Josh in Jerusalem

The experience of a lifetime's curtain call.

2010-01-14T18:40:00.001-08:00

My time in Israel has come to a close, sadly. Before I get to the ending I must tell you about the past month....

When we left off, It was the week before Chanukah. That week we had a field trip with my political communication class to Tel Aviv. We first went to Galei Tzahal (Army radio) where we met with people who showed us around the studio. After that, we went to Haaretz, a major Israeli newspaper where we me with a reporter who broke a story about a sweedish newspaper having an anti-semetic cartoon which caused an international incident. She didn't think that's how it would turn out but it did. Then we met with a guy who used to work for Prime Minister Netanyahu, I don't remember much of what he said because we were supposed to have lunch then and we didn't get anything so we were all tired and hungry and the guy went on for about an hour. After that we went to channel 10 and talked with an anchor there who said the TV industry in Israel is hurting.

We then drove home and I talked with Kathryne, well more wrote to her on a notepad since I lost my voice from a cold which was Alma's fault since she had a sore throat.

The next day I had classes and still had no voice so I wrote down everything that I said all day on a notepad which was quite amusing. At night, we had Annie rehearsal and I mouthed the words to everything since I couldn't talk.

That Thursday I went in to tutor Amir, and then had a Thursday Annie Rehearsal. My voice started to come back on this day.

The next day I was supposed to be on the bus to go to the Negev at 5:45am and instead I woke up at that time, and my roommates weren't up either so I called Eric to wake him up and Alma decided not to go since she was sick. So luckily the bus was still there and we were off.

That day we hiked through the Machtesh Katan (little canyon). We hiked down the canyon which was tough to manuveur but not that bad since the wheater was nice, unlike the Gamla hike back in August. We got to the bottom and then our tour guide left us and told us to find our way to the end. So, we walked across the Machtesh which seemed like Mars. At the end we had lunch and then had to rush to our hostel because shabbat was coming in soon.

We got there, checked in and then went to our room...It was me, Ryan, Eric, Gershom from Holland, Brandon, and Matiyas from my Hebrew class all together. After we all were in we went down to light the Chanukiyah and eat Sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts). We then went to services which was very sephardi...I remember being really confused and feeling bad because I was trying to help other people along and I myself was confused since I wasn't used to the Sephardi (spanish) davening. I think the people were French Sephardi, but I'm not sure.

After that we had dinner and went back to our rooms where I told my roommates about Chanukah and how I was excited that it was the first time that I could say "a great miracle happened HERE" since the miracles of Chanukah happend in Eretz Yisrael!! I once again found myself being the odd Jew out, however Ryan was there to help me along and Eric as well. After hanging out with me all semester the two of them knew a lot about Judaism.

That night we had a pajama party with a game attached, that was a lot of fun...afterwards we played taboo and went to bed.

In the morning we had breakfast and I read the Tanakh while the other did homework. We then went on a tour of the nearby zoo saw a porcupine among other things. Then we had lunch, which was followed by the Israeli bureacracy challange...

We all aparently made Aliyah in this game... so myself (the grandfather), Devorah (the mother), Ryan (the father), and Eric (the son) had to go through the process of it. We went to the ID station first who told us we had to open a bank account so we did and after that we opened a phone account. Then Ryan enlisted in the army and Devorah was exempted. After that, Eric took his matriculation exam and graduated high school. Then Ryan and Devorah went to the Rabbinate and got married followed by Eric getting married to Shira who's parents had to get married beforehand... then Ryan got his lisence after taking a hot wheels driving test but got in a accident so he had to get medical insurance and go to the hospital and get a band-aid. I think that was all...it was a lot of fun.

So then after that we made Havdalah and had dinner. At night we star gazed, I think it was the most stars I'd ever seen since the desert is so dark. After that we played more taboo and then there was a karaoke night. so much fun!!!

The next day we woke up, had breakfast and did a little hike to a waterfall and then saw a Nabatean city. At the end we went to David Ben-Gurion (the first PM of Israel)'s grave and saw a movie about him...that was a strange game show.

That weekend was so much fun, probably the best trip we went on.

After all of that it was then opening week of Annie.

Opening night was amazing...had a lot of friends come. Most of the girls and Eric... It was a great audience that gave us a lot of energy. Before the show we light the Chanukiyah, ate sufganiyot, and said the shehechiyanu (prayer for a start of something new...or a special moment). I usually say that to myself before opening night and it was so cool to say it with a group since it was THEATER IN ISRAEL!!!

After the show I didn't see my friends who came so I called Kathryne who OF COURSE DIDN'T ANSWER HER PHONE!!!! so then I called Sam who answered the phone..." OMG IT'S BUNDLES! BUNDLES IS CALLING ME!" in the background I heard much happiness and with that I scolded them for not saying hi to me after the show.

Later on, a few of us went to dinner afterwards. Then on Thursday we had 2 performances... the first one went ok until the president forgot his cue and I had to wheel him out. The night performance went much better.

Then Friday, Ryan and I took one last trip to Efrat to visit my family. It was nice to see them again, we talked a lot. Also, my cousin Asher had just gotten enagaged so that was exciting. The next day we all played basketball and some card games.

Then it was the last week of Annie and the last week of Hebrew all in one. We had a performance every night Monday-Thursday. The first night my cousin Batsheva came along with Jenny, Alma, and Rhyan "the girl." Alma took many pictures.

Tuesday a bunch of Rothbergers came and then we all went out to Burger's bar afterwards.

Wednesday Ryan,Shira, Esti, John and his family came. I don't remember anything out of the ordinary happening that night.

Thurday was closing night and also christmas eve. We sang "silent night" before the show along with "jingle bells". Afterwards we all said our goodbyes.

The play was so much fun...tyring but a lot of fun. I met so many great people doing it and I'm greatful to all of my friends who came and showed their support! Their energy added so much to the performance.

Then I went back to my apartment and Eric and Alma had gotten back from Bethlehem, Alma and I then started singing Christmas carols. Then, I had to study for my Hebrew final.

The next day I spent chinese restauraunt day taking my Hebrew final. It went well and then Hebrew was over.

For Shabbat Ryan, Eric, and I went to the Kotel for services. It was so crowded and it was awesome to take it all in. I looked around and saw Birthright people enjoying their first shabbat in Israel, haredim, a carlebach minyan, a family from America saying the first bracha they knew in front of the Kotel. It was amazing to be at the center of judaism and see many Jews from every walk of life in front of it. It was as if all Jews were represented.

Afterwards we walked to a Rabbi's house who opened his home to anyone. So many people came, probably about 200 and we all fit. It was interesting to meet people from all over the place. It was a balagan to get the food out but it was worth it. It was incredible to see a family feel all those people...It was a great way to bring the spirit of Shabbat to Jerusalem for anyone to share.

