What It means to be part of the people of Israel ( the Jewish people)

5-10-16

Being Jewish has always taken on different meanings throughout my life,its transformed from just looking forward to presents on Hanukkah to having a bat mitzvah and then experiencing Jewish summer camp, something that truly has changed me in so many ways to the person I am today, then today being here on EIE has truly changed what it means for me to be part of the Jewish people, although EIE has been a huge influence on me , in the past couple years I have viewed what it means to be part of a the Jewish people so differently. I have had many things that have happened that have put things into perspective of how I view being a Jew. The Jewish people are part of something amazing. Not only because of how long we have survived, but we have a certain aspect to us that makes us incredibly strong willed and brave. We are a people who have this amazing ability to be so brave and stand up for what we believe but also be people who value being kind and making a difference. It is our responsibility to learn why we are this way, to look at our incredible history and take pride in being a people who have done incredible things. We are about one incredible thing , community.

Anti Semitism In Madison Wisconsin

 5-10-16

Madison Wisconsin , beautiful in the summer and spring , exciting in fall and a cold winter ghost town. My whole life I have lived in this small city appreciating the nice people but also realizing the ignorance that comes with some people in every place. Although Madison is considered a pretty liberal place there is still things that happen that do not make it seem that way. Recently in a local Jewish paper in Madison there was a occurrence of antisemitic graffiti drawn on UW Madison campus. Because of this some of the community has come to together to solve this problem. This includes some of the black community in Madison because they have experienced some of the same things. This makes me incredibly happy to see people in my community come together. It really makes me think that sometimes we forget how easy it is to come together as a community because of common experiences , which can truly make a difference. Although this aspect  of a community coming together is really amazing, it still brings up one more question, the rise of antisemitism on campuses. Many of the people who were Jewish who came together because of this noted of their experiences of antisemitism in the 70s and 80s. I truly believe that this is an issue that is a huge white elephant in the room, that no one wants to talk about. Just like I have talked about in my Jewish history class , today antisemitism has taken the shape of anti Zionism today, because of peoples lack of knowledge of the conflict in Israel, It is a debate between whether this is cloaked as antisemitism. College is supposed to be a place to find yourself , but I truly hope people dont use that as an excuse to put down some people just because of their beliefs. I want to live in a world that by the time I go to college ( which is sooner rather than later ) I will be able to find a way to teach people that learning about the situation is more important in order for you to understand.

Passover and Y'am L'yam

5-1-16

Over this break of 10 days we all experienced many things. All of us went to possibly our first Israeli Passover and experienced hiking from sea to sea. The most changing part for me was hiking from sea to sea. Y'am L'Yam was like no other camping experience.One thing I have to address is, camping for almost everyone is almost never the most comfortable experience. I turned out to have a terrible cold during the whole trip. Although this happened, and although every day was far from easy, there was something incredible and intriguing  about this 5 day journey. The first day was sweltering hot and we hiked up the Mount Meron. Although It was beautiful , appreciating the hot hard day up the mountain took some time. As the journey went on although some days were easier it still was a mentally challenging trip. It was very easy not to have a positive attitude while hiking but I tried my very best to. Although I tried I am also guilty of complaining. In the end of the last day, we rode bikes the rest of the way to the Mediterranean sea. Lets just say I was three words... A nervous wreck. I do know how to ride a bike but past experiences have scared me so much. Jumping on that bike terrifying. As I nervously rode down, I saw the Mediterranean sea span in front of me like the opening of a theater curtain. My nerves turned into a sense of being proud that I had did it, walked to the Kineret to the Mediterranean. I biked longer finally reaching the clear blue waters of the beach, spending the day there filled with happiness. I am writing this blog not to only describe how beautiful it was but to say what I learned from this. EIE has been full of things that have made me truly appreciate Israel and made me reflect on who I am and who I want to become. Because of these 5 days I not only saw Israels beauty, but I learned how strong I have become because of EIE. There is still a month left,but I have learned by doing things like this trip here that I am able to learn so much from seeing the world. I have connected everything we have done to not only being a better Jew but I better and stronger person.

