J-Gimbs in J-Lem

On the 787th day, God said, “Let there be flight.”

2012-11-12T18:42:00.001+02:00

The alarm went off at 4 AM. “Have fun, baby,” Sarah eeked out, still mostly asleep.

That’s how I woke up this morning. Yes, an early start. But this was no ordinary day.

Today, Zach -- my Rabbinic mentor, friend, and enabler of my aviation hobby (I call it that, others may call it an obsession) -- were flying to Houston, just to fly right back to LAX. Why would we do such a ridiculous thing? Because our return flight would be the first passenger service on United Airlines into Los Angeles on their brand-new plane, the Boeing 787. How new is this plane? It was delivered to United from the Boeing factory less than a month ago. And our afternoon flight would be the third passenger flight this plane had taken. Ever. And not just this airframe, this plane. The third US domestic 787 passenger flight. Ever. (Yes, there are testing flights, but I don’t count those)

The 787 is a really special plane. Boeing has basically bet the bank on the success of this plane. It is made of carbon fiber, making it much lighter, fuel efficient, and overall, it is just an improved aircraft. Because it only holds 280ish people, though, it is really meant to supplement airline routes that would otherwise be impractical. For example, Japan Airlines will begin 787 service from San Diego to Tokyo, Japan in December. Now, because of the markets in these cities, and the runway limitations in San Diego, JAL cannot sustain a larger plane to serve these cities. This is where the 787 will shine. Smaller demand routes that are further apart. United will eventually have the 787 fly Houston-Auckland. Another route that does not demand a larger plane. Perfect for the 787, though.

Beyond the business advancements, the 787 represents a huge improvement in the passenger experience from nose to tail. I’ll explain more later.

Zach and I met up close to the airport and carpooled to the parking garage. Once we were inside the terminal, Zach was able to bypass the normal security line because he is TSA pre-checked. This means that he does not have to take his shoes off, take his liquids out, take his laptop out of his bag, or even take off his jacket. I, however, had to take my shoes off, take my laptop out, and take off my sweater. I was jealous. We went the lounge, had a quick bite to eat, saw the frequent flyer poster (people come to the business center in the lounge and write on a sheet their routings - think of it as a chain letter, but without the postage required) then made our way to the gate to board our plane.

For our flight to Houston, we sat in the exit row, which was pretty great. The climb out of LAX was much quieter than I was expecting. One nice touch that United provides is free-headsets for all passengers. Although, this became a pretty moot point, as the only reason I wanted to listen to the channels was for the beloved United Channel 9, which provides the aircraft’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) radio feed. Unfortunately, that channel was not enabled on that kind of aircraft (757-3). Oh well. Zach also taught me about the “tradition” amongst frequent flyers where people sign the “voices” page in the Hemispheres magazine. I’m learning that a lot of these traditions are kind of like that whole “Where have I been?” fad where people would track dollar bills. Except it’s people traveling.

The layover in Houston was like Comicon. All of the nerds noticed us. Zach got us 787 hats. And, well, when you’re walking around in 787 hats with cameras strapped around you, it’s pretty obvious what you’re doing in Houston on this day. People came up to us, asked us if we worked for Boeing, asked us what our usernames on flyertalk.com are...it was like we were a big deal. Except we really weren’t. We were just two guys with a passion for aviation. Okay, we’re nerds. But here, in this environment, we were amongst our kin.

We got some great plane-spotting in, although we missed the 787 landing in Houston as it returned from its first round-trip to Chicago. Houston has a lot of runways. Since Zach has status, we made our way to the United lounge. I can now say, having been in a number of American lounges and now a United lounge, the “normal” United lounge is better than the “normal” American lounge. Of course, I only say this because the United lounges had more snacks.

About an hour before the flight, we made our way back to the gate. The gate area was quite a scene. Plane nerds were there. Boeing representatives were there. United representatives were there. Pilots from other airlines were there, including some international pilots who seemed to come to this gate immediately after their flight landed. The excitement was palpable. The nerdiness overflowed.

As we looked at the plane from the gate, there were a few things that immediately struck me: 1) the wings are really unique. This is a theme that will come back in flight. 2) The engines are huge. And the fan blades are curved. And there is a chevron pattern on the backs of the engines. All of these features make the plane more efficient and quiet. 3) It’s a wide-body plane, about as wide as a 777, yet it’s not as long. From nose to tail, I think our plane from LAX to Houston may have been longer. But this is a wholly different plane, to be sure.

When boarding time finally came, we were giddy as school kids. I’ve never understood that phrase, as many children are, in fact, not giddy when they arrive at school. So, maybe we were giddy as...aw hell, we were just excited!

As we walked down the jet bridge, the feeling of wonder, delight, amazement hit us. It also became clear very quickly that this experience would be like no other in-flight experience we had ever been a part of. (Sorry, Nana, sometimes a sentence just needs to end with a preposition) The overhead lighting is all colored LEDs, so instead of walking into a sterile, white environment, we were met with lovely blue tones and, as we were landing, an orange and red display that, no kidding, matched the colors outside. The architecture onboard involves many more curves than your average plane, giving the appearance of a much more spacious cabin. As this was the first day of flight, there were also a ton of people taking pictures as soon as they boarded. Since we were seated in the seats closest to the door, we saw this happening with nearly every fifth person.

And yes, we learned that there is such a thing as “new plane smell.”

The reality is that I could write about how wonderful the on-plane experience is using generic terms, but as you may have picked up already, the individual elements of the plane make up the whole. Indeed, the 787 is only as great as the sum of its parts. To give you a sense of this, allow me to describe the various experience elements.

The overhead bins have a combination handle/lever style latch. This means that you can push either side, or pull from either side, and the bin will open. Plus, there’s a mirror inside the bin so you can see whether the bin is full, or if something is going to fall out and hit you in the head. Additionally, the 787 improves on the 747 and 777 experience. All three of these planes are wide-body, meaning they have two aisles. Yet the 747 and 777 have a universal AC system without the benefit of individual air vents, presumably because the ceiling is just too high to reach. Yet, the 787 has individual air vents. Yes, you do have to stand up to adjust them, but at least they’re there.

We were sitting in first-class, so we, admittedly, had a much better seat than what was available in coach. Right by the head of the seat is a little ledge with a cup-holder (although it’s positioned so awkwardly, I can’t imagine anyone using the cup holder for its intended purpose), a headphone jack, a world-universal power port (no adaptor needed!), and a USB plug. In theory, you can use the USB port to put the content from your smartphone or tablet onto the main screen in front of you, but I could not get it to work. However, USB charging? Yes, please!

In the center console is a two-teired magazine pouch, perfect for keeping the smartphone or tablet close by. The remote for the entertainment system is found there, as well as the tray table, which can be used in half or full size. Also, the arm rest on the non-middle side is adjustable (up and down), which was great for finding the perfect lounging position.

The seat itself was very comfortable. The seat controls were not totally intuitive, beyond the two buttons that moved the seat towards fully up and full-bed. And yes, the seat can be positioned into a lie-flat bed. Add the space in the ottoman in front, and I could have been sleeping very comfortably. When you do move the seat into a more reclined position, though, a reading light is revealed. Great design. There’s also a small ottoman and shelf for storage.

As an aside, a real sign of the times is the fact that there is no “No Smoking” sign. Fascinating. Yet, the lavatory sign is an LCD screen that changes color. Why that needed to be a screen and not a light is beyond me, but maybe other airlines use the screen for different purposes.

The entertainment system was fantastic. A great, big screen that can be controlled via touch or the remote. The moving map was gorgeous with tons of great information and city locations. The quantity and quality of content in the entertainment system, however, was outstanding. First-rate movies from all eras, a huge television selection, a huge music collection. We could have been on the plane for an around-the-world flight (not offered yet) and would have never watched the same thing twice! Okay, that’s an exaggeration. We probably would have re-watched The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family. The only two downsides to the system are that Channel 9, the Air Traffic Control channel unique to United, is not on the system. Also, the screen was a little difficult to see when the seat is fully reclined. Although, if you’re fully reclined, as my mother in law will tell you, you probably shouldn’t be watching TV anyway. One other highlight, though, was that when a passenger’s system needed to be rebooted, the Attendants were able to reboot just his system, without needing to shut everyone’s down. Awesome.

The bathrooms are very spacious, with mirrors and LEDs that really make the space feel much less like you’re sitting in a crapper at 41,000 feet (and yes, the 787 cruises at a higher altitude than most planes). When you flush, the seat cover automatically comes down, and then it flushes. And there are two tabs: one for the seat cover and one to bring the seat up. Little touches. Also, the faucet has a digital temperature control and a hand-sensing sensor, so you don’t have to press down and hope the water stays on long enough for you to finish washing up. Although there was not a window in the lavatory, unlike the ANA version, there are SEVEN lavatories onboard. Oh, and the door opens into itself, so that you don’t slam the door into oncoming passengers or flight attendants as they walk by. Again, little touches.

The best feature, though, are the windows. These are not your average windows. They are so much more than your average windows. In fact, they are 50% bigger than your average window. I didn’t think this was as cool as it was until I was back on a 737. Having those large windows really makes a difference. The other really cool part about the windows is that they do not have shades. Yes, you read that correctly. The windows don’t have shades. And that’s awesome. Instead, the windows have an adjustable tint with five levels of darkness. Sure, it takes about two-three minutes to go from clear to near total blackout, but it’s pretty remarkable. Just look at the pictures to see it in action. And yes, it is still comfortable when the sun comes directly through the windows at full black. And yes, you can still see out of them.

At 4:03 PM, we pushed back from the gate. As we taxied out, just like in the terminal, we were being watched. Luggage handlers were taking pictures with their phones and there just seemed to be more crew outside than usual.

As the Purser came on to make the pre-flight announcements, one thing became abundantly clear: his voice. These were the best inflight speakers I had ever heard. His voice sounded completely normal. It was great. Of course, he ended his announcement by saying, “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the aircraft.” This guy knew his audience.

Other than the windows, one of the biggest differences between this plane and others is the noise level. Takeoff was nearly silent. Seriously. It was so quiet that Zach and I were able to have a conversation at a very normal speaking level. It was, without a doubt, the quietest takeoff roll I had ever experienced. And that includes the time I flew a glider! I’m just kidding. I’ve never flown a glider.

But the real show was outside. The wingtips. Oh, the wingtips. The wingtips bend and sway in the air, flexing as we took off and continued to flex even higher as we moved between altitudes. Yet, their movement absorbs much of the turbulence. It’s surprising to see them dance in the breeze, while we felt nothing inside. I did not expect to get so much joy watching a long strip of metal and carbon fiber. But, there it was, captivating as anything else in the cabin.

One of the selling points for the 787 is the atmosphere inside the cabin. In normal planes, the cabin is pressurized to approximately 8,000 feet. In the 787, it is pressurized to 6,000 feet. While not perfect, you could feel a difference. It didn’t feel exactly like we were on the ground, it felt like we were at a better altitude than on other planes. Same goes for dryness. United claims to include more humidity onboard to actively fight against jetlag and dryness. I felt it a bit, but it wasn’t perfect. An improvement, no doubt, but still room to go.

As our trip came to an end, it was clear that there were three things I would take away:

Bigger windows made a huge difference. They are just stunning.
The wing on a 787 is a magnificent piece of engineering.
The cabin is so quiet, it actually changes how one experiences the flight.

All three of these things, including all of the others I’ve already mentioned, are marginal improvements to the current aircraft. Yet, all of them are in one vessel: the 787. It is the sum of these parts that make the 787 the incredible travel experience it is.

Would I fly one airline versus another, just to fly on the 787? Probably not. Would I be willing to drastically change my flight times so that I could fly on the 787 on a similar route? Maybe. Will all other planes now have to live up to this one? You bet.

On the 787th day, God said, “Let there be flight.” And it was good. -Boeing 7:87

That Time I Went on an Aircraft Carrier

2012-08-31T18:40:00.001+03:00

Note: While this blog was used for our year in Israel, I will continue to post stories relating to my journey in Rabbinical School. And yes, posts about the rest of our time in Israel will be coming...eventually...

Video

Pictures

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Day 0
After traveling thru out Israel for the last year, I have forgotten how to spell.

After traveling throughout Europe over this past year and a half, and always flying through Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, Sarah and I had become accustomed to a few things. For one, getting asked "where are you going," "how long will you be traveling," or "what is the purpose of your trip," not to mention fighting to find the lone power outlet in the airport, and fighting to get on the plane because, let's face it, Israelis do not wait in line. Oh, and we would have to arrive at least 2 hours before the flight.

This morning, I parked in a lot near the airport at 7 AM. At 7:03, I was on a shuttle to the terminal. At 7:12, I got in the security line. At 7:25, I arrived at my gate. 25 minutes from car to gate. Not too bad. (I should mention that I also had pre-printed my boarding pass, did not check a bag, and only had to take the liquids out of my backpack. Oh, and take my shoes off. That is still ridiculous to me.)

This trip is really going to be an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. For just over a day, we are going to have a glimpse at daily life on a working aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman. I have to imagine, though, that we will be getting a slightly rosier picture of life on the ship than a reality of its operations abroad. Then again, WHO CARES?!

Packing list:

Backpack. Yup, that's it for two days. It's probably all I need.

Two days worth of clothing and toiletries.

Camera. There will be pictures and video. And I brought the Flip video camera for when we fly back to shore from the ship. Not just fly. Catapult. When we take off via catapult from the ship. On a C2. You can bet I'm excited for that.

iPod touch and iPad. Emailing, movies for the trip to and from Norfolk, and writing this here diary.

Three books: An abridged Bible, a prayerbook, and a guide for Jewish members of the armed service, all commissioned by the Jewish Welfare Board and printed in the 1940s. The first was given to me by a Rabbi friend. I inherited the other two. They were used by my grandfather, Stan Rubin. He served in the Army and towards the end of World War II was tasked to clean up the camps. We don't know much else about what he did in the Army, but I can only imagine the horrors he must have seen. And I can understand why he never talked about his experiences. I carry them for Papa Stan and Poppa Arnold, Sarah's grandfather who served in Patton's Army.

The first flight was from LAX to Phoenix on Delta Connection. It was the first time I had flown Delta in years. And I was very pleasantly surprised. Considering there was only about 45 minutes in the air, we were served a beverage and some cookies. Not bad for regional air!

Once on the ground in Phoenix, though, I had to switch terminals to get to where my American flight would be departing. This, unfortunately, meant going through security again.

One thing shocked me. After all of the announcements they give and the volume of information telling passengers to put liquids in small containers in a ziplock bag, it still baffles me that people fail to adhere to these policies. (we could get into a whole discussion about whether the policies work or are proper, but that's for another time) The person in front of me, for example, put his roller board, bag of stuff he purchased in the airport, and THREE cartons worth of shoes, his computer, and another, just for his belt, through the x-ray. And then they had to hand-check his bags because he never took out his liquids. Idiot.

Here's my idea: if you make people behind you wait because you're an idiot, you have to give to charity. Free pass on the first one. Then, $5. Then, $10. Hopefully this won't incentivize being an idiot so that people have an excuse to give to charity and be rude...it's an idea in progress.

