Jewish Museum & Future Endevours

     Today we went to the Jewish Museum in Jerusalem. It was pretty cool although I have to admit not our best tiyul. What I DID like about it, however, was the exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls. We didn't actually get to sea the real ones, after all they are only 2,000 years old! But, it was nice to finally fill in the blanks that have been missing. I have heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls but never actually had the slightest idea of what they were! In fact, a lot of thing we have learned on this trip I have heard many mentions of, but never was explained as to what it or they were!

     The one thing I don't really like about my Jewish education back in the states, growing up, was we only got a lot of little tidbits on EVERYTHING. It made the understanding the main stories and importance of the factual information secondary to the "morals of the stories," that we have heard many a time. Finally, in Hebrew High School, we learned actual text and things I found very interesting, but with it being only once a week, I ask myself what happened to the other 10 years of Jewish education I had to endure? Going to Hebrew school was tedious until Hebrew High, and still yet, we can only learn so much in so little time. I'm just happy that I finally have the opportunity to physically come here and fill in the blanks that have been missing from my Jewish education and ultimately my Jewish Identity. With so much in the Jewish History, we often just get words and concepts from it thrown at us with out getting an understanding to it's background (like with me and only having a slight hint to what the Dead Sea Scrolls were), so I just regret that so many others might never get this chance to finally get explained the basics and fundamentals of Jewish history in addition to actually seeing its many artifacts.

     With the idea of "filling in the blanks" of my Jewish education and my Jewish identity, I'm further inclined to state I can't believe it's already the third week here, in Israel! I cannot believe we have learned so much and been through everything we have. Saying goodbye to a friend for the loss of his father, saying hello to him for his return yesterday. Saying goodbye to another friend for her injury this morning, but sadly knowing it was a closing to her semester abroad. Learning about the entire Biblical era, and now starting on the times of the Second Beit Hamikdash. Pulling through the long days of school, learning Ivrit with math, chemistry, and other general studies on the side. Late-night movie-nights, early wake-up calls for visiting the land. Funny short skits, and long afternoons. Shakrit services in the morning, Mishna in the afternoon, Tefilah at night, and berkat hamazon after the occasional meal. Sitting on my bed doing work, listing to the funny anecdotes of my roommates, and making LOADS of tea. Making a mess, and cleaning it up (repeat these two steps a hundred times)! Exploring the Kibbutz, and adopting a stray cat by the name of Twitch, in addition to playing with dogs. Watching Israeli elections and learning all about them. MTV Euro style, in  addition to the Arabic game show or Russian soap opera. Just simply sitting in the garden singing random songs looking over the Judean hills. It's only been three weeks... can this really be all real?

      At the closing of the third week coming in two days, I'm packing for our ten day trip to Masada, the Dead Sea, and our Israeli army training called Gadna. I'll write in a notebook, because I wont bring my computer, but I'm just astonished there are still 15 weeks of this trip left when it feels like we have already accomplished so much, and yet have already lived so vivaciously.