"The Israel Problem" : Article response

4-23-16 

This week I read the article "The Israel Problem," By Donniel Hartman. This article addresses the Idea of how modern american Jews view their connection to Israel. He believes that we are getting more and more disconnected to it, but it is not our fault. Although I can see where he is coming from I can only agree partly to this statement. A new generation is continuously finding a way to support Israel. This is not everyone but I do believe that as the connection fades another part strengthens. He believes that we as american Jews are in a transitional period. In some ways this could be true, but I do not believe that there is necessarily a disconnect , but the way some people who dont know enough about Israel is not good. The disconnect is knowing enough about it. In american media it is hard to know enough about Israel because it is not shown enough and when it is it is not in a accurate fair way. There is no side that is to blame for this situation, but this is why programs like EIE are important. We can inspire people to want to know more about Israel, not necessarily politics, but the culture and beauty

Orthodox Speaker Last Week

4-18-16

Last week we had a ultra orthodox speaker come and talk to us as a continuation of us learning about the different streams of Judaism. There is no other way to say this- we were all deeply offended. This was of course expected, but we were prepared to be open to other opinions and tried to be as respectful as possible. As I sat there I thought about one thing that we have been taught throughout our experience on EIE, be able to defend yet be open to be angry and be open to others. One thing that I knew he was going to say was that  we, as modern american reform Jews, we were not considered Jews to him.  Although I predicted this, I cannot say I was ok with this.  One thing that I really value as a reform Jew is the sense of community and the strength that connects Jews in a common thing. So because someone does not consider me Jewish, although I can respect their opinion, It hits me in a wrong way because those values are a huge majority of why I am proud to be Jewish. I strongly believe that there needs to be a middle ground  between the orthodox and reform and everything in between. I say this because it IS unity that connects the Jewish people and I believe after all that we have been through It is worth sharing the sense of pride in Jewish values

Learning about the modern period

4-11-16

Since we have been back from Poland , we have started off learning about the modern period of Jewish history. It has all begun from the rise of Zionism. We have learned about the belief in a Jewish state since I have came on EIE but it being the main part of our conversation has made me fully understand it. I know know why the Jewish people needed the Jewish state. We have also learned about the rise and fall and multiple aliyahs. These all tie into the idea of a jewish state. Seeing how this all happened is different from everything we have learned about in jewish history so far. We always go to the sites where the history happened but it feels different this time. Since we are in the modern period it seems to be more relatable. I have learned a lot of things here and they have made me proud to be jewish but since it is easier to relate I have been particularly interested in this. I feel more interested in something that has happened more recently

Article Response: Goodbye to the Reign of the Rabbinate, Hello to a New Era of Judaism

April 10 2016


In this article it talks about the new generation of Judaism. There is less attention to asking people like a rabbi for help for most young people. It also addresses the aspect of the Israeli government changing. People are not going along with Heredi part of the government anymore. This can be viewed as a good thing and a bad thing. The way you view this article can vary on what you believe. Our generation is constantly changing so thats why this article was written. Because of this change we have the ability in Israeli politics to form a new set of values. People are not necessarily able to change the laws but it can be something powerful, the more reform some things come could be viewed as a more open society. If the people feel that going to someone like a rabbi for advice is not necessary to them then it isint. Overall this article addresses the fact that the powerful changes that the modern society can have

Poland Essay

          Elliana Bogost

April 7, 20116

The country of Poland appears to me as a bleak and dark place.  The history of twentieth century Poland is filled with many horrible things.  For the Jewish People, Poland represents the past.  Poland was a place where many Jews resided before 1939.  In fact, before WWII, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe.  However, even before WWII, anti-Semitism was on the rise.  Once Nazi Germany invaded Poland, the handwriting was on the wall.  Even though Jews were a very small percentage of the population of Poland, they had been successful compared to their population and this gave rise to anti-Semitism.  Therefore, when I visited Poland, as a Jew, one cannot help feel an overwhelmingly sadness.  Knowing that at one time this country had a wonderful, thriving Jewish community and then it was completely wiped out.

