23/2/10
Today we went up north to the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), and went on a 30 km biking trip. It was awesome! I fell...twice...in the mud... but it was still glorious! It felt great to exercise and get out on such a beautiful day. Afterwards, we tried to find a secret spring to go swimming, but the government had drained it last week, so instead, we found a little creek and a tunnel and hiked around and splashed. It was a fantastic day, even if I'm now in excruciating pain. =D
My ear is starting to resolve itself. Taking the earring out was definitely a good idea. Hopefully the swelling will go down completely in the next couple of days and my little ears will be all back to normal by Purim.
Too exhausted and in pain to try to be deep tonight.
All my love,
Rachel
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Day 175: Birdy Painting, Finals, Chocolate Banana Bread, Time at the Piano, Feeling Better, and a Funky Ear Thingy.
22/2/10
Today was a complete roller coaster. Volunteering was wonderful. I felt so connected to the place I've come to love most in Jerusalem. I painted these paper mache birds began the process of telling people that it's my last week. I never thought I'd be this sad to leave a volunteer placement, but when I told Alberto that thursday was my last day, he started tearing, and then I almost started, and I felt so loved and appreciated. I can't believe I've spent three months here already! It feels like I started working there yesterday. =( ANI OHEVET HA'YAD L'KASHISH!
Hebrew oral final was today, and after nerves, practicing, and convincing myself that I was going to fail, I actually made it out alive! Hopefully I'll do just as well on the written section on Thursday!
After the stress, I made happy Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread. Really, do I need to say anything more on that?
FEELING SO MUCH BETTER! I didn't feel too sick today, and hopefully that means this bug is finally on it's way out for good. On the other hand (warning here, it gets kind of gross), my cartilage piercing also decided to go haywire today, and unfortunately, I had to remove it because I developed what I thought was a blood blister...until I tried to pop it and a bumpy, solid cartilage ball exploded out...eww....Lizzy was a trouper though! She helped me free the goopus. Yay Lizzy!
Tomorrow we're going up north for siyur, and I'm very excited.
Right now, despite some minor inconveniences, I'm pretty content. =D
Lots of Love,
Rachel
Today was a complete roller coaster. Volunteering was wonderful. I felt so connected to the place I've come to love most in Jerusalem. I painted these paper mache birds began the process of telling people that it's my last week. I never thought I'd be this sad to leave a volunteer placement, but when I told Alberto that thursday was my last day, he started tearing, and then I almost started, and I felt so loved and appreciated. I can't believe I've spent three months here already! It feels like I started working there yesterday. =( ANI OHEVET HA'YAD L'KASHISH!
Hebrew oral final was today, and after nerves, practicing, and convincing myself that I was going to fail, I actually made it out alive! Hopefully I'll do just as well on the written section on Thursday!
After the stress, I made happy Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread. Really, do I need to say anything more on that?
FEELING SO MUCH BETTER! I didn't feel too sick today, and hopefully that means this bug is finally on it's way out for good. On the other hand (warning here, it gets kind of gross), my cartilage piercing also decided to go haywire today, and unfortunately, I had to remove it because I developed what I thought was a blood blister...until I tried to pop it and a bumpy, solid cartilage ball exploded out...eww....Lizzy was a trouper though! She helped me free the goopus. Yay Lizzy!
Tomorrow we're going up north for siyur, and I'm very excited.
Right now, despite some minor inconveniences, I'm pretty content. =D
Lots of Love,
Rachel
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Day 174: My body hates me, but Eurovision is awesome! Those have nothing to do with each other...
21/2/10
First of all, it's blowing my mind that it's the end of day 174. This means: I'm leaving for Kuma in less than three weeks, I'm coming home to visit in a month, and YC sikkum is in three months! sdafhkdjsafhsj! Time freaks me out a lot. I suppose mostly because if this year can go by this quickly, what does that mean for college and the rest of my life? I know I shouldn't be thinking about these things, but my little mind can't help itself.
In the meantime, I still have no idea what's attacking me. I got my voice back in time to sing for my Zionism and the Arts final today, but my nose, beyond-normal exhaustion, headaches, and varying appetite are going to still trying to do me in. Right now, I am lying in bed typing and trying to figure out how I have completely lost sensation of movement in my legs... I'm going to force myself not to miss anything during this last week in J-ru, although that may mean confinement for the first week of Bat Yam. Hopefully not! =(
Today's final was the greatest final ever! We ate, presented our artistic representations of Israel, and watched Eurovision videos. It. Was. Amazing. I could watch Dana International forever! Granted, there were some truly terrifying videos in amongst the gems, but it was a riot to laugh in pain at some of the 70s and 80s work... My hebrew oral is tomorrow. That's in no way going to be as fun.
PURIM IS COMING UP! I'M SO EXCITED! I'm sad to not be at home with my campy performing troup destroying Broadway, but Purim in Israel is going to be incredible. =D Purim is essentially halloween in Israel. Everyone dresses up, drinks, and celebrates with massive mayhem. Traditionally, Purim celebrates the story of Esther and how she saved the Jewish people of Persia from genocide by the hands of the evil Haman. So, in good Jewish fashion, we are supposed to celebrate not having been wiped off the face of the earth by stuffing our faces and drinking wine. Like every other holiday... In Israel. Purim lasts two days! Saturday night to Monday night. Saturday night/Sunday day is regular Purim, and we're all going to the parade in Holon near Tel Aviv. Sunday night/Monday is Shushan Purim, which is Purim in Jerusalem. I still don't fully understand the difference, but hey, no complaints!
Thinking of all of you,
Love,
Rachel
First of all, it's blowing my mind that it's the end of day 174. This means: I'm leaving for Kuma in less than three weeks, I'm coming home to visit in a month, and YC sikkum is in three months! sdafhkdjsafhsj! Time freaks me out a lot. I suppose mostly because if this year can go by this quickly, what does that mean for college and the rest of my life? I know I shouldn't be thinking about these things, but my little mind can't help itself.
In the meantime, I still have no idea what's attacking me. I got my voice back in time to sing for my Zionism and the Arts final today, but my nose, beyond-normal exhaustion, headaches, and varying appetite are going to still trying to do me in. Right now, I am lying in bed typing and trying to figure out how I have completely lost sensation of movement in my legs... I'm going to force myself not to miss anything during this last week in J-ru, although that may mean confinement for the first week of Bat Yam. Hopefully not! =(
Today's final was the greatest final ever! We ate, presented our artistic representations of Israel, and watched Eurovision videos. It. Was. Amazing. I could watch Dana International forever! Granted, there were some truly terrifying videos in amongst the gems, but it was a riot to laugh in pain at some of the 70s and 80s work... My hebrew oral is tomorrow. That's in no way going to be as fun.
PURIM IS COMING UP! I'M SO EXCITED! I'm sad to not be at home with my campy performing troup destroying Broadway, but Purim in Israel is going to be incredible. =D Purim is essentially halloween in Israel. Everyone dresses up, drinks, and celebrates with massive mayhem. Traditionally, Purim celebrates the story of Esther and how she saved the Jewish people of Persia from genocide by the hands of the evil Haman. So, in good Jewish fashion, we are supposed to celebrate not having been wiped off the face of the earth by stuffing our faces and drinking wine. Like every other holiday... In Israel. Purim lasts two days! Saturday night to Monday night. Saturday night/Sunday day is regular Purim, and we're all going to the parade in Holon near Tel Aviv. Sunday night/Monday is Shushan Purim, which is Purim in Jerusalem. I still don't fully understand the difference, but hey, no complaints!
Thinking of all of you,
Love,
Rachel
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Reflections on Second Kuma Orientation
This was supposed to be up two days ago, but whatever bug I've been having made its return and bit me in the ass again. I went to the doctor this morning and they took a lot of blood to test for various goodies. Hopefully, I should know what's wrong with me soon.
