Yesterday one of our host mothers (the one who sang to me) invited the whole house over for a cooking lesson. It was such a feast! We learned to make berekas, corn shnitzel, apple pastries in the shape of flowers, a whole array of noodle dishes, and of course the famous Israeli dish shakshuka, with onions and tomatoes and eggs. We wore silly chef hats, and got to eat everything afterwards. It was so delicious. The host mother, Etty, played the song with my name, and we danced to it. Her parents made aliyah from Morocco, and her husband is Iranian. She speaks Hebrew, French, English, Arabic, and some Yiddish. They have a really beautiful love story, and are so proud of their children. They are warm and kind and loving. There was so much food that at one point Kevin commented that it was enough to feed an army. Etty responded that she actually used to do that- she used to volunteer as a cook for the Israeli army!
Beit She'an was only established as the city it is today in 1951. It is still quite a young town. Most of the population here can trace roots only a few generations back to Sephardic Jews who made aliyah from places like Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Russia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Italy, and Egypt. Israel is an immigrant nation, just like America. I learned a stat that made a big impression on me. Of the 13 million Jews in the world today, 5 million live in America, and another 5 million live in Israel. One in 5 Jews lives in the greater Tel Aviv area, and 1 in 5 lives in the greater New York area. What a thought.
Afterward lunch we went to the cemetery. Sun and wind and rain wear away the letters on gravestones, and upkeep is the responsibility of the family. If there is no family left to take care of the grave, it is a mitzvah for community members to pitch in. We brought paints and brushes and repainted the lettering to honor the gravestones. It was really relaxing, and I would like to try to do it a few times a month.
Some other highlights of the past few days: taking an Israeli zumba class, going on an early morning run to the Jordan border, and climbing the date tree in the backyard to pick dates for breakfast. I am constantly amazed by my life here. Tonight is erev Rosh Hashannah, and we are all going to share the next few meals with our host families. I am looking forward to it.
Beit She'an was only established as the city it is today in 1951. It is still quite a young town. Most of the population here can trace roots only a few generations back to Sephardic Jews who made aliyah from places like Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Russia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Italy, and Egypt. Israel is an immigrant nation, just like America. I learned a stat that made a big impression on me. Of the 13 million Jews in the world today, 5 million live in America, and another 5 million live in Israel. One in 5 Jews lives in the greater Tel Aviv area, and 1 in 5 lives in the greater New York area. What a thought.
Afterward lunch we went to the cemetery. Sun and wind and rain wear away the letters on gravestones, and upkeep is the responsibility of the family. If there is no family left to take care of the grave, it is a mitzvah for community members to pitch in. We brought paints and brushes and repainted the lettering to honor the gravestones. It was really relaxing, and I would like to try to do it a few times a month.
Some other highlights of the past few days: taking an Israeli zumba class, going on an early morning run to the Jordan border, and climbing the date tree in the backyard to pick dates for breakfast. I am constantly amazed by my life here. Tonight is erev Rosh Hashannah, and we are all going to share the next few meals with our host families. I am looking forward to it.
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