1998-1999 Rothberg Yearbook

Th e Hebrew University
of Jerusalem

Letter from the Editors
Well, if you’re reading this, it’s officially over. You are now a proud graduate
of Rothberg High. In honor of your achievements we present you with your
yearbook. Consider it a small token of our appreciation and affection, a memento
of your time at the old alma mater.
Oh. we worked sooo hard! We slaved away to bring you this baby... and she
is SSSMOKIN’. You might find some pictures or your friends chowing down on
Ben Yehuda, your 13th Orient hook-up riding a camel in Dahab, your roommate
with his pants down during a sea to sea hike and maybe even some photos of yourself,
taken with that special telephoto lens that we keep handy. Listen, we know we
forgot to get your permission in advance, but some of our best material came
straight from those journals you left unsupervised. Yes, that’s right! Those “maintenance
men” were actually members of our staff, dispatched to collect your best
stories, your juiciest moments. Come on, you didn’t really believe them when they
told you your underwear drawer was missing a screw, now, did you?
So this yearbook might ring true to a lot of you. You might find a bit of
yourself inside- a piece of the Jerusalem, the Israel, the year, the semester- that is
uniquely yours. We hope that we did it justice.
From all of us on staff— we hope the futures that stretch out in front of you
are filled with the kind of beauty that surrounded us in Jerusalem.
Adam Eis, Paula Margulies, Rona Yona,
Merissa Rittmaster, Jeremy Goldman
Disclaimer
This yearbook has been produced by the students of the Rothberg School. The opinions contained herein do not in any way
shape or form, reflect the opinions of the staff or administration of the Rothberg School.

"Every time I see the 'Peach Pit' when it is all crowded,
I want to walk in with a boom box blasting the 90210 music and start slapping
all my friends five like Brandon and Dylan."
- Kevin Schwartz, 1999
This is OUR Rothberg High
Someone actually once had the audacity to ask what makes the Overseas Program at Hebrew
University like a High School.
I don’t know, maybe it’s...
Singing during Hebrew classes - the cafeteria complete with cliques and fashion shows
one building for all your classes - lack of real courses - joke professors - attendance policies
clubs and electives - school play - lack of car - high school band - principal - counselors
disciplinary trials knowing everyone and everyone’s else’s issues - Thanksgiving Prom
This Yearbook?
-Jeremy Goldman

"Rothberg High"
(to the tune o f "Saved By the Bell")
by Susan Altman
When you wake up in your dorm room
And you hear a sonic kaboom
And your roommate tries to tell you it's a plane
You're worried it's a bomb
But to class you run along
Cause to miss a day of Rothberg you'd just
have to be insane
It's alright cuz you love Rothberg High!
Cartoon by Naftali Meshel
Then you stroll into your ulpan
Not a friend for you to call on
So you play a game of Jew geography
By the time recess comes
You will know everyone
Cuz they forgot they knew you from
Ramah in Cali!
It's alright cuz you love Rothberg
High!
So you've been abroad a while
Without your boyfriend's friendly smile
And you're thinking you could use a little play
You throw on your black pants
Run to the Whore*, start to dance
And in the morning you're not lonely cuz you see Josh from 19-3
It's alright cuz you love Rothberg High!
*Whore= Orient Express... Student Night Every Wednesday Night...Free tequila
until 23:00!

M&WSMG D A Y - FIRSTSEMESTER
by Adam Eis
You all remember moving day: from the luxurious rooms at Idelson to the 5 star
Resnick dorms. You know what the funny (and sad) thing is? The dorm people at Idelson
actually thought they could get us all out of Idelson in an hour and a half. Believe it, I saw
their schedule. Each group gets a half-hour to “check out,” and since there are 3 groups,
that adds up to an hour and a half. The move started at 2:00 RM. Luckily, I was in the
second group, meaning that I should have been done within an hour of when they started.
Yeah right, and Israelis are patient. Since I was in the second group at 2:30 RM. me and my
roommate got in line, yet there was one problem ...it seemed as if they hadn’t started. I
waited in line for four hours, and I wasn’t even the last person in our group. Not only that,
we were only the second group; they still had to do a third group. From the first group
entering till the last group leaving, it took seven hours. After leaving Idelson, we packed on
to the Egged buses, which took us and our luggage on that 2-minute drive, only to find more
lines. After all the frustration, we got our rooms and settled into our new dorms at 10:00
RM. Finally, this nightmare of a day ended. I must admit, I am not a rocket scientist, but it
seemed to me that the dorm office was just a tad bit disorganized.
The one thing I don’t understand is, since they have done this year after
year how could such a Balagan (problem) happen????
W hatever the problem was, I was sure it was
corrected and the second semester students wouldn’t
have any problems.......
...right?????????
Cartoon by Naftali Meshel

We/cOme to Israc/...
by Nicole Lagnado
The Plane
“Why hasn’t the red line moved in the past three hours?”
“You’re in Alpha Alpha Alpha? I’m in Alpha Alpha Alpha, too! We’re sisters!”
“Didn’t I hook up with you at a USY event/Ramah Seminar/BBYO event?”
“After watching Antz for the third time in a row, I’m beginning to understand the deep sociological implications
for human nature and its relation to evolutionary disciplines. I also like the songs.”
“Wait.. .you’re from New York? Do you know ?”
“You go to a Big Ten school?”
“I’m from____.”
“Are you using that vomitbag?”
“What’s your major?”
“No, I don’t know_____.”
“Yeah, I know____ .”
Upon Arrival at Idelson
“Put our bags where?”
“Oh, that’s your black duffel bag? I thought it was mine.”
“Where did all these cats come from?”
“I thought Israel would be warmer than this.”
“What could be going on in the dorm offices that it’s taking so long?”
Roommate Selection
“Nice shoes-1 mean, without the mud... Wanna live together?”
“Weren't you the one who was talking behind me the whole trip?

“Weren’t you the one who was crying on the plane?”
“You look normal, want to live together?”
O.K., let’s look for two people standing around looking for flatmates.”
“Hi, do you need a roommate?”
Waiting for Apartments
“Ow! You’re pushing me!”
“I wonder if they do this at Tel Aviv U?”
“At least being smushed in here is keeping us warm.”
“Get your backpack out of my face.”
“I’ve been in this @#$%A&* country for two and a half hours and I already hate it!”
“I have to pee so badly...”
“Why did she say we couldn’t touch the heaters?”
“You mean, stupid, insensitive, sadistic Israelis!”
“We’ve only been here for two hours and I feel like I’ve hooked up with the entire trip.”
“They want us to drag our bags up how many flights of stairs?”
Our New Rooms
“We don’t get any toilet paper?”
“Where are the phones?”
“Hey, it’s actually clean...”
“Where’s the oven?”
“Which handle do we use to flush?”
“Where’s the fire exit?”

The New School
by Merissa Rittmaster
For a summer Ulpan-OYPer the move to Boyar was something to look forward to.
The new Rothberg Overseas Building was a major improvement from the un-air conditioned
Goldsmith and Humanities classrooms. For those of us who enjoyed the perfectly
heated and wonderfully sticky ovens they tried to pass off for classrooms, it was a relief.
The Boyar building is brand new close to the regular university, and has all the modern
conveniences such as air conditioning and two elevators. To make our adjustment to
living here easier, they put in two rooms full of computers and no printer (they did get
one 2nd semester) so that we would be able to e-mail our friends and family back home.
In case of emergency, there are over 20 computers from the dark ages in the bomb
shelter. Sometimes they all work at the same time. There is even an eating area on the
2nd floor in which to hang out or study in between classes. Now that we have a printer
that works most of the time, and all of the offices for the Overseas School are in one
place, it's a pleasant learning environment with a small library, working toilets, and no
need for portable fans in the classrooms.

THEBOMB
by Aviva Selekman
At 8 a.m. on a sunny Thursday morning (Sept. 24, 1998), many of us were
blasted out of bed - literally! The bomb that exploded in front of the then Goldsmith
building — only a number of feet from where we were living — destroyed the bus
stop we all loved and cherished and, unfortunately, did not destroy our Hebrew ulpan
classes that morning.
Thankfully, nobody suffered any major injuries. Some students were not allowed
to leave their dorms or the Goldsmith building itself (while security checked
for more bombs) and others were busy telling CNN that the bomb interrupted them
as they were making egg-salad sandwiches. Though at the time it shook some of us
up, the incident became another interesting memory from our year and, sometimes,
something to look back and laugh at. If nothing else, that bomb was the clearest
signal that it was time to move out of the insect-infested, dirt-caked sauna called
the Goldsmith Building!
( Note from editors: Let not this incident deter you from travelling to Israel or attending
Hebrew University. We can assure you that the chances of dying in a car
accident far exceed the chances of dying in a terrorist act. )

( m 11
by Terri Sundvold
Club 11 was opened several years ago by the Student Union at the Hebrew University Mount
Scopus campus. It was most recently owned and operated by Ron, Shragga, and Sagi. Ron and Sagi,
both law students, had to close the Moadon because they were about to start their internships and
didn’t have time to maintain the cafes any longer. While it was open, Club 11 was one of the most
popular night spots for the residents of the dorms.
Especially on Friday nights, when Shabbat made
getting off the hill more difficult and expensive. The
Moadon had plenty of cheap drinks, atmosphere
and shesh-besh partners. Students would often hang
out listening to music, talking, laughing and occasionally
studying until the wee hours of the morning.
Now that the cafe and bar, once literally
outside my front door has closed, everyone is doing
their share to support Jerusalem's local economy a
little more by going into town. People’s dorm
Cooper and Matt at Club 11
rooms are being turned into backgammon dens, and
the political discussions so prevalent in Israel have
been moved outside. While most students are longing to once again spend long nights socializing in the
Moadon, there are a few who appreciate the closure. Their rooms, which face the courtyard between
buildings 11 and 12 had long suffered the overflowing noise created by the dormitory hot spot. Those
students, instead of having to involuntarily join in the fun, are now enjoying a good night’s sleep.
(DtlSOtv 1?
by Ariel Serber
Many people will always remember the
muddiness of our first night in Israel. I will, too.
But I will also remember that it was the first
time I had a beer on this trip. I met the three
guys who became my flatmates and instead of
letting our miserable status all the way at the
end of the line get us down, we went for
beverages. Although we walked around Idelson
a few times before we found it, we eventually
located the door to Club 42. This was where
my flat did the whole bonding thing. It became
a really great place to go on almost any
occasion- when you wanted a break from
“work,” to relax with a beverage or a snack, or to do your homework with the best-looking
waitresses this side of my favorite all night Israeli restaurant in Brooklyn (Hi Tatyana!) There
have been many nights since 42 closed when I’ve wanted to go somewhere nearby that wasn’t the
Hyatt or the Orient Express. But unfortunately, before Idelson 42 could become an Institution, it
was put out of existence. But maybe it’s a good thing; maybe it’s better to bum out than to fade
away. But maybe I don’t want to philosophize; maybe I just want a beer.

