By Jared Friedman, WUJS Israel Hadassah
I just finished the second overnight of the Masa sponsored program which bought together Jews from the ages of 21-30. These peers, many of which are now my friends, are all currently living in Israel and either were born here as natives or are now living here on long-term immersive programs.
This weekend’s topic was the worldwide Jewish community and the similarities/differences shared by the smaller communities from which we come. Again, the 24 hours were filled with thought-provoking discussions, but this time it wasn’t just the discussions that made the experience so special – the combination of friendships, unique activities and purpose all made the event another unbelievable success.
Unlike the first gathering in Beit She’an, this program took place in Jaffa, the southern tip of Tel Aviv, which most people recognize as Arab-populated but in reality, is a bubbling, artist-centric neighborhood filled with Jewish people and history. After a delicious dinner at the impressive hostel where we were staying, we embarked on a journey that brought together a seldom-discussed topic that unites ancient rituals with modern-day expression. We walked as a group, all 40 of us, to a corner in the Florentine neighborhood of Tel Aviv.
We followed our guide through alleyways, around dark corners and soon game to a run-down playground scribbled with colorful and artistic spray paint, about to embark on a guided Street Art tour through the shady, decrepit alleyways of a section of Tel Aviv that today is filled with graffiti. Our tour guide Boaz, himself a well-respected artist of the underground Tel Aviv street art community, led us on an exciting tour explaining the history, methodologies and personas of a Tel-Aviv based creative scene that has inspired and been covered by graffiti scenes around the globe. One would never even think to combine graffiti, a culture that was birthed by a New York City hip hop scene of the 70′s, with a Jewish-based Israeli Masa event. But this is why the event was so special.
Masa had the uncanny ability to connect and inspire my new friends and I with a topic that had nothing to do with Judaism, but something so Israeli, modern and cool that in its own way, plays a vital role in helping Israeli artists connect with both the internal and external world of artistic expression. In a sense, this is the real Israel – a Jewish nation that impacts others with creative freedom and accomplishments – sometimes Jewish-inspired and sometimes not. I walked the quiet yet energy-filled, dark streets, proud to be a Jew with Israeli brothers who had rebelled against the normalcy of the art world to create something so beautiful in its own light.
The second reason for the success of the program was the daytime activity which took place on a Friday afternoon. We had the opportunity to visit an enriched Tel Aviv high school which shares a special relationship with the Los Angeles Community. Thanks to a Jewish Agency partnership made possible by collaboration with the Jewish Federation, this high school enables a class of 16-year-old high school juniors to travel to Los Angeles to meet other high school kids. During this journey, they get to experience Jewish American life in Los Angeles, learn about the powerful partnership that connects their two communities, and form new bonds with their Jewish peers living halfway around the globe.
The impact of hearing a 16-year-old Israeli talk about seeing Reform Judaism for the first time and witnessing a woman standing equally side-by-side with men in a synagogue, was incredibly meaningful. Here were kids that were not used to even knowing that being Jewish doesn’t always mean wearing a black hat and having a long beard. In another conversation, we listened to the students describe the meaning of forming relationships with Jews outside of Israel. They talked about how even with the wealth of cultural barriers such as the obligation to serve in the IDF at the age of 18, it is so important to not just create a new friendship with an American their age, but also stay in touch for years to come. This truly creates a real and lasting Jewish bond between the Americans and Israeli youth, our future leaders. Seeing and hearing the effects of the Jewish Agency allowed the purpose of the organizational efforts to take on a meaning in a whole new dimension.
