"what does it mean to be a part of עם ישראל(the Jewish people)?"

    When I first saw that this was the topic of this week's blog, I tried to put off writing it for as long as possible. Not because I didn't have the time or effort to, in fact I've tried to get myself to sit down and write this for a few nights now. However, every time I tried I ended up staring at my blank computer screen for way more time than I could allow myself to spend doing that. When we were asked this question on the first day of class I didn't have much of an answer for myself.  This pushed me to decide that I'd know the answer by the end of EIE. But we're two weeks away from that and I still don't have a very clear understanding. I know that's not the answer I'm supposed to give, but let me explain a little further and maybe then it'll make sense. Not just to you, but maybe finally to me too.
    I've called myself Jewish since the day I could speak. Why? I'm not so sure honestly. Maybe because my family is Jewish, maybe a little part of me believed in certain aspects of the religion, but realistically, I think it was due to being born in Israel. Like many other mostly secular Israeli families, we celebrated holidays and participated in traditions due to being part of a culture, not a religion. When we moved to America in 2005, my parents feared that my brother and I would lose the sense of  a "Jewish" community from back home. However, we quickly connected with a few other Israeli families and made our own community. Life went on and I continued to call myself Jewish, not understanding the connotation.
    December 26, 2011, my family and I boarded a plane to Houston, TX where we would be living from that day forward. With our blood related family across the world, and our second family now across the country, we felt a bit stranded. My mom began to seek out a new community for us. She came across Congregation Beth Shalom of The Woodlands, where I have spent almost every Sunday morning for the past almost 5 years. My first Sunday there, was the first time I stepped into a congregation as a member. Immediately I felt out of place. There were second graders who knew more prayers and more about Jewish history than I did. This pushed me to get involved with the youth group. I realized that what I need in a Jewish community is the people, not the ideology. I joined NFTY as well which has become a tremendous part of my life over the past 3 years.
    That was pretty much the position I left Texas in when I embarked on this journey. Being here has brought back an abundance of feelings. Most of all, it's reminded me where I came from. Many people connect to עם ישראל with their Judaism. I've come to realize that Judaism simply isn't my connection. I connect by having my childhood begin here. I connect by speaking the language. I connect by understanding and having that dark Israeli sense of humor. And tonight, on Yom Hazikaron, I felt more connected than ever. I looked around and saw tears streaming down people's faces. then I touched a hand to my own and I realized there was a tear rolling down my cheek as well. I realized that a year from now, I'll be in the IDF. I'll be fighting every day to protect this connection that I cherish so deeply. I connect by being a member of not only Am Israel, but Ertez Israel as well. This is home to me. I'm so incredibly thankful for the past 4 months I got to spend in the place that I feel most at home in. More than anything, I am beyond grateful to be leaving here with way more questions than answers, and I can't wait to figure these things out, one at a time, hopefully back here, at home.

The Woodlands? More like the Jewlands!

    I live in a part of Texas called The Woodlands. It's one of the least Jew-populated areas of Texas (there are 6 Jews in my school of almost 4,000). However, my temple is focused on making sure that there is still a prominent, accepting, and inviting Jewish community for the families we do have. We always have huge celebrations for all holidays and make sure they are fitting for all ages and preferences. Last night, my TYG (temple youth group) led Yom Hashoa services for the community. They worked for the past few weeks to find fitting videos, music, and wrote excerpts. Most of our members show up to this ceremony and it's always comforting to all be together on this day. In the following weeks we will be holding our annual end of the year talent show! Every grade puts something together and we bring caterers in and everyone (including parents and whoever wants to join) enjoys the show. Then all of the staff (including teens from 9th grade) goes to the lake house owned by a member of our congregation. To top it all off, they've already scheduled a day for me to talk to everyone about my experience in Israel. Although it's going to be so extremely hard to leave this fabulous place and my amazing friends, I am so happy that I'll be able to keep the conversation going about what we can do from Anerica. I think it's so crucial to continue talking about the experiences we have here, and hopefully inspire someone else to take this adventure of a lifetime!

Take a hike!

    50 kilometers. That's a lot of kilometers. It's also the distance from one edge of Israel to the other. So yes, numerous kilometers. Last week, along with my best friends I walked & biked all of those kilometers. We began at the Kineret and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. Throughout this journey, we camped out every night, cooked our own meals in the wild, and dealt with extreme conditions at times. Most importantly though, we did it.
    When this trip was described to us my first thought was "haha, yeah right". I thought there was no possibility of me completing it. As we rolled onto a piece of land that overlooked the Mediterranean from close up, I remembered that feeling. Thinking that I wouldn't be able to do it. It sunk in that I really did it, that I really hiked across the country. Running down to the sand and jumping in the water then looking around and seeing my amazing friends jumping with excitement around me was the most rewarding part of this entire journey. We had done it together. Through the fun times and the really hard times (falling, spilling our breakfast and almost burning down a forest, feeling scared) we toughed it out and took on the adventure of a lifetime.