On Tuesday, the Kuma gang spent the day at Yad Vashem. We heard from a survivor, toured the museum, looked at "how do you return to life after the shoa?", learned a nigun for Shabbas, and had a few logistical sessions. Props to me, I made it through the museum without weeping!
The speaker was the same man I heard last week, so I expected to be bored (as horrid as that sounds). Interestingly, I was more intrigued this time than I had been the first. It was strange to see the differences between the two presentations, and how in some ways, in order to tell his story, he had distanced himself drastically from the experience. I don't blame him, but it felt odd to hear the exact same words leave his mouth as one week previous. I think I also listened more intently this time because of something one of our madrichim said before hand. Up until now, I hadn't thought about the fact that my generation is the last generation who will be able to hear first-hand stories of the Shoa. I suppose time should have made that obvious, but I'd honestly never thought about it before. What does that mean? In a world of ever-growing Holocaust denial, the loss of the people who experienced the horror is unimaginable. When a student studies the Holocaust in a classroom, the knowledge is there, but the impact is not. Reading figures in a book, it's easy to read "six million Jews were murdered" and pass it over as another fact to store away for next week's test. Hearing testimony for the first time is completely different. Survivor's words make the Shoa real in the minds of people who can't wrap their heads around that great of a tragedy. Without them, it's up to places like Yad Vashem to work tirelessly to spread Holocaust awareness, bring people to Poland, and force people to see the Shoa as modern history, even if those who experienced it have left us. It was inspiring to hear Asher Ud (the speaker) ask us to be ambassadors for the truth, and make sure that we are educated enough to stand up to Holocaust deniers with hard facts and moving stories.
Walking through the museum was a bit of a surreal experience. The first time I walked through was in the summer of 2008. I was going into senior year, was a bit naive, and while I was moved to tears by the experience, I don't think it hit me in the same way it did as an independent adult, living in Israel, and going to Poland. Everything was suddenly real. Before, walking though Yad Vashem was a bit like walking through a tragic fairytale. I knew it was real, but it was all so overwhelming that I couldn't fully absorb it. This time, every propaganda poster made me furious, every testimony video was a real person, every photo was a real moment in time, frozen to depict horror that no one in my generation will ever truly be able to understand. Walking on the cobblestones from the Warsaw ghetto, I could feel the people who walked on them only 70 years ago. Their footsteps, their memories. After my experiences with "Through Children's Eyes", "Friedl", and "Brundibar", the Terezin exhibit looked completely different. I stared at the glass in front of Petr Ginz's story for a good ten minutes, and almost broke when I saw the photo of Friedl Dicker Brandeis. The most chilling moment was a part of the museum I'd never seen before - the photos and ranks of the men who sat at a table and drafted the final solution (among them, Adolf Eichman). There was something sickeningly mesmerizing about them. These were the men who, although they may have never killed a Jew in person, organized the mass murder of millions in the gas chambers, who took away even the human connection to killing felt by members of the Einzatz Grupen by making death as easy as the push of a button - something that could be done without ever seeing the victims, something that could be done while simultaneously drinking a cup of coffee. The faces of these men were more terrifying for me, at the end of the day, than walking under the sign to Auschwitz.
After walking through the museum, we discussed how people moved on after surviving the Shoa. How does anyone move on from something like that, anyway? Do they ever really? We learned that for many, there was no way out, and they committed suicide after going back to life proved too difficult. For others, the Shoa no longer exists, forever blocked from their memories. Some were able to talk about it/write about it immediately afterwards, and for some it took almost half a century. Why? After the Holocaust survivors were liberated, their suffering wasn't over. Most ended up in refugee camps, and those who escaped to Palestine were met with disdain. The "sabras" (zionist founders) were disgusted that Jews had let the Holocaust happen to them. The resistance fighters were revered, but those who had "merely" survived the camps were almost accused. It's not surprising, therefore that many survivors never spoke a word about what happened to them. Only recently, with the publicity of Holocaust denial, have several survivors come forward to tell the truth, to stop lies from spreading into more anti-semitism (especially in Iran).
The rest of the day was standard, and was mostly taken up by logistical sessions about credits, ceremonies, and flight information. It was still fun to be with everyone, though. The closer Kuma gets, the more excited everyone seems to feel, which is fantastic because a part of me was terrified that I'd start to be nervous instead of anxious as the trip approached. I'm really looking forward to Kuma now, despite the anticipated emotional turmoil to be experienced. I think it will be fantastic!
All my love,
Rachel
On Tuesday, the Kuma gang spent the day at Yad Vashem. We heard from a survivor, toured the museum, looked at "how do you return to life after the shoa?", learned a nigun for Shabbas, and had a few logistical sessions. Props to me, I made it through the museum without weeping!
The speaker was the same man I heard last week, so I expected to be bored (as horrid as that sounds). Interestingly, I was more intrigued this time than I had been the first. It was strange to see the differences between the two presentations, and how in some ways, in order to tell his story, he had distanced himself drastically from the experience. I don't blame him, but it felt odd to hear the exact same words leave his mouth as one week previous. I think I also listened more intently this time because of something one of our madrichim said before hand. Up until now, I hadn't thought about the fact that my generation is the last generation who will be able to hear first-hand stories of the Shoa. I suppose time should have made that obvious, but I'd honestly never thought about it before. What does that mean? In a world of ever-growing Holocaust denial, the loss of the people who experienced the horror is unimaginable. When a student studies the Holocaust in a classroom, the knowledge is there, but the impact is not. Reading figures in a book, it's easy to read "six million Jews were murdered" and pass it over as another fact to store away for next week's test. Hearing testimony for the first time is completely different. Survivor's words make the Shoa real in the minds of people who can't wrap their heads around that great of a tragedy. Without them, it's up to places like Yad Vashem to work tirelessly to spread Holocaust awareness, bring people to Poland, and force people to see the Shoa as modern history, even if those who experienced it have left us. It was inspiring to hear Asher Ud (the speaker) ask us to be ambassadors for the truth, and make sure that we are educated enough to stand up to Holocaust deniers with hard facts and moving stories.
Walking through the museum was a bit of a surreal experience. The first time I walked through was in the summer of 2008. I was going into senior year, was a bit naive, and while I was moved to tears by the experience, I don't think it hit me in the same way it did as an independent adult, living in Israel, and going to Poland. Everything was suddenly real. Before, walking though Yad Vashem was a bit like walking through a tragic fairytale. I knew it was real, but it was all so overwhelming that I couldn't fully absorb it. This time, every propaganda poster made me furious, every testimony video was a real person, every photo was a real moment in time, frozen to depict horror that no one in my generation will ever truly be able to understand. Walking on the cobblestones from the Warsaw ghetto, I could feel the people who walked on them only 70 years ago. Their footsteps, their memories. After my experiences with "Through Children's Eyes", "Friedl", and "Brundibar", the Terezin exhibit looked completely different. I stared at the glass in front of Petr Ginz's story for a good ten minutes, and almost broke when I saw the photo of Friedl Dicker Brandeis. The most chilling moment was a part of the museum I'd never seen before - the photos and ranks of the men who sat at a table and drafted the final solution (among them, Adolf Eichman). There was something sickeningly mesmerizing about them. These were the men who, although they may have never killed a Jew in person, organized the mass murder of millions in the gas chambers, who took away even the human connection to killing felt by members of the Einzatz Grupen by making death as easy as the push of a button - something that could be done without ever seeing the victims, something that could be done while simultaneously drinking a cup of coffee. The faces of these men were more terrifying for me, at the end of the day, than walking under the sign to Auschwitz.
