Petra, Spectacular Petra

The Treasury of Petra, as viewed through the Siq (narrow canyon)

There are times in our lives when we experience something so incredible, so unique, so breathtaking, that it resonates within us and stays there forever. 

Petra, the ancient city carved into rose-colored stone in the middle of Jordan, is one of those somethings.

I was incredibly fortunate to visit Petra this past weekend, during the final days of my Pesach vacation. I was also incredibly fortunate to have a cousin living in Aqaba, the resort town of Jordan that lies just across the Red Sea from Eilat. So Ari, Lauren, and myself went down to Eilat on Thursday, crossed the border between Israel and Jordan on foot, and spent the weekend at Cousin Rich's swanky apartment in the 5th district of Aqaba. Early Friday morning we were picked up by a lovely taxi driver named Hatem, and he drove us to Petra for our five-hour experience. We returned for the remainder of an awesome weekend in Aqaba. 

With Ari and Lauren in front of the Treasury. 

Petra, you may recognize, is the facade of the final scene of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," one of my favorite movies. Whether from that movie, or from simple promotion by the Jordanian government (who clearly regard Petra as the jewel in their country's crown) it has become the second most-visited "new wonder of the world," just behind the Great Wall of China.

There are few words to adequately describe Petra, and the pictures just can't do it justice. It's such a spectacular place, and there is nothing else like it on earth. It's an ancient city entirely carved out of rock! It's massive! There is so much to see and do and experience, and you climb up onto these structures and you hike up mountains and run and play and it's just so, so incredible. The setting of it all is majestic - you are literally in the middle of the Jordanian desert, with red sand and rock everywhere. The rock itself is stunning, and it changes color throughout the day as the light hits it appropriately. 

The Siq, a narrow canyon that you walk through to enter the city, in the early morning...

And again in the early afternoon.

There was something quite magical and unbelivable about Petra. It almost seemed like a fairy tale. You just can't comprehend how something could be created like that so many years ago. The story goes that the city was created by the Nabateans thousands of years ago, and was a stronghold in the Arava valley. The Negev desert, which I visited with school a few weeks ago, lies on the other side of the hills. 

More Petra prettiness

Despite its location in what was once the Biblical Land, Petra has no religious significance anymore. Its sites were clearly dedicated to religious worship, however. The Monastery, which is up a steep hike I simply could not do (legs are still healing) is a real reminder of the centrality of worship back in ancient times.

Practicing my air guitar on what I deemed to be the Stairway to Heaven

The path leading to the High Place of Sacrifice 

Petra is extraordinary. Even though we were there five hours, I could have easily gone back and done some further exploring. However, it's not easy! It's a lot of moving up and down and hiking in the hot desert sun. But it's just incredible. You're surrounded by people from all over the world - you literally hear dozens of languages around you as you walk through the park. You're seeing things with your own eyes you could never, ever see anywhere else. It just blows you away. I am SO glad we got to go - that we made it happen with only five weeks to go in the program. I feel privileged to have said I visited Petra. 

With Cousin Rich on the balcony of his Aqaba apartment, overlooking the Red Sea

It was also very cool to visit Aqaba, a city in a major period of transition. It is quickly becoming a major resort town, as it is the only city in all of Jordan on the Sea. There is a tremendous amount of real estate invested in its growth. My cousin Rich has lived there for about a year and a half, doing some form of community development. He works with local residents and helps build structures for organization and local leadership. It's actually quite inspiring to hear what he's doing, and to meet the people who he works with and knows. And it was great to see him and spend time with him. 

Crossing the border was a hoot and a half. It's the most relaxed, strange, bizarre experience. You pay your shekels, get your passport stamped by Israel, walk 150 yards of "No-Man's Land," and then you're in Jordan! It's the funniest thing. Slash... kind of creepy. I wish I had taken pictures of the absurdity of it all, but I don't think it's legal to do that. Regardless, just picture something really funny, me laughing while walking between the two countries and sweating, because it was really, really hot. 

