Until we meet again

Well I’ve gathered all my things and have packed them up, but am having a much harder time gathering all my thoughts. I leave for the airport in just a mere couple of hours, and while I’m quite excited to see all my friends and family, have potential jobs that I’m excited about ahead of me, and eat some Mexican food and sushi (the 2 food categories I’ve missed out on the most, despite all the delicious middle eastern food), I can’t help but be sad to leave what I’ve come to know over the past several months behind. While I still can’t see myself actually settling down permanently in Israel for a variety of reasons, I still have learned what a special place it really is. I mean, where else in the world do you watch the Olympics and (on a Saturday) the announcers continually say, “Shabbat Shalom.”

My last week on the farm was wonderful. I did quite a lot of dishes, helping with the hospitality portion of the farm, as well as got to know some really nice Israelis who were staying there for a conference nearby that weekend. I also did a little more painting, and continued helping around the farm. I finally felt confident in making the most basic cheese all by myself, which was fun. And also the farm grandpa, Avi, took me on an awesome tour of the Golan Heights. It’s a beautiful area, but also a place that has seen many recent wars- there are quite a lot of abandoned bunkers around and minefields with fences surrounding them warning you to not go in to them because of the mines. Apparently the mines were put there by the Syrians, so it’s not really worth Israel’s time and effort at the moment to try to dismantle them right now without having a map of where they are (which would have to be given to Israel from Syria). Another day when the 2 new volunteers showed up, he took us all to Nazareth for the afternoon. It was quite interesting with lots of Christian history. We also ate knafe in many different forms at an amazing Arab bakery. Nazareth is apparently one of a handful of cities in Israel known for Arabs and Jews living side by side in relative peace.

Sitting on a Syrian tank from the Yom Kippur war for 1973

Mount Tabor behind me- our stop right before Nazareth

One type of the knafe

The last bit of excitement on the farm for the week was that the family found a viper in the yard. Quite poisonous- glad it didn’t find me first. They said in the 30 years they’ve lived there that they’ve only seen 3. I have a photo of it with its head chopped off, but I’ll save that for viewing off the blog for those interested. Volunteering on an organic farm through WWOOF has been something I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while. I couldn’t be happier with my experience. I feel like it was a wonderful way to see a side of Israel that wasn’t a large populated city as well as to meet the locals. It may have only been 2 weeks out of the 6.5 months that I was here, but it was definitely a major highlight to this trip.

Having fun cleaning out the kids' pen 

After the farm I have been spending my time hanging out with friends and embracing being a tourist. I went to the graduating Bezalel student’s final show and was totally blown away. The ceramic work was phenomenal and a huge inspiration to keep pushing myself. I also went and checked out all of the other departments, and while I enjoyed a lot of it, I was still the most impressed by the ceramic department (I may be biased). The industrial design department was quite impressive, and really fun to wander around and see the products they invented or reinvented the design of. I also toured the City of David (including the tunnel where you wade through water), the tunnels under the Western Wall, and walked around the Mount of Olives.

View of The Old City Jerusalem from Mount of Olives

I can’t say it enough how much of a wonderful experience this has been. I may do one more post once I get home, but if not, thanks everyone for reading my posts! And I’ll see most of you in the very near future J.

Jessica the Goat Whisperer... Not Quite

Up in the Northern part of Israel in the Lower Gallilee, is a magical place called Yarok Az. When I last said I was departing to this farm I was both excited, and thought it had lots of potential, but I was also nervous- mostly about getting off the bus at the right stop and navigating my way to the farm. Luckily both things went more or less as smoothly as I could have hoped, and I have settled in to my temporary home very nicely. The farm is in a village called Moshav Ilaniya, which is fairly close to Tiberias/Nazareth/The Kinneret (The Gallilee). A moshav is different than a kibbutz in that on a kibbutz everything is communal (or it at least used to be that way). But on a moshav everybody owns their own land and does their own work and makes their own money.


