I never thought I would say this, but I love living in Yerucham. It is such a hospitable and welcoming community. Let me catch you up on what I have been doing in Yerucham since Shabbat.
Friday night, the boys in the apartment and myself huddled around our small stove and lit our Shabbat Candles from my candles sticks that I use every time I travel over Shababt. It was a pretty cute experience if you ask me, but one that will not happen very often with all of us together. Friday night we went to our Home Base Shul, Affikim B'Negev. It is a really nice shul. It is nothing compared to the shuls that I go to in Jerusalem, but I enjoy the davening there. We were graced with the opportunity to lead services, so Judah led both Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv. After services, we all gathered outside the shul and started to go to dinner with our host families for the semester in Yerucham. I got paired with my friend Ilana and an absolutely incredible family. They have 5 kids(3 girls and 2 boys) ranging for 14 to 3 years old. They are so adorable. We went to their house for a great and fun Shabbat dinner. We were there for about four hours just eating and then playing with the kids while the parents just relaxed. We had so much fun. I can't wait to go back there hopefully this coming Wednesday.
Saturday morning we went to different shuls in the community. A unique fact about Yerucham: Yerucham has 27 different shuls. I went to a Persian shul for services which was a unique experience, but it was something I was somewhat familiar with being that I have Persian cousins. After shul, we had a session with a speaker in the park that was about a Jewish text. The teacher will be offering a session to Nativers once a week for those of us who want to learn a little. After lunch we had a nice shluf session back in my apartment. After shulffy, we gathered back at Affikim for Mincha and another session about volunteering from the potential new Mayor of Yerucham. After that we had Seduat Shlishit and Maariv to end Shabbat.
Motzei Shabbat I decided that since I wasn't going to be working until 1:30 in the afternoon that I would go and work the graveyard shift for Magen David Adom. I was really excited to work a shift for MADA because it was my first shift and because I was the first Nativer to do it this year. I worked from 11pm to 7am. I got two calls over the course of the night. The first call was around 11:30pm. It was a 74 year old man who suffered a stroke. We immediately rushed him to the Hospital in Beer Sheva which is a half hour away. The second call was around 3:45am and was a 54 year old woman who was suffering from hypothermia and a lung condition. Her case I am still not entirely sure about, but needless to say we also rushed her to the hospital in Beer Sheva. It was a busy night for Yerucham standards. It was a great first shift. I look forward to many more shifts in the upcoming days and weeks.
On Sunday afternoon I had a meeting at the religious elementary school that I am working at, Kol Yakkov. We met with the English teachers and they helped us get familiar with what will be doing. We are going to be assisting the kids in English class in any way we can without speaking Hebrew to them. Out of the 6 of us working at Kol Yakkov, I think it is going to be the hardest for me to not speak Hebrew. I figure it will all work out for the best.
Well that is what I am up to. I will be posting hopefully on a regular basis since I am in Yerucham.
Keep the comments and emails coming.
David
Monday, February 15, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Where in the World is....? David Helfand
Yes, I am alive. I know that some of you have been wondering if I am still alive, and the answer is yes. It seems like so long ago when I wrote my last blog post, but then again it was. Lots has happened over the past few weeks. I will give brief overview of the main events that have taken place over the past few weeks.
Israel Experience Week
This was the week right before Winter Break. We had three options to choose from. We could do Gadna(Israeli Army Simulation), Archeological Digging, and Volunteering and Touring in Haifa. I decided to do the volunteering option in Haifa. I was one of about 20 other people who went to Haifa for the week to do different volunteer options. They options ranged from working in a zoo, working at an old age home, a special needs school and working at the children's hospital, which was what I did. I got to work in both the Oncology Wing and the Internal Medicine Wing playing with the kids and just being assistants to the teachers in the different wings. It was an amazing experience and very different then any volunteering in hospitals that you do in the States. The independence level in Israel was incredible. No formal training is required for people to go and spend time with the kids. It is a very warm environment. The parents are very friendly and very willing to pass the kids off to you so that they can get a break. I really enjoyed working in the hospital and spending time with the kids. In the afternoons we got to tour Haifa and see the sites and take in the history of the city. I am very glad that I decided to do Haifa and I will always remember the volunteering opportunities that I did.
Winter Break
For Winter Break, I decided to go back to the States for a week and a half. I had two reasons for going home and I think I accomplished the goals very well. The first was to visit my Aunt in New York. Not only did I get to visit my Aunt, but I got to visit my cousin and new baby cousin who joined us several months ago. It was a great chance to see some of the family who I don't get to see very often. I also got to spend Shabbat with Corey and Jenny, which is always a great time. After several days in New York/New Jersey, I got on the plane to KC to spend the rest of my break at home. The one reason for me going to KC was to see my best friend, Jamie, who is at KU. So, being a master of surprises,I decided I would surprise Jamie. But I had to do it in a perfect way. Several weeks before I was going home, I asked her to send me her class schedule so I could plan accordingly for our frequent Skype Conversations. Oh course she did as I asked, not knowing I would show up at her door after she returned from class one day. So after two perfect surprises, my winter break was a complete success. It was certainly not my first choice in winter break plans, but it turned out to be a great winter break. It was relaxing and a great get-a-way from the group in Israel.
Israel Today Seminar
After a closed Shabbat in Jerusalem to end the first semester and before we move down to the south, we had a three day seminar in Jerusalem that covered various topics in current day Israeli life. We learned about Israeli culture, arts, politics, society and other topics. Some of the highlights included a visit to the Israeli Supreme Court, a Blind, Deaf and Mute performance in Yaffo, and several other museums. It was a great and relaxing few days before we began our trip down to the south to start the second semester.
Southern Tiyul
The first step in our moving to the south was a weeks tiyul in the south. However we had several set backs and delays that got in our way throughout the entire week. We were delayed in leaving Jerusalem on Thursday because of the chance of snow in Jerusalem, don't worry it didn't actually rain. Once we were on our way, our first stop was Ein Gedi, where our hikes were all canceled so we had to change plans on the spot. We ended up either climbing Masada or going to a spa at the Dead Sea. I happened to not be feeling well all Tiyul so I took it easy and was able to sleep through lots of it. That night we went to the Bedouin Tents for the night. I ended up sleeping most of it because I was in such horrible condition. For Shabbat we were at Kibbutz Ketura, which is about 45 minutes from Eilat. We relaxed over Shabbat and did some pretty relaxing activities on Sunday and people watched the Super Bowl on Sunday night/Monday Morning. Monday we had a small hike and then spent the rest of the day in Eilat where some of our activities got canceled also and were changed with others. The big hike of the year was on Tuesday, but since I still wasn't fully back to normal, I didn't get to do it which was sad, but I will try to do it sometime during the second semester. The tiyul ended on Wednesday morning as both groups departed for our new homes in the south.
