Challah Gidola
Mood:  happy
Topic: Pomegrantes
Hello again from Jerusalem. I am sitting sipping freshly squeezed pomegrante juice for third day in a row. Way better that wheat grass or beet juice or... Anyway, I heard that some people were having trouble accessing the blog or making comments, so on behalf of Tripod, my sincerest apoligies, please do try again. (I don't know why it happened).

As the new month is approaching, I've been accumlating lists of lists of lists of things to do in the next month, in the next year, in life. I've also made a Shabbas Perfect list, er, that is the things that allow me to enjoy the potential that Shabbas has to be special. (Thanks Rebecca for the idea!) Its all about living up to your potential, performing at your best, and paying the most attention to those that you want to love and grow with and from.

Speaking of Shabbas, I happened to be witness to the most massive garagantuian boulder-sized challah ever created on the face of the universe at the Machlis' home. It fed at least 60 people on a come one, come all Saturday afternoon. It took 5 or 6 people to speed slice it AND it was tasty. Speaking of Tasty and Lists, I bought the 7 species of the Bible for Shabbas nosh from the Shuk on Friday:

Dates
Figs
Olives
Grapes
Barley
Wheat (Whole Wheat Pita in this case)
and Pomegrantes.

Highly recommended. Especially on a beautiful sunny day when it feels as though the air is hugging you and your friends are the types to do parawetts in courtyards or stay up until 3 am reading poetry by TS Elliot. On many levels, it was a much-needed happy Shabbas.

--

Some highlights from my studies:

You don't become a banana when you eat bananas.
Instead of checking your stocks, check your stockings.
The Talmud says that for every 1,000 women, there are 1,000 individuals, but not the same for men.
In egalitarian shuls, why don't men light Shabbas candles too? ( why is it only the women that take on male mitzvot like kepas and Torah reading?)
Do we all know that we are to feed our pets before we feed ourselves? and Rambam said that animals should be free to roam on Shabbas. (think factory farms, oy va voy)
And why did G-d create the taste of Veal? BMWs? Pretty girls?
May we all have growth personalities and...
Shlita-- the Talmudic phrase that was found in the diaries of the first mate of Christopher Columbus that is a blessing such that we should all live longs lives.
And lastly, jealousy is absurd because everyone is average.

Love to Everyone,
Suzanne Jerusalem

Spelt Hazarah
Topic: The Look of The Lioness
Shavua Tov Loved Ones. I haven't written in a bit, I've been...

I went to Pardes for a day in Talpiot. A really unique place. Its a mixed gender, non-coercive, college-graduated Jewish learning place. But, really, its like Flirtfest 2005. Which really proves the point home about being a prude and studying with the girls. In our seminar style classroom, the 4 men totally dominated the dialogue and the girls made sure to show their collar bones. Not that they are wrong to do so in their secular-minded head, its just that they don't know the other version. The truth is that it was exciting to learn with boys again, but distracting because I am a human...

Another reason why I love this country-- There was this old man with a long white beard and long black coat riding his motorscooter past me. He pulled into a parking lot and reached for his cane that was slong across his chest like a messenger bag and hobbled into the grocery store. And I might mention the 5 shekel charge for the shopping cart that I absolutely refused to pay. I don't come from one of those families that pays the $2.50 at the airport for one of those push carts. Allthough, we did occasionally do skycab. Anyway, needless to say I carried my carrots and peanuts and wafers until I reached the check out line. I notice the other Haredi shoppers and their full carts around me. And its all the junky overly processed and packaged crapola that they are impatiently waiting to buy. Its really beyond me that people who are so conscious of their actions are so clueless about having a healthy diet for themselves and their 10+ kids. And, beyond that, in Harnoff they mostly still carry their American accents. Mammish Haval.

I bought my first Siddur the other night. I went to Moriah in the Old City with my friend Rebecca from Highland Park. She bought the paperback, slim version. I went the more extragavant route with a blue leather-bound women's edition of Artschroll with an embossed picture of the Kotel on the cover. I was really tempted to go down the steps and brake it in. But I am saving the occasion.

