A common Jewish phrase, usually at the end of the Passover seder, clearly elaborates where we hope to be next year: "Next year in Jerusalem!" Since the Jewish new year is upon us tomorrow, and since our class trip to Jerusalem was last week, I guess you could say it was already last year that we were roaming her streets. The novelty of traveling - and bragging about traveling - to Jerusalem for a day trip has yet to wear off. Our 1.5 hour bus ride through the Negev’s dusty desert scenery was filled with off-key singing and plenty of opportunities to catch some Z’s as the scenery slowly greened and our bus mounted the hills of the golden city. Unfortunately, due to ongoing security concerns, we were unable to visit the old city and her sites. Instead, we were treated to an alternative city tour, starting with some fascinating global health presentations by Hebrew U’s graduating MPH class at Hadassah Hospital, followed by a visit to the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), the windmill, a stop at a must-see Jerusalem lookout, and of course, Mahane Yehuda (aka the central shuk). When my Hebrew teacher asked me the next day what my favourite part of the trip had been, I turned into a giant cheeseball and said that it was spending time with new friends (I bet it would have been the rugalach if I could eat it, though).
As the new year rolls in, we take part in an ancient Jewish tradition: we eat. Besides the traditional dinners that many of us will attend over the next two evenings either with our own or our adoptive families, we will dunk apples in honey to symbolize our wishes for a sweet year ahead with even sweeter friends for the journey (there I go again!). So, though I told my Hebrew teacher today that what I want in the new year is good grades, what I meant to say is that I hope for a wonderful new start filled with only laughter and joy and success for everyone around me. Good grades wouldn’t hurt either.
As we say in Hebrew: Shana tova u metukah! (Have a happy - and sweet - new year!).
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