        We visited the town of Tycocin, which is a run down small town with only a couple thousand people in it.  But before WWII, there were at least a couple of thousand Jews that lived there.  The Jewish people lived in Tykocin and worked there.  They raised families and built lives for themselves.  The town was once known as a shtetl.  The Jewish people spoke Yiddish and even though there was a lot of hatred toward the Jews after WWI, there was a very vibrant Jewish community.  The town of Tycocin before WWII represents life.  The small town of Tykocin was a very active place.  Jews worked in different areas.  They spoke Yiddish, Polish and Hebrew.  It was a lively placed filled with families and businesses, schools and synagogues.  Jews had lived there since the 1500’s.  However, in 1941, the Nazi’s marched in and were ordered to kill all of the Jews of Tykocin.  Over 2000 Jews were marched into the forest and shot to death.  They were taken into the Lupochowo Forest and shot by the Nazis in the summer of 1941.  A thriving Jewish town, which was filled with life, was now obliterated.  The Forest is now forever, the symbol of death.  At this moment in time, the town of Tykocin died along with the Jews.  It has never been the same.  There is the blood of the murdered Jews that runs through the forest.

        Even though the Holocaust was filled with horrific acts of humanity there were many times that brave and courageous people did their best to stand up to the Nazis, even though they were facing death.  Janus Korczak was a Polish Jew who was a Doctor, and author.  However, he also ran a Jewish orphanage.  There were almost 200 boys that lived in the orphanage.  In 1939 the Nazis made Dr. Korczak move his orphanage into the Ghetto.  In August of 1942 German soldiers came to get the orphans.  The Germans were familiar with Dr. Korczak because he wrote famous children’s books.  The Nazis offered to let Dr. Korczak go free but he refused.  He wanted to stay with his children.  He told them that they were being moved to somewhere nicer.  He never told them they were going to die.  They were marched through the streets in their best clothes.  He was holding their hands and they were taken to Treblinka to never be heard from again.  It was an act of defiance that he marched with his children.  He did not what them to go to their deaths alone.  Even though the Nazis murdered them, Dr. Korczak won.  He refused to leave his children.  He tried to protect them until the very end.  He wanted them to go out with dignity.  He gave his own life to make sure they did not have to march to their deaths without him.  There were others that defied the Nazis.  There were nurses who poisoned sick Jewish kids because they did not want them to die at the hands of the Nazis.  It was in defiance of the Nazis murdering the children.  There were thousands of others that defied the Nazis, whether physically or mentally.

        Rabbi Emil Fackenheim survived the Holocaust and believed that there should be a 614th mitzvah which is basically to believe in God and be a Jew even in the face of what Hitler did to the Jewish people.  It is also to make sure that Israel exists and Jews must make sure Israel survives.  There are 613 Commandments and Rabbi Fackenheim believed that this should be the 614th.  I think that the idea of not allowing Hitler to win is very important.  I believe that every generation of Jews that exists shows that the Jewish people will not die out.  Every Jew owes it to the Jews that were murdered by Hitler to carry on our faith.  It is difficult to understand how something so horrific could happen to six million people.  It is understandable that people may lose their faith but it would be worse for the Jews to turn away from their faith as the survivors.  It is important to never let the world forget.  After so many of our people were murdered simply for being Jewish, those of us who are born into freedom must be sure to carry out our faith and make sure we never die out for the memory of our ancestors and for future generations.

        The Holocaust was horrific and when standing on the land of where so many of our people were slaughtered, it is so overwhelmingly sad to think that the world stood silent.  It is frightening to see similar things happen today with refugees all over the world.  It is difficult to understand how humans can treat others like animals and even worse.  However, the wonderful thing is that the Jewish people have survived and the State of Israel is here and thriving.   We must be leaders to the rest of the world to help those that cannot help themselves and make sure that the Holocaust never happens again.  

