I cannot believe this is my last week in Israel. Seriously, where did the time go? It doesn't feel like nine months ago that I was hiding out in air conditioned cafes from the Tel Aviv heat and my electricity-less apartment. Where did the time go?
Updates:
-Last weekend I was in Tzfat for Lag B'Omer. Why Tzfat? Tzfat is about fifteen minutes away from Har Meron, which is where the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is located. For some reason, it's a tradition to visit his tomb on Lag B'Omer (amidst all the bonfires and haircuts), so we spent Shabbat close by so that we'd be able to easily get to Meron when Lag B'Omer began. Shabbat in Tzfat was beautiful, as always, but we were hosted by a Chabad organization, so I found myself frustrated with the gender inequality, and ended up skipping every activity other than mealtimes. Instead, I wandered around Tzfat, and discovered places I never knew existed. As Shabbat went out, I watched the sunset over Tzfat, Meron, the Kinneret, and the entire Galil from a citadel at the very top of the mountain. One of the best images in my mind from this entire year.
Later, we set out for Meron. We got there around midnight, but over the course of the night, over half a million people visited the mountain, mostly Charedim, and all with the objective of getting to the top of the mountain to pray at the Rashbi's tomb. It was WILD. Everyone there was dressed head to toe in black (I was completely frum, but I still stuck out like a sore thumb just because I was wearing colors), men and women were completely separate, and it was literally body to body people. Everyone was pushing and shoving and shouting... and inside the tomb (on the women's side, from which we couldn't even see the actual grave) people were davening furiously and crying and shouting out to HaShem. It was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. To be honest, though, I would never do it again. My friends and I got separated from each other multiple times, I was literally pushed to the ground by a Chassidic man, the women didn't get to dance (instead they watched the men dancing on a jumbotron), and I got yelled at for holding hands with a male friend in order not to lose him. I think really I just learned how much I dislike the ultra religious.
-On Tuesday of this week, during the time when we would normally be on some type of field trip around the city, we commemorated our last week together by going to a natural spring called Ein Fawwar. We hiked and swam and barbecued by the natural pool. It was gorgeous. A friend and I hiked way past everyone else in search of a mythical waterfall that everyone had been talking about. We didn't find it after about two hours, so we collapsed in this beautiful blue pool under the olive trees and cooled off before bushwhacking back (and getting horribly lost). I'm now covered in scratches and bug bites and terribly sunburned, but it was well worth it.
-On Wednesday of this week, when we were supposed to be cleaning, my roommate and I took off and went into the Christian Quarter to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Now this is totally against the rules of our program (and if the staff knew they would KILL us), but this Church is the largest building in the Old City and the holiest site in all of Christianity. How could we live here for a year and not see it? It ended up being one of the coolest things I've ever done in Jerusalem. This church is HUGE, with three floors and lots of winding secret passage ways. The whole thing is beautifully mosaic-ed, from the floors to the giant dome ceilings. The church is known in Christianity to be the place where Jesus was prepared for crucifixion, crucified, and buried, and then where he was resurrected. The Anointing Stone, the stone where Jesus was prepared for crucifixion by St. John the Baptist, is still there, and there were people kissing it and praying to it, and there was one woman who was cleaning it with wet wipes. Weird. There were paintings of Jesus EVERYWHERE, painted over centuries, and there were all sorts of different types of monks and nuns (the church today is home to seven different branches of Christianity, and they all fight over who gets what part of it). It was SO COOL. Totally worth breaking the rules for.
-This is my last weekend in Israel, and I really wanted to travel, but instead I'm sort of stuck in Jerusalem finishing up packing and cleaning, which sucks, because it's brutally hot and we don't have air conditioning. However, I woke up a couple hours ago and it was pouring rain and even thundering! Rain in Jerusalem at this time of year is something akin to snow in August, so this was a Shabbat miracle! Kind of a nice farewell from a country I'm so sad to leave.
Shabbat Shalom!
Saturday, May 28
Tuesday, May 10
So It's Been A Good Month Since I've Posted...
But here are a few updates.
-I went home for Pesach, and it was wonderful to see my family, but I was really glad to come back to Israel. I've started thinking of here as home more than where I grew up.
-We went on a beautiful hike up in the Golan, which killed my knees, but was totally worth it. I also got to go swimming in the Kinneret, which is one of my favorite places in the country.
-Yom HaShoah was not as intense as I expected it to be. In the States we always hear about Yom HaShoah in Israel being this incredibly moving day, but really, other than the one-minute siren that went off at 10am, it was just a normal day that happened to be slightly more somber than usual.
-Yom HaZikaron, on the other hand, was an incredibly moving experience. Memorial Day in America always seems to be about barbeques and shopping, but here, it hits close to home for every single person in the country. We began the holiday with a Masa tekkes (ceremony) on Monday night at Ammunition Hill. Through music, videos, and speeches, they presented the stories of seven young people who lost their lives either in the line of duty or in terrorist attacks. Everyone was in tears by the end of it. The next morning (yesterday), we went to volunteer handing out water and flowers at Har Herzl, Israel's military cemetery. Over ten thousand people came to Har Herzl over the course of the day to pay their respects, and at 11am, following a two-minute siren, the national tekkes took place next to Herzl's tomb. I had the opportunity to be at that tekkes, and so I saw Netanyahu speak and saw the whole military routine thing. It was pretty amazing. Everyone was dressed either in white or army green, and there was this spirit that sort of overtook the whole mountain. It was a uniquely Israeli experience.
-Last night, we experienced the bizarre transition from Yom HaZikaron (a sad, somber day of remembrance) to Yom HaAtzmaut (a wild, fun day of celebration). Last night in town there were street parties EVERYWHERE, concerts every few blocks, giant flash mobs of people doing Israeli dancing, and drunken Israelis hitting each other with inflatable hammers (apparently that's a tradition...). It was crazier than Purim! Today, the tradition is to go outside, have a barbeque, and eat meat and drink beer, so we found a grill in our building and we're going to go out later and enjoy the beautiful weather with some meat and beer. :)
-Finally, just a side note, I currently own the world's crappiest computer, which is about 7 by 9 inches, has a TINY little keyboard, and barely works. I call it Edgar Allen Poe, because it's dark and depressing. I am slightly more reachable than I was without a computer, but if I become unreachable again, it's probably because either this thing died or I threw it into a wall.
Happy 63rd Independence Day!
-I went home for Pesach, and it was wonderful to see my family, but I was really glad to come back to Israel. I've started thinking of here as home more than where I grew up.
