שנה טובה ומתוקה

Year (Sha-nah) שנה
Good (To-vah) טובה
Sweet (Me-Tu-Kah) מתוקה

I realized that it has been an extremely long time since I have posted here, so bear with me, as I have a lot of things to say! The two main reasons that I haven't posted to my blog is that I had two major technological catastrophes: my computer battery and charger dying both within the same week, and spilling some lovely milk on my computer. Luckily, my computer loves me and is still functioning!

We are now into the think of our fall semester. I am finding all of the classes really enjoyable, and all of the professors are really great. One of the nicest things about being in a small class, and on a small campus, is that each of us really gets the opportunity to know our professors on a much more personal level than I ever had the opportunity to do at Indiana University. It is not that I didn't have great professors at IU, because I most definitely did, but here we are able to sit and have one on one discussions. There are even times when our professors come and spend their lunch hour sitting with students and getting to know us, rather than staying among the faculty. I know that these are people that will some day be my peers, but it still amazes me that they are willing to take the time out of their busy lives to spend time learning about us!

Two of my favorite classes are the History of the Zionist Movement and our Israel Seminar class. The history class is meant to discuss Zionism from before there was even a word for Zionism, all the way through the present times and what Zionism means today. I think that I find this particularly interesting because I spent the past year working for the American Zionist Movement, which is the American branch of the World Zionist Organization. I think that until I was done working for the AZM last year, I didn't realize how much of a Zionist I really was. No, that doesn't necessarily mean that I will be moving to Israel any time in the near future, but it does mean that I care very deeply about Israel, and will continue to develop what my connection to Israel really means. As a part of our Israel Seminar class, which I will talk more about in a minute, we have monthly meetings where we answer a prompt and then discuss this within our small groups. The first prompt had to do with the land of Israel, and I chose to write about my struggle to connect to the physical land of Israel. You can read the response here, for anyone who is interested.

Our Israel Seminar is a class that we have once a week. The purpose of this class is to explore, in greater depth, different aspects of the history of Israel, as well as contemporary issues in Israel. One of the things that I like most is that at the beginning of every session, we have an opportunity to discuss the ongoing issues within Israel. That can be anything from the social justice protests to the Palestinian's application for statehood in the UN. These are all issues that can tend to be incredibly complex, and while some parts of it may be easy to understand, in a world where everything can change at the drop of a hat, it is nice to have some Israeli insight! One of the other reasons that I particularly enjoy this class is because it is not just lecture based. Every week we either go on a field trip, or have speakers some to talk to us. These speakers are not just your average run of the mill Israelis (although they are perfectly interesting to talk to) but instead they are people like Natan Sharansky. So far, we have had two field trips. The first was a look at Jerusalem, based on walking along one particular street, King David Street. We talked about the pre-Israeli military forces and what they did to try and get the British to leave Israel. We also go to walk up to the top of the YMCA in Jerusalem, which a)used to be the tallest building in Jerusalem and b) was built by the same architect who built the Empire State Building.

A view from the YMCA sign from the top of the YMCA tower.

The second trip that we took was to Tel Aviv. I was not particularly looking forward to this field trip, as we were leaving early and I had been to all of the places that we were going, but by the end I found it incredibly interesting. We spent the day working our way through the history of Tel Aviv, from the time that it was first established as a city through the Tel Aviv of today. One of the most interesting places that we went to was Rabin Square. Unfortunately, we were not able to enter the actual Rabin Square as it is under construction, but we were able to sit outside and discuss the events surrounding Yitzhak Rabin's assassination.

Part of the graffiti that memorializes the place where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. 

I found this particularly interesting because the day that we were there was 9/20, the day that the Palestinian Authority was supposed to decide whether they were going to submit their bid for statehood to the UN General Assembly or the UN Security Council. I found it particularly interesting that on the day that we were sitting there talking about a man who gave his life trying to make peace in Israel (and the one that has been the closest yet to making peace with the Palestinians) Israel was facing some major implications based on the decisions of the Palestinian Authority. Of course, nothing has been decided yet, but here, it is definitely something that people are constantly talking about. There is a lot of general speculation, but no one will really know what will happen until decisions are made, or votes are taken.

In a time when many things are uncertain, we can do nothing more than to watch and hope that decisions are made that can appease both sides, and help everyone to move onto a new chapter in their lives, one which involves a peaceful existence.

 שנה טובה ומתוקה - May you have a sweet and healthy new year, and may you be inscribed in the book of life.

