The information desk at Ben Gurion International Airport. The Hebrew words at the right say Bruchim Haba'im L'Yisrael, which means the same as the English to the left. This is a welcome site after over 10 hours in the air.
Immediately after passing through passport control, we collected our bags and were ushered to a large tour bus that took us to the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As we drove from Ben Gurion International Airport to Jerusalem--Yerushalayim--the flat land of the Israeli Coastal Plain slowly gave way to the hilly Judean lowlands--Shephelat Yehuda--leading up to Jerusalem. The main highway offers some incredible views of the panoramic mountains and valleys that spread out in all directions. It is remarkable how much diversity Israel has in terms of terrain, from snow-capped Mount Hermon at the tip of the Golan Heights in the north down to the dry, dusty Negev desert all the way in the south. In just a few hours, one could go from skiing on Mount Hermon to swimming in the Red Sea at an Eilat resort.
The route we took from Ben Gurion International Airport to Jerusalem.
I have been to Israel twice before, yet the entrance to Jerusalem is still awe-inspiring. Seeing the Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock currently stands, is incredible. This is where the holy temples used to stand and is the focal point of Jewish prayer even today. Mount Scopus offers some incredible views of this holy spot, which is pretty neat considering it’s been a point of major contention between Jews, Christians, and Muslims for thousands of years. Some people believe the Arab-Israeli conflict is purely political, but it has deep religious undertones. Unfortunately, that makes the situation almost impossible to solve because it means dealing with people’s belief systems, not just straight logic. I pray for the best, but there are absolutely no easy answers when it comes to a final status agreement between Israel, the Palestinians, and the rest of the Arab world.
Peaceful views like this are everywhere on the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
As for what I have been up to, it has been a complete whirlwind of activity. Upon arriving at the Student Village, or Kfar Studentim in Hebrew, everyone was given their room assignments. My room looks inwards towards the plaza in between the different dormitory towers, yet there is a little sliver of modern Jerusalem visible from my window. I live with four other people, two from the United States and two from Germany, which makes for an interesting cross-cultural perspective. Everyone has their own room, but we share a common bathroom area with two toilets and one shower. There is still much cleaning to do, but in general, it seems like a great place to live. The French Hill neighborhood is right at our disposal, and while it is a schlep to get to main campus, it is still possible.
The view from my window overlooking the other towers of the Student Village with modern Jerusalem in the distance. A little more exciting than Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C.!
Yesterday, we were taken to the mall to buy all the items that we will need for the semester. Seeing as I had been up for about 30 hours by that point, I was focused on buying one thing and one thing only: a pillow. Once I found this, I bought a few other supplies to last me a while, but I know I will be back many times going forward. Some people went all out, buying toasters, microwaves, and even different sets of kosher plates. After that, we were bussed back to the Student Village where many people called it a night. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, it was back to campus for me after quickly reviewing some basic Hebrew in preparation for a placement essay to be given the next day. After turning off the lights, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Overall, a great first day!
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