I Stand With Israel

As I sit here, watching the news, reading posts on Facebook, Twitter, etc. I can't help but remember that just two short months ago I was spending my last Shabbat abroad in Israel. I can't believe what has happened since those days in May. For the first time in a long time, I'm scared to go back to Israel, a place that I call my second home and at the same time, I'm here in America wishing I was back in Israel with the friends I've made which I now consider family.
Israel's a place that I will always feel connected to, a homeland for the Jewish people, a place that will always welcome me with open arms even if I go years without returning. I've developed such a deep love and understanding of Israel and it scares me to think that after all of this, Israel could cease to exist.
I am heartbroken and devastated by the hatred of humanity against a small country that was created for the Jewish people. I cringe every time my phone vibrates with an JPOST alert, hoping that it's not the names of the boys I know stationed in Gaza; praying for the families that have lost loved ones. My anxiety goes through the roof when I learn of other friends that are entering the reserve units in Israel.
All citizens of Israel are required to draft into the army; and they want to, because their goal is to protect Israel during both a time of peace and war.
And although I don't see myself making Aliyah to Israel or joining the army, this small country about the size of New Jersey will always be one of the most important places in the world to me. I hope to bring my children there, I hope to educate them on the Jewish people and show them the beauty of the land.
So during this time of war, I'm left here with the unanswered questions of how and why? How can people sit here and listen to the bias of CNN, BBC, FOX, ABCNews, etc? How can Hamas shoot rockets into Israel and fool the U.S. so well that Israeli's are the one's being blamed? Why has humanity disappeared so much that we sit in silence while innocent Israeli's and Palestinians are being killed by rockets and underground tunnels initiated by Hamas? How can Israel be blamed for the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians when they warn every person, every school, every building, every area before a rocket goes off? How can the Western civilization be in such denial that Israeli's are the bad guys?
The media has a way of twisting and turning stories into something with action, adventure and bias so that organizations or groups of people will publicize their stories, even if they are incorrect.
I'm sick and tired of listening to all this propaganda coming across the airwaves...I wish people would get their facts straight. I want my voice heard, because I know what it's like to live there, I know this is not the way things have to be. Israel is such a vibrant country and it has every right to defend itself.
עם ישראל חי !

I'm Making Aliyah

Okay, so I'm not actually making Aliyah, I just wanted a title that would catch your attention, so now that it's caught here is my sob story as I say goodbye to abroad.
As sad as it is, I'm gonna go ahead and say this is my last blog post while studying abroad. I can't believe how quickly 5 months have gone by. January and February seemed like forever months, two of the longest months that I took for granted by not traveling the surrounding cities in Israel and exploring my "home" city of Tel Aviv. When March rolled around, things started to pick up and I began to adjust and then April flew by in the blink of an eye and as I sit here in my oddly shaped dorm room, in my semi-comfortable twin bed, with two more nights left, I have bittersweet feelings about leaving.
Today marked the "schools out for the summer" slogan with an incredible last week behind me. It started Monday night when myself and a handful of others were present at an "Entrepreneurship Conference" with the one, the only, Binyamin Netanyahu.

Yes, you read that right, Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu! It was the most outrageous, most moving, most amazing experience ever - to actually see someone as famous and powerful as him and to hear him speak - well that was a different story. I know it's silly, but I never thought I'd hear Bibi speak and now I have and I can brag about it :) ! And my finals? Well they weren't too bad - I mean, let's be honest, I didn't come abroad for school...so whatever happens, happens. Today after I finished my last final exam, my campus at Tel Aviv University went crazy! It was the annual Yom HaStudent (Student Day) in honor of all the students at campus, with multiple concerts, DJ's, countless delicious food stands like hot dogs, coal-fired pita, labane and zatar (Israeli spreadable cheese and a spice), froyo, ice cream, moon bounces, headphone concerts, and so much more! Such an incredible last day on campus that I was lucky enough to experience with the best friends I've made abroad.

