Israel 2022
June 24- June 25
Friends!
If you've made it here for the first time... welcome. 🥳
Sometimes when people ask me about my trips I tell them 'read my blog' but that actually entails a lot. I write A LOT. And a big chunk of it is random thoughts and feelings I have on trips rather than a detailed itinerary. So, welcome. Read at your own discretion. There's going to be a lot of me regurgitating what I'm learning. I'm glad you're here :)
This trip's a big'n. A month in Israel. I haven't done a month of travel since June 2016 when I took my first solo-international trip. This time, I'm not solo.
I'm traveling with a group of 12 teachers. We applied for a Fulbright Hays Seminar Abroad back in 2020. We were all accepted, and then COVID. They said they'd try 2021, traveling was still hard. Especially to Israel. I thought it would get cancelled, but HERE I AM. I also don't know if I'm allowed to call myself a "Fulbright scholar" but the representative they sent from D.C. from the Department of Education called us 'Fulbright scholars' so I'm going with it ;)
We spent the first weekend in Boston, hosted by Brandeis University. We attended lectures on Israel. I'll share more of that. I flew out on the night of June 24, a Friday night.
I always get super sentimental / nostalgic when I go on trips. And this time I’m gone for a while. Summer is one of the best times in Provo, and I have a lot of good friends. I'm very social. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad to miss out on all of the July fun. Maybe that led to the extra sentiment I was feeling Friday night before I left.
I said goodbye to my house (I won't tell you what that entailed 😅), and then I went to a couple of my favorite places in Provo. It’s like I think I won’t come back. Or it’s probably that I think things will be different when I come back. It reminds me of that scene from Father of the Bride II (the Steve Martin one ;)
If you've made it here for the first time... welcome. 🥳
Sometimes when people ask me about my trips I tell them 'read my blog' but that actually entails a lot. I write A LOT. And a big chunk of it is random thoughts and feelings I have on trips rather than a detailed itinerary. So, welcome. Read at your own discretion. There's going to be a lot of me regurgitating what I'm learning. I'm glad you're here :)
This trip's a big'n. A month in Israel. I haven't done a month of travel since June 2016 when I took my first solo-international trip. This time, I'm not solo.
I'm traveling with a group of 12 teachers. We applied for a Fulbright Hays Seminar Abroad back in 2020. We were all accepted, and then COVID. They said they'd try 2021, traveling was still hard. Especially to Israel. I thought it would get cancelled, but HERE I AM. I also don't know if I'm allowed to call myself a "Fulbright scholar" but the representative they sent from D.C. from the Department of Education called us 'Fulbright scholars' so I'm going with it ;)
We spent the first weekend in Boston, hosted by Brandeis University. We attended lectures on Israel. I'll share more of that. I flew out on the night of June 24, a Friday night.
I always get super sentimental / nostalgic when I go on trips. And this time I’m gone for a while. Summer is one of the best times in Provo, and I have a lot of good friends. I'm very social. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad to miss out on all of the July fun. Maybe that led to the extra sentiment I was feeling Friday night before I left.
I said goodbye to my house (I won't tell you what that entailed 😅), and then I went to a couple of my favorite places in Provo. It’s like I think I won’t come back. Or it’s probably that I think things will be different when I come back. It reminds me of that scene from Father of the Bride II (the Steve Martin one ;)
![Picture](/uploads/4/9/8/9/49893023/published/cfd9ba8ce5dc8bada11ded71ce932c14-steve-martin-father-of-the-bride.jpeg?1656459481)
They’re moving and the kids and their mom are going around the house and the yard collecting memories. “Mom, did you get a picture of our favorite tree out back?”… “Oh just a roll, honey” I was legit taking pictures of things I would miss, just like Nina Banks from the movie. Why am I like this? And George Banks’ words came into my head “What are we? The Schmaltz family?!”
I get so emotional about trips. And everything, I guess. I get emotional about everything. Don't worry, I'll keep it together.
I took a red eye from SLC to Logan International.
Caught a $60 Uber 💰💵 (40 min ride) to Brandeis University.
My driver, Ramon was from Chile. He has family all over South America. I asked if he visited them often, he said “it’s the same there, I’d rather go somewhere new”. Good point, Ramon. I also asked him about his car, I’ve been looking for a bigger one. He said I could have his car and dog sit for him while he went traveling. He wants to see the world.
It was an interesting juxtaposition. My shuttle driver (that took me from the parking lot to the SLC airport) told me, “I don’t really have a desire to travel. Just to Canada to go fishing”. That is wild (I guess literally too) it’s wild to me that someone wouldn’t want to travel. To see the world. Expand their perspective. Experience culture. But also, there was something poetic about just wanting to sit by a lake in *what I picture as* a large cold empty country and just drink in nature. I imagine Canada just being one giant Glacier National Park. With cities here and there.
