I traveled from Tel Aviv to a Moshav just across the boarder from Gaza.  My group stood 500 meters from the wall, in no-man’s land.  I had no clue we’d be so close to Gaza and when I stood there so much of what I’ve learned and read became real.  We went from there to Kibbutz Nir Am and spent some time speaking with a kibbutznick about his experiences living on the kibbutz.  Our last stop was Sderot where we spoke with Noam from the Sderot media center.  We took a bus tour through the city and you could feel the tension.  They haven’t had a “Tzeva Adom,” the warning siren, go off for 2 days but everyone we spoke to told us that it’s just a matter of time before the violence starts again.  I can’t even imagine the stress these people live with on a daily basis.  I was there for an hour and felt apprehensive for some of that time.

This week has been also filled with goodbyes and “are we facebook friends?” as we all try to keep in touch as we leave for our homes around the world.  I look forward to seeing all of you back at Gratz next week!

Shalom!

Ok, so now onto the fun stuff. This past weekend I took my one, non-university organized trip. 2 friends and I rented a car and took the 2 hours drive down to the Dead Sea. We arrived Friday afternoon around 4:30 after getting lost in Jerusalem. We stayed at the Masada Hostel which was a very nice place right at the base of Masada. The plan was to go up to Masada and watch the sunset but none of us factored in Shabbat, which means the cable car is closed. We stocked up on food at the supermarket before beginning our trip so there was no need to pay 60 NIS for Shabbat dinner. We pigged out in the room on chocolate spread, pita, chumus, Bisli, PB&J, fruit and anything else we could find while watching the Olympics. A TV is really a luxury for me since there isn’t one in the dorms. We spent the night in the pool and relaxing.

Saturday was a jam-packed day. We woke up, ate the hotel breakfast and headed out. We intended to go to the Dead Sea but we kept seeing tour busses driving up to Masada. We headed up to the mountain (1/4 of a mile from the hostel) and discovered that Masada was open and that the cable car was running. We put on sunscreen; each grabbed our 1.5 liter of water and headed up the cable car. I had forgotten some of the history and so I was happy to watch a movie before heading up and then discovering the mountain for myself. I was more than excited when the movie mentioned Josephus Flavious because I learned about him with Dr. Davis in “Introduction to Classical Judaism” last Fall. Once on the mountain my first observation was the heat. People told me it was hot but there’s just no way to prepare for the kind of oppressive heat you face on Masada. As my friends and I walked through the sites on the mountain I experienced it differently than I had before. With the new knowledge I have gained from my classes at Gratz, I have a new understanding of the time, the situation and the history. After about 1 ½ hours we made our way down the mountain into our air conditioned car.

The rest of the day was typical for a visit to that area. We headed to the Dead Sea, applied mud and hopped into the water. After a scorching hour there we headed back to our hostel to shower, watch some more Olympics and get ready for dinner. When I visited this area the first time I was 6 years old and my family stayed on the Ein Gedi Kibbutz. I was excited to visit there. We stuck to our plan and ate dinner in the Guest House dining hall. The buffet was excellent.

We headed home and arrived back at the University around 11:00 pm. What none of us knew was that the Ein Gedi dinner had gotten us sick with food poisoning. Despite that setback the weekend was great!

I usually try to wait a week to blog but this week was full of great stuff.  Last week was full of Jewish geography right here on the campus of Tel Aviv University.  While sitting near the Diaspora Museum on campus Dr. Edleman walked by and a Gratz College reunion was formed!  I forgot that she was touring with the Zamir Chorale and it was a nice surprise to see her.  The rest of the week included the beach, lots of class, some studying and great friends.  