My first day I didn't do a whole lot, but I met the family who owns the farm- a husband and wife (Shahar and Hadar) and their 3 little girls, and the wife's father and mother (Avi and Esti, who used to own the farm) also live on the property and the husband, Avi, runs a good portion of the day-to-day operations. I also met 3 other wonderful people who were also volunteering and had gotten here a few days before me. They helped show me the ropes and helped make me feel comfortable here. They are all leaving before me on their own times, so I will possibly be the sole volunteer here for the remainder of my time on the farm. The family is all extremely warm and welcoming also. Not only did they have all us volunteers to their house for Shabbat dinner, but Avi likes to take the volunteers on field trips around the region. When I first got here he took us all for a swim in the Kineret which was very fun and refreshing.

The food that the farm grows is not for profit, so while it's quite large by most people's definition of a garden, it's not a large scale agricultural production. The food is mostly to feed the family, the volunteers, guests that may stay here, and their friends and neighbors. They also have 2 milking goats and 5 kid goats. The goats also produce a fair amount of milk, but again it's not sold. They used to sell their dairy products, but their main source of income right now is the hospitality section of their farm. They have 2 "eco-domes" which people can rent for the night to sleep in. The property is along the way of a popular trail that people hike called, "The Jesus Trail." Basically it's about a 4-day hike people can do that goes to various sites that had significance in Jesus's life. Many hikers will stop here for the night if they are hiking that trail.

The domes and part or the fruit and vegetable garden

The hut I've been living in

Let's get to the magical part though, it goes something like this: want a salad? Go pick it. Want some tea? Go pick some leaves (spearmint, lemon basil, something pepperminty called white micromeria). Want some milk for your cereal? Go milk the goats and boil it. Want some eggs? Go say please and thank you to the chickens. I find it to be a very special thing to be able to sustain ourselves predominantly from the food right outside our back/front doors.

Ready for tea

The past several days I have been working on a mural/border on a wall that they want visitors who hike the Jesus Trail to be able to sign. I can't say it hasn't been awesome to sit around and paint all day. Other things that I do around the farm include weeding, picking the produce to make sure it doesn't get too huge or overripe, stain some wooden boxes, and clean out the extra straw from the goat cages. And honestly the last one could be a little gross, but I found it quite fun. The kids are in their own pen and it's quite hilarious trying to clean up with them in there because they're more or less like little puppies. They're so eager to not only see what you're up to that they stand exactly on what you're trying to clean up, but they are also constantly trying to nibble and lick you.

The border I was painting

Detail shot

The cheesemaking has also been a dream come true for me. Remember way back when I got to Jerusalem many moons ago that I said I had discovered labneh (as I described, a mix between Greek yogurt and cream cheese)? Well I got to learn how to make it, and it is delicious! And I've made milk, yogurt, and a cheese called tsfatit, which I find to be very similar to fresh mozzarella. It's all fairly easy, mostly it's just a process of bringing the milk up to a certain temperature, then bringing it back down to another temperature, and then adding bacteria and possibly some enzymes, depending on what you're making. I haven't had to do any of the measurements, so I don't know exact recipes, but I'm hoping I can replicate some of these at home, now having the basic idea in my head of how it should go.

It's a good thing I already have a ticket home booked, because otherwise I may never have been able to leave this farm.

The yogurt in bottles- similar to kiefer

Making the tsfatit

The tsfatit- 3 of the 5 cheeses from this batch

Sayin hey

Mr. Cock-a-Doodle-Doo running quickly away in fear because he needs a better internal clock
since he cock a doodle doos all the live long day and night

June has already come and gone

Well, as I suspected, time flew by and my program is done, I've had to say goodbye to many of the wonderful new friends I met while here, and I am out of my apartment. I’m not living on the streets, so don’t worry. My friends Rachel and Ben from camp (when I worked there in 2008) have graciously allowed me to use their incredibly beautiful apartment (that overlooks the Israel Museum and the Knesset) as a home base for the rest of my travels here.

Fun fact: because their apartment is near the Knesset (and the President's house), you often hear a motorcade passing with the sirens blaring. Which then means you can effectively say that the Prime Minister and/or President gave you your wake up call for the morning.