The next week was so weird since there was no Hebrew and no Annie. So, I started working on my 20 page paper ever so slowly. Thanks for all the facebook encouragment everyone! had my last conflict class where we all debriefed. I also went on a mission with ENP. We met a family of donors from Phili who came to see what ENP was all about, I also talked with one of the leaders of the organization. I also saw a video of Operation:Moses. The first flight which flew Ethiopian Jews to Israel. It was acutal footage from it which was really cool.

The next day was New Year's Eve. Eric, Alma, and I had some people over. Some came and left while others stayed. In the end, we joined John's party where we played a fun game "3 people on a couch"...very complicated game. In the end, we rang in the New Year and sang auld lang syne.

2010!!!

The next day Eric and I went to Kibbutz Ein Tzurim to visit my cousin. It was a nice visit talked a lot with them, they took us around the Kibbutz once more. It was so nice to spend time with family.

Then it was the final week. I wrote papers, said see you later to many friends who were leaving. so sad...but we will meet again. I finshed my 20 pager on Wednseday, went to dinner with Ryan and Eric and then stayed up to 3am writing 2 more, oy what a night. Thursday I handed in my papers. I was done!!!

Then Eric and I went to study with my study partner from the Beit Midrash.

We read the story of David and Jonathan and discussed friendship, a great way to sum up my Israel experience. The friends I made in Israel are friends for life...you're all awseome!!! At night, I went to dinner with Jenny,Alma, and Eric at the same place I went after opening night of Annie.

Friday night had dinner over my apartment with Alma, Eric, Atziri, Ryan, and Gershom. We talked and reminisced.

Saturday, Eric and I met Ryan's dad and Ryan cooked us lunch we talked for a while and then took him on a tour of French Hill. We brought him to his hotel and then found a lookout point on Jerusalem from Mount Scopus.

It then hit me...my time was almost over...soon I would have to bid farewell to Jerusalem. I walked back from there upset, It was ending...the experience of a lifetime was ending. I lost it that night...not only because I was leaving Israel and Jerusalem but because I had to say goodbye to many of my friends who grew to be more like family over the 5 months. We were thousands of miles from home so we were each other's family in Israel. We shared many stories and experiences together which could not be duplicated:

we had many laughs, had many adventures through Israel and even Egypt...endured Ulpan together... spent Shabbatot together, shared stories, shared thoughts, davened together, went to each other's places of worship, dealt with Bezeq together, traveled Eretz Yisrael together.

We were family more than friends and that's what I'll miss... and will always remember. That is why I love Israel and loved these 5 months... because of my family away from my family.

The next day I cleaned my room, had it inspected and checked out. I also said "see you later" to Alma...she was moving out that day as well. we prayed together, I said the Shechyanu and then Eric and Alma said a few words. In the end, we accepted each other's differences. If only the rest of the world could be like that.

In this, we all expressed our hopes for each other to continue to grow after this Israel experience.

For dinner I went to Burger's Bar for one last time with Eric and Jenny joined us to say "see you later." Kathryne joined us later along with Ryan. I remember it was more laughter that I will always remember. We then walked back to my apartment and they helped me with my luggage. the four of us then waited for the taxi which would take myself along with Brandon and Gershom to the airport. I then said "see you later" to Ryan, Eric, and Kathryne. It was painful...but I know we will all be united again. It was then as I got on the taxi that this chapter of my life came to a close. I looked out and waved to the 3 of them while wishing them all the best.

I didn't want it to end, but end it must "Every new beggining comes from some other begginings end" -Semisonic.

It's been quite the experience...I remember 5 months ago wondering what the experince would be like. What would I do? who would my friends be? In the end, what I did and who my friends were were more than I could ever ask for. It truly was the experience of a lifetime. I learned so much from the people and places I went to. Above all, I learned what true friendship was...and that is what encapsulated my experience...not the places I went to or the sights I saw, but the friends I made. I love you all and miss you!!!!!!!!!!

In the end, I know that after all this we will all go on to do great things... B'hatzlacha!

Next up in my life is my last semester of college...I'm thinking of starting a new blog discussing this and what my life will be like after graduation. until then, L'hitraot.

Thanks to everyone who read my blog and followed me on this journey of a lifetime and especially thanks to everyone I met at Rothberg, you guys were amazing and I would never ask for anyone else who could have shared this experince with! Todah Rabah! B'hatzlacha!!!

"If I forget you Jerusalem, Let my right hand wither; let my tounge stick to my palate if I cease to think of you, if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory even at my happiest hour." -Psalm 137:5-6

The balagan subsides...so I thought mixed with lessons about understanding

2009-12-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

WARNING: this entry gets pretty political.

I got back from Efrat, rested and relaxed from Shabbat thinking that the balagan of mine was behind me, but I was wrong. So, Monday I went to Beit Shemesh again for my internship after I talked with someone who worked at the Youth Outreach Center who told me that the two Americans that I wanted to work with to do a drama workshop were teaching dance and on a different day, so that didn't work out. So, she told me to call someone who worked at the scholastic assistance center ( a place where I would tutor English to teenagers) who told me to come to Beit Shemesh at 4, we were talking half in Hebrew and half in English again but we set a date and place etc, so that worked out.

I get there on Monday and a guy, Avishay, from the center picks me up in the center of town and walks me over with two girls who were laughing at me. He tells me about what the do and says that 2 girls come in and teach dance so...this was the youth outreach center not the scholastic assistance center. so, I figured maybe I'll try the drama thing anyway but Avishay discouraged me and said even the English-speaking girls who teach dance have trouble controlling the class with help of translators. So, I got there and met the kids who asked me "מי אתה?" "Who are you?" They seemed nice, but were also a bit wild. So, I told Avishay that this was the wrong place and so I left there, but it was nice meeting the kids anyway, it was just that I don't see what I could do there since the kids barely spoke English.

So, then I talked with Michelle from the office who arranged for me to go to Beit Shemesh at the Scholastic Assistance Centers on Wednesdays. So, that was set (so I thought)

That Thursday night I went out to eat with a bunch of friends at the Burger Bar near the dorms. Then for Shabbat, Ryan and I went to visit my cousins Avraham & Rivka and their family on Kibbutz Ein Tzurim. There we met the two of them and one of their sons, his wife, and two kids. It was a really nice time. We went to services and then had dinner while it was raining, which is great for Israel. We talked in Hebrew a bit with them, which was great for practice. The next day we had lunch and took a walk around the Kibbutz with Meir, who showed us the cows and a lookout point where you could see a lot of Israel. In the afternoon we relaxed, schmoozed and had the third meal, went to Maariv (evening Prayer) and went home.