After walking through the museum, we discussed how people moved on after surviving the Shoa. How does anyone move on from something like that, anyway? Do they ever really? We learned that for many, there was no way out, and they committed suicide after going back to life proved too difficult. For others, the Shoa no longer exists, forever blocked from their memories. Some were able to talk about it/write about it immediately afterwards, and for some it took almost half a century. Why? After the Holocaust survivors were liberated, their suffering wasn't over. Most ended up in refugee camps, and those who escaped to Palestine were met with disdain. The "sabras" (zionist founders) were disgusted that Jews had let the Holocaust happen to them. The resistance fighters were revered, but those who had "merely" survived the camps were almost accused. It's not surprising, therefore that many survivors never spoke a word about what happened to them. Only recently, with the publicity of Holocaust denial, have several survivors come forward to tell the truth, to stop lies from spreading into more anti-semitism (especially in Iran).
The rest of the day was standard, and was mostly taken up by logistical sessions about credits, ceremonies, and flight information. It was still fun to be with everyone, though. The closer Kuma gets, the more excited everyone seems to feel, which is fantastic because a part of me was terrified that I'd start to be nervous instead of anxious as the trip approached. I'm really looking forward to Kuma now, despite the anticipated emotional turmoil to be experienced. I think it will be fantastic!
All my love,
Rachel
Monday, February 15, 2010
Day 168: I'm Alive!...sort of...
15/2/10
Today I finally crawled out of bed and into the sunshine! I'm not 100%, but it feels good to be well enough to go to Yad Lakashish - it's totally my happy place. <3 Today was hysterical. I started humming while I was working and the whole room joined in! It was awesome! Rebecca and I went to lunch at New Deli (yay for having my appetite back!), and we had afternoon classes. It's been glorious out these past two days! I LOVE IT! Wearing shorts and tank tops makes me happy. =D Tonight was slightly stressful, but I'm going to focus on the thoughts that came up during my Genesis class. Our teacher was rambling a lot today, so my mind wandered a lot, but I read over my wanderings and they were actually quite interesting, and I want to share/explore them.
These ideas are all very disconnected. so bear with me!
We started with Decartes's famous idea that "I think, therefore I am". While a thought-provoking phrase, we focused on the accompanying phrase by Martin Heidiger that "If I think, therefore I am, what calls for my thinking?". An interesting contrast from Decartes's deist view, this idea made me wonder, what does enable me to think? I hold my ability to think very dearly. More than anything, my mind allows me to experience the world in ways that are uniquely mine and mine alone. It also connects me to others through shared ideas, emotions, philosophies, and world perceptions (the sky is blue, etc..). Theoretically, it is God that allows me to think, but in relation to Decartes, what is sacred and divine is that which cannot be understood by mankind. In that case, is God simply a combination of ultimate truths that we strive to discover? I can see that as the "God" behind my mind. What makes people think? The desire to understand. What don't we understand? The scientific and religious mysteries of life. So, I think (subconsciously) to understand the mysteries that books and teachers and life experience cannot explain. In some ways, even ancient text understands this desire to understand the big picture. In classical hebrew, the verbs come before the nouns, so that the emphasis of the sentence is not on the subject, but on the action that is being performed. Thus, when reading the story we studied today of Jacob wrestling with the Angel, Jacob is not as important as the idea of one wrestling with God. I see this as an attempt to show the importance of the lessons of the stories of the Bible rather than the Biblical figures themselves, which is what this class is technically all about.
Somewhere in these wonderings (which were actually related to the class), I drifted off into my own tangent. We mentioned something about the idea of legacy and trees and "what will be here after me". I started thinking about what remains when I'm gone, and I started to scare myself! Death is not scary to me because it's the end of life, it's scary because of the idea of the end of consciousness. The idea that I might one day simply cease to exist is terrifying! This means completely cease, no spirit, no heaven, no looking down on the future, no reincarnation, just poof. Worm food. Well, not for me because I'm being cremated, but that's a different subject... Anyway, it scares me to think of "where do I go?". Not me physically, but me spiritually. The thoughts, feelings, experiences, and soul that make up Rachel (or any other person). Deep down, I don't think we simply "poof". As stupid as it may sound to some, I'm a firm believer in past lives and reincarnation. I think there are parts of some people that are so connected to things that have nothing to do with their own lives that parts of our pasts must stay with us. The unbelievable empathy that I've felt and seen others feel for situations and people that they cannot comprehend on an actual experience level must mean something beyond an open heart. Every show I've done, every song I've sung, I've experienced (and watched others experience) a connection to something beyond my 18 years. What some call "Old Souls" I think are simply people who are more deeply connected to past lives than others. What I started wondering about today was the idea that regardless of whether one was connected to a past life, that a past life could be connected to oneself. That is to say, when I die, will I be able to look through as me into the new me. This makes no sense outside of my head... I think a piece of what I'm trying to say is that sometimes when my conscience is screaming at me, it almost feels like a part of me has already done what ever it is I'm about to do and already knows whether or not to do it, like I've already lived a part of my life and now that Rachel is yelling at current Rachel about her decisions. Now I sound like I have multiple personality disorder.... Oy.... I have no idea if I made any sense, but I thought I would try. Does anything I tried to express make any sense to anyone?????
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow is the second Kuma orientation, and I'm spending all day again at Yad Vashem... hopefully will have a meaningful blog to write tomorrow!
Endless love,
Rachel
P.S. If you're going to be in Los Angeles from March 30th to April 4th, I want to see you! Please email me! <3 <3 <3
Today I finally crawled out of bed and into the sunshine! I'm not 100%, but it feels good to be well enough to go to Yad Lakashish - it's totally my happy place. <3 Today was hysterical. I started humming while I was working and the whole room joined in! It was awesome! Rebecca and I went to lunch at New Deli (yay for having my appetite back!), and we had afternoon classes. It's been glorious out these past two days! I LOVE IT! Wearing shorts and tank tops makes me happy. =D Tonight was slightly stressful, but I'm going to focus on the thoughts that came up during my Genesis class. Our teacher was rambling a lot today, so my mind wandered a lot, but I read over my wanderings and they were actually quite interesting, and I want to share/explore them.
These ideas are all very disconnected. so bear with me!
We started with Decartes's famous idea that "I think, therefore I am". While a thought-provoking phrase, we focused on the accompanying phrase by Martin Heidiger that "If I think, therefore I am, what calls for my thinking?". An interesting contrast from Decartes's deist view, this idea made me wonder, what does enable me to think? I hold my ability to think very dearly. More than anything, my mind allows me to experience the world in ways that are uniquely mine and mine alone. It also connects me to others through shared ideas, emotions, philosophies, and world perceptions (the sky is blue, etc..). Theoretically, it is God that allows me to think, but in relation to Decartes, what is sacred and divine is that which cannot be understood by mankind. In that case, is God simply a combination of ultimate truths that we strive to discover? I can see that as the "God" behind my mind. What makes people think? The desire to understand. What don't we understand? The scientific and religious mysteries of life. So, I think (subconsciously) to understand the mysteries that books and teachers and life experience cannot explain. In some ways, even ancient text understands this desire to understand the big picture. In classical hebrew, the verbs come before the nouns, so that the emphasis of the sentence is not on the subject, but on the action that is being performed. Thus, when reading the story we studied today of Jacob wrestling with the Angel, Jacob is not as important as the idea of one wrestling with God. I see this as an attempt to show the importance of the lessons of the stories of the Bible rather than the Biblical figures themselves, which is what this class is technically all about.
