Though dead on our feet following last night's revelry and a day full of classes, we somehow found it within ourselves to attend a concert with Eric and Gloria at the Jerusalem Theater. The show was a mix of styles and genres of music, with the Black Hebrews (an American trio) singing soul and blues, Etti Ankri singing country-style music (if such a term can be applied to Israeli music), and David D'Or pretending to be a soprano cantor. The proceeds from the event are being put toward the support of agunot, so even though only half of the music was actually good, the entire evening was worthwhile.
Random meetings of the day - while I was waiting for the bus on Derech Hevron, Isaac Hollander, a co-worker from Or Chaim, stopped his car in the left-turn lane to chat for a few seconds. For dinner, Rina and I went to Shai Mintz's apartment to have dinner with the Arbesmans, a family from the Buffalo days who are here on vacation.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Making Up for Vegetarian Shabbat Meals
After havdala we met up with Held and Evi, both of whom are visiting for Winter vacation, and went out to town to search out some interesting eating experiences. We started off at Ethio-Israel, the Ethiopian restaurant we've been to before, but they were - no joke - out of food. Our next stop was O'Connell's, a bar that came to us recommended.
A business that Jon has always wanted to see established is a bar with kosher bar-food, but no city outside of New York really has the type of population needed for such a venture. O'Connell's is exactly what he has been looking for - an Irish pub with a menu overflowing with meat. We each ordered a beer (which comes by the liter, not the pint), and shared an order of chicken wings, onion rings, and a platter of mixed meats and dipping sauces. Fantastic. We plan to go back at the soonest opportunity.
Not entirely satisfied, Jon and Held convinced Rina that the next stop had to be Burgers Bar, a standard Israeli joint that Jon has never tried. While the meat and grease hit the spot, the experience was not what it had been built up to be, especially following the dream-come-true that was O'Connell's. After a quick meeting with Moishe and Zvi Jesin, we headed home at a reasonable 2 am. Fun!
Ir Amim
After spending the last few days touring the Old City, we decided to spend Friday seeing a different side of Jerusalem, and so signed up for the Ir Amim tour of East Jerusalem. Ir Amim strives to give people a more complete picture of the "City of Peoples" (as its name suggests) by showing them neighbourhoods that are off the beaten path, and explaining the historical reasons for their current economic, educational, and fiscal problems. The majority of this tour focused on area impacted by the constructions of the Security Fence (or Separation Barrier, Barrier for Life, etc., depending on your political stance).
Aside from the many interesting facts discussed during the tour, such as the ways in which families and jobs are disrupted, and educational and tax systems fail, the most intriguing element was the surprisingly a-political stance of the guide. At no point did he claim that the wall should be torn down, nor did he parade any propaganda about decreases in terrorism since its construction. Rather, he seemed to be solely concerned with the plight of the residents in the immediate vicinity of the wall and the decrease in their standard of living. The purpose of the tour seemed to be to open our eyes, not to change our minds.
During the tour I thought about something that one of my classmates mentioned on Thursday. He drew the analogy that our perceptions of Israel are similar to a small child's perceptions of his mother. When very young, the boy thinks that his mother is the most beautiful, the smartest, the best cook, and so forth. As he grows up, however, he realizes that his mother is most likely not perfect, and has many human failings and frailties, the same as everyone else. We need to recognize that Israel may not be the perfect Land of Milk and Honey that we would like her to be, but is in fact a nation involved in the global community, and as such has the same challenges and troubles as other countries. Another classmate added that she deals with these issues by compartmentalizing - on the one hand she has the Holy Land, and on the other the State of Israel. However, I'm not certain that this actually deals with the issues; it may just be sweeping them under the rug, and I can imagine this simply causing more problems.
Aside from the many interesting facts discussed during the tour, such as the ways in which families and jobs are disrupted, and educational and tax systems fail, the most intriguing element was the surprisingly a-political stance of the guide. At no point did he claim that the wall should be torn down, nor did he parade any propaganda about decreases in terrorism since its construction. Rather, he seemed to be solely concerned with the plight of the residents in the immediate vicinity of the wall and the decrease in their standard of living. The purpose of the tour seemed to be to open our eyes, not to change our minds.
During the tour I thought about something that one of my classmates mentioned on Thursday. He drew the analogy that our perceptions of Israel are similar to a small child's perceptions of his mother. When very young, the boy thinks that his mother is the most beautiful, the smartest, the best cook, and so forth. As he grows up, however, he realizes that his mother is most likely not perfect, and has many human failings and frailties, the same as everyone else. We need to recognize that Israel may not be the perfect Land of Milk and Honey that we would like her to be, but is in fact a nation involved in the global community, and as such has the same challenges and troubles as other countries. Another classmate added that she deals with these issues by compartmentalizing - on the one hand she has the Holy Land, and on the other the State of Israel. However, I'm not certain that this actually deals with the issues; it may just be sweeping them under the rug, and I can imagine this simply causing more problems.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Generations
At 5:40 this evening we met with Eric and Gloria near the Kotel, at the ticket office for the Chain of Generations tour. None of us had heard much about the experience, but knew that it was new (a rarity in this city) and had received some good reviews. About the content we were in the dark, but gave it a shot anyways.
The museum is a series of rooms filled with glass sculptures, each one completely different from those that preceded it, and commemorating various stages in the history of Judaism, especially as it pertained to Jerusalem. Different textures, lighting, writing, shapes, and orientations helped to convey the emotional state of the artist as he moved through the past 2,000 years of nation building, expansion, corruption, diaspora, and return. The pieces, crafted by Jeremy Langford, were wonderful, and were easily the best part of the museum.