-We went on a beautiful hike up in the Golan, which killed my knees, but was totally worth it. I also got to go swimming in the Kinneret, which is one of my favorite places in the country.
-Yom HaShoah was not as intense as I expected it to be. In the States we always hear about Yom HaShoah in Israel being this incredibly moving day, but really, other than the one-minute siren that went off at 10am, it was just a normal day that happened to be slightly more somber than usual.
-Yom HaZikaron, on the other hand, was an incredibly moving experience. Memorial Day in America always seems to be about barbeques and shopping, but here, it hits close to home for every single person in the country. We began the holiday with a Masa tekkes (ceremony) on Monday night at Ammunition Hill. Through music, videos, and speeches, they presented the stories of seven young people who lost their lives either in the line of duty or in terrorist attacks. Everyone was in tears by the end of it. The next morning (yesterday), we went to volunteer handing out water and flowers at Har Herzl, Israel's military cemetery. Over ten thousand people came to Har Herzl over the course of the day to pay their respects, and at 11am, following a two-minute siren, the national tekkes took place next to Herzl's tomb. I had the opportunity to be at that tekkes, and so I saw Netanyahu speak and saw the whole military routine thing. It was pretty amazing. Everyone was dressed either in white or army green, and there was this spirit that sort of overtook the whole mountain. It was a uniquely Israeli experience.
-Last night, we experienced the bizarre transition from Yom HaZikaron (a sad, somber day of remembrance) to Yom HaAtzmaut (a wild, fun day of celebration). Last night in town there were street parties EVERYWHERE, concerts every few blocks, giant flash mobs of people doing Israeli dancing, and drunken Israelis hitting each other with inflatable hammers (apparently that's a tradition...). It was crazier than Purim! Today, the tradition is to go outside, have a barbeque, and eat meat and drink beer, so we found a grill in our building and we're going to go out later and enjoy the beautiful weather with some meat and beer. :)
-Finally, just a side note, I currently own the world's crappiest computer, which is about 7 by 9 inches, has a TINY little keyboard, and barely works. I call it Edgar Allen Poe, because it's dark and depressing. I am slightly more reachable than I was without a computer, but if I become unreachable again, it's probably because either this thing died or I threw it into a wall.
Happy 63rd Independence Day!
Tuesday, April 5
Back to the Normal Chaos
I've been so busy recently that I haven't had a spare five minutes to sit down and eat a full meal, let alone write a blog post. I really need to go to bed right now, but I'll update quickly:
-The security situation here has calmed down somewhat, although it's still not ideal. There's still quite a bit of extra security presence in and around Jerusalem, and conflict has continued in the Western Negev. For a few days there we thought war was inevitable, but it's calmed down a little bit and we're back to an uncomfortable stalemate. Things change every hour here, though, so we'll see what happens...
-Two weeks ago I spent Shabbat at a moshav in Modi'in known as the Carlebach moshav, as it was famously home to the rabbi/cantor/liturgist Rav Shlomo Carlebach. The moshav is known for being a community of religious hippies, and it's situated on this BEAUTIFUL hill overlooking the Jerusalem hills on one side and the coast on the other. The weekend I was there was warm and sunny, and there were flowers blooming and birds chirping, and I had a great time running around exploring the moshav. Other than that, though, I have to say that it was an incredibly uncomfortable weekend. Everyone there visiting for Shabbat was SUPER religious (all of the boys and most of the girls were shomer negiya, meaning that they don't touch members of the opposite sex), SUPER right-wing, and spent Shabbat talking about the ways in which HaShem speaks to them. I have no problem with that, but I felt incredibly out of place (especially when one guy gave me a dirty look for having my elbows uncovered), and I was very happy to come home to my little family of Aardvarks.
-I started my new volunteering position, and I LOVE it! I am officially an intern for the Jerusalem Post! I work on a section of the online paper called the "Premium Zone" which includes a number of special magazines and features for paying subscribers. Right now I'm mostly editing and learning to format the website, but I've been encouraged to start writing, as well! I'm so excited!
-Some of my most recent cooking endeavors include: a tomato lentil curry stew, whole wheat pasta with chili peanut sauce and green onions, and chewy peanut butter cookies with Nutella centers. I'm starting to panic about having to live in a dorm next year where I don't have my own kitchen!
-Today our siyur was to Hevron, which is a highly controversial city in the West Bank. Hevron is home to the cave of the patriarchs and matriarchs (Ma'arat HaMachpelah), and is known to be the oldest holy place to the Jewish People. However, in modern day Israel, it is located in the Palestinian Territories, and the city is only about 20% Jewish and Israeli controlled. The other 80% is all Palestinian, controlled by the Palestinian Authority, and off-limits to Jews. The Jews who live in Hevron today are known as zealots; religious far right-wing Zionists who are notoriously racist and violent towards the Palestinians. Our tour today was led by one of these Jews, and so we were presented with an extremely one-sided view of the situation. However, it was still pretty easy to see how the conflict there goes both ways: all the Jewish settlers carry guns, and they refer to the Palestinians as "savages". The Israeli government builds more homes, the Palestinians shoot into Jewish areas, the settlers shoot back, someone dies, there's an uproar, more shooting... and this is how it goes. It was an interesting day, but I had an awful lot of opinions I had to keep to myself. :)
-I will be back in Boston in NINE DAYS for Pesach break. I'm SO EXCITED!!! I'm not actually sure who's reading this blog, but I want to see all of you while I'm home, so give me a call/email me/Facebook message me and we'll make plans!
On that note, I have to be awake in six hours, so good night!
-The security situation here has calmed down somewhat, although it's still not ideal. There's still quite a bit of extra security presence in and around Jerusalem, and conflict has continued in the Western Negev. For a few days there we thought war was inevitable, but it's calmed down a little bit and we're back to an uncomfortable stalemate. Things change every hour here, though, so we'll see what happens...
-Two weeks ago I spent Shabbat at a moshav in Modi'in known as the Carlebach moshav, as it was famously home to the rabbi/cantor/liturgist Rav Shlomo Carlebach. The moshav is known for being a community of religious hippies, and it's situated on this BEAUTIFUL hill overlooking the Jerusalem hills on one side and the coast on the other. The weekend I was there was warm and sunny, and there were flowers blooming and birds chirping, and I had a great time running around exploring the moshav. Other than that, though, I have to say that it was an incredibly uncomfortable weekend. Everyone there visiting for Shabbat was SUPER religious (all of the boys and most of the girls were shomer negiya, meaning that they don't touch members of the opposite sex), SUPER right-wing, and spent Shabbat talking about the ways in which HaShem speaks to them. I have no problem with that, but I felt incredibly out of place (especially when one guy gave me a dirty look for having my elbows uncovered), and I was very happy to come home to my little family of Aardvarks.
