Day 16 - Setting Sail

Day 16 - Sunday 30 May 2010

"An emigrant's voyage aboard a tempest-tossed ship making its way slowly to a new world has been compared to the stormy and agitated period of adolescence, the long voyage from childhood to adulthood. The emigrants on board, having left behind the world they know, move toward a world of which they do not yet have a realistic picture. Far from the shore, they live in an unreal state, shared only with their shipboard companions. As the word shipmates denotes, these travel companions become a new family to the emigrant."

-an excerpt from הגירה

Had to visit the Misrad HaKilat today, for the final stage of all the Aliyah paperwork and bureaucratics and happened upon this picture hanging on the wall of the office I was in.

Needless to say, I forgot to take the photo of it! But luckily I had to walk around a bit and wait for another form to be brought to me, so I had to go see the same lady again, but I forgot to take the photo again! Then as I was walking to the exit, I remembered and quickly went back in, she laughed, seeing me for the third time, but once I explained why I had returned, I got the photo!

The quote above was hanging on the wall next to it and I feel it pretty much sums it up!

Apart from that, have had a great last 12 hours, finally having my first Felafel and Shwarma in Israel, both of which were incredible..

And in more lighter news, Betty who was sadly left in Melbourne now has a new sister Angel, והמבין יבון..

Keep smiling =)

Day 15 - Censored

**WARNING** Not for the view of Children! This is a Censored image!

Day 15 - Shabbat 29 May 2010

Another addition to the Jerusalem Graffiti series, my thoughts on this are twofold.

One, that the person who tagged this helpless electricity box merely cannot spell; or is actually playing a smart game with words and trying to continue the label of Israel being an apartheid state (as seen in Afrikaans with 'k' often replacing a 'c').

Two, that the title of this photo, Censorship, stands to prove that in Israel, although we are surrounded by the feeling of holiness, that age old saying rings true, 'nothing is sacred.'
View will be spread, and ideas will be propagated - censorship of foul language is something we can try to stop, but the irony I'm trying to show is that in our modern world of media warfare, how much is 'Big Brother' really watching and controlling nowadays?

Day 14 - Gooday!

Day 14 - Friday 28 May 2010

Just another little cute image from the expo yesterday. For those of you who are familiar with the standard pedestrian crossing sign around Israel, here was a cute little play on it.

Just think he's politely saying, "Shabbat Shalom!"

I hope it was an awesome Shabbat! =)

PS sorry for the late posts, I was unintentionally locked out of my account for the last few days and have been stockpiling, waiting and praying for it to open up, until today!

Day 13 - Rebirth

Day 13 - Thursday 27 May 2010

I spent the day today in Tel Aviv at the ועידת ישראל לאדריכלות ולעיצוב - Israel Conference for Architecture and Design. Apart from being able to view works from 70 of Israel's top architects, there were endless other things to do at this expo, and I ended up walking around and spending close to 6 hours there!

I listened to an interesting lecture on the current state of and future of Architectural design in Israel and spent some time looking beyond the architectural designs, and seeing some of the industry professionals and what they had to offer (comparing this to the form and function expor of Australia pretty much!)

But the photo above is one that just happened, I was on the balcony, getting some fresh air from the hussle and bussle inside, and I see this photo playing out in front of me. The old buildings of Tel Aviv, foreshadowing the building to the back of new life, the new skyscrapers of Tel Aviv, and topped off by none other that the mad traffic of any metropolitan city, and specifically Tel Aviv in the foreground.

Also, it was a day where there was a thick dust/sand cloud over the country. When I left the heights of Jerusalem early Thursday morning, it wasn't that bad. But in Tel Aviv, it was hard to see across an few streets ahead..I thought it was the volcanic ash cloud finally hitting..but not correct on that count!