Before heading out to their HUC Shabbat dinner

Here’s a look at one of the projects I worked on this semester. The basic explanation is it’s based on the idea of souvenirs and what sort of memories I would want to take home with me from these past months. So I designed “personal souvenirs” that were each based off internal or external body parts to remind me of different aspects of my travels here. For example, the ear has a whistle attached to it to remind me of the Hebrew I heard while here, that while I enjoyed it, sometimes it just sounded like noise.

My personal souvenirs 

There are a few things left on my list of things I’m trying to do before I leave Israel, and one of them was to go to the Hadassah hospital in Ein Kerem and see the [Marc] Chagall Windows. I took the bus there, and they were absolutely gorgeous. Chagall uses a style to make the stained glass have a beautiful watercolor look to it, which is different than most stained glass.

The Chagall Windows at Hadassah Hospital

And now I'm off to Tel Aviv for a couple days to enjoy the beach, and then I'm heading off to the Lower Galilee to participate in WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms but through the WWOOFing Israel section) to volunteer on a farm- Yarok Az. I am both excited and nervous. I hope to see another side of Israel, as well as to learn a bit about organic farming, and most importantly I hope to learn to make goat cheese.

Maybe I'll even get my own photo with a goat

Don't Blink Or You'll Miss It

The weeks are truly passing in the blink of an eye. I feel like every time I turn around it’s another Shabbat. My classes are slowly coming to an end and I am finishing up my projects. Even though when I first arrived it seemed like I had forever here, I knew my time would fly. I have a lot that I am looking forward upon returning to the US, but it’s really hard for me to believe it’s almost time to go home.

A sneak peak at some of my ceramic pieces pre-glazing

Some prints from my etching class

I am sad that my classes are ending; they have been a truly wonderful experience. I have met so many great people, including both the students and the professors, and have been surrounded by so many talented people. I feel like I have learned a lot about myself both as an artist and a person.

Enjoying a night out with friends at Babette's (waffle heaven)

I have 2 more weeks left in my apartment and then a month after that left in Israel. And incase anyone is wondering- it is now hot as blazes here. It’s hard to imagine it was ever freezing and rainy. As many of my new friends start to go home, I am looking forward to some old friends making their ways to Israel. For the month of July I am planning on volunteering on an organic farm for a couple weeks as well as taking in every last delicious olive and bite of falafel that I can before heading home.

The street signs remind me where I am

This is an old picture from when I went to the Kibbutz in the desert, but I like knowing that Becka
and I have been taking photos on Shabbat with each other for 12 years now

Laura's Visit

A few short days later my friend Laura came to visit! Yet another happy surprise that I didn’t know I’d get to have when I first trekked off to Israel. I seem to really love playing tour guide (whether here, or Los Angeles, or Albuquerque, you name it), so this was a blast. It was especially wonderful since Laura had never been to Israel before. We started in Tel Aviv. My roommate Maya and I took the bus there for the weekend (We also celebrated my birthday- 26! Wow!). The 3 of us had a great time walking around the funky artsy section of Neve Tzedek, going to Rabin Square, lounging on the beach, eating a wonderful birthday fish dinner at the Tel Aviv port, and walking around Jaffa.

Enjoying the beach in Tel Aviv

At Kikar Rabin (this sculpture is a Star of David from an aerial view)

We headed back to Jerusalem for the week. I had a wonderful time showing her the sites and seeing this wonderful/often bizarre country through fresh eyes. We filled ourselves silly on hummus and pastries, and she’s such a wonderful explorer that when I had classes I had to just point her in the right direction and she was off exploring the city for herself.

My delicious cheese filled bourekas in the shuk

View of the Western Wall from above from our Old City tour

The Tuesday she was here I played hooky from class and we signed up for a tour for “independent travelers” that took us to Masada, Ein Gedi, and the Dead Sea. First stop at Masada. We hiked the “Snake Path” which is 2mi long and an ascent of 1,300ft. It was blazing hot and quite a hike. I don’t understand how the Romans could possibly have done that with all their equipment. We got to the top and explored a little bit, but determined to not pay for the cable car on the way back down we nearly sprinted back down the snake path to catch our bus.

