Haifa Has My Heart

Hiking 

Dado Beach 

Bahai Gardens

Last weekend I decided to go on a spur of the moment weekend trip to Haifa. How spontaneous, am I right? Even though I was feeling like I was coming down with something I thought YOLO and went anyway and I'm really glad I did. I went with two friends on the program (Danielle and Dave) and we had the best time. We set out on our adventure Friday afternoon and after two relatively short train rides arrived in Haifa and navigated to our air bnb. After settling in we headed to Masada street for a bite to eat. Masada street is a great little strip with some cute little cafes and a lot of street art. We ended up eating at this place that specialized in avocado and I had a delicious wrap filled with smoked salmon (my fave), avocado and arugula. Really yummy! Then we decided to grab some beers and hang out in the apartment for a while before deciding what bar to go to. To Dave's dismay, after an intense game of Contacts Danielle and I decided we were too sleepy to go out so we hit the sack early to prepare for our hike the next day. The next morning we took a 2 1/2 hour hike through Wadi Lotem which though I am by no means a hiker or a nature person as you may know I really enjoyed. I also only fell once. Go me! The beautiful thing about the hike was that it ended close to the beach and since the weather was really nice and warm we threw on our bathing suits and laid out for a while. After what felt like forever since we have been able to enjoy the beaches of Rishon, it was nice to get some sun in. Danielle and I also got pina coladas which weren't too shabby either. After enjoying some ice cream we headed back to our air bnb for a quick nap and to get ready for the evening. Having read great things about a middle eastern restaurant called Fattoush in my guidebook, we decided to go there for dinner. It turned out to be one of the best meals I've had in Israel so far and I have been eating pretty well so that's saying something. We shared a kebab dish, a rice dish and a grilled chicken dish which we topped off with kanafeh a dessert they are known for (a cheese pastry soaked in syrup much like baklava and is served warm). OMG I was in heaven! On a recommendation from our waiter we went to a nearby bar that turned out to be a little weird and we were kind of tired from the day's adventures so we didn't stay out very late. The next day we went to Mada Tech - the Israel National Museum of Science - which was interesting if not a little hokey. My favorite exhibit was the one on magic. Next we headed to the Bahai Gardens though unfortunately we missed the free tour so didn't really get to go inside. We did however go the top anyway for a breathtaking view of the gardens below and all of Haifa to the sea. After leaving the gardens it was sadly time to pack up our stuff and head to the train station to go home. It was definitely one of the better weekends I have had in Israel so far and I hope to go on more weekend trips in the next 5 months. Stay tuned!

Security and Diplomacy Shabbaton

 Sderot Playground

 Sderot Memorial

 Gaza

WINGS!!!

Remember me? Probs not since I haven't blogged in over a month. But I'm back! This weekend I traveled to the south of the country with a few of the other fellows from Rishon for the Masa Security and Diplomacy Shabbaton. We met up with the rest of the group in Tel Aviv, then headed to the first stop on our tour--Sderot. If Sderot sounds familiar to you it is probably because it is located less than a mile from Gaza and bore the brunt of the attacks from Hamas during the summer. Residents of this city have less than 15 seconds to get to a shelter when they hear the air raid sirens. As you can imagine, this limited time frame doesn't always allow people to get to safety. While there, we talked a lot about what normal means. To the residents of Sderot, it is normal to have a bomb shelter next to every bus stop. However, just because something is commonplace doesn't make it normal by any means and not surprisingly many of the people that live in Sderot suffer from PTSD. They also feel alienated from the rest of Israel and receive a large amount of donations from diaspora Jews. During the visit, we stopped at a typical playground where instead of the equipment you would expect to find, there was a bomb shelter in the guise of a giant painted caterpillar. Next we saw a memorial in the center of town, erected for the victims of bombings. One such victim was a 15 year old girl who laid on top of her younger brother to shield him from an attack. To say hearing this was moving is a huge understatement. The final stop in Sderot was a large memorial and park with a lookout from which Gaza was visible in the distance. After leaving Sderot we went to the hotel in Beer Sheva where the rest of the seminar would take place. While there we had workshops on asymmetrical warfare, terrorists of the middle east, and the Iranian nuclear deal, as well as talks from Tal Shalev, a diplomatic correspondent for i24 News and Abeer Natsheh, a member of One Voice Palestine. We talked about what a two state solution would look like and the intricacies of the conflict. All of the talks were very interesting though I definitely left at the end of the weekend more confused than ever, but certainly with more information than I had before. On a completely different note, the fellow that I teach with (Mona), and another Masa participant and I, went to a wing place for dinner on the way back from the seminar. I had buffalo wings and sweet potato fries and felt like I was back in the States for a little while. I will definitely have to go back since they have a lot more sauce flavors that I want to try. This Thursday is Thanksgiving and my roommates and I are having a cozy celebration in our apartment. My job is the sweet potato casserole. Wish me luck and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Month In Review

