Rain Delay

Tonight we went to a barbecue, attended largely by Torontonians. The event had been organized so we could all watch the Blue Jay's opening game, against the Yankees in New York. This was to be Jon's first baseball game in a dozen years, if not more, so of course it was rained out. Still, the sound of English in the air and the scent of roasting hot dogs was well worth it. After that it was off to meet the Cantors, Jon's Aunt and Uncle visiting from Toronto.

Oh, and for those of you interested in following a tangent to the frumka story, check this out.

Sunday Stroll

Our trip to Haifa cancelled due to rain, this afternoon we took a walk around the nearby neighborhood of Yemin Moshe. Um...that's all. Very pretty.

Free Culture Shabbat

Although probably not theologically sound, we chose a shul today based almost entirely on its kiddush (although the Rabbi's speech was good, it couldn't compete with mini-pizzas and bourekas). After a heavy snack/light lunch, we walked over to the Museum of Islamic Art, which is free to the public on Saturdays. The museum was not what either of us expected, as rather than simply showing Islamic artists' work, it taught us about the history of Islam and Islamic culture through art. Each of nine rooms covered a different era, location, and style, and had signs containing both historical information and explanations about the artistry. The amount of information with which we were presented was quite heavy, so we're not sure how much we'll remember, but the experience was very worthwhile and we'd gladly do it over again (especially if there is a pre-visit pizza snack).

After eating our actual lunch at home we took advantage of the early spring weather to walk to the Tayelet to appreciate the view of Jerusalem and the park's gardens.

Following Shabbat, we went to the Jerualem theater, an installation only a short walk from the Islamic Museum, to enjoy one of the many performances being presented around the city as a part of the Jerusalem Arts Festival. We thought we were going to hear an Israeli jazz ensemble, but it turned out to be a group of High School kids from a kibbutz playing a mix of big band, jazz, and klezmer tunes. They were great, though, and the large crowd of mostly grandparents and proud parents, and us, had a fun time.

Museum and Market

After hearing several good reviews, this morning we got to see the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. Like most other contemporary Israeli museums, this one is almost entirely frontal, with audio and video components taking the place of artifacts and reading. The tour was informative and very well put together, and the site is beautiful and has a fantastic view of both the Old City and Gan HaPa'amon. However, we couldn't help but feel that the presentation was a little bit lopsided (in Begin's favor, of course), and failed to give any historical context to the biographical and political events it was narrating. Still, if you're looking for an overview of the man's life and career, or simply want to hear speeches about human dignity set to moving musical scores, this museum is fantastic.

On our way home, we stopped by a market set up in the yard of a school on Emek Refa'im. The tents that filled the area housed clothing, cheeses, wines, baked goods, crafts, and all manner of other home-made goods. It was fun to browse through the unique goods, sampling foods and fashions (if "fashion" can be applied to Israeli outfits), enjoying the sunshine at the same time.

Purim - Day 3

After a much needed sleep in on the first 'real' Sunday in a long time, we made our mishloach manot and delivered them around the town. The walk was nice, both because of the 30 degree summer heat that arrived, and because of the many costumed children running to make deliveries of their own and to enjoy their festive meals. We went to our own seudah in the afternoon at the Bergers', with Jon dressed as a lifeguard and Rina as a cat. The sixteen or so people in attendance were all in costume, and the meal was served backwards, beginning with cake and ice cream, then moving to main courses, and closing with appetizers. The whole day was lots of fun, and a very tasty and enjoyable close to a ridiculously long Purim.

Purim - Day 2

Services at Ramban this morning took a decidedly Purim-esque turn when, in the middle of the Rabbi's speech, a congregant stood up and began singing at the top of his voice. This recurred several times, until the Rabbi relented (it became clear that this was all pre-planned) and the shul broke out in dancing. After a mini-se'udah at home we went to lunch, Jon dressed as Moshe Dayan (albeit with a skull and crossbones on his eyepatch, but we here Dayan was pretty rough).

