Entry #1
February 9, 2019
I know it's been only a week and a half since I arrived in Israel, but I feel like it's been so much longer since I boarded my flight at SFO. Days here are tiring but go by quickly, especially because a typical school day includes both a Jewish component (Hebrew/Judaic studies) and my standard general studies classes. While exhausting, I can already see myself fitting into the routine of daily life on Kibbutz Tzuba.
Except, to be honest, daily life isn't super common at Heller High. At least once or twice a week (usually during a school day), the entire class of 70+ students go on a trip, or tiyul, a short excursion as an extension of the Jewish history class. Tiyulim have included visiting artificial mountains made of layers of ancient civilizations stacked on top of one another and visiting historical sites to gain a better grasp of content covered in our daily three-hour class. Weekends, too, are filled with activities outside of the Kibbutz, including community service activities and visiting Israeli markets, or Shuks. My general studies classes haven't been great since I've already learned most of the material being covered and the pace is slow, but I like my classmates.
In general, the people doing this program have been really nice and outgoing. Part of my expectation going into this was that this program was better suited for extroverts, because the idea of spending four months with people you've never met before can be intimidating. My expectation was right, so an ongoing challenge for me has been juggling time on my own while maintaining a social life with others doing this program who don't necessarily need time on their own on a daily basis. It's also been tricky getting sleep, since I was used to getting eight hours of sleep a night before doing the trip, something that is definitely not a possibility now.
Shabbat in Israel is also a unique experience. Last Friday, we went to the Western Wall and sung songs, definitely an experience that resonated with me more strongly than it has in the past. While Saturday prayer services are fairly standard, it's still amazing to be a part of this community, especially after a prayer committee was formed (comprised of students) with the purpose of making services more enjoyable and meaningful. Other committees have also been established, such as the sports committee, evening program committee, etc. I've also loved visiting the hotel lobby on a nightly basis, because other groups from all over the world are staying here. I've already hung out at a concert with a group of Australians and practiced my Spanish-speaking skills with a group from Uruguay. I think it's a fair bet to say I'll be conversationally fluent in three languages by May.
One last thing before I sign off for the night: The culture in Israel never ceases to amaze me. So many little things here are different from life in the states. For example, stray dogs and cats are found all over the place (and I've literally witnessed a cat jump up on a hotel room window, paw it open, and jump inside), and cats are viewed similar to how we view rats back home. I've encountered countless people yelling at me and shoving me out of the way, several drivers drive over barriers to get to the other side of the street, and two drug dealers offering to take the edge off. I think many people assume Israel is calm and quiet in day-to-day life, but I find life here to be even more effervescent in some aspects that it is back home.
I'd love to write more and I plan to, but I'm pretty busy at the moment. I have loved being able to speak with some of you over the phone and thanks for reaching out.
Please leave a comment below and thanks for reading!