Somewhere in these wonderings (which were actually related to the class), I drifted off into my own tangent. We mentioned something about the idea of legacy and trees and "what will be here after me". I started thinking about what remains when I'm gone, and I started to scare myself! Death is not scary to me because it's the end of life, it's scary because of the idea of the end of consciousness. The idea that I might one day simply cease to exist is terrifying! This means completely cease, no spirit, no heaven, no looking down on the future, no reincarnation, just poof. Worm food. Well, not for me because I'm being cremated, but that's a different subject... Anyway, it scares me to think of "where do I go?". Not me physically, but me spiritually. The thoughts, feelings, experiences, and soul that make up Rachel (or any other person). Deep down, I don't think we simply "poof". As stupid as it may sound to some, I'm a firm believer in past lives and reincarnation. I think there are parts of some people that are so connected to things that have nothing to do with their own lives that parts of our pasts must stay with us. The unbelievable empathy that I've felt and seen others feel for situations and people that they cannot comprehend on an actual experience level must mean something beyond an open heart. Every show I've done, every song I've sung, I've experienced (and watched others experience) a connection to something beyond my 18 years. What some call "Old Souls" I think are simply people who are more deeply connected to past lives than others. What I started wondering about today was the idea that regardless of whether one was connected to a past life, that a past life could be connected to oneself. That is to say, when I die, will I be able to look through as me into the new me. This makes no sense outside of my head... I think a piece of what I'm trying to say is that sometimes when my conscience is screaming at me, it almost feels like a part of me has already done what ever it is I'm about to do and already knows whether or not to do it, like I've already lived a part of my life and now that Rachel is yelling at current Rachel about her decisions. Now I sound like I have multiple personality disorder.... Oy.... I have no idea if I made any sense, but I thought I would try. Does anything I tried to express make any sense to anyone?????
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow is the second Kuma orientation, and I'm spending all day again at Yad Vashem... hopefully will have a meaningful blog to write tomorrow!
Endless love,
Rachel
P.S. If you're going to be in Los Angeles from March 30th to April 4th, I want to see you! Please email me! <3 <3 <3
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Day 164: Sick =(
11/2/10
Well, living in an apartment of sick people was bound to hit me at some point. It's okay though. It's the weekend, so hopefully I can rest and be back in action by sunday. Hoping I haven't caught Mono. I don't think I have, but it's always possible when living with someone who has it...
Today I was a zombie through volunteering, but I sucked it up because they really needed me there today to help get a new product into the gift shop. I slept for most of the rest of the day, but when I'm awake, I'm entertaining myself by watching "Tin Man" on youtube. I forgot how amazing this miniseries is. I love living in fantasy land.
Probably going back to sleep soon, but endless love to you all!
Rachel
Well, living in an apartment of sick people was bound to hit me at some point. It's okay though. It's the weekend, so hopefully I can rest and be back in action by sunday. Hoping I haven't caught Mono. I don't think I have, but it's always possible when living with someone who has it...
Today I was a zombie through volunteering, but I sucked it up because they really needed me there today to help get a new product into the gift shop. I slept for most of the rest of the day, but when I'm awake, I'm entertaining myself by watching "Tin Man" on youtube. I forgot how amazing this miniseries is. I love living in fantasy land.
Probably going back to sleep soon, but endless love to you all!
Rachel
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Day 163: Rachel's Blog by Lizzy Feldman. INVASION!
10/2/10
Hi Rachel's friends and family! Rachel's a little drained right now, so I offered to replace her on the blog writing. First, it must be said that we have the single best room because of our constant dance parties and singing sessions. Secondly, Rachel wanted me to tell you all that Lizzy is the single best roommate ever, not really, but yah. She's always smiling which is nice. And she's now talking in 3rd person. Being with Rachel on Year Course and essentially doing the same things, it becomes apparent very quickly how the people of Year Course make up the experience. I had the fortune of knowing a large number of people on Year Course before arriving because I've been involved with Young Judaea for ten years. On the other hand, Rachel arrived knowing no one. Now however, we are in entirely the same boat. Being a past Young Judaean does not help me. Knowing Young Judaea doesn't make the process any easier. If anything, it is more difficult to break out of the YJ shell. I'm truly grateful that I made an effort to meet people outside of Young Judaeans, like Rachel, because it is these people who I will invite to my wedding. Whatever experience I may remember from YC in years to come will be because of the people I knew here, and had the immense privilege of calling my friends. When I tell people about something I did here in Israel, there is no way to tell it without telling of the people.
I'm running out of things to say.... Awesome dinner at Waffle Bar tonight-- think of a banana split in waffle form... it's pure happiness until the next morning's bathroom stop. I am worth 20 camels, which is a downgrade from the previous 50 I was offered in Jordan, but awesome new purse found!!!!! Rachel is worth 100 camels plus a bracelet, but that doesn't include shipping. And a very sweet man who directed Rachel and I to the nearest ATM in what should have been a 1 minute conversation, but it somehow took more like 20. Rachel continued her present shopping, where as I need to start mine. Al tidag (that means don't worry)- I already know what I'm getting people!!! My dad's getting a Hebrew University T-shirt (he went there in the times of the dinosaurs), my mom will be getting jewelry from the artist's fair in Tel Aviv, not sure about my 22 year old gingy brother (prob a T Shirt too), and friends will be getting cute little chachkas.(I use yiddish on a regular basis by the way). I think that's mainly it...I introduced Rachel to music apart from showtunes and operas!!! SUCCESS!!!! She now has Counting Crows, Ben Folds, Regina Spektor, Barenaked Ladies, Ingrid Michaelson, and many others on her ipod. I am so proud.
That's all for now!!! Rachel's rather a fabulous person, and I'm so glad I get to bother her for the next 3 months too.
Lehitraot Lekulam!!!
Lizzy (the roommate who dances down Ben Yehuda Street) Feldman
Hi Rachel's friends and family! Rachel's a little drained right now, so I offered to replace her on the blog writing. First, it must be said that we have the single best room because of our constant dance parties and singing sessions. Secondly, Rachel wanted me to tell you all that Lizzy is the single best roommate ever, not really, but yah. She's always smiling which is nice. And she's now talking in 3rd person. Being with Rachel on Year Course and essentially doing the same things, it becomes apparent very quickly how the people of Year Course make up the experience. I had the fortune of knowing a large number of people on Year Course before arriving because I've been involved with Young Judaea for ten years. On the other hand, Rachel arrived knowing no one. Now however, we are in entirely the same boat. Being a past Young Judaean does not help me. Knowing Young Judaea doesn't make the process any easier. If anything, it is more difficult to break out of the YJ shell. I'm truly grateful that I made an effort to meet people outside of Young Judaeans, like Rachel, because it is these people who I will invite to my wedding. Whatever experience I may remember from YC in years to come will be because of the people I knew here, and had the immense privilege of calling my friends. When I tell people about something I did here in Israel, there is no way to tell it without telling of the people.
I'm running out of things to say.... Awesome dinner at Waffle Bar tonight-- think of a banana split in waffle form... it's pure happiness until the next morning's bathroom stop. I am worth 20 camels, which is a downgrade from the previous 50 I was offered in Jordan, but awesome new purse found!!!!! Rachel is worth 100 camels plus a bracelet, but that doesn't include shipping. And a very sweet man who directed Rachel and I to the nearest ATM in what should have been a 1 minute conversation, but it somehow took more like 20. Rachel continued her present shopping, where as I need to start mine. Al tidag (that means don't worry)- I already know what I'm getting people!!! My dad's getting a Hebrew University T-shirt (he went there in the times of the dinosaurs), my mom will be getting jewelry from the artist's fair in Tel Aviv, not sure about my 22 year old gingy brother (prob a T Shirt too), and friends will be getting cute little chachkas.(I use yiddish on a regular basis by the way). I think that's mainly it...I introduced Rachel to music apart from showtunes and operas!!! SUCCESS!!!! She now has Counting Crows, Ben Folds, Regina Spektor, Barenaked Ladies, Ingrid Michaelson, and many others on her ipod. I am so proud.
That's all for now!!! Rachel's rather a fabulous person, and I'm so glad I get to bother her for the next 3 months too.
Lehitraot Lekulam!!!
Lizzy (the roommate who dances down Ben Yehuda Street) Feldman
Day 162: Yad Vashem, Cleaning Success, and MEXICAN FOOD! FINALLY!
