Last Chance to See Me Live on TV

למי שפספס (כמוני) את השידור הראשון, שוב אפשר לראות אותי בערוץ 10, בעוד כרבע שעה! I'll be back on the air in about 15 minutes on Channel 10. Turn on those TVs or go to http://10tv.nana10.co.il/

From Chicago to Beer Sheva

You can watch my interview on Nekuda IL right here (not the best quality ever, but it'll do).

For those like my dear Mom who only understood "Chicago, Beer Sheva and Dallas, TX," here are some brief subtitles for you:

-Sitting with us is Eric Samuels, who made aliyah from Chicago and is pursuing his Master's in Beer Sheva. How's your Hebrew?

-Thank G-d. I got my exemption in Hebrew from the university, after trying for two years.

I grew up in Dallas, TX and worked in Chicago for five years. I learned Hebrew from scratch seven years ago when I volunteered here on a program.

-So tell us a bit about the Jewish community in Chicago.

-It's a fun place for a young Jewish adult to live. Any kind of community you're looking for is there--I myself joined a Modern Orthodox synagogue with an amazing Rabbi. The community offers whatever you're looking for--Hillel on college campuses, etc.

-So if it's so great, why did you leave?

-During my year on the volunteer program, I was exposed to Israeli culture, food, music, a different pace and different way of life. I was especially impacted working with older adults in the community, in a moshav and in Jerusalem.

-Already back then you were in Beer Sheva?

-I was in the south for six months, in Ashkelon and Kiryat Gat, so I connected to the region.

-I imagine it's quite different from Chicago.

-Yea, a bit!

-So now you live in Beer Sheva?

-I live in the Gimmel neighborhood, I really like it in Beer Sheva.

-And what are you studying?

-A Master's in Gerontology.

-First of all, tell us about the degree.

-We learn all the aspects of old age and aging, the needs of older adults, how best to serve them.

-And what will you do with the degree?

-I'm actually working as the South Region Coordinator for Project La'ad, a program clarifying the rights of Holocaust survivors.

-That fits great with your studies.

-Absolutely.

-And how does Beer Sheva look from Chicago? Do they see it at all?

-Not really--it looks like a desert. There's not a ton of awareness about Beer Sheva.

-It's hard for me to understand how someone would move from Chicago to the desert.

-My first three years after my aliyah I lived in Jerusalem and went to Hebrew Ulpan there. Jerusalem has an enormous Anglo community. It's different in Beer Sheva, but there are Anglos there too--great people. But if you want a truly Israeli experience, it's the place. I have Israeli roommates; I wanted to integrate, not to live in a bubble.

-Good luck! Thanks for joining us.

The show will also be aired this Friday March 30th at 11:00 Israel time/3 am Central time for anyone up late Thursday night.

With that I'm off to bed. Take care,

אריק/Eric

My Israeli TV Debut

Check out my official (this time counts cause they put makeup on me) Israeli TV Debut, interviewed about the life of a new immigrant living in Beer Sheva on Channel 10's "Nekuda IL" program. The mayor of Beer Sheva, the president of Ben-Gurion University...and then me towards the end!

Please watch live here:

Israel time: Sat. 3/24 17:00, Sunday 3/25 5:00, Next Friday 3/30 11:00.

ET: Sat. 3/24 11am, Sat. 3/24 11pm, next Fri. 3/30 5am

Much love from Jerusalem after a, thank G-d, quiet week!

שבת שלום וחודש טוב/Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov,

אריק/Eric

A week of running...to shelter and to the Finish Line

Tumultuous sums up this week pretty well. 13 sirens calling me to shelter. The last one in Shaar HaNegev where I signed up two new groups to volunteer with Project Laad. There in the Sderot area, instead of the air raid siren (going up and down, on a loop), there is a soothing female voice saying "צבע אדום/tzeva adom/Red alert." I say they adopt that lady and her lovely voice elsewhere. The issue there, as Sderot is closer to Gaza, is that you only have 15 seconds (as opposed to one minute in Beer Sheva) to get to shelter.

