Jesus' Birthday Party in Bethlehem!

To all my Christian blog followers out there (there has to be at least one.... I think), I wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas!

I just got back from Xmas Eve in Manger Square, and it was a grand time! Xmas was much different than I expected in Bethlehem, I was expecting caroling, religious services, and salvation army Santas on the street corners. But instead it was more of a rock concert, with New Year's Eve feel, with tons of people carrying glow sticks, and neon flashing lights. I'm really glad I went though, it was another wonderful Holy Land experience.

I'll be posting pictures tomorrow so stay tuned.

May this year be filled with lots of joy!

Merry Xmas and Shabbat Shalom,

ERBP

It is a miracle... A Chanukah Blog!

Another holiday in the holy land... another wonderful experience.

So in honor of the 8 days of Chanukah, I thought I would share 8 things that I love about being in Israel for this holiday.

#1: There are so many sufganiyot (donuts) and they are really good. My favorite one is the Vodka filled donut. The vodka donut contains 35% alcohol, and the alcohol content of each donut is equal to that of a bottle of beer. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I can drink more beer than I can eat donuts.

#2. PARTIES... Like my donuts, my chanukah has been filled with many extra festivities. Including a Latke-fest at our apartment, a special chanukah dinner at my Hebrew teacher's home, and a chanukah jamboree at school. You will be proud to know that I'm racking the dough up at the dreidel table.

#3. Chanukah Decorations on the Lamposts... Unfortunately, I can't rate the Chanukah lights like I do in CT, but it is very cool walking to and from school and seeing Chanukiyot on every lamppost!

#4. You see people lighting candles everywhere! From homes to restuarants, to barber shops to supermarkets, when sunset falls people start lighting candles. Today we walked around a neighorbood just out side the old city and looked at all the candles in the windows, it was something very special.

#5. Speaking of Chanukiyot... Arielle and I bought a really cool one! You will have to come to Israel to see it but trust me it is awesome!

#6. Jerusalem cats dress up as the Maccabees and assemble at the Temple Mount to renact the Hasmonean revolts. It is pretty awesome, just like a civil war reanctment but with cats!

#7. Being in the place where the 1st Chanukah was ever celebrated.

#8. No X-MAS Music... (Though the hot song in Jerusalem these days is GMA got ran over by a Latke... It is an instant classic!)

I wish you all a very Happy Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, and/or winter soltice!

Peace and Love,

Ethan

All is good in J'lem because...

1. I had an amazing touchdown catch last night at my weekly flag football game. I was in the back left corner of the end-zone, with two guys defending me as I jumped for the ball, grabbed it and came down with it and I was able to get my two feet in the end-zone before falling out of bounds. You have to take my word for it but it would be one of the top 5 plays of the day on SportsCenter.

Unfortunately, it was the only touchdown of the game for team HUC as we were crushed by a group of 17 year old Yeshiva boys, they would probably crush us in Torah commentary too. I'll make sure to blog again about our next game, maybe even get some video too!

At least we look good

2. My GMA just spent 5 great days with me and Arielle in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Highlights of the visit included....

The Temple Mount sifting operation: Where we sifted through rubble that was salvaged from the Temple Mount during recent construction. Some of our findings included, parts of a Byzantine glass jug, pieces of Roman bracelets, and 21st century bathroom ceramic tile floor!!

Sifting... it rocked!

Arielle Showing off a piece of her Roman bracelet

Thanksgiving Shabbat Dinner with peeps from HUC, where I cooked (and "carved") my first turkey.

Check out my awesome kippah! I know you are jealous.

Attending a protest against Haredi religious coercion in Jerusalem: If you remember back to a previous posts, I blogged about a parking lot protest and how some of the Haredi community were (and still are) protesting a parking lot near the Old City that has been opened on Shabbat. Well things have continued to escalate between the ultra-observant and and other Jewish residents of Jerusalem. Including, a violent protest by the Haredim against INTEL who has opened their offices and production on Shabbat and the arrest of a Jewish woman at the Kotel who decided to put on a Tallit to pray (Read more about this incident here).

So in response to ultra-orthodox religious coercion in Jerusalem, a rally/march was organized by secular, reform, and conservative Jews to let people know that Jerusalem is their city too. I was glad that I could participate in this demonstration, as it is so important to me that non-orthodox Jews feel home in this holy city too. Check out this Article for more details about the march. Here are a couple of pictures...

3. And life is going to be even better in J'lem because now you are going to comment on this blog and help Kotel6.com win the blog wars against myholidayinnisrael.com.

PEACE,

ERBP

The Rivalry Begins...

You may know these rivalries...

Yankees vs. Red Sox, Harvard vs. Yale, Nadal vs. Federer, Giants vs Dodgers, East Coast vs. West Coast, Cain vs. Abel, Hillel vs. Shamaii, Paper vs Plastics....

