The Gift of Rain

Last weekend, we landed in the Negev Desert. The Negev is a beautiful place of extremes--hot and dry in the day and cold and windy at night. We get to our starting point and begin the hike. A few hours later, we arrive at our camping site where we need to pitch tents before darkness arrives. After pitching the tent, Susy (one of the participants, begins preparations for the meal: Homemade Pizza and Chinese Stir Fry (vegetarian and Chicken options). Many hours later and with full, satisfied bellies we all try to fall asleep in the crapped quarters of the tent. My tent slept the boys, 4 of us, in a 3 person tent. Uncomfortable, Iftach (our guide), decides to sleep outside which gives all of us more room. In the middle between sleep and being lucid, we begin to hear rain drops. Not hard rain, but soft rain. Meanwhile, all of us left our stuff outside to give more room in the tents for our bodies. We were all told that the place was secure, and robbery was the last thing on our minds. Because I didn't want to get my camera, cell phone and clothes wet, I took everything inside. So did most of my tent-mates. At about 3:30 in the morning, we are awakened by Israelis who had been sleeping about 1 km from our tents. They tell us that they had been robbed by Bedouins and the we needed to check for our stuff. 3 or 4 of my group members had all their cash and valuables taken and found their bags a few feet from our tents. We were all in shock, and I was thankful to God or whatever power that be, that rain (in the desert of all places) got me to take my things into my tent; otherwise, I'd be writing this without my Canon camera or iPod!

Other than that, the next day we hiked nearly 8 hours in the blistering sun. It was a great workout, and I loved it with a passion. Can't wait to do more of it.

Here are the pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050460&id=164200005&l=526a3659d4

Out of Israel and into Sinai....

Last Sunday I took my first steps to independent travel. After struggling to find a travelling partner, I decided, with some anxiety, to go it alone.
On Sunday morning, I left for the long five-hour journey to Eilat. After arriving in Eilat, I took the bus to the Taba border where I crossed rather quickly, without hassle. Nearly 70 US later, I entered into the country (100 shekels to Israel, 70 Egyptian Pounds to Egypt) and was fortunate enough to run into a couple who were heading to a beach resort. My original plan was to stay at Basata (“Simplicity”) but they were all booked up and I would have had to schlep a tent. Instead, I decided to join them. We went to a place called “Beer Swear”, 40 km from the Taba crossing. For some interesting reason, “Beer Swear” has become an oasis for young, ‘adventurous’ Israelis looking for a good time in Sinai, but too scared to go to any of the major cities. The day basically consists of the following: wake up at 9 or 10 am, smoke hash, eat breakfast, smoke hash, sun bathe, go into the water, smoke hash, eat lunch, read a book, take a nap, go snorkeling, smoke hash, eat dinner, and smoke some more, bed. Two days of this (without smoking any hash, may I add) was more than enough for me-- and because Egypt is technically an Islamic country, alcohol is very difficult to find at these resorts. So I left feeling the need for an adventure. I took out my “Lonely Planet” and made the decision to go trek Mt. Sinai. The best way to do this is to go to Dahab, so that is what I did. I mounted the sketchy bus in the middle of the desert, passed 4 or 5 checkpoints and entered Dahab. Dahab is still considered a city for independent backpackers, so it was rather easy to find my way around. After a bit, I found a company that would take me to Mt. Sinai and back for just under 20 dollars US. I jumped on the opportunity and left at 11pm. We arrived at 1 am and started to climb. The trek is medium-hard, with many dangerous ledges. The most annoying part is having pestering Bedouins along the trail yelling “Camel”, tempting you for 60 Egyptian pounds. I am proud to say I resisted the whole way up, often saying, “No Thanks, I prefer to die”. Right before the top, my entire body was aching, a kind man (who turned out to be conveniently forget to request 70 Egyptian pounds for his services), offered me his hand. I took it grudgingly, because I was utterly exhausted. I offered him 20 pounds at the top which he refused. I told him he never told me the price, and had he told me, I would have refused. Then I took out another 10 pounds and told him to take it or leave it. You have to negotiate in Egypt or they will take you for all your worth.

After reaching the peak (it was really cold and windy), we waited for the sun to appear and made our way down. The Monastery at the bottom was a bit dull, except for the Burning Bush, which had the faithful in tears.

The next day, I awoke with the intention of finding a dive shop to certify me with a licence. I found a nice spot called “Divers Down Under”. There I met my instructor, a South African with the name Awwi (pronounced Avi). I thought he was Jewish, but turns out that his name is in Afrikaans. I learnt how to put on my gear, safety tips when in the water, how to inflate an automatic (with the bush of a button) life preserver. I also learnt how to do some safety exercises including swapping for my partner’s air and sharing air. Most importantly, I learnt how to use my lungs as buoyancy devices. When diving, it’s crucial to understand that your lungs become inflated and deflated. When you are diving with sensitive coral reef, it is vital to be aware of your surroundings and ensure that you are not close to the reef. You do this, in part, by controlling your diaphragm. The number one rule in diving is to never stop breathing. It’s not that hard to remember, but it takes some time to get used to.