They had wifi on board the flight to Dallas, and American is running this contest where you can win prizes, no purchase necessary. While I would never pay for internet on a flight (I hope I see this in 20 years when we all are paying for internet on flights, myself included), I'm a sucker for a freebie or a contest. Sure enough, I won a code for free internet! So I'll get to have free internet on my return flights (assuming its available on them)! Always play! Especially when it's free!

We arrived in Dallas and after a three hour layover, I was off for Norfolk. The flight was easy enough. Stepping outside, however, was like stepping into another country.

It was humid beyond belief. Not to mention the gas prices were only $3.39. As I got into a cab with some other people, they said, "oh, you're going to NOB too?" I had a blank stare, finally responding with, "what does that mean? Is that the naval base?" They laughed. "You must be new." Was it that obvious?

First acronym learned: NOB is Naval Operations Base.

We drove to the base, through a check point, and we arrived at the base hotel. I got my stuff together for the next day, checked in on some emails, and passed out.

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Day 1
After I woke up and got dressed, it was time to meet up with everyone. Walking out the door of our hotel, I noticed two familiar faces: Erica, a friend from the Conservative seminary with whom we had spent the last year in Israel, and Louis, who was a brother of mine in AEPi at UC Davis and now goes to the same seminary as Erica. We (at this point we were 6ish strong) walked over to the house of the man who would be our main guide throughout this trip: Rabbi Rear Admiral Robinson. A retired Navy Admiral, he now serves as the director of the Jewish Welfare Board, the organization that certifies non-Orthodox Rabbinic chaplains.

As we walked over, promptly at 8 AM (excuse me, 0800), the reveille played on the loud speaker throughout the base. Then, promptly at 8:05 (0805), on comes the Star Spangled Banner. We all stand at as close to attention as Rabbis stand, sensing the immense stillness in the rest of the base in solidarity.

The houses on this street were built in the 1920s, but in the colonial style. Each house is more beautiful than the next. And each is named for one of the Colonies.

During breakfast with the Rabbi, he told us about the current state of affairs for Jewish chaplains in the Navy. Only .9% (although we like to round-up to 1%) of the Navy is made up of Jews. And the number of Jewish chaplains allowed in the Navy ("so that the government can sufficiently punch the 'Jew' card") is approximately 16. That's it. Serving nearly 400,000 sailors. The current situation is such, though, that more and more Chabad and other Orthodox Rabbis are entering military chaplaincy, instituting policies that say it must be their way or no way. For example, because of the Orthodox Rabbi on board the ship, we brought kosher lettuce with us. Which, of course, brought out the best line: "do you need a shochet (Kosher butcher) to cut the head?"

This situation rang so poignantly for me. This is the identical situation that is happening in Israel between seculars, progressives, and the Orthodox Rabbinate. And, unfortunately, it's one of the reasons I struggle with the idea of living in Israel: I don't want to live in a place where I need to justify my existence as a Progressive Jew. But enough about me. You're reading this about the trip. And you're doing it so well. Take a break. Get some ice cream. You deserve it.

After meeting with the Rabbi, we drove to the naval airport and met up with our military escorts. Now first, I should tell you who the members of the group are and who we were with (with whom we were, Lisa? Nana? Becky? Mr. Kelso?). Four of us were rabbinical students (two from my school, two from the Conservative seminary), a small handful were Rabbis in the field who had some military background, and a few professors from the various schools. Our purpose was to be inspired and join the Navy Chaplaincy, but also to be able to inspire others based on our experience. Our military escort was much more prestigious than any of us.

Leading us around was Admiral Shelanski. He's Jewish. And I'm pretty sure he is currently the highest ranking Jew in the military. He is in charge of Carrier Strike Group 10. This group includes a number of ships, big and small, and the flagship: the USS Harry S Truman. He runs them all. He is the commanding officer to the commanding officers of each ship. Bad. Ass.

He welcomed us and then we were given a safety briefing. See, the plane we flew out to the carrier is not your typical plane that you take from LAX to SAN. This is a propeller plane with 40 seats inside, each with a four-point harness. And an AC system that created so much fog condensation on the ground, it looked like we were entering a movie set.

But this was no set.

Oh, and the seats face the back of the plane. And there are only two, small windows. And we wore life-vests. And a helmet, called a "cranial" with goggles.

Bad. Ass.

Once on the plane, we strapped in, and two hours later, it was time for our approach to the carrier. Unfortunately, as we were flying, some weather was developing, preventing flight operations (flight ops) from proceeding. Three other training jets were on approach with us at the time we came in. The weather was bad enough that they were diverted to a nearby base. But not us. We had the Admiral on board. And we WERE going to land.

After circling a bit, we finally made our final approach to the carrier and trap-landed on the deck. What does that mean, "trap landed?" If you've seen the movie "Top Gun," you have seen this maneuver before, but here's a refresher. The inbound plane is flying at approximately 140 mph. The ship is steaming ahead, creating a head wind of approximately 25 mph - ideal landing conditions (you want the wind blowing at you when you land, rather than across you or from behind). Then, the pilot aims the plane to land on the deck, whose runway is only 400 feet long. Clearly, not long enough to come to a stop without some assistance. The assistance comes in the form of three cables, each with a width approximately the size of a human wrist. A hook off the back of the plane drops, and the pilot lands in a precise position so that the hook catches one of three cables. Miss the cable? Go around and try again. Catch the cable and you go from 150-0 mph in approximately 2 seconds.

What was it like inside? AWESOME! About 10 seconds before landing, our safety officers gave us warning to take out positions. "HERE WE GO! HERE WE GO!" they shouted, arms in the air. Because we are facing the rear of the plane, inertia pushed us back as if we were on a roller coaster taking off. Except we didn't take off. We landed.

Once outside the plane, we were greeted with a 5-7 sailor line-up that we passed through. They saluted as the Admirals walked through. A quick walk inside, and all of a sudden, we left the loud, organized chaos of the flight deck and were greeted by the Commanding Officer of the ship, Prospective Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, and Command Master Chief. These are the guys in charge of the ship. And they're inviting us to dine with them. Unreal.

The officers went around and introduced who they were and what they do aboard the ship. We watched a short video about what the Strike Group does. Turns out that the Truman has been involved with some amazing humanitarian efforts. After Katrina, the earthquake in Japan, and the monsoon in Thailand, they provided fresh water via their four, 100,000 gallon a day each desalination pumps. The Navy's new motto is "A global force for good." The proof is in the pudding. And we saw the pudding. But there was no actual pudding. I like pudding.

After a quick nosh (as an aside, each division up the chain has its own culinary specialists, or CS. We were being served by the Admiral's personal CS. The Admiral has a staff of about 80 that go wherever he goes and supports the work he does. Have I mentioned he's a badass?), we made our way to the Chapel where we started to learn about religious life onboard the ship.

There is only one chapel on the ship, but it is considered a multi-faith chapel. There are a total of 4 chaplains on board the Truman serving a variety of needs. The Chapel has a Protestant Tabernacle, a Catholic alter, and a Jewish ark with a Torah that was saved from Lithuania during the holocaust. The space is amazing, and we learned that the chaplain's role is to help facilitate any religious practice. So if the crew wants a gospel service, the Rabbi may be the one setting up the sound, even though he won't lead the service. Or the Father may help set up chairs up chairs for the Passover Seder. Or the minister may block the room for those who wish to observe the Jedi religion. Apparently, there are some that identify as such.

From the chapel, we toured the tower, which controls planes on approach, on the deck, and departures. This was followed by a tour of the bridge, where all of the ship's navigations happens. I got to sit in the Captain's chair. No seriously, it's not just a captain's chair, it is THE Captain's chair. I had a chance to speak one-on-one with the Captain. He was a very nice guy. This job has been his dream job since he was a kid. He started sailing, and when he found out that in order to get this position that he needed to be an aviator, he became an aviator. It was so refreshing to see a person in such a senior position to still care so deeply about his work and to feel that immense gratitude for what he gets to do every single day. Then, my favorite part, we got to tour the flight deck.

After another safety briefing, we donned our white, VIP labeled gear including a turtle neck (yes, even on the Arabian Sea when it is 120 degrees out, they wear turtle necks), a life vest, and a cranial with goggles. I took video of all of this, and the video at the top.

The flight deck was amazing. Planes are turning on a dime, launching off the deck, landing on wires, and it is all coordinated by people in variously colored shirts, all signifying their job. Everyone has a job. No, that's not right. Everyone has a mission.

That was a central theme to the entire trip: it's not just a job, it's a mission. Truth be told, no one said those words to me, but it was understood. Everyone did their task as if it was the most important part of the ship's mission. Especially on the flight deck. This was much more than just planes taking off and landing and moving on the deck. This was a mission.

Oh yeah, and we saw planes super up close. See the video and you'll get what I mean.

We then toured the largest hall on the ship that is not a plane hangar. In this room, they have religious services. It's also where the anchor chains wind up and down. By the way, each chain in the link weighs 360 pounds. The chain alone, from end to anchor weighs approximately 50,000 pounds. And it flows through this room. No Athiests in a bunker, they say? No Athiests when that thing spins.

After a quick tour of the general store, where sailors can get additional food and sundries, we sat down to dinner with the CO and Admiral Shelanski. The Rabbi on board the ship (not the Rabbi Admiral) led a brief prayer. It was more like a convocation you would hear to begin a session of Congress. Except instead of ending with, "in Jesus name, Amen," it started with, "Hakadosh Baruch Hu" (the Holy, Blessed One). We all stood until the Admiral sat. This was formal.

During dinner, Admiral Shelanski and the Skipper (aka, the Captain, aka, Commanding Officer) talked to us about daily life on the ship and what it's like to run a Carrier (before Admiral Shelanski was promoted, he was the CO of the Truman). After some stories about the war of 1812, and how it was a defining moment for the US Navy, we got to stand on the "Vulture's Ledge" and watch the last training flights of the day come around, ending the day's flight ops with a beautiful sunset in the background. After a while, we retired to the Admiral's deck and smoked Truman cigars with the Admiral as he told us more stories about the war of 1812, the history of the term "Old Iron Sides," and the influence of a Jewish naval officer named Uriah Levi.

At around 9:50 PM (2150), Rabbi Robinson led the evening prayer over the loudspeaker to the whole ship. After he finished, he turned around with a big, proud smile. "I never thought I'd do that again!" he remarked. "But think of it: that message just went out to around 5,000 people. Think of what it meant to them."

And there it was. This is holy work. This is mission driven work.

Then, we finally went to sleep.

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Day 2
Our second day began at 5:30 AM (0530). At 6:00 AM (0600), we had morning services, led by one of the Rabbis in our group. As an aside, the Rabbi chaplain on board the ship would not lead services for us (and I forgot to mention that we had services the previous day, which he, too, would not lead). Why? Because he is an Orthodox Rabbi, and if he was to lead services, he would not consider our group to be a minyan (group of ten male Jews, according to more traditional rules; whereas Progressive Jews include women in the count), and he would want to set up a mechitza (divider between men and women). Since he knew those two stipulations would not fly (pun intended) with our group, he invited one of the other Rabbis in the group to lead services. A lovely gesture, but an insight as to what kind of battle the Progressive Jewish community is facing when it comes to military chaplaincy.

My friend Erica read Torah beautifully, and I gave an Aliyah (blessings before and after reading the Torah). As is traditional, I touched my siddur, my prayerbook, to the Torah scroll. No, that's not accurate. I touched my Grandfather's siddur, his prayerbook, to the Torah scroll. My Mom would have cried. Come to think of it, she's probably crying now. It's okay, Mom. You can take a tissue break.

After services, we had the opportunity to have breakfast with some Jewish sailors. We spoke with one guy who works on the navigation deck. He is ending his service in two weeks and is pretty excited to be back on land. He is a "lay leader" onboard the ship. This basically means that if needed, he will help lead services and light candles with other Jewish sailors. It is wonderful that these kids, and they really are kids, are getting the opportunity to take ownership of their experiences and Jewish ritual practices. I asked if he was going to continue to be involved in synagogue life when he gets back. He said he would, but I got the sense that he was just saying that because he was talking to us. Re-entry is so difficult. And we, in the civilian world, should do more to help re-engage these Sailors.

This was also one of those moments where we were getting a slightly rosier picture of what it's like on the ship. Maybe it's because we were with the Admiral, but ours was the only table in the entire, huge mess hall (dining area) that was set up with table cloths and nicer flatware. One table over, Sailors were eating on trays, on a table you would imagine would look like on a huge ship dining hall.

After breakfast, we had the opportunity to see more of the day-to-day goings-on on board the ship. Our first stop was the recycling center. Yes, you heard right. The recycling center. They do all of their recycling processing on board. Trash comes in one of three types of paper bags: one for organic materials (i.e., food waste), one for paper, and one for plastics. The organic material is ground up to a pulp and tossed out to sea to feed the fishies. The paper and plastic products are processed through a machine that heats them, then crushes them into 1 inch thick discs that are about as wide as an arm. They stack them up, and when they reach a port with recycling facilities, they dump them off and the materials get recycled. Another example that the Navy is really changing itself to be a "global force for good."

The rest of the morning we were able to see some other interesting areas, including their media center, where they produce a television newscast for the ship as well as interviews of Sailors and run the ship-wide TV and radio stations. We also saw their PR department, where they print photos, make copies (and yes, there were four copiers: one black & white and one color for unclassified materials, and one color and one black & white for classified materials), and do the things that you would expect to see at a Kinkos. But it's on a ship. This is also where the photographers do their work, and where the daily newspaper is edited and published.

We also got to see the "chief's mess." This is where higher ranking officers get to eat. Clearly, it's much nicer, but there are still elements that blew us away. For example, the first thing you see when you walk in is a table setup for the generic prisoner of war who is missing in action. A turned over cup, a sliced lemon on the plate. Only a salt shaker, no pepper. Another reminder every time they walk into the mess that this work is not just a job, it's a mission. Also, on each table were a variety of sauces for a variety of palates. There was ketchup, soy sauce, hot sauce…that in and of itself was another example of the melting-pot of America that is represented in the military. And also of how the military takes care of every one of its members.

Then we walked through the hangar bay, which is the largest area on the ship. Each section of the bay has an elevator to the flight deck (the only elevators on the ship; everything else is a steep stair climb) and huge doors that can section off that part of the bay. As our guide put it, "On each door is a giant mural (showing different parts of Truman's life). Someone took their time. They look real nice." We also had the chance to walk through the "jet shop" where they repair engines. I took pictures for my friend Adam, who also worked in a similar jet shop in San Diego.

We also got to see the "Truman Room." This is like a mini-museum of Truman's life. In addition to artifacts from his childhood, there are also quotations and artifacts from his presidency including the actual paper from his first Executive Order: the American recognition of the newly formed State of Israel. Of course, right under that is a carbon copy of his authorization to drop the nuclear bomb, written like a note you would put on your fridge to not forget the milk. No mention of the bomb, just an acknowledgement of the order number and a "no sooner than" date. His life was really incredible and filled with heart-wrenching decisions.