It's always interesting for me to see the different cousins and the different places they live. From the quiet settlement of Efrat, to the mystical city of Tzfat, Nitzan, the small town of evacuees from Gush Katif (Gaza), and Kibbutz Ein Tzurim I've gotten to see a lot of Israel and It's different cultures and I've been happy to share this with my friends Ryan & Eric as well.

So, I got back to Jerusalem and the good times continued. On Tuesday, I went on a field trip with my conflict resolution class. We walked down a hill to Lifta, an old Arab town that was fled during the 48 war. This was our first stop in seeing the two different narratives of the conflict. While there we met someone who used to live there who was giving a tour to anti-war activists. He was telling his story about how he left and hopes for one day were we all can live together in peace. The next stop was a synagogue where we heard from a man who lived in a village that was mixed Jewish-Arab and he told us that they used to live in peace and then things started to get bad and people started calling each other names and things got out of hand. I could see in his face that he longed for the times when the two sides lived together. After this we went to the arab village of Abu Ghosh, where we had the best hummus ever and then had some knafe, a sweet cheese dessert. After that we went to a war veterans cemetery from the war of 48. There we talked about the young men who sacrificed their lives for the Jewish state. Afterwards we we climbed a tower where we could see almost all of Israel (without the clouds). One could see how small the area that people are fighting over actually is. We then went back to class and heard from a Palestinian professor from Berzeit University in the West Bank tell us the "Palestinian Narrative"

Let me just say, I did not agree with anything this guy said. Especially the parts where he said Jews from the diaspora aren't Jews, we all converted, and that the victims of the Holocaust should have revolted like Palestinians do (a la blowing up German cafes). Nobody in my class liked him anyway... after this I started to wonder if this is why there isn't peace. When people don't understand who other groups are conflicts arise. so... the lesson I learned from this day is that in order for a conflict to be solved each side must understand the other side of the conflict and not make up crazy stories to deligitimize the other. In other words...Coexistence through understanding!!

Moving on...The next day i was supposed to go to Beit Shemesh but I was sick with an eye infection so I went to a walk in clinic instead. I was in and out of there very quickly and didn't have to pay anything. :) Hint, hint America.

So then on Thursday night...Alma invited Eric and I to hang out with her "crazy christian friends from Rothberg." So I did...and it turned out to be a missionary meeting from Alma and Jenny's church where they handed out pamphlets about Christianity. The pastor asked me, "are you Jewish like me?" and I said "I'm Jewish- Jewish" he then said "I'm Jewish-Jewish-Jewish"

So, then I got in a religious debate with my ex-roommate Jenny and I ended it with "It's always nice to here other people's opinions on life." I was looking back to my conflict class where I learned that understanding others is good for the world and when you understand other cultures, the world would be a better place since there wouldn't be xenophobia (fear of others).

The next day Ryan, Eric, and I took a trip to the Old city. We walked into a couple churches after walking around the old city walls and climbed up the mount of olives. The mount of Olives has a large cemetery there since it is believed that the Mashiach will descend from the Mount of Olives into the Old City as the dead will rise to enter the messianic age. So, it was interesting to see all of this since it was yet again another place I always heard about but had never seen.

When we got to the top I could see all of Jerusalem. I saw the Old city and Dome of the Rock in front of me and where I live off to the side. It was interesting to see how close I live to so much history! I also kept hoping that one day the Mashiach will come down this hill... Tikkun Olam!

Anyway, had a relaxing shabbat in the Kfar with the roommies. On Sunday, I went to church with Ryan where he played guitar. It was an interesting experience, I've never actually been to a church on Sunday morning. Israel has been full of surprises!

Then that week I ended up calling the person from Beit Shemesh who said that she never heard from Michelle who told me that I should go there on Wednesdays. So, I talked to Michelle and she said that it would be best, according to the people from the field that I go to another school. I basically decided not to go ahead with it and work from the office instead...It's already December. So, finally everything was settled.

On Thursday, we all celebrated thanksgiving at a Hillel dinner. They had turkey and cranberry sauce and all kinds of food mixed with colorful women on stilts who asked me to blow bubbles. Never really understood that. Afterwards there was a concert with an Israeli band Hatikva 6.

Then for Shabbat I had people over for a pot luck dinner which was followed by a reading of my play from senior year Advanced Acting which I happened to have with me here. It was a fun night.

This week, Started working in the office at my internship. Eric and I had Ryan, John, and Kathryne over for shabbat dinner where we ate and schmoozed for a while.

So, here we are. Next week is CHANUKAH!!!.. a bunch of us are going on an organized trip to the Negev and also in my Political Communication class we're going to Tel Aviv!

.לילה טוב Good night!

בלגן (Balagan)

2009-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

This word describes my week up until shabbat. There is no direct translation into English. It basically means a bunch of craziness, בלגן (balagan)

It all started on Sunday when I got a call from a coordinator of the Beit Shemesh (a town 30 minutes SW of Jerusalem) Youth Outreach Center for ENP. Now, her English was about as good as my Hebrew which made the conversation interesting. I asked her in Hebrew, איזה מיספר? (which number?) and she gave me her phone number when I wanted the Bus Number...and things like that.

So then, I was off to class and forgot my ID card so I had to run back to get it and ended up being late to class. FYI: In order to enter the campus or the dorms you have to present your ID card to a security officer before going through security. I then went to rehearsal which was seemingly normal: some singing, and some blocking (working on acting in scenes and where people are on stage) Little did I know of what was about to ensue.

The next day I went to Hebrew, which was normal. I then went off to Beit Shemesh after I called the coordinator again who told me to take the 417 to Beit Shemesh Center. So, I took this bus and got off at the last stop which seemed to look like the center of a town. I then asked someone for directions as I was on the phone with the coordinator and this person said "are you sure that you're supposed to be in Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef?" I asked on the phone and she said no, the center of Beit Shemesh. Apparently Ramat Beit Shemesh is a new community of Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews and the center of Beit Shemesh itself is next door, so I was basically in the wrong town.

So I boarded a bus to the actual Beit Shemesh. While on the bus I got a call from someone who worked with the coordinator that spoke English. She told me to tell the bus driver that I wanted to got to the Eliyakim School...so I did and he then told me that he would tell me when we get there. Then, a bunch of kids walked on the bus who were heading near the school and the driver told them to take me there. So, I ended up talking with them. They were all about 17 0r 18 and volunteering before the army. They were with a 10 year old kid who asked me how old I was, and I said "22" he said "you're old" So, I then went with them to their house where I met their dog and then we went to the school while the dog followed us.

So, in the end, I got there, met with the lady who told me that someone else would call me to arrange what I would be doing since we were having trouble communicating. Although, I did talk with her a bit in Hebrew. I suppose if I really want to learn the language that's the way to do it.

