Idealistic Israelis

Over the course of my most recent field study (Historical and Social Settings of Modern Israel with Kaplan) we had the opportunity to visit a number of Jewish "institutions" (for lack of a better word), some of which were over 100 years old.  In terms of modern Israeli history, that's about as old as things get.  These sites, mostly kibbutz-like, are today no longer operational except as tourist sites, though some of them carry on the work under the same name at a nearby location.  We, however, only visited the historical sites.  At each of them we were met by fairly young and idealistic Israelis who told us about the historical importance of the site and how they see in it hope for the future.

The first such site was Old Geshur, located on the banks of the Jordan River, the border between Israel and Jordan.  It was founded by young, idealistic Jews before Israel was a nation.  The railway ran by it, located as it was by three bridges across the Jordan (Roman, Turkish, and the most recent British railway bridge).  It was destroyed twice, and after the second destruction that site was abandoned in favor of one slightly farther from the border.

This is the dining hall at Old Geshur, one of the few remaining buildings.

Another important aspect of this location was the joining of two rivers nearby: the Jordan and the Yarmuk.  The rivers actually join in Jordan at a place called Naharaim (two rivers.)  In 1920,Pinchas Rothenberg, a Jewish Russian engineer came to Israel with a dream: build a dam to supply Israel with electricity.  The site he choice was Naharaim.  It took years to get the Jordanians to agree to allow them to use the land, and then it took time to build the dam.  Finally, in 1932, it was opened.  It supplied 80% of Israel's electricity for the 16 years it ran.  When war broke out in 1948 it was damaged and permanently shut down.  Still, today it remains an example of Israeli determination and ingenuity.  The young woman who showed us around found in it beautiful inspiration and hope for the future.

In the middle of the picture you can still see the remains of the dam and power plant, in Jordan.

The second site was the Kinneret Moshav.  It was started over 100 years ago during the second aliyah, mostly by Jews in their early 20's or younger.  Their goal was not only to change the landscape (at which they succeeded) but to change the country, with the view that change starts with oneself.  Kinneret was a training farm, intending to teach young men and women the skills they would need to survive in Israel, especially agriculturally.  Many people who started there went on to be very influential in Israel's history, including Rahel,  possibly Israel's most beloved poet.  She is buried nearby where a large number of Israelis can visit her grave every year.  The kibbutzim (and similar things) are arguable the only successful socialist experiment the world has known.  These young, idealistic Jew dreamed of building the ideal society, starting in their little kibbutz or moshav and spreading from there.  While this has obviously not happened to the extent that they may have wished, the young Israelis who work at the historic site today still see hope for the future in the examples of those who went before.

Here our guide, Av-Shalom, shows us a picture of what Kinneret looke like before they changed the land scape.   Today, trees are numerous.

A third site was Tel Hai, in the Huleh Basin, a site of legendary significance in Israeli history.  When it was formed the boundary between French Lebanon and British Palestine was not finalized, but the Huleh Basin was under French control.  It was a time of conflict between the French and the Arabs, and the Jews at Tel Hai were caught in the middle.  There was thought of abandoning it, but this idea was rejected by those who argued that facts on the ground would determine borders.  Eventually, through a series of events not totally understood, a tragedy occurred and several promising young Israelis died at Tel Hai and it was abandoned anyway.  Whether the Jewish presence there played any role in its eventual inclusion in Israel is uncertain, but it has helped to form policy to this day.  The young lady who showed us around talked about the importance of "building your own reality," finding her example in the young people who had been at Tel Hai.  Something is always in your way and you have to find a way to get around it.

The restored/rebuilt Tel Hai building.  Farming was done in nearby fields.  

It was interesting to visit these sites which have had such an impact on forming the national consciousness of Israel.  One can see echoes of these young Jews of 100 years ago, what they did and how they thought, in current political policy.  It was interesting to see their "descendants" - ideologically, if not biologically - trying to carry on the dream in a new generation.  I will not claim to agree with everything they thought then or now, but it was a interesting perspective to see.

