Packing, College Board, and Doctors

This morning I got up and took the SAT2s in Math level 2 and U.S. history. They were ok, I just hope I raised my scores. Right after I finished my 2nd test I was told to get in a cab b/c I had a doctor’s appt. I wasn’t really aware I was sick but it ended up being a good thing. When I got back there really wasn’t a point to go to Jewish history b/c there was only 15 min. left. So I just waited til 1:15, got my report card, and went to lunch. Then I had all my general studies. I didn’t really want to go to my general studies b/c I was tired and didn’t feel well but I went and they weren’t too bad. Then I spent my free period packing. Then I had dinner and we had announcements. Along with announcements we listened to our principals story about the holocaust and his life. It was really interesting but now we only have an hour to finish packing up our rooms, pack for Poland, and get all of our stuff into storage. So I am sorry this is short. I will make sure to write while I am in Poland and will post it when I get back.

Last day to study

Shabbat morning is always nice b/c we get to sleep in. We had Shabbat morning services in the Belmont as usual, but with the Israelis b/c they slept here last night. However, by the end of the service only one of them was still in the room. For lunch everyone went to a spring on Tzuba but I stayed behind to study. At 4 we had our last of the 3 poland programs. It focused on how people could be influenced by authority. Then we had havdalah and dinner. But for dinner we had 2 options, go to the mall for 2 hours or stay on Tzuba and order pizza. I stayed behind b/c I had no reason to go to the mall and I needed to study. But I was extremely mad that they hadn’t warned us beforehand that the only way to get somewhat decent food for dinner was to go to the mall (we thought we would be able to eat in the dinning hall). So I had to settle for bad pizza. Then I studied. At 9 we had a stupid rehearsal for our ceremony in Poland (I was not happy to be there b/c I had to waste an hour on a 2 min. song). Now I am back in my room and am going to finished studying and then try and relax before I take the SAT2s in the morning.

Yad vashem

*FROM 11/5*
Sorry I didn’t write this last night but I was really tired and was in study mode. Anyway yesterday morning we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It was really emotional. We walked through with a tour guide and heard many stories of people who survived and people who didn’t. We also learned interesting things such as that the Nazis had a board game for little kids to teach them that it was good to kick all the jews out and the jews had a board game for their kids that taught them how to stay safe. We also went to the room where they have the names of 3.5 million of the jews that were killed (they are still looking for the other 2.5 million names). Unlike the holocaust museum in D.C., Yad Vashem focuses on names and stories rather than numbers. It’s still hard to believe that all those people were killed b/c of one mans ideas and manipulation.
After our tour we went to the Shuk for lunch. Then when we got back to Tzuba, we had like 10 min of free time before the Israelis came. When they got here we had a meeting about the rules and what was going to happen this weekend. Then some of the EIE kids gave them a tour while the rest of us had free time. At 5:45 we had to be at the Belmont for services and then at 8 we had dinner. After dinner we had a program with the Israelis and then bomb shelter, but I didn’t go b/c I was studying for my SAT2s. That’s about all I remember considering I went to be early b/c I was tired and b/c I am trying to get a decent amount of sleep before I take the SAT2s on Sunday morning.

the reality of going to poland

This morning we had morning services but I didn’t go b/c I didn’t feel well. But its ok, I went to the nurse, got medicine and felt a little better (p.s. learned how to swallow a pill- be proud). Then I went to Hebrew. After we learned a little grammar we made chocolate balls (luckily I prepared myself and didn’t eat breakfast so I would be able to eat chocolate balls). They were soo good, and I might have possibly eaten more than I should have (but I evened it all out). Then I had Jewish History. We learned about Zionism. Then I had lunch and general studies. After classes, I had ceremony prep, signed up for winter Kallah, and a Poland prep program. The program consisted of us walking around the room looking at pictures and quotes/stories. It was extremely emotional and scared a lot of us for all the emotion we will be facing next week. As much as I have studied the holocaust, reading all the stuff tonight made me more emotional than I have ever been. I guess it is b/c now I not only think about the information but relate it to me and relate it to the fact that in just a few days I will be seeing everything 6 million Jews went through in person. Now I am going to bed and will hopefully have a good first night of (3 days before the SAT2s sleep).

Yay iTunes!

Today was not a fun day. I know I say this a lot but it was stressful. We had Hebrew this morning and then Jewish history. Then we had general studies, which for me included my econ. midterm and calc. test. Econ. was fine however, math was not at all. After that I had class with econ. and then an SAT practice math and practice English tests. After SAT we had 20 min to get all of our winter/rain gear together to take with us to announcements b/c they wanted to check that we were well prepared (why they only did this 4 days in advance I don’t know). By the time announcements and check were over it was around 9:30. Then Noa (our of our counselors) gave me a piece of pita and some leftover vegetables she had from her day off when she went to dinner at Karma (a really good Italian restaurant, I went there with mom, grammy, and poppy), b/c I hadn’t been able to eat dinner. After I ate, I did homework and opened itunes to find that it was finally downloading my shows! WooHoo! Plus throughout the process of getting it fixed apple gave me 4 TV show credits and one song credit! But now I am going to sleep so that I can make it through morning t’fillah, classes, a Poland prep program, rehearsal for my ceremony in Poland, and SAT2 studying tomorrow. Should be fun!

math is my favorite?

This morning no one could concentrate on anything other than our Jewish History midterm that no one felt prepared for. I spent a great deal of Hebrew class just reading through my Jewish History notes. I have no idea when we learned all of it or how I remembered any of it for the test. But I made it through! The objectives weren’t very easy but the essay was b/c we had already been given the prompts and were allowed to have an outline. I finished the test with a half hour until first period, so I went to lunch and then had an entire hour to relax before starting general studies and panicking about my 2 tests tomorrow. My relaxing period was me signing up for NFTY convention! It actually gave me the best feeling and gave me energy to sit through all my classes. All my general studies were pretty good today and went by fast, especially math (which was a problem). Usually I would say math is not my favorite time of the day but today it was. Today was review day and was optional but I knew I needed the help so I went. It was just me and Sydney; which was nice b/c she would work on one thing and I would work on another and he could help both of us individually with our issues. Steve also brought us marzipan chocolate rugalech! They were soo good! After math I relaxed, did some homework, and went to an early dinner. After dinner I continued to work and then went to announcements and then SAT math prep. I got out of sat prep at 9:15 and have basically been working non-stop since (minus the ceremony prep I had to go to for the ceremony I am help lead in Poland). Now I am going to finish studying for math and econ. and go to bed.

when did i learn all this?

I’m not really sure how I am still able to function. Today we had a regular day of school but we had midterms and studying for Jewish History and lice checks all on top of SATs, packing for Poland, and dealing with the fact that the Israeli teens are coming this weekend. Hebrew and Jewish history were fine but I really just wanted to get to general studies to get my physics midterm over with. Econ. was good and it might just be my favorite class b/c we can joke around but still learn stuff. My physics midterm was fine but it had a lot on it that no one thought would be on it. English and math were fine but I am still freaking out about my math test I have on wed. that determines my grade for the quarter. Then I did some homework, ate dinner, went to announcements, got checked for lice (I don’t have it), and went to go study more. Yay! (But not really). And now instead of sleeping like a normal human being I am going to continue studying for my Jewish history midterm that covers from 2000 BCE to 1700 CE, I have no idea when we learned all of this!