Nerves!

I am so nervous, and so excited! I am flying in two days to the US for student teaching! I am really lucky since I will be able to see my family first in Chicago before going to Philadelphia, but then it will be down to business! I am so excited to see what a Jewish Day School is like and what it is like to live in a Jewish community and to experience living with a Jewish family that keeps Jewish tradition in their home.

I am studying a lot and trying to outline my lesson plans. If I can get those things done and out of the way before I fly I feel like I will be in really good shape for when I show up at school! http://www.pjds.org/ (The school looks AMAZING!!) All my gifts are packed and a lot of clothes too! I am trying to figure out which boots to take! The past three years I have only been home in the summer, so shoes are much smaller and lighter weight to pack! (Tough life I have, trying to decide which shoes to take! I know!)

Pardes has prepared me well! Now I just have to believe in myself!! Philly here I come!!!! 

Some short comments on studying gemara after seven months

The "process" was never something that I enjoyed. I enjoy being a teacher, I didn't enjoy the four years of pedagogy courses I had to take.  I enjoy winning, not the running and practice that it took to get to that point.  I like knowing how long I have to cut a piece a wood to hold up a beam, not the math it took to figure it out.  I enjoy traveling and being in a destination and living in a different place, I don't like the flights, trains, buses, and cars it takes to get there. I just like DOING it. In Halakah I enjoy figuring out the Halakah, the end result. I like seeing if that fits into my life and if I relate to that final "judgement." Maybe I'm vain, to want to an end product, to want to see a city, or something in it's completion. I want a pay off, and I want it now! I want to see the fruit of my labors. And in all honesty, I don't think I'm vain. I realize that the pay off is greater because I worked for it. I am very present in my life, and I don't want someone to tell me to stop and smell the roses, I do enjoy my life, immensely and I find beauty in the smallest of things. I am simply goal driven, and I really like achieving my goals.  

But Gemera isn't about the end or a goal, it is about the circle...and I hate circles. You are always back to where you started.  To state it better, it's like a never ending slinky, like after going around the circle once you are barely a tiny bit higher than where you started, and if I'm stuck in a slinky, I don't even know how many times I have to go around, or if there is an end. And like Meesh's analogy (my teacher had said that learning gemera is like knowing that there is a beach, but we're only working with 2 square meters of sand at a time.), I can't even see the beach! I am just digging in my own two meters square of sand. And what am I doing? Am I inspecting sand? Am I'm digging for water? Should I be making a sand castle?

And so for me, Gemera is about the process and the circle....and making myself do something that is so far against my nature and my being.  To trust in a process that I don't yet understand, a process that seems to have no end, and to pray that one day, not only will there be a beach...water...and waves, baruch hashem, there will even be a beautiful sunset, and I will want to come back to exactly the same place the next night and hope that the sunset was just as beautiful as the one from the evening before. 

Take a load off, Moshe!

I can only imagine how excited Moshe would have been this week to be reunited with his wife and two sons! Yitro, who brought Moshe's family to him, also, like any good in-law brought advise. On the second day of Yitro's visit, (the first day he burnt an offering to G-d) he told Moshe that he was working too hard and had to delegate his responsibilities. Everyday people had been coming to Moshe with their problems and Moshe would tell them what they should do. This sounds like a very important role, and it is. But the people had so many problems, Moshe was busy with this all day!

If we were talking about modern times, we could say that Moshe was clearly overbooked. No time for the gym, no time to go catch a game and have a beer with Aaron, not so much time to have a romantic reunion with his wife...you get the idea. Yitro and Rav Kook both agree, that this is not an appropriate way of life, even if you are serving G-d and your community in every capacity, you still have to take care of yourself.  Personal well-being is just as important as public service, Rav Kook sites a story in the Talmud when two judges are working too hard and their teacher, Rabbi Chiyya, tells them they need to take it easy. Rav Kook summarizes, "That while their public service was truly a wonderful thing, it is not necessary to neglect all other aspects of life...it is clear that personal growth will enhance one's community. Better an hour of productive activity in a fresh, relaxed state of mind and body, than many hours of constant toil in a tired and frenzied state."

This is still a hard lesson for me.  After many counseling sessions in college for anxiety for taking on two many responsibilities, for trying to help too many people and too many organizations, and being nearly worthless because I couldn't take care of the world if I wasn't taking care of myself, I finally started to realize that I couldn't live myself this way.  And this is exactly what Yitro is trying to tell Moshe.  Eventually Moshe is going to be run too thin and he will no longer be a good leader for his people if he tries to keep up this schedule.