Welcome to Yerucham... Population 10,000.... Check that.... 10,041
We were supposed to arrive in Yerucham on Wednesday at around 2 to begin setting up our apartments, but due to a new epidemic in Israel of the Mumps, we all had to stop in Beer Sheva and receive the MMR Vaccine before we proceeded to Yerucham. We finally got all settled in our apartments around 8ish on Wednesday night and moved into our rooms and got our rooms settled and we all crashed around 10ish because of such a long day. We spend pretty much all of Thursday unpacking and getting the apartment cleaned and going over the logistics for how we were going to do everything for the 3 months that we are living in Yerucham. 7 people in one apartment may seem like a lot and very overwhelming but it should work out very well. In my room we have three; myself, Seffi Kogen- New Jersey, and Michael Gelb-New York. In the other room are; Judah Kebel-Atlanta, Seth Lerman-Chicago, Ethan Goldsmith-Chicago, and Jesse Lender-New York. It is a great apartment and will be a great semester. We spent Friday doing final cleanings and setting up and had the repair man at the apartment fixing things for a while including a new fridge that we all had to schlep up three flights of stairs and me washing all the pieces of the fridge in the shower. It was a fun and eventful day.
Now, we are all getting ready for Shababt which should be very relaxing before we get started working on Sunday. I will be working at a religious elementary school as well as doing Magen David Adom. I am very excited for the semester and I am sure it will be a great experience.
That's all for now.
Shabbat Shalom from Yerucham,
David
Israel Experience Week
This was the week right before Winter Break. We had three options to choose from. We could do Gadna(Israeli Army Simulation), Archeological Digging, and Volunteering and Touring in Haifa. I decided to do the volunteering option in Haifa. I was one of about 20 other people who went to Haifa for the week to do different volunteer options. They options ranged from working in a zoo, working at an old age home, a special needs school and working at the children's hospital, which was what I did. I got to work in both the Oncology Wing and the Internal Medicine Wing playing with the kids and just being assistants to the teachers in the different wings. It was an amazing experience and very different then any volunteering in hospitals that you do in the States. The independence level in Israel was incredible. No formal training is required for people to go and spend time with the kids. It is a very warm environment. The parents are very friendly and very willing to pass the kids off to you so that they can get a break. I really enjoyed working in the hospital and spending time with the kids. In the afternoons we got to tour Haifa and see the sites and take in the history of the city. I am very glad that I decided to do Haifa and I will always remember the volunteering opportunities that I did.
Winter Break
For Winter Break, I decided to go back to the States for a week and a half. I had two reasons for going home and I think I accomplished the goals very well. The first was to visit my Aunt in New York. Not only did I get to visit my Aunt, but I got to visit my cousin and new baby cousin who joined us several months ago. It was a great chance to see some of the family who I don't get to see very often. I also got to spend Shabbat with Corey and Jenny, which is always a great time. After several days in New York/New Jersey, I got on the plane to KC to spend the rest of my break at home. The one reason for me going to KC was to see my best friend, Jamie, who is at KU. So, being a master of surprises,I decided I would surprise Jamie. But I had to do it in a perfect way. Several weeks before I was going home, I asked her to send me her class schedule so I could plan accordingly for our frequent Skype Conversations. Oh course she did as I asked, not knowing I would show up at her door after she returned from class one day. So after two perfect surprises, my winter break was a complete success. It was certainly not my first choice in winter break plans, but it turned out to be a great winter break. It was relaxing and a great get-a-way from the group in Israel.
Israel Today Seminar
After a closed Shabbat in Jerusalem to end the first semester and before we move down to the south, we had a three day seminar in Jerusalem that covered various topics in current day Israeli life. We learned about Israeli culture, arts, politics, society and other topics. Some of the highlights included a visit to the Israeli Supreme Court, a Blind, Deaf and Mute performance in Yaffo, and several other museums. It was a great and relaxing few days before we began our trip down to the south to start the second semester.
Southern Tiyul
The first step in our moving to the south was a weeks tiyul in the south. However we had several set backs and delays that got in our way throughout the entire week. We were delayed in leaving Jerusalem on Thursday because of the chance of snow in Jerusalem, don't worry it didn't actually rain. Once we were on our way, our first stop was Ein Gedi, where our hikes were all canceled so we had to change plans on the spot. We ended up either climbing Masada or going to a spa at the Dead Sea. I happened to not be feeling well all Tiyul so I took it easy and was able to sleep through lots of it. That night we went to the Bedouin Tents for the night. I ended up sleeping most of it because I was in such horrible condition. For Shabbat we were at Kibbutz Ketura, which is about 45 minutes from Eilat. We relaxed over Shabbat and did some pretty relaxing activities on Sunday and people watched the Super Bowl on Sunday night/Monday Morning. Monday we had a small hike and then spent the rest of the day in Eilat where some of our activities got canceled also and were changed with others. The big hike of the year was on Tuesday, but since I still wasn't fully back to normal, I didn't get to do it which was sad, but I will try to do it sometime during the second semester. The tiyul ended on Wednesday morning as both groups departed for our new homes in the south.
Welcome to Yerucham... Population 10,000.... Check that.... 10,041
We were supposed to arrive in Yerucham on Wednesday at around 2 to begin setting up our apartments, but due to a new epidemic in Israel of the Mumps, we all had to stop in Beer Sheva and receive the MMR Vaccine before we proceeded to Yerucham. We finally got all settled in our apartments around 8ish on Wednesday night and moved into our rooms and got our rooms settled and we all crashed around 10ish because of such a long day. We spend pretty much all of Thursday unpacking and getting the apartment cleaned and going over the logistics for how we were going to do everything for the 3 months that we are living in Yerucham. 7 people in one apartment may seem like a lot and very overwhelming but it should work out very well. In my room we have three; myself, Seffi Kogen- New Jersey, and Michael Gelb-New York. In the other room are; Judah Kebel-Atlanta, Seth Lerman-Chicago, Ethan Goldsmith-Chicago, and Jesse Lender-New York. It is a great apartment and will be a great semester. We spent Friday doing final cleanings and setting up and had the repair man at the apartment fixing things for a while including a new fridge that we all had to schlep up three flights of stairs and me washing all the pieces of the fridge in the shower. It was a fun and eventful day.