The difference between Oral Torah and Written Torah

3-24-16

Elliana Bogost

Jewish History

March 25, 2016

In Judaism there is the written Torah and the oral Torah.  The written Torah

refers to the five books of Moses.  The oral Torah refers to the laws, statutes and

Jewish code that were not written down in the first five books.  They were oral laws

passed down from generation to generation until finally after the destruction of the

Second Temple in 70 CE, they were written down.  The Oral Laws consist of the

Mishnah and the Gamra, which combined, are the Talmud.  The Orthodox Jews

believe that the Oral Law was passed from God to Moses and Moses needed to

interpret God’s will and teach to the Jewish people. The Oral Law reflects the

interpretations on the Torah by various Rabbis over the centuries.

There are different examples of how the Oral Law interprets the Written

Law.  For example God tells us to not work on the Sabbath.  However, the Torah

does not tell us what kind of work he means.  Therefore there has to be oral

interpretation to determine what kind of work is not allowed.  Another example is

that in the Torah God tell the Jewish people that they must slaughter an animal from

their herd.  However, there is no written law on how to slaughter the animal.  The

Mishna tells us how to slaughter to make the animal kosher.  The written Torah is

strictly interpreted and the Oral Torah is commentary, however they cannot exist

without each other.  In the Written law, the Torah demands an “eye for an eye”.

How does a Jew interpret this?  Does God mean that if someone destroys your eye,

you must literally take his eye?  The oral law helps us understand that what God

means is that what someone does to another person the other person must also be

punished in a similar way.

The Oral Torah allows for much more interpretation.  The fact that it

remained oral for centuries allowed for different interpretations.  When a law is

interpreted from Oral tradition it becomes more flexible.  Generations have passed

down their own ideas of what the laws are and made them more applicable to the

time period of each generation.  Because the Talmud is based on oral law, the rules

are not as strict.  There is much more room to analyze and learn from what

generations have handed down to us.  The written law does not leave much room

for different interpretations and therefore the written law is much more difficult to

apply to modern Judaism.

The Modern Reform movement does not take the Oral Laws literally.  They

view these laws with their own interpretations of modern day life.  They see that the

Rabbis, Jewish Scholars and religious leaders are all legitimate but differing

opinions on the Oral Laws.  Reform Jews living in the modern world need to view

the Written laws and Oral laws as complementary.  They help us understand our

history and what God has asked of us.  However, we cannot literally live by these

very outdated laws.  The idea of Oral law is important to understand that

generations that came before us were allowed to give their own meaning to the laws

and we as Modern Jews should be allowed to apply the general principals but do so

in a way that applies to our daily lives that will give it meaning.

Article Response- A "Purim Shpil" in Soviet Moscow by Maxim D. Shrayer

3-16-16

In the article  A "Purim Shpil" in Soviet Moscow by Maxim D. Shrayer it talks about how in the late 1980s Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union was at a near standstill. In order to sustain a hope of escape they put on the a"purim shpil," or this could be described as in the article, " A drama of victory of ancient enemies," or the story of Purim. He talks about how this brought him closer to the soviet jews , and it settled the tension in Russia at that time. He specifically quotes" For over two decades, two forces had been shaping the intellectual life of the Jewish movement in the Soviet Union. Thepolitiki (“politicals”) stood firmly on the bedrock of Zionism andaliyah. The tarbutniki or kul’turniki (“culturals,” from the Hebrew and Russian words for culture) fantasized about legalized Jewish cultural autonomy within Russia itself. Now, with Gorbachev’s reforms moving beyond rhetoric to enactment, emigration was beginning again to seem a real possibility; at the same time, though, some “culturals” were hoping for an easing of restrictions and a restoration of Jewish religious and cultural life. I find it really interesting how this form of expression has greatly helped the community connect. It shows that Jews in a way of terminal find some way to connect and some way to keep going. It goes along very well with the different Jewish communities we are talking about in class.

Parents ! + other jewish stuff !

