Hanukkah started Wednesday night December 1st. Shauna and I were invited over Debbie and her family’s house to light candles and have dinner. They even had us light our own hanukiot (menorahs)! And as always, delicious food follows. There is not a single household that doesn’t have good food here. One thing I almost forgot about the holiday of Hanukkah is that you eat lots and lots of sufganiot (donuts with filling) and potato latkes. These food items are made from oil, and Hanukkah being the holiday created because of oil..you eat the oily foods.
SO after I visited Inbal, I met up with the rest of ITC in the city of Arad at Arielle and Jason’s house. Sarah and Rachel traveled in from Ashkelon and then Shauna and I coincidentally met up at the Be’er Sheva bus station and took the same bus to Arad. The next four days were filled with in-service teacher training.
On Sunday, we went to a conference for English teachers in Be’er Sheva all day. I thought there were a few valid points brought up. We need to teach them certain skills to be able to produce their own work. We can't just give them a test to read and expect them to come up with the correct answers just like that. We need to teach them how to find key information, how to summarize, draw conclusions and main idea. I see that students don't have these abilities in school because they haven't really been taught any like this. I feel that this needs to be taken to heart and implemented in schools. All students can benefit from these skills. We just need the time and concentration to use them. Some other workshops I went to contained inforamtion I learned in college. Just luck of the draw I guess because a few others thought some different workshops were useful. Back to Arad, Jason and I went running and Arielle cooked a lovely dinner for all of us.
Monday was Dialogue in the Dark and Invitation to Silence. We went to a children’s museum where they had an exhibit in which you feel what it’s like to be blind. We walked around in pitch-black darkness with a cane. We went through different rooms: a forest, a shuk, a city street, and a cafeteria where we could order food and drink in the dark. It was amazing how all of our other senses came into action when we couldn’t use sight. The next exhibit was where we couldn’t hear anything. We wore these enormous headphones that blocked out almost all hearing. We had to rely solely on our sight and a sign to understand what was going on. We had to be aware of our facial expressions and hand and body gestures to be able to communicate.
After the museum we traveled to Jerusalem to meet with Mark Lazar at the Jewish Agency. There we discussed each of our experiences in the school so far. We all pretty much weren’t too satisfied with what was happening in the schools but we acknowledged that this wouldn’t be easy; that we knew this coming into this job. It was relieving to hear that we were not alone. He gave us some insight and some paperwork with some ideas and some solutions to behavioral problems. True: we have only been in the schools for one month; we do have a long way to go. We can’t give up on the students or ourselves. Reflecting on the time we’ve had so far in the schools really helped put things into perspective. We can’t just be passive and go along with things. We need to be engaging and take risks.
After this seminar we stopped by the Gilad Shalit tent for lighting the hanukiah. They had someone playing a song and then together, everyone sang HaTikva, Israel’s National Anthem. It was beautiful. I didn’t realize this tent for Gilad was put up right outside the Prime Minister’s house. He has been in captivity since 2006 and his family basically lives in this tent, fighting and praying for his release. Every time I am near the tent or visit it I feel compassion of the people and the seriousness of the matter. Four years is too long.
After we grabbed dinner in the Shuk, we went on a Hanukkah tour of Jerusalem. Although it was cold and rainy, most of us enjoyed it. At least until exhaustion set in. We walked near some old Yeshivas, then into an ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi neighborhood and an ultra-Orthodox Sephardic neighborhood. We noted all of the beautiful hanukiot lit up outside the homes as well as inside. Being within these close quarters of ancient buildings with all of the beautiful lights brought a sense of connectedness and tradition to the area. This is not the first time I have felt this way, but every time I feel it, it's comforting.
We arrived back in Arad really late that night, exhausted. But the long day was totally worth it.
Tuesday, two of our Madrichot came to Arad for the last day of in-service training. We discussed and reflected our experiences so far then we created a lesson plan for cases where we have to take over a class or small group. It’s nice to have some preparation. Once the day was over, we all agreed to stay the night and celebrate Rachel’s birthday. We went into Be’er Sheva and met up with some people and went out to some college bars (people in college here are all after the army and about our age). It was a great atmosphere, took me back to my college years
Saturday, December 11, 2010
What's been happening over the past month
Education day in Be’er Sheva-
Shauna and I were able to take one day away from teaching to join the rest of the OTZMAnikim for an education in Be’er Sheva. We left to meet them in Ashkelon the night before to make it easier to meet up with. Yep, we were able to sleep in our glorious merkaz klita (absorption center) beds again. It was great seeing everyone again though. Our first stop was a prison in Be’er Sheva. We were split up into 2 groups: one group went to a prison for drug addicts- they got to speak with some prisoners and tour the area; the second group (my group) toured a jail that kept criminals and terrorists. We toured different buildings and even spoke with a criminal that had 5 years left of his 30 year sentence. He told us his story and how crime was the way of life where he came from. He also realized that life was more than that once his daughter was born while he was in prison (prisons get personal visits-interesting), he also found G-d during his stay. He is getting out early for good behavior. It seemed like he had changed from what he was telling us. It was very interesting. One thing I don’t quite understand is why criminals have to wear orange jumpsuits with reflectors while terrorists wear brown without reflectors. How does this make any sense? And how is that fair?
We learned that terrorists have different rights, for example: they are only allowed to study certain subjects like history and no science- for obvious reasons. The tour guides of the prison seemed to agree. At one point we were staying outside discussing something when a group of prisoners in brown walked by all handcuffed together. Since they were in brown- we were informed they were terrorists. We learned that 70% of these terrorists in here have blood on their hands. Whoa. Having never even been in a prison before to seeing terrorists 5 feet in front of me, it kind of creeped me out. I have never knowingly been that close. Prisoners only have to wear jumpsuits when they leave their rooms and are out working on grounds. These prisoners can smoke, watch tv, take classes, etc.
Afterward, we had lunch in the Be’er Sheva absorption center, which is also the longest building in Israel. It looked pretty cool. Then we talked about the IDF with our madrich Noah. He talked about how right before Israel became a nation there were these two armies but Ben Gurion helped make it one army. He also asked us these questions: How many of you know someone serving in the army? How many of you know someone who has died serving? Here in Israel- almost everyone has served or is serving in the army and ALL of them know someone who has died serving. It was kind of a reality check in a way, I just can’t describe it. Here in Israel, the war isn’t “over there,” its right here. Life in Israel is war, but does that make people live in fear here? Does it affect one’s day to day life and routine? No. Israelis continue to live and thrive.
Our last stop was at Ben Gurion University. There we met the chairmen of Israeli politics at the university. There he spoke of the Israeli political system and how it supports the system of many political parties. There are 13 parties in the Knesset and the government coalition usually falls so elections tend to take place before the fall. One problem is that the smaller parties have more power than the popular majority. For example, if two of the biggest parties only had a few people to build the coalition, they wouldn’t have enough people for the representation.
Times have changed and keep changing. We discussed problems, advantages and disadvantages of the government and parliament, along with the parties and the Israelis that vote. He said that a political party is viewed as an object of consumption, not a way of life. The way you change your cereal is the way you change parties. I thought that was interesting. He also stated that there is a gap between people who believe in politics and those who feel that no party really represents them. After this and the other political education days, I feel like I have a better understanding of Israeli politics..
Thanksgiving in Ashkelon
Shauna and I traveled directly after school back to Ashkelon for the rest of the weekend, where the rest of OTZMAnikim still were. It was the day of Thanksgiving! How else to celebrate it in a country that doesn’t celebrate it than with Americans?! The night before Shauna and I baked with our oven! Yes we have an oven! Shauna made zucchini bread and I made Knish! Both turned out really well I must say.
We arrived just as the light was fading. I went for a run along the beach like the good ol’ days when I used to live in Ashkelon. It was amazing and much needed. Then it was time to get ready for our Thanksgiving feast! My old roommates cooked delicious vegetables, they are really good cooks. We all met down in the moadon, everyone brought something. It was just so amazing that we were able to come together for this. We were a family of our own since we were all away from our families back in the states. One of the Ulpan teachers and a few other Israelis actually joined us. They took the time out of their day to celebrate this holiday with us. Amazing.
