Aviv Poland Journey: Day 1 (Yad Vashem)

The holocaust is a time in human history which simultaneously repulses and intrigues people from all walks of life, especially young Jews due to its intrinsic role in the formation of their personal and family heritage and history. I feel as though in some way my Jewish education, both formal and informal, has led up to the next week or so in which I will visit the sites of some of the worst atrocities ever committed and consolidated hours and hours of learning about the Second World War and the genocide which it encompasses. Due to its importance on an emotional level to both myself and the entire group, I have decided to make a concerted effort to blog my thoughts and feelings each and every day of this journey through Prague and Poland.

Today was the first day of the journey as we departed Kibbutz Galon and arrived at Jerusalem’s holocaust museum, Yad Vashem. This was my first visit to the massive compound, which we were informed stretches over 2 square miles,  which placed me in the minority with many other Aviv participants having visited this incredible museum previously. A few things struck me about this place which I had already heard so much about; firstly, the sheer size of the complex which I personally felt was a symbol for the humongous importance of the remembrance of these events to both the Jewish population as well as all of mankind.

We were introduced to our Scottish/Welsh tour guide Jonathan who acted as our walking holocaust encyclopaedia, possessing a hugely impressive memory which allowed him to simply recite huge chunks of German writing on command. Jonathan, who had already been a tour guide at yad vashem for 6 years, guided us through the valley of the communities which included the name of each and every European community which was destroyed during the Second World War, the number of names was astounding. We were given the opportunity to find the name of a community which held special importance to ourselves or our families.

Next we headed to the hall of questions in which we were given the opportunity to examine some of the deep questions surrounding the actions of the Nazis, such as “where was god during the holocaust?” and “how did people become mass-murderers” accompanied by expert or controversial opinions on the subject. This bred great discussion and led to deeper thought.

Our next major stop was the new Yad Vashem museum which chronicled holocaust history between 1939 and 1945 and allowed us to learn the history behind the events accompanied by testimonies, letters and other important artefacts. Jonathan manoeuvred and guided us through the museum until we reached the final room, which contained the names of roughly 4.5 million Jews who perished in the holocaust accompanied by the pictures of many. It was simply harrowing to see the unbelievable amount of people who lost their lives depicted in such an understandably large quantity. We were briefed about the following week and then headed to our accommodation at Bayit Vagan opposite Yad Vashem, we are to return to the museum in the morning.

Today posed several questions to myself, from both historical and emotional perspectives. Firstly, where does religion fit into our commemoration of such important historical events? Can we really include g-d in any discussions surrounding the cause and transpiration of the holocaust? Surely, there must be a separation between religion and academics but at the same time, a rabbi said something in one of the exhibits which really got to me; how come we take the good and don’t say therefore g-d exists? But rather, we see the bad in the world and take it as evidence that g-d does not exist? Food for thought.

Jake

Aviv: Yoms Hazikaron and Ha'atzmaut + replacement for Desert Experience

Only in Israel can the happiest and saddest days of the year be 60 seconds apart. I am of course speaking of Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut which were commemorated and celebrated on Sunday and Monday respectively, and are a crazily accurate depiction of the constantly dynamic and sometimes topsy-turvy lives lived by Israelis; often times, happiness and sadness follow each other far too closely. Our marking of Yom Hazikaron featured a moving ceremony held by MASA for every one of their roughly 10,000 program participants at Latrun including beautiful renditions of various songs as well as the paying of respect to many of Israel’s casualties of war and terror with special mentions to outstanding individuals who had fallen serving their country. Sunday also saw us arrive at Kiryat Moria, our accommodation for the next few days, and settle back into Jerusalem.

A majorly popular Yom Hazikaron commemoration for Israelis is Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl, we joined thousands of other Israelis there and paid our respects at the official service as well as with our own service and the laying of flowers on a grave of our choice. Following this we were let loose in Jerusalem for the next day and a half to celebrate Israel’s Independence Day in whatever way we chose; a huge night followed and fun was had by all! Tuesday night saw a bombshell dropped as bad weather prevented our desert experience from going ahead and our schedule for the next few days completely changed. The next morning we awoke and left Kiryat to the south of Jerusalem, our first stop was a short hike known as Sataf followed by a delicious lunch of schnitzel sandwiches which were delivered directly to us.

