Sorry for the delay in updating. I’ve had an extremely packed last few weeks! Where to start… I’ve had some time to do more traveling. Stayed with a family in Netanya and went to its beach on the Mediterranean—so gorgeous. The family was incredible—11 kids between ages 9 and 30. Though they lived a very simple lifestyle they were one of the most spiritual and joyous families I have met. They really made my friend Esther and I feel like a part of their family, rather than just a visitor.
After Netanya I went up north to the towns of Nehariya, Acco, and Haifa (actually the 3rd biggest city). Really enjoyed experiencing the less touristy parts of the country. Israel is absolutely beautiful. Many people just think of it as desert country, but actually there are tons of beaches on the west coast, mountains up north, and lots of palm trees everywhere (except in the south where it is really a desert!). Here you also see the fusion of all cultures, even just amongst the Jewish people who were exiled from their countries—there are Jews from Persia, Yemen, Russia, Ethiopia, all over Europe, the US and Canada, even some from the Far East.
My friend Emily and I spent last Shabbat in Efrat, a settlement of about 15,000 families an hour out of Jerusalem. The father of the family I stayed with was a Yeminite, and his wife was British. Such a fascinating mix of cultures. We enjoyed traditional Yemenite dishes (delicious spongy breads, spiced soups, etc) and learned a ton about the history of Israel in the 20th century. Being in America it is very difficult to get unbiased news from the Middle East. Everything is slanted to the whims of the media. It was quite a different experience to hear what Israel has been struggling through since its independence in 1948 from someone who actually lived through it all.
What else? Classes are still going really well. I’ve decided to dedicate myself more seriously to learning Hebrew, taking an extra class 4 days a week to build my vocabulary and grammar. I know I will improve a lot over the summer.
The girls here are amazing, and I’ve had the opportunity to do all kinds of things outside of class. So far I’ve been to a concert put on by one of the girls who’s an amazing singer/songwriter, a wedding, an engagement party, a banquet where girls gave speeches about how their lives have changed since they’ve come to Israel to learn, and so much more. Tomorrow I’m going with some friends to deliver toys to children in Hadassah Hospital here. I have survived and thrived without TV and with limited Internet access. It’s so refreshing, to be completely in tune with the life around me rather than so many external influences. It feels so much more real.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
More thoughts...
I’ve been here almost a month now—can’t believe how fast time has flown! I’ve realized that all the travelling I have desired, all the adventures I’ve sought after, it’s all been part of my quest to discover life and its meaning. But, I’ve been finding that here, without needing to leave Jerusalem. Everything seems so simple now, like it was right before my eyes but I was blind.
It’s been determined that for every 100 Reform or Conservative Jews today in the US, only about 5 of their descendants will be Jewish after 4 generations. Whereas for every 100 traditional/Orthodox Jews, they will have more than 900 Jewish descendants in 4 generations. So much assimilation—we non-Orthodox Jews are losing our unique cultural identity, and it’s an incredible shame. I am very grateful to be in Israel today rediscovering it. There is something about our roots that is such a fundamental part of who we are, we simply can’t ignore it. Nor should we.
Life is not about the destination, it’s about the journey. It’s not about the work we do, but who we are and how we live our lives. I certainly don’t want my tombstone to say “She was a great engineer.” There is way too much more to live for. Now is the time, while we’re still young and independent, that we’re forming the backbone for who we’ll be for the rest of our lives. What a powerful feeling.
It’s been determined that for every 100 Reform or Conservative Jews today in the US, only about 5 of their descendants will be Jewish after 4 generations. Whereas for every 100 traditional/Orthodox Jews, they will have more than 900 Jewish descendants in 4 generations. So much assimilation—we non-Orthodox Jews are losing our unique cultural identity, and it’s an incredible shame. I am very grateful to be in Israel today rediscovering it. There is something about our roots that is such a fundamental part of who we are, we simply can’t ignore it. Nor should we.
Life is not about the destination, it’s about the journey. It’s not about the work we do, but who we are and how we live our lives. I certainly don’t want my tombstone to say “She was a great engineer.” There is way too much more to live for. Now is the time, while we’re still young and independent, that we’re forming the backbone for who we’ll be for the rest of our lives. What a powerful feeling.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Thoughts...
Things are going great! I’ve learned the buses and have basically figured my way around town. Have been out shopping on Jaffa and Ben Yehuda streets downtown, have gone to the Western Wall, and last Tuesday we took a class trip to the beach in Tel Aviv—so beautiful! Joined a gym nearby also to stay in shape.
I am starting to study the Torah, and I have a tutor who is teaching me Hebrew. Most of my other classes have a heavy emphasis on character traits, self-development, and self-definition. We’ve talked about figuring out our purpose in life based on the skills and traits we possess and the environment we find ourselves in. So many people today simply go through the motions of life, taking a job because they need/want the money, hopping from relationship to relationship, never really creating a meaningful life for themselves. Those people simply can’t be happy. There is just so much more to life than that.
Many of the girls here came straight out of high school. In Israel, like in most of Europe, they have this concept of a “gap year”—pretty much everyone takes a year off before they start college to really figure out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. This can involve studying, volunteering, travel, or any combination.
