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The Rorhbeng School<br />
Fo k Oveuseas<br />
Hebnew Univensny, Scopus<br />
Goldscvirh Budding<br />
JemsaLea0, IsmeL
THE ROTHBERG<br />
Editor -in-Chief:<br />
Assistant Editor:<br />
Graphics & Layout:<br />
Layout:<br />
Naomi F. Zuckerman<br />
Judah J. Gould<br />
Deborah Zuckerman<br />
Stacie Sulak<br />
Rebecca Weidner<br />
Gabrielle Nathanson<br />
Nicole Perlman<br />
Daliah Bar-Dayan<br />
Special thanks to those who contributed articles an d pictures!<br />
This yearbook is a product of the<br />
students of the Roth berg School<br />
For Overseas Students<br />
Produced By Gefen Publishing House Ltd.
Editor's Note<br />
2 can honestly say that 2<br />
have (earned more in this<br />
one year aBroad than any<br />
single year at home.<br />
Through tu/ufim, classes,<br />
volunteering, seminars, and<br />
travel to fa r away<br />
countries, 2 have<br />
accomplished more in one<br />
year than most people do in<br />
a lifetime. A nd so have<br />
we a ll<br />
2 have developed a very<br />
strong attachment to this<br />
country, stronger than any<br />
teen tour or trip zvith the<br />
fam ily. A fter 2 decided to<br />
spend my year in Israel,<br />
many people asked me why<br />
2 wasn’t going to 'England<br />
instead "Israel is hot and<br />
it’s so dangerous. Qo to<br />
England, it’s Europe!<br />
\you’ve Been to Israel Before."<br />
So what’s so special<br />
aBout Israeli I ’m sure<br />
that 2 don’t have to ted<br />
you. 1The people, the culture,<br />
the history, and the<br />
language a ll make (Enetz<br />
yisraefdistinctive.<br />
So now it’s time to leave<br />
and I ’ve Been thinking<br />
aBout this a lot. 1Workmg<br />
on the yearBook has forced<br />
me to consider this earlier<br />
than most. Unfortunately,<br />
contemplating this issue for<br />
such a long time has not<br />
helped me to come up zvith<br />
any more answers than<br />
you. (Returning to the<br />
States is going to Be a Big<br />
deal, proBaBly a Bigger deal<br />
than 2 can imagine right<br />
now.<br />
'Whether we (ike it or<br />
not, we have all changed,<br />
most fo r the Better. I ’m<br />
not talking aBout little<br />
things (ike teaming to cook^<br />
spaghetti or how to sew a<br />
Button on a pair o f<br />
shorts. *We thinfjG ffereitt-<br />
(y; we are pr06a6Cy slightly<br />
more aggresive; and we reaCize<br />
that it's not what<br />
you tqww, But who you<br />
know. In spite o f a tt o f<br />
our complaining aBout Israe<br />
l and it’s society, we have<br />
assimilated A t (east to the<br />
point where we are differertt<br />
from those we (eft at<br />
home.<br />
(However, the friends that<br />
were made during this year<br />
are some o f the Best I ’ve<br />
ever had and 2 plan on<br />
peeping it that way. *1he<br />
time that we spent together<br />
was Both remarkaBle and<br />
tmique. 2 w ill treasure<br />
that time forever.<br />
Haomi J. Zuckerman<br />
Editor-in-Chief
A Letter From Jerusalem<br />
Zachary Thacher<br />
This is it, our one year of study<br />
in Israel is over, bringing to us new<br />
paths to choose from as we are<br />
deposited back onto American soil,<br />
ready or not. What the first<br />
moment of Israel meant to our<br />
group of eight hundred students<br />
from North America (and<br />
elsewhere) is varied and diverse.<br />
As we travelled from Beh-Gurlon<br />
airport to Jerusalem on our first<br />
day, some of us awaited the<br />
seasonal roar of Jerusalem tourism<br />
and Ben Yehuda nights with<br />
anticipation. Others of us had no<br />
conception or vision of what was to<br />
follow, of what this new world of<br />
ancient history and dynamic<br />
idealism would tell us. The<br />
confusion and disorientation of our<br />
summer in Givat Ram prefaced the<br />
often difficult experience of Israeli<br />
bureaucracy, street attitudes, and<br />
the foreignness of Hebrew - even if<br />
we had studied it in our respective<br />
homelands.<br />
Israeli society was not laid down<br />
at our feet for us to carefully<br />
and gently pick and choose from.<br />
Rather, we had to push our<br />
borders of savlanut and learn<br />
how to dance with words, create<br />
spontaneous sign language and<br />
resort to our native tongue in order<br />
to Integrate in Israel. Hopefully, we<br />
have grown individually to at least<br />
become familiar with Israel and her<br />
geography of culture, shared<br />
religion and language.<br />
I was thrust into a strange new<br />
world at once immediately familiar<br />
and foreign this past July. Now,<br />
nine months later, I have an<br />
inspiring, albeit fundamental, grasp<br />
of Hebrew, an honest and beautiful<br />
collection of new friends and a<br />
passion for Israel that will last for<br />
the rest of my life. This has not<br />
only been a year of study, friendmaking<br />
and night-clubbing, but a<br />
fantastic opening of the soul and<br />
mind to the modern era of Judaism<br />
in our homeland.<br />
Israel is not easy, nor is it<br />
antagonizing. She feels like a<br />
warm welcome to a home of close<br />
friends of the family - all very<br />
friendly and accepting but in<br />
slightly unfamiliar surroundings.<br />
The map of this land has<br />
written itself into our collective<br />
e x p e rien c e, m em ory and<br />
travelogues: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem,<br />
Eilat, Haifa, the Golan, the Negev -<br />
they will be our secret artifacts as<br />
we roam America.<br />
There are those of us who will<br />
return for A liyah while others will<br />
live as Americans and Jews,<br />
choosing a different path but a no<br />
less noble one. Yet this year, our<br />
Holy City has been made relevant,<br />
real, and immediate; its chaotic,<br />
bloody and holy aura will stay with<br />
us and teach us for many years to<br />
come. We have acted out the return<br />
from the Diaspora, we have gone<br />
through the motion of A liya and<br />
adjustment, and now we must<br />
learn to keep the dusty winds of<br />
the Negev, the prayer calls and<br />
black hats of Jerusalem, and the<br />
modern pace of high-rise Tel Aviv in<br />
our hearts, minds, and eyes for the<br />
future.<br />
This year had been tremendous,<br />
both frustrating and fun, and I<br />
cherish it as I cherish my new<br />
friendships and cultural education.<br />
Shalom and todah to everyone, I<br />
am changed.
The Nation<br />
5<br />
Helen Han<br />
Losing<br />
I am two continents and three<br />
countries.<br />
Not always by free will<br />
have I moved from place to place.<br />
First I was dropped<br />
as a baby from the maternal<br />
month<br />
in the middle of North America.<br />
And for nineteen years<br />
I stayed.<br />
I stayed in a place<br />
where everybody tries to speak the<br />
same language.<br />
Adolescent tongue<br />
learned to form words<br />
about the common pool<br />
where people drop their pebbles<br />
and feel the weight of rocks,<br />
breakthrough.<br />
Korean was my first language<br />
and that country my first land.<br />
Before possession had a chance,<br />
the distance between there<br />
and here<br />
became like stone.<br />
Second language came easynow<br />
words,<br />
millions of letters in tandem<br />
pedal about me;<br />
my mind is a pole for these<br />
particles<br />
that tug with fervent energy.<br />
English has become a tool<br />
for navigation.<br />
In Jerusalem,<br />
English is my possesion.<br />
They walk the university pathsmy<br />
others.<br />
We sometimes bow our heads<br />
and always address each other<br />
formally.<br />
They remind me of a land<br />
that shows on my face.<br />
When I open my mouth<br />
words betray me<br />
as gyop-oh.<br />
I wonder what I have lost.
Life In Jeru salem<br />
Rachael Smith<br />
A rock hit the bus<br />
we look out<br />
and see nothing<br />
familiar<br />
then return to<br />
dally<br />
life.<br />
K<br />
Lost and Found<br />
Sari Uretsky<br />
In Jerusalem I lost<br />
my smile<br />
my friends<br />
my family<br />
my life<br />
my love<br />
my strength<br />
myBelf<br />
In Jerusalem I found<br />
my smile<br />
new friends<br />
a family<br />
a different life<br />
my love<br />
a new strength<br />
myself
Nation<br />
Soldiers<br />
Rachael Smith<br />
They carry their guns everywhere.<br />
Those boys, those children.<br />
Younger than me yet able to kill.<br />
Many are smaller than me,<br />
sometimes even seeming smaller<br />
than their guns. And they walk<br />
around like any teenager laughing<br />
and drinking and picking up girls<br />
with only their M16's bumping<br />
against their rear to remind them<br />
they’re Israeli.
The Nation<br />
9
The Nation<br />
Changing<br />
Rachael Smith<br />
I found a love for Israel<br />
but lost the illusion of the life.<br />
I found an abstract ideaof<br />
red-dashed borders,<br />
of precedents,<br />
rights, ideascloser<br />
to me, than any abstraction<br />
before.<br />
But I found this Zionist idea,<br />
anywhere, found here־to be<br />
carried back<br />
not to stay.<br />
Here I found<br />
honking and rallies<br />
wild bus routes<br />
undecipherable phone bills.<br />
I found confusion,<br />
that increases the more I learn,<br />
the more I know.<br />
I found a city, a country<br />
and in that I lost the idea.<br />
The idea of the country<br />
which I’ll only get back,<br />
when I leave.<br />
H a tik v a h<br />
Sari Uretsky<br />
Once swamps and deserts<br />
useless and barren.<br />
I now drink the milk<br />
I taste the honey.<br />
But I see the broken backs<br />
that made her give birth.<br />
Those who gave their lives<br />
to make the deserts green<br />
and the swamps fertile.<br />
The children who fought and<br />
became soldiers in the night.<br />
The children who fight<br />
and are soldiers in the night.<br />
Any and every Jew, wished to come<br />
welcome in the land of hope.<br />
To share in the simcha of<br />
the Brit of Israel.