Next up we headed to a system of underground caves which were previously used as escape tunnels but now allow members of the public to crawl through the system. It was certainly not for the fainthearted or claustrophobic as the bravest of us headed in and some for a second time. Our final stop of the day before arriving at Kibbutz Galon, our accommodation for the next few days, was the biblical Valley of Ella where, it is told, that David famously bested the behemoth known as Goliath prior to achieving the kingship of Israel. After a short discussion as to the reliability and truthfulness of the torah and other religious texts we headed off to our accommodation. We were shocked to see a kibbutz far nicer and better equipped than those which we had stayed in earlier in the program.

Thursday featured a viewing of ‘The Wave,’ a film which features the dangers of blind faith from a holocaust perspective, followed by discussions surrounding our expectations and inhibitions for our upcoming trip to Prague and Poland. The day was rounded out by some fun games before bedtime and our release for yet 

another free weekend.

Another awesome week down, 50 days to look forward to!

Jake

Aviv Community Program: Last Week in Ra'anana

The final week of community program could not have gone quick enough for some as the most frequently used terms in the Ra’anana camp somehow managed to be “anxiety” and “I’m done” by a long haul thanks exclusively to the females residing there. As the countdown to our final volunteering session at Leket pushed into overdrive the excitement to move on to an exciting new chapter of the program peaked, for some, Ra’anana had transformed from the world’ greatest location into a never-ending hellhole. Sunday was Yom Hashoah, the day in which Israel nationally recognises and mourns the 6 million Jews who perished in the holocaust, Ra’anana’s commemoration was nothing short of remarkable as almost the entire population turned out in Yad Levanim, the town centre, for a moving service. Despite it being conducted entirely in Hebrew it was still unbelievably relatable and emotional.

Monday Tuesday and Wednesday all began in the same way, featuring volunteering at Leket dividing various fruits into their places and divvying up orders, following this we headed back to the Mircaz Klita (absorption centre). Monday night saw our first peula in the lead-up to our impending trip to Poland in which we addressed some harrowing statistics about the holocaust and discussed our thoughts and feelings about Poland and the holocaust itself. We were also assigned the biography of a real person whom we could relate to throughout our emotional journey. Tuesday was a special day in which the madrichim treated us to a lavish lunch at Bleecker Bakery at the Raanana Mall, food which plainly and simply made the food which we had been making ourselves seem like complete and utter tasteless filth; later that night we were further treated to a movie. Wednesday night, our last in Ra’anana featured a peula run by Amir about the Israel’s history focusing mainly on its many wars and their effects on Israeli society.

When Thursday finally arrived the girls could hardly contain their excitement, our final session of Leket was over before we knew it and the excruciating task of packing up our apartments came and went; until finally we were allowed our final leave of absence. Some headed to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem whilst others dispersed to various other destinations across the country, as the curtain closed on a great month in Ra’anana on community program.

I don’t usually share the nuisances of my own personal free weekend however I have chosen to make an exception this weekend due to the unbelievably amazing surroundings which I found myself in. Myself and three school friends (Sam, Eli and Haim) from Sydney managed to find accommodation smack bang in the centre of the old city of Jerusalem, a 5 minute walk to the Kotel, which I found myself attending at each and every opportunity including in the middle of the night. Friday night was particularly special as we found ourselves joining in dancing and singing with soldiers at the Kotel before participating in a kabbalat Shabbat service with many other Australian gap-yearers, Shnat people, IBC and many others; as we looked around at where we were I was absolutely struck by the amazingness of my surroundings, the kotel, a place of ground-breaking spiritual gravity. We had arranged to be sent to a Shabbat meal at a family following our visit to the kotel, and soon found ourselves at a dinner in the middle of Mea Shearim (Jerusalem’s most religious neighbourhood) alongside a rabbi, his family and roughly 20 yeshiva students. At first, I was quite uncomfortable in such a foreign environment but quickly enough we got into the conversation and soon found out these were just people like anyone else. It was an amazing experience and an awesome weekend, one which I simply felt I had to put into writing and share.

