Friday night Rina and a friend went back to the Bretzlaver shul we visited several weeks ago. This week they added a second nearly-endless song to their repertoire in honor of Lag Ba'Omer - Bar Yochai.* Jon attended the Great Synagogue, where the building was beautiful and the service was meh. That's right, meh. The cantor had a very nice voice, but there is no reason that counting the Omer should take longer than the rest of Maariv put together.
On Saturday we got to spend time with Rina's cousin, who is in the country with Birthright. For some reason her hotel is an hour away, on top of a rocky hill, and surrounded by barbed wire. Nice hotel, though. At night we hung out with her on Ben Yehuda (for shwarma and felafel, of course), then went to another friend's graduation party (hurray for doctors!). Then it was back home for Jon to pack for his trip to Eastern Europe, and Rina to not sleep before her last week of school.
*This is probably uninteresting to everyone but Jason. Sorry!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Oops, wrong cave
To continue our celebration of cave-dweller Shimon Bar Yochai's demise, we today went to the most famous cave in Jerusalem, that within the Church of Holy Sepulcher. We wandered (not aimlessly,but pretty close to it) through the Arab and Christian quarters until we found the Seventh Station of the Cross (the first six were too hard to find or too much inside of a closed off mosque on the Temple Mount), then followed the stations to the Church, which houses both the traditional place of crucifixion as well as the tomb. The church is an immense stone structure with meandering tunnels, alcoves and chapels for prayer, and icons icons everywhere. We then went to the Arab shuk to finally buy a backgammon board, then to the everybody-shuk for lunch. Happy Lag Ba'Omer!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Lag Ba'Omer
While the connection is unclear, on Lag Ba'Omer bonfires are lit to celebrate the death of Shimon Bar Yochai/that Rabbi Akiva's students stopped dying/the bravery of Jews in standing up to their Roman oppressors. We have both seen bonfires before, but never anything compared to the scope of the celebration here. The moment you step out the door you can't help but smell the smoke in the air, and there are kids running up and down the street dragging every available piece of wood to wherever they have begun their blaze. Jon even saw two boys carrying a dresser whose doors had been removed. In a nearby park there were at least a dozen fires going, with huge groups of kids dancing and singing around them. As mentioned above, the ritual purpose of this pagan pyromania is unclear to us, but it looks like lots of fun. One question though - doesn't Israel have a shortage of trees?
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Pardes in Tsfat
This weekend was Pardes' last trip, and it was to be in Tsfat (or Safed, or Sefad, or any one of many ways of spelling it). We met the group at Pardes at 6:30 a.m. for lunch-packing, and we then loaded up the buses, and were on our way north.
Our first stop was Mount Gilboa, where we hiked the Emek Ha'ne'elam (Disappearing Valley) trail. The route took us over rocky terrain and through lots of varied and pretty vegetation, with a view of the farms and towns below us the entire time. The hike ended in a large field of amber waves of grain, a sight completely unexpected, but which the Kansas representatives seemed to love. After a quick stop to relax and to refill our water bottles, we made it to Madressa, where we did a water hike. The trek was through a stream whose depth ranged from ankle to waist-deep. The trees and flowers there were completely different from those seen earlier, and the whole thing seemed reminiscent of North America. This hike ended in a huge natural pool full of Israeli kids screaming and splashing, activities we promptly joined.
Planned poorly, our organizers next took our two buses of soaked, smiling, and smelly hikers to the Tsfat cemetery, where those who aren't Priestly (Elvis or otherwise) toured the graves and heard stories about some of the scholars who had lived in the area.
The next morning began with prayers at a local synagogue (the Beit Midrash of the famous Ari synagogue), and then we moved on to the tomb of Shimon Bar Yochai, a location we had visited just a few weeks ago as a part of our Yam L'Yam hike, and the remains of an ancient synagogue. Needless to say, this visit was much more relaxed and educational than our last. The options for the balance of the day were to hike a route we'd done during Pesach or to spend the day in Tsfat, so we opted for the latter. Our first stop was the Meiri Cheese factory, where a few of us took part in a guided tour. The cheeses are made in a massive ancestral home overlooking the valleys around the city, and the secrets to the recipes, and the home itself, have been passed down within the family for six generations. The recipient of the tradition is determined shortly after birth, when he is given the name of his granfather. One of the keys to the cheeses' unique taste is the natural underground river that passes through the basement of the home, and is the same water that feeds the Ari mikvah (thankfully the mikvah is situated after the home, so that the unique flavors are not the the sweat and soil washed off of the bathers).
