What does it mean to be a part of Am Yisrael?

Before coming to Israel, if you asked me what it meant to be a part of Am Israel I would have probably mentioned the earliest Jews wandering in the desert for many years. However, being in Israel for these past three and a half months has given me so much new insight on not only what it means to be Jewish, but what it means to be a part of Am Yisrael.

Part of me wants to say that all Jews are a part of Am Yisrael, however, it depends who you ask. In my personal opinion, I think that if you identify as Jewish, then you are a part of Am Yisrael. On the other hand, if you ask a member of the ultra-orthodox community they may not consider many people as a part of Am Yisrael because they do not see any other sect of Judaism as legitimate. As history has showed us, there are also many complications that come along with being a part of Am Yisrael. As these Jewish people, we have been persecuted for thousands of years. We always seem to have a target on our backs, but I think that is what has made us so much stronger. To me, someone who is a part of Am Yisrael is someone with Jewish values, who supports Israel, and is a part of the Jewish community.

Palestinian Speakers: Kids4Peace

Yesterday we went on a Tiyul to the Supreme Court, which was very fascinating! Afterwards, we went to look at and learn about the wall that separates the West Bank from the rest of Israel. We learned about the multiple Intifadas and suicide bombings that have occurred somewhat recently in Israel. Last night, we had three speakers from an organization called Kids4Peace come and talk with us.

One of the speakers was a Palestinian who was Muslim, and the other two were Jewish Israelis. They came to tell us about the organization that they are a part of, and their feelings about the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. What I found most interesting about these three speakers was that they were all fairly young. The oldest was the Palestinian guy in his 20s, and the two Israelis were around 15 and 16, which amazed me.

In their organization, they are working with Israelis, Palestinians, Muslims, Jews, Christians, etc, to promote peace, and to promote the two sides working together. Although the things that they are doing both inside and outside of this organization are quite interesting and impressive, I was a little bit disappointed with what they had to say. What bothered me the most was that they seemed uneducated. They didn't seem to have much knowledge of the actual conflict between Israel and Palestine, or what we were even fighting for. We asked them a series of questions about the conflict between the two religions and countries, the physical barrier that separates the two, a one-state vs. two-state solution, the government, and what they believe should be done to resolve these issues. All three of them basically had the same answer to these questions: peace. Peace would be an incredible thing to have, however, it doesn't just magically appear out of nowhere. There are many steps that would have to be taken in order to maintain peace between the two sides, and I think that is sometimes overlooked. Sure, we can say say that both sides should stop fighting in order to maintain peace, however, it is much more complicated than that. This issue is one that thousands of people have lost their lives over, and it won't be resolved so simply.

There was one point that they made that especially bothered me. They pretty much said that they don't think Zionism is important, and that they think it is more important to have one state for all races and religions, than to have a Jewish state. And this was coming from Israelis!! Even I, a person who is in Israel for their first time, believe that it is so incredibly important to have a Jewish state. Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years, and we deserve a safe place to come and live freely.

Likud-Shas Deal Article

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Likud-Shas-deal-to-transfer-rabbinical-courts-to-Religious-Services-Ministry-rallies-criticism-402171

The link above is to an article that I read having to do with current events. In the article, it mentions that Shas recently joined the Coalition, and grants the Haredi party control of the ministry. it talks about how there was an agreement made between Likud an Shas, saying that the rabbinical courts system can be transferred from the judge ministry to the religious services ministry. However, the transferring of these courts is a problem because the rabbinical courts have exclusive jurisdiction over Jewish marriage and divorce. The transferring of rabbinical courts also greatly effects the marriage and divorce rights for women, because the rabbinical courts rule the validity of marriage, and of Jewish law related to manage.

Reading this article, I became very frustrated, because I feel like the Ultra-Orthodox have such a strong influence in Israel, taking more and more power away from all other sects of Judaism. In reality, the Ultra-Orthodox are quite a minority in Israel, so it's upsetting to me that they control much of the country, and can make most of the country's decisions. I have always believed in equal rights for both men and women, and especially talking to Anat Hoffman today, I have gained a whole new outlook on the importance in advocating for women's rights in Israel. If we don't argue and fight for our rights, we may never get them. I think that from here, we can only move forward. It's important that women continue to fight for their rights, no matter what they are. And one day, I hope our voices will be heard.

