8/31 | Jerusalem: The First Full Day

Jerusalem is an incredible city with so much to offer, yet its future is in jeopardy because of its troubled past.  Jerusalem, although united following the 1967 Six-Day War, is separated into two parts: East and West Jerusalem.  West Jerusalem is the territory Israel held following the 1948 War of Independence.  It is predominantly Jewish and not in dispute.  East Jerusalem, however, is what Jordan held (this was before the creation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization) after 1948 and is mostly Arab Muslim.  Mount Scopus, which houses the main campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was an Israeli enclave within disputed East Jerusalem.  Although that does not mean much in this interconnected city today, it has had major ramifications in the past and will continue to do so in the future.  After the War of Independence, Israel managed to hold on to Mount Scopus.  Unfortunately, the Jordanians made it very difficult for Israelis to cross through to the small enclave, and it was largely neglected except for a small police presence.  As a result, both the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and neighboring Hadassah Hospital were moved to secondary locations in the neighborhoods of Givat Ram and Ein Kerem respectively.  After the Six-Day War, both institutions were moved back to their original location and their secondary locations were made into satellites.

A map of the line between East and West Jerusalem.  Although a united city under Israeli control, Google Maps reflects the international perspective, which sees the situation as in dispute and therefore unchanged from the time of the Jordanian occupation.  Mount Scopus can be seen in the dotted lines to the right, while West Jerusalem  is everything past the dotted line to the left.

So why does this matter?  It really shouldn't; the Arabs have lost every war they have aged to try and get Jerusalem back.  This means nothing to them, though.  The Palestinians have declared East Jerusalem as their intended capital.  If the situation resorted to the way it was, as they wish, Jerusalem would again be divided.  No longer would the Old City be open to people of all religions.  Mount Scopus would again be separated from the rest of Israel.  The flagship institution of the Zionist movement, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, would be strangled once again.  During orientation today, the speaker had an interesting quotation.  "Most nationalist movements focus solely on their militaries.  Zionism is different because it put its main focus on learning."  Founded by such greats as Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, and Chaim Weizmann, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on Mount Scopus is a premier school in Israel.  Without a negotiated agreement, the Palestinians would strangle the Hebrew University of Jerusalem just as the Jordanians did from 1948 to 1967.  This may seem like a total assumption, but the Arab neighborhoods surrounding the school, like Issawiya and Abu Tor, are very hostile towards Israel and can be dangerous.  In fact, we were told to avoid them at all costs.  The harsh reality facing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, especially with the Palestinian's unilateral declaration of independence looming in September, is not evident from its beautiful campus.  While we were told all about the political situation, it was not a major focus.  In fact, it is a non-issue to most people.  It is a real testament to the Israeli people that their most beloved institutions can be under threat and yet to most, it is nothing to worry about.

The Dome of the Rock is in clear view from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Guess I'll have front row seats to whatever happens following the Palestinian unilateral declaration of independence this September!

The Mount Scopus campus is much larger than American University and much more complex, too.  It consists of many buildings, many of which are terraced and lead to other poorly marked buildings.  Finding the Boyer Building, where the Rothberg International School is located, seems nearly impossible!  There is a lot more exploring to do, especially on the grounds outside of the buildings.  One area features different gardens with plants that represent each of Israel's regions, while another features the amphitheater that hosted the university's founding ceremony back in 1918.  There is so much more to see; fortunately, I have four months!

The breathtaking view from the amphitheater where the Hebrew University of Jerusalem founding ceremony took place in 1918.

Today, most of the day was spent on the main campus.  In the morning, I had to take a placement Hebrew essay that I feel very good about.  A few hours later, we had a walking tour and an orientation session.  Both were just very generic sessions on getting to know your school, important to me but not interesting enough to write about.  Following this, a group of people went out for dinner at a Burgers Bar before going out for the night.


