That's Just the Way We Get Down in Tel Aviv

Thursday was a fun day at school because I have my favorite students in each class on Sunday and we got out a little early and we played bananagrams in Karen's class. Then a whole crew boarded a bus to Beer Sheva and then on to Tel Aviv. We taxied to our APARTMENT which was a top floor/balcony included/spiral staircase/view of the beach fun zone!!! I went out with some boys to search for some food and drank and then when I got back the kibbutz people had arrived and the party began. I watched the first half of Prince of Egypt with Meir and then we all got ready for a night on the town. We walked to the Port and tried to get into a lot of clubs meant for people older than us and finally we found a club that would give us a private room and everyone was very excited.

The next day, we slept in, lounged, relaxed, chilled out, noshed a little, and finally dressed for the day. We walked though Tel Aviv, which really grew on me this time, on cool shopping streets and to a place where Aaron got dreds. Rachel actually also got one dred, which is really cool. The dredding process was taking a long time though, so Josh and Meir and I found the beach and we found our friends who were on the beach and then we went in the water and swam to the rocks and had some adventures.

We had Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv on the balcony which was a really beautiful and spiritual experience. Then we had really bad, cold pizza which was not. Then we rested some more and headed to the beach for some circle time by the water. Classic. I slept outside on the balcony on Friday night until I woke up and realized I was really cold and the tile was painful. It was gorgeous under the stars though.

Saturday morning was another lazy wake up, and then after brunch we headed to the beach again. There were books to be read (I don't think I ever blogged about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, which was excellent, or my failed attempt at reading short stories by JD Salinger which failed because the stories were just too weird even for me); now I'm reading Snuff by the same author as Fight Club and it's totally messed up but a really good read. It's about an aging porn star trying to make a comeback and I wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart. But very a very interesting social commentary, nonetheless.

Shabbat wrapped up around 8 and we got on a bus headed home. It was great to be back in Yerucham, back on a bed (the floor can only be comfy for so long) and back to routine. Today at work was great--I got out a little early, had good students, and even got through to one of the students written off as hopeless.

After work, the stress began. I am on three Nativ Va'adot (committees) responsible for planning Holocaust Remembrance, Color War, and Yearbook. These are intense jobs! The delegation and time management went to shit on the first two already, and I ended up picking up the slack with a few people. In between planning programs, making handouts, and sending innumerable emails, I also went grocery shopping, made dinner, washed my face, and took my vitamins. I know because I made a to-do list.

Also I think I got stung by a little jellyfish in Tel Aviv. I will read up on this on some internet medical site and report back later.

The Yom HaShoah program was a success tonight, although it was long. We lit candles (I lit mine for righteous gentiles-you can read the quote by Anne Frank at the end of this post), shared personal stories or connections, discussed different media expressions of the Holocaust (Adon Olam Ad Matai-a hip hop song by Subliminal, The Pianist, Maus by Art Spiegelmann, Night by Elie Wiesel, Jew Digging His Own Grave by Naftali Bezem, Falling Leaves by Menashe Kadishman), which, as a va'ad member, I selected for the program. Finally, we heard some words from Elkana, wise and sensitive as always, and then concluded with some prayers. I stayed on for maariv with some people because they were short for a minyan and then I came home and wrote this blog. Good night, and remember the Holocaust tomorrow.

"The best example of this is our own helpers, who have managed to pull us through so far and will hopefully bring us safely to shore, because otherwise they'll find themselves sharing the fate of those they're trying to protect. Never have they uttered a single word about the burden we must be, never have they complained that we're too much trouble. They come upstairs every day and talk to the men about business and politics, to the women about food and wartime difficulties and to the children about books and newspapers. They put on their most cheerful expressions, bring flowers and gifts for birthdays and holidays and are always ready to do what they can. That's something we should never forget; while others display their heroism in battle or against the Germans, our helpers prove theirs every day by their good spirits and affection."
from The Diary of Anne Frank, entry of Jan. 28, 1944