The Nation
Tourists<br />
Yehuda Amichai<br />
Visits of condolence is all we get<br />
from them.<br />
They squat at the Holocaust<br />
Memorial,<br />
They put on grave faces at the<br />
Wailing WaU<br />
And they laugh behind heavy<br />
curtains<br />
In their hotels.<br />
They have their pictures taken<br />
Together with our famous dead<br />
At Rachel's Tomb and Herzl's Tomb<br />
And on the top of Ammunition Ml.<br />
They weep over our sweet boyB<br />
And lust over our tough girls<br />
And hang up their underwear<br />
To dry quickly<br />
In cool, blue bathrooms.<br />
Once I sat on the steps by a gate<br />
at David's Tower, I placed my two<br />
heavy baskets at my side. A group<br />
of tourists was standing around<br />
their guide and I became their<br />
target marker. *You see that man<br />
with the baskets? Just right of his<br />
head there'8 an arch from the<br />
Roman period. Just right of his<br />
head.* *But he's moving, he’8<br />
moving!' I said to myself:<br />
redemption will come only if their<br />
guide tells them, *You see that arch<br />
from the Roman period? It’s not<br />
Important: but next to it, left and<br />
down a bit, there sits a man who's<br />
bought fruit and vegetables for his<br />
family."<br />
Translated by Glenda Abramson &<br />
Tudor Parfltt
Summer Fun<br />
The Truth About Givat Scum<br />
Rebecca Weidner<br />
13<br />
For most of us who lived through<br />
it, the month and a half spent at<br />
Givat Ram is now just a faint<br />
memory. After long contemplation,<br />
I’ve decided that this temporary<br />
senility is due to a cranial defense<br />
mechanism to protect us from<br />
memories better left forgotten.<br />
Mention the words 'Givat Ram "to<br />
any person who spent some time<br />
living there, and the automatic response<br />
is a hysterical scream.<br />
What could elicit such a reaction?<br />
What made Givalt Ram 80 abhorrent?<br />
Decide for yourself. The following<br />
is an unbiased, factual account<br />
of life at The Elef Dorms:<br />
After making our way to the<br />
front of the dorm assignment line,<br />
our names were written in pencil,<br />
in an apparently random slot, and<br />
we were handed a key. On this key<br />
were written three numbers, such<br />
as 2-9-9, almost like a prison cell.<br />
The first number referred to the<br />
level of your building, the second to<br />
the specific building, and the third<br />
to your room number in that building.<br />
What a fascinating system.<br />
The rooms consisted of two beds, a<br />
very own family of ants. The bottom<br />
of our doors were slotted for<br />
acoustical reasons; these open<br />
ings allowed all of the noise from<br />
the hallway to slip into our room<br />
and be amplified for all to enjoy.<br />
At the end of each cell block were<br />
the bathrooms. The showers were<br />
shared among the members of the<br />
building as well as strange men<br />
who would "accidentally' wander<br />
into the stall, and a little brown<br />
dog who enjoyed drinking the soapy<br />
water out of the drain.<br />
Directly across from the showers<br />
was a room with a sink, a stove,<br />
and big silver refrigerators. Some<br />
call this a kitchen. We called it<br />
something unprintable in the yearbook.<br />
But it was hard to tell exactly<br />
what it was because it was usually<br />
overrun by cats. This really<br />
was not that unusual considering<br />
cats ran Givat Slum . After a few<br />
minutes of negotiating (i.e. stamping<br />
your feet, screaming, throwing<br />
things) the rabid beasts would normally<br />
allow you a little time to<br />
cook dinner. However, they were<br />
never very far away, usually sit<br />
their next attackFor those students<br />
fortunate enough to receive refrigerators,<br />
there was the pleasant surprise<br />
when they opened the door<br />
and found that none of their food<br />
was stolen. Actually, this was only<br />
pleasant for some, for having mango<br />
juice stolen was a better option<br />
than finding ants using the juice as<br />
a swimming pool (the refrigerators<br />
weren’t quite cold enough to diecourage<br />
the ants.)<br />
And then there was Summer<br />
Ulpan - talk about repressed memories.<br />
The best thing that can be<br />
said about those nine long weeks is<br />
that they are OVERI<br />
I cannot end this brief documentary<br />
of Givat Nam life without, at<br />
least, adding some of the perks of<br />
living there. First, it made us espedaily<br />
enjoy the weekend trips that<br />
conveniently allowed us to escape<br />
the hell of Shikunei Ha'Kelev<br />
(translation: Dorms of the Dog).<br />
Second, it Instilled in us a greater<br />
appreciation for our later dorms at<br />
Resnick and Idelson. Finally, and<br />
most important, friendships were<br />
created that will last a lifetime.
Summer Fun<br />
i f<br />
T h e 28H<br />
Nicole Perlman<br />
Beep-Beepl Beep-Beep! Beep-Beepl<br />
My alarm brings in another day of<br />
Ulpan.<br />
Oh Nol No campus shuttles?<br />
A city bus? -Oh, the 28H .<br />
Beep-Beepl Beep-Beepl Beep-Beepl<br />
Oh my - 1 must have missed my<br />
alarm!<br />
I can’t be late - where's the 28H?<br />
O.K., savlanut - here it comes<br />
Oh No -H afsakah Already? C’mon<br />
let's got<br />
Waitl Rega! Come backl I need<br />
to get to Ulpan!<br />
Beep-Beepl Beep-Beepl Beep-Beepl<br />
Should I go to Ulpan even though I<br />
have a headache?<br />
I guess 80 - 1 can only miss three<br />
days.<br />
I forgot to do my homework last<br />
night - Oh well!<br />
I can do it on the 28H!<br />
Beep-Beepl Beep-Beepl Beep-Beepl<br />
Wow am I early today. I've got a<br />
seatl<br />
I guess I’ll get breakfast at school -<br />
maybe finish my homework<br />
Oh my! Is this guy really going to<br />
stand with his arm above my nose<br />
the entire way?<br />
I feel dizzy on the 28H!<br />
Beep-Beepl Beep-Beepl Beep-Beepl<br />
Wait, why are you pushing me<br />
over?<br />
I know all of you guys.<br />
Oh, you are assimilating.<br />
You’ve got to be aggressive on the<br />
28H!<br />
TAXI! 11
Summer Fun
Summer Fun !9<br />
ירו של״ט<br />
A<br />
ND
S flags
Local News<br />
21<br />
A m erican G h e tto<br />
Rachael Smith<br />
Circles of barbed wire line the fence<br />
cars parked along it<br />
passes needed to enter<br />
two guards stand by the gate.<br />
Inside Americans live with<br />
Americans<br />
in small rooms with a phone,<br />
a sink, a fridge.<br />
Cooking pancakes and stir fry<br />
on the edge of the Middle East.<br />
Billy Joel, Spin Doctors, Phish, Abba<br />
shout from the windows<br />
giving tempo to the jackhammers<br />
below.<br />
The English chatter, the Hebrew<br />
babble<br />
never meet.<br />
And the cats run wild. Through<br />
the American Ghetto where<br />
Americans meet Americans<br />
drink with them<br />
study Hebrew with them<br />
in the heart of Jerusalem.
Resnik Laundry<br />
Sari Uretsky<br />
We were exhausted and famished,<br />
When we got home from the hike.<br />
Our muscles were stiff and sore,<br />
Our butts bruised from the bike.<br />
I noticed It Immediately,<br />
My room reeked from the smell.<br />
It was unbearable, the stench,<br />
Of my clothes dragged through<br />
hell.<br />
I had no time to restl<br />
So I threw it all In a bag.<br />
As I plugged my nose,<br />
And tried hard not to gag.<br />
As I gave my wash in,<br />
I let a big sigh out.<br />
Leaving building three,<br />
My mind full of doubt.<br />
I spent my time worried,<br />
My thoughts far away.<br />
Until my laundry was ready,<br />
At the end of the day.<br />
There were spots on my shirts,<br />
That weren’t there before.<br />
But not one sock was missing,<br />
And I smiled once more.
Local News<br />
23<br />
Zack Bodner<br />
Guatemala Ain't So Bad<br />
To many, we're just "those second<br />
semester students that have to<br />
take the bus every day." In fact,<br />
we are the proud few who commute<br />
from Kiryat HaYovel forty-five minutes<br />
- just to sit through another<br />
day of Hebrew. We’re a tight-nit<br />
group that can be seen barbecuing<br />
late at night in the dorm rooms,<br />
drinking and eating together over<br />
large communal Shabbat dinners,<br />
and keeping In touch via "telephone<br />
lines" between buildings, which are<br />
actually strings with bells on the<br />
end.<br />
Hebrew U plopped us in a location<br />
that most people think "stinks" due<br />
to the distance from Scopus. But,<br />
in fact, we have our own little<br />
square, complete with restaurants,<br />
falafel stands, a laundromat, a<br />
Supersol, a barber, a coffee shop, a<br />
liquor store, a convenience market,<br />
and a grassy park right in the<br />
middle. We are only a five minute<br />
bus ride away from the Canion (rumored<br />
to be the largest shopping<br />
mall in the Middle East), and five<br />
minutes from Teddy Kollek Stadium<br />
- where B etar Yerushalayim<br />
plays every other Saturday. We<br />
are also a two hundred yard walk<br />
away from the monster slide park,<br />
complete with basketball courts, a<br />
miniature golf course, and the Jerusalem<br />
Zoo. In fact, those first<br />
semester students and the few<br />
weasels who migrated from Guatemala<br />
to Resnlk, all agree that if<br />
Mt. Scopus could be moved to<br />
Kiryat HaYovel, It would be in the<br />
perfect location. But, as all of us<br />
know, never-never-land Isn’t just a<br />
step through the looking glass, so<br />
you calculate for yourself what<br />
time we wake up for 8:15 Hebrew<br />
on Thursdays.<br />
It’s under these circumstances<br />
and with uncanny chemistry that<br />
permitted the second semester kids<br />
to jell so closely and become such<br />
good friends. Some people laugh<br />
mockingly at the large groups from<br />
the Yovel when they’re seen trying<br />
to pull five or six tables together at<br />
Glasnost on Tuesday nights. Outsiders<br />
point at us, proclaiming<br />
,Freshman Syndrome" all over<br />
again. Even those of us who came<br />
only In January expected the biggroup-thing<br />
to dissolve within several<br />
weeks; but we were pleasantly<br />
surprised to see that the weekends<br />
to Dahab had nearly half of Bus<br />
#444 filled with Hebrew U<br />
students.<br />
Our nights, like our weekends,<br />
involve a little extra patience and<br />
planning to coordinate the large<br />
numbers of participants, but it’s<br />
always easier to find a group of<br />
people to share a cab back to the<br />
city of Jubilee. And once we’re<br />
home, it's not uncommon for a halfdozen<br />
people or more to crawl Into<br />
a single bedroom and lounge lazily<br />
around a tobacco filled houka till<br />
the early hours of the morning.<br />
It's easy to wake up in our neighbors’<br />
room to the jingle of a homemade<br />
telephone line in order to<br />
make It to class in time the next<br />
day.<br />
None of the Guatemala students<br />
resent living there - anymore.<br />
We’ve come together and bonded<br />
over our apparent unfortunate<br />
situation. And like the rest of the<br />
OYP students at Hebrew University,<br />
we’ll miss each other when we<br />
leave in June. But well keep In<br />
touch next year through that modern<br />
technological miracle that no<br />
one is a stranger to: e-mail.
Zane Waldman<br />
A Sim ple Tribute To<br />
Frank S in a tra ’s Cafeteria<br />
As we reflect on our experiences<br />
in Israel for many of us here on<br />
the One Tear Program, several of<br />
these reflections will involve food.<br />
Special d in n e rs, fav o rite<br />
restaurants, new tastes of the<br />
Middle Bast and the search for<br />
familiar tastes of home. With this<br />
thought In mind, the yearbook<br />
would be incomplete without a nod<br />
of recognition to the food and the<br />
place that was the staff of support<br />
for many of us this year.<br />
I speak of course about the Frank<br />
Sinatra Cafeteria. Please<br />
understand, I do not intend to<br />
criticize or offer commentary. I<br />
write only to say a heartfelt thanks<br />
to the wonderful people that staff<br />
the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria. Sure,<br />
Frank himself isn’t actually there.<br />
But one taste of the succulent<br />
s c h n itz e l will make any<br />
complaints disappear. Whatever<br />
troubles one may have, a happy<br />
greeting of *Schnitzel! M a'od?'<br />
will make the world seem like a<br />
beautiful place again.<br />
As the various constellations<br />
color our view of the sky, 80 does<br />
our time at Frank’s affect our time<br />
in Israel. One is warned before<br />
departing for Israel of the<br />
inevitable schnitzel overload one<br />
will experience. But I shall take a<br />
stand here and say to the future<br />
generations of students: There is no<br />
such thing as too much schnitzel<br />
at Frank Sinatra’s. Having taken<br />
refuge in Frank’s cafeteria at least<br />
once a day since we first visited<br />
the Mount Scopus campus, I know<br />
that I owe many things to Frank<br />
and the people that make it<br />
possible.<br />
I know that no matter what<br />
occurs in the country, in the world,<br />
that there will always be a warm,<br />
healthy, tasty meal waiting for me.<br />
Where else in Israel could you find<br />
such an oasis from one's troubles,<br />
with golden schnitzel and stellar<br />
vegetables. Upon reflection, I am<br />
proud to say that I am what I eat,<br />
and Frank Sinatra's schnitzel<br />
m eal m ay co n trib u te to<br />
approximately 15% of my flesh. I<br />
have no regrets, only that I must<br />
now depart.<br />
I experience now the strange<br />
sensation of both longing to return<br />
home, and yet dreading leaving the<br />
new home I have discovered. Here,<br />
In one of the most spiritual cities<br />
of the world, many people discover<br />
new levels of spirituality. They<br />
experience revelations or personal<br />
re disco very. For me, my Mount<br />
Moriah was at Frank Sinatra’s and<br />
I know that I am not alone. Bach<br />
day I am forced to relive the<br />
greatest paradox of faith: to have<br />
before me the perfect meal, only to<br />
destroy it by my 01m hand. Martin<br />
Buber stated In I and fliou:<br />
,Without IT man cannot live. But<br />
he who lives with IT alone is not a<br />
man.’(p.34) Frank Sinatra's<br />
support and wonderful food have<br />
both inspired and enabled us to<br />
enter into relation with the eternal<br />
Thou. For that, I am eternally<br />
grateful.<br />
As In Herman Hesse’s Journey to<br />
the Bast. I foolishly thought that,<br />
*It was my destiny to join In a<br />
great ezperlence.'(p.l) As my<br />
Journey comes to its end, I realize<br />
that Frank granted to me my<br />
perceived destiny and gave me, in<br />
the simplest and most fulfilling<br />
terms, the Impetus to continue the<br />
most Important of searches.<br />
Frank Sinatra’s schnitzel and<br />
spirit will haunt me upon my<br />
homeward Journey and for a long<br />
time afterwards. Like Satan cast<br />
from the realm of the Lord, I<br />
regretfully take my leave of the<br />
Frank Sinatra cafeteria.<br />
On behalf of all the students on<br />
the One Tear Program, I say,<br />
Thank Tou' and T o d a h rabah,’<br />
with all seriousness and well<br />
wishes. May you continue to be<br />
there for all students, from all<br />
places and roots, for a long time to<br />
come.
