The Past Two Months: Turkey

And now…for [one of] the post[s] you’ve all been waiting for (you=the maybe 4 people who actually care to read this), here’s everything you need to know about my trip to Turkey! After much anticipation, we arrived at our hotel in Istanbul at around 5am, and were allotted about 6 hours to sleep before we would begin touring. Our day began at around 12pm, when all 55 of us hit the lively streets of Istanbul, where we all bought corn and chestnuts from little stands. We took a short walk to the Hagia Sophia, one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. The Hagia Sophia was originally built as a church in the year 537 CE, but was later conquered and turned into a mosque in 1453 (it now serves as a museum do to its historical significance). When I first walked in, I was immediately struck by the details of the huge structure. The walls and ceiling of this massive mosque are covered from top to bottom in calligraphic Arabic written in gold, and have many flower-like shaped chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The beauty is so overwhelming; it’s almost impossible to take in everything. The Arabic covered building definitely gave off a mosque-feel, however, when I proceeded up the stairs I felt like I was transported to a medieval church. The walls are heavily decorated with gold mosaics displaying different scenes of Jesus and his disciples. It was a very distinguishable contrast from the rest of the building, and a very visual example of history. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. After we visited the Hagia Sofia, we made our way to the Blue Mosque, an active mosque that was built in the 1600’s. The Blue Mosque was the first active mosque I have ever been to, so it was fascinating to be able to experience a different religion and culture first hand. I covered my hair in a hijab and removed my shoes prior to entering. Immediately upon entering, I got a nice waft of warm, sweaty feet smell—not pleasant. But after about five minutes, I got used to it and was then able to focus my attention on the beauty of the mosque. The windows were all prominently blue stained glass, which stood out amongst the large red carpet that covered the whole floor. Non-Muslims had to remain behind a gate, while Muslims were allowed through the gate to pray. It was cool to see Muslims praying right in front of me, because, again, I’ve never had the opportunity to see Muslim culture and religion first hand. That night, we were given free time and money to explore the city and get dinner. Being the adventurous girl that I am, my friends and I decided we were going to try kokoreç, also known as lamb intestine, which is sold as street food all over Istanbul. Honestly, it really wasn’t bad, except for the squishy texture. We followed our adventurous eating escapade with some doner, or lamb kebab, and then topped off our night with ice cream and a walk along the Bosphorus strait, which is a body of water that separates the Asian and European sides of Istanbul. Our first day was awesome, and I was really looking forward to what day two would bring.

On our second day, we first went to the Ashkenazi synagogue, which was founded by Austrian Jews in 1900, and then went to the Ahrida Synagogue, which is the oldest of Istanbul’s 16 active synagogues. Visiting both synagogues gave me insight on to what life was like as a Jew hundreds of years earlier. It is crazy to think about how active the synagogues once were, and how nowadays, it is difficult for a minyan to be made on a given Shabbat. After visiting these historical synagogues, we went to the Topkapi Palace, which was easily the highlight of my trip to Turkey. In the year 1453, Sultan Mehmed II built the Topkapi Palace, and once finished, it contained his residence, homes for his mistresses, the Supreme Court, the palace school, a hospital and so much more. It was in use until 1853 and in 1960, was opened to the public as a museum. The massive palace is absolutely magnificent. It consists of room after room covered in gorgeous variations of turquoise tiles on the walls and floors. Some of the rooms have chests made from what looks like tortoise shell and mother of pearl. Many of the ceilings are in the shape of a dome, which are covered in tiles as well, and the doorways are topped off with beautiful, gold Arabic letters. Outside the rooms are several gardens, as well as a view of the Bosphorus. It is the most breathtaking place I have ever visited. Every inch of the palace was carefully attended to so that every detail was perfect. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to live in such a dreamy place. I left the palace in absolute awe and was stunned by the sheer beauty of the structure. Right after we left the palace, we were lucky enough, timing wise, to hear the muezzin sing the adhan, or Muslim call to prayer.  Over the course of the few days we had been in Turkey, we had obviously heard the call to prayer over the loudspeakers over and over but it was really cool to see the muezzin right in front of us. To finish off what had already been an incredible day, we went to the Grand Bazaar, which is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. It consists of many high-end shops that sell expensive jewelry and clothing, many Israeli shuk-like sellers, awesome knock-off handbags, cheap, yet affordable jewelry, and lots of other random shops like souvenir shops, carpet shops, lamp shops, and so much more. It was the perfect way to end a perfect day.