Now, we are all getting ready for Shababt which should be very relaxing before we get started working on Sunday. I will be working at a religious elementary school as well as doing Magen David Adom. I am very excited for the semester and I am sure it will be a great experience.
That's all for now.
Shabbat Shalom from Yerucham,
David
Thursday, January 7, 2010
USY International Presidential Speech
A Story:
Ladies and Gentleman, Family and Friends and fellow dedicated USYers, Good Evening and thank you all for joining me. (short pause)
I want to talk to you tonight about friendship, about respect and most importantly about equality. In the opening chapter of the book of Bereshit God creates man:
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם
And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them
בראשית א:כז
Like most people the first man needed companionship, so God then created Chava also בצלם אלקים. After some clothes, some simple instructions and a very unfortunate run in with a snake, Adam and Chava managed to get it together and appreciate their blessing of being made בצלם אלקים.
צלם אלקים: This a difficult concept to grasp. I’m sure that each of you has discussed it in sichot or at convention. But how often during a day do you think “Hey, I was made in the image of God so I’m awesome.” For me, I think about it every day when I put on one of my many kippot and thank God for making me who I am. Yes, of course our parents, our friends and our influences play a part in this process, but it is important that we take the concept of צלם אלקים to heart on a regular basis.
As USYers and young adults this is a difficult concept to wrap our heads around. It is difficult to imagine our potentials or the potential of the person sitting next to you. So how do we discover potential and also honor צלם אלקים? Once at a convention I saw three girls sitting in the back of the room during a ruach session. As a board member, I felt it was my responsibility to be a “doogma.” So I went over to them and sat down and began to make conversation. Since then, I have wondered if that was the right thing to do. Perhaps, I invaded their comfort zone and they were perfectly happy sitting there by themselves. Perhaps, all their friends had gone to the bathroom. So had I done the right thing? I was a little uncomfortable, and it was clear that they were thinking, “Who is this person?”
It was not easy to be uncomfortable, but that was the point, I guess. It is our collective responsibility to be dugmaot, even if that means putting ourselves in strange situations and reaching out. People who are active and social tend to have greater comfort zones. I am not asking all of you to be best friends; rather, I am asking you to put yourselves out there and create a warm, welcoming community that allows people to extend their own comfort zones. According to צלם אלקים we all have the same potential to grow; we are all fundamentally the same. This concept connects us while, at the same time, it allows us to be different and grow into our own unique selves. . It is essential to remember that we are all בצלם אלקים; WE ARE ALL EQUAL!
USY is an organization that allows you to better yourself no matter whether you are a regional president, a chapter SATO, the international president or a regular USYer. Everyone in USY has an equal ability to take action and shape the community. That is what makes us so strong. First and foremost, we are a youth movement, where everyone is equal. If you look to my left and to my right, the dais is empty. We as USYers should not elevate ourselves above one another. We need to remain equal. That is what I ask you to remember: that we are equals capable of setting ourselves apart while remaining members of an organization with collective interests.
We need to work together for the common good. We need to remember the role that each USYer can play in bettering society and bettering the Jewish community.
The end of Rabbi Spira’s story goes like this:
[grab wireless microphone and walk off the dais and go to main floor and be with everyone]
So USY, let us hold on to our heritage and our family. That is how we will survive. Hold on to our shared history, our traditions and our strength, but mostly, hold on to each other. That is how we will survive and also how we will grow. USY, Let us be united for many years to come.
My friends, my equals, thank you for giving me the privilege of being your international president. It has been an honor.
It was a dark, cold night in the Janowska Road Camp. Suddenly, a stentorian shout pierced the air: “You are all to evacuate the barracks immediately and report to the vacant lot. Anyone remaining inside will be shot on the spot!” In a panic-stricken stampede, the prisoners ran in the direction of the big open field. Exhausted, trying to catch their breath, they reached the field. In the middle were two huge pits. Suddenly, the inmates realized where they were rushing, on that cursed dark night in Janowska. Once more, the cold, healthy voice roared in the night: “Each of you who values his life and wants to cling to it must jump over one of the pits and land on the other side. Those who miss will get what they rightfully deserve.” Imitating the sound of a machine gun, the voice trailed off into the night. It was clear to the inmates that they would all end up in the pits. Even at the best of times it would have been impossible to jump over them, all the more so on that cold dark night in Janowska. The prisoners standing at the edge of the pits were skeletons and exhausted from slave labor and sleepless nights. Among the thousands of Jews on that field in Janowska was the Rabbi of Bluzhov, Rabbi Israel Spira. He was standing with a friend, a freethinker from a large Polish town whom the rabbi had met in the camp. A deep friendship had developed between the two. “Spira, all of our efforts to jump over the pits are in, Let’s sit down in the pits and wait for the bullets.” said the friend to the rabbi. “My friend,” said the rabbi, as they were walking in the direction of the pits, “man must obey the will of God. If it was decreed from heaven that pits be dug and we be commanded to jump, pits will be dug and jump we must. And if, God forbid, we fail and fall into the pits, we will reach the World of Truth a second later, after our attempt. So, my friend, we must jump.” The rabbi and his friend were nearing the edge of the pits. The rabbi glanced down at his feet, the swollen feet of a fifty-three-year-old Jew ridden with starvation and disease. He looked as his young friend, a skeleton with burning eyes. As they reached the pit, the rabbi closed his eyes and commanded in a powerful whisper, “We are jumping on three! 1…2…3…” And they jumped.
Ladies and Gentleman, Family and Friends and fellow dedicated USYers, Good Evening and thank you all for joining me. (short pause)
I want to talk to you tonight about friendship, about respect and most importantly about equality. In the opening chapter of the book of Bereshit God creates man:
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם
And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them
בראשית א:כז
Like most people the first man needed companionship, so God then created Chava also בצלם אלקים. After some clothes, some simple instructions and a very unfortunate run in with a snake, Adam and Chava managed to get it together and appreciate their blessing of being made בצלם אלקים.