My Final Month on EIE

The fact that it's already May terrifies me. I remember getting off the airplane in Israel and being surrounded by 72 fresh faces, excited, but nervous for the journey that lay ahead. That day feels like it was just yesterday, but in reality, it was three months ago. My time here has flown by more quickly than I ever thought it would. Time here passes like it does at camp: a day is a week, and a week is a day. Meaning that each day feels like forever, but the days fly by.

Well, three months have already flown by, and my friends and family are counting down the days and hours until I return home, but I am nowhere near ready to leave this incredible place that has now become my home. I'm going to save the sappy "I love EIE" and "I've had the time of my life" stuff for a few weeks down the road, when I unfortunately have to return home, but I wanted to use this time to brainstorm ways to continue my Judaism and love for Israel outside of this program.

As I have mentioned before, I have been attending URJ Camp Newman for the past 10 summers. Camp is the place in which I feel most connected to my Judaism, that was until I came to Israel at least. Israel has given me a completely new sense of myself, especially as a Jew. I'm truly looking forward to returning this summer to be a CIT, surrounded by many of my camp friends who are now EIE peers, and helping to instill a more meaningful Jewish experience into my campers. Israel has instilled so much knowledge, history, freedom, and responsibility in me, and I'm really excited to be able to bring these things back to America with me, never forgetting Israel and all that it's helped me achieve.

Should Ultra-Orthodox Jews Be Forced to Join the IDF?

Today in class, and many times over the past three months, we have debated amongst ourselves whether or not Heredi Jews should have to join the IDF. Our class was somewhat divided, and the discussion got pretty heated, which is just an example of how controversial tis issue is in Israel. At the age of 18, all Israeli citizens are recruited to join the IDF. However, the ultra-orthodox Jews don't serve in the army, because "they are fulfilling their service to the country by studying Talmud."

If a Heredi man wants to sit in a Yeshiva all day and study Torah and Talmud, I have no problem with that. However, in no way does that protect the citizens of Israel. Most Israelis put their lives on hold to serve in the IDF. They risk their lives to defend their country, and I think it is completely unfair that the Ultra-Orthodox are living off of the country's benefits, when they are doing nothing on behalf of Israel. Why should they be given the same benefits of someone who is putting putting their life and education on hold, not to mention risking their life each and every day to protect their country?

Obviously this issue is one that is very controversial and has been since the creation of the state of Israel. Despite its controversy, I don't think that the two sides will ever be able to come to a conclusion unless they compromise. I'm not saying that the Ultra-Orthodox need to be fighting in the front lines of a combat unit, but there are so many other things that they could be doing in the IDF, or other places to help serve their community in a way that counts. We fought incredibly hard to have our own Jewish state, and we won't be able to preserve it unless everybody works together in order to do so.

My Local Jewish Community

At my home in the Bay Area, I have a pretty spectacular Jewish community. I'll be honest, I rarely celebrate Shabbat, and attend services. However, I am very active in my community in other ways. I have served on the board of my temple youth group, CRuSTY, for two years, and I am very involved with CRuSTY as well as NFTY. And, as of a few weeks ago, I will be serving on NFTY CWR's Regional Board of 2015-2016, which I am thrilled about! In addition to CRuSTY and NFTY, I have been attending URJ Camp Newman for ten consecutive summers. Camp is truthfully the beginning of my Jewish identity. It's the place where I am surrounded by hundreds of people just like me, experiencing the same things, creating the same, yet very different memories, and having the summer of a lifetime. I am fortunate enough to have many of my camp friends a part of my local Jewish communities, which makes me more interested in engaging in activities in the community.

In the Bay Area, we have a newspaper called the J. This newspaper features those who are having upcoming bar and bat mitzvahs, stories of famous Jews, articles from summer camps, and much more. I looked at their website to see if anything interesting was happening and I found an article called "Visiting Young Israelis Chat Up the Country They Love." These two Israelis are from Tel Aviv, and they want Americans to be able to see Israel through their eyes. This pair is going around Northern California and sharing their love of Israel by putting a face on the IDF uniforms, and explaining their experiences in their beautiful country. I found this article interesting because here I am, studying in Israel, gaining such an appreciation for the land and the culture and all of it's beauty, however, it is so difficult to be able to express my love for this place to everyone back at home. The fact that they are traveling all over to express their love and pride for their country, is truly inspirational and moving to me.

