Route of the Patriarchs, דרך האבות

Yesterday after noon, Pardes took a mini-tiyul/trip, to Gush Etzion.  It is a group of settlements that fell into Jordanian hands on May 13, 1948, the day before Israel declared independence. The dates that they were re-established are listed below. (Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gush_Etzion#Re-establishment) 

Name	Founded	Population (EOY 2008)[28]	Type
Alon Shvut	1970	3,400	Communal settlement
Bat Ayin	1989	900	Communal settlement
Beitar Illit	1985	38,800	Independent municipality
Efrat	1983	8,300	Independent municipality
Elazar	1975	1,706	Communal settlement
Karmei Tzur	1984	700	Communal settlement
Kedar	1984	960	Communal settlement
Kfar Eldad	1994	120	Communal settlement
Kfar Etzion	1967	820	Kibbutz
Gva'ot	1984	75	Communal settlement
Har Gilo	1968	570	Communal settlement
Ibei HaNahal	1999	50	Outpost
Ma'ale Amos	1982	270	Communal settlement
Ma'ale Rehav'am	2001	40	Outpost
Metzad	1984	380	Communal settlement
Migdal Oz	1977	440	Kibbutz
Neve Daniel	1982	1,883	Communal settlement
Nokdim	1982	1300	Communal settlement
Pnei Kedem	2000	100	Outpost
Rosh Tzurim	1969	560	Kibbutz
Sde Boaz	2002	90	Outpost
Tekoa, Gush Etzion	1975	1600	Communal settlement

We got dropped off in Beit Daniel and walked on the Route of the Patriarchs which ended at a lone, 600 year old tree. The tree was one of the only survivors of the war, along with just four people.  The road was the way road that the patriarchs travels from Jerusalem to Hebron, to Beer Sheva, (and technically all the way to Egypt.)  On the way we saw Roman ruins, and other signs of our ancestors living the area, like this mikvah (ritual bath). 

Me coming out of the mikvah! All clean and pure!! ;-) 

After our fun hike/stroll, we got to eat dinner at our teachers' houses in the area. I got to eat at Michael Hattin's house. He is my Tanakh teacher and my academic advisor for PEP. I had Shabbat at their home before, so I knew their family. It was such a wonderful opportunity to return with my classmates (about 10 of us) and have a discussion about how Michael and his wife ended up in Israel and how Michael made his way to Pardes! (Such a great story and such luck for the Pardes students!) As before, Michael's home was warm and welcoming and overflowing with Torah! I can't wait to go back for another visit! Thanks Michael and Rivka for hosting us! 

Issue of Hugs

At Pardes, all my teachers are orthodox, which means they don't touch people of the opposite gender. This doesn't really seem to be an issue, except, I love my teachers! And sometimes, I really want to give them a hug. They are the best!! I can't explain to you how wonderful they are as people, mentors, teachers, (sometimes they feel like parents, in a good way) and even friends. When I returned from student teaching it was so exciting to see all of them after two months away, but can I hug them? Not the male teachers! But I could hug the female teachers. And in a way this made their hugs even more meaningful. (Because I know they don't pass them around frivolously) And to be honest, if I could only hug the male or the female teachers, I'm glad I get to hug the female teachers!! (No offense to any of the teachers!)

Last night we went to Gush Etzion to hike Derech HaAvot (the path of our forefathers) and then go to dinner at one of our teacher's home.  Well, I had the honor of going to one of my favorite teacher's home. (I had been there before for a Shabbat earlier in the year, so it wasn't my first time meeting his wife and family.) And I got to hug his wife (who is amazing in her own right)!!!!!!!!!! And it was wonderful to express my gratitude and love to her. And I'm sure that my teacher knows how appreciative I am of his teaching and guidance without giving hugs, but it was still nice to be able to express it physically to her. Maybe it is more for me, that I want to express my appreciation, but whatever it is, it's something to think about. And I was really happy to be able to hug her!

Bethlehem

Last weekend I went to Bethlehem with some friends from school. There were many tourists there, as to be expected. But it was a gorgeous day, so nothing could really be bad.

We went into the Church of the Nativity and the line to see the spot where Jesus was born was three/four hours long. Well, if you know me, I don't do lines. So I went up to the front of the chapel and went around a barricade. I thought I was being really sneaky, but then I realized the back of my scarf had caught the top of the  metal pole and it fell over with a loud crashing noise! I was going to be caught, so I had to think fast, two Arab men, who were there to rip tourists off, ran up to me yelling, you have to go back! you have to go back! I said, no, I am here to pray and continued forward, then one of the grabbed my arm, as if to pull me back in the opposite direction, and I yelled (in the church) DON'T TOUCH ME!!!!!!!! Well, this really scared them and he immediately let me go. I sat in the front row and admired the details of the church. Then, the other Arab man came up to me and said, "You said you wanted to pray?" and since I couldn't back down now, I said yes. He motioned for me to follow him and I quickly realized he was taking me down the exit into where the 3 hour line was waiting to go, down to the spot where Jesus was born. So I went, happily, to see what was there. Took my pictures, said a little prayer for my friends and family who are Christian and came out.  I was expecting to see the man there with his hand out for a tip, but he wasn't. I think I had scared them even out of that. 

