Hatikvah - A Blog About Life in Rabbinical School

Yom Kippur Sermon

2011-10-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

My Yom Kippur sermon, given on Saturday, October 8, 2011/10 Tishrei 5772 at Valley Ruach at Adat Ari El, based on the sermon I originally gave shortly after returning from Siberia at Adat Ari El on Shabbat, July 16, 2011...

When I was growing up in the 1980s, the specter of the Soviet Union was omnipresent. I learned about the constant threat of nuclear war and I learned about the fate of Jews in the Soviet Union. The situation of refuseniks was a major part of my connection to the Jewish community growing up. I was of the era of “twinning,” of leaving an empty seat on the bima during a bnei mitzvah in honor of a Soviet child who was unable to have their own coming-of-age celebration on the other side of the Iron Curtain.

During the Soviet era, religion was taboo and Judaism was no exception. Under the Soviet system, religion just didn’t matter anymore so intermarriage among Jews was rampant. From 1918 to 1991, some three generations of Jews unlearned their heritage and became model Soviet citizens. Then, suddenly in 1991, the future changed for everyone. Who would’ve expected that the situation would change so dramatically, that in 1991 religious freedom for Jews would return to Eastern Europe and to Russia?

With that freedom, Jews fled the Former Soviet Union. Over a million emigrated to Israel and the United States but some remained. Today, only about 200,000 Jews remain in Russia, less than a third of the number of Jews in Los Angeles. 200,000 Jews in the world’s largest country, almost twice the size of the United States. And many of them are barely connected to the tradition. A few thousand of these Jews remain in Siberia, a remnant of Jewish professionals - engineers, scientists, physicians, sent by the USSR to work and teach east of the Ural Mountains.

When I heard about the Siberia bnei mitzvah program, I desperately wanted to be part of it. Created by Elaine Berke, a member of the Valley Beth Sholom community and sponsored by my school, the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University, along with the Joint Distribution Committee , the Siberian bnei mitzvah program has, for the last six years, sent two rabbinical students to Siberia to spend a week teaching Jewish Siberian teens some basics of Judaism in anticipation of a communal bar and bat mitzvah celebration on the following Shabbat.

While I was part of the sixth pair to go to Siberia, our team was quite historic. Traveling with me was my classmate and friend, Rachel Safman, the first female rabbinical student to participate in the program. For years, the Joint and the Siberian Jewish community were reluctant to allow a woman to participate in the program, fearing that it would de-legitimize the program. Fortunately, communal pressure by my classmates at my school resulted in change. During our time in Siberia, we came to realize that Rachel was likely the first female to conduct a Shabbat service in Siberia in many many years, if ever.

In late June, Rachel and I found ourselves flying on Aeroflot, the Russian airline, from Los Angeles to New York to Moscow to Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia. Our week-long camp consisted of nearly 60 Siberian Jewish teens. Several parents also took time out from their lives to attend and to learn with us. Kids came from small towns and large cities from throughout Siberia, for this one opportunity to connect to their tradition. Several of the children were the one and only Jew to travel to Novosibirsk from their hometown; how daunting that must have been. We were amazed by their courage and dedication to our tradition.

Novosibirisk, known as the capital of Siberia, is a modern city, founded at the end of the 19th century at the junction of the Ob River and the Trans-Siberian Railroad. The architecture of the city is quite remarkable with a combination of modern skyscrapers, utilitarian Soviet housing blocks, and Victorian edifices. The city is Russia’s third largest with more than two and a half million people in its metropolitan region. While winter temperatures can dip to 30 degrees below, we were there at the end of June and early July and so temperatures were warm - into the low 90s. And, with sunrise by 4 am and sunset around 11 pm, the day was hot and long. Surrounding Novosibirsk is a dense beautiful forest with thin birch and pine trees reaching high into the sky. We hiked whenever we had a break, despite the rugged Siberian mosquitoes who seemed to mock our nearly useless American bug repellent.

Throughout the week we had numerous sessions with our teen campers, teaching them through our translators, to recite and sing the Shema, the Torah blessings, and Veshamru. (It was quite fun that among those familiar with Veshamru, it was Rabbi Rothblum’s tune that they knew, literally on the other side of the earth.) We studied some Torah and learned about the Talmud. We worked on the basics for there were so many holes we needed to fill. Some kids came with knowledge and some came with nothing. I discovered one young girl wearing a Eastern Orthodox cross because it’s what nearly every women in Russia wears around her neck. We talked to the girl and replaced her cross with a magen david necklace instead.

We encouraged the campers, counselors, and parents to ask us anything. We spent a week answering many many questions about ourselves and about our Jewish observance. We answered many questions about the role of women in Judaism. We answered questions about kashrut, about kippot, about Jewish life in America, and about Israel. We talked about our tradition and commandments and what it means to be empowered and obligated as a bar or bat mitzvah.

But, we were saddened by some of the questions. One in particular stands out. A 20-something young couple in love, camp counselors, somewhat knowledgable of our tradition, asked us if it was true that only Orthodox Jews could be married under a chuppah. Ouch.

While the future opened up for Jews in Russia after 1991, only our friends at Chabad were able to dispatch rabbinical leaders throughout the country. The chief rabbi of Russia is a Chabad rabbi and is close to Vladamir Putin. The wealthy Jewish oligarchs of Russia give their money to Chabad to duplicate their Eastern Orthodox colleagues. The synagogues that were returned to the Jewish community after the fall of the USSR were given to Chabad. Chabad is recognized as the official form of Judaism in the modern Russian Empire.

Therefore, those who know anything about Judaism usually only know about it from a Chabad perspective. So, what this young couple learned about Jewish weddings was that you had to be Orthodox to be married Jewishly because Chabad can’t deal with the Jewish identity question in Russia after so much intermarriage during the Soviet era. So, Chabad only accepts those willing to prove their identity and be observant according to Chabad expectations. We were so sad. We answered the couple that Jewish tradition wants young people to get married and have Jewish children so the task doesn’t even require a rabbi. We encouraged them to be married by the state and have a knowledgeable friend learn to perform the Jewish ceremony under a chuppah.

Throughout the week we tried to teach our students that alternatives exist in the global Jewish community. We encouraged them to seek out answers for themselves on the Internet and to seek out alternatives when they are told “no.” We tried to be the Russian 2011 version of the 1965 book, The First Jewish Catalogue.

We took many questions about brit milah and realized quite quickly that nearly all of our male campers were uncircumcised, and likely not one had received a brit milah by a mohel. These teenage boys obviously have suffered a lot of mental anguish over their status as Jews. What to do under these circumstances? How do we make them feel more welcome?

We decided to give all of our campers Hebrew names as a sign of welcoming them into the Jewish community. None of them had been given Jewish names at birth. Over the course of the week, we met with each of our campers and talked about their current name and about the heroes of the Bible and we worked together to select a new meaningful Hebrew name for the child, which we then used to call them up to the Torah during our Shabbat morning bnei mitzvah service.

At the end of the week, we had a wonderful Friday evening service with songs and dinner, it went late into the night but still ended before the 10 pm candle-lighting time. A local Jewish singer sang Go Down Moses and Hava Nagilah.

On Shabbat morning we held our Torah service and brought up groups of the teens to the Torah and bestowed upon them their Hebrew name and the title of bar or bat mitzvah. We even had a group of moms who studied with us throughout the week who were called to the Torah for their adult banot mitzvah. For nearly everyone in the camp, it was their first time even seeing a sefer Torah. We unrolled the Torah across several tables after the ceremony so that children and parents alike could see that the Torah it not in heaven but right there, in front of them.

While the bnei mitzvah program is only six years old, it has touched the lives of more than 350 young Jews and their families throughout Siberia. Most of our counselors had been part of the program themselves four to six years prior. Since then, they have gone on to Russian universities where Joint Distribution Committee-sponsored Hillels are sprouting up and are giving young Jews alternatives.

We attempted to empower our young charges to learn more. We directed them to the resources of the Internet and provided our contact information. We prepared basic Hebrew and Russian siddurium which we gave to our students to use for the future.

We spoke individually to several of the shining stars among the older campers and the counselors about continuing their Jewish education and encouraged them to consider rabbinical school in Germany, London, or in the United States. How wonderful would it be to have native Russians trained as progressive rabbis in the rabbinical schools of the west? After ordination they could return home to Novosibirsk, to Moscow, to St. Petersburg and be the leaders of a new generation of Russian Jews, who know the culture and language as natives, who have grown up after the demise of the Soviet Union, who have grown up in a country where Jews can once again wear kippot and magen david necklaces. They could create the alternatives that Russia so badly needs.

I often had to remind myself that just 20 years ago, Russia had its second major revolution of the 20th century, and for many years after 1991, the country was in chaos and individuals no longer had the certainty of a job or shelter as they had under communism. Freedom and individualism are new and it will still take time for these ideas to settle. Each year, additional Russian Jews are discovering their past, a past hidden during the time of communism. If we count those with one Jewish grandparent, perhaps the number of Jews in Russia rises into the millions. In time these Jews will look to the tradition to provide meaning and structure in their lives and to mark the passing of lifecycle events. They will turn toward the tradition and its teachers for spiritual fulfillment and growth. They will create communities where all Jews can be married under a chuppah and can circumcise their boys...

I know that this holiday season, the Jews of Siberia are unable to celebrate Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur in the way we are today. The problem of isolated and disconnected Jews remains throughout our world. Just because the Iron Curtain came down 20 years ago, we must not forget the Jews of the world. We can do more to help them, to remember them, to improve their Jewish community.

When I say next year in Jerusalem at the end of our service this Yom Kippur, I will be thinking of my friends in Siberia, praying that they too will receive the light of liberal Torah in the year to come. Gemar Chatimah Tovah!

From Rescuer to Rabbi

2011-09-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

by Matt Rosenberg

In September 2011, I was working for the American Red Cross of the Bay Area. On the morning of September 11, 2001, I remember receiving a CNN email alert about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center and didn’t think to turn on the television as I recalled the 1945 plane that crashed into the Empire State Building. Very soon thereafter I realized that it was quickly becoming a disaster.

I knew Red Cross support would be needed so I hurriedly got ready for work. As I approached my office my supervisor called and re-routed me to an East Bay city, where an early-morning apartment fire had dislocated more than one hundred people. Over the course of the next few days, I supervised the apartment fire relief operation as we provided meals, financial assistance, health services, and mental health counseling to the residents. By the following weekend, things were mostly wrapped up and air travel had resumed. I flew to New York the Monday after 9/11 and soon arrived at the Brooklyn headquarters of the disaster relief operation.

There at the Brooklyn headquarters, I saw signs posted throughout the building about a Rosh HaShanah service to be held conveniently in the headquarters that evening, which happened to be Erev Rosh HaShanah. Despite my lack of presence at High Holy Day services throughout my life (I once stopped by a High Holy Day service at my “home” congregation in Sacramento following my Bar Mitzvah simply to claim my honor of going up to the Torah; one other time, my wife Jen and I attended one service shortly after college), I felt an immediate and intense desire to attend that service and be with fellow Jews that evening. The nation had experienced a collective trauma and spirituality became an important outlet for everyone, including myself.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend as I was assigned to go meet with an immigrant family from Central America who had lost their head of household, a young father of three who was a dishwasher in the Windows on the World restaurant on the top floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I was there to provide financial assistance and to support the family in shipping the body back home to their village for a funeral.

Throughout my three weeks in New York City, working in a makeshift relief center located in tents in a city park and later at the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94, I met with hundreds of workers who had lost their jobs on September 11. Many of these people were at work on that Tuesday morning and also lost countless friends and co-workers. Over the course of my time at Pier 94, a makeshift relief center, countless employees and residents from the southern tip of Manhattan sat across from me and told me their stories. A few stand out...

I remember meeting with a man who was an elevator operator in the top floors of one of the towers. He was on his break and outside of the building when the planes hit. Since he survived, he had tremendous survivor guilt for having lived while his friend who covered his break was dead.

A waiter in a hotel restaurant in one of the other buildings of the World Trade Center complex lost his job when his building collapsed, he had been preparing tables for lunchtime when glass from the roof began raining on his head. His daughter was in a special school due to multiple disabilities and he worried how he would pay tuition.

A woman whose apartment building was off limits following the attacks couldn’t access any of her possessions and friends were beginning to tire of her and her dog. She had nowhere to go.

I helped these people and many, many more with financial assistance and a kind ear, making referrals to mental health professionals when appropriate.

But the long-lasting effect of my time in New York was the spark that ignited a passion for Judaism. Despite my love for my job and the work I was doing with the Red Cross, I needed more. I needed to fill a hole that I didn’t know existed. I finally found out that I was missing Judaism when, two years later, I finally started a basic introductory class and became hooked. I really couldn’t get enough. I read everything I could and started taking classes and attending daily and Shabbat services at local synagogues.

In 2005 I decided to quit my job at the Red Cross and consider the rabbinate. It was very difficult to leave -- I loved my job and the work I did, it was incredibly rewarding. By the summer of 2006, Jen and I were studying in Jerusalem and my full-time path to the rabbinate had begun.

Now, as the tenth anniversary of September 11 approaches and I am in my penultimate year of rabbinical school, I look back and see how the events of my life have led me to where I am today. I feel that the guiding hand of God has helped me reach this place.

Matt Rosenberg is a rabbinical student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter at @rabbimattr

Hurricane Preparation Advice for the Shomer Shabbat

2011-08-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

The National Weather Service is currently forecasting landfall of Hurricane Irene near North Carolina on Saturday and with potential impacts into the Boston to Washington D.C. metropolitan region on Sunday. Hurricane Irene has the potential to be a very serious storm that could impact a very large number of people across the Eastern Seaboard. The timing of Hurricane Irene is challenging for those who are observant Jews with regard to Shabbat.

The major principle of halacha involved in preparing for and responding to Hurricane Irene is that of pikuach nefesh docheh et HaShabbat, or "the preservation of life overrides Shabbat." The rabbis have always been lenient when it comes to risking life or limb. They are clear - do not attempt to observe Shabbat if your life is in jeopardy!¹ There are already Hurricane Warnings² issued for the Carolina coast. With any type of severe weather warnings, it is time to be more concerned about your life and the lives of your family than Shabbat.

With that in mind, these are my suggestions...

Pre-Shabbat in Hurricane Watch or Warning Zones

Assemble or restock your emergency evacuation kit.
Obtain and listen to a NOAA Weather Radio for critical information from the National Weather Service (NWS).
Bring in anything that can be picked up by the wind (bicycles, lawn furniture).
Close windows, doors and hurricane shutters. If you do not have hurricane shutters, close and board up all windows and doors with plywood.
Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting and keep them closed as much as possible so that food will last longer if the power goes out.
Turn off propane tanks and unplug small appliances.
Fill your car’s gas tank.
Plan what to do if you have to evacuate: Decide where you would go and what route you would take to get there. You may choose to go to a hotel/motel, stay with friends or relatives in a safe location or go to an evacuation shelter if necessary.
Learn about your community’s hurricane response plan. Plan routes to local shelters, register family members with special medical needs as required and make plans for your pets to be cared for.
Evacuate if advised by authorities. Be careful to avoid flooded roads and washed out bridges.
Leave your radio and television on and set to news or weather stations; use the volume control on the device during Shabbat.
Leave your computer and Internet on and pre-load local government and official weather and emergency websites into your browser! One helpful site is the National Hurricane Center
Prepare battery-powered flashlights and lanterns for power outages.

During Shabbat

If you are in a hurricane warning area, do not attend synagogue. Stay home with your family and monitor official sources for evacuation and emergency warning information. Daven at home!
Use your computer and Internet to monitor the situation by pressing Ctrl-R or Cmd-R on your computer to reload the webpage. This is not writing on Shabbat and again, it is pikuah nefesh.
If you are in a warning area and are ordered or encouraged to evacuate, do so using your automobile(s) and bring your evacuation supplies with you, even if it involves carrying.
If the power goes out, do not use candles (they are very dangerous). Use your flashlights and/or battery-operated lanterns.
Use your phone to call 9-1-1 or authorities in an emergency. Use your phone to contact friends or relatives who you made pre-storm arrangements for lodging.

For more information on disaster preparedness, visit Ready.gov's hurricane preparedness page.

Notes

1) “Whoever is swift in desecrating Shabbos in a matter that involves danger is praised” (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 328:13) and “One must desecrate Shabbos even if there is only a slight possibility that the situation is dangerous. One does not need a professional opinion or an expert physician. Whenever one is uncertain whether the situation is dangerous, he is required to desecrate Shabbos” (Shu”t Tashbeitz 1:54) (Rav Shimon ben Tzemach Duran, the Rashbatz, 14th century Spain).

2) Hurricane Warning: Hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours. Complete your storm preparations and leave the area if directed to do so by authorities.

(Much of the above instructions are adapted from Ready.gov and the American Red Cross)

The author, Matt Rosenberg, is a rabbinical student in Los Angeles and a former director of emergency services for the American Red Cross. He knows a lot about disaster and the halacha of disaster on Shabbat.

Long Overdue Update

2009-08-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure anyone is reading any longer but for the sake of posterity I will provide an update. Last school year, my second of six years, was really fantastic. I began studying Gemara (Talmud) during the second semester, which as a six-unit class represents most of my work. I also spent my year taking Hebrew, Biblical criticism, Halacha (Jewish law) of liturgy, Kabbalah, fundraising, and Bible.

I am still serving as a student rabbi at an assisted living facility and during the summer I've been covering an additional Friday for a friend so I'm there two Fridays a month. I also still volunteer with the city's Crisis Response Team and have become active as a member of the steering committee.

During the summer I have been meeting with tutors to improve my ability to leyn (chant) Torah, lead services, and study Talmud. I officiated at my first wedding in June for two great friends. In July and August I have been leading minyan (daily prayer services) at the synagogue near my home every morning at 7:30 a.m. and every evening at 7 p.m. The services are about 45 minutes and a half-hour, respectively, and it's been a really great experience.

I'm in the process of applying to some internship and part-time pulpit opportunities for the upcoming year. I have my first High Holy Day job at a local synagogue where I'll be performing a variety of duties. I am getting ready for a seventh-grade confirmation class I'll be teaching weekly about social justice.

School starts right after Labor Day and I am only enrolled in three significant classes: Gemara, Psalms, and Misdrah (commentary on Bible and Jewish law). It will be a challenge to balance class work with my interest in extracurricular rabbinic-type activities.

School is Soon

2008-08-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

There is just a week and a half remaining before school resumes. On Monday, August 25 my class starts a four day-long History Intensive, covering 4000 years of Jewish history. In anticipation of this course, we were instructed to read the 1096-page A History of the Jewish People. I spent several weeks attempting to slog through this tedious book and eventually finished.

I'm excited to meet those who were in Israel last year (none of whom I know) and the incoming freshman class (which includes a few students I know). After the History Intensive, we'll have a nice Shabbat weekend at the dean's house where we'll get to know each other. Then, after Labor Day, the regular schedule begins.

This summer I spent time getting tutored in Hebrew to keep my skills up and I also was tutored in chanting Torah. I will be chanting Torah for the first time next Monday, at a regular weekday minyan in my neighborhood. I also spen the summer finishing studying a masechet (section) of Mishnah with my Hevruta (study partner) Sara. We finished the masechet a few weeks ago and threw ourselves a little party in honor of completing that study, which is a traditional Jewish practice.

Last but certainly not least, this summer was spent helping Jen in her last few months of pregnancy. I was quite busy with errands and other baby-readiness activities. At the end of July, our first child was born. Seven days later, we held his Brit Milah or circumcision ceremony at my university. Since his birth, we've both been fairly exhausted and running ragged, trying to learn to get by on little sleep and how to parent an infant. I look forward to resuming my studies but I will also miss my son. Having the luxury of being home for the first four weeks of his life has been a wonderful blessing.

Looking to the Fall

2008-05-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

In my undergraduate and graduate education, there was nothing quite as fun as registering for the next semester's set of classes. There is so much home and anticipation and there's the great feeling of a clean slate (especially if it's been a bad semester) in the future. Well, I am equally giddy about my fall schedule and now that it is summer, I can hardly stop thinking about it.

In the fall I will continue my foray into Talmud study with a three-day-a-week class on the Mishnah which includes thrice weekly working with my study partner in the Beit Midrash (house of study or study hall) three afternoons a week. That one class is nine units and represents almost half of my class load. My Hebrew class is reduced to twice weekly with "Advanced Hebrew Expression" but I don't feel I've mastered basic Hebrew expressions yet! I will continue my close study of the Torah with a new Bible faculty member who stats in the fall. I will also be exploring the realm of the mystical in a Kabbalah class. And, if I can swing it, I will be taking a course from the MBA program on fundraising and marketing. I might have to jettison a class or two, depending on how the waters look in the fall. But I'm excited for the future!

A Year In Review

2008-05-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished my first year of rabbinical school. During our orientation last fall, we wrote our future selves letters, one letter to be delivered to us at the end of our first year and a second letter to be delivered to us upon ordination. I took my last two finals on Wednesday and once I arrived home I opened the letter that had been delivered to me on the last day of classes. I was worried that it would be silly because I really didn't remember what I'd written, that whole orientation week was such a blur. But, it turned out to be a pretty good letter and the first two sentences really hit the nail on the head, "Congratulations on completing year one. I'm sure it has been an incredible year filled with much growth, change, hardship, and I'm sure you'll have learned so much."

I have been in quite a retrospective state these past few weeks as I approached the end of my first year. I was in awe and amazed that I finally achieved this point and was quite overwhelmed at how quickly the year went but simultaneously how it felt like such a long period of time. I am shocked by how much I learned this year and how far I've come toward becoming the rabbi I want to be, the rabbi I hope to become five years from now.

Monday night is the ordination ceremony for eight of my classmates who made it to the end of their journeys. I am so very inspired by their journeys and their accomplishments and I can't wait to see them turn into rabbis on Monday night.

I look forward to my summer break. While my chaplaincy plan didn't work out, I'm going to spend time getting tutoring in chanting Torah and tutoring to improve my Hebrew skills. Jen and I are expecting a baby this summer so I will also be busy in the fatherhood arena. It should prove to be an interesting summer and I do very much look forward to my continuing journey with my fellow students and incredible teachers who have brought me to this place.

Jeremiah 29:7

2008-03-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

I heard a quote of the verse Jeremiah 29:7 today on NPR and now it has become one of my favorites. I think it symbolizes my work in nonprofits and emergency response, such as my new role on the Crisis Response Team, and my learning toward the rabbinate...

Seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper. -Jeremiah 29:7

When searching Google for more about the verse, I found this cool video...

Latest Doings

2008-03-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

On Shabbat I co-officiated at a morning learning service for those in the conversion to Judaism process. While I didn’t lead any part of the service, I provided input and my thoughts about the key prayers and the Shabbat liturgy. It was a great experience and I really look forward to learning more so that I can take a greater role in opportunities such as this one and others. Nonetheless, I know that a year ago, there was no way I would’ve been able to say anything coherent about the liturgy so I do realize that I’ve learned a thing or two.

