strange words

I was in ulpan class the first time I heard the Hebrew word for traffic jam. P'kak. I couldn't stop laughing. I got a few strange looks from classmates but I couldn't stop giggling. The word sounds like the sound an animal would make when stepped on, not a traffic jam! Now, over a year later I still find it funny to say P'kak. Instead I just use the plural form, P'kakim, this way I don't burst out laughing. The other weird word is ritch ratch (zipper) Ritch ratch coupled with the way Israelis pronounce their R's, makes the word sound like someone's growling at you.
Once when I was trying to get some information from my bank, I was told to call the other sniff. Call the other what?? I asked. The other sniff she said. I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me so I thanked her and hung up the phone. "The woman on the phone said I need to call the other sniff," I said to my husband. "What is that??" My husband couldn't stop laughing. Sniff is the Hebrew word for branch. Gee...they couldn't pick another word? it had to be sniff? how weird!!
The word knock, as in someone is knocking on the door, sounds like a dirty word. Knock in Hebrew is Dafak. Hearing the phrase Mishehu dafak al ha delet (Someone's knocking on the door) always makes me grin.
The other thing that makes me laugh is seeing English words spelled in Hebrew. It just LOOKS funny. Sometimes I look at a word and I have to say it a few times in my head before I realize that it's an English word written in Hebrew=)

Co-existence

Even though Jews and Arabs coexist in Israel, I'm always wary of the Arabs and for a pretty good reason too. They want me dead. As much as I'm wary of the Arabs and get a bit nervous when we get on a bus together, I have mixed feelings about them. Many of the Arab women dress nicely, look like nice people and look as if they are leading decent lives, so I never really know what to think or feel. The other day I had a bit of trouble getting onto the step of the bus since it was pretty high. I felt someone at my elbow giving me a push. I turned my head to see that the Arab woman who was sitting at the bus stop with me was the one helping me. I smiled at her and thanked her. She smiled back. I wasn't sure how I felt. On the one hand I felt guilty that when the Arab woman sat down at the bus stop with me I felt nervous. I watched her behavior for awhile to see if there was anything suspicious about her. She looked clean, nice and had a nice purse. That made me feel a bit better, but I was still nervous. Don't fool yourself I thought. A bomber can be anyone and look very normal. Often I can't tell the difference between an Arab man and an Israeli man since they don't have any distinctive dress as the women do.

There are people who will not drive with an Arab taxi driver. Jewish cab drivers advise against driving with an Arab because then the Jews are supporting the Arabs. I got a whole lecture once from a Jewish cab driver when I was unknowingly going to take a cab driven by an Arab. The Jewish cab driver waved me over to him. I went to him instead of waiting for the other driver to make a U-turn so he could go in my direction. I don't consciously avoid driving with an Arab. If I get an Arab cab driver I don't really mind much. Cab drivers here, especially the older, Jewish cab drivers love talking to their passengers. Only in Israel will the cabbie ask a young, married woman "So, where are the children? What are you waiting for?" If I am with an Arab driver I am careful with what I say especially when it comes to politics, because even though they live and work in Israel and live in accordance with the law, who knows what really runs through their minds? On one occasion even though I didn't see an ID with the driver's name as I usually do, I was sure I was driving with an Israeli until he got on the phone and started talking in Arabic. I cringed inwardly. Before he got on the phone we had been conversing in Hebrew. When he got off the phone he explained to me that his Arabic wasn't as good as it used to be. When he was in the IDF he needed to know Arabic fluently because of the unit he was in.

I actually like Arabic music and will sometimes play it on the radio. Last night we were driving with friends to a get together. Surfing through radio channels, our friend who was driving settled on an Arabic station and turned it up. It was pretty funny. We all said a few Arabic phrases and as we pulled up to the check point we figured it was a good idea to turn the music down to avoid any issues this may cause with the soldier on duty. "Ahalan" said our friend to the soldier."Ahalan"is an Arabic phrase which means hello. Jews and Arabs use this phrase a lot, it isn't exclusively Arabic. The soldier was a bit confused. There we were a few religious Jews who had just had Arabic music playing on the radio...yeah. We were let through no problems.

