The three lines that I picked are from the Ruebner poem, “A Postcard From Tel Aviv.” The lines that really stand out and are somewhat relatable to me are the lines “Tel Aviv, a colorful city, is very white. She changes all the time and stays always what she is. Tel Aviv is a clean, dirty city.”The next line in the poem proceeds to talk about, what I instantly think about when I read these three lines, there is so much more to something or someone, than just what you see off the bat or what you’ve heard about beforehand, the poem goes on to say that your perception of Tel Aviv is going to rely entirely on how you look at her. I think this is a lesson that is extremely relevant and applicable to so many walks of life. 

When I read these lines, it reminded me of the saying I’ve been taught my entire life, don’t judge a book by its cover. And as I go t older that saying expanded into, just because someone else judges something differently than you, it is okay and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This really takes me back to my college decision. Picking a university to study at for 4 years was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. And while at the end of the day it was my choice, throughout the process I felt like I had so many little birds chirping away at me on their opinions of the schools I was looking at and where they wanted to go. When it came down to it, my top choice was Michigan. Even when I would talk to different people regarding open university, I heard so many different things. Every individual has their own perspective or outlook on everything. Peoples’ perceptions of Michigan, and the info I was hearing as I was picking schools surfaced in my head as I read the first few lines of this poem. It was another example of how one city, can be perceived so many ways. What it really comes down to, in my opinion, is that a place is more than just a place. And so much of the significance, and what makes that place so unique is the people who live there. “Tel Aviv, a colorful city, is very white.” In my opinion this line while short has a lot of significance. Yes, many of the buildings in the city are white, however the people and the atmosphere and the culture is extremely colorful. I see the university of Michigan in a similar light, the campus is pretty, but also very bland and some would say it looks a lot like many other college campuses that they have visited, the uniqueness lies within the people, the motivated, intellectual, rowdy, dedicated student body. That is what makes Michigan Michigan, not just the building, or the campus etc. 

Doing laundry in the Tel Aviv university Einstein dorms can be a big hassle, there are five washer machines, and three dryers, and that is supposed to be enough for the hundreds of students that live in all the buildings in Einstein. Most people try to find a quiet time to go and do their laundry, when there are not a lot of machines taken, or when not a lot of people are trying to do their laundry then. 

One Shabbat there were surprisingly a lot of people doing laundry. This is typically a quiet time to go as people are usually resting or spending time with families. And this is a dialogue between two students, one who spoke Spanish, the other who spoke Hebrew. The dialogue took place in English, because it was the common ground, however it was not either of the men’s first language. 

Man #1: walks into the laundry room first and put’s his laundry in a machine, he realizes he forgot something and goes back to his room to get it 

Man #2 walks into the laundry room, sees laundry in a machine that hasn’t been started- all other machines are full- so he proceeds to take the laundry out of the machine (laundry of man 1) and puts his own laundry in 

As man #2 is trying to swipe his card to start the washing machine- man #1 walks back in the laundry room and sees that his clothes have been taken out of the machine 

Man #1 starts speaking in Spanish, to the guy who took his close out (man #2) and man #2 speaks Hebrew. The two were not yelling, but speaking with stern tones for a minute and then both started speaking in English 

Man #1- What are you doing? 

Man #2- washing my clothes, why does it matter to you? 

Man #1 – see those clothes on top of the washing machine? Did you put those there? 

Man #2- oh yeah they were in the machine but some dumb guy left without putting in detergent, paying and washing his stuff. 

Man #1- that dumb guy is me. Those clothes on top of the mashing machine are mine, I left some laundry upstairs that I went to get to put

Man #2 – sorry man, you weren’t here I was had to take advantage and put my stuff in. maybe you shouldn’t leave yours unattended next time 

Man #1- I was here first, I waited for 30 minutes just for one machine to become available. It is so rude and inconsiderate for you to take a strangers clothes out of the washer and to aimlessly put them on top of the machine. 

Man #2: what did you want me to do? All the other machines were taken, and I only have so much time I need to do my laundry~

Man #1: look at the other machines, 10 minutes left, 13 minutes left, you couldn’t wait for one of those to be done to put your stuff in? 

Man #2: why can’t you wait for one of those to put your stuff in? 

Man #1: because I was here way before you were!! This is absolutely absurd and so inconsiderate. 

The two men ended up flipping a coin. The winner, man #1 got to put his stuff in the washing machine, the other, man #2 had to wait. 

Man #2 said: Whatever, go for it, so stupid though you could’ve just taken the next one. 

            And he took his stuff out of the machine and left the room. 

