Celebration #1: Tu B’shvat
For me, it feels like Tu B’shvat in Israel all year round because of the multitude of dried fruits all over the place, but during January, they really hit their peak. It’s time to go back to the fresh fruits, in my opinion… I’m ready for springtime. Nonetheless, I attended two different Tu B’shvat seders and had a chance to reflect on my community, what it means to live in the Israeli environmental fabric, and what our connection is to the larger world.
Does Tu b’Shvat have the same place in the Israeli psyche as Groundhog Day? As in… can the weather now tell us how soon spring is going to arrive? This past Shabbat was dreadfully cold and rainy – probably the coldest it’s been since I’ve been here – and I’ve been piling blankets upon blankets on top of my bed in an effort to stay warm. I refuse to cave in and buy a space heather, because by golly, spring is just around the corner! Maybe by Purim…
Celebration #2: Mea Shearim Wedding
I’m now volunteering in Mea Shearim on Tuesday afternoons at a place called Ezrat Avot that offers different kind of programming and services for senior citizens, and I’m involved in chopping vegetables for their healthy meals on wheels program. It’s the kind of work that is really satisfying after a long day of sitting in class – you chop for two hours, and you can see the concrete effects of your labor. That usually doesn’t happen in Gemara class…
Anyway, as I was leaving Ezrat Avot last week and walking toward the center of town with friends, we heard loud music just up the street. It sounded like a recording – we joked that in Mea Shearim, they do their Shabbat cleaning on Tuesdays – and as we walked up the hill, the music got louder and louder. We could tell that it was drifting to our ears from over a high wall, and we saw some kids looking down onto whatever was behind the wall from their balconies.
Suddenly, a random woman approached us and said to us in Hebrew, ” The chuppah’s that way – it’s very beautiful if you want to see!” We had nowhere to be, so it was time for an adventure. We found a small archway where Hasidic kids and teens were crowded, watching the wedding below, and we stood as close as we could to peer down into what looked like a parking lot. The chuppah was the only symbol that I noticed that marked the day as different from any other day, although the 15 or so young girls in attendance were all wearing the same matching gold dress with colored polka dots.
The entire ceremony was in Yiddish, of course, so we couldn’t really follow exactly what was going on, but we knew the anticipation was building before the kallah (bride) arrived, and she sparkled in the crowd in her bright white dress, in contrast with the dark tones of the rest of the men and women. The kallah was covered from head to toe – her veil probably reached down to her stomach and was entirely opaque – so two women, presumably her mother and mother-in-law to be, led her in her seven circuits around the hatan (groom). We remarked at how scared she must have been – an entire ceremony focusing on her, and she can’t even see what’s happening around her! In a few short minutes they were wed, and the hatan led the kallah out from under the chuppah as we remarked how that was the first time either of them was touching a member of the opposite sex outside of their immediate families.
Now I’m preparing for the next celebration – Purim! – by learning Megillat Esther trope from a very Ashkenazi-sounding recording. I DESPERATELY need costume suggestions – got any?
Monday, February 8, 2010
January 3, 2010 - The one where the family comes to visit
(Side note: I can't believe I haven't posted since November. That's incredibly delinquent of me, and I apologize. I have posted twice for the Pardes blog since then, so I'll include those posts here.)
My family’s visiting Israel this week for the very first time. Not only is it their first time in Israel – it’s also their first time traveling abroad, if you don’t count Caribbean cruises.
I’ve been excited about this week since I first arrived in September, especially the opportunity to show them my “turf” and introduce them to my friends. I’ve become very comfortable in my lifestyle here in Jerusalem, and I wanted to be able to share that with them beyond just pictures and phone calls. I especially wanted them to be able to sit in on some of my classes and come to minyan with me, so when planning the itinerary, I made sure to fit those experiences into the schedule.
I also wanted to give my family the full Israel tour experience – that is to say, a lot of the first time experiences that many people experience on a Birthright trip, like going to Masada, visiting the Kotel, Independence Hall, and experiencing Shabbat in Jerusalem. For me, that has meant switching mentalities from being a full-time student to being a tourist for the week. It hasn’t always been easy. Being at Pardes definitely means that I’ve gotten into a regular weekday routine, and having to change that up for constant traveling is exhausting. I’ve missed my classes and my teachers, seeing my friends throughout the day, and having a simple meal when I get home at night.
