Rain, Rain, Rain

It's the rainy season (aka fake winter). I guess in Israel you never really know what this will mean but this rainy season there's actually been rain! ...a lot of it. A few weeks ago I spent the weekend visiting an Otzma friend in Kiryat Shmona, a beautiful city up north that sits in a mountain valley so that anywhere you walk provides a spectacular view. My friend's adoptive family insisted on taking us on a Shabbat road trip to see a couple waterfalls up north. They insisted, it was urgent. And it wasn't just going to be us, we left at 8 am on Saturday morning because people were coming from all over the country. But it wasn't that us or any of the other people were going to see the waterfalls, instead the huge crowds were going for the excitement of the water itself. The water that had arrived with the pouring rain that to me seemed to be never ending.

We couldn't help laughing how excited these crazy people got over water. A friend of ours was told that he couldn't wait even a day to go see these waterfalls, the water might be gone! But of course in just one day the water would not be gone, why were these people in such a fuss? With full knowledge of the water crisis in Israel it was still difficult to grasp how hordes of people could put their families in a car and drive all the way up north in a hurry for a good view.

I heard someone liken the situation to a minor archeological find in the US. Something so ancient, found in the US! Wouldn't swarms of people come to see this hypothetical discovery? Israeli's wouldn't blink twice...they're not exactly short on ancient history. But water, what a novelty, how exciting for it to pour!

And then we saw the waterfalls. We tried to maintain our American nonchalance but couldn't help getting caught up in the excitement. I found myself giddy with delight as I felt the mist from the waterfall on my face and saw the full rainbow it created (look closely to see it in the second photo!). Look at the water! There was something so special about standing with people from all over the country coming to witness this rarity that I no doubt take for granted.

And by standing with I of course mean everyone pushing in typical Israeli fashion to get the best view.

I started to get it. I always understood: they don't have enough water here, it's a big problem, it rained and people got excited. But standing so close to this waterfall, watching the water rush by, the excitement that causes traffic jams worth of people waiting to see the water...it was just so Israeli.

Yokneam! (and the past month...)

We've finally moved to Yokneam and I can say that we're just about settled. Our apartment is one enormous step up from the absorption center we lived in during our three months in Ashkelon. We have an oven!...not that any of us can quite figure out how to use it.

A full kitchen and living room had all of us shocked and quite pleasantly surprised. It's a shock to the system to move from a dorm style building with 38 Americans to the much quieter existence of an apartment with two roommates (not to imply that we can't still hear every word each other says because with the way noise carries here, its as is we're always all in the same room). But before talking about Yokneam, a quick summary of my last month:

I was in Istanbul for about a week with a friend from Otzma and we had a wonderful time. Going to Turkey was something we planned incredibly last minute (two weeks before we left, maybe?) and somehow everything just magically fell into place. We were friendly before the trip but ended up traveling really well together and enjoying each others company.

We luckily found most of the same things fascinating and I'm a little embarrassed to admit we would get so excited at each new site (while simultaneously reading our individual copies of Lonely Planet: Istanbul) that we'd make notes on scrap paper and go back to our hostel to look up our homework online later in the night. I was exposed to a whole new culture that I previously knew hardly anything about. I was so shocked (probably a big reflection of my own ignorance) how much amazing history there was to find in Istanbul itself. I had never been to a Muslim country and found the stunning mosques absolutely fascinating. And since the Bosphorus River, which runs right through the city, separates both the city and country into part Europe and part Asia...I went to Europe over break!

We decided one evening to try and find one of the few synagogues in the country which represent the very small Jewish community in Istanbul. As we happened upon the building and decided to take a picture of the exterior (we wanted to record how understated and really hidden the building seemed) a man in a suit ran at us yelling to stop taking pictures. He can only be described as secret service as he was in a suit and spoke into a tiny microphone in the lapel of his jacket. He watched us delete our pictures and after swearing up and down that we are Jewish he explained to us that in order to get a tour of the synagogue we would have to contact the Chief Rabbi of Turkey to receive permission. We walked away stunned but on a mission.

On the last day of our trip we were able to visit two synagogues and a Jewish museum. Both shuls were hidden and extremely difficult to spot unless you are explicitly seeking them out. But then as you enter they somehow open up into these big beautiful establishments.

