Arrived in Israel!

Hello friends and family!  I am sorry it took me so long to write a new post, but settling in has been quite the process.  Also, we don't currently have internet in our apartment, but we are working on it.  If I am not responding to facebook posts or emails as quickly as usual, please know I will get to them soon!  Now for some updates:


  The flight:
The trip to Israel was relatively non-eventful.  However, one pretty ridiculous story did come out of my journey.  I was in the airport in Chicago and going through security, when a guard came to tell me that they needed to search my carry-on bag.  He takes it over to the table and opens it up, pulling out all my books on Talmud and Midrash.  I am pretty sure at this point he thinks I'm either some kind of religious zealot or totally insane (or both!). Then, he pulls out my mezuzah (a Jewish prayer box that goes on the doorpost with a little parchment inside inscribed with a prayer.) and asks what it is.  I tell him that it's a Jewish prayer object and he goes "Oh my gosh.  I am so sorry.  Is it okay that I touched it?"  I thought that was pretty hilarious, and afterwards came up with lots of good responses.  However, rather than make him more uncomfortable than he already clearly was, I just said that it was fine.  Another security person came over and asked what had been in the bag, and he goes "its a mesusha..did I say that right?"  I just nodded my head and tried hard not to laugh.

Arriving in Israel:
I was met at the airport by my uncle David, who took me back to Renanna.  Renanna a is a suburb of Tel Aviv, one of the major cities in Israel.  I was greeted with warm hugs and kisses from my family, which was wonderful and a welcome respite from the challenges of leaving home and starting a new life in Israel.  I spent the weekend with my aunt and uncle and cousins at a beach hotel about an hour away from their home.  It was beautiful and a great way to relax and get over jetlag before getting to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem (aka my new home):
I got to J'lem Sunday evening, and met Jessie (my fabulous roommate) at our apartment.  The apartment definitely has character, but its really nice and has two balconies overlooking the city.  My bedroom is big and has lots of closet space, so that's all I really care about!  Monday was fourth of july and we had a big HUC bbq at one of the parks near our apartment.  It was really great to meet everyone and get a sense of who is in my class.  Everyone is SO nice and amazing and beautiful.  After the bbq some of us went to a coffee shop nearby and sat and talked for about 3 hours.  It was fabulous.  We talked about everything from Talmud to our hometowns and our favorite TV shows.  Tuesday Jessie and I and a few of our classmates went to the shuk (an outdoor market) that has lots of great fruits, vegetables, and basically everything else you can think of.  We bought lots of groceries that were really cheap, and definitely fresher than the stuff at Jewel in Chicago!  After the shuk, Jessie and I went back to our apartment and took a nap (which has now become a daily ritual) and met up later with some classmates for dinner and gelato.  Today a bunch of us went on a walking tour of Jerusalem, taking pictures in the old city.  I always forget how beautiful it is here, and since I haven't been back since high school it was really special to return. 

Jerusalem is an incredible city, filled with people of all religious faiths and traditions.  Some are secular Israelis and some are black hat Orthodox, (hasidim) which only adds to the colorful flair of the area.  Some things I have noticed since being here/this is my attempt at an "you know you are in Israel when..." list:
-the bus drivers smoke cigarettes while driving buses
-if there is a lot of traffic, people drive on the sidewalk
-nobody jaywalks (in fact you can get a ticket for doing so) because otherwise you will die.  Israelis will not stop for you unless you are already in the middle of the crosswalk, in which case you have a better chance of making it to the other side.
-everyone speaks English--which is a problem because I really need to practice my hebrew!
-the old city is still as magical as I remember from high school
-birthright trips are EVERYWHERE
-it is incredible easy to spot the tourist

It's been a wonderful adventure so far--check out my blog for more updates. Orientation officially starts on Sunday, and then we have ulpan (hebrew classes) and a biblical history course that starts after that.   Love you all!

xoxox





 

Two bags, One future rabbi

It's pretty crazy to think that for most of my life, I've been able to fit everything I own into two bags.  Books, pictures, clothes, memories and bits and pieces of my life have all been zipped up, buckled, and, with a little bit of struggle, packed up into my suitcases.  From summer camp to college, my two navy blue duffel bags have served me well.  I'm almost finished clearing out my room on Clark Street in Chicago, and am getting ready for my next adventure.  I've wanted to become a rabbi for about ten years and now that dream is quickly becoming reality.  I am excited, nervous, apprehensive, and thrilled that this part of my life is about to begin.  I'm ready for a year of learning and Torah, and I know that the time I have in Israel will be an amazing experience that I will carry with me throughout my career.  This blog will serve as a kind of open journal, a space where I will share my thoughts and reflections about my time abroad.  I hope you all will enjoy it, and please feel free to email me privately if you want!  (I also love getting snail mail, but that might take forever.  I'll post the address once I have it!) 
xoxoxo
Rebecca