After a stressful week of Israeli bureaucracy and red tape I was relieved and excited to spend a weekend with family and friends celebrating my cousins wedding that I've been waiting for since I arrived! Not only was I attending the wedding but I was lucky enough to be included in the events leading up to my cousins big day!
I left the kibbutz on Thursday and arrived at my grandparents just in time to join the in the first wedding related activity! It is customary for a Jewish Bride before her wedding to purify herself at the Mikvah which is a ritual bath. I was aware of this tradition to visit the Mikvah before you get married and more religious Jews visit much more often but my cousin did something very different that I have never heard before. She invited her female family members as well as her fiance's female relatives to accompany her to the Mikvah (of course we waited in the lobby as she entered the Mikvah) and afterwards we enjoyed a festive meal together just the women. For me, this was not only fun but also a culture shock as I have never heard of someone doing this for their pre-wedding Mikvah visit. It was really cool to be there and I felt honored to be included in such a unique experience!
On Friday, after a nice breakfast with my grandma at a near by cafe, I went to Reut's (my cousin who is getting married) bachelorette party which was planned by her two sisters and sister-in-law! It was such a beautiful party which included fun bridal games, a chocolate lesson which I obviously loved, and just hanging out with Reut and her closest girl friends. Again, I was so happy to be included in this as well as beign around to be able to attend all the wedding festivities. Although Reut and her family are distant cousins, every time I visited Israel I grew up hanging out with them and her family has become amazing friends of my family and it is so nice to have such incredible people here with me in Israel.
Saturday was a relaxing day as I was already exhausted and had to save my energy for the wedding the next day. After spending the entire day in my pajamas I finally became a real person at night as I attended a show with my grandparents and their friends which was a performance honoring a former popular Israeli singer. Although I had trouble understanding the entirety of the performance I enjoyed the upbeat music and talented dancing.
The day of the wedding finally arrived and I couldn't have been more excited! I hadn't been to a wedding since I was a flower girl when I was 7 so I was thrilled to be able to attend my third wedding and that it was in Israel! Not only was it the wedding day but it also happened to be my birthday. Although maybe not as excited as most Americans 21st birthday, I had an amazing day spending it with great people. Since the wedding wasn't until the evening I decided to go into Tel Aviv and meet up with a friend, Julie, who happens to be a relative of best family friend's of ours from home. She made my birthday very special by taking me to a beautiful city of Yaffo right outside of Tel Aviv to a restaurant of her friends. We ate in the calm and quiet streets of the beautiful city and were treated to birthday cake thanks to Julie and her friend! After more walking and making our way back to the center of Tel Aviv I headed back on a bus to get back to my grandparents.
After getting ready we finally made our way to the wedding. It was the most beautiful and elegant night filled with dancing and celebrating an amazing couple! Not only was the place absolutely gorgeous but the newlyweds happiness was glowing from a mile away and it was an honor to celebrate with them and their friends and family! I decided I love Israeli weddings as they have an amazing energy to them that is simply indescribable...maybe its the Israeli music or the Israeli mentality, I don't really know but it was truly an amazing night. Sending another Mazal Tov to my beautiful cousin, Reut, and her amazing husband, Asaf!
Although I was glad to return back to the Kibbutz and see my friends it was hard to pop out of the vacation bubble as the weekend had been filled with exciting and unforgettable moments!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
And Now Begins the Reason I Came
I know it's been a while since I've posted and I have a lot to share so bare with me! After a fun and relaxing free weekend spent at my grandparents in Ramat Gan visiting with cousins, spending time on the beach, and of course, eating, it was time to get down to the real reason I made the move to Israel. Tuesday September, 4th we had what is called our Tzav Rishon. Tzav Rishon is a day filled of tests and interviews with soldiers in the army to help determine what units we are eligible for. Leading up to the day I was extremely nervous and anxious as I heard that the results from the Tzav Rishon have a huge effect on our future position in the army. I also knew that it was important to speak the best Hebrew possible and since I am still learning the language I knew I would have some slip ups.
