Life in Israel

Sunny California raised me well. It truly opened my eyes to the world around me. I have learned that it is necessary to have a car to get around Los Angeles, that the stereotype of weather being ideal is indeed true, and that our sushi is the best. Okay stam, stam. So maybe I’m not that naïve, maybe I didn’t grow up in a closet shielded from civilization. But I must say a closet isn’t so far off from the truth.

My friends and I like to call it the “Societal Bubble.” Where my humble abode stands, there isn’t such a noticeable diversity in cultures. I can thank my parents for teaching me that there is otherwise. Sure I’ve been on a couple family vacations where I was exposed to alternative ways of living. But that simply wasn’t enough for me; it wasn’t satisfying to just hear or read about it or visit it and not experience it full throttle. So I knew that as soon as I got the chance, I would hop on a plane and explore the unknown.

So that’s why I’m here. I’m spending the year abroad with a really great thing called Aardvark Israel Immersion Program. And I was quick to realize that my naïve attitude isn’t exclusive to us Californians, which was a little comforting. My dear Texan friend, who is on the program with me, was genuinely surprised that I wasn’t a surfing hippie, "Shanti" kind of gal. Oh, and that my next door neighbor isn’t Will Smith (although ironically, he does live relatively close). So this rapidly turned into my greatest learning experience in my 18 years of living.

I began my journey in the Holy City of Jerusalem in September. Okay before I continue, here is a little bit more background on myself. My most significant Jewish connection before Israel was made through my Jewish summer camp, Camp Alonim, or my “home away from home” if you will. It’s not religious at all, although we do have some great services, song sessions, and Israeli dancing if you want to check that out. Needless to say, my knowledge on the different sects of Judaism was extremely limited. So arriving in Jerusalem was truly an eye-opener. I wouldn’t say it was a shock to me, but more a thrill that I was finally experiencing the unknown first hand. I quickly had to adapt to a society other than my own, one that I’m not used to at any intensity. On a basic level, I had to start being independent. Okay so that’s expected. But there is more involved in it when living in Israel. For example, I had to start taking public transportation as my main way of getting around, memorizing bus routes, etc. What I felt was the most drastic, however, was getting used to observing Shabbat at the simplest “dictionary definition” of the word; it is the day of rest. Especially in Jerusalem, that meant nothing was open and buses were temporarily ceased, presenting citizens with a set time to relax. Nice, huh? It would almost be like the government giving us free massages every weekend that we were forced to go to. Shame. I was actually hoping that during this downtime, I would find myself and figure out who I am… or something. But I soon came to terms with the fact that standing idly by and waiting for “me” to arrive wasn’t going to accomplish anything. So I took advantage of the time given.