L'Shana Tova!

I will be heading to Haifa in the next hour to spend Rosh Hashana with a family friend. What are you all doing to celebrate the New Year?

I wish everyone an incredible new year. May you be forgiven of all sins and ready to take on another year with an open mind and an open heart!

האושר על זה המשובחים

Eventful and relaxing all rolled into one. The past week and Shabbos has been on for the books (or the blog). My tummy is still full from the amazing food I had the luxury of eating and I'm ready to write about it. 

The two lead singers of A Collective doing an amazing duet.

Last Wednesday we had been invited to a show. There is an Israeli band that sings in English, their name is A Collective (www.joinacollective.com) and they performed a super small venue right here in Netanya at a bar called Doug & Tony's. They played recently in Tel Aviv at a much bigger and packed venue, but the "scene" here in Netanya is a lagging a bit. Anna, Ben, and I went and had an amazing time. They blew my mind. In comparison to places like the UK, Israel has not produced the most amazing music scene. These guys are the definition of proving this statement wrong. A six member band, two lead singers, and all around awesome-ness. Please give them a listen or a download!! 

All four Israel Pathways programs joined together for a Shabbat Seminar up in the North by the Kinneret aka the Sea of Galilee. So beautiful. We climbed Mount Arbel for a short history lesson, did a water hike where water came up to our hips, and stayed on the gorgeous grounds of Kibbutz Ginosaur. This particular Kibbutz privatized in the 1980's and continues to produce a very successful tourism and hospitality industry as well as the countries best bananas. They also produce other agriculture such as, apricots, walnuts, and the list goes on and on. We spent our time eating, resting, and swimming in the beautiful lake. For anyone traveling to Israel - The Nof Ginosaur buffet is where it's at! And after...I can honestly say it was my BEST night of sleep racking in a total of 12 hours :) I don't have any pictures during Shabbat as we were keeping the tradition of emulating God and not creating - only resting. However, we closed the Shabbat with a gorgeous Havdalah service and welcomed the new week with an epic dancing cruise on the Kinneret.

Holy Land Sailing Company- Tiberias, Israel

And sadly, today was the last day of our official training at Seminar Hakibbutzim. I am very glad it is over, but I am also a little nervous because the real stuff is about to begin. I don't really think I can say I am now 100% confident to enter the Israeli classroom and teach them a new language - a foreign language. Our Madrich, Gail, has assured us that we DO have all the tools we need and we ARE ready for what we are about to face, but there are moments where I am still unsure. Maybe I am more unsure now than I was before even coming to Israel because I was not aware of the magnitude of how difficult it may be.

Incredible nighttime view of Tiberias from the boat.

I am truly looking forward to Rosh Hashanah, this new year will be the biggest one of my 22 years yet. This is a REAL new year. This is a new year full of growing and experiencing unlike ever before. This new year MATTERS.

Chag Sameach! May everyone have a beautiful, fruitful, and abundant year :)

How Can I Explain This?

It's my life now. I wake up to an alarm, brush my teeth, put on my clothes, pack my lunch, get on the bus, and head to school. It's no different than the life I had lived back home. The thought of this and the act of it are different. When I think about it, I'm shocked that it is actually possible to live a normal day-to-day life so far from "home." When I do it though, it's completely natural.

Jerusalem, right out the Jaffa Gate.

The Western Wall.

My weekend in Jerusalem was better then I could have ever imagined. We stayed at Amy's family's apartment, absolutely stunning. There was a total of 9 of us and we each were able to sleep comfortably. The first night we went out to eat dinner on Ben Yehuda Street. An amazing area with so much cultural and a lot of English speakers. A few of us ate at Burgers Bar - mmmm. The rest of the night was wine, vodka, whiskey, and relaxation. The apartment building has a wonderful rooftop overlooking the area of Jerusalem. From the rooftop you can here different areas celebrating different events, weddings, birthdays, even simple prayer.