So I hope for all you over achievers out there. Take a break, have a glass of wine, go get a pedicure, go for a walk, put yourself first...and most importantly, don't feel guilty about it! Even Moshe had to delegate!! 

A minute with Rav Kook

One quote from my Rav Kook book this week that I really liked is, "What is the essence of prophecy? This unique gift is the ability to look at God's works and recognize in them His greatness." I'm sure there is more to being a prophet then just that, but I like to think that with practice and a good eye I could be a prophetess. =)

On a tad more serious note. In Beshalach (this weeks Torah portion), we finally leave Egypt and cross the Sea of Reeds!!!!!!!!!!  Then Miriam sings a song, and at the end there is a line, (Ex. 15:16):

Until Your people have crossed, O God;
Until the people that You acquired have crossed over.

The Rabbis ask why this is repeated, the "crossing". Some say that it is referring to the Jews crossing the Jordan River, and Jews have had to do this twice in our history. Once with Joshua after 40 years in the desert and G-d giving us the land of Israel at the beginning of the First Temple Period. G-d was very visible at this time, there were prophets and miracles. This is why the first line says, "Your people," because G-d was so present. We were His whether we wanted it or not, G-d was with us.  The other is with Ezra and returning to start the Second Temple Period. This time, it was our choice to return. G-d wasn't visible, prophecies had ended, the Torah had been written, we couldn't see G-d's miracles. But the Jewish people were very active and were reaching out to G-d and grappling with Jewish law and Jewish way of life. The Mishnah was written at this time and the rabbis were very active in the discussion of Jewish law. This is why the Jews are referred to as the people who G-d had acquired, because now we are seeking him.

This is compared to Kook's theory of innate holiness, and willed-holiness. Innate holiness is naturally in our souls. We are born with it, it was passed down through the generations. Willed-holiness on the other hand is based on our merits, efforts, actions, and choices.  Kook said that innate holiness is actually greater than willed-holiness. Just as G-d was with us crossing the Jordan River, G-d is innately with us all the time and we are holy because we are holy. But I feel that without willed-holiness, innate holiness seems empty.  If we aren't striving to be good people, if we haven't trying to help others, if we aren't living in a way that is making the world a better place, what does innate holiness matter? Maybe that it is always there and it's never to late to cultivate?

This is something that I struggle with in Judaism, the concept of a chosen people. Because I believe that all people have the ability to be holy. G-d created all of us, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhist, Hindus, etc. But maybe Kook was referring to all people. And that we can all search for G-d and our actions can be for G-d.  I'm not sure which he means exactly. I do know that he was very liberal for his time and he was criticized by other Rabbis for being so open to secular Jews and Kibbutzniks. 

I would love to hear your opinions or some other sources to help me gain some clarity on these thoughts! 

A "love" Shabbat!

At Pardes, Shabbat is the topic of many discussions and the focus of a lot of study. Last semester I took Halakah (Jewish Law) and the class focused on Shabbat. I have written about Shabbat on the blog in the past as well. I have been trying to create a Shabbat "space." One thing I've done for two weeks now, is not using Facebook on Shabbat. I feel like this has really enhanced my feeling for Shabbat. I love Facebook, I am fairly addicted. But nothing on Facebook is necessary, except for the pictures of Jack, of course. And most of the things on Facebook are complaints. So to help keep my in this holy space and time, I haven't been logging on. 

The other thing I've done for Shabbat is to surround myself by people I really love and want to be with. People who are positive and warm and have open hearts.  Last night I went to a beautiful Shabbat dinner at my best friends, they were great hosts, the food was delicious, we talked about Torah, and laughed a lot. It was a wonderful separation from our usual hard intense week of studying. 

On Shabbat, Yishai and I hosted at our home! Yishai made hummus from scratch!!! It was AMAZING!! One of our guests was gluten free so I made stuffed peppers with lentils, wild rice, and beans. I was nervous, but Roi and his mom helped me and they turned out great! 

I also made green beans with garlic and onion and soy sauce. They are coming into season here and it reminds me of home. In the summer we pick green beans fresh from the garden and this is how my mom makes them! They were great, not as good as when you pick them yourself, (or when Roi or my mom picks them and I stand and watch them) but they were still great! 

