Limmud, home and assessments

Limmud was as always wonderful so many people old and new. Great learning and teaching.  That first and second day there is always a joy I cannot go more than a few feet without meeting someone  I know and greeting an old friend.
This year I was teaching four sessions as part of the new Beit Midrash program (which is a fantastic idea and one with which I am keen to help with, next year).  These went well, they were on the topic of Judah and Tamar. (Looking at it four ways). I was also helping out with the Chervarta project, this also went well.

Although I enjoyed limmud tremendously I am very tired. Back home in Stoke getting on with work for the new semester and with my assessments. Busy as always. Happy but Busy.

End of semester, manchester, Limmud.

I was thinking about where to post this entry. Here or in my other blog. However, I think that the other blog is no more or less defunct so I shall post it to this particular one. Thinking about it I feel that the semester ended with something of whimper rather than with a roar. And I still have assessments to do for it. But my seventh semester at rabbinical school is over. Currently I am in Stoke although only for a single evening.

This morning I went for an NF check up in Manchester, good news I am in excellent health. Better in fact than when I was last seen. Way back when in 2007. But what struck me was how much the hospital has alter. It is almost unrecognisable from what it was last time I was. Very bright very modern.

What I found more alarming was how much the whole area around the university has changed. I wont say that I hardly recognised it, because it was still very clearly my old stomping ground. But considering how much time I spent there over such a long period of time it was really really different and it felt really disconcerting. To be somewhere which was simaltainously utterly familiar and yet very changed. And in the end I no longer felt at home there. Which given how long its been since I went back is hardly surprising.

After this very short visit home I go back to KLS tomorrow to lead a Friday night service then I have one last day to get ready for limmud.

Then on Sunday though Thursday there is Limmud and then I come home for a bit. Probably about a week. Then some concentrated work on assessments and my eighth semester starts.  

Homiletics Bibliography

Those of you who read my blog will know that I am writing my rabbinic dissertation on the pedagogy of Homiletics in progressive seminaries. What follows is a partial bibliography. Those entries marked with (coll.) are collections of sermons, those with (ReMeth) relate to research methods and theory. Anything else, unless otherwise stated will be a book about preaching. Mostly this will be a straight up Bibliography. However, sometimes I will make a very short comment about a particular entry. I hope this is interest to every one and useful to those looking to learn about preaching either for first time or to improve their skills.
Most of these books, especially ones on 'how to preach et al', are from a Christian context and are really very Christian indeed. They are nevertheless full of good advice and ideas on how to give a sermon. But if like me you are coming at them from a Jewish perspective just be prepared for the fact the sermon works differently in liturgical contexts of Christianity and Judaism. (AF)

Berkowitz, Henry. 'The Rabbi as Preacher' in Intimate Glimpses of the Rabbi's Career.  Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1921.

Berry, D., H., (ed., trans). Cicero Political Speeches. Oxford World's Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Cohen, Louis et al. Research Methods in Education. 5th edition London: Routledge Falmer, 2003 (1st edition 2000).

Day, David.  A Preaching Workbook.  London: SPCK, 2004 (1st 1998).  This is an interesting book in general just because of what it can tell about the history of American Reform Judaism.

Hamilton, Donald L., Homiletical Handbook. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992.

Heywood, David. Transforming Preaching: The Sermon as a Channel for God's Word. SPCK Library of Ministry: London, 2013.

Lord, Jennifer L. Finding Language and Imagery: Words for Holy Speech. Minneapolis:  Fortress Press, 2010.

Mason, Jennifer. Qualitative Researching.  London: SAGE, 2002. (ReMeth).

Moore, Henrietta L., (ed.)., Anthropological Theory Today. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1999.

Rayner, John D. An Understanding of Judaism. Providence and Oxford: Berghahn Books, 1997. (coll.)

Sangster, W., E.  The Craft of Sermon Construction.  London: Marshall Pickering, 1989 revised (1st 1954)

Schostak, John. Interviewing and Representation in Qualitative Research. Maidenhead: Open University press, 2006. (ReMeth).

Shulman, Sheila. Watching for the Morning Selected Sermons. Beit Klal Yisrael by Pronoun Press, 2007. (coll.)

Tanner, Mark. How to Preach a Good Sermon: A Practical Guide R38. Cambridge: Grove Books Limited, 2009. (This series is more Booklets than books but the ones I have read have been very useful nevertheless.)

Tashakkori, Abbas and Charles Teddlie. Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Applied Social Research Methods Series Volume 46. London:  SAGE Publications,  1998.

Vibert, Simon. Excellence in Preaching: Learning from the best.  Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Press, 2011.

Waller, John. How to prepare and Preach a Sermon W182. Cambridge: Grove Books Limited, 2005. (This series is more Booklets than books but the ones I have read have been very useful nevertheless.)

