Week THREE - I feel like a child

Do you remember the time in your life where you learnt which way to stick the key into a lock the right way on the first try every time, or the feeling when you sat down to learn how to drive for the first time? Leaning how to do something as simple as take a train or order food.

Remember this feeling next time you do a simple task but imagine it without speaking words, without hearing words, without the ability to read. 

This is how I feel on my third week in Israel. I have no language. I am a pretty much a baby in this land. I realized I am torturing myself more by trying to get by with just English or Russian, than trying to learn Hebrew as soon as I can. 

A few days after I got to Ashdod, we went out to a restaurant on the water, we really enjoyed the food and found out it was owned by a nice Russian family. I left my phone number just in case they needed an extra hand, really with no intention of them actually calling me. I get a call on Monday asking weather i'm interested in coming in Friday morning for an interview. Im siked! But then the owner pops the question. "Can you speak Hebrew?" I start to become a baby again as I answer "No, not yet sir." 

As I was on the train today, I overheard a young lady speaking on the phone. She was speaking an interesting mix of Russian and Hebrew, I would zone out for the Hebrew parts, but when Russian rolled around, my brain would automatically tune into this little whisp of familiarity. She said one line that stuck out at me. "Someone who wants to achieve a goal will find a way, someone who doesn't want to achieve a goal will find an excuse."  This couldn't be more true in my case with learning Hebrew. I was making excuses for not learning because I didn't want it enough. Now I really want it, so I will find a way. 

That train ride was to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. I was on my way to renew my US Passport that was due to expire in a year and a half. Normally I would not be worried so early, but I needed one that will expire in at least two years from now. Actually the army does. Thats why Im here for two years. To serve in the Israeli Defense Force and be the best field medic I can be. 

No, I was not born in Israel. No I do not have close family in the country. No, I do not have to serve. This is my way of inching into medicine one small step at a time. I knew out of high school that college wouldn't benefit me like it would the next guy. I "learned" so much about other things and people that I never really learned about myself. This is my time to learn about my self and expose my weaknesses and strengths to form a solid foundation. How can society expect people to build themselves up like skyscrapers without a solid foundation. 

The next two years starting April 15th will hopefully add to my foundation so I can support anything that life throws on me. 

Gud Shabos

1/21/2015

Week TWO - Oy Gevalt!

As the first week winded down to a close, so did our Birthright trip. That first week's level of happiness with everyone was going to be hard to beat as the bar was set so high. At this point, I knew generally what my next step was, but I never made a concrete plan. I knew my next step would be to separate with the group and start my life here in Israel on my own. To be honest, I was more anxious than I was nervous or scared and that was for good reason.

 Oh, I forgot to mention a gorgeous detail. On this trip I met a young lady. How did we meet? Glad you asked. She was sitting one seat behind me on the flight over. At some point my neighbor (also a birthrighter) stood up, without hesitation, she jumped over the seat into the vacant one next to me. As a Squaaa, we had been talking almost the whole flight but I never directly talked with her. This took me by surprise! Why would she jump over? I never asked her why but I didn't need to. I knew it was for a very specific reason. The rest of the flight washed out into a haze of sleep, bad food and deep thought about what is to come. At one point I noticed her trying to sleep. "If you want to use my shoulder, its here" I said with a million thoughts racing through my head. Usually I wouldn't say this out loud, I would just think it, but I sure am glad I said It out loud. At first she refused, and then a few minutes later, her head was on my shoulder and I could see a little smile on her face. This is how I met Maria. 

Maria never left my side. From day one she cast a reassuring demeanor over me that I would soon come to love. We grew closer and closer throughout the adventures to the point where we had to keep reminding ourselves that less than a week before, we were complete strangers. It helped a lot to be able to share such touching and rooted moments along the trip with someone that cared just as much as I did. This may be my grandparents speaking through me, but Maria never failed to surprise me with the Jewish Mamaleh deep inside her that Ive only heard my grandparents talk about. Naturally, emotions emerged and separation became a scary thought. On one of the trips through the country, the idea of extending her trip came up, and at that point there was no way she was going back with the rest of the group. 

We were greeted at the airport by a close family friend who I would be staying with for the next two years. We stuffed the small car with our suitcases and ourselves and quickly made it to Ashdod. After sleeping a mere 2 hours every night for the whole week before, we stepped into the house, saw a bed and somehow fell asleep mid flight down.

If I missed this point before, Birthright was my way of getting to Israel with the intention of staying. Why two years? The next blog will cover that. 

Gud Shabos

1/15/2016

Week ONE - How do you say hangover in Hebrew?

On December 29th 2015 I found myself sitting on a plane at JFK International Airport with a one way ticket in my hand. Destination - Israel. Moreover, every single face on that plane was one of a stranger. I knew no one but I was not alone. I was with a group of 40 beautiful like-minded people that were also headed to Israel to experience something truly amazing. 

Over the summer of 2015 I decided to apply for Taglit Birthright for a chance to take a free 10 day trip to Israel in order to experience the beauty, history, connection of the country and most importantly to re-align the internal compass we all have deep inside. 

So, here I was sitting on this plane headed to the Holy land not knowing anyone. Just as fast as I sat down into my seat, I got called over by a group of complete strangers to sit with them. These five people would become my "Squaaa" for the next 10 days. Squaaa was comprised of four girls, one guy and myself. Its hard to describe the feeling of connection and love I felt for them throughout the trip but all I can really say is I am so thankful for them calling me over that first day. 

We landed in Tel Aviv and quickly boarded a bus headed to god knows where in this foreign land trusting the people in charge with leading us on an adventure of our lives. Thankfully we had a blessing of a tour guide who's name is Benny Powers. If anyone ever travels to Israel and wants to experience it with a hip unique twist, I recommend no one else other than Benny. Our first night was topped off by a game of Durak with Squaaa in a rickety hostel room with army bunk beds and a shower half the size of my body. But we didn't care because we were together, and being together made us happy. 

Happiness ended up following us throughout the whole trip, never leaving our side even when hangovers, headaches and sleeping through lectures were our main concerns. I can safely speak for the whole group when I say that everyone felt happiness in one way or another.

Benny took us on adventures through mountains, down shooks filled with spices, stinky fish and cheap jewelry, into museums and memorials for the fallen soldiers of the IDF and the Holocaust, and even took us snorkeling in the Red Sea where we saw an octopus! We accomplished so much thanks to peoples connection and a common feeling of happiness.

This first 10 days of my 2+ years trip were the best 10 days of my life. 

Gud Shabos 

1/9/2016