Final blog

Before I came on EIE, Israel did not mean much in my life. The only things I ever heard about it were negative or about terrorist attacks. When people found out I was coming here for four months I was frequently asked why I was coming to such a dangerous place   and told that I would probably die in a terrorist attack. I'd been to Israel before so I told everyone that it would be fine but I didn't really care enough to stand up for Israel in detail. After being in Israel for so long I've realized I need to educate the people at home who don't know a lot about the situation on what's happening here. I hope I can help people see the less popular side of the issues here. I also want to continue looking at Israeli current events when I get home. I want to be able to stay connected with what's happening here. I feel like if I know the current events of Israel when I get back to America I will be better able to help people understand the current situations. All in all I know even when I'm no longer in Israel, a part of Israel will always be with me. 

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Yesterday Israel mourned the loss of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust. This day is called Yom Hashoah. At 10 AM we went outside to watch the cars on Highway 1 stop when the siren went off. I found this truly beautiful and extremely moving. I definitely think the Holocaust is an event that needs recognition, but I also think in Israel the Holocaust is talked about so often that other places would benefit from a day like this even more. I know there is a Holocaust remembrance day in America, but at least where I live only Jewish people know when it is. I wish that there was a marked day that was official enough that our high schools would print them in the planners and it was announced on announcements. I think if every country had a day to remember this then the growing ignorance of this event would decrease.

Etgar Keret

Last week we were assigned to read one of Etgar Keret's short stories, to get more of a taste of Israeli culture and literature. I don't think anyone expected how strange the stories would be. They are all different tales that leave any reader puzzled and a little alarmed. For example, one entitled Uterus was about a woman's "beautiful" uterus being removed and placed in a museum. I'd never read anything by an Israeli author, and I can't say this particular book of stories has raised my impression. It seems like most things in Israeli culture are a little bit darker. I wonder if this is because Jews as a people have been through a significant amount, so people don't care as much if not everything is censored. I'm definitely curious to explore more parts of Israeli culture.

Passover

Last week I spent my first Passover in Israel. I usually go to my grandparents for a seder every year, but this year I went to their friend's home in Jerusalem. I expected a long, religious seder with nothing but Hebrew speakers. I was surprised that every guest spoke English, and the service was almost identical to the ones I have at home. At the end of the seder people said "See you next year in Jerusalem". This really made me realize that I was spending one of the most important Jewish holidays in one of the most significant Jewish cities. I also realized this was probably the only seder I would ever spend in Jerusalem, which saddened me but I also felt extremely lucky to have this experience. 

Jews in Germany

Today in class we discussed a large and growing Jewish population in Germany. There are over 40,000 Jews currently living in the capitol of Berlin. This growing population has caused much controversy with Jews all over the world. People don't like the idea of Jews living in the place that sealed the fate of six million of our people not long ago. Personally I believe Jews should move back to Germany, and any European place involved in World War 2. Considering how much we talk about the growing problem of Anti-Semitism in Europe, it seems crazy to dissuade people from returning to these places. I think if we want to get past these problems, we need to embrace them head on. If no Jews move back to places where there has been Anti- Semitism, there eventually won't be anywhere for us to go. If there are no Jews in places with a history of Anti-Semitism, how will the inhabitants there learn first hand that Jews aren't actually as bad as the older generations might tell them? I hope in the future years, we can learn to embrace the horrible things that have happened to us, in order to educate those who might want them to happen again. 

Poland #2

Traveling to Poland last week was a much different experience than I've ever had. I was mostly able to handle what I saw but there were a few things in particular that were especially hard to see.

The first thing that was especially hard were the shoes. I've seen shoes from camps in multiple different places like D.C. and Yad Vashem but going into the shoe room at Majdanek  was such a different experience. There was such a vast quantity it was almost impossible to fathom that each pair of shoes belonged to an individual person from that camp alone. I walked down each row of shoes trying to understand how those all once belonged to someone. The majority of the shoes were the same brownish color but a few pairs had kept their color over the years. This felt like how out of the millions of people captured and put into camps, only a few escaped.

Another thing that was particularly disturbing were the gas chambers. This was a place that had such an emphasis placed on it while studying the Holocaust. While walking inside it was so hard to realize that we were really in the place where so much death occurred. It wasn't the same as the surrounding camp because it was specific spot where so many of our people were killed. 

