Another Weekend Past

Well, it's been a while since I've updated my blog. First things first, I reckon. Thursday, I had a small-world moment. I had left my ball cap in a classroom, so I went there an hour later to retrieve it. I was looking around the room for it, when a short dark fellow- distinctly Papau New Guinean- told me he had hung it up on the wall. I had heard rumors there were Papau New Guineans in Ulpan, so I asked him if he was a Christian. Come to find out, he was, and was even a member of the churches started by Vic Schlatter. That made me really excited, and I hope to get to know him in the upcoming months. Mr. Schlatter is a fellow I really look up to- seeing the fruits of his ministry (God's ministry) first hand here in Jerusalem is really amazing. I pray that I can open myself up to God and be used by Him like Mr. Schlatter has done (wherever I find myself in the future).

This weekend I went on a trip up to the Western Galilee (near Haifa, on the Mediterranean Sea, across the border from Lebanon). We left on Friday at 7 in the morning and arrived at Akko (an old Crusader' port) around 11:00 am. Akko is an ancient port that was used by the Crusaders to hold onto Palestine during the Crusades (not the Billy Graham type, unfortunately, but the type where supposed Christians murdered and pillaged Muslims and Jews). Our tour of the ancient city was led by a Jew, and the atrocities commited by "Christians" were made pretty evident in the course of the tour. A sad, terrible note in Christian history that, because I am Protestant, don't have to claim as my own.

Friday night was the start of Shabbat. We all got together for a very nice, long meal. Jews really know how to celebrate Shabbat- plenty of food, laughter, singing, friendship, and a good time. Christians, I think it's time we revamped the Lord's day to include a Sunday afternoon of the same. What ever happened to the roast meat, carrots, potatoes, and fellowship of old? Hmm... maybe I'm reminiscing too much of days gone by.

Saturday morning we went on a hike up the mountain that serves as the border with Lebanon. We had 4 armed guards- folks carrying rifles and pistols- to protect us from the marauding Muslims from the North. Thankfully, not a shot was fired (nor has ever been by any guard on any trip with any group of American students.) The guards were there with us, I suppose, so that we would all write in our travel blogs that we were being kept completely safe by armed folks. Moms and dads of us students- you can breathe a breath of relief :)

Saturday afternoon we walked into town, which was desolate because of Shabbat, and then finished the day with a nice meal and bus ride home.

Today I went to church in the morning to Jerusalem Baptist. It's Baptist of the old variety- the kind that leaves no doubt in your mind why there are 100 different Baptist denominations. I took a Catholic friend of mine with me - he was definately weirded out, but I felt comfortable because they used the same hymnal I use at Georgetown Baptist. The deacon I talked to explained to me that there was a fellow in his congregation who believed Henry Kisinger was the anti-Christ. Hmmmm. I guess when there are so few Baptists in an area, you can't really pick and choose the Baptist church you want to go to. Still, though, there's a sister church to the one I visited this morning that meets on Saturday mornings. I'll check it out next week- I hope and pray it's different.

After church, I walked by some Orthodox Jews carrying my Bible. Who would've every guessed? Little Anabaptist Jason walking around Jerusalem with his Bible proudly in hand.

Well, I'm afraid I must be going. I hope all is well in the States. If anyone has any specific questions about life here, send me an email at jds39@georgetown.edu. I love correspondence, and I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have. I'd love to hear from you.

Oh, also, all the toilet paper here is pink.

And also- Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization- overwhelmingly won the elections on Wednesday. People are pretty shocked, and are really curious about what will happen in the upcoming days/months. Everything is up in the air on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. Let's all pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Israel, and the disputed areas.

A Tuesday Evening Entry

Shalom mYerushalayim (Peace from Israel),

Today (Tuesday) marks the end of the third day of the week. It's strange, because at home Wedenesday is the half-way point of the week. Needless to say, I definately feel like a half-week has gone by. I'm feeling more and more at home here, although there are still moments when I ask myself why I decided to travel hal-way around the world. If it weren't a near-miracle that I am here in the first place, it would be a lot more difficult. As it is, I know for certain this is where God wants me to be.

My diet has changed significantly since I've been here. My typical day starts off with some fruit (bought incredibly cheap around here) and oatmeal (not so cheap around here). Around 10:00 am, the time we have a break from our Ulpan, I get a hoagie sandwich from the deli. costing around two dollars, I feel incredibly Israeli eating this delightful sandwich of soft cheese and fresh vegetables. Since the deli I buy it from is kosher, though, they don't have anything meaty (Kosher laws forbid the contact of meat and dairy products- see Ex. 23:19). For lunch, I'll eat whatever I have lying around my room (humus, pita, bread, fruit, veggies, chocolate spread, cheese). Then for dinner, I've had a lot of felafel. My diet changes a little bit if a go out to eat, but it basically remains without much meat, full of fruits and veggies, and without much processed foods. It will be a wonder if I don't come back the healthiest I've ever been.

