a quiet fortnight

The past two weeks really haven't been all that interesting. A few little things here and there, but for the most part I've just been staying put and enjoying the simplicity of things. Last week, on Sunday, I went to a Carlebach Kumzitz. Let me explain. Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach was a famous Rabbi who passed away about 15 years ago. During his lifetime he started a movement within Jewry of people who try and get in touch with themselves, their religion, spirituality etc, mainly through music and simplicity. Needless to say his movement picked up a lot of momentum during the flower power years. Anyway, a Kumzitz is essentially a gathering where Jewish thought is discussed, music is played, and a sense of unison is felt. Put the two together and you get...a very musical gathering led by a follower of the Carlebach movement. It was a very nice evening and, while I can't really deal with large groups of Carlebach followers together (too many bright colors and just a bit too hippieish for me) the rabbi who led it told me about a small torah class he offers on Thursday nights. That was Sunday. I hadn't decided whether or not I would go on Thursday or not, but it stayed in the back of my mind. Well, that week proved to be a bit stressful. Really, my stress centered on one thing and one thing only: My Human Rights Class. I don't want to discuss it, because it's simply terribly, but to give you a brief picture: the teacher uses Wikipedia as her lecture, doesn't follow the syllabus, has only taught us about 1 treaty thus far, laughs at human rights abuses...this list goes on. Anyway, I was stressed and I decided that I wanted to take a nice relaxing weekend up in the Galilee, the northern part of Israel bordering Syria that is very green and reminds me a little bit of the mountains back home.
Originally I planned to go to the ancient city of Safed, a city with a very mystical heritage and one of the deep spiritual foundation stones of Israel. Well, hostels are a bit pricey and after speaking with my Aunt Beatrice, I briefly considered visiting my cousin (who lives even closer to Syria) but decided against it. What I ended up doing was going with my friends Scott and Elana (+two of Elana's friends from school) to Tiberius, a city on the coast of the Kineret (Sea of Galilee), not far from Safed. We scheduled to leave on Friday morning, the city being no more then 2 and a 1/2 hours away by bus.
Thursday night I did end up going to the Torah class the rabbi from Sundays Kumzitz told me about and it was both relaxing and interesting. I went with Scott and it was actually funny because I liked the class, but he prefers to go to the hippie-Carlebach in-mass events that I'm not such a fan of. Anyway, Friday morning we headed out, slept on the bus, and upon arrival managed to get lost for a bit before we found our hostel. Let me tell you something, you get you pay for. And when you pay $17ish a night, you don't get very much. We walked around the city about and then started getting ready for Shabbat. For various reasons we decided to not get meals with a local family but rather to make our own Shabbat meals. We bought some food from the grocery store and some bread from the bakery and that was that. That evening four out of the five of us went to Shul at a local Mizrahi (Jews of middle eastern/north African decent) congregation that had been recommended to us by a shopkeeper. Well, the prayers were in a different order then I'm used to and sung in completely different tunes, but it was a nice experience. That evening we took our food with us to the boardwalk and ate basically on the sea. An important note: this "sea"...I've seen bigger lakes in my part of the US, but still, for Israel its special. They are in a desert after all.
The next day was also pleasant. That morning I prayed by the gravesite of Maimonides, one of the most renowned and important figures in Judaism. Oh, I should explain. Tiberius, like Safed, is also historically very Jewish and very mystical. Numerous great rabbis are buried there. We ate once again on the boardwalk and I spent my afternoon reading for class in the sunlight. All very nice. I forgot to mention something else of importance. I had been to Tiberius once before in my life and that was on Birthright a bit over two years ago. What was funny was that I ended up being in the exact same places I had visited when I was there and I purposefully tried to take some of the same photos. We came back Saturday night and it was off for another week of school. Unfortunately, school here doesn't excite me like it does in the states and in fact the academics leave a lot to be desired. Next topic.
This week also wasn't that exciting. I started making my own granola though and I think after Passover I may sell some because people really seem to like it, and I really like making a bit of money. Really, didn't do anything in the week. Yesterday though I went with Zack and Penina (two friends of my friend Tobey who I've become friends with as well) to the old city within Jerusalem and then to the center of town. We went to pick up Zack's ring from a somewhat famous jeweler in the area (the store bears the same name as my sister) and then we went to the Arab Souk for them to pick up some gifts for their friends back in the States. Very interesting experience because I had only been to the Arab souk once before, and that was kind of a mistake...and five years ago. Zack was an awesome bargainer and got the stuff he wanted for amazing prices. I should explain something: Generally when I refer to "the souk" it’s a large Jewish market of food + almost anything in the center of town. The Arab souk, on the other hand, is in the Arab quarter of the old city and deals mainly with touristy stuff and random odds and ends. After that we hung around Ben Yehuda (central pedestrian only street in town with many restaurants etc) and then I went to the torah class I had been to the night before. When that was down I quickly stopped off at Elana’s birthday party and then came back here and, after saying hello to some friends who were holding a mock prom, called it a night. Tonight I should be meeting up with a friend from Binghamton who is here for a week to visit her brother (Channa). She wants to visit "Shira Chadasha" (translation: a "new poem", both words being feminim) a small but popular feminist shul. After that I plan on heading over to Elians place for Shabbat dinner because she only lives a few blocks away. Most of Shabbat however, I hope to spend studying for my History midterm that is on Monday.