Neve Shalom, where we were encountered the security guard, we found out was the victim of two attacks in the past couple decades. Gunmen entered the synagogue during Shabbat services in the 80s and just a few years ago there was a car bombing. Amazingly Neve Shalom is still beautiful and active.

After returning to Israel I was in Jerusalem, studying at Pardes for two weeks. It was a really interesting experience and overall I really enjoyed the text study. Being in Jerusalem I expected to get back into being forced to use my Hebrew but since I had never before lived in Jerusalem I now realize, that was just not true. I hardly spoke a word of Hebrew over those two weeks since everyone's English was far and away better than my Hebrew. And that's really an understatement since I felt surrounded by Americans almost the entire time, and when I was around Israeli's they were all pretty much fluent in English. I was relieved honestly to get out of the city so that I could feel like I wasn't trapped in an American bubble and I could be around Israelis again.

A week and a half in Yokneam and I already have improved my Hebrew more than I ever would surrounded by English speakers. We've been working in an elementary school for three days and being with children makes is extremely necessary to improve, quickly! The teachers communicate with us in English and there are even a few kids who know the language but for most of the day, Hebrew is really essential. It's a situation I've really managed to avoid amazingly enough over the past four months because I've been terrified to use the language. Now that it's unavoidable it's putting a lot of pressure on me to get better fast! And really in three days I'm already utilizing a lot more of what I know than I have been. I definitely still sound absolutely ridiculous when I speak, but I understand a lot more and I'm just hoping someday I'll get to a point when I don't sound absolutely ridiculous.

Yokneam itself is a beautiful city with a real small town feel. There is one large shopping center and I have yet to go there without recognizing someone (and we only moved here last week!). It's located in the mountains so its hilly and offers a great view from almost anywhere. Because it's the partnership city to St. Louis when I tell people where I'm from they get really excited (not something you'll find ANYWHERE ELSE in Israel where they usually say "I've never heard of that place"). The Partnership 2000 coordinators, people associated with federation in St. Louis, have really taken care of us here and are still helping us to figure out the logistics for all of our volunteering while in Yokneam.

Last night we volunteered at the youth center for the first time and just spent time hanging out with the kids who were there doing mostly nothing with friends. I played a couple games of foozeball and ping pong. Fun fact: the direct translation of foozeball in from Hebrew to English is "table soccer" (from cador regell shulchan). We had a really fun night hanging out with some of the high schoolers there, trying to communicate in the Hebrew I could speak, and the little bit of English they could contribute too.

So far its been a pretty smooth transition to living up here. Even though I see the importance of taking Ulpan in Ashkelon and I did volunteer a few days a week there, I often felt frustrated that I wasn't doing what I came here to do this year, which is to volunteer full time. Now that I've moved to Yokneam and the second track of Otzma has begun I know that I'm finally getting that opportunity. I'll be happy to share as those unfold! (picture: Max, me, and Tali with a view of Yokneam in the background)

Yom Tov!

Leaving Ashkelon

I left Ashkelon about a week ago and left behind all of the Otzmanikim I've been living with for the past three months as well as daily Ulpan and consistent volunteering. It was difficult to walk away from each.

While I never really loved the city of Ashkelon itself, I've made endless memories growing close to the other Otmzanikim in the group over the last three months there. From now on it is going to be a big change to not constantly be around the entire group of 38. While I think the initial peace and quiet will be a welcome change, I'm sure I will quickly come to miss the dynamic we've developed and the constant company.

Ulpan was also really beneficial to me. Although not everyone in the group would agree with me about the helpfulness of Ulpan (mostly those who chose not to regularly attend), I can really say I got something out of the class. My teacher, Miri, was an excellent teacher who had a lot of experience working with beginning level Ulpan classes (I changed from Nana's class to better fit my Hebrew level). The class gave me a lot more confidence to then use my Hebrew in the practical necessary ways that come with living in Israel. I would call myself functional after the past three months but far from truly conversational (that's what Part 2 is for...).

My volunteering in Ashkelon was slow to start with all of the holidays at the beginning of the school year. In my last month there my schedule finally began to become more regular and even in the one short month I managed to grow attached to the kids I worked with. Once a week I worked in a preschool with young kids who were adorable and offered me a great chance to practice my Hebrew. The kids in the classroom far outweighed the number of teachers, giving me a chance to offer some assistance once I learned how to overcome the language barrier.

