Efshar cos mayim?

"Efshar cos mayim?" "May I have a glass of water?" This is the newest addition to my limited Hebrew vocabulary, but probably the most frequently used. Other exciting additions ... mazleg (fork), pickock (traffic jam), kabbalah (receipt), tay nana (mint tea), kisa (chair), and teenim (figs).

All the fellows have arrived and orientation began yesterday. We're finally started talking about how to plan our year, and I set up an advisory session with Neil and Mara (Dorot Staff.) There are two parts of the Dorot Fellowship - the community learning and the personal learning. Thursdays are community days and they are totally planned by the fellows. We have a pretty hefty budget, and in the next few days we're going to start talking about what we want to learn, who we want to talk to, where we want to travel, etc.

The personal learning program has three parts: language, Jewish learning, and volunteering. Since my Hebrew language skills are pretty beginner, I will taking ulpan (intensive Hebrew study) for the next few months (location TBA.) My Jewish learning is must more wide open ... I am currently hoping to design a program that allows me to study Jewish life cycle events. More on that, and my volunteering, later.

Because I'm tired and not feeling particularly wordy, I will share some pictures with you.

This is me apartment hunting in the lobby of the hotel.

This is me, pretending to kick my friend (and Fellow) Isra in the nostril of the dragon statue in the beautiful Liberty Bell Park.

Love you all!

PS ... in addition to the previous mentioned running-intos (Yelena, Anat, Leor, Zack, and Noa) I also saw my friend, Shai, from UNC. This city is crazy.

Highlights

Highlights from the last few days:

-My roommate and fellow Fellow Dena arrived and is now filling my room and life with wonderful company and humor.
-Jenny and company arrived and is filling my life with the familiarity of home and lots of fun!
-I discovered the shuk (market)! Fresh fruits and veggies, dried fruits and nuts, amazing rugelah, pita, hummus, olives ... and it's all so cheap! (I was even able to ask for a few things in Hebrew ... mish mish, be'vakasha?)
-It's a small world after all. I have run into 3 more people in the last few days. Last night, I saw Anat, my Israeli bunk-mate from my first summer at Ramah, on Emek Refaim. She was with her fiance, whose younger sister was my co-counselor during my second summer. Tonight, I saw Noa (my Israeli roommate my first summer at Ramah) and Zach (another Ramahnik) on Ben Yehuda.
-Sushi at Gong. Tonight was Jenny's birthday and I ordered a delicious salmon sushi roll with mango. Who knew Israelis could do Japanese food so well?
-I danced until very, very late at this Irish Pub ... I'm not sure the Israelis knew what to do with us and our crazy American dance moves.
-Josh and Matt (two other fellows) have joined us at the Little House in the Moshava (our hotel) and more Fellows will be arriving shortly! Soon the whole crew will be together again.

Banana, be'vakasha?

I think jet-lag finally caught up with me. I had so much trouble dragging myself out of bed this morning ... but it was well worth it for the yogurt at breakfast this morning. Apparently, Dannon has created some awesome flavors for us Middle Easterners.

The morning and early part of the afternoon was spent frittering away at my computer ... looking up apartments, contacting people about apartments, attempting to reach health insurance contact persons, getting sidetracked by stories about Iranian Olympians not wanting to race with Israelis. Several hours later, with no leads on apartments and no health insurance, I decided to venture out.

I walked to Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies (an English-language learning center frequented by young Jews) because I heard there was a bulletin somewhere with apartment listings. I had also heard that Pardes hosts seminars on Tisha B'Av.

I chose the session called "Who Wants the Temple?" where I was supposed to hear a man named Zvi discuss whether the yearnings for the rebuilding of the Temple are still relevant today. He may have discussed that ... I'm not sure. He touched on a few good points, a few points I understood, and the rest was either incomprehensible to me or, in a few cases, a little upsetting. Pardes is one of the places I can choose for my Jewish learning. I'm going to give them another shot at their open house in a few weeks because I have heard some truly wonderful things about the community there, but if I were to make a decision today I would have to say "no thank you." Perhaps it was just the group, perhaps it was just today ... but there didn't seem to be a lot of room for dissension in this environment or room for individuals outside of a very narrow spectrum of Jewish practice.

