Pictures of the Basketball Game

Kibbutz Gezer Celebrates Simchat Torah - October 19

On October 19, Rafi and I were picked up by Pamela and her husband Werner, to make our way out of Jerusalem to Kibbutz Gezer where their daughter and her family live. We were going for their annual Simchat Torah celebration. Pamela had previously told us that this kibbutz had a good relationship with the neighboring monastary and that each year during Simchat Torah, the nuns and priest come down to celebrate with the Jews - even dancing with the Torah themselves!

We arrived at Kibbutz Gezer about an hour after leaving Jerusalem. The sunset was beautiful in the rural area.

Before the crazy celebrations began, we had services at an outdoor temple on the Kibbutz. The services were Reform, complete with guitars and the like. It was a new experience to be outdoors during a Torah reading, and the air was lovely.

There you go! Everything that Pamela had told us about the nuns and priest was correct! They were happy and excited to celebrate with us during our special day. It was so interesting to see them there with us loving every minute and excited to hold the Torah. Only on a kibbutz in Israel can I see this happening.

My turn with the Torah. Someone handed it to me and I danced with it, but then the sond ended and I held the weighty scroll for what seemed like ten minutes. My arms were tired, but at least it was a Torah I was holding :) In the picture below, Pamela snapped a candid of Rafi and I line dancing. I am holding the shoulders of a very happy-looking nun! Pamela's daughter is behind Rafi.

Here I am passing the Torah to Rafi - now it's his turn to joyfully dance with it!

Sukkot in Elazar/Gilad Schalit's Return - October 18

On Tuesday, October 18, Rafi and I made our way to the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem and caught a bus to Elazar, just outside of the City. We were on our way to have dinner in the Sukkah with Zev and Lee Kesselman from Scrabble Club. They met us when we arrived at the gate to their yishuv and walked us up the hill to their home, a large house much bigger than any we have seen in Jerusalem. In fact, all of the houses in their area seem quite large.
Zev, Lee, Rafi, and I all hopped into the Kesselmans' car for a tour of the area. Zev and Lee took us around their area of Elazar and to the neighboring community of Efrat. They pointed out synagogues, their children's homes, and other important monuments. We received a tour of the grand house one of their daughter's is building two minutes away from their own house. They also drove us to the opening of Bethlehem, very near their own yishuv. Outside of Bethlehem there are soldiers guarding the area and checking cars. They told us that this is a dangerous area that we should avoid as Jews.

Back safe and sound in their own community, we were served dinner in the Sukkah, joined by their daughters, and grandchildren. One of their sons, Dov, stopped by as well. The food was fantastic as Lee is a great chef - she even used to have her own take-out business with two friends! After dinner and schmoozing, Rafi and I crossed the street to schmooze with another fellow Scrabble player who lives in the same community as the Kesselmans. There, Aryeh showed us his prized ship collections. It is a vast collection of naval miniatures that he collects and paints. It is quite extensive, covering the greater portion of an entire wall, floor to ceiling. After this, we returned to the Kesselman's to watch some television - the news was showing clips and bits about Gilad Schalit's return that day. All of Israel was plugged in and talking about this.
We returned home after watching the news. Zev and Lee were wonderful hosts and even gave us a ride home so that we would not have to wait for the bus. It was yet another great day in the sukkah!

Scrabble in the Sukkah October 17

During Sukkot, there are many stations like this one set up for Jewish passerby to fulfill the mitzvah of shaking the lulav and etrog. It is free and a great way to get more Jews to do this for the holiday. Rafi and I, for one, did not purchase our own lulav and etrog. These can be very expensive. Instead, we were able to go to one of these sukkahs to shake the four neccessary species. This was actually my first time EVER doing this mitzvah, so I definitely said a special shehecheyanu for the occassion.

The little boys helping me out were super cute! They were eager to help.

Rafi and I had stopped here specifically so that I would be able to shake the arba minim (four species) before we headed to the bus for David Spolter's Scrabble in the Sukkah get-together.

Scrabble in the Sukkah was a really fun gathering of invited Jerusalem Scrabblers. I knew most of them from Scrabble Club here with Rafi. We arrived a bit later than we had anticipated because traffic was so bad on the highway to David's house. We ended up getting there alright, with David picking us up after we got off of the bus.

