Having not written since Thursday afternoon, it's time for a big update as we're approaching the Israeli hump day - Tuesday.
Thursday night, we decided to have a quiet night, so we walked to Ben Yehuda Street (a pedestrian mall mostly for tourists). We walked around, checked out some shops and decided to have sushi and ice cream. As we ate our Israeli sushi, a Pardes friend walked by and we chatted. We went to Max Brenner for ice cream. I had Snicker and Oreo flavor (2 flavors). It was good.
Then, with our friend, we walked to meet some more Pardesers. They were going to do karoake. How could we say no? So we went along with maybe 10 of our classmates to Capricorn, a karoake bar where we each had 3/4 liters of beer (go us) and Seren led a rousing rendition of Faith by George Michael. Israelis take their karoake seriously andalthough seren was fantastic and the best, the israelis really sing their karoake well.
Next stop on our Thursday night of fun - the dance club. We got stamped on our wrists and danced the night away. We left the club around 215/230 and walked home, getting lost in central J'salem on the way home. We ended up getting to bed around 3. go us!
Friday morning we woke up around 1130 and got ready to go to Mahane Yehuda, toherwise known as the shouk (souq is an arabic word that you may remember from our Morocco journal) otherwise known as the market. There isa 1/4 mile stretch filled with fruit/veggie stands, bakers, olive/pickle stands and other fun fundries. we were shopping for shabbat lunch because we were having company. we picked up some fruits and veggies (cheap and fresh and delicious) as well as some israeli olives (just cheap and delicious -- you don't buy fresh olives, they have ot be cured first) and challah and rugelach. we also got "thrown out" of a tomato stand when we asked for a little less than a regular box. it was almost a "no soup for you moment," but a little nicer and a little more israeli (though the actor who played the soup nazi was israeli). after that, we walked home while it was hot as heck, stopping for pizza. it was getting late (around 2) and jersulaem on friday closes at 3 for the most part.
our shabbat lunch menu was going ot be watermelon soup (thanks rachel k.; recipe is watermelon, mint, cucumber plus a drop of salt and lemon juice. handblend them. deliciousness ensues and its great on a hot day. need not add water. it tastes better on the following days as the flavors meld), corn/bean salad, pasta salad and salmon (purchased at israeli supersol supermarket, not related to nyc supersol supermarket, as far as we know).
anyway, we got back tot he apt, made lunch, showered and got ready for shabbat. we were going to eat dinner at pardes as well as attend services there fri pm (hebrew/yiddish lesson: to "daven" means to pray). on our walk to pardes we walked by a shul (aka synagogue) that our friend Debbie Yunker (thanks debbie) had recommended - kol neshamah. it is almost a conservative Reform synagogue with an Israeli and expat population. They have a musical service, almost like bnai jeshurun light (i'm sorry if you are missing the references. someone else is getting htem and you'll catch on when the topic changes). because it was our frist shabbat in israel, I was looking for something a little more spirited, so I left KN to go to pardes. Seren remained with a team of our pardes friends.
Davening/prayer at Pardes was on the roof of the building. I thoroughly enjoyed welcoming shabbat on the roof, with the setting sun behind us and the wind blowing around us. After davening, my darling wife was there and we had a wonderful shabbat dinner with our classmates. Dinner started around 8 and we "could stay as long as we want." They kicked us out at midnight, full of spirit, food, fun, bonding and melon vodka (nasty).
saturday morning, we woke up and went to services at Shira Hadasha, a liberal, weirdly-egalitarian shul near our apartment. we often go to a descendant of SH in nyc. This was a wonderful singing minyan (aka service). IT was filled with many israelis and perfect english-speakers. Lots of other pardesers joined us as well (coincidence, not planned). after services, we socialized with our classmates at the kiddush (when they feed you after services) in a shaded courtyard. Then we went home to prepare for lunch.
We had volunteered to host 8 classmates who joined us at 1230. We had a wonderful afternoon of eating and talking, telling jokes and bonding, with everyone clearing out around 5. seren and i napped for a little bit, then met more classmates at 8pm for havdalah (the service that ends shabbat). we walked to an overlook over the old city of jerusalem (taliot near baka) and sang havdalah in a circle that reminded seren and i of our days of jewish camp (little side note, neither seren nor I went to jewish camp).
from there, it was dinner time. we went to burgers bar - almost like a BRGR or Shake Shack type burgers. Lamb burger was delicious. Thank you debbie yunker and rachel k. for the suggestions. then i went out for a beer with a couple of classmates, while seren returned home for an obvious reason.
the weekend in israel is friday and saturday. sunday is a work day. sunday morning we woke up and went back to class. After class, we met our friend Rachel K. (of the previous Rachel K. mentions) for a tour of the Israel Museum. we got plenty lost on our way there (rachel did too, coming from the other side), but eventually we found it near the Knesset. We saw a scale model of J'salem circa year 0, the dead sea scrolls and a sculpture garden that includes the "AHAVA" sculpture (AHAVA in hebrew means love and is spelled with 4 letters. The sculpture resembles the "LOVE" and "HOPE" sculptures sometimes seen in the states. "LOVE" is at the corner of 59th and Park near Kaye Scholer).
We left Rachel a little after 5 with plans to serve her some dinner (she did inspire the soup, she had to eat it). Rachel came over later, we ate dinner. Then the lawyer came by and we signed our lease. And then we went to bed and now its Tuesday.
