In this blog post, I will give an update on current events and my volunteering situation. Then I will discuss my thoughts on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and share my experiences from an amazing OTZMA seminar. My next blog post will include more pictures and videos.

Current Events and a Personal Update

I am in Arad right now when I should be in Netivot.  I should be in Netivot mentoring kids at Youth Futures and tutoring math at the Netivot Science Center. I should be in Netivot planning a race to attract runners and walkers from throughout the Negev to run and walk for a good cause.  However, due to a rocket barrage from Gaza forcing everyone in Netivot to stay at home near their bomb shelters, I am temporarily stationed in Arad.

Since Saturday, terrorist organizations in Gaza have launched over 150 rockets into Southern Israel.  Each rocket results in city-wide sirens, emotional trauma, and God forbid casualties.  The cities of the South are living in fear.  Netanyahu, Israel’s right-wing Prime Minister, continually asserts the unacceptability of rocket fire from Gaza and the fact that all forms of Israeli response are on the table.  Yesterday, there was talk of a cease fire negotiated with the help of Egypt.  Even after the cease fire was declared, several rockets were launched into Israel.  

Because of the cease fire, my hopes that I would move to Netivot on Sunday increased.  Then, late in the afternoon, the Israel Air Force killed Hamas' military commander Ahmed Jabari in an airstrike.  The cease fire that was already broken by four rockets from Gaza was shattered with that assassination.

Members of Knesset (the Israeli parliament) from Israel’s left said of the attack, "assassinations are not the answer." However, most other Israeli MKs praised the killing of the terrorist leader "with blood on his hands."  I personally think that killing Jabari is justifiable – but whether or not it was the correct choice depends on if it will act as a deterrent or an incitement of more terrorist activities.  I fear it will act as the latter. Rocket attacks increased dramatically after his death – turning what seemed to be a de-escalation into a full blown military operation.   As if the rockets aren’t scary enough, Egypt’s response to the assassination sends a chill down my spine.  Egypt's Morsi praised the "martyrs" in Gaza and condemned Israel - not even mentioning the rocket barrages from Gaza.

I can easily envision a beautiful and thriving Israeli society that includes Arab citizens and Jewish citizens living side by side.  I can imagine a future where the Palestinians of the West Bank live in a peaceful state next to Israel.  But to be honest, I have trouble even imagining a peaceful future between Gaza and Israel.  With Hamas at the reins, there is no hope for a lasting peace in which the Palestinians of Gaza can thrive.

I believe strongly that I should get to Netivot as soon as possible, so I wrote a letter of appeal to my program coordinator.  It is copied below.  Clearly the situation is different now than it was three days ago.   All I can do now is hope for a deescalation.  I'd go at a moments noticed.

First of all, I want to thank you for looking out for my mental and physical well-being.  I have learned so much on this program and really appreciate the incredible and unique experiences that I have gained.  However, I strongly disagree with the decision to postpone our volunteer placement in Netivot.  I feel this way for the following reasons:

1.  I do not believe that my life will be in danger in Netivot.  The increased danger caused by proximity to Gaza is known to me, but I also know that the increased danger is small.  I know what I am getting into insofar as mental and physical risks are concerned.

2.  I believe the support and impact I will have in Netivot will be magnified, not threatened, by the increased tensions.  In fact, to not come, would send a message that is not in line with my values and beliefs.  I want to stand next to children in the Saligman Center and tell them that I am not afraid - I do not live in fear - and neither should they.

3.  I am a Zionist, and therefore I believe that Israelis living in Netivot should have as much of a right to work with American volunteers as those living in Haifa.  I believe that terrorists in Gaza should not impinge on those rights.Perhaps most importantly, I am confident that I will have the strength to communicate with you and ask to be moved if I feel uncomfortable with my living situation in Netivot.

Sincerely,

Marc Hendel

Conflict and Hope in the West Bank

Last week we had an amazing four day seminar called "Conflict and Hope."  We heard from professors, an Arab activist, a Rabbi from the organization Rabbis for Human Rights, a Palestinian Liberation Organization spokesman, and Jewish residents of the West Bank.

