Woooooo hoooooooo!!!
Today was the last day of my sequential class. This is the class that I have to take with a tutor to stay current with my Physics class back in Tuk-Town (Tukwila, WA). Today I took my final exam, and I think that I did pretty well. This is a great day beacause now I have my last week in Israel without Physics to worry about. Life is swell.
However, It just donned on me that I have a week left until I leave. I am going to be very sad to leave Israel. I love this country very much. My heart is attached to this land, and that bond has only strengthened since I have been here. I hope that I will be back soon. Maybe I'll do a semester or year of college at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Though I am sad to leave I am also excited fr a number of things. Here is a list:
Graduation
College (I got into the University of Washington)
Helping my brother with his Bar Mitzvah
helping my synagogue continue to grow (awesome things are happening like a new twenties group and a great updated website)
I am excited to get involved in Jewish/Israel groups in college
I want to start studying more Jewish history and reading books about Israel
I am thinking about subscribing to an Israeli newspaper so that I can keep up on current events while I am in the states
And I have a good size list of books to read
I don't plan on letting the great foundation that this program has given me go to waste. I do not want the drive that I have right now to go unused. So I want to find more events and organizations to get involved with.
So those are my feelings right now. I am sad and excited. But mostly I am thankful for the amazing experiences that I have had and the great friendships that I have made. Life is wonderful. Thank you to all those who contributed to my experience whether it was financial support, an email, a farewell before I left, a thought, or a prayer. You are all wonderful.
Shalom
Monday, March 19, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
1st Day of Holocaust Study
Starting on Tuesday March 6th we had 3 days designated for studying the Holocaust. We took a break from the events happening in Palestine just before the establishment of the State of Israel in order to understand probably the most devestating event in Jewish history. These days were to be ones filled with Holocaust history, stories, and aftermath. They were not the happiest days because we were on such a tragic subject. However, it is sometimes nessecary to understand depression before one can realize joy. So we plunged into the events of World War II that brought about the death of millions of people.
So on the morning of March 6th we went to the bet knesset (Synagogue) on campus to hear a man speak about his experiences during the Holocaust. This man's name was Noach Klieger. He is a survovor of Auschwitz, and he is largely alive due to a chance he took at the beginning of his experience. There was a group of boxers that were chosen to be entertainment if I remember correctly. Noach quickly decided to say he was a boxer in order to possibly save his life. So through a miracle he was not found out and other boxers helped him learn and get by. He was also very humorous. It was apparent that he had much life in him. This made me very happy because I could see how he looked more to the future than being sad for the past.
Later that day we had a class period where we talked more about the Holocaust. Then at around 4:00 PM we were able to choose between two movies about WWII to watch. I chose to watch a movie called "Swing Kids." It was about a group of teenaagers in Nazi Germany who were really into swing music. However, this was not allowed because people were expected to be German nationalists who listened to German music not Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman. There was also a Hitler youth movement that many were expected to join. The organization was kind of like a patrol force who found people who were unfaithful to the Nazi ideals and reported them. Some of the swing kids got pulled into this but said they would remain faithful swing kids at night. However, some gave up on oppossing the Nazis. The story was mainly about one kid's journey through all of this. He wanted to remain faithful to being a swing kid because he saw that the Nazis had horrible ideas.
After dinner we had another class in which we read some diary entries from people who experienced the Holocaust. We went around the room reading the entries in almost complete silence. After reading all we were supposed to pick one to write a response to. I really liked this activity because it allowed us to connect to a more personal side of the history of the Holocaust. The theme was spiritual resistance. We talked about the personal ways that people revolted. Some people wrote diaries. While others collected artifacts for future generations to know what happened. Others didn't tighten bolts all of the way when working in factories as a small way of rebelling abainst the Nazis.
This was day one of Holocaust study.