The Tiyul to the North- Nov 29-30
So the secular high school goes on trips around Israel. Shauna and I were invited to join the 7th and 8th graders trip to the north. The 9th also went up to the North and the 10th grade went to Jerusalem. We thought it would be fun to go up to the North (the Galilee and Bet Shean), to go hiking, bond with the students….well, at least we thought. 4 hours to the North and 4 hours back to the desert, on a bus full of screaming adolescents. These kids don’t talk, they scream. Playing the same songs over and over, screaming at each other. I am almost sure I got an ulcer from this haha. Other than the bus rides, the hiking and activities were decent. We went on a good hike the first day, helped some of the students down rocks…some of these students don’t like to be outdoors, they were whiny. AND of course I had to fall on rocks. It’s not a successful hike without me falling. Shauna of course laughed her ass off.
Finally, we arrived at the hostel that was putting us all up for the night. The kids went crazy for hours. We had dinner and somehow managed to take a nap. We were assisting the teachers with night duty. A few teachers were each assigned hours to watch outside to make sure the students didn’t sneak out of their rooms. Shauna and I helped with the first hour and half. Once we got them all in their rooms- boys on the 1st floor and girls on the 2nd- it was easy to keep watch. Maybe 5 minutes into it doors started opening and it was like that arcade game Whack-a-mole! When each door opened we yelled lilah tov- close the door! It was quite entertaining. Some students even tried sneaking out! I was trying to remember what I was like at that age. Not that risky.
The next day we sat on the bus for an hour in front of the hostel because half of the students left their rooms a mess. Plus, they were so tired from staying up all night. They didn’t want to hike or do anything. I think Shauna and I enjoyed hiking more than they did. Before heading back to Yerucham, we stopped at a park and there was a cookout! There were huge burgers and delicious vegetables and hummus. Overall, we did bond with some of the students and also teachers and tour guides!
Back in Yerucham
School continued on the next few days. Thursday my gymnastics coach held a BBQ for all of the assistant coaches (or madrichim). It was nice getting to know the group outside of the gym. Her house was amazing and they are a funny bunch. Too bad I had to have most of the jokes translated- so in return they weren’t that funny. Hopefully soon I won’t need a translator.
From the BBQ I went to visit my friend Inbal in Ramat haSharon. But first, I had another excellent bus buddy. First he gets on and sits next to me; he has the aisle seat and I have the window seat. He then spreads his legs wide, now intruding my area. I am taking up a little room as possible. He puts his head back and closes his eyes to sleep. During the hour and a half bus ride he continues to put his head on my shoulder and sleep. At first it was like it was by accident the way his head fell when he was sleeping. At one point he legit put his head on my shoulder. I was laughing so hard to myself I couldn’t believe this was happening. I didn’t want to move him because it was so funny. He tries to “sleep” the whole bus ride and when we arrive at the bus station he gets off and just starts singing like he hadn’t been sleeping or anything. SO strange.
I finally get to Inbal’s who was having a little get together with her army friends who told hilarious stories. I got there just in time for dessert!! The next day we went to Zumba, which was so much fun! I tried to catch on to the dance moves, but there is just something about an American trying to dance to the salsa and the cha cha…not a pretty site haha. Inbal’s mom cooked a delicious dinner and then we went out for the evening to Tel Aviv with some of Inbal’s friends. Saturday was a birthday party for a 3 year old, so there was MORE delicious food! Inbal is now in South America traveling for 6 months! Jealous!
During my time with Inbal there was this tragic fire up in the North in Mt Carmel. It was such a beautiful place. It lasted a couple of days, caused massive damage, and an unfortunate number of people died. A group of cadets that were trying to reach a prison to evacuate it died from the fire. The bus was caught in the fire and only a few were able to escape. It was such a horrific story that when I was reading the details about it in the news the next day I felt sick to my stomach. Inbal was able to translate some articles that were in the newspaper for me. The pictures were astounding. This was the worst fire since the state of Israel was created, and Israel wasn’t prepared for it. We received help from other countries, which was remarkable.
Shauna and I were able to take one day away from teaching to join the rest of the OTZMAnikim for an education in Be’er Sheva. We left to meet them in Ashkelon the night before to make it easier to meet up with. Yep, we were able to sleep in our glorious merkaz klita (absorption center) beds again. It was great seeing everyone again though. Our first stop was a prison in Be’er Sheva. We were split up into 2 groups: one group went to a prison for drug addicts- they got to speak with some prisoners and tour the area; the second group (my group) toured a jail that kept criminals and terrorists. We toured different buildings and even spoke with a criminal that had 5 years left of his 30 year sentence. He told us his story and how crime was the way of life where he came from. He also realized that life was more than that once his daughter was born while he was in prison (prisons get personal visits-interesting), he also found G-d during his stay. He is getting out early for good behavior. It seemed like he had changed from what he was telling us. It was very interesting. One thing I don’t quite understand is why criminals have to wear orange jumpsuits with reflectors while terrorists wear brown without reflectors. How does this make any sense? And how is that fair?
We learned that terrorists have different rights, for example: they are only allowed to study certain subjects like history and no science- for obvious reasons. The tour guides of the prison seemed to agree. At one point we were staying outside discussing something when a group of prisoners in brown walked by all handcuffed together. Since they were in brown- we were informed they were terrorists. We learned that 70% of these terrorists in here have blood on their hands. Whoa. Having never even been in a prison before to seeing terrorists 5 feet in front of me, it kind of creeped me out. I have never knowingly been that close. Prisoners only have to wear jumpsuits when they leave their rooms and are out working on grounds. These prisoners can smoke, watch tv, take classes, etc.
Afterward, we had lunch in the Be’er Sheva absorption center, which is also the longest building in Israel. It looked pretty cool. Then we talked about the IDF with our madrich Noah. He talked about how right before Israel became a nation there were these two armies but Ben Gurion helped make it one army. He also asked us these questions: How many of you know someone serving in the army? How many of you know someone who has died serving? Here in Israel- almost everyone has served or is serving in the army and ALL of them know someone who has died serving. It was kind of a reality check in a way, I just can’t describe it. Here in Israel, the war isn’t “over there,” its right here. Life in Israel is war, but does that make people live in fear here? Does it affect one’s day to day life and routine? No. Israelis continue to live and thrive.
Our last stop was at Ben Gurion University. There we met the chairmen of Israeli politics at the university. There he spoke of the Israeli political system and how it supports the system of many political parties. There are 13 parties in the Knesset and the government coalition usually falls so elections tend to take place before the fall. One problem is that the smaller parties have more power than the popular majority. For example, if two of the biggest parties only had a few people to build the coalition, they wouldn’t have enough people for the representation.
Times have changed and keep changing. We discussed problems, advantages and disadvantages of the government and parliament, along with the parties and the Israelis that vote. He said that a political party is viewed as an object of consumption, not a way of life. The way you change your cereal is the way you change parties. I thought that was interesting. He also stated that there is a gap between people who believe in politics and those who feel that no party really represents them. After this and the other political education days, I feel like I have a better understanding of Israeli politics..
Thanksgiving in Ashkelon
Shauna and I traveled directly after school back to Ashkelon for the rest of the weekend, where the rest of OTZMAnikim still were. It was the day of Thanksgiving! How else to celebrate it in a country that doesn’t celebrate it than with Americans?! The night before Shauna and I baked with our oven! Yes we have an oven! Shauna made zucchini bread and I made Knish! Both turned out really well I must say.
We arrived just as the light was fading. I went for a run along the beach like the good ol’ days when I used to live in Ashkelon. It was amazing and much needed. Then it was time to get ready for our Thanksgiving feast! My old roommates cooked delicious vegetables, they are really good cooks. We all met down in the moadon, everyone brought something. It was just so amazing that we were able to come together for this. We were a family of our own since we were all away from our families back in the states. One of the Ulpan teachers and a few other Israelis actually joined us. They took the time out of their day to celebrate this holiday with us. Amazing.
The Tiyul to the North- Nov 29-30
So the secular high school goes on trips around Israel. Shauna and I were invited to join the 7th and 8th graders trip to the north. The 9th also went up to the North and the 10th grade went to Jerusalem. We thought it would be fun to go up to the North (the Galilee and Bet Shean), to go hiking, bond with the students….well, at least we thought. 4 hours to the North and 4 hours back to the desert, on a bus full of screaming adolescents. These kids don’t talk, they scream. Playing the same songs over and over, screaming at each other. I am almost sure I got an ulcer from this haha. Other than the bus rides, the hiking and activities were decent. We went on a good hike the first day, helped some of the students down rocks…some of these students don’t like to be outdoors, they were whiny. AND of course I had to fall on rocks. It’s not a successful hike without me falling. Shauna of course laughed her ass off.
