The Temple Mount

On Thursday we had a "1st and 2nd Temple time period" tour of Jerusalem. We started at the City of David and eventually made our way to the Temple Mount. For those that don't know - the Temple Mount (where the Al Aqsa Mosque and the famous Dome of the Rock now stand) - is THE holiest and most sacred site in Judaism, because this was the location of the 1st/2nd temples. I'm not going to go into detail about the history/significance/controvery of this site, but here is a link to the Wikipedia page. I encourage everyone to read a little bit about this site (if you are not already familiar with it) because it is incredibly interesting and meaningful in a variety of ways:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount

Oh, one thing I will very briefly mention, is that along with all of the political controversies surrounding this site, there is also much religious debate within the jewish world on whether Jews should/shouldn't visit the Temple Mount. Again, there is much to be said here. Because of the extremely Holy and sacred nature of this site, many Jews choose not to go there at all (as we are not in the proper spiritual state for such a priveledge), some Rabbis say that parts of the Temple mount are okay to visit but not others, or, as long as the person takes the necessary precatious in preparation for going up to the mount, it is okay. There are many schools of thought and the trip to the mount in general was not mandatory due to its controversial nature.

Currently, Israel has political control over the mount, however the Waqf maintain religious control of the area. This means that no non-muslim prayers can take place at the site, non-muslim items/icons cannot be in view, and non-muslims are not aloud to enter the mosque. In otherwords, if someone is wearing a kippah, star of david, cross, ect - you will either not be aloud on the premises or be asked to remove the items. Some of the guys in our group were told to take off their kippahs.

I could go on and on about this site, the challenges/controversies it presents - but I'm not going to do that here. There is simply too much to be said and it is too emotional/controversial to try and write out in a blog. What I will tell you is my personal reaction to the visit.

Though not entirely sure of the idea (for various reasons), I am glad that I went. If there ever (G-d forbid) comes a time when people will not be aloud to enter the area at all - I can say that I *have* been there and seen the holiest spot on earth (for Jews) with my own eyes. With that said - I will openly admit that I don't think I would readily go back there any time soon. I honestly didn't feel comfortable being there and in many ways (not just politically) it was upsetting. Despite being such an important place in the Jewish narrative, I did not get any spiritual fulfillment from being there. It's really hard to explain but I guess uncomfortable is the only word I can think of...

I wanted to write this in the blog though, because i DO think it is important to read about the Temple Mount, discuss, and visit (if interested).

Interview at the President's Residence - moving up in the world?

Okay - so here is the biggest thing that has happened to me so far...

On Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, I was at work as usual doing my thing and not really expecting much. Suddenly, Noga pops into my cube and asks me:

"Hey, would you be willing to go to the President's residence to interview a delegation of Rabbis from Los Angeles?"

At first I thought I misheard heard her .. would i be willing? THE presdient's house?are you kidding me? never mind that i have *never* interviewed anyone in my life or feel important enough to go to the president's residence...OFCOURSE I AM WILLING!!!!!!

So here is the background info. A delegation of 18 rabbis, of various denominations (orthodox, conservative & refor), came to Israel for a 3 day trip. The idea was to show solidarity with Israel and to also show unity between the differeing denominations. (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/)
One of the stops on their busy tour was the Shimon Peres's place for a short, closed doors meeting. So, the Ministry of Tourism (at last minute of course) decided that they wanted to interview some of these rabbis on camera for promotional material. They needed someone to actually interview the people - and that someone turned out to be ME!!!! WHOAH!!! After getting things in order, I went home, took a 20 minute nap, woke up to do some research on the different Rabbis, take notes and memorize faces, and changed into nice clothes.

I met the camera crew (2 latin american jews) and after passing through security (which is no joke) and receiving a 'media' tag, I made my way into the President's main reception hall! Ofcourse, from the momment I walked up to the residence, I couldn't stop smiling and looking like a silly idiot. I really couldn't believe that I was sitting inside the presidence residence about to meet/interview some of the most influental jewish leaders of our day! (a few of the rabbis in the delegation were part of Newsweeks '50 most influental jewish leaders').

Before the doors were closed on the session, I managed to snap some pictures of Shimon and the Rabbis.


In the end, there was only time to interview two of the rabbis. Here are their names and links to short bio's:

Rabbi Denise Eger
http://www.boardofrabbis.org/Rabbi-Denise-Eger

Rabbi Marvin Hier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Hier

If you are wondering whether or not this footage will actually be used for promoting tourism to Israel- I have no idea. It may have been a complete waste of time (from a business perspective). However, it was an *incredible* opportunity for me and even while writing this, I am having a hard time believe that I actually did that.

Oh, and you should all know that Shimon Peres walked RIGHT PAST ME AND SMILED AT ME!!!!! that's right people - i almost touched the president of Israel! hahaha.

I guess the one thing that I want to point out, in writing all of this, is the profound difference in Israeli culture when it comes to celebrities/political figures. In the U.S. there is a *very clear* wall between the 'common person' and the famous figure (be it hollywood/politician/what ever). But in Israel, as long as you pass security - it is totally normal to ask for a picture, shake hands, and interact with the nation's "stars". the relationship here is almost familial in a sense. It's pretty cool and further demonstrates how small this country is but at the same time, how involved people are with what is going on. I don't think something like this could have happened for me in the U.S. unless i knew some people who knew some people....

oh man - i love Israel!
<3

Tel Aviv 10k Night Run – First completed race of my life!

