So, while I’ve been in Israel, I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate many religious holidays with the local community. From greeting in the Shabbat at the Western Wall, to attending local synagogue services, it’s been really cool to learn about all the holidays!
The first Jewish Holidays we were here for was Rash Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It was really cool to go to the synagogue with a group of my friends and watch part of the service. It was in Hebrew, so I didn’t understand what was said, but it was cool to watch how the service progressed. It was fun to watch the people there to. At the synagogue we attended, men and women were separated. Still you could see the family connections. There was woman near us that you could see waving to her husband below us, and then he would wave to her too. It was really cute! We had to leave the3 service a little early, but it was cool as we exited, each of the Jewish women patted us on the back, gave us a warm smile, and wished us Shana Tova (Hebrew for Happy New Year) it was so cool to attend that service!
The next Jewish Holiday (a week alter) that we were here for was Yom Kippur, the modern day equivalent of the Day of Atonement. However, historically this day has been one of conflict in the region. In fact one of the wars over ehre was called the Yom Kippur war because of when it was fought. As a result, we were in lockdown in the center that day. We couldn’t go out, so instead we picked olives for the olive oil we made the next week, and studied for our history midterm.
A couple days later Succot started. In the Bible this holiday is called the Feast of Tabernacles. It lasts for a week, and Jews will build a little hut to live (or at least eat in) for the week. It is in memory of the temporary house the Israelites lived in during the Exodus. It was a lot of fun to wonder the Jewish areas of Jerusalem and see the Succot. Restaurants even build them so that there customers can honor the celebration! I have a picture in one, and me and one of my roommates actually attempted to make one on our balcony. I actually slept outside in it one night. It was really cool to sleep under the stars in Jerusalem!
The day after Succot is another important holiday. It is called Sumhat Torah. It celebrates the time that Jews finish reading the Torah and immediately start reading it again. This was my favorite holiday! We went to a local synagogue to watch the celebration. The congregation takes out all the Torah scrolls and actually dances around with them! It is an extreme honor to get to dance with the Torah, and if the Torah is dropped, 40 of the present people must fast for 24 hours to purify the scroll. It’s a lot of pressure to dance with it! Well, my group joined in the dancing and singing of the congregation who danced around those holding the Torah scrolls. It was a lot of fun to talk to the people, and I learned a lot. In the middle of the circle folk-dancing, those holding the Torah danced. It was passed around, with different groups given the honor to hold it and dance. The rabbis had a chance, than those who had been in Israel for a while, the youth had a chance, those serving in the military had a chance, and then it was time for students to dance with it. The person I was dancing next o said I could go and dance with the Torah, even though I wasn’t Jewish. I asked the rabbi, and he told me I could, so I got to dance with the Torah! It was really exciting, and I was so afraid I would drop it! My friend snuck some cool photos. I got to participate in a Jewish holiday! It was a really cool experience!
Another cool Jewish celebration to witness is the greeting of the Shabbat at the Western Wall. Jews will gather and sing and dance to greet it. We went as a program, and it was a really cool site. There were so many people there! One of the best parts was a group of soldiers dancing. They were smiling and enjoying their Shabbat, even as the machine guns hanging on their backs banged against each other. It was really interesting to see how secular and religious aspects of Israel mix.
I don’t know if all my descriptions have made sense, but I always get really excited when a new holiday happens here. And so many have happened this past month! In fact, this time of the year is known for being the month where nothing gets done because almost every day is a holiday or the eve of another one. It is cool to see how they celebrate, especially considering many of the celebrations have Biblical roots! Witnessing all the holidays made me so glad that I’m studying in Israel at this time of year!
Well, I'm getting closer to catching up, but it's still going to take more tiem! I'll see what I can do tomorrow, so that way, I cna write mroe regularly when I get back from Jordan!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Walk Like an Egyptian
Well, I’m going to try to write about the rest of my adventures in Egypt tonight! I might even catch up what has been going on around the center during the past couple weeks. Ok, here we go!
After our camel ride in Luxor, I went with a group of friends to the local bazaar to go shopping. I hadn’t done much shopping in Jerusalem yet, so this was my first try at haggling, and it was so much fun! I loved talking with the merchants trying to get a good deal. It was seriously addicting! I ended up with several pretty scarves, shirts, and necklaces for myself, my sisters, and my mom. It was a fun environment just to walk around in!
The next day, after we had finished our tours of some of the temples, I went with a group of friends for a carriage ride around the area. Carriages are so cheap in Luxor. We had five in our carriage, and we each paid a dollar, and it was a nice long ride! After the sun set, our driver went to break his fast, so we just walked around the Nile till he came to pick us up. While we were waiting one of the locals came up and started talking with our group. Our group consisted of me, three other girls and one guy. So the local comes up to the guy in our group (his name was John) and asks him if us girls were his wives. John told him no, so the local suggested that they split us and he would take two and John could take two. One of the girls in the group (Sandee) quickly snapped “No!” to which the local quickly (and jokingly) responded he didn’t want her, he wanted me and the other brunette in our group! Sandee then began to haggle with him and asked what he would be willing to pay to buy us. He offered half of Luxor for me! It was really funny; however, Sandee asked if he really owned Luxor and could pay it. He admitted he couldn’t, all he had was his horse and carriage, so he offered the horse for the one girl, and the carriage for me! He was really funny, and plus I now can now brag that I’m worth half of Luxor!
So our trip in Luxor sadly came to an end. It was one of my favorite places I’ve visited, and I’ll really miss it! That night, we headed to the train station to head back to Luxor. It was pretty dirty, but it was so much fun! After dinner, about 30 of us squished into the tiny hallway in one of the cars (it was about two feet wide, and played games! We tried building pyramids and even had some of the people body surf from one end of the car to the other. It was really funny! After a while, we headed to our cabins for the night, because we knew how early we would have to get up in the morning. It was nice to fall asleep to the rocking of the train. It might have been kind of sketchy in terms of cleanliness, but it was one of the most fun ways I’ve traveled!
