Shinuim

Wow
It has been way to long of a time since I last poured my heart into a blog. The past three weeks or so have definitely been a roller coaster per usual of Israel. There have been a lot of changes including wonderful new things, the beginning of many new friendships and realizations about old ones.

Shinui (Change) Rishon: I finally moved from the Resnick dorms to the Kfar Studentim. Great Decision. I now have my own room- an almost fully equipped kitchen, internet, great roommates and a much closer walk to the new friends I have made. It truly is amazing how significant the change has been. I have found myself more outgoing, meeting more people and the like.
It was just what I needed.

Shinui hasheni: Classes started…finally! I am taking Hebrew, which for once in my life is easy. Environmental and Natural Resource policy of Israel and the Middle East, which is super interesting, is my second class. Today we talked about religion and Zionism and the environment. Its continues to amaze me how much the three major monotheistic religions have in common- including the idea that man has a responsibility to take care of the earth. We discussed numerous issues- spanning from the existence of God to the damning beavers do in Western Canada. I can already tell it will be an amazing class, melding environmental issues and Israel- what could be better, aside the fact that Israel has some MAJOR issues. Were going on a trip to the Dead Sea (ridiculous right!) to witness first hand some of the water issues facing Israel today. The professor happens to be the admissions dead at the Arava Institute- a world famous environmental studies school in the desert.

Another class I’m taking is on the rescuers and partisans of the Holocaust. The professor for this class works for Yad Vashem and is amazing. We’re going to Yad Vashem and to a private viewing of the movie Defiance! I have believe it or not, not yet taken a class on the Holocaust in college, so here it is! My last class yes there are only 4!) is the JESNA class. This class is all about Jewish education in North America- the issues, the promises, what we can do etc. Coupled with this class is an internship. My internship is at the Amit Alternative school. I’ll be tutoring “high risk” teenagers- something I feel like I have some background in thanks to my crazy summer with my favorite campers! This class also puts me on a list and invites me into a network of Jewish educators- keeping me informed about internships, jobs etc. until I tell them to stop. While I don’t know where my life will take me after I graduate- and being in Israel makes it extra tempting to come back here- having this network and option is both comforting and smart.

Shinui Shlishi- Relationships! I have found myself over the past few weeks extra social. Making new, wonderful friends, meeting amazing people who I have a lot in common with and the like. I spent the last shabbas hanging out with three wonderful ladies- lounging around all shabbas in PJ’s. It was wonderful to say the least. I began to realize that I needed to make the most of my time here and in light of some harder events, changes in a specific relationship- I found myself surrounded by people who were supportive and caring, loving and understanding. Even in my most personal relationship here, I have begun to make changes and seen great success. Being in the here and now is something i am trying very hard to work on. Sometimes it takes something shocking and painful to bring that to the forefront. Needless to say, that very personal relationship is being worked on- by purely starting from the beginning. The basis of any great relationship is a friendship and it is something lacking from this relationship in particular. Rewinding a bit has made us realize that what has been lying underneath the whole time—something very special and real.

Shinui Arba- I got my nose pierced!!! Its adorable and really classy looking, in my opinion. I feel more Israel, more earthy, and like it’s a really good fit for me. Im keeping in clean, don’t worry, and liking it more and more every day.

One other thing I want to mention, is a recent film I saw entitled, “ The Cemetery Club.” I’ve been trying to be super cultural while im here- movies, concerts and the like. Anyway, this movie was a part of a series on women film makers (just around Rosh Chodesh) in Israel. This film in particular was on two elderly women in Jerusalem who were apart of a group of about 20 other elderly Israelis who met in the cemetery every week. The film focused on their lives before coming to Israel as well as the early years when the state was being established. As the film progressed, more members of the club began to die. The members of this club were not only survivors of holocaust, but founders of the State of Israel. They have lived through both the most challenging and most thrilling parts of Jewish History. The women focused on in the movie represented a large group of people in Israel- who I now have much more respect for. What the old women who shoved me out of the way in the shuk this afternoon, has seen with her old sunken eyes, is more than I can imagine. A true appreciation and understanding flooded my heart at the end of this film, for the elderly in this state. Amazing.

I could go on forever about my time in Israel. Every day is another adventure; I see something that gives me the chills and especially things that make me reconsider how I have felt about something before, or how I experience it now.

Purim is coming up this week- school is out and im hoping to be mother nature!
I promise to take pictures and even more importantly- write about it.

I hope you are all doing wonderfully.
Id love to hear from you!!

B’ahava
Sara