Back in the UK

Well I'm year in Israel is over, and I am back home in the UK. The ending was rather sad in the end as people started to leave one by one including Emily so I was all alone in the flat i was worried because there was plenty of cleaning to do so i didn't think that I would be lonely but then i got ill (had to go on a drip and every thing)...but got the flat nice and clean in the end and packed on got home okay. I am still working on one or two things arising out of my year in Israel. (see link) and am trying to sort out where Emily and I will rent next year, finish PhD and do admin so am very busy still but am really looking forward to family hoilday.

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.

Revision

Exams start in a couple of days, first one is liturgy (should be okay), followed by Modern Hebrew (very not okay), Late antiquity (absolutly no problem), Bible (okay but its in Hebrew), and grammar (no comment). I still have a mid term to do (shouldn't be a problem) and a reading fluancy test tomorrow also should be fine.
Its sad though because people have started to leave already and all the talk is of when we are back (wherever it is that we are going) and as i don't really want to leave Israel this is a little tough. I am also really tired been working like made on my own and in study groups and there is a lot still to do.

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.

Tuseday (once more)

So day being a Tuesday was really long it started with double Hebrew, at first we looked over the last Hebrew exam I got 80% which is about my best modern Hebrew exam mark this year (not counting summer Ulpan) and I am really happy, it was really hard getting that mark six hours revision the night before and two that morning but hey its a good mark. Although I still need to do lots and lots of work on my verbs.
My reading class with Yossi went okay although I was and am very tired. Rab texts was rab texts then it was David's class just April, Emily and I today but that was okay and it was an interesting class.
After a grabbed lunch it was Israeli identy where we looked at unuseal haggadot (Marxist and socialist femianst and secular et al) then it was up to Alona's for Tina and my's extra Talmud study thing. And a long walk home Emily brought be some pastaries so that was really nice. It is still raining in Jlem and is really rather cold. I hope for an early night and to be rested tomorrow.

Swift to its close

So the year is now rushing on swift wings towards its conclusion. I must say that this is taking me aback a bit. It started so slowly and now, and now. I have read from the Torah last Thursday and that was the last of my 'things to do' not really because there is still lots of stuff to learn and course work to do exam to take etc., and also I am going to be helping Emily with her service but that is voluntery. It was also become very hot again here in Jerusalem as it looks as though the Summer is about to get going. Sigh.

Last night I went to Friday night dinner around at Tinas, my Chuverut partner. Laura was therre along with Jackei from Kita Alef and Jackei and Tina's new flat mate Ester. She is working for a NGO and comes from London always nice to meet another Brit. :)

It was a fun night started with Kabbalat Shabbat at Shir Hadasha (a MO synagogue on Emek) and then dinner. Although Tina and Jackei did play an Apirls fools day joke on me, lots of salt in the dessert. Actualy it was quite funny.

I don't know what the course was but there was a lot of music and shouting and general noies in Abu Tur last night so I didn't get a lot of sleep ah well. Looking forward to April and May and then home.