Today was our first meeting with the army.
We went to a building where everyone must go in order to find out your physical profile, your Hebrew level and also have a psychometric test.
When we first got there, we were all given cards that had our id number on them and had to be scanned at each step of the way.
My first stop was the doctor, where I was given an eye exam and also got my weight and height checked. I then had to pee in a cup to see if I had blood in my urine. From there I went into a smaller waiting room where I waited for the doctor. After a quick physical, I was given the score of 97. This is the highest score you can get and it means I am fit enough to go into any unit. The reason why I didn’t get 100 is because it is impossible to get 100. (One rumor is because we have been circumcised and girls don’t get 100s)
From there I went test #2, the Hebrew test. Here I was asked questions, such as my father’s name, mothers age, brothers name, where they were born, how old I am. Then I was given a test in Hebrew speaking. I had o describe the last movie I saw. Unable to think of anything, I quickly went to my favorite movie, the batman returns (I’ve seen it 10 times in theaters sadly) and thus told the whole plot of the movie. Then I was given a reading and writing test.
Once that was done, I went to stage 3, which was the psychometric. This is a basic IQ test, where we were given shapes and had to say how they were related, or what shape comes next in the pattern. The whole test was given on a computer and was timed.
The whole test took maybe 4 hours and brought back dreaded memories of the SATs.
After I was done with the test, I threw up my hands in cheer and ran to the city of Tevaria, which was only a 5 min. walk from where the test was given. There I proceeded to eat my heart’s content in shwarma.
By the time everyone was done with the test, it was already 6 at night and we quickly rushed back to the kibbutz, where our new phones were waiting for us.
While I’m happy the test is done and over with, there are new rules for me to follow. I am now considered army property and as such I can no longer leave Israel. I also can’t get a tattoo (sorry mom, I guess I’ll have to wait to get that tattoo you always wanted.)
I also applied for help from the army since I am a Chial Boded or lone soldier.
Hopefully it is as smooth sailing from here and there is no more stressful test :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tzav Reshon
Today was anything but a relaxing Sunday.
Unlike in the states, where Sunday is viewed as a day to wake up late, eat pancakes and do nothing, here in Israel it is a regular working day.
Everyone who went out on Shabot over the weekend had to come back last night in order to be here today.
The day started out much like any other day did. We had Ulpan, where we learned new things. Then at 1, we had to go to the post office in order to get our health insurance. Here in Israel, things are more complicated than in the states. (I actually have a funny joke with some of my Garin friends, that when we are done with the army, we are going to open up a bank and other things and bring American efficiency to the area.)
While the post office did not take long, people who didn’t need to be there were and this made everyone get upset because we had to leave so fast that we missed lunch. While this doesn’t seem so bad, here on the kibbutz lunch is viewed as dinner or the biggest meal where chicken or meat is served.
The other reason why everyone is on edge is because tomorrow is tzav reshon. This is our first army test. Basically it consists of a physical check, a basic IQ test (where we need to look at shapes and complete the pattern) and an interview with the psychologist. Tzav reson is also where we get to find out what units we are able to go into. It is very stressful for everyone because we all want to get into a good unit and we are all afraid of being told something we don’t want to here. Hopefully we are all over thinking this thing and it turns out to be not bad at all.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Unlike in the states, where Sunday is viewed as a day to wake up late, eat pancakes and do nothing, here in Israel it is a regular working day.
Everyone who went out on Shabot over the weekend had to come back last night in order to be here today.
The day started out much like any other day did. We had Ulpan, where we learned new things. Then at 1, we had to go to the post office in order to get our health insurance. Here in Israel, things are more complicated than in the states. (I actually have a funny joke with some of my Garin friends, that when we are done with the army, we are going to open up a bank and other things and bring American efficiency to the area.)
While the post office did not take long, people who didn’t need to be there were and this made everyone get upset because we had to leave so fast that we missed lunch. While this doesn’t seem so bad, here on the kibbutz lunch is viewed as dinner or the biggest meal where chicken or meat is served.
The other reason why everyone is on edge is because tomorrow is tzav reshon. This is our first army test. Basically it consists of a physical check, a basic IQ test (where we need to look at shapes and complete the pattern) and an interview with the psychologist. Tzav reson is also where we get to find out what units we are able to go into. It is very stressful for everyone because we all want to get into a good unit and we are all afraid of being told something we don’t want to here. Hopefully we are all over thinking this thing and it turns out to be not bad at all.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Friday, August 28, 2009
What a week
Last week was Gadna week. Gadna is a program for 11th graders in Israel to experience what the army will be like for them.
When we first got there, we met our Mifacedet (commander). We then we told that we have 10 seconds to get our things inside our rooms and line up outside. We were told to do this three times, since the rooms kept getting messed up. When we finally got our rooms (all the way on the other side of the base, which is a five min walk away from everything) we were given our new clothing, which consisted of green pants, green shirt and a green belt. We were then given 10 min to run to our new house and change into our army clothing. After that we were basically led on a tour of the camp and told what we were allowed to do and not. At night, we had a ceremony where we got our rankings and told what group we were in. I was a regular soldier, like everyone else and was in the yellow group. (There was a blue group and red group) a group was made up of many different tzvets (smaller groups).
