introduction and question
Hi Guys,
I'm a seminary student in California studying to become a minister for a mainline protestant christian denomination. I'm also starting to come out to a few close friends. Before I came to seminary I was a theater tech / lighting designer. I love ultimate frisbee and taking my dog to the beach. i'm new to livejournal so please be kind in helping me to learn the etiquette and rules.
So the question:
In July I am traveling with a group of liberal, open minded, Christians and Jews to Israel and Palestine for two weeks. We will be visiting many holy sites including the Western Wall which is gender segregated (in accord with orthodox Jewish law.) I look like a curvier version your average 20 something guy, I sound like a woman. I don't pass well in the SF bay area and would probably pass better in more gender regulated areas. I'm pretty good at sussing out what is safe for me to do here in the states but I have little to no idea what it is like over there. In a perfect world I would travel and participate as the guy that I am but I also want to be safe and respectful towards the people and places we will be visiting. Have any of you been to Israel and Palestine? What is it like? What is safe to do (bathrooms, synagogues, mosques, other gender segregated sites?) Was it easier to pass there? Are there any books or websites I should read?
thanks all!
A
p.s. we have a decent amount of free time in Jersualem, is there anywhere I should be sure to go?
I'm a seminary student in California studying to become a minister for a mainline protestant christian denomination. I'm also starting to come out to a few close friends. Before I came to seminary I was a theater tech / lighting designer. I love ultimate frisbee and taking my dog to the beach. i'm new to livejournal so please be kind in helping me to learn the etiquette and rules.
So the question:
In July I am traveling with a group of liberal, open minded, Christians and Jews to Israel and Palestine for two weeks. We will be visiting many holy sites including the Western Wall which is gender segregated (in accord with orthodox Jewish law.) I look like a curvier version your average 20 something guy, I sound like a woman. I don't pass well in the SF bay area and would probably pass better in more gender regulated areas. I'm pretty good at sussing out what is safe for me to do here in the states but I have little to no idea what it is like over there. In a perfect world I would travel and participate as the guy that I am but I also want to be safe and respectful towards the people and places we will be visiting. Have any of you been to Israel and Palestine? What is it like? What is safe to do (bathrooms, synagogues, mosques, other gender segregated sites?) Was it easier to pass there? Are there any books or websites I should read?
thanks all!
A
p.s. we have a decent amount of free time in Jersualem, is there anywhere I should be sure to go?