Haven't gotten any in awhile?
Want someone who is easier than the classes at
Rothberg?
Come to the Whore-ient Express
There is so much to see (and we don't mean the
scenery)
Every Wednesday Night starting at 10 P.M.
Free play till 23:00, then you are on your own!
O m e r a t E x p r e s s
By Seth Kaplan
For some Hebrew U niversity students Wednesday
night separates the week from the weekend.
The lack of Thursday classes means a night to
party. O f course, there are many options: Ben
Yehuda is always jumping, the Russian Compound Real flyer for the Orient
gives people a plethora of bars to get drunk in
and Egon gives us all a place to smoke some nargila. But it's Wednesday night, and
the feeling's right, so why not get your groove on at the Hyatt's O rient Express.
This pseudo-trendy nightclub, which plays all the popular top 40 beats, is only a
hop, skip and a stumble (for those few who choose to drink) away from the dorms.
This inevitably adds to the popularity of a once a week “grind-fest" fo r Rothberg
High students. Also known as the “W horient Express" or “O rient Sexpress," the
club has received mixed reviews from students. Some have never been and will
never go, and fo r others it has become somewhat of a tradition. When asked,
“Who wants to go whoring?" (this word has replaced "clubbing") some run to put on
th e ir black pants, tank-tops, or nicest sh irt while others turn th eir backs and ask,
“You're going A G A IN ?"
However, the O rient is kind of like the stock market- it has its ups and downs.
When it seems like the whole school is there, when the beats ju st keep getting
tig h te r and when there is fre e tequila, it's bound to be an excellent O rient experience.
When no one is there, when the songs seem old and repetitious and when
the bartender charges you 45 sheks fo r a rum and Coke, it's bound to be a m iserable
O rient experience.
I'm sure many people have seen both these kinds of nights, but it's the good
nights th at keep the crowds coming. I'm willing to guess it's not the dude/chick
you "hooked up" with on the dance flo or last week who is bringing you back. But
then again, I could be wrong. E ither way, the O rient has d efinitely created some
memories, be them good or bad. And every Thursday there are always some sto ­
ries about the night before. I guess everything has its ups and downs. Isn't that
ju st the way life is?
(Cue the #1 Isra e li hit: “Life, Oh Life...")

Boyar Building
Frank Sinatra Cafeteria
Famous Faces
Around
Hebrew University
‘Erev Keffi” Lady!
Resnick Co-Op
The Friendliest “Secur”ity Guards in the World!
Main Entrance to University

MACHON IMASA SEMINARS
by Adam Eis
While in Israel, I made two mistakes. The first mistake was not going to the first Machon
Masa seminar. The second m istake...not going to the second Machon Masa seminar. The
third seminar was approaching, and as the saying goes, “Third times a charm.” There was
no way in hell I was going to miss this seminar. The weekend came and I was excited. Of
course, when you are having a great time, it always goes by quickly, and that’s exactly what
happened with this weekend. It was as great as everyone said it would be. There was a
fourth and a fifth seminar, which I had to attend (Machon Masa seminars are addicting) and
the results were even better. You are probably asking yourselves what’s so great about this
place. Well, you obviously never attended one of these seminars if you don’t know why
everyone loves it.
WHAT MACHON MASA HAS TO OFFER:
• Hotel room at kibbutz M a’ale Hachamisha (2-4 people per room depending on the size
of the seminar)
• Television, A/C, and bathtubs in hotel room
• Indoor and outdoor swimming pools (outdoor pool opens in may, and is a 5 minute walk
from hotel)
• Hot tub (always filled up by Hebrew U. participants)
• 2 saunas (one is a dry sauna, and the other is a wet sauna.... Whatever the difference is)
• Ping pong
• Weight room (for an extra 20 shekels)
• Great food (5 meals for the weekend consisting of: soup, rolls, many types of spreads,
rice, BEEF, chicken, fish, salad bar, and several types of desserts)
ALL THIS FOR 60 SHEKELS. That’s $15 American dollars, and for all you Canadians (no
disrespect) figure it out yourselves. There is no better deal in Israel... Oh yeah, and if you
would like they have some seminars.

“The world stands on three things
Torah, work, and good deeds. ”
Here’s just a sample of the many volunteer projects that
Rothberg students have participated in.
Center for the Blind
The most rewarding experience I have had since arriving in Israel has been working with a
visually challenged Israeli student I met through the Center for the Blind here on campus. The
Center for the Blind at the Hebrew University is one of the country’s most sophisticated institutes
for the visually challenged in Israel: offering an array of services and activities for nonsighted
students in the same courses. Volunteers are needed to read course articles not on tape
and for extra curricular activities like tandem bike-reading. This experience has been positive for
a number of reasons. As luck would have it, I was paired with a great guy with whom I share
common interests. We are now close friends. I have also met several Israelis through him, like
his parents and his old high school gang up in Kiryat Motzkin. More importantly, I have been
introduced to a new reality (the reality of the visually impaired) and have been forced to look
upon the challenges I face daily with a greater sense of humor and patience. In addition, this
experience has provided me with a greater feeling of purpose and place in Jerusalem (I am not
Jewish or religious), whereas before I constantly questioned my decision to come here. Finally, I
am happy to write that I have actually discovered an area of Jerusalem life undamaged by political,
ethnic, and religious tensions. Visually challenged people, after all, can only judge a person
on character, and to be with a person possessing this gift is refreshing to say the least.
-Dawn Morris
Kol Ha-lsha: The Woman’s Voice
Kol Ha-lsha is a non-profit women’s center located in downtown Jerusalem which
promotes a feminist model of social change while addressing the needs of women in Jerusalem.
Kol Ha-lsha includes a women’s resource and referral center, support groups, a women’s art
gallery, lecture series and monthly memorial vigils for women murdered each month.
As an intern with Kol Ha-lsha for the past eight months, I have been presented with an
inside view of the status of women within Israeli society. In Jerusalem, a city diverse in its
population, I worked with Palestinian and Mizrahi women as well as women from Ethiopia,
America and Europe.
The most valuable part of my experience at Kol Ha-lsha was working on a KAB
(Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior) study of Israeli women and the HIV/AIDS virus.
-Yael Cohen

Beit Hillel
Y in JV1
For over 30 years, Beit Hillel has served both Israeli and Overseas students as a social, cultural, and
religious center. Beit Hillel’s multi-faceted programs and activities for overseas students this year
have included lectures, seminars, theater productions, parties, and much more. Beit Hillel also
serves as a resource center for connecting with Israeli society, programming on campus, and what to
do in Israel. Overseas students also enjoy the use of Hillel’s facilities, which include a music/reading
room with English and Hebrew newspapers and magazines, pianos, and a video center where movies
and TV shows were watched.
Hillel Scholars
The Hillel Scholars program is designed for 15
leaders of Hillel in North America who are currently
studying in Israel. The scholars continue
in the development of their leadership skills and
serve as the leadership for programming at Hillel
at Hebrew University. Each scholar chooses a
project they are interested in working on. This
year, the scholars have designed, created and
implemented a wide variety of exciting programs:
Hillel Scholars / UJA Fellows
greeting immigrants from Crimea Fall
Marla Bennet
Jessica Bodack
Karen Eltis
Aileen Goldstein
Elisheva Gould
Bonnie Miluso
Eyal Mintz
David Schildkret
Steven Shafir
Sarah Sherwood
Ben Taylor
Joshua Weinberg
Seth Wikas
Ami Wise
Women’s Group
by Marla Bennett
Women’s Group and Rosh Chodesh Celebrations
Grains of Sand Literary Magazine
Supreme Court Visit
Fall Semester Unity Shabbat, Spring Semester Mock Elections
Post-Pesach Pizza Party, Grains of Sand Literary Magazine
Salame Volunteer Projects
Tuesday Night Lecture Series
Pippin (Theatrical Production)
Hiking Club, Hillel Website
Art Show, Spring Semester Unity Shabbat
Yom HaShoah Programming
Recycling, Mock Elections
OSReport
Hiking Club
Hillel’s Rosh Chodesh group met at the beginning of each Hebrew month to celebrate the new
month. Every four weeks, ten to twenty women gathered to mark the holiday when the moon
changes, a time which is associated with women. The group learned about the holidays in each
month through discussions and projects. In Shevat, the group planted parsley to celebrate Tu
B ’Shevat. In Iyar, the group discussed issues of being female in Israel in honor of Yom
Ha’atzmaut. The women formed bonds with each other and enjoyed meeting every month.

Unity Shabbatonim
by Aileen Goldstein
This year saw the first ever Hebrew Unity
Shabbatonim, the pluralist, on-campus weekend
seminars for overseas students involved in all different
walks of Jewish life. The two Shabbatonim,
one first semester and one second semester, focused
on the ways to unite the Jewish community
without the use of labels and titles. Everyone had
a good time eating, davening, discussing and
spending Shabbat together. This was the first time
all of the different campus religious groups got
together to coordinate an event to unite everyone.
The weekend served to breakdown misconceptions
and uninformed perceptions of various religious practices and movements.
Thanksgiving Dinner
This past November, over 200 Rothberg International
students ate turkey and stuffing and danced the night
away at the Dan Pearl Hotel. At what other Thanksgiving
could you do Israeli dancing??? This gala dinner was
sponsored by UJA and Hillel. “This year’s Thanksgiving
dinner was the best Thanksgiving I ever had. I really
enjoyed celebrating with all my friends in Jerusalem,”
said Steven Shafir, a participant.
Beit Midrash
by Reuven Grodner, Director
_ .- m *m
Beit Midrash learners hard at work
The Hillel-Hecht Beit Midrash Program offers
a wide variety of formal and informal
learning experiences. It provides a unique
opportunity for students abroad to further
their knowledge of Judaism through classical
Jewish texts. Students select from a wide
variety of topics including Bible, Mishnah,
Talmud, Midrah, philosophy, history, ethics,
women’s issues, Kabbalah, prayer and
many more Small discussion groups are also
conducted on numerous, interesting subjects.
Weekly Pizza Talk with speakers,
holiday celebrations, seminars and field trips
also enhance the Beit Midrash experience.