After the fascinating and delicious tour we began to meander about the city, looking at artists' booths and wares. For a snack we ate a Yemenite dish we can't even pronounce, let alone write out, but which might best be described as a crepe that went terribly and deliciously off course, with egg, tomato, zatar, and other assorted Middle Eastern items in the center. We also snuck onto a German tour of the Joseph Caro synagogue, which is barely in use but houses treasures from the Cairo geniza we visited in Egypt, in addition to its intrinsic historical value. As Shabbat got close we and some friends were lucky enough to be able to see the Tree of Life shtender presentation that Jon saw with Melton. As with the previous experience, everyone in the room was left in awe of the piece's beauty, intricate design, and meaning.
We began Shabbat at a Kosover Hassid shul. We had hoped that it would be similar to, but more authentic than, the Bretzlaver synagogue we'd tried in Jerusalem, but there were so few attendees that the experience was actually a little sad. However, it was interesting to pray among so many fur hats (for Jon; Rina was behind a wood-and-cloth cage), and the dancing was fun.
Saturday we attended services at the Ari synagogue. The Kabbalistic art and architecture was fascinating and pretty, though the services were standard. In the shul's center is a bimah a dozen steps off the ground, making Torah reading central physically as well as theologically and temporally. The bimah was covered in whimsical colors and wood carvings, each with a deeper meaning we doubt we could fathom if we tried. One of the things we did note, however, was that the charity boxes are built into the building's supporting columns, promoting the message that tzedaka is vital in supporting our world. After lunch we took a guided tour of the city, stopping off at the Abouab shul, which houses some of the oldest synagogue architecture and the oldest Torah still in use in the world. We learned all about the city's interesting and long history, much of it centered around the study and practice of Kabbalah, and only made it back to the hotel in time for dinner, havdalah, and departure.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Christopher does Jewish Comedy
Tonight Jon attended the keynote event of a conference for community Day School administrators and workers, which was a dinner and a comedy show. The comedian is a very popular American who made aliyah, and his show centers around his life in a very Jewish, very self-deprecating way. This is interesting, given that he was born and spent his young adult life as a Catholic. Since then, however, he has endured three circumcisions and three conversions, as well as the process of moving to the foreing country of Israel, with its foreign language and very foreign culture. The entire show was laugh-out-loud funny, with some members of the audience having to dab tears away from their eyes. It was certain that the show would be a success from its opening line - "Is it hot in here, or am I the only one wearing 17 Century Polish winter clothes? Don't be fooled by my peot, I'm just growing them out for a come-over." It was great to see someone embrace everything about this culture, from the fun to the ridiculous, especially when the items and ides he raised are some of the most divisive in this country.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Four-shul Shabbat
We realized recently that we have only five more shabbatot in Jerusalem, and there are still many flavors of synagogue we have yet to try, so this weekend we went on a bit of a binge.
Friday night we attended services at the Bretzlaver Chassid shul near us. The room was windowless and the women were trapped behind a wooden lattice on the second floor. The prayers seemed pretty standard in both formulation and tune until we reached Lecha Dodi, when suddenly every verse was sung to a different tune, and was ended with a long series of "nay nay nays" and wordless singing. Many of the attendees began clapping and jumping, and at several points the congregation even broke out into dance. Once the twenty minute songfest was over the prayers returned to normal. The only other item of note at this shul was the surprising absence of Bretzlavers. Even though the venue was packed with people, only a handful belonged to the sect, and the rest were just wannabes and visitors.