Who can believe it! I, Bella Shapiro, a girl who generally hates running, prefers eating, and has never participated in any kind of communal athletic challenge – successfully completed a 10km (6 mile) race in Tel Aviv, Israel ----- AND IT WAS GREAT!!! The whole process of getting to Tel Aviv on Friday (before Shabbat), picking up my Nike jersey, finding a place to stay – that was all a big balagan (mess). However, as always, everything worked out just fine and some hours before the race, I met up with the people that I was also running with: Noah (my pseudo-coach and fellow IGF’er), Daniela (girl from Venezuela and fellow IGF’er), Gahl (who showed up right before the race started), Matan (Gahl’s cousin) and Becca (Matan’s gf). It was the 6 of us, and as we were walking up to Rabin square (where the race started) you could feel the wave of energy , excitement, and anxiousness in the square. It was a sea of red – everywhere you looked, all you could see is people, thousands of people, in red jerseys! There was music, people stretching, the crowd gathering along the sides of the course. The atmosphere was fully charged.

The cool thing about this particular race is that is it part of a global even t called the ‘Nike Human Race’. Essentially, people all over the world start the race at exactly the same moment (even though the time may actually be different). So people in Los Angeles, Brazil, Ireland, Prague (etc) all started running at exactly the same time! Pretty cool right? When you think about it, it really makes you feel like you’re participating in something big. I will point out that, at least in my vicinity, there were really no other females. Daniela and I were fairly close to the front of the line, so that might have had something to do with it, but it was definitely a bit intimidating. In general I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on and how the hell I managed to sign myself up for this crazy thing in the first place haha.


Eventually the countdown began and Daniela and I were stuck in the middle of the red ocean. There was live ‘pump-up’ music, people were jumping up and down to keep their legs warm, some were clapping and cheering, others were quiet and meditative. Before I knew it, the bell had rung, the crowd started shifting, and somehow my legs just started moving. I began running, and as my legs were moving, I was trying to comprehend everything around me. I keep saying ‘my legs were moving’ because I honestly didn’t feel like my mind took part in what my legs were doing. The bottom half of my body was functioning completely independently from the rest of me. It's really hard to describe the feeling, but the best way I can put it- is it felt like a video game. someone was in moving me around a track and i was just following directions. pretty wild.


so i was running at my usual pace (maybe even a bit slower) and when i hit the 4k mark I was really surprised at how good i felt. i wasn't tired, i wasn't feeling any pain, and couldn't believe that i was almost half way through the entire thing. i was running with Gahl and Daniela which was cool. Gahl was cracking jokes, Daniela was in the zone, and I was somewhere in between. For me, what really helped, is that there was a DJ playing music at every kilometer. So, it was motivating and kept my energy level up. As soon as i would hear music, I knew i was one step closer to reaching the finish line and often i would clap, yell, or sing along to the music! (actually, i think i run a lot better when i have a beat to breath/move to).
In any case, by 7km point, i realized that I really could be running much faster, actually pushing myself (not just running at my slow comfortable pace) and ended up leaving Daniela and Gahl.

Well - I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and couldn't help but let out a little cheer of victory. Again, it was all pretty surreal, and I couldn't believe that I actually completed a race. Even though my left knee was hurting a bi and I was pretty smelly/sweaty - i felt great! Eventually we all met up, took some pictures, and went to the big lawn where there were various stages with dj's, free popsicles (i ate 2!!), more water, and some people were even passing out nutrition bars. The craziest thing, is that we totally started dancing our asses off and jumpint around to the music after the race!!! You'd think that we would just be collapsing on the ground with exhausting - but it is incredible how much energy and adrenaline is pumping through your system. it wasn't until my body started cooling down and we were waiting for a taxi that i actually got tired, quiet, and wanted to just go home and sleep.

After grabbing some (nasty) fellafel, we finally got on a bus back to Jerusalem and was in bed by around 2:00. Needless to say, being at work the next day at 7:30am was painful and my co-worker told me i looked tired. HA! thanks :-P

did i like it? surprisingly - yes
is it worth trying? absolutely!
would I do it again? hell yes!!!

without sounding conceited, i'm relatively proud of myself (it honestly wasn't THAT challenging but still - my biggest athletic achievement). I'm still debating about the 1/2 marathon. I would like to do it - the only thing that's kind of making me second guess is the rain. it has officially started raining here in jerusalem, and it's just such a cold wet pain in the ass to train in such weather. ich. we'll see. regardless, i really should/need to keep to running - otherwise I will just turn into one big fellafel! :-P

we'll see :)

2009 Presidential Conference

Shalom Shalom!

Excuse the lag in my posts - I know it has been a while. Work is fine - still love my boss, just baiscally waiting to settle in and have things pick up a bit. New roomie is fine as well. I don't really see him much since I am so busy, so it's not really an issue. Okay, now that we have that out of the way.........guess where I have been for the past two days, and all day tomorrow.....

