Second Lech Lecha vist

I have just returned from my second lech lecha visit. This time it was to Herefordshire to a small Liberal Community based around the area in the Malven hills.  I wasn't feeling all that well so I found it rather difficult.
My sermon went well, there were challenging points but I was prepared to deal with any possible fallout so that was okay.  The community has a mini-scroll so it made reading rather hard. But all in all I am pleased with how things went.
I am currently very busy with things to do for Monday so will have to go and get on with them soon. I am reading Torah at school on Monday and have a mini-essay to write.

Last week I was very worried for my friends in New York and across the Eastern Seaboard. I have heard from the new and everyone was okay, Laura was safe in Virginia although she was stuck for a few days and unable to get home for a few days.

Now on with the rest of November.

Shabbat Lech Lecha

I have just returned from my first Shabbat Lech Lecha, this was my visit to the Community in Blackpool. They were very friendly and the community, although small is very active and welcoming.  I got to the station mid-afternoon on Friday and was met there by the couple who were going to be putting me up.
We had a chance to have a proper chat though the service. And I had rest then it was time to go to the synagogue.  I think the Friday night service when well.  I even did more singing than I would normally do.  I had been asked to speak a little about myself instead of a D'var Torah.
The service was followed by a chavua supper, the food was excellent and I spent my time going around from group to group introducing my self and saying hello.
After that there was a celebration of the sixth birthday of one of the friends of the community.

The next morning I led the shabbat service, read the Torah and gave a more formal sermon/D'var Torah.  I think that everything went well and I felt that I had been made welcome and carried a good impression of the college.

Before I headed home the community took me out for some fish and chips.  And then it was a long train journey home.  I was shattered when I got home and went to bed almost straight away and slept for about twelve hours.  I must have really need it.

I have quite a few things to do today, before the school week starts again. And I have my second Lech lecha visit to look forward to.

Pastoral Placement

Thursday was the first actual day of my pastoral placement.  Until this point I had been either involved with talking about how it was going to work or working on adminastrive aspects of how it was going to work.
Having been in done a day I think that this placement is going to before challenging but that it will also provided opportunities for personal growth and of course experiences that will be very useful in my rabbinic career.
That said it was more an introduction to place where I'll be working to meet some of the people with whom I'll be working and to meet some of the residents of the home and to have overall discussions about how both I and the home can make the best use of my time.

I have taken the chance to head back to stoke for a weekend. Partly to celebrate dad's birthday. I also need the opportunity to get out of the bubble and de-compress.
Next week and the week after I am out about doing shabbat Lech Lacha.  And then we will be in the very middled of the semester in fact towards its close.
onwards and upwards as they say.