-I started my new volunteering position, and I LOVE it! I am officially an intern for the Jerusalem Post! I work on a section of the online paper called the "Premium Zone" which includes a number of special magazines and features for paying subscribers. Right now I'm mostly editing and learning to format the website, but I've been encouraged to start writing, as well! I'm so excited!
-Some of my most recent cooking endeavors include: a tomato lentil curry stew, whole wheat pasta with chili peanut sauce and green onions, and chewy peanut butter cookies with Nutella centers. I'm starting to panic about having to live in a dorm next year where I don't have my own kitchen!
-Today our siyur was to Hevron, which is a highly controversial city in the West Bank. Hevron is home to the cave of the patriarchs and matriarchs (Ma'arat HaMachpelah), and is known to be the oldest holy place to the Jewish People. However, in modern day Israel, it is located in the Palestinian Territories, and the city is only about 20% Jewish and Israeli controlled. The other 80% is all Palestinian, controlled by the Palestinian Authority, and off-limits to Jews. The Jews who live in Hevron today are known as zealots; religious far right-wing Zionists who are notoriously racist and violent towards the Palestinians. Our tour today was led by one of these Jews, and so we were presented with an extremely one-sided view of the situation. However, it was still pretty easy to see how the conflict there goes both ways: all the Jewish settlers carry guns, and they refer to the Palestinians as "savages". The Israeli government builds more homes, the Palestinians shoot into Jewish areas, the settlers shoot back, someone dies, there's an uproar, more shooting... and this is how it goes. It was an interesting day, but I had an awful lot of opinions I had to keep to myself. :)
-I will be back in Boston in NINE DAYS for Pesach break. I'm SO EXCITED!!! I'm not actually sure who's reading this blog, but I want to see all of you while I'm home, so give me a call/email me/Facebook message me and we'll make plans!
On that note, I have to be awake in six hours, so good night!
Wednesday, March 23
Recent Events
So the past 36 hours or so have been unusually eventful here in Israel, so I thought I would update on what's been happening here. First, though, I should say that all the Aardvarks, myself included, are totally safe. We are all either in our building in Jerusalem or safely in Tel Aviv, so everyone is accounted for and we're completely fine.
Having said that, I'm sure you all have heard that there was a bombing in Central Jerusalem a few hours ago. The attack was not a suicide bombing, but an explosive package was attached to a phone booth on the sidewalk and was detonated as two buses were entering the station across from Binyanei HaUma. Around 30 people were injured, 10 of them critically, but there were no fatalities. The city has been entirely shut down, so no one can get in or out, which is inconvenient, but the police are searching the city for the terrorist. As of right now we are not officially on lockdown, because there has been no intelligence to suggest that another attack is coming. There were rumors of a second attack in Gan Sacer, but it was a false alarm. Aardvark is constantly in contact with a security company linked with the IDF and the Jewish Agency, so we will hear immediately if anything changes. For now, we are all sticking together at home and praying for those injured in the attack.
Beyond that, I'm sure you have also heard about the recent activity in Gaza and the Western Negev. Over the weekend, 51 rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza, hitting a few kibbutzim and areas near Sderot, Ashdod, and Ashkelon. Ironically, I was in Sderot yesterday, which is a town of about 25,000 people located just one kilometer from Gaza. Sderot has been barraged by rocket fire for the past eight years, but until a few weeks ago, all had been quiet since Operation Cast Lead ended in January 2009. However yesterday, Kibbutz Sa'ad (which we had visited less than an hour before) had two red alerts, and two Qassam rockets fell in fields nearby. There were no alerts while we were in Sderot, but as we were standing atop a hill looking over at Gaza City, we did see a plane in the sky and were told to immediately get off the hill where we were standing exposed. Again, we're all fine, but it was a little scary.
We arrived home to look at the news and find out that the IDF launched a retaliation into the Gaza Strip, killing nine Palestinians, four of whom were known terrorists. The other five, unfortunately, were innocent civilians. In retaliation to this retaliation, Hamas fired two Grad Katushya rockets at Be'er Sheva, injuring one person and destroying a number of buildings. As of right now, that is all the news from Gaza, given that the media is currently a little preoccupied with what's going on here in Jerusalem.
I had never been to Sderot before yesterday, and I have to admit that the images of it in my mind were mostly of cement shelters and bombed out buildings and wire fences. As a Jew, I hate to be someone who subscribes to that kind of media prejudice against Israel, but I was, in this case, and yesterday I learned that Sderot is actually a shockingly beautiful place. It's green, and warm, and on a clear day like yesterday it has a beautiful view straight to the Mediterranean. The whole area is really quite gorgeous. I'm not sure how people who get to live in such a beautiful place can be angry enough to fire rockets at each other.
The other thing that really struck me about Sderot (as well as Kibbutz Sa'ad) is how accustomed they all are to the violence. In Sderot, there are multiple bomb shelters every block, but they are painted with colorful images, and everyone just seems to be very casual about the fact that sometimes an alarm goes off and they have fifteen seconds to run for their lives. I've heard horror stories from my Israeli friends who live in this region, and everyone who lives there does have these stories, but as a complete society, they are unbelievably calm about the whole thing. It's amazing.
That's all I've got for you for now, but I'm sure things will keep changing very quickly over the next few days, so I'll keep you posted.
Having said that, I'm sure you all have heard that there was a bombing in Central Jerusalem a few hours ago. The attack was not a suicide bombing, but an explosive package was attached to a phone booth on the sidewalk and was detonated as two buses were entering the station across from Binyanei HaUma. Around 30 people were injured, 10 of them critically, but there were no fatalities. The city has been entirely shut down, so no one can get in or out, which is inconvenient, but the police are searching the city for the terrorist. As of right now we are not officially on lockdown, because there has been no intelligence to suggest that another attack is coming. There were rumors of a second attack in Gan Sacer, but it was a false alarm. Aardvark is constantly in contact with a security company linked with the IDF and the Jewish Agency, so we will hear immediately if anything changes. For now, we are all sticking together at home and praying for those injured in the attack.