Back in Cairo we spent the day at the Egyptian Museum (which was huge! I saw so many interesting things! I would love to go back and spend more time there!), we went to several mosques, and had lunch at the hard rock café! That night we played in the pool of the hotel. We built pyramids that went about 5 people high standing up! All the tourists around the pool were laughing and taking pictures off us, we had become a tourist exhibit! It was so much fun! After playing in the pool, we changed into the clothes we all bought in Egypt, and had an Egyptian night over dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was so much fun and yielded several exciting photos!
The next day, we said good bye to Cairo and started our exodus home, but we took a detour by Mount Sinai! We got there in the evening, went to bed early, and woke up at 2 am to climb the mountain! It was really dark, and the stars were the most beautiful I’ve ever seen! I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many stars as I could see on Mount Sinai! The climb was long but it was worth it when we finally got to the top of the mountain! We sang hymns as a group and watched the sun rise. It was really inspirational up there. We had a cool inspirational thought about Moses by our religion teacher, and a couple actually got engaged up there! They were good friends before coming to Jerusalem, dated some this summer, and were always together the first couple weeks, so it was really cool to share their excitement on the mountain! Mount Sinai was definitely one of the high lights of my trip. It was hard to leave, and it made me thing about what Moses thought and felt as he climbed down the mountain. It really was enlightening to be up on the mount, and have a great perspective of the world around you, and then to come down from this spiritually high and discover idolatry going on with the very people you wanted to share this spiritual experience with.., it would be emotionally devastating. The whole experience helped me empathize and put myself in Moses’ shoes. It was a very cool experience.
So, after the hike, we went back to the hotel for a quick lunch, dip in the pool, shower, and then back on the bus to Jerusalem. I slept most of the way. Egypt was exhausting, and one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on!
After our camel ride in Luxor, I went with a group of friends to the local bazaar to go shopping. I hadn’t done much shopping in Jerusalem yet, so this was my first try at haggling, and it was so much fun! I loved talking with the merchants trying to get a good deal. It was seriously addicting! I ended up with several pretty scarves, shirts, and necklaces for myself, my sisters, and my mom. It was a fun environment just to walk around in!
The next day, after we had finished our tours of some of the temples, I went with a group of friends for a carriage ride around the area. Carriages are so cheap in Luxor. We had five in our carriage, and we each paid a dollar, and it was a nice long ride! After the sun set, our driver went to break his fast, so we just walked around the Nile till he came to pick us up. While we were waiting one of the locals came up and started talking with our group. Our group consisted of me, three other girls and one guy. So the local comes up to the guy in our group (his name was John) and asks him if us girls were his wives. John told him no, so the local suggested that they split us and he would take two and John could take two. One of the girls in the group (Sandee) quickly snapped “No!” to which the local quickly (and jokingly) responded he didn’t want her, he wanted me and the other brunette in our group! Sandee then began to haggle with him and asked what he would be willing to pay to buy us. He offered half of Luxor for me! It was really funny; however, Sandee asked if he really owned Luxor and could pay it. He admitted he couldn’t, all he had was his horse and carriage, so he offered the horse for the one girl, and the carriage for me! He was really funny, and plus I now can now brag that I’m worth half of Luxor!
So our trip in Luxor sadly came to an end. It was one of my favorite places I’ve visited, and I’ll really miss it! That night, we headed to the train station to head back to Luxor. It was pretty dirty, but it was so much fun! After dinner, about 30 of us squished into the tiny hallway in one of the cars (it was about two feet wide, and played games! We tried building pyramids and even had some of the people body surf from one end of the car to the other. It was really funny! After a while, we headed to our cabins for the night, because we knew how early we would have to get up in the morning. It was nice to fall asleep to the rocking of the train. It might have been kind of sketchy in terms of cleanliness, but it was one of the most fun ways I’ve traveled!
Back in Cairo we spent the day at the Egyptian Museum (which was huge! I saw so many interesting things! I would love to go back and spend more time there!), we went to several mosques, and had lunch at the hard rock café! That night we played in the pool of the hotel. We built pyramids that went about 5 people high standing up! All the tourists around the pool were laughing and taking pictures off us, we had become a tourist exhibit! It was so much fun! After playing in the pool, we changed into the clothes we all bought in Egypt, and had an Egyptian night over dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was so much fun and yielded several exciting photos!
The next day, we said good bye to Cairo and started our exodus home, but we took a detour by Mount Sinai! We got there in the evening, went to bed early, and woke up at 2 am to climb the mountain! It was really dark, and the stars were the most beautiful I’ve ever seen! I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many stars as I could see on Mount Sinai! The climb was long but it was worth it when we finally got to the top of the mountain! We sang hymns as a group and watched the sun rise. It was really inspirational up there. We had a cool inspirational thought about Moses by our religion teacher, and a couple actually got engaged up there! They were good friends before coming to Jerusalem, dated some this summer, and were always together the first couple weeks, so it was really cool to share their excitement on the mountain! Mount Sinai was definitely one of the high lights of my trip. It was hard to leave, and it made me thing about what Moses thought and felt as he climbed down the mountain. It really was enlightening to be up on the mount, and have a great perspective of the world around you, and then to come down from this spiritually high and discover idolatry going on with the very people you wanted to share this spiritual experience with.., it would be emotionally devastating. The whole experience helped me empathize and put myself in Moses’ shoes. It was a very cool experience.
