I finally made it to Israel! I have been going non-stop since 06:30 on Tuesday morning Chicago time, until now (13:30 Chicago time on Wednesday but 21:30 Jerusalem time). I met some of the people traveling from Chicago before the official group flight from Newark. I didn’t realize that there are so many different programs happening right now at the Rothberg School. Many girls I’ve met are in the dance program and are dance majors at their respective schools. There is also an art program, a Middle Eastern studies program, an honors program, a camp counselor program, and more (including the regular study abroad one which I am doing).
Even though there are people from all over the U.S. and who go to so many different colleges, we all manage to have at least one friend or person in common because of Jewish geography. I met some girls during the four hours when we were at the airport before the group flight that I seemed to click with and we are all living in separate places now but we are staying in touch. I also sat next to the nicest girl who goes to Tulane on the plane to Israel and I have been hanging out with her a lot as well.
Both flights were pretty uneventful. (I had an aisle seat both times and on the flight to Israel there was no one in the middle seat.) Right after we got off the plane in Tel Aviv, I got a notification on my phone from Ha’aretz that there had just been a terror attack in Tel Aviv but no one really cared. The bus ride from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was pretty quick and everyone was surprised at how hot it was outside.
When we got to campus, I realized that I was in a different building than most of the people I had become friends-ish with and I figured it was because I had requested kosher housing. Somehow, I ended up in a suite with four girls who are all modern orthodox and keep shomer Shabbos (even though I specifically did not request this). Two of the girls have been living in the apartment for the past semester alone and are from Spain and South Africa and are in the Mechina (preparatory program) so they are older. Apparently, they had a third roommate but she moved out after they fought because she used her phone on Saturdays (among other reasons). The other two girls go to Yeshiva University, went to a Jewish high school together, and have each lived in Israel for a least a year in the past already.
Tomorrow, I am going to talk to the head of housing about switching rooms for obvious reasons. I’m going with my friend who wanted to be in my building but isn’t so we are going to see if the two of us can just switch ourselves.
The rest of today happened as I thought it would and it was really nice meeting Danna. Tomorrow we luckily don’t start Ulpan until 12:30 which is good because I have many things to take of in the morning including housing, food shopping, and getting a gym membership. Ulpan ends at 16:00 and then some people are going on a Bedouin camping trip but I have elected to just stay here and settle in before Shabbat.
I am exhausted and trying to get on the right sleep schedule so I will check back in soon.
Even though there are people from all over the U.S. and who go to so many different colleges, we all manage to have at least one friend or person in common because of Jewish geography. I met some girls during the four hours when we were at the airport before the group flight that I seemed to click with and we are all living in separate places now but we are staying in touch. I also sat next to the nicest girl who goes to Tulane on the plane to Israel and I have been hanging out with her a lot as well.
Both flights were pretty uneventful. (I had an aisle seat both times and on the flight to Israel there was no one in the middle seat.) Right after we got off the plane in Tel Aviv, I got a notification on my phone from Ha’aretz that there had just been a terror attack in Tel Aviv but no one really cared. The bus ride from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was pretty quick and everyone was surprised at how hot it was outside.
When we got to campus, I realized that I was in a different building than most of the people I had become friends-ish with and I figured it was because I had requested kosher housing. Somehow, I ended up in a suite with four girls who are all modern orthodox and keep shomer Shabbos (even though I specifically did not request this). Two of the girls have been living in the apartment for the past semester alone and are from Spain and South Africa and are in the Mechina (preparatory program) so they are older. Apparently, they had a third roommate but she moved out after they fought because she used her phone on Saturdays (among other reasons). The other two girls go to Yeshiva University, went to a Jewish high school together, and have each lived in Israel for a least a year in the past already.
Tomorrow, I am going to talk to the head of housing about switching rooms for obvious reasons. I’m going with my friend who wanted to be in my building but isn’t so we are going to see if the two of us can just switch ourselves.
The rest of today happened as I thought it would and it was really nice meeting Danna. Tomorrow we luckily don’t start Ulpan until 12:30 which is good because I have many things to take of in the morning including housing, food shopping, and getting a gym membership. Ulpan ends at 16:00 and then some people are going on a Bedouin camping trip but I have elected to just stay here and settle in before Shabbat.
I am exhausted and trying to get on the right sleep schedule so I will check back in soon.
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