Jerusalem Final/Kaparot

Hey everyone,

So today I took the Jerusalem final for my History of Jerusalem class. I studied a ton last night for it, and it wasn't that difficult. Hopefully I did well. I also took a test in ulpan, which went over well. I'm learning sooo much "ivrit" its unbelievable. Having Israeli teacher's is veryyyy different than having an American teacher. After the test, Seth, Debbie and I took a taxi back to Beit Nativ because we didn't want to wait an hour for the Nativ bus.

We got back just in time for Seth and I to participate on the Mark Kirk Nachshon Conference call with my dad. It was a pretty standard talk with Kirk in my opinion, I've had talks with him just like this one many many times before. But this time, it was almost surreal at times when he talked about Israel. Because before when he would say we need to protect Israel I always looked it the situation from the comfort in my house in the north shore of Chicago. This time when he said Israel could be in serious danger real soon, Seth and I looked at each other and uncomfortably shifted around listening to the congressman. It was surreal when he said "Jerusalem" because that happens to be where I'm living. That was a little scary.

On a happier note, I guess, I did a mitzvah tonight! WARNING IF YOU DONT LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH VIOLENCE TOWARDS ANIMALS DONT READ THIS.

K now that I've given fair warning, tonight I fulfilled the mitzvah of doing "Kaparot." Kaparot is where a Jewish individual takes all of his or her sins, puts it into a chicken, grabs the chicken by its wings and while reciting a brucha, swings the chicken around his or her head. I took a real, alive, squirming and bawking chicken by its wings, attempted to read Hebrew while swinging it around above my head. Then, we gave the chicken, which we named "mo-mo" to the guy and he proceeded to break its neck, slit its throat and toss it into a pipe-type thing. This is all run by Chadisic Jews by the way. After the blood drains, the cut it up and give it to the poor.

Yes, we put our sins into chickens and give them to the poor to eat.

I kid you not this is considered a mitzvah. One of the girls on Nativ actually started to cry and had to leave because the smell was so sick, and there were so many chickens dying right in front of us. I'll post some pic's of me swinging the chicken soon! At least I cleansed myself of sins, right?

So now were planning to go out tonight, so I'm gonna sign off for now. Tomorrow Seth and I are going to Kiryat Gat to see Roi, a friend from Camp CHUSY that we met two summers ago. Well be there for Shabbas and we're returning to beit nativ. And now were going to play basketball. Change of plans. OK I gotta get ready.

Talk soon,

Josh