Tova's Year in Israel: Meet Tova

My name is Tova Kline and  I’m 18 years old, a  graduate of Yavneh Academy of Dallas, and my family are members of Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, TX. I am currently doing a gap year program called Nativ. While I deferred my first year of college to be here, I’m still learning. Lots!

While I am here, I’m participating in Ulpan, where you study Hebrew for a few hours a day. In addition to my Ulpan studies, I am volunteering with a few organizations here in Jerusalem. Will be volunteering at the Lone Soldier Center in Jerusalem, which offers aid of all kind to Lone Soldiers, which are soldiers who have no immediate family living in Israel, there I will be doing anything from planning dinners, events, setting up events, and some everyday office work. The other program I am volunteering with is called Yad L’Kashish, where we make arts and crafts with the elderly.

After I finish my semester in Jerusalem, I will be going to a Kibbutz called K’far Hasidim, a somewhat religious community outside of Haifa, where I will hopefully be volunteering with Magen David Adom, the Israeli Red Cross and ambulance system.

So now onto what I’m REALLY doing here. I’ve been living in Jerusalem for about a month now and I must say, it is an incredible place to be. I’m pretty much living in the middle of the city in a youth hostel acting as a dorm for the 78 of us “Nativers” on the program. I’m so close to everything: the Prime Minister’s house, Ben Yehuda (the tourist street that has just about anything you could imagine), the Old City, and so much more.

Over the past month, I’ve done so many things, so here’s a list of the best!

Arrived in Israel

Attended a soccer game and watched Israel lose to Russia (Still SO incredibly fun)

Had Shabbat in Israel

Been to the Western Wall, a lot

Run into a lot of friends

Explored the Shuk, which is the fresh market where you can bargain just about anything while getting local and fresh vegetables and fruit, meat, cheese, dried fruit, breads, clothing, and anything else you could imagine.

Explored Jerusalem

Had my birthday

Rolled/sat/sang/slept(kind of)  in the middle of the busiest intersection on Yom Kippur

Built a Sukkah

Survived in the desert for 3 days

Went to Tel Aviv

Experienced Simchat Torah

And played with cats (they are all over Jerusalem)

And those are just the highlights.

I must say one of my favorites was rolling in the street on Yom Kippur. Jewish holidays in Israel are a lot different than they are in the states. The entire country shuts down and the only cars you will see on the streets are emergency vehicles and some cars driven by Arabs. The stoplights flash and everyone just walks in the street. It’s an incredible thing to witness and be a part of. Try to imagine this, on the holiest of holy days, everything in the country is shut down, traffic lights turned off, no cars anywhere to be found, and there are about 500 people standing and sitting in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in all of Jerusalem, singing.

Another part of the Jerusalem experience is hearing people honking their horns, all day and all night. Some of my New York friends claim it’s worse than Times Square. That being said, it is for sure different than anything I’ve ever seen—or heard.

All in all I love Israel, the people, the culture and, most of all, the experience. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

TriWizard Program Brings Arab and Jewish Teens Together

This article is published here with the permission of The Evergreen, the student newspapaer of Greenhill School in Dallas. It was originally published in spring 2012.

By Samantha Carp and Greer Goss

The word TriWizard may summon memories of Harry Potter to most, but to a group of Greenhill freshmen and sophomores, TriWizard is an organization that will allow them to explore different cultures and religions. This year, Greenhill students will begin the TriWizard program, an exchange with students in Akko, Israel. The program is a collaboration between Greenhill and two Israeli schools, one Arab, and one Jewish.

Last year, the Arab and Jewish students involved in the TriWizard in program met regularly throughout the year in Akko. Akko, one of the oldest cities in Israel, is on the northern end of Haifa Bay.  25% of the population is not Jewish, this is one of the highest non-Jewish percentage in all of Israel, according to http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Acco.html. The students, who are roughly ages 13 through 15, interacted through team building exercises and community service projects. The group created an art service project that is currently on display at a hospital in Akko.

“The program was really setting the foundation for cultural understanding between these two different [Arab and Jewish] communities that are very close geographically but very far apart in real life,” said Upper School history teacher Scott Cotton, who is organizing the Greenhill portion of the exchange.

According to Mr. Cotton, who visited these students in Israel this summer, the students learned about the one another’s cultures, language, and family.