The coral reef is extremely diverse and beautiful in Dahab. I didn’t have the opportunity to dive far, but from what I saw, I was in awe. I can’t wait to go back and finish my certification.
I have for some time wanted to travel on my own. I've seen friends do it and really enjoy the experience. I think you really learn a lot about yourself travelling on your own. You learn how to trust your own instincts, and be completely responsible for your own actions. I really enjoyed the freedom it provided me. I could do whatever I wanted without feeling like I was compromising my own experience for the benefit of a travel partner. It was also a great way to meet people, especially in a backpacker’s city like Dahab. I enjoyed the opportunity to be responsible for my own survival and actions. On the other hand, more than once I felt lonely, especially during my hike of Mount Sinai. Out of 7 people, 4 were couples, and 2 were friends. Best part, I only got sick once from a meat! Hah.

Travelling to an Arab country is also a unique experience. Slowly, I’ve realized the importance of separating the people from the government. I met Americans and Canadians who had travelled and lived in Libya, Syria, Iran, and Egypt. They kept telling me that the people couldn’t have been more gracious to have foreigners in their country. True, that these countries have serious questions when it comes to human rights abuses and their treatment of minorities, but it is important to appreciate this point. In the end of the day, people are people and most people want what is best for their family, namely a secure home with enough money to support their family. I can appreciate that.

Kibbutz Neot Smadar

Last week, I spent about 7 days at Kibbutz Neot Smadar. Neot Smadar is special. It takes its inspiration from the idea that people can work and live together for the good of everyone. This bond has allowed the Kibbutz endure for over 20 years. Before arriving I had many preconceived notions about the Kibbutz ---it being a quasi-cult, the awkwardness of eating in silence and the weird people I would be meeting. For the most part these stereotypes remain but I do have a respect for the idea that they espouse.

A typical day began at 5:45am, where I would groggily wake up, put on the warmest clothes I could find (the desert gets really cold at night and really hot in the day, making it nearly impossible to pack for). I would then quickly brush my teeth and sleepily walk in the dark to the mess hall. Upon arriving, I would pour myself a stiff cup of coffee and sit down with the rest of the community for a 20 minute meditation. The meditation is supposed to give you an appreciation for the new day, which it did. After meditation, we would be assigned our morning duties. I worked in different places including the kitchen, garden, winery and weeding.

At 8:30am, breakfast would be served. Fresh, organic vegetables (tomatoes, celery, carrots, lettuce, cabbage), goat cheese, two types of homemade bread (white and brown) and the best apricot jam in the world. Meals are conducted in silence, which also takes some time to get used to, especially for a new volunteer who is just starting to meet people.

After breakfast, work continues until about 12 noon, where we take a break and eat gigantic pomelos (a cross between a grape fruit and orange, but better than both of them!). At about 1pm, a chime was heard throughout the kibbutz indicated that it was time for lunch. We would pack up our stuff and head over to the dining hall. Lunch is usually some soup, or beans and lots of veggies (it's a vegetarian kibbutz with fish twice a week). After lunch, there was a kibbutz-wide meeting to determine what needed to happen in the afternoon. Sometimes I would be asked to clean, other times I would be asked to work in specialized projects, like the water pipe project. At about 5pm, we would finish working and have 2 hours to relax before dinner. Dinner would be soup, vegetables, and beans (you can see the pattern, can't you?). I became so desperate for meat, that I started to fantasize about killing the chickens on the kibbutz and roasting them on a spic. It even got to the point that got excited for fish and I hate fish.

Most of the nights I would pass out at 8pm due to pure exhaustion, which made socializing kind of an issue.

The kibbutz doesn't celebrate Shabbat in any normal way; instead, they have a dance circle where they all dress in white to choreographed music! It was an interesting transitory experience!

On Saturday I had the opportunity to go exploring. The Kibbutz is huge and has much to offer including a man-made pond where you can swim and a man-made "lake" with an island in the centre accessible my paddle boat.

Overall, the experience was a good one, although it strikes me as somewhat oxymoronic that a kibbutz which preaches sustainable practises and tries to eat locally and organically, would be located on a land that is not easily habitable and which needs to be irrigated with a lot of water just to make it habitable. Sounds pretty counterintuitive. Also the constant barrage of gunfire and bomb explosions (we were 5km from an army base) made for a strange experience. We would talk about loving our neighbours, going back to what we need in life, mainly relationships and humility, and then we would hear bombs exploding which would literally shake the trailer park homes in the area.

For pictures, see: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049833&id=164200005&l=46903b0a1a

Brief Update

Sorry for the lack of updates. I was in the middle of a big one, and had to go to a conference this weekend. In just 5 hours, I will be getting up to go all the way to Kibbutz Neot Smadar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neot_Smadar). It is one of the only remaining socialist-leaning Kibbutzim in the country which incorporates Buddhist principles. You are not allowed to talk during meals. Should be an interesting adventure. I will update when I get back (Friday or Saturday). Until then...