The premise behind the museum, as explained by the guide, is to bring modernity to the Old City, whose other exhibits tend to skew toward historical. To that end, they converted a Crusader passage and several mikvaot discovered nine years ago into the hallways of the exhibit, then filled them with modern art and special effects (like strobe lights and smoke machines, an Israeli necessity). We both found this setup a little jarring, and think that it was probably arranged as such less for the stated artistic reasons and more to offer a kid-friendly alternative to all of the fact-heavy historical edifices for which the city is known.
As we exited the museum we found ourselves in the middle of a giant gathering in the main plaza of the Jewish Quarter, where soldiers and their families had gathered for the swearing-in of a new group of draftees. We stayed and watched for a while and were struck by two things. The first was that we were witnessing the same chain of generations discussed in the museum, with a new breed of Israeli youth at the forefront of the faith's advancement. The second was the stream of Haredi men who walked through the crowds with their eyes screwed tightly shut, probably to avoid the sight of the nationalistic soldiers or the women immodestly clothed in their long-sleeved winter garb. Both those fighting for a contentious future and those hiding in a distant past together in one square. Well, not really together, and that's sorta the point.
The museum is a series of rooms filled with glass sculptures, each one completely different from those that preceded it, and commemorating various stages in the history of Judaism, especially as it pertained to Jerusalem. Different textures, lighting, writing, shapes, and orientations helped to convey the emotional state of the artist as he moved through the past 2,000 years of nation building, expansion, corruption, diaspora, and return. The pieces, crafted by Jeremy Langford, were wonderful, and were easily the best part of the museum.
The premise behind the museum, as explained by the guide, is to bring modernity to the Old City, whose other exhibits tend to skew toward historical. To that end, they converted a Crusader passage and several mikvaot discovered nine years ago into the hallways of the exhibit, then filled them with modern art and special effects (like strobe lights and smoke machines, an Israeli necessity). We both found this setup a little jarring, and think that it was probably arranged as such less for the stated artistic reasons and more to offer a kid-friendly alternative to all of the fact-heavy historical edifices for which the city is known.
As we exited the museum we found ourselves in the middle of a giant gathering in the main plaza of the Jewish Quarter, where soldiers and their families had gathered for the swearing-in of a new group of draftees. We stayed and watched for a while and were struck by two things. The first was that we were witnessing the same chain of generations discussed in the museum, with a new breed of Israeli youth at the forefront of the faith's advancement. The second was the stream of Haredi men who walked through the crowds with their eyes screwed tightly shut, probably to avoid the sight of the nationalistic soldiers or the women immodestly clothed in their long-sleeved winter garb. Both those fighting for a contentious future and those hiding in a distant past together in one square. Well, not really together, and that's sorta the point.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Al Quds
For this morning's activity we arranged to be a part of a tour of the Temple Mount. After a swim in a local mikva that left Jon feeling less pure than before he went in, we met up with the Goldberg-parents and headed over to the Old City.
The first sight that greeted us as we approached the meeting place was Rina's cousin Ari, whom we last saw at the conference on heresy. It seems that Tenenbaums like to distance themselves from the Jewish mainstream. Who knew? Anyways, the guide quickly gathered us together and made clear his personality when he yelled at a hunched 70-man for not answering when his name was called, even though he had only arrived seconds earlier. The guide made sure that we looked suitably like irreligious tourists, and we proceeded through security. The last sight we passed on our way through the gates to the Temple Mount was a stack of twenty riot shields with the word "Police" written across them in bold black letters.
After allowing us a moment to take in the impressive sights that greeted us, the guide explained the 'purpose' of his tour as being a solidarity mission. He wanted us to understand the shift of Israeli and Jewish policy toward the right, as well as the policy of apathy toward the goings-on on Har HaBayit, and how those two elements have combined to leave what should be the most important place in Judaism entirely out of Jewish control, and even beyond interest for many. While we toured the platform the guide used maps, photos, pictures, and anecdotes to weave an elaborate history of the area that stretched from pre-Temple times through to the modern day. The tour was full of facts, figures, and stories (both true and apocryphal) that served to give us insight into a hilltop that, while ideologically important, for most of us had been nothing but an idea. He managed to bring depth to an area that sorely lacked it.
The area around the Dome of the Rock was amazing for many reasons beyond its historical and religious significance. Few of us had understood the scope of the space, which is large enough to hold several million people (or so it was explained). The plaza is also beautiful, not only because of the the architecture and art of the buildings, but also because of the gardens and groves that fill it. We were also surprised to find the place relatively empty of pilgrims and prayers, but with many school children running around. To sum up, it was a very different place from what we'd expected, and well worth the visit and possible damnation.*
*Jon seems to think that there was a divine push for him to take today's tour. He was skipping class to make the trip, but almost the moment the tour began he received a text message from the University telling him that his teacher had joined the strike.
The first sight that greeted us as we approached the meeting place was Rina's cousin Ari, whom we last saw at the conference on heresy. It seems that Tenenbaums like to distance themselves from the Jewish mainstream. Who knew? Anyways, the guide quickly gathered us together and made clear his personality when he yelled at a hunched 70-man for not answering when his name was called, even though he had only arrived seconds earlier. The guide made sure that we looked suitably like irreligious tourists, and we proceeded through security. The last sight we passed on our way through the gates to the Temple Mount was a stack of twenty riot shields with the word "Police" written across them in bold black letters.
