I am becoming a m'lafafon, and other news

I am actually turning into a cucumber. I eat m'lafafonim with every. single. meal. And, my nose is conveniently located at the exact height of the armpits of people holding onto the ceiling bars on the city buses.

In other news, life is great!! I have a lot of school work and class time these days, so I've been doing less blogging and more homework. Monday I had a big day of davening, school from 8-6, and the girls' football game! We have a big team and I am not one of the starring players so I didn't play for long, but it was really fun to cheer and run around and I love the team!

On Tuesday, I did homework during the day and then we had an evening program. Rabbi Artsin came to speak with us about God and it BLEW MY MIND! He has a really interesting view of God, and I felt like that's what I've thought all along I just haven't been able to verbalize. Basically, this is the premise: he rejects the Greek notion that God is all powerful (it's a moot point anyway, because can God create something he can't lift? WOW!), all knowing (it would mean that we wouldn't actually have free will), and outside of time and space. He argues that God is a local force, within us, around us, etc. He did a lot of comparing his relationship with God to his relationship with his wife and daughter, about love and creating meaning. He talked about the commandments, and how mitzvah means "connection" in Aramaic, which suits his argument well. It's great to think about the commandment to pray and keep kosher as a means to connection with God. I was just sooooo happy about this talk-I really want to read a book by him!

Wednesday was another long, long day of school. Everything was really interesting though, although once the sun goes down in Israeli Politics and Society, I am a goner. After school, I ditched my scheduled activities and went out to dinner with nine of my girlfriends and Ariella's mom. It was a beautiful evening, and the restaurant was so cute and cozy. It was covered from top to bottom with books and everything was delicious. When I got home, I finished my freshman writing homework (in case you don't check facebook, my freshman writing teacher-a stickler on spelling and homonyms-sent me an email saying I have a week argument in my outline) begrudgingly and went to bed.

Thursday was a glorious day. Freshman writing was funny because it was so pointless so we just goofed off, although I missed Brian's company (he went to Jordan with his mom!). After freshman writing, we peaced outttt of Hebrew U and I began the planning process for THE ADINA ALLEN BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!! I went to Elkana (the logistics coordinator for Nativ) to get suggestions for classy bars, since we usually go to mad sketchy places. He recommended a few places, so I went on a walk by myself to scope out the scene. My walk ended up taking me all over Jerusalem, and I wandered in and out of the Russian compound, past an exact replica of a Florentine tower, along the walls of the Old City, through religious neighborhoods, and all different places that I always see from the bus but never actually investigate. It was cool and sunny, and I had my iPod, and I was totally in my element.

When I got home, I napped a little bit and sewed up a muscle shirt for Adam. I was really proud of my handiwork and it looked so good! Everyone had dinner at home and then we went to watch the boys play basketball. It was really rainy and coldish but I was with Emily (she went on Nativ last year and came back to study here and now we are bffls) and we stayed for two exciting games. Then we went back home and got ready for the d-boat!!

The night began with a visit to an ice cream/waffle bar with Adina, Debbie, Rachel, Ariella, and Seffi, and I treated myself to a glass bottle coke that I had been craving. Razie, Max, Jonny, and Jesse joined us afterward and together we went to the bars I had scoped out earlier in the day. The bars hated life though and decided to be only for over 24 year olds; some nicer bars do this to avoid the gap-year customers and the soldiers. So then we were purposeless for a moment, until someone suggested Sideways and we headed there.

Sideways was a good call, because it was off the strip by just enough that there was room for all of us and a significantly lower chance of getting raped or cut by flying glass bottles. Sideways was very hospitable to our birthday girl, and all of Nativ turned out for the celebration! We took over the whole street. It suddenly began pouring and we all huddled under the awnings (some people danced in the streets and I would normally be one of them...but the night was so young and I didn't want to ruin my hair).

From the awnings, we migrated to the bar strip and hung around. I went into a bar to dance for a little while, and that was fun, but the night was already winding down. There were lots of party pictures to be taken, so I made that my job. I was Adina's personal paparazzi because it was her birthday, so I followed her around and made everyone take pretty pics with her. I did a good job.

Today started late-around noon. I had lunch at home, ran around in the rain, put on a slicker, and went to the supermarket across the street to buy snacks for Shabbat. I am going to try to stay more on top of blogging from now on! I know you missed me....

The Good Life

The past few days have encompassed everything I love about being in Israel, being Jewish, and being young. So for those who claim that youth is wasted on the young, or whatever that saying is, know that I am fully cognizant of my good fortune and take nothing for granted.

Thursday night after my last post, I walked to a medical clinic with Shira and Rachel to get our flu shots. The clinic is all for Americans, and the people all speak great English, and it is very clean and nice. The flu shot was not so nice, however, and for the past few days is has been swollen, red, hot, and painful on my left arm. Oh well though, it's better than the flu.

I walked home with a different Rachel, and Gabe and Michael (it's weird to call some people by their first names here, but for the sake of other people's privacy, I decided to just do that a long time ago), and we had amazing pizza squares for dinner at Beit Nativ. If you have been following my food adventures, you may remember how much everyone hated the food at home before, but now that we have stipends and are responsible for about seven meals of our own per week, Beit Nativ food is so great! Never thought I'd say that...

After dinner, the time was ripe for d-boating. We got dressed up, we went to the park, we encountered sketchy dangerous people so we left the park, we hung out outside bars, we danced on bars, we took pictures, we partied. I bought myself a chocolate bar since I wasn't drinking, but all my drunk friends thought it would be really appropriate to ask me to share the ENTIRE thing, and this made me very upset, and then Joshy noticed I was upset that my chocolate got away before I could even enjoy a third of it, and he bought me Reeses Pieces (I am adamant that the pronunciation be "reeseeees pieceees") and that made everything much much better.

I emerged the next morning at noon, just in time for lunch at home. I showered, went grocery shopping, bummed around, and got ready for Shabbat. I went to Yakar with Razie, Shara, Ariella, Max, Jonny, and Aaron, and of course it was beautiful. The Friday night services at Yakar are so incredibly spiritual, and I know pretty much all the tunes at this point. Services here vary from the US in many ways, but one thing that is hard to get used to is that no one calls page numbers because everyone brings his own siddur. It makes the service flow better, though, for sure.