This Shabbas was a semi-fiasco and at risk of typing Lashon Hara, I will keep it brief and nameless. The home of 11 children had its bevy of Yiddishkeit to the nth degree. Their parents had brought over frpm NY every single Chachki that they had ever collected circa 1963 and displayed it proudly throughout thier crumb filled home. Yes, their couches were covered in that so not-faux yellow tinged plastic WITH a thick coat of dust. Yes, orange chairs, antiquated plastic fruit, and even vintage wig stands. I shared my experience with another Neve girl and we shared our room with an obese Israeli woman that snored louder than the 680 Kincaid version of Dad, louder than a coanstruction site. It was yet another bizarro Shabbas. I hate to say it, and maybe I shouldn't, but I was just counting the hours before it would be out. No more ultra-ultra for me. No more black hats for at least a little while.

Has anyone else read '100 Days of Solitude'? I've been investing my time reading it.

OH, and I visited my future possible Kibbutz Ulpan this week too. Its a whole nother bubble. It was ok. I am still processing the whole experience, trying to choose the best way to spend my special time here.

There other events and ideas floating around, but all for now. Please keep comments nice nice. Motorcycles are rad but attacking Isreali men and what not is somewhat distasteful. My apologies if this is not new info to anyone.

Best,
Suzanne

Some Quick Thoughts to Share
Mood:  blue
Topic: Hot off the Griddle
In class, I learn quirky idioms to help frame my learning. I share with you:

To make an omlette, you gotta brake eggs.
-Stalin

This is meant to comfort you for when you hurt innocent people in order to obtain your goal.

"There are morning girls and girls in mourning."

This is what Rabbi Kass said this morning when only 4 girls showed up for the 8:30 class. ha.

Later, he included in his lecture: Its never a mitzvah to be lost, only a mitzvah to be found.

Very fitting, indeed.

All for today. Going to a Haredi Bar Mitzvah tonight.

-Scuzi-

NightTime Rain
Mood:  blue
Topic: Visit a College Town
Hi all... Thanks everyone for your comments, its uplifting to know that people are reading and reacting. I want everyone to know that I think of you-- at the Wall, in transit, in my prayers.

I've settled into my dorm room at Sem. One of my roomates has already left. She was a feisty Ex-Brit with no patience for my drone-like classmates. Twas totally understandable. Sem. is like nothing I've ever seen before. The cafetaria is really an experience. Imagine 800 picky Jewish girls dressed in below the knee black skirts dancing about buckets of hot, low-quality kosher cafetaria foods and being yelled at by unhappy Israeli workers. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. I've invested in tupperware and take my food to go. I prefer to eat in peace, by the window near the lavendar and rosemary bushes that I can smell from my room. But anyway... I didn't go there to eat. I came to learn. Its funny, cuz I don't remember loving Hebrew School all that much. But this is really interesting to me now, and its all the more meaningful because its by choice. I have 4 classes everymorning, 1 in the afternoon and 2 at night. Its a little intense somedays. I take long walks everynight, thankfully with my friend Ilana. She is only 4'11', so she really has push herself to keep up with my stride. ha. She has been studying longer than me, and gives me great advice WITH sources. Its still amazing to me how many texts there are to explore within Jewish thought. A lifetime's work, indeed...
This past shabbas with my first on my own, er, not visiting a Torah-observant family. I went to visit a friend in a college setting in BeerSheba. We went to a Chabad house on Friday that would be worth mentioning. It felt like a bizzaro dream where everyone there was a character that meant something else. I learned about the importance of smell and that we all have 40 stations until we reach the place that we should be. Think of smelling salts after you faint. Thats how you reclaim your soul. I also played Scrabble and won! (Laur- Can't wait to play against you!)
We visited the coolest Memorial high up on a mountain that was a surreal adult play ground-- mazes, tunnels, echo chambers. Its also a really nice campus with friendly Americans and Isrealis. Especially the Ethiopians, what hospitality.

This week, I will return to Sem. more focused. I'm really starting to miss home, miss Portland, miss Stash Tea, miss the Dept. of Ed., and sisters, and... At least I got new bedding, ah, new bedding.

Send me letters or sweet, supportive thoughts.
Come to Isreal! and I will either show you around or cuddle!