1) Write approximately 500 words about an experience using (or attempting to use) Hebrew to communicate during your time in Israel. 

I went to Jewish day school when I was 2 and right from the beginning they started integrating Hebrew words into my vocabulary. As I got older, half of my day would be in Hebrew, the other half would be in English. When I graduated from Epstein in 8^thgrade I was really good at Hebrew. I could express myself, I could read, write understand, the whole nine. Would I have considered myself fluent? No, but I could totally get by, and then some. Years went by and I didn’t really use my Hebrew except for a few brief trips to Israel. I truly forgot how much I loved this language until I got here, and started taking Ulpan. A week ago I was having dinner with a very close friend of my family who lives here in Tel Aviv. He was so impressed with my Hebrew and I was so excited to be at dinner with him and my parents and be able to show off how much progress I had made. It was when we were ordering our food that I was a little disappointed. I ordered everything in Hebrew, and the waiter responds to ask me a question, and he responded in English. I was frustrated because I made such an effort and he made none back. My family friend who is Israeli explained to me that I’m so excited to be on the streets and in different situations using my Hebrew, but Israelis hear my American accent and immediately want to use it as an opportunity to practice their English a lot of the time. 

He made an interesting point, one which I had not considered previously. However, the waiter and I were both in the same boat, trying to practice a new language. After our friend explained it to me, I made a deal with the waiter. He could speak English to the rest of them, but to me he could on speak Hebrew, so we did. I ordered dessert in Hebrew, I told them about my food allergy, asked for the check and more. It was a great feeling to be able to communicate in another language. My parents were also so proud of me and impressed of how much progress I had made and how much I had immersed myself into the culture. They didn’t believe me when I told them that I actually went to Ulpan, but I proved them wrong! 

1. Using the first person point of view (“I”), describe the daily routine of your life in Tel Aviv 
   1. I wake up in the morning and lay in my bed for a little while giving myself a minute or two before I have to get up. Once I’m up I put on my slippers and make my bed. When my bed is made I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, wash my face and put on moisturizer. After I start boiling water for my tea and put all the makings in my cup. I make it by putting a scoop of Matcha powder in my cup, then I get my lemon squeezer, cut a lemon and squeeze it in my cup, I then add a little honey, apple cider vinegar, and boiling water. After I make my tea I let it cool off for a few minutes while I go back to my bedroom to get dressed. Getting dressed is easy because I pick out my outfit the night before. I usually put on workout clothes because I go to the gym later on in the day. Once I’m dressed I take my medicines with water, put my laptop, water, and books in my backpack and go knock on my friends door across the hall to see if she is ready for class. We walk out of the dorms, grab a sparkling water at café neto on our way and go sit down in the classroom. After class I usually walk to the gym, workout, get a smoothie at the café, and then I go home to shower. 
2. Using the third person point of view (an outside narrator – he/she/they) describe the same daily routine 
   1. Dori wakes up in the morning and lays in her bed for a little while, giving herself a minute or two before she has to get up. Once she’s up she puts on her slippers and makes her bed. When her bed is made she goes to the bathroom, brushes her teeth, washes her face and puts on moisturizer. After, she starts boiling water for her tea and puts all the makings in her cup. She makes it by putting a scoop of Matcha powder in her cup, then she gets her lemon squeezer, cuts a lemon and squeezes it in her cup, she then adds a little honey, apple cider vinegar, and boiling water. After she makes her tea she lets it cool off for a few minutes while she go back to her bedroom to get dressed. Getting dressed is easy because she picks out her outfit the night before. She usually puts on workout clothes because she goes to the gym later on in the day. Once she’s dressed she takes her medicines with water, puts her laptop, water, and books in her backpack and goes to knock on her friends door across the hall to see if she is ready for class. They walk out of the dorms, grab a sparkling water at café neto on their way and go sit down in the classroom. After class she usually walks to the gym, works out, gets a smoothie at the café, and then she goes home to shower. 
3. Re-read the descriptions of your routine above, and write down two differences in the way the routine is reported, depending on POV (differences can include language, tone, voice, structure, etc.) Also, write down which POV you prefer, and why. 
   1. A few differences in the way the routine is reported is that when I write in first person, everything is singular, whereas when it comes from an outside POV in 3^rdperson my actions are in the plural form. Additionally, when writing in 3^rdperson the writing becomes a little more wordy than when I am describing my routine myself. 
   1. For me it depends on the situation which POV I prefer more. The first person, when talking about myself, sounds much more fluid, I don’t like when people talk about themselves in 3^rdperson it us just unsettling to my ears. However, when it comes to writing a paper or something like that I find it to be easier to make arguments when I am stating facts and not just giving my own opinion. 

