Hello from Jerusalem, Israel!

B"H



Dear Family and Friends, I hope this email finds you all doing well. With much thanks to the Almighty, I have arrived in Israel to begin my six months of intensive Jewish studies at a Yeshiva in Jerusalem. The name of the Yeshiva is Darche Noam. Feel free to check it out online at http://www.darchenoam.org/.



Let me back up and start from the beginning...



This past Sunday, I left Phoenix at 7:00am to Houston, Texas where I connected with Air France to Paris (CDG) where I had a nice layover that provided for me the opportunity to leave the airport and take a quick, truncated tour of Paris. The flight to Paris from Houston was incredible. Flying business class (l'espace affaires, in AF's language) was incredible and exceeded my expectations in every way. On the Boeing 777-300 aircraft there were about 55 business class seats which were indivdual pods that converted into 180 degree lie-flat beds measuring 6 feet long. Before boarding, I relaxed in the Air France lounge and had a few drinks to loosen up and relax. Unfortunately, the flight took off about 2 hours late due to mechanical difficulties on the engine and this delayed our arrival time in Paris to around 11:30 am local time (roughly a flight duration of 9:40). Two, gourmet, 5-course meals were served in flight and there were two self-serve bar setups equipped with a tap system and bar stools. Upon arrival, I immediately was escorted to the Air France Arrivals Lounge where I was offered a petit dejeuner (breakfast), shower, and massage service. After freshening myself up, I used my remaining 7 hour layover to go into the city. I was accompanied by a religious girl who was also flying to Israel for seminary and wanted to see the city too so it worked out pretty well.



After getting lost over a dozen times at Charles DeGaulle Aiport, and being reminded of how nasty the french people actually are, we finally found connecting train/subway service via the RER which we took to the city center. The thirty minute train ride was painless enough but hot and stuffy. We transferred at the main station to a different line and exited at St. Paul / Le Marais, the predominantly Jewish neighborhood in central Paris with amazing kosher restaurants and bakeries. We had enough time to eat, snap some photos and head back to the airport to catch the connecting Air France flight to Tel Aviv. The four and a half hour flight was also comfortable and the service was again far superior to any US airline! I arrived Tel Aviv at approximately 01:00 am Tuesday Morning. By the time I obtained my bags and hailed a taxi, it was almost already 2:00 am.



I arrived the Yeshiva with no problems except extreme exhaustion (I hadn't slept for two days). I received my key and instructions on getting into my room. I threw my things down in the small, three-person dorm room and grabbed the open bed. I finally fell asleep around 5am and woke around 8:30 to go to orientation and register at the Yeshiva's office.



So, I'm still extremely exhuasted and jetlagged but other than that I'm happy as can be!



Tomorrow, I will be placed into the appropriate Ulpan (hebrew immersion course), Gemara shiur (talmud class), and other courses which I will be taking such as halacha (Jewish law), Hashgafa (philosophy), chassidus (Chassidic thought), and Chumash (5 books of Moses).



Today there was a welcome barbeque for all the new students. In all, there are about 80-100 students that are learning here and probably 60 or more of them are living on the campus in the dorm rooms. I feel very much at home since this yeshiva is well-represented with Arizonans. Currently, there are about 4 or 5 full-time students from Phoenix and Tucson, the most represented place at this yeshiva, followed by London, England. The food so far has been very good and everything is fresh and homemade. We all take our meals in a very cozy little dining hall just like in elementary school. Everyone helps out in the kitchen to serve and clean up which creates a great sense of feeling at home here. Everyone knows everyone else, the rabbeim (rabbis) all eat with the students and interact with the students beyond the classrooms. It's very comfortable and easy to adjust to as everything is so laid-back and "at your own pace".

Here's my contact information while in Israel:

Address: Jordan Fisher
5 Beit Hakerem Street
Beit Hakerem, Jerusalem
Israel 96343
Cell: 972-052-216-7815 (always on, day and night except shabbat)
Yeshiva Main Line/Office (Emergency Number) 972-02-651-1178
Skype: jordanfisher1 (webcam enabled so if you want to have a live video chat)

My internet connection is very good here in the dorm but it is closed during shiurim (lectures) and learning hours so I am mostly going to be online and accessing my email at night (which is the day time in the US.

Nonetheless, I'd love to here from you all and hope you'll post on my blog with comments and questions or whatever!

Here's what to look forward to in the upcoming emails:

-Description of the yeshiva

-My learning schedule and classes I'm taking.

-The surrouding area of Beit Hakerem, an interesting community that is a mix of secular and religious Jews, which is quite rare in Jerusalem.

-Excursions and trips sponsored by the yeshiva throughout the term.

I will, G-d willing, be in contact as often as I can.


Kol Tuv / All the Best,

Jordan Fisher