More to come
Shabbat Shalom
So on the morning of March 6th we went to the bet knesset (Synagogue) on campus to hear a man speak about his experiences during the Holocaust. This man's name was Noach Klieger. He is a survovor of Auschwitz, and he is largely alive due to a chance he took at the beginning of his experience. There was a group of boxers that were chosen to be entertainment if I remember correctly. Noach quickly decided to say he was a boxer in order to possibly save his life. So through a miracle he was not found out and other boxers helped him learn and get by. He was also very humorous. It was apparent that he had much life in him. This made me very happy because I could see how he looked more to the future than being sad for the past.
Later that day we had a class period where we talked more about the Holocaust. Then at around 4:00 PM we were able to choose between two movies about WWII to watch. I chose to watch a movie called "Swing Kids." It was about a group of teenaagers in Nazi Germany who were really into swing music. However, this was not allowed because people were expected to be German nationalists who listened to German music not Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman. There was also a Hitler youth movement that many were expected to join. The organization was kind of like a patrol force who found people who were unfaithful to the Nazi ideals and reported them. Some of the swing kids got pulled into this but said they would remain faithful swing kids at night. However, some gave up on oppossing the Nazis. The story was mainly about one kid's journey through all of this. He wanted to remain faithful to being a swing kid because he saw that the Nazis had horrible ideas.
After dinner we had another class in which we read some diary entries from people who experienced the Holocaust. We went around the room reading the entries in almost complete silence. After reading all we were supposed to pick one to write a response to. I really liked this activity because it allowed us to connect to a more personal side of the history of the Holocaust. The theme was spiritual resistance. We talked about the personal ways that people revolted. Some people wrote diaries. While others collected artifacts for future generations to know what happened. Others didn't tighten bolts all of the way when working in factories as a small way of rebelling abainst the Nazis.
This was day one of Holocaust study.
More to come
Shabbat Shalom
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Back in Jerusalem Then Crazy on Purim
So this last weekend I spent in Jerusalem again. However, this time I was being hosted by a friend from home (thanks Des). It was great to be able to see someone from the synagogue back in Tuk-Town (Tukwila, WA). I had a great weekend and got some much needed relaxation. So allow me to relate to you the details of my Shabbat (Sabbath) experience.
So on Friday afternoon at about 1:00 pm a few of us who were going to Jerusalem were sent off in a taxi/bus with a madrich (counselor) to accompany us. Whenever people go to Jerusalem they take a taxi together so that the cost can be split. The ride lasted around 2 hours I think. We had to drop off two people on the way at a moshav (This is a type of community unique to Israel. You will have to look it up for detailed info.) that they were going to be staying at. The ride was nice and it felt good to be entering Jerusalem right before Shabbat. Whenever I go into Jerusalem I feel very good. The hills of the area make it look so picturesque, and when the sun is setting and reflecting off of the city I feel a strong passion for this land. Once we get to Jerusalem they drop us off at the King David Hotel, and then we can be picked up there or take a taxi to our host's residence.
Once at the hotel I took a taxi to my friend Desiree's apartment. I was very happy to finally see a familiar face. We spent the night talking about what she had been doing in Israel for almost the last year. We ate dinner, and I played with her son. It was cool to see how almost a year in Israel affected a kid. He seemed to be very comfortable in a foreign country. However, for some people Israel is more home than where they came from. The food was great. The conversation was wonderul. All in all it was a spectacular Erev Shabbat (Sabbath evening). That night I went to bed a happy person knowing that for a month I had been in Israel doing what I love, and that night I was in Jerusalem. What could be better than Jerusalem on Shabbat.
In the morning we got ready and went to the synagogue that she has been going to recently. I was really excited because I have been getting better at following the services here as I have gone to more and more. I also have learned much about how a service is run by going to different Orthodox synagogues. So it is also an educational experience. When it came time for the Torah service (part of service were Torah scrolls are taken out and read from) one of the men asked me to be the one to take the two Torah scrolls out of the ark (closet were they are kept)(It is not just a normal closet, it's fancy, but I can't think of a better way to describe it.). I was very excited to do this but I couldn't really understand the man that asked me because I don't speak Hebrew. So the man next to me translated. In the end I did it right more or less. After service we went back to her apartment and all took naps after lunch.