Rafi played a few games with a Scrabbler from Tel Aviv who he had never played before (and of course, he won both games). We had a wonderful dinner of pastas and tuna with salad. Dessert was brought by Zev Kesselman - his wife (and my friend from Scrabble Club), Lee, made her "famous" cheesecake and peanut butter chocolate bars. I have her recipes for both! After dinner, more Scrabble games commenced. As I read "The Birth Partner" I heard the clicking of Scrabble tiles being shaken around in the tile pouch. I think that this sound has actually begun to be rather soothing to me; a kind of comforting and normal noise :)

Sukkot Shabbat with Tessa October 14-15

After our night out at the basketball game, we returned home. The next morning we woke up late, as usual. I made a quick brunch of couscous with onion and spices, took our pre-Shabbat showers and rushed to get ourselves ready and pack for the night. We were spending the entire Shabbat with Tessa, a friend from Seattle who made Aliyah and moved to Israel. She lives in a Jewish settlement outside of Jerusalem in the West Bank called Dolev. There was only one bus a day headed that direction so Rafi and I had to run to the Central Bus Station to make it on time.

We made it to the bus and found seats next to each other. We noticed that the bus was completely full of Orthodox Jews. I looked up Dolev on the internet and a Wikipedia stated that it was a religious Jewish settlement so I was not too surprised to see so many Orthodox Jews headed that way. It is actually a really neat sight to be packed on a bus with tons of other Jews, many of which have long lulavs next to them in their seat. It made Sukkot seem really festive and added to the holiday atmosphere.

The bus meandered along the curvy road that seemed to lead us into the middle of nowhere. It was beautiful though. We passed through a checkpoint that indicated that we entered the West Bank territory and kept driving North. Rafi and I ended up getting off of the bus a stop too late because of the extremely unhelpful bus driver - some are amazingly friendly, while others are just plain mean and seem to abhor helping people they drive around. Rafi called Tessa and told her where we were (not that we actually knew where we were - no one was around and Dolev is in the wilderness). Tessa told a neighbor where we were because his wife was already out with a car. She came and picked us up and we drove to Tessa's neighborhood together.

The neighborhood was more of a small community of small homes. The homes were not what you would think of when you think about the word house. They were more similar to boxes on stilts with the insides furnished as an apartment would be. These were situated on a hill amidst much larger hills. Across one way, we could see two Arab settlements, and across another way, two more Jewish settlements. We learned something seemingly important about the lights in Israel during this Shabbat. The Arab settlements use white-colored outdoor lights, and the Jewish settlements use yellow-colored lights. This is to help passerby be wary of where they are.

When we got out of the car, Tessa came over and greeted us. It was actually my first time meeting her although I feel as if I should have already known her because we have many friends in common. Inside the house we also met another friend that I already felt as if I knew - Shoshi Dershowitz. I am friends with her sister in Seattle so it was really fun to finally meet Shoshi. Tessa and Shoshi cooked for Shabbat and visited with Rafi and I as we waited for Shabbat to approach. After a time Rafi and I were also able to meet Tessa's husband Pablo and his cousin Yonatan. It was a very nice and comfortable time. Rafi took our belongings as well as blankets and other bedding to a neighbor's house where we would be sleeping for the night. The neighbor was out of town and since the whole yishuv (community) is so open, they were opening their house to us for Shabbat. Shoshi and I set up the table in the Sukkah outside. It was sitting atop the hill next to the houses and was decorated with a variety of colors. We used cute party plates and napkins to liven the mood of the table.

When Shabbat arrived, the three of us girls lit candles and recited the bracha. We then went to the community's shul (synagogue) for Kabbalat Shabbat services. Upon returning home we brought out the food to the Sukkah. During the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, we are supposed to build "sukkot" which are basically temporary places of dwelling. We are supposed to eat our meals in the sukkah as well as other normal activities. Some people even sleep in their sukkot, although that is a bit difficult in Seattle weather as the tops of sukkot are usually not fully covered.

