-Random Observations
-Evangelicals!
-Bus stabbing!
-Yahli!
-Charedim!
-Go-karting!
-Kibbutzing!
-Desert Hiking!
Random Observations
The other day I was Pomerantz bookstore in Jerusalem, and in their center display they had these two books side by side:
 |
| The 5 Love Languages - Military Edition! and The Zionist Idea |
Also, this:
Unsurprising to see this in Paris Square, Jerusalem
I liked this graffiti in Neve Tzedek.
Evangelicals!
Last week we had a seminar on Evangelical Christians and their relationship with Israel. I had a lot of Evangelical friends growing up and in college (and I still have Evangelical friends) so this wasn't such a new topic for me, although the Israel angle was new.
We were particularly focused on the sort of Evangelicals who believe the end times are approaching. There's actually a pretty large group of Christians who believe that the New Testament promises the following...
-Jews will return to Israel
-The temple will be rebuilt
-Jews will promote a false messiah/the anti-christ
-Those who believe in Jesus Christ will rise up to heaven (the rapture)
-The rest of us will be embroiled in the biggest and bloodiest of all wars, with or without Jesus armed to the teeth and various prophets on horseback
-Once we're all gone, the saved people will return to Earth with Jesus to set up court
So what that means for Israel today is that there's a LOT of funding and political support from this particular branch of Evangelical Christianity (And I'm not saying all or even most Evangelicals see things this way...) because they see Jews returning to Israel as a step in the coming of the next world. So at first, all of this money and friendship is so flattering! And then it starts to feel more like we're turkeys being fattened up for the thanksgiving slaughter.
Fascinating!
Our field trip was to the Garden Tomb, where some people believe Jesus was actually buried, as opposed to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
They think this was the hill on which Jesus was crucified, because it says somewhere that the hill face has a skull-shape in it, which you can kind of see in this picture, with the two eye-sockets. It's pretty clear in person.
Now there's an Arab bus station on the site!
This is the tomb
Inside the tomb
Well... peace for NOW. Then eventual, necessary, ritual slaughter of all of its inhabitants that aren't Christian :).
Bus Stabbing!
There was a stabbing on a Tel Aviv public bus last week. You can read about it here.
Basically what's worth reporting on my end is: nothing. A friend said to me, "I'm so glad you weren't there. But your day must still have been totally crazy, right?" And actually, no, it wasn't. Other than the news, nothing changed. Busses went on as usual. Everyone went on as usual. Because it's not that unusual for there to be a terrorist stabbing people here.
I'm trying to imagine what would have happened to Boston if something like this occurred. But I took my normal bus that afternoon in Tel Aviv. I don't know what else to say.
Actually there is one thing... when I woke up, I had so many texts/messages/voicemails/e-mails from people checking on me, and throughout the day my Israeli friends called me to say they were worried, even that I was nearby and startled. And I felt really cared about <3. Thanks everybody.
Yahli!
The other day, Yahli and I were going out for dinner and he said "If we take the scooter, we can go someplace farther, to the best sushi place in Tel Aviv..." and normally I say no, but I was in a particular mood and I decided what the hell!
I liked our helmets
I'll wear gloves next time Dad, I promise.
Ariane: There's no seatbelt, is there?
Yahli: Haha, no. Hold on, and just follow me, okay? When I lean left, you lean left, but not SO far left that we topple over.
Ariane: We're going to topple over?
Yahli: No.
Ariane: Be careful!
Yahli: Ariane, Wat iz dees? I am your brudder, you theenk I weel 'urt youuuuu?
Ariane: I just have to trust you, don't I?
Yahli: Yep, you have to trust me.
Ariane: Okay, I trust you.
...
...
Yahli: IS THIS REALLY YOUR FIRST TIME ON A BIKE?
Ariane: YES.
Yahli: YOU SHOULD BE SCREAMING RIGHT NOW.
Ariane: BUT IT'S FUN.
Yahli: ARE YOU SCARED YET?
Ariane: NO.
Yahli: OKAY....
...
...
Ariane: Omg... omg... OMG OMG OMG OMG OKAY I'M SCARED NOW. BUT IN A GOOD WAY.
And then another day, we had this conversation:
Ariane: You're wearing a different uniform today. Why?
Yahli: I'm guarding the base. You won't see me for the rest of the week.
Ariane: Why?
Yahli: I'm working nights.
Ariane: Aw, I don't like that. I'll miss you.
Yahli: You'll be fine.
Ariane: No I won't, I'll be sad.
Yahli: You'll survive.
Ariane: No I won't, I'll die.
Yahli: Ah. I'll take your computer, then.
