What's up, Holy Land?!
This is the first installment of a weekly editorial I will be sharing with Ynetnews. Before I dive into it, I want to tell you a little bit about myself. In case you were wondering I'm not Israeli. I grew up in a small town in Maryland halfway between Baltimore and Washington DC. After high school I moved to New England for a few years before returning to DC for college. In December I graduated from the George Washington University with a degree in Political Science and History.
During college I was fortunate enough to travel in Israel as part of a Taglit-birthright trip. Ever since that experience I was anxious for an opportunity to get back.
I have been living in Tel Aviv since March on a Hadassah-sponsored program. The program is supposed to be half internship, half Ulpan. During my program I will be working, travelling, studying Hebrew, and experiencing the country alongside Israelis. In just these first two months I have met so many fascinating people and been exposed to a level of Jewish culture that cannot be replicated in America.
Celebrating Purim in Florentine was one of the craziest experiences I've ever had. In the US, the most I've ever done is eat hat shaped cookies and shake groggers. But here in Tel Aviv, the entire city became electric as people took to the streets to party and dress up.
From North to South, this country is so beautiful. For Pesach, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Netanya and was blown away by the beaches. The cliffs lining the beach are an amazing place to relax and watch the sunset.
Being in Israel to commemorate Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day - was a very surreal experience. To commemorate Holocaust victims there was a nationwide moment of silence. When the sirens went off in Tel Aviv, I was standing near a busy highway. To my amazement every single car pulled off to the side of the road until the ceremony concluded. It is really special to be in a place where everyone joins together in solidarity. Every day I get to learn and experience something new as I get to know this country.
These weekly installments will be my outlet to share all my rants and raves about everything Israel. Topics may range from politics, sports, culture, nightlife, or basically anything that strikes me during the week.