The other Jewish geography happened on Shabbat.  I was fortunate, with the help of the HUC office here in Israel , to find a wonderful family to host me for Shabbat.  I traveled to Jerusalem and knew this weekend would be special.  I headed to Ben Yehudah Street and found what I’d been waiting all trip to buy; my talit!  It’s beautiful and I can’t wait to use it.  From there I headed to a street party to kill some time and then jumped into a cab to head to Rechavia to meet my family for the weekend.  From the moment I arrived they were wonderful.  The family (mom, dad, an 8 year-old and a 4-year old) immediately welcomed me into their house and made me feel comfortable.  We headed to Kehilat Kol HaNeshama for services.  This is what I had been waiting for my entire trip.  The service was almost entirely singing and instead of a rabbi leading in prayer, the clergy person filling-in (the rabbi was on vacation) facilitated the service.  The congregation was the focal point of the service and it showed.  Harmony would appear out of nowhere and it was incredible.  I knew most of the melodies and was able to quickly join in and make wonderful music.  There were moments when I just closed my eyes and listened to the sounds around me, knowing that this is what Shabbat is supposed to feel like.  The sh’ma was recited differently than I had ever done it.  Each word was sung slowly and the chorus of voices decayed before the next word was sung.  The service ended with the song that the congregation is known for “Kol HaNeshama.”  I’m not sure where I learned it but I’m guessing it was at Camp Harlam .  It’s a beautiful round.  We started together but the song quickly turned into a room full of rounds upon rounds upon rounds.  As most prayers did that evening, the music slowly decayed…we sang it one

more time together and said “Shabbat Shalom.” 

After services we walked back home for a wonderful dinner.  The other piece of Jewish geography happened at dinner.  One of the friends of the mom of the family is a musician that I didn’t realize I know.  For any of you who attended the Alberto Mizrachi concert this past school year he may be familiar to you.  I had a wonderful dinner across the table from Mizrahi’s accompanist, Alan Mason.  Alan is currently touring with the Zamir Chorale and Dr. Edleman in Israel.  We made the connection pretty early and had a wonderful evening.  Yet again, Jewish geography alive and well in Israel.

Lots of time for studying here!

I debated for a long time what to write about today. I’ve settled into life in Tel Aviv and am enjoying my time here. I’ve learned how to navigate the bus system so I can do homework on Frischman Beach; spent my first afternoon at the שוק הקרמל (Shuk HaCarmel); and sang at an open mic night for a bunch of Americans.

The Beach. Take the heat of Tel Aviv in August, add some sand, a bath temperature Mediterranean Sea, and a bunch of international 20-something’s and that’s what many of my afternoons look like here in Tel Aviv. Despite the fun, I am doing homework while working on my tan. I also find that no matter where I am; on the beach, in the dorms, on campus, or in Tel Aviv, I am always meeting new people from my program and Israelis as well.

שוק הקרמל (Shuk HaCarmel). I’m about a week behind most of my friends here when it comes to exploring Tel Aviv. I lost about 4 days when I was sick so I do have a good excuse. Needless to say, that meant my first visit to the שוק הקרמל happened yesterday (Monday.) I went with a specific purpose, to purchase fruit and vegetables, and was very successful. I was able to pick up tomatoes, grapes, feta cheese, dried apples and Tupperware relatively cheaply. What I really enjoyed about the שוק הקרמל though is the atmosphere. Everywhere you go you see knock-off t-shirts for Coca Cola, Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, Maccabi, and the Army in Hebrew. You can find almost anything you want/need and someone to bargain with you on the price. It felt like a true Israeli experience and one I plan on repeating each week to get the nice, cheap produce.

Since I’m here on ulpan I’ll put my improving skills to use in this final paragraph. הלילה הזה אני הלכתיל לבר של מקא. אני אוהבת לשיר והחברים שלי באוניברסיטה גם לשיר. בבר היה לילה חשוף מיקרופון. אנחנו שרנו ואנחנו היינו כיף. הרבה אנשים אמריקאית באים הבר הזה ואני פגשתי אישה לפלאדלפיה. אנחנו דברנו על העיט. אני אהבת שאני בישראל ואני מרגשה כמו יש לי חברים סביב העולם.

