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

Experience Overload

I am very sorry that I have not been able to update this over the course of the past week, but life has been such a whirlwind that I have not had the opportunity to sit down and write. I hope this entry doesn't turn out to be too ridiculously long, but I have a lot to say! 

My last entry mentioned that I would be attending a special program in a very religious area of Jerusalem. Right before the holiday of Sukkot, you are required to purchase 4 species of plants to use in ceremony. We were taken to a special market where these plants were sold exclusively. There were dozens of different vendors each alleging that their product was superior. Very religious men walked around with magnifying glasses to examine the plants to make sure that they adequately fulfilled the requirements of the holiday. The scene was loud, and energetic, and I am very glad I had a chance to see it. 

The next morning two friends and I decided it would be a nice idea to spend the holiday on a hike. We took a bus up to the north of Israel and made camp at the Yahudia camp sight. After eating and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, we went to sleep. In the middle of the night a giant wind/lightning storm swept through the camp sight. Extremely fast winds blew everything everywhere, and the sky lit up with the brilliant glow of lightning. Thankfully it did not rain because we were not fortunate enough to have a tent. The hike the next day was one of the most fun I have ever done featuring waterfalls, great views, and pools of water which you needed to cross (the challenge was trying to keep as much of your stuff dry as possible). 

On Wednesday morning I watched a movie about Sukkot in Hebrew class, and then I was able to take a much needed nap for several hours. That night several friends and I bought tickets to see the Jerusalem Symphony perform. I had realized that they were going to be going on tour in the United States and this would have been our last opportunity to see them, so we went. It was an amazing concert, and made me very much miss playing the cello. 

On Thursday my program took us on a bus early in the morning to the Old City of Jerusalem. It was the day of a very special prayer in which many thousands of people had gathered to participate. Above is a picture of the crazy scene. A group of friends and I were lucky enough to be able to witness the madness from atop the roof of a school. I spent the rest of that day wandering the streets of the Old City and I received a tour about the history of the city and the surrounding areas. 

That night at about 8:00 I got on a bus and headed for the Kineret (Sea of Galilee) for the Breishit (Genesis) Music Festival. The festival had dozens of interesting Israeli musicians, workshops, the beach, a water park, and many friends who I haven't seen for weeks. I camped out, cooked food, and enjoyed all that the program had to offer. The picture above is me with several friends as the sun sets on the Kineret.

Despite the exhaustion induced by the festival, Sunday was full of programming. We woke up early and drove several hours to the coast of the Mediterranean to "dive for techelet". Techelet is a special dye that comes from a snail found in the sea. In the Jewish religion you're supposed to use the dye for certain ritual objects. We snorkeled around and were very successful in finding dozens of these special snails. We then drove to a special park where we saw many different "sukkahs". The Sukkah is hut which Jews stay in for 8 days during the holiday of Sukkot to represent the huts stayed in while wandering in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. We saw many fascinating Sukkot in many shapes and sizes and learned which were acceptable for observing the holiday. Later that day we experienced life as biblical shepherds and we were actually required to herd sheep! It was a long, tiring day, but I will certainly remember it for years to come.

The next morning we boarded a bus headed for Sfat, one of the 4 holiest cities in Israel. In Sfat we were hosted by a program called Ascent who tried to give us all the experiences of a traditional chasidic Simchat Torah. Simchat Torah is the holiday on which we finish the yearly cycle of reading the Torah, and begin again. Considered one of the happiest days of the year, the dancing and celebrating literally did not stop for 30 hours straight. We had some meals at the Ascent building, and some meals we went to the houses of local families. The holiday was very fun, and very memorable. A perfect cap to a phenomenal holiday season. 

Today I woke up at 8:30 for Hebrew class which was relatively uneventful. After class we had a field trip for Zionism. We were required by law to take a bulletproof bus because we would be exploring the area in and around the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We saw the complicated borders, we discussed the potential for peace agreements, and we learned about the defense fence and the trouble it has caused. The situation in Jerusalem is going to be very difficult to resolve during the peace process, and seeing the geography up close put the entire Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a different perspective. 

Right now I have homework, and I'm very behind on sleep. Once again, I'm sorry for the absurdly long entry and I will do what I can to update on a more regular basis so the entries aren't so painful for both of us.

Until next time!

-Zach

Haifantastic

The morning after we broke the fast, I woke up late and hopped on a train with 2 friends to Haifa, a city in the north of Israel. We walked the streets of this beautiful place and saw the amazing Bahai Gardens at night. Later I enjoyed a home-cooked Shabbat dinner with about 15 people who I rarely get to see on Year Course. The next morning we woke up and walked to the beach where we ate lunch and spent some time enjoying the Mediterranean Sea. I was back in Jerusalem with just enough time to pick up the last tickets to Hadah Nachash a very popular Israeli band. The concert was very fun, and a wonderful cap to a perfect weekend. 

Classes today were interesting, and I now have another 2 days off for the holiday of Sukkot. I am not entirely sure of my plans, but I will keep you posted once they are determined. 

Tonight we are going to a very religious area of Jerusalem for a special program. I will let you know how that goes as well.

Chag Sameach!

-Zach

Why call it a fast if it's so slow?

I don't remember the name of the tradition, but my day of atonement essentially began at a chicken slaughter house. The custom involves swinging a chicken around over your head 3 times, and then having it ritually slaughtered (this helps to absolve you of your sins). It's an ancient, outdated, tradition... but it is apparently alive and well on the streets of Jerusalem. The images of chickens being swung through the air and then killed will be forever burned into my mind, and I can safely say that I have no intention of ever taking part in this morbid ceremony again.

Later that evening I was enjoying a normal night on Ben Yehuda street (a popular hang-out for Americans in Jerusalem) when a friend and I randomly decided to go to the Kotel (Western wall). Entirely unbeknown to us, we would become part of an enormous pilgrimage to the Old City of Jerusalem because of a special prayer service. As we climbed the hill to enter into the gates of the Old City we realized that we were among tens of thousands of people who had the same idea as us. The throng of people in front of the wall was unbelievable and to fight our way through took 20 minutes. 

Getting back to the youth hostel at 2:30 am, I tried to watch the Presidential Debate, but my eyes would not stay open. I enjoyed a long sleep, ate lunch, and then hopped on a bus with 6 friends to the Old City (once again). This time, the plan was to stay in a youth hostel outside the Old City and spend Yom Kippur exploring the synagogues in the holiest place on earth. The plan went very smoothly and I had an absolutely wonderful, meaningful, Yom Kippur.

Tomorrow I am taking the train to Haifa (a city up north), where I will be staying until Saturday evening when I will be coming back to Jerusalem for the performance of a very popular Israeli rock band.

It has been a crazy few days, and hopefully it will continue to be crazy!

-Zach

Hostel Environment

Hello!

After the holiday it seemed like a nice idea to spend the weekend in Jerusalem staying at the Judaean Youth Hostel (our primary residence), and prepare for the week to come. The Judaean Youth Hostel or Beit Yehuda is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. Complete with full-sized pool, workout room, library, classrooms, dining hall, café, computer room, balconies overlooking a beautiful landscape, basketball court, window rooms, and auditorium. It is an amazing place to live and spending the weekend here preparing for midterms and writing papers and such is not such a bad thing.

It is amazing that I'm halfway through the first section. It seems like yesterday that I started year course, and now I'm starting to be concerned that it is almost over (an irrational fear, I know). 

The concert that I mentioned in my last post was an incredible brass and percussion group, and it was very fun to see them. Today I think I am going to a park, and then perhaps to watch the sun set on the Old City of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus. 

Have restful weekend!

-Zach