But a new rivalry has now emerged

www.Kotel6.blogspot.com vs. www.MyHolidayInnIsrael.blogspot.com

Yep there is a new blog on the scene and it is going to give me a run for my money. Starting in less than 24 hours, the blog will be up and running and will be giving you a different perspective on living in Israel, the guests that come and go in the Holy Land, and a femine viewpoint on living and being in Israel.

www.MyHolidayInnIsrael.blogspot.com might be updated more frequently than www.Kotel6.blogspot.com but it doesn't have this...


May the best Blog win (the one that gets the most comments, of course),

ERBP

Rab School... What's it all about?

Shalom,

The wait is over... a new blog entry. (My mom is going to be happy!)

A lot of people have been asking me what is Rabbinical school all about? That is a very good question. I'm still trying to figure it out myself too. But to give you an insight into what I'm learning here are the classes I'm taking...

1. Modern Hebrew-- The main focus of my program this year is to learn Hebrew. It is a mixture of functional grammar, reading comprehension, conversation and composition. I have become pretty proficient at the reading comprehension and the grammar part, but my composition and speaking skills need a little bit more fine tuning. I'm thinking a good way to do this is to start writing my blog posts in Hebrew... good idea?

2. Biblical Grammar- This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of Biblical Hebrew grammar and vocalization. So by the end of the year I'll be a pro at reading the five books of Moses, and letting you know how to diagram biblical sentences. My ninth grade English teacher, Ms. Bona, would be so proud that I now can diagram sentences in Hebrew and English (though I might need a little review on indirect objects).

3. History of the Zionist Movement to 1948- Up there as one of my favorite courses, I like history what can I say. The title basically explains what the course is all about. We discussed the the nineteenth century context within which Zionism emerged and have been exploring key themes in the history of Zionism up until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. This course has been extra helpful when wondering the streets of Jerusalem, as many street names are named after great Zionist thinkers. And I like to share my knowledge of these great Zionist thinkers, for instance when there was a random Israeli standing under a Ze'ev Jabotinsky street sign I told him that Jabotinsky established the Jewish Self-Defense Organization, a Jewish militant group, to safeguard Jewish communities throughout Russia (too bad I can't say that stuff in Hebrew, I think the random Israeli stranger would have enjoyed this factoid.)

4. History of 2nd Temple Period- An ancient history course, where I have been learning about the wide variety of cultural and religious expression during the early Roman Empire. Though, I think that this course would be so much cooler if we all wore togas to class.

5. Rabbinical Text Lecture and Discussions- I'm learning what famous Rabbis have said in the past and reading different literary formats from Second Temple period (around 516 BCE - 70 CE) to Late Antiquity. I'm learning the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of Rabbinic literature. My hope is that one day, I'll be one of these famous rabbis and people will be quoting R. Prosnit III and reading from his famous book KOTEL6.

6. Israel Seminar- This seminar explores the changing nature of Israel society from its pre-state emphasis on the molding of the new Jew to the contemporary reality of competing voices. This seminar is filled with speakers, field trips, and reflections about our time in Israel. Just this past week, we took a tour of of an Israeli High-Tech company that is one of the leading manufactures of memory chips for cellphones. Unfortunately, like other factory tours that I have been on we didn't get any free samples at the end of the tour. I'm hoping that this course will take us to a Hummus factory though, where I heard the samples are awesome.

7. Liturgy- I'm learning traditional and Reform Jewish liturgy. It focuses on the main components of the daily and Shabbat liturgy. Along with textual study, I will lead services for my classmates, read Torah throughout the year, and will be giving a D'var torah (sermon) on February 13th. So book your tickets now and come hear me at 10 AM at the HUC synagogue.

So when I'm not blogging or procrastinating on www.sporcle.com I'm sitting in one of these classes. Overall, I'm really enjoying my studies at HUC. After not being in school for the past four years, I have slowly gotten back into the swing of writing papers, completing assignments, and doing my reading. This year, I'm looking forward to more theological conversations and learning even more about ancient Jewish texts and thinkers, as well as continuing to master the Hebrew language.

That is all for now... I'll make sure to give you another update this week.

Catch ya all later,

ERBP

Homecoming Results...

As I mentioned in my previous blog, last weekend was HUC's homecoming weekend, packed with a kickball game and a dance. Below are two quick updates from the weekend's festivities.

1. I went 5 for 6 in HUC's first annual Homecoming kickball game. I was a double short of a cycle, with a solo shot coming in the first inning, a single that drove in two runs in the third, and a base clearing triple in the fifth. I'm that good!! In the outfield, I had a slow start dropping a hard hit shot but I made up for it with a diving catch (webgem worthy), and throwing out a base runner at second. I know you are pretty impressed! I'm thinking about trying out for the Israeli National Kickball team...