This morning we ventured to the wealthy and beautiful neighborhood of Yemin Moshe, one of the first areas of Jerusalem outside of the Old City to be settled by Jews. The synagogue there had an amazing interior - ornately carved wooden fixtures, a high arched ceiling, lots of natural light, and views of the the Old City. The prayers were standard and the population surprisingly anglo, but the surroundings made this a real treat. Also the ridiculously delicious dairy kiddush following services. But mostly the architecture and art.
On our way to a friends for seudah shlishit we ran into said friend, who took us to a local shul named Yael (after the street after the heroine). This shul is small but nice, a pleasant little prayer-house tucked inside a residential neighborhood. We've been once before and were happy to go back. For ma'ariv a stranger came to our friend's apartment and asked if any of the males present were willing to help him make a minyan. Two of us went with him, and we were led to his house a block away, where a group of teenagers were waiting. We did our business and then made our way back.
The array of shuls here is fantastic, because there is always something different to try. Oddly, though, though there are many options, we still haven't found the 'perfect' one for us. Luckily we still have four more weekends, or sixteen services, to do so.
Friday night we attended services at the Bretzlaver Chassid shul near us. The room was windowless and the women were trapped behind a wooden lattice on the second floor. The prayers seemed pretty standard in both formulation and tune until we reached Lecha Dodi, when suddenly every verse was sung to a different tune, and was ended with a long series of "nay nay nays" and wordless singing. Many of the attendees began clapping and jumping, and at several points the congregation even broke out into dance. Once the twenty minute songfest was over the prayers returned to normal. The only other item of note at this shul was the surprising absence of Bretzlavers. Even though the venue was packed with people, only a handful belonged to the sect, and the rest were just wannabes and visitors.
This morning we ventured to the wealthy and beautiful neighborhood of Yemin Moshe, one of the first areas of Jerusalem outside of the Old City to be settled by Jews. The synagogue there had an amazing interior - ornately carved wooden fixtures, a high arched ceiling, lots of natural light, and views of the the Old City. The prayers were standard and the population surprisingly anglo, but the surroundings made this a real treat. Also the ridiculously delicious dairy kiddush following services. But mostly the architecture and art.
On our way to a friends for seudah shlishit we ran into said friend, who took us to a local shul named Yael (after the street after the heroine). This shul is small but nice, a pleasant little prayer-house tucked inside a residential neighborhood. We've been once before and were happy to go back. For ma'ariv a stranger came to our friend's apartment and asked if any of the males present were willing to help him make a minyan. Two of us went with him, and we were led to his house a block away, where a group of teenagers were waiting. We did our business and then made our way back.
The array of shuls here is fantastic, because there is always something different to try. Oddly, though, though there are many options, we still haven't found the 'perfect' one for us. Luckily we still have four more weekends, or sixteen services, to do so.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Independence Day - Part II
We began our celebration of Yom Ha'Atzmaut this morning with prayers at Yakar, the Carlebach shul near our apartment. The service was pretty standard aside from Hallel, which lasted 45 minutes (as opposed to the standard 15). The tunes sung were all very nice, and a woman brought a bag of musical instruments with her, and so the service was accompanied by guitar, tambourines, and bells. It was a little weird and reminiscent of Jon's Debbie Friedman-infused childhood, but made the atmosphere very festive.
At 10:30 we made our way to the Jerusalem theater to make use of the Chidon HaTanach tickets we obtained yesterday. After making our way through tougher-than-airport security that included metal detectors, x-ray machines, chemical-detecting swatches, and interrogations, we got into the main auditorium, which quickly filled up. The stage had been turned into a neon and smoke covered game show set, with seats and microphones for the contestants and rows or tables for the judges. The host stood in front of a large video screen, which was used for film clips and interactive sections of the competition. The event itself was split into four rounds, each one thinning the crowd of contestants until only two remained, and those two went head-to-head. In between rounds the crowd was entertained by the army choir, dancers, and rock performances. We only knew the answers to a handful of questions, but watching the spectacle and an Ulpana girl make it all the way to fourth place made the whole thing a lot of fun.