BUT – I wouldn’t trade this week for anything.
I’ve gotten to see my brothers float in the Dead Sea and cover themselves with mud… my dad learn more about the depth of Jewish history than he’s ever experienced before… my mom engaging with the same struggles that I encounter on a daily basis, being a progressive egalitarian-minded Jew in Jerusalem. I was able to study Jewish text (Shmot 4:24-26) together with my dad and my brother Drew for the very first time, hearing their insights on the Tanakh and the commentaries and their voices joining a conversation thousands of years old. My entire family came to minyan with me one morning, and there wouldn’t have been a minyan if they hadn’t been present. How beautiful is that?
And Shabbat in Jerusalem, with my family, was an incredible and powerful experience. We spent Friday rushing around, shopping at the shuk, cleaning and cooking. That night, we davened at Shira Chadasha, experiencing the beauty of their melodies and the sense of community. We hosted a Shabbat dinner for family and friends, reveling in the memories of the week gone by, resting up for the week again. When my brother Drew told me that it was one of the highlights of his week, I beamed.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, more highlights from the week:
Sunrise at the Tayelet
Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean
Jake at Yad Vashem
Dead Sea
Dead Sea Newspaper
B’shalom,
Lauren
My family’s visiting Israel this week for the very first time. Not only is it their first time in Israel – it’s also their first time traveling abroad, if you don’t count Caribbean cruises.
I’ve been excited about this week since I first arrived in September, especially the opportunity to show them my “turf” and introduce them to my friends. I’ve become very comfortable in my lifestyle here in Jerusalem, and I wanted to be able to share that with them beyond just pictures and phone calls. I especially wanted them to be able to sit in on some of my classes and come to minyan with me, so when planning the itinerary, I made sure to fit those experiences into the schedule.
I also wanted to give my family the full Israel tour experience – that is to say, a lot of the first time experiences that many people experience on a Birthright trip, like going to Masada, visiting the Kotel, Independence Hall, and experiencing Shabbat in Jerusalem. For me, that has meant switching mentalities from being a full-time student to being a tourist for the week. It hasn’t always been easy. Being at Pardes definitely means that I’ve gotten into a regular weekday routine, and having to change that up for constant traveling is exhausting. I’ve missed my classes and my teachers, seeing my friends throughout the day, and having a simple meal when I get home at night.
BUT – I wouldn’t trade this week for anything.
I’ve gotten to see my brothers float in the Dead Sea and cover themselves with mud… my dad learn more about the depth of Jewish history than he’s ever experienced before… my mom engaging with the same struggles that I encounter on a daily basis, being a progressive egalitarian-minded Jew in Jerusalem. I was able to study Jewish text (Shmot 4:24-26) together with my dad and my brother Drew for the very first time, hearing their insights on the Tanakh and the commentaries and their voices joining a conversation thousands of years old. My entire family came to minyan with me one morning, and there wouldn’t have been a minyan if they hadn’t been present. How beautiful is that?
And Shabbat in Jerusalem, with my family, was an incredible and powerful experience. We spent Friday rushing around, shopping at the shuk, cleaning and cooking. That night, we davened at Shira Chadasha, experiencing the beauty of their melodies and the sense of community. We hosted a Shabbat dinner for family and friends, reveling in the memories of the week gone by, resting up for the week again. When my brother Drew told me that it was one of the highlights of his week, I beamed.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, more highlights from the week:
Sunrise at the Tayelet
Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean
Jake at Yad Vashem
Dead Sea
Dead Sea Newspaper
B’shalom,
Lauren
Sunday, November 15, 2009
24 hours in the life of Lauren
24 hours in the life of Lauren, Motzei Shabbat (after Shabbat ends) to Sunday evening:
5:28pm: Shabbat is over, too early as always. I make Havdalah with Evelyn and her friend Susan from New York, reconnect with the wider world of email and cell phones, and head home to shower and scrounge up dinner.
6:00pm: Call from Miriam - time to plan something for the evening. They'll provide me with dinner (soy tofu!!) if I can bring a vegetable. Can't be too hard, right? This should be a good time to plan the family's week in Israel at the end of December, catch up on some knitting, and generally relax.
