Last update from Jerusalem...

When a few centimeters of snow calls for an entire city to be shut down, when midnight necessitates changing the calendar from one in dates ending in 2006 to ones with 2007 isn’t celebrated by most of the country as anything other than a new day, and when students are taking exams a month after their friends at home have finished…you know you’re in a different country. When ‘Merry Christmas’ signs are the minority decoration in an old city of walls filled to the brim of graffiti reading ‘N Na Nac Nach Nachman Meuman’ (transliteration from Hebrew-a Kabbalistic phrase), when prices on signs outside of stores downtown change from shekels to dollars in anticipation of thousands of college students coming for the free 10-day Birthright program, and when the cab driver is one minute arguing with you over a price and the next minute telling you that you remind him of his granddaughter …you know you’re in Israel.

A snowman my friend and I made

Love in the time of... snow?

The past couple of months have gone by in such a whirlwind that it’s hard to believe that I will be on the second part of my program, at Kibbutz Sa’ad, in just a week and a half. School ended, after 3 finals, 1 paper, and very little sleep, it was so satisfying to walk out of there with everything done (and hopefully with good grades!).

West Side Story at school ended during the first week of January, and it’s hard to believe that it’s over and how far we (and I) have come. We started off with a group of strangers, and quickly became amazing friends. Parts were switched, lines were dropped and added, and all of a sudden I was the part of Baby John, no longer a nameless Jet. My two lines went to more than fifty, and included solo singing! Yes, there was stress, confusion, tense situations, and more than our fair share of injuries and illnesses (I personally wound up with a concussion), but we pulled through, and it was worth it to hear all that clapping at the end of each of our seven performances. I’ve had a few encounters with non-Hebrew U people since, who have come up to me at synagogue, on the street, or elsewhere with “Hey, weren’t you in West Side Story? You were really good!” and it’s a really great feeling.

"Yes, Officer Krupke?"

Anyways, the concussion, as I know all of you just read the previous sentence and went “what?!” During one rehearsal, we were practicing the fight scene, and someone is supposed to flip over me while I’m on my hands and knees. Anyways, he flipped wrong and ended up kicking me in the back of the head. It was pleasant. Not. Anyways, it was a really mild concussion and I was fine a few days later.

I was so busy with school and West Side Story that I didn’t have much time to travel-but I did have a few amazing weekends away! First, I spent a weekend with my friend in Rehovot, which is about an hour from Jerusalem. Her family is Yemenite and there were so many interesting cultural differences I noticed while being there. Also, she was the only one who spoke English so I spoke Hebrew with her family almost the entire weekend! Second, a friend and I spent a weekend with members of a Masorti (the equivalent of the North American Conservative Jewish movement) congregation in Kfar Saba. The town was beautiful, the people were great, and coincidentally, a NOAM convention was being held the same weekend we were there. NOAM is the Israeli equivalent of USY, the youth group I was active in back home (and which sponsors Nativ, my program here). It was so interesting to see how similar NOAM and USY kids really are, and the weekend got my friend and I really motivated to help make some more bonds between the organizations, as well as create some connections with Nativ and the Masorti congregations in Israel. So before we went to Kfar Saba, multiple people told us it was the “OC of Israel.” We were expecting Orange County style mansions, but we encountered the OC in a totally different aspect-Kfar Saba is covered in orange trees! The entire city is filled with the trees, as well as all other kinds of fruit trees. Our hosts allowed us to pick as many grapefruits, oranges, nectarines, lemons, pomegranates, and kumquats as we wanted, and we brought back bagfuls for all our friends at base.

Another weekend, a friend and I spontaneously went to Tzfat/Sfat/Safed/Zefat (צפת), which is basically impossible to transliterate just one way into English. It’s one of the four “holy cities” in Israel, the others being Jerusalem, Tiberias (Tiveria), and Bethlehem. It’s full of Kabbalah (the hardcore kind, not Madonna/Britney Spears kind), spirituality, and artists. It was quite an adventurous weekend, and while we didn’t get to see many things because it was Shabbat and things were closed, it was still great. One highlight was when we accidentally walked into a boys’ yeshiva thinking it was a youth hostel, and asked for rooms to stay in…we got some really weird looks before being informed that “This is a boys’ yeshiva. You are girls. You cannot stay here.”

