Learning how to be Esther or Mordechai

After a great Shabbat and another wonderful day in the Gan I headed to Jerusalem for the wedding of one of my good friends, Max Marmer, brother's wedding. When I arrive at the wedding I saw his family and because I did not know any one they took me in which was very sweet of them. The ceremony took place on the roof of the hotel so it was a bit chilly, but a beautiful ceremony with lots of tears. We then went back to the banquet hall to enjoy a delicious dinner, dancing and more. Before I knew it was time to say my goodbyes so I could head back to Beit Nativ to try and get some sleep before getting up early the next morning to catch the first bus back to kibbutz in order to get to work on Monday. Here are the photos from the wedding.



Tuesday was our first Nativ run Yom Nativ and it was Yom Cultures. Throughout the day we learned about different culture groups ( Americans, Ethiopian etc.) that have made alyiah to Israel and some stereotypes that are related that culture. We also made skits combing some of the cultures, learned dances, talked about immigration and their absorption to Israel and made (or tried to make) hummus. It was interesting to see how Israel tries but does not help to integrate some of these communities as well as some of the stereotypes.



Thursday began Leadership Week which included more rain, celebrating Purim together and learning more about how to be leaders in our communities. So Thursday after work, we headed to Tel Aviv for an evening sponsored by Masa which consisted of one of a couple different workshops and a concert. We first had a session with David Broza with a group from South America, and he explained to us his background, song writing process and sung for us a few songs. Afterwards there was a Subliminal concert where all the Masa participants came together from their different workshops and I got to see my friends from Yerucham which was exciting. I did not enjoy the concert that as much as David Broza because I do not like concerts so much and it was quite loud, so I spent the 2^nd half of the night just hanging out and talking with my friends. Once it was over, in the pouring rain, we walked to the buses and headed to Ma'aleh Hachamisha which is the Judean Hills. Due to it being very late it was straight to bed because Friday was going to be an early day.



Friday morning after tiffilot and a great breakfast we headed to the Eretz Yisrael Museum. While there we learned about the Tel Aviv that used to exist, glass making and the history of Tel Aviv, but it was not that interesting of a museum so we all sort of zoned off and walked ahead of the tour guide so we could see stuff on our own. We then went to the Palmach museum which I was looking forward to a lot. The Palmach was a fighting force of the Haganah (the Jewish army during the British Mandate). The museum takes you through different multi-media rooms telling though the eyes of some new recruits the history of the Palmach and some of the battles they fought against the British and more. For sure the museum met my expectations of being a very worthy museum and I'm glad that we got the chance to go. Afterwards we were supposed to go to the Nachalt Binyamin street fair but do the weather we went back to our hotel early to get ready for Shabbat. We all started Shabbat together with candle lighting, tiffilot and a delicious dinner. We then had our first of two sessions and I chose a session with Yossi looking at the future of American Jewry through a series of e-mails sent back and forth between Jack Wertheimer of JTS and Joey Kurtzman of Jewcy (a Jewish culture magazine). It was a very captivating and made every one really think about where we will be as Jews in the next couple of years; if you would like to see the e-mails let me know. We then had a very nice tisch including learning some new songs before heading to bed.



Shabbat morning after breakfast and the usual tiffilot we had the second session before lunch and I chose a session with Jules looking at Amalek. Throughout the session we discussed who were these people, why it is still relevant to remember these evil people today and more. It was then time for lunch where a few times there were power outages but we still managed to finish lunch before resting for the afternoon. Due to Saturday night beginning Purim, the end of Shabbat was a bit different; we all came back together for a snack, shirot and then we said the bracha "hamavdil ben kodesh l'chol" in order to allow us to go back and change. So we had about an hour to get ready for our Nativ Purim; I was going to dress up as a bag/box of jellybeans but due to bag trouble and balloon trouble I put on my jeans and shirt backwards and wore two different flip-flops on the wrong feet. We all came back together to daven Mariv which also included Megillah reading which was done very well. It was then dinner time before having a dance/karaoke party but I did not stay for that long because I do not like that sort of thing and I was quite tired; however when I turned the TV on in my room later that evening they had broadcasted live the Megillah reading which I thought was really cool and reminded me that I'm in Israel. Here are the photos from Purim.




Sunday morning after tiffilot which included Megillah reading we handed out to two people mishloach manot which we had prepared ahead of time and also fulfilled the mitzvah of matanot l'avyonim through donating money to a soup kitchen in Dimona to help pay for a Pesach Seder. We were then supposed to head to Holon for the huge Adloyada Purim parade but due to the weather it was cancelled so instead we chose between doing laughing yoga and learning about medical clowning and I chose the latter. The basis of medical clowning is that being in a hospital is sad and depressing but if there is someone there to help cheer you up and help the doctors with the medical procedures being in a hospital won't be so bad. The clown that came played with us some games showing us how to be silly using our body and voices and let ourselves go and it was lots of fun. Here is a great video explaining a little more about medical clowning. Afterwards someone came in to do with us some Israeli dancing which was a lot of fun and brought back memories from Philly. It was then off to restaurant in Bat Yam for a Purim Seudah but it wasn't really anything special but it was still nice to get out of the hotel after being coped up due to the rain. We then went back to Ma'aleh Hachamisha to rest before dinner and our evening program. That night the Playback Theater Company come to perform for us but how their performances work is that we tell them stories from our lives and they perform it for us. It was very amusing and they did a very accurate job of portraying our memories. I then decided to stay up and watch the men's Olympics gold medal hockey which was very exciting and I'm glad Canada won in the end.




