Lots of things to keep my busy

As the title of the post suggests, I am currently very busy. March turned into a mad month. College continues okay, there is in truth not a lot to report there. Megiloth classes continues and is interesting enough. I am still finding my feet with Tikkun Olam class, still rather more Emily's thing than mine.  I am enjoying Midrash and Talmud Class (although its a lot of hard work), that leaves Spirituality which i am still struggling to place what it is and what its meant to accomplish. Although its under the heading of Vocational Studies. So all in all the classes are going well.

Emily and I have finally managed to schedule our, 'reflexive classes', indeed with have had two of the eight already. This is satisfying because for various reasons PCCS and Practical Rabbinics is an area in which I feel that we have missed out rather…my placement is still proceeding at KLS (still learning practical stuff there). One surprising thing I have done there is give a Lenten talk (standing in for Charley) at All Saints Church Kingston, which went well and turns out to be a fascinating place with a long history. Going all the way back to the Saxons Kings. In someways its where England was born.

The Limmud Chrevruta Project is getting under way. I am involved with the Limmud Beit Midrash Project also, but nothing has happened there yet. Additionally I am in the middle of giving four Talmud classes at Woodford Liberal Synagogue. Last week I observed Richard conduct a 'mixed faith blessing', down in the City (an interestingly disereted place on a Sunday).

So all in all things are moving on but I am very very busy and rashing about like a mad thing. This weekend I have taken the opportunity of a flying visit back home. (It is also of course Purim, which acts as one of the markers of my year. And means my 8th Semester is well under way.)

On that front I can feel myself focusing more on more on what happens after rabbinic school, even though I have 476 days to go. I am already thinking about how to draw my 4th year placement to a successful and meaningful conclusion. What will happen in my 5th year (although I still have very little idea what my course will look like or where I will be.) and then of course the start of my post-rabbinical school career. But thats all a long way off. For the moment I am trying to trick off a day at a time.

Steady as she goes, again.

Things having been sailing along really very smoothly, and i haven't all that much that I can blog about.  At the same time between school and my fourth year placement I have been really very busy.  Hence the lack of postings to this blog.

School is still going very smoothly.  I have booked to teach my session on Song of Songs, at KLS which is part of my assessment for Megilot.  The other modules are going just as smoothly as well. Outside of school I am still enjoying my placement at KLS I am learning a lot from good as well as from challenging experiences.  I am also continuing my work focusing on my Hebrew reading, which I am pretty sure is continuing to produce good results.

However, my schedule is very very tight which means I have not been able to get home in while, and won't be able to for a few weeks yet. I did have a nice long Skype home over the weekend. Shortly I am going to start teaching a series of four sessions on the Talmud over at Woodford Liberal Synagogue. I am really looking forward to these.

later on tonight I am going to have a Skype meeting about Limmud Chevaruta Project (2014). Although it will be a lot of work I am really looking forward to this as well.

I am also continuing to work out with my personal trainer, this too is really starting to show results and I really love the doing something physical and getting out of school and finchley.

A funny thing happened today. Emily and I were told that one of us had failed to hand in one of the feedback forms for one of our classes. This was despite the fact that both of us were certain that yes we had filled one in. In the end we went into the office and found that I had filled in the front and Emily the back. And yet one or other of us had handed it in nevertheless. It really comes to something then we have started filling in forms as one person.

Today was made especially bright because I got to IM with Tina with whom I have not chatted in ages.

Any way I had better go and make myself ready for this meeting.

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.

Vote for change

Hi I am championing a charity called Atzum in something called vote for change. If they win they will receive 1000 pounds its a great organise. So if you could it would be great if you could go to the website and vote for them the link is below.

http://www.uknif-voteforchange.org/2014/02/06/vote-for-atzum-2/

Thanks

First week back at school

This past week was my first one back at school so I now have a much better feeling for what shape the semester is going to take. Overall I am pretty upbeat I only have a small number of classes admittedly ones that are going to take rather a lot of work. I will just need to sort out in my mind what the assessments look like for this coming semester and then I will really have a feel for how things are going to play out.

I am still really enjoying my placement down at KLS which is good as I shall be going there rather a lot in the next few weeks entering a busy patch.  I am also still enjoying Personal Training I can really start to feel positive effects.

I also think that working on Hebrew Vocalisation is starting to pay dividends. So all in all things are good.

I have come back home to stoke for the weekend but I was struck down by my periodic motionless motion sickness so i lost a whole day so I am feeling both a little week and achy as well as behind already with my work. (Not that I really am mind.)

So steady as she goes. 1/12 of my 8th semester is under my belt. Oh and I have 518 days to go.

Possible Break though

Those of you who know me, and for that matter anyone who reads more or less anything I write, will know that I am profoundly dyslexic. In fact 'profoundly dyslexic' doesn't really cut it.  I have an out of context reading age of something like 8 years, which considering i have an MA a BSc a PG.Dip., is really odd and something which people don't expect. About a year or so ago I went to a dyslexia assessment centre where after some test it emerged that my method for reading in English is to remember what words look like, as pictures rather than by constructing them by phonic methods.  Combining this with making educated guesses from context means that my English reading is really okay.   Luckily I also have a really good memory, which really really helps.
These combined techniques really do not work that well in Hebrew, and trying them which is my natural instincts, means my reading (vocalisation) is less good than it either should or needs to be.
But today during my reading-practice I think that with the help of my teacher I might have made a break though.
Firstly I think I am going to make myself a large (very large in fact) copy of any service which I need to read. Secondly, I need to slow down my reading even if members of the congregation are trying to read faster than I am. Thirdly I need to form a positive feedback loop to stop myself misreading such as Melech, or Barauch.

I am hopeful that this is a break though a mini-one perhaps but one nevertheless.

Start of a New (really has gotten going)

Although classes are yet to start I am really back in flow of things.  Emily is back from Canada and things are settling down into the new year. My assessments are going well. I have finished five of them and am still working on one, my essay for Jewish thought on Walter Benjamin overall I am happy with how things have gone and I think all will be well will just have to wait and see what the marks are.

I am still enjoying meeting with my personal trainer, in fact I have a session with her tomorrow. (I was feel reluctance to go to them albeit that I know that I shall enjoy them greatly when I get there).

I have also been down to KLS a couple of times and am going back this weekend. This is still great working at KLS has defiantly been one of the highlights of my training so far.

Today I went and sat in on, as a rabbinic student, on the meeting of Rabbinic Conference. I found it very interesting both in terms of what was happening but also getting to see my future colleagues in action.

It was, or it felt like, one of those markers where I really started feeling that yes this is my future. I am really appreciating how long it takes to grow into a rabbinic role.

Then I got my time table for the spring semester (8/10) it looks pretty good.  So all in all steady as she goes.