The next day was another basic army day. We learned the 9 rules about guns, such as don’t point it at anyone; it’s not a toy, so on and so on. Afterward, we were given two guns (which where cemented closed and without bullets) and we had to walk around with them and treat them as if they were real. Besides doing army running, pushups, making formations, Day two we also started doing guard duty. It was only 30 min, but we had to guard our room so no one would steal anything important. It was fun to do because during this time, I met other Garin kids and relaxed (since I didn’t have to run or anything.)
The third day was a lot of fun. On the fourth day we had a field day. We were marched from our base, down to the bottom of a hill and we were taught what it’s like to be a soldier out in the field. We learned how to camouflage ourselves with dirt, twigs, and other things. We also learned how to crawl, and what to do if there was a grenade thrown at us. Besides learning what soldiers do in the field, we also learned how they eat. (Mostly tuna or beans out of cans)
On the fourth day, we did a gibush. Basically, we got a taste of what it is like when we go for try out for the units. We had to run with a stretcher and we learned more about the different units in the army. We also got to meet with some soldiers from different units and talk to them about their experience in the army. At night we had our closing ceremony, where we had to give back our ranks and a person from each group was nominated for an award.
The last day was sad but also a lot of fun. We got to shoot real m16 guns. We also got to talk to our Mifacedet as if she was a regular person. It turned out that she was only 18 years old. It was a lot of fun. From Gadna, we went back to the kibbutz for a night party, since it was the birthday of one of the old Garin people.
Then came Shabot, which was very relaxing. Hope the next week is s fun as the last week was!
When we first got there, we met our Mifacedet (commander). We then we told that we have 10 seconds to get our things inside our rooms and line up outside. We were told to do this three times, since the rooms kept getting messed up. When we finally got our rooms (all the way on the other side of the base, which is a five min walk away from everything) we were given our new clothing, which consisted of green pants, green shirt and a green belt. We were then given 10 min to run to our new house and change into our army clothing. After that we were basically led on a tour of the camp and told what we were allowed to do and not. At night, we had a ceremony where we got our rankings and told what group we were in. I was a regular soldier, like everyone else and was in the yellow group. (There was a blue group and red group) a group was made up of many different tzvets (smaller groups).
The next day was another basic army day. We learned the 9 rules about guns, such as don’t point it at anyone; it’s not a toy, so on and so on. Afterward, we were given two guns (which where cemented closed and without bullets) and we had to walk around with them and treat them as if they were real. Besides doing army running, pushups, making formations, Day two we also started doing guard duty. It was only 30 min, but we had to guard our room so no one would steal anything important. It was fun to do because during this time, I met other Garin kids and relaxed (since I didn’t have to run or anything.)
The third day was a lot of fun. On the fourth day we had a field day. We were marched from our base, down to the bottom of a hill and we were taught what it’s like to be a soldier out in the field. We learned how to camouflage ourselves with dirt, twigs, and other things. We also learned how to crawl, and what to do if there was a grenade thrown at us. Besides learning what soldiers do in the field, we also learned how they eat. (Mostly tuna or beans out of cans)
On the fourth day, we did a gibush. Basically, we got a taste of what it is like when we go for try out for the units. We had to run with a stretcher and we learned more about the different units in the army. We also got to meet with some soldiers from different units and talk to them about their experience in the army. At night we had our closing ceremony, where we had to give back our ranks and a person from each group was nominated for an award.
The last day was sad but also a lot of fun. We got to shoot real m16 guns. We also got to talk to our Mifacedet as if she was a regular person. It turned out that she was only 18 years old. It was a lot of fun. From Gadna, we went back to the kibbutz for a night party, since it was the birthday of one of the old Garin people.
Then came Shabot, which was very relaxing. Hope the next week is s fun as the last week was!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Getting ready for the real thing
Another week has come and gone already.
Surprisingly nothing new happened. The only really fun thing last week was Friday, when we finally did some work. Our job was to go around and paint every wooden thing with turpentine (the paint to protect the wood.) for two hours; we were under the hot sun, painting playgrounds and benches.
Then we had Shabot, which was relaxing as usual. There was a party given by the young kids of the kibbutz to welcome us here.
Ulpan has also been the same. Learning more and more each day.
The exciting thing this week is Gadna. Gadna is army for kids in 11th grade in Israel. It is a chance for them to experience the army before they go. They go through basic things like marching, pretending there is a terrorist attack and shooting. However, for us it is going to be a test drive of what it will be like in three months. Gadna is also a week long. This means that I won’t be writing anything new for the next week since we aren’t allowed to take anything worth of value, such as IPOD, money and laptop.
We will be doing Gadna in the North, to a Golani base.
While we are all excited to go and give it a try, it will be hard.