Beyond that, I'm sure you have also heard about the recent activity in Gaza and the Western Negev. Over the weekend, 51 rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza, hitting a few kibbutzim and areas near Sderot, Ashdod, and Ashkelon. Ironically, I was in Sderot yesterday, which is a town of about 25,000 people located just one kilometer from Gaza. Sderot has been barraged by rocket fire for the past eight years, but until a few weeks ago, all had been quiet since Operation Cast Lead ended in January 2009. However yesterday, Kibbutz Sa'ad (which we had visited less than an hour before) had two red alerts, and two Qassam rockets fell in fields nearby. There were no alerts while we were in Sderot, but as we were standing atop a hill looking over at Gaza City, we did see a plane in the sky and were told to immediately get off the hill where we were standing exposed. Again, we're all fine, but it was a little scary.
We arrived home to look at the news and find out that the IDF launched a retaliation into the Gaza Strip, killing nine Palestinians, four of whom were known terrorists. The other five, unfortunately, were innocent civilians. In retaliation to this retaliation, Hamas fired two Grad Katushya rockets at Be'er Sheva, injuring one person and destroying a number of buildings. As of right now, that is all the news from Gaza, given that the media is currently a little preoccupied with what's going on here in Jerusalem.
I had never been to Sderot before yesterday, and I have to admit that the images of it in my mind were mostly of cement shelters and bombed out buildings and wire fences. As a Jew, I hate to be someone who subscribes to that kind of media prejudice against Israel, but I was, in this case, and yesterday I learned that Sderot is actually a shockingly beautiful place. It's green, and warm, and on a clear day like yesterday it has a beautiful view straight to the Mediterranean. The whole area is really quite gorgeous. I'm not sure how people who get to live in such a beautiful place can be angry enough to fire rockets at each other.
The other thing that really struck me about Sderot (as well as Kibbutz Sa'ad) is how accustomed they all are to the violence. In Sderot, there are multiple bomb shelters every block, but they are painted with colorful images, and everyone just seems to be very casual about the fact that sometimes an alarm goes off and they have fifteen seconds to run for their lives. I've heard horror stories from my Israeli friends who live in this region, and everyone who lives there does have these stories, but as a complete society, they are unbelievably calm about the whole thing. It's amazing.
That's all I've got for you for now, but I'm sure things will keep changing very quickly over the next few days, so I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, March 22
Purim!
Well Purim has now officially concluded, so I can't say Purim sameach, but I hope you all had a great chag! Of course, it can't have been anywhere near as fantastic as mine was, because Purim in this country is absolutely INSANE. There's this old law that says that everywhere in the world Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar, but in walled cities (such as Shushan, where Megilat Esther takes place), it is celebrated on the 15th of Adar. This means that in all of Israel, Purim was on Sunday, except in Jerusalem, it began Sunday night and continued through today. So basically, we had two days of Purim. AWESOME. Here are some quick notes on the past few days:
-My Angry Bird costume failed due to the fact that I could not find a beak ANYWHERE, so I went Sunday morning to work at a carnival for kids dressed as a cat, then I went out last night as a cowgirl, and today I was a hippie. All three costumes were assembled from clothing belonging to other Aardvarks, but they all turned out great!
-I went to this WILD street party in the alleys of shuk Machane Yehuda last night! There were hundreds of young people, dressed up and wasted out of their minds, dancing body to body to this crazy hippie music. It was hilarious. Admittedly, I had had a little bit to drink (it's Purim... it's a mitzvah), but the party was ridiculous, I had so much fun!
-So about hamantaschen.... well, first of all, they're really good. But second of all, I have yet to find one here that's as good as Cheryl Ann's. They have weird fillings here, though, some of which are really good, including date, fig, halva, vanilla stuff, and some sort of sweet cheese. However, everyone here seems to belong to the camp that likes crunchy hamataschen rather than the cakey variety that I've grown up with. I made some really good ones, but I had a little bit of a problem with the raspberry jam and it exploded all over the place. Whatever, they still tasted good. :)
-So firecrackers are illegal in this country, but like many other illegal things (underage drinking, hash, jaywalking), the cops either don't really care or just can't really do anything about it, so there have been firecrackers going off constantly for the past three days. When I was in Guatemala, hearing BANG BANG BANG all the time was kind of fun, but here it's TERRIFYING. Every time one goes off, we all think we're about to die. Last night when I was walking one went off like four feet in front of me; I screamed, and everyone around me ran off in different directions. Seriously, who sets off firecrackers in a country traumatized by years of bombing?
-Today, Aardvark had a b'yachad Purim seuda, which was a giant feast of cold cut sandwiches, vegetables, hamantaschen, and plenty of wine. We sang songs, and told jokes, and did Robert De Niro impersonations, and were encouraged by our rabbi to get drunk. Weird, but it was a blast. In the middle of the meal, a bunch of random people we had never seen before ran into the room, grabbed our hands, and led us in a Congo line around the room singing Purim songs. The same thing happened on the bus last night. Seriously, I love this country.
Aside from Purim, everyday life continues in Jerusalem. General updates:
-St. Patrick's Day happened, and almost no one in this country is Irish, so I had to seek out some good Irish fun. We found a party at an American bar called Mike's Place, complete with plenty of green decorations, good beer on tap, and a decent folk-rock-y band. Not quite like Boston, but it was a good night.
-On Saturday, one of my roommates and I walked from our apartment all the way to the Kotel and back. I've been wanting to do it since I moved to Jerusalem, but it was a REALLY long walk! We looked it up later, and it was about 7km, and the second half was mostly going up and down stairs. My knees are still angry at me, but it was a good experience. Walking in this city on Shabbat is amazing.
-So my apartment is falling apart. Nothing on Tel Aviv style falling apart, but seriously. Of the nine lights in the apartment, six do not work, and it's not because of the bulbs. I've changed one of them three separate times and it just keeps going out, so I think it's something wrong with the wiring. Furthermore, our bathroom sink refuses to drain, part of the ceiling fell into the toilet, and my roommate and I have a mold infestation on our ceiling (no worries, though, we're getting it looked at tomorrow). On the bright side, though, the power no longer goes out every time we use the toaster.
-I went to Tel Aviv last week (finally) to get my computer looked at, but all I learned was that I would have to spend a small fortune just to get the thing looked at, so basically, I don't have a computer for the next three and half weeks until I come home. I'm so grateful to have such a generous roommate!
That's all for now; I have to go make a bed on the couch (can't sleep in a mold infested room) and I have to be up early tomorrow for a field trip.
Good night!
