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Published: January 28th 2008
Shalom y'all. In Israel now, and the first few days have been quite an experience. And it all started at the Newark International.
Checking in began with a short round of questioning, mainly your reason for traveling and a series of leading questions to find out if you are Jewish. After informing them I was a goy, they let me check my bags, and told me they would meet me at the gate to search my carry-on bag. So I gave them my bag and waited. There was quite a group of us, all but one, as far as I know, non-Jewish. I was told to expect this, and given my facial hair, I sort took it as a given. A few people got their bags and boarded. Security then told me I would not be able to take any electronics on board with me (laptop, hard drive, ipod, and camera). I had a seat and waited longer. I was the last person waiting, and they brought me in to the security room, informing me they would need to perform a "physical body search." Needless to say, my cheeks immediately clenched up. Thankfully, it was only a thorough frisking. I was the last one on the plane, and held the plane up by 20 minutes.
The flight was long and tiresome. Then we got in to Israel, took buses to Hebrew U, and waited 5 hours on the lawn to get housing. I am now living with Alyssa from the the Girls Ultimate team, another girl from AU Crew, a girl from Columbia, and another from Canyon College in a 5 room co-ed suite. On Friday Jan. 25 we went to the Shuk (open market), which was a madhouse, filled with Israelis stocking up for Shabbat. Saturday was quiet, then we went to a couple of bars that night. One was a quiet Czech/Russian bar called Prague, and the next was a hookah bar playing loud American rap. Today was my first day of Ulpan (Intensive Hebrew), Level Bet, and I am thoroughly lost. I am confident, however, that the next few days will be better. Adios (Shalom) for now, I will update when there is something else to say.
-Bob
P.S. Everyone knows each other! And at least half of their Jewish friends too. It's fascinating.
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