The last few weeks since I've posted have been full of ups and downs. I toured two beautiful churches, went shopping, swimming, and snorkeling in the Red Sea, I celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, on a kibbutz in the middle of the Arava Desert, we saw burial caves of ancient rabbis and had our dead skin eaten off by a bunch of fish, I became the "dancing queen" (young and sweet, only 17... yeah, my birthday passed), one of our students had to go back to the US, I saw a cousin here in Israel, got 100% on my economics presentation, went to an Arab Islamic vilage, spent Yom Kippur in Jerusalem (where I ran into people I haven't seen in over a year), and prepared to leave Tzuba for 10 days for 2 nights in home hospitality 2 nights a different kibbutz, and 4 nights camping/hiking across the country... whoa... Let me back up; that's a lot to take in at once... and I lived it! Here's a recap of the highlights from the previously mentioned events:
So, this church. We went on a Christianity
tiyul about 2 weeks ago, on which we traveled to Ein Kerem, the supposed meeting place of Elisheva and Miriam (also known as Elizabeth and Mary), and toured the Church of the Visitation, the place where the two women supposedly met, both pregnant (Miriam carrying baby Jesus), as well as the church where John the Baptist (AKA Yonatan the Mikveh Man) is said to be buried. All in all, as I learned about the roots and religion of Christianity, it honestly only confirmed my disliking of it... While I believe the morals and values are truly beautiful (*cough cough* they're the same as the Jewish ones, what, with the whole "The-Torah-Is-The-'Old-Testament'" thing and all), but I personally find the religious practices kind of... wonky. Anyway, it was beautiful and fascinating nonetheless (and I also ate the best vegan chocolate ice cream I've ever had in Ein Kerem that day), so I can't complain.
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Statue of Miriam and Elisheva (Mary and
Elizabeth) meeting in Ein Kerem |
Next was our trip to Eilat. We traveled to the southern tourist city for just that: tourism. We stayed in a youth hostel that was a 10 minute walk from the main promenade, so we spent a couple of days pretty much living on that beach, shopping, swimming, shopping more, and swimming more (I bought these swim trunks that make the guy in me so freakin' happy every time I wear them... it's definitely the best 40 shekels I've spent so far). On our last day in the South, we went to a different part of the Red Sea where we went snorkeling and saw so many pretty fish. I don't remember what they're called, I just remember that I saw a fishy that looked like Dory!
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Sydney and I at the beach
in Eilat |
From Eilat we traveled north to the middle of freakin' nowhere (AKA the Arava Desert), picked some tomatoes that somehow grow in the most infertile climate ever, and set up shop at Kibbutz Yahel for the holiday. We had services, picked A TON of pomelos (the best fruit ever), and really just had free time. If you ignore the 100 degree heat, it was an incredible way to bring in the new year with my new community.
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Picking organic tomatoes in the middle
of nowhere |
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J, Max and I starting the new year in a cuddle puddle
at Kibbutz Yahel
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When we got back to Tzuba from our week-long vacation, we toured the ancient burial caves of the Rabbis from... well... I already took the test on this time period and I don't really remember what years they were from anymore. Either way, I'm pretty sure it was the Roman Period (I think).
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My teacher, David, hugging an ancient
menorah inside of a 1,500 year old
burial cave |
Then, we went on a
tiyul to tour some ancient Roman synagogues, and on the way back to the kibbutz, we stopped at a spring/waterfall that's swarming with fish... But these weren't just any fish... if you sat still enough, they'd LATCH ON TO YOU AND NIBBLE YOUR DEAD SKIN! It was by far the strangest thing I've ever felt (mostly because I'm so ticklish), but seriously, just imagine you're swimming in this beautiful pond and there's a waterfall and you're having an amazing time when HOLY CRAP THERE IS A FISH SUCKING ON MY TOE!!!! You get the picture.
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| Chanah, Tanner, Maxim and I getting our feet eaten |
A few days later (one week ago today), was my 17th birthday, so I became the dancing queen! Now, while this was fun and exciting, especially because I got to share my birthday with one of the other students here,it was also a very somber day. Not only was it our friend Erica's last day here with us (she got injured and had to go home), but it was also the 1 year anniversary of my grandfather's death. So amidst the joy of celebrating two birthdays at once, on Shabbat, with 30 of my new siblings, there were also plenty of times throughout the day to think, to reflect, and to mourn.
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| Saying goodbye to Erica |
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| Just the classic birthday selfie |
The next day, my cousin Helen came to visit! Although we didn't have much time to sit and chat, we spent about an hour laughing, talking, and just having fun. It was so cool that her trip to Israel happened to be when I'm here (and here at Tzuba, since we're away so often), and it was so amazing to see her! See, Helen and I haven't really had much of a relationship for most of my life, and she's only recently become a more permanent influence in my life, so being able to deepen our connection FROM ISRAEL was an incredible experience.
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My grandpa's cousin, Helen, and I here
at Kibbutz Tzuba |
Next we went to Ein Rafa, the Arab Islamic village that is just down the hill from Tzuba. While I LOVE Islam (I spent a year studying the religion with an interfaith group), I just felt uncomfortable because of the very obvious gender segregation. As a person whose assigned gender at birth is female, I had to cover every inch of my body, and sit behind my male classmates when I walked into the mosque... Despite how much I love learning about other faiths, and how much I believe that Islam is the sister religion to Judaism, I couldn't get over how...bad... I felt. As a person who doesn't identify exclusively with one gender, the different standards and dress codes for men and women make me feel...wrong.
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Me, wildly out of my element, while
learning about one of my favorite subjects
(yes, I was quite conflicted) |
A few days after Helen came to visit, ahe day after our trip to Ein Rafa, was Yom Kippur, the day of repentance. Back home in the US, Yom Kippur is important within our Jewish communities, but here it's something else entirely. Since Judaism is the national religion of Israel (and you're not supposed to work at all on the holiday), everything but the synagogues are closed, nobody drives their cars, and the entire city of Jerusalem walks slowly in the streets while reflecting on the past year. After Kol Nidre services on Tuesday night, we went to this intersection where there was a crowd of people surrounding a circle of students who were sitting and singing in the middle of car-less street. Here, I ran into Jackson, a friend that I haven't seen since February of 2015, and Mollie, my bunk mate from camp that same summer... long story short, a bunch of American Jews who haven't seen each other in a year and a half just happened to see each other in Jerusalem on what is arguably the most important holiday within Judaism. Can you say "Jewish geography"!?
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Jackson and I, as well and Mollie and I, meeting in the
streets of Jerusalem |
Now, as this new week begins. I'm off to... somewhere... to spend two nights with my friend Sarah at an Israeli family's home, then spending one night (I think) at another kibbutz to celebrate Sukkot, then on Tuesday we're off to Yam l'Yam, our sea to sea hike. We are spending four days and nights trekking across the country and sleeping under the stars... needless to say, I'm very excited (but my foot injuries are not).
Wow, that's a lot of catching up... I guess I should update more often, because dang this is a long post. Anyway, I'll be offline while I'm away from Tzuba, but you can count on an update after the holiday and Yam l'Yam! Shavuah tov (may you have a good week), and shalom alechem (peace be upon you).
