Israeli Spectacular, isn't it?

Sorry for the delay in posting.  In the past few weeks I finished Ulpan and managed to get an "A" and I have started my real classes at the University.  Yesterday was my first day of classes, which consisted of Hebrew and Jerusalem's Architecture.  Now you may ask, "Julie, why are you taking an architecture course?" ... well, I will tell you! It's an easy class that gives me the opportunity to take field trips around Jerusalem to see firsthand what I am learning in the classroom and I can't do that at IU!  During our first class yesterday, we went on our first little excursion to the roof of one of the buildings on campus which overlooks all of Jerusalem.  This was my second trip up there because my friend and I accidentally found our way up there a few weeks ago while looking for the promenade and we were speechless. The first thing my architecture teacher said when we got to the roof was "Israeli spectacular, isn't it?".  Yes, it really is the most beautiful place in the world and I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to take classes here like Architecture of Jerusalem with a "Kibbutznik" and Issues in Contemporary Halacha with a wise old man who escaped Nazi Germany when he was a young boy.

In addition to my classes, I am also doing an internship through Hebrew Union College.  I am beyond excited to have this internship because it is giving me even more amazing opportunities.  My main responsibility is to advertise the events that are already on the calendar to the students at the International school with me.  These events include a Shabbaton on a Kibbutz, monthly potluck Shabbat lunches, etc.  I'm most excited for the Shabbaton because I will have a chance to lead some of the Shabbat services with some of the HUC Students!  Another part of my internship is to create a few events on my own.  I plan to do a musical Shabbat service at the student village and I'm still brainstorming the other event, but in any case I'm so thankful to have this internship!

Last Friday night I attended Shabbat at a Modern Orthodox Synagogue called Shira Hadasha.  I had heard such great things about their services, so I couldn't wait to go!  A woman led Kabbalat Shabbat, but everyone in the congregation was singing along and making the most beautiful harmonies.  I got goosebumps numerous times and I cannot wait to go back there again!  After the service, I came back to my apartment and my roommates and I made a big Shabbat dinner for some of our friends.  The ten of us squeezed around the table  and shared a delicious meal together and then proceeded to play guitar and sing for hours.  It was exactly what Shabbat is supposed to be.

This weekend, we're planning to go to Eilat which is 5 hours south of Jerusalem.  The weather is supposed to be gorgeous.  I love that I am a 45 minute drive from the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea and only a 5 hour bus ride from Eilat.  I can casually go to the beach whenever I want, it's great!  Also, I finally have my spring break planned and I will officially be going to Greece, Italy, France, and the Czech Republic (and eating Ramen noodles for every meal!- JK.. Kind of :)  Well, that's it for now, back to homework, but I promise to write very soon!

Yam V'Shemesh

"Yam V'Shemesh" translates to "Sea and Sun", which is exactly what my friends and I enjoyed last weekend during our trip to Tel Aviv.  It was such a nice change from the previous week which consisted of me laying in bed with strep/scarlet fever while it rained almost every single day.  When we arrived at the hostel in Tel Aviv, we ran into some friends from Australia that we had met a few weeks before at our friend's hostel in Jerusalem.  It still boggles my mind that we ended up staying at the same hostel as them in Tel Aviv and we spent the whole weekend together.  Our friendship with the Aussie's is proof of how hostels have the ability to bring people together from all around the world.  We also met a British musician who kindly shared his guitar with us, so naturally we spent the whole weekend making music together and meeting a lot of new people.  My friends and I walked all over Tel Aviv, from restaurants to an art fair, to a street party, to the beach, and back to the hostel.  In one afternoon we walked, what felt like, the ENTIRE perimeter of the city.. although that is a bit of an exaggeration.  It was really fun to walk and explore the city and then come back to the hostel and make music with our new friends. It was a wonderful, relaxing, and much needed weekend!

Beach in Tel Aviv-  There were some interesting people on the beach, but we seemed to attract a lot of attention while sitting on the beach and singing/playing guitar.  

 Yesterday, I went to the Old City to pick up my Hadaya necklace.  On the way to Hadaya, my friends and I passed the store that we had purchased scarves from a few weeks before, and Amen (the son of the store owner) remembered us and embraced us with hugs.  Of course we went into the store and made about an hour long pit stop on the way to Hadaya because there are so many beautiful scarves and pieces of jewelry.  It's a family owned store, so Amen's brother makes a lot of the jewelry.  My friends and I decided that this store is our favorite in the Old City and we plan to buy ALL of our gifts for our family and friends there.  After we finished shopping, a few of us went down to the Kotel to pray.  I've decided that I will visit the Kotel as many times as I want throughout the next 5 months, but I will only go up to it and pray when I really feel that I need to.  I don't want to forget how important and special it is to me, especially since I have the ability to go there whenever I want over the next 5 months.  As soon as I turned around from walking back from the Kotel, I heard/saw a group of soldiers standing in front of the Israel flag singing "Hatikvah".  As soon as "Hatikvah" ended, the call to prayer immediately began and it echoed all around me.  I got chills and had another "Wow, this is the coolest country ever!" moment.  All in all, things are going back to the way they were before I was sick and I am so thankful.  L'hitraot for now!