memories, masks and sun burns

My shoulders look like two giant pomegranates. Though I'm not kidding I am getting a bit ahead of myself. I spent the weekend after the wedding in joint at Danny and Beatrice, my Uncle+Aunt in Jerusalem as well as at my friend Eliane's. I went to her apartment for Friday Night Dinner. There was a wonderful spread, both of people and food, and I enjoyed the evening immensely. Shabbat day I took a walk with Beatrice around Katamon, a neighborhood about two over from where they live in Talpiot. What was special about this walk was the fact that we purposfully passed by apartment where my grnadparents used to live as well as the apartment where I spent a number of my summers. You could tell that I hadn't been there in a while because all of my memories were of things form the perspective of a child. I remembered the park, the two places I would go to get icecream etc. Some things I didn't remembering ever having noticed was the height of buildings or the business of the intersection. WHen we got back to the apartment we had a conversation basically comparing and contrasting Judaism as it is embodied in Israel versus in the United States.
An overall interesting Shabbos, but the coming week would prove to be insane.
Mondaynight was Purim for most of the world (Jerusalem and two other cities celebrate it a day late, but thats a bit too complicated for this post). Becuase I couldn't celebrate in Jerusalem that night, I went with my friend and salsa partner Emilie to Tel Aviv. The only way I can even begin to describe the evening would be a combination of mardi gras, st patricks day and halloween. Traditionally, everyone weres costumes on the holiday and also gets a bit tipsy, but what Is aw in Tel Aviv blew my mind. Something like 3 or 4 city blocks had been closed off and were filled, I mean there was no room to breath unless you stood on cars, with people! PAcked to the max with drunk costumed 20somethings. Luckily, Emilie and I were heading to her cousin to go around town with him and some friends. Not drinking and not wanting to deal with the crowds in the street party, we went to the club I had been at on my last visit to Tel Aviv and had a cool evening. I only left Tel Aviv (with a cheap car service) at 3 in the morning. WHen we got backt o town 3 of the people in the cab offered me a ride home becuase they lived in the neighboring district. It was approximatly 4/4.30 when I finally got to call it a night. That was Monday.
Tuesday ='d 8.30 am alarmclock. A group of students were going to deliver Mishlochai Manot to sick people in a nearby hospital at 10am. Around 30 of us went, decked out in our costumes, many exhausted having also gone ot Tel Aviv the night before, at 10am and had a wonderful song and danced filled experience. The smiles on the patients faces, from toddler to golden oldy, were beautiful. After sitting outside with Rotem (my madrich but mroe so my friend) as she had a cigarette Tobey (one of my partners in crime from Bing) headed to the central bus station to catch a bus to Yael (my friend from Bing who moved to Israel a few months ago and is living in a "settelment"...I went to her a few weeks ago for Shabbat) to have a traditional Purim meal. Once again, the company and food was amazing. Tobey and I stayed for about two hours and then caught a bus back to Jerusalem. Upon arrival we headed to the Western Wall to hear Megillah reading (see the Purim link), something we have to do twice on Purim. This would begin our official Purim because we reside in Jerusalem.
It took a while to arrange but we finally heard the megillah and then caught a cab to the center of town where I met up with Rami (a new friend who's studying at the conservative yeshivah) and Elian. We walked arounf for a bit, mistakingly trying to go into an all womens party but also meeting some very nice simple older Israelis. We had been intending on going to a party at the Purim Palace (a house at the intersection of tow streets named after the Purim stories main characters) but when that wasn't happening we decided to call it a night. On our way we bumped into some drunk Yeshivah students. They proved amusing for a bit but when they got annoying we each went our respective directions. I was home and in bed by midnight but the exhaustion form the past day found me out like a rock until ten the next morning.
