Place Witty Title Here

Thinking of Talya

2009-06-09T21:02:00.002-04:00

Earlier this evening I was informed that a friend who is volunteering with the American Jewish World Service in India was hit by a train and is a medically induced coma in Mumbai.

She is an amazing, beautiful woman who has a tremendous amount to offer the world. I ask you to please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

To learn more of Talya and the amazing work she is doing visit her blog: http://talyasarit.blogspot.com/

Game Plan

2009-03-23T10:37:00.003-04:00

I have been pretty awful at updating my blog. I will blame it on grad school, whether its a good excuse or not. I have decided that I should get back into the swing of things. The updates keep me sane amongst the hundreds of pages of reading I do in the areas policy research methods and identity development.

The challenge is with so many new shiny internet toys such as twitter, tumblr, and older favs such as facebook, I spend more time playing online scrabble than I do engaged in self-reflection.

http://shrosin.tumblr.com/ is now up and running for short updates. If I ever want to rant on or publish lots of photos, I will be sure to do that here.

And since photos are WAY more interesting than anything I will ever write, here are some (not so) recent ones of Brian and I, and Brian's brother Neil, at a Bar-Mitzvah in Feb:

No More Snow

2009-03-02T13:29:00.002-05:00

Boston, I'm done. Its March 1st and were expecting 12 inches today. While I appreciate the shovel induced workouts, I prefer running in the warmer weather.

Can we make a deal that this will be the last great snow fall until December? Please??

twitter me this

2008-11-18T22:50:00.006-05:00

in efforts to check out the newest tools the 'kids' are using these days i was introduced to both twitter and tumblr.

twitter, like facebook is a social networking site. although besides for posting short 140 character updates now and again i don't quite get the point. i guess its like iming or texting via computer.

tumblr is another blog venue. i am finding to be clean and easy to use. i may soon transition out of Place Witty Title Here to: Red Geranium Untitiled at shrosin.tumblr.com

will give the green light when good to go.

The Return of the Fireside Chat

2008-11-18T14:38:00.004-05:00

Transparency in government from government? pretty damn cool.

The New Yorker magazine this past week made comparisons between Obama and FDR in their article "New Liberalism". It is worth reading if you are interested in political paradigms and what may or may not lay ahead.

What an exciting time to be studying public policy!

You Know Your In Grad School When...

2008-11-16T15:31:00.001-05:00

1. you no longer have any free time
2. you need new glasses due to the amount of time spent reading thousands of small words on a daily basis
3. being able to read an article in the newspaper or the New Yorker seems like a luxury

and back to analyzing the welfare state we go!

hip, hip 5K!

2008-11-09T15:54:00.005-05:00

We did it! 7 weeks of training and Brian and I each ran across the finish line of the Boston Luv2Run November run. The course was along the Charles River, and although windy--the scenery was quite spectacular. We placed 182 (Brian) and 188 out of 270 runners at 32 min and 33 min respectively. Not too bad for a comfortable pace... Here are some photos:

cartoon noise

2008-11-06T12:12:00.005-05:00

Barack Obama's victory in this past week's election has coincided with some challenging class discussions that have been taking place in my Public Policy program surrounding race. As we discuss American liberalism and the evolution of federalism throughout the last 250+ years and how the idea of race has played into the two, it is interesting to hear how the American people are reacting and responding. Here are some political cartoons from around the country I found interesting commentary:

To Hope

2008-11-04T09:00:00.003-05:00

For the first time since the disclosure of the Bush administration of WMDs in Iraq, I have renewed faith and hope in our government.

Barack you have inspired me. I look forward to the challenges that will be overcome, and the change we will see in America.

I wish you much luck Mr. President elect.

ARR meet MCR

2008-10-22T20:59:00.003-04:00

We were all waiting patiently, some may say anxiously for the newest Rosinblum (okay fine, Rosenblum) baby to arrive.

after 2 weeks of contractions, an accupressure massage and a little stage fright Miri has arrived! Officially named Miriam Chana Rosenblum, Miri entered the world just like her big sister after midnight.

Reports from Mom is that she's doing great. Ayelet was introduced this morning and apparently welcomed little Miri with a loud rendition of 'You are My Sunshine'. Amarit is doing well, the birth went according to plan and Miri entered swimmingly.

things I have learned this week

2008-10-08T12:46:00.003-04:00

1. Although I though I had changed, turns out I still don't like oatmeal...and now I am stuck with 2 boxes...
2. I know many people who are new mommies this week: Sarah, Ahava, Glenda, Claire, and Laurie--Mazal Tov!
3. My sister is still very pregnant
4. Retired Generals of the Israeli Defense Forces and high-ranking Mossad officials on Barack Obama

wishing you all a safe, easy and meaningful fast!

will update with delivery news at appropriate time

for all you high school musical fans

2008-09-18T15:13:00.000-04:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

we were all thinking it!

2008-09-14T23:51:00.003-04:00

Smartest One Year Old In the World--Just In Case You Haven't Seen It!

2008-09-10T15:24:00.001-04:00

Gum!?!?

2008-09-04T09:51:00.009-04:00

I have been an avid watcher of both the Democratic and Republican conventions over the last weeks. There have been good speeches on both ends, as well as shitty ones. However, last night's speech by Sarah Palin was almost completely forgotten when her soon to be 'I knocked up your daughter' son-in-law stepped onto the stage chewing gum! Gum! Who chews gum at the VP nomination/acceptance speech let alone meeting Sen. John McCain??? I found the whole thing to be so utterly disrespectful. And what about the awkward McCain appearance? It was like he and Palin couldn't stand being in a foot of each other.

I look forward to the debates.

In other news, Brian and I started training for a 5K. A week ago I couldn't run a mile, now I can do 1.5 and not want to collapse when I finish! Race date is Sun. Nov. 9th.

Apologies for not posting pictures from our trip. An album can be found on my flickr site. Here are a few:

I am now back in Boston after a month hiatus. Anna is out and Tirtzah is in. School has begun and I have enjoyed the classes that have started. More on grad school to come.

Ayelet June 2008

2008-06-30T11:10:00.010-04:00

Cults and Concerts

2008-06-26T10:34:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I encountered a group who call themselves The Twelve Tribes. It was Saturday afternoon and we were walking along the waterfront on Martha's Vineyard. They were playing music and folk dancing. All the men had moderately long hair tied back in a low pony tails, all the women were long dresses with sleeves to their elbows and high necklines. They too had long hair pulled back in braids.

I will be brutally honest, cults FASCINATE me. I picked up a piece of their literature and started reading about Yeshua their saviour, my first thought was Jews for Jesus. But they weren't awkward like the mumbling Jews for Jesus handing out flyers from their fanny packs on the street corners. The reading also stated they celebrate the Sabbath each Friday by coming together for a large communal meal, song and dance. I speculated with Brian, and our friends Michael and Jessica we were visiting with. I was challenged to take my curiosity a step further, and I did, I went up to a group of young women sitting on the lawn and started up a conversation. I don't know who was more intrigued, me or them. They had Hebrew names, Sarah, Eliana etc... and were a little taken a back when I mentioned I grew up in an Orthodox Jewish community. Of the 5 women who were there 4 of them were born into the Twelve Tribes. The other became a member of the community after frequent visits to one of their coffee shops. The Twelve Tribes has a variety of Coffee shops set up across the U.S. We chatted a bit about the similarities of their mission "living in a conscious community with all income shared" and Kibbutz life. One girl mentioned her father had spent time on a Kibbutz years ago. Israeli folk dancing is incorporated in their community dancing. Women dress modestly, they believe in Jesus but that Jesus did not do away with Old Testament Law. They are Christians and they formed their community in the 1970's. I walked away thinking, hey maybe they really are just choosing to live an alternative lifestyle, maybe its not a cult....Until I came back to Boston and checked out their website. The one defining line for me is that members must cut off ties with non-believers of their past. Although they do have a section reading why they are not a cult, this is what defines it as one for me. I may still take them up on their invite to their coffeehouse in Dorchester though....rumor has it the punch is quite good!

On Tuesday night Brian and I went to go see The Dave Matthews Band. The last time I saw DMB was just about this time 9 years ago. I was with Rami Berner, Daniel Horn and Ariella Joel. It was our first big trip as High School grads. We road tripped up to NY, ate at Dougies, left Ariella's number on the tablecloth for the waiter (unbeknown to her, and not widely received when the waiter actually called), dug through the trash after Daniel left the tickets on the table we walked 3 blocks and realized the mistake, and had an amazing time. There were many high school grads at this concert as well, most of them scantily clad and very drunk. The show was great, Tim Reynolds was a pleasant surprise. Some people may call the followers of Dave Culty themselves. Amongst the half naked teens and droves of college students there were some older fans as well. Some who have seen Dave everytime he or DMB have come to town, others like myself who have just been fans of the music for a long time. They have not come out with a new album in a few years now so the show itself was a nice mix of everything he has done. Among the songs found on the playlist: The Stone, Tripping Bilies, Dreaming Tree, Grey Street, Crush, Grave Digger, and Ants Marching. Like the last concert, I was a bit bummed that he didn't play #41 nor did he play a new favorite Stay or Leave.

Photos from Elior and Dave aka Slaw's Wedding

2008-06-18T09:53:00.014-04:00

June 15, 2008 Somerset NJ:

Elior Greeting Guests

Elior and Dave at the Bedekin

Esty Altchul, Naomi Korb, Me

Elior and her Parents Walking down the Aisle

From HA to MD (minus Elan)

Elior, Dave, Keren, Me, Naomi

I heart Brooklyn

2008-06-17T13:06:00.011-04:00

On Wednesday night, my ride to NY for a wedding texted me and said: "Hey do you mind if we leave on Friday afternoon instead?". One Friday headache/I should go home early fake out later...we were on the road. With a night to make plans I got very excited about visiting a good high school friend in Brooklyn before heading out to the wedding on Sunday afternoon. We had a great time, lots of food and friends. One of the cooler events was the Renegade Crafts fair that was taking place.

We walked around for a couple of hours before surrenduring to the brutality of the sun. The fair was comprised of local and not so local artists, and one of the main promoters was a website called Etsy or as I like to introduce it "It's like Besty without the B"! Many cool things, and although I didn't have the cash at the time I have since tracked down some of the vendors and bought online including this AWESOME city map off of http://www.orkposters.com/:

They have only a handful of maps at the moment (Brooklyn, Chicago, LA, Manhattan, San Fran.) but maps including Seattle, Portland and Washington D.C. are on the way. I would love to buy one for each major city I have lived in, frame them and have some funky yet practical art for the wall.

I have been a big fan of Esty for a while now after learning about it from a co-worker. Here are some of the other cool things I have purchased there:

Stone Necklace from the Oregon coast: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5609834

Wooden and painted earrings: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5399844

The weekend continued celebrating with friends at the wedding of Elior Parness and David Coleman--pics to follow.

Oh Canada

2008-06-04T14:09:00.002-04:00

It's offical. Brian and I booked our tickets to Calgary and will be off to the Canadian Rockies for the first 10 days in August. The recommendation originally came from a friend when I was open to and looking for global suggestions. It should be a week of hiking, kayaking, caving and if I can get Brian to conquer a fear of being thrown from a raft--whitewater. The guide books claim that Lake Louise, Banff National Park, and Jasper National Park will take your breath away. I'm ready!

I gave final notice to NICHQ that I will be departing July 29th. Its a bit later than I originally hoped. But I had originally wanted to backpack SE Asia. Alas, that trip will have to wait for another time. Good news is the extra couple of paychecks will not only help with this trip (why did the Canadian dollar have to go and trump the U.S.?) but also with a new Macbook I have been eyeing for quite some time now and will come in handy for starting school this fall.

Start date is August 24th and classes begin on the 28th. I have received information on my academic advisor, have realized I will not have dental insurance, and sent my orientation schedule. Although I may complain about it in the future, let the record show I am very much looking forward to getting back into the classroom.

This month is also full of travel: Martha's vineyard, NY/NJ, and Albany. This weekend is in fact my last on in Boston until July...guess the bug has not yet left my system!

Money, Money, Money, Money, MONEY!

2008-05-01T17:13:00.002-04:00

the CRAZIEST thing ever happened to me last night as I was walking home from parking my car. As I was walking up the street, a cab came rolling around the corner and as it drove away it appeared that a ton of papers comes flying out. i walked up to see what it was, and it wasn't papers IT WAS MONEY!!! lots of ones and fives all over the street!

I picked it up in this huge bulge and waited for the taxi to come back, but it didn't and I waited some more and then walked up the street and it still didn't come back. A nurse walking to the night shift at the local nursing home asked if I was okay, since apparently I looked as if I were in a total state of shock and I relayed the story. She said she felt bad for the driver, but what an idiot to have left his tips by the window and that I should just go home and not stand on the street with a butt load of cash in my hands.So I shoved it in my pocket (hardly fit) and walked home. I dumped it on Sarah's bed, told her the story, we counted it up and its $80! She was on the phone to her friend Kira who is putting bets that it was one of those 48 hour specials where they tape the 'what would you do' scenario

I don't know what to do. I called the 5 cab companies in the brookline area, left my name and number and said if any driver comes in talking about losing money, they are able to identify the amount and in the area they lost it I am happy to return.

i have been asking folks for their suggestions as to what I should do. Here have been some of the responses:

Friend One: "I think I say keep some and donate some...maybe there is a way to donate it to people who need taxi rides who might not be able to afford it..."

Friend Two: "Just give it a few days, call every day, and even call out of Brookline. Call Newton, Cambridge, Allston, and Brighton as well. But call every day for a week and if by then no one shows up- give it to tzedakah. Alternatively, take it to the police because then it is out of your hands and you are no longer responsible....But I wouldn't keep it, Shirah. That's tainted money and not really rightfully yours. If it were $5 but this is a lot of money. Probably not what you wanted to hear but that's how I feel."

Friend Three: " Funny enough, I'm remembering some Jewish moral about just this scenario. It says that one is supposed to keep all of the money because tzedakah requires intention. Finding money that one then gives away lacks intention. Do what you will with that. I think that you've taken enough action to try to get the $ back, that you should feel just fine in keeping it... or giving it away... I think it's entirely up to you at this point. I like the 10% for tzedakah idea and keeping the rest. Or if you're really crazy, pay it forward. Just walk into the street, throw it up in the air and walk away (or stick around to watch what happens)"

Friend Four: " i wouldn't worry about ensuring that you call every possible place nor that you call every day. i would just make a call to these other companies to leave your info. and then wait a week - f/u with them to double check and if you don't hear anything, i think the tzedakah option is a really nice idea :)"

Friend Five: my opinion is that you can keep the money. it is certainly not "tainted" - people lose things all the time and you found it totally innocently. here is why i think you can keep it.

1) the owner has likely despaired of getting it back, which means that you aren't really obliged to return it.

2) in "lifnim mishurat hadin" terms it would be good to return it, but you have already revealed the administrative difficulty of carrying out the task (you could still keep trying according to Marni's suggestions, but remember it could also be a cab customer's money, further decreasing the likelihood the owner expects to find it/you will find the owner).

3) money is fungible, that is, it's not a unique object and if the owner is somehow identified you can pay them with another set of bills that equal $80 at no loss to them (money's fungible nature also plays into the fact the owner does like likely expect to get it back)

Friend Six: " i think you are all crazy--- go out, get a stripper. a few bottles of champange and have yourself a wild and crazy night! Just kidding...yeah, donate it I guess and take your self out to a really good dinner and movie.

Friend Seven: "I think its hard to say what I would do because I am not the one right now with the 80 bucks but we can totally talk about it tonight over a few beers and nachos... your treat right???? what if you would have walked by 3 minutes later after the cab had passed and the money was left on the street..... just like finding some money on the street.... what would you do? would you have the same dilema???"

Brother One: "The most noble thing to do would be to give it back to the stripper community. Perhaps use it on a Happy Hour at your local club."

Boyfriend One: " If noone calls back in 24 hours go spend it! OR you can make a charitable contribution to "Brookline Dermatology Associates"--we accept payment in 1's, 5's, 10's, or whatever denomination you'd like!"

What do you think??

Quite Some Time

2008-04-30T13:38:00.005-04:00

It has been quite some time since my postings have been somewhat regular. I could blame it on work, but I think at the end of the day I have just felt somewhat blah in my mental stimulation. I rarely find myself engaged in the conversations and learning sessions that really triggered my emotions and internal questioning the way my time at Pardes and working at Nesiya did.

It is the end of April here in Boston and yet it is still 45 degrees outside making me feel as if it were still the start of March. It also means that I have been here 8 months now and luckily i am not itching to get the hell out!

Big updates:

1. I was accepted to the Brandeis Hornstein/Heller joint program for Fall 2008 that will allow me to graduate with a Masters in Public Policy and a MA in Jewish Professional Leadership. I have really enjoyed my experiences here at the National Intiative for Children's Healthcare Quality, where I have been since October, but I also know where my true passions lay and look forward to going back to that table of conversation.

2. I have been dating this great guy now for about 6 months named Brian. He is a dermatologist here in Brookline, and in a true stereotypical fashion we met at a Channukah party. We recently returned from my parent's house for Passover and he seems to have passed with flying colors. I guess anyone who can share a room with Jake for 3 days, talk sports, finances and politics, put up with screaming children and the rest of the tests the Rosin household puts you through is someone worth keeping around...even if he has never seen the Goonies.

3. Jake has one upped my blogging efforts and write quite a witty news brief on random news stories from around the world including his two cents on them all. I feel it my duty as a sister and an avid reader to publicize on his behalf: http://www.jroz-afternoonupdate.blogspot.com/. Here's a recent photo of Jake and I at St. Baldrick's in March, and yes, I am shaving his head and got free beer to do it:

4. I am hoping to travel this summer mid-july-mid august before school begins in the fall. If you have recommendations on locations in SE Asia, central or South America--please let me know!

Here's to a great last day of April!

Coffee In Hand

2008-02-03T13:44:00.000-05:00

One thing I really enjoy about Sundays, is the ability to get things done. Laundry, emails, reading, errands and the joy of sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of joe.

I recognize that it has been quite some time since I last wrote. No excuses, just haven't done it. In fact, I haven't been doing much writing since I got back from Israel last August. I sometimes wonder if it is due to the fact that I don't have much to write about or that because I am not writing I am not allowing myself to process and think much of the way I have been doing within the last year.

I have missed that critical thinking aspect of myself and so I have signed up for a class in Radical Jewish thought being offered at a near by Jewish social justice co-op called the Kavod House (translation: house of respect). I am facilitating this afternoon's discussion about how radical Judaism and Jewish identity are understood and described in the articles we were assigned to read.

While I find the articles facinating, I can't say I agree with much of what is said. One article, by the Jews for Urban Justice, argues for a democratic socialist society which is comprised of autonomous religious, cultural, ethinic, and political communities that live side by side without a nationalized education system or capitalistic environment that makes them all conform to one train of thought. They fault mainstream education, political and capatalistic systems for the breakdown of culture, heritage and identity in communities such as the Jewish community among the Appalacian Native tribes, etc... They want to reclaim autonomy on religious practice (an evolved halakah--Jewish law, that incorporates egalitarian and humanitarian ideologies), a renewal of Yiddish as a common language for Jewish communities originally from E. Europe, and a new emphasis of pride and education in Jewish history, culture and practice. While I am all for a renewal of education and tradition and embracing an evolutionized halachic system, my questions lie in the realities of such environments with the polarization of Jews in N. America in various communities and if this can only happen when nationalized systems are broken down.

