Starting on Sunday afternoon, I found myself at "Kanyon Haifa" (the Haifa mall), looking to change some (nearly worthless) dollars into (Monopoly money) Shekels. Finding that the rate had dipped too low for me to in good conscious change money, I retreated over to the Supersol (grocery store) to buy some groceries. After stocking up on the necessities (hummuous, pita, schug (Middle Eastern chili sauce), frozen pizza), I went on a quest to find some packaged gnocchi that I had previously eaten that had been quite good. Joining me in this search was Daniel Ostro, a fellow med student who had the bad fortune of being born in Canada.
After about 15 minutes of our search, we finally found the small Italian section of the Supersol, which included the sought-after gnocchi. While comparing the various brands the Supersol had to offer, a short, funny lady approached us and starting asking about the relative merits of...gnocchi. "Is that any good?" she asked (in Hebrew, of course). "Definitely. It's very tasty," I responded. What followed was a five minute conversation about how she had heard that gnocchi was good, but never tried it, and was excited to find someone who backed up the claim that it was good, even though that someone was some random guy (me) at the Supersol in Kanyon Haifa. After this small talk, as she was walking away, Danial turned to me and asked me something in English.
"Wait---are you two from outside of Israel?" she asked (the term she used was "Chool", which is an acronymn all Israelis use for countries that are not Israel, meaning "outside of the land"). I replied that, yes, we were both from the States. Daniel, looking somewhat insulted, butted in that he was not, in fact, from the states, but from Canada. As if it mattered.
She then went on to tell us that she had been to Boston for work. I told her I was in Boston for University, but that I was actually for Indiana. We were starting to part ways, when she started saying something about how she also had family in Boston: the Suissa Family.
I stared at her for a second, a bit weirded out by the comment, and asked her if she knew Paz Suissa. "Paz Suissa! That is my niece!" she screamed. Now, it should come to no one as a revelation that Jewish people LOVE playing "Jewish Geography"---the game where we find out if you know the people that I know from a certain place. Why we, as a People, enjoy this game so much is somewhat obvious: the feeling of discovering that the world is full of connections we are not aware of, and that it is much smaller than we sometimes think it is is somewhat satisfying. Either way, it may surprise some people to know that Israelis, more than other Jewish people, have an almost perverse pleasure in this game, and Paz's aunt (Vivian?) was no exception. She nearly acted as if she had just discovered a long lost brother in me.
"Paz Suissa dated my brother," I explained to her. "To tell the truth, I don't think they are dating any longer." This didn't really seem to faze her. She insisted that I write down my name, my brother's name, and my phone number (to come over to her house for some future meal, which she promised, looking at my Kippah, would be kosher).
So much for crazy story number one.
The next day, after hours of toiling away at my physiology textbook in the library, I emerged from the "Faculta" (the strange word they use for the med school building) around 8 pm to go my weekly basketball game at the Technion main campus. As I was leaving the building, about 50 yards away I saw a couple walking towards the Meyer Children's Hospital that is next door to the medical school. Something about them---I'm really not sure what---reminded me of my 8th Grade teacher and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Edelstien. I called out his name ("Mr. Edelstien!"), and he spun around to find out who it was that was calling his name.
I'm not sure if he was more surprised to find me studying in Haifa, or that I was able to recognize him from so far away. Either way, him and his wife then went on a tirade, chastising me for not getting in contact with them sooner. I apologized profusely, and they invited me over for Shabbat (where I will be going to shortly).
That's crazy story number 2.
The third strange occurrence this week was at a party celebrating the release of my friend and former next-door-neighbor (in Indiana), Danny Farahan (ben David, as he now adds), from the Israeli Army. Having done 2.5 years of service in the IDF, he is now planning on doing some traveling, including hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Either way, as we met up at Mike's Place in Tel Aviv, I was sitting talking to his former roommates from Hebrew University, when they asked me what I was doing in Israel. "Oh, I'm studying medicine at the Technion." "Really? Hey, Ben, don't we know someone who is studying medicine at the Technion?" "Hey---isn't Sherman there?"
"Do you mean Michael Sherman?" I asked. "YEAH! Hey---do you know Sherman?" "Yes, I know Sherman. He's my roommate. How do you guys know him?" "No F**King way! Michael Sherman was OUR roommate at Hebrew University four years ago.....Hey Danny, guess who Michael here is living with?" "Who?" "Michael Sherman!"
So it ends up that Michael Sherman has lived with both me and Danny Farahan, and never made the connection. When I asked him about it, he looked confused and said, "Wait---Danny Farahan is from Indiana?"
So, yeah, this week has been pretty crazy. There's also been some studying of medicine in there as well. Classes are actually going pretty well so far. I'm taking Physiology, Histology, Endocrinology, Anatomy II, Biochemistry II, First Aid, Genetics, and Hebrew this term. It's going to be a tough semester, but I am enjoying the classes. Also, last night I attended Shmuel (Sam) Korb's second (and hopefully final) Tekes (or graduation) from his Officer's Course on the Navy Base. (Picture of me, Shmuel, and two of the Gershons, after the Tekes):
Unfortunately, this week has ended with the terrorist attack on the Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva in Jerusalem---G-d should console all of the families of those who lost sons, grandsons, and brothers under the gates of Zion and Jerusalem. My angry response below was (clearly) a bit emotional, but I stand by it. My only correction to it is the claim that horrible events like these bring the Jewish people closer together. Unfortunately, I feel that an event such as this one---targeting the sector of the population that already feels that too much security has been compromised in the name of a delusional peace process---will only lead to further harmed relations between the various sectors of the Israeli Jewish population.
I also realize that I haven't really written since my trip to the States. I want to thank everyone who came to my parties (in Indianapolis and NYC). It was great to see everyone, and I hope to be back soon to visit.
I need to go get ready for Shabbat. I wish everyone a Shabbat Shalom.
Michael
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