Really, it was a fantastic day! =)

Day 12 - Strange Prayer-fellows

So pretty much all of today I've spent trying to re-do my folio for the architecture conference tomorrow..I've now given up and know I won't finish and will have to just walk around gathering emails and will send the firms my folio when I finish it on Friday! Pretty much a downer on my part, but hey, I tried! And I forgot the thrill of the last minute Archi Rush to finish, the only difference is that this time, the work is for me and I have no image of a crazy eyed Tutor who will kill me tomorrow if I don't finish!

So to today's photo! It happened first thing this morning actually..

Day 12 - Wednesday 26 May 2010

I wanted to wake up at 8am to go to prayers, to start the day early and get more time to work on the folio (because I knew I'd waste time so I wanted to maximise - wasting was done visiting the bank and lunch with Josh!) but you know me and wake ups, that snooze button just looked to good! So it got pressed..and I woke up at 8.44am..not such a biggie..but not getting out of bed until 9.10ish was!

I got ready and left the house, and got to the Shteiblach just after 9.15am - so I joined that minyan anyway, regardless that I was late. I was standing at the back, when a nice man came and signaled to me that there was a spare seat next to him, so I went over to sit. The guy on the other side kept kind of turning around and looking and then facing forward again, so I took no notice until just before Shma. Thinking I'd take a quick look and then get back to it I turned my head, and turns out it wasn't just anyone, it was a old friend from Eretz HaTzvi, Daniel! This got me smiling and kind of laughing..

Was nice to chat after-wards and catch up, me having made aliyah, him having been married! But that's why today's photo is of the Shteiblach, (not such an artistic one, just a quick shot of the inside of one of the prayer rooms) because had I have done everything that I wanted to do in the order I wanted to have done it today, I never would have seen DRob..that's real Hashgacha Pratit (Divine intervention) and another one of those things that makes me smile and realise, yeah, I'm living in Israel, the home of the Jewish religion..

Plus my bed arrived today! And I reshuffled the room so it looks all good now..I'll keep that pic for a spare one for a day when I forget for real!

Have a great day all and keep smiling =)

Day 11 - New Beginnings

Day 11 - Tuesday 25 May 2010

Today I attended a Red Carpet Aliyah ceremony run by the Jewish Agency. The idea being that as new Olim (people moving to Israel) there is A LOT of bureaucracy to deal with, which usually takes days on end and many hairs missing from the head!

This ceremony however brings together pretty much all the offices and information you'd need as a new Oleh and allows you to get it all done in less than 5 hours.

Surprisingly, I met 3 other Aussies there and a British Girl who were all attending the same ceremony; whereas I was told it would be me and 90 French Olim! (Regardless, all the booths had a French speaker on hand due to this.)

It felt really good to be surrounded by people who were all there celebrating the same thing (though I wasn't jetlagged after a week of settling in!) and on the even more plus side, the fact I have fluent Hebrew meant it was that bit easier to move around and get what I wanted!

I don't think I've wiped the smile off my face since..nor left the Teuadat Zehut out of my pocket - which I carry proudly (even dancing around at Tobi's wedding last night!). Knowing that I am now officially an Israeli, after years of waiting, years of feeling like I already am, years of determination, I can finally call myself an Israeli. =)

Day 10 - Freedom

Day 10 - Monday 24 May 2010

The definition of that Furniture franchise in Melbourne took a whole nother meaning for me today..

I woke up under the weather and whereas I though I was getting up to start a new day and go to the Shteiblach for morning prayers, I found myself back on my matress on the floor faster than I could think!

At about 3pm when I finally manged to get the strength to get off the floor, I was told by my roommates that someone was offering a free couch on one of the websites we check daily, trying to furnish our new apartment and all, and for some reason I had to call up about it!

Needless to say, we called up, and luckily the place was about 4 mins around the corner, so we walked over, checked it out, gave it a butt test (sit test) and said thanks we'll take it!

All those years of shlepping stuff for Bnei and helping Dad gave me the foresight as to how to maneuver it out of the house (and to Ep to for when we had to unpack the entire Shaliach house and pack it into one room), and the shlepp back to our place and up the stairs was fun to say the least! A good workout for someone who hadn't eaten all day and was probably dehydrated!

