Cool guy of last week goes to: Tsitsit Man

It's a plane, it's Ted Kenedy, it's the Moshiach....it's just Tstsit Man. I passed this guy tying tstsit in the Old City and didn't think anything of it, until I came back four hours later and he was still there. His dress code is impeccable. 

Cool Guy of the Week: Kilt Man

Here Kilt Man looks like a normal inDnegev hardcore fan, but actually he may be the event planner for the entire festival. On the last night of inDnegev he was still wearing his kelt, and when all the staff members went to dance around on the stage, he was right there rocking his kilt and staff shirt. Just kilt man being kilt man.

InDnegev

4,000 hippies, one million cigarette buts, four million falafel balls, three stages, 70 performers, 20 staff members, three days of music, one dessert, one InDnegev. This was my experience at the InDNegev music festival last weekend. The festival was one of the most amazing, spiritual, and fun events that I have ever been apart of, and brought together many aspect of Israeli culture.

On Tuesday word got around Section 1, that a small alternative music festival was to take place in the desert, at a reasonable cost of 180 Shekel. Many of my friends love alternative music also known as “indie”, and were pumped to buy tickets. Our hopes were quickly dashed, when we went to the website to find that the tickets were completely sold out. Somehow we found a loophole in the Israeli ticket system, and soon enough all fifteen of us were packing our frame packs with pitot, hippie bandannas, tents, and cooking stoves.  

 We arrived in Ber Sheva on Thursday night, to find a mass of young Israeli’s (equipped with camping materials for three days) aggressively pushing their way towards a massive egged bus. We arrived at the festival site around dark, to find a sea of tents, and hippies everywhere. We set up camp, and quickly made the three-minute walk to the two main stages.

 I quickly noticed that InDnegev is a very low budget, organic, and independent music festival, which attracts a loyal fan base of enthusiastic Israelis. There were no commercial food stalls, logos, or trailers anywhere. Art of all forms were everywhere, with wildly painted tents, sculptures, and a few clowns doing tricks.

 The bands were almost all indie bands that no one had really heard of, but were nonetheless a lot of fun to listen to. At around one a.m., I made my way to the bonfire at the back of the camping area, and met a nice woman from Jerusalem named Shiri. Shiri spoke only Hebrew to me, and we had a nice conversation about her being Vegan, and how she currently is not in school.

 On Friday morning, we woke up to loud funk music being blasted from the massive speakers. Time to get up and start dancing. There were a few funk bands that were a lot of fun. It got very hot during the day, so in order to cool off the crowds, the festival implemented a drip sprinkler system to cool us off.

 My favorite performers of the day were four Chasidim, who played crazy rock music and rapped.

 In the midst of all these secular Israeli’s, three Chabad Rabbi’s were determined to have a successful Shabbas, and erected a massive tent with a torah and mashiach flags waving high. Only in Israel would Judaism be brought to a music festival in the middle of nowhere. We attended Shabbat services with thumping guitar solos in the background, which a very unique and strange experience.

 The headliner for the night was Mass Dubstep, who started their set at 3 AM, dropping some crazy electronic dance beats. All the Year Course guys took off our shirts and started a mosh pit, until the director of the festival pulled the plug at around 4am.

  The food at Indie was all local and pretty cheap. I had the most amazing Falafel, which was drenched in home made mango sauce that literally melted in my mouth.

 We spent the last few hours of the Festival dancing to the British-Israeli band Umlala. We were front row and knew all their lyrics. The last band of the night was called Funkenstein. These guys were the Israeli Earth Wind And Fire, and dressed in elves style suits and hippie spandex. The sun was setting over the desert, creating a scenic picture to end an amazing three days. I really didn’t want to leave, but there is always Boomamella, which is an even bigger music festival coming up in the spring in Eilat!

                                   Good morning InDnegev

                                                      We want Mashiach now!

The orange stuff was the mango sauce

                                  Anyone want to take a cigarette bath?