BFL aka Big Fat Leaders

Last weekend, I went on a special seminar called BFL (Building Future Leadership). I know, I know it sounds corny--I was also very sceptical. This program is touted by MASA as the best-of-the-best conference (re: cream of the crop) where future leaders come together to talk about different ways to be a leader. This is done through guest speakers, group discussion and volunteer work. BFL is a three-part seminar, the first of which focuses on leadership examples. Highlights include a typical Zionist speech by one of Israel's most senior military leaders MK Moshe Ya’alon, former IDF Chief of staff; Moty Kanias, spoke from a post-Zionist or pro Palestinian perspective. He served in one of Israel's most elite units, Sayeret Matkal. Put together, one can understand how confusing the whole conflict is. I appreciated getting a perspective I would have otherwise not heard. The most interesting time, however, was spent with four IDF soldiers currently enlisted in an elite unit known as Sayeret Duvdevan. The unit is in charge of infiltration and recognisance in the West Bank. They essentially act on intelligence reports by infiltrating covertly "hot" areas. They pride themselves on the ability to locate individual suspects without harming others along the way. One of the soldiers is also an officer (a commander), at age 22 he is in charge of 28 troops who are loyal to his every command. It's pretty amazing how fast these kids have to grow up. Another soldier was born in Israel but lived in Australia most of his life, they call people who do this "lone soldiers". I talked to him briefly about international law and whether or not his unit follows protocols such as acquiring warrants for wire tapping or using the presumption of innocence before proving a suspect’s guilt. He seemed to suggest this did not happen, and when suspects are transfered to Israel they go through a military tribunal, which of course is kept very secretive. I'd be interested in learning more about this process.

The seminar was interesting for other reasons, especially getting to network and meet other people interested in social justice work. We discussed our ideas for projects and had the opportunity to go out on Friday night. Jerusalem is surprisingly lively during Shabbat. The bars and clubs are full of patrons to the wee hours of the morning. Impressive. I'm looking forward to the next conference in 3 weeks.

On Monday, I had the distinct opportunity of hearing a Holocaust survivor speak as part of my academic course here at Tikkun Olam. She told her story of living in Poland through the worst of the Holocaust---surviving the Warsaw Ghetto (from disease to uprising), Majdanek concentration camp, Birkenau extermination camp, The March of Death. An amazing woman.

Tuesday night was absolutely crazy. We all went out for Purim and got very drunk. A street called Florentine has the action all night. Thousands of people came in costume partying the night away. Probably one of the craziest party experiences of my life!

Yesterday, I had my final interview with Amnesty Israel. I can now officially say that I am interning with them. On Monday and Tuesday I am attending a conference on the African Refugees in Israel run by the head official for refugee rights at Amnesty International in the UK. Should be a very interesting and an educational time, I look forward to updating everyone. I have been given the task of researching content for their new website. I am essentially writing the English introductory articles and finding relevant material for the refugee page. Hopefully they will like my work and I will be given a bigger, more substantial role.

This weekend I'm going to the Sea of Galilee with Tikkun Olam. We are going on hikes, visiting a winery and having a general relaxing time. Should be a lot of fun.

That's all for now, I'll try to send an update Tuesday on the progress of the conference.

Existential Threat

Note: The picture shows how my cooking skills have improving. A stir fry, classical Chinese style-- rice cooked to perfection; garlic/brocoli/chicken with soy sauce/oyster sauce/sugar; and ginger/sprouts/red pepper with sweet chilli sauce and pepper. The best stir fry I have ever made. Full points goes to my roommate and cooking mentor, Alex Goddard!

This past week I’ve been busy with lots of small things. I've settled into College For All and I’m trying to get my volunteer schedule set (with no success yet). I've emailed Amnesty Israel and will call tomorrow to see if there are volunteer opportunities. If I get no response, I will do the ARDC. I have a "test" on Monday to evaluate my level of Hebrew. I expect to be at the bottom which means I'll simply go in the easiest class. I'm fine with that...I can't expect to be fluent in 6 months.

Last weekend I went on a political seminar in Jerusalem. It was a good opportunity to meet people from all political and religious backgrounds. We talked about contentious issues in Israel like the constant tension in Israel between separation of church (err synagogue) and state. Simply listening to the complexities, made it pretty evident that this tension will always exist. People by and large want to see the Jewish fabric of Israel maintained but also (even observant Jews) see the issue of religion having such a profound influence on politics as problematic. There are countless examples in this region. Take for example, the biblical idea of Judea-Samaria. If we were to take this idea literally, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are biblical "Palestine", the land of the Jews and therefore must be maintained within contemporary Israel. However, politically this is huge impediment to any sort of peace and cannot be maintained in order to create a two-state solution. It all depends on what side of the political spectrum you fall on: do you believe in practice of realpolitic-- that peace with the Palestinians is necessary for the stability of the region and the security of Israel or do you believe that the Jewish nation (a term I have a hard time accepting) must maintain its land because after all, land for peace has never worked, Hamas would never accept Israel and more importantly, God promised this land to the Jews.

