This evening marks the beginning of an important series of Israeli holidays which are to come in the next few weeks. Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) starts at sundown tonight, and continues until sundown tomorrow night. Less than a week later comes Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzma'ut (Israel Independence Day). The first two are somber holidays, so much so that a siren rings out through the entire country, stopping all activities to elicit Israelis to stand silently and remember the ones who have fallen for the sake of the Jewish people.
To start Yom HaShoah, the International school organized a second-generation Holocaust survivor to come and speak to us. As I listened, I decided that it was one of the most influential things I had done thus far in Israel. Oranit seemed to be in her upper 50s, and had the most soothing voice I had ever heard. She spoke so matter-of-factly about her parent's experiences during the Holocaust that it was hard to imagine how they actually lived through it. It would be a failed attempt for me to even try to recreate anything that she said, but I will mention some points that stuck out in my mind.
She started off by telling us that her parents considered themselves 'graduates' of the Holocaust, not survivors, and that there is no one who truly survives such an experience. Both parents were lucky enough to escape the lives of concentration camps, but, since they were young children when the war started, their disturbed childhood persisted as they became adults. Oranit described her mother as a 'fixer' - she could not handle what was going on in her mind, so she set off to fix the problems of others instead. This lifestyle landed her in mental hospitals many times, but she later became a painter, and used beautiful landscapes and still life to suppress her memories of losing her father and fleeing from the Nazis.
Oranit's parent's marriage only lasted for five years, which she believes was typical of those who lived through the Holocaust. Her father was violent, and built a wall between himself and everyone else around him. Because of this, Oranit felt that she grew up with very little nurturing and love, and says she is only just beginning to learn about herself. Throughout her speaking, she encouraged people to ask questions, so I decided to ask about her feelings towards Yom HaShoah, knowing that the Holocaust is a part of her daily life. Of course, she replied that this is a question she hoped no one would ask... oops. Anyway, she went on to explain that thinking about the Holocaust is like looking at a picture book - usually, it is important to keep the book closed, and on a shelf, and not to plaster the pictures all over our walls and live with the pain of them. However, we also need to open the album and take a look at the pictures every so often.
I know that tomorrow and next week will bring a very different perspective to being in Israel, so I will post more once it happens...
Lots of love,
Elyse
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Day Trips
Since it is still spring break here at Haifa University, I have been going to a few more places around the northern area of the country that I have yet to see. On Monday, I traveled with Debby to Old Akko, a beautiful port city. Akko is mostly inhabited now by Muslims and Arabs, and is a huge tourist attraction because of its ancient buildings and breathtaking landscape.
Debby and I first went to look at the Al-Jazzar Mosque, which was built in 1781 (according to my trusty guidebook), but were not allowed in because we were considered "naked" in only shorts and t-shirts. Luckily, many of the sites in Old Akko are close to each other, so we kept walking until we found the Citadel, which proved to be the main attraction of the day. This massive structure was built and rebuilt for many years, with tunnels and grand hallways. Part of the Citadel was actually used as a prison for Zionist leader Vladimir Jabotinsky in the 1920s. The size of the Citadel was unbelievable - even more still that it stands to this day.
After viewing the Citadel, Debby and I decided to take a taxi to Rosh Hanikra, which is a beautiful area near the border of Israel and Lebanon. We took a cable car ride down the side of the white cliffs overlooking the clearest water I have ever seen, which ended at the Grottos which developed in the sides of the cliffs. At this point, it was getting late, and neither Debby nor I had eaten all day (the only Kosher for Passover food we saw was in a vending machine), so we decided to head home to the University.
The next morning, Debby's Israeli roommate Keshet invited us to spend the day with her family in the Carmel National Park, near Haifa University. Since it is Passover break, most children have no school, and work hours are much more flexible. Keshet and her parents picked us up at the University, and we met up with two other families at the park for a Passover picnic. It was so nice to be around families again, and Debby and I were able to use some of our Hebrew to talk to everyone. We ended up staying for hours, relishing in the ability to relax in the park on a Tuesday afternoon. If there is one thing that I have learned from studying in Israel, it is how to relax!
Unfortunately, the past two days have been a lot cooler and even rainy, so I haven't done much touring. However, spring break has left me in a very 'sieze-the-day' morale, so I will hopefully be planning many more day trips to come!