Once you get into Aqaba, you really see that you're just not in Israel anymore. It's very much a moderate Arab country. Everything is in Arabic and English, people are dressed conservatively and traditionally, and there's just a totally different feeling there. Aqaba itself felt like a strange mixture of touristy and local-y. We went from dinner in an uppity touristy area to fruit shakes (absolutely delicious fresh fruit) in a very local hubbub-y area. The switch was very apparent. It was fascinating to see how people in Aqaba live there lives. They were all very nice, polite, and interesting. Their approach to women, however, was a little unsettling. I felt very much aware of my femininity while there. You just get treated differently, talked to differently, and viewed differently. It's hard to describe why. It actually made me miss Israel a little bit. 

All in all, the whole weekend was a great success. We had a fantastic time, and all the details seemed to work out flawlessly. We made it back to Jerusalem late last night, in time to start school again this morning. It's now five weeks 'til the finish line, and I can't believe it. The time has come to say goodbye, but it won't be an easy goodbye to say. At all. 

Until next time, 

Jaclyn

Pesach with the Parents

I just spent the most lovely ten days with my two loving parents, Lenny and Jill. They arrived in Tel Aviv on April 4 and stayed through the first night of Pesach here in Jerusalem. Then on April 9, we headed to the Greek island of Crete for five days of sun, fun, and adventure! They're headed back to the states right now, and in 40 days I will join them back in Los Angeles permanently. The countdown has begun!

Hanging out in Ein Kerem, a quaint town in West Jerusalem

What can I say about my parents? They're both incredibly good, funny human beings. They love me and my brother to pieces. They are so incredibly supportive, and both came separately to visit me in Israel this year. They're just wonderful people, and I adore them. As nutty as we are, we have a great time together.

Mom and I on Mamilla Mall, before purchasing a new (professional) tallit for me!

Given that this was their third time in Israel, we had a pretty mellow time exploring Jerusalem. The real fun came when we did a day trip to the north. Our destination was Tzfat, and the other highlights included Rosh Pina for lunch and Zichron Ya'akov for dinner. Each time I head up to the Galilee, I'm reminded of two things: 1) how strikingly beautiful Israel can be, and 2) how much Israel looks like Southern California. 

In the Tzfat Artist Colony 

My parents had never been to Tzfat, so it was cool for them to wander the streets and visit the artist colony. The weather was perfect; warm, but not hot. Clear as crystal. The views were stunning, and it was very relaxing to be out of the Pesach-infused chaos of Jerusalem. And while Rosh Pina is a bit of a snoozefest, Zichron Ya'akov is a fantastic little area with the best pedestrian mall in the country. There's lots of good, cute shops and delicious eateries. The people are mellow and friendly, it's near the ocean, and it's a great place to go. The last time I was there was on our first overnight tiyul back in September; just before High Holidays, right after the start of fall semester. It's shocking to realize how far we've come; how the end is drawing near on this Israel adventure. 

With our proper Pesach placecards 

The holiday of Pesach descended upon Jerusalem like the Angel of Death searching for the Egyptian firstborn. I say that in the most positive way possible! In reality, Jerusalem morphed into the happiest, prettiest little place as people - religious and otherwise - ran around town preparing themselves for the holiday. People in our neighborhood burned their chametz (bread products) and raided the aisles of Supersol for Kosher-l'-Pesach goods. Tourists came from everywhere - Jews and non-Jews alike - and turned the town into a veritable Jewish Disneyland. It was actually a really good feeling, as opposed to other holidays where the mood turns totally somber and people get really, really irritable.

The supermarkets covered the vast majority of their goods that weren't Kosher for Pesach, and have remained that way since the holiday began. Everywhere you look, people are adapting their lifestyle to fit the chag, right on down to my favorite sushi restaurant completely changing its menu for the week of Pesach. It's another example of how fascinating this country can be; how different it is to be in a place where the entire country is mandated to live by a certain Jewish code. Perhaps because I'm looking ahead at my very near departure, it doesn't bother me as much as it did in the past. Instead of rejecting the religious imposition, I'm actually welcoming it and examining it and finding some interesting tidbits in it. Israel, for all its 'ish, never ceases to fascinate me, that's for sure. 

Just in case we forgot each others' names after ten months together!