U k r a in e H ille l
P a s s o v e r P r o je c t
by Rachel Schlenker and Aviva Selekman
We spent this
Pesach in a
place where I
saw the passage of the
Jewish people from slavery
to freedom. A place
where we brought all our
stories, Pesach traditions,
and hope to a place where
hope was once lost. We
were in the Ukraine participating
in the Hillel
Passover Project. After
spending alm ost the
whole year learning about the Jews of the Former Soviet Union, we went to the Ukraine,
where we were paired up with Ukrainian students. Six Hillel students, 10 kilograms
of matzah, lots of tuna (except Steve!), a van, a guard and driver - and a mission. (No,
MTV did not film us). In
the U kraine we conducted
Seders that ranged
from 10 to 200 people,
went to people’s homes to
visit and to bring them
Pesach, found out about
the harsh reality that once
faced the Jews in
U kraine, and brought
them hope for the future
of the Jewish people. This
Pesach many of us
learned about freedom
and realized how fortunate
we are and how we have a responsibility to the Jewish people. All of us were
impacted by our experience and Pesach will never be the same for any of us again.

I
Pippin, a musical
comedy about a
young prince in
search of a complete
and fulfilling life, brought the
Hillel stage to life second
semester. Music, dance and
plenty of magic captured the
essence of this production.
With a cast of 18 and a crew
of twice that many, this
highly acclaimed Bob Fossestyle
show was directed and
choreographed by David
Schildkret (and his lovely
assistants). The crew built a
creative set complete with
full curtain, dressed the cast
in jazzy attire, and worked
within their own independently
earned budget. The
musicians in the pit practiced
beyond perfection. The cast
put all their heart, mind and
body into developing their
individual characters on
stage. Despite the challenges
and long hours, Pippin
proved to be an exceptional,
complete, and absolutely
fulfilling experience for all
who were involved with it.
-Lilli Weisz

J ls , ! < ^ \/{ i± £ % a ^ f£±
Did you hear the people sing, singing the songs... from this years Beit Hillel production of “Les
Miserables”? If not you certainly missed out. During the cold month of January, 70 students
from the cast and crew of this critically acclaimed musical left seven sold out audiences
(approx. 1,500 people) begging for more “...at the end of the play.”
After a mere two and half months of intense rehearsals under the direction of Michael
Berl, the cast of about 50 students proudly belted out songs, “..filling the [theater] darkness with
order and light”, enhanced by their impoverished clothing, dirty make-up, and of course the
infamous barricade built by crew members, able to hold at least 10 actors at a time.
As smoothly as the shows often went, the high quality professional caliber of the cast
shined through as most of the cast filled the stage, sweetly singing, “Drink with m e... to days...
gone by. Sing with m e... the songs... we knew....” BLACKOUT. Yes indeed, the city of Jerusalem
accidentally cut the power in several Hebrew University buildings on the night of January
13th, in the midst of the Act II, leaving a frightened cast with the responsibility of entertaining
over 200 audience members in the dark. This they did. Kol ha’kavod to the cast of “Les
Miserables”, and we ask that everyone “Raise a glass” to their success. - Zack Lasker
‘Les Miz,’ as
only in Israel
Excerpt of article by Sam Orbaum in
Jerusalem Post Monday, January 18, 1999:
If you’ve seen Les
Miserables anywhere in the
world, I guarantee it was
nothing like the performance I
saw on Wednesday.
The kids of Beit Hillel were
putting on a fine show at
Hebrew University on Mount
Scopus, when something happened.
It’s always interesting to see
how performers react when
things go awry, and
boy, things did. .
We had just settled
into the second
act. The students,
doing a story about
students, were getting
through the
program very nicely,
and the sold-out
audience was lapping
it up.
They had just Finished
the song,
“Drink With Me.”
At that moment,
according to the
synopsis,, “the students
settle down for a night on
the barricades,” and the lights
went out.
Nice touch, I thought.
“/ liked it best when Michael Berl said ‘that’s a wrap’ backstage
after our last performance...
it was truly an emotional moment fo r me.’'’
- Cooper “Javer” Grodin
The cast of Les Miserables

< ^ u u e ?
by Natan Hay man
Thank you, Tal, for teaching us
about light, shutter speed, and
how NOT to take pictures with
the lens cap on. W hile being
harassed by an Arab salesman,
selling kafiyas, taking pictures
of noisy American tourists,
wondering is Jesus was really
buried at the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre, and casually strolling
the M uslim meat market (were
those human brains?) I had a
great time getting to know you
all. After capturing Jerusalem ’s
unique sights and personality
through your camera lens you
are taking home memories from
your year in Israel. Most im portantly
- keep on shooting!

(N iiiS
Buses and sleep
“Dudu, Dudu, Ha-madrich!”
Silence
Walking where no man has walked before
Firing zones
Water 1 (Drink up!)
Water 2 (Rivers in the Negev?!)
400 feet falls
The pussy Club
m* m m
Guitars and girls from Invemese
Bonfire
^ Pasta ? ^— soup? Soup Nazi?!
(-2) celcius
The best people ever...
I had the greatest time with Y’all the past year,
you’re the best,
Keep on hiking (Club!) - Amit Down

mm warn
After a week of Ben Yehuda, the Peach Pit, shuk shopping and other mundane Jerusalem
activities, there was something kind of nice about an OSA trip. You packed up your stuff, tried
to get on the good bus, left your copy of Let’s Go Israel at home, and followed your fearless
madrichim into the depths of Israel, where you saw things you probably never would have on
your own. It was free (Since Mom and Dad paid for your points) and you got some amazing
pictures to show for it. Whether psychotic llamas spit on you (Masada), your eyebrows froze
(Hermon), you had major gastrointestinal problems (C-2-C), or you spent eight consecutive
hours at a kibbutz swimming pool (Golan), you experienced Israel like a true Rothberg student
should: as a proud member of an OSA trip.

On a sunny Friday morning, 25 of the most athletic students woke up very early and rode to the
beautiful city of Ra’anana, where together with soldiers, children and Israeli champions they
took part in a 19 k. run.
The day was hot, the run was challenging, but we all made it to the finish line and had a great

C-2-C Hike
by Shalom Steinberg
3:45 in the m orning, finally say goodbye to the last person going to Russia for
Pesach and... Woops ! Freak out because there is supposed to be a time
change! Was it actually 4:45 a.m., and I’m not packed, or even
close to ready to go? No. I’m safe. Everything in Israel is
abnorm al, so the time change will occur during the week.
So began the annual Yam l’Yam hike. It looked like it
was going to be great. A rocky start, but adventurous nonetheless.
U nbeknow nst to us, those that we road the buses
with, we would be STUCK with for the next four days!
Finally everyone was on the bus and its 5:30 a.m. Time to
sleep right? W rong...
“WAKEE!! WAKEE!! Hi my name is Omer and
I'm going to be the best m edic you’ve ever had... We
will be having good food, but you know it’s actually my
m o th e r...”
“SHUT UP !!! LET US SLEEP !!! It’s 6 am and
my body says sle— .”
“As I was saying, my m other makes the best
gefilte fish. It’s charif and she makes it with carrots,
but I don’t like carrots... WAKEE ! WAKEE ! I ’m
talking to you !”
“If you don’t SHUT UP, I ’M GOING TO
KILL Y O U!”
The hike turned out to be an amazing,
unforgettable experience which took us through
Omer the medic gets down at the
C2C Disco
beautiful valleys, playful stream s and lush green Galil forests. We ate all kinds of interesting
eggs for breakfast, a variety of cheeses, and quiches and sandwiches for lunch,
not to forget exquisite dinners of potatoes, chicken and beef. But it was all just an
illusion, a break from the drinking, peeing, scratching jum ping falling walking on valley
cliffs and the DISCO.
Tali and Gayle (with map of Israel)

P a u l I V I e n d e / - f l o h r
Classnotes by Mike Nathanson

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m m o m m tm m t o b a s p
BASF is over for another year. 31 people are going back to their respective homes with
memories th at will stay with them for the whole of their lifetimes. The five months that
we have had here have flown by, bet in the time we have had so many enjoyable experiences.
These ranged from dressing up for Purim and dancing like maniacs in Ben Yehuda
Street after having a huge foam fight on Yom Ha’atzmaut. Being on Mount Meron on Lag
B Omer was an incredible experience whilst Sea to Sea was tiring bet great fen. Every
week broeght something new to enjoy and after it seemed that we had done one thing
another activity came along immediately. It’s almost impossible to write down how
enjoyable BASP has been. The idea of coming abroad to stedy at a University on our G-AP
year may sound ridiculous to some but the experiences we have taken from our time here
can only have enriched our lives. Football was a predominant activity for the boys ranging
from the pitch in Reznik that overlooks the Old City (who can claim to do that every
night?/) to travelling across the country to play a Yeshiva. Ulpan was hard- getting up
for 8:30 after Orient Express was sometimes impossible- but fun at the same time, whilst
the ritual o f lunch at Frank Sinatra’s soon died when we realised that the food wasn’t
that good//
The main activity that we all participated in - no, that doesn’t mean going to class and
actively working, was drinking. 31 Brits and Aussies at times managed to be louder than
over 300 Americans and threats to be kicked out of our dorms and other people’s dorms
were rife but always laughed at. Mothing got in the way of our drinking and managing to
close Club 11 down for tw o nights on our second night in Israel for being so loud was
one th at will remain in the memory for a long time. It’s impossible to write in such a short
space w hat everyone has done in these 5 months. Everyone has their own special experiences
that they will take back to England and Australia with them, along with a whole
host o f new friends made out here in a wonderful 5 months. Our vocabulary has been
enriched greatly with some notable additions being felch, rouse and batty to name a
few.
Another stage in our lives is over now, Uni beckons with us taking some great memories
and some great friendships. It’s been great fun but like all good things it has come to an
end.