Anddddddddd...I had a "love" Shabbat! Because to be honest, Shabbat is really about love and being with people that you love. It was also appropriate because it's a week before Valentine's Day! Plus, my parents had just sent me a big box of candy! So we had Sweet Hearts and Peanut M&Ms. 

 Who doesn't love Valentine's Day candy??? =)

This Shabbat was a beacon of sunshine after a lot of rain last week. It felt so nice to be outside and in Jerusalem. I hope everyone had a wonderful Shabbat with family and friends. In a couple of weeks I will be home with my family and hopefully we'll have a wonderful Shabbat together! 

Rav Kook

Tovah Leah, my teacher for Personalizing Prayer, and Relationships class, cites Rav Kook nearly everyday! I finally realized that I loved almost every quote that she brought from him.  So last week I bought a book that compiles Rav Kook's thoughts on the Parshiot, the weekly Torah portions.





Abraham Isaac Kook (1865–1935) was the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate for Palestine, the founder of the Religious Zionist Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav, Jewish thinker, Halachist, Kabbalist and a renowned Torah scholar. He is known in Hebrew as הרב אברהם יצחק הכהן קוק HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, and by the acronym הראיה (HaRaAYaH) which in English means "evidence", or simply as "HaRav." 

Last week, in Bo, Moshe leads the Jewish people out of Egypt and G-d commands us to have Pesach, (Passover) and to not eat leavened products during these days. Rav Kook talks about freedom, and that there are two kinds, one, the well known is to not be enslaved, to not be subjugated. But he also says that we can be a slave no matter our social standing, (and this is my favorite quote from last week,) "What makes us truly free? When we are able to be faithful to our inner self, to the truth of our divine image (tzelem Elokim) - then we can live a fulfilled life, a life focused on our soul's inner goals." When we are truly faithful to who we are inside, we can finally be free of trying to please others, to stop trying to be someone else, and really love who we are. At this moment we are the best we can be, and honestly strive for the things that we actually want and need.

I am sure I will have more from the Parsha and from Rav Kook for you in the future! I'm becoming a big fan!

Ulpan Or at Pardes!

I had ulpan today at Pardes for the educators. We have Hebrew classes for the next four weeks before we go for our student teaching. I am really motivated! I want to be fluent in Hebrew so much!!!!!!!!!!

These are the words I learned today:

להפליץ - to fart
להפציץ - to bomb
לנצל - to exploit
להשוות - to compare - to equal
לשפר את - to improve
להתנגד ל - to oppose
למחות - to protest
מחאה - protest
מחאות - protests
גידול - raise/growth
תנאי - תנאים - conditions
לפחות - at least
צורך - necessity
שיחה - conversation
מסים - taxes
מידע - information
משכנתה - mortgage
תקציב - budget
מפלגות - political parties
משרד האוצר - treasury
מחקר - research
להשפיע - to affect
השפעה - the effect/influence
תמיכה - support

Start studying!!

Arava Tiyul

Over the semester break I went to the Arava, or Eilat mountains in southern Israel with a small group from Pardes. We stayed at Kibbutz Keturah and we had an amazing time! Even some of the new students from the spring semester joined us, so it was great to meet them!

Yishai hiking in his favorite land.

Group picture from the first day hike.

We love TORAH!! Even when hanging on cliffs and mountains! 

Me!! 

The clouds on the 3rd day of the tiyul was amazing! This picture is unreal and barely edited! 

The kibbutz where we were has Israel's largest solar panel field. They want to make more in the south. Considering it only rains down there 5 times a year, I think it's a good place for them!

Me and Yishai hiking! 

Third day..me taking one of the pictures you can see above!

A Shabbat Experience

All week I had been excited to spend my Shabbat in the "Gush" with two of my teachers. They always have students in their homes for Shabbat, and the anticipation had been building since I heard about other students wonderful experiences.

We (Hannah, Yishai, and Amber) left Jerusalem around 1:30, which was way too early, but we didn't want to be late for Shabbat! It was wonderful that we were early because we got to help make challah.

Yishai and Hannah making challah! 

We're ready for Shabbat!!!! 

Fun challah shapes! 

Right after candle lighting we went to shul at a beautiful synagogue right in the middle of the town. There were two, one Ashkenazi and one Sephardi. The outsides were parallel structures, but the insides were very different and reflected each culture. Kabbalah Shabbat was traditional and relaxing, followed for Maariv. 