צלם אלקים: This a difficult concept to grasp. I’m sure that each of you has discussed it in sichot or at convention. But how often during a day do you think “Hey, I was made in the image of God so I’m awesome.” For me, I think about it every day when I put on one of my many kippot and thank God for making me who I am. Yes, of course our parents, our friends and our influences play a part in this process, but it is important that we take the concept of צלם אלקים to heart on a regular basis.
As USYers and young adults this is a difficult concept to wrap our heads around. It is difficult to imagine our potentials or the potential of the person sitting next to you. So how do we discover potential and also honor צלם אלקים? Once at a convention I saw three girls sitting in the back of the room during a ruach session. As a board member, I felt it was my responsibility to be a “doogma.” So I went over to them and sat down and began to make conversation. Since then, I have wondered if that was the right thing to do. Perhaps, I invaded their comfort zone and they were perfectly happy sitting there by themselves. Perhaps, all their friends had gone to the bathroom. So had I done the right thing? I was a little uncomfortable, and it was clear that they were thinking, “Who is this person?”
It was not easy to be uncomfortable, but that was the point, I guess. It is our collective responsibility to be dugmaot, even if that means putting ourselves in strange situations and reaching out. People who are active and social tend to have greater comfort zones. I am not asking all of you to be best friends; rather, I am asking you to put yourselves out there and create a warm, welcoming community that allows people to extend their own comfort zones. According to צלם אלקים we all have the same potential to grow; we are all fundamentally the same. This concept connects us while, at the same time, it allows us to be different and grow into our own unique selves. . It is essential to remember that we are all בצלם אלקים; WE ARE ALL EQUAL!
USY is an organization that allows you to better yourself no matter whether you are a regional president, a chapter SATO, the international president or a regular USYer. Everyone in USY has an equal ability to take action and shape the community. That is what makes us so strong. First and foremost, we are a youth movement, where everyone is equal. If you look to my left and to my right, the dais is empty. We as USYers should not elevate ourselves above one another. We need to remain equal. That is what I ask you to remember: that we are equals capable of setting ourselves apart while remaining members of an organization with collective interests.
We need to work together for the common good. We need to remember the role that each USYer can play in bettering society and bettering the Jewish community.
The end of Rabbi Spira’s story goes like this:
When we jumped, Rabbi Spira beheld with his inner eye, the prayer shawl of his father. Time seemed to stop, as he saw the prayer shawl unfold to reveal the prayer shawl of his grandfather and then his great-grandfather. He felt himself filled with strength and a flood of joy coursed through him. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves standing on the other side of the pit. “Spira, we are here, we are here, we are alive!” the friend repeated over and over again, while warm tears streamed from his eyes. “Spira, for your sake, I am alive; indeed, there must be a God in heaven. Tell me, Rebbe, how did you do it?” “I was holding on to my ancestral merit. I was holding on to the coattails of my father, and my grandfather and my great-grandfather, of blessed memory,” said the rabbi as his eyes searched “Tell me, my friend, how did you reach the other side of the pit?” said Rabbi Spira. “I was holding on to you,” replied the rabbi’s friend.
[grab wireless microphone and walk off the dais and go to main floor and be with everyone]
So USY, let us hold on to our heritage and our family. That is how we will survive. Hold on to our shared history, our traditions and our strength, but mostly, hold on to each other. That is how we will survive and also how we will grow. USY, Let us be united for many years to come.
My friends, my equals, thank you for giving me the privilege of being your international president. It has been an honor.
Post Long Awaited...
It has been a very long time since I last posted. I apologize for my lack of posting recently, but life has been a little crazy. Allow me to explain.
I finished classes at the Yeshiva several weeks ago and had about a day to collect my thoughts and finish last minute things before I went to the United States for USY International Convention in Chicago. Judah and I left for IC on Christmas Eve at 5:30am and flew through Italy which eventually got us to Chicago around 2:30 in the afternoon the same day in Chicago. It is amazing how travel and time zones work. Leave one day and arrive in a different continent the same day. I spent Thursday through the following Thursday in Chicago for USY International Convention. It was full of lots of work, little sleep, lots of USYers and an amazing closing to an incredible USY career. I must say that it was probably one of the best functions I have ever been to and have ever had the privilege of helping with the planning of. I was joined at convention by my entire family which was very nice. They were all there specially for my speech, which will be posted on the blog soon. It was great to have everyone there. If you want to see pictures from convention, go to www.usy.org and click on International Convention. I will also post a few pictures within the blog.
I went home to KC for New Years and Shabbat so I could see my friends and just relax after probably the busiest week I have had in a long time. It was great to see my friends and be able to spend some time with them. I relaxed over Shabbat and packed my stuff up again to head back to Israel on Sunday morning. I flew from Kansas City to Chicago to Rome to Israel. It was a long and exhausting trip. I arrived safely back in Israel on Monday afternoon and resettled into my room at Beit Nativ. It turns out my bed had been rented out to many people while I was gone. I am glad that my hospitality was graciously accepted to others.
Now that I am back in Israel it is time to transition. This week has been devoted to packing up Beit Nativ and preparing for the next stage of Nativ. We have to be totally packed up and out of our rooms come Sunday. On Sunday we will start out nearly week long Israel Experience week. Israel Experience week consists of three options for us to choose from; Gadna(basic Israeli Military training),Archeological Digging, and Volunteering/Community Service in Haifa. I am choosing to go to Haifa and do community service and volunteer for the week. I have never really spent a lot of time in Haifa before, so I am very excited for that. On Thursday of next week we begin our Winter Break that lasts for about two weeks. Plans for Winter Break are still in the works and will hopefully be finalized by Motzei Shabbat.
When break is over we will be having a Israel Today seminar, which hasn't been explain in large detail, which includes sessions about Israeli Culture, politics, visiting museums, learning about the ecology of Israel and other Israel related topics. It should be a fun few days of Israel learning. After Israel Today seminar we have a souther tiyul for a week that will be full of hiking, warm weather, beaches, and even water sports. The conclusion of the souther tiyul will lead us to our new home of Yerucham and will end our time with our friends on the Kibbutz track.
Lots in store for the next few weeks. Now for some pictures from IC and Israel and everything in between.
