Darfurian Refugees
An optional seminar was offered on Tuesday (Feb 16) in which a speaker discussed reasons to obtain refugee status and where refugees in Israel are immigrating from. One of the largest situations in Israel today involves Sudan. The Arab Africans are killing tribes of Black Africans in Darfur as well as Southern Sudan. The UN declared this genocide but has taken little action beyond that.
One area of Tel Aviv houses refugees and has a completely different atmosphere. The types of stores, languages seen/spoken, and ethnicity of the people make you feel as though you’ve left Israel. Ben, a participant in my program, said that one street looked exactly like Venezuela.
We stopped in a small store where two Darfurian refugees told their story. They hung a picture on the wall of their former tribe in Sudan, half of which has been killed off. The men managed to escape and worked as computer programmers for high-tech companies in Israel but the pay was not enough to get by. Now they’ve opened a shop in which they teach computer skills and sell accessories. They are fluent in their native language, English, and are learning Hebrew. Their families are growing up as Israelis but they are barely getting by. In addition, random raids by police checking for legal documents make them fear losing their store every day.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Dance Party
Shopping
After Uplan on Monday (Feb 15), Talia and I went shopping down Shenken Street. The clothing options are awful here… Apparently floral leotards are in style. The few familiar brands I saw (Puma, Nike, Steve Madden, Diesel) were really expensive so I have yet to purchase clothing.
Pot Luck
Erez came over in the evening with delicious homemade vegetarian soup. My kitchen is officially the place to hang out because my roommates cook like crazy, people bring over random foods, and we may or may not have dance parties. Haha We are planning on hosting a pot luck soon but almost every night someone brings food over anyway.
After Uplan on Monday (Feb 15), Talia and I went shopping down Shenken Street. The clothing options are awful here… Apparently floral leotards are in style. The few familiar brands I saw (Puma, Nike, Steve Madden, Diesel) were really expensive so I have yet to purchase clothing.
Pot Luck
Erez came over in the evening with delicious homemade vegetarian soup. My kitchen is officially the place to hang out because my roommates cook like crazy, people bring over random foods, and we may or may not have dance parties. Haha We are planning on hosting a pot luck soon but almost every night someone brings food over anyway.
Valentine's Day
Beet Picking
After Ulpan today (Feb 14), all the participants had the option to volunteer at an animal shelter, picking vegetables on a Kibbutz, or if fluent in Hebrew, accompanying children in a cancer ward. I chose to be a farmer for the day. Just south of Tel Aviv a rich lawyer owns farmland where he grows fruits and vegetables for the needy. Everything is donated to an organization which also picks up leftovers from restaurants and events and distributes food nationwide through a logistics center. (If I had known about this company, I would have been interested in interning there.) About 30 of us picked beets for 2 hours… 2.5 tons of beets! It was enough to fill a truck bed. We even stole some handpicked citrus for home. Yum.
Wish I Knew Hebrew
That evening I had to go to the cell phone store to replace my phone. I got a number and waited on a couch with my net book and wifi so it wasn’t too bad… Until some guy started yelling outside as the cops pinned him to the ground. Everyone ran to the windows and I had no idea what was going on because everything was in Hebrew… Slightly scary moment.
Beach Night
Around 10:30pm, my roomies and a few friends walked to the beach to chill with a hookah. We randomly ran into a bunch of other people from the program singing and playing guitar in the sand. It ended up being a really fun night.
After Ulpan today (Feb 14), all the participants had the option to volunteer at an animal shelter, picking vegetables on a Kibbutz, or if fluent in Hebrew, accompanying children in a cancer ward. I chose to be a farmer for the day. Just south of Tel Aviv a rich lawyer owns farmland where he grows fruits and vegetables for the needy. Everything is donated to an organization which also picks up leftovers from restaurants and events and distributes food nationwide through a logistics center. (If I had known about this company, I would have been interested in interning there.) About 30 of us picked beets for 2 hours… 2.5 tons of beets! It was enough to fill a truck bed. We even stole some handpicked citrus for home. Yum.
Wish I Knew Hebrew
That evening I had to go to the cell phone store to replace my phone. I got a number and waited on a couch with my net book and wifi so it wasn’t too bad… Until some guy started yelling outside as the cops pinned him to the ground. Everyone ran to the windows and I had no idea what was going on because everything was in Hebrew… Slightly scary moment.