Shabbat dinner, football, and tisch followed services. We ate, we threw, we caught, we sang. I played football for another three hours, or something ridiculous like that, because more and more people kept coming over and wanting to join! And how can you turn people away from a game of catch? You can't. So we kept expanding the circle and reordering the catching cycle. I never thought catch was fun before, but it turns out that it's super fun, and endlessly entertaining. It is, however, horribly demoralizing to chase after a football that has gone astray, because of its unpredictable path. There were definitely some embarrassing moments.

I ended up staying up until 6 am, which in retrospect was a very bad idea, since I woke up at 7:25 am to go to Shabbat services. I went to Yedidya with Judah and LeeAnn, and even though it's a 45 minute walk, it went by really quickly with such great company. LeeAnn and I went to the women's Torah service too, which was really cool since it was a Bat Mitzvah, so the BM girl read the whole thing, and she was good! The portion was interesting too-the flood and the Tower of Babel-what more could you ask for? I read the English and commentary for the portion before dozing off here and there.

The service finished with Mussaf and kiddush, and a delicious one at that. We walked home and discussed Torah and life. It was perfect. I had lunch and schmoozed and lounged, and I ended up napping in Josh's bed for five hours. I had originally planned to hang out with Seffi and Debbie in Seffi and Josh's room, and since Josh wasn't home, Debbie and I snuggled up under his really nice down comforter, and immeeeeediately fell into deep sleep.

I woke up after Shabbat was over, felt exceedingly refreshed, and went for a run with Meir. It was mostly successful, and he slowed down for me for the first two-thirds of the run, and then it was uphill for the rest of the way and I didn't want to keep such a fast pace so I told him to run on ahead. We both passed a group of Nativers a few minutes apart on the way, and they laughed at us. After a very necessary shower, we went to meet that same group of Nativers who were having dinner for Becky's birthday. We got there just in time for dessert!

The dinner party broke into groups afterward, and I walked with Becca to the next celebration, this time at the bars. It was much like any other night out, but this time, there were two additional birthdays and more flaming alcoholic beverages (it seems instinctive to not drink poison that is also on fire, but apparently not). We all usually sit at tables outside of this one particular bar that has good deals for happy hour, but Liza needed to go to the bathroom so we went inside, and what did I find but the POPCORN machine!!! I made best friends with the popcorn machine attendants and succeeded in scoring mad amounts of delicious and salty puffs of perfection. It made the whole night worth it.

The birthday party walked around the area for a while, carrying speakers and blasting hip hop, so it was an amusing event to be a part of, and then it was time to go home. There was more football to be played though, at one am, and then finally I could sleep.

I woke up this morning at ten, stalked my own facebook, and ate some rugalach. Today is a big day of Art History, football practice, and Idan Raichel!

The Swing of Things

Life has resumed a rhythm such as I have not experience since my 9-5 job this summer, and I love it. The semester brings many changes that give us more independence, more choice, more opportunities to save money or waste money, the option to only pray twice a week in the mornings, and the responsibilities of time management. I now have to wake up and eat breakfast not based on the prayer schedule but by the public transportation schedule! The program had a firm grip on my hand for the first few weeks, but now I am holding on by a mere finger.

Tuesday I woke up very early and took a city bus to school for my Art History class. We learned so much in just an hour and a half! We talked about Rembrandt's Belshazar's Feast and learned the Bible and Talmud behind that, Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, and other symbols of liberty. I really enjoy the teacher and the style of the class, although there is this one Canadian boy in my class who has to comment on everything, and he is really anti-American! We were looking at the Statue of Liberty from social/historical/cultural point of view, and he took over the professor's lecture with one of his own about the evils of capitalism and American domination! He was sitting next to me and invading my personal space and I was getting really frustrated. If you want to bash the US, take a different class; art history is just not the right venue for your rants. Honestly!!

After Art History, I had Hebrew with my Ulpan class from MiniMester. I really like my two new Hebrew teachers, because not only are they really chill human beings, they are so well trained to teach Hebrew! Like Hebrew teaching machines! It's a beautiful thing. The class is a really good level for me, and we are learning at a good pace. I can say so many verbs now, too, except I can't say "I need" which is a problem because I am a very needy person sometimes and it makes it difficult for me to express myself.

I stayed after class for a little while on Tuesday to find books for my research paper on the Oslo Accords, which was a successful hunt. I felt like Hermione in the Hogwart's library! Absolutely thrilling! Reading about the peace process so much is kind of getting me down though, and I'm starting to question/lose faith in all political leaders, like Obama AND Netanyahu! I am of course speaking specifically about peace in this region, so I can still support these leaders in other areas. But which direction is the correct way to peace!? Settlements or no settlements, partition or integration, one state or two states, economic dependency or separation??

After my diplomatic and depressing bibliographical experience, I took the 4 Aleph bus home. It was a new route for me, since we all usually take the 19, which is more direct. It was a very interesting cultural experience however, because the route is almost solely through Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods. I saw a group of girls, probably my age, standing at the bus stop, and I wondered if they were the cool or provocative girls around town, because their long skirts were tight around their hips. I saw a lot of black hats and earlocks and multi-child strollers. The streets were crowded and not very clean, but they were vibrant and interesting. It was a good show.

I got home just in time for my Talmud study session with Adina. We are taking the class together, and it is popular to study text in Chevruta (I am not sure of the literal translation, but it basically means studying with a partner). We looked over a text about a disagreement between rabbis which ends with one rabbi getting excommunicated. It was pretty hard, but we sat for about an hour and really worked it out. We looked at references from the Bible and considered what I thought was literally every possibility of certain confusing passages.

When we got to class on Wednesday afternoon, after a long morning of Hebrew, I found that there were actually several possibilities that we missed. I still felt like Adina and I had covered many important points in our personal study session, however, and I was glad that I had gotten to go over the text with her since there wasn't an opportunity to share all of our findings with the teacher, since the class is only an hour and a half. Our class is also really big for the style of class it is supposed to be-it's difficult to have class discussion with such a large group. The teacher is really great though, a cute little old man with a lot of knowledge, so class is great still.

After Talmud was Israeli Society and Politics, and that goes from 4:30-6 pm. The last half hour, I was gone. The sun had set and it was pitch dark and the Third Alliyah started to sound just like the Second and the First and everyone who immigrated was from Russia anyway...

