An Israeli Feast

So I made it through three weeks of regular weekly posts, and am already finding it hard to set aside an hour to write a thoughtful and descriptive account of the many things that happen each week. I have been making little notes of stories to share, and plan to write a bullet point post with many of these incredible learning moments, encounters with Israeli culture and personal growth experiences.

I've decided that rather than let it go another week, I will write a short post about this fabulous Israeli feast I had last Shabbat lunch. Now calling it a feast implies that I labored for hours and ate at a huge table full of people, but this feast was a quiet meal with my lovely cousin Rina. Now in addition to being a great tour guide and gracious host, Rina is a phenomenal cook. She taught me how to make her tahina salad, which I am now officially announcing as Rina's Famous Tahina Salad.

This dish I actually "made" with her, which really means watched her in awe. She began by roasting an eggplant. She then carefully filleted the eggplant open as if performing surgery. She mixed tahina, olive oil, freshly grated ginger, lemon juice, salt and garlic. This mixture is poured over the eggplant which is then decorated with chopped red pepper, tomato and parsley, and normally red onion, but she left that out since I'm not a fan. Then a dash of olive oil, za'atar, sesame seeds and black pepper.

Ah-mazing flavor. Although wonderful served alone, we ate it with some pumpkin seed bread. Yummy!

We also made chicken, called schnitzels here, basically small boneless, skinless breasts pieces. We brushed them with egg then coated them in a mixture of bread crumbs, sesame seeds and za'atar. We, I mean she, then lightly fried them in a cast iron pan, which made me feel very homesick... my kitchen has pretty basic cookware, which often makes me miss cast iron pans from home. By the way if you don't know what za'atar is be sure to click the above link!

Disclaimer:
I was not present for the cooking of these beautiful stuffed artichokes... but I did get to eat them! Filled with ground beef, celeriac, cilantro, many spices and other things I can't remember. And served with a side of plain rice.

We also made a salad of baby greens which reminded me of home, and made me miss the Farmer's Market. It was a wonderful meal.

I Live Here!

Tonight I was walking home after a full day, carrying a bag of cucumbers, tomatoes, lemons, apples, yogurt and crackers, and I said to myself, "I live here!" I practically started to sing...

This past week has been full of many challenging times- moments of self doubt and intimidation in school, anxieties about speaking Hebrew and feelings of loneliness. But each day I move forward, little by little, or as they say in Hebrew l'at l'at. The director of the my program gave me some good advice. She said, "be gentle with yourself," and that has continued to comfort me.

So tonight when I experienced this joy, it was quite remarkable. That is an update on the emotional state of Cara... now for some intellectual, spiritual and just daily experiences!

Last week I began my acclimation to the environment of my school, Pardes. It is a fascinating place full of incredible individuals and amazing diversity. For most of you the concept of a house of study   (בית מדרש pronounced beit midrash) may be foreign but in Jewish tradition it is the way of study.

Imagine a large room filled with small tables with chairs on either side, and bookshelves along every wall, covered with ancient, medieval and modern Jewish texts and commentaries, and then imagine the sound of 40-50 groups of two or three people reading, discussing and debating. At first it is a very strange environment to learn in because you have to really focus on your partner (חברותא pronounced chevrutah). Each class we begin in a normal classroom with our teacher introducing new content or reviewing the previous class's content. They then distributing the sources for the day and we head to the beit midrash with our chevrutah. The process of finding the "right" learning partner is quite interesting, since sometimes you don't connect or match this person and then you need to navigate how to change partners. Often teachers help students with this process. Fortunately I have had positive experiences in three of my four classes, and the fourth worked itself out naturally today. In the beit midrash we read our sources out loud, usually in Hebrew and English, discuss our understanding of them and ask one another questions. The teacher circulates and checks in with each table. It is amazing. The sources range from texts from the second century CE to medieval times to modern and contemporary commentators. Of course I am overwhelmed by the never ending connections between the sources, their incredibly learned authors and schools of thought, and then the breadth of knowledge my teachers hold about these texts. It is hard to put into words. Once we finish the sources, we usually return to class to unpack the content, discuss ideas and ask questions. It is very intensive and I leave each class with my mind spinning.

