Worst pick-up line ever, and other adventures from Succot so far

I have to work backwards chronologically on this one because I am still amazed that I heard this. I just came back from "Ted and Zev's big succot wine tasting event." I was that cheap person who comes, doesn't pay, and just shmoozes without participating in the wine part. Ted is the owner of the Wii that I've talked about before, and Zev is the founder of janglo so I blame him for the potential employers I've been screwed over by. But anyway... I intended to stay for twenty minutes, but found myself sitting comfortably and enjoying myself enough to not bother getting up... except for this person across from me who's like the token creepy guy at parties that Shira always winds up talking too much to. I was trying to immerse myself in the conversation to my right, but didn't succeed enough to stop this guy from making random comments to me and asking for details about my roommate (she might not know that part until she reads this). So suddenly this guy says, "Your hebrew name is Rivka? So if I bring camels to you will you give them water?" Thankfully Yoel's choked laugh covered up me saying that I would throw the water on him. Needless to say, I wasn't very impressed. The evening continued with more references in my mind to Shira as Yoel explained that he was type 5 of the nine personality types. I am intrigued. Shortly after that I talked briefly with a possible member of the mosad who admits to changing his name often, so I won't even bother recalling it here, and he "snuck" me a sip of wine. It was good, but until I am employed I'm not about to shell out 35 shekalim for an event like that.

Now I can backtrack to shabbat. For shabbat I went with Sam and Michal to our cousins on Har Hadar. Their backyard is the memorial to the Harel brigade, and features genuine bunkers and tanks. Also at the site is a tower from which you can see most of Israel. It is pretty incredible. It's like the view Avraham could have seen when Hashem showed him every inch of the land.

Friday: It was weird. I was so confused about what day it was! This one day yom tov stuff is confusing. Alissa, Lisa, and I did a fabulous job cleaning the apartment, and then I had to leave for Har Hadar. Harriet had a terrible day locked up in Alissa's room so we could clean without her splashing in the water. We have no learned that when Harriet would be sent to Alissa's room and not cry, it was really because she was going out the window, onto the narrow ledge, and into our neighbor's bedroom. Glad we figured that one out. As I type this Harriet is curled up against me dozing. So cute. I think I am rather attached.

And now I finally get to the first day of yom tov itself. For dinner I was invited to a family I had been in touch with at one point about babysitting. I turned them down for the first family things well through with. At least I got a great meal out of it. They have six kids and the youngest three are adorable two year old triplet boys. There were nine guests total, all of whom were more or less close to my age (my standards have changed dramatically), and everyone was really friendly. Unfortunately many of the guests were tourists, but it was still great being in a comfortable social environment. For lunch I went to Ted's succah. He asked me to bring a vegetable side dish, but I am not sure why. All he provided was meat. Lots and lots of meat. It was incredible. Who needs a side dish? I met more people over the age of thirty, but had a good time. I guess every person counts somehow.

One more thing- over shabbat I read The Phantom Tollbooth. It is the most amazing book ever. If I tried to explain why, I wouldn't know where to start. If you care to have a deep philosophical discussion about it, you know where to find me.

Yad Vashem

Today I went to see the new exhibition hall at Yad Vashem. It is incredible and definitely worth checking out. It is shaped like a triangular prism and forms a bridge through the end of the museum's campus. When you enter you see a screen showing a video of life before the war... of children learning in cheder and men going to shul. Then you proceed through a criss-cross series of exhibits that go through the rise of the Nazis and deportation of Jews to ghettos and concentration camps. Throughout the entire hall you hear a combination of eerie sounds but also of survivors telling their stories on video screens in each exhibit. The combination of pictures and artifacts with firsthand accounts make each section extremely powerful. The final section has a video of children singing Hatikvah in Israel, and of Ben Gurion announcing Israel's independence. When you exit the hall, this is what you see: Could they even have imagined this?
As I stood looking across the valley and out to Mevaseret, I pulled my teudat zehut out of my bag and realized how incredible it is that I had in my hand an official document that I am a citizen in the State of Israel. Six million Jews who barely had this as a dream....