Local News<br />
25<br />
E-Mail<br />
Greg Diamond<br />
You wake up in the morning, it<br />
consumes your thoughts. As you<br />
move throughout the day, you plan<br />
for it in your daily calendar. It<br />
becomes an obsession in your life.<br />
You are addicted to E-MAIL.<br />
By far, E-mail is the most sought<br />
after, time consuming activity for<br />
students in the <strong>Rothberg</strong> School.<br />
When I first bought my account, I<br />
felt that I blew $100 to be able to<br />
keep in contact with a single friend.<br />
Fortunately, I was wrong. I think<br />
that I write to at least fifteen<br />
people back at home. It is great to<br />
use it, but I think everyone would<br />
agree that it's a pain in the butt.<br />
There are lines; the computers in<br />
Goldsmith never work; we are all<br />
under constant threat-from Israeli<br />
computer science students-when<br />
we use it during the day; and<br />
sometimes the entire system<br />
breaks down.<br />
But it doesn’t matter, because<br />
there is always the thought in the<br />
back of our minds telling us that<br />
there are messages waiting for us<br />
from home. Not only that,<br />
strangers from all parts of the<br />
world can forward you funny tidbits<br />
of information: from sorority<br />
jokes to travel tips; from shallow<br />
thoughts to *Deep Thoughts1 by<br />
Jack Handy. Although it hardly<br />
ever works, the ,talk* function can<br />
split the screen in two and you can<br />
talk to a friend, simultaneously,<br />
halfway around the world. Of<br />
course, it is usually 3:30 a.m. when<br />
you finally make contact with your<br />
loved ones, 80 they are not in the<br />
most responsive of moods.<br />
I love every minute of my<br />
experience here in Israel, but when<br />
I look back on my time here, I Trill<br />
remember where my addiction to e-<br />
mail began. Won't you?
Local News<br />
The One Tear Program:<br />
Mata** Tennis A Christian’s Perspective<br />
I'm socially handicapped, and it<br />
has nothing to do with the slight<br />
kink in my nose. Tou see, I never<br />
went to Camp Ramah. I therefore<br />
did not have the prior knowledge of<br />
twenty percent of the people on the<br />
One Year Program. And when<br />
homesickness would come tapping<br />
on my window shade, I had no aunt<br />
in Haifa to provide me with a<br />
home-cooked meal. In addition, I<br />
never learned Hebrew in Synagogue<br />
as a kid, 80 it was in a blue and<br />
white Israeli airline jet, somewhere<br />
over the Mediterranean, that I was<br />
told Hebrew is read from right to<br />
left. Even if I did have an aunt in<br />
Haifa, I would have been too busy<br />
wrestling with my Aleph class to go<br />
and see her. By now you’ve<br />
guessed that I count myself among<br />
the Goyim.<br />
Having never been to Israel, I was<br />
caught off guard by the whole notion<br />
of Shabbat. I had heard that<br />
Jerusalem "shuts down" on Saturdays,<br />
but holy moly! And this<br />
wasn’t the only Biblically-inspired<br />
policy of this town that I wasn't<br />
ready for. The idea of not eating<br />
my milk and meat together has<br />
been difficult for me to stomach<br />
and I can guarantee that corn pizza<br />
will never find its way onto my<br />
pepperoni-pleasured palate.<br />
Fortunately, my fellow OYPers<br />
were sympathetic to my situation.<br />
Most of them being American Jews,<br />
they themselves knew what it was<br />
like to be in the minority. They<br />
were happy to humor me when<br />
they were invited to my Shabbat<br />
dinner at Givat Ram. And when I<br />
blew out the candles by accident,<br />
they were as forgiving as disconeerted<br />
Jews can be. My adaptation<br />
process wasn’t too brutal.<br />
But generally,people seemed con -<br />
vinced that my being In a m inority<br />
religious group, coupled with the<br />
absence of Christmas, would cause<br />
me to get the ‘minority perspective".<br />
Of course, Christmas was a<br />
time when I missed my family and<br />
friends more than usual, but at no<br />
time this year did I ever feel alienated<br />
because I was Christian and<br />
everyone else was Jewish. I surely<br />
would have been to a greater extent<br />
had I been Immersed in Israeli<br />
society. However, being im m ersed<br />
In OYP society, I feel that in most<br />
wayB, I simply left one secular<br />
group of people and joined another<br />
when I came to Hebrew University.<br />
But on the other hand, I have a<br />
deep respect for scripture and the<br />
Tattach is an essential element of<br />
my spirituality. This being the<br />
case with a precious few of my<br />
acquaintances back home, I felt a<br />
special connection with a few peopie<br />
on our program. At home, I<br />
have very little common ground<br />
with the ‘Christian majority," and<br />
it has been a mutual belief and respect<br />
for scripture that has made<br />
me feel close to some Jews here. It<br />
is a closeness that I'd rarely felt in<br />
the United States.<br />
My experience as a Christian in<br />
the Jewish homeland was different<br />
from what people seem to think it<br />
would have been. Truthfully, the<br />
fact that this was 'my turn to be<br />
the minority," did not open my eyes<br />
to anything new concerning Jewish<br />
life in North America, that I couldn’t<br />
have learned by simply talking<br />
to them. Thanks to the tolerance<br />
and acceptance of the students on<br />
our program, I've had an incredible<br />
experience. I made wonderful<br />
friends and developed a special<br />
attachment to the land of Israel.<br />
27
Local News<br />
29<br />
Sagl Feldman<br />
The F inancial Blues<br />
The last time I sat down to write<br />
a piece to be published, I expressed<br />
my heart-felt admiration for Frank<br />
Sinatra’s. Since then, however, I<br />
have been struck by a phenomenon<br />
which took control of the majority<br />
of the student body - low cash flow.<br />
The good old days when I was able<br />
to afford feasting at Frank<br />
Sinatra's or any other wellestablished<br />
restaurant where the<br />
chairs are not nailed to the floor<br />
are over.<br />
When I Initially arrived at the<br />
G ivat Scum campus, life seemed<br />
easy and unruffled due to cash<br />
which was still at the students’<br />
dispense. I can still remember<br />
talking to friends and telling them<br />
that I was on my way to the bank<br />
to withdraw money. How I miss<br />
those days when the phrase<br />
"withdraw money from the bank"<br />
seemed feasible. People went out to<br />
numerous clubs every night,<br />
travelled around Israel, and many<br />
even travelled abroad. To many of<br />
us, these activities are now a<br />
luxury Instead of a way of life.<br />
It all started very Innocently with<br />
the *borrowing' of salt and pepper<br />
shakers from various restaurants.<br />
Yes, I’m talking about what the<br />
students refer to as *living the<br />
economical life of a student<br />
abroad,’ when In actuality it is<br />
called ,being cheap, stingy,<br />
pathetic, and in some cases even<br />
unlawful." Although these actions<br />
seem pointless to those who are<br />
financially secure, and can afford<br />
to buy the normal ,over 18" bus<br />
pass Instead of shaving on an<br />
hourly basis In order to pass as<br />
youth ־ to many of us this way of<br />
living is not an option. I, for one,<br />
have adapted to this new<br />
challenging situation, and have<br />
developed some means to survive<br />
and have fun at the same time.<br />
Now that the year Is almost over,<br />
I can look back at people's<br />
desperate attempts to save moneyand<br />
laugh. For example, unlike at<br />
the beginning of the year, students<br />
no longer leave the dorms to drink<br />
In pubs, and discos. Instead, Club<br />
111/2 is flooded with students who<br />
drink cheap, watered-down beer<br />
while watching old episodes of the<br />
Simpsons, Seinfeld, or the ,all new*<br />
1990 MTV countdown which<br />
Includes songs In Chinese (luckily<br />
the words to the songs appear on<br />
the bottom of the screen so that<br />
everyone can sing along - however,<br />
they too are in Chinese).<br />
Furthermore, the bus stop at the<br />
top of Hen Yehuda street 18 filled<br />
with students by the time midnight<br />
comes around so they will not have<br />
to spend an extra 2 NIS and take a<br />
cab Instead of the last bus.<br />
Although this way of living sounds<br />
pitiful, it can be fun If it Is looked<br />
upon in a positive manner. The<br />
educational and inexpensive<br />
M.A.S.A. seminars which were<br />
offered periodically throughout the<br />
year represented an opportunity for<br />
the students to get away for the<br />
weekend, stay in a comfortable<br />
hotel, eat constantly, "borrow"<br />
useful items, and perhaps even<br />
learn something between eating,<br />
watching T.V., and swimming<br />
outside.<br />
For those students who remained<br />
ethical, and had not yet been<br />
morally corrupted by their financial<br />
strains, Pizza Hut offered an ,all<br />
you can eat" deal on SundayB and<br />
Mondays. On these nights herds of<br />
students trekked to the Canion and<br />
stuffed themselves to the point<br />
w here b re a th in g becam e<br />
challenging. This ritual became<br />
more than just another dinner In<br />
the eyes of some students, but a<br />
challenge too. Bets for who could<br />
eat the greatest number of pizza<br />
slices became common in the<br />
struggle to find the true Pizza<br />
King. Upon the completion of the<br />
feast, the students swiftly headed<br />
to the nearest bathroom in order to<br />
stock up on soft, free toilet paper<br />
which is a necessity after a night<br />
at Pizza Hut. For what goes in,<br />
must eventually come out.<br />
Shuk M achane Yehuda was<br />
yet another place where students<br />
could find cheap food, good laughs,<br />
and most Importantly - good<br />
falafel. It was the Shuk that<br />
students visited to avoid the<br />
overpriced supermarkets, and learn<br />
the art of advertisement - sweaty<br />
men screaming at the top of their<br />
lungs for people to come to their<br />
stands. The real problem for me<br />
began when I attempted to store<br />
and eventually cook the food which<br />
I bought. Not to say that there<br />
was insufficient space to store my<br />
food in the 60cm by 50cm fridge<br />
which was shared by four people,<br />