I have two upcoming speaking engagements in the next week. On Friday, I am speaking about my trip to Ghana with a group of seniors at their weekly Friday afternoon pre-Shabbat get together. Then, on Sunday night I will be speaking to a group about my experiences in Ukraine last Passover.

The semester is nearly halfway over and it’s gone by so quickly! It’s been such a busy semester. I returned from Ghana and then started classes four days later. In mid-February we moved from our cramped apartment into a rental house with plenty of space and a nice backyard. Last weekend, three weeks after we moved, we hosted a barbecue for 35 of our closest friends at our new house. It was a lot of fun and felt so great to finally be social after living in a place where we couldn’t really entertain. Coming up are midterms, Purim, Passover, and finals and final papers.

I’m finishing up training with the City of Los Angeles to be a member of the city’s Crisis Response Team (CRT). The CRT responds to fatal incidents in the city (such as automobile accidents, drive-by shootings, murders, suicides, and other disasters) to provide support to family members of victims. The training has been pretty intense; it also began a few days after I returned from Ghana and it’s every Tuesday and Thursday night from 6:30 to 9:30. It’s been making my Tuesdays and Thursdays very long – I’m on campus by 7 a.m. and not home until nearly 10 p.m. I look forward to graduation on Thursday and for the opportunity to respond to incidents and help my neighbors. I also look forward to having my Tuesday and Thursday nights back.

The semester ends in mid-May and my summer is looking like it’s going to be fairly relaxing – I won’t be interning or working anywhere. I do plan on working on my skills in leading services and chanting from the Torah so that I can take care of opportunities such as I mentioned above.

Ghana and Back

2008-01-24T10:11:00.000-08:00

Late Thursday night I returned to Los Angeles from my ten-day trip to Ghana with the Rabbinical Student Delegation of the American Jewish World Service, an international relief and development organization (which only works with non-Jewish organizations to help alleviate suffering worldwide).

The trip was amazing and incredible on multiple accounts. We stayed in a house in a small village of about 500 people in the Upper Volta region of Ghana. The Ghanaians were warm, friendly, caring, and very interesting to talk to. I met many locals and was able to play games with the children like duck-duck-goose, red light green light, and Simon Says. I talked to one of the three chiefs of the village quite extensively about village demographics. We were welcomed to the village in an elaborate welcoming ceremony and we departed after an elaborate closing ceremony where we asked and received permission to leave the village.

Our village was a half-hour walk from the larger city of Hohoe, with an approximate population of 50,000. There, we met with various agencies dealing with health and welfare issues in the region. We met a Cuban doctor, a volunteer sent by his country's government, to serve as one of three physicians in the region. He told us about the medical and public health problems of the region and how simple immunizations, medications, prevention, and mosquito nets could do to save so many lives.

In our village we spent four days working on building a community center so that the villagers would have a place to watch soccer (the were very excited about this) and to gather for community functions. We learned tunes and songs and dances of the local community. I was amazed at the diversity of the languages in the region. It seemed that every few miles, there was a new local language. Most adults speak English as a second language. I loved the sense of community among the clans in the village, how they all came together to build the community center with the help of the thirty foreigners among them.

We mixed and poured concrete, carrying water, rocks, and concrete on our heads as is the local custom. We learned to make bricks manually by pouring concrete into molds and then letting the bricks dry in the sun. We drank liters and liters of bottled water each day to keep from dehydration and I successful avoided any gastrointestinal distress. No one was hospitalized with any diseases and no one was eaten by a cobra, even though was was reported on the driveway to our house.

Due to the mixed levels of Jewish observance among the crew of students from nine different seminaries in the United States across all denominations, we ate vegetarian meals prepared by local cooks. The staple was primarily rice with a varying spicy red sauce for lunch and or dinner each day.

Every morning a different seminary was responsible for leading the morning prayers. We had our chance early on and I led the first part of the service, leading singing of several prayers - an entirely new and scary experience for me. Experiencing the range of different services sponsored by the various seminaries was fascinating. The heated discussions among the participants about how to observe Shabbat as a group was an eye-opening experience.

We spent some time in Accra, a bustling city with merchants of all kinds carrying their wares on top of their heads and walking between cars stopped at intersections. One could but a complete meal, clothing of all kinds, shoes, and even windshield wipers at the major intersections of Accra without ever leaving one's car.

We visited a Liberian refugee settlement in Accra, home to about 50,000 Liberian refugees of their now-ended civil war. Despite the horrific conditions in the settlement, we were told that the Liberians prefer to stay and hope and pray for a visa to take them to the West. The civil war has been over for a few years and United Nations posters and banners encourage an end to the diaspora ("Yes, there is free schooling in Liberia!") but they're not budging.

In addition to the 25 participants and three group leaders, a rabbi from New York was our scholar-in-residence. We spent several hours each day learning with the rabbi and the group leaders about global poverty, HIV/AIDS, public health, and grassroots sustainable development.

I learned so much, my eyes were opened so wide, it was an amazing and incredible experience. I'm so glad I had the opportunity and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Rabbinical Student Delegation to any rabbinical student! Do it despite the plethora of shots and pills!

On our way back to the United States we had a lengthy layover in Amsterdam. It was my first time in the city and I enjoyed the architecture and visited the Anne Frank House. I hope that Jen and I will be able to return and spend more time in Amsterdam, it's such a beautiful city.

When I returned home, my report card was waiting for me there. I was pleased to discover that I won't have to repeat any courses and, in fact, my first semester GPA isn't so bad. I'm back at school already, just a few days after returning home. It's a light week though so it's a nice transition back to the semester...

One Semester Down, Eleven to Go!

2007-12-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

It's over! I can't believe the first semester is over. In the last two weeks I wrote two 12-page papers and took five final exams. The semester went by so very quickly. I learned so much over the past four months. Yet, I have so much to learn over the next five and a half years of rabbinical school. I've grown a lot and I will continue to grow.

This winter break I am spending time with family in Northern California and will be returning to L.A. before the New Year in order to prepare for my trip to Ghana in January. After Ghana, I'm already eager to jump back into my next semester. I will continue my Hebrew and Mishna classes but there will be new classes on liturgy and the Bible. I'm looking forward to it!

In other news, I was happy to see that the occupation of clergy has made U.S. News and World Report's list of the best careers for the future.

Last Weekend

2007-11-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was entirely out of the ordinary.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to spend an hour speaking to a group of seniors a their weekly pre-Shabbat gathering at a local Jewish Community Center. It was my first time speaking to a Jewish audience as a rabbinical student. It was my first time being called "rabbi" even though they knew very well that I was just a student. Nonetheless, it was an humbling feeling, being given such a title and being seen in that role for the first time. Indeed, most of the time a rabbi does come to speak to them each week and I was asked by a rabbi at my school to attend in his place. I am grateful for the opportunity and hope to have such an opportunity again soon. I spoke about my trip to Ukraine, about rabbinical school, and about the week's Torah portion. I had additional material about Thanksgiving but my talking and their questions on the first three topics used up the time. I was also asked to make the blessings over wine and bread after a member of the community blessed the Shabbat candles. Finally, I was asked to bless a women who was celebrating her 99th birthday. I utilized the traditional "priestly blessing" found in Numbers 6:24-27 to bless the woman. I think it went over very well.

On Friday night I went to services at a Very Big Synagogue nearby. They had a special musical service for children. I didn't know that was happening. The tunes were interesting - I had not heard a single one before. I was somewhat disturbed by the children's play area to the side where I saw children happily coloring and drawing pictures. Yes folks, drawing and coloring on Shabbat, when writing is absolutely positively forbidden (or should be at least inside the synagogue). To top it off, some kids had created hand-made signs offering their services as babysitters which they were taping to walls during the service. Tacky, yet entirely inappropriate. I went home feeling dirty.

On Saturday morning I went to a new place for services, a place that several of my fellow students swear by as the best service in all of Southern California, if not the world. Maybe these overly high expectations caused me not to be overly impressed. It was good but it wasn't overwhelmingly awesome. I'll go back but it was difficult to park. :)

Late Saturday was not so good. I was planning on going to a healing service in the afternoon dedicated to a fellow student who had been suffering from leukemia since January. When I arrived at the afternoon service, I was informed that he had died that morning. After experiencing total shock, the afternoon service began in a very mournful mood, with many students and faculty hearing the news for the first time that Shabbat afternoon. I did not know Joel but I had met his wife and three young children. I was grieving for his family and for my community, which was in such a complete state of sorrow. One of our deans led the afternoon service and then we sang Psalms until the evening and end of Shabbat service, which was led by another faculty member. Fellow student P. has more about Joel, may his memory be a blessing, on her blog.

My late Saturday night and Sunday were nothing like I expected in light of this devastating news. Sunday morning I worked as a substitute teacher at the large regional Hebrew high school - a supplemental school for area Jewish students. I was substituting for a friend of mine who was attending a wedding in New York. Her class covers the Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), a collection of ethical sayings by the sages, collected in the Mishna. She teaches a few dozen ninth graders. It's been a few years since I've encountered a gaggle of 9th graders. Probably since I was in 9th grade myself. She teaches four 50-minute periods of the same thing to these 9th graders. First period was a huge challenge. By fourth period, I was a pro! That ended around noon and I went home and really couldn't concentrate. On Saturday night I thought I would be able to attend Joel's funeral but found out later that it was going to be held in Dallas on Monday.

Nonetheless, a memorial service was scheduled for Monday at school. It was a wonderful service, led by the dean and attended by one hundred. The dean and other rabbis and rabbinical students spoke about Joel. The memorial on our campus was occurring simultaneously with his funeral in Texas.

And now it is the eve of Thanksgiving and since the end of the semester is not that far away, I have to spend the holiday weekend studying, writing papers, and doing homework because I just couldn't get anything done last weekend.

Driving

2007-11-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

I struggle with driving on Shabbat. In traditional circles, driving is not permitted on Shabbat because of the Shabbat prohibition against lighting fire (which a combustion engine most certainly does), the prohibition against carrying, the fear of what would happen if one were to break down (and possibly repair something, also a prohibition), and the limit on travel distances (one may not travel about more than 2000 cubits beyond the edge of the city).

Nearly all my fellow first-year students do not drive on Shabbat. However, all three of the oldest students in my class (myself included) do drive. Many of the graduating "seniors" who have families and children and, along with the three of us elders of the freshman class, don't live in the Jewish neighborhood known as Pico-Robertson, also drive. All last year I was in Jerusalem and walked. Walking on Shabbat is a fantastic experience and is an essential part of a complete Shabbat. Moving to Southern California has resulted in a change to driving on Shabbat. I don't like to drive because I agree with the prohibitions and feel it disrupts the sanctity of Shabbat, especially in L.A. traffic. Nonetheless, a few decades ago the Conservative Movement of Judaism permitted driving to synagogue when necessary.

When I drive I often drive into Pico-Roberston to go to Shabbat services at places frequented by my classmates, like the Library Minyan, PicoEgal, or IKAR. I also drive to other synagogues to see varieties in Shabbat services. The past two Shabbats I drove to synagogues to hear fantastic scholar-in-residences - incredible speakers who gave amazing lectures that I'm so glad I did not miss.

I've spoken with quite a few rabbis about my driving and for now, they say it is important for me as a rabbi-to-be to have different educational Shabbat experiences. One rabbi last night asked me if fellow students were coming to hear the scholar-in-residence and I told the rabbi that they almost all drive. The rabbi was disappointed and replied that it was important for rabbinical students to drive to hear such an important scholar who had come from Israel to speak.

So, for now, I drive and have a wide variety of Shabbat experiences and am learning a lot as I visit various local congregations on Shabbat. Time will tell how I continue to struggle with my desire to explore Shabbat opportunities versus my discomfort with driving.

A Post-Midterm Update

2007-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

More than two months have gone by since I've written here. I can't believe it's been so long - the time has been flying by. Rabbinical school is amazing. I'm having a lot more fun than I expected and am really enjoying the learning (except when we parse Hebrew verbs). The faculty are wonderful and my fellow students are so warm and friendly.

I am taking six classes. I have classes in modern Hebrew, Hebrew grammar, Chumash (the first five books of the Torah), Mishna (the original written form of the Oral Law), philosophy, and Halakhah (Jewish law). The past two weeks I have been extremely busy preparing for midterms in Mishna, Chumash, and Halakhah. Midterm season ended yesterday with much success - I earned a perfect score on my Halakhah. It was a wonderful feeling; I don't think I ever earned a perfect score on any college- or graduate-school level test.

I have classes from Monday through Thursday. My schedule on those days always starts at 7 or 7:15 a.m. with some morning learning followed by morning prayer services until 8:30. Then classes continue throughout the day until 2:30 or 5:15. I spend several hours each evening doing homework (mostly Hebrew) or studying. I have not been able to read many books for pleasure at all since school started and, obviously, I haven't had much time to blog. I do manage to fit a little reading in on Shabbat afternoon but now with Daylight Saving Time having ended, Shabbat ends so early (around 5:30 on Saturday evening), it's not nearly as wonderful as those long summer Shabbat evenings.

Twice a week I have scheduled study-hall time in the Beit Midrash (house of study), the large room we use on campus for our chapel for services and it contains a large library of Talmud and related books. We spend a few hours in there on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, plodding through the Hebrew of the Mishna, trying to understand the debates of the various sages recorded around the year 200 CE. I work with two other students and we really work well together and learn a lot from each other. The Beit Midrash can get pretty loud with all the conversations going on of groups of students but you learn to tune it out and to focus on your study partners and on the text in front of you (and the various dictionaries and reference works all around you).

I have two major papers to write before mid-December. I have papers in philosophy and in Halakhah. I am struggling in philosophy as I have not taken any undergraduate courses in the subject and the writings of the philosophers is perhaps more difficult to understand in English than my other courses are in Hebrew. Nonetheless, I already have two approved paper topics and will be able to start working on them forthwith.

After finals are over, I get to have an interesting winter break. I was selected as one of 25 seminary students nationwide to participate in the American Jewish World Service' annual Rabbinical Students' Delegation. The trip during winter break will be to Ghana, where our group will learn about the work of the AJWS and participate in a development project in a village in Ghana. I'm tremendously excited and looking forward to the trip. The shot for yellow fever, anti-malaria medication, and sleeping under mosquito netting are not thrilling but well worth it. If you're interested in helping to fund my trip, please don't hesitate to contact me! Your gift is a tax-deductible contribution to the AJWS!

Soon I'll be signing up for next semester's classes. The time has blown by quickly. For the summer (I can't believe I have to think that far ahead already), I am considering interning as a chaplain at a major medical center. The program provides training and credit towards Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) certification. I have spoken with several who've done such a program and all have said that it has been one of the most meaningful and important time of their lives. I've been inspired toward doing this type of work since reading about the hospital chaplaincy experiences of rabbinical student Rachel Barenblat on her blog (link takes you to posts about her chapliancy experience) in 2006. Since then, I've had several friends participate in CPE training and experience. I know that it will be challenging but incredibly rewarding to me personally and toward my development as a rabbi.

Otherwise, I haven't been doing much that one might consider "rabbinical." I'm basically just a student in a graduate program learning a lot about the Jewish religion and language. I have occasionally led afternoon services at the Beit Midrash for our campus community and I'm beginning to start leading services in the morning. I have given one very short sermon on a Shabbat morning service on campus but would like to and ought to do such a thing more often. I still haven't performed any weddings (apparently possible as a seminary student in this state.)

This month I'm serving as the Shamash for the Beit Midrash. My Hebrew dictionary defines Shamash as, "attendant, servant, caretaker, lackey, or beadle." And that's exactly what I am this month. My most important duty is to ensure that we have students able to lead all portions of the service every morning and to chant from the Torah on Mondays and Thursdays. This calls for the recruitment of two individuals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays but up to eight people on Mondays and Thursdays. I'm enjoying the job because it gets me talking to far more students than the small group of students I regularly talk to. I've scheduled out the next two weeks so we are almost full coverage-wise through Thanksgiving. The work reminds me of my old job. :)

Shabbat Shalom!

Here I Am

2007-08-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

Last night was our welcoming dinner for rabbinical school at the home of the dean. All sixteen students and several faculty members attended. It was wonderful to see old friends who I had not seen since Israel and to meet all of the new students in my incoming class.

I woke up yesterday not quite believing that I had made it to Sunday, August 26, a date that had been in my mind for months. A non-specific date that had been on my mind as a dream for years. Yesterday it was real and I am an official rabbinical student.

The week continues this morning and each morning this week with Shacharit (morning services) on campus early in the morning and each day will be full, with programing, meetings, and more time to get to know each other. We even have some evenings filled. I'm really looking forward to the week ahead and quite excited about the future.

The past few weeks without Hebrew classes have been a nice break. I accomplished a lot around the apartment and got myself organized. Now I'm ready to move full steam ahead.

Long-Winded Post Anniversary

2007-07-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yes folks it has been a year in the Jewish calendar since last year's Long-Winded Post in honor of Tisha B'Av, one of two full (over 24 hour) fast days on the Jewish calendar and the only one where I'm permitted to use the Internet (versus Yom Kippur where such things are prohibited).

Thus, since I am just over an hour away from being able to end my fast and I am starting to get delirious from the lack of food, liquid, and not having taken a shower or brushed my teeth today, I shall attempt to update y'all on the goings on in my busy life that hasn't left much time for blogging.

My seven-week intensive Modern Hebrew class came to an end yesterday with a wonderful morning of going to a Hebrew bookstore and an Israeli grocery store here in L.A. and then we went out to lunch at a kosher pizza place but unfortunately, no one there spoke Hebrew so I got to hear our teacher speak English for the first time! It was quite the revelation!

The class was really wonderful and I'm so glad that I took it. I not only improved my speaking and writing abilities (thanks to a daily one-page written diary requirement) but I also learned so much about grammar and that was my weakest area until now. In a week I begin a two week Biblical Hebrew class to help me better translate the Torah once classes get started.

I've been doing quite a lot of "shul shopping" which means to visit various synagogues in the region in the hopes of finding some that fit. Jen and I were at the "Very Large Urban Synagogue" one Saturday morning and were really put off by our welcome there. Right after we took our seats, an usher rushed over and handed me a tallit and told me that it was their policy that men wear them. I showed him my tallit bag but he left the loaner in front of me and said "Just in case." Huh? I just showed him my tallit but he left me another one? Plus I was just getting started in my preparatory prayers before putting on a tallit. I was annoyed. Then, once I did put on my tallit, another gentleman came over and told us that our seats, which were somewhere near the 20th row back were reserved!

Apparently, putting a prayerbook on the end seat on the row "reserves" it at the Very Large Urban Synagogue! Then I noticed that many, many rows in front of us were "reserved" in this manner. Eventually, all of these rows were filled up and I don't know if those who filled the seats where the ones who had "reserved" the seats or not. When did they reserve the seats? On Friday night Shabbat services? Sometime during the week? If you want good seats, just show up earlier!

My first batch of books arrived from Israel at my grandmother's house. I bought two boxes of books at a Jerusalem book store and those book were scheduled to ship near the end of May. The box that arrived is marked 2 of 2 but 1 of 2 is nowhere to be found and it's been over a week since 2 of 2 arrived. They both were scheduled to come by boat so maybe 1 of 2 hasn't come out of its container yet. I think I'll give it another week or so before I contact the bookstore. I'm sure this will be an easy situation to clear up!

While last year for Tisha B'Av I was among a huge community at the Western Wall, sitting on the ancient stones near Robinson's Arch, last night I was at Very Large Valley Synagogue and while there were about 200 in attendance, not too many engaged in the practice of sitting on the ground during the reading of the book of Lamentations. But, even though I was sitting in an air conditioned room and on a plush carpet, it was a very moving experience as most of the congregation joining in unison to the chanting of Lamentations in Hebrew. It was nice to be able to participate and read most of the words at the speed that the reader and everyone else were moving along at.

Other than that, I'm really just looking forward to rabbinical school starting. We have an intensive orientation week scheduled that has us programmed with activities from 7 am to as late as 10 pm some nights, including dinners with faculty, deans, and other rabbinical students. There's also a Shabbaton scheduled - which could be an entire Friday afternoon through Saturday night experience. I don't know if it's overnight or not.

A half hour to go for the fast. I'm going to go read Harry Potter before the ending is leaked to me by no-gooders.

Goodbye Summer

2007-06-30T22:50:00.001-07:00

I am now four weeks through my seven-week-long Ulpan. It has been a very intense four weeks and the class of two or three of us is moving very quickly. I think the class is a tad above my level but since I plan on re-taking Hebrew 3 in the fall anyway, I will be re-covering this material again, which is great, I think. I did so poorly on my last grammar test that I have to re-take it on Monday. But, I'm learning a lot and my vocabulary is growing so quickly. I have even learned exponentially more grammar than I ever knew before starting learning Hebrew last year. (July 2nd is my one-year anniversary of starting my Hebrew studies in Hebrew "Zero" in Jerusalem.)

I've been meeting fellow students and I've met with a few rabbis in the area and am feeling a bit like Goldilocks in regard to synagogue "shopping." "This synagogue is too big." "This synagogue is too small." "This synagogue is way too different to what I'm used to in Israel." Hopefully I'll find the local synagogue is "just right" for me. I have several contenders.

After Shabbat ended tonight Jen and I finished watching the five-episode-long A&E reality show God or the Girl, about four 20-something guys who are considering entering the Catholic priesthood or choosing not to pursue a life of celibacy. For a new seminarian such as myself, it was really interesting to see this reality show based on people going through a similar decision making process as I. One of the four guys was a little older - he left his successful career and sold his house to take the time to decide. I won't spoil the show for you but it was worth seeing.

A few weeks ago was the Yahrzeit for my father. A friend and fellow student arranged a minyan of ten faculty and students for the previously unscheduled Mincha (afternoon) service. I led the service, which was intimidating in front of a distinguished group of rabbis/faculty. It was also my first time leading a service at the university, where I will participate in hundreds and lead dozens of morning and afternoon services over the next few years. Being able to pull together a minyan really made me feel part of the community (and a warm, very inviting and supportive community at that.)

Jen and I are slowly getting settled into our new apartment. We still have a plethora of cardboard boxes that are yet to be emptied in our office but for the most part, the place is livable, the kitchen is kosher, and the mezuzot are on all the doors. I just haven't had much time to help unpack (let alone blog ;) I do homework in the morning before class and in the afternoon and evening after class. I really thought I would have more time to practice and learn other things that I wanted to work on learning this summer. Time management once classes start will certainly be an interesting issue.

