Salaam aleichem

Well, we've returned from Egypt! I managed to pick up a few phrases (salaam aleichem among them) and only drop Hebrew once (nothing like a little "todah" to thank the passport agent for stamping my passport to let me into the country. Oops)

Ethan's parents treated us to an incredible vacation. Over the course of our week away, we spent three nights in Cairo, one in Luxor, and three on a cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Cairo is the craziest city I've ever been to. The driving is really as described--horrendous! There are no traffic lanes, hardly any stop lights (the few we saw seemed "optional" at best), and no crosswalks. The one pedestrian crossing signal we saw literally had the green "walkman" running. It was hysterical. People cross the street in front of traffic. We successfully did so twice and each time felt very accomplished. The first time we crossed the street, I took Ethan's hand without resisting and he valiantly led us. However, the second time, I took the lead and you wouldn't believe the resistance I got as I dragged him in front of traffic. Unbelievable. I recommend camp-style trust games move to the Cairo streets if you really want to test your partner's trust. Beyond the traffic, Cairo is really fascinating. We visited the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, the Khan el-Khalili market, Sakkara with step pyramid, Giza with the pyramids and sphynix (including a climb inside the Great Pyramid), Memphis, and the Cairo Museum (cataloged like the old Natural History Museum with typewriter written notes and handwritten ones on index cards and post-in notes. Also with King Tut's tomb exhibit!)

In Luxor, we visited the Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple and took a day trip to Dendara to see the Temple of Hathor and to Abydos to see the Temple of Seti. We also visited the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Deir al-Bahri (Funeray Temple of Hatshepsut), and Colossi of Memnon. Heading south (though technically north on the Nile--it flows from north to south so Aswan and Luxor are part of Upper Egypt and Cairo and Alexandria are part of Lower Egypt), we came to a floating market on the Nile! Suddenly, we heard screaming from below and when we peered over the railing to see what all the commotion was, we encountered numerous rowboats with men selling all sorts of goods. They started throwing things--shirts, dresses, and linens up to the top deck where we could take a look to see if we liked anything and bargain with them for an item. Out of nowhere, a tablecloth and napkins set got thrown up to us. After some serious bargaining, we became proud owners of a white and blue duck and lotus blossom tablecloth. Pretty cool. Soon after, we went through the Esna lock, my first lock, and onto Edfu where we docked overnight before visiting the Temple of Horus. Sailing further up the Nile, we visited Kom Ombo and then Aswan. We had such an incredible vacation but it has been really nice to come back to Israel.

Finally, I have a new favorite Egyptian goddess. Her name is Nut (pronounced "newt") and she is the goddess of the sky. The story goes that the sun passes along her body during the day until she swallows it (signifying the start to the evening). The moon passes the other away along her body until it is sunny again (ie morning). We saw an amazing drawing of this legend in the Temple of Hathor.

Oh, and one final, final note...I'm currently accepting bids higher than 5,000,000 camels as my brideprice since that's what was offered for me at the Step Pyramid.

Photos to come!

Happy New Year!

The end of 2009 was full of adventure and visits--a trip to Paris with my mom and sister (I am still salivating over the endless breads, pastries, and cheeses); a too-quick visit in Tel Aviv with my uncle and aunt from London; a two-day adventure with my cousin from London where I got to show off my increasing ability to navigate the Old City and other parts of Jerusalem with only a few map checks; a visit from friends Taryn and Christoph who amaze me with their sense of adventure, spirit, commitment to their faith, and love of one another; and finally, a visit from Wendy and Jim, Ethan's parents.

Leading up to New Year's Eve, we took a trip down to Qumran (where the Dead Sea scrolls were found), a hike in Ein Gedi (beautiful national park), and a cable car ride up Masada, where Ethan showed off his impressive knowledge of the second temple period (he is on track to be a stellar rabbi!) At night, we made an Indian feast and lit sparklers with Taryn and Christoph to ring in 2010!


there aren't too many options for Indian in Israel so it's fun to think we made edible Indian.

For Shabbat preparations, Wendy, Jim, Ethan, and I ventured to Mahane Yehudah. The shuk is usually overcrowded on Friday mornings but with tourist season in full swing (I guess I'm discounting myself from the tourist lot), the shuk was exceptionally nuts. We still managed to buy all the necessary ingredients for a great shabbat dinner though before Ethan called it quits:) Even though the crowds could make anyone claustrophobic, I still love seeing people from all walks of Jerusalem going about pre-Shabbat preparations. Plus, I am still amazed by the variety and beauty of all the food for sale.

We tried two new recipes for Shabbat from the Kol Haneshamah cookbook that were delicious and worth sharing:

Salmon

1-2 large pieces of salmon
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 c honey
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry (we substituted red wine)
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

4 green onions, sliced

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Pour over the salmon. Bake for 20-25 minutes in 325F (we cooked the fish for about 30-40 mins...just watch the fish). Can be served warm or room temperature.

