Turning 20!

I turned 20 on Friday!  After having many birthdays in the US, I know Israel is the best place to have a birthday (no offense, family and friends at home).  It's also the best place leading up to a birthday.  I'll give you details on both sides of my 20th year's coin.

I'm a little wine drunk, so this post might get interesting.

amazing fried chicken at "Pirate Fried Chicken"
- so here's the dealio.  This place is so sketchy.  It's right next to a pet store.  It exists as a room with a couple of tables with crusty ketchup bottles on them.  A serving station with a lone heat-bulb warming the three french fries in an aluminum pan and a dried-out looking chicken breast.  But what we don't see is the sole master chef, a Russian boy of about 17 years old?, lovingly tending to his deep frier... we hear the drop of poultry into a seething bath of oil.  A hiss of steam and pop of the batter and chicken skin crisping.  He makes this secret recipe TO ORDER.  25 sheckels for two sizable pieces of chicken and a mound of floppy, but delicious "home fries".   At first bite, my grease-lubricated lips formed a smile.  This chicken...slaughtered in the name of Hashem (this place is KOSHER! LEMAHADRIN! WOO!!)...did not die in vain.

Whatever. I'm giving this place much more hype than it probably deserves.  I just thought this hole-in-the-wall joint was pretty incredible for jew-food.

moving on....

I've been very busy at work and also 2 film crews following me
Work has been crazy.  I have so (too?) much stuff to do.  Working with a graphic designer to design some coffee table books for the fellowship.  Making too many google calendars for my bosses.  I returned a toilet seat a couple of days ago.  Calling people.  Just random, annoying but productive tasks.
And on top of that, I have this film crew following me because I volunteered to be on this video blog to promote the Onward Boston program for future participants.  I thought this was going to be a video blog.  For anyone who's ever seen a video blog, it's pretty much a loser video taping himself telling about his day.  No. not me.  I need to answer very scripted questions about how this experience is changing me.  How Onward Boston has strenghtened my connection to Israel.  Aliza, say something about how this opportunity has changed you spiritually.  How does Onward connect you to your Judaism?  Say something about the fashion in Israel.  Let's stage a job interview with you and your boss! Then let's get you doing something cute.  Go buy some 22 sheckel ice cream down the street.  Yes.  Pay for it (they made me pay for gelato for this video that will only be 10 minutes! who knows if they'll use this footage!)  Talk to some israelis, while you're eating the ice cream and then say something adorable like "Ani ohevet glidah!" Yeah! That's it.  Now face the camera a little.  We're going to do some artsy shots now of you near the train.  Look at the train tracks. Pull out your video camera and make like your'e doing a blog post.  Then close the camera and walk towards the camera. Don't mind the crowd.  Yeah, they're staring at you. But just look natural.  And then smile.

yeah it's exhausting.  They've videotaped me for 3 or so days for 6 hours at a time. Each session is a different awkward situation.  Some kids on Ben Yehudah St. mobbed me and thought I was famous.  I told them I'm a stam american.  Leave me alone.  But wait.  This makes for interesting footage.  Talk to these kids, Aliza! Relate to them. We need you interacting with Israelis!

Blah.

Another video crew came to work a couple of weeks ago for another video for the Boston CJP.  Oh well.  Looks like i'll just have to be famous.  Ha!

Eviatar Banai and Daniel Zamir at Zappa Bar
My Rabbi Cousin, David, treated me to a really nice dinner and concert at Zappa Bar.  The musicians (named above) were amazing. Like...you know when you're in the presence of such talented people that it makes you feel incapable of doing anything ever again and at the same time, it makes you feel so inspired? Yeah, that's how i felt.  I had a little crush on the pianist.  He was increeedible!  So was Daniel Zamir.  Eviatar Banai had a nice voice, but he was not really so mind-blowingly fantastic.  Amazing night.
David then had me and Eli over for Shabbat/Birthday dinner at Hotel Zion.  So much luxurious food.  I felt really lucky to have a kind relative in the neighborhood.  Such a great time!!!!

Friday Day: Birthday! Video taping refugees, Omar/ Eritrean food

 Birthday: Reshimu, Ronen's Djembe
 What a birthday I had.
I really wanted to go to Reshimu first.  If you don't know what Reshimu is, it's this Jewish, spiritual, open jam session that happens every thursday night.  Here's a video!  That's not mine!

 tel aviv video taping refugees, Omar Eritrian food.  

very busy at work plus 2 film crews following me

Shabbat with David at Hotel Zion

Eviatar Banai and Daniel Zamir at Zappa

Birthday:  Reshimu, Ronen's Djimbe, Cake

Shira Hadasha, Bina's place.

grant.