So after all that I went back to Jerusalem and went to the Beit Midrash (text study) with a partner at the Hecht Synagogue on campus, who lives in Beit Shemesh, and he told me I should take the 415 not the 417. So, I'll know for next time.

Tuesday, was another crazy day...but for security purposes I'm not posting what happened on the net...If you wish to know ask me.

Wednesday, I got an e-mail from the Annie people that Hillel has asked us to move the performances up a week to benefit from the Chanukah crowds. Which means, more and longer rehearsals. So, we went to rehearsal on Wednesday knowing this. However, a good chunk of the cast didn't show up so we were having trouble learning new dances and songs with many people missing. So, We learned it now...and then I guess we'll have to relearn it when the rest of the cast decides to show up. Not only that, half the cast that was there wasn't really focused and was all over the place...maybe it was because of us struggling with missing people. So, the dance was a bit of a balagan. Oy vey.

Thursday, I woke up not feeling the best (I'm fine now don't worry), maybe I was overtired from the week. So, I didn't go to my morning class. I then went to my internship office in Jerusalem, where I had a meeting with one of the supervisors and told her about my week. I also tutored Amir some more, and told him to talk about the topics he's reading about without the book, that way I hope he will understand it more...and he agreed. So, one good thing out of the week.

So Friday, I went off to Efrat to visit family for Shabbat once again. As I was there...I ran into Yossi, my cousin, whose house I was going to. His car broke down so he was taking the bus back home. So, I guess I wasn't the only one with the crazy week.

I got there and saw the family and some of their friends from America. I was so glad Shabbat was here. The whole craziness of the week subsided and I forgot about it all and just enjoyed Shabbat with family. We davned, had dinner, and schmoozed for a while at night.

Today, I had lunch with them and then schmoozed, took a walk during the afternoon, and then went home.

Shabbat is always really relaxing, and especially this one after such a crazy balagan of a week.

Shavua Tov (have a good week)

From Idan Raichel to a family visit in Nitzan

2009-10-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

This week began with an IDAN RAICHEL CONCERT!!!! The group is probably one of my favorite artists ever. They blend Ethiopian, Yemenite, Ashkenazi, Latino and other influences to create quite the group.

We went to the concert hall to be greeted by hundreds of other Diasporic Jews at this MASA sponsored event. MASA is a group that encourages Jews in the Diaspora to go on a long-term program in Israel much like myself. So, I, along with other Rothbergers walk in there and it felt like a USY/NFTY/NCSY/BBYO convention. People were running into people they knew from home. I ran into Eli from UMass and Sam K-Z, along with Mallory. Before we got into the actual hall there were strange clowns in fake store fronts laughing at us and trying to play circus games, I don't understand what that was about but I guess it was MASA's way of greeting us.

We got in there and were greeting by people from MASA, the Jewish Agency, a video of MASA participants like us and then a dance to welcome us. I thought it was strange since I've been in Israel for 3 months, that I was still being welcomed to the country...I think I've passed that stage already, but anyway. I kept feeling like I was in the US the whole time since that's basically the people that were there, it wasn't an actual Israeli concert. It was really exciting when the group came out. It was great they sang songs in Hebrew, Spanish, Amharic, and maybe other languages. We all loved it so much that we started dancing in the aisles and made a make-shift mosh pit in the front. When they played they're most famous songs: Bo'ee and mi'ma'amakim everyone sang along. It was a great night.

Then the week continued as usual...Hebrew on Monday, Tuesday had a bunch of classes. My Political Communication likes to pick on me a lot and others to answer questions, but I guess it's good to keep us on our feet.

In my Conflict resolution class we talked about Race relations in the US and got in a debate over whether America is Post-Racial or not. So, my teacher said...look what happened here, we had a conflict.

Wednesday, had a test in Hebrew, I think I did well. Thursday, had Poli comm again in the morning. Then I went to my Internship where I again tutored Amir, a Director there in English. He read some more and then had me read a little to hear "how it should sound"

That night...pitom (randomly) this guy walked into my apartment and said "Where's the guy from the Mechina with the beard?"I said "There's nobody from the Mechina here" and he said "Is this the 2nd floor", I said "no, it's the 9th"...he didn't believe me so he looked out in the hall and then out the window...realized that he was 9 stories up and not 2, apologized and left. Oh, Israel

Then Friday, Eric and I went to my Family in Nitzan (halfway between Ashkelon and Ashdod)

We had a really nice time there...I met them before from when I was in Efrat before. They spoke mostly in Hebrew so it was good to hear and I practiced a little. I went to Kabbalat Shabbat with them and could understand the gist of the D'var...It was about Abraham being the world's doctor performing Tikun Olam (repairing the world). So, My Hebrew has improved greatly from the first shabbat when all I understood was the Rabbi asking if someone was in the room.

When they were talking at their house I could pick up a lot more Hebrew than other family visits, but still not enough to jump in so they translated a bit to help. During the day they had some guests over with more Hebrew conversations. Some kids came by asking if their friends were in the house and I told them yes (all in Hebrew). So, that felt good. this was all in between reading Harry Potter. So, I had a nice conversation with my cousin (in English) and Eric for Sedua Shlishit (third meal) and then we went back to Jerusalem.

So, this ends October...and I can't wait for what Jerusalem in November, December, and some of January have in store for me. I can't wait for more adventures with friends, good classes, fun Annie rehearsals, more Shabbatot, and more family visits.
אני אוהב את ירושלים
(I love Jerusalem)

Shavua Tov! Have a good week!

From the Exodus from Egypt to the start of classes

2009-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Shalom Chaverim! (Hello friends)

After I got back from Egypt I did a lot of resting and recuperating from the trip and also a lot of breathing since the air in Jerusalem is much more healthy than the smog of Cairo. I debriefed Alma on the trip who herself was going with a friend of hers to Cairo that week.

Then Tuesday a lot of people arrived back to Jerusalem and I picked up some books for the semester.

Wednesday, I had rehearsal for Annie! (It's in English) We still didn't fully know what parts we were. However, after doing another read through of the script I got the role of Bundles, the laundry man. It should be a fun part. We then learned a few songs and learned a dance routine for the directors to see what they had to work with.

The next day I was supposed to be going to the UMass Israel dinner but that fell through after a lot of people couldn't make it. So instead I had some people over my apartment and we all talked about our respective trips while a few of us played Shesh-besh (backgammon) It was nice to see everyone after our long 3 week break.

That Shabbat I went over Ryan's who made pancakes and then him and his new roommate had a guitar jam session.