For the first night of Pesach, my dear friends Meredith and Joel coordinated a communal seder at Meredith and Lisa's apartment. Both Meredith and Joel were hosting their parental visitors, so with my mom and dad, plus Lisa, Jimmy, Ari, and Lisa's friend Micah, we came together to celebrate the holiday together. It was a mish-mash, everyone-takes-a-role seder, and it was great fun. The food was delicious, the room looked great, and it was really special to celebrate our freedom in Jerusalem. After so many years of shouting "next year in Jerusalem!" at my Passover seders, it was truly special, albeit unique, to be here for the holiday. 

Welcome to Greece!

Early the next morning we headed to the island of Crete on holiday. We knew very little about it, except that my trusted travel agent Brigitte could get us a great package deal. So, we went armed with a couple travel books and Lisa and Leslie's recommendations. (They went in August) It turned out to be a fantastic, interesting, beautiful place, and I'm glad we went together. 

Crete is a massive island. Its capital city, Heraklion, is just as modern as bustling as San Francisco. It had all the necessities of any major city: trendy, cosmopolitan bars and restaurants, high-style and haute couture shops, and plenty of things to keep one busy. We didn't stay in Heraklion, but just the thought that we could have access to the modern necessities of a major city kind of shook me. I mean, it's an island in the middle of the Mediterranean. Who knew? There's also the second-largest city, Chania, which is both beautiful and has a rich history. Crete itself has an amazing history.

Mom and Dad lunching in the pretty city of Chania

In Chania, near Eitz Chayim, the restored 15th-century synagogue that served the Jews of Crete up until the Holocaust. 

A plaque in Eitz Chayim bearing the names of Chania's Jews who died when their deportation ship was accidentally sunk by a British submarine in 1944

We explored Heraklion and Chania, plus the other towns of Rethymnon and Agios Nikolaus, and a small village called Archaneus. We visited Knossos Palace, which was supposedly the seat of Minoan culture 4,000 years ago. We ate delicious, fresh, presumably local food. We sat on the beach. We had a ridiculously zippy Fiat rental car. (I still maintain that they're really "Firts," not "Fiats") We just had a really fun time together, the three of us. It was a wonderful time. BUT it was truly incomplete without my brother Andrew. We really missed him! (And it would have been extra-awesome to have Adam there, too) 

Mom and me with the town of Agios Nikolas behind us 

What really struck us about Crete was both its natural beauty and the character of the people. The island obviously has beautiful beaches, but there's a tremendous series of mountain ranges, even some peaks still with snow on them. As we drove across the island, we were each struck by the quaint charm and beauty of the Mediterranean hillsides and the cute little villages. It was so peaceful and calming. 

Dad, Mom, Me, and my giant sun hat in Agios Nikolas 

And the people - I cannot say enough about how nice they are. I think that altogether, Crete survives on its tourism. As this was literally the first weekend of the summer season, a lot of hotels and restaurants were still closed and boarded up for winter. Everyone who we interacted with was so happy to have visitors, and so welcoming, accomodating, and happy to see us. Crete was a lot like Israel in its live-and-let-live/whatever-goes attitude, but in a much more mellow and relaxed way. We loved it, and I encourage everyone to go visit Greece!

A final dinner at Zuni in Jerusalem

As we landed at Ben Gurion yesterday my heart started to swell as I realized the next time I go to that airport, it will be my last. The adventure is coming to a close, and I'm quite emotional about it. Similar to the way I felt as we bid farewell to Israel upon the conclusion of our NFTY trip back in 2000, a part of me feels at a tremendous loss over leaving so soon. While I constantly remind the people I love how mentally "done" I am, and how quickly I want to get back to my old life, I think that deep down, the magnet effect of Israel has got me good. I'm attached to this country, for better or for worse. These past ten months have been incredible; an amazing learning experience for me. The people I care about here, my teachers and my studies; they all mean so much to me. I can't believe that in less than six weeks, it will all be over. 

With a little bit of a glisten in my eye, I bid you farewell... but only for the time being. The Pesach adventure continues on Thursday when Ari, Lauren and myself head down to Eilat and Petra for, presumably, the final travel hurrah of the year. 

