Illness and Hanukhah

I have been, its been rather horrid actually, but I am almost back to full health although my meds are giving me very vivid and disquieting dreams. I go home tomorrow and now I am so much better I am tidying my room so it is nice when I return I am also working a bit many on my education essay. But this Hanukkah is certainly less joyous than last but now I am getting better it can only improve.

But it has set me thinking one think I am learning as part of my rabbinic training (I may even have learnt it already) is not to approach new situations with to many preconceived ideas. So many of the things that I was dreading and not looking forward to at all turned out to be great and things that retrospect I would not have missed for anything. That applied in a big way to the whole YII. But in small ways too to classes and events. Ah but it cuts the other way too. Things that I was really looking forward to be it particular classes or events have been real disappointments. So I think I'll try in the new year just to see what things are actually like and try not to form ideas before hand. Who knows maybe that will make every thing both better and easier.

Well Happy Hanukkah to one and all.

End of the semester

The semester is almost over I'm first here in London and the third at rabbinical school. So what's changed; I think I know a lot more than when I started which is a good thing given the amount of time, effort and money invested even at this early stage. I am more open to new things both within and external to the Jewish world. And thanks to my time at HUC I have picked up some Americanism. Hence school, which courses so much confusion with my family and UK friends. I also now talk about stores rather than shops and the edge has come off my (rather posh) English ascent. We only have one more day of school left a catch up class for all the sessions we missed because of the haggim (So Monday is Wednesday) and then I'm off on brake. I have a few assessments to do (get ready for) but there is plenty of time and its nothing to onerous so that's okay. This semester has been a lot harder than last (although academically speaking its still far from difficult). I miss Jerusalem, a lot, and my HUC friends. Thank God for Facebook and Skype.
I have been having extra-reading classes because of my dyslexia...and I am enjoying the Bar-Mitzvah tutoring that I am doing. Really its working in the communities that I am enjoying most. It reminds me of why I am doing this. I am looking forward to Hunnakah and then off to spend some time with my family.

Better late than never

So I thought it was about time for a post in my much negated blog; so here goes. As my last post was on the second of October a lot has happened in the meantime. Firstly I had an amazing birthday, many thanks to Emily who is great at getting me to leave the flat and go do something fun rather than just work work work. Then it has almost all been about work but in various forms so I guess thats okay as a change is as good as a rest. Aside from class: Aramaic (very hard and lots to do), Meggilot (Whats to say), Chumash, Modern Hebrew (this is more having a chat than anything), Early commentators,(Hebrew Grammar, education Seminar, Rabbinic Theology (this is more philosophy than it is theology), Modern Jewish History and Talmud. Then we have classes on Practical Rabbinics and something called community and councling skills. So that makes for a very busy Adam.
I am also Bar-Mitzvah Tutoring I have started working in a Cheder (possibly two we shall have to see if that works out) and more often than not I am involved with the Friday night or Saturday morning Services somewhere.

This means that all in all i hardly get to enjoy being in London. Although I have had a chance to see a few movies and i already have my coffee shop great cakes. At the moment I am a little under the weather so I took a day off school (well a day and a half actually) those of you who know me will know that this almost never happens. I am feeling much better after a nice rest but have no voice at all. This happened last year and i have learnt from that experience and so am keeping silent i really want it to come back faster than it did that time. Anyhow that about fills everything in, I'm busy but am having some fun.

New school and Rosh Hashanah

I am now more or less settled into life at LBC although academically speaking this year is much tougher than year one. I am learning Aramaic which is proving really very hard and we have lots of other classes as well because things are much smaller here there is really no where to hide which adds to the stress and strains.

The flat is great I really like it. Although not as much as I liked the one in Jerusalem. I have a placement for the High Holy Days Coventry its really small but a really friendly congregation. So far I have been up there for a Friday night and then for first day RH. I am currently busy working away on Yom kippur: Sermons, service, and Torah readings while trying at the same time to thing about the rest of my school work. Ah well had better go.

Moving forward

Things have been moving along nicely, I guess. I am well towards sorting out a flat to live in in London. My thesis is moving along albeit very slowly. And I am getting sorted out for next year at LBC. I only have last years hand books to go by. So I am not 100% sure that it will be the same this year as last but the courses themselves look okay.
I am also starting to work on High Holy Day stuff. As I now know where my placement is and a basic idea of what will be involved. So am very busy but things are settling into place. Am still missing HUC and Israel like mad.