This past weekend I traveled to Barcelona, Spain to meet my boyfriend for his spring break. It truly was a breathtaking experience, the city was so beautiful, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Spanish culture has always been intriguing to me, and I took Spanish for many years so it was exciting to be there for the first time living it and using the language. The city was huge, and fairly Americanized in terms of some of the shops and restaurants. The city was like a gird for the most part and majority of the streets looked the same to me, we even got out of our cab once thinking we were back at the hotel and we were nowhere close. The city was similar to Tel Aviv in the fact that it was such a metropolitan city, yet also has the beach aspect. 

Being there at first I felt very out of place. My Spanish used to be much better than my Hebrew, but now that I have completed Ulpan, my Hebrew is much better than my Spanish. It was frustrating for me considering I could understand every couple of words and get the gist of what people were saying to me but especially for the first few days I had a very hard time responding. I thought the food in Barcelona was outstanding, nothing like I have ever experienced. The lifestyle there however is very interesting and really threw me off. Especially for my friends studying abroad there, they go out until 5 in the morning, they sleep for half the day, nap at night and then go out some more. Aside from just the study abroad students though, things happen much later in Spain and meals are very dragged out. There even is a nap time every afternoon, restaurants, stores everything closes. Given this dinner is much later and people go to bed much later. This change in scheduling really threw me off. I am not someone with a lot patience, nor am I great at staying up very late so the dragged out meals and going to bed in the middle of the night was simply not for me.

Overall however I had an amazing experience. The sights were so beautiful, the Sagrada Familia church in particular was very eye opening. And we visited the Camp Neu soccer stadium as well which I found to be amazing, and really relatable for me given I played soccer in high school. 

1. Discuss what Keret (the narrator) means when he says “the writer is neither saint nor tzaddik nor prophet standing at the gate” (106) 
   1. In saying this line the narrator is referring to the concept that the writer/narrator/ author himself is no higher up or anything better than your typical member of society. the narrator is referring to the fact that writers might be more attune to their surroundings and better at expressing themselves. However, writers are still capable of doing things that even they say are not necessarily socially correct. Writers might write recommendations or suggestions for rules, but the narrator is referring to the fact that even though they write these things doesn’t mean that they’re above the acts entirely. 
2. Choose one sentence from anywhere in the story (other than the one above), and discuss how it relates to the theme(s) of the story as a whole 
   1. A sentence in this story that stands out to me and I think holds a strong meaning is, “She left the podium for me, and as I walked limply past her, she gave me a pitying glance, the kind a proud lion in the jungle gives to a circus lion.” I find this sentence to be very interesting and relevant because it speaks to the fact that even though the narrator had the experience, you simply cannot judge a book by it’s cover. The writer from LA blew the narrator out of the waters, reading a thought provoking, intellectual, very well written story. Not only does this show how people can often surpass expectations, it also notes that you should never rule a certain contender out. 
3. What does the narrator learn from the woman who reads before him? 
   1. The narrator learns from the woman who reads before him that you cannot judge someone or have premade expectations solely based on someone’s experience. The story of the women who reads before him truly made him think. Realizing that the writer can be the one to relay a message, even if it is not their own. Additionally, the author learns that not all powerful messages come across straightforward and clear cut. The message that the woman was conveying was hidden beneath an entirely other story. 
4. Respond to the themes of the essay from a personal standpoint – whether in relation to creativity, success, failure, or whatever else the pieces inspires you to write about 
   1. This piece inspires me to write about my outlook on the world, particularly individuals. It is a facet of human nature that we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, by judging them, admiring them trying to be like them. The way the narrator was surprised by the story of the woman speaks a lot to how I encounter people in my own world. Today with the presence of social media I frequently just people, or categorize them in my mind before I even meet them. However, my opinion is based just off their social media accounts a lot of the time. From this I only get a surface level look, I don’t truly get to meet them and know about them. Similarly to the narrator with the woman, much of the time when I meet such people in person, I am pleasantly surprised that there is more to them than what they present on their social media pages. 

A time in my life where I had a realization was when I visited the university of Michigan for the first time. I was a junior in high school, my dad is an alumnus of the university and my brother was a student there as well. For so long Michigan had been an option in my head but honestly, I had heard very mixed things about it from my dad and brother, two people very close to me, whom I really respect. My dad, in attempts to deter me from wanting to go to school in the cold, mostly so he wouldn’t have to visit me during the miserable winters, told me about the weather. How miserably cold it gets, how it is grey 9 months out of the year, how much time you spend inside etc. My brother on the other hand told me all about the “work hard play hard” environment. He explained how people study all day long and party all night long. While that sounded like a lot of fun to me, I wasn’t sure I could keep up with the pace. 