There are some really nice Arabs. My husband works in a kitchen that is run by Arabs. He says they have a great time together laughing and joking around. It would be wonderful if Jews and Arabs could get along the way my husband and his co-workers do, but unfortunately that's not the case and even more unfortunate, I don't think I will ever be fully at ease living together with Arabs.

The blessing of rain

I always knew that rain was a blessing, but I never realized how much of a blessing rain really was until I moved to Israel. It doesn't rain in Israel from around April until late October for two significant reasons 1) 2/3rds of Israel is desert and 2) Israel is located in the Middle East. The first real rain since April was a week before Rosh Hashana. A few days before that, I was waiting for the bus home and I felt a drop on my shoulder. I looked up at the night sky excitedly thinking it was going to rain but it was nothing more than a few drops. The day of the first real rain we were in the park with Doggie and it started to rain. The rain was slow at first and then it came pouring down. Everyone including Doggie ran for cover. It was pretty memorable and funny. I was laughing and running at the same time. Doggie was doing circles trying to figure out where to go. We huddled for cover under the children's slides with another man and his grandchild. Everyone was so ecstatic it was raining that we were all smiling from ear to ear not minding that we were dripping with water or that I was standing under something that had holes in it, which defeated the purpose of a cover, but who cared?! It was raining! The next day when I was talking to my mother I excitedly said to her "Guess what happened yesterday? It rained!!!" "Oh," my mother said. "That's right I forgot it doesn't rain in Israel for months. I'm so used to rain in Miami."

I have always been careful about conserving water while living in the States, but that was more out of a concern for our water bill then a concern of not having enough water. Not having a drop of rain for months made me put things into perspective, especially with Israel's one major water resource being dangerously low. Jerusalem has it's own water resource, but that is also at the red line. The Dead Sea is also evaporating. I think about how scarce water is every time I turn on the shower. The water smells pretty bad. Thankfully it gets better after a little while and then I get in=) When we shower we take ship showers and turn the water on and off as needed. We do that also to conserve hot water since hot water isn't readily available. Here we have the dood. Dood is Hebrew for (hot water) heater. It takes 15-20 minutes until there's hot water available for a shower. When we were in the States last month I took my time in the shower. It was awesome to have hot water at the ready and to have water that didn't smell. The toilets in Israel are also made to conserve water. There is a handle for a partial flush and a full flush. This is a great idea that should definitely be implemented in the U.S. There's also less water in the toilet bowls here, something my husband pointed out to me while we were in the States when a toilet overflowed easily. Recently we had a friend stay with us for a few days. When he went to use the bathroom I noticed he would let the sink run until he was finished. I asked him not to let the sink run because we really didn't have the water to waste. He said he didn't even think about that. It made me think how different and wasteful American culture is and how much my thinking has changed.

Now that the climate is ripe for rain, we say the blessing for rain in the daily prayers. When I was in school I just mumbled through the blessing since rain in Miami was like clockwork, especially in the summer. Now I realize how important the blessing for rain is. Every time it rains my first thought is thank God. We depend on the winter rains to sustain us for the rest of the year. It isn't just Israel that our resources sustain. Israel has to share their meager resources with the Jordanians and the Palestinians. In situations like the one we are in now I wish the Jordanians and Palestinians could get their own water source and stop using ours, but that's not realistic...just wishful thinking! Last winter it really didn't rain much, although it did snow twice which helped. As we head in to this winter my one thought is "Let it rain baby. Let it rain!"

Yom Kippur Israeli style

As I sit here with a splitting headache thanks to the Yom Kippur fast, I thought I'd reflect on the day gone by. Yom Kippur in Israel is something special. As I quickly learned when I moved here almost 2 years ago, Israel is a state for Jews but it is not quite a Jewish (observant) state. Many Israelis don't observe Shabbat. With Sunday being a work day who can blame them? Among other things there are also many non-kosher restaurants in Jerusalem and the rest of the country.