Back home

Well I am still in UK and still at home, so not much has changed there. I have been on a family holiday to Suffork we stayed right on the coast and it was really a lot of fun, both big sisters came (Helen and Rosie well Rosie lives near by) apart from that all i have really been doing is working on my thesis (slow slow progress) and getting my room organsied and working sorting out a flat for next year. All necessary I guess but not that interesting really.

Back in the UK

Well I'm year in Israel is over, and I am back home in the UK. The ending was rather sad in the end as people started to leave one by one including Emily so I was all alone in the flat i was worried because there was plenty of cleaning to do so i didn't think that I would be lonely but then i got ill (had to go on a drip and every thing)...but got the flat nice and clean in the end and packed on got home okay. I am still working on one or two things arising out of my year in Israel. (see link) and am trying to sort out where Emily and I will rent next year, finish PhD and do admin so am very busy still but am really looking forward to family hoilday.

all the rest is packing

There were lots of closing events spread over three days: Starting with a cheese and wine thing at college with text study followed by Beit-Cafe, that was the same night as the wisky thing over at our place thanks to Gavi. On Friday we had an other event followed by a meeting with Rabbi Marmar and Kabbalat Shabbat and then a collective dinner. And on Saturday there was a closing Havdalah and a BBQ in the accademic courtyard all really
really nice but rahter sad making in the end.

I am now in the middle of packing and cleaning and doing all those little things than need to be done before I can head back. In addition to that I still have on final take home to do some work on my T.Project. Sigh

Eailer I went around to Kol Haneshimah and got their siddur and CD with Tina, will be going for dinner later with Emily and friends.

Tomorrow is my last Talmud study with Tina and Alona.

Revision

Exams start in a couple of days, first one is liturgy (should be okay), followed by Modern Hebrew (very not okay), Late antiquity (absolutly no problem), Bible (okay but its in Hebrew), and grammar (no comment). I still have a mid term to do (shouldn't be a problem) and a reading fluancy test tomorrow also should be fine.
Its sad though because people have started to leave already and all the talk is of when we are back (wherever it is that we are going) and as i don't really want to leave Israel this is a little tough. I am also really tired been working like made on my own and in study groups and there is a lot still to do.

In the final strecht

Today was the last Israel seminar of the year, and tomorrow is all but the last actual day. I think we have class on Sunday and then really soon my class mates start to leave and then I leave...I only have 16 days left thats barely two weeks. And although I would not have believed it possible at the start of this (July 2010) but i really do not want to leave. I have ajusted to HUC and love Israel and have a number of people here to whom I am amazingly close. And I just don't want to go, I really want to see my family and met up with my Friends back home. But I want to go knowning that I'll be back. I am going to miss people like Nathan and Chava, Gavi, Sam (both of them), Iah, Laura, Tina and many more. But I am going to miss Israel most of all. it is going to be hard going from a place that is so vaberant Jewishly to one that is less so. And i know that London is better than where i came from (in terms of its Jewish life that is) but even so.
I am really trying to make the most of these last few days of being in Israel. Then of course there is the little matter of finals and my PhD waiting for me to finish it when I get back home.

Passove

Its my passover hoilday although I have so much stuff to do its not reLLY going to feel much like a hoilday, and the year is simply rushing towards its close which I am finding sad as i am really settled hear now. Well i guess that it was always going to be like that that. I am looking forward to Sader night at Yoki's (he is one of my professors) and Emily and I are going to do a second night sader yes I know that you don't really do second night in Israel but we plan on doing a sci-fi themed one so that should be amazing if we can pull it off.

Tuseday (once more)

So day being a Tuesday was really long it started with double Hebrew, at first we looked over the last Hebrew exam I got 80% which is about my best modern Hebrew exam mark this year (not counting summer Ulpan) and I am really happy, it was really hard getting that mark six hours revision the night before and two that morning but hey its a good mark. Although I still need to do lots and lots of work on my verbs.
My reading class with Yossi went okay although I was and am very tired. Rab texts was rab texts then it was David's class just April, Emily and I today but that was okay and it was an interesting class.
After a grabbed lunch it was Israeli identy where we looked at unuseal haggadot (Marxist and socialist femianst and secular et al) then it was up to Alona's for Tina and my's extra Talmud study thing. And a long walk home Emily brought be some pastaries so that was really nice. It is still raining in Jlem and is really rather cold. I hope for an early night and to be rested tomorrow.