I landed around 6:30am on Saturday June 25th and after the aforementioned Uber ride, I had to wait on campus for check-in. They told me check in would start at 2:30pm and there was no way I could get in any earlier.
The campus is was empty. It was kind of cool. If you’ve been reading my blog (there’s a lot of content to sift through here 😅 ) then you know I love empty places. Gardens. Museums. Country sides. I get really giddy. Being around people is fine too. But there's something magical about experiencing something when no one else is there. I feel more when people aren't around. Probably an indication of #issues, but I promised to keep it together 😂
But like I said, people are cool too. The more I travel, the more comfortable I am talking to people. And that’s the best way to get to know a place. Talking to the locals.
I wandered around campus. There were a couple buildings open, but for the first couple of hours I was there… I saw no one. It was a little eerie. I found a couch. Watched Star Trek (nerd). And then I napped under a tree. I started to see more people on campus in the afternoon, so that was good.
The campus is was empty. It was kind of cool. If you’ve been reading my blog (there’s a lot of content to sift through here 😅 ) then you know I love empty places. Gardens. Museums. Country sides. I get really giddy. Being around people is fine too. But there's something magical about experiencing something when no one else is there. I feel more when people aren't around. Probably an indication of #issues, but I promised to keep it together 😂
But like I said, people are cool too. The more I travel, the more comfortable I am talking to people. And that’s the best way to get to know a place. Talking to the locals.
I wandered around campus. There were a couple buildings open, but for the first couple of hours I was there… I saw no one. It was a little eerie. I found a couch. Watched Star Trek (nerd). And then I napped under a tree. I started to see more people on campus in the afternoon, so that was good.
I checked in to my dorm room at 2:30 and then we met up with the group, got to know each other, and attended a seminar that evening.
Also, side note… I realized something about myself. If I lend someone a pen to someone, and they give it back to me, I instantly like that person. Maybe my standard for liking people is too low.
A woman named Rema led the seminar. She was born and raised in Haifa was/is working on her PhD about code-switching between Arabic and Hebrew (and the causes and effects of that). It was *fascinating*. Made me realize that I’m going to love this month. Also made me realize that maybe I do want to get a graduate degree. I love school. I love learning. I was taking notes today like a fiend. I talked to Rema a little bit about Israel at dinner. We’ve got some cultural experts here. And we’ll also have local tour guides once we get there.
The U.S. Department of Education is funding my trip. We paid Brandeis University... but all of my other transportation, meals, tours, etc. are fully funded. Which is cool.
After the seminar we had a catered dinner from a place called Red Lentil Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant. Guys 🤤, it was so good. I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian, but the food was ah-mazing. If you’re in Boston, try it. Hummus, pita, feta-olive salad, and mushroom shepherd’s pie with 3 different savory sauces. And then a really moist vegan cake.
We talked about the food. I have a feeling this is going to be a good food trip.
I got to know a few people in the group; my dorm-mates are from New York and Virginia. They’re probably the two other friendliest people in the group 🙌
Okay. Time to turn in.
Also, side note… I realized something about myself. If I lend someone a pen to someone, and they give it back to me, I instantly like that person. Maybe my standard for liking people is too low.
A woman named Rema led the seminar. She was born and raised in Haifa was/is working on her PhD about code-switching between Arabic and Hebrew (and the causes and effects of that). It was *fascinating*. Made me realize that I’m going to love this month. Also made me realize that maybe I do want to get a graduate degree. I love school. I love learning. I was taking notes today like a fiend. I talked to Rema a little bit about Israel at dinner. We’ve got some cultural experts here. And we’ll also have local tour guides once we get there.
The U.S. Department of Education is funding my trip. We paid Brandeis University... but all of my other transportation, meals, tours, etc. are fully funded. Which is cool.
After the seminar we had a catered dinner from a place called Red Lentil Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant. Guys 🤤, it was so good. I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian, but the food was ah-mazing. If you’re in Boston, try it. Hummus, pita, feta-olive salad, and mushroom shepherd’s pie with 3 different savory sauces. And then a really moist vegan cake.
We talked about the food. I have a feeling this is going to be a good food trip.
I got to know a few people in the group; my dorm-mates are from New York and Virginia. They’re probably the two other friendliest people in the group 🙌
Okay. Time to turn in.
