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]