10 Years Ago Today...

Ten (eh-ser) עשר
Today (ha'yom) היום
Change (l'sha-not) לשנות


10 Years Ago Today I...
- was 13 years old and in the 8th grade at Percy Julian Middle School
- thought that I wanted to go to Washington University in St. Louis and become a doctor like the rest of my family
- was beginning to learn about the US government and study for my constitution test
- was celebrating the fact that my birthday just narrowly missed falling on Yom Kippur
- was beginning to think about the next year when I would be a freshman in high school at OPRF
- could go to an airport less than an hour before my flight and still get to the gate before boarding time
- was sitting on a bus when another student told us that the third world war had started (this was her interpretation of the events on 9/11)
- was sitting in all of my classes watching the news unfold, watching the towers collapse one after another, and doing math because our math teacher refused to let us watch the news
- had no idea who Al Qaeda, the Taliban or Osama Bin Laden were and thought that terrorist attacks only happened in Israel
- didn't understand why groups of people around the world could hate each other so much that they choose to kill themselves and others over it


Today I am...
- a graduate of OPRFHS and Indiana University - Bloomington with a degree in Jewish Studies
- studying to be a rabbi at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion
- thinking about all of the work that I have to do before the high holidays in a few weeks
- living in Israel for the year
- learning about people who have such a strong connection to the land of Israel that they are willing to fight and die to protect their homeland
- celebrating the fact that my birthday this year falls on the second day of Rosh Hashanah
- listening to the events occurring in the Middle East with a heavy but hopeful heart
- not understanding how it is that groups of people around the world can hate each other so much that they choose to kill themselves and others over this hatred


10 years ago, events happened that changed the United States of America, and the world at large. While 10 years is a long time, and many things have changed, at the same time there are some things that have changed very little. For my generation, this is the pearl harbor, or the assassination of JFK. We will always remember exactly where we were when we first heard of these terrorist attacks, and for the most part, will remember exactly how our days played out. Generations before us have experienced the same thing, whether it was hearing of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the assassination of JFK, or any other tragic event. These are events that have become a part of our collective memory, and it is important for people to be able to tell their personal stories so that when generations to come feel that they may have no connection to a specific event that happened prior to their birth, they have people to turn to that can remind them of what life was like: prior to that day, on the day, and after the day of these sorts of events. 


As we remember the events of 10 years ago, we not only remember the actions of the terrorists, but those that gave their lives to help and protect others. This past weekend my classmates and I spent a weekend in the north of Israel. One of our speakers spoke to how life is an obligation, not a choice. For the people who fought valiantly on the plans so that fewer people would be harmed, for the policemen and firefighters who bravely entered the burning towers, and for anyone who did anything to help a fellow human on 9/11, they all lived their lives as an obligation not a choice. We can only hope that the rest of us are able to live up to the standards that were set for us 10 years ago today on 9/11/2011. זיכרונם לברכה - May their memories be for a blessing. 

A Day in the Life of a Rabbinical Student

Class (ki-tah) כִּתָּה
Lesson (Shi-ur) שִׁעוּר


This will be a quick update since we just got back from a trip to the North for the weekend. I have officially completed my first week of my fall semester of my Year in Israel program at HUC-JIR (could they have come up with longer name?) Here are a few highlights from the week:


1.) We have a new Hebrew teacher, Rivki. She seems really great so far and is having us speak a lot more in class, which is really nice since many of us have noticed that one thing that we really need to improve upon is our spoken Hebrew.


2.) My Bible teacher, Sima, is an incredibly entertaining woman. She is a chain smoker (who smokes so much that she teaches class with an unlit cigarette in her hand at all times) and actually Hebrew incredibly properly (including pronouncing all of the letters differently which in today's rhetoric most Israelis do not do). 


3.) My Israel Seminar class and History of Zionism classes are being taught by two Brits, Dave and Jeremy. They are both incredibly interesting and entertaining people to talk to, and I can't wait to learn from them throughout the year.


4.) Even though we are all graduate students we still like to have fun. This past week during one of our lunch breaks our "Sportazia Committee- That's Hebrew for Sports" (that is the full name of the committee) set up a four-square court and we had a riveting game of four-square! 


In case anyone was wondering what classes I am taking this semester, here is a list:
Modern Hebrew
Biblical Grammar
Bible
Second Temple History
Rabbinical Electives (the first 6 weeks is a course called "Why Am I A Reform Jew")
Liturgy
History of Zionism
Israel Seminar 


We also have other various programs that are required through the semester. Basically this means that I am in class every day from 8:30-4:00 or 5:00! The last time I was in classes for even close to that amount of time was when I was in high school. It is definitely an adjustment, but I think that once I find a balance between class, homework and everything else that life should get a little less hectic! 


PS- I apologize for any and all grammar and spelling mistakes. I, along with a number of my classmates, have found that as our Hebrew improves, our English worsens! 

