Street Art in South Tel Aviv

Everywhere I have been while living and volunteering in South Tel Aviv there is graffiti. I have been taking pictures of the graffiti that I have seen because I find it very interesting. It is omnipresent on the streets and it is very hard not to notice it.  Here is some of the graffiti that I see day to day here in Tel Aviv.

Security and Diplomacy Shabbaton

Last weekend I attended a weekend event on Security and Diplomacy in Israel. It was completely by coincidence that it was held a few days after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. It was held in Jerusalem, yet it was a very different Jerusalem experience for me. We were not in the city center and to areas that I had been before. We were at a hostel the whole weekend. It was very interesting and informative. I got to meet other people on programs through MASA. I got to listen to many important figures   in the media such as Barak Ravid from Haaretz, and both from Jerusalem Post Gill Hoffman and Khaled Abu Toameh. We also heard from Col. (Res.) Bentzi Gruber from the IDF. They had incredible knowledge of the topics that they came to talk about. They were incredibly opinionated as well as knowing the facts. Some of the questions they were asked by us were deep and led to about a five minute response. Some of their responses were very provocative and were quite delightful to listen to. We talked mostly about what was Operation Pillar of Defense, but we also talked about the challenges of Jerusalem, the Arab Israeli and Palestinian viewpoint, and the current political situation in Israel. It was really great to learn all of this here in Israel rather than back home. I feel this way because I had experienced what had gone on here. Overall it was a great weekend. It was very funny that most of the people leading the weekend were from the Britain. The food was good and met some cool people. I learned a lot and had a pretty good weekend. More to come soon.

Thanksgiving in Israel

It was very strange when someone last week said Thanksgiving is coming up. It was strange because I was not home in Massachusetts or in DC with my family. It was strange because I was in Israel. It was strange because there was conflict here. There are certain aspects of a typical Thanksgiving that were not present here obviously. It just did not feel like Thanksgiving. I celebrated Thanksgiving with the rest of my program. We all pitched in and made a dish, brought silverware and plates, or brought wine or beer. We had a lot to be thankful for this year. For  one thing I was thankful for the cease-fire that was brokered between Israel and Hamas. I was thankful to be here in  Tel Aviv, a city that I have fallen in love with over the last two and half months. I was thankful to have a bed and a roof over my head. Volunteering at the soup kitchen here in Tel Aviv brings this sentiment up because I see a lot of people who are addicts and have gone down the wrong path in life. I know that some of the people I serve at the soup kitchen do not have a bed or a roof over their head. I know that some are at fault for their situation, either gambled their money away, or have become addicted to drugs.

Anyways, we had a turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, salad, mac and cheese, stuffing, and I made sesame green beans. We had many more dishes that I forgot but we delicious. It was a great night and I was happy to be full of delicious food at the end of the night. I missed watching football while waiting for the turkey to cook. I missed the fall weather. I missed being with my family. I know that I will have many more Thanksgiving holidays, but this one meant a lot more because I was not home. I realized  that it doesn't matter where you celebrate, it matters that you are thankful for something and to be with people you care about. In this sense, I celebrated Thanksgiving. The only thing strange was not being home.

A Heightened State of Awareness

Since last Thursday  night, I have been living my day to day life with a heightened state of awareness. Since last Thursday, I realized that those rockets that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have can reach the Gush Dan( Metropolitan Tel Aviv). It is not just those Israelis down south that have to be constantly aware of their surroundings. Even if it sounded like the siren, I was on my toes. When the alarm went off though, I was calm and knew what I had to do. It was very interesting to see the Iron Dome in action. The Iron Dome is Israel's rocket defense system. To see people going about their normal life was very reassuring for me. At volunteering, they were even making fake siren sounds with their voice and their iphones. The first time was silly, the second time was just annoying. Now that there is a ceasefire, I do not know what to think. I do not know if Hamas and Islamic Jihad will keep their end of the bargain. There was a bus bombing so public transportation was going to be an issue, but now it is not due to the ceasefire. I have experienced so much in less than a week. I have experienced Israel in good times and in times of conflict. I feel that my experience is not comparable to what is going on in the south. Families there have either relocated north for the time being, or have been in bomb shelters for days. I will never experience this conflict like they have. I am thankful to be safe and unharmed. I hope that there will be no more conflict here while I am here. I make no promises though. It is hard for me to promise peace in this volatile region. More to come from Eretz  Yisrael in the coming days.

