One week . . .

Wow, it has been a busy and intense week of learning the various shifts and responsibilities here in Jerusalem. I spent four days cleaning rooms and hallways. This included making beds, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping/moppping floors, etc. Oh yes, I have also dusted some plants! :-) Last Monday and Thursday were days off, and now I've spent the past three mornings on the early kitchen shift. This shift begins at 6:30 preparing milk, juice, cereal, bread, vegetables, and various dairy products for breakfast. The idea is to have it all out at 7:15 so the two of us on that shift can sit down and eat before the dining room officially opens. Breakfast runs from 7:30-8:30. After putting all the food back away, we straighten up the dining room, start on a green salad for lunch, and wash the dishes. All dishes here are washed by hand, then put through a sterilizer. This morning, Lisa began the salad while I did dishes, and I think we finished about the same time--about an hour later.

Lunch is served from noon until 2pm, and it is a big meal. The cook usually prepares four hot dishes, and then there is soup, bread, salad, fruit, and various fruits/vegetables. At this meal, the volunteers are expected to serve all who come through the line--usually one serves, and the other keeps things filled up. Once again, washing the dishes comes after lunch. It would seem that the washing wraps up about 2:30, the same time the morning shift gets off. (The second kitchen shift begins working at 1:00 to help with the lunch rush, and they stay through dinner and clean up, getting off at 9pm).

Although setting my alarm for 5:30am is not necessarily my favorite thing, I have actually enjoyed this shift. It goes quickly, and it's fun to work with another person. (Once trained, cleaning is done mostly on one's own.) Since I was working again this morning, I haven't yet been able to attend the Sunday morning church services here on the compound. But, we found a cd player and a cd of hymns to play while we cleared up this morning, and it was somewhat like church.

Tomorrow is another day off, and then Tuesday I will begin training on the 1-9pm kitchen shift. One piece of advice I've already gotten is to not do much in the hours before I begin work. Apparently, if one does a lot of stuff in the morning and then works in the kitchen for 8 hours, it becomes an extremely long day.

On Friday, I moved into what will likely be my room for the duration of my time here. It is a nice and large, airy room. I have been teased quite a bit over how much stuff I brought with me (I keep trying to explain I was trying to prepare for a year, and I actually had very little warning as to when I was actually leaving--I didn't have much time to think!), but I was able to find places for it all quite easily.

Last Monday, I spent some time exploring the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. It was actually a cool, cloudy, rainy day. My first glimpse of the Temple Mount from the Jewish Quarter was quite foggy.


You can barely see the golden Dome of the Rock. The Western Wall is in the foreground.


Looking due east from the Jewish Quarter--the Mount of Olives is completely invisible due to the mist of the morning.


I circled back around a couple hours later, and the clouds were breaking up temporarily. Now you can see the Mount of Olives on the eastern side of the Temple Mount.

The golden Dome of the Rock is also much more visible. This was around noon, and the break in the clouds didn't last very long. An hour or so later, the clouds came back and it poured rain the entire afternoon and evening.


Somebody volunteered to take this picture, and it's great to have! This is me in my new home. :-) I had spent time earlier at the Western Wall, then did just a little bit of shopping, and this was right before I went to find lunch--water and a falafel!

Tomorrow is another day off, and I hope to do a little more exploring in the Old City. It will depend on the weather though. The shifts here are a very full 8 hours, and it doesn't leave you with a lot of energy to fight the elements.

But, I do love it here. I feel so much at home, so content and comfortable. I think it will be a great year!

Beginning to adjust . . .

So, here I am, finally in Jerusalem. I haven't been able to do much exploring yet (and no, I haven't gotten to the Western Wall yet), but this is sure the city that feels like home to me. I left my heart here 18 months ago, and it's nice to get it back! It's been a slightly difficult transition (between being sick, jetlag, somehow missing my "pick-up person" at the airport for 2 1/2 hours, etc), but I am so happy to be here. I have completed two cleaning shifts, I have tomorrow off, Tues/Wed will be two more cleaning shifts, Thurs will be a day off, and then Fri/Sat will be morning kitchen shifts.

