kibbutz arrival

amazingly, i last wrote a mere 24 hours ago. somehow, i feel like i've already lived through lifetimes here.

yesterday (!) was a fun day, it felt great to finally be out on my own in the city, getting lost and figuring things out. The university of tel aviv has a large, beautiful campus, lots of green and trees, with the city scape in the background. The diaspora museum is 3 floors, with tons of interesting exhibits about all aspects of jewish life (community, family, study, etc), and the whole 3rd floor is dedicated to the various exodusus (exodi?). unfortunately i got there only an hour before closing, so i plan on returning when i'm back in tel aviv, with a note book and sketch pad. i promise a fuller report........

after that, i took the bus back to Jaffa--in my attempt to find old Jaffo, i managed to get myself completely lost, and ended up just wandering around neighborhoods for a good while, which was quite fun. people kept telling me to turn right, but the streets were all windy so i just meandered around. eventually, some people sent me in the right direction and i found my way back to the old section, it so magical and beautiful there! there's one giant castle-like building that used to be a lebanese synagogue and now is a museum and art shops, i wandered in the alleys and nooks for awhile, taking pictures. when it was time to go back, i got lost again! i think this is going to be a major theme.

This morning, i got up early, packed up my stuff, and took 2 busses to a religous kibbutz, beerot yitzhak north of tel aviv. when i arrived, it became clear what a huge exception they are making for me--the program is 5 months and $2000, its crazy to come only for 3 weeks. but, thanks to the gershon connection, they are just going to ignore all the beaurocracy and let me do it (!!). i feel pretty lucky.

so far, its a bit intimidating but also amazing to finally be on a kibbutz! i have so many questions and curiosities. The ulpan is a 5 month program of work and study that happens here, it seems to be fairly separate from the rest of the kibbutz. i'm staying in a little hut like cabin with 2 other girls that i haven't met yet, one french and one american. apparently there are 3 others from virginia, oh goody. there will be 25-39 of us altogether. most are russian.

after lunch i managed to get completely lost again, but it was so fascinating, just wandering around on my own! there seems to be some industry, also i came across giant fields of some crop and a cattle area (!). mostly its like a giant neighborhood, little sidewalks connecting the houses together. 400 people live here, 80 families. the houses are mostly stucco, very cute with lawn furniture and ornaments made from leftover industrial materials. there are a few kid houses/schools (like i said, many many unanswered questions), a big group dining hall and the ulpan section, offices and little cabins. beyond the borders there are mountains--its like a little villiage oasis, very green and pretty and it smells like chickens.

i'm very excited to be here after spending the last three years describing my home as a "secular kibbutz". it totally warmed my heart to see the cute old people in the dining room--there seem to be lots of young folks here too.

the schedule is going to be quite rigorous--4 hours of work in the morning, 4 hours of class in the afternoon. and i'm not entirely clear about the religious observance requirements...