Getting Ready for Rosh Hashana

R"H begins in just a few hours.  I'm so excited for my first holiday in Israel!  Sure, it will weird not being home and with my biological family, but I have a new family here (plus other families are feeding me for some meals). 

I guess I've been getting ready for R"H since arrival, as we came on Rosh Chodesh Elul, so I've heard the shofar with davening.  In my Talmud class, we've been studying the laws for hearing the shofar. 
On Monday, we had some short shiurim at Beit Nativ for all Nativers.  For these, I studied a bit of Kabbalah, discussed life cycle and the ability to change, and analyzed the prevalence of the shoresh ayin-vet-resh in unetaneh tokef.  These were interesting, but we did not have time to get do much in these classes.  Tuesday morning, I woke up around 4 to join a few others for a slichot tour.  We sat in at a Greek and then a Turkish synagogue.  One had really beautifully painted walls, and at tea was passed around.  It was great to see these Sephardi shuls.  We wanted to visit more synagogues, but by the time we arrived they had finished slichot.

After the shiurim Monday, in celebration of HU students finishing finals and to help us relax (arguably getting us in a R"H mood), we have had a lot of fun activities.  Monday night, we split up by track.  We kfarmers went to a park to play Angry Birds with water balloons and then make s'mores, which was possibly the most fun we've had as a track all together. 

Yesterday, we went to a water park, which I still can't believe is acceptable in Israel with the water shortage.  Obviously this was a lot of fun. In the afternoon, we left the water park to go to the studio for The Voice- Israel!  This was incredible!  We all got to be in the audience, and might be on national TV!  Interesting to me, nearly everyone in the audience was our age or younger.  I happened to sit in the first row by stage right, next to their website's editor, who I was able to talk to throughout the non-filming moments.  The contestants all had great voices, as did the judges (they sang a little too).  I also now know some secrets, such as after judges finished talking with contestants, they would refilm judges pressing the buttons to turn around and make us cheer again.  When they had breaks, we were kept entertained by a host; some audience members got to sing for us the by their seats, including Tehilla and Zach of Nativ who sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."  We also all sang "Hayom yom huledet" to my roommate Suzanne, who turned 18.

Today we've been getting ready for R"H more, but with the option of sleeping much more.  I still woke up early, so I went for a run, then got desserts for the families hosting me for meals over the next 2 days.  The 2 washers and dryers here probably haven't had breaks all day.  Although, about 10 people went to the zoo too.
4 more hours!
Trivia: Why do they have camera's at the water park by the indoor slide entrances showing where people leave the slide?  I don't know, because I most definitely had a collision with people in the middle of a certain slide.

Jerusalem: What a Place!

We Ulpan and Yeshiva students had our 7^th and final Jerusalem Course meeting this past week.  We’re full of new knowledge of the city and happy that we’ll have a little more free time now, but sad to say goodbye to JJ (even though we’ll still see him occasionally), the best tour guide I’ve ever had.

What we did/saw (To keep this brief, I’m not going to tell what I learned.  Everything we did was incredibly interesting and worth researching and, if possible, visiting. Hopefully I’ll get around to posting pics soon.):

·         Ir (City of) David- Hezakaya’s Tunnel and 2^nd Temple period sewage system.

·         Old City- virtual tour of 2^nd Temple (learned structure and purpose of different aspects), Kotel

·         Christiani-Day- Mount of Olives, Via Delerosa, Cardo, Church of the Holy Sepulcher

·         Moslem Quarter- Temple Mount (we were told by JJ where we can go as Jews) and a less known section of the Kotel.  This day was incredible, but weird.  We learned about Moslem history and theology and the Dome of the Rock.  We were just outside where the Temple once stood, but the guys had to cover their kipot with other hats.

·         Jewish Quarter- saw a lot of old, interesting shuls.

·         Outside city walls- Yemin Moshe, Nachalat Shiva, Nachlaot. 