Signs of Pesach

Today I got free food.  Why?  Because we are the known goyim in our apartment building.  Pesach (Passover for you non-Hebrew speakers) is upon us and all good Jews are removing all traces of leaven from their homes (and hey, instead of throwing it out, might as well give it to the poor-college-student-heathens in the building).

For us non-Jews this sounds like it should be a relatively easy process: dump the yeast (and maybe the baking soda and baking powder?), throw out any breads you might have hanging around, and you're good to go.  Apparently it's not quite that simple, as evidenced both by items given to us by our neighbors and items currently unavailable in Jewish grocery stories:
Cookies
Cake
Crackers (other than matza)
Tortillas
Pasta
Cereal (unless you buy kosher-for-passover cereal)
Flour

According to Wikipedia (and other sources I have read and heard from), Chametz/Leaven is defined as "a product that is (a) made from one of five types of grains, and (b) has been combined with water and left to stand for longer than eighteen minutes without being baked."  This is a Rabbinical definition, not given anywhere in the Bible.  Still, if that is the definition we operate under some of the discarded foods above make a little more sense.

With things like crackers, tortillas, and cereal, I suppose it would be easy enough if making them at home to insure that they were baked before 18 minutes passed, but, if they are purchased, one has no way of knowing how long they sat.

Pasta, though seeming unlikely to contain trace elements of yeast, is generally dried rather than baked...and that, I suppose, eliminates it.

The homemade cookies and cake are perhaps discounted because they include baking soda?  In reality, they are probably eliminated because, apparently, any sort of baked good containing those 5 grains and water, other than matza, is automatically eliminated.  Even those which would otherwise make the cut.  Who knows?  I, for one, am still confused by the distinctions.

I must admit, though, that I still have a hard time understanding why grocery stores don't carry flour.  After all, I'm pretty sure that flour is used to make matza.  Perhaps they are afraid that there will be a flood or a pipe will burst or something, and all the flour will get wet, and then, within the next 18 minutes, they will have chametz on their hands.

I guess I just won't be able to make my own matza this season.  Don't worry, though, I won't be matza-less.  Last week a nice Jewish man came and gave free matza to all the inhabitants of my apartment building.  I'm set.


//Please note that no offence is meant to Jews or their holiday practices.  As an outsider I find some of them
//quite humorous (especially when the Biblical basis and logic behind them are considered).  Still, I recognize
//that some of my holiday traditions probably appear just as ridiculous from the outside.  I mean, gifts in
//stocks on Christmas morning?  Where in the world did that tradition originate and how does it relate in
//any way to a baby in a manger?

Purposes

“Perhaps we could succeed in vanishing without a trace if they would let us be, but they will not let us be. After brief periods of toleration their hostility erupts again and again.”

~Theodor Herzl (from Ideological Perspectives by Gideon Shimoni, p.10)

Herzl, one of the founders of Zionism, maintained that the main thing that defined the Jews as a people was their enemies. Others argued that shared history, culture, and religion were more important in defining this separate people. These things are certainly important, but Herzl discounted them as the most important. He had a point. Especially with the advent of the Enlightenment and the emancipation of the Jews, many Jews began to assimilate into the societies in which they found themselves, adopting the culture, and, in many cases, the religion. These adaptations did not end the persecution of the Jews, however. Indeed, assimilated Jews could even be considered more of a “threat” in the anti-Semitic propaganda that circulated. With all the different branches and schisms within Judaism itself, it is possible that the Jews as a cohesive people would have ceased to exist, if it were not for the persecution that lumped them all back together.