So, after the hike, we went back to the hotel for a quick lunch, dip in the pool, shower, and then back on the bus to Jerusalem. I slept most of the way. Egypt was exhausting, and one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Once Upon a Time in Egypt
Our trip started early Sunday morning. We ate a quick breakfast, loaded up our luggage, and set off for Egypt! There are 81 students in the program here, so half went in each bus. We were all really excited! It would have been a very long bus ride if it weren’t for a ll the pit stops along the way. We went to places like Beersheba and Avdat. Most of the sites had ruins that we go to explore. It really cool how similar religious architecture is across religions! But I’ll talk more about that later when I get to my description of the Karnak and Luxor temples!
One of my favorite stops was late rin the evening when we stopped at a Kibbutz. A Kibbutz is an Israeli communal society. They started as part of the settlement movement with the idea to create independent settlements where everyone works for the sake of the group. In fact, at most of them, the children would live together in a building separate from their parents. This is no longer the case in most Kibbutzes, but there still is a larger emphasis on the community than the family. Kibbutzes are also widely known for the technology they have developed for agriculture. Water is a very precious resource here, and most Kibbutzes have learned how to make every drop count!
So, with that in mind, we were able to tour a Kibbutz. It was really cool to see what crops they grow and how they set up their system. I think the most interesting part was when we had a question and answer session with our tour guide. He discussed some of the problems facing the kibbutz, and how many Kibbutz are becoming privatized. It was also very interesting to hear how extreme the selection process is to join a kibbutz. Overall, it seemed like the Kibbutz system is not as successful as it use to be when Israel was first being founded. These places were sort of set –up like a Utopian society with a lot of Marxist undertones in these communities, but they have been more successful with this ideology than most countries because of how localized the system is. It was really thought provoking, and dinner that night was great as we discussed the ideas behind such a community.
After dinner and our tour of the kibbutz, we drove to another Kibbutz where we stayed the night. It was only around 8 o’clock when we arrived, so we started playing games as a group. We played missionary tag, spin and tackle, big booty, the knot game, etc. We else started warming up our human pyramid building skills so that we could build a really tall one in front of the Pyramids!
The next morning it was back on the bus! We saw the Red Sea (And across it we saw Jordan and Saudi Arabia! In fact at one point we could see four different countries!) After the crossing it was back on the bus! We had some lovely pit stops, involving the most disgusting restrooms I’ve ever seen, but we laughed it off, used lots of hand-sanitizer, and got back on the bus! I do have to say the bus rides were hilarious! I was sitting in the back of the bus, and we had a good time! When we weren’t sleeping, we were playing ridiculous games. The best was where we picked random paragraphs from our fieldtrip manual and read them in different voices, like drill sergeant, Latin soap-opera, etc. We laughed so hard, that the back of the bus was quickly labeled as the party zone!
So anyways, after a long drive, we finally arrived in Egypt! The interstate was madness. People ignore the lanes, will go backwords if necessary, and we even passed some donkey-pulled carts! The madness was exciting, and helped set the mood for our first view of the pyramids! When we saw them a collective sigh went through the bus. Deep down we were all afraid that we had set our expectations to high, and that they wouldn’t be a great as we hoped. Well, they completely exceeded our expectations!
We then checked into our hotel (it was a five-star hotel! We really stayed in some nice hotels in Egypt!) After dinner, it was off to the pyramid sound and light show! It was kind of a corny show, but that was ok because it was on the pyramids! Afterwards it was back to the hotel. We played a couple more games, and then off to bed! The next day we were going to the PYRAMIDS!
Ok, so I intended to eventually come back and update what all I did in Egypt, and I still might, one day. But for now, I’ll just go through my favorite parts so I can start posting more regularly about life in Jerusalem!
It was really exciting to see the pyramids. We took a ton of funny pictures, and we actually got to go inside one of them! It was so hot and humid inside that the moment you stepped in you were immediately drenched in sweat! It was really claustrophobic inside, and I almost turned around a couple times, but I’m glad I didn’t because it was cool to get to where they found the sarcophagus! I still can’t believe how many tons of weight was on top of me! It really is amazing!
That night we flew to Luxor. I love Luxor; it is one of the best cities in the world! While we were there we got to go to the Valley of the Kings and several ancient Egyptian temples. The temple at Karnak was my favorite. It took a while to take in every view inside it. First, you notice the beautiful architecture, like the colonnade palisade, the columns in and of themselves were huge and beautiful, but if you stop for a moment and look at the hieroglyphics you realize how much more there is to each column. I can’t really describe it, I’ll have to show you pictures when I get back.
Another really exciting part about Luxor was our Faluka and camel rides! A Faluka is a boat. We took one down the Nile. I’ll always remember watching the sun set as I glided down the Nile on a little boat! After we sailed around a while and crossed the river, we took a camel ride through a local community. It was cool to get off the beaten tourist path and really see Egypt! I loved seeing all the little children, and I think they liked seeing us to. Parents would go into their house, come out with their children and point us out. It was really cute. It really showed how you can be happy no matter what sort of conditions you live in. It was also really cool to see the preparations to break the Ramadan feast. We weren’t able to go out in the Palestinian areas during Ramadan to see the celebrations, so it was really cool to see them in Egypt.
Oh, there’s so much more to say about our train ride, and additional days in Cairo, haggling at a bazaar, being offered half of Luxor to marry someone, and our hike to Mt. Sinai. Plus since we’ve gotten back we’ve celebrated a ton of Jewish Holidays, survived midterms, cleaned up the streets with local Palestinian children, welcomed in the Shabbat at the Western Wall, done Israeli folk dancing at a local synagogue, and I was even engaged for a couple days… I guess that is just a glance of what is to come. I‘ll try to get to a semi-caught up point. Oh, and next week we go to Jordan! So, I’ll have more stories to tell then! So, till next time! Shalom, Shalom Kol tuv!
