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 |  My life in Tel Aviv. Welcome to Israel! |
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Shalom! I was born outside of Haifa, moved to Tel Aviv when I was twelve, and served in the Israeli Defense Force for two years. Now, I am a student at TAU. I hope I can show the world the humanity of my nation. We're not so different, after all.
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Whoever destroys a single life is as guilty as though he had destroyed the entire world; and whoever rescues a single life earns as much merit as though he had rescued the entire world. |
| I wish we could have peace with Lebanon for many reasons, of course, but also because it is so beautiful there! Mountains and rivers and valleys and you know what? It even snows there! Shabbt! Finally. My brother is not home this weekend  , but my parents are, and my sister and her fiance are. I want them to stop talking about the wedding and start talking about where they're going to live. I hope they live near Tel Aviv!Yesterday before the Sabbath began I deposited money into my bank account. Is this not one of the best feelings?  Soon it will be December! |
| A synagogue in Los Angeles saw two people shot, but they were not killed. I am very angry with this. Why no security, American synagogues? Why no guards? Why do you not have guns, too, to fight back or protect others? Is exactly why we make easy targets! You must make people not want to hurt you. I hate that there are intolerant people even in America who want to hurt innocent people. I don't think peace is the absence of fighting. I think peace is the absence of hatred. So peace is almost impossible to obtain, I think. |
| A study recently published showed that Holocaust survivors have a signficantly higher risk of developing cancer, specifically breast cancer and lung cancer. From those born from 1940-1945, men have a 3% higher chance, and women a 2.5% higher. This lends itself to theories that say extreme mental stress and long periods of starvation cause higher rates of cancer. However Israel has one of the highest cancer survival rates of the Western countries, and Jews in general have a higher possibility of survivng terminal diseases. This sounds great, until one studies genetics and learns that ethnic Jews (in particular, Ashkenazi Jews) have significantly higher instances of carrying genetic defects such as sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and spina biffida. I think this is fascinating. Perhaps it is due to our small population (1/4 of a percent of the world's population)? Are we lucky? Blessed in some areas, cursed in others? Is eating kosher healthier? Are we engaging in some rituals which somehow protect us? Are we engaging in some rituals which somehow condemn us? I think this is very interesting. I wonder how much of physical problems are actually in part psychological? |
| My full name is Achinoam, which in Hebrew looks like this: אֲחִינֹעַם . It is pronounced "Ah-CHi-noh-AHM", with the "CH" pronounced like the ending sound in the German word "bach." It is a Hebrew name, and was the name of one of King David's wives. I generally go by my nickname, "noh-AH", which makes people who are unfamiliar with Israeli names think of Noah's Arc . I find it very interesting to hear of American names on WdC, because they are the same but different as many names here in Israel. For example, "Zachary" is "Zekarayah", pronounced "Zeh-KAH-rah-Yah" (זכריה), "Catherine" is "Caterina", pronounced "Cah-teh-reen-AH" (קת'רין), and "Sarah" is usually "Sara", pronounced "Sah-RAH" (שָׂרָה). To me it is interesting how names change, but are stil similar, I think. What does your name mean? Do you like it? If you could be named something else, what would you choose? |
| I go to Jerusalem for my cousin Yahoshua's Bar Mitzvah, and as we celebrated and raised our glasses our enemies already were thinking of how best to eliminate us. And to me this is ironic because as I pray at the Wall so, too, do Muslims and I think then of them as Muslims, and not as Arabs, but when they do what they did on the Temple Mount I think, "Another terrorist Arab." But when I bow my head and when they bow their heads, we are much the same and I forget for a few minutes about war. I wonder if this is what "G-d" is, yes? If it is the ability to lose prejudice and hatred for a small amount of time because you have found some kind of ground that both walk? I think perhaps this is what it is. Every generation has a problem, yes? Every generation has a challenge or a puzzle and this generation can never really solve it. It is like, they spend many days working out solutions over and over that do not work, and when they think finally of something new the puzzle has changed. And then it is for the next generation to solve, and should they fail, the next generation, and so on and so on. Well, what if I do not want my parents' problems? Or my grandparents'? What if I want to not solve anything I did not create? But in Israel, we have one fundamental challenge, and it is never solved. It is just ammended, and this is not I think good enough. I have too many thoughts, I think, and this is my problem . |
| I have made this Facebook, but I do not so much know why? Is to stay in touch, I suppose . I am using it only for this website, because my friends do not so much use this and I do not like to talk to them on computer when I can just call or see them. Am enjoying Jerusalem as usual  . Is very different fom Tel Aviv, but not so much in a way that is not good.McDonalds commercial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsujRWX7flw&feature=related |
| On November 15th my membership expires. I can't really afford this membership I currently have (based solely on the kindness and generosity of an Anonymous donator), so unfortunately I will be unable to continue this blog . I believe I can still comment on other blogs, and maybe use an outside website, so it is not so horrible. Headed now to Jerusalem. I'm running behind somehow! |
Headed to Jerusalem this Shabbat for my little cousin Yali's Bar Mitzvah. Yom huledet same'ach, Yali! He and his family, my uncle and my aunt and their children, are more religous than my family, so Yali will be having his ceremony at the Western Wall. This is more sacred than at one of the temples outside of Jerusalem. I must find a dress to wear! Shopping  .Back to classes and this is not so enjoyable. I am trying to decide whether to take another language. I speak Hebrew, obviously, and my English I think is at least good enough to get by. I think, maybe I should take Russian? Would be interesting. My academic advicer says to me to take Arabic, because it is so important in the Middle East. But I do not know. Arabic and Hebrew are very similar languages. But learning the language of the Palestinians? Is either diplomatic and smart, or stupid and a waste of time and money. I must decide which soon! What languages do you speak? Is important to speak many? Here, we speak Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Polish, Russian and English, mostly. |
| Last night, my roommates had much energy. I did not. I was faced with a dilemma: should I grab a drink and join them, or should I sit, in my room, and finish a paper for my Global Financial Systems course? It was a moment of temptation, and this temptation was of Talmudic proportions! And I, caught unaware, innocent, and conflicted, was forced to make a decision. In Israel, the good die young. The bad die young, too, but at least they have fun while they last! So I think, a drink is not so bad. I can have a drink (or three) and I can write this paper. Is no big deal. Is more than possible. Is not possible. The paper was completed this morning, and only because I am, evidently, capable of chugging several mugs of black coffee. Ah! What sacrifices we make to live! Don't tell my mother. |
| Today, I fed TziTzi and then realized I had purchased food for an entirely different species. Quickly I hurried to spare his life, and I was successful. I am a hero. Also today I purchased a birthday card for a friend, wrote a fantastic message with a million jokes, and then realized I had addressed the card to the wrong person. After I had sent it. And also also today I had lunch with good friends from the army, flirted with a matkot player from the Ukraine, and cleaned the bathroom. A good day  . Shalom, all. |
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