December

After our trip to Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece, we were lucky to have a long stretch back in Israel. Upon our arrival back from Greece, we got right back into the groove of things at Beit Shmuel. We started classes the day after we got back and, to be honest, it was sort of a relief to come back and start school again because the trip was really exhausting.

The first weekend back artist Tobi Khan came and gave us a few lectures on art and photography and different artists, which I really loved because lately I’ve been trying to improve my photography skills. On Friday morning at 5am, Tobi took us to the old city to experience the area through a different lens; literally—it was kind of like a photography class. He told us to focus on light and how each little light affects the image and view. It taught me a lot about keeping a strong focus on where light changes and hits the ground, structure, building, etc. That Sunday, he brought us to the Israel Museum, where we got to spend a few hours exploring the incredible art there as well as get a closer look at James Turrell’s light exhibit, which I loved. He spent about 4 days with us and I really enjoyed what he brought to the table. That same weekend, my dad came to visit me after having a meeting in Istanbul and I couldn’t have been happier! I was lucky enough to get a few days with him and they were so awesome. It’s a shame I wont get to see him again until April, but luckily, Mama Rona is coming in a month! I can’t wait to see her! Anyways, the following weekend was a free weekend, but because we were scheduled to meet with the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem at the monastery on Friday, I ended up choosing to stay in that weekend. Unfortunately, the Archbishop couldn’t meet, so we met with the Patriarch instead, which was really cool. He gave us a tour of the monastery and then sat with us for about an hour speaking with us and allowing us to ask questions (they even had a butler(?) serving us scotch and candies). Although I was unhappy that my free weekend plans wouldn’t work out, I thought it was really awesome that I had the opportunity to meet such an incredible person.

Sunrise by the Kotel

From the early morning Old City tour with Tobi Khan

I know it's blurry but there's something about the blur I really like...

Israel Museum

Cutest dad ever + Roladin

The following week was quite hectic because I had finals, a tri-lateral simulation, two essays due and on top of it all, it was Hanukkah so I needed to find lots of time to go to Roladin and eat as many donuts as possible. On Wednesday, we had our tri-lateral simulation, which was basically a mock negotiation/discussion between political parties such as Likud, Hatnuah, Hamas, Fatah, Egypt as the mediator, and more that I’m forgetting. We were all assigned to a party then broke up into five groups that contained two people from each party. I was assigned to be Hamas, which was awesome because I was able to be as ridiculous and as radically extreme as possible—something that never gets boring. The simulation lasted 3 hours and I had such a great time with it. Although it was a mock negotiation, it taught me a lot about politics and how hard it can be to accomplish anything political. It was an awesome interactive learning experience.

Me and Mel as Hamas

The following day, a group of students from Baqa Gharbiya (Palestinian/Arab city about an hour outside Jerusalem) came to Kivunim to meet with us and discuss the struggles they have experienced, and their goals for the future of Israel and Palestine. It was interesting to meet with kids just like me, with the same educational and occupational goals, experiencing the opposite perspective. One girl spoke with us about Islam and kept saying over and over that Islam is a religion of love and peace, and not a religion of terrorism. This was really sad to hear because it is unfortunately true that many people associate the religion of Islam with terrorism. What she told me definitely put into perspective the kind of prejudice she and so many others must feel due to their religion. A few days later, we all went to Givat Haviva, a secular kibbutz made up of both Arabs and Jewish Israelis. We met with a woman names Lydia and discussed the topic of Arab Citizens of Israel and the Palestinians. We spoke about what they share in common and where they differ and we learned the story of the divided village of Barta’a (part of which is in Israel, part of which is in the West Bank under the PA but with a security fence running 3km behind them, creating a sort of “no mans land” although divided into Areas B and C under the Oslo accords). We learned all about the history of Givat Haviva, and its current goals to accomplish peace. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything the organization stands for, however I really enjoyed learning a new perspective. After our information session at Givat Haviva, we went to Barta’a, to the security fence. At the time that we did all of this I wrote down in my phone, “We went with a woman from Givat Haviva to a checkpoint leading to the West Bank. The whole area gave off a very uneasy feel and impression. The Israeli soldier patrolling there yelled from across the street in Hebrew  זה לא מקום נעים   "This isn't a good place." He told us we needed to get back on the bus and get out of there right away. As we gathered together to leave, I turned my head and made eye contact with a woman behind the fence, walking through the checkpoint on her way to work in a nearby factory. We smiled at each other, which evoked confusing feelings. It's sad to physically see the separation right before my eyes and even sadder to realize that two people can't just come together as people because there are too many politics involved that would need to be disregarded.” This was one of the first times I seriously thought about my beliefs regarding the politics between Israel and the West Bank, and one of the first times I didn’t even understand what I stood for anymore. That short second of an interaction I had with that woman is something I will never forget.

After a shocking experience by the checkpoint, we loaded the busses and went to Al-Qasemi Academy in Baqa Gharbiya. At the school, we met with five female students who were studying English as a major. We had a Q and A with them, where we asked questions about what its like to be a Palestinian living in Israel as well as questions regarding what it is like to be a female Muslim. The session was really eye opening and informative, and I learned a lot about a culture I am not familiar with. The women were all really sweet and it was cool to have the opportunity to discuss peace goals with them. After our session and tour of the school, Kivunim took us to Ben Gurion airport, because it was finally the start of our winter vacation and most people were flying that night. I returned with a group of 5 to Maya’s home in Tel Aviv and spent the night preparing for my 7:30am flight Amsterdam!

The three+ weeks spent back in Israel before winter break were chockfull of learning and unique experiences that only Kivunim could provide. I appreciated everything we did within that time, but after it all (especially finals) I was definitely ready for a nice and relaxing vacation.

Up next: Amsterdam and winter break…

ugh I love cats