-My Angry Bird costume failed due to the fact that I could not find a beak ANYWHERE, so I went Sunday morning to work at a carnival for kids dressed as a cat, then I went out last night as a cowgirl, and today I was a hippie. All three costumes were assembled from clothing belonging to other Aardvarks, but they all turned out great!
-I went to this WILD street party in the alleys of shuk Machane Yehuda last night! There were hundreds of young people, dressed up and wasted out of their minds, dancing body to body to this crazy hippie music. It was hilarious. Admittedly, I had had a little bit to drink (it's Purim... it's a mitzvah), but the party was ridiculous, I had so much fun!
-So about hamantaschen.... well, first of all, they're really good. But second of all, I have yet to find one here that's as good as Cheryl Ann's. They have weird fillings here, though, some of which are really good, including date, fig, halva, vanilla stuff, and some sort of sweet cheese. However, everyone here seems to belong to the camp that likes crunchy hamataschen rather than the cakey variety that I've grown up with. I made some really good ones, but I had a little bit of a problem with the raspberry jam and it exploded all over the place. Whatever, they still tasted good. :)
-So firecrackers are illegal in this country, but like many other illegal things (underage drinking, hash, jaywalking), the cops either don't really care or just can't really do anything about it, so there have been firecrackers going off constantly for the past three days. When I was in Guatemala, hearing BANG BANG BANG all the time was kind of fun, but here it's TERRIFYING. Every time one goes off, we all think we're about to die. Last night when I was walking one went off like four feet in front of me; I screamed, and everyone around me ran off in different directions. Seriously, who sets off firecrackers in a country traumatized by years of bombing?
-Today, Aardvark had a b'yachad Purim seuda, which was a giant feast of cold cut sandwiches, vegetables, hamantaschen, and plenty of wine. We sang songs, and told jokes, and did Robert De Niro impersonations, and were encouraged by our rabbi to get drunk. Weird, but it was a blast. In the middle of the meal, a bunch of random people we had never seen before ran into the room, grabbed our hands, and led us in a Congo line around the room singing Purim songs. The same thing happened on the bus last night. Seriously, I love this country.
Aside from Purim, everyday life continues in Jerusalem. General updates:
-St. Patrick's Day happened, and almost no one in this country is Irish, so I had to seek out some good Irish fun. We found a party at an American bar called Mike's Place, complete with plenty of green decorations, good beer on tap, and a decent folk-rock-y band. Not quite like Boston, but it was a good night.
-On Saturday, one of my roommates and I walked from our apartment all the way to the Kotel and back. I've been wanting to do it since I moved to Jerusalem, but it was a REALLY long walk! We looked it up later, and it was about 7km, and the second half was mostly going up and down stairs. My knees are still angry at me, but it was a good experience. Walking in this city on Shabbat is amazing.
-So my apartment is falling apart. Nothing on Tel Aviv style falling apart, but seriously. Of the nine lights in the apartment, six do not work, and it's not because of the bulbs. I've changed one of them three separate times and it just keeps going out, so I think it's something wrong with the wiring. Furthermore, our bathroom sink refuses to drain, part of the ceiling fell into the toilet, and my roommate and I have a mold infestation on our ceiling (no worries, though, we're getting it looked at tomorrow). On the bright side, though, the power no longer goes out every time we use the toaster.
-I went to Tel Aviv last week (finally) to get my computer looked at, but all I learned was that I would have to spend a small fortune just to get the thing looked at, so basically, I don't have a computer for the next three and half weeks until I come home. I'm so grateful to have such a generous roommate!
That's all for now; I have to go make a bed on the couch (can't sleep in a mold infested room) and I have to be up early tomorrow for a field trip.
Good night!
Friday, March 11
A Week With Masa
So I just finished this morning with a weeklong Masa conference called "Building Future Leadership". The conference turned out to be not at all what I expected, but I did learn some and had a lot of fun. The programming that Masa put together, I have to say, was not very good, and I don't feel like I gained very much from it. However, the people I met were wonderful, and I was able not only to make many new friends, but to learn from my peers even more than from professional speakers and educators. Other than that, I have some specific notes, so, as usual, I'll post in bullets.
-On Tuesday, everyone at the conference participated in special interest activities, ranging from Israel advocacy seminars to visiting the Israel Museum. Coming from Temple Beth Avodah, of course I chose to participate in a full day of activities based around social justice and tikkun olam. We spent the day with an organization called B'Maagalei Tzedek, which focuses on helping underprivileged populations in Israel whom no other organization is paying attention to, including those who are physically disabled. Tuesday morning we had the privilege of traveling to Hebrew University at Givat Ram to meet an IDF soldier named Roi who is now paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident during his service. His story is incredible: he was an officer in a special missions unit, and on one particular mission in the West Bank to capture a terror suspect, a member of his own team mistook him for the terrorist and shot him 34 times. Roi died; for 25 minutes his heart did not beat, but paramedics were eventually able to revive him and after a week in a coma, Roi woke up, with full mental capabilities. The terror suspect did end up being caught, and Roi chose not to press charges against the soldier who shot him, but he spent the next two years of his life in rehabilitation. Today, he is very active in the community, and with the help of B'Maagalei Tzedek, he is studying to become a social worker. Furthermore, he is actually a widely known basketball star.... in wheelchair basketball. He taught us how wheelchair basketball works, and shared with us the history of this tradition in Israel and in Europe, and a number of people even got to try it. He's an incredible person, with incredible spirit, and having the opportunity to meet him was truly an honor and a privilege.
-On Wednesday, all of the gap year students visited an outdoor leadership/Bible study center called Neot Kedumim. Neot Kedumim is like Outward Bound with a biblical twist. It's located in Modi'in, which is at the edge of the holy Jerusalem hills, and its focus is on preserving the land as it was in the time of our ancestors, from the plant life to the traditions. It's a really cool place, and I'd actually love to live there for a while, but our day there was in the pouring rain, so six hours was perfectly sufficient. At Neot Kedumim, our group was forced to work together to pull water out of a cistern (blindfolded), make candles out of clay, cotton and olive oil, harvest the ancient herb hyssop (which is basically what za'atar is, and is in the same family as oregano), and even herd goats! Despite the rain and the wind, it was a blast!
-At Neot Kedumim, I also learned a really cool linguistics fact. So the word for "almond" (and "almond tree") in Hebrew is "shaked", which comes from the same root as "shoked", meaning diligent. Why? Because the almond tree is the first to blossom in the spring and the last to bear fruit in the fall, meaning that it works for five months to produce its fruit. The fruit that it does produce, however, is nearly perfect. It is sweet, high in protein, and has a shelf life of nearly a year, when raw. It's a perfect fruit, and an extremely diligent tree. Shaked. Diligent. Isn't it crazy that Hebrew works like that?