I wish America would adopt this concept. Seriously, so many Americans have no idea what they want to do when they start college (like me!), and so they end up switching majors frequently, and often even end up graduating with a degree they don’t plan to use. What a waste of time! If I had known this earlier, I would have without a doubt taken a year off to come study and travel in Israel. It’s just such a liberating experience. I feel like I’m completely on my own in my journey, yet at the same time surrounded by such amazingly wise rabbis and caring girls who have nothing to hide—so many have opened up to me already in my short time here. And really, what difference does it make in the long run if you start college at age 18 or 19?
Life is all about growth, and continuously challenging oneself to become a better person. And my school Neve creates an environment that perfectly fosters that growth. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be here.
A few interesting experiences so far, that come with living in a religious neighborhood:
First, my roommate Tamara needed a power converter for her laptop, so we went into this electronic store and the English-speaking guy behind the counter helped us find the right one. After he found it, Tamara realized she didn’t have enough money on her to pay for her, and so she apologized and told the guy that she would have to come back for it tomorrow. The guy goes, “Don’t worry about it, I know you need this now, just take it. Come back and pay tomorrow. I know you will come back.” She replies, “No, I would feel bad, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to come back this way tomorrow.” He said, “So, come back the next day, or the day after that. I’m not worried, I know you’ll pay.” Never in America… (Post-script: Tamara still felt uncomfortable with it, so she took up my offer to lend her money to pay for it then. But what an amazingly powerful trust.)
Second, Tamara and I were on a crowded bus, and a young woman gets on the bus with a stroller. She says something to me in Hebrew (which I don’t understand at all), and next thing I know she’s handing me her baby to fold up the stroller so it takes up less room. Which is fine, no problem. But then she just doesn’t take the baby back. She eventually goes to the front of the bus to get her card punched, and doesn’t return for a little while. All told, I ended up holding the baby (which was adorable!) for about half an hour, until she had to get off the bus.
Out of all the experiences I’ve had so far here, these two are the ones that most represent the beauty of living life by the Bible. You see someone else religious on the street, and you just know what ethical standards they hold themselves to. Although it would be naïve to just have blind trust, it’s still a whole different mindset.
I am starting to study the Torah, and I have a tutor who is teaching me Hebrew. Most of my other classes have a heavy emphasis on character traits, self-development, and self-definition. We’ve talked about figuring out our purpose in life based on the skills and traits we possess and the environment we find ourselves in. So many people today simply go through the motions of life, taking a job because they need/want the money, hopping from relationship to relationship, never really creating a meaningful life for themselves. Those people simply can’t be happy. There is just so much more to life than that.
Many of the girls here came straight out of high school. In Israel, like in most of Europe, they have this concept of a “gap year”—pretty much everyone takes a year off before they start college to really figure out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. This can involve studying, volunteering, travel, or any combination.
I wish America would adopt this concept. Seriously, so many Americans have no idea what they want to do when they start college (like me!), and so they end up switching majors frequently, and often even end up graduating with a degree they don’t plan to use. What a waste of time! If I had known this earlier, I would have without a doubt taken a year off to come study and travel in Israel. It’s just such a liberating experience. I feel like I’m completely on my own in my journey, yet at the same time surrounded by such amazingly wise rabbis and caring girls who have nothing to hide—so many have opened up to me already in my short time here. And really, what difference does it make in the long run if you start college at age 18 or 19?
Life is all about growth, and continuously challenging oneself to become a better person. And my school Neve creates an environment that perfectly fosters that growth. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be here.
A few interesting experiences so far, that come with living in a religious neighborhood:
First, my roommate Tamara needed a power converter for her laptop, so we went into this electronic store and the English-speaking guy behind the counter helped us find the right one. After he found it, Tamara realized she didn’t have enough money on her to pay for her, and so she apologized and told the guy that she would have to come back for it tomorrow. The guy goes, “Don’t worry about it, I know you need this now, just take it. Come back and pay tomorrow. I know you will come back.” She replies, “No, I would feel bad, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to come back this way tomorrow.” He said, “So, come back the next day, or the day after that. I’m not worried, I know you’ll pay.” Never in America… (Post-script: Tamara still felt uncomfortable with it, so she took up my offer to lend her money to pay for it then. But what an amazingly powerful trust.)
Second, Tamara and I were on a crowded bus, and a young woman gets on the bus with a stroller. She says something to me in Hebrew (which I don’t understand at all), and next thing I know she’s handing me her baby to fold up the stroller so it takes up less room. Which is fine, no problem. But then she just doesn’t take the baby back. She eventually goes to the front of the bus to get her card punched, and doesn’t return for a little while. All told, I ended up holding the baby (which was adorable!) for about half an hour, until she had to get off the bus.
Out of all the experiences I’ve had so far here, these two are the ones that most represent the beauty of living life by the Bible. You see someone else religious on the street, and you just know what ethical standards they hold themselves to. Although it would be naïve to just have blind trust, it’s still a whole different mindset.
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