What I didn't realize was that last night was daylight savings! I thought I had gotten up at 6:30 to go running so I could meet Grandma and Zev early. In reality, I woke up at 7:30. For once, the gym wasn't packed! So I got to stay on the same treadmill for an hour- a runner's dream workout in a gym.
I took the 19 bus for a change since it apparently ran in the neighborhood but I didn't know what happened as I got off maybe a stop too far down? Just not going to do this again.
Grandma, Zev, and I went into the neighborhood bakery for a little breakfast (at 11:30??) and cappacinos. Then we scooted over to next door to the take-out/catering place to pick up some soup for tonight's Shabbat and food for Shabbat lunch since it closed at 2. It wasn't actually until this point that I found out about the time change- no wonder why Grandma was in a rush to get to the take-out/catering place! While Zev went off to visit his sick friend, Grandma and I picked up the cleaning and dropped all the stuff back in the apartment.
Then I bargained with the cab driver:
Me: We need to go the shuk
Cabbie: Sure.
Me: How many sheklim do you want?
Cabbie: Oh, 19 or 20.....
Me: 12.
Cabbie: Are you kidding? Do you have any idea how insane that street is!?!? I still say 19.
Me: Just drop us off at King George and Agrippas, it's faster for us to walk from there. It's fine.
Cabbie: Okay, 17 or 18.
Me: I've only got 15 (in a very firm tone)
Cabbie: Ehhhhhhhhh..... (he feels me staring him down and moving out of the cab very so slightly) Okay, okay (puts up his hand in surrender), I'll give you 15. Get in.
Because he wasn't getting the fare that he really wanted, he attempted to pick up some fares from pedestrians along the way. Grandma tried to talk money in the cab but I shushed her- Once you've bargained with the cab driver and you tell him that's all you've got to offer, you don't mention that you've got more money in your wallet or how much you're going to spend at your destination. Grandma was impressed and told me that I'm just like Dad- always driving hard bargains.
At the shuk, when Grandma saw how busy Marizpan was, she gasped in amazement. We pushed our way through to pick up the burekas and then she went over to get some sweet pastries for breakfast including poppyseed. I began to keep track of our expenses so anyone could actually see how cheap the shuk could be. She asked if it would be possible to bargain over a wine bottle opener and I told her not with the Jews, particularly stalls on the street, not inside the market. Then we weaved our way through the entrance where she spotted some meat cigars for appeitizers. I showed her my favorite cheese shop as it's a bit more helpful and bigger where she picked up some brie and bleu cheese. I did learn one thing that day- the spice people will only scoop to the minimum weight that they could sell even though the customer might not need that much. Also, I found out that even after 2 weeks, Grandma still couldn't count money so I had to help her. She kept mixing up the two different kinds of "10" sheklim- one is really 10 sheklim and the other is 1/10 of a shekl. If you have been to the shuk, you could imagine my aggravation since it's a very fast paced environment where you need to be able to count your money quickly.
I made Grandma wait a few extra minutes for a pan of hot pitas, fresh out of the oven, at one of the bread stands outside the market. I thought this part was exciting to see one of the employeers carry the tray on his head and dumping them all on the table. I stood ready with other Jews for these pitas and when they were dumped over us, we all scrambled for our pitas! I also had to yell for Grandma to give me another shekl since I didn't have enough in my hand- like hurry, hurry- because I was getting squeezed out of the rush and losing my bag of pitas!
Grandma was very happy that we had found everything that we needed on our list. That's the best part of the shuk- it had all kinds of things you could imagine that a market like Mister Zol's would not have ready on hand. Including a wine bottle opener for 10 sheklim- the price that Grandma wanted to pay.
After the shuk and walking out with several bags, we met Zev in Ben Yehuda for some sabbiyah for lunch. Grandma loved it and actually ate well. Zev wasn't particularly hungry at first but after having a few bites of the one that Grandma and I shared, he decided to have his own. And Grandma ate some of that too. It was weird that my sandwich had more eggplant than his- he was kind of disappointed. I also learned an Israeli way from him- he liked to put some spices in his sandwich and have a sweet tea with it. On the way to home, we stopped in for a little dessert from a candy shop (those chocolate like snow ones at the movie theaters were soooo good- way better than at home!). Then we get a phone call from friends of Grandma and Zev's who had just docked in Aquaba, in the Red Sea, and they'd be in Jerusalem for the next 3 days. They were very excited and insisted on joining us for a Shabbat meal. At the end, they could only meet us at the Israel Museum tomorrow afternoon.
I invited Melissa and Laura for Shabbat. It was really wonderful as I definitely learned more about them, especially Laura. Grandma kept commenting about how interesting that they, as non-Jews, came to study in Israel. I told her that for me, I'm blind to that sort of thing because I'm more interested in just finding a common ground with others. Plus, I'm used to having non-Jewish friends as I basically grew up with them anyway. But with them, I do ask questions and try to learn more about Christianity and their family background so I could get things in perspective. Also, it's just different to hang around with them since I'm with the Jews all the time otherwise (I know, I know... but you know what I mean). They thought that this Shabbat was the best one they've attended so far. I agreed- it's been a while since I've attended a small one as I've been to big Shabbat dinners with lots of people for most of the time since I've been here. We got to try "Jerusalem kugl" which was a little spicy but good.... I don't know exactly what it's made of. But whatever.
Oh here's a funny story- I almost thought about canceling Shabbat because of a little kitchen glitch that we had....