And I'm also happy to report that my kickball team took the title (it was men vs. woman) and luckily the umpires at our game were better than the umps for the Angels/Yankees series.

2. Below is a picture of me running for HUC homecoming king, with some of my die-hard supporters. Unfortunately, this picture was taken before the results of homecoming court were announced. And it turned out that I was not number 1. I was devastated and I'm now thinking of transferring to JTS (the conservative rabbinical school), where people said that I would be a shoe-in for the King

So there is a quick update on HUC homecoming weekend. Stay tuned to my next post when I will share the day in the life of a first year rabbinic student.

Peace.

ERBP

Sukkah time and a visit to the Queen

Good News... (a bit late but good to know for next year)
The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has declared that "Jewish travelers may carry four plants – a palm branch, myrtle twigs, willow twigs, and a citron – in airports and through security checkpoints. These plants are religious articles and may be carried either separately or as a bundle. Jewish travelers may be observed in prayer, shaking the bundle of plants in six directions."

Bad News... (also late but good to know for next year too)
When flying during sukkot, one of three Jewish harvest festivals, you are going to have even less overhead compartment space.

So the run of Jewish Holidays is over and life is getting back to normal with classes, services, tennis games, updating my fantasy football team, and exploring J'lem. That means I'm going to have less and less exciting things to share so I have to capitalize and blog on these holidays when I have a chance.

So... I spent the first part of Sukkot in Israel, hopping from sukkah (hut) to sukkah (hut), taking some cool hikes, and shaking my lulav/etrog. Sukkot is something else in Israel. I live in a building complex of 8 apartments and there were six sukkahs in our backyard (Unfortunately, I was one of two tenants that didn't build one because I was away for half of the holiday... I'm the black sheep at 6 Menashe).

But I did have my share of sukkah time. Every restaurant in the city builds a sukkah, even the fast food joints (it is a mitzvah, a Jewish commandment, to eat in the hut during the holiday) so I was able to get many mitzvah points during the holiday. Also on every street corner there were people selling lulav and etrogs. Similar to December in NYC when you can buy a x-mas tree or see a salvation army Santa clause on every street corner. Speaking of Christmas, Israelis really get into decorating their sukkahs... tinsel is huge, along with lights, cut-out decorations, and Sukkah Clauses (I lied about the Sukkah Clauses... but this might be a good product to market for next sukkot).

Here are some photos that give you a glimpse of Sukkot in the holy land (thank you to my classmate Jodie for some of these photos.)

Recycled x-mas decorations in Sukkahs

Sukkahs on the main City Drag

Burger King Sukkah

The second part of Sukkot break, I flew to London... and luck would have it that I also ran into Arielle Traub there too. I'm so lucky.

Highlights of the trip included...
-Traveling in the smallest car in the entire world (G-WIZ)
-London's pub scene
-Checking out the Queen's weekend get-a-way at Windsor Castle
-Receiving a brand new swiffer-wet jet for my apartment floors (I don't know why the swiffer industry has not made it to Israel, it would do so well as there is a serious lack of carpet in Israel)
-Afternoon tea, scones, pastries, and non-kosher tea sandwiches at Harrods
-Walking (a lot) on the streets of London in surprisingly really wonderful and clear weather
-And of course... being with Arielle and her aunt, uncle, and cousin (cheesy, I know and you can get the barf bags... but totally true)



Now it is back to the daily grind, though I do have two exciting things coming up.

1. I start my volunteer work next week working with Ethiopian immigrants in an absorption center outside of Jerusalem. I'll make sure to blog about my experience.

2. Tonight starts HUC's first annual Homecoming Weekend. Including a pep-rally, a homecoming dance, and the homecoming kickball game. I'm stoked... I hope I become Homecoming King and that my kickball team wins (i bought a new sweatband for the big game)!

Peace,

ERBP

PETA members do not read....

The wait is over... The video of me swinging chicken is here!! But before pushing play, some back story.

Ever since I read the book "The Year of Living Biblically," by AJ Jacobs (his mission is to live the bible literally for a year--but you probbably were able to guess that from the title), I've wanted to take part in the ancient Jewish ritual of Kaparot. AJ Jacobs checks out this ritual in Crown Heights and paints a vivid picture, of chickens flying, prayers being chanted, and chaos. I thought to myself... if I could take part in this tradition in the holy city of Jerusalem, what an experience that would be.

According to wikipedia (my source for everything Jewish... I'm going to be an awesome Rabbi!) Kaparot is preformed by grasping the chicken and moving it around one's head three times, symbolically transferring one's sins to the chicken. Then it is slaughtered and donated to the poor to eat for the pre-Yom Kippur feast.