If I were to choose one word to describe what we did during our Tzav Rishon it would be: waited. If you thought the line at the DMV was bad...just go to a Tzav Rishon and you'll be wishing you were at the DMV instead. The day consisted of a bunch of different stations including a physical with a doctor to determine your physical profile (more on that in a bit), an interview with an army social worker to establish your status as a lone soldier (which allows you to have more benefits than usual), an interview with a soldier including a Hebrew language test, and an IQ test. Because there were many of us there and not enough soldiers doing the interviews and administering the tests, the day dragged on and took about 9 hours to complete. I started at the doctor where I received my physical profile. The highest physical profile a soldier can recieve is a 97. The profile helps determine what units you are eligible for in terms of physical health. Some soldiers might have certain health issues that might lower their physical profile in which case would eliminate the eligibility of certain units for them. After the doctor I waited for about 2 and a half hours to go on to the next station. Both interviews went well except I definitely struggled with my Hebrew a bit. The Hebrew exam was tough and I am still awaiting my results of that. After I took my IQ test which included two different sections that took about 25 minutes all together I was relieved to be done for the day. After the bus ride back we enjoyed a hearty meal and wiped out from the exhausting day of mostly waiting. Tzav Rishon definitely gave me a good and accurate taste of Israeli bureaucracy and what I am in for as being a citizen of the country!
I was happy to have started my army journey and was nervous and anxious to continue. Our next army related day is something called Yom Hameya which is a day just for a girls that consists of more interviews, team work related activities, and a speech I have to deliver. This day helps the army determine if we are fitting for specific jobs such as an instructor or teacher of some sort. More on this day when it actually happens!
The rest of the week went by quickly and led up to an amazing and fun filled weekend which you'll be hearing about in my next post...until then!
If I were to choose one word to describe what we did during our Tzav Rishon it would be: waited. If you thought the line at the DMV was bad...just go to a Tzav Rishon and you'll be wishing you were at the DMV instead. The day consisted of a bunch of different stations including a physical with a doctor to determine your physical profile (more on that in a bit), an interview with an army social worker to establish your status as a lone soldier (which allows you to have more benefits than usual), an interview with a soldier including a Hebrew language test, and an IQ test. Because there were many of us there and not enough soldiers doing the interviews and administering the tests, the day dragged on and took about 9 hours to complete. I started at the doctor where I received my physical profile. The highest physical profile a soldier can recieve is a 97. The profile helps determine what units you are eligible for in terms of physical health. Some soldiers might have certain health issues that might lower their physical profile in which case would eliminate the eligibility of certain units for them. After the doctor I waited for about 2 and a half hours to go on to the next station. Both interviews went well except I definitely struggled with my Hebrew a bit. The Hebrew exam was tough and I am still awaiting my results of that. After I took my IQ test which included two different sections that took about 25 minutes all together I was relieved to be done for the day. After the bus ride back we enjoyed a hearty meal and wiped out from the exhausting day of mostly waiting. Tzav Rishon definitely gave me a good and accurate taste of Israeli bureaucracy and what I am in for as being a citizen of the country!
I was happy to have started my army journey and was nervous and anxious to continue. Our next army related day is something called Yom Hameya which is a day just for a girls that consists of more interviews, team work related activities, and a speech I have to deliver. This day helps the army determine if we are fitting for specific jobs such as an instructor or teacher of some sort. More on this day when it actually happens!
The rest of the week went by quickly and led up to an amazing and fun filled weekend which you'll be hearing about in my next post...until then!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Gadna- Preview to Ilana as a soldier
If you were all getting bored of
hearing about my experiences on the Kibbutz, then you are in luck because this
blog post focuses on the happenings of my last week…something very different
than what I have been up to on the Kibbutz. This past week we went to the south
of Israel to a place called Sde Boker. We spent the last week at what is known
in Israel as Gadna. Gadna is a 1 week army simulation where different groups
get to experience what a week of basic training in the IDF would be like. Gadna
was first created in order to give Israeli high school Juniors and Seniors an
idea of what their life would be like once they joined the Army since in Israel
all Israeli’s are required to enlist into the IDF at the age of 18 or whenever
they finish High School. Once Gadna became well known tourist groups that were
visiting Israel from all over the world started sending their programs of
Non-Israeli high school students so they can see what it would be like to
enlist in the army.
