Israel Blog:

[Micah has now been in Israel for a couple weeks, and is fully into his Judaism studies at Yeshiva. His update is below, in all caps because, apparently, his computer slips into Hebrew if the caps button isn't down.]

BUT, BACK TO SHABBOS. IT IS A TIME TO REFILL YOUR SPIRITUAL GAS TANK FOR ANOTHER WEEK. A DAY OF COMPLETE REST. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE LAST SHABBOS. MY YESHIVA SENT A BUNCH OF GUYS TO A NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED HAR NOF. LITERALLY TRANSLATED THAT MEANS "MOUNTAIN OF VISTA." IT IS A RELATIVELY NEW NEIGHBORHOOD IN JERUSALEM. BUT IT IS MADE UP EXCLUSIVELY OF HASIDIC JEWS FROM THE WEST. THERE ARE SOMETHING LIKE 3000 FAMILIES THAT LIVE THERE, AND 2500 OF THEM ARE EITHER AMERICAN, BRITISH OR SOUTH AFRICAN. SO I GOT TO THE FAMILY THAT I WAS STAYING WITH AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY WERE FRENCH. AND NOT JUST FRENCH, BUT FRENCH OF NORTH AFRICAN DESCENT. THEY WERE VERY NICE, BUT THEY SPOKE ONLY A LITTLE
ENGLISH, AND MY HEBREW LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED. SO I DROPPED MY BAGS OFF AND STARTED UP THE MOUNTAIN TO MEET UP WITH THE REST OF MY GROUP. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE FAMLY I WAS STAYING WITH LIVED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THE PLACE I WAS GOING WAS AT THE TOP. I ALMOST GAVE UP, LITTLE DID I KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I WOULD BE MAKING THAT CLIMB OVER THE NEXT 28 HOURS--MANY OF THE RABBIS FROM MY SCHOOL LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALL INSISTED THAT WE VISIT. WELL AFTER WE WERE DONE AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN I CLIMBED BACK DOWN TO THE FAMILY I WAS STAYING WITH. WE ATE A TRADITIONAL NORTH AFRICAN SHABBOS DINNER OF COUSCOUS AND BOULETS, WHICH IS JUST THE FRENCH WAY OF SAYING MEATBALLS, IT SOUNDS MUCH CLASSIER. THE JEWS OF NORTH AFRICA HAVE A DIFFERENT TRADITION OF PRAYER THAN DO THE JEWS OF EASTERN EUROPE THAT IS MY TRADITION, SO AS I WAS MAKING MY WAY TO THE SPANISH SYNAGOGUE, (THE JEWS IN SPAIN ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONES IN N. AFRICA),AT 7:30 THE NEXT MORNING I COULD BARELY THINK. AND THE WAY THEY PRAYED GOT ME SO CONFUSED. THE TUNES THEY USED IN THEIR PRAYERS SOUNDED MORE LIKE A MOSQUE THAT A SYNOGOGUE THAT I AM USED TO. THE SERVICES LASTED FROM ABOUT 7:30 UNTIL ALMOST 11 WHICH IS A MARATHON IN MY OPINION. BUT AFTER THAT WE WENT TO A NICE AMERICAN FAMILY FOR LUNCH, AND NAPPED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. AFTER SHABBOS ENDED I WENT TO THE OLD CITY AND HUNG OUT WITH ANDREA AT THE KOTEL (WESTERN WALL) UNTIL ABOUT 3 AM. IT IS AWESMOE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE CENTER OF FAITH FOR ME, AND ALMOST 4 BILLION OTHER PEOPLE WHENEVER I FEEL LIKE IT. (IT IS ONLY ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE PLACE I AM STAYING. DONT EXPECT ANY GOOD STORIES FROM NEXT SHABBOS. I AM ON MY WAY TO TEL AVIV. I FIND IT AMAZING THAT ON35 MILES FROM THE MOST HOLY SPOT IN JUDAISM IS A PLACE FULL OF JEWS YET NEARLY DEVOID OF ANY SPIRITUAL CONNECTION TO HASHEM. HAVE A NICE WEEKEND AND SEND MY REGARDS TO THE CREW.

MICAH P COOPER