Lots of love,
Elyse
Debby and I first went to look at the Al-Jazzar Mosque, which was built in 1781 (according to my trusty guidebook), but were not allowed in because we were considered "naked" in only shorts and t-shirts. Luckily, many of the sites in Old Akko are close to each other, so we kept walking until we found the Citadel, which proved to be the main attraction of the day. This massive structure was built and rebuilt for many years, with tunnels and grand hallways. Part of the Citadel was actually used as a prison for Zionist leader Vladimir Jabotinsky in the 1920s. The size of the Citadel was unbelievable - even more still that it stands to this day.
After viewing the Citadel, Debby and I decided to take a taxi to Rosh Hanikra, which is a beautiful area near the border of Israel and Lebanon. We took a cable car ride down the side of the white cliffs overlooking the clearest water I have ever seen, which ended at the Grottos which developed in the sides of the cliffs. At this point, it was getting late, and neither Debby nor I had eaten all day (the only Kosher for Passover food we saw was in a vending machine), so we decided to head home to the University.
The next morning, Debby's Israeli roommate Keshet invited us to spend the day with her family in the Carmel National Park, near Haifa University. Since it is Passover break, most children have no school, and work hours are much more flexible. Keshet and her parents picked us up at the University, and we met up with two other families at the park for a Passover picnic. It was so nice to be around families again, and Debby and I were able to use some of our Hebrew to talk to everyone. We ended up staying for hours, relishing in the ability to relax in the park on a Tuesday afternoon. If there is one thing that I have learned from studying in Israel, it is how to relax!
Unfortunately, the past two days have been a lot cooler and even rainy, so I haven't done much touring. However, spring break has left me in a very 'sieze-the-day' morale, so I will hopefully be planning many more day trips to come!
Lots of love,
Elyse
Monday, April 13, 2009
"This Year In Jerusalem...!"
Needless to say, being able to spend one of my favorite Jewish holidays in Israel is something I never thought I would get to experience. While it is difficult to be so far from home on what is traditionally a family holiday, experiencing a Passover in Israel is like nothing else.
Last Tuesday I went food shopping in Mercaz HaCarmel to get ready for the holiday, and found the supermarket like the Natick Mall on the day before Christmas. I managed to make my way through the aisles to do my Passover shopping, all the while marveling at the fact that all things Hametz (bread or other things forbidden on Passover) were covered with plastic sheets and taped off. Later that evening, I headed to Ra'anana, a town north of Tel Aviv, where I would be having seder (literally means order, figuratively refers to the big dinners held on Passover) with some family friends.
On Wednesday night, the official start of Passover, I had my first seder in Israel, and even read from the Hagaddah (prayer book) in Hebrew, with vowels of course...!! The rest of the evening was fairly similar to my usual family seders at home, with a meal that resembled a Thanksgiving feast, complete with four cups of wine. Since the holiday didn't begin until after sunset on Wednesday night, our seder lasted until after 1 in the morning, at which point we all went to sleep to prepare for shul early the next morning!
After the end of the holiday on Thursday night, I met up with Abraham, a friend of mine studying in Italy for the semester who came to Israel for Passover. Together we took the bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and met up with Miriam at Hebrew University, where we stayed for the night. It was so nice to see so many friends! Friday morning we all woke up and took a bus to Emek Refaim, a street near the Old City in Jerusalem, where we were able to eat a meal in a Kosher for Passover restaurant - definitely one of the highlights of spending the holiday in Israel! Abraham and I said goodbye to Miriam, and headed to the home of another friend's family, where we were being hosted for the night. We walked along Emek Refaim before getting ready for Shabbat, and then had a nice hot meal after Friday night shul.
Saturday morning we woke early and walked to the Kotel to observe Shabbat Chol HaMoed (the Shabbat after a holiday) in the holiest site in the world. We stayed at the Western Wall for a little while, and then headed back to Emek Refaim for a more traditional Shabbat morning service at Shira Hadashah, a synagogue which is known for its beautiful singing, and then walked back to our hosts for lunch and relaxing for the rest of Shabbat.
After Shabbat ended, we hopped on a bus and came back up to Haifa, and then spent Sunday on the Haifa beach and shopping in Mercaz HaCarmel before Abraham's flight back to Italy early Monday morning. It was great to spend the first half of Passover in the company of such good friends!
Much more to come on the rest of my spring break! Happy Passover to all!
Lots of love,
Elyse
Last Tuesday I went food shopping in Mercaz HaCarmel to get ready for the holiday, and found the supermarket like the Natick Mall on the day before Christmas. I managed to make my way through the aisles to do my Passover shopping, all the while marveling at the fact that all things Hametz (bread or other things forbidden on Passover) were covered with plastic sheets and taped off. Later that evening, I headed to Ra'anana, a town north of Tel Aviv, where I would be having seder (literally means order, figuratively refers to the big dinners held on Passover) with some family friends.