I decided when in Jerusalem do what Jerusalem-ites do and swing chickens... (though I think most Jerusalem-ites do not do this tradition and there has much opposition to this practice worldwide...) But unlike the parking lot (see a previous blog post) there was no one protesting Kaparot and I decided not to be a chicken (pun very much intended) and to do some swinging.

The site of Kaparot wasn't hard to find... as the stench of what soon will be be chicken parm and chicken cordon bleu was overwhelming. When I entered the courtyard, there were about 1,000 chickens ready to receive our sins. I found a chicken dealer, paid for my chicken, and after learning how to hold it (by the wings) started moving the chicken around in circles and saying some blessings that the chicken dealer gave me.

After feeling that all of my sins were gone (I behaved pretty well last year), I swung the chicken around my classmates and the chicken took their sins too. After five minutes, I was done... and went to the butcher, and told him that I would like to donate my sin-filled chicken to a needy family in Israel to eat prior to the holiday. And with one quick cut... my Kaparot experience was done.

And it was an experience... and a ritual that that I will probably never do again. Yet, after swinging the chicken and saying a couple of the prayers, I have to say I felt a bit lighter, more free, less sinful, and a bit more prepared to repent for my sins and missteps from the past year. (though this feeling may have been due to the stench of the Kaparot arena too.)

So you read the entire blog... Now push play. (A hint for when you watch the movie. Turn your computer and hold it like a Kindle then I'll be right side up.)



Ohh and I'm still trying to find a good "Why did the chicken cross the road..." Kaparot joke. If you got one let me know.

Be well,

ERBP

Y2010K

Yom Kippur has started in Jerusalem... and I wanted give you a quick taste of what is happening tonight in J'lem...

There is a "street fair" vibe on Emek Refaim except there are no street performers or food stands, just a bunch of people walking in the middle of the streets and kids riding their bikes, scooters, and other wheeled devices. There are no cars on the streets of Jerusalem, minus ambulances that are picking up injured cyclists, scooterers, and rollerbladers.

This is what you are get when you turn on your television on Yom Kippur. Most TV stations are wishing you a "G'mar Chatima Tovah -- May you be inscribed in the book of life for good." However, I did find a Lebanese television station that was showing the JETS win! J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS.

For now... I wish all those who are fasting a meaningful fast. (I don't want to brag but my 1/4 through my fast all ready!)

--ERBP

PS: And you don't want to miss my next blog (sometime early this week) when you get to see a video of me swirling a live chicken around my head. Story will follow...

The last post of the year... (at least for 5769)

Labor Day has passed that means the summer is officially over and it also means that you can't wear white anymore until memorial day... which I foresee being a huge problem in Jerusalem because many traditional Jews wear all white on Yom Kippur (I'll let you know what happens).

So as the Jerusalem air becomes a bit more crisp, as the sound of the shofar wakes me from my slumber every morning and as the Jerusalem cats begin to hibernate for the winter (I wish), I thought it would be a good time to share some highlights from my summer in the holy land.

FESTIVALS
Beer, Wine, International Arts & Crafts, Woodstock, random street festivals... It couldn't get much better! Lots of free music, lots of free drinks, I hopped from one festival to another during the summer. I got to see "famous" Israel artists like Hadag Nahash and Aiv Gefen perform in some pretty cool Israeli settings including the Israel Museum, Independence Park, and the ancient Sultans Pool. I'm sad that the festival season is over... but the good news is that the Israel basketball season is starting and I heard those games are off the hook.

Arts&Crafts Festival outside the Old City Walls... You have never been to an Arts&Crafts festival like this before!

HEBREW
You read it write... Hebrew has been a highlight of my time so far in Israel, now that sounds crazy. But I'm feeling good about my hebrew. I'm an expert at ordering falafel and shwarma rak (only) in Hebrew. and I'm even good at giving directions (at least I think I am, even though I'm not sure if the people I give directions to arrive at their final destination). Classes have started and about half of them are in Hebrew, and I would say that I'm understanding 86.74 percent of the material.... not too shabby, for a guy who barely passed his senior year of high school spanish (Senora Benko... would be so impressed with my language skills).

GETTING OUT OF JERUSALEM
I've taken some awesome trips the past couple of weeks... I just got back from a tiyul with my classmate up North. We traveled to the Israeli borders of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan and discussed the establishment of the State of Israel and also current political issues. We also went to some awesome natural springs, spent sometime in some pretty cool archeological sites, and hung out on the shores of the Sea of Galliee. The tiyul was a great way to start the academic calendar at HUC.

I also had a awesome 10-day vacation with Arielle (check out her review of Kotel6 below). Highlights for me included, exploring the Arab/Christian quarter of the Old City, attending a world cup qualifier soccer match between Israel and Latvia, some excellent meals in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, relaxing at the beaches of the "gold coast", and of course just spending time with Arielle in Israel (I'll be getting some major points for writing that on my blog.... YES!).