weekend of the siren

The lead up to this last Shabbat was not a good. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are still launching rockets into Israel. There have been casualties on both sides. It is especially horrific when innocent civilians have to be caught in the line of fire. Being here for the foreseeable future, it was interesting to say the least to experience the things that have happened here. Being in Shuk Hatikva and seeing that normal market business was going on was reassuring to me. It was funny when after the siren the fruit and vegetable vendors started dancing and singing "Am Yisrael Chai".  On Friday when I was there it was just as busy as it is on a normal Friday. Everyone buying food for Shabbat as they usually do. Made dinner and Kiddush with some of my flatmates which was very good. Then I had some beers with a college friend of mine Dan. He is about to begin his service in the IDF. It was really great to see him before his time in the IDF. If the shuk(market) was reassuring, being out on Friday night was even more reassuring. The bar we were at was busy which was a good sign. On Saturday my friend Jeremy and I were playing soccer with some of the neighborhood and I saw the Iron Dome in action. The explosion over the sky was followed by the kids running straight home including my friend and  I. Sunday I had volunteering in the morning and my other volunteer site was cancelled. I was at home for another one of the sounds that I hate to hear. Today was normal with ulpan in the morning and learning more about the current conflict with Gaza. 

I just want to say that it makes me sick to see innocent people die in conflict. No one wants to hear the news of a civilian casualty. On both sides it is hard. When I say that I agree with Israel's right to defend themselves I mean it. While I might not like to hear the horrific news that comes as a result of war, it happens. This is the reality of trading rocket attacks from Hamas and Islamic Jihad for IAF strikes. Right now I am safe. I am definitely maturing a lot with this balegan( mess) going on right now. It still hurts to know that even when I am safe in Tel Aviv  there are families in Netivot, Sderot, Ofakim, and other towns and cities in the south of Israel that have been in their bomb shelters constantly. I hope that it stops for those Israelis down south, and those Palestinians in Gaza. Violence is never a good thing. I pray and hope that this week something positive happens. More to come from Tel Aviv and Eretz Yisrael soon. 

Soccer: the love of Israeli children

During my volunteering in Tel Aviv, I ask many Israelis if they like soccer. Many say they love the sport. Men, women, girls and boys tend to love the sport. When you ask which team they support, you will hear that they support a local team in Israel, and either Real Madrid of FC Barcelona. They will not even mention teams from the English Premier League, Italy, France, or Germany for instance. Many will say they support either Hapoel Tel Aviv or Maccabi Tel Aviv. Others say they support Beitar Jerusalem, or Maccabi Haifa. Many Israelis support a certain club due to their own political affiliation. Hapoel for instance had a working relation with the Labor Party and is usually seen as being the club of the Israeli political Left and Arabs. Beitar Jerusalem also have a certain fan base. Besides fans from Jerusalem, many fans of Beitar come from the Israeli political Right. 

Anyways, it is funny that these children are only concerned with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and their local Israeli team. It is funny because back home, many soccer fans will have a favorite English team as well as either like Real or Barcelona. Whenever there is free time to go to the park, or be outside in the playground, most of the boys and some of the girls will want to kick the ball around and play a game. Instead of baseball cards, many of the Israeli boys I work with collect soccer cards. They love to play and will find any place  to play soccer. There is a field on our street where many of boys in the neighborhood play soccer. Every Saturday afternoon you will find a group of kids along with an older gentlemen who acts like a coach for the kids playing soccer. Some of my friends have joined them before and it is always fun. They play till they cannot see the ball so they are very passionate about playing the game. Today's soccer was cut short, but they still showed up to play the game they love despite the heightened state here. It would take a lot for them not to show up. The best way to break the ice with a child is asking them if they love soccer. For the most part they will say they love it and want to drag you to play with them. 

