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.
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| Before painting a playground in Givat Ram |
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| After painting the playground. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| The town center of the village of Peki'in which is home to people of many different faiths, including Druze. |
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| 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! |
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| One of my friends Eric at the carnival in the Mercaz Klitah. |
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| My friend Jonathan and new friend Fares at the school in the nearby Arab village. |
