Once we arrived home from Jacob’s Ladder, we showered, did some last minute packing, slept for about 5 hours, and then were on the bus at 7:15 the following morning to leave for Northern Tiyul. Because Yerucham is very far south, it took us a very long time to get up north – which was fine by me, because I slept for most of the bus ride.
When we arrived up north, we split into groups based on a survey we had filled out the week before in which we selected which activities we’d like to do that day. My group headed off to the Druze village for lunch. Druze are an Arab minority in Israel, but they’re their own religion and actually a very interesting people. They believe strongly in reincarnation, and at the age of 15 young Druze have to choose between a religious life and a secular life. If they choose religious, they are allowed no fun – no music, DVDs, drinking, or parties, ever. If they choose secular, they are never allowed to pray or step foot into a house of worship again. Also, the price for marrying a non-Druze is strict excommunication, where you’re cut off from your family and community for life. While we learned about this, we were served a traditional, delicious Druze lunch, consisting of flavored pita and many small dishes served family-style on a huge tray for groups of five.
After lunch our visit at the Druze village was over and we headed over to Caesaria for a tour. Caesaria is an ancient port city that today is home to a wealth of luxurious vacation homes and fancy restaurants. We had a tour that was fairly boring but we all enjoyed the sunshine and being next to the water, and we even got a little bit of free time to play on the beach.
We got back to our youth hostel where we would be spending the night, ate dinner, and settled down. I roomed with Ashley, Becky, and Sarah – as much as we try and branch out sometimes our apartment can’t help but end up together. We played a few rounds of taboo and then got to bed fairly early, since we would be starting in the wee hours of the morn the following day.
The next day started off with a hike that was really more of an easy walk that only took an hour or two. After that the girls donned sleeves and skirts in preparation for our tour of Tzfat. Tzfat is one of my favorite cities in Israel, and is an extremely religious town famous for an especially large population of Kabbalistic mystics. Much of what we talked about in my first semester class “Intro to Jewish Mysticism” centered around writings or prophets that originated in Tzfat. We had a brief tour of the city and then we had free time, during which I explored the artists’ quarter. I also took this time to buy myself something special (Dad doesn’t actually know about this part yet…), since living here for so long means that we rarely make touristy purchases anymore. Those of you that know me probably know that I always wear the same gold necklace, never taking it off. It just has a simple gold Jewish star, and Grandma and Grandpa gave it to me who knows how long ago, and I haven’t taken it off since before my Bat Mitzvah. I decided it might be nice to find something else to go on that necklace from my year in Israel, especially from Tzfat. So after hunting awhile I found a very pretty gold filigree “Chai” (life in Hebrew) charm that I bought and put on my necklace…for me it was just very appropriate to have something from Israel to wear all the time with my Jewish star.
That night we went to our new youth hostel, where we would be staying for the remainder of the week. This hostel was GORGEOUS – all white stone, right on the Kinneret, with an open-air courtyard in the center. I roomed with Misha, Emily, and my friend Ilana, and we all enjoyed leaving the windows open and looking outside at the Kinneret. That night, after dinner, we had a bonfire for Lag B’Omer (the day in the middle of the holiday the omer on which you can do all sorts of things, like shave and have a wedding, that you can’t do during the Omer). It was really fun and we all enjoyed just hanging out with each other and relaxing after our day.
The next morning started off with a choice of hikes. I chose the hard one, and it was a really nice hike that had a lot of climbing over boulders and navigating through a dry riverbed, which is always fun. Misha and I enjoyed hiking up front with Yossi and playing one of our favorite hikings games: ‘would you rather’ (example: “Yossi, would you rather be covered in birdseed in a park with a lot of pigeons or have to eat pudding with every meal for the rest of your life?”). Yossi is surprisingly good at thinking up questions for that game. The hard hike truthfully wasn’t that hard, there was only about ten minutes of uphill at the end, and after Yam L’Yam nothing looks too hard anymore, especially not when you couple it with the fact that at the end of the hike there’s a lovely air-conditioned bus waiting for me, and I never have to try and figure out where I’m supposed to go next and how I’m going to get there.
After the hike, we had a quick lunch and then went to the Golan Winery, where we got a tour of the building, a lesson on wine-making, and a wine-tasting session, which we all enjoyed very much. After that we jumped back on the bus and drove over to the Jordan river for rafting. There were four to six people in a raft, and the rules were very carefully explained to us at the beginning: no getting out and swimming, no standing up, no splashing other people with the paddles, no jumping from raft to raft. It only took about thirty seconds of being on the river unsupervised before war broke out. I was thrown in the water trying to stop another boat from taking Emily, I watched Misha brutally jump on another boat and pick up a girl much smaller then her and chuck her overboard, and I watched Ashley jump in another raft, grab the paddle, and yell “GUYS I’VE GOT ANOTHER RAFT, NOW WE’RE A FLEET!!!” Everyone was being splashed, thrown overboard, or jumping from boat to boat. It was only minimally dangerous and a TON of fun.
After everyone had a chance to dry off a little bit it was back on the bus to our hostel, where we had a quick dinner and then promptly left again for the hot springs in Tiberias. We arrived at the spa, which had both an indoor and an outdoor full sized swimming pool filled with warm, green sulphur water. After lounging around in those for a little while, we would jump out and run over to the regular swimming pool to cool down. At this point in the year we really just enjoy all being together, so we had a good time just splashing around and alternating between the sulphur pools, the regular pool, and the sauna. After that it was the end of a very long, but very fun, day.
