Back to it

Hello, readers.

I apologize for the break in posting. It's been a very difficult week for all of us. While respecting her privacy, I will tell you that Jordan was in an accident here in Israel. Her family is with her now, and she's going to be ok. It's been a tough week for me and Katie, but it's important to me to start blogging again.

So there have been some interesting things this week. Tonight, for example, Katie and I are going to our second weekly Bible study with classmates of ours. I admit, I went mostly out of curiosity, but I end up enjoying myself very much (and not only because there were cookies and soda. I may or may not have eaten like I had not seen food before. Oh, please let there be more cookies tonight.)

Our host is Terho, a Finnish Lutheran pastor living here with his wife and three adorable and energetic sons (half an hour of the Study was a rousing game of 'Throw the Hat.') In attendance were me and Katie, Taylor, an American of an interesting religion he calls 'Hebrew Roots' (for example, he wears a kipa and prayer shawl, but is a Christian), Bernadette, a German, Marianne, the Norwegian student we went to the museum with, James and Kate, American Mormons, and Min, a Korean. I really love the diversity of the group. I mostly just listened, but I love hearing everyone's perspectives and reflections of their faith.

We discussed Psalm 1, reading it first in our respective languages. It was pretty beautiful that way.

We managed to get out a bit more during the week. Thursday night, the start of the weekend, we met up with the Hannahs, two of our classmates, in the heart of the city for a bit of food, pubbing, and gelato. We returned to the Uganda, and this time is was hopping with people and musicians. Much more like it. After that, we grabbed a bit of falafel and wandered around the bustling night life and enjoyed getting out in the night air.

We shared shabbat dinner this week with Jin, a recent MIT grad Katie met here, and Sarah, a roommate of Jordan's. Katie took her turn cooking and made what I will rightfully declare the most delicious stuffed peppers, impressively cooked in a toaster oven (due to a severe case of lack of an oven.) Curried rice, tomatoes, garlic pasta, white wine, grapes, challah, and dried fruit--oh, we feasted. We had the traditional eating from 5 to 10 pm and just talked and got to know each other. Katie and I felt that this prepared us for our future roles as dinner-party hosts (Not, mind you, because we are women, but because we happen to enjoy dinner parties. I think they're classy.) So we set out our little coffee table with plates and everything. And then took pictures with it in aprons. Sometimes, you just have to be silly.

Saturday, we had some time to kill in the city after we'd gotten there but before public transportation started back up again once Shabbat was over (9 pm. sigh.) We walked around our usual haunt--Ben Yehuda and Jaffa Streets, only this time, everything was completely shut and the streets empty but for a few children playing ball or women walking together. It was so peaceful, and Katie and I sat on a bench and just talked for hours. We had time to get pizza and/or burgers and some ice cream (and the most amazing melon sorbet) before it was onto the light rail to finally head back to campus.

Today's class was particularly good. We went on a 'field trip' to the campus rooftops and the ba'it knesset (synagogue), and I and several others stayed after for a talking practice room. Which meant an hour of conversation in Hebrew. I finally learned the word for actor, but I still, try as I might, cannot pronounce the infinitive form of 'to walk.' Still, the practice was helpful.

Afterward, I inadvertently hung around campus for another hour chatting with my classmate James about Feminism, Progressives, and families in America. I tell you, nothing feeds me more like good-natured intellectual debate. It's still a challenging discussion and well-articulated, but no one gets personally offended. The absolute best. He's someone I look forward to staying in touch with after the Ulpan, especially since he has archaeological contacts here in Israel.

Oh yes, folks. I will be back here again.