Sirens in Tel Aviv

Over the past 72 hours, over 130 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorists organizations. For the most part, the rockets have been concentrated in the southern part of the country. Today though, I heard the noise that I hoped never to hear. Lucky for me I was in the bathroom and not walking on the street. I was not scared when I first heard the siren. At first I did not think of it at all, but then I realized it was real once I  heard police and ambulance sirens along with it.I knew that something was going to happen soon, but I just did not know when it would happen. After about a minute I heard a loud explosion. Then the siren stopped, and I ran to where the rest of my group was. Our night tour of Tel Aviv was cancelled and we were told to go straight home. Once I got home I started to read the news and read that countries such as Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan have condemned IDF action against Gaza. This just pissed me off. I understand why these countries have condemned the action, but lets be real here. The IDF is taking action because it is defending its citizens and not trying to murder Palestinians at will in Gaza. In every conflict there has to be a instigator. If Hamas and Islamic Jihad for example stopped firing rockets into Israel, the IDF would stop its operations in Gaza. I hate it when people blame only one side in the conflict for the lack of peace. Some say its the settlements, and others say its Hamas. If any kind of peace will happen, both sides need to drop their weapons, put aside their differences, and come to the negotiation table. I also hate that Israelis living in the south have to deal with these attacks while I am here in Tel Aviv. Where I can be on my computer in my living room instead of being locked in the bomb shelter because you do not know when the next attack might happen. Where I could be walking on the street about to go to a club or a pub instead of wondering when it safe to leave the bomb shelter. I have experienced what it is like to take cover, but to be ready at any moment is another thing that I have not experienced. I also hate that innocent Palestinians and Israelis lost their lives because of violence from both sides. It has just been a very crazy few hours here in Tel Aviv, but constantly for parts of the country.

 Anyways, I am safe. My apartment has a shelter room. Tonight a bunch of us made food and hung out in the apartment. I am kind of sad that I was not able to have the night that I was hoping to have. Then again, I could be like some 1 million Israelis in the South probably spending the night in their bomb shelter. So in reality, I am just glad to be where I am right now. I pray that tomorrow will be a rocket free day. I will keep everyone updated. Laila Tov!!

Fall so far

I cannot believe it is already November. Halloween has happened and I am officially one year older. Looking back the past year I cannot believe how much I have done and accomplished. On the Druze tiyul I took along with the rest of the program, my track coordinator mentioned all of the things I have done in the past year including moving to Israel. That sentence stuck me immediately. I have no return ticket back to Boston. I am here living, learning, and volunteering in Tel Aviv. For now I am only thinking about this place, the people here, the news here, the politics here, the nightlife here, the food here,and obviously my work as a volunteer. I then realize how much I have missed back home. I realized I missed Sandy, New England foliage, the Election, and much more. It is so crazy to think of the important things I have missed, but also the things I have done here in the amazing place.

I have noticed some other things in the past couple of weeks. When I say I am from America, many Israelis think I am from New York. Many Israelis would have supported Romney, due to a common misconception that Obama does not like Israel. When I say that I voted for Obama some Israelis are okay with it, others think I was stupid for doing that. The other thing is that walking around Tel Aviv-Yafo, you realize the amazing influences shaping the city. One minute you are in Arab Yafo, the next minute you are walking down Rothschild Boulevard with its Western and European style architecture. Then working in and around South Tel Aviv you will notice the African influence. Then there is the beach which attracts everyone including tourists. Living here has been amazing so far and I cannot wait to dive further into what Tel Aviv can offer me.

Besides volunteering which has been truly amazing, I have been learning Hebrew, taking classes on Zionism, the Arab community here, and Jewish identity. Today I realized how different I am because I am from the galut(diaspora). I know that because I am Reform, some Jews here will not accept me as a Jew. I know that this is the way things might be, but I will not let that bother me. I know who I am, and I will not let someone else tell me otherwise.