On the way back, I bought a delicious smoothie (where I chose banana as my fruit because, honestly, it is the only fruit I can say besides tapuach (apple) and mish mish (apricot) which were not choices.)

After a nice mid-day nap, some women's Olympic gymnastics, and some light reading ... I decided to head out for some dinner. I chose a coffee shop where I sat at a bar behind an open window and watched the Jerusalem night-life. Enjoying the largest bowl of tomato soup I've ever had, I noticed how ... alive ... the city feels.

I've noticed that my entries have been a little lengthy, so I'll leave it at that. Laila tov.

City of Gold

Shalom! I have arrived safely in Jerusalem. I actually arrived two days ago, but British Airways "misplaced" one of my bags ... conveniently the one with my converters in it. Until today, when my bag was returned to me, I was conserving my internet power as much as possible.

My flights were pretty marvelous actually. On the way to London I sat next to a very nice old British couple. After a failed attempt to explain to the woman how we were landing in London at 6 am (London time ... she just couldn't get the whole time difference thing) I turned my attention to her husband who proved to be a much better conversationalist. Did you know that if you are a celiac (gluten intolerant) in England, like this man is, you get a government subsidy?

I did, in fact, watch a movie - Bruce Almighty - as well as an episode of Friends. The rest of the time I slept and read and ate my vegetarian airline food which, on this leg of my trip, was actually pretty decent.

On the second leg of my flight, from Heathrow to Ben Gurion Airport, I got magically upgraded from "World Traveller" to "World Traveller Plus." I didn't know what that meant until I got to my very large fancy seat with a lot of leg room. Woo hoo!

More sleeping ... more reading ... more eating (only this time the food was horrid and unidentifiable!) I arrived in Tel Aviv and after the rather upsetting experience of realizing my bag was missing, filing the proper paperwork, having customs sign the proper paperwork, returning the proper paperwork, getting more paperwork, wondering if I'd even see my bag again, and getting shekels, I preceded outside to grab a sherut (shared taxi.)

I was the last to be dropped off which meant I saw a lot of the city which really does, at certain times of day, sparkle. The cab driver dropped me off at the Little House in the Moshava, which is thought to be the smallest hotel in Jerusalem, with only 22 rooms. (see below)


My room is small but clean and quaint. I have a tv that gets a few sporadic English stations and wireless internet so I can't complain.

Last night, I found a cute coffee shop on Emek Refaim (the major road off which my hotel is located.) As I walked in and surveyed the room for a place to sit, I heard, "Alli?!" I turned around and there was Yelena, a girl I know through UNC Hillel. I couldn't believe it! I'd be in the country 3 hours and already I'd run into someone. We chatted briefly and then I made a not-so-graceful exit to another table upon realizing I was crashing her date.

I read a bit of my book, Man Walked Into a Room by Nicole Krauss, while munching happily on a delicious bowl of yogurt and fresh fruit and muesli. After a rather embarrassing experience of trying to pay with an old shekel (much like trying to pay for dinner with a Confederate dollar), I headed back to the hotel.

This morning I ate the continental breakfast at the hotel, packed my bags, and headed out. Map in hand, I managed to find my way to the Old City via a beautiful park, a lovely garden, and a windmill built by philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore to commemorate the first neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City. (see below)


I tucked my map in my backpack and decided to get lost in the Old City. Every time I'd turn onto a street I'd think, "oh I've been here already!" and then quickly realize I was wrong. Every street is jammed packed with stores and store owners and shoppers and children running everywhere. (see below)


I bought a juice from a man with a juice stand. I think I got ripped off but the juice was delicious! He literally took some pomegranates and oranges and just squeezed them right into my cup. After a few hours I began to feel overwhelmed by the number of store keepers shouting after me to "just come see!" their "merchandise" so I found my way back to the Jaffa Gate. Before leaving I bought falafel from another man with a stand (for a much more reasonable price) and headed back.

I walked with my falafel back through the gardens and the parks, stopping briefly to watch the toddlers and their parents slashing around in a fountain. It was actually quite beautiful ... Muslim women with head covering and Jewish men with kipot all splashing around with their children in the same fountain.