All busy is relative

There is a famous Chasidic story. About a man who goes to see his Rebbe because of his troubles. He lived in his one room house with his wive and his children and it was always crowed and nosey. It was always so nosey and there was always so much going on that he found it impossible to conduct his work as a taylor, study of pray.

The Rebbe listens to his tale and then paused for thought before suggesting, 'Why don't you take your dog into the house?'.

The man is baffled, but follows his Rebbe's advice. A week later he goes back to his Rebbe and pours out his heart. 'Rebbe, its even worse now'.  Its crazier than ever and nosier as well.

Again the Rebbe paused, before he suggested, 'Why not bring in your chickens as well'. The man was doubtful but followed the advice.  He moved the chickens into the one roomed house along with his family and their dog.

A week latter he was back with the Rebbe, 'Oh Rabbi he said now its unbearable, the chickens clucking, and the dog barking and my children running around all night because they cannot sleep! I'm at my wits end what shall I do'.

Again the Rabbi pauses for thought and prayer before saying. 'One last try, you have two cows nun?, well move them in as well.

Again the man follows the advice of his rabbi and moves the cows into the room along with the dog the chickens and of course his family.

This time its just two days before the man is back with his Rebbe. The Rebbe takes one look at him and says. 'Alright take out the cows, and the chickens and the dog and then come back in a week.'

Always the dutiful chassid the man followed this advice as well.

The next week when he returned he was all smiles, the small house seemed so quite and there appeared to be so much space.

One moral being its how you look at things that makes all the difference.

I have been going though my diary and looking at what I have on and its a lot.  But because of how insanely busy last year was even though I have assessments, and commitments at KLS and Limmud and all sorts of other stuff. It feels not only manageable but good.

Another quick post

Today was a busy but productive day. It got off to a rough start because I had had a really poor nights sleep. At College Emily and I had two presentations the first one was early right after the morning service. Liturgy this went really well I was really happy about and think it will get a good mark. (Although I am more pleased because I think it will result in something useful).

I then had some spare time to rush about and do some chores, they needed to be done. Then it was time for the second presentation of day. Advanced Rabbinic Literature I think this went well as well although not as well as liturgy but good nevertheless.

Then I had to rush off to meet with my personal trainer, it was a good but such a tiring session as she has upped the level again.

Then I came back ate a quick dinner and now even though its still basically early I am going to go to sleep.

Hopefully tomorrow I will make progress on my other pressing commitments.

A Busy and a productive day

I don't have anything profound to say today, not that thats unusual. But I am going to try and blog more regularly if I can. Today was a busy one but at least I got a lot done with it.  As normal it started with a morning service, a really enjoyable one as it happens.

Then I had an extended class on Progressive Rabbinic Decision Marking, which too was very interesting. I came back to flat dropped some of Emily and my things off at the laundrette and then went back into college for our afternoon class on Readings in Modern Jewish Thought which as always was excellent.

Then I went and worked in the Library, which was a hive of activity we must be approaching crunch time. :) where i wrote two presentations which are due to be delivered tomorrow.

Then it was home for dinner (a simple cheese omelette) but it tasted great, probably because I was very hungry by that stage. It also held its shape better than most that make.

I was intending to do some more work on my Rabbinic dissertation research proposal, but I think I am going to leave that until tomorrow and try for an early night.

I have made some progress on Limmud, so I am feeling calmer all around.

Tomorrow is set to be a busy day also so a good nights sleep would be a wonderful thing. So here's hoping.

Hanukkah, Home, and lots and lots of work

Hi lovely people over here on this blog, or any of my blogs really.  It feels like time for an update.  I have been very very very busy and I know I start nearly all my blog postings this way but this is because I nearly always am very busy.

Last weekend I managed to slip in a visit home, which was very nice as Hanukkah was still happening, as always I was surprised by how much Aaron has grown and changed since the last visit even though the prior visit was only five weeks earlier, he is changing at a remarkable rate.

At school academically things are still going well, although as the semester draws to a close I am getting increasingly busy. For example I have two presentations next week, and I am starting to think but essays and the like.  I am also quiet a long way along with preparing my research proposal for my Rabbinic Dissertation, which is both good and rather scary.  Outside of school work I am still really enjoying working at Kingston Liberal Synagogue, which is a lovely community and I am learning so much from Charley B.

This weekend has proved enjoyable but tiring, Friday Night I went to Hendon Reform Synagogue to their first ever Rock Kabbalat Shabbat, which was a great success and I stayed on for the supper.

Saturday I went down to KLS to attend the interfaith/family service and then afterwards there was a meeting of the teachers for the religion school.

Then that evening I met up with some old friends, Mandy, Ali and Matthew, so that was fun but it meant a late night.

I have, as you will not be surprised to learn, a lot to do today, including the general stuff of life and of course preparation for next week.

Looking forward there is limmud, still a lot to do on my sessions but I am excited about the conference and seeing everyone again. Also this year's chevaruta books look fantastic.

So all in all things are good and there are 574 days to go.