The following day was the hike that most of us had been waiting for all week – the water hike. We didn’t know very much about it, except that we could only take things that we didn’t mind getting wet, since all of our stuff would be soaking by the end of the day. The majority of people chose this hike, even though it was the hard one, so we had quite a large group, but Misha and I vowed to stay in front the whole time regardless. The hike began with a steep descent into a valley, where we were met right away by a tumbling waterfall that fed into a clear stream. The hike was extremely beautiful, and Misha and I played our various hiking games as we walked along. After a short while, the group came to a stop as we had reached our first ladder. Being near the front, Misha and I were somewhere around the fourth and fifth people to descend. The ladder was metal and was connected directly to the side of a steep cliff, and about 25 rungs down was nothing but water. We descended, backpacks and all, jumped into the cold water, and swam across the large pool to reach the rocks and the continuation of the hiking trail on the other side – there was no other way to get across. For the entire group to do this took a little under two hours, so we had plenty of time to lay in the sun and dry off while we waited for the rest of the group to descend and swim. We then continued hiking for a little while (luckily it was sunny and the perfect amount of warm so we dried quickly) before we came to the next pool. At this pool there were handles inserted into the rock wall and you had to maneuver yourself around the edge of a cliff, with a huge pounding waterfall below you to your right. Being right up front, Misha and I were the first Nativers to navigate the rock and come out by the pools on the other side, which were appropriately named the “Pools of Paradise.” In addition to a large waterfall that led into the pool, one side of the pool was flanked by a steep rock wall, from which dripped large droplets of water, rather like a shower spray. There was moss everywhere, and you could go stand on the rocks under this shower or even behind it. When Misha and I first arrived there, I immediately said “Let’s go swimming!” It was at this point that Yossi pointed to a rock some twenty feet above the water and said “jump.” I looked at him nervously, hesitated for a second, and then before I could think about it too much, I jumped. It was SO MUCH FUN! Soon everyone else was coming around the bend and jumping into the water, and we spent about two hours there swimming, jumping in, standing under the spray, and lounging on rocks in the sun. It really made sense to me why it was called the Pools of Paradise. After that there was just one more pool we had to swim through, although this time most of us opted for jumping in rather than using the ladder. The hike then finished with a steep uphill out of the valley that left us all tired but feeling accomplished. I can easily say that this was the coolest, most fun hike I ever did.
That night, sick of hostel food, we were given stipend for dinner and two free hours in Tiberias. Since that day was Keren’s birthday, about 14 girls ended up going out for dinner to celebrate at a Thai restaurant on the pier of the Kinneret. The food was delicious, and we ordered Keren cheesecake complete with a sparkler. I think that she had a really nice evening, and it was great that all the groups were together so that we could all celebrate with her.
The next morning started off with a meeting with Yossi in which we discussed some of the logistics for packing and leaving our respective locations for Jerusalem, which was nothing but depressing for me. Although sometimes I can’t wait to go home and see my family and friends (and eat pancakes at the diner), it’s always sad for me to think about leaving Israel, especially since I don’t know when I’ll be coming back next. After the talk we gathered our things and boarded the buses for our final activity of tiyul – swimming in the Sachne pools. These pools were GORGEOUS, a huge park with giant pools of sparkling blue, warm water, complete with stone steps, ledges, caves, and even a few waterfalls. It was perfect weather out, and we all enjoyed eating outdoors, swimming, and relaxing. It was a perfect ending to what had been a really amazing tiyul: something I will definitely remember as one of the highlights of my Nativ experience.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Jacob's Ladder
After the week of Israel Advocacy, it was our last free weekend (I know, your brain is exploding that this year is already almost over...don't worry, mine is too). As all the Nativers vowed to make the most of it, Misha, Kesha and I had already had our plans figured out for quite some time. Misha's cousins, including Raya, together form "The Epstein Family Singers." This Jewish VonTrapp quintet consists of Misha's uncle, her cousin Yoni who is 28, Raya, her cousin Rina who is 22, and her cousin Avital who is 10. They sing some traditional Hebrew songs and a little bit of folk music. When we found out, months ago, that they were to be performing at a 3-day music festival in the north, we decided we simply had to go see them.
The festival at which they were to perform was called Jacob's Ladder, and is a folk music festival that attracts mostly English-speakers and is held north of Tiberias on the Kinneret. We were all really excited to go, until we found out that the cost of the three day pass was about 350 shekels - over $75, which was money we definitely didn't have. However, Misha's aunt told us that there are volunteers who work there and get free admission. We quickly called the people in charge and signed up to be volunteers - we were to work two six hour shifts each in exchange for a free ticket, two free meals, and a free t-shirt.
Loaded up with a tent, sleeping bags, clothes, and food for the weekend, we left bright and early Thursday morning - we caught a bus to Be'er Sheva that left Yerucham at 5:30 AM to be exact. We had to be up north by 1:00, since that was when our shift started, so we had no choice but to leave at that ungodly hour. After switching buses in Be'er Sheva and again in Jerusalem, we finally made it to Tiberias around noon. By that time, Misha had made a friend on the bus: an old lady who was also going to Jacob's Ladder. The four of us shared a cab to the camp site and then said goodbye, as we had to go report for duty. While we had hoped to be working together, our minimal Hebrew skills ensured that we had to be split up and paired with Hebrew-speaking strangers. We were each given neon vests that made us look very official, like security. I was given the job of gatekeeper, meaning I had to stand at one of the gates that cars could go through. Only guests of the hotel or people with certain privileges could go through this gate, so the girl I was working with and I were in charge of making sure that the people attempting to pass through the gate had the right documents, and turning them around if they didn't. However, with my limited Hebrew, I was unable to ask most drivers for their information or why they were attempting to park in the hotel parking lot, so I was in charge of lifting and lowering the gate while the girl I worked with spoke to all the drivers. Although I did get a nice tan, and the girl I was working with was really sweet, I was pretty much over working after about two hours, despite the fact that I had four hours after that. Needless to say, it was a very long day, especially considering what time we had woken up that morning.
When our shift FINALLY ended, we decided to walk around and check out the festival. There was a pool, a beach that led into the Kinneret, a main stage, a smaller side stage, and a lot of various places where people were selling food or crafts. There were also tents EVERYWHERE, so we were glad that we got there early and claimed a good spot. After we did some exploring and used our food coupons to get dinner, Misha's cousins arrived, so we helped them set up their tents next to ours, and we actually had a very nice area with a mat in the middle for all of us to hang out on. That night the actual concerts started, so we laid down our blankets - Misha's cousins, old pros at this, managed to get us a spot right up front. There was strawberry red wine and snacks, and after our long day of work it was really nice to just be able to lay down and relax in the middle of the huge crowd and listen to the music. A lot of the music there isn't what I'd normally listen to, but there were a lot of talented musicians and performers so it was really interesting to see them from so close up.
One of the coolest things about the festival is that everyone was really friendly. It's definitely an open community of like minded people who just want to celebrate for a weekend, and there are a lot of impromptu jam sessions that take place in random spots. Knowing this, when Kesha and I were sitting outside of our tents and smelled some coffee, we decided to follow our noses and invite ourselves to partake. The tent ended up being right next to ours, and we introduced ourselves, told them our story and were invited to sit down. There were three guys a little older than us, all soldiers in the army, and one of them even knew Misha's cousin. We sat around and drank coffee while one of them played the guitar, and it was really nice. What always shocks me about kids like this is that I'll be talking to them for a while, and they're just like me, totally normal, really nice, and then we'll start talking about the army. And when I asked one of the guys what he did in the army, his answer was "Oh, I'm an engineering commander and I'm in charge of all the mine fields from here to the Golan." It's just so crazy to me that this nondescript kid my age is a huge hotshot in the army...I was just like, "Oh. I'm intimidated."
