Holiday Experiences in Israel

I feel bad that I have not been writing. This has been an important time of year for the Jewish community and me. This is the High Holiday season. In this month we have one holiday after another. And they are the most major holidays in our modern time. For both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur I stayed on the kibbutz. For Yom Kippur it was the first time ever that Kibbutz Ma Agan Michael had a religious service!! It was a big thing. Orthodox Jewish from outside came, with a Torah and prayer books. It was very special. The service was very beautiful and lively. The people leading it were very honored to be leading the first service at this kibbutz.

I fasted, which is customary. I did drink water though. I was at all the services. Also with me, was my co-worker from the laundry, Sofit. You have heard me talk about her; she took me to the Orthodox wedding. Well, this was her first time in a holiday service. She liked it a lot. She said that she might not go next year to the entire thing, but she wanted to see the parts that she really liked.

In the afternoon there is a break for about 3 hours. Sofit and I walked down to the cemetery on the kibbutz. It is really beautiful and I got to learn so much history. Then we took a big loop back to the kibbutz on the beach.

In the last 2 weeks the weather really has begun to change. That day the beach was really windy. Good thing we had shawls the cover our faces because the sand was brutal. (Thank you to Wynona and Galen for the beautiful shawl you gave me before I left LA. It really has been so special, because I am not allowed to wear a prayer shawl like I am use to in the US. SO the shawl was like my imaginary prayer shawl).

In other thoughts and news:

Note: These are all just random things that have happened in the last few weeks.

*I went with my friend Danny to his family again. It was really special because they asked about me if I would like to come. So they came and picked us up and took us to their home right outside Tel Aviv. This family is so sweet. I think they must think Danny is my boyfriend. They cooked a really nice, but really simple lunch. And it is so nice to eat real food. WOW. Then after the Shabbat lunch, one of the daughters asked me if I would like some of her clothes that she didn’t want anymore. I ended up getting a few really cute things. Also I got my first Israeli sheets. I was so happy. I took all the clothes to my work in the laundry, because they donate them to the poor. When I left their house, the mother gave me a big hug and said, “I love you Liz. If you ever need anything please call.” It was so special.

*I saw the movie Kingdom Of Heaven. I remember Ben having seen it in the US and telling me I should see it, because it would help explain a lot of history, of this land. The kibbutz shows movies every week in a little theater. I really enjoyed watching this movie. It was not the best “epic movie” I have ever seen. But I think Ben was right. It did give me a different feeling about Israel and its bloody history.

*I have had really good and interesting conversations with fellow Ulpanist about what it means to be Jewish. It is really interesting because here we all are, 23 countries represented, over 10 languages. All looking at other Jewish habits and asking, what makes a Jew? What do other Jews do? Zac from Greece never heard of eating apples and honey for the New Year. Omer from Orange County said he doesn’t usually go to religious services, but when he does, it is Orthodox. And Sharon from Germany said that any woman trying to wear a prayer shawl in German would be kicked out of the synagogue. One of the Kibbutzniks my age, didn’t know what a minyan was. (A minyan is the 10 men needed to hold a religious service. In reform temples it can me men and women). It was really interesting because it shows me there is no right way to do anything. Even though some of the people I talked with seemed to thing there is one way to be Jewish.

*In the newspapers after the Yom Kippur holiday they published all the births on Yom Kippur, all the people that got hurt, etc. It was really interesting. It really feels like a small town.

Last night I must have gotten food poisoning. At about 11pm I started to get a tummy ache. And it just got worse and worse. I kept thinking I would probably throw-up. And after not throwing-up since I was probably 7 or 10, I did it. I just want my mom, I kept thinking. I felt better and went to sleep. But for the rest of the night I kept waking ever hour to throw-up. It was awful but finally at about 5am I got everything out of my stomach. I don’t know what happened, but I think it was food poisoning. I was really glad that my roommates were out of town, because that would have been gross and disruptive for them. So today I didn’t work and have just been drinking tea and sleeping. They had applesauce at the little market here on the kibbutz. And I got some couscous to eat, because I think I need to eat something real. It was quite an experience!

So I will be taking it easy till I know that this stomach trouble is gone.