February in Israel

Exploring: I feel like a kid again out here. Our inhibition on knocking on doors which we don't know what is behind, climbing things which are awkward to climb, going into dark holes, and just generally trying to get into trouble seems to have evaporated. What I have learned about getting into cool places in Israel: be persistent/slightly pushy, embrace randomness, a few shekels always helps, always tell people "we are students and we came a long way for this and we will be very fast", choose adventurous companions, and of course keep the rules but, ya know. 

Hidden monastery

Her hair has a propensity to do this

I'd say my tomb count is almost over 456

This is cool because it was off the beaten path

I will be quick on a synopsis of stories and advice: thousands of people died and were buried in tombs in this region so there are plenty, but the ones on peoples private property are more prestigious to get into; when there is loud music playing it is always smart to go towards it even if its in Silwan/highly contested grounds of the original City of David; ask monks about cool places to go because they will lead you onto exclusive rooftops and down into ancient cisterns; if your sight of a monastery is limited then its most likely got cool stuff in it; if you see a German in Mea Shearim and the ultra-orthodox also noticed him, he might need your emotional support; if you are the first one in your group to go to the Dead Sea then you are right; Israelis do have a fun night life and you just have to talk to them to find out where to go to dance with Hebrew women (young and old); try to have local Arabic speakers (possibly dog whisperers) near you to save you when you take a short-cut and stray dogs realize you are a foreigner and want to bite you; realize that if a man is trying to sell you postcards and seems unnaturally close to you, well its because he is opening your jacket pocket; if you hang out with 3 or 4 brown recluse spiders then the rest of the day you are likely to feel paranoid that spiders are under your clothes; the kid selling $30 Nike look-a-likes on Friday wont budge on price but the kid two blocks away trying to sell a muzuzah for $90, will go down to $10; kids are less likely to throw rocks if you speak Arabic to them, but no guarantees; your gay friends would be pleasantly surprised how welcoming Tel Aviv is to them; and if you ask people in Israel for directions, they will always give you one even if it is completely bogus, its a hospitality thing.          

Don't wear a white shirt when you go in holes

In children s memorial at Yad Vashem depicts a class photo

On the right is depicted the submissive attitude of Jews and on the left the Zionist aggression

 Elias Kindelberg and Yad Vashem: We had the great honor to hear the first hand account of Holocaust survivor Elias Kindelberg. Elias is 96 years old and one of those peoples who fills a room with genuinity and happiness. He survived 9 camps including Auschwitz, was the only survivor in his family, and had near death experiences including hiking with a bag of potatoes for a few miles to a river where he was instructed to insert himself into the bag, only to be saved by American liberators (including the first blacks he'd ever seen). He said that what kept him going was his "desire to have a family of his own" and this quickly came to fruition when he met his wife in the refugee camp. 

Me, Elias, Tanner, and Ellie. Us three are graduated and just loving life

Yad Vashem (national Holocaust memorial) was a most humbling experience and the whole time I was struggling for some kind of justification as to why the Nazi's did what they did. I realized that answer is not possible, what they did has no explanation, it is nothing but a tragedy and my analytic mind trying to justify it was a disgrace to the victims and heroes.   

How I felt

One of the waterfalls at Ein Gedi

Oskar Schindlers grave

Absalom tomb. Kings Dale. Limited explanation

Pool of Siloam at foot of Hezekiah tunnels

The Shook (Jewish Market) with hala bread which is um heavenly

Prison from British Mandate period (1918-1948)

Tomb Theodor Herzl the father of Zionism 

At Dead Sea, unfortunately I don't have pictures of us in the water but it was an out of body experience

Ein Gedi was fun for waterfalls and stuff

My niece Annie wanted to see my room

They set us up quite well here, its comfortable

Legit Passover Seder. Not calendar wise but well-done

If you have an hour and patience I will read you this Hebrew