So on Thursday afternoon, I made my challah and brownies as usual. So my challah recipe generally called for gradual turning up of the oven temperature over a period of 50 minutes. So I did all that and then I realized in the final 15 minutes that the oven might be in Celicius! So I turned it up to another 30 degrees. But the challah didn't come out right- it wasn't even done. I called up Doris Levine to find out what temperature she made her challah at and she said that she just goes by the ratio of 140 C to 350 F and she doubles the C temperature and adds on 30 to make the Faherenheit temperature. Grandma and I looked at each other and thought, boy the oven could be pretty hot at 600 degrees! We remained cautious and only raised the oven to 325, thinking it'd be over 500 degrees, perfect temperature for making pizza. Then Grandma called and left messages on Phyllis Pollack's and Ruthie Feine's answer machines for some help. Not only we had the brownies to deal with (having the raw eggs in there), but also the chicken! No chicken equaled no Shabbat! When the challah was finally done after being in the oven for over an hour, we decided to take a dinner break at Al Dente's. After dinner, Grandma came back to finish the brownies.
Despite it looking done and coming out clean, the brownies still had raw batter in the middle when we cut it tonight. But the batter was really good.....
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tower of David
Today, I originally planned to go to the Israel Museum since I would not have to meet Grandma until around 3. So I dragged myself out the apartment a bit later, around noon. Since I'd have to change buses or walk to the Museum and it's huge, I decided to stroll around the center instead. Also, I needed to go to Dan Panaroma to find out some things for my parents.
I made my way down Hillel to see where it'd lead and I saw quite a few Israelis taking their lunchtime business strolls. On my way, I walked past the David Citadel hotel, where the Prime Minister Elihu Olmert and Condoleeza Rice were just few nights ago. I got chills just knowing I was so close to their meeting spot. The day was simply glorious- warm with cloudless skies and lots of sunshine. Not surprisely, the road took me down to the Old City. When I set my sight on the Tower of David, I realized that it was a Thursday, not a Friday! It's only closed on Fridays and the past times I've been there, it was on a Friday.
I raced through the Jaffa Gate, dodged the cars, and made my way up the steps to the entrance. It was like entering through a real castle as I walked across a bridge with a moat underneath me. No water- just filled with ruins. I was asked to pay 20 sheklim- I was certainly confused as I thought it was just the tower. I was wrong.
As I walked out of the building, there was a massive archeaological garden at my feet. I had entered in a private world, separated from Jerusalem and the Old City. I walked along the walkway and went in and out of several History of Jerusalem exhibitions that told the story of the Old City under different powers. I found the bright colored art deco sculptures around the area to be interesting as it certainly did not match with the old, sunken walls. The steps that I climbed to see panoramic views of Jerusalem were huge that I was certainly that my butt was getting a work out! It felt so strange to be looking down to some of the ruins from Herod's days and the Roman period, enclosed by the walls and to be looking out to see modern Jerusalem (ahem not exactly modern by American standards though) and the Old City. It was basically a time travel back to the ancient period.
There was a scaled model of the Old City and I found the Kotel and Temple Mount. It was pretty cool but oddly weird that there was once absolutely nothing around the fortress walls as it showed the emptiness outside the Old City walls. The Tower of David and several other nearby towers were all basically the only ones for the enemy look outs. Nearby the model, a status of David stood erected. I certianly liked this one better than Michaelangelo's version. He was my height!
Finally, I reached to the Tower and it was locked. So I just took my time in making my way across the wall, feeling like a guard with a bow and an arrow, while looking out to see the King David Hotel, Shearton Plaza, and other big buildings of Jerusalem. There was a small tour group following along with me but it was not in English at all. I made it down to the gardens to see the ruins of the old battles, including rocks that were thrown in one of Herod's battles. I could not imagine being that strong to lift those rocks on regular or speedy basis. I was just really impressed with Tower of David- it certainly felt different than what I've been used to seeing.
I made my way down Hillel to see where it'd lead and I saw quite a few Israelis taking their lunchtime business strolls. On my way, I walked past the David Citadel hotel, where the Prime Minister Elihu Olmert and Condoleeza Rice were just few nights ago. I got chills just knowing I was so close to their meeting spot. The day was simply glorious- warm with cloudless skies and lots of sunshine. Not surprisely, the road took me down to the Old City. When I set my sight on the Tower of David, I realized that it was a Thursday, not a Friday! It's only closed on Fridays and the past times I've been there, it was on a Friday.
I raced through the Jaffa Gate, dodged the cars, and made my way up the steps to the entrance. It was like entering through a real castle as I walked across a bridge with a moat underneath me. No water- just filled with ruins. I was asked to pay 20 sheklim- I was certainly confused as I thought it was just the tower. I was wrong.
As I walked out of the building, there was a massive archeaological garden at my feet. I had entered in a private world, separated from Jerusalem and the Old City. I walked along the walkway and went in and out of several History of Jerusalem exhibitions that told the story of the Old City under different powers. I found the bright colored art deco sculptures around the area to be interesting as it certainly did not match with the old, sunken walls. The steps that I climbed to see panoramic views of Jerusalem were huge that I was certainly that my butt was getting a work out! It felt so strange to be looking down to some of the ruins from Herod's days and the Roman period, enclosed by the walls and to be looking out to see modern Jerusalem (ahem not exactly modern by American standards though) and the Old City. It was basically a time travel back to the ancient period.
There was a scaled model of the Old City and I found the Kotel and Temple Mount. It was pretty cool but oddly weird that there was once absolutely nothing around the fortress walls as it showed the emptiness outside the Old City walls. The Tower of David and several other nearby towers were all basically the only ones for the enemy look outs. Nearby the model, a status of David stood erected. I certianly liked this one better than Michaelangelo's version. He was my height!
