First Two Weeks

Hi everyone! 
So I haven't blogged in a while, but that just means that I have a lot to say 
in this post :). I cannot believe that we have already been here for almost two weeks 
already! 
Here is my daily schedule if we are not on a tiyul (field trip):

      7:00 Wake up (Boker Tov!)

      7:45 Breakfast

      8:15 - 11:30 Jewish History 

      11:40 - 12:55 Hebrew

      1:05 - Lunch

      2:00 - 7:15 General Studies (English, Math, Chemistry)

      7:15 Dinner

      8:15 - 11:00 Homework and hanging out

      11:30 - Lights Out (Lilah Tov!)

As you can see, it is a very long and intense schedule but I'd say it is definitely worth it. Most of my classes have anywhere between 6-15 people. 

Last Friday we all went on an archaeological dig which was really cool and fun. 
Last Saturday night, we went to Jerusalem. First, we visited the Kotel (Western Wall) as a 
group. Before when went to the wall, the counselors gave each of us a piece of rosemary 
that we were supposed to smell so we could remember that moment. It was really powerful 
for me because it was when I really realized that I am in Israel and I will be living here for 
the next 4 months. That night, we went out for pizza, then to a Debbie Friedman tribute 
concert at Hebrew University. After that, we had some free time at the Mamilla mall. 
It was really fun to get out of the Kibbutz. On Sunday for Jewish History, we went on a 
field trip to Tel Gezer. A "tel" is a hill that consists of multiple ancient cities on top of 
each other. It was amazing for this to be my history classroom. I could get used to this :). 
For class, we would walk around, stop to take notes, then keep walking. There were some 
pretty outstanding views during history class. On Thursday (Feb 6), we had a very long day. 
In the morning we had another tiyul (field trip) for Jewish History. We went to Sataf which
was ancient ruins on a mountain with forms of agriculture. It was beautiful and a fun history 
class! At the end of the trip, we got to climb through a cave that our ancestors used for a 
water system. Following the trip, we had a full day of general studies classes, then went 
out as a group to Malcha mall. Yesterday (Friday), we did not have any classes but we went 
to a farm for a Tzedakah (social justice) project at a farm. The farm is for kids in Israel that 
have dropped out of high school and want a place to learn and work. We helped them 
clean up the rocks on the land. It was a really nice day out and was really nice to help out.
During free time on Friday a group of us went up to "The Tel." A 10 minute hike got us up a 
hill to ancient castle ruins. I have to stay it was one of the most outstanding views and 
experiences of the trip so far. We walked around and hung out up there for about an hour. 
Finally, Shabbat came! It has been very relaxing so far. Right now, a group of us are sitting 
outside doing homework. I could also get used to this :).  I hope all is well at home. 
Stay warm! More blog posts to come!

,להתראות

Sadie 

I'm Here at Tzuba!

We arrived in Israel on Monday the 27th after a long two days of travel. It was fun seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the airport. After the flight, we drove to Kibbutz Tzuba where we are staying. The view from everywhere you look is amazing, and it has finally hit me that I am in Israel and will be staying here for the next four months. We then got our roommates and began to unpack. There are four people in each (very small) room. My roommates are very nice and are from California, New York, and Ohio. I am looking forward to getting even closer with them. Even though the living situation is very  small, the view from our balcony certainly makes up for it, as you can see in the picture. Yesterday, we had an orientation all day. We learned about the rules, our classes, etc. I got to meet my Jewish History teacher, David Alon, and my class. Jewish History and Hebrew are each 2 hours and 45 min. Today was our first real day of school! So far, my teachers and classes are great! It is very different from ETHS in so many ways: walking from class to class is outside, my math class has six people, we call the teachers by their first names, and so much more. Don't get my wrong, I love ETHS, this is just different :). I have three free periods in the middle of the day (right now) which is very nice. So all in all, everything is going great! Thanks for reading! 

,להתראות

Sadie 

Packing, packing, and more packing

Hello again! So I guess I lied in my last post when I said my next post would be in Israel because I am still in Evanston. This week of being a "high school dropout" has, surprisingly, been pretty boring. I have been doing a lot of packing, watching Netflix, shopping, and getting very excited for Israel! My biggest challenge right now is fitting my life for four months into 2 fifty pound bags, especially because we have to pack for basically every type of weather. It will all be worth it though! I cannot wait to leave for New York on Sunday morning and then Israel Sunday evening!! It is amazing how quickly everything has happened and how real it is all becoming. Thanks for reading my blog!

,להתראות

Sadie 

Hi!

Thanks for checking out my blog! For the next semester, January 26th - May 30th, I will be in Israel on NFTY-EIE. There are about 80 other teens on the program, and we will be living on Kibbutz Tzuba which is about 15 minutes outside of Jerusalem. Throughout these four months, I will be taking Jewish History and Hebrew in addition to my general studies classes including Chemistry, English, and Math. On the program, I will climb Masada, train in Gadna, spend a week in Poland, and go to the Negev. I am very excited and a little nervous for this amazing opportunity in eight days! I am not sure how often I will be able to post on this blog, but I will try my best to update you as much as possible. My next post will probably be in Israel!! Thanks again for reading my blog and I hope you continue to follow me through my travels!

 - Sadie