After allowing us a moment to take in the impressive sights that greeted us, the guide explained the 'purpose' of his tour as being a solidarity mission. He wanted us to understand the shift of Israeli and Jewish policy toward the right, as well as the policy of apathy toward the goings-on on Har HaBayit, and how those two elements have combined to leave what should be the most important place in Judaism entirely out of Jewish control, and even beyond interest for many. While we toured the platform the guide used maps, photos, pictures, and anecdotes to weave an elaborate history of the area that stretched from pre-Temple times through to the modern day. The tour was full of facts, figures, and stories (both true and apocryphal) that served to give us insight into a hilltop that, while ideologically important, for most of us had been nothing but an idea. He managed to bring depth to an area that sorely lacked it.
The area around the Dome of the Rock was amazing for many reasons beyond its historical and religious significance. Few of us had understood the scope of the space, which is large enough to hold several million people (or so it was explained). The plaza is also beautiful, not only because of the the architecture and art of the buildings, but also because of the gardens and groves that fill it. We were also surprised to find the place relatively empty of pilgrims and prayers, but with many school children running around. To sum up, it was a very different place from what we'd expected, and well worth the visit and possible damnation.*
*Jon seems to think that there was a divine push for him to take today's tour. He was skipping class to make the trip, but almost the moment the tour began he received a text message from the University telling him that his teacher had joined the strike.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
There and Back Again
Tonight we (Rina, Jon, Eric and Gloria) went to that Ticho house, whose museum Rina has already visited, and where Jon has already dined. We started off in the lower gallery, where we saw paintings of modern women by several famous artists, such as Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, and Warhol. That doesn't mean they were all good, just that the were all famous. We then moved to the upper gallery, where we looked at Dr. Ticho's chanukia collection, and Mrs. Ticho's sketches and drawings. We then moved back downstairs for dinner.
Every Tuesday night the restaurant hosts a jazz quartet, and offers a wine and cheese (and salad and soup and pasta) buffet as part of the meu. Everyone but Eric trusted their bodies to handle the lactose and went for the buffet, which hosted a dozen types of cheese and a variety of wonderful dairy entrees. While we ate we were entertained by the musicians, who played a mixture of holiday songs, tunes with Jewish roots, and what we assume to be jazz pieces. After noticing that everyone who was in the room when we arrived had long since gone we decided to call it a night, and headed home to sleep before our early wake-up tomorrow.
Every Tuesday night the restaurant hosts a jazz quartet, and offers a wine and cheese (and salad and soup and pasta) buffet as part of the meu. Everyone but Eric trusted their bodies to handle the lactose and went for the buffet, which hosted a dozen types of cheese and a variety of wonderful dairy entrees. While we ate we were entertained by the musicians, who played a mixture of holiday songs, tunes with Jewish roots, and what we assume to be jazz pieces. After noticing that everyone who was in the room when we arrived had long since gone we decided to call it a night, and headed home to sleep before our early wake-up tomorrow.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Visitation Rights
Tonight, Christmas Eve, began Winter break - for Rina's parents. After meeting them at their Moroccan themed apartment, we headed over to 9 Haportzim (our home) for dinner, then to the Old City. Once there we visited the Kotel and then began the Western Wall Tunnel Tour.
Our guide took us through the underground caverns and systems of arches that support the buildings of the Old City, as well as alongside the continuation of the massive stone retaining wall of which the Kotel is a tiny portion. Along the way he explained aesthetics (Herod's framing of the stones and specific placements), architecture, history, and spirituality. The information ranged from Herod's methodologies to the importance of a tiny archway, the closest spot to the former Holy of Holies. We also walked through a defunct aqueduct, and visited the site of one of the money-changing stations made so infamous by the biblical sequel. All things considered, this was a very nice start to our month of parental visitations.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Music Recital
We saw an ad for a free concert at the nearby music conservatory, so after dinner tonight we went over to check it out. The event took place in what looked like an undersized school auditorium, with plastic chairs set up facing an open area with microphones and a piano. The 'school environment' persisted as a group of 10-year-olds took the stage to perform some songs on piano, flute, and violin. We very much felt like we were at a sibling's amateur recital. The ad we had seen advertised the event as containing jazz, poetry, and Ethiopian music, and the next group to take the stage delivered all three at once. It was a bizarre but interesting experience, and well worth the price of admission.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
"And in the morning, I'm makin' waffles!"
After a pleasant Shabbat full of new things - a new crockpot (yay chulent!), a different shul (yay mediocrity!) - we hung out with some Binghamton friends-and-spouses at Ben Yehuda, which was filled with more Birthright children; they seem to have multiplied since Friday, leading us to believe they are either Gremlins that got wet or some sort of fast-replicating amoeba/bacteria. On the way home we stopped off at the Waffle Bar a short way from our apartment, and introduced ourselves to a delicious friend. We're not sure why there aren't all-night waffle joints that also serve liquor and play techno music in North America, but if someone gives us the capital we'll put in the work to make it happen. It is well worth it.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Friday Fun
We continued our weekend with a morning tour of Rechavia, another of the early settlements outside the Old City walls. We learned about the history of the peaceful neighbourhood, as well as the story of its varied residents and their roles in history. Some notables included authors and Chief Rabbis, as well as heads of industry and finance (remarkable that so many philosophies could share one neighbourhood, something you would never see in today's Jerusalem). The area was beautiful, made even more so by the fact that it was tucked away behind some of Jerusalem's busiest and most tourist-packed streets yet has maintained an aura of picturesque un-Jerusalem-ness.