We were also able to see the barracks of the lower-ranking Sailors. Three bunks high, a little bit of storage in a container beneath each bed and curtains to draw over each bed space. Each section has two sets of bunk-beds, so six Sailors share one area. And these sections are all one right next to the other, housing about 150 people in one big room.

Then we got to see some of the inner-workings of flight ops (think the Carrier version of FAA air traffic control) and the war room, which had to be "sterilized" before we entered so we wouldn't see anything we were not supposed to. Then again, we were off the coast of Georgia, so I'm not totally sure what they could have been looking at that would have been so sensitive. Oh well. Considering that was the only room where we could not take pictures, I'm not going to complain too much.

Our last stop was having lunch with some of the other higher-ups on the ship. Two other group participants and I sat with Commander Warnock, another really nice guy who is also transferring off the ship in a few days. We asked him what the most important job on this ship was, in his opinion. His response: "What I do. But you'll get the same response from every single person on the ship." And that's the truth. I've mentioned before that what made this trip so powerful is the sense of team, community, and mission-driven action. It's not a job, it's a mission.

We then walked to our good-bye lounge where we said goodbye to our hosts and they gave us some incredible parting gifts, including a disc with photos from our journey, a certificate saying that we trap-landed on the carrier with a photo of our landing, a photo book of our trip, and a coin bearing the battle flag and the seal of the Truman. Meanwhile, as had become normal, the noise of planes were constantly interrupting our program with the loud, spontaneous sounds of take-off and landing.

We signed the guest book, first signed by Truman's daughter when the ship was commissioned and has been signed by every Distinguished Visitor, including President Clinton (One higher-up said that he was the first one to stay in the Captain's chambers. "I don't know if he was alone in there…" Har har, sir.).

After a safety briefing, we had our return flight to the base in Norfolk. Easy peasy.

Okay, I'm lying. There was SO much more to it!

First of all, we got onboard the plane, which was the same plane that we took out to the Truman, and then took off via catapult. Similar to the landing, right before we took-off, the flight safety crew threw up their hands and shouted, "HERE WE GO! HERE WE GO!" Then, with the power of hundreds of gallons of water worth of steam, we went from 0-150 mph in TWO SECONDS. How did it feel? AMAZING! Imagine a really fast roller coaster - the kind that start at nothing and shoots you off. Then, double that speed. And half the time to get to top speed. Oh, and remember, we were facing the back of the plane. So we were SLAMMED forward, caught by our safety harnesses. I don't have a video of us from inside the plane, but there is plenty of video above of the smaller jets taking off the same way.

Of course, as soon as we took off, and just like landing in Israel, everyone applauded.

Once in-flight, I realized that I had to pee. Badly. Now, they had said that we should go beforehand, and I did. But this was bad. A half-hour into the two hour flight, I knew I was not going to make it. I turned to the flight safety crew member sitting next to me. "I have to pee in a major way." "Don't worry," he said calmly, smiling a bit as if to say, "don't worry, it happens all the time." He walks me back, hands me a hose-like tube with a small funnel at its end. "Press this button," he says, pointing to a lever that clearly opens the flow.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of when I peed on a military plane over the Atlantic Ocean.

When I got back to my seat, the Rabbi Admiral pulled me aside. "Come with me," he says.

And then he takes me into the cockpit. And the right seat, the seat of the co-pilot, is open. And it's waiting for me.

For the first time in my life, I got to sit in the co-pilot's seat, mid-flight. I could not stop smiling. Hell, I can't stop smiling thinking about the experience as I write this.

I sat with the pilot for about ten minutes. We talked about San Diego, the airfields he's flown into, why the Blue Angels are still at Miramar, even though it's a Marine base, and how much of a loss it was for the Navy to give up Miramar to the Marines, the process of getting to where he is (turns out, plane training is much like a quota system - once they have enough, if you come in too late, you're out of luck), he talked to air traffic control (fun fact: if you ever listen to Air Traffic Control and hear a plane with the call sign "Rawhide" instead of something like "American" or "Southwest," it's a Navy plane), and we talked about the beautiful view.

For those that didn't know, becoming a pilot is my pipe-dream. It's not a practical journey, and it would mean putting that life ahead of family, much more so than the rabbinate will, and that life sacrifice is just not something I'm willing to make. Still, it's fun to be an enthusiast!

At one point, I said, "Look, I'm happy to sit up here all day, so just let me know when I need to go back!" He let me stay a few minutes longer, up until the point where the co-pilot came in and began the descent back into Norfolk Naval Airport.

The return flights from Norfolk to Dallas and on to Los Angeles were fine, made a whole lot better with free wifi and the ability to write those first two posts.

-----------

Epilogue

When I look back on this trip, I'm going to remember one thing: It's not a job, it's a mission. It is a feeling I gathered from the first moment I walked on board. These Sailors are doing some of the most difficult jobs in the world, and they are, at the same time, some of the nicest people I have ever met. When was the last time you went somewhere and when you asked where the restroom is, they not only took you there, but waited outside to take you back to the group, just so you wouldn't get lost? Without a doubt, this was the best customer service I had ever experienced. And they work for US.

I wrote a letter to Rabbi Robinson on the flight home:

Rabbi Robinson,
Thank you so much for putting this incredible experience together. It gave me such a wonderful insight into the lives of Sailors and what it is like to be on a working carrier. Not to mention it was a blast!!!
There are defining moments when we reevaluate the work we do and why we do it. This was one of those moments for me. Surely, the path of chaplaincy involves asking many questions about what kind of Rabbi I would want to become. The answers, if there ever are answers, take time to develop. But having this experience has truly enhanced my ability to make a more informed choice. The lessons I am taking back will stay with me throughout my rabbinate and life, and will influence whatever community I end up with, be it on a base or in a shul.
Hopefully, too, I can use this experience to help others find their way to chaplaincy to create meaningful spiritual experiences for our troops.
Thank you again for the incredible opportunity, and I look forward to seeing you when you visit HUC in Los Angeles.
All the best,
Jeremy

I don't know if military chaplaincy is right for me for a number of reasons, but I do have a much greater appreciation for what the Navy does and why supporting their efforts matters. This trip has taught me so much about what it means to be mission-driven and purpose-driven. It's not about the job. It's about what the job means in the bigger picture.

The Navy: A Global Force for Good.

Shouldn't that be a motto for us all?

"Obligatory Indiana Jones Quotation!" - We Went to Petra

2012-05-17T07:59:00.005+03:00

From the time we knew we were coming to Israel for the year, I knew we had to get to Petra. Petra is one of those places that I’ve always wanted to visit, but the timing has just never worked out. At first we waited until it wasn’t too hot, then until it wasn’t too cold. Finally, with only a few free weekends left in our year, we picked this one for our Petra adventure. On Thursday afternoon Jeremy finished his last class for the year, and we picked up the rental car and headed over to pick up our friends Marc and Polly. Just as we were ready to start our adventure, the car wouldn’t start and when it finally did, the check engine light was on. Since we didn’t want to drive all the way through the desert with the check engine light, it was back to the rental car company. They exchanged our car for a different one. As luck would have it, this one had shards of glass falling out of the driver’s side door - not a good sign. So with our third car of the day we drove out of Jerusalem and onto the Arava highway.

It took us about three and a half hours to drive down to Eilat. Not bad considering it takes about 5 on the bus. We dropped off Marc and Polly at their hotel and headed over to see our friend Brad. The three of us had a lovely dinner, then went back to Brad’s apartment where we spent the night. Our early departure for Petra necessitated an early night, but it’s always nice to spend as much time as we can with Brad.

In the morning we met up with Marc and Polly, and around 7am a cab picked us up to take us to the border. We planned our trip with Desert Eco Tours and they arranged absolutely everything. Once their cab dropped us off at the border we were met by one of their employees, who collected our border tax and explained how the rest of the day was going to work. The border does not open until 8 AM, but they like to get their groups there early so that they can be the first ones to cross. After waiting in line for a bit, the border finally opened and, sure enough, we were the first ones in. As we were walking toward passport control one of the Israeli security told us all to follow her. We did, and ended up in the border bomb shelter. We were there for 10-15 minutes - still not sure why. Exciting way to start the morning! When everything was deemed ok and we were released from the shelter, we stood in line to have our passports checked. Once we had the green light from the Israeli side the four of us walked through no man’s land to the Jordanian side of the border. There, we were met by Mustafa, the tour’s representative on the Jordanian side. He led us through Jordanian passport control, which included standing in front of a machine that takes a picture of your retinas. It was a funny little machine that talked to you, saying things like “You’re too close, step back. No no no, not that far. Thank you for your cooperation.”

With our passports stamped we gathered with the rest of the group, were given bottles of water, and got on the bus. On our way to Petra we had a little city tour of Aqaba. It looks a lot like Eilat with shops and beach front hotels. Like Eilat, Aqaba is also a tax-free zone and is the only coast-line that is part of Jordan, spanning about 27 km. The drive from the border crossing to Petra was about two and a half hours with a quick stop for a bathroom break and coffee. The two guides on the bus, Muhamad and Ali spoke most of the way about Aqaba, Jordan in general, and the history of Petra. Upon our arrival we stopped quickly at the tour office to drop our overnight bags, then headed to the park entrance.

The ancient city of Petra (Greek for “stone”) is a historical and archaeological city in the Ma’an region of Jordan. The city was established around the 6th century BCE, as the capital of the Nabataeans and their burial ground. It lies on the side of Mount Hor, forming the eastern flank of the Wadi Araba (or Arava, if you’re on the Israeli side of the border). The site was discovered by Johann Ludwig Bruckhardt in 1816, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Even though this city was built in the middle of the desert, it was able to thrive because of the incredible water system built throughout the city. There is an elaborate network of dams, cisterns, and water conduits that collect the water from the rain and flash floods and store it for drought times. According to Arabic tradition, Petra is the stop where Moses hit the rock with his staff to bring forth water. According to legend, Moses’s brother Aaron is buried at Mount Hor, which today is known in the region as Mount Aaron. The narrow valley where Petra lies is called Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses).

Our walk started down a divided dirt path, with pedestrians on one side and horses on the other. Part of your admission to Petra includes a horse ride down to the start of the valley, but we decided to walk as you had to tip the horse’s owner and we did not want to spend additional money. We were in a group of about 10 people with our guide Muhamad. He stopped every little while to explain the history and importance of the structures and carvings we were seeing. We saw the Djin tomb and the obelisks, then started our walk through the Siq. Walking in the valley exposed where the rock split apart was stunning. Everywhere we looked there were different colors of rock climbing the walls on either side of us.

As we reach the end of the siq, the rock walls open up onto the treasury building (Khazneh Al Firaun). Walking through, we can only imagine what it was like to stumble upon this incredible building carved into the rock nearly 200 years ago. Even with all the pictures that I had seen of Petra, nothing prepares you to actually see the treasury facade in person. It is absolutely huge, and the detail that still exists on the carving is incredible. We had a little time to explore the treasury on our own, then we made our way down the path toward the amphitheater. On the way, we passed all sorts of tombs built into the sides of the mountain. Even after seeing the treasury, the facades on these tombs were amazing.

The amphitheater was beautiful. It is cut into the hillside, with the different colors of the rock exposed in the layers of seats. Our guide said it is the only amphitheater in the world that is cut into the mountain in this way. We then walked through the Grand Temple, with columns built up on both sides. Walking down this street was reminiscent of the main street in Ephesus - both ancient cities rediscovered. At this point our group stopped at a little restaurant for lunch. It was a nice buffet with a combination of Jordanian food and more western food. I learned that spice is a big part of Jordanian cuisine, as is mustard. The four of ate rather efficiently, and after saying goodbye to our guide and fellow travelers were back on our way.

Leah and Daniel had been in Petra a few weeks before us and recommended that we do the hike up to the monastery (Al Deir). It takes about 45 minutes to climb the stairs built into the hillside, but the four of us took our time getting to the top. As tempting as it was to go up via donkey, I was more scared of the donkey than of the climb. As we got closer and closer to the top of the hill the views got more and more beautiful. The colors of the rocks kept changing, and the sides of the mountain that had been eroded away by the wind and the sand looked almost like pieces of wood. We finally arrived at the monastery, and were rewarded with a facade as incredible (if not more) than the treasury had been. Unlike the treasury, there were almost no people up at the monastery, and we were able to enjoy the peace and quiet of the place along with the incredible building carved into the rock. The building itself is about 50 meters wide and about 45 meters high - truly impressive. It was built in the first century CE by the Nabataeans. We rested, took in the sites, then started our walk back down the mountain.

On our way back toward the main entrance, we stopped to see the facades of the tombs build up into the hills. The Urn, Silk, Corinthian, and Palace tombs are less well-kept than the treasury or the monastery, but give you a good sense of what they must have looked like in their prime. There was almost nobody left in the park by the time we got to the tombs, but were bombarded by children trying to get us to ride horses, donkeys, and camels, as well as buy postcards.

From the tombs we walked back toward the treasury, which seemed much less amazing after having seen the monastery, although it was nice to see it with fewer people around. From there we walked back up the siq and back to the entrance, then about 300 more meters back to the tour office. We piled in a van with a few other travelers from our group, and they took us to our hotel for the night. The hotel was actually really lovely and included dinner and breakfast. After a desperately needed shower, the four of us decided to try the hotel’s Turkish bath. Jeremy and I had done a Turkish bath in Turkey, but this was Marc and Polly’s first experience. We headed down to the bath with two Dutch ladies from our group (a mother and daughter). We first enjoyed the jacuzzi then the steam room, then split up into boys and girls for our scrubs and massages. It was a great and relaxing end to a fantastic day. When we were finished we headed upstairs for dinner with our new Dutch friends, then crashed for the night.

In the morning Jeremy and I sat out on the patio overlooking Petra and had some breakfast. At 10, our driver picked us up in a van to take us back to the border. We stopped briefly at a lookout where we were able to see the Araba desert and Mount Aaron. In two hours we were back at the border, and except for a small problem where they didn’t want to let Jeremy back into Israel (what else is new?), we crossed with no problems. Someone from the tour company was there to meet us, and she took us back to where we had parked our car. After a stop for gas, we were on our way back up north. On the road we stopped at Yodvata for ice cream (of course), and made it back to Jerusalem in just over three hours.

Overall, the trip was amazing. It’s clear to me why Petra is visited by about half a million people a year, and is on the list of the wonders of the world. Marc and Polly were great travel companions, and made the experience that much better. After so many years of waiting to get to Petra, I’m so glad that I can now say we’ve been.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 11 & Conclusion

2012-05-04T08:00:00.000+03:00

Day 11 – Saturday, April 14 – Travel back to Israel, Conclusion

On Saturday morning we slept to the leisurely hour of 8:30, and finished re-packing everything into our two bags. Leah, Jeremy, and I piled our things and ourselves into the car, and parked the car near the tube stop. We took the tube a few stations away, and had a lovely brunch at Giraffe. Jeremy got to try a “Flat White,” which is a double shot of espresso with some foam. He became a real fan of British hot drinks on this trip. After brunch we jumped back on the tube and into Leah’s car, and drove out to Luton. Luton is a bit outside the city, but there was barely any traffic and it didn’t take us long to get there.