There are many differences in the people here, but on Yom Kippur it seems there are no differences. For one day everything is shut down and everyone comes together to observe Yom Kippur. It's against the law for anyone but emergency and police vehicles to be on the road. (of course there is always that one guy that just HAS to be driving loudly down the road). There are no flights in or out of the airport and even the radio stops broadcasting. Soldiers are required to keep the radios on so they have instructions in case of an emergency. Many families use the empty roads to their advantage. It's the one day of the year where the roads are filled with kids riding their bikes and scooters up and down the usually very busy streets. As I walked Doggie Yom Kippur evening, I tried to get him to walk on the road because we can't usually do that, but he wasn't interested since there was nothing except car tires to pee on so I alternated between the road and the sidewalk. It was so quiet. All that could be heard were the trees rustling in the cold breeze. It was great. Yom Kippur here is so different and felt so much more than in the U.S. since here it's observed by nearly everyone. It's a nice change.

Jerusalem is mentioned countless times in the Yom Kippur prayers. In the last line of the Yom Kippur prayer it says "Next Year in Jerusalem." It felt kind of weird saying that line since I live in Jerusalem, but the difference is that Jerusalemites say next year we should be in a Jerusalem that's rebuilt with the temple. A few times I thought to myself how cool it was that I live in such a holy city. That's not something I think about everyday. But on holidays and shabbat Jerusalem is the place to be.

As special as Jerusalem is and as peaceful as Yom Kippur was, I was reminded of the danger that is always lurking for us here as I saw two out of uniform soldiers carrying their machine guns on their backs as we all made our way home. Some soldiers always have to have their guns with them. In shul I did notice one man who had a hand gun on him. I thought that was a bit much but you just never know.

Once a soldier always a soldier

Last week Israel received the bodies of IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Even though it was assumed they were dead, seeing them returned in coffins was a blow to the country. The night of the prisoner swap, one of the computer programmers/technicians where I work was getting ready to leave for the night. He had changed into army fatigues. Seeing him in uniform and with his gun threw me a little. I thought "Oh, he's going to miluim (reserve duty). No one ever really leaves the army here." Suddenly he became more than just the guy we all ran to when we had an issue with our computer. He was a soldier. I asked him where he was going to do his reserve duty. When he said he was in a combat unit in some Arab village somewhere, I thought "Oh boy." He's 25 and has a baby at home. Immediately the dead soldiers ran through my mind, but I quickly chased that thought away. We smiled at each other, I wished him luck and that was that.

On the way home I thought about how tough it must be to have to do reserve duty and make that switch from civilian to soldier. To me it seems very difficult, but for many here, that's just the way life is. Some people doing reserve duty are away from their families for days, weeks or even a month. I'm so happy the army didn't want my husband. I don't think I could handle him going on duty and spending nights away from me and not knowing what was going on with him or his unit. Thankfully, our wonderful computer programmer/technician whom we had trouble doing without came back from miluim just fine=)

The link below is from the funeral of Ehud Goldwasser R.I.P.

http://www.infolive.tv/en/infolive.tv-25856-israelnews-bidding-farewell-udi-after-two-years-udi-home

Jerusalem's Jewel

When I think of Jerusalem's open market, Shuk Mahane Yehudah, it always brings a smile to my face; it also always makes the eyes roll. Going to the shuk is an awesome, yet hectic and tiring experience, especially on Fridays when it is jam packed with all types of people. I went to the shuk this Friday to get what I think are the best stuffed grape leaves around. Before walking through the gate and becoming part of the moving mass of humanity, I took a deep breath and said "I'm goin in!" With that many people to contend with, it's almost like going into a battle. In fact, it IS a battle to stay on my feet! I used to only go to the shuk with my husband and I'd stick to him like glue so I wouldn't fall, but as time passed I got more aggressive/confident. As my husband says "You have to be Israeli and push back!" Now if I get pushed, I either push back or just keep on going, but the point is that I can handle going on my own.

Going to the shuk is always an experience for all 5 senses. Blind people often frequent the shuk which I find immensely brave. Tourists with cameras are also very often at the shuk. But there is so much more to the shuk than just what the eye can see. Vendors yell out prices and heckle with buyers. Sometimes it gets so loud that I feel like yelling "Shut up already! I heard you the first ten times!" However all that yelling is also what makes the shuk so great. Vendors aren't the cleanest either. Many smoke around the food and their hands are black with dirt and grit, but that's also part of the beauty of the shuk. It may be beautiful but you can be sure I wash all the produce VERY WELL before we eat it! Some vendors have been in the shuk for years and if you are a repeat customer they remember you, offer a handshake, a kind word, or on a Friday, a hearty Shabbat Shalom.

