OD on G? Part 1

There's too much to tell, especially because of the weekend's events. So here we go in organized fashion:

1. Classes

2. Internship numero uno

3. Idan Raichel Concert
4. Weekend in Tzfat

I apologize for the upcoming length, but I hope it's worth your while. Sip by the spoonful...

1. In the middle of last week I took the level placement exam in Hebrew and passed (65 and up). This means two things: I jumped two levels in Hebrew Ulpan since I got here, and I no longer have to take a class that teaches Hebrew. Instead, I have to take classes taught in Hebrew. What's more is I have to take an additional class because I get less credit now that I'm in level 5. My schedule was already full, so rather than going for a more interesting class taught in English (I signed up for a Holocaust class for approx. 20 minutes), I registered for two classes taught in Hebrew: One on children's literature and one on Israeli settlements. I'm two weeks behind already, classes are canceled Tuesday and Wednesday because of Purim. I just came back from the supermarket where I was reading a children's book about a little louse named Nechama who travels the world via the scalp, and did not appreciate the awkward glances. The new roster stands thus:
-Archaeology of Jerusalem
-Colloquial Urban Jerusalem Arabic
-Hebrew: Children's Lit.
-Hebrew: Israeli Settlements (w. field trips!!)
-JESNA Lainer Jewish Education & Internship

2 The first of my internship outings with the Ethiopian National Project was to a religious neighborhood outside of Jerusalem Known as Bet Shemesh (House of the Sun, almost the Dylan song, bummer). I was planning to meet with a field supervisor who was Ethiopian, possibly learn some Amharic (native Ethiopian tongue) and record conversations of stories with the children of the community, so that I could preserve the experiences on a blog I'm creating for the Project. The plan took this shape instead: I sat through a 2 1/2 hour Amharic Assembly where community leaders discussed the programs offered to children (Scholastic assistance, etc.) as well as a health lecture by a Doctor. That means that for 2 1/2 hours, I knew about 2% of what was going on. What I did know was translated into Hebrew for me by one of the supervisors(Gash'on), or discerned through rational intellect, like the Doctor's Powerpoint slide of a lice diagram, also in Amharic. The one word I learned was "Gash" which means mister, because there were a lot of introductions. I also observed the parents who attended the program. They were perpetuating much of their culture, like the clothing, as well as the tattoos some had on their faces and arms. More details will be included in my blog entry for the Project, and I'll include the link as soon as it's up and running.



3. One activity I had been looking forward to since before I arrived here was to attend a concert by the Idan Raichel Project . This guy Idan is a musician like no other. He creates albums with artists from around the globe, in loads of different languages (often with more than one language in each song), and with a variety of instruments. When I studied here in 11th Grade I was introduced to his music, which is extremely popular here. On the last day of my five-month stay, his second album came out, and I listened to it on the flight home. Then, just a few months ago, his third album was released, so I listened to that on the flight back to Israel. He writes the lyrics and melodies, sometimes with help from other artists, sometimes based on Biblical passages. Lots of American college students know about him because he arranges performances with Masa, an organization that provides scholarships for students who do programs in Israel. I was going to see him regardless, but it turned out that there was a concert with Masa (at a lower price than his normal performances) being held at the Jerusalem Convention Center. The event took place last Thursday night. There must have been at least a thousand Jewish college students there- just about too much for me to handle. I was blessed not have recognized anyone, because it unfortunately looked like I was the only one who turned out for the concert. It was really loud the entire time, and people were tossing balloons around, but overall it was worth it. There were always ten or eleven people on stage playing all different kinds of instruments or singing, and they really had a great dynamic with Idan the Keyboardist.