Twice a week I found myself volunteering with a program called Atidim (meaning futures). This after school program, targeting communities in the periphery of Israel, was in Kyriat Gat (a neighboring city to Ashkelon).

Myself and three other Otzmakinim went each week to work with the same group of high schoolers. Once a week we would show the group a movie or TV show in English and have a discussion about what they watched. The other day was more structured because we worked with an English teacher and helped the kids one-on-one with more specific homework assignments. We were all sad to say goodbye to the kids, and were invited back to come visit whenever we're in the area.

In the week since I left Ashkelon behind, I have been busy traveling in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Kyriat Ata, and back to Tel Aviv now before I leave for Istanbul, Turkey in the morning. So far the trip has been relaxing and full of taking in the Israeli sites. I admit I spent a lot of the week in movie theaters trying to catch up with all the movies I've already missed (unacceptable for me!). I'm really looking forward to the adventure of traveling to Turkey beginning tomorrow morning. Once I return to Israel, break will be over, and I'll be headed straight to Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem I will be studying for two weeks with other members of Otzma at Pardes, a non-denominational yeshiva. This will be a great opportunity to study Jewish text for the first time and see what life is like living in Jerusalem. At the end of this program Max, Tali and I will have our big move to Yokneam where we will settle for the next three months. As excited as I am for all the things to come in the next few weeks, I am definitely looking forward to the relief of settling in again and being able to unpack!

Thanksgiving

I love thanksgiving. I love returning home each year and knowing all of my friends will be there too. I love spending the holiday with my family whether we celebrate in St. Louis or Chicago. This year was my first thanksgiving away from home. But that's not to say that I went without thanksgiving at all this year. I had two different thanksgivings this year.

The first was an Otzma celebration on thanksgiving itself. There were 60 of us squeezed into the moadon of our absorption center. There are about 40 of us on the program and the remaining 20 were made up of Otzma staff, ITC participants (a new Otzma program which places volunteers solely in Israeli schools teaching english), the building staff, Ulpan instructors as well as past Otzma alumni who have made aliyah.

We had two turkeys, prepared by two fellow Otmaniks who planned the festivities. Each one of us was in charge of preparing at least one dish for the meal. Somehow there was enough food for everyone, with plenty of left overs. We were all a little nervous about how the event would turn out with so many people with different traditions and expectations. In the end the meal was surprisingly delightful. It was a real success and we even managed to remain silent for all 60 people to quickly share what they were thankful for this year. The food was delicious and the meal was somehow still intimate despite all of the people.

On friday I left Ashkelon and went to Yokneam to celebrate the holiday for a second time with my adoptive family. Because my adoptive dad is originally from New York, he likes to put on a big thanksgiving meal every year. They invite all of the Americans and their families they know in the area. That's not to say the meal was without Israelis--there were Israeli spouses as well as the kids who grew up here who can be described as nothing else but Israeli.

So for this reason the incredibly crowded house (they hosted over 30 guests) was a complicated fusion creating an Israeli thanksgiving. The food was great but I was surprised on this American holiday to feel the Israeli influence in the dishes. Despite all the English speakers, I was still surrounded by constant Hebrew. The house was filled with people who often see each other only once a year on this day but still are able to pick up where they left off from the year before.

I experienced a very American tradition for the first time here in Israel, the day after thanksgiving lunch: Turkey Sandwich. I just had the meal for the first time with my adoptive family. My family is really missing out by leaving this particular tradition out of our repertoire, it was great! I finally understand what all the fuss is about. We're usually at the movies the day after thanksgiving but I think we would be well served to enjoy this big left over meal after the movie so that a proper nap can take place when we're all stuffed once again to capacity.

My thanksgiving(s) have been interesting and different and all together a big success. Even so, I still missed being with my own family, playing Risk until all hours of the night, and my favorite sweet potato/cranberry dish my mom creates every year. Last night I looked over and saw a 12 year old boy sit on his mother's lap and kiss her on the cheek. Before I could help it I said outloud, "I miss my mommy." Despite the fact that I'm 22 and am admitting to calling my mom, mommy, from time to time, I really do miss everyone. I wouldn't call myself homesick, I'm quite used to being away from home and spend little time dwelling on the separation. I'm usually not bothered because of the internet and my unusually high phone bill but there's nothing like the holidays to provoke a fleeting moment of realization about how far the distance really is between Israel and St. Louis.