-Easily the worst part of my week was a discussion I had over lunch one day with a number of other gap year students. It began as a fairly meaningful conversation about pluralism and the future of the Jewish people, until one kid erupted with the statement "I don't respect reform Judaism." He followed that by detailing a number of common reform practices (a looser interpretation of kashrut and the laws of Shabbat, etc.) and saying that our traditions and practices "are not Jewish", so we "may as well be Christians." I sat and listened for a few more minutes while he bashed the reform movement and talked about his commitment to orthodoxy as the only way to preserve Judaism, until I noticed that he wasn't even wearing a kippa, at which point I almost exploded, so I got up and left the table so as not to offend anyone. (Interesting side note: about ten minutes later, I noticed that he had put on a black kippa, which are traditionally worn only by the ultra-orthodox. After that, though, I didn't see him wear one again for the rest of the week). Later, I realized that what infuriates me most about this kind of slander is the fact that it's not just one kid spewing random crap; he represents a much larger population of Jews who feel this way. I have faced more hatred for who I am and what I believe from Jews in Israel than I have from any other person or group anywhere else in the world. I have been called a disgrace, I have been told to cover up, I have been told not to show affection; I have straight up been told that I am NOT A JEW. It's INFURIATING. They are MISSING THE POINT of what it means to be Jewish. Judaism may be about kashrut and Shabbat and halacha for some people, and that's okay, but the core of Judaism is about peoplehood. It's about family, about history, and about being a good person in this world. And anyone who turns his or her back on one of their own... well, they are missing the point.
-Another thing that really frustrates me, more about programming for diaspora Jews than about being in Israel, is the way that the idea of "Israel advocacy" is framed in today's world. I've learned to keep my mouth shut during these "Israel advocacy" workshops and meetings, because I've found that if I say anything even remotely critical of Israel, I am immediately labeled "anti-Israel". But here's the problem: advocating for Israel today is decreasingly defined as promoting the Jewish people's right to a state, but has grown to mean blindly supporting whatever Israel does, and furthermore, delegitimizing the arguments of those who criticize Israel. In workshops we are taught to make analogies, to tell stories, give statistics, defend, defend, defend, but not once have I been encouraged to examine what "the other side" is actually saying. How can we advocate for our country if we are blindly unaware of the problems that do occur, of the truth that does lie in the arguments of those we call "anti-Israel"? Furthermore, how can we be expected to defend our cause if we are doing nothing to eliminate "theirs"? Rather than tearing down Israel's critics, should be not be focused on building up a better Israel, and creating a state we can all be proud of? It is true that the UN targets Israel more than it does any other country in the world, and it is true that the criticism Israel receives is disproportionate by global standards, however instead of recognizing our wrongdoings and aiming to reverse them, "Israel advocates" of today spend most of their time pointing fingers at other nations whose human rights violations are far worse than our own. But forget Libya, forget Iran, why shouldn't we, as Jews, hold ourselves to a higher standard? Why shouldn't our first priority be making sure that in the future, the UN has no basis for such accusations? It drives me crazy. I love Israel and I believe it should exist and I want for it to exist for years into the future, but I see the way we are going about defending ourselves in this publicity war is all wrong. It's not about Jewish students on North American campuses, it's about beginning with vast social change here in Israel. I can't be the only person who sees it this way. So why do I constantly feel so alienated amongst the American Jewish population here?
-For all of the faults with Masa's programming, I have to give them credit for exposing me to a number of cool organizations/companies/etc. Among the groups I recommend checking out: the NU Campaign, which aims to raise funds and awareness of different social justice campaigns through music and very beautifully designed t shirts; PresenTense, which aims to help young Jews establish themselves and their ideas in the world of social entrepreneurship; and Matt Bar and his hilarious Bible Raps, which remind me vaguely of the days of Felicia Sloin and the Jewish Character Raps (my favorite one of Matt Bar's is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iSrGQ1cwxM).
-Purim is in 8 days!!! Purim is a HUGE deal in Jerusalem, and I think I've finally decided on a costume. Anyone who has any sort of mobile Apple device has heard of the game Angry Birds... I'm going as an Angry Bird! I'm not sure Israelis will get the reference, but I'm excited about it!
Okay this is a REALLY long post. I had more to say, but my hands are starting to ache, so I'll save it for later. :)
Shabbat Shalom!
-On Tuesday, everyone at the conference participated in special interest activities, ranging from Israel advocacy seminars to visiting the Israel Museum. Coming from Temple Beth Avodah, of course I chose to participate in a full day of activities based around social justice and tikkun olam. We spent the day with an organization called B'Maagalei Tzedek, which focuses on helping underprivileged populations in Israel whom no other organization is paying attention to, including those who are physically disabled. Tuesday morning we had the privilege of traveling to Hebrew University at Givat Ram to meet an IDF soldier named Roi who is now paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident during his service. His story is incredible: he was an officer in a special missions unit, and on one particular mission in the West Bank to capture a terror suspect, a member of his own team mistook him for the terrorist and shot him 34 times. Roi died; for 25 minutes his heart did not beat, but paramedics were eventually able to revive him and after a week in a coma, Roi woke up, with full mental capabilities. The terror suspect did end up being caught, and Roi chose not to press charges against the soldier who shot him, but he spent the next two years of his life in rehabilitation. Today, he is very active in the community, and with the help of B'Maagalei Tzedek, he is studying to become a social worker. Furthermore, he is actually a widely known basketball star.... in wheelchair basketball. He taught us how wheelchair basketball works, and shared with us the history of this tradition in Israel and in Europe, and a number of people even got to try it. He's an incredible person, with incredible spirit, and having the opportunity to meet him was truly an honor and a privilege.
-On Wednesday, all of the gap year students visited an outdoor leadership/Bible study center called Neot Kedumim. Neot Kedumim is like Outward Bound with a biblical twist. It's located in Modi'in, which is at the edge of the holy Jerusalem hills, and its focus is on preserving the land as it was in the time of our ancestors, from the plant life to the traditions. It's a really cool place, and I'd actually love to live there for a while, but our day there was in the pouring rain, so six hours was perfectly sufficient. At Neot Kedumim, our group was forced to work together to pull water out of a cistern (blindfolded), make candles out of clay, cotton and olive oil, harvest the ancient herb hyssop (which is basically what za'atar is, and is in the same family as oregano), and even herd goats! Despite the rain and the wind, it was a blast!
