Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

After multiple predictions of snow in Jerusalem that didn't quite pan out, I was delighted to wake up this morning to a layer of snow covering our capital city. While snow in the States over the past couple of years usually elicited an obstinate reaction from me (boy was I in a tizzy when the October snow almost derailed our Halloween Party at Paddington Bear Road), I couldn't have been happier to see snow not only on the ground, but still falling from the sky at a decent rate.

Jerusalem gets a "storm" of an inch or two once every three years, so I didn't want to miss my opportunity to see it first-hand. I had my morning coffee, checked the headlines, put on my winter gear and headed out in a hurry. After all, with constantly changing weather conditions I had no idea how much longer the snow would continue to fall. When I got outside, I could hear kids nearby playing in the snow and all the other people I passed on the street had huge smiles on their faces.

I set out towards the Old City, as I hoped to see its walls and of course The Temple Mount and Kotel layered with snow. But just as I hit the middle of Mamilla Mall, the sun started to peak through, and by the time I hit Jaffa gate, it had completely stopped snowing. About 10 minutes later, as I approached the Kotel Plaza, it was bright and sunny as if it hadn't been snowing less than a mile away.

So naturally I was that much happier that I had left my apartment in a hurry after waking up and getting to enjoy the snow.

For more pics of the storm that was, here's a link to the album I posted on Facebook: ow.ly/9plGZ

Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom!

Once Upon a Shabbat in Jerusalem

This past Shabbat, I had the opportunity to take in and enjoy the beginning of the day of rest unlike anywhere else in the world.

I headed out from my apartment about 20 minutes before candle lighting time towards the Old City. In the middle of the Mamilla outdoor pavilion, I heard the Shabbat siren ring out. For some reason, despite this being the third Shabbat I'd spent in Jerusalem since arriving last month, it was the first that I was able to hear the siren wail announcing the entrance of Shabbat and the ushering in of a day of holiness, of rest, and of peace. Back in the States, one of my favorite times of the week was the walk from home to shul for Kabbalat Shabbat, when I could feel all the stress and worry of the past week fall off my shoulders and a calm come over me.

I walked through Jaffa Gate into the Old City and crossed into the Jewish Quarter to head to the Kotel. It was still light out when I got there, and the plaza was filling up. Shortly after I entered the men's section and contemplated which service to join, a group of 40-50 Israeli Defense Forces soldiers entered, singing and dancing in unison. Fully in uniform, they, too, were stopping their routine, as this particular group was approaching its final days before becoming officers.

They invited everyone to join them and to celebrate the moment, and so I joined the officers-to-be, their commanders, along with tourists from around the world and fellow Israeli Jews. I know it sounds a bit cliche, but it was truly amazing to look around this circle that had expanded throughout the entire men's area of the Kotel and see Jews of all different backgrounds and colors, levels of religious observance, and abilities to speak Hebrew. But singing "Am Yisrael Chai", we reaffirmed the very reason I decided to move here.

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On an entirely unrelated note, I finally bought a drip coffee maker last week and was walking around on Wednesday or Thursday to buy some coffee to take home with me when I came across the following storefront. Needless to say, I stopped in, but didn't wind up buying coffee from them...maybe next time!

Some #Obstinate Reactions to Close Out My First Month

As my first month as an Israeli citizen draws to a close, I felt it was only appropriate to share what was quite an #obstinate reaction to a situation that was unnecessarily annoying.

Way back on the day after I landed, one of my relatives took me to Rami Levy get a cell phone plan for my iPhone. As they described over the phone and again in store, it's a pay-as-you-go plan with very good rates per minute and per SMS and unlimited internet access. The only hitch was that since I hadn't opened an Israeli bank account yet, they needed my cousin to use her credit card for the account and we would switch payment options when I got my bank set up (apparently international Visa and MasterCards weren't acceptable).

Flash forward to last week, I have my bank's debit card, which has the "IsraCard" logo, Israel's internal credit card company, and we go back to the store to get the payment switched over. They look at my card and tell me, "Well we can't use this for payment because it's not a credit card, it's a debit card". So I said, "Exactly. The money comes directly from my bank account without an intermediary" and they told me, the only method of payment they accept is an Israeli credit card. I asked about other options - a direct debit plan from my bank account, my international Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, whatever.

When they still said no I got a bit #obstinate. I noted that were I to get an Israeli credit card, I would have to pay a monthly fee for it (as there are always hidden charges to anything bank related in this country) and that in every single other situation, my CapitalOne Visa, which doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, would be golden, including, as I mentioned, at the Rami Levy supermarket that was attached to the store. Since Israeli law prohibits cell phone companies from signing you to a contract you can't get out of, I told them I would go to the other three major cell phone companies, pick whichever deal they had that was best, and switch the next day, and that's exactly what I did and am now happily an Orange subscriber! Oh and I also congratulated them for creating unnecessary obstacles for new immigrants...all in Hebrew so it's probably a good thing I don't really know too many curse words!

