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.
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.
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| 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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| Men and boys crammed at the front of the light rail to watch the driver "drive" the light rail. |
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| The one way train tracks into Auschwitz |
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.
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| The amphitheater at Caesarea |
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| A view of some ancient Roman baths and the Mediterranean Sea |
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| Rebecca, Elle and I at the Bahai Gardens |
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!
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