In Jewish and Christian circles the question is often asked, “How could a loving and just God have allowed something as terrible as the holocaust?” It is a valid question to wrestle through and has no simplistic answer, in part because our finite minds cannot grasp the infinite purposes of God. However, I wonder if, in part, God allowed the holocaust to preserve the Jewish people. It sounds contradictory, but the holocaust brought Jews all over the world together as nothing else would have.*

The next often asked and debated question is then, "Does God have a plan for the Jewish people?" I would argue that their survival in spite of the odds, and the existence of a Jewish state, clearly indicate that God has a plan for the Jewish people. It is less clear what that plan is and how it fits into the Biblical account. There are passionate opinions on both sides, which I don't want to go into in this post. I merely wanted to pass along the thought that, in a round-about-way, perhaps the holocaust offers evidence that God has a plan for the Jewish people.

*Please know that I am not at all defending the holocaust. It was a horrible thing. I am simply stating that I believe that God is sovereign and good, and therefore, maybe this was one of His purposes in allowing this event.

Western Wall Tunnels, Part 2

The people who run the tunnels are, perhaps, a bit biased, a quality rarely found in Jerusalem. (Yes, that was sarcasm. Everyone in Jerusalem is biased. Especially when it comes to this small piece of real estate.) The tunnels are, of course, run by Jews, Jews who would probably favor the building of a third temple, should that ever become possible. While this is probably a common desire in Judaism, it is by no means universal, even among religious Jews. For example, my professor, Rabbi Moshe, is very uncomfortable with the idea of a third temple, and with the political and religious stance of the people who run the tunnel, with good reason, I think. In Classical Rabbinical Literature, the temple and cult system have been replaced by prayer and Torah study. This was done out of necessity - after 70AD there was no temple, nor any hope of rebuilding one, and if Judaism was to survive, changes had to be made. Of course, the changes made, though pragmatic, were backed up with arguments typical of the religious leaders of that day. Verses like Hosea 6:6 "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." and Micah 6:6-8 were referenced, pointing out a theme that played throughout the Hebrew Scriptures: God never desired the sacrifice alone, His real concern was the heart behind the sacrifice. Other Rabbis argued that revelation was progressive: God first asked Israel to offer sacrifices to Him because they would have sacrificed to something. Then, once the faith had progressed and the One True God was known, sacrifices were no longer needed and worship of God changed as the Temple was destroyed.

Thus, for some Jews at least, the temple is no longer necessary, or even desirable, especially considering the current political situation.

It has to be faced. The Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock is a hot spot. Jews and Christians are after it, Muslims control it, and at the slightest hint of a change in the status quo, everyone is up in arms. This fall the situation has been tense, with Muslims taking what we might consider relatively minor issues as a huge threat. Rocks are thrown, Israeli police are sent in, Muslims get even more worried...It can be a vicious cycle. For Jews who truly want peace in a world where the very breath of a rumor about a temple can spark another intifada, there is little incentive to want a third temple.

I think I will save further comments for another blog post. For now, here are some pictures and explanations of what we actually saw on our field study.

Here Rabbi Moshe shows us a model of the hill upon which the mount was built, both before the platform and with the platform. Right now a very disproportionate Second Temple is on the platform.

Here is another model of the Temple Mount. There is again a disproportionate Second Temple model on top of the mount (probably due to the pro-temple bias of the organization). The western wall can be seen, with the plaza and buildings that are along it today.

Here we are, walking through a tunnel along part of the platform wall. You can see on my right part of a very large Herodian stone. I don't have the exact figures, but I believe the largest of these stones weighed around 600 tons. How such a stone could even be moved, especially with the technology of the first century is beyond my imagination.

These are candles lit in the area which is "opposite the foundation stone and the site of the Holy of Holies." There is a synagogue in this tunnel complex, but apparently only men are allowed in, so the women pray in this area.

Back outside the walls I got a picture of the plaza. (The Dome of the Rock is on top of the plaza, off the left side of the picture.)

Here's a view of the area at night, from sort of a south-west direction.

Western Wall Tunnels, Part 1

This last Thursday evening I went, with my Rabbinical Thought and Literature class and our professor Rabbi Moshe, to the Western Wall Tunnels. For those of you unfamiliar with this site, let me give you some background information.