Another awesome week down, 56 days to look forward to!

Thanks for reading!

Jake

ANZAC Day 2014

ANZAC day is not just a commemoration and celebration of Australia’s past and present servicemen and women but rather a symbolic occasion on which each and every Australian acknowledges the forging of our national identity, personified largely by the feats of the ANZACs during the First World War. On Australian shores, the ANZAC spirit radiates a societal value of mateship, a willingness to help out our fellow man and come together to celebrate things important to us. In line with these values, there was no better way for participants of Australian gap year programs in Israel to celebrate ANZAC day than to come together for a day of teambuilding and bonding.

Thursday morning began in educational fashion as individual movements and programs visited different sites relating to the ANZACs which are present around Israel; Aviv began with a trip to the edge of the Hayarkon River which featured a statue dedicated to the battles of World War One’s eastern front on which the ANZACs were pivotal. Our JNF guide did an admirable job of explaining the intricacies of the role of Australian soldiers in the claiming of Israel by the allies from the Ottoman Empire, then named Palestine, it was captured through successful battles at Beer Sheva and then Jerusalem. Our next stop was the hub of Israel’s water recycling program in Kfar Saba, a program which contributes 80% of Israel’s overall drinking water, a stat which leads the world by a huge margin to its nearest competitor. This stop further solidified our knowledge of Israel’s role as a leading force in world technology. Our final stop before consolidating with the rest of Australia’s gap year program was to the JNF’s tree planting centre in Nachshon Forest, at which we were afforded the opportunity to perform the mitzvah of planting a tree in Israel, the only country in the world with more trees now than when it was founded.

We finally arrived at Nes Harim, our accommodation for the night, at around lunch time, greeted by the smiling faces of friends who take up residence on one of the many other Israel programs offered to Australians at the completion of their high school educations. As old friends reunited in all new surroundings the day got off to a flying start, soon after a delicious and plentiful lunch we were divided into program-mixed groups in which we were to participate in a variety of teambuilding exercises which saw friendships, both new and old, blossom. It was a marvel to watch over 250 young Jewish Australians interact with their counterparts in a beautiful natural setting. We were also treated to a demonstrations in Japanese martial art as well as Krav Maga, the deadly martial art of Israelis. We watched in awe as the instructors belted one another, until one humorously drew blood from the nose of the other prompting multiple jocular comments. Free time followed prior to dinner as a ‘forced march’ was offered by our instructors, an invitation taken up by the majority who undertook the 4 kilometre walk with gumption. A barbecued dinner soon put smiles on the faces of most before the day was rounded out by chill time in which most took the opportunity to make new friends, meet new people, wash themselves and finally get some shut eye.

Friday was ANZAC day itself, and it was a pleasure to see bus after bus of young Australians arrive at Mount Scopus for the official Jerusalem commemoration, each dressed in their respective uniforms or official garments. The Australian ambassador to Israel as well as multiple other dignitaries were in attendance as we witnessed a traditional ceremony which saw the usual staples of the last post, the ode and the laying of wreaths performed with utmost respect to the heroes of a nation situated on the other side of the world to where we stood, however to us it wasn’t just any nation, it was our nation. A huge amount of organisations were represented included almost all of the belligerents of the First World War as well as the United Nations and others, with all paying their respects through the laying of a wreath, including Australia’s many gap year programs, represented by carefully chosen participants of each program. Overall, the ceremony was unbelievably respectful and it made each and every one of us, miss home in some way, shape or form. The service was fittingly concluded by a mass recital of the mourners Kaddish in the Jewish section of the Mount Scopus cemetery.

I am personally exceedingly grateful that we were given the opportunity to celebrate ANZAC Day in fitting fashion on Israeli soil, after all, we are first and foremost Australian representatives in the holy land and what better way to represent our country than to be ambassadors on one of our country’s most important days. I hope that this wonderful initiative by the ZFA is continued well into the future.