9/2/10
Yay for surviving Yad Vashem without crying! Step one in the "survive Poland" plan is finished. =D Of course, that's probably because we didn't go into the actual museum, but I can hope that it also means I'm getting better at dealing with the Holocaust. As a group who'd already been to Yad Vashem once, we were taken to a learning center where we sat with one of the Yad Vashem historians and discussed a variety of open-ended questions like "Why didn't the Allies bomb the camps?", "Could the Shoa have happened without Hitler?", "Are there limits on art and the Holocaust and how it can/should be depicted/taught?". Before each discussion, we listened to professional opinions from a variety of people, including Israeli historians, American historians, Rabbis, and Holocaust survivors. Afterwards, we shared our own opinions and entered into several debates. It was fascinating to hear how many of us were of similar opinion on certain issues, but then were ready to slaughter each other over others. Especially over the Art question and how the Shoa should be taught/when it should be taught, there was a lot of tension raised between us. I personally think that depictions of the Holocaust should not be limited by what people think is socially acceptable, but that the artist (director, painter, etc) has a moral obligation to fully understand the subject before expressing his/her opinion. In terms of film, particularly, I think the artists need to be moving, but very carefully factual. Certain situations can be fictionalized, but the mind sets, emotions, and actions of every character should be heavily based in fact. Looking at a film like "Life is Beautiful" for instance (a comedic interpretation of the Shoa) is almost offensive and sugarcoats the tragedy to a point where there's no point in using it as an introduction to the Shoa for children because it minimizes the reality. I don't think you should show a five-year-old "Schindler's List", but I do think they have the right to parts of the truth. There's a difference between introducing parts of the truth as a child grows older, but always being honest, and sugarcoating the entire thing from the start. A child can be told things like "bad people didn't like the Jews, and they wanted to hurt them". They can be shown the "Jude" star. They can listen to the stories of people who were their age during this time. It's an insult to shield a child from his/her history at any age, especially as time goes on and Holocaust survivors pass on. When there are no more survivors to hear the real stories from, who's to say that sugarcoated shit won't become "the truth". There are many history teachers who don't teach the Holocaust because they don't know how. If parents won't pass on the truth, kids may never learn, may forget, and that's the biggest fear of the post-Shoa era, is it not?
After our long discussion, we went to listen to a survivor's story. While saddened by his words, I was surprised to find myself disagreeing with some of his opinions. When asked how he felt about the Germans today, he emphasized "never forgive" in addition to "never forget". I'm completely in agreement with "never forget", but I can't agree with "never forgive". Why should I blame German people who weren't even alive during the Shoa for crimes that others committed? My mom is German and not Jewish, does that mean I'm a "bad Jew" for loving her? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I understand how for someone who went through the horrors of the Shoa, it would be hard to forgive, but (and this sounds horrible), I think that blaming the entire German people for what the Nazis did is almost as bad as the Nazis hating us simply for being Jewish.
On a lighter note, OUR APARTMENT IS FINALLY CLEAN!!!! Hopefully, our new cleaning system should work and the rest of the month will be great!
Dinner was blisssssssss. I finally got my Mexican food! We made quesadillas, salsa, guacamole, beans, and rice. Happinesssss is cheesiness splendor... (sing to the Happiness tune from YAGMCB).
All my Love,
Rachel
Yay for surviving Yad Vashem without crying! Step one in the "survive Poland" plan is finished. =D Of course, that's probably because we didn't go into the actual museum, but I can hope that it also means I'm getting better at dealing with the Holocaust. As a group who'd already been to Yad Vashem once, we were taken to a learning center where we sat with one of the Yad Vashem historians and discussed a variety of open-ended questions like "Why didn't the Allies bomb the camps?", "Could the Shoa have happened without Hitler?", "Are there limits on art and the Holocaust and how it can/should be depicted/taught?". Before each discussion, we listened to professional opinions from a variety of people, including Israeli historians, American historians, Rabbis, and Holocaust survivors. Afterwards, we shared our own opinions and entered into several debates. It was fascinating to hear how many of us were of similar opinion on certain issues, but then were ready to slaughter each other over others. Especially over the Art question and how the Shoa should be taught/when it should be taught, there was a lot of tension raised between us. I personally think that depictions of the Holocaust should not be limited by what people think is socially acceptable, but that the artist (director, painter, etc) has a moral obligation to fully understand the subject before expressing his/her opinion. In terms of film, particularly, I think the artists need to be moving, but very carefully factual. Certain situations can be fictionalized, but the mind sets, emotions, and actions of every character should be heavily based in fact. Looking at a film like "Life is Beautiful" for instance (a comedic interpretation of the Shoa) is almost offensive and sugarcoats the tragedy to a point where there's no point in using it as an introduction to the Shoa for children because it minimizes the reality. I don't think you should show a five-year-old "Schindler's List", but I do think they have the right to parts of the truth. There's a difference between introducing parts of the truth as a child grows older, but always being honest, and sugarcoating the entire thing from the start. A child can be told things like "bad people didn't like the Jews, and they wanted to hurt them". They can be shown the "Jude" star. They can listen to the stories of people who were their age during this time. It's an insult to shield a child from his/her history at any age, especially as time goes on and Holocaust survivors pass on. When there are no more survivors to hear the real stories from, who's to say that sugarcoated shit won't become "the truth". There are many history teachers who don't teach the Holocaust because they don't know how. If parents won't pass on the truth, kids may never learn, may forget, and that's the biggest fear of the post-Shoa era, is it not?
After our long discussion, we went to listen to a survivor's story. While saddened by his words, I was surprised to find myself disagreeing with some of his opinions. When asked how he felt about the Germans today, he emphasized "never forgive" in addition to "never forget". I'm completely in agreement with "never forget", but I can't agree with "never forgive". Why should I blame German people who weren't even alive during the Shoa for crimes that others committed? My mom is German and not Jewish, does that mean I'm a "bad Jew" for loving her? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I understand how for someone who went through the horrors of the Shoa, it would be hard to forgive, but (and this sounds horrible), I think that blaming the entire German people for what the Nazis did is almost as bad as the Nazis hating us simply for being Jewish.
On a lighter note, OUR APARTMENT IS FINALLY CLEAN!!!! Hopefully, our new cleaning system should work and the rest of the month will be great!
Dinner was blisssssssss. I finally got my Mexican food! We made quesadillas, salsa, guacamole, beans, and rice. Happinesssss is cheesiness splendor... (sing to the Happiness tune from YAGMCB).
All my Love,
Rachel
Monday, February 8, 2010
Day 161: YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!
8/2/10
I GOT ACCEPTED INTO MDA!!!!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!! To explain - I think I did this already, but who cares - MDA stands for Magein David Adom and is a basic EMT training program. After an intense 10 day study period and final exam, you are an official EMT assistant and can legally be in the back of an ambulance alone with a patient. I'm terrified of that concept, but at the same time, since I'm now looking seriously at going into a scientific field, I think the experience will be vital. There's a part of me that's also terrified (I think irrationally) that because I quit Marva, I'm prone to quitting things (this has actually been haunting me for awhile). I don't think I'll be quitting MDA anytime soon because unlike the army, medicine is something I already know I'm passionate about, and I already know that I'm not squeamish. That said, I've never had to deal with human death before, and there's always a possibility that a patient could die under my watch, which I have no idea how I would ever deal with. I think I can do it. I think my acknowledging that I'm terrified is also a better way to enter the process than with the over excitement I had about Marva (at first). All of this said, there's a chance I might not be able to do MDA anyway because of Poland scheduling, but I'm keeping my hopes high!!!!!!!