Finally, we arrived at the hostel that was putting us all up for the night. The kids went crazy for hours. We had dinner and somehow managed to take a nap. We were assisting the teachers with night duty. A few teachers were each assigned hours to watch outside to make sure the students didn’t sneak out of their rooms. Shauna and I helped with the first hour and half. Once we got them all in their rooms- boys on the 1st floor and girls on the 2nd- it was easy to keep watch. Maybe 5 minutes into it doors started opening and it was like that arcade game Whack-a-mole! When each door opened we yelled lilah tov- close the door! It was quite entertaining. Some students even tried sneaking out! I was trying to remember what I was like at that age. Not that risky.
The next day we sat on the bus for an hour in front of the hostel because half of the students left their rooms a mess. Plus, they were so tired from staying up all night. They didn’t want to hike or do anything. I think Shauna and I enjoyed hiking more than they did. Before heading back to Yerucham, we stopped at a park and there was a cookout! There were huge burgers and delicious vegetables and hummus. Overall, we did bond with some of the students and also teachers and tour guides!
Back in Yerucham
School continued on the next few days. Thursday my gymnastics coach held a BBQ for all of the assistant coaches (or madrichim). It was nice getting to know the group outside of the gym. Her house was amazing and they are a funny bunch. Too bad I had to have most of the jokes translated- so in return they weren’t that funny. Hopefully soon I won’t need a translator.
From the BBQ I went to visit my friend Inbal in Ramat haSharon. But first, I had another excellent bus buddy. First he gets on and sits next to me; he has the aisle seat and I have the window seat. He then spreads his legs wide, now intruding my area. I am taking up a little room as possible. He puts his head back and closes his eyes to sleep. During the hour and a half bus ride he continues to put his head on my shoulder and sleep. At first it was like it was by accident the way his head fell when he was sleeping. At one point he legit put his head on my shoulder. I was laughing so hard to myself I couldn’t believe this was happening. I didn’t want to move him because it was so funny. He tries to “sleep” the whole bus ride and when we arrive at the bus station he gets off and just starts singing like he hadn’t been sleeping or anything. SO strange.
I finally get to Inbal’s who was having a little get together with her army friends who told hilarious stories. I got there just in time for dessert!! The next day we went to Zumba, which was so much fun! I tried to catch on to the dance moves, but there is just something about an American trying to dance to the salsa and the cha cha…not a pretty site haha. Inbal’s mom cooked a delicious dinner and then we went out for the evening to Tel Aviv with some of Inbal’s friends. Saturday was a birthday party for a 3 year old, so there was MORE delicious food! Inbal is now in South America traveling for 6 months! Jealous!
During my time with Inbal there was this tragic fire up in the North in Mt Carmel. It was such a beautiful place. It lasted a couple of days, caused massive damage, and an unfortunate number of people died. A group of cadets that were trying to reach a prison to evacuate it died from the fire. The bus was caught in the fire and only a few were able to escape. It was such a horrific story that when I was reading the details about it in the news the next day I felt sick to my stomach. Inbal was able to translate some articles that were in the newspaper for me. The pictures were astounding. This was the worst fire since the state of Israel was created, and Israel wasn’t prepared for it. We received help from other countries, which was remarkable.
Monday, November 15, 2010
A small update
Life in Yerucham
Where to even start…
Yerucham is now home. It’s been about 2 weeks since we have moved down here. Feels longer though. Definitely a different change of pace here. So quiet. I think my body is still trying to adjust to the dry climate here. We are finally settled in our cozy little apartment. Shauna and I have found a new love for Fitness cereal, and sweets.
The day after we moved in we observed in the schools and ended up helping out a little bit. That following Sunday was the beginning of the full day, 5 days a week teaching in both schools- the public high school and the girls’ religious school.
In the secular high school, there are quite a few English classes we help out with. In some cases, we are trying to push the students to a higher level for the Bagrut- from what we were told this is an extremely important English test they HAVE to take. How well they do on these tests determines the type of army placement (since the army is mandated when they finish high school), and it determines where they can get into university after the army. It even puts a barrier on what kind of job they can get if they don’t do well on the test. Some of the students either don’t care or don’t understand how crucial this test is on their future. I have found that the older students tend to be calm and collected and will attempt their work-some of them. Others copy off other students and don’t try, and it only hurts them in the end. The younger students in 7th and 8th grade are wild and often out of control. They are always running around, screaming at other kids, sometimes the teacher. Of course there are those select few in every class that want to do their work and learn. It also doesn’t help that the times of these classes are at the end of the day where they have no more attention span. Most of these observations were in the first week. I think the students were kind of excited about having new people there. The second week is going a little better, behavior-wise. In some classes we split up in groups and it has really helped some of the struggling students. It makes us feel like we are needed here and it is a nice feeling to help. There is still hope! The teachers are more than helpful. I really enjoy working with all of the English teachers, and several of them are originally from the U.S.! It’s fun to hear their story of how they moved to Israel.
I also just started volunteering with the gymnastics here. It takes place in a basketball gym; the mats and equipment are either against the wall or pulled out from a side room. Resources appear to be limited. This was nothing like I had back in the states, but I saw that it still worked out well! Gymnastics takes place twice a week for 3 hours. Each hour a different group of kids come. The last hour the more advanced ones come and practice. There was one girl who just by looking at her you could tell she was a natural born gymnast. No one wears leotards, it is all casual clothing, and the little boys take off their kippas! There are stations for beam, vault, rings, trampoline, and a few other smaller things. The hardest part for me will be the language barrier. Luckily, I work with a couple of my students who I teach English to! It is funny how this is working out, I teach them English, they teach me Hebrew!
So far, living in Yerucham is working out well. There may not be a lot to do after our work, but maybe that is a good thing. We are able to concentrate on what we are here to do, volunteer in the community. We are getting to know the people and the neighborhood every day. Everyone has been more than helpful to our needs. It’s funny how many students I run into at the local supermarket. Several of the shops and cafes (if you would call them that) close from 1 to 4, like a siesta, and then open back up for a few more hours. They do this because everyone with a big job is working and they don’t get much business then.
The first weekend we were here Shauna and I were hosted by the student village, Ayalim, for Shabbat. The student village consists of young men and women who are done with the army and are now enrolled in school. They commute to school every day but they also live in a village they have built, and are still building, themselves. Ayalim is a group devoted to settling the Negev Desert. They are also involved in extra after school activities with the town. It is such a great program. OTZMA even volunteered with this Ayalim back in September; we contributed to the building of a village in the middle of the desert. The dinner was delicious, everyone was nice, but it was so awkward. They mainly spoke Hebrew, which is only a natural habit. Imagine if you were with a group of friends (you speak English) and there were one or two others who didn’t speak your language. You naturally would carry on a conversation in English. OF course they talked to us and were very nice, it was just an awkward first meeting. A few of them invited us on a hike the next day.
We met them the next morning and walked straight into the desert. We were going to find this type of flower that blooms before the rain season. We saw 2 tiny yellow flowers and continued our hike! It was so beautiful once we climbed higher up. The hike took us around 3 hours to do, and once we got back to the village, they invited us to stay for lunch. I learned how to make sushi! The meal was with several others from the village, the food was delicious, and it wasn’t as awkward as the night before!
Last weekend Shauna and I traveled to Arad via one of the teachers we work with. She lives in Arad and we took her up on her gracious offer to go. We visited Arielle and Jason who are 2 other ITC’ers from OTZMA. We took a little tour of the town, cooked dinner and then grabbed a beer. The air so fresh in Arad and the clear night sky allowed me to see two shooting stars!! It was pretty chilly at night and while we were out, the clouds rolled in…on the town. It was so foggy we couldn’t see 20 feet on front of us! Luckily, Arielle and Jason live up on a hill so by the time we got back to their house we were out of the clouds and could see the stars again. The next day we all caught the bus to Beer Sheva. They were going into town to get some shopping done. There Shauna and I caught a bus to Tel Aviv. We went to Tel Aviv to see a friend, Rikki, who is leaving for the states soon.