One of my favorite stops was late rin the evening when we stopped at a Kibbutz. A Kibbutz is an Israeli communal society. They started as part of the settlement movement with the idea to create independent settlements where everyone works for the sake of the group. In fact, at most of them, the children would live together in a building separate from their parents. This is no longer the case in most Kibbutzes, but there still is a larger emphasis on the community than the family. Kibbutzes are also widely known for the technology they have developed for agriculture. Water is a very precious resource here, and most Kibbutzes have learned how to make every drop count!
So, with that in mind, we were able to tour a Kibbutz. It was really cool to see what crops they grow and how they set up their system. I think the most interesting part was when we had a question and answer session with our tour guide. He discussed some of the problems facing the kibbutz, and how many Kibbutz are becoming privatized. It was also very interesting to hear how extreme the selection process is to join a kibbutz. Overall, it seemed like the Kibbutz system is not as successful as it use to be when Israel was first being founded. These places were sort of set –up like a Utopian society with a lot of Marxist undertones in these communities, but they have been more successful with this ideology than most countries because of how localized the system is. It was really thought provoking, and dinner that night was great as we discussed the ideas behind such a community.
After dinner and our tour of the kibbutz, we drove to another Kibbutz where we stayed the night. It was only around 8 o’clock when we arrived, so we started playing games as a group. We played missionary tag, spin and tackle, big booty, the knot game, etc. We else started warming up our human pyramid building skills so that we could build a really tall one in front of the Pyramids!
The next morning it was back on the bus! We saw the Red Sea (And across it we saw Jordan and Saudi Arabia! In fact at one point we could see four different countries!) After the crossing it was back on the bus! We had some lovely pit stops, involving the most disgusting restrooms I’ve ever seen, but we laughed it off, used lots of hand-sanitizer, and got back on the bus! I do have to say the bus rides were hilarious! I was sitting in the back of the bus, and we had a good time! When we weren’t sleeping, we were playing ridiculous games. The best was where we picked random paragraphs from our fieldtrip manual and read them in different voices, like drill sergeant, Latin soap-opera, etc. We laughed so hard, that the back of the bus was quickly labeled as the party zone!
So anyways, after a long drive, we finally arrived in Egypt! The interstate was madness. People ignore the lanes, will go backwords if necessary, and we even passed some donkey-pulled carts! The madness was exciting, and helped set the mood for our first view of the pyramids! When we saw them a collective sigh went through the bus. Deep down we were all afraid that we had set our expectations to high, and that they wouldn’t be a great as we hoped. Well, they completely exceeded our expectations!
We then checked into our hotel (it was a five-star hotel! We really stayed in some nice hotels in Egypt!) After dinner, it was off to the pyramid sound and light show! It was kind of a corny show, but that was ok because it was on the pyramids! Afterwards it was back to the hotel. We played a couple more games, and then off to bed! The next day we were going to the PYRAMIDS!
Ok, so I intended to eventually come back and update what all I did in Egypt, and I still might, one day. But for now, I’ll just go through my favorite parts so I can start posting more regularly about life in Jerusalem!
It was really exciting to see the pyramids. We took a ton of funny pictures, and we actually got to go inside one of them! It was so hot and humid inside that the moment you stepped in you were immediately drenched in sweat! It was really claustrophobic inside, and I almost turned around a couple times, but I’m glad I didn’t because it was cool to get to where they found the sarcophagus! I still can’t believe how many tons of weight was on top of me! It really is amazing!
That night we flew to Luxor. I love Luxor; it is one of the best cities in the world! While we were there we got to go to the Valley of the Kings and several ancient Egyptian temples. The temple at Karnak was my favorite. It took a while to take in every view inside it. First, you notice the beautiful architecture, like the colonnade palisade, the columns in and of themselves were huge and beautiful, but if you stop for a moment and look at the hieroglyphics you realize how much more there is to each column. I can’t really describe it, I’ll have to show you pictures when I get back.
Another really exciting part about Luxor was our Faluka and camel rides! A Faluka is a boat. We took one down the Nile. I’ll always remember watching the sun set as I glided down the Nile on a little boat! After we sailed around a while and crossed the river, we took a camel ride through a local community. It was cool to get off the beaten tourist path and really see Egypt! I loved seeing all the little children, and I think they liked seeing us to. Parents would go into their house, come out with their children and point us out. It was really cute. It really showed how you can be happy no matter what sort of conditions you live in. It was also really cool to see the preparations to break the Ramadan feast. We weren’t able to go out in the Palestinian areas during Ramadan to see the celebrations, so it was really cool to see them in Egypt.
Oh, there’s so much more to say about our train ride, and additional days in Cairo, haggling at a bazaar, being offered half of Luxor to marry someone, and our hike to Mt. Sinai. Plus since we’ve gotten back we’ve celebrated a ton of Jewish Holidays, survived midterms, cleaned up the streets with local Palestinian children, welcomed in the Shabbat at the Western Wall, done Israeli folk dancing at a local synagogue, and I was even engaged for a couple days… I guess that is just a glance of what is to come. I‘ll try to get to a semi-caught up point. Oh, and next week we go to Jordan! So, I’ll have more stories to tell then! So, till next time! Shalom, Shalom Kol tuv!
Friday, September 19, 2008
A Tale of Two Cities
Today I went to Tel Aviv, and it was so much fun! We spent most of the morning and early afternoon playing in the water. The water was so blue, and it was just the perfect temperature! We had chicken-fights, made pyramids of people in the ocean, did flips, and just had a great time! My shininng moment was when we played toe out of water (basic idea: you try to pull someones leg above the water. The moment their toe is above the surface, they're out). There was one guy getting most people out, and I was able to sneak up and pull his leg up. It was really funny! After we played in the water for a while, we played in the sand. A big group of us made a sand-castle of Herod's temple. Well, once that was finished, we kept going and made our version of all of Jerusalem! We even made a model of the Jerusalem Center! It was a spectatular sand castle! I can't wait to show you picture when I get back!