Three of my Beer Sheva friends are quoted here in Haaretz about the craziness this week.

So I survived, headed to Tel Aviv, had a beer with my good friend Joshua. Then after work meetings in Tel Aviv, caught Rabbi Winick and Ori from the phenomenal January taglit trip for Asperger's participants. Today I participated for the second time in the second annual Jerusalem Marathon's open route fundraiser for the Israel Cancer Association. What a treat to enjoy the amazing energy of thousands of runners, and then the very muddy after-party in Sacher Park replete with Zumba and all sorts of fun stuff.

Yesterday I got the grade for my last exam.

Reflecting on the great and far-less-so this week, I'm bringing in Shabbat with a nerve-soothing, reflective song by the late, great Meir Ariel: נשל הנחש/Neshel HaNachash. Much love and שבת שלום מירושלים עיר הקודש/Shabbat Shalom from Holy Jerusalem!

אריק/Eric

בגלל המצב/Biglal HaMatzav = Because of the Situation

Reflecting on the worst round of violence in Israel since Operation Cast Lead of 2008/2009

בלי עין הרע/Bli Ayin HaRa = Against the evil eye, we're 30+ hours past the last siren of this round of rockets from Gaza. I say "this round" because I have no illusions whatsoever and know better than to think that yesterday afternoon's siren was the last I'll hear.

On Sunday I wrote, "Now I'm one of those Israelis" caught in a wave of terror (rockets). I feel that even more now after hearing countless times around town, "בגלל המצב/Biglal HaMatzav = Because of the Situation." It's not good when you hear those two Hebrew words; they were ubiquitous during the intifada terror war of ten years ago and have made many an appearance this week to explain why things are different during stretches like this.

What I'll miss about the flare of attacks:
I know what you're thinking, namely "Are you insane?!?" One unexpected positive surprise was that I usually have to make a trip to borrow the key for the piano room. But as that room, like the computer lab, doubles as a bomb shelter, they left it open 24/7 since things heated up. I took advantage of the opportunity to work out the last kinks in learning Dad's beautiful composition, R.S.V.P. There was one fingering I had notated that wasn't working for me, so switching it from a 5-4-3 to a 4-3-2 will help me get through the toughest stretch of the tune. Now I'll keep the momentum going to make the final touches for a gathering I planned for Dad's אזכרה/yahrtzeit (in Yiddish) = the anniversary of his passing (it falls on March 28th/29th on the secular calendar).

What I will most definitely not miss about the last few days:
The fear in the eyes of that poor 5-ish-year-old kid whom I met in the shelter three times, always on the verge of tears.

While all the sirens were startling, being awoken by a siren, count em four times over three nights is the definition of unsettling.

Having to wear running shoes as a survival mechanism in the event of hearing the call to run for shelter.

The whole uncertainty of everything. I was supposed to see Tzipi Livni, the head of the Knesset's opposition and the Kadima party, speak tonight about women and politics. That, along with the first three days of class this week, were cancelled after leaving hundreds of thousands in a limbo state. One of my volunteers in Ashdod had to study for two university exams that in the end were cancelled at the last second, lest she not be prepared for them. Other friends stayed out of town for the time being, having no idea how long said "time being" would in fact be (considerations such as "I ran out of underwear" came into play). Now we please G-d will return to a normal routine.

The fact that this blog was hijacked, forcing me to depict a portrait of South Israel under siege. My life here is beautiful and incredible--prepare to read words saying just that on a much more regular basis.

Most of all, I will not miss the anxiety this caused my dear Mom. If you're in Dallas, please give her a hug and kiss for me.

