Dov in Israel: HDNA Workshop 55: October 2005

A Personal Dream

While this post isn't necessarily applicable to the entire Kvutza (group), it is something that happened to me on Workshop.

I am currently applying to MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for undergraduate admissions. I really, really feel like it's the right place for me.

Earlier this week, I had a dream that my parents came to visit me here in Israel over the December break. With them, they brought the news that I had been accepted to MIT. Obviously, I was excited and happy but I didn't necessarily believe the news. So in the dream, I checked some website and saw that I was accepted. I continued to be excited until I woke up.

I woke up and still couldn't believe I had been accepted, so I got up and went to a computer. There, I checked some website, and it too showed that I had been accepted. Again, I was overjoyed until a few things started popping up in the back of my head. First, it's only the end of October and I shouldn't find out until at least mid to late December. And furthermore, I hadn't even pushed the online submit button for the official application nor had I mailed in my final recommendation letter!

I woke up again and found myself wondering What on Earth just happened? Yes, I had a dream in which I dreamt I was accepted, then dreamt that I had woken up and confirmed that I was accepted, and then finally woke-up for good.

As cool as it would be, this section of the Israel Museum is not dedicated to my mother nor to her childhood. :D

Leora Kanter, my Kvutza's (group's) friendly vegan, inside this sculpture\slide\cup\...plaything by the youth wing.

After our tour, we hung out for a few minutes on the amazingly cool hand-shaped chairs. Who wouldn't want one of these?

The Shrine of the Book at the Israel museum. The Dead Sea Scrolls are held inside this oddly shaped building. If you look closely, you can see jets of water spraying the roof of the building. This is done to cool the building as the inside must be maintained to precisely the same enviornmental conditions as the caves where the scrolls were found, or else they will deteriorate. The inside of the building is designed to be cave-like.

On a personal note: I did not fit well through some of the doors - they're just too damned short! This has been a common problem for me in Israel as many doors are not built as tall as their American counterparts.

A tower of books temporarily assembled at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. It's part of the "Beauty and the Book" exhibit in the youth wing of the museum. The tower is assembled with solely second-hand Hebrew and Jewish books. The tower is held together without glue; the books are pressed together so tightly that the structure is stable.

Oren, with his recently (and temporarily) straightened hair, and Iris, with her not-so-recently dreadlocked hair.

We start day 4 across the street from where day 3 left off. We begin our downward trek to the kineret.

Hours later, our trail confounds us by heading parallel to the Kineret instead of towards it.

Our first, small glimpse of the sea finally pans out

Feet tired and aching, bodies sweaty and smelly, we reach the Kineret at the other side of the country.

On night 3, after an amazing chicken dinner, we built a fire to keep us warm. Soon, all of us joined around the fire and began a kumsits (singing songs around the campfire) late into the night.

The end of day 3 of Yam L' Yam

Yam L' Yam Details

I was going to post my own story of what happened over the Yam L' Yam (Sea to Sea) Hike, but it turns out that our coordinator here in Israel, Vered, beat me to the punch. What follows below is the email that she sent out to all the parents:

By Vered Samuels:

Over Chol Hamoed Succot, another Habonim Dror Olami Shnat/Workshop tradition took place – the Yam L'Yam (Sea to Sea) Hike, from the Mediterranean to the Kinneret. This year was the largest ever – with over 180 chanichim and tzevet participating from North America, Mexico, Israel, United Kingdom, Holland, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

We started on Wednesday 19^th, just in time for the heavens to open up with the first big rains of the season!! We all met in Achziv beach, just north of Nahariya and had some time to get to meet each other, pack lunch and even dip our toes in the cold water (for those who were brave enough!). Some of the hiking trails had been closed by the rain, so we had a slightly shorter hike of about 4 hours on a trail called Betzet. Due to the rain, our original plan to sleep outdoors at Goren Park had been changed, but an alternative had been found and we all had the marvelous experience of sleeping in the old fortress of Yehiam. No one quite knows when the fortress was built, but its original structure is many hundreds of years old and the fortress was a vital part of the 1948 War of Independence. Dinner was a sumptuous feast of barbequed meats, salads and hot chips. It was a fun filled night with everyone sleeping on the floor together, accompanied by some singing keeping us up late into the night.

Thursday was the hardest hiking day, both because of the length of the track, and its difficulty. We started at the Elkosh Bridge and walked up Mt Meron – the 2^nd highest mountain in Israel (after Mt Hermon in the Golan), around the mountain, and then down towards our camp ground for the night. Not everyone completed the whole day, or missed parts of the hike, but those who did hiked almost 20km (12 miles) in 1 day – quite a feat! The weather was a bit gray in the morning, but had cleared up by lunchtime. We spent the night at the campground of Ein Yakim – Nachal Amud, in a veritable city of tents. A delicious supper of Spaghetti was had – with the choice of fresh pesto, tomato or bolognaises sauce. The weather was quite cold, but we snuggled around a small campfire before everyone went to sleep early after such a strenuous day.