Then Sunday classes started. The night before I had logged online to find out that I couldn't see my classes because I had "outstanding fees." So, I went the next day to talk to someone in the Undergraduate office who told me to talk to financial aid where I found a long line of people with similar issues. I was there for about and hour talking with Kathryne and Adam. I walked in and told the lady my situation and she checked the computer and said there was no problems...I guessed it was just a computer glitch. Oy vey!

So then I went back to my room and went to a 4:30 internship class. We all talked about our internships and what we wanted to get out of the class. It's basically a class that studies Israeli organizations with an internship attached. The conclusion of the first class was that Israeli organizations are a balagan (crazy mess). A lot of people agreed with this and told stories of going one place and then being told to go to another... oh Israel!

That night we had another Annie rehearsal where more people joined us and we learned music.

Monday I had the first day of Hebrew class in Bet. It was with a lot of Rothberg people at first. Then, one by one Nativ (Freshman students from the US Conservative movement) came into the class until there were no seats. So, when the last person walked in the teacher said to him: אתה רוצה לשבת בחולן
Do you want to sit on the window?

That afternoon I had a meeting at the Ethiopian National Project where we discussed a fundraising drive back at UMass and working with teenagers at a Youth Outreach center, maybe teaching them drama.

So then I went back to my apartment and then at night I went to a Beit Midrash opening BBQ and concert. It was nice... saw a lot of people from Rothberg and such and the band was good as well.

Tuesday I had my long day... had class at 8:30 which was Political Communication in Israel. The professor has an interesting sense of humor. He was taking attendance and asking us where we were from etc. When I told him I was from Boston he said..."are you a Red Sox fan?" and I said yes and then he told me he was a Yankees fan. So, even in Israel the rivalry continues. His syllabus was one of the most humorous I've ever read:

"The reading Load averages 90-100 pages a week. However, the readings are not meant to replace scintillating lectures- replete with anecdotal jems -- which serve as an integral portion of the course. Indeed, the lectures and guest lecture--- which cover material not found in the course reader or text books-- are what distinguishes this class from others. Students who want to take long weekends in Eilat will lose out on material crucial for their own enrichment as well as examination scores"
-Prof. Michael Widlanski

That reflects his sense of humor as well...he likes poking fun at news media and such and cracking interesting jokes. Kind of reminds me of Prof. Ferraro from World Politics back at UMass. The class should be interesting we will look at the Israeli media and how politics plays into it since most Israelis are always watching/listening to the חדשות (chadashot, news).

After that I had Hebrew which was split into two since the class was so large and many Rothbergers went to the other class and I stayed with a few others along with Nativers.

Then I had Jews and Palestinians in Israel: Identities in conflict in dialogue, which I have dubbed many other names such as "Alma an Yitz in Israel: roommates in conflict and dialogue" or "Rand and Josh in Amherst: Interns in conflict and dialogue"

Anyway, in then class we study the conflict (Israeli-Palestinian) and approaches to resolving it. We all went around on the first class and talked about our relation to the conflict. I talked about the divestment issue that was brought to the Student Government Association at UMASS. I also talked about how SAFI (Umass Student Alliance for Israel) wanted to have a dialogue with CAN and others and it didn't work...and I wish people could have civil dialogues about it...maybe then things would look better.

So, the class is mainly discussion based and the prof is laid back, kind of reminds me of Noemi, my Hebrew teacher at UMass.

When someone asked the professor what the final paper was about she nonchalantly said "eh, you pick something you like in the class and you right about it. 10 maybe 20 pages, beseder?" (add Israeli accent). I've grown accustomed to that teachings style while in Israel.

Then after that we had a long break and then started the conflict class again and talked more about the conflict.

When I got back Jenny came over to visit and we all caught up. We then had a roommate meeting.

The next day I had Hebrew in the morning where I had a mini-quiz to see if I was in the right class.

At night I went to the Hillel opening event where I won a CD and a chocolate. After that we had Annie rehearsal, where we sang and then blocked my scene.

Thursday, I went to another Political Comm class where we looked at Israeli newspapers and learned that NBC stands for Nothing but crap and CNN= Certainly Not News.

Then after that I went to my internship where I tutored a staff member at the office on his English. He read something and I corrected him and explained meanings of words, which was difficult because they were not easy words...so It was hard for me to explain it, but it worked. After that I talked to someone else about working at a Youth Outreach Center teaching drama and they found out someone else was interested in doing the same. Maybe we can work together and overcome the language barrier, which I've been a bit worried about. I also e-mailed a few people about fundraising for ENP back at UMass... It seems like there is some interest and hopefully it will take off.

Then yesterday night I went over Ryan's with Eric and schmoozed with him and Marrisa, Sam, Max and the new roommate Dai.

So, here we are.

This week classes resume and Sunday I'm going to an Idan Raichel concert!!!

L'hitraot.

Egypt

2009-10-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

After the last entry, I was on my way to Egypt.

It all began in Tel Aviv, we had to go there to get our visas at the Egyptian consulate.

We got there with applications in hand that were filled out and pictures printed off the computer, which the guy said was not good enough. He pointed us in the direction of a place to get pictures, and then another person waiting for Visas told us how to get there. Well, that didn't work because we couldn't find the place at first. We asked a guy at the post office who told us one way which was wrong so we then went into a small store and asked a lady where to get the pictures and she pointed us in in another wrong direction. We then went into a place where a guy told us an address of a photo shop. At this point I think it was a little after 10... and the Consulate closed at 11 so we started to run. We got there got the photos and ran back to the consulate.

When we got to the window the guy told us that we needed to fill out another form and copy it, our passports and Student IDs...so John ran to a nearby copy place and came back. We then shoved our application stuff and money into the booth since it was 11 and the guy was closing the window right then and there. As he did that he said "come back tomorrow for the visas." I guess that's Egypt's way of welcoming guests.

After that we ate at a restaurant that we ate at the last time were were in Tel Aviv and then went back to Jerusalem only to come back to Tel Aviv the next day.

We got back to Tel Aviv and easily picked up our visas and then took a taxi to the Bus station. The taxi driver was showing us pictures of himself in the Army and telling us all about the nice calm water of Eilat...only in Israel. We then took the long 5ish hour bus ride to Eilat, crossed the border into Taba, Egypt and then got ripped off on a private trip to our hostel in Dahab. We figured it was the safest way, but a bit pricey. If you go, don't use Max.

As we drove to Dahab...I was struck at how different it was than Israel. It seemed more barren and not as modern. There were multiple checkpoints that were manually operated, and there were a lot of police everywhere.

We eventually got to the hostel and they offered us chilled hibiscus tea at their restaurant which was right beside the Red Sea. It was such a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere...which was really nice after the whole crazy Balagan of getting there.