David
I finished classes at the Yeshiva several weeks ago and had about a day to collect my thoughts and finish last minute things before I went to the United States for USY International Convention in Chicago. Judah and I left for IC on Christmas Eve at 5:30am and flew through Italy which eventually got us to Chicago around 2:30 in the afternoon the same day in Chicago. It is amazing how travel and time zones work. Leave one day and arrive in a different continent the same day. I spent Thursday through the following Thursday in Chicago for USY International Convention. It was full of lots of work, little sleep, lots of USYers and an amazing closing to an incredible USY career. I must say that it was probably one of the best functions I have ever been to and have ever had the privilege of helping with the planning of. I was joined at convention by my entire family which was very nice. They were all there specially for my speech, which will be posted on the blog soon. It was great to have everyone there. If you want to see pictures from convention, go to www.usy.org and click on International Convention. I will also post a few pictures within the blog.
I went home to KC for New Years and Shabbat so I could see my friends and just relax after probably the busiest week I have had in a long time. It was great to see my friends and be able to spend some time with them. I relaxed over Shabbat and packed my stuff up again to head back to Israel on Sunday morning. I flew from Kansas City to Chicago to Rome to Israel. It was a long and exhausting trip. I arrived safely back in Israel on Monday afternoon and resettled into my room at Beit Nativ. It turns out my bed had been rented out to many people while I was gone. I am glad that my hospitality was graciously accepted to others.
Now that I am back in Israel it is time to transition. This week has been devoted to packing up Beit Nativ and preparing for the next stage of Nativ. We have to be totally packed up and out of our rooms come Sunday. On Sunday we will start out nearly week long Israel Experience week. Israel Experience week consists of three options for us to choose from; Gadna(basic Israeli Military training),Archeological Digging, and Volunteering/Community Service in Haifa. I am choosing to go to Haifa and do community service and volunteer for the week. I have never really spent a lot of time in Haifa before, so I am very excited for that. On Thursday of next week we begin our Winter Break that lasts for about two weeks. Plans for Winter Break are still in the works and will hopefully be finalized by Motzei Shabbat.
When break is over we will be having a Israel Today seminar, which hasn't been explain in large detail, which includes sessions about Israeli Culture, politics, visiting museums, learning about the ecology of Israel and other Israel related topics. It should be a fun few days of Israel learning. After Israel Today seminar we have a souther tiyul for a week that will be full of hiking, warm weather, beaches, and even water sports. The conclusion of the souther tiyul will lead us to our new home of Yerucham and will end our time with our friends on the Kibbutz track.
Lots in store for the next few weeks. Now for some pictures from IC and Israel and everything in between.
David
Friday, December 18, 2009
Long Time No Post
I want to apologize for not posting in such a long time. I have been super busy with many different things. I promise to catch you all up on what has been going on with me in the past two and a half weeks. I am just going to talk about many different points in no particular order just to give you an idea of whats up.
Chanukah in Israel.
This is my second Chanukah in Israel and it has been just like what I had the first time around. Everyone gathering to light candles throughout Jerusalem. Whether your at the supermarket, a restaurant, a store, everyone takes a few minutes and lights the Menorah and sings songs. As Nativ we all gather in our computer room that has a side room that faces the street. We all put our Menorah on the windowsill and it faces the street and lights up the street and the room. It is quite a site to see, all of the Menorah glowing bright lights for several hours and 80 people light thing together and singing songs. The one sad thing about Chanukah in Israel is that it is very hard to find good Sufganiyot/doughnuts, and it is nearly impossible to find latkes. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed my second Chanukah in Israel and I look forward to having others here in the future.
Shabbat in Yerucham
Last Shabbat, I got on the bus with the rest of my track and we headed down south to visit our new home for next semester, Yerucham. After about a two hour drive, we made it to Yerucham. It is nothing too exciting to look at compared to Jerusalem. It is a very small city of about 10,000 people, but it is a strong city. It has a lot of immigrants from India and Morrocco within the community. We met our main contact in Yerucham that will help us with our volunteering, Yoram. We spent Shabbat at the youth hostel in Yerucham and heard from several significant leaders of the city and they told us their stories for why they are in Yerucham and what they do. On Saturday afternoon, we got a walking tour of Yerucham and the streets and where the apartments that we will be living are. Their is one main street that has a pizza place,a SuperSol(supermarket),community center, a huge playground/park, and several other things. Their are no bars or restaurants like we are used to in Jerusalem. It is going to be very different then what we are used to in Jerusalem, but I am very very excited for it. Motzei Shabbat we all went to a Chanuakah concert at the community center. It was the first performance in their brand new auditorium and we definitely made the minyan. It was a lot of Moroccan and Indian Jewish music, which we didn't understand, but we throughly enjoyed. We were back in Jerusalem on Sunday early evening in time for candle lighting and our regular evening activities.
End of the Yeshiva
This coming Tuesday I finish classes at the Yeshiva for Nativ. It is a bittersweet moment because I really enjoyed my learning at the Yeshiva and I also enjoyed everyone who I learned with at the Yeshiva. It will be different next semester having to learn on my own or with someone else and not be in the class room setting. The Yeshiva was an incredible experience for me and it helped me develop the skills necessary to learn independently and be able to comprehend what I am learning.
Other stuff
Over the past two weeks I have been doing lots of work for college applications and for USY International Convention. Both of these things have been keeping me very busy and very stressed. I leave to go back to the United States in less then a week to be relived of my duties as International President of USY. It is certainly a bittersweet emotion that I have. I am not sure what it will be like when I am finish, but at this rate I won't ever be finish because of th work yet to be done. I am sure I will post my post USY feelings in the next few weeks.
Shabbat Plans
This is one of my last Shababts to be spent in Jerusalem, so I am going to try and make it count. I am probably going to Shul both times at Shira Chadasha and then eating meals at base. I am going to just relax and enjoy Shabbat in Jerusalem. Motzei Shabbat I may be getting together for dinner with a bunch of people who I went to school from kindergarten through 12th grade with that are in Israel for the year and a few that are visiting over their winter breaks from college in the US. That should be exciting assuming it ends up happening.
That is about all that has been going on in the past few weeks. I hope all is well with everyone and that you enjoy your last day of Chanukah. May this Chanukah season brighten each of our lives and bring us nothing but happiness for the future. May your glowing candles be a light for the future. And mother, turn on the menorah above the front door and think of me as you do so.
Love,
David
Chanukah in Israel.
This is my second Chanukah in Israel and it has been just like what I had the first time around. Everyone gathering to light candles throughout Jerusalem. Whether your at the supermarket, a restaurant, a store, everyone takes a few minutes and lights the Menorah and sings songs. As Nativ we all gather in our computer room that has a side room that faces the street. We all put our Menorah on the windowsill and it faces the street and lights up the street and the room. It is quite a site to see, all of the Menorah glowing bright lights for several hours and 80 people light thing together and singing songs. The one sad thing about Chanukah in Israel is that it is very hard to find good Sufganiyot/doughnuts, and it is nearly impossible to find latkes. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed my second Chanukah in Israel and I look forward to having others here in the future.