--
While I certainly did not enjoy it, I for one absolutely felt a sense of mission to be part of the Israeli home front and put those running shoes to use as our security forces did their job. However, that is of course easy for a single, able-bodied person to say. Again, my heart goes out to those with children and babies, and the elderly founders of the country, all of whom struggled to get out of harm's way. Thank G-d the Iron Dome system was so efficient in intercepting the terrorist rockets.

My appeal to the Americans among you on Sunday to join AIPAC or sign their action items came in large part from their impact on the deep security commitment between America and Israel that expedited the development and implementation of Iron Dome. President Obama ensured massive funding of the program (I give credit where credit is due).
But in times like these, there are endless worthwhile causes to support in Israel. I'm sure you'll find something that speaks to you.

As for the moral support, thanks again to everyone who's reached out to me--it means the world to me. You've helped keep my spirits up, which is not an easy task during tenuous times. Don't forget to drop a line to anyone from here to Ashdod--checking in with them goes a long way.

Where does this leave us?
Tragically, the same bull's-eye remains over Beer Sheva and the South, as thousands more rockets rest in waiting. More terrorist "masterminds" remain, and others will fill the roles of those whom the IDF eliminated. Please G-d the same fate will await them.

The bull's-eye has been there the whole time I've been in Beer Sheva. Sometimes I forget about it. During quiet months, that can be quite easy.
This experience makes me love this crazy city of sandstorms and bizarre traffic circle sculptures--and more importantly her residents--not less, but far, far more.
While Beer Sheva is very dear to me, I have not invested heavily in it. My stuff is here; I am renting a room on a one-year lease.

Nearly four years ago I blogged about my decision to vote for the center-right Likud party under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu. While the (somewhat hypothetical) bull's-eye is there over all of the country, as of this week the farthest that terror rockets from Gaza have reached is now the Gadera area, inching closer to Tel Aviv. Hizbollah terror rockets from Lebanon showered the North back in 2006.

So now that I have felt that bull's-eye in a much more tangible sense than I did as a Jerusalem resident, I certainly can't see myself shifting anywhere to the left on the political spectrum. The painfully clear exchange of land for thousands of terror rockets, as Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005 played out, makes me damn glad that my party and this government fully understand the risk that accompanies territorial retreats. In a situation with no good options, I trust and believe in my political and military leadership's efforts to keep me safe. I wrote back in 2008 about my desire to someday buy a house in Israel in hopes that it would truly be a safe haven for my future family. Waves of rockets across a region of over a million citizens certainly don't build that kind of confidence. One sure-fire way to include more Israeli homes in the line of fire is territorial compromise. Now, how best to foil terrorists' plans is a question only G-d can answer; us human Israelis deal only in least-bad options.

Relativity
There is this weird relative scale of how sane someone is around here.

Zionism in itself is an irrational ideology. Why on earth would one move to a tiny country (31.5 Israels (defined as the total area under Israeli law) could fit in Texas; Israel's narrowest width, from Netanya to Tulkarem in the West Bank is 9 miles) surrounded by hostile neighbors?

My answer: I feel that my life mission is filled here--to serve Israeli older adults, to live a meaningful passionate life, try to improve a nascent society with rampant problems and injustices, to be a part of the epicenter of the Jewish present and future, to constantly learn and improve my Hebrew every day.

Nonetheless, some think I am insane to have moved here. Example:
"Have a mint, I'm moving abroad and want to get rid of them," Me
"Where ya movin?" dude I met in Austin
"Israel." Me
"F&(@." Dude
Countless others expressed that very sentiment (though always far more subtly).
Incredibly, I got that same sentiment from many a former neighbor in Jerusalem when I informed them of my move to Beer Sheva.
It's been a wild ride from that 2008 weekend in Austin to Jerusalem to Beer Sheva.

So I decided to stay in Beer Sheva over three-plus rather long days. I got offers from two friends to ditch town and stay with them in Jerusalem. While much appreciated, I decided to stay, as I had work to do here.

