For the next two days, Career Israel has chosen a few places for us to volunteer after ulpan. Today I went to a place called Save A Child’s Heart. It was one of the most moving and awesome places I have ever been. Save A Child’s Heart is a non-profit organization that brings children, ages 0-18, from developing countries to Israel for heart surgeries. The children that come usually are not even aware that they have a heart condition until the last minute when they are finally able to go to a free clinic to get a check up.
The Save A Child’s Heart house is a place where the kids and a parent (or in some cases a nurse who brings multiple kids) can stay before the surgery and for no less than one month after. They provide food, housing, daily activities, and other basic needs to the patients that stay there. Through private funding, the organization is able to provide a variety of heart surgeries for a VERY small amount. Operations that would cost $10,000-$30,000 only cost $3000 thanks to donations of surgeons from the Wolfson Medical Center time.
As soon as we arrived, we sat in the living room and learned about the organization through a speaker and video. As we sat there, the patients began waking upfrom their naps and coming downstairs. One little boy named Anthony walked right over to a guy from my program’s lap and sat down without saying anything. It was adorable. Finally the presentation was over and we got to start hangingout with the kids.
There were about 8 kids that came to play with us, although currently 12 are in the house. Happiness was from Ethiopia and couldn’t be more than a year old. He was thankfully going home later that day! A little girl from China, who was about 7 or8, was at the house for the second time getting a follow up surgery after being there when she was 7th months old. Anthony, everyone’s favorite, was from Kenya and I was able to sit with his mom for a little and talk about my experiences there, which was awesome. Another favorite, a little girl from South America, was about two years old and a little flirt. She was all about two or three. There were four kids from Zambia between the ages 8-14. I hung out with them the most.
The boys all really liked basketball so we played with the net and soft-ball that they had in the backyard. Unfortunately the net didn’t have a backboard and the kids were having a hard time making a shot. Luckily at that moment my creative juices were flowing and I found a square basket and some rope and made a make-shift backboard by tying the basket, bottom towards the basket, to the net. It worked like a gem!
I had an amazing time at Save A Child’ Heart and I am hoping to go back a few times while I am here. If you are reading this blog and are interested in A) learning more, B) donating, or C) all of the above
Rosh Hashana in Israel...definitely not what a normal American Jew is used to. However; due to my secular/hippie take on Judaism upbringing, I was ready for it!
I spent the first night at my friend Adar's family's Kibbutz, Kibbutz Ruhama. I have never been to a Kibbutz before, so the experience was doubly exciting. After a tour of the kibbutz by Adar, and a quick history lesson from one of her grandfathers (the Kibbutz was privatized in the early 90's, so it is not what one would think of as a traditional Kibbutz, it's more like a gated all-inclusive community), we arrived at her Aunts house for one of the most amazing meals of my life. I was not prepared, and didn't have my camera on me to take a picture of the heaps of food on my plate, very reminiscent of holidays at my house as well as at the Nidel-Novick residence.
About 16 of us crowded around a dinner table, yelling in Hebrew and laughing as we started in on the feast: Stewed beef, roasted chicken, fish with lime, rice with almonds, salad with rimon (pomegranate) seeds, cabbage salad (salat kruv - my favorite Israeli side dish), chopped liver (the best I have ever had), and countless other tidbits covered our plates...a real smorgasbord! After the food coma set in, everyone sat in the living room and participated in a tradition I think I'm going to keep from now on. Everyone was asked to write a brucha, or belssing, for the upcoming year. Whether it be for the community as a whole, for the world, or just the family...and then put it into a basket. Everyone then draws a brucha and reads it aloud -- and people try to guess who wrote it. Some were funny, some were written by the children, some were very touching...but it was a way to connect with the holiday without involving religion, something I have gotten very used to after living with Hazel&Jordan as parents. Next year, I'm beginning this tradition as my own.
After spending the night at Adar's house in Rehovot, we spent the next day at...THE BEACH! We drove to Rishon L'Tzion, one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to. Who goes to the beach on Rosh Hashana one might ask...well - almost all secular Israelis.
