I’ve begun my second week of classes. I’m slowly getting into the rhythm.
The atmosphere here quite different from when I was at JUC for the short term programs. Whereas the students in those programs were not real serious about studying here, this is a group of intelligent people who want to learn this stuff. This yields a more enjoyable study experience.
Friday evening we had a BBQ in the garden. As we sat outside and the sun was nearing the horizon, we could hear the alert going out to the city so everyone would know that Shabbat (the Sabbath) was near. In the Hebrew mindset a day goes from sundown to sundown. It is to be a day of rest. In keeping with Sabbath mentality, I took it easy the next day. In the afternoon I went with a few others to wander around the Old City, migrating our way through the narrow crowded streets. We found some yummy treats like baklava to snack on. It was nice to relax after going so hard, and it would be needed for the next day.
Sunday was the Jerusalem Field Study day. Meeting at the gate at 7:00 am, we departed to walk around the city, coming back for an hour lunch break, and finally returning around 6:30 pm that evening in time for supper. Almost all the classes include a field study, of which this class, Physical Settings, includes by far the most. We will be touring the country, talking about various elements in class and then seeing them in the field first hand. Sunday’s was probably the hardest. It was hot, sunny, and long. Other full days are at least as long, but are broken up by bus rides. This was all walking, hopping from one place to next, piling on data after data. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted. I got to bed early.