Wow! That was my first attempt at typing in Hebrew and let me tell ya, it’s hard. Despite my attempt at Hebrew I hope you got my drift. I had a wonderful time, sang on stage, listened to my friends who are amazing musicians, and really enjoyed the experience.

Shalom from Tel Aviv!

I’ve been here exactly two weeks and it feels like so much longer.  Israel really gives you this feeling the you’re welcome and part of the family.  It also makes you want to shower 3 times a day.  Everyone told me Tel Aviv was hot in the summer and they weren’t lying.  I spent the first week here with family in Rechovot, traveling to Jerusalem, seeing Gratz College people and having a great time.  The second week started my life at Tel Aviv University.  I moved into the dorms and immediately I saw the truly international community I would be living and studying in.  We had a few days to get oriented, unpack, meet new friends and have fun.  I’m proud to say I now have friends from Bryn Mawr, Boston, Philadelphia, California, Germany, London, Switzerland, Argentina, Ukraine, France, Canada, Israel, Spain and many more.  This week my classes started and I felt like I was back in Ilana Margolis’s Hebrew classes at Gratz  I spend 5 hours a day, 5 days a week in class so it’s rather intense.  The class is taught almost entirely in Hebrew and so I’m working hard to keep up.  Outside of the classroom I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Jerusalem twice and Haifa once.  I have plans to: head to my family’s moshav to see their bee farm and taste some fresh honey, travel to Tzfat with friends, sing with my new friends on the roof of my dorms and anywhere else we can get at least 3 people in a room with as many guitars as possible, visiting friends in Nazareth Elite and anything else that might come up.  My trip has been wonderful and I wish I could extend it to stay longer.

On Tuesday I met with Michelle, who is also from Gratz, and her husband Ari when they were going through Haifa. We went to a wonderful Thai Restaurant and then we trekked to the Ba’hai Gardens. I’ve never seen such colorful and well organized gardens. The beauty of the place took my breath away.

Well if you read the title of this blog, then you know that I am writing on the last day of my Ulpan. I am not happy at all that this experience is over. I wish it could last forever. I have enjoyed every day at the University of Haifa and it has began to feel like my home away from home. I also have met and connected with so many terrific people, and I am very sad to leave them. Hopefully, I will be able to return again, so I can relive this experience again.

Naomi, Danielle and Meara at Ha Kotel

I spent last Thursday night and Friday in Yerushaliam with Danielle, Naomi and some of their friends from University of Haifa.  The experience was beyond amazing but not without its glitches.  We arrived Thursday night and we quickly realized that staying in the hostel we had booked, in the Arab quarter, was not a good idea so after lots of debating we were able to get a room at a hostel at the bottom of Ben Yehudah street.  We went out, had dinner where I had my first Hebrew triumph.  I ordered in Hebrew and did it correctly.  The next morning we had breakfast and then began to walk the shops of Ben Yehudah.  Some of the girls were skirt shopping and I looked but found nothing I loved.  We finally ended up at Machaney Yehudah and the shook there.  You could feel Shabbat in the air.  Everyone was running around getting everything done.  I bought a challah to have for Shabbat.  We took a bus from there to Jaffa gate.  I think that’s when it hit me.  I walked through the gates and realized that I was walking through thousands of years of history.  We walked through the Armenian shuk to get to the Kotel.  I walked through security and just looked at it.  The first thing I could think of was, “wow, I remember there being a lot more space to pray.”  I put on my long sleeve shirt over my red t-shirt and black skirt and walked towards the wall.  There were Birthright groups all around taking group pictures.  We walked toward the wall and I just stood there about 8 feet away from it waiting for a space to touch it.  After a few minutes, a woman moved away.  I put my hands and sweaty forehead against the wall and started to cry.  I said kaddish for family members and was so overwhelmed that I started to cry; it was an amazing feeling.  After about 10 minutes I walked backwards, as to not turn my back towards the wall and sat with the other girls.  My Kotel experience was one I’ll remember forever.