Friday we started off from the campsite and completed the first half of the Nachal Amud trail (Nachal means dry river bed in Hebrew). A bright sunny day and beautiful walk through the valley was had by all, with returning to the campsite by mid-afternoon, allowing for a nap before the unforgettable rotisserie of chicken, which was eagerly devoured by all for dinner. That night we also slept at Ein Yakim campground, but with renewed energies, the campfire and singing went on late into the night, as everyone prepared for the final day of the tiyul.

On Shabbat we completed the second half of the Nachal Amud trail. The final stretch went through banana and avocado fields, as we headed towards Ginosaur Beach, just north of Tiberias. Everyone arrived safely, some choosing to jump straight into the refreshing water (especially after 4 days without showering!), or to sunbake on the beach, or take a nap in the shade of the palm trees. We finished the hike with an amazing stew of beef and fruits, or chicken and vegetables, before each group departed to its base location. Attached is a small selection of pictures from the hike.

The next mifgash (meeting) of all the English-Speaking Shnat/Workshop groups, together with the Spanish speaking Shnat groups, will be over the weekend of November 4-5^th, at Kibbutz Ein Dor.

Important Update

Hi Everyone,

If you haven't found out yet, there was a pigua (suicide bombing) in Israel today. First off, we are all O.K. and it wasn't near us.

The pigua was in shook hadera, the open-air market in the city Hadera. As of now, 5 people were killed and 30 injured. I am putting some links to different news sources at the end of this email that have greater details.

Haaretz English (Israeli news)
Haaretz Hebrew
New York Times Article
Google News Listing of Articles

Again, we are all safe and O.K..

--Dov

Talia spear on a rock in the aforementioned stream.

A stream we hiked by on the third day

The beginning of day 3.

This "Roadside Adornment" has supposedly been at this bridge over the hiking trail for several years now...

The beginning of the second day's 15km hike.

It take a ridiculous amount of food to feed 150 hungry, hiking teenagers.

Ari Schwartz Atop the Fort

Sunset from our campsite on Day 1. We actually ended up camping inside a crusader-era fort due to nasty weather conditions. It was like sleaping in a museum...

A cave we explored - the camera flash is the only reason you can see anything. Other than that, it was pitch black.

Us at Lunch

Our View at Lunch

The beginning of day 1 - we still smell O.K.

The Beginning of Day 1: leaving the Mediterranean sea. Heading into Nachal Betzet instead of Nachal Ktziv due to rainy weather.

A List From Some Family At Home

Posted By:

Erez and Avi Brandvain. Sarah, Ruth, and Mark Lerman-Sinkoff

Dov and Oren’s at home/on kibbutz list provided much entertainment here on the homefront. Avi was laughing out loud about the squirrels vs. the cats and dogs and that his son’s education was lacking; there are no AK 47’s in Israel only Uzi’s and Galil’s. Ruth’s office staff came running upon hearing the loud thump emanating from her office as she fell off her chair laughing. (No more checking the blog at work.) Sarah commiserated with the brothers; at West Bloomfield High School even the hot cocoa tastes caffeinated. When Mark read the blog list, he was excited for all the great experiences available on Workshop. When Erez read the blog list he felt inspired. And so, we, the left behind, have created a list of our own.

When Oren and Dov were Home:	When Dov and Oren are in Israel:
Dov called us on a regular basis	We still talk to Dov regularly, it just costs $120/month
We laughed at Oren shaving lightning bolts into his beard and Dov was always good for a 1:00 am Meijer’s ice cream run.	We entertain ourselves by watching squirrels on the deck and wait hopefully for blog documentation of the latest facial hair styles from the holy land. (Actually, just seeing the front of Oren’s head would be great.)
We got the latest music from our workshoppers.	We gather in the Brandvain’s basement while Mark and Erez jam or listen to Sarah belt Broadway tunes on her way to bed.
Sarah and Erez didn’t know when garbage day was.	They are intimate with biz-buz.
Erez could rely on Oren for imitation of water droplet noises.	He has to turn on the bathroom faucet or call Sarah.
Oren calling home was no big deal.	Erez actually tells his parents when his brother calls.
Beth, Avi, Ruth, and Mark were always in bed before Dov and Oren.	With a seven hour time advantage, they can actually outlast their teenagers.
Erez’s and Sarah’s friends gawked as their ride home from sports practice was a hairy guy wearing shades in a decrepit car blasting techno music.	No one notices the sedate Prius driven by a parental unit listening to a book on tape.
The kid’s bathroom was a mess.	That hasn’t changed but Erez and Sarah sport improved hygiene due to greater bathroom availability.
The stuff in the big brother’s rooms was sacred.	Sarah finds Dov’s rolly chair works great at her desk, Erez has a fabulous new wardrobe of vintage Habo/Tavor tee shirts, while Dov and Oren get stuff from the curb and abandoned buildings.

We miss you, we love you, and we’ll see you in December!