7:03pm: After speedily showering and cleaning up, I head up the road toward Miriam and Naomi's, by way of Super Deal, which I think is my favorite grocery store here. And of course, it's closed. Time for plan B.
7:15pm: Run into liquor store to see if they have vegetables - no. Stop by ATM, reach for wallet, open it up to find... no bank card. This is not good. Maybe I left it where I had coffee on Friday morning? I remember taking it with me though... (panic panic panic)... maybe I'll call the person I had coffee with and see if he remembers. Nope, don't have his number. Wait a second... I put it in my pocket when I went shopping on Friday afternoon because I didn't want to carry a purse... and I'm wearing the same pants! Reach into pocket, find card, Halleluyah!
7:30pm: Arrive at makolet - small grocery/convenience store. The search for a vegetable that isn't sprouting things commences. After twisting around corners, arrive at veggie section which is blocked by all of the coolers that would normally be outside during the day. Green beans - success! Ask store owner to climb over cooler to get the beans, which look edible.
7:32pm: Woman approaches me in makolet, asking for 10 shekels (about $2.50). Instinct is to say that I don't have money, but the words don't come out, and I realize my instinct is wrong. I reach for my change purse, pull out the coins, and hand them to her, with a tired smile. She smiles back, almost deviously, and puts her finger to her lips in a "shhh! don't tell!" motion.
7:36pm: As I approach the counter to pay (for green beans, muffin mix, muffin papers, and a bar of chocolate, of course), the same store owner says, "Want some advice? Don't give her money. She's a pest." I see the woman on the street now, still looking devious.
7:45pm: Arrive at Miriam and Naomi's. Drink wine. Knit and plan interesting things to do in Jerusalem for the next few weeks. Bake blueberry muffins for the egal minyanaires to surprise them for arriving on time to minyan in the morning.
10:30pm: Start to head home. Get call from Evelyn saying that my laundry's done (since I don't have a washer of my own and have to rely on the generosity of others) and I should come fold it.
11:15pm: Leave Evelyn's, very sleepy. So much for 10:00pm bedtime - oh well. Start to get ready for bed, chat with roommate about her Shabbat at a Hasidic teacher's house.
12:00pm: Sleep.
5:00am: Wake. Contactsbrushteethrunningclothesputuphairfindwarmjacketfindkeys and out the door.
5:34am: Run with Dan, while listening to Blur and Nada Surf and trying to keep up. Slow run, but I feel amazing.
6:15am: On the way back to my apartment, I look up at the sky - apart from the sunset, I think the sky is the most beautiful at this time of day. It's a gorgeous cornflower blue (that's what Crayola would have called it), and I see a huge wispy cloud that looks like a butterfly with a broken wing. What does it mean?
6:17am: As I stretch after the run (my favorite part of the day), a huge dog on a leash comes up behind me, wanting to be scratched. I give him a good scratch behind the ears, and the three of us (me, dog, and owner) are much happier.
7:25am: Minyan. I write the following line from Masechet Brachot of the Talmud (19B) up on the board: Come and learn: Human dignity is so important that it supercedes even a Biblical prohibition. Think about it.
I lead Pesukei D'zimra, singing a couple of the psalms and switching up the Hebrew with English a bit, to keep people on their toes.
8:10am: Minyanaires get their muffins, we congratulate Marcie on her first time leading Shacharit, and I rush around making breakfast and getting my books so I can be on time for class.
8:30am: Gemara. What are we discussing again? Oh right - whether there can be shlichut (appointing someone else to do a religious task for you) in the case of an averah (a general category of sins and misdeeds). Through a complex series of logic, rabbinic proofs and formulations, we indeed establish that shlichut is NOT possible in the case of an averah - so don't go around trying to tell people to burn down barns for you, because they're just going to get in trouble.
12:00pm: Biblical Hebrew Grammar. Compensatory lengthening, dagesh kal, and something about the letter nun that makes the dagesh kal appear in the final letter of the word.
1:00pm: Announcements and Mincha - Carra leads Mincha for the first time.
1:30pm: Burekas Ima for lunch - zatar pita, tomato pita, and cheesy burekas. Not the most healthy of lunches, but it's hard to beat the price - 8 shekels!! ($2!) Plus a chocolate/butterscotch muffin from our wonderful chef.