That moment of obstinance aside, things here are good, although it will be weird not being in Boston for the Super Bowl Sunday night/even later Sunday night here. This past week has brought some change into my apartment and I now have a new roommate. As I mentioned in my last post, my friend Sarah, who was my madricha on when I was here on OTZMA two years ago, has now moved in and we've been hard at work over the past three days cleaning, rearranging and reorganizing the apartment. I now have a new bed and a little shelving unti for all my DVDs which is great, and things feel more orderly and a bit less haphazard.


Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom wherever you are!

Three Weeks In

So much to tell and yet I haven't found time until now to post a second update. Tomorrow marks the beginning of my 4th week in Israel, and yet there are still 3432324 things to do slash errands to run when my Hebrew classes end at 12:45pm every day!

I'm now in my second week of classes in Ulpan, and I've been really enjoying it so far. This particular program is designed for young adults approximately 23-33 so I'm pretty much smack dab in the middle. The directors have said there are about 150 students from 20 countries. In my class alone, we have other people from the States, but also Canada, the UK, France, Australia and Argentina, so it's a really nice mix. I can tell already that these five months will really do wonders for my vocabulary, not to mention my desire to be able to read and write at an academic level.

I've started to get to know some of the other students both in my class and the other classes, and one of them, a guy from LA named Jaymes was my bartender the other night at Mike's Place when I went to watch the AFC Championship game. Certainly in our class, we already have good rapport with each other, so the coming weeks and months should be enjoyable.

Starting next week, I'll be getting a new roommate, and while she might not respond to calls of "Issssberrrrrrttt!??!" the way Alex did, I'm very much looking forward to her moving in. It's a funny story (and for all of you who were on OTZMA with me, you'll find this particularly funny). because Sarah Cohen, while not related to me, was my former madricha or participant coordinator, when I was on OTZMA. She made aliyah several years ago, so she knows the country and the neighborhood better than I do, so once she moves in, we'll re-arrange some of the furniture, put some things up on the walls and the apartment will feel a little more settled.

What else? I'm in the process of finding a gym to join (one where I can rock out with my do rag and sweatbands) so I'm actually heading out for a test workout at a gym in town. And in case anyone is looking to call or wants to look me up on iMessage or What's App, my phone number is +972-50-70-20-552, or from inside Israel, 050-70-20-552.

Ani Oleh Chadash - I am a new immigrant

A few days into my journey as an oleh chadash, a new Israeli immigrant, the only word that comes to mind is "overwhelming." But as hectic and chaotic as a move like this is, it's landscapes like the one above that make it worth it.

Having mixed up the hours the Ministry of the Interior was open yesterday in order to get my teudat zehut, or national ID card, I decided to take a walk into the Old City for the first time since I landed. After all, how could I be in Israel for longer than three days and not go to the Kotel. I walked in through Jaffa Gate and continued into the Jewish Quarter. Weaving through the different alley ways and streets, I turned a corner and all of the sudden in front of me was the Mount of Olives, the Al Aqsa Mosque, the Temple Mount, and the Kotel or the Western Wall. Tears immediately welled in my eyes and I understood all over again why I came here. I walked down to the Kotel Plaza and joined people from all over the world marveling at this wonder that somehow has withstood multiple destructions as if it were the first time I had been there.

Thankfully, I have family and friends on both sides of the ocean who are incredibly helpful and supportive as I make this transition. I haven't spoken to a single Israeli family member or friend who has not said "let me know how I can help you" or "Come over for a meal or Shabbat" or "our house is always open." This past Shabbat, my relatives in Efrat greeted me with pints of Ben & Jerry's (four of them!) and lots of love, and I've gotten similar open arms embraces, both literally and figuratively, from every other person I've reunited with here.

And today, I tackled the next round of the famed Israeli bureaucracy, obtaining my teudat zehut, setting up an appointment with the local Ministry of Absorption to go over my rights as a new citizen, and opening up a new bank account. I may not be fully settled yet, but I'm on my way.

Something my aunt June reminded me of the other day, and that I thought about as well when I was packing my suitcases in Boston, was how fortunate we are to be living at the present moment in time with so many ways for global communication. Just over a hundred years ago, all eight of my great grandparents packed maybe one suitcase and boarded a ship bound for the United States, knowing they would likely never see the family they were leaving behind or visit their places of birth, nor might they find the family who had already come to the US. Meanwhile, I can call, Skype, Gchat and iMessage anyone anywhere and anytime, and I had the luxury of bringing four suitcases packed to the brim with clothes and other personal items, along with two additional carry-ons.

I can also share some of my experiences in this space, which I hope will be at least sometimes interesting, possibly humorous, and at the very least, a way to keep tabs on how I'm doing even when I can't see you all when I'd like to. Yalla balagan!

My Boston-Haifa-Jerusalem Connection: An Open Letter to the Boston Jewish Community

First of all - Thank You.

I have called Boston home for nearly all of my 27-plus years on this planet, and there are many individuals and organizations in this community to whom I will be forever indebted for contributions to my life too numerous to detail in this space. Of particular note are the three people closest to me - my parents, Ted and Meda, and sister Becca for their unconditional love and support.