Swift to its close

So the year is now rushing on swift wings towards its conclusion. I must say that this is taking me aback a bit. It started so slowly and now, and now. I have read from the Torah last Thursday and that was the last of my 'things to do' not really because there is still lots of stuff to learn and course work to do exam to take etc., and also I am going to be helping Emily with her service but that is voluntery. It was also become very hot again here in Jerusalem as it looks as though the Summer is about to get going. Sigh.

Last night I went to Friday night dinner around at Tinas, my Chuverut partner. Laura was therre along with Jackei from Kita Alef and Jackei and Tina's new flat mate Ester. She is working for a NGO and comes from London always nice to meet another Brit. :)

It was a fun night started with Kabbalat Shabbat at Shir Hadasha (a MO synagogue on Emek) and then dinner. Although Tina and Jackei did play an Apirls fools day joke on me, lots of salt in the dessert. Actualy it was quite funny.

I don't know what the course was but there was a lot of music and shouting and general noies in Abu Tur last night so I didn't get a lot of sleep ah well. Looking forward to April and May and then home.

A long Tuseday

Tusedays are always very long, but this one seems to have been longer than most. Started early with a Tiyal as part of Ulpan, (there is double Ulpan on Tusedays) we were around KiKar Zion; first with Gregg went to the Teco House and then back towards School for Jackies presnetation. Afterwards we all went to a cafe and chatted in Hebrew for around an hour or so. After Kita I had my weekly session/class with Yossi before Rabbinic texts class then there I had our lunch time session with David which was interesting we are now looking at the Bavli. Then there was a brief brake while I got ready for Yoki's class on Israeli idenity. Then I have my extra class with Tina. (another rabbinical student and a good friend) that class is one of the most interesting things i do. We are are going (very slowly) though tractate brachot. Then I walked back towards Emek and met up with Emily for Sushi. We went to Sushi Rahavia...which is always fun and then home to do some work and watch a little Star treck.

Tomorrow I have an early start with Israel semminar so will try and have an early night

After the shabbaton

So I have been recovering from the Shabbaton, and have had a tough day at uni although I have had time to go to the Shuk which was good. Bought lost of food, and stuff and had a nice long walk. Learning Pi'el Lammed Hay verbs. Got lots of work to do. so had better get going and do something rather than sitting hear blogging.

parallel lives Shabbaton

Hey, I'm so tired have got back from a shabbaton to Benyamina, as part of Parrallel lives. Emily and I got up a little later than I would have liked because I spelt though my alram. So we headed off to the central bus station. Because of the Marathon there were no taxis becuase all the roads were closed. So we had to walk at a very brisk pace in the end we reached the station right at 8:30 after an hour of hard walking. This was the time we were ment to meet, but there were no else there so Emily and I caught the 8:50 number 480 and headed off to Tel Aviv train station. We got there and brought our tickets for the train to Binyamina...there were still no other people at the station so when we caught the train we tried to make contanct with other people.
In the end we got a phone comversation, to let us know that some other participants were making their way to the locations by Taxi. In they end we reached Binaymania and went to the house where the first event was going to take place. (An event led by Emily), and then we went to our hosting families for dinner. And then a shabbat evening service led by some of the soligers. The next day we had a number of events, some of them outside. (I got very badly sunburnt). After a long day with lots of socialising and some very interesting events four of us got a taxi back to Jlem, getting here rather late. I the next morning I wasn't well so didn't make it in for Hebrew although I did get there in time for Liturgy. Now have to get on with some work.

Yet another post

So hey not sure what is happening that i am posting again so soon. Mum and Dad have returned to Enland, well actually at the moment they are still on route, it was really nice having them here even for such a short time. I have had my Hebrew oral and i think that it went well. It was about Herod's tomb (which is in a park behind the King David Hotle) .

I also want to reassure anyone reading this that I am okay and well after yesterday's event.

