Getting Settled In

So the past couple days since my last post have been very busy. Although school and orientation haven't officially started, I've been running around getting things for my apartment, having campus tours, etc. Before I go over what I've been doing lately, I thought I'd fill whoever is reading this in on some funny things that come with the territory when living in Israel. First; I had to get basic supplies which included this handsoap. Try to figure out what is wrong with it...


In Hebrew the description definitely doesn't say anything about being "soapless." I'm really not sure how a soap can be "soapless" or what on earth they were trying to translate this too... but i'm pretty sure whatever english message that was supposed to be on the label did not work out like it should have.

The next fun fact is that to get to school I go down Lincoln street. Here Lincoln is pronounced link-o-lin. You have to love awesome mispronunciations and bad translations.

This past Sunday the HUC interns (older students who are here for the summer to help get us acclimated) put on a 4th of July bbq/picnic. We went to a really cute park called liberty bell park where we had a giant potluck. It was a great chance to get together and spend time with everyone that had arrived in Israel so far. Since then, many of my other classmates have arrived, and more continue to get here daily. Orientation starts Monday, so I think everyone should be here by the end of the weekend.

On Sunday I also went on a tour of my amazingly beautiful campus. The campus is located right outside of the old city (ancient part where the western wall, dome of the rock, etc are located). When HUC got the land in the early 1960's it was considered no mans land because of it's proximity to Jordanian territory where it would receive a lot of cross fire. The Israeli government really did not support the Reform movement, so it would only give HUC land that was considered crappy real estate. That crappy real estate has now turned into one of the absolute best bits of land in the city. From one of the buildings on campus, there is one of my favorite views of the old city. I'm having problems putting more pics on right now... but I have a bunch of pics of campus on facebook.

On Monday I walked around the old city. From campus into the old city takes maybe 10 minutes. To get to the kotel (western wall) from the Jaffa gate where I entered, you have to go down hill a lot. So naturally to get back you have to go up again. I was with a group of people and we were all content to wander, so somehow our wandering took us on an uphill journey that must have lasted at least an hour to get back out. (It DEFINITELY shouldn't take this long.) That night I went to a lecture by Rabbi David Hartman at the Hartman Institute. I really had no idea what this was going in; but was just told that he was really important and old, so it would be good to go. While I still am not a hundred percent clear on the Hartman Institute, I do know that it is a big pluralistic organization that supports Jewish thought and education. The room was full of rabbis from all over America, and everyone around me was running into people that they knew. I had no expectations of this because I knew that none of my rabbis were in Israel. As the doors were closing and the lecture was about to begin, I saw the mom of a girl I used to go to preschool and middle school with. It really is a small world, and in Jerusalem it is ten times smaller.

Speaking of running into people, I was with a group of people going to a nearby mall to get things for our apartments and I ran into another friend from home. He has a place in Jerusalem that he and his family stay in for the summers, and it turns out we are basically neighbors. I ran into his parents again when I was walking to school this morning. So far I have been here 6 days, and have already randomly run into three people that I know. I absolutely love this city!

Tuesday night is official HUC bar night. Since this is not America; soccer is a really big deal here so everyone watches the world cup. We all met up at a cool bar where the entire area outside of it was basically transformed into a theater. There was a giant projection screen onto the building, and hundreds of chairs set up. It was packed! I just got back from watching another game (Spain vs Germany), and I actually followed it pretty well. If you know me... you know I don't watch sports (unless it's the nola saints this past year); so this is a pretty big deal.

Lyla Tov (Goodnight)