Today was another amazing day at Yad Lakashish! Today, I gave a tour to a group of Russian Taglit (Birth rite) travelers (in English, not Russian). Usually, tours consist of trying to think of different things to say about each workshop since after the first one, the rest are slightly self-explanatory, but today was different. Because the group spoke Russian, we took time in each workshop to really talk to the workers and get to know them. It was amazing to see how their faces lit up at hearing young people speak their native language. I realized today how amazing language is. I take English for granted most of the time, but thinking about it, it's really amazing to notice all the inside jokes, idioms, and intricacies one can only appreciate if one is a native speaker. I felt blessed to be included in a language, as absurd as that may sound. On an amusing note, I also got to witness the infamous Russian lechayim in the ceramics workshop as the whole group took vodka shots. =D
Class was class, but I don't think that's ever going to change, at least not here...
Going to Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Museum) tomorrow, so my next post should have a lot to say.
All my Love,
Rachel
I GOT ACCEPTED INTO MDA!!!!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!! To explain - I think I did this already, but who cares - MDA stands for Magein David Adom and is a basic EMT training program. After an intense 10 day study period and final exam, you are an official EMT assistant and can legally be in the back of an ambulance alone with a patient. I'm terrified of that concept, but at the same time, since I'm now looking seriously at going into a scientific field, I think the experience will be vital. There's a part of me that's also terrified (I think irrationally) that because I quit Marva, I'm prone to quitting things (this has actually been haunting me for awhile). I don't think I'll be quitting MDA anytime soon because unlike the army, medicine is something I already know I'm passionate about, and I already know that I'm not squeamish. That said, I've never had to deal with human death before, and there's always a possibility that a patient could die under my watch, which I have no idea how I would ever deal with. I think I can do it. I think my acknowledging that I'm terrified is also a better way to enter the process than with the over excitement I had about Marva (at first). All of this said, there's a chance I might not be able to do MDA anyway because of Poland scheduling, but I'm keeping my hopes high!!!!!!!
Today was another amazing day at Yad Lakashish! Today, I gave a tour to a group of Russian Taglit (Birth rite) travelers (in English, not Russian). Usually, tours consist of trying to think of different things to say about each workshop since after the first one, the rest are slightly self-explanatory, but today was different. Because the group spoke Russian, we took time in each workshop to really talk to the workers and get to know them. It was amazing to see how their faces lit up at hearing young people speak their native language. I realized today how amazing language is. I take English for granted most of the time, but thinking about it, it's really amazing to notice all the inside jokes, idioms, and intricacies one can only appreciate if one is a native speaker. I felt blessed to be included in a language, as absurd as that may sound. On an amusing note, I also got to witness the infamous Russian lechayim in the ceramics workshop as the whole group took vodka shots. =D
Class was class, but I don't think that's ever going to change, at least not here...
Going to Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Museum) tomorrow, so my next post should have a lot to say.
All my Love,
Rachel
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Day 160: A New Week Begins...
7/2/10
Work was bliss today. I made incredible candle holders, made a new friend, and added two new penguins to the family! I moved my table last week to a new spot, and so I'm working with a new group of people. It's a little odd being the only girl in the room, but the guys are great, and even though my Russian/German is slim to none, we have fun trying to understand each other. I tried to help teach them origami today, and it possibly the funniest experience I've ever had. My new friend is this week's cracker/cookie server. He speaks German, and I have yet to understand his name since his accent is too thick for my American ears. He speaks a little hebrew though, and every time he brings me my cookies, he says "aht yelda yahfah" (you're a beautiful girl). I think it's adorable. I'm thinking of making penguins for my friends at work. They all have their specialties, so I might make each penguin do each task (paint, cut, etc). I think they'd like them since every time they see me making a penguin, they compliment with "yafe me'od" (very pretty). The more time I spend at Yad Lakashish, the more I feel the family dynamic the workshops have formed between the workers, the madrichot, and even the volunteers. A lot of the time, it feels more welcoming to walk into work in the morning than it feels to walk into my apartment at the end of the day. I'm not sure if that's a good thing...
After work, I hurried home to do an interview for a Year Course blurb. Unfortunately, the journalist got confused and went to Bat Yam instead of Jerusalem, but hopefully myself and the other three chanichim who were chosen will get to speak to her next week. I feel flattered to be one of the few non-Young Judaeans picked repeatedly to be interviewed/lead Haddassah around. Even though it can be frustrating to suck up at times, I do feel at home in the "teacher's pet" motif. =D
Class was amazingly fun today! We looked at the formation of the state and the war of independence and how art evolved to fit those times. Watching old movies of "Army Bands" was fantastic. In a very "Over There" style, the IDF has a band for every section of the army, and over the various wars, these bands have transitioned from entertainment, to encouragement, to popular media protest. The famous peace song "Shir LaShalom" was in fact first performed by an army band. Youtube these performances if you get a chance, they are remarkable! I thought it was funny how when watching these videos, I felt more attached to Israel than on the everyday basis of living here. Perhaps it's because I connect to life through music or because we watching videos of a much more passionate time, but during class, I felt so connected to my homeland, and I wanted to do whatever I could to help it. I like this Zionist feeling!
It's freeeeeeeeezing out, so tonight looks like another night of hot cocoa and movies. Not that I mind those at all.. =D
All my Love,
Rachel
Work was bliss today. I made incredible candle holders, made a new friend, and added two new penguins to the family! I moved my table last week to a new spot, and so I'm working with a new group of people. It's a little odd being the only girl in the room, but the guys are great, and even though my Russian/German is slim to none, we have fun trying to understand each other. I tried to help teach them origami today, and it possibly the funniest experience I've ever had. My new friend is this week's cracker/cookie server. He speaks German, and I have yet to understand his name since his accent is too thick for my American ears. He speaks a little hebrew though, and every time he brings me my cookies, he says "aht yelda yahfah" (you're a beautiful girl). I think it's adorable. I'm thinking of making penguins for my friends at work. They all have their specialties, so I might make each penguin do each task (paint, cut, etc). I think they'd like them since every time they see me making a penguin, they compliment with "yafe me'od" (very pretty). The more time I spend at Yad Lakashish, the more I feel the family dynamic the workshops have formed between the workers, the madrichot, and even the volunteers. A lot of the time, it feels more welcoming to walk into work in the morning than it feels to walk into my apartment at the end of the day. I'm not sure if that's a good thing...
After work, I hurried home to do an interview for a Year Course blurb. Unfortunately, the journalist got confused and went to Bat Yam instead of Jerusalem, but hopefully myself and the other three chanichim who were chosen will get to speak to her next week. I feel flattered to be one of the few non-Young Judaeans picked repeatedly to be interviewed/lead Haddassah around. Even though it can be frustrating to suck up at times, I do feel at home in the "teacher's pet" motif. =D
Class was amazingly fun today! We looked at the formation of the state and the war of independence and how art evolved to fit those times. Watching old movies of "Army Bands" was fantastic. In a very "Over There" style, the IDF has a band for every section of the army, and over the various wars, these bands have transitioned from entertainment, to encouragement, to popular media protest. The famous peace song "Shir LaShalom" was in fact first performed by an army band. Youtube these performances if you get a chance, they are remarkable! I thought it was funny how when watching these videos, I felt more attached to Israel than on the everyday basis of living here. Perhaps it's because I connect to life through music or because we watching videos of a much more passionate time, but during class, I felt so connected to my homeland, and I wanted to do whatever I could to help it. I like this Zionist feeling!
It's freeeeeeeeezing out, so tonight looks like another night of hot cocoa and movies. Not that I mind those at all.. =D
All my Love,
Rachel
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Day 158/159
Extremely short post for yesterday and today, but there's really not much to say.
Friday was so much fun! I caught up on some much needed sleep, a friend from Section 2 came to visit us, she, my roommate Lizzy, and I made Shabbas dinner, and we had a truly YC night.
Today was a day of sleeping and recuperation from Friday, but those days are great every once in a while. Tomorrow starts a new week, and I should have lots to post about in the coming days. =D
All my Love,
Rachel
P.S. Everyone should listen to the song "If I Sing" from "Closer than Ever". It's possibly the most gorgeous theatre song I've ever heard.