June 26
I spent 26% of my sleep last night in REM! Do you know what that means? REM rebound baby. I slept for 10 hours and woke up still kind of tired. Which means, ya. I was REM rebounding last night. 🏀. Best rebound I’ve ever done? I actually don’t know if I’ve ever rebounded in *real* basketball. 🤷
Would this be a good time for me to mention a plug for Matthew Walker’s book Why We Sleep ? Life changing. But if you don’t read it, the message is this = sleep is more important than you think. You should make more of an effort to get enough sleep. It will make you happier, smarter, kinder, have a better memory, you’ll get less sick, and you’ll live longer.
Yesterday when I arrived, I was looking up information about the founding of Brandeis. A private university founded and funded by the Jewish community. Their cafeterias have kosher and non-kosher kitchens. Yesterday (Saturday) was Shabbat and the two program directors didn’t meet us because they were observing Shabbat. Sunday's schedule was very packed with lectures. Weird that I’m excited about all the lectures? I’m the right person to be on this trip.
Would this be a good time for me to mention a plug for Matthew Walker’s book Why We Sleep ? Life changing. But if you don’t read it, the message is this = sleep is more important than you think. You should make more of an effort to get enough sleep. It will make you happier, smarter, kinder, have a better memory, you’ll get less sick, and you’ll live longer.
Yesterday when I arrived, I was looking up information about the founding of Brandeis. A private university founded and funded by the Jewish community. Their cafeterias have kosher and non-kosher kitchens. Yesterday (Saturday) was Shabbat and the two program directors didn’t meet us because they were observing Shabbat. Sunday's schedule was very packed with lectures. Weird that I’m excited about all the lectures? I’m the right person to be on this trip.
We spent the morning learning about pop culture in Israel. Then we had a two-hour lecture by a by Dr. Alex Kaye about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Man, there was so much information in that lecture! They funny part was we were all at the edge of our seats and furiously taking notes. #teacherlyfe
At lunch I sat next to Dr. Kaye and asked him for book recommendations, and we talked a little bit about how to discuss the complexities of conflict (particularly the Palestinian / Israeli one) with high school students. Dr. Kaye is British and Jewish. He’s also decently good looking. I mean, I’d never say it to his face. But sometimes you gotta #acknowledge
After lunch we had a lecture about Zionism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I was joking with some people before coming about my ‘Zion’ shirt. From Zion National Park. I wondered what kind of reaction I would get if I wore it in Jerusalem? 😅
Brandeis is a Jewish university. A couple of the school's directors of Israeli studies didn’t join us yesterday, but they sent their staff. They didn't join because they were observing Shabbat. The school is shut down on shabbat. Probably why early check-in was out of the question? The school has a cafeteria with two kitchens. One is regular and the other is kosher. I was asking one of the professors / assistant directors about what makes something kosher- I’m sure I’ve Google’d it before, but it sticks better if I talk to people. Kosher = No shellfish, no pork, no dairy cooked with meat. Nothing can be eaten with blood. Any meat has to come from an animal that was killed in a certain way (by cutting its neck). I then remembered skimming over these rules when I recently read this in the Bible.
The kosher kitchen at Brandeis has a Mashgiach who stayed in the kitchen through the whole serving process, he made sure that everything stayed kosher. You couldn’t bring other food into that part of the cafeteria.
We talked about how private companies around the world certify something as kosher and how in Israel the government is in charge of that (though private companies also exist for that). Any state-run kitchen (including in the army) is kosher. There are also laws about Shabbat in Jerusalem. I know there’s little separation of church and state, but still hearing those things is kind of an eye-opener for me.
Brandeis is a Jewish university. A couple of the school's directors of Israeli studies didn’t join us yesterday, but they sent their staff. They didn't join because they were observing Shabbat. The school is shut down on shabbat. Probably why early check-in was out of the question? The school has a cafeteria with two kitchens. One is regular and the other is kosher. I was asking one of the professors / assistant directors about what makes something kosher- I’m sure I’ve Google’d it before, but it sticks better if I talk to people. Kosher = No shellfish, no pork, no dairy cooked with meat. Nothing can be eaten with blood. Any meat has to come from an animal that was killed in a certain way (by cutting its neck). I then remembered skimming over these rules when I recently read this in the Bible.
The kosher kitchen at Brandeis has a Mashgiach who stayed in the kitchen through the whole serving process, he made sure that everything stayed kosher. You couldn’t bring other food into that part of the cafeteria.
We talked about how private companies around the world certify something as kosher and how in Israel the government is in charge of that (though private companies also exist for that). Any state-run kitchen (including in the army) is kosher. There are also laws about Shabbat in Jerusalem. I know there’s little separation of church and state, but still hearing those things is kind of an eye-opener for me.
