Going, going, gone!

Hello!

This past Tuesday I took the day off from classes to meet my mother in Tel Aviv. We spent a wonderful sunny day walking the beach, visiting a relative (discovering new relatives!), and catching up on the past three months. It was great to see her, and I'm excited to see her again when my entire family comes to visit in December. 

The following day I attended classes in the morning, and then headed out to a special field trip. I was selected by my program to represent Young Judaea at the World Zionist Congress. This meeting of hundreds of people from across the world was a phenomenal experience. I heard speakers about the evolution of Zionism in modern times, the future of Zionism in Israel, and the importance of youth to Zionism. Because of the international nature of the conference, I had to wear a translation machine to understand what was going on. I very much enjoyed the day, and I was honored to be selected.

Thursday was relatively uneventful, except for the fact that we were told where we would be spending the next three months of our lives. I was delighted to find out that I will be living in Haifa with several friends, volunteering for the Magen David Adom (the Israeli Red Cross). I will be taking a 10 day intensive training course to learn how to save lives, and then I will be volunteering on an ambulance in the third largest city in Israel. You might recall from one of my previous posts, but Haifa a beautiful city with a lot going on, and I am very excited to be spending the next three months there.

I spent Thursday night visiting with friends who are on a different program in Israel. As always, it was nice to see them. 

On Friday I went to "Ir David" the City of David which is an archeological site in Jerusalem next to the old city. This is where King David lived 2,000 years ago, and there are all sorts of interesting tunnels and ruins to see on the guided tour. 

Friday night through Saturday was a closed Shabbat in our hostel because it was our last weekend together. We had a wonderful time relaxing at home, and there were several scheduled activities during the day. 

On Sunday a friend and I went to Har Herzl (Mount Herzl) in an attempt to visit the museum which celebrates the life of Theodor Herzl. Unfortunately, we were informed upon arrival that the museum is only open to those with reservations. Thankfully, Har Herzl (the national cemetery) is one of my favorite places in the country. We spent the morning visiting tombs of famous Israeli's from history, and preparing for my Zionism final which was the next day.

Today I took my Zionism final and wrote a final paper for another class. I then packed my bags, cleaned my room, and went out to eat with a few friends. Now I'm back at the hostel, finishing the packing process, and getting ready to leave. As soon as I post this blog, I will be shutting down my computer, packing it in my suitcase, putting my suitcase in storage, and then boarding a bus for the airport. 

I will be spending the next 7 days touring Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. I'm very excited for the trip, and I will be sure to update you on everything as soon as I return. 

It might be a while before I post again because I will not have access to the internet for a very long time. 

That's all for now!

-Zach

Winding Down and Gearing Up

Firstly, I'd like to remark on a significant element of my previous week which I neglected to mention in my last blog. We spent last monday celebrating Hadassah Day. Hadassah is a phenomenal organization which is the mother organization of Young Judaea (the movement which hosts my program). On Hadassah day we toured two of the most innovative and successful hospitals in the Middle East, Hadassah Mount Scopus, and Hadassah Ein Kerem. These phenomenal institutions have been serving both Palestinian and Israeli patients for many years and have contributed a lot to the field of medicine. It was interesting to see these beautiful buildings for a 3rd time, and learn about the impact they have had on Israel and the world. 

My orientation for the trip to Eastern Europe was a very good experience. It was great to see all my friends from France together in the same place for the first time since we left each-other at the airport. We talked about the logistics and the itinerary for the trip. We will be traveling to Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia (I will post my itinerary as the trip gets closer). We also had a few programs on the Holocaust and on Eastern European jewry from before the establishment of the State of Israel. 

On Saturday night I took a bus to Tel Aviv for a rally commemorating the 13th anniversary of Yitzchak Rabin's death. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was assassinated after a peace rally in 1995. It was amazing to see the tens of thousands of people once again fill the square which now bears his name, united in a call for peace in Israel. Many prominent Israeli politicians spoke, as well as family members of Rabin, and a representative of Barack Obama (Jimmy Hoffa). There were several moving musical performances, video clips of Rabin's life, and tributes symbolizing the events which occurred on the night of his death. 

Since that night I have been busy with classes, tests, and papers (yet again). This is my last week of classes and final exams and projects are sitting unpleasantly on my mind. It feels like only days ago that I first landed in Israel, and now approximately 3 months later, I am getting ready to pack my bags and head to the next component of my program.

I am very nervous to find out what I will be doing, where I will be living, and who I will be living with for the next three months. I am told that I will be informed this coming Thursday, and I will be sure to mention that on this blog once that information is imparted to me. 

Tomorrow I am headed to Tel Aviv yet again to meet my mom who is here for a while on a business trip. 

Hope all is well!

-Zach

too busy to blog

I'm very sorry that I have been failing my faithful readers. I'm going to need to start blogging on a daily basis because my weeks are so action packed that by the time I sit down to write, I've forgotten much of what I wanted to say. 

Since the holidays ended and classes resumed, I have been perpetually overwhelmed by the extraordinary amount of activities which have kept me busy. While the short list which I am about to produce might seem inadequate, I can promise that to write the unabridged version would take me longer than the amount of time I have left in this section. 

I spent a weekend in Jerusalem, walking the streets, visiting the Biblical zoo, and sleeping in a friend's apartment. I spent a weekend in Tel Aviv, experiencing the Shuk, running into the man running for Mayor, watching the sunset from Jaffa, and eating on the beach. I visited the home of a Yemenite immigrant songstress who serenaded us with her internationally acclaimed vocal prowess, then taught us about Yeminite Jewish culture. I stayed up all night to watch the Presidential election, then slept for much of the following day. I spent a day in the West Bank learning more about the settlements and the controversy surrounding land for peace. I've heard speakers on many issues ranging from the Peace Process, to the life and times of Jesus Christ. I've been bowling at an establishment which pretends to be American. I've been to the concert of an extremely popular Israeli guitarist and singer. I've visited the largest establishment for Jewish learning in the world (a yeshiva with approximately 5,000 students). I've been to the youth hostels of 2 other American programs in Israel, and reunited with several old friends. On top of all this I've been writing papers, taking tests, attending classes, speaking Hebrew (or trying), and getting just enough sleep to soak up all of the amazing experiences which I've been having.

If you have any questions about any of the events which I have briefly mentioned, please send me an e-mail or write a comment on this blog and I will be happy to answer it. 

This weekend I have an orientation for my trip to Eastern Europe, and it actually starts in approximately 45 minutes. I will try my best to keep this updated as time goes on!

Always,

Zach