Beach Night
Around 10:30pm, my roomies and a few friends walked to the beach to chill with a hookah. We randomly ran into a bunch of other people from the program singing and playing guitar in the sand. It ended up being a really fun night.
Work It
The weather was so nice on Thursday (Feb 11)! My kind of day… Right after Ulpan, we walk to the shuk to buy beach towels, relaxed on the beach, then went to the gym which is conveniently located in the mall 4 blocks away. Working out was challenging because I had no idea how fast I was running or how much weight I was lifting… Everything is on the metric system and all the words are written in Hebrew.
So far I’ve taken ab, spinning, and yoga classes at the gym. Not much different from home, but I can’t understand anything the instructors say. At least I’m practicing how to count in Hebrew while I work out! The spin instructor was pretty funny… She turned on black lights, blasted music, and danced/fist pumped the whole time.
So far I’ve taken ab, spinning, and yoga classes at the gym. Not much different from home, but I can’t understand anything the instructors say. At least I’m practicing how to count in Hebrew while I work out! The spin instructor was pretty funny… She turned on black lights, blasted music, and danced/fist pumped the whole time.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
MES Interview!
Following Ulpan (Hebrew class) today (Feb 10), I took a trip north to Caesarea for an interview with the company I’ll be interning with, MES (Medical Electronic Systems). The journey involves a walk, bus ride, train ride, and another bus ride and takes almost 2 hours. Another guy from the program, Erez, will be interning there too so at least I’ll be in good company for the journey.
MES manufactures Sperm Quality Analyzers (SQAs)! Luckily they have a great sense of humor… And Erez pointed out that I wore a pearl necklace to the interview. HAHA Erez studied biopsychology so he’ll help with research and testing and I’ll work in Quality Control and process improvement. I was given a brief overview of the consultation needed, but the project is mine to create which is why I chose this company.
MES manufactures Sperm Quality Analyzers (SQAs)! Luckily they have a great sense of humor… And Erez pointed out that I wore a pearl necklace to the interview. HAHA Erez studied biopsychology so he’ll help with research and testing and I’ll work in Quality Control and process improvement. I was given a brief overview of the consultation needed, but the project is mine to create which is why I chose this company.
Israeli Politics Speaker
Today (Feb 9) I learned a few more words in Hebrew and I’m still trying to get used to the alefbet. I’m in need of some flashcard studying. After Ulpan I traveled to the shuk to get the final items to make my apartment feel like home. The dried fruit and nuts in the shuk are out of control delicious.
In the afternoon, Gil Hoffman spoke to our group about Israeli politics. The most important issue today is Iran where riots are still taking place due to last year’s election. When Netanyahu was elected, the world told him to take a diplomatic approach when dealing with Iran. France’s leader called Obama out at a UN meeting in September 2009 asking what they will do about the threat to a UN country which was all over the news. Netanyahu placed a 10-month settlement freeze on the West Bank, almost a deadline for Obama and the UN to end the current approach. This freeze ends September 25, 2010 which may be the beginning of military action.
When Obama met with the Palestinians, he compared their situation to the Holocaust or slavery in America. A poll in Israel was taken on Obama’s stand, the results were: Neutral – 30%, Against – 50%, For – 6%, else ultra Orthodox Jews who have never heard of Obama!
In the afternoon, Gil Hoffman spoke to our group about Israeli politics. The most important issue today is Iran where riots are still taking place due to last year’s election. When Netanyahu was elected, the world told him to take a diplomatic approach when dealing with Iran. France’s leader called Obama out at a UN meeting in September 2009 asking what they will do about the threat to a UN country which was all over the news. Netanyahu placed a 10-month settlement freeze on the West Bank, almost a deadline for Obama and the UN to end the current approach. This freeze ends September 25, 2010 which may be the beginning of military action.
When Obama met with the Palestinians, he compared their situation to the Holocaust or slavery in America. A poll in Israel was taken on Obama’s stand, the results were: Neutral – 30%, Against – 50%, For – 6%, else ultra Orthodox Jews who have never heard of Obama!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Acclimating
Ulpan
AHH! Learning a new language today! For the next 3 weeks I’ll be studying Hebrew for about 4.5 hours/day (called Ulpan). I chose to join the faster beginner class which is challenging for me. I’m probably the single least prepared person. I don’t even know the alefbet (alphabet). I have 27 letters to learn the print, cursive, and sound of. Gross.