We found a cute little beach cafe and indulged in some breakfast at 12:30pm. I was immediately drawn to the shakshuka. Shakshuka is a spicy tomato and fried egg stew of sorts that is baked in an oven and served wit a variety of other ingredients. It is an amazing breakfast/brunch food, and also for late-night drunk eating. Since Israeli dairy products are the most amazing in the world, I had the Shakshuka with Balkan cheese. Balkan cheese is a sour, goats milk cheese, very similar to goat or feta cheese. It is delicious. it was served with a side of white hard crusted bread that was sprinkled with zatar, a middle eastern spice mix which I put on almost everything because it is so delicious. how amazing does that look??Living in Tel Aviv, a secular multicultural modern city has been the most amazing week. I have grown to love this country more and more just from living here, instead of Jerusalem. As much as my father hates to hear this, I really do feel at home here. Especially in Tel Aviv, religiousness hidden away from public view.
Jerusalem!
After I landed in Tel Aviv I took a taxi to Jerusalem, where I am to meet up with the fellow participants of Career Israel.
How did I first know that I was in Israel? It wasn’t the beautiful desert scenery. It wasn’t the ubiquitous Israeli breakfast salads (hummus, now a breakfast food!). It was the cab driver. Within minutes of getting in the cab he asked me my thoughts on Obama and the current political scene in the states.
This isn’t unusual. In Israel, everyone talks politics. And in a room with four Jews you can find 40 opinions. And as much as I have been looking forward to traveling in a post-Bush-The-Buffoon world, I am wary to discuss my thoughts on this in Israel.
Bush was much more unquestionable and staunch in his support for Israel than Obama. However, even my carefully worded response evokes a passionate reply from the cab driver, who apparently has the highest of disdain for turn signals, speed limits and Obama.
But I digress. I met my fellow participants at the Rabin Youth Hostel in Jerusalem and was surprised to learn that there were over 120 participants. There are people from all over the world: England, Scotland, Lithuania, Guatemala, Hungary, Latin America, Russia, Siberia, Canada and the United States.
Our first days in Jerusalem are jam-packed with all-day scheduled activities. It feels a little bit like going on a million first dates: Hi, what’s your name? Where are you from? What did you study? Where are you interning?
But the scenery is so beautiful it’s hard to be cranky. We go on tours of the old city and see the kotel (the Western Wall), the church where Jesus was anointed and the cave where he was buried (I took pictures of this for you Jeff, my favorite catholic!).
We hear speakers about the political situation in Israel right now, and go look at walls built to protect neighborhoods and roads outside of the green line from gunfire and bombing from the West Bank. (This is very controversial, more on this later.)
We also see the security checkpoints Palestinians from the West Bank must go through. We drive down ‘seam-lines’ roads that are all that separate Palestinian villages from Israeli villages. I realize Israeli’s and Palestinians aren’t so much squished next to each other as they are piled on top of each other. After all, this is a country the size of New Jersey.
I go to the Israel Museum (located conveniently across the street from our hostel) and see the fabled Dead Sea Scrolls. Jerusalem is a beautiful city, but somber, full of conflict and is deeply religious.
For a secular Jew like me, this can be a little overwhelming. Everywhere there are ultra-orthodox Jews and I live in constant fear of offending them unintentionally, and as my dad says, “bringing shame down on the family.” This fear is escalated when an Ultra-Orthodox Jew spits on me in the old city and yells at me with alarming hostility. I’m assuming that it’s because my clothes were not modest enough, although shoulders, knees and breasts are covered. The situation jars me and I am happy when we leave Jerusalem for Tel Aviv, which is where I will be living the remainder of the time.
Tel Aviv is a largely secular city that I have already fallen in love with, from its beaches, to its good-looking people to the dogs and the food. But more on that to come soon! To all my friends and family at home I miss you terribly and will post more soon and with more details!
Shana Tova to all my Jews! I will also write about my first Rosh Hashanah in Israel!
Lots of love to you all and let me know if there is anything in particular you want to hear about.
The Exodus.I hate packing.
I hate the idea that I am responsible for putting together everything I THINK I might need for a given amount of time, in a small suitcase that will eventually be searched through by homeland security, scrutinized, and possibly even be made fun of. (I am writing this with the memory of my mother laying on my bed, only moments ago, making fun of my underwear collection I have amassed over the past few years)
I ALWAYS wait until the last moment to pack. "O, we have to be up at 6am for our flight...it's fine I'll pack at 2am." That is pretty much my motto; a true procrastinator at heart. I have postponed returning to college by hours+days due to packing insanity, to be honest one year I was delayed because Sam Nidel got me addicted to Lost over winter break...and I was too captivated to move from my bed and pack for spring semester.
