Israel apartheid week

This week in Cape Town, is Israel Apartheid Week, which means there are different anti-Israel protests going on at the University.

 

The pro Palestinians here in Cape Town and South Africa, in general, claim that Israel is an apartheid state. I believe they are uneducated and assume a lot of facts that are not true. When you compare Israel to the way South Africa was 20 years ago, when it was an apartheid state, you can see clearly that they are wrong and it is nothing close to apartheid. These people are close-minded and only want to listen to themselves.

 

This past Monday, I went to the University and was really so heartbroken to see what was going on. There were so many people there, who think they know everything, brainwashing others with lies. I had some good conversations with students who were so naive, and barely knew where Israel is on the map. I explained to them what was going on in Israel now, and how these people are filled with wrong facts. And how there is no way they can make the statement that Israel is an apartheid state when you know the truth.

 

I am not a politician, in fact I really dislike politics and anything that has to do with it, but one thing I do know is that Israel is far from being anything like apartheid.
 

Unfortunately things have to be done in Israel to ensure safety upon it's citizens. Anyone closed-minded will say right away that it is discrimination, but if you think about it for more than two minutes you don't even have an argument. Apartheid and maintaining the safety for a country, in my opinion, are two completely different things.

 

Every Friday the Christian Zionists in Cape Town, stand outside of the Parliament to show their support for Israel. This Friday they asked members of the Jewish community to join them because pro-Palestinians were going to be there too. I went with a group of high school students and Bnei Akiva. The turnout was amazing, about 50 Israeli flags and only 4 Palestinian flags. 

It was such a positive and inspiring experience. Standing with my flag, singing.

I felt so proud to be Israeli.

One of the Christian Zionists

"Avraham's tent"- open to anyone who wants to speak and hear about the Land of Israel.

The Pro-Palestinian wall built on campus

Proud to be Pro Israel!!!

Even with the Palestinian flags in the back-WE STAND FOR ISRAEL

5 Month Anniversary!

I can't believe that I have been in South Africa for 5 months, time really is going by so fast. 

Purim is over! I had a really great experience. Shani and I worked really hard, so it is nice to finally be able to cross Purim off the list! 

Thursday night we had an event for the middle school up to the high school, an Oscar themed party.

It was a really great event! The turn out wasn't as big as we had expected but the kids that did come had a really good time. Our hardest target here in Cape Town is the middle school. They don't like to be involved in anything, so when we have events for them we struggle to get a big crowd. The Madrichim (counselors) decorated with a red carpet, a place to take your picture, and set the table really nicely! It was really fun!
At Shul on Shabbat we had a treasure hunt for the little kids followed by a beautiful Havdalla (the blessing we say after Shabbat to separate between the holy Shabbat and week-day) and a fun parade in our costumes!
When Shani and I got to South Africa everyone called us Thing 1 and Thing 2. So we dressed up as them for Purim- Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Doctor Seuss- The Cat in the Hat! Everyone loved it! We had a nice little Purim party for our age group- cocktails and karaoke! Was a great party!! We really got all the ages covered this Purim! The preparation was a lot of work but so much fun!

It was hard to miss out on my amazing Purim Seuda at home. It is something we all look forward to every year. I did enjoy this new experience, I know I am here for a reason and I am making other people happy so in the end it was worth missing.

Our next big project is coming up in 2 weeks. Our first Shabbaton for grades 3-6!! We have an amazing turnout, no one imagined it being so big so I will update about that next time!!!

Shani and I with the 4 Israeli boys who are here learning with the Yeshiva of Cape Town.

Just having fun!

Group Oscar photo!

Thing 1 and Thing 2!!

Getting ready for the Purim play at school!

So much to do!