KOTEL6 GUESTS
I have also had the honor of some wonderful visitors at KOTEL6 including Becky and Mike Oliver, Benjamin Gittleson, and Arielle Traub (she enjoyed her trip so much she decided that she will come back and become a permanent resident of Kotel6 starting in November!) So book your tickets and come visit and you too could get a shout-out on this blog, what more could you ask for?

As we are in the waning hours of the year 5769... I wanted to wish all my dedicated readers a wonderful and sweet new year. And my hope is that one of your many new year's resolutions will be to comment on this blog.

For Now I wish you all a Shanah Tovah...

ERBP

PS: I thought this was cool and it would only happen in Israel.

Shabbat Candles on display in IKEA

5 stars for Kotel6

As Frommer's suggested, Kotel6 was a delightful place to stay during my time in Israel. From this base, my host showed off his impressive grasp of the surrounding area. Future guests of Kotel6 should not miss the hummus of AbuShukra, a stroll down Emek Refaim, a climb to the top of the YMCA tower (including a run in with NBA great Alan Houston), Shabbat dinner surrounded by lovely new friends, a tour of HUC, Friday morning taste testing at the shuk, a free municipality tour of the Muslim Quarter, a hidden balcony view of the Kotel, or a good Jazz bar on Ben Yehudah.

If you have enough time, you can also explore other parts of Israel. I recommend guests stay away from Budget rental (you can email for details) but don't miss your chance to drive the Northern coast from Tel Aviv all the way to Rosh HaNiqra. Check out Old Jaffa and enjoy dinner at Cordelia (a real treat), visit Anna and Gershon in Atlit (Anna is an amazing cook and she will feed any friend), and if you're feeling adventurous, take out a sea kayak to explore the grottos of Rosh HaNiqra. Stop at Zichron Yaakov to wander through the artist cooperatives or even Ikea to try hummus, Ikea style (Swedish meatballs are also available.) Partying with HUC students is optional but recommended if you want to meet some future Rabbis, Cantors, and Jewish educators. They were all incredibly welcoming and I am looking forward to a return trip!

A big thanks to my host, who will be back to his regular blogging soon.

Shalom,
AET

Machne Yehuda on Friday Morning


No Caption needed...



We survived (barely) our sea kayaking trip on the Lebanon Border


Dinner in Jaffa


Sunset on the beach in Tel Aviv


First Falafel in Israel -- really excited


Next up: the Big Apple

They Paved Paradise...

The past two Shabbats, I have been spending my afternoons outside of a parking lot. You might be thinking that Ethan has finally lost it and the the Jerusalem weather is going to his head. Or you may be asking yourself, Why is Ethan going to a parking lot when there are so many beautiful places to spend the Sabbath in Jerusalem, from parks to the old city, or to his own bed. And you may even be asking yourself if this is the parking lot that Joni Mitchell sang about in "Big Yellow Taxi."

Those are all good questions and thoughts, but the real reason why I am spending time outside of a parking establishment is that there have been protests every Shabbat afternoon since my arrival seven weeks ago to this "Holy" City (though you wouldn't know it was holy if you were strolling by the parking lot on Saturday).

Why have there been protests you may ask?

It is because the parking lot is open on Shabbat. (I know--on Shabbat... I can hear your gasp of utter dismay over the internet).

Now for a little background... (and for a more in-depth background of the situation visit this site, the reflection was written by Rabbi Stanley Davids who I traveled with to the protest). Jerusalem citizens elected a new secular mayor, after there was a division between the ultra-orthodox sects during the last election. Since coming into in office, the mayor realized that there was no place for tourists to park (Jewish and non-Jewish) when visiting the Old City on Shabbat, so he decided to open up the municipal parking lot, outside of the Jaffa Gate (one of the gates of the old city). All visitors can park here for free on Saturday so they can visit the many holy sites of the Old City. Yet, a sect of the ultra-Orthodox Haredi didn't like the mayor's decision to open up the parking lot, as they consider this a violation of Shabbat, and to show their disgust they have been protesting every Saturday afternoon since the opening.

As a Jerusalem resident for the year, I decided to check out the protest. And it has been one of the most enthralling yet disturbing and disgusting things I have ever witnessed.

At about 6 PM sharp.... you start hearing people yelling in a low, monotone voice, "Shabbos..." You hear it first, and then all of a sudden a flood of men and boys dressed in black and white, with black hats, kippot, pay'es and beards emerge onto the sidewalks and streets surrounding the entrance and exit to the parking lot. Israeli police forces and soldiers are around the parking lot trying to maintain order as members of this Haredi sect start running into the streets, sitting down in front of cars, pushing the soldiers, and continuing to yell "Shabbos... Shabbos... Shabbos...."