Actually, when I left for my semester abroad in Prague junior year, I decided that 2 hours before leaving for my flight was the prime time to pack...even though my mother and I had just returned from the nail salon. I remember rummaging through my disorganized room and even more scattered closet and dresser for recognizable clothing to bring with me. How did people dress in the commie third world? Would my "uniform" of leggings, a long tee and sweater be okay over there? Are colored items of clothing even allowed into the country, or am I relegated to only wearing black? Shockingly, I got everything I needed into the suitcases and successfully made my way through my semester abroad without freaking out about forgetting anything. I might be a procrastinator and I might rush through things, but I am always thorough.
I decided, being a graduate of Wellesley College and all, embarking on this amazing opportunity of my new "grown-up" life, I would change my packing pedigree. Beginning a full 36 hours before leaving, my mother and I began packing up my entire life, or what I could fit into two suit cases. Utilizing the rolling method, we were able to cram all my clothing, except for cardigans and a few skirts, into 1 whole suitcase. A FEAT! Now lifting it...that is another story. I'm sure there will be some reorganization tomorrow, frantically, of course.
We decided to put on Exodus, one of our favorite movies of all time, to pack to. Apropos of course, since the movie is about one of the ships that illegally brought European Jewish Holocaust survivors to Palestine and the fight for a free Israel post-partition. While rolling my clothing into tight baguette shaped balls of cloth and silk, mother and daughter drooled over Ari Ben Canan, better known as a young Paul Newman. It always has amused me that a young Paul Newman can bring together a mother and daughter separated by 40 years and many many other attributes.
It still hasn't sunk in yet. Am I really leaving? Leaving my life, my family, my friends, my relationships, job opportunities, would haves and could haves...leaving all of this for me to take a 5 month respite in Israel? I think that when I board my ElAl flight at 7pm, amid all the smelly Hassidic Jewish men, who will not sit next to be because my skin is showing (and thank goodness for that, because the smell might kill me while over the Atlantic), it will finally sink in. I am leaving on a journey to not only figure my life out and find myself, but also to give myself a well needed break from four years of Wellesley College academics and stress, Babson College frat parties, drama, deadlines, pressure, and Long Island.
I'm ready.
1. HA MAOZ - On King George. Best place ever.
2. Mazada - on Bograshov and the beach
3. Nehama v'Hetzi - Sdereot Ben Zion and Ahad Ham
Navigating the Israeli scene - in terms of social/professional/romantic worlds is a pretty funny story. I was sitting in the offices of the company that I am interning for waiting for my interview for a more long term position -- and there sat next to me another man who was waiting to have his interview. Of course we started to chat, and he invited me to come to his office to see if that company would be something I was interested in - flash back to a few weekends ago, I was staying at an apt in Jerusalem and as I tried to figure out the lock, the next door neighbor came out to give me his business card "in case of emergency" - this led to tea and green grapes over talk about job opportunities in Israel and what it is like living here vs. home. One more story -- I decided to write an article for a magazine about jewish entrepreneurs and innovation. I was sitting at a confrence in IDC about African Refugees and realized I received my article back with edits from the editor. A few hours later, I went out with my boss to her friends party in Tel Aviv near the namal (Roza Parks - On Dizengoff, great spot) and when I came out of the bathroom, my boss wanted to introduce someone to me...yes, it was, the editor who has emailed me back a few hours earlier (who I thought was living and working in NYC)? Well, suffice it to say, the world is small, the network is connected, and people here are just looking to support you. I once read a shorty piece in a daily NY free magazine giveaway about the "Fathers of NYC" - that bar tenders, cafe waiters, people on the subway are in some ways the fathers - who make sure that you are not being treated poorly on the date and will stay and talk to you if u are feeling down after a bad date, hard test, or maybe no date at all. Now, the people I've somehow met through funny circumstances are in no way romantic. although that would have been fun. But professionals in the professional world who are just looking to help out a new Oleh to the city. So keep your eyes opened and your ears perked because you just don't know who is sitting next to you - and chances are they will be dressed in a t-shirt and jeans and won't look like the hot shots they are. Except for Shai Agassi. he always looks tip top.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=176995Hectic in Israel..sounds like Hi Tech in Israel if you say it fast! Crazy things going on in Israel today. As I am working on my "long(er) term" plan to stay at my internship, my colleagues say to me this morning: "This place is crazy -- every day is hectic. There are no other places in the world that you wake up in the morning and say: the entire world is against my country, and I need to live today because who knows about tomorrow..' that means that every day is crazy hectic..." It is a true reality. Things are rush rush rush -- the intermix of devotion to this country's survival and anger and resentment toward the international community with whom you are most probably dealing with on a daily basis between work and family is HECTIC. Is there a correlation between hectic and hi tech? I think there must be. Things are happening fast,
If you still have not read Start Up Nation by Saul Singer and Dan Senor - order it on Amazon ASAP.