However, the first time I visited Michigan that all went out the window for me. I finally had the chance to see this beautiful place first hand and come up with my own opinions. The second I walked through the diag on the sunny October morning I was in awe. Coming from Atlanta, the air was very crisp, a little chilly but nothing unbearable. The coloring of the trees, the culture, the ambiance, the vibe of students, and most of all the beauty of the school won me over. I was stunned at how unbelievable this place was, just by standing there taking it all in and watching the students go by. The long history of the university was very appealing to me, I loved how true Michigan fans were and how large the alumni network was. 

Nevertheless, what sealed the deal for me was my first game day. Coming from Atlanta, for football games in the south girls would wear dresses and heals and have to take a date to the game. I didn’t know anything else. At Michigan girls wore the silliest outfits they could find, decked out in Maize and blue. You did not see one person without a smile on their faces. I danced the day away with my brother and his friends. I had the greatest hot dog and chilly cheese fries of my life, and the second I walked into the “big house” Michigan’s football stadium, all bets were off. I had never seen anything so spectacular in my entire life. I went to bed that evening knowing this was the place for me. Despite what I had been told in the past, what opinions my dad and brother had this was a decision for me to make on my own. And being there and experiencing it in my own eyes was that moment that led me to decide Michigan was the school for me, similar to the wakeup call the author had in “shit happens” about becoming a writer. 

Dear Mom and Dad, 

I’m writing to you to tell you all about this photo that I saw, that is so beautiful and is thought-provoking too! The picture is of the beachfront in Tel Aviv, on the left is the ocean lining the beach of Tel Aviv. The way the beach and water line the city is curved, the shape that the water is in almost reminds me of the letter D. The water is a turquoise blue, that gets darker further left in the photo, as the water gets deeper and is a lighter shade of blue as it gets closer to the beach and the water is more shallow. The picture also shows the small white caps of the waves crashing near the beach. The sand looks soft and beautiful, and then behind the beach is the beautiful city of Tel Aviv. There are small buildings and tall buildings and the buildings in the distance are blurrier than the close ones. There is a crane for construction on one of the buildings as well. In the front of the picture is a palm tree, except you, can only see the leaves on top, not the entire trunk. The beach is more extensive closer to the photographer and gets more narrow further away. 

I find this photo to be a great depiction of the city of Tel Aviv; metropolitan, but also a beach town. Majority of the frame of the picture is taken up by the ocean, and the palm tree is one of the first things that catches my eye. I think this says a lot about the natural beauty that this city holds, and while things can feel very fast paced and city like, there is always a place to escape to. 

Something that also holds relevance to me is the crane — representing all the construction going on in this city right now. And while the development can be somewhat annoying, it is an indicator of how up and coming this city is and how much more it has to offer than what is here already. 

This photo makes me think. Particularly about the fact that Israel is such a young country. It is incredible to me how far this country has come, the international presence that it holds and how much it has to offer. A lot of the time when people think of Israel, they imagine our ancestors, and the desert or people living on a Kibbutz. Many people do not envision a built-up metropolitan city, that is home to countless start-ups and so much more. 

This photo is beautiful and holds a lot of meaning. 

I hope all is well back home, and that you guys get to see this view in person one day. 

Hugs, 

Dori 

1. Why did you decide to come to TLV?

Her first experience with Tel Aviv was this past May, when she went on a Birthright Trip with her Chabad at Penn this past summer. Her decision to come to TLV wasn’t actually about TLV specifically, but about Israel more generally. During the trip, she happened to get lost with two other girls in her group and her rabbi – we were in a foreign country that they had never been to, didn’t speak the language, and had no sense of direction. Her rabbi held his hand out, as if he was hailing a taxi, and an old man stopped his car. He parked, got out, and her rabbi explained to him our situation. Without hesitation, he lead them to the art museum that we were supposed to be at 20 minutes prior. On the walk, he proceeded to tell them about his time in the IDF, about his family, and experiences in Israel. She was amazed. This type of thing would NEVER happen in America. A man, without thought, go out of his way, get out of his car, to lead a bunch of lost strangers to their destination. At that moment, she fell in love with the culture of Israel. A few weeks later, she signed up to go abroad here the following spring. 

2. How would you describe your relationship to Tel Aviv?

She believes her relationship to Tel-Aviv is constantly growing. There’s a part of her that feels completely connected to the city, with a sense of belonging. There’s another part of her, however, that still feels a sense of wonder and curiosity. Throughout the next few months here, however, she really wants the city to feel like a home away from home. 