Many hugs and Chag Sameach, 

Jaclyn

Desert Rosenbloom

Here's a confession: I love the desert. 

It's kind of an unexpected thing, I know. I don't seem like the desolate-landscape-sand-and-sun-and-extreme-temperatures type. But I really do love the solitude and beauty of the desert, and that stems from my first encounter with the Negev on my NFTY trip back in 2000. I vividly remember sleeping out under the stars - the millions of bright, beautiful stars - and hiking through a haunting, candlelit canyon at night. It was peaceful and quiet and gorgeous, and I loved it.

This past weekend HUC took us on a tiyul to the Negev, and it was fabulous. It came right on the heels of my fantastic French adventure, so I basically got one entire week off, and that is always awesome. 

Photo Credit: Sir Ari Lorge 

We stayed on Kibbutz Yahel, which is associated with the Reform Movement. It's a great, mellow place. The people who live there now mostly came to Israel from the States back in the 1970s - when the Kibbutzim really hit their stride. Many of them were active in NFTY and their own Jewish communities, and decided that life was more enticing on a kibbutz in the middle of the desert. They were all good-hearted people, if just a little bit strange. Life just moves slower on Kibbutzim, and Kibbutzniks are a special, unique breed. (In a good way)  

In the Kibbutz Lotan organic garden.

We also had the pleasure of visiting Kibbutz Lotan, just down the road from Yahel. It's a truly unique place, and their entire emphasis is on sustainable eco-living. They use water-free toilets and live in green-friendly bio-domes. They have a Green Apprenticeship program, which teaches people how to live green-er, and take better care of the Earth. It's really a fascinating thing to observe and visit, though I don't think I could ever live there. 

Solar-powered oven!

At Kibbutz Lotan, we were given a presentation by a certain Kibbutz member who grew up in California and went to Berkeley. I think he was attempting a campaign for making aliyah, but his entire speech came off insulting and condascending. I looked around and realized that almost every single face was unified in a look of both disgust and "hell-no-I-won't!" It was interesting to observe how we each reacted and recoiled both to the idea of totally uprooting ourselves and committing to a permanent life in Israel, or even in the desert. However, after the presentation we all agreed we have the utmost respect for people who can sustain that kind of lifestyle. I guess that's where the line lays: if you can come away with a degree of respect, yet know it's not for you, I guess that's pretty mature. Or maybe just progressive.

A little eco-dome hut. 

All in all, it was a great tiyul. It was fascinating to visit the Kibbutzim, it was incredible to see what they're doing down there, and it was so relaxing to just veg out in the desert. I'm glad I went, I'm glad the weather was awesome, and I'm glad to share the pictures with you. 

Somehow, I've reached the point in my journey where the parents have arrived, Pesach is around the corner, and I am looking ahead at seven weeks left in Israel. It's nothing! I cannot believe it. It feels like only yesterday I first arrived in this apartment and freaked out about this new life in Israel. Yet it also feels like nine years have passed, aging me to the point of no return. It's great to have the parents here again, together, and I look forward to five days in Greece next week. Not to mention my first (and presumably, only) time in Israel for Pesach. I'm excited. 

Lots of Love, and Chag Sameach!

Jaclyn

Paris, je t'aime!

Mon Petit Ami avec Moi a Paris! 

Ah, Paris. It's everything a city should be. Breathtakingly beautiful, romantic, cultured, diverse, and oh-so-delicious. I visited Paris with my family in 1997 following our ten-day trip to Israel. And I was incredibly fortunate to return this past weekend for a rendezvous with my beloved Adam. The trip came at precisely the right time. My feet have finally started to heal properly, and I was able to walk around Paris with almost no issue. (Had to sit down and rest from time to time, like all eighty-year-old women) And, it was just the most incredible feeling to be wrapped in the love of my Adam, having not seen him since my January trip home two months ago. I adore the man, I love traveling with him, and it was so delightful to just be together in the City of Lights. 

It was an incredible four days, though they were simply not enough. I don't think a lifetime would be enough to explore Paris. But we definitely got a hefty dose of France, and I will attempt to summarize the adventure through the following pictures.