A Week in Review

Dear Reader,

I am extending a warm welcome back...to myself. As the tender mother, lover, and legal guardian of this humble blog, I sincerely apologize for the blogging dry spell. I am back as a more seasoned traveller, with more stories and tales from Ye Olde City.  This is going to be one huge blog post. Sorry. I'll try to find pictures sometime.

It's so long I need an outline:

- Did I talk about cherry picking in the Gush yet?
- Shabbos
- Great times Watching the Euro Cup
- Israeli Presidential Conference
- J.A.F.I Weekend
     - Diaspora museum
     - Getting my video blog swag
     - Crashing a Moroccan wedding
     -  beach
     - explorin our Jewish identities, navigating our place in the Jewish narrative, analyzing the Three Corners of Jewish Ppl-hood
          - almost crying from boredom/frustration
- Back to work Today...haven't been in the office in 5 days!

A. Cherry Picking in Gush Etzion
       June 15
Far in the Judean Mountains, nestled within the golden fields of the Palestinian Territories, is Kibbutz Rosh Tziyurim, where the air is hot, the children frolic, and the cherries are sweet.  A group of 8 or so of us took the bus from the Central Bus Station through the Judean Mountains and were stunned by the view on the way.  There was a shuttle from a parking lot near the bus stop to the kibbutz.  Crowds of religious American couples, armed with armfuls of sweating crying children, juice boxes, and bottles of sunscreen, crammed onto shuttle busses in a disorganized, dysfunctional fashion that is typical of Israel.  It cost 25 sheckels to pick unlimited cherries from their orchard.  The entire orchard is protected from un-humans by sheets of white mesh, creating transparent cloth tunnels through which we explored and picked the sweetest cherries I have ever tasted.  Rows and rows of fruit trees offered us deep burgundy and golden varieties of the juicy fruit.  It was great just walking through the orchard, mouth open, and pecking at the clusters of cherries directly from the trees like a bird.  I even took handfuls of cherries, squeezed them in my hands and let the fresh-squeezed juice drip into my mouth, sometimes missing and staining my shirt.  It was a good-natured down-to-earth, heartwarming experience.  Watching kids climb fruit trees smiling, red-mouthed and sticky-faced, and being in the Gush on a friday morning with my friends.  What a way to bring in The Shabbos.

B. The Shabbos

Eli was really nice to invite a lot of people from my program to his apartment for Shabbos.  So, after cherry picking, we frantically shopped at the shuq for ingredients, and cooked up a storm in his kitchen, which was comparatively bigger and better-equipped for cooking for a crowd.  We went to a Shira Hadashah minyan (caught the last 15 minutes) and then everyone came back for dinner.  It was one guy's first Shabbat meal EVER! The day, in all, was really full.  My head was really happy to hit the pillow that evening.

C.  Euro Cup

One thing this summer in Israel has given me is a love for Soccer, or כדור רגל or futbol.
It's become a tradition for a couple of friends and I to go to this bar, Slow Moshe, in Nachalot, and watch the game with a Goldstar and some pretzels.  The owner of the bar projects the game onto a big screen and we sit in the balcony of the bar on big cushions, our view slightly obscured by a huge cheap paper chandelier lamp.  It's a beautiful sport.  The athletes are so fit.  It's hilarious and exhilarating to see the intense concentration of Israelis on each pass, goal, and foul of the game.   Tomorrow is Portugal v. Spain!  That should be interesting.

D. The Israeli Presidential Conference

Israeli President, Shimon Peres, hosts an annual conference of world leaders and influential people in Jerusalem.  I was invited through PresenTense.  After work, we all headed down to the conference center, greeted by halls of people in business suits with matching lanyards.  We sipped free wine, chewed on complementary cervice and other fancy hors d'ouvres.  I brushed shoulders with the president of Cote D'Ivoire, and mingled with the daughter-in-law of Shimon Peres.  I heard him speak, along with other interesting journalists, Tony Blair, and Henry Kissinger.  I had to miss the last day of the Conference due to....