In the afternoon we took a bus to Neve Daniel, where we met up with friends for the traditional Independence Day barbeque/mangal. Is charred flesh something all cultures associate with freedom and statehood, or an American import? Anyways, we had a lot of fun with our disposable charcoal bbq, and even got to roast blue and white marshmallows! How patriotic. Or unpatriotic, if you choose to dwell on the charring and melting. Fun either way.
At 10:30 we made our way to the Jerusalem theater to make use of the Chidon HaTanach tickets we obtained yesterday. After making our way through tougher-than-airport security that included metal detectors, x-ray machines, chemical-detecting swatches, and interrogations, we got into the main auditorium, which quickly filled up. The stage had been turned into a neon and smoke covered game show set, with seats and microphones for the contestants and rows or tables for the judges. The host stood in front of a large video screen, which was used for film clips and interactive sections of the competition. The event itself was split into four rounds, each one thinning the crowd of contestants until only two remained, and those two went head-to-head. In between rounds the crowd was entertained by the army choir, dancers, and rock performances. We only knew the answers to a handful of questions, but watching the spectacle and an Ulpana girl make it all the way to fourth place made the whole thing a lot of fun.
In the afternoon we took a bus to Neve Daniel, where we met up with friends for the traditional Independence Day barbeque/mangal. Is charred flesh something all cultures associate with freedom and statehood, or an American import? Anyways, we had a lot of fun with our disposable charcoal bbq, and even got to roast blue and white marshmallows! How patriotic. Or unpatriotic, if you choose to dwell on the charring and melting. Fun either way.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Independence Day - Part I
We began the transition from Remembrance Day to Independence Day with a festive prayer service held by the Bnei Akiva alumni association in Jerusalem. The room was full of relatively recent immigrants to Israel from different countries around the world. This made the service seem far more meaningful than it might have otherwise, as all of those present truly felt an emotional attachment to the creation and maintenance of the the State.
After the service and dinner, we walked to Kikar Zion, a square at the bottom of Ben Yehuda street and at the center of town. There we were met by mobs of other celebrants, many wearing blue and white and the younger attendees spraying shaving cream and silly string in the air. All of the streets had been closed to car traffic, and a massive stage was set up and performers helped turn the jostling crowd into a mosh pit. The area quieted down when a fantastic laser and firecracker show began, and all eyes were glued to the skies as the explosions signaled the start of the celebration.
A few blocks away we soon found ourselves at Kikar Safra, the square we'd visited earlier in the day for a sombre ceremony. Now the venue was full of plastic chairs, video screens, and speakers, and everyone there was singing along to Israeli music composed and popularized over the last century. At 11:30 the chairs were cleared away and the vast area became crowded with people eager to celebrate the birthday of Israel with a throwback to the days of the kibbutz - Israeli folkdancing. For hours on end the hundreds of people in the square formed arbitrary circles and pranced, twirled, and Yemenite-lefted; if the dancers had worn tembel-hats and shorts instead of kippot and pants, we could easily have been looking at 1948 and not 2008. We left at 2 a.m., but the party was still going strong.
After the service and dinner, we walked to Kikar Zion, a square at the bottom of Ben Yehuda street and at the center of town. There we were met by mobs of other celebrants, many wearing blue and white and the younger attendees spraying shaving cream and silly string in the air. All of the streets had been closed to car traffic, and a massive stage was set up and performers helped turn the jostling crowd into a mosh pit. The area quieted down when a fantastic laser and firecracker show began, and all eyes were glued to the skies as the explosions signaled the start of the celebration.
A few blocks away we soon found ourselves at Kikar Safra, the square we'd visited earlier in the day for a sombre ceremony. Now the venue was full of plastic chairs, video screens, and speakers, and everyone there was singing along to Israeli music composed and popularized over the last century. At 11:30 the chairs were cleared away and the vast area became crowded with people eager to celebrate the birthday of Israel with a throwback to the days of the kibbutz - Israeli folkdancing. For hours on end the hundreds of people in the square formed arbitrary circles and pranced, twirled, and Yemenite-lefted; if the dancers had worn tembel-hats and shorts instead of kippot and pants, we could easily have been looking at 1948 and not 2008. We left at 2 a.m., but the party was still going strong.
