There was a story I used to like about a mouse who was supposed to be gathering food for the winter but instead he just wanted to soak up the colors, smells, tastes, sounds, and feelings of the summer months. His name is Frederick. I think.
The point is, I am Frederick. For my last week in Jerusalem, I have been doing my very very best to soak up everything about Israel that I possibly can. All of the sights and sounds of the city, the warmth of the people I’ve met here, the love from my friends on Nativ. Every Shabbat song has been stored in my memory for another time, every morsel of kosher chicken has been savored.
Another thing I’ve been stocking up on is...happiness! I am going to need a lot of it in the coming days/weeks/months, as tonight was an indicator of. On Thursday, David (Meir’s brother) proposed on a mountaintop at sunrise to his girlfriend and one of my favorite people in the world, Yael, so the joy has been overflowing on the romance front recently (we have seen the happy couple quite a bit). Also, there was a BRIS! at shul this morning. I went to Yakar for my last time this year and loved it as always, only this time, at the end, there was a bris! It was so great. I was there with Cori and Becca and we all started crying when the dad was saying the blessings and started tearing up. It was all so amazing and special. The collective joy of the community was unlike anything in America-simchas here are most definitely not by invitation only. I loved it.
In that same vein, I will say that everything here is more intense. That is what I have learned. The happiness, the sadness, the anger, the flavors, the colors, the views, the hikes, the fierce love of family, community, children. It is especially incredible to watch the way Israelis deal with their kids, because children are everything. They are the key to the survival of the Jewish people and they treat them as such. There is no holding back in this society and the feelings overflow. So so so different than the waspy society I am about to return home to, even the Jews are waspy, let’s be honest. There’s no “pc” in Israel, and such such different views on etiquette and manners. I will miss the honesty, boldness, and passion of the Israeli people.
I just finished dinner with my 14 best girlfriends on Nativ at Japanika. It was delicious and perfect. I love my friends.
Now I am off to celebrate my last night in Israel. I can’t bear to think about it, so I am just going to try to make the most of it.
This is beautiful but so sad (but SO excited about David and Yael!). I'll be at Beth El on Shabbat if you're there and need to commiserate about how everything in America sucks and is confusing.
ReplyDelete-Traci
Jordana, I think if you look, you will find many people here that live with that kind of intensity. It is just that it is restrained when not with others with similar personalities. If that is what you like, those are the kind of people you will find yourself with, so... it's all good. One of the nice things about this Country is that it is so big, that you can always find a niche that is comfortable for you.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the community goes (i.e. the community celebration of the bris), there are communities like that here. You know that I have a TBE background, and am very found of it, but when I was there, I found it a bit inpersonal. The shul I go to now is smaller and not as fancy as TBE, but I have to say, it has more of a community feel. There are brises in shul, and the whole congregation comes to kiddush lunch on shabbat, and it truly is a community.
You have had the great opportunity to see a whole different world this year, and experience all new things. Now, come home and help to make your vision of community real.
I spoke to your Mom yesterday, and she told me you will be in LA for wheels. Let me know when you will be here and I will drive up with Arielle if we are free. She gets back from Camp Ramah July 22 and have a Bat Mitzvah that weekend.
Cathy