Finally I get to the stand where the grape leaves are sold. I wait till I can make my way to the tongs and containers. I taste a grape leaf before I fill a container and they are absolute heaven. Vendors yell and people push, but my week just got a whole lot better. Being able to taste food without having to ask, whether you buy the food or not, is also what makes the shuk so awesome. After getting my grape leaves I went searching for nuts and a newspaper. I groaned as soon as I walked into the alleyway where I thought I remembered the nut man being. It was PACKED with people. I felt like a sardine packed in there with so many people. I slowly made my way out of there with my grape leaves and peaches intact.

The fragrances of the produce and baked goods always makes my nose happy and my mouth water. The horrid smell of fish and meat always make me hold my breath as I quickly walk past those sections if I have to go there. My husband always laughs at me when we walk through the fish and meat section together because I always hold my breath. Walking through the open shuk is also very entertaining. People play musical instruments or just make their own music by singing and dancing. The people who make their own music are usually overly happy hippies who could usually use a shower.

There are many beautiful things about Jerusalem. Being able to go to the shuk every week, (or every day) and buy fresh, delicious fruits, vegetables and meats at GREAT prices compared to American prices, is just one of the things that makes the shuk so popular. The memorable experience gained, especially on a Friday, makes the shuk one of the best things about Jerusalem.

Terrorism and shooting yourself in the proverbial foot

The terror attack on July 2nd in downtown Jerusalem shook me to the core; just as I was getting comfortable living in Jerusalem. That morning I told my mother-in-law in Australia that I was just getting used to life here, which was why I didn't think it was smart to just pick up and move to Australia, especially without having ever been there first. After hanging up with her, I turned the radio on while doing some last minute things around the house before getting ready for work. When the news came on in Hebrew, I heard that there was some major traffic in the heart of town which is exactly where I needed to go to catch my second bus to work. I listened a bit closer because I wasn't sure if the announcer said traffic or accident since both words in Hebrew are very similar to each other. I figured I'd just leave for work a bit earlier. I called my husband just to touch base which we usually do before I leave for work. I heard my husband ask someone next to him what exactly was going on downtown and calmly asked the person if it was terrorism. My heart froze. "How can he say that so calmly?" I thought to myself. Terrorism isn't normal! but the sad reality here is that it is normal, especially for people like my husband who lived through the second intifada, seeing things no one should ever have to see, so I guess he's somewhat hardened to these sort of things.

Before calling my husband I called my co-worker to give her a heads up on the traffic situation since we catch the same buses. She left right after I called her. After talking with my husband I listened to the radio again. When I heard the word terrorist in Hebrew I had to remind myself to breathe, especially after hearing bus 13, the bus I take everyday, was involved. I called my husband again to find out exactly what was going on. My co-worker who I had called earlier was now walking through the carnage in downtown Jerusalem. I felt terrible. She kept insisting she was fine but that what she was seeing, crushed cars etc. was really bad. Finally we all got to work. Needless to say our morning meeting was very subdued. I had a very hard time working in the first part of the day, wishing the Americans I was calling and selling to a happy 4th. My stomach was in knots and I felt like the whole world just turned upside down, mostly because bus 13, which was knocked over, was the bus I take down Jaffa Road every day, twice day, and just the day before I had been on a bus at that time down that road on the way to meet friends at the Central Bus Station for lunch. As hard as it was, work we did and at the end of the night we had an office party for July 4th since a majority of us working in that office are Americans.

What struck me as amazing is that the city and its people went back to normal so quickly. On the way home in a cab I saw that buses were full, people were out etc. When I walked our dog Doggie that night, I stopped by the 24-hour market to pick up some milk for coffee the following morning. The people around me were having normal conversations like nothing happened. Me? I'm walking around still in shock and nervous as hell. I felt like shouting "How can you be having normal conversations after what happened today?" The calm and comfort I felt was just completely shattered. I realized again that terrorism is part of life here. It happens, you clean up and move on.