Since Gadna is for students and young children, a lot will be different then what it’s like in the real army. For instance, we have to sleep 7 hours a day, instead of 6. We will also be served 3 meals a day, like the real army and we will have an hour for ourselves after "training" like in the real army. We will also be wearing real army uniforms and carry around a gun (the only thing is that the Gun doesn’t actually shoot. All the shooting will be done on the 4th day when we get to go to a shooting range.)
I hope it’s everything we want it to be.
Surprisingly nothing new happened. The only really fun thing last week was Friday, when we finally did some work. Our job was to go around and paint every wooden thing with turpentine (the paint to protect the wood.) for two hours; we were under the hot sun, painting playgrounds and benches.
Then we had Shabot, which was relaxing as usual. There was a party given by the young kids of the kibbutz to welcome us here.
Ulpan has also been the same. Learning more and more each day.
The exciting thing this week is Gadna. Gadna is army for kids in 11th grade in Israel. It is a chance for them to experience the army before they go. They go through basic things like marching, pretending there is a terrorist attack and shooting. However, for us it is going to be a test drive of what it will be like in three months. Gadna is also a week long. This means that I won’t be writing anything new for the next week since we aren’t allowed to take anything worth of value, such as IPOD, money and laptop.
We will be doing Gadna in the North, to a Golani base.
While we are all excited to go and give it a try, it will be hard.
Since Gadna is for students and young children, a lot will be different then what it’s like in the real army. For instance, we have to sleep 7 hours a day, instead of 6. We will also be served 3 meals a day, like the real army and we will have an hour for ourselves after "training" like in the real army. We will also be wearing real army uniforms and carry around a gun (the only thing is that the Gun doesn’t actually shoot. All the shooting will be done on the 4th day when we get to go to a shooting range.)
I hope it’s everything we want it to be.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Getting adopted
Family is the most important thing in the world. True that your friends are always there for you, but Family can bail you out of any situation.
With this being said, today we met our new families. By doing Garin Tzabar, one of the nice things is that we are given a family that we can go to for food, housing, or just have a mother or father figure to talk to while we are here.
My family is originally from Argentina (Bonus on the Spanish). They moved to the kibbutz three years ago. They also have three of the cuties and funniest kids ever. (Two girls and one boy. see mom, I finally have sisters.) They have one dog and many fish. The kids ages are between 6-10. The family is the best. Today, I got to finally eat a home cooked meal and then we went on a drive to Afula. The adopted family then went to Beer Sheva for 5 days. They said I could go with them next time, if my Commander lets me.
The families all live on the kibbutz and each family was parried with a kid from Garin, based on their personalities and if they wanted a gain kid. All the families are perfect and no one has complained about them.
While these families can never and will never replace our real families, it reminds us of them and they are great people, here to help us out of every situation that might occur.
With this being said, today we met our new families. By doing Garin Tzabar, one of the nice things is that we are given a family that we can go to for food, housing, or just have a mother or father figure to talk to while we are here.
My family is originally from Argentina (Bonus on the Spanish). They moved to the kibbutz three years ago. They also have three of the cuties and funniest kids ever. (Two girls and one boy. see mom, I finally have sisters.) They have one dog and many fish. The kids ages are between 6-10. The family is the best. Today, I got to finally eat a home cooked meal and then we went on a drive to Afula. The adopted family then went to Beer Sheva for 5 days. They said I could go with them next time, if my Commander lets me.
The families all live on the kibbutz and each family was parried with a kid from Garin, based on their personalities and if they wanted a gain kid. All the families are perfect and no one has complained about them.
While these families can never and will never replace our real families, it reminds us of them and they are great people, here to help us out of every situation that might occur.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Comparing Israeli system to American System
So I know I am now Israeli and have to get used to the way of life. However, like most Israeli's I know, I now get to complain about the country I live in. the first problem I have took place on Sunday.
Sunday we got to leave the kibbutz and go to our real family houses (Grandparents, siblings and other family members). The only way to get to where we wanted to go was by bus.
In America, when you want to take a bus, you wait at the station or bus stop, see what number bus you need, when it’s coming and then you’re on the bus. While on the bus, you can buy either a one day ticket or a monthly pass.
In Israel however, this is not really the case. Here, Egged, the bus company, has one major stop in Afula and in most places. The busses all come at what time they feel like. (My bus was supposed to come at 11:15 and ended up showing up at 12:30. I was also the only one going to Jerusalem and was the last one to leave the bus stop)
The second thing is that on Israeli busses, people must sit down and can’t stand up. The first bus that came to station couldn’t fit everyone who waited at the station and we were told to wait another 10 min. for a bus that could fit the rest of us who wanted to go to Jerusalem.)
The Third difference is that if you want to place things on the bus, you place them on the bottom of the bus and not near you (I got away with placing my bag and laptop case, but my clothing and stuff had to go on the bottom.)
Finally, I could only buy a round trip ticket on the bus and not a monthly pass (good thing though cause I only get off the kibbutz twice a month.)
However, once I got the whole mess sorted out and finally reached my destination, I had a pretty good weekend. It was very relaxing and I enjoyed the much needed rest.