Lastly, what I walk away most proud of from this second of three Masa-sponsored events, is not just the activities or new lessons learned, it is the new relationships that have been molded. What started as people meeting for the first time in Beit She’an has now transformed into a genuine friendship between people who were complete strangers only two weeks ago. When we first saw each other on Thursday evening when everyone arrived to the hostel in Jaffa, we embraced one another as if we were longtime friends. We asked each other about the last couple of weeks and even shared stories about hanging out together outside of the programs. Then as the second event came to an end, we once again hugged and said our goodbyes, eagerly awaiting our next encounter – two weeks from now in Judaism. In my opinion, what makes this program so effective is its ability to create, strengthen and solidify relationships between Jews that share so much in common yet normally live so far away. This guarantees that the ball is not dropped which is a major problem facing most Taglit or short-trip experiences. As a group, I know that we will return to our communities with not just new friends, not just new lessons that stem from learning about other cultures but a new fire, a yearning to bring our collective Jewish communities even closer together.
I learned from Masa that this program is a pilot program – an effort to test a new method to strengthen Israeli and international Jewish ties, reduce the effects of assimilation and enhance the foundation of Jewish education. I’m proud of be a pioneer. Honored to be a trailblazer. And so grateful for the opportunity to hopefully pave the way for so much more – a continued effort to take this new concept, enhance it and broadcast it to inspire many more similar programs to be created around the globe.
By James McIntosh, Israel Government Fellows
On September 21, 2011, MK Dr. Einat Wilf of the Independence Party gave a guest lecture to the Sixth Session of the Israel Government Fellows program. She currently serves on the Knesset committees for Foreign Affairs and Defense; Education; and Finance. MK Wilf spoke at length on the problem of Arab denial of Jewish rights, combating delegitimization, the economic protests, and the future of the Middle East region.
MK Wilf framed the Palestinian Authority’s UN stunt in the context of the Arab world’s refusal to recognize the rights and history of the Jewish people, saying “Their calendar begins with Balfour.” Over the course of their education and the program’s seminars, IGF participants have studied the history of Zionism and Jewish settlement in Israel. From the pages of history to the omnipresent social media news reports, Fellows have seen the Arab attempt to destroy the Jewish state repeatedly morph from war to terrorism to delegitimization.
The most prominent example of the need to resist that delegitimzation was the incident aboard a vessel in the Gaza flotilla, the Mavi Marmara. Several IGF participants saw the ugly hatred firsthand on their college campuses before coming to Jerusalem. The growing acceptance of efforts to delegitimize Israel is a direct result of the failure to promote the Jewish state’s narrative, and many Fellows in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs take pride in strengthening the state’s diplomatic and economic machine.
Shortly before most of the Fellows arrived in the country, the protests for social justice rocked the Israeli street and took the government by surprise. The demonstrations touched on topics relevant to several IGF ministries, particularly the Antitrust Authority, the Finance Ministry and the Securities Authority. Some of the Fellows visited the demonstrations in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv; all remarked on the stark contrast between the peaceful protests in Israel and the bloodshed sweeping the Arab world.
MK Wilf predicted that the Arab Spring would lead to more hostile but weaker neighbors. In the very long term, she hoped that the peoples of the Middle East to adopt more modern values, giving Israel a better chance to integrate into the region. The Fellows’ reactions ranged from cautious optimism to caustic skepticism, but this dream may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. After all, when the Israelis looked for a model for protests, they took their cue from not from Europe or America, but from the Arabs.
- Take a menorah tour
Explore the amazing streets of Jerusalem and Bnei Brak and see the hundreds of lights glowing from every window. - Branch out at the Festival of Festival in Haifa
This year marks the 17th year for the “Holiday of Holidays” Festival celebrating holidays of three faiths: Hannukah, Christmas and Eid al Adja. Throughout the month of December, the city of Haifa will be “dressed up” to celebrate all the holidays and display neighborly feelings between the three major monotheistic faiths through a variety of cultural events in art spaces for different media: plastic, music, cinema and literature as well as outdoor gathering spaces and, of course, praiseworthy Mediterranean culinary delights.