3-13-16

This week our parents came ! It was really cool and super exciting. It was really nice having my mom here experiencing what I do every day. As I do every morning they wake up to the beautiful hills. We really get to teach them about the beauty of Israel. My experience here has really made me a different person in just a month. Its interesting seeing all that Israel has taught me. It is such a different environment, not only at Tzuba but in Israel. I am a different person because of learning the culture and morals here. I have even changed my view on politics. It doesn't feel real that my mom is here, because I know that I am gonna be here for another 3 months. I feel like a different person in such a short time. I have begun to realize that it is not just me but its all that being in this environment has taught me. Israel looks at beauty in a different way from the rest of the world. It sees beauty not only in the land but in the people, the culture. I believe this is because of the struggles it took to get this land. The struggle and fight is the beauty of it.

Article Response : As Jews leave Cochin, Muslim neighbors and friends tend to what remains of their heritage in India

3-8-16

In this article it talks about the small and dwindling Jewish population in India and how as the population dwindles in Cochin and what they do to preserve it. There are very little Jews and very little Muslims, because of the small ratio they tend to get along. One really interesting thing i found about this article was the good relationship between Muslims and Jews. It really shows the connection that people can have if they are put together in a smaller closer community. The aspect of religion in this community is thought of something beautiful and binding. A particularly beautiful quote is said by a man in this community is  : “Years later on his death bed, Jacob Uncle said, ‘My Sarah is alone and she doesn’t have any children, you have to take care of her like her son,’ ” Ibrahim explained. “I replied yes, I still keep my word and take care of her like my own mother. She is more than a mother to me even though I address her [as] ‘Sarah Auntie’ and I spend more of my time with Sarah Auntie than even my own family.” According to others in the community Sarah would no longer be alive were it not for the support of Ibrahim and Jasmine, who now run her shop for her. I really beliave that this article is a metaphor of the beauty of the jewish people. We are so strong that we can form connections from across the world and bring people together. This represents a small shed of hope we have in our conflicts. The culture in Cochin is dwindling but they are still trying their hardest to preserve it.

My Israeli friends view on the army

3-6-16

This past weekend I spent my shabbat with my family friends in Petah Tikva. They have three kids, a boy and girl who are twins ( 21 years old), and a girl who is 16. I have known them for years, but up until this trip I never really knew how to ask them about the army. The twins have very non physical jobs but they have discussed what it feels like to have to be in the army. They know from the beginning that they have to join, but as we discussed at gadna, it is different for Israelis than it is for a american choosing to join. They told me that you have to choice how to view it yourself. Your perception going into it is important. It depends where you are on the level of gratification you get. I thought about this most of the weekend. I wondered if when a teen joins the IDF their view of how they cherish their country is drastically different or if they know how they view their country and it never changes it. Before I did Gadna i never really thought about the two different perspectives of american teens versus Israelis. Gadna is nothing compared to the real thing but I think getting my perspective from my family friends and seeing a taste of basic training made me see the IDF in a whole new light. I found that It strengthened my support of the strong pride israel has in its country and made me appreciate it even more.

Article Response: Israeli Self Defense Isint a Option

Elliana Bogost
3-3-16
                         In the article  Israeli Self Defense Insist a Option, By Johnathon S. Tobin, adresses the debate on whether soldiers should use force in the event of the strain of stabbing attacks. Israeli Defense force general stirred up political controversy when he recently state, "When there is a 13-year-old girl holding scissors or a knife, and there is a barrier between her and the soldiers, I wouldn’t want a soldier to open fire and empty a magazine into a girl like that, even if she commits a very serious act. We don’t operate on the basis of [Talmudic] adages like ‘If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.’
We don’t kill anyone with a pair of scissors. A soldier can switch off the safety and shoot if he or his comrades are in danger. If our rules of engagement were in any way unethical, it would jeopardize all of the IDF."  This brought up controversy  on his view of who and when to use force. This is debated because of the age of attackers and intent. A lot of the time these attackers who are young, are brought up only knowing that , attacks like these are what they are trained to do. Another reason is that they may be put into a situation where this is a only way to keep themselves safe or their family ( they may be threatened).  In my personal opinion immediate force ( unless absolutely necessary ) is not needed. The use of restraint if it is a child or someone who surrenders is better. In some cases it might be better because if they want to punish them , they could make them see the victims family and apologize to them. It is more effective to negotiate peace.