Then a protester or two sits down in the middle of the road. After about 20 seconds, a group of police officers pick up the protester and bring him back to the sidewalk. Sometimes it gets a bit more physical, and two officers on horseback ride around to disperse the crowd, which seems to be pretty effective (from my two weeks at the protest I have come to the conclusion that the longer your pay'es -- sidelocks -- the bigger coward you are). When you think it can't get any worse, the mob starts yelling "Nazi Nazi" at the Jewish police and soldiers and spitting at women who are walking by who are showing too much skin for their liking.

There are a few counter-protesters, yelling back at the mob. Pointing out there are other ways to be Jewish. Yelling at them for fighting against other Jews. But their words are shot down by chants of "Shabbos... Shabbos... Shabbos..."

Each week, when I leave the protest, I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted that I stayed and watched it for so long... Disgusted at this group of Haredi men who don't pay taxes to Israel, don't join the Israeli Army, who don't bring anything to Israeli society except hatred towards people who do not practice the same Judaism that they do. This is no way to celebrate Shabbat. I want to shake the protesters and tell them, "Go take a Shabbat nap--you would be so much happier."

This parking lot needs to stay open, the mayor and the municipality should not fold because of a few hundred men who have nothing better to do than protest an opening of a parking lot. Jerusalem needs to be a city where all types of Jews can feel comfortable and welcomed to practice their own type of Judaism.

I love Jerusalem but..... (Part I)

Jerusalem Cats Drive me CRAZY!!

This is what I see when I leave my house every morning. Ten to twenty cats sitting on a stoop, hissing at people, scurrying around owning the streets, picking fights with other neighborhood cats, waking you up in the morning with their meowing and fighting. Jumping out at you when you pass their dumpster. The situation is awful (trust me...), I think it might be worse than sitting through a production of CATS the musical.

The history behind Jerusalem's Cat Problem:
1. Jerusalem used to be over run by rats.
2. Jerusalem officials decided to release stray cats into the city to solve this problem.
3. Jerusalem has a MAJOR cat problem...

Thanks for listening to my rant... I feel better now.

On another note...
Below is a picture of the family that I stayed with last weekend at Kibbutz Yagur. Kibbutz Yagur is the largest Kibbutz in the world with the largest dance club in Israel too. The dance club holds over 3,000 people and during the day it turns into a playground/adventure park for kids from the Kibbutz. (I hope they clean up well from the night before). I left the club around 1 AM and people were just getting there... I think I'm getting a bit old.

The weekend up North was wonderful filled with a lot of relaxing, eating, and good conversation. One interesting note about my family is that the husband (Ronen) is Israeli and his wife (Marriana) is Brazilian but not Jewish. Interfaith marriage in Israel is extremely rare... and may cause some challenges in the future for their very cute one-year old, Ben. (Ben was also the name of my late cat-- I liked my cat and the one-year old a lot better than the Jerusalem cats... but that isn't too hard).

Ben (the kid, don't want to confuse you with my dead cat) is not considered Jewish as his mother is not Jewish. So Marianna is looking into converting, as she is very interested and knowledgeable about the Jewish faith. However, she has run into some problems and obstacles with the ultra-orthodox rabbis she has talked to about conversion. She is now thinking about meeting with a Reform rabbi in Haifa to see if she might begin the process with him. Yet, some in Israel would still not consider her Jewish if she does a Reform or Conservative conversion. Just another highlight of the tensions between Secular and Religious Jews of Israel.

So I got to run... I have to break up fight outside... Two cats are at again. But I'll try to blog later this week, updating you on my Hebrew skills and all that is good in Jerusalem.

PEACE,

ERBP

Milk and Honey Today... Big Apple Tomorrow

I hope that you can excuse the delay in my posting a new entry on my blog. I been extremely busy meeting with two of my good friends Bibi Netanyahu and George Mitchell. You see, it seems that there has been tension between the Obama administration and the Israeli government over the entire settlement issue. I have been trying to help them to find common ground, but so far to no avail, I been unable to figure anything out. I'm still optimistic...

The big news regarding Kotel6 is that in a year the entire establishment will be moving to the Big Apple. Though rent is a bit higher in NYC, four years of schooling at HUC-NYC is calling as well as a shoe-box apartment somewhere in the five boroughs.

Besides, trying to get the peace plan back on track and being wicked excited about NYC (I might need to get rid of this word from my vocab now that I'm not living in Boston)... I've been working on my Hebrew, attending some concerts, the Jerusalem wine-festival (which was awesome!), playing tennis, and continuing to eat as much falafel and shwarma as possible.