Wednesday: I prepared my own Mislochai Manot and then headed out at 1.00 to hear a megillah reading at 1.30. After 1.30 came and went with no Megillah reading Marla, Scott, YosEf (an Israeli I'm not particularly fond of) and another friend whos name I'm blanking on all headed down to the Old City/ Western Wall to find a reading there. We split up when we go to the old city because some people wanted to go through the Arab and others didn't. I went through the Jaffa gate and the Armenian quarter with Scott and we all regrouped at the Western Wall. After we finally found Megillah readings it was time to go to our respective Purim meals. Skip ahead two hours and the meal I thought I was going to didn't work out so I traveled back to the Old City and regrouped with Scott and a whole bunch of other study abroad students who were at a meal specifically for students. The host was adamently trying to ply everyone with alchohol and I by the time I got there all the food was gone. Emilie had also just arrived and we ended up eating a pita each and then joining Josh, Marla, Zev and (can't believe I keep on forgetting her name). M, J, and __ were a bit tipsy and we helped them move, but they started sobering up as we walked. We got to Ben Yehudah, the center of downtown Jerusalem, and lost 2 people. After an...interesting evening which included schwarma and one person buying a bottle of vodka we headed back to the dorms (student village). I ended up hoping around between a bunch of friends apartments and had a really fun evening.
Thursday, as far I remember, wasn't anything special. That evening I made dinner for myself, Ilana and Tova (another Bing'er). Friday was...Friday was WOW!. Now we get to the sunburn.
Friday was a school organized rappleing trip that was leaving at 6.30am and was scheduled to return at 3pm. Near the Dead Sea we were actually right by Qumran. We started the hike and when we got to our first rappleing station we encountered a pleasent surprise. The borrom was filled with water!!!! Following some heavy rains over the past few weeks, pools of water had emerged in the usually all-too-dry desert. What this meant for the trip? A lot of fun and a lot of hassle. Almost all of the electronics brought on the trip were pooled into one knapsack and "omega-d", ie ziplined, over each pool. All of our clothing got soaking wet and it took a lot of extra time in each place. I'm not complaining though! :) The day was so amazing!!! I had packed my outer shirt and my digital equipment in a plastic bag within my knapsack, and ti all stated dry until the very last station when it only got a bit wet (even then it was nothing significant). Becuase of that I was the only one with an accesible camera and was tasked with taking photos the entire time (check out ym facebook albums if you don't believe me). After getting wet the first time, most of the guys took off our shirts. Wet clothing really isn't comfortab;e, especially when you're trying to move with spead and concetrating on not letting go of the rope (there were safeties but still). Woops! We'd all forgotten sunblock. At the end of the day we all were badly burned. I mean my shoulders really look like two ripe pomegranates. Splishing and splashing is fun (and I got to carry a gun across the water to make sure it didn't get wet) and all, but it takes up a lot of extra time. Basically, atleast an extra half an hour in every station. This meant we only left the area at 4.30. AAAAAAHHHHHH. Shabbat started 7 minutes after 5 and Jerusalem is a half an hour away. We pulled into town at 5.02. I ran to my room, grabbed by bags, hailed a cab and zipped over the my great Aunt and Uncle, Rosa and Jerry, pulling in right before Shabbat started. By the way, last minute cabs are pricey when they know you are in a rush. Shabbat was amazing. Their son Michael was there with his two daughters (his wife and son went to SA for a wedding) and two other grandchildren from Shiloh had come to visit for the weekend as well. I also was suprised with the visit of Chavi, a friend of both my mother and my Aunt and Uncle who lives next door. Wow!
Lots of photos either on facebook or being uploaded soon, take a look cus I've got a while list of things to do today! Hope you're all doing well!!!

