Birthday Celebrations

So, I am 23 now! Let me be honest, I don’t feel any older or wiser. Yet, I am NEARLY a quarter of a century old!

This year’s birthday was marked by some interesting experiences. Thursday night, I planned to head out to a beach party in honor of my birthday as well as another girl’s. The event offered free beer so I thought it would be a good opportunity for the WUJS Tel Aviv crew to go out. Well, when we got there, the beer was gone. I don’t drink so I found this to be of little disappointment. I was very excited because my favorite cousin joined me as well. So, I was ready to go with the flow no matter what. We walked around and tried to find another party that never actually was found. Instead, my cousin’s friend got us into this VIP club. The truth is there were 6 girls and a guy. They liked being able to let in so many girls. I still get to say I got into the VIP club, the circumstance really did matter here. That’s what I like to tell myself. After that we headed to a nice bar with really great music. It reminded me of a jazz club but it was a bit different. I can’t really place the style of music. Also, that night my roommates and I went to this late night restaurant. They loved the Burgers there and I loved the fries. It was a good ending to a great night.

Friday was a little less eventful. Though, I got to speak with some friends back home that night and of course on my actual birthday, on Saturday. It was a great day Saturday. Three girls and I went out for a late breakfast and enjoyed the Tel Aviv centennial celebrations. This month was for the Arts. So, we went gallery and exhibit hopping. We saw several which were really great. It goes on all month so plans have been made to see more of the exhibits. So, that will be something great to look forward too!

Anyways, the Birthday Celebrations went splendidly. I don’t feel that much older (or wiser). I do have to say I am looking forward to what is to come.

What’s been going on?

So, I know a lot of my more loyal readers have written me saying, “Post MORE!” or other similar requests and demands. I have to apologize, as this first week or so really has been a lot to take in.

I’ve started my internship full force. A lot of time is spent doing research on LGBT-related issues, explore the Gay Center, learned about local cooperating organizations and even helped some of them with clerical work. This includes being dictated a translation of Hebrew text, proofreading it and making it flow better. I am really exercising my English language skills – which were I in the US I would need an editor myself. This does make me nervous.

In the coming month, I will soon be planning a big trip to the US; the leaders of HaAgudah (The Association), IGY (Israeli Gay Youth), and Hoshen (my Organization) are going on tour. It will really help me to network back home not just with the Gay Community but also with the Jewish Community. They leave in a little over a month so there is much to do. I get to organize the meetings that they have in New York City, Boston and D.C with various LGBT groups and the Jewish Communities as well.  I have also been charged with setting their schedule, to an extent. After this big trip, I get to look forward to writing grants. This tour is a big project and requires some work. Funding will come soon enough!

Anyways, besides work, I have been going out with new friends to explore the city. We have been trying to figure out the easiest way to get to the beach, do our laundry, get groceries, buy fruit and veggies among other things. This city is so big and there are so many options. Life here is amazing, for sure; it also is very complicated when you don’t have the background.

Last week, WUJS (the program I am on: www.wujsisrael.org), took us on a hike. It was a mafgish (=encounter) for the Tel Aviv group with the Jerusalem group. It was exciting to meet these new people. I now have friends in Jerusalem. We hiked through Ein Gedi, in order to get to a beautiful yet “secret” waterfall, and went to the Dead Sea. However, as my family likes to point out, the lack of a hat (=bli cova) caused me to later feel not as happy about life. Eight hours of sun really comes at a cost.

After arriving back at my sweet, humble home in Tel Aviv I started recognizing the faint feelings I had accompanied by serious muscle cramps, numbness in my fingers and toes, what felt (according to my wrist) like a high fever, a severe headache and high levels of weakness all over. I had drank 4 litres of water so gave no thought to what I was feeling. I just thought perhaps I was overheated. Several hours later around 9 PM, I made the decision. I called my health insurance here told them what was up and they decided I need to go straight to the Emergency Room. At that point, I was scared shitless. I went to the ER, waited an hour or so, and finally had a Doctor see me. My IV was started and my blood was taken. I had such low levels of all electrolytes, the Doctor made a comment how he was “suprised” by my not coming sooner. So, he gave me a great deal of certain electrolytes as I was diagnosed with a Heat Stroke and Severe Dehydration. My Dad took pictures, I am hoping to have them soon for the sake of memory.