The airport itself was interesting. You have to pay to stop, even to just drop someone off. Once you get inside, EasyJet had a special desk to check in if you were running late and were about to miss your flight. Seems to me like that would encourage people to arrive later so they didn’t have to stand in a long line. We checked in our two bags, and proceeded to security. Along the security line, there were these creepy hologram projections of people giving liquid and safety announcements. Very strange. We waited about 15 minutes for my laptop to come through security (apparently there was a new girl who had no idea what she was doing), and made our way to the gate, where people were already lined up to board.

easyJet #2087, London-Luton (Sat. Apr. 14, 1:25 PM) - Tel Aviv (8:25 PM)
G-EZTM, Airbus 320
Seat: Window/middle, Exit row
LTN: Depart 5 min late at 1:30
TLV: Arrive on-time at 8:25
Duration: 4:55

Notably, we never went through any kind of passport control before getting on the plane. We stood in line, had our boarding passes checked, then stood in line again for about half an hour. Like Jeremy’s flight into Luton, we boarded the flight via the tarmac through both the front and back of the plane. Surprisingly, we filled up the plane in only about 15 minutes. When we boarded, we were able to get ourselves into an exit row, meaning more leg room, but also meaning our baggage went up in the "locker." Again, there were meal and snack sales, but this time they were only accepting Euros and Pounds and not Shekels like on the TLV-LUT flight.

After pulling into a real gate and a quick walk to customs (where we passed a flower field that was in the shape of the national brand of cottage cheese with the saying, “waiting for you at home…”), we boarded a sheirut, which filled up pretty quickly. As we were leaving, the driver asked if it was ok if he stopped for gas. Given that he didn’t have any, we all agreed. A short hour later Jeremy and I were home. It feels good to be home after more than two weeks away.

Here are some of Jeremy’s thoughts on our arrival at Ben Gurion:

After all of the traveling we have done this year, this will be my last time walking through the arrivals area for some time. Ben Gurion is a beautiful airport, and there are things that I will surely miss. I'll miss walking out around the main departures area with the Mikveh. I'll miss walking down the long path towards passport control and seeing art from the Israel museum on one side and a flower display outside forming the logo of the national cottage cheese brand. I'll miss Israelis who don't know how to deal with us. (Why are you here? And why aren't you also Israeli?) I'll miss the bust of Ben Gurion greeting us, next to a huge menorah designed after the one that was illuminated in the Great Temple. But most of all, I'm going to miss the arrivals hall. Its design is astounding, with Roman columns, and my favorite part: a gorgeous water feature that not so subtly says: you are like the People of Israel, completing a journey by walking through parted waters and arriving in the Promised Land. When we arrived, we were walking at our normal, quick pace. Seeing this for the last time on this trip, we slowed down.

We savored every step.

We took in the view.

We crossed through the waters from the Diaspora to the Promised Land.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 10

2012-05-03T08:00:00.000+03:00

Day 10 – Friday, April 13 – Amsterdam, flight to London

On Friday, Jeremy and I took a little day-trip out of Amsterdam and went to visit Keukenhof, the famous tulip fields. Like the day before we jumped on the train and went just one stop to Schipol (the airport and main train station). After a 10 minute delay on the tracks for a reason we’re not totally sure of (the announcements were in Dutch), we arrived at Schipol and found the desk where we could get our “combi” tickets for the bus and entrance to Keukenhof. We got in line for the bus with lots of other visitors, and listened to the lady in charge bark orders until we were able to board. A short 30 or so minutes later, we were at the flower fields.

Keukenhof is the world’s largest flower garden, covering about 32 hectares (about 80 acres) with over 7 million bulbs planted there annually. The gardens are only open 2 months out of the year, which makes them a very heavily visited tourist attraction. The flowers were absolutely beautiful. Everywhere we turned there was a different variety of tulip with a different set of colors and name. I had no idea there were so many variations and varieties of flowers. Each path we turned down was as beautiful as the last. We spent almost 3 hours walking around the gardens, and felt like we saw maybe 20% of the park. But after a while flowers all start to look the same, so we bit farewell to the tulips and got back on the bus that took us to Schipol. Jeremy grabbed a quick bite at the Albert Heijn in the airport, then after a quick visit to the KLM store (Jeremy was like a kid in a candy store), we were back on the tram to Becky and Eric’s house.

Becky met us at home, and she and Jeremy indulged me by taking a trip to the Purse and Bag Museum. It was actually pretty impressive. They had bags dating back to the 13th century, and the museum went chronologically detailing changes in the style and function of bags over the years. To me, the most impressive bags were the ones that were knit in intricate patterns, where the designer first had to string all the beads onto the yarn in a prescribed pattern, then knit the beads into the most amazing designs. After that museum we made our way to Foam, the Amsterdam photography museum. The content of the museum changes every few months, and we were lucky enough to see a huge exhibit about the New York Times magazine. In addition to having the articles and photographs, they also had the story behind the photographs and the proof sheets that the pictures used in the article had been chosen from. The exhibit was both beautiful and moving.

On our way back to the apartment, Becky and Jeremy stopped to pick up some ossenworst, a sausage-like meat made from raw beef. A store right near Becky’s house is known for their ossenworst, so we picked some up to try. Becky enjoyed it, and at his first bit, Jeremy said he’s moving to Amsterdam. Even Eric liked it, although he previously had not enjoyed this Dutch delicacy. To celebrate the end of Pesach we ordered pizza for dinner, and all too soon we were off to the airport. Becky and Eric drove us the few minutes to the airport, and we said our goodbyes. The four of us don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like, so the time that we got to spend together in Paris and Amsterdam was really special.

The Schipol airport is massive, full of really cool stuff. We passed a meditation room, showers, a museum (part of the Reijksmuseum and free to the public), a variety of shops, lounge areas with really comfy chairs and fake fireplaces, and a 4D theater. The one downside of this was that our gate was really far away. We kept hearing announcements of "Passenger So-And-So, please board your flight at Gate 25. You are delaying the flight. If you don't show, we will off-load your baggage." Very aggressive announcements.

British Airways #433, Amsterdam (Fri. Apr. 13, 10:00 PM) - London-Heathrow (10:10 PM)
G-EUUZ, Airbus 320
Seat: Window/middle, Exit row
AMS: Depart 1 min late at 10:01
LHR: Arrive 3 early at 10:07
Duration: 1:07

After another 17 minute taxi to the runway, we were on our way. While our previous British Airways flights had a moving map, this one had updated software, making the map look even cooler. Again, we had a snack and beverage service. We were able to get exit row seats, however, according to British air standards, we had to move anything that would have fit underneath the seat to the overhead. A bit annoying, but that’s the small price you have to pay for having that extra legroom! Fortunately, once we landed, we were at the gate in very little time, especially for Heathrow standards.

After an easy jaunt through customs Leah picked us up. This trip was a far cry from Jeremy’s first flight into London! We went back to Leah’s apartment, laughed our way through the rest of the night, and had a good night’s sleep.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 9

2012-05-02T08:00:00.000+03:00

Day 9 – Thursday, April 12 – The Hague and Delft

Since in our first two days in Amsterdam we had seen the majority of the sites we wanted to see, on our third day we took a day-trip to The Hague and Delft. Becky walked us to the metro station and made sure we had the right tickets, and we jumped on the train to The Hague. The train ride was easy and only took about 45 minutes. When we exited the train station in The Hague we were a little disoriented, but finally made our way to the Parliament complex.

It turns out that like in Amsterdam, almost everything in The Hague is currently under renovation, so we saw a lot of beautiful and important buildings and museums from the outside. The Parliament buildings are beautiful, and it was interesting to see the rows and rows of bikes parked outside. Seems that even those in Parliament don’t drive around the city.

From the Parliament complex we made our way along the streets and canals to the Panorama Mesdag Museum. If you happen to find yourself in The Hague, this is a must see. The entire museum was built to house one piece of art – a cylindrical painting that is 14 meters high, 40 meters in diameter, and 120 meters in circumference. I don’t think I’ve ever spent 20-30 minutes looking at one painting before. Standing in the center with sand and beach furniture around you, I truly felt as if I could walk off the platform and into the beach and quaint little city pictured in this painting.

From the museum we continued our walk toward to Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice. While we couldn’t go inside (its not open to visitors right now), we at least got to see the beautiful building and grounds from outside. We also visited the eternal peace flame installed in 1999, which is seven flames from five continents brought together by 196 different nations. From the peace palace we found a cute little café to have lunch, then walked to the palace and through its gardens. There were some incredible statues and art throughout the gardens. Our last stop in The Hague was the Old Church, which, of course, was not open to visitors. The outside was beautiful, as I imagine the inside probably would have been too. From there we found the stop for Tram 1, and jumped aboard for the 20ish minute ride to Delft.

Like in The Hague, we found art all over the streets of Delft. It’s a quaint little town, known for its production of “Delftware” – the blue and white pottery famous in the Netherlands. We started our walking tour of Delft at the Oude Kerk (Old Church) and this time we were able to go inside. This church was first founded in 1246 and has been renovated many times since then. Both the outside and the inside of the church were beautiful. The inside feels very open with very high ceilings, made of wood. Like in the church we visited in Amsterdam, the floor of this church is made up of over 400 graves. I was excited to visit the grave of Anton van Leeuwenhoek, who invented the microscope.

From the Old Church we made our way to the market in the center of town, which was selling everything from cheese to meets to flowers to clothes and shoes. Just on the other side of the square is the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), which was out next stop. The New Church dates back to the 14th century, and is the home of the crypt of the princes of Orange. The crypt itself is not open to the public, and only a few people are allowed to go in there. We spent some time exploring the church and the massive monuments to those buried in the crypt, then watched a video from 2004 – the last time the crypt was opened (for Queen Beatrix’s parents). The New Church is known for its bell tower, the second tallest in the Netherlands. Rick Steves recommended climbing it for a beautiful panorama of the region, so we did. Jeremy and I made our way up the 360 foot tower, winding up stair after stair. Reaching the top and walking out onto the narrow walkway circumnavigating the tower, the whole climb was worth it. The views were absolutely stunning. On the way up, we got to see the bell towers and gears that run it, which was also really cool.

From the church we made our way back through the square and toward the Synagogue (Klal Yisrael). Like everything else in The Hague, the synagogue is under renovation and is not currently open to the public. So, we saw the building from the outside. It was getting late in the afternoon, so Jeremy and I made our way to the train station to head back to Amsterdam. We had an interesting experience with the train station bathrooms, where for 50 cents you get 15 minutes in the bathroom. The metal seat descends, and when you’re finished you put your hands into a hole in the wall and get water, then soap, then a dryer. The train ride back was uneventful – we changed trains and got back to Becky and Eric’s apartment. While we were gone Becky had prepared a beautiful salad full of fruits and vegetables, and we had a lovely dinner all together.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 8

2012-05-01T08:00:00.000+03:00

Day 8 – Wednesday, April 11 – Amsterdam

On Wednesday morning, Jeremy and I jumped on the tram and headed toward the Anne Frank House. Luckily for us Becky had reserved us tickets in advance, so we skipped the 3-4 hour line and walked right in. It was really interesting and somewhat surreal to visit Anne’s house after so many years of imagining what it must be like from her descriptions in her diary. The museum includes both the attic and building where the family hid during the war and a small museum built into the building next door. The atmosphere was somewhat somber, almost as if the visitors there didn’t want the people downstairs to hear them, like the Frank family. The path of the museum was narrated with Anne’s own words, taken from her diary. I was surprised at how big the attic was. From Anne’s descriptions I expected a space 3-4 times smaller than what we saw. Upon exiting the attic there was a small exhibit of the original diary and another small room about Otto Frank. At the end of the tour there was a bookshop, selling Anne Frank’s diary is almost 80 different languages.

Becky met us outside the Anne Frank House and we walked down to the canal to see the Homomonument, a monument in the center of town commemorating all those who have been persecuted because of their homosexuality. From there, we walked through some different neighborhoods including the nine little streets and the Jordaan. We walked along Prinssengracht and Herengracht, taking in the sites and enjoying all the canals and bridges. From there we walked down haarlemmerstraat, toward the Central Station and stopped for a quick lunch. After lunch we visited the outside of the Central Station, then made our way to the Museum of Our Lord in the Attic. While the building was built in 1630, the top three floors of the house were changed into a church starting in 1661 when Catholics could not practice their religion in public. The building and church are currently under renovation, but we were able to walk through the house and visit the church. It is being restored to look like it did 300 years ago, matching the original art and paint colors.

After the museum Becky took us to the brand new Amsterdam library. The building itself is magnificent and modern, and we enjoyed some coffee and apple cake on the seventh floor with a view overlooking the entire city. After our rest and picture opportunity we walked to Rembrandt House Museum, where the painter lived from 1639 – 1658. In addition to the art displayed, there were demonstrations of how prints are made from etchings and how paint is mixed from ground stones and spices. The museum is really well done and has a nice combination of art, demonstrations, and original furniture and decorations. When we were finished in the museum we walked through Waterlooplein, a flea-market type street with people selling everything from second hand clothing to bikes to copper products. At the end of the street we arrived at the Jewish quarter, housing the Jewish museum and the Portuguese Synagogue. We wanted to go into the synagogue, but unfortunately for us it was 4:05 and it closed at 4:00. So, instead we meandered home, walking and stopping to sit along the Amstel River. We walked by the Hermitage and crossed the famous “skinny bridge.” On our way back toward the center of town Becky took us to Hema, which is sort of like the local Target. We got a few things to bring home with us to Israel (like stroopwafels, which are delicious but not K-for-P). We had a small snack at Hema, then stopped in a local bar for a drink before heading to meet Eric for dinner. We had dinner at an Indian restaurant, which was delicious.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 7

2012-04-30T08:00:00.000+03:00

Day 7 – Tuesday, April 10 – Amsterdam

On Tuesday morning we got an early start to the day. We said goodbye to Eric as he left for work, and Jeremy and I left the apartment and walked along the canals to Museumplein, the main square in the middle of the museums. We started our day at the Rijksmuseum, the Dutch National Museum. Even though the museum is under renovation, they have moved the master works into one wing of the museum that visitors are allowed to visit. We displayed our museum cards (thanks B&E for those!) and started our tour of the museum. Unlike in the museums we visited in Paris, this one had a clear path that we were meant to follow. We saw some beautiful and famous works, including Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, The Jewish Bride, and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid. There was also a display of gigantic doll houses, which I of course enjoyed.

From the Rijksmuseum we made our way down the block to the Van Gogh Museum. Again, so glad to have our museum cards that let us skip the line. The Van Gogh museum is the most visited museum in the Netherlands, and houses 200 painting, 400 drawings, and 700 letters all by Van Gogh. The museum is a narrative of his life, taking the visitor chronologically through his life and work. On the bottom floor were other artists who had influenced him, and at the top were artists who had been influenced by him. We saw the famous Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, Yellow House, Self-Portrait, and the Bedroom, just to name a few. One part of the exhibit showed how Van Gogh used his canvases over and over again, with methods of revealing what had originally been painted underneath. I thought that was very cool.