Before I continue on to how my week at Gadna
was, let me first say that from the minute I heard that Garin Tzabar was
sending all of us to Gadna I was DREADING it. Not because I didn’t think I
would make it or just didn’t want to go but when I was in Israel for the year
on Nativ I chose to go to Gadna during a week where we had options of what to
do. I absolutely LOVED the week at Gadna that I had experienced and I would be
lying if I didn’t say that it definitely played a role in the idea of enlisting
in the IDF pop into my head. The reasons for my lack of desire to go again this
time was two fold: 1. I had been already and didn’t feel the need to go back as
much as I enjoyed it 2. I didn’t see the point of going to Gadna when we were
all people who volunteered to come here and enlist in the IDF so I assumed that
we all knew what we were getting ourselves into and didn’t need a fake week to
help us have an idea of what to expect. With that said I knew that I didn’t
have a choice in the matter so I tried to enter the week with an open mind and
enjoy a new week of Gadna with different people and a different mind set.
We got to Gadna on Sunday in the
middle of the day which meant it was brutally hot. Once we got there we were
split up into groups which would act as our unit for the week. In Hebrew this
is called a Tzevet. My Tzevet consisted of 14 kids including myself all from my
Garin so I was happy that I was with friends so I was gaurenteed to have a
better time. The other half of the people from my Garin were put in a different
Tzevet with half of the kids from another Kibbutz. We met our mefakedet
(commander) and from the instant we got off the bus we were treated like
soldiers in basic training. The mefakdim (plural commanders) started ordering
us around by giving us a certain amount of seconds (usually ten) to form two
lines in front of them or to run to a specific place and form two lines there.
The first day just consisted of things of that nature and an opening ceremony
with our Machklaka (which is the Hebrew word for Platoon and is made up of many
separate Tzvatim (plural of Tzevet) where we met our commanders commander and
the people that held a higher rank than our own commanders known at the Samelet
and the Memem. Every night at Gadna before bed time we get what is called a
Sha’a Tash which is 1 hour that we get to do what we want- eat, shower, hang
out, talk on the phone, get ready for bed. This is what we will get in the Army
while in basic training. Although it had only been ½ a day at Gadna I was
already exhausted and fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.
The next day of Gadna was
definitely more eventful than the first. We woke up at the excruciatingly early
hour of 5:45 to have our open ceremony with our whole Pluga which is literally
translates to company in terms of the military so it’s an even bigger military
unit made up of two separate Machklakim which has 8 or 9 Tzvatim in each. After
the ceremony we started learning about the gun that we would be shooting from
just a day later—the M16! We had to learn the 10 rules of the gun, the parts of
the gun, the positioning of the gun while holding it to shoot, and the commands
that we would hear and need to follow when at the range getting ready to shoot.
Although I had shot an M16 last time at Gadna
I was still excited to do it again because it is obviously one of the
most exciting parts of the week.
After a long morning and afternoon of Neshek
lessons (Hebrew translation of the word
Gun) we got on buses in order to get to the Shetach (field). We learned the day
before that we would be going to the Shetach, pitching our own tents, and
sleeping overnight in the field. I am sure most of you who know me well can
imagine my reaction to this news…I freaked. I did NOT sleep in the field last
time I did Gadna nor was I upset about not doing so. I was especially freaked
out because everyone was talking about how many snakes and scorpions we would
encounter in the Shetach…so not my thing. Once we got to the fields we were
instructed to pitch the tents. This literally took about 3 hours since the
tents fit two people and we were about 150. We also had to place the tents in a
specific shape because in the army everything is perfectly organized and
placed. After we finally got all the tents up we had dinner which consisted of
beef jerky, bread, and canned vegetables…nomnom!!! (jokes). After dinner we
were taught how to act in the field. Everything is different including how we
answer the mefakedet. Usually when the Mefakedet gives us orders we have to
answer by screaming “ken hamefakedet!” which translates to (yes, commander)
kind of like “Yes, sir!” and “No, sir!” in the American Army. In the fields we
had to call our commanders “codecode” instead of Mefakedet. We were also given
count of numbers so they could keep track of the whole unit. When our
commanders came around to give us our numbers they would give us a nice hard
punch in the shoulder which I found out later is just part of the whole Army
experience.