At 4:30 we went to Yedidya, a progressive Orthodox shul, for services followed by an early dinner and a concert by Pizmon, the visiting a cappella group from Columbia. The show was really nice, and of course closed with Nachamu, Jewish a cappella's most-sung song. We also got to see a friend of Rina's who is in the group while he studies to become a cantor at JTS.

After Shabbat we moseyed over to a friend who lives across the street for a Purim party. There was lots of singing, good food, and friendly folk. After sating ourselves there we and some others (Arielle, Tobi, and Dani) walked up to Nachlaot, the neighborhood near the shuk, for a block party. The quiet and old streets were taken over by DJs, hordes of costumed drunkards, and speakers and strobe lights on every corner. The hippy-like calm that tends to pervade the area was transformed into a rave, and it was fantastic fun. Each street had a different type of music, but it was all deafening and danceable. One DJ had even set up in the courtyard of a group of homes, and the dancers had invaded even the interiors of the buildings. We next moved to Ben Yehuda, which was full of shaving-cream and teenagers, so we quickly went to our favorite cheap pizzeria with Arielle and Atara before heading home at 2 a.m. to get some sleep. We hope.

Purim - Day 1.2

We started off today at separate shuls, Jon at Yakar and Rina at a friend's apartment. Both of us enjoyed our readings, Yakar's being led by the Rabbi, who used different inflections and voices to keep the audience engaged, and Rina's being led by a group of girls who put together and led the private service. We then met up and walked to the Old City for matanot la'evyonim, where we gawked at the Christian pilgrims on the Via Dolorosa, here for Good Friday, then paid a visit to the Kotel. Our last stop was a pseudo-se'udah of shwarma on King George street. Even though it barely feels like Purim (possibly due to the 25 degree heat and absence of most of the rituals) the many costumed passers-by made the atmosphere festive, and there were carnivals and music on many corners.

Oh, and there is some fantastic news! The hamentaschen from Marzipan, home of the gooiest rugelach ever, are great. They come in six flavours, and the dough is both tasty as well as pliable without crumbling. Finally, somebody who understands.

Purim - Day 1

We knew the holiday was approaching when the buses yesterday were filled with costumed children. Today, the eve of Purim, even the normally stern shopkeepers in the shuk got into the act, donning rainbow wigs while they screamed angrily across the aisles. We also got clued-in when we dressed up, choosing the ubiquitous Israeli combination of cats and trashcans. The final hint came when looking out the bus window at all of the freakish costumes being paraded up and down the public streets made you think that made a hostile neighboring country has been tampering with our water system.

For megillah reading we went to Pardes, where unique halachic issues revolving around people not halachically Jewish wanting to read the megillah were resolved in the reading of two chapters twice, once in a "dramatic fashion". While we both think this is a ridiculous way to deal with the issue (as it doesn't actually deal with the issue at all, and in fact will only cause more problems in the future), the readings were all done very well and were entertaining at the same time.

After a break-fast of pizza, beers, chips, and dips (can you tell the Pardes crowd tends to be immediately post-college?) we sat down to enjoy two hours of skits and songs lampooning the institution, staff, and students, as well as Israeli culture in general. Even though Jon couldn't follow everything (truth be told, neither could Rina) it was still a lot of fun.

At around 11:30 p.m. we took a bus over to the ביניני העומה, the same concert hall where we saw Idan Raichel, for our first interaction with the phenomenon called "Boogie". The entire lobby was turned into a rave, with pulsing lights and bass, and hundreds of sweaty, stinky, and smiling young adults dancing in a variety of styles ranging from salsa to epileptic fits. The music was mostly techno, but the DJ threw in some Israeli dance and synagogue music just to liven things up (although it seems weird that either of those styles of music could bring life to anything). Interestingly, there was a partitioned area for separate dancing - I guess for those who wanted to go to a drunken club but be modest while doing so. We stayed and partied for about an hour and half, and the main room was still packed and full of gyrating bodies when we left at 1:30. This was a great close to the first of our three days of Purim, and bodes well for the next two.

