Israel by Nechama Tawil votta love life in Israel takes some adjustment, then it feels like home. he phrase may be "sharpen your mind," but when it comes to Israel, "sharpen your el- bows" may be more appropriate. Welcome to the country where push always comes to shove. Checkout lines or bus boarding, though safe in other countries, can leave you bruised and aching here. And it's not just getting on the bus that can in- jure you; the ride itself can be pretty intense. Harry Potter's Knight Bus has nothing on Israel's invinci- ble drivers. They possess the skill to maneuver hair- pin turns, tailgate within a hairsbreadth and zoom down streets, invisible to police. Maybe speed lim- its don't exist here or perhaps the signs are purely for scenic purposes. Clothing, food and language are cultural essen- tials, and Israel definitely has its own brand of each. The current fashion here is to layer as many pieces of clothing as possible atop one another — dresses over skirts, skirts over skirts, skirts over pants, skirts over skirts over pants (you get the idea), in various dubiously coordinating patterns, prints or colors. Foodwise, the Israeli staples are falafel and shwarma, leaving you so stuffed you soon resemble a sufganiya (doughnut, which, strangely, is sold only around Chanukah). Yet the natives still somehow manage to keep their toothpick-like figures. Think you have a pretty firm hold on Ivrit (He- brew)? Hate to break it to you you, but it won't help much. The Hebrew language defies even its own rules. Take the everyday slang expression, chaval al hazinan, a waste of time. Yet it's used as a tip-top com- pliment. A cousin explained: It would be a waste of time to describe how good it is. Oh. I get it. And then there's those grammar-defying words that contain as many letters as a box of Alpha-Bits. Ask someone to read it for you and, lo and behold, it'll be an English word in Israeli tongue — rolled r's and all. And they'll swear up and down the word is straight Hebrew. Despite all this (or perhaps because of it), I fell in love with the country. You gotta love a place like this. You meet the most eccentric people, along with the most sweetest and most inspiring. There are giant message boards lining the streets, positively coated with elegantly worded funeral an- nouncements, rabbinic decrees, pleas from charity organizations and the weekly candlelighting time. Most of the graffiti is biblical and there are mezuzot Nechama Tawil in Beit Shemesh, Israel on the Ikea room displays. The English signs are a constant source of entertainment and the bakeries are to die for. I wrote this on a bus back from Rishon L'tzion. We passed the final curve before entering Yerusha- layim and the valley that introduces the city spreads out beneath us, all glittering lights against the dark sky. Cliché unin- tended, I feel like I'm home. t ) Nechama Tawil, 17, of Southfield, attended Ateres B'nos Yerushalayim seminary in Rechavia, Jerusalem, last year. She is home for the summer. feature: own two hands by Alex Zaslow braiding bread and making memories for his bar mitzvah. emories last a lifetime. Some kids re- member their b'nai mitzvah decorations. Others recall the songs played. Some remember parts of their candlelighting speeches. Photo albums are filled with these memories. Jason Goldring, 13, of West Bloomfield has a different beautiful memory from his June 27 bar mitzvah at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. He'll never forget making his own challah at Dakota Bread in West Bloomfield for his big day. Jason is cognitively impaired. "It was not hard for Jason to prepare for his bar mitzvah," said his mother, Carri Goldring. "He worked with a tutor and studied hard like most do in preparation for their bar or bat mitzvahs." On hand to guide Jason at Dakota Bread was the bakery's former owner, Loren Stewart, who often invited people to stop by and make challah. He then decided it would be great to invite children to make their own challah for their b'nai mitzvah. "It is a special, important thing that the kids will remember," said Stewart of West Bloomfield, a Re- altor for Real Estate One, who does business with Carri Goldring at John Adams Mortgage Co. in Farmington Hills. He heard about Jason's upcom- ing bar mitzvah and thought about the bakery. "I knew a little about Jason, and I thought it would be a very cool idea and a special memory," said Stewart, who knows Dakota's current owners. So Jason learned to braid, making about five challah loaves. As everyone stood around the big wooden table, dough was rolling everywhere. "I am so proud of him for wanting to get in- volved," his mother said. "It is a great thing to make it and have his hands on it as opposed to just buying it. It also brings him into the Jewish aspect of his bar mitzvah. It is not just a themed party." It was a big surprise when his grandfather, Mar- vin Kohn of West Bloomfield, walked in the bakery. Jason lit up with joy; the two have a close bond. "He is the best, most sincere, lovable little boy," Kohn said. "I think it is great to have him doing this. He likes to try different things; he is really good about that. It is important for him to have me Dakota Bread owner Jennifer Wilson of Commerce helps Jason Goldring braid a challah for his bar mitzvah as former Dakota owner Loren Stewart of West Bloomfield looks on. be there to watch him grow." A dog lover, Jason can't have a dog because his mom is allergic, so he goes to his grandfather's house to play, walk and care for his dogs. To in- corporate his love for dogs into his simchah, Jason hosted a June 28 dog party at Club Pet Too in Com- merce Township. All 20 dogs got goody bags. After Jason's big weekend with friends and fam- ily, including dad Mike and siblings Jacob, 11, and Carly, 9, he felt accomplished and happy he contributed so meaning- fully to his simchah. He now has memories to cherish forever. Alex Zaslow, 17, will be a freshman at Indiana University in Bloomington. teen2teen July 16 • 2009 B3