The education system is segregated in Israel. There are Israeli / Jewish schools and there are Palestinian schools. No wonder discrimination is such a huge problem. Rema told us that it's not uncommon for a Jewish kid in Israel, to not meet a Palestinian until after high school and vise versa.
In school, everyone learns Hebrew (official state language). Even the Arab / Muslim students in Palestinian schools have to learn Hebrew. Yesterday we learned from a Palestinian woman who grew up in Haifa and she told us that Hebrew is taught from grade one. It’s not a language class like what we think of the United States- they learn other subjects in Hebrew. Though they still have most of their classes in Arabic. By the end of their education they are fluent in Hebrew.
In school, everyone learns Hebrew (official state language). Even the Arab / Muslim students in Palestinian schools have to learn Hebrew. Yesterday we learned from a Palestinian woman who grew up in Haifa and she told us that Hebrew is taught from grade one. It’s not a language class like what we think of the United States- they learn other subjects in Hebrew. Though they still have most of their classes in Arabic. By the end of their education they are fluent in Hebrew.
Most of the Jews in Israel are secular Jews- who just observe religious holidays, but not necessarily Shabbat every-week. Jerusalem is less secular. There are Orthodox Jews around the world, but in Israel there's an extra distinction of Ultra Orthodox Jews. I'm sure I'll come back to talking about them later in my trip.
We learned more about Yom Kippur in one of the seminars. My knowledge of ancient Jewish sacrifice and the Old Testament tabernacle came in handy. 😉 I recently went to a recreation of the ancient tabernacle the Israelites used in the desert with Moses and they walked us through the rituals and clothing of the Levite priests.
We learned more about Yom Kippur in one of the seminars. My knowledge of ancient Jewish sacrifice and the Old Testament tabernacle came in handy. 😉 I recently went to a recreation of the ancient tabernacle the Israelites used in the desert with Moses and they walked us through the rituals and clothing of the Levite priests.
We had a break and then dinner. After dinner we watched a documentary on Israeli cuisine. I hadn’t really thought about how new Israeli culture is. When I think of Israel, I think of an ancient biblical Hebrew land and Palestinian refugee camps. It’s probably a good idea I’m going to experience it in real life to get rid of my preconceived notions. But Israel is a country made for Jews, established by the British in 1947. It’s young. Jews were coming to Israel before the British / UN established it as a state for the Jews, but they came by the millions once Israel was established as a country for Jewish people. It’s SUCH a blending of cultures. Eastern Europe (Ashkenazi Jews- emigrated after the crusades). The Middle East. Spain. Northern Africa (Sephardic Jews <-- I learned later that term is going out of style though), and then there are smaller groups from every other place in the world. But even among the Jewish population, there's a lot of discrimination around where your family is from. Ashkenazi Jews are treated much better. And if you're Ashkenazi AND Ultra Orthodox? Top of society.
That being said, Israeli culture, language, and even food has been an effort to create a unified Jewish (Israeli) culture from a whole bunch of different cultures. The official language is Hebrew- because that was the language of the Bible and the language of the religion, even though Ashkenazi Jews spoke Yiddish (super close to German, with Hebrew and Slavic influence), they chose a language that would be more unifying.
And I’m not even getting into the marginalization of the Palestinian / Muslim population. The religious and cultural history is insane. Dr. Kaye made a statement about how people ask about the different narratives- thinking it’s Palestine and Israel… but EVERYONE has a different narrative and opinion. There aren’t 2 narratives, there are hundreds. I just hope I can get a glimpse of what those are.
That being said, Israeli culture, language, and even food has been an effort to create a unified Jewish (Israeli) culture from a whole bunch of different cultures. The official language is Hebrew- because that was the language of the Bible and the language of the religion, even though Ashkenazi Jews spoke Yiddish (super close to German, with Hebrew and Slavic influence), they chose a language that would be more unifying.
And I’m not even getting into the marginalization of the Palestinian / Muslim population. The religious and cultural history is insane. Dr. Kaye made a statement about how people ask about the different narratives- thinking it’s Palestine and Israel… but EVERYONE has a different narrative and opinion. There aren’t 2 narratives, there are hundreds. I just hope I can get a glimpse of what those are.
ANYWAY. I won’t bore you with more details, but we really did learn SO MUCH today. I've taken like 10 pages of notes: Modern intifadas. Waves of conflict / wars. Declarations. Sects of the Zionist movement and their beliefs. UN Resolutions. Maps drawn. 2-state solution vs. Federation. Right to Return. Refugee status of Palestinians. Hamas. West Bank. Gaza. I know so much more now than I did 48 hours ago. And I did some research / reading before coming!
