Thursday
2/19/15
It was quite an ordeal to travel home. I had worried about New England weather impacting my travel plans, but it never occurred up to me to worry about Istanbul!
Eventually I travelled from Tel Aviv to Boston via Newark. Connection and customs went smoothly. The 11 hour flight felt endless, particularly because my television monitor did not work!
Enormous mounds of snow and huge icicles are here to greet me along with a sweet e mail from one of my students asking me what the favorite part of my visit was. I think I am seeing the beginning of a pen pal!
Thank you all for following my blog! I loved sharing my Haifa experience with you all!
Shalom,
Susan
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
New flight. Wednesday eve. 11 pm to Newark
Arrive Boston early morn. 7:43 on united. Will take cab. Thursday morning.
Travel is exhausting
Travel is exhausting
Snowstorm in Istanbul. Flight from Israel still delayed
Turkish air says the will not try to rebook me on alternative flights till they see what happens in 2 more hours. It is now 11:10am. Was supposed to leave at 9:50 am. So apparently the flight from Istanbul to Boston is also having weather delays. Not sure if there is any hope getting on it... Very frustrating! Am able to use Skype and the blog but email not working even though I am signed on to internet...
Flight Delay. Turkish air flight 82 Tel aviv to Istanbul!
It looks like I may miss my connection in Istanbul for flight to Boston. Frustrating as no one at desk to speak with us from Turkish Air. Waiting for an agent. And my emails are not going through! Perhaps the blog will get thru, so those expecting me home on Wednesday eve will understand if I do not arrive !
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Last Day in Haifa
Tuesday
1/17/15
Lovely good byes at the Reali school. The principal and teachers presented each of us with a wonderful book of photos about modern day Israel, along with a personal note of appreciation.
Later, friends from Newton, Marsha and Peter, accompanied by their daughter and son-in-law, who live in Tel Aviv, drove to Haifa to spend the afternoon & eve with me. . It was so nice to see them as we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a restaurant on Ben Gurion Ave, overlooking the lights of the Ba'hai temple gardens. Even the sudden heavy rainfall did not dampen our spirits!
The trip is everything I expected, and more. I return home, grateful for the country I live in and with renewed love and loyalty for Israel.
1/17/15
Lovely good byes at the Reali school. The principal and teachers presented each of us with a wonderful book of photos about modern day Israel, along with a personal note of appreciation.
Later, friends from Newton, Marsha and Peter, accompanied by their daughter and son-in-law, who live in Tel Aviv, drove to Haifa to spend the afternoon & eve with me. . It was so nice to see them as we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a restaurant on Ben Gurion Ave, overlooking the lights of the Ba'hai temple gardens. Even the sudden heavy rainfall did not dampen our spirits!
The trip is everything I expected, and more. I return home, grateful for the country I live in and with renewed love and loyalty for Israel.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Using Spanish to teach English in Haifa, and Tessie's story
Monday 2/16/15
Last class today at the Chugim school. I was working with an 11th grader whose English was excellent. We were reading a chapter written by Amy Tan. There was some complicated language. As I was trying to explain a definition, she inquired if I spoke Spanish? I explained my Spanish was limited (high school and college) and asked why. She explained that she was teaching her self Spanish by watching T.V. spanish speaking novellas. And so we shifted gears and used Spanish to commuicate when we were sorting out defnitions of English words she did not understand. After we completed the assignment, we enjoyed a "getting to know you conversation". In addition to learning English, she is also studying Arabic in school and is self taught in Spanish! Amazing.
I did errands in the afternoon. Last minute gift buying before I pack!
This evening's speaker was Tessie, an Ethiopian Jew who emigrated to Israel when she was 9 years old (1984). She and her family were observant Jews in Ethiopia (ate Kosher food, observed the Sabbath) and they walked for 3 days with 100 members of their community from Ethiopia to Sudan. They were in the camps in Sudan until they were finally air lifted to Israel.
They had never seen electriciy, running water, a bathroom or an airplane. When they tried to board them onto the plane the Ethiopians were terrified and ran into the woods. They had to send the police to gather them up and get them on the plane. As a child, she had never seen herself in a mirror. Had never seen a white person (was fascinated by the stewardess and her uniform) and did not know how to use the bathroom. Once they taught her to sit on the toilet, she saw the reflection in the mirror and could not understand why another little girl was in the room with her. She experimented, lifted her skirt, touched her hair etc. and finally realized she was looking at her reflection, and said "I discovered my self". It is too long to report on all the details of her journey, but you can imagine that it was a powerful and moving story. She described difficult adjustment to school, learning Hebrew, making friends etc. Eventually she finished school, joined the army and went on to officer training. When she was sworn in as an officer she explained it was the first time she felt that " Israel was my country". After the military she went to college, was the first Ethiopian woman at her college. Now married with 4 children and works as the director of a community service agency in the Ethiopian community.