It seems as if the Jews for Urban Justice blame the deconstruction of the richness of Jewish community in the 'Americanized system' that whitewashes cultures to make a unified peoplehood that by default strips many of their past. By I want to challenge that idea with the statement that the fault cannot lie solely with such a system. If these things are truly important to an individual (i.e. Yiddish, Hebrew, Jewish education, Jewish songs, literature, etc...) than a personal responsibility must also come into play. It is the responsibility of the individual and the community to which that individual belongs to make these things a priority and therefore stress their place and importance. It is my frustration that the article overlooks this element of personal responsibility and it furthermore upsets me that these things are seen of such low priority by others that for many they will disappear.

I am interested in seeing how the conversations this evening go and to participate in this class over the next few months. I will be sure to keep you up to date.

The election for many is just around the corner and it has been a never ending conversation among friends with the overall message that they aren't looking at who is the most qualified democrat, but who is the democrat who can beat John McCain. I have already placed my vote by absentee, and I wish my girl Hillary luck on Tuesday.

I have gotten to do a lot of traveling in the last couple of months visiting good friends in D.C., NY and Chicago. I think it is time to stay put and get to know Boston/New England a bit more.

New photos are up on my flickr site (link on the right hand side of this page)

Happy Voting to you--Shirah

Proud to be a Friend and a Fan

2008-01-09T23:39:00.000-05:00

I feel very lucky to have many friends in my life that make their dreams come true. Here is the newly released video of my friend Dov Rosenblatt's band: Fools for April. It debuted on MTV today and 2 additional songs will air as part of the Real Word Sydney on Jan 16th.

Their EP is available on iTunes and I am glad to help shamelessly promote them. If you enjoy, be sure to pass on the good word.

bout time

2007-11-06T21:39:00.000-05:00

i have been back in the states since late august and i figured it was about time to update the blog. to be honest it was not until last week that i got the kick in the ass i needed. I was attending the Professional Leadership Project last week in LA and realized for the first time in months I traveled without my journal in hand and was scouring for napkins and pens to write down my thoughts. I have been back and have hardly written at all, not only virtually but tangibly.

I moved to Boston Sept. 1 and so far so good. Here is the quick update: After temping for the development department at the Jewish Women's Archive, I landed a job at the National Initiative for Childrens Healthcare Quality (and I thought my Senior Sigma Alpha Mu Jewish Campus Service Corps title was long). In any case, it is going well and although I am drowning in a whole new sea of acronyms I am enjoying the challenge of learning about a new industry.

It is great to be closer to the niece, i like having Sundays back and I really like the crunch of autumn leaves beneath my shoes. It is hard to be away of Israel, I miss the freedom of learning for the sake of learning, and the great community of friends I made.

My apartment is great with lots of room for guests--so take a hint and come visit!

Music in the Summer Time

2007-07-27T03:45:00.000-04:00

This summer has been full of music amongst the work. With each free moment I get I seem to grab the opportunity to go see a show. In the last few weeks I have gotten to see Israeli music stars David Broza, Ehud Banai and Mosh Ben Ari. And of course, lets not forget Holler.

Pictures and video to follow! In the mean time you can check out what I have been doing this summer at www.nesiya.org. In the alumni tab click on photo albums kehillah summer 2007. I am staffing K3. Albums are listed at the bottom of the page!

Alive

2007-07-27T03:31:00.000-04:00

We are at the half way mark of the summer and Nesiya is going well. The kids are good, the experience is intense and I just had my first night of 8 hour sleep in over 3 weeks. We arrived in Jerusalem on Tisha B'Av (Monday) and went directly to the Kotel (Western Wall). It was a very bizarre experience for me as an educator. A day that mourns the destruction of the Temple, visiting the Kotel has the potential for a very powerful experience. Yet I don't like going there, I don't find religious meaning in a wall and find I get more frustrated than anything else when I am there.

We had spent the previous 2 weeks up north in the Galilee and Golan and the 2 weeks before that in the desert. Lots of conversations about the individual vs. the community and discussions about what kind of communities we would like to build for ourselves. I have many a journal entry written on these topics but neither the time or energy to retype them here.

We go to Tel Aviv Sunday and then to Kseifa-a bedouin community near Beer-Sheva where we will be doing a 3 day program with Arab teens. I am very excited for this part of the program. I think it will be both challenging for the Israelis who never really interacted with Arab peers before and discussing the reality that they are all citizens of Israel and for the Americans who most likely never factor in the Bedouin community when they are painted the picture of Israel.

After Kseifa we have one long week of arts programming down in Ein Gedi and then wrap up August 11 with the kids and Aug 15 in the office. Whew!

Until then...

Ode to Elan

2007-07-01T11:20:00.000-04:00

I like to think that I am someone who keeps my end of a bargain, and this entry is dedicated to an awesome friend who does the same: Elan.

This past week has been a bit chaotic with hours in the office lasting til 3am in preparation for the start of Nesiya. I am officially 'on the bus' tomorrow at 5:30am. So, today I took the day off. I am very much looking forward to Sundays resuming their place in the week as a relaxation day (as it universally should be!), having them here is a rare treat.

I spent Shabbat at Bridgette and Jon's house in Neve Daniel out in the Gush. She was not happy when I told her I was moving back to the States. The next 30 hours turned out to be one big guilt trip. I tried to emphasize to her the truth, that it was not an easy decision for me to make. It is not as if I look at one geographic location superior to the other. In fact that's my problem, I don't feel strongly connected to any one place. Right now my priority is to be closer to family (same time zone in 4 years)and attempting in stay in one city for 3-4 years (hopefully including graduate school). That's as far as I can go at the moment. She, and then I, questioned what happened to all my idealism. Honestly, reality. It's so unfortunate to say but I just cannot see eye to eye with many of my friends from earlier parts of my life be it religiously or politically. The strength though for me is that despite those differences, and in times disappointments, were still friends.

I have been crashing these last few days with my friends Francine and Adam. Francine was a fellow student of mine at Pardes this past year, Adam is Francine's boyfriend and coincidentally an old friend's older brother. The three of us, along with another friend Molly went to a sunrise David Broza, Shawn Colvin and Jackson Browne concert at the basement of Masada. The concert started at 3am. Although I could have done without the theatrics of Broza himself, the lighting and the backdrop of the desert, Masada , and eventually the sunrise were spectacular. As we were sitting there watching I could not stop thinking of 'if the Romans and Zealots could see us now' Do you think they would have also gone with the stadium seating the concert venue sports today or a more traditional ampitheatre?? Who knows who will be performing on the battlefields of today 1000 years from now...

I am not sure how the three artists were chosen to perform together but the event was filmed by PBS and I believe will be airing sometime in December. We got ourselves back to the apartment around 9am--just enough time for a nap and to get to the pool by 2pm. I decided that I just wanted someplace relaxing to finish my book (Possible Side Effects, Augustine Boroughs)before 5:30am tomorrow.

Will try to update when I can from the road. Until then, keep hydrated!

Netanya Tigers

2007-06-26T10:16:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know that Israel has begun a baseball league, creatively called Israel Baseball League. Last night was the second game of the season, but more importantly the first game of the Netanya Tigers starring Benji Engelhart. Here is my story:

I pulled up in a car with the Altschuls and Schors. There was a large Silver Spring showing. The field was in the midst of a sunflower field with one set of bleachers and rows of plastic chairs. The 'will call' box consisted of two men who had no name list under a makeshift tent at the entrance just off a dirt road. We got there just after the first pitch. Both dugouts were on the left side of the field, leaving all seating to the right. It took us a while to figure out which one of the guys in the orange jerseys was Benji. Then we spotted him, the one eating the garinim (sunflower seeds--fitting for the setting we were in), #10.

It was an interesting mix of people who came out to the game. Lots of shlubby guys in baseball caps, lots of families visiting and very few Israelis. We had a great time and hung with the other kids from Kemp Mill. Esty and I had made a bunch of signs and we were definately one of the stronger sections of fans cheering broadly for the Tigers but loudly for Benji. We made several efforts to get him in the game chanting En-gel-hart and Put Benji In...but unfortunately a no go.

The game itself was only supposed to last 7 innings (maybe they'll upgrade to a full 9 next summer) but was called after 6 because of poor lighting on the field--it was getting dark. The end score was Beit Shemesh Blue Socks-2, Netanya Tigers-1. After the game we got to see the big star, take photos and get autographs. Heres one photo of Esty, Benji and Me:

I would like to try and make it to one more game over the summer, much of that will be dependent of scheduling and days off. I am feeling more and more that i am seeing less and less of anything outside these office walls. Looking forward to getting on the bus, hoping the heat will cool down and getting this summer started!

TOO hot to Sleep!

2007-06-24T17:50:00.000-04:00

There is a heat wave in Jerusalem. With no air conditioning or fans in the apartment where I am crashing, it is too damn hot to sleep! So instead of sleeping, between swatting mosquitoes and cold showers, I figured I would update the blog and catch you up to date.

Last Wednesday I went to Tamara Fine and Aron Skeversky's wedding. It was held in the hillside of the Jerusalem forest and was absolutely beautiful. Below are a a few photos and a clip post chuppah:

Myself, and fellow Hebrew Academy classmates Naomi Korb and Yael Davis (ne: Zemellman)

The wedding was followed by an intense 3 day Nesiya workshop surrounding The Jerusalem Unit: exploring holy place and holy space. The unit will consist of many parts, looking at the history and the current status of communities in Jerusalem. However, as a staff we focused on some really interesting topics regarding the relationship between Jews in Israel and Jews in the Diaspora. I wanted to share some of my thoughts and questions following one particular conversation. For me, they are not easy questions. In fact I find them very hard to swallow, but necessary to discuss.

What is the obligation of Jews in the diaspora (those Jews living outside the land of Israel) to Israel? What is Israel (Israeli) obligation to Jew in the diaspora? Where do obligations lie? To the land? To peoplehood? What should be our connectors? The land? The tradition?

These questions emerged after looking at a piece of biblical text-(Numbers 32:1-42) that describes the agreement made between the tribes of Reuven and Gad, with Moshe and the elders of Israel to remain on the east side of the Jordan. In receiving what they wanted, in return they agreed to fight with the rest of the tribes entering the land, and specifically as the first into battle. It was only then that they could return to the eastern side of the Jordan, to the land they deemed as more fertile and appropriate for their success. They had to define their commitment to their fellow Israelites, they had to do so through blood. They shared a defining point creating a shared history. But what happened when they returned to the eastern side of the Jordan? Did their children feel this same connection? Was it an ongoing agreement or a one time deal? What about their great-grandchildren? Will their shared history be enough to link them as one?

It seems to be an acceptable deal to Moshe and the elders, they approve it. What does this say about their commitment to peoplehood? What does it say to the commitment to a shared covenant that had been made earlier regarding the land of Israel?

Where do my commitments lay? In the face of a Judaism that again today has Jews living both within and outside of the borders of Israel, should every Jew around the world serve in the Israeli army? Should this be a necessary action to maintain this connection to brethren? Is it enough that my grandfather did it? How will I define my own connection? Will it be a decision I make or will it be defined for me? Have I fulfilled it? Is it an obligation that is every fully fulfilled?

Should we be fighting so hard for this unity? Unity between those within and outside the land? What are the benefits? Do these benefits outweigh the challenges? Will it be okay if we become a divided Jewish people? Will this be the divider? Geography? Or will it be within defined frameworks of halacha? What will become of the Jewish people??

How Can It Be June 19th??

2007-06-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

Didn't I just get here yesterday? Where did the time go??

Didn't I just get here yesterday? Where did the time go??

I am once again in transition, repacking bags and looking for the next place to store them. Additionally I am in (not by choice) a transition of mindset. Although it was my intention to not be concerned with the summer until the summer was over, My Mother is correct and I don't have that luxury. So in the midst of being in the office full time preparing for the 40 teenagers I will be responsible for six weeks arriving a week from Sunday, I am also now getting anxious about finding a job. I posted my resume on Monster.com and realized that I am not as marketable outside the non-profit world as I thought. Shame...

I am hoping that the universe will work something out (as it always seems to do) and that something will come along allowing me to begin in early September. That’s right folks, I said early September. I arrive in the U.S. August 21st. I am going to rent a car at the airport (Unless I can convince my amazing, wonderful, brilliant, selfless, and possibly still unemployed brother to come pick me up--nudge, nudge, wink, wink) and drive north with all my things to the apartment my roommate will hopefully have found by that point. With no furniture I will probably make a quick run to ikea or crash with friends in the area for the night. Possibly find some things on Craig's List the following day and then high tail it back down to Maryland where I will pack up the rest of my things and drive back up to Boston. Anything’s possible...right??

Okay, back to packing!

Five Minutes

2007-06-12T13:48:00.000-04:00

It all started from an explaination of the movie Run Lola Run. A clip from the film appeared on our all Greek 4 station TV in Santorini and I was relating to my friend how different the outcome of a situation, and on the greater scale life, can totally be altered by something as small as 5 minutes or less. Granted, I don't have a boyfriend who owes money to drug dealers at the expense of his life--but hey, five minutes are five minutes.

As a result of a bus that was five minutes late, Annie and I met a couple of girls from China who were awaiting the bus after returning the car the had rented for the day. They gave us all the info, the research they had done and it resulted in us following their plan and the next day we were able to explore Santorini literally tip to tip.

Before we had made it to Santorini however we spent two days in Athens. Although we had not yet had our 'five minute'discussion, in retrospect I will attribute our good luck to that as well. When we first arrived at our hostel we took the extra time to chat with the receptionist who informed us that the next day was Greek Earth Day and that all sites and museums would be free. That little piece of information saved us each about 40 euro! Earth day was beneficial to the earth...bringing rain. The Parthenon, the Acropolis, Greek Theatres, Olympic Stadium, National Garden, Hadrians Arch, all in the rain! But we had a great time none the less. We stumbled across quaint neighborhoods after making wrong turns, and found that the Athens meat market has LCD screens for TV viewers plastered along the ceilings. Athens is also donned with artistic grafitti, and a way of feeling you are in an old european town and a bustling city all at the same time. No matter where we went there were sleeping dogs...couldn't explain it but if i get any choice in where i am placed in my next life...

We took an early morning ferry from Athens to Santorini which allowed us to see a good deal of islands on our way over (it was an 8 hour ride). To bide our time we ate bannanas and peanut butter, read and played cards. When we got into Athens we met up with the representative of our hostel: Hotel Anna. They drove us up the VERY windy road of the Caldera cliff. Highlights of Santorini are: The red beach, Oia, and Perissia beach. Here are a few photos of Santorini (more on my flickr site)

From Santorini we took a ferry to Naxos arriving in the wee hours of the morning. Santorini, although beautiful is an island for the tourists. Almost all businesses on the island function only for tourist season. We were lucky that we travelled just before the season got busy. Naxos on the other hand, is an island that is much larger and functions primarily independently of the tourist season. It is known for its olive oil, grapes, and a special liqour made of citrons. You may be familiar with citrons because they are also known as Etrogs and used during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. They have been making the liqour for just over 200 years and is only available on Naxos. Let me tell you, its strong. Equal in strength is its beauty. We decided to rent another car and went exploring. We found great little villages and bays along the east side of the island, rolling hills and old ruins. One of the major attractions is the Temple of Apollo. The temple was in the earlier stages of construction before the builders (or ruling party) decided to give up on the project.
It was also on Naxos that I rode my first bicycle in 8 years. 8 years! My tush hurt. Because it had been a while and I was riding along with a triatholon goer and a person who rides their bike to work I decided that on our return trek I would start a bit earlier and then we would all meet up together. I got lost. I ended up in this farming community where no one spoke english and I stuck out like a sore thumb. With no mode of communication I navigated my way back to the shore and an hour late, made it back to the rendevouz point. I accepted gladly the beer that was waiting!

Again a few photos:

All in all it was a wonderful trip. I arrived back in Jerusalem tanned and relaxed. I also decided it was time to make a change and got my hair cut (for those of you who were there think Jacob's bar-mitzvah). There are a couple more weeks until Nesiya begins. We have begun doing a lot of prep work for the summer and have been broken into staff teams. I am very much looking forward to getting started on the trip itself! But I am also looking forward to really utilizing these next couple of weeks here in Jerusalem/Tel Aviv. I have a wedding (Mazal Tov Tamara and Aron!), a baseball game (yay Benji!), multiple friends arriving in town via Taglit birthright-israel, Pardes students, and a friend's concert to attend before I jump on the bus with 40 teens. Hopefully I will make it to the beach one day as well!!

Decision

2007-05-29T00:39:00.000-04:00

Well folks, here it is: I'm moving to Boston! What I will be doing there? Unclear. But I picked a city and I feel good about it. It is the in between, the going back and forth that has really been driving me crazy. I made the decision 48 hours ago and have been walking around smiling ever since--thats a good sign, right?

Only 2 more days left at Pardes. Thursday afternoon I jump on a bus to Tsfat for our second staff training weekend for Nesiya. I will be there until Sunday evening when I return to Jerusalem. Then, bright and early Monday I (along with Jenny, Max and Annie) will be on my way to the airport destination GREECE!

We have been planning the trip for a while and I am SO excited it is finally here. Our general game plan is as follows:
We arrive in Athens in the early afternoon. We will spend the night and the following day there before jumping aboard a ferry boat that will take us down to Santorini Island. We will be on Santorini for a total of 3 days with one night spent on the island of Ios. Then we head to Naxos for 2 days before heading back for our final night in Athens to catch our flight the next morning back to Tel Aviv. Whew!! If any of you have spent anytime in/on these places and have so me advice or 'must dos' I would appreciate it!

You most likely will not be hearing from me again until mid-June when I return but I promise a large post with photos!

Hope those of you on the west side of the ocean had a lovely memorial day weekend!

Nearing the End

2007-05-27T00:34:00.001-04:00

This morning will mark my last Sunday at Pardes. Classes will run through Thursday and then the Academic year will be over. It is hard to believe so much time has passed. I have moved out of my apartment and will be crashing with a friend for the next month before starting my job as a bus counselor for Nesiya July 1.

I have been thinking a lot about what should come next, each day my heart seems to be motivating me back and forth between two different options. Do I stay here or do I move to Boston? Each are good choices, I just have to choose one.

The Unexpected

2007-05-14T06:13:00.000-04:00

"It never rains in Israel past Passover", He said. "Not since I can remember".

Well, he was wrong. To everyones surprise I has been raining here quite a bit. Including a thunderstorm today. I have actually found it to be quite refreshing. The end of the Pardes year is looming. I have had to say goodbye to both my roomates, and I am still trying to figure out where I will be come late August.

This year has been wonderful. I have grown so much, learned a ton, and have made lifelong friends. It is hard to believe that May is almost over and 10 months have flown by so quickly.