Thoroughly exhausted, but we made it to the top!

After that we were bussed to Ein Gedi. Ein Gedi is a beautiful nature reserve. Luckily it was not a strenuous hike, but merely a walk and we got to see some beautiful waterfalls.

At the first waterfall

In front of the David waterfall in Ein Gedi

After that we were bussed to the Dead Sea. They took us to a wonderful section that didn’t have too many other people. The Dead Sea has different areas along the water and not all of them have accessible mud. Luckily for us, the mud was right under our feet so we could just dig it up and slather it on.

Soaking up the nutrients in the mud

Friday morning Laura and I bussed it up to Tiberias. The city itself normally isn't a major destination point, but we wanted to see the Sea of Gallilee (Kinneret), and without a car it seemed to be the easiest point to find a place to sleep at night. We had a wonderful (although quite hot) hike with gorgeous views of the Sea. And then with a little effort we found a nice place to go for a dip.

View from our hike

Where we went for a swim

The next day we headed to Tsfat- the city of mystical Judaism/Kaballah. It was a nice city with lots of artists. It’s an interesting place as you see a lot more “hippy Orthodox” than other places.

After that we returned to Jerusalem and Laura took off back to America literally at the crack of dawn the next day.

I only have a handful of weeks left for my classes so I’m working on wrapping up my projects and enjoying the rest of my time in Jerusalem.

Yom Yom Yom Yom!! (i.e. Endless Holidays)

Shortly after my parents left it was Yom HaShoah- Holocaust Memorial Day. The international school I take a class at (Rotherberg International School) had a ceremony where students did readings, played music, and danced. It was a very lovely ceremony. In the morning a siren sounds that everyone in the whole country can hear. No matter what you’re doing, wherever you are, everyone stops for a moment of silence.

Here is a video I found on YouTube of the cars on the freeway coming to a standstill: 

About a week after is Yom HaZikaron- Memorial Day. Unlike in American where for the average person this is a day off work/school for BBQ’s, in Israel it is a very somber day, because of the unfortunate reality of the relatively recent wars that come with the price of living in Israel. Much like on Yom HaShoah there are 2 sirens- 1 the evening of, and 1 in the morning the following day that again stops the whole country in a moment of silence. I went to the Western Wall to attend the main ceremony where President Shimon Peres spoke. I didn’t understand a word of what was said, but I hear it was a very moving speech and regardless, it was nice to be at the ceremony. It was interesting because the wall itself was actually closed off for prayer, which I had never seen before.

Picture borrowed from Jewlicious of the ceremony

View I had of the ceremony

My apartment complex hung an enormous flag down the front of it

As with all Jewish holidays, they start at sunset. So the ceremony was in the evening on the 25^th and the next day (the 26^th) is also the holiday. But that also means that the evening of 26th was the start of Yom HaAtzmaut, which is Israel Independence day. It’s very interesting to see a country go from a day filled with mourning and sadness to a day of celebration. I think that’s sort of the reality of life here. There are a lot of hard realities to face living here, but in spite of it all it doesn’t stop anyone from celebrating. I went in to the center of town with my friends and the place was just swarming with people out celebrating. There was a huge free concert in one of the squares, including a performance by Israeli musician Subliminal (who I know a few songs of his from camp). There was also a DJed dance party for students right outside the Old City. The following day is filled with BBQs which I enjoyed a night of hot dogs and baked beans in my apartment with friends.

A Wonderful Visit from my Parents

I forgot to include this photo for the last post. At the beginning of Passover it is traditional to burn you hametz (leavened bread). I've never actually done this before, and I don't believe people burn full loaves of bread, but usually just throw a few ceremonial pieces into the fire and get rid of the rest by other means (hopefully either donating it or hiding it away until after Passover to be used later). But on our way to the train station to go to Haifa we encountered a good handful of small bonfires just out in the open on the street.

