Serious spring cleaning

Photo: Mosh ben Ari

Happy Passover, one and all! I am loving life right now. It is springtime in Israel and I am on vacation. It didn't start out so rosy however when my pre Passover cleaning lady got sick and canceled the day she was supposed to come. Nevermind the fact that I had gotten four hours of sleep the night before. I got right to work. It was pretty intense and exhaustive but I think I did a great job cleaning and preparing for the holiday.

Another cool thing about living in Jerusalem is that you see marked signs of upcoming holidays. Signs advertising special matzah, labels at the grocery store, and the huge vats of boiling water used to convert certain utensils from regular to Passover use. So cool! I have some cool pics of me getting my silverware kashered.

In all of the frenzied preparation, one thing about Passover that I feel is often overlooked is the emotional/spiritual 'cleaning' we should be doing. I'm not saying that I did a lot of soul searching, but I have started taking responsibility for my experience here. I have to admit that it is easier to focus on the negative, on the disappointment, the frustration and in some of our cases, the heartache, of being here this year. What came to me so clearly after our class group bonding dinner is that I love Israel and I know very well how hard it will be for me to leave, knowing that my year is over. I cannot hold other people responsible for how my year is going. As my hevruta pointed out, I would hate to look back on this year as a year I had to spend away from the one(s) I love. If I am going to be here, why not make the most of it. And I plan to!

With my new perspective, I am looking for ways to really enjoy myself and be adventurous. I went to a very fun seder hosted by one of the Israeli rab students and his girlfriend and roommate and met some great people who live here that I would not have otherwise met.

Last night, I went to a concert near Tel Aviv at a club with some HUC students I recently befriended. We went to see Mosh Ben Ari and I had a blast! I bought the tix right before chag and getting there was a bit of an adventure since it was actually in a northern neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Anyway, it was so awesome to be in a small venue ,where I can make eye contact with the performer, dancing to great music surrounded by Israelis who sing along loudly the whole time. During the encore, the singing was so loud I could barely here Mosh singing! What a fun Israeli experience.

Today, I am having a leisurely morning before heading over to the Israel Museum for a bit. Coming up for me: Beer Sheva outdoor market that includes livestock!, Old Yaffa and Neve Tzedek neighborhood of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem museums, Eilat and more!

Life is good!