Really

So I'm sitting Jaffa Street in Jerusalem with some great girls with my great coffee bean ( Kosher, of course ) and attempting to focus and write about the past two days but part of me feels like I'm missing out by looking down at my journal, but let me tell you, it's not that bad since all I've been doing is engaging in conversation and thinking and evaluating and not gonna lie stressing about going home already even though I have a week and a half left. I could extend? But responsibility calls. I gotta move in my beautiful new house with my girls and my trip to AZ is coming up. I have at least two more trips to Palm Springs and getting ready for what will be the rest of my new life. So you can see why I am a little distracted at times. But most of time I really am present here. I am really working on that as well as a WHOLE lot of other things. So you know when its like late at night and you end up having a deep conversation with a friend that ends up being 3 hrs and changes your life...well thats kinda what this is like all the time. We are self discovering while brushing our teeth. Never ending learning....the "jewish way". It's the most exhausting fullfilling thing I have been a part of.

So back to Tuesday. Class, class, and more class. Self discovery, Judaism and sexuality, relationships and basically that I have been doing everything wrong...surprise? NOT REALLY. Ask me about this its really interesting and I would love to talk about it in person. In the afternoon we went to Yad Vashem. The Holocaust museum of Israel. I feel like this is something everyone should see at least once. Even if that means going to the Tolerance Museum or the one in D.C. it should be mandatory that you know these stories. I know when I attend these museums that the images of such torture and cruelty are vivid and almost a visceral experience. It's a heavy sadness that you want to be able to fully comprehend but you can't really. This museum was so detailed and like Judaism nothing was placed by accident, including the architecture. I was deeply moved once again by the stories of the survivors and chilled by the pictures and descriptions of the what took place. Of course I have heard stories before and gone to museums and learned about this my whole life, but I will never think "Oh Ya...I've heard that before", I hope no one feels that way about the Holocaust, because once it becomes that way we might forget and we must NEVER FORGET. It is my job as a Jew and as a human being to know history, so I can be a part of "NEVER AGAIN".

After the museum we went to the main mall in Jerusalem where I bough some religious clothes...can't wait to show you guys :). and funny Israeli fashion items. After some falafel we headed back to Ben Yahuda BACK to Constantine....which I swore I would never return...after a swallow of the Israel equivalent of Popov, appropraitly named "Perfect", we entered the club where it was just our group. Sometimes things the second time are really not good at all. So I tried to leave but the security gaurd proceeded to yell at me in Hebrew and as I went to escape by him he raised his hand to me...uhhhh...scary...and told me I couldn't leave for an hour. WTF! So I called Thalia to come save me which she did. I was okay now. But REALLY!!! That was my last time at Constantine.

I haven't really been waking up too tired even though we basically go out everynight. Wed morning of course there were classes and I am so overwhelmed by such wisdom and truth that as I've been saying its really difficult to take it all in. I can only hope that somehow if I ever get into a situation where I can use this knowledge I'll be able to access it. A few topics for today included reincarnation, Torah and more of it's secrets. The afternoon was filled with everything stereotypical "The Israel experience". We went to the land of Genesis in the desert where we got a "Bible experience". We entered a tent, but not just any tent, the tent of Abraham where an actor (with a south african accent) told his story, the story of Abraham, and shared with us dried fruit, pita baking and a little hebrew lesson where we wrote with a piece of wood and ink on a postcard. I sent it to Mom and Dad..maybe they'll get it. Lastly I rode a camel....which was a little cruel because I don't think they really like it too much... I had a great camel partner Ariella! WOOT! So basically it felt like riding a horse as we crawled up a hill no longer than some Palos Verdes driveways which I am kinda glad these poor camels do not have to do too much in the hot sun. Poor babies :(. After we went to an awful food court that is suppose to be really great...but I REALLY could not eat any more falafel. So I got cucumber roll...ehhhhh....well just imagine. Quickly after were were off to another home to listen to a speaker talk about Shomer Negiah. A practice that some jews keep that includes not touching the other sex at all. Sound Crazy? well talk to me about it...it may seem ridiculous but its probably the most valid thing I have heard so far. Please ask me about this one, I would love to have a chat. uh-oh the "brainwash" is working.

So of course I went to Ben Yahuda, even though I shouldn't have. But it was Ariellas birthday!!! So of course I couldn't say no. So we went to a cute Israeli cafe were I got tea and some some more debate and questioning. Another late night and No i didn't send my postcards or do my laundry, but thats just the way it goes.