We met up with Becky as we left the museum, and spent a few minutes visiting the main square of the museumplein, which houses the much-photographed “i am-sterdam” sculpture. From there we walked to De Pijp and through the Albert Cuypmarkt, which is sort of like a combination of the Machane Yehuda shuk and Kobey’s swap meet. I was very happy to find a giant pickle for just 1€, and had a little pre-lunch snack. Becky picked a cute little restaurant for lunch, and we were back on our way. Since Jeremy can always eat, we stopped at a toastie stand after lunch so Jeremy could taste this Dutch specialty (think grilled cheese but without the butter on the bread). From the market we walked along the canal to Leidseplein, one of the main Amsterdam shopping streets. From there we walked up through Kalverstraat and stopped at a famous French fry stand to try the fries. They were, indeed, delicious, topped with a unique, tangy sauce. From there we walked along Spui to Begijnhof, one of the oldest inner courtyards in Amsterdam, housing the English Reform Church. One of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam (dates back to the 1300s), the pilgrims who eventually made their way to the New World came from this community.

Our next stop was the Amsterdam Museum, which was a really interesting mix of various items relating to the history of Amsterdam from the middle ages to the present. The museum is very modern and uses technology in a really interesting and effective way. When we entered the museum we were each given audio guides, and when we got to each video we just touched them to a little metal plate and they started playing in the right language. Very cool. From the museum we made our way to Dam Square, built on the dam that stops the flow of the Amstel river (Amstel-dam → Amsterdam, get it?). In the plaza are the New Church and the Palace, although we did not go inside either. Our next stop was a walk through the infamous red light district, then we made our way to the Oude Kerk (Old Church). After being in London and Paris I was definitely expecting a much more grand and ornate interior, but the building was still beautiful. It was interesting to see how the entire floor of the church was gravestones. After a brief stop at the national monument (a WWII monument in Dam Square), we jumped on the tram and headed back to Becky and Eric’s apartment.

Once Eric got home from work we made our way to dinner at a really great Indonesian restaurant. Becky and I both had the vegetarian rice table, and each and every dish it included was delicious. Eric and Jeremy both had rice tables that included meat, and the empty dishes left on the table makes me think theirs were delicious as well. There really is no such thing as “Dutch” food, but Indonesian is the closest thing to a national food they have.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 6

2012-04-29T07:08:00.000+03:00

Day 6 – Monday, April 9 – Paris, travel to Amsterdam

Monday morning arrived, and we packed up our things to head to Amsterdam. Since our flight wasn’t until the afternoon, we took our bags with us and took the metro to Luxemburg Gardens. The gardens were a beautiful combination of trees, flowers, lakes, and statues, and were a fitting background to the beautiful palace. We spent a few hours strolling in the gardens, bought some beautiful canvas paintings, and then parked ourselves in a little café to have brunch. Jeremy chose the French onion soup (which it turns out is just called “soup” in France) and I had an omelet. After our brunch we jumped on the RER, which is a metro train designed to get between larger distances and is better appointed accordingly, towards Orly airport. Clearly, tourists use this line to get between the city and the airport, as announcements for the airport shuttle connection were made in French, English, and Spanish.

The Paris-Orly airport is really interesting. It has a small airport feel, but based on the kinds of planes and destinations it serves, there is clearly a high volume of traffic to a variety of markets. The airport setup is very interesting, where check-in, boarding, and arrivals all happen in one area. The nice thing is that they offer 15 minutes of free wifi, after which you have to pay.

Some additional thoughts on Paris:

There are different colored signs everywhere for walkers, bikers, and drivers. We found these to be particularly helpful in navigating the streets!

Although many say that Paris is a really dirty city, and parts of it are, there are trash bags every 10 yards on nearly every street.

It was fascinating to see which museums contained only French signs, and which had other languages. The Louvre and Orsay had only French, but other museums also had English and sometimes other languages. It was also fascinating that in Paris, many of the big museums don’t try to tell a narrative. In Israel, and so many other places, the museum will try to tell a story. In Paris, the museum’s purpose is to display art. Nothing more, nothing less. Yes, there is organization to how the art is displayed, but it is usually chronological or geographic in nature. It was really refreshing to let the art do the narration.

In the Paris metro, a down arrow means straight ahead, and not necessarily downwards.

Restaurants are much more laid back with slower service due to fewer wait staff.

Paris is incredibly picturesque. Here are our photos:

The British Airways Golden Dove. I mean, that's awesome.

Flight #1:
British Airways #335, Paris-Orly (Mon. Apr. 9, 3:45 PM) - London-Heathrow (4:00 PM)
G-EUOH, Airbus 319, Golden Dove
Seat: Window/middle
ORY: Depart 30 min late at 4:15 PM
LHR: Arrive 39 min late at 4:39 PM
Duration: 1:24

For the Olympics, British Airways is painting a select few planes as golden doves. How lucky were we that the plane that came up to the gate was, in fact, the one and only plane with this paint job in service! Jeremy nerded out a bit in his excitement. Unfortunately, though, the plane is about 10 years old and the interior was not updated like the exterior. After we boarded, the cabin crew made their pre-flight announcements, including consistently referring to this as an “British Airways operated flight.” I mean, duh?

Once airborne, we had a full beverage service with a snack. Not bad considering we were in the air for 55 minutes (although maybe I’m just used to American standards). We had been delayed because of our inbound plane and although it seemed as if the pilot was able to make up some time in the air, we got stuck in a holding pattern above Heathrow and ended up landing even later.

After a quick dinner at Wagamama in Heathrow airport, we boarded our connecting flight to Amsterdam.

Flight #2:
British Airways #442, London-Heathrow (Mon. Apr. 9, 5:55 PM) - Amsterdam (8:10 PM)
G-EUUE, Airbus 320
Seat: Window/middle
LHR: Depart 26 min late at 6:21
AMS: Arrive 17 min late at 8:27
Duration: 1:06

Again, another delayed flight, but this time, it seemed to work in our favor, since we were delayed on the inbound as well. As we boarded, the purser took a look at our boarding cards and pleasantly greeted each of us on board by name. It was such a lovely touch. Not 10 seconds after we took off, we were in the clouds. Again, we were treated to a beverage and snack service. And again, although the pilot was able to make up some time in the air, we taxied for 20 minutes once we landed in Amsterdam. Apparently, though, that’s very normal.

We quickly went through customs, and Becky and Eric were there waiting for us in the airport. The four of us jumped on the metro, and in 6 minutes were at their stop. The trams and metros in Amsterdam really are designed for locals, and we were lucky that Becky and Eric thought ahead and got us cards pre-loaded with euros. We came out of the station, walked about 10 minutes, and were at Becky and Eric’s beautiful apartment. After a long day of travel we were all tired, so we went to bed to rest up for our first day of touring Amsterdam.

Beit Eden & Kibbutz Gezer

2012-04-28T09:11:00.000+03:00

Every year, students at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem take on a t'rumah (offering/gift/contribution) project in the local community. I have been lucky enough to work with one of my classmates, Rachel, at Beit Eden and Kibbutz Gezer this year for my t'rumah project.

Our once-a-month weekends start on Friday when I pick up a rental car and drive out to Ramle, a city in between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv with a rich history including a history of shared-existence between Jews, and Muslim and Christian Arabs. We meet up with Rachel and her boyfriend Geoff at an incredible, family owned and third-generation operated hummus restaurant called, "Samir's," with THE BEST hummus in the world. (I can say that now that we've tried hummus everywhere in Israel) Walking into Samir's at this point is like walking into a dining room in my own home. We set our own table, we serve ourselves drinks, Jalil (Samir's son) just brings out what we want, without even asking. It really is a family business, and we have become family much more than just customers.

After our delicious lunch, we head over to Beit Eden, a live-in facility for children with severe disabilities (I acknowledge that I'm sure I'm not using the correct term). Rachel and I join Uri (who was Becky's teacher when she spent a semester here!) and Yuval, two volunteers who come into Beit Eden every week, and help lead Shabbat with the kids. As we and the kids have become more comfortable with each other, Rachel and I started playing games with the kids, such as "hamelech amar" (Israeli version of "Simon Says"), and "I Spy." Of course, the kids know almost zero English, but they are extremely helpful and patient with us as we struggle to communicate with them.

The kids honestly love having guests and light up any time someone new comes into the room. Indeed, the first time we came to Beit Eden, I wasn't sure we would be able to start our program because we were bombarded with hugs. It was moments like those that make Beit Eden such a remarkable and memorable place.

Here's a video of part of a normal visit.

After some singing and dancing, we say goodbye and make our way to Kibbutz Gezer. We usually spend the afternoon relaxing, noshing, chatting, and drinking Starbucks coffee (a REAL treat!) with Rabbi Miri and her husband, David, two of the sweetest, most welcoming people we have ever had the fortune of meeting. We help them prepare for Shabbat, again, as if we are family (last time, I even mopped the floors).

Around 6 PM, we walk over to the Kibbutz's synagogue - a small room that can squeeze around 50 people. Rachel and I lead the music for the Shabbat service. The community sits along three walls, but what makes this community really unique and special is that they don't let the music leader sit or stand at the front. We sit near the front, but we face one of the three sides. While that has presented a challenge in terms of how to adapt our song leading style, from the community's perspective, it means that the community leads itself in song, instead of being sung to. It is a beautiful environment that allows the leader to lead and participate at the same time, since there is a constant feeling of being supported by the community.

After services, we return to David & Miri's where an abundant Shabbos spread is always waiting for us. David's father, who lives next-door, leads kiddush, the blessing over wine, and we all join together in eating the wonderful festive meal. After eating ourselves silly with the filling appetizers (including another serving of Samir's hummus), then their's the main course, followed by David's homemade-from-scratch ice cream. Words can't describe how amazing this ice cream tastes. He uses high-quality ingredients, and you can taste the difference. As he says, "my ice cream would be too expensive to sell in stores." It's true. And it would also sell out in 5 minutes. We usually chat until the late hours of the night, at which point we usually stay over and hang out with the family until Saturday evening when we drive back to Jerusalem.

It's weird to think that yesterday was the last Friday doing these activities this year. I, no doubt, will be back to Kibbutz Gezer and, hopefully, Beit Eden, but it will never be the same as this year. David and Miri have been our home-away-from-home once a month. We have been able to have incredible conversations about Israel and I have learned so much from them, most memorably, David was the one who taught me about "regel achat - one leg/idea" which I taught in my d'var Torah and had inscribed on my Hadaya ring. Being with David and Miri, Kibbutz Gezer, and Beit Eden has been a real highlight of this year and provided us with an experience that we will never forget.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 5

2012-04-27T12:10:00.000+03:00

Day 5 – Sunday, April 8 – Paris

On Sunday morning Jeremy and I woke up early and took the metro into the center of the city. Unfortunately when we got to the station where we needed to change to another line, we found that the line wasn’t operating. So, we ascended to the street and made our way over to the Louvre. Luckily for us, Jeremy and I had two-day Paris museum cards, meaning we didn’t have to wait in line to get inside. The Louvre is beautiful in a completely different way than the Musee d’Orsay. We started our visit by walking toward the Mona Lisa. Not so much to see the painting, but to see the craziness of all the people trying to see the painting. As everyone says, the Mona Lisa is much smaller than one might expect, and seems even smaller with so many people crowding to take pictures of it. From there we walked through two of the three wings of the museum, seeing many masterpieces and famous works along our way.

At 12:30 we met up with Becky and Eric in the lobby, and after a stop for lunch we made our way to the Marais district. Like in Montemartre, Becky had prepared a walking tour of the area, which was a great way to walk around and see the sights. We started at the Hotel de Ville, and made our way to the Place Saint Gervais, one of the oldest churches on the Right Bank (built in 1494). From there we walked on the Rue Francois Miron and made our way to the remnants of a medieval Paris fortress. It was neat to be able to see the remnants built into the more modern buildings. Our next stop was the Village St-Paul, a cute network of courtyards with small art galleries and shops. Unfortunately since it was both Sunday and Easter, basically everything was closed. We made our way through the streets to visit the Jewish part of the Marais. We saw lots of cute little shops and restaurants and bakeries, most of which were kosher, and thus closed for Pesach, although a lot of falafel shops stayed open and had surprisingly long lines. We also visited the Shoah memorial to the French Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

From the Marais we crossed the Seine to the Latin Quarter and stopped for a snack in a local shop. I was very happy to find salted caramel ice cream on the menu, which I had been dying to try. It was absolutely as delicious as everyone has been saying. From there we parted ways with Becky and Eric and made our way past the Sorbonne up to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is massive, with a crypt underneath at least as large as the building itself. The paintings and art in the domes was as impressive as any other church we had visited. Built by Louis XV, the crypt houses many of France’s greats, including Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, and Marie and Pierre Curie. It was really special to be able to stand at the grave of such a leading scientist. From the Pantheon we visited the neighboring church, dedicated to Saint Genevieve.

Jeremy and I had some time to kill before our nighttime boat cruise, so we walked back across to the other side of the river to search out somewhere for dinner. On our way, we happened to walk right past Notre Dame and noticed one strange thing – there was absolutely no line of people. So, we did what any good Jew would do on Easter: we walked right in and attended Easter mass. Since we walked into the visitors’ line, we were able to walk all the way around the cathedral while mass was going on, with great views both of the worship and the architecture and stained glass. Since last year we were in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Easter and this year we were in Notre Dame, we figured next year we’d better head to the Vatican.

After mass we found a lovely little restaurant (which had a great quinoa and vegetable dish with a poached egg for me) to have dinner, then walked along the Seine to pick up our night-time boat cruise. Even though it was raining, we really enjoyed getting to see the city all lit up at night. The buildings are just as beautiful as they are during the day. It was also fun to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, which it does once an hour. I believe I narrowed the 300 or so pictures we had of the tower at night down to my favorite 5.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 4

2012-04-26T12:00:00.000+03:00

Day 4 – Saturday, April 7 – Paris

On Saturday Becky and Eric went to Versailles, and Jeremy and I attempted a somewhat ambitious walking tour of Paris. We got on the metro near our apartment, and were greeted by two musicians playing music on the metro. The metro in Paris is very different than the Tube in London. In London, people don’t talk on board the train. It’s incredibly quiet and a lovely respite from the outside world. Also, the seats are REALLY comfortable! In Paris, the metro is louder, with many more stops (although, it is pretty cool that in Paris you are never more than 500 meters from a metro station), a much louder beep as the doors close, and less comfortable seats. One cool part about the Paris metro, though, is how the announce stations. As the train approaches a station, you hear the name said with an upward tone, as if asking a question. When the train arrives at the station, the name is said again, but with more definition, as if to say, “Here we are.”

When we emerged from underground, we finally felt like we were in Paris. Wide streets perfectly lined with trees, old white buildings, and the feeling I thought I would have when being in Paris for the first time.