Shabbat in Yerucham
Last Shabbat, I got on the bus with the rest of my track and we headed down south to visit our new home for next semester, Yerucham. After about a two hour drive, we made it to Yerucham. It is nothing too exciting to look at compared to Jerusalem. It is a very small city of about 10,000 people, but it is a strong city. It has a lot of immigrants from India and Morrocco within the community. We met our main contact in Yerucham that will help us with our volunteering, Yoram. We spent Shabbat at the youth hostel in Yerucham and heard from several significant leaders of the city and they told us their stories for why they are in Yerucham and what they do. On Saturday afternoon, we got a walking tour of Yerucham and the streets and where the apartments that we will be living are. Their is one main street that has a pizza place,a SuperSol(supermarket),community center, a huge playground/park, and several other things. Their are no bars or restaurants like we are used to in Jerusalem. It is going to be very different then what we are used to in Jerusalem, but I am very very excited for it. Motzei Shabbat we all went to a Chanuakah concert at the community center. It was the first performance in their brand new auditorium and we definitely made the minyan. It was a lot of Moroccan and Indian Jewish music, which we didn't understand, but we throughly enjoyed. We were back in Jerusalem on Sunday early evening in time for candle lighting and our regular evening activities.
End of the Yeshiva
This coming Tuesday I finish classes at the Yeshiva for Nativ. It is a bittersweet moment because I really enjoyed my learning at the Yeshiva and I also enjoyed everyone who I learned with at the Yeshiva. It will be different next semester having to learn on my own or with someone else and not be in the class room setting. The Yeshiva was an incredible experience for me and it helped me develop the skills necessary to learn independently and be able to comprehend what I am learning.
Other stuff
Over the past two weeks I have been doing lots of work for college applications and for USY International Convention. Both of these things have been keeping me very busy and very stressed. I leave to go back to the United States in less then a week to be relived of my duties as International President of USY. It is certainly a bittersweet emotion that I have. I am not sure what it will be like when I am finish, but at this rate I won't ever be finish because of th work yet to be done. I am sure I will post my post USY feelings in the next few weeks.
Shabbat Plans
This is one of my last Shababts to be spent in Jerusalem, so I am going to try and make it count. I am probably going to Shul both times at Shira Chadasha and then eating meals at base. I am going to just relax and enjoy Shabbat in Jerusalem. Motzei Shabbat I may be getting together for dinner with a bunch of people who I went to school from kindergarten through 12th grade with that are in Israel for the year and a few that are visiting over their winter breaks from college in the US. That should be exciting assuming it ends up happening.
That is about all that has been going on in the past few weeks. I hope all is well with everyone and that you enjoy your last day of Chanukah. May this Chanukah season brighten each of our lives and bring us nothing but happiness for the future. May your glowing candles be a light for the future. And mother, turn on the menorah above the front door and think of me as you do so.
Love,
David
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Dvar Torah for Parashat Vayeshlach
I wrote this for the USY International Listserv and I would like to share it with all of you. I hope you all have an amazing and relaxing Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom from the Holy Land!
David
Parashat Vayishlach ~ December 5th, 2009/Kislev 18, 5770
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yisachar, Zevulun, Dan, Naftalii, Gad, Asher, Yosef, and Benyamin. These are the twelve sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes of the people of Israel. But where are the women in this group? We all know that Jacob had 12 sons. But did you know that he also had a daughter?
In this week’s Parasha Vayishlach, Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, goes out to visit the daughters of the land. Shechem the Hivite takes her and sleeps with her by force. He asks his father Hamor to arrange his marriage to Dinah. Meanwhile, Jacob waits until his sons come in from the field to tell them about what just happened to Dinah. Jacobs’s sons tell Hamor that it would be improper for their sister to marry anybody who is not circumcised. Hamor agrees that all the men of his community will be circumcised, the two communities will trade with one another, and they will marry into each other's families. On the third day, as the Hivite men were recovering from their circumcision, Simeon and Levi took their swords and slew all the Hivites. Jacob criticizes his son’s actions, fearing an attack on him and his people. But the brothers respond harshly to their father by saying, “shall our sister be treated like a whore?”
The story of Dinah is violent and tragic. Who is the villain of this story? At first glance it appears to be Shechem, the son of Hamor, who took Dinah and forced her to sleep with him. He is considered to be a rapist who deserved a harsh punishment. Yet Dinah’s brothers exacted a punishment far beyond what we would consider fit for the crime when they killed the entire male Hivite population. But the story could also be read differently. It could be that Dinah went willingly to Shechem's tent and was not really forced to sleep with him against her will. In that case, would Shechem really be the villain?
Just prior to the story of Dinah, Jacob brings all of his wives and his sons to greet his brother Esav. But once again Dinah is nowhere to be found. Rashi asks “But where was Dinah? Benjamin was not yet born, but Dinah should have been accounted for. Jacob put her into a chest and locked her in, so that Esau should not set eyes on her. Therefore, Jacob was punished for withholding her from his brother, because had Esav married Dinah perhaps she would cause him to improve his ways.” Jacob made a bad judgment call when it came to visiting his brother Esav. He decided what he thought would be in the best interest of his daughter Dinah. But God did not see it that way. Dinah was a good person and meant well. She just did not know the difference between right and wrong because she was never taught.
Jacob was not an ongoing presence in his daughter Dinah’s life. Could it be that the story of Dinah is a story about parenting, particularly the parenting of a daughter? Could it be that Jacob is the villain here? That Dinah went willingly to Shechem because she had not been taught by her father the difference between right and wrong? Parenting is of particular importance in the raising of children. If a child has the constant presence of a parent in her life, as an adult she will yearn for that same love and affection in a partnered relationship, and strive to provide the same commitment to others. Jacob needed to teach Dinah the fundamentals of life, but he didn’t because he wasn’t there for her. This all goes to show us the importance of a dugmah…a role model… in the life of a child. It is important for children to learn how to make choices in their lives…to know the difference between right and wrong, and to challenge their role models when they see their role models falter.
So how do we make sense out of all of this? How does all of this fit together? And what does it mean to us?
