Shalom Hartman this summer

[cellio]

I just registered for the Shalom Hartman Institute summer program in Jerusalem (after confirming a sane refund policy in case the region goes pear-shaped in the meantime). My rabbi recommended this program a few years ago and I've been eying it every year, and this year the stars aligned (dates, interesting topic, timely responses to email queries). It sounds like a great experience and I'm excited to finally be going.

I'm also kind of nervous -- not about the program, and not about the Iran thing (I can always bail), but rather about being a solo international traveler. This will only be my second time off the continent and the first time I went with a tour group so I didn't have to personally arrange anything, and somebody was steering us in useful directions. Those of you who've done this "foreign travel" thing, this is your enthusiatic invitation to tell me anything you think I ought to know, no matter how big or small.

Whee! Eeek!

Comments

[cellio]

Yes, Jerusalem. Typing "Shalom Hartman Institute Jerusalem" into Google Maps gets results, for those who know the local neighborhoods.

Living in the land of hot-and-humid, I'm all for a week of dry heat. :-) (Note to self: bring a water bottle instead of relying on water being available when you want it.)

[goljerp]

Yes, Jerusalem.

Yes, sorry -- I did say that I was in a rush before Shabbat, right? :-)

It's around where I lived (actually between the two places I lived; I remember walking by the building, although never going in... but maybe it's moved since then.)

A lot of my other info is probably out of date -- it's been 13 years since I was in Jerusalem. Some things probably haven't changed, like the cabbies always trying to bargain a flat fee rather than turning on their meters (hint: the meters are usually cheaper, unless the driver decides to "get lost" to raise the fare).

Other stuff: the Israel Museum is pretty cool. If you have a couple of hours of free time, a flashlight/candle, shorts, sandals that you don't mind getting wet, and are not claustriphobic, go to Hezikah's tunnel. In II Kings 20:20 (and Chronicles), there's a kind of enegmatic passage about how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city (Jerusalem). Well, archeologists have found the passage described there, and you can walk it. I thought it was cool, at least. You'll probably be so busy with the program that you won't have much free time, though.

Some Shabbat suggestions, which I'm sure others will mention. Remember this is all 13 years out of date. :-)

* Kol Haneshema is an amazing shul. (Hmm, I thought it was Reform, but their website says "progressive". Lots of singing, and if I had to have one complaint, it was that it was crowded.) I particularly went there Friday night. Siddurim were Hebrew, Hebrew/English, or Hebrew/Russian (that I recall).

* Yakar is a Carlebachian shul. Orthodox, yes, but (at least 13 years ago), quite the experience. front/back mechitza (not very high), and, at least at the time, it felt like everyone was singing. Crowded? Oh, yes. Again a Friday night place (13 years ago it was the upstairs minyan that was the place to be; downstairs was a bit more, um, boring. Locations may have changed. When I say "Carlebachian", I mean they did lots of Carlebach melodies, and they did not rush 'em, either. I usually brought my own "baby Sim Shalom", but I think that was just because I was more comfortable with that than with their all-hebrew siddurim there.

On Shabbat mornings, there are various options. You could go to Kol Haneshema. I went to the Agron St. Shul (Conservative) a lot. There is a Conservative minyan that used to meet at a masorti school located sort of near Pardes; I'm blanking on the name. (They were very friendly, and had their d'var in English, which was nice for me. :-) ) Um, or you could go to something more exotic - this is Jerusalem, and there are lots of shuls.