M S A s n m s t m t t s s t
by Yael Furstenberg, Sheara Abrahams, Jessica Lipman
BASP ’99 was running along smoothly when all o f a sudden disaster struck. There
were rumours, suspicions and outcries: suddenly we heard that our beloved Club 11
was about to be shut No more lazy evenings and 2am ice creams. What were we going
to do? The world was coming to an end!! Complaints against BAJP’s rudeness were
rampant and surely with the closure of our favourite watering-hole they were only
going to get worse! So with tears in our eyes we said good-bye to our beloved
C lu b ll.
There was never a time when it was needed more than when we tried to pull an
all-nighter before facing the horrendous chore of trying to renew out visas at the
infamous “Ministry of Interior.” Where could we get double espressos at 3am and pass
those bleak, lonely hours?
With sunken hearts and tired eyes we finally made our way to town. Deserted
and bare we sought refuge in the warmth of Dunkin’ Donuts and thought back to the
comfort and the memories o f Club 11.
TOM HA-ATXMAUT
by Danny Miller and Marc Abrahams
Israel’s Independence Day: a genuine cause for celebration, or just an excuse for
a big piss-up? Both, which is the great thing about it One o f the biggest nights of the
year started for most BASPers in Peznik with consuming numerous alcoholic beverages.
The girls, of course were retarsed after one sip, Yael and Lee-Ann after a sniff. The
alcohol obviously brought out the true nature of Alice, who remarked that I (Danny)
looked like a “batty bastard” in my shirt (He changed it, but still looked gay, but not as
gay as Blakey-Marc).
We then all stumbled to Ben Yehuda Street and were greeted by hundreds of
thousands of typically friendly Israelis spraying foam in our faces. So, being English, we
took out revenge on them in a big way. We also decided to pay Jeff Seidel back for all
the free meals we’ve been having courtesy of him by foaming the shit out of him. The
street party was truly a wonderful experience, with all the singing, dancing, and fireworks.
After we got tired of battering Israelis (and Americans o f course) we all made
our way to the big party at the International Convention Center, with three separate
dance floors, one o f which was packed with hundreds o f Israelis all practicing for the
next big synchronised techno-dance contest which will hopefully never be held. The
other rooms were the ‘80s room, and also the main dance floor where a certain member
o f our group (you know who you are) danced like the sexy beast he is in his attempt to
woo one of the American girls not particularly aesthetically blessed. Everyone thoroughly
enjoyed themselves at this party, as it was a chance other than Orient Express
for us to publicly show -off our superb dance moves. All in all, a brilliant evening and one
to remember.

FOOTtMU
by Ben Forman & Daniel King-Scoff
“Foofball is nof just about life and deafh. I t s more fhan fh a f” - Bill Sharkly
On fhe 261hJanuary 1999 (6 monfhs affer fhe world cup) 13 English yebloos
turned up a f Heafhrow wifh fhe infenfion o f belying only one fhing (alrighf - maybe
fw o fhings - defy free cigareffes can never be ignored). We ran info fhe sporfs shop
fo bey a foofball. bef dee fo fhe price we had fo w aif 'fill we arrived. Finally, affer
aboef 1 week we finally g of ‘roend fo beying a “commenal” ball.
The firsf serface fo serface daily baffering was fhe small bef exfremely effective
patch o f grass oefside Reznik #7 which was soon ferned info a perfect "one
boence pitch. If took a while, bef affer a long tiresome sfreggle wifh fhe yanks, and
their pathetic game of basketball, we laid claim fo fhe coert af Reznik for a foofball
pitch. Many a memorable game has been played there, and there is nothing more one
can ask for fhan fo play fhe tidy game overlooking fhe holy city!
At firsf, for us Westerners, it was extremely strange to have fo start fhe week
on Sundays. But w hat helped immensely was knowing that there was always a United
Nation foofball match (on fhe H yaff pitch) to look forw ard to every Sunday night Of
course us Brits turned up without fail (even in fhe pouring rain), but other nationalities
committed fo fhe cause were: the Dutch, Israelis, French, Scottish, Welsh, Australians,
South Africans and Brazilians and last, but certainly least .. fhe sole Argentinean representative
- who certainly does Maradona and the Argentinean footie team proud, with
his love of fair play and commitment fo keeping within fhe rules of fhe game (YEAH).
As the founders of world civilization, one of fhe new British inventions now
adapted even by Americans, is fhe beautiful game of “one bounce” No matter what the
situation, you’ll always find a game, whether if be af a Motorway (Highway) service
station, or on fop o f a mounfain(as Sea to Sea).
A big thank you must g o f out fo the owners of Zolly’s the Tavern, fhe Road Bar,
and Champs, who have all had fhe privilege of hosting a group of drunken English bloks
all intent on concentrating on fhe game, and certainly not on providing them wifh any
business. Israeli pubs may be willing fo accommodate for British foofball but Channel 5
was certainly nof. Firstly, during a major English cup final between the Spurs and
Lechesfer they had fhe audacity fo switch back and forth fo an irrelevant Celfa Vigo
game. For this reason we blame and hate Chaim Ravivo. Secondly, on send final day,
Israeli cable decided fo go AWOL in fhe center o f Jerusalem. The British contingent was
forced fo run around Jerusalem like headless chickens, fo find fhe games and some even
resorted fo watching if in an electrical store selling TV’s (in fhe Canyon). Yet again
Celfa Vigo and Chaim Ravivo interrupted. We’ll never forget having fo convince a university
professor to reschedule a lecture fo accommodate our watching, and also when a
whole male population o f fhe class cuts class fo see a game/
Just fo get one fhing straight - “Handball” is so-called because they use their
hands and a ball - - “Football” is so-called because fhe players kick fhe ball wifh their
feet/ Why do you (fhe Americans) insist on calling is SOCCER? P.S. where did your hoops
go?

a -x
A is for Alcohol (Always a good start/)
B if for Battiness and goatees
C is for chasteness (or lack thereof)
D is for Dizzy, like a whirlpool
E is for Exams
F is for “Felching for Peace”
G is for G-rass (Don’t walk on it)
H is for homophobia (piss o ff you bastard/)
I is for Intelligence - gone to waste
J is for Jeff “Golf Shoes” Seidel
K is for 0 Computer please work/
L is for a Lorra Lorra laughs
M is for Ministry of (you’ve all been shafted up the) Interior
N is for Not on your life your fat, American bint/
0 is for over-sleeping. “God bless us all”
P is for piss-ups and football. Op the arse
Q is for e-mail strictly
R is for Rock Bar (men only/)
S is for Strudel (need we say more?)
T is for Tel Aviv. Wish you were there?’
0 is for Olpan’s heady asinine days
V is for Vivacious BASP babes. Any takers?
W is for Whorient (see above)
X is for Xenophobia of Americans
Y for Yoel “your friend and mine” Nesson
Z is for Z722222... (and plenty of them).
1
\
W# %

0 0 0
cW%at
Ezra Androphy... five shekel falafel
Larry Brooks... anything at the Hyatt
David Berm an... Kinley
Seth Kaplan... a stray cat
W u m tA
carrion .-st****
Suzanne Kurtzer... Nutella
Paula M argulies... a wad of chocolate
Shoshana Eisenberg... a Kinder Egg
Evan Jacobs... a M ilky
M ichelle Farbenblum... "lollies"
Rachel Schlenker... Nescafe
Eva Price... free tequilla at the Orient
George Farah... Terrayaki
/
Shari Adler...eggplant
. a t -
/
iTK
Gaby Schoenfeld...M arzipan
Jay Ben'O us... a pomello
Adam Eis ... a Forum Hamburger
Jeremy Goldman ... free pizza from Jeff Seidel
Rona Yona ... a sandwich
Merissa Rittmaster ... Afarsemonim (persimmon, that is)

T h e C@"@ p S w e e p
by Pamela Berkowitz
So, you haven't gone grocery shopping in two weeks.
You're out of pasta, cereal and peanut butter, and your pita is moldy. Know what time it is? Time for the
"Co-op Sweep." Ready? Set? Go!
You walk to French Hill, grab a cart, and let the nice man at the door check your backpack. You turn
right, and enter the produce section. You throw some veggies and fruits into a bag, and then it hits...
The Shuk Guilt! How can you pay 32 shekels for mushrooms when they only cost 10 at the shuk?
Forget Econ 101 and opportunity cost- you'll spend all day tomorrow at the shuk. Besides, vegetables
only rot anyway! So you turn the corner and enter the salad section. You grab a small container of
hummus- Wait, you better get the big one. Then you go to the dairy section. Get some chocolate milk,
chocolate yogurt, chocolate milkies, and then move on. Don't forget to stop by the freezer section.
What is life without shnitzel? OK, so now you walk down the cleaning aisle...there are cleaning supplies
in Israel? Who knew? You remember that you need eggs and milk. You start walking back to the
refrigerator section and then remember that only silly Americans refrigerate milk and eggs! Silly you,
they're right on the shelf next to the canned goods. You can't help but wonder why everything good in
Israel comes in a bag...milk, cake, Bissli, Bamba... kind of makes you think. Next comes the beverage
aisle, and with it the age old question- bottled or Brita? Well, you haven't changed your Brita filter
in...about...never. Basically, you'd better get bottled. Well, now that you got water, you better get some
beverages with flavor. Vodka and wine will do. You opt for quality this time and get the citrus flavored
12 shekel vodka...anything less would be a sin. Then the wine. White or red? Dry or sweet? Better get
one of each. Now it's time to approach the check-out. You knew that all the time you spent on amusement
park bumper cars as a kid would come in handy sometime. Do you dare try and wait in the express
line with 11 items in your cart? You finally get up to the cashier and pay your 200 shekels. But
there's more! The cashier informs you that you've gotten a free gift. What could it be? $1 million, a
new car, a free trip to Paris... Oh, it's a bottle of grape juice. Well, you take the grape juice and throw it
in some nice yellow Co-op bags and walk outside. You walk home
and put your food away. An hour later,
you feel your tummy growl. You walk to
the kitchen, open the refrigerator and
$ISL/
cupboards and realize that you have
nothing to eat...better go out for dinner.
l
l
o
r c jo M io e c o u p o n s ,
op r t f e Is r AEu & ai>
p y p .m ii)

