Tunnel Vision

After a long, nice vacation with the parents I am finally back on Kibbutz and settled back into normal schedule. I actually returned on Monday afternoon and worked in the dining hall doing dishes Tuesday and Thursday (I now appreciate my job in the kindergarten a lot more). Today was my first day back at the Kindergarten in almost 2 weeks, and although I was a little tired it was good to be back and see all the little kiddies' smiling faces! While the vacation was much needed and being pampered and cared for by the parents was heavenly, it is good to be back in my "predictable" routine on Kibbutz. My life here more or less revolves around 3 things: exercise, Hebrew, and watching House. Of course there is time for the in-between things but my focus is on the previously mentioned topics. The exercise regimen consists of the following: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday I ride my bike to the gym and lift. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday I run for about 1-2 hours. Soon I'm going to move to resistance running with boots and eventually a pack of about 10-15 kgs. With regards to the Hebrew, I have about 1000 note cards of vocabulary. Also, I purchased Rosetta Stone this summer and it's a really wonderful program for learning languages. On the topic of House...well, you've gotta have some fun, right? Hopefully I'll receive my passport and Israeli identity card in the mail on Sunday (latest) so I can get moving on a number of my things to do including opening an Israeli bank account, pushing the Draft Office (Lishkat Gius) to draft me in March, as well as some other pressing issues. That's all for now. Please send me emails (benjacobs1027@comcast.net) updating me on all of your lives! It's good to hear from friends!

Citizenship

It has been a month since I've blogged. For that, my most humble apologies, loyal blog followers! Well it's official! Actually, not officially. But almost! I have my Israeli citizenship. My parents got to the country on Tuesday and on Wednesday after work (still in the kindergarten!) I bused to Jerusalem to stay with them at the David Citadel. Two things on the previous sentence. "Busing" from Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan is no minuscule task. From my kibbutz I have to take a taxi to Qiryat Atta (20 NIS [New Israeli Shekel]). Then I take the bus from Qiryat Atta Center to Lev HaMifratz just outside of Haifa (4.80 NIS). Then I take a bus from Lev HaMifratz to Hof HaCarmel on the beautiful western coastline of Haifa (5.70 NIS). From there I take an express bus to Jerusalem central bus station (41 NIS). From Jerusalem central bus station I take a bus going southeast to the David Citadel hotel (5.70 NIS). My point -- traveling in Israel ain't so pleasant. The David Citadel could possibly be the nicest hotel in Israel. Not only is the location great, but I managed to gain 2 kg just during the time I was there. PLUS, my showerhead didn't even have rust on it! Living in ulpanist rooms on kibbutz makes you appreciate the finer amenities in life. Back to the citizenship though, I now have two official names. In the states my name is Benjamin Asher Jacobs and in Israel I am Jason Bourne. Just kidding, in Israel my name is Benyamin Bar-Asher. My uncle's Israeli name is Yonatan Ben-Asher but since my name is already Ben, I figured it would just create problems. Next week I should be receiving my new Teudat Zeut (Israeli identity card/passport) as well as a generous grant from Nefesh B'Nefesh. Even better news, I can finally start the tiresome process of fighting the army to let me in. Presently I am writing at the Isrotel Dead Sea Spa Hotel in...well, the Dead Sea obviously. The view from my hotel room is fantastic and everything is Nehedar (wonderful). More updates soon! The picture on the left is from Halloween and the right is me and our adopted Ulpan dog Uga!