Monday we left Ma'aleh Hachamisha and headed to Caesarea, 2 hours late because the buses were not ordered, to an outdoor center to do some leadership and team building activities. These activities included paintball, rock climbing and 3 or 4 activities where we all had to work together. We then went back to Jerusalem and Beit Nativ for the next couple of nights and played the game of 'whose room and bed are you sleeping in." After dinner which was not that good we headed to the Tower of David for their Night Spectacular show. Over the course of 45 minutes, portrayed on the walls of the tower, the history of Israel is shown using lights and sounds. It was a very good show and I was really surprised how much can been done with some projectors. Due to it being kind of cold outside, after the show Becca and I went to Aroma to grab a hot drink to warm us up before going back to Beit Nativ for the evening.



Tuesday was our first of two days in different leadership sessions that we got to choose from taught by our staff as well as some people they brought in. In the morning I chose a double session with a women name Rachel Sklan where we spent the time discovering ourselves, reflecting on our year and trying to possibly put some purpose into the bit of time that we have left here. Also throughout this session I had the chance to really take time and think about the past 6 months and what I have done, how I have grown etc. After lunch, my first session was with Nadiv where we look at some Jewish leaders and discussed what qualities they had as leaders and what made them great. To close off the day I had a session with Jules about how to teach a Jewish text to people at different levels and how to teach so people are interested and engaged. That evening after dinner, it was a free evening so a group of us headed to a local waffle place which was delicious.



Wednesday morning we started with a session by an AIPAC employee. He did a good job explaining what AIPAC is and some of the work it does, but he did a very poor job, I felt, in explaining to us about how we can be involved with AIPAC in general and next year on our college/university campuses. I then I chose a session with Elkana about learning to speak so other will listen and to listen while others are speaking. After a lunch I had some free time so I walked with one of my friends to Gans Judaica to pick something up and just to get out for a bit. My last session was with Noah looking at comic book superheroes and the Golem and seeing what we could learn from them. After a quick dinner, Ido Aharoni who works at the Israeli Foreign Ministry showed us a presentation about branding Israel. What he showed to us what that many people only see images of Israel and think about Israel in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but no one is seeing the culture, active, fun side of Israel. So he told us some ways that they are trying to get Israel's name out in a better light and trying to make a positive brand for Israel.



Thursday morning, to end the week, we had another session with Jules about Conservative Judaism. The topics and questions that were brought up were a lot of the same ones that we had discussed in November but the new topics were very interesting and I thought it was a great way to end leadership week.



For Shabbat I decided with Sara, Sami, Josh and Rhyan to spend it in Yerucham where the other half of Nativ lives. Since we had some time before the bus was leaving to take us, some of us went to the shuk to pick up food that we needed for the weekend and I also got some Marzipan goodies for myself. When we got to Yerucham, we took our stuff to where we would be staying for the weekend; because the girl's house did not have enough room Sara and I stayed at Kowler, Reuben and Eric's apartment. Due to it being sort of late, we ordered pizza for dinner and we ate at the guys' apartment and then Sara and I walked back with those living/staying at the girl's house to help start cooking for Shabbat. After not a lot of cooking being done and more schmoozing and getting late Sara and I walked back to the apartment and thankfully found it on our own. We then hung out with the guys before heading to bed. Friday morning we woke up and went back to the girl's house for pancakes which were delicious before cooking everything else that needed to be done. Since there is only so much space in the girl's kitchen, Becca, Sara and I walked back to the guy's apartment to back some M & M cookies, but when we started baking we realized that we did not have enough butter so we waited until Reuben's cousin who went out do some errands came back with butter. Once that happened, we continued the baking process to only then realized that we should have melted the butter because pieces of butter is really hard to mix with a whisk, so after much trying and not succeeding and just decided to mix it by hand. One the dough was formed we started scoping out balls of dough onto an oven rack covered with foil because of the lack of cookie sheets and started baking them but Shabbat was creeping upon us so Becca ran to Gelb and Ethan's apartment to borrow their oven rack so we could speed up the process. Finally all the cookies were backed and they tasted quite delicious. After bringing the cookies back to the girl's house, I took a shower and got ready for Shabbat.



Friday night we went to one of the many shuls called Afikim and services were quick and simple. Then those who were not vegetarians walked back to the guy's apartment for a delicious homemade dinner of chicken, vegetable, salad and rice. After dinner we hung around for a while just relaxing, reading and playing games before all heading back to the girl's house to have a tisch with Marzipan rugelach and I think it was one of the best tisch's on Nativ. We then stayed up for a bit longer before heading back to the apartment to go to bed. Shabbat morning we did not wake up in time for shul, but when we all eventually woke up we walked over the house to enjoy lunch which consisted of baked ziti, green beans, Caesar salad and for desert the cookies that we baked along with banana cake. After we went to one of the playground parks to relax and play before ending Shabbat, packing up and having a tofu, vegetable pasta stir-fry for dinner. We then began our long bus rides back to kibbutz but 3 hours later we made it back.



