Thursday, June 28, 2007

Home is Where the Heart Is

It's been a crazy week here in Israel, adjusting to the food, culture, and time difference. I am finally starting to find my way around town and have been fortunate to have things go very smoothly. I've walked at least 15 miles since I got here - whether it be to the Old City (where I prayed at the Kotel, the Western Wall, for the first time) or Ben Yehuda Street (where you can shop and eat till you drop) or the Shuk (where everything you need and more can be bartered and is cheaper than everywhere else).

The wonderful news is that I found an apartment about 10 minutes from campus, located near a supermarket and ATM (which is very convenient!). It's a 3 bedroom apartment with a kitchen, living area, A/C, washer/dryer, and the rooms are relatively large in size. My landlord is this very nice old man who has worked with me in making the lease 11 months (rather than 12, as we leave no later than May 26), and we don't have to pay in advance (many apartments here require you to pay up to 5 months in advance, which is difficult because there is a withdrawel limit at ATM machines). I move in on Sunday, and hopefully by Wednesday of next week I will have settled in and made a home for myself.

I am meeting my roommates this afternoon, one male and one female, one rabbinical student and one Jewish Education student respectively. Tonight I'll attend the 1st birthday party of a cantorial student's daughter and go to a local bar with the class of 2012!

I'm getting more and more excited each day as I experience Jerusalem at its best!

PJ

Monday, June 25, 2007

I Don't Have Jet Lag...Really

Well, I made it to Israel safe and sound! Things went surprisingly smoothly - I arrived to Jerusalem last night at 8:00 and took and adventure to the supermarket (I've learned that the best way to figure out what you are buying without knowing Hebrew is to look at the box...if it's familiar, its good!), and wandered around to Ben Yehuda Street (a Market area that has a huge social scene at around midnight), and bought myself a nice birthday present: 2 kippot and a Star of David necklace. I didn't fall asleep until 2 am, but got about 5 hours of sleep.

This morning I went to HUC to check in and introduce myself and I already felt at home. I met the interns, fifth year rabbinical school students, who are here to help the class (53 of us) adjust to our new lives. Over the next few weeks there will be lots of events going on with them.

The good news: I am off to check out an apartment tomorrow :) Hopefully it will all work out. If it does, I'll have a place on July 2 and hopefully have my own place set up before orientation!

I'll update more later...I miss you all.

PJ

Friday, June 22, 2007

Bon Voyage

Well, the moment has finally come for me to finish packing my bags and head to Israel. Two days from now I will have safely arrived in Jerusalem after an 11 hour, 45 minute plane flight from Atlanta, Georgia. It will be nice, though, to spend one last day with the family - we are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to relax over coffee at a spa about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta while my Dad receives a tennis lesson. We'll grab a bite to eat for lunch, and go to one of the nation's newest aquariums in Downtown Atlanta. I'll have my final meal with my parents and check in at the airport around 7. I am very fortunately to be travelling with one of my classmates' who is bringing his wife and daughter with him, and I will be staying with them until I find an apartment.

Classes and Orientation doesn't officially begin until July 10, but I will be quite busy -- searching for the apartment, buying random appliances for the apartment, exploring Israel, and participating in a variety of pre-orientation activities with my new classmates and future colleagues.

I'll likely not be able to update my blog until I have adapted to my surroundings and found an apartment, but I'm really excited for the adventure to come!

PJ

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

I Am Going to Need Winter Clothes

Over the past few weeks, I have been frantically getting ready for Israel. In the midst of finding luggage, clothes, and random accessories needed for the trip, I have FINALLY found out that I have been placed at the Cincinnati campus of HUC when I return to the states. Cincinnati is the historic center of Reform Judaism where Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise first established the Union of Reform Judaism in 1873, a huge reason why I have been wanted to attend this campus. When I went for my interview, I was welcomed by the students, enjoyed the small community, and felt very comfortable in such a wonderful environment. Leading scholars and rabbis whose books I have been using as guides in my studies teach in Cincinnati, and this campus is the heart of the movement's progressive decisions in contemporary issues. I'm thrilled to be able to attend the campus, and for the first time in my life I will experience what winter really is like! When I was in Cincinnati in March it was in the 3o's and I was freezing, but I am quite aware that it definitely gets colder!

I have only 10 days until I begin my journey, and the excitement and nervousness continues to grow!

I'll speak to all of you soon,

PJ

Monday, June 4, 2007

I'll Be Rabbi PJ in Five Years

Dear Friends and Family,

Many of you have asked me to keep in touch with you during my Year in Israel, so I figured that this would be an easy way to share with you my experiences and post pictures.

I'm quite excited and thrilled to finally be able to say that in five years I will be ordained as a Rabbi in the Reform movement. As many of you know, I will be assigned to one of three campuses when I return to the states: Los Angeles, New York, or Cincinnati. I will know in a few weeks which campus I will be placed at, but I am hoping that I will spend the remainder of Rabbinical School in Cincinnati. During my interview, I was welcomed with open arms and already felt "home."

I offically leave for Israel on June 23. In the meantime, I will spend the next weeks in Greenville spending time with family and enjoying the little break that I have. Fortunately, I recently met one of my classmates who will be travelling on the same flight with me! In addition, he graciously offered to let me stay at his apartment with his wife and daughter while I spend my first couple weeks in Israel searching for an apartment. I do, however, have a 27 year old roommate who has been working in Finance and Telecommunications for the past 5 years. He will arrive a few days after me and we'll begin the search process.

The program does not actually start until July 11. I'll begin my studies with a four day orientation and then start what is called an "ulpan," an intensive, two month Hebrew course. In addition to the ulpan, I'll participate in community service projects, attend and lead services, and have field trips throughout Israel. Once I have completed the ulpan, I will begin taking courses in Biblical Hebrew, Grammar, Liturgy, Bible, and Rabbinic Literature in September. The service projects, services, and trips throughout Israel will continue throughout the entire year.

While I will not be back in the states until early June of next year, please keep in touch! I will keep my e-mail address, Gemini61415@aol.com and will also keep my phone number (864) 350-0304. I have signed up for a great service called Vonage, which allows me to keep this phone number. For $25 a month, I have unlimited international minutes and you can call me without any international fees!

I'll be sure to write as frequently as possible and look forward to sharing my journey with you.

PJ