TEKOA

When they told us that we were going to spend Shabbat in a settlement, I was excited and scared.  I needed to do some soul searching - was I perpetuating discrimination simply by spending Shabbat in a settlement?  I have heard that settlements are a hindrance to the peace process, that they are filled by ideological zealots, and that they oppress their neighbors.  To put it simply, after that Shabbat, I had some rethinking to do - my stereotypes were blown out of the water.  I was hosted by some of the nicest people I have ever met.  They were a modern Orthodox family with seven children, ages 10, 13, 16,18, 20, 22, and 24.  Both parents were artists and moved to Tekoa because they wanted to live in a mixed community of secular and religious Jews near Jerusalem.  Tekoa was cheaper than living in Jerusalem, so they moved there from Philadelphia.  After one night I felt like I became friends with all of their children.  Their community was so special and warm.  I asked them all of the hard questions I had about living in a settlement.  I heard from many of the settlers a story like this - just because there are Palestinians who want to forbid Jews from living in a certain place, that is not reason create a Jew-free region in the West Bank.  Also, the settlers do not oppress the Arabs, and in fact support them in several ways.  It gave me a lot of food for thought.

Picture of Tekoa with Arab village in the distance.

PALESTINIAN LIBERATION ORGANIZATION

The next day, we spoke with a PLO negotiator.  [Just to be clear, I am not a fan of the PLO or its leaders, many of which have terrorist connections.] He described the PLO's hope for a secular Palestine that included Gaza.  He opened up the talk by explaining why the PLO is refusing to negotiate peace with Israel.  He said that every time they negotiate peace, Israel builds more settlements, effectively decreasing the territory of a potential Palestinian state.  He also stated that the Oslo accords created a Palestinian state on the '67 borders, so why should they need to negotiate? He said that for these reasons,the PLO wants a freeze on construction in the settlements before starting negotiations.  All in all, he said nothing surprising, but did have some zingers such as "Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is just an organization that occasionally uses terror" and "the rockets from Gaza aren't that bad."  It was hard to sit through, but I am glad to have had the opportunity.  Thanks OTZMA.

BREAKING THE SILENCE

One of the last speakers of the seminar was from an organization called Breaking the Silence.  It is an organization of Israeli veterans against what they call the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.  I asked the speaker the following question - "What is wrong with a city like Tekoa, built on an abandoned mountaintop on land legally purchased?  It is a loving community and it seems to coexist well with its Arab neighbors."  The speaker answered me by saying that the fact of the matter is that they will never have equal rights with their Arab neighbors because their Arab neighbors do not have a say in the government that controls them [because they live in Area C, governed by Israel, and the Palestinians most likely are not Israeli citizens].  Therefore, settlements, even peaceful ones near Jerusalem, are not sustainable and will be forever unequal as long as the occupation continues.  I believe that in the future, most settlements will be incorporated into Israel proper, making his response moot.  Then again, it would be hard for me to agree with him so soon after my amazing experience in Tekoa.

HOPE

If there is one thing I learned from this past week, it is that almost all Israelis and Palestinians want Israel out of a majority of the West Bank.  In order to have a Democratic and Jewish state, it is a necessity.  There can be arguments about who controls the airspace, who will rule Jerusalem, and what the borders will look like, but I believe a two state solution is possible [I still need to do some thinking about where Gaza fits into this picture].  The issue is not simple. Everything from water rights to the Palestinian right of return need to be negotiated, but I believe peace is possible.  I believe that it will involve Israel annexing most of the settlements and the PLO forming a Palestinian state with the remaining land.  Perhaps it will include Israel giving extra land to Palestine in land swaps.  My hopes for peace are difficult to fit in a paragraph, but I would like to hear yours.  Feel free to email me at Hendel.Marc@gmail.com with some of your ideas about how to create a lasting peace.

This post will be centered around pictures and video of Tishrei, the Jewish month that is chock-full of holidays.  Enjoy reading about:

1. The most diverse party ever in Haifa
2. Rosh Hashanah in Jerusalem
3. Meeting Fares' family in Deir El-Assad
4. Karmiel Running Club

Bar Gafri insists that we met when I was in eighth grade at Loggers Run Middle School in Florida while campaigning to be Band Vice President.  All I know is that by my senior year of high school, Bar and I became great friends. When I went off to WashU, she returned to her birthplace, Israel.

Bar is one of my best friends in this country, so when she invited me to a gathering of her friends in Haifa, I couldn't resist.  Bar spent a year studying at the Technion, one of the best engineering universities in the world, located in Haifa.  She warned me ahead of time, "there are going to be a lot of Anglos at this party."

I step in the door, and the place is packed with, what seems to be, every modern Orthodox non-native-Israeli in Haifa.  People were from Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, France, and of course, the US.  It was a blast meeting all of those people and getting even closer with Bar.

I traveled to Jerusalem for Rosh Hashanah with my friend from the trip Jenn Maggin.  When we arrived, one of our generous hosts, Simon Stratford, took us straight to the Shuk, the open-air market, to buy some supplies.  I couldn't help but snack on a round honey challah while we shopped (see above).