or that the stove was not great<br />
just because Its gas flow was<br />
inconsistent, thereby burning my<br />
arm-hair to a crisp every time I lit<br />
it. It must be said that, in general,<br />
the students from abroad did not<br />
master the art of cooking. Due to<br />
the lack of cooking talent, most<br />
students on the O.Y.P. survived on<br />
pasta. Even though I had enjoyed<br />
eating spaghetti for the first<br />
several months, I have now<br />
developed an allergy to the food.<br />
The first time that I became<br />
aware of the sad reality that I was<br />
unable to feast at Frank Sinatra’s,<br />
I decided I would change my<br />
lifestyle. I still miss Frank's, and<br />
often write sad poetry about the<br />
crispy shnitzel- ,roses are red,<br />
violets are blue, I miss the<br />
shnitzel, what else can I do.1<br />
However, I am learning to cope<br />
with my new situation. So, if you<br />
find yourself stealing towels from<br />
the Hyatt, having wet dreams over<br />
food, or not being able to look at<br />
anything attractive without<br />
thinking of how it would look on<br />
your desk, do not fear. Many of us<br />
are experiencing the same<br />
emotions, and are singing the<br />
financial blues.<br />
,Money, mo' money ־ I ain’t with<br />
being broke. Got to get my hands<br />
on some.1<br />
-I Ain't With Being Broke,<br />
THE GETO BOYS
Local News
Local News 31
Local News<br />
Zen and the Art of Illegal Communication<br />
Or: How to Keep in Touch W ith Your Loved Ones<br />
33<br />
Robert Eden Astroff<br />
Judah Jonathan Gould<br />
"These are the days of miracle and<br />
wonder. This 18 the long distance<br />
call."<br />
-Boy In the Bubble<br />
Paul Simon, GRACELAND<br />
Being away from home for eleven<br />
months posed a significant dilem ma<br />
for the Overseas Student who<br />
desperately wanted to keep in<br />
touch with friends and family back<br />
home. Yet, such urges often<br />
resulted In Ingenious and often<br />
criminal means of circumventing<br />
this hardship. To quote Bob Dylan,<br />
from the classic track *Tweeter and<br />
the Monkey Man," (Travelling<br />
W ilbury's, Volume One): "In<br />
Jersey [Israel] everything is legal<br />
as long as you don’t get caught."<br />
An anonymous One Year Program<br />
student - let’s call him Wayne<br />
Zwaldman - took this challenge to<br />
heart. The following is his<br />
pathetic, but successful, attempt to<br />
beat the Israeli system. When the<br />
black clouds of the strike ominously<br />
approached our lofty institution for<br />
higher learning - The <strong>Rothberg</strong><br />
School for Overseas Students - most<br />
pupils were concerned with the<br />
transferability of credits and their<br />
admissions to graduate schools. To<br />
Wayne, however, this was the<br />
furthest thing from his mind. He<br />
was obsessed with far more<br />
pressing issues, such as<br />
accessibility to electronic mail, In<br />
order to keep tabs on his lonely<br />
and virile girlfriend back home in<br />
North York.<br />
One fateful night, Wayne decided<br />
that it was time for action. But<br />
since his girlfriend was ten<br />
thousand miles away, his "action"<br />
had to be re-directed - to gaining<br />
access to the closed-by-strike e-mail<br />
communications center. By any<br />
means necessary. In light of the<br />
current political situation, the<br />
security on the campus was<br />
Increased threefold: now there were<br />
THREE dour Russian night<br />
watchmen who were prepared for<br />
any breach in security.<br />
These highly trained, and levelheaded<br />
- yet, overwhelmingly<br />
underpaid - guards, however,<br />
proved no obstacle to Wayne and<br />
his deviant behavior.<br />
An anonymous, but well-placed<br />
source, tells us that Mr. Zwaldman<br />
was seen scaling a 15-foot<br />
Jerusalem Stone wall on the main<br />
campus. Moving like a ninja on<br />
amphetamines, he was also dressed<br />
in basic black. Wayne, who had<br />
previously seen far too many<br />
Steven Segal movies (not to<br />
mention "Jaws" flicks), was off Into<br />
the night, e-maillng to his heart's<br />
content. Although he Is currently<br />
out of the country, Wayne has been<br />
charged in absentia by the Israeli<br />
Defence Forces for breaking and<br />
entering into a government facility.<br />
If extradited back to Israel, Wayne<br />
faces ten years of hard labor in the<br />
"textile" factory at Dimona.<br />
Yet this was not an isolated<br />
criminal act; felonies occurred over<br />
the phone lines, as well. Another<br />
unnamed Overseas Student - we’ll<br />
go by Karen Sephardl - came up<br />
with a "brilliant and foolproof idea.<br />
She found the only two phones in<br />
Israel that accepted payment by<br />
credit card, out by the Soweto<br />
Reggae Pub in Tel Aviv. Karen, In<br />
dire need to contact numerous<br />
"loved ones" back at home,<br />
concocted a deceitful scheme; why<br />
pay for a long distance telephone<br />
call when you can cheat Bezeq (the<br />
Israeli phone monopoly). A very<br />
reliable source close to the<br />
defendant heard her comment:<br />
"Hey! Instead of using a credit<br />
card, why don't 1 use my father's<br />
bank card in Worth America. It’s<br />
Impossible to trace electronically!"<br />
Unfortunately, after several<br />
months of ignorance and bliss,<br />
Karen received a filming call from<br />
her father (who DIRECTLY dialed<br />
from his residence) assuming his<br />
bank card had been stolen off her.<br />
Our attornies have obtained secret<br />
bank drafts which angrily state<br />
that Mr. Sephardi is in debt by<br />
eight hundred dollars. His<br />
offspring, besides being grounded<br />
for life, owes Daddy-0 eight o-notes.<br />
To pay for her foolishness, upon her<br />
return from Israel Karen will have<br />
to sweep the floors at her local<br />
bank all summer.<br />
There are many other heinous<br />
transgressions among overseas<br />
students. Tet they are not the only<br />
criminally-minded. Another sinner<br />
is the ex-convict who worked in the<br />
old fax office - a distant relative to<br />
the Frank Sinatra cashier, to be<br />
sure. As an Overseas Student<br />
entered, seeking to retrieve his/her<br />
month-old fax, the worker's<br />
pleasant demeanor suddenly<br />
changed to the vindictive<br />
personality of an ISSTA travel<br />
agent. The ,fax woman,' as she<br />
was snldely called, took obscene<br />
pleasure in closing the fax office 15<br />
minutes prior to its actual closing<br />
time, as well as charging nineteen<br />
American dollars for each faxed<br />
page (plus the cover page).<br />
Moreover, she permitted any<br />
student to peruse through all the<br />
private and personal faxes of other<br />
forlorn recipients.<br />
These situations were just a<br />
microcosm of the iniquities that<br />
persisted among the student body<br />
of the Overseas Program. Yet, it<br />
must be mentioned that the evils of<br />
Wayne, Karen and the "fax woman"<br />
pale in comparison to the scam<br />
perpetrated by the administration<br />
Itself. In December, the <strong>Rothberg</strong><br />
School organized a "visitation tour"<br />
for the parents of Overseas<br />
Students. The price was<br />
outrageously exorbitant, forcing<br />
many parents to take out a second<br />
mortgage on their house, or<br />
withdraw their children from<br />
university and sell them to slavery.<br />
How much longer will these profane<br />
crimes occur? This is a question<br />
that a child might ask, but not a<br />
childish question.<br />
[This has been a Crime Stoppers<br />
report].
Holidays<br />
Thanksgiving in<br />
Jerusalem<br />
Rachael Smith<br />
The classes continue<br />
The buses run<br />
The shops are open<br />
No one knows It’s a holiday.<br />
Tu-Bishvar
ו<br />
ם<br />
רז<br />
ע<br />
y<br />
מ<br />
א<br />
ו<br />
ת
Holidays
Stacie Sulak<br />
Vacations<br />
World News<br />
39<br />
I<br />
Ulpan’s over and we have three<br />
weeks off. What should we do?<br />
Turkey, Greece. . . . Where should<br />
we go for winter break? Kenya,<br />
Eastern Europe, home. . . .<br />
Pesach? Egypt, Jordan. . . .<br />
Shavuot? Summer? The time is<br />
ripe, the destinations accessible -<br />
Let's Go!<br />
The plane leaves at six a.m. and<br />
we have to get to the airport by<br />
three a.m.!l Where’s my ticket? I<br />
have sixty francs to get rid of; I'll<br />
have twenty Snickers bars and two<br />
magazines please. Two words: Duty<br />
Free. Three days on this ferry: no<br />
showers, no food, and I can't see<br />
travelling with these people for the<br />
next three weeks. No, you look to<br />
the right before crossing the street<br />
(as the giant Mack truck screeches<br />
to a haltlll) Four thousand drachmas<br />
divided by...what's the exchange<br />
rate? Man, it’s only $300<br />
to fly to Europe, an opportunity I<br />
simply can’t pass up. Okay, should<br />
I eat at McDonald's and skimp on<br />
real food, or forget the hostel and<br />
bag it in the park?<br />
Extended breaks in the academic<br />
year made it possible to plan a<br />
year-long itinerary to travel the<br />
world. After eight strenuous weeks<br />
of intensive Ulpan, many students<br />
journeyed to Greece and Turkey to<br />
prolong their summer tans. The<br />
picturesque Greek villages and<br />
beaches, the Acropolis, Dolmabahce<br />
Palace in Istanbul and the threeday<br />
ferry ride were some of the<br />
most memorable experiences.<br />
Travel through Europe attracted<br />
students during each vacation period.<br />
By winter break and Pesach<br />
vacations, parents yearned to see<br />
their little sweethearts. If a family<br />
trip to Israel wasn’t feasible, many<br />
students were forced to make the<br />
dreaded trip home. Others were<br />
fortunate enough to escape their<br />
parents and see such exotic places<br />
as Europe and Africa. Kenya was<br />
a popular choice for warm weather<br />
and thrills. Students remarked<br />
that the culture and people were<br />
incredible to observe, along with<br />
the animals spotted on some daylong<br />
safaris.<br />
Finally, a weekend excursion to<br />
Jordan, Egypt, and the Sinai<br />
offered convenience and a peek of<br />
the Middle East outside of Israel.<br />
Worries about safety deterred<br />
many, but the more daring enjoyed<br />
experiences that Trill give them<br />
great memories and photo albums.<br />
Next stop on the world tour:<br />
home.