Around 1: 30, we changed and split up into groups to see Tel Aviv. The city was extremely different than Jerusalem! While modesty in dress is important where the center is located, the opposite seemed true for Tel Aviv, also, the stores along the streets seemed very much like the clothing shops in the states. Minus the Hebrew signs that I couldn't read, I felt like I was back in the States!
So, we spent the day walking around and exploring. After dinner (Falaffles! I liked it a lot more this time!) we went back to the beach. Sarah, Jessica (one of my roommates) and I just strolled up and down the coast, walking through the surf. It was so relaxing, and the conversation was amazing! We talked about our dreams, our fears, and... guys (girls can be so shallow sometimes!) But it was really insightful conversation, and it was relaxing to talk as we heard the waves crashing into the sand!
Downside of the trip: about an hour before we left, four people's bags were stolen! They had come back down to the beach for a late night swim, and they didn't know anyone else was on the beach. They tried to hide their bags, but all four were stolen! They all lost cameras and things. It was really sad! It really taught me to be a little more vigilant in keeping up with my stuff!
The bus ride back was fun. I got to talk and get to know two guys in our group a little more. Everyone here has a little different background, and its interesting what sort of insight they can add to any conversation! I really love the people here! Our trip to Egypt next week will really help us get to know each other more!
Oh, kind of backtracking... last night we had a really cool forum. It was given by the Director of the Americna Jewish Council. He talked about the Palestinian-Arab conflict, and the conflicts in the Muslim world in general. He also presented an idea I hadn't heard before. He suggested to realign regions in this area of the world creating a Medittereanean region and than an Islamic region (as opposed to just a "middle eastern" region.) The idea was interesting, and it gave me a lot to contemplate. His comments also helped deepen my persepective on the conflict over here. I realize I've had a very simplisitic perspective on the conflict. I've seen it as side A vs. Side B, when in reality , it is a serious of seperate groups with different objectives. It's more of a continuum than two polar opposite groups. This perspective helped me see why this conflict is so difficult to solve! It was a lot of food for thought, and I would love to disucss it with anyone. I'm still in the stage where I'm trying to bounce my ideas off people as I try to clearly understand everything that's going on here!"
Around 1: 30, we changed and split up into groups to see Tel Aviv. The city was extremely different than Jerusalem! While modesty in dress is important where the center is located, the opposite seemed true for Tel Aviv, also, the stores along the streets seemed very much like the clothing shops in the states. Minus the Hebrew signs that I couldn't read, I felt like I was back in the States!
So, we spent the day walking around and exploring. After dinner (Falaffles! I liked it a lot more this time!) we went back to the beach. Sarah, Jessica (one of my roommates) and I just strolled up and down the coast, walking through the surf. It was so relaxing, and the conversation was amazing! We talked about our dreams, our fears, and... guys (girls can be so shallow sometimes!) But it was really insightful conversation, and it was relaxing to talk as we heard the waves crashing into the sand!
Downside of the trip: about an hour before we left, four people's bags were stolen! They had come back down to the beach for a late night swim, and they didn't know anyone else was on the beach. They tried to hide their bags, but all four were stolen! They all lost cameras and things. It was really sad! It really taught me to be a little more vigilant in keeping up with my stuff!
The bus ride back was fun. I got to talk and get to know two guys in our group a little more. Everyone here has a little different background, and its interesting what sort of insight they can add to any conversation! I really love the people here! Our trip to Egypt next week will really help us get to know each other more!
Oh, kind of backtracking... last night we had a really cool forum. It was given by the Director of the Americna Jewish Council. He talked about the Palestinian-Arab conflict, and the conflicts in the Muslim world in general. He also presented an idea I hadn't heard before. He suggested to realign regions in this area of the world creating a Medittereanean region and than an Islamic region (as opposed to just a "middle eastern" region.) The idea was interesting, and it gave me a lot to contemplate. His comments also helped deepen my persepective on the conflict over here. I realize I've had a very simplisitic perspective on the conflict. I've seen it as side A vs. Side B, when in reality , it is a serious of seperate groups with different objectives. It's more of a continuum than two polar opposite groups. This perspective helped me see why this conflict is so difficult to solve! It was a lot of food for thought, and I would love to disucss it with anyone. I'm still in the stage where I'm trying to bounce my ideas off people as I try to clearly understand everything that's going on here!"
Monday, September 15, 2008
Every Moment a Memory
This weekend has been so full of memories! It started on Shabbat (Saturday) with an amazing church service. Afterwards, we had a linger-longer with the local members of the branch. Most of them work at the American Consulate, and it was cool to hear some of their experiences over here. Plus they have some great tips for p0laces to go and see!
After the linger-longer I had the opportunity to go to the Garden of Gethsemane to read my scriptures, pray, and reflect. It was a really cool experience. The little garden was beautiful, and it was cool afterwords to sing hymns with the group I came with. As I was sitting there, it was really one of those experiences that reiterates I really am in Jerusalem, walking the roads the Savior walked!
Sunday was our first free day. We had an opportunity to go to the Shrine of the Book. It is a beautiful museum that houses the Isaiah scroll! The Isaiah scroll is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and it's deteriorating rather quickly, so they are about to move it to a climate-controlled area. Even most of the translators will then only be able to work with digital copies of it and not the actual document. It was really cool to see, and a little weird to think I'll be on of the last people to see it on display! After we saw the scroll, we got to wonder around and see artifacts. It was amazing some of the stuff the collected. Most of the artifacts were from Qumram (civilization who created and maintained the dead sea scrolls) and they were over 2,000 years old! They had sandals, nails, pottery, beads, and so much more! I loved seeing the artifacts and learning about an ancient group of people! Further in the museum, they had more religious documents, like the Aleppo Codex (it is one of the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, and people will use it to judge the accuracy of other discovered copies). IT was cool to see it and read the story about it. You see, a lot of it was lost during the conflict over here in Israel, and most of the first five books of it (the Pentateuch) have gone missing. It was really interesting!