Etgar Keret

Etgar Keret is one of those people who just cannot be explained. While reading his stories, my mouth  drops in utter awe, as I cannot believe what I'm reading. He says some of the most vulgar inappropriate things, but is still somehow very relatable and deep. All of the Etgar Keret stories I've read have been his typical vulgar, funny one's, however, this time I ended up reading a collection of very depressing stories. One of the stories I read was called 'Surprise Egg'. It talks about a woman who was killed in a suicide bomb attack near a bus stop when she was 32. He compares her death and the findings in her body to a surprise egg, as in there were a lot of mysteries inside, such as the tumors they found. This disheartening story talks about the mourning that her family went to, and I think that this is especially relatable to today, Yom HaZikaron. Today we are commemorating the thousands of soldiers that have lost their lives defending our country. Despite Keret's strange sense of humor, I think he does a really good job of connecting his stories to life in Israel.

April 20th, The Day We Witnessed History Being Made.

This morning stared off with many sighs, yawns, and unhappy faces, being as we were woken up at 5:30 AM to go to the Kotel to celebrate Rosh Hodesh with the Women of the Wall. I'll admit, for the first 30 minutes we were there, I was pretty bored. I'm a reform jew, and all of these women were fairly conservative, singing in many tunes that I didn't recognize. My friends and I sat down against the back wall for a few minutes, resting, and taking everything in. That's when we noticed a group of men from above spitting water at us. We got up to see what the commotion was about, and we were told that the full-sized Torah from the men's side was brought over to the women's side. This was a huge deal, as it was the first time that this has ever happened before. We all stood in awe, witnessing the history that was being made. I was so shocked that all of this was done so calmly, considering the division and conflict at the Western Wall. All of a sudden, Orthodox men began to push over to the Women's side, trying to steal the Torah back. The police came, and they were on OUR side, which felt safe and empowering. Today, the Women of the Wall were able to read an entire Torah service out of the full sized Torah. This is the type of thing that you hear about in the news, but I can't explain how special and empowering it was to be able to be a part of it.

My Trip To Auschwitz-Birkenau 3/26

6 million Jews. The number haunts me every time I hear it. Every time I think about it. But being here is different. There's no way to describe the horror and tragedy that is the Holocaust. You hear stories, you see pictures, and you imagine it. But whatever you imagine it to be, it's a million times worse. Jews were not only killed, but they were starved, beaten, separated from their families, and forced to work. They were either killed immediately, or they had to fight with everything they had to survive another day. Each shred of hope, pride, and dignity was taken away from them. Just like their lives and their food and their families were. Each time I think about it it makes me angry. What type of person would be so mentally unstable that they would want to eliminate and exterminate an entire religion and "race" of people? There is absolutely no excuse for this, and it makes me sick that people don't believe the Holocaust and its horrors. Auschwitz-Birkenau was the main death camp. 2 million Jews alone were killed here. There were between 3000-5000 people killed each and every day. Think about how many people that is. That's practically 3 or 4 times the size of my own high school. This horrible event destroyed families, people, communities, and so much more. Living in Israel for these past two months has given me such a new insight on the past, present, as future of the Jewish people. It makes me so proud to be Jewish. So proud to come from where I come from. And after everything that am Yisrael has been through, we're finally free. Together as a people, we have overcome so much. And today, we have our own state. We have a safe place for every Jew to go. To visit, to live, or to pray to. I think that it is so remarkable how far we've come in such a short time. We are strong people. We will never forget our past, for it has shaped our present and our future.

Yam L'Yam: No showers, No toilets, No complaints.

When you hear the words "Yam L'Yam" you think of five days of straight hiking, no showering, and disgusting food. Although that's pretty much what the trip consisted of, I had the best time! Going into this week I was nervous for what was to come, since I'm not the biggest hiking fan, but I ended up loving it. I got extremely lucky in having the best guide and group. We all got along so well, made endless jokes, told endless stories, making the hiking go by much faster. Not to mention, we made some delicious food.

During our tiyul, we learned how to cook tuna by lighting toilet paper on fire, how to purify water, how to build shelter, how to start a fire, and so much more. Not only did I have a lot of fun on the trip, but I saw some of the most beautiful sights. We climbed Mount Meron, the second largest mountain in Israel, AND we hiked from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea, which amazes me. I felt an entirely different connection to Israel by experiencing it with my own two feet.