Charedim
And then this week I helped plan a seminar on the Charedim, or ultra Orthodox Jews. To be honest, it was so much work that I don't feel like writing a lot about it, but here's just a little...
The highlight of the day in my opinion was a panel with Rama Burshtein and Ori Gruder. Rama directed Fill the Void, about a girl who's trying to decide if she'll marry the widower of her sister, and Ori directed Sacred Sperm, about the prohibition against ejaculating outside of intercourse with your wife.
They were both great speakers! Very honest and insightful.
And this is the Belz synagogue! It's huge. It's like its own city. It has kitchens, living quarters for the rabbi and accommodations for guests, mini synagogues and this huge one, two wedding halls, a bunch of reception rooms, study rooms, locker rooms, a huge courtyard, and a lot more.
That's a very large, very gold tetragrammaton!
Go-Karting!
Last week I went on one of the more creative dates I've been on. We met up around 10, and we were trying to decide what to do, and he said go karts! And I said at 10 at night, in January, in Jerusalem?? and he said, yeah! So we went!
It is a full go-kart track inside a parking garage and five floors below ground. In Jerusalem. It was really cool.
Before we could drive, we had to do this mini driving course thing just explaining about the car and the track and safety rules and stuff, and I'm pretty sure my face was just like this the whole time:
Because the guy leading the class had this giant kippa and a HUGE, like BLING star of David on and it was amazing.
So fun!
Kibbutz-ing!
On Friday I went with Geva and Rivka to Kibbutz Zikkim, one of the last kibbutzim that is still traditionally socialist, located right on the Gaza border. On Friday nights, most of the kibbutz members eat in the communal dining hall, and it's really fun! There are tons of kids and families and it's really social.
Mmmm Kibbutz Food. Most people would think I'm kidding but actually I really like it.
Kibbutzniks!
Afterwards Rivka showed me the kitchens. She said it's similar to an army kitchen except army kitchens have two sides - one for meat and one for dairy. But kibbutzim are classically very very secular so everything is cooked together.
Then after dinner everybody goes down into this like... hangout area.
Rivka is also a great barista.
Rivka with Paz and Tuna, back at Geva's mom's house.
Desert Hiking!
And then on Saturday we went for a hike in the Negev!
Rivka: Everybody here is Russian.
Ariane: How do you know?
Rivka: Because fishing is not really a thing in Israel, it's not something we do. But Russians do, so you know they're Russian.
Geva: I wouldn't eat the fish from this pond though.
Rivka: There's so much pollution.
Ariane: From Dimona?
Geva: Yeah, you sometimes find fish here with three eyes.
Ariane: Really?!?
Geva: No.
Planning our route
Uphill!
Pretty amazing views!
Selfie!
A Negev Tortoise! They are a Critically Endangered Species, because hikers used to take them home all the time.
Rivka really wanted to catch a lizard just to look at it up close and then free it again, so she spent a lot of time turning over rocks and trying to get one. Finally Geva managed to grab one, but by its tail, and when lizards are scared they shed their tails and slowly regrow them. Here's a video of the severed tail:
Weee!
Helloooo from on top of the dam!
The whole crew! Me, Rivka, Geva, Ayelet, Tal
And from above
Okay this is a shitty picture because we were driving while I took it out the window, but I'm trying to show the smokestacks in the distance. Basically, as you drive on the highway near Beersheva, you can see a bunch of Israeli industrial complexes on one side, and a bunch of depressing Bedouin shacks on the other.
Bedouins are claiming they're suffering higher cancer rates because of the polution, so this artist helped them create this statue called the "Desert Watcher" which, obviously, also looks like a giant penis as an additional fuck you to Israeli industry.
We also saw this statue, which is dedicated to French Jews who died fighting (Egypt, I think...) in the Independence War.
At the gas station after our hike, a bunch of dudes kept looking like they were going to pull out of their parking spot, and then didn't, and when we finally found a place to park, Rivka went over and told those dudes what she thought of them because she's amazing.
And then we ate this ENTIRE PINT of ice cream.
And then I saw all of these horses tied up at the gas station.
And then Rivka and Tuna were adorable
And then we went to a field and saw all these beautiful red flowers! We had to go through a barricade that said "CAUTION, FIRING ZONE! ABSOLUTELY NO ENTRY!" And Rivka said it was actually okay because everyone knows the army doesn't train on Shabbat.
Flowers!
A Caterpillar!
Rivka is a little anxious about a major investment she and Geva are making, and I tried to encourage her and said "high risk, high reward!" And she said, you know, that's the motto of our unit, Sayeret Matkal: Who dares, wins.
I think it's the best motto ever. Who dares, wins!!
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