Finally, I reached to the Tower and it was locked. So I just took my time in making my way across the wall, feeling like a guard with a bow and an arrow, while looking out to see the King David Hotel, Shearton Plaza, and other big buildings of Jerusalem. There was a small tour group following along with me but it was not in English at all. I made it down to the gardens to see the ruins of the old battles, including rocks that were thrown in one of Herod's battles. I could not imagine being that strong to lift those rocks on regular or speedy basis. I was just really impressed with Tower of David- it certainly felt different than what I've been used to seeing.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Bet Alef
I had a choice between going to Hebrew and a day trip to the North to visit a kibbutz. I chose the latter since I love going to kibbutzim and want to take a trip up to the North since I've been mostly going to the coast lately. It was a good choice considering that I had some doubts about what the experience will bring.
The drive took about 2 hours and I slept for a good part of it... I was more exhausted than I thought! Anyway, Grandma did fine with the driving. The cousin, Rachel, came to meet us at the entrance. Zev's family was from Poland and Rachel was second-generation Israeli. Her English was very good considering that she did not have much practice. She was a wonderful hostess. The kibbutz, Bet Alef, was lovely as it was located at the foot of large hills up in the Galilee region, not very far from the sea. But it was so close to the Jordan-Israel border that you could see them from the distance. The location, the surroundings almost reminded me of Amanda's home in Montana when I visited her.
After serving us some cold drinks, we headed over to the common dining room. I was enthralled by the beauty of everything that I saw. Grandma could not see what was beautiful about the place because it was a very old kibbutz. I told her it's the simplicity and the nature that drew my attention. In the common dining room, I got my first experience as I did not do any of it at the Ravids'. So we had dined in a typical Israeli fashion- hot meal. There was chicken, schzintels, fried fish, lots of different cold salads, some hot starches, etc. Rachel told us about herself and how she came to be where she was. When her family first immigrated from Poland, they settled in Tel Aviv and then they moved to the kibbutz some time ago. She also told us about her daily life. We learned that the kibbutz was founded in 1922 and grew mostly figs and olives, and sold milk.
After lunch, we had some pecan pie back in Rachel's little house. Then her uncle came in and that was one of the best parts of the day. We talked a lot about Poland- its future, economic situation, and whether Polish Jews like them have returned to Poland. Her uncle told us that he served in the Jewish Bridage, a branch of the British Military during WWII. He fought against Rommel in North Africa and in Italy. That was how he learned English- by living with the British Army!
I threw Rachel a quick question out of curiosity due to a heated discussion with Kobe the night before, did she think of herself as a Jew or an Israeli first? She said what's the difference?
Then we all jumped in cars and drove out to see the cows and the fields. The kibbutz also have chickens but they're only for eggs so they get their meat from another kibbutz. It had been such a long time since I've seen cows and got up close to them! The last time I saw them was when I was in Montana. I saw some very cute calves- obviously separated from their mothers. Then Rachel's husband showed us Israel's first automatic cow milking machine. They trained the cows to come to the machine when their udders hurt them so we found two cows waiting to be milked. The machine was being cleaned so we headed out to see where they grew black figs. The busband gave us a little economic lesson about the figs and the olives and how they have competition from Turkey. Then we went back to check on the cows. There was one standing in the machine being milked! Grandma got a very big kick out of it, especially that the cows were particularly smart animals. There was really no one there to watch the whole process since the machine had the ability to fix itself onto the cows' teats. It was certainly an incredible sight.
Afterwards, Rachel took us up to the old synagogue down the road. We watched a short film on its history and architecture. There was a huge mosaic floor, filled with symbols and such. It was pretty cool.
Grandma asked if I could see myself living in a kibbutz, for life... or better yet, since I've been to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and kibbutzim, where would I live? I love kibbutzim but not so isolated as Bet Alef is, way up north away from busy areas, but something more like where the Ravids are- in a kibbutz but close to fun places like Hertzilya and Tel Aviv. I don't know. I'm very flexible- I can usually adapt my energy level for my companions. Anyway, I'm not interested in thinking about this right now.... I feel that I need to see more of Israel and visit more places though I'm thinking that I'd like the coast since it's more free-wheeling and easier to get around.
The drive took about 2 hours and I slept for a good part of it... I was more exhausted than I thought! Anyway, Grandma did fine with the driving. The cousin, Rachel, came to meet us at the entrance. Zev's family was from Poland and Rachel was second-generation Israeli. Her English was very good considering that she did not have much practice. She was a wonderful hostess. The kibbutz, Bet Alef, was lovely as it was located at the foot of large hills up in the Galilee region, not very far from the sea. But it was so close to the Jordan-Israel border that you could see them from the distance. The location, the surroundings almost reminded me of Amanda's home in Montana when I visited her.
After serving us some cold drinks, we headed over to the common dining room. I was enthralled by the beauty of everything that I saw. Grandma could not see what was beautiful about the place because it was a very old kibbutz. I told her it's the simplicity and the nature that drew my attention. In the common dining room, I got my first experience as I did not do any of it at the Ravids'. So we had dined in a typical Israeli fashion- hot meal. There was chicken, schzintels, fried fish, lots of different cold salads, some hot starches, etc. Rachel told us about herself and how she came to be where she was. When her family first immigrated from Poland, they settled in Tel Aviv and then they moved to the kibbutz some time ago. She also told us about her daily life. We learned that the kibbutz was founded in 1922 and grew mostly figs and olives, and sold milk.
After lunch, we had some pecan pie back in Rachel's little house. Then her uncle came in and that was one of the best parts of the day. We talked a lot about Poland- its future, economic situation, and whether Polish Jews like them have returned to Poland. Her uncle told us that he served in the Jewish Bridage, a branch of the British Military during WWII. He fought against Rommel in North Africa and in Italy. That was how he learned English- by living with the British Army!
I threw Rachel a quick question out of curiosity due to a heated discussion with Kobe the night before, did she think of herself as a Jew or an Israeli first? She said what's the difference?