Our trip began at the Eiffel Tower, where all decent Paris trips should. The Eiffel Tower is every bit as romantic and captivating as people say. It's really an amazing thing to behold, and to kiss in front of. 

On our final day, Adam convinced me to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. While the view was intense, my fear of heights was almost more so. So I spent a considerable amount of time grasping the rail and breathing heavily. Still, it was pretty gorgeous! 

The Seine, which splits Paris in two (Left and Right bank, respectively) is a sight to behold. Almost every single building along the river is ornate and gorgeous, and espouses Parisian architecture. 

 Here's the River again, postcard-pretty. 

The Paris Opera, which, I believe, is the setting for Phantom of the Opera, of which I am not a fan. Still, from the outside, the Opera is freaking beautiful. 

This is the Basilica de Sacre-Coeur in Montmarte. It's a really beautiful hilltop church that looks out over all of Paris. It's in an area that's very quaint and lovely and special. We ate dinner there on our final night, at a little hole-in-the-wall called Jardin d'en Face. It was delicious! 

This, dear friends, is Notre Dame Cathedral. It's impressive, it's built on an island, and the interior looks like every single European church we've ever visited in our travels. Still, the exterior is pretty awesome, and the famous gargoyles are terrifying. 

My partner Adam manages to turn his jumping pictures into works of art. Here, he's jumping at the Musee d'Orangerie, a lovely little museum near the Louvre (which we didn't visit, because it's boring and overrated)

However, you bet we took a picture in front of the Louvre! For the memories, y'all. 

Trying to get in on the romance with a statue in front of L'Orangerie. 

This is the Musee D'Orsay, one of the coolest and most fantastic museums I've ever visited. It's housed in a former train station, has dozens of different levels, and lots of fantastic art from all different genres. Definitely the cultural highlight of our visit! 

Each time Adam and I visit a foreign country, there's inevitably at least one long-lost cousin thrice removed who Adam's mom has been in contact with for years. It's uber impressive! Paris was no exception: here we are with Adrian Bondy, a mathematics professor at the University of Paris, connected to Adam on his mother's side. 

Here we are at the Arc de Triomphe at night. I don't know the history of the Arc, and am too lazy to Wikipedia it. So if you're curious, take yourself over there. 

This is the Metro, Paris' intricate and incredible subway system. We basically took it everywhere we went, and it was really convenient and easy to use. But what we really liked was observing all the different kinds of Parisians that live in the city. Taking the Metro proved that Paris is an incredibly diverse city: ethnically, financially, stylistically. The subway provides an excellent view on the culture you're visiting. 

Adam and his cheese! The fromage flowed like water at every restaurant we went to. Here's Adam at Les Ancetres Galouises, a restaurant on the Ile-de-St.-Louis that gave us one of the most incredible meals of our lives. And just before the dessert course came our cheese, making Adam a happy camper! Too bad I'm just not a cheese fan. But thank goodness for Lactaid!! (For Adam's benefit, and for mine!) 

So that was our adventure! It was truly memorable. I'm glad we could share it with all of you. In the next couple of weeks, I'll be finishing up a ton of work, celebrating Pesach with my parents in Israel, then heading with them to Greece for five days, and culminating the travel extravaganza with a trip to Petra, Jordan. It's a definitive highlight as I look to these final two months in Israel.

Until the next adventure, I'm sending all my love from Jlem. 

Jaclyn

On Love, Loss, and Healing

Sunset in Tel Aviv 

These past few weeks have been emotionally turbulent, to say the least. My health woes have found me bouncing back and forth between four separate doctors to figure out what exactly was going on with my legs/ankles/feet. It has finally started to improve. After finally seeing a rheumotologist this afternoon, it has been declared that my immune system, while fighting off a head cold a few weeks back, started attacking the joints in my legs and ankles. It happens sometimes, and people are fine. I'm healing, and I'm fine. I feel like an eighty-year-old woman, but I'm fine. 

