Almost There....

My goodfriend from school (and current HUC Rabbinical student) Elana was visitng all weekend, which was really nice..... Mostly we hung around the kibbutz, and what not, but it was great... Also, it was nice to have her read my essays and ask me the kinds of questions that she thought might be on the exam....

I felt like I should post something, because I haven't in a while, but i'm not really sure what i'm saying.... Feeling pretty scatter-brained right now; between being sleep deprived, just having finished work (oh---I was switched to work with 1st and 2nd grade---SO cute and so much fun...), these combined with thte fact that for the last 2 weeks or so, my life has revolved around, "how long til the interview"....

In fact, today is an exciting day, because for weeks now today has been "the day before the day I leave to go to Tel Aviv on the Ulpan trip there where afterwards I will leave for Jerusalem and the next day is the day before the interview"... I feel like this may be a particularly Jewish sort of neurosis....

Anyhow, all is well, and I'll post after the interview....and I'll post after I hear something...

Love,

Daniel

All Good Things.....

It's over. It's time to throw in the towel. It's time to ask that eternal question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Yes, I have lost my single room. A guy who was in a triple has had enough and has moved in with me. Paradise lost, End of Eden, Atlas Shrugged.... it's one of those.

Anyhow, he seems like a nice enough guy, and I can't imagine it will be THAT terrible.......

(everything is good here---going out with 2 camp friends tonight... Oz and Britney, for those keeping tabs at home---oh, and i actually did some manual labor tonight... They needed someone to work in the kitchen doing dishes, so I figured it couldn't hurt.... I think I will NEVER get the chicken fat out of my hands.)

Daniel


(everything is actually fine, if that didn't come through...just a little constructive complaining)

And the Clock Begins to Tick....

Hi Everyone--- sorry I haven't written in a while...

It seems (from here) that live is pretty regular, with not a lot of changes, so it's hard to see what I would write about. However, my father has impressed upon me that I should write more.... THUS...

Life has been pretty good. For those who didn't hear, I officially passed the HUC Hebrew Exam (it's not actually a part of getting in.... it's just that you can't START until you have passed it...so it's just a nice hurdle out of the way). Anyhow, I was back in Jerusalem this last weekend, mostly to meet up with the head of admissions for Jerusalem (we met after services friday night...)

Services themselves were actually pretty amazing. They were at this Reform Shul in the middle of Jerusalem, "Kol Haneshemah" (voice of the soul, or some such like that). They were just beautiful....traditional yet radical. A more traditional approach than most reform shuls (it was more like CRC or Neve), but with the most beautiful singing. There was no cantor or figure such as that, and no instruments...just singing....and harmony. Was amazing.

Afterwards, I met with the head of admissions, and I think it was a pretty good talk; but I guess I'll find out about that in two weeks.

Speaking of which, it is exactly 2 weeks from right now that I will be about to go into the interview room (11:30, Jerusalem Time, Feb 1st).

That's the story with me...

The only other observation that I have is this:

It is a lot harder to understand the position of Europe and many in the US towards Israel once you are here...

When you understand what it truly feels like to get on a bus, in a western, democratic country, and not be sure if you are going to be blown up, it is pretty easy to justify almost any action...

And I firmly, firmly believe that in 20 years from now, when the suicide-bombs have struck the capitols of Europe and the cities of America, Historians will look back and marvel at the restraint and general regard for the other sides-civilians that Israel has shown.


Oh---last thing.

i went to the wall for the first time last weekend (went twice, actually), and I really didn't expect to feel much; there was so much anticipation of feeling something, that i expected a non-event.

When I walked up, I was struck by how SMALL the wall really is (and by how obnoxious it is that the women get 25% on their side, and the men 75% on theirs). I took a while, and eventually walked up to the wall itself, and really felt something.... not sure how to describe it, but felt something strong. Went back the next day, and felt the same thing (and two people, who will not be named, got healing prayers put in the wall for them; I've decided that I need to focus the healing prayers...dont' want to dillute them too much...so for a while these two are it (for those that don't understand, this is sort-of my sense of humor. sort of)).

Hope everyone is well.

Daniel

Piggie Gets Hungry

So the kids....I sometimes wonder about them...

The program here for the kids is fantastic, but there are a couple weird things that I'm just not sure that I understand...

Today while we were finishing lunch (part of my job is to eat lunch with them), as we were clearing the table (each kid clears his own items), there were a handful of community items (water-pitchers, salt, etc...) and I asked the kids to each take some. They bitched and moaned (as one might expect an 11-12 year old to do), but when I insisted the woman who is in charge of it all came over and yelled at me (in front of the kids...); it turns out that clearing those items is OUR job, and the kids should only be responsible for their own items (it's funny...it's not the first time I've noticed this... socialism turned into an odd form of selfishness---or at least a hyper-awareness of everyone doing HIS or HER job, and no one else's...)

Anyhow, everything here is good. I've been traveling far too much (spending weekends and even the odd weekday-night) with friends all over the country. I've seen Keren, Zohar, The Lasdays (from Ramot), Jenny Rosenblat (michbuchah!)...it's been really good, but I'm a little exhausted, and looking forward to some time just to be.... more time to study Hebrew, less time on the trains.

That's about it for my life these days...

In terms of overall impressions of Israel:

I like the country. There are moments when I'm really just content because I'm here. I was coming back from Tel Aviv this morning on the train, and it was just beautiful...the ocean is out to one side, and the modern Jewish world on the other...

On the other hand, Israeli culture can get on my nerves at times (though I'm sure a lot of this is just a case of culture-shock, and it'll get better)... Things like the street-signs are TINY, so you never know what street is coming up, or the fact that the people are VERY friendly when you know them, but are almost downright rude to strangers (perhaps it's just that I've spent too much time in the mid-west).

That's it for now; hope everyone is doing well---


Daniel