·         After War of Independence (1948)- old border issues with Jordan, Goldman Promenade.

I think we all feel even more connected to the city’s history now. 

You may already be aware, but in case you are not, Jerusalem is full of synagogues.  I love going to different shuls every week, and I’m already picking favorites to which I’d like to return often.  Just this weekend, I went to four shuls.  Friday night, I went to Yakar, which I loved!  It’s small and had very few chairs, but it was a very spirited service during which children were permitted to make as much noise as they wanted.  Saturday morning, I went to the Ashkenazi shul in Yemin Moshe, which had an amazing kiddush.  After Shabbat, everyone on Nativ went to S’lichot.  First I went to the Great Synagogue, which is a beautiful building and had beautiful choir singing, but I felt very disconnected from the service.  I left early to join a few other people to go to Kol Rina, which was great.  Unfortunately, a friend was feeling sick so I left early to walk back with her and couldn’t stay for the whole service.

There are still quite a few synagogues I want to visit but have not yet had the chance to, but I know I want to go to Yakar and Shira Chadasha again for Shabbat mornings and Kol Rina for Kab Shab, and probably return to these shuls frequently over the next few months.  (Although, I’m also eager to get hosted for Shabbatot, in and out of Jerusalem.  My madrich is going to help me set up some weekends.)  I’ve realized that the synagogues I’ve enjoyed the most are the smallest, plainest, least distinct places.  Kol Rina is an old bomb shelter and has stackable plastic chairs, and Yakar is in an easily unnoticed building where you walk into the building and you are already in the room of davenners. But participants at these places don’t need a huge gold chandelier (like at the Great Synagogue) or paintings on walls or extra space in any way to put their neshamos into davenning.

Another thing I love about Jerusalem- at least where we live- is that often when we go out to do anything, we find some cool event just happening on the street.  In the past few days, this included a protest, a wedding party that we thought was too loud to just be for a wedding, and a fashion show to publicize a group of volunteer artists.  I really should take my camera with me wherever I go.

On a next-to-final note, it is currently raining, and it has been raining on and off since Shabbos.  This is incredible for September, as it typically doesn’t rain until winter. 

My only complaint about Jerusalem is that there is too much to do to get sufficient sleep.

Trivia: What distinguishes Karaite Jews?  They only recognize Tanach as a source of law

New year, new semester, new semester, new thoughts

The title lacks redundancy, as you shall see.  Also, I promise to post about the rest of Jerusalem Course soon.


New year: Wedsday night is the beginning of Rosh Hashana!!  We have some exciting plans for the day before, including going to a water park and being part of the audience for the first auditions for Israel's version of "The Voice."  Then for the holiday, I know I will get at least 1 home-cooked meal (but I do not yet know who's home) and I hope to find people to give me other meals so I don't have to eat so much Beit Nativ food.  I'm very excited for my first chag in Israel!

New semester (I): Before Rosh Hashana is the end of Hebrew U's mini-semester.  Most Nativers are busy with homework and preparing for finals right now.  After Rosh Hashana, they will have new classes.  Of greater concern to Yeshiva and Ulpan students, the new semester will bring such changes as a stipend (mostly for food, as we will have fewer lunches at Beit Nativ) and Nativ scheduling.

New semester (II):  Do you recall how I said I would be going to Kibbutz Ein Tzurim after winter break?  Well, no longer is that the plan.  We kibbutzniks have become kfarmers, as we will go to the youth village Kfar Chasidim.  We will do the same jobs we would have at the kibbutz, but we will be around more people our age who live there, or spend most of their day there attending the agricultural school.  We'll be close to Chaifa and not too far from Karmiel (another track's location), but we'll be farther from Yerucham (the 3rd track's location).