I had Thursday and Friday with no responsibilities, and I enjoyed starting to catch up on rest and simply enjoy the beautiful courtyard. It doesn't get so extremely cold as Colorado, so many of the plants, flowers, and trees are still green. On Friday afternoon, I enjoyed sitting outside and doing some cross stitch under a lemon tree!

This is the table I was sitting at to do some relaxing and cross stitching.

Looking up at the lemon tree.

A closer look at lemons on the lemon tree!!


That was a very pleasant afternoon--a far cry from the subzero temps in Colorado and the cold, snowy day in London.

The past two days (Saturday and Sunday), I have worked the 7:00am-3:00pm cleaning shift. We begin by cleaning the public restrooms. Actually, I've not heard them called that once. They are the public toilets or loos, depending who I'm training with. :-) There are three sets of those. Then, we stop to have breakfast (toast, cereal, vegetables, fruit, fish, etc). Then, we start on the guest rooms. Some get a thorough cleaning, others we just remake the beds and clean the bathrooms. We get a tea break from roughly 10:30am-10:45am, then return to work until lunch. Volunteers get a half-hour for lunch, which is served from 12-2:00pm. Once the rooms are cleaned, there are other projects--sweeping/mopping the hallways and foyers, dusting the plants, restocking the little coffee/tea areas in the two wings of the guest house. I've spent the 3 hours between working and dinner sorting out clothes for the following day, journaling, visiting with my new roommate, catching up on e-mails, etc. Dinner is from 6-7, and then I've been going to bed!!

Although we're technically in the middle of Israel's winter season, the weather here the past few days has been gorgeous. The first few days were in the high 50s, and the past couple days it has gotten up into the 60s. It has been so enjoyable to eat lunch outside, and today I spent some time in the church's garden after I finished my cleaning shift. I am so grateful I brought my summer and winter clothes as it has been difficult to know exactly what to wear. They say it may rain tomorrow, but I would enjoy that as well.

After the first two nights in a guest house room, I moved into a temporary room for this week. It is again quite small for two people, but Carole is graciously letting me share with her. One of the other volunteers is leaving Friday, and I will be moving up to take her place. That room is quite big and so bright and sunny. It will be nice to be able to unpack and settle in a bit.

Friday night was my first Shabbot meal. It was special as we said the blessings in both Hebrew and English. An added bonus was that I could read the blessings in Hebrew! The months of studying Hebrew paid off.

The table decorated a little nicer for our Friday night Shabbot meal.
The Shabbot candles were lit before the meal, traditionally by the woman of the house.


The Challah bread and grape juice.

Tomorrow is my first official day off. I have reserved time to do some laundry, and I'm also hoping to do some exploring of the Jewish Quarter. Now that I live in this city, I want to be able to find my way around! :-)

Arrival . . .

I have arrived in Jerusalem as planned, it's hard to believe I'm actually back here! The plane flights over here were unforgettable . . .

I received my visa at 10:00 Monday morning, and the plan needed to be leaving at 11:00 Tuesday morning for the airport. That gave me around 25 hours to pack, not counting a few errands, saying goodbyes, and trying to get a little sleep. It was a crazy day trying to get ready!

The flight from Denver to London went quite smoothly, until we were about an hour out from London Heathrow. A winter storm had been parked over the United Kingdom for awhile, dumping a lot of snow in the north. There was 3-4 inches at Heathrow, and it was cold and slushy. Anyway, all the runways were closed and the other London airports weren't willing to let us in, so we flew in a circular holding pattern just north of London for slightly over an hour. Then, the pilot received notification that one runway had been cleared and he could land. I realized just how much he would have to trust the ground crew that the runway was cleared--one patch of ice and we wouldn't quite have a successful landing!