THE ISRAELI PRESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE OF 2009!!!!
http://www.presidentconf.org.il/en/

The first opening night of the president’s conference was quite the experience and in some ways - even a culture shock. The hall was really big, filled with about 2,500 people, and the stage was set with a piano, podium, and some chairs (for other musicians). We were all sitting in the balcony with a great view of the stage – there were also 4 video screens. Most people were dressed in very nice business clothes (which is highly unusual for Israeli’s) but to compensate for the uncharacteristic attire- the event started late and it took about 25 minutes before they got the crowd to sit (VERY Israeli).
And so the night began! I got to hear President Shimon Peres give his opening speech; Prime Minister Benyamin Netenyahu give a speech on the need for true and committed leadership and called on Abbu Mazen (Mahmud Abbas) to be that leader (read the speech here: http://www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com/israelnews/israel-news/83-israeli-news/1983-pm-netanyahus-speech-at-the-2009-presidents-conference-making-the-impossible-possibleq.html#); I also got to hear Tony Blaire speak and let me tell you – he is very charismatic, pleasant and relaxed on stage, and proud to be a supporter of Israel. The crowed (and dare I say Israelis) love him. One of the things which was really new for me, was to witness and actually feel the immense and unbridled amount of love which Israeli’s AND the international community have for President Peres. People were not just flattering him, but were sincerely and happily singing his praises, making jokes about his age, and lauding his optimism and positive spirit. It’s remarkable and I felt extremely lucky to be in the room for all of this. There was also some music performances and the evening closed with the singing of Hatikvah (the national anthem). As funny as this will sound - I honestly felt like I was at the Oscars. Not only have I never been to an event like this before in my life, but I also couldn’t believe that I was lucky/privileged enough to be wearing the entry tag with my name on it. Here I was, sitting in a huge auditorium, listening live to some of the most important leaders of the Jewish world, while being surrounded by renown scholars, politicians, dignitaries, scientists and activists from around the world!!! How the hell did I get into the room?!?!? It was a very humbling and exciting evening – to say the least.
The next two days were spent, in full, at the conference attending the plenary sessions and picking various other lectures/seminars which were being held throughout the day. You can view the schedule of sessions and speakers online, but I’ll just go over some of the events which I attended/made an impression on me. The primary session (of day 2) I picked was called “Geopolitical developments and the Jewish people”. The panel was basically discussing the various problems going on in the world and how the Jewish people/state should respond to them. For me, the most striking speaker on the panel was Irwin Cotler (http://irwincotler.liberal.ca/default.aspx#) who spoke about the 3 dynamics affecting the Jewish as well as entire world as a whole:
1. Ahmadineja’s Iran – berating the world for giving him a platform in new York and not bringing his incitements of genocide to the genocide counsil
2. State sponsored propagation of hate/genocide – state sponsorship of such activity being extremely dangerous and cannot be ignored
3. The betrayal of the elites – organizations such as the UN and UNHRC not just failing to live up to their standards but actually acting completely in contradiction to the values they were established to uphold (amen Irwin)
Day two I went to the panel entitled “Islam: between moderation and extremism”. Overall it was interesting and there were many intriguing panelists, but there was not nearly enough time for the discussion to really bloom. (http://www.presidentconf.org.il/en/media.asp?rId=15). I attended this panel not just because the topic interests me, but because I also wanted to see/hear the leaders of moderate Islam. I have never had a doubt that these leaders exist and I do believe that Islam has beautiful teachings and is not an evil/purely violent religion – but it is incredibly unfortunate (if not frightening) how easily the moderate voices are drowned out by the extremists and radicals. The panelists were truly noteworthy, committed, and extremely intelligent people – but listening to them speak was both relieving and frustrating. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for them and I’m sure that all efforts are being made – but it’s just not good enough. I just hope that one day their voices and teaching will not only be heard but be respected and considered (globally) as natural.
Panel #2 for me was under the title of “Jerusalem, Washington, US Jewry – is the honeymoon over?” this panel basically discussed the relationship between the three entities and how/if it has been effected by the new governments/leaders. To be totally honest – much was what was said was rather sophisticated and somewhat hard to follow. However, the one thing that I did understand is the general consensus and confidence in America’s real, passionate, and stable relationship to Israel. *whew* it’s so good to hear that from smart and experience people ;-)
The last panel (and possibly my favorite) was “the young take initiative”. This was a panel comprised of young activists/entrepreneurs who saw a problem, took initiative, and have managed to make a difference. One of the girls (only American) was Rachel Fish who managed to successfully petition Harvard to reject an endowment from a Shiek (of the UAE) who was also funding a seriously anti-American and anti-semitic think tank. I really liked her (not just because she was the only one speaking English) but she was also very well spoken, clearly passionate and hardworking but also humble and down to earth! There was time for Q&A and I got to ask a question: “all of you were lucky enough to have a distinctive moment where you saw a problem and knew that you were going to try and tackle it. but what would you say to budding leaders who are passionate, driven, and motivated – but just don’t know which problem they want to apply their passion to?” Rachel was the one who answered me and she said: “The more educated you are, the more you will understand what your passion is, and then it will burn so strongly inside you – you will not be able to ignore it” I could have jumped up on stage and kissed her right then! :-D
The conference ended with a statement from Natan Sharansky , a ‘discussion’ on Israel in the year 2020 by Tzipi Livni, Ehud Barak, and Eli Yishai, and a closing statement by Shimon Peres. I won’t really go into too much detail about this, but what I will say, is that if there is one thing which ALL of these people have in common – it is their commitment and dedication to the state of Israel and the Jewish people!!! Their debates, tempers, excitement and disagreement all stem from this single unifying characteristic – and nothing is more reassuring and exhilarating than being witness to this fact!
In other words – the conference was fantastic! There aren’t enough thanks I could express to IGF for providing me with such an opportunity. Really!
The only other thing I would briefly add to this blog entry – is that I will be leaving for Tel Aviv (at some point) today because tomorrow is the Nike Tel Aviv 10k Night Race I am running in! I feel totally unprepared (though I have been running), nervous as all hell (since I have NO idea what the hell I signed myself up for), and in complete shock/disbelief (that I would ever do something so completely against my nature)! Haha. I am definitely taking my camera and will be sure to tell you how it all goes. I have no idea what is going on or what to expect – but hopefully everything will go well and I will come back with to write a new entry “first completely race of my life” ahha. Wish me luck!
p.s. miss you

End of First Work Week

Shabbat Shalom Lekulam.

