Living in Israel is a fascinating experience, full of both practical and existential struggles. This has confounded HUC-JIR Year-in-Israel students, who are also struggling with a range of issues as future rabbis, cantors, Jewish educators, and communal servants. With the advent of technology, many students have gone public with their reflections. The result is a dizzying array of blogs which span the spectrum in terms of frequency of posting, readability, visual appearance, and the all important title creativity.

Guest blogger Jaded in Jerusalem (not his or her real name), wades through the mess to give you, our loyal Molly and Bess on Moshe Hess readers, the skinny on the Top 5 HUC Year-in-Israel Blogs:

1. Molly and Bess on Moshe Hess - While they may have forced our hand on this one [EDITOR’S NOTE: Molly and Bess actually did not force anybody’s hand at this one. Therefore, readers should be wary of guest blogger’s credibility.], the truth is that this site, written by LA bound rabbinical students, Molly Plotnik (who is not on Facebook) and Bess Wohlner, stands out for its daily updates, concise postings, creative title, and original content. We are also a big fan of their ground-breaking use of videos. We are pretty sure that Molly and Bess were the inspiration for the HUC Library system video tutorials.

2. Kotel6 – Ethan Prosnit’s blog ranks high for its humorous take on daily life in Israel while not ignoring some of the big questions. We just wish he would post more often. We also enjoyed his short-lived clash with My Holiday Inn Israel, written by Ethan’s better half, Arielle Traub. Unfortunately, Arielle’s blogging is simple to lax to warrant a spot in our extremely prestigious rankings. Fortunately for Arielle, she has Ethan beat in almost every other area.

3. HaTickVa – Ally Tick’s blog may have the best title around, but we have never actually been able to make it through an entire post. They remind us of the readings for David Ilan’s Biblical Archaeology course. On the flip side, Ally’s blog is a good substitute for taking notes in class.

4. CantrBantr – We like Dave Mintz’s title but it was all downhill from there. Baruch HaShem, he is in cantorial school. Without the title, his blog would rank on par with Operation: Rabbi! by Yoni Regev, which was last updated on July 4, 2009 (please note that orientation for HUC began on July 14, 2009).

5. Official YII Blog – This is probably the most useful blog on our list, chalk full of helpful resources for HUC Year-in-Israel students. We particularly like the recording of the HUC Choir singing Samachti, and how closely the color scheme mirrors the blog for HUC Year-in-Israel Director Yoshi Zweiback’s band Mah Tovu.

Guest blogger, Jeremy Leigh, has been working on his top six Israeli films for at least a month. We wanted to explain the difference between Top Five Lists and Top Six Lists, but he’s a professor at HUC, so we figure he knows best…

Here is Jeremy Leigh’s Top Six List of Israeli Films:

1.     אביבה אהובתי / Aviva Ahuvati (2007)

The ultimate ‘centre / periphery’ film, with a stunning performance by Assi Levi as a aspirant writer / low paid cook in a mass production kitchen, all the time holding her dysfunctional family together. From poverty stricken Tiberius she seeks affirmation of her talents as a writer from her teacher in Tel Aviv, a journey fraught with challenges. This film celebrates the underdog, but more importantly subverts the idea that the periphery cannot be the centre for culture.

2.     שנת אפס / Shnat Efes (2004)

Israeli cinema finally succeeds in making a complex film that is not about being Israeli.

3.     אבנתי פופולו / Avanti Popolo (1987)

Just hours after the ceasefire that ended the 6 Day War, two drunken Egyptians and three power drunk Israelis encounter each other in the Sinai desert. Given the fact this was made in 1986 and thus classified as a post Lebanon War I film, the significance of Rafi Boukaee’s film is all the more significant. The ‘other’ is not only exposed as human but also a moral challenger to the self confidence of the victorious Israeli.

4.     ביקור התזמורת  / Band’s Visit (2007)

Almost an Oscar nominee for Foreign Film category but too much English apparently. Strange really since Israelis and Egyptians, the stars of this superb film would hardly speak Hebrew to each other. This is a class A performance by acclaimed actors Ronit Alkabetz and Sasson Gabbai as a slightly lost soul (Alkabetz) and Egyptian band leader (Gabbai). Thankfully not allowed to be a cliched Arab – Israeli conflict film, it is an optimistic celebration of human solidarity.