New thoughts:

• A cashier at a clothes store on Jaffa looks eerily like a Jewish Lauren Lopez, and she argued about prices eerily like Taz would. (Someone, please ensure Chloe reads this.)
• Not that the Talmud is to be considered a reliable source for scientific information, but how did they decide 3 years and 1 day? (If you want to know, see the first perek of Mishnah Ketubot.)
• Tarzan is a really great movie.
• Clouds are not to be taken for granted. (I've seen them twice since arriving in Israel.)
• It's okay to spend 3 hours studying 2 lines of text.
• Free yoga in the park is fun- if only it did not interfere with classes.
• At some point I realized how I'm around so many people who view and observe Judaism extremely similarly to how I do. I noticed this a few times before, but it was like a baby discovering his feet and that they're connected to him- it didn't stick for a while.  A couple days ago during a discussion in a learner's minyan, I realized this again and I think I will no longer forget it. I recall feeling this when at Ramah, but not to this extent. It's a great to feel like I belong here so much. I don't think I've ever made a better decision than to come here.

Trivia: Why don't we make shofarot of cow horns?  Proposed reasons: cow horns are only ever called "keren" (not shofar); they are in layers, so it is like 2 or 3 shofarot, and we are commanded to blow but one shofar; it will remind G-d of the sin of the Golden Calf.

Mayim (Water)

I love water.  You may know that I drink a lot of water, rarely found outside my home without my "green" waterbottle or inside my home without a glass of my beloved hydrogen hydroxide. 

The Israeli summer is quite warm, and I find myself walking in the sun quite frequently; thus, I try to drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration.  Upon arriving at Beit Nativ, I could not help but notice how the water tasted less delicious than that of home.  I would refill my waterbottle with a touch of resentment, aware that my hydration would come at a small cost.  Then, just yesterday, after refilling my waterbottle and taking a sip, I noticed something.  The water did not taste strange! 

Trivia: What is the salt concentration in the Dead Sea?  Around 31.5% (according to Wikipedia)

I'm trying to think of creative post titles

Just an update on some recent activities:

On Sunday 9/11, we had a whole Nativ program (a rare event) in commemoration of the attacks 10 years ago.  We watched a documentary called "102 Minutes that Changed America," which is a compilation of footage of the attacks and people's reactions in New York.  It was very powerful and especially hard for some of my friends from NYC.  We discussed how 9/11 is more similar to the Israeli Yom Hazikaron than is Memorial Day and how this was a day that changed the world, not solely the U.S.

Monday night, I went to the Nativ "Jam Session." This was a lot of fun, as everyone contributed to the music.  Some of the people here are really talented musicians and singers (and I very much am not!)

Tuesday, I began my chumash class, just beginning to study the Shema.  During the course, we will study at least a section from all 5 books of the Torah, plus Rashi and modern commentaries.  I love the depth we go into for this class- we studied about 1.5 verses in 2 hours!  Because of the Jerusalem course, I missed the class today.

Thursday night, I hung out with Maddy and her friend from home, Ethan, who is currently in the Israeli army.  This was a lot of fun, and we played some great Jewish geography!  Turns out, Ethan went to Beber Camp, and knows my aunt and cousin!

Friday, I participated in "Explorations," which I thought was going to be walking around Jerusalem to learn streets better, but was actually a very different experience with buses, a hike to a stream, loud off-key singing of RENT songs, and a trip to a mall.  We had a small group as many Nativers were sleeping when we left, and most of us (about 70-75, not including me) had already left or were preparing to leave for the weekend.  With a few of my fellow explorers, I went to the shuk to get some food for a picnic for Shabbat afternoon. 

Shabbat was great, possibly because of our relatively small number.  I went to Shira Chadasha for Kab Shab, which was very nice (especially ignoring how we managed to get lost on the way there and arrived late), but from all that people that told me, it did not live up to my expectations.  I do plan on returning another Shabbat.  At dinner, we got some West Orange Schecter kids (here for high school freshman orientation) to sing Shabbos songs with us, then we had a tisch, followed by a Heschel class for which I was almost able to remain awake.