This bus ride to Tel Aviv was the worst bus ride I have ever taken. First, we get to the station just in time to catch the bus to Tel Aviv; even though the bus driver closed the doors in front of me with Shauna inside. Somehow I got on, but since I was the last one on, there was not a single seat available! When this happens to people (which is more often than you think) they usually stand near the back door since there are steps there. This time there was already this man on the steps, so I was just awkwardly standing up in the isle. He seemed a little off but I didn’t pay too much attention to it. Then he spills his water in the isle (I didn’t see) and this nice soldier told me to move my bag because it would have gotten wet. Then I make eye contact with this odd man and he tells me to sit down, a spot near him…(this is all in Hebrew by the way) I know he was being nice, but I was still hesitant. Everyone around me is looking at me, I could tell exactly what they were thinking..Is she going to sit? Well, unfortunately I agree to sit. The bus ride is an hour and a half long and it was only the first 5 minutes. So I sat on the edge of the step to where I am basically still in the isle. Then I notice why this man seems odd. He is a smelly drunk. I could smell the alcohol on himself in addition to his bad odor. First thing he does is offer me a muffin. I politely refuse. Then he asks me maybe 4 times if I am alright. Then he starts talking to these ladies who are sitting right above us. They start joking around; some of it is funny, of what I could understand. Then he pulls out this liter coke bottle- not full of coke, full of Arack, a disgusting alcohol sold here in Israel. He takes a long swig and puts it back in his bag. He continues to talk to the women and to ask if I am alright. After an hour of uncomfortably sitting against a pole, I was given a sign (maybe by GD) to stand up. This drunken man pulls out the alcohol again, drinks from it, then proceeds to DROP IT. The alcohol of course spills ALL OVER ME. So I jump up and I am disgusted. It spilled all over the steps where we were sitting too. This got other people’s attention to what was going on…so that made it even more awkward. I wish I knew what to say to him because all he did was shrug at me! Ugh! So I stayed standing for the rest of the ride, there was no way I was getting back down there. The drunk then lies down in the middle of the isle and uses someone else’s bag as a pillow. People start laughing and taking pictures- Shauna has a video of this.
I was still in shock of this whole disastrous ride. I felt gross and smelled like alcohol. Then as we are waiting in line to have our bags checked to get into the bus station, this young man asks me for the time and then proceeds to tell me I have beautiful teeth and hit on me. Too much at once! It all just boggled my mind.
The rest of the day and night were great though. We met up with Rikki, her loving grandmother cooked up a delicious dinner, and we went out to a couple of bars at night and had some fun! The weather was perfect, and the company was great.
Her grandmother also cooked us breakfast that was called Jaknoon. I am positive I butchered the spelling, but it was a Yemenite breakfast consisting of this type of dough baked over night, so good. Then we went down to Yafo and walked around. It was extremely touristy but beautiful!
Once we got back Rikki and her family had to go to work, so Shauna and I left to go back to Yerucham. Now is another busy week of teaching and volunteering. Next week, we get to reunite with our fellow OTZMAnikim when we meet them for an education day!
Where to even start…
Yerucham is now home. It’s been about 2 weeks since we have moved down here. Feels longer though. Definitely a different change of pace here. So quiet. I think my body is still trying to adjust to the dry climate here. We are finally settled in our cozy little apartment. Shauna and I have found a new love for Fitness cereal, and sweets.
The day after we moved in we observed in the schools and ended up helping out a little bit. That following Sunday was the beginning of the full day, 5 days a week teaching in both schools- the public high school and the girls’ religious school.
In the secular high school, there are quite a few English classes we help out with. In some cases, we are trying to push the students to a higher level for the Bagrut- from what we were told this is an extremely important English test they HAVE to take. How well they do on these tests determines the type of army placement (since the army is mandated when they finish high school), and it determines where they can get into university after the army. It even puts a barrier on what kind of job they can get if they don’t do well on the test. Some of the students either don’t care or don’t understand how crucial this test is on their future. I have found that the older students tend to be calm and collected and will attempt their work-some of them. Others copy off other students and don’t try, and it only hurts them in the end. The younger students in 7th and 8th grade are wild and often out of control. They are always running around, screaming at other kids, sometimes the teacher. Of course there are those select few in every class that want to do their work and learn. It also doesn’t help that the times of these classes are at the end of the day where they have no more attention span. Most of these observations were in the first week. I think the students were kind of excited about having new people there. The second week is going a little better, behavior-wise. In some classes we split up in groups and it has really helped some of the struggling students. It makes us feel like we are needed here and it is a nice feeling to help. There is still hope! The teachers are more than helpful. I really enjoy working with all of the English teachers, and several of them are originally from the U.S.! It’s fun to hear their story of how they moved to Israel.
I also just started volunteering with the gymnastics here. It takes place in a basketball gym; the mats and equipment are either against the wall or pulled out from a side room. Resources appear to be limited. This was nothing like I had back in the states, but I saw that it still worked out well! Gymnastics takes place twice a week for 3 hours. Each hour a different group of kids come. The last hour the more advanced ones come and practice. There was one girl who just by looking at her you could tell she was a natural born gymnast. No one wears leotards, it is all casual clothing, and the little boys take off their kippas! There are stations for beam, vault, rings, trampoline, and a few other smaller things. The hardest part for me will be the language barrier. Luckily, I work with a couple of my students who I teach English to! It is funny how this is working out, I teach them English, they teach me Hebrew!
So far, living in Yerucham is working out well. There may not be a lot to do after our work, but maybe that is a good thing. We are able to concentrate on what we are here to do, volunteer in the community. We are getting to know the people and the neighborhood every day. Everyone has been more than helpful to our needs. It’s funny how many students I run into at the local supermarket. Several of the shops and cafes (if you would call them that) close from 1 to 4, like a siesta, and then open back up for a few more hours. They do this because everyone with a big job is working and they don’t get much business then.
The first weekend we were here Shauna and I were hosted by the student village, Ayalim, for Shabbat. The student village consists of young men and women who are done with the army and are now enrolled in school. They commute to school every day but they also live in a village they have built, and are still building, themselves. Ayalim is a group devoted to settling the Negev Desert. They are also involved in extra after school activities with the town. It is such a great program. OTZMA even volunteered with this Ayalim back in September; we contributed to the building of a village in the middle of the desert. The dinner was delicious, everyone was nice, but it was so awkward. They mainly spoke Hebrew, which is only a natural habit. Imagine if you were with a group of friends (you speak English) and there were one or two others who didn’t speak your language. You naturally would carry on a conversation in English. OF course they talked to us and were very nice, it was just an awkward first meeting. A few of them invited us on a hike the next day.
We met them the next morning and walked straight into the desert. We were going to find this type of flower that blooms before the rain season. We saw 2 tiny yellow flowers and continued our hike! It was so beautiful once we climbed higher up. The hike took us around 3 hours to do, and once we got back to the village, they invited us to stay for lunch. I learned how to make sushi! The meal was with several others from the village, the food was delicious, and it wasn’t as awkward as the night before!
Last weekend Shauna and I traveled to Arad via one of the teachers we work with. She lives in Arad and we took her up on her gracious offer to go. We visited Arielle and Jason who are 2 other ITC’ers from OTZMA. We took a little tour of the town, cooked dinner and then grabbed a beer. The air so fresh in Arad and the clear night sky allowed me to see two shooting stars!! It was pretty chilly at night and while we were out, the clouds rolled in…on the town. It was so foggy we couldn’t see 20 feet on front of us! Luckily, Arielle and Jason live up on a hill so by the time we got back to their house we were out of the clouds and could see the stars again. The next day we all caught the bus to Beer Sheva. They were going into town to get some shopping done. There Shauna and I caught a bus to Tel Aviv. We went to Tel Aviv to see a friend, Rikki, who is leaving for the states soon.
