From:"Melli Knee"
Subject:matzah + crucifixes = melanie's strange life in peru
Hola chicos y chicas,
Hoping this e-mail finds everyone happy and healthy...once again I write from the country of Peru, where$0.17 will get you most anywhere in the state and thesupermarket workers wear the national soccer jerseybefore all important matches.
As of this writing I am happy to inform all of youthat I officially survived Passover and Easter at aspiritual retreat at the Guay's beach camp. Actually, Easter was much less of an issue than I thought it would be, since I mostly stayed away from the masses and religious stuff. Whenever there was a religious activity scheduled I would climb 175 steps to thedirector's bungalow, where I cooked three meals a day of kosher for passover pasta on a bunsen burner. Yum, yum, yum.
One time I offered to help prepare for oneof the activities in lieu of going to the Eucharisto(or something like that) service, and I ended upsitting for two hours stringing 300+ crucifixes on necklaces. The only thing I could think was 'If onlyJoyce Juda (my youth group director) could see me now.' It reminded me a lot of Spring Convention prep except that I didn't have to make phone calls and instead of plastic superheroes I was dealing with wooden crucifixes.
But I guess if you look at it from another angle Jesus is kind of like a superhero to some people so USY office in Newton, Massachusetts or spiritual christian retreat on the beaches of Panamerican Sur, it's all the same, anyways, right?
The week of Easter, called Semana Santa (saint's week) is an especially dangerous time ideologically for someone who works as a missionary and doesn't believe in Jesus. Now that I'm officially 'out' as a Jew, most people are VERY respectful and also really interested in understanding different aspects of mybelief system. I've gotten some incredibly strange questions like 'do you have to pay more taxes because you're Jewish?' to 'So what does your messiah LOOK like?' ('Brad Pitt' I answered without hesitating, and to prove my point I put a picture of him on my door with a note that says 'Te Espero!' I'm waiting for you!).
But most people are just absolutely incredulous that I don't believe in Jesus. What's worse for them is that I'm rather apathetic aboutit--for me personally it doesn't matter if Jesus existed or not either way. It's difficult for them to imagine that such an integral part of their life has absolutely no effect on mine, and they can'tunderstand why, when they say 'I hope you find Jesus in your life,' I answer 'Thanks but I'm not really looking for him.'
Like I said, people are generally really supportive and very respectful, but sometimesif a certain bible activity didn't go well orsomething like that I feel like there's the attitude of 'Well, the least I can do for Jesus is try to convert the Jew.' Being in Israel was definitely an incredible experience and I loved it but the truth is that I'm learning so much more about my Jewish identeity here than I ever could in Israel.
But just imagine my suprise and exultation, when I discovered that one of the American YMCA volunteers onher way back to the states from Chile who stopped in Peru for a few weeks was also Jewish!!!!!!!!! I felt like I had discovered one of the lost tribes--a fellow Jew at an easter retreat!! 'Let's go eat some Matzah!' I exclaimed happily and together we climbedthe 175 steps to nibble on stale expensive Matzah under a giant cross.
Just picture it: two very Jewish looking girls, one from Boston and one from New York (can you GET any more Jewish) under a 10-15 foot tallcross with a huge banner exclaiming 'Jesus Vive' (Jesus Lives) fluttering in the gentle ocean breeze over our heads. That memory is right up there with 'I don't believe in Jesus because I'm a whore' and other interesting and embarassing experiences here in Peru.
It also serves as the ultimate proof that the song is true: WHEREVERyou go, There's ALWAYS someone Jewish.
Passover was an interesting expereince here, but also incredible because the tunes here in Lima are the same tunes I learned at Temple Emunah halfway around theworld. How incredible that these melodies survive so many years and so many miles, to think, on that night,or every Friday night, Jews all over the world are singing the same prayers with the same melodies. Again proof for my favorite song:
Amsterdam, Disneyland, Tel Aviv
Oh they're miles apart
But when we light the candles on Sabbath eve
We share in the prayer in
ach one of our hearts!
I'm beginning to realize there's more truth and more levels to this children's song than I ever thought possible.
In other aspects I'm continuing to work at the elementary school in Rimac and the Independencia. The incredible difference between the two worlds that exist in Lima--between the haves and have nots--is absolutely mindblowing. How can you not be heartbroken at a four year old who tries to pick pocket you on the bus, or the seven year olds up past 11:00 p.m. on school nights selling roses and candy on street corners?
They have the act down pat--the tears start building up in their eyes at just the right moment and sometimes they can even get a tear or two to roll down their cheek. 'Just 10 centavos (about 3 cents) for a coughdrop so I can buy notebooks for school!'
There's just so much work to be done and I'm only one person, what can I do? There's such a feeling of helplessness...
Well, I guess I'll sign off here. I leave in about two hours at 3:00 AM for a vacation with the other volunteers (4 in total). We're going to Cusco, Machu Piccu, Lake Titicaca, and then we're going to wander through Bolivia by way of La Paz, Cochabamba, and Sucre or however far our limited budget takes us.
We're trying to be as thrifty as possible, so we havea couple of 27 hour busrides in front of us. I think the thing that I'm most excited about, though, is the kosher felafel restuarant with Israelis in Cusco than anything else. What can I say, of course I'm most excited about the food, I'm Jewish!
So enjoy life wherever it's taking you, and be sure to keep in touch, because I miss you all!!!
Con carino, Melanie
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