My classes are going well- as I mentioned earlier, the material is mostly review, but I am beginning to pick up the language a little bit. I'm pretty quiet in class- justifying my small desire for conversation in Hebrew with the fact that I am a biblical literature scholar. I look at the texts, not the modern conversations. I'm sure I'll pick up both the written and spoken word with time, though.

My Christian identity has become something that I've been thinking a lot about here. Christ is what sets me apart here spiritually, emotionally, and culturally. I find myself clinging to my faith in Him, recognizing that He is Lord, Savior, and above everything else. I've known this much of my life, but it's becoming more and more real to me as I spend time in a place that doesn't recognize Christian faith. I feel like I want to wear a giant cross around my neck to let everyone know that I am a beliver in Yeshua haMeshiah- Jesus Christ- and that they (and the entire nation of Israel) too, can have a personal relationship with God through His Son. There have been a lot of opportunities for me to share my faith, and I'm confident that there will be many more in the upcoming months.

I'm almost positive I saw some Apostolics in the Arab markets the other day. I heard there is a community of them here, but I also heard they speak Serbian. I almost approached them, but I have no idea what we would have talked about (I know no Serbian, they probably knew no English or Hebrew). I regret not approaching them now. If I see some ACers again, I should be able to communicate the name "Samuel Froehlich," right? Ah well- I've considered carrying my Zion's Harp around with me too, just in case.

Talking about the AC Church, many of the Orthodox Jewish girls here wear long skirts like the ladies in the Sister church do. Most wear full head coverings though, with hair entirely wrapped up to prevent the peaking eyes of jealous fellows. I think the modest girls are the prettiest. There are a lot of cultural similarities, I've found, between conservative Christians and conservative Jews (in practices of holiness and dress, at least).

Well, I'll be going. All the best and Layla Tov (Good Evening),

Jason

The Sunday After (the weekend)

Hello from Israel! It’s Sunday morning, and I’ve spent my first weekend in Jerusalem (from Thursday night until Sunday morning). Friday morning I got up bright and early and went to the Old City. I had no idea where I was going, except I knew how to get to the gates. Once inside, I wandered around the ancient streets, seeing the Armenian, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Quarters. In the morning I found a hole-in-the-wall café, where there were Palestinian fellows inside having their morning drinks and smoking hooka, a steamy tobacco pipe. I went in and got a cup of mint tea for 3 shekels- about 70 cents- and listened to their conversation. I had no idea what the old fellows were saying, but I did pick up “Hamas” and “Abbas.” The PLO elections are this week- it should be interesting to see what transpires.

After visiting the café, I spent a few hours browsing the market place. I learned how to bargain, and picked up all sorts of groceries and things that I needed (raisins- 1 kilo for about $2.25, some cheese for 15 shekels, sheets for 30 shekels). I visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre again- this time without a pushy guide- and was able to sit and pray for a while. It was still magnificent to be there, even though for many it’s just a tourist destination (there are plenty of stereotypical tourists, with big cameras hanging around their necks, for whom the Church has no special significance). On the way home, I decided to travel through East Jerusalem. There were not any good ways to get to the Hebrew University- the way the roads and walls are set up create a very effective barrier between the Jews and the Arabs.

Saturday was the Sabbath, so me, Josh, and Elliot (Catholic friends of mine) decided to go exploring. Josh knows Arabic, so we decided to visit the Mount of Olives, which is in an Arabic neighborhood. We didn’t find any churches that were open, which was disappointing, but we ended up traveling down to the Old City from the Mount of Olives. We spent more time going through the shooks, eating way too many sweets as we went. After a couple consecutive days in the markets, I can say I’m no longer an easily-dooped American.

Last night I went to church with some Evangelicals I met (something for which I’m exceedingly thankful to God). We went to a Messianic congregation, with the service in both Hebrew and English. It was no Baptist church- the congregation was somewhat charismatic (although I don’t think anyone was speaking in tongues- then again, I'm not sure I can tell the difference between Hebrew and tongues), and the service was less-orderly than I would have liked- but it was so refreshing to be at church. I think I may continue to go there, because the sermon was preached in English and then translated into Hebrew, which would definitely help my Hebrew skills.

Today we have the morning off of school, and then return this afternoon. The class I’m in is far below my level of learning, but it’s a necessity because my communication skills are so poor (the classes are taught in Hebrew). During the regular semester I’ll be able to resume where I left off at Georgetown.

I hope things are going well back in the states, and I hope to correspond with you soon. All the best, Jason.