After learning a bit about how
soldiers act in the field we played a game even though the commanders yelled at
us when we acknowledged it as a game. What we had to do was climb a huge
mountain to try to get to a green glow stick that the Memem was holding at the
top of the mountain. It was already dark outside so all you could see was the
green glow stick hovering in the middle of the mountain. The trick was we
needed to crawl on the ground and go slowly as the commanders were spread out
across the mountain with flashlights and if they caught us we would have to go
down to the beginning of the mountain and start over. Although I am ashamed to
admit it I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that I was probably crawling
all over snakes and scorpions so once I got caught once I didn’t try again…once
a girl, always a girl. After the “game” we were able to go to bed which I was
so not excited about since I was convinced I would be cuddling up to some
desert creatures during the night. Luckily I fell asleep pretty easily despite
the huge rock that my sleeping bag was placed on top of.
The next morning we woke up and
started a whole new day in the field. Our Mefakedet took us out in the field to
learn different exercises that are used in the field like army crawls (which I
have elbow scabs to prove that I did it), camouflaging ourselves which
consisted of pouring water on the ground and rubbing the mud on our face
(natural facial, if you will), and learning how to react when a grenade is
thrown (rimon, in Hebrew). After an eventful morning we had our last Neshek
(gun) lesson as a Machklaka before heading to the shooting range. We had a Masa
to the shooting range which translates to Journey in English and is something
that many of the combat soldiers will be experiencing during basic training.
The Masa is usually excruciatingly long but ours was just a short version to
give us an idea of what a real one might be. We had to walk in two straight
lines during the whole Masa. When the Memem (who was leading the walk) started
to run, we had to run, when she ducked and started crawling on the floor, we
had to do the same. In the scalding heat of the mid day sun it was pretty
brutal but also really cool to experience something like that. Since I don’t
plan on being a combat soldier I probably won’t be part of a Masa so it was awesome
to be able to experience something like it. Once we got to the shooting range
we ate another delicious lunch of chocolate spread sandwiches and canned food.
After that we basically waited under a shaded tent for 3 hours in order for
everyone to shoot and of course my Tzevet was last. We finally got to shoot
which was exhilarating and eventful but I was so ready to head back to base.
The rest of the day was light as we had free time, dinner, and some Tzevet
discussions.
The last full day at Gadna
consisted of lessons on the jobs in the army, Tzav Rishon (the day of
interviews and tests in order to figure out what units you are eligible for,
and some Tzevet team building activities. Although I was getting sick of
standing up straight with my hands behind my back, screaming “Ken Hamefakedet”
every time the commander gave us an order, and doing push ups everytime I moved
in the two lines or didn’t have my uniform buttoned, I was starting to realize
and appreciate why the program sent us to Gadna. First of all, it was clear
that although all the commanders yelled at us and gave us orders that they
highly respected us for what we were doing and truly wanted to help us by
answering any questions we might have about the army or Israel. By the end of
the week I was happy we came back because it was extremely different from my
first week at Gadna and I ended up having fun with the people in my Tzevet.
It was definitely a tough week but
it really prepared me mentally for what to expect during basic training. Even
though I found out that the person who was bossing me around all week was my
age (actually a few months younger) I was still glad that we did Gadna and I am
sure that this preparation will benefit me once I am in the army. Although I
enjoyed the week I was so thankful to have a free weekend to be able to spend
at my grandparents, relaxing, and hanging out with family…more to come on that
soon!
יאללה זמן ללמוד עברית!! (lets go! time to learn Hebrew)
It’s crazy to think about how I
have only been here for a couple of weeks as it really feels like so much
longer. I am happy to say that I am enjoying every minute of my time at the
Kibbutz especially because many people have said it will fly by and my enlistment
date will be here before I know it.
Since I
last blogged so much more has happened on the Kibbutz. We took a trip to Beer
Sheva which is the closest main city to our Kibbutz and about a 30-40 minute
bus ride. We went in order to buy some necessities for our rooms and to get our
phones working so I needless to say that I was happy camper when I finally got
my phone up and running. Not only did I miss having a phone but it was also a
reminder of how real this whole experience is. Setting up my phone and my bank
account which I did the day before are small steps that really make me feel
like a citizen in Israel instead of just a guest. I love every little thing
that makes me realize how real this is and that is not just a dream.
