There and back again...to Tel Aviv!

Ahh...Israel again!  I am back in Tel Aviv now to participate in a workshop with Batsheva Dance Company.  The workshop focuses on artistic director Ohad Naharin's movement technique called "Gaga" (improvisation/visualization-based).  We have 3 set classes a day--Gaga, Batsheva repertoire, and Gaga methodics.  Sometimes there is improv or something else in the evening if we wish, and there are often shows at the renowned Suzanne Dellal Theatre.

I've had a fantastic (albeit tiring!) 4 days so far!  I'm going to try to blog more about it soon.  I will be continuing the writing on my Art's blog here: http://artinmotionblog.blogspot.co.il/

Hi readers, whoever you are....I had trouble blogging during the Europe part of my adventures, partly because of lack of internet, computer, and time.  But I wrote the following few posts about what I experienced for 9 days as I traversed England.  I'm sorry I failed to provide more details.  But enjoy!

The Emerald Isle....

A short update on Ireland....I have not been able to write so much, but it would be a shame to leave out some of my adventures in this amazing land.  My itinerary was Dublin for a day, Galway/western countryside for two days, and back to Dublin for another day.  Again, a whirlwind tour of too few sites in such a beautiful country.

In Dublin I met a wonderful girl through Couchsurfing, who took me around Dublin.  We shared a wonderful meal together, met some friends at a party, and took me to see an amazing pub in a old church.  On the second day I was in Dublin I hopped to a number of pubs on Temple Bar seeking out live music, and found some awesome bands.  I loved seeing the buskers on Grafton street (where Glen Hansard's character from Once was seen playing), but only a few were really great musicians.  I found the good bands to be in the pubs.

I also went to Trinity College which was old and gorgeous.  It would be incredible to actually go to University here (though a bit strange with all the tourists around).  I saw the famous Book of Kells here, which is basically a 1st century Celtic-monk manuscript of the Gospels, in Latin.  Pretty cool!

Dublin by the Leffey

Galway was gorgeous.  The shopping area was a bit crowded and touresty, but also cool to hear different languages and accents.  One of my favorite moments was taking a long walk to a quiet part of the beach....it took a while to get to a quiet place, because there was a triathalon going on (which was also cool to see, but I wanted to get away from the megaphones and music).  But once I got to the see I sunk my feet in and meditated on the wideness of the space, the coolness of the water, and how I could actually allow myself to be at peace, with no place to go, no time constraints, and nothing particular on my mind....

Galway Art's Fest music tent

There was also the Galway Art Festival happening that weekend, which was fantastic.  There were art galleries and street performers all around the city.  One of my evenings, Josh Ritter was performing in the main performance tent, where you had to have tickets, but I listened from outside from the riverbank.  I also heard a local band here that was outstanding--kindof folksy/indy.  I bought a CD and talked to the main singer for a few minutes about the association between Irish and American Bluegrass.  It's so fascinating how you can listen to a guitar/banjo and/or fiddle and hear either Celtic or American folk (or British folk? i.e. Mumford and Sons) depending on your roots.

Connemara

From Galway I also took an all-day tour of the countryside of Connemara, which was gorgeous green rolling hills, pastures with sheep and horses, scattered shimmering lakes, and old abbey's dotting the land.  Just the Irish countryside I was hoping to see. :)  I believe my Irish side of the family comes from vaguely this area (my mom said Kerry, which is a bit south of where I was), so I envision my ancestors working the land, and I feel a connection here.

Ode to Bath

Here, upon the River Avon in Bath, I understand the inspirations for Austen's tales.  I sit on a bench, wide enough for two, but it is just me, my imagination, and the sights and sounds of layers of histories of romance....

London reflections

London has been a whirlwind adventure, the highlight seeing Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare's Globe.  I bought a 5-pound standing-room "yard" ticket, so I could save some money and have a true peasant experience.  I got there early enough to get a spot right up close, which means a) you are uber close to the actors and b) you get to lean on the stage.  The show was fantastic, witty, and alive.  The actor playing Puck looked like he couldn't have been more than 21, and he had the most charming, coy, sneaky, but underplayed ability.  It was perfect.