Hot and exhausted, I fell asleep on my bed back in the hotel. I waited around several hours for my luggage to arrive, unpacked a bit, and then ventured out for dinner. Here's the thing ... there aren't very many restaurants open in Jerusalem on Shabbos. But many of them open late, after Shabbat is over. So I waited until about 9:15 to grab a bite to eat. As I wandered down Emek Refaim, I became quite suspicious. There were people everywhere ... walking, driving, and waiting for the bus. But, except for Burger Bar, there were no restaurants open. I quickly realized that tomorrow is Tisha B'av, an annual fast day in Judaism to commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples. So ... very few restaurants are open.

I, however, am not planning on fasting. And I needed food. Luckily, the grocery store was open, so I bought some bread, cheese, and vegetables, and made myself a lovely picnic dinner back at the Little House.

In Israel, Sunday is like Monday in that it is the beginning of the work week. So tomorrow should, hopefully, bring productivity. Health insurance and apartment hunting are on the list. My roommate and fellow Fellow Deena arrives tomorrow and my friend Jenny arrives Monday for a 2 1/2 week visit so I won't be alone in the city much longer.

Yalla bye

I'm off to Israel!

(If you want to call me, I can be reached at 052-619-9431. Israel's country code for international calls is 011.)

the early bird ... waits a long time in JFK

Shalom from JFK. I have been in the British Airways International terminal for a while now ... having arrived at JFK obscenely early. There was little traffic and I whizzed through check-in and security. My flight leaves in an hour ... so I'm sure we'll be boarding soon.

I have big plans for the flight to Heathrow (London, where I have a brief layover.) The Chronicles of Narnia, Whatever Happens in Vegas, X-Men: the Last Stand, Nim's Island, and Something's Gotta Give are playing ... amidst a selection of American and British sit-coms and animal documentaries.

I brought 4 books ... Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, a book of short stories by Israel's premier author Etgar Keret, Man Walks Into a Room by Nicole Krauss, and the Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon.

I have a journal in which I have been asked by the Dorot Foundation to write about what we imagine we will tell our grandchildren about our life when we are 80 and how we will use this year to reach those goals.

And in between the vegetarian meals I requested ... I will sleep (hopefully.)

I am not a nervous flyer but apparently a fairly nervous international traveler. I know what's waiting for me on the other end of this 14 hour travel is going to be amazing ... but the feeling hasn't quite caught up with the knowing.

I miss you all.

taking a first leap

I’m not sure it’s public knowledge but I have what I like to call a strong apprehension toward heights. What that really means is that I avoid heights altogether so I never have to face what is probably more of a fear than an apprehension. I was never a tree climber. It took me 16 years to work up the courage to go on a roller coaster and another 4 after that to go on Splash Mountain. I worked at Ramah for 3 summers and never went near the climbing tower.

After breakfast this morning, the Fellows and I boarded a bus to return to Camp Deer Run where, yesterday, I was hoisted 6 ft. in the air and passed laterally through a hole in a net. Today, was the high ropes course.

Let me describe the course to you. You climb to the stop of a fairly standard sized ladder and then climb a few large hooks on a tree. You then do a funky Tarzan move that allows you to climb onto a sort of bridge that starts at about 10 ft. off the ground and continues upward to about 20 ft. The bridge is like a horizontal ladder – wooden panels spaced about 2 or 3 ft. apart and connected by two ropes on either side. Another Tarzan move is required to pull yourself onto a platform where you swing with a rope onto another platform about 6 ft. away. A very advanced Tarzan move is required to get yourself onto what can only be described as 20 ft. tightrope with ropes at arm level for support. After those 20 ft. the rope below disappears and it replaced by loops of ropes that you put your feet into. And then you fling yourself off a platform.

Ok. Admittedly you are strapped in with a million hooks and ropes. There is pretty much no way you are going anywhere in the direction of down. And the flinging? Well, you are supposed to jump off the platform into the air but about 7 people are holding an advanced rope mechanism that allows you to be safely lowered the ground.

But let me be clear. Harness or no harness. This ropes course is about a million ft. in the air. And, under normal circumstances, as evidenced by the last 22 years of my life, I would have nothing to do with it.