On
Tuesday we had our Hebrew test to see what level we would be in for our Ulpan
classes on the Kibbutz (Ulpan is what we call Hebrew classes in Israel and is
also a word used to describe Hebrew classes in America as well). On Wednesday
we all had Ulpan together which was tough because we all fall into different
Hebrew levels so some people who are more advanced in the language were bored
with what we were doing while others had trouble following along and keeping
up. I got lucky as I happen to fall right in the middle so for me it was a
useful and much needed review. Thursday they split the groups into two levels
which was still hard because all 27 of us fall into much more than just two
different levels. Although for me my class is a bit challenging I really
enjoyed it and felt it to be beneficial for me since it was a bit harder than
what I am normally used to when it comes to Ulpan. We read an article from an
Israeli newspaper so we learned a lot of higher Hebrew vocab words which is
perfect for me. Unfortunately this was the last Hebrew Class we have had since
then so I am hoping that as soon as it starts up again I will continue to
improve.
Thursday
evening we went for a sunset walk passed the border of our Kibbutz. As cliché
as it might sound, saying that it was absolutely beautiful is a huge
understatement. I feel so grateful to be living in such a different, unique,
and breathtaking place especially because it is so out of the ordinary for me.
We walked along a sandy path admiring the views and sunset as we went along. My
favorite thing about the walk was that we passed an amazing open field that had
nothing but one tree standing alone in the middle of it. Our madricha (Hebrew
word for staff or counselor) explained that this tree is called העץ הבודד which
translates the lone/lonely tree. As I stared at the scene admiring its beauty I
couldn’t help but compare this tree to myself and the position I am in life
today. In Israel a soldier who comes from out of the country to serve in the
IDF and has no immediate family in the country is referred to as החייל הבודד
which translates to a lone soldier. Here is this Tree that is the only one of
its kind standing alone accompanied by other natural objects. Although it is
not completely alone it is seen as a lonely tree because there are no others of
its kind around it. I, here in Israel, am a young person who is not physically
alone as I am surrounded by family and friends that I know and love yet in my
situation I am one of a kind. Yes, there are 350 other people who made Aliyah
and are enlisting into the army with me but as an individual I am alone
accompanied by other people doing their own thing. Staring at this tree helped
me realize my position in this country as well as reaffirmed my decision as I
saw how the tree’s confidence was still observable despite its lonely status. I
took a picture of this scene in my mind and feel myself thinking of it often
when I think of the big life change that I just recently made.
This
weekend was a closed weekend on the Kibbutz which meant we were required to
stay on the Kibbutz and spend Shabbat together as a group. Friday was a
cleaning and relaxing day so we didn’t do much but Friday night we met our host
families. On the Kibbutz all 27 of us are assigned to a family that is known as
our adoptive families. Their job is to include us as part of their family for
the years that we will be in the army. They can invite us to meals or over to
their house to say hello and include us as a part of their family in any way
they see fit. Friday night I went over to my family’s house for dinner. The
Marcus family was so welcoming and inviting that I automatically felt like I
would enjoy my time on the Kibbutz because of their warmth and kindness. My
host father is originally from America (Wisconsin) and made Aliyah to Israel
and served in the IDF as well so it’s really nice to be able to relate to him
as we share this prominent similarity in our lives. My host mother was born and
raised on the Kibbutz and still has a lot of family that lives on the kibbutz. They
have 3 children 1 of which has her own family on the Kibbutz and is also
hosting another boy from my group so it’s fun to have a lot of family on the
kibbutz. I am grateful and excited to be part of their family for my time on
the Kibbutz and I look forward to spending more time with the Marcus Family.
Their house is also a 2 minute walk from my living area so that makes it
convenient and easy to visit!
The
rest of the weekend was low key as it included a night at the pub, a day at the
pool, and more relaxing. My next post will explore the life of a soldier in
basic training as we spend the week at Gadna—to be explained in my next post!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)