11. Weather reminiscent of Portland, Oregon

Since Saturday, the weather in Tel Aviv has been unpredictably bizarre: It rains for two minutes and then the sun shines immediately. The cycle continues all day, and all night. It has been raining nearly non-stop for four days which, I've been told, is a very good thing given the low water levels in Israel from a persistent drought. Trees are down, as is the power in some buildings. The topic of conversation hasn't strayed far from the weather. Today brought hail. It was quite odd to see little hail pellets bounce off of the ground outside the classroom. Amazingly, I recognized the word for hail in hebrew because it is one of the ten plagues that is recited during the Passover "Seder" (opening communal meal). The forecast has let us know that Jerusalem has seen 15+ centimeters of snow fall this week. In fact, the trip that our program had planned for Jerusalem for tomorrow was postponed because of the snow. However, several kids (myself included) will be braving the elements and traveling to Jerusalem anyway. If there is any snow on the ground in Jerusalem, I want to see it. I'm also hoping to reconnect with a long, lost friend from my camp who I haven't spoken with in roughly seven years.

Now that I know the city relatively well, I've began my travels to Tel Aviv's museums and galleries. Yesterday, I went to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. It is an exciting collection with several works by Picasso, Leger, Chagall, Pisarro, Braque, Monet, Pollack and some really cool Pointillists who I'd never heard of. The impressionist gallery was appropriately impressive and the old-school realist collection was enjoyable. Fresh off of a visit to some Venetian galleries over the summer, I was surprised by the lack of New Testament imagery. I shouldn't have been surprised, I guess, but it was still interesting to see renderings of scenes from the Torah that one comes across less than New Testament art. I had a realization about the reality of Israel's being a Jewish state when I saw, in each doorframe, a "mezuzah" (a scroll placed on every doorframe in a Jewish house/building). There were some great modern-art galleries as well. I highly recommend the museum.

The day before, I went to the Diaspora Museum, which is conveniently located on the campus of Tel Aviv University. It is a wonderful museum that tracks the spread of Judaism across the world since the Jewish Diaspora commenced (I'm not sure if that's how to say it). One section of the Museum has several computers where one can look up family names and communities worldwide. My Californian cousins (Andrew and Jonathan twice) were in the database but no one else. Another excellent museum.

Today, I went to the Bauhaus Center. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but the gift shop had a very impressive book collection. While the museum didn't illuminate the complexities or ideas behind this school of architecture, I bought a book written by Walter Gropius (~founder of Bauhaus Architecture). I'm pumped to read it. It is impossible to walk down a street and not notice the architecture so I think I'm going to take a Bauhaus tour next Friday to learn more about it.

10.

Yesterday I took a good long walk from Ramat Aviv (the dorm) to Yafo. I went the length of Tel Aviv via the boardwalk on the beach in about 1.25 hours. Although it was pouring, tons of people were still walking around. I found my way to the Neve Tzedek neighborhood which, though small, is an absolute gem. On "Rehov Shabazi" (Shabazi Street), I stumbled onto a few small coffee shops, wine bars, and boutiques. I plan on returning when I have a chance. I'm starting to create a list of museums/galleries/restaurants that I need to explore: first on the list is the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Apparently it has an excellent collection that I'm pumped about. Also on the list is the Bauhaus Museum--it takes visitors through Bauhaus architecture (which makes up most of Tel Aviv). I'm really into architecture lately, so this should be cool.

This morning I booked a flight and hotel room for a four day trip to Istanbul. A ton of kids on my trip (~30) signed up for the trip so it should be amazing. I'm looking into getting myself to Morocco for my spring break, but some research is needed on that front.

9. Pictures

I'm unable to post pictures for some reason in my dorm given the weak internet connection. I'm gonna try to post on Sunday when the city wakes up from Shabbat. Also, shakshuka is a delicious dinner selection, especially in Yafo.

8.

Yesterday brought more aimless walking around the city, as well as a trip to Yafo (Jaffa) for dinner and the port area for the evening's fun. I found myself back at Shuk HaCarmel (a large outdoor market). This time, after walking between mountains of olives and cases of brightly colored vegetables, I walked with two friends (one from Brandeis and the other from Georgetown) down a street next to the market. I found this street to be much more interesting than the market street itself. This is where you could see the meat scraps, chicken feed, vegetable roots, and their surrounding degraded residences. It was the street that I'm guessing few walk down and I'm certainly glad we did. We noticed, immediately, the raw nature of the market. I was reminded of the types of regional and local markets from the medieval era (that I studied this past semester). It's quite the transition to walk from the Shuk to the "Superpharm shel-li" ("My Superpharm").