Then we all jumped in cars and drove out to see the cows and the fields. The kibbutz also have chickens but they're only for eggs so they get their meat from another kibbutz. It had been such a long time since I've seen cows and got up close to them! The last time I saw them was when I was in Montana. I saw some very cute calves- obviously separated from their mothers. Then Rachel's husband showed us Israel's first automatic cow milking machine. They trained the cows to come to the machine when their udders hurt them so we found two cows waiting to be milked. The machine was being cleaned so we headed out to see where they grew black figs. The busband gave us a little economic lesson about the figs and the olives and how they have competition from Turkey. Then we went back to check on the cows. There was one standing in the machine being milked! Grandma got a very big kick out of it, especially that the cows were particularly smart animals. There was really no one there to watch the whole process since the machine had the ability to fix itself onto the cows' teats. It was certainly an incredible sight.
Afterwards, Rachel took us up to the old synagogue down the road. We watched a short film on its history and architecture. There was a huge mosaic floor, filled with symbols and such. It was pretty cool.
Grandma asked if I could see myself living in a kibbutz, for life... or better yet, since I've been to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and kibbutzim, where would I live? I love kibbutzim but not so isolated as Bet Alef is, way up north away from busy areas, but something more like where the Ravids are- in a kibbutz but close to fun places like Hertzilya and Tel Aviv. I don't know. I'm very flexible- I can usually adapt my energy level for my companions. Anyway, I'm not interested in thinking about this right now.... I feel that I need to see more of Israel and visit more places though I'm thinking that I'd like the coast since it's more free-wheeling and easier to get around.
Monday, March 26, 2007
What I Told the USHMM Why I'm Here
An excerpt that I want to share from my personal statement:
Very often, I would look out to the beautiful landscape in Israel as I ride on the buses to and from Jerusalem and marvel how Israel rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. The kibbutzim often symbolize the rebirth of the Jews, particularly the small, secluded ones in the valleys. I soak up the long, peaceful coastline by riding horses and walking barefoot in the sand, allowing the European Jews to live through me because they never felt content in their hostile, tense environments. Every time I see Tel Aviv’s beaches from my seat on the plane, I cry freely for the victims of the Holocaust because they never approached these shores and I had the fortune to do so.
I had a choice between studying in Prague and in Israel and for a long time, I thought I would go to Prague. After all, Hitler preserved the history of Eastern European Jewry in Prague and I could be close to the former lands of the Eastern European Jewry and where the Holocaust happened. Instead, I chose Israel where I could learn Hebrew and live voraciously for the Eastern European Jews. In addition, my senior thesis involved comparing the American Jewish and Israeli Jewish perspectives of the Holocaust and visiting Israel became necessary to complete the research on the latter. Not once have I regretted being here and I contribute to my internships with the USHMM for playing a role in this decision.
This does seem out of blue in contrary what I've been doing. I've just been in shock by my friend's blog in Prague. She had just been in Auschwitz and ran into 500 Israelis and seeing their spirit and presence did not make her feel better about being at Auschwitz, let alone even consider the fact that Israel is a symbol that Hitler's plot to kill world Jewry failed. I had to write her a sobering note as follows:
Dearest Dane-
When I first read this, there were no specific words for me to describe my reaction to your reaction at Auschwitz and seeing the Israelis. I had to get away and collect myself before I could read the post again.
First of all, Auschwitz is a very difficult place, even if a person thought s/he was well prepared to handle it. Everyone expresses their feelings differently. There's no right or wrong way to do it. Certainly, the Israelis' behavior shouldn't be judged.
Second, that was the March of the Living that you just witnessed and it's vert typical for the Israelis to wear the flags as they walk down the railroad tracks. Even I have a March of the Living book at home with a cover picture of two people wearing the flag as their capes. Those participants tend to be 16-17 year olds and not mature yet by the Army. You're 20 and you've had 2 1/2 years of college/adult life behind you.
Lastly, your mother and others have made an excellent point of how the Israelis view their trip to Poland. They have a spiritual connection with the place, Israel rose out of the Holocaust. Visiting Poland gives them an extra push for a reason to defend the Jewish state and get in that mentality for the Army. It is one of the reasons why I have such a connection with this country- I studied the Holocaust since I was a child so for me, it was the reverse. The Israelis felt connected to Poland because of their country's past immigration history. I felt connected to Israel because of my Holocaust experience. Think about how Israel's history affects their perspective, you took that Arab-Israeli Conflict class. The Israelis I know who visited Poland felt very much the same way as you did- came out very sobered by their experience. Their flags are simply reminders of their place and position in history.
Sometimes I question your decision to be in Prague. I know the experience is doing wonders and opening up your mind to other things more than you could ever expect (even though I know that you're very open-minded to a lot of things as you have to be in Northampton). But it's your spirited personality that makes me concerned. While you are not currently able to see yourself in Israel because of your beliefs, I think so much about the stark contrast between our lives and my reason for studying in Israel. I wrote to the USHMM in my personal statement that I chose Israel over Prague because I felt that I should choose life over death and live for the Holocaust victims rather than be *stuck* in Eastern Europe. And Dane, you, of all the people I know, surprised me that you chose the latter even though we have our historical roots in Eastern Europe. The grass is always green here. Nevertheless, I am glad that you are making the most of your study abroad experience in Prague- probably even more so than if I had been there with you instead of being in Israel.This was difficult for me to write coherently and in a non-judgmental way because of my initial reactions and current position in Israel. Please accept (or not) as it is.
Love and hugs unconditionally,
Sara
She may not talk to me for a bit after this but being abroad with her at the same time in two very different places in terms of historical representation to our Jewish identities has really been enriching for me and hopefully, her too as she reads my blog. We have different perspectives on what it means to be a Jew and how to connect with Judaism but we try to be clear and neutral in our descriptions of places we saw and people we meet, and how they could influence us.