- Learn a little about what you’re celebrating
So what do you really know about Hannukah? Pardes wants to help you explore a little deeper. Choose from classes like “Sacred versus Fetish and the Miracle of Oil,” “Reinventing Chanukah in the 20th Century, ” and ” Fighting God’s Battles – Reflections on Chanukah and Religious Zealotry.” Enjoy a festive party complete with latkes, sufganiyot, high-stakes dreidle, music, and book exchange and take part in art, music, and cooking workshops. - Find the best sufganiya
Israel is famous for its variety of sufganiyot, sweet & savory, plain & decorated—just name a flavor, and its there. But can you find the best sufganiyot in all of Israel?
- Have a latke cook-off
A Hannukah staple, don’t let the holiday go by without trying to cook some for yourself. If you really want a challenge, experiment with other main ingredients besides potato. - Take in some culture at one of Jerusalem’s city-wide performances
The Jerusalem Citywide Performance Series features dozens of performances taking place across Jerusalem during the winter months. Jerusalem-based theater groups such as Psik, the Jerusalem Theater Company, Mikro, Incubator,Hulegab, Koom Koom, Flamenca and more, will bring their theatrical talents to community centers and performance halls across Jerusalem for an amazingly affordable price of 25 NIS per ticket. The series extends through early January, 2012. - Learn how oil is made
Learn to make olive oil, take part in ceramics workshops on building chanukkiot, make perfumes from Olive Oil, and pretend you are a Maccabi in the sword making and warrior workshop at the Ein Yael Oil Festival on December 25-27. Ein Yael is an outdoor museum in the Jerusalem Hills (across from the zoo). - Fill up your free time at Hamshushalayim
A weekend of special events, discounts and unique cultural happenings throughout the city, the events include tours, musical performances, mystery theater and more at venues in the city center, Old City, Museum Square, Ein Kerem and more.
What is your favorite Hannukah activity in Israel? (And while you’re at it, what is the best way to spell it in English?)
Hanukkah begins at sunset on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, and ends at sunset on Wednesday, December 28, 2011.
by Vanessa Friedman, OTZMA alumna
For Thanksgiving, we organized a Thanksgiving football game and a huge potluck dinner. To cook a full Thanksgiving turkey, we borrowed the ovens from a synagogue near the absorption center where we were staying.
Every single OTZMAnik participated, a few of their Israeli boyfriends–and even one of our Ulpan teachers came to the meal! Everyone really enjoyed themselves, and the Israelis in attendance were kind of blown away by the crazy amounts of “American” food. One of the Israeli guys also took a special liking to the turkey hats we made and wore it for the whole meal. It was a very meaningful holiday for all of us.
Abra and friends dance the hora and the dabke (traditional Arab dance).
by Abra Berkowitz, alumna of Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
I celebrated Thanksgiving in the Fall of 2009 at the Arava Institute, a desert oasis of mutual learning and dialog among Palestinian, Israeli, American and Jordanian students. Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday of giving, fell right after Thanksgiving. Therefore, we celebrated all we had to be thankful for through our different customs, languages, and cultural expressions, finding that our core values–peace, friendship, family and security–were the same. Most importantly, we were all thankful for the Arava Institute, a place where all of us could do this sharing together. The tahini-covered stuffing and zaatar-seasoned Turkey were surprisingly delicious, and the dabke and hora dance sessions much-needed calorie burners.
by Max Amer, alumnus of Masa Israel’s OTZMA
Last year, over 30 Americans decided to take a year from their lives to volunteer in Israel as part of Masa Israel’s OTZMA program. We all lived together for the first part of the program and immersed ourselves in Israeli society and culture. Most participants didnt know anyone else on the trip and some of us, including myself, had no family in Israel.
When Thanksgiving arrived, we all decided it would be nice to have a potluck dinner. Each one of us had the task of cooking one dish, setting the room, or decorating–making turkey hats. Unsure of how the night would go, we arrived in a room with long tables and a whole bunch of food. Everyone had a smile on his or her face and spent the next two hours enjoying good food and good company.
A day that most people spend with their family, we were spending with strangers who all shared one common interest: making a difference in the lives of others. We all realized then that this group of 33 participants who took 10 months out of their lives to volunteer had become a family.