To each beginning there's an ending

Break (cho-fesh) חופש

Trip (Ti-yule) טִיּוּל

Train (ra-kevet) רַכֶּבֶת


This past week has been my break from our summer semester before we begin our fall semester tomorrow (Sunday). It is hard to believe that at this point I have been living in Israel for over 2 months. This is almost half of the time that I spent in Israel when I studied abroad here in the spring of 2009. While sometimes the days (especially Hebrew class) seemed to go very slowly, it is still amazing to me that while I have looked forward to attending HUC for a very long time now, I am already finished with my first semester of classes and moving on to my first full semester of classes.


Since I was on break this past week I decided to explore Jerusalem and other parts of Israel, along with begrudgingly studying for my two finals that I have next week. Last Sunday I decided to take the light rail for the first time. 

What the front of the light rail in Jerusalem looks like

This one line of the light rail, complete with approximately 10 stops, has been over a 10 year work in progress. Most people in Jerusalem didn't even really believe that it would ever open, saying things like "The light rail will open when the Messiah comes" and other similar quotes. However, it has finally opened, and while I am living in Jerusalem no less! It is free for about the first monththat it is open, which means that everyone wants to try and ride the light rail as much as possible, which made for some very interesting experiences, including seeing men have their inner boy show.

Men and boys crammed at the front of the light rail to watch the driver "drive" the light rail.

The purpose of us taking the light rail was to go to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial and museum in Jerusalem. The last time that I went to Yad Vashem was when I studied abroad here. This is also the first time that I had been back to Yad Vashem after having visited Prague and Poland, including Auschwitz- Birkenau. I was there last summer staffing NFTY in Israel. Prague and Poland themselves were beautiful countries, and visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau was a necessary part of that trip, although not enjoyable. While it is not a place that I would necessarily choose to ever visit again, I think that it is important that everyone who is able to go should see one of the concentration camps. It is a place that is indescribable in words. 

The one way train tracks into Auschwitz

Yad Vashem has a completely different feeling after having been to some of the places that are discussed. I suppose that on one hand I have been lucky because I have grown up learning about the Holocaust. From a very young age I can remember my favorite book being The Lily Cupboard. However, sometimes having grown up, being privileged to hear a number of holocaust survivors speak, and seeing the awful pictures from that time period have left me feeling somewhat desensitized to seeing and hearing about the Holocaust. However, after last summer's experience I no longer feel that way. It is important for everyone to learn about the Holocaust, and all of it's atrocities in the hopes that something like this never happens again.


Somehow, in all of the darkness of these awful events, we can still find the light that leads us through. Now, I don't only see the tragedy of what happened but the strength of the survivors and their families for being strong enough to tell their stories so that people will forever remember what happened. In the Jewish calendar, the month of Elul has just begun. This month is the month that we spend preparing for the high holidays, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. The Jewels of Elul offer a daily dose of inspiration and words of wisdom in this month before Rosh Hashanah. This year's theme is "The Art of Seeking Light." I don't know what could describe this better than the following image that I was able to observe while in a room filled with memorials for specific victims of the Holocaust. 

Lest you think that all of my break was spent contemplating such deep things as the Holocaust, don't worry, I also spent three glorious days in Haifa with my friends Rebecca, Elle and Lenette. We took the train up to Haifa which was a great experience. Upon arriving there, we decided to explore Haifa a little bit before going to dinner at Elle's family's restaurant. This led us on a visit to the Haifa zoo. This this is no Brookfield Zoo, they did have a lot of great animals to watch, including some really entertaining sassy flamingos and monkeys! 

While we were in Haifa we decided to rent a car so that we would be able to explore the city, as well as some of the site outside of Haifa. Those of you who know me well know that I have the worlds worse sense of direction. I am pretty sure that if you put me in a paper bag and shook me up, I wouldn't be able to find my way out. To that end, we decided to rent a GPS which was a wonderful and amazing move considering that just about every other block there is a round about (or rotary for those of you from the east coast). After having spent a year driving in Chicago, driving in Haifa was a walk in the park. The second day that we were in Haifa felt very "grown up." We got up early and ate breakfast at the hotel before heading off to Caesarea. 

The amphitheater at Caesarea

A view of some ancient Roman baths and the Mediterranean Sea

After driving back from Caesarea we went to the Ba'hai Gardens. Since I traveled to Haifa last time that I was hear this was my second time seeing the gardens, although their beauty and symmetry never ceases to amaze me. 

Rebecca, Elle and I at the Bahai Gardens

Our day culminated with a late afternoon at the beach. I think that I will let the pictures speak for themselves...

It is hard to believe that just as quickly as my summer semester has ended my fall semester is beginning tomorrow. I am beginning to get a glance at what it is like to be in graduate school as opposed to college. I will basically be in class every day from about 8:30 until somewhere between 3 and 5:30, and then will have homework and studying for tests, as well as a Trumah project (more on that later). So for now, I am heading back to studying for my Biblical History final. Wish my luck in trying to figure out how to remember 3000 years of history by Wednesday!