Poland: A trip of tears, touching stories, and TLC.

Our masa to Poland was quite an emotional rollercoaster for me. We visited Jewish ghettos, concentration camps, and even heard the grueling stories of Holocaust survivors, and their experiences at the camps. Each additional thing that we did this past week, made the Holocaust seem more like a reality to me. The more I learned and saw, the more amplified my feelings and reactions were. While we were in Poland, we focused on both life and death. Although I tried to see the life that is still existent in Poland, I couldn’t help but notice all the death that surrounded me. Jews were stripped of their humanity, freedom, families, belongings, and so much more that cannot be replaced.

One of the first places we visited was Tikochin. Tikochin was a quaint little town, or shtetl. It had shops, homes, a beautiful church, and people walking around. Everything there seemed so peaceful, which makes me think of life. There were beautiful flowers, and you could hear the wind rustling through the trees. We gathered in the beautiful old synagogue, and filled it with life, just as it had once been.

Despite there being traces of life in Poland, I was more focused on the aspect of death, since that’s what our trip was centered around. The number ‘6 million’ was tucked into the deepest crevices of my mind. One of the places that really made me think of death was Majdanek. Walking around the camp while reading a survivor’s Holocaust story, made the entire site seem so empty and dead. Towards the end of the day at Majdanek, we approached a large dome. I didn’t know exactly what it was all about, but I had a feeling that it wasn’t pleasant. As I approached the dome, my stomach dropped. I looked down to see a gigantic mound of ashes. Looking at this massive pile of ash, I saw my ancestors. I saw those who had come before me, and weren’t as lucky as I had been. This particular sight was probably one of the most emotional things I experienced while I was in Poland. I don’t think anything represented death as accurately as a huge pile of ashes.

While we visited the various Holocaust sites in Poland, we learned about the term ‘Kiddush H’Chayim’, which means Sanctifying Life, or emphasizing acts of resistance. These acts of resistance were ones that really stuck out to me. Despite the Nazis trying to dehumanize and distinguish the Jews, we still resisted them, and proved that we are strong and united as Am Yisrael. One of the examples that truly inspired me was the story of Janusz Korczak. Janusz was a Polish-Jewish educator and children’s author. He had an orphanage, where he educated and looked after children. During the Holocaust, he was given a chance to leave Warsaw and return home, but he gave up that opportunity to stay and help the children. Eventually, he and the children all got killed. This story is a form of resistance, or Iberleben, because it shows that saving a group of children is more important than saving a single person’s life. It shows that it is worth sticking up for your beliefs, even if it means that you may suffer from it.

Rabbi Emil Fackenheim said, “Jews are forbidden to hand Hitler posthumous victories, they are commanded to survive as Jews, lest the Jewish people perish.” The way I interpret this quote, or 614th mitzvah, is that despite our tragic past, and the fact that the Nazis tried to eliminate the Jewish people, we must stay strong and remain as Am Yisrael. I completely agree with this statement. Whenever we reference the Holocaust, we say, “Never Forget.” Despite the fact that the Nazis tried to eliminate us, and came close to doing so, we are still here today and standing stronger than ever. Today, we have our own state! This is something that the Jewish people have wanted for thousands of years, and I think that it’s really important that we remember who we are, and what we stand for as Am Yisrael.

Overall, Poland was quite a long and emotional journey. Over the course of the week, we saw things that we never could have imagined were possible. We experienced the Holocaust in a way that is not possible through simply reading a textbook or having a class discussion. Although this Poland journey was quite difficult and terrifying, and although all any of us wanted was to get the hell out of this country, it was a truly inspiring and enlightening trip. We cried together, we helped each other through the tough times, and we all came out so much closer and stronger as a group.

Must a Jew Believe in God? Article

God has always been a concept that I've struggled with. What is God exactly? Do you have to believe in God to be Jewish? What does believing in God even mean? The article Must a Jew Believe in God talks all about the Jewish belief of God. According to Rabbinic and Biblical Judaism, the belief in God is something that is important. The Maimonides' thirteen principals of faith mentions that God does exist, and that believing in God is essential to one's Judaism. Obviously, depending on the type of Judaism, orthodox or reform, you will get different answers about one's belief in God.

