Sderot Event

Tonight I actually made it all the way to Sderot for an event I was invited to on facebook. Originally I wasn't going to have Thurs. afternoon off but miraculously I got what I wished for. It worked out more than great for me because I went out on a date while getting to go to this event in Sderot, and I brought someone along, which is even better for Sderot! So it worked out really well, baruch Hashem.

The event I went to spread the story of Sderot through a writing contest. The children and adults of Sderot were asked to write poems and songs about what life is like for the in Sderot with all the qassam attacks. There were some very deep and moving things to be heard. I hope the reast of the stories get published.

I hadn't been in Sderot since I was in Israel last, which was over a year ago. That place will always have a very special tender place in my heart. I used to go there a lot while I was in school at Neve in Jerusalem. I was volunteering through and organization called "Lev Echad" ("One Heart") that was trying to lift the spirits of the residents and improve their lives. We went to help people with their specific needs and tried to give them support during a very difficult time. Sderot at the time was turning into a ghost town as more people were leaving the city to relax from the constant stress of qassams. A lot of people couldn't leave their city because of various reasons and were staying home all day and were in need of assistance. A majorly uplifting part of our presence in Sderot was when we would all go on a parade singing, dancing, waiving Israeli flags high in the air and banging on drums as we marched the streets. People would come our of their houses to see and we would cheer them on as they clapped, waived, and cheered us on. Looking up, I would see windows opening and people clapping and waiving from their apartment windows high in the air. It was an incredibly uplifting experience. For some, it was a rare occurence to see so many out on the streets, and very often they were very happy to talk to us as we went by and hugged them and encouraged them. Sometimes people would join our parade for part of the way when we passed through their street. It's something very special about Sderot, how people are all so different there but still everyone is together. I wish it on the rest of Israel. In the State of Israel and abroad.

It was a bit strange tonight to see Sderot after so long. Knowing it has suffered so much while I was gone, I also noticed the changes that have been added. When I was last in Sderot there were no fortified bus stops or little buildings to run to on the street the way they have them now. I only remember there being one. Now the city even has a fortified caterpillar in the playground for the kids. It shouldn't have to be this way. It shouldn't have to come to this. The government has a responsibility to its citizens and should be protecting the people of Sderot from Hamas's attacks. Why and how is it that a government is allowed to continue running while it lets its citizens be attacked for eight years and doesn't even compensate them properly when their house is damaged from a qassam. The situation there is extreme and sad, but I know that G-d has his plan. The people of Sderot are strong.

It took me a long time to readjust to not jumping at every boom that I hear. After being in Sderot for a while, and hearing and feeling qassams, everytime there was a boom my brain jumped and sreamed "qassam!" And that's not even from living there for a month straight. The situation there is extreme, the stress and trauma there are all over the city, and yet it seems to have been accepted because the media seems to have forgotten about the poor city, and the government doesn't seem to view Sderot as a big priority.

I really hope to be able to make a difference there again. It would be an amazing opportunity. I am hoping to offer my services as a massage therapist maybe once a month. I still need to see how I can work things out with sherut leumi, that keeps me very busy as it is.

Oh, by the way, I completely hid the fact that I went to Sderot from my mother because of how hyped up it is in the news. As soon as you hear the "colour red" siren you run for cover and then after fifteen seconds you check to see that everything's ok and move on with life.

Strange world

One night last week I was on my way back to Tzur Hadassah at a late hour. I had taken a bus from Jerusalem to Beitar Ellit. From there I needed to get a tremp since there are no buses that go to Tzur Hadassa from Beitar. Anyway, all of a sudden when I get off the Beitar bus and start crossing the street a security guard said hi to me. It was the security guard that works at one of the ganim I go to twice a week. He ended up getting his brother to drive my home. I thought that was pretty funny. I think it was the second time I got door to door service from a tremp in beitar.
Ok, since I'm totally falling asleep as I'm writing this and and starting to write my dreams, I'm saying good night. I'll have to write more at a later date.

Tremping's not so evil

I don't understand what all this fear is with Arabs. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't like to be gripped by fear and feel controlled by it. I think that Israel is my land, and I should be able to walk proud.
My cousin's aunt from Akko was telling me during shabbat that she didn't want me tremping to get to her house if I came to visit her because it's dangerous. I think that's funny coming from her living in Akko. I'm sure her son tremps, and my cousins tremp all the time. One of them learns in Akko and I know he tremps there too. So I wonder what it is with people telling me not to tremp and that it's dangerous. I'm not the only one that does it!
Ok, so one time I actually tremped with an Arab. Funny that it went like that because usually I look out not to get into a car with an Arab. but this Arab didn't seem like such a bad deal, and I wasn't in the greatest tremping spot, so the fact that he was going pretty close to where I was trying to get to made the whole thing seem fine. He was an older man in an empty van that was like the ones that takes kids to school and back. Considering all the factors and the impression I got from him I didn't think he would do anything, and I also didn't feel like he was more of a threat to me than I was for him. I was also staying in Jerusalem so it wasn't like I was going somewhere desolate.