You will doubtless remember from long forgotten Sunday school lessons, that David (and Joab) conquered Jebus (Jerusalem) and made it his capital. (Hint: for a refresher, see 1 Chronicles 11.) This is the area today known as "The City of David," on the Eastern Hill, located between the Kidron Valley and the Cheese-maker's Valley. Of course you also remember the story a little later of the plague that God sent on Israel that stopped when David offered sacrifices on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24). Keep in mind that threshing floors are high points, and the closest high point to Jerusalem was directly north (the upper part of the Eastern Hill). Add to this 2 Chronicles 3:1 ("Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.") and we have the beginning of our story in the beginning of the temple. The majority view is that Solomon's temple (the first temple) was built due north of the City of David, under the area where the Dome of the Rock is now.

Of course, between Solomon's time and our own there are dozens of layers of history. The first temple was destroyed by the army of Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC. It was rebuilt ("Second Temple") by Ezra, and was finished about 516BC.

Then Herod the Great came along and decided that temple needed improvement. It was, perhaps, the most ambitious building project he ever undertook: it wasn't finished until 60AD, over 60 years after Herod's death. It was, at least, a stunning complex of buildings when finished, one of the wonders of the ancient world. However, in the planning stages, Herod was not content to merely use what nature had supplied. No. The hill upon which the current temple stood was not big enough for the grandiose structure he desired to erect. So he began by expanding the hill, fashioning vaults and filling in earth, creating a platform grand enough to hold a glorious temple.

That temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Today, all the remains is the platform, upon which the Dome of the Rock now sits. The only piece of the original hill that is still visible is the rock inside the dome, from whence it draws its name.

(Note: at this point I should mention that there is still some amount of scholarly debate over where the temple actually was, and if the structure which is today called "The Temple Mount" ever actually held the temple. However, the case stated above seems to be the majority view, so for the sake of this blog post, we'll assume they are correct.)

I suppose it is reasonable that the Jews would revere the platform upon which their most holy site had stood, but why the Western wall (which, by the way, they never called "The Wailing Wall")? The answer, of course, lies in classical rabbinic literature: "The Shekinah is in the west." Probably because the Holy of Holies would have been on the western side of the structure, the western wall of the structure is now the most revered.

Which brings me (finally) to the tunnels. When the Jews first gained control of Old Jerusalem and the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock area in 1967, one of the first things they did was bulldoze an area west of the Western Wall, giving Jews the opportunity (and the room) to visit the wall for the first time in years. However, they only cleared a relatively small area, compared to the length of the wall. The tunnels start just north of that plaza and continue on, exploring the extent of Herod platform, under the modern homes and places of business of the people of the Arab Quarter. Parts of these tunnels are open to tourists (by appointment) and that's where we went.

Now that you have enough background information, I'm going to pause for the night and continue these thoughts in a second post tomorrow.

Diaspora Museum

This last Friday I went on a field study for my "History of the Jews in the Medieval and Modern Periods." We went to the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv. We spent a good 4 hours there, and probably would have stayed longer if they hadn't been closing early because of Sukkot.

To summarize, the museum looks at various aspects of life for Jews in the diaspora and attempts to answer the question of how they remained essentially Jewish, in spite of 2000 years separated not only from their homeland, but also from each other as they were spread across the globe. They put the answer into 6 "Gateways," which, if I remember correctly were:

1. The Life cycle (birth, circumcision, education, bar mitzvah, marriage, etc.) and the the yearly cycle (Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, etc.)

2. Communities, separate from the peoples with whom they dwelt, including their own governmental structures.

3. Remembering (both persecution and accomplishments)

4. Faith (and places faith is expressed)

5. Culture, as anchored in language

6. Among the Nations (and their history as connected to some of the places they were dispersed)

The museum finished with one final gate:

7. The Gate of Return

It was an interesting museum, different because it had very few real artifacts, but many imitations to assist it in the story it told.