To army or not to army?

    With a mandatory draft here in Israel, many Israelis debate whether or not they should be required to go to the army. Not like these arguments do much good, because the law still stands that every Israeli must serve in the army. Being born in Israel, I am one of those Israelis who is actually looking forward to the army. Although I live in America, I know that I want the chance to go through this experience and grow more than I can even imagine right now. 

    However, many Israelis would disagree with me tremendously. A large amount of the population believes that it should not be mandatory for them to complete army service, for one reason or another. I, on the other hand, think it's crucial. Our army is what allowed the Jewish people to maintain this homeland that we cherish so deeply. If our army was based solely off volunteers I do not believe that we would be successful in fighting all of our neighbors who don't like us so very much. Overall, I do understand people's arguments about being set behind a few years in education and pursuing careers, but I think the things one can learn from army service are irriplacable. 

College Campus Protests

    Recently, on the Unicersity of California, Berkeley there were a series of massive protests led by a Palestinian organization of students called Students for Justice in Palestine. These individuals spoke up in favor of BDS, the movement meant to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel. Supporters of this ideology are sadly, despite their denial, performing a sort of antisemitism. In return, a group thankfully supporting Israel rose up to defend our country's name. This group is "Tikvah:Students For Israel", and placed full responsibility on the Palestinian Leadership. It gets harder and harder to hear about these horrid acts of antisemitism going on in a country as modern as America, which is said to be free. Personally, I would not feel any sense of freedom of I saw a protest such as this out the window of my dorm room. This article especially reminded me of what we've been talking about in class the last couple of days. In our final stretch leading up to independence, we were told not to stand up for ourselves in order to prevent a second holocaust. Is this what we're expected to do now? Sit idly by as Palestinians pin Israel as the source of their problems, like what had been done to us in years past? That isn't an option, and these groups, such as Tikvah, are essential to show that we are not backing down and that our Jewish state isn't going anywhere. We are here to stay!!

article: https://www.algemeiner.com/2016/04/05/pro-israel-berkeley-students-stage-counter-demonstration-to-blame-incitement-for-palestinian-malaise/

Graffiti!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    This past Friday we embarked on a trip which differed from our usual historic site seeing. We toured the city of Tel Aviv, looking at all of the graffiti scattered around town. There are plenty of well known graffiti artists, which have slowly formed a sort of society with certain understandings within it. One very popular artist is Kislev. He has a unique style including often renting a crane in order to place his art up higher. It's part of his mark and  his designs can be recognized often due to their location. Another artist that we focused on is Dede, who regularly includes a band-aid in his art. When left to the viewer to interpret, as graffiti should be, it left me thinking that he's attempting to cover up a wound. Not in order to heal it, but so that it won't be seen.
    During the entire trip, we walked a lot (and I mean a lot), saw amazing works of art, ate some incredibly good burekas, and got the chance to experience a Friday morning in real, human, Israel life. Normally, we're "that" group of tourists with our matching hats, insane volume, and desire to learn. However, this time around, I'd like to think that we blended in pretty well and truly did get  taste of a normal Israeli day, in normal Israeli neighborhood, with normal Israeli people (exciting, I know). I think that now i can safely say that I agree with and understand the statement, "Jerusalem, if I ever forget you, it'll be because of Tel Aviv" which is seen all over the city.

A New Perspective

    The article I read this week revolved around the opinion of an Arab doctor, Faiza, who lives in Israel. She thanks Israel for the opportunities she has been provided due to her living here. Reading this was really nice, and I enjoyed hearing about an Arab with a pro-Israel perspective. Personally, I agree with all of her reasoning. I believe that my being born here has provided me with tremendous opportunities that I wouldn't have gotten otherise. Israel is a place full of culture, new beginnings, and people of every kind. As Faiza said, "Israel gives you the opportunity to express your human potential". I could not agree more with this statement, and like Faiza I am extremely thankful to be from this country. 