One of the more interesting speakers of the weekend talked about the difference between symbolic policy and real policy. He argued that the government (and it doesn’t matter if it is a left or right government) always makes the excuse that because Israel’s existence is being threatened by forces outside of its control, security must take precedence over anything else. Therefore, you see the government spending large amounts of capital on new, expensive weaponry for the military, increased defence budgets and new elite units being formed with little new money being put into education, health care or public housing. When compared to the rest of the world, year after year Israel is falling in all major fields including education which he finds to be very troubling. He said that because of the limited budget, Israeli politicians have become experts in symbolic policies, policies such as encouraging gender equality or equal rights between Jews and Arabs, but refuse to put money into the problem. When a change in administration occurs (which is usually every 2 years), these polities lose their status and are rarely resurrected. There is also another, more sinister problem, the military industrial complex of Israel (re: the lobbying firms dedicated to maintaining Israeli military industry and might) have a huge interest in maintaining the status quo. As long as there is an existential threat to Israel (Iran’s nuclear ambition, Hamas’ Charter, Hezbullah’s Katusha rockets, Syria’s tacit support of Hezbullah and Iran) then the increases in budget can always be legitimized.

I also met a Russian woman who works in the Department of Finance through a MASA program called Israel Government Fellows. (For purposes of full disclosure: The program is partly funding by the Menachem Begin Center which is what we classically would call a right wing organization.) It is a 10 month internship where she works directly with the Knesset and Ministries. It costs 11,000 US and includes no housing in Jerusalem but it sounds like an amazing experience.

Finally, yesterday I went to Jerusalem for the 120th Central Conference of American Rabbis. Tikkun Olam (well 3 of us) went to promote the organization and "study Torah". I bumped into one of the Senior Administrators’ at Holy Blossom and we exchanged kind words. Didn't really know me, but recognized by mother's last name. The experience was unique and not something I'd normally feel comfortable doing. We split up into small groups and talked about Jewish text from contemporary angles, most of which was said was beyond my expertise, but I still contributed what I could. I met one woman who lost her husband a few years ago, remarried a rabbi but kept her husband's last name because her husband was the last of his family (Neither they nor his grandparents or parents had any other children). She felt like it was her responsibility to pass on his name.

First Couple Days of Volunteering

Before I talk about volunteering at College For All, let me tell you a strange thing that happened to me yesterday. In the morning I had Ulpan class with my Hebrew teacher Yifat. We were learning about the days of the week by linking the creation story to it. While we were discussing the story, the subject of God came up and with it the whole issue of not being able to the write God in Hebrew (it being too holy to write down). Yifat, being a secular and defiant Jew, writes down אֱלוֹהִים Elohim (God) in the middle of the board. But instead of writing with erasable marker, she accidentally uses a PERMANENT marker. Sign from God? It spooked us all and she was quite embarrassed (see pic).

College For All was an interesting experience to the say the least. I was picked up by Abid, an Arab Israeli who is in university and teaches English. He invited me over to his home and I got to meet his brother, sister and mother. Their home is full of Muslim and Biblical iconography, including a verse in the Koran and a stain glass drawing of Abraham offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. His sister married a distant relative, which I also found to be interesting, to say the least.

Upon entering the school, the kids immediately gravitated to Abid and then started laughing at me. "What's your name", I was asked hundreds of times, and each time I would patiently say, "My name is Sam. What is your name?". They would respond with their Arabic names and then quickly run off with their friends, laughing at their responses. These kids are so full of energy-- some express their energy in the form of being loud and obnoxious, others are physically aggressive. To combat this, teachers are generally much more vocal with their students than I am used to in Canada. Teachers will yell at the students to get them to quite down to the point where the more forceful the teacher yells, the more respect they will gain from the students. What a balagan (mess).

I also had a chance to venture outside the classroom and look at the English work some students had done. One work in particular struck me-- a poster board made by Grade 6 students about the Gaza conflict. It contained some alarming inaccuracies, including a reference to babies being targeted by the IDF for death. I was shocked to see such blatantly anti-Israel material in a school that is in Israel proper and funding directly by the municipality of Tel Aviv. One wonders why this could have ever been allowed as a project. How scary is it to think that these teachers don't know any better or just don't care? I thought about saying something, but I think my thoughts are best expressed here for now.

I may be doing more advanced English work with the high school class. Hopefully, I'll be of good help to them.

On Tuesday, I had an appointment at Beth Hatefutsoth with Marta, the coordinator of the Geology project. We discussed the purpose of my volunteer work and we both concluded that my help would be most needed toward the end of April and intensively in May when they get the most submissions and really need the extra help. With the extra time that I'll have over the next couple of months, I'll be trying to improve on my Hebrew.

Soccer, Elections and Volunteering!

A few days ago, the group went to an exciting soccer game between two teams with bitter rivalries: Jerusalem Betar vs Tel Aviv Hapoal. (Note: That teams in Israel have traditionally been separated by political affiliations; Betar representing the far-Right with chants like "Kill the Arabs" and Hapoal (meaning Workers), a quasi-communist team with ironically, Che Guevara as their hero. Naturally, both teams have an incredible amount of animosity toward each other, with fights occurring frequently between fans. Upon reaching the Hapoal gate (separate entrances for fans of each side), we placed our bags in metal detectors (the ones found in airports) and proceeded to show our ticket to the attendant where we then were frisked for guns, metal objects, knives etc. The frisk was thorough and done by army guards. Before the game started the atmosphere was intense. People on both sides were chanting loudly. Most of which I could not understand, but later found out that chants went as follows: "Jerusalem sits on their own penis", as well as Hapoal fans calling of their former players a neo Nazi for joining Betar. The game was full of excitement, like nothing I had ever seen before—it was a true European feeling of crazy fans. The game was pretty evenly played, until about a quarter through it when Hapoal scored two goals in a few minutes. Tel Aviv went crazy for their team. By the end of the game, we won 4-0 and the Betar fans had lit their seats on fire!