OK, so we went to the museum, learned a ton, and it was barely lunch time. So i got with a group and went to the Biblical zoo! It is mostly a regular zoo with an ark in the middle of it! I had a really funny group, and we have so funny pictures of us imitating the animals on exhibit. After we spent several hours there, we went to West Jerusalem. We went to the King David hotel (I think this is where President Bush usually stays when he visits the area), then walked around West Jerusalem, got a Falaffle (its a local dish) for dinner, and walked back to the center for laundry, studying, and a fun game of soccer!
I'm really trying to push my comfort zone while I'm hear, and I've learned a lot. I've never been much of a soccer player, and now I can occasionally actually kick the ball! I joined the student choir here (for any of you who have heard me sing, you know I really am pushing my comfort zone!). And I'm trying all sorts of new foods here. The big joke at all the meals is that all the food we eat tastes Delicious, we just have no idea what half of it is!
Well, I have Hebrew in a little bit, so I need to go review the letters we've learned and our expressions! I just have to say really quickly that the class is amazing! I can already recognize some things when I walk out in the city! Every time I hear someone use a word I know, I get really excited! Yesterday in the zoo, a group of us were riding a train that circles the zoo. We were just getting off, when over the intercom it said something in Hebrew. One of the words was todah (Hebrew for thank you). Every person in the group who is taking Hebrew all of a sudden looked ant each other and with shocked expressions started giggling! We had all understood something in Hebrew! It was really funny! I really hope I can learn more of the language! It's really pretty, and I don't feel as illiterate when I walk through the city now!
It's amazing that all of this has happened in two days! Every day here seems to include 2-3 days worth of funny experiences. Every moment really is a memory! I hope I can truly make the most my time here in the Holy Land! Well, till next time... Shalom!
After the linger-longer I had the opportunity to go to the Garden of Gethsemane to read my scriptures, pray, and reflect. It was a really cool experience. The little garden was beautiful, and it was cool afterwords to sing hymns with the group I came with. As I was sitting there, it was really one of those experiences that reiterates I really am in Jerusalem, walking the roads the Savior walked!
Sunday was our first free day. We had an opportunity to go to the Shrine of the Book. It is a beautiful museum that houses the Isaiah scroll! The Isaiah scroll is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and it's deteriorating rather quickly, so they are about to move it to a climate-controlled area. Even most of the translators will then only be able to work with digital copies of it and not the actual document. It was really cool to see, and a little weird to think I'll be on of the last people to see it on display! After we saw the scroll, we got to wonder around and see artifacts. It was amazing some of the stuff the collected. Most of the artifacts were from Qumram (civilization who created and maintained the dead sea scrolls) and they were over 2,000 years old! They had sandals, nails, pottery, beads, and so much more! I loved seeing the artifacts and learning about an ancient group of people! Further in the museum, they had more religious documents, like the Aleppo Codex (it is one of the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, and people will use it to judge the accuracy of other discovered copies). IT was cool to see it and read the story about it. You see, a lot of it was lost during the conflict over here in Israel, and most of the first five books of it (the Pentateuch) have gone missing. It was really interesting!
OK, so we went to the museum, learned a ton, and it was barely lunch time. So i got with a group and went to the Biblical zoo! It is mostly a regular zoo with an ark in the middle of it! I had a really funny group, and we have so funny pictures of us imitating the animals on exhibit. After we spent several hours there, we went to West Jerusalem. We went to the King David hotel (I think this is where President Bush usually stays when he visits the area), then walked around West Jerusalem, got a Falaffle (its a local dish) for dinner, and walked back to the center for laundry, studying, and a fun game of soccer!
I'm really trying to push my comfort zone while I'm hear, and I've learned a lot. I've never been much of a soccer player, and now I can occasionally actually kick the ball! I joined the student choir here (for any of you who have heard me sing, you know I really am pushing my comfort zone!). And I'm trying all sorts of new foods here. The big joke at all the meals is that all the food we eat tastes Delicious, we just have no idea what half of it is!
Well, I have Hebrew in a little bit, so I need to go review the letters we've learned and our expressions! I just have to say really quickly that the class is amazing! I can already recognize some things when I walk out in the city! Every time I hear someone use a word I know, I get really excited! Yesterday in the zoo, a group of us were riding a train that circles the zoo. We were just getting off, when over the intercom it said something in Hebrew. One of the words was todah (Hebrew for thank you). Every person in the group who is taking Hebrew all of a sudden looked ant each other and with shocked expressions started giggling! We had all understood something in Hebrew! It was really funny! I really hope I can learn more of the language! It's really pretty, and I don't feel as illiterate when I walk through the city now!
It's amazing that all of this has happened in two days! Every day here seems to include 2-3 days worth of funny experiences. Every moment really is a memory! I hope I can truly make the most my time here in the Holy Land! Well, till next time... Shalom!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A Pilgrim's Life in the Jerusalem Center
I’m sorry I haven’t been keeping my blog up to date, as you cans see by so many posts today, I’m trying to catch up, and hopefully I can make it part of my routine! So much happens here every day, it seems like 2 or 3 days, not just one! I’ll try to share my favorite experiences with you, and just know for every story I post here, I’ll have ten more to share when I’m back in the states!
Life is full of classes, explorations around the city, dance parties, studying and movies in the evening. Squeeze in an occasional game of volleyball, are deep discussion of historical basis of the conflict over here, and a couple hours for sleep and meals, and you have the Jerusalem Center! Everyone here has an interesting background and can add some new detail whenever you go to a historical site in the city. For example, I have a friend here who has a Jewish parent and a Muslim parent. During high school, she converted and joined the church. Her background gives her so much insight into both groups of people, it makes it fun to talk with her!
