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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)