On Wednesday night, the official start of Passover, I had my first seder in Israel, and even read from the Hagaddah (prayer book) in Hebrew, with vowels of course...!! The rest of the evening was fairly similar to my usual family seders at home, with a meal that resembled a Thanksgiving feast, complete with four cups of wine. Since the holiday didn't begin until after sunset on Wednesday night, our seder lasted until after 1 in the morning, at which point we all went to sleep to prepare for shul early the next morning!
After the end of the holiday on Thursday night, I met up with Abraham, a friend of mine studying in Italy for the semester who came to Israel for Passover. Together we took the bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and met up with Miriam at Hebrew University, where we stayed for the night. It was so nice to see so many friends! Friday morning we all woke up and took a bus to Emek Refaim, a street near the Old City in Jerusalem, where we were able to eat a meal in a Kosher for Passover restaurant - definitely one of the highlights of spending the holiday in Israel! Abraham and I said goodbye to Miriam, and headed to the home of another friend's family, where we were being hosted for the night. We walked along Emek Refaim before getting ready for Shabbat, and then had a nice hot meal after Friday night shul.
Saturday morning we woke early and walked to the Kotel to observe Shabbat Chol HaMoed (the Shabbat after a holiday) in the holiest site in the world. We stayed at the Western Wall for a little while, and then headed back to Emek Refaim for a more traditional Shabbat morning service at Shira Hadashah, a synagogue which is known for its beautiful singing, and then walked back to our hosts for lunch and relaxing for the rest of Shabbat.
After Shabbat ended, we hopped on a bus and came back up to Haifa, and then spent Sunday on the Haifa beach and shopping in Mercaz HaCarmel before Abraham's flight back to Italy early Monday morning. It was great to spend the first half of Passover in the company of such good friends!
Much more to come on the rest of my spring break! Happy Passover to all!
Lots of love,
Elyse
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Kibbutz Geva
Last Sunday I had the pleasure of going with Miriam to the Kibbutz that her mother lived on for the time that she was in Israel, located in the Gilboa region of the north. Kibbutzim are communities of families which live and work together, and share all possessions. Kibbutzim were first developed in the early 1900s when Zionist Jews came to Israel to begin their lives, and learned that living together was a good means of survival. Kibbutz Geva used to be one of the major providers of chocolate in Israel, but now produces metal pistons. The Kibbutz employs all of the people who live there, either in the factory, school, kitchen and dining room, or with other work, such as laundry and gardening. Geva is also home to hundreds of cows and sheep, which are milked for drinking and making cheese.
The members of Geva also share a very large bank account - there are no salaries, and no doctor's bills or rent to be paid. Each year, a family receives a budget, which is supposed to be enough to include all expenses. In order to become a member of Geva, people must live and work on the Kibbutz for six months, and are then placed before the other residents (Geva has about 600) in a vote. Since the community is so tightly knit, it is very important for all the residents to get along with one another.
Miriam and I stayed with a wonderful couple, Asnat and Richard, who both knew Miriam's mother when she lived on Geva. They took us to the dining hall for our meals, and showed us around the Kibbutz so we could get a better view of how the community lives. The area surrounding Geva is beautiful with lush green fields and forests; the view from Richard and Asnat's home is an unbelievable site! We spent the afternoon walking around the Kibbutz, and then went out for dinner in the nearby town of Afula, before watching the news in Hebrew and heading to bed. As we walked around Geva the next morning, I thought about how sweet and simple life was in the Kibbutz, and how much I would prefer it to the hassle of paper-writing and food shopping! Hopefully I will be able to go back to Geva during my next two months here!
Lots of love,
Elyse
The members of Geva also share a very large bank account - there are no salaries, and no doctor's bills or rent to be paid. Each year, a family receives a budget, which is supposed to be enough to include all expenses. In order to become a member of Geva, people must live and work on the Kibbutz for six months, and are then placed before the other residents (Geva has about 600) in a vote. Since the community is so tightly knit, it is very important for all the residents to get along with one another.
Miriam and I stayed with a wonderful couple, Asnat and Richard, who both knew Miriam's mother when she lived on Geva. They took us to the dining hall for our meals, and showed us around the Kibbutz so we could get a better view of how the community lives. The area surrounding Geva is beautiful with lush green fields and forests; the view from Richard and Asnat's home is an unbelievable site! We spent the afternoon walking around the Kibbutz, and then went out for dinner in the nearby town of Afula, before watching the news in Hebrew and heading to bed. As we walked around Geva the next morning, I thought about how sweet and simple life was in the Kibbutz, and how much I would prefer it to the hassle of paper-writing and food shopping! Hopefully I will be able to go back to Geva during my next two months here!