In other news, I joined a lacrosse club here in Tel Aviv, and we will play other teams from Jerusalem and Haifa. It was really fun to get out and play again. I felt like I was back in America playing since everyone on the team is originally from America. I also have been hanging out in the Florentine, a cool neighborhood in South Tel Aviv. The neighborhood has some cool bars including one called the Dancing Camel that brews their beer. The neighborhood also has some cool restaurants including a Mexican place which is expensive but it was delicious called Mezcal. There are also two sandwich places one called Meat Night, which makes steak sandwiches and is best after a few or many drinks. The other is called Ruben and makes corned beef sandwiches, a Jewish deli classic that I had been missing. More to come from Tel Aviv and Israel. Lehitraot v'laila tov.(good bye and good night).


Here are some pictures for you appetite.

Music scene in Israel so far

The music scene here in Israel is incredibly diverse. American Pop music is a favorite, but the music made by Israeli artists is something completely different. I have noticed that the music created by Israeli artists has influences from around the world. Israeli society as a whole is a melting pot with many people coming from around the world. Thus, Israeli music has taken those musical forms from its different sections of society and created something truly amazing. For instance, Yemen Blues and The Idan Raichel Project are two Israeli bands that have used the different music from the different groups that make up Israeli society to create something beautiful. I had the luck to see both of them play, but at separate concerts. Yemen Blues and The Idan Raichel Project are forever connected in that the frontman for Yemen Blues and the percussionist also play with The Idan Raichel Project. Yemen Blues takes its influence from the Yemenite population. Many of its songs are in Arabic, but they also have songs in Hebrew. I saw them with a few friends from my program in North Tel Aviv. It was a fantastic show. It was in a smallish club, but was filled. The concert itself had a fantastic vibe and everyone was having a blast. The frontman was absolutely insane dancing and pumping up the crowd. I would highly recommend checking them out online.

I saw The Idan Raichel Project in Jerusalem with the program. It was part of an event called MASA Fest. MASA is a organization with affiliation with the Jewish Agency and the Government of the State of Israel that specializes in Israel programs for Jews from the Diaspora. The Idan Raichel Project takes its influence from traditional Ethiopian, African, Sephardic, Mizrachi, and other world influences to become something very Israeli and very different from any music I have heard before. Many of their songs are sung in different languages such as Hebrew, Amharic(the language spoken in Ethiopia), and Arabic for instance. If you are interested in music you should check them out.

I know there is more music to be discovered here in Tel Aviv and in Israel in general. This is just a small portion of the music scene here. More to come in the coming weeks.

The Druze

It is always satisfying to know that you will be doing something fun on your birthday. Today my program traveled to the beautiful Mt Carmel and had a day with the Druze. My birthday was also different and awesome in that I shared my birthday with another member of the Tikkun Olam Program named Lara. The Druze are a special religious and ethnic group that are Arab and Arabic speaking. They can be found mostly in Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. Israeli Druze for the most part live in the Mt Carmel area of Northern Israel and the Upper Galilee. There is also a significant community in the Golan, but they are different than the other Druze in that they were loyal to Syria and are afraid to become Israeli in fear that if the Golan is returned to Syria that they might be targeted. The Druze are different in that they serve in the IDF and speak Hebrew. The Druze found refuge from persecution in Cairo where the faith was founded in the Galilee, Lebanon, and Syria. Their religious practices are shrouded in mystery and only those that are religious know what to do. It is a religion in that you either practice it or you do not. There are no streams like Judaism, or Christianity in the Druze faith. They have a very unique culture in that women play a very central role in society as religious figures. We visited the Druze IDF Memorial in Daliyat al Carmel and met a man that talked about a mechina(gap year) program for the Druze. We also visited a group of women who talked about the role of women in Druze Society. I also had the delight of eating delicious food from the Druze. I went a group of friends on the program to a restaurant for Labneh( a delicious cheese that has the taste of yogurt), hummus, and stuffed grape leaves. To cap it off I shared some knaiffeh a delicious Druze and Arab dessert made with cheese and covered with crunchy phyllo soaked in sugar syrup. I obviously had cake and I will be going to a halloween party tonight as Senor Davey. I picked up a sombrero near the shouk so it should be cool. More to come from the Eretz soon.