So pretty much the photo sums up my day - a glass on the table, because I had a liquid day of water, water, water, bourbon & coke, and water - and the couch, which now proudly sits in our living room!

And what's the best way to get over feeling sick? Keep Smiling! =)

Day 9 - Sporadic Tranquility

After a morning of waiting 3 hours for the landlady to come around, Robbie (our first guest) had the idea to go for the afternoon to the dead sea! Which we could do, just because we felt like it! We got our gear, jumped in the car and drove off.

Was fun to bypass Ma'aleh Adumim to see some of the cousins and pick up a box of stuff - I finally have towels!

The route to the dead sea is very beautiful - the mountain ranges and desert sand provide for some awesome landscapes and contrasts between hard, soft and vibrant nature. (Being able to pray the afternoon service at a random carpark was again one of those moments of realisation for me - that I am home in the Jewish homeland, when things like this aren't viewed as weird!) Although driving back at sunset allowed for some incredible images, my favourite is still the one below.

Day 9 - Sunday 23 May 2010

The undulating pattern of the sun shades, contrasted with the calm dead sea ahead and in the far back, the vast mountain ranges of Jordan, to me showed the true tranquility of this place.

Being run dry from draining all the minerals, the lowest part on earth is sadly said to be losing about 1m of water a year - which means that without dire measures taken into account, sadly this peaceful place where you can float away into your dreams may be lost.

Day 8 - Typical

Day 8 - Saturday 22 May 2010

For all who have ever been in Israel, and experienced the night life of Jerusalem (or Israel in general) this picture pretty much sums up a night out.

And what's a night out in Jerusalem without visiting the famed alleyway of Rivlin and that even more famous Zolly's pub..

In the words of a well known Aussie rap duo - "What a great night.."

Keep smiling =)

Day 7 - Mouthful

Day 7 - Friday 21 May 2010

Every Israeli has an opinion, this is known fact, They also like to express this opinion at all times..epitomising my first erev Shabbat in Israel was seeing this stencil, which when translated reads:
"G-D, we love Reform Jews."
Which is a play on the well known bumper sticker of "הקב"ה, אנחנו אוהבים אותך" - "G-D, we love you" Thought all the Netzer friends out there would like this!

I intend to do a nice series of the street art I can find around Israel, it is something that I find personally interesting and I hope will add to the entire project.

Shabbat Shalom and keep smiling.. =)

Day 6 - Method in the Madness

Day 6 - Thursday 20 May 2010

Today was spent as the first real day of collective shopping for the Bachelor Pad..
Starting with bartering for beds in Talpiyot, then shopping for basic necessities at Rami Levi (my how I've missed that!) and finally, going into town to investigate phone deals.

When I saw these two buskers, I had to laugh, because in all the crazy rushing we'd been experiencing over the day, there was a defined method within the madness - to find stuff we needed, that wasn't going to milk our pockets dry (which happened regardless..) and begin to furnish our new home.

The method here was to play music, to entertain the passers by on Ben Yehuda, collect some money and basically to enjoy what they love. The Israeli looking guy playing guitar isn't what I found amusing, it was the guy next to him, in a backwards baseball cap, sleeveless crew Tshirt and playing classical violin. The music was incredible, and they were very cheery - but to me it was the contrast that was evident that I enjoyed - the distinction between what could be deemed mad, as to what is clearly defined!

Day 5 - Ownership

Today was Shavuot, the day commemorating in the Jewish Calendar when were given the Torah, our holy book, over some 3000 years ago at the revelation at Sinai.

The night preceding this is spent delving into the depths of Torah and studying it, which being back in Israel was always going to be a highlight! A nice casual dinner dinner with old friends, then spending the evening with boys on Tafnit and visiting the old walls of Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi for learning was a real awesome way to celebrate.