יום הזכרון
Our Remembrance Day began in the square amid Jerusalem's municipal buildings, Kikar Safra. There we heard from the mayor and several other dignitaries about the importance of the day, some of them talking about Jerusalem's contributions to Israel's history, the many sacrifices the population has made, and the possibility for a brighter and less violent future. There were also honor guards made up of policemen and soldiers, as well as a group of teens wearing the traditional blue and white. The event didn't match the scope or the intensity of the Independence Day preview Jon saw, but it wasn't supposed to - the people there honored the State's fallen by their presence and their respect.
After the ceremony we went to the shuk, and while we were there the siren sounded. We've already heard the wailing call to remembrance twice in the past week - on Holocaust Day and last night - but this time was very different. Rather than people stopping their cars in the middle of the street or halting their relaxation to stand at attention, it took several moments for the bustling arena to be shushed into silence, and even then you could see the smiling shopkeepers counting down the seconds until they could resume their shouting and hawking. The reverence and awe seen and felt at the other siren-soundings was almost completely absent there. At the same time, it was amazing that so large and busy an area could be quieted so quickly and to such a great extent.
In the afternoon we tried to plan out our schedule for tomorrow, Independence Day. We decided it would be fun to go to the Chidon Hatanach, the International Bible Quiz, which takes place annually on Yom Ha'Atzmaut. We called the venue, who directed us to someone named "Rav Somethingorother". This Rav referred us to another, who agreed to give us tickets after Jon said his students often compete (which is true). Jon then went down to the office where the tickets were being held. He entered the room and was greeted by a bearded "Rav".
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm Jonathan Parker. We spoke half an hour ago about tickets?"
"You're Jonathan Parker?"
At this point the Rav strokes his beard and raises a critical eyebrow, as if to say "why would someone as beardless as you want tickets to this event? And why would some as beardfull as me agree to give them to you?" Luckily he had already put the tickets in an envelope and written Jon's name on it with permanent marker, and probably couldn't bear to waste all that work, so with a dismissing wave he sent Jon on his way.
After the ceremony we went to the shuk, and while we were there the siren sounded. We've already heard the wailing call to remembrance twice in the past week - on Holocaust Day and last night - but this time was very different. Rather than people stopping their cars in the middle of the street or halting their relaxation to stand at attention, it took several moments for the bustling arena to be shushed into silence, and even then you could see the smiling shopkeepers counting down the seconds until they could resume their shouting and hawking. The reverence and awe seen and felt at the other siren-soundings was almost completely absent there. At the same time, it was amazing that so large and busy an area could be quieted so quickly and to such a great extent.
In the afternoon we tried to plan out our schedule for tomorrow, Independence Day. We decided it would be fun to go to the Chidon Hatanach, the International Bible Quiz, which takes place annually on Yom Ha'Atzmaut. We called the venue, who directed us to someone named "Rav Somethingorother". This Rav referred us to another, who agreed to give us tickets after Jon said his students often compete (which is true). Jon then went down to the office where the tickets were being held. He entered the room and was greeted by a bearded "Rav".
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm Jonathan Parker. We spoke half an hour ago about tickets?"
"You're Jonathan Parker?"
At this point the Rav strokes his beard and raises a critical eyebrow, as if to say "why would someone as beardless as you want tickets to this event? And why would some as beardfull as me agree to give them to you?" Luckily he had already put the tickets in an envelope and written Jon's name on it with permanent marker, and probably couldn't bear to waste all that work, so with a dismissing wave he sent Jon on his way.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Independence Day Preview
Somehow Jon's program was able to get twelve tickets to the dress rehearsal of the offical Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration, so tonight he and several classmates made their way back to Har Herzl. They arrived at 5:45 to get seats together, and at 8 p.m. the program began. It was a complete run-through of the presentation that will be nationally televised on Wednesday night, only with a different guest of honor delivering the address.