I think that it is up to each person to interpret their God, and their views about God. Some people may feel a strong connection to God, while others may not. Personally, I don't know if I believe in God or not, but I absolutely still consider myself Jewish. I'm in Israel, the holiest place on earth, studying, and experiencing the culture for four months. If that still doesn't classify me as Jewish, then I don't know what does.

From Israel to Jordan: Across the Border

Having my parents in Israel this past week has been incredible. It has been so nice getting to catch up with them, and fill them in on all of my Israel adventures. This past weekend, we went on an adventure of our own! It started off on Friday morning, with a 4:00 AM wakeup. By 4:45, we were headed down to Eilat, and a few hours later, we started to approach the Israel-Jordan border. Before I knew it, we were walking on Jordan territory. Jordan is literally across the street from Israel, but as we headed to Petra and Wadi Rum, I noticed all of the cultural differences. The language is different, the people are different, the geography is different. That's something that's really interesting to me. I think that we tend to judge other countries and cultures based on preconceptions that we may have of them, but you see a completely different side of things when you're actually there experiencing it for yourself. This is a perfect example of me being on EIE and living in Israel for four months. Everyone has their preconceived ideas of Israel, and the conflict going on here, but it's incredibly different to be living here and experiencing it myself.

Matisiyahu's Religious Journey and Substance Abuse Problems

The article I read was about Matisiyahu's upbringing, and his religious journey and substance abuse problems. I thought that this article was so interesting. We all know who Matisiyahu is, we've all sung and danced to his songs. This article was so intriguing to me, because I've always seen him as such a real and optimistic guy. This article is proof that we don't know nearly as much about people as we think we do.

Matisiyahu got into drugs and alcohol at a very young age, letting these substances control him for most of his life. While he was going through the toughest of times, he turned to music, Judaism, and the land of Israel. Israel, along with music, were things that helped him find the right path in life. He used his belief God, and ancient traditions to cleanse himself of all of the toxic things in his past. He then used these things as a way to better his future, which I truly admire.

Women of the Wall Magilah Reading

Over the past few days we have celebrated Purim in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. We all dressed up, went to a parade, and had so much fun! On Shabbat, we visited the Kotel and joined the Women Of The Wall for a special reading of the Magilah. All of these women were huddled around a Magilah scroll, dressed in costumes, chanting, and shaking the grogger every time we heard Haman's name.

It was such a cool experience to be at the Western Wall, surrounding by all of these incredible and empowering women who have fought for so much justice, change, and equality. I felt honored to be standing among them, participating in the reading of the Magilah, and the celebrating of Purim.

Hiding Judaism in Copenhagen Article

The article I chose to read was entitled, 'Hiding Judaism in Copenhagen.' This article talks about  anti-semitism occurring in Copenhagen, and how people react if they find out that you are Jewish, or even worse, Israeli. Israel's ambassador to Denmark, Arthur Avnon, gave Jews in Nørrebro, Copenhagen advice, suggesting that Jews traveling in Copenhagen exercise 'extreme subtlety': "Don’t speak Hebrew too loudly, cover up any visible Star of David jewelry, fold your kippot and slip them into your pockets." 

One of Denmark's best-known journalists, Martin Krasnik, decided to test out the Ambassador's warning, wondering what would happen to him if he walked through the streets of Nørrebrogade, a place that he used to live, wearing a kippah. Many people asked him if he was Jewish. They flipped him off, or told him to go to hell. However, Krasnik mentioned that the outcome would have been much worse if he were an Israeli. 

As much as I found this article interesting, it disgusts me. This article was written almost two years ago, and even now there is still a large wave of anti-semitism and attacks in Europe. Another aspect of Jewish life that this article made me think of was The Holocaust. The Holocaust ended 7o years ago, and there is still anti-Jewish behavior being exhibited all over the world. I truly hope that we can put an end to all of this anti-Semitic and disgusting behavior soon.

One Month in and a Vacation

Well, we have officially been in Israel for over a month! I feel like we just got here, but yet we've already done so many cool things! This past week and a half, we headed down south for a vacation. Our first stop was Masada, which we hiked at 4:00 AM in the pitch dark and freezing cold! Once we got up there, we had a beautiful t'fillah service, and a Jewish History class. Although the weather was pretty unbearable, I learned so much about Jewish History at Masada. I used to think that Masada was just a tourist destination, a beautiful place to hike. However, being there, and being educated on the location, I learned so many things that I had never known. For example, I learned that Herod The Great built Masada as a vacation home, that it had a lot of Roman influence, and that the Roman Siege of Masada lead to a mass suicide of all of the Jewish people living there at the time.