(View from Naftali Mountains)

(Me and the roomates on Mount Meron)

(Western Wall)

The Sunday after Yom Kippur, I met my roommate Amanda in Jerusalem to get out of Rishon and spend a little time playing the tourist. I took the bus there on my own and arrived without incident and feeling every bit the independent woman (Queen Bey shoutout) that I like to think I am. Since I had gone a little over a month without a bagel it was time to rectify the situation so this was our first stop. I know...priorities. Being a creature of habit, I got a sesame bagel toasted with lox spread and was happily surprised when I found out that the man who was waiting on me was also from Queens. Small World! After devouring our bagels we made our way to the old city and the Western Wall where we tried to identify some landmarks from my guide book and wrote prayers on tiny pieces of paper to leave behind. Next we took the Western Wall Tunnel tour, in which we were led through the excavated hidden layers of the wall that reveal remains from the Second Temple period. It was incredible to be at the heart of a place with so much history. Finally we ended our adventure at the Jerusalem shuk (market) where we bought dates and I found a cool magenta colored hamsa necklace. A few days after Yom Kippur was...you guessed it...another holiday, this time Sukkot. I had 10 days off which I spent relaxing in Rishon, spending a day exploring Jaffa and going on a 2 day trip with the program to the North. I also had another delicious meal with Gal's family and ate dinner under a sukkah at the home of a friend of a friend. During the trip to the North we hiked in the beautiful Naftali mountains, had a lecture from a 74 year old veteran paratrooper originally from the U.S.with very extreme views on what Israel should do about its Muslim enemies at Misgav Am, hiked Mount Meron and briefly toured Tzfat. Alas my vacation is over and I am back in school. Hopefully we will finally start making some headway without all the holiday breaks since the next big one isn't until Hannukah. L'hitraot (see you later)!