The Trip

After a long plane ride, I finally made it to Israel. I left the U.S. from Washington, D.C., aboard Alitalia at 5:30 on Sunday night, and got into Israel on Monday afternoon at 3:30 (I lost 7 hours in the transition.) The flights were pretty nice- with Italian food and all. On the flight to Milan I sat next to a nice Ethiopan fellow named Larry who was on his way to Bombay, and on the way to Tel Aviv I sat next to an Israeli pilot for Delta who was incredibly upset she didn't get a kosher meal on the flight. Oh well, life is tough.

I had an interesting time getting to Jerusalem from the airport, which is in Tel Aviv. I took a sherut, a taxi van that packs as many people as possible. We drove around Jerusalem for a while, giving me a good idea of the city at night (including several Orthodox neigborhoods). It was great to finally be in Israel.

I got to Hebrew University and, after managing to find the fellow with the key to my room among a maze of buildings, made it too my dorm room. I would call it Spartan at best, and prison-like at worst. It made me realize how spoiled I was back in the States with my comfy townhouse- it's gonna take a lot of work to make my dorm room comfy.

Yesterday I got a note saying I had moved into the girl's dorm and needed to move to another level. Luckily, when I had taken a shower and visited the bathroom, I had seen no ladies. Today I moved into my permament residence with my roomate David, a Jewish fellow from New York.

I'm a minority here. It's interesting.

Cats roam the streets. I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore.

Well, I'd better get going. I'll keep you updated as things come along. I appreciate your prayers as I look for a church and some Christian fellowship. Still, I'm REALLY excited to be here- Jerusalemis beautiful. Tommorrow I go to the Old City, where I hope to see a church perhaps. Shalom v Layla Tov. Yours truly, Jason.

HaAyir HaAtik (The Old City)

Shalom from Israel! I apologize for not updating sooner, but I have a post from yesterday that I'll put up after this one. To sum it up, I'm here in Jerusalem safe and sound. Today was the third day of classes. After having two awflu days in Hebrew class that was way over my head, I transferred to an easier level of Ulpan (The Hebrew teaching system). I can now understand what the teacher says- which is an incredible benefit when youre trying to learn something.

I found a few more Christians in the group. This afternoon we headed down to the Old City, which was about a 45 minute walk (a Jew led the group, so we took the long way around the Palestinian areas- when I walk by myself or with other Christians, I'll definately go the easier way through Arab neighborhoods). Our group of about 9 was half Chistian and half Jewish- not a bad mixture. Things are going well with my room, David- he's a pretty likeable fellow.

My trip to the Old city today was INCREDIBLY excitin. I've never been so thrilled I dont think. We entered at the Jaffa gate, and proceeded through an Arab shook, market, until we reachd the Jewish quarter of the city. We then went to the Wailing Wall (Kotel, in Hebrew). Me and the other Christian guys were allowed o go right down near it, as long as we put on paper yalmulkas (sp?). It was incredible to be there- our Jewish friend got us a Jewish prayer book, which we all looked though as he went through a round of prayers with a gorup of Israeli soldiers. I said a prayer, and asked that Israel might find Christ. The Wailing Wall was really really really neat, though.

After visiting the kotel, me and another Christian fellow, Elliot- a Catholic from Chicago, went to the Church of the Holy Sepulhre. On the way, we asked an Arab vendor where it was, not knowing the church was only around the bend. He took us there as our official tour guide, being a pushy fellow looking for some easy American cash. I knew we were being hosed, and I wasnn't about to give him much money. Still, he took us in aorund the chuch, which is incredibly beautiful (very gothic and iconistic- an Anabaptist's worst nightmare). There were many sites in the church from the Passion account (who knows how many are real), but I saw the place where Christ was crucified, the stone upon which they laid his body to wash it, the Holy Sepulchre itself, and the place where the soldiers scourged Christ, among others. Although our Palestinian guide was kitchy, he showed us aroun well. I plan to spend a lot of time in the church (maybe tomorrow?), as it is a great (and Christian, as opposed to Jewish) place to pray and contemplate Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

At the end of the tour, the fellow I was with gave our Arab guide 100 shekels- about $23. I offered the fellow 5 shekels.

We got to see the church close at 7:00 pm. The key to the church belongs to a Muslim, since the denominations (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Coptic, Armenian Orthodox, and one other- I cant remember), arue over it. So, we watched as a Palestinian Muslim (whose family has guarded the key for 250 years) closed the door to the great church. It's a shame, because the fellow acted like he could have cared less.

Tonight, we go to town in Jerusalem. Everyone has a nice time on Thursday nights, because tomorrow is Friday night and the Sabbath begins, and the entire city shuts down.

Thank goodness we were't in Tel Aviv today- there was a bomb there that wounded several. I called Mom after I first heard about it (we were on our way to Jerusalem, and someone's mom called her and told her, so we all called our parents).