We went around the room and spoke about what Thanksgiving meant to each of us. It was, by far, my most memorable Thanksgiving to date. As is always the case on Thanksgiving, the night ended with turkey coma.
Kelly Heideman gives back to Israel on Tikkun Olam in Tel Aviv-Jaffa
“Go in with a positive and open attitude, take in an embrace everything, live up all that Tel Aviv has to offer, and it will be the experience of a lifetime.”
Kelly Heideman, age 22, returned from Tikkun Olam in Tel Aviv – Jaffa, a 5 month Masa Israel program, inspired, self-assured and full of incredible memories.
Tikkun Olam in Tel Aviv offered Kelly the chance to volunteer and study with Israeli immigrants, foreign workers and refugees and has since come home to Melbourne with the realization that it’s the small acts of compassion that make the biggest difference.
“Interacting with the incredible children, teenagers, and adults in my volunteer placements instilled in me a tremendous sense of patience, acceptance, and compassion. The program truly calls for self-exploration, almost demands adaptability and independence, and gave me a truly increased confidence in influencing others positively.”
After graduating from Mount Scopus College in 2006, Kelly visited Israel with AUJS Auchshav and always knew she had to come back. “I’ve always wanted to return to Israel and experience living there and learn more about the country.”
Having studied psychology, Kelly has always been interested in volunteering with those that come from disadvantaged backgrounds and chose Tikkun Olam because it was the perfect opportunity to return to Israel and contribute to the Israeli society in a meaningful way.
“You experience and learn from Israel first hand, explore your identity and really give back to those that need it. As well as having unthinkable amounts of fun with similar aged Jews from around the world and other Israelis!” she said.
Kelly arrived to find 9 other young excited (American) Jews living in an awesome apartment in Tel Aviv anticipating the beginning of their Tikkun Olam experience. “An Australian amongst Americans was a great novelty!” she said.
Kelly established strong friendships wilth all Tikkun Olam participants. “You really make meaningful friendships with like-minded people living across the world… I actually visited and stayed with some of them on my way home to Melbourne and I know we will remain lifelong friends.”
Kelly explains her time on Tikkun Olam as “the most exciting, rewarding, and eye-opening experience of [her] life.”
As part of her volunteering, Kelly worked with Save a Child’s Heard (SACH), an Israeli organization which sends children from developing countries to Israel needing heart surgery. “It was very upsetting to see such little and innocent children in such pain, but the excitement in the children’s eyes and the appreciation on their mothers face when you arrive, made me realize how important small acts of compassion can be to others.”
Amongst the volunteering, Kelly’s incredible memories include overnight trips to various “off the beaten track” parts of the country that she would others have not had the opportunity to visit by herself or on a short term program. “Also, being in Israel during the Chagim like Pesach and Yom Ha’atzmaut, were unbelievable experiences I’ll always remember,” she says.
The program also allowed participants plenty of time during the week to live life as a local and experience Tel Aviv’s nightlife and beautiful sprawling beaches.
Kelly chose Tikkun Olam because it gave her volunteering choices and she was able to volunteer at three or four different places a week. “We were able to volunteer with a broad range of refugees, new migrants, and Israelis from Disadvantaged backgrounds. I also liked how comprehensive Tikkum Olam was. Yes it includes volunteering, but we also studied Israeli society and Jewish Identity, learnt Hebrew, traveled, and took educational tours in the neighbourhoods of Tel Aviv that we volunteered in.
Tikkun Olam was special because it gave us an unbiased perspective of the issues surrounding Israel. We had numerous guest speakers who came from many different ethnic backgrounds and all with different perspectives and experiences of Israel, thereby allowing us to form our own informed opinion of the State of Israel,” she said.
Participants are housed in the neighbourhoods where they volunteer. “It gave us a deeper understanding of their situations, and further enhances our abilities as volunteers.”