However, the emotional scar of four weeks of fear and anxiety has left me exhausted and extremely pensive. From the very beginning of this whole thing, I convinced myself that I had something terribly serious and incurable. Nothing else seemed to make sense in my head. My legs literally were not working - certain days, I could not walk further than eight steps without the joints below my knees starting to hurt and pull and stretch painfully. I would wake up in the morning and my Achilles would be so sore I could barely walk to the bathroom. The pain would occasionally dissipate, or change, or become nonexistant. But then it would come right back, scaring me into fearing the absolute worst. 

The necessity of getting around Jerusalem - arguably one of the more hilly, busy, chaotic, and handicap inaccesible cities of the world - frustrated me to no end. I've spent the past eight months without a car, and I've come to depend on my body to get me just about anywhere. Having that taken away from me, and having to deal with the abusive and at times cruel cab drivers of Jerusalem, was a little harder to bear than I expected. I truly came to understand the necessity for accessibilty - for all people, with all different kinds of transport issues. 

As the healing process has continued, albeit slowly, I have come to realize certain things about myself. While this whole thing was indeed incredibly scary, I became so overwhelmed by fear that I let that fear run away with my sanity. I lost my head a little bit, I made my family and Adam crazy, my roommate thought I was nuts, and my school probably had no idea what to do with me. And now, here I am four weeks later, feeling totally and utterly exhausted. I've finally started to regain my smile and sense of humor. (Baruch Hashem for that)

It has made me all too aware of how much I need to return to meditation, focus, and calm. It has made me realize how much I need to harness my anxiety, and conquer my fear that every little health woe = impending death. I know the root of this particular anxiety, but that doesn't necessarily make it okay. So, my goal for the next few days/weeks/months/eternity is to start working more dilligently on my emotional response to the unknown and the scary. It's part of the healing process for me, and it's part of coping with what I cannot, and will not, control. 

The DAJJ, or rather, the DJJA, at Funkbruary 2005: Daniel, Jordan, J.Fro, and Adam

The (hopeful) end of my major health saga coincided with some tragic news. Many of you remember that my junior year of college, I lived with, hands-down, the most awesome three people in all of Davis. All of Yolo Country, really. The DAJJ, comprised of Daniel, Adam, Jordan, and myself, inhabited The Colleges #122. Daniel and Adam have gone on to great things in Washington D.C., and Jordy joined the Peace Corps in Benin, Africa in July 2007. 

My dear Jordy emailed her listserve yesterday to inform all of us one of her closest friends, a fellow Peace Corps worker in Benin, had been senselessly murdered. I immediately called her to reach out and talk, to help her heal, and cope with such a tragic loss. Her friend Kate sounded like a truly amazing human being, a selfless and giving young woman; just like Jordy. 

The news has been sitting in my stomach like a rock, reminding me how far away I am from my loved ones and how strange and sick this world can be sometimes. I keep thinking of Kate's family, shocked and in mourning. I keep thinking of Jordan's family back in Castro Valley, who are undoubtedly worried about their daughter and wishing for her to come home. 

I keep thinking about the responsibility we have as people, as close and as extended community, to rally around those who experience unimaginable loss. We have an obligation, be it religious or spiritual or just plain human nature, to lift those people up and support them with all we have. It's part of comforting those who face tremendous loss; it's part of being a member of the human race. We reach out, we send our love, we try to help in any way we can. 

As a rabbi-to-be, and as a paranoid android, death is on my mind more often than I care to admit. The rites and rituals surrounding Jewish mourning, death, and burial are topics I've explored in classes and discussions. And right now I am researching and writing a paper on Kaddish Yatom, the prayer for mourners that comes at the conclusion of a Jewish service. Thus, with the backdrop of my own illness, I've spent a great deal of time thinking about this tragedy, about grief, about loss, and about moving forward to keep living. 

I guess the one thing we can always do, and always remember, is to tell the people we love that we love them. Never go to bed angry. Remember how fortunate we are, even in the midst of something terrible or frightening. Always count our blessings. And take advantage of the opportunities we have to do something good, even great, for ourselves and for others. It may be a recycled message, but it's a good one. And recycling is great. 

So with that, I leave you. Take care of yourselves, look out for each other, and be well. 

Love,

Jaclyn