Malina Saval<br />
My parents and I fought about<br />
packing for a week. On the floor of<br />
my room lay three huge black bodysize<br />
bags. Beside them lay heaping<br />
piles of socks and underwear, t-<br />
shirts and shorts, jeans and sweat<br />
ers, skirts and dresses. Broken up<br />
pairs of sneakers, sandles and hiking<br />
boots were scattered around. A<br />
box of newly bought books from<br />
Barnes and Noble, a tennis racket,<br />
an old-fashioned flannel sleeping<br />
bag Impractical for backpack travailing<br />
, a crate spilling over with<br />
toiletries - all waiting to be somehow<br />
stuffed into the El-Al two freeof-charge<br />
suitcases, each having a<br />
weight of no more than seventy<br />
pounds.<br />
Originally, I made due with this<br />
weight restriction. I’d packed all of<br />
my clothes, shoes, and miscellaneous<br />
items into two regular armysize<br />
duffle bags. But then I realized<br />
that I had forgotten to pack<br />
pajamas to sleep in, a bathrobe,<br />
music tapes and a Walkman, a<br />
winter coat, a spring Jacket, prescription<br />
drugs, contact lens solutlon,<br />
beach towels, batteries, and a<br />
flashlight - important items! My<br />
mother thought that I was being rldiculous.<br />
If I took half as many<br />
clothes, I’d have twice as much<br />
room in my luggage to pack everything<br />
else. But I was going away<br />
for a year and at that time It<br />
seemed like I had to take absolutely<br />
everything in my house with me.<br />
*You don't need four tubes of toothpaste,<br />
my mom said. *You can buy<br />
it there, can’t you?* But for some<br />
strange reason, it didn’t occur to<br />
me that people in Israel brush their<br />
teeth, and if they did, it certainly<br />
wasn't with mint-flavored tartercontrol<br />
Crest. One night, a few<br />
days before I left, my dad snuck<br />
into my room as I lay sleeping,<br />
unpacked my luggage, taking out<br />
half of my clothes, and repacked it.<br />
You could see the effort he’d taken<br />
to conceal his deed - he'd put the<br />
extra clothes into my brother’s<br />
room upstairs, not back into my<br />
dresser drawers where he knew I’d<br />
find them. He did not know that I<br />
often raid little Danny's wardrobe<br />
in search of sweatshirts and sweatpants.<br />
That next morning, I diecovered<br />
my father’s devious act. I<br />
repacked my clothes, taking no<br />
pains to leave a single sock out. At<br />
this time my parents conceded that<br />
they would have to pay the surplus<br />
baggage fee.<br />
But then, I would still have to<br />
change planes once I'd arrived in<br />
New York from Boston. How was I<br />
to lug all of my bags from the TWA<br />
domestic terminal to the El-Al Terminal,<br />
located light years from<br />
each other in the JFK International<br />
Airport? The day of my departure,<br />
my mother ended up hopping on<br />
the flight with me to New York. In<br />
the end, it cost my parents an<br />
extra $329 just to get me on the<br />
plane.<br />
And now it’s time to start packing<br />
again and this time I have even<br />
more stuff. From my Greece and<br />
Turkey souvenirs to the four pairs<br />
of shoes I've bought - Naot Clogs,<br />
Nimrod sandles, black leather boots,<br />
suede loafers, and enough Jerusalem<br />
candles to set the plane on Are<br />
- 1 figure that I should be able to<br />
pack everything into four bags, not<br />
exceeding the El-Al trans-atlantic<br />
weight limit by more than five hundred<br />
pounds.<br />
But wait, this isn’t merely a superficial<br />
account of clothes and<br />
airplane transport. Having spent<br />
the past ten and a half months in<br />
Israel, I have - much to my own<br />
surprise - developed a strong sense<br />
of someday wanting to live here.<br />
Not to give this article a Zionist<br />
slant; still, I must say this: I love<br />
this country and I am heart-broken<br />
to have to leave it. Thus, before I<br />
leave Eretz Ylsrael, Boston bound<br />
on an El-Al 747,1 plan on leaving a<br />
part of me behind in the land of<br />
milk and honey: namely, books and<br />
jeans, t-shirts and sweaters, and an<br />
old pairs of shoes, which I will<br />
proudly donate to charity organizatlons<br />
throughout Jerusalem. And<br />
the next time I come to Israel, even<br />
if it's for life, I plan on packing a<br />
lot lighter.
World News<br />
41
42<br />
World News<br />
G reece and Turkey<br />
/<br />
Rachael Smith<br />
We did Greece and Turkey<br />
we took that Tiyul,<br />
Tel Aviv in Istanbul<br />
and our school in Greece.<br />
The Goldsmith ferry<br />
Took us all to Rhodes<br />
or Turkey,<br />
no matter.<br />
For we all met up<br />
half way from here<br />
and miles to there.<br />
We stayed in $2 hostels<br />
or camped out with Israelis<br />
eating too much spaghetti<br />
fearing apple tea.<br />
We’d meet up with each other<br />
over Turkish Delight<br />
and ask where you've beenwhere<br />
we should go.<br />
Our list of Islands<br />
getting shorter and shorter<br />
as the ferry schedule<br />
proved as reliable as Egged<br />
and our travelers checks too<br />
rapidly got consumed.<br />
The emergency credit card<br />
proved useful<br />
with those sweaters in Mykenos<br />
while our pocket change<br />
did wonders<br />
for 2 for 1 in 108,<br />
(not that any of us really<br />
remember).<br />
We met at the McDonald's in<br />
Istanbul<br />
the Pizza Hut in Bursa, the<br />
Wendy's in Athensand<br />
complained that we'd<br />
never get such good food<br />
back in Israel.
World News<br />
43<br />
Tiyulim<br />
Rachael Smith<br />
We took that Tiyul<br />
not together<br />
but close,<br />
for we bought the same shirts<br />
and took the same pictures<br />
of the black beach of Santorini<br />
or the white cliffs of Pamukkale.<br />
We picked off the olives<br />
of the same Greek salads<br />
that Let's Go recommended<br />
in the island we can't pronounce.<br />
And we all did the mopeds<br />
can show our scars<br />
when we list the islands<br />
and show the photos<br />
laugh and joke<br />
about the Greece and Turkey trip.
World News<br />
45<br />
Dahab<br />
Rachael Smith<br />
Dahab was a giant Dead show.<br />
Music piped In every minute of the<br />
day from the cushions by the water<br />
to the carpet shops a few blocks<br />
away. We laid back in the warming<br />
81m on those cushions smoking<br />
apple flavored tobacco from those<br />
gigantic water pipes until the sun<br />
went down. It was a giant<br />
"everything for a dollar" shop where<br />
everything goes and everything’s<br />
consumed. Inertia could have kept<br />
us there forever were it not for the<br />
urgency of a 10 o’clock bus. We<br />
left with a few brightly-colored<br />
rugs, a passport stamp, and a few<br />
less brain cells to show for our<br />
first trip to Africa.<br />
Relaxation<br />
Sari Uretsky<br />
On the wall<br />
the geese are grazing<br />
David stares at<br />
smoke streams<br />
Naomi calls<br />
without a voice<br />
Rachael giggles<br />
in the corner<br />
and I can’t move.<br />
David throws me another<br />
Naomi Is worried about<br />
a filter<br />
Rachael needs an<br />
esh and a thing-a-ma-bobber<br />
and I can’t move.
World News<br />
47
עירית ירושלים<br />
אגף הנוער וחברה<br />
היחידה להעשרה והשכלה<br />
ויצ״ו<br />
הסתדרות נשים<br />
המחלקה לנוער<br />
ציונית<br />
האוניברסיטה העברית<br />
המחלקה למעורבות חברתית<br />
אולפן אנגלית בית שמש<br />
-<br />
עירית ירושלים<br />
ארגון<br />
מתנדבים<br />
בירושלים<br />
יד לקשישמתנדבי יעקב מימון<br />
אגודה להפעלת מתנדבים<br />
בית הספר פיסגת זאב<br />
פיסגת זאב, ירושלים<br />
th a n h y o u jp r th e h e lp , a n d c o o p e r a tio n w e<br />
r e c e iv e d ! p o m th e S tu d e n t V o lu n te e r P r o y r a m .<br />
* 1 h e tim e y o u s h a r e d w ith u i w i l t h e r e m e m b e r e d<br />
to r e v e r . V J e a p p r e c ia te y o u r e n th u iia im ,<br />
d e d ic a tio n a n d p e r A e r u e r a n c e .<br />
l/U e h o p e t h a t y o u<br />
e n jo y e d th e tim e w ith u i,r a n d i t h e lp e d y o u to<br />
t e t t e r a c x d im a te in to O iO a e ti S o c ie ty .
Time & Leisure ^ 49<br />
One Year Program<br />
Makes A Difference<br />
Galeet Dardashtl<br />
Karen Hayeems<br />
Before coming to Israel for the<br />
year, we made a pact with<br />
ourselves to try and experience as<br />
much as possible during our stay.<br />
We were given an opportunity to do<br />
just that by volunteering.<br />
Numerous organizations, each with<br />
their own projects were brought to<br />
our disposal. Two separate accounts<br />
of each of our personal experiences<br />
follow.<br />
When my partner and I began<br />
volunteering with our Ethiopian<br />
family, we were a little nervous.<br />
The family was very shy in the<br />
beginning, and we didn’t know<br />
exactly how to interact with them.<br />
They were always extremely<br />
hospitable and we had a lot of fun<br />
with the children at each visit, but<br />
in the first few months, we<br />
sometimes felt frustrated with our<br />
Inability to communicate with one<br />
another. As time went by, our<br />
differences seemed less and less<br />
important as the family began to<br />
trust us and open up to us. I've<br />
learned a great deal about my<br />
Ethiopian family after the time<br />
we’ve spent together.<br />
I think that the volunteers serve<br />
as an encouragement and support<br />
for the Ethiopian immigrants who<br />
still have not been completely<br />
assimilated into Israeli life and<br />
don’t know what to expect. It has<br />
been an experience from which we<br />
have all benefitted and eqjoyed as<br />
we became very comfortable with<br />
one another<br />
would go and speak with her or<br />
take her to do some food shopping,<br />
but most of my time with her was<br />
spent listening. I learned of her<br />
difficult past and of the obstacles<br />
she overcame. She also made me<br />
realize how important it would be<br />
to fulfill the mitzvah of Bikur<br />
Holim and to take care of my<br />
parents in their old age. One<br />
should never forget the sacrifices<br />
they have made in raising their<br />
children and we should look<br />
forward to being able to return<br />
their kindness and care when the<br />
need should arise.<br />
Those few hours spent with her<br />
on a weekly basis throughout the<br />
year gave me the chance to "break"<br />
from my daily routine of studies<br />
and having fun with friends. I met<br />
a truly kind person and gained a<br />
better understanding of Israeli life.<br />
Yad Sarah is an organization<br />
which supplies medical equipment<br />
to those in need, as well as<br />
providing services in the<br />
community such as home visits<br />
with the elderly.<br />
Through this organization I was<br />
set up with an elderly woman who<br />
unfortunately was unable to leave<br />
her home alone. Other than my<br />
weekly visits, she rarely heard<br />
knocks on her door, or the ring of<br />
the telephone from her children. I
5 0 I I lliite 8 1 Leisure .. .<br />
Food,Family,<br />
Friends, and Fun<br />
A Weekly Update On The<br />
Coming Of The Moshiach<br />
Sharon Zolondek<br />
Curiosity, the lure of free food,<br />
I'chiams, and sincere interest in<br />
learning about the traditions of<br />
Shabbat found many OYP students<br />
sitting around dinner tables with<br />
Jerusalem families.<br />
These dinners provided students<br />
with experiences unique to Israel,<br />
for secular students were exposed<br />
to different forms of Judaism in a<br />
special Shabbat setting. Many saw<br />
it as a chance to broaden their<br />
horizons and be introduced to<br />
others’ ways of observing Shabbat.<br />
These dinners meant something<br />
different to each of them. Some felt<br />
that these dinners helped rekindled<br />
their Judaism. Others believed<br />
that going to Friday night Shabbat<br />
dinners in Jerusalem gave them a<br />
new-found Jewish identity - and the<br />
food was just like mom’sl Others<br />
felt that it was nice to share a<br />
home cooked meal with a family<br />
rather than spend Friday night<br />
sitting home alone in their room<br />
eating pita and humus.<br />
Whatever the reasons might be for<br />
attending Shabbat dinners, students<br />
acquired a rich knowledge of<br />
the traditions of the orthodox community.<br />
I'chiam !<br />
Religious Activities<br />
Anonymous Contributor<br />
During the course of the !rear, the<br />
Office of Student Activities coordinated<br />
a wide variety of religious<br />
programs designed to meet the<br />
needs of all overseas students. The<br />
activities were run in coqjunctlon<br />
with the Hecht Synagogue, Beit<br />
Hillel, and other bodies associated<br />
with the university.<br />
Throughout the !rear, on- and offcampus<br />
Shabbat programs were<br />
sponsored by the Reform, Conservative,<br />
and Orthodox movements.<br />
Each of these movements held<br />
weekly informal advising sessions,<br />
lending a sympathetic ear to students<br />
who wished to discuss any<br />
topic related to Judaism. The Student<br />
Christian Forum conducted<br />
lectures and offered informal counselling<br />
sessions, trips and holiday<br />
meals for Christian students. The<br />
Hecht Synagogue, the focal point for<br />
religious activities on campus, organlzed<br />
the voluntary and informal<br />
Beit M idrash Study Program.<br />
Students studied with a tutor or in<br />
a small group, as they acquired,<br />
questioned, and developed their<br />
personal Jewish beliefs. The S.A.A.<br />
(Student A liy ah Absorption) Program<br />
matched overseas students<br />
with Israeli student counterparts<br />
for studying in tutorials; they also<br />
joined together in social activities<br />
such as trips and holiday<br />
celebrations.<br />
Many students spent Inspiring<br />
Shabbatot and holidays with famllies<br />
in and around Jerusalem.<br />
Dally prayer services, special lectures,<br />
panel discussions, visits to a<br />
m ikveh and a Torah scribe,<br />
tiyulim , a model seder, were some<br />
of the many programs which rounded<br />
out the full schedule of religious<br />
activities organized for the<br />
students in the One Year Program.