These excerpts make me think about Zionism in some way. There are two different kinds of Jews in this world, perhaps according to the American-Israeli relationship: One's a wealthy, physically weak Jew (aka American Jews) and the other's a strong, poor Jew (Israeli Jews). The American Jews poured (and still do today) money in Israel to help with its Jewish funds while the Israeli Jews take the responsiblity to guard its boundaries against the Arabs and others. You've got that American Big Business era analogy there with the American Jew being Rockefeller or JP Morgan reeling in the money and making investments in its interests while the Israeli Jew supervise the interests and ensure its security and efficiency.
For me, I see myself as the latter. I feel very rich when I am physically in a place where I can feel spiritually connected and loved by its land and people like why I chose leave Smith to be at Colgate (despite the fact that the place was deserted when Dad and I visited when I was applying for transfer- it just felt right to be there). I'd rather toil the land or serving the Army knowing that my phyiscal position would have a purpose rather than aimlessly drop a dollar in those little envelopes that synagogues leave on chairs during the High Holidays.
Israel is my place to be today's Jew in this black-and-white argument.
Very often, I would look out to the beautiful landscape in Israel as I ride on the buses to and from Jerusalem and marvel how Israel rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. The kibbutzim often symbolize the rebirth of the Jews, particularly the small, secluded ones in the valleys. I soak up the long, peaceful coastline by riding horses and walking barefoot in the sand, allowing the European Jews to live through me because they never felt content in their hostile, tense environments. Every time I see Tel Aviv’s beaches from my seat on the plane, I cry freely for the victims of the Holocaust because they never approached these shores and I had the fortune to do so.
I had a choice between studying in Prague and in Israel and for a long time, I thought I would go to Prague. After all, Hitler preserved the history of Eastern European Jewry in Prague and I could be close to the former lands of the Eastern European Jewry and where the Holocaust happened. Instead, I chose Israel where I could learn Hebrew and live voraciously for the Eastern European Jews. In addition, my senior thesis involved comparing the American Jewish and Israeli Jewish perspectives of the Holocaust and visiting Israel became necessary to complete the research on the latter. Not once have I regretted being here and I contribute to my internships with the USHMM for playing a role in this decision.
This does seem out of blue in contrary what I've been doing. I've just been in shock by my friend's blog in Prague. She had just been in Auschwitz and ran into 500 Israelis and seeing their spirit and presence did not make her feel better about being at Auschwitz, let alone even consider the fact that Israel is a symbol that Hitler's plot to kill world Jewry failed. I had to write her a sobering note as follows:
Dearest Dane-
When I first read this, there were no specific words for me to describe my reaction to your reaction at Auschwitz and seeing the Israelis. I had to get away and collect myself before I could read the post again.
First of all, Auschwitz is a very difficult place, even if a person thought s/he was well prepared to handle it. Everyone expresses their feelings differently. There's no right or wrong way to do it. Certainly, the Israelis' behavior shouldn't be judged.
Second, that was the March of the Living that you just witnessed and it's vert typical for the Israelis to wear the flags as they walk down the railroad tracks. Even I have a March of the Living book at home with a cover picture of two people wearing the flag as their capes. Those participants tend to be 16-17 year olds and not mature yet by the Army. You're 20 and you've had 2 1/2 years of college/adult life behind you.
Lastly, your mother and others have made an excellent point of how the Israelis view their trip to Poland. They have a spiritual connection with the place, Israel rose out of the Holocaust. Visiting Poland gives them an extra push for a reason to defend the Jewish state and get in that mentality for the Army. It is one of the reasons why I have such a connection with this country- I studied the Holocaust since I was a child so for me, it was the reverse. The Israelis felt connected to Poland because of their country's past immigration history. I felt connected to Israel because of my Holocaust experience. Think about how Israel's history affects their perspective, you took that Arab-Israeli Conflict class. The Israelis I know who visited Poland felt very much the same way as you did- came out very sobered by their experience. Their flags are simply reminders of their place and position in history.
Sometimes I question your decision to be in Prague. I know the experience is doing wonders and opening up your mind to other things more than you could ever expect (even though I know that you're very open-minded to a lot of things as you have to be in Northampton). But it's your spirited personality that makes me concerned. While you are not currently able to see yourself in Israel because of your beliefs, I think so much about the stark contrast between our lives and my reason for studying in Israel. I wrote to the USHMM in my personal statement that I chose Israel over Prague because I felt that I should choose life over death and live for the Holocaust victims rather than be *stuck* in Eastern Europe. And Dane, you, of all the people I know, surprised me that you chose the latter even though we have our historical roots in Eastern Europe. The grass is always green here. Nevertheless, I am glad that you are making the most of your study abroad experience in Prague- probably even more so than if I had been there with you instead of being in Israel.This was difficult for me to write coherently and in a non-judgmental way because of my initial reactions and current position in Israel. Please accept (or not) as it is.
Love and hugs unconditionally,
Sara
She may not talk to me for a bit after this but being abroad with her at the same time in two very different places in terms of historical representation to our Jewish identities has really been enriching for me and hopefully, her too as she reads my blog. We have different perspectives on what it means to be a Jew and how to connect with Judaism but we try to be clear and neutral in our descriptions of places we saw and people we meet, and how they could influence us.
These excerpts make me think about Zionism in some way. There are two different kinds of Jews in this world, perhaps according to the American-Israeli relationship: One's a wealthy, physically weak Jew (aka American Jews) and the other's a strong, poor Jew (Israeli Jews). The American Jews poured (and still do today) money in Israel to help with its Jewish funds while the Israeli Jews take the responsiblity to guard its boundaries against the Arabs and others. You've got that American Big Business era analogy there with the American Jew being Rockefeller or JP Morgan reeling in the money and making investments in its interests while the Israeli Jew supervise the interests and ensure its security and efficiency.