Ulpan, Take Three

2007-06-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

Late last week I "moved" to Los Angeles so that I could begin a new Hebrew Ulpan (intensive learning program) at the AJU. I stayed with my grandmother for a few days and then on Sunday, the day before class was scheduled to begin, I started house sitting for a friend who lives in the San Fernando Valley, nice and close to the university. Jen and I move into our new apartment later this week. And yes, I did buy a pair of new shoes!

This Ulpan runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is very intense (which, as you may recall was also intense but only intense from 8 to 12:30) as there are only three of us in the class and so, unlike my previous Ulpan, I can not avoid speaking or answering questions by avoiding the eyes of the teacher. Not only does the Ulpan (which runs for seven weeks) take up most of the day, there is also a lot of homework. Tonight I spent four hours doing the following...

Writing a page in my Hebrew class journal.
Reading and rereading a essay about Theodor Herzl because we have to be able to read it very, very well tomorrow.
Listening to an audio file of my teacher reading said essay in order to pronounce everything correctly tomorrow (as if).
Filling in blanks with missing words on another essay.
Creating a resume for Herzl.
Doing research on a famous person in order to "play" 20 questions tomorrow.
Reading a newspaper article and highlighting the sections that I actually understood (about half the article ended up pink).
Completing four grammar worksheets.
Writing out vocabulary words that are new to me and trying to memorize them.
Preparing for a daily in-class 5-minute speech (I only had to do this once in my entire year back in Israel).
Reading a short story and complete two worksheets about the story.

So, I'm gong to learn a lot over the next seven weeks but my plans to improve my tan this summer won't come to fruition. But, I will be well-prepared after this class and then another three weeks of Biblical Hebrew Grammar!

It's wonderful to finally be on campus, the campus where I will be spending the next five or so years learning. It's a beautiful place and I've been meeting some wonderful people, both faculty and students, so I'm very excited about the fall! Off to bed to do the same thing tomorrow...

Jet Lag

2007-05-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Jen and I have attempted to overcome jet lag but we're not quite there - we tend to fall asleep at 8 p.m. and wake up at 4 a.m. At least we're not up all night. But, we're going to try to shift our schedule to staying up a tad later each day and waking up later as well. Other than that, we're just visiting family, getting new SIM cards for our cell phones, doing laundry, sorting through boxes of possessions we left in the U.S., and visiting Target and Borders.

Home

2007-05-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back and starting to get adjusted to the ten hour difference in time zones. We went to Target yesterday (overwhelming), went to the mall to buy new shoes, and stocked up on kosher food at Trader Joe's.

Since we're no longer in Israel, you can see that we changed the subtitle and future theme of the blog. I've also started a new blog called Kippah Stories to share some of my most interesting interactions with people due to the kippah on my head. Check it out, there's already a story from day one - at Trader Joe's no less!

Packed and Ready

2007-05-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

We took our seven boxes filled with books and household items to Steve's apartment last Thursday. It took four trips.

Our luggage is all pre-packed. We need only to stuff in a few last minute pieces of clothes and things and double-check the weight of all four bags.

We are pretty much packed to go to the airport early Tuesday morning, just under 48 hours from now.

The vast majority of our possessions are traveling via boat. A fellow student arranged for a cargo company to ship boxes of students' possessions to Los Angeles. The price was very good and we pay per box so the boxes can be loaded with as much weight as one wants to carry. The boxes should arrive at the university in mid-August to September.

I went book shopping to buy my books for rabbinical school, using a book list suggested by the assistant dean. On my first trip to the bookstore with my list, I went with Eve and Aviva, who helped me figure out what the books on the list were. It was really overwhelming and I felt like Harry Potter on his first shopping excursion for Hogwarts on Diagon Alley. I made an appointment to sit down with a bookseller to obtain everything I needed.

The appointment was last Thursday and Steve graciously agreed to go along with me for moral and technical support. After an hour of difficult decisions on which version of which book to buy entirely in Hebrew, I paid and arranged for shipping of the books to Los Angeles, to meet me after I arrive. Rabbinical school is going to be very interesting. My friends promise that I will, at some point, know how to use and perhaps even read the books I bought. I sure hope so!

I Think My Shoes Are Done

2007-05-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have constantly worn one pair of tennis shoes for the eleven months we've been here. Thus, these shoes have been worn down. However, their soles are in fine shape. It's the toes and sides of the shoes that have frayed to nothingness. Jen has been begging me to replace these shoes for months and Eve calls these shoes my "flip flops."

I have been holding out because, besides the large hole in the right toe, these shoes are just fine and they will last until we leave. Now, I am saddened to report, today is likely to be the last day I wear these shoes because they will not be worn on the plane, they will not be in my carry-on luggage, they will not be in checked baggage, and they were not packed among the boxes destined for the slow boat to L.A.

Goodbye shoes!

(Please note that I never wear shoes like this without socks, the sock-less foot is simply an overly dramatic representation of the hole.)

IDF Shoulder Badges

2007-05-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

One often sees armed uniformed soldiers nearly everywhere in Israel and that knowledge has become comforting. When we were flying home last December, we saw a large group of soldiers at the Atlanta airport and seeing that they were unarmed, we thought, "How do they protect themselves?" They just seemed so vulnerable.

Anyway, all IDF soldiers in Israel have colorful shoulder insignia on their uniforms that identify their unit affiliation. I have been very impressed by the variety of icons and images I've seen on soldier's shoulders and have always wondered what the various badges meant. They seem like really complex Boy Scout badges and they're just so cool looking.

Jen and I went to Tel Aviv last week to finish some last-minute touring and we stopped by an IDF museum that had all of the shoulder insignia displayed but, unfortunately, did not label them. So after our return to Jerusalem, I just searched the web and found a site that identifies dozens of shoulder insignia because they sell them.

For example...

This is the insignia for those assigned to the "Desert Reconnaissance" unit.

This represents the "Medical Corps School."

And this is the very elite "Petrol Supply Center!" Wow!

Driving in Israel

2007-05-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

I had been worried about driving in Israel ever since I got here. If you hadn't heard already, there seems to be some national love of honking, which makes me jump at every honk. So driving and thus naturally getting honked at seemed a daunting adventure.

However, how else could we have gotten to northern Israel? Believe me, I looked into all sorts of alternatives, including trying to take some formal, organized trips but there just weren't any to be had. So Matt and I walked over to the Eldon rental car office (there is also Avis, Budget, and more but Matt wanted to go with the Israeli one) at about 8 am one morning and made our reservation. The reservation was made quickly and easily and the only slight hang-up was that Matt had to show him his passport (which luckily he had on him) and that we had to pay up-front because our visa didn't go for all that much longer.

Two days later, we walked back to the rental car office at 8 a.m. (you don't have to be there at that time, it's just when they open and Matt is a stickler for being early) and stood in line to get our car. This took a few minutes since there are lots of people turning in and picking up cars right upon opening, but all went smoothly. We were handed the keys to a small, white, 4-door, automatic car.

We were nervous Nellies as soon as we sat down in the car. Matt was nervous because he was going to be the primary driver and except for our short trip to the States for Hanukkah, he hadn't driven a car in a year. I was nervous because on that last trip to the States I got quite car sick on even short car trips to the grocery store because I was so used to walking and so un-used to riding in a car.

However, armed with a Jerusalem map, Matt slowly eased the car out of the parking lot and we managed to get to our apartment building without getting honked at! We then loaded up the car with our suitcases and we were off on our adventure!

Once we were out of Jerusalem, the driving was easy. The road signs were clear and traffic was easy to manage. We did get a lot of practice using round-abouts though, because they are found all over Israel. In general, our fears about driving in Israel were completely unfounded except for that one incident back in Jerusalem when we were trying to return the car...but I digress :)

The only real surprise with driving the car was the price of gas. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what it was per gallon, but we had a tiny car and filling it up just half way (Matt never lets any car get below half full of gas) it was routinely between 120 to 180 shekels (about $30 to $40). This might, in part, be because nearly everywhere here gas stations offer full-service. (But on the other hand, where on earth does Israel get gas from?)

Despite the high gas expense, I loved having the car for many reasons. The obvious reason was ease of movement and no limit on how much I could pack...lol. However, another maybe not-quite-so-obvious reason was that we were able to get a much earlier start than other travelers. I'm not saying we got out at the crack of dawn, but every day we did see people who were traveling in large groups standing around and waiting, and waiting, and waiting for their companions to join them. We regularly were leaving our first stop when they were just pulling up. Thus, overall, we were able to see a lot more than they were just because we were on our own schedule.

Another reason I loved having the car was for something I hadn't thought about prior to our trip. We were able to stop and see some amazing things that I would have otherwise definitely missed.

Most notably, Matt and I stopped at Cesarea and did a quick tour of the ruins. Then we got back in the car and drove over to the Roman aqueduct which was truly an awesome sight. After witnessing droves of tourists getting off buses, taking a couple pictures, and then getting right back on their bus, we decided to take a stroll along the beach that is attached to this location. This turned out to be no ordinary stroll! We were totally amazed by what we found. At first we just found gobs and gobs of sea shells. They were so thick on the sand that you were forced to walk on them just to keep walking on the beach so you heard the dreaded sound of "crunch" from every step.

But even more interestingly, we found history on the beach. There were old, broken pottery pieces everywhere and many small slabs of marble that used to be parts of floors. These were just strewn about and were just fascinating to look at.

Other benefits to having a car were making those quick stops that are quick for two people but would take forever with a large group. Such stops included an overlook that had views of an abandoned Syrian city, a quick jaunt to see the Jordan River and caught a glimpse of the most amazing peacock (I think his tail was at least six feet long!),

our fare share of tanks and humvees,

and funny road signs (we can't stop saying that we're "scare-ified!"...lol).

Definitely overall we were really glad to have rented a car and would definitely do it again for another trip.

Top 5 Favorites of Our Trip North

2007-05-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

Not to rehash over and over again, but just in case you hadn't heard I'll repeat it anyway -- Matt and I spent five days last week getting out of Jerusalem and touring northern Israel. We saw so very many places that although we hope to eventually write about each and every one, we thought it best to start with our top five places.

This list might surprise you a bit. For although we did see most, if not all, the main places listed on any one to two week trip to Israel, some of the more popular places didn't end up on our list of the best places we visited. Okay, enough chatting...on to the list!

#1 -- Beit She'arim
Beit She'arim was my absolute favorite place that we visited. Some of this might be because we arrived early in the morning, the park was near empty, the grass was green, the trees were beautiful, you could hear the birds chirping happy songs, and the weather was just perfect. Then we took our handy park brochure and began walking along the designated path. "Oh my!" I often said. "I had no idea!"

Beit She'arim is most well known for being the burial place of Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi (he organized the writing down and editing of the oral law into what is now known as the Mishna around 200 CE). Before his death, Rabbi Hanassi specifically requested that he be buried at Beit She'arim.

Since many people wanted to be buried near this famous rabbi, Beit She'arim became a major Jewish cemetery during the third and fourth centuries CE.

But this is not an ordinary Jewish cemetery. In Beit She'arim, the burial locations are in caves. Some of the earlier tombs are grouped in threes. Stairs lead down to a common courtyard and then three caves have been dug into the rock.

Most of the caves have a decorated facade and a rock door that has been chiseled to resemble a wooden door, with handles and all.

Later, when there was no longer space for individual caves for individual people, extra niches were carved inside the already existing caves and other families were interred there.

One of the caves was extremely large with multiple rooms off both the left and right of the main corridor. This cave, termed by the excavators as the "Cave of the Coffins," was filled with sarcophagi. The 135 sarcophagi that were found inside this cave were either carved out of stone or made of metal although they did find that some had existed that had been made out of wood.

The sarcophagi that were carved out of stone often were ornately decorated, with designs of flowers, animals, or other scenes.

I could go on and on about the incredible things we saw here, but if I did that then you'd never hear about my other four favorite places. However, I obviously highly recommend stopping at Beit She'arim if you get a chance :)

#2 -- Tsipori (or Zippori)
I have to preface this by telling you that I am a mosaic freak -- meaning, that my favorite art form is mosaics. I love micro mosaics (small pieces) as well as mosaics that use full tiles. Thus, it should be no surprise to you then when I tell you that Tsipori easily fits on my top five list because it was chock full of mosaics.

Tsipori was an ancient city that was founded at least by 103 BCE but most likely several centuries earlier. Unlike many Jewish cities around this period, it was not destroyed by the Romans during the Jewish Revolt in 66 CE because the people of Tsipori made a peace treaty with the Roman army.

The city has many Roman elements including a colonnaded cardo, an aqueduct, a theater, and bathhouses. Among these places were many, many mosaics. There were mosaics along the streets made of simple geometric designs and then in many buildings you could find more detailed geometric designs such as this one.

However, in some buildings, the mosaics consist of intricate scenes. My pictures don't do these justice but here is one example.

In the "mansion" you find what is often called "the Mona Lisa of Tsipori" which is just one section of a huge, floor-length mosaic.

In this huge mosaic, the tiles are much smaller and the details more pronounced. This work was done by a true artist. Here is just one more example, and again, my pictures just don't do the work justice.

I super highly recommend a stop here. If you are, like me, a lover of mosaics this will be one your favorite spots. However, if you are not, the ancient remains located in this city are still wonderful and in my opinion, rival Beit She'an and Cesarea.

#3 -- Beit Alfa
This is a very quick stop but also a very worthwhile one. First, don't get lost like we did by entering into the Beit Alfa kibbutz, the Beit Alfa you want is actually in the kibbutz next door called Hetzi-Ba.

Beit Alfa is the ruins of an ancient synagogue that dates as early as the sixth century BCE. What is amazing about this synagogue is that its main floor was a huge mosaic. Curious, however, is that the center of three panels depicts a zodiac wheel -- not a symbol one would normally equate with Judaism.

As you stand and ponder this strange development, a screen comes down from the ceiling and a movie airs that explains why such a design might have been considered as part of a synagogue mosaic. The answer -- because it was a cool thing to do at the time.

The designs in both the center panel that holds the zodiac wheel and the other two bands that host more common Judaic symbols such as menorahs, lions, etrogs (in the top panel) and the scene of the binding of Isaac (in the bottom panel).

The mosaic itself is fascinating and the movie is a must to see if you visit here. What's also interesting about the mosaic, and the movie addresses this, is that the figures of people are what the film calls "naive," meaning simplistic and without depth or perception (more like a children's drawing). This is an interesting contrast to the "Mona Lisa of Tsipori" who has such fine details. Again, I apologize for my poor pictures.

#4 -- Ayalon Institute
Matt and I actually first heard about the Ayalon Institute about four years ago and ever since then it was a place we really wanted to visit. It does perhaps seem odd that we have been in Israel for nearly a full year and we had yet to see this place. My only excuse is that since it is not located in a big city, Matt and I hadn't been able to figure out a convenient way to get there until now. Thank goodness for rental cars!

The Ayalon Institute was a secret ammunition factory that was camouflaged from the British by putting it underground, in the middle of a kibbutz. The factory was rectangular in shape (about 300 square yards) and built into the ground. The main entrance/exit into the factory was hidden under a commercial-sized washing machine which moved to reveal the opening and stairs downward. The washing machine was so loud in and of itself that it hid much of the noise coming from the machines that made bullets downstairs.

The other side of the factory had an exit that was hid under a bakery, but since it took 45 minutes for the oven to be opened and 45 minutes for the oven to be replaced, this opening was only used to move the huge machines that were in the factory.

The story is really amazing. The factory was in production from 1946 until the beginning of 1949 and was never discovered. The tour guide was awesome and she told us many fascinating stories about how they kept the secret and about several near discoveries. Even though Matt and I had heard the story before we got there, the Ayalon Institute was definitely worth visiting.

#5 -- Beit She'an
I had been hearing about Beit She'an for weeks before we were able to go see it. We've had a number of friends make trips to northern Israel lately and everyone had come back very impressed with Beit She'an, many said they liked it much more than Cesarea. So it was so very nice to finally get to see it.

Beit She'an includes already excavated ruins of an ancient city as well as a tel, a tall hill that is the as-yet unexcavated remains of ancient cities that had been built one on top of another until the most recent city or city's remains are even hundreds of feet about the surrounding plain.

The ruins at Beit She'an go back as far as 5,000 BCE. It was a large city that had been conquered and lived in by many of the big civilizations over the last 7,000 years. It is also the location where Saul and his sons' bodies were displayed on the city walls.

The excavated portions of the site are an amazing look back into the past. There is a colonnaded road,

huge bathhouse,

and amazing remains of an amphitheater.

There are also a few rooms that still contain intricate mosaics but they are not as easily viewed as the ones at Beit She'arim.

Lag B'Omer

2007-05-06T01:40:00.000-07:00

The thirty-third day after Passover is known as Lag B'Omer. The period from Passover until the holiday fifty days afterwards, Shavuot, is called the Omer and is a semi-mourning period in the Jewish calendar. Traditionally during this time weddings and parties are not held and hair is not cut (as a symbol of mourning).

However, the 33rd day (the Hebrew letter Lamed represents 30 and the letter Gimel represents 3 so L'G or Lag is 33) of the Omer is a day of celebration (attributed to various positive historical events on the day) and weddings and haircuts are encouraged.

Part of the festivities of Lag B'Omer include bonfires. While we were traveling last week, we saw several groups of children with shopping carts full of wood scraps. We wondered why o many kids were carting around wood and then it dawned on us that Lag B'Omer was coming and thus so were the bonfires.

Last night was the start of the day-long holiday and so shortly after sunset, the park began to fill with campfires (there really weren't any fires large enough that we saw that I would confidently call a bonfire) and the air filled with smoke. We walked around the streets of our neighborhood and into the park to see children and families lighting all sorts of wood on fire. Then, we found a big pile of pallets that were apparently strategically provided by someone to encourage fires. From that pile, many kids were filling up shopping cards to build their fires or to add more fuel.

Happy Lag B'Omer!

Matt & Jen Tours Inc.

2007-05-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

Jen and I just returned from a five-day trip to the northern part of Israel, a land we had not yet seen. It was an exhilarating trip and while photos and extended stories will be posted soon here on the blog, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide an overview of our trip in the style of literature known as "tour planner."

Day One - Sunday

Depart from the comfort of your Jerusalem apartment and walk downtown to pickup your rental car; experience what Israelis attempt to call "waiting in line!"
Navigate back to your apartment to pickup luggage and then depart from Jerusalem toward the north.
Experience the amazing theme park "Mini Israel," a miniature reconstruction of historic buildings throughout the Holy Land. Arrive a half hour before opening - time at your leisure!
Explore Tel Meggigo, the ancient town also called Armageddon - according to Christian theology to be the location of the climatic battle between good and evil at the end of days! Walk through the first of many water system caverns on this trip.
After searching on several wrong roads due to confusing signs, arrive at Bet Alpha National Park and explore the ruins of a synagogue from the sixth century. See the intricate mosaic floor.
Travel to the incredible Bet She'an National Park, the ancient Egyptian, Jewish, and Roman capital city of the region. Explore the Roman city and enjoy sitting amongst the vomitoriums (hallways, not rooms for vomit!) in the 7,000 seat outdoor theater!
Drive miles and miles up a one-lane mountain highway to arrive at a Crusader-era fortress at the top of a hill 50 minutes before closing, only to be told that entry is not permitted after 4 p.m.! Drive back down the hill.
Arrive in the underdeveloped tourist city of Tiberias and visit the tomb of Rabbi Meir. Enjoy a private dining experience in one of Tiberias' finest kosher restaurants. Overnight in Tiberias at the formerly luxurious Hotel Astoria, located nowhere near the minimal attractions of Tiberias.

Day Two - Monday

Depart your hotel for the drive to the mystical city of Tsefat (Safed). Experience the street system, likely developed by Kabbalists themselves to confuse demons or to keep the evil eye out of the Jewish Quarter.
Explore the maze-like streets of the Jewish Quarter in old Tsefat and look inside several old synagogues tied to famous Jewish scholars.
Visit the Safed Candle Factory and gaze adoringly at the overpriced pieces of wax.
Continue north. No, even more north. Nope - still not far north enough. Continue north to Kiryat Shmona, the city that 9 out of 10 Katyusha rockets prefer over any other city in Israel! It's the city you heard about in the news every day last summer - it's a famous place!
Visit the memorial and cemetery at Tel Hai in honor of the Jewish fighters who died in a 1920 battle against local Arabs.
Even farther north than Kiryat Shmona is Metula, the northernmost town in Israel. Delightfully charming, this town of 1400 sits almost on top of the Lebanese border! Enjoy the peace and serenity of this adorable town (rated the "Second Cutest Town" by Jen) as the only visitors during your stay.
Heading south and away from the threat of Lebanese incursion, head toward the Hermon Stream Nature Reserve, a.k.a. Banias or Panias. This beautiful setting of nature trails and waterfalls will delight the whole family!
More history awaits! Located amid magical mountain scenery on the slopes of Mt. Hermon is the Nimrod Fortress, one of the largest and most impressive fortresses from the Middle Ages in the Middle East!
Drive south along the border highway through the Golan Heights and stop at the overlook to view the large and impressive Syrian ghost town of Kuneitra or Qunaitra, abandoned by Syria after the Six Day War.
Stop in Katsrin and visit the archaeological museum there to learn about the history of Gamla, the Jewish town under siege by the Romans.
Travel to the sacred Jordan River and while on its banks, explore the ancient community of Tel Beit Tsaida.
Walk along the promenade in Tiberias along the Kinneret, a.k.a. the Sea of Galilee. Participate in a private screening of the "Galilee Experience," a 37 minute multi-media presentation on the thousands of years of history of this historical region. Before buying your ticket, be warned by a friendly salesperson that the movie contains seven minutes about the life of Jesus.
Overnight in Tiberias.

Day Three - Tuesday

Travel cross-country to the beautiful Mediterranean Sea coast.
Visit historic and ancient Acco (Acre), including the Citadel, Underground Prisoners Museum, the Turkish Bath, the Sea Wall, and even the Al Jazzar Mosque!
Continue south to Haifa and see the key sights there - the Bahai Gardens, Elijah the Prophet's cave, the Maritime Museum.
Evening at leisure! Perhaps visit the Grand Canyon (a play on words because the word "canyon" in Hebrew means "mall,") said to be the largest mall in the Middle East! See a movie and relax after three days of driving and traveling like crazies.
Overnight at the once plush Hotel Marom in Haifa.

Day Four - Wednesday

Drive through the beautiful natural and human-planted forests of Carmel National Park. Stop at the Carmelite Monestary for 23 seconds for the view of the location where Elija the prophet battled the priests of Baal!
Continue traveling through the park and experience the phenomenon of encountering a large Arab city in the middle of a densely forested national park.
Spend the morning at the amazing Beit She'arim, an ancient Jewish community that contains dozens of burial caves to explore, including the burial site of the famous redactor of the Mishna, Rabbi Judah haNasi!
After Beit She'arim, visit the outstanding ancient town of Tsipori. There, you'll explore brilliant mosaics, a Roman theater, a Crusader fortress, and an ancient synagogue.
Then, drive through the charming modern Jewish villages of Beit Lechem haGililit and Alonei Aba, both located on former Templar sites from the early 20th century.
On the way back to Haifa, visit the non-grand canyon, a small indoor shopping center.
Then, afternoon at leisure and be forewarned - if one should happen to take a nap, the maid might just walk right in! Overnight in Haifa.