-At Neot Kedumim, I also learned a really cool linguistics fact. So the word for "almond" (and "almond tree") in Hebrew is "shaked", which comes from the same root as "shoked", meaning diligent. Why? Because the almond tree is the first to blossom in the spring and the last to bear fruit in the fall, meaning that it works for five months to produce its fruit. The fruit that it does produce, however, is nearly perfect. It is sweet, high in protein, and has a shelf life of nearly a year, when raw. It's a perfect fruit, and an extremely diligent tree. Shaked. Diligent. Isn't it crazy that Hebrew works like that?
-Easily the worst part of my week was a discussion I had over lunch one day with a number of other gap year students. It began as a fairly meaningful conversation about pluralism and the future of the Jewish people, until one kid erupted with the statement "I don't respect reform Judaism." He followed that by detailing a number of common reform practices (a looser interpretation of kashrut and the laws of Shabbat, etc.) and saying that our traditions and practices "are not Jewish", so we "may as well be Christians." I sat and listened for a few more minutes while he bashed the reform movement and talked about his commitment to orthodoxy as the only way to preserve Judaism, until I noticed that he wasn't even wearing a kippa, at which point I almost exploded, so I got up and left the table so as not to offend anyone. (Interesting side note: about ten minutes later, I noticed that he had put on a black kippa, which are traditionally worn only by the ultra-orthodox. After that, though, I didn't see him wear one again for the rest of the week). Later, I realized that what infuriates me most about this kind of slander is the fact that it's not just one kid spewing random crap; he represents a much larger population of Jews who feel this way. I have faced more hatred for who I am and what I believe from Jews in Israel than I have from any other person or group anywhere else in the world. I have been called a disgrace, I have been told to cover up, I have been told not to show affection; I have straight up been told that I am NOT A JEW. It's INFURIATING. They are MISSING THE POINT of what it means to be Jewish. Judaism may be about kashrut and Shabbat and halacha for some people, and that's okay, but the core of Judaism is about peoplehood. It's about family, about history, and about being a good person in this world. And anyone who turns his or her back on one of their own... well, they are missing the point.
-Another thing that really frustrates me, more about programming for diaspora Jews than about being in Israel, is the way that the idea of "Israel advocacy" is framed in today's world. I've learned to keep my mouth shut during these "Israel advocacy" workshops and meetings, because I've found that if I say anything even remotely critical of Israel, I am immediately labeled "anti-Israel". But here's the problem: advocating for Israel today is decreasingly defined as promoting the Jewish people's right to a state, but has grown to mean blindly supporting whatever Israel does, and furthermore, delegitimizing the arguments of those who criticize Israel. In workshops we are taught to make analogies, to tell stories, give statistics, defend, defend, defend, but not once have I been encouraged to examine what "the other side" is actually saying. How can we advocate for our country if we are blindly unaware of the problems that do occur, of the truth that does lie in the arguments of those we call "anti-Israel"? Furthermore, how can we be expected to defend our cause if we are doing nothing to eliminate "theirs"? Rather than tearing down Israel's critics, should be not be focused on building up a better Israel, and creating a state we can all be proud of? It is true that the UN targets Israel more than it does any other country in the world, and it is true that the criticism Israel receives is disproportionate by global standards, however instead of recognizing our wrongdoings and aiming to reverse them, "Israel advocates" of today spend most of their time pointing fingers at other nations whose human rights violations are far worse than our own. But forget Libya, forget Iran, why shouldn't we, as Jews, hold ourselves to a higher standard? Why shouldn't our first priority be making sure that in the future, the UN has no basis for such accusations? It drives me crazy. I love Israel and I believe it should exist and I want for it to exist for years into the future, but I see the way we are going about defending ourselves in this publicity war is all wrong. It's not about Jewish students on North American campuses, it's about beginning with vast social change here in Israel. I can't be the only person who sees it this way. So why do I constantly feel so alienated amongst the American Jewish population here?
-For all of the faults with Masa's programming, I have to give them credit for exposing me to a number of cool organizations/companies/etc. Among the groups I recommend checking out: the NU Campaign, which aims to raise funds and awareness of different social justice campaigns through music and very beautifully designed t shirts; PresenTense, which aims to help young Jews establish themselves and their ideas in the world of social entrepreneurship; and Matt Bar and his hilarious Bible Raps, which remind me vaguely of the days of Felicia Sloin and the Jewish Character Raps (my favorite one of Matt Bar's is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iSrGQ1cwxM).
-Purim is in 8 days!!! Purim is a HUGE deal in Jerusalem, and I think I've finally decided on a costume. Anyone who has any sort of mobile Apple device has heard of the game Angry Birds... I'm going as an Angry Bird! I'm not sure Israelis will get the reference, but I'm excited about it!
Okay this is a REALLY long post. I had more to say, but my hands are starting to ache, so I'll save it for later. :)
Shabbat Shalom!
Saturday, March 5
Energy and Chaos
There's something about Jerusalem that just has a constant air of chaos. Whether it's the perpetually-in-a-hurry charedim clutching their hats as they run towards the Old City, or the absolutely harrowing bus rides through downtown, or the Muslim prayer calls in Gilo that wake us up at 5:00 every morning, everything here is in a constant state of frenetic change. I love it. My daily schedule was far more chaotic in Tel Aviv, but there's something about Jerusalem that just has this insane magnetic energy, and it's almost exhausting, but I absolutely love it. Updates:
-I don't currently have a computer. My screen is broken, so I can turn my computer on, but can't actually see anything, so basically I am without a computer. I've been mooching off of my roommates and friends who leave town on the weekends, which is the only reason I am able to post this right now. It's making Skype dates and returning emails very difficult. If you can't get in touch with me, don't be offended, I'm just a little hard to reach right now. Hopefully I can get it fixed soon!
-I lived through my first Jerusalem security threat! One night last week we received a mass text from an Israeli security agency alerting us that we were forbidden to take public transportation or be in crowded areas of the city. I was downtown when I got the text, which was a little scary, but I got safely to my destination in a quiet neighborhood, and got safely home by taxi, and everything worked out fine. Apparently a terror suspect had somehow managed to get into Jerusalem, and there was suspicion that he might be carrying something, but they caught the guy within 12 hours, and everyone went on with their lives as normal. It was a little stressful, but actually not at all as frightening as I would have thought. Living here just comes with certain attitude adjustments, and after a while you forget that it's not normal to get off the bus if a sketchy looking guy gets on. It's just life here, and honestly, it's worth every extra security precaution.
