Student Day In Haifa

Israel has a fine tradition called "Student Day" which I was lucky enough to be a part of this past Thursday. It is a celebration of all things student and it meant a big party down by the beaches with several prominent Israeli musicians. It was going to be huge, with students from all over Haifa and the North in attendance.

Elliot "prepares" for the Student Day concerts.

The international school gang gathered at our usual spot on the boardwalk behind the lowest level of the Talia dorms for dinner and pre gaming. I was getting pretty amped up because some of the acts were supposed to be really good. The show didn't disappoint.

Pregamin' it.

The last time I saw a show at the convention center, it was Purim and the party was inside. The Student Day concerts were out on a big open field that I didn't even know existed, across the street from the Haifa Mall. It was quite a setup they had - food, liquor and cigarette stands formed a perimeter with tents and nargila rentals towards the back, and space in the front for dancing facing a huge outdoor stage.

Aviv Geffen performing early on.

As you've just learned, Aviv Geffen was the first act I saw. He was nothing short of phenomenal. One of the most talented musicians in Israel, he gives a great show. Next up was Beri Saharof. I'll admit that I wasn't really familiar with him before the concert. I liked his style though. He was a very easy going stage presence that meshes well with his Hebrew ballad style of music. I was less impressed by ٌRon Denker.

Pyrotechnics were a big
part of Saharof's act.

At about 1 A.M., the headlining band, Infected Mushroom, took the stage. This was after 20 minutes of the Haifa University student union standing on stage and patting each other on the back. Some things are constant even cross culturally. I was most excited about seeing them before I arrived but by the time they finally began to play, I was just exhausted. I took one of the earlier buses back and only heard about 20 minutes of Infected Mushroom. That was dissapointing, but it was great to see so many Israeli acts in one night. How can we bring Student Day to America??

Lea, Elles and Dani at the concert.

A Jewish Engagement

One of my Madrichim, Levi is marrying a girl a grew up with, Ilana Slutsky. I didn't even know they were dating until last Thursday night, when they announced it at an international school event. It was, as they say, an utter mind-fuck. Tonight I went to the engagement party. It was religious, which came as no surprise. It was also mostly Americans. I arrived at around 7, and had a watermelon daiquiri in my hand less than 5 minutes later. It's a Wednesday night and I have class in the morning, so I had no interest in getting drunk, but it was tough not to. They were drinking like it's going out of style.

The party is in the quiet, wealthy neighborhood of נווה שאנן (Nave Sha'anan.) My cousin Prechia lives in the area, though I didn't see her. Did I mention it's a wealthy neighborhood? They had a gorgeous view of the bay facing North, looking out towards Acco and East to the Galilee. If it wasn't for the smog, it would have been flawless. Haifa holds the "honor" of being Israel's most polluted city.

The party was nice, albeit predictable. Levi gave a nice speech about Adam and Eve, and the yearning of the person for his soul/mate. It would have been utterly nondescript, but it was in Hebrew and I followed perfectly. They'll be going back to Chicago next week to celebrate with her family. I wish them a hearty mazal tov and all the happiness in the world.