Saturday morning, I went to Kol Rina, an Orthodox shul in an old bomb shelter.  It was very crowded, probably due to the aufruf, baby naming, and 1st Shabbos after a couple's wedding.  After kiddush, many of us went to a nursing home and sang some Shabbos songs for the residents there. 

The rest of Shabbos included lunch, parshat ha-shavua, some basic resting, a picnic, beginning to relearn Torah trope because I somehow agreed to read shlishi for Monday and Thursday (14 pasukim), mincha, dinner, maariv, and havdalah.  After Shabbos, there was a near constant flow of Nativers as everyone returned from Tel Aviv, Chaifa, and wherever else people went.

Today is Maddy's birthday, so to celebrate a few of us went out to dinner (we found a new restaurant that happens to be vegetarian and is extremely delicious) and then got ice cream.  Later a lot of people convened to the purpose of eating a fancy fruit plate and cake sent by Maddy's parents and board games (although this latter part didn't actually work out).  It was a lot of fun for all of us.

Trivia: What beloved childhood activity is traditionally prohibited on Shabbat, including if it is Rosh Hashanah on Shabbat and it would be necessary to do to obtain a shofar? 
Climbing trees.

The Conservative Yeshiva is Awesome

If you couldn’t tell from previous posts, I really love the Conservative Yeshiva.  On Friday morning Yeshiva students, plus families including many cute kids (who were much more mature than the Nativers), packed a bus and left for a Shabbaton.  On the bus, I had fun talking with other students near me, most of who were from Ziegler (Rabbinical school in LA) plus the 14 month old twins of Ziegler students.  We began our official activities with a short hike that reinforced my desire to be an unproductive member of society and spend all of my time in nature.  Next we went to a different place to eat lunch, hang out, and swim.  Then we went to a kibbutz (I forgot which one- sorry!) and got ready for Shabbos.

Shabbos was absolutely beautiful.  Kabbalat Shabbat was led by a Ziegler student with the help of 2 of his friends.  They sat at a table in the front of our kibbutz synagogue, keeping the beat with their hands and feet while singing beautifully.  This service and Pesukei in the morning, were full of many new tunes (or at least to me for use during services, such as the tune of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah to a psalm), and I don’t know if I ever experienced better services.  After services Friday night we had a lot of food with a little singing (dinner), followed by a lot of singing with a little food (tisch).

In the morning, we had some delicious rugellach, plus some other food I didn’t really care about in the presence of the rugellach.  Services were lovely.  We then had Kiddush, after which I had my one regret of the weekend- not immediately taking a nap.  Rather, I went to a shiur which was very interesting (though I cannot recall the topic at the moment), throughout which I had to pee and really wanted to sleep.  After the shiur, I skipped lunch and joined my roommates for what became a 5 hour nap.

After my nap, I left my sleeping roommates to see what the awake were doing.  I missed mincha, a walk to a park, and some shiurim, but the sleep was far worth it.  Plus, I found the babies!  With a few other big people, I played with the previously mentioned twins, a girl of nearly two years, and a 9 month old boy, Yair.  At some point Yair spit up on my dress, but if you know me well, you’ll understand my honesty in how this did not bother me at all.  (On a similar note, I did not mind the one-eyed cat walking around.  In fact, I felt very sorry for her, noticing how she was not keeping her fur clean, which is a sign for my cat that he is unwell.)

Seudat Shlishit was delicious, and, of course, accompanied by more singing.  Then we did maariv and Havdallah, followed by some spontaneous dancing.  Finally, we packed up and loaded our bus to return to base.  Overall, it was a fantastic weekend.  I was able to hang out with students, from Nativ and not, and become closer friends with all of these people. 

Nativers took about half of the “leadership opportunities” for the weekend.  I find myself rather proud of this, so I’m just going to list it all now.  One person (never the same person for two honors) led Friday maariv, Friday night birkat, Friday tisch, shacharit, and Saturday maariv.  We also had a few aliyot, including me with maftir (and haftarah), and one of us joined two other Kohanim for their blessing during the amida repetitions.