So after a lovely night of falling asleep in our tent to the sounds of the concert that drifted our way from the main stage, we woke up fairly early so that we would have time to hang out before our next shift, which was again at 1:00. After a light breakfast we immediately changed into our bathing suits and headed down to the Kinneret to get some swim and sun time in. We put our chairs in the water and all three of us enjoyed some time just reading our books in the sun with our feet in the Kinneret. Sadly, before we knew it, it was time to go back to work. None of us were particularly looking forward to it. I was assigned the same job, however today I was working with two other girls instead of just one, so we rotated so that every three hours we got a one hour break, which was really nice, especially since on my break I got to spend some time by the pool. However, even though it was much less busy than on Thursday so I even got to read during my shift, it was a lot harder to be at work with all of Misha's cousins there hanging out and the festival in full swing. We were all very grateful by the time 6:00 rolled around. 6:30 was when The Epstein Family Singers were set to perform, so we quickly rushed over to the performance area and took our seats near the front. Misha's family was performing the Kabbalat Shabbat session, which is the service that ushers in Shabbat on Friday afternoon. They sang a bunch of really nice songs and encouraged the audience to sing along, which most people did gladly. They then made Kiddush over the wine and said Motzi over the bread and their set was finished. The best part of it was that you could tell they were really having fun performing.
After the performance we set up some tables and chairs by the stage and pulled out everyone's random assortment of food for Shabbat dinner. It was a simple, lovely meal just because everyone was so obviously happy to be there and enjoying themselves, and toasts were given all around. After dinner we spent some more time laying on the blankets by the stage, and I was so exhausted from my day in the sun that I even managed to fall asleep there in the middle of the crowd while the concert was going on, which caused me to get made fun of by my friends.
The next morning we woke up extremely happy to be done with work and completely free for the day. We spent most of our time swimming in the Kinneret or reading on its bank, but we also did some looking around at all the crafts for sale and listening to the music on our blankets. However, the day was soon over as we had to take the first bus that left Tiberias after Shabbat in the hopes of getting to Yerucham at a semi-reasonable hour. Thus we had to start packing up around 4:00. Usually at the end of trips like this I'm really ready to leave, but at the end of Jacob's Ladder I definitely felt like I could've stayed for another day or two. Regardless, it was definitely the best way I could've imagined spending my last free weekend.
The festival at which they were to perform was called Jacob's Ladder, and is a folk music festival that attracts mostly English-speakers and is held north of Tiberias on the Kinneret. We were all really excited to go, until we found out that the cost of the three day pass was about 350 shekels - over $75, which was money we definitely didn't have. However, Misha's aunt told us that there are volunteers who work there and get free admission. We quickly called the people in charge and signed up to be volunteers - we were to work two six hour shifts each in exchange for a free ticket, two free meals, and a free t-shirt.
Loaded up with a tent, sleeping bags, clothes, and food for the weekend, we left bright and early Thursday morning - we caught a bus to Be'er Sheva that left Yerucham at 5:30 AM to be exact. We had to be up north by 1:00, since that was when our shift started, so we had no choice but to leave at that ungodly hour. After switching buses in Be'er Sheva and again in Jerusalem, we finally made it to Tiberias around noon. By that time, Misha had made a friend on the bus: an old lady who was also going to Jacob's Ladder. The four of us shared a cab to the camp site and then said goodbye, as we had to go report for duty. While we had hoped to be working together, our minimal Hebrew skills ensured that we had to be split up and paired with Hebrew-speaking strangers. We were each given neon vests that made us look very official, like security. I was given the job of gatekeeper, meaning I had to stand at one of the gates that cars could go through. Only guests of the hotel or people with certain privileges could go through this gate, so the girl I was working with and I were in charge of making sure that the people attempting to pass through the gate had the right documents, and turning them around if they didn't. However, with my limited Hebrew, I was unable to ask most drivers for their information or why they were attempting to park in the hotel parking lot, so I was in charge of lifting and lowering the gate while the girl I worked with spoke to all the drivers. Although I did get a nice tan, and the girl I was working with was really sweet, I was pretty much over working after about two hours, despite the fact that I had four hours after that. Needless to say, it was a very long day, especially considering what time we had woken up that morning.
When our shift FINALLY ended, we decided to walk around and check out the festival. There was a pool, a beach that led into the Kinneret, a main stage, a smaller side stage, and a lot of various places where people were selling food or crafts. There were also tents EVERYWHERE, so we were glad that we got there early and claimed a good spot. After we did some exploring and used our food coupons to get dinner, Misha's cousins arrived, so we helped them set up their tents next to ours, and we actually had a very nice area with a mat in the middle for all of us to hang out on. That night the actual concerts started, so we laid down our blankets - Misha's cousins, old pros at this, managed to get us a spot right up front. There was strawberry red wine and snacks, and after our long day of work it was really nice to just be able to lay down and relax in the middle of the huge crowd and listen to the music. A lot of the music there isn't what I'd normally listen to, but there were a lot of talented musicians and performers so it was really interesting to see them from so close up.
One of the coolest things about the festival is that everyone was really friendly. It's definitely an open community of like minded people who just want to celebrate for a weekend, and there are a lot of impromptu jam sessions that take place in random spots. Knowing this, when Kesha and I were sitting outside of our tents and smelled some coffee, we decided to follow our noses and invite ourselves to partake. The tent ended up being right next to ours, and we introduced ourselves, told them our story and were invited to sit down. There were three guys a little older than us, all soldiers in the army, and one of them even knew Misha's cousin. We sat around and drank coffee while one of them played the guitar, and it was really nice. What always shocks me about kids like this is that I'll be talking to them for a while, and they're just like me, totally normal, really nice, and then we'll start talking about the army. And when I asked one of the guys what he did in the army, his answer was "Oh, I'm an engineering commander and I'm in charge of all the mine fields from here to the Golan." It's just so crazy to me that this nondescript kid my age is a huge hotshot in the army...I was just like, "Oh. I'm intimidated."