The next day we walked in the Old City. We reached the Kotel (aka The Western Wall, aka The Wailing Wall). It was the first time in two years since I have been there. The experience is still just as powerful. It is the most holy place for a Jew to go and talk, touch, and breathe in God. The power after you feel the Wall under your fingertips is not something that any blog or writer can express. Every person is there for a different reason. To my left a women crying uncontrollably as she prays, to my right a tourist snapping numerous pictures of all the notes to God shoved in the cracks. Moments like those are when I am remember how special my heritage is.

 

 

 

Roasted Veggies heading into the oven. Mmmm.

The "shuk" was the next stop. The shuk is the marketplace. Basically think of a farmer's market on crack, especially in the few hours leading up to Shabbat. Everyone is running around getting last minute ingredients for the perfect meal and flowers to bring over to loved ones' homes. The group of us split up and used the menu we had created in the morning to buy all of our necessary ingredients. There are many, many pictures of the process and the results, but

this is was the final list of our FABULOUS Shabbat meal:

-Walnut, Pineapple Kugel

-Cous Cous Salad

-Hummus

-Roasted Veggies (Eggplant, Carrots, Onions, Yams, Garlic)

-Delicious Challah

-And the grand finale: Make your own pizza bar! Using pita, amazing homemade tomato paste, mozzarella, feta, tomatoes, white wine mushrooms, anchovies, and peppers.

Dayim M'od!!! (So yummy!!)

Amy, Sarah, Anna, Alana at Gagos Rooftop Bar. Amazing Day/Night!

Saturday morning was clean up and preparation to leave. Our group split up again. Anna, Amy, and I headed off on a short journey to Ra'anana. Such a cute little town. There is nothing more I can say besides, BALAGAN! (Chaos). We went to a grand opening of a rooftop bar with a group of Anna's Israeli friends. Such a good time.

The weekend was amazing, the weeks ahead are going to be even better.

Settling.

Sometimes we spend so much time with each other, I walk outside and feel like I ALMOST forget that I'm in Israel. A good and a bad thing. It's good because the twenty-four Americans in my program are forming friendships and bonds on an everyday basis. Bad because we are not letting ourselves immerse into the culture. I realize it is every individuals job to do this. It has now become a point for me to get more acquainted with my neighbors and other Israeli's. I want to feel part of an Israeli community.

My roommate, Ellana.

As for the time we have spent together, the roof top of our apartment complex has been a prime location. Our group was finally complete with everyone arriving here safely and a having a party on the terrace this past Shabbat was definitely in order. Lots of drinks, lots of fun. 

 EFL Training has been quite the opposite this week. Some lectures are so boring that my whole body hurts. It sounds dramatic, I know, but it's true. I do understand how important and special it is that we have this opportunity and preparation before we enter the classroom, but the days are long.

Some of the players of the Netanya D1 Basketball Team.

Last night Amy, Anna, and I went to the Netanya basketball team's scrimmage. So awesome! The team is made up of Israeli's, Americans, all different men. Watching the basketball was fun, watching the men....even more fun.

Israel Pathways is the hub to four programs, Israel Teaching Fellows - Netanya (the program I am in), Israel Core (a volunteering program), Israel Path (Hiking the path from the North to the South of Israel), and Zoom Israel (a photography and graphic design program). Today we spent our time with the Zoom Israel group in a lecture about "Volunteerism." Also boring, but nice to meet new people. Random, but I met Lauren who is also from Las Vegas and also went to Cimarron-Memoral High School (exactly where I went to H.S.)! She graduated '08 and me '07. I have never met her before and she didn't look familiar, but I was shocked. You rarely meet other Vegas folks, but CMHS of all places!? Insane.

Our meeting with the Mayor in the local newspaper!

Ya'rushalaim (Jerusalem) is the weekend plan. I am SO excited. It is such an amazing city. Bless Amy and her family, they have an apartment right in the Old City and she invited a group of us to stay. Cookin', drinkin', and relaxin' - that's the game plan.

L'hitraot!