Today we had our first field trip! We went to several overlooks to try to see and learn the geography of this area. I learned a lot, and I have a lot more to learn. In our chapel here, we have a big window behind the pulpit. It is really cool to look through it during the sacrament and think of the miraculous events that have happened in the city in front of me! I think it will be even more meaningful this Sunday now that I know more about what I'm looking at!
It was fun to leave the center, and I got to know some people in my field trip class a little better. We laughed and joked, learned, and took a lot of pictures. I've already taken over 500 pictures, and I've only been out into the old city a couple times! I'm hoping to be able to capture a lot of the magic to bring it back with me!
Oh, I almost forgot, yesterday, I went with a group and toured the Via Dolorosa (the supposed route the Savior carried the cross for his Crucifixion.). We didn't get to tour all the sites for as long as we would have wanted, but it was cool to glance in at most of the churches we passed by. Some were very simple and others much more elaborate, but it was cool seeing the respect and devotion each had. One of my favorite places I went was inside an Orthodox church. It was one of the stops along the Via Dolorosa, and inside we went down this tiny stairway into what looked like a cave. At the very bottom it opened up to a small pond of water. It was a cistern! The acoustics inside were exquisite, and as a group we sang a hymn. It was one of my favorite moments so far! My group was the only one down there, and it was really nice breaking away from the hustle and bustle of the city to enjoy a peaceful moment together!
So... I'm exhausted now! Life here is go go go, and I need to head to bed for more energy so I can explore the city more! Feel free to post comments and ask questions, and I'll answer whatever I can! Every time I pass a window in the center and see the center, a chill runs down my back. This place is amazing, and I hope to be able to share some of its beauty with you! Shalom!
Life is full of classes, explorations around the city, dance parties, studying and movies in the evening. Squeeze in an occasional game of volleyball, are deep discussion of historical basis of the conflict over here, and a couple hours for sleep and meals, and you have the Jerusalem Center! Everyone here has an interesting background and can add some new detail whenever you go to a historical site in the city. For example, I have a friend here who has a Jewish parent and a Muslim parent. During high school, she converted and joined the church. Her background gives her so much insight into both groups of people, it makes it fun to talk with her!
Today we had our first field trip! We went to several overlooks to try to see and learn the geography of this area. I learned a lot, and I have a lot more to learn. In our chapel here, we have a big window behind the pulpit. It is really cool to look through it during the sacrament and think of the miraculous events that have happened in the city in front of me! I think it will be even more meaningful this Sunday now that I know more about what I'm looking at!
It was fun to leave the center, and I got to know some people in my field trip class a little better. We laughed and joked, learned, and took a lot of pictures. I've already taken over 500 pictures, and I've only been out into the old city a couple times! I'm hoping to be able to capture a lot of the magic to bring it back with me!
Oh, I almost forgot, yesterday, I went with a group and toured the Via Dolorosa (the supposed route the Savior carried the cross for his Crucifixion.). We didn't get to tour all the sites for as long as we would have wanted, but it was cool to glance in at most of the churches we passed by. Some were very simple and others much more elaborate, but it was cool seeing the respect and devotion each had. One of my favorite places I went was inside an Orthodox church. It was one of the stops along the Via Dolorosa, and inside we went down this tiny stairway into what looked like a cave. At the very bottom it opened up to a small pond of water. It was a cistern! The acoustics inside were exquisite, and as a group we sang a hymn. It was one of my favorite moments so far! My group was the only one down there, and it was really nice breaking away from the hustle and bustle of the city to enjoy a peaceful moment together!
So... I'm exhausted now! Life here is go go go, and I need to head to bed for more energy so I can explore the city more! Feel free to post comments and ask questions, and I'll answer whatever I can! Every time I pass a window in the center and see the center, a chill runs down my back. This place is amazing, and I hope to be able to share some of its beauty with you! Shalom!
Shabbat and Shopping on Sunday
One of my favorite experiences so far was Church! It was amazing! A common theme in all the testimonies was the atonement, and the spirit in the room was magnified by being able to see where it happened! Add in the sacrament, and wow! It was so powerful!
We have churhc here on Saturday because it is the Isaraeli Holy Day. We hold it than out of respect for their culture. It took some getting use to, especially when the nest day, Sunday, we went shopping like it was a regular day!
So, I've left the center 3 times in a group already! The first was mostly girls (about 6-8) with around 3 guys. Later we just walked out to the city to explore. We got to about where we wanted, realized the sun was setting really fast, and quickly turned around and rushed back to the center. In that group there were like 6 guys and 6 girls! (Pretty good considering there are 2 girls for every guy in the center!) I was really impressed with the group. They really were paying attention and when crunch time came to get us quickly back to the center, the guys made a decisive plan and got us back. It was really cool watching them. Today I went out in a group of 5 girls and 1 guy. We went looking through the stores in the old city. Most everyone in my group got something, me, I compared approximate prices, labeled which sites were tourists traps (and thus the overpriced stores) and found several gifts that I will get later for the family! I'm so excited!
It was really cool today because I got to start talking to people in the city. The first I talked to was a Christian store-owner (Seemed like a safe choice for the first time talking to a stranger about living in the Holy Land) I found out he was Greek-Orthodox and has a brother from South Carolina. He mentioned some cool sites to see. It was interesting, and in many ways more valuable than the tidbits i could have bought today. I can't wait to meet more people! We also went to a man named Shibbon (sp?)'s store. We've heard great things about him from others who have gone to the center, about how honest he is, and how he has the best deals. In fact, he so loved by the center, that the administration has told us if we are ever separated from the group, he's shop is a safe place to wait! Anyways, we were looking for his place, when we saw a man standing near a beautiful fountain. We asked for directions to Jaffa gate (because we knew Shibbon's store was nearby, and we didn't want to ask a rival store owner for directions to someone else shop). So we asked him where Jaffa gate was and he told us it was by his store. Turns out it was the very person we were looking for! He gave us an insider's tour of the area near his store, showed us cheap places for good quality stuff, and places that will rip you off. He taught us how to tell the quality of something (like what is olive wood and what is an imitation). His prices were also the best I've seen so far! I'm definitely planning on getting several souvenirs there.