Last Tuesday, the group from WUJS Tel Aviv went on a Tiyul to the West Bank area (before the Green Line which is outside the territory). We visited Latroun and its Cathedral. Though, because it was closed we could not go in – which was a big disappointment for me. We also visited Har Adar (=Radar Hill), the highest point in Israel, which was interesting. From the tower there, which used to be a battle place, you could see Jerusalem and Ramallah (a Palestinian City) or Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea. It was really an amazing experience to see.

I think that is the major points. I promise I will update more regularly from here on out. Sorry about this past week. Don’t forget to check out my photos at: http://s608.photobucket.com/albums/tt168/lpshmueli/

Until next time! L’HITRAOT!

A Lot of Love

This is my first post while in Israel. I have had an exciting couple of days here. I arrived on Monday night after my long and dreadfully boring plane ride. Thank Goodness they delayed that plane just to fix the entertainment system, otherwise, I fear it would have been far worse! It was only an hour late arriving into Israel which was not bad considering.

My time here so far has been spent with family. As it was intended to be. Though, there is a certain twist that I had not expected.

Monday night I visited my Grandmother. She had been struggling with Alzheimer’s for 10 years up until this point. Furthermore, she had been in a coma for a long time until that point as well. Visiting her was both a sad occasion and a happy one. To be honest, I do not want to disrespect her so much by remembering her the way I saw her.

She passed away very early Tuesday morning. Everyone says she was waiting for me to come. So that I had a chance to say goodbye. To that, I say, THANK YOU to my Grandmother. She was such a beautiful person with a huge heart and soul (and I will remember her as such with all the truly fond memories I have of her). In a way, her passing was bittersweet. While a death is a sad occasion, this one left her spirit to leave the struggle and suffering she was facing in life.

Before I left, sometime late last week, I found out that my Dad’s cousin had passed away. I did not know him, unfortunately. My sister met him at sometime last year and said he was an amazing man (and she has good intuitions about people). He was living in Italy but I suppose he planned to have his body transported to Israel. It was very sad for my Dad as this cousin was one he was very close too. My heart went out to Lyhi and Mor, my two cousins, for the passing of their father.

Both funerals were this week. I attended both. They were equally emotional.

One should know that in Israel the funerals are much more casual. People where jeans and t-shirts (even to the more Religious ceremonies) if the family is not so Religious.  This was most shocking to me.

Since my Dad (he arrived the morning after my grandmother’s passing) and Aunt are sitting Shiva, the seven days of mourning (and lots of visitors) after a death, I have been meeting a lot of people in the family and friends of the family. It has been an experience so far, despite sad circumstances.

Having my Dad here has been great. We have really connected through all this and it has helped us come closer together, I feel. Next week, after the Shiva period, I hope that he and I can take advantage of being in Israel together for a bit!

To Esther Shmueli and Roni Shmueli. The world misses your beautiful hearts and souls.

Gay in Israel – Still not easy?

Whenever I tell people what I will be doing in Israel – working with the gay community – the response almost always is “Wow, that’s going to be rough in such a religious country!” I then proceed to explain to them, “Well, being gay is easier… in some ways.” I list the rights they have to serve in their military (well, there is a draft!), civil unions are a civil right (marriage is considered a religious institution anyhow!), and so many more. Though, when I opened my inbox this morning a very unsettling article came to my attention from a group that had mass messaged it’s members. In the very building where I will be working, a shooter opened fire and killed two and wounded fifteen. I’m a little shocked. While more civil rights are given to LGBT Israelis than in most of the United States, there is still hate. Now I know what I am working for; now I see why my organization, Hoshen, works so adamantly to fight homophobia in Israel. My excitement has just grown, I will make a difference.

To read more about the shooting, follow this link: Full Story

A Visit to Atlanta

What started out as a stressful endeavor soon became fun and exciting. A friend of mine called me up to offer to take me to Atlanta this past Monday; a few hours later I was on the road. We left Greensboro at 130 AM and arrived early in the morning at about 830 am. We stopped for breakfast and drove around due my friends fascination with the city. It was pretty fascinating, I must admit. I cannot say I fault him.