But in two days I leave for Jerusalem. I’m going to fly half way across the world to a country where I don’t speak the language and have to build a life for a year. As excited as I am for the year ahead, I have a strong apprehension toward (read: am afraid for) the next few weeks.

So up I went. I practically had a panic attack on the first platform when I looked down and realized I’d never been that high before without four walls and a ceiling. But I had no reason not to do it except that I was afraid. And I didn’t want to be that person. For that moment and for a million moments like it that will inevitably present themselves in the next year and in my life.

When I stood on the very edge of the platform at the end, I thought, “I just have to take the leap.” And so I shut my eyes and grabbed the rope and just jumped into the air.

Please don't drop me ...

One of the strangest things I've experienced is the way time warps when I'm at camp. The days are so long. In one day at camp, more things happen, more relationships are formed, and more questions are asked and answered that in a week in the "real world." This orientation for the Dorot Fellowship has not been quite as intense as Ramah, but definitely reminiscent of that intensified bonding experience.

Yesterday was an overwhelming day to say that least. I took a taxi from La Guardia Airport to a hotel in the Upper West Side in NYC and spent several hours milling up and down Broadway and taking deep do-not-panic-you-will-be-ok yoga breaths. I met the other fellows at 3 PM and was quickly whisked onto a bus where we drove to the Nevele Resort in the Catskills for a day of information and introductions.

A word about Nevele. If you haven't seen the movie Dirty Dancing 1) this reference will be lost on you and 2) you need to watch it now. (Seriously. Let go of whatever qualms you have about bad 80s chick flicks and just rent it. It's definitely a classic in its own right.) The Nevele is much like the resort in Dirty Dancing ... except it's pretty much empty. Apparently, the Nevele is one of many hotels in what used to be called the "Borscht Belt" - an informal term for the hotels in the Catskills that were frequented by New York Jews in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. There are big rooms called, for example, the Stardust Ballroom and the Globe Dining Room. I suspect at one time this place was the place to be, but right now it has a very eerie, abandoned, way past it's peak feeling. It will certainly be a running joke for the Dorot Fellows for the next year.

This morning, I woke up in my bed in the Nevele Resort after a very nice night of sleep and headed down to breakfast with my roommate, and fellow Fellow (haha!) Rebecca. After breakfast, we spent the morning doing team building exercises and the like. After lunch, we went to a nearby camp (Camp Deer Run) for a more physical team building experience. I'll save you the details except for my daredevil moment.

We were brought into the woods a bit where there were two trees about 10 feet apart. Between the trees were two ropes -- one about 3 in. from the ground and the other about 6 in. from the ground. Between these two ropes and the two trees was this strange intersection of wires that were tied in every direction to create a net with about 15 different "holes" (See picture below ... not of us but of a similar activity.)

The rules were as follows: everyone has to pass through the net. Once you pass through a hole in the net no one else can pass through that hole. You cannot touch the wires. You cannot touch the ropes. You cannot touch the tree. If you do, you and everyone who has made it through have to go back. Sounds easy enough right? Wrong! Only about 6 of the holes are at the ground level. Which meant that after much deliberation, I found myself hoisted into the air to be passed laterally through a hole in the net about 6 ft. off the ground. It was actually an incredible experience and a real bonding opportunity!

After dinner, we each got an opportunity to share "how we got into this room." I found myself surrounded by 11 of the most interesting, intelligent, and passionate people I've had the joy of knowing. The fellows range in age from 22 to 29. Everywhere from Florida (me!) to San Francisco to Toronto. Reform, Conservative, Modern Orthodox and many, many including myself who working on those little logistics (or working on how to exist in the Jewish world without those labels.) Vegetarians and not, Kosher and not, fluent in Hebrew and not. Each one is very different but all with a very exhilarating desire to affect change in American Jewry and the world. They all said things that really resonated with me and I look forward to getting to know them better throughout the year (and, as we have been told, my life.)

It is now very late and I have to get some sleep before another full day. I miss you all.

Mazel Tov Sarah and Jason!!! I'm so happy for you. :)

S is for Skype

If you are already savvy with Skype, you can skip this entry (unless of course you are so deeply entertained by my witty sense of humor that you just can't pull yourself away.)

Skype is one of the best ways to communicate with people who are abroad and it will be one of the best ways to communicate with me while I am in Israel. It's easy and it's FREE.