On Tuesday, it was election day in this country. We all took the day off from Ulpan because everything was closed. It's been very interesting to see what the issues are on the ground. There seems to be very little distinction between left and right in this country; rather, because security takes precedence, all popular parties have very similar policies toward security and even the status of the Palestinians. It is also true that historically, right wing governments have been the only coalition governments able to successfully negotiate land for peace deal (Manechem Began gave Sinai for Egypt's recognition of Israel--but its also necessary to know that the Sinai isn't considered to be historically part of Judea-Samaria and therefore was much easier to give away politically).

The issue this election, like all others, is security but what is sad is that underneath the conflict, there are some very serious issues that are rarely addressed and never spoken about outside of Israel. For instance, in regards to education, less than 50 percent of Israelis graduate high school and of those who do, only 15 percent go on to university. I bet you didn't know that. If the right wing manage to form a coalition under BB Netenyahu (Likud), they will inevitably continue the dangerous path of neo-liberal economics in very shaky economic times furthering the rate of inequality between rich and poor (Israel has one of the highest rates of inequality in the world--talk about going back on Jewish values). The results this time around were not very surprising; however, much more disconcerting was the popularity of Israel Beitenu. For those of you who do not know, the party is headed by Avigidor Lieberman, a man known for his nearly fascist rhetoric on the status of Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. His party's slogan is "Without Loyalty, there is no citizenship". This time around, they received more popular support than Avodah (Labour) and seem to hold the balance of power. Tzippy Livni (Kadima) has been given 100 days to form a coalition, but whatever she does, she will most likely have to include Israel Beiteinu in the coalition. Many Israelis see his popularity as purely a reaction to the Gaza conflict. How is this different than the popularity of Hamas? Are all people who voted for Israel Beiteinu fascists xenophobes? I do not think so. But neither are those who support Hamas. The situation is always much more complex than it seems to be on the surface.

On a separate note, yesterday was volunteer selection day:

1) College For All.

As I said earlier:
"College for all works in Jaffa with young, enthusiastic, bright students (Arab Muslim and Arab Christian). The aim of the programme is to increase the number of Arab students who reach the level of post-secondary education (whether it be college or university). Levels of poverty in Jaffa are extremely high, with nearly 50 percent of all residents living in abject poverty. College for all is designed as an after-school programme which buses in students from all 3 local schools in the Jaffa area. The students learn Math, Hebrew, English, Chemistry and Physics. The aim of the programme is to have fun with students (who wants to sit in yet another class from 4-8pm?). They come 2 times a week, play games and are fed meals. The programme begins in Grade 3 and runs all the way to Grade 12. The idea is to show these kids that school is important and when they put their minds to it, anything is possible. The programme in only 5 years old, but so far they have seen remarkable success rates and hope to expand in the next few years.
This idea isn't new; it has been in existence for Jews in Israel for many years and showed great success rates. I would be working with the teachers with English and basic math. Although I have very little teaching experience, having a mentor who speaks English fluently will surely be an asset to the programme."

I am really interested in coexistence work between Arabs and Jews. This programme sounds very well tailored to better understanding the needs of this community. Until last year, there were no Jews working at the centre. Tikkun Olam is the first. This year the program expanded to include Soldiers, but because of the war, there were issues with them coming back.

I'll be doing College For All, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.

2) Beth Hatefutsoth (Diaspora Museum)
I'm working with a woman from Argentina who needs help collected genealogy projects from all over the world. She reads the submission and assesses it based on certain criteria. I'll be using my Spanish abilities to communicate to her (she only speaks Hebrew and Spanish!) and to read the submissions. Also part of the time will be spent learning about the museum itself, and hopefully tracking down my own family history. It's a change of pace from the other volunteer places, and it gives me a chance to use Spanish. I'm excited to find out the specifics.

3) Nofim or African Refugee Development Center (ARDC)

Nofim- An elementary school for south Tel Aviv children who come from underprivileged backgrounds. Roles would include teaching English to ESL students, but more than anything they are looking for positive role models who come on a consistent basis. Nofim also exists as a refugee centre for Darfurian's. The option also exists to work with this community, which I would love to experience.

ARDC was founded in 2004 as an Israeli non-governmental organization. It was created to assist, support and empower the African refugees and asylum seekers in Israel and to promote a humane and fair Israeli asylum policy. Based on the principle of mutual aid and empowerment (“refugees helping refugees"). The ARDC has been accommodating over 2,300 asylum seekers from Eritrea, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Chad and other countries.
Again, the opportunity sounds unique and interesting. I need to check out the centre first before I decide between this and Nofim.