2:00pm: Trip to the Israel Free Loan Association with Social Justice Track. As Eliezer Jaffe, the founding director, put it:
4:30pm: Still discussing with my group, but starting to get sleepy, and very distracted by the gorgeous sunset out the window of the Beit Midrash. I'll take pictures next time.
5:00pm: Maariv - I lead, and pull in some slow melodies to help people wind down after a long day.
5:17pm: Done... or at least I could be. But I choose to stick around and attend a shiur (lesson) given by a friend on "Can G-d Change His Mind (Or did we change ours?)" and end up being part of a great discussion on reward and punishment in the Tanakh and rabbinic literature.
And that, my friends, is 24 hours in the life of me.
5:28pm: Shabbat is over, too early as always. I make Havdalah with Evelyn and her friend Susan from New York, reconnect with the wider world of email and cell phones, and head home to shower and scrounge up dinner.
6:00pm: Call from Miriam - time to plan something for the evening. They'll provide me with dinner (soy tofu!!) if I can bring a vegetable. Can't be too hard, right? This should be a good time to plan the family's week in Israel at the end of December, catch up on some knitting, and generally relax.
7:03pm: After speedily showering and cleaning up, I head up the road toward Miriam and Naomi's, by way of Super Deal, which I think is my favorite grocery store here. And of course, it's closed. Time for plan B.
7:15pm: Run into liquor store to see if they have vegetables - no. Stop by ATM, reach for wallet, open it up to find... no bank card. This is not good. Maybe I left it where I had coffee on Friday morning? I remember taking it with me though... (panic panic panic)... maybe I'll call the person I had coffee with and see if he remembers. Nope, don't have his number. Wait a second... I put it in my pocket when I went shopping on Friday afternoon because I didn't want to carry a purse... and I'm wearing the same pants! Reach into pocket, find card, Halleluyah!
7:30pm: Arrive at makolet - small grocery/convenience store. The search for a vegetable that isn't sprouting things commences. After twisting around corners, arrive at veggie section which is blocked by all of the coolers that would normally be outside during the day. Green beans - success! Ask store owner to climb over cooler to get the beans, which look edible.
7:32pm: Woman approaches me in makolet, asking for 10 shekels (about $2.50). Instinct is to say that I don't have money, but the words don't come out, and I realize my instinct is wrong. I reach for my change purse, pull out the coins, and hand them to her, with a tired smile. She smiles back, almost deviously, and puts her finger to her lips in a "shhh! don't tell!" motion.
7:36pm: As I approach the counter to pay (for green beans, muffin mix, muffin papers, and a bar of chocolate, of course), the same store owner says, "Want some advice? Don't give her money. She's a pest." I see the woman on the street now, still looking devious.
7:45pm: Arrive at Miriam and Naomi's. Drink wine. Knit and plan interesting things to do in Jerusalem for the next few weeks. Bake blueberry muffins for the egal minyanaires to surprise them for arriving on time to minyan in the morning.
10:30pm: Start to head home. Get call from Evelyn saying that my laundry's done (since I don't have a washer of my own and have to rely on the generosity of others) and I should come fold it.
11:15pm: Leave Evelyn's, very sleepy. So much for 10:00pm bedtime - oh well. Start to get ready for bed, chat with roommate about her Shabbat at a Hasidic teacher's house.
12:00pm: Sleep.
5:00am: Wake. Contactsbrushteethrunningclothesputuphairfindwarmjacketfindkeys and out the door.
5:34am: Run with Dan, while listening to Blur and Nada Surf and trying to keep up. Slow run, but I feel amazing.
6:15am: On the way back to my apartment, I look up at the sky - apart from the sunset, I think the sky is the most beautiful at this time of day. It's a gorgeous cornflower blue (that's what Crayola would have called it), and I see a huge wispy cloud that looks like a butterfly with a broken wing. What does it mean?
6:17am: As I stretch after the run (my favorite part of the day), a huge dog on a leash comes up behind me, wanting to be scratched. I give him a good scratch behind the ears, and the three of us (me, dog, and owner) are much happier.
7:25am: Minyan. I write the following line from Masechet Brachot of the Talmud (19B) up on the board: Come and learn: Human dignity is so important that it supercedes even a Biblical prohibition. Think about it.
I lead Pesukei D'zimra, singing a couple of the psalms and switching up the Hebrew with English a bit, to keep people on their toes.
