Back in the Holy Land

The massive beehive carcass of the Tachanah Merkazit is nearly empty save for dance club stragglers (yes, there are dance clubs in the bowels of the central bus station) and a few bakery shops just opening, the aroma of burekas reaching my nostrils. After trudging up to the 7th floor where the Egged buses depart and checking to make sure I know where my bus leaves from, I return to the 6th floor to down an espresso and gobble up a few tapuach adamah (potato, or literally "apple of the earth") burekas, small flaky pastry squares filled with a savory mush - sometimes I get spinach or cheese. I'm hoping the espresso will jolt my nerves awake. I have a nearly 3-hour bus ride to Nazrat/Nassri (Nazareth).

Am I crazy, a half Jew/half Christian white girl going to live in an Arab town? I don't think so, but the average Israeli Jew might react as if I were going to the South Bronx back in the days of New York's crack epidemic.

I've been to Nazareth before. As most people know, it's the place where Jesus supposedly grew up, and from what I've seen so far, it looks like a regular town to me; both Christian and Muslim Arabs live there (I'm not sure of the exact breakdown in terms of percentage).

I got back to the Holy Land a few days ago, and I'm planning to volunteer with a nonprofit that focuses on journalism. ان شاء الله everything goes well, meaning that my time there is interesting, productive, and includes making new friends. When I first came to Israel 8 months ago, one of my goals was to meet Israelis from all walks of life. I have yet to make friends with an Orthodox (Haredi) Jew or very conservative Muslim, but I think that would be very interesting.

I had a chance to catch up with some friends that live in Tel Aviv, including a friend who made Aliyah a few months ago (we studied Arabic together in the same program in the spring). I think she is very brave; her family is very far away, but she seems happy. ;-) She loves living in Tel Aviv and has started her Ulpan (Hebrew language) courses.

I don't think I could ever make Aliyah until Israel became a true democracy with "American" values. That might sound arrogant of me, and I put "American" in quotation marks because "American" values also exist in other countries/belief systems. When I say "American" values, I mean principles like freedom of speech, equal protection under the law, the right to privacy, the right to not be searched or have your belongings seized unlawfully, and separation of church and state. The Israeli government promotes some of those values to some extent, and maybe it's naive of me to think Israel could ever have full freedom of speech or separation of church and state due to its political circumstances, lack of regional security, and the heavy influence of religion here. However, as a progressive Jew with parents who came of age during the start of America's civil rights movement, I hold out hope that Israel can still become a place that Theodor Herzl envisioned in the original Zionist Manifesto (I admit I haven't read the document in its entirety, but I've been told by my history professors from the course I took in the spring that Herzl envisioned an Israel where minorities would have equal rights).

I'll admit I didn't just return to Israel to study Arabic; I have friends here now, and I also like certain social attitudes towards living. People here are less materialistic than in the States, family and friends seem more tight knit, and I can't complain that it ever gets too cold (don't worry Mom, I'm still not making Aliyah! Lol)

I'll admit I have become slightly more "religious" since coming to Israel, but in the sense of having more faith that things will work out, and not being as stressed by uncertainty as I might be in the States. People here live more in the moment and don't plan as far in advance as Americans do. Maybe it's because they live in a "slower" Mediterranean culture where time is more "circular," or perhaps it's because Israel is surrounded by countries that don't recognize it and which it must defend itself against; if there's a possibility of war or bombs falling and you might lose your loved ones anytime, maybe it makes people live more in the moment.

However, I have never felt unsafe in Israel. Maybe I'm naive, or maybe just lucky not to have been directly affected by violent conflict, but I often feel safer here than in some parts of New York.

One thing I don't think I'll get rid of is my American politeness, which Israelis often see as unnecessary. I was staying with a good friend in Tel Aviv over the past few days, and one of her roommates remarked in a somewhat disconcerted way, "Why are you so polite? I'm not used to it!" Lol.

I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to Israeli bluntness (Americans might call it "rudeness") but hey, at least I know what Israelis are talking about. They don't beat around the bush. If something is "metsuyan" (wonderful), it's metsuyan, and if it's bullsh*t, there's no problem understanding that.

I'm just now at the bus stop in Ranana where 8 months ago, I met my friend who made Aliyah for the first time, and together we traveled to Kibbutz Barkai. Now this stop is a familiar pause along the 823 Egged bus line, engraved in my brain like the number 7 subway line back home.

I can't promise I'll write as much as I used to; I'm not yet sure how busy I'll be or what my Internet access will be like, but I'm glad to be back in the Holy Land, the birthplace of modern monotheism.

B'ezrat HaShma/الحمد الله ;-)