Packing up

At the end of this week, Izy and I will return to our apartment that we started the trip in.  The apartment we currently reside in will be used for the incoming group.  I bargained that we would clean the place up if we could stay until right before they arrived.  We save Oranim some money, and I don't have to return to the other apartment just yet, and can go a little longer without having a roommate.  Having downsized, and being generally clean, it's actually a great deal on my part since the apartment is already clean.  I spent a few hours today throwing out all the trash that has accumulated over the years in the apartment from various groups staying here.  It's a little barren right now, but easily maintained.  We just have our individual rooms and bathroom to clean up before we leave.

The bigger question is what I will be doing with the kitchen items I had to buy.  Oranim and I don't necessarily agree on what is required in a kitchen - so I purchased a bunch of things for the kitchen.  Do I bring them to the other apartment or leave them?  Maybe Oranim will purchase them from me.

Shabbat: A start and a finish

I woke up rather late Friday after not being able to fall asleep the night before until very late.  I had spoken with another participant about shabbat, and so I headed out to buy some food for Shabbat.  In the Shuq I found what I needed, and left.  As I made my way from the Shuk, I stopped to pick up candles.

Tefillin, the man asked.

Ainli Hazman (I have no time) I responded.  What I didn't say is that it's actually that I didn't want to put on tefillin for the first time in the street outside the shuq - I was waiting to do it at the Kotel.  He looked at me quizzically, and I thought back to the proverb that no time suffices as does the present time.  I also thought about the whole idea of judaism, torah, protected by a structure of laws, and finally how place is less important than time.  Lastly, I thought about one of my favorite stories to listen to, "Wasting time with Harry Davidowitz." and Danny's Saba's message: Be true to your gift, don't waste time.  All these thoughts came in an instant, and I decided to stay.  A few minutes later, I was done, my first time over, and ready to enjoy the rest of my life.  One more small pressure removed from my chest.

Shabbat dinner was small, just Izy, Falan, Rachel and Ilana.  I made soup which was never eaten, Lemon garlic chicken schnitzel, there was also salad, and mashed potatoes and a few more dishes, and there was lots of wine.  We sat around talking for a few hours, and then went to a bowling alley around midnight to play billiards.  I was pleased with only one or two of my shots from the evening, my fingers felt awkward with the pool cue.

I slept in Saturday (today) and then spent 5 hours reading, determined to finish my book.  When I came to Israel, Xan and Katie lent me a book a few weeks after I arrived about a Tell in Israel, the book is the called the Source.  It follows both the excavation of the tell and a family through the ages starting more than ten thousand years ago.  In the final pages, you see the two stories tied together.

I don't think the book impacted my views of Israel until those final pages, and I am still very much digesting them.  However, I am happy to put this behind me.  It was enjoyable, but a project that I should have finished much sooner.

I just got off the phone with Mazi, and I will be able to stay in my apartment until this Friday.  We have a trip to the North on Thursday, so that means packing on Tuesday and cleaning on Wednesday.  I have enjoyed this strategic location, and am sad to return to not having my own space in an apartment that is somewhat removed from the main strip.  However, we will come full circle.

Fani and Dan and Hillary (I think) arrived Friday in Israel, so I hope to see them in the coming days.  It will be a nice change of pace to see Family.  Dashiell should be arriving next week as well, if all goes to plan.

Egg Free Challah - another recipe from the Holy Land

I plan to have over friends for Shabbat, one of which doesn't do eggs. That's half the fun of shabbat, making sure everyone can eat everything that you cook. Below is a recipe I plan to try tomorrow, should be interesting.
Half Whole Wheat Challah

9 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
11 cups sifted white flour
1 & 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 & 1/2 T. salt
1 & 1/4 cups canola oil
6-7 cups warm water
3.5 oz. fresh yeast / 100 grams

Place the oil, 2 cups of warm water, sugar and salt into the mixing bowl. Add 5 cups of each kind of flour to this and stir a bit.

In another small bowl, put the yeast together with 2 T. of sugar, and add 1 1/2 cups of warm water.

Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to start activating. When it is bubbling and foamy, add it to the mixing bowl and start to mix the dough.

Add in another 3 cups of flour, either kind, and another cup of water. Mix and then turn off the mixer and allow the dough to start to rise for 10 minutes.