I rushed home from school to make PB+J and go to Jewish Educator Training, an hour and a half class for people who might want to teach Hebrew school back in the states. It sounded like a great opportunity for resume building-and the class is free-so I had nothing to lose. It wasn't exactly what I had expected, but I did learn from it, so I think I will keep going. The only problem is...

Girls' football practice started immediately after JET, and I was so rushed! I was also really nervous on the walk to the park where we were going to practice because the boys who were coaching us were acting very intensely. It turned out to be the most fun I've had in a while (which is saying a lot since life here is very excellent all the time), and I even stayed after to practice with a few of the girls and the coaches. Four boys from the program are helping us, and they are so nice and supportive! I don't want to say it was a different side of Adam, Brian, Asaf, and Garrett, but at the same time, they completely transformed into dads teaching their daughters how to throw a ball. It dissolved all my fears, and I even caught the football successfully a few times!!

I ran home from the park with Kay, and then I was sweaty and tired so I showered and slept.

Today I had Freshman Writing and I actually enjoyed it. Our teacher likes us now, and we are allowed to have fun in class, so it was very humorous. Then I researched in the library, ate the lunch I packed for myself, hung out at the cafe, and helped Aaron find books in the library because now I am a master at channeling Hermione. We took the bus home and I just finished a good deal of my homework with Adina in the library on the first floor of my dorm building.

I am about to go get my flu shot : (

but then it is party time!!!! Lihitraot!

Jordana Conquers Fears

Before I tell you the story of this Shabbat, know that I am deeply disturbed by close contact with four things: slobbering dogs, slithering fish, grocery stores, and new food.

Shara and I woke up at 2 pm on Friday. Already we knew it would be a glorious day.

We packed for the weekend and bought chocolates for her Aunt Marcia, who is actually her second cousin (but these are minor details on which we mustn't waste time). Marcia picked us up around 4 and we drove with her to her moshav near Netanya. A moshav is a capitalist's kibbutz, if you will. She owns everything (house, horses, land), but she pays moshav dues for a guard, some programming, landscaping, and they have a plot of land for farming that is bordered by other plots of land for small farms. It is a great system, and many kibbutzniks are moving in this direction.

The house was a big ranch style home, with a big open room for kitchen and tv and many bedrooms. Shara and I actually had our own apartment attached to the house where Marcia's mother usually lives (she's on vacation in America). Everything was decorated with older furniture so it had a very homey feel. Nothing was fancy, but it was all beautifully kept. The three horses and two donkeys lived in an open stable in the backyard.

We arrived after dark and there was a REALLY BIG DOG named Whiskey waiting at the front door. There was a problem finding a key so I had to interact with the dog for an amount of time that really pushed my comfort zone limit. We walked inside and we were welcomed by a tall Israeli man with a ponytail, Tamir (Marcia's son), and three more dogs!!! Shara and I retired to our apartment until dinner time.

Five of us packed into a compact car (Marcia, Marcia's two sons Tamir and Eden, and us girls) and we drove off at an alarming rate to Rishon Nitzion (it actually might be Rishon Le Tzion, I have no idea, they didn’t enunciate). Forty five minutes later, we ended up at a beautiful apartment complex and took the elevator to the top floor. The apartment was stunning, and it was two floors, and modern, spacious, brand new, and filled with a big family and lots of food. There were tables set up on the big balcony porch and probably 25 of us ate comfortably there. It was not a religious family, but they were incredibly lovely people, extremely welcoming, friendly, and warm.

As nice as they were, they were even better cooks. I ate so many new things, and I didn’t even know the names of half the things I was eating. I do know that there were definitely many baby tomatoes on my plate and I ate them right up. The food situation was metzuyan and we all enjoyed ourselves heartily.

Over the meal, I talked with Eden, Marcia’s 17 year old son, and another boy who was 17. They were both in their last year of high school and about to enter the army. Eden has a long-distance runner’s body, shaggy hair, a nose ring, and big left-wing opinions. He said he hates the army and is not excited about it, but he has to go anyway next year. The other boy was just his opposite, a football player in physique and a gung-ho soldier in training. He said he did well on his army exams so hopefully he’ll get to be a medic, but whatever he does, he wants to fight Arabs. They were both really nice, relatable guys, and it’s hard to imagine them in uniform in just a few months.

The dinner ended quite late, and by the time we got home, I was exhausted. Shara and I washed up, read for a minute, and fell straight asleep. I didn’t wake up again until nine in the morning, but I thought it was actually eleven because the clock on my side of the bed was wrong. Shara didn’t wake up, so I had breakfast and a long chat with Marcia. The dogs were all up in my grill the whole time, but I got to learn a lot about her amazing life, how she made alliyah, her family’s story, her travels, her opinions, her book recommendations. She went on a gap year program in the 70’s and moved here with her husband after living in South Africa and England for a while, and now her life is horses, farms, army, and her family’s screen printing business.

Once everyone woke up, we went to the beach for a few hours. It was a gorgeous, hot day, and we packed our lunches and brought an umbrella. I went into the water right away, and it was so beautiful words can’t begin to explain. It bore an uncanny resemblance to the beach in The Little Mermaid when she has legs and she is wearing a silvery dress and everything is sparkling, and there were cliffs in the distance along the coast just like in the movie! The sky was a bit hazy so everything was silver and white and the water looked like a million diamonds were floating on top of it. I swam by myself for an hour or so, and I just took it all in. There were many, many fish in the water (not just minnows...actual fish sized fish!) and they swam near my legs and I was tempted to get out but everything else was so perfect that I just sucked it up. I thought this would be a good time for me to grow up, because I don’t think that squealing at fish and dogs is cute anymore. I’m not sure what else occupied my time in the Med Sea, but I know I was planning how I would describe that moment in my blog. Unfortunately, my thoughts don’t stream so easily in my current environment (my dorm room at 12:45 am). Just know-it was perfect.

Shabbat wrapped up with a visit to Marcia’s factory, and then we were on our way. We took a bus from Netanya to Jerusalem, ran into people we know on the ride, and walked home from the central bus station.