Later this evening I'll return to Ashkelon and leave my adoptive family until moving to Yokneam next month. I'll be greeted in Ashkelon with the family we've created an ocean away from home and to be quite frank I'll probably forget entirely about that fleeting moment until the next one.

A Surprising Twist

Every Wednesday I volunteer at a conservative synagogue here in Ashkelon called Netzak Israel. I work in a kindergarten classroom for a couple of hours, interacting with the kids, struggling to communicate with my broken Hebrew. Their afternoons have a very specific structure: lunch time, a movie or various games, snack, story time, and then an art project. Today I found myself enthralled during story time when the teacher introduced the children's book as written by Gilad Shalit.

For anyone unfamiliar with Gilad Shalit, he is an Israeli soldier who was kidnapped by Hamas in 2006 and has since been held in captivity for over three years. A video was released last month showing a still living, albeit frail Shalit. This tragedy evokes a very raw place in all Israelis because just like them, he was drafted into his country's army at the age of 18. The issue is all too relevant and regardless of your politics, all too devastating.

This afternoon I was not expecting to hear the name Gilad Shalit in a room filled with four year olds. I was shocked to learn this was his own story. Shalit wrote a simple story at the age of 11 and it was published over a year ago into a children's book with dozens of artists filling in the pages. The book is truly beautiful, not just aesthetically but from what I could understand of the story told in Hebrew.

The story is one of a little fish and a shark. It begins with the two meeting for the first time and deciding to play together even though they were natural enemies. They then return to their homes where each are scolded by their parents who say they were wrong to go outside of their roles. The shark is supposed to eat the fish, and the fish is supposed to be scared of the shark. They avoided each other for a long time but after time passed the fish and the shark began to meet again in secret. The story ends with both the fish and the shark convincing their families that the other can be a friend and not an enemy. All fish and sharks go on to live in peace.

This simple story of a child is filled with depth and a level of foresight that is positively chilling. Most of the kids today were unaware of the story beyond the little fish and shark while every adult in the room was riveted. I looked at the innocent, oblivious faces in my classroom and was heartbroken knowing the tragedies they will one day have to learn and witness. I can only hope 11 year old Gilad's wish will come true and these beautiful children will only ever know that fish and sharks can live in peace.

The Idan Raichel Project

This Sunday our whole group went to a free Idan Raichel concert put on by Masa. Masa is an umbrella organization that helps fund many, many volunteer programs that brings Jewish volunteers to Israel, for example, Otzma! Masa is funded by the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency. So, in addition to giving people money towards volunteering in Israel, they also put on events throughout the year available to all Masa participants.

This past Sunday was a free Idan Raichel concert for our entire program. Idan Raichel is essentially the leader of a group known as the Idan Raichel Project. They are a very well known group in Israel as well as among some young Jews in the States. It was a concert unlike anything I've ever seen. Idan Raichel writes all of the music and sings some of the songs while playing the keyboard. They have a big band and several lead singers who all play their separate roles in the group.

Everyone in the group comes from all over the world and is required to speak several languages for admittance into the group to even be considered. Because they come from such different places they all have very different styles yet somehow work together incredibly well. They are each individually talented and come together in this cohesive, eclectic mash of wonderfulness. Basically, it was spectacular. Below is the website for the Idan Raichel Project, you can sample there the truly beautiful music and understand the interesting group dynamics.

Enjoy! http://www.idanraichelproject.com/en

Andi

Am I "home" yet?

I was on Gchat the other night talking to my friend, Naomi, who is back in The States (I love how I would never refer to the US as "The States" when at home but the moment I cross an ocean, it's the first thing that escapes my mouth). Naomi and I studied abroad in Florence together our junior year of college and had a few talks while there comparing our experiences living in Florence to the few days we had spent in Israel on birthright.

Interestingly, we had both said how shocked we were to feel immediately at home in Israel on the trip and curiously compared our feelings to the city we grew to love after living there for 4 months. So, the other night, I shouldn't have been surprised when she asked me if I was feeling at home in Israel after being here for a month and a half. I had to really think about my answer before I gave it because the truth is, it didn't come to me right away.