My fear and sadness turned to anger when I learned that Wednesday's attacker was an Arab-Israeli living in east Jerusalem and that he was the holder of a blue Israeli ID card.
A blue ID card means that he was an Israeli resident who had full rights, freedom of movement and insurance like every other Israeli. He was also working on the construction site for Jerusalem's Light Rail, which is why he was driving the tractor. Why Israel gives Arabs blue ID cards is beyond me. I don't care if they agree to live under Israeli rules etc. and yes it's conflicting when I see Arab women walking around Jerusalem dressed nicely with their kids etc. Some of them are actually very nice but you just never know. I notice that Arabs like climbing trees or jumping between trees while tied to a rope. I see this all the time in the park when I'm walking Doggie, often it's for a child's birthday party. The first thought on my mind is usually that I hope they break a bone. But when I take a closer look, I see they look like they just genuinely want to have a good time etc. who knows? The bottom line is that this construction worker/attacker was an Arab and I wouldn't trust an Arab as far as I could throw them. I think they all want Jews dead.

Four months ago the terrorist who killed eight yeshiva students was also the holder of a blue ID card. Palestinians have a green ID card. Reading the paper this weekend only infuriated me more. Israel is basically shooting themselves in the foot. There was an article on the issue of ID cards. There's a preliminary bill in the Knesset that would prohibit Arabs connected with terrorism from having a blue ID card. Great, so take it away from a select few and not the rest?! Evidently, the guy who carried out Wednesday's attack acted alone. If this bill goes into law then people like him will continue to work and live with complete freedom and attacks will continue. I don't understand this government. No Arab should be given free reign! I don't care how delicate the issue is or for how long Arabs have lived here. The proof is in the pudding. Another article was about whether or not the government could demolish the terrorist's home. The attacker's aunt was singing his praises afterward in their home and the Israeli's saw it! If that's not reason enough to knock that house down I don't know what is, but they won't do it because of Arabs rights and what humanitarian groups etc. would say. So basically the Israeli government is saying our hands are tied. Sorry. Say sorry to the three people who were crushed to death and to the 5-month old baby whose mother threw her out of the car window realizing that if she wasn't going to make it, at least her baby would. The baby's mother was killed after the attacker was apprehended by a security officer, but not shot. The attacker still had his foot on the gas pedal and he crushed the 33- year old mother to death. What the officer was waiting for is beyond me. From what I've read, the officer was worried about activists reaction etc. Thank god for the off-duty soldier who grabbed the security guard's gun and shot the son of a bitch a few times in the head to make sure he was good and dead. Ironically, it turns out that this off-duty soldier was the cousin of the baby's mother and the brother-in-law of the other off-duty soldier who shot and killed the yeshiva attacker in March. I have a feeling that even though the issue of ID cards is being raised now it will die down soon and nothing will be done. Again, Israel is shooting themselves in the foot. What's worse is that there hasn't been security on buses in months. Why? Because there hasn't been an attack on a bus in years. God forbid a bus gets blown up, what's the government going to say? Oops? Furthermore, Israel agreed to a prisoner swap for 2 soldiers kidnapped during the Lebanon War. Even though it's highly likely the soldiers are dead, Israel is agreeing to release a terrorist mastermind and a number of Palestinians. I don't understand that. I always used to hear people in the US say "Oh the Israelis suffer so much etc" True, but now that I live here and I'm seeing things up close and personal I think that a majority of Israel's suffering is their own doing. They just don't have the guts that they used to; this government definitely doesn't anyway.

