Elyse in Haifa: Adventures in the Holyland

I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog, but it’s only because I’ve been doing and seeing so much!

First of all, I got to experience a St. Patrick’s Day in Israel! There is a bar in Mercaz HaCarmel called The Irish Pub, which is where my friends and I went for the evening. They had even more Irish flare than usual, with a live band singing all English songs, including The Beatles and Sweet Home Alabama. Honestly, being there made me feel almost as if I were back in Boston for the night!

That weekend I went to Tel Aviv for a night to visit with some of my counselor friends from Tevya – it was so nice to see a few familiar faces! I stayed in a hostel for the night with my friends from Haifa, and the next morning we walked around the city and went to Nahalat Benyamin (literally: property of Benjamin), the artists’ colony that occurs twice a week. Since it was a Friday morning, the area was packed with people getting ready for Shabbat, especially since the parallel street is an enormous shuk.

Walking through Nahalat Benyamin reminded me a lot of Faneuil Hall, with small shops and eateries on the sides of the streets, and many tables of artists in the middle. It was also interesting to hear all of the different languages that were spoken throughout the day – Hebrew, English, Russian, and even some Spanish. I bought some great things to bring home for souvenirs, including a wall clock made with Jerusalem stone and a beautiful stained glass menorah.

My friends and I had lunch at a cafe on the beach looking over the Mediterranean Sea and then sadly had to leave for Haifa before Shabbat started.

On Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early to head for my first Regatta race! My friend Chantal, who has been studying in Israel for the year, is a member of the Israel Maccabia crew team, and was having a race in Haifa! We went to watch and support her, then went for lunch in Mercaz HaCarmel, the center of town.

Sunday afternoon I started my internship that I will be doing for the rest of the semester. As of now, I am an intern at the Office of the Spokesperson at the University of Haifa under Amir Gilat, the head of communications and media relations in the Department of External Affairs. There is an English section of everything that the University publishes, including a website, monthly newsletter, press releases, and more, which is what I will be helping with. So far I’ve only been in the office a few times, but I’ve really enjoyed my time there and it reminds me of The Collegian, so it’s been great. I will let you know as soon as an article of mine comes out!