“Even though these groups only live 15 minutes part, they really live in very different community," Mr. Cotton said. “It was a big deal for a group of Arab kids to come to a predominant Jewish school or vice-versa.”

Chana Zweiter, founder of the Kaleidoscope approach, Tri-Wizard’s educational program, explains how the program will benefit the students.

“Our goal is to help develop the social and emotional skills that in turn promote understanding of multiculturalism and respect for others,” she said.

In her previous experiences, the Kaleidoscope program has positively impacted the students.

“Evaluations of other Kaleidoscope programming have proven its efficiency in changing attitudes, in reducing stereotypes and in promoting readiness to interact with people of other cultures,” she said.

According to Eliad Eliyahu, Education Coordinator for Partnership2Gether of the Jewish Agency for Israel, the effects of the program are prevalent in Israel.

“I believe that in Israel we can already see the impact of the meetings the Arab-Jews students had last year,” he said. “They are open to each other and learn how to respect the different culture.”

This year Greenhill will be the third and final participant in the TriWizard program. Starting in January a selected group of freshman and sophomores will partner with these Jewish and Arab Israeli students for a variety of projects via Skype.

Approximately 40 Greenhill students applied. 17 students were selected based upon the content of their application essay, academic success in history, and suggestions from the previous year’s history teacher.

Mr. Cotton said he hopes to establish a core group of Greenhill students who have knowledge of important global issues.

“[One goal is to] develop a cultural understanding and knowledge about where these [Israeli] kids are coming from,” Mr. Cotton said. “How does culture, language, religion affect how people see the world?”

Starting in October {2012}, the 17 Greenhill students will begin meeting and learning about each other. They will participate in many bonding projects, similar to the activities completed by the Arab and Jewish kids last year. Mr. Cotton emphases the importance of the Greenhill kids getting to know each other.

“Greenhill kids are very diverse, we are not all coming from the same place culturally or religiously. We are going to spend some time getting to know about ourselves.”

In January the students will start the exchange with the two Israeli schools.  The students will interact through online video chatting, and individually partner with one or two Israeli students. The international partners will then work on individual activities and service projects.

Freshman Emily Fine, one of the Greenhill students in the program, said she is looking forward to Skyping with the Israeli students.

“Learning in depth about how the students of Arab and Jewish Israeli communities get along today is something I am interested in,” she said. “I would also like to learn the similarities and differences of living in different areas because it is interesting to me to know what other adolescents have in common with me even though we live so far apart.”

Mr. Eliyahu said he takes pride in being a part of a program like Akko, but thinks this year could be difficult.

“This is one of the biggest challenges of the year… because of the entrance of the American side,” he said. “I am very curious [to see] how the American students will accept the variety [of] opinions in Israel.”

According to Mr. Eliyahu, the project has the ability to change how Israel is portrayed in America.

“This kind of project will show to students in Dallas… a different and new perspective of the Israeli situation in the Middle East,” he said.

Greenhill students may have the opportunity to visit their new friends in Akko this summer. Mr. Cotton hopes to take the students involved in the correspondence program to Israel in June to tour, learn, and live the Israeli life. This is not the only service trip Greenhill offers in the summer. Next year Greenhill is offering a summer trip to India and a spring break trip to Costa Rica.

“Students who go on these trips really deepen their knowledge of another culture in ways that you cannot do in a textbook,” he said.

A Gay Candidate for the Knesset

By Josh Rudner         

During his first term, President Barack Obama made good on his promise to repeal the military’s "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prevented harassment of gay members of the armed services, but still banned openly gay, lesbian or bisexual persons from service.

In Israel, gay and lesbian soldiers have been accepted in the military for over 20 years, an example of how Israeli society is more accepting of gays. Last year, members of the lesbian, gay, bi- and transsexual (LGBT ) community in Israel launched a new faction of the Labor Party to further equal rights, attract more gays to the party and to launch a candidate for the Knesset, the country’s parliament. The new faction was embraced by most of the party leadership.

Dan Slyper

Dan Slyper, a 35-year-old project manager at a high-tech company, is the faction’s candidate for Knesset. Mr. Slyper, who lives in Tel Aviv, believes that politics can bring about even more equality for the LBGT community in the country, especially in less liberal cities outside of Tel Aviv.

