Etjar Keret story

And Etar Keret story that I want to write about is about a kid being the father of the head of the Mossad. The whole story is how he doesn't seem like his the father of the Mossad, the opposite in fact. But at the end of the story he kills one of his bullies showing that he in fact had the some traits that his father had. This story shows how even when people don't look similar they can still be the similar on the inside. It also shows how people don't understand how bullying can affect kids. Abusing mentally and physically can not only lead to mental scaring but it can also cause kids to lash out in violent ways. All around bullying doesn't benefit anyone. It needs to be stopped and I think this story was trying to display that.

As before I said people can seem the opposite on the outside but then can be very similar on the inside. I think this applies to my dad and I. Except for our body type we don't look alike at all. But one thing that I have been told I have of his is his heart. This shows that when becoming parents you don't only pass on your genes but your way of living in a sense. From a very young age I saw how my dad was caring to other people and I wanted to be like that. That's why I try to be so understanding to other people becuase it's just like my dad. Sometimes I wonder what I would be like if I didn't have my dad.

Holocaust Memorial Day

I have experienced this day in Israel twice now. Once in 8th grade and now this year. One thing that still mesmerizes me is that everyone in Israel is quite at the same time. That almost never happens in a room let alone a country. This powerful day weighs a lot on people through out the world and especially Israel. It was also very meaningful because our Poland trip had been fresh in our mind and it really gave this day a whole other level to it. Although we had the siren I wish we could have had more of a ceremony like we had had in the concentration camps in Poland. Just to pay a little more respect to all of the people who died. We did have a video playing in the office but it was hard to find time to go and see it. But still this day had a powerful affect on me and I think it will mean a lot to me as a I grow because of this trip. I will never forget

The Truth Underneath

When you go to Tel-Aviv the things that pop into your head are probably modern, party, hippy, accepting. But now when I think of Tel-Aviv I think, normal, diverse, even a little bit dirty. These were the words that were going through my head as I left South Tel Aviv. This place was the opposite of what people would think about Tel-Aviv. The streets were, were disgusting. There was trash everywhere and poverty. The people that live in this poor neighborhood are Israelis, Foreign workers, Asylum seekers and refugees. These people are subjected to serious discrimination and it sadly reminds me a lot of America. I thought that Tel- Aviv was this kinda of perfect city that was leading the way but as I've seen from yesterday it has it's problems too.

Passover and Yam Le Yam

This past week was a truly enriching and enlightening experience. First off I got to meet my family from Israel. At first it was awkward because of the language barrier but that's to be expected. But as I became more comfortable with them I realized just how inviting they were. Not only that but once they became very welcoming they didn't really care to have a sensor. They were one of the loudest families I have ever seen. I loved it. The environment was so energizing and I couldn't help but be loud myself. One thing I noticed was that the Seder was very short and I can tell there was a sense of urgency to finish the seder. One of my second cousins comping mechanism to get through the short 45 minute seder was to drink as much wine as possible. This shows me that I don't think they value the seder as much as being with there family and just hanging out. After the two days we had with them I feel like I have a real family that I can go too and I plan to visit them. 

The next part of our break was Yam Le Yam. Besides the sleeping arrangements this was a really enjoyable experience. I really do feel that I have deeper connection with everyone on this trip. We were all able to get through a week of something most of us weren't used too. For example I doubt people are used to having so much dirt on them that they have a dirt tan. One moment that I realized just how close I gotten with everyone was when we were biking down to the Mediterranean. My chain had popped off so I had to go to the back. As I started to catch up to the front I started passing people and I realized that I could have a real conversation with any of them and be really comfortable while doing. This instance was an eye opener and it made this whole experience way better. I think we are starting to become a family. Right now I only have two but I could see a third one being built here on EIE.