Getting of out Jerusalem for a day

It is easy to forget amidst all the ideological reasons I'm in Israel that I also live in the Mediterranean and just 45 minutes from the beach. Yesterday Lisa and I went on a little field trip. One of our objectives was to do tashlich by the water, but also we just really, really, really needed to get out of Jerusalem. The bus ride to Tel Aviv goes along some long winding roads and can be really nausiating, so it's tempting to just close my eyes and pass out for the trip. Somehow I can never do that. I've been on that trip so many times by now but always find new things to look at. And it's really exciting seeing a beautifully new paved highway or completed train track where just a year ago there was a pile of rubble and some construction workers sitting around all day eating and smoking. This country is beautiful! I can't believe how quickly even entire new neighborhoods go out. I have to see everything.


When we got to Tel Aviv we did our best to avoid looking at the people who made poor choices when buying bathing suits suited to their body types and finally found a place for tashlich. The water was nice and warm and the waves looked great. Wish I had a boogie board. After that we wandered around, and I got some amazing Italian gelato ice cream... mmm. We also saw this tree and were quite amused. We always wanted to rent a tree.
Lisa and I parted ways so she could go see our friends at Bar Ilan and I could get back to Jerusalem to meet with the family that just hired me... that's right-- I have a job!!!! More about that later. The bus ride back was just as incredible. How could I close my eyes even for a second? The sun was a huge pink ball settling over the horizon and lighting up the sky. At the same time the almost full moon was getting brighter. When I got closer to Jerusalem I saw a small car shlepping a giant pile of schach on its roof. The sign at the city entrance wished me a shana tova and chag sameach. That's right up there with the TV stations having messages on Friday afternoon that their broadcast would continue after Yom Kippur, and that we should all have a gmar chatima tova.

I went straight from the Jerusalem bus station to Arnona to visit my new employers-- Sammy, Odelia, and Liam. I got to read them bedtime stories! I'm going to love this job.

Yom Kippur in Jerusalem

Jerusalem never seemed to silent. At 5pm we could hear the siren go off, signaling the beginning of the fast and Yom Kippur. Then it seemed like two very different things were going on-- all the grown ups were going to shul, and all the kids were flooding to the parks and biking down the empty streets. There was an article on jpost.com saying that Yom Kippur has the highest incidence of accidents involving children. Go figure. This morning was pretty much the same, though there were some adults out jogging in the empty streets. To each their own. The amazing thing about Yom Kippur is the day is so intense and you're praying so much that you really can't pay attention to anyone but yourself.
I had trouble figuring out where to daven. It's hard enough finding information on the zillion of shuls in the area, and I can't exactly afford to pay for a seat. Thankfully I, as my mom put it, found myself a new surrogate grandmother. Lee is my chumash chavruta at Nishmat, and she insisted that I could join her as her guest. Lisa came along too. The minyan took place at a little building less than a five minute walk from my apartment. Lee says that it used to be the "young people" minyan. Yeah, I'm sure that was once true... a couple decades ago. Despite being a room full of old people, the davening was really nice. I couldn't tell what was more lacking-- spirit in the davening, or being surrounded by my peers. Ari Ross and David Stadler- I miss you guys. Please come to Israel and be the chazan wherever I choose to daven. And Ari Israel- bring on the fire and brimstone. I missed it terribly. Yom Kippur (and Rosh Hashana) were always special times at UMD.
I am now on vacation from Nishmat for two weeks. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself. Can't believe I am keeping only one day of yom tov for Succot! Should be exciting...