Finally, after a full month at the hostel, we have moved to our homes in Kiryat Shalom. My apartment is dirty and small, but these are small problems that I'll get over and shouldn't be a reason for not enjoying my time here. The work I'll be doing is truly needed and I think I will have an enlightening experience. I hope you can join me (at least in this blog) on the journey.

Wishing you well,
Sam

Waltz with Bashir

I went to see ‘Waltz with Bashir’ last week. For those who haven't heard of it, it's an emotionally-driven movie about the 1982 First Lebanon War. It follows a 19-year old solider trying to reclaim his lost memories about the war and the ensuing Sabra and Shatilla refugee camp massacre.

The movie has also won a Golden Globe and is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

If you are interested, read this review I found on Haaretz. It's emblematic of the issues Israelis face on a daily basis. And of course, watch the movie!

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1060891.html

Israel: A country defined by conflict

First off, let me apologize for my utter laziness. I originally intended to blog a few days a week but things have been very hectic here. Enough of my excuses though...

Last week, for Obama's inauguration the whole group went to an all-American bar called Mike's Place, located next to the U.S. Embassy. Most of the people in my group are American (As a complete aside, I hate that word, they aren't American, they are United Statesions...how can the US take the name of all the Americas--by that definition, I am also American!). It was an amazing site to see Obama take office--it nearly put me to tears. I hope that his actions are as clear as his rhetoric suggests. The next 100 days are critical. Personally, I can't wait until Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart interviews Bush--what a sight that would be!

Last weekend I went on an amazing trip to Eilat (southern tip of Israel next to Egypt). Eilat is known for its beautiful weather and awesome scuba diving, however, we came in the middle of the 'winter', so it was cold and windy. We went on several hikes which were just amazing. The second hike was about 6 hours of some pretty difficult trekking. There were several challenging obstacles, including steep inclines which I didn't expect. Suffice to say, everyone survived. It's a great way to get to know the country and great exercise! The landscape is just magnificent. I hope to do more hiking, especially in the Golan.

The next morning, a few of us woke up at 4:30 in the morning to watch the sunrise. The hike was easier, but still a steep incline. After seeing the sunrise (and drinking some coffee), I had no regrets about getting up so early.

The drive back was uneventful, despite the fact that I was extremely exhausted but wasn't allowed to sleep--I was given the prestigious job of keeping the driver company while we drove back (5 hours) to Tel Aviv. The most frequent accidents in this country occur when drivers fall asleep at the wheel. As an aside, drivers in Israel are fucking crazy. They have very little respect for the rules of the road or the concept of pedestrians. To drive in Israel, you have to be extremely aggressive.

This past week was dedicated to two things: (1) learning Hebrew in Ulpan study (2) seeing possible placements for volunteering--which begins in mid February.

Hebrew has been quite difficult and at times extremely frustrating. I am coming in with little to no understanding of the language. Despite having a Bar Mitzvah, I never learnt how to actually understand what I was saying; therefore, it really did nothing but confuse me when I try to learn how to speak the language. For those of you who had a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, I'm sure you can identify with this struggle. I also learn differently than most people. I do not absorb information as fast as some, and I struggle particularly with rote memorization. I need to find strategies that work, like flash cards and time outside of class to study by myself. I have the entire weekend to dedicate to this, and I hope to have much accomplished. I will report back!

Possible placements have been a delight to visit. By Mid-February I have to choose 3 of them. Tikkun Olam offers a wide-range of placements from working in an Arab-Jewish community centre in Jaffa (Arab suburb of Tel Aviv) to working with horses in a therapeutic riding centre for children with CP and Autism. The decision won't be easy, as many of them could be very rewarding. However, I also think I have to make a decision based on need. The balance has to be found between my own personal beliefs, rationale for coming to this country, and the need of the organization.

So far I have a couple organizations I am seriously thinking about: College for all and the Arab-Jewish Community Centre.

College for all works in Jaffa with young, enthusiastic, bright students (Arab Muslim and Arab Christian). The aim of the programme is to increase the number of Arab students who reach the level of post-secondary education (whether it be college or university). Levels of poverty in Jaffa are extremely high, with nearly 50 percent of all residents living in abject poverty. College for all is designed as an after-school programme which buses in students from all 3 local schools in the Jaffa area. The students learn Math, Hebrew, English, Chemistry and Physics. The aim of the programme is to have fun with students (who wants to sit in yet another class from 4-8pm?). They come 2 times a week, play games and are fed meals. The programme begins in Grade 3 and runs all the way to Grade 12. The idea is to show these kids that school is important and when they put their minds to it, anything is possible. The programme in only 5 years old, but so far they have seen remarkable success rates and hope to expand in the next few years.
This idea isn't new; it has been in existence for Jews in Israel for many years and showed great success rates. I would be working with the teachers with English and basic math. Although I have very little teaching experience, having a mentor who speaks English fluently will surely be an asset to the programme.

