Today I had the unique privilege of attending an all-day security workshop sponsored by a top security research institute in the region. There were representatives from the EU, NATO, and several regional countries present.  I cannot discuss who was involved in this seminar (let's just say I didn't deserve to be there and that I was likely the youngest one there), because it was conducted under the Chatham House Rule which simply states that: "When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed".  I can, however, discuss the general topics of conversation.  These included - NATO involvement in the Middle East Peace Process, EU involvement in the Southern Mediterranean countries, and Weapons of Mass Destruction and the steps to regional disarmament.  So... needless-to-say, my brain is tired!

 
 
 
RE-DREADING 11/22/2008
 

As some of you know, I got so-called dreadlocks in Sacramento before I went to Israel this time, but unfortunately, they started getting really bad last week... SO... I had to choose... chop them off and give up or get them redone.  So I chose the latter... I just couldn't part with the dream.  I'm only 24 once.  So... I went to Dredy in Tel Aviv... The only good dreading place in Israel... it took 5 hours and it hurt really bad!  I'm still in pain.  But, I think/I hope it's worth it!

 
 

Thurday, the day after an exhausting week - I slept through my alarm clock and woke up at 8:25... My classes start at 8:30 and I live 45 minutes away... You do the math!  I ended up having to hire a taxi, and I got to class about an hour late... FOR A HEBREW TEST!!! Anyway, I was a bit frazzled, so the teacher allowed me to finish the rest of the test at home (a huge blessing).  That set into motion what was a bit of a down day.  Maybe it was the crash after the rush of the GA and an awesome weekend traveling, but I was pretty blue - I even went home and took a nap, but my bad day faded quickly when I was invited by my cousin Tuvya to spend the evening when his family.  When I got to his home, there was a lady there that I didn't know.  She said "Dah-vid? I am your relative, Clarissa!"  I was so happy!  We talked for a couple of hours and had an amazing dinner and then Tuvya and his wife made me stay over so I could play with the kids in the morning... and then they made me come to dinner for Shabbat!  I'm having so much fun with my newfound relatives in Israel!


Oh - and Tuvya and Ifat set me up on an arranged marriage style date.. it wasn't successful!

 
The GA 11/22/2008
 

I was invited by the Hillel organization to be a representative for their Tel Aviv University chapter at this year's General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities in Jerusalem.  4000 delegates, lay-people and donors from around the world (especially North America) were there along with some very important people in Israel!  I had to wake up at 4:45 in the morning on Sunday to make it to Jerusalem in time for the festivities.  We spent some time at Yad vaShem (the Holocaust museum) and Ammunition Hill, and then we continued to the conference.  There were over 300 students represented from the 10 major universities in Israel.  
We had several rallies and seminars.  At each rally, we had the opportunity to hear many of the wonderful performing arts groups in Israel and also hear from various Jewish leaders in the world and many of the heads of state in Israel, including: Sir Shimon Peres - the 9th President of the State of Israel who was officially knighted by the Queen of England last week after the conference, Ehud Olmert - the current Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak - the former Prime Minister and Current Minister of Defense, Nachman Shai - the former spokesperson of the Israeli Defense Forces, Sherry Arison - Carnival Cruise Line heiress and the richest person in Israel, David Horovitz - the editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, among others!
I don't exactly know how it happened, but I was able to meet/have pictures with all of the bolded names!  
I was able to meet several wonderful people... Overall it was a rewarding experience.

 
 

I have been running on all engines for the last week.  It all began with a spectacular school-sponsored trip to the Golan Heights and Sea of Galilee last weekend.  We were very close to Lebanon and Syria, and it made me very thankful for the Golan Heights (a truely vital buffer-zone between a tiny and populous Israel and less-than-cordial Syria and Lebanon {which both have been known to harbor terrorist cells}).  The Golan Heights also produce over 1/3 of Israel water.  We had a chance to go hiking as well... I had to borrow my old roommates size 10 shoes (I am a size 12), because I didn't know that the Israeli government obligates all schools to require shoes on such trips (not sandals, which I brought) along with hats (which I also didn't bring).  We also had the chance to go to some amazing hot springs called Hamat Gader in territory that is also disputed.  That was a fun experience.  After dinner on Saturday night, some of us caught a public bus to Tel Aviv, and I didn't get home until 1am... I had to get up at 4:45 to leave for my conference in Jerusalem, but that's another story.

 
 

Last night I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting my cousin Tuvya (Klarissa and Rueven's middle son) for the first time.  IT WAS A BLAST... Tuvya invited me over to his art and toy-adorned apartment in Northeaster Tel-Aviv and prepared dinner for all of us... He lives there with his wife Ifat, and his three children Shahar 8, Ofek 6, and Tal 3.  We had dinner, laughed alot, played Wii, listened to music, told stories, laughed some more, and when Ifat got home from work, we ate more... Oh, and she tried to set me up on a Jewish-Arranged Marriage/Date... It was so funny... She asked if I wanted to meet someone special "She is tall, blonde, 21 and from the Kibbutz (commune farm)."  What was I supposed to do? Refuse her?  SO... I let her invite the neighbor girl over to meet me... Thankfully it wasn't too awkward... 
Later, after 'I' tucked the kids into bed, Tuvya brought me home - but first we made a detour to his favorite Schwarma shop... It was really good!
Overall, I feel like I fit right in... Their is definitely a connection there... They feel like family.  I am very thankful.