Day 3 was a bit less fast paced. We first visited the Ulus Jewish School, which a majority of the Jewish students in Istanbul attend. We had the opportunity to meet with juniors and seniors from the school and discussed what it is like to be Jewish in a primarily Muslim country. They were all brilliant and it was a unique experience to meet Jewish kids just like me from across the world, in such an unexpected place. Afterwards, we went to the Jewish Museum of Istanbul, which held many interesting artifacts pertaining to Jewish life over the years. One thing that stuck out at me was a tzedakah box, which had Turkish (in Arabic letters) inscribed on it. For some reason, I’ve always had this perception that the Jews always stuck to themselves and kept from getting involved within the society in which they lived. But this tzedakah box got me thinking about how immersed into the society and culture the Jews must have been. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I was cursed with a shitty immune system, I began feeling quite feverish right before leaving the museum to meet with the chief rabbi of Turkey, Rabbi Haleva. I knew that meeting Rabbi Haleva and singing for him (Kivunim likes to sing for people, A LOT) would be a once in a lifetime experience, so I pushed myself to participate in song, after which I gave up and called it an early day. Luckily, Kivunim is extremely accommodating so my sick friend and I were taken back to the hotel to rest, because we had a plane ride to Izmir the following morning. The plan was to fly to Izmir at 6am the following morning, sleep in Izmir for the night, return back to Istanbul for half a day and night, and then travel to Bulgaria. I was hoping I would feel better to fly with the rest of the group, but my symptoms only got worse and, therefore, I was unable to go to Izmir. L But I got lucky that the plan was to return back to Istanbul for a night, because I was able to rest up and get healthy(ish) enough to travel with the group to our next destination: Bulgaria.

Overall, Istanbul exceeded my expectations, but more so in terms of the atmosphere of the city. I expected the mosques and historical sites to be beautiful, but I didn’t have quite as high of expectations for the people and vibrancy of the city. I assumed that the city would be overwhelmingly Muslim, which isn’t a bad thing, and, based on previous experiences, that the people wouldn’t treat us Americans so nicely. But I was pleasantly surprised by how lively and cultural Istanbul was. The people were so nice, the streets were constantly jam packed with all different types of people from women wearing burkas to women wearing practically nothing at all (LOTS of prostitutes) and lots of others in between, and the city was overall vibrant. I really fell in love with Istanbul, and I plan on going back at some point in the future.

Up next: the greyest country ever—BULGARIA.

Street food

me being nerdy and awkward at the Topkapi Palace

Inside the Hagia Sofia

Inside the Blue Mosque

Inside the Ashkenazi Synagogue 

Blue Mosque

Topkapi Palace

My golden ticket to the palace

View of the Bosphorus from the palace

The Past Two Months: My stay in Israel prior to trip #1

Before I push this off any longer, I think it’s about time I tell you about my stay in Israel prior to going to Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece. To be honest, nothing much happened during this three-week period so I’m going to make it seem like it was way more interesting than it actually was. Because I haven’t started blogging until recently, it is quite difficult to remember all the things I had done in the three weeks I was living in Jerusalem prior to leaving, as you could probably imagine. So just hear me out as I attempt to put together everything I’ve done in a cohesive piece of writing. 

The first day at Beit Shmuel was pretty hectic, due to the fact that everyone was getting his or her room assignments and we all needed to unpack, as well. Over the following days, we all got settled into our rooms and by day three, we were already starting classes! Woo!!!! We all take Hebrew, different levels of course, Arabic, Perspectives of the Middle East (PME) and Civilization and Society (CIV). I really enjoy the classes I’m taking and surprised myself with how involved I get in class, considering I tend to keep quiet when it comes to school. I mean, I’m not saying every class is eye opening and intriguing and phenomenal, but overall I’ve learned, and continue to learn, a lot of interesting things. In PME, we learn about the Arab-Israel conflicts and all the history surrounding the topic.  In CIV, we learn a plethora of history surrounding the countries we’ll be visiting, ranging from Ladino Culture to Greek Mythology. It can be pretty interesting, and I’m being serious!

Over the course of the first week, due to the fact that we are all legal in this awesome country, us party animals went out probably a little too much for a week in which we had classes at 9am. But it was pretty fun and definitely memorable (most of it at least…), considering we’re all too lazy to go out anymore. Unfortunately, on our first Saturday night, Tash’s birthday, a bit of miscommunication and some unclear encounters occurred and resulted in the firing of our awesome RA, Matt. Having to say goodbye to Matt in the following days was hard, considering he helped me a lot with my anxiety during orientation. But some people aren’t fit for this job, and he has since been replaced with Dahn, who’s pretty cool. Regardless, our first weekend and week was pretty awesome, overall. I went to the Shuk for the first time in years, cried at the Kotel (yes, I actually prayed. Shocker!), saw many people who I had missed, learned some, and partied hard. Goooooood vibes.