The metal pole I knocked over, and the man in the grey shirt on the right is who grabbed me.

The "spot!"

Back home in Israel

My time in the US went so fast! I'm already back in Israel. It's so weird...I am SO sad and there are so many tears, but going to school today and being welcomed back with so many smiles and hugs felt so good! It was such a turn in emotions. I love studying at Pardes.

So back to the grind! There are only six more weeks until the summer! And then NFTY! 

Only one more day =(

Wow, it has flown by.  I really can't believe that I only get to teach these wonderful students just one last day. We have studied pieces of Tanakh, Mishah, and Talmud. They have read about the "Jewish" life cycle, mitzvot that the father is obligated to do for his son, the importance of creating a strong name for yourself, and they read Rav Kook and learned about following your own path in life to serve G-d.

It really has been a whirlwind and I have been so lucky to work with a wonderful mentor here at Saligman.  She has been supportive every step of the way.  I will really miss the kids and the staff here. It's such a warm school!

Pictures to come soon! 

Wonderful things in a Jewish Day School Classroom!

Happy Purim from Pennsylvania

Me with my youngest "sister" =) 

Student teaching update.

I haven't started teaching yet, but I have been at the school for two days. It's a very small school, just one hallway.  But everyone is so nice and welcoming. The teacher I am working with is really wonderful and we've already started looking at my source sheets and my lesson plans.  Everyday they have presentations called "Stand and Deliver" where they are doing presentations about innovative technology and how it has effected the present day.  Some are very impressive.  Today I shadowed a student and followed her schedule.  It was interesting to see the other classes in the school that aren't Jewish studies classes. There isn't any Hebrew in the school except for Jewish texts and the Hebrew classes themselves.  It's a choice of the school to set up curriculum in this manner.

I can't wait to start teaching next Monday!! 

Article about Beth Sholom

I read about the synagogue when I was in Israel, which is how I knew I wanted to visit.

This is the article. http://www.jewishreviewofbooks.com/publications/detail/a-tale-of-two-synagogues

Beit Sholom Synagogue - Frank Lloyd Wright

The famous Beit Sholom Synagogue built by Frank Lloyd is a minutes drive from where I am staying outside Philadelphia! I went for a tour this morning. Next time you're in Philly you have to visit! It's magnificent! 

Valley Forge and arriving in Philadelphia

My dad and I left Friday morning to drive to Philadelphia. It was a wonderful trip since I normally live in Israel and we only see each other once a year! It was really a treat to spend some time with him! We stopped in Hershey, PA for the night and then went to Valley Forge in the morning. My dad and I are big history nerds! 

My dad with a statue of General Wayne. 

Memorial Arch at Valley Forge

After Valley Forge, I drove my dad to the airport and headed over to the home where I will be staying for the next few weeks. The family I am staying with is amazing! They have three wonderful children and have provided me with a lovely and warm living space. I am so grateful for their openness and hospitality! 

My temporary home! 

Tomorrow is the first day of school!! EEK!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Schechter School Visit!

Tuesday night I drove up to Oak Brook to have dinner with Katie, Jack, and Gail at Cheese Cake Factory. I also saw Katie and Rick's new home, which is gorgeous! Then I continued to Buffalo Grove to sleep at my cousins house to be close to the Schechter Jewish Day School that I observed yesterday. 

My aunt is friends with one of the teachers there and they put me in contact with her. The teacher was so nice and organized an amazing schedule for me! I had the opportunity to see tefilla, Hebrew class, two rabbinics, two bible classes, and a social studies class.  Every teacher I met was so welcoming and excited to have an observer in their classroom! And all the teachers were excited that I am going to teach in Philadelphia!  

Very frontal based seating arrangements. Very good to help these students stay focused.

Social studies classroom. I like the map of China! 

Where community tefilla takes place! 

Some beautiful artwork in the hallway. 

Circle seating. Great for class discussion, but chavruta learning was more challenging because they weren't facing each other. The class was discussing Hannah and her behavior.

Rabbinics! They are studying Lost Objects!!!! I knew everything!! =) Way to go Pardes! I liked this seating arrangement a lot. They are already ready for their chavruta time! 

This was my first time being in a Jewish Day School, and it was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! I can't even begin to write all of the things I learned. I am so excited to get to Philadelphia and get started!! Thanks to all the faculty that made my day so successful! 

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.