The Streets
I’m trying to take note of all the different things I’ve seen on the streets here... There is no way to forget you are in the middle of conflict here. To enter malls and trains, guards with metal detectors check your bags. I guess I don't like a threat because I carried a huge bag with a laptop inside wasn’t looked at for more than 2 seconds. Soldiers in uniform are walking around everywhere you go, mainly transporting to and from home. Most have guns over their shoulder and no one takes a second glance. I’m already used to it and feel safer with them around.
AHH! Learning a new language today! For the next 3 weeks I’ll be studying Hebrew for about 4.5 hours/day (called Ulpan). I chose to join the faster beginner class which is challenging for me. I’m probably the single least prepared person. I don’t even know the alefbet (alphabet). I have 27 letters to learn the print, cursive, and sound of. Gross.
The Streets
I’m trying to take note of all the different things I’ve seen on the streets here... There is no way to forget you are in the middle of conflict here. To enter malls and trains, guards with metal detectors check your bags. I guess I don't like a threat because I carried a huge bag with a laptop inside wasn’t looked at for more than 2 seconds. Soldiers in uniform are walking around everywhere you go, mainly transporting to and from home. Most have guns over their shoulder and no one takes a second glance. I’m already used to it and feel safer with them around.
WEST BizzANK VISIT!
West Bank
On Sunday, Amir Chesin spoke about the changing borders of Israel throughout history due to Arab-Israeli conflict. In 1967, Israel won land, expanding almost all borders in the 6 day war. This includes a portion of East Jerusalem is still inhabited by Palestinians which is the West Bank. Following the lecture, the group left the State of Israel and crossed into the West Bank for a tour. Most areas of the West Bank are only visited by Jews in bulletproof buses. Walls and fences separate and protect the people while watch towers and cameras are always in sight. Some areas of coexistence are peaceful yet bombings have happened recently.
Home Sweet Home
After exploring the West Bank, the group ate lunch and relaxed at a park with a picture perfect view of Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and the Syrian Mountains. A 45 minute bus ride took us to my new home of Tel Aviv! The program leaders warned us of super sketch housing to prepare us for our apartments. I lucked out with a large apartment on the first floor - close to the internet router. I share a room with Talya from Turkey and our living room houses Vera from Turkey and Emily from Connecticut.
In order to take a shower, hot water must be generated by “The Dude” by turning it on about 20 minutes prior. I love the name of it. The only problem is that if left on too long (2+ hours), The Dude will explode. Knowing me, I’ll be the first to blow one up. Haha
Shuks!
Our apartment is in the best location 15 minutes from the Mediterranean and right in the middle of the best shopping. The largest shuk (market) in TA is 6 blocks east and the mall is 5 blocks west. There is almost nothing you cannot find at the shuks here. I’m in love!!! They are like farmer’s markets on crack. From home goods to jewelry to fresh produce to hummus, the best and cheapest shopping is at the market. The architecture of the mall is pretty sweet… about 4 stories spiraling up. It has very few familiar stores and is extremely expensive. It has a movie theater, home store, grocery store, and my new gym!
On Sunday, Amir Chesin spoke about the changing borders of Israel throughout history due to Arab-Israeli conflict. In 1967, Israel won land, expanding almost all borders in the 6 day war. This includes a portion of East Jerusalem is still inhabited by Palestinians which is the West Bank. Following the lecture, the group left the State of Israel and crossed into the West Bank for a tour. Most areas of the West Bank are only visited by Jews in bulletproof buses. Walls and fences separate and protect the people while watch towers and cameras are always in sight. Some areas of coexistence are peaceful yet bombings have happened recently.
Home Sweet Home
After exploring the West Bank, the group ate lunch and relaxed at a park with a picture perfect view of Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and the Syrian Mountains. A 45 minute bus ride took us to my new home of Tel Aviv! The program leaders warned us of super sketch housing to prepare us for our apartments. I lucked out with a large apartment on the first floor - close to the internet router. I share a room with Talya from Turkey and our living room houses Vera from Turkey and Emily from Connecticut.
In order to take a shower, hot water must be generated by “The Dude” by turning it on about 20 minutes prior. I love the name of it. The only problem is that if left on too long (2+ hours), The Dude will explode. Knowing me, I’ll be the first to blow one up. Haha
Shuks!