The night is when things got real interesting.  A few people found out about an outdoor festival happening at the old train station in downtown Jerusalem.  Seeing as we had nothing else to do, a group of us decided to go.  Getting there was quite a challenge.  First, we waited for the bus for about 45 minutes before it came.  Then once we got on the bus, we had to figure out where to transfer.  Eventually, we made our way to the festival, which looked like a crowded mob of Israelis dancing, drinking, and just having a good time.  There were drinks to taste, stalls to peruse, music to listen to... a lot of fun!  Getting home was absolutely miserable, though.  We decided our best bet was to find Ben Yehuda Street, which is the main thoroughfare for nightlife in Jerusalem.  Unfortunately, we were many miles away with little clue where we were.  Somehow we managed to make it to the Old City, but nobody could point us in the right direction of Ben Yehuda Street!  Confused and annoyed, we finally caved and took a cab back.  The cab driver ripped us off but it was worth it to be back in a familiar setting!  Lesson learned for the future, I guess.

The outdoor festival I attended.  So many Israelis!

On a side note, as we were walking up a street, we encountered a man who said he was from Germany on a vile, anti-Semitic diatribe.  I am not sure why he would come to the world's sole Jewish country to hate on Jews, but it was quite shocking to all of us.  It's sad to think that hatred of that kind is alive and well, and you can find it where you least expect it.

8/30 | Welcome to Jerusalem!

It is a wonderful feeling to land in Israel and realize how many Jews throughout history have longed to do the same.  This feeling is intensified by all of the historical Zionist artwork hanging throughout the airport, calling for Jews to “Back the Jewish State!” or to “Become a Member in the Zionist Organization of America!”  We Jews are a people with a proud history, and nowhere is this more evident than in the gateway to our homeland.

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!

8/29 | El Al

Riding on El Al is an experience unlike any other in the world.  From the masses of religious Jews praying in the aisles to the crazy staff people, El Al offers travelers the authentic Israeli experience from check-in to landing.  Upon arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport, I was shuffled through three different lines, each lasting upwards of 45 minutes, only to have my bags taken without being handed a boarding pass.  In between, I was asked a series of fast-paced questions--Where are you going to study?  Why?  Do you know Hebrew?  How?  What was the last Jewish holiday you celebrated?  With who?--designed to detect any potential threats.  After 30 uncomfortable minutes in which I was told to stand and just wait, all the while thinking that I may not have a seat on my group flight, I was handed a boarding pass without any real explanation.  Let the craziness commence!

Already running late, I said some quick goodbyes to my dad and bolted through more security only to discover that we would be boarding late.  While waiting with a few people from Hebrew University, all of the religious Jews stood up and started davening--swaying back and forth in prayer--in the middle of the airport terminal.  Shortly after, we were called to start boarding the plane.  Israelis are not known for their patience, of course, so the line looked more like a mob.  While in this hodgepodge of people, I noticed something peculiar: I was one of only a few not wearing a yarmulke!  This self-conciousness would only intensify later when everyone around me was handed a glatt kosher meal, meaning that the meat in their meals was thoroughly inspected for possible defects, while my meal, a regular kosher meal, was prepared under less strict standards.

The winglet on our Boeing 747.

I was assigned a seat next to two yeshiva students, both named Eli, so my experience was made a lot more interesting!  Both were younger than me, but much more religious, at one point discussing the current holiday of Rosh Chodesh and whether or not it would be appropriate to blow a shofar on the plane in celebration.  Fortunately, this did not develop into anything more than a conversation, although the Eli to my left said he had been on a plane where this did in fact happen.  Let me say, though, that nothing would surprise me on an El Al flight to Israel.  A great experience, El Al was the perfect way to welcome me to my semester abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, a country not known for any shortage of meshugas!

Fun fact (and more craziness): El Al uses a variation of the plus sign so as not to offend religious Jews who believe that a regular plus sign (+) looks too much like the Christian cross.

8/28 | Newark, New Jersey (Part II)

Irene's bark was certainly worse than her bite.  With the media in hysterics, the hurricane did not even come close to causing the widespread devastation that everyone expected.  In fact, except for some downed trees and minor flooding, the area seems to have held up quite well!  This gives me hope that my flight on El Al tomorrow will depart without delay.

Needless to say, I am really excited to finally have the chance to fly on Israel's national carrier.  My previous two trips to Israel were on U.S. Airways, which was quite luxurious, and Ukraine's Aerosvit Airlines, which was just miserable (30 hours in Kiev?  No thanks!).  I imagine El Al will fall somewhere in the middle of those two but, of course, it's the genuine Israel experience so that alone makes it pretty special.

