For the friends and family members who complain that I don’t write enough, or that its hard to stay in contact, you are right; but please forgive me as time seems to fly especially fast. Finding a moment here or there to relax and focus is difficult, as my days have been packed with moving to a new Kibbutz, setting up and organizing my room as well as the general living area, group activities, working out, 5 hours of Hebrew Ulpan, meeting lots of new people, more Hebrew, and a bit of sleep. But a week has passed since I have moved so I find myself with a bit of free time to share my story with whoever wants to read it.
I am living on Kibbutz Magen, a thriving Oasis in the middle of the Israeli desert. It is a bit close to Gaza but life here continues despite the threats the community faces. For those of you who haven’t heard, Israel was bombarded with rockets and mortars this past week from Gaza. And I suppose as a welcome present for our group here we got to hear the famous Tzeva Adom (Red Alarm) that goes off when a rocket will land in the area. Not to make anyone nervous, but we had to walk calmly (run quickly) to a shelter, this event (the first time it happened in 2 plus years, occurred twice this week and seems to have reinforced everyone’s conviction for coming to Israel and serving in the army.
The kibbutz has been very welcoming, with many people introducing themselves and asking our personal story. The cultural exchange that occurs is fascinating—with many Israelis joking that I can have their citizenship in exchange for my US passport and life in LA. There are many new faces and names to remember which is quite difficult without my walking name encyclopedia, Jordan Wolf.
I spend a great deal of time exercising and working on my Hebrew. Reading my Hebrew children’s book when I have time and practicing speaking every second I get—well every second that the pool is closed because it is damn hot here. We have group activities, meals, and workouts which is only bringing this small group of Olim closer together. Being back in Israel feels great, and am excited to see where my path will take me (my first army meeting is in 3 days). On a final note, its fucking hot here.