The Shuk
by Sarah Sherwood
It’s Friday m orning and you are in Israel. You wake up, talk to your room mate
about the night before, and
pull up those rickety shutters
in your dorm room to let in
some of that M iddle Eastern
sun. But som ething is m issing.
Shabbat is 8 hours
away— it isn’t that. You feel
the distinct need for som e­
thing loud, crowded, exhilarating,
and just a bit d irty ......
OF COURSE !!! You are due
for your weekly trip to the
shuk !
As year or sem ester
students at Rothberg, one of
our aims is to experience the
sights, sounds, culture, and w ell... smells of our local host country. And one of the best
ways to do that in one fell swoop is a trip to the M ahane Yehuda Shuk. W here else can
you get such a feast of colorful fruits
and vegetables, vendors screaming
“Banana b ’eser! B -Eser!” . Not to
mention a variety of clothing from
tank-tops to long skirts, from blackhats
to kafias.
Many of us made a quick adaptation
to Israeli life by participating in
the local custom of the Friday morning
stampede before Shabbat to buy all
the fresh fruits, vegetables, spices and,
of course, humus and pita that our
hearts could desire for the coming
week. Despite the crowds and the
push and shove — or perhaps partly
because of them — most of us will
have fond m em ories of one of the
most characteristic shopping experiences
Jerusalem has to offer.

N
t? ^ 'V 'K ) T ^ Nv 'lsO
Living on French Hill and Mount Scopus can sometimes get to be a bit boring and dull. An
amateur might ask, "W here can w e go?" As Petula Clark once said a few decades ago,
"You can always go...DO W N TOWN ."
That's exactly what a lot of us have
done. During the day there's food
shopping at the shuk or clothes shopping
on Jaffa and King George. For late
afternoon or nighttime, there are a
wide range of activities for a wide
range of people. There's the Russian
compound, Yoel Solomon, and we can't forget Ben Yehuda. Strolling down the Midrachov,
I can recall many regular and eye-catching sights: the woman with her guitar and dancing
puppet, the drummers surrounded by a crowd of onlookers either quietly tapping their
feet or dancing in the middle of the circle, the crowd of men thinking they can outwit the
dealer in a game of 3-Card Monty. And w e can't forget to mention those ever present
yeshiva kids chattering away on their pelephones or drinking alcohol from a bottle in a
brown paper bag in Kikar Zion.

Name: Jeff Seidel
Height: Shorter than you
Last Seen: Harassing students at:
Strudel’s
Mike’s Place
Tel Aviv
Nicolai’s
Sergei’s
Glasnost
Frank Sinatra
All over the Boyar Building
Ben Yehuda
Idelson 2 to 42
Resnick 1-19
The Old City
The Kotel
Last time you got out of the shower
In your kitchen
Your bathroom
Your closet
Your dreams...
Jeff Seidel Logic Question
If Jeff Seidel leaves his student center on French Hill at 20:30, travelling in his van
at 60 KMH taking the 4H (that is not an H, that is an Aleph) route, and his clone
leaves Tel Aviv, after pestering secular Americans, at 21:00, which one can you
exploit for more free pizza?

tonem D'oniooni D'vysn Vvj niyoin man
ISRAEL YOUTH & STUDENTS TRAVEL COMPANY
ROTHBERG TRAVEL
. OFTERS ‘99
Price do nol includ: A/P lax, reg fee
0 W FLIGHT
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RIO fro m - $642 BANGKOK fro m - $389 LOS ANGELES from - $ 5 09
BUENOS AIRES fro m - $667 JAKARTA f r o m -$47 2 CHICAGO from $483
I I M A
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FLIGHT + 4 NIGHTS
ISTANBUL
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Tel. 02-5826116, Fax:02-5812389 _ _ _ _ _ _ _
* Valid for youth and students, Prices valid for day of advertising 11/4/99

“There were lots of Arabs. ”
Elishe Rothenberg on her thoughts of
Jordan
PETRA
By Adam Eis
In October, I was one of four American citizens who decided
to cross the Jordanian border to visit Petra. After we
left Israel and paid our fees (60 shekels at the time), we got
to the Jordanian side and that’s where they got us. 33
Dinars to enter Jordan doesn’t sound like much, but when
that adds up to $45.00, it’s a hell of a lot. And that is just
getting in to Jordan. I felt like I was paying for Hussein’s
Chemotherapy (at the time of our visit he was alive, and
receiving treatment). After emptying our wallets out at the
border, and no ATM machine in sight, we finally got to
Petra. Spending one day in Petra is more than enough time
to visit the infamous Treasury (Yes Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade was partially filmed there), the Roman Theater,
tombs, tombs, and more tombs, and even climb up more than 800 steps to the Monastery.
Petra is a very unique city, as it is all hand built out of mountains. After a long day, if you are
tired, you can even sleep in one of the caves (See “Mike’s Criminal Record” for more details).
Africa
by Mike Shinewald
Over February break, twelve Rothberg students from the U.S. and
Canada travelled to the East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania.
Activities ranged from hiking Mt. Kenya to safaris in Masai
Mara, Ngorogoro Crater, and the Serengetti. We also relaxed on
the coastal towns and islands of Zanzibar, Mumbasa and Lamu. The
beautiful plains of East Africa offer a wide variety of birds, reptiles
and land animals. The natural beauty of East Africa is something
that will stay with all
Mt. Kenya
of us forever.

Sinai
by Jerem y G oldm an
A hhhh, Sinai! Hopefully you h ad th e m agnificent o p p o rtu n ity to
check out th e w o n d e rs of this desert p en in su la d u rin g your stay. I've
learn ed th e re are tw o p ath s you can take w h e n you visit this region. You
can explore th e g rea t desert once w a n d e re d by the ancient Israelites,
gazing u p o n colored canyons an d aw esom e m o u n ta in s via jeep ride or
camel. This is o n e of th e m o re a m azin g places to hike in the M iddle East
... or so I’ve h e ard . See, I always opted to take the second option con cern ­
ing Sinai — EXTREME RELAXATION. M an, w hat a place... Chilling takes on
a n ew elevation as your body n u m b s to th e effects of the desert sun,
B edouin hospitality (" ch y a a fa " in Arabic — I learn ed it in Ze’ev M ag h en 's
class), cheap a n d often delicious food (especially w h en you’ve got the
m unchies), com fortable lo u n g in g areas, skunky schwigity schw ag (also
k n o w n as " b a n g a ” by the local E gyptians and " t r e n n a by the Bedouins)
and friendly people (m ost of th e m are n a m e d M o h am m ed w hich m akes
your life a lot easier).
On m y first trip to Sinai I h ad an experience l will never forget. 1
was in T arabin looking for som e e n te rta in m e n t and 1 was referred to,
you'll n e v er guess, a B edouin n a m e d M o h am m ed . He guided m e out of
the city, across th e h ighw ay (m ore like deathw ay... Egypt has the n u m b e r
o ne death rate o n th e roads), an d up tow ards the distant m o u n tain s. We
chatted alo n g th e way an d finally reached a small te n t nestled in the foothills
of th e Sinai M o u n tain s. The view from w ith in the ten t was spectacular.
You could see all of T arabin an d N uw eiba City lying beside the glorious
Red Sea w hich stretched across to Saudi Arabia. In w o n d e rm e n t, T
w aited in com plete silence w hile Asus, m y soon to be B edouin friend,
en tered . He knew n o English b u t w as fluent in H ebrew for he had lived in
Israel for seven years after 1967. We chatted for a long tim e as he m ade
m e au th en tic tea (this is th e real stuff) and rolled joints of the local to ­
bacco (yeah, right) w hich w ould have im pressed Willie Nelson. He told
m e to com e back w ith friends - to leave m y wallet b e h in d - and he w ould
take us o n a "tiyul" w e w ould n ev er forget. The next day T re tu rn e d and
he w as rig h t. A fter a lo n g hike w e re tu rn e d to his te n t w h ere his servants
(?) h ad p re p a re d for us a hearty m eal of fresh fish, rice, an d potatoes. We
keep in touch.

Amazing Thailand
"Monks” Photo by Avi Fogel
“Oh, pilot of the storm who leaves
no trace
Like thoughts inside a dream
Heed the path that led me to
that place
Yellow desert stream
My Shangri-La beneath the summer
moon
Will return again
Sure as the dust that floats
b'hind you
W hen movin' through Kashm ir”
- Led Zepellin
India
“Kashmir” Photo by Kevin Scwartz