One of the reasons that they describe Israel to be such a successful StartUp Nation is its size - the proximity of extremely intelligent and risk taking individuals. What does this mean for people coming to learn, volunteer, study in Israel? The proximity and small network allow us to get involved, be in the know, and meet the right people.
Last night the author of StartUp Nation was hosted by Bar Ilan MBA International Program with a panel of CEO's and Venture Capitol Partners from Israel, with the topic "What is Next for the Start Up Nation"
Saul Singer began with a short story from his book - about Paypal (owned by Ebay) coming to an Israeli start up founder, Fraud Scientists to learn about how they detect internet fraud. Immediately Paypal was struck by Fraud Scientists skill based on how they learned to find traces of terrorists in the army. The company was bough for 80million dollars.
How can we understand the pace of change in technology? Singer quoted a study that
To Reach 50million users it took
38 Years.....For Radio
13 Years...For TV
4 Years...For Intenet
3 Years...For Ipod
9months for 100million Users of Facebook
9 months for 1 billion Users for Ipone Applications
Does Israel want to continue to be a country of start ups to be bought by bigger more sustainable companies or are we looking to develop our own bigger companies here? How can we transfer the booming hi tech economy to other sectors in Israel - like education for example? How can we integrate new olim and arabs into this hi tech boom? How do we leverage our technologies to help global progress?
Director of Google Israel, Greece and South Africa, Meir Brand:
"Our competitve advantage must be INNOVATION. Israeli technologies are already being deployed in 3rd world countries. Computer science is our ticket to solving world problems.
Tal Keinan: CEO KCPS COmpany:
"We have a unique concentration of minds: and "a lot of experience garnered overseas"
Chemi Peres, CO-Founder Pitango:
"We are an isolated country and have to speed up our rate of change even though we have a delay due to the time shift and isolation..but that also means we have the opportunity to show that we can turn an entire country electric. We must CONSUME innovation rather than services the consumer from countries miles away"
First Step to Signing Up: Picking your field. While the descriptions of the internships are somewhat vague, many of them are attached to really cool organizations and companies. If you start applying to jobs on your own, many employers in Israel will say "Contact me when you get here" -- since you are only an intern, you are not first priority, and so when you contact him/her in February you will meet with them in March and then you will start to MAYBE work in April and then you will be ready to go home. It is a frustrating reality but it is truth. So - best to be focused and decide what kind of work environment you want -- the best thing about it is that you can decide what about the company you want to do and make it happen.
Since my first plan was to go to law school I figured working in law would be best. BUT - law internships in Israel are not easy to find. Most of their interns have already finished law school - so if you are looking for law work, best to connect with an NGO. You'll get great experience - probably more than if you were standing at the photocopy machine in a huge law firm.
Still I preservered and got an internship (on my own) for an organization of lawyers that helped charedi women with domestic abuse issues be represented in courts. On an organized trip from MASA to Better Place, a groundbreaking start up in Israel, my coordinator told me to come sit next to her because my internship said that they would no longer be able to have me intern. Nuff Said. After weeks of emails and interviews and starting the first day, I had to start from scratch. And so I walked over to the CEO's assistant at Better Place, whose name I had heard from a mutual friend, sent her my resume with a very strong and convincing introduction - that I would be willing to work for the company in ANY capacity. You can't say no to strong will. After a few weeks of emailing and interviews, I got the INTERNSHIP at the company that I had dreamed to work for 2 years before I decided to go to Israel!
Day 1 of the INternship: Interns should approach employers to discuss if they will pay for transportation. If not, MASA will cover the cost
Day 57 of my Internship: The question of who is paying for my transportation has not yet been decided
Bottom Line - Israeli companies are confused by us interns. We left our jobs to work for free? On day 57 of my internship, I am still waiting to get payments for my bus rides - but at the same time, I would have NEVER had the chance to learn about one of the most exciting companies in Israel from the executives of the company if I didn't enter the company as an intern. S
Four Career Israel participants talk about hebrew learning, interning and living in Israel.
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