Anyway, we all gathered around the set table and sang Shalom Aleichem, did Kiddush (blessing the wine), netilat yadayim (handwashing), and motzi (challah blessing) before beginning the feast. First of all, the challah in itself was divine! It was baked by a woman from the yishuv. Apparently she makes a lot of challah every week in order to fulfill the mitzvah of "separating the challah" and saying the bracha (blessing). She follows that she needs to make a specific amount of dough in order to follow through with the mitzvah. At home when I make challah, I usually just "separate the challah" with any amount, but other people use more. So she makes a plethora of the yummy doughy goodness and sells the rest to others in the community. It was whole wheat and so fresh and doughy! Wow! It had a nice texture, but was not too grainy. There was also an abundance of mezze, or small dishes served before the main meal. There were bowls of hummus, tahina, tomato yumminess, couscus with pomegranate seeds, eggplant and more. The first course that appeared after that was teriyaki baked salmon. It was so moist and delicious. Rafi was definitely a fan - he can never get enough salmon. The main courses consisted of a broccoli pie, tofu and green beans in a peanut butter sauce, and scalloped sweet and regular potatoes. The meal was fantastic, as was the company. Everyone was eating and drinking and talking. We all really seemed to click and have a great time. Dessert consisted of coffee with a wide variety of cakes, cookies, and even homemade cheesecake. Tessa handmade the majority of the food, with Shoshi also contributing. They did very well!

After the eating frenzy, we all played games in the sukkah. Rafi taught me how to play backgammon. I thought it was really fun but I lost every time. When it became too cold to continue outdoors in the sukkah, we moved the party inside. We basically talked for hours. It was fun and natural. When we were all feeling really tired, Rafi and I said our lilah tovs and headed out to our own house across the "street."

The next morning Rafi and I slept in, opting not to go to shul - in Israel it begins at the terrible hour of 8:30 am! We woke up when Pablo knocked on our door to let us know that they were going to start getting ready for kiddush as he headed home from services. The entire rest of the day proceeded much like the night before. We ate a lot, relaxed, talked, and had a fun Shabbat time with our new (and old) friends. After Shabbat ended, we all did Havdalah together in the sukkah. Tessa checked the bus schedule for us so we would not miss the only bus to Jerusalem (although we could have hitch-hiked back home as it is very common in the area). While we waited for the bus to arrive we were able to look through Tessa's wedding album. It was really fun to see all of her pictures from the special day.

Tessa and Pablo walked us out to the street to wait with us at the bus stop. When the bus came we said our goodbye's and thank you's and headed back to Jerusalem with a happy aura about us. It was the general consensus of the group that it seemed as though we already knew each other before this Shabbat. Really, only Rafi and Tessa had known each other from early on when they were kids. It was a great way to spend Shabbat during Sukkot. Thank you so much Tessa!

Sukkot with Bracha's Family - October 12-13

On Wednesday, October 12 Rafi and I woke up for the day and went straight to the shuk and the grocery store since we were in a food shortage. We wanted to prepare for the coming week because we knew it would be difficult to get out to the store during Sukkot due to our many plans and store closure days. The previous day I had made a meal plan for the week as well as a grocery list so we would be efficient during the pre-chag (holiday) madness. We bought our necessities: bread, milk, hummus, cheese, spaghetti noodles, onions, Shabbat wine, rice, couscous, penne noodles, peaches, apples, bananas, cucumber, garlic, dried apricots, white raisins, green onion, chicken breasts, and ground beef. We were then fully stocked! When we shop we always bring my tote bag, large bag, as well as plastic bags we have previously received and use them instead of getting new plastic bags every time. We returned home hungry so I made a tasty lunch consisting of spaghetti noodles with olive oil, seasonings, herbs, garlic, green and white onion, and sauteed chicken breast. Rafi loved it! So did I.

Next we packed our bags for the first night and day of Sukkot. We were spending the night at Bracha's and spending time with her and her family. We grabbed our bags and the ugat shokolad (chocolate cake) that Rafi and I had purchased to bring to dinner and left for the bus station. We discovered that so many other people were also trying to travel at this time to get to their Sukkot destinations before the buses stopped running for the holiday. The lines at security screening to enter the bus station were enormous. We got through all right after being patient. The bus ride seemed very quick since we had already taken the bus from Jerusalem to the Tel Aviv area a few times before that. Lilach, Bracha's daughter picked Rafi and I up from the bus stop. We drove to her house because Bracha had laid down for a nap and we did not want to disturb her.

