Vomit and other pleasing stories

One thing that translates exactly the same from Israel to the U.S. is what a nursing student’s scope of practice is. It is like there is a sign posted to my head that everyone can see that says, “Need a sponge bath? Giving sponge baths is my favorite activity!” or “Is that vomit on the ground? I’ll clean it up!” We normally get a lot of dirty work. Cleaning up vomit is character building at least, right?

On a better note, kids are cute all around the world. Today was our first day of Pediatric clinical and hanging out with kids 12 and younger is SO much fun. Sometimes when I get bogged down with lectures and sitting all day I think I don’t want to be a nurse, then the next day I’m in clinical and I have a blast. It is funny how the actual schooling of nursing is the most boring.

I hit my 2-month mark here in two days! Time has flown by so fast, it is crazy! After this week we have 2 weeks off for Passover and then April will already be here. I finally finalized my Passover plans: I’m going on a hiking trip from the Mediterranean to the dead sea over the first weekend, going to my roommate’s family Seder on a Kibbutz, and then I am going to Romania for a week (couch surfing and the likes).

Everything that has happened here has turned out way better than I could ever wished or asked for. I am really lucky. I am now looking at staying here for the summer- maybe trying to get an internship or volunteering job in the West bank. On Sunday I went to church in Bethlehem again and hung out with a friend from church, it made me have a hunch that I might end up there for the summer. Anyways, we went to the church of the milk grotto-, which is holy to a bunch of different sects of Christianity (I had never heard of this story or site growing, so I don’t think Mormons think about it the same way). It is a church that is considered holy because while Mary was trying to flee to Egypt because of King Herod’s decree to kill all babies under two, she was breastfeeding and leaked some milk on a rock nearby. Now it is a place that some women think will bring them fertility or healthy lactation. 

Picture of Mary breastfeeding. I could see it being used as a PSA for breastfeeding

Bethlehem

This weekend I also went to a screening of a movie called “5 Broken Cameras”. It is about a man who lives in a town in the West Bank that is right next to the dividing line between the West Bank and Israel. It is all about his and his community’s struggle to peacefully protest the building of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank (It is illegal for Israeli’s to go into the West Bank, let alone build houses there) and to stop the building of the “security fence” which is really a concrete wall. The creator of the movie goes through 5 cameras, all of which are destroyed by Israeli soldiers at protests. It was a really interesting view of the conflict that I hadn’t ever seen before. I think it is so important to see both sides, no matter what community you were born into. Of course, we all need to take the information we receive with a grain of salt. It is important to try to see something for yourself and not someone else’s depiction of what is going on. After the movie there was a Skype Question/Answer session in with the creator Emad Burnat. After the whole gathering was over a bunch of kids from my program got together and talked about it. It was constructive and enlightening to see how both sides viewed the film.  Here is the link to the trailer- the movie gave me a lot to think about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XID_UuxiGxM

Room-wide Skype with Eman Burnat

The checkpoints to get to the West Bank are really kind of eerie. I know it is different, but it reminds me a lot of the Berlin Wall.  Palestinians are not allowed to go into Israel/Jerusalem without a permit, which will very rarely be given. The security at the checkpoints is also really intimidating. All soldiers at the checkpoints have huge guns. I am spoiled because I can get through checkpoints so easily because of my American passport, most people do not have that privilege or ability.

View from the International School at Hebrew University. If you look hard enough you can see the wall, about 2/3 of the way up in the center of the photo

It is hard. So many people associate being critical of Israel with being anti-Semitic. I hope this is never how I am perceived. I came here with very neutral thoughts and I am trying to see both sides, which includes seeing depictions of both sides. By no means am I anti-Semitic. I feel very Pro-everyone and anti-hate, I just wish people could listen to each other.

Obama is coming to Jerusalem on Wednesday; he is also going to Ramallah in the West Bank. I am really interested to see what will happen. Hebrew University gave away three free tickets in a raffle to hear him speak For security measures, every street that he will be driven on will be closed and security checked for at least an hour before he travels on them. It's gonna get interesting!

A Baby Story

This post is about all things woman in Israel, since international woman’s day was last week and I am entering my OB (Women’s Health) clinical rotation this week. I have learned a lot of new and fun facts about women’s health in Israel.

Most of our OB Professors are midwives who got their PhDs in the U.S. and had either already lived in Israel before and moved back after finishing school, or made Aliyah (the process of moving permanently to Israel if you are Jewish). Our lectures this week have been a lot of birth videos, reading books, and baby talks. A crowd pleaser was called “The Dance of Birth”.

Some fun facts about Israeli/Jewish law and Women’s Health (according to my professors):

•  In certain Jewish Orthodox communities all teenagers are tested for carrying certain deadly diseases like Tay-Sachs Disease, Caravan Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, etc., they are given a blood identification number, and before they even go on a date with someone they contact the screening center and give their blood identification numbers. If both are carriers for a disease, the screening center will tell them they are not compatible. The screening center won’t release which person is a carrier, or what diseases they carry for. This is an especially common practice in communities where matchmaking in prominent. It is illegal to donate eggs in Israel, it is however legal to donate sperm. In Orthodox Judaism, religion comes through your mother. This means that if your mother is Jewish then you are Jewish.
•  Abortion is legal throughout a pregnancy, but before an abortion is performed it must be okayed through an ethics committee.
•  The national health Insurance covers IVF (In vitro Fertilization) for up to two children. According to Jewish law, every woman has the right/it’s a commandment to have at least two children

In Israel, a constitution was never created when Israel was declared a state. There are a lot of laws pertaining to healthcare, but the former British Medical system is still implemented here (The British Mandate was between 1917-1948). Like most of the world, Israel mainly only uses midwives in childbirth (unless there is a high risk pregnancy, a cesarean section, etc.). It is interesting the difference between how midwives in the States are viewed versus everywhere else in the world. Most women are delivered by a midwife outside of the U.S. and midwifery seems like a normal profession. In the states I get the feeling that midwives are perceived as “hippies,” “crunchy”, or “granola”.  I want to understand why that stereotype stands.  After this semester I should have the feeling if I want to go into women’s health after I graduate or not. So far I think it is really cool. What can I say? I haven’t even seen “The Business of Being Born” yet.

Another fun fact: The Red Cross in Predominantly Muslim countries is called The Red Crescent”. Isn’t that cool?

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.