Sunday morning was the beginning of a big day. I will have to summarize quickly because I’m exhausted right now, but here’s what happened: I woke up early because Debbie had gotten locked out of her room so she slept in my bed (which was a very pleasant surprise) and we all went to breakfast. I then went grocery shopping at a supermarket and the shuk, and it was a really stressful experience but I did it! I even compared mass: price ratios for cereals, and I was seriously a mental math machine. I planned in advance with a budget, the number of meals I plan to make from my shopping results, and a list of suggested food items. I ended up under budget and I got all my foods!!

I felt very accomplished. I made my lunch and got ready for school, and then I was off with Shara and Tali to catch the city bus. It was a trial, and we cut it really close, and an old blind man sat next to me and calmed me down when I thought we were going to be late for our first class.

Art History of Israel was AMAZING! It really stimulated me and I love the teacher (she made alliyah about thirty years ago, she’s probably about 50, and she’s just awesome). I can’t wait to go to class tomorrow!

We got home, we had a girls’ program for Rosh Chodesh (new month, cycle of the moon, feminism, everything like that) and then I just sat and talked with a lot of people that night. The program was cool because I learned really interesting things about girls I don’t know that well yet.

That brings me to today, which was long but great. I davened this morning starting at 6:45 am, and it was a very long service because of Rosh Chodesh, Hallel, Mussaf, and Torah. We had just enough time for breakfast and then we boarded the bus to go to Hebrew U for Hebrew class, which was great. Then I got homework done in the library, ate lunch, got free stuff at the student center, and laid on the grass with friends and listened to a concert. It was time for class again, four hours later, and I went to Talmud As A Cultural Adventure. It was awesome, more to come on that later. Right after that was Israeli Society and Politics, which I liked a little less because the lecturer did not pace himself well so we really missed out on the second half of the topic.

I got home from school at 6:45 pm, helped Josh grocery shop and grabbed falafel with him, and then I went on a run, took my vitamins, flossed my teeth, put in my retainer, cleaned my feet, and showered. And now, finally, I am ready for bed. Lailah tov.

TGIT

Thursdays are the new Fridays, so TGIT!!! We had our third (out of six total) Freshman Writing class today at Hebrew University. It was as miserable as the first two, but now at least I know what to expect, that it isn't crucial that I pay close attention, and that it's okay if Brian and I pass dirty and/or distasteful notes back and forth.

I had a dairy date with Stephanie and Arielle today (mixing it up!) and a reallyyyy cute kitty joined us. Then I went with Stephanie to scope out the gym on campus, because I had heard good things. It turned out to be a really far walk and very expensive, but now at least I feel informed. I still might pay to swim every once in a while. We got the bus home and I nodded off a bit on the ride.

Although I wanted nothing more than to continue my bus nap, I worked diligently for several hours (boys came in to distract me, and I did a crossword puzzle) on my homework, that isn't due until next Thursday! I was proud of myself and now I feel so free. The homework was to outline an article about the status of Judaism as a race, and it was fairly interesting although very repetitive. The article claimed that biological/genetic races do not exist at all, but that Judaism can be considered a socio-historical race based on shared history, culture, etc. The article also contradicted itself a bit too much for my liking, but overall a worthwhile read.

I loaded up on carbs at dinner because there was pizza and pasta and bread, and of course, no meal that I eat in Israel (literally, I do not go one meal without) is complete without cucumbers. Shara warned me not to work out right after dinner, but I ran anyway-my long route. It was a mistake. I felt sick for a good part of the way and it made it hard to focus. I did notice cool things though: I now have a favorite tree here in Israel (it may or may not be eucalyptus, I shall investigate. The point is that it's beautiful and majestic), I passed by a concert of sorts outside the Old City, and I saw a wig in a dumpster and it totally freaked me out. That kind of thing is mad creepy, don't you think?

After running and recovering, I showered and got ready for party night! My girlfriends started calling the going-out process a D-boat, because when we came to Israel on summer programs we all got super decked out for a disco boat ride. So I got appropriately dolled up for the D-boat (complete with black FMP's and red lipstick!!) and we took pictures and we walked through the park to the bars. The bars provided me with lots of delicious popcorn tonight, and I danced a lot too. Tonight was nothing crazy, but it suited my mood perfectly and I feel so happy going to sleep right now.

Lailah tov!!!

Telepathy and To Do Lists

Instead of saying the prayers in Shacharit this morning, I read the introduction to the Koren Siddur that I borrowed from Ariella. She recommended it because she knows about my quest for spirituality. It was really helpful and interesting, and I wanted to share this quote because I love the imagery: To see the world in a grain of sand/And a Heaven in a wild flower,/Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, and Eternity in an hour--William Blake

I was productive today! Instead of going to bed after prayers and breakfast because I didn't have class, I did a NY Times crossword puzzle and went to see an apartment in Bakaa for when

Mama visits in January. I took the bus by myself and I navigated and I tried to ask intelligent questions all by myself. I've been meaning to do this for soooo long! It felt so great to stop procrastinating. And when have I ever before scoped out real estate? Never. Shechechianu!

I got home in time for lunch (the person renting out the apartment actually drove me home, which in hindsight could have been risky but he was wearing tzitzit so I figured...well I don't know what I figured but I got in the car anyway; growing up is a learning process). After lunc

h, Ariella and I tried to do telepathy and we researched it on the internet and everything. We were supposed to practice more later, but the day filled up. I am very excited to develop this skill with her though! We are both totally open to it and I sense success in our future. I'll keep you posted. Literally.

At two, we all boarded a bus and drove for a long time until we were far outside Jerusalem and we went to a memorial service for people who have made alliyah and then died in service to Israel. It was in a forest with a big look-out area and there was an accordion player and several speakers, and representatives from different groups read about the olim being remembered and I read for Nativ. It was a good experience, and of course I love

microphones and crowds, but the topic was really depressing especially since a lot of people on Nativ are definitely thinking about making alliyah and it is hard to imagine my friends joining the army and letting whatever happens happen. (The picture shows the featured speaker looking at the torch, which is supported by a tripod of three guns).

We then had dinner at the Harel Mall, and I had delicious mozzarella sandwiches from Aroma with the girls, and 3 shekel amazing ice cream! In the parking garage, someone had put out dishes

of cat food and milk for the kitties, and there was a cat eating it!! It made me sooo happy! Rak po!!!

