Shalom me Yafo! (Hello from Yafo)
As you all know, I'm spending this upcoming year living in Yafo, Israel, working with mostly kids and some adults in the area, educating and helping the community with the areas they need help with. Yafo is a beautiful city connected to Tel Aviv, but certainly has its own character. I'm going to try my best to update at least twice a month, as well as video blog for younger students of mine.
Here's a quick update:
After landing in Israel with Jodi (another participant on my program) we met Benji, Izhar and Dan- some of the Tikkun Olam coordinators, to drive to the apartments in Yafo. They dropped us off, gave us keys and set us out to wander and explore the neighborhood. It was surreal, and literally so as it was hotter than I've ever known! We wandered for a couple of hours around the flea market, into the old city and the Souk (Arabic for shuk/ market). All along the way streets were bustling with Arabic and Hebrew, about half and half, and there were plenty of stores, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and apartments buildings all spread out around the city.
The following day, after a good night's sleep we met the entire group at the Daniel Center in northern Tel Aviv and then after some introductory sessions, headed off for the 4 and a half hour drive (one of the longest drives possible in Israel) to Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava, near to Eilat. We spent a week at the Kibbutz getting to know each other, swimming in the Kibbutz swimming pool, exploring our Jewish and Zionist identities and exploring the Arava desert. We went on two great tiyulim- one to climb the red mountains behind the Kibbutz, that then overlook the three Kibbutzim in the area and look right over the Jordanian border. It's truly AMAZING to be sitting so high up that you can look right at Jordan. The other trek we went on was to the Kasui sand dunes, which are huge "mountains" of sand that stretch out farther than you can see, and the sand is so fine that it feels like velvet when you touch it. It may just be the world's greatest sand box.
Today, we left Kibbutz Ketura sadly this morning, and returned to Yafo, where we spent the afternoon moving into the apartments, getting a tour of the area (Benji our madrich pointed out all of the great places to eat and grocery shop) and then headed out to the super market, the "Super Shuk" to buy what we need for the next few days. Tomorrow is Erev Rosh Hashannah and because that is a two day holiday that then leads right into shabbat, most of the stores in the area (some are still open because the neighborhood is very Muslim) are closed until Sunday. My housemates are excited to celebrate the New Year together, and I will be sending my love from a far as I will be in the Beit Shean valley celebrating the chagim with cousins on Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu. I'm very excited to see them and to spend holidays with extending family for one of the first times in my life.
Reactions:
Being at Kibbutz Ketura felt a lot like being at summer camp. The announcements in shabbat were done in rhyme, and all of the meals are communal. The kibbutz, although it is very American in that many of its members are Americans who have made aliyah to Israel and they speak a lot of English, it is still very true to the model of the first kibbutzim in Israel and remains very socialist. It is a great feeling to be walking around in such a nice, close knit community where everything is provided for you, and you work for the benefit of the group. Of course, there are many issues with modern day kibbutzim, however, the idea of living in a 24 hour intentional, Jewish community, was incredible to see in action.
Grocery shopping in Yafo was quite the experience today. We had a lot of fun stocking our kitchen, however, it was tough finding everything in Hebrew and checking out at the koupa. Things we now know for next time: 1/4 kilo is "reva kilo" not "hetzi kilo"- not even when you panic at the last second. Learn how to say "breast" as in chicken breast before we go back. Barley, although it looks like brown rice, really isn't. When they ask you "1, 2, 3, or 4" at the register, were still really not sure what it means, but we're pretending it means how many times you'd like to pay. Probably not. Israeli cashiers often tell you to switch lines when they really just don't feel like serving you. Don't eat the bakery bread in the grocery store because chances are it fell on the floor while it was being stocked, and then was just naturally put back in the pyramid.
Regardless of lessons learned, I am loving Yafo and can't wait to start ulpan and choosing my volunteer placements this coming Sunday.
Chag Sameach and Shana Tova to you all! May you be inscribed in the book of life.
Signing off to Beit Shean!
Amy
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