I am still crazy as ever, but having so much on my plate has given me some distraction from the emotional goodbyes. I leave for a 3 day trip with my fellow Nesiya staff tomorrow morning. We are leaving bright and early for Mitzpe Ramon (Ramon Crater) where we will camp overnight and then spend Shabbat in the Negev (desert). By the end of the weekend the senior staff will have decided how to place us in teams for the summer. For me this is the most exciting part. There are 12 of us, 4 staff (2 Americans and 2 Israelis) per bus. Everyone is great, but it will be nice to have a smaller group to start planning and really investing.

I am also looking forward to getting out of Jerusalem. I have been doing a little better in this department-but not by much. A couple of weekends ago I was up in a Druze Village near Acco called Pekiin. It is well known for its co-existence between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It is also the only place that has constantly been inhabited by Jews (with a brief lapse in the late 1930-1940s for fear of rioting from nearby Arab villages) since the destruction of the Second Temple. I have also made it out to Tel Aviv for some recreation and Hebron for some education. I hope to share more about my experience in Hebron at a later date, but I'm still processing it all.

It is Yom Yerushalyim today marking the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War. It was during the war that Israel defended itself against the Egyptian, Syrian, Lebonese and Jordanian armies. It also unified Jerusalem and were able to take control over the Jewish quarter of the old city and the Kotel (Western Wall). Doing so gave access to Holy sites previously forbidden to Jews. Last night I got caught in the parade (literally) dodging tractors, agricultural floats, and dancing children to make it to my volunteering shift.

I know I haven't written in ages, apologies have almost become standard in my posts. But I hope whomever is reading that life is treating you well and I look forward to hearing all about it!

83

2007-04-30T16:33:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to write for a while...and suprise, i got busy. Life is good, last week was jammed packed with emotion--Yom HaZikaron (Israel Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtznmaut (Israel Independence Day). It made me realize the tension between feeling a part of the people/culture here and feeling distant all at the same time. Yom HaAtzmaut was the perfect day! I would write more...but i'm too tired. For pictures visit the bottom right link to Flickr.

Efforts have stepped up in training for this summer. I will be staffing a six week summer program with Nesiya. So as a collective staff of 16 (to be broken into groups of 4--2 Americans and 2 Israeli staff on every bus) we are meeting at least once a week until the end of June.

I hit the streets again last thursday night. The 2 am mornings have somewhat screwed with my sleeping pattern for the rest of the week. But I am telling you, the experiences have been worth it.

Amongst the crazy I have also been carving out a time for play. I scored a whopping 83 points in one turn of Scrabble on Shabbat afternoon--a new high for me! I even beat out an active player in the Jerusalem Scrabble Club. The word was Blissed (yes, it is the dictionary) on a triple word score connecting Pe and Od across. Maybe I should quit while I am ahead...

I also booked my tickets for Greece. I will be going with friends for one last hoorah from June 4-12. If anyone has any travel advice for the area I would love to hear it!

Thats all for now, hope to post more both in length and content in the near future!

Colored Skies

2007-04-20T08:52:00.000-04:00

I arrived back in Israel Monday afternoon. A painless flight and sherut ride later, I found myself back at 4 Mendele. When I walked into my apartment I got kinda an eerie sensation. The kind you would get when your finals stretched til the last possible day but that more than half then dorm had already cleared out. Although we are all still here, it is only for a few more short weeks. Both Sarahs will be gone by mid-May.

That feeling has continued through the rest of my week. Pardes students have begun to drop off and before I know it my life here will be changing.

On Tuesday we had orange skies. Sands from the desert blown North by the strong winds created somewhat of a textured rain. Not wet, but hazy. In fact, haziness was quite appropriate for our general moods as well. Hearing of the shootings at Virginia Tech and all the victims...I heard the news the night before at my friend Jessy's birthday dinner. Her sister, a Virginia Tech student, called in hysterics. Luckily, She and her friends are okay. My thoughts go out to those who were less fortunate.

The warm weather I was hoping for (after snow and floods on the East Coast) has not quite arrived. But the longer days allow me to once again walk home in the sunshine, even at 7pm.

I went out on the streets last night with Crossroads, and it was a really interesting experience. Unfortunately, due to confidentiality I can't share too much. But I look forward to continuing my work with them.

Today the skies are blue and clouds fluffy white. The wind has somewhat tamed itself and warmer weather is expected for the weekend. I was at brunch with a friend when we saw four fighter jets stream across the sky. I think the image made everyone around us pause. It could be they were practicing for the upcoming Memorial Day this Sunday night and Monday, I hope so.

Heading East

2007-04-15T09:37:00.000-04:00

It is both a strange and natural feeling I have each time I prepare for another trip.
For the past two years they were trips across the country, more recently across the ocean. Being home this time around has made me feel the distance that much more.

My brother is on his way over to pick me up so we can have coffee before he drops me at the train. Then it is off to Newark International Airport, a short stop over in London and back to Tel Aviv.

I am excited to get back, see friends and begin school again. This next month is the beginning of the end. For me, that is a hard realityBy the end of May my roomates will be gone, many of my friends will have travelled back to the states and I will begin my next chapter in Israel. I will also know if that chapter will conclude in August or continue on. I will make sure to keep you all posted.

Photos of Ayelet aka Tarni

2007-04-13T01:08:00.000-04:00

Ready for More?? Visit www.flickr.com/photos/shirahrosin

Quick Update from the Homefront

2007-04-05T00:48:00.000-04:00

The trip in wasn't easy. El Al got us to JFK 2 hours late, add on an additional 1.5 hours for baggage to arrive and you get a missed flight to Washington D.C. After running back and forth through the airport with all my luggage to find out this wonderful news I called home. My call was greeted by the news that my Mom was having a procedure on her back the next day for a slipped disc and that I should be prepared to hit the ground running. After some tears in the airport I was able to get El Al to put me up in a hotel for the night. I was in bed by 12:30 and back at the airport 6 hours later. After waiting in line for 1/2 hour I was told that there were no flights available from JFK to the D.C./Maryland area and that they would book me on a flight from LaGuardia. I was handed an itinerary and pointed in the direction of the taxis. I made it across town to LaGuardia where I was told that the flight may not be possible since I had not reported the flight as missed the night before and that I was marked as a no show. After explaining my story and situation the woman took pity and I was booked. I landed in Maryland at 2pm.

It was nice to be home for Shabbat. I slept, and slept and slept and slept. Something I had not done much of the previous 48 hours.

Sunday, after all the pre-Passover cleaning and shopping had been done, I met Ayelet. She is amazing.

Monday morning I went to the Apple store to find out what could be done for my computer and my now dead iPod. I was told that they could replace the piece where my computer adapter had jammed for $145 and that they would replace my iPod with the same 20gb model for $69. So, for less than what a new iPod would cost me, I am all set--good news!!

I also cooked and prepared my first ever Seders, spent lots of time with baby Ayelet, played a few games of the Settlers of Catan, and got to spend some time with old friends from high school. I am looking forward to spending the rest of my week doing similar things. Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday) to all!

Heading West

2007-03-29T04:03:00.000-04:00

My Sherut (shuttle service) come in about 45 minutes to take me to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. I am VERY excited to be coming back west, even if just for a few weeks. I hit the shuk (open air market) this morning at about 7am-the earliest I have ever been there. It is getting warm and most of the vendors were out with their produce, baked goods, and everything else on display. I look forward to even warmer weather and Israeli 'summer time' when I return.

For those of you who are going to be in the D.C./Maryland area be in touch! it would be great to see you in the next couple of weeks: shrosin@gmail.com

Over the Green Line

2007-03-25T06:41:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago I held a dream of making Aliyah (moving to Israel) and living in an area called Gush Etzion (an area over the green line just outside of Jerusalem first founded in 1946 but since highly developed). Thursday I spent the night in the home of a Palestinian in Beit Sahour, a town adjacent to Bethlehem.

I travelled with a group called Encounters. The program promotes that it provides a slice of Palestinian life to future Jewish educators, Rabbis and community leaders. I am not going to pretend that I understand the political situation any more now that I participated on Encounters, but I do feel that I was shown a 'slice' which is more exposure then I have ever had before.

Since I am still processing all of my thoughts and emotions from the experience I can't fully share what I am feeling. It is not my place to impose judgement on either side nor try to convince you of any political opinions. But I hope that through sharing some of my thoughts I am able to open you up to some questions as I am challenging myself.

We were exposed to a number of voices and opinions during our time in Bethlehem. We visited mostly with people and organizations that promote a non-violent approach to ending occupation. Encounters works very closely with a Palestinian organization called the Holyland Trust which does just that. It was very interesting to hear about the conflict from their end. I have chatted before with Palestinians on college campuses but never before in a constructive matter in the heart of Bethlehem.

Some of the places we went and people we met were:
The Hope Flower School--a co-ed K-12 school for Muslim and Christian children committed to education without messages of violent and hate. Students come from a variety of homes and backgrounds including refugee camps and upper class neighborhoods. Any child who opts to attend is allowed to come. They get their funding not by the PA but by private donations and NGOs.
The Tent of Nations: Land owned by a Palestinian named Dauad Nasser. Family has been living there since 1911 and has kept all paperwork. He has converted the family home into a grounds that runs that aims to build bridges of understanding and peace. Dauad wants Palestinians and Israelis to think in a constructive way. Face to face interactions are what need to be the foundation for this peace. The Tent of Nations creates the framework to do this. They have held tree plantings, run summer camps for kids from refugee camps, Bethlehem, Hebron and surrounding areas. He hopes to give encouragement to youth that they are valuable, respected and have a reason worth living. Unfortunately we take this ideas for granted, they are not inherent in everyone. For Dauad it is important to realize that there are people and ideas on the 'other side'. The 'other side' for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Throughout the next 2 days we heard from many speakers. We also visited with members of the Al Walaje village. Some of the villagers have had their homes demolished, others have demolition declerations pending. There we were guided by an Israeli man naed Meir Margalit who works with the Israeli Coalition against Home Demolitions. It was a lot to take in.

I am going to share just a few memorable quotes from the 2 days. Some resonate with me, some make my insides turn. I will let you read them and see which affect you. Please also look at my Encounters:Bethlehem album on my flickr site-www.flickr.com/photos/shirahrosin to see some of their faces and the things they described.

"Even if they say non-violent communication does not work, it is what we do-because it is the only thing we can do"--Elias Holy Land Trust

"Walls paint ignorance and fear. I could accept a wall, but let them build it on the Green line of 1967"--Elias Holy Land Trust

"I don't want to think negatively, instead I want to invest my frustrations in a positive way"--Dauad Nasser Tent of Nations

"We must respect each other, trust each other. To reach each other we must speak out and listen to one another. We must forgive each other."--George Sa'adeh Principle of Greek Shepherds High School at Beit Sahour, Bereaved Families Forum--Lost Daughter as a result of Israeli army mistaking his car for a Hamas vehicle and opening fire; Deputy Mayor of Bethlehem

"It is nice that you are here, but you will forget about us tomorrow"--Joni Resident of Beit Sahour

"Everytime Israel bulldozes a house we destroy Jewish ethics. I hear Yirmiyahu (the prophet) crying out: ENOUGH!!"--Meir Margalit Israeli Coalition Against Home Demolitions

"What keeps me awake at night is the question of how did we, the Jewish people get here? Two generations ago we were in ghettos in Europe. Today we build the ghettos."----Meir Margalit Israeli Coalition Against Home Demolitions

"We deal with the Government of Israel, not individual parties. We feel Israel should do the same. The PLO recognizes Israel, why should Israel be concerned with all the other factions [Hamas]?"--Fouad Kokali Member of Palestinian Legislative Council, former mayor of Bethlehem

"Israel must make peace with its neighbors. They are a natural part of this area. War cannot continue for another 50 years. Peace will happen, even if it takes another 100 years"--Fouad Kokali Member of Palestinian Legislative Council, former mayor of Bethlehem

"Fightine the Occupation is not a terrorist action. It is a war. Civillians will always suffer. Suicide bombers are terrorist actions like 9/11. But here in Bethlehem, we don't have a definition for terrorist. We believe Humans should be respected Everywhere"--Fouad Kokali Member of Palestinian Legislative Council, former mayor of Bethlehem

"Israel is the only country in the world that the army made the state instead of the state making the army"--Fouad Kokali Member of Palestinian Legislative Council, former mayor of Bethlehem

"They [Israel] are not self-critical, they are too proud to accept their problems and mistakes."--Fouad Kokali Member of Palestinian Legislative Council, former mayor of Bethlehem

"Israelies and Palestinians, we are noisey players, but we are not the power. The power is in the East"--Fouad Kokali Member of Palestinian Legislative Council, former mayor of Bethlehem

"The West placed Israel here to divide Egypt and Syria, two major powers in the Middle East"--Fouad Kokali Member of Palestinian Legislative Council, former mayor of Bethlehem

"Through acting humane on both ends we can live peacefully. If you feel you are superior than acting human you will be disappointed"--Yousef Al Harimi Professor of Islam, Bethlehem University

I was only handed a slice. I hope to go back and gain more. Priviledged with my American passport I had no problems walking through the checkpoint. I cannot begin to imagine what life is like day to day on the other side of the wall. But I hope to learn more. Although I know it is only a minority I was constantly amazed at the hopeful future the Men and Women I encountered painted. That dispite their frustrations they only want to build up constructively and non-violently. I hope this voice will spread and maybe one day soon it will be the majority--on both ends.

BREAK

2007-03-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed my excitment by the capital letters used in the spelling of the title of this post. I have for a very long time now been looking forward to this Passover break. I have been feeling overwhelmed recently. When I mentioned it to a friend she sarcastically said: 'gee with school full time, 2 part time jobs, and a weekly volunteer position how could you possibly feel like you don't have any time for yourself??' Yes, I over commit to things. Yes, I have a stong sense of obligation. And yes, this is why I feel overwhelmed.

Even now on break I am procrastinating between writing a letter to a Pardes donor, and editing my personal statement for my Shalem Center application. But I got to sleep in this morning, go get a cup of coffee and do some journal writing--two big pluses!

But even though I complain I enjoy everything I do. I get a lot of fulfillment out of the volunteering position. It has taught me that in no way shape or form do I want to be a social worker, but that I really do enjoy working with teens and young adults. Working with Nesiya has been good too. I got hired through the end of August and will be staffing one of their summer programs. Bit of info: for those of you who are Regina Spektor fans-she was a Nesiya participant in the summer of 1996 and wrote her very first song here in the Negev (southern Israeli desert).

I am going out of town this thursday and friday--keeping it a secret until i get back. Then on Friday night Tal and Nick arrive!! I am soo looking forward to spending time with them next week! I am also very much looking forward to my trip back to the states. I will be home a week from tomorrow--so soon! It has been almost 2 years since the whole Rosin clan was last together, too long.

Okay, need to finish work so I can start enjoying this BREAK

Ding Dong the iPods Dead

2007-03-15T12:10:00.000-04:00

Well it was a dreary morning. The sky was dark and gray, it was pouring rain (which then turned into snow!) and when I turned on my ipod I got the icon of an ipod with a hazard sign and a frown on it's face--clever apple graphic designers...

I checked the website and it looks like the hardware is busted and although I kept it going for another few weeks it is finally time to say goodbye. Who knows maybe I will find the afikomen plated in gold this year (there is always wishing right??)

Due to the rain and the snow and the sleet my time on the streets was cancelled for tonight. We are going to try to reschedule sometime in the next few weeks. Although I am a little dissapointed that the experience will be delayed I am looking forward to getting home before midnight for the first time this week.

My Shalem Fellowship application is due April 1st so I will be focusing a lot of my efforts on that in the next coming week. My final day at Pardes before break is Sunday and then all the visitors start coming!

Ok, the roommates just baked some cookies and i feel it my duty to go help them eat them. Kol Tuv!

Media Update

2007-03-12T17:30:00.000-04:00

Unfotunately I don't have much time to type. But wanted to give you all some quick updates:

1. I uploaded new/old photos and you can check them out by either clicking on the flickr shortcut at the bottom right of the blog OR go to www.flickr.com/photos/shirahrosin

2. My friend launched a new website called yideoz www.yideoz.com hoping to become the virtual jewish community for interactive media. I uploaded a short clip of my friend David's band playing at a local pub. Here is the clip:

http://www.yideoz.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d9607ee5a9d336962c53

Feel free to log on, sign up and upload your own videos!

3. Tonight was the last night of the Hartman series. I unfortunately had to miss it because I have bumped up my volunteering hours and had a training for working on the streets that begins this Thursday night/early morning (I am sure I will report on that later). BUT his lectures are actually available online. I know my notes were not the most coherent so I encourage you to check out the lectures yourselves if it is a subject that interests you. They are on video which is nice because he has got a great personality and it really gives you a sense of who the man behind the ideas is. ANYWAYS the first two lectures are up the others are waiting to be posted. Earlier series are also available to watch. You can check it out at: http://www.hartmaninstitute.com/ShowContent.asp?id=194

Good week to all!

The Whole Megillah

2007-03-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

Well Purim is over, and the hangover has passed. There really is nothing like celebrating it here in Jerusalem. For some it was a 3 day holiday since Jerusalem (a walled city during the time of Joshua) celebrates the day after (15th of Adar) non-walled cities (at the time of Joshua). But recovering from a week slightly off health wise I decided it would be best to keep it low key.

I read the first chapter of Megillah (Book of Esther) Sunday night at Pardes. I was nervous as all hell and had been practicing since December. Being first and having to open with the Blessings in front of a room of 120+ was somewhat nerve racking--I don't think I have sung in public in some time! But after some deep breathing exercises and imagining that I was up there all alone it went smoothly. Some girlfriends and I decided to not think too hard on costumes, each bought a wig gathered up some garbage bags, table cloths and duct tape and went wild. The night was a lot of fun but a combo of not eating and a lot of drinking meant I was in bed before midnight...

I woke up the next morning and headed to the Old City where I read Megillah again. This time with Women at the Wall. Women at the Wall is a group of Women who have tried to make a voice for themselves within communal prayer. They gather once a month to do a Rosh Chodesh Torah service however they are not permitted to read at the Western Wall itself. Therefore they read at the Southern Wall Excavations. This is due to the fact that the Western Wall is technically an Orthodox synogague and there according to Orthodoxy there are Halachic problems with women being a part of a Torah service. The Halachot however are different when it comes to reading the Megillah. Many Orthodox communities have adopted Women or mixed Megillah services. So when Purim roles around Women at the Wall read Megillah at the Kotel (Western Wall). I was expecting some sort of controversy but was pleasently suprised that we were only met with curious stares. Looking back I really wish I had a camera to document the experience...Again I was up first. However this time it wasn't my nerves but my neaseua that was making me anxious. Luckily I read almost on auto-pilot and made fewer mistakes than I had the night before!

It was my first trip back to the Old City since August. I live a 20 minute walk away. It was my backyard the last time I spent time here in 1999. I think that is why I hesitate to go back. On one hand it is so familiar and on the other hand I just realize how much of a different person I am today than I was back then. So much of me has changed. To be a part of the Women at the Wall experience was a good way to get me back there. Maybe I won't let another 7 months pass by before visiting again.