As I look back on these past months abroad it's hard for me to believe that I will be boarding a plane in about 48 hours back to the US of A. Will I even recognize Americans? Going abroad is something that I feel so privileged to have taken part in, I'll remember the memories and miss the people I've become so close to, the Hebrew language, the fresh fruit and vegetables, the side salad's with every meal, the annoying taxi drivers who won't bargain with you, the names of the bus stops that no one else understands, the sketchy super market next to the dorms, and the list could go on. I've begun to find myself while abroad, developed independence and self-reliance and grown more in 5 months than I could ever imagine would be possible.  תודה רבה ישראל, אין לי ארץ אחרת. (Thank you Israel, there is no other land like you).

5 (months in). 3 (weeks left). 1 (memorable experience).

Call it the final stretch, call it the last hurrah, call it whatever you like but I'm calling it my last 3 weeks in Israel to live up my abroad experience. So instead of sitting in my room doing work, because obviously as any abroad student would have it - we get less than 10 hours of work a week during the actual semester and then when finals roll around, we get given more work than we've had this entire semester.
But with all work aside, since I feel as though I've finally adjusted to Israel, funny how that happens 5 months into my 5 month abroad experience, I've been trying to really understand what it means to be an Israeli citizen. It started on April 27, on Yom Ha'Shoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day. About a week earlier, I stood in the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Oranienburg, Germany, one of the first concentration camps created during the time of the Holocaust. On the 27th at 10 AM, I stood as a Jewish American studying abroad in Israel, I had the opportunity to hear the National Siren in honor of Yom Ha'Shoah. I can't explain the feelings that came over me; emotion, pride and a love for Israel.

One week later, it's Erev Yom HaZikaron, The Day of Remembrance, where the state of Israel nationally honors its fallen soldiers. Some of the students of Tel Aviv University, along with our Madrichim (counselors) on the program organized a ceremony, full of speeches, songs and memories of fallen soldiers. This ceremony took me back to the time that myself and the rest of my edah at camp had learned about Michael Levin. An American and my connection to him, a Camp Ramah Poconos Alumni. And although I could never move to Israel, let alone join the army, I find it inspiring that this young American gave his life for Israel, we call him a "hero in heaven". After two somber days in Israel, it was time for some celebration, some love for this country I call my second home. Last night was the start of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day and Israel's birthday, Happy 66th!

We started the night with fireworks in Kikar Rabin and then later to the street parties on Rotschild! It was craaaaaaazzzyyyyy and so much fun! A perfect way to celebrate my last couple weeks here in Israel! The streets were filled with Americans, Israelis, Russians, French, I'm sure people from all over the world, showing their love and spirit for Israel. After a long 5 month semester, I feel privileged to have celebrated these three holidays in Israel and to have the opportunity to study in a place filled with citizens who love their country. אני אוהבת ישראל!

That Time I Went to Europe..

11 days and 4 cities in 4 different countries...I couldn't believe that spring break was finally here. Before I even came abroad for my semester at TAU I knew that spring break would be in Europe - it would be my Euro trip. No parents, my first vacation alone with just friends. 

AMSTERDAM: The first stop, Amsterdam. Here we were, 6 American tourists with a map in hand and an agenda in the other. The highlights were the Van Gogh museum, the I Amsterdam letters, the red light district, cheese museum and Anne Frank house. Some fun, others more intense and moving...for me the Anne Frank house was the most memorable. We were actually having a tour of the house where she was hidden, pages of her diary and the actual book case which enclosed her room were both preserved. It was amazing to see these things, and extremely moving. It makes me value my family and friends. I feel so lucky to have so many supports in my life.

PARIS: And onto the next stop...Paris! After taking 7 years of French from elementary-middle school (side note...I remembered more than I thought) I was anxious and excited to actually be in the city of Paris, France! I would have never thought that this dream of going would actually turn into a reality. We jumped right into exploring the city...The Louvre, The Church of Notre Dame, The Love Lock Bridge (mom, dad, max - we're on there!!) the Mussee de Armies, Champs Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and of course, the one you've all been waiting for, Le Tour Eiffel! I cannot believe I can say that I've seen all these places in real life! I even tried escargot...hey, when in Paris, do as the Parisians do. On my last night in France, my friends and I went to a Chabad Passover Seder. It was an adventure to say the least, the Seder was in French, Hebrew and a drop of English. Instead of parsley/celery we bit into an onion dipped in salt water (just for your reference it wasn't that tasty), but I feel much more cultured to have done a Seder in another country. You know what they say, "wherever you go, there's always someone Jewish." I find that amazing. Au revoir Paris.

