Hi Rollins!! While most of my friends are finishing up their semesters, I just finished my midterms. I have mixed feelings because I realized today that I will be home in just one month. Part of me misses the United States, my home, my family, my dogs, and Rollins. The other part of me does not want to leave because I am truly my happiest here. It’s such a small country that I feel everyone knows everyone. I’ve had the same cab driver multiple times and my Hebrew is getting better and better. I have lost count of how many pitas I have eaten and I am a snob when it comes to hummus. I have made friends that I will always hold close to my heart because they were by my side for every adventure.
Since my last blog post, I started classes and have travelled on the weekends. One of my first adventures was back to Europe to see Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland. Because many of my classes have discussed the Holocaust and I have met several survivors while here, my friend and I decided we needed to go. And I’m glad we did. Upon leaving the camps, I wrote a letter that expressed my feelings towards what we saw. 2000 words later and I still was not able to communicate everything I wanted to.
Back in Israel, I have been fortunate to see several controversial and high conflict sights. I visited the Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the Rock was a quiet oasis just steps away from the busy streets of the Old City. Upon entering, I was amazed at how different the area looked compared to the crowded areas nearby.
Over Thanksgiving, I was fortunate enough to have my mother and sister visit. With them, I travelled back to the Dead Sea and got to show them my favorite spots in Tel Aviv. It was also a nice change to sleep in a hotel room with my family instead of my apartment! We ate our way through all the donuts that are in literally every bakery because it’s almost Hanukkah!
I participated on a shabbaton in Tzfat, one of Israel’s four holy cities. This was the first time in my life that I observed Shabbat for the entire 25 hours, went to shul on Friday night, and said all the prayers. It was refreshing to go off the grid for a day and really connect with the reason I am in Israel in the first place. This weekend has been one of my favorite experiences in Israel so far.
As I am sure many of you know, President Trump signed the document which states that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While some don’t see why this is a big deal, it is actually devastating for many of the Americans and many people who are studying here and who work and live here. The Middle East, specifically in regards to the Israeli-Arab conflict, has been relatively quiet and peaceful for several months. President Trump’s announcement upset many in the region, and the U.S. embassy has warned against travel to Israel and for Americans here to stay away from crowded areas, the Old City, and the West Bank. It’s scary for many of us because everything that has become the new normal was suddenly taken away from us. Up until today, I would take a public bus into the city and go for a run alone at night in the dark. A week ago I would say that I feel safer in Israel than I do back home. And I still feel safe, but being so close to the conflict is slightly troublesome. Overall, everything is fine so far and I hope it stays that way.
With midterms this week, I was reminded that I am here to “study” abroad, and I have had multiple appearances in the library with a Café Mocha from Aroma in hand.
!לילה טוב מישראל