From darkness to light

Memorial day and Independence day in Israel are celebrated within mere hours of each other. This is something I find very appropriate, but also very strange. For the week leading up to Independence day, Jerusalem gets ready to pull out all the stops: flags of many sizes hang EVERYWHERE and preparations for concerts and parades are made. Then, all of a sudden, the day before Independence day, all the celebratory preparations stop and the festive mood drops. It's memorial day for fallen IDF soldiers and terror victims. I feel that here in Israel, Memorial Day is felt and acknowledged so much more than in the U.S. Solemn music is played on the radio all day and a country wide siren is sounded.
This year, my husband and myself were getting ready to take the dog out for a walk when the siren was sounded. I sat on the edge of our bed to listen. "Stand", said my husband. I realized he was right. The fallen soldiers deserve proper respect. We just stood there listening to the siren, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Rarely does someone not have a relative or friend who was killed in the line of duty or in a terror attack. This was sorely evident when I was in ulpan (Hebrew language )classes last year. It seemed like all the teachers were going to ceremonies on Mount Hertzel to visit graves of relatives and siblings killed in the IDF, many who died before the age of 21. One teacher showed a video of her son who was killed in 2002. We saw some of his wedding day, heard from his friends and from his young, widowed bride. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when the video was done. The most eerie part of all this was when we heard that his wife had given birth to a baby boy 5 years to the day on which her husband was killed.
At work this year, the CEO of the company lit a memorial candle which I thought very appropriate. Memorial Day here actually means something to people. It isn't just a paid day off and a BBQ like it is in the states for many people. I wonder how many people in the U.S. remember what memorial day is all about. They should take a lesson from Israel.
As soon as sunset hits, the mourning ends and the celebrations begin. I know the reason for celebrations beginning the night Memorial Day ends, is because according to the Jewish calendar, the day begins when the sun sets, but I still find it very weird that the country goes from being very solemn, to holding huge celebrations so quickly. On the other hand, it does show that while Israel has lost so many, so young, the country has and will continue to persevere!
Here is a link to the siren on a Memorial Day 2007 ceremony put on by school children who have lost far too many loved ones in the IDF.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsw_2KraEog

Disabled friendly buses?

There are two main buses in Jerusalem: The older red and white buses and the newer, roomier and apparently disabled friendly green buses. I try not to get on the red and white buses for several reasons. Because of the high entrance step, the bus is difficult to get on to. Once I am on the bus, the driver takes off at break neck speed before I have even paid him, then I have to find and sit in a seat, no easy feat on the older buses. The seats are grouped into 4, with each one facing the other. There's minimum leg room between you and the person across from you, so if you have bags or other stuff there's really no place to put it, so there's constant shifting and apologizing to the other passengers. The other reason I try not to get on the older buses is that each set of seats is on a platform so I have to step onto that and sit while the driver is racing through the streets. The 3rd reason I don't take the older buses is psychological. During the second intifada they were the buses that were blown up almost daily.

Now onto the newer and supposedly disabled friendly green buses. The buses are kneeling buses so they are much easier to get on to. There are more poles and handles to hold on to. Also, more space inside the bus lessens the claustrophobia. Naturally the seats behind the driver on the right and left side are reserved for the elderly and disabled. If they are reserved for people with limited mobility and balance problems I'd love to know why it's only those seats that have nearly 2 and a half foot high platforms?! If the driver wasn't driving like he was in the Daytona 500 the second I got on the bus, the platform wouldn't be such an issue but rarely have I gotten on a bus where the driver doesn't start driving the second I'm in the door. The funniest thing is that while the driver sees that I have a disability and I'm trying to balance myself and pay him at the same time, he says to me sit, sit. Riiiiight. I swing from pole to pole like a monkey until I make it to the seat. I heave myself and my stuff onto the "disabled friendly" seat and apologize if anyone is sitting next to me since at that point I have unintentionally hit them with my bag, jacket or whatever else I am carrying. Or I just ask the person next to me to hold my stuff until I get myself settled. The stop before my destination is always a challenge. There's no bell on the left side seats where I usually sit. The only bell on my side is behind me and high up. Great. So I either have to stretch and reach really high while seated or hope someone is also getting off at the same stop. I always forget how to say can you press the bell for me in Hebrew so I either don't ask, or recently I've just been asking in half sentences, like is it possible to ring? It sounds better in Hebrew. Anyway, time to get off the bus. Sometimes I forget that the step down from the platform is a big one, so the send off I get is usually hitting my derrier on the seat handle as I swing down from the platform and man does it hurt! I end up limping off the bus. Disabled friendly buses my ass...literally

Shower of reality

This morning began like any other day. When my husband left for work I got into the shower. Halfway through my shower I hear what sounded like a loud siren. I listened more closely and realized it was an air raid siren. My heart stopped. What do I do? REALLY bad timing!! I think I know where the bomb shelter is. Grab the dog, the passports and run! I managed the fastest towel wrap ever and ran as carefully as I could to call my husband. With the siren still blaring in the background I yelled "What is that?!" Nonchalantly he says "Oh yeah, the military's doing a drill, don't worry about it." I'm standing there dripping and shaking and he's telling me not to worry about it? He couldn't tell me there was going to be a drill this morning because....? As I finished my shower, the reality of living in Israel reared its ugly head. I thought about the people of Sderot and Ashkelon. They deal with air raid sirens everyday. For them it's not just a drill. it's their reality.