After Masada, we went to the Dead Sea, stayed in Bedouin Tents, road camels, went to Eilat, and so much more. All of these were aspects of our trip that I had been waiting for since arriving in Israel. It was all so much fun! However, my most meaningful experience of the week was definitely Gadna. At first, I didn't like it. I had a really hard time adjusting, but in the end, I ended up loving it. Over the few days that I was there, I learned so much about myself, and how to work with other people. The entire experience gave me a whole new appreciation for Israelis, and all that they do. Each of them work so hard to serve their countries, which is something I truly admire.

Israel Museum Tiyul

Today we took a Tiyul to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. It was absolutely beautiful, and so much fun! While we were there we saw the infamous אוהב sculpture, the model of the second temple of Jerusalem, and the old dead sea scrolls! We learned about all of the different sects of people during that time, including Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots, and Essenes. We had different kids in our class portray the different people in the sects, which really helped me to understand what each sect was about. 

The sects all differed from each other in their beliefs about religion, afterlife, and culture. For example, the Sadducees wanted to adopt Roman Culture, but not their religion. The Pharisees sect wanted to adapt to the Roman Culture, but not be influenced by it. The Zealots were against the Romans, and they were very harsh and forceful towards them. Lastly, the Essenes sect isolated themselves because they did not want to be influenced by the hellenists. 

The Choice Between Jewish Life and American Life

Today in Jewish History class, we discussed the challenges of keeping Judaism alive, while being surrounded by another dominant culture. Living in America, where Judaism is a large minority, this is an issue that truly effects me.

There are many aspects of my life where I feel like I have to choose between my religion and my American life, because they don't always mesh together. One example of this is having to skip school to observe Jewish Holidays. I go to a public school, where there are a small amount of Jewish kids. Therefor, we don't get most Jewish Holidays off. It's important for me to observe the major holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, however it is frustrating to have to miss a day of learning to do so. The class can't simply stop to accommodate my needs, so I have to make up the work.

Another example of this is having to choose between my social life at home, and my Jewish social life, or family obligations. For example, many of my school events are the same weekend as a NFTY event, or the same time of a major Jewish Holiday. Personally, I am much more interested and involved with my Jewish social life than my social life at home, so the decision isn't too difficult. Nevertheless, it's difficult to have to make a decision between my religion and my social life. It seems as though this isn't as big of an issue with other cultures such as Christianity or Catholicism.

Our Past Tiyul: The Old City of David

This week we had our first full-day Tiyul! We were gone from breakfast until dinner, which was exhausting, but the entire day was so interesting!! We started out at Jerusalem Tayalet, where we got comfortable on the grass and had a Jewish History lesson. We discussed the Tanakh, diving into it's characters and stories. What I found most interesting, was that we were sitting in the location that these stories took place. Not to mention the incredible Nof (view) that we had. We looked out and had breathtaking view of the entire city of Jerusalem.

Later in the day, we headed to The Old City of David. We started off our time there with a free hour to walk around and shop, which was really fun! Afterwards, we met up with our Jewish History Classes and continued our discussion of the Tanakh while exploring the beautiful ruins. Walking around the Old City while learning about it, I felt so inspired and intrigued by everything around me. 

mushki song# : מוקי - לב חופשי

I was scrolling through the awesome playlist of Israeli songs that our madrichim have created for us, and I came across one called 'לב חופשי' (Free Heart.) There were a few things that attracted me to this song. First of all, the melody really intrigued me. I like that it is a slower paced song, and that it has a very relaxing tone to it. However, I can tell that there is a lot of emotion in this song. The artist sounds very passionate about the lyrics and the subject that he is singing about.