I am currently writing you from a city called Ashdod. It is (as far as I know) the 5th largest city in Israel (about 250,000 population) and is pretty new in relation to some of the other places around the country. The reason why I am here is because I have some relatives here that I've been meaning to visit - so I finally got my act together and made it over here. Needless to say - I am CONSTANTLY getting fed (no complaints) and relaxing. Though, I will probably have to run a minimum of 4 hours just to even out all the eating. By the way - Ashdod is ROOSKI CENTRAL! I LITERALLY haven't heard any Hebrew here yet ;-)

Okay, recap of the week. I guess you could say that I have survived my first half-week of work. I'm still not *actually* working, as I do nobody has given me any set tasks - but not to worry. It's only been 3 days, and frankly, I still don't know what the hell is going on around me. I am in the midst of reading this huge report on the ministry of tourism/tourism in IL. It's actually really interesting (despite weighing 10 pounds). The reason why I am reading it is because it goes through all of the problems, strenghts, and recommendations for the tourism industry and has been the guidebook for current policy. Interesting stuff. Actually - one of the projects that I have to do for IGF (not for work) is creating a power-point presentation of 15 minutes talking about the function of my ministry, its goals, how it operates, who it works with, my department - ETC, ETC! (just for you dad). So this report actually goes through a lot of the information which I need. I am going to try and somehow post this presentation on here once i write it (due Nov 26th).

So, in terms of work, there is not a whole lot going on, but I managed to keep myself somewhat occupied. For example, Noga wants to create a packet for all of the intl tourism reps, surveying the current marketing material. In otherwords, assess the effectivity of all of the marketing products (posters, pamphles, movies, ect) to see what needs work, what needs to be thrown out, and what needs to be replenished. She mentioned to me that she would like to have a cover letter, in English, to go with this survey. Though she didn't ask me *directly*, I wrote up a draft and sent it over to her.....I think she liked it ;-) It doesn't sound like much, and in a certain sense it ISN'T much, but I've never written anything like that before so already I am learning something new. I guess the reason why I am not getting upset at the situation is because I know that I *will* be doing cool things soon enough and have enough opportunity to come up with my own projects. It's just a matter of time. Overall, I am happy and looking forward to continuing learning.

Aside from that - not much. Went major grocery shopping with Alex (finally), had my first 'normal' dinner at the apartment, and opened up my first bottle of wine as well. Oh man, it was so nice to just sit, have a glass of wine, and feel like a regular person. I have to say, the one thing I am being impatient about is settling in. Right now, things are still relatively foreign, scary, and incomprehensible. It's not that I'm uncomfortable - I just feel like I'm stuck in limbo between being a tourist and civilian. It's pretty bizarre actually. My life just doesn't feel normal yet, I'm not sure how to explain it. I'm not completely confident in getting around (despite managing just fine) and I'm not meeting as many people as I would like to. A lot of it also has to do with the language barrier. Yes, there are plenty of people here who speak English (and russian), but I also don't want to get stuck in an 'anglo' bubble. What I really want, actually, is to find a place where I can take some classes. Maybe cooking, torah study, i dunno. But some kind of activity where I can meet people, interact with Israelis and stay busy. mmmmm - we'll see. I need to do some research.

sababa - ani tsrikha lishon akhshav (i need to sleep now). hope everyone is doing well.

** MOM - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I LOVE YOU AND WISH I COULD BE WITH YOU. SENDING YOU LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE FROM THE HOLY LAND THOUGH!!! **

laila tov
<3

First Day of Work!

I TOTALLY WORK IN THE ISRAELI MINISTRY OF TOURISM!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!

So today was a great day and I have a really good feeling about my future experience in this ministry. Noga picked me up this morning with her daughter in the back seat. We dropped her daughter off at school (really sweet girl) and then drove over to the ministry. On the way Noga was explaining to me the different neighborhoods, giving me tips on where various stores/pharmacies. We parked in the garage and I officially entered the building in which the ministry of tourism is!!! haha. I know it sounds silly but I definitely had this distinct momment of realization - if anybody had told me a year ago that I would be working at the israeli ministry of tourism - i would have laughed my ass off...and yet, here I was, entering the building, passing the security check, and making my way up to my new office!!!! CRAZY RIGHT?!

So the ministry of tourism is in this big building in which the 4-6 floors are solely devoted to the MOT (ministry of tourism). The ministry itself is broken up into various sectors: financial, strategy, public relations, planning and development, domestic/overseas tourism, ect. I am working within the marketing devlopment and new medias department. Basically these two sections (which apparently have now been fused into one) deal with creating all the content for both abroad and domestic tourism needs. Everything from pamphlets, website content, gifts for visiting guests, promotional movies, ect. In other words - marketing Israel as a viable tourist destination!

After putting our stuff down, Noga proceeded to introduce me to everyone in the office. Needless to say, I don't remember anybodys name and the cubicles do not have labels (SO israeli). However, everyone was very nice and welcoming. Every person I met wished me luck, asked if I speak Hebrew, and offered their help in case I ever need anything! So far the atmosphere and attitude feels great. Nobody was in jeans (surpringly enough) and there seem to be some really great people working within the ministry. In fact, there is another girl who is kind of like an intern (except I think she gets paid) - and she is super nice! Hopefully we can be friends?!

