On Spies, Visitors, and Harlequins

In the land of milk and honey, adventures cease to abate.  Now my Hebrew language classes - called ulpan -are in full swing five days a week, which here means Sunday to Thursday.  This shift in what constitutes the lion's share of the week is pleasantly jarring but I think I've been more productive because I'm still in the habit of being productive on Fridays prior to Shabbat.  This past Friday for example, I did some serious knowledge acquisition in the Christian quarter of the Old City with exploration in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  The nave and transept proper are quite historic given that several of the stations of the cross may be found inside.  This translates to heavy traffic in the Church, but it is emotionally captivating to take in the vicarious experience of the other patrons.

Fewer feet fall on the staircase down to the cistern below the Church; my cohort made our way through a smaller door off to the side of the main courtyard and through a few winding hallways before heading down a damp, poorly lit passage.  The ceiling slunk low with the steps laden unevenly.  We traversed through this narrow place into a cavern, walls worn smooth by centuries of waterflow.  We took advantage of the excellent natural acoustics with a few songs of Kabbalat Shabbat - the echoes and reverberations are magnificent.  I was worried other patrons might be disturbed, but everyone who happened upon our group was very supportive - one woman even sang with us!

After our impromptu song sesh, we climbed up to the roofs of the Old City for some pre-Shabbos Torah study.  The portion of the week, Shlach L'cha brings us the tale of Moses sending an emissary from each of the 12 tribes into the Land of Israel to report back on what they find. Most of them come back warning of the intimidating size of the inhabitants and their impressive fruit production.  Only the voice of the minority remains optimistic at what the future may bring in this strange new land.  It does not take much imagination stretching to recognize that this portion is relevant to me and my fellow recent arrivals in the literal sense that we are exploring Israel and being shocked at the size of the grapes in the grocery store.  In a greater sense though this story is meaningful to anyone at the onset of a new chapter, unsure of what to expect and prone to the mercy of their own doubt.

A little rooftop exploration in the Old City

Speaking of envoys coming from afar, I am so pleased to report my first visitors.  Shout out to Beth Tikvah Congregation and the group who spent a lovely day with me in Jerusalem while here on tour.  I love meeting new people always, but there is great comfort in visiting with familiar friendly faces.  I can also report my first house guest; jealous? You too are welcome to my hospitality.  Plan your visit today!

She'elot

questions

//where am I / this land of sand and cats and machine gun toting youths / so handsome and deadly
why are there no screens on my windows / pungently flowing with flies and lavender
who planted a desert flowering with an ancient novel language / double entendre headlines of athletic liturgy
when did voltaic cells and diesel smells outnumber magpie yells and pioneer bells
what am I doing on these hallowed grounds / kilometer worn sandals holding rites left wrong by dual identity streets
how can I hope to capture her majesty / caught between a cool shabbos breeze and an impending ulpanorama//

Shabbos Rishon

The first Shabbat brought with it an opportunity to see the city in a new light.  Although I had been warned, the quiet of Friday evening was pleasantly jarring.  Gone were the hectic motorists and the smooth talking shop owners, l'hitraot to the construction team hammering next door and the delivery trucks pulled up onto the sidewalk.  I welcomed kabbalat and maariv with a small group at an Orthodox minyan.  These are clearly people who have davened together regularly for years and yet still bring their own tunes and tempos to every prayer.  The congregant who had the most fun might have been the young daughter of the chazzen who darted from beyond the mechitza and consulted with every person individually about the contents of her coloring book.

I shared dinner with some of my fellow ulpan students at a potluck - the first of many, I'm sure.  There was something notable, an almost tangible quality, when we made kiddush.  I do not know if it was the joy of celebrating Shabbat for the first time here or if it was something about the company present, but no one could keep from smiling.  We dined in style of course with wonderful shakshuka, chickpeas, Israeli salad, and chocolate rugelach from Marzipan.  I felt positively about the whole experience and can't wait to do it all again.

The following day provided some much needed Shabbat m'nucha.  In the afternoon, I took a hike through the city and explored the sculptural gardens near the Museum.  The amount of greenery in this country is truly amazing given the climate and the lack of rainfall.  Our cohort came back together for Havdalah in a park near school overlooking the Old City.  As we sang together and watched the sun descend on the glimmering walls, I breathed easily and bid the First Shabbat adieu.

PS. Today's selection prepared while listening to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAGKdkf0viM

Old City, New Experiences

Excitedly, I report having arrived in Jerusalem, Israel to begin what promises to be a most fruitful year of study and exploration as well as the first chapter of my Hebrew Union College journey.  On these pages, I aim to reflect on the adventure and share as best I can with friends and family the world over.  Feel free to comment here or direct questions, suggestions, and exclamations of praise to my email.

photo cred: Dan Geigerman

When one thinks about the ancient city of Jerusalem, especially
the historic and culturally precious Old City, the first images that come to mind obviously include pyrotechnics, neon lights, booming bass lines, and a general party atmosphere.  Perhaps not, but upon my arrival in Israel's capital city following a smooth enough international flight and a marginally harrowing sherut ride from the airport, the sight of projected light displays greeted me in the Old City.  It is not my belief that the proprietors are planning a revision of the city's image, but rather that the inception of my Israel adventures coincided with the beginning of the Festival of Light in Jerusalem.  I had the chance to explore some of the routes independently and then to return the next evening with some of my new classmates to delve further.  We found that the exhibits were enjoyable, but my intrigue was magnified by their context; smoke machines in the Cardo and strobe shadows alighting upon the golden stone buildings made for an anachronistic gallery.  One of my favorite exhibits involved a live projection of dynamic sand art.  The curation of the Festival was also notable for what it wasn't - namely the fact that the routes did not disturb any of the four religious Quarters of the Old City.

I look forward to whatever new and unexpected turns may be coming in the near future.  Until then, I will be starting my Hebrew language studies tomorrow. L'hitraot!