Updates from the Holy Land

Hi everyone!
I'm sitting in the lovely Nocturno cafe, writing this after a lovely hummus filled lunch. Today I did Yoga, worked out on the elliptical, went to Biblical History lecture, hung out on campus... it was a very busy day and it's only 3:25!

The Matzav (situation) here is pretty calm despite what you may have read in the news. It turns out that life here is much more complicated than "everyone should sit down and work this out." It's been really important for me to learn that it's not such a simple issue. The past weeks I've gone from "why are we here?" to "I'm so lucky to be here." I'm not sure when this switch happened, but I was just expressing to my lunch buddy how much I am looking forward to taking home everything I'm absorbing and figuring out something concrete I can take home and craft into my opinions on Israel. It's been easy for me to say "the issue is too complicated, it's not my problem, it's so far from here, I shouldn't think about it." No longer can I put my hands up and shrug regarding Israel. Things here change day by day, but I am starting to get more comfortable with my role here as an America woman.

We started classes this week and have had three extremly intensive days of Hebrew, three long and intense Biblical history lectures. The Hebrew has been so wonderful-- an in depth review of the things that were stored far back in my memory.  I'm catching on quickly, I'm listening and understanding people I'm remembering words and phrases. It's been really great. I miss my Pittsburgh life so terribly, but I am feeling very excited to build a community here.


I have been thinking about little else other than my Bubbe the past few days. It's been on my mind a lot that it was a year ago already that she was diagnosed with Lukemia. I can't honestly believe that she is gone. It is weird that I won't be with my family to mark this occasion together. I'm trying to come up with the right words for this whole thing to share with my family while they are all together. I am struggling to do this, but praying that eventually the words will come.   I have been thinking of little else. I know she would be so proud of me, and she is rooting for me.

Here are some photos of some things!

Car covered in grass (turned out to be astro turf) on Hillel St.

Worlds biggest cabbage of ever, ever. I wish I had taken something for scale. but it's GIANT. Opposite of Brussels Sprouts.

The dancers I saw last week in the middle of a square plastic wrapping themselves.

Goat on a spear is art.

MY STREET!

three olive trees on these huge pillars to represent the monotheistic religions. out near Ramat Rachel overlooking Bethlaham.

On the right is Bethlaham. Very interesting.

This statue is in my neighborhood. they forgot to finish it? No head!

 This is the view from the MOVIE THEATER. It's the Gehenon valley.

 This is my favorite cafe in Israel so far. It's called "Tmol shelshon" which literally means yesterday and two days ago. It's a book store/ cafe/ delicious lunch spot.

 This is the window of the YMCA where I go to the gym. I walk past it and every time I think of Bub. How Bubbe is this really? It looks like her colbalt blue glasses.

We all know I love greenbeans. These are beans that love me back. And finally, a bagel place named for some of my favorite people.