Time & Leisure' :<br />
In term arriage: A S tu d e n t7s R e sp o n se<br />
Zack Bodner, a second semester<br />
student from Yale, was the first<br />
prize winner of the Norman Primer<br />
Memorial Essay Contest.<br />
The competition was organized by<br />
D o r Le D o r in conjunction with<br />
the Office of Student Activities,<br />
<strong>Rothberg</strong> School for Overseas<br />
Students and the One Year<br />
Program <strong>Yearbook</strong> Editorial Staff.<br />
The contest participants were<br />
asked to address the topic: *Why<br />
Not Intermarry?" Specifically they<br />
were requested to respond to an<br />
editorial in a Jewish student<br />
newspaper where fellow Jewish<br />
student, *Stacey L.,' had written<br />
that she saw no problem with<br />
marriages between Jews and non-<br />
Jews. *The intermarriage problem<br />
shouldn't be an issue,' she claimed.<br />
*We should be able to marry a<br />
person of any race, creed or<br />
religion without being scrutinized.'<br />
The essay contest generated a lot<br />
of discussion on the Issues of<br />
Jewish Identity and continuity. We<br />
are grateful to Zack and the other<br />
twenty-three participants for<br />
sharing their thoughts on this<br />
crucial subject.<br />
Charles Lebow<br />
Dor Le Dor<br />
Here is Zack's winning essay...<br />
The Chinese Panda Bear.<br />
Beautiful. Graceful. Powerful.<br />
Nearly extinct...They’re just one<br />
species within a huge family of<br />
bears. Bears are all bears, 80 why<br />
do we spend so much time, energy,<br />
and money trying to save the<br />
endangered panda? Because the<br />
panda is special. The panda is<br />
real.<br />
The question of intermarriage is<br />
one that’s plagued me since<br />
puberty. I've gone through many<br />
difficult identity searches trying to<br />
find peace with myself, simply on<br />
the basis of this question. I<br />
couldn’t handle my own hypocrisyon<br />
the one hand, preaching<br />
vehemently in favor of change,<br />
progression, and the need to live in<br />
harmony with people of other<br />
religions and races. I’m not an<br />
advocate of the "separate but<br />
equal* principle that is too<br />
dominant in our society today; but<br />
at the same time I knew I would<br />
never allow myself to marry a non-<br />
Jewish woman. Am I racist? Am<br />
I prejudiced? I couldn't be- my premature<br />
marital decisions weren’t<br />
based on hate; they weren’t even<br />
based on love. So was I accepting<br />
m a rria g e sim ply out of<br />
convenience? Never! So what was<br />
I doing then? Limiting who I could<br />
and couldn't fall in love with? No<br />
way- I've dated and loved non-Jews<br />
just as well as Jews. I think I just<br />
finally realized, "Hey, I'm not going<br />
to get married until I know it’s<br />
perfect*, and there’s a feeling inside<br />
me when every single thing is just<br />
right. And without that one bond,<br />
which is more ambiguous than the<br />
words *I do,' but more solid than<br />
the proof on your finger, the<br />
marriage for me wouldn’t be<br />
perfect.<br />
Personally, I would tell you to<br />
follow your heart- wherever it leads<br />
you. But if you are asking me how<br />
I feel, I would tell you the following:<br />
For me, there's a bond between<br />
Jews that I cannot describe in<br />
words. It’s that feeling of freedom<br />
I had when I used to go to Jewish<br />
summer camp as a kid. It's that<br />
Invisible weight that seems to be<br />
lifted when I discover a new friend<br />
is Jewish. It’s that closeness that<br />
reverberates within a group of<br />
Jews just casually hanging out,<br />
that cannot be duplicated when I<br />
return to my secular world. It’s<br />
that comforting knowledge that I<br />
wouldn’t have to explain this<br />
confession to my Jewish friends the<br />
same as I would to my non-Jewish<br />
friends. It’s that feeling of<br />
complete comfort, understanding,<br />
and happiness that words cannot<br />
begin to describe. It’s the voicing<br />
of familiar doubts and questions<br />
surrounding your identity.<br />
Questions about raising children,<br />
preserving bonds of Judaism, and<br />
basic cultural diversity. These are<br />
Ideological conflicts you have to<br />
settle for yourself, but I know that<br />
I would not be the person I am<br />
today if I had been raised with the<br />
choice of my religion. Judaism, for<br />
me, is beyond choosing a holiday<br />
for which I can receive gifts. It Is<br />
more than an educated arrival at a<br />
religion with which my beliefs most<br />
closely coincide. It’s more than a<br />
working knowledge of the stories,<br />
legends, prayers, and history of one<br />
religion versus another. It’s an<br />
identity with Its heritage, its<br />
people, and Its aura that cannot be<br />
gained from reading books. To be<br />
raised Jewish, especially In<br />
America, is not the same as being<br />
raised as a five year old child that<br />
has to make a decision between a<br />
Christmas tree and a Chanukah<br />
Menorah- when the rest of his<br />
friends all have Christmas trees,<br />
which do you think he’ll choose?<br />
Besides, the ,Cultural Diversity*<br />
that you long for and strive to<br />
protect is just a result of the<br />
many, many different cultures that<br />
do exist, all coming together to<br />
teach one another about their<br />
beauty. By raising a child without<br />
a culture, you threaten that basic<br />
principle. We Trill no longer have<br />
*Cultural Diversity* if you take<br />
away the separate cultures and<br />
mush them all together. Diversity<br />
Is beauty. Sameness is bland. And<br />
while the differences might make<br />
you rough around the edges, if you<br />
take them away, your *brave new<br />
world* will be boring and<br />
monotonous.<br />
This isn’t a plea for you to keep<br />
the Jewish faith alive. It will live<br />
on- this isn't a testimony as to<br />
what Intermarriage will bring, and<br />
it Isn't an attempt to judge you by<br />
your decision. It's merely a<br />
compilation of the answers that<br />
I’ve come to, and a declaration that<br />
I finally feel good with my personal<br />
paradox. These beliefs are part of<br />
my religion, they do enhance me as<br />
a person, but they also help to<br />
identify me among a family and a<br />
heritage that's as old as time.
52 . n me & Ileisure 1<br />
The H appiness BIues<br />
O ne O Y P er' s View on IsraeI<br />
Mieah Libln and D. Brownian<br />
Let me tell you about my problem<br />
I can't sing the blues cause I<br />
don’t got 'em<br />
I started to write<br />
Had nothing to say<br />
Because everything<br />
Seems to go my way<br />
I always win, man I never lose<br />
And that’s why I've got the<br />
Happiness Blues.<br />
I woke up one day and nothing<br />
was right<br />
The toothpaste tube was empty<br />
and I was losing a fight<br />
Couldn’t take it any longer<br />
I started to scream<br />
But I just woke up laughing<br />
It was all a bad dream<br />
I always win, man I never lose<br />
And that’s why I've got the<br />
Happiness Blues<br />
If you don't like smiles then stay<br />
away<br />
Because I'm gonna brighten up<br />
your whole day<br />
I never lose<br />
I always win<br />
And I am going to<br />
Rub it in<br />
I always win, man I never lose<br />
And that’s why I’ve got the<br />
Happiness Blues<br />
They say ,Why are you 80 lucky.<br />
what do I lack?'<br />
G-d owes me a favor and Insists<br />
on paying me back<br />
To cite an example this is my<br />
worst day<br />
People knelt as I was walking and<br />
they started to pray<br />
They got right down and they<br />
kissed my shoes<br />
And that's why I've got the<br />
Happiness Blues<br />
I'm a happiness junky, a good<br />
times freak<br />
I don’t need sustenance, I don't<br />
have to eat<br />
I don't need food<br />
Bread or butter or beans<br />
My staple is euphoria<br />
Tou know what I mean<br />
I always win, man I never lose<br />
And that’s why I've got the<br />
Happiness Blues<br />
That’s why I’ve got the Happiness<br />
Blues<br />
Oh Yeah!<br />
If you’ve got troubles bring ’em<br />
near<br />
If you've got problems I'd like to<br />
hear<br />
If you've got sorrow bring it on<br />
Because I wanted to write a sad<br />
sad song<br />
I started to write but I had to<br />
stop<br />
I guess I got a blues mental block<br />
I fell in love with a beautiful girl<br />
She was the prettiest thing in the<br />
whole wide world<br />
I asked her out, she said no<br />
She said, ,There’s just one place<br />
that I have to go*<br />
She said, ,I never go anywhere<br />
without my twin"<br />
What did I tell you, I always win
Time & Leisure<br />
53
54<br />
tim e & Leisure<br />
/<br />
M arch of the Living<br />
Jennie Levy<br />
When I decided to go on the<br />
March of the Living, I thought that<br />
it was to educate myself about the<br />
Holocaust: to understand the what,<br />
the how, and the why. Last year<br />
at school, a friend told me that he<br />
thinks that the Jews use the Holocaust<br />
as a crutch. I didn’t know<br />
how to respeond. What he said<br />
upset me and I told him 80, but I<br />
couldn’t explain why in an lntelligent<br />
way. So a year later I end up<br />
in Poland learning a tremendous<br />
amount of information yet I developed<br />
more questions than answers!<br />
The experience of The March<br />
seems to mean something different<br />
to everyone. Personally, a lot of<br />
what I learned in Poland was about<br />
myself - who I am as a person, my<br />
goals, and what my Judaism means<br />
to me. My feelings about what happened<br />
In Poland changed at times<br />
from indifference to anger and from<br />
sick and disgusted to sad. I wasn’t<br />
always depressed, but there were a<br />
few times that it hit me hard. For<br />
example, the hair In Auschwitz and<br />
the shoes in Majdanek. Since we’ve<br />
been back in Israel, I feel like I<br />
have a lot to share. There are also<br />
feelings which I don’t know how to<br />
explain. How do you express what<br />
it was like to stand In a place<br />
where 800,000 h um an beings were<br />
taken Just to be murdered? I think<br />
that going to Poland meant more to<br />
me than I can even realize at the<br />
moment. In September, I will see<br />
my friend whose words in a small<br />
way prompted me to make this<br />
journey. I'm still not sure exactly<br />
how I would respond to his statement,<br />
but I know that I no longer<br />
lack information and now have my<br />
own personal experience to draw<br />
from.
