Israeli Famous

As promised, here is a translation of the piece I wrote for the Channel 2 news here in Israel.  If you want to see the original article in Hebrew, go to this link.  Enjoy!
 
The First 6 Months

My first Yom Hatzmaut is quickly approaching, and I’m happy to finally be here celebrating as an Israeli.  I’ve only been here half a year, but it feels like much longer.  In this short amount of time, I have experienced more than a lot of olim experience in their first ten years, and I feel like I’m ready for just about anything.  So, let’s recap this “Year of Firsts”!

October 2012 – I landed at Ben Gurion airport and walked into Israel for the first time as an Israeli.   Little did I know what would be waiting for me with this new identity…

 Me in Jerusalem with my Teudat Zehut – officially Israeli!

October 28, 2012 – At 0530 in the morning, I experienced my first azaka (air raid siren) in my home of Be’er Sheva.  Nothing prepares you for that piercing sound, especially when it wakes you from a dead sleep.  I had no idea what was coming for me in just two short weeks…

November 2012 – I sang “Hatikva” for the first time as an Israeli at a Yithak Rabin memorial ceremony.  I had chills all over and felt an overwhelming pride for my new country. 

November 14, 2012 – Not even a month in Israel, and I was in the middle of my first war, Amud Anon.  There were lots of firsts with the war:  first time being stuck outside for an azaka, first time smelling and feeling an explosion, first time doubting if I had made the right decision to make aliyah.  I also drove through the “war zone” of the South and saw rockets explode in the sky like fireworks.  I got stuck in a traffic jam that was caused by a rocket that hit the road.  And finally, I successfully made my first schuna (in other words, we made a scene) in Hertizliyah with other “Southern refugees,” acting crazy and getting a huge discount on dinner because we were all from Be’er Sheva.

 

Me and the dog stuck in the Mamad, pretending we could actually sleep.


At a friend’s house, ready to run to the shelter in my cowboy boots.  War makes you a little crazy.

December 2012 – For the first time, someone thought I was some nationality other than American.  Lots of people try to speak Russian to me now, but that makes more sense than the guy at a club who thought I was Moroccan.  When he didn’t believe me, I spoke to him in English with a good Southern accent, and he responded in Hebrew, “Why is this Moroccan pretending she can speak English?!”

January 2013 – This was a big month of firsts.  I learned what a checkpoint looks like as I drove right past it and into the West Bank accidentally.  I also learned how scary it is to drive past Hebron in the middle of the night, not knowing exactly when I was going to get back into Israel.

When I returned the rental car that took me on the last adventure, for the first time, I actually stood up for myself when the worker told me I hadn’t put enough gas in the car.  I knew very well I had, and I’ve never felt more Israeli than when I told him to go put gas in it himself. 

January 21, 2013 – Some brilliant person thought it would be a good idea to let me vote in a national election soon after making aliyah, so that was another first.  I proudly voted for Yair Lapid after lots of research.  It didn’t hurt that he’s a hottie, and I also learned the Hebrew word for “hunk” because of him.

 

In the voting booth.

February 2013 – I started getting more confident in my ability to speak Hebrew, and I made my first big fadicha with a tiny spelling mistake.  Instead of writing: "אני חושבת שאקבל ציון גבוה" I wrote "זיון גבוה" (“I think I’ll get a high grade” but instead, I wrote, “high fuck”).  I also randomly started to remember various Russian words instead of the Hebrew words.  Let’s just say I got a 1 + 1 deal in my ulpan class.

March 2013 – I bought a bicycle for my birthday at the beginning of March, and I’ve turned into an Israeli driver.  A car cut me off the other day, and I threw my hands up and screamed at him, ending my complaints with “ya maniac!”

I also started working in my first Israeli job at the end of March in a clothing store.  I’m still not sure why men think it is okay to just try on clothes in the middle of the store.  I’ve seen more back hair and fat than I ever thought I would in my whole life.  Gentlemen, there’s a dressing room for a reason!  I’m walking out of the store the first time a guy tries on pants on the sales floor.

April 2013 – Probably as a result of being tired from the new job, I was in Aroma one morning, and I really wanted orange juice, but I asked for a potato instead.  I know, these two words are not so close, but in my head, there is a connection.

Passover 2013 will be forever remembered as the first Passover where I gained weight.  We don’t have the luxury of Kosher for Passover food in Arkansas, and so normally, this week is one of suffering and dieting.  This year, I literally ate so much one day that I couldn’t comfortably eat for 27 hours, and another day I had to excuse myself from the table to go take a nap. 

Along with Passover came my first Mimuna.  I have been excited about going to a Mimuna since I learned that it even existed.  Be sure, I was not let down.  Me and my group of best friends went to a Mimuna all together, eating mufletta, singing ridiculous songs, and learning how to kululululu.

Eating my FIRST mufletta at my FIRST mimuna!

 

The best friends (who I aptly named the chofrim) teaching me how to be Israeli.

Yom HaShoa 2013 – This day was more powerful than I ever thought it could be.  I experienced my first siren (which I was panicked about because of my trauma from the war), and I was amazed at how an entire country can stand still to honor those lives lost in the Shoa.  The respect Israelis have for this day was overwhelming and beautiful.

And next?  My first Yom Hatzmaut, exactly on my six month anniversary of making aliyah.  I’m so excited to see what the next six months has in store…