Rosh Hashanah, Shmitah, Harriet, and my still elusive ATM and credit cards

It was kind of a letdown that for my first chag in Israel I had a yom tov- Shabbat doubleheader. One day yom tovim was clearly one of the top five reasons I made aliyah. I spent Rosh Hashanah with the only people I couldn't see myself getting sick of after three days-- the Fischers. I called it my three day playdate with Raphi. While Raphi has little if any memory of his two years in College Park, he knows that he's known me for a long time and that we always have fun together.
Pesha: Becca is here!
Raphi: Now it's Rosh Hashanah!
Pesha: That's right, tonight is Rosh Hashanah.
Raphi: YOU said that when Becca comes it will be Rosh Hashanah!!!!
I like being associated with a holiday. Makes me feel special. If you ask Raphi what Modiin is like, he will tell you that it's bourgeois because it has lots of playgrounds. Besides playgrounds, it has an interesting mix of religious and non-religious, anglos and Israelis. One of the city's problems that was brought to like this year is it's severe shortage of shuls. Every inch of the city has been planned out, but they never imagined that so many religious people would want to live in a brand new city equidistant from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. What a shocker. Modiin has 6 shul buildings and 42 minyanim. The Fischers daven at a shul at a yeshiva high school. The first day's davenning was like being in a cafeteria. There were screaming kids everywhere and I couldn't hear a thing. For the second day I toughed it out and walked 20 minutes for a 6:30am (!!!!) minyan at someone's house. It was totally worth it.

With the new Jewish Year comes the mind boggling issue of Shmitah. The Torah tells us that on the seventh year the land of Israel must rest. This literally means that the land can't be worked at all, and of course that presents us with zillions of logistical issues-- mainly what we can possibly eat for a year. There are a couple main loopholes I leave you to look up on your own. I have decided to follow "Otzar Beit Din." I decided this because it supports the farmers who make some effort to observe the laws of shmitah, as opposed to heter mechirah which makes shmitah almost unnoticeable for both farmers and consumers. Today was the first time I went to the marketplace since Rosh Hashanah. I wasn't sure what the different certifications referred to, so I asked one vegetable seller if he had otzar beit din or heter mechirah. He totally flipped out. Lets just say like every other Israeli, he believes that what he does it right and no one should question it. This year will be interesting. Rav Leshem (head of my program at Nishmat) told us that we're privileged to be in Israel for this special time. I'm hoping as time goes on it will become less of a head ache!

Most people are shocked to hear that we have a pet cat, Harriet the Spy. Cats are like squirrels in Israel and become pretty repulsive creatures. However our cat, unlike the ones lurking in dumpsters outside, will not contribute to the out of control cat problem in Jerusalem... or well, that was the goal of today's vet appointment. We had noticed that Harriet was acting very mellow and sleeping a lot, and today we found out that she has a heart murmur and until that is treated she cannot be spayed. I got her a new toy for when she comes home from her day stuck at the vet. Poor Harriet. Guess she gets to keep her femininity for a few more days.

I was under the belief that my credit card would be sent to my apartment and I would have to pick up my ATM card at the bank. Having received neither, I went to the bank today and they told me to wait longer. I though extended Monday hours were so they could be more helpful to their customers.

Back from the bakery...

... with some incredible looking treats. Sticky gooey challot, fresh cakes, and amazing chocolate covered orangey-oatmealy-crunch cookies (Lisa and I sampled them already). The smell is unbelievable.

A Happy and Sweet New Year to all my friends all over the place-- especially to the ones I am missing so much right now!

Shana Tova!

I just completed my third week here as an olah chadash. I have no idea if my ATM card is ready because I don't want to disappoint myself by trying. Yesterday I finally tackled the challenge of figuring out how to use my oven. My brownies came out burnt on top and raw on the bottom (but still taste amazing) and finally on a different setting I successfully made a honey cake. Well... we'll see how successful it is when I take it out of the pan. After Nishmat yesterday I went to the marketplace which was a madhouse. The produce looked unbelievable. I wanted to sample a little of everything. Makes it that much more frustrating that next time I go there I will have to keep in mind the rules of shmitah that apply this coming year in Israel.

I am about to go get challah, which will probably be another madhouse. I can't wait.

So far this year I've been good and I've made it to selichot every night. It help that there's an old men minyan around the corner from my apartment that davens at 10pm every night (as opposed to the traditional 6am). Really it's old men and people my age who are just as lazy. Rosh Hashanah will be a breeze after selichot every night... or maybe not. Guess I am a real Israeli if I'm also overwhelmed by the thought of three days straight of long davenning.

I am spending Rosh Hashanah at the Fischers! Who else could I spend three straight days with? Pesha and I will be switching off between shul and playing with the kids. Pretty good deal if you ask me. THREE DAY PLAYDATE WITH RAPHI! Woohoo!

