Back in the States/ Last Post

I've been back in the states for over a week now. It feels weird but I am getting used to it. First off, it's freezing cold. Like 8 degrees cold. It's also been weird adjusting to using dollars again and speaking to the bus drivers in English. Speaking of the bus, I met a crack head on the bus. A real live crack head. That was something I never saw in Israel. I'm also a lot more aware of the poverty that exists here in America. I also feel less safe in my own neighborhood in Pittsburgh than I did anywhere in Israel because there is legit crime that goes on here. I'm not writing this to trash Pittsburgh. I love this city, but poverty and crime were things that I was used to before leaving and once I got away from it, I pretty much forgot about it. But now I'm living in the middle of it and it stirs up a lot more feelings inside me than it did before. My adjustment to classes has been smooth. I like my courses a lot and am excited to learn about non-Jewish and non-Israeli topics this semester. I was on overload while I was in Israel and needed a break. It's very odd for me to be back in an environment that does not question Israel on anything, let alone relations with the Palestinians. I've tried to have rational discussions with people and they just get ugly and I end up looking paranoid and pessimistic. I was supposed to start the Union of Progressive Zionists chapter at Pitt. It was actually one of my goals for coming back, but I've been so busy adjusting back into life at Pitt that I haven't done anything about it. I've been invited to Hebrew practice sessions on Tuesday nights. I'm going to go. As frustrating as it was to learn Hebrew in Israel, it would be a waste to let all of that frustration produce nothing. I played my Israeli monopoly game last night with some friends. It was a lot of fun. The banking system in the game is messed up and if I could play with Monopoly dollars instead of shekels, I would clean house and win all the time.

This is my last post on this site. If you're reading this, thanks for coming. I really appreciated you reading this site and learning about my ups and downs in Haifa. Haifa is a great place and I highly recommend that you visit there if you haven't. Don't let anyone tell you that it's a dump and that there's nothing there except for factories and Arabs. That couldn't be further from the truth. Haifa is the embodiment of Israel and a shining example for Israel's future. It's not a city in its own little bubble like Jerusalem and it's not a playground like Tel Aviv. It's a real city, with real people, joy, and struggles. Check it out.

If you have any questions for me, please leave a comment or ask me in person.