The next week was just you’re typical week at the Shmu: typical classes, typical going out. Nothing special. But the following weekend was our first free weekend! I, along with Rachel and Gabz, went with Maya to her home in Tel Aviv on Thursday and couldn’t wait for the really hyped up Halloween party that everyone who is anyone would be at (aka the yeshiva league aka everyone you’ve ever stalked on Facebook). Us four gals dressed up as biker chicks (fully clothed, I promise!) and headed down to the club to partayyyyy. The minute I walked in, I got a heavy waft of cigarette, alcohol and vomit: my kind of party! Kidding. It was really grody and so many people were too drunk to function. It was definitely not our scene but we all made the best of it and had a great time dancing together. The night didn’t end too badly, although the party did not meet our expectations. The following Sunday, all of Kivunim took a trip to the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized. It was actually pretty cool because not only was the Monastery nice, but we also got to see many people getting baptized, a first for me.

The weekend after, I went with Maya and Gabz back to Maya’s, where we would make Shabbat on our own because her parents were out. It turned out to be one of my favorite moments from Kivunim so far. We went to Shuk HaCarmel and purchased fish, and all the ingredients needed to make soup, roasted veggies, and salad. We each were assigned a food task: I cooked the soup, Gabz cooked the fish, and Maya made the veggies and salad. We made Kiddush and Hamotzi and had the yummiest home cooked meal and cutest Shabbat ever. That Sunday, we went with Kivunim to Tel Aviv and had a photography class with the docent of the Reuben museum, which featured a ton of art from Rueven Rueben’s personal collection and is located in his home. It was nice to tour Tel Aviv through the photographic lens, although I found myself taking more pictures of dogs than street art. Can you say #classic?

Then came the final week, which was, again, pretty mundane, except for the free concert I went to, which featured a bunch of indie bands. I had a pretty fun time rocking out to some sweet tunes. We then had our last Shabbat prior to leaving and it was a Shabbat Beyachad, or Shabbat Together, at Beit Shmuel. Having a weekend all together right before we left was very fun, and a nice way to bring us all closer before traveling. The weekend ended in last-minute packing, which was even more hectic than unpacking. Not only did we have to pack for our two-week trip, we all had to pack up our dorms, entirely, because we live in a hostel and only rent out the rooms temporarily when in Jerusalem. Packing was very anxiety filled, however, once it was over, the excitement for my trip set in full force and I really couldn’t wait to see where the next two weeks would take me.

Stay tuned to hear about my trip to Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece!

Soooop

Halloween @mayasface 

Jordan River, Jesus's baptism site

Taken near the Jordan River

Dog from Tel Aviv :)

The Past Two Months: Orientation

Orientation began with mostly awkward encounters with the people I’d be spending the rest of my year with. From uncomfortable introductions to embarrassing name forgetting and all other weird confrontations in between, lets just say the first few days weren’t the highlight of my trip, socially. We stayed in Sde Boker, a kibbutz in the Negev, for the first chunk of orientation. Being that I knew practically nobody at the time, I didn’t want to complain about the dozens of tiny cockroaches I found dispersed around my obviously lovely bunkroom, because I didn’t want to sound like a typical jappy NY Jew. But lets be honest, it was definitely gross and made me cross my fingers in hopes that it’ll only get better from that point onward.

I remember the first night being difficult. The second I lay down for bed, a wave of anxiety flooded my head because the fact that I wouldn’t be returning to my house for nine months hit me really hard. I didn’t want to be alone, so I left my room and joined a group of girls siting in the common area outside the rooms.  I was very homesick, which is unusual for me considering I went to summer camp every year without shedding a single tear when I would leave home. But the fact that I knew I wasn’t coming home for way longer was overwhelming and scary. The following days were increasingly difficult. Although I was making friends little by little, and found them all to be quite cool, I couldn’t shake my homesickness. Having been diagnosed with acute anxiety just several weeks before leaving was difficult, and still is. Before leaving, I barely knew how to cope with my anxiety and anxious episodes on my own, so being in new environment with new people, thousands of miles from my comfort zone, was not easy. I had a terrible panic attack on the third day. I was hyperventilating and lost feeling in my ligaments and was really scared. But my amazing director Jay (now known as dad to most kivunimers) was able to calm me down and reassure me that everything was okay. After that incident, things started looking a little better. I met a couple people I was able to connect with and being able to talk about my issues with them helped a lot. I started making more friends over the course of the next few days, which began my more positive experience. On top of it all, I surprised myself upon realizing how much I enjoyed hiking for hours at a time. Maybe working out is actually good for you? TBD…

Over the course of the next week at Sde Boker, we hiked multiple mountains in the Negev, had some interesting ice breakers and sessions with Peter, chilled with the number one Bedouin expert in the world, Clinton Bailey (or Ambien, as Yali refers to him) hung out with sketchy kibbutzniks, caused a scene at the bar in the kibbutz, and named a couple cats (WE MISS YOU, MICHELLE). Sde Boker ended surprisingly well.