E. Jewish Agency for Israel Weekend

We left our apartment on Thursday 7:30 AM for the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv.  The diaspora museum was a depressing disaster museum.  The tour was shallow, rushed, we did arts and crafts in a basement.  We were tired.
After spending a total 7 or 8 hours at the museum, we went to the youth village, Haddasah Neurim.  The first sentence of an article about the youth village in Hadassah Magazine says, "Hadassah Neurim, with a student body of 385, is often the "school of last resort" for students who have failed to succeed in other schools"

So....essentially it was a pretty shady place.  There were no locks on the doors.  We met up with about 60 or so other people from other Onward Programs.  We discussed our Jewish identities in large groups.  Watched a movie about Samaritans (this weird sect of Judaism that lives mainly in Holon).  We analyzed the three tenants of Jewish Peoplehood: Coventent, Community, and Cosmopolitanism (Who decided that these were the three branches of Jewish pplhood and why? I have no idea). Some of the sessions were interesting, but mainly I needed to drink a ton of coffee to keep me awake.  

The best part of the weekend was on Thursday night, after programming, when I heard a rumbling of trashy DJ music near the pool of the Kibbutz.   "Let's follow the noize!" I said.  

As I got closer, I smelled the savory charred smell of meat being grilled.  Sounds of drunken laughter and pool splashing filled the air. We were at  moroccan pre-wedding.  Kinda like a post-henna ceremony, engagement bash.  I tried candied eggplant, some sweet baklava-like flaky dessert, danced in my Onward Boston blue T-Shirt, and jumped in the pool and swam in the warm water with my friends.  We danced furiously to get dry.  The family was so happy that uncultured American tourists were at their party (or at least they came off that way). They gave me a free bottle of leftover wine, too!
We also had three hours of free time, with which I went to the beach.  Beautiful, natural, unspoiled sandy splendor.  I was very happy to take a dip in the brine and burn my feet on the hot sand!

F.  And now i'm back
at work...today is not so productive, but i wrote this blog post!  I'll try to find some pictures to post.
Oh yeah, I got a free camcorder for my new video blog (which you won't be able to see until it's produced...the producer is this guy who is aparently a big deal in the israeli tv world.  He writes and produces the israeli show, Srugim, the Israeli modern orthodox version of "Friends"...)
so...I need to film experiences that exhibit personal growth in the land of Israel.  Really, just me having fun, cracking jokes, eating, praying, clubbing, and being a silly american girl in a crazy israeli world.

working on the dock of the bay

yeah so fifteen minutes after I posted that, I got a major assignment and now have a plethora of things to do! I am editing the website, updating stuff for when the Global fellows come.  I really like the interns.  Working for a full day feels really great, and I'm not mopey anymore.  Did i mention this place has beanbags?!!!
 I went to the Jerusalem light festival for the 2nd year in a row!  Sadly, this year's spectacle hardly compared to last year's.  BUT they did turn the facade of Damascus gate into a giant interactive light-up pinball machine!
I just had a great Hummus bowl with all of my intern co-workers.
Everyone in my apartment is sick, so I made them soup.
Also, I'm supposed to be doing this video blog for the program, and they give me a camera and everything.  So maybe you'll get live videos of me instead of this wordy, blabbery, boring written blog.

sittin on the dock of the baaaayy

It's the 3rd day at my internship, and I'm sitting and waiting for something to do.  and on top of that...another intern has arrived, making us a total of 5 interns...
we probably outnumber the staff.
I mean....i don't know if they're so busy that they can't handle interns right now,
or there's generally nothing for us to accomplish,
but it kinda just feels like we're being a little ignored.
but that gives me more time to write on this blog!
I'm convinced that when we do get work, it will be a thrilling, learning experience.

I spent shabbat with Mushky and her husband. also her brother Moishe and some other cousin from nearby.
It was a 10 minute walk from my hotel, so it was so convenient.  I went to this local Carlebach minyan at Mayanot.  It was amazing.  Invigorating.  Spiritually liberating.
Afterwards, we had a home-cooked meal.  Lots of salads. Soup, homemade challah, chicken, etc. etc. etc.
(watched the king and I this weekend, etc. etc. etc.  cheezzziest/most racist thing ever...can't believe I wasted 2.99 of my iTunes gift card for that piece of...cinema...even tho Yul Brynner is pretty good looking and he does that weird thing with his eyebrows which cracks me up).
I was stuffed like a goose for foie grois preparation.  I got home at about 1:30!

Saturday I slept and read.  I had barely slept the week before, and my sleeping schedule was thrown off cuz of the jetlag, so the weekend hibernation was much welcomed.

Sunday I went to Tel Aviv beach with my PresenTense intern friend, Mendy.  I got tan, ate sunflower seeds, and then we got sushi.

I've been reading "The Source," and I actually made some progress.  It's a very interesting book, although it's weird reading historical fiction when it's written like you should believe it, but it's clearly mostly fabricated.

so, besides the lull in the internship, everything is Sababahhhhhh!

IF I SULLY THEE, O JERUSALEM!