I had a lovely bus ride home snugglin with Max and then I was ready for a run! I went pretty far again, and I decided to reverse my route because I thought the incline this way would be less steep, but as it turns out, it just made the last 2/3 of the run uphill as opposed to the last third. It felt fantastic anyway, and I was so proud of myself. I rewarded myself with a purchase of fluff, which Debbie and I ate with our fingers on a bench on Ben Yehuda.

The night ended with me having a lot of energy, practicing head stands against doors, and taking a desperately needed shower. The icing on the cake was my skype date with Melanie! And now I am headed to bed! Lailah tov!

I Like the Salad Bar Tender

Yesterday was a fun but uneventful day because we didn't have class. I woke up for prayers and breakfast and went back to bed until lunch. After lunch, Razie and I made up a dance combination to Temptation, a Farsi song by Arash. It is so much fun, and we are going to perform it with the rest of The Down To Dance Team (TDTDT) at the NBA!!!

Before dinner, we had a group program on drugs and alcohol. It could have been more effective, and a lot of kids ended up just mocking it or interjecting their own opinions so much that we didn't really learn that much, besides what other Nativers think about drugs and alcohol. The message was important though, I'll admit that.

I really don't think I did much else of importance yesterday, but I remember being in a really good mood, probably because Adina lives next door to me and Ayelet called me on skype and so did Chelsea and Moss and all my friends are so amazing!

This morning we had a little extra time to sleep, then we prayed, then we breakfasted, and then we went to school. We passed a road sign that said "NO RIGTH TURNS." I really want Israel pay me to proofread this country.

Freshman Writing was less awful today because I got to get most of my homework done in class and I am going to research the Oslo Accords. Also because Brian rubs my back when I get worked up about something that makes it sound like we're actually in middle school and not 18 years old.

Dairy Date stressed me out like whoa today because there was a huge group of students who were super aggressive and smelly and they kept budging me in the salad line!! The problem also was that there was a different salad bartender than the one who always waits on me, because that one was working the cash register. I made eye contact with him at some point and he ended up taking a break from what he was doing to serve me!! We are actually best friends and he knows exactly how I like my salad and he thinks I'm funny. We've actually never talked about anything but salad but I feel like it's the beginning of a beautiful romance.

I calmed down from the salad bar ordeal with my girlfriends and we all had our dairy. I got my reader (it was going to take three hours but I whined and he gave it to me right away!). I took the city bus home with Aaron and Asaf and it was an adventure as always. Then it was time for homework, and I was such a good little student and I finished it right after school!

At 3pm, TDTDT had its first official practice! It was a huge success and we had a group of about seven amazing girls and we all worked so well together and we were so happy. Oh, I love life!!

Now I am letting my sweat evaporate on the second story balcony with my homies and listening to rap music while blogging. Things could only be better if I was showering. Otherwise, I have never been so content.

I ATE FISH!!!! and had such a great weekend I didn't have time to post

I am in a jittery frame of mind right now because I just got out of my Freshman Writing Class and I am waiting to turn in my class registration form to my academic advisor. Freshman Writing was wholly dissatisfying and while I like the teacher, a young religious woman who just finished her masters here at Hebrew U, I really wish that I wasn't relearning sixth grade English. And I wish I didn't have to do the same thing, only harder, at Cornell next year. And I wish that the class didn't exist.

But I will not let a silly little writing course get me down, because I have just had the greatest weekend! I will start where I left off, with Friday night. Friday night was the beginning of Simchat Torah, and I went with Cori, Noah, and Reuben to Yakar. We didn’t stay with the boys once we got there, but we had very good conversation on the walk there, a good deal of which was spent incredulously discussing how Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize (I don’t really know what the American sentiment is, but I am up to the ears in the Israeli opinion on the matter). A bit after services began, it got extremely crowded and there was a girl practically sitting in my lap, and there were people listening from outside! For Hakafot, the singing and dancing part of the service, the men went outside so we could move the mechitzah and take up the whole room. We danced around with the case of the Torah, and not the Torah itself, because Yakar is Orthodox. I didn't mind though, because there was so much joy and dancing and community. I actually ran into three people I know there, two of whom are grown up Israeli women I met in Jerusalem, and the other who is a teenage Brightonian that I never spoke to before running into her repeatedly in Israel. The only issue I had that whole time involved Israelis’ general lack of respect for personal space, especially when Torahs are involved.

At this point, I should inform you, I have successfully handed in my course registration and I am eating a salad at the Frank Sinatra Cafe at a high table by myself overlooking an academic quad and typing furiously on my laptop--basically my collegiate dream. I am a vision of academia! (I have spotted friends who threaten my fleeting moment of solitude and I think I’m going to pretend to not know them. Is that wrong?)

So services were a blast on Friday night, and then we were a bit late to dinner at home but it was fine. After dinner we had a tisch that included many Marzipan baked goods, a lot of songs that reminded me of Wheels, and a U-shaped table formation that I definitely would have altered had I been king. The tisch was a great end to my Friday night.

Friday morning I woke up early in order to wake up Razie and Judah, who are keeping Shabbat. We went with a big group to Yedidya, a shul in Bakaa that I attended last summer with Chen, my pilgrimage staff. There were hours and hours of dancing and praying in the morning, and at Yedidya, which is a modern Orthodox minyan, we were able to hold the Torah, attend a women’s only Torah service (women led, read, gabbi-ed, etc) and we even split into small groups to reread the parsha so everyone could have an alliyah. It was as if I had died and gone to heaven. I am thinking I will try to go there on Saturday mornings, because it is what a shul would be if I invented it, to the tee. The only thing is that we had to walk through the entire Judean desert to get there.

As luck would have it, I ran into Chen and her family there, and she invited me home to lunch. They live in an apartment with a view in Talpiyot (even further into the wilderness, and by wilderness I mean suburbs), and they were just the greatest family. They introduced me to so much Israeli food and culture, and they spoke in English (very engaging and intellectual conversation!) except for a small portion of the meal when Mama Beck tested my Ulpan skills, because she is an Ulpan teacher herself. This was also the location of the historic event delineated in the title of this post took place: I ate fish! Balakala or something? I don’t remember what it was called, but I doused it in lemon juice, took small bites, and ate a whole piece! I was so proud of myself, and they were too. After lunch, we sang a few Shabbat songs and benched, and I got to talk to Chen a bit before walking home by myself in the blazing Jerusalem heat. I did feel pretty cool walking by myself though, and I wasn’t worried because I carried with me my siddur, water, and a map! What else is needed to survive?

