It feels a little overwhelming that I haven't added a post since April 4th (Sara's 21st!) since so much has happened since then. I'll try to catch up a little in brief:
Pesach vacation:
This year was the best Pesach I think I have ever had. It was a blast to be on vacation and to observe Passover here because I didn't really have to worry about food. Every package and restaurant was clearly marked Kosher for Passover. It made the holiday so much more fun and a lot less lonely than usual. I am picturing myself going to work with my sad little Passover lunch and eating it at my desk alone. Not in Israel! I totally understand why so many people come for the holiday!
I also had a great time because I was on vacation! I went down to the desert town of Beer Sheva and went to a Bedouin market. We heard there was a market for livestock but we couldn't get there in time for it. Though I did see chickens and turkeys for sale. They also had other stuff like crafts, clothes, nuts, spices, random items like underwear and socks and cheap jewelry. I bought a beaded necklace for myself. Then we went to the beach in Ashkelon and just relaxed there. It is a much mellower beach than Tel Aviv and I highly recommend.
I went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum, because they have a whole new section that I hadn't seen before. The best part, I thought, were the personal testimonies on video given by Israeli survivors in Hebrew. I also went to a cool exhibit at the Museum on the Seam that highlighted the inequalities that working people face all over the world.
The biggest and best part of the vaca was going all the way down to Eilat. It was gorgeous and warm and so much fun. I did a scuba thing where you go down with an instructor in an area that is sectioned off where dolphins hang out. It was so beautiful to be down there and suddenly see a bunch of playful dolphins swim by. There were also cool fish and a sunken boat. It was so huge for me since I was so scared and really had to stop hyperventilating in order to enjoy myself. I didn't think I could do it, but then when it was over, I wasn't ready. The rest of the time was relaxing at the beach and shopping and enjoying life.
Yom HaShoah:
Holocaust Memorial day is unlike any you can experience. In the morning, a siren rings out for two whole minutes and people stop whatever they are doing and stand at attention. Traffic stops and people exit their cars. For me, I was caught off guard because I forgot about the siren. I was rushing to school and made it to the intersection when it started. I stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes and the siren pierced my soul. It sounds like a long extended shofar blast and the two minutes are an eternity where you have no choice but to feel the intense loss and pain of the Shoah. Very moving.
Final tiyul:
We had a long trip as a group where we went up north to visit several sites of historical import to the rabbinic period. It was fun though I can't say I learned anything majorly new. Then, we spent Shabbat in two group at two different Masorti congregations. I was in Zichron Yaakov, an upscale adorable town with a sea view, three wineries and a natural environment that feels like Southern California. We had home hospitality and I was in the home of the synagogue founders who made aliyah from LA 9 years ago. They had also gone to UCLA and lived not to far from where I do in LA. It was so great to spend time with them. Everyone was so lovely and the rabbi there (who is Israeli) spent two years at UJ before transferring to Machon Schechter. This was a wonderful idea initiated by a Ziegler student last year. I hope the tradition continues. (Plus, I started thinking again about how great it would be to have a lovely home somewhere in the north of Israel....)
Yom Hazikaron/Yom Haatzmaut:
This is the most Israeli you can get. Tonight marks Israeli Day of Remembrance for Fallen Soldiers which transitions tomorrow night into Israeli Independence Day. I think I'll head over to the area on my route to school where the youth movements have their home bases. They are preparing for a big ceremony tonight and since there is another siren tonight to mark the beginning of the day, I'd like to be there for that.
After Pesach, I have been feeling a certain amount of stress because it is all ending. I have been trying to seize the day and take advantage of opportunities because I don't want to leave here with regrets. This is my year and I need to take responsibility for it! But there are people I need to see and places to go and work to finish of course. It is intense, and I am planning to go out with a bang!
This year has been very different since it is my third go around, but I feel more than ever that Israel is a place that will always be close to my heart. I want it to always be part of my reality and I want to be able to come back once a year....we'll see how it goes.
Anyway, if you are still reading, thank you! You will be rewarded in the world to come. Pictures are forthcoming....
Penina
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