However, today, when I had to return back to the kibbutz, the mess started again. The bus station in Jerusalem is twice as big as the one in Afula. Because of that, it is twice as hard to figure out. The bus station had only one person who was working information. Otherwise there is a board that shows which platform the bus is leaving from and at what time. The bus I wanted wasn’t there. So I had to go wait in line at the information place. (This is another different but this can be good. I have never really taken a bus in the city alone, I have done the subway and that is worst. There is really no one there to help you and often times if you don’t know where you are going, you can’t get there at all.) In Israel however, this is not the case. The information lady and mostly anyone around you are willing to help you out. This goes for soldiers or any regular person.
It wouldn’t be much fun if the ride went according to plan. Therefore, I witness my first crash in Israel. It is not something I want to repeat. Basically, a white car tried to cut off the bus so he went through three lanes on the highway and instead of slowing down, hit the guard rail and flipped. The bus stopped a few feet later and the bus driver went to check on the bus. I wanted to get off the bus and check on the car, but not knowing the Israeli laws; I decided against it and stayed put. (I hate that about American society, I was afraid I would be sued for trying to help out and since I’m knew, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.)
Once I got back to the Kibbutz, the whole Garin went to the bank to open an account. This was when I discovered another big difference in American society and Israeli’s. In America, when someone wants to open a bank account, it takes 5 min. You sign some papers and put in a password and that it. Here however, it takes 45 min. You sign so many papers with your signature, that by the time your down, your hands hurt. You also don’t get a bank card right away. I have to wait for Thursday to get mine.
The final difference I realize is how to get a drivers license. In America first you go to the dreaded place known as the DMV, wait in line for hours and then maybe, only on a good day, you get your licensee.
In Israel however, I first had to go get my eyes checked. Now I have to get a physical to make sure I’m in a healthy state to drive. Then I sign up for lessons and go for the test, which can take place only after a certain amount of practice courses, which should be some time soon.
Sunday we got to leave the kibbutz and go to our real family houses (Grandparents, siblings and other family members). The only way to get to where we wanted to go was by bus.
In America, when you want to take a bus, you wait at the station or bus stop, see what number bus you need, when it’s coming and then you’re on the bus. While on the bus, you can buy either a one day ticket or a monthly pass.
In Israel however, this is not really the case. Here, Egged, the bus company, has one major stop in Afula and in most places. The busses all come at what time they feel like. (My bus was supposed to come at 11:15 and ended up showing up at 12:30. I was also the only one going to Jerusalem and was the last one to leave the bus stop)
The second thing is that on Israeli busses, people must sit down and can’t stand up. The first bus that came to station couldn’t fit everyone who waited at the station and we were told to wait another 10 min. for a bus that could fit the rest of us who wanted to go to Jerusalem.)
The Third difference is that if you want to place things on the bus, you place them on the bottom of the bus and not near you (I got away with placing my bag and laptop case, but my clothing and stuff had to go on the bottom.)
Finally, I could only buy a round trip ticket on the bus and not a monthly pass (good thing though cause I only get off the kibbutz twice a month.)
However, once I got the whole mess sorted out and finally reached my destination, I had a pretty good weekend. It was very relaxing and I enjoyed the much needed rest.
However, today, when I had to return back to the kibbutz, the mess started again. The bus station in Jerusalem is twice as big as the one in Afula. Because of that, it is twice as hard to figure out. The bus station had only one person who was working information. Otherwise there is a board that shows which platform the bus is leaving from and at what time. The bus I wanted wasn’t there. So I had to go wait in line at the information place. (This is another different but this can be good. I have never really taken a bus in the city alone, I have done the subway and that is worst. There is really no one there to help you and often times if you don’t know where you are going, you can’t get there at all.) In Israel however, this is not the case. The information lady and mostly anyone around you are willing to help you out. This goes for soldiers or any regular person.
It wouldn’t be much fun if the ride went according to plan. Therefore, I witness my first crash in Israel. It is not something I want to repeat. Basically, a white car tried to cut off the bus so he went through three lanes on the highway and instead of slowing down, hit the guard rail and flipped. The bus stopped a few feet later and the bus driver went to check on the bus. I wanted to get off the bus and check on the car, but not knowing the Israeli laws; I decided against it and stayed put. (I hate that about American society, I was afraid I would be sued for trying to help out and since I’m knew, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.)
Once I got back to the Kibbutz, the whole Garin went to the bank to open an account. This was when I discovered another big difference in American society and Israeli’s. In America, when someone wants to open a bank account, it takes 5 min. You sign some papers and put in a password and that it. Here however, it takes 45 min. You sign so many papers with your signature, that by the time your down, your hands hurt. You also don’t get a bank card right away. I have to wait for Thursday to get mine.
The final difference I realize is how to get a drivers license. In America first you go to the dreaded place known as the DMV, wait in line for hours and then maybe, only on a good day, you get your licensee.