Article:  

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/what-israel-is-giving-me-the-voice-of-an-arab-doctor/

Obligations & Desires

    Today, my roomate Becca and I got on the topic of my obligation to go into the IDF due to me being an Israeli citizen. It's always just been a reality to me; when I turn eighteen I'll enlist in the army with all of my friends in Israel. However, when everyone found out about my plans their jaws hit the ground. Seeing everyone's reactions really hit me hard. It made me realize how big this decision is. I guess since it isn't common or a requirement for Americans, it's slightly shocking that an eighteen year old leaving everything behind and heading off to another country for 2 years of military service. Personally, I can't imagine not fulfilling my role in the Israeli army. I feel obligated to go home and spend my fair share of time with my family here. Aside from that, I really do want to do this. I have the option of getting a release letter since I've lived in America for so long, but I decided for myself to take on this adventure.

"I am a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and I'm not an enemy of the state"

    In the article I read this week, a Palestinian citizen of Israel confronts the Israeli legal system and how it supposedly targets non-Jews. She narrowed in on the sad reality that an Israeli and Palestinian doing the same act would be treated like polar opposites. Despite both individuals being legitimate citizens of Israel, if each were to be in possession of a knife, the Israeli's case would be seen as a safety precaution, and the Palestinian's a threat. It's hard to agree with an opinion that is against the way Israel is run, but we experience the same sort of discrimination around the world. It's strange and new to see these similar facts presented from a different lens. Although it was difficult to read, we have to remember that there is really no such thing as perfection. People, situations, and countries alike, not one will ever be without flaws. This article was very eye-opening and offered a perspective that I wouldn't have thought up on m own. It was different to read along and agree somewhat with each opposing viewpoint.

Adventure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    The past 10 days I have been on more adventures than the entire past year. We set off two Wednesdays ago to Masada. After a long bus ride, and nowhere near enough sleep, we woke up practically in the middle of he night to embark on the hike up Masada. To say it was hard is an understatement; it was one of the most difficult things I've ever done, but seeing the sun rise over the Dead Sea can't be compared to anything. It was one of the most beautiful things I've been lucky enough to observe and we got some pretty sick pictures. The next day, we started off with a hike leading to a natural spring, and later headed off to a relaxing few hours at the Dead Sea.
    It seemed like the most relaxing vacation of our lives until we stepped off the bus at Gadna two days later. Our little glimpse at army life was eye-opening for all of us. Personally, I really enjoyed these few days and got a lot out of it. However, when Thursday morning rolled around, I was more than ready to head down to Eilat. We spent three amazing, fun-filled days exploring the boardwalk, snorkeling, and of course working on our tans on the beach. Despite this being a fun break from school, I can definitely say that I learned so much more than I thought possible from a vacation like this. It was so incredibly fun to explore the country that I grew up in and sadly haven't been to in so long. It was educational, eye-opening, and all sorts of fun.

A Nice Break

    This past Friday, I ventured out of the kibbutz. My uncle, along with his two kids picked me up early afternoon and we embarked on our weekend adventure. After a few hours and countless roller coaster rides at KifTzuba, we headed to their home in Kibbutz Lehavot Haviva. It was a loud, chaotic, and fun filled night with three children running around aimlessly. Despite the craziness, it was beyond fun to be back with family and immersed in the Israeli culture I have missed so very much. After finally getting a goodnight's sleep, we made pancakes then headed off to grandma's. After having food shoved down our throats, we put on our hiking shoes and headed out for the climb up Mount Gilboa. Reaching the top was rewarded with even more food and of course, countless pictures, Overall, it was a fabulous weekend with my little cousins and i couldn't have asked fro a better way to spend it. Most of all, it was nice a nice break from the food here in Tzuba.

Not the Usual Program...

    A few days ago, during our evening program time we participated in an activity dealing with sexual assault and advertising. We began by looking at advertisements in which they appeared to be selling provocative images, and had to guess what the actual product was. Some of these were extremely shocking and surprised us all. It was kind of sad seeing how unmoved we were by this method of advertisement. We have grown up seeing these types of things everywhere, and sadly it's become a part of our society.
    As the program went on, we shifted into a conversation about certain scenarios and whether we agree or disagree with how they happen. The more we discussed many of these things, it was obvious that the way we all say things should be isn't realistic. For example, one scenario described a  certain way that women dress as them "asking for it". Of course everyone immediately said "disagree", but as the conversation went on, we realized that it really is a common thought among many people. We also discussed the reality and shocking fact that most instances of rape are between people who know each other quite well. Although many of these topics were hard to talk about, I think this was a conversation that needed to be had. The more people who are talking about these issues and openly communicating about them, the better. Sadly, there's no way to put a stop to these horrible occurrences, but it is so very important for all people to be educated about this topic.

