Liberman: American Jews Face 'Demographic Catastrophe'

Liberman: American Jews Face 'Demographic Catastrophe' by Raphael Ahren for The Times of Israel. http://www.timesofisrael.com/liberman-jewish-continuity-not-iran-our-greatest-concern/

This week in class I was assigned to read this article "Liberman: American Jews Face 'Demographic Catastrophe'. It talks about how Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman has decided that the American jews need to have better and easily accessible Jewish learning facilities, such as private Jewish schools. He talks about how people do not go to them, because there are not a lot and when there are some they are over priced. He also talks about how the Israeli government should pay and then the American community match the amount of money given, so the education is easier accessed.

This article really hits home for me for a few reasons. First of all, I have one friend who never had a lot of money, but wanted a Jewish education. We went to hebrew school together at our synagogue for many years, but that was only three times a week. She eventually ended up not being able to go to Jewish day school because there was just simply no money for it. When we hit high school, she had made up her mind that she was going to Jewish school for the rest of her education. She went through and did many applications and filled out so many forms. All of her hard work payed off and she ended up getting a scholarship to the Jewish high school in our neighborhood. I agree with Liberman that we need Jewish schools to be more accessible. If a student truly wants to have a Jewish education , they should not have to go through a HUGE hassle in order to try and get it. It needs to be more available.

Another reason why this article hits home for me is because my best friend is transferring to the Jewish high school of our area. She is more fortunate and can easily make the change to the school financial wise. After being here in Israel and knowing and seeing what it is like to go to school and have Jewish classes, I decided that I really like it. I would love to go to the Jewish high school of my area, but I know that there just is not enough money for me to do so. I hope Liberman can find a way to make Jewish education more accessible for everyone so that people like me and my friend can get the education that helps them and the kind that they want.

גדודי נוער

This past week I went to גדנ"ע‎, which is an abbreviation for גדודי נוער or in loose translation youth battalions. At first I was so scared because I didn't think I could make it in an army setting. I was also appointed to be a translator for my team. I understand when people are talking, but I really cannot translate it back into English. My מפקדת or commander was so sweet she saw how uncomfortable I was with translating. She started out trying to translate as much as she could and then have me translate the rest. We worked from there and by the end I believe I feel way more comfortable translating out loud now than I ever have. I appreciate my מפקדת so much, I hope she knows that. Her name was Lior and she was one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She talked to my team not only about our opinions on things, but she was able to open up to us about her views too. I really felt a connection with her and I think she did too. We are now friends on Facebook and I hope that we will keep in touch. Overall I thought my גדנ"ע experience was going to be horrible, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow and it'll turn out alright.

Next Generation

Today during class we talked about having to make choices between doing something secular and something religious. As I listened to my class mates, I noticed  most of them chose the secular thing over the religious. My whole life I really never thought of even having a choice to do secular things over religious. Every week on Friday I would get home from school early and I would make Challah with my אבא and we would clean the house for שבת. My mother would get home and as the sun went down she would light the candles and my אבא would do the special שבת קדוש and I would get to do the מוצי. Every Saturday morning I would go to Synagogue and after I could go to friend's houses. I have also never missed High Holiday services.

It was a surprise to me that my classmates could even have the choice to do secular thing, let alone actually do them. For example one person skipped יום כפור services to go to a concert. I think I would be too scared to skip services. These decisions that my generation makes are the future of the Jewish people. I hope that when we are adults, we can do the same as our parents and have our children go to services and make a priority of our religion. In order to continue the Jewish people we (as a generation) need to take initiative and start doing the religious things so we can teach the generations after us.

Chocolate Shawarma, 'Nuff Said

"Israel's Newest Delicacy? Chocolate Shawarma" by Dana Kessler for tabletmag.com  http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/161950/israels-newest-delicacy-chocolate-shawarma

For class this week, I had to read a new article written by Dana Kessler from tabletmag.com; it's called Israel's Newest Delicacy? Chocolate Shawarma. It basically talks about how this one guy went to Italy and saw chocolate being served and made the same way as shawarma. He decided to make it a big thing in the Middle East he would reference it to shawarma, which is a very well known dish there. Chocolate shawarma is basically shaved chocolate in something that is a little thicker than a crepe and it has many very sweet toppings. The next time I go out I think I will go to one of those restaurants to try one for myself.