Next up was the shuk, where we gawked and laughed at the hordes of Birthright tourists, and did some last minute shopping. We also had lunch at a little hole in the wall (no, really) called "Chummus", where we had chummus with a hard-boiled egg, shakshuka (a Mediterranean egg and tomato dish), falafel balls, charif (spicy green parsley something), and a basket of pita. We closed off the meal with a drink of sachlav, an undefineable but delicious hot drink. Then it was home to - as usual - rush through our preparations for shabbat.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Random Updates
Today Jon went on another school visitation, this time to the most extreme school thus far. The school was in Beitar, which is beyond the Green Line; the school is run by Shas, the Sephardi Religious party; and the classes were divided based on gender, starting from Grade 1. It was an environment completely like any he had been to, and what was most interesting was that the administrators talked to were completely open about their politics and policies, not trying to play down any potentially sore subjects or avoid any topics. It was very refreshing to see/hear this approach, but also makes a lot of sense - you don't move over the Green Line if you aren't sure and proud of your political stance.
After dinner, we got together with Evi, who is visiting for a few weeks, at Cafe Hillel. Reminiscing and so forth followed. And chocolate pieces in the drinks!
Word of the day:לקונדל (l'Kondel)
It means "to run around to meetings that produce no results." An actual word, inspired by Condoleezza Rice.
After dinner, we got together with Evi, who is visiting for a few weeks, at Cafe Hillel. Reminiscing and so forth followed. And chocolate pieces in the drinks!
Word of the day:לקונדל (l'Kondel)
It means "to run around to meetings that produce no results." An actual word, inspired by Condoleezza Rice.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Jewish Geography
So many seemingly random connections and people-sightings are made here that it has been a while since we have had one worth reporting. Today, while dropping off dry cleaning at a nearby store, Jon, as he is apt to do, struck up a conversation with the store's owner. Following the standard scripted dialogue, she asked him where he was from, to which he responded "Toronto". She followed this by stating, "oh, I have a cousin who lives there. Can't remember her married name, though. Has a son about your age..." Minutes later, their business concluded, Jon was about to leave when the owner blurted out "Kagan!"
Jon replied, "Nicky Kagan?"
"Yep."
"Of course I know her. I've been working with her for the last four years."
Weirdness.
Jon replied, "Nicky Kagan?"
"Yep."
"Of course I know her. I've been working with her for the last four years."
Weirdness.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Culture Day!
Hebrew University today was full of cultural experiences for Jon. For a taste of Israel, he got to witness his professors join the general Senior Lecturers' strike (luckily the Melton Center was prepared, and organized alternative courses). For a taste of Poland, Argentina, Canada, and Florida, he got to eat the remaining foodstuffs from Yom Kehilot (cookies, peanut butter-chocolate thingies, maple-syrup oatmeal, and an orange). K, so this post wasn't so exciting, but we had to somehow convey the silliness of being here to attend Hebrew University for free, but then have no professors.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Yom Kehillot
For some reason, now that Jon's group has known each other for four months they have decided to dedicate a day to learning about each others' communities. To that end, each participant prepared a 15 minute presentation and delivered it today, with fun/educational games interspersed. While it was a shame to give up a Sunday, the event actually turned out to be quite fun.
Aside from the many PowerPoint presentations*, there was a game called "Guess that Food!" in which blindfolded participants were fed regional confections (brought by us), whereupon they had to guess both what the food was and from whence it came. Some of the highlights were Napoleon cake (Russia), Corn meal latke-thingies with syrup (Chile), and TimTams (Australia). There was also a round of Jeopardy (Jon's team won, and he is unnecessarily excited about it) and a delicious** lunch in the Faculty Club (shmancy!).
While the purported purpose of the day was to learn more about each others' lands of origin, the day was worthwhile just because we got to spend time together outside of the formal classroom setting. But don't take that endorsement as a cue to steal more Sundays!
*If for some ungodly reason you want to see Jon's fancy PowerPoint dealie, let us know.
**While delicious, the lunch included a mystery dish that we ate with Jon's students at Marvad Haksamim, which an Israeli promptly explained to save some folk from the mystery. Those little grey things that we hoped were mushrooms? Kidneys. Hurray for iron!
Aside from the many PowerPoint presentations*, there was a game called "Guess that Food!" in which blindfolded participants were fed regional confections (brought by us), whereupon they had to guess both what the food was and from whence it came. Some of the highlights were Napoleon cake (Russia), Corn meal latke-thingies with syrup (Chile), and TimTams (Australia). There was also a round of Jeopardy (Jon's team won, and he is unnecessarily excited about it) and a delicious** lunch in the Faculty Club (shmancy!).
While the purported purpose of the day was to learn more about each others' lands of origin, the day was worthwhile just because we got to spend time together outside of the formal classroom setting. But don't take that endorsement as a cue to steal more Sundays!
*If for some ungodly reason you want to see Jon's fancy PowerPoint dealie, let us know.
