Edition 5 - The “Long” Weekend
This Week at Finn
This week I worked on a lot of continuous projects at my internship. I resumed researching and compiling media lists for two of our clients, Javelin Medical and DreaMed. We also had many meetings this week focusing on various PR skills including media pitching and how non-profit PR differs from PR for other organizations and clients. I have also been continuing my research for new potential non-profit clients for Finn Partners Israel. At first, the task seemed very daunting, but having the opportunity to learn about the various Jewish and Israel-based non-profits has been extremely interesting. Being able to work directly with Finn's Account Manager, who specifically deals with the non-profit side of the agency, has inspired me to learn more about the non-profits that exist here in Israel as well as those that exist in the US to progress my passion of giving back and extending a helping hand. This week, I was also able to draft my first media pitch! I should be sending out the pitch early this work week in hopes of receiving coverage for one of our clients, MedAware.
World Cup Weekend
Last Sunday was the World Cup Finals! Throughout the tournament, I have been watching the matches this summer alongside some friends from my program - it has been fun to watch the games with people who are just as interested in it as I am. After rushing back from work at 4:30 PM, I met up with a bunch of people at a square in Jerusalem to watch the final. We stayed there for a few minutes before deciding to leave for the safety of our eardrums. Then, we went back to our hotel and watched from one of our rooms. Even though the atmosphere was not exactly what we had expected for the game, good company was all that was needed- and we surely had that!
Shabbat & The "Long” Weekend
This Shabbat, like many here on my program, consisted of a lot of fun, singing, and amazing food! I decided to try something new and attend a Kabbalat Shabbat service with some friends at an Orthodox synagogue nearby. This service was a lot more “sing-songy” than I had initially expected and it was very lively and enjoyable. After services, we walked back to the hotel to have a beautiful Shabbat meal with 13 of the participants of my program who were still in Jerusalem for the weekend. We talked about our week, sang songs, and somehow ended the meal at around midnight. Did we get a noise complaint from someone next door? Sure… but the spirit of the night continued! Whether we were talking about our universities, the age of our dogs, or the fact that someone’s cat had mustard-colored eyes, the conversations somehow continued until 2 AM.
On Saturday, many of us decided to head over to a nearby park and have a Shabbat picnic. Everyone brought different snack foods and blankets to relax for the day. While I was there, I was talking to some friends about Tisha B’Av and how their families typically observe the holiday. I had never fully observed Tisha B’Av before as it was just not seen as a priority while I was growing up. However, after listening to my friends speak about what the holiday commemorates and how they typically celebrate, I decided that while I am living in Jerusalem I should continue to experience all that I can. That night, a few of us had dinner together right before the fast started (at 7:43 PM) and then walked over to The Great Synagogue of Jerusalem for Eicha, a megillah (scroll) that is traditionally read at the beginning of Tisha B’Av. The picture below illustrates the beauty of this synagogue- this is not a picture that I took, but one that was taken from the women’s section where I was sitting.
On Sunday, my office was closed as most of the employees were fasting and observing Tisha B’Av. I, as well as a few of my friends who were also fasting, decided to travel to the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. All morning there were various speakers, panels, and discussions about Tisha B’Av and Judaism as a whole. Attending these seminars made my fast more meaningful as I was able to understand more of what I was observing and why it is an important holiday. I attended three sessions while I was there:
1. Trusting our children when they can’t be trusted (Speaker: Tovah Leah Nachmani): Trust, finding trust, knowing when to trust, and knowing how much to trust. Trusting our own children and connection to G-d trusting the Jewish people (his children).
2. Hurban, Vicissitudes, and Redemption (Speaker: Rabbi Dr. Leon Wiener Dow): Finding the good in the bad and the connection to Tisha B’Av and finding the good in the destruction in the temple (his view of all of the great strides Judaism has made since the destruction).
3. Panel (Panelists: Rabbi Leon Morris, Dr. Elana Stein Hain, & Jamie Salter; Moderator: Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy): Discussing how politics and different denominations of Judaism effect Judaism as a whole and how American Jewry can bring positives to Israeli Jewry and vice versa.
The fast ends at 8:14 PM and my friends and I have a fun plan to break the fast. Right now, I need a little nap as it has been a full day of listening, learning, and observing.