It Was Fate

This week we went to the shook. I have been there many times, but this time was special. I was finally there with friends and it was also on a Friday morning; aka the time people last minute shop for everything they need on Shabbat. It's a completely different atmosphere. Usually it isn't that crowded and you can go along the shook and go in and look for what ever you see. This time if you were shopping, you have to shop for a purpose. The walkways are so crowded and you are bumping into everything and everyone. I was with two of my really good friends from the trip and we first made a list of everything we wanted and when we finished we took off. We practically flew threw all of the people dodging guys bringing more strawberries to their stands and women barreling down the sidewalk with their kids in their strollers trying to get olives for Shabbat dinner. There was a stand of Orthodox men trying to sell tefillin and showing men how to wrap them. There was also one man, with his black silk robe and black velvet kippah with a top hat on top with his payis hanging down, who was standing in the middle of all of the chaos just playing Jewish songs. Those are the moments when I am so proud to be in this country; it's when I feel the most at home.

My friends and I got strawberries, olives, elephant pants, a cute sweatshirt, AMAZING FOOD (they literally only serve carbs on the kibbutz), and I got Naot (really comfortable sandals). I will tell you the story of how my Naot picked me. When I walked into the shoe store, all I saw was three huge walls filled from floor to ceiling with shoes and a little old man standing in the middle of everything. I was just looking at all of the shoes when my friend called me over to one pair. She told me I had to get them even before I saw them. I walked over to what she was pointing at and I saw them. There data pair of Naot in the style I wanted and they had my name written on the box.,"S. Barbara" , and they were in my size too. I had to get them. Since I am in the holy land I took the sandals as a sign. Maybe they will bring me good luck or something. I bought the shoes from the little old man. He gave them to me for 130 shekels cheaper than my friends got them for when we were at a mall the week before. As I paid him all the little old man could say was, God bless you and may you have great health. I am so grateful I could make some one that happy and I even got myself a pair of shoes out of it.

What Drives Success

"What Drives Success?" by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld for The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/opinion/sunday/what-drives-success.html?emc=eta1&_r=1

This week in class we were assigned to read the article "What Drives Success?" by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld of the New York Times. This article talks about how most of the economically achieving races in America are achieving by three main reasons. These reasons area superiority complex, being insecure/ driven for their future, and last but not least impulse control. One of the populations that this article talks about is the Jewish people. I believe that Jews possess these traits because when we came to this country, we came from either nothing or very small towns in the countryside where their villages would get burned to the ground just for being Jewish. Therefore their parents taught them how they had to be proud of who they are; hence the superiority complex. They also taught their children that everything they do counts towards their future and from personal experience, I know that parents have very high expectations for their children. That explains why Jews posses the drive for a good future. Finally Impulse control is taught from a young age in the Jewish religion. When I was little I was taught you always have to say the motzi and the blessing over all the food and drink before you can eat. I think it is very interesting to look at all of the things that are the reasons why Jews are successful are also the lessons that are taught to us as a whole people for life lessons and not for the one reason to be the most successful. 

It's the Kotel, Motel, Holiday Inn

This past weekend I went to the Kotel with my program. I think every time I go there, its just like going for the first time. I just feel this deep pull to Jerusalem and especially the Kotel; when I go there it feels like I belong. We went to the Kotel right before havdalah while the men were doing Mariv. I had been so home sick to hear a familiar tune for davening because NFTY-EIE is a reform program and does reform services and tunes.(I am not reform and the services are very uncomfortable for me to sit through, especially considering that they use instruments on Shabbat)  As I stood at the wall, I think I had the most meaningful experience I have ever had there. I stood there and did a personal prayer and after that I listened to the men daven Mariv. Just hearing the familiar tunes and service made me feel at home once again.

However I believe some people just do not appreciate the holiness and just how much the wall and Shabbat means to some people. While I was standing at the wall listening to the men do Mariv, I saw a flash come from behind me. I turned around and the were a few NFTY-EIE girls taking pictures with flash!!! I was so offended and I'm sure the orthodox women were too. I don't understand how people can be so selfish and ignorant that they would take out electronics and use them at the Kotel on Shabbat after all of the staff from our trip had told them that is the one thing that they cannot do. Those are the times where I hate being even affiliated with the reform movement on this trip and it almost makes me loose faith in the secular people of Judiasm.

To say the least I had mixed feelings at this trip to the Kotel, but I believe all of the familiarity and happiness that happend at the wall completely overpowered the bad experiences that happened that one time.