A guy in my group was asking what traditional garb a man would wear in Jerusalem. Shibbon took stuff off his shelf and helped this guy get dressed to see what they wore. There was no pressure to buy like at other shops (so of course we all ultimately wanted to shop there!) But he really kept an eye out for quality for us. Like he wouldn't sell some traditional dresses to us, because they were tourist items, and not of the quality that a student of the center would want. He really stood out among other shop keepers.
Other cool experiences that happed while shopped, mainly we got asked if we were the ones who believed in Joseph Smith. Another offered to sell us some Liahonas! It was hilarious! Everyone asked are you Mormon? It was so cool! So, tonight was my productive night. I finished most all of my reading for the week, (it was a ton!!! really rigorous! I'm serious! don't laugh!) So I can enjoy most of the week, and play more! I had my Israeli, Palestinian, and Hebrew classes today! the teachers are amazing! I can't even describe how cool they were! I can even read my first word in Hebrew, and recognize the first two letters of the alphabet! I'm so excited about it! And it really is spoken here! It was cool leaving the center after hebrew, I began to recognize some of the symbols. I didn't feel completely illiterate anymore! So, what you should have gotten from this paragraph: Hebrew is not a dead language. and its amazing. period. (NOTE: I studied Latin in High School and now Hebrew. My parents tease me that I can only learn the dead languages and none that I can communicate with. However, my experiences in the city have shown that Hebrew is very much an alive language, and I look forward to being able to use it to communicate with the locals!)
Let's see... I can't think of anything else to say, but I love it here! I love ya'll a ton, and hope you had a great shabbat today!
Shabbot Shalom!
P.S. They have Hebrew scrabble here! Can you believe it? It was basically amazing!
We have churhc here on Saturday because it is the Isaraeli Holy Day. We hold it than out of respect for their culture. It took some getting use to, especially when the nest day, Sunday, we went shopping like it was a regular day!
So, I've left the center 3 times in a group already! The first was mostly girls (about 6-8) with around 3 guys. Later we just walked out to the city to explore. We got to about where we wanted, realized the sun was setting really fast, and quickly turned around and rushed back to the center. In that group there were like 6 guys and 6 girls! (Pretty good considering there are 2 girls for every guy in the center!) I was really impressed with the group. They really were paying attention and when crunch time came to get us quickly back to the center, the guys made a decisive plan and got us back. It was really cool watching them. Today I went out in a group of 5 girls and 1 guy. We went looking through the stores in the old city. Most everyone in my group got something, me, I compared approximate prices, labeled which sites were tourists traps (and thus the overpriced stores) and found several gifts that I will get later for the family! I'm so excited!
It was really cool today because I got to start talking to people in the city. The first I talked to was a Christian store-owner (Seemed like a safe choice for the first time talking to a stranger about living in the Holy Land) I found out he was Greek-Orthodox and has a brother from South Carolina. He mentioned some cool sites to see. It was interesting, and in many ways more valuable than the tidbits i could have bought today. I can't wait to meet more people! We also went to a man named Shibbon (sp?)'s store. We've heard great things about him from others who have gone to the center, about how honest he is, and how he has the best deals. In fact, he so loved by the center, that the administration has told us if we are ever separated from the group, he's shop is a safe place to wait! Anyways, we were looking for his place, when we saw a man standing near a beautiful fountain. We asked for directions to Jaffa gate (because we knew Shibbon's store was nearby, and we didn't want to ask a rival store owner for directions to someone else shop). So we asked him where Jaffa gate was and he told us it was by his store. Turns out it was the very person we were looking for! He gave us an insider's tour of the area near his store, showed us cheap places for good quality stuff, and places that will rip you off. He taught us how to tell the quality of something (like what is olive wood and what is an imitation). His prices were also the best I've seen so far! I'm definitely planning on getting several souvenirs there.
A guy in my group was asking what traditional garb a man would wear in Jerusalem. Shibbon took stuff off his shelf and helped this guy get dressed to see what they wore. There was no pressure to buy like at other shops (so of course we all ultimately wanted to shop there!) But he really kept an eye out for quality for us. Like he wouldn't sell some traditional dresses to us, because they were tourist items, and not of the quality that a student of the center would want. He really stood out among other shop keepers.
Other cool experiences that happed while shopped, mainly we got asked if we were the ones who believed in Joseph Smith. Another offered to sell us some Liahonas! It was hilarious! Everyone asked are you Mormon? It was so cool! So, tonight was my productive night. I finished most all of my reading for the week, (it was a ton!!! really rigorous! I'm serious! don't laugh!) So I can enjoy most of the week, and play more! I had my Israeli, Palestinian, and Hebrew classes today! the teachers are amazing! I can't even describe how cool they were! I can even read my first word in Hebrew, and recognize the first two letters of the alphabet! I'm so excited about it! And it really is spoken here! It was cool leaving the center after hebrew, I began to recognize some of the symbols. I didn't feel completely illiterate anymore! So, what you should have gotten from this paragraph: Hebrew is not a dead language. and its amazing. period. (NOTE: I studied Latin in High School and now Hebrew. My parents tease me that I can only learn the dead languages and none that I can communicate with. However, my experiences in the city have shown that Hebrew is very much an alive language, and I look forward to being able to use it to communicate with the locals!)
Let's see... I can't think of anything else to say, but I love it here! I love ya'll a ton, and hope you had a great shabbat today!
Shabbot Shalom!
P.S. They have Hebrew scrabble here! Can you believe it? It was basically amazing!
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