High Holy Days Two

I am now back in the flat after leading services at MLJC for Yom Kippur.  I am pretty pleased with how things went. Although it was, as always very tiring and by the end I was so shattared that my shofar blast at the end was not either all that long or all that loud.
On the bright side, my service leading was better than it had been last year and I was really pleased with how both my sermons went.
The next day I had a look around Manchester Cathedral, which is surprissingly not something I have done before. It has had a very interesting history.
Then it was home by train.
All in all happy with how things went. Now on to the 3rd year proper.

High Holy Days

I'm currently very busy, which given that its nearly Yom Kippur is not at all surprising.  This year my High Holy Day Community is MPJC Rosh Hashanah went very well. People liked my shofar blowing which was probably the best I've ever done.
I was also pleased with how my sermons went.  I am home (Newcastle-under-Lyme) at the moment partly just for a rest but also for Rebecca's Bday.
Working on my Yom Kippur sermons and Torah readings. Okay but still a bit stress making.  Today I went to Menorah partly to say Hi to Haim Shalom. It was fun to be back in Menorah if only for a morning.
I have a lot do still, but so far I'm enjoying the third year.

First day back at school

Today was my first day back at school. Really more orientation than school proper, we were introduced to the new school program and to the new first year.  Tomorrow we have some classes, which are make up class for sessions which we are going to miss latter in the year because of High Holy Days. I am slowly reading my way though the new handbooks.
I think I have finally completed the work required for the project I am doing for limmud.  But should go to bed now as I have to be up at 7am tomorrow to go and study Talmud.

Wait!, when did that happen.

I am home again on a flying visit, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and thought it was time again to make a posting here in this blog. So Hi people over here.  I am a third year now. Which is scary, I mean very scary.  Looking back over year two it does feel as if I learnt a lot. Although at times during the year itself it didn't really feel as though I was leaning all that much. But somehow in the end I did.  For example as I was writing my essay for parshanut (classical commentaries on the Biblical text). I found that yes I could read Rashi, and Rashbam, and Radak, Ibn Ezra was a little tougher but even so it was doable.
Also looking forward to the High Holy Days although its still a massive amount of work but it feels so much more realistic than it did last year. Also in myself I feel more assertive and confident. However, I still don't feel as fully formed (rabbinically speaking) as feel I should be/hoped to be by this point. But its probably a exponential process.
I have also been to NewPort and had my assessment, the lady doing it said she had never quite seen a profile like mine (which is at least in part unsurprising but a bit wired nevertheless).  So this is the still before the storm (Yomim norm) and then the 3rd year. The new AGrad.dip and working more in the community.
I have had a chance to catch up with friends. Went out with Matthew and Mandy. We ended up at the same pub where Emily and I ended up at during our not all that successful trip to IKIA.

Back home for a bit.

As the title of this post suggests I am back home for a bit.  But first I went to Manchester to have a meeting with my community for the High Holy Days. I am feeling pretty confident about how this is going to go (much more than I was last year).  But Manchester had changed much more than I would have thought. (Although it has been more than two years ago so I guess I shouldn't be surprised).  I then headed back to Stoke where I am now.
Apart from starting the process of getting ready for the HHDs, I got my results for the second year, which I passed. Overall I was pretty happy with my results. Although it was a somewhat mixed bag.  I am also finding time to do a bit a light reading which is fun and something a really don't get much time for during term time.
I knew that this is a short post but its really only something of an updating one.

Newcastle holiday

I have just returned from a short family holiday, really no more than a long weekend. But getting any brake at all was great. I took the train up from Kings Cross and got to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, not the normal one I go too.  That Friday we just had a standard Friday night meal Helen and Andrew and rebecca baby and Said and of course Mum and Dad and me. On Saturday we went to the Baltic art gallery which was really interesting and had some exciting exhibitions. I especially liked Luca (which was a mountain inside a mountain hut.) On Sunday we went to the beach it was sunny, how I missed sunshine.  I made two beach sculpture. I have tried to post photos of them.  Monday we had basically the whole day in town so we went to a really nice art gallery (mre classical this time).  Then it was time to come home I separated from the others at the station, they were going to Stoke and I of course was coming back to London. Today I taught my Bar-mitzvah kid at FPS and then went into school. I got a couple of educational posters. 

This first one is called rainbow stones, not a very imaginative title.

This one doesn't really have a title.

Last time uploading these didn't work that well lets hope that it works this time. :)

On Holiday

I am now enjoying what counts as my summer holidays, a long weekend up in the Northeast with my staying at my sister Helen's house. Mum and Dad are here too, along with Rebecca, Said and Aaron. The train journey up was very long, starting at Kings Cross and going up the East Coast Mainline.  About 5.5 hours due to delays.  

Before I left Emily and I had dementia training at Jewish care, this is in part preparation for our pastoral course next year.  I am still working away on the Limmud Chrvaruta booklet, which even though its hard work I am enjoying. 

Generally things are good and I am relaxedish (not thinking about results or work too much) we are probably going to an art gallery latter and I may even play some tennis.