Here are a few pictures from the museum:

The Hebrew in the back ground has the heading "Lo Tov" (no good) and clearly the scene in the foreground is that of a wedding. Not to fear, though. The conclusion is not that marriage is not good, but rather that "it is not good for man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18)

In the "Faith" gateway they had a number of model synagogues from all over the world. This first one is from Florence, Italy.

And this one is Chinese.

These two statues are called Ecclesia and Synagoga and I'm sure you can guess what the represent.

Such is the picture of Judaism under 'Christian' rule.

This next picture is an illustration of a passage from the Talmud "If two grasp a garment."

A menorah near the end of the museum - Welcome back to Israel!

After the museum closed we ate some lunch in the Sukkah. Then we went to Old Jaffa for a little while and just explored. If nothing else, the water the is beautiful.

It was a good trip. I got to hang out with my sister AND learn a lot about Judaism and the history of the Jewish people. I'm only auditing the class, but I'm looking forward to learning all sorts of things in there this semester.

A few pictures...

...From Yom Kippur.

Would it be bad if I said that my favorite day here in Jerusalem is probably Yom Kippur? It's just so peaceful. The eternal din of engines and horns and sirens is finally silenced as everyone, religious and secular Jews alike, take a day to rest and reflect. It's a little magical. The smell of flowers is noticeable as the odor of exhaust dissipates. Children ride their bikes down the middle of the street, laughing together. Groups of people, families and friends, dressed in white, forsake the sidewalks in favor of walking on the street.

It was a good day to explore a little and take some pictures.

When I went to the library a little later I was surprised by how silent it was. Every little noise I made seems to make a racket. Then I realized that there was no ambient noise of traffic and horns floating in. It made a huge difference.

Alas, the city has now returned to its normal noisy state...until next year...

Happy Purim!

Ask a Jewish person, "What is the holiest holiday of the year?" and what do you expect to hear?

"Yom Kippur" you say, "The day of Atonement is clearly the holiest day of the year for Jews."

Well, maybe. Or maybe, just maybe you'd get the surprising answer of "Purim!"

"What?" you exclaim. "Purim isn't even mentioned in the Torah, much less commanded. It's from a book that barely made it into the Hebrew cannon of scriptures because it never mention's God's name. How could such a holiday ever be considered the holiest one?!"

Well, I'm not sure I totally understand it all myself, but let me try to explain. First, why compare Yom Kippur with Purim? Apparently the full name for the Day of Atonement in Hebrew is "Yom Kippurim." "Ki" means "like," so it could be taken to mean "Day that is Like Purim," giving Purim sort of a higher standing than Yom Kippur just by the names. In addition, Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and mourning over sin whereas Purim is a day of celebration and feasting. Apparently it is thought that it takes more holiness to truly worship God during a celebration than when you are mourning. Perhaps they have a point. At any rate, sometimes Purim is considered the holiest holiday on the Jewish calender.

So today I had a class on Jewish Thought and Practice where we learned about Purim (including why it is considered the holiest holiday) and tonight for a sort of "field study" we all went to Synagogues to experience the evening reading of Esther for ourselves.

"Wait a minute," you say. I thought Purim was celebrated the 13th of Adar...and isn't today the 14th?" You are, of course, correct. In most of the world, Purim is celebrated on the 13th of Adar (March 9th this year). However, the Jews in Shushan assembled on both the 13th and 14th (Esther 9:18). Because Shushan (Susa) was a walled city, at some point some Rabbis decided that Jews in walled cities should celebrate Purim on the 14th. And they have a pretty odd way of deciding which cities are considered walled. At any rate, Jerusalem is one (probably the main one) so in the city of Jerusalem proper, Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar.

I can't say too much about the actual celebration itself. Esther is read at night and then the next morning, and then there is supposed to be some sort of great feast involving lots of wine. I have only been to the evening reading, but I can tell you at little about that.

