Playing Catchup: Part 1

Ok! Let's get started. The blog is up and running, the internet in our apartment works, and we know how to walk to the shuk and back. Here are some quick quips from our first few weeks in the Land!

June 21: Arrival day! After taking two separate flights (which meant we were apart for 18ish hours), we both made it to Jerusalem. Gavi was greeted by her Dod (uncle) Reuven and cousin Yoni. Yoni office happens to be on our street! We live on George Washington Street which happens to intersect with every American's favorite street to say...LincoLIN. Craziness happens when you try to transliterate. Anyway, that night we had dinner with a fellow HUC married couple. We socialized, playing Cards Against Humanity with some early arrival students until the fact that we had been awake for about 36 hours set in.

Our first Yerushalmi shabbat!

June 22: After a jet lag-induced late start to the day, we spent some time on Ben Yehuda Street (a main pedestrian drag that you definitely visited if you came on Birthright) and then came home to get ready for Kabbalat Shabbat services. We went to Shira Hadasha (Hebrew for "New Song"), an egalitarian, Orthodox minyan. It was AWESOME. So full of song and energy. After that, a lovely dinner with the same married friends (get ready to see them appear a lot in our posts) and some new classmates. We even made it home without getting lost.

June 23: Another late start to catch up on sleep. We took some time to unpack and nest a bit. We joined students for Havdallah overlooking the wall to the Old City and then dinner with classmates at כפה ג'ו. It's a silly play on words...when translated into English it can either be "Cup o' Joe" or "Cafe Joe." Gotta love a country full of Jewish Dad humor.

June 24: One of the HUC interns kindly gave us a walking tour of the area, pointing out good restaurants and how the neighborhoods and streets connected. We congratulated ourselves for our newfound sense of direction by eating schnitzel and shwarma on the street. How better to celebrate our 3rd week of marriage?

June 25: With Gavi's aunt and uncle, we visited her cousins in their BEAUTIFUL apartment overlooking the city. (Sorry no pictures from that one...we'll be sure to take and share on our next visit). Then, we had our first trip to the shuk! After a few laps to shop around and survey the land (and, of course, sample the delicacies), we bought some groceries to bring back to the apartment in our very own bubbie cart! Which, by the way, Gavi was able to acquire without using any English. That night we had Italian with a dear friend of Jason's who made aliyah.

June 26: Rabbi Rick Jacobs (the newly installed President of the Reform Movement) came to speak to the HUC students. Jason geeked out. That night, we went to watch Newsroom, the new Aaron Sorkin show, with some friends. Gavi geeked out.

June 27: We loaded into a car with Gavi's aunt, uncle, and her second cousin (once removed) to go to an army base near Mitzpeh Ramon in the south. Gavi's cousin Avishai is a commander in the Tanks division of the Israeli Army training to be an officer. We went to watch a ceremony commemorating the completion of the first part of his training. There were tons of families picnicing with their soldiers and we watched as Avishai was given a new pin for his formal uniform.

June 28: The synagogue where Jason taught the past two years in DC came to Israel to celebrate 4 b'nai mitzvah. We went to be a part of the service (on HUC's campus) and spent time talking with the rabbi, the families, and some of Jason's students. Later that night, we joined about 20 HUC students for dinner at a meat restaurant called Fortuna (near the shuk) for a delicious variety of meats on a stick, french fries, and salads. THEN, we went to the 2nd Annual Jerusalem Lebowski-Fest. Needless to say, there was a costume contest, film showing, band of Lebowski-ites, and a bowling contest. Don't worry. Our team won.

June 29: Breakfast with another Brandeisian who made aliyah. Then a journey to a grocery store with a lot of American products...we will be returning to acquire some Frank's Hot Sauce. We went to services at Kehilat Har-El, one of Jerusalem's Reform synagogues, and then a great potluck dinner with classmates.

June 30: Shabbat services at HUC followed by lunch at Nadav's house (another cousin of Gavi's). There were 12 of his friends who spent the afternoon noshing, shmoozing, and singing. We learned that Israelis speak Hebrew very fast.

Well...that's June. We'll update you on July soon!