Describing Tel Aviv as a “gay heaven,"  Mr. Slyper said, “Guys or girls can walk the streets holding hands or kissing and it won't cause any reactions. In Tel Aviv more people feel free to be out of the closet than in other cities [in Israel]."

Discrimination against LGBT Israelis exists and is most common among Israeli Arabs and Orthodox Jews, Mr. Slyper said.  But, discrimination and harassment against Israeli teens is different than it is in the United States. While some Israeli teens do use the word "homo" to bully their friends (Gay or Straight), "What's up homo?" has become a term of endearment for both gays and straights in Israel, according to Mr. Slyper.

Mr. Slyper explained that because only Orthodox Rabbis can marry two people in Israel, gay marriage doesn't exist; however, a judicial civil union is permitted. Should his party gain enough seats in the Knesset, Mr. Slyper has said that they will try to create civil marriages which opens the discussion towards gay marriage.

“We don't want to represent only the state of Tel Aviv," Mr. Slyper told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last fall. "There are gays and lesbians in all sectors of the population and it's very important to us that the faction be as broad as possible and represent as many constituencies as possible." 

What’s Cookin’? Israeli Cuisine

By Rachel Carp

A smorgasbord of cultures combine to make Israel food a distinct and tasty departure from most common fare in the United States. From assorted dishes made from chick peas to pastries sweetened with honey, Israeli cuisine has been influenced by countries in the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean region and the Balkan Peninsula, as well as Europe, Asia and even the United States.

When people visit Israel they frequently develop a passion for the food, returning with memories of a favorite dish. When Susie Carp, a member of Congregation Shearith Israel, visited Israel, she could not resist the warm falafel wrapped in pita.

Miranda Winer, an administrative assistant at Congregation Shearith Israel, immediately missed “the amazing and delicious different kinds of cheeses”  when she returned from visiting Israel in 2012. She also enjoyed café hafuch, a hot beverage similar to a latte, “but of course tastes better there.  Everything does!” Ms. Winer said.

The best way to enjoy delicious Israeli cuisine is to visit Israel, but for now, here are some typical dishes you can make at home.

Bourekas: A common Israeli street food, Bourekas are baked or fried pastries made from thin flakey dough. The pastries are stuffed with a variety of fillings including cheese, meat, or veggies. Typically eaten for breakfast or as a snack, Bourekas can be found at local bakeries and supermarkets.

Spinach Feta Boureka Recipe

Falafel: A popular middle eastern fast food, Falafel is a simple and delicious dish that can be eaten at a restaurant or on the go. Falafel are deep fried chick pea and fava bean balls that are served inside soft pita pockets. The dish can be topped with vegetables, sauces, and is usually accompanied by a salad. 

Yummy Falafel Recipe

Shwarma: Thinly sliced strips of seasoned lamb, turkey, or other meat are wrapped inside pita or laffa bread and served with chips and a salad. Shwarma looks similar to large burrito and is a great substitution for a sandwich. They are easy to find and carry around on the Israeli streets.

Chicken Shwarma Recipe

Baklava- Enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean region and Middle East, these mouthwatering, fragile pastries pack the perfect combination of crunch and chew. Baklava pastries consist of several layers of flakey pastry crust filled with sweet honey and chopped nuts.

Baklava Recipe

Jachnun-  A traditional Yemite Jewish food, Jachnun are slightly sweet pastries usually accompanied by crushed and grated tomato dip, hard boiled eggs, and hot sauce called skhug. The pastry is made from a large, thin sheet of dough brushed with butter or shortening and rolled into a stick. Jachnun is a slow cooked food baked in the oven overnight. Usually baked a day in advance, Jachun is served the morning of the Sabbath by closely observing Jews who are forbidden to light a fire or cook on Shabbat. Jachnun recipe

Israeli Schnitzel- Considered a national food in Israel, schnitzel, which resemble chicken nuggets, are breaded and fried, thin chicken or turkey cutlets. Popular in many Middle Eastern countries, schnitzel was brought to Israel by the Ashkenazi Jews and conforms to dietary kashrut laws. Schnitzel is served alongside fries, mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta, and the individual Schnitzel patties are rolled in sesame seeds or paprika. Frozen schnitzel can also be found in supermarkets in Israel.

Israeli Schnitzel Recipe