I took care of what I needed to at the Consulate. While I was amazed at the security measures they took, I dare say it was definitely the most daunting part. It was not at all what I had expected. I suppose I imagined being able to sit one-on-one with someone to discuss what I needed in a small room. Instead, I sat,  locked in,  a small waiting roomwith 7 other people in a small waiting room with 5 chairs as we all had our business attended to (one at a time). It was not at all what I had expected.

After all that, I needed some food and retail therapy. We stopped by Hard Rock Cafe, enjoyed a nice meal, and went to Five Points to go shopping in a very trendy part of town. I stopped into American Apparel and several other stores. It was truly interesting to see my friend who had never been exposed to such stores (think vintage, American Apparel and other trendy/edgy places). All in all, it was a good day. We left Atlanta around 3 and finally arrived in Greensboro at around 830 pm.

Needless to say, I feel good about the whole thing and look forward to recieving my military status (very much overdo) and a renewed passport!

An update on departure

I’ve got a departure date. I’ve decided, with the final approval of my family, that I will leave the United States on August 23rd.  I’ve taken into consideration a lot of possibilities. This includes the possibility of wanting to stay longer than the program’s term.  Israel is a conflicted region.  Though, I should be safe and protected by both Israel and the US.  This still remains to be a concern of mine. Thusly, I will need the flexibility of being able to choose my return to the US as needed (because fees to change flights can be more expensive in the end). All in all, I am pleased and one step closer to my settling-in as an American-Israeli in Israel!

First Post

Though I am not in Israel yet, I am already feeling the excitement. I’ve touched base with family and friends currently in Israel as well as trying to brush up on my Hebrew. I’ve also tried to educate myself by reading about the culture and politics, looking into travels in and around the region, as well as trying to make connections on LinkedIn and Facebook are some of the things I do to prepare.

A big piece of my preparing to leave, includes my desperate attempts to find a job. This is important because it will help me offset costs when I get to Israel. Nobody seems to be hiring and those that are would not take me in for the next 7 weeks. This experience has given me some insight to what the rest of the Class of 2008 or 2009 seems to be struggling through at the moment as I will be concluding my undergraduate studies on the 30th of July.

 I am fortunate to have the support of my family, friends and community in order to make my trip to Israel happen. This support comes from financial, mental and emotional means. I could not do it without some very special people in my life. I want to give a special thanks to my Mom. She has, without a doubt, supported me through and through; even if just to remind me to be realistic while making it clear that she still supports my decision.

While others in my shoes are simply processing and taking in their next steps (which may not be at all what they would have imagined), I am simply delaying this thing they call the “real world.” Though, my experience will not go without responsibilities I will not be facing the American job market until my return. While in Israel, I will be taking part in WUJS Israel’s Intern Tel Aviv program (www.wujsisrael.org). They have set me up with an internship with Hoshen (www.hoshen.org) an organization that stands for education and change with regards to the country’s LGBTQI community and providing me with an opportunity to study in  an Ulpan (an intensive language studies program).

This whole experience will offer me a new perspective. One that I would like to share with others. Two years ago, I studied abroad in Finland, though I wished to study in Southern or Eastern Africa.Through the encouragement of UNCG’s International Program Center, I decided that I would  study in Finland. Though at the time I did not feel it would nearly as exciting as studying in a underdeveloped or newly developed country. Now, looking back, were it not for my experience studying abroad, I would never dream of interning abroad. I learned a lot during that experience and plan to again with this experience. I have become a strong proponent of the study abroad experience and would encourage others to do so.

My hope, through this blog, is to share my new experience with others. I have many apprehensions, of course. What will Israel teach me as an American-Israeli (having spent as long as I can remember living in the United States)? Will I explore the region and feel like a tourist, a traveler or will I experience my roots bubbling up? How will this affect my political views? What will this experience teach me about Israel? As in Finland, will it make me, in the end, all the more proud to be an American or like wise will it  give me a stronger sense of patriotism to Israel. I guess we’ll see. I hope all will enjoy following this experience.