In order to use Skype, you need 4 things: 1) a computer 2) the internet 3) speakers 4) microphone. If your computer doesn't have a built-in microphone, you can purchase one for about $20.

You can buy a microphone like the one here:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8525704&st=microphone&lp=9&type=product&cp=1&id=1186007538787

Or you can buy a headset with a microphone like the one here:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8525633&st=microphone&lp=2&type=product&cp=1&id=1186007538509

Once you have all the equipment, setting up Skype is pretty easy.

1. Go to www.skype.com. In the top toolbar, click "Download." A file called SkypeSetup.exe will start to download automatically. If it doesn't, you can click "start the download again."
2. A program called Skype Setup should be on your desktop. Double-click the program and it will open.
3. Follow the instructions. Select "English" as the language and click the box that says "Yes, I have read and accept ..." Then click "Install."
4. A program called Skype should install and open. Fill in the information to create an account.
5. Skype will then provide you with pretty detailed instructions about what to do. But just in case ... click the button on the left that says "add a new contact." Search for "Allison Rose" and I am one of the first ones to come up. (My Skype name is rockaroo32.)
6. Click my name and then "Add Skype Contact." You can even add a message.

Once you have followed these steps, my name will appear on your list of contacts. If I am not signed into Skype, there will be a little grey question mark next to my name. If I am signed into Skype, there will be a green check mark next to my name.

Want to make a call? Calling someone on Skype is just like calling someone on the phone. Click on my name and then click the dark green phone. You will hear a ringing sound and so will I. If I'm at my computer and signed on to Skype, I will pick up and say "Hi!"

Is someone calling you? If someone calls you, the same rules apply. You'll hear a ringing sound and the name of the person calling will be in the center of the screen. Click on the green phone to pick up. Click on the red phone to hang up or ignore the call.

If you have questions (or just want to say hi!) send me an email at allison.e.rose@gmail.com. Good luck!

Shalom!

I set up this blog a few weeks ago but I just couldn't decide when to start blogging. This is, after all, a blog devoted to my adventure in Israel but when exactly does an adventure begin? I have decided that since there are three suitcases strew across my carpet in my home in South Florida, there is no denying that we are officially on the brink of an adventure.

I am sure you are wondering about a few things. For example, the word "blogging." Wikipedia says that the word "blog" is a contraction of the term "web blog" and is a "website usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, description of events, of other material such as graphics or video." "Blogging," then, is the action of posting or editing one's blog. (For those of you looking for a Facebook-alternative to your procrastination efforts, check out the history, origins, and rise in popularity of blogs on the "Blog" Wikipedia entry.) (For those of you wondering what on earth Facebook and Wikipedia are, I'm sorry. That will have to be for another time.)

Another thing: my blog's name. www.allichatool.com. Chatool is the Hebrew word for cat. (Or as Max put it, chatool is my "interesting attempt at spelling the word cat." He would have opted for "chatul.") Somehow I think the nickname AlliCat doesn't translate as well in Hebrew, but the name wasn't taken and I thought it was funny. (Although it was pretty late at night and my ability to differentiate funny from ridiculous tends to suffer as the night wears on.)

I suspect you weren't actually wondering about the word "blogging" or about the intricacies of my blog name. Or at least not as much as you are wondering why (or how) I am going to Israel. (By the way ... if you've made it far in enough in my ramblings to get to this explanation I have high hopes for you.) I received the Dorot Fellowship which makes me a 2008-2009 Dorot Fellows. The Dorot Fellowship is designed to empower a network of young Jewish lay leaders to enliven the American Jewish landscape. Twelve 22-30 year old Jews are chosen as Dorot Fellows each year to live in Israel where they sharper the characteristics and skills, acquire the experience, and broaden the networks required for Jewish leadership in the 21st Century. For more information about the fellowship, check out the website: www.dorot.org/DFI.

My flight leaves tomorrow from Ft. Lauderdale Airport at 7:15 am. The other 11 fellows, the Dorot staff, and I are meeting at a hotel in New York City. We are then traveling to the Nevele Resort in the Catskills for a multi-day orientation to the Dorot Fellowship.

Have a good weekend!