But, they had done a good job, and the landing was uneventful--we were all happy to be on the ground even though it was an hour after our expected arrival time. But now there was a new problem. Since no flights were going out of Heathrow, there were no empty gates. We remained on the plane for another hour or so, while a solution was figured out. They ended up pushing a set of stairs up against the plane and simply bussing us to the Terminal. It was a flight that will be unforgettable as we arrived at the terminal 2 1/2 hours later than scheduled. I had a very long layover, so it didn't cause me any complications and we realized that sitting on the plane for an extra 2 hours was much better than some of the alternatives.

By the time we landed, deplaned, arrived at the terminal, and I figured out my luggage, it was 12:30pm London time. The gentleman at Border Control was so very kind and helpful, and he thought I still had plenty of time to get into Central London and do a touristy bus tour. He was right, and I will write more about that in another blog.

My flight to Tel Aviv was scheduled to depart London Heathrow at 10:30pm. It was not a full plane and everyone was on by 10:25. The pilot stated that this was good since we would have to stop to get the wings de-iced once more before leaving. Unexpectedly, 2 other planes jumped in front of us, and we ended up waiting 45 minutes for our turn; thus, we left Heathrow an hour late. None of this messed me up; it was just a good lesson in flexibility!

I have to say, this air travel company has been phenomanal. I have never flown with a cabin crew that was so courteous and attentive to their passengers. I have never seen an air travel company with extra employees around the gates and baggage claims just waiting to answer questions. In fact, everyone at London Heathrow was courteous and went above and beyond to help me out and answer questions. I was overwhelmed by the welcoming and kind spirit. It makes me want to go back and spend more time in the UK with these people.

I arrived in Jerusalem this morning and am working to stay awake all of today and simply go to bed on the early side tonight. The best way to adjust to a new time zone (Israel is 9 hours ahead of Colorado time) is to simply get on it. The guest house supervisors were very kind and are going to let me have the first two nights in a room to myself so I can "recover from my journey." I greatly appreciate the thought--here's a glimpse of my room.






It's pretty little! But I appreciate their understanding of how grueling a trip like this can be. I have the rest of today as well as all tomorrow off, and I will begin learning my duties on Saturday. I guess there are three posts I could add to my blog whenever I had time--the story of my visa, my bus tour of London, and what my duties here will be.

Today, it's a little chilly in Jerusalem, but not near as cold as Colorado had been the past month or so. The view out my windows is gorgeous! This is looking out over the little courtyard between the Guest House and Christ Church. The wall on the right is part of the Guest House.



This is also the courtyard in between the guest house and the church. This time, the building on the right is Christ Church. Such a pretty blue sky over Jerusalem today! It's about 58 degrees, but a breeze is coming up that is definitely not warm!


I guess I'll write more later when I learn my duties. I'm glad to be here but will never forget the uniqueness of the two plane flights and the overwhelming kindness of the cabin crew!! I hope I can always travel with this carrier from here on out!

Some FAQ's

Many of you have asked questions about Israel and Jerusalem, so I thought I'd take some time and try to answer them . . . If this post doesn't answer a specific question you have, please let me know!


Geography/Population

Jerusalem is the capital city of the state of Israel, and it is also Israel's largest city both in area and population. Including controversial East Jerusalem, the city covers roughly 50 square miles. The Old City (the portion enclosed by 16th century stone walls) is a mere 35 square miles. Jerusalem has traditionally been considered a city divided into four quarters; the current divisions of Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim quarters were designated as such in the early 18th century.

Having existed and been inhabited for over 5,000 years, Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. It has been completely destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured/recaptured 49 times.

As of 2007, 763,800 people resided in the city of Jerusalem. 64% are Jewish, 32% are Muslim, and 2% are Christian. (Keep in mind, the designation of "Christian" includes all branches of Protestant and Catholic faiths). A population density study completed in 2005 revealed that in Jerusalem, there are 14,893.5 people per square mile.

The city of Jerusalem sits approximately 2,500 feet above sea level; 37 miles west of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea, and 22 miles northwest of the Dead Sea (the lowest spot on earth).