The logo of El Al, Israel's national carrier.  The tagline underneath says, "The most at home in the world."

December's adventure on Aerosvit Airlines in Kiev, Ukraine, flying back from Tel Aviv to New York.  Anything is better than this!

8/27 | Newark, New Jersey

Saying goodbye is not easy.  Saying goodbye while the storm of the century slowly bears down on you is downright difficult.  After some tearful goodbyes with my mom and sister, my dad and I were off, come hell or, more expectedly, high water.

In driving up to Newark, we discovered something surprising: totally empty highways!  The trip, which I had made twice before during the summer, only took about 3.5 hours.  All the way up, the radio sounded with the voices of terrified New Jerseyites and New Yorkers.  These voices, mixed with eerily empty roads, made for quite an experience.  Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come--just heavy rain as of now--and as I sit here in my hotel room, listening to the news reports on TV, I hope for the best.

My location (in the red box) amidst the projected path of Hurricane Irene.

In regard to my flight, as of today it is still on schedule.  Although the airport departure board in the hotel listed nearly straight cancellations, today's El Al flight is still scheduled to take off.  Tomorrow, however, I imagine there will be nothing taking off or landing all the way from Boston to Raleigh.  Call it what you want--a storm, hurricane, monsoon--this is shaping up to be some once-in-a-lifetime rain!  According to all the weather reports, Monday is supposed to be beautiful and hopefully, my flight will take off with minimal delays (a bit of cautious optimism can't hurt, right?).

The main headline on Arutz Sheva, one of Israel's news outlets.

With the hurricane expected to come and go by tomorrow night, I am reminded of the old adage, "this, too, shall pass," or gam zeh ya'avor in Hebrew.  It is a reminder that there is always a tomorrow and that what may seem big in the present may not be so big in retrospect.  It is relevant to this storm, it is relevant to the expected "diplomatic tsunami" that will follow the Palestinians' statehood vote at the United Nations this September, and it is relevant to any Israeli, or any Jew that cares deeply for Israel, when thinking about the difficult position the Jewish State currently finds itself in.  Threats may emanate from Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, Egypt, and Iran, but when a nation comes together, as American find themselves doing now in the face of Irene, anything is possible.

8/26 | The Journey Begins

It is often said that the journey is greater than the destination.  As I anticipate with great excitement the adventure that lies ahead of me, I cannot help but find it amusing that my greatest challenge may be in just getting to Newark Airport.  In the past week, there has been a terrorist attack outside of Eilat, nearly 100 rockets fired from Gaza, and an earthquake here in Maryland. All of these have had the potential to delay my semester in Israel; however, with Hurricane Irene heading up the East Coast, it seems that my greatest obstacle may be some rain and wind!  With such craziness already, this is already shaping up to be an interesting experience.

As I sit here in my basement hoping for the best, both in terms of the actual flight and the semester ahead of me, it is not lost on me that Jews have never had it easy getting to Israel.  For over 2,000 years, Jews all over the world have longed to return "to be a free people in our land / the land of Zion and Jerusalem" as the words of HaTikvah, Israel's national anthem, so eloquently put it.  Fortunately for me, I only have a few days to wait until my arrival at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where I will be staying on beautiful Mount Scopus--Har HaTzofim--overlooking the Old City and the Temple Mount.  How many Jews throughout history have yearned to be in my position?  It is quite humbling to think that I may be so privileged to study at one of Israel's finest institution of higher learning in a city that is unmatched in holiness during a time when the Jewish State is flourishing in the face of so much danger.  In just 60 years, a people ravaged by centuries of anti-Semitism have built one of the finest nations in the world and I have the chance it live it firsthand!

The view from an observation platform on Mount Scopus taken during my first trip to Israel in July 2010.

In just a few hours, assuming that El Al doesn't cancel or delay my flight, I will be on my way to Newark Airport.  Regardless of the weather, I'll make it to Jerusalem.  There may be a storm coming, but when has that ever stopped a Jew in the past?

The first, and possibly most challenging, leg of my journey.