26/1/10
Oy, where to start...
Today was Tuesday, and as such, we headed off on our weekly field trip. This week, we headed into the forbidden as we visited K'far Etzion in the West Bank (moms, please don't freak out and kill Young Judaea...). The entire experience was wholly unexpected. Despite knowing how close everything in Israel is to each other, it was slightly unnerving to know that one of the most dangerous places in the country was only 20 minutes away from our home in Baka. Getting there was even more surreal. At 9:00, we boarded a bullet-proof bus (evident from the eerie bullet dents in the sides) and headed east. After about 15 minutes, we passed the security check point. Before today, my image of the border patrol into Gaza and the West Bank was a sparse area with barbed wire, guns, and terrified-looking soldiers. Almost even more creepily than my imagination, the actual thing is simply a toll-boothesque station on the side of a main road with normal city directional signs. You stop, the guards interview the driver and search the bus, and you are allowed through. That's it! It was probably a little easier for us since we were clearly Americans on a program, but it was still odd. Passing through the check point, we could look out the window to a view of the dividing wall (aka the security fence). This recent addition to the West Bank separates a group of Arab settlements from a group of Jewish settlements and has been a huge issue of political controversy throughout the world since its establishment.
Now, to the actual settlement... K'far Etzion is located south of Jerusalem in what was originally Arab territory during the War of Independence. It's up on a hill that also played home to three other settlements/kibbutzim and is otherwise surrounded by Arab villages. Since its original establishment in the early 1900s, it has traded hands many times, cost hundreds of lives, and is now a tragic symbol of Jewish pride. Despite its sad history, however, it holds an important place in history as the settlement which Ben Gurion named the reason Jerusalem ended in Jewish hands. Whether or not this is valid is questionable...
Today, K'far Etzion has been reestablished under the Magen David and serves as a living Kibbutz and as a museum/memorial to its previous members. Upon arrival, we walked through classic January fog/rain and into a movie theatre where we learned about the place's history. We looked into the bunker where the last defenders were blown out with grenades and drove past where a small platoon of help from Jerusalem had been ambushed by nearby Arab villages. Lastly, we sat and discussed and argued (like good little Jews...) about the moralities involved in the decision to fight when you know you're going to lose. I had issues with this section. Our tour guide seemed determined to get us to swear we would die for Israel in a heartbeat, but for me and many others, the decision wasn't so clear-cut. I would probably be willing to risk my life in a situation where winning was a possibility, but I don't know if I would be willing to stay to protect a minor settlement when Jerusalem was also under siege nearby. I suppose it's a difficult hypothetical question and I really have no idea what I would do in the moment, but I don't see myself sacrificing my life for mere pride and stubbornness. For a cause/country? Maybe.
We spent the afternoon in orientation for the third semester of Year Course: BAT YAM! Bat Yam is a small, poor city just outside Tel Aviv. A 10 minute bus ride from the main city and a 20 minute walk from the Mediterranean, it's the ideal location for spring. =D Ironically, it's also the section that most needs our volunteering time. Bat Yam is an extremely impoverished town with very little education. Most of us will be teaching English in various schools to aid the students in the process of moving out of their present conditions. While certainly a fulfilling path, however, I'm leaning towards something a little different. Ideally (if Kuma scheduling allows), I'd love to be accepted to the MDA program (Magein David Adom - EMTs)! Science and medicine are deep passions (just as deep as music), and the experience of working as a basic EMT sounds mind-blowing! That said, it's very possible that I will not be able to complete the course due to being in Poland, so my second choice is the SPCA pound. I doubt anyone reading this doesn't know what the SPCA is, but just incase, it means I'd be working with abused cats, dogs, and other animals; cleaning cages, walking puppies, and assisting in rehabilitation. Oh, my Zooie heart bursts at the thought!
My deepest apologies to Julie, but I completely failed at making the first bag of black beans you sent me. =( Can someone please send me fool-proof instructions, because I WAS SO MAD!!!!!!!! On the bright side, all was made better with the realization that I could make cheese quesadillas in the panini maker. Good call. SO TASTY!
All my love,
Rachel
P.S. Being a total nerd and starting "Darwin and the Barnacle" tonight. Yah. Even I have no comment for myself... =D
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