English Teacher in Training

With a whole week of English Teacher Training under my belt, I have quite a bit to share! We take a nice charter bus every morning at 9 a.m. to Seminar Hakibbutzim. It is a gorgeous college campus in Tel Aviv. Our madrichot pedogogi (teachers) are incredible. These woman are so smart and speak amazing English. The days are very long, from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. We do two or three lectures in the morning and then workshop type activities in the afternoon. The teachers have instilled a very realistic idea of the Israeli classroom and what we will most likely encounter with the Israeli students. Very different from an American classroom, the kids show little respect and run wild. This will not be easy, there may be days it's not fun, but the experience has none other to compare to. My plan is to not have any expectations of what the classroom or kids will be like. Instead I plan to finish out the training and continue to take it all day by day.

Our group is finally complete! Everyone has made it here safely, even my roommate :) We get along great and we have the same name, but her is spelled "Ellana." Certain people are forming stronger friendships than others. I have been able to enjoy long days at the beach and fun nights out in TLV with the people I have gotten closer to. And NO, I am not sick of the beach yet. In fact, I just got back and it is still just as beautiful as it was last weekend!

Me with the Mayor of Netanya, Miriam Feirberg Ikar.

Since I last wrote, I have had a beautiful Shabbat dinner hosted by our directors' family. I have met the Mayor of Netanya, Miriam Feirberg Ikar (and her very, very handsome body guard). She was the first woman to be a Mayor in Israel! My friend Amy and I were taken on a surprise double date to a karoake bar (no Mom, we did NOT fall in love). We went as a group to the grand opening of KIKA, the Austrian version of Ikea where Ellana and I got curtains and rugs. I have been indulging in bourekas, beer, sabeekh, hummus, and pita. And I have spent a night at a friend of a friend's awesome apartment in TLV. All of this was done with an on-going, growing love for Israel. If I had to make a prediction about the next 9 1/2 months, I would say it is going to be insanely fun. Still happy as ever and learning more and more Hebrew everyday! My newest phrase: Tenli M'od Nahshi'kot - Give me more kisses! (But I haven't actually used that one yet).

Anna, Alana, Amy, Amy, Jenette - Out in TLV

Shalom, Mienyanim?

There hasn't been a minute yet that I have forgotten where I am. I love being here so much that I keep repeating over and over in my head, "Wow, I'm waking up in Israel, walking the streets of Israel, buying groceries in Israel."

Our training starts on Sunday, so the past few days have just been about hanging out with each other, buying things we need, and getting settled in our apartments. We have visited the beach, discovered our neighborhoods one and only pub, and last night a few of us explored the streets of Tel Aviv. We had a nice opening ceremony on the rooftop of a building in Tel Aviv where are the Israel Pathways programs got together, had a delicious dinner and met all the higher-ups. The awesome Israeli dinner was paired with an amazing sunset. 

My roommate is still not here yet, so I have gotten very comfortable being in my own room. I need to erase that mindset because I know she will be here in a few short days. Besides her, everyone on the trip is from somewhere different and we have a big pot full of different personalities. It is one of the most eclectic bunch of people I have been a part of. I am preparing for what might be the most random 10 months I'll experience in my whole life. Then again, I'm no psychic.

My favorite part so far, is that a lot of the Hebrew I learned in college is coming back to me! Israeli's know English for the most part, but it's very flattering to me when they speak Hebrew to me. The big, curly mane on my head has them fooled. But I can't hold a drawn out Hebrew conversation yet and they immediately switch to English. Ulpan (intensive Hebrew lessons) starts at the end of October, but I am determined to learn as much Hebrew as I can until then. I allow all readers of this blog to hold me to the fact that I WILL be fluent when I get home. That is one of my main goals for my time here.

Here are some things I for sure know how to say:

*I live in Netanya: Ani gar'ah b'Netanya

*Thank you!: Toda!

*Please/Your Welcome: B'Vakasha

*My name is Alana: Hashem sheli Alana

*Cutie: Chamood

*Sweetheart: Motek

*Excuse me/Sorry: Sli'cha

*Good Night: Lila Tov

*Good Morning: Boker Tov

.....you get the drift!

Siroonit Beach. 7 minute walk from my apartment.

Sunset from rooftop in Tel Aviv.

Beach at night in Yaffo with the TLV skyline ahead.