Quinoa Pilaf

2 c veg stock
1 c quinoa, rinsed
1/2 c dried apricots, diced
1 c fennel, diced
1/4 c dried cranberries
1 c green pepper, diced
1 c red pepper, diced

Dressing:
2 tbsp raspberry or balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced

Bring the stock to a boil over high heat and add quinoa. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook covered for 15 minutes (took ours a bit longer). Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to cool. Add fennel, peppers, apricots, and dried cranberries. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.

We are leaving on Wednesday for Egypt for a week with Ethan's parents. I am SO excited. I will be sure to report back when we return.

Happy New Year! Best wishes for a happy, healthy 2010.
Love, Arielle

Chanukah Sameach!

Happy Chanukah from the Holy Land! Chanukah is filled with so many festivities here; it's really fun. In nearly every house, shop or restaurant you walk by, there's a menorah in the window.

We kicked off Chanukah T-minus 1 day by finding ourselves a menorah at one of the artist co-ops on Yoel Moshe Salomon. I spent many hours on Friday making latkes in anticipation of our Second night party (did you know you can freeze latkes?!) We made a combination of white and sweet potato ones---the sweet potato ones were especially delicious (sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and egg).


We did clean so don't worry, the kitchen didn't look like this for too long.

Our second night party with Ethan's classmates was a success!


L-R: Bess (Rab), Mark (Rab), Sarah (Edu), Jeremy (Rab), Jonah (Rab), Rachel (Edu), Brandon (Rab). Also, please note our aloe plant is alive and well in the background...we've made it a week!


L-R: Jodie (Rab stu), Bethie (Rab stu), Nancy (SO), me, and Emily (SO)




Sunday night's party at M'vasseret was chaotic and fun. Tugis LOVES Ethan!

So, there are a few other Chanukah celebrations this week but what I want to leave you with are a few things I've learned/discovered in my first few weeks (nearly a month!) in Israel.

1) We have a "dude" in our house. Most houses here have them because water is heated by solar power but when the weather isn't sunny and warm, you have to flip your "dude" (shortened from dude-shemesh) at least 15 minutes before you shower so that it's not freezing cold.

2) My gym is closed on Friday afternoon and Saturday for Shabbat. Not gonna lie, it's a little exciting to have an excuse not to go to the gym on the weekend. Good thing we do even more walking than normal on Shabbat since there are no buses running.

3) Speaking of buses, my bus to work (#24 in case you want to join me) does not seem to slow down for turns. I am totally comfortable with Boston drivers but Israeli bus drivers are another story.

4) Wearing pants as a woman is a statement here. It screams, "I'm not observant," as you walk down the street. Similarly, when I met up with my orthodox cousin for breakfast dressed in a knee-length skirt and long sleeve top, he jokingly commented that I was going frum. Never before have been so aware of my outfit choices and those of others.

5) Strawberries and oranges are in season!

6) Chanukah is an excuse for cafes to sell "soofganiot" (ie jelly donuts...a Chanukah delicacy). I have learned that in Israel, soofganiot, which I always thought were only filled with jelly, actually come filled with every flavor imaginable--pistachio, mocha, dulce de leche, chocolate, jelly, and vodka.

Hope your holiday season is equally wonderful!
Love, Arielle

A Weekend Away

This weekend, we participated in a Shabbaton (an overnight Shabbat) as part of Parallel Lives, a group that brings together Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and American students to build relationships and to gain understanding of each others' lives. We had the privilege to stay with the Hosman family for the weekend at their home on a moshav just outside Binyamina, a small town best known for its wineries about 1.5 hours northwest of Jerusalem. A moshav is a small Israeli town that is a type of agricultural cooperative community, and Elisha, Etti, Eyal, and Roni welcomed us into their home with open arms. Their backyard was full of orange, avocado, grapefruit, and olive trees, plus a greenhouse where their grandfather tends to his hobby of horticulture. The common land grows all sorts of vegetables plus a huge number of carnations that are exported, mainly to Japan. Etti was a fabulous chef--the food was endless and delicious. We felt so lucky to have this experience and hope we'll have a chance to visit them again.

Our family


Birds of Paradise in the backyard


I love the blue and the way the kitchen was organized.


Shakshouka on Saturday morning!


Did you know this is how avocados grow? I didn't.


Homemade Challah on Shabbat=delicious


Welcome to Parallel Lives...just another day in Israel


We took a short hike with the group on Saturday. Looking down-


Thanks to the Hosman family, we also are the proud owners of an aloe plant!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving from Jerusalem! Sadly, there's no Macy's Day Parade, Westminster Dog Show, or Black Friday here but there is a lot to be thankful for anyway. We had a great celebration at HUC tonight with Ethan's classmates and Grandma Audrey. The turkey was delicious and so were the other sides, minus our contribution of roasted vegetables (our beets didn't go so well).


