Feels almost like summer

It feels almost like summer, the weather is hot and humid, which makes me less inclined to work, which is a shame has I still have plenty of work to do. One essay has been handed in, I am still hard at work on the second, then there is the presentation to think about. Plus finishing off my 4th year placement at KLS, the stuff of Limmud and already thinking about my 5th year, early I know but the 5th year is rather truncated so I need to get going.  I am also waiting to here where my 5th year placement will take-place. This is making me somewhat nervous as this will have a massive effect on what my whole 5th year will look like and how/where I can make the transition from student rabbi to out and out rabbi.

On a lighter note another of mile stones of the year has passed the annual college dinner. (See Photo) it really was a lot of fun and I am in a much better/happier place this year than I was last. But now its time to get back to work: I have essays to write, massive numbers of emails to send and meetings to go to.

I promise a more substantial and reflexive post soon.

LJ Biennal, Home and Assessments

I have returned home a few days, a short break (Thursday though Monday) but as always I have brought work home with me.  I have been and returned to and from LJ's Biennial, which was great fun. My session, on Jeremiah went well. I got about 15 people which was much more than I had expected for an early morning session.
Now I have one essay still due, although it is well under hand, and one presentation remaining before I am done with my fourth year.  I also have a presentation to get ready for for the MRJ Biennial. Apart from that there is the Kuafmann Dinner next week. (As well as a couple of meeting looking forward to my 5th year.)

Then there is Kol Bo, both weeks one and two. And although it is a case of counting my chickens I am thinking of my self as a 5th year.  (I am starting to wonder where my 5th year placement will take place as this is likely to set a major portion of the tone of my final year.

Last Day of the 4th Year

Today was my last class as a 4th. All I can say about this is wow. It feels like it has simultaneously happened very slowly and very fast. Today was quiet light after an informal morning service and pleasant chat with a few of my fellow students all we had was our last reflexive class. Yesterday however had been quiet tough double rabbinic literature and spirituality. In fact I am feeling really tired as this has proved to be a long hard semester.  Earlier in the week Emily and I had our presentations for Spirituality class, which I think went very well.

Also for once I do not feel overloaded with work and assessments although I am still busy. I have two essays to write one for rabbinic texts and one for spirituality. Additionally we have a presentation for Megilot Class and then that is is it.

Tomorrow I head off for LJ Bienniel and I am both looking forward to it because i think its going to be great fun but I am also dreading it. (Because I am very tired and the last thing I want to do is go off and be active for a weekend).  I am also going to be do a session at it.

After that we have the annual college dinner in about a fortnights time. As I've mentioned here in earlier  posts I am once again involved in the Limmud Chevaruta project (and I will need to start making some real traction there soon.)

Then there is the MRJ Biennial latter in the year and the two weeks of Kol Bo on either side of it. (So that is going to be one tough fortnight. Then its Ordination of the current 5th years and then that's the year fully over. So at the moment I feel I am in the slightly uncomfortable place of no longer an active 4th but certainly not a 5th year. (I will want to wait until it is confirmed that i have successfully pasted all my 4th year stuff before I will feel that.).

Anyway I felt like i owed you guys an update.  And now I had better get back on with packing for Biennial.

Article in Jewish News

All is well with me. Although as per-normal I am tired and stressed. I have, however, had a piece published in Jewish News.

Here is the link

Anyway. I am off shortly to do a Song of Songs themed Kabbalat Shabbat Service down in KLS. I have taken an Advil in the hopes of clearing a bit of my headache before I get there.

Shabbat Shalom.

Passover, Emily's Birthday and the Continuing 4th year.

So how I always forget how hard the second semester is, even in a year when it is not overloaded with classes. It seems to drag on and on and on.  At the moment I am back home in Stoke because its Passover, or will be the 1st night Sader is tonight. But the semester did go right up till the end. In fact we still have a week of classes left after the Peasch holidays. Plus some catch-up classes.  Fortunately the assessments this semester are relatively light. I have a fairly major essay for Rabbinic Texts, a major presentation of Megilot, a presentation (and I think a report) for spirituality and finally a report for Tikkun Olam.

Then there are both of Biennials to attended, one for LJ and one for the MRJ. Kol Bo in the summer and the LBC Day of Celebration and finally Ordination. And then my Fourth Year is over. It somehow seems like a lot and like a little simultaneously. And i have as always taken things for limmud, which somehow I also always manage to forget how much work they will actually be. Although I am sure I will enjoy them as well.

As busy as the year has been I have managed to see a few friends. Matthew and others and last week it was Emily's birthday, which is always a lot of fun.

My extra reading lesson continue, and I am pretty sure that they are making a difference which is great. I am also continuing to meet and train with my personal trainer and I am sure this is making a difference. Last week was the first time that we have been able to properly train out of doors. Because the weather was finally nice enough.

Oh I almost forgot that one marker on the year that is still left is the College Dinner.  Anyway this is just an update and really a very profound one at. Things are carrying on much as they have before. And as of today I have 447 days to go until ordination.

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.