So I got into the vehicle and started shmoozing with the guy. I think he felt that I was watching him like a hawk which is why he explained to me that he was going on the highway to get to the other side of the city. I guess he didn't want me to get nervous or anything. I think in general most men pick up my "don't mess" vibes and the fact that I'm religious with those vibes makes men tend to behave very well around me. During our discussion the Arab told me he was from Abu Gosh, an Arab town that makes the best chumus in the country. Every shabbat Israelis come to Abu Gosh to eat their chumus and falafel. Arabs there are also friendly he told me.

The tremp really wasn't so bad and I don't think I made a mistake in judgement on that one. The guy ended up going a little farther out of his way to get me a little closer to my location. That's pretty nice for someone to do, but I'm not totally shocked when Arabs do that because they want Jewish women. It's just fact.

Now, this story doesn't even come close to the time I tremped with a high-class Bedoin.... But that's not for now. :P lol

Another Bus Ride

Well, tonight I was really close to get a bus driver to drive me all the way to my house.... lol ok it didn't happen, BUT IT ALMOST DID! Doesn't the almostness of it count for something?? lol

I was coming back to Tzur Hadassah on the bus, and the bus driver didn't really know where he was supposed to go because he never did that route so he was asking me. So once he was taking directions so well, I figured why not just drop me off where I need to go, right? lol yeah he was turning onto my street when he asked if the bus goes down that way. So I had to tell him no, and he said he was worried about the bus getting stuck or something. He was really tired so I just let him drop me off there, but I could have really gotten him to take me all the way home! Haha, Israel busses are craaaazy. I was just happy that this bus driver didn't take turns as fast as some of the other ones. Oh, by the way, I did kind of regret not making the bus driver take me all the way home when I was walking down my street in the rain. lol :)

I remember two years ago when I was in the Old City trying to find my way to Jaffa Gate from inside the Jewish Quarter I got myself totally lost and then only found an Arab to ask for directions. So this Arab told me which way, and of course I really didn't believe him since Arabs do like to cause trouble for Jews. Then he totally started following me talking to me!
"Do you want to sit and talk?" he asked me. "NO!" I told him very clearly with an attitude like he was insane and stupid for asking. But of course he kept following me and no one was around. So I was basically just waiting for him to jump me. He actually didn't in the end, but I really thought he was going to! Maybe if it was a different girl he would have? I wasn't scared of him, but honestly, no one wants to get close to an Arab from the Old City. They are really dirty. And don't worry, if he would have jumped me he would have payed the price for it. He was a scrawny guy and probably realized that I was stronger than him. :)

I remember once I was really stupid going to my cousins in the Muslim Quarter. I walked through Jaffa Gate and then I saw the Arab shuk (in the Muslim Quarter) so I just walked straight in. But I totally didn't know the way from there! So being crazy I just walked on through until I got myself pretty lost and then I had no one to ask but Arabs. So I asked an Arab girl which way the kotel was. She looked at me, smirked, and pointed me in the wrong direction. So I gave her a bright smile and thank you and walked the opposite direction. Arabs can be so reliable sometimes! Hahaha, I got back to main streets and started asking tourist people and tour guides how to get back. I actually connected with someone who was lost and trying to go the same place as me so we found our way together in the end. But the funniest thing for me was that I was trying to be smart and take a short-cut to get to my cousins but instead it probably took me just as long if not longer.

Muslim Quarter, Old City, Jerusalem

Tuesday night till Thursday night I stayed at my cousin's house in the Muslim Quarter. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be scary or not, because I don't know if most people are scared or not. And even if they are, is that "normal" to be scared in your own country?

Jews living in the Muslim Quarter have security around them 24/7. each complex where Jews live there's also a guard that sits in a booth there and looks at the cameras and watches who comes and goes and also checks the premises. Then there are also guards to escort the families through the streets and protect them from Arabs. Being that my cousins live there it entitles me to escorts too. Usually I don't use them though and just walk myself. Sometimes it's better to have escorts. I'm not sure when though. Maybe at certain times of night when Arabs are just out and about. once it gets past a certain time though I don't think it's so bad. I've been out at all hours. At night before 1 am is probably when you would want to walk with guards. after that I really don't think it's so bad. But then again, it's just me. I also think it's different for a girl than a guy. Guys are targets for getting killed. I think women would be more of a rape target or something. Either way, I don't let my friends walk alone.