But after this easy and fun weekend, we returned to serious study.  Sunday at 9 am I was in the Beit Midrash with a text and dictionary before me and a chavruta at my side.  I have since studied more of what makes a shofar kosher and the kavannah (intention) required to fulfill the obligation to hear it.  I also began a Chumash/Rashi class, for which we have just started to study the Shema (we spent about an hour and a half on the first two verses).  (I haven’t had other regular classes due to the Jerusalem course, which I will discuss in a future post.)  I also learned that I have been placed in Ulpan B, and because the teacher won’t be here until the class next Wednesday, I have some free time for a couple days!  Although, on Monday much of that time was taken by buying needed books, and some days I will be studying from 9 to 6:15 with only few and short breaks. (So no, as the friend of one Nativer, a previous Orthodox day school student, believed, we do not spend all day doing ice-breakers.)

Trivia: Why did I say it was Sunday after the weekend? 

Here in Israel, the weekend is Friday and Saturday

Yeshiva, Jerusalem, etc.

I intended to post last night, but as a madrich said, there was no internet connection available for the whole country of Beit Nativ.  I'm glad our portions of two buildings qualify as a country, and I'm sorry for what I expect to be another long post.  I suspect that by next week, or at least after Sukkot, everything will have settled down to much less excitement and verbosity.

Yeshiva: The past few days have been mostly orientation.  We met other yeshiva students, who we will study with, played some "get to know you" games, had a barbeque, had a scavenger hunt, and learned the policies of the yeshiva.  We also had class placement yesterday. 

Since Sunday, I have had several shiurim (classes) on different subjects and with different teachers.  To not go into too much detail, the shiurim were about kippot, Zionism, the 4 new years, Avinu Malkeinu, fire, dots on top of letters in the Torah, and other topics I cannot recall at the moment.  Today we had our first typical schedule.  On Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays I begin the day with a Talmud/Rashi class, focused on the High Holidays and Sukkot (today we began to study what makes a shofar kosher for Rosh Hashanah or a fast because of drought).  On Thursday afternoons we the Nativers have a halacha class.  On Sunday afternoons and Tuesday mornings I have a class called "Chumash from Midrash to Middle Ages."  I expect to be in Ulpan A, taking place Sunday and Tuesday after lunch.  The other classes I will have are Bekiut Mishnah, Zionism (for Nativers), and Midrash during the afternoons of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, respectively.  Thursday afternoons I will volunteer, location tbd.

Most of these classes are just until the end of the holidays, as that is their focus.  After Sukkot we will begin to study Masechet Brachot.

Tomorrow we will go on a yeshiva tiyul, then go to a kibbutz for a Shabbaton.  I finally got a nice small hiking backpack with a water pouch and straw, and from the shuk I got dried fruit and nuts which I have made into a trail mix.  I can't wait!

Jerusalem: Yeshiva and Ulpan students have a Jerusalem course 2 days a week for a few weeks (HU students have school until much later and aren't able to leave early, walk next door, and be ready for this course like Yeshiva students.).  What's great about this course is that we travel around the city to see what we're learning.  On Sunday, we learned about the era of King David and explored some tunnels.  This was a lot of fun, a little scary when we decided not to use flashlights, and very uncomfortable for the tall people who couldn't stand straight for much of the walk.

On Wednesday, we went to the Old City (For those who don't know, this is a section of Jerusalem full of historic holy sites, such as the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, and just about a 15 minute walk from Beit Nativ.) This was an event for which I should have brought my camera, but friends should email me pictures soon.  We learned about the Temples and their destructions and prayed at the Kotel (the Western Wall).  This was the second time I went to the Kotel, and it is an overpowering experience.  I love how unlike last time I was in Israel, I can now choose to go there almost any time.