Outside of class, Haifa University is an amazingly fun and gorgeous place to be. Our dorms are much more like apartments, with six single rooms each with their own bathroom and a shared kitchen. My roommates are Naomi, my friend from Gratz, and Lauren, who went to high school with me, plus one other student from the ulpan who we never see and two Israeli roommates, Liron and Liora. We have made such amazing friends here: Hailey and Maggie, twins from Boston; Ryan, my partner in crime at school who spends half the class explaining grammar to me while I spend the other half translating for him; Kirill, Tzviran, and Thomas, Israeli students who go to the university; Miriam from UChicago (and her friend Charlotte who has been traveling the world and came to visit for two weeks)… we spend all our free time just hanging out around the campus, navigating the bus system in Horev center, or doing homework on the beautiful Dado beach in Hof HaCarmel. Being in Haifa also means being able to see my family, like the other day when I had dinner with Chana Ruti and Rachael (all three of my mom’s sisters), or when Michael brought me a carload of vegetables and fruit from the shuk which we are still trying to get through. I also got to go to another cousin’s wedding on the moshav in Beersheva, where I spent the evening laughing and dancing with my whole wonderful Israeli family.

Last weekend I had an amazing Shabbos, and next weekend should be too: a bunch of us are heading up to Ramat Eshkol in Jerusalem, and I will get to reconnect with some of the Jewel girls too. I can’t say I miss America one bit, but I can certainly say I love Israel!

So you’re looking at the title of this entry and wondering what it has to do with my visit to the embassy. When I arrived at the embassy I joined the group of students waiting outside before the security check and, as Jews do, we started talking. I found out within 2 minutes that a girl I was standing next to was an undergraduate student at American University but was from the Philadelphia area and an alum of the Isaac Mayer Wise teaching certificate program from JCHS. She is a Beth Or member and so we spoke about Cantor Green, who will be my internship supervisor in the fall.

But enough Jewish geography… onto the event. We went through security and were escorted into a large meeting room with pictures of Israel on the wall, a covered grand piano in the corner (I’m a musician so I notice these things) and a spread of wonderful Israeli food in the back. We helped ourselves to falafel, pita, hummus, Israeli salad and other food. As we ate, we met some of the young professionals at the embassy and the program began. We first met with the embassy official to check on our visas and ask any questions about our travels. That portion was followed by a Q and A session with the young professionals to really get a sense of what Israeli culture is like. Many in the room were first time travelers to Israel so they had lots of questions. I think the most important thing I learned from that session was that students are not allowed to eat food in the classroom during class time at the University (bummer.) We then heard from another embassy official about the security and political issues in Israel at the moment. The afternoon wrapped up with more Q and A.

The event, though only 2 hours long, was worthwhile. It was clear from every embassy official I came in contact with that they are excited for Americans to study in Israel and that they want to help support us in anyway they can. It was also a great afternoon because I met 2 of my soon-to-be classmates. I had some time to kill after the event so one of my fellow classmates, her mom, and I, went to the National Zoo to see the pandas! A wonderful end to a great afternoon.

B’Shalom,
Meara

P.S. I leave for Israel on Monday so expect to hear more from me more frequently!

I have been so busy I have had hardly anytime to write. The Ulpan likes to keep you very busy. We are in class from 8:30-1 and are given about 3 hours of homework each night. Even though the work expectation is high, I am enjoying every minute of it. I especially like it when I understand everything that my teacher is saying in Hebrew.

Besides studying Hebrew, I have made many friends. Our favorite place to hangout is the Hof HaCarmel, aka, the beach. We usually go there after class to do our homework and hangout. We haven’t been swimming too much in the water because right now it is jellyfish season. They are called m’duzah in Hebrew. They are huge!

Tonight we are traveling, to the Technion for a concert. One of the bands are Hadag Nachash. I’m excited to hear them play epically after there visit to Gratz last year! Well that is all for now. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!