Taste the Rainbow

16 And the [rain]bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.'17 And God said unto Noah: 'This is the token of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth.' (Gen 9:16-17)

I'm having trouble blogging (and even journaling personally for myself). I don't get much time alone, which isn't so bad when you're surrounded by really amazing people, and my brain seems to be tired taking everything in all the time. But I am having many, many thoughts about this place and so I'll slowly try to organize them for you over the next week or so. Here it goes.

A common misconception about Israel is that it is just this giant desert with people riding camels and bombs going off. This could not be further from the truth! A large part of Israel is the Mediterranean coast, the wild drivers of Israel are oddly reminiscent of the ones in San Francisco, and the only bombs I've seen/heard were across the border in Syria. In school Israel is often visually represented with the classic black and white photos of Ben Gurion decalaring independence or the paratroopers recapturing East Jerusalem in the 1967 war. I of all people love these photos and all they stand for, but I have to say they are hugely inaccurate at representing the reality of Israel.


Israel is not a desert or a black and white photo. Israel is a rainbow!  It is a rainbow of street art and the knick knacks for sale around every corner. You'll find everything from kippot (Jewish skull caps) and mezzuzot (traditional Jewish door post hanging) to hats and sunglasses. Israel is the burnt oranges, reds, and siennas of the shuk's (outdoor market) spices and the rocks of the mountains, the pinks and purples and yellows of the flowers, the green of the IDF soldiers strolling the streets and the date palms lining the mountainsides, and the blue of the seas and the waving flags. And of course there are the people; the people come in all kinds of colors. When I ask Israelis how they are all so good looking they say "Because we are all mixed. Russians, Egyptians, Iraqis, Poles, Hungarians– mixed people are the most beautiful". As a fellow  racially mixed human being I'd like to agree with this sentiment. (Imagine how beautiful my children would be if they were Israeli!)
I'm not "rainbow-washing". This is the real deal!

YOBRO - You Only Birthright Once

Over the last few years I've heard story after story about how Birthright has changed people's lives. From June 20th–July 1st I finally got to have my Birthright experience, and I have to say it is not one that I'll ever forget. When you speak to me in person (or on the phone/skype/etc) I'll probably tell you about all kinds of struggles/complaints I have about the trip. I did have struggles. I do have complaints (as if I wouldn't). Nonetheless, the ten days I just spent zooming around Israel with a group of strangers, whom I now feel are more like family, have been extremely impactful and ridiculously fun.

FEELINGS
Entering into a new group of Jews always makes me very nervous. I feel self conscious because I wasn't raised with a lot of Jewish tradition. I wasn't bat mitzvahed, I don't know all the words to all the prayers and I don't have too many stories to share about a Jewish childhood. I'm always afraid of being "not Jewish enough". It is definitely an irrational fear because I'm almost never made to feel this way. Birthright was no exception. There were students with all kinds of Jewish backgrounds. One thing that really made me shed this fear of not being Jewish enough were the hayalim (חיילים), or soldiers, who came with us. Most of them hardly ever engage in "Jewish" activities the way American jews do. Simply existing as a Jew in the Jewish state includes plenty of jewishness. This is truly something beautiful.

Over the last year or so I've dedicated a huge portion of my time and energy to Israel. This has put a lot of ideas into my head about my Jewish faith, Israel as an idea, and Israelis as people. I have to admit that I was a bit scared that actually coming here would shatter them. Luckily, several of my experiences on Birthright have only strengthened them. Seeing the Kotel in person, touching the stones and praying  made me truly realize that my "Jewish anxiety" was nothing more than a self-constructed paranoia. I have been and always will be completely connected to the Jewish people. We are all connected by something much more powerful than any of us. Visiting Har Herzl and hearing personal stories of loved ones lost, traveling through deserts to reach waterfalls and then bustling cities, and seeing the mixture of black hats, knit kippas, and cut-off shorts all walking the same sidewalks is just something completely unique. Israel is a one-of-a-kind place with a one-of-a-kind people.

FUN
It is hard for me to describe the fun I've had (and I'm sure you're a bit tired of reading) so here are some photos.

Shabbat Shalom

I'm sure you've noticed (or perhaps you haven't) that I have been in Israel for just over a week now and have yet to post one thing. That is because Birthright is a go-go-go experience. We don't have much time to stop. But today is Shabbat, and so I'll share just a few things about my trip thus far. Later in my adventure I'll post some capsule anecdotes about some of the meaningful experiences I've had in the last week.

As I've mentioned many times, I wanted my trip this summer to be a great adventure. Well, so far it has not failed. On the fourth day of the trip there was a bit of an accident. Somehow the luggage compartment of our bus opened and a few bags fell out onto the road. We were unable to access the full consequences of the situation until we reached our destination of the Bedouin tents. When we finally checked things out three bags were missing, and yes, one of them was mine. Luckily I had packed all my electronic valuables and my passport on the bus with me. I just lost a really neat backpack and essentially all of my summer wardrobe (meant to last me until September).

So what does this mean? For those of you who know me pretty well, you probably imagine me crying or yelling and getting extremely upset. But I didn't do any of that! This has been one of several challenging things that I've been presented with in the short (actually very long) week I've been in Israel and I really feel that G-d is challenging me. And so far, even without my precious things (and I do LOVE things), I'm making things work. That's not to say I haven't had bad moments—frustrating moments of anxiety, anger, or sadness—but I just always seem to remember one thing. I AM IN ISRAEL. This is all I've ever wanted and so despite everything I'm going to stay and figure things out. I'm going to have my summer in Israel and I'm even going to love it. 

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).