Ellie Tepper, Simon Stratford, and Scott Gellman, all first-year Rabbinical students, took us under their wings.  They were the best hosts anyone could ask for.  Services at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion were amazing.  It was an excellent Rosh Hashanah day, but the adventure was not over.  The next day, Scott, Jenn, and I went exploring in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre 

Roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre 

We explored all around the Old City, including inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where it is said Jesus was crucified and buried.  It was very exciting to go from the church to the Western Wall - visiting two major pilgrimage sites within an hour.  Jerusalem is a special city indeed.   I also took a short video giving a panorama of the Old City.

One of my biggest adventures of the past month was biking over at night to the neighboring Arab Village of Deir El-Assad to eat dinner with my friend Fares.  I met Fares when OTZMA visited his high school English class.  I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to meet him and travel there.  There are many Jews in Israel who spend their entire life without setting foot in an Arab village.  In the Galilee, the northern region where I live, Arab villages and Jewish towns coexist peacefully in close proximity.  Karmiel, where I currently live, really offers some unique opportunities.

When I arrived on my bike, Fares' family was waiting outside.  I talked politics with Fares' father who is a big Obama fan like me. His mother insisted that I speak as much English as possible with Fares and his younger sister Sarah (on the left in the picture) so that they can improve their English. After a delicious dinner of liver, I raced Fares' brothers on my bike around their street.


The first meeting of the Karmiel Running Club is a week from today.  I can't wait.  I have been distributing flyers around town and working with Karmiel's government to promote it.  I look forward to giving you updates!  It will be hard to pull people away from the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, but I still believe there will be good attendance.  Remember, tell all your friends, Ofira Park, Karmiel, 19:30.

As always, feel free to email me any questions, and thank you for reading!

Marc Hendel - Hendel.Marc@gmail.com

Stories from the North

Boy do I have some great stories for you.  Stories that make me beam whenever I reflect on them.  Not just stories, but הרפתקאות (adventures).  I've been in Karmiel now for about two weeks.  It's sad to think that I only have two more months in this beautiful city.  Because it has been so long since my last blog, I have many stories.  Some pictures are at the bottom.  And by the way, my new phone number in Israel is 058-4-HENDEL


Hanging out in Dayr al'Assad

One of the best parts of OTZMA is the all-day education trips.  This past week was about "Minorities in the Galilee."  We had an amazing trip to Peki'in where we learned about Druze culture and saw some great historical sites.

Before heading to Peki'in we visited the Arab high school in nearby Dayr al'Assad.  We talked frankly with the students and their English teacher about the experiences of an Arab Israeli citizen.  How does Hatikvah, Israel's national anthem, make them feel?  What about the Jewish star on the Israeli flag?  How did they feel during the second Lebanon war?  The answers were direct, yet unsurprising.  Many felt left out, unwanted, and discriminated against - but they all expressed hope for change and a sense of belonging in their own city.  The teacher talked about how the first opportunity she had to have a Jewish friend was when she was 22.

I hope the same won't be true for the student who I talked to named Fares.  He is now my friend on Facebook, and I'm  hoping to ride my bike over to his house for dinner within the next few weeks.  I really want it to pan out.  The trip was my first time having deep conversations with Arab-Israeli citizens - and I hope it is the first of many.


Y'rushalayim Shel Zahav

We were assigned our adoptive families on the Tuesday after we arrived in Karmiel.  A wonderful mother named Orly picked me up from in front of the Mercaz Klitah (the immigrant absorption center in Karmiel where we OTZMAniks live).  As we drove to her nearby moshav (best translated as small village), she taught me a valuable Hebrew lesson.  It turns out that one of my favorite words in the English language doesn't translate well; that word is "excited".  We had a little conversation in basic Hebrew that I will translate below:

1.  I am very excited to eat dinner with you and to meet your daughter.
2.  Don't be excited, it will be okay
3.  Why should I not be excited?  I am hungry and I like to meet people
4.  There is no reason to be excited,  it is just a simple meal.  And my daughter speaks English very well.

That is when I learned that the word I thought meant "excited" means something more like "anxious and impassioned."  Lucky for me, there was nothing to be anxious about.

It was a small house with three rooms - a bedroom, a bathroom, and a living room/kitchen.  The 14-year old daughter explained to me the many different types of cheese laid out on the table, and we played the game "Labyrinth" after dinner.  The most amazing part, though, was the post-dessert performance.  After some pressure from yours-truly, the mother and daughter played a duet of"Y'rushalayim Shel Zahav" on recorder.  The song, which means "Jerusalem of Gold," was written by internationally renown Israeli-songstress Naomi Shemer.  That was one of those moments where I said to myself, this is what Israel is about.