Sunday began another week of work and every day I fall a little bit more in love with the kids in the Gan and the Gan in general and my Hebrew is getting better each day. Tuesday was our second Yom Nativ and it was Yom Handicap this week. We each got a different disability (I had locked elbows) had with this disability had to eat breakfast (my friend Sami fed me) and perform a task (I had to write a letter). We also had a discussion about different mental and physical disabilities, as well as programs and what is being done to help the disabled in Israel and in the USA. Overall I thought it opened my eyes and exposed me to life without the use of my elbows and more. Tonight we watched the Israeli movie Sallah Shabati and I was confused through most of but I still enjoyed it a lot. This weekend some of my friends who we visited in Yerucham are coming to spend Shabbat on Kibbutz with us and it should be a blast; besides for that there is nothing else going on until Pesach so there might not be another blog posting until then but we will see.



Until next time,

B'ahava,

Ayelet

Getting Adjusted to Kibbutz

Friday was spent finishing the last bit of unpacking and organizing that needed to be done before getting ready for Shabbat.

Our 1^st Shabbat on Kibbutz was amazing. We started Friday night with Kabbalat Shabbat and Mariv in our Moadon. This Moadon will be our hang out place until Pesach so tomorrow during Yom Nativ (instead of Erev Nativ during 1^st semester) we are going to decorate and make it feel like home. After tiffilot which were upbeat we headed to the Hadar Ochel for dinner. Dinner was a better that what we are used to at Beit Nativ so that was a great welcome. We then headed back to the Moadon for our 1^st tisch, and while there was no Marzipan rugelach we did have Ein Tzurim chocolate croissants which will delicious. 


Shabbat morning we headed back to the Moadon for tiffilot which were short (around 2 hours) and I also read torah. Lunch was earlier then what we are used to, and while it was good I was not that hungry due to it only being 11:30. After lunch we had the head of the kitchen speak to us a bit about the Parasha and connecting it to his life story including his alyiah to Israel which was quite interesting. Shabbat afternoon I sat outside on the grass, playing games, reading and just hanging out with everyone. The weather was just right and I look forward to the weeks and months ahead of sitting outside. It was then time for Seudah Shlishit, Mariv and Havdalah and afterwards we had time to change before meeting back in the Moadon for the moment we have all been waiting for-finding out our jobs. I found out that I will be working in the Gan which is what I wanted to do, in order to gain the experience and hopefully learn different varieties of teaching. The rest of Saturday night was spent relaxing and getting a good night sleep for our 1^st day of work.


Sunday I was very excited because I have been looking forward to the time that I can finally give back to Israel and the Kibbutz. After breakfast, the 6 of us working in the Gan were told that on the Kibbutz there are 5 different Ganim ranging in ages from newborns to age 5+ and we would be split up among them. I ended up with 2-3 years which I was fine with because I had worked with the same age group at camp during the summer. The 1^st day was a bit hard due to the language barrier but I still had a great day. After work I had some down time before a BBQ dinner which was ok.


Monday was a better day in the Gan because my Hebrew was getting better and I also knew the routine a bit. As well due to my skill at learning names, I knew all the kids names and they also had warmed up to me a lot more so it was easier playing with all of them. Overall it was another great day and I'm looking forward to the months ahead and I can't wait to improve my Hebrew even more. Monday evening we did laundry for the first time on kibbutz which was fine but prior to doing so we had to label all our clothing with our laundry number, mine is 834.

Tuesday was our first Yom Nativ. We spent it choosing programs for our upcoming Yom Nativ's as well as decorating our Moadon to make it more of our home. Some of the Yom Nativ's that we have
coming up are: Yom Culture, Yom Handicap and much more along with programs that will be planned for Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron.  


Wednesday and Thursday were regular work days and I started adjusting and figuring out the routine and now at the end of the 1st week I feel that I will for sure enjoy my time in the Gan and working with the teachers and children.

As Shabbat is coming upon us I look forward to another restful Shabbat as well as Sunday, which is my good friend Max Marmer's brother's wedding that I was invited to and I'm sure I will have lots of stories to share.

The next few months will probably go very quickly but I will take advantage of every moment. Over Purim we have leadership seminar, then we have a week break for Pesach and in the beginning of May we have northern tiyul. 



Until next time,

B'ahava,

Ayelet 

Nativ Brings the Bad Weather

Thursday morning began our tiyul throughout the Negev which would end next week on kibbutz.  So Thursday despite hail and a minute of snow falling we started the drive down to Ein Gedi for hiking. However when we got there, our staff told us that do to flash floods and unstable ground warnings we would not be hiking but had the option to either hike Masada or go to the Ein Gedi spa and I chose the latter. I chose not go into the sea because it was cold and I had cuts, but it was relaxing and I got some reading and napping done.  When we were done we headed to the Bedouin tents but on the way we saw something that you do not see every day in Israel; roads being covered but loads of water and the rivers gushing with water. We were also told that with all this rain Israel has had lately some of the places we walked on dessert survival were covered with water. When we arrived at the tents we put our stuff down and then took camel and donkey rides which was a lot of fun despite my legs hurting the next day. We then enjoyed the traditional Bedouin hospitality drinking coffee and tea and learning about the Bedouin lifestyle which is very interesting. Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious dinner with rice, meatballs, salads, pita and more. Since it was cold and we were also very tired we layered up, had a nice bonfire and then headed to bed early to the sound of rain. On a side note, this was probably one of the best ways to spend my birthday.