The Kindergarten Fight

This weekend was great! I went to Kefar Tavor to stay with family friends (Iftach and Shoshana Genez) and today we went to a restaurant in Tel Yitzhak which is right by Netanya. The event was a family birthday party. All of Shula and Itzik's kids(Shula and Itzik are my dad's adopted family who live on Kibbutz Bet Alfa), including Iftach, have birthdays in October so it is easiest and nicest to have a joint celebration. I'm sorry for the family lineage here -- it would be easiest to draw a family tree but unfortunately Blogspot lacks a drawing tool. They included me in the festivity since I also have a birthday in October and it was great seeing the entire family in one place.
Now to the title of the blog. I had a realization this past week in the kindergarten this past week: I don't want to be a kindergarten teacher. Just kidding -- the realization has important real-world applications that occur on a daily basis. Two of the little ones, Matan and Nadav, had a fight while playing soccer out on the playground. Matan claimed that Nadav was not sharing the ball enough and Nadav claimed that that's just the way that soccer goes. The outcome was that Matan (notorious for his temper tantrums) broke out into a hysterical crying fit and, flailing his arms madly, began chasing Nadav all around the playground. Both of the kids were sent inside to be reprimanded by the kindergarten teacher. The situation was resolved yet for the rest of the day both kids were mad at each other. I asked myself, as I often do at the kindergarten, "When does this kind of behavior stop?" As I began to sift through my mind for various things that I've heard about child psychology and experienced in my own maturation through childhood, I stumbled upon a realization. This behavior doesn't really stop. As knowledgeable as we become and for the amount of experience we acquire through our progression in life, we often become irrational when it comes to arguments. Petty arguments escalate into bitter warfare -- not only on a political basis but in social relations as well. As you may be thinking, I am hinting toward the conflict over here in the Middle East. By no means am I labeling the conflict's inception as "petty" but it has infected so much of society that a common mantra I hear from a large portion of Israelis is, "There is no negotiating with the Arabs. The Arabs are brainless monsters that only want the destruction of the Jewish people and Israel." It would be too much to ask a 5-year-old to cope with the philosophies of empathy and passion but I believe that this is what it ultimately comes down to. It is a balance between feeling for others around us while keeping our own passions and interests in mind. There is such a wide-range of historical accounts of Israeli-Arab history to the point where you can find such contradictions as, "The Israelis viciously assault Palestinians in their hometowns unwarrantedly," and the juxtaposing, "Palestinians spray sulfuric acid in the faces of Israeli guards unwarrantedly." Some accounts are pure BS, but there is no discounting either side of the argument completely. The result of this stressful and quarrelsome situation? Lots of cigarettes and lots of crying.
So how does one go about solving the situation? I wish the answer were as easy as something from Tuesdays with Morrie (which I just finished reading). If it were, however, there would still most likely not be peace here in the Middle East. Even after the little skirmish between Nadav and Matan had been resolved, they remained mad at each other. Their pride had swolen too large to occupy the same area and therefore the battle went on.

The Usual

Erev Tov! The past few weeks have been fairly tranquil and nothing too exciting has happened but as the aphorism goes, "No news is good news." I've been traveling almost every weekend since I've gotten here so by now I'm comfortable (or at least more comfortable) with the public transportation in Israel and I know the prices pretty well. While there is no miraculous difference in the level of my hebrew, I think that it has improved since I've arrived. It's frustrating, however, since I just want to be fluent already! This past weekend I was at Bet Alfa visiting very close family friends. It was good to see them again and stay with them. It was exactly 2 years ago that I stayed with them during Sukkot. I'm getting more comfortable staying with people and being guests in their home but at the same time it is important that I maintain my disposition of being a humble guest (despite it being contrary to the cultural norm here). On a separate note, the Ulpan is going alright. I'm not exactly pleased with the way that we are being taught hebrew. If it was up to me we would be sticking to units - similar to the way I learned spanish. There is no connection between one lesson and the next and like everything in life...a transition is necessary. Keep sending me emails and updates!

"Your political ideals are backward and responsible for everything wrong with this country...but please pass the Hummus."

The obscure title of this blog has a point...I haven't gone completely insane. The past couple weeks have served as my initial immersion into general Israeli society. When I came here in my junior year, I lived here but I did not REALLY live here. Using the bus system, talking to Israelis -- these and more are all the things I am now experiencing that make this trip more "real" than the last one. Some of the observations of Israelis I have made are the following. Wherein there is more than 1 Israeli, there will be ALWAYS be at least two juxtaposing opinions. This applies to the most simple cases. For instance, a specific question I have been asking is what unit I should go to if I would like to join a more elite unit. Sample answers are Sayeret Matkal, Shaldag, and intelligence. These 3 suggestions came from only 2 Israelis. This also seems to happen constantly when asking for directions to anywhere. If you ask one passenger on the bus which stop to get off at in order to get to a certain place, his neighbor will almost surely disagree with him. As you can imagine, this makes things difficult sometimes and very frustrating. Such is life here -- balagan. But at the same time, there is a connection among many Israelis. It is a very terse and somewhat abrupt rhetoric that is very refreshing in a way. You don't have to "guess" what somebody is trying to say. If they want the Hummus, they will not phrase it passively like, "It would be quite nice if someone would pass the hummus." A more typical Israeli dinner table phrase would be, "Ay! Give me the hummus," while Lafa and Shawarma drop out of his or her mouth. It's irresponsible to generalize but I think that the advanced societies of the far east, western Europe, and the United States have strayed too far from raw human emotion to the point where it is considered impolite to say your true intention without it being disguised by a connecting clause expressing gratitude or a preemptive apology. Here, everybody (again -- wrong to generalize) is more open and forthcoming. If they think something is weird or obnoxious, you will know. You even see it in the kindergarten. The kids I work with are very open and have very little hesitation toward anything. Kids all over are more or less like this, but more so here in Israel. Something I think about every work day that is hard for me to cope with is that in about 13 years, these kids will be in the military and some of them, despite their innocence now, may die. Such is the substance behind the attitude that drives Israeli society. There is no time to mince words.