I got home in time for a quality date with Ariella, and we sat on a balcony in an alcove and talked about everything under the sun. We are both actively pursuing a more observant way of life here, and I really feel the presence of God in our friendship. It might be a weird thing to say, but I think it makes a difference.

Following girl talk was Maariv, Havdalah, dinner, and a group trip to the park for Hakafot. I was a bit Hakafot-ed out, even though the band sounded nice from the little I heard, so I was easily convinced when Adam asked me to go to a comedy show with him. It turned out to be an excellent decision. The comedians were all olim (people who have made alliyah, in this case from America) so I could understand pretty much all the jokes (and my friends helped me with the jokes that required Hebrew knowledge). There was a lot of bashing the Israeli government, borderline distasteful remarks about Palestinians and terrorism, and some marriage/relationship stuff. Most of it had to do with Israel though, and I thought that made it even more worthwhile. After the show we met up with some friends of my friends, went to a bar where I ate all the popcorn while my friends had a drink, and then we went dancing at a club on a school night!!! We only stayed for a few songs, but long enough for me to be on the bar (at this point, it’s just a game I play), and we left when the tv screens stopped showing music videos and started showing pornography. I was not okay with that.

There were a lot of people around when I got home, even though it was late (for me, at least, but you’d be surprised at the number of nocturnal Nativers here), so I hung out a lil bissle before heading to bed. What a great weekend.

That brings me to today, the writing course, the registration, the dairy lunch. Back at Hebrew U, and I am so glad I am here.

PS. I boarded a city bus right after finishing this post, and I have to say, I was comforted by the driver’s friendly demeanor and articulate English, and SCARED OUT OF MY MIND by all the close calls. The bus is bulletproof too, which is kind of cool, but the windows were open!!! What!!!

Change In Plans

Yesterday I woke up late and planned to go to the Biblical Zoo with Rachel. We were really excited for our date because we both love animals and zoos and bibles and we miss our pets so much! And so we set off after lunch to find the zoo, specifically the bus to the zoo. We were intercepted by Meir who was running to the blood drive, and it seemed like the right thing to do at the time, so we turned around and headed to the King David Hotel to donate.

Blog secret: It had been less than 56 days since I last gave blood! But it wasn't the Red Cross, so they didn't have computer records, so I was able to sneak in! A lot of Nativers were there and we helped each other through the nerves (I am a veteran donor so I did a lot of the comforting) and we filled out a form in Hebrew, which is probably illegal because the translation form didn't match up to the real form in a few places, and we got pricked and interviewed about our prostitution practices, and then we waited for a long time.

The giving blood process went really quickly for me and it was nice to have my bffls around. Afterward, since we were the last people to go, all of the cookies were gone! This really upset me, and I was reasonably worried that I would not be able to walk home if I didn't eat anything. I went out to the restaurant kitchen at the hotel and I asked a random waiter to bring me a piece of bread or something because I had just donated blood, and he said to wait here for ten minutes. He came back within that time frame with a platter of chicken, french fries, and salad!!! I shared with my friends and left a bilingual thank you note. It left us all with such a great feeling! I love it when people pay it forward. Beautiful.

We came back and hung out until dinner, and then there was mayhem in the hallways as usual because we are teenagers living in a confined space, and then we got dressed up for party night! The plan for the night was to watch beer pong in the park, go to an apartment house party of a mutual friend, and we tried both of those things but they were both sketchy and lame, so we ended up outside a bar as usual. I went into the bar only because my girlfriends were on top of it, and if you've been following me for the last three weeks, you know that I am Coyote Ugly in the flesh. I danced for about 4 songs, long enough to get out the ants in my pants, short enough not to faint from strenuous activity (see aforementioned blood donation), and also not long enough to get too heavily creeped on.

We walked back through the park as a group and I sat in the halls with Debbie for a long time celebrating our lives.

Today I woke up late, ate a decent lunch (notable improvement!) at Agron, and chilled out at home. It's been a good day and I just showered and I feel so ready for Shabbat and Simchat Torah! Chag sameach!

Days Off Are Like Presents

Days off are like presents because you can spend them however you like and they just make you feel great. Today I woke up around 11, bummed around, put on a dress (Shara did too!) and made myself really pretty (after being in a desert for three days without a mirror, it felt really nice), went to lunch with my girlfriends at a sushi place (I don't like sushi...or Japanese food, but I do like Coke from glass bottles, and I found some chicken that was reasonably agreeable), bummed around some more, facebooked, and then I found Razie and we planned The Down To Dance Team!! The dance is going to be amazing and we are going to make all the Nativ Basketball Association ballers crazy!

After this dancing extravaganza, I ate dinner at Agron which was a nice surprise because apparently there is a new chef here! Then I went to the edge of the Old City with Seffi to stake out a place to eavesdrop on the Matisyahu concert, and then more friends from Nativ came to join us. We sat on a very steep hill with American boys smoking hookah, and we could see the stage and hear the music really well. It started to get cold though, and we had been sitting there for a long long time, and so we headed back home the long way. Matisyahu didn't play any of the (3) songs that I know, so I enjoyed the concert but it wasn't a particularly spiritual experience.

Moral of this story: days off are really great, but I get a lot more done when I wake up at 4:30 am instead of 11 am.

Nativers Without Borders

I survived!!! Not only did I survive, I flourished like desert flora after the rain! There was no rain though, and there were no toilets, no tents, no showers. Only happiness. And sweat.

We left home at 6:15 am on Sunday morning and drove to Beer Sheva (this ancient city is where Abraham lived, and it is essentially on the border of the Negev Desert) and there we davened at a really pretty shul (thank you, Judah!!) and the service was really long because of Hallel and HoShanas and Mussaf because it is Sukkot! We also did this really weird (if you didn't know we were Jewish, you'd definitely think we were pagan) ritual with the lulav and etrog where we circled around the altar chanting and shaking the plants. Luckily for us, Hallel has some sweet tunes, so it wasn't a bad service. Then we ate in the sukkah and creeped on the preschool children there. Then we had our last potty break for a long, long time!

The drive from Beer Sheva to our drop-off point in Mitzpe Ramon (a large crater as a result of an ancient sea, the remnants of which are now known as the Mediterranean) was very bumpy and nauseating. We were not happy. Our emotions were reversed, however, when we got a good view of the surreal environment we had entered. The crater is breathtaking, vast, and completely, completely void of civilization. We put our overnight bags on jeeps that met us at the campsite at night.