Purim and mum and dad

We are having fun, on Saturday night I took mum and dad to Havdalah at HUC, although it was a small turn out, and then we went to the old city and the westernall...on Suday we went shopping at the Shuk which both mum and dad liked a lot. Latter that evening we all went to Kol HaNeshamah (where we went for Friday night as well) to hear the Megilah read. Its been lots of fun so far. :)

Today they went on a tour of Jlem while i stayed home at the flat to get ready for my Hebrew oral examination tomorrow and to do some other things as well

The year continues 2

So once again it seems that I am going to start a blog entry with an appology about not updating my blog sooner. I guess that that is just one of those things. And again like last entry i want to comment on how quickly the year is going now! Summer ulpan seemed to take forever and first semester was slowish but second is simply flying by; i can hardly believe that a) I have been in Israel now for eight months (thats almost unbelievable) and that in 72 days time I return to the UK.
Since my last update quite a lot has happened.
We had the southern Tiyal. We started off in Yeroum, which is a develpoment town south of Bethsheba, and we then went to the Kibbutz were we were staying Yahel, and after a day walking in Timmnah natinal park we went down to Eilat and went swiming of the reef, amazing fishes. The next day we went to an envirmental Kibbuzts also in the deep Negeve. The desert is amazingly beautiful and after being there even if only for a few days it is more obivous why the great religons emerge from there.
Apart from the southern Tiyal my year is continuing as normal, with classes and lots and lots of work. Rabbinic Texts is going well, in fact I am going an extra not for credit class there just me and Tina (a felllow rabbinical student) it is great and Aliona is also an amazing teacher. The continuing (two semister classes) are carrying on Mordern Hebrew is still by far and away my worst subject but even there I am making progress. I have also given my second Sermon (this time on a Saturday) and as it turned out Jonathan Magonent was in the congregation.
Last week Emily's parants came to Jlem to vist with her and this week my mum and dad are in town.

So all in all things are going well and i am enjoying myself.

The year continues

I seem to be really really bad at up-dating this blog. Ah well better late than never I guess. Things are still much the same although after going really slowly at first this year has started to speed up, not sure if thats a good thing or a bad. I have settled into my second Semister nicely (I am enjoying Rabbinic Texts) its relatively striaght forward at the moment. Hebrew Modern is still progressing (i think it is getting better but ask me again tomorrow after my next mini-exam), Late Antiquity is really interesting and goes well with Rab. Texts...I am also really enjoying 'Jewish identity in Contemporary Israel' which is one of my elective course. It is very phiolosphical which really suits me.
I still think that one, if not the high-light of the year is Israel Seminar which is great and gives us access to a whole range of Israeli society that it would be very hard if not impossible for me to access on my own.
Bible is wonderful I think that Yossi is among the best and most interesting teachers I have every had.

Its not all work work work tho., a lot of it is. I do get sometime to socalise as well. Yesterday I went for Shabbat dinner at Joel's house (Joel is a friend from back home and a Masorti Rabbi).

It has also started raining here, which is great as we really really really needed the rain. I am busy working on my next drash (due on the 26th) and on my Traruma project(s) so there is plenty to keep me going. The next big thing that is coming up is the Southern Tiyal. I am quite excited for that as I haven't been to the south of Israel as yet and it looks really really beautiful. Well I had better go. Hebrew to learn and books to read.

Home and my Drash

Hey there. Quite a bit has happened since I last posted. Firstly i went home back to the UK for a short brake it was really nice to see family and friends and little Aaron who has grown so much. The only real problem was that it was too short atime to spend there before I had to come back to Israel (although Jlem really does feel like home now-I guess I am luck to have two place that feel that way) anyhow school has restarted and I am busy again. I still have modern Hebrew which I think may actually be getting a little easier, I also stil have grammar, and liturgy. The new subjects are Rabbinic texts and and Late Antiquity both of which I think will be really interesting.
I have given my first sermon (or Drash) i was more nervous than I was expecting altough I think it went quite well. Apart from that not that much has been happening.

More exams and back home.

Hi its been ages and ages since I last posted sorry about that. So long in fact that I have taken all my end of term exams. I think that they went well with the exception of Modern Hebrew, which didn't go great but was not as awful as it might have been. But I shall have to wait until I get the results back to know for sure. So far the only exam that i have had back was Second Temple Period History. I got 95%. So I am quite happy.
At the moment I am back home in the UK although only for a few days. I am still working on Modern Hebrew although at the present my main priorities are my up coming drash and writing the booklet on Fast for NIffty. Any how its good to be home however briefly and to have gotten though the whole first semester. Yeah only nine left to go. :)