View from our train watching the burning of hametz in an Orthodox neighborhood

A few days into the week of Passover my parents came for a fantastic visit. I had not expected them to visit me while I was here, so it was a wonderful bonus to have them come. We got to experience what it’s like to live in a Jewish city where everything during the week of Passover either shuts down or has to become kosher for Passover. Unfortunately lots of my favorite restaurants don’t bother becoming kosher for Passover (cleaning out all of their leavened bread- which in order to keep your Kosher certificate involves a very lengthy cleaning process) and just close for the week. Though we did find some incredibly delicious restaurants that were either not kosher to begin with, or did the full cleaning process. Both were good- though the verdict on the fake bread products made for Passover (made out of potato flour usually), was a little underwhelming.

Sign on our hotel- your leaved bread is not wanted here! ...and in most of Jerusalem for that matter

There is no shortage of matzah  here though, however.
Matzah as far as the eye can see in the shuk

We had a wonderful time running around Jerusalem, going to the Israel Museum, seeing the new Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower at Hadassah Hospital, the light show at the Tower of David, and enjoying the hustle and bustle at the shuk.

My parents inside the beautiful new Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower of the Hadassah Hospital

My parents and I capturing our reflection in an Anish Kapoor sculpture at the Israel Museum

Then we trekked down south in our rental car (kudos to my parents for braving the streets of Israel!) and covered ourselves in mud at the Dead Sea to reap all the benefits that you supposedly get from the minerals in the mud.

Slathered in mud at the Dead Sea

From there we headed down to Eilat, which would be our docking point to head out to Petra for the day. Petra was absolutely magnificent. It was somewhere that wasn’t necessarily on my radar of places to visit before I came to Israel, but once I got here everyone said it was such a wonderful place to go that I had to do it. It did not disappoint. The place is truly magnificent and has a very interesting history to go with it.

My parents walking in to Jordan

View overlooking Jordan before reaching Petra

In front of the Treasury in Petra

Jordan and Petra were wonderful, but returning back to Israel was also a really wonderful feeling.

Hanging out at the Red Sea in Eilat

After that we returned to Tel Aviv for a little relaxation on the beach, meeting my mom’s cousin who lives in one of the suburbs, and had an informative tour of Jaffa.

It was sad to see them go.

This Year in Jerusalem! AKA Passover

I know I’m long overdue for a new post. I’m going to attempt to knock out a post every day or 2 in order to leave out as little as possible and to catch up to the present day.

Being in Israel and celebrating Jewish holidays is a very unique and special experience. Having been here a few months now and celebrating my fair share (I'm pretty sure there's a holiday once a week here in addition to Shabbat), I’m realizing that being in Israel doesn’t necessarily make the holiday itself more special. In fact, sometimes the way its celebrated in Israel is different enough that the familiarity and lack of family I’m used to make it feel like a whole other celebration, but it is a wonderful experience to see how Jews around the world celebrate it, and to still feel that it is familiar and see how many similarities you have with people you’ve never met before.

Liz and I at the seder

My favorite thing about being in Israel during Passover is that when people tell you “Chag Sameach” (Happy Holidays) at the grocery store or anywhere else, there’s something very nice about hearing it and actually celebrating the holidays they’re referring to. Around Christmas time in America, everywhere you go people say happy holidays, and as a Jew you say thank you and move on knowing well and good they mostly mean Merry Christmas (and just partially New Years).

For the first night of Passover I had the opportunity to go with my friends Rachel and Liz to Rachel’s extended family’s seder up in Haifa. Her family was so warm and welcoming of us. In Israel, for the most part, if you’re not “religious” (i.e. Orthodox), you’re considered secular (this is something the progressive movements- Reform, Conservative, etc. are working on bringing into more mainstream Israel- to bring a religious option to people who want to practice their Judaism, but not be Orthodox). The seder was absolutely the shortest I’ve ever attended. We read a few key parts in the Haggadah for maybe 30 minutes, and then we moved on to dinner and never came back to “finish” the Haggadah after dinner. The food was delicious. I ate so much I thought I was going to pop. For the most part I have no idea what I ate either- some delicious cabbage dishes, matzah ball soup (though slightly different than the version I’m familiar with), and tons more.

Liz, Rachel, and I on the beach near Haifa. This is on a Moshav (village) that we visited with Rachel's family the 2nd day we were there.