I returned home to nurse the hangover some more and made it to my friend's Annie and Marni's later that day for Seudah (big festive meal). In the spirit of paying it forward I was on hand passing out glasses of water to all those with potential hangovers the next morning. We then headed over to town where the city of Jerusalem had put on a street fair. It was super cool to see the whole place lit up for the holiday and everyone walking around in costume. It kinda reminded me of being in Ireland during Holoween but I was having more fun this time around. The big show was HaDag Nachash--Israel's hottest hip hop group. Here are some photos from the holiday. I know I haven't uploaded anything for a while--you know the technology shpeil...but here are a few to enjoy in the meanwhile:

Here are the Lovely Ladies of 4 Mendele and 6 Jabotinsky:

A very telling photo of our night...

iPod Revival

2007-02-28T11:55:00.000-05:00

There were skeptics, many skeptics. But it pulled through! You may recall from an earlier post that my ipod has been on it's last legs for a while. Most mornings I would be greated by one of two symbols: a folder with a warning symbol containing an exclaimation point or a battery with a similar exclaimation point. The latter symbol is not even featured on the ipod support site.

Through toggling the hold button and reseting the ipod I was able to make it last for a few more weeks. Most songs would not play all the way through and it would make a humming noise but I took what I could. Then, last friday...it left us. Like other days I was greeted by the same symbols but this time the music options would never come on. After an hour of trying to reset it, the machine wiped itself clean. I was partly frustrated since all my music is on my computer which is still out of commission. But I was more relieved because I thought I had solved the problem once and for all and could now return home and fill up on my roommate's playlists. WRONG! each time I hooked up the ipod it was said to be corrupted. I kept getting one of 2 error messages: 1418 and 1429. If you google 1418 you find 1418hell.com a website dedicated to those fortunate souls like myself. Turns out many people have had similar problems due to itunes 7. They gave possible solutions, but again no go. 1429 took me a little longer to find. Not listed on the support site I came accross it obscurely. The course of action listed: GET A NEW iPOD.

I refused to give up. 10 tries later it came back to life. In the spirit of this past week's Oscars I would like to thank the people that helped make this possible: Sarah Tasman, Elie Rosen, and Aaron Katchen.

My battery life is still low, and I am unable to switch around songs without overloading. But its music and it will last me til I get home.

Hartman Lectures 2 and 3

2007-02-28T07:54:00.000-05:00

LECTURE 2 COVENENTIAL CONSCIOUSNESS FEB 12.2007
Covenential Consciousness is an empowering experience that calls the individual to responsibility and free choices. These choices are independent of authority and authoritative guidance.

Halacha is the translation of Mitzvot (commandments) into an everyday reality. It is only a framework to guide us not an overarching authoritative structure.

We look as an example to Maimonidies in his understanding of the role of the convert within Judaism. In his letter to Ovadiah the convert (translated by Lorberman) Maimonidies wrote that there is no difference between the tribal ethnic Jew and the convert Jew. What makes someone Jewish? Is the covenant of Judaism able to supercede birth? Historically, no. Ideology on the choice to live a Jewish live was not the winning voice.

For Maimonidies the way ofthe Lord is natural morality. This is the way to God that Abraham taught. The unity of God and the aceptance of this as well as the morality was the way to enter into the Abrahamic mosaic.

Halacha is independent mosaic that followed the Abrahamic mode. For Hartman this is problematic for those who dictate their lives purely according to the Halachic model.

The Abrahamic comunity could not exist in a Pagan world. In Egypt they witnessed that you can't build your life purely on a philosophy/ideology. You need materialistic/tangible realitites to seperate you from the larger society to survive. This was the beginning of the Mitzvah/Halacha as a diciplined framework. What keeps people Jewish is the fabric in which they live by. People are not moved by ideas, but by behavior.

Abraham's belief was the rejection of idolotry and the unity of God. A religion of faith, not of rules. Therefore one who chooses faith shoudl be accepted as one who was born a Jew. "No difference exists between us and you" "Let not your geneology be a light in your eyes"-Maimonidies letter to Ovadiah the Convert.

What does this mean? The light in your eyes goes directly back to God. This covenant that the convert takes on shoudl be the overpowering strength of identity, feeling a part of the people. Unfortunately this is not the reality of today.

Genetic Jewishness can be first seen in the Mishna regarding the bringing of the first fruits to the Temple. Bikuim 1:4--When one who is born to a Jewish mother brings the first fruits he makes a decleration that 'My Father was a wandering Aramean'. When a convert brings the first fruits he states 'His Father was a wandering Aramean'. In the Talmud Yerushalmi it is stated that we hold according to R. Yehuda who believed that the convert too states 'My' since Abraham was the father of many nations. Maimonidies also holds like R. Yehuda.

There is a later tractate of Gemara (Babylonian Talmud) in Kidushin that states "Don't elect a King who is not of your bretheren by birth". Can we use the Aggadic motif of Maimonidies to challange this? Challenge Halacha? The Gemara? How can one say that a convert is not one of your brothers??

Do morality and deeper theological principles trump halachic tradition? Does it have weight in interpreting the law? For Maimonidies the law is what the Talmud and the tradition has enabled him to state it is. Even though he has an enormous amount of moral and deeply theological literature, he is unable to combat Halacha.

Can we challenge halacha? Ask the question of why it exists? Can I ask is this how God intended me to live? Do I have legitimacy to do so? Can my religious vision/weight or the choice of my relationship to God be the ground of my decision making process?Do I have the freedom of decision making based on my own moral basis? To what degree do theological and moral impulses play a role/have ground to determine Halachic practice?

No book can decide for me in crucial situations.

HARTMAN LECTURE 3 SEARCH FOR THEOLOGICAL & MORAL MOTIFS WHICH SHOULD BE THE GENORATORS OF HALACHA FEB. 26.2007

Halacha should not be self sufficient but a mirror of religious impulse. There is the need to confront tradition where the tradition itself violates moral and deeply religious impulses.

Individualistic thrust with Maimonidies is morality. Collectivity is the halacha. It is out of the community where his spirituality begins. Choosing Halacha is choosing the Jewish way.

If so, am I completely claimed by the community?? Sinai was the where sole individuals came to merge and mold into a collective. This collectivity can thrust out individuality, but how do you navigate this? How does one allow for individual choice in the face of authority?

Halacha spins in it's own orbit. It no longer takes into consideration of where the individual is.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL??? THIS should be THE question. Can another tell you how to feel? How do you know th trust yourself?

Hartman is trying to find the person within Judaism. What do you feel when you stand before God? What do you feel about your religion?

There is a responsibility for Scholarship-educating onesself. Asking how you feel and then seeing if that music contains within it the tunes found with the framework of halacha. How does it play out?

Deep religous subjegation today comes in relationship to the State of Israel. For example: Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). Does one recite Hallel or not? With or without a blessing? OR does one lament and mourn at the Kotel HaMaravi (Western Wall)?? All are realities. How do you feel?

The greatest Halacha for validity is personal feeling. Without it Halacha is producing drones. This cannot function within a living Judaism. It is only contributing to the death of Judaism.

Maimonidies would disagree. In the Guide to the Perplexed Ch. 3 he tries to offer an explaination to animal sacrifice within Judaism. For him there must be a need. For him there is no room for the possibility that anything that God asks is arbitrary. He deeply wants to translate will into wisdom. He explains that sacrifice either develops moral growth, communication, or social health. To say there is a law without meaning would make God arbitrary. Maimonidies wanted to merge God of nature (god of wisdom) with God of revelation (god of will).

His goal ws to protect God from the possibility of being arbitrary.

Torah cannot be seperated from te deep religious impulse to ween the Jewish people away from Paganism. Whatever the Pagans did, the Jews did the opposite. The Pagans worshiped the sun, the Jews worshiped the moon. Pagans exhalted animals, the Jews sacrificed them. As a weening process, the Jews were also used to sacrafice--it had been used in Egypt. It was the only expression of praise to God they were familiar with.

The nature of the people could not have been changed. God doesn't change human nature. Sacrifice became a restricted practice. It could only be done by the priests within the temple.

For Maimonidies there are 3 types of prayer:
1. Sacrifice: Pagan forms were restricted however sacrifice became included within Temple worship
2. Prayer as we know it today
3. Silent Contemplation

Sacrifice is the lowest form. Prayer can be done by everyone. How do we elevate people to silent contemplation?

Law of revelation was also given in a response to a historical reality. One must to listen to a people to hear what their needs are. For Hartman this is what Orthodoxy cannot accept.

The Torah became eternal not because of revelation but because it was re-interpreted. We make the Torah eternal--always taking it into context.

You can't have anything without relating it to the situation from where it comes.

Why does God allow the world to go in a way that is not perfection? He prefers to make us choose, to give us the opportunity to choose. The prophets made change through education and patience. God doesn't change nature, God doesn't legislate behavior.

In another text, the Mishna Torah Maimonidies seems to contradict himself in regard to sacrifice. Although it is the lowest form of prayer and a response for a specific time and people he still beleives that when the 3rd temple is rebuilt there will be the reinstatement of sacrifice. Why? Because for Maimonidies the only way to change law is through the Sanhedrin (the old high court) a centralized body that organized Halachic change. For Maimonidies there is no room for the individual to make these choics alone doing so would undermine the validity of Halacha. If the Sanhedrin had abolished it, it would be a non-issue.

Hartman: Man should move to a higher form of worship. why don't we use that as our guiding principle?

There may be reasons the necessity of the law. But once the law is created it functions in it's own orbit. It is seperated fom those reasons of creation (Solevechik).

Hartman: THIS IS CRAZY! Halacha is alive! You can't remove it from the reasons of why it was created, the moral impulses. Halacha is always anchored in both the reality in which it was created and the people who live it. Halacha is not an independent system. Rules are not a substitution for lived reality. The Torah is the first moment of the system, not the end. What makes the Torah so interesting is it's imperfections. We have to challenge humans to reinterpret and fix these imperfections. Just as future generations will reflect on us.

Holy is shaped by deep deep imperfections.

ARRR

2007-02-22T15:52:00.000-05:00

I should have been asleep an hour ago, I need to be up before 6am. But thanks to procrastination and Sarah Tasman's love of Pirates I did this:

My pirate name is:

Captain Charity Rackham

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Heading to the Jordan Valley for a little hiking and Shabbat. A good weekend to all!

New Freckles

2007-02-18T14:20:00.000-05:00

I have noticed more recently the development of small constellations popping up in various parts of my body. Not as bad as a game of connect the dots, but more like a graceful stream. Today I noticed one that popped up just under my eye and another just under my nose. They seem to like the right side of my face more than my left but have no bias when it comes to my neck.

Other things are new in my life as well. And like the freckles they seem to just be faint ideas until they materialize into something real. I have started part time work at Nesiya www.nesiya.org doing recruiting for their summer program. The goal right now is that I will now only be working with them up until the summer, but through the summer and perhaps next year. I also have a meeting tomorrow with someone for a potential fellowship at a think tank. Hopefully that will work out as well. I will keep you posted.

As far as other good things go--my luck seems to run out with technology. As mentioned there is touble with laptop land, and my ipod is on it's last legs almost making it to 3 years (not bad for ipods from what I hear). The technology kick seems to even include the simple yet advanced zipper-the zipper on my wallet broke Friday afternoon. I am using the trusty pocket/keychain steve's pack until I find a replacement. I figure I'll keep using it til I find something artsy yet practical.

I hopped a Sherut (shuttle service) to Tel-Aviv last Friday. It is pathetic to say but it was the first time I was there since I landed! They have a great outdoor arts fair on a strip called Nachalat Binyamin. I walked around there with friends, grabbed lunch and had a glass of red wine on the beach. GREAT DAY. I need to do it more often, this time I will have my eyes open for a new wallet!

In short: I have been continuing with the Hartman lectures which I am VERY much enjoying. I will post my notes when I get the chance. I had the pleasure of sharing lunch with Esty (E-note shout out) which was delicious as always. Will be starting a new initiative with Crossroads-the teen center I volunteer with-that is called coloring the streets. I along with another volunteer and social worker will once a month be walking the downtown streets of Jerusalem where our kids tend to hang out and in addition to being there to talk to we are going to have art programs available for them to participate in. I will put more info in about this as it plays out in time. Planning a trip to Greece the first week of June with friends before we spread again to all corners of the earth. 6 weeks until I meet baby Tarni!!

sad shirah

2007-02-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

months and months ago I had a series of people who started making comments to me regarding bizarre sightings. They all started with 'I thought I saw you the other day' had various middle parts and ended with 'you looked so sad, and then I realized it wasn't you after all'. We started calling them sad shirah sightings. A girl who apparently looks strikingly similar to me who walks around Jerusalem with a frown on her face. Once the weather began to get cold the sightings stopped. Until today...

This morning someone approached me and asked if I ever visit the post office on Emek Refaim. My response was no. Turns out that sad shirah is a teller at the bank and she was taken by the resemblance. When I mentioned earlier sightings and the alias we had given her, Joanne mentioned that it was right on. With a location determined I will have to go seek this girl out myself and maybe convince her not to be so sad.

apparently the third time is not the charm....

2007-02-01T07:36:00.000-05:00

I bought my ibook in the summer of 2004. The packaged stayed complete until my second week here in Israel when my charger died. After reading online this was not uncommon of a charger that was 2 years old or more. So I replaced the charger with another Apple charger I bought off ebay. This too worked until it's plastic covering cracked leaving exposed wires that eventually broke. With international shipping charges high and the ebay distributor no longer listed I shared my roomate's charger for a couple of months. In early December I purchased a third charger from another distributer on ebay. This time it was not an Apple made product but one that was designed to be compatible. That it was. It was brought by friends and I used it happily until 2 days ago. This time through unknown circumstances a piece of the charger got stuck in the computer while it was being removed. As a result the charger no longer works nor am I able to remove the piece. So my computer lies on my desk, unused and dead. I will take it home with me when I return for Passover and I am hoping that my trusty friends at the Genius desk in the Apple store will be able to fix the problem in a jiffy. Until then my computer access will be limited so I will apologize if my posts begin to become sporatic.

Shabbat Shalom and a good weekend to all!

Wide Eyed and Ready to Go

2007-01-30T00:18:00.000-05:00

As readers of my blog many of you know that I posses a deep struggle between living my Judaism and how the Halachic (Jewish legal system) framework fits into my life. After many conversations with friends, one recommended that I join her for a lecture given by Rabbi David Hartman of the Shalom Hartman Institute here in Jerusalem. Man oh man, am I glad I went!

Here are my notes of the evening. All thoughts are Rabbi Hartmans unless stated otherwise:

Standing Before God Mitzvah (Commandment) and Halacha: Their Significance for Modern Jewery--Rabbi Prof. David Hartman

-It is essential for there to be the empowering of the individual to take personal responsibility for Halachic behavior, when there there is a conflict between morality and Halacha. This specifically is in reference mostly to Family law (Marriage, Divorce, etc...) and how Judaism percieves the 'other'.
*It is within these cases that Individual choice trumps Halachic Authority.
*Question: Can the Halacha (a collective normative structure of practice) make
room for the individual to do so? In doing so dows the individual abandon
Judaism?

-Personal initiative vs. Responsibility
*There is a paradigm found within our biblical stories of Abraham. Sedom vs.
Sacrific of Isaac
1. Story of Abraham arguing with God over the destruction of Sedom. He did so
with no precedent set for such an interaction.
2. The Akedah (Sacrifice of Isaac). In this instance there was a total
submission by Abraham to God. This is not what Judaism is about. This was a
moment of weakness by God to self assert authority over man. This was not the
covenant. The Akedah should not be the model, the pillar for Jewish life.

-Sense of Self is not a diminishing aspect of religious life. Religion will die if it is not nurtured by moral vigor, empowerment and individuality.

-The covenant God is saying to man is: "I need you, I want you". It is a call for responsibility to translate Torah for everyday life. A personal question of "What does God want from Me?" should be asked by each one of us as we make our choice in life.

-Halacha should not be relied upon to be the rule book for life. It should not be untouchable for questioning. It is not a book of legislating rules. It is a book that was created by Rabbis who needed to solve the problem of the absence of God in history. There were no more prophets. There was the realization that there is no reward/merit for the Mitzvot (commandments of the Torah) in this world. So they offered a book that dictated merit and consequence for a transgression.

-You are responsible for your life as a religious Jew. Do not hide behind the Shulchan Aruch (codified book of Halacha made for the masses who were unable or unwilling to decide their own choices through educated decision of their [individual or local communal] understanding of the Talmud). There is a demand for consciousness. It is our responsibility for individuality that holds us in the presence of God.

-Sense of 'Jewishness' today and Jewish identity are: The Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel. These two things are what drive Jews to live, to survive. They have created a shared destiny, a family defined by historical commonality. We are not defined by Halacha. Halacha is a shared commitment of normative practice. Jews do not define themselves by normative practice rather the idea of being part of a family. If it were normative practice how could you ever step out of it?
*Question today: Who feels like they are part of the family?
How do we define our family?

-Since Halacha is no longer THE foundation of Jewish life, we must look to individual responsibility instead of normative practice. Halacha is however a necessity (still R. Hartman speaking). For me, atleast. Therefore I must find morality within it. why be commited to this system of Halacha? It is one that ignores 1/2 the population of the Jewish people (i.e. women) and lookes negatively upon non-Jews! This is my struggle, but it is not the question that takes priority today. The question that takes priority is why aren't Jews connecting to Judaism? Why aren't they connecting to one another? The focus should be the survival and continuity of the Jewish people, not the emphasis of Halacha. This idea is found at the essence of Zionism. It is the desire to be a part of the people.

-The Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements get this idea of survival. Orthodoxy however still places priority on halacha. As a resuct the rift between them is growing wider and more divisive. It will be a nasty troubling divide.

-Crisis of Modern Judaism is that the virtuality of Halachic life that does not mesh in the reality of Jewish life. To debate how much a true Kazayit measurement is, or how high a mechitzah should be is just not relevent!

-We need to create vessels of receptivity, not slap people with a line in the sand dictated by the Shulchan Aruch.

-WE NEED TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION OPEN!
___________________________________________________________________________________

The Man ended with the EXACT statement I have been wanting to hear all year!!! To have validation on so many of my concerns, to hear that I am not the only person out there thinking this way was SUCH a discovery.

If only the Orthodox world were listening more closely to R. David Hartman and R. Yitz Greenberg...where would Orthodox Judaism be today??

For more information on the lecture series or on the Shalom Hartman Institute please visit: www.hartmaninstitute.com

Good Advice

2007-01-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

These past couple of weeks I have been feeling somewhat frazzled. You may have gathered that from my last post. A combination of turning 26, hitting the mid-way part of my year of study at Pardes, and being the dead of winter, has seemed to stir up a cocktail of confusion, and mild panic. I was in the desert on a school trip for 3 days last week. Each time I leave Jerusalem I seem to gain a bit more clarity---and yes I will be doing it more often! I have narrowed down a lot of my choices in life and have given a lot of thought and consideration to staying here in Jerusalem for a second year. I am waiting to hear back about a possible job option and if that works out I think I am going to stay. I know that I wrote that I wanted to make a commitment of 5 years to the next place I call 'home' but I am going to take a loophole out by saying that if I stay in Jerusalem its not really the 'next' place. Life just seems to move a bit slower here. A friend commented the other day how there is something to living your life surrounded by people who are in touch with themselves. Almost everyone here is living opposed to just getting by.