(Hj Criminal ReC© r d
by Mike Lebson
First of all, let me just say that the only country where I
could have legitimately gotten in trouble with the law was
Jordan. In Russia and Egypt I was innocent, I swear!
I guess the students of the One-Year Party have an international
reputation for trouble-making, because in every country outside
of Israel that I toured this year, I had run-ins with the law. In
October I toured Russia for 3 Vi weeks. I learned a lot during
that time, including how the “law” works in Russia: it doesn’t. Mike (left) bringing out his feminine
side with travel partner Eyal
I met an Australian backpacker in my hostel the second
day I was in Moscow, and we decided to tour the capital together. Our first stop was to be
Lenin’s body (preserved and heavily guarded on Red Square for your viewing pleasure). As we
were walking toward the Metro station in our usual happy-go-lucky, Ha-ha-communism-felland-capitalism-didn’t
way, we crossed a wide road to get to the other side. Just as we were
poised to enter the Metro station, the police closed in on us in a high-precision sting operation....
Ok, so one G.A.I. (traffic cop) stopped us, took our passports and visas, and ordered us into his
unmarked van. Since he had a submachine gun and our only means of international identification,
we were forced to obey, despite much protesting and an attempted 10-ruble - about 68
cents U.S. at the time - bribe (hey, we’re cheap). After a half hour of interrogation in the van
(interspersed with offers of vodka and beer which we declined), we learned the ultimatum: 300
rubles ($20 U.S.) each, or be booked at the police station and released for free. Our crime?
Crossing the street at a place other than a crosswalk.
Being the shrewd backpackers that we were, my Australian friend and I opted for the
police station. After another fifteen minutes or so, it became clear that we had accidentally
called his bluff, and we finally got to leave for free (which, I found out later, is extremely rare...
so don’t try this at home, kids).
My encounter with the Egyptian law in February did not require as much
fierce mental strategy, but rather driveling pleas for mercy: while my friend
Eyal and I were waiting for the Metro train - which seems to be the only
common denominator with my Russian quasi-arrest - in Cairo, I decided on a
whim to take a picture of a clock with Arabic numerals hanging from the
ceiling. (Hey, admit it, that’s a pretty neat picture!) An astute young soldier
noticed my felony, and promptly marched me to his commander upstairs.
Clock in Egypt This time, at the wise suggestion of Eyal, I had surrendered my student ID
card instead of my passport. Drawing from a wealth of knowledge of Arabic (“Ana khawagga”
- “I am a dumb tourist”) gleaned from my Let’s Go guide, I was released with a wag of the
finger and a snicker. My crime? Pictures are forbidden in the Metro.
Jordan is a little different story. Travelling alone, I decided to save time and money, both
of which were running low, by sleeping inside one of the ancient caves carved into the rock face
of the old city of Petra. This wasn’t exactly “legal”, but I couldn’t see it hurting anybody. It
must have looked strange, though, leaving at 7:30 in the morning when all the other tourists were
coming in, because a man with an authoritative air (which is often the only way to tell who is in
charge in Egypt or Jordan) stopped me and sternly asked if I had slept in Petra. Once again the
Quick Thinker, I told him that I had just entered, and now I was leaving again because I did not
feel well. He grunted and I kept walking quickly, clutching my stomach for emphasis.
I really can’t extract a common moral from my international run-ins with the law, other
than: When the police stop you for no good reason, don’t get too worried. :-)

" t
'-mb. jm **f.
'"MW* : S •I '
■Hr

To:
CC:
Attchmnt:
Subject:
My Brother Niss (niss@aol.com)
TOP SECRET TOP SECRET TOP SECRET
Well Niss, I have to say that with the exception of using your apartment
as a second home I really am not missing my normal life at
school! I love Israel- it kicks so much ass that it hurts. Except
for a few minor exceptions I am having an amazing time. These exceptions
are school, and some of the extracurricular activities that I
am doing for school. For example: In the mornings I spend a few
hours making license plates for the Iraqi government. The afternoons
are spent rescuing Israeli hostages from Palestinian concentration
^ camps. Then I have lunch, after which I groom
my assigned camels for an hour or two,
which leads me right into machine gun
11 1 waxing and film sessions of guerilla
warfare tac- tics. Then I take phone calls from Israeli settlers
who are complaining about living in the Gaza strip. The most common
thing they complain about is rotator cuff injuries from throwing
rocks and hand grenades. Then I have dinner. Then I have my night
courses. They start with my Palestinian propaganda class, where I
learn to subliminally make Palestinians into 2nd class citizens
through the joy of public speaking! Next, I have an Israeli bestiality
class, which specializes in camel humping! I'd rather not
speak in detail about that class. I finish with my terrorism
class, where the final is to hijack a plane. All
in all, things are going well and while this is not
quite what I expected from the program, (especially
when the head of the program spoke to us about making ourselves feel
right at home) I am learning some valuable war tactics and military
machinery clearance. I hope all is well at home and I will speak to
you soon.
“ft* R t*{ 7*'*4 "
f t j t e A c c trm
7am*am* 'Sf
Later,
Benji Khabie
P.S. I have broken a school record by
signing four different peace accords!
ing, huh?
already
Amaz-

"Scenes From Roth berg (H igh)"
Professor: Do you know the answer?
Student: No
Professor: Why?
T H E f o n T i C S
O ^
Student: I don't recall
Professor: Did you do the reading?
£>r.O k> T * A F F rlC<lf«/t* ’•
A R t A f E . l l ,
PRoPESSO SR . X . B A fA S t*
S J* R i |s/ fe»
Student: Yes
Professor: Then why don't you know the answer?
Student: Well, I read it while I was high.
Professor: You read the readings while you were high?
Student: Yes sir, I was baked off my ass, and now I have CRS.
Professor: CRS, what is CRS?
Student: Can't Remember Shit, sir. I can't remember shit about the reading. But I am sure I
found it interesting while I was high.

The Common “Arse"
IS FOUND IN THE
WARM REGIONS
OF THE MIDDLE
EAST. THE ARSE
FEEDS ON
GAR’INIM AND
TRAVELS IN
PACKS. DURING
THE MATING
SEASON, THE
MALE “ARSE”
USUALLY
WHISTLES AT
THE FEMALE
(ALSO KNOWN
AS “FRECHA”),
AND EXPOSES
HIS PHALLIC
INSTRUMENT,
THE PELEPHONE
(SEE ILLUSTRA­
TION). IN SPITE
OF THEIR
STRONG SCENT,
A COMBINATION
OF CHEAP CIGA­
RETTES AND
CHEAP PERFUME,
“ARSIM” HAVE
RARELY BEEN
KNOWN TO BE
DANGEROUS

M a tc/ im a k e r, M a tcA m ia k e r
by Karen Foxman
One of the many expectations placed on 20 year old college students spending a semester in
Israel is that they will find a significant other while residing in the Jewish homeland. O.K.... Let’s be
realistic. Forget the concept of significant others.
Cousin Rachel met her husband Joshua while she was studying at Flebrew University. Aunt
Ruthie’s neighbor’s nephew met his wife when he was in the laundromat on French Hill. That guy that
my mom works with (I think his name is Shloime), he was feeling bored and lonely one day so he
decided to go to the Holy Land and come home with an ex-chayelet, soon to be Mrs. Shloime Levine.
Needless to say, my Grandmother calling me and asking if I’ve met that “nice boy” from Long
Island whose mother goes to synagogue with my cousin Florence does not help me to forget that people
think that Israel is the place where matches are made. If this is indeed the case, then let us examine the
endless possibilities. Of course, in order to do so we must extend our horizons beyond Rothberg
International High School and the extremely well-balanced female: male ratio (what is it, 4:1?)
From my experience, whether it is walking to class fully clothed in the morning or jogging with
a friend wearing shorts and a tee-shirt around Ramat Eshkol in the afternoon, I find the mating rituals
of Israel men quite alluring. Please keep in mind that I do not intend to downplay the mating rituals of
American men, it’s just that the Israeli method blows them away.
The incessant honking is one method. I can just see Udi and Ozzi sitting in their terrorist van
and Ozzi saying to Udi, “Ehhhhhh...Look, Udi! There are girls wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts.
Let’s honk at them and see if they like us!”
Or perhaps they think that pulling up on the side of the road and mumbling incoherently in
some language will tempt us to jump in the vehicle and drive off with them to Eilat. Or maybe I’d
rather go to Eilat with a large beer bellied man who, while working in a gas station, decides to take a
little “hafsakah” and stalk my friend and I for a few blocks before realizing that we do not go out
jogging for the purpose of making “special friends.”
When I am not jogging or walking seductively through the streets of Jerusalem, I am collecting
telephone numbers from cab drivers. “Oh! You from America... Speak Hebrew to me...Sounds Bea-u-
ti-ful... Yofi! Like a baby, when a baby makes his first words... Are you married? Here is my
pelephone number...Call any time! All day! All night!”
Ari, Avi, and Ababa are still waiting for a phone call.
The big winner in the Great Boyfriend and/or Israeli Man of the Year contest is a certain
Hebrew University Guard who shall remain nameless. It is very reassuring to know that I can feel safe
while wandering around the Rothberg High complex in the dark (because the University has decided
that they will save electricity costs by turning off the outside lights at midnight, because no one is
outside between midnight and dawn and anyway, the stars provide adequate lighting). When I was out
past my curfew one night, I asked a security guard why the lights turn off at 12 AM and why it is dark
for the remaining six nighttime hours. My hero’s response was, “Ehhhhhh.....Don’t worry. You
don’t need lights...I am here... I will protect you...Ehhhhh...What is your name?”
Then again, maybe I don’t need him. Maybe Hal will protect me. I see him all the time. On
the plane ride here.

THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN
ISRAEL AND NEVER AT HCME
By Adam Eis
1) Pushing old ladies - don’t deny it. You know you’ve done it at least once.
2) 20 year olds wanting to look 17 - if you never asked for that card, you lost
out.
3) Perpendicular/diagonal parking - The Israeli motto is, “If it doesn’t fit,
never quit...there’s always room for your car, whether it’s parked diagonal
or perpendicular.”
4) Buses pulling over for a falafel - don’t believe m e....just walk to the 5 shek
falafel store (actually hut) and you’ll see.
5) M16’s everywhere - It’s not in every country that people walk down the
street with M16’s. Back at home if people see an M l6, they will run for
cover.
6) Checking bags when you enter and not when you leave - need I say more?
7) Your falafel dealer is also an oral surgeon - rumor has it that you get a free
falafel with every check-up...
8) Chefetz Chashud - If you leave a bag unattended here, it gets blown up. If
you do the same at home, it gets stolen.
9) Ridiculous Store Hours - Why is it that stores are always closed during your
free time, and open when you have classes. Can you say conspiracy?????
10) Bezek - There is no way you will ever, and I mean ever, have an experience
like this back home.