It has been a day packed with so much learning! I’ve loved it! And I’m loving the teachers and professors I’m with. Speaking of, my roommate said I could have her leftover cake. 🙌
Tomorrow we fly to Israel and I’m walking early with some of the teachers. So LLAP. 🖖 Love you.
June 27- June 28
Last day in Boston. Woke up today and went on a walk with two of the ladies in my group. Michele and Cynthia. I'm really loving these teachers. We're all good friends already. We wandered around campus. It was overcast and beautiful.
We had Einstein Bros for breakfast and then our first lecture today was on different ethnic groups in Israel and how they interact and define themselves. The other lecture was about the tech industry. I was bored the entire two hours. I can tell you *for certain* that business-talk does NOT interest me. Why is it interesting that the government is investing in VCs? Like, we didn’t even talk about specific businesses. There's no personal story there. I didn't really care about numbers and statistics unless they have to to with people and their behavior. Sure, you could argue there's a connection to people in business, but we didn't talk about that connection.
Anyway, every other lecture at Brandeis, I enjoyed. I’m loving getting to know the other teachers in my group. They’re great. We had a good discussion at lunch.
It was pouring rain by lunchtime. After lunch, we all packed and loaded up on a chartered bus. It's nice to travel quickly and in-style. My other trips are very different. Less bougie. But I can see why people splurge on this kind of stuff.
It was pouring rain by lunchtime. After lunch, we all packed and loaded up on a chartered bus. It's nice to travel quickly and in-style. My other trips are very different. Less bougie. But I can see why people splurge on this kind of stuff.
Our first flight was less than an hour. From Boston --> Newark.
We had a couple hours of layover. I ate a burger for the last time? One of the other teachers, Becky, (who has been to Israel twice) pointed out I could *for sure* get a burger in Israel. But I preferred being dramatic about it 😅
We had a couple hours of layover. I ate a burger for the last time? One of the other teachers, Becky, (who has been to Israel twice) pointed out I could *for sure* get a burger in Israel. But I preferred being dramatic about it 😅
Our gate was blocked off from the rest of the airport. They had us leave our bags on the table and inspected us with a wand. Apparently it's really common for Israel to enforce extra security measures. We also had to be 'wanded' by someone of our own gender. Our guide Rebecca (she's lived in Israel for a few years, considers herself a secular Jew) said in some Ultra-Orthodox areas of Jerusalem, they want there to be a law about men and women using different sides of the street. The mixing of genders is regulated in their culture.
Flying here, there were lots of Hasidic Jews. You might be familiar with the curls (payot) and black hats that Hasidic / Orthodox men wear. As well as prayer shawls. One of the teachers closer to the middle of the plane, Mark, told us that groups of men would come up to pray during the flight. There were a lot of people who took the kosher breakfast / dinner options on the plane. There were SO MANY families / kids on the flight. It was adorable. It wasn't as loud as I thought it would be. At least not in the back of the plane. I had my eye-mask and noise cancelling headphones. I was set. Rebecca (Fulbright guide) told us Israel is like the pregnancy capital of the world.
I sat next to a girl (probably 13?) who was orthodox. She was fairly shy. One of the other teachers, Li'i, on her other side struck up a conversation about her beliefs at one point. We (the teachers of Fulbright) were in clusters all over the plane. Ramona, (teacher in a row in front of me) told me later that during the flight the girl sitting next to me didn't want to wake me up, so she climbed over me to use the bathroom. I felt bad 😅
The flight from Newark --> Tel Aviv was 10.5 hours. It actually wasn't that bad! I spent more than half the time sleeping.
Despite the extra security measures before take-off, getting off the plane was much smoother than I thought it would be. It took like 40 minutes. And most of that was waiting for people in our group.
I got shekels at the airport, and put in my Israeli SIM that had been mailed to me in Utah, and I was #goodtogo
We landed, got on a chartered bus, and drove to Jerusalem.
On the drive to Jerusalem, I learned that farms also have to be kosher. You can farm for 6 years, but on the 7th year you're not allowed to farm (year of rest, similar to the sabbath). If you're growing food, you have to do this to be considered kosher. It's called shmita. But many farmers use a loophole so they can still earn money- they sell or lease their farm to someone who is non-Jewish for a year and take a cut of the profits. Then after the year is up, they buy back the land. Interesting right?
Our hotel is the center of the center of Jerusalem. Eyal. I'm typing this at 3:30am. Because, you know, time differences and sleep stuff.
We checked in and had dinner at the hotel. It was delicious. Then I've just been sleeping / hanging out. I should probably try to get more sleep to adjust to Israel-time huh? Well. I'll talk about this coming week on the JERUSALEM page! ttyl.