First Week at Haifa University

Shalom from the University of Haifa!
I have been having a really busy week, but am really enjoying my time in Israel so far. After a tiring and hectic move-in on Sunday, I went on an organized tour around campus that also took us into the city of Haifa. We found a few good places for lunch and ice cream, and experienced the only underground subway in the country (!) which literally goes down the side of Mount Carmel, and felt more like a roller coaster than a train. We shopped around another shuk in the center of Haifa, where we began the rigorous task of food shopping for our apartments.
On Monday morning we took a Hebrew exam in order to place us in the appropriate levels of Hebrew study for the rest of the Ulpan. I ended up placing in the third level (out of six) which was a delightful surprise since I haven’t spoken a word of Hebrew since 10th grade at Prozdor. So far, I am enjoying the class, realizing that Hebrew immersion is the only way to truly absorb the language, which will make it increasingly easier to live within the Hebrew-speaking world.
On Tuesday, the International students were given the opportunity to visit the Ghetto Fighters Museum, which illustrates the struggle of those who survived the Holocaust. The museum was beautiful and very informative, and, unlike most other exhibits on the topic, gave a message of hope for survival through such tragedies.
Meanwhile, I have been meeting a lot of great people from around the country, and we’ve been shopping and touring and cooking together. Luckily, all the students are really friendly and it has been great getting to know everyone.
Besides food shopping, my friends and I have had some other opportunities to go into Haifa for dinner, both in a large group of students as well as just a few of us. Mercaz HaCarmel is the center of Haifa, and is really easy to navigate. There are a lot of cute shops and eateries, which makes going into the city very fun and exciting.
Clearly, this is a very abbreviated version of my week, but there will soon be pictures of all the adventures I plan to have… hope all is well back home!

Lots of love,
Elyse

Arrival in Haifa

It is now Saturday night, a little after 9 p.m., and Debby and I have just finished our first Shabbat in Israel. We are staying at a family friend's house in Ra'anan, a town north of Tel Aviv, which seems to be made up of many people who have made aliyah to Israel and still maintain their English, which was very helpful for Debby and me.
Our flights were very smooth, despite our 2 hour delay in Boston due to one of the engines failing. Although Debby and I were sure we were going to miss our connecting flight from London to Tel Aviv, we ended up sprinting through Heathrow airport in under 40 minutes, and made the trip very successful.
When we got to Tel Aviv, we met with an old friend of my dad's, named Sue Gordon, whose hosting us for the weekend. She picked us up at the airport and gave us our first tour of Israel on the ride to Ra'anan. After two days of traveling, Debby and I slept for almost 13 hours straight.
Friday morning we woke up and spent the day in Tel Aviv with Sue, shopping at a shuk (marketplace), which had rows and rows of fresh fruits and vegetables, clothing, cigarettes, fish, along with handmade Judaica. After some shopping, we walked along the beach and got our first taste of the Mediterranian Sea. Although it wasn't sunny out, it was in the high 60s, which was an amazing break from snowy Massachusetts.
Friday evening we got ready for Shabbat, and walked to the local Orthodox temple, where Debby and I sat with Michal, Sue and her husband's oldest daughter, in the upper level of the synagogue, since men and women are not seated together during temple. After the short services, we walked back home for a traditional Shabbat dinner. Sue and her family are Shomer Shabbat, which means they don't use electricity during the Jewish day of rest, so we spent the evening reading before the timer on the lights shut off.
Our first Shabbat was very relaxing; Debby and I decided to sleep in instead of going to temple in the morning, and then ate a big lunch, followed by some more reading and resting until dinner.
Tomorrow morning we are headed to move onto our campus at Haifa University, so the next update will be coming to you from the top of Mount Carmel!

Love and miss,
Elyse

Spring 2009

As many of you may know, I am studying in Israel at the University of Haifa for the upcoming spring semester. I plan to leave January 21st, and come home on June 9th. I have set up this blog so that I am easily able to update everyone who wishes to be informed about what I'm up to while I'm away, so feel free to check at your leasure! Hopefully, I will also be able to post pictures once I figure out how exactly to do so.
I know I'm going to miss everyone SO much, so please post replies! I would love to hear about what's going on while I'm away, so the more the merrier. You can also email me at ebhorowi@student.umass.edu, which I will be checking constantly throughout my trip.
If any of you are planning to be in Israel in the coming months, let me know!

Elyse