I honestly can't say I feel Israeli. I still believe in the value of an organized line and I just don't know if I'll ever be pushy enough to pay for my groceries in the order I actually arrived to line in. I don't speak hebrew with any amount of ease which clearly makes feeling at home in a country more difficult.

But there's still something about it here, something I find difficult to put into words. I don't know if it's that everyone is Jewish because more than once I've felt uncomfortable being in highly religious settings. It could just be the welcoming nature of the people here or any number of other factors. But what it comes down to is that while I can't say I necessarily feel "at home" here, I do feel very close to home. I actually feel like if I wanted to I could just go home for the weekend. I know technology helps to keep me feeling so connected, but all of the same modern technologies were available when I was in Florence too and still I felt worlds away living there.

I don't know how to say it in any other way, but there really is something about being here where I just don't feel that far away. It might have to do with Florence being a smaller Italian city with relatively little American influence whereas Israel is undeniably more of an Americanized culture that makes me more comfortable. In the end, I'm sure I could come up with endless ways to explain away those feelings but I can't ignore that there is just something about being in Israel that's special to me in a way that it doesn't compare to any other place.

Erev Tov,

Andi

Sukkot Break

I'm back in Ashkelon after a wonderful and exhausting week and a half of traveling through the north. I was with three friends from Otzma for the entire trip and we met up with several other Otzmanikim during our travels. We spent the first six nights in Tiberius, a city on the Kinneret. We decided to use Tiberius as our home-base and take day trips to surrounding areas.

We spent the first full day relaxing in Tiberius on Shabbat. The following day we decided to go to Katzrin, a city in the Golan Heights, about a 30 minute drive from Tiberius. The next day we were close to the same area hiking in Yehudea. On the trail, we were greeted by every Israeli Scout in the country. We apparently picked the one day a year when hordes of Israeli scouts come in groups to do this very hike. Even so, it was an incredible hike involving a lot of climbing and beautiful views.

On one part of the hike we had to climb down a big ladder and then jump into a body of water from there to swim across with all of our belongings in order to reach land. The next day we went to Nazareth, the birthplace of Jesus, with a big group. (*Correction: The city of Bethlehem is actually the birthplace of Jesus. Nazareth is the site of the Annunciation, when the angel told Mary she was to give birth to the son of God, and where Jesus spent most of his childhood.) and where It was my first time being in an Israeli-Arab city and it was a fascinating experience. It was strange to know that we were in Israel but that Judaism wasn't the prominent religion or lifestyle of the inhabitants. We saw some beautiful churches with amazing artwork. One small church had completely frescoed walls that reminded me of Europe. Our last day in Tiberius we went on another great hike and then spent the rest of the day swimming in the Kinneret.

By Thursday we were ready to leave Tiberius and move on to the last part of our trip. We ended with our last Shabbat in Tzfat, the Jewish center of spiritual learning and experience. Thursday we spent wandering around the Old City and Artists Quarter. There was something so peaceful about being in Tzfat that it was immediately calming. The scenery in the north is beautiful anywhere you go, seeing the backdrop of the mountains behind the Kinneret, but somehow in Tzfat it seems even more breath-taking.

The next day we went to Rosh Pina for the day, apparently a favorite of Israeli celebrities. That night for Shabbat the hostel we were staying at set us up to have dinner with a local family. Our family had moved to Israel from the US five years earlier and were of course extremely welcoming. The meal was much later than the usual Shabbat dinner because it was also the eve of Simchas Torah.

Because the holiday incites so much joy and dancing, being in such a religious city and household made the experience interesting and unique. It was fascinating to hear the impression of this family who had chosen not only to move to Israel as a family but also to move to Tzfat and live a Chabadnik lifestyle. It remains amazing to me how welcoming families are here. Any person could bring you into their home and treat you immediately as family. This is something I was repeatedly told about before coming to Israel but couldn't really understand until now. In my five weeks here I have already been welcomed into three homes as if I was a member of the family.

