Co-Exist?

I started my nursing lectures this week for pediatrics and it is really cool to be taking classes at a nursing school abroad. The nursing school for Hebrew U is connected in the hospital, so when we learn something during our lectures we can just walk over to the hospital and look at an example. We learned how to do physical examinations of newborns yesterday, right after we went up to a nursery and our instructor showed us how to do and exam on a baby that was born 2 hours before we got there. I LOVE babies.

I love being in nursing school because of the genuine and trusting human interactions I can have with anyone, it doesn’t matter their race, gender, or religious affiliation. I had witnessed this first hand in Philly, working with a wide range of patients, many who are extremely different from me. Working with people in such an intimate way really lets you learn so much about different people and to learn to love them no matter their background.  Hospitals really make bridges for peace, because the goal is to heal people not hurt. I don’t know what I expected to experience when I came to do clinical rotations here, but I am so impressed by the hospital I am doing clinical rotations-Hadassah Ein Kerem. Every employee speaks Arabic, Hebrew, and most speak English. All patients get the same level of care and there is no real segregation of treatment or placement in hospitals based on Ethnicity or socio-economic background. The nature of the Israel-Palestine conflict is very polarizing and in some places, the tension is strong. So far, in the hospital I haven’t felt any tensions and people seem to get along just fine. While being given a tour of a pediatric oncology floor I saw little kids of both backgrounds getting along, playing, and being treated in open rooms adjacent to each other. In Israel there are separate schools, neighborhoods, etc. for Palestinians and Israelis, which makes an environment where the “other” seems so much more foreign, dangerous, or un-human. The interaction these kids have with each other in the hospital I think makes everyone realize that we are all humans and we all struggle, especially in the pediatric oncology unit where the bully is death of uncontrollable reproducing cells- not violence. Humanizing someone perceived as an enemy is the best way to really understand him/her. The only way you can really do that is by trying to understand them and trying to be empathetic towards them. I am really excited for my future clinical rotations here; I have a feeling I am going to learn a lot. I am really lucky to be here.

Famous Chagall Windows in the synagogue of En Kerem

More Chagall Windows

On another note about nursing- I self-diagnose myself with every disease I am learning about in classes. I just got out of a lecture about congenital heart failure in babies. I am now convinced that I have/had a congenital heart problem. Next week I'll probably have scoliosis, don't worry.

Another positive note- my commute is an hour each-way to the hospital. I have been reading on the way and I have been going through books like crazy. Feel free to give me reading suggestions.

This weekend I am going to an Orthodox Shabbat Dinner, running a 10K, and hopefully going to Bethlehem to get a cooking lesson. Life is good J.

Purim Partayyy

Before coming to Israel, I had vaguely learned about Purim but it never completely sunk in. At least I know a little more now. Purim is all about Ester stopping the murder of all of the Jews in the Persian Empire (this is all in the Book of Ester in the Old Testament and the Torah if you’re interested in brushing up on your bible stories). Ahasuerus who reins over Persia was looking for a new wife, and demands that he sees all of the virgins in the land. Esther (who is Jewish) is later chosen as queen. Later, Mordecai (Esther’s cousin) refuses to bow to the King’s advisor Haman. When Haman finds out Mordecai is a Jew, he makes a decree that all of the Jews should be killed.  Esther decides to stand up for herself and her people to the King and reveal Haman’s plot and that she is Jewish. At that time, a king could put anyone to death who went in front of the king without being summoned. In the end, the Jews are not killed and Haman is hanged. Esther saved the day and a huge group of people.

Rando picture with some guys who decided to dress up

So, in current day Purim is celebrated with a few commandments:

1)   Give gifts

2)   Be Happy

3)   Get as drunk as you possibly can

4)   Read the story of Esther twice

5)   Dress up in a costume

The only commandment I really followed was being happy- I only read the story of Esther once.

A lot of people equate Purim to “Israeli Halloween”, I think there is a deeper religious meaning to it, but on the surface it definitely felt like Halloween- minus the trick-or-treating, haunted houses, etc.

