tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60100118974579810072011-04-21T15:39:52.942-07:00I am in Israel for the 2008-2009 academic year. This blog is for me to keep family and friends updated without worrying that I left someone out of an email!amandagraber.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05675025917496479464noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010011897457981007.post-50117799629718030342008-08-03T09:42:00.000-07:002008-08-17T13:40:05.427-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" >"Deep inside my heart I've got this everlasting light</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" >It's shining like the sun, it radiates on everyone</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" >Cause the more that I give, the more I got to give</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">It's the w</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">ay that I live, it's what I'm living for."</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Who in their right mind graduates from an American university with their B.A. and decides to leave their family &amp; friends to learn in a small school half way across the world where war may be eminent any day?! Let alone that, why doesn't she just get a job and start advancing her career and paying back student loans like any rational person would?!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >C'mon kids, why would I start doing anything consi</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >dered </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >'normal'</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > now?!</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />I'm not running away from anything. I'm not avoiding 'reality'. I haven't lost my mind and I'm certainly not brainwashed. I'm not unpatriotic for wanting to live out</span><span style="font-size:85%;">side the U.S. for awhile and I certainly don't plan to waste my college degree.<br /><br />This decision is based on my love affair with the State of Israel and is a continuation of my desire to learn more about my heritage and see the world outside of the United States. From my first trip to Israel in January 2005 on birthright-israel for ten days, I've been captivated by all things Israeli. In January 2006 I explored pluralistic ideals for two weeks with Hillel student leaders, followed by my opportunity to explore the land and repair bomb shelters in northern Israel in January 2007 with Liv</span><span style="font-size:85%;">not U'Lehibanot. All of those trips inspired me to take smaller baby steps to stay longer and get different experiences of Israel that challenged and changed my preconceived notions.<br /><br />I think it's healthy to take a year off after college and get some life experience before finding a job or deciding what I'd like to pursue for a Master's degree. I can only be</span><span style="font-size:85%;">come a better person from this experience. I will be learning at <a href="http://www.shearim.com/">She'arim College for Women</a>, located in Jerusalem. I will be learning full time areas of Jewish history, strengthening my Hebrew skills (verbal, written &amp; reading), immersing myself in Israeli culture and working on myself as a person, daughter, sister, friend, etc... (you get the picture).<br /><br />For those of you who know me as Amanda, I will always be Amanda. Recently I've decided it would be fun to also use my Hebrew name, Batya, especially while in Israel -- so you'll see it thrown in there every now &amp; then...<br /><br />I look forward to a year of growth, adventure, learning and new experiences. I invite you to join me during my year abroad. I decided to start this blog so that I didn't ha</span><span style="font-size:85%;">ve to worry about possibly forgetting anyone in an email and you can read these posts at your leisure. I welcome your questions and comments -- please keep in touch! I will post as often as I can and make sure that my posts are easy to understand.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >L'hitraot</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Hebrew for until next time)--<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">AG<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EelsRr4mqOs/SKiKt9ZEmoI/AAAAAAAAAJM/gcckCJkLTT8/s1600-h/IMG_0414.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EelsRr4mqOs/SKiKt9ZEmoI/AAAAAAAAAJM/gcckCJkLTT8/s200/IMG_0414.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235587088996670082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">This is a picture of me at t</span><span style="font-size:78%;">he Kotel (th</span><span style="font-size:78%;">e Western Wall) taken by</span><span style="font-size:78%;"> my buddy Daniel "Dan the Man" Greenberg back in 2007 and remains one of my favorite pictures of all time.</span><br /><br /><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6010011897457981007-5011779962971803034?l=amandagraber.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>amandagraber.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05675025917496479464noreply@blogger.com0