by Adam Eis and Jeremy Goldman (yes, we ARE that funny)
THE BOMB ... Soccer vs. Basketball fights ... Kevin and Jeremy’s BBQ ... Jeff Seidel ... The
Elections ... Five Shek falafel ... The “Erev Keffi!” lady at the co-op ... Club 11 and Idelson 42
... The 9 Bus ... “Nargucci” Mike ... Lunch and Learn, and after
that Bench and Bang (there ya go, Darin) ... Basketball on
Shabbat overlooking the Old City ... Arab
sheruts (honk) ... The Move ... Cartis No’ar ...
Arsim ... Fight at Strudels (you fought well,
Matt)... 4 to 1 exchange rate ... Stanley
Kubrick Marathon ... Water chugging in the
Golan... Doo-Doo Ha’Madrich ... Gavi ...
Sprinzak ... The “Whore”ient ... Russian
(American?) Compound ... Chefetz Chashood (suspicious objects) ... Sonic
BOOM ... Idelson construction workers (“Hey American girls!”) ... The
_____ STRIKE ... The Late LATE Show ... We actually visited Bumblefuck Egypt
Z
/ ... “Used” toilet papers (Resnick Dorms) ... Oleh Yarok ... Drago at the gym
—---- ... Goodbye Goldsmith, Hello Boyar ... BEZEQ shalom ... Machane Yehuda
... Shavuot fights at the Kotel ... Sunday School ... Yom Ha’atzmaut in town
... Ulpan ... Rugelach from Marzipan (MMM...Rugelach) ... Sports Night at
Seidel’s ... Ma’ale Hachamisha (Machon Masa) ... PELEPHONES ... Shesh Besh ... Aryeh
Deri ... Everyone speaks English ... For you my friend, special price ... balagan, sababa, staaam
... Organization (yeah, right) ... smoking on the hill ... Galgalatz (biglal hamusica) ... The
Cinemateque ... Kinley ... Stairs ... Microwaves in Idelson vs. No Fridge in Building 5 ...
California elitists ... Cooper, Mike, and Ari ... Ani Iparon ... Imagine ... vertical money ... El-
A1 ... Hebrew U. goes to Turkey and Greece ... Cindy and Marcela ... Movie “hafsaka” ...
TECH-NO (put your hands up in the air) ... campus doctors ... Les Miz blackout ... Caveman
... bomb shelter e-mail ... Choco Yotvata ... Peach Pit ... Rothberg High

jnjT ftr& iD ,
1Jf*3 «• ■»*"»*»’*»*»»
'Sr 672537
Regular Cards
Advantages:
1) clear conscience
2) you look your age,
by Adam Eis
As an overseas student, the only way to get
around in Israel is to take those splendid Egged
buses. When getting on the buses, one must make a
very difficult decision. Should I buy the Cards Noar
(youth card), or the Regular Cards? To make your
decision a hell of a lot easier, we shall look at the
advantages and disadvantages of each card.
Cartis Noar
Advantages:
1) you get 2 rides for the price of 1
or at least older than 17 2) you can actually pass for 17
Disadvantages:
Disadvantages:
1) You only get one free ride 1) To tell you the truth, we can’t think of any
Some advice:
If you have a Cartis Noar and the Egged checker ask you, “Ben/Bat Cama Ahta/Aht (How old are you) just answer
B’Anglit (In English). If he translates to English, just respond 17. If he wants identification, tell him you don’t
have any. Worse case scenario is your card is taken away (which I never heard of before), but look at the bright
side....throughout your year, you have saved enough money to buy a new one.
m M J W l M 2 3 M W B y Jeremy Goldman
I have always said that I have a “love-hate” relationship with the 23 bus. Hell, the kids across the street at Beit
Riklis are not even permitted to ride on the 23 bus for whatever reasons. I’ll break it down to a few of the “goods”
and “bads” of the 23...
GOODS
- No coincidence that the 23 is also the great Michael
Jordan’s number. Soooo fast... We’re talking Mt.
Scopus to Kikar Tziyon in like 6 minutes on a normal
day.
BADS
- Fast? I once waited over an hour downtown for the
stupid 23 bus. Saturday nights at the Central Bus
Station are even worse. I just take cabs nowadays.
- The bus is swift when driving through East Jerusalem. - There is a reason why the driver likes to get the hell
He seldom stops and if so, very '
out ot those neighborhoods. I needn’t continue...
m m *
- The drive past the walls of the Old City is truly - Damascus Gate can be scary. My roommate got shot
magnificent. What a view! It’s worth it just for the there with rubber bullets.
scenery.
- This crazy freak often takes the 23 from the shuk and
- The 23 goes straight to the shuk which is
aents of how he likes my English and spells out
you have lots of bags on the way back.
words for me like “S-U-P-E-R-S-T-I-T-I-O-N” ... very
irritating.

'Who wouCcC
you vote for?
T h e 1999 Elections were quite
IsraeCis said:
56.5% 'Barak
43.5% Biln
an experience in Eretz Yisrael...
The issues, well, were not so
important to consider when you
took a good look at these FINE
looking candidates for the Prime
Minister office. Eventually, the
citizens of Israel cast their
ballots and 56% decided that they
preferred the sensual body of Barak
over the lovely curviture of
Bibi Netanyahu.
All in all, both put on quite a show
and despite the mudslinging and
name calling, the editors find both
Bibi and Barak extremely sexy in
both physique and personality.
Nice job girls...

ELECTIONS 1999
Israeli election
a s
by the opposition
religious parties
happy with the
developments
rent governm ent,
ing was, well, a topoliticians
resorted
and mudslinging.
conviction of Shas
Deri for embezzlecrimes
and despite
Shas’ earning of 17
kenesset, only 2
At the time of writ-
witnessing an
The previous keneset, led by Benyamin Netanyahu,
brought down
Barak wins
stunning victory
By HERB KEINON, Jerusalem Post
JERUSALEM (May 18) - One Israel's Ehud
Barak trounced Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu last night, according to Channel 1
and Channel 2 exit polls, leading Netanyahu
to concede defeat and tell stunned
supporters that he is withdrawing from
politics...
Barak is still in the process of forming a new coalition. Good luck Barak!
- Jeremy Goldman
and various
who were undeadlock
and
within the cur-
The campaigntal
balagan as
to name calling
Also was the
leader Aryeh
ment and other
the court ruling
seats in the
short of Likud,
ing this article,

/ v N J I
“Secular Jew”
Roses are red and violets are bluish
Lots o f people say the w ay I live isn't Jewish
They're a fra id o f another point o f view ooh ooh
But the only person w ho can tell you if you're a Jew ...is you
Chorus
Its ok to be a secular Jew
And it ’s ok to be conservative to o
And if you daven in your orth od ox shut
It's ok to be any kind o f Jew
I l&Mgg
,A m
r
Now. I'm recon struction ist and people say “w hat?"
Does it mean th a t I'm evil if I drive on shabbat
I live in the 90’s and listen to ro ck
Even my Rabbi w ent to w oodstock
m
Chorus
There’s a division between the le ft and right
They light the candles; they discoteqpe Friday night
You can listen to Carlebach o r Metallica
V”ahavta L’reacha Kamocha
Chorus
/'
0, i Xm mm
WwMv.'
p i i
wLm m
« ; , y mm' m mmmmA ‘m VMmmsmM Ufa
! >i , J iL
I ^ w r g f w w l ' wSMm
This internal fighting ju st cannot go on
When brothers hate brothers th a t’s called sin’a t Chinam
So throw out the hatred and unite all Jews
If you don’t judge me, man. I won’t judge you
Chorus
-v m i
rWm’
3 P ;.
"" 'ty.
<« ■ /# ■
wmmi Wmm,
W/rf/anA
It’s ok to be a sexual Jew
And if you take it from behind - hey th a t’s cool
And if you’re a lesbian - hey man th a t rules/
Cause its ok to be any kind o f Jew...
- Lyrics by Howie
Performed by Ani Iparon

HERITAGE
by Eileen Shelden and Stella Bruno
“If the bus is on time, the
driver is not drunk, there are no flat
tires, the food hasn’t been stolen and
the roads havent been blocked by the
snow, it is a good day.” These were
the words of Michael Berle, Heritage
Seminars program director as he
prepared the 30 anxious students for
their one week excursion to Poland.
On Feb 9, 1999 30 students along with Vicky Burglass, Heritage Historian, Jack
Handely, Auschwitz survivor and Michael met at Ben Gurion Airport to begin one of the
most powerful experiences of our year. Our journey began in Warsaw with stops at the
Warsaw Ghetto, the Jewish Cemetery, and other sites related to the Jewish presence in Warsaw
prior to the Holocaust. Next we found ourselves walking around the old Jewish area of
Krakow. We walked through its many shuls (which are now museums or decrepit abandoned
buildings), the Krakow Ghetto, and Jewish cemeteries. After Krakow it was off to Lublin
where we walked through the Lublin Ghetto and Old Town Square. Vicky, our extremely
knowledgeable historian was a constant source of information about Jewish life and tradition
in pre-Nazi Poland. She always had a story to share to make every location come alive for us.
She also had a lot to share about life in the camps. We visited the remains of Treblinka and
walked through the still standing Auschwitz, Birkenau and Majdanek and also visited the
location of the Plazsow work camp featured in Schindler’s List. We were fortunate to have
with us a survivor of Auschwitz, Jack Handely, whose personal stories touched us all and gave
us insight to the lesser known communities of Greek
Jews that perished in the Holocaust. The experience
was completed by singing various Chassidic niguns
(tunes) and folk songs which allowed our group to
bring back to life the rich culture that once existed in
Poland.
Heritage Seminars not only focused on the
tragedies of the Holocaust but also provided us the
opportunity to rediscover our roots and prove to the
world that Hiders Final Solution was unsuccessful.
“He who forgets history is condemned
to repeat it.”
Auschwitz-Birkenau
-George Santayana
A rose on the railroad track in Auschwitz

Holocaust Memorial Ceremony
First they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not Jewish
Then they came for the communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not communist
Then they came for the Catholics
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Catholic
Then they came for the Trade Unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I am not a trade unionist
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
by Pastor Niemolier
At 10 a.m., the siren was heard, and Shimon Lipsky opened the ceremony with the reading
of the Yizkor. It was a special occasion for me, to commemorate this day together with hundreds of
students from all over the world. I felt this strongly as six fires were kindled by Jews from different
cultures, different backgrounds, and in different languages, all uniting in memory of the Holocaust.
Hearing the Yiddish song: “It’s burning, brothers, it’s burning”, describing a person calling
for help, asking his brothers to lend a hand and extinguish the flames of his burning shtetl, truly
affected me.
Ceremonies I have attended in the past never had such a strong influence on me, but
perhaps this one was different. Having seen the process of choosing the texts, and then rehearsing
them, gave new meaning to poems I knew before, like “The Butterfly”, and was even shocking, as
in the dialogue of “A Mother and her Daughter”, which was new to me.
I found it significant that ‘The Vow’ was read, in order not to forget that atrocities are still
going on in Europe today, and that ‘Hatikva’ was sung, in order to appreciate the fact that today,
those fleeing anti-Semitism have a home. I wish to thank all those who participated and helped out:
Cooper, Elna, Deb, Naomi, Suzanne, Carmi, Katie, Gido, Olga, Becca, Anita, Shelly, Aliza, Esther,
Ann-Marie and the a-cappella choir.
-Naftali Meschel