I saw many other amazing things, including the British Library, housing old manuscripts from ancient bibles, original Shakespeare folios, and Beatles' scribbles.

I walked by the London Eye, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and all these other amazing sights.  I love how you walk down the street and there are modern buildings right next to ones that are centuries old....

Recap of Birthright

Today is Shabbat, a day of rest in Israel. If I were abiding by the rules of Shabbat, I would not be typing on my computer right now but....clearly I am not observant. The Birthright program, however, observes Shabbat as a whole, which means we cannot drive on a bus, do anything that involves money, etc.


So I'm using this time to reflect and go back and recap some of the adventures....The first weekend was also Shabbat, and we were able to spend it on a kibbutz in the North (Hakuk). It reminded me so much of my time on Kibbutz Gaaton two years ago, and made me very nostalgic for that kind of simple, communal, agriculturally-focused life. The first night we were there was a gathering of people in neighboring communities to play music together and sell art.


While in the North, we visited the beautiful, old, religious and artistic community of Tzfat, with which I remember falling in love on my own Birthright trip 7 years ago. It is touristy but some relics of genuine life, people making their living out of their crafts, exist. We met with an artist named Daniel Friedman who explained Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism through his art, which he integrated with geometry and symbolism.


We made our way to Har Bental in the Golan Heights, a former army-post now turned into a tourist site. It is on the border with Syria. In 1973, it was used as a base in the Yom Kippur War, and we were able to walk in the bunkers--extremely small, claustrophobic tunnels. We actually heard some explosions from the direction of Syria, strangely close and real evidence of their current civil war.


We made our way to my favorite city of Tel Aviv, where we walked Rothschild Blvd, went out one evening, on Hamelech George/Dizengoff, and swam in the Sea--I forgot how warm the Mediterranean is--so liberating and wonderful. We also met our Israeli soldiers joining us for half the trip. They are such sweet, passionate, wonderful people. We really got a wonderful group, and were instantly integrated.


Next we made our way to the Negev, where we hiking Massada at 4am (which I felt was surprisingly fast and less difficult than I remembered--I was up in about 20 minutes!). If you're reading this blog and don't know what Massada is, it is a mountain where the Jewish people lived thousands of years ago (the amazing architecture, bathhouses, cisterns, etc, build by King Herod (died at the end of the BCE era). The Roman army surrounded the mountain, and the Jews knew they would either be killed or forced into slavery. A mass suicide occurred on the mountain, with one woman and child escaping to tell the story (so legend has it). Most tour groups climb Massada at sunrise, partly because it's an experience to wake up for a 4am hike and climb as swiftly as possible, and mainly because the sun is brutal by about 7am. When we got to the top, our participants put on short plays about the story.


We spent the night in the Bedouin tents traditional of Birthright and other tour groups. It's a bit silly, to be honest, because these are not truly authentic, and Bedouin people no longer live in tents, without internet, etc. However, it's an experience I guess. :) I slept surprisingly well for sleeping en mass in a tent of 40 people. With beetles.


We finally made our way to Jerusalem, which catches us up to now!


Overall, staffing has been an amazing experience. I didn't imagine it would be this much hard work and little sleep (averaged 5 hours/night probably!) I met some incredible people though, and I hope to remain in touch!

From Jerusalem

Today we went to the Haas Promenade, the City of David (where we walked in the tunnels of a water aquaduct that was incredible (how did people possibly carve this out thousands of years ago??) and went to the Kotel. I had a really meaningful experience there--it may have been the first time I felt emotion that was completely real and genuine that did not seem partially fabricated or manifested out of obligation to "feel something."

I also have found my role as a leader to be a source of information about Jewish-feminism.  I spoke to the group about the progressive group Women of the Wall (whose goals include women being able to pray in quote unquote "nontraditional ways," meaning chanting, wearing talit, and reading from the Torah, and also being able to pray together with men).  WOTW has recently been the catalyst for new legislation allowing women to pray in these ways at the Kotel, and there is a place--at least during the monthly WOTW services--where men and women can pray together, overturning a 2003 Supreme Court decision.  I am very excited about this progression, and wish I could be here to take part of the movement.  (http://womenofthewall.org.il/)

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem!

Women's section

With our female soldiers