I got a piece of honey baked goods in the Palestinian market for about 23 cents. Great deal.

I also found group of Evangelicals to hang out with. They're here for the year, and go to church together and have Bible study, I believe, on Tuesday. For as great as it was to visit the Old City, the best moment of my day was after I spoke with one of the Christian guys I'll be going to church with on Saturday night. I'm sooooo thankful to God for this fellowhip.

Well, I'll be going. Have a good evening - Love, and all the best, Jason.

Look Ma!

Look Ma- Your son is leaving for Israel! This is a picture of me on the day I left home. Things went pretty well- at the airport, the goodbye was said pretty matter-of-factly. I'm not sure how Mom did after I got on the plane, but it was no replay of my freshman-year-goodbye-is-the-world-ending-because-Jason-is-gone situation.

Right now, I'm sitting at my desk at Georgetown. It's been a pleasant stay- I've been able to see the people I wanted to see and accomplish the things I wanted to accomplish. I signed my lease on my townhouse for next year, saw my favorite Professor Ben-Zvi, went to hear some bluegrass at Tiffany Tavern last night, and kept up-to-date on the latest goings-on in Israel.

This afternoon, I watched the movie Munich, about an Israeli who was responsible for taking out revenge on the Palestinians who killed Israeli Olympians in 1972. Many of the scenes were in Hebrew and in Israel, and it finally hit home a little bit that I'm going to be there tomorrow. I am excited, nervous, and feeling incredibly adventurous. This is by far the most thrilling thing I've ever done.

Why I'm going

Hello from Ohio. I'm here enjoying the last few days of break, becoming increasingly excited and nervous about heading off to Israel. Yesterday in his sermon, Pastor Steve said, "I don't know why anyone would go to Israel today." I don't think he was referring to me specifically, but I smiled, and I figured I'd copy and paste my essay, "Why I'm going to Israel." I used it to convince Georgetown officials why I'm going there, and I hope you find useful when you, too, wonder why in the world I'd want to go.

As a student at Georgetown, I am pursuing government and theology majors with a Hebrew minor. In theology, a course on biblical literature first sparked my interest in Israel. Understanding Mediterranean culture is vital to understanding Scripture, and being abroad in Israel will expose me to the values that influenced biblical authors. Another class that I took taught me the ancient history of Israel and archeological aspects of biblical theology. Since my acceptance to Hebrew University, I have looked forward to a class on the archaeology of Jerusalem. Currently, I am studying the Torah from a literary perspective at a Catholic university. At the Rothberg International School, I will be able study Scripture from a Jewish perspective. I look forward to the insight I will gain into the Jewish/Christian particularities of biblical interpretation. Upon my return to Georgetown, I plan to be an even greater participant in events supporting religious dialogue and to be even more involved in pluralistic initiatives on campus. Furthermore, I hope to share with both Jewish and Christian peers my experience as a student in Israel and its impact on my understanding of the two faiths.

Coursework taken in the government department has set my desire to study in Israel. A class taken last semester, “The Arab/Israeli Conflict,” exposed me to the history of disputes in the region. Living in Israel will allow me to better understand many more aspects of the issues involved in the conflict. Furthermore, the historic nature of current events in Israel will be remarkable to witness first-hand. This semester, I am taking “American Involvement in the Middle East,” a course analyzing the nature of U.S. intervention in the region. Studying in Israel will allow me to see American foreign policy from an Israeli perspective and give me a fuller appreciation for the complexities of international relations. My second government course this semester is “Israeli Culture and Politics.” Needless to say, living in Israel will broaden my understanding of the political and social systems there. After visiting Israel, I will be far better equipped to talk to others about events and politics in the region. Georgetown is a highly political campus, and I look forward to speaking out on events in Israel with the experience of someone who has spent time there. Furthermore, in my role as a government major who will be seeking employment after graduation, I plan to use my experience in Israel to influence government policy through my career. I hope to work in the Department of State where I will be able to advocate pro-Israel policies with the knowledge of someone who has studied and invested time in the nation.

Some ask why Israel is necessary for my study abroad. As a biblical theology major, I ought to be able to study Scripture anywhere. Still, only in Israel are the archaeological sites. Only there will I be able to experience the land of the patriarchs and fully appreciate the Middle Eastern culture. My study in Jerusalem is far more than academic. I hope to come away with a greater understanding of my own faith identity and its roots in Israel. Still, could I not study the regional conflict at Georgetown? It is possible, but the chance to live where individuals are far more affected by the outcome of history than are the remote academies abroad proves much more enticing. I hope to personally step into the many-faceted Middle Eastern debate by going to Israel and stepping out of my one-dimensional American perspective. For spiritual, academic, and cultural reasons, I look forward to studying abroad in Israel and the way it will impact my life.