                           The Crowd

                                                              This woman was very pregnant

                          Some festival art

                                             Artsy tents

                                                              Shtar keeping it kosher

                                    This was a staff guy who was wearing a kilt

                                        Geting intimate with kilt guy!

This was the guitarist and singer for Electronic Zoo. This dude played, sang, acted, and even looked like Jimi Hendrix. Defenitly one of the best acts of the festival. He went crazy during his set, making weird faces and attempting stage splits.

Gap Yah

A really fun Klezmer band

Funkenstein getin funky!

             And the sun sets over Indnegev....

Back to the hummus

A few weeks ago I went to the most hyped Hummusaria in all of Jerusalem; Pinati’s. I first went to Pinati’s last summer with Josh Pankin, who took me to the original store on Yafo street. It is really a unique little place, with pictures of famous people eating Hummus all over the wall. Just like the many restaurants in Israel that were once small stores and are now large chains (ie Burgers Bar, Marzapan, New Deli, Holly Bagel), Pinati’s is apparently no longer a commodity. I went to the Pinatis in Talpiyot with my two friends Molly and Nathan. At Pinati’s you order a very simple hummus dish, with your choice of meat, shawarma, chikpeas, etc. on top all for only 20 sheck. They then bring you unlimited amounts of fresh warm pita! We spent a solid hour and a half, scooping hummus, talking loudly in English, and having a nice break fro our classes. Next place to discover will be the coveted Abu Gosh hummus!

                                                                                The Spread                           

The goods

                                                                      Deeyupin in

                                                                        Get in my belly

Gilad Shalit Returns Home!

 Gilad Shalit is finally home after six long years in captivity.

 I was able to see every stage of Gilad's release live. I was volunteering at an old age home in the morning, when I first saw the sixteen-year-old looking Gilad being escorted through Egypt. Every Israeli in the room was crying. The news kept switching between Gilad and the celebration of terrorists being released.

Here in Israel, there are many opinions on the deal. About 70% of Israelis support Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision, with 30% opposing it. Many Israeli’s have known someone or had a family member murdered in a terrorist attack, making the Shalit deal an emotional and heart wrenching time for them.

  I finally understood the reasoning behind the trade, when I heard Netanyahu deliver his speech. It was one of the best speeches I have ever heard. Bibi justified to the world and Israel why he personally chose to go through with the trade, and why it was so essential. He explained that if the trade had not happened, Gilad would have been lost forever. He promised to keep the terrorists under strict surveillance, and stated that if he or she returns to terrorism, “his blood Is upon his head”. Most importantly, he concluded with how important human life is, stating that Israel sanctifies life.

 Walking down Emek Refaim on the night of Gilad’s release, there were signs everywhere with "welcome home Gilad". There were also fireworks.

Gilad’s release comes with a heavy price, but it is clear that the country is okay with it. As Jews we value human life, and will do everything possible to save even one person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL8SwgnKVY8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uZslXHPTEg

http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/PMSpeaks/speechshalit181011.htm

Soulfarm dedicated their concert to Gilad

PM Netanyahu, Gilad Shalit, Noam Shalit

Bring Gilad Home!: Being part of history.

 Five years ago, Hamas terrorists attacked an Israeli tank with a rocket propelled grenade, killing two soldiers and injuring nineteen-year-old Gilad Shalit. Gilad was captured and taken to an unknown location in Gaza, where he has been living in captivity for 1,938 days.

 Since Gilad’s capture, Israeli’s and supporters abroad have lobbied for his return: rallying, protesting, and sitting with Gilad’s parents Noam and Aviva Shalit in the tent they have erected next to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house. Whether you’re a supporter of the past and present negotiations for Gilad, everyone is deeply concerned for Gilad’s safety and health, and wish to see him return home.

   On Tuesday October 11^th 2011, year course was receiving a presentation from current year course parent Marsha Gladstone, whose son Yoni was killed eleven years ago to the date in a bus bombing on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv. Her story was sad, but her strength and willingness to allow Yoni’s organs to be given to two Israeli’s and one Palestinian girl was moving.