From Feast to Famine

Sign for Rishon LeZion

Deserted road on Yom Kippur

Sorry it's been so long! I could say it's because I have been super busy, which I have, but if you know me at all you know the truth is I have just been lazy. Don't hold it against me, I'm back! When I last left you I was gearing up for Rosh Hashana so we have a lot to catch up on. I started the holiday with Gal and her family who were so kind and welcoming. When I say it was a feast, it is a complete and utter understatement. Gal's mom and the rest of the family made so much food that by the end of the night I was pretty much catatonic. Everything was delicious but my favorite was a Moroccan dish called Bastilla that Gal's mom made. It is basically a phyllo dough pie stuffed with chicken and dried fruit. So yummy! The next morning, Amanda and I went on a search to find a Chabad for services and to hear the shofar. After somewhat of a wild goose chase, we finally found one but at that point we were sweating profusely in our shul appropriate attire so we only stayed for a little while. Luckily in that short time, we met Leah who was born in Israel but speaks impeccable English because her mom and grandmother are from Brooklyn and she invited us over for dinner that evening after knowing us for all of 10 minutes. That is one thing that I feel like is very unique to Israeli culture. If someone meets you and knows that you are far from home with nowhere to go for a holiday or Shabbat they will immediately invite you into their home to celebrate with their family. This has definitely helped with missing home. Since Amanda and I didn't really know where Leah lived and she couldn't use her phone to text us because of the holiday, she had her children meet us on the corner and walk us to her apartment. In keeping with Jewish tradition, she made a ton of food which was all so good and before we left she invited us over the next day for Shabbat lunch. Her and her family are so sweet and though I am not used to being in a very religious environment, I felt completely comfortable. The next day I finally went to the beach in Rishon since my burns have healed and had a very relaxing time. Then I only had two days of school before Yom Kippur. On the eve of Yom Kippur I made myself schnitzel and pasta to tide me over during the fast and headed out with my roommates to take in Rishon without any traffic. It seemed like the whole city was walking in the middle of the streets since everything shuts down for the holiday. The next day after waking up at 1pm which definitely helped with the hunger, I went on a solo walk since the novelty of being able to walk in the middle of the streets had not yet lost its appeal for me. Then I went to the park to read and finished the last hour of the fast in bed since I was starting to not feel so great. My roommates Sam and Sivan woke me up just before the end of the holiday to stand in front of the shul by our apartment to hear the shofar signalling the end of Yom Kippur. It was so cool to wait with everyone else during that moment and experience the whole country standing still for those 25 hours. Once the fast was over, my roommates and I went to a bar down the street called Bernard that has really good sandwiches and I had the "Buffalo Soldier" sun-dried tomato paste, pesto, tomatoes, lettuce and mozzarella on a toasted baguette. It was no bagel and lox but it did the trick. Although I have about 9 months left here I can confidently say that Yom Kippur in Israel will be at the top of my list of memorable moments. Today I woke up at 6:40am (grumpy face) to meet Amanda in Jerusalem and we had an epic day. More on that later. Thanks for giving me a reason to keep documenting my journey!

Acceptance

Can you believe that I have been in Israel for almost a month?! I know, I can't either. Most of the original feelings of being overwhelmed have mellowed out and I really feel like I am beginning to settle into my everyday life here. If moving to a different country were like the 5 stages of grief I would be in the acceptance stage. That sounds kind of dramatic and morbid but just go with it. This past week was my first full week in school which was spent observing in the classroom and helping the students in smaller groups. I also got a taste of just how crazy Israeli school children can be when one particularly rowdy 5th grader kept saying "fuck you, bitch" to other students in class. I was of course completely dumbfounded and could only manage to stammer "we don't say that" though I think he got the message from the look of horror on my face. On Wednesday, the principal of the school I am teaching at invited the whole staff to her house for a bbq to kick off the year. Mona (the other fellow that works with me) and I ate a ton and had a great time even though everyone was speaking in Hebrew so we weren't really able to socialize as much as we would have liked. There was also a hired comedian there who told her life story and was pretty funny judging by everyone else's laughter though we obviously didn't understand a word she was saying. On Friday a group of us went out in Tel Aviv for one of my roommates' birthday's and spent the majority of the night trying to find a decent bar which didn't happen. On the plus side, I had actually been to the first bar we went to while I was here on Birthright so it brought back some great memories and made me miss my Birthright fam back home. Today we visited a children's hospital in Tsrifin where we handed out apples and honey and made cards with the patients for Rosh Hashanah. It was a wonderful experience and the kids and their families seemed genuinely grateful for our visit. Tomorrow is my only day in school this week because it's Rosh Hashanah! I am super excited because I am going to have dinner with my friend Gal and her family which will be my first authentic Israeli holiday experience. Ulpan also starts this week which will hopefully help me figure out the difference between savory and sweet burekas at the bakery so I don't accidentally buy mushroom ones when I mean to buy chocolate ones again. Because let's be real, mushrooms are never an acceptable substitute for chocolate. Thanks again for following and Shana Tova!