Suzanne and Company

Sitting Under a StairCase
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Simchas Torah
Finally, the last of the Hags have passed. Not to say that it wasn't a superb month to be in the Land, but its honestly a bit tiring. Its like every other day is Yantiff here.

Tsfat was amazing for Simchas Torah. The first night, I went to an all women's minyan. We danced and sang and meditated together. They borrowed a Torah from a conservative shcul and each woman got to hold it while the other women danced and sang around her. What an oppurtunity that I never would have drempt of. I couldn't help but smile wide while I held it, but afterwards I felt incredibly drained and wept. It was amazing and intense. Thirty-odd women loving G-d and surronding me with their energy. Tsfat is really something else.

I lucked out for my meal placements, too. I fulfilled the mitzvah of eating on Simchas Torah at a professional cook's table. Yum Yum. The family served fresh basil and garlic butter with superior challah, homemade miso soup with a Shataki base, brown rice with spicy bean chili, toasted pecan and cabbage and red onion and more... Needless to say, it wasn't your typical Jewish menu. The family was very religous and silly. They sang the After Meal blessings with the tune of the Beatle's Yellow Submarine. They mentioned that 'Yesterday' works as well. Theres a lot more to be said, or not, on this subject....

Today I enjoyed Sfat without the holiday. A series of snapshots of my day:
A walk at dawn around the anciet graveyard
A nap
A very succesful trip to the best Shook in the Land
A visit to the bank, the post office, a bookstore, many galleries, a soup kitchen (just observing), a falafel sandwich being re-rolled half way through by another eater, a stoll with my room-mates and new friends, an elegant dinner at the Art Cafe overlooking all of Sfat, and now here, writing in this blog.

All said, while my day was stellar, it is a very sad day for Israel. I need to read more, but my Yahoo says 5 were killed and 21 injured. Disgusting.

I want to write more, but my time is up.

Love,
Suz

A quick Note before Going To Tsfat
Mood:  amorous
Topic: dance and Fate
To Everyone that Is Reading:
Please don't go too long without dancing.

Last night, at the Moshav Modiin's Sukkot Music Festival, there were hundreds of hippy happy Jews swinging and swaying. It was nice to see.

Switch Topics Besheart--

How do you know its The One? Being here in Israel, I feel swept away by all this love and potential. I think Jewish belief says that you have something like 18 soul mates and you should just pick the right one. I am really open to anyone's thoughts on this topic. Please.

Bird's Eye,
Suz

Shake Your Lulav
Topic: Trail Blazing/Helping
This morning I got up at 6 and walked around the dessert adjacent to Ben Gurion's grave. I am staying with my friend Vicki's sister and family for Sukkot. They are a warm and happy young Jewish Baul Teshiva family with a one year old running around in his diaper. Baruch is from NY and Karina is from Toronto- he is here getting his masters in Environmental Sociology-- certainly a field of the millenium. She is an artist- a photographer, singer, painter. What a couple. No matter how many dishes I do, it seems that I can never repay them for their hospitality. Until one day when I host all of you who will come to visit me. AHEM, Alisa.

The sukka party was great, they decorated with tapestries and orignal art instead of the more standard Jewish plastic. They invited friends with drums and we sang Jewish songs all night. One of the meals was Japanese inspired Vegan and Kosher-- in my life I never thought that I'd eat SUSHI in a sukka. yum yum.

At night, Vicki and I take short but long walks. Sometimes we see shooting stars or climb incredibly big rocks. (I must convey that rock climbing in long skirts adds a whole new difficulty level -- Tamari) Um, if anyone ever asks why I came here, its for this week here right now if for no other reason. And besides, if you squint your eyes for long enough, the sand looks like snow...

Now that Jewel has ended, I have lots of pictures to put on the web. Check the link at the bottom of this page. We are already planning our Jewel reunion for Sunday, Alisa's B-day. It'll be in Jerusalem at Rebbinson's Eisenbach's sukka. We will shake the lulav and make plans for Simchas Torah. I think I will go to Sfvat.