The climate of Jerusaelm is considered Mediterranean--hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters. The average annual precipitation is 23", most of which falls as rain between October and April. It does snow in Jerusalem once or twice a year. The coldest month of the year is January, where the average temperature is 46 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmest months of the year are July and August, and the average temperature is 73 degrees. Temps can drop into the 30s during the winter, and the summer highs can be in the 80s. Jerusalem gets a refreshing sea breeze virtually every afternoon, and the evenings are almost always cool (even in the summer).

Israel and the United States each have about 40% of the world's Jewish popluation. Israel as a country has a population around 7 million, and 5.7 million of these people are Jewish.

The entire country of Israel covers 8,019 square miles (slightly more than Vermont). The terrain is quite variable--the Negev desert in the south, mountain ranges in the north, coastal plains on the west, and the Jordan Rift Valley in the east. The highest point in Israel is Mount Meron (in Galilee) which rises 3,963 feet. The lowest point of Israel (and the world) is the Dead Sea. The surface of the sea is 1300 feet below sea level, and the sea at one time was another 1300 feet deep.

Holidays
Obviously, the nation of Israel does not celebrate quite the same holidays as the United States! :-) Most of Israel's holidays are rooted in the Jewish faith.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, celebrated on September 8, 2010. This is the beginning of the Jewish year 5771. Jewish tradition celebrates the creation of the world on Rosh Hashanah.

Following Rosh Hashanah are 10 Days of Repentence. The first ten days of the New Year are spent in reflection, confession, and repentence.

The 10 Days of Repentence culminate in Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). This is the holiest, most solemn day of the year. It is a one day holiday and is honored by fasting. Jewish holidays begin at sundown and end at nightfall the following day. Thus, Yom Kippur will begin at sunset on September 17, 2010 and will conclude at sunset September 18th.

Other holidays/festivals include Sukkot/Feast of Booths (a seven-day festival, September 22-30; commemorating the Israelites living in tents in the wilderness), Purim (celebrating deliverance through Esther, February 27-28, 2010), and Shavuot. We know Shavuot as Pentecost. Traditionally, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai on this festival day. Shavuot is also known as the Feast of Weeks and will be celebrated May 23, 2010.

Christmas is a Christian holiday; the Jewish equivalent is Hanukkah. Hanukkah commemorates the cleansing and rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees (in between the Old Testament and New Testament periods), and the 2010 celebration will begin at sunset on December 1st and last until nightfall on December 9th.

The most important holiday in Israel and in the Jewish faith is Passover. This commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. No leavened food is eaten (or allowed in the house) for a week. Although our calendars work differently than the Jewish calendar, our Good Friday/Easter often fall in the same timeframe as Passover.

There are four other national holidays designated by the State of Israel:
Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day)--celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, May 12, 2010.
Yom HaShoah--Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 19, 2010.
Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day)--honoring all veterans, fallen soldiers, and civilians killed by acts of terrorism, April 19, 2010.
Yom H'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). Though David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the statehood of Israel on May 14th according to our calendars, according to the Hebrew calendar, this will fall on April 20, 2010.

Israeli currency
The currency in the state of Israel is the New Israeli Shekel. It replaced the "old" shekel January 1, 1986. On January 1, 2003, the shekel became a freely convertable currency. It is one of only twenty or so world currencies for which there are widely available currency future contracts in the foreign exchange market. The Israeli shekel is a hard currency, and one can gain access to it almost anywhere in the world.

Interestingly, the shekel is not produced in Israel as the country has no mint. It is minted at Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation, or KOMSCO. This company is the banknote and coin producer for South Korea.

Shekels are similar to a dollar in that they are divided into 100 argorot. Available coins are 10 argorot, 1/2 shekel, 1 shekel, 2 shekel, 5 shekel, and 10 shekel. Banknotes are available as 20 shekel, 50 shekel, 100 shekel, and 200 shekel.

Currently, the exchange rate is roughly 3.6 shekels per American dollar.


This was probably more information than you ever wanted to know, but hopefully it gives you a glimpse into the fascinating country of Israel!