In Israel however, I first had to go get my eyes checked. Now I have to get a physical to make sure I’m in a healthy state to drive. Then I sign up for lessons and go for the test, which can take place only after a certain amount of practice courses, which should be some time soon.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Water, Watereverywhere and not a drop to spare
Today we woke up at 6:30. The reason for this is because we went on a little trip. Since Israel is a dry area, there is a stream that helps move water from one area of country to another. There are sections of the river that are open to swimming. The whole Garin went tubing down the river. If you have ever been on a lazy river ride, this is very similar. It was fun to go down and see 36 people all on black tubes going down a river. From there, we went to a lookout area where we got to see for miles around. It was interesting because we got to see where exactly everything is in the north in relation to us (such as Palestine, Jen’in and Jordan.) While taking in the view, we also got to finally take in some bbq food. There's nothing so good as hotdogs and chicken.
From there we went back to Afula to see the shook of the village. It is not as big as the ones in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. While there was nothing for me to buy, it was still fun to hear all the different people try to sell me things.
From there we went back to the kibbutz for another late night pool party. While we did have a fun filled day, we are all happy that tomorrow is our first free Shabbat. I am planning to spend it in Jerusalem with my cousins and grandparents.
From there we went back to Afula to see the shook of the village. It is not as big as the ones in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. While there was nothing for me to buy, it was still fun to hear all the different people try to sell me things.
From there we went back to the kibbutz for another late night pool party. While we did have a fun filled day, we are all happy that tomorrow is our first free Shabbat. I am planning to spend it in Jerusalem with my cousins and grandparents.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Update on status
Today we woke up and went to Ulpan like we usually do. However, unlike most days Ulpan ended early because today we were all going to update our status.
Before today I was only registered as a new immigrant, without any help and without any source of income. However today that changed. The religious Garin, along with my Garin went to the Miclat Ha'cleta. The building is located in Tevaria (the nearest city to us). The building looks like any other building from the outside, however inside there are pictures of soldiers in all different units.
If you have ever been to the DMV, then you are familiar with waiting on pointless lines for no reason. For us it was mainly the same thing. Because I had not yet received my Tiuda Zaut (ID card) I had to wait on one line to get it. Then I had to go wait on another line to make sure everything was correct on it. Then, I had to go wait on another line to fill out paper work ab0ut myself.
After everyone was done, with waiting on line, we all went to the city for dinner. It’s amazing how much I missed pizza.
When we got back to the kibbutz, we met with some of the old members of Garin, who also live on the kibbutz. One of the old members works in Orkez (a dog unit). The other two were teachers, in Tanks and Artillery.
Tomorrow, we need to wake up early because we are going to go swim in a river. I hope to post pictures soon about our Garin so everyone can see what it’s like here.
Before today I was only registered as a new immigrant, without any help and without any source of income. However today that changed. The religious Garin, along with my Garin went to the Miclat Ha'cleta. The building is located in Tevaria (the nearest city to us). The building looks like any other building from the outside, however inside there are pictures of soldiers in all different units.
If you have ever been to the DMV, then you are familiar with waiting on pointless lines for no reason. For us it was mainly the same thing. Because I had not yet received my Tiuda Zaut (ID card) I had to wait on one line to get it. Then I had to go wait on another line to make sure everything was correct on it. Then, I had to go wait on another line to fill out paper work ab0ut myself.
After everyone was done, with waiting on line, we all went to the city for dinner. It’s amazing how much I missed pizza.
When we got back to the kibbutz, we met with some of the old members of Garin, who also live on the kibbutz. One of the old members works in Orkez (a dog unit). The other two were teachers, in Tanks and Artillery.
Tomorrow, we need to wake up early because we are going to go swim in a river. I hope to post pictures soon about our Garin so everyone can see what it’s like here.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Time for school
After our first week of having only lectures, it is time for us to get down and start learning the language of the Hebrew Man. By this I mean, that it’s time for us to start our Ulpan classes.
Yesterday, after taking a 4 hour course, we were put into our groups of Hebrew. The test is like a placement test. We sat in a room and took a reading test. We then had to answer questions based on the reading. One of our stories was on JK Rowling and another was on Roni Klien (the soldier who jumped on a grenade and saved his soldiers). We then had a personal interview with the teachers of the Ulpan, where we were asked questions, such as our name, age, where we lived, where our Hebrew comes from and so on. After this came the Army Hebrew test. We were giving passages to read and again had to answer questions. We were also told to change sentences from singular to plural, past to present and so on.
In the afternoon, we were given free time to do whatever we wanted. Then at night we had an activity about the army. We were all given a question and had to answer it by doing things such as writing out the answer with our bodies, arranging ourselves in a certain order or doing something else funny.
Today, we started our Ulpan. I'm placed in a great class. There are 9 of us and right now we are learning how to conjugate verbs. We also worked on our reading and writing. It was fun to do. We were also told that we will be doing Gadna in two weeks. Gadna is army training for 11th graders. They go through basic army courses and see what it’s like to serve. We were also told that this week we would have a free weekend. This means that we are allowed to leave the Kibbutz and go to our family houses. I can’t wait to go and see my family (by family I mean grandparents and cousins).