Pre-Purim Primer

Because Jerusalem celebrates Purim a day late, like other walled cities, Purim this year should fall out on Saturday. That being disallowed, this year the city will celebrate the holiday over a three-day span. Thursday night, following the fast, will be megillah reading and crazy partying. Friday will begin with megillah reading in the morning, followed by gifts to the poor and crazy partying. Friday night and Saturday the only observance is the insertion of על הניסים into prayers, but the close of Shabbat should bring with it more crazy partying. Sunday's obligations include misloach manot and a party (probably not crazy, though).

Against our better judgement, we tried to replicate the delicious/disgusting sampling of holiday-related baked goods we undertook during Chanuka. For some reason, the eight or so Israeli bakeries' hamantaschen were just scrunched-up flavourless cookies with jam/honey/halva inside. The only worthwhile one thus far was a classmate's homemade version, and that it was eaten during class probably did a lot to boost Jon's enjoyment of it. We miss the soft, pliable variety from North America. If we wanted tough mandelbread with poppy seeds on top we would move to Poland. Note to Israeli bakers - salmonella is an active ingredient in hamentaschen.

soup מהודו ועד

One of Jon's classes being cancelled today, we decided to meet for an early dinner. We'd heard good things about Ichikidana, a vegetarian Indian restaurant in the shuk, and since Jon was spending the afternoon searching for inexpensive Purim costumes in the area today seemed like a good one. We both ordered the sampler, which included a pile of rice, several chutneys, and a variety of other tasty foods on a shiny metal platter. We've never been to India, but based on the age (post-army) and dress (flowing and colorful) of the people working, as well as the bindi on the cook's forehead, we think the tastes were as authentic as we're likely to find here. The noise and excitement of the neighboring shuk also made the experience fun. Although we left a little hungry, we happily recommend the place.

After a quick look in several other costume stores (read: random stationary and kitchen-goods stores that decided to sell costumes before Purim) we realized that we were still hungry, so we headed over to another hole-in-the-wall shuk eatery, this one called Shipudia (which seems to mean "stuff on sticks"). We both ordered the kubbeh soup, which was a tomato base with other vegetables, and balls of dough with ground beef centers. Sounds weird and was, but was also yummy!

Sated for the time being, we went to the OU center to hear the first part of a presentation on Women as Orthodox Rabbis, given by a friend. This installment was mostly just introduction, with people airing their grievances and baggage, with next week being the examination of rabbinic sources. So far so good, though, and we look forward to next week (when we hope to have more juicy details to report).

For They Bow to Emptiness and Vanity

Tonight was the third (and probably final) installment of Rina's lecture series, this one on Judaism's feelings on other religions. The presenter was well-spoken, but his sources covered only one side of the issue, and while it was nice that he admitted this it would have been nicer to see a range of ideas. What we did see were several classical commentators presenting surprisingly liberal views, such as why Christians can be taught Torah, how other religions are equally valid meetings with God, and that the Torah was revealed to everyone - Jewish and not - together. We were also impressed at the teacher's artful dodging of questions about "chosen-ness" and conversion. Again, while there were interesting moments overall the discussion was vague and one-sided. I guess we'll have to just keep on hating baselessly instead of finding rabbinic support.

Pardes Purim Preparation

For a taste of what Pardes is like, check out this new Bible Rap by another student there.

Melton Family Fun Day!

After recovering from a late-night leak in our water heater which got fixed this morning, we met up with the Melton crew at Gan Hapa'amon. We figured it was time for all of our spouses, partners, kids, and in-laws to meet, given that we've been working together for seven months now, and will be heading back to our places of origin in three. There was football, circle-time, singing, Israel dancing led by Karen, and Pizza Hut pizza (with corn on top!). Though there was the potential for the event to turn into an Office Space-esque work event, it was a lot of fun and everyone was very relaxed and at-home. Then it was back to the grind to prep for Shabbat.

Rina's Trip North

Not wanting to be left out of school-run trips to the Golan, this week Rina took a tour of northern Israel. Unlike Jon's, which was all sitting and talking, Rina's was all hiking and eating, with some visits to kibbutzim, archeological sites, and vineyards along the way. Needless to say, Jon's sitting at home and writing a term paper did not compare favourably.