LONDON: Just touched down in Londontown. Out of all the places in Europe, London was the one I was looking most forward to. Quite possibly because I was meeting up with familiar faces of one of my best camp friends and cousin and quite possibly because London has so much to offer and I have been waiting to see it all! I had my first underground adventure on the tube and it made me nostalgic of my subway rides back in Philadelphia, a cup of delicious roasted Stabucks coffee, a stop to the Parent Trap house, a tour of only the most expensive, most incredible department store in London, Harrods. A quick hello to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's cathedral...you know the monuments. Two of my favorite places in London - Borough Market which was filled with delicious, various ethnic food stands and Camden Lock market...a mix of the Shuk in Tel Aviv and South Street in Philadelphia. I am sad to say bye to the prettiest city I've seen so far and am already planning a trip back..maybe as a graduation present? (hint, hint Mom and Dad).

BERLIN: The last leg of my Eurotrip has led me to Berlin. If we're going to be honest here, Germany was never a place that I had the biggest desire to visit, it wasn't even on my original spring break list. But I was convinced by my camp friend it was a place we had to visit. So here I was in Berlin. Since I've been traveling it's made me realize how much of an impact Israel has made on me, and here sitting in front of me on the train to our hotel, are two Israelis speaking Hebrew and one woman diagonal from me eating Matzah. These were my first interactions with people since my flight. In Berlin, Germany nonetheless. Life does crazy things to you.
The next two days in Berlin were filled with traveling - a view of the city from the top of the Reichstag government building, a walking tour of the city, of which included the Bradenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the national memorial for the Jews in the Holocaust, the East Side Gallery at the Berlin Wall and a Pub crawl at night. And the touring didn't stop, I've learned since this Eurotrip that it's okay to be perpetually exhausted because when you have a limited amount of time to travel - exploring the city comes first, sleep comes second. On my last day in Berlin, I and my other friends traveling together had the opportunity to have a guided tour of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Orianenburg, Germany. Having never been to Poland, or seen a concentration camp, this was my first time seeing the remnants of the Holocaust head-on. And what an experience it was, both amazing, moving, sad and scary. This camp, specifically was a prototype camp, used as a demonstration/starter camp for others to come. Sachsenhausen was preserved by the German government; this helped to preserve the memories so that outsiders could witness the camp in its true form. I feel very happy that I was able to see it, but it was definitely a difficult place to walk through.

Overall, I had an amazing time in Europe. For my favorite place, London is ranked as number one, but I feel privileged that I was able to see four distinct places.
However, while traveling I've realized that I made the right decision to study abroad in Israel. Yes, I've had ups and downs and the transition/adjustment to Israel was not necessarily easy, but I was aching to get back to Israel. I've started to really become comfortable in Israel because of the extended amount of time I've spent in one place. When I landed in Tel Aviv today, it just felt right. Only in Israel would one see: חג פסח שמח, Happy Passover on the billboards in the airport and I loved it. Plus, I found it so interesting that in every place I traveled to, I met Israeli's! It helped me remember how important being Jewish is to me, the reasons why I chose to be a Jewish Studies major, why I chose Israel as my study abroad destination, why I care so much about being Jewish. What I've discovered since being abroad, is my independent love for Judaism. It's not just a religion I link myself to, it's part of my identity.