3. What is your favorite place in Tel Aviv so far and why? 

Her favorite place in Tel Aviv is probably the walk to the beach. She knows it’s not a specific place, but she loves taking different routes and exploring new areas in Tel Aviv. And all the while, you are going to end up at the most relaxing and beautiful place. It also gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the city and in the culture. 

4. What is your least favorite part of Tel Aviv and why?

Her least favorite part of Tel Aviv, honestly, is the lack of restaurants near campus. She wishes that the university was closer to the center of the city, rather than in Ramat Aviv, so that exploration and transportation was easier, because currently it takes 20-60 minutes to even get to the center of the city. She knows this is a personal opinion, and doesn’t have a true solution, however, it is the one thing she has found relatively difficult. 

5. What is your favorite Israeli coin and why?

Her favorite Israeli coin is the 5-shekel coin. In America, it is so beyond rare to pay for food, items, or anything with coins. People are usually using dollars or credit cards, and change just collects in wallets. However, in Israel she finds that coins have so much more value. Specifically, she loves that she can pay for things using the 5-shekel coin, because in comparison to the states, it feels so much more efficient. 

6. What do you hope to learn in Tel Aviv?

Throughout her time in Tel Aviv, I hope to learn a lot about herself. She knows that may sound cheesy, however, she came to Tel Aviv because she felt such a connection to Israel when she first visited. She wants to keep exploring that connection and the culture, more specifically. She also wants to learn more about the history of the country, and the history of its people. 

7. What is one song that you keep listening to and why?

She has been nonstop listening to Queen, the band, and the song doesn’t truly matter. She loves all of them. The reason is because she recently watched the film, Bohemian Rhapsody, and absolutely fell in love with their story, history, and the way that they made music and performed. They completely revolutionized the way people experience music, and created new boundaries for the industry. She thinks that all of their songs have true meaning and purpose, and it makes listening all the more enjoyable.

Week One In-Class Interview Exercise

1. Why did you decide to come to Tel Aviv?

Israel has always been something very prominent in my life. I grew up going to Jewish day school, and my parents and grandparents are all very involved philanthropically both from a Jewish standpoint, and in terms of Israel. I’ve always admired the lifestyle, culture and beauty of this country throughout my many trips here and I’ve always wanted the opportunity to try it out myself! 

2. How would you describe your relationship to Tel Aviv (so far)?

So far, Tel Aviv feels like home to me. I love the culture and atmosphere here so much. I recently traveled to Europe, and I could not wait to come back to Tel Aviv. The culture, atmosphere and leisurely atmosphere is so great. I am a fairly healthy person and I love how healthy the restaurants are here and the gyms on the beach and how normal it is to work out and be healthy. I also love the beach, who doesn’t. 

3. What is your favorite place in Tel Aviv so far and why?

So far my favorite place in Tel Aviv is Jaffa. I love how the old city is so intertwined with the life there, I feel as though it is where the old historical aspects of our heritage meet the new, up and coming, lively city that Tel Aviv is. The food there is great, the views are phenomenal and the atmosphere is very individual and nothing quite like I’ve ever seen before. 

4. What is your least favorite aspect of Tel Aviv so far and why?

So far, my least favorite aspect about Tel Aviv is the rain. I know it is a timely thing, but I find it very difficult to come up with activities, besides Shesh Besh in the rain. One of my favorite things about this city is how outdoors everything is, which is why when it rains I feel as though it just takes a damper on everything. 

5. What is your favorite Israeli coin and why?

My favorite coin is the 10 shequel coin. I find it so interesting. Because 10 sheq is a significant amount of money and can honestly get you a long way but the coin is so small and almost insignificant. I honestly get so excited when I’m pulling coins out and find a 10 sheq because it never seems to fail me. 

6. What is one song (does not have to be Israeli!) that you keep listening to and why?

One song that I keep listening to is “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen. First off it is a great song, and Bruch was my first concert so he will always hold a special place in my heart but aside from that the song itself tells a special story and has a strong message. Additionally this song has been my moms’ ringtone for a while also so whenever I hear it I think of her.  

7. What do you most hope to learn during your time in Tel Aviv?

While I’m the one thing I really want to learn is how to slow down and really take everything in. I admire Israeli’s a lot because while people can be very aggressive etc. in general in terms of day to day life people take things one thing at a time, no one seems to be in much of a hurry, they appreciate every day. To them, it is a blessing from God. Which I agree with entirely and need to make more of an effort to let this have an effect on my daily life.