So after a lovely night of falling asleep in our tent to the sounds of the concert that drifted our way from the main stage, we woke up fairly early so that we would have time to hang out before our next shift, which was again at 1:00. After a light breakfast we immediately changed into our bathing suits and headed down to the Kinneret to get some swim and sun time in. We put our chairs in the water and all three of us enjoyed some time just reading our books in the sun with our feet in the Kinneret. Sadly, before we knew it, it was time to go back to work. None of us were particularly looking forward to it. I was assigned the same job, however today I was working with two other girls instead of just one, so we rotated so that every three hours we got a one hour break, which was really nice, especially since on my break I got to spend some time by the pool. However, even though it was much less busy than on Thursday so I even got to read during my shift, it was a lot harder to be at work with all of Misha's cousins there hanging out and the festival in full swing. We were all very grateful by the time 6:00 rolled around. 6:30 was when The Epstein Family Singers were set to perform, so we quickly rushed over to the performance area and took our seats near the front. Misha's family was performing the Kabbalat Shabbat session, which is the service that ushers in Shabbat on Friday afternoon. They sang a bunch of really nice songs and encouraged the audience to sing along, which most people did gladly. They then made Kiddush over the wine and said Motzi over the bread and their set was finished. The best part of it was that you could tell they were really having fun performing.
After the performance we set up some tables and chairs by the stage and pulled out everyone's random assortment of food for Shabbat dinner. It was a simple, lovely meal just because everyone was so obviously happy to be there and enjoying themselves, and toasts were given all around. After dinner we spent some more time laying on the blankets by the stage, and I was so exhausted from my day in the sun that I even managed to fall asleep there in the middle of the crowd while the concert was going on, which caused me to get made fun of by my friends.
The next morning we woke up extremely happy to be done with work and completely free for the day. We spent most of our time swimming in the Kinneret or reading on its bank, but we also did some looking around at all the crafts for sale and listening to the music on our blankets. However, the day was soon over as we had to take the first bus that left Tiberias after Shabbat in the hopes of getting to Yerucham at a semi-reasonable hour. Thus we had to start packing up around 4:00. Usually at the end of trips like this I'm really ready to leave, but at the end of Jacob's Ladder I definitely felt like I could've stayed for another day or two. Regardless, it was definitely the best way I could've imagined spending my last free weekend.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Shabbat in Modi'in, Gan Dinner, and Israel Advocacy
The weekend after all the holidays came quickly, since we only had one day of volunteering in between. Kesha, Misha and I made our way back to Jerusalem where we had a lovely Shabbos dinner at Raya’s with Raya, her brother, her boyfriend, her mother, and her stepdad. Additionally, on Raya’s weekend in Yerucham she ended up adopting the MOST adorable little puppy that we found on the street, so it was great to be able to play with Mushy (yes that is his name) some more. Dinner was, as usual, excellent and filled with great company. After dinner we hopped in the car with Misha’s aunt and step-uncle, and they took us back to Modi’in, where we were to spend the remainder of Shabbat. Modi’in is a really cute town, and very America-like, which is probably why I, and Misha’s aunt, who is originally from the States, felt so comfortable there. Misha’s aunt’s apartment was really beautiful and very comfortable to stay in. The next day we woke up fairly late, ate a leisurely breakfast, and then left for lunch.
We had arranged to eat lunch at Yossi’s house (he’s our director), since he also lives in Modi’in and is well known for being great about letting Nativers have meals or even spend entire Shabbats at his house. It was about a half hour’s walk from Misha’s aunt’s house, and when we got there we were met by three other Nativers, two of whom were staying at his house for Shabbat and one of whom was in Modi’in with family, like us. Lunch was a LOT of fun – Yossi has three adorable little boys and his wife Jen (who was also a Nativer once) is so sweet. We ate a ton of great food (Yossi is a great cook and the Nativers who were staying there had made cookies and a cake with the kids the day before) and talked all about this year’s Nativ and even about what next year’s Nativ is looking like. It was a great meal and I was really glad that we had a chance to visit Yossi at his home and spend some time with him and his family before the end of the year.
We then headed back to Misha’s aunt’s for some relaxed reading and nap time. Before we knew it, the afternoon was over and Shabbat had ended. We made a quick trip to the local ice cream shop and then caught a bus home, where we prepared ourselves to go back to work – at least for a day or two.
The following day, Sunday, was Kesha’s birthday, so after a celebratory dinner with all the Yerucham girls we headed over to Be’er Sheva, since Yerucham is distinctly lacking in any place to celebrate a birthday. There we met up with some of the Be’er Sheva Nativers and all went out to a bar, where the live performer ended up singing happy birthday to Kesha from onstage, which was really silly.
That week was the last week of volunteering, so Monday night all the gan teachers of the thirteen gans in Yerucham had a dinner to thank all of us for volunteering. Unfortunately, Buruyah couldn’t make it that night because she had a family obligation, but she told me how sorry she was that she couldn’t make it and Etie came and sat next to me the whole time. It started with a presentation in which every gannenet called up her gan’s volunteer and gave a little speech about them. We were all presented with Yerucham keychains and pins, and it was really really nice – you could tell that they were very appreciative of all of our help and that every kid loved their gan and every gan loved their Nativer. That was followed by a hodgepodge of deliciousness – the potluck dinner that had been prepared by all the gannenets. After that we went into the auditorium to watch a movie that we all thought would be a five-minute powerpoint about the gans in Yerucham, but which ended up being a full-length feature film about one of those inexperienced teachers that comes in to teach the hopeless hooligans and ends up changing all of their lives and his own, which was only slightly ridiculous because even though we got the point none of us really did anything like that in Yerucham. Despite the very lengthy movie, it was a great evening and it made us all feel really good about the work we’ve done here – even though for most of us it never felt like we did that much in the first place. Because even though I know that my gannenets were extremely thankful I was there to help out I always felt like the gan gave more to me than I could ever give back in return.
The following day, Tuesday, began our two day Israel Advocacy Seminar. The first day was spent together with the Be’er Sheva group in Dimona, while the second day took place by ourselves in Yerucham. Nativ hired a group called “The David Project” to come in and lecture and do activities with us for two days. The David Project specializes in helping kids learn how to combat anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian attitudes and activities on college campuses throughout the states. We had several lectures on how Israel is portrayed in the media, a debate, and even a mock case study where we were broken into groups and given a scenario in which we had to plan a pro-Israel program. Although at times we felt that the clear bias bordered on propaganda, it was still extremely useful and gave us a lot of good information that we all will be able to use on our campuses next year. Additionally, we watched a documentary about the disengagement which was really good and really interesting. The disengagement was in the summer of 2005 and stemmed from the Prime Minister’s decision to withdraw from Gaza, a place where the Arab to Jewish population ratio made it clear that Jews would never be in the majority there. In doing so, thousands of Jews were forcefully pulled from their homes and forced to relocate. Israeli soldiers were instructed to remove by force all those who were not willing to leave their homes, and this process of Jews fighting Jews caused a lot of controversy all over the country, and the prime minister’s decision still sparks debate to this day. The documentary, called “Unsettled,” did an excellent job portraying both sides of the issue and helped me to understand the disengagement much better than I had before.