Day Five - Thursday

Say l'heitraot (goodbye) to Haifa and drive south to visit what is said to be Israel's most beautiful beach. Discover that it's a little bit more difficult to get to than originally thought and arrive at a secret military installation not found on the map! After being directed to the beach, discover that the beach is not yet open for the day.
Continue south to Zikhron Ya'akov, rated #1 most adorable town in all of Israel by Jen.
While there, visit the Aaronsohn House–Nili Museum to learn about the anti-Ottoman spy ring established in the town during World War I.
Then, visit the First Aliyah Museum, which charts the history of the first wave of Jewish immigration to Israel from the 1800s to early 1900s.
Continue south along the Mediterranean Coast to Caesarea, the place the tour books say is said to, "feel rather like a tour-bus unloading zone." Enjoy the splendor of an ancient site developed for tourists. Despite the underwhelmingness of Caesarea, do stop by the Roman aqueduct, which is truly impressive.
Neaing the end of our tour, be sure to be on time for the 3 p.m. English tour at the Alaylon Institute, an amazing historical site that is not to be missed! The institute was the home of a secret bullet manufacturing plant in the years before Israeli independence.
Heading home to Jerusalem, stop at Beit Hertzel, which wasn't really Hertzel's house anyway and the Burma Road, located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Overnight in Jerusalem at home.

Day Six - Friday

After a week of driving in Israel and never going the wrong way down a one-way street, screw up and do so in the city you've lived in for nearly a year. Have the wonderful experience of an Israeli police officer coming up to your car and yelling at you in Hebrew. Be sure to play the role of ignorant foreigner and just receiving a gentle admonishment. Return rental car. Walk home. Whew!

Completing Our Tour of the Old City

2007-04-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Roman-era Cardo (a.k.a. an ancient shopping mall) in the Old City

On Wednesday, got an early start on our last major tour of the Old City. First thing in the morning, however, I gave a very-well-received going away sermon at the synagogue.

We saw seven sites in or near the Old City by noon! Our morning started with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter. The Church is believed to the location of Jesus' crucifixion, as identified by Emperor Constantine's mom in the year 330.

Inside the Church.

Following the Church, we visited the Armenian Museum. The museum building itself is beautiful but the exhibits include many photocopied articles or enlarged and grainy photos. Jen and I were the only visitors that morning and as soon as we'd paid our five shekel admission price ($1.25) the caretaker turned on Armenian music that flowed throughout the museum. As soon as we left, the music was turned off by the cartoon-watching caretaker/ticket seller.

The courtyard of the Armenian Museum.

We then proceeded to visit the grave of Oskar Schindler in a cemetery just outside the Old City walls that appears to be primarily a cemetery of Arab Christians. Nonetheless, Mr. Schindler has a beautiful location.

Schindler's Grave

Schindler's View

Nearby Schindler's Grave is King David's Tomb and we paid our respects there in separate men's and women's sections.

Then we proceeded across the street to the awkwardly named museum, The Chamber of the Holocaust. This museum is underground and quite dark. It includes marble memorial plaques on just about every wall. There are photocopies of photos and articles taped to the walls and display cabinets along with artifacts brought by survivors themselves to Israel. It is said to be the world's oldest Holocaust museum and there is a certain special significance in its jumbled appearance. At the museum there is also a courtyard dedicated to destroyed communities called "The Courtyard of Annihilation."

Our sixth stop on our tour of the Old City was the Four Sephardi Synagogues - all four are connected and were built collaboratively. All four are beautiful and more information can be found here.

Inside just one of the four synagogues.

Our final stop and the big highlight of the day was the Tower of David: Museum of the History of Jerusalem. This is an incredible museum built into an old guard tower on the wall of the Old City. From the top of the tower one can see across the city and to the mountains on the Jordan side of the Dead Sea. It's a beautiful building and has very nice exhibits but after a year of living in the city, Jen and I realized that we should have gone there first and not last - we had visited all of the places that the displays discussed so for us it was a quick tour. I highly recommend visiting this museum upon your first arrival in Jerusalem.

The view of the Old City from the Tower of David. The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount is in the background and behind that is the Mount of Olives.

Our next up over the next two and a half weeks we're here is a tour of the northern part of the country and at least one more day trip to Tel Aviv!

Leaving the Old City for what might be the last time this trip...

Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut

2007-04-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Yom Hazikaron (Israel's Memorial Day) and Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day) are back-to-back days on the calendar. This year, they began on Sunday night and continued until Tuesday evening.

Yom Hazikaron is observed throughout the country with great solemnity since everyone is/was a soldier or has a relationship to a soldier. Everyone knows a family that has been affected by the death of a soldier in the line of duty or a victim of terror. Yom Hazikaron is the day of remembrance of those who died for the country.

We attended the official national Yom Hazikaron ceremony at the Western Wall on Monday night. We stood on the side of a dirt hill adjacent to the wall in order to see the ceremony of lowering the flag, the speeches by officials (including the Acting President of the State and the IDF's Chief of Staff), memorial prayers, and the emotional singing of the national anthem, Hatikvah. The crowds of people at the Wall reminded me of our stumbling upon the IDF Ceremony at the Wall last August. I didn't really understand all of the words the speakers were saying but I got the gist.

The crowd begins to gather at the Western Wall for the Yom Hazikaron ceremony.

At exactly 8 p.m., as the ceremonies were starting, the sirens sounded nationwide, announcing the start of Yom Hazikaron and causing everyone to stand still in memory for the minute of the sounding of the siren.

On Monday, my Ulpan class was not canceled but it was a shortened day for Yom Hazikaron. It was my last day of Ulpan. Only seven students out of nearly 25 showed up. In fact, only two Israeli Arab students came to class. The rest stayed away either due to the difficulty of getting across town due to security or due to not wanting to participate in Yom Hazikaron. We spent the morning talking and learning about Yom Hazikaron and then, at 11 a.m. was the nationwide two minute memorial siren for Yom Hazikaron. I observed the cars and buses on the street come to a full stop and drivers and passengers getting out to stand in memory of the more than 22,000 soldiers killed as well as those killed by acts of terrorism. After the siren, the teachers held a half-hour memorial ceremony. It was a very nice ceremony and it included poems, readings, and the emotional singing of Hatikvah.

The rest of the day on Monday, Yom Hazikaron, was fairly quiet - traffic was light and many shops were closed. In the evening, we attended a lecture by the parents of Alex Singer, an American who immigrated to Israel and joined the IDF and was killed in Lebanon in 1987 in Lebanon. It was a moving talk and made us feel like we really knew Alex and his family. We bought the book of Alex's letters and drawings, Alex: Building a Life and I'm currently about half-way through. I highly recommend it.

After the talk, we transitioned from Memorial Day to Independence Day with lively services for Yom Ha'atzmaut. The entire country transitioned on Monday night from a time of remembrance to a time of celebration - it's an amazing process and incredible to see. After the services, sung to the tune of many Israeli songs, we had a BBQ at the synagogue.

The country goes flag-crazy for Yom Ha'atzmaut

After the BBQ, Eve, Steve, Jen and I headed downtown to Ben Yehuda Street to see the city's main Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration. There were many celebrants wearing blue and white or even Israeli flags. People carried flashing-light things, plastic inflatable hammers, and some kids were attempting to spray people with some sort of aerosol "snow." However, police and soldiers quickly confiscated the fake snow form those who used it. Jen mentioned that she couldn't imagine being a kid and having four men with machine guns approach you from each direction to take your can of snow. Throughout the night there were numerous fireworks displays throughout the city.

A guy in flag.

On Tuesday, a national holiday when everything is closed, outdoor BBQs are the theme of the day. Gan Sacher Park in the western part of the city was filled with families barbecuing on tiny grills usually just inches from the ground. Many families established tents in the park for their day-long celebrations. In the U.S. the Fourth of July is a popular day to be in the park but most will barbecue at home and then go to the park afterwards in anticipation of the fireworks. In Israel, the fireworks are the night before and everyone remains in the park the following day and barbecues there as well.) Some families even brought couches to the park and we saw one family with not only couches but also a television powered by a generator!

Tables, chairs, couches, and even a TV and generator!!!

A more typical family gathering.

In the afternoon, Eve, Jen, and I went to the area around City Hall for their "Living History" Independence Day event. People were dressed up from periods of the city's history and performing skits or playing music. While there, we discovered the Underground Prisoners Museum - it is a museum that shows what life was like for prisoners during the British Occupation from 1917-1948 in Israel. Also at the prison is the cell of Meir Feinstein and Moshe Barazani who were condemned to hang by the British but instead chose to blow themselves up with a grenade concealed in an orange peel in 1947. It's an amazing story - Haaretz has a summary.

The City Hall displays included a manikin dressed as one of the "ninja" police as we like to call them. The Ninja Police usually ride two to a orange motorcycle and they both carry very big guns and are part of important motorcades (they are very effective at stopping traffic) and they provide security at high-profile events. In a nationwide survey, I'm sure they would be selected as the "Coolest (but most intimidating) guys in the country."

The evening was very quiet with shops and restaurants closed and few cars on the street. It was a wonderful ending to two very important days.

Our own flag display on our balcony. See the neighbor's flag in the background?

Old City Day

2007-04-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

We got an early start on our day of touring in the Old City. First, we went to the Wohl Archaeological Museum. While most museums are a collection of artifacts from different places, Wohl is a museum built upon and around the remains of three Second Temple Era mansions.

Our second stop was the Old Yishuv Court Museum, a museum that displays home life in the Old City through periods of Ottoman and British rule. Also there is the Ari Synagogue, where kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria was born and lived until the age of 20.

Our third stop (and, of course, there must be mystical meaning behind this) was at the model of the yet-to-be-constructed Third Temple. The Temple Institute is a local organization that would like to build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount despite the fact that at that location are two of Islam's major shrines - the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Nonetheless, should there come a time when the Third Temple is built, The Temple Institute is ready to step in and ensure that sacrifices resume forthwith!

The Burnt House was our fourth stop of the day. It is another museum built on top of a discovery. Here, archaeologists discovered a Second Temple Era home with a plethora of artifacts remaining from the time of its destruction in 70 CE by the Romans. There's also a very interesting movie. We had the opportunity to listen to the movie in English through headphones while speakers all around us provided the audio of the movie in Spanish for a few dozen young tourists from Brazil (I know, but the movie probably wasn't available in Portuguese!)

After stop number four we went to Moriah, the most dangerous place in the Old City! It is almost adjacent to the Western Wall and anyone who goes into Moriah usually comes out with several bags of purchases. It's like Costco - you can't go in without spending $100. We spent nearly an hour there and did considerable damage purchasing things we just have to have to take back to California.

After we ate lunch on a bench overlooking the Wall and the glistening Dome of the Rock, we went to the Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Center. Adjacent to the Western and Southern Walls, and including the area around Robinson's Arch, this park and center is stunning. Completed in 2002, the Center uses computer technology in a great film showing the area as it was during Temple times. This was my favorite site of the day.

Our sixth and final stop for the day was Dormition Abbey, one of several locations said to be the final resting spot of Maryam bat Joachim (a.k.a. Jesus's mother), which we stumbled across while trying to visit the neighbors, the final resting spots of King David and Oskar Schindler (which were both closed for the day). Then, we headed home since the Old City was shutting down for Shabbat.

Here's my favorite photo of the day, the view of the Southern Wall from the wall of the Old City.

Shabbat Shalom!

Playing Tourist

2007-04-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

Since Jen and I are headed back to California in just over three weeks, we have to see everything we have yet to see. We have a list on the refrigerator and are slowly crossing things off, one site at a time. Since our trip to Eilat and Petra, we visited the Islamic Museum, the Time Elevator as well as the Monastery of the Cross.

The Islamic Museum, or more properly the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art, is in our neighborhood and contains an impressive collection of art and artifacts. It's very worthwhile, especially on these long Shabbat afternoons, when the museum is both open and free!

The Time Elevator is a somewhat-cheesy but worthwhile, Star Tours-style ride that takes the rider through re-enactments throughout Jerusalem's several thousand year history. The monastery, which is in our neighborhood, is said to have been built on the spot where the tree which became Jesus' crucifix came from. Therefore, the valley where it is located is known as the Valley of the Cross.

On Friday, we're planning on seeing a plethora of sites throughout the Old City. We still have eleven things in Jerusalem that we haven't yet seen! (Not to mention eight places in Tel Aviv, too!)

I'll remain in Hebrew Ulpan only through Thursday of next week and then, over our last two weeks, it is time to pack, visit places around the country, and start getting ready to go home! I'm already starting to miss Jerusalem and Israel but definitely look forward to being back in California.

Yom HaShoah, Part 2

2007-04-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

As you recall from my previous post about Yom HaShoah, at 10 a.m. on Yom HaShoah, a siren sounds for two minutes and the whole country stops. The blog Jewlicious has posted an amazing video showing those two minutes in the center of Jerusalem. It's worth a watch!

Additional Ukraine Information

2007-04-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

Anna, of Anna and Jamie, my Ukrainian traveling partners, has posted a lengthy three-part series on our trip. It's a fantastic day-by-day account that is not-to-be-missed! It includes additional photos, too. Check out part one, part two, and part three! Thanks Anna!

Yom HaShoah

2007-04-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last night began Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Martyrs' Remembrance Day. I was not aware of the wide-ranging impact of the day on general Israeli society.

I invited myself to dinner with Steve at about 6 p.m. last night and he called me while we were each on the way there to tell me that our first choice restaurant was closed. I reconfigured my appetite but when we arrived at restaurant number two, the security guard at the front door didn't want to let me in because they would close at 6:30 and it was already 6:20. I managed to get in and Steve told me I still had a few seconds to order so I did, and quickly. Steve told me that most stores, including the 24 hour convenience store nearby, were also already closed due to Yom HaShoah. I was awed and impressed that this day was so widely celebrated.

At 8 p.m. the official memorial ceremony took place at Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust museum and educational center here in Jerusalem. Most of our television channels simply displayed a memorial candle but others carried the event live. I watched most of the event and it was incredibly moving, even though it was all in Hebrew. I surprised myself by understanding the gist of what was being said, for the most part.

This morning, classes, work, and business went on as usual until 10 a.m. At exactly 10 a.m., air raid sirens were sounded for two minutes and everyone stopped anything they were doing and stood at attention in memory of the Holocaust. Cars on streets and highways stop and the occupants get out and stand on the street during the siren. It was an incredible experience, seeing the city come to a complete stop. The sirens will sound again next week for Memorial Day, a.k.a. Yom Hazikaron.

While Jen and I lit a 24 hour memorial candle at home, our synagogue here didn't have a special service or program for Yom HaShoah, as is common in the United States. There were some lectures but there was no liturgical program.

A Day Out of Israel - Petra

2007-04-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

We have been in Israel for nearly a year and we have just started to really travel...yes, we suck. So we decided that since our stay here is nearing its end, we had better get our tushies in gear and start touring. Top on our list of places to visit was the Israeli resort town of Eilat and the wonder of the world, Petra which lies in Jordan.

We took one of the city-to-city buses from Jerusalem to Eilat on Wednesday and thus sat through a 4 hour and 15 minute bus ride. For some reason, the first half of the trip nearly made everyone on the bus severely car sick, so we all had to pull out some plastic bags and have them at the ready "just in case." Luckily, the second half of the bus ride was much better and on the return trip we had no such problems.

We only really had the afternoon to spend in Eilat which was certainly not enough time to do everything. However, we did find time to walk along the rocky beaches and spend a bit of time snorkeling. I could go on for paragraphs and paragraphs about this, but I think this post will be too long already if I just focus on Petra. Let's just say that the water was the clearest I have ever seen and the fish were wonderfully colorful.

The next morning, we were picked up at 6:30 am from our hotel for our day-trip to Jordan to see Petra. Our friend, Eve, organized the trip and made reservations for a group of 13 of us to use Eco Tours. (It was a great trip and I recommend using them.)

Surprisingly, even though we were headed to an Arab country for the day, the scariest thing about the whole trip was our 10 minute ride to the Israel-Jordan border because the tour company picked us up in a safari jeep. Which means that we had to sit in the back of a jeep without seat belts and really feeling like one or many of us could fly out the open back or sides of the jeep. Eve had warned me about this part, but I had sincerely thought she must have been exaggerating. I quickly learned that she was not. As scary as it was, we all clung together and made it safely to (and later from) the border.

Since cars and buses are not allowed across the Israel-Jordan border, we were dropped off and then went through passport control on the Israeli side. Then we had to walk across a lonely, barren, no-man's land to get to the Jordan passport control. It was a strange feeling to be walking between two such countries.

Everything preceded smoothly and our Jordanian tour guide picked us up in a very large, comfortable, air-conditioned bus for our journey to Petra. It was about a two hour bus-ride from the border to Petra.

Immediately after getting off the bus, we all made a mad dash to the visitor's center's bathrooms (thank you, Eve, for reminding us to bring a roll of toilet paper!!). Then we were off to begin our 6 mile, 6 hour stay in Petra.

I have to admit that I knew very little about Petra before going there. I, of course, had seen the Treasury's fascade in Indiana Jones but I had not known that Petra itself used to be a city that contained about 25,000 people. The entrance to the city is a 900 meter (about half a mile) beautiful natural canyon, called the Siq. One of the amazing features of the Siq is that the people who lived here, built a water system that travelled all along both sides of the walls, carrying fresh water into the city.

The rock here is sandstone. Of varying degrees of hardness, sometimes the stone can by easily cut by a fingernail while other times is can only be cut using a chisel. One of the most amazing things about this sandstone are its natural colors. The varied minerals contained in the stone, each have their own vibrant color. In areas protected from wind and water, the colors are magnificent.

Petra was founded by the Nabateans, who lived in Petra beginning about 6th century BCE until the Romans took over the area in 106 CE. Most of the carvings are from the Nabateans, although there is still strong evidence of later Roman construction and development.

The Nabateans were a people who believed more strongly in the afterlife than they did in the present life (similar to the ancient Egyptians). Thus, they spent a lot of energy and time on their burial places. Within Petra, over 500 burial places have been found. Some of these are simple caves with very little adornment on the outside.

Some have the common "crowstep" design on the top which represents the body's climb to the afterlife.

A number of other crypts are extremely ornate. The "Treasury" (mis-named because some people thought there was treasure up in the urn at the top) is the best-preserved crypt. It was built as the final resting place for a king. It has three large rooms inside that were also carved into the rock. Although you can't see it in this picture, the details of this carving are astonishing. The pillars are smooth, there are wine glasses representing the days of the week, flowers representing the days of the month, and the details at the top of the columns are just amazing. The whole thing was truly breath-taking.

After walking for two hours and then having a quick lunch, our group decided to climb the 800 (Matt only counted 735) stairs that led to the Monastery. It took us a good hour to climb up - and what a tiring hour that was! However, once up on top, the Monastery was beautiful to behold and the views all around were awesome.

Of course, then we had to climb down the 800 (or 735) stairs back down and walk all the way back to the bus. There were options along the way to take a horse (for the first 800 meters), a horse-drawn carriage (which ran and looked extremely bumpy), a camel (which also ran), or a donkey (up the narrow stairs...and they ran too!). However, we walked to whole way and were nearly constantly almost run over by these running animals and contraptions. As I kept looking at either my feet to make sure I wasn't tripping over old rubble or gazing at the wonderful fascades, I often found myself nearly nose-to-nose with a running camel and then had to literally jump to the side. I think people were taking bets that I was going to get run over before we got back to the bus.

Anyway, we had an absoltely fabulous time and still can't quite fathom that we saw something so truly amazing. I highly recommend the adventure for everyone!

Passover in the Ukraine

2007-04-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

I returned earlier this week from my trip to the Ukraine during Passover, to help participate in Passover Seders in Jewish communities there. My experience was absolutely incredible. I was traveling with my friends Jamie and Anna, a married couple from California. Ukraine is the world's fifth largest Jewish community in the world (following Israel, the U.S., Russia, and France - about 300,000 to 500,000 Jews) but it suffers from a lack of professional rabbinic and cantorial leadership. There are only two progressive (non-Orthodox) ordained rabbis in the entire country. Trips like ours allow the Ukrainian Jews to meet other Jewish people from elsewhere in the world and the trip says to them, "You're not alone."

Jamie is a cantorial student and he fortunately decided to bring his guitar because all three communities where we participated in the seders wanted us to help provide music. I was surprised as to how much we'd be singing across the Ukraine.

We arrived at the airport in Kiev and met our translator Tanya and then proceeded to Lutsk, a city in far-western Ukraine that was a Polish city for most of its history. On our second day in Ukraine we traveled 150km to the northeast to a small village where Jamie's great grandfather emigrated from before World War II. We met with the "mayor" of the village who told us about the Jewish community of the village and directed us to an old Jewish cemetery. After quite some time searching in the forest, we came upon the cemetery, overgrown and badly damaged by looters through the ages. It was a sad thought thinking that likely no one would ever repair that cemetery and eventually, it would totally disappear.

We met the Jewish community leaders back in Lutsk and discovered a vibrant community with passionate paid and volunteer staff who provide a plethora of social programs to that community's small Jewish population. We spent a day preparing our singing act for our seder in Lutsk and then performed.

We lost Tanya and gained Victoria when we arrived in Lviv, a city of 700,000 but merely a few thousand Jews. Lviv was once known as the Jerusalem of Europe and nearly a third of the city's population was Jewish before World War II. There, we did not find such an energized community. Like Lutsk, the Jewish community in Lviv obtained a pre-Nazi synagogue for their use about 6-7 years ago but unlike Lutsk, Lviv has not renovated nor have they even provided electricity to the building.

We didn't need to practice our repertoire in Lviv - we were old hacks already. We saw some of the city, including the impressive memorial for the Lviv ghetto and the road that took the Jews of Lviv to concentration and death camps. The bright light of Lviv was the Jewish pre-school with about a dozen Jewish children who are learning Hebrew and Judaism form a group of dedicated teachers. They performed a Passover seder/play for us and for their parents. It was incredibly adorable.

We had to start the seder in Lviv at 4 p.m. because without electricity, the former synagogue-turned Jewish community center and synagogue would be too dark much later in the evening. From Lviv we took an overnight train to the capital and most populous city (approximately 3.3 million) of Kiev (leaving Lviv at 10 p.m. and arriving at 7:30 a.m.). The three of us were in a four-person sleeping room and were very cramped but it was a fun experience and we all slept pretty well, all things considered. I wouldn't recommend the bathroom on the train, however.