The story of Dinah tells us that each of us is responsible for his or her own actions. No matter how often someone tells you to do something or not to do something, in the end the decision lies in your own hands. At the same time it is important to remember that what we do, or don’t do, is influenced by our role models.
Think about the presence and influence you have in the lives of your family and friends – is it positive, negative, or non-existent? In every place you go, whether at school or USY, at home or just walking on the street, you can be a positive influence for others. Even without knowing it, you have the power to change someone’s life for the good. So always do your best and what you think is best, not only for you but for the benefit of others. Never give up on the opportunity to be a good dugmah. This is the lesson that Dinah’s story teaches us in her relationship, or lack of one, with her father. Dinah’s encounter with Shechem teaches Jacob about the importance of being a dugmah. And from that we learn that we also have an obligation to be a role model to others. May this Shabbat be the beginning our quest to become the future dugmaot of Am Yisrael, the people of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom from the Holy Land!
David
Parashat Vayishlach ~ December 5th, 2009/Kislev 18, 5770
Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yisachar, Zevulun, Dan, Naftalii, Gad, Asher, Yosef, and Benyamin. These are the twelve sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes of the people of Israel. But where are the women in this group? We all know that Jacob had 12 sons. But did you know that he also had a daughter?
In this week’s Parasha Vayishlach, Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, goes out to visit the daughters of the land. Shechem the Hivite takes her and sleeps with her by force. He asks his father Hamor to arrange his marriage to Dinah. Meanwhile, Jacob waits until his sons come in from the field to tell them about what just happened to Dinah. Jacobs’s sons tell Hamor that it would be improper for their sister to marry anybody who is not circumcised. Hamor agrees that all the men of his community will be circumcised, the two communities will trade with one another, and they will marry into each other's families. On the third day, as the Hivite men were recovering from their circumcision, Simeon and Levi took their swords and slew all the Hivites. Jacob criticizes his son’s actions, fearing an attack on him and his people. But the brothers respond harshly to their father by saying, “shall our sister be treated like a whore?”
The story of Dinah is violent and tragic. Who is the villain of this story? At first glance it appears to be Shechem, the son of Hamor, who took Dinah and forced her to sleep with him. He is considered to be a rapist who deserved a harsh punishment. Yet Dinah’s brothers exacted a punishment far beyond what we would consider fit for the crime when they killed the entire male Hivite population. But the story could also be read differently. It could be that Dinah went willingly to Shechem's tent and was not really forced to sleep with him against her will. In that case, would Shechem really be the villain?
Just prior to the story of Dinah, Jacob brings all of his wives and his sons to greet his brother Esav. But once again Dinah is nowhere to be found. Rashi asks “But where was Dinah? Benjamin was not yet born, but Dinah should have been accounted for. Jacob put her into a chest and locked her in, so that Esau should not set eyes on her. Therefore, Jacob was punished for withholding her from his brother, because had Esav married Dinah perhaps she would cause him to improve his ways.” Jacob made a bad judgment call when it came to visiting his brother Esav. He decided what he thought would be in the best interest of his daughter Dinah. But God did not see it that way. Dinah was a good person and meant well. She just did not know the difference between right and wrong because she was never taught.
Jacob was not an ongoing presence in his daughter Dinah’s life. Could it be that the story of Dinah is a story about parenting, particularly the parenting of a daughter? Could it be that Jacob is the villain here? That Dinah went willingly to Shechem because she had not been taught by her father the difference between right and wrong? Parenting is of particular importance in the raising of children. If a child has the constant presence of a parent in her life, as an adult she will yearn for that same love and affection in a partnered relationship, and strive to provide the same commitment to others. Jacob needed to teach Dinah the fundamentals of life, but he didn’t because he wasn’t there for her. This all goes to show us the importance of a dugmah…a role model… in the life of a child. It is important for children to learn how to make choices in their lives…to know the difference between right and wrong, and to challenge their role models when they see their role models falter.
So how do we make sense out of all of this? How does all of this fit together? And what does it mean to us?
The story of Dinah tells us that each of us is responsible for his or her own actions. No matter how often someone tells you to do something or not to do something, in the end the decision lies in your own hands. At the same time it is important to remember that what we do, or don’t do, is influenced by our role models.
Think about the presence and influence you have in the lives of your family and friends – is it positive, negative, or non-existent? In every place you go, whether at school or USY, at home or just walking on the street, you can be a positive influence for others. Even without knowing it, you have the power to change someone’s life for the good. So always do your best and what you think is best, not only for you but for the benefit of others. Never give up on the opportunity to be a good dugmah. This is the lesson that Dinah’s story teaches us in her relationship, or lack of one, with her father. Dinah’s encounter with Shechem teaches Jacob about the importance of being a dugmah. And from that we learn that we also have an obligation to be a role model to others. May this Shabbat be the beginning our quest to become the future dugmaot of Am Yisrael, the people of Israel.
Friday, November 27, 2009
From College to Turkey and Everything in Between
I miss blogging everyday like I was when I first got to Israel, but I also realize that I don't want to blog everyday about the same thing over and over. So, this new setup I have works well enough. This week has been a great week. Classes all went well this week and we had great discussions and great learning. On Tuesday, I had a great meeting with the Director of Admissions of American Jewish University in Los Angles about college for me for next year. That night we had Erev Nativ and we previewed one of the two videos that would be shown on Thanksgiving. After that part of Erev Nativ we split up into groups and my group went and had a program that I have done many of times, including writing my own version of the program. We discussed Shirat HaSticker by Hadag Nachash. It is a song that takes different bumper stickers that you see in Israel and puts them all together to make somewhat of a controversial song about the politics in Israel.
Wednesday was a pretty regular day also with the exception of going out to a nice skewer restaurant for dinner. Wednesday night I spent a long time in the Beit Midrash of the Yeshiva working on Applications for college, which I now remember is a horrible process, but I need to just tough it out and get through it.