Last week was Tisha B'av, and some Jews would call it the "saddest day in Jewish history," as it is the date in history when the first and second temples were destroyed. On Tisha B'av many traditional Jews fast, refrain from wearing leather shoes, do not bathe, read the book of lamentations, and gather at the Kotel the entire night. (To me it sounds similar to what they do every day....) As a reform Jew, I rarely commemorate Tisha B'av... because 1. it is during the summer months and we are on vacation and 2. we're not really focused on rebuilding the second temple and going back to animal sacrifice. I did however mark Tisha B'av by attending a service and visiting the Kotel. The wall was packed with lots of croc wearing folk, tearful eyes, and some colorful characters. Pictures from my visit are below...

The Kotel6 Pose

reading lamentations at the Kotel

A random guy I met at the Wall

Unfortunately, this past week Israel was also witness to baseless hatred, when two Israelis were killed (a 16.5 teen year old girl and a 24 year old man) on Saturday night and several others wounded when a masked gunman bursted into a gay community center in the heart of Tel Aviv and opened fire. The story was all over the news in Israel, and secular Jews were pointing fingers at ultra-Orthodox communities for in-sighting hate. The Tel Aviv police have not found the murdered and have not uncovered a motive either. To show our support for the two that were murdered and for the gay and lesbian community in Israel, I attended a vigil with many of my classmates in Jerusalem. Here are some photos from the vigil too.

The signs read... Only 16 and Here is not Iran

On a more uplifting note... I'm heading to a Kibbutz up North for Shabbat and staying with a random family. The Kibbutz is said to have a great pool (I'm excited --- no sarcasm here) and the largest dance club in Israel (I'm pumped --lots of sarcasm here). I'll make sure to update you on my adventures.

But for now... Shalom,

ERBP

Currently No Vacancy at Kotel6

I'm happy to report that all is good in Jerusalem. I'm slowly getting into a routine, which includes 25 hours of Hebrew class, three hours of Biblical geography/archeology, one and half hour of cantillation, and four mandatory services a week. All is going smoothly, minus the cantillation, where we sometimes have to sing verses of Torah out loud. I find it a little disconcerting when all of my classmates cover their ears when I start chanting. But today, I had a break through in cantillation and things are looking up. (I think I might be giving the cantors in training a run for their money).

Along with starting year one I have also started to explore J-town. (the photo below documents my first day of Hebrew with my roommate Sarah).


I'm on a mission to find the best hummus in Jerusalem (I looked in the old city... pictures of my search below).

I have started to synagogue hop. I went to this renewal service where people were dancing, chanting, drumming, pantomiming birds, and running around in circles--- I don't think I'll be going back to this service any time soon. I was a bit distracted and I suggest building a mehitza (traditionally a barrier that separates men and women during prayer) for people who are dancing and the other people that are a bit more reserved.

One thing that I really love about Jerusalem is Friday afternoons. Everybody is getting ready for Shabbat, the grocery stores are packed, and challah is flying off the shelves. It is really something special to walk around and say Shabbat Shalom to the checkout lady, the bus driver, and even the man asking for change on the street. What beats this is Friday evenings, when you can walk around my neighborhood and see Shabbat candles in almost every window, and take a stroll on the streets hearing different Shabbat songs from house to house. It is pretty cool, and there is probably no other place like this in the world. (Except maybe now in the NJ jails... with the kidney stealing Rabbis)

In another news... This past weekend Kotel6 had no vacancy as we had our first guests! I think they would give Kotel6 four out of five stars, they were a little disappointed that the staff did not turn down their beds. Don't forget to make your reservations for Kotel6... Holiday times are filling up!

And while we are on the subject of the Kotel... you can now twitter your prayers to the Kotel (www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1102104.html). I heard Obama is doing that too... check this out.

Until next blog,

ERBP

A run-in with the Israeli Police

Don't look now but this is my second blog in one week... Either the Messiah is coming or I had to update you on an awesome story. You can choose.

So on Tuesday afternoon, I was walking home from my neighborhood market when all of a sudden an Israeli police car pulled along side of me. One of the police officers got out of the car and started speaking to me in Hebrew. As my Hebrew is not stellar yet, I told him that I didn't understand.

He then spoke to me in English, asking me for my passport, which I did not have. I showed him my driver's license which seemed to appease him and then out of know where he asked me if I was carrying any drugs. I said no and then he asked if he could check.

I said sure and started to pull out my cell phone and keys from my pockets as he started to rummage through all six of my cargo short pockets. After finding only gum wrappers and a piece of lint, he said that I could go and he jumped into his cop car. I walked home a little flabergasted but was so excited to have this Israeli experience.

Later that day, I told this story to some of the people in my program... Some of them gave me the nickname "sketch."

So moral of the story... Don't wear cargo shorts in Israel because then Israeli police officers have many more pockets to put their hands down.

Peace from your favorite suspected drugdealer,

ERBP

Some background on Kotel6

I know that many of you have been sitting at your computers hitting the refresh button waiting for another entry for Kotel6. I'm happy to report that you do not have to wait any longer and you can take your mouse off the little refresher symbol. Here it is...