We had arranged to eat lunch at Yossi’s house (he’s our director), since he also lives in Modi’in and is well known for being great about letting Nativers have meals or even spend entire Shabbats at his house. It was about a half hour’s walk from Misha’s aunt’s house, and when we got there we were met by three other Nativers, two of whom were staying at his house for Shabbat and one of whom was in Modi’in with family, like us. Lunch was a LOT of fun – Yossi has three adorable little boys and his wife Jen (who was also a Nativer once) is so sweet. We ate a ton of great food (Yossi is a great cook and the Nativers who were staying there had made cookies and a cake with the kids the day before) and talked all about this year’s Nativ and even about what next year’s Nativ is looking like. It was a great meal and I was really glad that we had a chance to visit Yossi at his home and spend some time with him and his family before the end of the year.
We then headed back to Misha’s aunt’s for some relaxed reading and nap time. Before we knew it, the afternoon was over and Shabbat had ended. We made a quick trip to the local ice cream shop and then caught a bus home, where we prepared ourselves to go back to work – at least for a day or two.
The following day, Sunday, was Kesha’s birthday, so after a celebratory dinner with all the Yerucham girls we headed over to Be’er Sheva, since Yerucham is distinctly lacking in any place to celebrate a birthday. There we met up with some of the Be’er Sheva Nativers and all went out to a bar, where the live performer ended up singing happy birthday to Kesha from onstage, which was really silly.
That week was the last week of volunteering, so Monday night all the gan teachers of the thirteen gans in Yerucham had a dinner to thank all of us for volunteering. Unfortunately, Buruyah couldn’t make it that night because she had a family obligation, but she told me how sorry she was that she couldn’t make it and Etie came and sat next to me the whole time. It started with a presentation in which every gannenet called up her gan’s volunteer and gave a little speech about them. We were all presented with Yerucham keychains and pins, and it was really really nice – you could tell that they were very appreciative of all of our help and that every kid loved their gan and every gan loved their Nativer. That was followed by a hodgepodge of deliciousness – the potluck dinner that had been prepared by all the gannenets. After that we went into the auditorium to watch a movie that we all thought would be a five-minute powerpoint about the gans in Yerucham, but which ended up being a full-length feature film about one of those inexperienced teachers that comes in to teach the hopeless hooligans and ends up changing all of their lives and his own, which was only slightly ridiculous because even though we got the point none of us really did anything like that in Yerucham. Despite the very lengthy movie, it was a great evening and it made us all feel really good about the work we’ve done here – even though for most of us it never felt like we did that much in the first place. Because even though I know that my gannenets were extremely thankful I was there to help out I always felt like the gan gave more to me than I could ever give back in return.
The following day, Tuesday, began our two day Israel Advocacy Seminar. The first day was spent together with the Be’er Sheva group in Dimona, while the second day took place by ourselves in Yerucham. Nativ hired a group called “The David Project” to come in and lecture and do activities with us for two days. The David Project specializes in helping kids learn how to combat anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian attitudes and activities on college campuses throughout the states. We had several lectures on how Israel is portrayed in the media, a debate, and even a mock case study where we were broken into groups and given a scenario in which we had to plan a pro-Israel program. Although at times we felt that the clear bias bordered on propaganda, it was still extremely useful and gave us a lot of good information that we all will be able to use on our campuses next year. Additionally, we watched a documentary about the disengagement which was really good and really interesting. The disengagement was in the summer of 2005 and stemmed from the Prime Minister’s decision to withdraw from Gaza, a place where the Arab to Jewish population ratio made it clear that Jews would never be in the majority there. In doing so, thousands of Jews were forcefully pulled from their homes and forced to relocate. Israeli soldiers were instructed to remove by force all those who were not willing to leave their homes, and this process of Jews fighting Jews caused a lot of controversy all over the country, and the prime minister’s decision still sparks debate to this day. The documentary, called “Unsettled,” did an excellent job portraying both sides of the issue and helped me to understand the disengagement much better than I had before.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Yom HaZicharon and Yom Ha'Atzmaout
Going back to work was, as usual, a ton of fun – it’s always nice to feel missed, and 32 five year olds will certainly do a good job of saying hello after a three-week absence. After break, things soon fell into their business-as-usual routine. After our work week ended on Thursday, a few of us from my apartment decided to head over to Be’er Sheva for the evening. I had told Ava and her friends that I would meet her at a club there that night, so after going over and hanging out at the Nativ apartments for a little a whole group of us headed out to “The Forum.” It was a pretty big, pretty crazy dance club, and there were so many people there that I ended up only seeing Ava for a little. But all the Nativ kids stuck together and we had a really good time just dancing with each other.
The Shabbat following Pesach break I had really wanted to go away but couldn’t find anywhere to go, which was the same situation as four of my other roommates, so the five of us ended up just spending Shabbat in Yerucham. Becky’s younger brother, who is in Israel on a high school program for a few months, came with a friend for the weekend, as did Misha’s cousin Raya (the one I’m constantly staying with in Jerusalem), so we had a very full house. On Friday night a few of us went to an Indian shul – there’s actually a pretty large Jewish Indian population in Yerucham – where there was a really beautiful service. Following that, most of the people who were in town for the weekend were meeting for dinner at the girls’ house, so I headed over there for a lovely Shabbat meal. There were about twenty of us there – this weekend had originally been scheduled as a closed Shabbat and then changed last minute, which is perhaps why there were so many people in Yerucham. And although I had wanted to go away, sometimes it’s really nice to just have a relaxed Shabbat at home, especially when there are so many people around for company. The following day, for Saturday lunch, Kesha and I went to my gannenet’s house – Etie, not the one that had us over for Pesach. Etie lives in a really cute house with her daughter and two of her grandkids – one of whom is in Sarah’s gan and one of whom is one of the nicest most adorable little girls I’ve ever met. Lunch was really nice, although it was quite a challenge with mine and Kesha’s limited Hebrew. But Etie’s grandson, Nachman, asked us a lot of simple questions that luckily we were able to answer. Etie is Moroccan, so the food was delicious, and I spent the latter half of the meal with her granddaughter, Malka, on my lap, drinking tea while she played with my hair. It was a great meal and I had a lot of fun, and I was really glad that I got a chance to go over there for a meal before I leave Yerucham – especially since Etie invited me at least once a week.
