And God said, "Let there be baskteball."

Since my last post much has happened. Due to popular demand, I have consented to write another blog post. Recently the NBA started their grueling 82 game schedule. I am very excited to watch as many games as possible. Unfortunately our TV is stuck on world series until it's over....go Rays. What have I been up to? Well, on shabbat I went to shul...on sunday a couple of friends and I went to the Sushi place previously mentioned and ordered the all you can eat sushi again. It was just as good. School's starting to get into ful swing, and my workload's growing larger every day. My rabbi's comming into israel and I'm hoping that I'll be able to have shabbat dinner with him.

That's all for now

-Z

Sushi Sooshi Sooshie Sooshiey SOOOSHI

Hey!

Today I decided to eat sushi. Not just any sushi, my friend Jonathan and I decided to go to a sushi place near beit NATIV and order all you could eat sushi. For about 20 USD we ate our fill of sushi. It was fantastic. Shabbat is coming soon, and it's raining outside. It will be wonderful. Tomorrow I'm reading Haftorat Breishit, many of my friends are coming to see me. It should be nice.

Shabbat Shalom

-Z

Back to School Blues

Contrary to popular belief, just becuase I haven't blogged recently, things are still happening! Last Wednesday NATIV left their humble abodes and went down to the desert to discover their Bnei Yisrael roots. Armed with Lulavim, Etrogim, water, and high spirits we came to the desert where we would spend the next three days hiking, sleeping, hiking, shmoozing, hiking, eating, hiking, sitting, and bonding. Oh, and a little more hiking. My group, Yerucham's task was to get to the Machtesh (giant crater in the middle of israel...look it up, it's cool) from the Aravah Valley. Walking about 20+ kilometers in 3 days we did it. It was fantastic. My favorite part of the trip, aside from all the hiking, heat, sleep deprivation, and exhaustion, was my 45 minute nap up on the ledge of the Machtesh. You just don't do those things every day. We davened with our lulavim in the desert to simulate a real o'naturAl experiance.  We got back to Beit NATIV a few hours before Shabbat. Shabbat was very nice, I attended the Great Synegogue for kabbalat shabbat which is always a treat, and then congregation Kedem for shacharit. I allowed them to nudge me into doing haftorah for this week. Bereishit...it should be fun, once I look at it that is. The remainder of chol hamoed Sukkot came and went and we found Simchat Torah in our laps. In America, Simchat Torah's pretty insane. In Israel, Simchat Torah's a legitimate reason to quit clubbing. Nowhere else can you get this many people singing, and dancing, with this type of kavanah. It was a very amazing, and special experiance. On erev Simchat Torah I attended Yakar. We danced for 2 hours. Up and down the street, around cars, around people. It all became a reality when I was able to dance with a Torah during the 7th Hakafa. There are some experiances that I may remember my whole life. That makes that list without fail. I was then invited to a very lovely dinner with some friends and staff. It was very nice to have a homecooked meal again. This morning I attended The Great Synegogue. I had wanted to hear Geshem since I arrived in Israel. It did not dissapoint. Both the cantor and the chior were fantastic. I left right after because it was time for lunch. After a quick game of risk with some friends I moseyed on down to the sukkah to see what was happening. I walked up to a game of Jungle Speed. This is an intense game, I had learned it under a different name: Jungle Jam. And I played that for an hour. For those who would like to look this game up, please do, also note that no one was hurt, physically that is, for the enjoyment of this game. After Jungle Speed, NATIV walked over to a park and attended Hakafot Shniot. This is a ceremony that is basically Hakafot with live music. It was great fun. Shimon Perez was there, along with all the cheif rabbis of Israel, and they were all dancing and having a great time. I go back to school on Thursday, and I've got much homework to complete. For all you readers out there. Please leave a little comment, either with questions, comments, things that will make me laugh, etc. You've been slacking a little bit on my past blogs. 