After our relaxing naps (and relaxing they were) we went for a walk. We walked up Mt. Herzl towards Yad Vashem (famous holocaust museum) and went for a walk in the forested area around the museum. The area is beautiful, and the hills of Jerusalem make the whole stroll amazingly awesome. After realizing that we were walking to far to make it back before it got to dark we turned around. However, we still returned when it was dark (this means it was officially Purim. Yay!!!!!). So we did havdalah (ceremony for the end of Shabbat), and then I got into a cab to head back to the King David Hotel. I met up with my friends and the counselor who was with us. Then we all rode in the same taxi/bus from Friday back to Hod Hasharon.
Back in the Hod we had to hurry to get our costumes on for Purim then go to the synagogue for a Megillah (scroll of Esther) reading. I was dressed up as a ninja (I know!!! Pretty darn awesome right?). At the synagogue we heard the reading, and then the dance party started. There was a DJ, strobelights, and crazy costumes. Some of my friends were dressed up as Spiderman, Power Rangers, and "random guy in a poncho." The dance was fun. It went on for a couple hours, and we had a great time. That night I slept well.
In the morning we got up and prepared for the parade that we were going to go see. When we got to the parade I saw crazy costumes all over the place. It was really cool to see so many people dressed up for Purim. I didn't watch much of the Parade because it was crowded, and I couldn't really see. So after walking around with some friends for a while we found the rest of the group and sat in a little grassy area for the rest of the time.
Fast forward to the Hod.
Back home we hung out until dinner that evening where we ate with all of the Muss groups on campus. The feast was exquisite (not really, but it was good). Then I went into town with my friends to put together a mishloach minot (It is custom on Purim to give gifts to each other. This is usually done in the form of baskets filled with candy, food, and sometimes little toys. This gift is called a mishloach minot.). We were assigned different people from the group to give a mishloach minot to. So I put together a fancy array of candy for my person. That night at check in we exchanged gifts. I was guite satisfied with what I recieved, and I think that my gift was well recieved.
Well that is the end of my Shabbat/Purim story. I hope you enjoyed it.
Shalom
So on Friday afternoon at about 1:00 pm a few of us who were going to Jerusalem were sent off in a taxi/bus with a madrich (counselor) to accompany us. Whenever people go to Jerusalem they take a taxi together so that the cost can be split. The ride lasted around 2 hours I think. We had to drop off two people on the way at a moshav (This is a type of community unique to Israel. You will have to look it up for detailed info.) that they were going to be staying at. The ride was nice and it felt good to be entering Jerusalem right before Shabbat. Whenever I go into Jerusalem I feel very good. The hills of the area make it look so picturesque, and when the sun is setting and reflecting off of the city I feel a strong passion for this land. Once we get to Jerusalem they drop us off at the King David Hotel, and then we can be picked up there or take a taxi to our host's residence.
Once at the hotel I took a taxi to my friend Desiree's apartment. I was very happy to finally see a familiar face. We spent the night talking about what she had been doing in Israel for almost the last year. We ate dinner, and I played with her son. It was cool to see how almost a year in Israel affected a kid. He seemed to be very comfortable in a foreign country. However, for some people Israel is more home than where they came from. The food was great. The conversation was wonderul. All in all it was a spectacular Erev Shabbat (Sabbath evening). That night I went to bed a happy person knowing that for a month I had been in Israel doing what I love, and that night I was in Jerusalem. What could be better than Jerusalem on Shabbat.
In the morning we got ready and went to the synagogue that she has been going to recently. I was really excited because I have been getting better at following the services here as I have gone to more and more. I also have learned much about how a service is run by going to different Orthodox synagogues. So it is also an educational experience. When it came time for the Torah service (part of service were Torah scrolls are taken out and read from) one of the men asked me to be the one to take the two Torah scrolls out of the ark (closet were they are kept)(It is not just a normal closet, it's fancy, but I can't think of a better way to describe it.). I was very excited to do this but I couldn't really understand the man that asked me because I don't speak Hebrew. So the man next to me translated. In the end I did it right more or less. After service we went back to her apartment and all took naps after lunch.
