Bruchim Ha'baim (Welcome)! I am intending this blog to be an open ongoing commentary on my gleanings this summer in Israel as I live and study in this mystical and often mystifying place. I am renting an apartment in Jerusalem on Lincoln Street (pronounced here Lin-co-leen because apparently modern Israeli Hebrew seems to have a problem with English double consonants).

My first 5 days here have been taken up in acclimating myself, being a bit jet-lagged, reading, preparing for my upcoming studies and interviews (more on the latter to follow), and on being a bit lonely. Although I am used to being away from home for two to three days at a time since I live in Maryland and go to school in Philadelphia, I am decidedly not used to being this far away and for this long. I have managed to see some friends here and there is no shortage of things to do - I just need to find ways of ignoring the heat and getting out more. Jerusalem has so much to offer and I need to take advantage of it as much as I can.

Although Phyllis and I kept a blog when I was going through kidney cancer surgery and treatment, this is my first blogging experience for a non-medical reason, so I'm still learning. Please give me suggestions on how to improve this site!

Don't worry  - posts will get more exciting the more I experience life here.