Shana Tova

Rosh Hashana in Israel...definitely not what a normal American Jew is used to. However; due to my secular/hippie take on Judaism upbringing, I was ready for it!
I spent the first night at my friend Adar's family's Kibbutz, Kibbutz Ruhama. I have never been to a Kibbutz before, so the experience was doubly exciting. After a tour of the kibbutz by Adar, and a quick history lesson from one of her grandfathers (the Kibbutz was privatized in the early 90's, so it is not what one would think of as a traditional Kibbutz, it's more like a gated all-inclusive community), we arrived at her Aunts house for one of the most amazing meals of my life. I was not prepared, and didn't have my camera on me to take a picture of the heaps of food on my plate, very reminiscent of holidays at my house as well as at the Nidel-Novick residence.
About 16 of us crowded around a dinner table, yelling in Hebrew and laughing as we started in on the feast: Stewed beef, roasted chicken, fish with lime, rice with almonds, salad with rimon (pomegranate) seeds, cabbage salad (salat kruv - my favorite Israeli side dish), chopped liver (the best I have ever had), and countless other tidbits covered our plates...a real smorgasbord! After the food coma set in, everyone sat in the living room and participated in a tradition I think I'm going to keep from now on. Everyone was asked to write a brucha, or belssing, for the upcoming year. Whether it be for the community as a whole, for the world, or just the family...and then put it into a basket. Everyone then draws a brucha and reads it aloud -- and people try to guess who wrote it. Some were funny, some were written by the children, some were very touching...but it was a way to connect with the holiday without involving religion, something I have gotten very used to after living with Hazel&Jordan as parents. Next year, I'm beginning this tradition as my own.
After spending the night at Adar's house in Rehovot, we spent the next day at...THE BEACH! We drove to Rishon L'Tzion, one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to. Who goes to the beach on Rosh Hashana one might ask...well - almost all secular Israelis.

We found a cute little beach cafe and indulged in some breakfast at 12:30pm. I was immediately drawn to the shakshuka. Shakshuka is a spicy tomato and fried egg stew of sorts that is baked in an oven and served wit a variety of other ingredients. It is an amazing breakfast/brunch food, and also for late-night drunk eating. Since Israeli dairy products are the most amazing in the world, I had the Shakshuka with Balkan cheese. Balkan cheese is a sour, goats milk cheese, very similar to goat or feta cheese. It is delicious. it was served with a side of white hard crusted bread that was sprinkled with zatar, a middle eastern spice mix which I put on almost everything because it is so delicious.

 how amazing does that look??

Living in Tel Aviv, a secular multicultural modern city has been the most amazing week. I have grown to love this country more and more just from living here, instead of Jerusalem. As much as my father hates to hear this, I really do feel at home here. Especially in Tel Aviv, religiousness hidden away from public view.

A tale of two cities.

A quick preface before I begin -- For the first time since I arrived in Israel on September 1st, I have been able to get on the internet. So I apologize for my lack of connection, America.

Yesterday we arrived in Tel Aviv, the modern and exciting Mediterranean coastal port city, of Israel. To quote Hannah, "Tel Aviv is HOT." Truer words have never been spoken. But TLV is also the exact opposite of Jerusalem, a city I had spent the last 5 days of my journey living in. TLV, with its large boulevards, modern shops, and lack of an obvious religious cloud hanging over the city...one would think you were in Miami. But aside from the beautiful beaches, the fantastic nightlife, the non-kosher  food plethora, etc; its the people of TLV that set this city apart from Jerusalem, in my mind at least. Jerusalem, a city that holds the holy sites for the worlds 3 largest monotheistic religions, is a choking and stifling place. Not covering your shoulders? Well ladies, you won't be allowed to enter some places, let alone will a religion woman sit next to you on the bus. You never see Arab's interacting with Jews; in fact, the Hassidic population that lives in the Old City built an over-ground walkway, on the roofs of the houses in the Arab Quarter, just so they wouldn't have to walk through in to get to their houses or Yeshiva's. G-d forbid there is some interaction between the two.
My experiences in Jerusalem would be overwhelming to describe, and would also be highly uninteresting to many. The city is beautiful however, and I always have enjoyed visiting the city. The Hassidic population has always put me in a very uneasy situation. Am I less of a Jew because I don't look like you, don't keep kosher, don't keep shabs? Do you need to force your views of Judaism upon me, in a city I feel just as home in as you? Must I conform to your rules and regulations of Judaism for you to even think of interacting with me? These things always pass through my mind when I am in Jerusalem. Watching the Hassidic "guard" women at the Kotel (Western Wall), checking each and every woman who passes her, for modesty of their outfit, is sickening. The screaming and ensuing rush to cover a woman who's shoulders are not covered enough, or who's skirt is too short is one of the most enraging sites I have ever come across.
As a minority of the population of Israel, and diaspora Jews in general, who gave the Hassidic the immense power they have? Why can they control who prays at the Kotel and how one can be dressed (Reform minions are relegated to a separate section of the wall to pray, as well as The Women of the Wall)? There used to not be a mechitza - separation barrier between men and woman - until a Reform minion was planning on coming to Israel to pray at the Kotel, and the Hassidic community was so outraged that they built the mechitza to stop the women and men from holding minion together. To this day, the size of the women's section at the wall is about half the size of the mens.
It is only my second day in Tel Aviv, and I already love it here. Modern, de-segregated, bustling, loud, rich with city smells...this is a true city. I am in the process of moving myself in, unpacking, and getting to orient myself in this new culture and city I have only ever spent 72 hours in before. It helps that my apartment is a 10 minute walk to the shuk (market), a block away from the mall (yes, it's pathetic...but there is a gym and when moving somewhere, it's nice to have easy conveniences near by), and most importantly - a 15 minute walk to the most amazing beaches in the Mediterranean. Of course, even on 3 hours of sleep, we trekked out to the beach last night to walk along the shoreline and walk with the waves. The warmest water and most serene feeling in the world.
I know I am going to love it here.