My classes include a introductory Talmud class called Better to Die than to Sin? in which we are reading a specific section of the Talmud, and learning some general structures of this very complex and expansive set of books, written in both Hebrew and Aramaic. This course is two and a half hours and meets five days a week.

After a short break, I have Women and Judaism for an hour and a half, which presents the evolution of Jewish law and custom in regards to women's role and practices in Judaism. Our teacher is amazing and is constantly presenting current events in Israel and recent articles to provide contrast to the sources. This class meets four days a week. On the fifth day we have different guest speakers visit Pardes. Tomorrow I will hear a class on organ donation and Jewish law.

After the lunch break we have our last class of the day, again two and a half hours. These classes meet only twice a week. One is in the Spiritual Living track and taught by an amazing woman. In addition to reading sources and in class discussion, we do reflective writing, guided imagery/meditation and a Jewish practice called hitbodedut, or self alone time, in which you speak aloud to the Divine. Quite profound. The other course is on 6 Habits of Effective Leaders, referring to again to sources for such habits. So far we have studied ego, vision and empowering others.

Also each week we have an educational trip or tour. Tomorrow we will go to the Israel Museum, which I love! Some of you may already know of my obsession with museums... it continues!

I went there last week with Rina and had an incredible time exploring the Israeli art, 19th and 20th century European painting and a special exhibit about Chasidism. Simply amazing. I plan to get a membership so I can frequent this massive museum.

Of course I have many, many stories to share outside of my studies and museum visit, but will share just a few highlights now.

Last Friday night I went to services at a Reform synagogue right down the street. Now this is a novelty in Israel where the majority of synagogues are orthodox. Although very American, with page numbers announced in English, the whole service is Hebrew, with an obviously American rabbi speaking in Hebrew the whole time, and the president reading announcements in Hebrew. They sing a lot, including many familiar songs and even some familiar tunes. Now I have never had such an experience in prayer while in Israel and it brought tears to my eyes as I sat there in song with a community in my neighborhood. I am so thrilled to be able to return here. All I can say is wow.

About a five minute walk from apartment is a street called Emek Refaim, filled with cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, clothing shops, my bank, a wine store and much more. It is so lovely.

Today I successfully deposited my rent into my landlord's bank account and then walked down to Cafe Hillel with my new friend Leah, who is from Los Angelos but is fluent in Hebrew. We enjoyed a limonana, which is a lemon and mint drink that is heaven. When she went to the restroom I said something to a young woman sitting beside me since I had noticed her smiling occasionally as we switched back and forth from Hebrew to English. She asked me what I am doing here, and as soon as I said I am here for two years, she asked me if I had places to go on Shabbat, which is very Israeli. She then gave me her number and told me to call her, that she lives in the neighborhood. I was super excited that I had the courage to speak to her in Hebrew and have made my first Israeli "friend" here!

In closing I must make a correction to my last post. The promenade that is being built behind my apartment building is not called the tayelet, even though it is a sort of promenade. It is specifically called the derech harekevet, meaning street of the railroad, since it is being constructed from the old railways. The section behind Emek Refaim is complete and in the evening filled with people running, strolling and walking their dogs. I look forward to the day when they finish the section by me!

Tomorrow one of my roommates who will be with me for the year arrives and I am so excited. Live is becoming more and more normal here and I am loving this new feeling of calling this my home. I still miss Eugene a ton and feel homesick often, but l'at l'at I am feeling like I really live here.

Tayelet, Parrots and Couscous

Behind my apartment building a promenade (טיילת pronounced thai-yeh-let) is being constructed from the old railway. It will eventually run the length of Jerusalem and include a walkway and a bike path. Can you believe it Oregonians?! The sections which are already complete include lovely landscaping and occasional benches. Although the section in my area is not yet complete, it is still a lovely walk, and is literally a stone's throw from my balcony. Just on the other side of this promenade and a block further is the road on which my school is located. Yes my school is a five minute walk away. Tomorrow morning I will make my first real walk to school and begin the summer session with approximately fifty other students. These students are just here for the three week session, whereas the students studying with me starting in September will be here for the entire year.

This week I visited my school and met many of the staff involved in my program, including those who interviewed me many months ago. Everyone was just as warm and welcoming in person. I was able to inquire about summer reading requirements, course offerings and calendar logistics for the coming year. I also learned that there is an inter-session break in January when Pardes takes students on an educational tour of Poland. Students in the Educators Program pay a reduced amount so I will definitely take advantage of this opportunity.