-The destination I was on my way to at the time of the security threat was the Avi Schaefer Symposium, which was very interesting. Avi Schaefer was an American student who made aliyah at the age of 18 with his twin brother Yoav, and joined the IDF. After serving in an elite combat unit (and working with my madricha), he returned to the States and studied at Brown University. At Brown, he was at the forefront of the Israel discussion on campus, and he was known for promoting understanding between everyone involved: American Jews, Israelis, Israel critics, and Palestinians and their supporters. A year ago, Avi was killed by a drunk driver. In his honor, his family established the Avi Schaefer Fund, which aims to continue Avi's work on campuses around North America. The symposium was the first of many annual events to come featuring a series of speeches and panels about the de-legitimization of Israel on college campuses worldwide, and how, in Avi's honor, we as students can continue to promote understanding and a fair voice for all involved. There were some truly amazing speakers, including MK Einat Wilf (formerly of the Labor Party) and representatives from Reut, StandWithUs, and the Jewish Agency, and I left the event feeling really inspired by Avi's story and my role in the future of this country. For more information about Avi or the Fund.... http://www.avischaeferfund.org/
-I turned 19! I had a really great birthday, including a sushi date with my roommates and a night out with the whole Aardvark gang. Even the staff, although they didn't actually know it was my birthday, brought me presents (a new toaster for the apartment, which came with a free sandwich press)! I was noting today that 19 feels really old, especially considering that when I entered high school, I figured I'd have it all figured out by the time I graduated, and now I'm living across the world, and still have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Maybe by the time I'm 20...?
-It's actually spring in Jerusalem. It was at LEAST 65 degrees today (Fahrenheit), and the sun was out and the trees are green and birds were chirping and the air has that yummy springy smell. Poppies are sprouting all over the place, and little salamanders are emerging from cracks in the stone. It's beautiful.
-So I've started dealing with stress by baking, which might be a little bit of a problem, but seriously, I've mastered cookies. Today I made giant double chocolate cookies with hidden peppermint patties inside. They were straight up the best cookies I've ever tasted. I can't even believe that I managed to pull them off. They literally turned out PERFECTLY. Here's the link to the recipe (with pictures!): http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/quarter-pound-double-chocolate-mint.html
Also, for anyone who's at all food-inclined, vanillasugar is a fantastic food blog with great recipes, including many more delicious looking cookies. :)
-Before I head off to the MASA conference, I want to wish an early happy birthday to both of my parents! You are both so wonderful and so amazing, and being away from home for so long has really made me appreciate the incredible parents that you have been my entire life. I hope you both have fantastic birthdays, and I love and miss you!
Shabbat Shalom!
-I don't currently have a computer. My screen is broken, so I can turn my computer on, but can't actually see anything, so basically I am without a computer. I've been mooching off of my roommates and friends who leave town on the weekends, which is the only reason I am able to post this right now. It's making Skype dates and returning emails very difficult. If you can't get in touch with me, don't be offended, I'm just a little hard to reach right now. Hopefully I can get it fixed soon!
-I lived through my first Jerusalem security threat! One night last week we received a mass text from an Israeli security agency alerting us that we were forbidden to take public transportation or be in crowded areas of the city. I was downtown when I got the text, which was a little scary, but I got safely to my destination in a quiet neighborhood, and got safely home by taxi, and everything worked out fine. Apparently a terror suspect had somehow managed to get into Jerusalem, and there was suspicion that he might be carrying something, but they caught the guy within 12 hours, and everyone went on with their lives as normal. It was a little stressful, but actually not at all as frightening as I would have thought. Living here just comes with certain attitude adjustments, and after a while you forget that it's not normal to get off the bus if a sketchy looking guy gets on. It's just life here, and honestly, it's worth every extra security precaution.
-The destination I was on my way to at the time of the security threat was the Avi Schaefer Symposium, which was very interesting. Avi Schaefer was an American student who made aliyah at the age of 18 with his twin brother Yoav, and joined the IDF. After serving in an elite combat unit (and working with my madricha), he returned to the States and studied at Brown University. At Brown, he was at the forefront of the Israel discussion on campus, and he was known for promoting understanding between everyone involved: American Jews, Israelis, Israel critics, and Palestinians and their supporters. A year ago, Avi was killed by a drunk driver. In his honor, his family established the Avi Schaefer Fund, which aims to continue Avi's work on campuses around North America. The symposium was the first of many annual events to come featuring a series of speeches and panels about the de-legitimization of Israel on college campuses worldwide, and how, in Avi's honor, we as students can continue to promote understanding and a fair voice for all involved. There were some truly amazing speakers, including MK Einat Wilf (formerly of the Labor Party) and representatives from Reut, StandWithUs, and the Jewish Agency, and I left the event feeling really inspired by Avi's story and my role in the future of this country. For more information about Avi or the Fund.... http://www.avischaeferfund.org/
-I turned 19! I had a really great birthday, including a sushi date with my roommates and a night out with the whole Aardvark gang. Even the staff, although they didn't actually know it was my birthday, brought me presents (a new toaster for the apartment, which came with a free sandwich press)! I was noting today that 19 feels really old, especially considering that when I entered high school, I figured I'd have it all figured out by the time I graduated, and now I'm living across the world, and still have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Maybe by the time I'm 20...?
-It's actually spring in Jerusalem. It was at LEAST 65 degrees today (Fahrenheit), and the sun was out and the trees are green and birds were chirping and the air has that yummy springy smell. Poppies are sprouting all over the place, and little salamanders are emerging from cracks in the stone. It's beautiful.
-So I've started dealing with stress by baking, which might be a little bit of a problem, but seriously, I've mastered cookies. Today I made giant double chocolate cookies with hidden peppermint patties inside. They were straight up the best cookies I've ever tasted. I can't even believe that I managed to pull them off. They literally turned out PERFECTLY. Here's the link to the recipe (with pictures!): http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/quarter-pound-double-chocolate-mint.html
Also, for anyone who's at all food-inclined, vanillasugar is a fantastic food blog with great recipes, including many more delicious looking cookies. :)
-Before I head off to the MASA conference, I want to wish an early happy birthday to both of my parents! You are both so wonderful and so amazing, and being away from home for so long has really made me appreciate the incredible parents that you have been my entire life. I hope you both have fantastic birthdays, and I love and miss you!
Shabbat Shalom!
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