The Arab-Jewish community centre is also located in Jaffa. They are a special organization with only two in existence in Israel. The aim of the centre is to promote coexistence with joint programmes for both Arab and Jews. They also have something called the "American Corner" which is financially supported by the U.S Embassy. The aim of this corner is to promote American (err United States-ion) culture. Book clubs read English books by U.S writes, there’s a chess club that speaks English, sports club that plays sports popular in the U.S. They are open to ideas, and I love the vibe. They also have a Judo club (only for kids though)!

There are important and interesting organizations, including a kindergarten for unrecognized children of foreign workers but perhaps I will wait for future updates to speak about them. Suffice to say, that the opportunities look amazing and I'm sure they will be very rewarding.

Finally, I would like to add one last point, which is that I am under no illusion that what I am doing here won't revolutionize the social structures and economic inequality within Israel. However, I think that small changes are what will be most rewarding. Seeing a child smile because I am there supporting them with their work, or seeing people working together, no matter their faith or economic background--this is ultimately why this kind of work is worth it. The economic and social situation in Israel is much grimmer than people outside of this country understand. When you think Israel you immediately think conflict. And while you may be right, internally, this country is falling apart. Less than 50 percent of students in Israel complete high school. Of that population, only 15 percent of those graduates even attend any sort of post-secondary institution. Those are ‘third world’ (another horrible word) conditions. I hope this blog will serve as a good avenue for you, my readers, to understand that this country has much more to say than just conflict. I welcome your opinions and insight.

Shalom. Salam Alechem.

P.S. Here’s the photo album from Eilat! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047470&l=b625d&id=164200005

Loyalty of the Druze

This is a picture of an Israeli Druze soldier looking out of an outpost overlooking Lebanon. Who do you ask are the Druze? They are a distinct ethnic minority within Israel that broke off of Islam in the year 1014 AD. They are a closed and secret faith that believes in 5 secrets never revealed to non-Druze. A Druze does not start off religious; rather, become religious with time. If one chooses to become religious, the "secrets" of the faith are slowly revealed. Nobody can become a Druze, you must be born one; therefore, a person who marries outside of the Druze faith will be excommunicated from the community, never allowed to return. According to one Druze, there have only been 2 cases documented in Israel. Interestingly, to Druze value the land in which they live more highly than the unification of their people. Therefore they have no aspiration for a sovereign nation and even fight against each other from their respective countries.

To most, living a secret religious life is a concept entirely foreign and even a little scary. We look at the Druze and do not understand who would choose to live like this. However, despite the secretive religion, the Druze people remain an incredibly loyal allied to the State of Israel. Druze men between the ages of 18-21 even serve obligatory military service in the IDF. This means that the Druze serve honourably in combat units with their fellow Israeli soldiers. Think about it? Non-Jewish soldiers given the confidence of the Israeli government to monitor vital areas of security and to fight alongside their fellow soldiers. As a result, the Druze are very respected in Israeli society.

Back to the picture: The unit, which is made up of 5 Druze soldiers was ordered to monitor the Lebanon-Israel border after a barrage of Kassam rockets fell over Israel the day earlier. (The rockets where not from Hezbollah, rather, a rogue militant organization affiliated with Hamas who were trying to spark a second-front war). They spoke about the difficulties of monitoring the border. The soldiers are often teased and tormented by Hezbollah supporters barraging them with comments like: "Kill the Jews" and "You are a mockery to Islam". The soldiers told the group that they had to be careful because often Hezbollah will use this antagonism to see if the soldiers will come closer to the border, if they do, they risk being kidnapped by militants.

Suffice to say, I was deeply impressed by the loyalty of the Druze. I cannot fathom being a non-Jew fighting my own people living in Syria or Lebanon. Despite these difficulties, the Druze soldiers serve with loyalty and pride.

Birthright and Beyond

The long 12.5 hour journey from Toronto to Tel Aviv was pre-empted by my own stupidly. What stupidity you ask? When my parents left me at the airport, my mom left my bag on the floor. Somehow I forgot that I had not picked it up. When I finally realized where it was, the bomb squad had already taken the “suspicious baggage” to the lost and found. Later, I learned if I had done that in Israel, the knapsack would have been blown up! Suffice to say, I found my bag (after going all the way to Terminal 1 from Terminal 3) and was thankful that my stupidity didn’t have severe consequences. Had that bag been blown up, I would have lost my new camera, iPod and books!

After finally arriving in Jerusalem, we went for an amazing dinner of humus, chishkabob and all the fine foods that Israel has to offer. It was a nice introduction to the Israeli cuisine.

New Years eve brought very little in the way of festivities in Jerusalem as the majority of people follow the lunar calendar and pay little attention to the Christian, solar callender.

The first full day was spent learning about the landscape of Jerusalem. The archaeology in this city is incredible. We learned about the complicated history of the city which went into many hands from the Babylonians to the Israelites. We were also able to enter into several archaeological sites—there we saw the Jewish bond to ancient Palestine. What I found most fascinating was the Western Wall, which is the site of the Second Jewish Temple. We saw drawings of what the temple would have looked like before its destruction—it was used for the sacrifice of animals. We then had a chance to go to the Wall to view and pray if we felt inclined. It is also interesting to see a holy site restricted by the religious orthodoxy. Everything at the site needs to be done according to the most observant principles of Jewish customs, including the separation of men and women (men get about 9/10 of the space).