On the way to the Shuk, I saw a cool looking office building and asked the cab driver what it was. He told me that it was the Likud Headquarters (i.e. Benjamin Netanyahu's office). The Likud Party is Israel's far right, ~neoconservative party. I wrote a paper last semester that included thoughts on Netanyahu so it was cool to see that (quite inadvertently).

During the day I hung out with one of my friend's old pals who now lives in Israel and is in the army. Through my friend, I've met 4 soldiers, all of whom are roughly my age. We all understand that the Israeli Army is one of the best in the world, and also that it's dominated by 18-21 year olds. However, yesterday, for the first, I realized that the Israeli Army is really run by kids my age. It seems like a younger army than the American one. I think it really hit me when this soldier (a really cool kid who made aliyah (moved here) almost two years ago) left his gun in the corner of the room. The window was open and the sun was focused directly on the neon-green scope on top of the gun. It was perfectly framed by the corner of the room. At this point, to see a gun is a benign image. To see that one, though, was something new.

I'm off to try to find a Conservative-style synagogue for tonight. Thanks to all of those who have sent updates, it's great to hear from so many of you.

...Tu B'Shevat

I just walked down Rehov Ben Yehuda to a different cafe--this one would most likely be a hipster hangout in the Village, and might be the same here late at night. "All of my Love" by Led Zeppelin is currently playing. Are there any Israeli musicians worth playing in a cafe?

Today is Tu B'Shevat--a relatively minor Jewish holiday in celebration of the harvest. However, this year is a "Shmita" year. From what I've gathered, shmita is a law of sorts that says that every 7 years (or 12 years?), the land must be left to rejuvenate itself. Traditionally, farmers don't plant crops and one can't work the land. Because Tu B'Shevat is a harvest celebration, the holiday is celebrated a little differently I think. Notably, the Jewish National Fund--the organization known for planting trees to de-desert Israel--is not planting trees this year as it normally does for Tu B-Shevat. I just read that people are instead making contributions online for next year. Who knew? 

Even though Tel Aviv is a secular city, people have been talking about the holiday at least somewhat. At the security desk in my dorm, there was a tray of dried fruits and dried apricots filled my lunch plate for dessert. All-in-all, I've really enjoyed my Tu B'Shevat, and encourage everyone to have some fruit today. 

6. The First Rain, Hebrew Classes

I am currently sitting in a cool cafe on Rehov Ben Yehuda (Ben Yehuda Street) right in the middle of the city. It's raining, for the first time since I've been here, though there has been a big drought so it's certainly good that it's raining. About half and hour ago, the Baywatch theme song was playing, and right now I'm typing to the sounds of Mariah Carey. I guess some things are not only timeless, but also placeless. 

Ulpan (Hebrew classes) started on Sunday. So far, it's been great. I feel that even in three days I've learned a ton because it's five hours a day and the teachers really drill the class on vocab. A lot of how we've been taught is what I would imagine the Socratic Method is. The teacher ("Moreh") asks us lots of questions using vocab--the class is very interactive and one cannot avoid talking. I'm really enjoying learning Hebrew, as are most of the kids in the program. I had forgotten what homework was like for language classes--busy work and fill-in-the-blanks. I catch myself continuously saying words in French and too often use French in the market ("Shuk"), class, and taxis. It's clear that I learned a lot of French over the years. I'm slowly starting to think that picking it up again would be a good idea. 

The kids on the trip remain lots of fun and I definitely haven't been let down. My ulpan class has a great roster (worthy of Hall of Fame status as compared to classes I've had in the past). Yesterday I went to the Shuk HaCarmel (pictures to posted soon so check back). It is a great outdoor market that is exactly what you might imagine. When people think of the Middle East, this market is one of the first mental images that pops up. I bargained like a champ in an attempt to get some great red peppers, but the seller wouldn't budge. He won and I paid full price because time was running out. There was a big potluck dinner last night so I had to get back and cut up my veggies. The hummus was amazing: creamy and smooth. 

My server just brought over the toothpick jar, so that means I've gotta go. I'm going to post photos later on, so check back to see what the dorm looks like, etc. 

5. First Shabbat

Last night was spent at various places throughout Tel Aviv. The night starts late here, which serves as a reminder of the European elements of Israel (we ate at 10:15). Bowling earlier in the day took us to Halon. 

