Settling into the 8th semester

I am now settling into my 8th semester. And so far things are going pretty well. I have two academic classes and two vocational and although all four are quiet high work load its nothing I don't think I shall be able to handle.  I am especially enjoying the Talmud and Midrash class.  Although that said all I are interesting. Additional I am auditing a class on service leading skills, which technically is a first year class but I think it will be useful as this is something that I feel i have missed out on rather.

Outside of school my placement is still going well. Although a number to times I have gone all the way down to KLS only for nobody to turn up. This is partly due to the horrible weather we have been having lately.  I am still enjoying the mix of stuff that I have been doing and my number of sessions are ticking over nicely.

My reading classes-To help me with my dyslexia are progressing nicely as well. So all in all things are looking really positive on almost all fronts.

Apart from work work work which sometimes realls pretty relentless not all that much has been happening.  I have agreed to take part in the Limmud Chervauta Project again. For the last time, as next time would take me over into when I am actually a rabbi.

And last week I was photographed as part of an art project looking at people who are training to be religious leaders. (It was quiet exciting and I am looking forward to seeing the results).

Yesterday after getting back from KLS I went out to celebrate Matthew's birthday which was fun.

Today was mainly a working day. Albeit that i did find time for a walk around the local park. Enjoying a sunny day which has been so rare of late. There were lots of trees down because of the recent high winds but not as many as i might have feared and the park was very beautiful in sunshine.

Tomorrow another week starts, which looks set to be busy…well they all look that way now. And then on Wednesday I hit the 500 days to go mark.

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.

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.

Last post for a little bit.

This will probably be my last posting for a while, as I am about to enter a period of intense activity followed by a family holiday (where I'll in more or less away from easy internet access and what time I have will be focused on emails.)
All this means that I will not really have time for blogging, but I will return as soon as possible.  At the moment I am working away on essays no surprise there really.  I think that in all probability I'll have finished my Maimonides essay by the end of day on Tuesday, I am continuing to work on Rabbinic literature intensive essay.
I also need to get as much work done on Education as possible, I don't need to finish it or even really draft it.  All I need to do is plan, find materials and then photocopy actual materials then I can work on it while on my 'holiday', then all I will need to do, and I say all advisedly is finish off Rabbinic Literature intensive, and rework midrash.
All in all, although I am not really happy I am no longer panicking.  I also have two presentations remaining: You guessed it Rabbinic literature intensive and Liturgy.  So in terms of assessments that is what remains.  In terms of class I have a full school week remaining, and in truth I am more than ready for it come to an end.  There is also the formal College dinner (again next week).
Looking further ahead there is Kol Bo; which I am hopeful will be interesting (although by stage of the year I'll be very very tired.)
I am currently very tired as I went over to S., last night and the conversation although fascinating was intense and I am not used to 4:45 am starts!
When I got back to the flat at about 9:20 am, I simply crashed and had about two hours of sleep. Then I went out to enjoy the sunshine (patchy though it was) and to get some stationary.  Its always pleasant, wonderful in fact to read outside in the fresh air.
After getting my stationary I was returning though the park when I noticed how beautiful the cherry blossom trees were, so i went and sat below the canopy. In the end I lay down and looked up at the sky though the variegated red-pink-white blossom and the criss-crossing branches. Very beautiful and very peaceful then it was back to the flat to get on with some work.
Both for school and for the Limmud Chavaruta project.
Latter I'll phone home because its been quite a while.

Assessments-1

Its time for one of my 'assessment' posts, early in the year I know but thats because this semester I have what can only be termed a ridiculous amount of essays.  Seven in all, as well as other formal and semi-formal assessments.
I haven't had anything like this volume since I was in high-school (and that gave me a serious case of the screaming ab-dabs!) oh Happy days.

Anyway I have already been working like a mad thing and have sucessfully finished three of them. So far I have done.

Prophets-this was based on my presentation last semester and it seemed wise simply to get on with it. I think that this is pretty good essay far from great but certainly good.

I have also written my Liturgy essay. (This is either mad or brilliant) so it will be interesting to get this one back when marked to see what side of the insane/brilliant line it will fall.

The final essay that I have written is for Piyyutim. This I think is a very solid essay boarding on very good. So all in all I am happy with these so far.  I am working hard on the background reading/research for my long essay on Rabbinic Literature its interesting but its also going to be hard work.  The other essays that need to be done are one on the Rambam (should be okay), on for education (not sure) and one for Midrash (I am feeling a lot happier about this one than I was even a few days ago).

Then I have the day to day preparations for each class, a report I need to write (largely in order to help future generations of rabbinical students but nevertheless really necessary).  The normal stuff of living/running the apartment, and continuing to act as one of the two gabbyim for the student-led morning services. Also all in all BUSSY!

The next point on the calendar is of course Emily's Birthday (as well as Yom Ha'atzmaut a little later in the month).

This academic year is starting to begin to draw to a close and I still have so much to do before it does. At the moment I am enjoying what is left of my Passover holiday (resting up, organisational stuff and of course academic work.)

Passover break

It is very near Passover, I'm back in Newcastle-under-Lyme for the festival.  In fact we have just done our search for Chamezt.  I am still very busy although I have although I have almost finished another essay (Piyyutim). And I am busily working away on my other subjects as well. But generally things are going well academically at least smooth sailing.  But I am very tired.  It was a tough close to the semester. Finishing with a trip to Ravenswood Village as part of our (Emily and my) Jewish-Care/Norwood placement.
This was amazing however, getting there via public transport provided very difficult and required an early start and three trains. (Plus lots of phone calls when inevitably we missed a connection.) But it was well worth it when we got there.
I am enjoying having a bit of break from LBC and the opportunity to catch up with some work and take it a little easy.

Back Home but busy

I am briefly home in Newcastle-under-Lyme although this does not mean I am not working, I have brought a bunch of work to do with me.  I have been working very hard in order to try and clear some space but I am still very busy working on sermons, translations, keeping up to date with reading for class, trying to organise the rota for student services.  So much the same as normal really.  I am enjoying many of my courses.
Especially liturgy and Piyyutim classes.  But I am looking forward to the brake in classes we will get soon when there is a gap in classes for JCM I am not going this year so I will have a real break and a let up in pressure that will allow me to really get ahead with work.
As has been the case up until now academically things are going smoothly. More than smoothly really. I am also getting to grips with the more practical aspects of the course as well.
I should probably go and get on with readings, sermons and all the other things I have brought with me.