Frumka

At a shiur about married women and head-coverings, Rina heard about a recent and unfortunate fad, which local rabbis are thankfully against. We're not sure if it is better or worse than the parachute pants Israeli women seem to have stolen from M.C. Hammer's costume wardrobe.

Shteiblach

Accidentally (or purposefully) waking up late on Shabbat morning in Toronto means missing the bulk of shul. In Katamon, it means getting the opportunity to attend one of the many services held at the Shteiblach.

A house-sized building in the middle of a residential neighborhood, the Shteiblach is exactly what it sounds like - many smalls shuls gathered into one. One enters the building into a lobby, and each of the five or six rooms off of that central area houses a different minyan, each one starting at a different time. As soon as one service ends, the room is vacated and another begins in its place.

Aside from the presence of rolling minyanim, ensuring a timely start for all but the sleepiest of Shabbat morning attendees, the most interesting part of the experience was the variety of the people who shared the ten a.m. room with me. Kippot ranged from black velvet to large white knit, from colourful crocheted to suede. Clothing seen were shiny black kapotas, untucked white shirts, striped polo shirts paired with shorts, and a range in between. Shoes noticed included white socks (on top of the pants, of course) and black slippers, sandals, crocs, and standard black fancy dress. The nusach of the prayers was dependent on the siddur you'd selected and on the person leading. Halachic decisions were rendered based on a shouted exchange of ideas. The Kohen and Levi aliyot were assigned based on a discussion within those groups. While yesterday's art gallery exhibit may have undermined our hope for the future of Arab-Israeli relations, today's experience demonstrated that there may in fact be hope for Jewish dialogue.

As long as you are Orthodox. And male.

Rosh Chodesh Adar

While the atmosphere here is subdued, we decided to follow the advice of Raquel's cousin and do our best to bring in the new month happily. We started off at an exhibit in Beit Shmuel, the center for the World Union for Progressive Judaism. The exhibit was entitled "A Dialogue Between Jewish and Arab Israeli Artists". While many of the pieces, which ranged from photography to acrylic to pastel, were very interesting and insightful, we didn't notice any dialogue at all. Each of the artists stuck to his or her own themes and subjects, with very little overlapping or debate. Was the curator trying to make a comment about the state of dialogue between these two parties in Israel?

For lunch we finally got to go out for humus at From Aza to Berlin, a whole-in-the-wall eatery we have been told has the best humus in Jerusalem. Having sampled many tubs of mashed chickpeas throughout the city, we can easily attest to this. There were a variety of delicious oil-drenched dips arrayed in the steaming pots on the stove, the pita was both fluffy and filling, and the atmosphere was welcoming and authentic. It didn't hurt that the outside seating also offered shelter from the ridiculous 25 degree heat.

Thursday Night Fever

Having been in Israel for seven months now, we'd begun to feel bad about not engaging in any Israeli dance, so tonight we went out to dance with our Israeli brethren. Salsa dancing, but dancing nonetheless. The evening began with an hour of Latino line dancing, after which those attending were split into five groups based on ability, and we had an hour-long lesson. We knew ourselves to be in a class with Israelis when the teacher used soccer analogies, and repeatedly stressed the fine line between 'assertion' and 'aggression'. Once the lesson concluded the strobe lights and fog machines turned on, and the hours-long dance party began.

Aside from the entertainment of watching Israelis co-opt yet another culture, it was interesting to see that the room was packed even following so soon after the tragedy at Mercaz Harav. Even though it has been two years since the last terrorist action in Jerusalem, the city's residents took the attack in stride and continued living their lives as usual. Still, when we discovered the news as we left the club the timbre of our surroundings seemed inevitably changed to a far more sombre note than we've seen since our arrival.