For me, I see myself as the latter. I feel very rich when I am physically in a place where I can feel spiritually connected and loved by its land and people like why I chose leave Smith to be at Colgate (despite the fact that the place was deserted when Dad and I visited when I was applying for transfer- it just felt right to be there). I'd rather toil the land or serving the Army knowing that my phyiscal position would have a purpose rather than aimlessly drop a dollar in those little envelopes that synagogues leave on chairs during the High Holidays.
Israel is my place to be today's Jew in this black-and-white argument.
Let the family entertainment begin!
Tuesday
I went to all of my classes on Tuesday. Wendy and I met up with Zev after his 4:30 lecture to drive back to the fancy apartment for a dinner with everyone at an Italian restuarant that Wendy and I failed to find weeks ago. He was with Zvi, who was nice enough to drive all of us down. Along the way, Zev showed me the best falafel place in Jerusalem, in his opinion.
We ate dinner at Angelo's. I give it 3.5-4 stars. It lost a star from because you could smell the freshly painted walls and it just didn't seem like they aired out the place much. I had salmon ravoli and tiramasu. We all shared grilled veggies and muschroom foccaica. It was a night of enjoyable company. Wendy couldn't stop gushing about Zev on our walk back to the bus- she said that she could tell that Zev was in love with Israel even though he didn't say specific things that gave her that kind of impression.
Wednesday
Since I had no classes after 1 PM, I decided to head to the center for an afternoon stroll and lunch since it was just a beautiful day out on Mount Scopus. Of course, the weather changed once I got down there. Darn it! It was just cooler. The gang were still on their Old City tour and were munching on falafels and schwarma when I called after classes to see what they were up to. I felt kind of disappointed because I want to do that with them! Grandma actually finished her schwarma- which is usual for someone like her who doesn't like fast food.
When they returned, I met them at Rose and Joel's hotel where they were having coffee. While Joel, Zev, and Grandma went off to pick up the rental car, I stayed with Rose. We spend quality time together just talking- she is just so pleasant. I am definitely going to miss them when they leave. Then I called Ellen to join us for a mixed-grilled dinner at Sima's.
Sima's is a very Israeli place up on Agrippas. They served all kinds of salads and gave us unlimited amounts of pita. We each ordered some kind of meat. I ordered the cocktail because I couldn't decide whether to have the kebabs or lamp chops! The real "Jerusalem mixed-grill" special actually contained chicken heart, liver, and something else. I thought about it... but I'd prefer seeing the description in a foreign language so I wouldn't know what I'm eating! Next time.
On the way back, we saw that Marizpan was closing up, Joel ducked in and asked if they had anything left. Of course, they did and he ordered the chocolate rugalechs. The man was good enough to heat them up so we could eat them on the spot! Mmmm even Grandma actually thought it was delicious. You just have to die for them.
Thursday
Mother, so you know, I did NOT skip class. I forced myself to go to school while everyone went to Tel Aviv!!! In my AJ-IJ class, we watched Avalon. It was an okay family movie. It's about a a Jewish family in the 1950's to 1960's America.
Friday
I trudged all of my stuff to the fancy apartment for the weekend. I made a quick stop at the shuk to pick up burrecas for breakfast and then walked for 20 minutes to the apartment. I thought about walking back to Ben Yehuda to have my usual Friday special treat but decided against it since I wanted to save my appeite for Shabbat. What I have learned is that if you're going to an orthodox family's house for Shabbat, it's basically a wedding celebration with means a very big meal. So the people who would be hosting us for Shabbat were orthodox. Grandma had a little list of things that she needed at the market so I went down there and picked up a few things to make a small lunch for myself.
Then Naomi called to see if I wanted to hang out with her later. Sure, so I met her on Zion Square. We were going to get some ice cream until we ran into her birthright trip guide, Anat, and her partner at the ice cream place. Anat invited us to see her sweet apartment, right on King George! I liked it even if it was small. We talked for a while about their travels to Aremenia, Georgia, and Spain, English vs. Hebrew language, and some other things. Then I walked Naomi back a bit and then we stopped to talk about Israeli men, why we love Israel and whether we'd make aliyah or not. Then she left to walk back to the apartment- I'd love to invite her over. But I had already tried calling the family to see if I could bring Melissa and Laura along but they didn't have room.
We visited Elihu and Doris Levine, very old friends of Zev's. They were wonderful and charming. Doris' kitchen was amazing- you could see that she spent all day preparing for Shabbat!! I also met another couple, which the wife made aliyah from Boston back in late 1960's. So the whole table was filled with Americans and it was all in English, much to my and Grandma's delight. The Levines recently made aliyah because they had been traveling back and forth so many times between Israel and the States and they had owned this place for many years. Finally, they had enough and their children were in Israel.
The menu went like this:
Amazing homemade challah
little meatballs served over rice
coleslaw or tossed salad with balsamic dressing
chicken, mushroom kugl, potato kugl
homemade soy ice cream (oh so sweet and good), parve cookies, watermelon/honeydew salad
Doris was a great cook. Joel and Rose were there too. Joel was getting a lot of education about Israel as he talked and asked questions about his impressions of kibbutzim (met the Ravids the night before), Orthodox Jewish life, and Israeli politics. We also touched up on match-makers, which Doris and one of her daughters do for living. I was amazed that this practice still continued. I said that I wanted an Israeli Army soldier! Orthodox Jews apparently still do it. If you don't know what a match-maker does, go watch Fiddler on the Roof.