About three weeks ago was Israel Experience Week. A group participated in an archeological dig in Jerusalem, a group went to Haifa to volunteer, and another group went to Gadna, which is like fake army training boot camp. Having suffered through the latter experience when I was here in the summer of ’04, and also being somewhat sick of Jerusalem, I chose to go to Haifa. Haifa is the most diverse city in Israel, and in some ways, the most peaceful as well. There are Jews, Christians, Muslims, and many others. The world center for the Baha’i faith is located in Haifa, and the world famous Baha’i Gardens were literally right behind the hostel/education center where we stayed. So in Haifa we spent the mornings volunteering and the afternoons exploring. I chose to volunteer at Gan Ha’Yeled, which is an enrichment center for children with special needs. Different classes from different schools and institutions come for one morning every two weeks, so we met different kids each day. The problems ranged from simple learning disabilities to intense psychological, physiological, and mental issues.

The Gan Ha’Yeled staff really encouraged self-sufficiency. Everyday there would be a cooking project, and us Americans were shocked when they handed kindergartners sharp knives to cut vegetables. We were watching so carefully, hoping no one would get hurt, yet I was the one who ended up slicing open my finger. Classic me. We made soups and pita, and everyday, the kids would eat what they had made for lunch. Truly hands-on learning. One day, a group of kids learned about different animals. They finished by learning about donkeys. Then, surprise! We went outside to see…a real life donkey! Gan Ha’Yeled is located right next to the Haifa Zoo, so the children were able to learn how to lead, feed, and ride a donkey!

Seeing the variety of students and teachers really showed me the differences between American and Israeli education, especially in terms of special education. On the last day, I was helping out in a group of severely handicapped kids, far the worst of any I had seen all week. It was almost impossible to get through to any of them, their abilities were so low. One girl, who couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6, was blind and paralyzed from the legs down, and also had various mental handicaps. She obviously had no idea what was going on and every time she so much as fidgeted, one of the teachers who had come from her school would come over and yell at her and slam her hand down on her wheelchair table. It was horrifying to see, but I of course was in no place to say anything to her. After sitting with this girl for half an hour or so, just holding her hand and rubbing her back, I could tell she began to trust me and instantly calmed down whenever I held her hand. Later, we took a walk, where one of the Gan Ha’Yeled teachers began speaking English to me and telling me that she too had noticed what this one teacher was doing. Turns out these kids weren’t from a normal school-they were all abandoned as babies and were now living in an institution. The teacher wasn’t a teacher-she was a low-paid assistant who obviously had no connection or respect towards the kids. So in addition to the handicaps each of these kids were battling, they were also dealing with unfriendly staff and the host of psychological issues that come with being abandoned. The Gan Ha’Yeled staff could not speak to the institution staff and were forced to watch their horrible treatment of the children once every two weeks. It was so shocking to hear about this, because in America, it has always seemed to me that those who are involved in special education do so because they WANT to. Yes, education of all kinds is a low-income field, but in most cases, people who are in it are in it for the goals, not the income. In America, teachers and assistants usually have basic training and realize that yelling and slamming is not the way to deal with kids, no matter if they are disabled or not. It was heartbreaking to have to leave that girl at the end of the class, knowing that as she was wheeled onto the handicapped van, she was on her way to a horrible institution. Gan Ha’Yeled is probably the happiest thing that happens to her twice a month.

