Ein Kerem, Ein Gedi, Eilat, Petra

Saturday, April 25, 2009

We have very few weeks left in Israel. We're counting our weekends carefully, to make sure we get to the places we wanted to see, the people we wanted to spend time with. When I think about it, I'm still surprised that we are here.

Tonight we're having some friends over, Friday night Shabbat get togethers have been a highlight of the year. 

We spent our vacation hiking in Ein Gedi, which is even more beautiful after the winter rains; the trees are full and green, bamboo trees are scattered throughout running streams, and there are so many waterfalls dropping into pools where everyone tosses their shoes to the side and jumps in for a swim. 

Jerusalem during Pesach is a bit like New York in the summer, it clears out. Everyone is travelling--except for people visiting from other countries for seder. We spent days on the beach in Eilat, the kids miss playing in the sand. It's so funny how Israeli families pretty much camp out on the beach for the day. They not only bring coolers, blankets and towels, but gas stoves, meat, coffee--they are serious about their day at the beach.  They inspired us to buy one of these fantastic plastic straw mats for the beach or park, 2x3 meters, it's huge! 75 Shekels (about $18). 

I finally got my passport stamped, the first time I'm leaving the country since July, Petra, Jordan. Amazing place, amazing sculptures right into the sides of the mountains.  It is believed the Nabateans 'carved' out this culture here as they were travelling salesman, so to speak, but I've also read some theories that Petra may have been the place where the Israelites lived for 38 years in the desert. This would have been before the Nabateans, of course this can not be proven one way or the other, but its an interesting thought. Even without the burial caves that the Nabateans formed, there are shady alleys and places to stay, water to drink, and surrounded by amazing mountains.  We could have spent days hiking around here, but instead Ben and Coby rode donkeys. They thought that was the best thing in the world--look at them with their Indiana Jones hats! (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade filmed a scene here in Petra, so the local salesmen try to capitalize on that)

So now we're back at school. And we all look exhausted. Everyone rested and travelled and did wonderful things, and here we are trying to negotiate our time remaining. It's not merely a semester at school, it's another country, which we are still in the process of 'processing', and how we feel about that. I was hiking in Ein Kerem last week thinking sometimes I feel our times in Israel are to connect us more deeply to Judaism. But sometimes I feel that all my Judaic connections and practice is all pointing to a relationship with Israel. We fight it constantly, but this place has a soul, I think the earth speaks and it challenges you. It fluctuates.

I'm dying to go to the Sinai, not to Taba, where the resorts are, but to really penetrate the desert, with a good guide, with the Tanach in our packs. But now; this was not the time to go, there was an alert put out by the consolate, even the Israelis are warning us that it's not a good time to go, and we've heard several stories that it's not such a safe time to travel there. Next time--and there will be a next time.

So there is the issue of HUC's future, all the students are worried about where they are going next year. The school is wisely trimming expenses where they can, and the College's President sends us letters keeping us informed of their processes and what they are hoping to do. Right now there is a lot of speculation, nervous students, people who don't know what to do with their energy and their nervousness. Yet in spite of this, and this is to be expected, enrollment for next year is up. I think in times of financial and economic stress, people are turning towards social services and away from finance and economics.

But, in spite of my saturated brain, I would still say I'm happy here. Sunday I will miss part of my biblical grammar (hard to image) class to be mom, and go to the gan's ceremony for Rosh Chodesh Iyyar. This is a very serious and intense week coming up, we are between Yom Hashoah--Holocaust Rememberance Day, and Yom Hazikaron--Memorial Day. An intense and deeply meaningful period of time for Israelis. This country wears its history on its face like jewelry, its everywhere. Israel is turning just 61. I was telling Coby today, who wants to bake a birthday cake for Israel, that all his Grandparents are older than Israel. What a concept.