Still in the process of coming down from my height of stressed out confusion I got three independent voices of wisdom from various friends that I would like to share with you.

1. "Sometimes things just aren't worth thinking that hard about."

2. "I guess that is what life is all about: change and adjustment. If we aren't changing we aren't really existing."

3. Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to
love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books
written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers,
which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to
live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions
now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually,
without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.--Rainer
Maria Rilke, from "Letters to a Young Poet"

Our Freedoms, Our Slavery

2007-01-21T12:21:00.000-05:00

This past week we read the Torah portion Va'Era. A portion that covers what is commonly known as the 'Passover Story', I helped facilitate a session about the hardening of Pharoh's heart. I am going to steer clear of issues of fate vs. choice but rather what the definition of a hardened heart is. For me it is the inability to feel, to let what is around you to penetrate you, it is apathy, it is indifference. I asked people to think about what we identify as slavery: slavery found throughout history, slavery in the world today. What do we do when we are confronted by it? Do we let it penetrate us? Or, are we indifferent?

I also asked participants to think about and share their personal slavery and their personal freedom(s). I participated in a similar exercise months ago which begged the questions of what is your personal poverty? What is your personal wealth? I don't know what was more challenging, sharing them or identifying and internalizing them.

When I think of my own slavery and freedoms today I find that sometimes I can't clarify them from one another. I am enslaved by the struggle between living for myself and living for what I am thought to be by others. I am enslaved by the inability to find a community in which i whole heartedly identify and connect with. I am enslaved by the need to find/create that for which i yearn. I am enslaved by the unknown, and the fear of what comes next and making the wrong decision. My freedoms are the unconditional support and love I feel I recieve from my family and friends. My freedom is the ability to travel almost anywhere I wish. My freedom is my education. My freedom is my ability to not be indifferent.

I left Jerusalem this weekend for the first time since early November. Until the bus pulled out of the city I had no idea just how much I needed to leave. I spent Shabbat on kibbutz Gonnen just about 20 minutes outside Kiryat Shimona in the Golan Heights. The fresh air was wonderful, the quiet was peaceful, and just for a couple of days I was able to shift my frame of mind. It wasn't until I left that I realized I have been feeling bogged down in Jerusalem. I am feeling pressure from myself to make immediate decisions of what's next. I am finding myself lingering on my confusion which is only leading to a downward spiral. This weekend allowed me to gain a bit more clarity. I have not come to any WOW discoveries, but I did just take the long deep breath that has been long needed.

Some of you may have known that I was toying with the idea of going to Rabbinical school in the next coming years. In recent weeks I publically announced the idea to peers at an informational session by the Jewish Theological Seminary. I have also met with representatives from the University of Judaism and have chatted with students from Hebrew College and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Council. But at the end of the day I don't know if I identify with any of the movements. In each conversation I asked the question 'Why did you decide to become a Rabbi?' and although each answer was different from the next, none of them resonated with me. I am not called to the pulpit, I don't want the recognition. I want to study, I want to work with people, I want to be engaged in higher education, and I want to be engaged in the emerging conversations that surround the future of the Jewish people. Becoming a Rabbi would give me all of those things, but I believe there are other avenues to get there as well. I am just not ready to commit myself to an ideology when I haven't yet figured out where I fall on the theological spectrum.

I have a call back for a job that may keep me in Jerusalem for another year. I am interested in the organization but want to hear more about the job itself. I have made the decision that I want to start planting roots down somewhere and that the next city I live in will be a multiple year commitment. I have been hoping around for too long. I just don't know right now if that place is Israel.

We go on tiyul (hiking trip) to the mountains near Eilat Tuesday. The sunglasses I found on my parent's coffee table 2.5 years ago finally broke and so it is my number one priority tomorrow to replace them before the trip. It will be good to breathe some desert air.

What The Hell Am I doing With My Life?

2007-01-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

This is the question of the hour. Suggestions welcome. Big things to decide:
1. Do I stay in Israel for another year or do I move back to the States?
2. If I move back to the States which of the following cities do I choose:
A. NYC
B. Boston
C. LA
D. SF
E. DC
3. What will I do in these cities?

Again, suggestions welcome.

max_birthday_suprise.avi

2007-01-15T00:12:00.000-05:00


This is a small clip from our party last Thursday night. Talent show themed, Max brought down the house with his Sweedish Chef act. Unfortunately it would only upload 2 minutes of the 5.5 on tape. Will keep working to get you folks more!

Chlorine in the Morning

2007-01-12T05:01:00.000-05:00

Last night the party was rocking. At it's height there must have been 50 or so people here, I think we may have pissed off the neighbors just a bit...It was great to celebrate with all those who were here, everyone else you were missed!

Like most mornings after I drink I was up bright and early (I can't control it as much as I try). About a 1/2 hour later I got a phone call from Tal. It was so nice to chat with her, it's been a while since we had a long talk. Birthdays are good for reconnecting if nothing else.

With so so energy and an apartment full of empty bottles and plastic cups I started to clean. The garbage is picked up, the floors are swept, and I even pulled out the squeegie (sp??) As odd as it sounds I find the smell of chlorine comforting. Maybe its from all of my past times at the swimming pool.

Tonight I am having Shabbat dinner with friends. It should be a good way to ring in the year.

Celebration of Life

2007-01-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

Today has been an emotional day. I just returned from the funeral of the Mother of one of my teachers. Although I never met the woman, I know she was a Holocaust Survivor, a cherised Mother and Grandmother. She lived a long life passing at 94. None the less it is always hard to watch those who you care about and respect go through hard times. On the way home from a friend's parent's funeral a couple of years back my Mother reminded me that just as it is so important to honor and remember the lives who have passed so too it is essential to celebrate the lives we have.

Tonight in coordination with 4 others who are celebrating their birthdays this month we are hosting a birthday celebration. Drained from crying I just wanted to come home and take a nap. Then our electricity blew. Nothing like 60 people arriving to a dark apartment! Luckily our electrician is in the neighborhood and is currently hard at work. Here's hoping that there will be light to usher in the night...

New Photo

2007-01-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

She's getting so big!

Tarni I can't wait to meet you!!

Seattle Loving

2007-01-09T00:35:00.000-05:00

It started off with a letter from Stephen Singer and then a run in with Hannah Zommick on the street. It was then followed by a conversation with Will and then a sleepover with Josh Furman, Talya Gilman and Avi Zellman. Yesterday I got yet another beautiful postcard from Darcy Johnson in Thailand and realized how much I miss all my Seattle folks. It has become an official reality that I am opting not to go back to the PNW. Although an anticipated choice it is still hard knowing how many amazing folks I left behind. Good thing the Moishe house always has a couch to crash on!

In addition to all the Seattle connections it has been so great to hear and see from so many people over the last couple of weeks. And although my exhausstion levels are on the high side it has all been worth it. I spent some good quality time with Mindy Hirsch who is here as a Racezet for Taglit-birthright israel. Sometimes amongst all the craziness of life all you need is to kick back with some burgers bar and a good friend.

The end of semester is nearing--Thursday--and although not many of my classses officially change it has been hard to give my full concentration to the classroom. We get one day off, Sunday between the two semesters and begin again on Monday. I will surely be using the weekend towards my advantage! and maybe I will get some sleep too.....

2007

2007-01-05T06:17:00.000-05:00

I have thought about it over and over again and I cannot seem to remember for the life of me where I spent New Years Eve 2006. It must not have been that memorable... Yet as I look over the year as a whole so much took place. I could not have imagined a year ago that I would be where I am now. Geographically, theologically, socially, etc... In entering 2007 I can only hope that I again will not be able to fully predict where I will be January 2008. For if I had known all I know now this time last year I would not have grown half as much.

I know it has been a while since I last posted something substantial. Life has been busy, in good ways, and I kinda hoped that by posting colorful/animated links it would keep you entertained.

In our Gemara shiur today we were discussing the concept of Tikun Olam. A phrase that is commonly used today in the context of Social Justice/Activism. The literal translation is 'Repairing the World'. A beautiful idea. In our text however we were trying to grapple with what context it was being used in. There is high doubt that the scholarly Rabbi's meant it in the same way we use it today. It is used in our Mishna in reference to land distribution after one party has damaged the property of another. So what were these Rabbi's trying to fix and in what world were they refering to? As we continued to learn we talked about where in the Torah we learn about payment for damaged property and how it is understood by different scholars. Like most conversations in Gemara there was a dispute. This dispute is based on interpretation of the text. According to Rabbi Yismael (the scholar the Mishna appears to hold by) the text in the Torah needs amendment on who's fields are assesed to base the repaymet-the damaged party or the one who damaged. Therefore the Tikun (fixing) is placing Rabbinic ruling above the ruling of the Torah text. This begs from me two categories of questions:
1. What was going on that the Rabbi's needed to discuss this repairing? What wasn't working in society? All society? The court system? Social circumstances? Problems within the Rabbinic community?
2. What other statements found in the Torah may be able to be overturned by this idea of Tikun Olam? Who/ What determines them?

This comes back to the question I struggle with--why has the conversation closed? Why are we so afraid of re-opening the Machlokets (arguments/discussions full of conflicting opinions) and the possibility of change. I think my teacher stated correctly today that we are much more fearful today of these arguments than ever before, why do we not trust ourselves to approach them in the same passion and humilty that was done years ago? Why is what is in the past so untouchable by traditional Judaism today?

Okay, so what have I been doing all this time that has kept me so busy? Well, Taglit-birthright Israel buses are on the ground and running. Most of my work with them is complete since all the logistical stuff was taken care of months ago. However I am still the point person between the scholars and the groups and so the quiet won't return until after Jan 20.

A couple of weeks ago I confronted the Fellows about my dissapointment and frustration with the program. A program that is promoted as a leadership program in reality appeared to be students who wanted a free seccond year at Pardes and at the end of the day were not all that interested in taking on roles in either our program or the Pardes community. As a result I sat down with the head of our program and then typed up a 3 page proposal on how I think they should redesign/enhance the program for next year. In short what it proposes is to place the Fellows program on par with the Pardes Educators program. The Educators program (which is known for turning out some of the best young Jewish educators in North America) is challenging, selective in candidates, and prepares students to be good Jewish professionals. So too the Fellows program should give participants opportunities to meet with various Jewish leaders and organizations, teach them about different models of leadership, and engage them more in leadership opportunities at Pardes (If you want to know more or more specifics I am happy to share but don't want to type them all out). It was recieved very well by the staff and we are looking for ways to start implementing it now. It was submitted to current Fellows and students for feedback (I requested to stay anonymous in the process) and it looks like its got real potential. I am proud of it. It not only was a affirmation of my own frustrations but it is exciting as well to be part of a process that will hopefully actualize the real potential of the program for years to come.

I have had a lot of visitors in the last few weeks which has been really nice. As mentioned in an earlier post, it's hard to go for long periods of time without friendly and familiar faces.

I have lots more to write about this new year but again I am out of time.

Enjoy the first Shabbat of 2007!

Ayelet Montage

2006-12-26T17:11:00.000-05:00


Montage of video clips from Ayelet's 2nd-4th weeks of life.

Chag Sameach!

2006-12-16T16:55:00.000-05:00

A gift from my favorite Channukah singing sensation, The LeeVees:

How Do You Spell Channukkahh??

Latkelicious

2006-12-11T15:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry, couldn't resist:
http://www.latkelicious.com/Latkelicious.mp3

Tis the Season

2006-12-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

It is mid-December and 2007 is just around the corner. December for me marks the '4th Month Slump'. I have almost completed my fourth month here in Jerusalem and in addition to feeling at home and settled, the 4th month can also bring about bouts of depression. I seem to have managed to miss these by once again finding myself surrounded with multiple things to do and no down time. Both a pro and a con.

I do miss so many familiar faces and new family members but am fortunate for a slew of guests who have already begun to arrive. I am meeting up with Aaron Pratt in the next couple of days and Benji Engelhart arrives on Wednesday. I then get to see some of my favorite UW students, the Margolies entourage, Mindy Hirsch, fellow UMDers and Hillel gurus.

I have for the most part completed the majority of the logistical work I have been working on for Hillel. I have been helping coordinate the Shabbat Scholars program that places young Jews like myself who are in Israel for the year with visiting Taglit-birthright israel trips. It has consumed most of my time and energy for the last few weeks so I am glad the craziness is calming. I will be spending 3 Shabbats with groups the first of which is next weekend. Better get moving on the Torah prep...technically I've only read Torah once but having done Megillat Esther how hard can it be?? (famous last words...)

I took a mental health day today per the suggestion of my friend Jeremy. Last week was one that required a lot of hugs. I really enjoy the work, volunteering and school but it was getting to be a lot at once. It was nice to get a good night's sleep and catch up on more work/errands I needed to get done.

Last Thursday night we went out to celebrate Francine's 25th birthday, see photos on my flickr account (link to the left side of the page). It was fun to get out.

It seems like the slump is making its way around school I guess thats why the arrival of Channukah is so perfectly timed. We have all of next week off and I look forward to all the visits and a possible trip to the zoo!

Shameful Promotion of Friend's Video

2006-12-11T13:09:00.000-05:00

A 'How To' on Channukah Candle Lighting featuring Simi Sherman:

Time

2006-11-29T16:21:00.000-05:00

This morning when I left the house my electric toothbrush was working and my watch was ticking. In the span of the day both went dead. coincidence or conspiracy? you decide.

It's hard to believe that this Friday marks December. Time here seems to be racing by. With no weekends I find myself constantly in motion. I don't know where the weeks go.

Ayelet Rachel

2006-11-28T00:24:00.000-05:00

Here are some more photos as they trickle in:

for more visit: www.rosenblumfamily.com/photos/

Tarni Rosinblum

2006-11-26T10:36:00.000-05:00

No, that isn't her real name but will be one I will call her for years to come. Here are my first sightings:

Week In Review

2006-11-25T17:07:00.000-05:00

It seems that each time I sit down to update my blog I have SOO much to say yet can't seem to find a way to fit it all in. Therefore I will give you the week in review:

1. Sunday Evening: Chaim, Jon and Annie stop by for what is intended to be a quick hello/picking up clothing for a wedding Annie is going to in Beer Sheva on Wednesday. But the night took an interesting turn (literally) when Jon used our bathroom sink. The knob on the sink broke and before we knew it our bathroom was flooding. Being 11pm at night and unable to find a shut off valve we opened up the phone book and located a 24 hour plumber. Trying to explain what was happening in my not wonderful Hebrew I mentioned we had a water problem with our sink. The plumber (Shravrav=plumber in Hebrew) said not to worry he would come tomorrow afternoon to which I exclaimed 'Lo! Yesh Lanu Mabul b'kiyor; Ha'Mayim lo Atzur!= No! we have a flood (biblical word used for Noah and the ark, later learned the modern day term is HaTzefah) in the sink the water isn't stopping!. So a half hour later, we are all wet from the knees down and still passing buckets and pots in a chain from the sink to the bathtub/toilet, the shravrav walks in carrying an address book. AN ADDRESS BOOK! He goes, ooohhh now I see and goes to get his tools. It takes him 3 minutes to remove the faucet and plug up the leak in the wall. It then takes me 3 minutes to turn over the 450 NIS I now owe him for the job.

2. Monday Evening: Darfur Rally. With a thoughtful and understanding Chavruta (learning buddy) from Night Seder I left early with many fellow students to attend the Darfur rally happening in Kikar Zion. Organized by many youth here in Israel it was a good showing of a couple hundred. Incredibly well done for a group that had a group of maybe 50 standing in a circle on a street corner only a few months ago. There were many speakers ranging from secular to religious, female and male, speaking in Hebrew and Engligh. What was very enlightening was the current situation in Israel with Sudaneese refugees. There are aprox. 250 Sudaneese refugees here in Israel. They crossed Africa on foot making their way across the desert to the border of Israel. When they tried to claim assylum they were thrown in prison. The reason is because Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Sudan and being mere citizens of Sudan they are percieved as a threat. On the other hand they cannot send them back either because of the terrible fates that would await them there. Since there is no other country that is opening their arms widely asking to help they are now residing in Israeli prison. There is an organization here called C.A.R.D. which is raising fund and education about the situation. They have begun an exchange program with Moshavim and Kibbutzim. They raise the money to get refugees out on bail and then place them in the exchange where they live and work on the Moshav or Kibbutz. 40 refugees have been released through such programs. The challenge at the moment is increasing the funding to allow integration into society for all of these refugees. I promise to get contact information about this group for a later post. In the meantime here is a photo of us at the rally taken by Mobius aka The Jewish Anarchist aka Dan. You can check his stuff out at www.jewschool.com

3. Tuesday Evening: Another night at Crossroads. I am finding each time I go I am connecting more with the kids. I am getting a lot out of my time there.

4. Wednesday Evening: I came home after making up my night seder chavruta and did some work. One of the challenges I have noticed is that although I love everything I am doing in my life I am still finding myself at times overwhelmed. Not a lot of downtime. As a result I think some of my interpersonal relationships with friends have suffered. So although it was already nearing the late side I decided to meet up with my friend Esty. We went to this very quaint cafe, sat and just chatted for a while. It was really nice.

5. Thursday Evening: THANKSGIVING! An incredibly nice evening full of good company and food. Although technically there was no turkey Annie made some delicious chicken that tasted just as good. Mark Nelson and friend also dropped in for a bit. A former student who made aliyah in June and will be entering the army in January, I had not seen him since my time last year in Seattle. He looks great, happy, and it was good to catch up. Here is a taste of Thanksgiving this year in my apartment:

I hope everyone's went well and took time out to mention or at least think of things you are thankful for. Above all I am thankful for the continual support of my friends and family both here and especially an ocean away. Thank you!

The entire evening was super fun and included my very first Thanksgiving sleepover party! Here are a few images from the night. Stay tuned for more photos!

6. Friday Evening: Friday day started bright and early with a meeting at Crossroads. I met with the other volunteers and the volunteer coordinator and we talked more about the center and our roles there. They do such important work. Already being downtown I went straight to the shuk and got all my shopping needs. In addition to my food supplies for the weekend I bought a microwavable pillow (to heat the muscles in my back--proving to be very theraputic already) and a couple of tunic blouses. They are the first 'uneccesary purchases' I have made here in Israel. I have really been trying to limit what I need and don't need in my consumer behavior. It has been somewhat of a process really ever since my experience in El Salvador. Actually buying the clothes gave me very mixed reactions. I am glad I am still consciously thinking about it although I also have to realize there is room for saying personal purchase is also okay. I was home by noon and my sleepover friends had cleaned up my apartment! what a great thank you present!! With all the dishes done and the beds put away all that was left was for me to climb into my own bed and grab a quick nap. I woke up with plenty of time to get ready for Shabbat. It's the first time I haven't felt frazzled in weeks! In fact I had so much time I was one of the very first people at Shira Chadasha! Bet that won't happen again! Dinner was nice, I ate with a crowd who I haven't spent a ton of time with yet this year. Good to mix things up.

