A Review of the year

I am slowly getting ready for Limmud, printing off hand outs and thinking about what I'll need while there, packing and the like.  I am also cleaning my room a) because it really need it I have been run off my feet these past few weeks and months and also because b) its what I nearly always do when there is stuff on my mind.
Don't worry nothing heavy or dramatic is happening just all the normal pressures of the life of a rabbinical student.  But it did feel like now was a good time for a 'review of the year post'. Albeit that the beginning of the year feels so very long ago that I can barely remember it.  I do remember that I was very tired and rather fed up. But looking back I learnt a lot JCM was also a good experience and something of a highlight and then there were the ending of the year; with Kol Bo and the rush to do essays.
Then I had the all too brief summer with visits up north and family time.  Then there was the start of this academic year which of course starts with the High Holy Days.  This went so well this time around and the community was really welcoming it and made me feel like everything had gone well.
After this came the long never-ending fall semester.
Things learnt: Lots more Hebrew and text ability. (I was really surprised and pleased that I could read Radak unseen.) This certainly would not have been the case even at the end of the second year, and I know it was not the case last year.
I also think that because of practice; and my extra classes with CM my skills as a sermon giver have come on enormously.
I have also been out a couple of times, which for me is a lot. And I hope it continues next year. So hears hoping next year will also be a year of growth and change (almost certainly yes) and hopefully less stressful and more relaxing.

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.

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.

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. :)

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.

Started well.

Hey today started well but went down hill fast. :( woke up early enough to get a bit of extra study done and some work and then headed into school. On the way I met a friend who I knew worked for part of the year in JLem so that was nice, and the morning service at HUC was great it was led in a style i like and the drash was great...and I wasn't even that concerned about the exam i had coming up, I had revisied hard for it and new most if not all of the new vocabuary I need for it. Then I sat the exam, and let us say that I don't think it went well. Although I am hoping it wasn't quite as castrophic as i fear it may have been. It was the kind of exam where you want to get up in the middle and scroow your exam paper into a ball and though it into the bin on the way out, and then keep going to the air-port and then away from here to alomst anywhere. (I am not feeling quite that down right now but still very very grummpy.

Then I had a class on second temple history i dont think that i took all that much in because i was still a little hept up after exam. Then we had a Biblical History Tiylal to the Israel musem...which would have been good if I had not been so very very tired.
We had a Tiyal yesterday as well. As part of Israel Seminar to Tel Aviv, which was interesting. We went to the cemitary which I liked because i always enjoy them and Tel Aviv Old Cemitary is an especially good one. I also liked Bialik's house and the walking tour and it was so so nice to get to the beach even if only for a few minutes and to be able to dip ones toes into the sea. lovely.

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.

Brake

My short brake is almost over, which is a shame but i am ready for the term to begin for really, and it will be very nice indeed to do something other than Modern Hebrew. In fact we do lots and lots of things so i am going to be rather busy. We start tomorrow with Israel Seminar and then things go on from there.
My hoilday included quite a bit of cleaning, which isn't too bad because I quite enjoy it and the flat needed/needs it. And getting ready for semester tomorrow. But I did get to hang out with Laura, we went to the Old city, which I hadn't really been to the whole time I've been here. (I know I have gone to the Kotel twice, once on Tish ab Av and once with women of the wall) but this was a propper trip we did go to the wall again. And around the Jewish area and then the Shuk and some of the Muslem part and finally the Chirstain section. Before we headed to King George the 5th Street and did some book shopping. Today I am just resting and doing a very little cleaning. Although I did have to get up early to go for my LD Hebrew lesson Yossi says that I am getting better but I am still finding it very hard work.

End of summer Ulpan

At last the summer ulpan is over, not that that is the end of my studying modern Hebrew, and I will in fact miss my Ulpan teachters Tammy and shelly. In the end my overall score was 90%, which was made up from attandace and participation in class, homework, quizes, tests, and the final examination. I am happy with my overall result as i can now go on into the accademic year proper.
Yesterday we had a serisis of seminars on aspects of the yomim norim. (the High Holy Days), which were, at least for the most part interesting. Now i have to clean the flat and get ready for shabbat. And then we get a nice if short hoilday and i may actually get the oppintunity to explore Jerusalem. I am also pleased to say that it is cooler in Israel than it has been.

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.

Exciting times

Well another Jerusalem Shabbat is over, and another week of kita alef is about to start. I am now hafeway though my Summer Ulpan course and i think that it is going really well. This week a group of us went to Sir Hadasha (a Modern Orthodox) synagogue in Emek. I really really enjoyed it and think that i will probably go back there to do Kabalat Shabbat. We had a really nice Shabbat dinner at our flat.
I feel that I am getting the hang of being in Israel in general and in Jlem in particular. But it does have a habit of fooling me into thinking that I am back in western Europe and then reminding me that No I'm not I'm in the Middle East.