Friday morning after a very restful night we woke up to a rainbow which you do not see every day in southern Israel. After tiffilot and a great breakfast, despite the heavy rain we started on our way. Throughout this tiyul we got to choose which hike we wanted to do as well as some of the other activities, so I chose to go to the colored sands in the   Machtesh Ha-gadol. When we got there it was quite cold and due to the rain it was more like colored mud then sand but it was still beautiful. It was then onto Kibbutz Ketura where we were staying for Shabbat and Sunday. After we got ready for Shabbat we took a tour of the kibbutz and learned a bit about Ketura. Kibbutz Ketura is one of the few kibbutzim left that are not privatized as well one of the only kibbutzim which does not have a religious affiliation which was interesting to see. Afterwards we had tiffilot, a delicious dinner and a tisch before heading to bed early.

Shabbat morning after tiffilot which were the usual and before lunch we has 3 different options of activities and I chose "Kibbutz Values in Practice". Throughout this activity we learned about the democratic governing system at Ketura and then split into groups and got a case that was brought before the Kibbutz council and had to come up with an answer about what we would do in the situation. Throughout this session and the tour the previous day it made me really think about Kibbutzim and their values and beliefs. After lunch, rest time and the conclusion of Shabbat we had 2 choices of evening activities and I went to one of the neighboring Kibbutz’s, Kibbutz Lotan to participate in some holistic exercises. Over the course of the evening we learned Shiatsu and a form of Tai Chi. It was a very relaxing evening and I learned some techniques that I might be able to use in the future.

Sunday instead of taking a hike in the mountains behind the Kibbutz, I chose to participate in a Desert Art Workshop looking at poetry. We started by looking at various poets and their poems and the various styles that they used. Then we had time to sit where ever we wanted to around the kibbutz and write. If you would like to see my poem, contact me. After the other art groups presented and we had lunch we had free time before heading to have some of the most fun we have had on Nativ. After a 10 minute hike we arrived at the Kasui Sand Dunes where for the afternoon we frolicked and rolled around in the dunes which had the softest sand I've ever felt. When we got back to the kibbutz we had more free time before enjoying a great BBQ dinner. That evening/early morning we had the option at 1:30 AM to watch the Superbowl but I decided to get sleep.

Monday morning we left Ketura, and I chose to go to Park Timna. Timna used to be a site that the Egyptians and Midianites mined copper at many years ago. We started off with a short movie about Timna and then started our drive through the park. We saw most of it from the bus but we did get off at one point at walked around for a bit and even walked through some of the ancient mining shafts which was cool. In the afternoon we headed to Eilat and were supposed to go on a boat ride but due to a possible storm that was brewing in the sea it got canceled but we got other options and I chose to go to Kings City which is a biblical amusement park. It is a very small with only 4 'rides' but it was still a fun afternoon. When we got back to the hotel we got our rooms and then got money to get dinner on our own. Josh, Becca and I went to Big Apple Pizza which was quite delicious and then walked around the boardwalk for a bit before heading to bed early.

Tuesday was our last true day of tiyul and we started the morning with hikes and I chose a hike through the Red Canyon. It was great to finally be hiking after the previous days of not really hiking. The hike was pretty easy with a few hard parts; as well the scenery was great and the weather was perfect for hiking. After going back to the hotel to change and rest we went to the Haleluyah restaurant for lunch and we were supposed to head to the beach for some optional water activities but it got cancelled due to the winds again. So instead we just hung out with each other before dinner at the hotel. After dinner we had the night off so I went back to the boardwalk and mall to do some last minute shopping before heading back to the hotel to pack and get a good night of sleep.

Wednesday was a day that I could not believe had finally arrived-it was the day we were moving to kibbutz. After saying goodbye to all my friends heading to Yerchaum we started our drive with a stop in Be'er Sheva for a mumps booster shot due to the recent outbreak. When we arrived at kibbutz we unpacked and had dinner which was very good which was a sign that hopefully all our other meals would as be just as great, before heading to bed early.

Thursday we got a tour of part of the kibbutz which was nice to start seeing part of our home for the next 3 months.  As well we received our numbers which will be used in the Chadar Ochel to get food as well as for the laundry, so my number is 611. The rest of the day was devoted to finish unpacking, organizing our rooms and some of my friends and I went to Tzomet Kastina where we picked up some things that we needed.

I have already started to feel that Kibbutz Ein Tzurim is becoming a home for me as well as carven 10B, A.K.A Abe Lincoln’s Log Cabin with my roommate Ari and our carven mates: Sami and Kay.

Here are the pictures from the tiyul.

B'ahava,

Ayelet

Looking Through Various Lenses

After a spending our last Shabbat in Jerusalem for now, we started on Sunday The Israel Today Seminar (ITS). The premise of these 3 days was to expose us to different issues, and open our eyes to sites that we might not know about. Also on Monday and Tuesday we had some options to choose from to allow everyone to hopefully learn about something that they understand.