To Israel, With Love

As I sit here in my little twin bed, in my dorm room here in Israel, I cannot believe that this coming week is marking the 2nd week in April. January and February were two of the loooooongest months, then with the blink of an eye March flew by, and here we are in April. April? Crazy. And what's even crazier is that this Wednesday is the start of my Eurotrip spring break, a vacay from my vacation abroad that's taken me about 2 months to plan, and it's here...like, sorry, what?
However, this following blog post is different. It might not be funny, or witty like my past ones, and to those of you who think I'm funny, stick with me on this post because it's important and Ima bout to get realllzzzz deep....but for real.
So here I am, a international student studying abroad in the country of Israel, that many would deem "unsafe". But I can honestly say, I've never once, and this is my third time being here, felt unsafe, ever. I was here this summer, in Netivot, when in the middle of the night a bomb was sent to the Zikim beach in Israel, I was there about 4 hours before. I was here in 2009 when there were many bomb threats in Jerusalem, but nonetheless I decided to study abroad in Tel Aviv in college after my semester abroad in Jerusalem in High School. I wanted to see Israel in a different light. Since I've been here at TAU for almost 4 and a half months, I've had multiple experiences, and every single one has been different. Today, I had the honor of being a "tour guide" for my camp friend who was visiting, which meant the following: a DAN bus to the מרכז רכבת (the central bus station), a walk around the parking lot until we found bus 480 and then an hour bus ride to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Now, I've been to Jerusalem already twice since I've been here, but I've never guided someone else, בעצמי (by myself), which was an experience. But that's just a side point to update all you avid readers on my life.
Anyway back to my story, before I came to Israel, I'd been told multiple times, especially by those close to me, "do NOT take the bus in Israel". Because maybe one day while I'd be on the bus, there would be a bus bomb, or I would lose something, or be in danger - which in my friends and family's defense, could happen at any time. But in Israel, riding the bus is just what you do. Every time I've been on the bus going somewhere - Jerusalem, Eilat, Arad, etc, I always see Israeli soldiers. Immediately, I feel comfortable and my mind is put at ease. I find it inspiring to see both young adult men and women, either my age, older or even younger (the draft into the army starts at 18), wearing their uniform with bright smiles on their faces, talking to other soldiers in their unit or friends from home riding the buses with them. These young adults or even teenagers don't know any better but also they genuinely want to serve their country. I find this an effort of courage and bravery, and I find it remarkable. For men, they in a sense give up 3 or more years of their life, for women, 2 or more. To them, it's an honor to serve in various units - whether it's combat or intelligence, to me, it's purely amazing. If we're going to be completely honest with each other, which means me being honest with you, I could never in a million years imagine joining the army, it's a huge commitment that I will never be ready for. But to those soldiers fighting for the country of Israel, thank you for being there, thank you for fighting and most of all, thank you for keeping me safe as a visitor to this country. אין לי ארץ אחרת, there is no other land like this.

Eilat of Fun

I walked out of my room this past Thursday night at 10 PM with a large Vera Bradley "weekender" bag packed to the brim with multiple options for the weekend (because that's how a girl like me packs) and a big smile as I went to catch the 12 AM midnight bus to Eilat. Eilat is Israel's southernmost city, a tourist attraction and a serious, serious hotspot to be -- because of how hot it is, if you didn't catch that one. Myself and four other friends arrived at the central bus station in Eilat at 5:45 AM, we wanted 3 full days in Eilat, so we figured we'd take the midnight shift bus until we got to our hotel and were unable to check in...woops. So instead, our loopy, delusional no sleep selves went to the beach boardwalk and watched the sunrise which was beautiful.

 As the day got later, we checked into our room and headed to meet our other friends in their room where we surprised one of them for her birthday! It was one of those plans that went extremely smoothly, although rest assuredly I almost ruined it multiple times leading up to the trip. Anyway, we tanned on this "mattress beach" for the day, and went to two bars at night: 3 Monkeys and then The Bear Bar. Both had a completely different vibe than the ones in Tel Aviv - 3 Monkeys felt like a bar mitzvah...I kid you not, congo lines and all, but the Bear Bar was funky and the music was great. The next day, we tanned and some friends and I walked around the beach boardwalk of Eilat because needless to say, I was burnt-out (pun seriously intended). Although thankfully, this was the least amount of sunburn I've ever gotten -- I'm learning Mom :) !!! We went out again that night to another bar called: Beatles. Ironically, in a party city like Eilat, the club scene isn't too big on Saturdays so we stuck mainly to the bars. The best part about Eilat is how small of a city it is, everything is within walking distance of each other, so on the walk home, I got some killer calve muscles in my wedges #wedgesarethenewsneakers. This weekend was my vacation getaway, a well-needed, relaxing weekend with friends who I've gotten so close to in the past 3 days, friends that I know will be friends even when abroad ends.