Our tour guide Michal led us on a hike up and down a mountain for about 6 kilometers. It was great bonding time, because we had nothing to do but talk to each other, and sometimes we had to rock climb and we all gave a hand to the people behind us. The boys were especially chivalrous at times, and it was really sweet.

The fun really started once the sun started to set a bit, and we were in a wadi so there was shade. The shade was just delicious and I could have walked there for hours and hours. We got to our campsite about 45 minutes before sunset and the people from the jeeps were already cooking up something fabulous for dinner. We were shown our communal toilet, half a football field of large boulders and sand, and then we used our communal toilet.

It started to get colder as the sun went down, which was a welcome change. We ate and ate and ate for dinner, because the food was so good! I ended up pitching a tent with Debbie, Laura, and David's help, but we had to take it down because we didn't have stakes and it was windy. We weren't planning on sleeping in it, but it would have been nice to put our stuff in. It was a good experience though, because as you may know, I had never before pitched a tent. And these are things a girl must learn.

After a rewarding dinner, we had a campfire complete with Josh on guitar, Jewish cookies (the kind of cookies that aren't actually good but they are the only cookies available at such events as kiddushes or unexpected times so they are actually perceived to be delicious), best friends, good songs, and marshmallows! I deduced that this would be an ideal time for privacy in the communal toilet, because the whole group was mesmerized by a flame and a sing-along, so I set off to find a Jordana-appropriate location. I found a nice place and I was very nervous at first because I still felt rather exposed, but then I just imagined that I was a kitten in a litter box and I was much better.

We didn't go to bed late because we had been up since 5:30 and once the sun sets it feels later than it is. The moon was especially bright because we are right in the middle of the Jewish month, so it was nice when we were walking around but not as nice when we were going to bed and we could not turn off the moon. I didn't have a hard time sleeping on my mat in my bag, but some people didn't sleep very well. I was lucky.

We woke up with the sun and it was cold. We davened Shacharit, Hallel, and Musaf and it was still cold, only by this time, the flies--the BRUTAL, TORTUROUS FLIES--had realized we were there and were on the offensive. After services we had the greatest breakfast of all time; the cereal was made of cookies!

We started hiking early in the morning but it had already turned blistering hot (as I am writing this, I am thinking of Seffi's comment to me yesterday that I always speak in hyperbole-but really, it was blistering hot! and it was the greatest breakfast of all time! and they were really brutal flies!). We each carried about 3 liters of water, a communal food item for lunch, and a mid morning snack of cucumbers, white bread, peanut butter, and chocolate spread.

We hiked up a mountain for a long time and sometimes it was a little uncomfortable because of the heat or the terrain, but the feeling at the top was unbelievable. There was a wide range of ground cover, from sand to gravel to rocks to big flat boulders, and all different combinations of those four things. It made things difficult for the ankles. At every point that we stopped, people found flat rocks and went to sleep (this even happened to me, which I was not expecting!).The hiking went on like this for several hours. To pass the time, we sang and got to know each other and got to know ourselves. I hiked next to Elkana for a bit and he told me about dinosaurs in Israel and about extraterritoriality and about history and I felt a good deal more knowledgeable about everything after our chat.

At some point in the pre-noon hours (the desert and the hiking really took away all of my ability to estimate elapsed time) we met up with the Kibbutz group. They were glad to see us and likewise but we were all really disgusting by that point. This made me realize how very comfortable I had become with my group of 40, the Kehila group, which brings me to the title of this post, Nativers without borders. Literally, no boundaries. We peed together, hiked together, ate together, slept together, washed dishes together, talked about our aches and pains together (regardless of the location and nature of these aches and pains), and spent every waking moment of the day together.

People had talked about Survival as a great bonding experience, and I did not doubt it. Any challenge is bound to bring a group of people together. But the amount that my trust and adoration grew for the people-all of them-with whom I survived was so much more than I ever expected.

I have to sum up the rest of the hike because this post is getting long and the hour is getting late. After resting and seeing Kibbutz, we went on our way and hiked a full 13 kilometers up and down a mountain. We stayed at a very open area for our campsite but it was very nice and it was warm the second night, humid in fact. We woke up at 4:30 and we were on the road by seven at the latest, after davening and breakfast and clearing up the campsite and peeing in the sand several more times. The hike today was really great because there were clouds, so we were in the shade a lot more than we would have been. We also did a trust walk at the top of Har Yahav, during which we held onto the backpack in front of us, closed our eyes, walked in the direction we were pulled, and hoped we weren't led off the cliff. Don't worry, everyone survived.

At the end of a long day, we were taken out of the hiking area by real live jeeps! They were so cool and our driver was super nice and informative, although I was only partly informed because I couldn't understand his accent. We also saw a camel carcass on the ground! And I forgot to say before we saw a real yellow scorpion, many fighter planes because the army likes to practice in the Negev, and a twister!!! We then enjoyed a great lunch of cold cuts, and depending on how well you know me, you'll be excited to learn that I put mysterious tomato paste and pickles on the sandwich, right next to the bread and the meat! Wow! Then we changed into flip flops, thanked God for flip flops, got on a bus, and drove home.

The shower was excellent, let me tell you. Especially since I have three roommates and I was the only person who could even bear to wait past dinner for my shower. Then I sent out my laundry and I can't wait to get everything back so clean tomorrow night! Good night!

Rejoice While You Are Young

We have nothing good under the sun

but eating, drinking, and enjoyment

Do with all your might whatever you are able to do

Rejoice while you are young

Follow your heart's desire, the sight of your eyes

We read the book of Ecclesiastes today because of Sukkot, and I was deeply moved by the passage. I read an English summary, and Ariella enhanced my understanding by showing me some parts from the Hebrew. There are some parts that are very depressing and cynical, but I like the more optimistic lines, and I understand the importance behind the others.

This Shabbat was full of rejoicing though, and it started with Seffi and Jordana planning a study session on Vzot HaBracha, the last two chapters in the Torah including the tribal blessings and the death of Moshe. We were recruited to do this by Shosh and Cori, both of whom are undeniable. Then came the beautiful Friday night service at Shira Chadasha. I walked home with Seffi the long way, all the way along the Old City walls and through Mamilla. We made it home barely in time for dinner and the after dinner songs.

