זה להיתרות, לא ביי ביי (It's see you later, not bye bye)

So this is it. This is finally it. Tomorrow I will take myself, my things, all that I've experienced and learned this summer, and put it on a plane back to the good ole' USA. A part of me feels like this day would never come, and the other part of me is in disbelief the day is already here. Although I am not exactly sure how I feel about leaving, I do know there are some major things I will truly miss.

1) The People

To every Israeli, those who hosted me, took me places, helped me find my way, or even just spoke to me, תודה רבה רבה רבה!!! Words cannot explain the love I have for you and all of the Israeli people. And I mean all of you—Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Arab, American, Brazilian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, etc. You're all an essential piece to this places magnificent puzzle. The first things that made me love Israel, before I even got here, were the Israelis I met in America. Being here has only reinforced my feelings. The Israeli people, literally the living, breathing force of this beautiful country, are strong, full of life, and ultimately full of love. It is both sad and amazing to me that the average Israeli I speak to does not know that their tiny country is so scrutinized in the international community. Quite honestly, it is no surprise they don't understand. They are fully aware that they live in a complicated geo-political/religious conflict, but to them they are just being Israelis. They are just living their lives as Jews, or not, in the single Jewish homeland in the world, seeking life liberty and happiness just like the majority of humans in this world. They understand that their country has it's issues, but they can't fathom how those problems became the problems of the entire world. I'm not trying to "innocence-wash" them. This is who they are, and I love them.

2) My Friends

More specific than the general Israeli population, I am really, really, really going to miss my friends here. Both old ones and new ones, you are all such blessings in my life. Accepting the thought that I don't actually know the next time I'll get to see any of you next is really hard for me. But I know it will happen. I will make sure it happens. And every moment makes me feel that it will be because I'm back in Israel sooner than you make your way to the states ;)

3) The Beach

I grew up my entire life with access to the coast and although I always felt it was beautiful and nice, it was never my favorite place. The beach here is different. In Israel one of my favorite activities of all is to lay on the beach for endless hours. The sand is soft, the water so crystal blue, and the perfect temperature. It's just warm enough to not shock you, but cool enough to still be refreshing during the hot days. The beach at night is especially magical—and in Tel Aviv you could find people seaside at all hours of the night. never before has a place's beaches enchanted me in this way. I'm really trying to mentally prepare myself for my return to the beach-less concrete jungle and grey, sunless skies of Portland.

4) Food

Although I'm craving Chinese, Mexican, and Pizza pretty intensely right now, I am definitely going to miss some Israeli foods. Obviously I'll miss Israeli breakfast. But if I want a shakshouka I can make it at home. What I'll really miss is the out-of-this-world Hummus, Pita, Falafel and Shwarma. I'm sorry America, but you have no freaking idea what a pita and hummus really are. Now that I've been exposed to the real deal I will probably have some trouble eating these things in America. I'll also miss the tasty yogurts and dairy products, the deliciously fresh cucumbers everywhere, and the tasty eggs. I swear these three things are different (and better) here.

5) History

There is a special feeling one gets when they are in a place such as Israel. This place has so much history in it's soil and it's spirit is in the air. I've really enjoyed being in this place where past, present, and future all are existing and thriving in the same space. How can Israel be home to some of the most ancient ruins and the most innovative technological developments of the future? It is just AMAZING. I can't think of another word to describe it. (Maybe magic...)

The Great Defenders

"הנני נשבע(ת) ומתחייב(ת) בהן צדקי לשמור אמונים למדינת ישראל לחוקיה ולשלטונותיה המוסמכים, לקבל על עצמי ללא תנאי וללא סייג עול משמעתו של צבא הגנה לישראל, לציית לכל הפקודות וההוראות הניתנות על ידי המפקדים המוסמכים ולהקדיש את כל כוחותיי ואף להקריב את חיי להגנת המולדת ולחירות ישראל."

"I swear and commit to maintain allegiance to the State of Israel, its laws, and its authorities, to accept upon myself unconditionally the discipline of the Israel Defense Forces, to obey all the orders and instructions given by authorized commanders, and to devote all my energies, and even sacrifice my life, for the protection of the homeland and the liberty of Israel."

Over the course of my time in Tel Aviv I visited a number of different museums. As I've said before, Israel likes remembering, and a large part of remembering is also educating. One of my favorite museums was the Israeli Defense Forces History Museum. Although it was mostly full of old tanks, guns, radios, and other war relics, the place really made me contemplate how I felt about the Israeli army. Israeli society, like most other societies, is a complex lady. She is very multifaceted (always multi-tasking), full of many opinions, many moods, many styles/ways of doing things, etc. One of my favorite characteristics of Israeli society is the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and how it is an important piece of every single person's life (whether they like it or not). I've never been a huge fan of war/military history, except when it comes to Israel—here it is probably my favorite.