We started our tour at the Arc de Triomphe. After walking around the base and after visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI and taking the requisite pictures we climbed the 284 stairs to the top. The 360 degree view from the top was absolutely breathtaking – the perfect way to start our first full day in Paris. Each of the street leading out from Place Charles deGaulle was different and led to a different part of the city. Looking one way we could see modern downtown, another led to the Eiffel Tower, and a third down the Champs Elysees.

From the Arc we crossed back under the street and strolled down the Champs Elysees. We stopped for some breakfast and coffee at a local café, and continued our way down the tree-lined street. We passed the Grand Palace and the Petit Palace, and made our way to the Place del la Concorde. There, we took in the sights of the Obelisque and strolled through the Jardin des Tuileries up to the Louvre. Since the Louvre was on our itinerary for Sunday, we turned to the right and continued our walk up the Seine. We crossed the bridge to Il de la Cite, and walked around the back-side of the island to the Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation (Deportation Memorial), a memorial to the 200,000 people deported from France to the Nazi concentration camps during WWII. The memorial was closed when we got there, so we only got to see the part that was visible from the gate.

From the memorial, we crossed the park and made our way to Notre Dame. As much as I wanted to go inside, the line was a few hours long, so we went to grab some lunch then stood in the plaza listening to the Rick Steves audio tour explaining the beautiful façade. From there, we did a small walking tour of the island and made our way to Sainte-Chapelle. The line was about half an hour long, and having now been inside, I would have waiting 10 times as long. Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) is in the courtyard of the royal palace, and was built by Louis IX to house the Crown of Thorns and other relics of Jesus Christ. Indeed, Louis IX was so proud of these relics, he paid three times as much for the relics themselves than the building to house them. Standing inside the chapel felt like standing inside a jewel box. The walls all the way around the room are floor-to-ceiling stained glass in the most brilliant colors. No words or even photographs can do this building justice.

From there we crossed to the left side of the river and walked along the Seine until we came to the Musee d’Orsay. The museum is magnificent. Built in a old train station, it houses late 19^th to early 20^th century French art, including a huge collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. It was somewhat surreal to see such a large collection of original Monets and Degas all in one place. My favorite part of the museum was getting to see Degas’s statue of the ballerina. The incredible beauty of this work brought tears to my eyes. The other feature of the museum worth mentioning is the gigantic clock on the outside of the building, which can be seen backwards from the inside of the building. Very cool.

From the museum we continued our walk along the Seine, past the Musee de l’Armee with its beautiful gold dome, to the Rodin Museum. I have always had a love of Rodin sculpture, and the museum did not disappoint. We arrived just half an hour before the museum closed, so we didn’t get to see all of the gardens, but did get to see The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and The Kiss. From the gardens we went into the house which is filled with smaller sculptures, paintings, and paintings from other artists of Rodin’s work. As we were walking through the museum we bumped into Becky and Eric, who came to the museum after their day in Versailles.

From the museum, the four of us walked together (with a slight detour for a crepe) to the Eiffel Tower. What a great way to end our first full day in Paris! The tower is just as beautiful and magnificent as it seems in pictures. We were pleasantly surprised by the lack of venders and people trying to sell us things, and also pleased that we were not standing in the crazy line to try to climb the tower. We only have one or two pictures of the tower to share.

From the Eiffel Tower we took the metro back up toward our apartment and had a great dinner at Margarete. They begrudgingly made me a plate of vegetables, and Jeremy had the steak tartar. Needless to say we were all pretty tired from our long day of walking and touring (we walked about 8 miles), and were more than happy to take our shoes off and get to sleep.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 3

2012-04-25T12:00:00.000+03:00

Day 3 – Friday, April 6 – Paris

On Friday morning Jeremy and I got up at the crack of dawn (actually, before dawn), and packed up our things to head back to the Tube. Leah was kind enough to drop us off at the Tube station near her house, and in no time we were at St. Pancras to catch our 7am train to Paris. The ride to Paris was fairly quick, and the majority of it was underground. We noticed that on the England side the announcements were first in English and then in French, and once we crossed to France they were first in French. Most of our journey after we exited the Chunnel was above ground, so it was nice to be able to see a little of the French countryside.

Two and a half hours later (plus a one-hour time change), we arrived at Guar de Nord, Paris’ main train station. Jeremy and I successfully found the information desk, and were able to purchase our two-day museum passes, which we would take full advantage of in our travels on Saturday and Sunday. From the train station we walked a short way to the apartment that Becky had found for us to rent in the Montmartre district. We arrived at our building, walked up the 70 or so stairs, and got settled in which we waited for Becky and Eric to arrive from the airport. Once they arrived we headed out to get some lunch (I had a crepe to get my fill before pesach started), then walked up to Sacre Coeur.

Since in addition to being erev Pesach it was also Good Friday, we were able to be at Sacre Coeur for the reenactment of the Stations of the Cross. It was so interesting to hear the whole crowd of people singing and see them kneeling as the priest carried the cross. From there, Becky led us on a great walking tour of the Montmartre area. We started up on top of the hill, and meandered through the neighborhood, which once was full of artists, writers, and musicians. We passed by the Montmartre vineyard, the Au Lapin Agile (an 1860s cabaret known for its rabbit stew), and the Moulin de la Galette (a 17th century windmill that is now part of a restaurant). From there we meandered along the streets and stopped in a bakery to get a baguette (again, mostly for me before pesach started). We continued our tour at the famous Moulin Rouge, where Jeremy and Becky danced for the video camera. Walking along the Boulevard de Clichy we passed many houses where famous artists had lived and worked, and made our way to the Place Pigalle. At the shuk-like market we got vegetables and a chicken to make for dinner, then went back to the apartment to drop off all the things we had bought.

On our way back out to do a little more touring we stopped at a neighborhood patisserie where I got an apricot pastry – very delicious. The four of us walked back up the Sacre Coeur, this time from the bottom of the hill so we could see the views on the way up. Since the Good Friday festivities were over we were able to visit the inside of the cathedral, which was beautiful, yet we were taken a bit by the amount of gift-shop elements in seemingly sacred areas. From there we stopped at a local grocery store and picked up a few more things we needed for dinner, and went back to the apartment to start preparing for seder. We prepared delicious roasted vegetables and a salad to go with the rotisserie chicken we had gotten in the market, and I made an artichoke with a mustard-honey dipping sauce. We boiled some eggs, put together a seder plate, and sat down for our own little seder. Jeremy had put together a haggadah for us before leaving Israel, and led a nice seder.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 2

2012-04-24T12:00:00.000+03:00

Day 2 – Thursday, April 5 – London

We started off our morning with a Tube ride toward the center of the city, and ended up right in Trafalgar Square. After some time looking at the statues and the countdown clock for the Olympics, we did a little walking past White Hall, stopped for some coffee, and crossed the Themes on the Jubilee Bridge to the other side of the river. There were some great views along the way, even though the skies were overcast and threatening to rain.

The night before we had pre-bought our tickets for the London Eye, so we got in a short line, picked up our tickets, then got in a longer line to wait to get on the Eye. Luckily for us the line moved pretty quickly, and within about half an hour we were in our pod and on our way. The London Eye is basically a giant Ferris wheel that takes about 30 minutes to make one revolution. We really enjoyed the views of the city, and of course getting to take some great pictures.

After our revolution we walked down the pier for lunch at Giraffe, then walked back over the river to the National Portrait Gallery. Now, portraits aren’t usually my favorite kind of art, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the museum. The displays are organized chronologically, and it was interesting to look at how painting style and the way in which people were depicted changed throughout the years. We spent almost two hours in the Portrait Gallery, and then got back on the Tube to head to Piccadilly Circus.

We walked through the square and made our way to Hyde Park and Speakers Corner. The park was fairly empty of people, and the majority of the flowers and trees were just about to bloom. You could tell that in about three weeks, everything would be green and beautiful. We walked from one corner of the park to another, and ended up in Speaker’s Corner. My memory from the last time we were in London was of tons of people and lots of noise, but today there was nobody there – somewhat disappointing.

From the park we took a bus over to John Lewis (a department store that seems to be the love-child of Macy’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Nordstrom). Jeremy and I found some really cool espresso cups with the old Tube map on them. From there we walked to a delicious Thai restaurant for dinner, and met up with my friend Gavin, who happened to be in London to spend Pesach with his family.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 1

2012-04-23T12:00:00.000+03:00

Day 1 – Wednesday, April 4 - London

(This and future days written by Sarah with additions from Jeremy)

Tuesday afternoon I finished up with my meeting, had a lovely lunch with Lizzi, and headed to Chicago’s O’Hare to catch my flight to London. Luckily for me it was a fairly empty flight, and I was able to get a seat in the middle of the plane with nobody else in my row. So as soon as the plane took off I made a bed out of the three seats, and slept all the way to London. I arrived about 20 minutes early, breezed through passport control, and parked myself in Costa Coffee – the planned meeting place with Jeremy and Leah. Jeremy was supposed to come in the night before from Tel Aviv, but didn’t get in until a few hours before I did. Leah is a champ, and not only met Jeremy at the train station at 4am, but came to pick me up at Heathrow just a few hours later.

On the drive from the airport, Leah told us a lot about British culture that were just fascinating:

They drive on the wrong side of the road. That took some getting used to.

A bridge that goes over something other than water is called a “flyover.”

Zigzag lines in the road mean you are approaching a pedestrian crossing.

BBC radio has a shipping weather forecast. It’s so interesting that this information is still part of the broadcast!

Throughout London, we kept seeing cars with signs saying, “Private Hire Cars.” Apparently, these are privately owned cars that operate similar to taxis, except that they must be reserved (no random pick-ups), and they are normal cars. No special equipment inside, no funky paint job outside. Just a Londoner trying to make a few extra bucks driving people around. Very cool.

We parked Leah’s car not far from her house, and took the Tube into the center of town. Our first stop was Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. We found ourselves a spot on the very crowded street and waited for the parade of guards to begin. The truth is we couldn’t see much from where we were, but did get to see the band marching and the guards on horses entering the palace gates. Once the new guards were inside the gates, the three of us crossed the street to try to get a better look. We were able to see through the fence and listen to the band play. Funny enough, they started out by playing “We Are the Champions.” Maybe it was a Queen thing? They went on to play the patriotic Michael Jackson song, “You Are Not Alone” and a jazz-samba rendition of “Unforgettable.”

From Buckingham Palace we walked along St. James Park, past the horse guards and the institute of civil engineers (which was very exciting since Leah is, herself, a civil engineer), and stopped to grab a quick lunch at the supermarket. After eating our lunch overlooking parliament and Big Ben, we walked to take a closer look at the buildings. From there we crossed the street and visited Westminster Abbey (not the inside, the line was way too long), and stopped in St. Margaret’s Church right next door. We passed the sundial in the ground (which does indeed tell the right time, although it didn’t account for daylight savings) and came upon the new Supreme Court building. It turns out that the courts are open to the public, so we stopped in and got to tour the different courtrooms. Surprisingly, there was a very modern interior in a very old and beautiful building. Also, because they didn’t have anything else to do with court out of session, the security guards were also serving as tour guides in the various rooms. The stop was an unexpected pleasure in our day’s itinerary. From the Supreme Court we walked past a small garden of statues, including Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill.

Our next stop was the Churchill War Rooms, which came highly recommended by David Israel; they did not disappoint. The war rooms are an underground museum encompassing the Cabinet War Rooms from World War II and the Churchill Museum. It was really interesting to be able to see the rooms recreated as they were during the war years. The museum was really well set up, and I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the life of Churchill. It seems that we picked a perfect time to be underground, since the only rain all day was while we were in the museum.

From the museum we took the bus to St. Paul’s Cathedral. On our way, we stopped for a spot of tea at Bea’s and enjoyed delicious high tea and pastries. Jeremy picked a peanut butter and jelly bar and I picked a meringue approximately the size of my head. After our tea we took the elevator up to the top of the shopping center where the bakery was housed, and had the most magnificent view of the cathedral and the whole city. St. Paul’s is an absolutely beautiful cathedral. With very high ceilings, a domed roof, and beautiful stained glass it is definitely one of the most beautiful places of worship in the world. One of the more fascinating parts of the church was that religious imagery was at a minimum. Instead, monuments and sculptures and other pieces of art were in honor of military and political figures from Britain’s past. From the cathedral, we walked down to the Tower of London, which we unfortunately couldn’t visit because it was closed. We spent some time along the bank of the Themes overlooking the Tower Bridge, and then took a bus back toward the center of town to visit the construction site where Leah is currently working.

From there we found a cute pub to watch the football (read: soccer) game and relax with food and drinks (I had a pear cider, Jeremy had a strawberry-lime cider). The pub even had vegetarian bangers and mash, which made me very happy. (Note: It turns out that “mash” refers to peas.) Jeremy had fish and chips, which made him very happy. Since we had all been up since the wee hours of the morning, we headed back to Leah’s apartment to rest up for our second day of touring.

Pesach Travel Adventures - Day 0

2012-04-22T17:35:00.000+03:00

Day 0 – Tuesday, April 3 – Travel to London

(Written by Jeremy)

I ordered a sheirut for 5:00 PM. Of course, it was late. In fact, it never showed. Instead, I had the luck of having another sheirut pull up on Washington Street at 5:30. He had one more person to drop off and then we would be on our way. No problem.

To say that this driver was a champ is an understatement. To say he is a true Israeli is probably more accurate. At one point, he called his friend and ordered what I could only guess was an elaborate falafel sandwich. At another, he was able to negotiate calls on his two cell phones (one business and one personal), as well as the company radio. Oh, and he was driving too. Yet, with all of the chaos that was going on, especially driving the crazy streets of Jerusalem, he was still able to keep his cool, greeting each caller with a friendly, "Hah-lo."

He even joked with one of the passengers. She walked on with just a purse. (I'll translate)

"You don't have a suitcase?"

"Nope!"

"Well, you know you have to pay more."

She walks on and sees the sign saying that Sheirut prices have, indeed, gone up.

"It's 61.90 now?!" She asks.

"62."

"Then yes, I DO have a suitcase!"

It may have been funnier in the moment.

It's 6:05 now and we have only picked up half the car's worth. There's no way I'll be at the airport at the time I was hoping. But it's okay. Turns out that there's an air traffic controller's strike in France. Because of that, almost all flights in western Europe are delayed, including the inbound plane for my flight. Right now, I'm expected to be two hours late getting into London. My best educated guess: I'll land at approximately 1:45 AM.

Miracle of miracles, we are leaving to the airport! Usually a sheirut takes 10 people. We have 6. First time a half-full sheirut has gone to the airport! See, we can still have "firsts" in Israel.

Once I walked in the door to the ticketing hall of the airport, I was pulled aside for some questioning. I must look funny. This stuff always happens to me. When my bag went through the x-ray for normal passenger screening (still, pre-boarding pass), they said, "so, you're studying to be a Rabbi. Where's your kippah?" I think I might just wear one other every time I fly through Ben Gurion, just so I don't have to deal with this question.