Friday was so much fun! I caught up on some much needed sleep, a friend from Section 2 came to visit us, she, my roommate Lizzy, and I made Shabbas dinner, and we had a truly YC night.
Today was a day of sleeping and recuperation from Friday, but those days are great every once in a while. Tomorrow starts a new week, and I should have lots to post about in the coming days. =D
All my Love,
Rachel
P.S. Everyone should listen to the song "If I Sing" from "Closer than Ever". It's possibly the most gorgeous theatre song I've ever heard.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Israel security happenings and the Aardvark vs. YC showdown
Hey everyone,
Two big things have happened recently, and I thought it might be good to inform!
Security wise, YCers are currently banned from all Mediterranean beaches. In retaliation for Israel assassinating a major Hamas leader, Hamas has been sending barrels of explosives up the coast, and they've been landing at various beaches and exploding. Hopefully the scares will be over soon, but for now, we're all treading cautiously.
The other major development is the creation of "Aardvark", a non-Year Course version of Year Course. Essentially, many of the YJ staff have left YC in order to create a new version of YC
Differences between YC and Aardvark:
-No Negev section (five months in Tel Aviv, five months in Jerusalem)
-Price: 14,000, but flight/food is not included
-No Hadassah connection
-Mandatory specialties in both sections
There are other smaller differences, but these are the big ones. The whole thing has turned into such a feud between everyone, it's slightly ridiculous. Some are pro-Aardvark because they believe it fixes the logistical problems of YC, some are anti because the YC staff members who left for Aardvark were being paid by YC while they were forming the new program. As a non-Young Judaean, I don't have a passionate opinion either way, but I do think it's sad that they couldn't work to make YC better instead of going to form an entirely new program...
Two big things have happened recently, and I thought it might be good to inform!
Security wise, YCers are currently banned from all Mediterranean beaches. In retaliation for Israel assassinating a major Hamas leader, Hamas has been sending barrels of explosives up the coast, and they've been landing at various beaches and exploding. Hopefully the scares will be over soon, but for now, we're all treading cautiously.
The other major development is the creation of "Aardvark", a non-Year Course version of Year Course. Essentially, many of the YJ staff have left YC in order to create a new version of YC
Differences between YC and Aardvark:
-No Negev section (five months in Tel Aviv, five months in Jerusalem)
-Price: 14,000, but flight/food is not included
-No Hadassah connection
-Mandatory specialties in both sections
There are other smaller differences, but these are the big ones. The whole thing has turned into such a feud between everyone, it's slightly ridiculous. Some are pro-Aardvark because they believe it fixes the logistical problems of YC, some are anti because the YC staff members who left for Aardvark were being paid by YC while they were forming the new program. As a non-Young Judaean, I don't have a passionate opinion either way, but I do think it's sad that they couldn't work to make YC better instead of going to form an entirely new program...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Day 157: I'm ditching the title on this one
4/2/10
First, to continue what I didn't say about yesterday.
During the adventure around Mt. Scopus, we walked around the old neighborhood where Year Course used to be based, saw Beit Rikulus - the old Year Course center, experienced how difficult the old Jerusalem section used to be, and got falafel! By the way, it totally pays to be a girl in Israel. Free falafel balls, that's all I'm saying... ;) It was really cool to the see the old Year Course through our Madrich's eyes. Even in 2004-2005, things were so different here. Security was insane because of the tale end of the Entafada, no one was allowed on public transportation, classes consumed the chanichim, and any ideas of roaming around J-ru were a fantasy. Not sure I would have liked that all! Why bother spending three months in Jerusalem if you never even got to the Old City? I suppose that's why they changed the scheduling around for this year so that our classes are spread out, but you'd think that that realization would have been made earlier... hmm... I also got my first experience of "the small Jew world". Everyone on Year Course knows tons of Jews and runs into friends, family, ex-madrichim, etc, around the country. I don't know anyone in Israel and was never part of a Youth Movement, so I don't really have those moments, but yesterday, I DID! My Madrich took us to HUC to see his friend Jacob. Turns out, Jacob was one of the Madrichim on my Yam el Yam (sea to sea) hike during Nitzanim special interest week in 2008! I felt connected to the little Jewish bubble. =D
Okay, on to today!
IT SNOWED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so it wasn't enough to settle and play in, but it was flakes in the sky and that's millions more than I've ever gotten in Los Angeles! IT. WAS. AWESOME.
I've now made 10 penguins: Gambling, Victorious, Marva, Pomegranate, Jewish, Bookworm, Fancy, Phantom of the Opera, Puppet, and "Woman, feed me". I LOVE MAKING PENGUINS!
Ulpan was boring as usual... =(
My Genesis class was really great today. We talked about Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac, and different ways to interpret and gain perspective from it. I've always been taught that the sacrifice was a way to test Abraham's devotion to God, but that always seemed incredibly petty on God's part and incredibly submissive on Abraham's (considering he had fought so hard for Sodom and Gomorra, why wouldn't he fight for his son?). Today though, we read a passage discussing the possibility that once Isaac was born and the family was on their happy way to fulfill God's wish of Lech L'cha (go forth), there was too much security and God put forth this challenge to Abraham to show him that there were always going to be challenges along his journey, and he should never be overwhelmed by his blessings. I like this interpretation so much better than the former because it focuses on an actual human lesson instead of God being picky. Its lesson also applies to today and how one should never take things for granted.
On the apartment front, I'm overwhelmed and frustrated with double standards and hypocrisy, but I'm not going to get into that because I've already let it out to several people and it's not going to do anyone any good for me to rant again.
I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!
Love,
Rachel
First, to continue what I didn't say about yesterday.
During the adventure around Mt. Scopus, we walked around the old neighborhood where Year Course used to be based, saw Beit Rikulus - the old Year Course center, experienced how difficult the old Jerusalem section used to be, and got falafel! By the way, it totally pays to be a girl in Israel. Free falafel balls, that's all I'm saying... ;) It was really cool to the see the old Year Course through our Madrich's eyes. Even in 2004-2005, things were so different here. Security was insane because of the tale end of the Entafada, no one was allowed on public transportation, classes consumed the chanichim, and any ideas of roaming around J-ru were a fantasy. Not sure I would have liked that all! Why bother spending three months in Jerusalem if you never even got to the Old City? I suppose that's why they changed the scheduling around for this year so that our classes are spread out, but you'd think that that realization would have been made earlier... hmm... I also got my first experience of "the small Jew world". Everyone on Year Course knows tons of Jews and runs into friends, family, ex-madrichim, etc, around the country. I don't know anyone in Israel and was never part of a Youth Movement, so I don't really have those moments, but yesterday, I DID! My Madrich took us to HUC to see his friend Jacob. Turns out, Jacob was one of the Madrichim on my Yam el Yam (sea to sea) hike during Nitzanim special interest week in 2008! I felt connected to the little Jewish bubble. =D
Okay, on to today!
IT SNOWED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so it wasn't enough to settle and play in, but it was flakes in the sky and that's millions more than I've ever gotten in Los Angeles! IT. WAS. AWESOME.
I've now made 10 penguins: Gambling, Victorious, Marva, Pomegranate, Jewish, Bookworm, Fancy, Phantom of the Opera, Puppet, and "Woman, feed me". I LOVE MAKING PENGUINS!
Ulpan was boring as usual... =(
My Genesis class was really great today. We talked about Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac, and different ways to interpret and gain perspective from it. I've always been taught that the sacrifice was a way to test Abraham's devotion to God, but that always seemed incredibly petty on God's part and incredibly submissive on Abraham's (considering he had fought so hard for Sodom and Gomorra, why wouldn't he fight for his son?). Today though, we read a passage discussing the possibility that once Isaac was born and the family was on their happy way to fulfill God's wish of Lech L'cha (go forth), there was too much security and God put forth this challenge to Abraham to show him that there were always going to be challenges along his journey, and he should never be overwhelmed by his blessings. I like this interpretation so much better than the former because it focuses on an actual human lesson instead of God being picky. Its lesson also applies to today and how one should never take things for granted.