 After the presentation had finished, every year courser remained motionless in our seats, our faces somber, unsure of how to transition into the exciting Sukkot break that awaited us.

  It was then that out our counselor Yehudit informed us that Prime Minister Benjamen Netanyahu was in the process of signing an agreement to bring home Gilad Shalit. She told as that the deal was not final, but that she was going to the Shalit tent in fifteen minutes to show support, if anyone wanted join her. We were in total shock. The attention in the room shifted from the tragic story of Yoni, to the tragic but  hopeful story of Gilad.

 When we arrived at the Shalit tent, there were already about fifty people swarming the tent, with several news stations interviewing the supporters. Dressed in our YJ shirts, we did what any youth movement would do; we joined arms and started singing “am yisroel chai” (Israel will live). Some supporters disagreed with our singing, because they felt there should be no celebration until Gilad is returned home. The Shalit family was also giving a press release at the time, so we eventually did stop.

  Although we maybe should have been slightly less celebratory with our singing, we were singing out of hope, unity, and our excitement for the long awaited return of one of Israel’s own. It was truly a bonding experience to be singing so closely with my fellow year coursers during such a historic and emotional time. We also got a lot of media attention that went viral, which showed the world how supportive we are of Israel.

  

On Tuesday Israel will release 450 evil terrorists, so one Jewish person can live. If Gilad does come home alive, it will be a miraculous and emotional time for everyone. 

Look for YJ kids...

http://www.subber.com/v.php?t=cb89e7fd570d7c1bdac274a4ede29443&tid=4714&l=1&s=0

  
Some excited young Zionists. 

                1,938 days and counting.

   and the Shalit family waits....

A beautiful poem written by Libbie Snyder who made Aliyah from Boston and is now living in Tel-
Aviv.

Gilad Is Coming Home

The absurdity

Absurdity in its absolute purest form

Of the ultimate trade

The ultimate measure of a Jewish life

The demands put upon us, expected upon us

Speak for themselves.

What is the value of a Jewish life?

How far are we willing to go, to stand by what we cherish?

The decision we have made today

The headlines we put into print that we never thought we’d see

Spell it out for us,

In black and white,

That at the end of the day

There is good and there is evil.

There is one Jewish life, and there are a thousand Palestinians.

There is no scale

To measure justice, because ultimately there is no justice –

There are just declarations

Of what we stand for, what matters to us, what we believe in

And at the end of the day

Those who want to kill, will kill

Whether it’s the thousand Palestinians we release today

Or a decade ago

Or a decade from now

They’re all the same

And the one thing we have proved today, if anything,

Is that there is only one Gilad Shalit.

We gave meaning to the saying

“If you save a Jewish life, it is as if you have saved the entire Jewish people.”

If there’s anything we have proved

In our 3,000-year-plus history

It’s that we will always beat our enemies, in the end

Anyone who chooses to rise against the Jewish people, in the end,

Meets their demise.

So to the thousand Palestinians being released today, I say to you:

You are irrelevant.

In your so-called victory, you equal one-thousandth of a Jew,

if that. No one knows your name, or will remember you.

Gilad Shalit,

Even if your freedom means I am now in one thousand times greater danger,

I have to accept that.

Because at the end of the day,

You would have done the same for me.

That is what it means to be Jewish.

Post Rosh Hashanah Report

 Wow, Rosh Hashanah was really an incredible experience. Spending the high holidays in Jerusalem is very unique, and is one of the reasons I chose to start my year here in Jeru.

 
My good friend Aaron Karas (who I have known since we were in dippers) spent the Rosh Hashanah with me. On the first night I went to dinner with my cousins. The food was great, and they had at least four fish heads on the table. They were all Israeli, and tried to convince me to make Aliyah. We shall see.

