Hey Everyone,
I posted a few days ago saying that I would post about the weekend and the stuff I've done this week, so without further ado, here it is.
I spent my post-dig weekend with Rachel Heinstein, an old teacher of mine from Tehiyah, her husband, and Emily Pascal, a former classmate from elementary and middle school who is also taking a gap year before going to college. To say the least, we had a fantastic time. It is always fun to catch up with people whom you haven't seen in a while, and since Emily had just spent 3 months in South America, there were many stories to be told. We ate delicious food, slept a lot, talked about everything, took a really nice walk to a viewpoint in Talpiyot that overlooked the entire old city of Jerusalem, and enjoyed a very restful weekend. It was a great way to spent my final weekend in Jerusalem (until the last weekend in May which will be my last weekend of Nativ).
This week on Nativ included a three day 'Israel Today Seminar' in which we went to places and talked to people that showed us different aspects of Israeli society, culture, politics, art, and everything in between. Each day we had a few choices of where to go, and all of the options were great.
On Sunday, the group I went with was focusing on the oh-so-controversial settlements. We first went to Gush Etzion, a place that is the name of a group of settlements that were originally built by pioneers before the establishment of the State of Israel in Judeah and Samaria (the West Bank). I found it quite amusing that the bus we took to get there was bulletproof. We saw a movie about the place that was built in the late 1920s but destroyed by Arab Riots in 1929 and 1936. Eventually, during the war of Independence, everyone who lived in the place was killed by the Muslim armies that had laid siege to the settlement. We didn't really get to talk to people who lived there, but we did get to see a museum that talked about the initial settlements from that region and their hardships.
We then went to the City of Efrat to talk to "Settler Bob," a man who lives in the settlements. He talked about the relationship between the Jews and the Arabs in Judeah and Samaria (making a very specific point to not call it the West Bank) and about the complex relationship between them. He spoke very critically about the Palestinian Authorities' government and their inability to help improve the lives of their citizens; he spoke about the dangers posed to Palestinian people if they are perceived by their government to be too friendly with Israelis. I could talk for days about him and his fascinating stories about life in the settlements, but what he repeatedly stated is that peace will only be possible if both sides realize that the other has a right to exist AND that the other must use the other in order to succeed. He saw the settlements as places that bridge the gap between Israel and Palestine, not places that separate the peoples.
That night, we went to see a performance put on exclusively by people who are both blind and deaf. I honestly can't describe it, so here is the link to their website: http://www.nalagaat.org.il/hazon.php
On Monday, the the was Israeli Society. The day started in Mea Sha'arim, a Chareidi (black hat ultra-orthodox) neighborhood in Jerusalem, meeting a Chareidi man who showed us a school and then did a Q and A with us. In our neighborhood here, we have seen multiple protests against the Chareidim and their lack of participation in large-scale Israeli society ranging from the Army to not going to Israeli schools and still getting money from the Israeli government. It was nice to hear his perspective on the whole thing. Not surprisingly, I didn't agree with many of the things that he said but he most certainly did help show us the complexities in the society and the system.
We went from their to a town near Tel Aviv called Lod, which is a very poor immigrant town with large amounts of issues with their (lack of) municipality, racism, crime, and more. We talked to a former Nativer who is volunteering for an organization that helps people in the city realize that they have rights that they aren't getting from the government (such as access to housing and jobs) and helps them to get those things.
On Tuesday, I spent my day in Tel Aviv talking about the old and new Tel Aviv. We started off by going to the first Jewish neighborhood that sprung up outside of Jaffa (the original port city in Israel) and checking out some of the sights there. We then went to the Shuk (market) and spent about 45 minutes walking around this massive place. The highlight was meeting the Messiah, a very nice man who was sitting on the pedestrian walkway with his wife. I'm not joking. This man legitimately spends his time sitting on the ground of a busy walkway in Tel Aviv explaining to people that he is the Messiah. Though he was smoking a cigarette and awkwardly combing the hair of the woman sitting next to him (again, not kidding), I think that he might be the real deal. The honestly funniest moment happened when I asked our guide why he didn't come to Jerusalem to try to convince the masses that he is the real deal, but she mentioned that the last time that happened, the potential messiah got killed. When I asked her when, she replied, "Jesus." We then went to the top of one of the tallest buildings in Tel Aviv to look at the gorgeous view of the city--from the 50th story of a building.
That night, we did among the coolest things I have ever done and went to an exhibit called "Dialogue in the Dark." It is basically a museum in pitch blackness that takes you through normal day to day scenes in your life without the sense of sight. It was fascinating. The museum simulates a forest, a cabin, a market, a boat, a street, and a cafeteria. I can't explain the sensation. I can say that it was really cool.
Today was orientation and packing day, our final day in Jerusalem until the very end of may when we come back for the end of the program. It was nice to finally hear about next semester, figure out rooming (which included a lot of drama for the non-kibbutz groups), and get a chance to reflect on the past semester. Without boring you all too much, I figured that I would just share a bit of my thoughts about Jerusalem as I prepare to leave it.
The city has many levels. On the surface, there is the level for the tourists. Everything is perfect, everything is beautiful, and everything is magical, everything is holy. Behind that, though, there is the complexity that makes up a modern yet ancient city. I won't go into it now, but after four months of living in Jerusalem, I can honestly say that it is NOTHING like I expected it to be.
I don't know what my role in Jerusalem was. I don't think that I was a tourist, since a tourist doesn't live somewhere for four months. I don't think I was an Jerusalemite, since I am by no means one (I figure I don't need to explain this). I think I was somewhere in teh middle at a place that allowed me to understand a lot of teh culture while missing a lot of the nuance. I conclude by saying that I can't wait to spend more time here.
Thanks everyone for reading this post. I am now off to the South for a week where I won't have internet, and next Wednesday, I will be on Kibbutz Ein Tzurim.
Until then,
Becca
No comments:
Post a Comment