After dinner, Seffi and I joined Ariella, Brian, Seth, Asaf, Rachel, Debbie, and Shara, and I think maybe a few more very high quality people. We sat out on the second story porch and enjoyed our youth and our location and our friends. I was dealing with an internal struggle at that time though, because I am trying to keep Shabbat. I am trying to keep the spirit of Shabbat, but sometimes I need to turn on a light or set my alarm so I wake up for services. A few of my friends were watching dvd's, and I thought it wasn't in the spirit of Shabbat, but people who do keep Shabbat said it was fine as long as I don't push the buttons. I am still unsure.

After the porch, Seffi, Brian, and I went exploring Beit Nativ. We found lots of new staircases and alcoves and lounges and half-stories. It was kind of like being in Hogwarts, only in Israel and the staircases were stationary. We went back by the Yeshiva and found a window box full of kittens. It was great. Then we snuck around and scrounged and adventured!

I didn't go to bed late because I wanted to be ready for my full day today, which was brilliant foresight. I popped up at 6:45 am and dressed and woke up Ariella, had shoko (chocolate milk from a plastic bag) and cake, went with Miriam Shosh Ariella to a practice service, left mid-Hallel because we weren't feelin it, headed to Shira Chadasha, loved life, got hosted by TAMAR the coolest woman ever who has lived all over the world and currently lives in Talpiyot which is actually as far away as one can go from Beit Nativ and still be in Israel, met 9 new people who were all really interesting and international, ate incredible ACTUALLY INCREDIBLE food including stuffed zucchinis and wheat challah and everything else amazing that can be eaten, dwelled in a sukkah, discussed Gilad Shalit and the catch-22 of exchanges, and just had a really great Shabbat afternoon. Ariella and I had to motor on home because I was due back at four for the study session that I was supposed to lead with Seffi.

The study session was a success, and Seffi and I worked well together because he is a dominating force in discussions and I was in a good mood so I let him dominate. He also has more of a monopoly on Mishna knowledge than I do, so we complemented each other. Then I was still drenched in sweat from the four hundred mile walk home from Talpiyot so I showered a beautiful shower. We dined a sparse dinner and sang a few songs and davened AGAIN because we had not yet had enough praying. Never enough praying.

After Shabbat ended, I prepared for Desert Survival. This is someone's idea of fun and it begins tomorrow at 6:15 am and ends Tuesday night, with three days of hiking through nothingness and sleeping under the stars in close contact with many scorpions and no contact with any civilization. It is questionable whether or not I will survive. I'll do my best though, because I figure there will be a lot of people who miss my blog posts.

Living in the center of the center of the world

The day that was Yom Rivi’i embodies all that I love about life. It started out with my MiniMester Ulpan final, which covered the Hebrew we have learned in the last three weeks. I felt great about my test, and the best part is that I am learning all of this for the sake of learning and because I want to, not because it counts for something or because I have to do it.

I then took some Jordana time in the library/computer lab of Hebrew University to catch up on emails and facebook, and I suddenly felt so comfortable there-I might just as well have been in the library of Brighton High School which I frequented and dearly loved for the last four years of my life. It was a great thing to be by myself and yet not feel alone, but just comfortable and safe and content. I am really growing fond of Hebrew University!

I broke the Dairy Date streak for some chicken schnitzel yesterday and it was a good move. I enjoyed my hearty lunch and then it was time to head back to Agron. At home, we had a quick peer-led study session for Sukkot and then we headed to the shuk to get Arbat Haminim (lulav, etrog, etc). The environment at the shuk was invigorating and thoroughly un-American. Black hats were everywhere, little children were selling stuff, and everyone was shouting! One person came up to my friend and me to ask if we wanted to buy something, and when we said no, he asked if there was anything else he could help us out with, like a massage? We left.

I walked home through the shuk with Shira and then we prepared for the night of wild fun ahead. I ended up going to watch the Nativ Basketball Association (NBA) preseason games and I brought Jane Eyre with me and we had a great time together. Shirts vs. skins plus a feminist classic always make a match in heaven.

We went home to get ready for the mayhem and headed out to happy hour at Crack Square. I didn’t get anything, but it did not detract from the fun that was in the air. ALL my friends were there, and we were all happy and young and beautiful, and the music was loud and the popcorn on the tables made my life. We were ushered into a dance club and since it was free, I was all for it, and it was very empty since it was the beginning of the night. I like it very much when the dance clubs are empty except for Nativers, because I feel much safer with just the gentlemen from my program around. I was actually so comfortable and happy and inspired that I decided to get on top of the bar with a few of my girlfriends and found the view so exhilarating from up there, and I did not get down for quite some time.

Eventually it was time to exit the dance club, but not before a quick trip to the sketchiest loos of all time. Then we hung out outside for at least two hours, just around the bar area with a lot of friends. We walked back and the funniest thing happened when we returned home. I was singing Wagon Wheel with Josh on the patio of our building, and a lot of other people were hanging out outside as well. It was very, very late at night, and we were celebrating life, and the people who live in the apartment building next door did not want to share in our celebration apparently, so they showed their sentiments by pelting us with eggs from the sixth story window. Then we got incensed, and talked to the security guard, who said the police had been informed of our rowdiness, and then we were scolded, and then we thought it was funny (because it was late at night and they were throwing eggs and it just seemed humorous at the time) and then they threw entire oversized bottles of water at us! The bottles were open too, and the water went everywhere, and it was all on our sukkah and everything. It was just outrageous and I loved it. Then finally Madrich David convinced us to stop instigating and we went inside and retired to our sleeping quarters.

Today I woke up at a deliciously late hour, ate quite a decent lunch at Agron, went to the shuk with the Triangle of Trust (Seffi and Josh and Jordana), and I created a study session on V’zot HaBracha with Seffi which we are presenting tomorrow at Mincha. I’m really proud of our work and I learned a lot from Seffi and we complemented each other well.

The pre-Shabbat portion of today ended with a heavenly slice of pizza, chocolate wafers, and facebook. Now I must say Shabbat Shalom!!!

PS. Please become a follower of my blog if you're a regular Jordana Junkie, and also, please comment if you are so inspired! I love attention and fame!