I went on a long, long walk through the city today. From my dorm, I went through a beautiful park with soccer fields, basketball courts, a rock climbing walls, and cool jungle gym (think neo- Discovery Zone), then through what appeared to be a wealthy residential neighborhood with nice shops and parks at every turn. There was a shocking number of basketball/soccer courts and parks in the neighborhoods I walked through. They looked like great places to live, while not being right in the city. In that regard, I was reminded of lovely Pawtucket. I kept my eyes on three monster apartment buildings which, I think, are excellent examples of Bauhaus architecture. For those who might know the new apartment buildings in Providence, they should've looked at Tel Aviv first for inspiration. The tall apartment buildings are bold, marked by sharp lines, and are hardly predictable (and reminded me of "Argos" from SimCity). Once I got to the apartments, I headed toward Rabin Square, where Yitzchak Rabin was murdered in 1995. Unfortunately, the area around where he was killed, is closed off for construction. I couldn't tell if it is to construct a museum of sorts or renovate the building. 

While on the walk, I found a nice "progressive" synagogue, similar to an American reform synagogue. I went back for services tonight with a friend. The sanctuary was really cool, with pieces of metal coming out from the walls and plastered words and images near the front. The service was nice, though I couldn't follow the animated sermon because of the language barrier. I am going to go back tomorrow morning with a few friends I think. After services I went to Chabad for dinner. It was my first experience with the ultra-inclusive and hospitable orthodox group to be found on universities worldwide. The rabbi was a large young man with a larger beard. His kids were everywhere and his young wife was pregnant (predictably). He broke out in song between gulps of wine and bites of bread. The 30 students went around the room introducing ourselves and also saying "what we wish for everyone else." After our wishes for each other, a hearty l'chaim was raised, enjoyed on occasion even by the Rabbi's 2 year old son. The food was nice, as was the atmosphere in the basement of one of the academic buildings. The dining room served as the prayer room, though I missed the services. Apparently, right before the service started, the Rabbi pulled a string to let down a piece of cloth ("Mechitzah") to separate the genders. Many of the kids were surprised, to say the least, at this. The whole experience was definitely worthwhile, though I'm not yet sure if I'll return. 

4.

Today was a fun day of getting acquainted with the city. We got a tour of the campus--it's pretty big and has some cool looking buildings (a big auditorium with glass as its front wall). The Hebrew placement exam was great: I am in the second lowest level with many others who have forgotten most of their knowledge of the language since 8th grade. 

I was involved in my first debate over Israeli/Palestinian matters today and the role that the US government should play as a moderator. Zionism burns strong in most of the students on the program. This is of course not surprising, but it is interesting to hear the different reasons for supporting Israel. Many seem to come right out of political speeches or university courses. There was some good Obama/Clinton/Romney/McCain talk about who is most supportive of Israel and if it really matters given the influence of the Israel lobby in the US and the historical ties between the two countries. 

It is amazing to be talking about these issues and not say "in Israel." Rather, we say "here." 

Even though Tel Aviv (and it's suburbs) is rather secular, I am still surprised that I have yet to see a single synagogue. I am also glad that I brought a warm hat (from Mr. Zonana).

3. Telephone number

From the U.S., dial 011 972525167619.

2. From Tel Aviv

After a long flight and bus ride to the dorms, I've made it. 

The topic of discussion thus far has been the condition of the dorms. My building (Brodetsky) is far from what most Americans are used to, but it's totally livable. It's got character. I have a nice roommate from Baltimore who goes to Maryland. Lots of cool kids from Berkeley, Cornell, USC, Brandeis, Miami(OH), Illinois, and Penn State. GW appears to have the most number of kids on the trip. Philadelphia is well represented for sure. We are split into two dorms with lots of other kids in the Einstein dorm. I met some good kids who live there from UMass and Michigan.

After checking into my room, I went with a bunch of kids to the mall--a ten minute walk away. The school is in a nice neighborhood in the suburbs of Tel Aviv. Nothing too fancy, pretty plain in fact with a few tall buildings but mostly 3 story apartments. We got a quick tour of the university though a more extensive one is in store tomorrow. With my new Tel Aviv Univ ID, I am officially a student here. The campus is on a big hill with large Soviet block-looking buildings. Lots of weathered white stucko with names of American donors everywhere. 

Tomorrow is official orientation that culminates with bowling on thursday. Ulpan starts on Sunday morning at 8:30 and goes until 1:30 everyday. A lot of the kids know a decent amount of hebrew though others seem eager to learn. Buying sheets today was quite the challenge though I managed to get the right size because I pieced together what "Katan" (small) and "Gadol" (large) meant with regard to bedding. 

The hebrew placement exam is tomorrow and promises to be engaging. I'm hoping to place into "Bet", level two, though it's been a while so I might be headed directly for "aleph", level one. That's all for now.