When we arrived at Lilach's house, Rafi was sleepy too so Lilach offered him time to take a nap as well. While Rafi slept, I spent time with Lilach outside on her porch, talking about life and Hebrew words. We heard a rustlings of branches and a thud from a neighbor's yard. Lilach jumped up and went into the yard with me trailing behind. Under the tree I found my self standing under were many fruits laying in the grass, all smelling very frangrant and fruity. They were guavas. Lilach and I felt the fruits trying to find the one that had just fallen from the tree. We went back to her house with a few in hand. Lilach washed and cut them up, discarding the bad parts. We went back to the porch and dined on fresh guavas. Rafi woke up very soon after that (probably because he knew food was present) and also began munching on the guavas.

Lilach then drove us to Bracha's house where Rafi and I relaxed with coffee and cookies while talking with Bracha and Lilach. We were all waiting until it was time to start driving to Eti and Eldad's house for Sukkot dinner (Eldad is Bracha's son and Lilach's brother, Eti is his wife). We drove the short distance to their home and began the festivities of the evening. Eti and Eldad were happy to see us again (we had Rosh Hashanah dinner with them at Bracha's home) as well as their children. Eti's brothers were also at the dinner, as well as one brother's wife and children and the other brother's longtime girlfriend and her boys (they were older boys), and Lilach's sister and her family. It was a huge celebration with many people! Everyone was so nice and welcoming. Rafi and I had such a great time! We feel very comfortable with their family - it feels like a family away from home! The food was spectacular and plentiful. They had various meat skewers, steak, hamburger patties, hummus and tahina bowls, pita, salads, rice, potatoes, and desserts! Wow, so much food!

Before an during dinner, Rafi and I sat with Eti's brother's girlfriend and two of her sons (ages 16 and 22). The 22 year old, Sean Daniel, is a professional basketball player who plays for Cholon in Israel. We talked to him about a bunch of things, including basketball. He told us that he was going to be playing in a game for Cholon vs. Tel Aviv the very next evening and if we wanted to go, he could get tickets for us. Of course we wanted to go! How fun! We had been looking forward to seeing a sporting event of some kind. We got his phone number and told him that we would call him about tickets. It is so funny to us that we have met two professional basketball players during our travels. It also turns out, through our conversation with Sean, that he had played on the same Israel team as the other basketball player we met in Poland (they both played on Ramat Gan's team)! It sure is a small world!

After dinner we schmoozed and relaxed with the great company. Lihi, Eldad and Eti's daughter, gave us a tour of their house in Hebrew. It was very cute - she is a spunky girl. It got late so Rafi, Bracha, Lilach, and I piled into Bracha's car and drove back to her house. Lilach hung out for a bit while we settled and then left to her own house. Rafi and I got ready for bed and relaxed and read before sleep.
When we woke up the next morning and emerged from our room, we saw the dining room table set up for us, full of breakfast food. Bracha came in and told us to eat. We sat and ate a nice breakfast. Some of the things she had laid out for us were, a cucumber and tomato salat, yogurt, cheeses, olives, and pita. We relaxed around the house for a bit, talking with Bracha when she was in the room and watching TV for the rest of the time. Lilach called us and said that her and some of the other family were going to Tel Aviv in 45 minutes to get some ice cream on the beach. We agreed that it was a great idea! She picked us up when it was time to go and we drove to the beachy area where we would meet the rest of the family. Some of the family was on time, and other showed up a bit late, but we all got ice cream and we were all able to enjoy the sunny, beachy Sukkot day!

These pictures are all from Sukkot day with Bracha's family at the beach in Tel Aviv. This one here is a picture of the family. Lilach is taking the picture. From back left: Lilach's brother-in-law and her sister, me, Rafi, Eti (Eldad's wife), Lihi, Tomer, and Eldad (Lilach's brother). In front of Eldad in green is his nephew. The shorter boy is Nevo. In the front row is Eti's brother, his wife and more kids (it was hard to keep track of the kids).

The tentish thing on the beach seemed to me like a type of beachy sukkah!

The cousins sharing a great Sukkot day on the beach in Tel Aviv.

And now Rafi will write about the basketball game:

After the Chag ended, Lilach dropped us off at a bus stop to Jerusalem, so we could return in time to see the basketball game. Attending an Israeli sports event was something I mentioned wanting to do at least once while we were in Israel, so it was convenient that we were invited to one! Sean had mentioned that the basketball arena was near Malkah Mall, not too far from the Central Bus Station, so when the bus passed by the station we were a little bit worried. We were told that the game started at 8:15, and by that time it was already 7:30. So we got off at the nearest stop and decided the best option was to hail a cab.