On the apartment front, I'm overwhelmed and frustrated with double standards and hypocrisy, but I'm not going to get into that because I've already let it out to several people and it's not going to do anyone any good for me to rant again.
I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!
Love,
Rachel
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Day 156: Soaked.
3/2/10
Rain is depressing. I know some people love to dance in it, but it just gets me down. Hopefully, the snow that's supposed to come tonight will make up for it though! Today, I woke up tired, spent volunteering in a daze, interviewed for MDA, trekked around Mt. Scopus with Mike, Aaron, and Gabo, and made hamburgers from scratch for the first time in my life. Now, I am dead, but...
-The hamburgers were amazing
-I passed my MDA interview
-Had a blast on the adventure around Mt. Scopus
YAY!
I think I'm going to write more about today in tomorrow's post, as I am about to pass out at my computer.
All my love,
Rachel
Rain is depressing. I know some people love to dance in it, but it just gets me down. Hopefully, the snow that's supposed to come tonight will make up for it though! Today, I woke up tired, spent volunteering in a daze, interviewed for MDA, trekked around Mt. Scopus with Mike, Aaron, and Gabo, and made hamburgers from scratch for the first time in my life. Now, I am dead, but...
-The hamburgers were amazing
-I passed my MDA interview
-Had a blast on the adventure around Mt. Scopus
YAY!
I think I'm going to write more about today in tomorrow's post, as I am about to pass out at my computer.
All my love,
Rachel
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Day 155: So tired...
2/2/10
Hey, the date's normal for today! =D
Today was siyur day, and myself and a bunch of friends went to the Armenian Quarter. We walked to the intersection of all four quarters, and looked out over the old city, over the four cultures covering its history. The Armenian Quarter is incredibly different from the other three (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim). Instead of an area that's merely important to a certain culture, it's its own little country inside Jerusalem. When in the other quarters, you still feel very much that you're in Israel. In the Armenian, it feels like a new world. Everyone and everything in it is so secluded that many of the children don't grow up learning Hebrew (the national language). Instead, they learn Armenian, shop within the quarter, and largely don't stray far from home. They are essentially Catholic, but believe that Jesus is one (god and man), as opposed to the Catholics who believe in two parts of Jesus: the man who ate, slept, etc, and the God who performed miracles. [This is what I understood from the Armenian priest, if I'm explaining this wrong, please correct me]. After a short tour of the area, we discussed the issue of recognizing the Armenian genocide. We were all of the opinion that we, as Jews, had an obligation to officially recognize the events of 1915-1918 because we went through similar experiences (in fact, most of the murder methods used during the Holocaust were adapted by Hitler from the Armenian genocide). It was interesting, therefore, to hear our guide say that they were not the same, and that ours was special. Ours may have been the most dramatic historically, but I don't think there's any difference between the systematic murder of 100 people, or 1.5 million people, or 6 million people. It shouldn't matter how many were killed or what the reasons behind the mass executions were, murder is murder, and any group that is attacked in such ways deserves respect and recognition.
Following the siyur, a few friends and I went to the Jewish Quarter and went shopping at the Cardo (the main shopping lane). It was great! We bought fun things, ate bagels, and...STALKED MIKE HUCKABEE! We were eating our bagels when a huge group of guards walked by. My friend noticed they were with Huckabee, and we ran and stalked him to the Kotel. We still have no idea what he was doing there, but it was amusing to see the Israelis wonder why the Americans cared about some random suit. =D
The afternoon was sleepy. Relaxed for a while and went to Torah Yoga (p.s. extremely painful with a new bellybutton piercing!). DINNER WAS AMAZING! My Madricha, Emma, organized a making sushi night, and we sat for a couple hours making interesting versions of sushi and stuffing ourselves. Many funny pics to come of that. :)
I am off to bed now!
Lots of Love,
Rachel
Hey, the date's normal for today! =D
Today was siyur day, and myself and a bunch of friends went to the Armenian Quarter. We walked to the intersection of all four quarters, and looked out over the old city, over the four cultures covering its history. The Armenian Quarter is incredibly different from the other three (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim). Instead of an area that's merely important to a certain culture, it's its own little country inside Jerusalem. When in the other quarters, you still feel very much that you're in Israel. In the Armenian, it feels like a new world. Everyone and everything in it is so secluded that many of the children don't grow up learning Hebrew (the national language). Instead, they learn Armenian, shop within the quarter, and largely don't stray far from home. They are essentially Catholic, but believe that Jesus is one (god and man), as opposed to the Catholics who believe in two parts of Jesus: the man who ate, slept, etc, and the God who performed miracles. [This is what I understood from the Armenian priest, if I'm explaining this wrong, please correct me]. After a short tour of the area, we discussed the issue of recognizing the Armenian genocide. We were all of the opinion that we, as Jews, had an obligation to officially recognize the events of 1915-1918 because we went through similar experiences (in fact, most of the murder methods used during the Holocaust were adapted by Hitler from the Armenian genocide). It was interesting, therefore, to hear our guide say that they were not the same, and that ours was special. Ours may have been the most dramatic historically, but I don't think there's any difference between the systematic murder of 100 people, or 1.5 million people, or 6 million people. It shouldn't matter how many were killed or what the reasons behind the mass executions were, murder is murder, and any group that is attacked in such ways deserves respect and recognition.
Following the siyur, a few friends and I went to the Jewish Quarter and went shopping at the Cardo (the main shopping lane). It was great! We bought fun things, ate bagels, and...STALKED MIKE HUCKABEE! We were eating our bagels when a huge group of guards walked by. My friend noticed they were with Huckabee, and we ran and stalked him to the Kotel. We still have no idea what he was doing there, but it was amusing to see the Israelis wonder why the Americans cared about some random suit. =D
The afternoon was sleepy. Relaxed for a while and went to Torah Yoga (p.s. extremely painful with a new bellybutton piercing!). DINNER WAS AMAZING! My Madricha, Emma, organized a making sushi night, and we sat for a couple hours making interesting versions of sushi and stuffing ourselves. Many funny pics to come of that. :)
I am off to bed now!
Lots of Love,
Rachel
Monday, February 1, 2010
Day 154: Happy February!
1/2/10
Happy February everyone! I have now officially been in Israel for FIVE MONTHS! It's ridiculous that the first couple of months went by at a snails pace, and now we're already about to leave Jerusalem! It's sad, amazing, exciting, and mind-blowing! It must be a good sign that times flying, though, since it must mean I'm missing home less and less. Which, by the way, I think is true. I'm skyping with Mische right now and discussing all of this. I MISS HER SO MUCH! As she serenades me with her Ukulele and we sing the "F is for Friends" song, I'm reminded of how great little things between friends can be, and how much I'm truly going to miss people here when this whole shenanigan is over. I like that I can realize that. It feels good to know that I'm going to feel so miserable. Hmm...?
I really don't have too much else to say. Mische is far more entertaining than writing my blog and today was pretty standard. =D
Tata for now!
Rachel
Happy February everyone! I have now officially been in Israel for FIVE MONTHS! It's ridiculous that the first couple of months went by at a snails pace, and now we're already about to leave Jerusalem! It's sad, amazing, exciting, and mind-blowing! It must be a good sign that times flying, though, since it must mean I'm missing home less and less. Which, by the way, I think is true. I'm skyping with Mische right now and discussing all of this. I MISS HER SO MUCH! As she serenades me with her Ukulele and we sing the "F is for Friends" song, I'm reminded of how great little things between friends can be, and how much I'm truly going to miss people here when this whole shenanigan is over. I like that I can realize that. It feels good to know that I'm going to feel so miserable. Hmm...?
I really don't have too much else to say. Mische is far more entertaining than writing my blog and today was pretty standard. =D
Tata for now!
Rachel
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