8:10am: Minyanaires get their muffins, we congratulate Marcie on her first time leading Shacharit, and I rush around making breakfast and getting my books so I can be on time for class.
8:30am: Gemara. What are we discussing again? Oh right - whether there can be shlichut (appointing someone else to do a religious task for you) in the case of an averah (a general category of sins and misdeeds). Through a complex series of logic, rabbinic proofs and formulations, we indeed establish that shlichut is NOT possible in the case of an averah - so don't go around trying to tell people to burn down barns for you, because they're just going to get in trouble.
12:00pm: Biblical Hebrew Grammar. Compensatory lengthening, dagesh kal, and something about the letter nun that makes the dagesh kal appear in the final letter of the word.
1:00pm: Announcements and Mincha - Carra leads Mincha for the first time.
1:30pm: Burekas Ima for lunch - zatar pita, tomato pita, and cheesy burekas. Not the most healthy of lunches, but it's hard to beat the price - 8 shekels!! ($2!) Plus a chocolate/butterscotch muffin from our wonderful chef.
2:00pm: Trip to the Israel Free Loan Association with Social Justice Track. As Eliezer Jaffe, the founding director, put it:
- This is Jewish microlending, not tzedakah (charity). We don't charge interest, period.
- We can't save the whole world - only half. Our work is target at those who make more than 3,000 NIS (New Israeli Shekel) a month but less than 13,000, because then they'd be able to get a loan from the banks.
- Only 0.2% of the recipients of loans end up defaulting on them.
- We're not crazy - it's Jewish!
4:30pm: Still discussing with my group, but starting to get sleepy, and very distracted by the gorgeous sunset out the window of the Beit Midrash. I'll take pictures next time.
5:00pm: Maariv - I lead, and pull in some slow melodies to help people wind down after a long day.
5:17pm: Done... or at least I could be. But I choose to stick around and attend a shiur (lesson) given by a friend on "Can G-d Change His Mind (Or did we change ours?)" and end up being part of a great discussion on reward and punishment in the Tanakh and rabbinic literature.
And that, my friends, is 24 hours in the life of me.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
LIVE: Challah Baking!
Watch the challah-baking process unfold!
Of course, it all starts with a mess....
Of course, it all starts with a mess....
It's pretty cold in my apartment and I couldn't find a warm place to put the dough so that it would rise, so I got out the platta - to keep foods warm on Shabbat - and rigged a system with a pot lid so my dough could benefit from the heat without being directly on the heating element. And sure enough... it rose!
Next: the braiding.
Batch #1: Four-stranded braids.
Batch #2: Six-stranded braids!
In the (toaster) oven they go!
Here's how the four-stranded braids turned out. They probably could have gotten a little browner on top, but I was worried about the underside getting burnt. Not too shabby!
The six stranded ones are out of the oven!
Shabbat shalom!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Home
In the past week, fall has abruptly arrived in Jerusalem. One day I was wearing a t-shirt and skirt, and the next, I was bundled up in all my winter gear. I'm putting extra blankets on my bed, getting up early to turn the hot water on for the shower, and finding lots of soup and chili recipes.
The onset of fall makes me a bit wistful, nostalgic, and sometimes homesick. I was reflecting today on this time of year in years past - during the last four years in Houston, fall hasn't really existed. It's like one long summer that goes until Thanksgiving, then gets cold and rainy, then turns to summer again in late February. I missed REAL fall - leaves changing colors, football games, Boy Scout popcorn... Jerusalem fall is a little bit closer to South Carolina fall than Houston fall, in that it's colder here, but it's not the same feeling.
I was thinking of particular fall memories today... like wearing a turtleneck to school and having to hold onto the cuff of the sleeve when putting on a jacket or sweater over it so that the sleeve doesn't bunch up on your arm. More memories rushed in when I got an email from my mom:
"I just saw that it is Sesame Street's 40th anniversary so thought you might like to sing a few old favorites like “abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz” or “put down the duckie”
It's the little things... Don't worry though, I'm not homesick. I'm just enjoying the contrasts, the change in season, and the memories.