The early hours of 3am saw the walk to the Kotel for the morning prayers service of Shacharit, and as much as I would have loved to have uploaded an image of that for today's picture, alas, I couldn't take photos! (There were some people there taking photos, and I thought for a second about asking them to email me one, but realised its just not cricket..) So what I do have is a picture of my room (or potential room - still working that out) in the state of moving in!

Day 5 - Wednesday May 19 2010

What I have been thinking about over the Chag though was ownership.

Ownership of the Torah, of the values of Judaism, of the power of the Jewish Nation. To celebrate Shavuot as my first chag as a real Israeli was something spectacular. It is one of the Shalosh regalim, when all the Jews would amass on Jerusalem to bring their first fruits to the temple; and still to this day, walking to the Kotel at 3/4am and seeing Jews come from all streets, roads, alleys, nooks and crevices of Jerusalem, all converging on the same one place is a phenomenal sight and something to be a part of. It is one of those things I have been looking forward to all these years and for me, a true sign of being home.

But through all the learning of Torah, and celebrating the chag, there was an added bit of celebration for me. Yesterday, before the Chag, I finalised my living arrangements with two friends and moved into the apartment. To be able to leave the Kotel at 7am this morning and say, "I'm going home now," pulling the keys out of pocket and thinking 'WOW! I own property in Jerusalem.'

Something that hundreds of thousands, millions of Jews for over 2000 years didn't have the merit to do, I am living. And I am loving it.

Shavuot 2010 תש"ע for me will always be symbolised by this feeling of coming home - to the country and to the nation of Bnei Yisrael - and of ownership; of being part of fulfilling the dream of the Jewish people for thousands of years and knowing I will be adding to the continuation of this fulfillment for the rest of my life and legacy.

Plus, keeping one day Chag is incredible - it's awesome to celebrate the day for it's day and now to relax!

Shavua Tov! =)

Day 4 - Erev Shavuot

So after visiting the good old building of Eretz HaTzvi - a nice trip down memory lane and the lanes of Katamonim - first Shoko Besakit as an Israeli and a good old packet of Doritos and a Sushi Rechavia lunch, I thought what better way to remember the day of Erev Shavuot, than to visit the Shuk, Machane Yehuda.

{I gave up on the notion of trying to amass all 7 of the 7 species - although I did go for a walk around the streets of Katamonim after visiting the Yeshiva because along Rashbag there are a whole lot of fruit trees in bloom - and saw all but 2 of them.}

Day 4 - Tuesday 18 May 2010

To me, the Shuk epitomises the Chag of Shavuot - fresh fruits and produce all around, hundreds, thousands of people running around for last minute purchases, and screaming merchants trying to get you to buy their food..Ah, Israel.

Chag Sameach!

Day 3 - Satisfaction

Day 3 - Monday May 17, 2010

First Day as a real Israeli!

And what better way to celebrate than a nice sleep in and a Burger's Bar lunch - something I've been craving for 2 and a half years!

Day 2 - Transition

Day 2 saw a 10 hour stop over in Bangkok Airport..rather fun, yay!

Some nice images but this is one of my favorites.

Day 2 - Sunday May 16, 2010

Just the mix of composite nature, technology and real nature of the sunrise..one of the first things I saw off the plane and really enjoyed it..

Enjoy

Day 1 - Aliyah

So, after being inspired by some other Project 360's - the concept by which you take one photo, every day, for a year - I thought it would be a good idea to do this for my first year of Aliyah.

I'll be uploading now 3 pictures, for day one, two and three (Day 1 being May 15 2010 and you can work out the following dates!

If i begin to slack off throughout the course of the year, please let me know about it! Also, this will be the place I plan to post updates, stories, and news that I find interesting - unless it becomes a lot and I'll start a separate one not to clog up this one!

Enjoy and Chag Sameach!Day 1 - Saturday May 15, 2010

Although non-artistic in the slightest (I will try to make as many as possible nice and artistic!) this is the only one with all their faces visible! Thanks guys.. =)