Happy New Year!

I'd like to dedicate this post to Beth Reinstein who reminded me to update this week. I love you girl, and miss you so much. I'd also like to wish a Mazal Tov to my Dad's cousin, Carol, who just got married. Mazal Tov Booger-cheeks!

This week my kvutsah was preparing for Rosh Hashana when we weren't sulking about the fact that we couldn't go see Paul McCartney preform in Tel Aviv on Thursday (ok, maybe I was the only one sulking). We ran a series of activities for everyone else that day and made them lunch as well. I can easily say that it was the best food I'd had since I left my aunt and uncle 2 weeks ago.

So my kvutsah just started Rosh Hashana break. So far it's been really chill and quiet. People have mostly just been taking anps and eating and not interacting much all day. We're mostly recovering from the fact that we've all not been sleeping very much. Also a lot of us have colds. I really didn't do anything all day. I did try to teach myself guitar, but I got so frustrated that I stopped after 4-5 hours. But I plan on starting up again soon.

We had really good group activities this week. We played a variation of "Family Feud" called "Kvutsah Feud". It was fun. My room did a musicale act this week as well.

I met my host family last friday. My host mom, Shlomit, is the daughter of two of the kibbutz founders and she knows a lot about the history of the kibbutz. She was also a shlicha for Hashomer Hatzair and worked in the same office as the mazkirut from when I was in Chalutzim. She even knew Bat-Ami, who was the shlicha at machaneh during my first 2 years there. My host dad, Alan, made aliyah in 1972 from South Africa, so the whole family is fluent in English. I only met two of their three kids, but they were both very nice. Daniel, 22, finished some sort of unit in the airforce and was home for the weekend. Their younger daughter, Yael, is my age and just passed her pilot's test. She goes to the airforce in January. They were having a sort-of celebration dinner for the two of them and they pressed me to stay. It was very nice of them and the food was very good, but it was very quiet. As the members of my household in Ann Arbor can tell you, I hate silence at the table.

Our house is slightly gross. But even when it's clean we still have a lot of flies...I hate flies. Other than that I love our house. I think I've said this before, but the whole kibbutz is really gorgeous. Here are some pictures that I took from outside my window. The first one is a neighboring Arab village who's Moazzin (I think that's what it's called) we can hear quite clearly. It's such a cool thing to hear.






Anyways, I have to go. It's Erev Rosh Hashana and I have to go find out where services are tomorrow.

Shana Tova to you all. I love and miss you dearly and may you have a sweet and healthy and happy new year!

All my Lovin'
-Phia

P.S. Mom/Dad- if you're reading this, will one of you remind me that I still have to e-mail the rabbis/ everyone else at shul who requested one from me? I keep forgetting

And then While I'm Away...

We've been on kibbutz for a week now, but it feels like I've been here for months! It's really great here. We started all of our classes and our jobs so I'll tell you about them in turn.

For Shiur (lessons) we learn about matters concerning Judaica. We're focusing on the Chaggim right now since they're coming up soon. Today we learned about the Temples (and their destruction). One of the kids in my group's dad reaserches this as a profession and he had a lot to contribute. In fact, his dad was one of the speakers in the video we were watching about it. I think the whole thing is really fascinating and the lessons have been taking a great turn. At first I was falling asleep during them because I already knew everything that they were teaching me. Now I'm falling asleep because I'm tired. But they're still fun to be in!

Hebrew lessons are twice a week for 4 hours a day. I'm in the advanced group with 5 other people. In fact all of us who are going to U of M next year are in the same class. So is Judy. I'm still not sure how I feel about Hebrew yet. I think I like it, but so far I haven't been feeling very challenged. Also there have been times where we'll have come out of class only to discover that the beginners learned pretty much the same thing we did. That's always a little upsetting. But I think I like it.

My Avodah (Job) is working in the Archeological Museum that they have here on Kibbutz. I work there once a week with another kid from my kvutsah from 9-12. There are a couple of Kibbutznicks that work with us as well. Last week we were cleaning out the Museum's storage closet which is in an old chicken coop. We found all sorts of fun things in there. In fact, a rather amusing thing happened as a result of our cleaning.