Northern Running Club 

Karmiel is a great city, but it's missing something important.  Many people run on its wide sidewalks and biking trail, but they run individually.  Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem all have their respective running clubs, so why not Karmiel?  I will do my best to start a running club here in Karmiel.

I also hope that Karmiel's geographical situation, surrounded by Arab villages, enables the running club to become an group that celebrates the common bonds of all Israelis, regardless of religion or ethnicity.  Optimistic?  Sure.  Impossible?  No way.

Bike Adventures

I really wanted to buy a bike in Israel.  I feel like you get to know a place best when you travel through it on your own power.  With the help of my friend, Bar Gafri, who moved to Israel after high school, I went on the Israeli version of Craig's List, Yad Shteim (second hand).

And the adventure began! With the addresses and phone numbers of bike sellers in hand, I took off across town with my friend Jonathan.  After visiting three different homes, I bought a yellow mountain bike for 350 shkalim ($87.50), and rode it home.  It was way too small.  Of course, I found the perfect bike shortly after getting home.  After talking with some of the other fellows on OTZMA, I was able to sell my mountain bike and buy an awesome triathlon bike, bike shoes, and a pump without breaking the bank.  I hope to ride everywhere on my bike, and maybe even earn back what I payed for it in public transportation costs.  Not to mention, the process of buying a bike opened new doors for me (please see the bike picture below).

Mazel Tov

It's a Saturday afternoon, and I am quietly reading The Four Agreements, given to me by Dean Kiefer as a graduation gift, in the park across from the Mercaz Klitah.  A couple arrived in full wedding garb and started taking pictures.  They were getting married that evening.  I continued reading my book until I was startled by a police loudspeaker.  Breaking through the Sabbath peace and quiet, I heard MAZELLL   TOOOOVVVV!!!!  I laughed and cried with happiness for a good three minutes.  It was another one of those moments where I said to myself, this is what Israel is all about.

Ready, Set, Volunteer

We kicked off our volunteering in Karmiel by putting on a carnival for the kids of the Merkaz Klitah. I also work Monday and Wednesday teaching English at the local elementary school.  I love it!  During periods without English classes, I go to play dodgeball with the kids.

Day Trip to Haifa

I visited Nitzan, my friend whom I met three years ago at Jacobs Camp, in Haifa with my friend Hannah.  We ate Chinese food, which was hard to come by in Karmiel.  It was a blast.

Before painting a playground in Givat Ram

After painting the playground.

Israeli Folk Dancing in Karmiel, a city known for the largest Israeli dancing festival in the world.  My parents have been doing Israeli dance since they were children.

A giant used book store in the "indrustrial quarter" of Karmiel.  In reality, it is just a section of town that is zoned differently with many cool shops.

The town center of the village of Peki'in which is home to  people of many different faiths, including Druze.

I asked to go riding with a teacher at HaDekel.  Next thing I know I am driving to Nahariyah with  a borrowed mountain bike to go on a bike tour.  It was awesome!

One of my friends Eric at the carnival in the Mercaz Klitah.

My friend Jonathan and new friend Fares at the school in  the nearby Arab village.

A Shabbat Encounter (Contact Info at Bottom)

On Friday, something incredibly cool happened.

The night began with an sweet shabbat experience.  Although us OTZMAnikim came from diverse geographic and religious backgrounds, we seemed to all know the same tunes and prayers.  In fact, walking around Kibbutz Almog, our home for shabbat, I overheard people from around the world (from Spain to Israel to Russia) all reciting the familiar verses.

After dinner, fellow OTZMAnik Gwen and I decided to embark on a shabbat adventure.  Kibbutz Almog is located on highway 90 next to yam hamelach  (the dead sea), so naturally we decided to attempt a walk to its shores, despite the Kibbutz' location in the West Bank.

Not surprisingly, thirty seconds into our adventure, we came across two female soldiers playing an intense game of cards at the gate of the Kibbutz.

They immediately made room for us at their table and the conversation flowed.  The girl that was more comfortable with English inssisted that we speak Hebrew to her.  I was happy to oblige.  They were both religious, and therefore avoided using electronics or technology unless absolutely necessary for their army duty. A man from the kibbutz drove by in a truck with a kettle of hot water and freshly picked mint leaves in tow. The fairer skinned girl went to make the tea.  Soon after, we heard a crash of pots and pans as the darker skinned girl jokingly jeered, "'shkenazi" (implying that Jews from Eastern Europe couldn't cook as well as Jews from Spain and Morocco like herself).  I am always pleased when I get the punchline of even the simplest jokes when they are in Hebrew.