I cannot wait to begin classes tomorrow! I will be there Sunday-Thursday (the Israeli work week) from 8:30am to 5:00pm, with a break for lunch, long enough to walk the short distance home and make lunch. Tomorrow we have introductions, the teachers will explain their courses and we will chose our courses, then have afternoon class.

In addition to settling in and unpacking in my apartment I have spent the week walking around my neighborhood, reading on my new Kindle (thanks Maram, Justine, Debbie and Shlomo!) in parks and reorganizing my kitchen cabinets :) Did I mention it is a kosher kitchen? There are milk and meat dishes and silverware. It is a new experience but not as strange as I had thought it would be.

Cousin Rina, who continues to amaze me with her Israeli driving, speaking (arguing) and hospitality, helped me to open an Israeli bank account, explore the new and exciting Israeli grocery stores, and visit the fabulous liquor store with a great wine selection in my area. Israelis are also developing more of a taste for beer, beyond the standard Heineken, Stella and local Goldstar beers.

Here I am posing with the wall of beer. Its no Bier Stein but pretty impressive, huh? And you will not believe this, you can taste the liquor, wine and beer in the store!!! Below is the cooler full of OPEN bottles. Rina and I saw this and said, "Uh, what is this?" and so we ask, and of course, its for tasting.

So I bought my first wine bottles and enjoyed a few glasses on my lovely balcony (מרפסת pronounced meer-peh-set). While taking in the evening on the balcony I noticed a beautiful lime green bird in the tree directly in front of the balcony. All of sudden I saw twenty or so of them nesting in the tree and heard their song. They looked like parrots and I thought, "how can this be?" so I googled Israeli parrot and discovered the Drara parrot.

Apparently they are not native to Israel and they eat many crops here and therefore are not really welcomed, but each and every night I have been in my apartment I enjoy their visit to my tree about 7:30-8:00pm as the sun sets. The light of sunset in Jerusalem is an incredible sight that cannot be captured by a camera and must be experienced in person- so come visit and see for yourself!

Thursday evening Rina picked me up and we went back to Efrat, where the Abrams live. Friday morning we went to her boyfriend Shimon's house to make couscous with his Moroccan grandmother- from scratch! Yes, we made couscous! You take semolina flour and about a cup of water and use both hands, as grandma Esther reminded Rina many times, and move it around this giant metal bowl. Then it is strained through two different sized sifts many times, then steamed, then the process is repeated a few times, and in the end you add some oil. They let me try some right after it was finished with some cinnamon and sugar, as they like to have it as a treat, and my goodness was it a treat! So light, fluffy and just comforting, like someone's grandma had made it :) She makes it each and every Friday for Shabbat and delivers it to her children who live in her area. She and her husband Shimon were visiting Efrat for Shabbat. They both have incredible stories of their journey to Israel from Morocco. They are fortunate to have a large and tight-knit family. Of course this entire experience was in Hebrew.

That evening we returned for the Shabbat meal with the entire family- Shimon's parents, his three siblings, aunt and her three daughters, another cousin, and the grandparents. The meal began with about twelve different homemade salads- a few eggplant ones, a spicy carrot, a cabbage, an avocado, a plain lettuce with lemon and oil, a potato, hummus, a tomato and mushroom, and many more I can't recall. Then the fish course- one with garlic, cilantro, lemon and chickpeas and the other with tons of spices. So flavorful! Then the meat course- chicken livers, chicken in a soup with paprika, chickpeas and cabbage, two other chicken dishes and potatoes.

During the meal I enjoyed talking with the youngest cousin Ori, who just finished third grade (כיתה ג pronounced kee-tah gih-mel). She would say a word in English and then I would say it in Hebrew. I joked with her mom that she was like a human flash card! She also taught me a few hand clapping games and a special handshake she does with her "best friend in the world." Oh how I miss being around kids!

One of her sisters, who is fourteen, wanted to practice her English with me and dreams of going to America some day- so sweet. Their family was so kind and warm. Although I could not understand most of the conversations, I could pick up on words here and there, body language and of course, tone of voice. Shimon's mother, the lady of the house, Chana, would talk to me as if I understood her every word, and would speak slowly so I could at least follow some of the table's conversation. Rina kindly summarizes some stories and jokes in English from time to time.