After bargaining the price down from 65 to 50 Sheqels, we entered the cab, and I explained we were going to a basketball game in an arena near Malkah Mall. "There's a soccer stadium near Malkah, but no basketball arena," he said in Hebrew. We were nervous because there seemed to be a miscommunication of some sort, but the cabdriver was savvy enough to get us exactly where we needed to go without any further questions.

After waiting in line to collect the tickets that Sean generously left us, we made our way to enter the building. Since we had stayed overnight at Bracha's, we had our clothing, toiletries, books, and waterbottles all in a bag, which of course was checked by security at the entrance. My bag happened to have the waterbottle, which apparently is hazardous (maybe because people might throw them on the court?) and the guard said the best option was to hide the bottle in the bushes. Since we left a waterbottle in the Ramat Gan apartment, losing another would be a terrible catastrophe, so I made sure to hide it well. The guard let me reenter the line in the front, and after a quick bathroom break Chelsey and I went to find our seats.

Seating in this arena was lax, so after finding our section we went down to the best seats we could find, about 4 or 5 rows up from the court! These seats would cost upwards of $100 for an NBA game, maybe even more. Pregame entertainment included a women's dance team, as well as an Ethiopian men's acrobatic dance team. The match was between Holon and Tel Aviv, the latter being the heavy favorite. Also, this game represented the final of what I believe was supposed to be a preseason tournament, in which the winning team won a "cup." Looking through the program, I noticed a player on Tel Aviv by the name of Jordan Farmar, a player I was certain was in the NBA. Further research showed that he was a solid NBA player, one who played decent minutes and scored about 9.5 points a game. However, with the NBA lockout pending, Farmar decided the best option would be to play for Tel Aviv until the NBA resumed. Farmar was one of two Jewish players in the NBA, the other being the Israeli Omri Casspi.

Tel Aviv has always been the premier team in Israel, and Sean's mother attested to this fact by stating that she was certain Sean's team (Holon) was going to get crushed. I, on the otherhand, was clinging to the hope that it would at least be a close game, and that maybe Holon would win. The first quarter was close, but Tel Aviv started pulling away in the second and third quarters, eventually taking a 17 point lead early in the fourth quarter. However, Holon furiously came back, cutting the lead to 6 with only 2-3 minutes remaining. I said "now it's officially over" when Tel Aviv took a 10-point lead with just over one minute left, but Holon scored, forced a missed shot, scored again, forced an errant inbounds pass, and scored again, cutting the lead to 4 with 35 seconds on the clock. After a forced foul and a split pair of free-throws, Holon had the ball behind by 5. Sean, who had gotten about 15 minutes of playing time, ended up with the ball with the chance to cut the lead to 2 with a three-pointer, but unfortunately it rimmed off, and Tel Aviv sealed the deal with some free-throws.

Despite the loss, it was still an exciting and close game, and best of all - it was free! (except for the cab ride...)

Scrabble Tuesday - Gilad Schalit October 11

This Tuesday was definitely a lazy day for Rafi and I. We did not really do anything until it was time for our weekly shwarma fix before Scrabble Club. The shwarma tasted especially good!! We ate them while we sat on a bench on King George Street, watching the cars and passerby. Rafi's leaked delicious shwarma juice all over the ground in front of him. I got my shwarma with hummus, harif (spicy chili sauce), salat, pickles, tomoatoes, tahina, and french fries. Yum yum!!
Scrabble Club was great, and as usual, Rafi won his three games of the evening. He is 12-0 now. I spent my Scrabble time schmoozing with Lee Kesselman like I usually do. This week she brought 2 cookbooks for me to peruse: The Silver Palate and The New Israeli Cookbook. During Scrabble Club we also learned that Gilad Schalit will be freed. Someone made the announcement after the games. I was actually just thinking about Gilad a few days before the announcement, wondering about if and when he will be returned.
After Scrabble, Rafi and I walked to the Kotel in the Old City and stayed there for quite a while, listening to some relaxing music that the men behind us were playing gently. We arrived back at home around 12:00am. We are very excited for Sukkot as we have many plans for the many days! First night with Bracha's family, Shabbat with Tessa Wickersham-Sarles, Monday at David Spolter's for Scrabble in the Sukkah, Tuesday dinner at Zev and Lee's and Wednesday a kibbutz Simchat Torah celebration with Pamela! We are ready for the excitement.