Family

Tuesday evening was the 47th Yarzheit of my Uncle Zvi. Born in 1951, his life was cut short at age 11. My mother was just 13 years old. My two uncles here, my grandmother and 2 great uncles and a great aunt all gathered together to remember him. In my 20 years, this was the first time I had ever heard his memory discussed. It was also the first time I saw pictures from my mothers childhood. Her curly blond locks, the vision problems she suffered from...all of this history was so new. My great uncle Meir, who was also commemorating the death of his brother-in-law, says that a Yarzheit, unlike the Shiva, is not a sad time. The Yarzheit is a time for memorializing, not grieving. Though not a happy occasion, I was deeply moved and grateful that I had been able to attend.
Last night, Wednesday, was yet another family get-together, this time considerably larger. It was the wedding of Uncle Meirs granddaughter, Adi! Lets start with the fact that I haven't seen the majority of my relatives in a very long time and just as they couldn't recognize me, I didn't recognize most of them. I'm going to detail a bit about the wedding and then list all the people I re-met. The smorgasbord/brides reception room was magnificent. Taking place at a small Kibbutz on the outskirts on Yerushalayim, the hall was beautiful to start with. With the addition of an angelic bride and white flowers all over the room everything was simply majestic. The groom came dancing in to great his bride and then we all headed over to the theater section of the hall where the happy couple had decided to have their Chuppah. Throughout the ceremony there was a five person band, but the part that struck me the most was the bride and grooms thousand watt smiles and their embrace at the completion of the ceremony. The meal fit in perfectly with the entire evening and the dancing was...simcha dancing! There was also the amazing Purim themed stick. Gragars, noisemaker, whistles and all sorts of fun. During the meal I sat with Oma, Danny & Beatrice, Michel and Netta, Zeev and Margalit ( as well as Leah and her husband, but I'll add detail that list in a bit. As I was getting ready to leave with the Lafairs, they started to show a movie of the bride and groom that the familys had organized together, so we sat down, enjoyed the show and then left. We have arrived a bit before 7and now it was nearly 12. All in all a wonderful evening.
Who I re-met:
Michael & Tammy--Lafairs
Leah &____--daughter of Guta
Margalit and Ze-ev--""
Tali, and Bilah--daughters of Meir & Yehudit
Reb Michael Brom
Talis son Shmuel, who is a half of a year older then me.
Adi and her sisters!
Marganit (mother of the bride) and Yossi-Daughter of Meir and Yehudit

That may have been it. I had started off the evening hanging out with Tammy, who is hysterical and tons of fun! THroughout the evening I mainly ended up being with Oma, Michel, Danny etc, aka the people I knew, but I was so thrilled to have attended. Its a wonderful feeling to be part of such a large family, something I have always felt slightly lacking in the States, my family being so far away.
The Broms are a crazy bunch, but a happy one too.

Shmuels Rules for Israel Survival: Rule #1

Sometimes you don't actually know or understand any Hebrew at all. "Shahlohm!"

Being an American studying in an Israeli university one automatically takes some courses in Hebrew language (Ulpan). Many Israelis, for the most part being ignorant of this fact or assuming you are too incompetent to learn the language, will speak about you directly in front of your face. Rather then being insulted, I recommend seizing this opportunity as a chance to learn what people think about you and your actions. Also, the apparent confusion on your face will often make getting through everyday security considerably easier, so long as you have your student ID.