Update YAY
alright, another update, I'll try to keep it short and sweet
1) fell in love with a stray cat that I want to adopt. Now I have to find out how... There are places that will spay/neuter for cheep/free. The hardest would be to bring her back with me into the states.
2) Went to the shuk (outdoor market) last fri and while waiting for friends meeting me there started chatting with one of the guards there. Well he took my number and called me last night (just to chat....) and so he met me at the dorms and we sat outside and "chatted" (all in hebrew mind you). Yea... I tried explaining to him that the people I date are usually friends for a long time first, and he tried explaining to me why it's so exciting just to date, because you learn something new about the person each day as you go along... anyways, he suggested a compromise: that we be friends and then date, but that the dating wouldnt be after a year or so of friendship, it would be sooner. "sooner" was never defined.
3) There's this British religious guy that I've become friends with, who has a great sense of humor and is kinda cute. The only problems I have with him are 1. He might be too religous for me, or me not religous enough for him, and 2. he doesnt like cats. #2 is really the major problem.
4) midterms for this hebrew program are wed and thurs. I am so not ready.
5) Finally moved into my new housing right next to campus. My roommate, an Arab-Israeli, is cool, though she wont be staying long because she's finishing up her nursing studies soon. Her and I speak almost only in hebrew with eachther bc she doenst speak any english and I dont speek any arabic.
6) I've become more aware of my change from relgious to secular. Judiasm is still a large part of me, but in a different way. I dont keep shabbat at all anymore and I've realized that I dont believe that anything written in the Torah was written by god. I dont know if I ever truely believed that, but here it is written and concrete. Now that's not to say that I dont believe in god. But the god I believe in, all-powerful, all-encompasing, is not insecure. What does he care if people pray to him or not? Or if people wear a tallis, etc. I believe that the ultimate purpose of religion is to help you become a genuinely good person (my goal in life). I dont care what religion one follows, as long as it enriches their life, helps them appreciate what they have, and helps them to be honest, caring, good individuals.
I just cant believe that someone who follows all the minute laws but is intollerant of others and not a nice person is better than someone who follows none of them, but is a good person.
It also bugs me that we (humans)have the audacity to say that we KNOW what god wants and to descriminate against others based on that. Anyone who does that is wrong.
Yea... I'm becoming very removed from orthodox Judaism. Maybe it's bc orthodox Judaism here in Israel is different than in the states. It's just... I cant tollerate intollerant people. (one of my favorite sayings, but so true). I just cant. It makes me sick. And it makes me even more angry to see a Jew who is intollerant of other Jews and of non-Jews.
Ok, my ranting is over. If you made it this far I congragulate you (unless you just skipped to the end and are reading this without having read my ramblings..........
hehe. take care all!
1) fell in love with a stray cat that I want to adopt. Now I have to find out how... There are places that will spay/neuter for cheep/free. The hardest would be to bring her back with me into the states.
2) Went to the shuk (outdoor market) last fri and while waiting for friends meeting me there started chatting with one of the guards there. Well he took my number and called me last night (just to chat....) and so he met me at the dorms and we sat outside and "chatted" (all in hebrew mind you). Yea... I tried explaining to him that the people I date are usually friends for a long time first, and he tried explaining to me why it's so exciting just to date, because you learn something new about the person each day as you go along... anyways, he suggested a compromise: that we be friends and then date, but that the dating wouldnt be after a year or so of friendship, it would be sooner. "sooner" was never defined.
3) There's this British religious guy that I've become friends with, who has a great sense of humor and is kinda cute. The only problems I have with him are 1. He might be too religous for me, or me not religous enough for him, and 2. he doesnt like cats. #2 is really the major problem.
4) midterms for this hebrew program are wed and thurs. I am so not ready.
5) Finally moved into my new housing right next to campus. My roommate, an Arab-Israeli, is cool, though she wont be staying long because she's finishing up her nursing studies soon. Her and I speak almost only in hebrew with eachther bc she doenst speak any english and I dont speek any arabic.
6) I've become more aware of my change from relgious to secular. Judiasm is still a large part of me, but in a different way. I dont keep shabbat at all anymore and I've realized that I dont believe that anything written in the Torah was written by god. I dont know if I ever truely believed that, but here it is written and concrete. Now that's not to say that I dont believe in god. But the god I believe in, all-powerful, all-encompasing, is not insecure. What does he care if people pray to him or not? Or if people wear a tallis, etc. I believe that the ultimate purpose of religion is to help you become a genuinely good person (my goal in life). I dont care what religion one follows, as long as it enriches their life, helps them appreciate what they have, and helps them to be honest, caring, good individuals.
I just cant believe that someone who follows all the minute laws but is intollerant of others and not a nice person is better than someone who follows none of them, but is a good person.
It also bugs me that we (humans)have the audacity to say that we KNOW what god wants and to descriminate against others based on that. Anyone who does that is wrong.
Yea... I'm becoming very removed from orthodox Judaism. Maybe it's bc orthodox Judaism here in Israel is different than in the states. It's just... I cant tollerate intollerant people. (one of my favorite sayings, but so true). I just cant. It makes me sick. And it makes me even more angry to see a Jew who is intollerant of other Jews and of non-Jews.
Ok, my ranting is over. If you made it this far I congragulate you (unless you just skipped to the end and are reading this without having read my ramblings..........
hehe. take care all!