During the past few weeks I have been able to meet and befriend people from many different parts of the world. From Israel to Russia, to China, to all over Europe, to the U.S., and back again. Every person and culture are definitely very unique in their own way.
We presented our dishes and enjoyed samples Indian style.
Early last week many of the students participated in a Potluck event put together by the Madrichim (counselors) in our international program. The idea was to cook something that represents either your native roots or the place you live. Being from New Mexico I made a peach salsa dish and brought tortilla chips (or the closest thing I could find to tortilla chips…). Many of the students definitely showed up and showed out! Some of the dishes included crepes from the UK, shackshucka from Israel, several different kind of stir frys and spicy wraps from China, and Mac n’ Cheese from southern US. I was quite surprised by the culinary capabilities of my fellow classmates…(I must say, it is easier to cook stir fry then bake anything since there are no ovens in our dorms…a definite hindrance to creativity in the kitchen).
Although I have met quite a few people so far, I have made a few close friends that share my faith and are seeking after Yehovah with all their hearts. On Shabbat I had the opportunity to attend a congregation with two of these girls and tour around Tel Aviv. It was hot, but it was beautiful. After walking around for a good majority of the day we met up with a group from the congregation to play none other than…Volleyball! Still dressed up in nicer than beach attire I was determined to play (it had been too long).
On a more recent endeavor I went with a group of students to Beit Shemesh to drive ATV’s (All Terrain Vehicle), and I must say, I got the best of the terrain to drive in (we were switching off between several drivers). Rather than plain dirt road, I went through the mud, rivers, sharp turns, and big dips…yes yes, I’m quite happy with myself 😉
All of these groups escapades ties into one thing. We were all meant to live in community. We aren’t supposed to go through this life alone but, Yehovah made us to share our experiences and our lives with each other. From the very beginning Yehovah saw that when he created man, but he was not meant to live alone (Genesis 2:19). Making friends from all around the world is a perfect example of how we all come together to form the assembly of Yehovah. I’ve learned just as much from the people I have met in Israel as I have learned being in Hebrew class everyday, maybe even more so…
Postcard snapshot of Tel Aviv on Shabbat
Yafo, a major section of Tel Aviv (the congregation on Shabbat was in this area).
Adventures with the Torah 