Our next destination, accompanied by Dr. Bailey, was a Bedouin elementary school in which he founded. Visiting the school was a humbling experience. Upon entering “school grounds,” we were greeted with a warm welcome from children as young as 4 to 16 year old teens. Most of the older girls were wearing head scarves, while still dressed in westernized clothing (jeans, t-shirts, flip flops). Many of the kids were visibly a bit dirty and it was clear that they did not come from wealthy backgrounds. These children were all Bedouins, meaning they live in either permanent tents or small shack-like homes in unrecognized villages in and around be’er sheva. After our introduction to the school, we were broken up into groups and assigned a classroom. As I entered a classroom full of 8 year olds, there was an immediate sense of discomfort from both ends, as well as a clear language barrier. I felt like the kids were on exhibit in a museum and I was a viewer appreciating the different culture. It was definitely a weird experience at first. But over the course of an hour the kids warmed up to us strangers, and didn’t want us to leave! They loved my camera and wanted me to give them piggyback rides. They were adorable and I left feeling like their days were made, as well as ours.

After we left the Bedouin school, we traveled to visit Abu Jarabia and his Bedouin family’s small settled area, where we would spend the night. There are few words that come to mind that really embody my experience with real Bedouins. It was awesome, in the true sense of the word. While most girls helped make fresh laffa, a few of my friends and I sat outside the tent with an elderly woman waving around a beautiful stick decorated with beads and colorful yarn. Although the language barrier prevented us from communicating through words, I sat and watched the woman wave her stick around my head while reciting a few words in Arabic. I was told afterwards that it was a fertility stick. So even though she smelled a bit weird and basically gave me a blessing to have lots of kids real soon (look out mom and dad, you may be grandparents soon!), it was an amazing experience. Unfortunately, the night ended in a very pissed off Ariana, due to the fact that all 54 Kivunim students were sleeping in the same large room, while I felt deathly ill. If you can imagine, I didn’t get much sleep, and woke up with a pretty bad cough and cold, and needed a doctor ASAP. The closest doctor was at a clinic in an Arab village in the middle of nowhere—adventure time!!!! Upon arrival at the clinic, I was brought to a room with a doctor who reminded me of my Russian grandmother. She was a hefty Russian woman with long nails and poorly dyed hair. Despite the impression her appearance gave off, she was quite nice and immediately knew that I had bronchitis (I KNEW IT…webmd can be truthful sometimes). I was then given amoxicillin and was on my way. Easy.

Our final destination of orientation, before going to Jerusalem, was Masada and the Dead Sea. Unfortunately, I was too sick to hike the mountain as well as experience the beautiful Dead Sea, but I had a lot of fun hanging out with my new friends in the warm weather and nice hostel. I even got some one on one time with PeetyG while everyone went to the Dead Sea. We went grocery shopping together and it was pretty epic because he bought me shoko ;) I’m still afraid of him, though. Before leaving, we visited Ein Gedi and the Masada museum. It was very fun.

Overall, orientation surprised me. Although my anxiety got the best of me a few times at first (shit happens…), it didn’t take over as much as I thought it would. I was able to break through that tough mental barrier and explore what I was meant to during orientation. I had a really enjoyable time making new friends, experiencing real Bedouin culture, and taking in the beauty of the Negev and Masada. While I was sitting on the long bus ride to Jerusalem from Masada, I couldn’t help but think about how excited I was (and am) to begin an incredible journey with amazing people. Orientation really set the stage for what has, so far, proven to be a life-changing journey that has just begun.

Our first hike in the Negev

The beautiful mountains of the Negev

Beautiful little girl from the Bedouin school

Kindergartner from the Bedouin school

Bedouin woman and her fertility stick

Freshly roasted Bedouin coffee

The Past Two Months: Intro

Due to my inherent laziness, I couldn’t seem to begin my blog until now, so I am dedicating the next few posts to what I’ve been doing for the past two months. Over the course of this time, I have had the privilege to experience a vast multitude of culture, lifestyle and beauty. Since I’ve left Englewood, I have been to four different countries, made friends with 55 new people, have tried tons of different foods, and have learned A LOT; not only have I learned tons of factual information, but I’ve learned a lot about myself as well. The next three or four posts will include my experience over orientation, my stay in Israel, and my trip to Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece, as well as my favorite photos from each trip. Ill try to be brief, but two months is a long time! I apologize for my tardiness in advance…