Writing the experience final assignment

Reflective statement:

As I read thought my blog throughout the semester, a lot of different thoughts came to mind. Some of my friends used an app and took a 1 second video every day to document this semester, some people journaled, some just plan on looking back on their camera roll in their phones somewhat as a scrap book, but personally, as I re read my blog I realized that in a way this has served as my “scrap book” of the semester. Writing has never been my strong suit, I was the editor and chief of my high school newspaper who was much better at delegating and bossing people around, than she was writing herself. However, this semester made me realizes that when I’m reflecting and writing about my personal experiences that is not that bad after all. 

The pieces I am picking for my final evaluation are the three pieces I struggled with the most. These pieces are all responses to a piece of work that we read in class, as opposed to the assignments where I was writing about my own experiences. I had a hard time with the responses to the different pieces because creative writing is very new to me; my brain is having to work in an entirely different way than it ever has before. Analyzing works and responding from a personal and reflective standpoint, as opposed to an analytical standpoint was very new and something I struggled with, but it is clear in the three works that I selected that I gained confidence with this type of writing over the course of the semester. I was so proud of myself and I could not stop smiling as I read through my blog. I’ve grown as a writer this semester, and as a person. Having to reflect to these different assignments has made me think, and this different type of thought has allowed me to learn things about myself and I am grateful for this class and for this blog for helping me gain my voice, and learn more about who I am. 

Week 6 independent study assignment 

The passage in this essay that I find particularly interesting is actually on the first page of the piece. It is the paragraph that is explaining what a get is, how she already is divorced in the eyes of the District Family court, but to be able to remarry in Israel and to be divorced in the eyes of the Jewish religion how she needs to go through this additional divorce process/ ceremony. I find this paragraph interesting because I think it says a lot about differences in culture, and how within a religion that are so many traditions, rules, and regulations that could be considered as so outdated, but still are still upheld and enforced. I think the difference between being Jewish and living in Israel compared to the rest of the world stands out in this passage as well. A Jew in America does not need to go through this additional process and ceremony to truly be divorced. This passage also makes me think a lot about Judaism in general. Every religion has its traditions, but those of Jews seem to be more present in daily life in my opinion. There are so many things within a Jewish wedding that do not occur at other weddings, and those are common and known about. The process of getting a get, in my opinion, is not as commonly talked about. To me, this says a lot about how society and the world focus so much more on the good, and the bad is swept under the rug and not as often talked about. 

Week 5 General writing Exercise 

Labensohn’s essay “Leaving Babylon” is fascinating and thought-provoking. I am Jewish and knew that the divorce process for Jews was different than other religions, just because the marriage ceremony has so many religious aspects, so in my mind, it was inevitable that divorce would be different. But this essay is the first time I’ve read about the extent of the Jewish divorce process, and the details of it. I find it very fascinating that in particular for a woman to remarry, she has to get the approval of the religion and her husband, whereas the husband has all the freedom in the world to do whatever he wants after the civil divorce, get or not get. 

In terms of something I learned from the article regarding the aspects of writing themselves, I find her tone to add a lot to the essay. I find the piece to be more engaging given that it is written in the first person. It is more believable and sucks you in more. Personally, because it was this woman telling her own story, I felt very sympathetic for her, and I felt terrible for her to an extent as well. Had this story been written by a third party, it would not be nearly as relatable. 

Week Four General Writing Exercise 

After reading poems by both Mahmoud Darwish, “To a Young Poet” and Tuvia Ruebner, “A Postcard from Tel Aviv”, I really liked the work of Mahmoud Darwish, I felt like at this point in my life and given my personality, upbringing, and views on the world that his work was a little easier to understand and more relatable than that of Tuvia Ruebner. Thus, I decided to continue to research Mahmoud Darwish’s work and to write a response to one of his other pieces. After reading a couple, the one that stood out to me and resonated with me was “It is Night, and She is Lonely.” 

Given I am going through a rough patch in my relationship right now, I found this poem to be very relatable. In a way, I see myself in the shoes of the lonely woman that is being observed or admired in this poem. I find it exciting and so common to be sitting somewhere alone, next to people who are also alone. Regardless of whether or not a conversation is started up between the two individuals, when I am in this situation, I always catch myself watching the other person out of the corner of my eye. Trying to see if they are watching me too, but it is hard when you do not want to be so obvious. More often than not in these situations, I find myself creating a story for the other person in my head. Like they are single and looking for a partner, or they have been recently broken up with and are sulking. It is always an interesting and confusing thought, to go up to them, not to go up to them. 

The way the narrator is asking himself questions, to strike up a conversation, to taste her wine, while tasting a strangers wine to me seems relatively aggressive, I find it to be so healthy and common to have so many questions and wonder so much about other people in these situations. Are they kind, do they want you to start a conversation, do they want to be left alone? Do they want to start a conversation with you? You really can never tell. 

However, the narrator in my eyes takes it a little too far. Without disturbing her, without directly engaging with her at all, he claims that love has become an idea in his head. That seems to be a little aggressive and forward for me. While love at first sight I think is feasible, without even having a conversation I find it to be relatively unrealistic, and that seems to be the situation that the narrator has created in his head. 

Overall I think this poem says a lot to daily life. Of individuals going about their lives, and especially in today’s era, keeping their heads down, being somewhere alone but not even being alone because they’re on their phone and connect with the rest of the world. The ability to have the world at our fingertips with today’s technology lessens the chance of any spontaneity, like that in this poem.