Time & ]Leisure<br />
55<br />
A Long Walk<br />
Deborah Zuckerman<br />
We put on our ten layers<br />
Blue jackets on top<br />
White stars on the backs blaring<br />
We are young Jews, look and stop.<br />
We stood ten across<br />
Arms locked together<br />
Behind the blowing Israeli flags<br />
We were elated, fight as a feather.<br />
Then the announcement came<br />
We stood silent, straight, and tall<br />
Yacov played his violin<br />
All barriers began to fall.<br />
We started toward the gate<br />
To leave the colleglate-looking first<br />
Hell<br />
"Freedom Through Work" behind us<br />
We marched out of that cell.<br />
Some bowed their heads in mourning<br />
But all walked full of pride<br />
Poles looked from their windows<br />
These six thousand Jews were not<br />
going to hide.<br />
Our closed mouths at this moment<br />
Yet opened eyes to the horrors that<br />
were<br />
Let the world know we are here<br />
We looked like one gigantic blue blur.<br />
The deafening sound from our<br />
footsteps<br />
Screamed this atrocity will not<br />
reoccur<br />
As we climbed the hill over the<br />
hundreds of tracks<br />
Realization set in, and we began to<br />
shudder.<br />
We got closer to the second Hell<br />
That infinite number of tracks<br />
converged to a single deadly one<br />
Our steps became more erratic<br />
As we marched along side it, now<br />
almost to the beat of a drum.<br />
The famous brick watchtower<br />
Loomed overhead<br />
We went through the second gate<br />
And mourned for the six million<br />
dead.<br />
That single track<br />
Stretching on forever<br />
Eventually it came to an end<br />
At the destroyed crematoria, where<br />
we gathered together.<br />
The flag bearers stood<br />
On the former death machines with<br />
pride<br />
The blue stars waving in the wind<br />
Hitler, Hhnmler, and Eichman rolled<br />
over in their graves and cried.<br />
The sound of train whistles in the<br />
distance<br />
The barking dogs from next door<br />
All created the eerie atmosphere<br />
We could not at all ignore.<br />
At the service's close<br />
Yiskor, A n i MaA m in, and<br />
H atikvah were sung<br />
Not one of the six thousand could<br />
move<br />
A stillness in the air, just kept us<br />
there and hung.<br />
We planted our grave markers<br />
Each where he felt right<br />
To commemorate our family and<br />
friends lost<br />
They were everywhere, not an empty<br />
sight.<br />
Then we walked out<br />
A few at a time<br />
Some on that track<br />
But in no certain line.<br />
The testimony we saw<br />
Of the horrors that were<br />
Will remain in our hearts and minds<br />
To teach our children what did<br />
occur.
nine׳ & Leisure 56<br />
S i#
lim e & Leisure<br />
m 57
Time & Leisure<br />
59
H<br />
I<br />
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62<br />
Time & Leisure<br />
OTP K icks Tuches...<br />
Dan Feldman<br />
Who said Jews can’t play ball?<br />
Many students participated in<br />
various baseball, basketball,<br />
football, and soccer events. Some<br />
volunteers also coached kids from<br />
ages six to fifteen in Little League<br />
Baseball for a season that lasted<br />
over three months.<br />
In December, the OSA Sports<br />
Committee sponsored the three-onthree<br />
New Year's Basketball<br />
Tournament. In the Spring, over<br />
seventy students participated in<br />
the Diaspora Basketball League<br />
that was held bi-weekly and ended<br />
with a fantastic tournament in<br />
June. Likewise, the Spring Soccer<br />
League matched up players from<br />
England, Australia, The United<br />
States, Argentina, Canada, Chile,<br />
Brazil, Uruguay, and Holland. It<br />
consisted of ten male and four<br />
female teams. The soccer league<br />
also concluded in June with an<br />
exciting and emotional tournament.<br />
Nearly two hundred students<br />
were involved in the fun and<br />
competition of OYP sports. *No<br />
time for losers, we are the<br />
champions of the Holy City.'
lim e & Leisure<br />
63
Madrichim<br />
65<br />
Dear Students,<br />
During the last month, I've been<br />
thinking, *what am I going to write<br />
in the yearbook?" What do I want<br />
you to remember before leaving<br />
Israel? Before my eyes, I see all of<br />
the wonderful experiences we had<br />
together. I think about the great<br />
impression you have made here<br />
with whole-hearted participation<br />
and cooperation in all of the OSA<br />
activities. Also, I think about the<br />
next step.<br />
I must admit that I have very<br />
high expectations for you. You are<br />
going back to your homes, to your<br />
campuses, to your communities,<br />
and I assume that you will have a<br />
lot of things to do: not only finishing<br />
your academic studies but also<br />
making your own Individual plans<br />
for the future. However, sooner or<br />
later, the memories will surface<br />
and you will start missing Israel.<br />
It could happen the very first day<br />
that you arrive at your home or<br />
after weeks, months, or even years<br />
later. Then, all of the experiences<br />
you had in Israel, your studies,<br />
your stay In Jerusalem, your<br />
tiyulim , and your adventures will<br />
stand at your side when you wish<br />
to support Israel. Not only by<br />
showing your sympathy to Israel<br />
and its society, but also by encouraging<br />
other students to come to<br />
Israel as you did, to study with us,<br />
and to have the same special "one<br />
year’ experience. For us, you are<br />
ambassadors (shelihim).<br />
I personally would be very happy<br />
to see you have visits in Israel<br />
when you finish your obligations<br />
back home. You are welcome as<br />
visitors and also as Olim<br />
Chadashim.<br />
Lehitraot, kan be'eretz Yisrael.<br />
Hofy Itshak Hafuta<br />
Director of OSA<br />
Dear Students,<br />
The year is almost over. Looking<br />
back, I remember those summer<br />
days when you all arrived in Israel<br />
(and those winter days for some of<br />
you). Since then we have been<br />
trying to make this year your best<br />
year ever. Through varied<br />
activities, I hope this period of time<br />
in Israel leves you with wonderful<br />
memories and many happy<br />
thoughts. You were fortunate in<br />
that your visit to Israel occurred<br />
at a most special time; during this<br />
very historical peace process. You<br />
had the opportunity to experience<br />
the delicate yet unique life that<br />
takes place in Israel.<br />
As coordinator, together with the<br />
dedicated and dependable<br />
Madrichim, I tried to show you the<br />
wonders of this country In the<br />
short time we had together: the<br />
beautiful landscapes, the Israeli<br />
way of life, and life as a student.<br />
I hope that when you leave Israel,<br />
you will take with you the many<br />
wonderful memories of all that you<br />
have experienced during this past<br />
year. And now, when it is time to<br />
say goodbye and go our separate<br />
ways, all that is left to say is that<br />
I wish you all the best of luck and<br />
look forward to seeing you in Israel<br />
once again.<br />
Shlomit<br />
Dear Friends,<br />
I made Naomi promise that If I<br />
wrote something all of you guys<br />
would only read It during my Office<br />
Hours, Sun-Thurs, 1:00-3:00 p.m.!ll<br />
The year has flown by and I can’t<br />
believe I am faced with making the<br />
same decision all over again...to<br />
stay another year (lifetime) or go<br />
back to the States. This was a<br />
very exciting year to be in Israel<br />
with the peace process underway<br />
and all of the political activity.<br />
These next few years are going to<br />
be historical. I am so happy that I<br />
was here for the beginning (and<br />
hopefully the middle and end tool).<br />
The experience of working at OSA<br />
was "priceless." Looking back on all<br />
of the hassles, problems, and<br />
shticks, I truly enjoyed my time<br />
with all of you. I hope that you got<br />
as much out of the programs as I<br />
didl By the mere fact that you<br />
decided to spend your year In<br />
Israel, rather than in Europe like<br />
the majority of your friends, you<br />
have had a much different and<br />
more meaningful experience. When<br />
I was last in the States, I was<br />
amazed at how many people asked<br />
for my opinion as the "local Middle<br />
East expert" since I had just<br />
returned from a year in Israel. I<br />
hope that you take what you have<br />
learned back with you to teach<br />
your friends and family.<br />
Live the rest of your time in this<br />
country to the fullest. Don't hold<br />
back (as if you have been)! It has<br />
been truly wonderful spending time<br />
on seminars and traveling with you<br />
this year. To those Hiking Club<br />
members that are still awaiting the<br />
arrival of the m oshiach,<br />
eventually it will come and we will<br />
be reunited in Eilat on Har<br />
Shlomo (the ascent Trill be much<br />
easier the second time around)! 11<br />
Take caret<br />
Love,<br />
Deb<br />
Deborah Zuckerman<br />
1 Westcliff Drive<br />
Dix Hills, NY 11746<br />
516-271-6430
66<br />
Madrichim<br />
/<br />
To My Students!<br />
I decided to use a different<br />
medium, since my videos never<br />
worked!<br />
When you first arrived, you were<br />
so confused and lonely. I<br />
understand how you felt because I<br />
was once In your shoes spending a<br />
year In the States.<br />
Watching you grow and change<br />
over this year confirmed my<br />
expectations of being your<br />
Madricha. The One Year Program<br />
gave you a little taste of Israel, and<br />
I hope that you will spend more<br />
significant time here!<br />
Good luck next year and whenever<br />
you’re in Israel again- you’d better<br />
call mel<br />
Sharon<br />
To the Student Committee!<br />
Through all of the hassles and<br />
problems of this year, I really<br />
enjoyed working with all of you.<br />
Your enthusiasm and dedication<br />
really made the Student Committee<br />
something special; the parties, the<br />
newspaper, the sports events and<br />
this yearbook are all products of<br />
your success.<br />
Good luck next year and I hope to<br />
see you all in Israel againl<br />
Sharon Steinbaum<br />
Shlomit 31<br />
Shlomi, 22832<br />
Tel: 04- 809138<br />
Dear Friends,<br />
Any attempt to express my<br />
feelings or to summarize this past<br />
year In a few sentences will not be<br />
good enough, 80 I’m not even going<br />
to try. For those of you who think<br />
about staying here - you are headed<br />
for some difficult times and you are<br />
going to need all of the help that<br />
you can get. And for those of you<br />
who are going back to the States<br />
and might come here one day for a<br />
visit with U.J.A. or Hadassa and<br />
want to keep an authentic<br />
primitive Israeli native as a friend,<br />
here is my address:<br />
Ronen Leibovich<br />
Hadror St. 23<br />
Ashquelon ?8380<br />
Israel<br />
Tel: 07-733784<br />
For the Student Committee Gang<br />
(Dan K, Dan F., Judah G., Naomi<br />
Z., Arjan J., Micah L ),<br />
It was a pleasure working with<br />
you. I think that you did some<br />
great things during this year and I<br />
know that you have worked hard<br />
(at least some of you - for some of<br />
the time). I'm sure that your<br />
voters appreciate it. I hope that<br />
America, Canada, and India (as<br />
well as Israel) will benefit from<br />
your professional and fruitful<br />
experience as high officials.<br />
Love you all,<br />
Ronen<br />
Once upon a time, In a far away<br />
country, there lived a Rabbi. A<br />
very clever Rabbi. You might say<br />
that every Rabbi is clever, but this<br />
Rabbi possessed a unique power,<br />
special to him that no one else had,<br />
no one else had ever heard of - he<br />
was able to see objects through<br />
matter.<br />
Most people made good use of the<br />
Rabbi’s special talent. Some didn’t.<br />
One of those was a man who<br />
decided to outsmart the Rabbi. He<br />
decided to approach the Rabbi with<br />
a butterfly held In his hands.<br />
When the Rabbi would say that it’s<br />
a butterfly he would smile but<br />
continue to ask. Tell me Rabbi, 18<br />
it dead or alive?'. If the answer<br />
would be *dead', the man would<br />
then let the butterfly go. If the<br />
answer would be *alive', he would<br />
squash the butterfly.<br />
As the man expected, the Rabbi<br />
answered his question without<br />
hesitation - you are holding a<br />
butterfly. Tell me Rabbi, is It dead<br />
or alive?' The Rabbi put his hands<br />
on the man’s fist and looked deep<br />
into his eyes. Well my son, the<br />
answer to that Is In your hands...<br />
You are now standing at the end<br />
of a period of time spent In Israel,<br />
the land of the Jewish people.<br />