7. Shabbat: I spent the morning sleeping in with a chapter shot from David Sedaris. Then the Sarahs and I went over to Grace and Irving Abramowitz's home for Shabbat lunch. I love going there, I need to do it more often. Tonight I hosted a very small get together full of interesting and thoughtful discussion. It was a nice way to cap of the week.

BUT THE NICEST THING OF ALL IS THE PHONE CALL I JUST RECIEVED. MY NIECE IS NOW IN THE WORLD!! AMARIT, SETH, and BABY G ROSINBLUM I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, MAZEL TOV! I miss you and am sad I cannot be there with you, but cannot wait to meet you!!

Turkey Day

2006-11-22T16:52:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me know I love Thanksgiving. Each year differs and its been a few years now since I have been home. This is my second Thanksgiving in Israel, the first was back in 1999. I have also spent Thanksgiving in London, on Bainbridge Island, and last year in my basement apartment in Seattle (see video below). Tomorrow evening will be my first ever Thanksgiving sleep over. I am only responsible for mashed potatoes, stuffing, and providing people with places to sleep. Not a bad deal.

The great Cranberry Challenge of 2005:

Jacob, Daniel, Tal and Mike, you will be missed!

Tiyul Video

2006-11-19T08:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Jeremy Weintraub for creating a memorable Negev tiyul video:

more to come.

oh LOST!

2006-11-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

I just visited the ABC website and found this message: LOST will begin 16 straight weeks of all new episodes in February. Till then, check back for a weekly sneak peek of what's to come! FEBRUARY 7th!! Do you have any idea how far way that is?!?! For a junkie like me?? TOO LONG! Why ABC? Why?

Now totally isolated from American television I guess that the 50 minutes a week I dedicated for LOST will now have to be replaced by something else (until Feb. 7th that is).

This week has been long and my cough has decided to stick around. Maybe with enough rest this weekend it will move on.

This afternoon the Fellows took a walking tour around the area of Talpiot, Arnona, and ended at Kibbutz Ramat Rahel. We passed several notable Israeli scholar and artist homes including the home of S.Y. Agnon--the 1966 Nobel Prize winner. It seems that every corner has a rich history and story to accompany it.

Tomorrow night we are hosting a travelling Shabbat Minyan called Kol Zimrah (Voice of Melody). It's an Egal traditional/crunchy service that is always followed by a vegetarian potluck. I will spend the morning cleaning and shopping but whats nice is that I don't have to leave the apartment after noon.

Coughing Up a Storm

2006-11-13T09:11:00.000-05:00

It's official. I have taken my first sick day of the year. With a chest cold, I am holed up in my bed, coughing, sneezing, and resting. People have called it the 'Jerusalem Chill' aparently I am not the first victim of the season...

This past week has been like all the others, gone before you know it. But it was a good week. We went on Tiyul to the Negev (trip to the desert) for 3 days. There was some incredible hiking. Each day there were 2 options a more strenuous hike and a less challenging one. I did the strenube the not so proud recipient of the Jerusalem chill. The names of the hikes were the 'Big Fin', Nachal Gov, and Nachal Zevaiim. The Big Fin was just that a mountain with a narrow, steep ascent whoes shape strongly resembles that of a fin. Once at the top we overlooked the Machtesh HaGadol (the big Machtesh). Turns out Machtesh is a term used by geologists all over the world. Similar to the appearance of a crater it is formed by immense water pressure eroding sandstone buried under limestone. There are only 5 in the world, 3 in the Negev and 2 in the Sinai. Nachal Gov I think was my favorite hike. It was full of ropes, ladders, and rock slides. Then the final day we hiked Nachal Zevaiim. A 7 hour hike where we were told to be prepared to get a little wet. About 4 hours in we were all standing waist deep in water!

We got back Thursday evening, I went to the grocery store and then headed home. after a shower and being VERY achy I got ready for my out of town guests. Rach Margolies and Josh Klemons came in from Arad where they are doing the WUJS program. I stayed up chatting with them til about 1am and then headed to bed. In the morning we went to check out a breakfast place for pancakes (its no Portage Bay, but pretty good) met up with Annie and walked to the Hebrew U. stadium for the Jerusalem Pride Rally. We bumped into Jay Rosen, Tali Golan, David Bernay, Lisa Stella, and others. It was a good way to spend the morning especially after all the controversy that had been going on about it. There was only one very minor disturbance, but it was overshadowed by the beautiful weather, friendly people and a performance by HaDag Nachash (popular Israeli hip hop/rock group). After 3 songs Rach and I headed home to cook Shabbat dinner. Shabbat was really nice, 11 people for dinner and then lunch at Jenny and Max's.

Saturday night Annie, Jenny, and Esty all came over to eat leftovers and watch Grey's Anatomy. It was the first time since Monday evening I was able to just sit. I made it to school in the morning but after 2 hours of coughing my way through the beit midrash I decided to go back to bed. So here I am. I am planning on going back tomorrow and just hope this cough begins to go away!

Update

2006-11-06T13:35:00.000-05:00

I was all prepared to type out my notes from this great lecture on identity I went to by Steve Cohen. But I am finding myself pressed for time. Here is the quick update on whats been going on:

1. Thursday had a really interesting panel discussion about the assasination of Rabin that happened 11 years ago yesterday. His memorial is commemorated on the Hebrew calendar date that was earlier this week. The panel was full of faculty members who were each present in Israel and affiliated with various political movements at the time. It was interesting in hearing their analysis of the build up to the assasination, the assasination itself, and the aftermath. Then a bunch of folks came over and we held a Pan-Asian Pirate Potluck Party Pre-Boogie (cause why not have an excuse to dress up like pirates??)

2. Friday night went to a Havurah called the Kagan minyan here in Jerusalem. It was really really beautiful and nice to do something out of the mainstream. After services and a potluck dinner we had teachings and song from people of various faiths. I heard a Sufi Muslim give a teaching on the story of Sarah and Hagar; a French priest sing songs in Latin and a Jewish man give a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov. Very interesting indeed.

3. I got the call back from Crossroads and will officially start volunteering next Tuesday.

4. I have officially been hired to do some freelance work for Hillel international. I am coordinating the Shabbat Scholars program for the incoming Taglit-birthright israel trips and Winter Missions.

5. I leave at 5:30am tomorrow for 3 days of hiking in the desert.

My life just got a whole lot busier!

Also a BIG BIG Mazel Tov to Talia and Simi Sherman on the birth of twin boys!!

Crossroads

2006-11-01T00:30:00.002-05:00

Last night I had my trial for volunteering at an organization called Crossroads. It is a center located in the heart of 'Town' that works with at-risk teens. Most are English speakers. Some are the children of families who immigrated to Israel, but never quite acclimated to Israeli society themselves. Others are American youth who found them selves here but are struggling with being in a foreign country, a pressured environment (school) etc... I would be there just as a presence in their open center where kids come in and hang out as an alternative to the street.

I should be chatting with someone from the center in the next couple of days. If all goes well, I will be volunteering there Tuesday nights from about 6:30-10pm for the rest of the year.

I feel that it is an important thing to do.

yes, my grammar is....well lets call it awful.

2006-10-23T16:46:00.000-04:00

This morning my brother in-law sent me an email saying that I am surely on my way to making aliyah because my grammar is strongly reflecting that of an Israeli. In my own defense, and embarrasment I have ALWAYS sucked at grammar (I'll throw spelling in as well). Just ask Mrs. Kronisch, my high-school English teacher.

In addition to apologizing for my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, grammar; I also want to apologize that my verbal rantings may not sound at all logical to you. But I figure you are all more interested in the photos anyways, so thanks for trudging along. It makes sense up top to me, and i suppose for the time being and because of the limits of my linguistic articulation, it will have to do.

This morning we celebrated our second day of Rosh Chodesh Chesvan. It truly was a day of celebration. There were long silver trumpets blown, songs sung, and bagels eaten. We also celebrated the finalization of the conversion of one of my classmates. He spoke about what the journey has meant to him and how he finally feels like he 'has come home'. All of our connections to our religions differ. It is our individuality that makes us who we are. I will forever be envious of someone who makes such a choice. I am Jewish because I was born Jewish. It is how I define myself, but it is not something I actively choice. I see beauty in it and want to continue to live my life in it, but I will never see it in the same light as one who opts into it.

Beginnings

2006-10-22T13:17:00.000-04:00

Another weekend has passed. And within it we read the first Torah portion-Bereishit (In the Beginning) restarting the cycle. We are also in the process of celebrating Rosh Chodesh (The new moon cycle). I am in the process of rethinking my own relationship to Judaism from it's beginning, its formalization, and where it stands today.

The air is getting brisker, almost time to pull out the orange puffer! I spent Shabbat with my friend Beth Meshel at Brigette and Jon Raven's home in Nave Daniel. They have 2 beautiful children named Boaz and Moriah. Boaz may be the cutest boy alive--until my new neice/nephew arrives, ofcourse. I thought I would share some photos (for more check out the link to the left of the page!):

I Take It Back

2006-10-19T12:12:00.000-04:00

The lack of quality public leaders who inspire me and make me want to subscribe to their cause is something that has been troubling me ever since my trip to El Salvador this past March. A couple of days ago I blogged about the concepts of Darcei Shalom and how wonderful I thought the Mishnas surrounding those ideas are. I still like the Mishnas, but I am deeply disturbed with the Men that wrote them. Why? Because of comments they made about the 'Am HaAretz', the non-scholarly Jews who were living during the time period. Such vulgar and descriptive stereotypes that I will not waste my time writing. How is it that such Men could also be the authors of our Halachic law, the framework on how we as Jews are suppose to live our lives?? How am I able to subscribe to such a system when I feel so disgusted with their words on relationships with those outside the Talmudic community? They are arrogant, they are pretentious--yes they are Human, I hold leaders to a higher standard. They are setting the example. The Gemara itself event mentions this in different circumstances, so how does it not apply here?? I know I have also writen about contradictory opinions and how great it is that there are a variety of voices. BUT the difference for me is that one is commentary and in this case its law. Just as I frown at the actions of Moshe Katsav, I frown at their words. And just as bad leaders make me lose faith in a system, I am losing faith in the Halachic framework.

Sugar High

2006-10-17T17:14:00.000-04:00

I left school today feeling pumped. Started the day off with Tractate Gittin, a tractate that deals with issues of divorce within Jewish law. But what is interesting is that in Chapter five the final 2 Mishnas discuss issues of Darcei Shalom, Ways of Peace. We discussed how different social laws were constructed and how they were done so for the sake of Darcei Shalom. Among them, establishing the rule that when we read the Torah there should be a set order for getting an Aliyah, or coming to read. First the Cohen, then Levi, and then any Israelite. Why was it necessary to create such laws? One can assume that such laws were created because there was not Peace and on the contrary there was much fighting going on. I won't get into all the different examples (They are Mishnas Chet and Tet for those of you who want to look it up) but what was interesting is how diverse they were and how it was necessary to create some sort of social status to remove infighting. One more example I will share is that of a wife of a scholar may lend instruments to a woman of the land who has transgressed the laws of the Shmitah year (sabbatical year- every 7 years- to restore a balance between the wealthy and poor as well as the earth) by retaining fruit she was supposed to give up to a communal pot. Although the scholarly wife may know that this other woman will use the tools to further the transgression, if asked she may lend them however she cannot partake in the act itself for the sake of Darcei Shalom. Could you imagine if this became a social standard of today?? Instead of Haredim throwing stones at cars and yelling SHABBOS!! to Chilonim on Shabbat, that if a Chiloni man was to ask a Haredi man for directions while in the front seat of his car the Haredi man will assist him?? Although we have not yet learned it we were told that this chapter is linked with a chapter on Tikun Olam (repairing the world). The interesting question is what are these two chapters: Darcei Shalom and Tikun Olam doing in the middle of a Tractate on divorce law??? Interesting indeed...

The school day ended with the concept of "Agreed Reality" and how we interpret text. Similar to a previous entry, my mind was expanded by this teacher named Daniel Roth. We continued to talk about the idea of Mediative Parshanut and study. That we as student should study the full spectrum of text and commentators. We do not have to pick a side like the Classic commentators do (i.e. Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Ramban, etc...). On the contrary, we should open our minds to the idea that multiple and contradictory truths can exist. When there are gaps that remain in a story, thats okay. When we try to fill them in we destroy the ambiguity (sp??) that exists for our minds to wonder. We should be promoting education towards complexity. For there are only 2 kinds of people who say that "x" Pashat (textual words of the Torah) is true: 1. Academics 2. Fundamentalists. If we remove the ambiguity we limit it. I asked him after class if this idea only relates to the Parshanut (the commentators) and the Rabbi's commentary. OR if it can also apply to the text itself. We got into this long conversation (that I look forward to continuing) and it ended with what I will coin as my big questions of the year: WHY MUST THE CONVERSATION END?? WHY ARE WE LIMITED TO THE THOUGHTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS OF A GENERATION NOT OUR OWNN? IS THERE ROOM FOR NEW UNDERSTANDING AND PRACTICE SET ON THE PRECEDENT OF THE PAST BUT APPLICABLE TO THE PRESENT??. I am sick of the answer because that is the way it was always done and we need to uphold it. Time, places, generations, community participants, global environment etc... is always changing and have always changed. So why aren't we?? There was no 'this was how it was done' since 'this' was evolving...

I capped off the day with a trip to the waffle bar with the roomates, Shesh Jabotinsky (i.e. Molly and Jessy ) and Eric. My maple nut butter waffle was AMAZING, but it's sugar high aftermath is why i am writing so much, so late. Lets hope one cup of coffee in the morning is enough...

Oy! Moshe Katsav...

2006-10-16T14:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay it didn't rain on my walk to school this morning. In fact it was quite a lovely start to the morning. I woke up early, packed my lunch, made some breakfast and enjoyed a cup of coffee while surfing various internet news sites. What was the headline on each and every one of them (with the exception of the drudgereport)?? Israeli President Moshe Katsav to be charged with rape. What follows as you read the article? That the defense minister underwent sexual harasment charges, there are embezelment charges in half a dozen departments and that the Prime Minister is linked to numberous cases of nepatism among other things. Way to go Israel! Yes, each country has their own issues. You may ask if Israel should be held to higher standards. My opinion? In the case of our leadership, absolutely.

The first day back went well. It picked up slowly and by the afternoon I was glad to be back. More good conversations about if the halachic conversation is shut and if our generation is limited to the codification of another and what that means about our lifestyle today.

I Miss East Coast Autumns...

2006-10-15T12:59:00.000-04:00

A week ago I was sitting on the beach, today we had the first rain in Jerusalem. Yes, its kinda cool that we just switched the words in our prayers from the prayer for dew to the prayer of rain yesterday and it rained today...blah..blah..blah. But I'm cold, and I have to walk to school in the rain. There are no beautiful trees turning red and gold, crunchy maple leaves beneath your feet...just rain. We start classes again in the morning. I am excited to get back into a groove, but could use another week of vacation - with no rain.

Sukkot/Hoshana Rabba

2006-10-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

Today is the final evening of Sukkot which not only means an end to the holiday, but an end to my vacation as well. The time was well deserved, and well spent. Well rested? I hope to use the next couple of days for that one. I went to Netanya, a coastal town north of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean Sea. The beach there is beautiful with soft sand and clear water. You can stand in the waves up to your waist and still sea the tops of your feet! It was good to get away, and it was a good group of people who came as well. In general it takes time to get to know people as more than just people but as friends. For me I think it has taken up until the last couple of weeks to get to that point. It's nice to go into this next leg of the school year with that area of my life being settled. Here are a couple of photos from the trip:

came back to Jerusalem yesterday afternoon with Tasman. We met up with Molly for dinner and then headed to a cultural fair in Bell park. There was celtic music and a drum cirlce--if you know me you know I was beyond excited.

I woke up a bit too early this morning but headed to the shuk instead of falling back asleep. It was amazing that it was so quiet at 8:30am yet only minutes later it was packed and hustling.

Tonight I went to a Hoshana Rabba evening in the Sukkah, a first for me. There was meditation, singing, and a pot luck. I was also invited to speak and so I thought I would share the words with you (these are my rough notes so I apologize if the thoughts seem scattered):

Hoshana Rabba “The Great Salvation”

--a day where the final verdict is made. It is written on RH, sealed on YK but this day is when it is made.

--Day where acc. To the Zohar, “ This is the final day of judgment for water, source of all blessings. On the seventh day of Sukkot the judgment of the world is finalized and the edicts are sent forth from the King. Zohar III, 31b-32a; II, 132a

Water is the element that sustains us. It is what will allow us to survive. For me the entire Holiday of Sukkot is one where we expose ourselves to the vulnerability of life. We create these fragile, temporary dwellings and can be subject to wind, rain, hail, lack of privacy, etc… For me this fragility reminds me of 2 things:

1.First, it’s a traditional tie to our heritage. Avraham Infeld, former president of Hillel International, has a very famous speech. It is in this speech that he asks the question what is the Hebrew word for history?? Historia? Why? Because the Jewish people don’t have a Jewish history, we have a Jewish Memory- L’zocher. In order to know who we are we must know where we came from. It is on this holiday where we remember from where we came. Not just the people, but the physical journey. A people, living tribally, being exposed to the unknown and living a life entirely based on faith. Not knowing what may happen from one day to the next, the people of Israel exposed themselves not only physically but spiritually as well.

The second thing that comes to mind is how we continue to expose ourselves, particularly in the physical sense, on this holiday. We build sukkot, some more sturdy than others, more lavish than others, etc… And each night we invite in a guest of honor. Our Ushpizin. Tonight we invite the last of the Ushpizin, David HaMelech. The greatest king of Israel. He is the last of a long line of prestigious. It is only during one other holiday of year that we call in guests to our tables. On Passover we read aloud “He who is hungry let him come and eat”. Each year you may discuss how genuine this invitation is. Do you open the door and shout it in the streets? Do you make a public declaration? Do you just read it aloud in your Hagaddah? And on this holiday we call out to our guests, in our sukkot with no sealed roofs. Our shouts are most likely overheard by neighbors or passerbys. In our fragile huts… When we are cold and wet, we may be one step closer to understanding the day to day lives of those who do not have the comforts we may take for granted. Heat, a roof, walls, etc…

I think it is food for thought of why we invite the most prestigious guests of our heritage to our table in a situation vulnerability and why we invite those in need when we are celebrating our freedom? Should they be reversed? Is it a balance that should be maintained?

There is also a custom on Hoshana Rabba to greet friends with the Aramaic saying “piska tova”, a good note. The idea is that this day of our judgments being handed down should be good notes.

On the last day of the Holiday of Sukkot I would like you each to take a few moments and think of a couple of good notes. Think about your own lives, this holiday, vulnerability of the physical, and vulnerability of the spiritual. If you could write yourself a ‘piska tova’ for this next year what would it say? If you could write one for another, who comes to mind? What would that say? I would like to take a few moments and ask that if you feel comfortable share these thoughts with the person sitting next to you. What may you wish for them?

Quick Updates

2006-10-08T04:30:00.000-04:00

Trip Up North
I spent three days last week with 30 other Pardes students doing volunteer work and a bit of touring in the North. We cleaned bomb shelters and picked up garbage in Kiryat Shimona, saw a bombed out house and some burnt forest. We also visited the Hula valley, Katzrin, went kayaking on the Jordan river, and visited Tsfat. It was good to get out of Jerusalem and gave me an opportunity to get to know some folks better.