This past week I was in Johannesburg for Shabbat. We went up for the yearly conference for Bnei Akiva. It was very nice to be in the community for Shabbat. So many Jews!
It's weird how different Joburg is from Cape Town. Its not as beautiful and you can feel that it's a more "dangerous"area. The walls are much higher, more electric fences and much more security.
Besides that, there are Jews everywhere! Kosher supermarkets, kosher restaurants and just a bigger Jewish feeling all around. I got to see my campers from camp which was so much fun, most of them live in Joburg so I don't get to see them often, it was a nice visit!
I love that I can go visit Aunt Shari and Uncle Mathew and the kids! SO nice to have family so close.

Sunday was the conference, it really was just a long and boring day of talking. What I liked most about it was that you had a group of kids ages 18-24 who really care and are passionate about Bnei Akiva. It was nice to see them thinking of ways to improve and build up the movement. Was nice to see that the work I am doing here is for a group of people who care.

There is a lot going on now- we are working on "Mini Mach" which is a Shabbaton (weekend) in March for grades 3-6. So far we have more kids than we thought we would get and are moving to a bigger camp site. No one thought Bnei Akiva could get more than 30 kids and at the moment we are on 35!!!

Purim is coming up, we are having a few events that weekend. Pesach, Yom Hashoah (Holocaust remembrance day), Yom Hazikaron ( fallen soldier remembrance day), Yom Haatzmaut (independence day!) So many events happening around the same time.

We are busy and working very hard! Thank god we have a great team full of power!!

Wake up call!!

On Sunday, I had an experience that hopefully will be the first and last time it will ever happen.

An African man (to be politically correct) came to our door and asked to come in. Shani and I hesitated because usually we don't let strangers into our house, but the man said he needed to check something that had to do with the neighbors. In my head it was a legitimate story. The man also didn't look too sketchy, so we let him into the garden area and he checked what he needed.
His story was that he wanted to cut down the branches that were in between our houses so that the next day when his telephone company comes they can put up a cable... Doesn't that sound legit??
Then he asked to come into the house because he needed an extension cord so that he could plug in the machine in order to cut down the tree.
I walked to the back office to plug in the extension cord and put it through the window in order for him to be able to work, I told Shani to keep an eye on him.
As soon as the man asked us for our numbers in order to call and confirm about the neighbors, we decided we don't want to deal with him, told him to come back when our secretary is in, and she will decide what to do.
We escorted the man out of our house, but as he was leaving I saw my IPHONE in his back pocket!!!!!!!
From the very beginning of our stay here, we were told that if someone is trying to steal something from you, to let them. Otherwise you never know what could happen.
Without even thinking twice, and in the nicest, most innocent voice, I asked the man:
"Before you leave the house would you please give me back my phone?"
He looked at me and said:
"No, you see my phone is broken so I need yours to call for tomorrow"
So I said again, "No, please give me my phone."
I think I caught him off guard. The kind thief then handed me my phone and I escorted him out of my house.

Everyone here is SO surprised that I got my phone back!
Apparently that is what these guys do, they make up a story, come in, take the first thing they see, try to distract us, and run... But we had locked the gate behind him...He had nowhere to go.
Somehow Hashem made a miracle and I saw my phone in his back pocket.

I honestly am not sure what emotion I felt after?? Afraid, stupid, confused,stressed, happy, thankful, nervous, paranoid, SO many thoughts were going through my mind.
Thank God this story has a happy ending and I can tell it and laugh!!! Definitely was a smack in the face and a wake up call!
MORAL OF THE STORY N-E-V-E-R OPEN THE DOOR TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW!!!!!