Feeling at home

Today I finally succeeded in locating masking tape (hurray for Office Depot in Israel!). So now the walls of my room have a bit more me in them. I've had that map of Israel since freshman year. I always hung it in my room so I could go through all the cool places I had been to, and also to remind myself of my ultimate goal of living in Israel. Now I am in my new home in Jerusalem, and the map hangs above my bed. I don't think I was sure it was really going to happen until I stepped on that plane. Pretty cool.

Another wall decoration is, of course, photocopies of the Jewbox quoteboards. One day it can be a part of the Jewbox-Israel quote wall. For now it can just make me all nostalgic for the good old days...

Angels Plumbing Services 052-472-2978

I was thrilled when I scored a used washing machine (thank you Sarah Barefoot) for 500 shekels. I was slightly less thrilled when Yaniv and his buddy (aka the movers) charged 200 shekels for delivery, but hey- they showed up more or less when they said they would. I successfully did one load, and then the machine stopped working and started leaking everywhere. I finally posted on janglo (the most useful resource for English speakers in Israel) looking for someone to figure out what was wrong. Raphael Gittelson of Angels Plumbing responded right away guessing what was wrong and offering a very generous deal for fixing it. That was un-Israeli thing #1 that he did. Today he was due to come at 6, but called to say he was running a little late. He arrived around 6:45 eager to shmooze and congratulate us on making aliyah while investigating our washing machine (and being startled several times by Harriet the Spy). He was right about the cause of the leak, but then also realized that the outlet had burned the plug and could have easily started a fire. We offered up our landlady's lamp to have its plug removed and fused onto our washing machine. It's okay- she won't miss it. He did this at no additional cost. I sat down to write him a check and it took me three tries. Yeah, I'm talented like that. First I wrote the name wrong. Then I tore it badly so it was no good. Finally I got it right and after more shmoozing and many thanks for us he went on his way... or almost did. He called from outside to make SURE that I meant to pay him extra (ie the tip) because on erev Rosh Hashanah he would feel really bad if he was taking too much money from me. That was like un-Israeli thing #5. Raphael is originally from South Africa, but that often means nothing in this country. The first mover I hired to get my stuff from Modiin came over a day late and didn't call once to update me on his schedule. I'm absolutely amazed. Raphael's magnet is on our fridge and he will be hired over Victor any day (more information about Victor to come, and his questionable relationship to our landlady). If anyone ever needs a plumber in Israel please call him. I almost wanted to invite him for shabbat.

not everyone is excited that I'll have a job soon

The Age Gap and other adventures in the Katamon social scene

Social events are scary and overwhelming. Unfortunately they are necessary. On Thursday night I went to the annual "Nefesh B'Nefesh Tel Aviv beach party." The crowd was really diverse... young people from both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, religious, secular, and of course the guys who were clearly just there for the girls and free beer. Though I must admit as someone who does not usually enjoy beer, it really was good beer. The evening was saved when Alissa showed up with a couple friends and I had a nice small group of people to talk to. After the party we went back to her friend's apartment in Tel Aviv to sit on his roof and drink tea, and then her other friend drove us back to Jerusalem. I was out until 2am!! Thanks to Hebrew school, it had been a very long time since I stayed out that late and it was nice feeling like a real person again. Still... crowds... people I don't know... scary.

Then we come to the Katamon scene. You probably have heard more about the Upper West Side, Georgetown, Cambridge... all those places in the US where Jewish singles my age wind up. Katamon isn't much different, but having all made aliyah it gives us some sort of commonality to talk about. The freaky thing is it creates a scene where, as my roommate experienced, you can run into someone who taught you in his first year of teaching and is now suddenly a contemporary. The Katamon crowd ranges in age from about 20-30. I never really thought I'd be mingling with people my sister's age, but there you have it. In Katamon it can happen. The other crazy thing about this event (which, btw, was a seudat shlishit in the courtyard by someone's apartment) was that there may have actually been more guys there than girls. The majority of young people moving to Israel, for various reasons, are girls, so this was a bit of a surprise. Made the environment a little less cut throat. I think you can all figure out what I'm talking about.