 
 

So, my grandma's cousin Larry and his wife Sandy emailed me a while back with the name of a cousin from our extended family that lives in Israel.  At first, I thought it would be easy to find such a person, but I was wrong... It was nearly impossible... But, I finally asked one of my roommates to help me, and I was actually able to find my cousin's phone number.  Monday, I decided to place the call... my heart was beating fast because this is a big deal... It was to be my first contact with family that lives outside of the continental US! 'Ring' 'Ring'... "Hah-Loh" - a man's voice... I asked him if he was Rueven Kfir, and he was... then I asked if I could speak with Klarissa, and thankfully she was home... I informed Klarissa that I was her cousin, and she was ecstatic... she wanted to know everything, and then she invited me to stay with them for a weekend to bridge the gap.  It was so much fun to talk with her, and I was so thankful to finally have family in Israel!  It was likely one of the happiest phone calls of my life!

 
 


Shakshuka is an Israeli dish with many variations; this one comes by way of Israel and is vegetarian-friendly.


Yield: six servings

2 pounds fresh tomatoes, unpeeled and cut in quarters, or one 28-ounce can tomatoes

6 cloves garlic, roughly diced

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon sweet paprika or cayanne pepper

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 large eggs

 

1. Place the tomatoes, garlic, salt, paprika, tomato paste, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over low heat until thick, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

2. Ladle the tomato sauce into a greased 12-inch frying pan. Bring to a sim mer and break the eggs over the tomatoes. Gently break the yolks with a fork. Cover and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. Bring the frying pan directly to the table. Set it on a trivet and spoon out the shakshuka.

 

NOTE: Alternatively, you can make individual portions, as they do at Doktor Shakshuka, by ladling some of the sauce into a very small pan and poaching one egg in it.

 
 

As most of my Californian friends know, I have a "thing" for Jerusalem.  It is pretty much one of my favorite places on earth.  Nothing can make me feel the way I do when I am there, but I don't like to get stuck there.  Thursday night, that is exactly what happened.  After the production of "The Covenant," I went out with some friends and missed the last bus.  I tried to take a taxi-bus (called a Sherut), but for some reason my ATM wasn't working, and I couldn't make it back to Tel Aviv.  SO... I resorted to finding a hostel... I walked all over the center of the city and was unsuccessful in finding a hostel... I finally gave up and went to a hotel and asked them... "Yesh Lecha Meyonot (Do you have dormitories)?"  The man said yes, and I was able to negotiate a private room for half price... 100 shekels (about $26)... The only stipulation is that I had to leave by 8 in the morning... It wasn't a very nice hotel.  Infact, I didn't want to trust the sheets, so I covered the pillow with my towel and I slept in my clothes.  
The morning came quickly, and I decided to walk to the Old City.  I went into the Arab quarter for the whole morning.  The Arab quarter is more like the Arab half.  It takes up the largest section of the old city.  It wasn't frightening.  The residents were speaking in Arabic, and for a moment in time, I felt as if I had slipped into Saudi Arabia or Iraq and left Israel.  The truth is, however, that there are many cities in Israel where Arabic is the primary language.  
I stopped for breakfast at a place called Abu Shukri... I order Shakshuka (a delicious spicy tomato stew with a fried egg in it - usually served with pitas),  and I was served something that resembled Humus, except it tasted like mushed-up egg yolk with Tahini... What I couldn't understand is that dozens of Israeli Arabs lined up with their own dishes at the Abu Shukri counter to bring some of the mystery egg Humus home for lunch.  I SIMPLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT IT!
Afterward, I befriended a couple of the local children.  There was a girl begging at one of the city gates (pictured below), and I showed her that I was learning to write Arabic.  She then showed me that she could write the letter 'S'.  I then taught her how to write most of the other letters in English.  She was very happy, but what she really wanted was some food, so I arranged that too.
After my time in the Old City, I went to ben Yehuda Street (one of the main Jewish shopping streets in Israel).  The contrast between the Jewish shopping area and the Muslim shopping area was vast!  When I entered the Shuk (the vegetable market), I saw a crowd following a man.  I decided to go and meet him and ask questions later, so I did.  The man ended up being Eli Yishai, the head of the Shas political/religious party in Israel.  
Afterward, I met up with my friend Kathryn and we got Afuk (Cappucino) and Shoko (Hot Chocolate) and had a nice talk.  Then, I went home... 
Overall, apart from the food I ate in Jerusalem, I had an amazing time!