"Meals with Friends" by MSIH first year blogger Samantha Krieger

Shabbat dinner with the roommates

As I sit down to write this blog, my last post for the foreseeable future, there is so much I want to tell you. I want to impress upon you that these past few months since moving to Israel have not been a cake walk for myself nor any of my classmates. Anyone who tells you otherwise is (perhaps unwittingly) lying. I want you to understand that you will face many challenging, multifaceted problems moving to a new country, adjusting to a new people, and settling into a new career. You will ultimately figure out how to handle these issues but that does not make them any less difficult, frustrating, or trying. Most importantly, I want to convey to you that I am unequivocally happy here.
There are so very many factors that contribute to my overall cheery disposition. I am deliriously enchanted with my classmates. We are the most wholesome, generous, mensch-y group of 35 students’ hell bent on changing the world. I love the prickly, magnanimous Israeli spirit. The Israeli people continue to surprise, inspire, and challenge me to improve myself. I even appreciate Be’er Sheva, a desert city ignored by most Israelis. I could go on and on describing every little thing that makes me incandescently happy here but that would take another thirty pages. So, instead, I am going to tell you my new, favorite activity: Friday night (Shabbat) meals with classmates and friends.
While I am Jewish, I was raised in a rather relaxed Jewish community in which Jewish traditions were stressed rather than their religious significance. My family often ate together on Friday nights but we also ate together every week night. Friday night was differentiated from other nights with freshly baked challah (braided bread made especially on Shabbat). Since moving to Israel, Friday night dinners have become more important to me. It is an opportunity for me to relax, unwind, and connect with my classmates and meet new people.  During the week, we are all wrapped up in our own studying and busy schedules that we rarely take a moment or a meal to actively engage with each other, something that I really value. Shabbat has a way of forcing you to connect with those around you.
Shabbat dinner at a classmate’s apartment
Let me paint a picture for you: sometimes, my roommates and I host dinner, sometimes a classmate will invite me to their meal, and occasionally, a faculty member will welcome me into their house for Shabbat. Certain evenings boast twenty peers whilst others entertain four or five individuals. No matter the location or head count, these dinners feature excessive food, drink, and laughter. We converse about everything under the sun from our zany Microbiology professor’s antics and new research articles shared within our group chat to gun legislation in the United States and religious freedoms. We compete in philosophical debate and card games, complement each other’s delicious cooking, and generally enjoy in each other’s company.
Speaking of Shabbat dinners, I need to prepare for twelve MSIH students eating at my apartment in two hours so I am signing off. Best said by writer Ruth Reichl,
“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”

Until next time,
Samantha

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