Tongue Tied

Even though I have a very good understanding of Hebrew and my spoken Hebrew is getting better everyday, talking on the phone with Israelis can be a bit of a challenge. For one thing, many Israelis talk like they are racing the Grand Prix so by the time I hear and understand what was said, the person on the other end is already getting impatient. Israelis aren't renowned for having much patience, so if I'm struggling with my Hebrew that day, having a phone conversation can be pretty painful. One of the many times this happened, I was making an appointment to fix a badly chipped tooth. I told the receptionist in Hebrew what the appointment was for and all of a sudden she started yelling at me. I wasn't in the greatest mood to start with because my chipped tooth made me look like someone named Lakisha, so her yelling really upset me. I threw the phone to my husband who was half asleep and I left the room in tears. My husband later explained to me that I had slightly mispronounced the word tooth in Hebrew, making what I said the wrong word which is why the receptionist got upset.
My first time on the phone with the bank was an absolute disaster. I forgot how to say anything in Hebrew so I was stumbling all over myself while my husband watched me from the kitchen trying not to burst into laughter. When I asked him why he didn't help me he said the only way I'd learn to speak Hebrew was to try on my own, even if I made mistakes.
Other times when I'm doing well with my spoken Hebrew and I have to give the person on the other end my ID number and other contact info I always hope that I'm not giving them the wrong numbers since I'm rattling them off one after the other. As I say the numbers in Hebrew, my head translates what I'm saying into English which also makes me say the numbers in Hebrew a bit slower. Also, since Israel has socialized health care nothing is hardly ever one simple phone call, so I find myself having to repeat the same thing several times to different doctors offices. There are pros and cons to making several of the same calls. Pros: I can better my Hebrew and if the person on the other end actually has some patience, they correct me if I make a mistake. Con: I get nervous all over again because there are a million ways to screw up something so simple=0)

Terror attacks

I had just taken a banana cake out of the oven when I heard of tonight's attack in a yeshiva in Jerusalem. My heart stopped. The happy pre-shabbos feeling and yummy smell of cake faded from my mind as I rushed to find out what happened. After reading the news I felt sick to my stomach. This is the first terror attack Jerusalem has seen in years. Now that I live in Jerusalem, news of attacks anywhere in Israel hit closer to home. My husband and myself both take buses. It can't be avoided really. Every time I leave the house the thought of will everything be ok crosses my mind, but I quickly push it out of my head because you can't think like that, but I can't help it.
Questions of a 3rd intifadah starting are in the news. The terrorist that killed those 8 innocent students and wounded many others was the holder of a blue Israeli ID card, and he was also a driver for the yeshiva. A brutal attack is what Israeli's get from this murderer who was living under Israeli rule?! Enough is enough. From this attack it's seen that no Palestinian can be trusted. I never understood why Palestinian/Arabs were allowed a blue ID card. Do the Israeli's really think that if any one of them could kill an innocent civilian, they wouldn't jump at the chance?! Tonight's attack proved that. I think Israel needs to worry about their citizens first and foremost and forget about being humanitarian to the Palestinians and forget about the world's opinion. Time and time again Israel has given the Palestinians chance after chance, including providing them with water, electricity, health care, guns, training, education and even money. I think the only solution to this vicious circle is for Israel to bomb the hell out of Gaza once and for all. If Israel is really concerned about Palestinian civilian casualties, the army should give civilians notice that they have a certain amount of time to get out of Gaza and then they should let loose. Sure, maybe they'll cry that they have no place to go but that's no longer our concern and it doesn't change the fact that there's still only one Jewish State. Eight families will bury their children. How many more innocent people have to pay the ultimate price for this hatred?