In a couple of weeks, I will uproot my entire life and leave the only city I’ve ever truly known well in order to make Aliyah and move to Israel. I will leave family and friends behind in order to fulfill a dream, our dream, the dream of the Jewish people. Growing up, I was never that kid who knew what he wanted to be when he grew up – a doctor, a scientist, a lawyer.

The opportunity to become an Israeli, to live in and contribute to the Jewish culture and renaissance in the Land of Israel, something I know my ancestors prayed for and dreamt about, is my dream.

Those of you who know me well know that I love this country, and that there’s a reason the 4th of July is my favorite holiday (and not just because fireworks are one of my favorite things in the world). But ever since I got off a boat on the shores of Haifa for the first time when I was 15, I’ve felt a visceral, emotional attachment to Israel that has never been present with America in quite the same way (the trip with Camp Young Judaea in New Hampshire was designed to simulate the experience of those on the Exodus and other ma’apilim in the final years of the British Mandate). Like many aspects of the establishment of the State of Israel and the return of the Jewish people to our homeland, it defies a rational and logical explanation. The closest thing I’ve been able to come up with is the title of a book by the inspirational author, Daniel Gordis, "If A Place Can Make You Cry."

Two and a half years ago, I set out on another journey to Israel as a participant on a program called OTZMA, an experience that was at the same time similar yet also profoundly different to the one on which I am about to embark. OTZMA is a 10-month post-college community service and leadership training program run by The Jewish Federations of North America, and sponsored by MASA and locally by CJP and the Boston-Haifa Connection. I had the opportunity to live and volunteer in Ashkelon, Haifa and Jerusalem and to appreciate the many ways these three cities differ.

Since I was aware of the American bubble that surrounded the 38 of us throughout the year, I made a concerted effort to get outside of that bubble and to experience Israeli society as much as possible, spending chagim and many Shabbatot with my family, some of whom are sabras and others who are olim, some of whom are religious, and others chiloniim (secular).

A crucial piece of this effort was getting involved in the Boston-Haifa Connection, where I spent some of my time volunteering during the three months I lived in Haifa. Not only did I learn about all of the programs and activities the partnership funds and runs, but I also experienced the true power and value of the connection and the bonds formed between Bostonians and Haifaiim. The partnership’s Young Leadership Committee, which had just been started a few months earlier, greeted the four of us from OTZMA who would be living in Haifa with open arms and friendship. They took time out of their busy schedules to make sure we got to experience Haifa the way residents see it, whether that meant coming with them to the best bars and clubs on the weekend or for the best knafe in the German Colony.
As a direct result of the excellent education I received as an elementary and middle school student at Solomon Schechter in Newton, I speak Hebrew fluently with almost no trace of a foreign accent, which enabled me to get to know my peers in Haifa and elsewhere in Israel on a much deeper level than had I been forced to rely heavily on my English.

It was while I was in Haifa that I first realized Israel was not only the future of the entire Jewish people, but my future as well. This was a feeling that stayed with me, and by the end of my year on OTZMA, I was seriously considering Aliyah and went for an informational interview with Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization tasked with Aliyah from the US, Canada, and the UK. But for the same reasons that I can’t quite explain my emotional connection to Israel, I am aware that it has an almost mystical hold over me and that this was a decision I needed to make from the US; if Aliyah was the right decision for me, it would be the right decision for me to make after four, six, eight or 10 months of being back the States.

And indeed it was and is the right decision for me, and I have had enough time to think about it and analyze all of it with a clear head. I’m under no pretenses that it will be easy. I’m notoriously bad at goodbyes, and the process I have already started of saying goodbye to family and friends has not been easy, nor will it get any easier in the coming days, or even once I’m settled in my new home.

There are many things I’ll miss about this town and about the incredibly vibrant Jewish community here. At CJP’s Young Adult Open House Party back in September, I stood at one corner behind the Boston-Haifa Connection Young Leaders table and marveled at how the gigantic banquet hall room was filled corner to corner with 50 different organizations that cater to young adults, and dozens upon dozens of young Jews trying to map them all out and find out what each is about. If you are young and Jewish in Boston, there is an organization or group for you. I will particularly miss the organizations I have worked the most closely with - The David Project, CJP, the Boston-Haifa Connection, AJC and AJC ACCESS and am looking forward to following their important work from Israel.

But for me, the road from Boston to Haifa continues on to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of our people. I have chosen it as my new home and am excited to explore the opportunities that await me and to make my contribution to the 21st century Zionism, for as we learn from Shammai in Pirkei Avot, “Say little and do much.”

L'hitraot B'Aretz,
Matt Cohen

This post was originally published by the Boston-Haifa Connection’s blog on JewishBoston.com.

I'm Baaaack

I am excited to be re-starting this blog as I begin a new chapter in my life, moving to Israel as an oleh chadash in just a couple of weeks. In the year and a half this space has been dormant since the end of OTZMA, I've had the opportunity to contribute to The David Project's online blog, as well as writing and editing the Boston-Haifa Connection's blog. I look forward to sharing my thoughts and adventures, and yes, all those "only in Israel" moments that are bound to pop up along the way. Az Yalla!