The next day we relaxed at the restaurant,walked along the shore, went to the nearby market, i got some sandals and then we had dinner. It was a very relaxing time.

The next day we took a long bus ride to Cairo and got in at night at the Juliana Hostel.

Cairo is an absolute mess. The city is extremely smoggy and smelly, and the traffic is a mess. In order for someone to turn or merge into traffic they have to honk their horn so that the other drivers know they exist. so, on the streets you have massive amounts of traffic with massive amounts of honking all surrounded by smog.
Bottom line: Cairo is a nice place to visit and see some history, but I would not want to live there, oy.

We then woke up the next morning and went on a tour of the Egyptian Museum, organized by our hostel, where we saw relics from King Tut's tombs, some mummies, including one of a dog. From there we went to Old Cairo/Coptic Cairo.

We went into the Ben Ezra Synagogue, which was just a museum... no davening (praying) takes place there anymore since there aren't many Jews left in Egypt. It was an interesting site to see. It was a little weird that it was just a museum... a place where tourists can see where Jews used to pray. Most Jews made aliyah from Egypt because of Anti-Semitism. This made me appreciate Israel even more.

After this we visited a church and a mosque. The mosque was the first one that I've been in, so it was an interesting site to see. We all had to take our shoes off, walked around and took some pictures.

From there we went to the market area, where I bought a t-shirt. When I paid for it the guy noticed I had Shekels and he took that instead of pounds he then asked me, "is your nationality Jewish?" and I said "yes" and then he said "you're people are great but your government is crazy." oy, yeah, the Knesset is a balagan (crazy)...he got that one there. So, then he gave me a free pyramid souvenir and wished me a, "how do you say it, shalom?"

After all that we went back to our hostel relaxed and then went out to eat at a Pizza Hut of all places.

The next day we went to see the pyramids! As we got closer we could start to see them more through the smog and they were impressive! It was awesome to see things we've only read about in textbooks. We walked along the steps of the great pyramid (the only surviving wonder of the seven wonders of the ancient world). We then went in the "second pyramid". We got into the pyramid saw the empty sarcophagus and then left. It was basically... yeah! we're in a pyramid! now, let's go it's too hot in here!

When we got out there was a guy who was offering to take us around the pyramids on a camel. After going back and forth we figured it was worth it. It was a bumpy ride, much like when I rode a camel with Bedouins when I was in Israel in 2006. We got to a spot where you could see all of the pyramids and then we got our pictures taken. We then saw the sphinx where we posed as if we were kissing and punching the sphinx. After that we went to another museum with statues of Pharaohs and the like and the we went back to the hostel.

The next day we spent most of the day relaxing, talking religion, and then we went to a dinner cruise on the Nile. We had great food, and there was some great entertainment. A belly dancer included. It was also nice to cruise along and see Cairo at night (at least you couldn't see the smog).

The next day we relaxed and at night went for a walk and found a Chili's to eat at. There were free refills so we all decided this was the right place! (most places in Israel and Egypt don't have free refills).

The next day we took a long bus ride to the Israel-Egypt border in Taba where we met and schmoozed with some Canadian tourists. When we got to the border the driver yelled "TABA BORDER YALA TABA BORDER YALA" continuously...even as we were getting our luggage from below. (yala in Arabic/Hebrew means let's go...at least in this case)

From there Eric and I went back to Jerusalem and John and Ryan continued onto Jordan.

So, I got back to Jerusalem and unpacked. I also met our new roommate, Andrea from Germany. She's in the Graduate program here.

So, I've mostly been relaxing after the adventure in Egypt. That's all for now!

Rehearsal for Annie this week, along with a UMass in Israel reunion and then the semester starts next week, look for more later

L'hitraot!

From the Kibbutz to Yom Kippur

2009-09-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Shalom L'Kulam!

Since we last talked much has happend.

The weekend after my last post I spent a Shabbat at Kibbutz Hannaton in the Galilie region up north. Before we got there we stopped in the Daylat al Karmel...a Druze village outside Haifa. They had some nice shops and stuff. After that we went the Kibbutz, checked in and chilled for a while. Ryan and I explored the area, we saw what we thought was the sea of Galilie/Kinneret but it was actually a reservoir. We then went back and had Kabbalat Shabbat services at the Kibbutz's Shul. It was the first egalitarian minyan I had been to in Israel so it felt like home, since that's what I was used to. After that we had dinner...a lot of this remined me of Hillel, so I started to reminisce. Anyway, I realized that it was 23 Elul which meant it was my Hebrew Birthday so I got an Aliyah the next day at services in the morning.

After dinner we had a talk about Rosh Hashanah to get us ready for the holiday and then sat around and played mind games for a while and went to bed. In the morning we had services, lunch, and then we got a tour of the Kibbutz. On the tour we got to see how they milk cows! I'd never seen that before, so it was interesting. All the cows line up by individual machines and then the milk things are comupterized to take the milk from them and it goes into a bottle below which is taken away and sent off. Later on we had dinner, Mincha, Maariv, and Havdalah. It reminded me of my last Shabbat at UMass and I started to miss it. However, Israel continues to be awesome.

Later that week we had a read through of Annie, and he still hasn't picked the parts.

Then on Thursday it was my 22nd birthday! I had people over and we had Pizza and cake. Thanks everyone for coming :) It was a great birthday! I sang Master of the House for the umteenth time. Oy, I need a new song. After the party died down, a few of us stayed and discussed religion and politics, one always seems to lead to the other. It was all in all a great birthday and a great way to end 5769.

The next day, Ryan and I left for Efrat for Rosh Hashanah at my Cousin's. It was nice weekend. We davened (prayed) at Chabad and then came back for dinner at my cousins's. Afterwhich, I played some basketball with Ryan, Asher, and David while Steak the dog watched. The next day we went to Chabad again, had lunch and then chilled at the house for the afternoon. Then we davened at Chabad and had dinner which was a quiet one since some of my cousins and their friends went to dinner elsewhere. Ryan and and I then played Set, a card game, with Shmuel. The next day, Went to Chabad, this time we heard the Shofar since it wasn't Shabbat. In the afternoon, we had lunch and then went to an old aquaduct in Efrat for Tashlich, a ceremony where you cast away your sins into water. After that, we and played football and soccer and then we rested and went back to Jerusalem.

I must say that Efrat is such a nice town. It's a quiet place where everyone knows everyone...kind of like small town america. Everyone you pass says "Shanah Tovah." It really has the feeling of a community.

Then...the week from hell began... THE END OF ULPAN!!!! The first day we talked about the fact that we also have an oral exam on top of our final exam. We all got nervous...we had to read 3 texts, study it and then be able to answer questions about it in Hebrew.