Not with the Jerusalem Course, but on Monday I also went to the Old City with some friends.  As the girls in my group were not dressed appropriately, we could not go to the Kotel then.  It was a lot of fun, browsing through shops, seeing amazing art, and getting copious amounts of pastries at Marzipan.

Etc.: Since my flight to New York, I have been reading The Source by James Michener, as recommended by my grandpa.  Typically being busy or tired, I have been reading it very slowly.  While it is not anywhere near my favorite book, it is very interesting.  It was especially meaningful when I saw in a case of ancient ceramics at the Yeshiva a clay Astarte, goddess of fertility, about which I just read in the book.

I did laundry for the first time yesterday.  Tons of fun.  Especially when the money machine ate about 9 shekels.

On Tuesday I went for a run with Mia and Maddy, and we plan on doing this again soon with more people who kinda-sorta run, but not fast or far, of whom their are many.  That night they showed a movie in Beit Nativ, coincidentally, "Someone to Run With."  It's a great Israeli film (not actually about running).

Today we had the first Cafe Ivrit, an optional weekly activity for which we (today about 7 people) go to a cafe, sit and talk rak b'Ivrit (only in Hebrew).  We get partially reimbursed for our purchases too, and I enjoyed a delicious eiss shokolad lavan latte, or iced white chocolate latte.  The coffee shops here are amazing!  If only they had no cost like the just bearable instant coffee we can make at breakfast.  (I'm going to need to get more sleep or else I'll have a strong caffeine dependence from this excuse for a drink fairly soon.)

Lastly, Trivia: What distinguishes Herodian stone from a Herodian building? (I think these might be misnomers...I apologize.)
Herodian stones are unique in that they have a border.  There are structures made of these stones (for instance, after the destruction of the 2nd Temple which was made of Herodian stone, there were quite a few Herodian stones around available for use) which are not Herodian buildings.  Herodian buildings are made of these stones, but each layer is the width of 2 fingers from all four sides from the edge of the layer below (like a very slightly slanted pyramid).

A Glimpse of the Rally

Some Pictures

From the bus on the way to hiking.

JFK memorial- a tree stump.

Hills.

Israel is beautiful.

Swarms going to rally.

Center of rally before it began, as viewed by balcony of Beit Nativ.

Protest sign...not sure what is says and have yet to ask one who knows Hebrew (or Arabic) better.

Protesters with signs.  I wanted to get pics showing how big the crowds were, but I'm too short.  It was too dark when I was at the balcony during the rally.

Trivia: What else am I hopefully going to post today?  A video of some protest chanting.

Israel is Amazing

So, what has happened since my last post?  I'll go day by day because there is a ton!

Thursday: First day at yeshiva- kinda.  There are only 10 of us from Nativ on this track, so we have a nice little group.  We began the day with a discussion led by Rabbi Gail Diamond, who is a Reconstructionist rabbi teaching at the Conservative Yeshiva and belongs to an Orthodox synagogue- awesome, right?  We discussed trends in the Jewish community relating to observance, intermarriage, social acceptance and much more; at no point did we get to our intended study topic of Psalms.  Then we had another class with Shaiya Rothberg in which we studied a piece of Zohar comparing the days from Rosh Hashanah to Shmini Artzeret to the progression of a relationship- very deep and very interesting. 

Done for the day around 12:15, we ate lunch with Ulpan students.  I then went out with Mia to the shuk.  On the way we passed other stores, including a used book store with English books and other shops we want to revisit.  At the shuk, we bought hangers (exciting!) and some delicious pastries.  The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful.

Friday: We got to sleep relatively late today.  After tefillot, we left for a hike.  Having been told this wasn't going to be a big hike, I did not wear my hiking boots when I definitely should have.  I needed more traction, but at least I didn't slip as amusingly as some of my friends near me.  It turned out to be a pretty long hike, but it was absolutely beautiful.  We started at the JFK memorial and ended somewhere near the middle of nowhere (at least to my understanding).  We then went to a mall for lunch and had a little time to browse around.  We got back to Nativ with plenty of time to get ready for Shabbat.