After our relaxing naps (and relaxing they were) we went for a walk. We walked up Mt. Herzl towards Yad Vashem (famous holocaust museum) and went for a walk in the forested area around the museum. The area is beautiful, and the hills of Jerusalem make the whole stroll amazingly awesome. After realizing that we were walking to far to make it back before it got to dark we turned around. However, we still returned when it was dark (this means it was officially Purim. Yay!!!!!). So we did havdalah (ceremony for the end of Shabbat), and then I got into a cab to head back to the King David Hotel. I met up with my friends and the counselor who was with us. Then we all rode in the same taxi/bus from Friday back to Hod Hasharon.
Back in the Hod we had to hurry to get our costumes on for Purim then go to the synagogue for a Megillah (scroll of Esther) reading. I was dressed up as a ninja (I know!!! Pretty darn awesome right?). At the synagogue we heard the reading, and then the dance party started. There was a DJ, strobelights, and crazy costumes. Some of my friends were dressed up as Spiderman, Power Rangers, and "random guy in a poncho." The dance was fun. It went on for a couple hours, and we had a great time. That night I slept well.
In the morning we got up and prepared for the parade that we were going to go see. When we got to the parade I saw crazy costumes all over the place. It was really cool to see so many people dressed up for Purim. I didn't watch much of the Parade because it was crowded, and I couldn't really see. So after walking around with some friends for a while we found the rest of the group and sat in a little grassy area for the rest of the time.
Fast forward to the Hod.
Back home we hung out until dinner that evening where we ate with all of the Muss groups on campus. The feast was exquisite (not really, but it was good). Then I went into town with my friends to put together a mishloach minot (It is custom on Purim to give gifts to each other. This is usually done in the form of baskets filled with candy, food, and sometimes little toys. This gift is called a mishloach minot.). We were assigned different people from the group to give a mishloach minot to. So I put together a fancy array of candy for my person. That night at check in we exchanged gifts. I was guite satisfied with what I recieved, and I think that my gift was well recieved.
Well that is the end of my Shabbat/Purim story. I hope you enjoyed it.
Shalom
Friday, March 2, 2007
Yoshi's Blog...The Lost Days: Part I
I have apperantly (I hope that is spelled right) become very relaxed in my blogging. So I will now give an overview of the big events that you have all missed out on.
The Sunday before last (that is the 18th of the month of February) we went to some caves that are known as the Bar-Kochba caves. Bar-Kochba was a man in Judea after the fall of the second Temple and Jerusalem. He led the second revolt against the Romans in the years 132 ce until 135 ce. Bar-Kochba was also supported by a man named Rabbi Akiva who believed that Bar-Kochba was the messiah. While the revolt was successful at first it came to an end once the Romans got serious. Well, the Bar-Kochba soldiers used many caves and tunnels when fighting against the Romans. These are the caves that we were in. Also, after the revolt ended the Romans executed 10 leading rabbis as a way of showing the end of Jewish leadership. Rabbi Akiva was among those. These rabbis were executed in an amphitheatre. There are two amphitheatres that people believe one of which was the very amphitheatre where this event took place. So we started out the day at a cave and then went to the Amphitheatre in Bet Guvrin. At the amphitheatre we talked about the revolt and our own Jewish identity. Topics like: "Would we have fought?" Our teacher was talking to us about how Judaism needs to mean something to each of us or there is no point to it. If we are only being Jewish because that is how we were born then we don't have a great reason to be Jewish. After this we had lunch and went to the other caves. There was one which we were led into and then had to find our way out without using the entrance. This was quite the adventure, and I had a great time. After this cave we went to another in which there were candles in cubby holes on the walls. We sat around and talked about the bonds that we had created up til that point. Then we sang a song and got ready to leave. After changing clothes on the side of the road we boarded the bus and left.