Thursday night I decided that I had time to visit a friend before the buses stopped running, so I walked to the bus stop near the Shechem Gate. Shechem Gate is at the end of the street that my cousins live on which goes from the Western Wall courtyard all the way through the Muslim quarter. I was talking on the phone when I noticed an Arab man in front of the that was staring at me. Usually I'm not so bothered by Arabs staring. For some reason this guy really annoyed me. He was walking ahead of me and slowed down and kept looking, so I paused my phone conversation and told him in Hebrew "Excuse me! Do you have a problem? What are you staring at!" Yes, there was plenty of chutzpah in there. He got mad and started cursing, and i don't even remember what he said except he was like, "just pass already!" I didn't like that, and I said something to him about his cursing and walked by him and went back to my phone conversation. My friend said it was the first time she's ever heard me get mad. Well, I wasn't really so mad, it was partially an act. Me mad would be kinda scary... But it got my point across to the Arab enough I guess.
Later that night on my way back I was waiting at a meeting place for two guards to walk me to my cousin's house and twice Arabs noticed me and started talking to me. I don't understand, they don't get it that we don't like them? Or maybe there are enough Israeli girls that go with them that they figure it's worth a shot? So first an Arab man sees me just stop walking and stand there, so he asks me if I need help. It could be that he really meant to help me out. I wouldn't know. I just shook my head and after he asked twice he just kept going. So then I'm sitting there and some stupid Arab guy walks by and sees me sitting there so he comes over to me and asks me the time. I don't think I even looked at him when I shrugged my shoulders in an I-couldn't-care-less-about-you kind of way. He gave a laugh as he walked away and I think he said thanks maybe, but I don't remember that well.

My friend didn't have any plans for Yom Kippur so I wanted her to stay with my at my cousins' since they were going away anyway and we would have the place to ourselves. At first she was really scared about it, but after talking to some friends she called me back and told me she would come. Apparently she spoke to one friend that asked her if she trusted me. She said yes, and then her friend said, "ok, so if you trust her and she doesn't do anything stupid..." ok and then my friend started cracking up. I do stupid stuff even though she trusts me. :D
She came to the Muslim Quarter for Yom Kippur and even brought a friend along.
So for the first time she was walking through to get to my cousins' house I had guards with us. After that we didn't use guards until after Yom Kippur. My friend said she thought it was okay to go without guards. I thought that was pretty awesome since she was petrified of the Muslim Quarter before she came to visit me.
It's beautiful to think that now she isn't afraid of the Arabs and now it's another Jew that can Walk with their head up in the Muslim Quarter.

There's a new Sephardic shul that I went to pray in today for the end of Yom Kippur and someone told me that it was the first time it was being used. It isn't complete yet on the outside, but the sanctuary where the prayers take place is stunning. The outside is still being worked on. I was told that it hasn't been used in 80 years. Neturei Karta people used to pray there. I'm glad we have it now!

For some reason today Arabs were talking to me. As I walked by an Arab on the street waved to me and my friend and said over and over (probably because we weren't responding to him) "Hi! What's going on!" Wow, he was so weird! Then another Arab told me to have an easy fast as I was going into my cousins' complex. And when I left he saw me again and asked when the fast was over. I didn't know so that made it easy and I just turned my palms up and shrugged. I thought that was not too rude and not too nice at the same time.

On my way out of the Muslim Quarter I went with my friend and she wanted guards so we got guards. I was a bit nervous about missing my bus, so when the guards said that they needed to wait and get some guys from the yeshiva (Ateret Cohanim is the yeshiva in the Muslim Quarter) I wanted to just continue on my own. When a group of guys left the yeshiva and were going where I was going I left my friend with the guards and went with them. Then they had to wait two seconds while their friend ran to get something and I just kept going on my own. As I was two seconds away from the security place I walked by some kids hanging out on the street. Two kids were throwing a stick and as I walked by one of them tried to throw it at me. I just turned around with an evil cold stare, and the kid that I think threw it pointed at the other kid and said "he did it!" The kid was scared. Then this other kid that was there noticed that I stopped walking and started making retarded sounds and faces and was just really stupid and annoying so I just left. It's hard to bully a kid, even though really I should have scared them to teach them not to start up with Jews. Maybe next time I'll have a better idea. I just can't believe the kid was stupid enough to throw the stick at me. Then my friend told me that a guard saw that the kids bothered me so when they walked by he pointed at one of the kids and told him to come. My friend said that one kid ran and one said "what?" in a scared way. The kids were just so pathetic...

I think I should have done something scary to the kids to that they would learn not to mess with Jews. I know that they're not learning that at home or in school but being that kids are so impressionable I think it would have been a smart move.

Tremping back to Tzur Hadassa on a mota"sh

Tonight gave me another funny tremp story. I was in Itamar for shabbat and took the bus back to Jerusalem. By the time the bus got to Jerusalem it was late and the last but to Tzur Hadassa had already left. So I went to take a bus to Beitar Elit and from there I waited at the entrance for a tremp down the street in the right direction. I guess the security guys felt bad for me or something because they asked me where I was going and offered me a ride. I was like, "what for I'll just tremp." Then one of the men stoped a bus that was empty and leaving. The bus driver agreed to give me a ride! It was just really cool. Ok, not the first time getting a private ride on a bus, but it was like my first real bus tremp. lol
Very nice man. Good thing is I was spared this time because the bus driver didn't give me money. It happened already three times that I got a tremp and the people gave me money. So strange... I can't explain it though so don't ask me about it.
anyway i'm falling asleep, shavuah tov!