After a quick jaunt through check-in, we were whisked away on busses to Terminal 3 (easyJet check in Terminal 1, but I guess they fly out of 3). This was my favorite part. Not just because we drove on the tarmac, which meant awesome plane spotting (the closest thing I get to playing real sports), but because there were a bunch of kids on the bus. There were British kids and there were Haredi kids. But they had this in common: they were all stoked to see planes this close. When people ask me why I love planes, it's because I never grew out of that phase. They're big, they somehow take you where you want to go in relative comfort, and they're just awesome. Seeing the expressions of joy and amazement really put a smile on my face.

After a quick bite at the new Aroma (closest Israeli equivalent to Starbucks), I settled in on the floor near a power outlet. 2 hours before the inbound plane even lands.

easyJet #200. You don't have to be a plane nerd to think
that's cool...right?!

Flight #1

easyJet #2086, Tel Aviv (Tues. Apr. 3, 8:20 PM) - London-Luton (11:45 PM)

G-EZUI, Airbus 320, Special all orange plane

Seat: Window

TLV: Depart 2:59 late at 11:19 PM

LTN: Arrive 2:44 late at 2:29 AM

Duration: 5:10

Despite the delay, I was really pleasantly surprised to find easyJet #200 as our plane for this journey. This was my first time flying easyJet, so I was really excited to give the airline a try. The way easyJet boarding works is this: EasyJet has open seating, like Southwest, but unlike Southwest, there is no order, other than those that spring for the $29 "speedy boarding" pass. The nice thing is that they next let families with children under 5 board. That's a nice touch, and especially because coming from Israel, there were a LOT of families with small children.

Side note: When a British coupled behind me in line referred to the "queue," I knew I was not going to be in Kansas anymore.

When we boarded, the captain came on, apologized for the delay, blamed it on the French (while it was the French air traffic controller's fault, I just found it amusing that the Brit blamed the French for something), and then told us that our crew would be working overtime in order to make this flight happen. One of the ways that easyJet saves its customers money is that a flight crew will often fly to the destination and then immediately return, thus saving the money of putting the crew up in a hotel, etc. However, because of the delay, the crew should have technically been given rest time. Instead of making us wait until the next day, the crew called into easyJet headquarters and received permission to break the rules and fly us to London that evening. We gave them a round of applause. It was very nice of them, but you could also sense that the flight attendants were extremely exhausted from their long day.

The flight itself was fine, and in true easyJet style (or so I'm told), nothing except the lavatories were free. Want some water? 2€. Want some food? Costs you money. Everything cost something. The one amusing part of this flight was that because it was a flight to Israel, they only had Kosher hot meal options for purchase. What was the stereotypical meal? A bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and cucumbers. Yup.

I tried to get some sleep on the plane, since we took off at 11:19 at night, and I knew that I had a fairly long journey ahead of myself once we landed at Luton. Sure enough, a long journey is exactly what I had. Oh, and did I mention that on easyJet, the seats don’t recline? At all? Great for getting some sleep.

When we landed in Luton at 2:29 AM, we deplaned right onto the tarmac. I turned to my seatmate and said, "Oh, we're right on the tarmac." To which he replied, "Yeah…it's easyJet." I guess I should have known!

After a quick and easy pass through customs and baggage claim, I bought tickets for my connecting train and I went out to the curb where a shuttle would take me from the airport to the train station, where I was hoping to catch the 3:30 AM train. Unfortunately, the shuttle was running very infrequently, and it did not even leave the airport until 3:25, meaning I missed the 3:30 train. The next one? 4:09. Giddyup. Once I was finally on the train, a very nice local (who also happened to be on my flight from Tel Aviv) helped me figure out that I was going 6 stops.

When I finally arrived at the platform at Hendon station, Leah, our friend with whom we were staying and was also picking me up, and I shared a huge sigh of relief. The saga was over. By the time I got in bed, it was 5 AM. Just enough time to get 2.5 hours of sleep before we would get up to pick up Sarah from Heathrow.

Video: Purim in Jerusalem

2012-04-21T19:00:00.000+03:00

Yes, it's a little late, but I wanted to finally post the video of our Purim adventures in Jerusalem. We had a great time going to a public reading of the Megilah by women (a big deal in Jerusalem), a family Purim celebration in the local mall, and my class's Purim party.
Enjoy!

Titchadesh! - My New Tallit

2012-04-20T17:41:00.004+03:00

Note: This is another installment in the "Titchadesh!" series. For more background on its name, read the previous post here.

My New Tallit
My friend tells a joke about guitar players. "How many guitars does a guitarist need? Just one...more." I've found that when it comes to clergy, the joke is easily adapted: "How many tallitot does a rabbi/cantor need? Just one...more."

Sarah and I discovered a tallit shop in the Old City that makes beautiful, hand-woven tallitot. When Sarah bought a tallit from there, it was so beautiful that I knew it would just be a matter of time before I got one from there as well. Sure enough, every time one of Sarah's family members visited, they each got a tallit from this shop. The problem for me, though, was that I already had a big, white tallit, similar to their trademark design (for those wondering, it's a white and blue Gabrielli that I purchased when I came on Birthright in 2005).

All of my other tallitot have a white base, and they're beautiful, but I also wanted something that was not as white...maybe something with a darker base color, or...something else. Since I loved the feel and the quality of their pieces so much, it was worth asking if they had something that maybe didn't have such a white base. We went over, asked if it was possible, and he said that he didn't have anything in stock, but he'd create something just for me. Awesome!

I got a call about a month later. "Hi, Mendel (my Hebrew name I had given him to embroider on the tallit bag)?" "I'm sorry?" "Mendel?" "I'm sorry, who is this?" "This is Yosef from the tallit shop." "Oh hi!" "Sorry, I didn't know your other name...I only know you as, 'Mendel'!" "No problem. What's up?" "Well, your tallit will be ready tomorrow. I made one, but I didn't like it, so I made another, and you can choose which one you like better."

Yosef's an artist. And an incredibly brilliant one at that.

Yesterday, Sarah and I went to the shop and picked up my tallit. It's beautiful, full of color, a little greener (which is one color I didn't have), and when I fold it up on my shoulder, it does not look like a normal, white tallit. Exactly what I wanted. And as for the other tallit he made, he liked it so much, he's keeping it for himself.

Me with my new tallit.

Back of tallit.

Colors of tallit.

Yosef and me. He's wearing the one he kept!

For those interested in more of his work, here's his website: http://www.weavingcreation.com/.

Also, like him on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Weaving-Creation-Tallit-Center-Judaica-art-gallery/102274933182980

Yom Hashoah 2012

2012-04-19T17:34:00.000+03:00

Today is the national (and international) memorial day for those who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis during the Shoah. As a grandchild of survivors, the Shoah has always been not only a part of my people's collective history but also of my family's history. Growing up, I heard countless stories of how my grandmother escaped from the camp, hid with her brother, and survived the war. She was the epitome of a survivor, and I find it fitting that today would have been her birthday - April 19. In Israel, though, the sentiment is exaggerated even further. Nearly everyone has a relative that perished, or fought, or was deeply connected to the Shoah.

Last year, we attended the national Yom Hashoah ceremony at Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust memorial, with featured speeches from President Peres and Prime Minister Netanyahu. For the 10 AM siren, we happened to be at machane yehuda, our local open-air market. Everyone stood still, frozen where they were for the duration of the siren. Cars stopped, drivers and passengers stood on the road, shopkeepers became quiet, and the noisy shuk was silent for one whole minute in memory of the six million.

This year, we had to find a way to be a part of the broader Israeli community while engaging with our every-day lives. Last night, we watched part of the Yom Hashoah ceremony on a live stream, but after a few minutes, Jeremy had to get on a call to the States.

Jeremy's story:

Fortunately, I go to Rabbinical school, so making the day meaningful meant showing up and participating in our programs. We started the morning with our normal Thursday services, but our wonderful service leaders, Jessie and Vlad, placed pictures and bios on every-other seat in the sanctuary of someone who perished in the Shoah. Jessie asked us to keep their memories with us today as we davened. Throughout the service, there were references to the Shoah. The most poignant for me was when we said Kaddish. This version of Kaddish Yatom, often translated as the "mourner's prayer," was adapted by Elie Weisel. He placed the names of death camps and ghettos in the midst of the words. For the last few years, this adaptation has always been emotional for me as we read it. Not necessarily because of a personal connection to those places, but because of how it profoundly affected one service leader I saw a few years ago. The way that reading the names of these camps with Kaddish completely crippled this strong man brought the impact of the Shoah to the forefront of my emotions.

After our service, we went outside on the street and watched as cars stopped, foot traffic stopped, construction stopped (eventually), and life in general just stopped for one minute as the siren blared throughout the country. I could say more, but I think the video below says it all.

Sarah's story:

Since Yom Hashoah is not a national holiday like Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'Atzmaut next week, today I was in the lab like any other Thursday. Instead of observing the siren alone, a few minutes before 10am I walked to the forum, the main gathering place on campus. The siren went off, and the hundreds of students and professors roaming this open gathering place froze. Some were sitting at tables, some were mid-stride, and some were mid-conversation. The scene reminded me "Out of this World," a television show we used to watch as kids where the main character had the ability to freeze time.

Looking around at all the people solemnly standing, there was a notable difference that I had not experienced last year. During the minute of the siren, Israeli Arabs just go on with their normal life. Amid the sea of statue-like students, there were a dozen or so people walking around, moving from class to class, and carrying on conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on around them. I don't know that I expected anything different, but somehow I was shocked to see this happening.

On this Yom HaShoah, may we remember all those family members who we never got to know and all those who fought to survive so that we could live freely as Jews. Today I remember my great grandparents, Sonia and Moshe Anolik and Anuita (Chana) and Avraham Bekin, and my great-uncle Shmuel Bekin. I also honor the memory of my grandparents Esther and Nissan Ancoli who lived their lives as survivors of the Holocaust, and my great-uncles Benia and Lusik who continue to make sure that the world will never forget what happened. Zichronam L'Vracha, may the memories of the six million be a blessing.

Shabbat Review: Ein Prat Minyan

2012-03-31T18:00:00.000+03:00

Shul: Ein Prat Minyan
Location: A room off of King George Street near the old Cup O' Joe
Date: March 30, 2012

Description: Ein Prat is actually a pluralistic Beit Midrash (house of study) where post-army individuals learn "canonical Jewish and Western texts with one another, drawing inspiration from them for Israel's future." In other words, instead of just learning what the Sages wrote, they're learning what the Sages were learning at the time (e.g., Aristotle, Plato, etc.). It is a beautiful model of learning for this country and its citizens.

The room was set up with a semi-mechitza (divider between men and women) - the front half of the room was divided, but the mechitza did not go all the way to the back, so those that wished to sit with men and women together could still do so. I thought that was a really beautiful way to make everyone feel comfortable. When the service started, it was totally informal and there were maybe 15 other people in the room. We only knew that we had started because we saw some people start praying Minchah, the afternoon service, individually.

A few minutes later, we all joined together with Kabbalat Shabbat, the welcoming of Shabbat. This part of the service is always my favorite on a Friday night, because it is almost exclusively music throughout. We sang and danced, and more and more people wandered in. By the time we arrived at L'cha Dodi, the welcoming of the Sabbath Bride, the room was packed with nearly 100 people. The music was decent, and mostly lively, but the tempos lagged and whoever was choosing keys was not doing a great job, as most were very low, even for women's voices.

After Kabbalat Shabbat, a community member gave a teaching. Although I didn't understand much of what she said, I know she referenced Rabbi Sacks, a prominent Orthodox Rabbi, and some more secular texts as well. Really cool. Then, we moved into Ma'ariv, the evening service, which was more of a "moving right along" style, which anyone who has met me knows that I dislike. But I found solace in my new siddur that has an interlinear translation of the text, meaning I can focus on the words more intently if the setting doesn't connect me to my spirituality.

Something Special: We did Kiddush at the end of the service, but my siddur has it before Aleinu, and something caught my eye: "The [person who has just said the prayer for Kiddush] should not drink the Kiddush wine, but should give some to a child who has listened to the Kiddush and responded, 'Amen.'" I had never seen this before, so I looked it up in another Orthodox siddur. Sure enough, it's there too (with the addition that if no children are present, the leader may drink the wine)! I really like that tradition. I think it teaches us that even if someone does not know the blessings, just responding "amen" suffices. Indeed, it is just as meaningful and should be recognized before the one who has actually said the blessing. Applying it to synagogue life, the community is more important than the Rabbi. So true.

Take-home Value: Good ruach, a wonderful compromise with the presence of a mechitza, could have been a little quicker and higher in key, but a wonderful way to bring in lots of Israelis from different backgrounds in a comfortable environment.

Would I Go Again: Probably. If I had a free Shabbat!

Visiting Yad Kennedy & the 9/11 Living Memorial

2012-03-18T18:01:00.000+02:00

Jeremy was very excited to park like an Israeli.

A few weeks ago, Sarah and I had the good fortune to have a free Saturday afternoon. Even better, we had the even better fortune of having a car! As the end of the year gets closer, we have created a "bucket list" of sites and restaurants that we want to visit before we leave Israel. Since we had such luck of time and a car, we decided to go and visit two sites that were on our list: Yad Kennedy and the 9/11 Living Memorial.

Yad Kennedy

Yad Kennedy is a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The monument was built 3 years after JFK's death, almost exclusively by American money through the Jewish National Fund (JNF). The memorial is shaped like a chopped-off tree trunk, offering beautiful symbolism for how JFK's life was cut short. The 51 columns that make up the building each have the emblem of one of the 50 states as well as DC. The columns seamlessly connect to the ground and extend to the edge of the plaza, continuing the tree imagery. Although the inside room was closed, we could look through the windows and see that there is a place for a candle in the middle of the mostly empty room. The memorial was built in connection to a new forest, not unsurprisingly called the "John F. Kennedy Peace Forest."

9/11 Living Memorial

The 9/11 Living memorial, also built by the JNF in connection to a forest, is the only place outside the US that includes every name of the victims killed on 9/11. As you walk down into the plaza, there is a structure in the middle that at its base, includes a piece of iron from one of the fallen towers. From the base sprouts an American flag that waves up into the air and evolves into a skyward flame. Looking at the same structure from the opposite side, the imagery of the American flag is completely lost and the structure looks only like a glowing flame.

Although incredibly beautiful and powerful, there were two things that really struck us as odd. First of all, if you don't know it's there, or where you're going, you'll never find this site. We happened to do our research and were able to see the tiny road signs along the path, but there are a few roads along the way that are unpaved, making it quite the journey. Perhaps that will change in the years to come. Secondly, if you stand at the beginning of the plaza and your eye goes from the ground to the sky, you see the memorial, then the highway, and then a large cemetery. The imagery was striking and confusing, and seemed to contrast the idea of the site being called a "Living Memorial."

Titchadesh! - Our Door Decoration

2012-03-14T16:00:00.000+02:00

Note: This is another installment in the "Titchadesh!" series. For more background on its name, read the previous post here.