**While delicious, the lunch included a mystery dish that we ate with Jon's students at Marvad Haksamim, which an Israeli promptly explained to save some folk from the mystery. Those little grey things that we hoped were mushrooms? Kidneys. Hurray for iron!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Ein Karem Revisited
Today Rina and a friend went on a tiyul/adventure. We started off near Yad Vashem and followed the trusty picture of a man with a hiking stick along a trail that took us to Ein Karem. We decided that wasn't enough of a hike and made some of our own paths until we made it back to Ein Karem. Once we were in the cute little town we went hiking in the valley and decided to hike up it. We climbed up and scaled some walls and then made it to this huge fortress-looking thing with gates and huge walls. I felt like I was in an adventure novel. We followed the wall until we reached a huge gate and buzzed on the door. We were let into a beautiful monastery. The place was basically a huge garden full of beautiful trees, flowers, and shrubs. It was very peaceful and definitely a wonderful place to stumble upon. After wandering around the rest of Ein Karem we made our way back to Jerusalem.
Tonight we (Jon and I and Elisheva) went to see a great Israeli movie. It was called Bikur HaTizmoret (The Visit of the Band). It was a mixture of Egyptian, Hebrew and English. The plot was about an Egyptian Police band that received poor directions and ended up in the nearly-dead town of Beta Tikva instead of the slightly-better Petach Tikvah, and the soul searching and life changing that resulted. There was a very good mix of comedy and drama; as we've seen in most modern Israeli movies, the plot seems to center around a sort of cynical realism which results in a new-found appreciation for life. It came highly recommended and we definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an Israeli culture movie. Apparently it was good enough to be thought of as a Foreign Language film, but so much of it was in English that it couldn't be entered.
Tonight we (Jon and I and Elisheva) went to see a great Israeli movie. It was called Bikur HaTizmoret (The Visit of the Band). It was a mixture of Egyptian, Hebrew and English. The plot was about an Egyptian Police band that received poor directions and ended up in the nearly-dead town of Beta Tikva instead of the slightly-better Petach Tikvah, and the soul searching and life changing that resulted. There was a very good mix of comedy and drama; as we've seen in most modern Israeli movies, the plot seems to center around a sort of cynical realism which results in a new-found appreciation for life. It came highly recommended and we definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an Israeli culture movie. Apparently it was good enough to be thought of as a Foreign Language film, but so much of it was in English that it couldn't be entered.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Packed-Jam Final חנוכה Fun
Today our day was filled with great activities, which was great for Rina, who is on vacation, and crazy-commuting for Jon, who is not.
Rina spent her morning with a fellow Toronto ex-pat finding secreted and exciting locations around the city centre. They visited two museums, and lunched on falafel. In the Ticho House there were exhibits on history, women in art, and a massive chanukia collection that puts Jon's parents' to shame. The second museum was maintained and stocked by a single artist, whose colorful and whimsical (read 'hallucinogenic') pictorial representations of prayers and Hebrew letters were astounding in their scope, intricacy, and imagination. Who knew that Judaism could be pretty and fun?
Jonathan met up with Rina and some other friends in the early afternoon at the OU Center for a series of lectures about heresy in Judaism today. The entire event, from the staff to the speakers to the audience, reminded us very much of a Torah in Motion event, moreso as it was all about confronting the challenges of modernity (if you believe that fundamentalism is a modern challenge that needs confronting). The three speakers, Rabbis Cardozo and Brovender and a Hebrew U professor, each approached the topic from a different angle, but all seemed to agree on one fundamental and important point - without a specific definition of what is involved in a Jewish identity nobody can be branded a heretic, and there is no person or group today with the authority to authorize that definition. Other interesting ideas that were discussed included a proposal to get rid of Rambam's Thirteen Principles of Faith, rabbis recently excommunicated, and the Lubavitch movement. While some of what was presented was challenging or off-putting, the series as a whole was very engaging and interesting.
After a short break following the five hours of lectures, we headed over to Marvad HaKsamim on Emek for dinner with Jon's A.P. English class from last year. He foolishly promised them a meat dinner if they performed well on the exam, which they then did, to his chagrin. The all-you-can eat appetizers, salads, dips, and meat were far more than we could eat, and will therefore coldly furnish forth our Shabbat table. Hurray! While it was a little weird to slip back into the 'Mr. Parker' persona, the whole evening was lots of fun.
Rina spent her morning with a fellow Toronto ex-pat finding secreted and exciting locations around the city centre. They visited two museums, and lunched on falafel. In the Ticho House there were exhibits on history, women in art, and a massive chanukia collection that puts Jon's parents' to shame. The second museum was maintained and stocked by a single artist, whose colorful and whimsical (read 'hallucinogenic') pictorial representations of prayers and Hebrew letters were astounding in their scope, intricacy, and imagination. Who knew that Judaism could be pretty and fun?
Jonathan met up with Rina and some other friends in the early afternoon at the OU Center for a series of lectures about heresy in Judaism today. The entire event, from the staff to the speakers to the audience, reminded us very much of a Torah in Motion event, moreso as it was all about confronting the challenges of modernity (if you believe that fundamentalism is a modern challenge that needs confronting). The three speakers, Rabbis Cardozo and Brovender and a Hebrew U professor, each approached the topic from a different angle, but all seemed to agree on one fundamental and important point - without a specific definition of what is involved in a Jewish identity nobody can be branded a heretic, and there is no person or group today with the authority to authorize that definition. Other interesting ideas that were discussed included a proposal to get rid of Rambam's Thirteen Principles of Faith, rabbis recently excommunicated, and the Lubavitch movement. While some of what was presented was challenging or off-putting, the series as a whole was very engaging and interesting.