Hakol Beseder (It's all good)

Hi friends! It's been another busy week here in Israel so I have a lot to update you about. On Sunday we went to Zichron Yaakov where we stopped at the beautiful Ha-Nadiv Gardens which are planted around the tombs of Baron Rothschild (a major Israeli benefactor) and his wife. Then we went to lunch in the town center and surprise surprise I got shawarma. If I don't stop eating it so often I will be at least 15 pounds heavier when I get back. It's so good it's kind of worth it though. After lunch we went to a winery for a tour and some tasting and Amanda (my roommate) happened to know the tour guide which you would think would be a huge coincidence except for the fact that she keeps running into people here that she randomly knows from back home. Jewish geography at its best. We ended the day at Caesarea aqueduct beach which I had been to on Birthright but found just as gorgeous this time around. On Monday and Wednesday we went to Talpiot Teachers College to meet with our pedagogical adviser and talk about our expectations about teaching English to Israeli children. Our madricha (counselor) Inbal came over on Monday night to cook dinner with us and we made shakshuka, a yummy dish that includes crushed tomatoes, red peppers, onions, and poached eggs. Afterwards we played a game that tested our knowledge about our roommates. Sadly, I found out that I don't really know Geoff as well as I thought I did. Good thing we have another 10 months of living together. I do however know that he really likes barbeque flavored Beasley (an Israeli snack food sort of like chips). On Tuesday we went to the schools we will be teaching at to observe a few classes. It was definitely different than what you would expect to find in an American classroom. The kids were rowdier and the English teacher spoke a lot more Hebrew than English to them and they also didn't get that much done during the periods. We officially start teaching on Monday and I am excited to see how it goes. We also started Ulpan this week so I am slowly but surely beginning to pick up some Hebrew. Today we actually went to a park in Tel Aviv and spoke to Israelis as part of the class which was somewhat awkward but everyone we spoke to was a good sport about it. On a side note, I also tried to do laundry for the first time and for some reason the washing cycle took about 4 hours to complete. At one point Amanda had to stage an intervention and make me leave the apartment because I was having a nervous breakdown. Hopefully the next time will be smoother. Tonight I am celebrating Shabbat with my roommates so I have to go help cook. Until next time. Shabbat Shalom!

Shalom!

Yesterday marked the end of my first week in Israel so in the interest of keeping a promise made to friends, family and myself before I came, I am currently sitting in my sweltering room and trying to remember everything that I have experienced thus far. Thankfully I have the schedules for both the Opening Seminar and the first week in front of me so I won't have to rely fully on my own memory. So let's begin at the beginning. After enduring slight delays, getting hot tea poured in my lap by a flight attendant and a stopover in Istanbul I arrived in Tel Aviv a little worse for the wear but still very excited to get to the Israel Experience offices in Jerusalem and meet the other participants. On the suggestion of the program coordinators I took a Sherut (10 person shared taxi) from the airport to Jerusalem and arrived at the offices for check in. Once everyone had arrived and stored their luggage, we had an opening ceremony overlooking Jerusalem and drove to Ein Gedi (a desert oasis located west of the Dead Sea) where we would spend the next four days playing ice breaker games and getting an overview of the program. The next morning we set out for a hike in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve that included beautiful views of the desert, waterfalls, and a dip in the pools for those of us without 1st and 2nd degree burns (ie not me). I hear it was very refreshing. That evening we celebrated our first Shabbat together and reflected on everything that lay ahead. Here I'll be skipping ahead a little to Sunday when we left Ein Gedi and finally got to see our apartments for the first time. Though I absolutely love the people I will be living with (especially my roommate Amanda!) I was initially taken aback by the state of the apartment upon arrival. It was dirty, messy, and it was clear that last year's participants had just left a bunch of random crap that they did not feel like dealing with. Luckily, my roommates were down for an intense cleaning party which definitely improved the apartment's livability and reduced the likelihood of an impending meltdown on my part. Since then we have gotten our bus passes, met one of last year's fellows who will be mentoring us, gone to a movie, had one on ones with our madricha (counselor), gone out to bars for the first time and participated in a giant scavenger hunt. I was also able to reconnect with one of the soldiers that was on my Birthright trip who just so happens to live in the same city as me! Today I went to the school I will be teaching at and met the head teacher who is both fluent in English and super nice. On Sunday, we have a trip to Zichron (a town located at the southern end of the Carmel mountain range overlooking the Mediterranean Sea) where we will tour a winery and go to the beach. I'm sure I have left out a ton of things that I have also done in the last week but since you probably stopped reading 10 sentences ago I will stop here and catch you next time. Thanks for following along on this journey!