Below are the translated the lyrics from Hebrew. (Unfortunately, the translation isn't great, but it is enough to give you a good understanding of the song.) The artist is singing about his "free heart." He says, "Today my heart is free, no cables, and no more worries." The way I interpret that line, as well as this song, is about a past relationship. I think that the artist was in love with a woman, and now he is finally mustering up the strength and courage to move on from her and their previous relationship, in order to better his own life. He continues to say, "And life goes on, family, friends, women, So I'm not alone, I'm just without you." To me, this line shows a lot of strength. Although he has lost someone very important to him, he is focusing on the other positive aspects in his life, which is imperative to do  during a difficult time, such as the loss of a relationship.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQUwvwgNpNs&index=11&list=PLFdaDs6jm04gmKjghLvy09QV7cqWTZU53

Muki- Free Heart

Free heart,  Today my heart is free,  No cables  And no more worries.  Clean lie  Free of nostalgia,  Naked.  Free heart  Like the wind.  And after it was burned,  And after it was over already  Released and fled  One more time.  And a great light emerges from the darkness,  Is revealed.  Night escape from this morning  Rising.  Free heart,  Today my heart is free,  Without programs  And no promises.  And life goes on,  Family, friends, women,  So I'm not alone  I just without you.  And this heart burns,  This heart already runs  Released and fled  One more time.  And a great light emerges from the darkness,  Is revealed.  Night escape from this morning  Rising.  Now far from me,  But it does not hurt.  Because as you've so did you go -  The, you broke my heart.

'Crazy Jewish Mom' texts go viral article

Jewish Mothers have been characterized as "crazy" and "overbearing" for as long as I can remember. Some of these typical Jewish Mother's characteristics include being loud and proud, loving, guilt-inflicting, defensive, urging loved ones to eat, as well as many others.

I think most Jewish Mothers are stereotyped as the "Crazy Jewish Mom" from time to time. However, the degree of how crazy they are can vary. My mom does "typical Jewish Mother things" every once in a while, such as telling me to put on a sweater, telling me to bring a snack wherever I go, and making sure I've had enough to eat. Despite her caring and motherly attitude towards me, I know that she would never go as far as Kate's mom has, pretending to be me on JDate and flirting with random strangers. Thus, one of the reasons that makes me love her even more! I think that Kate's mom may be so extreme in her ways because of her lack of self esteem. Kate is her only child, and she wants Kate to be happy, making her go to extremes to accomplish that. She may also be living vicariously through her daughter, wanting her to experience things that she never had an opportunity to!


Below are two links. The first one is to the article that this blog post was based on, and the second is a buzzfeed post called '35 Signs You Were Raised By a Jewish Mother' that I found relevant and entertaining!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/35-signs-you-were-raised-by-a-jewish-mother#.xyO4dgObl

http://www.timesofisrael.com/crazy-jewish-mom-text-messages-go-viral/

My Experience At The Kotel

As I previously mentioned in my last post, I have been wanting to visit Israel for as long as I can remember. Everything about it intrigues and excites me. The fact that I have the opportunity to live here for four months is extraordinary. Prior to my arrival in Israel, one of the things I have been looking forward to the most was visiting and experiencing the Kotel. After sixteen years of learning about it, seeing pictures of it, and hearing stories about it, I finally got to go and experience it for myself. 

Walking through the Old City yesterday was unbelievable. Each step I took, I admired my surroundings-the people I was with, the city I was in, and so much more. Although the Old City of Jerusalem is beautiful and incredible, being at The Western Wall was such a special feeling. Each step I took, I was overcome with emotion. I couldn't help but feel emotional and empowered as I felt so touched, knowing where I was standing, and thinking of all who have stood before me. I was standing in front of such a holy place. People from all over the world come here to pray-regardless of culture, tradition, or religion. The Western Wall is a sign of resilience from the Jewish people, showing that we can overcome anything, and we are still standing strong, which is so empowering to me.

Below are some pictures from my experience at the Kotel :)

My First Update in the Holy Land

After counting down the months, weeks, days, minutes, and seconds, I have finally arrived in Israel! For months I have been overwhelmed with anticipation, thinking about what this upcoming semester would entail. Once we all landed in Israel on Monday afternoon, I took a deep breath in. I thought of everything that I was looking forward to, and all that I was about to experience. I thought about all that I was so extremely excited for.  To experience Judaism on a new level, in the holy land, to make new, everlasting friendships, and to have the experience of my life.

Although I have only been here for about four days, Israel is already much more than I anticipated it would be. It's beautiful, it's peaceful, it's kind, and so much more. I cannot wait to go out into the country and experience. I want to experience the daily life, and all that it entails; the laughs, the cries, and the friendships that will last me a lifetime. I have been wanting to go to Israel for as long as I can remember, and I couldn't think of a better, more positive, and beautiful experience to have.