 Thursday was a day of exploration. Aaron, Joe Step, and I, decided that the best way to truly experience Jerusalem during Rosh Hashanah was to see as many synagogues as possible. Thus we went Shul hopping. In total, we went to nine shuls and one church. Here are a few of the shuls we went to, and what we thought of them. I will be using the Jewish American Princess (JAP) synagogue standard judging scale. 1 is J.A.P. Temple Emanuel status, and 5 is Mea Shariim watch out!

 Shir Chadasha: This shul off Emek Refaim was the first stop on our Shulka Hop. It has a reputation for having loud enthusiastic singing. Congregates are so obsessed with themselves that they recorded their very own album. The beema is placed in between the men and women’s section, which is very unique, progressive, and controversial. Despite it’s reputation, it was not a fun place to be for Rosh Hashana. It was very American and there were no seats. “I feel I’m at Temple Emanuel” said Joe Step.

Grade: 1.2-Modertly to Extremely JAPy and American

Sphardik Shul: We left Shir Chadasha and were walking down Emek Refaim, when we heard a powerful Shofar being sounded above. We soon realized that it was coming from a shul above a shop. We walked up a flight of stairs and entered a beautiful Sphardik Shul, which means the members were all from the Middle East. They blew the shofar during the middle of the Amidah (a very important silent prayer), which I had never seen before. Every few minutes the sound of the Shofar would cut through the solemn silence, bringing everyone back to reality. There was also a congregate who had Down syndrome, who at one point was called up to the bima to chant a prayer with the canter. 

Grade: 3-A genuine local Shul.

 The Great Synagogue: Walking up to the Great Synagogue, we were greeted by a man dressed in an all black suit, dark sunglasses, and a massive machine gun. To be honest we weren’t exactly sure if this Matrix looking security guard was going shoot us, karate chop us, frisk us, or just ask to put cell phones on silent. As we walked passed, the man nodded, and in a thick Israeli accent wished us a kind hearted “Shannah Tovah”. The Great synaguagoes slogan is “one people one synagogue. It seats 850 men and 505 women. It is massive. The cantor wore a funny hat that looked like it could be worn by a hot dog vendor. He was surrounded by a chorus of old men, who would randomly chime in with dramatic bravado harmonies. It was nice to sit back, and enjoy this show like service.

Grade: 2-Cool Shul with some Temple Emenual aspects.

Mea Shearim: A block away from Crack Square (one of the grossest bar scenes in Israel) is the ultra orthodox neighborhood known as Mea Shearim. The residents of Mea Sharim take everything in the Torah very literally, and prefer to isolate themselves from the secular world. At the entrance to the Mea Shearim neighborhood, a large sign warns visitors to dress modestly. Women who are not dressed modestly have been yelled at, and even had rotten vegetables thrown at them. This however, did not deter three secular boys wearing colorful button down shirts from exploring.

 The neighborhood itself was rather grimy, and the streets were right out of a Polish shtettle. I have never been stared at so much in my life. We made our way to the heart of the residential area, where we spotted a baby with a Strimel on, which is a large tradition wool hat. At the entrance to the strictly residential area, there was another sign. It stated again the rules of the neighborhood, and also added that this specific area was “not for tourists or groups.” Being that we are on Year Course and are not tourists, we went in. Inside the residential area there were signs that that read, “Jews are not Zionists”, and "Free Gaza”. There were also more Chasidim, who continued to glare at us. After growing tired of feeling like aliens on a foreign planet, we left.

Grade: 5.7 Mea Shariim watch out! 

 Aaron and I finished our Rosh Hashanah by playing a lot of basketball against Israelis, and eating dinners random kind host families. Overall, my Rosh Hashanah experience open my eyes to the wide variety of Jews living in Israel, and how they each observe the holiday. Out of the countries I’ve visited in my life, Israel is the most culturally diverse place I have ever seen.  

     Respek the dress code!

Cantor for the great Synagogue.......or the hot dog man?

 Just took this quick candid of Obama doing his thing at the Kotel the other day.