Another place that was hard to visit were the memorials of ashes. The one in Majdanek came as such a surprise, I really didn't expect that large memorial at the end to be so morbid. I couldn't believe that the huge pile in front of me were the remains of the hundreds of thousands of people killed at the site we had just toured. I also couldn't believe the ponds at Auchwitz 2 were filled with ashes. I found the pond near the back to be peaceful and beautiful, so it was almost impossible to fathom it was filled with remains the Nazis had dumped there. 

Overall the Poland trip was filled with a few particular events that were especially hard to handle. I think all though hard to see, every Jew should make the trip to Poland at some point in their lives. The Holocaust is such an important part of our history, every Jew should experience these sights first hand because it provides a little more insight into the horrors of World War 2 and the awful things so many of our people went through. 

Poland pt. 1

On Sunday I had the opportunity to travel to Poland to tour various sights from World War 2. We visited many places where horrible things happened and being there gave me more of an insight into the horrors that took place during the war. The sights had a very different effect on everyone. I know people handle sad things differently, but I didn't think people would have such different reactions. Personally the sights did not make me nearly as emotional as I thought they would. Before we departed I was very nervous for the toll these sights would take on me. Upon arriving and touring, these places didn't really upset me. I found the sights to be more like a museum than a real place where the horrors of the war took place. I couldn't grasp the idea that these places were the real sights I had learned about in my history books for so long. I think going to Poland was a very informative experience and I believe all Jews should make the trip to these sights at one point in their lives.

Palestinian People

The issue of the state of the Palestine becomes a bigger and bigger issue in the Middle East (specifically Israel) everyday. The solution it seems like were in the direction of is a two state solution. This seems like the most logical solution, but the issue of the Palestinian people arises with that. Considering there hasn't been a state of Palestine since 1948, is there really still a Palestinian race? I definitely support the idea of a two state solution, but it's difficult considering the size of Israel and how densely populated the land already is. There are also many problems with the Palestinian race having their own country. If we just give them the land, it's very likely they will continue asking for more which could easily break into war. Also it's likely an extremest government would take over Palestine and not be friendly towards Israel which would also encourage military activity. At the end of the day I believe the Palestinians are a race and deserve to have their own state but there's also always going to be conflict and there's a lot more problems to work out before it can happen.

Tel Aviv

This weekend I went with my mom and some friends to Tel Aviv. I had never been here before and I honestly had low expectations. I was expecting a grimy city, maybe similar to Las Vegas. When I got there I was very surprised. I instantly fell in love with the city and I can't wait to return. I never even considered living in israel later in life but after this weekend my views have very much changed. It has such a different vibe than the rest of Israel, and I hope to go back soon. 

Monday Tiyul

Today we visited a Jewish cave of tombs and an ancient temple. Both sights had been heavily decorated with Roman influences. Some of the tombs had Roman Gods carved on them and other non Jewish symbols. In the middle of the temple mosaic floor there was a large zodiac and a Greek God. A lot of people thought this was not okay and strongly going against Judaism. Personally I don't think it matters if people mix cultures, but it depends on the intent. I believe at the time it was just the style to have roman influence in art, which is completely alright. I think if they were adding those symbols because they believed in those cultures, then it would not be okay. These were very interesting sights to visit and I enjoyed learning about the culmination of cultures. 

Beersheba Security Park

Binyamin Netanyahu has recently announced the building of a cyber park in Beersheba. Beersheba will become the cyber capital of Israel and one of the most cyber security important places in the world. The government is pouring millions of dollars into this cyber park, which I believe is a good idea. Internet safety is a problem that many people over look from day to day. Israel already puts so many of their resources towards the IDF, they should start putting resources towards defense on the internet as well. I think this is a very interesting project and I am excited to see its progress to come. 

Masada

The night before our ten day trip, we packed up our rooms and bags, and set our alarms for 2 A.M. Early that morning we hopped on the bus and drove about 2 hours to Masada. We hiked and hiked the snake path till we finally made it to the top. We had Jewish History class while watching the sunrise on a mountain so important to Jewish history. It was the sight where a large group of jews committed suicide to escape slavery. This topic still raises controversial debates among Jews today. Some people think they did the right thing while others believe they broke a sacred law that says a Jew cannot commit suicide. It was very interesting to be at a place with so much history. Although it was an early wake up and the hike was difficult, it was completely worth it to tour and learn about such a significant sight.