Kelly’s Tikkun Olam experience was a once and a life time opportunity and one she will look back on with only fondness and gratitude.
“I am much more aware of my place in the world as a Jew, my connection with Israel, and how important my Jewish identity is to me. I have also developed greater tolerance and truly embrace people and the beauty in their differences, that there is a real goodness in everyone.”
By Anna Kaminsky, Northwestern University
I am one of the 25 college campus representatives of Masa Israel Journey that were invited to the GA for an extended weekend of bonding and brainstorming. When I received the invitation from Masa back at Northwestern University in Chicago, and later when I officially booked my flights, I had known little of what to expect.
My best friend Samantha Robins is the campus rep at Penn State University, and, much like myself, was basically coming to the GA unequipped with the knowledge of what was to go on. She and I have been best friends since we were in elementary school at Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, and we also studied abroad together at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem – twice. We went for one month during the summer of 2010 and loved it so much that we went back for the spring semester of 2011. Upon returning to our respective universities this past fall, we were, as Masa alumni, qualified and more than honored to be accepted as Masa representatives. She and I were excited about the GA, and we knew we would be meeting a number of other campus reps from around the USA and Canada and that we’d be discussing Masa programs and ways to improve our jobs of recruiting students to go on Masa programs in Israel (there are almost 200). But we had no idea how eye-opening the experience of the GA would actually be.
We, all 25 Masa campus reps, arrived the Friday before the GA for two nights of quieter Shabbaton activities and programming, which turned out to serve us quite well in terms of preparing us for what was to come. We were informed about what we’d be doing for the two days before the GA commenced as well as during the GA itself.
Friday and Saturday were full of Masa icebreakers, brainstorming sessions, catered meals, and intimate “speeches” by Masa personnel as well as other prestigious individuals such as former National Hillel president Avraham Infeld (brilliant – and hilarious – man) and a highly knowledgeable representative from Young Judea who spoke to us about the contemporary Middle East and Israel’s place within it.
We also heard from Masa leader Avi Rubel, whose career history is extremely impressive but whose career advice was especially appreciated by us college students. I, along many of the other Masa campus reps whom I spoke with, was pleasantly surprised with the career talks, speeches, and seminars provided to us – special for Masa representatives – by Masa Israel Journey and its affiliates.
The GA itself was just as much of a pleasant surprise. I had no idea how many people were going to be there, so when I learned that when Sunday rolled around there would be thousands of Jews and Israelis from around the globe checking in, it goes without saying that I was incredibly excited.
As the people amassed and the energy escalated, Samantha and I took full advantage of everything there was to be offered. We switched from sweats to suits and strapped on our heels, and we made our way around the bustling Expo, meeting tons and tons of incredible individuals from renowned Jewish and Israeli organizations and companies, trading business cards and smiles along the way.
The GA was an incredible – even life changing – experience. We arrived expecting a busy and potentially exhausting weekend; needless to say, our expectations were blown out of the waters. We met amazing people and heard extraordinary stories, each of which inspired us to take our involvement in the Jewish and Israeli worlds to the next level. The level of friendliness was unprecedented at any event I had ever been to. To say that the GA set the bar high for similar events would not do it justice.
In sum, I could not be more thankful for having been afforded the opportunity to attend the GA as the Northwestern University campus representatie of Masa Israel Journey. It was a phenomenal event at which I met people who have not only changed the world but will again, and where I was encouraged to become a bigger part of it all.
Originally published on the Jewish Agency GA blog “Wake Up and Dream”
Chris Harty, OTZMA Israel Teaching Fellows
“Tourists! Tourists! Tourists!” These were the first words I heard as I walked into Petach Tivah’s Sirkin Mall. Dressed in cargo shorts and a t-shirt, equipped with a book bag on my back and a Nalgene bottle in my hand, I (and the other Americans I was traveling with) was not surprised to be identified as the foreigner that I most certainly looked like. When I turned around to see who was shouting at me I was surprised, however, to see that the chants were coming from a student who attends Amir Elementary School. The student, Ben, recognized me as well because I have been teaching English at his school for the last several weeks. For the next minute or so, Ben and I tried to talk to each other (via some very mangled Hebrew and English) as best we could. “How did I end up in a mall in Petach Tikvah talking to an Israeli 5th grade student from the local elementary school where I volunteer?” This was the question running through my head after I said farewell to Ben.