THE CITY OF ZION GLIMMERS IN GOLD.

THE SERAPHIM DESCEND FROM THE FIRMAMENTS

CLOTHED IN WHITE LINEN, SMELLING OF MYRRRHHH.

THE ISRAELITES GATHER BY THE WALL SURROUNDING

THE HOLY TEMPLE MOUNT.

THE YOUNG JEW FROM THE TRIBE OF TAGLIT-BIRTHRIGHT

PRESSES HIS LIPS AGAINST THE WESTERN WALL,

SMEARS IT WITH TEARS AND SUNSCREEN,

THE RABBI FROM THE CHASIDDISH TRIBE

PRESSES HIS LIPS AGAINST THE WESTERN WALL,

SMEARS IT WITH TEARS AND BEARD.

HOW MANY GERMS

HAS THOUST CARRIED, O WALL?

TOUCHED, EMBRACED, FELT UP,

FOREIGN OBJECTS PRESSED INTO YOUR VENTRICLES.

DOTH YOU STAND 

THE HOT STENCH OF BODIES IN THE DESERT SUN

PRESSED UP AGAINST YOUR STONE?

LIKE THE JEW CARRIES HIS GUILT,

YOU CARRY THE BURDEN OF DIRT AND BACTERIA.

Israeli Presidential Conference

PresenTense invited me to the Israeli Presidential Conference.  It's a pretty huge deal.  Basically all of these really important speakers give lectures over the course of 3 days on relevant topics to Israeli society. Really big names here....It's "Business Casual Attire"

check out who's coming

my Present state in the State of Israel

I once lived in Israel, feeling the ebb and flow of Jewish daily life in outdoor markets, sardine-packed busses, and crowded streets.  I am visiting again, this time with the intention of gaining insight into a component of Israeli society I have not yet experienced: the professional world.  

I am interning for an organization called PresenTense.  I've found it really difficult to clearly explain to people the mission of the organization.  So maybe, if I type it, I'll know how to verbalize it.  PresenTense is an incubator for Jewish Social Entrepreneurs.  If you are an aspiring leader of a Jewish non-profit or for-profit organization, but you lack the resources to really get your organization rolling, PresenTense will provide you with funding, workshops, and other resources to make your vision a reality.   For example,  if you have a great idea for a social venture, PresenTense will rent you an office space, arrange meetings with more established, successful social entrepreneurs, and host conferences for other PresenTense-affiliated companies to exchange ideas.  PT operates throughout the world including the US, Israel, Moscow, South America, the UK, and more!  If you check out their website :  www.presentense.org , you can see what great things they have started and what an incredible organization this is.  

So, I know you're probably thinking...you're interning for this organization...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  Truth is, this is the first day.  I have no clear idea.  I will be doing some blogging and working with programming and communication.  I am in the office Sunday-Thursday 9AM-6PM, so hopefully, I will be making good use of this time.  

The concept of an internship does not exist in Israel.  Israelis go to the army, then start their careers.  There is no word for internship in Hebrew.  When I explain to Israelis what an internship is they reply, "WHAT? You work FOR FREE?  Is this work?  Why you do this?  TIME IS MONEY!"

So really, to Israelis, internships are not only non-existant in Israel, they seem pointless and for rich, American kids wanting to waste time.  There are two other interns with me here...one girl from Yale, and another guy from U Wisconsin.

I am on a program of a bunch of "rich americans wanting to waste time" with a group called Onward Boston.  There are 25 other participants.  They're all incredibly nice.  I'm a little bummed that I'm required to attend mandatory programming touring places I have already visited and some potentially-bogus lectures, but it's a great trade-off because this program is paid for (I just got 1000 shekel "food" stipend for the month!)  

I am staying in the center of Jerusalem. Which is convenient, because I am a 3 minute walk from the office and everything else in Jerusalem. It's a little disturbing because last night I was awakened at 3 AM by 30 or some-odd drunk Americans chanting "AM YISRAEL CHAI!!" at the top of their lungs for a half hour.  

On another note,  I left my israeli cell phone, camera, credit card, and adapters at home.  Honestly, my life has not been inconvenienced.  I bought an incredibly cheap, remedial cellphone for 150 shekels at PHONE ZOO, so now I feel a little safer at night.  I'm borrowing adapters from a friend.  

Overall, I'm really happy and comfortable here.  It's great to be able to hear and practice Hebrew in it's intended setting.  I remember how to get around from my gap year here.  It feels like I am visiting an old friend.  

I look forward to getting some of my writing published online, making connections, and getting a feel for what it's like to live and work in Israel.