The onset of fall makes me a bit wistful, nostalgic, and sometimes homesick. I was reflecting today on this time of year in years past - during the last four years in Houston, fall hasn't really existed. It's like one long summer that goes until Thanksgiving, then gets cold and rainy, then turns to summer again in late February. I missed REAL fall - leaves changing colors, football games, Boy Scout popcorn... Jerusalem fall is a little bit closer to South Carolina fall than Houston fall, in that it's colder here, but it's not the same feeling.
I was thinking of particular fall memories today... like wearing a turtleneck to school and having to hold onto the cuff of the sleeve when putting on a jacket or sweater over it so that the sleeve doesn't bunch up on your arm. More memories rushed in when I got an email from my mom:
"I just saw that it is Sesame Street's 40th anniversary so thought you might like to sing a few old favorites like “abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz” or “put down the duckie”
It's the little things... Don't worry though, I'm not homesick. I'm just enjoying the contrasts, the change in season, and the memories.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Volunteering
(Note: I'm blogging for Pardes now, and I just put this post on their blog as well. If you want to read it on there, as well as the contributions of other students, go to theseandthose.pardes.org)
On Tuesday afternoons a number of Pardes students volunteer with organizations throughout the Jerusalem area, and I’m working with a community called Yotzer Or. Yotzer Or is composed of mostly immigrant families, many from Ethiopia, who are living in housing projects in the neighborhood of Talpiot directly across from the wealthy neighborhood. They come to Yotzer Or for community, for help finding jobs, for after-school care for their kids, for bar mitzvah tutoring, for Jewish holidays, and much more – it’s really hard to label them as a synagogue in the traditional sense, but the rabbi, Uri Ayalon, is presenting a vision for how expansive Jewish community can really be.
Anyway, all of that background is to tell you about my particular experience today at Yotzer Or. We’re tutoring kids ages 6-16 in English, one-on-one, and my student’s name is Batel (or Betty, as she likes to be called). She and her four siblings are from Ethiopia, and they’re all involved in the tutoring program. Many of the kids in the program have pretty minimal English speaking skills, but Batel’s English is amazing – she’s 12, and more or less fluent. I help her with her homework (which she breezes through), and then we talk – about boys, music, annoying teachers in school, and of course, boys.
Today Batel asked me if I had ever been in the army, or if I would ever be. When I told her that in America, high school grads aren’t required to join the army like they are in Israel, she was a bit shocked – how did they get people to serve if they weren’t required to? I asked her if she would join the army one day, and she said “Of course!” and already knows what unit she wants to serve in – מגבניקות, or border patrol. She’s already learning Arabic (in addition to her Hebrew, English, and Amharic), which she’ll have to master in order to serve in that capacity. I thought back to the 12 year-olds that I know in America, and I’m not sure if I could find one with these same kinds of life experiences and questions.
Later on, Batel asked me what I was going to do when I got back to America. I should be used to this question now – I’ve been getting it practically every day since I arrived here – but still, I stalled:
“Well, I’ll go see my family, of course…”
“And then?”
“And then…I’m going to start studying to be a rabbi.”
“A what?”
“You know, a rav.”
“Ohhh, you mean a rabbanit! So wait…will you wear pants?”
(I was wearing pants today – it was pretty cold. I do wear a lot of skirts though, here and at home. But of course, I deflected with a question.)
“Do you think I should?”
“Well, I know a rabbanit who wears pants… but she knows EVERYTHING about the Torah, and can answer any question I ask her. I think it’s more about the person you are on the inside, and if you’re true to yourself, that’s what matters.”
I’m beginning to think that I’ll be learning much more from her this year than she’ll be learning from me.
On Tuesday afternoons a number of Pardes students volunteer with organizations throughout the Jerusalem area, and I’m working with a community called Yotzer Or. Yotzer Or is composed of mostly immigrant families, many from Ethiopia, who are living in housing projects in the neighborhood of Talpiot directly across from the wealthy neighborhood. They come to Yotzer Or for community, for help finding jobs, for after-school care for their kids, for bar mitzvah tutoring, for Jewish holidays, and much more – it’s really hard to label them as a synagogue in the traditional sense, but the rabbi, Uri Ayalon, is presenting a vision for how expansive Jewish community can really be.