Slowly but surely I will build my group of friends here. Still makes me miss UMD that much more. The havdallah tonight was UMD Hillel style which used to make me cringe in pain, but tonight it suddenly wasn't so bad. And there was less cuddling going on. The hardest part about socializing here is you only really see people once a week. Yeah that's right-- appreciate the monotony of Hillel while you have it. Pretty soon you'll miss sitting at the exact same table with the exact same people (barring unexpected events) eating the exact same food every single day for four years. Though I'm sure you know you will miss having friends close by who you can summon from the depths of their basement apartment (or wherever) to watch a movie every other night.

So in short, this evening I took on the Katamon scene and survived. And I think I will survive future events like this.

Shira, Dan, and Stu- will you make aliyah already? Please???

Introducing Harriet the Spy

Harriet the Spy belongs to my roommate Alissa, though since Lisa and I arrived I think Harriet has become just as much our own feline friend. It is important I introduce Harriet now because she will undoubtedly become the subject of many anecdotes and observations. Her interests include biting our toes, lurking behind corners, trying to eat out of my cereal bowl, watching running water, and walking across my keyboard. In short Harriet is crazy, and the one time she wasn't crazy we thought she might be pregnant which wasn't necessarily a good alternative. In any case, Harriet and I have bonded a lot over the past couple weeks thanks to me not having a job yet (which will HOPEFULLY change soon). Harriet is a great cat and everyone should get a chance to meet her. Just wear solid shoes on your feet.

Happy things from my first two weeks

Here is a list of things that have made me happy.

1) When Alissa was sick (that part didn't make me happy, don't worry) I walked two blocks to the supermarket in flipflops to buy her ginger ale. While I was there I wondered what I could possibly make for dinner with our current limited facilities, when I realized that all the prepackaged cooked chicken is kosher here.

2) In the US kids are always told never to take candy from strangers. Here is happens all the time. This morning a mother boarded the bus with her infant and toddler. The toddler was throwing a tantrum and wouldn't sit down. A random old lady held a taffy in front of the toddler and kept it there until the toddler calmly took it from her and sat down.

3) Last night Lisa and I were already running late when we got stuck in a traffic jam... caused by a hachnasat sefer Torah in front of the Mercaz HaRav Kook yeshiva. Kids were holding lit havdallah candles. The Torah was crowned with colorful feathers and carried under a chuppah. There was a truck leading the parade with spinning colorful lights and blasting music. I think I should keep a camera with me at all times.

4) Raphi Fischer has an Israeli accent. It cracks me up, that's all.

5) Burgers Bar. 'Nuff said.

6) I waited 4 years to wave my teudat zehut in Rav Milston's face and say "I told you so." He told me that this year they accidentally gave the shana alef girls aliyah visa forms instead of student visa ones... "accidentally."

7) One of the guys who works at the Moriah bookstore in the Old City remembers me every year, and he was thrilled to hear that I made aliyah.

8) I've been to Chashmonaim (a pretty much entirely American community) 6 times in the past 4 years. By now there are kids I recognize every year as they get older. This past visit some of them were actually speaking Hebrew.

9) Did I mention that Raphi Fischer lives in Israel?

10) I wake up every morning to loud people outside my window, I dodge slimy cats (not counting Harriet the Spy, of course) on the way to the bus stop, I spend twenty minutes on a bus with even more loud people, then spend four hours learning Torah with the hills of Jerusalem in the background. And still, sometimes it isn't until late at night that I finally pinch myself and think "woah, I finally did this."

Reflections on my Aliyah

I realized that I would need a blog because there are too many anecdotes and observations I need to keep track of, but it took me a couple weeks to get the inspiration to write it all down. Here is what in theory should have been the first post. August 24, 2007

What is it like to make aliyah?

Well, I am not quite sure. I had watched the Nefesh B'Nefesh videos over and over again, mostly on my own but also with a certain very excited two-year-old, and I would get teary-eyed thinking that soon that would be me. When I landed in Israel on Tuesday there weren't any tears, but when I watched the video again today there were. I can only complete the experience by reflecting on it.

