Hebrew, Hebrew and more Hebrew...

Ahhhh......2008. It has started off well. Earlier this month, six of us began a three-week intensive Hebrew class. The classes are held in our apartment, which is great. It's four hours a day, plus homework...so in a way---its been like trying to drink from a firehose---but the teaching format is so great --- it is actually working! It's all in Hebrew (okay, 90%), which wears out my little brain (and causes many after-class naps) but I feel like I FINALLY have a basis to learn this language....both Biblical and modern. This is our last week of class. It's bittersweet...I couldn't keep up this pace much longer, but I want to keep building on what I have already learned! It's great that my roommates are all in the class, so we can practice things we have learned around the house. Here are some pics of us acting out some dialog from the book of Jonah.

Next week regular classes at JUC begin again. It will be fun to meet all the new students!. I also look forward to my classes this semester. Here's the plan:

Cultural Backgrounds of the Bible

Historical Geography of the Bible

History of the Church in the East

Jewish Thought and Practice

Political and Social Setting in the Modern Middle East

I am also (ambitiously) thinking I can continue in a Hebrew class two nights a week...we'll see. :)

When we aren't working on Hebrew, my roommates and I have spent our time cooking, hosting Shabbat dinners on Friday nights (what fun!) and learning our way around the neighborhood (best places to shop, etc). Groceries here are EXPENSIVE, and we have found that our best bet is the Shouk (a.k.a. crazy Middle Eastern outdoor market). Its about a 45 minute walk, but sometimes we get lucky and get a ride with someone. It is truly an experience to shop there. It can be SO crowded (especially just before Shabbat), noisy, and hard to navigate. And with the language barrier....well....let's just say things can be 2 to 3 times more expensive if you can't speak Hebrew...know what I mean??? Here are some pics...(they don't quite do it justice-its too hard to take pics on a crowded day--but you get the idea).

When I actually start thinking about the way we live here...all the crazy appliances, little or no heat, waiting for hot water to shower, shopping at the shouk, walking everywhere we go...wow----It's crazy the things that have become normal to me. Reminds me of how much my life has changed this past year. What a blessing to have this experience!