Purim Party at the market

Party near Jaffa Gate

Parties for Purim are wild and crazy- it is citywide. The souk (market) even opened up to become a huge party the night Purim started. I think I was the only one who didn’t go out that night. I did go out into the city the next day though, I went to the dome of the rock and the western wall with two friends. When we went to the Western Wall I looked to my right and saw a woman in a huge penguin costume doing her prayers from a prayer book, at the western wall. There is a mental screen shot of her in my head; I don’t think I will ever forget it.

In the coming months there are a couple more holidays that I am not to familiar with- an update will come soon!

Jesus Trail- Nazareth-> Galilee

This weekend was long for Purim Break- meaning I got to go on a 65 km, 4-day hike from Nazareth to Galilee.

Something I didn’t realize before coming to Israel is that any site that is special to Christians is fought over by all the different sects of Christianity.  Also, for every holy site there is a church built on top of it. An example would be that there are three or more different churches who claim to have the spot where Christ went through the atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane. There are also multiple spots claimed to be where Christ was Resurrected, etc. etc. It is all dependent on what sect of Christianity decided to build a church where. I honestly don’t know if anyone really knows where any of these things definitely happened. It is still cool to walk and be around where it is supposed to be.

We started by taking a bus to Nazareth and got in late Wednesday night. The next morning we took a tour of Nazareth-which really just ended up being a taste-test of the tour guide’s friend’s shops. Delicious, yet not very historic. Afterwards we went to the church of the Annunciation- supposedly built where Mary was visited by an Angel who told her she would be the mother of Christ (Luke 1:26). This church is also the largest church in the Middle East. Nazareth was also where Jesus grew up.  The city is beautiful.

Sipping on Cinnamon-Walnut drink. Yummah.

Outside the Church of Annunciation

Inside the Church of Annunciation

Nazareth

 After our tour of Nazareth we started our hike. We hiked to Cana and stayed the night. Cana is the city of the wedding feast found in John 2: 1-11. The little church that is there now is famous for having couple renew their vows there. There is also a nearby shop that provides tourists with free cake. It was cute.

Hike Hike Hike

Church in Cana

Our next stop was the Yarok Az Goat farm. Where we decided to sleep in a tent in a goat farm in the middle of nowhere. We spent most of the night reading and cooking food we picked from the garden. I so want to have my own garden when I have my own house. A majority of the trek is through kibbutzim (kibbutz plural- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbutz) and farms. We saw everything from grapefruit to banana plants. It was really green and the air was really humid- I imagined how it was to like the weather in Hawaii. It was beautiful.

On our final day we reached Tabgha- the site where Jesus multiplied the bread and the fish in multiple accounts: in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6: 31-44, Luke 9: 10-17, and John 6:5-15.

Soon after Tabgha is where it is believed to be where Jesus gave Peter the keys to the Priesthood in Matthew 16:16-19. There is a church built where it is thought to be and it is right on the Sea of Galilee.

One of our finals stops was at the Mount of the Beatitudes (Sermon on The Mount-Matthew 5-7). The spot was a lot higher up on the mount that I expected. We were pretty winded to get to the top.

The Trail ended in Capernaum, which was thought to be where Jesus did a lot of things. From healing people to preaching.

After all of the walking, scripture reading, and bonding I still realize that it is cool to be able to do things like this while I am in Israel, but it doesn’t affect my testimony at all. Faith is belief in things that aren’t seen. In the end, coming to these places doesn’t necessarily prove any faith I have, but it does bring a more physical connection to the stories in the bible.

Want to learn some Hebrew slang? This is my favorite, if I only remember one thing in Hebrew  it will be this. The Phrase is מה אני עז? (Mah Ani Ez?) Which literally means. What am I? A goat? You would use this in a situation where you feel left out- like the phrase you would say to your mom if she gave everyone but you ice cream.

Gotta Love Goats.

Coming up: Celebration of Purim and a visit to the Dome of the Rock.