This bus ride to Tel Aviv was the worst bus ride I have ever taken. First, we get to the station just in time to catch the bus to Tel Aviv; even though the bus driver closed the doors in front of me with Shauna inside. Somehow I got on, but since I was the last one on, there was not a single seat available! When this happens to people (which is more often than you think) they usually stand near the back door since there are steps there. This time there was already this man on the steps, so I was just awkwardly standing up in the isle. He seemed a little off but I didn’t pay too much attention to it. Then he spills his water in the isle (I didn’t see) and this nice soldier told me to move my bag because it would have gotten wet. Then I make eye contact with this odd man and he tells me to sit down, a spot near him…(this is all in Hebrew by the way) I know he was being nice, but I was still hesitant. Everyone around me is looking at me, I could tell exactly what they were thinking..Is she going to sit? Well, unfortunately I agree to sit. The bus ride is an hour and a half long and it was only the first 5 minutes. So I sat on the edge of the step to where I am basically still in the isle. Then I notice why this man seems odd. He is a smelly drunk. I could smell the alcohol on himself in addition to his bad odor. First thing he does is offer me a muffin. I politely refuse. Then he asks me maybe 4 times if I am alright. Then he starts talking to these ladies who are sitting right above us. They start joking around; some of it is funny, of what I could understand. Then he pulls out this liter coke bottle- not full of coke, full of Arack, a disgusting alcohol sold here in Israel. He takes a long swig and puts it back in his bag. He continues to talk to the women and to ask if I am alright. After an hour of uncomfortably sitting against a pole, I was given a sign (maybe by GD) to stand up. This drunken man pulls out the alcohol again, drinks from it, then proceeds to DROP IT. The alcohol of course spills ALL OVER ME. So I jump up and I am disgusted. It spilled all over the steps where we were sitting too. This got other people’s attention to what was going on…so that made it even more awkward. I wish I knew what to say to him because all he did was shrug at me! Ugh! So I stayed standing for the rest of the ride, there was no way I was getting back down there. The drunk then lies down in the middle of the isle and uses someone else’s bag as a pillow. People start laughing and taking pictures- Shauna has a video of this.
I was still in shock of this whole disastrous ride. I felt gross and smelled like alcohol. Then as we are waiting in line to have our bags checked to get into the bus station, this young man asks me for the time and then proceeds to tell me I have beautiful teeth and hit on me. Too much at once! It all just boggled my mind.
The rest of the day and night were great though. We met up with Rikki, her loving grandmother cooked up a delicious dinner, and we went out to a couple of bars at night and had some fun! The weather was perfect, and the company was great.
Her grandmother also cooked us breakfast that was called Jaknoon. I am positive I butchered the spelling, but it was a Yemenite breakfast consisting of this type of dough baked over night, so good. Then we went down to Yafo and walked around. It was extremely touristy but beautiful!
Once we got back Rikki and her family had to go to work, so Shauna and I left to go back to Yerucham. Now is another busy week of teaching and volunteering. Next week, we get to reunite with our fellow OTZMAnikim when we meet them for an education day!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Current action
Keeping a currently updated blog was a little more difficult than I thought. I will attempt to backtrack and give you a brief description of what I have been up to! I wish I knew how to include pictures with all of these updates so you could see what I was talking about. Oh well.
10/27 Women’s Day in Ashkelon
Today most of the OTZMA girls volunteered at this event in Ashkelon called Women Go Far. We were split up: some walked with the women participating, encouraging them; the other groups met at the beach where the walk ended and help encourage the women in kickboxing, spinning, aerobics, etc. It was a lot of fun and it felt amazing to be a part of this event.
10/28 Run in Jerusalem
Jason and I traveled to Jerusalem for the day to participate in the first ever Susan G Komen 5k run for the Cure in Israel! It was the first event to take place in Israel. The founded of the Susan G Komen foundation, (Susan’s G Komen’s sister) was there! It was a fantastic turn out and I was amazed at all of the young Judea there supporting the cause. Jason and I were the only OTZMAnikim there but we ended up meeting up with our Madrich Noah, who told us about it. It seemed to be a little disorganized since it was the first event here. They didn’t acknowledge the individual runners like us. So we got stuck in the middle of nearly 30 different groups at the start. It took a little while to get to a place to where we could start running. But overall it was a great turn out and I was glad to be a part of it! When Jason and I tried to get back to the main street, of course we got lost. Once we found out where we needed to be everything was fine. At least now I can say I walked all over Jerusalem.
Inbetween this and now: I left Ashkelon to finally start the main program- teaching. All of us in Ashkelon had a going away party for us ITC'ers leaving the lovely absorption center. 2 of us moved to Arad and live in a house, 2 of us (Shauna and me) moved to Yerucham and live in an apartment. Definite step up from the absorption center I say. I do miss those in Ashkelon, I have met some pretty amazing people. Our last night we spent chilling on the beach, it was the perfect way to end it all.
FLASHFORWARD: 11/5/10
I am in Yerucham now. I moved 3 days ago and we are just about all settled in. Yerucham is a tiny town in the middle of the Negev Desert. There isn’t too much to do, well at least we haven’t found things to do yet. This is almost a good thing: fewer distractions from what I am actually supposed to be doing out here. I will begin teaching English on Sunday (oh yeah, if I haven’t told you before: the work week in Israel is Sunday through Thursday due to the Sabbath occurring on Friday night to Saturday night). So I will be volunteering in the local high school in various grades 7th through 12th. I have already met the teachers and some students and actually started helping out when we went to just observe. It is apparent that they need our help, so this feels right. We will also be working in the girls religious school twice a week. Along with teaching all week, we are supposed to do some volunteer work outside of the school so I am looking into helping out with the local gymnastics center! That would make me so happy to be back in that realm of my childhood. So now it’s the weekend, Shauna-my roommate- and I have made plans to be with the student village tonight for Shabbat dinner. I am excited to start meeting new people here.
More updates to come- Israeli politics education day which was a few days ago will take a while to write up!
10/27 Women’s Day in Ashkelon
Today most of the OTZMA girls volunteered at this event in Ashkelon called Women Go Far. We were split up: some walked with the women participating, encouraging them; the other groups met at the beach where the walk ended and help encourage the women in kickboxing, spinning, aerobics, etc. It was a lot of fun and it felt amazing to be a part of this event.
10/28 Run in Jerusalem
Jason and I traveled to Jerusalem for the day to participate in the first ever Susan G Komen 5k run for the Cure in Israel! It was the first event to take place in Israel. The founded of the Susan G Komen foundation, (Susan’s G Komen’s sister) was there! It was a fantastic turn out and I was amazed at all of the young Judea there supporting the cause. Jason and I were the only OTZMAnikim there but we ended up meeting up with our Madrich Noah, who told us about it. It seemed to be a little disorganized since it was the first event here. They didn’t acknowledge the individual runners like us. So we got stuck in the middle of nearly 30 different groups at the start. It took a little while to get to a place to where we could start running. But overall it was a great turn out and I was glad to be a part of it! When Jason and I tried to get back to the main street, of course we got lost. Once we found out where we needed to be everything was fine. At least now I can say I walked all over Jerusalem.
Inbetween this and now: I left Ashkelon to finally start the main program- teaching. All of us in Ashkelon had a going away party for us ITC'ers leaving the lovely absorption center. 2 of us moved to Arad and live in a house, 2 of us (Shauna and me) moved to Yerucham and live in an apartment. Definite step up from the absorption center I say. I do miss those in Ashkelon, I have met some pretty amazing people. Our last night we spent chilling on the beach, it was the perfect way to end it all.
FLASHFORWARD: 11/5/10
I am in Yerucham now. I moved 3 days ago and we are just about all settled in. Yerucham is a tiny town in the middle of the Negev Desert. There isn’t too much to do, well at least we haven’t found things to do yet. This is almost a good thing: fewer distractions from what I am actually supposed to be doing out here. I will begin teaching English on Sunday (oh yeah, if I haven’t told you before: the work week in Israel is Sunday through Thursday due to the Sabbath occurring on Friday night to Saturday night). So I will be volunteering in the local high school in various grades 7th through 12th. I have already met the teachers and some students and actually started helping out when we went to just observe. It is apparent that they need our help, so this feels right. We will also be working in the girls religious school twice a week. Along with teaching all week, we are supposed to do some volunteer work outside of the school so I am looking into helping out with the local gymnastics center! That would make me so happy to be back in that realm of my childhood. So now it’s the weekend, Shauna-my roommate- and I have made plans to be with the student village tonight for Shabbat dinner. I am excited to start meeting new people here.
More updates to come- Israeli politics education day which was a few days ago will take a while to write up!
