Monday, July 8, 2013

"the real israel"

For the past two weeks, I've been living with a farming family on a Moshav outside of Netanya. If you know me, you know I'm not exactly the farming type - which is exactly why I wanted to spend my summer doing this. Not only have I challenged myself in real ways - physical labor, long hours, and a totally unfamiliar environment - but I've also gotten to see a totally different side of Israel. I went to visit their 15 year old son when he was on a leadership program in the wilderness - imagine Visitor's Day at an American Jewish Day Camp, add 1,000 more campers, pushy Israelis, and tons more food, and you get the idea. I went to a "siyyum" - summary/end of year celebration at a "Democratic Style" school with displays of theater, art, and music by the graduating seniors. I've played Israeli hide and seek with village kids (lost every time), and learned how to make authentic 'Temani" (Yemenite) and Israeli dishes - along with various kinds of goat cheeses from the goats I milk 2x a day. I've learned a few words of Thai and brushed up my Arabic to converse with the other workers on the farm, and learned a lot about cultures other than my own. All in all, definitely an experience I'm glad I'm getting even though I was "over it" after a week. The family speaks perfect English so my Hebrew isn't improving as much as I hoped but I'm expanding my vocabulary and reading books with their 7-yr-old, so I guess thats better than nothing! If anything, I have more confidence to speak and learn from mistakes, and I'm challenging myself to conjugate verbs instead of just using the infinitive every time :D



The other plus side is that living in a secular Israeli house, in a fairly homogeneous village, has made me appreciate Jerusalem so much more. I was lucky to have spent Shabbat back in Jerusalem and it re-confirmed for me (not that I was questioning!) how lucky I am to live in this beautiful city where so many people long to be, with the friends and community that have proven time and time again how special they are. I definitely felt bittersweet leaving this morning, even knowing that I will be back in another week, and I just feel so blessed and grateful to spend another year living and learning there.

Right now I'm really looking forward to my grandparents visiting at the end of July, moving into my new apartment, and not being woken up by a rooster at 4am every day!!!! And of course starting my classes again at the magical bubble known as Pardes! להתראות!!


Thursday, May 30, 2013

in a nutshell...

They say to really experience Israel, you have to be here for 3 things: war (unfortunately), elections, and snow... I got all of those in this past year, and so much more! A visit from Obama (Jerusalem basically shut down for 3 days!), praying with Women of the Wall, and so many more unplanned, unexpected moments of amazingness that made up a great year.

More than anything, I think I have a renewed appreciation for Shabbat and the cycle of Jewish holidays. Growing up, Shabbat started with Friday night dinner and ended after shul on Saturday morning. This past year, I have truly experienced how beautiful Shabbat can be. After 5 days in school and spending Friday preparing for Shabbat, it's so nice to have a day to relax, have meals with friends, and take leisurely walks. Experiencing Jewish holidays where their roots are is another thing I am taking away from this year. Seeing sukkot pop up at ever restaurant, and a chanukiah in every window, and going out to eat during Passover - these are things that are unique to Israel, and that are so special and important to appreciate. Watching the country move from the Day of Remembrance to Independence Day - from the price to the prize - has changed the way I view soldiers, Israelis, and the whole country of Israel. Saying "Next Year in Jerusalem" and knowing that you are in the very place where everyone else is praying to one day be - that in itself is an irreplaceable moment.

From start to finish, this year has had several ups and downs, as any year in any city does. I have learned an incredible amount in the past 10 months: about Judaism, about myself, about Israel, and about who I want to be. I am so excited to learn even more this summer - I'll be working on organic farms in Israel (talk about a character-building experience for someone like me!!) before returning to Jerusalem for another incredible year at Pardes.

Monday, April 8, 2013

The Sirens Blared

There are certain moments in my life where everything has come to a screeching halt. Most of these have just been moments when my personal world, or maybe my family or community, has stopped. Today (Yom HaShoah), I experienced an entire country ceasing all activity - learning, work, driving, shopping - and pause for two minutes to remember to remember the 11 million who perished in the Holocaust - 6 million of whom were Jews, and 1.5 million of whom were children. Children who hadn't done a single thing wrong except be born into unlucky circumstances.

As the siren blared, everyone who was driving pulled over and stood beside their cars. People who were walking stopped in their tracks and bowed their heads. For two whole minutes, people prayed and questioned and remembered and grappled with the atrocity that humanity allowed to happen. The man who was standing beside his car across the street from me was crying. It was so powerful to stand there in that moment and give witness to the lives and deaths of those who were persecuted.

One of the things that surprised me the most was that a few people did not stop what they were doing and continued driving. This disappointed me at first, then angered me, then I struggled to understand why. Finally, I told myself that I wanted to focus my thoughts on those who died instead of giving those two minutes to those who chose disrespect. I think I struggled to understand their refusal to remember because to me, the Holocaust does not belong to the Jews. Yes, the majority of those who died were Jewish. Yes, the Nazis systematically wiped out most of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. But that doesn't mean that the Catholics, Romanis, communists, homosexuals, etc didn't also suffer. The Holocaust is a burden that all of humanity should bear, and nobody is exempt from the obligation to ensure this never happens again. 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Freedom for Girls

I would like to take this opportunity to wish girls and women everywhere a happy Passover - a Passover that is filled with freedom. 

Freedom from "I'm not good enough" and "why doesn't he* like me." Freedom from wanting your life to be like a T-Swift love song, freedom from not "going for it" because you think you don't deserve him. Freedom from settling for someone who shows a slight interest in you, because you don't think anyone else will. Freedom from "why didn't he text me back?!?!" Freedom from "what am I doing wrong?" and "how can I change myself to get him to like me."

Freedom from comparing ourselves to others and assessing our own value based on what society thinks we should look, act, and think like. Freedom from "why can't I look more like her." Freedom from "I'm not cool if I don't have that bag or those shoes." Freedom from slavery to your makeup case and hair straightener. Freedom from wondering why you can never seem to look like the celebrities on magazine covers.

Freedom from "my thighs are too fat" or "I wish my boobs were bigger." Body issues can be a "mitzraim" - such a narrow, confined place that is almost impossible to break out of. Even girls who are not plagued with eating disorders still look in the mirror every day and find a reason to hate their bodies - and themselves. Freedom from "I'm not beautiful" - because you are, I promise.

Most of all, I wish girls everywhere a "freedom TO" - freedom to be who you want to be, freedom to accept yourself. Freedom to be happy and not let fears, what-ifs, and feelings of inadequacy hold you back from living the life you deserve to live. Even Moses had reservations and thought he wasn't good enough to fulfill his destiny, but he found ways to overcome this and lived up to his fullest potential (flaws and all), and delivered the Israelite people from slavery to freedom.

Happy Passover, Chag Sameach, and may we all be blessed to find freedom this year.

*he or she, "he" used for literary flow.