In the meantime, That afternoon we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museam. It was my second time. Despite the fact that I heard the stories throughout my life, it's important to hear more so that we can pass the story of the Holocaust on to future generations so it's never forgotten and it never happens again. When genocide does happen again, like in Darfur, it is equally important to stop it in its tracks.

I was struck while standing in front of an Auchwitz-Birkenau bed, about the fact that 3 people were in the bed and they were so close together that if one turned the other had to turn which would wake everyone up. In addition, they didn't get much sleep anyway since they were woken up at 4 am.

At the end of the tour, we walked outside and saw Jerusalem in the distance. It was fullfiling, seeing the fact that now Jews have a homeland and never again will we have to deal with the horrors of the Holocaust, despite what the pseudo-President I'm a dinnah Jacket of Iran has to say. Am Yisrael Chai! The nation of Israel lives!

That night, I went to dinner with Alma and Eric and then went to Beit Midrash...a study session with a partner about Judaism. For the past few weeks we've been reading "Gateway to Happiness"...It talks a lot about controlling your thoughts to think more optimistically. It's a really nice one-on-one talk for an hour, and puts me in a good mood at the beggining of the week.

Then in Ulpan it was crunch time before the final...we rushed to the end of the book and reviwed. Tuesday afternoon, did Taschlich again in the Herbew U Botanical Gardens. Afterwhich I got in a deep philisophical discussion with Ria, John, and Kyle, mainly about the messiah. Interestingly enough, I was the only person there who believes that messiah has not come yet. Anyway, we left Kyle off at his place and continued the conversation as we walked to the Kfar, where Devorah joined us and we kept talking Moshiach (Messiah), we then went to John's room where we talked for a few hours about the world and what our purpose in it is. Then it was 6 and we hadn't started studying for the oral exam, which was the next day. So, we studied all night. I read and then Devorah, who is in Gimel (Level 3) asked John and I questions about the texts, which helped a lot.

The next day we had the exam, which was easier than I thought, the asked me a couple questions after I picked 2 out of the 3 stories I studied out of a hat. After all that, we had a party where we sang songs played 1 truth and 1 lie. I sang Master of the House again. Although, it was the first time I said "welcome Madame"... my Teacher was my guest.

That night I went to a soup place with John and some others to study for the exam...it was a really chill place with good soup. It helped a lot for the exam, I learn better talking with people than alone I've been realizing.

Then we had the exam, I wrote a story about Shabbat and the exam took 2 hours and wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. and then... I WAS DONE WITH ULPAN!!!! I was so happy, and soooooo tired. I went back to my room and all of our roommates were talking about it and we were so tired we forgot how to speak English, what a day. It was sad though that day as well, Jenny moved out :( She moved into a new apartment, she will be missed, but will be down the street, so we can still hang out.

That night we had a bonfire to celebrate the end of Ulpan! Afterwards, Eric, Ryan, and I went to his place and planned our trip to EGYPT!!!! It looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.

The next day Ryan and I went to Tzfat, to visit some other cousin's of mine. They live in the old city, which was cool, I felt like I went back in time. my cousin Meir is a cantor at a Carlebach minyan, which is shul with dancing and singing! Very spiritual! The next day he took us around the city and explained all of the rich history! At night, went to havdalah, where Meir played his guitar while we danced in the new week. Hannah also found some family pictures which was a nice way to look back and connect the family.

Then we went back to Jerusalem for Yom Kippur. I went to the Student Center for the pre fast meal and the to the Regency Hotel for Kol Nidre. In the morning, Ryan and I went to a nearby conservative synagogue for services, since I wanted something familiar on the holiest day of the year. Avigail, the UMass Hillel Israel fellow from my sophmore year was davening there as well, which was another Random Israel meeting!

Went back later for Mincha and Neliah and broke the fast at Ryan's.

Today, planned more for Egypt/Jordan...and tommorow we're off to Tel Aviv for visas.

That's all for now...L'hitraot!

Welcome to Israel!

2009-09-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog! I hope to be telling friends, family, and anyone else who wishes to read it about my experiences in Eretz Yisrael. Slicha, Sorry it took so long for me to update...with Bezeq issues (internet) and the like it took me a while to start one but I hope you enjoy reading it!

As I took off from Newark Aiport I realized I was about to start the best experience of my life to date and I had no clue what Israel had in store for me. I was nervous because of not knowing what would happen and excited to see what would happen.

The flight was really long and I didn't get much sleep. I schmoozed with Marissa, a fellow Rothberger (Rothberg International School is the name of the program). I got the airport and was greeted by my Cousin Avraham. It was nice to see family in an unfamiliar place. We then went to our apartments where I didn't meet any roommates all day. Then I went on a trip to a mall in the city where I met more Rothbergers

Later that Night I met roommate number 1: Jenny. She was away for the weekend but left some goodies to welcome roommates. She's an American from Kentucky/Virginia who's here as a grad student.

Then the balagan of Ulpan began...I went to the first class which I, along with my classmate Jessie, realized this wasn't the right placement since we both had taken Hebrew for a year already. So we talked to the teacher who told us to go talk to someone who told us to talk to someone else...and after all that I was placed into Alef Intermediate (rather than begginer).

I walked in and the teacher was talking in Hebrew and was trying to tell me that they were playing bingo...but I was a bit overwhelmed and she said "Ata medaber ivrit?" (do you speak Hebrew?). I finally realized that we were playing Bingo and then ended up winning! So, I was overwhelmed, but that's what Ulpan is supposed to be... you feel like your drowning in Hebrew and then you learn more and reach the surface. It's a great class with great teachers. We have people fro all over the world. The US, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, and Israel. It's weird, I've never been in a class with so few Americans. It gives you a real global perspective. Then you start hearing all of them talk in other languages and wish that Americans were able to speak more than just English and Un poco de espanol. Well, that's another story for another blog.

After the first day I met roommate number 2: Alma. She's in the same program as I am and from California.

That week the Madrichim (couselors/RAs/guides) organized get to know you games which was a lot of fun. I then went to look for the shuk with some friends...

We waited a while for the bus and then finally got on it and the bus driver told us when to get off. So we did, and got lost so one of the people who spoke hebrew decently asked a security guard how to get to the Shuk. He told us it was closed and to come back at 1 for the bars, with him. So, we decided not to take his advice and started walking to see what we would find and lo and behold we ended up on Ben Yehuda (major pedesteridan/tourist area) in the City Center. We had falafel and watched a mime on stilts walk around. And then a dance broke out in the middle of the street and I was about to join when I saw Anat from UMass walking by me and we were both equally shocked to see each other and then we schmoozed for a bit. Only in Israel.

That night I realized that this wasn't just an experience to be had once and then it's over like my 10 day trip with Prozdor...I'm going to be here until January so I'll have more fun times like this in the future.