Toasted pine-nuts inside of hummus,
In the Negev,
Suz

yom kippo
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: new old city
Some music makes you wanna move your feet, other music makes you want to move your hands.

I spent most of the Yom Kippur fasting in bed reading a book by Akiva Tatz but drifting in and out of thoughts of the past, thoughts for the future. I went to some part of services, but I wasn't really feeling it. I really missed Dad, I think its the first year that I have 100% fasted without him. Its incredibly meaningful to fast with your family -- to stand amongst each other and smile with support. That is what I conclude. And instead of yummy apple pancake from Walker Brothers, we had bagels and cream cheese and sweets from Jeff Seidel and then later from Rabbi Byrd and his wife. Incidently, for all you North Shore readers, Rabbi Byrd went to Deerfield High School, was a Phish-head, and now married a lawyer and lives in the Old City. Small, small Jewish world. So small that I happily ran into a PDX friend Eric by way of Amber 3 or 4 times this holiday. Thank Hashem that we finally met and that we are both here in Israel. (I've been reading his e-mail journal for about a year) We have a lot in common and he seems like he is a good friend.
Its is Ramadan too right now, so lots of people were feeling the Jerusalem air with hungry bellies. Most of the Old City was covered with the color of white. We stayed at the Sephardic Center again, our final outing together as the Jewel group. Next week, I am traveling to the Negev to stay with the Sister of another Jewel girl. I'll be there for a week, hiking and in nature, celebrating Sukkot.

Warning: The statement made below may me disturbing

Kaparas

We didn't have such a thing in HP. But it is the custom to swing a chicken over your head and say a prayer before Yom Kippur. Here is Jerusalem in She'arim and Gi'oolah, there are chicken booths on every corner. The smell is aweful. Across the street from the booths, the shochet slaughters the chickens by cutting a slit in the throat and then punching it into this cone shaped bin. The shochet puts the knife in his mouth while he is handling the chicken. Then, he tosses the dead bird into a pile in a bucket. Eventually, the chicken is sent to a needy family. It was sick. I guess the modern Orthodox have developed the custom of swinging money over your head and that fulfills the obligation. Also, women don't have to do it, their husbands can do it for them. Phew.

Old Hen,
Sjuz

PS- Its getting colder here. I wish I had a pile of sweaters.

apples and honey
Apparently it is the time of year when Jews want forgiveness. So I should start by apologizing for all the wrong that I have done. I forgive you for anything you have done too.

I had the best shabbos this past weekend ever. I went to Harnoff and visited my future possible seminary home called Neve. I stayed with a nice and encouraging couple and ate by the Keydorfs from Boston who were the kind of religious Jews I could be around everyday. Everday that I am here I learn more about the various factions of Orthodoxy, the range is impressive to say the least. Walking through the Breslov area feels like another century to me. I love it.

As for my hebrew it is the same as when I was 14. Which is good and bad. Good because I haven't lost any of it, I can read/write in both print and script. I can get around with directions and numbers and whatever. But its at 6-year old level. I feel so deeply proud of myself when I can read signs without vowels and understand them. I feel doubly proud when I am reading texts and can understand words from their roots. At least Hebrew is a fun language and Ulpan is one of my favorite classes for sure. Morah Rosenberg is my teacher. She is from South Africa and has a great big smile and sometimes pinches my cheeks while I sing. I often go to nighttime Ulpan feeling tired and I always leave giddy. We sing our songs while we are walking from Ramat Eshkol to the Old City and little children will sing along as we pass. Its perfect. There are so many children here. I wonder if there are more kids or wild cats?

Today is the last day of the Jewish year. It also marks a month since I got here. A month without TV, Movies, Radio, Magazines, a bicycle, domesticated cats, organic fruit, college life, a real bed, my family, the Northwest,

Suzanne

cell phone
Mood:  happy
Topic: pelefono
Hi. I got a cell phone today. They have a very stange system here. Every different company charges different rates for calling different companies and its all very needlessly complicated. If you aren't an Israeli citizen, you are forced to purchase phone cards. Anyway, my number is

050-541-8536

It doesn't cost me anything for you to call me. If it is international then it is 00972505418536.

I think that is right, I hope. Time for dinner.

Suz