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).