Tonight, the Kibbutz is going t open up the pub for us. We are all so excited because we have never gone before and everyone here is 18 and over so are legally allowed to drink. Hope I don’t wake up tomorrow with a headache. That wouldn’t be too good for school :).
Yesterday, after taking a 4 hour course, we were put into our groups of Hebrew. The test is like a placement test. We sat in a room and took a reading test. We then had to answer questions based on the reading. One of our stories was on JK Rowling and another was on Roni Klien (the soldier who jumped on a grenade and saved his soldiers). We then had a personal interview with the teachers of the Ulpan, where we were asked questions, such as our name, age, where we lived, where our Hebrew comes from and so on. After this came the Army Hebrew test. We were giving passages to read and again had to answer questions. We were also told to change sentences from singular to plural, past to present and so on.
In the afternoon, we were given free time to do whatever we wanted. Then at night we had an activity about the army. We were all given a question and had to answer it by doing things such as writing out the answer with our bodies, arranging ourselves in a certain order or doing something else funny.
Today, we started our Ulpan. I'm placed in a great class. There are 9 of us and right now we are learning how to conjugate verbs. We also worked on our reading and writing. It was fun to do. We were also told that we will be doing Gadna in two weeks. Gadna is army training for 11th graders. They go through basic army courses and see what it’s like to serve. We were also told that this week we would have a free weekend. This means that we are allowed to leave the Kibbutz and go to our family houses. I can’t wait to go and see my family (by family I mean grandparents and cousins).
Tonight, the Kibbutz is going t open up the pub for us. We are all so excited because we have never gone before and everyone here is 18 and over so are legally allowed to drink. Hope I don’t wake up tomorrow with a headache. That wouldn’t be too good for school :).
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Getting ready for another week.
Well, the first official week here in Israel has ended. It went by faster then I thought it would. Yesterday was Shabbat. Everything in Israel comes to a complete stand-still when it’s Shabbat. Unlike the US, where Saturday is just another day, here in Israel everything stops (including buses, stores and many more things). This left me nothing to do, but swim and hang out with the fellow Garin members.
After walking for a few miles and meeting some nice Bedouins, I got to eat the best homemade pita and chocolate spread ever. After that, it was off to a fun swim, where we fought for the inflatable raft and raced each other.
Then in the afternoon we went on a long hike. We got to learn some of the history of the kibbutz and we also got to play pretend soldiers. Two of our leaders are army soldiers that are helping us learn more about the army. After we walked down the side of a mountain, the two leaders went into an abandoned house, while a third leader told us to wait. We were then told that the two army men were going to be Hamas terrorist, and we needed to infiltrate the house and try to kill them by stealing bottles around the house. The catch was that if they shown a light on us, we were "dead".
After trying unsuccessfully the first time, we eventually crawled, rolled and sneaked to the house and got the bottles. We then made a fire and relaxed.
On the way back home to our caravans, I tripped and fell. I’m the first one to bleed from our Garin.
:(
Today was more lectures. We met the head of the kibbutz, who told us more about the kibbutz and how it started. We then talked to the head of the Col-Bo (the local store in the kibbutz). We were also given our bank account numbers. This means I can finally buy things here in Israel.
We ended the day with a march around the kibbutz and saw how big this place really is.
After walking for a few miles and meeting some nice Bedouins, I got to eat the best homemade pita and chocolate spread ever. After that, it was off to a fun swim, where we fought for the inflatable raft and raced each other.
Then in the afternoon we went on a long hike. We got to learn some of the history of the kibbutz and we also got to play pretend soldiers. Two of our leaders are army soldiers that are helping us learn more about the army. After we walked down the side of a mountain, the two leaders went into an abandoned house, while a third leader told us to wait. We were then told that the two army men were going to be Hamas terrorist, and we needed to infiltrate the house and try to kill them by stealing bottles around the house. The catch was that if they shown a light on us, we were "dead".
After trying unsuccessfully the first time, we eventually crawled, rolled and sneaked to the house and got the bottles. We then made a fire and relaxed.
On the way back home to our caravans, I tripped and fell. I’m the first one to bleed from our Garin.
:(
Today was more lectures. We met the head of the kibbutz, who told us more about the kibbutz and how it started. We then talked to the head of the Col-Bo (the local store in the kibbutz). We were also given our bank account numbers. This means I can finally buy things here in Israel.
We ended the day with a march around the kibbutz and saw how big this place really is.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
New Rooms, New Family
After spending a few days at grandma's house and a long ceremony, where many different army personnel and government officials, gave long speeches about how happy and proud of us they are, it was time to say goodbye to our love ones and move to our new kibbutz.
As I said before, my Kibbutz is Kibbutz Yisre'el. It is only 10 kilometers outside Jen'in, but luckily nothing ever happens. The Kibbutz is nice and big with a pool, common eating area, 3 factories (one does robot pool cleaning, one makes the holes in the motherboards for computer chips, and one makes electric heating for floors of rooms) and living area for 500+ people.