City of GD- Open your eyes
10/26 City of G-d Education Day in the Old City
Closer to the end of the day there, this feeling overcame me. It was indescribable. Here we were, a group of JEWS, standing in the CHRISTIAN quarter of the Old City, listening to the MUSLIM call to prayer. This basically describes what our education day was about. We first started our day in the Muslim quarter of the Old City. The only part of the Old City I have been to is the Jewish quarter, so all of this was new to me. Our goal, with help from our tour guide, was to try to understand each culture and see its own beauty and how people live. The first thing we saw was the Temple Mount- or the Dome of the Rock- which is one of the holiest sites for Muslims. To many, this place was also known as the place where Adam and Eve were created; thus, the whole beginning. This area is currently controlled by Arabs and it was given to them under the condition that they don’t use violence. We saw man IDF soldiers patrolling. There was controversy getting into the Muslim quarter because of the way most of us women were dressed. We were all told to dress conservatively, which usually means cover our shoulders and legs. On a regular day- we would have been fine. But today- those of us wearing t-shirts, non-high neck collars, and skirts to our knees were told we were not dressed appropriately. Luckily, Erika’s husband was able to get a hold of scarves for us to cover ourselves. On a side note- before this education day, we were told not to wear any religious clothing or religious jewelry. Still, I think it was obvious that we were a group of Jews.
After being rushed through the Muslim quarter (there are only certain hours of visitation) we toured the Jewish quarter. Of course this included the Kotel. Now I have made my journey to the Kotel several times now, this time specifically, I didn’t go up to the wall. I want to make each time I go up to the wall special and with purpose. Today’s time at the wall was for anyone to go if they wanted- mainly because we had extra time. For me, I didn’t want to just go because we had extra time. I don’t want it to lose its special touch.
Our tour guide grew up in the Old City and was even gracious enough to take us to his father’s house and go up on the roof which overlooks all of the Old City! It was an amazing view. We ate lunch next to a school and watched some young religious boys that were full of energy play futbol. Then we made our way to the Christian quarter.
When we first entered the Christian quarter, we were waiting for the group to catch up to each other to go into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I didn’t realize that this site was THE holiest place for over a billion people around the world. There were people there from all over the world, and to them, they had finally journey to this sacred place. This is an important Christian pilgrimage site to billions. To them, this place was where Jesus was said to be crucified as well as buried. It is also said that Adam (Adam and Eve) was buried here. Out of respect of the people there along with the location, our tour guide spoke from a Christian’s point of view to help us see from a different perspective. He shared a story of when Jesus was crucified; it was over the area where Adam’s skull was buried. A drop of his blood touched the skull of Adam and Adam came back to life. It was the idea of the man of no sins touching a man who was the first ever to sin.
The whole place was packed with people; lines waiting to see where Jesus was crucified and buried. I thought it was amazing to see how special this was for people. Just like how special it was for me when I first made it to the Kotel. I was so overcome with emotion; it was that moment that I decided I wanted to reconnect to my religion. And now I am back. Even though I felt no connection to this certain place in the Christian quarter, I knew that what I felt for the Kotel, these people felt towards this site. Both connected by religion, I can only respect their beliefs and watch them enjoy the fact that they have made their journey to such a sacred place.
The last of our journey was the top of the Mount of Olives. I had always seen this from far away..deep inside the Old City, and I was finally there! It is a mountain side named after the olive trees that once covered its hillside but now it is covered by thousands of grave stones. Jews have been buried here ever since the beginning of time, including very important people from all historical time periods. It is considered the holiest cemetery.
Today opened my eyes to different sides of the cultures I THOUGHT I knew. I have a newfound respect for other religions and cultures- not that I didn’t before. I just feel more knowledgeable about them. I didn’t realize how diverse the Old City of Jerusalem actually was. It is the holy city for several religions. It is amazing how much history it has. Although Israel is a Jewish state and Jews are the majority here, in the world we are still a minority. The Old City may be located in a Jewish state, but I love that it coexists with other religions and that it has allowed for others to consider it their holy place too.
Closer to the end of the day there, this feeling overcame me. It was indescribable. Here we were, a group of JEWS, standing in the CHRISTIAN quarter of the Old City, listening to the MUSLIM call to prayer. This basically describes what our education day was about. We first started our day in the Muslim quarter of the Old City. The only part of the Old City I have been to is the Jewish quarter, so all of this was new to me. Our goal, with help from our tour guide, was to try to understand each culture and see its own beauty and how people live. The first thing we saw was the Temple Mount- or the Dome of the Rock- which is one of the holiest sites for Muslims. To many, this place was also known as the place where Adam and Eve were created; thus, the whole beginning. This area is currently controlled by Arabs and it was given to them under the condition that they don’t use violence. We saw man IDF soldiers patrolling. There was controversy getting into the Muslim quarter because of the way most of us women were dressed. We were all told to dress conservatively, which usually means cover our shoulders and legs. On a regular day- we would have been fine. But today- those of us wearing t-shirts, non-high neck collars, and skirts to our knees were told we were not dressed appropriately. Luckily, Erika’s husband was able to get a hold of scarves for us to cover ourselves. On a side note- before this education day, we were told not to wear any religious clothing or religious jewelry. Still, I think it was obvious that we were a group of Jews.
After being rushed through the Muslim quarter (there are only certain hours of visitation) we toured the Jewish quarter. Of course this included the Kotel. Now I have made my journey to the Kotel several times now, this time specifically, I didn’t go up to the wall. I want to make each time I go up to the wall special and with purpose. Today’s time at the wall was for anyone to go if they wanted- mainly because we had extra time. For me, I didn’t want to just go because we had extra time. I don’t want it to lose its special touch.
Our tour guide grew up in the Old City and was even gracious enough to take us to his father’s house and go up on the roof which overlooks all of the Old City! It was an amazing view. We ate lunch next to a school and watched some young religious boys that were full of energy play futbol. Then we made our way to the Christian quarter.
When we first entered the Christian quarter, we were waiting for the group to catch up to each other to go into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I didn’t realize that this site was THE holiest place for over a billion people around the world. There were people there from all over the world, and to them, they had finally journey to this sacred place. This is an important Christian pilgrimage site to billions. To them, this place was where Jesus was said to be crucified as well as buried. It is also said that Adam (Adam and Eve) was buried here. Out of respect of the people there along with the location, our tour guide spoke from a Christian’s point of view to help us see from a different perspective. He shared a story of when Jesus was crucified; it was over the area where Adam’s skull was buried. A drop of his blood touched the skull of Adam and Adam came back to life. It was the idea of the man of no sins touching a man who was the first ever to sin.
The whole place was packed with people; lines waiting to see where Jesus was crucified and buried. I thought it was amazing to see how special this was for people. Just like how special it was for me when I first made it to the Kotel. I was so overcome with emotion; it was that moment that I decided I wanted to reconnect to my religion. And now I am back. Even though I felt no connection to this certain place in the Christian quarter, I knew that what I felt for the Kotel, these people felt towards this site. Both connected by religion, I can only respect their beliefs and watch them enjoy the fact that they have made their journey to such a sacred place.
The last of our journey was the top of the Mount of Olives. I had always seen this from far away..deep inside the Old City, and I was finally there! It is a mountain side named after the olive trees that once covered its hillside but now it is covered by thousands of grave stones. Jews have been buried here ever since the beginning of time, including very important people from all historical time periods. It is considered the holiest cemetery.
Today opened my eyes to different sides of the cultures I THOUGHT I knew. I have a newfound respect for other religions and cultures- not that I didn’t before. I just feel more knowledgeable about them. I didn’t realize how diverse the Old City of Jerusalem actually was. It is the holy city for several religions. It is amazing how much history it has. Although Israel is a Jewish state and Jews are the majority here, in the world we are still a minority. The Old City may be located in a Jewish state, but I love that it coexists with other religions and that it has allowed for others to consider it their holy place too.
Various Education Days and such
10/11/10 was Communities in the Negev Education Day
We visited Be’er Sheva, an elementary school in a Bedouin Village, had lunch in Yerucham’s park, Ben-Gurion’s home in the desert, Sde Boker, and then a goat farm. In each location we learned many interesting facts that all related back to how the Negev was settled.