Let's just get to the million dollar question already --- I still do not know EXACTLY what I will be doing. I don't think Noga even has conrete things planned for me. You have to remember that the concept of an 'intern' is a very American thing and most Israeli's can't understand why someone would WANT to work FOR FREE?! (frankly - i don't blame them haha). But here is my impression - Noga is very ambitious and has a lot of ideas and things she wants to change/improve within the marketing/media department. I think that I will basically be working on various projects as they come along (and maybe even initiate a few of my own). For example, Noga mentioned a few things to me today, one of which is creating a 'tourism' section on the wikipedia 'israel' page. I'm on it! Already started doing some research, grabbed some reading material from the tourism library, and am looking into the whole wikipedia writing/editing process. I'm hoping to maybe get that done by the beginning of next week! so it's things like this and maybe even bigger and more important projects. we'll see - but i think/hope that all sorts of good things are on my horizon! (I also think its time to go the Kotel and start thanking the big man upstairs for all of this amazingness - haven't been there in a while anyways).

Tomorrow I am meeting Noga again (since I have yet to get my security badge - better to enter the building with her than without) and it will be my second day of work
:-D !!!

In other news - there really isn't much other news. Just going running, trying to get to know my new roomie (apparently he understands RUSSIAN!! WTF?!?! how am i going to talk shit about him now?!?! ahaha), and settle into things. I desperately need to go REAL grocery shopping. For now I have just been getting hummus, turkey slices, some fruits and bread. But now that I will be having a more stable schedule and my homelife has mellowed out - it's time to start making this house a home! I think Alex and I might go to the shuk at some point and just buy out the place. Starting from scratch isn't easy but it's definitely an adventure.

Noga My Mentor and the Minor Flood in Fichman 5

Wow- What a day indeed!

As you know, today I met my mentor (a.k.a. boss) from the Ministry of Tourism! Her name is Noga and she is incredibly sweet. She actually just started at her job about 2 months ago and from what it sounds like - there is a lot of work to be done. Everything from updating/changing website content, material used for Israel's tourism embassadors, picking out new gifts which are handed out to officials who visit the office - i dont know. I honestly can't say much else because I simply have no idea.

In any case, Noga is picking me up tomorrow morning at 7:15am. We are actually practically neighbors, because she lives on a street right next to mine! I know this isn't much and all of you (including myself) are anxious to find out WHAT IT IS that I will be doing. I promise you that as soon as I find out - I will be sure to let everybody know. The million dollar question! ;-)

In other news - Becca has officially moved out and I have a new roomie! His name is Alex and he is a 26 year old guy who recently made Aliya. He's from the states and has a degree in biology. Because of his age he is obligated to do military service - so he will eventually be drafted in about 5-6 months. I got good vibes from him - he seems mellow, very reasonable, and drama-free (baruch hashem). I think it's going to be just fine. So Alex moves in tomorrow and that will be the start of my new living arrangements. Fingers and toes crossed

Oh yes, and right as Becca left the apartment- the water hose to the toilet broke and water was getting everywhere. It was a shame that I didn't have my swim-suit on, otherwise I totally could have gone swimming. It's just funny how things happen in life. I saw all the water slowly creeping into the hallway and all I could do was laugh and take a picture. Just my luck right? Everything is fine now though - the landlord came over right away, stopped the leak, and is replacing the part tomorrow. *whew*. My first minor crisis in Israel and I think i more or less survived. :o)


so that's that folks! tomorrow is my big day. in fact, it is so big and i am so tired, that I haven't even really fully realized what is going on..... i will be working for the israeli government in the ministry of tourism!!!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!! let's leave it at that before i jinx it. off to bed to get some MUCH MUCH needed sleep!

laila tov <3

End of the Week and Other Tid-Bits

Shalom Anashim-

Somehow this week started out long and has ended so quickly. In terms of IGF - we had a very interesting seminar yesterday. It was a panel of three people:
1. Rabbi Gideon Sylvester
2. Mr. Nir Boms
3. Mr. Muhammad Darawshe
The topic of discussion was 'the declaration of israel's independence'. The format of the lecture was that each speaker took their turn presenting their views/analysis of israel's declaration of independence. The idea was that each speaker brought a slightly different perspective (one being a rabbi, the other secular, and the third being an Israeli-Arab). I'm not sure if this was the intention or not, but basically what happened was that (primarily) Mr. Nir and Mr. Muhammad focused on the segment of the declaration which speaks of Israel providing equal rights to everbody (Jewish or not) and how Israel was not living up to it's stated promises and aspirations as a model state of morality. While there were many things which were said (and I'm honestly not sure of what I can/cannot write out in this blog) - the point they were making is that while Israel has done much in terms of batteling discrimination, it still has a long way to go. Everybody kept harping on how Israel does not meet its standards, ect - but when I asked why Israel is the only party being held to such standards - I didn't get an answer. They just agreed that 'yes the other side has a responsibility as well - but that does not preclude IL from its responsibilities'. hmmmm....
It was interesting and frustrating. sometimes i just want to scream "WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?!?!?! WHY CAN'T IL JUST BE MET HALF WAY FOR ONCE?!?!" It's hard. I have no doubt that discrimination, racism, and distrust is present withing Israeli society. As much as I wish that was not the case - we are all human after all. As a Jew, it's a very hard debate to have with oneself. On the one hand - our Jewish values are what set us apart and make us the nation that we are. We insists on dropping leaflets, sending mass text messages and calling people's cell phones before a military operation. Yet, it is also our value system which insists on extreme self-criticism. No doubt the line between reasonable and excessive self-demands is not easy to draw. There is ALWAYS room to be better, but when do you say "enough - we ARE doing the best we can!". Clearly this puts IL between a rock and a hard place. Like i said - interesting stuff.