Yesterday we made our way back to Ashkelon. Every part of the trip was great but there is nothing quite like being at home so we were all relieved to make it back last night. Unfortunately, the educational seminar we were supposed to have today in Jerusalem was canceled due to growing violence at the Temple Mount. We're hoping once it calms down, they'll be able to reschedule the seminar. We were supposed to go the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Jewish Quarter, and the most exciting was getting as close to the Temple Mount as we'll apparently ever get.

Now, it's time to get ready for Ulpan tomorrow, the first since being back from break. I'm sure its going to be a difficult transition back into four and a half hours of Hebrew class tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a week of routine and normalcy back here in Ashkelon with my top priority at the moment being the ever growing pile of dirty laundry next to my bed!

Lilah Tov,

Andi

High Holiday Experience in Israel

My Yom Kippur in Jerusalem experience was pretty similar to the one Max described. It was an incredible opportunity and completely unique from any other Yom Kippur I've had in the past. Both services I attended were Reform, which was starkly different from the Orthodox Shul I went to on Rosh HaShana.

I spent the New Year in Yokneam, the Israeli sister city to St. Louis. I spent the weekend meeting and celebrating with my adoptive family. They were warm and of course, force fed me like the most welcoming of Israeli's do. The situation was albeit slightly awkward, thrown into a foreign home, expected to feel immediately comfortable and celebrate this family oriented holiday together. Even so, it felt wonderful to be around a loving family, who opened their home to me and accepted me into all of their traditions.

The morning of Rosh HaShana, I attended services with Zvi at the Orthodox Shul, mostly just to feel like I was inside a synagogue during the holiday. I have to admit I had no conception of anything going on during the two hours we were there. So, needless to say, the two Reform services I found myself at in Jerusalem for Yom Kippur provided a much different experience. It was comforting to be in a service I was much more familiar with and equally as nice to be surrounded by the friends I have made in Israel who have quickly become my family here in Ashkelon.

Like Max, I went to HUC for Kol Nidre services. The following morning I found a small Reform Synagogue in the heart of Jerusalem. However, beyond the services, it is difficult to put into words what really made the experience of Yom Kippur in Jerusalem so unique. I won't dwell on how empty the streets were or what it was like to see every building completely shut down because I know Max explained this phenomenon. While it is stunning to witness the abandonment of city-life for one day, to me the amazement came from what this represented. With Jerusalem in the state it was it is impossible to ignore that whether secular or religious, everyone is Jewish (I realize that I'm generalizing the area I was staying in to account for all of Jerusalem, mostly because it accurately depicts my impression of the experience.).

There, everyone was celebrating Yom Kippur in their own way. Instead of walking by the various fast food restaurants open for business on State Street and explaining to teachers why I won't be attending class, I saw nothing and no one. Instead, I could feel only the weight of the day and the beauty of this area, populated by Jews.

As it is the season for holiday after holiday, Sukkot break began this afternoon. Tomorrow morning I'm leaving with friends for a trip up north. We'll be staying in Tiberius, then making our way to Tzfat for Shabbat and Simchat Torah and finally ending in Jerusalem for an Otzma Seminar. I'll be sure to share stories from those adventures as soon as I get back to Ashkelon at the end of the 10 days!

Chag Sameach!

Andi

About The St. Louis Otzma Blog

Andi Feldman and Max Samis will be blogging live from Israel while they participate in Project Otzma, a 10 month service-based leadership program in Israel. Their journey will take them all over Israel and they'll experience all kinds of opportunities: Speaking Hebrew, volunteering in an immigrant absorption center, working at an internship or kibbutz, and much more.

Midway through the year, Andi and Max will be living and volunteering in our Partnership 2000 region, Yokneam-Megiddo, for 3 months. Don't miss the opportunity to check out the blog and connect with Andi and Max.

Project Otzma is coordinated in North America by the United Jewish Communities. The participants and the program are supported in part through the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Federations of the United Jewish Communities. In Israel, the program is implemented within the framework of the Education Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

OTZMA, Hebrew for "strength," is a UJC/Federation initiative. OTZMA gives young Jews the opportunity to play integral roles in Israeli society for 10 months. For their first three months, participants live, volunteer and study Hebrew in an absorption center Next they volunteer in Partnership 2000 communities (Israeli-North American sister city program) and experience programs funded by the UJC/Federation system. Finally, participant’s choose to intern in nonprofit organizations or volunteer on a kibbutz.