Happy Hanukkah! (Week 15)

Sunday

Today was a fun day with the girls. We had no school because of Hanukkah, so everyone was enjoying the abundance of free time. I went with a group of girls to get my nails done. We all had fun just hanging out and doing something unimportant. It was especially nice for the Hebrew U students, who just finished with midterms. A few friends and I were planning on trying out a new restaurant for dinner, but we ended up being too lazy to go out, so we just went to the grocery store and got stuff to make sandwiches. Just as fun, and much cheaper.

Monday

Today at the Yeshiva we had a special Hanukkah schedule. Instead of our usual morning classes different teachers taught short lessons on subjects relating to Hanukkah. It was really interesting, and fun to get to hear from some of the teachers that I don’t have on a regular basis. We also got free sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) and falafel for lunch.

After class I came back to Beit Nativ and relaxed. Then I went out to dinner with Ilana and Tobi. I had a burger for the first time in forever, and it was delicious. We spent the whole time telling each other stories about friends from home. Even though these are two of the people I consider my closest friends on Nativ, there’s still so much about them I don’t know. When we got back we hung out with Angela and watched Rogers and Hammerstein Cinderella. I haven’t seen it in so long. It was amazing to see again.

Tuesday

Classes today were short, and lunch was longer then usual which gave me a nice relaxing day. I got a present from Hanukkah Harry (like secret Santa). It was two iPhone cases and a chocolate bar.

Tonight’s Erev Nativ had three parts. First, we filmed a scene for the Nativ video that will be shown at International Convention (a huge USY convention for kids from across the country). Then Yossi talked to us about our next few weeks, because January is a confusing month, and required some explanation. To end the night we played a trivia game for Hanukkah. My team ended up tied for second (close, but no cigar). Then after Erev Nativ the Yerucham track stayed and revealed our Hanukkah Harry people. My gift was from Michael, a kid I don’t talk too much, but maybe we’ll start talking more now. Then we gave Jeremy and Avital (our staff) gifts and cards, just to show how much we appreciate them. It was a great night, filled with lots of fun.

Wednesday

I try to write in my blog everyday, just so it’s not a chore to try and remember what I did every day at the end of the week. Unfortunately, I forgot to write about Wednesday, and now I have no recollection of what I did. I’m going to take that to mean it wasn’t a very eventful day, and move on to Thursday.

Thursday

Today was our last Kehilla Midaberet at Yeshiva. It’s really starting to hit me that my time in Jerusalem is almost over. I love studying at the Conservative Yeshiva, and I will really miss it and all of my friends next year. As for the last Kehilla Midaberet, it was tons of fun. We had a talent show, and anyone in the Yeshiva could showcase theirs talents. I learned that some of the people I’ve been studying with all semester have very interesting and impressive skills such as singing, writing, and playing the clarinet.

After school I was relaxing in my room with some friends when my friend Tobi came running in, out of breath, and shouting, “Babysit. Yossi’s kids. Tonight. Come now.” Obviously we went running back to the office, and were excited to make plans with Yossi to babysit his two youngest sons. So later that night we headed off to Modiin, for our babysitting job. On the way there we met the nicest lady on the bus, who was from Cleveland and cousins with one of Tobi’s friends. She told us to add her on Facebook, and invited us to come to her house for Shabbos sometime soon. That’s what I love about Israel; people are so welcoming, and willing to invite complete strangers into their homes. That’s something you don’t often find in America.

Babysitting was amazing, and even better was the fact that we slept over Thursday night. It was so nice to be in a house environment, sleeping in a comfortable bed, and having a family to wake up to. I really miss that aspect of being at home.

Friday and Saturday (Shabbat)

This Shabbat was a little bit of a let down for me. A few friends and I had been hoping to go to Even Shmuel to visit Tracy and her family. Unfortunately, Elizabeth spent a few days this week in the hospital, so it was just too overwhelming for us to come. I ended up having a nice relaxing Shabbos in Jerusalem. Not exactly what I had expected, but it was still nice.

Saturday night was the last night of Hanukkah, so of course I had to get my last few sufganiyot. After Shabbat ended, Laura, Adiva, and I went to Roladin to get some of the best sufganiyot in Israel. We got there a little too early, which was no big deal. We just spent the time eating dinner and doing some window-shopping. When we went back, we ended up waiting for almost an hour to get the flavors we wanted. Trust me when I tell you it was worth every second we waited. When I got home, I enjoyed my Hanukkah treat while watching Batman Begins with Angela. I have never seen any of the Batman movies, so we decided over the next few weeks we’ll watch the entire trilogy.