The bleachers were packed with flag-waving celebrants, and none (that Jon spoke to, anyways) left disappointed. The ninety minute event, whose theme was "Israel's Children", was made up of dances, acrobatics, daglanut (flag waving) by both the military and youth group representatives, speeches, videos, music, and of course torch-lighting. The event was a masterpiece of propaganda meeting entertainment, and although there were several moments of overly-militaristic grandstanding, the artistry and excitement of the performers made the entire spectacle spectacular. Jon now understands why Israelis in North American educational institutions love to plan assemblies - having grown up with fantastic displays of patriotism like this, prancing and setting things on fire is in their blood.
The bleachers were packed with flag-waving celebrants, and none (that Jon spoke to, anyways) left disappointed. The ninety minute event, whose theme was "Israel's Children", was made up of dances, acrobatics, daglanut (flag waving) by both the military and youth group representatives, speeches, videos, music, and of course torch-lighting. The event was a masterpiece of propaganda meeting entertainment, and although there were several moments of overly-militaristic grandstanding, the artistry and excitement of the performers made the entire spectacle spectacular. Jon now understands why Israelis in North American educational institutions love to plan assemblies - having grown up with fantastic displays of patriotism like this, prancing and setting things on fire is in their blood.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Waffles!
After Shabbat, we and Oren walked over to Beit Lechem road to a wonderful cafe named Waffle Bar. Unlike the joint nearer to us, which is actually a bar that happens to serve waffles, this restaurant seems to take pride in its product, with mountainous waffles topped with flavored creams, ice cream, fruit, and toppings made from chocolate to bananas to fans of apples drizzled in maple syrup. They also serve a range of sandwiches, pastas, and crepes, but at a place named Waffle Bar it seemed silly to order anything without a grid. The servings of the desserts were massive, and we each left feeling stuffed and tremendously satisfied, if not a little high on the sugar.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Har Herzl
To prepare for the upcoming days of Remembrance and Independence, Jon's school today took a tour of Har Herzl, Israel's cemetery and monument-center in honor of its political and military leadership. As always, our guide constantly pressed us to look beyond the words on the sign, and to try to penetrate to the deeper meaning and purpose behind them. He pointed out many interesting ideas that we would certainly have missed on our own, for example the use of a phrase found on Bar Kochba's coins on the inaugural plaque, and a grove of imported cedars, the type of tree used in the construction of the Temple. Stopping near Herzl's grave, where the building of a massive auditorium for Independence Day celebrations is underway, we discussed the political motivations behind different elements of the structure, the placement of the grave at the mountain's highest point, and many other issues. When the group proceeded further into the cemetery Jon got spooked by the rampant impurity and so we left.
After an inadvertently-long tour of the very pretty neighborhood of Beit HaKerem, we made our way to מנה וחצי , a shwarma place we have been told is the best in the city. While the name means "serving and a half", for some reason a serving in a pita cost more than a serving in a laffa anywhere else. Still, the salad bar was fantastic and the meat was very tasty. Even so, the product wasn't twice as good as the front runner's, which it would have had to be to make up for the ridiculous price.
After an inadvertently-long tour of the very pretty neighborhood of Beit HaKerem, we made our way to מנה וחצי , a shwarma place we have been told is the best in the city. While the name means "serving and a half", for some reason a serving in a pita cost more than a serving in a laffa anywhere else. Still, the salad bar was fantastic and the meat was very tasty. Even so, the product wasn't twice as good as the front runner's, which it would have had to be to make up for the ridiculous price.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Holocaust Remembrance Day
We spent the day today, both separate and together, attending lectures and workshops centered around the the theme of the Holocaust. There were discussions about the nature and purpose of the Israeli version of the holiday, a film about Polish Christians discovering their Jewish roots, and a lecture about what may have motivated individuals to murder, among others. Perhaps most interestingly, few of the activities involved discussion of the Holocaust itself, but rather looked at the present, the future, and the psychology of the perpetrators. This suits the Israeli holiday - The Day of the Holocaust and Courage - very well, as the State understanding of the Holocaust is as a catalyst for the formation of Israel, and as the ending of the "old" Jewish paradigm in favor of the new one: the self-sufficient, strong, independent Jew.
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