Yehuda, and went to discover some of the backstreets that I used to know so well. One of my goals for this first week is to rediscover this city, and to not feel like I could get lost at every turn. I had some success, but still need to wonder around a bit more before I feel totally comfortable. I met up with Judi and Elana around 6:30, and we went to get some coffee. It felt great to sit around and catch them up on everything that has been going on. We had so many stories to share. I wanted to hear about Elana's Birthright trip with Shorashim, and both of them wanted to hear details about the engagement and other wedding details. I was happy to share on all accounts. Before the trip I was really underestimating the importance of having family here with me. I knew I was going to do enjoy it, but now I see how important of a resource they are for me. Everyone is so excited to explain details to me and help me to get my head wrapped around everything that is going on. Spending time with Judi and Elana made me think back to my first Saturday night in Atlanta when I went to a party at Anne's apartment. There were so many friends from high school there, that I had seen and kept in touch with but I hadn't really just sat around and chatted with them for so long. It's amazing to me how people grow up, and are able to fit into their own skin. No matter how long you've been away from someone you are close with, whenever you get together with them it feels like no time has passed at all.
Anyhoo, that's all for now (wow, that was long). Let me know what you think (ie. if you want the entries to be any shorter, what details you are looking for, etc.). I look forward to hearing from everyone.
B'shalom
Sunday, June 15, 2008
at the airport
Hi Everyone! I'm sitting in the Atlanta airport with Shosh trying to work on this communication highway thing. Today was great. Shosh and I got home for The Tap last night at around 1:30 and I of course passed out as soon as clearing off the bed. We woke up, and went to The Flying Biscuit for breakfast where we celebrated Fathers' Day with my parents, the Cohens (Jill, Gideon, Nathan, and Ryan) and the Webers (Rachel, Harry, and Mollie). It was certainly bittersweet after the great week that we've had together, but we were able to say good bye without an huge amount of tears. Shosh and I then returned to my parents house to finish up packing and head out. Everything really seemed to go smoothly.
I just wanted to send along my my appreciation to everyone that has been here to celebrate with Shosh and I, and to everyone that has sent called, emailed, or posted on my Facebook wall with their well wishes. I will try my very best to update this blog as often as possible with what I'm doing in Israel. I look forward to hearing from everyone!
I just wanted to send along my my appreciation to everyone that has been here to celebrate with Shosh and I, and to everyone that has sent called, emailed, or posted on my Facebook wall with their well wishes. I will try my very best to update this blog as often as possible with what I'm doing in Israel. I look forward to hearing from everyone!
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