Intellectual Afternoon

We met this afternoon at the Italian Synagogue and museum in the City Center, and spent an interesting hour there. Within the museum there are several rooms of Judaic artifacts from centuries of Jewish life throughout Italy, including wedding dresses, synagogue elements, and even a dramatically painted hundred-year-old sukkah. The biggest room held the interior of an actual Italian sanctuary, transferred in its entirety in 1948 to Jerusalem. The ornate and historic room is actually in use today, maintaining the Italian Jewish traditions, but only on Saturdays, holidays and Rosh Hodesh.

After dinner at New Deli (delicious), we made our way to one of Dr. Aviva Zornberg's weekly talks about parashat hashavua. We've wanted to hear her unique outlook on the sedra for quite some time, and finally found the time and energy to do so. We were worried, however, because this week's parsha is all about the construction of the mishkan. However, Dr. Zornberg managed, without too much wrangling, to discover a kernel of psychological insight into Moses' behaviour, and expanded on that idea until we were listening to a discourse on the purpose of anxiety and impotence. The depth of her knowledge of both secular and religious text was impressive, and she wove it all together very nicely. We're definitely interested in going back.

Dessert

After a pleasant dinner at Joy with friends and their visiting parents, we ordered a dessert of hot chocolate cake. It isn't clear if the chef hated or loved us, because with our chosen pastry we were given a second dessert for free - vanilla ice cream with tehina on top. Were we guinea pigs for a twisted new frozen felafel sweet? Being welcomed into Israeli culture with an ancient and ridiculous cultish food pairing? Was the waitstaff drunk? The mixture of sweet and sesame disgusted everyone at the table but Jon, who ate the majority of the concoction.

Beaufort

This evening, as a part of a Pardes event, we watched the movie "Beaufort". It is about an Israeli military outpost in southern Lebanon, and the physical and psychological difficulties that come along with such a posting. We had been told by friends and colleagues that it was an excellent film, and the Oscar selection committee agreed, as do we. The acting and script were both very well done, and allowed the movie to editorialize on a variety of levels - the state of war in the modern era, Israeli politics and psychology, and current events. Perhaps it is because of our current immersion in the State, but we both recognized the unfortunate truths behind much of what the film criticized and laid bare. We apologize for being so vague, but this is a film worth seeing and we don't want to spoil it.

Alon Shvut Shabbat

Shabbat was spent with Russel, Miriam, Gershy and Yehuda in Alon Shvut. The weekend started off well as we got on bus 164, which was vacated by hordes of post-High school Yeshiva students coming to Jerusalem for an 'out' Shabbat, then filled up again with an equal number of teens leaving their Jerusalem-based programs to spend Saturday with their rabbis in the Gush. Hurray for bus rides that remind us of being in youth groups! The screaming, flirting, and giggling was very entertaining. Oh, and did you know that the laws of Negi'ah and Seminary are suspended when you have to fight through the crowds for a spot on the bus?

Once at the town, we made our way to our hosts' apartment, then visited with RMGY until it was time for shul. Jon opted to go to the city's actual synagogue, while Russel went to services at the Yeshiva, both to hear Rav Lichtenstein and to pick up some more guests. Once everyone was home we had a fantastic dinner, full of Miriam's famous cooking (according to one of the boys there, and we don't doubt him, she makes the best challah in Alon Shvut), good discussions, and no awkwardness at all with one of Jon's ex-students at the table (no, really!).

Saturday began at the Yeshiva for davanning, where we got to meet more students. Then we spent some time visiting with Yael Berdugo, a friend of Jon's from Buffalo, as well as her family. After another gut-busting (in a good way) meal at the Levy's we took a stroller-paced tour of the area. Alon Shvut is far bigger than Neve Daniel, our other Gush destination, and because it is also much older feels much more established. The streets, homes, and yards have all developed character and have lost the feeling of newness and intentional-landscaping. Also, because we weren't on the tippy-top of a hill we couldn't see the emptiness and borders all around us. We felt like we were in a suburb rather than an outpost. Still, the total lack of cars on the street was a little disconcerting.

The rest of the day was spent just hanging out and chatting (and yes, Raquel, eating), and of course playing with the cute kids.