That week, the week following Yom HaShoah, brought two very different, back to back holidays: Yom HaZicharon and Yom Ha’Atzmaout. Yom HaZicharon is Israel’s Memorial Day, but it couldn’t be more different than Memorial Day in America. There’s no 3 day weekend or big sales. Yom HaZicharon is absolutely the most difficult day of the year for Israeli society – described by our director Yossi as “An open wound in the heart of Israel.” Those we are remembering aren’t long-gone soldiers from the days of WWII – they’re bright eyed kids my age who were killed in battle recently, and whose peers continue to fight and die in the never-ending struggle that is the existence of the state of Israel. This is a day when parents mourn their lost children and children mourn their lost friends. Monday night was ushered in with another two minutes of silence sounded by a siren all over the country, and then we had a small service, just Nativ, outside in Yerucham. We saw pictures of all the fallen soldiers who were from Yerucham, and Nativers read poems and stories. We also heard from Eyal and Elkana, our Israeli staff who have served in the army. The Israeli mindset continues to amaze me, for many reasons, but especially just because it’s so far removed from the American mindset. Here, people just know how to prioritize. Nobody takes the land and the homes that we have here for granted, because our youth is still fighting and dying for it, all the time. In Israel, people know how to celebrate life, and to fight for what’s really worth fighting for. When I was in Arad, I met a kid my age who has been in the army for a few months now. And we had a conversation about how much he hates it – about how he hates waking up, and running miles, and always being cold and never sleeping and only going home once every three weeks. And yet he chooses to be in that combat unit, when he could easily be doing a desk job because of his asthma, a job that would let him go home every weekend and would be much less physically grueling. But even though he’s totally miserable and hates it so much, he still chooses to be in the combat unit, because he really believes what he’s fighting for – and that kind of overpowering belief that would compel someone to do something that makes them completely miserable is just so foreign to me as an American teenager. And hearing from our staff, they all say the same thing – that you hate the army while you’re in it, but when you’re finished you’re just so unbelievably proud and you know that with your unit is where you belong.
For the next day, all of Nativ went together to Jerusalem and in the morning we all met at Har Hertzel, the national cemetery of Israel’s fallen soldiers. It was absolutely swarming with people – like Disneyland on the 4th of July or something. It’s a really huge and slightly confusing cemetery as is, so it was pretty overwhelming with all those people there. At the front entrance they give out water bottles and flowers for everyone to lay on the graves. Ashley, Emily and I just walked around and each tried to find a grave without any other flowers on it in an attempt to salvage some meaning out of the confusion around us. There was also a ceremony there that morning with another siren-moment of silence. Even though it was hard for me to find it meaningful, I was still really glad to be there that day with thousands of other Israelis. After the cemetery we all went back to Agron for lunch, and after lunch we had some programming. Our main part of the program was hearing the mother of Michael Levin speak. Michael Levin is a kid who was very much in my Jewish circle – he went to Ramah Day Camp and was on Nativ before he made Aaliyah and joined the Israeli Army. My female staff, Ariel, was even friends with him at camp. In the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006, he was killed while on a mission. His story is a very sad, very moving one that is well known within the USY/Ramah camp circle. The part that always gets to me the most is that when his parents flew to Israel for his funeral, they were concerned that they wouldn’t have a minyan (the group of ten Jews necessary to perform services such as a funeral) since they didn’t know anyone in Israel. When they arrived at the cemetery that day, they were really upset to see thousands of people there because it meant that there were a bunch of funerals going on that day. They soon found out, however, that all of those people were there for Michael’s funeral – he had simply touched that many lives during his short time in Israel. Hearing from his mom was difficult, but Michael’s story is a really important one and we were lucky to have the opportunity to speak with her.
One of the most interesting things about Yom HaZicharon is what happens at sundown on that day, as the holiday transitions from that day of mourning to Yom Ha’Atzmaout – Israel’s independence day. The entire mood of the country shifts radically from one of sorrow to one of the utmost celebration and joy. Nativ was free for the holiday, so I decided to stay in Jerusalem at Misha’s cousin’s apartment. A handful of us went to services together at a beautiful shul located, like many in Jerusalem, in an underground bomb shelter. The whole shul was decked out in blue and white decorations for the holiday, and the service is possible the most fun service I’ve ever been to – tons of singing, dancing, and instruments, with everyone just generally celebrating and having a good time. By the time we emerged from the underground synagogue the city around us had gone from day to night and totally transformed. The roads downtown were blocked off by buses parked horizontally across the street and every few blocks huge stages were set up for the concerts that would start taking place in a few hours. The whole city was in festival mode, with street vendors everywhere, music playing from anywhere, and people in droves swarming around. We went to a sushi dinner (delicious as usual) and emerged an hour later to begin drinking as much as the rest of the city. The whole night was a complete blur of dancing in the streets to concerts that were set up in the middle of the road, running around, buying and eating cotton candy, and just generally enjoying the ruckus.
The next day we woke up around noon and moseyed over to the park across from Agron, where Nativ was having a barbeque, since that’s the traditional Israeli activity for Yom Ha’Atzmaout day. It was gorgeous weather, so we all just spent the day laying out and enjoying a real barbeque along with all the other Israelis in the park who were doing the same exact thing as us.
I really think that when I look back on my year in Israel, these three holidays, Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZicharon, and Yom Ha’Atzmaout will be something I remember the most. It was one of the times where I felt like I got the true Israeli experience, and it’s definitely unlike anything I’ve ever felt in America.
The Shabbat following Pesach break I had really wanted to go away but couldn’t find anywhere to go, which was the same situation as four of my other roommates, so the five of us ended up just spending Shabbat in Yerucham. Becky’s younger brother, who is in Israel on a high school program for a few months, came with a friend for the weekend, as did Misha’s cousin Raya (the one I’m constantly staying with in Jerusalem), so we had a very full house. On Friday night a few of us went to an Indian shul – there’s actually a pretty large Jewish Indian population in Yerucham – where there was a really beautiful service. Following that, most of the people who were in town for the weekend were meeting for dinner at the girls’ house, so I headed over there for a lovely Shabbat meal. There were about twenty of us there – this weekend had originally been scheduled as a closed Shabbat and then changed last minute, which is perhaps why there were so many people in Yerucham. And although I had wanted to go away, sometimes it’s really nice to just have a relaxed Shabbat at home, especially when there are so many people around for company. The following day, for Saturday lunch, Kesha and I went to my gannenet’s house – Etie, not the one that had us over for Pesach. Etie lives in a really cute house with her daughter and two of her grandkids – one of whom is in Sarah’s gan and one of whom is one of the nicest most adorable little girls I’ve ever met. Lunch was really nice, although it was quite a challenge with mine and Kesha’s limited Hebrew. But Etie’s grandson, Nachman, asked us a lot of simple questions that luckily we were able to answer. Etie is Moroccan, so the food was delicious, and I spent the latter half of the meal with her granddaughter, Malka, on my lap, drinking tea while she played with my hair. It was a great meal and I had a lot of fun, and I was really glad that I got a chance to go over there for a meal before I leave Yerucham – especially since Etie invited me at least once a week.