Going to the supermarket in Israel

Shopping at supermarkets in Israel is anything but a normal experience. The first time I went to the supermarket alone, I figured no biggie. My Hebrew's ok. How hard can shopping alone be? I go to pull out a shopping cart and it doesn't budge. I try again, only to realize that the carts can only be released by putting a 5 shekel coin in the slot. Great. With no small change on me, I held my purchases in my hands until I got to the cashier. (no small feat for a person with Cerebral Palsy, but I managed). Gratefully, I unloaded the food onto the belt and waited as the cashier rang everything up. After paying her, I stood there waiting for my groceries to be bagged. The cashier looks at me and says "What are you waiting for?" Glancing around, I realized that everyone was bagging their own groceries so I quickly got to work. Things didn't go so smoothly. The plastic bags wouldn't open even after I wet my finger like ten times. With a growing line behind me and feeling embarrassed that I was taking forever, I hurried to get a move on, offering a silent 'thank god' after I managed to get all the groceries in the bags. I miss Publix, I thought. I longed for the supermarkets in the U.S., where bagging is done for you.
As I was leaving, the cashier said " wait, you don't want your gift"? I'm thinking what is she talking about? I go back to the cashier. She hands me a slip so I can collect my gift at the main cashier. Tired, a little frustrated and somewhat curious, I walk with my heavy bags to get my gift. I hand the cashier my slip and she hands me a plush doll. I looked at the doll and thought are they for real?! You get gifts or stamps toward gifts, for spending 100 shekels ($27 USD). Bring it on baby!
So, yea shopping can be frustrating but it literally pays!

Moving to Israel

Moving to Israel was never on my agenda, but as they say, you make plans and God laughs! After meeting my husband in Jerusalem in late 2005, I made aliyah (immigrated) with Nefesh B’ Nefesh on Dec 26th, 2006. The aliyah experience was surreal to say the least. I had four months to pack up my life, graduate college and plan a wedding. The night before the flight to Israel I started getting massive butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t sleep a wink the entire night. Was I really leaving home, the U.S., and all my friends? Sure, my mother is Israeli so I have plenty family in Israel but was I really ready to move to Israel and get married?

The following night, as our ElAl charter flight rolled down the runway at JFK , everyone erupted into cheers and applause. I still had massive butterflies in my stomach. During our flight we got to meet and thank many of the people from Nefesh B’ Nefesh who had helped us for months with the aliyah process. (It was very nice to finally put faces to names)! There were also photographers and reporters on board. Being a writer, I planned on doing some of my own reporting, but I was so nervous that I was glued to my seat for most of the flight.
The most surprising and one of the most heartwarming parts of the flight was when I realized that the founder and co-founder of Nefesh B’ Nefesh were on board. I was astounded to find out that they have been on nearly every Nefesh flight since the program’s inception!

I will never forget our landing in Israel on December 27th. There was turbulence as we descended into heavy clouds and pouring rain. Everyone was silent, many were gripping the arms of their seats. I shared a nervous smile with the woman sitting next to me. As I felt us getting closer to touch down, my heart started beating at a million miles an hour and I said out loud “This is it!” This is it!” Upon touchdown all 220 of us, wearing our Nefesh Aliyah hats and an immigrant sticker on our shirts, began to clap, cheer and sing. Everyone was on such a high that no one seemed to mind getting off the plane into freezing cold rain. Photographers from various press agencies stood on the runway oblivious to the rain, smiling as they took pictures of us as we disembarked . I was exhausted and confused about where I was supposed to go in the middle of all the celebration. Part of me wished everyone would hurry up a little so we could get on the bus to the warm, and dry terminal. Despite the horrible weather, an urgent need to use the bathroom and desperately wanting to see my fiancé whom I hadn’t seen in four months, I enjoyed the few minutes of picture taking and feeling like a celebrity.

The happiness on the runway paled in comparison to the welcoming we got at the terminal. Dozens upon dozens of people welcomed us singing and dancing in the pouring rain. While that was all incredibly beautiful, I groaned to myself thinking, I’d never make it inside to the bathroom and my fiancé. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time celebrating some more, I finally made it into the terminal and the bathroom. I didn’t see my fiancé right away. As time went on and I still didn’t see him, I got very sad thinking he forgot I was making aliyah that day. We finally saw each other and I flew straight into his arms. When I asked where he’d been and if he forgot I was making aliyah he looked at me as if I had grown a third eye and said, “Of course I didn’t forget. I’ve been here for hours!”
My fiancé told me that when my plane landed he went back and forth outside in the pouring rain looking for me, not thinking that I would be on the first bus into the terminal...neither did I.
Making aliyah was truly a day I will never forget.