First week

After a very full first week in Israel, I figured it was time to start getting down to business:

Lara and I arrived on June 25 on an ELAL flight, chaperoning a wonderful group of summer EIE students who really made our time easy and enjoyable. That experience almost fully made up for the mad anxiety that resulted from missing our first flight out of LA that morning (and the complete lack of any other available flight to get us from there to JFK that day...).
We were greeted in Tel Aviv by my mom and the NFTY in Israel staff who were ready to spirit our charges away - so ended our responsibility for teens for this summer :-)

Our first shabbat in Jerusalem passed in a blur of prayers, meals, and meeting our new friends at HUC (more on that in a moment). I was very glad we were able to attend the Shabbat Hodaya (Shabbat of thanksgiving) at Kol Haneshama that celebrated the cancer-free status of Rabbi Levi Kelman after a very prolonged and difficult course of treatment.
It was wonderful to be back home and enjoy sharing the shabbat dinner table with good friends and family - it was especially good to be back in the same area code as my mom's kitchen - she really knows how to work wonders!

Speaking of treats from my mom - our first Sunday in Israel saw us driving up the center of the country all the way to Tzfat for an special day at one of the best spas in the country (http://www.mizpe-hayamim.com). We had an amazing and relaxing day up north and even stopped in Tzfat to stock up on amazing candles... and a piece of art we could not leave without!

Getting to know the group of people we will share the upcoming year(s) with in HUC has been a great experience. Since new people continue to arrive daily, we always have an excuse to visit our favorite restaurants in order to introduce the new-comers to some of the culinary delights that Jerusalem has to offer (Chili's Pizza and Babet's waffles have been frequent stops on our visits downtown). Our very first shabbat began early on Friday, meeting up with the group of students who had already arrived and going to the Machane Yehuda Shuk for a 'guided tour' and Roggalach tasting competition.

The past week has brought us many other wonderful opportunities to get to know our fellow classmates and share food, thought, and inspiration with them. One such opportunity was a fantastic David Broza concert held in a small tent directly overlooking the old city - a magical evening with a talented musician.

Finally - Lara and I have finished moving into our apartment for the year and can't wait to get started with the year of learning ahead of us.

Until next time,

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem!

Getting Started

After four years of wonderful education and music in Cleveland, it is finally time for me to get on with my life, and... go back to school!

Following a long and challenging application process, Lara and I are both heading to Israel this July to begin our training and education at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, intending to graduate in short order (5-6 years) as ordained rabbis.

As I mentioned, the first step in this long process is to pack up our belongings and move to Israel for the year. Since I was born and raised in Jerusalem I am not sure if this counts as 'moving.' 'moving back temporarily, or just 'visiting home for a really long time.' Regardless of how I phrase it, I am both excited and anxious to go back home and pick up some pieces of the life I left behind when I got on a plane four years ago.

I am looking forward to sharing with my wife and classmates all the wonderful parts of Israel that I have treasured in my absence, and cannot wait explore all the parts of the country I have not yet seen.

As the year goes by I will try to share some of my experiences and thoughts (as well as photos and videos) with whomever cares to keep up to date with my life.

Wishing us all Derech Tzleicha - a safe journey,

Yoni