By Jake Rosengarten

Aviv Community Program: Ra'anana Week 2

This year, Aviv has co-ordinated with Maccabi, and initiated a shot-term option to participants in which they can attend Wingate Institute and advance their sporting and fitness knowledge through a series of theory and practical lessons. Myself and 9 other Avivians had the pleasure of partaking in this option and I can confirm with a degree of sureness that each and every one of us enjoyed it thoroughly. Sunday was the third day which we attended the institute, in which we were privileged to a lesson on the basics of sport psychology and its applications for improving the performance of athletes and the solving of problems therein. Our afternoon session then featured a session with a ridiculously muscle individual by the name of Ilya who showed us around the many machines and weights present in the Wingate gym.

Monday through Wednesday days proceeded in a similar model, generally featuring a morning session, 10:30 – 12 in which we were seated in a classroom setting and learning from a lecturer who imparted knowledge upon us about some sort of sporting topic. Following this, a break from 12 – 12:30 which was used to purchase lunch from the nearby cafeteria. Finally, the afternoon session which usually involved a degree of physical activity, leaving us all exhausted for our bus ride home to Ra’anana. Monday was physiology, a lecture which was too science-y for some to follow, proceeded by a session in the physiology lab in which I partook in the VO2 Max test which tested my aerobic ability, see pictures for how ridiculous I looked.

Tuesday featured a lesson on pedagogy, or methods of teaching, which was enthralling and taught in an extremely interesting way. In the afternoon we reunited with Ilya in the gym and worked hard during another long workout after which our muscles ached. That night we engaged in a talk with Amir who came to inform us of important guidelines for chofesh, and following this a peula run by Tracey and Daniella in which we were asked a series of questions relating to before, during and after Aviv which alluded to the fact that we have reached the halfway point of the program, a frightening thought for most.

Wednesday at Wingate involved a lesson about doping in sport, including an in-depth look at the doping program of East Germany throughout the 1970s and 1980s which saw them dominate a few editions of the Olympic Games. We learnt of the process athletes go through when tested and how one breaches the rules as well as the consequences. The afternoon featured a session with a trainer who took us through a simple workout which included the use of various balls and fitness implements.

Thursday was a special day, nerves were rife as we took the much anticipated ‘final exam,’ the stomachs of some harked back to their usual grumblings of Year 12 exam periods, as we were handed the 20 question multiple choice exam. The pass mark 12/20, was reached successfully by all, some by the skin of their teeth. The afternoon featured a surprisingly fun and intense session of ‘air boxing’ in which we learnt a routine which more than put us through our paces. Finally, that afternoon in a modest ceremony, including a delegate from Maccabi World Union, we were presented with our completion certificates as well as bags and shirts to signify our official qualification as a ‘community sport instructor.’ That night we had a chat with the Shlicha of AUJS, Leora, who informed us of the opportunities available to all of us in AUJS when we make our way to University, or continue it, in the coming months and years.

Wingate was a great experience, something that I can really recommend to future attendees of the Aviv and Maccabi programs as something really worthwhile which certainly should not be passed up.

With the completion of this week comes the beginning of our approximately two week long chofesh. I shan’t be blogging during this period, but would like to wish all of my readers a lovely Pesach and holiday period! Chag Sameach!

Another awesome week down, 79 days to look forward to!

Jake

Aviv Community Program - Week 1 Ra'anana

Independent living is something which most 18 year olds dream of but when thrust directly into this situation some thrive whilst others struggle. Aviv’s community program attempts to teach our mixed group of 20 participants (some from group one and some from group two) how to live without the aid of madrichim or parents in an apartment setting with our peers in which we cook, eat, sleep and live independently. Our group, based in Ra’anana, consists of 15 girls and 5 boys, whilst two other groups reside in Kiryat Yam and Tiberius respectively.