 

Sunday we started of the day and the seminar with a lecture on Israeli current issues with Jeff Barack who is an editor/journalist for various newspapers (check out his credentials here). He spoke to us about the vast amounts of Arab and Haredim who are affecting various aspects of Israeli society such as education, politics, welfare programs and Israel's reputation. He was not that captivating of a speaker but did make me think about the future of Israel with these two groups of people being a larger part of the future voters due to the high birth right. Afterwards we went to The Begin Centre which is devoted to the life of Menachem Begin. The museum was split into different rooms each showcasing a different period of time in his life which was shown through videos. It was a very interesting museum because I did not know a lot about his life so I feel that the center did a great job explaining his life. After The Begin Centre and a bit of rest time we had a panel discussion about the IDF with 3 of our staff members and two Americans who had joined the army. Even though I do not plan on joining the army it was a very interesting discussion and I learned a lot about the various jobs, challenges and more in the army. That evening we had time to relax, pack and hang out with our friends

 

Monday morning was our first day of options and I chose to learn about Israel and the environment. We first visited the Hava & Adam Ecological Farm which focuses on education and sustainability. We first got a tour of the farm and got to see how they have built their farm in a green manner using mud and manure as walls, compost toilets and more. They also have a solar panel for energy and many other aspects that make this a very ecological farm. After our tour we got a chance to make our own lavender oil even grinding our own lavender and I'm looking forward to using it. We then went to The Ayalon Recycling Park and learned about the process of garbage disposal and what the plant is doing in order to minimize the amount of garbage that is sent down to the main site in the Negev. Probably the most interesting part was the visitor's center where most of the furniture and decorations is made out of recycled materials (chairs out of slides, garbage cans and signs made out of old furniture etc.). After our tour there we went to the Holon Cinematheque to see the Israeli movie "Lost Islands". It was a movie made in 2008 about two twin boys growing up in the 1980's in Israel and their families. Throughout the movie the characters learned about love to one another and a significant other, loyalty and attempting to fulfill ones dreams without giving up to much. Personally I thought it was a very well done movie, using great background sounds and making us laugh throughout most of the movie. For dinner that evening we went to the Azrieli Mall in Tell Aviv and I had a great Chinese food dinner.

 

Tuesday was our second day of choices and I chose to learn about Israel and politics. We started off the day by taking a tour of the Israeli Supreme Court. The building is just 20 years old and is a beautiful and stunning building with great views and lots of symbolism throughout. While there we learned about the judicial system and the differences from the US judicial system and it was very interesting and we also got to see one of the courtrooms. Afterwards we went to the other youth hostel in Jerusalem for a session about the constitution or the lack thereof in Israel. We discussed the pros and cons of having one and then split up into groups discussing various topics that might be in a constitution such as symbols and the anthem. Our last stop of the afternoon was The Gush Katif Museum. This museum commemorates the disengagement from Gaza in 2005 and the lost of the settlements and lives there. Our guide had lived in the Gaza strip for 23 years and raised his family of 9 kids there so this for sure added a different level to our visit. Prior to visiting the museum and did not fully understand about the disengagement and its effects but throughout our time there I really got to see what the evacuation had done to all the families living. We learned about the buildup of the various settlements and saw pictures from prior to 2005 as well as pictures, videos and artifacts from during and after the disengagement. Our guide also told us his story of after the disengagement they were put up in a hotel in Jerusalem for what was supposed to be 10 days but turned out to be 7 months of hardship and he us told us that when some of friends had looked into their storage boxes a lot of their belonging were not useable. As well, the graves were dug up and reburied and beautiful homes, synagogues and Yeshivas were destroyed. The worst part is that the disengagement did not achieve much and many people are still not in a stable home almost 5 years later.

 

That evening was most likely one of the best so far on Nativ. We went to the Nalaga'at Canter to see the play "Not by Bread Alone." The show is about baking bread (kneading, raising and baking) and how you cannot live on bread alone but you also need love, company, to have dreams and more. The special thing about the actors is that they are deaf, blind or deaf and blind so it was very interesting how those could not speak signed to those who could speak to speak for them or they signed and a translator spoke what they were signing. Those who could speak spoke but they were blind so they had to rely on others to help them wither their sight. It was a wonderful thing to see everyone helping one another whether it was moving around on the stage or speaking. As well there was Hebrew, English and Russian subtitles as well as someone signing so really anyone could understand the play. Throughout the process of the play as mentioned before they baked bread so after the play was over we got to meet some of the actors and eat hot, fresh, baked bread which was delicious. The show and actors were truly amazing and inspiring and it made me realize that such simple things, sight and hearing, which I take for granted others are not so fortunate. At the Nalaga'at Centre there is also a café with deaf waiters and a restaurant called Black Out where you eat in the dark and has blind waiters. As you can see it was a great evening and a great way to end The Israel Today Seminar.

 

Wednesday morning was spent having orientation for Kibbutz learning about the job opportunities, meals and more. The afternoon we packed and enjoyed our last day in Jerusalem before leaving for Negev Tiyul.

 

Until then,

B'ahava,

Ayelet

 

You Seriously Want to Date a Stone Wall-Week 2 in Ελλάδα (Greece)

Sunday we started by visiting Syntagma metro station to view some artifacts that where found while excavating for the subway. Some things that were found were bones in grave and roman aqueducts. We then went to Syntagma square to watch the changing of the Evzone guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  The whole routine was quite comical especially with their very funny outfits. However probably one of the funniest things is at one point someone went to take a picture with one of the guards and he started laughing and so did we all.  Now these guards are supposed to stand still for their allotted time and not move or smile so seeing him laugh was just hilarious and he had to take a breather in his post box.  After an amusing morning we went to grab lunch and something hot to drink because it was cold and rainy (lox sandwich and hot chocolate).  We then went to the new Acropolis museum which houses all the artifacts that were found while excavating the area as well as showcasing an Athenian village that was discovered during construction. The museum was very crowded because it is so new but we still got to see everything that we wanted which was amazing. I couldn't believe the vast amount of artifacts found and how grand some of the statuses are. We then did some shopping before continuing on to see Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Both were amazing and it was interesting to see how elaborate they were building thousands of years ago. We then went to the Panathinaiko Stadium where sports for both the ancient and modern Olympics were held.  Afterwards we took a stroll back to the Plaka to look around before heading to the hotel to rest. For dinner we went to this very good restaurant where I had fried eggplant with feta and tomatoes.