On a similar theme, on the second or third day, the class that was there was a lot more advanced than the one I dealt with on the last day. There were some learning disabilities and a few other issues, but for the most part, that was it. There was one girl with blond frizzy hair that stood out around her head that we all immediately were drawn to. One of the other Nativers, this guy Andrew, went over and started to play with her. The two of them did not separate the entire morning, and every time we looked over at her, she was always laughing, smiling, and talking.The most we thought of it was, “oh, they’re having a good time.” After we left that day, we found out that this girl had never talked before to anyone there. She never laughed, smiled, or participated in anything until Andrew came along. He drew her out of her shell and seemed to change her perspective on life all in a few short hours. It was astonishing.

Our experiences at Gan Ha’Yeled were the highlight of my week, if not my month. Yes, I had the opportunity to see some cool things in Haifa, but the smiles I got from the children each morning made it all worth it. If any of you happen to be looking for a charity to support, I highly encourage you to look into Gan Ha’Yeled and the wonderful things happening there.

Our winter break started two and half weeks ago and ended on Sunday. Almost half the people on Nativ went home and the rest did some traveling around Europe and/or Israel. I chose to stay in Israel, with the goal to experience as many things as I could, because I know that the traveling I will do while living on kibbutz will mostly be limited to weekends. The first day of break, I went with a visiting camp friend to a walking tour in Tel Aviv hosted by the national camp organization, Ramah. It was cool to meet some people who were in Israel for the year like me, as well as some of the Israeli staff from the various camps. Afterwards, my friend and I went to an outside artists fair, Sheinkin street (one of the main Tel Aviv shopping streets), and to the beach for a little while.

Sunday and Monday I termed my “cultural days” and I tried to make it to as many museums as I could in Jerusalem. On Sunday I went to the Time Elevator, a movie with moving seats that makes you feel like you’re flying through the past 3,000 years as it illustrates Jerusalem’s history. Next, I went down the street to the Museum of Italian Jewish Art. That afternoon I went to the Old City and did a lot more exploring than I have in the past-it was wonderful not to be rushed! On Monday I ended up spending most of the day at the Israel Museum-and I still didn’t see everything! It’s now officially one of my favorite places though in this entire country. I went to the highlight of the Museum first-the Shrine of the Book-where parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept, as well as lots of old pottery, jewelry, shoes, etc. from thousands of years ago. Then I explored the rest of the museum, and just let myself wander to and fro finding things. The one goal I had set out at the beginning of the day was to visit the photography exhibit, which I fell in love with. I also found a new favorite photographer and got some inspiration for some of my own work. It’s so odd not taking pictures and being in darkrooms all the time, because that’s what the past 3 years of my life were full of. But hopefully I’ll find some more time soon to keep taking pictures here, and I’ll be able to develop them in the states.

On Tuesday, a friend and I journeyed to Ein Gedi, an oasis near the Dead Sea. We accidentally got off the bus too early and found ourselves at the bottom of a big mountain, which we decided to hike. On the way up we ran into a herd of nine ibex, which are kind of like Israeli deer. We hiked up for a while and were able to see out along the coastline of the Dead Sea, as well as look down onto Ein Gedi, which is sort of in a rift between the mountains. After a while, we decided to go down to Ein Gedi itself, where we explored all the tiny paths, waterfalls, and hidden niches behind rocks. After reaching the main tourist waterfall of Ein Gedi, we realized that the path keeps going, and decided to follow it. We found humongous, beautiful, and awe-inspiring waterfalls that I tried to capture on film, but the pictures couldn’t capture even half of their beauty.

On Wednesday I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary-I went on a tour of Christian sites in the north. I had previously decided to do a one-day tour somewhere, just because I didn’t want the hassles that come along with travel planning, yet I had visited all the places that the most reputable tour company offered-except for one-the Christian tour. A friend and I decided to go, yet she dropped out at the last minute and I had already paid, so I decided to be adventurous and go by myself. We went to Nazareth, Capernaum (Kfar Nachum), Tabgha, and Yardenit. We saw multiple churches, the town were Jesus lived, where the loaves and fish thing happened, and where Jesus was baptized (actually, we were really far away from the actual spot but they couldn’t build a tourist center there because its on the main part of the Jordan River, and of course they needed money coming out of the enterprise somehow). It was a little odd being surrounded by all these Christian tourists, but at the same time it reassured me a little bit of the diversity of this country. When making the case for Israel to people, I always brought up Israel’s pluralism, yet I never actually saw much of it with my own eyes. Now, I can talk about specifics in terms of Christian history to those who assume Israel offers nothing to non-Jews.