Aside from all of the political stuff - I'm having a pretty relaxed and mellow weekend (for once). Thursday night I met up with a friend and went to my first Israeli bar/dance club called 'tsatsua' (which means toy in hebrew). great spot to just go, dance your ass off like an idiot, and have a good time. for sure going back there!

Yesterday, consisted of going for a run, studying some Hebrew, and celebrating shabbat and Simkhat Torah. Went over to Avi's for dinner (the guy that took me to the natural spring) and met a bunch of people. Actually, one of the people that was there was this guy who is apparently 'one of the most eligible bachelors of IL'. hahah. There was an article written about him with his picture, and when I saw it and asked about it, Avi and Fievel told me that he is actually coming over for dinner since he is a good friend of theirs! haha - i just find it so funny that things kinds of things are so normal here. i guess at the end of the day - it really is such a small community!

As for my marathon training, i am actually running! In fact, I will actually be running in a 10k race on October 24 called 'The Human Race'. It is sponsored by Nike and the idea is that people from all around the world will start this race at exactly the same momment (though not the same time). http://nikerunning.co.il/humanrace/index.asp. In Israel, the race is taking place in Tel Aviv and is also being called the "night run". Noah wrote out a training schedule for me, so here it is:

Oct 8: 1.5 miles
Oct 9: 2 mile
Oct 10: 1 mile
Oct 11: Core work out/Cross training (situps, pushups, ect)
Oct 12: 2.5 mile
Oct 13: REST
Oct 14: 1.5 mile
Oct 15: 1 mile with core work out
Oct 16: 2.5 mile
Oct 17: 1 mile
Oct 18: 4 mile
Oct 19: Rest
Oct 20: core work out with stair work
Oct 21: 2 mile
Oct 22: 1 mile
Oct 23: REST + lots of water
Oct 24: RACE DAY!!!!

So far I am on schedule and am not letting myself slack (otherwise all of my motivation will collapse and that will be the end of this endeavor for me). To be honest, I still can't believe I signed myself up for this. I'm not really mentally in this decision at all. I just go and run because that's what my schedule is telling me I have to do. I am kind of excited for the 10k because it sounds pretty cool (though I have NO IDEA what to expect) plus - i get a free tshirt! haha. For now I've got Forest Gump syndrom - 'i'm just runnin'. :o)

The only other thing I wanted to mention is that Monday morning we are all meeting with our work mentors for greetings, introduction and one-on-one conversations! And Tuesday --- I START WORKING AT THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! this is all happening so quickly, I can't even believe it. that will definitely be a blog post of its own! :D

Alrighty, I'm going to go study some Hebrew. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their weekend!

Lecture on Modern Zionism & Tiyulpans

Shalom Lekulam (everyone)-

What has happened within the past couple of days...the first and most "ironic" event which took place on Monday, was a lecture we had from Dr. Micah Goodman. I say ironic because the topic he lectured on was modern zionism in Israeli society - essentially he was discussing EXACTLY the ideas/thoughts which I happened to bring up in my last blog entry! crazy right? (although things like this shouldn't come as surprises anymore, since Jerusalem seems to be full of ironic situations). As a well known public figure in Israel, Dr. Goodman also teaches at the Ein Prat Leadership Institute (http://www.bogrim.org/en_index.html). I can assure you that if you follow the link and read a bit about this institute, you will immediately understand his position on modern zionism and in a sense - his ideology.
However, if you are lazy (which is completely understandable), I will try and briefly describe what he talked about.

The first words out of Dr. Goodman's mouth were the following:
"The passion for zionism is dead!" ;-)
Pretty strong right? The lecture was great though. We actually discussed the various 'causes' of this phenomenon (intellectual, psychological, changing enemy, exhhaustion, ect). Micah was yet another powerful orator who once again left us with more questions then answers. In case you are wondering what solutions he offered - he didn't. I actually asked him that question (at the end of the lecture) and he responded with "well - that's what i want to get you thinking about". haha. very diplomatic indeed, but not in any way disappointing. something tells me that HIS approach to countering the loss of passion would be through education, however, that's just a guess. Either way, it was very interesting the way he spoke and presented ideas. There are videos of his lectures on the link above, if you want to get a sense for how he speaks :) I just REALLY liked how this lecture was directly followed my introduction to the topic via Gahl's cousin! excellent timing.

The other little adventures have been our 'tiyul-pan'. This is a combination of the word 'tiyul' (trip) and ulpan (hebrew study). so basically we had two little mini trips in which we were only to speak in hebrew. The first trip was to the infamous 'shuk' (market) of jerusalem. For any of you who enjoy farmers markets or would just want a REAL israeli experience - the shuk is the best place for it. TONS of vendors selling all sorts of amazing, fresh, and delicious food, yelling, haggaling, pushing and shoving! it's great and also cheap (since you can bargain). So, as a group, we went to the shuk and interacted with vendors, played games involving speaking hebrew, and ate yummy Iraqi food! It was definitely good stuff.



