Israel is Starting to Grow on Me

A month and three days from now, I will have officially completed my first semester of Rabbinical School. I'll have gained knowledge of Biblical Hebrew Grammar, increased my Hebrew vocabulary, and developed fluency in prayers of the Morning Service and understanding of an overall structure of Jewish Liturgy. I'll have increased my reading and comprehension skills in modern and Biblical texts, learned the skills of trope (Torah Cantillation), be able to share with you an overview of the themes and patterns of Jewish history that led to the creation of the State of Israel, and articulate contemporary issues within Israel and Reform Judaism.

Sounds like I can become a Rabbi now, right? Not quite. All of the courses that I am taking this year (and will continue to take, with the exception of Modern Jewish History and Bible, which will be replaced by Contemporary Middle East and Rabbinics) are only a mere introduction to what I will be learning over the next four years. Nonetheless, it will be pretty cool to say at the end of the semester that I not only learned something new, but I know more than I did when I arrived in June.

In addition, Israel is starting to grow on me. Let me premise this statement though by saying that there are many things about the United States that I miss and I look forward to having those "luxuries" when I return, and Israel will always be "foreign" to me, but the things that were difficult to cope with at first no longer seem to bother me. While there will always be a language barrier, its nice to be able to communicate more efficiently with people. My grammar continues to need work, but I have enough vocabulary now for most situations. And since most people speak English, I am able to squeeze in a couple English words to get the message. But, the point is - I can get what I want and go where I want to go. I look at Hebrew signs and I don't look at it as a foreign language that I am unfamiliar with. I walk on the streets of Israel and "act" Israeli - meaning I am as aggressive as everyone else is when it comes to lines, getting someone's attention, or just simply walking across the street. It's a weird thing for one to comprehend, but trust me, I'm beginning to feel more comfortable here.

Last week, our class went on a tiyul (class trip) to Northern Israel. We began our trip in Caesaria, which as you probably can figure out, was a Roman influenced city (named after Caesar Augustus) build by Herod. It was a port city and very modern for its time. Very little places in Israel have mosaic or tile floors, and Caesaria is one of them. The structures apparently are reminiscent of those in Sicily, Italy. It is also the place where Rabbi Akiva, once of the most well-known Rabbis of the Talmud, was killed.

We then travelled to Tsippori, the place where the Talmud was actually written. There were two AMAZING mosaics that we saw that depicted the Greek cultural influence. One of the mosaics was located in the Ancient Synagogue, where you saw depictions of Biblical stories and a Zodaic in the center, suggesting a Greek influence on Jewish religion. What was powerful is that we had Mincha (Afternoon) services there to end our day. We then travelled to Tiberias for the night and had a great dinner. After dinner, I went to a night walk to the Tomb of Maimonides.

The following day, we travelled to Tsfat, the center of Jewish mysticism in Israel. We saw the synagogues of Isaac Luria (who I did my own research on for my Bachelor's Essay) and Joseph Caro (who wrote the Shulkan Aruch (the most authoritative source of halakah, Jewish law, since the Talmud. We also met with a local Kabbalah Artist, who provided a wonderful introduction to the study of Kabbalah through his artwork. Naturally, I bought posters of his work to use as a teaching tool when I return back to the States.

Our last day was in Haifa, where we visited the Leo Baeck School, a Progressive Education Center offering education for students in Kindergaten - Adult Education. It's one of the best schools in Israel, and offers the finest education experience while incorporating Jewish studies in their curriculum. Believe it or not, most Israels know little about their Jewish heritage. As one of the students said, "Before I came to Leo Baeck I always considered myself Israeli first and Jewish second. Now, I am Jewish first and Israeli second." Jewish identity is a huge issue in Israel, as in the Chief Rabbinate's eyes, you are either Orthodox or Secular. There's no understanding of Reform or Conservative Judaism in Israel, and each movement is only beginning to make a presence.

I promise when I have my vacation I'll post pictures throughout the semester. I have lots to do over the next couple weeks, but lots to look forward to. Michelle comes next week, and a week later, I'll get to see my parents and brother. It will be nice to have a taste of home to give me the extra push to end my semester on top.

PJ