The Road to Jerusalem

Hello from the bus to Jerusalem! Today I am going the farthest I've been from Petah Tikva since I made Aliyah. I'm going to hang out with Nativ 33 today and tomorrow morning, and tomorrow afternoon and Shabbat I will be with the Muszkats-Barkans! I haven't seen them since the first time I visited Israel, about eleven years ago. It's going to be really amazing seeing them again and of course meeting the youngest, who was born after our trip.
Since my last post, I have completed all but one of my post-Aliyah tasks! I am insured, own a bus card, have a credit card with my bank, and (thanks to Shmuel) I have a SIM card that allows me to do more than just make phone calls. I don't know how long I will use it, since I'll be living so far away as of December. But I want to take this opportunity to once again thank Shmuel and Eliana for being so amazing and welcoming. Also, I have a meeting with Nefesh B'Nefesh career services next week so I will soon be a contributing member of Israeli society!

Word of the day:
סברה
Sabra
A kind of cactus. Very prickly and dangerous on the outside but the inside contains a delicious and sweet fruit.
This week I noticed some things, mostly yesterday. When I went to the health insurance office, I was just sitting there listening to music when a 65-ish woman tries to get my attention. After struggling a bit with Hebrew, I finally realized she was trying to give me her number in line. Apparently she had to leave and for some reason chose me to give her smaller number to me. In fact, the man sitting next to me was facilitating the conversation and I ended up giving him my number. Then, waiting for the bus, a woman couldn't get her stroller on and this thin lady who was at least 80 and a brace on her wrist tries to grab the end of the stroller to lift it onto the bus. The bus driver and the mother agreed to just pull the bus closer to the curb. But my point in all of this is that everyone warned me how cutthroat Israelis can be and the closer I look the more kindness I see. Yes, there was the man at the office who screamed at the office lady until the one who was helping me got up and got in a screaming match with him and all the people yelling at this bus driver because his scanner didn't pick up my rav kav (bus card) for some reason so it took FOREVER. There are all the people who push their way to the front of the line and have no sense of personal space. But you have to remember Jews as a whole and Israelis more specifically have gone through an awful lot.


Unlike at an American synagogue, the door was wide open and they actually mean that everyone is welcome.
(I can't caption from my phone so I will edit this later)

Life is not easy when you have a target on your back. Natural-born Israelis are the way they are for a reason. Here they are called "sabras" and it's not hard to tell why. You have to get past the rough exterior to get to the sweetness. But prior to my Aliyah, I thought it is only once you get to know a sabra they show their sweet side. I now know it's almost like an Israeli's kindness is an accident, but without a doubt it is not. See, when a lot of crap happens to an already community based group of people, they learn not only to toughen up but to help each other. Even people who do not know I made Aliyah (although it is more prevalent if they do) have shown me some of the greatest kindnesses. It's like I give off this innocent scent that all olim chadashim wear. "Help! I have no idea what I'm doing!" They sense an opportunity for some great karma and just pounce, and all I can do is look at them with my wide eyes and say "todah rabah" with all the vigor I have. I don't know if this is cheesy, but I feel like maybe the whole shaliach mitzvah thing worked. (I am planning on going through with my brother's mitzvah in Jerusalem, for reasons that I feel are cheesy but simultaneously can't help feel justified.)
Just going to interrupt for a minute and talk about the gorgeous landscape I am watching fly by. The sun is setting on my right over these rolling hills and we are so close to Jerusalem I can feel it. There is an enormous moon to my left, where there is a lot of rush hour traffic. When I look behind me, the last bits of orange and purple are on the horizon while dozens of towns are lit up in the valley. The only thing that would make this more beautiful (screaming children and all) is if my family was on this bus with me. I wish they could see everything I am seeing and experience the amazing feeling that is living in Israel. I mean, where else can you grab a Goldstar, buy a shawarma laffa, and take it all to sit down at an outdoor table with someone you've known for a week and have so much in common simply because you moved to the same country? (To be fair, we live in the same apartment, but you see my point.) I am so happy I had that 20 seconds of courage (granted, it had to occur multiple times to last me four months) and supportive people that allowed me to take this step.
Welcome to Jerusalem!


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