Mix again and add all the rest of the ingredients slowly, one cup at a time, until you reach a smooth, non-sticky consistency of dough. If the dough sticks too much to the sides of the bowl, add in a bit more oil.

After the dough is thoroughly prepared, grease a large (it will rise a lot) bowl with a fine layer of oil. Turn out the dough into this bowl and turn several times so that the dough will be greased lightly on all sides.

Cover the bowl with a large plastic garbage bag and allow it to rise for one hour before punching down and shaping.

Alternatively, place the unrisen dough in the large garbage bag, with all the air taken out and knotted on top of the bag, and placed in the fridge overnight to be shaped early the next morning.

This dough will shape and handle the same way the pure white one did and comes out delicious when it is baked. It is an especially tasty treat when cut into slices, toasted, and then served spread with a bit of butter and sprinkled with some cinnamon and sugar on top.

Adventures with Nick

Wednesday morning, Nick, Judita and I set off for the North.  We hit up a number of places, most of which I already had been to along the coast line.  We stayed at a kibbutz up north Wednesday night.

Thursday was spent exploring inland areas around tzfat and tiberias.

Friday we woke up in Jerusalem, and then joined my family for Shabbat.

Sunday was Ein Gedi and then a dead sea beach.

Pictures came out nicely from what I can tell.

Coffee with Nick in Zefat

A morning coffee before heading into the old city of Zefat.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Weekend in Eilat

Went for a weekend in Eilat.  Nick came down and joined me for part of it and the return trip home.

Here are some photos from the adventures.

The hike on the way home.

Walking down the canyon on the way home.

Sitting by the red sea

At the three monkey's bar.

MASA Conference: Sharansky and Netanyahu Speak

On Tuesday, hundreds of MASA participants congregated in jerusalem at the Binyamina conference center for a "Next Step" conference.  It would be the next logical step, after all the investment that has been made in us being here, for us to have some discussion of what is expected of us and where things go from here.  

After opening remarks, we were treated to an interview / dialogue between an interviewer whose name I am not sure of and Nathan Sharansky.  

(This actually followed a panel, but I felt like nothing of substance was discussed in the panel, nothing of depth, each speaker just got out their individual talking points, and the questions lacked any weight as well.)  Back to Sharansky: it was awesome.  In the first segment, which I unfortunately didn't capture on film, the interviewer probed Sharansky about his time in Prison and a Labor camp in the former Soviet Union.  Sharansky talked about his childhood, different from others in that he was gifted in math and science and a chess master who eventually beat Kasparov!

He also apparently was a terrible singer, and told stories how his teachers used to tell him when they were singing class songs that he needed wait until later.  When he arrived in prison, he decided later was now, and would sing much to the discontent of the guards.

SHARANSKY 1

SHARANSKY 2

SHARANSKY 3

Following that, there was a short graduation for the Leadership Seminar program I have been going to.  Amidst the chaos we "graduated", and that was over, and then we were unable to attend the next segment, which addressed the world economy and strategy for job placement.  I usually don't enjoy these talks because they tend to assume that all jewish kids want to work in either a hillel or in some jewish charity.  Some of us have to be the bankers and consultants though to make the donations and philanthropic efforts to keep this stuff going.  They don't seem to address those ever, but apparently, this one did.  Unfortunate that our graduation went into it.

I had walked to Mehane Yehuda earlier for lunch, and had Kube which was excellent at a little place a few soldiers who came on our taglit (birthright) trip showed me.  I decided to stretch my legs, and headed to Ben Yehuda street, to visit Sefer V'Sefel.  I was looking for a book, and found out they had it, so I wanted to pick it up while I was in Jerusalem.  

After we had to all go through security.  I luckily meandered in early, and had no wait.  I guess it's expected for the Prime Minister.  He didn't say anything substantial either, but he is a good speaker, though his timing was off.  He kept missing the moment of capturing the crowd, I felt like he would allow the energy to die off and so it never really built up throughout his speech.

Here were parts of his remarks:

After, we were subjected to Israeli hip hop.  It was fun for a bit, but a little loud for my ears.  There were people who were really into it though, as shown in my video below of a girl dancing on some chairs a few seats ahead of me.

CONCERT DANCER

Tonight I am heading into Tel Aviv for some more volleyball and tomorrow, we are heading to Eilat and Nick will be joining me in the evening.

Should be awesome!