We arrived in Kiev and met up with the other groups of students from throughout the country and heard of their stories. Some interesting things came to light. We realized that the vast majority of the young Jewish people in Ukraine that we met did want to make Aliyah (immigrate) to Israel but remained because extended family (especially parents) wouldn't make the move. We also learned that older Ukrainians, even those who are Jewish, miss Communist rule and despite the ban on Judaism, would like to see those days return to the country.

We met with the rabbi of Kiev and talked about our experiences and had a very nice Friday night Shabbat service among their small congregation. We heard many new melodies for familiar prayers. On Saturday night, the Kiev community hosted their large Passover seder our hotel and, as with the Lutsk seder, there was dancing and music between the third and fourth cups of wine. The seders in some cities are really very large parties to celebrate Jewish identity and awakening after decades under Soviet rule. In Kiev and Lutsk, it was amazing to see such dynamic communities that are only about 6-7 years old as no one could even think about practicing their Judaism until after Ukrainian independence in late 1991. After that, it took years to start learning and to start coalescing into a real community. It was wonderful to see communities growing and developing.

On Sunday we visited Babi Yar, the site of the massacre of over 100,000 Jews just outside of Kiev during the Holocaust. We recited the Mourner's Kaddish there for all the victims and made our way back to Jerusalem.

The "official" Soviet Babi Yar memorial statue. Dramatic figures appear to be falling into the ravine.

The new children's memorial at Babi Yar to the more than 40,000 children murdered there.

The memorial at Lviv to the ghetto and final route out of town for the Jews of Lviv.

Kiev's gorgeous architecture. Lviv is also a beautiful city.

A Kiev church.

Workers unite. As statue in Kiev.

The political situation was tense while we were in Ukraine after the President dissolved Parliament and the Prime Minister attempted to belay that order. The red flags are the Communist Party.

Natural Gas, The Hard Way

2007-04-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

On the roof of our building sit our apartment's two small tanks filled with natural gas. They're about triple the height of the propane tanks used in the U.S. for barbecues. They provide the natural gas we use for the stove; everything else is operated by electricity. Most apartments have such "balloons" (as they're called) and so there are quite a few sets of these gas tanks on our roof.

It's not a comforting feeling, thinking that an errant lightening bolt or errant Katyusha Rocket could cause serious problems when combined with such tanks above our heads. Nonetheless, there they are.

Our landlord promised us that we would need to replace at least one balloon during our year here. She gave us instructions of how to call and that we needed to ensure that the roof would be unlocked when they arrived.

Well, sometime in January it happened. We could not light the stove. I went to the roof to turn off tank one and turn on tank two and we were able to start cooking. No problem.

The next day I called "SuperGas" (but it's pronounced "souper-gazz") to order a replacement tank. SuperGas said they'd need to come out for a safety check first. So I scheduled that and they came about a week later. The technician found a small leak (what, exactly is a "small" leak when it comes to gas?!?) but repaired the hose. He told us that we would also need a new protective hood for the tanks because we were missing one.

I checked with the landlord who said, sure, order a new cover. So I did and the cover was installed in early February. Then, I had to call to make an appointment for the tank. Interestingly, they couldn't pre-schedule the gas appointment until after the hood was installed. I was told that the tank would arrive a few days later and so I told them I would unlock the roof.

The tank did not arrive and I don't know if delivery was ever attempted. I tried again. No tank. I tried again. No tank. I tried again. No tank. There was a lot of roof unlocking and locking going on but nary a tank to be found. Unfortunately, it was late March and Passover was approaching so that meant I was leaving for the Ukraine.

So, what had to happen? About three hours after I left for the airport to fly to the Ukraine, tank number two expired on the day before Passover - a week-long national holiday. Jen was a trooper and played the role of native Israeli and made many calls to the gas company that day and kept calling until the tank was delivered. And so they were. Now we have two full tanks of precious fossil fuels for our cooking enjoyment. Finally!

PlayStation 3 and Herzl

2007-03-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Jen and I were at Blockbuster yesterday, picking up another DVD for Band of Brothers and I saw that there was a PlayStation 3 for sale for the whopping price of NIS 4040 - that's $962! I looked on Amazon.com and discovered that the PS3 is for sale there for a mere $599. I guess if someone really wants their PS3 now, they'll pay the NIS 4040 for it.

Jen's sick so we didn't tour today - we even had reservations for the Palmach museum in Tel Aviv this morning.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Mt. Hertzl, Israel's main military cemetery. We thought we could go to the Herzl Museum there but one needs reservations so all we could do was walk around the memorials. However, there was the rehearsal and setup for a large military ceremony going on so we couldn't access the entire site. We did get to see Theodor Herzl's grave.

Herzl's Grave, with IDF soldiers marching in the background

Also at Mt. Herzl is a very large memorial to those killed by terrorism. I was struck by how many names appear after the year 2000...

Tourists R Us

2007-03-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

I finally started feeling better and since we have the week off - it was time to start seeing more of the country! We took a tour of the Knesset (parliament house) on Sunday; here's a photo of the large menorah in front of Knesset.

On Monday we took a day-long tour which took us to Masada and the Dead Sea (including the Ein Gedi Spa and their famous mud baths). It was a fantastic day and we had a lot of fun.

We were picked up in Jerusalem by a small tour bus that was totally filled with people. Our fellow tourists were Americans, Brazilians, Argentinians, and Brits. The tour guide provided an ongoing monologue during the tour, speaking both in English and Spanish. She pointed out interesting sites along the way, including the caves at Qumran.

Our Cable Car

We first stopped at Masada and took the cable car up to the site. While at the site we had a great, thorough tour and explored most of the mountain and that which has been discovered and recreated.

Towers and Rooms at Masada

We cable-car-ed back down and headed for the Ein Gedi Spa, where we had two hours to have lunch and hang out. The weather was nice yesterday but not hot enough to make us want to dive right into the pools at Ein Gedi. We had our lunch and then suited up for the mud bath.

The Dead Sea, from Masada

The black mud of the Dead Sea is contained in two large vats and basically, you walk up to the vat and start smearing mud all over yourself until you cover everything you want to. Then, you let the mud dry for 15-20 minutes (thus there are lots of people standing around, caked with mud) and then rinse it off in Dead Sea water (which smells like sulfur and is more than 10 times saltier than the ocean.) You have to keep your mouth and eyes closed during the rinsing process lest too much nasty water be absorbed.

Salt, salt, and more salt on the beach.

After rinsing, we went to go float in the Dead Sea. We were really surprised by the buoyancy. It was difficult to maneuver in the water because your feet would always want to float up to the surface. We floated for a while and then went back to the spa and changed. Jen was smart enough to take a second shower in the locker room where as I only rinsed once in fresh water. I was sticky, smelly, and salty the whole way home.

Once I got home, I took another shower in the evening and even after my shower this morning, my hands still smell like the Dead Sea. We're still planning more travels over the next few days although Jen might be coming down with something...

Spring Break, Whew! But, I'm Sick

2007-03-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Thursday) was my last day of Hebrew class until mid-April, which means it's Spring Break (or in this case, Passover Break). We have the week before Passover off, the week of Passover off, and then the Post-Passover recovery day off and then we return to class.

Unfortunately, I have had a bad cough since Monday and so missed three days of class this week. I did attend class yesterday because we had our "final" exam and I know that I did not do very well because, as I think I've mentioned before, the other students are far more knowledgeable than I and so the class moves along at a brisk pace. Nonetheless, the class isn't graded and it's just for my preparation before I start at AJU in the fall.

I did see a doctor this morning who gave me antibiotics and a Robitussin-type syrup. There was no fee for the visit and no fee for the medications; it's all covered. The medical system here is amazing - every citizen is required to be part of one of four health plans offered by insurers and no one is excluded through inability to pay. Jen and I paid $365 (or $1/day) each for a year's worth of top-notch coverage here, the county with the highest ratio of physicians to population.

My doctor this morning did not speak much English but I was able to communicate most of my symptoms to her in Hebrew. I did have to have her repeat questions for me slowly but that worked. The doctor asked me if I had a fever but I told her I had no idea because I don't have a thermometer. Nonetheless, she didn't take my temperature. She said I'd be better in a few days and sent me off.

Jen and I hope to spend next week (our totally free week) touring around the country, visiting so many places that we've never seen. I just hope I'm better by the end of Shabbat! Then, of course, a week from Sunday is my trip to Ukraine.

Shabbat Shalom!

School Switcheroo

2007-03-23T02:29:00.000-07:00

As it turns out, I won't be attending the UJ after all. The UJ has merged with BBI (Braindeis-Bardin Institute) to become AJU (the American Jewish University) so I will be attending AJU in the fall.

I doubt the change will affect me in any way, except the acronym "AJU" is not nearly as cool as "UJ" and thus the school sweatshirts won't be as awesome but change is good and everyone is sure to get used to it. For the full story, read the article in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.

Weather Forecast

2007-03-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today's weather forecast summary for the entire country from the official Israel Meteorological Sevrice for tonight and tomorrow is... "An additional slight rise in temperatures drops." Huh? What? Any enlightenment would be appreciated!

Snow, Sleet, Hail, and Many Random Thoughts on This Cold (Nearly) Spring Day

2007-03-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

As Jen mentioned earlier, today is been a wacky weather day. It started with rain, turned into sleet, and then snow. Then it rained for a while, hailed (with impressive amounts of lightening), and now it's raining. Here are some photos...

At some points during the day, it was really coming down!

The view from my Hebrew class. I can now finally say that I walked twenty minutes uphill in the snow to Hebrew school! Once the snow began accumulating on the sidewalk, it became very slippery! When I arrived at class, I was the only one there until 20 minutes after class was supposed to start when a fellow student arrived and told me that yesterday, our teacher told the class that class would start an hour later this morning due to the anticipated bad weather. Unfortunately, I wasn't in class yesterday because we went on a fantastic tour of the Supreme Court here in Jerusalem. Thus, I didn't know about the change. Nonetheless, only eleven out of about 25 students showed up. It was a good day in class because each of us were able to participate a lot more. And, we watched a movie in Hebrew, which seems to be our Thursday (end of the week) tradition.

On Sunday, I will be giving my 5-minute presentation to my class in Hebrew. I'll be talking about my rapidly approaching trip to the Ukraine for Passover. I have a note card filled with essential vocabulary words for my talk that I'm sure I'll forget when I'm in front of the class.

Speaking of speaking, I did give my sermon at the synagogue last Sunday morning and it went over quite well. Only one person complained that I didn't talk loud enough; someone else told me that the person who complained would've complained if I used a bullhorn. I'm going to try to sign up to do one every other week or so. It is very good practice and I enjoyed the research and thinking that went into the development of my sermon.

The small hail collected on the windowsill. Hail does not make a good snowball.

Last night I went to a meeting about the Passover trip to the Ukraine and we were told many interesting things and given lots of great ideas for engaging youths as well as adults in the Passover events. But, the most interesting thing I heard was that in the Ukraine, those celebrating Passover absolutely love the song "Go Down Moses," which is not part of the liturgy at all, but they will all expect us to sing it so it has been added to my iPod for practice!

Now, as I finish this post, the precipitation has again turned to sleet. I'm glad I'm not going anywhere tonight. Poor Steve, Eve and Aviva, who have to shlep over here in the snow/rain/sleet/hail for movie night!

Snowing in Jerusalem!

2007-03-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had perfect weather in Jerusalem. It felt so much like summer that we went on a long walk, had a picnic in the park, and played frisbee with friends. It was warm, but not too warm since there was a perfect breeze.

Today, on the other hand, it is freezing! Literally! It's snowing!! During the Hanukkah break it had snowed once but we missed it because we were out of the country. This time, we just keep staring at it. Being from California and not being ski bunnies, we have both rarely seen real snow fall.

So we both sat on the couch this morning and stared out our bay-like window to watch the small, white flakes being twirled upon the wind. It was nice and cozy and comfortable inside, until Matt kept opening the windows to either take pictures and/or to stick his arm out to catch some snow. Needless to say, it's a bit chillier inside now and we have several small puddles forming near every window he opened in exploration.

Matt then had to head out into the snow (he's such a dedicated Ulpan goer, not even snow will stop him!). He has about a 20 minute walk to class, so he should definitely get his fill of snow falling on him by then...lol.

Looks like a good day to snuggle up in blankets and stay at home, which is exactly my day's plan. :)

In Memory

2007-03-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

This morning, I noticed the remnants of the memorial event that Eve discusses in her post. I too was surprised by the candles and memorial photos from the fifth year anniversary of the March 9, 2002 bombing which took 11 lives and injured 54 people. It was important to be taken aback by what I saw and to think about the tragedy which occurred right along my normal daily route.

"Club Med" and More

2007-03-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

A four-day weekend followed by a three-day week of classes; what could be better?!

The fun began last Thursday with a dawn to dusk fast called the Fast of Esther in honor of Esther's fast from the Bible's Book of Esther, which tells the story of the holiday of Purim. Due to the fast, Thursday was a light study day at the Hebrew Ulpan - two-thirds of the morning was spent watching a movie in Hebrew (without subtitles) about a pop star who gets hooked on drugs. My teacher asked me several times (as the class' lowest common denominator) if I understood. Of course I understood, I could tell what was going on but I couldn't follow the conversation. After that, I went to the Yeshiva for afternoon learning about Purim and fast days. Then, I came home and spent my afternoon online until the fast ended. After dinner, we had friends over for movie night; we watched The Departed.

On Friday, we relaxed and read because we were invited to a wonderful Shabbat dinner at our friend Nancy's apartment so we had no preparation to do ourselves, which was wonderful. Nancy is an immigrant from California who we met at our synagogue here in Jerusalem. It was very exciting to be eating Shabbat dinner in a "real" house with "real" dishes and "real" flatware! We're so used to plastic at our fellow students' homes. It was a real treat and we enjoyed talking to adults. Our rabbi asked where we went on Friday night and when I told him, he actually said, "Score!" Indeed!

Saturday was a Shabbat with wonderful weather. Saturday night we prepared for our trip to the Mediterranean.

On Sunday morning we walked to the bus station and took an intercity bus to the Tel Aviv bus station, said to be the world's largest. From there, we went to the Independence Hall Museum to see where the State of Israel was proclaimed in 1948 and from there, we went a few buildings down the street to the Hagana Museum.

Then it was time for the beach. The weather was amazing, the water was nice and so very clear. We had our picnic lunch that we'd brought and waded into the water. We read for a while on the beach and it was so relaxing. After the beach, we stumbled upon the Etzel Museum before closing and they played the English version of the movie there for us.

We took the bus home and had a few hours of rest before a wild and crazy Purim evening service at the synagogue. The synagogue was incredibly full - more so than the High Holidays. Many were in costume but Jen and I simply wore fun hats - we didn't know how much people would get involved. It was a fun service and afterwards we went out with some friends. On Monday morning was the Yeshiva's Purim service followed by two Purim Shpiels (Plays), one written and performed by the faculty and the other written and performed by the students. Both were absolutely hilarious; I was crying from so much laughter.

On Monday night, we hit the streets of Jerusalem with friends for the city's official block party on Hillel Street. Anna was apparently there at the same time as we were but we didn't see her there but she has photos on her blog.

Then it was Tuesday and back to Hebrew but now it's Wednesday so there's only one more day of Hebrew left in the week! Thursday is a special day for my class because we're being promoted to Hebrew Gimel - the third level. While most of the students are at Gimel level, I'm still just trying to keep my head above water in Bet - the second level. Nonetheless, I'm still understanding what's going on so my teacher says I should remain in her class and not drop down a level.

And then it will be Shabbat and another weekend again, so very soon!

Oh, I almost forgot, I'm giving my first mini-sermon at the morning service next Sunday at my synagogue about next week's weekly Torah reading (in English, of course). I'm very excited.

Shepherds For Hire

2007-03-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Last week, Jen and I went on a field trip with the Yeshiva to Neot Kedumim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel. It's a beautiful location, near Tel Aviv, and has a landscape filled with Biblical-era plants and cultural artifacts. There are also goats and sheep there and we had the exciting opportunity to play shepherds! It was fortunate that amongst the students is a student who was a professional shepherd previously. He trained his team on sheep and goat herding and they got to work attempting to move a small flock from one point to another. They were quite successful and when it was our team's turn, we followed their example and were equally, if not more so, successful. It was the highlight of the trip.

No Credit? No Problem!

2007-02-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

We attempted to buy Jen a new pair of shoes earlier this week and both of our credit cards were declined. After we arrived, often one card would occasionally be declined because foreign activity raises red flags by the computer and we would simply have to call the company to confirm that we indeed were the ones using the card and the hold would be cleared. It was very unusual for both cards not to work.

So, after paying in cash, we went home and I called the credit card companies who told me that they had to turn off the cards due to potential security compromise of our credit card numbers. This is inconvenient but it's especially inconvenient and annoying for it to happen to both our cards on the same day. They promised they'd send new cards "overnight" but that means "over-a-week" here. What it ultimately means, though, is that we can not order a new Blockbuster rental package...

Not Too Much New

2007-02-16T00:29:00.000-08:00

Not much new to report. Day-to-day I'm spending 4.5 hours trying to understand what my Ulpan teacher is talking about in Hebrew and the rest of the day I spend doing my homework, studying flashcards, or trying to learn to conjugate verbs. It's a barrel of laughs, I tell you! On Sunday, I have my first ever Hebrew test to determine if I'm able to continue in the same class or not. My teacher has faith in my abilities but I'm not so sure. I think I might be moving into a slightly lower level class soon but that is A-OK with me!

Jen's starting a less intensive Hebrew Ulpan next week - it's only twice a week in the evening. In our "off" time, we've become addicted to watching "24" on DVD and we just finished the second season.

But, it is Friday now and thus somewhat more relaxed than the rest of the week, especially since Jen and I have invitations to dinner tonight as well as lunch tomorrow so our only Shabbat preparation was buying challah (bread) and grape juice to bring to both events.

On Thursdays we try to visit someplace new in the city and so yesterday we went to the Bloomfield Science Museum. It was awful. Don't go unless you're an eight year old who loves science or his/her parent. There were very few interesting displays but one in particular that I enjoyed was a large electromagnetic field; it included the warning to keep credit cards away from it but I didn't read the warning until after I turned it on. Fortunately, my credit card worked at the grocery store a little while later.

There is serious construction going on in the building - an apartment three floors below us is being entirely renovated and this involves a lot of very loud work. Since the walls are concrete and stone, renovations require jack hammering, sledge hammering, and sawing through stone. It is incredibly loud. I've had to leave the apartment to study my Hebrew elsewhere this past week due to the noise. Now, there's a giant hole in the wall of the apartment under renovation, it looks like they're making a new door.

Don't miss our friend Anna's fascinating post (with a bunch of photos) about apartment life in Israel!

Shabbat Shalom!

Cold

2007-02-07T03:17:00.000-08:00

It's been quite cold as of late and since buildings have no insulation, life indoors is mostly miserable. I was told at one time that even people from Scandinavia say that a winter in Israel is the worst winter they've experienced.

I decided to ask one of my fellow students, a former army officer from Sweden, what he thought about the cold in Israel compared to Sweden. He said that it's much worst here because in Sweden, home, work, and school are always heated to 20 degrees (C) but here in Israel, without insulation, it's maddening. In Israel, the lack of insulation and building with stone keeps places cool during the summers but it makes for not-so-fun winters.

Rabbinical School FAQ

2007-01-26T00:52:00.000-08:00

I have been receiving many inquisitive emails from family and friends asking about rabbinical school so I though I would post some frequently asked questions (FAQ), along with my answers...

Q: How many rabbinical schools are there?

A: In the Conservative Movement there are two seminaries in the United States. The oldest is the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and the newest school is the Ziegler School at the University of Judaism (UJ) in Los Angeles. I will be attending the UJ. There were about eight or nine students studying in Jerusalem who applied to rabbinical school; most applied to both but I only applied to UJ.

Q: How long is rabbinical school?

A: That depends. If I am able to improve my Hebrew to a competent level by the summer or fall, I might finish the program in five years; otherwise it might take me six years. Either way, that's A-OK, I'm thrilled to have been accepted and to be starting this amazing journey!

Q: What does competent level mean?

A: While I already have the minimum Hebrew knowledge to start in the fall (beginning the Hebrew 2 class in the fall), I would like to start in Hebrew 3 or even Hebrew 4, if possible at the UJ.

While Hebrew classes in Israel don't exactly follow the same structure as academic courses, I am just in the beginning stages of the likely equivalent to Hebrew 2. I hope to successfully complete this class by the end of March and then continue after Passover with the next level, which is approximately equivalent to Hebrew 3. If I can complete that level and even continue, depending on timing, I might successfully test into (and know enough to take) Hebrew 4 when I arrive at UJ.

I have a 22-page Hebrew and Bible placement test that I need to submit by late February to help determine my future placement but I believe that I can re-take the test again in the summer as I expect to learn much, much, more Hebrew before I start school

Q: When are you leaving Israel?

A: Our lease expires in June. We could return to California earlier or later, depending on a variety of circumstances, including Hebrew abilities. I would like to be settled in Los Angeles somehow by mid-July in order to take summer school Introduction to Biblical Hebrew course offered by the UJ in the late summer in order to be well-prepared for my classes in the fall.

Q: Where will you live?

A: We currently plan to move to the San Fernando Valley. We want to live within walking distance of a Conservative synagogue so that we can walk there on Shabbat. There are many synagogues in the Valley so finding a place shouldn't be a problem.

Q: What courses will you take next fall?

A: A brand-new curriculum has been approved for the upcoming school year and I am excited to be a part of it! (See P. Pod's blog where she mentions how awesome the new curriculum is!) So, I expect to take classes about the Torah, Introduction to Jewish Philosophy, Hebrew (of course!), an Introduction to the Mishna, and an Introduction to Jewish Law (Halakhah). I am so excited!

Q: What happens after rabbinical school?

A: I currently plan to become a pulpit rabbi and will probably start out as the assistant rabbi at a large congregation.

What We Learn in Hebrew Class

2007-01-26T00:43:00.000-08:00

Most often, the sentences we use in Hebrew class are pretty boring but yesterday, we were working with future tense verbs and we were working with the verb "to kill." We were also learning new vocabulary at the same time. So, the sentence where we had to conjugate the verb read, "Terrorists killed three Lebanese civilians." Good words to learn - killed, terrorists, and civilians. It sure beat a sentence from this morning that is definitely not Israeli - "I will stand in line for two hours." Not!

Hebrew class is going well; it still takes a lot of energy out of me each morning from 8-12:30 but my comprehension is increasing. I really tend to understand what my teacher is saying, sometimes more than other students, even the Arabic speakers. That feels great but I'm still a complete idiot when it comes to verbs but I'm working on it. As they say here, "L'at, l'at," (slowly, slowly; i.e. have patience, it will come).

