girl crushing

I have a friend crush on a girl from my beit midrash.

She frequently learns with her chevruta on the same table as me so we've been chatting a little. As such I've discovered that she's basically who I would want to be if I was Israeli.

First of all I'd like to point out that she's cool. She has an adorable blonde curly bob, interesting glasses and awesome clothes. For you hemp wearers you will just have to deal with the fact that I'm shallow.

She grew up in Bakka in Jlem. She was a Bnei Akiva madricha and is still a madricha for a garin in the movement.

Now you may think that this doesn't bide well for her awesomeness stats.

However, she's also a participant in the non-denominational mixed religious-secular male-female beit midrash that I attend. Pretty progressive for a Bnei Akiva girl right?

Better than that she identifies as modern orthodox and not religious zionist. The distinctions between the two groups are frequently lost of the average Israeli.

But most awesome of all is her involvement in the solidarity movement from Hebrew Univeristy which attempts to defend Arab rights in Israel; from the injustices in Sheikh Jarrah, to the discrimination in east Jerusalem to house demolitions in Lod. She spends most of he spare time attending the homes of those whose kids were unfairly taken into custody by the police, or those whose homes were demolished, or those who can't find employment because people don't hire Arabs.

And she does this all in a skirt and 3/4 sleeve tops. Then when it's all done she goes and spreads her message of multiculturalism and equal rights to her kids in Bnei Akiva.

So subversive.

Basically. She's awesome.

Hence the crush.

An Ode To Ariel Sharon

I'm going to Peduel for shabbat. Peduel is in the Shomron, kinda near Ariel. It's a beautiful yishuv* with big houses and great views. It's also super close to Petach Tikva and the Merkaz in general.

The issue is that I'm left wing. I think that there should be a Palestinian state in the West-Bank. This is mainly b/c of that whole triangle choice between land size, Jewish state and democracy. I chose democracy and Jewish for Israel which means that I had to give up on the greater Israel land thing.

Let me explain.

The triangle thing goes like this. if we have the full land size of Israel we then have to chose whether we want Israel to be a Jewish state or a democratic state. Because if we make this whole area democratic there is such a large Palestinian population in the West-Bank and Gaza that demographically Israel would cease to be a Jewish state. The alternative then is that to keep the whole land and not only give the right to vote to Jews. But then Israel would stop being democratic. So in order to keep Israel Jewish and democratic it can't have the full land of Israel.

So technically I think that Peduel may end up being in a Palestinian state. So why am I going there? Well, firstly a pretty good high school friend of mine now lives there. But more generally I don't really have a problem travelling in the West-Bank. It's really beautiful there and as long as I stay out of Nablus and Jericho I should be fine.

Now for all you leftie hipsters that read my blog you may not find these opinions controversial at all. You may be forgetting, however, that I am a religious young lady. And them religious folks aren't ready to give up on Yehuda and Shomron** and the whole redemption and imminent temple rebuilding just yet. But who cares what the religious Neanderthals may think you say? To which I reply that I'm single and that finding a date who is also both religious and left-wing is a tough mission. Particularly in Israel where people are becoming more and more polarized (as per the Gush Katif escapades).

Oh well, when I'm old and alone at least I will have a nobel peace prize to keep me warm at night.

Sigh.

*Settlement

** the West-Bank's biblical names