Still not Israeli...but getting there

Now that we're finally on our routine schedule I feel that I can comment about it with more certainty than before. I am so lucky to have been placed in the kindergarten with the kiddies. Even though everybody says that working in PalRam isn't too bad and that it could be worse, I think that mind-numbing manual labor would somehow be counter-productive for a good learning environment. 3 people have already left the group but I think that that will be the final number (assuming nobody gets kicked out or anything). The Kibbutz continues to be a hospitable and quaint place to live although my one complaint is the maintenance should be spelled "latenance" (it takes weeks to get anything done around here). My sink is broken in my room so everyday activities such as shaving, washing hands, and brushing teeth have increased in difficulty ten-fold. The kids from the previous ulpan have advised me to get used to it and that it will most likely not be fixed until late next week. Until then it looks like I will either be shaving with the Orange Fanta in our room or going to someone else's room. Despite their reputation as introverts, the Kibbutzniks have actually been pretty friendly. Of course, as a previous blogger put it, none of the Kibbutznik girls give us "the time of day" but that's alright...our main purpose here is to learn Hebrew anyways. Yesterday I downloaded the necessary forms in order to make Aliyah from Nefesh B'Nefesh's website so hopefully I will be a full-fledged Israeli citizen with a guaranteed 14,000 Shekels (~$4,000 or less now due to the financial crisis) and benefits by mid to end November. This weekend I am going to a good family friend's house in Herzliya and then next weekend to another's elsewhere. Gene and I have already talked about getting an apartment after the Ulpan and I have also talked with Phil about it. Gene is from Australia and Phil is from England. This would mean an apartment with a trifecta from the English speaking countries (kinda cool). The Hebrew is going well. As my notebook would attest, I still have a lot of vocabulary to learn but I can get around pretty well in most situations. I'm still looking for a gym that I could join around here for a reasonable price but have not been very successful in my findings. I would be okay with just running but unfortunately the army is not looking for the slim, Ethiopian runner build so I have to find a way to keep building muscle. I still have a while to worry about that though -- 6 months to be exact!

Settling in to a Rhythm

It's been a while since I've written and quite a lot has happened since then. This past weekend I went to stay with family friends in Hod HaSharon and it was nice to be able to stay in a room by myself again (although I am really lucky that my roommates are so easygoing). We finally started working and studying and it feels good not to be a waste of space anymore. I am in Kitah Gimel which is the highest class available and it is an agreeable curriculum. On the initial test I scored a 94% which means that I could be in Daled but there is no such thing on this specific kibbutz. I feel that I will still acquire a sufficient amount of Hebrew during my time here. Instead of working in PalRam (the Kibbutz's plastic factory which is its main source of income) I work in the Kindergarten with the 5-6 year olds. Their English is not too good (a.k.a. nonexistent) so if you can put 2 and 2 together you'll figure out which language that leaves for us to converse in. While my Hebrew is good it's not good enough to feel comfortable using it all day. All-in-all, however, I landed a really great job and it's fun working with the kids. The teachers who I work with are also really nice and understanding of my situation. Hopefully I'll get a chance to write later and upload some photos, but I've got to go to sleep now -- 7:00 a.m. is only 6.5 hours away! For those of you who want to contact me by email here it is:

benjacobs1027@comcast.net

When in Rome

We've been here for 5 days already (since Thursday), and it feels as if we've been here for a year. It's a nice feeling to be settled in and I am reminded of it everyday when newcomers arrive and they have to struggle to catch up with everyone else. Over the past few days I've been to Kiryat Atta and a mall in Kiryat Biali called Kiryon. My roommates and I get along extremely well and I am truly grateful for that -- the previous year I saw in my dorm how bad it could be for kids who don't get along to be paired with each other. Also, my hebrew is well above average here and kids are impressed by it -- thank you, Ms. Gavish! It obviously, however, can use much improvement and by the end of Ulpan I would like to achieve my goal of speaking with a level of fluency that would be hard to distinguish from an Israeli's. It's tough getting to know the Kibbutznikim; they are somewhat shy. I have been persistent in speaking to our good family friends' cousin who lives here and he was a bit reserved but at the same time warm. He welcomed me to come to his house at some point and the next time I see him I will take him up on that offer. There are similarities I have become keenly aware of when traveling and adapting to a new place. It's such a vulnerable experience -- throwing yourself into a new environment and attempting to aclimate to the ecosystem. There's an entirely new food chain to learn, different cultural norms, and most importantly "initiation" methods. How is one accepted when one moves to a different place? It is almost universal that hard work is an essential part of it. Many Ulpanistim apparently slack off at work and ditch class. $4,000 is a little too expensive to abide by the rules -- especially since the rules are quite lax. I've been speaking mostly Hebrew to the Israelis who work with us (the director, house mother, counselors, etc.) and I think they have taken a liking to me as a result. When in Israel...(do as the Israelis do). I forgot to post my mailing address and contact information, so here it is:

Ulpan Kibbutz Ramat-Yohanan
DOAR Kfar HaMaccabbi Zip: 30035

cell phone: (from the US) 011-972-54-906-6336

Letters and phone calls are very welcome (just remember the time difference)! Lila Tov!

Kibbutz Ramat Yochanan

This is my second day being on Kibbutz. Since it is Shabbat, everyone will eat together in the dining hall tonight. From what I have heard, it is a meal not to miss...then again, if you miss it you're stuck with snacks from the supermarket and semi-warm water from a rustic water fountain. Moshe, a family friend, drove me up from where I was staying 2 nights ago in Herzliyyah to the Kibbutz. The Kibbutz is located about 20 km east of Haifa and about 2 km from the nearby town of Qiryat Atta. It's a very nice Kibbutz with the vast majority of its income coming from the plastic factory PalRam. The big news around here lately is that for the olympics a big shipment of PalRam's plastic was sent to Beijing. This yielded a huge payoff for the Kibbutz so it's a win-win situation for the Kibbutzniks who will be happy, and the Ulpanistim who will be happy since the Kibbutzniks will not be terse with us. Speaking of which, the kibbutzniks have not been bad. While they will not openly come up to us and start engaging in conversation, we have been able to speak with a few who have been fairly pleasant. At the moment there are about 10-15 kids with a total number expected at 48. The countries so far have been the US, England, Australia (my roommate who is 25), Germany, Argentina, and of course...Russia. Everyone seems to be pretty laid-back. While I would not say that we all fit together like hand-and-glove, for the most part the group seems somewhat cohesive. That's all for now. Proper shabbat attire (even on the Kibbutz) awaits me.

The Land of Soy Milk (I'm lactose-intolerant) and Honey

So I have landed here and it is great to be in Israel again! The stream of emotions that I have experienced over the past 24 hours have been wide-ranging and as a result I am exhausted. When I got to the airport, my bags weighed a grand total of 110 lbs together. The limit? 110 lbs. Finishing packing was stressful enough but then having to worry about whether I took enough clothing and supplies to last me for the next 4 years while staying under 110 lbs was enough to make my hair turn gray. So, to the teachers who I gave gray hair to over the past few years, we're even. I sat next to a nice guy on the plane who was about 30. He was going to Israel with an organization similar to birthright. We chatted for a while but ultimately I passed out in my aisle seat with a book still in my lap...traveling always wears me out. Much to my dismay, about 6 hours after I fell soundly asleep a group of orthodox males (about my age) started praying...RIGHT next to me! The whole swaying and mumbling and all that jazz. I figured it would have been rude to ask them to take their prayers elsewhere as I was trying to rest so I merely ignored them and scanned the plane to get an idea of who was traveling with me. Mostly Israelis, Yuppie Americans on birthright, the religious, or the in-betweens.

Just a bit about the content of my blog. I do not intend to censor myself in the language that I use so I advise that if you are sensitive toward harsh or graphic language...careful? At the same time, however, I recognize that some things are better left kept to ourselves so I will try to find a happy medium that will appease both parties (the prudes and the ludes). It's great to be back and more blogs to come!