First an update from last weeks blog.

1. Thank you for all your concerned emails about my missing bags. After tea and crumpets with the Queen of England, my bags took a red eye to Tel Aviv and I had an emotional reunion with them in Jerusalem. After this ordeal, I have decided to continue to turn my underwear inside out so I can save on my laundry consumption. (There is a water shortage in Israel, and I thought I could do my part to help out.)

2. Each one of you also emailed me asking how to send packages to me when I'm abroad. You are all too nice! So the best way to send a package to me would be mailing it to the address below...

Eth Proz
c/o Hebrew Union College
13 King David Street
Jerusalem, 94101 Israel

Now for some new news...

What is the meaning behind my blog name?

Besides being a huge patron of Motel6 (After more than 40 years, Motel 6 is still a true American icon and continues to outperform the competition with over 330 Hotels worldwide). I decided to name my blog after one of the greatest symbols in Judaism, the Kotel. The Kotel, also referred to as the western wall or wailing wall, is one of the remaining retaining walls, supporting the temple mount where the second temple stood. The temple mount is said to be the location where God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the location of Jacob's ladder dream, the site of the first and second temple, and the location where Muhammad's ascent to heaven took place. The Kotel is open 24 hours a day (much like Motel6) and is a place where Jews come to pray, put notes/prayers in the wall, and where a lot ultra-Orthodox Jews ask for lots of tzedakah (money). I have a complex relationship with the Kotel, I find the history fascinating but struggle with my personal Judaism there, when I'm surrounded by black hats and people who are so moved by this location. This year I hope that I'm able to figure out my feelings and connections to one of the holiest places in the world.

For a live web stream of Kotel happenings you can visit.... http://english.thekotel.org/cameras.asp. I'll make sure to let you know the next time I'm heading there so you can see me live at the Kotel (I'll bring a sign for all of my loyal readers too).

Ohhh and the 6 in the blog title. That is the number of my apartment building for the year. I just moved into my apartment on Friday and it is going to be a great place to call home. It has a porch with a grill, two big bedrooms, a kosher kitchen (a learning curve is in place for this room) and it is in a great location. I'm living in a neighborhood called Baka, where there are a lot of coffee shops, restaurants, little shops, and synagogues close by. And like Motel6 there is plenty of room for guests to stay, you can make a reservation by calling, skyping me, or via email.

Besides settling into 6 Menahse St. I finished an intensive week of Ulpan (Hebrew language study). I'm happy with how my Hebrew is progressing, I can ask for directions (though I don't always understand the response), can order food at a restaurant, and can say some useful phrases. I do have a new favorite Hebrew word... Meeshmeesh it means apricot.

Orientation starts on Wednesday, and I will begin to learn what I'm doing here and what I will be studying for the year. I have started to meet people in my program (there are about 44 of us, 27 Rabbis, 11 education students, and 6 cantors) and I'm surprised with how many people I enjoy so far. I especially like the people who have a subscription to MLB Live TV.

Speaking of sports, the big news in Israeli sports is that Israel just upset Russia to advance to the Semifinals of the Davis Cup tennis tournament. This is the first time in history that Israel has advanced to the semifinals in Davis Cup. A big deal.

I'll try to upload pictures of my new place in Jerusalem next blog and give you insight into first week of classes and all of that fun stuff. But for now...

Thanks for reading and Shalom,

ERBP

And it begins...

Shalom from Jerusalem and Welcome to Kotel6, where we will always leave the light on.

After flights from JFK to London to Prague to Budapest to Tel Aviv. I have made it to Jerusalem in time for Shabbat. My bags on the other hand have not. And for all of you with curious minds, I have decided to turn my underwear inside out instead of buying European style underwear. But besides being a bit smelly, life is good (and hot) in the holy land....

The goal of Kotel6 is to update you about my life as a first year rabbinical student, share my reflections on Israeli life, culture, and current events, and give you insight into the many people I encounter during the year. My hope is to update this blog once a week, I will need your help though. If you are reading this let me know, send me questions that you would like answered, comment on my blogs, and give me some fuel to feed this fire. I appreciate your help in advance.

For now, I leave you with ways to get in touch with me.

Write to me....

6 Menashe St. Apt #7
Jerusalem 93508
Israel

Call me....

Cellphone in Israel: 0524702339

My Cellphone when calling from the US: 011972524702339
My Skype number: 203-275-0921

Visit me...

www.kayak.com book your flight and then take a Sheirut (a shared cab) to Jerusalem. If I like you, I might even pick you up at the airport. Kotel6 has extra bedroom for visitors too!

Until next week... when the blog will get meatier.

Shabbat Shalom,

ERBP