I take those Home Front Command instructions that I posted Sunday very seriously. They save lives, p-e-r-i-o-d. So I stayed in the shelter for the full ten minutes after each siren ended. One guy in my building got some cardio out of not following that instruction--going back up to the fourth floor only to come right back down a few minutes later.

Others blatantly flaunted the instructions altogether. I asked a man at synagogue if there was a nearby shelter. "There's no shelter here, only G-d can protect us. I was caught walking outside during one siren; I just kept walking." Thank G-d he was ok; that game plan in my mind is not so sane, but it works just fine for him.

Well, they say adversity puts hair on your chest. I could go for a beard. For now I'm somehow still rocking just the three piddly little patches of facial hair.

For now back to R.S.V.P. then bed--I have an early morning at work tomorrow aiming to expand Project La'ad's efforts to reach area Holocaust survivors and help clarify their financial benefits. Much love,

אריק/Eric

Less than a Marathon

I realized today that at its westernmost end, Beer Sheva is closer to Gaza than the distance I ran in the Chicago Marathon.

Whenever praying in a new locale, I always take time to get oriented and figure out which direction Jerusalem is to direct my prayers towards the holy city. Now when navigating Beer Sheva, I have to continuously remember which way Gaza is to know what side of the building to avoid in the event that I need to find shelter on my way.

The siren count is up to twelve since Friday night, with ten round trips to shelter due to a couple back-to-back attacks setting off the alarm. (As a matter of reference, I had "only" heard three sirens here over my two years in school and four-plus months as a full-time resident of the capital of the Negev).

But life is going on regardless--last night over dinner with friends, we overheard a remarkably loud and lively wedding at the hotel down the street. Dinner and laughs with friends were followed up by some goofy YouTube watching fun last night and tonight's satiric take on the security situation by the always hilarious ארץ נהדרת/Eretz Nehederet/Wonderful Country, somewhat of an Israeli SNL.

Off to bed with the news of a potential cease-fire in the works and a great Skype chat with Mom managing to cut through the tension a bit. Peace and love,

Eric

The South is Burning

Dear good people,

I'm thinking back today to an AIPAC event I went to early on in the Second Intifada/terror war of the early 2000s. The speaker encouraged us to do our part and strengthen our Israeli brothers by dropping them a line during a period when they didn't know whether their bus would arrive at its destination.

With two more sirens and accompanying rockets this afternoon, I am now that Israeli. During both visits to the shelter today, I met a cute kid about my nephew Jake's age, visibly terrified. I patted his head and told him it'd be ok (and his grandmother took it from there).

One of today's rockets damaged an empty school. Empty because Israel adopts preemptive policies like cancelling school. The New York Times wouldn't still be burying the barrage of terrorist rockets way down on their World page and displaying the picture of a dead murderous terrorist at his funeral, and you would all be hearing if those kids, G-d forbid, were in that school.

Good friend Ali posted the Stones' Gimme Shelter, which as she feels was written for the South today. And classmate and good friend Amiram, born and raised here in Beer Sheva, offered me advice on the best shelter in town: "שמע ישראל, ה' אלוקינו, ה' אחד", the most important prayer in Judaism proclaiming that G-d is one. While I appreciate that, I'll stick to the Home Front Command's instructions (anyone in or visiting the South needs to read these and follow them--they save lives). והנה ההנחיות המיוחדות להיום, שלא תורגמו לאנגלית.

What can I say, the New York Times doesn't care about me, that over 120 rockets have been launched towards innocent Israelis since Friday evening, that nursing home residents can't get to shelter in time, that hundreds of thousands of Israeli schoolchildren's school routine (and their parents') was disrupted by a very somber day off. But I know you do.

What you can do is: join AIPAC, join me in contacting your elected officials on their Legislative Agenda page, join me in praying for peace. And let me know if you wanna chat, Skype, whatever. Thanks so much to everyone I've heard from. Nothing but love for you,

אריק/Eric

Making Things Happen

I've been meaning to post literally for months! Here goes (I'll flesh the beginning of this post out soon).