Bibi and Me

2007-01-19T01:42:00.000-08:00

This morning, Steve and I were having coffee and hot chocolate, respectively, at a local coffee shop; he was teaching me some Hebrew grammar that I have failed to understand. Suddenly, two sunglass- and khaki-clad men walked in and started looking around. They looked intently at us, studying the intricacies of Hebrew grammar and then proceeded to talk into their lapel and then stood guard outside.

About ten minutes later, former Prime Minister (from 1996 to 1999), current leader of the Likud party, and our neighbor Binyamin Netanyahu, flanked by two additional khaki dudes, walked into the coffee shop and sat down at the table next to us. His two bodyguards flanked him as he proceeded to talk on his cell phone and order coffee.

About twenty minutes later, people arrived to meet with Bibi and they had a conversation and then I left. It made a typical Jerusalem Friday morning a very one exciting for me!

Rabbi Matt

2007-01-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

After the last three years of dreaming, learning, thinking, discussing, and struggling, I am thrilled to announce that I have been accepted to the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles!

The decision to undertake this new path in life toward the rabbinate was not an easy one and it was a decision that took so much deliberation. Jen was obviously my partner in this decision-making process and to her I owe a debt of gratitude for her support - heck, we moved to Israel! So many others have been part of this process as well, you know who you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So, now what? I start school in the fall and expect it to take me about five to six years of incredibly intensive studies before I am ordained as a Conservative Rabbi. Meanwhile, as I have heard the phrase repeated often, "A rabbi needs to know ten things, nine of them are Hebrew," I am focusing my studies here in Jerusalem on Hebrew and am only attending a few afternoon classes at the yeshiva. The more Hebrew I know by the time I start classes in the fall, the more I will be able to understand and the better I will do in my studies.

Every day of the week, I have several hours of Hebrew homework and I need to keep learning the new vocabulary that is being thrown at us constantly. On the brighter side, I am able to understand the speed at which my Hebrew teacher talks and am understanding almost everything she says. The first week I completed some in-class assignments incorrectly due to a lack of understanding. Four and a half hours of Hebrew a day is a lot like a university week of language classes compressed into a single day so it is quite intense.

So, I'll keep up in Hebrew until summertime, when Jen and I will move back to California in anticipation of my start at Ziegler.

Just a quick note about the formal admissions process...

I asked for a Ziegler application about three years ago and first met with an associate dean to talk about going to rabbinical school about two and a half years ago. I realized then that I didn't nearly have the knowledge I needed to even be considered a candidate so continued to learn but struggled with my decision along the way. Then about a year and a half ago, after many additional hours of classes and many additional books (there is a lengthy recommended reading list for applicants and I have read almost all of the books now), I re-energized the process and spoke frequently by phone and email to the admissions coordinator.

We planned to come to Israel to obtain as much learning as possible to prepare for the admissions process and to be a successful candidate. The application itself consisted of five letters of recommendation, re-taking the GRE exam, writing five essays that amounted to eighteen pages, a photo, and an application form. I had formal interviews here in Jerusalem with the associate dean, the dean, and finally, last Monday, with the admissions committee which consisted of the dean, admissions coordinator (both rabbis), and two additional rabbis.

My final interview last Monday was merely 45 minutes but the fasted 45 minutes of my life. Their questions were outstanding and challenging but I had a wonderful time. Less than three hours later, I found out I had been accepted! Since then, I've been on cloud nine and sharing my news with friends and family.

Fire!

2007-01-14T05:58:00.000-08:00

On Thursday morning, I left the apartment on my way to Hebrew school and as soon as I stepped out of the building, I smelt smoke from a house fire. As I walked toward the main drag, the air became hazy and as I turned the corner, I saw smoke billowing out of a first-story apartment. Parked on the sidewalk were a fire engine, a ladder truck, an ambulance, and a police car.

As I got closer, I noticed that there was no traffic control whatsoever and drivers were dangerously trying to out-maneuver each other to get around the emergency apparatus. Then, I saw Israeli firefighters in action, squirting water into the apartment through an exterior window with dark smoke billowing out, without wearing masks. The smoke on the sidewalk where I was, across the street, was hazardous enough to breathe, let alone non-dissipated smoke coming directly from the apartment. Quite unhealthy.

But the most quintessentially Israeli thing about the whole scene was the upstairs apartment residents, a couple, who were leaning out their window, taking in the scene and calmly enjoying the action while their downstairs neighbor's apartment was engulfed in flames. Why bother to evacuate? It's cold outside! We're A-OK right here!

A Full Time Job

2007-01-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

One of my fellow students in my new Hebrew class said that taking intensive Hebrew is a full time job. Indeed, I feel that way myself.

My class has 25 students - 17 of whom are native Arabic speakers so they have a great advantage over the others because Arabic is a Semitic language and closer to Hebrew than other languages. These students are really, really good at speaking Hebrew and talk very quickly. I've been told countless time not to compare myself to the Arabs in the class because they're just going to catch on so much quicker than a stupid Anglo. It's true.

The remaining eight students are mostly new immigrants and come from the U.S., U.K., Ireland, France, Czech Republic, Canada, and Sweden. I think I am the only student who has not immigrated to Israel.

I arrived in class as a brand-new student on Sunday, invading a class that had been together since October. I definitely felt like the new kid in town. I've been overwhelmed the past few days because the teacher, who spent her time in the army teaching new immigrant soldiers how to speak Hebrew and has been doing it ever since, speaks very very rapidly and never speaks English. She defines new words by attempting to describe the new word using Hebrew words we (should) already know or through pantomime or even by drawing (today a drawing of a stoplight helped us understand a new word but I think she could've described a light that is red, yellow, and green and we could've gotten it). Nonetheless, I am understanding more and more of what she says every day. As another student said, there isn't time to translate what she's saying in your head so you have to start to think in Hebrew.

Since class is four and a half hours of all Hebrew all the time, it is painful for my brain but highly educational. We also have considerable homework. I had planned on taking an afternoon class today at the yeshiva but I ended up coming home and doing homework for three hours and I haven't even hit the flashcards yet...

(P.S. Jen is still really suffering from jet lag - she was up and working by 3 a.m. today and now, just after 5 p.m., she's barely awake.)

Seriously Messed Up Timing

2007-01-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

We didn't experience much jet lag when we were in California. Although we would get up early (around 5 am) and get tired starting around 5:30-6 pm, we quickly figured out that if we took a quick nap we would be good for the whole day.

However, now that we are back in Israel, my body's timing is completely off. For instance, after sleeping for three hours last night, I woke up at 3 am and stayed up until I konked to sleep at 9 am. Then I slept pretty solidly thru the entire day and woke up at 4:30 pm. After grabbing a bite of food out of the fridge, I then promptly fell back asleep until I finally woke up at 8 pm.

It's now 2:30 am and I'm still up. Even though Matt's schedule isn't quite as crazy as mine, he decided to take a sleeping pill because he couldn't fall asleep. For me, I'm worried that I won't get tired until 5 am and then will officially have my day and nights confused.

Although I like the peace and quiet of the middle of the night, it's dark out, no one is up to talk to, and I can't go walk around town or get out of the house. I hope my body will get back on schedule, because this is getting confusing. For instance, when I get hungry, I have no idea what to eat -- should I be craving eggs and toast or chicken and potatoes?

How did my body's timing get so completely out of whack anyway?!

First Day at New School

2007-01-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

I am very nervous! On Sunday morning I am showing up at my new Hebrew class in a different part of town. I am joining a class that started in mid-October and I hope they're somewhere near my Hebrew skill level is. Hopefully, they're a bit behind where I ended before the break because I could use the review. I really hope they're not too far ahead of me!

Four and a half hours of Hebrew every day is going to turn my brain to jelly. During the summer, we had three and a half hours and I was brain dead at the end of each class. But - I will be learning a lot of Hebrew very quickly and that's what I need.

Shavua Tov!

2007-01-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

"Shavua Tov" or "Good Week" is the traditional greeting at the end of Shabbat and through Sunday morning. It's been quite a week. Flying from California to Israel is quite the trip. We transferred airlines in Las Vegas which meant we had to switch terminals and obtain boarding passes and pass through security again. Fortunately, our luggage was checked through to our final destination. Our layover in Vegas was a mere 90 minutes which really just wasn't enough time to make a relaxing transition between terminals. Our second layover was in Atlanta and that turned out to be a four hour layover because the flight to Tel Aviv was delayed an hour.

At Atlanta, several guys tried to get a minyan of ten men together to pray the evening service but there weren't enough kippah-wearing guys around so everyone davened Maariv alone. And, on the Atlanta to Tel Aviv flight, morning happened so it was time for Shachrit, which includes a tallit and tefillin. No one organized a minyan on the plane as the sun began to quickly rise on the horizon so most people davened in their seats, including myself, and it was my first Shachrit with tallit and tefillin on a plane. The guy sitting on my left was also davening but he was faster than I and the only thing he said to me on the flight was, "Don't forget Mincha!" (the afternoon service) as we are getting closer to our destination. But, I had already davened Mincha but he was asleep. Ha!

When we arrived at Tel Aviv, the taxi driver who took us to the airport in December was waiting for us as he'd promised and that was so very wonderful. Plus, he helped us carry our bags up to our apartment, which was very nice. We took two suitcases to California and came home with three - one new bag we filled with 50 pounds of books in English. Our taxi driver wanted to know why we weren't buying books in Hebrew instead - apparently he is deaf and didn't hear us speaking in the language enough to know that it would take me a month to translate a chapter of Harry Potter. Not what I call reading for pleasure. Anyway, we'll sell or donate many of our English books before we leave - providing additional English reading opportunities for fellow visitors.

So, we arrived at our apartment late on Thursday night and were thrilled to have a message from a friend inviting us to Shabbat dinner last night. It was so awesome to have an invitation and be able to look forward to spending time with great friends immediately upon our arrival. We RSVPed, called family to let them know we were back, and went to the convenience store to buy some food to get us through Shabbat.

We both slept well on Thursday night and woke up early. I went to the synagogue for morning services on Friday and it was so wonderful to have that 15 minute walk. I grew lazy in the States by driving everywhere and I really missed walking. Then, I napped. Then, we went to services and dinner with our friends on Friday night. Then, I only could sleep two hours all night and went to Shabbat morning services this morning and was exhausted at about 10 a.m. and came home after services and slept for five hours and woke up right before Shabbat ended. Now, I'm starting to get tired at about 7:30 p.m. and I really need some sleep because tomorrow is a very big day!

Easy Fast

2006-12-31T13:48:00.000-08:00

Today, New Year's Eve, happens to be the minor fast day of the 10th of Tevet on the Jewish calendar. This minor fast runs from sunrise (5:58 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. for me in my current California location) so I woke up at 5:20 this morning and made myself scrambled eggs which, at nearly 2 p.m., has kept me from becoming totally overwhelmed by starvation. Or, maybe fasting is just getting easier for me?

We had a joyous trip to Target a few days ago and today went to Costco. It was overwhelming to see so many products in one place. The American penchant for consumerism has impacted me through my visits to the stores. "Who needs all this stuff?" I thought to myself as people were buying 20-packs of things that the average Israeli would never need nor even want in their lives.

I'm looking forward to starting my Hebrew Ulpan next Sunday back in Jerusalem but am nervous as well because I'll be joining a class that started as a bunch of beginners after Sukkot and while hypothetically they should be at about the same level as I am now - I do hope they're not too advanced nor too far behind my level. They don't use the same textbook so perhaps their vocabulary knowledge will be dramatically different from mine. It all remains to be seen, I suppose.

It was wonderful to be able to spend some time at the synagogue here at home. I was able to tell many stories of Israel to friends who were pleasantly surprised to see me back at morning minyan or Shabbat services so soon. I was shocked to see how much more comfortable and familiar with the daily services than I was during the summer. Practice and daily repetition certainly pay off!

What's That on Your Head?

2006-12-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

I have been wearing my kippah when we've been out and about and that has been an interesting experience.

For instance, we went to a garden store and the clerk there asked if the gift we were buying was a Hanukkah present and then proceeded to tell me about his lady friend who is Jewish and this is their first holiday season together and she is buying a Christmas gift for his grandchild but she doesn’t want any gifts from him.

Then at the vet, the vet wished us happy holidays and took our cat in the back for a shot. When she came back up front, she asked, "I haven’t had much sleep – I didn’t wish you a Merry Christmas, did I?" I replied that she had not because I really would’ve remembered that. Then, she proceeded to tell me about her four year old son who has a friend who is Jewish and last year, they went and celebrated Hanukkah at the friend’s house and her son was so cute and yada yada yada.

I'm getting lots of stares with my kippah on and lots of people are taking a double-take in looking at me. I'm really standing out and it's a very strange experience. But, everyone who talks to me wants to connect to me in some way - through knowing someone Jewish or sharing some knowledge of Hanukkah or Judaism. But, the best thing about wearing a kippah out and about is that no one wishes me a Merry Christmas!

Coming to America

2006-12-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

So, we're back home in California for a two week vacation to see family, friends, and pets. It's great to be back but I miss Israel and our friends and community there.

We adjusted to California time fairly quickly despite not sleeping much on the flight here. We arrived at 1 p.m. and stayed up until 8 p.m. and then woke up around 5 a.m. and every day since then, we've been on nearly that same schedule. Unfortunately, that's posed somewhat of a problem for morning prayers, which can't be said until nearly sunrise and sunrise is after 7 a.m. here. This morning, for example, I woke up just after 5 and had to wait awhile before I put my tallit and teffilin on. In Jerusalem, I'm not waking up as early but sunrise is nearly an hour earlier than it is here.

We still haven't been to Target or Costco yet - these are places I'm very excited to see while I'm here. But, we have visited the grocery store and Trader Joe's - our first trip there was fairy overwhelming. There were so many products and so much selection and it was all labeled in English. It was all too much!

It has also been very liberating to drive. I hadn't driven in nearly six months before coming back and it was a great thrill to hop behind the wheel and drive. I even avoided honking at everyone and everything all the time, as I've become used to experiencing in Israel.

On the flight home, the stewardess were Americans and it was quite strange to be saying "thank you" in English for the first time in many months. It felt different and unusual to be saying those words because for several months I've said "todah" to everyone.

SeaTac Airport Hanukkah Menorah Controversy

2006-12-17T04:33:00.000-08:00

I was appalled by the SeaTac (Seattle) airport's response to Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky's request to install a single menorah at the airport. I haven't read anything that gives the rabbi's point of view and the full story until I found this great article. It's well-written and worth reading in its entirety.

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

2006-12-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

I was walking around the city this evening doing last-minute errands for our party and my timing was perfect for seeing lit Hanukiot in windows, on porches, and out on the street all around town. It was absolutely beautiful and wonderful. Unfortunately, my photos don't capture the feeling or spirit of Hanukkah that was out everywhere tonight but I will try to take additional photos in another night or two, when there will be more candles and thus more light for my camera.

When we lit our Hanukiah tonight, we were lighting ours at the same time as our neighbor in the building across the street - there we were, two families lighting our Hanukkah candles while watching each other across the street to publicize the miracle of Hanukkah to each other and to the passers-by. It was a festive and wonderful experience.

Tomorrow is our huge Hanukkah party - we expect about 15-20 guests for appetizers, Hanukkah cookie decorating, and a white elephant gift exchange - it's going to be great! Jen's feeling a lot better and has been busy making dozens and dozens of sugar cookies for decorating tonight since the end of Shabbat.

At Shabbat morning services today, the guy who led the Musaf service was fantastic - he chanted much of the liturgy using the tunes from Hanukkah songs. I love Hanukkah music - there are so many songs and tunes even though it's a fairly minor holiday. It's so much fun to be experiencing Hanukkah in Jerusalem.

For those who want to know more about Hanukkah, Lisa Katz has a comprehensive overview of Hanukkah on her site.

Happy Hanukkah!

2006-12-15T00:45:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah starts tonight! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see the Hanukiot (plural of Hanukiah - a Hanukkah menorah) lit with candles and oil all around town! I noticed the other night that the Knesset (parliament) building has an electric Hanukiah on its roof that it appears will be lit for Hanukkah.

The weather outside lately and today has been mostly sunny and quite nice. It's cold at night, however. The forecast looks good for almost all of Hanukkah. I look forward to walking around Jerusalem to see Hanukiot over the next few days. Yippee!

But I'm Not 40 Yet

2006-12-14T07:01:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest sages of Jewish history, because he started his Judaic learning late in life, at the age of 40. I found this great quote about Rabbi Akiva on Wikipedia... "He was an am ha'aretz (ignoramus) during his first forty years. During that period he used to say: 'O that I would find a Talmid Chacham (a scholar) and bite him like a donkey." Ouch!

At least one thing I've learned in the last six months has been to not bite my teachers. Good advice!

Exciting Times

2006-12-14T01:44:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah is almost here and that means many things - first, we are throwing a Hanukkah party next Sunday and second and most fun, we going home to California for our Hanukkah break!

Hanukkah starts on Friday night which means that it starts on Shabbat and this presents an interesting situation. Since Shabbat candlelighting is Jerusalem is a full 40 minutes before sundown (versus 18 minutes before sundown in the rest of the world), Hanukkah candles need to remain lit for more than an hour (since Hanukkah lights need to burn for a half-hour after nightfall). So, while one can normally use the very colorful small candles for Hanukkah, for Hanukkah which falls on Shabbat, much larger candles need to be used. This year is especially challenging because Shabbat falls within Hanukkah twice.

The grocery store just delivered our groceries - three large boxes of groceries - for our Sunday night party. It's so wonderful that they offer this service because it means carrying less up the stairs for yours truly. Unfortunately, the store did not refrigerate our cold items so I have two items to return to the store which were sitting out since last night.

So, we're going home! We're very much looking forward to our trip home and spending time with family and our pets. We fly on Monday night and arrive mid-day Tuesday. It's nice to fly against the rotation of the earth because it makes one's flight seem so much shorter. I'm sure our jet-lag will show us how wrong I am.

(Not) A Day Off

2006-12-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

Last week, when the yeshiva director announced that on Sunday (today) we'd be having a tiyul (field trip), I interpreted his statement of "This is not a free day off from classes" as "This is a free day off from classes!" Yipee! So, I took today off, I missed the trip, and had a wonderful Sunday! Oh, how I miss Sundays and today I had a Sunday. It was amazing, fantastic, super! I'm glad I played hooky.

Shabbaton to Jerusalem

2006-12-05T06:15:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, the yeshiva hosted an exciting Shabbaton (weekend retreat) and we all got to go to none other than... Jerusalem! Yes, we spent two extra days at the yeshiva this past Shabbat to have fun and enjoy each other's company even more than usual. Actually, it was pretty fun. Friday morning started with a tour to East Jerusalem, just outside the Old City, to the City of David - the most ancient part of Jerusalem. It was a great tour with a real tour guide who provided an excellent historical overview of the ancient, ancient city. We also went underground to the tunnels under the ancient city. Here's a view of part of East Jerusalem from the City of David...

Then, the yeshiva hosted Friday night services at the synagogue next door to the yeshiva and we had a dinner followed by a really fun game and then at about 9 p.m. it was time for the event I'd planned - the "tish" (which means table). I'd asked a bunch of students and faculty to be prepared to tell stories related to this past week's Torah portion or about Hanukkah, which begins in a week and a half. Most of those I'd asked were prepared and gave nice talks. I also had the room fully stocked with snack foods, beverages, and alcohol. The tish went on past 10:30, which was when I left because it's way past my bedtime.

On Saturday morning, we had a Shabbat service in the yeshiva and it was followed by a really good lunch where I ate my first persimmon, which was delicious and I keep eating them every day since. I did not partake in the afternoon activities because I went home immediately after lunch and fell asleep for two hours. Then, it was practically the end of Shabbat and so I just had to shake my grogginess in time to go to a late night showing of Casino Royale.

For a full overview of everything I missed, see Gabe's Blog Post about the weekend!

Page 474

2006-11-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

We reached page 474 in our "Hebrew From the Beginning" textbook on Wednesday, which means we are five pages from completing the entire textbook. This is one thick textbook and I can't believe we're practically done with it. We should be completely done with the book by Monday.

We started using this textbook on July 3 and have covered every single page within in it and, hypothetically, learned every vocabulary word in it as well (I do have a few outstanding flash cards that need to be studied a bit). Upon completion of this book, we get to move to the next book which moves us from being in Hebrew Aleph (the first level) to Hebrew Bet.

It took five months but I've come a heck of a long way in knowing the language. I remember looking at page 479 when I first received the textbook and thinking that there was no way I'd ever be able to understand the text on that page. So I just opened it to see and I was able to translate the first line of what I know can tell is a long poem easily (I wake up in Hebrew in the morning, I think and I write.), without a dictionary. Wow!

When I receive my Hebrew Bet textbook, I will look at the last page and surely think that it will be impossible to understand as well. Overall, while I'm really happy with my vocabulary, ability to talk and understand Hebrew at this point, I'm not so thrilled with my reading speed when I read out-loud in class - I feel like I ought be faster so I suppose it's definitely something I should just practice a bit more on my own.

The Food Court

2006-11-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight Jen, Jean, and I needed some "retail therapy" and went to the mall to shop. The mall has a food court but as I was looking around, I realized that all of the food options were just varieties on the same theme - meat on a stick, meat in bread (usually pita), or meat fried and breaded (i.e. schnitzel). Everything looked the same and nothing looked new and exciting to eat. Even the Burger King is just the same as the aforementioned food groups.

April in Ukraine

2006-11-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

Our plans for go to the Ukraine for Passover to help Jewish communities there learn about and experience Passover is really coming to fruition! There's a brand-new really cool website devoted to the project at www.pesachproject.com. There, you can stay up-to-date about the FSU (Former Soviet Union) Pesach (Passover) Project. (There's even a secure site for tax-deductible donations, as the entire project is funded by donations, so please consider helping!)

Jen and I are both already very active on our committees to help plan and organize the trip. Jen is on the logistics committee to buy tickets, rent cars, develop schedules, etc. and I am on the history and geography committee to teach participants about what to expect when they arrive in Belarus, Ukraine, or Russia. The next few months are going to be very exciting!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving but we have little thought of putting together a large dinner in celebration of this uniquely American holiday. Instead, the plan is to actually go to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner with friends on Thursday night and then, hopefully, catch the new Bond movie at the theater.

I am a huge fan of Thanksgiving and I love turkey and I love all types of meat so what am I doing going to a vegetarian restaurant tomorrow? I think the weekly cycle of a Shabbat holiday every single week - where one is expected to have a festive meal, makes adding in any extra holidays somewhat difficult. We just hosted a huge Shabbat dinner last Friday night and had a wonderful time with our friends. But, we just finished cleaning up yesterday and any prospect of having creating a large meal at this point in the week is not up for discussion.