After a short break following the five hours of lectures, we headed over to Marvad HaKsamim on Emek for dinner with Jon's A.P. English class from last year. He foolishly promised them a meat dinner if they performed well on the exam, which they then did, to his chagrin. The all-you-can eat appetizers, salads, dips, and meat were far more than we could eat, and will therefore coldly furnish forth our Shabbat table. Hurray! While it was a little weird to slip back into the 'Mr. Parker' persona, the whole evening was lots of fun.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Tranquila
The Y.M.C.A. in Jerusalem (a historic edifice which is far prettier than many hotels we've seen) is hosting a series of newly released and provocative plays, one of which we saw tonight. "Tranquila" is a story set entirely in a Ecuadorian hospital room, where an Israeli who has lost the use of her leg travels between reality and hallucination, life and death. The performance is a combination of acrobatics, comedy, and drama, and incorporates three languages (English, Spanish, and Hebrew), puppetry, trapeze, rope-and-ring contortion, and fantastic (both wonderful and full of fantasy) costuming. While the story may not have been as compelling as desired, both of us were impressed by the seamless incorporation of these many techniques, as well as the troupe's ability to convey a story whose spoken words were incomprehensible to thirds of the audience at a time.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Another Nighttime Tour
This evening's entertainment was another Melton-led tour of Jerusalem, this time in the neighbourhood of Nachlaot. Located adjacent to the shuk, this area is one of the oldest in the city, and for many years was home to the area's poorer elements, including many Chassidic families who had lived in the same buildings for generations. Of late, however, Nachlaot has begun a process of gentrification, so much so that the older residents cannot pay the greatly increased property taxes and are at risk of losing their homes. The tour through the area had many highs and lows, some of the former being the many varied chanukiot we saw on window ledges and in doorways and the masses of children playing freely in the dark alleyways, one of the latter being the jarring contrast between the failing and unattractive hovels on one street and the newly-built mansions around the corner. While we had to compete with crowds of other tour groups, the twilight introduction to an interesting element of the city was well worth it.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
חנוכה Fun
Today's Chanuka entertainment began at night, in the Old City. We watched as two communal chanukiot were lit, the first without fanfare but with giant flaming gas jets, the other with announcements, speeches, and song, but too far away to actually make out clearly. What was clear, however, is that that Israeli rabbinate needs to include some sort of singing audition before approving ordination.
After a quick dinner, we joined up with our tour at Migdal David. The name of the tour was "Jerusalem Stories", and it was led by a cute little Israeli draped in a scarf and wielding song-sheets and a flashlight. As we wandered from the Old City to the multimillion dollar homes of Kfar David, and from there to the King David Hotel and the Mamilla shopping district, we were told love stories that each involved the city of Jerusalem. The stories were taken from a range of sources, beginning with the Tanach (David and Michal), then moving on to the Talmud (Akiva and Rachel), and then to the modern day (post-1900 famous families, such as the Ben Yehudas). The leader of the group was very engaging, and the nighttime atmosphere helped set the tone. The tour was also very interesting in that, while the historical elements of our surroundings were mentioned, they were used solely as a backdrop for the emotional stories that took place around them. For pretty much the first time, we went on a tour that cared about the people who made the history, not just the history itself.
We warmed up with coffee and cake at the new Aroma cafe in Mamilla, then it was off to yet another Pardes Chanuka party, where we lounged about with friends from Rina's program. Then Jon, the party pooper not on vacation, made us go home so he could get some sleep. Loser.
After a quick dinner, we joined up with our tour at Migdal David. The name of the tour was "Jerusalem Stories", and it was led by a cute little Israeli draped in a scarf and wielding song-sheets and a flashlight. As we wandered from the Old City to the multimillion dollar homes of Kfar David, and from there to the King David Hotel and the Mamilla shopping district, we were told love stories that each involved the city of Jerusalem. The stories were taken from a range of sources, beginning with the Tanach (David and Michal), then moving on to the Talmud (Akiva and Rachel), and then to the modern day (post-1900 famous families, such as the Ben Yehudas). The leader of the group was very engaging, and the nighttime atmosphere helped set the tone. The tour was also very interesting in that, while the historical elements of our surroundings were mentioned, they were used solely as a backdrop for the emotional stories that took place around them. For pretty much the first time, we went on a tour that cared about the people who made the history, not just the history itself.
We warmed up with coffee and cake at the new Aroma cafe in Mamilla, then it was off to yet another Pardes Chanuka party, where we lounged about with friends from Rina's program. Then Jon, the party pooper not on vacation, made us go home so he could get some sleep. Loser.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
חנוכה Parties
Our second חנוכה party of the night was broken up by the police. Who knew that we had regressed to University? Still fun though.
P.S. - You know it is a Pardes party when there is a bedroom-rave for girls only, but the boys are allowed to gawk and photograph.
P.S. - You know it is a Pardes party when there is a bedroom-rave for girls only, but the boys are allowed to gawk and photograph.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
חנוכה Spirit
Does anyone else find it funny that tonight Maccabi Tel Aviv played against Greece? Does this mean that the team will now declare itself the new rabbinate of Israel?
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
On the first day of חנוכה...
On the first day of חנוכה the Hanuka-bush gave to us a lecture and an Open-mike night.