I think we're off to a "one-shekel" concert. it costs one shekel (about 25 cents). I'll let you know how it is.
sorry for not proofreading. There is a queue for the computer (its a canadian and a brit, so its a queue, not a line). sorry also for Its and it's, but i'm typing quickly).
love,
Craig
Thursday night, we decided to have a quiet night, so we walked to Ben Yehuda Street (a pedestrian mall mostly for tourists). We walked around, checked out some shops and decided to have sushi and ice cream. As we ate our Israeli sushi, a Pardes friend walked by and we chatted. We went to Max Brenner for ice cream. I had Snicker and Oreo flavor (2 flavors). It was good.
Then, with our friend, we walked to meet some more Pardesers. They were going to do karoake. How could we say no? So we went along with maybe 10 of our classmates to Capricorn, a karoake bar where we each had 3/4 liters of beer (go us) and Seren led a rousing rendition of Faith by George Michael. Israelis take their karoake seriously andalthough seren was fantastic and the best, the israelis really sing their karoake well.
Next stop on our Thursday night of fun - the dance club. We got stamped on our wrists and danced the night away. We left the club around 215/230 and walked home, getting lost in central J'salem on the way home. We ended up getting to bed around 3. go us!
Friday morning we woke up around 1130 and got ready to go to Mahane Yehuda, toherwise known as the shouk (souq is an arabic word that you may remember from our Morocco journal) otherwise known as the market. There isa 1/4 mile stretch filled with fruit/veggie stands, bakers, olive/pickle stands and other fun fundries. we were shopping for shabbat lunch because we were having company. we picked up some fruits and veggies (cheap and fresh and delicious) as well as some israeli olives (just cheap and delicious -- you don't buy fresh olives, they have ot be cured first) and challah and rugelach. we also got "thrown out" of a tomato stand when we asked for a little less than a regular box. it was almost a "no soup for you moment," but a little nicer and a little more israeli (though the actor who played the soup nazi was israeli). after that, we walked home while it was hot as heck, stopping for pizza. it was getting late (around 2) and jersulaem on friday closes at 3 for the most part.
our shabbat lunch menu was going ot be watermelon soup (thanks rachel k.; recipe is watermelon, mint, cucumber plus a drop of salt and lemon juice. handblend them. deliciousness ensues and its great on a hot day. need not add water. it tastes better on the following days as the flavors meld), corn/bean salad, pasta salad and salmon (purchased at israeli supersol supermarket, not related to nyc supersol supermarket, as far as we know).
anyway, we got back tot he apt, made lunch, showered and got ready for shabbat. we were going to eat dinner at pardes as well as attend services there fri pm (hebrew/yiddish lesson: to "daven" means to pray). on our walk to pardes we walked by a shul (aka synagogue) that our friend Debbie Yunker (thanks debbie) had recommended - kol neshamah. it is almost a conservative Reform synagogue with an Israeli and expat population. They have a musical service, almost like bnai jeshurun light (i'm sorry if you are missing the references. someone else is getting htem and you'll catch on when the topic changes). because it was our frist shabbat in israel, I was looking for something a little more spirited, so I left KN to go to pardes. Seren remained with a team of our pardes friends.
Davening/prayer at Pardes was on the roof of the building. I thoroughly enjoyed welcoming shabbat on the roof, with the setting sun behind us and the wind blowing around us. After davening, my darling wife was there and we had a wonderful shabbat dinner with our classmates. Dinner started around 8 and we "could stay as long as we want." They kicked us out at midnight, full of spirit, food, fun, bonding and melon vodka (nasty).
saturday morning, we woke up and went to services at Shira Hadasha, a liberal, weirdly-egalitarian shul near our apartment. we often go to a descendant of SH in nyc. This was a wonderful singing minyan (aka service). IT was filled with many israelis and perfect english-speakers. Lots of other pardesers joined us as well (coincidence, not planned). after services, we socialized with our classmates at the kiddush (when they feed you after services) in a shaded courtyard. Then we went home to prepare for lunch.
We had volunteered to host 8 classmates who joined us at 1230. We had a wonderful afternoon of eating and talking, telling jokes and bonding, with everyone clearing out around 5. seren and i napped for a little bit, then met more classmates at 8pm for havdalah (the service that ends shabbat). we walked to an overlook over the old city of jerusalem (taliot near baka) and sang havdalah in a circle that reminded seren and i of our days of jewish camp (little side note, neither seren nor I went to jewish camp).
from there, it was dinner time. we went to burgers bar - almost like a BRGR or Shake Shack type burgers. Lamb burger was delicious. Thank you debbie yunker and rachel k. for the suggestions. then i went out for a beer with a couple of classmates, while seren returned home for an obvious reason.
the weekend in israel is friday and saturday. sunday is a work day. sunday morning we woke up and went back to class. After class, we met our friend Rachel K. (of the previous Rachel K. mentions) for a tour of the Israel Museum. we got plenty lost on our way there (rachel did too, coming from the other side), but eventually we found it near the Knesset. We saw a scale model of J'salem circa year 0, the dead sea scrolls and a sculpture garden that includes the "AHAVA" sculpture (AHAVA in hebrew means love and is spelled with 4 letters. The sculpture resembles the "LOVE" and "HOPE" sculptures sometimes seen in the states. "LOVE" is at the corner of 59th and Park near Kaye Scholer).
We left Rachel a little after 5 with plans to serve her some dinner (she did inspire the soup, she had to eat it). Rachel came over later, we ate dinner. Then the lawyer came by and we signed our lease. And then we went to bed and now its Tuesday.
I think we're off to a "one-shekel" concert. it costs one shekel (about 25 cents). I'll let you know how it is.
sorry for not proofreading. There is a queue for the computer (its a canadian and a brit, so its a queue, not a line). sorry also for Its and it's, but i'm typing quickly).
love,
Craig
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