The craziest thing about Eilat is it's location...it's in between the surrounding countries of Jordan, believe it or not, I could see the Jordanian flag and some of the city on my boat ride around the red sea. And off to the distance on the other side is Saudi Arabia. I found it mind-boggling that here I was, a 21 year old Jewish girl on vacation in Eilat, maxin' and relaxin' in the sun and to the left of me is Jordan and to the right farther out is Saudi Arabia (which at the time I thought was Egypt). But like...what???? I can't even explain it in words, but to see some of the houses - now that was insane. I've never really thought of Israel being surrounded by other Arab/Muslim countries, and there I was, sitting on a boat staring into Jordan. Needless to say, it was quite an experience.
Eilat was EI-LAT of fun and I hope to go back soon, but next time, I'm making it across the border to Petra, Jordan - one of the 7 wonders of the world with my mom, dad and brother by my side and a camel waiting for us at the entrance.

I scream, You scream, We all Scream for Purim!

חג פורים סמח!(Happy Purim!) If you guys don't know what Purim is, it's like Halloween...but on steroids. For American kids, this is a free-for all; a weekend of dressing up in funky, fun costumes and interacting with other Israeli's. I was here for Purim back in 10th grade when I spent the semester abroad on TRY in Jerusalem and was excited to see what Purim in Tel Aviv had in store for me. Saturday night was definitely the best night of the weekend by far. I decided to dress up as...wait for it, you'll never guess (you will), as a H!PP!3, original right? el oh el, I crack myself up. This time though, it was a more relaxed version of a hippie, so much so, I continuously got asked: "so...what are you?" in reference to Mean Girls, I pointed to my peace sign necklace and said, "a hippie, duh." People these days...

Okay, all kidding aside, for someone who loves dressing up, especially in fashionable outfits, I felt pretty cool and trendy in my patterned floral "Shuk" (the outdoor market in Tel Aviv) pants with little flower stickers next to my eyes. Anyway, we started off the night in a Synagogue on Ben Yehuda street in the center of Tel Aviv, dressed to impress, ears ready to hear some Megillah reading, and obviously, because it's a mitzvah...we were ready to drink (no judgements, we were doing it for the holiday). At first, the room was empty and within a matter of 10 minutes, it was packed to the brim with Jewish students from all over the world, studying in Israel. I met people studying at Haifa University, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, others from Tel Aviv University, and of course, my brother who has been visiting me for the past week. Side note, this past week with my brother was amazing, I was able to see Israel through his eyes; whether it was taking long walks on the beach, watching the sunset while shivering in my "it feels like summer" clothing, or just having deep conversations with him about his experiences abroad, and my experiences abroad. I am so happy we were able to spend the week together!

Okay and back to Purimweekend (get it, like Halloweekend?), after the big pre-game, some of us decided to head to Rothschild Street - a popular street in Tel Aviv filled with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. We went to a bar called ועעד הבית (Vaad Habayit), the bar itself was crazy packed, and the music felt like we were in a club. It was the best of both worlds and probably one of the most fun nights I've had here so far! Speaking of which, two of my friends from pre-school (shout out to HZT) were with me, in times like these, after going more than 5 years without having constant communication, it amazes me that we were able to have so much fun together, no matter how long apart we've been from each other. Thank you mom & dad for sending me to Hebrew school, I appreciate it now. We decided to come home around 2 AM...an early night out in Tel Aviv. I sadly, deliriously sleepy, said goodbye to my brother but am happy he was here. I am learning after this week, how to put things in perspective, when it comes to being abroad. I am growing and learning so much about myself, this semester it's been a real focus on myself as an individual and I am beginning to understand who I am. It's pretty cool, having an inside perspective to my life. From here on out, my abroad experience is about to be filled with new adventures and I am ready to tackle them head-on, head-strong. Except...do I really have to wake up for class tomorrow? #abroadproblems