It is just like the video. The Nefesh B'Nefesh trip was incredibly exciting. For some reason they started landing the planes where the greeters can't see them, but getting off the buses was electrifying. You see crowds like this behind barricades at hotels celebrities are staying at who waited hours for moments in the presence of one individual or rock group. The crowd stays separate, apart from the other side. The Nefesh B'Nefesh arrival is the opposite.

I was lucky to be on the first bus load of olim. From across the tarmac we could see hundreds of Israeli flags and hear the music and cheers erupting from the crowds. Soldiers were lining the path handing out Israeli flags. Kids sat on their father's shoulders holding signs and clapping to the music. The second I located Sam, Michal, and Ruth and Bobby Berren (my greeters) I joined them in welcoming the rest of the olim. Truthfully this was the more exciting part of the arrival. When I got off the plane I was exhausted from the flight and still in total disbelief of the trip I had just made. It seemed like weeks had passed since I pulled my suitcases down the stairs and out to the car. When I said goodbye to my parents on Monday I could not fully understand the move I was making. But when I joined in the crowd, waved my flag, and watched the other buses pull up, I could not help but feel the pride welled up in everyone that day. The barricades were simply a logistical measure-- something physical. The moment I get off the plane I joined a celebration that began the previous afternoon at JFK Airport and at 6am when the buses of greeters left Jerusalem.

For about 24 hours we were movie stars. Our pictures fill the pages of Israeli newspapers and websites, and we are the talk of the town. People walk around talking about how they woke up at 5am to get front row standing room at the Nefesh B'Nefesh arrival. We get blessing from total strangers on the street. Lisa even got blown a kiss by someone at the supermarket wishing her good luck. The teller at the bank saw the date on my teudat oleh and said “welcome to the family.” The guy at the post office said “welcome to the club.” Of course he also said to Lisa, “Why would you leave New York? New York is the holyland... Israel... is just the land.” However even with that bit of cynicism he was excited for me and Lisa.

This week I have successfully opened a bank account exclusively in my name, signed up for health insurance that eventually I will have to pay for, and got a real cell phone plan (that I will also have to pay for). Maybe instead of asking me how it feels to make aliyah people should ask me how it feels to be a grown up. I felt very accomplished after all these errands were finished, but then I realized that I had absolutely no food in my apartment, let alone dishes to eat off of. Alas, I have left the country of Target and large grocery stores.

Making aliyah feels good. And it isn't just the air of superiority I felt when I, for the purpose of superior, walked through town amidst the swarms of shana alef kids that also arrived in Israel this week. It is knowing that a few years ago I made a decision and stuck to it. It is having one goal in mind and successfully making all the necessary arrangements to make it happen. These are feelings that anyone at my age should have at some point, and I am privileged and blessed to feel this way in Israel.

When we were returned to Zion it was like a dream. We were filled with laughter and we sang with joy.... Those who plant in tears will harvest in joy. -- Psalms 126

Where's my ATM card?

I thought I was doing everything right, covering all the bases. On my first full day in Israel, Lisa and set up our banks accounts. Well, I did at least. We were at the same bank, and both setting up the special account for an oleh chadash, but someone I came out with an account and she didn't. Two weeks later I returned to pick up my ATM card. Why did I wait two weeks? Because banks in Israel are only open until the early afternoon. Twice a week we get treated with two hours in the early afternoon. Still not much help from anyone who has anything else going on in their lives. When I asked about my ATM and credit cards the teller realized that they were never ordered. Oops. No apology or anything. I once again filled out the forms I distinctly remembered filling out before and left the bank realizing that 10 business days from now was in the middle of the chaggim, and Yom Tov does not count as a business day. Grr. The only good news was that my checks had arrived early, so I could go back to my apartment and meet my eager landlady who compared our exchange on the sidewalk to a drug deal. I admit I was thinking that, but she said that. There will be plenty of other opportunities to go into detail about the personality that is my landlady. But there you go-- making aliyah is as easy as opening a bank account. You can fill out all the right paperwork and think you know exactly what you're doing, but at every turn there will be some unexpected challenge to deal with.