On Thursday, I ventured down to the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim, after making sure that not a single inch of skin was exposed anywhere but my hands and above my collarbone. It wasn’t much of an experience as I wandered into a somewhat boring part of the area, but we just went there with Nativ…more to come. Then I went to the Museum on the Seam, which explores the idea of coexistence, not just on a local level (by the way, it’s situation right between East and West Jerusalem, where the main Arab-Jewish split is), but an international level. It’s quite a moving museum, and after seeing all the photos, videos, and exhibits, one walks out feeling a bit disturbed, guilty, shocked, as well as a whole plethora of other emotions.

From Friday afternoon until the following Thursday, I joined a group of Clevelanders who were here for a program called Engliyada. They were here to teach English to adults in Beit Shean, a town in the north which is Cleveland’s sister city. I had wanted to volunteer in Beit Shean for part of break, and it was lucky that Engliyada coincided because I was able to get my own room at the guest house, all meals, and travel experiences in the area, all for free. I tutored a 16-year old boy in English, and also helped out in some of the classrooms. I also got to see the girl who stayed at our house last spring as my sister’s exchange student in the Ambassadors for Unity program, which was really exciting. All in all, it was a great group of people and great experiences, and I’m glad that I did it.

This week we did Israel Today Seminar, where we learn about various issues in Israel today. On Monday we went to Gush Etzion, a settlement in the West Bank/Occupied Territories/Judea and Samaria/whatever you want to call it depending on your political beliefs, and then to Mea Shearim. Yesterday we had a full day in Tel Aviv, visiting the Museum of the Blind, hearing a Shalom Achshav (Peace Now) speaker, seeing a dance performance, going to the Palmach Museum, and then to the Azrieli Center (one of the biggest malls in the Middle East) for dinner. Wednesday was the Herzl Museum, Begin Museum, and tree planting. Yesterday was a seminar on the Arab-Israeli conflict in Givat Haviva. I’ll discuss all of this in the next update, as well as the Southern tiyul (trip) which starts on Sunday.

Now, for some big news: As you can see, the beginning of the email mentions how close we are to the second part of our program at Kibbutz Sa’ad. Well…we’re no longer going there for security reasons. We only found out on Monday, and it’s a big shock to everyone. Nativ has been going to this particular kibbutz for the past 25 years, through multiple wars and intifadas. But now, with all the violence in Gaza (most of it being from a civil war between Hamas and Fatah), it is no longer safe to be so close by to this volatile area. Rockets are being launched from there everyday, even though the news doesn’t cover it. There was absolutely no threat to us in Jerusalem, but it would be too dangerous to be there.

However, many people chose kibbutz track over community service specifically because of the connections their friends and families who have done Nativ in the past have to Sa’ad, so understandably, a lot of us were upset. So instead, we’ll be going to Kibbutz Ein Tzurim, which is between Tel Aviv and Be’er Sheva. Supposedly it’s similar in size, outlook, etc. to Sa’ad. However, there are a few downers. First, there aren’t enough jobs for everyone on the kibbutz, so some people will be working in a nearby town and on a nearby moshav (sort of like a kibbutz). Also, we’ll be living in caravans, which is a fancy way of saying trailers. This should be interesting…

So all in all, the past few months have been quite exciting and jam-packed. It’ll be quite a switch going to kibbutz and living a more laid-back life for the next three and a half months. I’d love to hear about how all your lives are going, so please email or call me! Also-we don’t have the exact mailing address of the new kibbutz yet, so disregard the one I’ve sent out before and just send the mail to the Jerusalem address, it will still get to me.

And now, I’m off for one final trip to the shuk (market) before starting our last Shabbat in Jerusalem…

With love,

-Nehama