 The IDF is different from any other army in the world. Israeli citizens (excluding the ultra-orthodox and Arab populations) are required to serve–two years for women and 3 years for men. The initial reaction to this is usually some comment about how this makes Israelis inherently militant, violent, or hungry for war. If you ever meet a person who has served in the IDF (which is essentially every Israeli), you'll immediately know this is an absurd assumption. Less than 10% of the IDF is comprised of combat soldiers. Jobs range from educators to medics to social media gurus and researchers. Civil service in the community is offered as an alternative to army service. Additionally, the IDF Code of Conduct, which every soldier carries with them, emphasizes 3 values: 1)Defense of the State it's citizens, and residents, 2) Love of the Homeland and loyalty to the country, and 3) Human dignity of every human.

I've spoken to combat soldiers, people who serve in education, people who've worked in tense areas like Hebron, people who worked mostly behind desks, and even Israeli Arabs who volunteered for the IDF. From my observations and interactions I've seen the IDF serve as something that helps make Israelis have a greater value of life and of love for their family/friends. They already have the shared experience of knowing their lives are threatened everyday. Serving together and being a part of sharing the burden of protecting each other gives them another shared experience, one of true camaraderie. I've seen how it makes the kids grow up faster, whether that is good or bad. They learn to have responsibility in a controlled environment, they learn respect, efficiency, work ethics, hygiene (gotta keep that uniform clean and sharp!), and whole list of other important life skills. Of course every Israeli, every person, every soldier is different. Some have a harder time than others, but generally I see this experience having such an interesting and positive effect on the dynamic of Israeli society. I respect and value every Israeli who serves, no matter what their service might be, and I hope they respect and value themselves just as much.

3 Challenges

“The Holy One Blessed Be He said: ‘The Land of Israel is Mine and the Nation of Israel is Mine, it is fitting that I give what is Mine to those who are Mine’” (Midrash Tanchuma ibid.)

A week from today I will step out of an El Al airplane and into a nation I've come to hold so dear. I can only imagine what it will be like and what I'll be feeling, but right now I'm feeling extremely excited! I'll be leaving the endless winter of Portland for an endless summer (if only I could say this literally). I'll get to see dear friends, make new ones, try new foods, see new things, and hopefully improve my Hebrew speaking skills (all while getting a mega tan).

Going to Israel is not merely a trip; it is a long awaited and important journey. Israel has been a very important part of my life for the past year and I anticipate it will be for the rest of my life. That being said, I've set 3 general challenges for myself for this journey:

1. Faith, Culture, and Connection: Since going to college I've become a lot more connected to my Jewish faith and culture. I feel a part of a very important history and people. Some of this has to do with a spiritual connection and part of this has to do with deeply entrenched traditions. Israel is the holy land for many people, and is the home of the Jewish people specifically. There is no other place in the world to feel the divine presence and connection to each other. I feel this connection all the way from America, but I believe being in Israel will provide me special opportunities to contemplate my meaningful pursuit of my Jewish faith, my connection to the Jewish people, and how this will be carried out in my future life. I want to challenge myself to really engage in these aspects, think on them, pray about them, and feel the Jewish presence of Israel while I am there. 
2. Advocacy: A common symptom of becoming an Israel advocate it to not vocalize criticism of Israel. This is not because we think Israel is perfect, but rather a reaction to having it's criticism thrown in our faces all the time. During this journey through Israel I want to challenge my views of Israel from real experiences. I want to visit the West Bank and refugee camps and Bedouins and Druze. I want to see the "wall" and the fence and go through checkpoints. I want to visit settlements. I want to visit bomb shelters and speak to children who live through code red sirens. I want to visit Haredi neighborhoods. I want to imbed myself as much of Israel as possible so that when I come back I can be the best advocate possible, drawing from my own real experiences. 
3. FUN!!! Of course my 3rd challenge for myself is to really have a great time. The last 4 years of my life, being in college, learning to be an adult, moving around, finding myself, has all been very intense. I am finally going to be on a huge journey of my own choosing without any true obligations aside from those I give myself. I can't wait to be with friends, make new ones, and soak up the Israeli sunshine!

I hope you'll follow my journey here on this blog. I'll try to post photos and updates as much as possible. You can also email me to ask specific questions (or give me a mailing address for post cards). 

Desertland

This past month has been packed with adventures. Most recently I accompanied my friend, Claire, on a road trip to Houston, Texas. Yes, the south west is extremely hot, humid, and barren but the trip was really fun! We made our way from Sacramento to Phoenix the first day, Phoenix to Fort Stockton, TX the second day, and then visited Austin, San Antonio, and finally made it to Houston in the next two days. I learned that Texas really does look like it does in old western movies (although they are probably filmed in the Mojave and Palm deserts because they look pretty identical). I loved Texas, despite the deadly heat and humidity (around 105 with humidity everyday!) and hope to return someday.