But i don't know why I am going on about this when the big news is that I am now going out with a wonderful young woman called Laura. She is in my kita (class) for modern Hebrew and is going to be a Cantor. Its early days, but it certainly makes being away from home in a strange place much nicer.
We have only had a couple of dates (0ne was for sushi). But its great and exciting and I'm really happy. :)

We are having a heatwave here so it was 104 degrees F. Today which didn't make for a great shabbat shalom. Hopefully I blog more oftern, but cannot make any promises.

Almost there

So hey my first fall week as an HUC student is behind me and I have almost been here twenty days although not quite and I am almost there with getting things sorted out. There are still a couple of outstanding things, some of them quite improtant to get sorted out ASAP, but maybe with a little bit of luck it will all be done and dusted by the end of July most of our year are off to Tel Aviv. I don't really have the time or the money to go so me, Naomi and Emily are hosting a shabbat dinner here in our flat for a few of the people from our kita, (go kita Alef!), I also had my first extra Hebrew lesson to today and was told I am a solid Kita Alef student which is nice. I am really looking forward to shabbat but have a tone of homework for Sunday and lots of Tropping notes to learn.
So Shabbat Shalom from Jlem

Getting to Isreal, and lots of Hebrew

So I am now in Israel! The flight was ok and after a longish taxi ride I reached the apartment Naomi and Emily where already there. I was feeling rather ill after all the travelling and the heat here. The flat is lovely though and I think that Abu Tur is fantistic. The next morning I had six hours of Ulpan starting fritst thing so I headed off feeling sharted. Reut is a fantastic teach and I have made lots and lots of progress in just the few days Tuesday, Wednesday and Thrusday...tomorrow is Friday and I only have lessions in the morning. In addition to lots and lots of Hebrew I have had meetings both at HUC and elsewhere. So things are really busy and I am so tired!
But it is totally briliant to be in Jerusalem...it is so lovely...and even in the midist of my business I have found time for a few moments of enjoyment (Maybe 35 in total) but even that small amout makes me want to stay here for as long as possible. I have also been so lucky with my flatmates...Naomi and Emily are simply the loveliest people that you could ever want to meet. And I am sure that we are going to surport one and other and become amazing friends.

More on Hebrew

So I am making me an amazing amount of progress with my Hebrew. Ruet is an amzing teaching and we have rushed though and though lots of material, both book one Safer sheli kita alef and safer pu'al alef sheli (my first Hebrew verb book), I have even started reading simplified news papers. I still don't know if I will am going to have done enough to pass my exam. I have however done most of my preparations i am bouncing between really excited and horribly nervious. Up and down, up and down, up and down. Its very tirying. But whatever happens I have learnt a lot of Hebrew and am looking forward to going to Israel and meating Naomi and Emily in the really world and being in our flat.

Modern Hebrew Vs. Biblical Hebrew

Although generally speaking my ability to learn Modern Hebrew is added by my really rather good Biblical Hebrew there are times when it is not a help and may even be a hindrance. For example when I am struggling to form a sentence and pluck a word from the Tanach (Hebrew Bible) or the Siddur (daily prayer book), this can be wrong and funny enough to make my tutor laugh out loud this happened when i wanted to say return, or more prosaically came back and I used the word HaShoove, this did indeed make the native Hebrew speakers laugh, although I should say that they know what I meant. I caused more confussion with PoKard for visit, again after a short pause they know what I meant.
There are also constructions of the Verb that seem to have fallen by the wayside. I think the effect of all of this on my Hebrew must indeed be funny, kind of like a six year old who suddenly switches into Shaskpirian English. It does cut the both ways as i find things like Toshafot meaning side orders, rather than comments on Rashi's comments on the Talmud rather funny too.

Hebrew

So I am now in the middle of my Ulpan-Or (Hebrew at the speed of light) course, only the skype one I don't actually do the intensive one2one course until I am actually in Jerusalem. My GDL teacher is called Ruth, or maybe I should say ^morah shi korim reut.^ anyway she seems really nice and I am making progress but I am still not sure that i am going to be able to make enough progress in the time that i have. Everybody else seems more sure than I am. But I keep making my afformation statemate and we shall see what happens in the end. I still have lots of things to organise and lots of goodbyes to say.

Up date post exam

Sorry about the long gap in posting but things have been "busy and interesting", I got the results of my Hebrew exam which were around 50%, in a way I was quite pleased about that i thought it a tribute to my exam technique if nothing else. Sadly, however, this was below the pass mark so I had a bit of a problem. And it coursed me to really lose a lot of self-confidence, I had never previously failed any examination before.
I am now feeling a somewhat more sanguine I have booked on an Ulpan-Or course via skype, which will run before I go to Jerusalem, and then a two week intensive when i get there. All this happens before my HUC Ulpan program can start. It is not quite the gentle start to my stay in Israel that I would have chosen but I guess I wont have any time to feel scared. :)
I am more or less sorted out now, although I still have many things to get finalised before I can head off with a clear conscience. My A2 student visa has come, and the flat thing is all but sorted out too. When plus side of all this little problems is that I have become friends, and I would say good friends with my two flat mates to be Naomi, and Emily. In fact now that Emily has gone out to Jerusalem ahead of schedule its going to be sad not to be able to chat with her.