Our 10 day trip

2-28-16

During our 10 day trip away we did many things. Our hike up  Masada was defiantly hard , but the sunset was well worth it. I found it really interesting how Harid was such a crazy builder and had all those ideas to build on top of Masada. His mind was far ahead of anyone's. After this we went to Gadna. Gadna  is a week simulation for teens in the army . It was really hard the first day because of the rain and the fast pace. Each day kept getting better and better, not in the way I would think though. Although there were many physical challenges and mental I learned a lot about myself and Israel. When we learned to shoot a gun, they took it extremely seriously during their training. We learned how to respect the weapon and how to shoot properly. This is something that I highly appreciated because , I feel if we treated something with such power with more care in the United States, we would not have as many problems with violence. Shooting this weapon did not feel real till we made it to the gun range. It felt like something out of a movie. The gun was laying there, staring at me and my heart pounding. Shooting the gun and being at Gadna really taught me a lot about how Israel values their country, with respect and they are willing to fight for it. Throughout this experience I really appreciated how the IDF valued the aspect of friendship and working together. By trying to all work together it made the experience a lot more meaningful. In the end of Gadna I will always cherish it  , but I was glad the experience was over  ( lets just say the bathrooms were not the best!) After Gadna we spent time in Eilat. It had beautiful weather every day and we were lucky enough to shop and spend days at the beach. This whole trip gave me a opportunity to appreciate not only the physical beauty of Israel, but the way it is perceived.

Judaism and Intermarriage.... My thoughts

2-14-16

    Today In Jewish history we talked about the aspect of intermarriage in the Jewish community and in the reform movement.  The reform movement is generally more accepting of the concept of someone marrying someone who is not Jewish and the rule of a child technically not being Jewish if their mother is. Today this discussion got me thinking about the whole concept of love and Jewish tradition.  I am extremely grateful for being part of the reform movement because it allows me to be able to explore the different parts and aspects of how I and others view my religion. There are many debates on whether the reform movement is to accepting. When I think of love I , I generally do not think about the aspect of my religion , but as I start learning more about my religion it usually pops up in my head more. My religion and continuing my religion to my grandchildren and children is something that I wish to happen  and I am sure it will. It is hard to predict the future , but that is one aspect of love; it is hard to predict who you are gonna fall in love with . I do know that as I get older I start to realize that being Jewish is more than just going to synagague because of the history we have. Because I am starting to realize this I belive that no matter who I matter , I will for sure be raising my children Jewish

Expectations for Gadna and Masada

2-10-16


                   Next week we will be taking a week long journey to Gadna.  Gadna is army base in Israel and we will be experiencing what basic training is like in the army. I like many others, am nervous , but I do believe that it will all be worth it in the end. I hope that I will be able to get the most out of the experience. I want to be able to focus on the positives. We have been told many times that this is a once in lifetime experience and I think that is the whole point of this trip. I want to do things that greatly change who I am as a jew. I knew that being in the army was hard, but I think I will have new respect for the people in Israel for joining a organization like the IDF. We will also be spending some time at Masada and hiking it. I am not a huge fan of hiking , but I have also heard about the amazing sunrise and I think it will be ANOTHER , once in a lifetime experience, which goes along with the whole point of being in Israel. Learning new things about myself and this beautiful country I am in. We will also spend a night in a bedouin tent, which will be really incredible. One thing I am realizing about this trip is that , in one week we can experience something or more than one thing that some people will never. I am starting to realize how lucky I am because of this experience. Some people In my town have never left the Midwest or let alone Madison Wisconsin. Traveling here is making me grow each day. I am forever grateful for everything I am learning and experiencing.