The entire Garin group is in the back of the kibbutz, living in caravans. There are four people to a caravan, two per side, a small kitchen area and a bathroom. There is also two different hang out areas for us. One is outside and has many couches and tables to sit and smoke hookah in. The second area is an indoor area, also with couches but has a TV, wifi and a playstation 2. Luckily, since I’m living near the second hang out area, I get wifi in my room.
While my roommate is nice and a pleasure to have and the other two guys are also easy to get along with and fun to be with, the caravan is not home and I do miss my family. Even though we talk on Skype a lot and video chat, I still wish that they were here with me.
The other feeling I have is college. This living style and openness, where we can go into girls’ room, stay up late and not have many restrictions, makes me feel like I’m in college. It will be fun to see how the rest of my time here plays out.
In the morning, I have to learn the rules of the kibbutz and then I’m off to meet two commanders of one of the army brigades. Tomorrow is also Shabbat, where everyone in the kibbutz comes together and we all celebrate the day of rest.
As I said before, my Kibbutz is Kibbutz Yisre'el. It is only 10 kilometers outside Jen'in, but luckily nothing ever happens. The Kibbutz is nice and big with a pool, common eating area, 3 factories (one does robot pool cleaning, one makes the holes in the motherboards for computer chips, and one makes electric heating for floors of rooms) and living area for 500+ people.
The entire Garin group is in the back of the kibbutz, living in caravans. There are four people to a caravan, two per side, a small kitchen area and a bathroom. There is also two different hang out areas for us. One is outside and has many couches and tables to sit and smoke hookah in. The second area is an indoor area, also with couches but has a TV, wifi and a playstation 2. Luckily, since I’m living near the second hang out area, I get wifi in my room.
While my roommate is nice and a pleasure to have and the other two guys are also easy to get along with and fun to be with, the caravan is not home and I do miss my family. Even though we talk on Skype a lot and video chat, I still wish that they were here with me.
The other feeling I have is college. This living style and openness, where we can go into girls’ room, stay up late and not have many restrictions, makes me feel like I’m in college. It will be fun to see how the rest of my time here plays out.
In the morning, I have to learn the rules of the kibbutz and then I’m off to meet two commanders of one of the army brigades. Tomorrow is also Shabbat, where everyone in the kibbutz comes together and we all celebrate the day of rest.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Finally Home
Good Afternoon.
After a relaxing flight of 10 hours, I finally arrived at the holyland. This flight was nothing like any other flight I have been on. There is nothing quite the same as being a plane full of fellow soldiers and people making Alyiah. (It actually was a record flight because 55 soldiers-to-be were on the flight, the most to date.)
When we left JFK, we had a moving ceremony where we said goodbye to our parents and friends, then we were on the flight. When we landed, we were welcomed by various people, soldiers and officials, including Bibi Netanyahu and Noam Sharansky at Israel's old terminal. This means that the whole terminal was for us and no other flight. It was a very moving ceremony, where strangers came up to us, hugged us and wished us luck on our journey.
Once the ceremony was over, we got our first taste of Israeli Beauracracy. We had to go upstairs to the back of the terminal and register our names in order for us become citizens. Since the flight was run through Nefesh Be Nefesh, and all the lone soldiers are on Garin Tzabar, there was no communication between the two groups and as such, we were told to do things in a different order, depending on who told us what. Once everything was worked out, we were then lead to the luggage claim, where there were two belts of luggage going at the same time. Once the whole mess was worked out, we were finally allowed to leave and off I went, with my father and grandparents to my grandparent’s house.
After a relaxing flight of 10 hours, I finally arrived at the holyland. This flight was nothing like any other flight I have been on. There is nothing quite the same as being a plane full of fellow soldiers and people making Alyiah. (It actually was a record flight because 55 soldiers-to-be were on the flight, the most to date.)
When we left JFK, we had a moving ceremony where we said goodbye to our parents and friends, then we were on the flight. When we landed, we were welcomed by various people, soldiers and officials, including Bibi Netanyahu and Noam Sharansky at Israel's old terminal. This means that the whole terminal was for us and no other flight. It was a very moving ceremony, where strangers came up to us, hugged us and wished us luck on our journey.
Once the ceremony was over, we got our first taste of Israeli Beauracracy. We had to go upstairs to the back of the terminal and register our names in order for us become citizens. Since the flight was run through Nefesh Be Nefesh, and all the lone soldiers are on Garin Tzabar, there was no communication between the two groups and as such, we were told to do things in a different order, depending on who told us what. Once everything was worked out, we were then lead to the luggage claim, where there were two belts of luggage going at the same time. Once the whole mess was worked out, we were finally allowed to leave and off I went, with my father and grandparents to my grandparent’s house.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Well the time has come. Tomorrow is the day we leave to Israel.
The flight will be made up of only poeple who are making Alyiha. This means that instead of going on a regular 12 hour fligh, where i would sleep 10 hours, the flight will be a party.