Then we had a birthday cake that Rina had made for Shimon who just turned 22. He is about to complete his army service in a week and begin working at the fire department he has volunteered in for years. I felt so honored to be welcomed into their home for Shabbat and will never forget the day helping, or watching rather, them prepare for the meal and then sharing it with them all. Thank you to the Shmuel family! After that we returned to Rina's for a gathering of Shimon and her friends in honor of his birthday. Another experience of many Hebrew conversations at once :) Fun but a bit tiring after a while. A few people were also English speakers and a few were Israelis who enjoy practicing their Hebrew so I did engage in some conversation. Everyone was 19-22 and thought I was the same age! They were shocked to hear I was so old, "wow, you're 28?!" Quite endearing.

Many more incredible stories to share, but I promised succinct blog posts, and I think I am approaching a long one :) One other thing to note, on Shabbat (Saturday) I walked to my new landlord's house, who also lives in Efrat, and had lunch with her, her husband (an acupuncturist) and their cousin who recently moved to Israel. Their cousin is the same age as me and is best friends with someone I went to Brandeis with... it is such a small world.


I look forward to sharing all about my classes next week!!!

Sending you all my love and lots of sunshine from beautiful Jerusalem!
 
Kisses (נשיקות pronounced neh-shee-kot)

My New Home

The journey to Israel allowed me the opportunity to experience the Istanbul airport for five hours. Although an unplanned adventure, I was reminded that I was traveling to the Middle East. Once I arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv I instantly felt at home. As a Jewish girl from Eugene, the opportunity to witness families and friends reuniting in Hebrew is magical. Although my fourth arrival in ha'aretz (lit. the land, refers to Israel) I still felt my heart swell with emotion, connection and pure excitement. The minute our car exited the parking lot I felt the same amazement I have felt upon every arrival as I gazed over the rolling hills of white stone, olive trees and terraced landscape.

Here I am standing on the back balcony of my cousins house in Efrat.

The first few days I spent at my cousins in Efrat, with one day running errands in Jerusalem and a lovely Shabbat with other visiting cousins. I feel so blessed to have been welcomed by my family. Not only do I have a warm home and loving support, but I also have sweet children to play with, not to mention guidance in all areas- cell phone advice, slang words, great Israeli wine and so much more!

Toda raba raba raba (thank you very very very much) to the Abrams family!


Today has been my first full day in my apartment, and tonight will be my first night sleeping here. I continue to explore drawers, discovering cleaning supplies and random objects. I have cleaned out my aron (closet) and the bathroom, and am slowly finding places for my many belongings... of course I am bound to rearrange everything in a few days.

My room is incredible. One word: mirpeset (balcony). Yes I have a balcony off my bedroom. A ceiling fan in each room keeps the place very cool and there is central air conditioning for the hot days. Currently I am here with Devin, who is subletting a room for July, and guess what? He is from good ol' Eugene! Small world we live huh? In a few weeks Laurie will arrive, who will be with me for the year, and then Elli arrives in early August, who will also be here for the year. They are both doing the year long program at Pardes. I look forward to making a home here and cooking many new things in my fabulous kitchen. Pictures to come!

Tomorrow I will venture to the market with my trusty guide Rina and buy some staples and fresh produce. The cucumbers here are the most amazing things you've ever smelt or eaten. And the mint, and the pita, and the hummus- I could go on and on. This week will be spent setting up a bank account and cell phone, exploring my neighborhood and walk to school, and acclimating to my new home. I already am feeling at home, although I miss Eugene and everyone so very much. I cannot wait to start my classes at Pardes next week. Words cannot describe how excited (and a little nervous) I am to begin this journey of the Educators Program.

For those who are unclear of what I am doing, watch this video. It is an incredible opportunity for me and I cannot believe I get to immerse myself in Jewish learning every day! So my timeline is two years studying here for my Masters of Jewish Education, with an internship in the states each spring, and then three years teaching Judaic studies at a Jewish day school in the states. There are still many details to clarify and questions to be answered with regards to my year long classes and internships.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you all and invite you to comment, ask questions and request stories along the way. By the way, I chose my title Learning In The Orchard because one definition for pardes is orchard, and so I begin my learning in the orchard...  

B'shalom (in peace) 
Cara