Purim is ever so slightly like Halloween, in that everyone dresses up. I was in down town Jerusalem Monday night and there were quite a few people going about in costumes - cat's ears, farie wings, etc. At Synagogue tonight almost everyone was dressed, well, a little unusually. Colorful wigs and hats were common, as were masks and face paint. Some people continued the theme in the rest of their outfit. There were witches and giant pink bunnies. There were some girls from the IDF with their guns and purple wings on their back - not a common sight in the US! There were children dressed as lions, bears, American Indians, Bob the Builder, Superman, and cowboys.

It was pretty fun to see everyone's costumes. I personally dressed as a carrot. Not the best costume in the world, but really, this is the third time I've had to come up with a costume and I just didn't prepare for that when I packed!

In class this morning we talked about whether or not women should be allowed to read Esther at the Synagogue. Some sources said yes, some said no. Apparently at the synagogue I went to women were allowed to read. I think we had 5 readers (2 chapters each) and I think three of them were women...and they were kind of hard to hear. Oh well.

It was an orthodox Synagogue, though perhaps more, um, "modern" than some. The men and women were separated by a thin curtain, but at least it wasn't women in the back, men in the front. The whole thing was in Hebrew. I was able to follow along a little in the reading. Of course, when the name "Haman" was read, everyone shouted and rattled their noise makers and stomped and otherwise just made lots of noise

to "blot out the name", and that helped me to find where we were when I got lost. :)

It was an interesting experience, for sure. I rather like this excuse to dress up better than Halloween. Perhaps I'll start celebrating Purim more often. :)

Matthew

This semester I've been taking a class on the book of Matthew, specifically stressing its Jewish setting. After all, it was written by a Jew to other Jew, whereas we (the church) are mostly a bunch of gentiles 2000 years removed from the story. We have much to learn. I will admit, though, that there have been times when I've been rather disappointed with the class. While the professor (a Messianic Jew) does have a fairly high view of scripture, but I still find myself differing with him (and the articles we read), mostly in that area. For example, I really don't like the idea that Matthew basically copied Mark and manipulated the stories and words of Jesus to counteract rabbinical Judaism. I would much rather think that Matthew actually remembered the stories and words of Jesus himself, and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, composed a book that would demonstrate Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Perhaps the two aren't mutually exclusive. I am trying to keep an open mind to some extent. I certainly don't know everything.

At any rate, though I have been frustrated at times, there have also been times when I have greatly enjoyed the class and/or its given me much to think about.

Monday was one of those days. For starters, I got to give about a five minute presentation on Matthew 18. I admit it. I miss teaching. So that was fun. Also, since the rest of the class was on chapters 17-19, it helped that I had already spent some extra time in them already, preparing for my presentation. What made it really enjoyable, though, was the time after class I spent talking to the teacher and a few other students.

On of the major questions of the class has been, "Did Jesus abrogate the law?" The contention of my professor and of most of the articles we've read is that He did not. He came "not to destroy the law but to fulfill it." This would mean that Jews, even Jewish believers, are still under the law. The interesting thing is that they do not expand this to Gentile believers. Most of the messianic believers I've known in the States tend to say that EVERYONE should be following the law. To the contrary, my teacher here thinks that gentiles should NOT follow the law, referencing 1 Corinthians 7:17ff. To him and his fellow messianic believers, though, the thought that the Jewish messiah would abolish the law of God is shocking. One place we considered in class was Matthew 15:1-20. In the first part Jesus condemns the Pharisees for making the law of no account by their tradition. If He then continues on and discounts the food laws (verse 17 and Mark 7:18-19), then that seems a bit hypocritical.

