Example heard on Jerusalem street:
"I won't be travelling to Eilat this weekend because of the matzav".
I realize with chagrin that I have not written a blog post for far too long...also because of the matzav. Not because I was unable or too busy with studies or too often in a shelter. Rather it has been because there is so much to say each day that I am overwhelmed with choosing what to focus on and I cannot possibly capture all that occurs in the course of a day in Israel at this time. I have felt that anything I write will seem small and out of context. I want to share the many interesting class trips and learning I have encountered so far, however it has felt strange to write about the learning when the entire world is focused on the matzav! None-the-less and however disjointed this post will turn out...I am longing to stay in communication about my time in Israel this summer. So, here goes...
Hebrew Studies:
I cannot say enough about the quality of language teachers in Israel. Through decades of acculturating new immigrants to Israel the system of teaching immersion modern hebrew, called Ulpan, is remarkable. Every Sunday through Wednesday for four hours we progress in our hebrew language skills. Along the way, all those little missed understandings and grammar points that create big aha moments punctuate a typical day at Ulpan class. If you get an opportunity to study Ulpan in Israel, don't miss the chance. You will gain not only the ability to negotiate shopping and living in Israel, but also an appreciation for the word meanings that often hearken back to the biblical text. This past week culminated on Wednesday with a concert where each class presented an Israeli song. What fun and a great way to end the week!
Biblical History and Archeology:
Naturally, living in the land where the narratives of bible are said to have occurred is awesome in and of itself. Still, without an expert guide it is very difficult to understand and appreciate the significance of the evidence of past cultures found and preserved in Israel. We are very fortunate to have Dr. David Ilan, our own Indiana Jones, to show us around Israel. Visiting the various 'tells' where strata upon strata reveal culture on top of culture leading back to Neolithic time in some cases. We are learning to recognize the indications of Phoenician, Philistine, Canaanite and Israelite settlements across the expanse of time. What I really value is learning about the significance of the various geographical areas of Israel and how the various traditional trade routes affected how the Israelite kingdoms survived or didn't. All fascinating learning which I will definitely continue over the coming years.
Experiential Learning:
Just living here is an education. This week on Thursday after biblical history I packed my small suitcase and walked a short distance to Jaffa Street in Jerusalem where the new light rail system runs. A friendly woman helped me use the machine at the stop to purchase a ticket (6.9 shekels), the train came and I jumped aboard. I nervously studied my whereabouts on google maps and managed to get off three stops west at the Jerusalem central bus station. Sensory overload abounded as dozens of soldiers were rushing to catch buses home for a Shabbat off with their families, plus the usual bustle of many commuters. There was no choice but to follow the flow into the mall like building and up an escalator to the first floor...hmm, no sign of buses...just little shops and felafel stands etc. Finally I spy another escalator and go up...more chaos...but....ah...buses. I find the bus to Tel Aviv. I slowly figure out how to purchase a ticket...25 shekels to Tel Aviv and a 1/2 hour to wait. I search for a washroom. There is one but it has a barricaded one way door with a funny machine beside it...no writing on the machine! I stand back and watch others put coins into the machine and gain entry to the washroom. Finally I ask someone how much....he says...1 shekel. I can handle that:) After that I know I can manage the 50 minute trip comfortably. I spend 15 minutes in a book store there and then cue up for the bus. It is one of the green Egged buses. We are going to Tel Aviv so everyone getting on is mostly secular. The driver is lovely and I sit in the front seat behind him.
As we leave city of Jerusalem the high hill country is gorgeous, mysterious and foreboding. How did our ancestors live there? What a hard life...how difficult to defend yourself or grow food on that terrain. Passing by Modiin the high hills give way to the Shephelah...the low hills. Here life looks easier with big flat fields of corn and orchards and vegetables growing, river beds and springs providing water to grow to subsistence and extra to trade. This was the plum land from ancient times until today. The Shephelah gives way to the coastal plain. Greenhouses and palms abound here and of course the buildings begin on the kurkar ridges leading up to the Mediterranean Sea. The bus ride from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is worth taking if only to appreciate the contours and elevations of the land.
Here in Tel Aviv I have some old and beloved friends from my younger days living here. It has been lovely catching up! Tonight I am very much looking forward to attending the Bet Tefilah Kabbalat Shabbat service. It begins at 6 pm. Usually it is held outdoors right at the TelAviv marina overlooking the sea. For security reasons however, it is currently being held in Gordon Cultural Centre, just around the corner from my hotel. This service is a wonderful musical service using familiar secular tunes and universal messages. It has drawn out hundreds of secular Israelis to the experience of prayer they had never encountered in Judaism before. Check them out online at Bet Tefilah Israel.
If you read all that, you deserve a bit of multimedia!
Below a YouTube I made this morning while having breakfast at a Dizengoff street cafe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SVTvgO8rYE&sns=em
Here the traces of Iron Dome intercepting rockets over Tel Aviv this morning.
May this Shabbat bring peace to the world.
Shabbat Shalom, Paula
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