There is a ceremony for us at both ends of the flight.
While in NY, there is a going away ceremony where anyone can come and say goodbye to us. Then when we land, there is a welcome home ceremony, where it is not uncome for a big leader, such as the prime minister, Bibi, or even Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's forign minister.
After the five seminars, i love my group. We really mesh well together.
As excited as i am to go, i am sad to leave my friends. It is hard to say goodbye to the people that have made you laugh for the last 13 years. I know that they will go on to do great things but at the same time, there is a part of me that wants time to stop so that i can hang out with them one more day and joke around and not have a care in the world.
It is equally as hard to say goodbye to a brother whom you share everything with and the parents whom you can go to at anytime of the day and talk to with. However, with the power of technology, I know that i will be able to keep in touch with them and it will be as if i never left.
The flight will be made up of only poeple who are making Alyiha. This means that instead of going on a regular 12 hour fligh, where i would sleep 10 hours, the flight will be a party.
There is a ceremony for us at both ends of the flight.
While in NY, there is a going away ceremony where anyone can come and say goodbye to us. Then when we land, there is a welcome home ceremony, where it is not uncome for a big leader, such as the prime minister, Bibi, or even Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's forign minister.
After the five seminars, i love my group. We really mesh well together.
As excited as i am to go, i am sad to leave my friends. It is hard to say goodbye to the people that have made you laugh for the last 13 years. I know that they will go on to do great things but at the same time, there is a part of me that wants time to stop so that i can hang out with them one more day and joke around and not have a care in the world.
It is equally as hard to say goodbye to a brother whom you share everything with and the parents whom you can go to at anytime of the day and talk to with. However, with the power of technology, I know that i will be able to keep in touch with them and it will be as if i never left.
In the beginning
Hello to all who are checking out this blog.
My name is Yechiel. A long time ago, before i can remember, my grandparents moved from Bogota, Colombia, to Israel. The reason for the move was because two of my uncles and my aunt were in living Israel and it was going to be easier for my grandparents to live near my uncles and aunt. Along with my uncles, aunt and grandparents, I have many cousins living in Israel as well.
Ever since that time, I have been visiting Israel once or twice a year. One of the visits, i remember my cousin going to the army. Everyone was so proud of him but also nervous as well. I always looked up to this cousin and i was so proud of him.
Ever since that time, I have wanted to join the army and become more zionistic, so i spent most of my free time learning about Israeli history. Ever since then, I have fallen in love with the land of Israel and everything it stands for. A land that is ours, after years of persecution is a miracle.
Now the time has come for me to join. Last year, I discovered a program called Garin Tzabar (http://www.masaisrael.org/Masa/English/Programs/Tzofim+Garin+Tzabar.htm)
The program takes youths from around the world and helps them make Aliyah and join Tzahal. Since most of the volunteers are from the US, the Garin program breaks up the US into three regions (the east coast, west coast and center.)
Since i live in New York, I am from the east coast. There are 32 people in my Garin. Before we leave for Israel, there are five seminars, where we meet one another and talk about why we want to join. After the five seminars, which usually takes a year, we then go to Israel and live on a kibbutz together. During the first three months on the Kibbutz, we do Ulpan and then comes the enlistment date and we all enlist. Since all the members of the group are considered "lone soldiers" since their mothers and fathers are not in Israel, the members of the group become like a family and a support group.
When it comes time to enlist, we all take he test together and then go off onto different units.
My name is Yechiel. A long time ago, before i can remember, my grandparents moved from Bogota, Colombia, to Israel. The reason for the move was because two of my uncles and my aunt were in living Israel and it was going to be easier for my grandparents to live near my uncles and aunt. Along with my uncles, aunt and grandparents, I have many cousins living in Israel as well.
Ever since that time, I have been visiting Israel once or twice a year. One of the visits, i remember my cousin going to the army. Everyone was so proud of him but also nervous as well. I always looked up to this cousin and i was so proud of him.
Ever since that time, I have wanted to join the army and become more zionistic, so i spent most of my free time learning about Israeli history. Ever since then, I have fallen in love with the land of Israel and everything it stands for. A land that is ours, after years of persecution is a miracle.
Now the time has come for me to join. Last year, I discovered a program called Garin Tzabar (http://www.masaisrael.org/Masa/English/Programs/Tzofim+Garin+Tzabar.htm)
The program takes youths from around the world and helps them make Aliyah and join Tzahal. Since most of the volunteers are from the US, the Garin program breaks up the US into three regions (the east coast, west coast and center.)
Since i live in New York, I am from the east coast. There are 32 people in my Garin. Before we leave for Israel, there are five seminars, where we meet one another and talk about why we want to join. After the five seminars, which usually takes a year, we then go to Israel and live on a kibbutz together. During the first three months on the Kibbutz, we do Ulpan and then comes the enlistment date and we all enlist. Since all the members of the group are considered "lone soldiers" since their mothers and fathers are not in Israel, the members of the group become like a family and a support group.
When it comes time to enlist, we all take he test together and then go off onto different units.
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