The Subversive power of Jewish Humor

In this article, George Jochnowitz mentions multiple aspects of Jewish humor. It is used very subtly sometimes and in different manners. Often times, it is also included subconsciously in works of literature and other forms. One example given in the article of how Judaism affects different works involved comedians. It consisted of information about various Jewish comedians and their real names compared to their stage names. For example, Woody Allen’s real name is Allan Stewart Konigsberg. Like many other celebrities, he came up with a name to go by so fans would laugh with him and not at him. I thought the idea of an audience laughing in regard to a comedian being undignified due to their Jewish nature was a sad but a very probable occurrence.

The article as a whole made me think of the circulating stereotypes involving Jews and how we as a Jewish public often conform to fit into society. We’ll change things that may have sentimental or cultural value such as names or the way we speak publically about our beliefs. Even in the Tanakh, a sacred text, there are instances of Jewish humor and sarcasm. It is in our bones, our genes, and our history, and we should not have to sacrifice certain parts of ourselves for it to be heard and respected.

Tel Gezer

    Our first tiyul of the semester took place this morning when we took a hike through Tel Gezer. For me this trip was a unique experience. In the past I have learned the stories of the Torah as just that, stories. Unlike our few previous lessons, this experience allowed us to be immersed in the story and everything it stands for. Just like the Canaanites did so long ago, we scouted out the land for the aspects that were the deciding factors of where to build a settlement back then. After finding their resources for food, water, defense, and trade, we took a deeper look at what made this civilization special. One thing that really stood out to me was how strategic all of their structures were. For example, when looking at their walls, it appears as if there were rooms built into the walls. Our discussion led us to discovering that in times of being attacked, the Canaanites filled these rooms with debris to prevent the enemy from entering. A normal lesson about old architecture would not have interested me in the slightest. However, seeing these structures up close and standing on the ground on which everything took place was extremely powerful.
    While applying for EIE I had the opportunity to talk to an alumni of this program. She told me a lot about Jewish History, a class I didn't think I would enjoy very much, but I was proven wrong. As she spoke about her experiences, one thing stood out to me. She mentioned their first trip and how it felt to really experience the things that they were learning about in class. Sure I was excited for new experiences and learning opportunities, but I wasn't expecting to have that kind of moment. Funny thing is, I just did on that same exact trip. Standing on top of Tel Gezer looking at the amazing view, it sunk in that all of Israel is my classroom for the next four months. I had the best time exploring the first of many historical sites to be seen this semester, and am beyond excited to see the rest.

Israel Booted out of LGBTQ Conference

    This past week, a group of Israelis and Americans were forced out of the largest conference concerning LGBTQ rights. With thousands of people in attendance, this meeting was set to host a groundbreaking number of groups and organizations. One of these groups is A Wider Bridge. This organization was built with the intention to form a connection between the American and Israeli LGBTQ Jewish population. On Sunday, the leader of A Wider Bridge, Alex Slepian received a very interesting phone call from Sue Hyde, the director of this conference. She told Slepian that having his group there is a security threat to them. She claimed that threats had been sent out against A Wider Bridge.
    After this awkward confrontation, A Wider Bridge did not make an appearance at the conference, but went on to investigate the source of these so called "threats". After some digging, it was uncovered that these allegations were made up in order to keep this group from attending. Just days before this occurred, cyberbullies were stalking the web accusing A Wider Bridge of "pink washing" and continuing their consistent opposition towards the organization. Thankfully, as a much needed break from all the hate, a petition on change.org was organized as a formal apology to the victimized group. Reporters and newspapers from all over are offering their support and continue to put in a good word for A Wider Bridge. After the whole mess, A Wider Bridge decided to step up, stand for what they believe in, and move their reception to a hotel down the street, separate from the conference.

Well it's been an adventure so far that's for sure. Six days ago, I embarked on a journey that can't be explained with just simple words. After an extremely long and stressful application process, I am more than happy to say that I am officially a student on NFTY EIE. Being here and meeting people with similar Jewish intersects has been incredible so far. Every single one of us comes from a different background and tells a different story. Sitting in Jewish history class yesterday, we discussed the opposing views over the truthfulness of the stories told in the Tanakh. There's really no way to know for sure, but it was really incredible hearing the differing opinions of my peers opinions. Overall, the experiences I've been lucky enough to take part in over the past week have exceeded every expectation I had. I'm also really looking forward to seeing new things, meeting amazing people, forming life long friends, and making even more memories.