Marni's Party
We arrived back to town Thursday evening. A few hours later we were celebrating the birthday of a classmate. The party resulted in an after party at some sketchy Israeli club that left us dancing until 2:30 in the morning. Which then resulted in a Friday morning hangover, good times...

Sukkot
The festival of booths is upon us and I forgot how cool it is to spend it here in Israel. There are sukkot built everywhere. I spent the first evening at a classmate's brother's house who's sukkah was built on the roof. All 15 of us climbed a narrow fire escape, hoisted up the food and ate Bedouin style on carpets and pillows. An experience to say the least. First day lunch I was at a teacher's home with 3 other Pardesniks. AMAZING food, good company and conversation. It is nice to get to know the faculty more outside of the classroom. In the afternoon Tasman and I headed over to Gary's and were hanging out for a bit in the sukkah on the mirpeset (balcony). Lots of sukkah time. I am heading this afternoon for lunch to new friend's Jenny and Max's home. Tomorrow we are off to the beach for a few days before the weather turns cold and we are back in classes.

Sightings
Apparently no matter where I go I am destined to bump into someone. I saw Aryeh Abramowitz floating down the Jordan river, a shopkeeper from the UMD Israel shuk in Tsfat, Gary and Gail Cantor and the Geller family on the streets of Jerusalem.

Preparation

2006-10-02T15:35:00.000-04:00

About three hours ago Yom Kippur ended. It got me thinking a lot about preparation. For the last month the focus of my studies has been to 'prepare' me for the Yomim Noraim (Days of Awe) Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur. I guess the question I have walking out is did it make a difference? Did all this prep work guide me in some way to have an experience I would not have had otherwise??

I think that in many ways each event we participate in prepares us in some way. Maybe the intent is not to gear us up for something big, but aren't we always preparing for what is next?

(I have included a lot of visuals, because lets be honest they make blog reading much more fun!)

Sure some are more mundane events than others. For example:
Here is Jack 'preparing' the delicious meal he made for us last week, and the Sarah's 'preparing' to pass out after being thoroughly fed well:

Others are more intentional forms of preparation. Here is Bassin sewing some final touches on the Talit (prayer shawl) she made for the High Holidays:

My friend Jeremy also held a milestone party. Marking how far he had come in a specific aspect of his life. In a way that is what the High Holidays are all about, reflection and noting where you are in life. It also makes us take time out to think about where we are going. I was really touched to be there and it made me take a moment to think if I have anything in my life that I am that proud to mark on occasion. Why is it we only leave 'special occasions' to birthdays and for some anniversaries? Maybe we should all find something we are proud of to share with others. Here is a photo of Jeremy and I:

This past weekend friends and I went to witness a preparation ritual specifically for Yom Kippur. Known as Kaparot (or Kaparos) the idea is that you swing a chicken around your head while saying a blessing transferring your sins onto the chicken. The chicken is then killed and donated to a needy family for food. The idea is not that the chicken becomes your 'scapegoat' but that if you were to be written in bad standing with God based on your judgement thus far the chicken's death should be in stead of yours and that you should gain merit by donating it to the poor. (i think...) In any case we went with the intent of participating in the ritual, got up there and after witnessing it all decided not to. Watching the birds get schechted (killed according to Jewish ritual) right in front of us was a bit to much for me. Although it was an experience I will not forget and may never see again. Here are Jay and Daniela preparing to go into Mea Shearim (an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood where the Kaparot were taking place). In order to make it appropriate for Jay to be walking with 3 girls Daniela put on a head scarf to imply they were a married couple:

When we were there I didn't think it was appropriate for me to take a photo. But I tried to find one that best represented what we saw. I couldn't really, but this one comes closest:

As a most appropriate after Kaparot event we headed over to meet friends at Egon hookah bar. Okay, not YK prep but definately needed after the chicken swinging:

Looking back on these events and then Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur I do still wonder about how much the preparation did really affect me. Overall I would say that my RH experience highly outweighed my YK experience. The only factors I can attribute to that are environment, weather and health. Its amazing how much a screaming child can ruin your silent prayer/meditation. I think overall though it was helpful to take time out and 'prepare' both intentionally through classes and meditation and unintentionally through everyday actions. I hope that you all had wonderful holidays.

Speaking of preparation, I am off tomorrow for a 3 day volunteer trip up north with MASA and I haven't yet packed... will let you know how it goes!

Liberation through the deconstruction of Jonah

2006-09-26T11:25:00.001-04:00

This past summer I was having a conversation with a friend over dinner. She mentioned that she had recently stopped an action that had been a part of her everyday lifestyle. Her reasoning was that 'I could no longer make sense of why I was doing it, so I decided to stop'. For a long time this has summed up my struggle with Halacha. My barrier however is actually putting it into practice. I no longer find a lot of traditional Halacha relevant to my life, but I am still unable to break it. It has been such a part of my life for so long that to now disregard it seems inherently unatural. Furthermore if I was raised under the premise that Halacha is truth (meaning the way God intended it), and I reject this to be truth then what does that say about my interpretation of the rest of the text (everything else I am told to believe because God told me so)? It is not only in Rabbinical Halacha that I take issue, but in the words of the text found in the Torah as well.

For a while now I have been trying to find some sort of reconciliation. Is there a way for me to find meaning without understanding the text to be absolute truth? What does this mean for my life as a Jew? Do I live a traditional Halachic lifestyle if I no longer by into it? What does it mean in relation to the community I want to build my life in? What does it mean for my family and the community I come from? I am far from finding the answers to these questions. But I have begun to find a feeling of liberation in how I can approach and understand the text.

Today in one of my classes we asked the question about the methodology of the text and what is understood to be true. How do we understand the text? Can an understanding be found in just the words? is it inherently linked with Midrash (stories that are commonly linked to but not found within the text themselves)? Do we take the commentaries to be the 'TRUE' understanding of text? what is TRUE?

It is comforting to learn that understandings of all commentators and readings of the text themselves are going to be subjective by the reader. It is impossible to say that social influence, context, political associations, etc... are not factors. It is also interesting how we are taught and which of the commentaries our teachers choose to present to us. At what point in history did certain players get ruled out of the forum of understanding?? Does doing so invalidate the ones thrown out? Who makes that decision? Are new players unable to enter the realm? Many questions, I know!

As we are approaching Yom Kippur (YK) we took a look at the book of Jonah. Through Chavruta study (discussion/analyzing study between partners of the text) we first did a reading of the text and discussed the meaning of the text itself. Then we looked at a series of commentators. These included early non-Rabbinic commentators like: 'The Lives of the Prophets', and Josephus; Early Rabbinic scholars like Meckilta, and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer; Midieval scholars such as Rashi, and Ibn Ezra; and modern academic scholars such as Zakovitz, Sasson and Douglas. It was interesting to read through them all, understand all the different arguments and maybe side with one or several. In his book: Intertextuality and the Reading of Midrash, D. Boyarin writes "All interpretation is filtered through consciousness, tradition, ideology and the intertext, and the opposition between subject adn object, so charachteristic of the romantic ideology, must be deconstructed." Finally I feel it is okay to open up the entire forum for conversation. If my own reading and understanding of the text is not the 'traditional' one thats okay, and thats comforting. Maybe I'm not such a heritic afterall.

Today was another day of firsts. I rode on the back of a motorcycle for the first time (don't worry Ma, I wore a helmet!); I got completely lost walking the streets of Jerusalem and after about an hour found my way without asking for directions or looking at a map, and I got to see photos of two new beautiful babies in the world. Let me introduce them to you. First is Molly Olivia Levin born on Sept. 20th to Mindy and Noam Levin.

Next is 'tiny' Friedman born to Miriam and Jon who joined us on Sept. 23rd:

Hapax Legomenon

2006-09-22T03:09:00.000-04:00

Now that I am a bit rested I realized I completely forgot to post one of the most interesting things I learned this week: Hapax Legomenon. A Hapax Legomenon is when a word occurs only once in a text or document. Why am I telling you this?? Did you know that we base the way we do our shofar blowing on the basis of a Hapax Legomenon? its true!

In the Mishna, when it talks about what the Shofar should sound like it says it should sound like the wails of Sisrah's mother crying at the window. Sisrah was a king of an enemy nation of Israel who was assasinated by a woman named Yael by a tent peg as the two nations battled. (the whole story can be read in the book of Judges and is compiled by Deborah the judge). Anyways, Deborah writes the hebrew word Yevavot which is translated as 'wails/cries'. Turns out this is the ONLY place that the word Yevavot appears in the the Tanach (Torah, Prophets, Writings). But what interests me is that the Mishnah chose the same word. Since no-one knows what the cries of Sisrah's mother sounded like (she was not anywhere near the battle) we do a combination of blasts hoping to get it right. We know that it is not the Tekiah blast but either the Shevarim blast (representing longer sighs) or the Teruah blast that is shorter sobs, or a combination of the two.

There are multiple times when other words are used to represent crying in the Tanach. What I find so facinating is that we base it on this one word, that is found only once, by the mother of our enemy. Why didn't the Mishnah choose any other word? Why not say that the Shofar blasts sounded like the Jews crying out to God from Egypt or anything of the like? There must be something significant about it.

Here are my two cents: There is something to be said for remembering the human qualities of everyone in the world, enemy or friend. It is said that the Children of Israel were rebuked for rejoicing in the deaths of the Egyptians as they were swallowed up by the sea. The reason was that we are all created B'selem Elokim (in the image of God). The loss of any life on earth is equally upsetting in God's eyes. Maybe from our use of Yevavot we can deduce that just as in God's eyes we are all created equally, so too we must recognize that although we are a diverse world in every way when you strip us down we are all the same. We share all the same emotions of love, hate, sorrow, joy etc... Maybe as we enter into the Yomim Norahim (days of awe--10 days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur) it should not only be one of self reflextion and introspection. We strip ourselves down to the most basic of human emotions. Maybe at the height of our own impassioned cries we will remember that our cries are no different than every other person on this earth--even the mothers of our enemies. I will not be so bold to say how this may translate into action, but it is a thought to keep in mind on how this may personally relate to you.

Yes, it HAS been a while

2006-09-20T14:01:00.000-04:00

First, Shana Tova to you all. It is hard to believe that Rosh Hashana is just a couple of days away and this year more than most there are very tangible elements of change for me and I am sure for many of you as well. May this next year bring us all laughter, meaningful experiences, opportunity, possitive challenges, health, justice and peace. May we stay active in our minds, hearts, and actions and continue to grow.

I also want to wish additional blessings today to:

MAZEL TOV TO MINDY AND NOAM LEVIN ON THE BIRTH OF A BABY GIRL!! I am so happy for your both, and cannot wait to meet the newest member of the Levin Family!!

Photo of Noam, Mindy and I at Michelle Meister's wedding:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DARCY J. Thanks so much for your letter and may adventures east prove to be nothing ordinary.

As mentioned, I cannot believe RH is almost here. The last week and a half has been an abolute whirwind and I hope I sum it up appropriately. To begin last weeked we spent Shabbat in Arad (town in the desert of Israel) for our first official Pardes Tiyul (excursion). It was the first time all of us were together outside of school setting. It gave us all an opportunity to have downtime but still be in somewhat of a structured environment. We arrived in Arad Thursday afternoon and went through a variety of sessions. As a Pardes Fellow I took on additional responsibilities facilitating sessions and running ice breakers, good thing I spent all those years working for Hillel! But what was nice is that I worked with one of the teachers at Pardes to create an art workshop revolving around the idea that altering one detail can totally alter a picture, how much more so could altering one thing in our lives change our perceptions/actions in the world around us. But the most memorable part of the Tiyul was our 5am hike Friday morning. We left and hiked to the desert where we sat on a cliff and watched the sunrise. Ofcourse the sunrise was beautiful but that is not what it made it memorable for me. There were optional services, yoga, and learning sessions going on simultaneously. Not suprislingly I opted out of services (i struggle with them, and thats a whole other conversation for another time). Instead I went to the optional learning session led by one of the elder teachers at Pardes. I don't really know how to describe him except that he just has this energy radiating from him. Its as if just by sitting in his presence I am humbled and hope to just absorb as much as I can. Then, just as we were getting ready to go a flock/herd (what is the proper term) of camels started walking in our direction! It was incredible!

There must have been close to 40 including small ones, albino ones, you name it. I have never seen that many just out in the wild like that! In fact I don't know if I have ever seen them in more than 2-3 outside of the debatable abused ones at the touristy bedouin tents.

We jumed right back into classes Sunday which was tough, since there was really no time to catch up on the sleep we lost from waking up at 5am. I did however make it out to the Jerusalem Darfur Rally in conjunction with Darfur World Awareness Day (special thanks to Rachel Mathisen for the heads up!). It was a good effort on behalf of those who threw it together. However it was very apparent that it was put together very last minute and that I may have been the oldest person at the rally. David Bernay, Jay, and Gary all came out as well. Jay made a good point that not a word was actually spoken in Hebrew. I am unsure if any Israelies were in fact there.

Monday ran late as usual. Classes start at 8:30am and I am in night seder (additional evening study) until about 10pm. Tuesday was my 'early day' meaning that I am finished by 5pm. I got home to send off some Rosh Hashana emails and then met up with a friend for drinks. I try to make a conscious effort to have a social life outside of Pardes but what I later find is that the combinations of both are wearing me out!! I hope that I will discover a good balance soon.

Wednesday was Gary's birthday--Happy Birthday Gary! And so after a long day of classes Bassin and I capped off the night by hanging out with a bunch of folks on his mirpeset (porch). A very ecclectic group which sparked some good conversations--my type of a night.

And here I am today. As you may have noticed I have begun to dwindle in my details as the week has progressed--another sign that i am EXHAUSTED. After classes today we had our Fellows meeting. We begun a conversation about poverty in Israel and were joined by a woman who works for an organzation (on whose name I am blanking) that helps the impoverished communities in Israel. We then continued on with an interesting text study about distribution of wealth and how the Children of Israel are supposed to treat each other when one's livelihood is threatened. It mainly focused on how the Shmitah year (the 7 year sabbatical year) made all debts null and void, and that property was returned to it's original owner. What stuck out to me though were two particular sentences. Located in Deuteronomy Ch. 15 Verses 4 and 11. 15:4--"However, may there be no destitute among you; rather God will surely bless you in the Land that God, your God, will give you as an inheritance to possess it." 15:11- "For destitue people will not cease to exist within the Land; therefore I command you, saying, "You shall surely open your hand to your brother to your poor, and to your destiture in your Land". Ponder that one for a moment...

I have made two different trips to Super Sol (grocery) today and bought MUCHO food. I am hosting a meal for 14 people for the second day of Chag and it just seemes to be getting bigger...Excited for it though, good guest list, will let you know how it goes.

I did get a phone call from Shira Hadasha earlier as well and I am off the wait list! I am really looking forward to my tefillah (prayer) service there. After two years of working through the holidays I am hoping to open myself up and truely look at the liturgy and open myself up to the possibility of a spiritual experience. It will be a good environment for that.

Last but not least, How cool is Google??

Shana Tova again, and best from Jerusalem. Lets here it for 5757!

One More Thing

2006-09-11T16:14:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe I forgot to mention this. As you all are more than aware today is September 11. If you are like me, the memory of that day is still very much alive. Some of you have heard my story of the events but specifically the memorial service I attended. At that service the Shofar was blasted. The sound pierced me to the core. It is what I think of each time I hear it. This year is the first time in 5 years I have heard it on September 11. The feeling I cannot explain. May this next year bring us all peace, tolerance, and understanding.

Beef of the Week

2006-09-11T15:41:00.000-04:00

Nope, not pastrami. Here on out when I am referring to the Beef of the Week I am refering to one of my issues, or should I say gripes about a situation or text study I encountered. The Beef of the Week on this second week of September goes to the understanding of the Noahide laws. WHAA?? you may ask? me too.

I began a new class today called 'Ethics of Living and Dying'. The class will deal with laws pertaining to civil society. We began today from looking at the Noahide laws, or according to the Talmud the first set of laws given down to a society. As stated in Tractaite Sanhedrin (didn't bring home my notes but promise to get you the exact source)that the 7 Noahide laws (given to the children of Noah after the flood) were as follows:
1. Set up courts
2. You should bless the name of God, i.e. do not commit blasphamy
3. Do not engage in idol worship
4. Do not spill blood, i.e. do not commit murder
5. You should not engage in acts of sexual immorality
6. Do not engage in robbery
7. Do not tear a limb from a living animal

These laws were apparently commanded to everyone on earth and preceeded the idea of Judaism.

Wheres the beef?? (hope thats not copyrighted). Okay, get ready, here it is:

I have never liked the term "chosen people" I think that it implies negative connotations from both internally and externally. In fact its not that God chose us, but us who chose God. It is us who decided to take on God in the manifestation that seemed truthful on how to live our lives. But like a radio show, that is transmitted from one central location but your station may be altered to pick up the best feed depending on your location-so too, I believe that there is a higher being and a truth but that the truth is channeled differently for different people to reach understanding. I refuse to believe there is only one way to view the higher power we call God. But here we are stating that the a non-Jew must recognize God in order to say that s/he will not commit blasphamy, the Gemara is going one step further in saying that not only must s/he recognize but s/he must not commit Avodah Zarah, or idol worship, implying that s/he must believe in a mono-theistic God. Well if this is true than Paganism, many Eastern religions, and depending on who you hold by, Islam and Christianity are out the window!

How can we say that we expect others to believe what we believe? Last time I checked we weren't asking questions in the lines of 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your lord and saviour?' as a stipulation on how to live life (or depending if you believe in an afterlife, entry into the afterlife). Yet according to this these are the 7 simple rules that non-Jews must follow--NOT SO FREAKIN SIMPLE!!

Now I know that other schools of thought remove these two God related laws and replace them with no castration or mixing of seeds. But to even entertain the thought that we are 'right' and the rest of the world is 'wrong' does not sit well with me. Hillel International has recently changed their slogan to 'Universally Human, Distinctively Jewish'. We live in a global world and I am on the large scale part of 2 communities--the Human race and the Jewish people. On a smaller scale, there are too many to count. For me to say that not only do I believe what I do is right for me but REQUIRED of everyone else on this earth, just cannot be and I cannot take it to be true.

This is the hard stuff. Okay, I don't believe this to be true, but can I find something else useful in this source text that is? Or does one it negate everything else I come across. And this is the microchosim of my struggle.

On a lighter note here are some of the other events of my week: Signed up for membership at Shira Hadasha only to be told I am on a waitlist that is not getting any shorter for High Holidays. Looks like I am still searching for a place to go...BUT i got a free t-shirt...yay. We are going on Tiyul (outing, hike, etc..) from Thursday-Sat. night to Arad which is in the mid-south of Israel just south of the Dead Sea (which according to BBC news is in a race to save it's existence). I have also been elected to coordinate a program the school does called 'Take Five'. The idea is that for 5 minutes 2 times a week a student gets up before the entire community and answers a random question relating somehow to their Jewish identity. In doing so the community gets to know something interesting about them, and for those who do not interact regularly it gives them a chance to hear from each other. Since I am running the program, I am also introducing it and therefore going to speak for the first one. Stay tuned, I will let you know how it goes.