Yad Vashem and Hertzl's Tomb - October 10

On Monday, October 10, Rafi and I decided to take a short bus ride over to Mount Herzl in order to go to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum. We wound up getting a bit "lost" when we got off the bus. We did not know how far away Yad Vashem was and ended up errantly getting back on a bus (for a block!) because we did not exactly know what we were doing. It all ended up the way it should have though. We walked to Herzl's grave and around the memorial gardens in the area. The day was hot and the sun was shining brightly. The area was very peaceful and quiet.

We stopped by Herzl's grave and took a few pictures. His tomb is surrounded by these flowers and a large walking area. The brick area you see is a huge platform. After that, we went to the front vendor area and both bought watermelon popcicles to help us walk in the heat to the museum. We found the museum easy enought after asking for directions.

The Yad Vashem memorial museum was one of the most well laid-out museum I have seen. Entrance is free and if you want to, you can pay for an audio guide with headphones to take with you. Rafi and I both got the audio guide. Mine did not work very well toward the beginning of our visit, changing into an audio guide in Hebrew instead of English. After two mishaps like this, I asked for a new one altogether and enjoyed the commentary without a hitch after that. As a museum guest, you walk into the museum and come across different themed sections containing a plethora of information, photographs, and stories, all arranged in chronological order. The museum made a huge effort to include and research names of the actual Jews whose things were shown on exhibit so that they were regarded as the people they were and not some abstract thought. It gave the exhibit so much more meaning. Throughout the museum we watched videos, first-hand accounts of the war, as well as saw real objects such as Torah scrolls and other Judaica that were plundered by the Nazis. Rafi and I spent around 3 hours in the museum, absorbing it all. We could have spent much more time there, but the museum closes at 4pm and the staff were herding us out gently. As we were leaving the museum, I snapped this picture of the entrance.

Immediately outside of the museum, we exited to this lovely sight. After learning about and watching/listening to primary sources about the suffering of our people during the Holocaust, this was a beautiful and calming sight to see.

A group of Orthodox men were davening (praying) immediately outside of the exit of the museum (in front of the pretty view I just showed you).

They davened with a calm intensity and focus, shuckling gently.

On our way out, we decided to take a different, more scenic route through the cemetary. Little did we know that the gates would not be open at this time. The cemetary had apparantly already closed to the public. We found a wall that we decided we could jump down from. Rafi jumped first and walked along the wall on the outside, locating the area with the shortest fall for me. He helped me down from this. I was nervous because it seemed high, and I was wearing a skirt. It went well though and we safely went home afterward.

Next up, Sukkot!!

As soon as Yom Kippur ended, Sukkot was in the air! The morning after the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Rafi and I woke up early to catch a bus to Har Hatzofim (Mount Scopus) so I could be at the Hadassah hospital there for an interview with the head midwife. My interview was arranged by the head of the maternity department there, who is the mother of a "contact" given to me by Rafi's mom through a friend. It was a great bit of Jewish geography, if I do say so myself. Anyway, the meeting was scheduled by the head of the maternity department very suddenly and without first asking me if I was available at that time and day. No matter, as it worked for me and my schedule and I was excited and nervous about it. I was hoping to volunteer as a doula with the hospital and come in a few days a week to assist with any births taking place. I arrived early and we found the delivery rooms. Rafi waited in the lobby while I found Sima, the head midwife. She was very kind and easy to talk to. She spoke a mix of Hebrew and English and I spoke mostly English. We spoke about what I would be doing at the hospital as a doula and other logistics. Toward the end of the interview, Dorit, the head of the maternity department came in with my resume and certification of doula training completion that I had emailed her. She told Sima that I seemed very well prepared and learned as a doula and that it would be great if I volunteered with them. She left and Sima and I resumed our conversation. Sima wrote some things about me down on my resume (basically that I am Jewish, unmarried, etc...). She then told me that she still needed to ask her own supervisor about my volunteering as a doula and clearing the insurance for the hospital. I got her telephone number and left the interview feeling very positive about the experience and excited for the opportunity to be able to aid in births while I am here in Israel. Rafi and I then rode a bus back to the City Center to explore some more sites. (Update: I received news that I will not be permitted to volunteer as a doula with Hadassah Har Hatzofim hospital. Apparently, after checking with her supervisor/insurance Sima said that they do not allow outside doulas to volunteer. She offered to take me on as a regular volunteer around the materity department if I am interested. I wish that I could be a volunteer doula because it would help me get a lot of experience and make me feel as though I was actually making a difference. I think that I may call them back and become a regular volunteer, although I do not know exactly what I would be doing because my Hebrew is very basic and I have never volunteered in any hospital before. It is not ideal, but I guess it is a starting point.)