We then we went Michael's (my academic adviser at Pardes) house for Shabbat dinner. They have five children, but only four were at home. One was in a neighboring community for a Bar Mitzvah. I cannot describe how much love I felt in this home.  All the children were so respectful of each other. The mother had one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, and when she was singing the Shabbat prayers it was like the music was going directly into your soul. All the kids couldn't wait for their Shabbat blessings from their dad, and they all had the utmost respect and love for their parents. We listened to a Dvar Torah (a speech about the weekly Torah portion) and sang songs and ate DELICIOUS food! We also answered questions in one of the daughter's school books in Hebrew about the weekly Torah portion which was really fun! Also, their oldest son beat me at 3 games of backgammon, I would call that Shabbat luck. 

After a brisk and chilly short walk home we sat around Tovah Leah's table and talked some more until we were all too tired to schmooze anymore. In the morning, I didn't wake up! And Tovah Leah woke up, but we were late to shul and I missed Michael singing from the Torah! I was really upset! I will have to ask him for a repeat at school this week, I heard he was fabulous and I don't doubt it one bit. 

Lunch was just as warm and loving as dinner the night before. Tovah Leah's cooking is amazing! Her husband is also a wonderful role model of a loving father and husband.  We talked about Torah and Judaism and our lives. And we laughed and sang. 

After Mincha we took a walk around Alon Shvut and Tovah Leah pointed out Jerusalem, Hevron, and other surrounding villages. The place is so beautiful and air is so fresh and clean.  It's hard to realize that these homes are so political when things are so calm and peaceful. From this perspective, it is much easier to understand "the settler movement." Yishai described Alon Shvut the best, he said, "Torah is alive here." And he's right. The entire community is living in the way of Torah, from the smallest Halakah, to the simplest commandments of respecting your parents and love your neighbor. 

It was really a Shabbat, a peace, a love, and an experience I will never forget. 

Standing Together

Over Hanukkah break from Pardes, I had the opportunity to help deliver some much needed winter thermal shirts and gloves to soldiers in the south on the border of Sinai. I went with an organization called Standing Together (http://www.stogether.org/) which buys and delivers items to soldiers in the IDF that the government can't afford.  They also take sweets, like sufganiot, candy, soda, popcorn, bourekas, and in the summer time, ice cream.  

It was really an incredible experience and I hope to do it again soon! These soldiers are so grateful for everything, even a piece of gum! It was a great mitzvah and a great way to show my appreciate to all that they give to my country. 

The best Hanukkah songs are in Yiddush!

"Living in Israel and being Jewish is a struggle."

When I made aliyah a year ago, I knew that I was doing so on the grounds that it would be challenging, not only financially or emotionally, but because Israel is difficult. There is nothing easy about Israel, and maybe that is where her true beauty comes from.

Pardes set up a trip for our community to Hebron. Having been to Hebron two years ago, the announcement of the trip already made me a little uneasy as images sprang into my memory. The early deserted streets, Palestinains walking with their heads down hoping not to make eye contact, settlers strolling with AK47s over their shoulders. Hebron is not an easy city to visit. I wouldn't say that it is dangerous, many of our IDF soldiers are keeping it's streets quiet and safe, but this city is existing as a polar opposite to what I wish for Israel in terms of peace. I want to live in Israel peacefully with my neighbors, neighbors of all religions. And as Eve (last name) one of our speakers stated, peace is only real when two sides are living together. Peace is not when one side is removed. 

 This visit to Hebron was different, we started with a tour of Tel Hebron (the excavations of the biblical city) followed by a tour of the Tomb of the Patriarchs, (which I loved!), we listened to a representative from Breaking the Silence, an organization designed to change the way that soldiers interact with residences in Hebron. Afterwards we listened to two different settlers living in Hebron about their reasons for living their and their hopes for the future. At the end of the day we talked to a Palestinian human rights activist who grew up and is now living in Hebron. Did you just ask yourself, "How long were these students in Hebron?" Well, you're right, it was a long intense day. But I found myself very grateful for the number of views that were presented to me.

 My struggle with Israel was not lessened after my second visit to Hebron, but I did find myself thinking that I made the right decision to live in a country that I love. In a country that I know will be here for me and my children in the future, a country that is always changing and evolving and learning to live peacefully. I know that there are things in Israel that I am not proud of, but there are things in the US that I am not proud of either. And despite these things, I am a proud citizen and know that I have to be here to help make the country better and even more beautiful than when I arrived.

An AMAZING Pardes Day!!

