Greetings from Jerusalem,
It’s been a few nights since my last post. We have a lot to catch up on. The past couple of days have been inspiring to say the least, and while I can give you all a beat by beat run down of every activity we participated in, I’m more than certain that my friends here on Mayanot 83 will without a doubt fill you in when they come back home. Rather than regurgitating our itinerary and sprinkling in some jokes about my mother, I want to share with you some personal thoughts about my time here… while sprinkling in some jokes about my mother.
For nearly 22 years I’ve sat around the Seder table on Passover, just going through the motions as any person would in a situation that he’s accustomed to, but doesn’t fully understand. For nearly 22 years, I’ve listened to my cousins ask the four questions until I was old enough to recite them myself, and then again I listened until my sister took over. For nearly 22 years I’ve listened to my uncle conclude each Seder with “Next year in Jerusalem,” and for 22 years I’ve had no idea why. That is, until this past Friday.
We arrived in Jerusalem on two days ago and every moment since has been nothing short of awesome. Friday night we celebrated Shabbat at The Wall. Maybe I didn’t have the most engaging temple experience growing up, but I’ve never seen a bunch of Jewish people actually having fun during a service. We were singing, we were dancing, and we were enjoying each other’s company. Not once did I check my watch in anticipation of the end, and not until that night did I truly experience the rock star that is Rabbi Levi Slonim. Watch out, Bieber, there’s a new guy in town and he’s carrying the word of Hashem. You think Bieber’s hair is worth talking about? Ask Slonim about his beard- that outta be a nice hour-long conversation.
The next day, we were all divided up and had the unique experience of eating a home cooked meal at an Israeli family’s home. A few of my friends and I had the pleasure of eating with the head of Mayanot, his family and guests. The table was flooded with food, song, laughter and overall joy. It was an amazing experience and the opportunity to see how another family celebrates the day of rest was an eye opener.
It actually reminded me very much of my upbringing. I recall waking up on Saturday mornings and watching intently as my mother spent the day in our kitchen putting hours of thought and loving care into the important decision of which Italian restaurant to order in from that night. Sometimes we’d even find a coupon online that allowed us to get a free Baked Ziti with every purchase of 15 dollars or more. Ah, the memories.
Saturday night was spent on Ben Yehudah street, which is a lively, upbeat strip of shops and eateries. It’s a great place to buy jewelry that will more likely than not disappoint your sister.
Today, we spent our time at Yad Vashem and Mount Hertzel. If you don’t already know, Yad Vashem is Israel’s Holocaust museum, and Mount Hertzel is our military cemetery. Both experiences were beautifully emotional, and I suggest visiting if ever presented with the opportunity.
Mount Hertzel was especially gratifying, for we spent our time there with our soldiers. I know I’ve touched upon the idea of having Israeli soldiers on our trip a few nights back, but the experience has changed completely having spent the last 72 hours with them. I talk to our soldiers with same level of comfort and understanding that I talk with the friends I’ve known my whole entire life. It’s an honor to be able to act like an absolute idiot in front of these guys just to get a laugh. However, the following joke did not translate as well as I would have liked:
Q: Why did the girl from Long Island, wearing Solos, an American Apparel zip-up and Ray Bans cross the road?
A: Because there was a self-serve yogurt shop on the other side in which she had plans to meet up with some “high school friends” whom she doesn’t really have anything in common with anymore other than a mutual understanding that if they don’t try and force this relationship that clearly isn’t working, they’ll have nobody to hang out with over winter break.
Alrighty, I’m gonna go spend my last night with our soldiers.
Until next time,
Jason