The Lerman-Sinkoff and Brandvain Families

A Beach in Hertzliya

Another Road on Yom Kippur

Road on Yom Kippur

My Cousin Nurri and his Bike on Yom Kippur

Jesus' Jump Story

When in doubt, go to the source. See Luke 4:14-30 for the story of the jump. The link gives you the text from the New International Version of the Christian Bible.

If you are totally confused, see this post.

Non-Kibbutz Yom Kippur Experience

Since I don't have my laptop or camera cable with me, I won't be able to post any photos -- when I get back to kibbutz I will.

While most of the North Americans decided to stay on Kibbutz for yom Kippur, I decided to venture off in order to meet (for the first time) my distant Israeli family. Things are sure different here in Israel (as if you didn't know based upon the previous list :) ). As hard as it is to believe, not everyone fasts for the holiday!

Perhaps the most striking part is how much the country comes to a standstill. Not a single car, excepting ambulances, can be found on the streets. It doesn't matter if it's a small rural street, neighborhood street, city street, inter-city street, highway, freeway, or even the Ayalon, you won't find any cars driving. What you will find is droves of Israelis on bicycles -- even on the freeways! The only p'kakim (traffic jams) or chaniyot maleot (full parking lots) will be due to pedestrians and bicycles.

I promise there will be some good photos in a few days.

PS- I still owe you guys coverage of the peace rally in Jerusalem (I've been busy working on college essays) and the story of Jesus's jumping place. Also, don't worry too much if you don't get any emails\instant messages\skype calls\etc. from us workshoppers over the next few days. We are having some problems with our computers and Internet access.

Dov Overlooking Haifa

Oren Overlooking Haifa

Posted by Oren and Dov…

We were once told by a very wise and learned woman, whom is no rookie, that Workshop is a long, long, long process, and in that long process one will write many lists. Surprise, surprise, here we are, Dov and Oren, relaxing in a beautiful house in the wonderful city of Afula, hanging out for the holiday with nothing to do… at all… and we mean nothing. Well there is eating incredible food, but we’ve already done our fair share. So here it is, the long awaited "First List of Workshop." We call it: “I Don’t Think We’re in Kansas Anymore.” It points out the small, minute differences between Kibbutz life and life in a first world country:

At Home…	On Kibbutz…
We spend our free time watching countless hours of TV and wandering around with nothing to do.	We spend our free time playing countless hours of shesh-besh and learning circus tricks.
Breakfast was a meal we looked forward to – full of nutritious waffles, pancakes, toast, frosted flakes, orange juice and eggs.	Breakfast consists of 3% milk, some tomatoes and chocolate spread – if we’re lucky.
We have stores to buy furnishings and decorations.	We have the abandoned buildings in the forest and junk we find on the side of the streets.
We have public or private school classrooms.	We have unventilated bomb shelters.
We tutor rich Jewish kids for $15 an hour.	We work four hours in the sweltering heat doing hard manual labor, picking peppers – for “the experience.”
Eating fruit you find on a random tree in the streets may result in pesticide poisoning.	Eating fruit you find on a random tree in the streets may result in the gaining of essential vitamins and nourishment.
Sunday means one more day of freedom.	Sunday means a day of nine straight hours of classes followed directly by a two hour lecture with time in the middle only for lunch.
Monday Night Football means The Lions vs. The Eagles.	Monday Night Football means The Kibbutznicks vs. HDUK (in soccer).
Even your foreign language teachers knew English.	None of your teachers know English.
We all used to look to Hollywood with star struck eyes.	Now at the sound of, “Sunday, Hollywood,” we run.
Broadband internet meant your own fast connection.	Broadband means 1 shared connection between 600 people.
The phrase “The British are coming, the British are coming,” once struck fear in the hearts of Americans.	Nothing has changed.
We had all sorts of great shapes.	We only have circles.
You could buy Sudafed at a gas station.	To get Sudafed you have to go to a Doctor and then to a Pharmacy.
It was the status quo to shower everyday.	Our record: three days in a row.
You can show any spot in Michigan on your right hand.	You have to use your entire body to show Israel.
If you wanted a snack you just had to reach into a drawer and grab what you wanted.	You have to steal loafs of bread at meals, and then save them like they were gold… and then eat it.
No sunscreen – no problem.	No sunscreen – you turn into Toni A.K.A. the lobster.
If you saw something in the trash, you left it there.	If you find something in the trash, you get really excited and yell, “Hey look what I found in the trash!”
Wildlife meant squirrels and raccoons.	Wildlife means cats, dogs, and more cats.
Flushing the toilet was an easy decision.	It really makes you think, "Which Lever?"
Your most prized possession was your $4,000 car.	Your most prized possession is a “really neat” stick you found in the woods.
Doing your laundry was as easy as leaving it for mom.	To do your laundry you have to write HD## on every article, drop it off in the middle of the street, and then cross your fingers that more than half will come back.
There was a difference between an espresso, café au lait, and filtered coffee.	No matter what button you press, the same crap comes out.
Using the Sherutim meant going to the bathroom.	Using the Sherutim means taking a group taxi from point A to point B.
The only thing holding you back from hitting on a hot girl was yourself.	It’s that giant AK 47 anyone your age carries.