Until Next Time

V'samachta, Bechagecha, Vahita Af Sameach

-Z

Shake Shake Shake, Shake Shake Shake, Shake your Lulav, Shake your Lulav

Today I had the unique experiance of buying my very own lulav and etrog. We went down to the Jerusalem Shuk and there was a huge bazarre of lulavs etrogs hadasim and aravot. I saw etrogs the size of softballs and lulavs that were upwards of 4 feet tall. There was a man trying to sell a 10 foot lulav. It was awesome. I picked out my own lulav and etrog, along with hadasim and aravot, all from different sellers mind you. The total was 50 NIS, and with a neat lulav carry case it was 65 NIS. Tonight is erev Sukkot, and the Sukkot are up at Beit Nativ. A couple of friends and I are going to sleep outside tonight, it should be a very fun experiance. Tonight for the Chag's dinner we are putting together a nice chicken dinner. I am going to go out and pick some roasted chickens from supersol and other people have brought other things. It should be a wonderful evening. After the chag we are going to be spending time in the Desert as part of our Tiyul. I'll be back Friday right before Shabbat, and I plan on staying at one of my co-counsuler's houses this weekend. 

Chag Sameach!

-Z

Dissapointment in the wake of Adversity

So, I went into my Jerusalem final thinking that it would be hard. Found it to be quite easy, then turned around, got it back, and I didn't do too well. I guess it's my luck. Word from the wise, if you don't pay attention to a class, you're probably not going to do well on the final. Huh... I guess I'll just have to try harder in my other classes. Anyway. It's Sukkot! It makes me very excited, I am going to go out and by my own lulav and etrog. What should I look for in a lulav or etrog? I've never had the opportunity to buy my own. It's an interesting experiance. Though the dissapointment of my grade is keepign me down a little bit i think that I'll do better in my other subjects.

-Zach

Saturday, October 11

It's been a while since I've blogged, and I'm going to start doing it every day, because these mass blogs are just annoying. Classes started on Monday and they are all very interesting. I am sick, and I have a pretty harsh cold. Yom Kippur in Israel is FANTASTIC. For all of you who saw the movie "I am Legend." The streets of Israel could be compared to that, minus the monsters of course. No one was driving, and everyone was just walking on the streets it was so fantastic. I attended a minyan outside of the Prime Minister's house with Gilad Shalit's family for Kol Nidre and Ma'ariv, then for Shacharit and Musaf I went to Shir Hachadasha. It was fantastic. Finally to end the fast I went to the Kotel for Mincha, Ne'ila, and Ma'ariv. It was an awesome experiance. Shabbat's nice here, I'm still a little bit under the weather but I'm getting better. Sunday is school again, and after school we get to start building the Sukkah. It will be pretty fun. 'Till then...

Gmar Chatimah tovah!

Long time no Blog

There have been a couple of reasons why I haven't blogged recently. Due to mostly laziness, and a little thing called Rosh Hashana, and a slightly bigger thing called internet malfunction, I have not blogged for about a week.

Shanah Tovah Umetuka, to Everyone!

To recap the week....
Thursday I had my first college final. It went extremely well and I should receive my grade no later than Sunday. Friday held my 2nd final and that went slightly less fantastic, but still very good. I'm really starting to get the hang of this study thing. On shabbat I davened at the Great Synagogue, both Kabbalat Shabbat and Shacharit. It was an uplifting experience. I really enjoy listening to the Chazan and the choir, even if it's a very orthodox service. Saturday afternoon was spent studying for my 3rd and final final (:)). On Sunday I took that final and I performed well. Monday we had a couple of Rosh Hashana seminars and then I bought my first acoustic guitar. It's awesome and I'm enjoying every minute of it. Then erev Rosh Hashana I went and davened with everyone on nativ it was amazing. We then walked over to the parents of Gilad Shalit who were having Rosha Hashana dinner outside of the Prime Minister's house for the first time since the kidnapping. It was an awesome experience. His dad talked to us and said that it's great that we have so much support and also told everyone not to have a seat at their table for Gilad, because they want him at their table. It was amazing

Rosh Hashana was awesome, services were swift and painless, the meals were more than I needed and the company was fantastic.

until next time


Gmar Tov Everyone

-Z