If my memory serves me correctly the next day (Monday the 19th) was labled "The Class From Hell!!!" It was correctly named. I loved this day but we went through much history in a short amount of time. We started at the end of the Bar-Kochba Revolt and ended at the Spanish Expulsion in 1492 ( I could give you all an overview of this span of over 1000 years but I think that you all can read up on that somewhere else as I enjoy having movement in my fingers after I get off the computer (If that did not make any of you laugh it was intended to be slightly funny. Bad attempt...I know.)
So the next day was the day that I had been waiting for, Tzfat day. However, we first stopped at a fortress called Belvoir to learn more about The Crusader Period. At Belvoir we first talked a little about The Crusader Period, and then we stormed the fortress as if we were the invading Muslims conquering the Christians. This activity showed us the multiple barriers that one would have to overcome in order to invade Belvoir. Once inside we talked about how The Crusader Period might relate to modern Israel. We went over some of the reasons for the fall of the Crusader rule. Not that we were comparing the Crusaders to Israel but there are reasons why the Crusaders fell that possibly pertain to Israel's survival. The biggest one was that the Crusaders lost support from Europe. So we went in a circle and talked about the support of American Jewry. Also, we each had to say whether we would help Israel in a time of great need or not and why. The made up situation was that we just got into the college of our choice and war broke out in Israel. Israel then calls upon Jews to come to Israel to not necessarily fight but help in anyway possible. I personally feel that I would defer enrollment for a year and go to Israel. However, if I could not defer enrollement I think that I would say "Thanks but I going to Israel." This is because the survival of Israel is more important to me than going to college right after high school.
In Tzfat we talked about Kabbalah. Our normal teacher couldn't go with us as she has a baby but we had another Muss teacher who was great for our Tzfat trip. First we sat down on some steps on a nice copplestone walkway. The whole area was very picturesque. Out teacher talked about the beginnings of Kabbalah and how it began to really flourish in Tzfat in the 1500's. The big rabbi's of that time in Tzfat were The Ari (Kabbalistic leader), Yosef Caro (wrote a compialation of Jewish law called The Shulchan Aruch), and Moshe Cordavero(He was a deisciple of The Ari I think.) ALso ther is a song that is sung before Shabbat (Sabbath) called Lecha Dodi. This was wrote by a man named Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz. We talked about these people and what they did. Also we went to two synagogues. One was Yosef Caro's synagagogue, and the other was The Ari's. Then we went to an awesome candle factory called The Safed Candle Factory. They make amazing candles. Tzfat happens to be a very artistic place and rightfully so because of its spiritual abstractness. So then we walked around the Artist's quarter and had time to shop. I had a good time looking around.
After we assembled again we went to a cemetary in Tzfat were The Ari, Caro, Cordavero, and Alkabetz are buried. The cemetary is on a hill so we were walking down the hill as the sun was setting. At the bottom, in the dark, we saw the graves of teenagers who were taken hotage ina school in Israel while sleeping over during a school hike. Many of these kids were murdered by a terrorist. They were buriend in Tzfat. We talked about their story and then left for Afulla. In Afulla (this funny word is a city) we had DOTS (dinner on the streets). When we do this we each recieve 30 shekels from our madrichim (counselors) for dinner. I had a falafel and a yogurt. Then we went home.
This has been Yoshi's Blog...The Lost Days: Part I.
Stayed tuned as I am getting tired of typing and will update more after Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
The Sunday before last (that is the 18th of the month of February) we went to some caves that are known as the Bar-Kochba caves. Bar-Kochba was a man in Judea after the fall of the second Temple and Jerusalem. He led the second revolt against the Romans in the years 132 ce until 135 ce. Bar-Kochba was also supported by a man named Rabbi Akiva who believed that Bar-Kochba was the messiah. While the revolt was successful at first it came to an end once the Romans got serious. Well, the Bar-Kochba soldiers used many caves and tunnels when fighting against the Romans. These are the caves that we were in. Also, after the revolt ended the Romans executed 10 leading rabbis as a way of showing the end of Jewish leadership. Rabbi Akiva was among those. These rabbis were executed in an amphitheatre. There are two amphitheatres that people believe one of which was the very amphitheatre where this event took place. So we started out the day at a cave and then went to the Amphitheatre in Bet Guvrin. At the amphitheatre we talked about the revolt and our own Jewish identity. Topics like: "Would we have fought?" Our teacher was talking to us about how Judaism needs to mean something to each of us or there is no point to it. If we are only being Jewish because that is how we were born then we don't have a great reason to be Jewish. After this we had lunch and went to the other caves. There was one which we were led into and then had to find our way out without using the entrance. This was quite the adventure, and I had a great time. After this cave we went to another in which there were candles in cubby holes on the walls. We sat around and talked about the bonds that we had created up til that point. Then we sang a song and got ready to leave. After changing clothes on the side of the road we boarded the bus and left.