Article Reaction: Davids Secret Weapon

2-8-16

                                            Article Reaction: Davids Secret Weapon
I read the article, Davids Secret Weapon by Ido Hevroni. Hevroni discusses the processes of how David fights Goliath and also how he becomes king. He describes the difference in appearance of Goliath and David . Then the personality between Saul and David. He describes how God favored David because of his faith in God and bravery and that was the difference between him and Saul.  One thing that this article focuses on is the difference between appearance and reality. David is small , but has faith and is mighty and Saul big and strapping.This is significant because it show the contrast of why God choose David .  It says that appearance is nothing compared to the will to fight and faith in God. I agree that appearance does not mean anything in your will to be a leader. I think that in order to lead you need to have the confidence and determination. I do not think think however faith in God should be the only reason you are fit to be a leader I do believe that Davids faith in God is a representation of what it means to be a leader. I took this as, being confident and brave and not caring about people opinions that break you down.
 One other part of being a leader that I agree with  that David did do is the willingness to respect others and do what was right. What was right was to end the fight another was to later on tell Saul that  he did not mean to hurt him by  fighting in the battle with the Philistines. A huge thing people should get about this article is it touches on one other important thing. Do not Judge a book by its cover, whether it be a leader or not. I believe that this is a representation that the Tenakh is some of a true story but it is meant to teach us a lesson about life. Overall the article touches on the parallel of being a good leader and how people view peoples importance based on their appearance and stature and the story of David and his fight and his faith in God and bravery. It further proves that the these storys are there for a reason to further how we treat people. This is a key part of being Jewish, how we share the world with other people.

Article on solution to stabbings :Rather Than Despair at the awfulness of it all By: David Horvitz

2-1-16
                                           Rather Than Despair at Awfulness Of It All: By David Horvitz
In David Horvitz's article " Rather Than Despair at Awfulness Of It All," he details the stabbings of two Israeli women ; Dafna Meir and Shlomit Krigman, one women only twenty four and the other in her late thirties and a mother. Both were promising caring women, who worked incredibly hard in life. Horvitz very quickly gets to his main point by saying one thing , the killing must stop it is getting not only Israelis killed by getting Palestinians killed by them being responsible for these stabbings.  He begins to also propose solutions and the problems with what we are doing with the situation currently. He says we need to stop , "  the lying and the brainwashing, the abuse of religion, the distortion of history that has produced yet another Palestinian generation deaf to the notion of Jewish legitimacy in the Holy Land." He gives suggestions that international schools should start giving more funding to things that help merge and educate understanding of Palestinians and Israelis, we need to find some way to to teach the legitimacy of the Jewish people in Israel. Instead of constantly fighting find some way to educate people on these conflicts and how to solve them, including the people living in Israel. Overall Horvitz wants people to know one thing and one thing only , the violence is not solving anything or getting us any further. 

The First Tiyul,

2-1-16

                                                             The First Tiyul

Today we experienced our first Tiyul. We went to Gezer , which used to belong to the Cannaanites. I was dazzled by the history we experienced and the incredible view we saw, completed with green rolling hills. When I came on this trip I knew that every day I would be lucky enough to see history every day, but it truly hit me today.  We literally sat where these people we were learning about walked. One thing that I realized was that , things that could just look like a pile of stacked up rocks , had so much more to it. These " stacked up rocks," were incredible inventions that protected a city and innovated technology. The large hole used to fill up with water especially startled me. The amount of time it would take to build these kind of things is insane. I am looking forward to experiencing history day by day being in this beautiful place.

Israel so far.... and a few other things

1-28-16
                    Hey everyone!
So my journey in the holy land has begun ! I have decided to call the kibbutz I am staying on (Tzuba) heaven on earth! Tzuba is beautiful and today I got the opportunity to explore and go to the chocolate shop in the front if the kibbutz! Tzuba is complete with a view of the beautiful rolling hills and the city of Jerusalem in the background twinkles with lights at night . As I begin my journey in Israel I have already learned so much , not only about my religion but what it means to be Jewish and how we will really explore this idea throughout these four months, which I highly look forward to.   I have feeling being in a place like Tzuba will change the way I feel about being Jewish , with all its beauty. I also really am excited to go on all our trips to different parts of Israel. I am hoping this experience will change me for the better!!