During this time you had the<br />
opportunity to see it's people and<br />
sites, hear the variety of opinions<br />
expressed In and about it and feel<br />
it's very existence. I hope that you<br />
will be able to take all of this with<br />
you and make good use of all you<br />
have experienced because like the<br />
Rabbi said, it's in your hands.<br />
Lehitraot,<br />
Idit
Madrichim<br />
67<br />
(Curtain Rises)<br />
(The Madrich's Speech Is to be read<br />
In front of hundreds of confused<br />
and helpless students)<br />
Shalom Students,<br />
I love you very much (Kisses to<br />
the audience)<br />
I will miss you all a lot (Crying)<br />
May the rest of your years be as<br />
easy as the past one<br />
You don't have to make Allyah all<br />
at once<br />
This was the greatest year of my<br />
life...<br />
(Curtain Goes Dow n)<br />
Fortunately this is all true! I wish<br />
you the best of luck. I really en-<br />
Joyed my year with all of you. The<br />
trips and seminars were a lot of<br />
fun. I tried to assist you with a<br />
range of experiences through lectures,<br />
trips, parties, and openhouses.<br />
I know that you will remember<br />
this year forever and I hope that<br />
you take what you have learned<br />
back to your home countries, wherever<br />
they might be, so that your<br />
friends can gain from your experlences.<br />
Your experience was special<br />
because of the many changes that<br />
occurred In the Middle East during<br />
your stay. I hope that the Peace<br />
Process will be as successful as we<br />
all wish it to be. I also hope that<br />
the next time you come to Israel,<br />
your parents will be slightly less<br />
worried and that you will be able to<br />
visit all of our neighboring<br />
countries without the need to get a<br />
new and *clean* passport.<br />
Keep In touch,<br />
Amos<br />
*The Always funny madrlch*<br />
(Yashar Yashar first edition)<br />
Amos Avivi<br />
52 Shalva St.<br />
Herzelia 46705<br />
Israel<br />
Tel: 09-570167<br />
It began at the end of July. It<br />
was a hot and humid day. We<br />
waited for you at the airport with<br />
colorful 'Welcome Hebrew U’ signs.<br />
I was perspiring; partly from the<br />
heat but mostly from excitement.<br />
Suddenly we spotted you, exhausted<br />
from your flight, and escorted you<br />
to Givat Ram. Truthfully, I wasn’t<br />
sure how you would react to<br />
M eonot H aE lef but you were<br />
quite heroic. It took a day for the<br />
shock to wear off, and soon you<br />
were more fam iliar with<br />
Ben/M achane Yehuda than I<br />
was. During the week you studied<br />
your "A lef-Bet' and on the weekends<br />
you travelled all over the<br />
country. Even the Israeli summer<br />
heat didn’t stop you. And now this<br />
year is already behind you. A year<br />
of school, tiyulim, parties, and lots<br />
of fun. I hope that you learned<br />
about Israel and mostly about yourselves<br />
this past year. As for me, I<br />
am happy that I was given the<br />
chance to get to know you well; I’ve<br />
learned a lot and epjoyed myself<br />
doing it. Hope to some day see you<br />
again.<br />
Orit<br />
Dear Graduate Students,<br />
It's hard to believe, but this year<br />
has come to an end. It seems as If<br />
just yesterday you had all arrived,<br />
and now It’s already time to say<br />
goodbye. I know that most of you<br />
feel that there was not enough time<br />
as you would have liked to see,<br />
hear, and feel everything this country<br />
has to offer. But nonetheless,<br />
you have accomplished much. I<br />
know we tried to show you most of<br />
the natural attractions and I hope<br />
that in our more informal meetings<br />
and discussions, I managed to<br />
share other aspects of Israel with<br />
you. I also hope that from all you<br />
have learned, you can come to appredate<br />
all of the accomplishments<br />
that Israel has achieved In the last<br />
forty-six years along with Its problems<br />
as well; bureaucracy, hot ternperament,<br />
etc...<br />
As you prepare to leave, I wish<br />
you all shalom for Its three most<br />
perfect meanings: go with peace, be<br />
with peace, and come back with<br />
peace.<br />
Thank you all for an outstanding<br />
experience!<br />
Oren Shenkar<br />
11 Hapalmach St.<br />
Ramat Hasharon 47203<br />
Tel: 03-5406932
m e t ; m g<br />
ת Dear All,<br />
Well, it’s been a *year"- I can’t<br />
really think of the right adjective<br />
to put there. Something between<br />
*stimulating* and *fascinating* with<br />
a bit of *really, totally, like,<br />
enjoyable*. I found myself seeing<br />
the things that are close to me,<br />
and important to me through your<br />
eyes. Sometimes seeing things this<br />
way wasn't easy because:<br />
(a) It can get very thought<br />
provoking, and<br />
(b) I usually forget to carry my<br />
glasses around anyway.<br />
But what can you do? I thought<br />
about carrying them on a string<br />
around my neck, but I’d probably<br />
forget the string as well.<br />
Despite all of this, it's been a<br />
year I’ll never forget. Falling in<br />
love with hundreds of people at the<br />
same time is something you tend to<br />
remember.<br />
Love,<br />
Dov<br />
Dov Ben-Shlmon:<br />
Box 431<br />
Students’ Organization<br />
P.O. Box 24003<br />
Jerusalem 91240<br />
Remember those first questions?<br />
*Are we going to live in this place?*<br />
*Where do we catch a bus to Ben<br />
Yehuda Street?' *18 there a good<br />
pub where we can meet Israelis?'...<br />
I think that by now you have<br />
learned all of the answers to those<br />
questions and more, and that I can<br />
learn from you about good pubs<br />
and Israelis.<br />
I had a wonderful time with youfrom<br />
the day you arrived until the<br />
end of your stay here. I had the<br />
privilege of watching you ask,<br />
learn, and change (boy did you<br />
change 80 much here) and being a<br />
part of this positive change in your<br />
life. I won't forget this year- I'm<br />
sure that you won’t either.<br />
And although you didn't leave yet<br />
(when I'm writing this), I already<br />
miss youl<br />
Keep in Touch!<br />
Ylkrat<br />
Ylkrat Sidi<br />
31 Shazar St.<br />
Haifa 34861<br />
Dear Dear youlll<br />
Well, I don’t know where to<br />
start...With the first time I came to<br />
visit you in your Givat Ram rooms<br />
with an embarrassed smile? Or<br />
with the *soul* conversations I had<br />
with some of you late into the<br />
night? With the private jokes?<br />
With the *Open Houses' we had?<br />
With memories of OSA activities?<br />
Or maybe with your midnight calls<br />
or visits?<br />
This year has gone by 80 fast.<br />
Your confused and shocked faces<br />
from the summer have changed,<br />
and now I sometimes feel that you<br />
know Israel better than I do.<br />
Anyway, I know that for some of<br />
you, this was a very special year.<br />
Maybe The year of your life -<br />
interesting, exciting, and sometimes<br />
hard, very hard. For some of you,<br />
this year Inspired a new way of<br />
thinking and behaving, and new<br />
options appeared. I can only say<br />
that I tried to be there for each of<br />
you whenever you needed me and<br />
whenever I could help. I hope I<br />
really did.<br />
And to *The Volunteersl*<br />
As the volunteer coordinator I<br />
want to express my appreciation of<br />
your willingness to help and your<br />
consistency. I hope that it<br />
contributed to your integration in<br />
Israel and that you reached your<br />
goals in the experience.<br />
Thanks, Thanks, Thanksl<br />
A dozen times more thanks from<br />
the organizations and people you<br />
were working with. Included in the<br />
yearbook are some of their thank<br />
you letters.<br />
I wish you more beautiful years<br />
and if you feel like being in touch,<br />
you are welcome to visit Moshe and<br />
I when you come back.<br />
Maggie Melamed-Aharoni<br />
Ha'arazlm 14<br />
Jerusalem<br />
02-522006 (Moshe’s parents)
Madrichim<br />
69<br />
Hi Guys-<br />
I remember you coming to Israel<br />
80 fragile and concerned without<br />
any knowledge of how this year was<br />
going to be. But after a month you<br />
became independent and experts<br />
about Israel.<br />
I saw people starting to feel the<br />
real atmosphere here, even<br />
bargaining on prices at M achane<br />
Yehuda. I tried to answer most<br />
of your questions when I could and<br />
when I thought that I should. It<br />
was funny when you would laugh<br />
at the people from the second<br />
semester that had the same<br />
problems you had.<br />
I can assume that after this year,<br />
most of you will represent Israel in<br />
a positive way like ambassadors in<br />
your countries, and pass your<br />
experience on to many people. Tou<br />
need to know that this is a tough<br />
job.<br />
I’m really glad that you could<br />
experience the life here during<br />
peace talk s between the<br />
Palestinians and us, and feel a part<br />
of history. I’ll miss you all and I<br />
hope to see you here soon.<br />
For my cool H.C. friends-<br />
I can remember your faces on<br />
your first trip: frozen, pale, some<br />
people were asking each other Is It<br />
safe? If only my mother could see<br />
me now." But you survived and<br />
most of you had fun. For me, each<br />
trip was an experience and I<br />
learned a lot. I had a marvelous<br />
time, even when we lost the track.<br />
I hope you enjoyed the landscape<br />
and nature of Israel and you met<br />
new Mends.<br />
See you guys back In Israel or<br />
elsewhere and don’t forget to write:<br />
Moshlk Galanty<br />
Prophesor Nachom 3<br />
Rlshon Le Zion 76217<br />
Israel<br />
Dear Guatemala students,<br />
We are sorry to say that the time<br />
has come to say goodbye. It's hard<br />
for us to find the words to say, so<br />
we'll keep this nice and short.<br />
We hope you all had a good time<br />
these past few months, that you<br />
learned a lot (yeah right...) and<br />
gained new experiences from ALL<br />
the things you did here - classes<br />
(when you went...), trips (when<br />
they weren’t canceled)..., the<br />
beautiful dorms (even though they<br />
were on the other side of the<br />
world...), and all the rest.<br />
We also hope that the distance<br />
and cost won’t keep you away from<br />
Israel for long, and that when you<br />
do make It back, you give us a call<br />
and let us know what's new and<br />
exciting. Good Luck in everything!<br />
Love,<br />
Uri & Rebecca<br />
Uri Goldflam<br />
3 Metzarel TIrah St.<br />
Givat Hamlvtar<br />
Jerusalem 97807<br />
Israel<br />
Rebecca Zitter<br />
67 Mendess St.<br />
Klryat Krlnltzl<br />
Ramat Gan 62663<br />
Israel
HEBREW UNION COLLEGE-JEWISH INSTITUTE OF RELIGION<br />
י ו נ י י \ »<br />
^ f _ > v. s<br />
היברו יוניון קולג’- מכון למדעי היהדות<br />
wishes you success in your future studies.<br />
■ ■ ■ p ■ ■ . For information on our graduate programs in: ■ ■<br />
'^ y ^ ru rt0^ N Rabbinic Studies, Cantorial Studies, Jewish Education,<br />
לArcheology,>7 Jewish Communal Service, Studies in Biblical גז־דעי<br />
Graduate Studies in Judaica, Hebraica, and the Ancient Near East<br />
Please contact HUC-JIR<br />
|jjj|<br />
13 King David Street<br />
Jerusalem 94101<br />
Israel<br />
(02) 203-333<br />
FAX: (02) 251-478<br />
3101 Clifton Avenue<br />
Cincinnati, Ohio 45220-2488<br />
(513) 221-1875<br />
FAX: (513) 221-2810<br />
One West Fourth Street 3077 University Avenue<br />
New York, NY 10012-1186 Los Angeles, California 90007<br />
(212) 674-5300 (213) 749-3424<br />
FAX: (212) 533-0129 FAX: (213) 747-6128<br />
r~!»*7yj<br />
המרכ7<br />
THE CENTER FOR CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM IN JERUSALEM<br />
ליהדות<br />
מסורתית<br />
בירן<br />
Located in the heart of Jerusalem, the Center serves as a religious, cultural, and<br />
educational focal point for Israelis, as well as visitors from abroad.<br />
We hope you enjoyed and found meaning in the extra curricular activities of our<br />
"Center on Campus" program, and wish you much success with your future plans.<br />
נר הי נשמת אדס<br />
2 Agron Street<br />
POB 7456<br />
Jerusalem 94265<br />
Tel: 02-256-386<br />
Fax: 02-234-127<br />
Returning to North America? Be sure to look up our affiliate United Synagogue<br />
College Outreach Program "Koach" on your campus, or call/write Rich Moline at<br />
our North American office: 180 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1710, Chicago, IL<br />
60601, (Tel: 312-726-1802 or Fax: 312-726-1820).<br />
...and when you return to Israel, whether it be as a visitor, as a student, or for<br />
Aliyah, please look us up and consider us always your home away from home.<br />
Romm. Rabbi Edward S. ,להתראות
DOES THE M ID D LE E A S T SEEM<br />
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