That week, the week following Yom HaShoah, brought two very different, back to back holidays: Yom HaZicharon and Yom Ha’Atzmaout. Yom HaZicharon is Israel’s Memorial Day, but it couldn’t be more different than Memorial Day in America. There’s no 3 day weekend or big sales. Yom HaZicharon is absolutely the most difficult day of the year for Israeli society – described by our director Yossi as “An open wound in the heart of Israel.” Those we are remembering aren’t long-gone soldiers from the days of WWII – they’re bright eyed kids my age who were killed in battle recently, and whose peers continue to fight and die in the never-ending struggle that is the existence of the state of Israel. This is a day when parents mourn their lost children and children mourn their lost friends. Monday night was ushered in with another two minutes of silence sounded by a siren all over the country, and then we had a small service, just Nativ, outside in Yerucham. We saw pictures of all the fallen soldiers who were from Yerucham, and Nativers read poems and stories. We also heard from Eyal and Elkana, our Israeli staff who have served in the army. The Israeli mindset continues to amaze me, for many reasons, but especially just because it’s so far removed from the American mindset. Here, people just know how to prioritize. Nobody takes the land and the homes that we have here for granted, because our youth is still fighting and dying for it, all the time. In Israel, people know how to celebrate life, and to fight for what’s really worth fighting for. When I was in Arad, I met a kid my age who has been in the army for a few months now. And we had a conversation about how much he hates it – about how he hates waking up, and running miles, and always being cold and never sleeping and only going home once every three weeks. And yet he chooses to be in that combat unit, when he could easily be doing a desk job because of his asthma, a job that would let him go home every weekend and would be much less physically grueling. But even though he’s totally miserable and hates it so much, he still chooses to be in the combat unit, because he really believes what he’s fighting for – and that kind of overpowering belief that would compel someone to do something that makes them completely miserable is just so foreign to me as an American teenager. And hearing from our staff, they all say the same thing – that you hate the army while you’re in it, but when you’re finished you’re just so unbelievably proud and you know that with your unit is where you belong.
For the next day, all of Nativ went together to Jerusalem and in the morning we all met at Har Hertzel, the national cemetery of Israel’s fallen soldiers. It was absolutely swarming with people – like Disneyland on the 4th of July or something. It’s a really huge and slightly confusing cemetery as is, so it was pretty overwhelming with all those people there. At the front entrance they give out water bottles and flowers for everyone to lay on the graves. Ashley, Emily and I just walked around and each tried to find a grave without any other flowers on it in an attempt to salvage some meaning out of the confusion around us. There was also a ceremony there that morning with another siren-moment of silence. Even though it was hard for me to find it meaningful, I was still really glad to be there that day with thousands of other Israelis. After the cemetery we all went back to Agron for lunch, and after lunch we had some programming. Our main part of the program was hearing the mother of Michael Levin speak. Michael Levin is a kid who was very much in my Jewish circle – he went to Ramah Day Camp and was on Nativ before he made Aaliyah and joined the Israeli Army. My female staff, Ariel, was even friends with him at camp. In the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006, he was killed while on a mission. His story is a very sad, very moving one that is well known within the USY/Ramah camp circle. The part that always gets to me the most is that when his parents flew to Israel for his funeral, they were concerned that they wouldn’t have a minyan (the group of ten Jews necessary to perform services such as a funeral) since they didn’t know anyone in Israel. When they arrived at the cemetery that day, they were really upset to see thousands of people there because it meant that there were a bunch of funerals going on that day. They soon found out, however, that all of those people were there for Michael’s funeral – he had simply touched that many lives during his short time in Israel. Hearing from his mom was difficult, but Michael’s story is a really important one and we were lucky to have the opportunity to speak with her.
One of the most interesting things about Yom HaZicharon is what happens at sundown on that day, as the holiday transitions from that day of mourning to Yom Ha’Atzmaout – Israel’s independence day. The entire mood of the country shifts radically from one of sorrow to one of the utmost celebration and joy. Nativ was free for the holiday, so I decided to stay in Jerusalem at Misha’s cousin’s apartment. A handful of us went to services together at a beautiful shul located, like many in Jerusalem, in an underground bomb shelter. The whole shul was decked out in blue and white decorations for the holiday, and the service is possible the most fun service I’ve ever been to – tons of singing, dancing, and instruments, with everyone just generally celebrating and having a good time. By the time we emerged from the underground synagogue the city around us had gone from day to night and totally transformed. The roads downtown were blocked off by buses parked horizontally across the street and every few blocks huge stages were set up for the concerts that would start taking place in a few hours. The whole city was in festival mode, with street vendors everywhere, music playing from anywhere, and people in droves swarming around. We went to a sushi dinner (delicious as usual) and emerged an hour later to begin drinking as much as the rest of the city. The whole night was a complete blur of dancing in the streets to concerts that were set up in the middle of the road, running around, buying and eating cotton candy, and just generally enjoying the ruckus.
The next day we woke up around noon and moseyed over to the park across from Agron, where Nativ was having a barbeque, since that’s the traditional Israeli activity for Yom Ha’Atzmaout day. It was gorgeous weather, so we all just spent the day laying out and enjoying a real barbeque along with all the other Israelis in the park who were doing the same exact thing as us.