As our free weekend concluded, most were appalled as they were informed that we were expected to board a public bus to Ra’anana along with their baggage. The bus ride which ensued is considered as one of the least pleasurable ever taken, by both ourselves and the members of the public who were bombarded and blocked by our suitcases at every opportunity. We eventually survived and arrived in Ra’anana and were soon shown to our apartments, and again some were distinctly unhappy, this time with the prospect of sharing a room with strangers for the next month. Lunch was soon enjoyed together by all in a nice grassy space just outside our apartments, sandwiches were on the menu and soon after completing them, designated members of each apartment headed out to the supermarket to do a plus-sized shop for the next week. All returned gradually after roughly three hours some happier than others and eager to see if they had made decisions which would see them and their roommates well-nourished for the next week. The madrichim who are accompanying us in Ra’anana, Daniella and Tracey have decided to split their budget amongst each apartment and have been rostered to eat with various groups for every meal of every day, other than breakfast. Dinner was had in our various apartment groups, with the two boys apartments combining into a group of 5 for all meals, some meals were better than others as most set the standard for their meals for the next month, the delicious-looking shakshuka made by Bec, Daena, Erin and Prielle definitely took the cake (mind the pun) as the best meal of the day. The day was rounded out by a quick chat about volunteering and the receiving of information regarding our volunteering schedule for the coming week.

Monday saw an early wakeup and individual breakfast followed by a bus ride to the offices of Leket, an organisation which facilitates the growing, picking and distribution of fruit to/for Israel’s less fortunate. Our services were engaged to help put together mail-outs to Leket’s donors which included a letter, newsletter and return envelope. It was a largely menial task, however someone had to do it and we went about doing so with aplomb. Come 1PM we were released and handed an exorbitant amount of free time which most used to chill out and relax. Bed time was quickly upon us and heads hit pillows exhausted. The next day featured more volunteering for Leket, this time at their factory hand sorting fruits into their various places and packing orders which were to be sent out to various soup kitchens and the like. Chill time followed and I split off from the group to meet up with some friends who had recently arrived in Israel, who coincidentally have a blog of their own, follow them at http://wrublewskisam.wix.com/thethreeamigos (yes, a shameless plug, I’m sorry…), it was great to see some of my old mates again after a two month absence! Any who, I soon re-joined the group midway through a peula about volunteering and the psychological connotations which accompany it.

Wednesday saw the beginning of 9 of our 20 person group’s just over a week at Natanya’s Wingate Institute, for those who don’t know, Wingate is the Israeli equivalent of the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra (AIS). Wednesday featured an anatomy class, an hour of TRX (suspension training which stretches muscles) in the gym as well as a cut-short session about nutrition. Whilst Thursday included a hands-on orienteering lesson from Israel’s third best orienteer which was not as highly participated in as could have been due to soreness from the previous day’s intensive TRX session. Wingate has been highly enjoyable and educatory and only comes with one negative, the double bus ride which must be taken in order to arrive at the campus. Whilst we are at Wingate, the rest of the group have been volunteering at Leket in the mornings and riding bikes with disabled people in the afternoon.

Friday was a suitably relaxed Shabbat. The morning included a chat about the army from Daniella’s cousin and some of her brother’s friends who informed us of their individual functions in the IDF as well as other surrounding issues in general to do with the Israeli army. Following lunch we headed off to a nearby park where scout meetings were taking place and were invited to take place in their misdar ceremony in which they dance and sing. In Israel scouts is a youth movement very similar to Habonim Dror in Australia however on a much larger scale, with over 60,000 chanichim (kids) nationwide. Madricha Daniella felt right at home as a former chanich and mardicha of the movement, whilst some Avivians got into it more than others. Our final outing of the day was to Daniella’s house where her parents cooked us up a delightful BBQ, the best meal we had consumed for a while as we all briefly remembered the taste of home-cooked food. It was a very nice evening and the hospitality we received was unbelievably overwhelming.

Saturday featured a much-needed late wakeup, the day began with a group lunch outside on the grassy patch as each individual brought their own meal with them. Following lunch we headed out to a nearby park and engaged in a peula which raised issues of assimilation and Judaism, and the topic of inter-marriage and Jewish continuity as everyone was encouraged to question their own beliefs and future actions.

It was a great first week in Ra’anana as we grapple with the expectations of individual living, especially in the kitchen, as the stereotype that girls cook better than boys is proven correct time and time again. But mark my words, at some point the boys will get it right!