At Hebrew University this afternoon the new-ish Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary gave a short lecture, open to the public. The topic as announced was about Heschel and his relationship to Martin Luther King, Jr., but Jon went just to be able to hear the new leader of the Conservative Rabbi factory. The speech wound up being about Heschel's approach to activism and human rights, and seemed to boil down to the premise that each of us has a connection to G-d, and therefore should be able to feel His pain at the injustices being perpetrated on His creations, and should react accordingly. An interesting side-point that arose was the idea that Jewish law, as written in the Bible, is entirely open to interpretation, with no strictly defined limits on what those interpretations are or can be. This is a provocative position for the new Chancellor to take, for what sort of direction can he give to the movement if he believes there are many allowable halachic stances? We understand pluralism and inclusion, but how is this a religion if there are no guidelines?
At night we attended the Pardes Chanuka party/silent auction/talent show, which came along with free latkes and sufganiyot (the rating has been added to the appropriate post below). It was a lot of fun to hang out with Rina's school-chums, and to see their various "talents" at work; there were skits, raps, poems, songs, and musical performances, most of which seemed to require some sort of skill on the part of the performer. The proceeds from the auction went toward supporting the Polish Jewish community, and some of the item available, like gourmet dinners, massages, acupuncture, and shooting lessons were alluring. Overall it was a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the holiday's second night.
At Hebrew University this afternoon the new-ish Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary gave a short lecture, open to the public. The topic as announced was about Heschel and his relationship to Martin Luther King, Jr., but Jon went just to be able to hear the new leader of the Conservative Rabbi factory. The speech wound up being about Heschel's approach to activism and human rights, and seemed to boil down to the premise that each of us has a connection to G-d, and therefore should be able to feel His pain at the injustices being perpetrated on His creations, and should react accordingly. An interesting side-point that arose was the idea that Jewish law, as written in the Bible, is entirely open to interpretation, with no strictly defined limits on what those interpretations are or can be. This is a provocative position for the new Chancellor to take, for what sort of direction can he give to the movement if he believes there are many allowable halachic stances? We understand pluralism and inclusion, but how is this a religion if there are no guidelines?
At night we attended the Pardes Chanuka party/silent auction/talent show, which came along with free latkes and sufganiyot (the rating has been added to the appropriate post below). It was a lot of fun to hang out with Rina's school-chums, and to see their various "talents" at work; there were skits, raps, poems, songs, and musical performances, most of which seemed to require some sort of skill on the part of the performer. The proceeds from the auction went toward supporting the Polish Jewish community, and some of the item available, like gourmet dinners, massages, acupuncture, and shooting lessons were alluring. Overall it was a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the holiday's second night.
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Festival of Oil
Happy חנוכה! Because we know many of you order your jelly-doughnuts from Israel, we have spent the last few weeks in the arduous and painful task of sampling as many sufganiyot as we could stomach, to save your own stomachs the trouble. Here, in no particular order (unless you consider best to worst particular), are the results:
1. English Cake - we have discovered the reason for the Brit's bad teeth, and it is this bakery's fantastic product. Their ריבת חלב filling (literally translated as "milk jam", but better translated as "ambrosia" or "ohmygodthisisAWESOME") was quite good, as was their chocolate. Even their blueberry, eaten defrosted and heated on the stovetop, was far better than the second place finisher when fresh. English cake provides lots of filling and an appropriately oily and delicious dough.
2. Tal Bagels* - We were told you were the best. You were not. Too little filling and a cloud of icing sugar with each breath detracted from the great taste of both.
3. נעמן* - While the jam was too watery, the dough was easily the best we've tasted. Not that it could have done without the jelly, but still excellent.
4. עזרא - By virtue of your jam actually tasting like strawberries and the fact that you were given to us by a passing motorist while we waited at a rainy bus stop, you beat out #3. But you made our first night of חנוכה start off great, so thanks!
5. Mister Zol* - A very cake-like dough, and jam that tasted like it came from a jar. We could have eaten this as a sandwich. A very very sweet and sticky sandwich.
6. דובשנית* (on Palmach) - Standard fare, but the doughnut-hole glaze instead of powdered sugar gives you bonus points.
7. דובשנית - Meh. You were only good enough not to be #8.
8. Something- French Bakery* - you were eaten at a party, so it was unclear if your lack of filling and staleness was the fault of your baker or your hostess. Either way, not an impressive showing.
9. פאר - While you make great cinnamon buns and the best whole wheat challah in the city, your sufganiyot are overly doughy and your jelly is so watery that it spills out when the doughnut is bit. We demand viscosity!
10. עוגת-חן - filling more watery than פאר's? For shame.
11. Free from Chabad - You were free. So what if your filling tasted like bug-juice from camp.
12. בית לחם של חנה - Apparently one should not buy desserts from a bakery named "the house of bread", as bread is all they know how to make. This sufganiya was all dough, so much so that it was unclear if the doughnut had filling or if the jam had just rubbed off from a neighbouring cookie. Luckily this disaster was eaten before it could ruin the holiday.
*Tried during חנוכה and added in a revision to this post.
Israeli Culture Day
The day began at Hebrew University, where the prolonged professors' strike, which has lasted nearly six weeks thus far, prompted the student body to take action by...striking. Even though only half of our courses are available, the Student Union decided to show the government who is boss by locking the campus' gates to those students and professors unfortunate enough to still want to be involved in education. Jon's first class, Talmud, had only six of its usual thirty-five students, so was let out after only twenty minutes. Three and a half hours later, sitting in a room with only three other students, he came to the realization that his other classes of the day probably wouldn't run either. To make matters more ridiculous, the striking students didn't seem to realize that the campus is completely isolated from the rest of the city, and their message therefore reached nobody but the student body itself. The event didn't even make it to the news.