Shabbat: We split up into our groups for Friday night services.  The kibbutz group went to a hill overlooking the old city.  It was absolutely beautiful and made me and many others hate our hometowns quite a bit.  Services were lovely, and we had the entertainment of a girl around 14 months old toddling around.  We returned to Beit Nativ and ate dinner in the room in which we daven, and there was a lot of good food, most definitely excluding the vegetarian shnitzl. 

After eating, most of us went to the office for the tisch, the table around which we sat and sang.  Unlike other tisches, we went around in a circle and we participants got to choose and lead which song to sing next.  Another beautiful experience I'm glad I can experience every week here.  After the tisch, we had some nice Shabbat opportunity time during which I played Bananagrams and Jewish Apples to Apples and sat and talked with a group of friends.  So far, Shabbos has been excellent.

At some point (I think around the time I awakened this morning) I started to feel sick.  But I did not want this to prevent me from having the Jerusalem Shabbos experience!  We could go to any nearby synagogue for morning services, and staffers were leading groups to a few Nativ favorites.  Having been recommended by many, I was eager to attend Shira Chadasha.  I walked  about halfway there with the large group going there and the next door shul, Kedem, then turned around finally realizing I had to be closer to Beit Nativ.  (At least I have several more weeks when I can go there, as well as any other shul.) I went to Moreshet Yisrael, the Conservative shul between the Old and New Buildings of Beit Nativ, but left a few minutes later to spend the next 5 hours or so in my bed.  I missed lunch and my group's trial of "Who pooped in the stairway?" (We are nearly sure it was a cat.)  But this was still a great Shabbat. 

There is something so special of everyone resting.  At home, I am the only one to keep Shabbat.  In BBYO, activities with iPods and writing are still common.  Even during my summer at Camp Ramah, my cabinmates "secretly" made mac & cheese.  Here, some people went for walks, some went to a park and played football and ultimate frisbee, and it seems that everyone slept, including 3 girls that moved mattresses out to the kitchen area next to our hallway.

We later did mincha, ate dinner (I was pretty hungry by then, having been unable to eat lunch), did maariv and havdalah all together.  I have most definitely already over-used this word, but it was a beautiful Shabbos.

And Mom, I know you will be so worried that I got sick and did not have anyone to mother me.  Worry not, for (1) I really was fine, and (2) my roommates, people going to Kedem and Shira Chadasha who saw me walk back, Nativers at Moreshet Yisrael, and my madricha Rachel were consistently asking me how I felt.

Saturday night: Right after we did Havdalah, nearly everyone changed from our Shabbos clothes and went right outside to join the protest for social justice.  In the status quo, the costs of food, daycare, houses and apartments are very high, due to hinderances to competition.  We marched among thousands of others in Jerusalem and then many of us returned to Beit Nativ to watch the rally from a balcony, though some stayed in the crowds.  We cheered "Ha'am Doresh Tzedek Chavrati!" and saw signs saying such things as "Tzedek tzedek tirdof"(justice, justice you shall pursue, a line from the Bible) and "Rotzim Tzedek. Lo Rotzim Tzedaka" (We want justice. We don't want charity). We stood on chairs, averaging 3 feet on each, taking pictures, cheering, and listening to the music (it was almost like a concert!).  We like to think that we, Nativ 31, are helping make history.  Near the end of the protest, we all sang Hatikvah; it was a very powerful moment.

Such an amazing night, but I just heard how footage of this protest is being used as anti-Israel propoganda, suggesting that Israel's government is so bad that they do not even care for their own citizens. This is ridiculous.  I agree that there are many problems with the Israeli government, but any permitted move towards improvent shows that the government is to at least some degree willing to change.  Israel is becoming a better place to live.

Sorry for such a long post!  I'll post pictures of the hike and protest soon.

Trivia: What term is used in Israel for the strictest of kashrut? (Hint: it's not "Glatt")
Badatz