Thursday-Turkey Day I knew that Thanksgiving would not be a big deal in Israel because it is a strictly American festival. I also knew that Thanksgiving would be extremely different this year for me because I wasn't at Emtza Kinnus, which ironically was in Kansas City the year I wouldn't be there. It would be the first year in a long time that I would be able to get plenty of sleep, not get sick and eat pretty solid food, which is always a plus. I did just that. Thanksgiving for us on Nativ is a big deal. It is the one time of the year when Nativ all comes together for a festive meal and invites all Nativ Alumni and their respective families who are in Israel. We had lots of Nativers in the past who have made Aliyah and either live here with families, go to university, or who are in the army. It was a great site to see. We began the evening with everyone all together for a little intro ceremony in the sanctuary of the shul next door where we heard from Yossi, Nativ Director, Kol Nativ, Nativ's accapella group, and we saw a video that a few Nativers made about what we as Nativ 29 does everyday. It was a nicely made video and ceremony. After that we all headed to Beit Nativ for the meal. We were separated by track and then placed with past Nativ groups. We were in the main dining room with Nativ 1-23. Upstairs was Kibbutz and 24-28. As we walk into the dining room, there was a table with envelopes that had each of our names on it, so I grabbed mine. We all opened our envelopes and we discover letters that our families and friends had emailed to a secret account and our staff printed them out for us. For most people it was a tear fest, but I realized that I haven't had Thanksgiving dinner with my entire family in over a decade and haven't been home in 5 years for one. It was an extremely sentimental few minutes while people were reading their letters. I certainly enjoyed the letters that I received from my family. As we were all sitting down at the tables, Yitz Jacobson, the boss of the Fuschberg Center, brought out a whole turkey to carve in front of us. I went up to him and pointed to my piece, the turkey leg, and he saved it for me. I must admit two things about the dinner. 1. My father still carves the best turkey with the most precision of anyone I know and their is never any meat left on the carcass. 2. My mother still makes the best turkey I have ever eaten. With that being said, the meal wasn't horrible, it was pretty good for Beit Nativ standards. After dinner, my Nativ gathered in -3 for the big video that was put together by two Nativers that interviewed each of us asking us different questions relating to thanksgiving. It was a very well done video that was very funny at times.
After the video we had a few announcements from Yossi which included my evening plans. Thursday started an annual three week event of cultural arts events in Jerusalem. The one that caught all of our attentions was a Jazz music concert at the Davidson Center right next to the Kotel. We went and listened to some amazing Jazz music for about an hour. It was a great way to end a different yet great Thanksgiving. This morning(Friday), I woke up at 6:30am so I could skype with Emtza's Kinnus for about a half hour with a few other people from the region. It was nice to talk to the convention and advocate for Nativ. After that was done, I went back to bed and here I am now. Shabbat Plans Tonight I am going to go to shul somewhere and then I was invited out to dinner at a guy who studies at the Yeshiva every once in a while who was also a Nativ Alumni. I know his brother really well because he is a youth director in Chicago. So I am schleping a half hour to Talpiyot to go to dinner at this guy’s house which should be a nice meal. Tomorrow I will be going to shul again, but for lunch I will be going to another person from the Yeshivas who happens to be a Reb Student at AJU and a fraternity brother of my brother Corey's from WashU so that should be nice. A nice and restful Shabbat ahead of me. Shabbat Shalom
Wednesday was a pretty regular day also with the exception of going out to a nice skewer restaurant for dinner. Wednesday night I spent a long time in the Beit Midrash of the Yeshiva working on Applications for college, which I now remember is a horrible process, but I need to just tough it out and get through it.
Thursday-Turkey Day I knew that Thanksgiving would not be a big deal in Israel because it is a strictly American festival. I also knew that Thanksgiving would be extremely different this year for me because I wasn't at Emtza Kinnus, which ironically was in Kansas City the year I wouldn't be there. It would be the first year in a long time that I would be able to get plenty of sleep, not get sick and eat pretty solid food, which is always a plus. I did just that. Thanksgiving for us on Nativ is a big deal. It is the one time of the year when Nativ all comes together for a festive meal and invites all Nativ Alumni and their respective families who are in Israel. We had lots of Nativers in the past who have made Aliyah and either live here with families, go to university, or who are in the army. It was a great site to see. We began the evening with everyone all together for a little intro ceremony in the sanctuary of the shul next door where we heard from Yossi, Nativ Director, Kol Nativ, Nativ's accapella group, and we saw a video that a few Nativers made about what we as Nativ 29 does everyday. It was a nicely made video and ceremony. After that we all headed to Beit Nativ for the meal. We were separated by track and then placed with past Nativ groups. We were in the main dining room with Nativ 1-23. Upstairs was Kibbutz and 24-28. As we walk into the dining room, there was a table with envelopes that had each of our names on it, so I grabbed mine. We all opened our envelopes and we discover letters that our families and friends had emailed to a secret account and our staff printed them out for us. For most people it was a tear fest, but I realized that I haven't had Thanksgiving dinner with my entire family in over a decade and haven't been home in 5 years for one. It was an extremely sentimental few minutes while people were reading their letters. I certainly enjoyed the letters that I received from my family. As we were all sitting down at the tables, Yitz Jacobson, the boss of the Fuschberg Center, brought out a whole turkey to carve in front of us. I went up to him and pointed to my piece, the turkey leg, and he saved it for me. I must admit two things about the dinner. 1. My father still carves the best turkey with the most precision of anyone I know and their is never any meat left on the carcass. 2. My mother still makes the best turkey I have ever eaten. With that being said, the meal wasn't horrible, it was pretty good for Beit Nativ standards. After dinner, my Nativ gathered in -3 for the big video that was put together by two Nativers that interviewed each of us asking us different questions relating to thanksgiving. It was a very well done video that was very funny at times.
After the video we had a few announcements from Yossi which included my evening plans. Thursday started an annual three week event of cultural arts events in Jerusalem. The one that caught all of our attentions was a Jazz music concert at the Davidson Center right next to the Kotel. We went and listened to some amazing Jazz music for about an hour. It was a great way to end a different yet great Thanksgiving. This morning(Friday), I woke up at 6:30am so I could skype with Emtza's Kinnus for about a half hour with a few other people from the region. It was nice to talk to the convention and advocate for Nativ. After that was done, I went back to bed and here I am now. Shabbat Plans Tonight I am going to go to shul somewhere and then I was invited out to dinner at a guy who studies at the Yeshiva every once in a while who was also a Nativ Alumni. I know his brother really well because he is a youth director in Chicago. So I am schleping a half hour to Talpiyot to go to dinner at this guy’s house which should be a nice meal. Tomorrow I will be going to shul again, but for lunch I will be going to another person from the Yeshivas who happens to be a Reb Student at AJU and a fraternity brother of my brother Corey's from WashU so that should be nice. A nice and restful Shabbat ahead of me. Shabbat Shalom
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