In places like Be’er Sheva and Yerucham, pioneers came there to settle and build a community. People like David Ben-Gurion wanted to populate the Negev so he worked extremely hard on promoting it. As for the Bedouin Village, this particular one was home to 6,000 Bedouins. Out of all of the villages in Israel, only 7 villages out of 50 villages are recognized. A current issue for the Bedouins is that it is difficult to maintain their traditional ways due to the ever-changing Western culture becoming a part of their lifestyle.
At the goat farm, smack dab in the middle of the desert, we experienced the milking process, learned some history, and even got to taste some goat cheese.
Many people think negatively of the Negev, but from this educational day, we could see that there are many who are dedicated to improving the Negev.
10/18 was Environmental Education Day
The day started out on the campus of an agricultural university in Rehovot. This day was packed with information about the environment all around the world and of course an emphasis on Israel. At the university, we met 3 researcher/scientists/professors who discussed the topic of biological control. This process deals with using living organisms to restrain pest organisms so there is no environmental damage.
The next location was called Better Place. This is where they have created their first electric car. These cars use rechargeable batteries, and they make no noise. Better Place stated that towards the end of 2011 the cars will be launched in Israel and Denmark. Let’s see what happens! And of course with us being there we ALL test drove the cars! That was my first time driving in Israel.
After Better Place we traveled to a garbage waste dump and a closed landfill. There is an environmental education facility there where we stayed for the rest of the day and discussed the environment and also how Judaism played a part in the environment. The building we were in was created out of all recyclable materials and everything we ate with was made out of recycled material.
The landfill is closed because there is a plan to create a 2,00 acre park: Ariel Sharon Park will take its place, aiming to open in 2012. Its plan is to be one of the most environmentally-friendly parks in the world. Most of the area will be made of recyclable material and there will be recyclable water.
Israelis do not seem to be as caught up on recycling, and environmentally friendly habits, but some hope to believe that in a few years, Israel will be like the rest of the world.
10/24 Howard County Mission visit
Sunday, which is typically a day full of Ulpan and volunteering with tutoring English, was filled with 60+ couples from Howard County or Baltimore, Maryland. Since Ashkelon is Baltimore’s partnership city, through Jewish Federations Partnership 2000. This group came to experience a day in the life of OTZMA. Ulpan was cut short to have the groups interact with us, they got a little taste of what we learned. Then we were all individually paired up with a couple and they graciously took us out to lunch. I got to know my couple well, they were so sweet! Then the group split up to attend different volunteer groups. We had a couple of them come to Emunah (English tutoring) and we had an activity planned and interacted with the girls. We taught them about Halloween!
My roommates Lauren and Ellen have been running around Ashkelon a lot at night. The weather feels nice and we run right next to the beach. I found this 3.5 mile loop that we managed to complete! I am going to miss running with them in Ashkelon.
There is something about running by the ocean at night with the cool breeze, clear sky, fresh air that just clears my head of any doubt or worry that I have.
We visited Be’er Sheva, an elementary school in a Bedouin Village, had lunch in Yerucham’s park, Ben-Gurion’s home in the desert, Sde Boker, and then a goat farm. In each location we learned many interesting facts that all related back to how the Negev was settled.
In places like Be’er Sheva and Yerucham, pioneers came there to settle and build a community. People like David Ben-Gurion wanted to populate the Negev so he worked extremely hard on promoting it. As for the Bedouin Village, this particular one was home to 6,000 Bedouins. Out of all of the villages in Israel, only 7 villages out of 50 villages are recognized. A current issue for the Bedouins is that it is difficult to maintain their traditional ways due to the ever-changing Western culture becoming a part of their lifestyle.
At the goat farm, smack dab in the middle of the desert, we experienced the milking process, learned some history, and even got to taste some goat cheese.
Many people think negatively of the Negev, but from this educational day, we could see that there are many who are dedicated to improving the Negev.
10/18 was Environmental Education Day
The day started out on the campus of an agricultural university in Rehovot. This day was packed with information about the environment all around the world and of course an emphasis on Israel. At the university, we met 3 researcher/scientists/professors who discussed the topic of biological control. This process deals with using living organisms to restrain pest organisms so there is no environmental damage.
The next location was called Better Place. This is where they have created their first electric car. These cars use rechargeable batteries, and they make no noise. Better Place stated that towards the end of 2011 the cars will be launched in Israel and Denmark. Let’s see what happens! And of course with us being there we ALL test drove the cars! That was my first time driving in Israel.
After Better Place we traveled to a garbage waste dump and a closed landfill. There is an environmental education facility there where we stayed for the rest of the day and discussed the environment and also how Judaism played a part in the environment. The building we were in was created out of all recyclable materials and everything we ate with was made out of recycled material.
The landfill is closed because there is a plan to create a 2,00 acre park: Ariel Sharon Park will take its place, aiming to open in 2012. Its plan is to be one of the most environmentally-friendly parks in the world. Most of the area will be made of recyclable material and there will be recyclable water.
Israelis do not seem to be as caught up on recycling, and environmentally friendly habits, but some hope to believe that in a few years, Israel will be like the rest of the world.
10/24 Howard County Mission visit
Sunday, which is typically a day full of Ulpan and volunteering with tutoring English, was filled with 60+ couples from Howard County or Baltimore, Maryland. Since Ashkelon is Baltimore’s partnership city, through Jewish Federations Partnership 2000. This group came to experience a day in the life of OTZMA. Ulpan was cut short to have the groups interact with us, they got a little taste of what we learned. Then we were all individually paired up with a couple and they graciously took us out to lunch. I got to know my couple well, they were so sweet! Then the group split up to attend different volunteer groups. We had a couple of them come to Emunah (English tutoring) and we had an activity planned and interacted with the girls. We taught them about Halloween!
My roommates Lauren and Ellen have been running around Ashkelon a lot at night. The weather feels nice and we run right next to the beach. I found this 3.5 mile loop that we managed to complete! I am going to miss running with them in Ashkelon.
There is something about running by the ocean at night with the cool breeze, clear sky, fresh air that just clears my head of any doubt or worry that I have.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Cats in Israel are like squirrels in the U.S.
Truth: Cats in Israel are like squirrels in the U.S.
They are everywhere. Some are crazy. We have even had some wander into our room when we leave the door open...on the 5th floor.
So, my plans have changed. Instead of residing in Ashqelon for all 10 months, I am moving to a little city in the middle of the Negev desert called Yeruham. Yeruham is still a developing city- since I have never been there, I don't know much about it. I decided to go visit it last weekend to get a glimpse of where I will be living. I leave in 3 weeks and will actually begin teaching English.
The trek to Yeruham involved 2 buses...2 non-direct buses. First I take a bus from Ashqelon to Be'er Sheva- a big city in the Negev Desert. It is where Israelis go to university, most are post-army. Many know it as a college town. The bus to Be'er Sheva takes about an hour and half because the only bus with the direct route comes maybe once a day, and I don't have time to wait around. Once we get to the Be'er Sheva bus station, we wait for the bus that goes to Yeruham. While we are waiting ( I am with Shauna) we convince ourselves we want ice cafe and a chocolate croissant. This chocolate croissant was the best croissant I have EVER had, so far at least. Weird to think I found it at a bus station in the desert. This may have been the best bus station ever- the best chocolate croissant AND so.many.Israeli.soldiers. in transit. It was a good sight to see :)
Once we get to Yeruham, we meet up with the family that offered to host us for Shabbat. They were a beautiful orthodox family of 6; 2 boys and 2 girls all under the age of 5 years old. The house was small and welcoming. The mother, Alona, was in the middle of cooking for the Sabbath. As she cooked and prepared, we watched. Then it was time to pick up the children from school. Alona strapped in her youngest and we walked across the neighborhood to a local Kindergarten, there we picked up her second youngest. The rest of the family- dad and two other children met up with us by the school and we all walked home together. The children immediately began playing and Alona went back to preparing for Shabbat. To give the children something to do, Alona had them help make the Challah. Shauna and I joined in as well. We watched Alona braid the Challah in these small quick braids and we were amazed. That was talent. And the bread turned out to be the best Challah I have ever tasted. It was baked just right.
Shauna and I went for a walk to get of the way for a while and to see the city before everything closed down for Shabbat.