With Rina spending the evening at a wedding, Jon decided to continue his Shwarma search. Tonight's experience - אוכל בכייף. Having been told that this establishment was run by the same people as מלך הפלפל, our long standing front-runner, Jon expected great things of tonight's competitor, and it delivered. We're not sure if the server was new or this is the most amazing shwarma-place in town, but the wrap was so stuffed with meat, french fries, eggplant and the like that it could not be closed. After eating some of the dinner's entrails, it was over to the salad bar that was stocked with both the usual salads as well as a fluorescent and spicy cauliflower concoction that was outstanding. Watching the natives stalk their prey Jonathan came to a realization - you can take the salads and put them in a bag, rather than in your wrap. Sadly and deliciously, this opened up new, very large doors to his gluttony. The bulk, taste, and indoor-seating experience all combined to make this the new front runner in the most delicious competition ever.
Rina's evening was spent at the wedding of a classmate from Matan. The event was a mixture of many different cultures, including Israeli, formal, and Persian. The groom wore an untucked pullover shirt, and the chupa ceremony was filled with speeches, poetry, and raucus singing (as well as Birkat Kohanim, for some reason). The party had a cool mechitza, made of bamboo stalks, with lounge chairs and couches on either side, and the dancing was wild (especially when the music turned from standard wedding fare to standard Persian dance party fare). Overall, the entire experience was a lot of fun, and a cultural eye-opener, especially the dancing.
With Rina spending the evening at a wedding, Jon decided to continue his Shwarma search. Tonight's experience - אוכל בכייף. Having been told that this establishment was run by the same people as מלך הפלפל, our long standing front-runner, Jon expected great things of tonight's competitor, and it delivered. We're not sure if the server was new or this is the most amazing shwarma-place in town, but the wrap was so stuffed with meat, french fries, eggplant and the like that it could not be closed. After eating some of the dinner's entrails, it was over to the salad bar that was stocked with both the usual salads as well as a fluorescent and spicy cauliflower concoction that was outstanding. Watching the natives stalk their prey Jonathan came to a realization - you can take the salads and put them in a bag, rather than in your wrap. Sadly and deliciously, this opened up new, very large doors to his gluttony. The bulk, taste, and indoor-seating experience all combined to make this the new front runner in the most delicious competition ever.
Rina's evening was spent at the wedding of a classmate from Matan. The event was a mixture of many different cultures, including Israeli, formal, and Persian. The groom wore an untucked pullover shirt, and the chupa ceremony was filled with speeches, poetry, and raucus singing (as well as Birkat Kohanim, for some reason). The party had a cool mechitza, made of bamboo stalks, with lounge chairs and couches on either side, and the dancing was wild (especially when the music turned from standard wedding fare to standard Persian dance party fare). Overall, the entire experience was a lot of fun, and a cultural eye-opener, especially the dancing.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Project of the Fellowship
As part of Rina's programme at Pardes, she has to create a project for the betterment of the Pardes community. She has been working on creating a monthly series of lectures, the first of which was tonight. At around 7:15, our apartment was filled with the most pluralistic group of recently graduated North American Jews we could find, as well as the smell of free pizza (it smells different than paid-for pizza, and you know it!).
The topic discussed tonight was the halachic ramifications of giving up land within Israel's borders. The rabbi who spoke presented a series of viewpoints from Jewish thinkers spanning hundreds of years, and concluded with several modern takes on the issue. The resulting stance, from the lecturer's perspective, was that the sanctity of life is more important than the sanctity of the land, and that military and political specialists must be consulted to determine the possibilty of violence in each situation. To him, the withdrawal from Israeli lands has become less a halachic issue than a strategic one, but somehow this seemingly liberal ideology is supported by tomes of modern day rabbinic poskim. Overall the entire event was a success, both in terms of the turnout and the psychological prodding and provocation it provided.*
*We apologize for the scarcity of details, but the source-sheets were many pages long and would be difficult to recapture here. If interested in the sources discussed, e-mail us and we'll be happy to pass them on.
The topic discussed tonight was the halachic ramifications of giving up land within Israel's borders. The rabbi who spoke presented a series of viewpoints from Jewish thinkers spanning hundreds of years, and concluded with several modern takes on the issue. The resulting stance, from the lecturer's perspective, was that the sanctity of life is more important than the sanctity of the land, and that military and political specialists must be consulted to determine the possibilty of violence in each situation. To him, the withdrawal from Israeli lands has become less a halachic issue than a strategic one, but somehow this seemingly liberal ideology is supported by tomes of modern day rabbinic poskim. Overall the entire event was a success, both in terms of the turnout and the psychological prodding and provocation it provided.*
*We apologize for the scarcity of details, but the source-sheets were many pages long and would be difficult to recapture here. If interested in the sources discussed, e-mail us and we'll be happy to pass them on.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Birthday fun
Across the street from the Hartman Institute is a decrepit park that has only two things in it aside from thistles and dead shrubs - bonfire pits and signs forbidding bonfires. Tonight, in celebration of Yonit Schiller's birthday, we went over to the park to hang out, eat roasted marshmallows, and partake of a garbage bag full of popcorn. A happy birthday, indeed.
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