In addition, the several weeks Jewish holidays took their toll in September and October and now, Hanukkah, a eight-day holiday that required preparation and fun is right around the corner (precisely 24 days away). The holidays in the fall was Israel's Halloween to New Year's season and now that's over.

So, we'll be going to a vegetarian restaurant out of respect for several of our vegetarian friends and we'll have a great time on Thursday night for Thanksgiving but then, the next day is Friday and it's time for another special dinner!

I'm actually thrilled to see such how holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving have not at all impacted the culture in Israel. I did not see any orange and black in October and I have not seen a single turkey decoration this month. It's just business as usual and that's pretty exciting.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Shabbat Shalom

2006-11-17T01:51:00.000-08:00

This cat seems to be thoroughly enjoying the Mediterranean Sea from the Tel Aviv beach. Shabbat Shalom y'all!

Tel Aviv Day Trip

2006-11-17T01:30:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, we broke loose from the Beit Midrash (house of study) at the Yeshiva and took a trip to Tel Aviv with a great tour guide. We saw historical sites throughout the city from the beginning of the city to sites that showed its modern cosmopolitan nature. It was a fun trip and Jen and I plan to return to Tel Aviv soon, to just spend the day on the beach. It looked so wonderful!

From the beach, modern skyscraper Tel Aviv.

The downtown transformed into a chic shopping district.

We visited Independence Hall, where the State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948.

Pedestrian malls abound and are quite beautiful.

Standing in front of the elaborately decorated door, our tour guide tells us the history of a old Yeshiva in Tel Aviv.

Clock Illiterate

2006-11-17T01:08:00.000-08:00

I woke up in the middle of the night last night and looked over at the clock and could not figure out what time it was. I struggled to figure out why I couldn't read the clock. After all, I could see the numbers but I couldn't put them into order. Fortunately, it didn't take me too long to realize that I was reading the clock from right to left. Apparently, my mind is pretty used to reading Hebrew now. I'm surprised I can still type in English.

Yahrzeit

2006-11-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last night began a 24 hour period of yahrzeit, the memorial day for the death of a loved one, for my maternal grandfather - may his memory be for a blessing.

It is traditional for the family members to recite aloud in public the prayer called the Mourner's Kaddish on the yahrzeit. The Mourner's Kaddish is recited at the evening, morning, and afternoon services (i.e. all three). Thus, I began observing my grandfather's yahrzeit last night, by heading back to the Yeshiva at 6:15 for the Maariv service there.

I also recited the Mourner's Kaddish this morning, each of the three times it occurred in the service. Then, this afternoon, I led, for the first time ever, the afternoon service, known as Mincha. It is highly appropriate for a mourner or person observing yahrzeit to lead services and I wanted to observe that tradition in honor of my grandfather. Thus, I've been working hard for the past month and a half, practicing Mincha day and night to get it right.

When 1:40 p.m. rolled around today, I was so incredibly nervous, my knees were actually shaking so badly - I thought I could've fainted. Fortunately, I wasn't facing the students, faculty, and friends who had gathered (thanks Eve!) to pray and to support me. I made it through Mincha and ended with my last Mourner's Kaddish for the 24 hour period. I'm sure my grandfather would be proud.

And now, it's time to head out to the supermarket to do our shopping for our large Shabbat dinner - it's the first time we've hosted since Rosh Hashanah, which means it's almost been two months.

Laundry

2006-11-13T09:26:00.000-08:00

The photo above shows a nice dry, windy summertime day when close would be dry within hours of putting them on the clothesline in the hot summer sun. However, now the weather is a bit more moist and, it's even raining occasionally. Thus, it can take a few days for clothes to dry and for items like sheets - it's highly inconvenient to dry them on the clothesline. We needed to use a dryer and fortunately, there's a cleaners nearby where one can drop off laundry.

So, last week I took the sheets and pillowcases off the bed and took them to our nearby dry cleaners/laundry place and attempted to drop them off for their same-day cleaning. The owner hesitantly accepted my bag of sheets and pillowcases but then handed it back and told me that it didn't weigh enough. Apparently, there's a flat rate for five kilograms of laundry. The owner would let me pay the flat rate for less than 5 kg of laundry. It was very thoughtful of him, in the typical Israeli fashion. Nonetheless, isn't often that I can get to the cleaners' after they don't open until the later hour of 7 a.m.

So, today I took a larger load to the cleaners that I thought was about 5 kg. The guy at the counter took my bag and told me that my sheets, jeans, and sweatshirts might be ready today. So much for same-day service! He told me I could call him after 5 p.m. to see if he was able to get my laundry done. After class and evening services, I rushed back before 7 p.m. and indeed, the clothes were done and I was thrilled to have fully washed sheets, jeans, and sweatshirts!

If I Ran The Yeshiva

2006-11-09T06:14:00.000-08:00

If I ran the Yeshiva, this would be the model schedule for folks like me (i.e. no background and here to learn a thing or two)...

Shacharit (Morning Prayers) and Breakfast - 7:30-9 a.m.

Hebrew Ulpan - 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - (Because learning Hebrew is so incredibly important)

Lunch - 12:30-1:40 p.m. - No Classes Allowed

Mincha (Afternoon Prayers) - 1:40-2 p.m.

Early Afternoon Classes - 2-3:15 p.m.

History of Judaism, History of and Contemporary Issues in Israel, Parshat HaShavua, Conservative Judaism, and, the always popular, Upcoming Holidays and How to Observe Them

Late Afternoon Classes - 3:20-6:15 p.m. - (All clases in English, using English sources)...

Overview of Liturgy (an overview of the siddur [prayerbook] and how to daven [pray])
Overview of Halakhah (using Isaac Klein's A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice)
Introduction to the Mishna and Talmud
Overview of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)
Discussion Group and Lecture for Baalei Teshuva (your stupidest questions answered!)

Maariv (Evening Prayers) - 6:15-6:30 p.m.

Obviously, I'm frustrated with what I thought would be offered here and what is actually offered here. Nonetheless, I'm still happy with the opportunities and courses the Yeshiva provides but I might be making some significant changes to my daily schedule in the near future to obtain from the remainder of this year what I need to.

Please Take a Number

2006-11-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

Jen and I had an appointment this morning and despite the office's attempts at creating and maintaining order in a chaotic society without lines, the Israelis there did their best to usurp the system. Shortly after we arrived, the conversation went something like this (all in Hebrew, of course)...

MAN (talking loudly to everyone): They have a take-a-number system here, why aren't we using it?!

WOMAN: We all know our place in line, I'm before him and she's after me.

MAN: But if they are changing the number on the wall on the nice LED-lit sign, why don't you people use it?!

ANOTHER WOMAN: We're not, and that's that!

MAN: It just doesn't make sense, this is all chaotic. What's with you people?!

YET ANOTHER WOMAN: Dude! Get off it; we all know our place in line and it's working OK, why the fuss?!

MAN: There's a numbering system, we should use it.

MAN'S DAUGHTER: Dad!

MAN: I just think we should use the numbering system they want us to use!

MAN'S DAUGHTER: Dad!

UNRELATED WOMAN: I know I'm after them (pointing to us) and I'm fine not having a number; I don't need a number.

NURSE: We have a numbering system.

MAN: See! They want us to use the numbering system.

MAN'S DAUGHTER: Dad! Just shut up!

MAN: Mumble, mumble, mumble.

Loose Ends on Saturday Night

2006-11-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Friday night we were invited to a very large Shabbat dinner at the apartment of cantorial students Matt and Jon. They served a scrumptious vegetarian dinner and had about twenty guests. They have a nice large apartment that is right next to the Yeshiva and the synagogue so it is a very convenient place for a dinner. Since the sun sets so early now, Shabbat begins a few minutes after 4 p.m., services start at 4:30 and are done by 6. Thus, Shabbat dinner starts far earlier than in the summer and it seems really late by 9 or 10 o'clock whereas in the summer, we'd start dinner at 8ish and go until 11 or midnight.

We haven't hosted any dinners in a while so in just under two weeks we'll going to host a Shabbat dinner for an intimate crowd of about thirteen, including ourselves. In order to hold that many in our apartment, we either need to borrow chairs or get some more. We've decided that we're just going to go out and buy 5 or 6 cheap plastic garden chairs before our next dinner because we're tired of having to borrow chairs for every dinner we host.

Yesterday afternoon, I went with fellow Yeshiva students and one of our rabbis to visit patients at a nursing home. It was a rewarding and moving experience and I was able to utilize my limited Hebrew skills in talking to residents who had been born, for the most part throughout Europe and immigrated to Israel after World War II and the Holocaust. I'm looking forward to going back and spending more time there.

To The Repair Shop

2006-11-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

Every morning from 7:10 to 7:25 I am the lone student of the Rosh Yeshiva (head of the Yeshiva). It's a daily class that's open to anyone and everyone but I'm the only on there every day. Reb Shmuel (Reb=rabbi) said that for the years he's been teaching the class, he's always only had one person take advantage of the incredible opportunity to learn from a true master.

Since I'm the only student, I get to ask whatever stupid questions I want. So, today, I asked Reb Shmuel to help me make sure that I was putting on my tefillin properly. I pulled the arm tefillin out of the bag and he looked at it strangely and said, "You're left-handed, right?" I replied that I am and he told me that the leather strap was not tied properly. Instead of us tying it ourselves (I was the last to tie it), he recommended I read to a magical place where tefillin are repaired.

So, after classes today, I walked north up King George Street to where it ends and turns into Straus. At 10 Straus, there it was, HaSofer (The Scribe). Inside was a wondrous collection of muzzuzot, tzitzit, tallitot, and tefillin. I waited patiently for the customer in front of me to finish. Once I was helped, the rabbi-sofer quickly retied the knot on my tefillin and replaced the outside case (since the new know was on the opposite site of the original knot) and for a small charge, I was done.

I had a great experience at HaSofer and highly recommend it for all your sofer needs!

Shabbat Shalom, as in Peace

2006-10-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Last night we had dinner at Anna and Jamie's apartment. Jamie is a first-year cantorial student at Hebrew Union College and Anna has been our Hebrew study buddy since the summer. They recently kashered (an inappropriate past tense word which is Heb-rish [Hebrew-English] for "to make kosher") their apartment and thus now keep kosher so in honor of their apartment's new status, they held their first kosher Shabbat dinner. It was a wonderful dinner and a heck of a lot of fun.

Prior to dinner we went to Friday night services at Hebrew Union College. There is not a regular schedule of services at HUC but occasionally, the students plan and hold a service. It has been a while since we've been to a Reform service but we weren't as overwhelmed and shocked as one of our friends who was also there (having been also invited to dinner). For him, the siddur (prayerbook) he uses is inviolable and since last night's Reform service was a tad "different," I was worried he'd go into some sort of shock but, no, he held up like a trooper and made it through the whole thing without shouting "Heathens!" or anything like that.

So after services, which started at 5:30, we walked as a group to Anna & Jamie's and had a fantastic dinner and the theme of the night ended up being joke telling around the table. I've never been one who could remember a joke and even if I could, I'm not good at telling them because I usually tell the punch line before telling the joke. So, I sat back and enjoyed everything. Thinking about last night now, I don't think I can remember any of the jokes.

Yesterday was the first consistently rainy day and while it was fortunate that it didn't rain between HUC and their apartment, on the way home it was wet for a while and it was quite a walk.

On the way to their apartment and home, we passed by some normally very places on Shabbat for the first time since our arrival. Ben Yehuda Street and the Shuk are normally packed day and night throughout the week but on Friday night, they were completely empty except for others walking home from services or to a Shabbat dinner. It was eerily quiet and as I was reading Abraham Joshua Heschel's book The Sabbath today, I was struck by the following line...

A thought has blown the market place away.

For me, I was struck by how quiet the normal marketplaces of Jerusalem were, all because of Shabbat (the "thought"). This thought has created a wonderful day of incredible stillness and peace throughout Israel and especially throughout Jerusalem. Shabbat is an amazing concept and, when applied almost universally, it is an amazing experience for everyone. OK, that's as spiritual as I get.

I enjoy seeing bored non-Jewish tourists on Saturday, milling about with nothing really to do because the city is pretty much shut down.

OK, maybe a little more spirituality. This morning, walking back from services in a distant part of Jerusalem, it was really rainy. This week we read from the Torah the portion "Noah," which not surprisingly, is the story of Noah and his zoological arc. Some parts of Israel flooded due to the heavy rains today and when we were walking back from synagogue, the sun peeked through the clouds during the rain - Eve and I were really hoping for a rainbow - it would have made the day, one where we left synagogue after just having heard the story of Noah in the annual Torah reading cycle. There is also a blessing to say when one sees a rainbow, it acknowledges G-d's promise to Noah that the rainbow would be a sign that the earth would not be again destroyed by flood.

We searched and searched the sky but never found a rainbow. But, right before I arrived back at our apartment, I did hear thunder and got to pull out the siddur to say the blessing for hearing thunder.

Shavua Tov! (A Good Week!)

No Hair Left

2006-10-27T01:41:00.000-07:00

I had a haircut at the end of June, before we left the States and I have had a total of three haircuts here in Jerusalem. I usually have a haircut every four weeks so I am behind at least one haircut but maybe it's because my hair keeps getting cut too short.

My first haircut was with a barber near the Yeshiva who paid my instructions no heed and cut my hair too short. I don't think he liked me because I arrived at his shop while he was eating lunch. It wasn't as though he had to put his lunch aside - he had me wait for fifteen minutes while he finished his lunch and his cigarette.

My second haircut, closer to our house, was a Russian immigrant barber who only spoke Russian and Hebrew. He understood my Hebrew instructions and I had a great haircut.

Last Wednesday, I went to the same place I went to the second time but I allowed my friend Mo to have his hair cut by the nice Russian barber. Mo's hair turned out great. I had my haircut by the owner, a much older barber. He spoke some English but didn't listen to my instructions at all and basically shaved my head and beard and so I hardly have any hair left at all. I'm nearly bald and my whole head is cold.

Thus, that evening, Jen and I went to the mall to buy her some winter clothing because it's getting downright cool here and while we were at the mall, I bought myself two very large kippot that cover most of my head. People who saw me yesterday at the Yeshiva said good things about my beard but I think they were just being nice. I think I scare small children and furry animals now. Well, in a few weeks it won't be so bad and I can probably wait two or three months before my next haircut.

I'm going back to the Russian barber - he understands my Hebrew and does a great job!

Rainy and Cool and an Update

2006-10-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

The weather is definitely changing. It's been somewhat rainy today and has been intermittently sunny and cloudy. It's getting cool enough that Jen decided she needed to find a winter coat so this afternoon and evening after classes, we went to the big mall to find some winter clothes for Jen. We were successful but getting there was half the fun.

Our taxi driver on the way to the mall was the rudest we'd had thus far. When I pronounced "malcha" as my intended destination, I didn't pronounce the "ch" with a guttural enough sound for him so he was criticizing my Hebrew-speaking skills all the way to the mall. He told me to tell our Hebrew teacher that she hadn't trained us properly to speak Hebrew because if we didn't get the basics down correctly, there was just no hope for us. Needless to say, his tip wasn't very big. Up until tonight's ride, we hadn't had any rude drivers.

Besides the news about our pending trip (below), there isn't much going on. Yeshiva has been interesting and educational and I'm still learning a great deal. I did sign up to lead the afternoon service on November 15 so I've been practicing a lot in anticipation of my big day in front of my fellow students and the faculty.

We haven't hosted a Shabbat dinner in a month and we're booked for the next two weeks as guests at fellow students' homes so it's nice to have Fridays free, for the most part.

The third-year rabbinical students who are here have begun classes so we don't get to see people like Eve as much as we'd like to (check out her blog for a nice rundown of her classes - interesting stuff!)

I grew tired of running to SuperSol every day to pick up lunch for myself so last night I got my act together and made myself peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Everyone who had to waste time standing in the long lines at SuperSol was jealous.

Tomorrow we have a trip out of town and it involves riding on a train. I'll take the camera and blog about it afterwards.

I take classes during several lunch periods each week and this week I started a new lunchtime class on Wednesdays that is about chaplaincy and how to develop the skills to work with people when they need it most.

As part of our Talmud class on Tuesday, we took a walking field trip to the Old City to see the places and understand the marketplaces as described in the Mishna. It was a great trip but we didn't get a lot of studying done. I couldn't concentrate because I was absorbed watching groups of tourists look at the Old City. It was really the first time I've watched tourists in the Old City and interesting to see how tourists perceived things I've become accustomed to seeing.

That's all I can think of for now...

The Ukraine is Weak?

2006-10-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Everything I ever wanted to know about the Ukraine, I learned from Seinfeld:

Newman: I'm not beaten yet. I still have armies in the Ukraine.

Kramer: Ha ha, the Ukraine. Do you know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting duck. A road apple, Newman. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's time to put the hurt on the Ukraine.

Ukrainian: I come from Ukraine. You not say Ukraine weak.

Kramer: Yeah, well we're playing a game here, pal.

Ukrainian: Ukraine is game to you?! How 'bout I take your little board and smash it!?!

We're planning on going to the Ukraine early next year for a trip to visit Jewish communities in the Former Soviet Union. We are excited to be part of a big group of Americans who are living in Jerusalem and will be going on the trip through Hebrew Union College. Almost all of the participants are first year rabbinical or cantorial students at HUC. They spend their first year of their five-year program here in Jerusalem, at the HUC campus adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem.

So, for several years, the students of HUC have worked to plan and fundraise to send dozens of HUC students and their close friends (like us) to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus to spend a week working with Jewish communities there. The Jewish communities in these countries are not well-supported and are just starting to coalesce because under the decades of communism, the USSR wasn't too supportive of religion.

Thus, there are communities that need outside help to learn about Jewish culture and ritual. That's where HUC steps in to help. It's exciting to be part of this group. We're really looking forward to the trip. We're also excited because all trip participants need to be part of the planning so Jen and I are each on a planning committee.

Entertainment and Rabbi Shmuley

2006-10-16T00:05:00.000-07:00

I was thinking of subscribing to Netflix but I didn't think it would be a good value if I received one movie every other month due to mailing times. So instead we go to the nearby Blockbuster for our DVDs. The last two nights Jen and I rented DVDs and enjoyed them here in the apartment. It's a comforting feeling to watch American (or in the case of the fantastic film from last night, The World's Fastest Indian, New Zealand) movies.

Israeli cable and international cable channels so a wide variety of American television shows but many are shows that weren't too successful in the states so their rights are bought by the cable channels and shown around the world. There is a complete listing of upcoming television opportunities but with my schedule and without a Tivo, it's hard to catch something I want to watch.

Thus, I have started downloading television shows from iTunes to watch on the computer. First it was an episode of South Park and now, I'm downloading an episode of Shalom in the Home. Shalom in the Home appears on TLC in the States and is a reality show hosted by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. It's a great show and I've been downloading one episode overnight and iTunes tells me that I only have four hours left to go!

Rabbi Shmuley is a great guy and his show is very entertaining. I discovered that he was in Jerusalem for the holidays when some fellow yeshiva students who went to the Western Wall on Yom Kippur discovered that Rabbi Shmuley was leading their service at the Wall! It was an exciting time for everyone.

In the course of writing this entry, I visited the good Rabbi's website and found an interesting article that he writes about the young misbehaving American Orthodox students who come to Israel to study for a year after high school. I posted previously about how these kids could be pretty loud when they lived across the street from our summertime apartment. Anyway, Rabbi Shmuley shares his thoughts on the obnoxious behavior of this group. Way to go Shmuley!

"Who Causes the Wind to Blow and the Rain to Fall."

2006-10-15T02:50:00.000-07:00

Right after the end of the holiday last night (5:45 p.m., as you'll recall), Jen and I went out to dinner and watched a DVD afterwards. It was nice just to hang out while the wind was blowing, clouds were forming, and the rain was getting ready to fall because apparently, our prayers for rain worked - it rained hard this morning for about a half-hour here.

One certainly would not have wanted to be in a sukkah when that happened. In future years, once I'm back home, I'm going to have to watch the Jerusalem weather forecast online for the days after Shemini Atzeret to see how close to that holiday does the rain actually start to fall. I'm just thrilled with this year's close correlation of Shemini Atzeret and rain.

The headline of this post ("Who Causes the Wind to Blow and the Rain to Fall") is the line that was added to the central daily prayer yesterday to acknowledge the season and power of rain for an agricultural-based society which lacks rivers. This line is said until Passover, when the rainy season is over and one ought not pray for miracles that can't happen.

The holiday season is over and the country gets back to business. I think it can be equated to the first week of January in the U.S. In the U.S. the time from Thanksgiving to New Year's is just over a month of celebration, parties, and eating and not a lot gets done during that time. I think the same is true here in Israel. Universities start after the hagim (holidays) and stay in session (with a Hanukkah break) until late June. Our friends who are here for their third year of rabbinical school start their orientation this week.

We go back to school tomorrow (Monday) and everyone says, "The Yeshiva doesn't really start until after the hagim." I'm not sure what that means because I feel like I've been working hard and learning a lot over the past month. However, a lot of the studies have been holiday-related. We studied Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot in great detail in our Talmud class.

When we start up again this week, we're going to be studying the Mishna section on Nezikin (Damages), a whole set of laws relating to Jewish civil and criminal law. We'll be focusing on Nezikin for the remainder of the school year. Each year the yeshiva studies a different of the six orders or books of the Mishna. I guess that keeps the instructors from getting bored.

After the rain stopped this morning, I walked to the commercial district to buy printer ink, which I desperately needed. I wore jeans, a long sleeved shirt and a jacket (for the first time yet) but minutes after I hit the sidewalk, the sun came out and it was warm. Thus, I ended up carrying my jacket throughout most of the trip. Others on the streets of Jerusalem were better dressed for a warm fall day. But, I had a pleasant surprise when I put on my jacket as I discovered that I had brought my gloves and had not left them home as I suspected. Whew!

Speaking of jeans, I wore jeans a few nights ago to go to the Old City and Chaya exclaimed, "I've never seen you in jeans!" I replied that it has been too hot for pants up until now. The seasonal change is even having an impact on my fashion.

[Note: Immediately after I posted this, I noticed that Danya also posted about today's rain and she used the same exact headline for her post as I did but her headline is transliterated from the Hebrew. Too cool. I'm still waiting for someone to introduce me to Danya, she's been a blogging hero of mine for a few years. Someone told me that we were apparently in the same place on Friday morning for Hoshana Raba services but I didn't get meet her.]

Eeeek! I Need Paraphernalia!

2006-10-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

I was unprepared for this weekend's plethora of holidays, all rolled into one day! It was just after 3 p.m. and the beginning of Shabbat, Simchat Torah, and Shemini Atzeret is at 4:34 p.m. It was at that point that I realized that there is the Yizkor service tomorrow and thus, I needed to light a yahrzeit candle tonight but I had no candle!