Anyway, all of that background is to tell you about my particular experience today at Yotzer Or. We’re tutoring kids ages 6-16 in English, one-on-one, and my student’s name is Batel (or Betty, as she likes to be called). She and her four siblings are from Ethiopia, and they’re all involved in the tutoring program. Many of the kids in the program have pretty minimal English speaking skills, but Batel’s English is amazing – she’s 12, and more or less fluent. I help her with her homework (which she breezes through), and then we talk – about boys, music, annoying teachers in school, and of course, boys.
Today Batel asked me if I had ever been in the army, or if I would ever be. When I told her that in America, high school grads aren’t required to join the army like they are in Israel, she was a bit shocked – how did they get people to serve if they weren’t required to? I asked her if she would join the army one day, and she said “Of course!” and already knows what unit she wants to serve in – מגבניקות, or border patrol. She’s already learning Arabic (in addition to her Hebrew, English, and Amharic), which she’ll have to master in order to serve in that capacity. I thought back to the 12 year-olds that I know in America, and I’m not sure if I could find one with these same kinds of life experiences and questions.
Later on, Batel asked me what I was going to do when I got back to America. I should be used to this question now – I’ve been getting it practically every day since I arrived here – but still, I stalled:
“Well, I’ll go see my family, of course…”
“And then?”
“And then…I’m going to start studying to be a rabbi.”
“A what?”
“You know, a rav.”
“Ohhh, you mean a rabbanit! So wait…will you wear pants?”
(I was wearing pants today – it was pretty cold. I do wear a lot of skirts though, here and at home. But of course, I deflected with a question.)
“Do you think I should?”
“Well, I know a rabbanit who wears pants… but she knows EVERYTHING about the Torah, and can answer any question I ask her. I think it’s more about the person you are on the inside, and if you’re true to yourself, that’s what matters.”
I’m beginning to think that I’ll be learning much more from her this year than she’ll be learning from me.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Week in review
For this post, I'll present you with a series of random images/thoughts/experiences that will showcase what day to day life in Jerusalem and at Pardes is like for me. Be forewarned.
Couscous, Falafel, and Chocolate.
I eat couscous probably three times a week here, and I have yet to get tired of it. It's the perfect combination of inexpensive, quick to make, versatile, tasty, and amazingness. My general couscous meal includes feta cheese, lemon juice, and random vegetables, either raw or sauteed. Shira, my roommate, made a pot of couscous this evening, and I ate 3/4 of it. Mmmm.
And of course, my week wouldn't be complete without a trip to the falafel stand. Well actually - it probably would. But every once in a while, falafel is just the thing I'm craving. "Chetzi falafel b'laffa" is half a piece of fluffy wrap bread stuffed with falafel balls, "salat, betzalim, techina, chumous, and chips" - salad, onions, techina (sesame sauce), chumous (no explanation required, I hope), and circle cut french fries. Today, they mistakenly put "charif" (spicy sauce) on my laffa, much to my dismay... but I finished it anyway.
Another food favorite: mini chocolate bars. Sometimes during day at Pardes I just need a little pick me up, and these are so perfect. David Berman, the in-house amazing caterer, keeps a kiosk stocked with lots of little goodies, and these chocolates keep me coming back. I think I have a reputation at Pardes for the blissful faces that I make when I take that first bite. Some things about me haven't changed since I was 5.
(Photo from http://www.strauss-group.com/Documents/Para/popup%20pics/snack_para_mini_jumping_candy.jpg)
Couscous, Falafel, and Chocolate.
I eat couscous probably three times a week here, and I have yet to get tired of it. It's the perfect combination of inexpensive, quick to make, versatile, tasty, and amazingness. My general couscous meal includes feta cheese, lemon juice, and random vegetables, either raw or sauteed. Shira, my roommate, made a pot of couscous this evening, and I ate 3/4 of it. Mmmm.And of course, my week wouldn't be complete without a trip to the falafel stand. Well actually - it probably would. But every once in a while, falafel is just the thing I'm craving. "Chetzi falafel b'laffa" is half a piece of fluffy wrap bread stuffed with falafel balls, "salat, betzalim, techina, chumous, and chips" - salad, onions, techina (sesame sauce), chumous (no explanation required, I hope), and circle cut french fries. Today, they mistakenly put "charif" (spicy sauce) on my laffa, much to my dismay... but I finished it anyway.(Photo from http://www.strauss-group.com/Documents/Para/popup%20pics/snack_para_mini_jumping_candy.jpg)
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