Tessie shared laughter and tears as she told her story. We were all moved by her openess and willingness to share feelings, fears and achievements.
Last class today at the Chugim school. I was working with an 11th grader whose English was excellent. We were reading a chapter written by Amy Tan. There was some complicated language. As I was trying to explain a definition, she inquired if I spoke Spanish? I explained my Spanish was limited (high school and college) and asked why. She explained that she was teaching her self Spanish by watching T.V. spanish speaking novellas. And so we shifted gears and used Spanish to commuicate when we were sorting out defnitions of English words she did not understand. After we completed the assignment, we enjoyed a "getting to know you conversation". In addition to learning English, she is also studying Arabic in school and is self taught in Spanish! Amazing.
I did errands in the afternoon. Last minute gift buying before I pack!
This evening's speaker was Tessie, an Ethiopian Jew who emigrated to Israel when she was 9 years old (1984). She and her family were observant Jews in Ethiopia (ate Kosher food, observed the Sabbath) and they walked for 3 days with 100 members of their community from Ethiopia to Sudan. They were in the camps in Sudan until they were finally air lifted to Israel.
They had never seen electriciy, running water, a bathroom or an airplane. When they tried to board them onto the plane the Ethiopians were terrified and ran into the woods. They had to send the police to gather them up and get them on the plane. As a child, she had never seen herself in a mirror. Had never seen a white person (was fascinated by the stewardess and her uniform) and did not know how to use the bathroom. Once they taught her to sit on the toilet, she saw the reflection in the mirror and could not understand why another little girl was in the room with her. She experimented, lifted her skirt, touched her hair etc. and finally realized she was looking at her reflection, and said "I discovered my self". It is too long to report on all the details of her journey, but you can imagine that it was a powerful and moving story. She described difficult adjustment to school, learning Hebrew, making friends etc. Eventually she finished school, joined the army and went on to officer training. When she was sworn in as an officer she explained it was the first time she felt that " Israel was my country". After the military she went to college, was the first Ethiopian woman at her college. Now married with 4 children and works as the director of a community service agency in the Ethiopian community.
Tessie shared laughter and tears as she told her story. We were all moved by her openess and willingness to share feelings, fears and achievements.
Final Outing with the group, and no more rain today!
Sunday. February 15, 2015
Morning visit and tour of the campus of the Chaim Weitzmann institute and his home which is also on the campus. In addition to being a great scientist he was the first President of Israel. The institute has a visitors center with films and interactive displays which demonstrate the wide range of their research.
Morning visit and tour of the campus of the Chaim Weitzmann institute and his home which is also on the campus. In addition to being a great scientist he was the first President of Israel. The institute has a visitors center with films and interactive displays which demonstrate the wide range of their research.
Groundbreaking medical and technological applications that have emerged from basic research conducted by Weizmann Institute scientists include:
- Amniocentesis, a prenatal diagnostic test for the fetus
- Sophisticated laser systems for high-precision diamond cutting
- A method for growing hybrid seeds that prevents the transmission of disease from one generation to the next and helps protect edible plants from pests
- Affinity chromatography, a key tool for purifying biological materials in the biotechnology industry
- Living polymerization, one of the most fundamental techniques of the modern polymer industry
- For solving the structure of the ribosome, the cell’s protein factory, and revealing its means of action, the Institute’s Prof. Ada Yonath was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Her research should speed the development of antibiotic drugs that are more efficient, especially against antibiotic-resistant strains.
In the afternoon we toured Ayalon Institute, a fascinating site of Israel's history. During the British Mandate period, there was a blockade on arms and ammunition. A secret factory was build underground on a hill located at an agricullural kibbutz ( collective farm). It was the size of a tennis court and hidden by a bakery and laundry which sat on top of the factory. 45 people worked underground, 6 days a week..... Their work made an enormous contribution to the success of the war for independence in 1948.
It was an excellent day giving us an interesting view back in time as well as looking ahead to the great research potential in this amazing country.
Back at the hotel this evening we had a farewell dinner for the patricians and leaders. Tomorrow will be my last day at Chugim sxhool and Tuesday the last day at Reali! Flying home on Wednesday weather permitting!
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