The beginning of the holiday was just over an hour away and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find a candle on such short notice. Most stores close on Friday a few hours before Shabbat begins so I expected they'd all be closed.

Nonetheless, I rushed out of the house and checked the first local store - closed; I briskly walked up the street to the second local store - closed! I kept walking to the major intersection and to the "24 hour" mini-market. Open! Thankfully, they almost are open 24 hours a day. Their name is misleading because they are closed on Shabbat but it turns out, thankfully, that they close right before Shabbat. So, they're a 24/6 sort of place.

They did have a candle for me and I waited in line, something I'd never had to do there before. In front of me were four Orthodox women, apparently buying last minute recipe items. After I paid, I grabbed my candle and rushed home to write this note.

Now, it's time for last minute cleaning, straightening, and showering in anticipation of a very early start to the holiday. (Although December will be the worst - for four weeks candle lighting time is at 4:00 or 4:01! Wow! The bright side to that is that Shabbat is over on Saturday night around 5:15 p.m. so Saturday night fun can be a lot longer and a lot more fun!

Tomorrow night marks the end of a huge number of Jewish holidays over the past few weeks. I'm really looking forward to 5:45 p.m. tomorrow. We go back to school on Monday, however.

Shabbat Shalom and Hag Sameach!

60% Chance of Rain!

2006-10-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday is the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, an extra day tacked on to Sukkot to celebrate for just one more day. It marks the transition when we begin our prayers for rain. We wait until Shemini Atzeret to pray for rain because we don't want to pray for rain while people are living in their Sukkot (i.e. under bamboo or other thatched material) because it wouldn't make for a pleasurable eating or sleeping experience.

I was so moved to see the seasons change around the high holidays. It was hot, hot, hot right up until the day before Rosh Hashanah and since then, the weather has been wavering between warm and cool - somewhat fall-like. It was fascinating to see the weather change around these holidays that mark the beginning of fall.

Fascinatingly, the current weather forecast for Jerusalem predicts a 60% chance of rain on Sunday - the day after Shemini Atzeret when we start praying for rain! I think it will be so very cool if it rains right after Shemini Atzeret! I'll let you know how it goes!

Sukkah Photos

2006-10-08T05:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some sukkot around town...

Sukkot, Part I

2006-10-05T03:26:00.000-07:00

First, it was Rosh Hashanah (the first of the month of Tishri), then it was Yom Kippur (the 10th of Tishri), and on Friday it's Sukkot (the 15th of Tishri). At the end of Sukkot (a seven-day holiday) is Hoshanah Rabbah (21st) and Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (22nd)! But, then nothing happens until Hanukkah. Nonetheless, the holidays are wild and crazy and Sukkot is no exception.

Today is the first day of our nice and long 11-day Sukkot Break. This is a time for many people not to work and government offices are closed or on reduced hours. Everyone is celebrating Sukkot. And how does one celebrate Sukkot?

Well, the primary ingredient in a nice Sukkot holiday is a Sukkah, a.k.a. "booth." Sukkot (plural of Sukkah as well as the name of the holiday so pay attention here!) are built outside, to remind us of our time in the desert after being released from Egyptian slavery. Thus, we live in a Sukkah during the week-long holiday to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt.

Sukkot must be built outside and a Sukkah must be exposed to some of the elements. You should be able to see sky and stars through the roof of the Sukkah and the roof must be made entirely of material that is a) grown from the ground, b) no longer attached to the ground, and c) material not able to become impure (i.e. items of wood that have been turned into wood boards are no longer natural and can "receive impurity.")

Unfortunately, our apartment does not have a balcony that can be converted into a Sukkah. A Sukkah balcony has a removable roof so that you can place the natural material (skackh) over the balcony as the roof of the Sukkah. It doesn't matter what the sides are made of.

However, Jean has a Sukkah balcony so we're helping to build hers. This morning, I went to a hardware store and bought the requisite amount of tied-together bamboo for the roof of Jean's Sukkah for when her landlord arrives Friday morning to remove her balcony's roof. Then, we'll have a Sukkah-making party.

As part of Sukkot, it is important to eat meals and sleep in the Sukkah whenever possible. Thus, our Sukkot (and Shabbat) dinner is going to be in Jean's brand-new Sukkah tomorrow night. Then, on Saturday, we're going to have lunch in another friend's Sukkah. Sukkot are popping up everywhere and I'm planning to explore the Sukkot of the city and take a ton of photos to share here.

In addition to personal Sukkot, restaurants build Sukkot so that their customers can fulfill the mitzvah of eating in a Sukkah at every meal. Jen and I are looking forward to eating out as much as possible during the Sukkot week in order to meet the requirements of the holiday.

In addition to a Sukkah, there are other agricultural requirements for Sukkot. One must acquire four species of plant for special synagogue services during the week. These include branches of myrtle tree, branches of willow tree, branches of date palm, and the etrog fruit. The branches are held together in one hand and the etrog fruit is held in another.

Our last day of classes at the yeshiva yesterday was devoted to learning about Sukkot. We learned about the requirements for building a Sukkah and how to buy and use the four species. Then, after classes, one of the rabbis of the yeshiva took a large group of students to the shuk to shop for our four species.

There was a large area of the shuk that was covered by blue tarp where a plethora of species vendors were selling any or all of the species. Unfortunately, we discovered that willow branches were not for sale yesterday due to their fragile nature but we were told to expect them to be sold on every street corner on Friday, right before the holiday of Sukkot begins.

A group of four of us found a vendor willing to give us a deal on the three species along with a nice carrying case. Thus, I purchased my first almost-complete set of four species yesterday for the mere price of 70 shekels (about $16)!

The most difficult and most expensive part of the set to purchase is the etrog. One must try to find a beautiful yellow etrog for the holiday. I found the nicest one I could from my package deal vendor. Here's our magic etrog...

One student spent 150 shekels on his etrog ($34) alone! That's dedication!

Your homework is to see the movie Ushpizin, which I mentioned here before. It's all about Sukkot. See it!

L'Shana Tova!

2006-10-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) began September 22 this year and lasted two days. For the first night, Matt and I invited about 18 of our friends over to our house for dinner. We wanted to make it a special night since it was both a holiday and Shabbat, so I worked for a week and half preparing for it. :)

There were two difficult parts about planning a dinner for twenty in our Jerusalem apartment. The first was how on earth to seat twenty people when we only have a table that sits six. The second was where to buy all the little extras that transform a regular dinner into a party.

Unlike the usual me, I decided that in some way we could seat all twenty and thus invited them before I had figured it out logistically. Luckily for me, on Monday before the dinner I figured out the seating arrangements. I could seat ten people on the couches and chairs by transforming my coffee table and ottoman in to a makeshift "table." I could fit another ten around an elongated table if I could find a card-table to extend my current table.

The only problem with the card-table idea was that it was already Monday and I yet to see a card-table in Israel. I was super-duper lucky in the fact that I happened to go shopping for said card-table with two friends, one of whom actually had a very nice folding table at home that he said I could borrow! What luck!

Then we needed eleven extra chairs. Instead of buying any, we borrowed chairs from three friends. The only down-side to that is that we don't have a car here so we spent all Thursday night walking all eleven chairs to our house (we had to return them all the same way).

Then I wanted to make fun signs. Unlike in the States, I haven't seen any huge stores such as Michael's that are one-stop-shopping stores of craft supplies. I did find a small stationary store not too far away and really lucked out because they had yellow poster paper among their only five colors of paper. I found Crayola colored markers at an office supply store in the mall. Balloons I also found at the mall in a small fun store that has greeting cards and strange knick-knacks.

I also wanted the tables to look festive so I wanted to create centerpieces and/or favors. Again, Michael's is my favorite store to get ideas for such things and so I had no place to begin for inspiration. After shopping at every store in the city (ok, it just felt like it :), I decided to go with mugs filled with candy. The mugs and candy were easy to find at the shuk (had to make sure to get parve candy though because we were serving a meat meal). However, where to buy cellophane?

Once again I became the luckiest girl on the planet because my friend Jean and I found a little "dollar" type store which had some cool stuff and some junk. Jean noticed a bin of yellow and red colored cellophane; what a find!

After getting all the decorations taken care of, I had to decide on a meal plan and start cooking. Since our oven is small and has only one rack, I started cooking at 6 a.m. and had something in the oven the entire day, with about a max of 5 minutes between items being cooked.

I ended up making honey-mustard chicken, stuffed bell peppers, yerushalami kugel, spicy potatoes, apple-kugel muffins, layered salad, honeyed carrots, and green beans with shallots. Plus, of course, we had apples and challot for dipping in honey. For dessert I made a sunken-apple tort and got some scrumptious chocolate cake from Marzipan (the best bakery ever!).

Matt asked our friend Matt to teach us all a new song, our friend Steve to give a drash, and Eve to say Kiddush (the blessing over wine/grape juice). We noshed, learned, and sang all night. Personally, I had a fabulous time!

Since it was Shabbat and a holiday, I couldn't take pictures when people were actually here, but here are some photos of it all set up.

"L'Shana Tova!" (Happy New Year!)

Our regular table plus borrowed folding table combined with favors in center.

Comfy seating around makeshift table.

All the food prepared and sitting on hot plates ready for everyone to come back from services to devour it.

Favors of mugs with parve candy encased in the precious and hard-to-find cellophane.

Yom Kippur is Over and I'm No Longer Hungry

2006-10-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

Just a few hours ago, Jen and I left the synagogue after Yom Kippur services. A day of services and 26 hours of fasting (including no water, no toothbrushing, no bathing, no leather shoes, and something else, I can't remember) came to an end.

We were at synagogue last night from the beginning of the fast at 4:45 p.m. until about 7:30 p.m. and then again this morning from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:15 until 6:15 p.m. That's 11.25 hours of services!

Last week, when we went to the Old City, I bought myself a brand-new all-white tallit to wear for the first time on Yom Kippur because it's traditional to wear white on Yom Kippur. I also had the opportunity to wear my white kittel through the streets while walking from home to shul and back and back and back.

At our 2 o'clock break today, I was really hungry and we came home to relax for a few minutes and we probably wouldn't have run back immediately at 3:15 except I had the honor of lifting the Torah (known as "hagba" and Jen had the honor of dressing the Torah), which is not easy because the Torah is quite heavy to begin with and I had not eaten in nearly 24 hours prior to the lifting. Dropping the Torah is not good because everyone has to fast for 40 days if they're in the room when it's dropped and I doubt anyone would’ve liked that.

The 11.25 hours of services was also exceptionally difficult because it was almost entirely in Hebrew so after 10.25 of hours my brain really started hurting, I was trying so hard to pay attention to every word and read as much as possible but my reading ability is not quite up to par. So, the last hour for me was difficult - I was starving, thirsty, tired, and tired of Hebrew. However, the 10.25 hours prior to that were fantastic and exceptionally moving. It was everything a Yom Kippur should be about.

We had front-row seats, which was particularly stressful because we had the "lead" on leading the congregation in standing and sitting. Us front-rowers had to take subtle cues from the rabbi as to what to do. Once, I was slow on the job and the rabbi had to go "psst!" to get my peers and I to stand up.

But, even though most Israelis are secular and non-religious at all, they honor the High Holidays and the streets are almost entirely empty of cars - Jen and I walked to synagogue and home in the street that is normally full of traffic. It's so surreal, I wish I could've taken photos but since it's a holiday, I couldn't take pictures. The entire city becomes a playground for secular Israelis and children take over the streets, bicycling anywhere they want.

Traffic lights are turned off on Yom Kippur and the only vehicles you see are ambulances (for all the Jews passing out from hunger) and police cars. There's also the occasional renegade driving Israeli, but they're cautious and careful as they drive among pedestrian-filled streets. It’s just an incredible sight!

The fast officially started at 4:49 p.m. on Sunday here in Jerusalem. We invited a few friends (including Eve) over for a pre-fast meal. We’d read that a little protein and a lot of carbs was what one should eat prior to the fast so we served up spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, and garlic bread. I knew that it was important to avoid caffeine before a fast if one has a caffeine addiction such as myself but I only stopped drinking cola the day before so I think that was a significant factor in my intense headache for the last hour of services. Drinking lots of water is important prior to a fast and I did well with that but it also means lots of bathroom trips during services.

Absolutely everything shuts down in Israel during Yom Kippur. The international airport closed at 1 p.m. yesterday, television and radio isn’t broadcast, the online news sources don’t update, and every single store was closed. On a typical Shabbat stores are closed but people are still driving in the streets and the airport is in operation but not today – we had an amazingly quiet night last night since there were no cars on the road, there was also no honking.

The Jerusalem Post just posted an article about the Magen David Adom’s (Israel’s Red Cross Society) response to medical emergencies on Yom Kippur – 65 people passed out due to the fast and, unfortunately, 195 children were injured on bicycles, skates, rollerblades and skateboard and needed first aid. I felt like I was going to be one of those 65 during the last hour but I made it.

Fortunately, our synagogue has fruit drinks and baked goods available immediately after Yom Kippur was over. The rabbi as hilarious at the very end of Yom Kippur – he ended Yom Kippur by drinking grape juice in front of everyone and he said, "Mmmmmm. Tastes good!" It was torture since we had to wait another two minutes before we could imbibe.

In all, experiencing the High Holidays here in Jerusalem was fantastic. We loved spending them with our new friends here who we’ve become very close to as we’re all so very far from home, it makes the holidays a bit more bearable.

UPDATE: I discovered that Israeli blogger Lisa Goldman has linked to some collections of photos of empty streets in Tel Aviv. Check them out!

Bikkur Holim

2006-09-29T02:34:00.000-07:00

The term Bikkur Holim means "visiting the sick" and is a very important mitzvah (divine commandment) in Judaism. It is something that I appreciate doing for others because having been in the hospital once for over a week - I know how important visitors can be.

Unfortunately, several of our friends need to be visited currently.

Chaya has her wisdom teeth removed on Monday and has been resting at home since then. She's not able to get around much and can only eat very soft foods. We visited her after class one day and have been calling to check up on her.

Jean got sick on Tuesday and has not been well since. We've called and visited when she's been awake and today were able to take her some DVDs to help stem the boredom. But, she might be contagious because now...

Eve started feeling sick today and thus operators are standing by, ready to bring whatever she needs (albeit in a Level A HazMat suit!)

Being sick right now isn't good because Yom Kippur is coming up and no one wants to go without fasting and bathing (among other things) for 25 hours! Nonetheless, for those who are sick, they must not fast on Yom Kippur because their health is of utmost importance.

Thus, Jen and I are having a quiet Shabbat dinner ourselves tonight (what it really means is we didn't get invited anywhere at all) and just trying to take it easy in anticipation of Sunday's fast and exceptionally long day of services.

An Update

2006-09-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for not blogging recently - my 7 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. schedule at the yeshiva and the High Holidays has kept me pretty busy.

So, here's a full update, to the best of my knowledge...

Last week was the second week of classes at the yeshiva and I did attend just about everything. However, by the weekend rolled around, I discovered that I just couldn't maintain such an intensive schedule. Thus, I'm cutting back on some of the afternoon classes and will only take one afternoon class each week. This leaves me, nonetheless, with classes until 3:15 p.m. every day but one day I'll stay until 6:15. 7 to 3:15 is plenty of time to be in school four days a week. Certainly, college had much shorter hours and 7 to 3:15 is a longer day than high school.

Today was my first afternoon off so Jen, Eve, and I went to the Old City and it was Eve's first trip to the Old City in many years. It's an awesome experience to go to the Old City and so very much fun to take a friend who hasn't been there before. While there, I had to buy new items in anticipation of Yom Kippur (YK) this upcoming Sunday. White is the color of the day for YK so I splurged on a new tallit and kippah. I'm going to be so very fashionable!

Friday night began Rosh Hashanah (RH) - the two day Jewish new year's holiday. Friday morning started the holiday with a morning service at the yeshiva (Friday is not a yeshiva class day but one of the head rabbis suggested we meet for morning prayers since the morning before RH in quite important. We spent the day cooking because we hosted a larger dinner that Jen and I hosted (Jen promises a thorough description and photos very soon). The evening services which began RH were at 6:30 and then afterwards, we hosted our guests.

Saturday morning was the first day of RH services and they lasted from 8:30 until 2ish. Unfortunately, since it was Shabbat, there was no shofar blowing. We were entirely exhausted from dinner the night before so we fell asleep pretty quickly for most of the afternoon (although it's tradition not to take a nap on RH because it's the new year and thus symbolic of how one's year is going to go so you don't want a lazy year so you don't nap but I in fact would enjoy a lazy year so I'm glad I was asleep for much of the day.)

We woke up Saturday afternoon with barely enough time to get ready and run out the door for the evening services. I was pretty groggy after the nap so I don't really remember much of what happened but after services, we had a great dinner, hosted by several friends. THe dinner kept us up late again but it was so very much fun not to be cooking!

Sunday morning was an fantastic service that included the shofar blowing by an amazingly talented shofar blower. It's not easy to make sounds come from a ram's horn and to make every note perfect was incredible.

We went to Eve's after services on Sunday for a fantastic lunch with lots of great folks. After a nice warm Sunday lunch, we went to the botanical gardens for the ceremony known as Tashlich where one casts bread into a body of water in a symbolic gesture of casting one's sins away. It's great if the water body where you cast your bread contains fish and it must've been an especially good omen that fish gobbled my sins up! They loved eating my sins - they tasted good to the fish, ducks, and even a turtle!

Speaking of casting one's sins away, there's an "interesting" ceremony known as kaparot that involves swinging a chicken above one's head. After swinging said chicken, the chicken is slaughtered and given to the poor for food. I was invited to participate in this event yesterday but declined the invitation. Some nameless friends did participate and once they put their photos online, I'll have to link to them (update: here's a link to Eve's post and photo on the topic. I'm glad I missed it.

We were so excited the other day when we received a package pickup notice from the post office. They have the coolest automated package pickup system. It's a kiosk outside the post office and you simply place the bar coded slip under the scanner and within a few seconds, the package is delivered at a window. It's open 24 hours a day and very convenient. Unfortunately, the package was not for us. While it was our building number and our last name, the package was a large collection of disposable contacts. I'm going to have to go to the eye care center from where they were mailed and take them back. Fortunately, it's not far away.

YK is just a few days away and I'm just not ready but at least I have some afternoons off to prepare.

Out of Town for the Shabbaton

2006-09-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

The yeshiva took us away for the weekend. We climbed aboard the bus on early Friday to head east to the Dead Sea. Our first stop on Friday was the Ein Gedi National Park. It's an oasis in the desert near the Dead Sea that is fed by springs and streams. The area is gorgeous and we had a nice hike there up to some springs and waterfalls.

With my background, I was chosen to carry the first aid kit. Fortunately, I only needed to use the first aid kit on myself. Unfortunately, in an area of steep steps that were soaked with mud and water seeping from springs, I slipped and my legs flew out in front of me and I bounced on my butt down several of the rock steps. I've been in pain ever since and my left arm is full of scrapes but I'm feeling better every day since. Fortunately, the first aid kit contained ibuprofin, which I took advantage of regularly throughout the weekend.

Needless to say, it was pretty hot near the Dead Sea and hiking didn't help one bit. Jen and I were sweating profusely and eventually, it was lunch time in some great shade. After lunch we visited an ancient synagogue near Ein Gedi and davened mincha there. A while later, we ended up at our accomodations for Friday night - a hostel at Masada.

While we didn't actually climb Masada nor did we physically go to the Dead Sea, we were near both. The hostel was at the foot of Masada.

I was really looking forward to the weekend because the hostel has a nice pool. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to use it because as soon as we arrived on Friday after the hike, Jen and I fell fast asleep in our room. I also fell asleep right after lunch on Saturday and missed relaxation time them. I decided to skip a lecture on Saturday afternoon but when I arrived at the pool in my bathing suit and with my towel and book - the pool was closed for the day. I was very sad.

Those who were unlucky enough to be unmarried had to share rooms with four to a room - Jen and I were lucky and didn't have to share (except with each other). There were a few upset engaged couples on the trip. All the rooms had their own bathrooms, which was nice.

After the scheduled pool time on Friday (when we were asleep), it was time for Friday evening Shabbat services. The hostel had a synagogue of its own, which was incredibly convenient. I really enjoyed living a feed doors down from a synagogue. Currently, I have to walk more than five minutes to my nearest synagogue but it's Orthodox and I don't usually go there but we turned the hostel synagogue into our own yeshiva synagogue.

For the Shabbaton weekend, I was given the responsibility of not only the first aid kit but also to pack up and transport all the ritual objects we'd need for services. Thus, I had to scavenger hunt around the yeshiva for various items - prayerbooks, chumashim (books of the weekly Torah readings), candlesticks and matches for Friday night, a Havdalah candle for the end of Shabbat on Saturday night, a yad (the pointing device used for Torah reading), and a bunch of other miscellaneous objects. It was fun to have this responsibility and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

We woke up early on Saturday for services and then had a nice lunch but as mentioned above, we fell fast asleep. I missed some afternoon activities in order to try to swim but instead ended up reading in the room.

We packed up right after Shabbat was over and boarded the bus back to Jerusalem. The bus was late and we were a bit late for our arrival because we arrived just a tad late for the 10 p.m. Slichot services at the synagogue next to the yeshiva. Those were over at about 11 p.m. and so I finally headed home and got ready for Sunday classes (which nicely started at 8:30 a.m.).

Nonetheless, since then, classes start at 7 a.m. each morning and I'm there until 6:15 p.m. Many lunchtimes are filled with lectures and guest speakers so it makes for a very, very long day.

OK, I've gotta go prepare for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Toodles!

More Honking

2006-09-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

Honking has bothered me since shortly after our arrival. The other night was an exceptionally bad honking night. There was excessive honking going on at a large intersection not far from us from about 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. The honking was continuous and much of the honking was in the form of purposefully musical honking, as though the drivers were attempting to play songs. It was late, we were tired, and the honking was annoying. We also heard some shouting that sounded like it was coming from the honking area.

The next day we asked some people who lived near the honking about it. Eve said that people were approaching the intersection, honking, and getting out of their cars and dancing. She didn't know the cause.

A rabbi who lives near that intersection didn't remember the honking (?!?) but told us that there was a football (i.e. soccer) game and Israel had won so thus there was much rejoicing, literally in the streets, it seems. Ah, Israel.

92 Days Later...

2006-09-13T04:47:00.000-07:00

Our books arrived! It's been more than 13 weeks since we mailed our first batch of books to ourselves but now they're here and it's like winning the book lottery! Four boxes of books is quite a lot. All I want to do is read but I don't have time. Maybe during the holidays...

I Can't Blog

2006-09-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

I can not blog because the yeshiva has sucked all my brain cells out of my head. It is intense but I love it! Plus, the High Holidays are coming up. If you need something to read, here's something.