Lots of love,
Elyse
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Yisrael
Hello to all!!
I realize this post is a week in the making, but hey, better late than never...
After our extreme adventures of last Friday, my friends and I had a restful Shabbat morning, and then went out to our first soccer game in Tel Aviv!
Almost 20 students from the International School at Haifa got tickets to the game, which was against Greece, and we all ordered two big taxis to take all of us to the Ramat-Gan Stadium, which is a little over an hour away from the University. Once we arrived, we walked around and bought some Israeli National Team regalia, including scarves, jerseys, and hats, before heading into the stadium. We were surprised to realize that seating was first-come, first-served, so we took full advantage and sat in the sixth row up from the field near one of the goals.
One of the coolest parts of the night occured even before the game started - since we got to our seats early, we were able to experience all of the pre-game action, including an Israeli flag parade. We also got to hear the Israeli team fight song (even though the only words I understood were Israel, blue, and white), and it was amazing to be sitting in a stadium where everyone was cheering for their home country, which is something that you can only imagine happening at the Olympics.
The excitement before the game started was only enhanced when the Israeli team scored their goal; unfortunately, the game ended in a tie, and Greece overcame Israel in their next game later that week.
We got back to Haifa really late, and I had an academic tour for a class early Sunday morning. My Contemporary Israel class goes on two field trips during the semester to various sites that we talk about in class, and Sunday was our first. We visited Mount Shaul, Mount Barkan, the Kinneret Cemetery, Tiberias, and Mount Arbel, which are all in the Northern Galilee area. It was a really beautiful day, and I got to see a lot of historical sites that I had never visited before, and to see the similarities between Israel in the past and Israel today was really empowering, and I decided that the view of the Kinneret Sea from the coast of Tiberias is one of the most beautiful sites I have ever witnessed. Hopefully, I will be able to go back there again during spring break or another weekend soon.
This week wrapped up the first half of the semester, and we are now on spring break until the end of Passover. While a lot of abroad students generally use this time to travel around Europe, I decided to stay in Israel, not only because everyone says it's an amazing experience over Passover, but also because I want to take full advantage of my time here. I have a lot of lame tourist-y days planned, which I am really excited about, so I will for sure have more fun updates soon!
Hope everyone is enjoying the nicer weather... lots of love...
I realize this post is a week in the making, but hey, better late than never...
After our extreme adventures of last Friday, my friends and I had a restful Shabbat morning, and then went out to our first soccer game in Tel Aviv!
Almost 20 students from the International School at Haifa got tickets to the game, which was against Greece, and we all ordered two big taxis to take all of us to the Ramat-Gan Stadium, which is a little over an hour away from the University. Once we arrived, we walked around and bought some Israeli National Team regalia, including scarves, jerseys, and hats, before heading into the stadium. We were surprised to realize that seating was first-come, first-served, so we took full advantage and sat in the sixth row up from the field near one of the goals.
One of the coolest parts of the night occured even before the game started - since we got to our seats early, we were able to experience all of the pre-game action, including an Israeli flag parade. We also got to hear the Israeli team fight song (even though the only words I understood were Israel, blue, and white), and it was amazing to be sitting in a stadium where everyone was cheering for their home country, which is something that you can only imagine happening at the Olympics.
The excitement before the game started was only enhanced when the Israeli team scored their goal; unfortunately, the game ended in a tie, and Greece overcame Israel in their next game later that week.
We got back to Haifa really late, and I had an academic tour for a class early Sunday morning. My Contemporary Israel class goes on two field trips during the semester to various sites that we talk about in class, and Sunday was our first. We visited Mount Shaul, Mount Barkan, the Kinneret Cemetery, Tiberias, and Mount Arbel, which are all in the Northern Galilee area. It was a really beautiful day, and I got to see a lot of historical sites that I had never visited before, and to see the similarities between Israel in the past and Israel today was really empowering, and I decided that the view of the Kinneret Sea from the coast of Tiberias is one of the most beautiful sites I have ever witnessed. Hopefully, I will be able to go back there again during spring break or another weekend soon.
This week wrapped up the first half of the semester, and we are now on spring break until the end of Passover. While a lot of abroad students generally use this time to travel around Europe, I decided to stay in Israel, not only because everyone says it's an amazing experience over Passover, but also because I want to take full advantage of my time here. I have a lot of lame tourist-y days planned, which I am really excited about, so I will for sure have more fun updates soon!
Hope everyone is enjoying the nicer weather... lots of love...
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