The other place we went to today is called 'Ein Karem' which is a neighborhood nestled in the hills of jerusalem. this town is known for its famous monastary called 'sisters of zion', 'mary's spring' and the large number of artists/writters/intellectuals/yoga masters living there. it's an incredibly lush, beautiful, and tranquil place. while there are tourists that come through there, its not at all crowded and is a very nice break from the hustle and bustle of central jerusalem. We played a game similar to the 'amazing race' - the idea being that we were given clues (in hebrew ofcourse) and we had to get to various locations using these clues. the first group to accomplish all of their tasks wins. and guess what - my group won!!! there were 5 groups which were split up by level of hebrew comprehension, and i am in the beginner group. not going to lie - it felt pretty damn good to finish BEFORE the advanced group did! heehee. but hey - we are ALL winners here right? :o)


That's really about it in terms of IGF events. I guess the other couple things worth mentioning is that:
a) my roomie has decided to move out for personal reasons. she is in the process of finding a new apartment, which means that by november 1st, i will be living with someone completely new! oi vey!

b) I went on a run yesterday with Noah and Gahl for about 30 min as part of my training for the 1/2 marathon.....oi. though the pace was pretty challenging for me, i managed to run the whole time without collapsing! i honestly haven't ran that hard in a VERY long time, but it was kind of cool to see my feet keep going (despite the fact that my brain was desperately trying to make it stop) ahha. i think tomorrow will be another day of running. for now i'm running (more or less) every other day - simply because it hurts. jerusalem is all hills, so not only is my body not used to running, but its also running on slopes which is extra painful. ggaahhh crazy crazy

that's about it for now. still haven't decided what i am doing for the weekend, but im sure it will be good, regardless!
hope all is well with everyone back home!
chag sameach! <3

Just Some Thoughts

* I spent the weekend with Gahl and his family in a city called Nes Tsiona. It's a cozy place near the beach and full of good people (mainly Gahl's family). I got a chance to speak to one of his cousins while we were on the beach and somehow we got on the topic of modern zionism and Israel's challenge when it comes to the current generation. What Gahl's cousin was saying is that the current generation of Israeli kids are completely apathetic towards Israel, zionism, and the Jewish state. There is no pride, no dedication, and lack of connection to the country. At first this came to me as a surprise. Afterall, how can Israeli's - who study the history in school, have these amazing historical sites right at their fingertips, and serve in the army - how can they be apathetic?!? But it kind of makes sense.
When you grow up 5 minutes from the Kotel and visit it on a regular basis, it's understandable how these things can eventually become part of daily life and lose their significance. I suppose it is similar to my luke warm feelings towards San Francisco, despite the fact that people from all over the world pay lots of money just to see the golden gate bridge.
It's also understandable that the current generation might just be tired, completely exhausted, of fighting for their survival and dealing with this ongoing conflict.
Or maybe its the fact that our generation is more committed to their cellphones, lap tops, ipods, and personal needs rather than upholding 'ancient values'.
I asked Gahl's cousin what he thinks the cause of the apathy is and he said it is probably a combination of all sorts of things. Regardless, it is a problem that is not being adequately dealt with.
This is even more interesting when you look at how Jews in the diaspora are dealing with this issue. For example, America has a plethora of resources which are specifically aimed at reconnecting the modern Jew to his roots. Programs such as Birthright, Masa, IGF, ect ect - they all have the same common goal - and from what I understand, it's pretty successful. Take a look at me, for example ;-)
But Israel doesn't seem to have this kind of support structure. Either from lack of funds, fragmentations within the society, insufficient education, what ever. You'd think that kids growing up in Israeli are getting brainwashed with all sorts of zionist propaganda and what not, but that doesn't seem to be the case. hmmmm....

* Another thing which I noticed, is that the moment I leave Jerusalem - I don't feel like I am surrounded by 'the conflict'. Tel Aviv, Nes Tziona, Bat Yam - these feel like places which are far removed from all the political and religious commotion associated with Israel. Maybe its because you see far less arabs or religious jews - maybe it really is just the geographic distance, or a change in mentality (it's hard to think of the conflict when you are lounging on the beach). Anyways, I just kind of noticed this today.

* Oh, one more thing you should know......I decided that I am going to (try) to run the Jerusalem Half Marathon. This is a total of 23 km / 13 miles and it's taking place some time in March. For those of you who know me well enough, this should come as a complete shock, seeing as how I absolutely despise running. But I'm going to give it a shot and see how far I get. Gahl and Noah have taken it upon themselves to help me train, so I'm lucky enough to have a great support system. Mom and dad are also behind me on this one, which is awesome. In fact, if they come some time in march, they might even be able to watch me run - which would be totally amazing! Above all though, I just want to prove to myself that I am capable of setting a real challenge for myself and sticking to it until I've done it. There are a lot of things that I am really interested in or want to do, and despite having the passion, I always fall short on the follow through. So i figure this is a good excuse to stop being lazy, put my thoughts into actions, and and prove to myself that I am in control of my will power. We'll see how this goes ;-)

on that note - time for me to get some sleep. tomorrow is a day off, and i really want to study my hebrew and run a few errands.
laila tov!
<3

First Tiyul - Golan Hights

Shalom Shalom!

