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.