On Sunday, I took my last exam for my Master's in Gerontology after two years of investing heavily in my studies. The last exam was the Legal Aspects of Aging. I handed it in, headed outside, and did a little jump for joy.

The Wednesday before was my exam for the Biology of Aging. I headed from there to the campus synagogue, where I led services and said Mourner's Kaddish for the last time of the eleven months proscribed to a mourning child, honoring my beloved Dad.

Work at Project La'ad is going great--I've met amazing people working and volunteering in this field of helping Holocaust survivors realize their rights, and I feel really blessed to have an opportunity to help provide this incredible population with dignity in their golden years.

I just got a nice surprise to see that cbssports.com provides a great, free feed, but sadly Michigan forgot to show up today. Which means I'm gonna hit the sack and hope to see news of quite a comeback in the morning.

So the unfortunate news over the weekend is that the terrorist organizations running out of Gaza decided to launch a volley of rockets all across the South after the Israel Air Force eliminated the murderous head of the Popular Resistance Committees yesterday afternoon.

Brilliant engineers and exceptional Israel Defense Forces staff have thank G-d made the Iron Dome defense system a success by intercepting over 90% of rockets launched toward populated areas. Still, class is cancelled at most schools in the region, and my university won't have class (or the annual Purim Carnival) tomorrow. No snow days in Beer Sheva, but for the second semester in a row, the first day of class will be cancelled for a "Rocket Day." Don't worry about me--I have a shelter in my building and the wheels to get down there (all my pool runs this semester have been enough to really get in shape--my Shabbat regreattably included five of those runs). I am more worried for my friends with children and babies, and the elderly residents of the South who struggle to get into shelter in time. At Shabbat lunch today, the several young children in attendance started to scream when they thought they heard the emergency siren, but it was just an ambulance siren. At one point, conversation at the "grown ups' table" became impossible as the little girls did a joint impression of the siren. In a more lighthearted moment, my hosts' daughter accidentally entered the wrong apartment in the middle of the night last night on the way back home from the reinforced area and proceeded to fall asleep on her new favorite neighbors' couch.

My dear Mom and birthday girl (yesterday) and others are asking what's the word here with regards to the Iranian nuclear threat. I'm doing my best to continue my business like a good Israeli. Obviously the Iranian-sponsored terror groups make that difficult by repeatedly setting off the sirens across the region. Since I don't have so many tools to make an impact, I play my role by praying wholeheartedly three times a day for peace over Israel. At times like this, I want to give all my holy Jewish brothers and sisters a big kiss. Tensions will certainly run high, as (at least tomorrow) parents will have to stay home from work since their kids will be off school, and each rocket of course sparks more anger. So I'll try to just offer my people a smile.

And as for my Arab fellow residents of Beer Sheva (while I still just have minimal interaction with some classmates), I won't discriminate with my smiles, and will think back to a cool moment on campus last week: two Muslim students in traditional head covering approached each other and said "חג שמח-Chag Sameach- Happy Holiday" honoring the upcoming Purim holiday. While there are many so-called "Only in Israel" moments that could also happen in Brooklyn or other uber-Jewish areas, two young Muslims saying Chag Sameach to each other could truly only happen here. As for my Purim, the highlight was a rowdy Karaoke party Wednesday night with the up-and-coming Beerot modern Orthodox community. I sang one of my favorite songs by legendary rock band Mashina, reflecting back on their semester-opening concert two years ago to welcome me to Beer Sheva. Here's הכוכבים דולקים על אש קטנה/Ha'Kochavim Dolkim Al Esh K'tana/The stars are running on a low light.

With that, I'll go to sleep now with a smile, despite both my region of Israel and my college hoops team currently getting pounded :) Much love from Beer Sheva,

אריק/Eric