I started work yesterday and already can tell it's going to be a great learning experience. I am interning at the Myers JDC Brookdale Institute in the Smokler Center for Health Policy Research (http://brookdale-en.pionet.com/default.asp). I am starting out on a project to create a nationwide hospital patient survey in conjunction with the Ministry of Health. Initially, I am conducting a review of other countries' findings from similar surveys looking at substantive foci, methodology, reporting, etc. I may also assist on a project on mental health reform for children in Israel. My boss is an American trained health policy researcher and made aliyah 24 years ago. He is really into the Oxford system of tutorials between professors and students, and he is assigning me reading on the Israeli health care system and a response paper each week that we will then discuss. Since I don't have too much else on my plate yet, I think this will be really fun. He made a point to introduce me to everyone in our division and include me in meetings. I feel like I have gotten so lucky with this.

In other news, Ethan and I are now the proud owners of Shmuli the Shuk Cart. This is going to make our market experiences so much better!


I also went to Ethan's flag football game on Tuesday night...they lost by the least number of points compared to their previous games. Maybe next time, HUC.

Go Big Blue!




Ethan, Jon, and Josh debrief the game

I met a cat on the way to the market. Really, they are like squirrels here.


This week, I also joined a gym and went to Zumba class with a friend. It turns out she's a classically trained dancer and I am not!!! I think I'll stick to spinning.

My gym (note the Jerusalem stone...all buildings in the city must be built using this limestone.)

Next week, I'll be able to report back on how cooking my first turkey goes. We are hosting post-Thanksgiving Shabbat tomorrow night and having a full Thanksgiving feast. I am grateful Grandma Audrey is here to show me the ropes so that the turkey doesn't go the way of our roasted vegetables!


Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Arielle

I've arrived

I appear to be winning this blog competition. Thanks for all the support, fans.

It is so exciting to be back in Israel. It feels entirely normal to be here which in itself feels strange. My trip in August really helped me get a sense of the city and know what to expect with some basics like taking the bus, ordering coffee at Aroma, and avoiding the many cats near our apartment and elsewhere. Ethan's classmates and teachers have been so welcoming. We met up with many of them at a birthday celebration on Thursday night and continued seeing them over the last 48 hours at ordination, Shabbat services, and Saturday night dinner.

On Friday morning, after attending Israeli Rabbinic Ordination at HUC, we walked through the Old City and made our way to Mechane Yehuda. I decided I love the shuk (market). I want to go every week. I love the masses of people from all walks of Judaism shopping for Shabbat and the overflowing stalls of produce, spices, cheeses, meats, and sweets. I did embarrass Ethan a bit when I screamed at the sight of one fish gasping its last breaths in the fish bin (that's some really fresh fish). Ooops. We bought 100g each of basil, oregeno, thyme, and chili flakes for about $7. What a deal! I can't understand the prices when it comes time to pay so Ethan taught me my Hebrew numbers from 0-20 so if I ever go there alone, I might be able to pay in Hebrew.

We had a really wonderful Shabbat, and today, Ethan's back to school. This whole Sunday workday thing is going to take some getting used to. I'm going to check out the gym I might join and find my way to the home store. Later, I'm meeting up with Ethan to go with him to his volunteer placement in Mevaseret where he volunteers in the Ethiopian absorption center. He's paired with a family with three girls and goes every Sunday to play games and get to know them.

Here are some pictures of our apartment.


The gate to our apartment building


6 Menashe St


What you see when you walk in--to the right is the living room area, to the left is our bedroom, also to the left (on the other side of the wall) is the kitchen. The second bedroom is further back on the left and the bathroom is behind that hutch thing. The spare 1/2 bedroom is off the living room.











Ethan studying...


First Shabbat dinner in our home

Countdown!

In 36 hours, I'm off to Israel!! No, I am not quite packed but I can guarantee that all my shoes, clothes, and other goodies will make it into my suitcases (am I allowed 3??) before take off tomorrow.

Here are some ways to reach me as of 11/19:

Email: Arielle.Traub@gmail.com
Israeli cell: 052 431 1276
From the US: 011 972 52 431 1276
Skype: 203-275-0921
Ethan's cell: 011 972 52 470 2339

Address for letters:
Arielle Traub
6 Menashe Street, Apt 7
Jerusalem 93508 ISRAEL

Address for packages*:
Ethan Prosnit
c/o Hebrew Union College
13 King David Street
Jerusalem 94101 ISRAEL
*You can trust Ethan to deliver these to me except if they contain chocolate.

I am so excited to begin this adventure and join Ethan as a first year rabbinical gf. I've never been a good journaler but I will try to post regularly. Finally, with regards to this blog name (thanks JP!), you can check out Ethan's blog at http://kotel6.blogspot.com...blog wars of competing hotel puns commence:)

Love,
Arielle