Purim and a very busy week

I am well but a little tired.  On Monday we had a delayed Purim at the college which was fun.  We studied purim 'talmud', and wore fancy-dress costumes.  Tuesday was a fairly normal but quite hard as Tuesdays tend to be because they fun so late and Wednesday was unremarkable as well.  So much so that I cannot remember anything about it really.  Other than that the morning service was led by Jeremy (who is one of our teachers) and he led it as a Sapardi (orthodox) service.  So that was interesting.  

Thursday we (Emily and I) started our Norwood placement which looks as though it is going to be both very well organised and interesting. So that was a bright note.  We then rushed back to the college for one of our sessions with Rabbi Indigo and the very tail end of student society meetings.  

Friday I headed off to Cambridge to view the Geniza fragments with Aiko.  It was fascinating and Aiko is really good fun.  

I then rushed, and rushed is correct term. Back to flat in time to pay our water bill before heading back out to an LJ Roots Friday night service lead be Emily and Benji.  It was really good they used a version of Mishkan T'fillah (which was a sight for sore eyes-although I can hardly believe that I am saying this). Although this did make me a little homesick for Jerusalem and Kol Haneshamah, not to mention all my HUC friends.  

This morning I went off to New North London Synagogue, which I always enjoy and don't get to go enough.  The only other thing that is happing is that we are trying to get our washing machine replaced.  I think that it should be okay but sooner would be better than latter.  

Academically things are still proceeding smoothly, I hope to work on more of my essays that are due in June next week. Even though I have lots of other things on as well :(

So all in all I am busy, very busy, and tired. But am doing well. 

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.

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.

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

Friday night service

Well I have now led my Friday night service along with Nancy my Cantor, she was amazing and i think that the service was really beautiful (more her than me really). I ended with a priestly blessing which is something that I have missed since getting here (other people have also missed it). And with Nancy's help I introduced some British Reform tunes.

But on Saturday and even more so on Sunday i had no voice at all. Now quite late on Sunday night (I am about to go to bed ahead off another school day) I cannot even wishper. Sigh I feel fine thought so its not that bad.

News

Again I have left it ages without posting and a lot has happened and time is short. We had our Northern Tiyal up to the Galil to the Kenarit (Thats lake Tiberus to those not in the know). We went to Kiryat Shamona, and Tel Hei (both the momument and college). Right up to the boarder with Lebanon to a Moshav, and my group went way up into the Golan to very near the boarder with Syria. We also went on a 'night safari' where we saw owls, and Israeli swomp cats (and no thats not a joke), large birds and smallier birds.
We also got one, rather short chance to swim in the Keneret. Of course we went to Tel Dan and saw the archelogical reamains there, which I have to say are really very impressive also Tel is very beautiful. However it was so hot especial given where we were and how late in the year it is.
By the time I got back I was feeling pretty horried and flet rubbish on Friday but did all the useal Friday things but basically took things easy...on Saturaday I headed off to the Conservative Synagogue on Argon Street. I really enjoyed the service and the sermon it was great. Afterwar i went for lunch with a couple of other HUC stendents...We had Sunday off but by then I felt dreadful really really ill. So I headed off to the health centre, with the help of the amazing and wonderful Emily and they took one look at me and put me on a drip. So i felt much better but not great. I went in the next day but didn't go on our next Tiyal. At the moment I am getting ready for my service tomorrow.

TW3

Hey boy am I glad that this week is over, it was not a fun one. Started with getting my Hebrew exam result (On my birthday) and it was the worst mark I have ever recieved in any subject for any exam at any level ever! So that was a fabtastic start to the day. Then I had the its my birthday but I am miles away from home, thing going on. I am also finding October to be a stressful month, I knew that it was going to be, because of various things al happening at once but it doesn't help to know. We have also had two tiyilim this week: One was a walking trip around a distict of Jlem called Rahava, up near George the 5th street. And the next day as part of Biblical History to Tel Aviv to Tel Gerzer and a musem. So I am very tired indeed. I had a nice quite party for my birthday as befits a 32 year old but it was fun and a bright spot in an otherwise pretty horrid week. I am going to do some cleaning and Hebrew homework (now there is a surprise) before heading over to Laura's for shabbat. Hopefully next week will be a bit better. fingers crossed. BTW TW3=that was the week that was.

firstday at school

Today was the first day of our propper school year. As its Wednesday we started with Israel seminar. This was just an introduction to the course and a group text study/reflection on our relationship with Israel. As well as looking at what we are going to be doing during the course. The assesment will be by two essays (ten pages each), not sure what that is in words I tend to think in words when it comes to essay lengths . But any way it wont be a problem...we also have to keep a journal and hand in a number of our reflections on the course, there are as well, as is to be expected required readings. Tomorrow we start Hebrew all over again and then next week there will be Bible and Bibical Hebrew.

Hebrew, and Hebrew and Hebrew oh My.

So we have finished the 5th week of Ulpan, which is good...but there is the 6th week to go. Today we had accademic orintation which was a bit intense, and our time table looks a bit full. I don't think that it will has hard as it seems at least I hope it wont be. There is lots and lots Hebrew, Classical Hebrew and Biblical Hebrew and Prayer Book Hebrew so lots and lots of Hebrew (oh My)...I am a bit behind with my Hebrew but I am going to have a really push forward with it tonight. (Its not actually that bad as I have only got two bits left to do.) Plus some flash cards to make.

I had a nice date with Laura yesterday we had pizza on Emek and then we went to her house and did lots of study.

I am quite glad that as a class we will do soming else other than modern Hebrew. But studying Modern Hebrew with Laura is much more fun than studying it my own. Anyway I had better go and get on with studying.

Ulpan and HUC

So Hey I had my exam, and i am much improved not quite there yet but I am now on the main HUC Ulpan programe, which is great but I kinda miss Ulpan Or, and I really miss Reut my teacher there. Orintation was really intense at HUC but we have started the summer Ulpan and i am settling in okay, still not used to being anywhere so hot or working so hard so I am really tired nearly all the time. Its nice in the flat and most of the things i need to get sorted are getting there albeit slowly, but then i haven't been here long yet just over two weeks.
I really like almost everyone on the various programs here, and there is nobody i actaully dislike. Tomorrow we are having a mini-Jerusalem day as our ti'al (trip) and i am going on one that involves rock climbing, not that i have done that in a long time. But generally things are fun here.

Changes

Well things have really changed and in a big way; the first thing is that I have found out that I was wrong when I thought that my course started in September in Jerusalem I have now found that it starts in July and early July at that. On the 12th but i really need there before-hand, I will probably get there on around the 6th of July. But anyway this means that I have to finish or nearly finish my thesis by then, since I found out I have been working like a mad thing...I also have a lot of things to sort out for when I am actually there; like accomodation and study books as well as tickets et al...the other thing I have to do is to take the HUC Hebrew exam. I have organised to sit it later in May around the middle. But lots and lots of things are happening and I don't know whether I am coming or going. But I have a lot on and a lot to get sorted.