Saturday
We walked over to Moshe and Phyllis Pollack's apartment nearby for a Shabbat lunch. They made aliyah almost 30 years ago from Toronto, Canada (though I think I hear that someone grew up in Montreal). They also have a big family of 4 children, but smaller than the Levines'. Her food was good but not fantastic as some of other Shabbats I went to. She served a beef stew with a big matzah ball (I forgot what it's all), little salad, shepard's pie, some stir-fry chicken, grains, and roast beef. Her dessert was very good- some kind of chocolate cake with white-chocolate whipped cream and strawberries. Overall, I enjoyed getting to know the Pollacks. Moshe and I talked about the value of birthright trips and the American Jewish youth and their attitudes towards Israel. Grandma and I conversed with Phyllis over questions that she had about Jerusalem. They got along well as they found common ground in Buffalo and Toronto. Phyllis offered to give her some of her Passover cooking supplies and found some caterers for her to check out.
For the rest of the day, we hung around the apartment. Joel and Rose were at the Dead Sea and Masada for the day. When they came back, it was decided that it would be not good for us to get together as they wanted a big meal and we did not. The three of us ended up going to Al Dente's a small Italian place on Usshkin Street. Their eggplant parm did not come fried! We also shared a salad and a pan of very thin crusted pizza.
Sunday
I made a bad choice to skip my European history class because I was supposed to meet Kobe but he came down with the headache. So I got all dressed up for nothing!!! (I checked my phone after the fact). I should've gone to class... but I wanted to join along with Grandma and Zev to meet this woman for brunch at Cafe Hillel. She picked us up and took us down to German Colony. Grandma and I found a new Max Brenner's shop- no need for a trip to Tel Aviv! It was actually a difficult lunch since the woman was ignorant of Grandma and only talked to Zev. But I did attempt to engage her about her children as she's actually American who made aliyah to Israel years ago. And she was talking about how to help her children balance their American and Israeli identities by taking them to America for summer camps.
For the rest of the day, we ran a couple of errands to prepare for Pessach/Passover. I felt that Zev and I have been ganging up on Grandma on quite a few things! We picked up some delicious herring and gefilte fish for a late afternoon meal.
I worked on my Hebrew homework and Yad Vashem project until it was time to go to dinner with the Feines. Even though I wasn't hungry at all, but I liked the Feines a lot so I wanted to go. We went to this amazing vegetarian restaurant called Te'ini (?) that's behind King David hotel and offered an amazing view of the Old City at night. It was all lit up beautifully.
I caught a cab back. Unfortunately, the driver was not very bright at all. He asked if I spoke Hebrew or French (I assumed that he was Moroccan). Good for me that I didn't ask for the meter as I told him that I wanted to pay 25 sheklim back to Mount Scopus. He just did NOT know where he was so I tried giving him a clue- the Hyatt Regency hotel. We sort of went to a different Hyatt... I told him that it was not the right one. I tried different names that worked for other drivers for where my apartment was. We finally made it and then he dared to ask for 40 sheklim. I argued with him and told him very firmly, "lo, lo, LO, you did NOT know where you were going!" He said, "I don't care, I went the long way!" I said, "lo, I came in the cab and asked to pay 25 sheklim and now I will give you 30." He protested. Then I reminded him that I was giving him a break because I originally wanted to pay 25. He gave in and gave me the right change back for the 50 that I gave him.
Then I realized once I got to the apartment that I had left my cellphone and keys at the fancy apartment. Fortunately, the security came quickly to let me in my room.
Cab drivers.... what stories I am bringing back to America....
I went to all of my classes on Tuesday. Wendy and I met up with Zev after his 4:30 lecture to drive back to the fancy apartment for a dinner with everyone at an Italian restuarant that Wendy and I failed to find weeks ago. He was with Zvi, who was nice enough to drive all of us down. Along the way, Zev showed me the best falafel place in Jerusalem, in his opinion.
We ate dinner at Angelo's. I give it 3.5-4 stars. It lost a star from because you could smell the freshly painted walls and it just didn't seem like they aired out the place much. I had salmon ravoli and tiramasu. We all shared grilled veggies and muschroom foccaica. It was a night of enjoyable company. Wendy couldn't stop gushing about Zev on our walk back to the bus- she said that she could tell that Zev was in love with Israel even though he didn't say specific things that gave her that kind of impression.
Wednesday
Since I had no classes after 1 PM, I decided to head to the center for an afternoon stroll and lunch since it was just a beautiful day out on Mount Scopus. Of course, the weather changed once I got down there. Darn it! It was just cooler. The gang were still on their Old City tour and were munching on falafels and schwarma when I called after classes to see what they were up to. I felt kind of disappointed because I want to do that with them! Grandma actually finished her schwarma- which is usual for someone like her who doesn't like fast food.
When they returned, I met them at Rose and Joel's hotel where they were having coffee. While Joel, Zev, and Grandma went off to pick up the rental car, I stayed with Rose. We spend quality time together just talking- she is just so pleasant. I am definitely going to miss them when they leave. Then I called Ellen to join us for a mixed-grilled dinner at Sima's.
Sima's is a very Israeli place up on Agrippas. They served all kinds of salads and gave us unlimited amounts of pita. We each ordered some kind of meat. I ordered the cocktail because I couldn't decide whether to have the kebabs or lamp chops! The real "Jerusalem mixed-grill" special actually contained chicken heart, liver, and something else. I thought about it... but I'd prefer seeing the description in a foreign language so I wouldn't know what I'm eating! Next time.
On the way back, we saw that Marizpan was closing up, Joel ducked in and asked if they had anything left. Of course, they did and he ordered the chocolate rugalechs. The man was good enough to heat them up so we could eat them on the spot! Mmmm even Grandma actually thought it was delicious. You just have to die for them.
Thursday
Mother, so you know, I did NOT skip class. I forced myself to go to school while everyone went to Tel Aviv!!! In my AJ-IJ class, we watched Avalon. It was an okay family movie. It's about a a Jewish family in the 1950's to 1960's America.