Our Front Door Decoration
Many families here in Israel have door decorations that say their family's name. It usually says "Mishpachat Cohen (or whatever the family name is)" or "Beit Cohen," meaning "Cohen Family" or "Cohen House," respectively. Of course, some families get very creative with the presentation of their family name. Sarah's cousins, the Bekins, have the sign on their house that says, in ancient Hebrew script, "Bekin House"

For our front door piece, we wanted something that said, "Mishpachat Gimbel," since we hope to take this piece wherever we live, and not just use it with one house. We also wanted something that had a little Israeli flavor. Lastly, we have seen these wood paintings throughout town that just looked perfect for our style. Thus, the piece below! We are thrilled with it and cannot wait to hang it up on our door in Los Angeles.

משפחת גימבל, Mishpachat Gimbel, Gimbel Family

This piece was done, in front of us, by Norman, an incredible calligrapher and graphic designer. You can see more of his work at http://www.normansketubot.com.

The Book of Purim - Beyond Expectations

2012-03-09T15:13:00.000+02:00

Last summer, I came up with an idea to do a Purim parody of "The Book of Mormon" called, "The Book of Purim." I quickly wrote the first song, "Shalom," a parody of the song "Hello." We sang it at our summer talent show of sorts, and class interest skyrocketed. Over the next few months, I worked with other classmates to write the script, develop, and produce the project.

Just 8 days ago, we posted the final version to the web. I am so humbled that the video has more than 25,000 views and has been featured on BroadwayWorld.com, Tablet Magazine, Metafilter, and has been shared countless times on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. The video has been shown in religious schools, board meetings, adult education classes, and many other places. Suffice it to say that response to this video has completely exceeded our expectations.

The video is below to enjoy one more time this Purim season, as well as a full cast/crew/credit listing. This was not a solo effort, and everyone else really made this idea a success.

The students from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (www.huc.edu)
Year-in-Israel class 2011-2012 present, "The Book of Purim!"

A Purim Parody of "The Book of Mormon"
By Robert Lopez, Trey Parker, & Matt Stone

Executive Producer & Director - Jeremy Gimbel
Assistant Director - Stacy Petersohn
Producer - Arielle Branitsky
Choreographer - Emma Goldin

*Cast (in order of appearance)*
Moreh Price - Daniel Reiser
Morah Gold - Emma Goldin
Morah Green... - Rachel Silverstein
Morah Stein - Lauren Levy
Morah Hirsch - Elle Muhlbaum
Moreh Weiss - Kenny Feibush
Morah Singer - Laura Breznick
Morah Blum - Yael Dadoun
Moreh Kurtz (1) - Jeremy Gimbel
Moreh Kurtz (2) - Michael Danziger
Moreh Rubinshtein - Vladimir Lapin
Rosh Yeshiva of Oz - Marc Ekstrand
Ahashveirosh - Kenny Feibush
Vashti - Lauren Levy
Haman - Marc Ekstrand
Mordechai - Michael Danziger
Esther - Emma Goldin

Original Music & Lyrics:
Robert Lopez, Trey Parker, Matt Stone

Instrumental versions:
Youtube User "esp567" ("Hello" & "Two By Two") and karaoke-version.com ("All Shushanian")

"Hello" rewritten by Jeremy Gimbel

"Two by Two" rewritten by:
Jeremy Gimbel, Stacy Petersohn, Michael Danziger

"All Shushanian" rewritten by:
Jeremy Gimbel & Stacy Petersohn

*Additional Cast & Crew*
Library Secretary - Stacy Petersohn
Confused Library Bystanders - Lenette Herzog, Daniel Alter, Jed Feibush, Samantha Feibush
Josh Auerbach - Himself
Sender of Gift to Friend - Sarah Gimbel
Giver of Tz'dakah - Jessie Wainer
Festive Meal Eaters: Jeremy, Leah, Daniel, Marc, Polly, Adam, Emma, Geoff, Rachel, Sarah
Director of the Director - Sarah Gimbel
Head Seamstress - Joanne Gimbel

*Equipment Used*
This film was shot on the Sony A77 and Nikon D7000, with audio recordings in Garageband, and edited in iMovie on a MacBook Pro.

*Special Thanks*
Jay O'Brien, Elle Muhlbaum, Leah Joseph, the entire cast and crew, the HUC-JIR Jerusalem campus community, our friends and family.

All material not written specifically for the purpose of education and satire in this film is owned by its original authors and copywriter holders.

No Shabbatot were violated in the creation of this film.

Titchadesh! - Our Hadaya Rings

2012-02-29T17:34:00.003+02:00

Over the course of this year, Sarah and I have made a number of Judaica purchases. Being the people we are, every purchase has been made with intentionality. Both for the sake of posterity and for the joy that comes with sharing something special in our lives, we are starting a new series on our blog where we will discuss some of our Israeli purchases.

This series is called, "Titchadesh!" which is the traditional saying to someone who has just purchased something new ("Titchad'shi" is what you would say to a female). The root comes from "chadash," or "new." In usage, it means, "use it well and in the best of health!" I also wrote about this phrase in the post about my new tallit.

The first installment of this new series is about our new rings from Hadaya. Baruch Hadaya, the incredible master craftsman who makes every single piece that leaves his shop, is known of his jewelry with various, customizable texts engraved on the pieces. When we came to Israel, we knew we each wanted to get Hadaya rings, so we decided that they would be our birthday gifts to each other.

Sarah's ring:
After many months of deliberation, I finally chose two phrases - one for the inside and one for the outside. The original idea for the outside of my ring was a piece from Talmud that is part of the bedtime shema: B’y'mini Michael u'smoli Gavriel, U'mi'l'fanai Uriel, m'achorai Raphael, V’al roshi, v’al roshi, Sh'chinat El (On my right is Michael, on my left is Gabriel, In front of me is Uriel, behind me Raphael, And all around, surrounding me, the Divine Presence of God). But, all those words were too long to fit on a ring, so I chose just to include the last line: Al roshi sh'chinat El. This short phrase serves as a reminder that in good times and in bad, a divine presence is there. The inside of my ring matches Jeremy's, and has the blessings that we say to each other on Shabbat. Mine says: "May God make you like Ruth, a woman of valor, with honor, wisdom, and loving-kindness."

Jeremy's ring has the similar, paired inscription on the inside, except his says "May God make you like Boaz, a man of valor..." On the outside, Jeremy chose two phrases: Regel achat and Al tifrosh min hatzibur. The first phrase means "on one foot," or alternatively as he taught in his d'var Torah, one regulation. For him, it is a constant reminder to treat others the way we wish to be treated.

The second phrase means, "Do not separate yourself from the community." He learned this phrase at camp from a song by Cantor Wally. The phrase is taken from a larger passage from Pirkei Avot, the teachings of great Rabbis of old. In full context (with my translation):

Hillel would say, "Don't separate yourself from the community, and don't think too highly of yourself during the days of your life, and don't judge your friend until you've walked a mile in their shoes, and don't say something that is so difficult to hear that the listener cannot understand it, and don't say, 'I will study when I have free time,' because that free time may never appear.

A more positive translation of this text might read:

Hillel would say, "Make yourself part of the community, remain humble, seriously consider your friend's perspective, have an awareness of your community and make your teachings clear, and study when you can, because if you don't make time for study now, you may never make the time.

The main idea from the text, though, is made most poignantly in the command not to remove yourself from the community. This was an idea that has come up throughout his time working at CBI and especially during his studies at HUC-JIR.

We are thrilled to have these pieces on our hands and look forward to wearing this wonderful memory of Israel every day.

A Day of Learning with the Jewish Agency on Haredim and Jewish Peoplehood

2012-02-27T16:14:00.001+02:00

A few classmates and I were invited to sit in and participate in part of the yearly meeting of the Jewish Agency for Israel. The meeting of the Board of Governors includes a day of study on issues of Jewish Peoplehood, and this year's topic was "Hardim and the Jewish Collective: Engaging with Voices from the Field." It was an incredible and eye-opening day of learning and exploring this issue, especially since my classmates and I have had some first-hand discussions and interactions with Haredim in Jerusalem.

We were divided so that there was a good mix of voices at each table. My table included two major Jewish organizational presidents, local Federation leaders, a representative from MASA (one of the organizations that contributes to my schooling scholarships), a representative from the Jewish Agency, two leaders of Jewish communities elsewhere in the world, and 3 Israelis who are imbedded in the conflict at hand.

Like the way I presented the Mandel Colloquium, I'll give you my raw, mostly unedited notes.

The opening session started with an announcement: a 91 year-old from Toronto was making Aliyah after working with the Jewish Agency his whole life. This was met with cheers, applause, and a few shouts of, "it's never too late!" We then heard that this day of the meeting is purely for discussion. There would be no voting sessions today; its purpose is just for learning. (As an aside, it's discomforting to know that the leaders of the leaders still shout "shhhh" into a microphone to get everyone quiet. That's the best you can do?)
Then we had a video with an INCREDIBLE version of Hatikvah (the Israeli national anthem - live version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbGqWGwGcko). In front of the music were pictures of Haredim, first confronting and violently engaging with the secular world, then with some images of Haredim studying, followed by images of Haredim engaging peacefully with the secular world. The whole thing was, our guess, intentionally provocative, but painted the Haredim with an incredibly wide yet narrow brush. The take-away seemed to be: this is the face of the enemy - an odd statement to make at the beginning of this day of dialogue.
One of the moderators got up and told a great story of a recent interaction at the Kotel. He saw a man praying with his head up against the wall, clearly praying with all of his energy. After he was done, the moderator asked him if there was something specific for which he was praying. The Haredi man responded that, in light of the incidents of violence between Haredim and women in Beit Shemesh, there may be understanding and cooperation from both sides. "Although," he said, "sometimes it just makes you want to bang your head against a wall."
The moderator then spoke about four responses to modernity (at which point, I thought, "here we go again!"): fully assimilate, where the response is that I want to live with the other and be like the other; only break with the outside to remain Jewish, where the response is to be with the other by unlike the other; have porous boundaries, where the response is to be with but not entirely like the other (think Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Judaism); and the final group is about nationalism and Zionism, where the response is to not be with, but like the other. The moderator described this approach as "liquid modernity," as there is much fluidity in modern identifications.
Lastly, as we broke into our table discussions for introductions, he left us with three questions that would help move our talks forward:

What is the status of education with regards to the mix of Jewish and Secular knowledge?
What is the engagement with the State of Israel and the Zionist enterprise?
And how does the role of women play out in public and private spaces? What do we do with the saying, "men created the world, let women recreate it"?

We heard from Dr. Nari Horowitz. (These notes may be a little less coherent)

There has been a secular panic as Haredi power increases
There is an internal Aliyah, which means managing cultural sensitivities and dealing with new public policy issues, especially with regards to at-risk Haredim (domestic abuse, single mothers, etc.)
1/3 of Jewish children born in Israel today are Haredi
There is a question of Higher Education: in 10-20 years, what will Hebrew University look like? Do they open a Haredi campus that appeases their demands? Or do the Haredim open their own institutions?
This is a different idea than a culture war
Hard to peg a real number on Haredim; most estimates are between 750,000 and 950,000, mostly because Israelis don't like to be categorized - and it's especially difficult to categorize Haredim because there are so many cultural variables
Best estimate: 1,000,000 with a 6.5% growth rate
Who is Haredi? Definition is open with blurred borders. Major groups include Lithuanians, Chasidim, Jerusalemites (often zealots who make up 50,000 of the Haredi population), S'faradim, Ba'alei T'shuvah, Neo-Breslovs, Chabad & Anglo-Saxons, and about 10,000 Chutzniks.
There is more differentiation in a Haredi classroom than a secular one
New group: "Blue shirts"

Middle class, critical of Zionism and their own communities
Employed
Planning of housing is a big issue; they are centralized in some areas, but an important and powerful bloc

Haredi community has changed from modesty to mass-consumption

Koshernet (i.e., "Kosher internet") has no potential. People are already exposed to the full internet

Israeli economy cannot function with only 40% participation in labor markets and banking; this is up from 37%, but still low.
Those that go into the army get a stipend of 5300 NIS (around $1400, unclear if this is a one-time payment or how often the stipend is paid) for 1.5 years, they go home at 4 PM, they have 1 hour of Torah study a day, and are not required to stay on base for Shabbat
Secular education is in demand in the Haredi world - 40% have private English tutors
Pressure on girls to be the best, dress right
"When you impose something, the zealots win."
Haredim are in high demand in the secular marketplace as an investment for future markets
Good scenario for the future: 1/3 Blue Shirts working and serving in the economy, 1/3 traditional Torah studying Haredim, 1/3 maintained by welfare state.
Haredi nationalism: zealotism & hostility to Zionism; dangerous and could lead to greater cultural warfare on every issue
Good scenario requires investment, practices and norms from the Supreme Court, and good international relations to allow time to focus on the discussion
What can the Diaspora do? Philanthropy must be controlled; invest in programs targeted at at-risk populations and Blue Shirts.

Next we saw a video of edited interviews from various members of communities

First was Richard Peres, a council member from Beit Shemesh

They are working to improve the social services situation
The money from the seculars is supporting the Haredim who do not pay local taxes
The conversation is one-way: the council tries to talk with the Haredim, but they do not wish to engage in talks
Segregation of cities, though (one secular and one Haredi) is not a viable option; yet if something doesn't change, they could be headed for disaster

Rabbi Rubenshtein from Beitar Elite, a segregated, Haredi city

Beitar Elite doesn't have demonstrations, which is an advantage to segregated cities
Haredi cities don't have these extremist issues
Women want to sit in the back of the bus; 400 segregated buses a day run their lines

Anat Hoffman, Director of the Israeli Religious Action Center

The authors of the Talmud worked while they wrote the Talmud, why can't today's Haredim do the same?
Never had state power behind only one faction in Jewish history

Someone else, whose name I could not catch

Haredim feel connected to the state as if it is their own, like everyone else
Discussion in Beit Shemesh is about public space
There is a big difference between what you can say as an insignificant minority and a significant minority
In discussing government subsidies for large families: "It is more profitable to raise children than sheep!"

Mike Prashler

Success in cohesion is necessary for future state
Haredim are not one homogenous block
Not everyone is committed to democracy as a way forward
Can't compromise on core issues (freedom of religion, equality of sexes), but can dialogue and understand the other

Naomi Perl, Haredi woman

How to find common ground? Solution in intermediary leaders
Solutions cannot come from the outside, must come from within

We then had some group discussions.

The army is not ready for the influx of Haredim, should they decide to send 10,000 kids to the army tomorrow
My hypothetical question was: How is it possible to create a situation in the future where the "separate but equal" model doesn't create a similar bifurcation in the army when more Haredim are included?
This time, they used applause as a tool to bring the large group back together. It was much nicer than "shhhhh"

Then, we wrapped up. There were two main points of the day:

Discussing the relationship of "Bein Adam l'Amo - between a person and its people."
To raise us to a higher level of confusion. Mission accomplished!

Of course, no conclusions were made about this issue. There was no take-home, actionable aspect of this day of learning. But important ideas were discussed and new perspectives brought in to the fold. It was really valuable for us, as Reform Rabbinical and Cantorial students to be present for these talks, as we were some of the youngest people in the room. Also, we were one of the few Reform voices in the room; something that is not always included in these kinds of talks. All in all, a wonderful day of learning!