As we left the plane, I finally felt that this was real…. we really are leaving to live in Israel for a year.  

My first feelings, while clouded by exhaustion and jet lag, were filled with a bit of apprehension and an odd juxtaposition of coming and leaving home at the same time.  

How is Israel like home?

There is something innately familiar about Israel.  Perhaps it is the countless hours that I have spent as a Jewish educator looking to connect students to Israel the land, people and culture. Maybe it is the natural connection with the images that we constantly poor over when studying Israel.  or perhaps it is some ineffable feeling that links me to our past… or maybe not.  - Whatever it is, it is very present… I am here not as a tourist this time, but a temporary resident.  

How is Israel not like home?

Israel is missing all of you!   Other than that it is the little things… the sub par orange juice, the lack of skim milk, the language barriers (hopefully this will get better as I learn more Hebrew), the hustle of the city (honking horns, and aggressive pedestrians).  The other differences are more tied to American comforts… which I can say I miss less most of the time.  This stems from the fact that Americans tend to be a little more “privileged” than most people in the world.  

I will stop here for now, only adding that  I am curious to find out more about many things…

Israeli clothing styles (what are they)? why do Israelis have better rugalech than americans? Why coke is so expensive? How do Israelis celebrate Shabbat in Jerusalem compared to other Israeli cities?  Where are the interesting places to explore off the beaten track?  What Israeli Television is like?  Why Israelis will throw their cigarettes onto the ground without putting them out first?  How does HUC and the reform movement interact with Jerusalem and Israeli culture in Jerusalem?  Where can I find AC?  and what really started the whole fries or “chips” with felafel?

 

Tune in next time to find out my somewhat biased opinions about these and more topics!

Shabbat Shalom,

Jessica