Yom Hazikaron
We are sitting at the memorial
Tel Aviv,
amidst a sea of Israelis.
There are songs
and poems and
solemn speeches
that flow through the crowd
on a wave of sadness
concert in
im'Tn di
Yom HaZikaron: We Remember.
But it is not until the first
soldier
walks on stage
that I understand:
It is him.
Ceremony at the Kotel
flowers,
and wander along the tayelet
at dusk.
I see him everywhere:
bus stations, malls, cafes.
There is a gun
swung almost casually
over his shoulders;
reflective sunglasses hide
his eyes.
I have seen him laugh
into his pelephone,
fall asleep against
the dirty window of a
Jerusalem-bound bus,
stop at a kiosk
to buy his girlfriend
And now I see him
in a different light:
as someone
achingly, hauntingly
mortal
Yom HaZikaron: We Remember.
We remember what Israel has lost,
what could be lost still.
-Paula Margulies

Yom Ha’Atzmaut
niNnxyn di1
by Ariel Serber
Separating Jerusalem from every other city, and
Israel from every other country, is the energy that
one always feels. It’s as if there’s a certain aura
and connection creating the diverse atmosphere of
moods and emotions that exists here; changing
yearly, monthly and sometimes daily. In this, some
dates of the Hebrew calendar spur their individual
drama and excitement. On the eve of the fifth of Iyar, after a sorrowful night and day of
memorials and paying homage to the precious lives lost in the battles for this state’s survival,
the country becomes engulfed in euphoria. This transformation
is not marked by a siren, or even song or
fireworks, but a shifting feeling in the air- a silent,
spreading understanding that 51 years ago, on this day,
the state of Israel was born. Celebrations, whether
public, private, large or small are, in essence, all the
same in goal and purpose; to show the love and commitment
people have for this country- its land, history
and future- each in it’s own spectacular way.
5 1 Y
e a r s ! ! !

T h r o u g h M y E yee
by Seth Jaffe
Is there any way to sum up a year or a semester in Israel? Is it at all possible to
qualify the experience, doing it appropriate justice? The answer: probably not, but why not
try anyway? All of us share similar experiences, beginning—for many—with El Al, that
wonderful little airline that just loves security. The El Al motto goes something like, “just
say something stupid about security so we have an excuse to display your underwear to the
other bored passengers waiting in line.” When I first arrived in Israel last July on a group
flight, Hebrew University had no idea who we were or why we were standing at their doorstep.
A group of us, jet lagged and carrying all of our possessions, waited for a few hours
until it became clear that we were, in fact, in the correct place. This was my first—but of
course, not last—encounter with Israeli bureaucracy.
Those first few days feel so long ago. Days when life revolved around ulpan and
first falafels. Ahhhh, the beautiful days of ulpan, sun-filled days full of exploration and
mandatory third grade. If you arrived for second semester, please replace “sun-filled” in the
previous sentence with “rainy/chilly.” Personally, I hated third grade the first time around.
It turns out that I still hate third grade. But those were beautiful days, days when we all
made our first treks to: those fine folks who run the only ship in town and take it as a personal
affront if you show even the slightest annoyance at getting ripped off by inefficiency so
breathtaking that it gives new meaning to the word “incompetent;” but hey, that’s just the
opinion of one person.
Upon my arrival, I was shocked by how many ways Jerusalem varied from my norm:
bartering with cab drivers, bartering with venders, bartering with everyone for everything.
And the aggressiveness; Israel breeds aggressiveness (perhaps a necessary survival skill in
this region). In many ways, this aggressiveness is good. When I returned home over the
semester break, however, I found myself shoving old women and little children out of my
way and even jumping people in line if they left so much as a toothpick’s length between
themselves and any counter. In Israel, this type of behavior is a life skill; anywhere else, it
is a gross violation of etiquette.
And I cannot forget to mention politics. Every aspect of this country centers upon
politics. 1998-1999 has been marked by a series of unforgettable events. From the day the
bus-stop outside the old Rothberg building blew up, to the eve of a national election, this
year has been anything but boring. We sit on the edge of a new millennium, a time of
profound change for both Israel and the world. In recent years, Israel has experienced a
radical demographic shift; a growth in tension between secular Jews, religious Jews, and
peoples of different ethnic backgrounds; and, for the first time, a negotiated peace on all
fronts seems within reach. The country sits at a crossroads; one road heralding a flourishing
of new opportunities; and the other road heralding a growth in internal discord, characterized
by an increasingly corrosive debate about the role of law and religion in a Jewish democracy.
This year has also witnessed the acceptance by Likud of the land for peace formula,
as encapsulated in the Wye accords. Good or bad, this change is a watershed event. Following
the Wye Accords, we saw the Oslo process frozen by a Prime Minister tied in knots
by a tenuous coalition, a coalition that has since fallen. And as I write this, Israel sits on
the eve of a national election, an election that will shape Israel’s future for years to come.
Whether you love or hate politics, they pervade the very essence of Israel.
But overall, you have to love Israel. For all of the tension and discord, something
tangible remains of the Zionist dream: a place of refuge, a place of hope, and a place of
profound meaning. This state is a miracle, a tribute to the men and women whose sweat and
blood transformed distant dreams into tangible realities. For the overseas student, the Israel
experience requires laughter, persistence, and a desire to learn. For me, this year has been
full of highs and lows, but it has always been magical, something I will carry with me for
the rest of my life. Who knows, maybe it’s something in the air. . .

I
[
--
by Shari Adler
It’s been about five eventful months since we ve anived in Isiael. It wa‘ . n|ace
chilly and wintry January that we boarded the plane, and made our jo u rn e y o the place
that would be our home for the next halt a year. Some of us crie some o *
nervous, others were excited beyond belief, but all of us held the hope that h.s program,
this journey, this adventure would be the one that wou c ange our ■
ever. Whether it was academically, religiously, romantically, or emotiona y wc
hoped for something great. . ,
The first week was hard, full of unexpected surprises. We were covered in mud,
rained on, overtired, and sleep deprived. We saw dorms full of strangers and many
unfamiliar faces. We had to find three random people to live with, deal with Bezek and
housing, and we didn’t have phones for almost a month. However, we survived and got
a few great and memorable laughs from it. Faces that seemed so unfamiliar soon became
our best friends. Within days, doors were opening up, friends were being made,
and Israel was being explored. We began to get into the swing of things and learned
how to wake up at 8:20 and still make it to our 8:30 Ulpan class. We went hiking,
camping, rappelling, and mountain biking. We watched warm, orange sunsets, met up
at Idelson 42, danced at the Horient, and ventured around the Russian Compound. The
first month seemed to last forever. So much happened within such a short period of
time.
Then classes began and we started another chapter of our lives here. We scheduled
our classes around our friends and the weekends, met the first year students,
traveled more, and looked at Israel as if it was our home. We celebrated birthdays,
dressed up for Purim, and said goodbye to Idelson 42. We crammed weeks of lessons
into one night of studying for midterms, visited the Kotel, bargained at the Shuk,
partied on Yom Ha’atzmaut, and relaxed in the sun. We found our happy medium at
Rothberg and in Israel.
Abroad programs are interesting because you leave your security blanket and
everyone you know at home. You pick and go to an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar
people. However, most people who attend an abroad program are there on a mission, a
quest. The uncertainty of the program is minute compared to the passion behind this
quest. Most of us came here with the desire to find something. I hope everyone goes
home with the knowledge that they found what they were searching for, and that it
warms their heart every time they think about it.
I cannot believe this letter is a farewell to Israel. It seems so long ago that this
trip was being planned and prepared for and now the journey has come to an end. A
major part of our lives here has come and gone already. So much has happened to all of
us in these past five months. We have seen and done things that we never thought we
would do. These things have now changed and improved us in many different ways. A
piece of our heart will always be filled with the experiences and memories of this trip.
No matter where our lives may lead or how far apart we are, we will never forget those
who touched our lives here.
“I am ready to leave, but not ready to go.
“We always knew we’d look back at the times that we cried and laugh. But we never
thought we would look back at the times we laughed and cry.”
I

^y Ariel Serber
Friday night, Ascent
preparing ascent down kindred rocky road
family of strangers
faceless flowing streams
salting icy passage
gathering atop humble hittk., "
eternally surrounding
divine
chosen city
Protecting wall
bitter with defeating centuries of neglect
crying out to be { \
seen
heard
J. ■ s f '
touched
begging fortunate listeners
to “smell restorations’ fruits
taste sweet rejuvenation”
in narrow streets once occupied
stolen; broken by great giant nothings
echoing hideaways of nameless giants
ancestors of faith unparalleled
Restored
fulfilling latent exiled dreams
in unconstrained childhood Joy
linking diligently inquiring unknown
in incomprehensible, impenetrable
chain
Jaffa gate lampposts, needless
dull appendix, faint
when juxtaposed
with illuminated path
of brightly lit
memories
unmistakably rootward
closed eyes a compass
navigating lost tribes to
destination in stone
Resonating footsteps ascending
testimonial light
confirming life in dead seas
waking of long-buried bones;
gasp-upon first everlasting stamp
of knowledgeengulfs:
Foreign, Identical survivors,
recognizing unknown generations,
raise proud right-hand eyeward,
parting parched thirsting lipsultimate
miracle of ultimate
remembering
liberated
Tongue
speaks as one
J

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■

Hebrew U niversity of
Jerusalem
Rothberg International
School
Yearbook
1998-1999