If my memory serves me correctly the next day (Monday the 19th) was labled "The Class From Hell!!!" It was correctly named. I loved this day but we went through much history in a short amount of time. We started at the end of the Bar-Kochba Revolt and ended at the Spanish Expulsion in 1492 ( I could give you all an overview of this span of over 1000 years but I think that you all can read up on that somewhere else as I enjoy having movement in my fingers after I get off the computer (If that did not make any of you laugh it was intended to be slightly funny. Bad attempt...I know.)
So the next day was the day that I had been waiting for, Tzfat day. However, we first stopped at a fortress called Belvoir to learn more about The Crusader Period. At Belvoir we first talked a little about The Crusader Period, and then we stormed the fortress as if we were the invading Muslims conquering the Christians. This activity showed us the multiple barriers that one would have to overcome in order to invade Belvoir. Once inside we talked about how The Crusader Period might relate to modern Israel. We went over some of the reasons for the fall of the Crusader rule. Not that we were comparing the Crusaders to Israel but there are reasons why the Crusaders fell that possibly pertain to Israel's survival. The biggest one was that the Crusaders lost support from Europe. So we went in a circle and talked about the support of American Jewry. Also, we each had to say whether we would help Israel in a time of great need or not and why. The made up situation was that we just got into the college of our choice and war broke out in Israel. Israel then calls upon Jews to come to Israel to not necessarily fight but help in anyway possible. I personally feel that I would defer enrollment for a year and go to Israel. However, if I could not defer enrollement I think that I would say "Thanks but I going to Israel." This is because the survival of Israel is more important to me than going to college right after high school.
In Tzfat we talked about Kabbalah. Our normal teacher couldn't go with us as she has a baby but we had another Muss teacher who was great for our Tzfat trip. First we sat down on some steps on a nice copplestone walkway. The whole area was very picturesque. Out teacher talked about the beginnings of Kabbalah and how it began to really flourish in Tzfat in the 1500's. The big rabbi's of that time in Tzfat were The Ari (Kabbalistic leader), Yosef Caro (wrote a compialation of Jewish law called The Shulchan Aruch), and Moshe Cordavero(He was a deisciple of The Ari I think.) ALso ther is a song that is sung before Shabbat (Sabbath) called Lecha Dodi. This was wrote by a man named Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz. We talked about these people and what they did. Also we went to two synagogues. One was Yosef Caro's synagagogue, and the other was The Ari's. Then we went to an awesome candle factory called The Safed Candle Factory. They make amazing candles. Tzfat happens to be a very artistic place and rightfully so because of its spiritual abstractness. So then we walked around the Artist's quarter and had time to shop. I had a good time looking around.
After we assembled again we went to a cemetary in Tzfat were The Ari, Caro, Cordavero, and Alkabetz are buried. The cemetary is on a hill so we were walking down the hill as the sun was setting. At the bottom, in the dark, we saw the graves of teenagers who were taken hotage ina school in Israel while sleeping over during a school hike. Many of these kids were murdered by a terrorist. They were buriend in Tzfat. We talked about their story and then left for Afulla. In Afulla (this funny word is a city) we had DOTS (dinner on the streets). When we do this we each recieve 30 shekels from our madrichim (counselors) for dinner. I had a falafel and a yogurt. Then we went home.
This has been Yoshi's Blog...The Lost Days: Part I.
Stayed tuned as I am getting tired of typing and will update more after Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
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