On Friday we were given the opportunity to go to Yad Vashem—I was there in 2004, but they have changed it dramatically since I last went. This time a grand building had been erected, with a vast amount of history about the Holocaust. The building is in the shape of a half of a Jew star (the significance of this being that half of the 12 million Jewish population before the Second World War died) with 6 sections of different history of the Holocaust. What is equally interesting is that once you enter you must go through the whole grounds before exiting. Each section is chronologically set and is very overwhelming. One particular event shook me to the chore: the mass execution of Jews in gigantic graves. What made the presentation powerful was the use of actual survivor footage of the event. One testimonial spoke about a man who was fortunate enough to not have been shot in a mass grave. After many hours of lying silent in the grave, he managed to escape. Imagine trying to live after something like that. Another powerful testimonial was about a man who was interned in Auschwitz. After years of surviving the line-ups and emaciation, someone steals his hat when he falls asleep. He knows that he will face either whipping or straight execution. He knows he will not survive if he does not find a hat, so he manages to steal a hat from another inmate. Later that morning during roll call, he remembers vividly the guard passing him and behind him hearing a single shot, knowing that was the man who was executed for misplacing his hat.

In the afternoon we were given time to prepare for Shabbas. After being driven to the Western Wall (before Shabbas), we were able to see thousands of people praying. It was an interesting experience, especially seeing the vast number of different kinds of religious Jews, from ultra-orthodox Hasidim to modern reform.

Like all Birthright trips, we went to typical places like the Dead Sea (we had a fun time floating in water) and Masada. Masada, for those who do not know, is a fortress erected by Herod the Great. In 72 CE it was forcefully taken over by the Romans who fought against Jewish warriors. The interesting part of the story is that instead of dying a brutal death in the hands of the Romans, the Jewish fighters decided to commit mass suicide. The question then is asked: Did the fighters die an honourable death or was is it better to fight until their last breath, no matter the brutality of the death. The story brings forth many obvious questions of the Shoah (Holocaust) and the modern state of Israel. Many Israelis see Masada as the place where Jews died honourably and see direct parallels between the fort and modern day Israel.

A few days ago we had the opportunity to go to the Israel-Lebanon border. It was pretty amazing to see the physical geography of where Israel ends and Lebanon starts. Being there also made it easier to understand why Israel cherishes the Golan and refuses to give it back. It has many purposes but chiefly serves as a provider of much of Israel’s natural water through the Sea of Galilee and of course strategically used to monitor Lebanon and Syria. While we were there we also had the good fortune of meeting some soldiers on patrol (a day before a fringe Lebanese group with connections to Hamas launched missiles through Lebanon). What was fascinating about these soldiers is that they were Druze. The Druze are a fascinating minority group (they’re faith comes from an offshoot of Islam and it completely secret) who serve loyally the state that they reside. All Druze men serve (and are drafted) into the Israeli army. They are fiercely loyal combatants who fight often in the front line. The commander spoke about the danger of the region and how dangerous it was for his soldiers to get too close to the border—in fear of being kidnapped. He spoke about the taunted of many Hezbullah supporters (because they are not Jews but serve in the Israeli army). I was in awe of the trust that Israel has put in these non-Jewish soldiers and very impressed by their loyalty to the State.

Another big issue that struck me during birthright was the concept of the Israeli state as a Jewish state—representing not only Israel but the entire Jewish community outside of Israel. I have always thought that my connection to this land was significant but that the actions of the Israeli state did not in any way reflect on me just because I happened to be Jewish. If taken to heart, the concept of Israel as a Jewish state completely challenges my understanding of Judaism. If this is the case, then Israel has a massive challenge in not only representing its people to the best of their ability, but also the broader Jewish community (re: when it goes to war it does not only threaten the international reputation of Israel but of Jews in general). I was further enlightened when the question of defending Jews abroad was asked by our tour guide to the Israelis who were placed in our group—all of them said they would defend Jews abroad if they were endanger. I wonder what other people think about this issue.

Now that Birthright has ended I find myself in Tel Aviv wondering the city trying to get to know it. I got lost several times today, but I think that’s all about finding my way around this city. It’s crazy how diverse this city is and how different it is from the rest of Israel. It truly is the city that does not sleep. I’m staying at a hostel called Hayarkon 48 for at least 3 nights –its clean, cheap and the people are friendly.

Quick Update!

Hey Everyone!

First off, let me apologize for not having written earlier. I have had very bad internet access these past few days. I will write more about my experiences in a weeks times, but for now I just wanted to tell all my friends and family that I am doing well! We are avoiding all the violence in the Gaza Strip and making sure the safety remains our priority. I have been engrossed in the political consequences to this war and equally fascinated by the political reaction within the state. Everyone is talking about it, writing about it, and debating it. To be living it is really something quite amazing.

Today we went to the dead sea and that was fantastic! Floating in the middle of the sea is something everyone has to experience at least once. People on the Birthright trip are good too, although I do feel like an old man (Most people are younger than me and party way too hard).
Much more to come, but right now I have to go!

-Sam