Before I address that question, maybe I should start off by introducing myself. My name is Chris Harty and I am from St. Louis. I grew up in Chesterfield, attended Parkway Central High School, and graduated from Tulane University in 2009. If you asked me at the beginning of my senior year of college what I would be doing now, I probably would have told you that I would be in my last of year of law school, studying for the Bar Exam, and hoping to nail my next job interview. Life didn’t quite turn out the way I thought. After graduating from Tulane, I decided to join Teach for America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating educational inequity in the U.S., and spent the next two years teaching at a low-income school in Clinton, Louisiana. The experiences I had in the classroom were extremely challenging, even more rewarding, and are what motivated me to continue to work in the field of education.
This past summer I decided to join Israel Teaching Fellows, a pilot program developed by Israel’s Ministry of Education in conjunction with Masa, a nonprofit organization located in Jerusalem. In August I moved to Israel, settled in a house with eight other American Teaching Fellows, and began volunteering as an English teacher’s assistant at an Israeli public school in Petach Tikvah. For the next eight months I will help teach students (kitah alef – vav) how to speak, read, and write in English as well as participate in other volunteer service projects within my community. I am extremely excited to have this chance to live and work in Israel and hope you will enjoy reading about my experiences in this blog.
So what do I hope to learn and experience while away from the U.S? I would like to, in no particular order, improve my students’ English skills; learn Hebrew; walk up Masada at sunrise; become a better teacher; form meaningful relationships with my students, colleagues, and other Israelis; visit the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa; maintain a blog to document my travels; become a respected leader at my school; sample as many different types of hummus as possible; integrate myself into Israeli society and the Petach Tikvah community; mentor kids less fortunate than myself and…Well I’ll stop there because I could go on forever. In sum, at the end of this journey what I want is for kids like Ben to not view me as a tourist and more importantly, to no longer feel like one.
By Joel Wanger, Israel Government Fellows
One of the most common phrases I heard during the past month was “אחרי החגים” or “after the holidays”. Whenever you would ask someone when they wanted to meet up or when they would send you that e-mail they’d been promising to send the response often was, “אחרי החגים”. Having grown up entirely in the Jewish communities of Bowie, Maryland and Boston, Massachusetts, this was my first time spending the fall Jewish holidays in Israel. In this blog post I’ll tell you a little bit about my experience.
Before the holidays even begin there are a few signs in Israel that they are approaching. During the month prior to Rosh Hashanah following morning-prayer they play the shofar at the Kotel or Western Wall to remind people that the time to repent is approaching or at least that’s how it was explained to me. Some friends and I went one morning to hear it. In addition, Sephardic Selichot services are held beginning on the second day of Elul, the month of repentance before Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. Prior to this year I had only been familiar with Ashkenazi Selichot traditions. In order to make the most of my experience I attended a Sephardic Selichot service at the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. It was a very unique and different experience.
Rosh Hashanah fell right before we started our first week of work. Instead of putting on my suit and tie and going to services for Erev Rosh Hashanah as I had for most of the past 22 years I instead put on jeans and button-down shirt and went to the home of my cousins. There I had a delicious family meal in which I got to meet many new family members, even though we are only related by marriage they still made me feel very at home during my first Rosh Hashanah outside the country. The next morning I woke up very early and decided since I had time to kill I would go morning services at a local progressive (what Israelis call reform) synagogue. The service was very similar to at home and was mainly attended by American Ex-Pats. After services I caught a cab to my friend’s house in Savyon. There I spent the rest of the weekend celebrating the holiday in the way many secular Israelis do. I went to a foam party at a beachside pool in Herzliya and a party at Kibbutz Hazor. The party was in the theme of the recent social protests, with t-shirts given to attendees that read, “We the people demand free beer!” In general the holiday weekend took on more of the vibe of an American New Years Eve than the Rosh Hashanah I’m used to.