Once we got back it was time to get ready for services. Just as the sun was starting to set, Alona lit the Shabbat candles and brought Shabbat upon herself. From then on out she was not to do any work for the rest of the Sabbath. The family told us we would be attending services that evening at the Yeshiva the husband teaches at. It was a walk across town, and once we arrived- the men of the Yeshiva were on top of a small mountain. It's called davening (to pray) ma'ariv (from nightfall). The men of the Yeshiva were welcoming in the Sabbath, in a way I have never seen before. It was absolutely beautiful: the sun was setting behind them, and looking at them up on the mountain as they became silhouettes singing and praying..I wanted to paint that picture!! Maybe I will?
Since it was at a yeshiva, the crowd there was mainly men, and the women and children hung out in the lobby. The families were so young! One woman we met said you will either see a woman just after birth or pregnant. There was an upstairs area for the women for services but the majority stayed in the lobby socializing while keeping an eye on their children.
Once services were completed, we all walked back to the house for Shabbat dinner. The father of the family recited the prayers and blessings, definitely a traditional family. I was glad to experience it because I never really had anything close to this back home. After we stuffed ourselves with delicious food, we sat and talked with the family and guests for awhile. The kids were falling asleep one by one. Shauna and I were feeling so full that we decided to go on a walk.
The walk was nice. It was so peaceful and quiet in this city compared to Ashqelon. No one was driving, other people were walking around, the sky was black and the stars were out. It was also a bit colder at night, but refreshing. The desert air felt fresh. We really wanted to see the stars but the town was so lit up with street lights it was hard to "find darkness at night." We laughed at that expression.
Throughout the night I kept hearing this toy go off. At first I thought it was coming from the childrens room, but then I realized it was coming from somewhere near the bed I was in. I looked but didn't find anything. I shifted to the other side of the bed so I wouldn't keep setting it off. It was so weird I couldn't find where it was coming from. The next day Alona was in the room and heard it go off. I told her I couldn't find where the noise was coming from and she just laughed. She opened up the bed, and took out the toy. The bed was also a drawer full of toys. Go figure.
Shauna and I slept in a little and caught the end of the morning Shabbat service at a closer synagogue. Since Shauna had been there once before, we mingled with some of the nice people she had met previously. We also met a young girl who lived in Yeruham 2 years ago. She did a similar program with teaching English and was telling us some stories and giving us useful information. Lunch time. More food. So full: big food baby. Took a nap :)
In the evening, they say Shabbat is over once the first 3 stars appear in the sky. Then the family recites the Havdalah which brings an end to Shabbat. They use these beautifully twisted candles and all of the lights are shut off.
So this was my first Shabbat I have ever kept. I turned off my phone, no computer, no shower, no ripping toilet paper, no turning on or off the lights, etc. The whole experience- the town, keeping Shabbat, Orthodox living and Orthodox synagogues- was a nice change of pace. It gave everything a unique perspective. This family was so giving and welcoming. They took us in while they have so much on their hands pertaining to their children and routines and responsibilities. Again, it puts my life into perspective. For so long I have been wanting to reconnect to my religion. It was hard keeping up with it back home. But now with all of these new experiences along with living in Israel, I have a want to stay connected in some way. Maybe living in Yeruham will help. I guess we shall see! Hello to the unknown.
They are everywhere. Some are crazy. We have even had some wander into our room when we leave the door open...on the 5th floor.
So, my plans have changed. Instead of residing in Ashqelon for all 10 months, I am moving to a little city in the middle of the Negev desert called Yeruham. Yeruham is still a developing city- since I have never been there, I don't know much about it. I decided to go visit it last weekend to get a glimpse of where I will be living. I leave in 3 weeks and will actually begin teaching English.
The trek to Yeruham involved 2 buses...2 non-direct buses. First I take a bus from Ashqelon to Be'er Sheva- a big city in the Negev Desert. It is where Israelis go to university, most are post-army. Many know it as a college town. The bus to Be'er Sheva takes about an hour and half because the only bus with the direct route comes maybe once a day, and I don't have time to wait around. Once we get to the Be'er Sheva bus station, we wait for the bus that goes to Yeruham. While we are waiting ( I am with Shauna) we convince ourselves we want ice cafe and a chocolate croissant. This chocolate croissant was the best croissant I have EVER had, so far at least. Weird to think I found it at a bus station in the desert. This may have been the best bus station ever- the best chocolate croissant AND so.many.Israeli.soldiers. in transit. It was a good sight to see :)
Once we get to Yeruham, we meet up with the family that offered to host us for Shabbat. They were a beautiful orthodox family of 6; 2 boys and 2 girls all under the age of 5 years old. The house was small and welcoming. The mother, Alona, was in the middle of cooking for the Sabbath. As she cooked and prepared, we watched. Then it was time to pick up the children from school. Alona strapped in her youngest and we walked across the neighborhood to a local Kindergarten, there we picked up her second youngest. The rest of the family- dad and two other children met up with us by the school and we all walked home together. The children immediately began playing and Alona went back to preparing for Shabbat. To give the children something to do, Alona had them help make the Challah. Shauna and I joined in as well. We watched Alona braid the Challah in these small quick braids and we were amazed. That was talent. And the bread turned out to be the best Challah I have ever tasted. It was baked just right.
Shauna and I went for a walk to get of the way for a while and to see the city before everything closed down for Shabbat.
Once we got back it was time to get ready for services. Just as the sun was starting to set, Alona lit the Shabbat candles and brought Shabbat upon herself. From then on out she was not to do any work for the rest of the Sabbath. The family told us we would be attending services that evening at the Yeshiva the husband teaches at. It was a walk across town, and once we arrived- the men of the Yeshiva were on top of a small mountain. It's called davening (to pray) ma'ariv (from nightfall). The men of the Yeshiva were welcoming in the Sabbath, in a way I have never seen before. It was absolutely beautiful: the sun was setting behind them, and looking at them up on the mountain as they became silhouettes singing and praying..I wanted to paint that picture!! Maybe I will?
Since it was at a yeshiva, the crowd there was mainly men, and the women and children hung out in the lobby. The families were so young! One woman we met said you will either see a woman just after birth or pregnant. There was an upstairs area for the women for services but the majority stayed in the lobby socializing while keeping an eye on their children.
Once services were completed, we all walked back to the house for Shabbat dinner. The father of the family recited the prayers and blessings, definitely a traditional family. I was glad to experience it because I never really had anything close to this back home. After we stuffed ourselves with delicious food, we sat and talked with the family and guests for awhile. The kids were falling asleep one by one. Shauna and I were feeling so full that we decided to go on a walk.
The walk was nice. It was so peaceful and quiet in this city compared to Ashqelon. No one was driving, other people were walking around, the sky was black and the stars were out. It was also a bit colder at night, but refreshing. The desert air felt fresh. We really wanted to see the stars but the town was so lit up with street lights it was hard to "find darkness at night." We laughed at that expression.
Throughout the night I kept hearing this toy go off. At first I thought it was coming from the childrens room, but then I realized it was coming from somewhere near the bed I was in. I looked but didn't find anything. I shifted to the other side of the bed so I wouldn't keep setting it off. It was so weird I couldn't find where it was coming from. The next day Alona was in the room and heard it go off. I told her I couldn't find where the noise was coming from and she just laughed. She opened up the bed, and took out the toy. The bed was also a drawer full of toys. Go figure.
Shauna and I slept in a little and caught the end of the morning Shabbat service at a closer synagogue. Since Shauna had been there once before, we mingled with some of the nice people she had met previously. We also met a young girl who lived in Yeruham 2 years ago. She did a similar program with teaching English and was telling us some stories and giving us useful information. Lunch time. More food. So full: big food baby. Took a nap :)
In the evening, they say Shabbat is over once the first 3 stars appear in the sky. Then the family recites the Havdalah which brings an end to Shabbat. They use these beautifully twisted candles and all of the lights are shut off.
So this was my first Shabbat I have ever kept. I turned off my phone, no computer, no shower, no ripping toilet paper, no turning on or off the lights, etc. The whole experience- the town, keeping Shabbat, Orthodox living and Orthodox synagogues- was a nice change of pace. It gave everything a unique perspective. This family was so giving and welcoming. They took us in while they have so much on their hands pertaining to their children and routines and responsibilities. Again, it puts my life into perspective. For so long I have been wanting to reconnect to my religion. It was hard keeping up with it back home. But now with all of these new experiences along with living in Israel, I have a want to stay connected in some way. Maybe living in Yeruham will help. I guess we shall see! Hello to the unknown.
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