That weekend the OSA (Office of Student Activities) organized a Shabbat Dinner at the nearby hotel. we had good food and fun singing Shabbat songs while I helped some people along who wanted to learn the songs. A few of us walked back and schmoozed for a bit after the dinner. The next day they had lunch sponsored by the shul on campus in an apartment in the Kfar HaStudentim(Student Village...where I live). There was also a Sedua Shlisit (Third meal/Dinner) at the Jeff Seidel Student Center. Basically a place for learning and for international students to go.

The next week after assuming that Alma, Jenny, and I would be the only people living in the apartment...I met Roommate number 3: Yitz. He walked in with his full army uniform and gun after being in the reserve duty of the army. I wasn't to sure what was going on until I realized he was my new roommate.

Now, that day I also got Internet from the evil of all evils: Bezeq. I had called them the day before and asked for the internet to be hooked up and the guy said "Ok, I will make the construction and you will be surfing the internet tommorow...ok, Mr Josh?:" The "construction" was the set up...altought he was translating it wrong. This line has become a running joke with my roommates and I. That line unleased the curse of Bezeq onto the apartment.

So, then the next day I hooked it up but it wasn't working...it would freeze whenever I turned it on. So, Yitz, Alma, and I called someone else from Bezeq to ask for wireless and he said that he would put a modem into all of our rooms. So, we agreed but the next day the guy never showed up and my computer was still freezing. oy gevalt! (will be continued later)

So, that night I ended up having dinner at a friends apartment (the same group I went to Ben Yehuda with). We had a nice time and a lot of laughs.

That weekend I went up to the Golan for another trip with OSA. We hiked to Gamla...an synagouge that they found where the Jews died fighting the Romans. It was a hot day and was hard to get through but we got through and we were all encouraging each other. It wasn't as but the Shabbat was nice and relaxing after a long hike. We made Kabbalat Shabbat (Shabbat evening prayers) with the group outside. It was nice to see all the mountains in the distance while davening (praying). We also played some fun games with the Madrichim at night. The next day we walked to a cemetery where there was a statue of an Trumpeldor, an Israeli hero. Later on we swam in a pool, had dinner, made Havdalah (end of shabbat) and went back.

So, it was a nice time but then I was back to Ulpan and Bezeq craziness. I called Bezeq up to help me with the freezing problem...but they said that they couldn't do anything, it was my computer's problem. So, I didn't feel like wasting money to fix my computer for 4 months of internet use so I decided to cancel. Then they decided to give me a "special deal" after I called them again trying to cancel. So, The guy with the deal, called me back later and said it would be for 9 months which I said wasn't good...and then he said he would give it to me for free and would have to talk to the wire providers to see how much they would charge (In Israel, the ISP and equipment suppliers are 2 different companies). So I did but they didn't speak English. So, I decided to forget it and cancelled.

That week Roommate 4 moved in: Eric from New York who I had met on the group flight. He's here for a year, doing the same program I'm doing.

That weekend I went to spend a Shabbat with my Family in Efrat. Had a nice time there, met a few cousins. They were speaking Hebrew a lot, which I could understand somewhat, which meant Ulpan was helping me. The other funny thing was that I found out that one of my cousins is friends with my Roommate Yitz, since my cousins lived in Philli for a while and Yitz grew up there. Ah, Jewish Geography.

The next week I decided to venture across Jerusalem with my roommate Jenny to get internet with a Talk N' Save wireless modem after I cancelled Bezeq once and for all! And we did...finally I had internet. At the same time I got a call from Rebecca, a friend of mine and my families from New York to meet since she was visiting Jerusalem with her parents.

Jenny, Eric, and I met them the next day on Ben Yehuda...and then we went with Rebecca to a bar where they gave Eric and I Nachos that was really Doritos or as the waitress put it "They're like Doritos but Mexican."

That week we had a midterm in Ulpan which I did ok on. I had to write a story, so I wrote one about Harry Potter.

Then I met Rebecca again this time with the whole crew from the apartment. While wating for Becca I ran into my cousin who knows Yitz and Yitz introduced us, since he wasn't there the weekend I was in Efrat. It was yet another random Ben Yehuda meeting.

My roommates and I decided to go to an Argeninian steak place, El Gaucho which was a nice place and Becca came a little later. The waiter spoke Spanish, Herbew, and English...which was weird because Alma was talking to him in Spanish and Yitz was talking to him in Hebrew. So, the 2 languages I sort of know were being spoken. I wasn't sure if I was in Israel or Argentina.

The next day I left for Tel Aviv with John from Ulpan/group flight, Ryan from the group flight, Meira from Ben Yehuda trip 1, Marissa...the one I sat next to on the group flight, and Sam from Sudbury, and Tammy from the Ben Yehuda trip. We got there and checked into the hostel and then shmyed around at Nahalat Binyamin, an outdoor artsy market. John, Ryan, and I then walked to the beach and schmoozed for a bit there with them. We then met Sam and Mallory from UMass and ate dinner while watching the sun set. At night we went to the beach where we sang Jewish songs and I also entertained them with Master of the House.

The next day John, Ryan, and I walked to Yafo. An ancient city with much history. It's the place where Yonah got his ship when he didn't want to go to Nineveh. There was a church we went into which was having a service all in Latin, we didn't stay that long though...none of us knew what was going on. Then, we went back and met everyone else, had lunch, and then we to the beach. The water was so warm! Then we went back to Jerusalem in a sherut (shared taxi).

The next day I met Becca and her parents for dinner and we talked about all things Israel.

Later that week, I went to a wedding of one my cousins and met the whole family! It was nice to finally see everyone. It was in a cave which was interesting, they were all dancing the hora and such...after the Chuppah they played "shout" which everyone was suprised about.

The next day I had an Interview for an internship with the Ethiopian National Project. It seems like I would be possibly teaching theater with teenagers while blogging about it, or maybe fundraising, it sounds like a good oppurtunity with a lot of things to do

That weekend I stayed in the Kfar HaStudentim. Went to Kabbalat Shabbat outside and then had dinner with Ryan. The next day the Shul on campus sponsored another lunch and Sedua Shlisit in an apartment.

This week, I had Ulpan as usual, we went on a field trip to the first neighborhood outside of the Old City. It was built by the Monetefiori family. It was all in Hebrew and I understood it! My hebrew is getting better.

Today I had a test in Ulpan and then went to Audition for "Annie" (in English). It's a musical put on by the Hillel. I sang Master of the House and then he had me improv for a few charecters. It's a big time commitment but it should be a lot of fun. Theater in Israel!

That brings us to today. I hope you enjoy reading it and I'll try to update weekly from now on.

L'hitraot! (see you later)