Getting Settled

Well, I've made it through my first full week in Jerusalem! While there have been a few bumps in the road (like losing my debit card!!), my transition to Israel has been smoother than I ever could have hoped. The picture to the left is the view from Hebrew University's main academic building - a great shot of Jerusalem's Old City. Historically, Mount Scopus (where the campus is located) has been a Jewish enclave surrounded by Arab villages. Today, the area is stomping grounds for a real cross section of Israeli society - even in the simplest of things can one see the diversity and integration of the area. Take the bus system, for instance. Though I have no plans to ride public transportation while I'm here, I walk by a dozen bus stops every day on my way to class and every morning I see two different kinds of public transportation pull up - one after the other. First, I might see a bus with green stripes painted on the side - this is Palestinian transportation. The second bus, usually with a red design, is Israeli. The contrast between Israeli and Palestinian riders becomes clear when one watches the patrons step aboard their respective buses. Before the buses arrive, however, when men and women are waiting together in the shade, it is sometimes impossible to tell which color bus anyone will head toward. This simple example is, in my opinion, indicative of the ethno-political tenor of Mount Scopus on the whole: a strong sense of integration on the hill itself coupled, paradoxically, with insurmountable religious, geographic and political divisions.



After getting to know Mount Scopus and Hebrew U.'s campus, a few friends and I got together for a short tour of the Old City's Jewish Quarter, which included a stop at the Western Wall (called in Israel: the Kotel). I can't express in words how truly beautiful the Old City is. When I left for Israel, I expected to arrive in a place that was completely foreign and unrecognizable to me as an American. Mount Scopus is not such a place; in fact, my friends and I jokingly call our dormitory area 'Little America'. The Old City, however, is as foreign, as enchanting and as spiritual as I ever could have imagined. One of my favorite moments from the visit was when the tour guide turned to me and said "That wall you're leaning on - that's a new one. It's only been here for a thousand years." The Kotel itself was smaller than I had envisioned, but as wonderful as I could have imagined. The men and women pray at separate areas of the Wall and all visitors are required to dress modestly (meaning shoulders covered, skirts below the knee). I spent a few minutes praying at the Kotel and I put a note for God into a tiny space between the bricks - the sheer spirituality of the place was tangible and incredibly powerful. I'm sure I'll be back to the Kotel again this semester, but I know I'll always remember how moved I was on my first visit.

The last few days have been relatively uneventful - I have Ulpan (Hebrew-intensive language seminars) about five hours a day. As long as the days seem, my ability to speak in Hebrew has improved by leaps and bounds in just the last few days. The immersion approach is, of course, the only way to truly learn a language, but I'm still surprised at how quickly I'm becoming adept at haggling with cab drivers in Hebrew about the cost of a trip to downtown Jerusalem. Today I did my grocery shopping at the Jewish shuk (market); the food is more fresh at the shuk (and more inexpensive!) than at any farmer's market I've been to in the United States. The loud, bustling atmosphere is an experience in itself and I can already tell that I'll look forward to my shopping adventures at the market every week! Below are a few pictures from the Jewish market:


Next week is more Ulpan and a trip to the Dead Sea! I'll post pictures as soon as I have them : )

B'Shalom,
Meagan