5.     כנפיים שבורות  / Broken Wings (2002)

Nir Bergman’s touching and life affirming story of a family ‘on the edge’, struggling to cope with the death of the father / husband, whose senseless and avoidable death from a bee sting, is a powerful commentary on the nature of ‘Israeli death’. Stripped of any heroism, this backdrop to the film’s drama is made more powerful when one considers that it was made as suicide bombers were blowing themselves up in Israel’s cities.

6.     עבודה / Avoda (1935)

Admittedly this entry may be a rather geeky addition from an over keen Israel Studies teacher but it is a superb showcase for Zionist sweat and dedication. Made in 1935, this is a pioneer film that has superb production and camera work. One has to love a film whose ‘happy ending’ is the success of completion of an irrigation project.

Sally Klein-Katz teaches Jewish Education at HUC-JIR and answered our question: If you could invite one person, living or dead, to be your Ushpiz (guest) in your sukkah, who would it be and why? Enjoy!

I would like to invite into my Sukka Miriam the Prophetess, the first woman in the Tanach to have this title.  With only 4 references in the Torah, Miriam still plays a significant role in the Exodus drama that forms the basis of the birth of Am Yisrael.  As a little girl, she demonstrated quick thinking, resourcefulness and responsibility; which lead to Moshe being raised for the first few years by his own mother! [Exodus 2:1–10]  Immediately following the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, Miriam leads the joyful celebration and prayers of thanksgiving. [Exodus 15:20–21]  As a woman/older sister, her human side taught us all the lesson of the disease of jealousy and Lashon HaRa [Numbers 12:1–6]; and following her punishment she is not heard from again until mention of her death. And then we also learn that at Miriam’s death, the waters in the desert dried up; linking these two major events. [(Numbers 20:1]

Miriam did not enter the Promised Land, and just like her two brothers, Moshe and Aharon, Miriam was buried in the wilderness. Miriam the Prophetess was the female leader of our people, leading us out of Egypt to a difficult and scary transformation. [“I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.” Micah 6:4]

Miriam the Prophetess demonstrated faith, courage, intuition, creativity, quick thinking, ability to act and a capacity for joy.  As with the other heroes of the Tanach, Miriam’s strengths and weaknesses were preserved for us to learn and be inspired

So I would like to (and did) invite Miriam the Prophetess into our Sukka, as I want to learn more from this amazing woman leader!  Just as I invite Miriam every year to our Seder table, and place a glass of water (the sustenance of life) on our Seder table in her name.

Guest blogger and professor, David Levine, shares his answer to our question: If you could invite one person, living or dead, to be your Ushpiz (guest) in your sukkah, who would it be and why?

“I’d have to split my answer into several parts:

1. A few guests from the 12th century Tosafist Academy of Rabbeinu Tam in the town of Ramerupt in Nothern France. The grandson of Rashi together with his student R. Isaac of Dampierre redefined halakhic thought. During these decades they developed a new approach to the talmudic text, expecting all talmudic sugyot (discussions) to be harmonious and conceptually consistent. In order to make this happen, new understandings and categories had to be discovered and invented. The theory and practice of Halakhah were transformed.

2. Reb Simcha Bunim and his circle from the Polish town of Przyzucha (pronounced Peshischa). This Hasidic rabbi had traveled some of Europe’s urban centers and supported himself and his family as a pharmacist. He developed an inner-hasidic critique of the prevalent routine and stock-pile expressions of Jewish religiosity. He combined psychological insight with intellectual rigor in a desire to encourage personal paths of spiritual expression for his students. Menahem Mendel of Kotsk was one of these students. This expression had a down-to-earth quality but was likewise engaged with the deepest recesses of spiritual yearning. Simcha Bunim’s ‘quest for authenticity’ was thought-provoking and mesmerizing.

3. Last but not least…Deep Purple, with an up-close look at Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar prowess (not the geriatric images of yesteryear Rock stars that are rampant these days).

Imagine a Sukkah with all this…”