I have a number of thoughts and questions about pretty much everything I'm learning here, including this, but as of yet most of them are too incoherent to try to enumerate in any kind of logical fashion. Plus, right now, I'm to tired -- it's nearly bed time. So I'll close off this section with one thought. If the prophecies in the last few chapters Ezekiel refer to the "end times" (second coming of the Messiah) and not just to the return from captivity, then it seems that in the "millennial kingdom" the sacrificial system will be reinstated. Of course, this brings up a whole other bucket of worms (eschatology, replacement theology, etc...strange how related everything is!). At any rate, IF my teacher is correct and IF Ezekiel is referring to the millennial kingdom, well, that seems to fit together a little better in my mind. I've been taught that sacrifices are no longer needed because Christ was the perfect sacrifice (and therefore Jews shouldn't still be sacrificing). I've also been taught that Ezekiel is talking about a time when Christ will be reigning on earth. Those two things seem contradictory. Of course, this is all an over-simplification, and at this point I don't claim to know enough about any view to be able to argue convincingly for it. Perhaps someday I'll have time to do enough research to decide, but for now, I just think it's interesting to think about. :)

...and now for my post blog news...
We had vespers tonight. It was a Jewish man and an Arab man, both of whom have lost a family member in this conflict, who are part of an organization trying to reconcile Jews and Palestinians. Check out http://www.theparentscircle.org/ for more information.

I'm headed off to Galilee this weekend for a 4-day trip. I'm pretty excited. Galilee is an amazing place. So, expect to see reports and pictures at some point when I get back.

And now I should head to bed -- I have a 8am, 3-hour-long-no-break archaeology class tomorrow, so I should get some sleep. :)

Yom Kippur

Tonight is the beginning of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. I'm guessing that most people who might read this have an idea of what this day entailed for the ancient Israelites. I'm also guessing that very few of you know what it's like in modern day Israel. Now, I don't at all claim to be an expert, but let me tell you what it's been like so far.

Yom Kippur, of course, starts at sun-down. It's kind of like a super-Sabbath, so everyone wants to be sure to be home and ready before sunset. Thus, most things in the city were closed by early afternoon. In general, Jerusalem is a pretty noisy city. There are always sirens, horns, and loud music to be heard. But now, there are no cars on the roads (exept possibly emergency vehicles), and everything is silent. There are people out walking (probably to and from Synagogue and the Western Wall) and I can hear their voices as they go along. That's how quiet it is. It's pretty amazing.

Most people will spend the day tomorrow fasting, still quiet, repenting, and going to Synagogue. In the eastern (Muslim) part of Jerusalem, life will go on as usual. But here in western Jerusalem, it's a day of quiet, time to repent of sin.

There are a few people who will be hard at work in spite of the holiday. Since the Yom Kippur attack, nearly 50 years ago, this is always a day of high alert for the security forces.

Here at school we actually have the day off, which will be nice. I think some of us might go to the Wall for a while to observe. Perhaps I will have more of an update later. :)

Happy Holidays!

"Wait, what?" all of you back in the states are thinking. "The Holiday season doesn't start until November or December. Maybe the end of October if you count Halloween for some reason. What is she thinking?!"

Not to fear! I have not gone crazy or completely lost track of time. Over here, though, this week is kind of a big deal.

For Muslims, today was the last day of Ramadan! To celebrate the end of the fast they basically have a 3 or 4 day party. (Which also means that the school I've been volunteering at is closed for the rest of the week.)

For Jews it is the beginning of the high holy days. Tonight begins the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, which, with my basic Hebrew, I think literally means "Top of the Year." It's their New Years celebration. From here there are nine days until Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). They have a tradition of some sort where they say that the very righteous and very wicked are judged tonight (the sort of year they'll have, rewards, punishment, etc.). However, the average, on-the-border type person has nine days to repent and convince God of their goodness before Yom Kippur. So these first couple days are quite celebratory, but I think the mood shall get more solomn as the Day of Atonement approaches and the people want to make sure they are right with God. It is good to have a reminder like that built into your holidays. Of course, we should always be striving to be right with God, but it is too easy to forget or place less emphasis upon it. If you have done that this year, take some time now to get right with God!

The celebration of this holiday also means that two of my classes (History of Israel and Hebrew), both taught by semi-orthodox Jews, are cancelled tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Hooray for more time to read! :) And write papers!