Nerd Pilgrimage and other fun updates

Something truly awesome happened the last couple of weeks.

Actually a lot of awesome things happened the last couple of weeks.

But the thing I'm thinking of is my visit to Qumran with Professor (Dr. Rabbi) David Levine.

Caves at Qumran.

For those of you who don't know, I really love linguistics and ancient semitic languages. This is almost entirely due to the incredible professors I studied with in the NELC department at The Ohio State University. So, this year, when I started my History of the Second Temple Period class, I was already looking forward to learning about the Dead Sea Sect at Qumran. Luckily, my professor set up a quick day-trip to Qumran to see what the archaeologists have discovered there since a family of Bedouins discovered the scrolls in the 1940s.

Cave 4!

This trip was unequivocally a nerd pilgrimage for me. After spending spring quarter of last year in a class dedicated to learning about the Qumran community and learning how to read and translate the scrolls themselves, the trip to Qumran was huge for me.

Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum

It was perfect timing, also, because earlier the same week we traveled to the Israel Museum to see the Shrine of the Book. This is the exhibit that was built in order to house and present the Dead Sea Scrolls. In it is a facsimile of the Great Isaiah Scroll (the original is in their archives so it doesn't get damaged) and several of the artifacts and scrolls discovered in the Qumran area. Learning about the building itself was totally awesome; basically, in the theology of the Qumran community, there were the sons of light (they followed the line of Zadok, and were the members of the Dead Sea community) and the sons of darkness (others) and the way the building is set you up you have to walk from darkness to light. The whole thing was built so intentionally and so perfectly. It was a dream to get to hear from the curator of the scrolls, Adolfo Roitman, and to learn about sacred secular spaces in Jerusalem.

Birds at Qumran with the Dead Sea behind them

So, between our awesome visit to the Shrine of the Book and actually seeing Qumran, it was a totally awesome hands on learning sort of week.

Mini replica of Ancient Jerusalem. That's the TEMPLE FOR ANTS!

We've been keeping busy with school as we head into finals. One day we spent the day in the Old City learning at the Armenian Patriarchate. It was a great day, and it's nice to have the chance to learn about the vast diversity of religions of this city. It's really cool knowing that you live in a place that's so important to so many people, and hearing why so many different types of people feel connected to Jerusalem.

Seminary at the Armenian Patriarchate

Additionally, there have been a couple of really cool shabbat experiences the last couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, I joined a few of my friends from HUC at Benjamin's house, and we got to meet some of Ben's friends from Hartman, a text study group for rabbinical students here in Jerusalem. They study at Hebrew College, and it was awesome getting to hear from other types of rabbinical students. Before dinner, we joined together in an alternative kabbalat shabbat (welcoming shabbat, another term for Friday night shabbat services). Each of us brought something to share with the group; anything from a conversation on gratitude to reflections on loss and happiness to a mantra meditation helped us welcome shabbat that night, and then we feasted on a quasi-thanksgiving dinner. It was really awesome.

Sculpture at the Israel Museum

Last night, I joined one of the Israeli students in the HUC Israel program for shabbat services at his community and dinner with his family. It was totally amazing to hear from someone in the Israeli program, get to hear about how they made the choice to become a reform rabbi in Jerusalem, and to spend time in a home surrounded by such a warm and welcoming family. Also, the meal was totally delicious. There is just something so wonderful about a home-cooked meal and being surrounded by family, even when it isn't your actually family. Shabbat in Jerusalem is just an incredible thing.

Christmas spotted in the Christian Quarter of the Old City!

So, as we gear up for finals after my first ever semester (I'm used to 10 week quarters...this semester thing is tough!), everyone is going a little crazy. One of our professors remarked in his lecture last week that the semester doesn't end, it just deteriorates. He's totally right. We're basically all falling apart at the seams over here, but at least we're together.

Stick, Benjamin, and I in "Space that Sees" at the Israel Museum

I'm truly amazed at how much I've learned in the last 6 months. I use Hebrew instinctively now instead of being afraid to ask questions and being misunderstood. I can tell you about the structure of a morning service and why, historically, certain elements are important. I can write an essay in Hebrew analyzing literary devices used by the narrator in the biblical text, including an interpretation of several medieval and modern commentators. I can explain more coherently why issues in Israel are as complicated as they are. I'm growing to understand Jewish diversity in the Jewish state. All in all, it's been a wonderful semester filled with learning and new experiences and, most of all, seeing Israel through a new lens. I can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring!

Thanks for reading!