So we got back from cleaning at 12-ish. We felt completley fine and dandy all day. Then we started to play cards at 11-ish and we looked down and noticed that our arms we starting to form these small red dots that itched. We looked a little concerned but didn't think much about it and we went to sleep. We woke up the next morning to find that the dots had spread up our arms, to our legs and around our necks. They itched a lot. One of our program organizers took one look at us and sent us the the kibbutz doctor.
We got there and the doctor looked us over for 2 seconds and said "You have a rash". I was skeptical because they looked more like bug bites than a rash, but he gave us some cream and a couple of pills and told us to come back tomorrow. The pills helped but they didn't stop the rash from spreading.
We went back in the morning and the doctor said "oh you're getting better. Take more pills and don't come back". That was a little disturbing, but we did what he said and the rash went away.
While this whole epidemic was happening we found out that all the kibbutznicks that we were working with got the dots too, but theirs all went away in a day. Slightly frustrating.

Other than that we've been hanging out with each other and the Brits. We arrange activities for each other that are usually pretty fun. My kvutsah is in the middle of planning a really cool Rosh Hashana for everyone else. We went to the Kibbutz's kabbalat shabbat service where they dedicated a prayer to us. That same night, we went to the kibbutz's club, which they had opened especially for us. Kind of a contrast, but it was fun and it really made us feel welcome. We also got host families. My host mom actually went on Year Course (the Young Judea year program) with a friend of my mom's (my old boss). So that's cool.

My kvuts-mates play guitar and love playing Beatles so we have jam sessions...they're my favorite thing ever! Also I was walking around our house the other day and I thought I heard the Loreleis' "Lollipop" and I walked into the room and my friend's roommates were using to his iPod and listening to our CD!!! They didn't know what it was and they were like "this is so good.." then they played "Julio" and my friend came in and goes, "Hey Phia, it's your song!" and his roomates were like "that's YOU?? this is YOUR group?!" Good moment. My room is probably the most musical room. We have a guitar player, a guitar player/singer and a singer. We sing each other lullabies.

I just watched the Godfather for the first time, during my down time. Now all the SNL sketches with John Belushi as Vito Corleone are so much funnier. So is the movie "Mafia!".

I'm a little upset that I won't be with my family on Rosh Hashana. And that I won't be able to see Paul McCartney when he coems to Tel Aviv. And the food here is absolutley terrible. Also I miss everyone. But other than that, I'm having a really really great time and I love it a lot.

All My Lovin'
-Phia

You Say Goodbye...and I say Hello

SO I realize it has been more than a week, like I said, but I have my excuses I promise...

My departure from Detroit was tearful and painful. It helped a little to be on the plane next to Judy on our way to JFK. We pretty much hung out at JFK all freaking day once we got there. Everyone else arrived at around 8 ish and we left. I'm not really going to go into this too much, because I hate all things to do with flying. To make a long story short, the flight was pretty good compared to other flights I've had.

We spent the first week at a youth hostel on the coast of the Kinneret called "Karei Desheh". It was pretty beautiful. It was great reconnecting with everyone and hanging out. We woke up at 8-ish everyday, and discussed ideology all day long. It's more fun than it sounds I promise. We split into the groups we're going to be living in and I love my group SO much.

We moved to Kibbutz after a week and had a two-day seminar about it. We met our British kvutsah and they're pretty cool.

I went to go visit my aunt, uncle and cousin in Tel Aviv this past weekend. It was a lot of fun and even though I love the kids I'm living with, it was nice to get out for a while.

It's wierd because despite the fact that I've been doing things non-stop since I got here, it hasn't really been that eventful. I guess that's kind-of a let down after two weeks of waiting, but don't worry, things'll pick up.

I just want you all to know that I'm fine and I'm having the most amazing time...it's so wonderful. But I miss all of you so SO much as well.

That's all for know, I promise next entry will be more exciting.

All My Lovin'
-Phia