01 June 2008 -- And Many More...

Let me begin by wishing the members of KIPP Houston High School's Class of 2008 huge congratulations on taking their first bold steps into adulthood!

And now for the feature presentation: The first two weeks of May brought Israel's three most important secular holidays: Yom HaShoa (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day), and Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day). The first two, as you might imagine, are solemn affairs replete with national observances as well as ceremonies in virtually every (Jewish) neighborhood and school. In addition, three air-raid sirens sound throughout the country during these days, at which point (almost) all (Jewish) Israelis stand silently at attention for two minutes no matter where they are or what they are doing. Cars on major highways stop and everyone gets out to perform this ritual. It's a time when the Israeli claim to being a "we" culture (as opposed to the American "me" culture) feels justified. Can you imagine the majority of the U.S. population doing anything in complete synchronicity?

The atmosphere takes a decidedly festive turn when Memorial Day fades into Independence Day. Since this year marked the 60th anniversary of modern Israel's birth, there were more than the usual goings-on. Israeli flags were everywhere, army bases and museums were open and free to the public, and picnics prevailed. Of course, this is also a time when those who oppose Israel's existence -- or just its means of defending said existence -- also take to the streets, but no unusual incidents marred the celebrations.

Later in the month, I chaperoned the tenth-grade annual trip to the Golan Heights. Yes, schools actually take students to internationally contested areas. In fact, the Golan is quite a point of pride amongst Israelis, even if the rest of the world is less keen about the annexation. It's a naturally beautiful area, and it certainly is strategically situated. Interestingly, the headlines upon our return lamented new negotiations between Jerusalem and Damascus that center on giving the Golan back to Syria. Perhaps I got to see it during its last days in Israeli hands. More likely, the conflict will continue well past Israel's 120th.

Finally -- and most unfortunately -- May marked the beginning of the two-month clusterfuck that is Israel's bagrut (matriculation examination) period. For each final test there are two free "study" days beforehand, plus a practice test a few weeks prior, plus another "study" day before the rehearsal. For those of you who did not pass your mathematics bagrut, that's FIVE DAYS OFF for each test taken. Most eleventh- and twelfth-grade students sit for about five exams. Again, to do the calculations for you, that's TWENTY-FIVE missed school days in the last two months of the "academic" year. Of course, there are still the field trips and celebrations and ceremonies and holidays that characterize any typical stretch of the Israeli school year, so the result is that I hardly get to teach in May, June, or July. That wouldn't be such a big deal except for the fact that besides teaching, I don't have any real reason to be here at this point. How much wheel-spinning can I take? We shall see...

The Reali School stages an impressive (if overly militaristic) Memorial Day ceremony to honor its fallen alumnae and alumni.

The mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav, places a wreath at the fallen soldiers' memorial in my neighborhood.

I was surprised to learn that this cave in northern Israel was an ancient site of worship for the Greek goat-god Pan. He really got around.

Ophir and Yoav were our student guides through the Golan wilderness. To their credit, not a single person stepped on a landmine!

Yes, it's strategically significant, but it's also downright purty!

Elementary school students play on an abandoned tank in the "Valley of Tears." I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to what this says about how far we've come.

The Kinneret (otherwise known as the Sea of Galilee) shimmers in the background as some of my students pose on the Golan side. This may be the last year such a photo is possible. Anyone taking bets?