Here are the 5 videos of the changing of the guards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5




Monday morning we started by visiting Mt. Lycabettus. This mountain is the highest in Athens and from it you can see all of Athens and even sometimes the island of Aegina. We took a steep cable car ride up to the top of the mountain and then looked at the amazing view. It was nice to see from high above the whole city as well as all the sites that we had seen. After the cable car ride down we went to this vegetarian friendly restaurant and it was so nice to have lots of options; I chose a sundried tomato and mozzarella sandwich which was great. We then walked to the National Archeological Museum which is both the largest archaeological museum in Greece and houses some of the most important artifacts from all over Greece.  It was a great museum seeing all the artifacts and it was a great way to end our 2nd to last day in Athens. Afterwards we headed to the hotel to rest and then went for dinner (spaghetti with tomato sauce, vegetables and tuna fish).



Tuesday we woke up early to go the island of Aegina. After a short (45 minutes) hydrofoil ride we arrived on the island and started exploring. Our first stop was the Temple of Aphaia on the other side of the island.  After figuring out which bus we needed to take (it was hard because everyone only spoke Greek and we spoke none), we arrived at the remnants of this temple.  This temple was nothing real special because we had seen so many but the surrounding view was amazing. After we got back to the main town we stopped to get some hot chocolate because it was so cold outside as well as some pistachios which this island is famous for.  After we went to the local archeological museum and also saw the acropolis of Aegina and part of the ancient town of Aegina. One of the coolest things we saw though was a mosaic floor from the local synagogue, so it was nice to see that there once was an active Jewish community here. Due to us having some to time to kill before we caught the next ferry back, Ari and I decided to be kids again and play in the local playground which was a blast.  After the ferry ride back and arriving back at the hotel, we decided to save money and have a picnic dinner of the food that we had left.



Wednesday was our last day in Athens and Greece, so we took it easy. After we woke up, we took a double decker bus sightseeing tour of Athens. The bus was a nice ending to our time here and it was great to sit back and learn some more information about the sites we saw and to see them one last time. Afterwards we headed to the Plaka to do souvenir shopping and Ari and I both got some great stuff for ourselves and our family and friends back home. We then went back to the hotel to pack and relax before dinner. Tonight for dinner we went back to one of the places that we went to last week because it was so good; tonight I got a Caesar salad with salmon which was amazing. We then went back to finish packing and get to bed early because we were leaving early for Israel Thursday.



Thursday we flew back to Israel mid-morning. The flight was uneventful but most of the flight contained a Greek Orthodox pilgrimage group, so I sat next to this nice Greek couple. When we got back to Israel and Beit Nativ, we got out rooms back, unpacked and settled down. It was great to see all my friends that I had missed.



Greece as you can tell was an amazing trip! I saw so much s well as learning a lot. Food wise I survived but I don't know if I want to eat another Greek salad for a while!



Until February 10th when we arrive on Kibbutz, we will spent Sunday-Tuesday experiencing Israel through a various lenses during Israel Today Seminar. Wednesday will be spent packing, saying goodbye to Jerusalem and having orientation for the 2nd semester. Thursday we leave for Negev Tiyul where we will be hiking, spending time in Eilat and more. I can't believe though that it's almost February which means Nativ is half over but I will be taking every opportunity that I have to enjoy the time that I have left.




Here are the pictures from the first week, enjoy!



Until next time,

με αγάπη, (with love in Greek)

Ayelet

A Bug Flew Into My Mouth-Week 1 in Ελλάδα (Greece)

From January 14th-28th we had off to do what we wanted to; some went home, some stayed in Israel, while others traveled to Italy and Greece. I headed to Greece with two of my friends, Ari and Ethan. We did not leave until the Sunday though because I was spending the weekend with my Abba. Thursday evening I finally got to see Abba which was very exciting. Friday we went on a bit of a shopping spree for various gifts before getting ready for Shabbat. Shabbat was really great because I was spending it with Abba, as well as eating meals at various friends' houses. Motzei Shabbat well finishing packing Abba took a couple of my friends and me for dinner at Café Hillel which was a great way to end my time in Jerusalem. It was then time to say goodbye to Abba because in a few hours I was heading to Greece.



Sunday very early in the morning (2:45 AM), we headed to the airport to catch our flight. Due to being there early we had enough time to go to the Kosher McDonalds and I got a hamburger.  After a short but early flight we landed in Athens and we then took a taxi by a very nice and helpful taxi driver to our hotel which is quite nice. Due to our lack of sleep we spent much of the day sleeping but we did walk around the Plaka which is the main square. We checked out many of the cool stores and had an early dinner (Greek salad and tzatziki) before heading back to the hotel.