Yom Kippur in Israel is something I hope all of you have a chance to experience at some point in your lives. I arrived to my friend’s house in Savyon a few hours before the fast was set to begin. About an hour before the fast began a message appeared on the tv. During the entire fast no television would be broadcast and all on-demand content was going to be deactivated. However, there was a small loophole since all previous recorded dvr content still worked. In addition, all of the radio stations stopped broadcasting. The pre-fast family meal was very similar to what I’m used to. After dinner I told my friend that I would like to check out the service, just briefly. The local synagogue in Savyon is Orthodox. They had two separate services, a Sephardi service and an Ashkenazi service. However most of the congregation gathered outside the synagogue to talk and socialize. Since everyone comes home for the holiday it is time for old friends to catch up, similar to in the States.
More interesting is what was going on in streets all over Israel. During the entire fast no one drives their cars, except for the occasional Arab Israeli. Since the roads are empty children everywhere take to the streets on skateboards, scooters, and bicycles. My friend told me when he was younger he and his friends would bike upwards of 80 kilometers. Also due to all the kids out about this day is also known for record numbers of injuries that increase every year, I do not recall the exact numbers but they should be easy to find if you are interested. As Israelis get older they transition to a slightly different tradition. In order to best avoid the fast they stay up as late as possible watching movies and go to bed hoping to sleep through as much of the fast as possible. My friend and I did a slight variation of this, first going over to a friend’s to play poker for a bit. Then we tried to stay up late watching movies, but ended up falling asleep. The next day we killed time again by watching movies and walking around the empty streets of his neighborhood. We broke the fast with a family meal and then went out to Tel Aviv for the night to see a mutual friend who was visiting from the U.S.
In the US Sukkot had become less and less important to me over the years. But he in Israel it is hard to miss. Sukkot is the most celebrated holiday in Israel with over 60% of Israelis putting up Sukkahs. They popped up all over Jerusalem in back yards, on balconies and outside restaurants. It was impossible to walk more than five feet without seeing a Sukkah. All the hotels erected giant Sukkahs on their balconies. For my part I had dinner with some cousins who were visiting from the US in the giant Sukkah at the Imbal Hotel. In addition for the entire holiday of Sukkot Israelis have off from school and work. They tend to take family trips to spend time in the outdoors. In addition, thousands of people travel to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Marches, a bunch of different walks through different sections of Jerusalem. I did not have the opportunity to travel because we had Ulpan every morning, but I did get to attend the festivities after the marches in “Gan Saker”, one of Jerusalem’s largest parks. It was similar almost to a US-style fair with food vendors, craft vendors, and live music. For past 5 years my Sukkot had mainly consisted of eating pizza or smoking hookah in the Sukkah at school, it was a nice change of pace to be so inundated by Sukkahs.
The last holiday of the season is of course Simchat Torah. I regretfully did not celebrate this holiday. I took and a nap and did not wake up until after my friends had already left for services. From talking to my friends though they said that this holiday was kind of downplayed from what I’m used to in the US. In past years I have danced in Harvard Square with the Torah, and it seemed that here it was more of just a normal service. I guess people were pretty tired after making it through all the rest of the holidays.
It’s now been almost two weeks since the last holiday ended, people are starting to get back into the groove of working life. All the Sukkahs are gone as are many of the tourists who had been a constant part of the scenery since I arrived. It is my understanding that between now and Chanukah is one of the least touristy times of the entire year. It was quite the experience being here for the holidays. This year I took a fairly secular approach, although I did fast which is not very widely observed from my understanding. If I have another opportunity in the future it might be interesting to experience a more observant perspective on the holidays in Israel.