I really think that when I look back on my year in Israel, these three holidays, Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZicharon, and Yom Ha’Atzmaout will be something I remember the most. It was one of the times where I felt like I got the true Israeli experience, and it’s definitely unlike anything I’ve ever felt in America.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Pesach: Jerusalem and Arad
So after yam lyam the original plan was to camp out and go to the beach the next day, but by the time we were done hiking we OBVIOUSLY didn't want to do that anymore, so while Kesha decided to go back to Yerucham and David went to Tel Aviv to stay with friends Ashley and I opted to stay in Jerusalem at Misha's cousin's apartment, since I really wanted to experience Pesach in the holy city. We met up with some friends who were also in Jerusalem and went out to our favorite sushi restaurant (as is the norm when we go to Jerusalem) for dinner. The vast majority of restaurants that are open in Jerusalem during the holiday are Kosher for Pesach - which is REALLY cool, because you would never experience something like that in America, and koshering a kitchen for Passover is not an easy process. Although many Ashkenazi (descending from Eastern Europe) Jews do not eat what is called 'keniyot' (legumes such as corn and beans), Sephardic (descending from Spain and Morocco and places like that) Jews do, and almost all Israelis do, which makes keeping Kosher in Israel a little bit easier. I even went to a Kosher for Passover McDonald's - complete with Kosher for Pesach hamburger buns made out of cornmeal. We then slept for many hours (it was WONDERFUL), and woke up sometime the next day in the early afternoon.
After we woke up, we decided to go to Coffeeshop, one of our favorite places for drinks and breakfast-y type foods. Coffeeshop also had a Kosher for Passover menu, complete with baskets of matzah instead of bread. We ate outside on the sidewalk, and soon we witnessed a curious incident down the street. Outside of a restaurant called 'Meat Burger,' which isn't Kosher at all so obviously wasn't Kosher for Passover, a group of ultra-religious men, donned in long black coats and black furry hats, were standing outside protesting. Every time someone would walk out with the un-Kosher-for-Passover food, they would all chant 'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil.' It was actually quite hilarious, and quite a crowd gathered to witness the spectacle. Only in Jerusalem =). We spent many hours just sitting outside and enjoying the day...in Israel, they will never bring the check unless you ask for it because they never want to be kicking you out and they want you to know you can take your time, which is something I both love and hate about dining in Israel.
After that we went to the shuk (it might be the thing I miss most about living in Jerusalem) and spent the rest of the afternoon just walking around and enjoying the city we love so much. Ashley and I then went back to Yerucham for the night, even though we would be spending the next day, yuntif, in Jerusalem - all we had with us were the (very) dirty clothes from Yam Lyam, so we had to make the trip and we even convinced some other friends in Jerusalem to come with us for the night. Even though most of the Yerucham Nativers were gone for the entire break, I really liked touching back on home base every few days.
The next day Ashley, the boys, and I traveled back to Jerusalem for Yuntif. Part of the standard Passover seder includes the phrase "next year in Jerusalem," so it was really important to us to be able to celebrate one of the religious holidays in the city. We spent the night in Matan's mom's apartment, where we had a lovely holiday meal. The next day we went back over to Misha's cousin's for lunch, which was wonderful as usual, and then we went to Agron to hang out for a little since there were quite a few Nativers staying there. That night officially ended Passover, and around 9:00 all the falafel restaurants in the city had lines out the door. We all ate our first bites of bread and made our way back to Yerucham for another restful evening.
The following day Ashley and I went to Arad to see our friend Eva. Eva came on an exchange program last winter and stayed with Ashley, so Ashley and I spent the whole week taking her around and out to dinner and whatnot, so she was very excited that we were finally coming to visit her. She took us out for dinner at the local Chinese restaurant (run by her friend's family) and that night we went to the local pub (one of only about two or three in arad) and hung out with her friends. Everyone there was so nice and SO excited to finally meet her 'American friends.' After 8 months of living in Israel it really made me feel like a tourist again, especially since all her friends wanted to talk about was prom and whether or not we really have cheerleaders like in the movies. Ashley left but I also ended up staying for Shabbat, and we had two lovely meals at Eva's best friends house. Overall it was SO nice to see Eva, she is really sweet, and to meet all of her friends.
And just like that...break was over.
After we woke up, we decided to go to Coffeeshop, one of our favorite places for drinks and breakfast-y type foods. Coffeeshop also had a Kosher for Passover menu, complete with baskets of matzah instead of bread. We ate outside on the sidewalk, and soon we witnessed a curious incident down the street. Outside of a restaurant called 'Meat Burger,' which isn't Kosher at all so obviously wasn't Kosher for Passover, a group of ultra-religious men, donned in long black coats and black furry hats, were standing outside protesting. Every time someone would walk out with the un-Kosher-for-Passover food, they would all chant 'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil.' It was actually quite hilarious, and quite a crowd gathered to witness the spectacle. Only in Jerusalem =). We spent many hours just sitting outside and enjoying the day...in Israel, they will never bring the check unless you ask for it because they never want to be kicking you out and they want you to know you can take your time, which is something I both love and hate about dining in Israel.
After that we went to the shuk (it might be the thing I miss most about living in Jerusalem) and spent the rest of the afternoon just walking around and enjoying the city we love so much. Ashley and I then went back to Yerucham for the night, even though we would be spending the next day, yuntif, in Jerusalem - all we had with us were the (very) dirty clothes from Yam Lyam, so we had to make the trip and we even convinced some other friends in Jerusalem to come with us for the night. Even though most of the Yerucham Nativers were gone for the entire break, I really liked touching back on home base every few days.
The next day Ashley, the boys, and I traveled back to Jerusalem for Yuntif. Part of the standard Passover seder includes the phrase "next year in Jerusalem," so it was really important to us to be able to celebrate one of the religious holidays in the city. We spent the night in Matan's mom's apartment, where we had a lovely holiday meal. The next day we went back over to Misha's cousin's for lunch, which was wonderful as usual, and then we went to Agron to hang out for a little since there were quite a few Nativers staying there. That night officially ended Passover, and around 9:00 all the falafel restaurants in the city had lines out the door. We all ate our first bites of bread and made our way back to Yerucham for another restful evening.
The following day Ashley and I went to Arad to see our friend Eva. Eva came on an exchange program last winter and stayed with Ashley, so Ashley and I spent the whole week taking her around and out to dinner and whatnot, so she was very excited that we were finally coming to visit her. She took us out for dinner at the local Chinese restaurant (run by her friend's family) and that night we went to the local pub (one of only about two or three in arad) and hung out with her friends. Everyone there was so nice and SO excited to finally meet her 'American friends.' After 8 months of living in Israel it really made me feel like a tourist again, especially since all her friends wanted to talk about was prom and whether or not we really have cheerleaders like in the movies. Ashley left but I also ended up staying for Shabbat, and we had two lovely meals at Eva's best friends house. Overall it was SO nice to see Eva, she is really sweet, and to meet all of her friends.
And just like that...break was over.
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