Monday after a restful night's sleep we headed out to start seeing the sights that Athens has to offer. We started off at the Kerameikos of Ancient Athens. Here was one of the largest districts in Ancient Athens but this area is most known as being a very important cemetery with tombs dating back to the Bronze Age. Next we headed to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Temple of Athena Nike, The Beulé Gate and The Propyalea.  We found out that for a lot of the sites we are able to get in for free because we are under 19 and don't have to pay 12€. It was really amazing to see these sites which are so old and also very rich in history. As well because I have learned about Ancient Greece a lot in school it was cool to see what I've learned about in person. Next we went to the Ancient Agora (market place) and saw a temple and a stoa. The agora was both a place of business as well as a place of assembly. We then headed back to the Plaka to grab a quick bite to eat (Greek salad) and then it was back to the hotel to rest because most of the sites and museums close at 3. In the evening we headed back to the Plaka for dinner (spaghetti with tomatoes, basil and cheese) and after exploring the area a bit more we went to Haagen Dazs for fondue which was amazing. The fondue consisted of little balls of ice cream of different flavors, fruit, cookies, brownies and nuts and we dipped this all in chocolate...so good. It was then an early night to bed because we were waking up at 5:45 to go to Delphi.



Tuesday was our first day trip out of Athens which was to Delphi. Delphi is most well known for its oracle. After a 3 hour bus ride through the beautiful mountains and the surrounding area, we arrived and walked to see the sites. We started off at the archeological museum seeing lots of the artifacts from the excavation of the area. Next we saw the Sanctuary of Athena, the Tholos and gymnasium. Then we went to the main area of Ancient Delphi and saw such sites as the Treasury of the Athenians and the Temple of Apollo. It was really cool to see all these sites and to think what it would have been like to see it active. It then started hailing and raining so we caught the next bus back to Athens. When we got back we grabbed dinner to eat at the hotel (spaghetti again) before heading to bed early.



Wednesday we toured some of the local museums. We started at the War Museum which was pretty neat. I was a bit lost though because some of the information was only in Greek and I also did not fully know Greece's history. Despite this I enjoyed looking at the weapons, outfits and more.  The best part was probably when one of the soldiers gave each of us 4 postcards of various soldiers for free. We then went to the Jewish Museum of Athens which was an amazing museum and it felt great supporting a community that is not as strong as others in the world. In the museum we saw artifacts and costumes for holidays and other events that were a bit different then what we are used to. Afterwards we tried to find a vegetarian restaurant but it did not exist so we got lunch at this small family run restaurant and I got guess what, a Greek salad! We then went to the Greek Popular Musical Instruments museum which was not that great. It was very small and just not that interesting or captivating. It was then back to the area around the Plaka for some more shopping and just strolling in this beautiful country. After heading to the hotel for a bit of a rest we went to the Hard Rock Café for dinner. It was so good and I had salmon with broccoli and mashed potatoes so it was great to have some variety. It was then back to the hotel because we realized that most of the shops close around 6 so unless you want to eat or stay up until 11ish when the bars and clubs open there is not much to do.



Thursday was our 2nd out of Athens trip which was to Cape Sounion. The ride both ways was beautiful because the route was along the coast so seeing the clear, blue sea against the mountains and tiny villages was stunning. In Cape Sounion we saw the Temple of Poseidon which is perched atop a cliff so besides for seeing the temple there are breathtaking views of the surrounding area. Due to the time of the year there was nothing else to do so we caught the next bus to Athens. When we got back, due to it being 5 we went to the hotel to put down our stuff before heading for dinner. Tonight due to the rain we went to a restaurant right down the street from the hotel which was really good and I got cheese ravioli with pesto and parmesan. For desert I had chocolate mousse with strawberries and they gave us free appletinis.



Friday we slept in and then got ready for Shabbat. Before we left Israel I had organized with the Chabad here in Athens to have Shabbat dinner and lunch with them. Friday after resting for the day we got ready for Shabbat and walked over to the main Shul in Athens. It was a quick walk and once we got there Ari and I were ushered upstairs onto the balcony for tiffilot. Friday night tiffilot were quite short because there was no minyan and they also did everything out load. While we were up there we were able to look around and admire how beautiful the synagogue is as well as admire the dress of the rabbis (black kitels with gold stripes and a black hat). After tiffilot we walked back to Rabbi Hendel's house for dinner where we met his lovely wife and his 3 adorable children, as well as a very nice family from New York who were visiting Athens on their way to Israel. While talking to Rabbi Hendel and his wife, Nehama were told that they have been in Athens for 9 years and while there are around 3000 Jews in Athens they are spread out all over the city so it is very hard to bring everyone together which is why it is hard at times to get a minyan.  Dinner was very delicious and it was great to have a home cooked meal as well as some meat. After dinner we walked back to the hotel to relax.



Shabbat morning we got up and headed back to shul. Once again it was a quick service with parts that we did not understand because it is a Sephardic shul. We also were able to realize that the average age was around 80 and the shul seemed like a tourist attraction because there lots of people in pants and there were some cell phone ringing. As well we saw that despite being a Sephardic shul they had Ashkenazi torahs and Rabbi Hendel told us he torahs were ones that where rescued from the war. After shul we went back to Rabbi Hendel's house for lunch which was once again delicious and then it was back to the hotel to rest. After Shabbat we headed out for dinner (Greek salad and we shared tzatziki and fried cheese) and then walked around a bit.



Here are the pictures from the first week, enjoy!



Until next time,

με αγάπη, (with love in Greek)

Ayelet

Digging in the Dirt

This past week was Israel Experience week and we had four different options: Poland (for those who had never been), volunteering in Haifa, Gadna (army simulation), or an archaeological dig which is what I chose to do. For the week in the morning we were working under the Israel Antiquity Association and were digging in ancient Tibereias and dug up part of the roman theater and in the afternoon we toured and hiked around the area. The great thing about this dig is that it is an active dig site meaning that only archaeologists and others who are working on the site are allowed, no visitors or tourists. So this is a rare opportunity that we had.   