Israeli elections

The elections are in Israel today and for the first time in my life I am involved. I actually understand and can even explain to people about the elections, which parties are running, how the voting works, and even how to build a government. Unfortunately shlichim outside of Israel don''t have the right to vote. It doesn't really make sense, we leave the country to teach about Israel but cant even support our country by voting. I am frustrated for the first time when it comes to politics. On the other hand I am thankful, I had the opportunity to learn about the government of my country. I am sure that if I was home I would have known much less and just voted because I can.
As the Israeli "mishlachat" (group) we taught about the elections in the high school. I am very good at many things but politics is definitely not my thing. I had to learn A LOT for these classes and I am happy I did. We taught about the elections, how they happen every 4 years, how we vote in Israel, what happens after we vote, how the government is built, a coalition, an opposition, all the seats in the knesset, which parties are running ect.
Each student from the high school had the opportunity to vote and we held a vote from the school.
It was interesting to see how many kids in each class really did care about what was going on and felt a connection to Israel.
After we taught about 210 students we had an assembly for all of them and showed the results of the school. We spoke to them a bit about the current polls in Israel and bit of history from the past elections.
The feedback we got was amazing, the students loved the opportunity to be involved.
Even though I didn't get to vote, I got to learn and understand instead which is almost as exciting! 

The Kalpi (voting box) and the cards the students used to vote.

Assembly for the whole High School

The girl here with me is Mor the shlicha for the reformed youth movement

Me explaining about the current polls of the elections.

It's a good thing I like to talk =)

Just before class....

Even though is doesn't count, I could pretend!

Nadav ben Yehuda

Tuesday night I heard a really inspiring talk by a man named Nadav ben Yehuda and I really want to share some parts of his story.
Nadav is 24, he climbed mount Everest last May. He is a proffesional ice climber and has climbed many difficult mountains.
His story is unbelievable. Nadav didn't make it to the top because at about 300meters from the peek he saw a body (every body he saw he would go over and check if the body was dead or alive), this body was alive. With about a minute of hesitation Nadav decided that if he were to climb up to the peek just to stand on the top take a picture by a flag and say he climbed to the the top of mount Everest he would risk this man's life even more. It was now or never to save this man's life.
Nadav explained how impossible it is to carry someone down the ridiculously dangerous route. And that at times he had to drag the man behind him.
There is a lot more to the story but it was so in detail I can't really write everything.
Nadav saved this Turkish man's life, if he wouldn't have stopped, decided to give up on his goal, turn away 300meters before the peek of his 3 months dangerous adventure, the man would still be frozen on that mountain. 
Nadav risked his own life in so many ways by carrying the man. He is a true hero.
All the Israelis went out for a cup of beer with him after his speech. We got to ask our own questions and he was able to speak to us in Hebrew which was easier for him. He told us that he is still going through therapy and taking pills for trauma. He wears a glove because he got frost bite coming down the mountain and his hand cannot get infected or be exposed to the sun.
It was just so amazing to sit and listen to him talk and tell his story. He is a true Israeli though, has been up 3 more mountains since Everest even with no feeling in his hand!

I learned so much from his speech.The power he had to do the impossible and save a man's life is so incredible.
We must all learn from this story, whether its about making decisions, doing the right thing, believing in yourself. SO much we can learn from such a hero.

My friend was tweeting during the speech and wrote down some great quotes that he said so I wanted to share them with you.....

Fish Braai

A braai in South Africa is a BBQ.....What an experience !!

This was actually one of the best experiences I have had. I went to a place called Muizenberg, it's on the water and there is a fish market there. I have never seen such fresh fish in my life.
One of the sales woman told me that the fish are so fresh that if I were to throw it back into the water it would swim back to its momma!
Laying on the ground were HUGE bunches of fish just waiting to be put onto the grill!
My three friends and I bought a big yellow tail and a smaller salmon.

After buying the fish you can pay a bit extra for these women to go to the side and clean the fish for you, scale it, wash it, cut off the head, take out the insides, all right in front of your eyes!
They wore boots while i was standing there in my flip flops with fish juice on my feet!

I honestly couldn't get over how cool the whole thing was!

This story gets better! There were seals in the bay.....seals....not an aquarium REAL SEALS!

I felt like such a tourist, but it was so amazing to watch!

After our fish was cleaned and rapped, we drove to the closest super market and bought a grill and spices and when to the beach!

After half an hour, a bit a margarine, an onion, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper, we devoured the most amazing fish i have ever tasted!

I am loving these experiences and even more so- loving sharing them with you!!