Good evening (morning) ladies and gentleman. I hope you are all doing well. Myself, no complaints. Sababa! as they say out here. Well I have now been at Yeshiva Mivtar for a little over a week, and I must say I am quite happy with my choice on coming out here. The rabbis/teachers of the school are very chilled, and the guys here are too. My roommate is another nice midwesterner like myself and we often have fun making fun of the New Yorkers, those crazy people! I am slowly filling up my schedule with classes, that I will enjoy to learn, and occupying the other time with little adventures, to get to know the region. They even have cable modems for the computers. I mean this place is chilled.

People envision this: I am looking out my window, I see one road, a main highway thoroughfare and between that and me are vineyards. Cannot wait till its grape season, yalla! Our caravans are located on the edge of a hill, one of thousands in the area, just rolling hill after rolling hill. Majestic. The sun comes over on the left side of the hill and then sets on the bottom of the right falling down behind, yes, another hill. Cats roam the area and keep all the rats and mice out of our caravans. The caravan below me (in the next row of the hill) is the caravan for the soliders which are on duty by the gate to the school and the gate to Migdal Oz. There is a rotation of 5 soldies, one always off. These guys are a cool crew and I have found a new group of people to whoop butt in at backgammon (sheishbeish). I am slowly picking up the hebrew slang from them, and when they aren't looking, stealing bullets! Just kidding, no need for that anymore!

The area that I am in is called the Gush, which is because there is a small Yishuv called Gush Eztion, in which there is a yeshiva called Har Etzion home of Rabbi Lichenstein, and Rabbi Amitel, two of the brightest the Jewish people have to offer. A friend of mine, Yehuda Rock learns there and I intend to start tremping (hitchiking) over there and learning with him. Don't worry you all; tremping is not as bad as you think. Its quite safe, as long as an Arab doesn't get you, yala inshalla! So the group of guys here are from all over the States and then there is a rabbinic program with a mixture of Israeilis and Americans, now living here. This crew is smart and on the top of the class. I actually think I am on the lower end. Don't get me wrong, not talking myself down, just talking them up. For example, one guy here is just finishing up and starts Harvard Medical school this fall. Another guy is going to Yale Law School. Sharp dudes. But it's good for me, lots of books to read of theirs, and for once I can actually listen to some good stuff instead of talking, as I am so used to.

How long will I be here? What am I going to do after this? Good questions. Not sure, but I hope I just get into the learning more. I am going to be applying to grad school in Business. Though, whether I go or not, not sure. You see, the gov't will pay for my masters, so I am leaving this option open. In two weeks is the 16th of Shvat, which in Israel marks spring, so I am hoping that the winds slow down and the weather gets warmer. Though I am sure you are all freezing out there in your teens and low twenties. Yep, things here are good! Sababa and Shalom from Israel. Peace and Love and Respect to you alls!!!!

Strength & Blessing

Yaakov S. Y. Cohen