This song was written and performed by Sam Rotenberg, a fellow student and friend, at Pardes! We were having a party in Gemera (Talmud) to celebrate finishing a long, complex, and difficult section. Sam wrote this song in honor of "the end". The Gemera we're learning is about Lost Objects, so in the song you'll hear about losing and finding things.  Obviously, if you have studied this before it's more entertaining, but it's still awesome that something so Rabbinic, can become so beautiful. Enjoy!

The second AMAZING thing to happen today was the start of recruitment for Pardes!! Evan and Kalie (another two incredible students, friends, and classmates) did an intro skit to get everyone (the student body and faculty) excited about recruitment. The skit was hilarious, thoughtful, wonderful!!
!
Everyday at Pardes is better and better! Studying at Pardes was by far one of the best choices I have made in my life! 

http://mosista.co/alwiese

http://mosista.co/alwiese

This is my serious mustache face! Today is the last day of MOVEMBER and thus, the last mustache picture!! If you have enjoyed them and want to help support men's health! Please donate now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the incredible Pardes mustache growing team! They are SO amazing, so far they have raised over $3,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

You can still be a part of this cause!! Donate here: http://mosista.co/alwiese

Second to last day of MOVEMBER!!

Second to last day of Movember!! Don’t miss out helping and being a part of this amazing event!

http://us.movember.com/mospace/961732

A very thankful update!

I know you were all hoping to see a mustache picture, but here is one clean shaven picture! Donations at school for mustaches are going well and I am proud of the money we have raised as a team. This last week we will need to make a pretty big push to finish strong! 

Tonight I am refereeing another football game, and I am pretty sure it's not going to rain, so I am really excited about that! Yesterday I made chicken noodle soup for me and Roi (he is coming to see the game and then staying for the weekend) and today I made pumpkin pie (bought vanilla ice cream) and also made my first challah in Israel! I haven't eaten any of it yet, but everything looks and smells delicious!! The house smelled GREAT today! I am so grateful to be able to share these things with Roi...and I am grateful to have the means to have such nice things surrounding me.  I am grateful that I am studying at an incredible institution that is not only expanding my mind, but also my heart.  I finally feel like I am studying something that is making me a better person, not just a means to an end. 

And most importantly, I am grateful for my family. These are the days that living for from home is nearly torture. Not that I necessarily mess the food (although it's yummy) but I miss being with the whole family and then when everyone leaves, my mom and sister and I sit down with all the leftover desserts (even though we swore an hour before we could never eat another bite) and retell the funny stories of the day and laugh about all the crazy things that happened.  These are by far the best times and these are things that can't be replaced  by someone else. 

I hope you are all having a wonderful meal of abundance and surrounded by people who's love is overflowing. Happy Thanksgiving!! 

IFL Mustache!

For those of you that don’t know. I am a referee for the IFL (Israeli Football League) and last night was the season opener at Kraft Family Stadium! It was great and I think the teams were really intimated with my mustache!

Super cute mustache!

http://mosista.co/alwiese It's already more than half way through Movember!!! Please donate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, I think this mustache is awesome! Just sayin'

Pardes Mustaches!

First week: 

Second week! 

More people and more mustaches!! Way to go Pardes!! We are raising money for Movember!! Donate to our incredible team here: http://mosista.co/alwiese 

Mustache Shekel Wars!!

Hey mustache lovers!!!! 

 

We are starting shekel wars (originally penny wars) at Pardes! Put your agarot in the containers on the cabinet in the hallway of your learning level.

 

All-new Shekel Wars jars next to Pardes HappyGrams box

The containers say:

 

•  רמת א Level alef
• רמת ב Level bet
• רמת ג Level gimmel
• רמת ד Level dalet
• רמת ה Level hey
• כולל Kolel

 

If you are a “split” learner, please go with the level of your 3-a-week class.

 

You should put all the shekel coins and agarot in your level – whoever has the most shekels at the end of the month will win!!! But there is one catch! If you put shekel bills (paper shekels) into a different level, it will be counted as negative!! For example, say level alef is kicking butt and they have SO many shekels, so someone in level hey says, what are we going to do about this?? We can put a 20 shekel bill in level alef and it will deduct 20 shekels off of their score. 

 

What can a level win, you ask?? Well, first and formost, pride in your level and school for raising so much money for men’s health and for supporing Movember. Secondly, on Thursday December 1st, your class will get freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (and maybe milk)!

 

If you have any questions, please see someone with a mustache…or me!

 

Love, Andrea 

http://us.movember.com/mospace/2037454/ Donate here if you don't go to Pardes!!