Our apartment is in the best location 15 minutes from the Mediterranean and right in the middle of the best shopping. The largest shuk (market) in TA is 6 blocks east and the mall is 5 blocks west. There is almost nothing you cannot find at the shuks here. I’m in love!!! They are like farmer’s markets on crack. From home goods to jewelry to fresh produce to hummus, the best and cheapest shopping is at the market. The architecture of the mall is pretty sweet… about 4 stories spiraling up. It has very few familiar stores and is extremely expensive. It has a movie theater, home store, grocery store, and my new gym!
Monday, February 8, 2010
First Sabbath
On Friday we packed our bags to move to a hotel on a Kibbutz. For those of you who don’t know, a Kibbutz is a small community with a socialist mentality. For example, someone may go work with cows and another person uses that milk to make cheese which will be eaten by the community while someone else is running a day care to watch their children. Today of the 300 Kibbutzim in Israel, over 260 have become privatized so this is no longer the case and a lot of people work outside the Kibbutz.
Before we headed to town, we stopped at a protest in the street for Gilad Shalit’s return. He was captured 3 years ago after serving in the Israeli Army. In return for him, the Palestinians want over 1000 criminals and terrorists to be freed. Some Israelis believe the trade should be made because their soldiers and all people are held so highly. At the same time, others believe this trade would endanger the country. People with both views meet to protest across the street from each other.
Back at the hotel candles were lit for Shabbat and we had the option to go to text study, prayer, or yoga because everyone’s religious background is so different. Yoga was fun
I finally got more than 4 hours of sleep on Friday night and slept in until an optional group meditation/discussion. Then a native New Yorker who now lives on this Kibbutz gave us a tour of the land and described the past and present community. I found out the neighborhood in the amazing view right outside of my room is actually all Arab. At another location on the hill, we could see the fence separating the Western Bank as well as a view of Tel Aviv all the way on the Mediterranean 40 km away.
Possibly the most awesome part of the trip so far was a tour underneath the Kotel (Western Wall). The Western Wall is the holiest place for Jews – the Holy of Holies. This is because it is the closest spot to the Dome of the Rock which is recognized by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. At one point I was standing at the recently uncovered entrance of a market over 2000 years old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall_Tunnel
Before we headed to town, we stopped at a protest in the street for Gilad Shalit’s return. He was captured 3 years ago after serving in the Israeli Army. In return for him, the Palestinians want over 1000 criminals and terrorists to be freed. Some Israelis believe the trade should be made because their soldiers and all people are held so highly. At the same time, others believe this trade would endanger the country. People with both views meet to protest across the street from each other.
Back at the hotel candles were lit for Shabbat and we had the option to go to text study, prayer, or yoga because everyone’s religious background is so different. Yoga was fun
I finally got more than 4 hours of sleep on Friday night and slept in until an optional group meditation/discussion. Then a native New Yorker who now lives on this Kibbutz gave us a tour of the land and described the past and present community. I found out the neighborhood in the amazing view right outside of my room is actually all Arab. At another location on the hill, we could see the fence separating the Western Bank as well as a view of Tel Aviv all the way on the Mediterranean 40 km away.
Possibly the most awesome part of the trip so far was a tour underneath the Kotel (Western Wall). The Western Wall is the holiest place for Jews – the Holy of Holies. This is because it is the closest spot to the Dome of the Rock which is recognized by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. At one point I was standing at the recently uncovered entrance of a market over 2000 years old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall_Tunnel
First Days!
Took me a while to update because we’ve been so busy, but I’m having an amazing time so far. The program began on Wednesday where I met 90+ new people from over 10 countries. I’m still finding some I’ve never seen and it’s the third day.
About 70% of the participants will be interning in Tel Aviv while the rest will be in Jerusalem. We are split into 2 groups with leaders Itzik and Sharon. All of the Jerusalem interns plus a bunch of Tel Avivs are in Itzik’s group with me which is good because I get to spend a lot of time with them before we split up.
We stayed in a Jerusalem “hostel” the first two nights... More like a nice hotel with bunks. It housed other groups visiting from all over the world. The food is much better than I was expecting. Breakfast options always include Nutella with toast, Israeli salad (cucumbers and tomatoes in a vinegar dressing), and tuna. Every lunch and dinner has had challah, hummus, rice, potatoes, and Israeli salad. And PS Weekends are Friday-Saturday due to Shabbat.