Friday
I trudged all of my stuff to the fancy apartment for the weekend. I made a quick stop at the shuk to pick up burrecas for breakfast and then walked for 20 minutes to the apartment. I thought about walking back to Ben Yehuda to have my usual Friday special treat but decided against it since I wanted to save my appeite for Shabbat. What I have learned is that if you're going to an orthodox family's house for Shabbat, it's basically a wedding celebration with means a very big meal. So the people who would be hosting us for Shabbat were orthodox. Grandma had a little list of things that she needed at the market so I went down there and picked up a few things to make a small lunch for myself.
Then Naomi called to see if I wanted to hang out with her later. Sure, so I met her on Zion Square. We were going to get some ice cream until we ran into her birthright trip guide, Anat, and her partner at the ice cream place. Anat invited us to see her sweet apartment, right on King George! I liked it even if it was small. We talked for a while about their travels to Aremenia, Georgia, and Spain, English vs. Hebrew language, and some other things. Then I walked Naomi back a bit and then we stopped to talk about Israeli men, why we love Israel and whether we'd make aliyah or not. Then she left to walk back to the apartment- I'd love to invite her over. But I had already tried calling the family to see if I could bring Melissa and Laura along but they didn't have room.
We visited Elihu and Doris Levine, very old friends of Zev's. They were wonderful and charming. Doris' kitchen was amazing- you could see that she spent all day preparing for Shabbat!! I also met another couple, which the wife made aliyah from Boston back in late 1960's. So the whole table was filled with Americans and it was all in English, much to my and Grandma's delight. The Levines recently made aliyah because they had been traveling back and forth so many times between Israel and the States and they had owned this place for many years. Finally, they had enough and their children were in Israel.
The menu went like this:
Amazing homemade challah
little meatballs served over rice
coleslaw or tossed salad with balsamic dressing
chicken, mushroom kugl, potato kugl
homemade soy ice cream (oh so sweet and good), parve cookies, watermelon/honeydew salad
Doris was a great cook. Joel and Rose were there too. Joel was getting a lot of education about Israel as he talked and asked questions about his impressions of kibbutzim (met the Ravids the night before), Orthodox Jewish life, and Israeli politics. We also touched up on match-makers, which Doris and one of her daughters do for living. I was amazed that this practice still continued. I said that I wanted an Israeli Army soldier! Orthodox Jews apparently still do it. If you don't know what a match-maker does, go watch Fiddler on the Roof.
Saturday
We walked over to Moshe and Phyllis Pollack's apartment nearby for a Shabbat lunch. They made aliyah almost 30 years ago from Toronto, Canada (though I think I hear that someone grew up in Montreal). They also have a big family of 4 children, but smaller than the Levines'. Her food was good but not fantastic as some of other Shabbats I went to. She served a beef stew with a big matzah ball (I forgot what it's all), little salad, shepard's pie, some stir-fry chicken, grains, and roast beef. Her dessert was very good- some kind of chocolate cake with white-chocolate whipped cream and strawberries. Overall, I enjoyed getting to know the Pollacks. Moshe and I talked about the value of birthright trips and the American Jewish youth and their attitudes towards Israel. Grandma and I conversed with Phyllis over questions that she had about Jerusalem. They got along well as they found common ground in Buffalo and Toronto. Phyllis offered to give her some of her Passover cooking supplies and found some caterers for her to check out.
For the rest of the day, we hung around the apartment. Joel and Rose were at the Dead Sea and Masada for the day. When they came back, it was decided that it would be not good for us to get together as they wanted a big meal and we did not. The three of us ended up going to Al Dente's a small Italian place on Usshkin Street. Their eggplant parm did not come fried! We also shared a salad and a pan of very thin crusted pizza.
Sunday
I made a bad choice to skip my European history class because I was supposed to meet Kobe but he came down with the headache. So I got all dressed up for nothing!!! (I checked my phone after the fact). I should've gone to class... but I wanted to join along with Grandma and Zev to meet this woman for brunch at Cafe Hillel. She picked us up and took us down to German Colony. Grandma and I found a new Max Brenner's shop- no need for a trip to Tel Aviv! It was actually a difficult lunch since the woman was ignorant of Grandma and only talked to Zev. But I did attempt to engage her about her children as she's actually American who made aliyah to Israel years ago. And she was talking about how to help her children balance their American and Israeli identities by taking them to America for summer camps.
For the rest of the day, we ran a couple of errands to prepare for Pessach/Passover. I felt that Zev and I have been ganging up on Grandma on quite a few things! We picked up some delicious herring and gefilte fish for a late afternoon meal.
I worked on my Hebrew homework and Yad Vashem project until it was time to go to dinner with the Feines. Even though I wasn't hungry at all, but I liked the Feines a lot so I wanted to go. We went to this amazing vegetarian restaurant called Te'ini (?) that's behind King David hotel and offered an amazing view of the Old City at night. It was all lit up beautifully.
I caught a cab back. Unfortunately, the driver was not very bright at all. He asked if I spoke Hebrew or French (I assumed that he was Moroccan). Good for me that I didn't ask for the meter as I told him that I wanted to pay 25 sheklim back to Mount Scopus. He just did NOT know where he was so I tried giving him a clue- the Hyatt Regency hotel. We sort of went to a different Hyatt... I told him that it was not the right one. I tried different names that worked for other drivers for where my apartment was. We finally made it and then he dared to ask for 40 sheklim. I argued with him and told him very firmly, "lo, lo, LO, you did NOT know where you were going!" He said, "I don't care, I went the long way!" I said, "lo, I came in the cab and asked to pay 25 sheklim and now I will give you 30." He protested. Then I reminded him that I was giving him a break because I originally wanted to pay 25. He gave in and gave me the right change back for the 50 that I gave him.
Then I realized once I got to the apartment that I had left my cellphone and keys at the fancy apartment. Fortunately, the security came quickly to let me in my room.
Cab drivers.... what stories I am bringing back to America....
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