Rafi and I headed first to Meah Shearim to check it out in the daylight and take a few photos. Meah Shearim is an area in Jerusalem that is completely Ultra Orthodox. It appears like an old shtetl. Many of the shops were converted into etrog and lulav inspection and vending sites. This one is in some sort of cabinetry shop. It was so neat to walk around and peek into stores that contained a plethora of etrogim with chassidic men inspecting them with lights and magnifying glasses.

We had purchased two etrogim (the cheap ones, not for shaking) the night before. We had planned to use them to cook with in the spirit of Sukkot. I ended up using the zest of one in some bread pudding that I baked the other day. Yum!

In Meah Shearim there were advertisements everywhere to buy chickens for the High Holidays (there is a custom to shake a live one over your head during this time, have it slaughtered, and then donate it to the poor).

This is a large sign at one of the entrances to Meah Shearim. One must be dressed in modest clothing to enter the area.

After walking through Meah Shearim, we decided to head to the Old City once again. It is becoming an area that we walk through often, but we never tire of it.

This is a walkway in the Old City.

It is so interesting walking through the shuk (market) in the Old City and seeing nuns, monks, friars, priests, chassidic jews, etc... going about their day amidst the mass of tourists.

Rafi taught me to play backgammon and I won once! It is actually a fun game, and we always see old men on the sides of streets and outside of shops intensely playing the game. We are thinking about either buying or making our own set.

We were walking here through a new part of the shuk that we had never been. As soon as we turned this corner to the left, we walked into a group of Christians singing some sort of hymn. You can run into so much religion in this city, but also the lack of it as well in some areas.

Some Arab children playing in the Old City. They were all speaking Arabic to eachother. One little girl looked at Rafi and I and said, "Hello!" We said hello back and smiled at them as we continued walking through this Arab section.

Soldiers walking to an area we had just walked through where a bunch of Arabs were gathered and shouting at eachother. We walked through the argument and had no idea what they were shouting to eachother. It made us a bit nervous, but we really did not have any other alternative than to walk through. It all ended up alright anyway although we still do not know what the issue was in the first place.

A sukkah in the courtyard of the Kotel in the Old City.

The Kotel with the almost- Sukkot moon.

A bunch of soldiers were standing in the usual "khet" formation in the courtyard of the Kotel.

Rafi standing in a sukkah in the process of being built.

In the Old City, standing in front of a synagogue.

Building a sukkah in the courtyard of the Kotel.

During our walk around the Old City we noticed that several sukkahs were being built. This one was near our usual entrance to the Kotel.

I couldn't resist to include this magical photograph of Mount of Olives at dusk with the almost-Sukkot moon hanging in the sky.

Rafi and I got dressed up in the evening to attend my friend's (from Seattle - we met on the Jewish Farm School trip I took through Hillel J-connect last summer) engagement party. She had just been engaged a few weeks before while Rafi and I were living in Ramat Gan. It was great to be invited to such an event and share in her happiness. The party seemed to have mostly Orthodox Jews in attendance, and mostly people between 20 and 35. It took place on the rooftop of an apartment building in Rechavia. We almost got lost trying to find the correct street but eventually found our way.

The drummer held a steady and pulsing beat throughout the evening. There was singing, dancing, eating, drinking, and some speeches in Hebrew too. The men even took a break to daven Aravit.

The men all danced together to the beat of the drum.

The women danced together and had a joyous time!

The men lifting up the chattan (groom).

Trying to lift up the Kalla (bride).

Malika makes a beautiful Kallah. Mazal tov!