That's when things got interesting.  A group of military police came up to the gate and explained to us that they were "border defense."  They were less inclined to speak Hebrew.  I became really confused when they kept on repeating, and supposedly searching for, a sakin (a knife).  Lucky for me, they simply needed the knife to cute up mangos to be shared by everyone.  I found out that the four "border defense" men came by for nothing more than companionship with their co-soldiers in the region on night-shift.

I got in a little debate about the upcoming b'chirot (election) with the eldest male soldier.  He looked to be at least 45 years old.  When I asked him his age, he said "ani yeled ben esrim v'acaht v'cheitzi" (I am a 21 and a half year old boy.)  Once again, I was overly pleased at my ability to understand the joke and I couldn't stop laughing for several minutes.  It was a hilarious way to end the night.

Here are a few pictures of two hikes we took in the Negev Desert near Ein Gedi (spring of the baby goats).  I think each one is worth a thousand words.  Feel free to email or call me with any questions.  My contact information is below them.

Climbing toward the light on the steepest ladder-less part of the hike.

An ibex at the start of the hike

One of the many springs from Israel water shelf that make this an oasis in the desert

Millions of years of erosion combined with huge tectonic shifts to create this awe inspiring landscape

Email: Hendel.Marc@gmail.com

Phone: 052-604-2357  (NOTE: I am paying for all of my friends, family and fans to call me in Israel for free!!!  Simply email me for the calling card number and the simple way to dial)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mdhendel

Letters: 
OTZMA
POB 7400
91073 Jerusalem
ISRAEL

Packages (please email me beforehand):
OTZMA
King George 48
3rd Floor, Room 386
Jerusalem, Israel

Two Down, Many More to Come

I feel like I am on the precipice of my life's greatest adventure to date.  Tomorrow, I will embark on US Airways Flight # 796 from Philadelphia to Israel.  Before I take off, I want to reflect on two of the many experiences that helped me decide to become an OTZMAnik - an OTZMA fellow.  Please enjoy these two stories - the first is serious and the second is quirky.  I hope my next year will be filled with serious learning, quirky adventures, and service to the people of Israel.

In January 2011, I was participating in an Israel program affiliated with the Orthodox movement.  The program was based in Jerusalem and its participants attended a yeshiva class each morning.  This journey showed me an Israel that Birthright, my first organized trip to Israel, did not.  The Orthodox program was thought-provoking and set the stage for one of the best conversations of my life with Or Shachar, an old friend from URJ Henry S. Jacobs.

Over a small meal, we discussed politics, culture, and Or's personal experiences in Jerusalem.  That meal revealed to me the extent of the religious and political diversity of Israel. Or and I talked about the world of secular liberal Jews in Jerusalem. We discussed how people can live in the same city while facing different realities.  Coming from St. Louis, I was well aware of the different worlds created by wealth disparity, but never before was I faced by the different worlds created by religious beliefs.

That conversation helped me realize that there was so much about Israel that I didn't know.  I pledged then that I would return to find out more for myself by talking to more Israelis from all walks of life.  Although Or and my Orthodox trip organizers didn't pray in the same way or dress similarly, they both were very proud of their city and their people.  The unity among Israelis, despite their differences, fascinated me.

The unity among Israelis has presented itself to me in many different ways.  One quirky experience that demonstrated this best occurred after I extended my Birthright trip in January 2010.  After visiting my friend Nitzan in Haifa, I traveled by train to an inexpensive hostel on Elifelet Street in Tel Aviv-Yafo.  On my first night, I took an extended stroll through the streets.  When I found myself in the heart of the city, I looked for any sign of nightlife. I followed the muffled thump of a sub-woofer down a flight of stairs into a dance club filled with a great cross-section of people.  There were religious and secular Jews.  Olim Chad'shim (new immigrants) and natives. Arabs and Israelis.  People who were gay and people who were straight.  After engaging in great conversations for about an hour, I was ready to return home.  What came next shocked me.

The man I was talking to stopped abruptly in the middle of his story.  He simply stated, "it's starting."  Next thing I know, the entire club starts dancing in perfect choreography to Israel's Eurovision songs  (skip to 4:00 for my favorite songs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yctH5a7h8H4).  It was awesome to see such a diverse group of Israelis dancing in unison to this contemporary music.  I wanted to be a part of that group.  I wanted to know their stories.

Now I get a chance to return to Israel and become part of the magic.  Here I go!!!

[Upcoming blog posts will include my contact information, my plans and schedule, and more fun stories]