 

Sunday after a longish drive up we arrived where we would be digging for the week. There we had lunch and took a brief tour of where will be digging and the surrounding area. The theatre that will be excavating was underground completely and when they started the excavation they found an Arab house but removed it to start excavating the theatre. We also saw the remnants of an earthquake in 749 CE and the damage can still be seen. As well we saw a roman bath house that was excavated previously.  We then went to our hostel, Karei Deshe, which was more like a resort to unwind. Sunday afternoon/evening we hung out at the beach, went into Tibereas for some free time and after a great dinner we headed to bed by 8:30 so we were rested for the long days ahead of us. 

 

Monday after a very early wake up (6:00), we headed off to the site and started the day seeing the southern gate and entrance to roman tiberias. Afterwards we walked to the theater but we could not dig because a camera blimp was taking an aerial shot of the site in an hour or so, so in the mean time we swept the area and cleared away buckets of dirt and rocks. After a bit of doing that we headed to Migdal to do some excavation of the site there and get our anxious hands on some ancient artifacts. In Migdal we helped with the excavation of a 2nd temple period synagogue and this is only the 7th found from this period outside of Jerusalem. One of the most important artifacts found from this synagogue was the oldest picture of a Menorah outside of Jerusalem. As well the synagogues in this time period were used mostly for study because pray was done only in Jerusalem in the Beit HaMikdash. When we were digging we found lots of pottery and even some almost whole pieces. It was a lot of fun to finally be able to start digging and thinking that we are one of the first people to be touching these artifacts in thousands of years. 

In the afternoon we headed Beit She'an National Park to see the remnants of Roman and Byzantine Beit She'an that was uncovered over various periods of time.  We saw the ancient theater (which is what the one in Tiberias might look like), bath houses, public toilets, whore houses and more; And it was pretty cool to see a whole site excavated and get a better idea what goes into excavating a whole site.  We also got a better picture of the damage from the earthquake and we were told that when they were excavating they found a women's arm of someone who was probably escaping.  All in all it was a long and exhausting but I'm looking forward to the days ahead. When we got back to our 'resort' we chilled and had dinner and it was another early night to bed. 

     
 

Tuesday we headed to the theatre to start our work there. I was excited to improve the skills I used yesterday, to get dirty and see how much work we could get done in 3 days. After splitting into groups of 4 we were assigned our area that we would be digging in for the next days. My group was assigned to a section behind the stage right on the edge of where one can see the earthquakes effect. Our task was to dig and see what effect the earthquake had on this section and we were very excited that we got assigned this part. Over the course of the day we did not dig that deep but over the 4 hours we did make a decent dent and found lots of pottery (jug handles, iron, glass, and various sizes of pottery that was part of jugs and pots). We even saw that some of the pieces were burnt which meant they were used way back when. We were also told by Gilad, our guide for the week at the site, that some of the pieces were burnt because of the Arab houses that were on top so we are finding artifacts from both periods. It was lots of fun and I could not wait to get back the next day and see what else we could find but we were all pleased with our days work.      

In the afternoon we took a hike around Nahal Tavor and the surrounding area. It was a nice hike but due to all of us being tired from digging it was a bit hard. I'm glad though that we got to see this beautiful area that was so lush, green and looked a bit like Ireland; and it is not every day that you get to see something like this in Israel.   Once again when we got back we chilled, took showers and had dinner and then it was another early night to bed. 

 

Wednesday we left our hostel because Wednesday night we were staying at a surprise location. It was back to the dig site to continue our work that we had started yesterday. Due to the fact that we already had dug yesterday it was a lot easier today and we were able to get more done. We did not find as much as yesterday but we did find lots of bones probably from a small animal.     

In the afternoon we headed to the ancient city of Gamla. Gamla in 66 CE joined the revolt against the Romans but it was first breached in 67 CE by the Romans but the Jews who lived there would not go down easily and killed most of the Roman soldiers. However a few days later the Roman successfully breached the walls of the Gamla and killed over 9 thousand Jews, both inhabitants and those from surrounding areas who find refuge here during the revolt. After this Gamla was lost for 1900 years until 1968 when it was rediscovered. Over the next 20 years it was excavated and lots of evidence was found that proved that this site was in fact the lost city of Gamla as well as a fierce battle (arrow heads and ballista balls) between the Jews and Romans. It was interesting to see especially because our guide was one of the archaeologists who helped excavate the site.  It was then off to our surprise location for the evening, The King Solomon Hotel. It was such a nice treat and I even got to take a nice long bath and which helped relieve some of my sore muscles. Once again it was an early night so we could get some sleep and energy for our final day     

 
 

Thursday was our last day of digging which was quite sad but we were very motivated to get as much done as possible. Throughout the morning we got a lot of digging done and even found part of a wall and some lots of pottery; some of the pottery was even wedged into the wall. We even got hats with the Israel Antiquity Association symbol on it which was really nice of them. Looking back on the week, I'm so glad that I chose this option because it was so much fun and I had an amazing time. I'm hoping that maybe when we come on our Northern Tiyul we will be able to come back and see how much has been accomplished. 

 

This weekend I will be spending it with my Abba which I'm looking forward to so much. Then Sunday morning I will be heading to Greece until January 28th which should be an amazing trip and I will take lots of pictures.

 

Here are some pictures of the dig and the trips.

 

Until then,        

B'ahava,

Ayelet