Shanah Tovah

Shanah Tovah everyone! I was very lucky to be able to spend Rosh Hashanah with the Schwartz cousins in Ra’annana. Jordana came along too and we had a great few days eating a LOT of food and going to services. On the second day we went to a picnic in a park with some members of my cousins’ synagogue. They played an ultimate Frisbee game after eating. It was a bunch of adults and kids. We ended up dividing up the teams Americans vs. non Americans. Results were inconclusive, but it was a lot of fun. The services were all in Hebrew but similar enough to those at home that we could follow along. On the second day we went to an alternative service in the synagogue’s basement since my younger cousins (Matan, Eliana, and Alon) were going to be blowing the shofar there. We broke into discussion groups at one point and one of the groups was English speaking, so it was nice to hear some English in a religious setting.

Before Rosh Hashanah We had our first week of class. Classes here meet once a week for 3 hours. I am taking Jewish Ethnic Groups which is about Jewish minority groups in Israel, and Contemporary Israel which is about getting historical perspective on current issues in Israeli society such as Zionism and social, economic, and political institutions. I’m taking Hebrew also which meets 4 days a week for two hours. I was going to take a Biblical Theology class, but I’m starting an internship at the Archaeological museum so I have to drop that one. The classes are definitely much less work than Vassar classes, although my Hebrew class will be significantly more difficult. I have been placed in a level that is really too advanced, but the level below would be like repeating summer Ulpan over again. So I’m just going to struggle through the more difficult class. I will probably learn more this way, but it’s still a bit overwhelming.

Since getting back from Ra’annana I have been relaxing, getting some homework done, and finally going to class again. A bunch of us went to the beach Friday which was beautiful. It feels so great to be able to say that I went to the beach in October. Friday night my friend Jeff led services in the synagogue on campus and it was the first time I really felt a religious connection while being in Israel. Just the fact that he introduced prayers in English and spoke about the weeks parsha in English reminded me more of services at home and made me feel much more comfortable. There were about 12 of us there and we had a pot luck dinner afterward in Brian and Daniel’s apartment. It was again one of the first times I’ve felt good about being Jewish while being here. Most of the time I just feel American, but sharing a Shabbat meal with a lot of other Jews from all over the world made me feel a little bit of the Jewish connection that I have really been missing for the past two months.

I met with the museum about my internship. Seems like they will have me helping out with a lot of different things. Setting up exhibits, reading over English texts, and of course the requisite labeling and envelope stuffing. I’m just excited to get some work experience at a real museum. Jordana and I are heading back to Ra’annana tomorrow for Yom Kippur and then off to Jerusalem until Monday. We turned the clocks back in Israel so now when I leave class at 6:00 it’s dark and chilly out. Reminds me of home a bit though I’m sure it’s not as cold as it is there. I’m trying to keep up with election and economy news, though it’s difficult not having a tv. I watched the VP debate via nytimes streaming on their website at 4am here, and may do the same for tonight’s presidential debate. I did mail my absentee ballot a few days ago and the woman at the post office assured me it would get to the US on time, despite Israel’s crazy mail system during the holidays. I hope everyone is doing well in the States or abroad!

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