On Thursday, Feb 4th, a Bostonian who has lived in Israel for 25 years spoke about the history and current standing of the State of Israel. I learned that the country is extremely fiscally conservative – they have the 3rd largest income gap between the upper and lower classes. Jerusalem is the poorest city here because many Orthodox Jews study the Torah all day every day while their wives stay at home and neither have an income.
Later we went over regulations and security… obviously important. The program requires that we have a cell phone on at all times so they can text any safety information which is received instantly from The Situation Room (a company in contact with Mossad).
The day ended with a trip to the mall, dinner at the hostel, and a seminar discussing Israeli films. Unlike Hollywood, Israeli films are funded by the government and are often more serious and political. Most criticize Israel openly, which I found to be surprising.
About 70% of the participants will be interning in Tel Aviv while the rest will be in Jerusalem. We are split into 2 groups with leaders Itzik and Sharon. All of the Jerusalem interns plus a bunch of Tel Avivs are in Itzik’s group with me which is good because I get to spend a lot of time with them before we split up.
We stayed in a Jerusalem “hostel” the first two nights... More like a nice hotel with bunks. It housed other groups visiting from all over the world. The food is much better than I was expecting. Breakfast options always include Nutella with toast, Israeli salad (cucumbers and tomatoes in a vinegar dressing), and tuna. Every lunch and dinner has had challah, hummus, rice, potatoes, and Israeli salad. And PS Weekends are Friday-Saturday due to Shabbat.
On Thursday, Feb 4th, a Bostonian who has lived in Israel for 25 years spoke about the history and current standing of the State of Israel. I learned that the country is extremely fiscally conservative – they have the 3rd largest income gap between the upper and lower classes. Jerusalem is the poorest city here because many Orthodox Jews study the Torah all day every day while their wives stay at home and neither have an income.
Later we went over regulations and security… obviously important. The program requires that we have a cell phone on at all times so they can text any safety information which is received instantly from The Situation Room (a company in contact with Mossad).
The day ended with a trip to the mall, dinner at the hostel, and a seminar discussing Israeli films. Unlike Hollywood, Israeli films are funded by the government and are often more serious and political. Most criticize Israel openly, which I found to be surprising.
Monday, February 1, 2010
I'm Here!
Oh, British Airways...
So when I checked in at JFK I found out my flight was 45 minutes late but the crazy lady wouldn't let me switch to an earlier one to make sure I caught my connector. I ended up sprinting through the London airport and made my flight by 3 minutes. My bags? Not so lucky. Hopefully they'll arrive early tomorrow morning so I have them before heading to Jerusalem where the program begins.
I met up with a fellow Gator, Joelle and we're in a cute hotel in the middle of Tel Aviv. The walk to the beach is only 15 minutes so that's definitely happening!
My Internship:
Beginning March 1st, I'll be volunteering with MES (www.mes-ltd.com/overview.asp) which manufactures medical equipment... okay, I'll say it - the products test SPERM. The company has a pretty sweet spermie logo, too.
I chose this position over another because the company has never had an IE. No metrics, no manufacturing schedules, no rhyme or reason. Don't worry, I'm here to save the day (but what else is new..?).
The plant is located in Caesarea, another beautiful city on the coast! My commute will be a bus and train ride so I may only work 3 days/week. I'll know more information after I visit on 2/10.
So when I checked in at JFK I found out my flight was 45 minutes late but the crazy lady wouldn't let me switch to an earlier one to make sure I caught my connector. I ended up sprinting through the London airport and made my flight by 3 minutes. My bags? Not so lucky. Hopefully they'll arrive early tomorrow morning so I have them before heading to Jerusalem where the program begins.
I met up with a fellow Gator, Joelle and we're in a cute hotel in the middle of Tel Aviv. The walk to the beach is only 15 minutes so that's definitely happening!
My Internship:
Beginning March 1st, I'll be volunteering with MES (www.mes-ltd.com/overview.asp) which manufactures medical equipment... okay, I'll say it - the products test SPERM. The company has a pretty sweet spermie logo, too.
I chose this position over another because the company has never had an IE. No metrics, no manufacturing schedules, no rhyme or reason. Don't worry, I'm here to save the day (but what else is new..?).
The plant is located in Caesarea, another beautiful city on the coast! My commute will be a bus and train ride so I may only work 3 days/week. I'll know more information after I visit on 2/10.
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