Another awesome week down, 86 days to look forward to!

Jake

Aviv: Gadna Week (Days 52 - 58)

As we prepared to depart Kibbutz Ketura on Sunday morning no one could quite mentally ready themselves for what had been anticipated as perhaps the most challenging week of the program, our week’s pseudo IDF service at Gadna Sde Boker. For our final activity on kibbutz we were invited to choose between mud building, sand candle making and oil painting, each which boosted uniquely interesting qualities and made for an interesting yet reasonably laid back final morning on kibbutz before we packed the bus and headed for the dreaded Gadna. The bus ride was reasonably uneventful, as most tried to secure a bit of comfortable shut eye as we anticipated the horrible state of our upcoming bedding for the week. Just prior to our arrival at the Sde Boker Gadna base we took a brief pitstop to consume a DIY meal of bread rolls, accompanied by a side of chips, wafers and a can of soft drink.

The second the bus came to a halt were immediately thrown into the deep end as commanders entered the and barked orders at us to grab our bags and file into neat lines of boys and girls. We were quickly marshalled, all in Hebrew and translated, into 4 tzvatim (groups) each with a different mefaked/et (commander) and quickly whisked away into different areas of the base. Gadna had well and truly begun and the first day was to be remembered as one of the hardest. We had no choice but to quickly attempt to adapt to a lack of cleanliness, privacy, space and nutrition. Meals were often the hardest, as we were forced to stand outside the cheder ochel (dining room) for up to half an hour in lines knowing fully that our growling stomachs could be eating if our commanders simply said a few words. The food itself was edible but nothing special, however it had one unbelievably redeeming quality, the uncapped quantity we were able to receive. A lack of protein was often moaned by the more health conscious of the group.

Also on Gadna at the same time as us were 3 different schools from Eilat, which made for some interesting socialising and new friendship formations. Amongst standing in a chet (Hebrew letter) for numerous hours in a day and walking places in two lines within a time limit we also engaged in various lessons about the values of the IDF, its place in society as well as the M16 firearm which we were able to fire following roughly 4 lessons and did so on our final day. Not everyone enjoyed firing the weapon, but the brief moment of adrenaline and the uniqueness of the experience ensured that it was not a memory which would soon be forgotten.

Gadna was also positive for the Hebrew speaking and understanding abilities of the group, with most commenting that it had improved their lingual skills more than the few weeks of ulpan which we had undertaken on kibbutz. However, the vocabulary is reasonably limited for obvious reasons. We also undertook various groups as a tzevet, such as competition between the13 tzvatim (including those from Eilat) which was jointly won by one of the Australian groups.

Our accommodation was army tents which contained a number of stretched beds which were not the most comfortable beds we have slept on in Israel but funnily enough not the least. However it was the lack of quantity of sleep rather than quality which hindered the experiences of many as we were expected to doze off at roughly 10:15 PM and arise again at the ungodly hour of 6:30AM, and on the last day even more shockingly at 5:30, roughly the same time as the sun.

The final day brought farewells to our mefakdim and their acknowledgement of their status as real people as much as they had successfully tried to hide it all week, with only a few cracks in the armour thanks to smiles here and there. Funnily enough, the mefakedet of my group was not the eldest member of the tzevet, Dan Rother being elder than her by a month. We also participated in a closing ceremony in which certificates were given to the ‘best soldier’ in each tzevet as well as overall in the Aviv cohort (combined group one and two). Certificates went to Daena, Dan, Gareth, and Jonski in tzvatim, and myself overall. All in all, as much as people deny it, Gadna was a priceless experience which taught us all the place of the army in Israeli society and privileged us to walk in their shoes for a week in order to respect their sacrifices for their country.

As we finally boarded the bus to Tel Aviv cheers went up amongst the group as one of the tougher weeks on the program was put behind us as we headed for a free weekend of recovery prior to the beginning of the community program in which there are 3 groups (mixed of 1 and 2) in separate locations: Kiryat Yam, Ranana and Tiberias. How we will cope with being away from our newfound families of our individual groups only time will tell.

Another awesome week down, 92 days to look forward to!

Jake