Cinco de Mayo in Septembre

2006-09-09T14:30:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday evening I participated in my first ever Cinco de Mayo celebration in both Israel and September. Molly Kane, fellow Rabbinical student of the Sarahs celebrated her birthday. The exact date is September 11, but since 2001 she has chosen not to use that date as a celebratory day but rather throws a different themed party around Sept. 11 each year. This year was Cinco de Mayo. Some of you may have seen this coming based on the paper mache pin`ata in the shape of Mexico that has been hanigng in our dining room for the last 2.5 weeks. It was also a really nice way to end the week. (I will get back to the party momentarily).

I have officially completed my first week of classes at Pardes. My mind was/is racing and I can't wait to dive back into classes tomorrow morning. What was nice though was that we also had a second fellows meeting. The fellows will be meeting twice a week, once on Tuesday evenings and again on Thursday afternoon. The evening gatherings will be more informal where the Thursday afternoon ones will be text base and more of a classroom setting. We are currently in the process of deciding which topics we would like to cover over the duration of the year. They range from arts/culture/film to current events and the Jewish response. We have to ability to bring in speakers, read articles, view films, hold panels, etc... Again, its a diverse group and I am excited to be a part of it. For me there is nothing gained from nodding heads in unison, but much to learn from engaging, energetic and sometimes even frustrating conversation.

Okay, back to the fiesta. The pinata was complete and the roomates and I decided to show up to the par-tay in style, and that we did.

here is Tasman's explaination of the day:

Pin`ata set up and breaking:

Molly (birthday girl) and Jessy:

Living in a country with a 6 day work week is something I don't know if I could ever get used to. Friday is the only day od the week outside of Shabbat where we don't have class. It was also my first opportunity to sleep past 6:45 all week. Although I was up by 9am, I realized just how tired I really was. I spent the day doing a whole lot of nothing. Laundry, ironing, and watching a DVD. That night we had a Pardes student mix-up Shabbat where they paired up first year and returning students for dinner. Within a 1/2 hour of the meal I was able to figure out some kind of connection with each person at the table. The hosts were Nili (ne: Epstein) and Ezra Auerbach. Nili is a former fellow at the Hillel international center and her husband Ezra's family made aliyah from Baltimore 14 years ago. His uncle used to be my father's karate teacher. There was a guy there who shares my exact birthdate and year he went to high school with friends of mine from NY. Jewish geography connected a lot of dots but there was even a girl there who was in my bunk at camp 15 years ago and who I had not seen since! I ended up walking home with her and it turns out that we are both on similar journeys. It was good to reconnect.

Today I met Esty again at Shira Hadasha. I had another DELICIOUS meal courtesy of the Altshul fam. Always a pleasure to dine with them. Esty and I are planning on going over to the Shira Hadasha new members sign up tomorrow evening. I am hoping to secure my place there for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur--I can't believe how soon they are coming!! Shavuah Tov (Good week) to you all!

It Aint No Munich

2006-09-06T13:50:00.000-04:00

As we have progressed in our first week of classes at Pardes, I am realizing more and more how rusty my 'school skills'are. Man, critical thinking for 10+ hours a day is exhausting! In addition to the class material, which I am very much enjoying, all of the questions I came here with are still looming. They are waiting to get out and get answered. How does this text resonate with me? How do they affect me now that my perspectives on Torah from the Divine have altered? What do I want my lifestyle to look like here? Am I going to be able to figure it all out?? As mentioned in an earlier entry, everything is inter-connected and it is constantly on my mind. Its hard to deal with these tough questions constantly. Its also hard for me to vocalize them to others. Each person here is on their own journey. To understand where I want to go I must explain where I have come from and the process I went on. Ironically though most people I encounter seem to be passing me on the road in the opposite direction. Although all open minded wonderful people, I am still looking for some folks heading my way to really work through some of these issues. I'm not ready to just turn back round and join the pack, even though it is incredibly easy and tempting to do. I just know that doing so without disecting the issues would leave me more lost than before. Additionally, I firmly believe that we shouldn't all be walking down the same road. If we did who would we intersect with, greet and learn from further down the path?? Exhausting...

What I have found out though this week is that there are 2 key interests of mine that have been sparked/rekindled. Through conversation and text study I have rediscovered that I very much enjoy looking at law and the thought process behind law. Even if i do not necessarily agree with the implementation of the end result, the process that it takes to get there is facinating. Additionally, I have a newly sparked interest in the idea of Chaplaincy. I think it combines my love for Theology and working with people. It is something I am looking forward to researching more.

BUT this week has not been all work and no play. Since I know all of you have been keeping up to date with this blog on an entry to entry basis, you are well aware that I saw and ADORED the new Roberto Benigni film. GO SEE IT! Then last night, Tasman and I went to the Jerusalem Beer festival. We met up with Esty Altchul and a couple of people I met at Pardes. Beer, Burgers Bar (among many other vendors),Beer, Bumping into old friends, Beer, Live Music, Beer--what else do you need?? There were no Um-pa-pop bands in leiderhosen, or Israeli micro-brews (although there was one from Ramallah) but it was a good time had by all non the less.

Tasman, Esty and I at Jerusalem Beerfest 2006

My First Day of School

2006-09-04T13:22:00.000-04:00

Before I left for classes this morning I had coffee and eggs in the kitchen with Tasman. As we sat there she taught me quick life saving skills off a list from her Ju-Jitsu teacher. So after learning that my elbows are the hardest part of my body and not to be to sympathetic to injured people on the street because they may just be trying to fool and then abduct me, i headed out to Pardes. With my backpack full of books, a 35 minute walk ahead and 10 minutes before I needed to be at orientation, i decided to take the bus. Luckily, I got there just in time.

Everyone walked in, grabbed their named tag and took a seat in the Beit Midrash (literal translation: House of Study, practical traslation: big room/library where people study in Chavruta or pair study). Then all 120 of us+faculty introduced themselves, yeah...it was a lot. We then did a communal text study about different types of students based on the study styles of different Talmudic scholars. We talked about being cisterns and collecting information in contrast of an outflowing spring. Although the spring flows outwards, it may dry up without a source. Where a cistern may become stale without use. We talked of students of the mind vs. the heart and the necessity to have both. I think each of us has aspeects of both, yet it is our diversity in their uses that make us unique and complimentary. Finally we ended with a Shofar blast, something that is done each day during the Hebrew month of Elul. Elul is the month leading up to the High Holidays, a time for introspection, reflection and awakening. Its fitting that this is when, and how we begin our year.

At lunch, which they provided for us, I met with the other Fellows in my program. It was the first time all of us were together, and me being the ONLY fellow who is not a returning student it was nice for me to feel 'a part' of the group. It is a really intimate group, which I think will be great. 4 Men and 4 Women, we range in Geography and ages. The oldest being close to 50 (everyone else is in their 20s) and the only non North American is from Budapest. We will be meeting 1-2 times a week outside of classes for our own seminars. In addition we play active leadership roles in Pardes programming and each will be taking on a leadership project. Unfortunatley i am too tired to lay mine out at the moment, but stay tuned.

After lunch we finally got down to business and broke into our first classes. I will be taking Talmud Bekiut (general Talmudic study) 2 afternoons a week. Leading up to the High Holidays we will apropriately be beginning with Mesechet Rosh Hashana (the tractate of Gemara that deals with Rosh Hashana). Afterwards we will be looking at Mesechet Makot (the tractate examing criminal law and punishment). The other classes I have commited to are a morning Talmud B'Iyun class (more in depth Talmudic study) where we will also be looking at Mesechet Rosh Hashana, although a different chapter, up until the holiday and then Mesechet Gittin (dealing with marriage and divorce law), this will be 3 mornings a week. I will also be taking a Chumash class (Old Testament) and a class on Women and Halacha (Jewish law). There are many others to choose from but I want to feel them out before I commit.

After a long first day I headed to the grocery store and then home. Had dinner with the roomates and then went to see this WONDERFUL film with friends. The title of the film is "The Tiger in the Snow" the new film by Roberto Benigni. So much is conveyed with so much heart and yet he is a comical genius who will make you laugh as well. I recommend it to all!!

I arrived home just after midnight to be greeted with the news that every girl wants to hear "Just in time for ice cream!". We took out the cones, and the bad israeli freezer bought ice cream, made ourselves some treats, and had a sit down. Here is a photo of Me, Tasman, and Tas's friend Lowell who was in visiting before he took off for his home in Kansas City. Much luck to you Lowell.

For Your Enjoyment

2006-09-03T14:29:00.000-04:00

Albi The Racist Dragon:

Off with Their Heads!

2006-09-02T17:35:00.000-04:00

These past few days have been really nice. Tasman returned from Rhodes, Greece just in time for Shabbat. We went together to Shira Hadasha and as many people predicted, I really really enjoyed it. There was a lot of energy and it was the first place in a long time where I felt that everyone really had their hearts in what they were doing. I also bumped into lots of people that have recently returned to Israel: Esther Abramowitz, Yoni and Talia Engelhart, and Shira (Cantor) and Aaron Katchen. After services we went to Esty Altschul's for dinner and had a really relaxing evening. Her parents who recently made aliyah, were out for dinner so it was the three of us, her younger sister and friend. Nice conversation and GREAT food!! Walking there made me realize though how many streets there are I do not know and how much more of the area I hope to become familiar with.

Today Shabbat lunch was Sarah, myself and Gary who dropped in. I am a fan of the low key Shabbat lunches that last for hours, I was hoping to get a game of scrabble in but unfortunately no takers...BUT with the introduction of a new game this evening the day wasn't a complete loss for board games. We headed over to Meno's who is house sitting for the month in Baka.
After a really nice dinner in the garden we moved indoors and enjoyed a nice game of Guillotine, the Revolutionary game where you win by the number of points you get by chopping of noble's heads. Basically there are noble cards and action cards. Nobles are worth a variety of points based on social status (1-5 points), or you could also get a Martyr card which is worth negative points. The action cards help you make strategic decisions to score the most points. I lost both hands...guess the role of the axe wielding henchmen is not in my genes...BUT i did enjoy the first card I selected: Heretic, 2 points--fitting.

Oh, and you tell me why one of these things is not like the other:
could you find the thing that did not belong??

Thats all for now, tomorrow morning is my last morning to sleep in and enjoy laziness before I begin classes on Monday. A big MAZEL TOV as well to my cousins Ben Stein and Arin Kramer who are tying the knot later today in upstate NY. I am so sorry I am unable to be there with you, but know that it will be an amazing day and I can't wait to hear all about it!!

A Spatula and a Wooden Spoon

2006-08-30T16:28:00.000-04:00

Last night I left the apartment and on my way out noticed that there was a piece of mail at the bottom of our mailbox. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem except our mailbox key does not work. Typically bills are propped just through the slot so they are easily accessible, but now we had a problem. I decided to get all McGuiver and grabbed a piece of cardboard. I took the cardboard, chewed up a piece of gum fixing it on the end tried to fish out the piece of mail. Unfortunately I dropped the piece of cardboard and was S.O.L. I decided to forget aboout it and just give it another go in the morning. I woke up with a mission and headed down to the mail box with a spatula, a wooden spoon and my trusty assistant Jay. We thought that if we menuevered the spatula just so we may manage to drag up the cardboard and then the piece of mail up the side. But alas we were unable to get them. Then we tried the wooden spoon, not as flexible as the spatula and worked just as poorly. In the back of the mailbox (where you are supposed to open it with the key) there was some space on the side lining the box, just enough to slide in the spatula. A little jiggle and...it opened! who needs a mailbox key when you have a spatula??

Out and about this afternoon I bumped into Zac Johnson who is in town for a couple of weeks. Have I mentioned that I love bumping into random people on the street? Have I mentioned that I like bumping into random people on the street that I actually know more?

Tonight I met up with Esty Altschul and we went to the "Soundscapes" exhibit at the Tower of David. SO FREAKIN' COOL!! The only other exhibit I have seen there was the Chihuly Exhibit with Mom in the winter of 2000. Similar to that exhibit there were many different peices but they all tied together as well. I forgot to bring my camera and was kicking myself the whole time. The following images are off the Tower of David website:

It was one of those exhibits that captures all of your senses (well maybe not smell). Visually there beautiful colors that light up each piece which themselves are independently colorful. The light is reflective of the beats and sounds the instruments included a harp, basses, drums, plucky things, chimes, and a few other undefinable instruments. Controlled by computer timers they start off slowly and individually and end up synthesizing into a symphonic sound. COOL. You can also go up and touch the 4 Basses which are located between arch ways. The exhibit runs for a couple more weeks and I hope to go back again (when I WILL take photos).

We decided to walk from the exhibit into town and maybe get a drink. As we walked on Yaffo we passed City Hall which looked like it was getting ready for a concert. We asked one of the security guards and in about 20 minutes there was going to be a free latin concert. So we went and grabbed some food and made our way back. We spent the next hour salsa dancing on the open plaza. As the concert was winding down we decided it was time to take off and began to walk back through Gan Ha'Atzmaut (Independence Park). Turns out each year before the new school year begins the Israeli government puts on a free concert for the Israeli youth. Who was playing and where was it held you may ask?? Aviv Gefen in Gan Ha'Atzmaut!

Maybe I should start each morning with a spatula and a wooden spoon!

I don't like wide ruled paper

2006-08-29T10:06:00.001-04:00

Well the countdown time to the start of school has begun and I am excited! My life here is starting to feel like a life, I am meeting more and more people and getting ready for school to begin. I picked up my bank card today and I won't lie, it is by far the coolest bank card I have ever and may ever own.Apparently though the bank saw it necessary to add an extra Hebrew letter in my last name. Instead of Rosin being spelled Reish Zayin Yud Nun (a family invention when I believe my sister was entering the third grade and had to spell her full name in Hebrew) Rosin is now Reish Vav Zayin Yud Nun (thank you Bank Mizrahi).

On the way to the bank I came across Blue Meanie grafitti. It reminded me of the Yellow Submarine mural I used to pass in the alley on my way to school in London.

This morning I went to the Southern Wall excavations with my friend Gary. Gary and I met in El Salvador in March and bumped into each other earlier this week at the Little House in Baka. The Southern Wall excavations is by far one of my most favorite places in Israel. I love the history of it all as well as the architecture itself. While there we met up with a tourning boys group who had just picked fresh figs from a fig tree growing near the base of the the Hudla steps. So there we were eating fresh figs (an already mentioned favorite) at the base of the stairs to the temple mount. It was a pretty cool feeling. Below is a photo of Gary with our figs:

This trip was my first trip to the Old City since June. I have been harvesting negative energy towards the actual Western Wall for a while seeing it just as a wall. Why pray to a wall? It's a wall. I don't mean to knock it for anyone who has had an emotional experience there before. But for me Judaism is more than a physical structure. If you are going to lament over the destruction of the temple why not look further than just the Kotel Plaza? Its often not widely known that all 4 walls of the Temple are still in existence. We choose the Western Wall because its the closest to where the Holy of Holies stood, but a building is a building and God is everywhere. For me its not a connector. It is different being here this time around. I am not concerned over anyone's well being but my own, sometimes its easier to take care of other people. It forces me to ask myself the hard stuff. Its not the question asking but the answers that I have trouble figuring out.

It seems to be a theme, question asking, in a good way. I would sum up most of my evenings as being spent over glasses of wine or beer and engaged in conversation about Judaism at large or Torah Talk. Here are two of my friends Daniella and Jay doing just that at my apartment this afternoon:

After the Old City adventure I made my way to Office Depot to buy school supplies. I was bummed that there was no college ruled paper in sight and compromised between a mix of wide ruled and graph--ok I'm odd, I like taking notes on graph paper. Now I am all geared up and ready to go.

Day 11: Lefty Films and Brown Cafe's

2006-08-25T06:04:00.000-04:00

Last night I went with the roommates and their friends Ethan and Meno. We began the evening at a viewing of an artistic montage about the Lebanon war (no official name yet, but check out the cartoon if you can read Hebrew).

Although I could appreciate the artistic value of the film the messages really angered me, almost to the point of walking out. It was a consensus among us that the loss of a human life is tragic no matter what, but this film completely neglected the actual facts of the war and promoted the message that the war isn't about terrorism, but about power and THAT pissed me off.

So after our emotions were a bit riled up we headed over to what Meno called a Brown Cafe'. Meno is from the Netherlands and has been in Israel/Palestinian territories doing conflict managment training as well as teen programs between Israeli and Palestinian youth. According to him, a brown cafe' is your hole in the wall, earthy, organic, cheap, hang out. What an accurate description. We sat at this long wooden table and you half expected someone to jump up and start singing 'Lavi Bohem'. Some ate soup, others bread platters and there was plenty of wine and beer to go around. One of the nice things about long wooden tables is that there are constantly new people sitting down. Although one might see this an encrouching on one's space, we just kept engaging in new conversations with new people.

It ended up being a great night with some Rosh Chodesh singing, jazz music playing, and GOOD chocolate cake. Here are some photos from the night. If you are interested in seeing more you can check out the Brown Cafe' album on my snapfish account. Just visit snapfish. Login name: shrosin@gmail.com Password: shirah112

The Sarahs and I before the Lefty Film

At the Brown Cafe'

Bassin and Tasman

Tomorrow we are hosting a Shabbat picnic in the park. I just returned from the shuk and have stocked up on berekahs, rugalach, and pitot. Other food will be brought by the other folks: Tali Golan, David Bernay, Jay Rosen, my new friend Daniella whoes last name I do not know, Tali's friend Eric and possibly Amy Born and her mysterious boyfriend who arrive sometime during the day. The weather has been beautiful here but HOT!! perhaps we may even sneak in a game of scrabble or two...

Day 8: Tiehnim Taaiim

2006-08-22T11:38:00.000-04:00

I have decided that fresh figs top my list of the seven species. Then grapes, then wheat, followed by barley, pomegranates, dates and finally olives. If you have ever tasted fresh figs, you understand why.

I must have walked around today for several hours and miles. Had a nice chat with the man in the makolet (corner market type place--like Mr. Hooper's on Sesame St.), hung out at the harware store, and got a tremendous amount of fruits and vegetables for under 15NIS!!! Produce like that alone would have been upwards to $15 easy. I'm still baffled by it all.

I had a nice chat with a friend last night, discussing adjustments over a couple of pints of beer. He, having spent all his time here in Israel with Israelis knows all the Israeli hang outs, opposed to me who has spent most my trips here with Americans. In fact I believe we were the only English speakers in the bar. What has been most apparent to me is that unlike a Taglit-birthright israel trip (or a similar peer trip) that keeps your days insanely busy with only the plane ride home to reflect, this experience is almost the opposite. I have a lot of down time but everything I do brings new reflections at the moment. Nothing is simple enough to just do and be done with. Everything comes along with another poised question for me to answer. We were also discussing the pros and cons of living within the 'Jerusalem bubble'. Meaning, spending most of our time with English speakers of Anglo decent and that it will be a challenge for both of us to really break outside the mold. But heres to challenges!