Controversial Art Exhibit

This week I read about a New York art exhibit called "What I Be: Jews of New York". The creator, Steve Rosenfield, showcases people's insecurities, some of which people might perceive as controversial. Yeshiva University pulled out of the exhibit last minute due to some of these controversial topics involving the Orthodox community. There are a lot of issues in the Orthodox community that are never spoken about, which is showed in Yeshiva university backing out. Art is way people express themselves and the struggles they go through. I believe communities shouldn't shun a project due to parts of it being "controversial". Art is supposed to be an outlet for people to let out creative energy that they have been keeping inside. If we continue marking art as too controversial people will no longer have a way to healthily express themselves.

Gadna

Following three weeks of school, our EIE group went to an army base in the Negev and experienced a week of Israeli army training. I had opposing thoughts on this experience as a whole. For most of the week I was very discontent and didn't see a real point to what we were doing. I didn't see how running from one tree to the next in ten seconds would better me as a person. At times I definitely had feelings of resentment towards EIE for making us do it. But looking back I also am grateful that I was able to experience something that is such a big part of Israeli society and culture. Kids grow up knowing that when they graduate high school their required to join the army. Although I'll never know what it feels like to have war be such a big part of my country's culture, I liked being able to participate in such a large aspect of Israel's culture. 

The Tayelet

Last weekend we had Jewish History class in the Tayelet looking out onto the city of Jerusalem. It was an amazing experience to learn about the history of a city while starring at it right in front of you. We learned about the first kings of Israel and their profits. I hope we can return here for classes in the future. 

BDS movement article

This week for my article I read about the BDS campaign, or Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions. The objective of the movement is to boycott Israeli products in hopes of ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. There has been a lot of talk about BDS and what their doing in the media. Personally, I do not think what their doing is rational or effective. Trying to harm the Israeli economy is simply immature and not promoting positive change whatsoever. If the BDS really wants Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories then they should be trying to promote a two-state solution. I believe a two-state solution would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians. Palestinians would regain some of the territory that was previously theirs and the backlash against Israel would most likely decrease. I hope the BDS movement realizes that their current stance is ineffective and will try to promote a two-state solution in the future.

Ben Yehuda Street

On Thursday after classes we visited Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem. The majority of the people there were young Israelis and groups from America. It was very cool to see a place so alive with Israeli culture. There were many people singing, playing instruments, and even having break dancing competitions. I really enjoyed experiencing some of the lifestyle of Israelis and hope we visit this street again.

Kotel

Over the weekend we visited the Kotel. I find this to be such an interesting and amazing place, not for religious regions but simply the people there. It seems like the severe gap betweens the different sects of Judaism clouds the fact that were all from the same religion. The Kotel provides a place for a diverse range of Jews. A person who's never been to temple, or an ultra orthodox can both find spirituality in the same place.

I fall more into the former side of the forementioned spectrum. I grew up in an area with a moderately sized Jewish community, attended a Reform synagogue (although primarily only on the High Holidays), and had a Bat-Mitzvah. For me to been praying along side some of the most God-fearing people on the planet was a completely new experience for me. At first, I was in shock. I didn't know what to do, nor how to conduct myself to avoid accidentally offending someone. I am grateful for my friends and madrichim who came with us, for they advised us on behavior for when we entered the Kotel grounds. 

Our time at the Kotel seemed far too short, especially when I realize that there are people who spend hours there. I hope to the return to this holy site soon.

Adjustments

It's been less than a week in Israel although it feels like way more. Despite the great time I've been having there have definitely been some hard adjustments. Being surrounded by completely new people was scary and an adventure at the same time. I didn't know a single person on the first day and now I feel like I've known some of the people here my whole life. Having to live with three other people is definitely difficult to get used to. Along with that, the significant decrease in freedom is a hard transition. School from 7:15 A.M.-8:15 P.M is surprisingly not as bad as I thought it was going to be but it is very different than school at home. All in all the transitions have been hard but definitely not impossible to adjust to.