Hope everyone is doing well. I got back from the first IGF Tiyul (trip) which was spent in the Golans. The Golan region is in the north of the country, near the sea of Galilee (otherwise known as the Kineret). This region is rich in history, has some breathtaking landscapes and is rather controversial seeing as how some consider it to be occupied territory. This land was acquired from Syria after the 6 day war in 1967 and has been under Israeli conrol since. I'm sure that if you do a quick google search, you will easily find much literature about this ongoing debate - to give back land or not to give back land...THAT is ALWAYS the question in Israel.

We met at the B.C. at 7:00am (no, i'm not joking) and started on our trip. It takes about 3.5-4 hours (depending on traffic) to make it to the Golans. Our first stop was a place called Naharaim. This site is the first hydro-electric energy
station in Israel, established by Rothenberg in 1927. Another name for this site is "The Island of Peace" after the peace treaty signed between Israel and Jordan in 1994. This is also the place where in 1997 a Jordanian soldier opened fire on a group of girls on a school trip, killing 7, and wounding 6. Now there is small garden memorial to commemorate those girls in the shape of a flower with 7 petals.

Next was our first hike in Nahal El-Al – the south of the Golan Heights; named after Eli Cohen. Known for its two waterfalls - the black waterfall, which fall on basalt rocks, and the white waterfall, which fall on calcite (chalk) rocks. It was a great hike, about 4 hours, which we followed up with a relaxing dip in Hamei Tveria - a natural hot spring, known worldwide for its therapeutic qualities. After all of this physical activity we got to the Kibbuts where we were staying (Kibbutz Gonen), unpacked, showered, had dinner and watch a movie called 'The Syrian Bride'. It is an interesting film depicting the complexities of the druiz people living in Israel. If you ever get a chance, it's definitely a movie worth watching :)

Day 2 began with a different hike - this one being a 'water hike'. Another 4 hours, of hiking, chatting, sloshing through water, and sweating like a (kosher) pig - it was great! And what better way to decompress after a long day of hiking then by visiting the Golan winery and tasting some delicious kosher wine! I was actually at this winery last year on my birthright trip, but it was nice to visit again and taste some new wines. After getting a pleasant buzz and easing my muscles, we were back at the kibbutz for dinner and some group activities. We made a human pyramid, got to know each other a little more, and hung around enjoying the beautiful evening!

The last, and personally my favorite day, was today. We started of by spending about 3 hours with a man by the name of Effi Eitam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effi_Eitam). Effi is quite the striking character. He is very much on the political right, is incredibly intelligent and chooses his words carefully when talking, and is open and delightful in his own way. Effi accompanied us to Mt. Bental (a former Israeli army base from which you can see former bunkers, trenches, and Syria itself, including the UN compounds). We got to see the ENTIRETY of the Golan Heights and he shared with us his views on the situation regarding this territory. I have to say that when you hear about this section of the country on the news, it really doesn't sound like much - a couple mountains here and there, mostly agricultural land, and a lake. But when you see this land with your eyes, experience the beauty of the terrain, and realize the significance this place plays in the survival of the Jewish state - it really makes you think twice. Aside from the fact that this territory is crucial to Israel in terms of security, it is also home to the Kinneret which provides Israel with 1/3 of its water (a rare commodity here). We sat in Jewish ruins dating to the First Temple and got to hear Effi's personal story of how he defended this land during the Yom Kipur war in 1973. The stories captured in history books and the debates which are so easy to listen to on the tv actually came to life before my eyes. I saw Syria, the border between it and Israel, the mangled remains of tanks from the Yom Kipur war, and the bright yellow signs warning of the hundreds of land mines scattered along the territory.

Getting back on track though - Effi Eitam. Right! Incredible speaker. He was completely open with us, honest, patient and inspiring. He told us about how he fought in the Golans during the Yom Kipur war. The thousands of Syrian forces were making their way up the Golan mountains and it was just him and 3 rounds of amo for a bazooka. He hid in the bushes and just as the first tank of the Syrian fleet was coming up to him, he shot at it and at a second one behind it. If you know a bit of the history of the Yom Kipur war, you will remember that for some unexplained reason, the Syrian forces got to the Golans, there was a very bitter and bloody battle, but for some reason - the Syrians just *stopped* and did not advance. Here is the truth guys - after Effi shot the bazooka and blew up the first tank - that is when the Syrian army unexplainedly stopped for 2 hours (which allowed Israel to gather its forces and eventually fend of the Sryians). This is just one of the several stories he told us - all of which were shaking and powerful. He is orthodox (though he was not born religious) and one of the things he told us, is how one needs to remember to be humble before G-d. Meticulous and carefully planned military strategy is absolutely vital, but one must not forget to leave room for G-d almighty. When someone asked how Israel managed to beat Syria - his reply was: "I have studied many theories and read many books about this war, and the only answer I can come up with is - it was a mircle." Regardless of whether one agrees with this political platform or not, this is a man who is DEEPLY devoted to the State of Israel and the insurance of its survival.
He also took some questions in regards to Iran- he does not believe that any kind of sanctions will deter the regime and that swift, pre-emptive military action is the only thing which will stop this huge threat. In short - listening to Effi Eitam speak was very moving and a huge pleasure. I even got to take a picture with him ;-)



Lastly and briefly, we stopped at a spot called Tel Chai, which was the site of a Kibbuts in the 1920's. This site is famous for a battle which took place on March 1st 1920, because it is the first place, since the time of the Second Temple, where Jews took a stand against invaders and fought back! Read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Hai

Okay folks, this has been quite the entry and I need to get some rest. This post doesn't really do the Tiyul full justice but it will have to do for the time being. In short - it was a great trip! :-D