Flash Flood Chasing

Imagine the sound of water in the shower; now think about drops of rain hitting your roof; remember splashing in puddles after a summer downpour; then picture yourself hiking next to a flowing stream on the Appalachian Trail; finally hear the sound of Niagara Falls…These are sounds, images, and thoughts, are unfamiliar to the desert dweller.BUT, on Monday, January 18, 2010, for the first time in 25 years…

AMAZING!...Keep in mind, this is in the DESERT!

Here’s What Happened…

• All semester I had said, I will leave here a happy man if I see flash floods.
• While on my final Shabbat bike ride, Rabbi Michael mentioned the weather forecasts…LOTS OF RAIN.
• Sunday afternoon, during our semester presentations to the community, we received a meteorology report from our professor. We were told that rains were on the way and we were going to experience a VERY unique event.
• Since we had spoken earlier, Michael and I made plans to CAREFULLY chase the floods…
  
  
• I awoke at 5:50 AM. With that feeling of doubt that always occurs when getting up early, I went outside to see if the rain had started. It was raining, but not the torrential downpours that I had imagined based on the reports. But, then I realized, it doesn’t need to be “torrential” for it to be serious in the desert.
• Still dark outside, I went to meet Michael and his son Roi at the car for our adventure.
• We drove up Har Ayit and began our hike with the UTMOST SAFETY…

• At first it was merely raining.
• Then, we began to see tributary streams forming.
• After about 30 minutes of hiking and completely soaked, we got to a large wadi and saw some flowing water, but most was still dry. We continued…
• In one corner we saw water foaming, we thought it was interesting.
• In the distance, Rabbi Michael pointed out some water pouring out of a hole in the cliff. It looked cool, but it was far away.
• All of a sudden, we see the foam become water…it begins to rush….it fills this 10-foot hole within seconds, and heads towards the cliff.
• We move to higher ground…
• AND, within in less than a minute, there’s a WATERFALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT!
  
  
• Indeed, we witnessed the beginning of the flash flood!
• People thought we were crazy, as inhabitants of water-filled areas, to go see this so early in the morning. BUT, it’s not often that you can see a natural phenomenon created!

In other news…

• I’m on the road again.
• I’ve officially left Ketura and made my way north. Thanks Ben (Langer) for driving!
• Although my bags are already in my apartment, I will officially be moving in on Sunday.
  
  

More to come soon…

~Adi

Shoutout #42: Sam Langberg – we have so much in common and it’s like we’re great friends, but we really only met once. I can’t wait to see you in May at Sulam Yaakov and look forward to a flourishing relationship!

P.S. If you have not read these yet, I think you’ll enjoy (well said, boys!):

• Father Knows Best
• The Tel Aviv Cluster

P.P.S. And, if that wasn’t enough:

AYS

When Nature Calls, We Must Respond

Destruction in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake

struck on January 12, 2010. (Photo Credit: Reuters)

Dear Friends,

When nature calls, we must respond!

While it might be difficult to get to Haiti right now, there are many relief organizations that are fundraising in order to have the proper resources to help. Here are some that I recommend. Please follow the links to see how you can give your support:

Partners in Health

-Breaking News from the field

-Donation opportunity

American Jewish World Service

-Jews helping non-Jews around the world.

-Donation opportunity

Google has also setup a site with information about the situation and organizations to support.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out how to get to Haiti. I've already been in contact with the Israeli Mission and Partners in Health. If you have any other connections, please let me know.

Thank you for your support!

Hoping for a well-managed and quick recovery,

Adi

X-Mass, New Year’s, and More

In the days between my trip and New Year’s I was in Maastricht, Bruxelles, Antwerp, Bruges, Gilo, Efrat, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. It’s been crazy, but a lot of fun!

Christmas:

• After a very powerful and draining class trip through Jerusalem, some settlements, and the West Bank, I set out on another adventure…
  
  
• I went with my friend Adli (as well as Bengo and Masha) to his home in Ramallah. His family was very nice, extremely hospitable, and a pleasure to meet. Thanks for having us and serving a delicious meal!
  
• Then, the four of us ventured to Bethlehem for X-Mass Eve. It was very crowded, but it definitely was not your typical American movie Christmas scene. There were no carols, snow, or Santas. But, Manger Square, the area in front of the Church of the Nativity, was filled with visitors, most of whom I do not think were Christian.
  
  
• Bethlehem was very well organized in terms of crowd control and traffic. I was very impressed by the number of Palestinian Security Forces around. There was literally an officer, in full (S.W.A.T.) gear every few meters.
  
  
• I eventually met up with Mike Schwartz and Jeremy Seltzer. We walked back to the border crossing along the wall and ended up leading a “parade” of people who were also looking for the exit. Thanks, Mike, for your accommodations that night.
  
  
• I then spent a spectacular Shabbat with Josh Ackerman, his apartment, and many visiting friends in Jtown. (I think I’m beginning to appreciate Jerusalem again!) Josh, thank you for your hospitality.
  
  
• And, to conclude my two week journey, while I was loading my bag below the bus to return to Ketura, the driver nearly killed me by closing the door on me…then, he blamed me. Welcome back to Israel!

New Year’s Eve:

• There’s no better way to spend this evening than going on a six-hour hike under the full moon with a partial eclipse. And, that we did, thanks to Rabbi Michael and Alison.
  
  
• The New Year was actually brought in at the pub…and then I went to sleep.
  
  
• I owe a double thanks to Evyatar for picking me up at the airport at 12:30 A.M. and coming to visit last Shabbat. As always, we had a great time!

Finally, I am happy to announce that, THANKS TO YOU, AdventureAdi has been very successful since its launch in August ’09. Here are some stats:

• 3,000 Pageviews
• Nearly 2,000 Unique Views
• Over 500 Visitors

I don’t know who’s reading this stuff, but keep up the good work! Toda Raba!

~Adi

Befuddlements

• Isn’t it strange that Israel is one of the only countries to call New Year’s Eve by the name of a very anti-Semetic Pope: Sylvester?!
  
  

• I don’t know if it is global warming, but I REALLY love wearing shorts and a t-shirt on a daily basis in JANUARY!
  
  

Shoutout # 1: REMEMEBR…time has not run out…you can still get a shoutout if you join as a follower or comment on the AdventureAdi…

Shoutout # 2: Gabey Baby Seed, thanks for coming down to visit today/yesterday. I had a great time!

P.S. Nice review, if you're interested: Top green stories of the ‘00s

AYS