Hatikvah - A Blog About Life in Rabbinical School

Matt and Jen's blog about their adventures while Matt is in rabbinical school. Hatikvah, the name of the Israeli national anthem, means "the hope." This blog reflects their many hopes and adventures about their experiences during this process.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Page 474

We reached page 474 in our "Hebrew From the Beginning" textbook on Wednesday, which means we are five pages from completing the entire textbook. This is one thick textbook and I can't believe we're practically done with it. We should be completely done with the book by Monday.

We started using this textbook on July 3 and have covered every single page within in it and, hypothetically, learned every vocabulary word in it as well (I do have a few outstanding flash cards that need to be studied a bit). Upon completion of this book, we get to move to the next book which moves us from being in Hebrew Aleph (the first level) to Hebrew Bet.

It took five months but I've come a heck of a long way in knowing the language. I remember looking at page 479 when I first received the textbook and thinking that there was no way I'd ever be able to understand the text on that page. So I just opened it to see and I was able to translate the first line of what I know can tell is a long poem easily (I wake up in Hebrew in the morning, I think and I write.), without a dictionary. Wow!

When I receive my Hebrew Bet textbook, I will look at the last page and surely think that it will be impossible to understand as well. Overall, while I'm really happy with my vocabulary, ability to talk and understand Hebrew at this point, I'm not so thrilled with my reading speed when I read out-loud in class - I feel like I ought be faster so I suppose it's definitely something I should just practice a bit more on my own.

Monday, November 27, 2006

The Food Court

Tonight Jen, Jean, and I needed some "retail therapy" and went to the mall to shop. The mall has a food court but as I was looking around, I realized that all of the food options were just varieties on the same theme - meat on a stick, meat in bread (usually pita), or meat fried and breaded (i.e. schnitzel). Everything looked the same and nothing looked new and exciting to eat. Even the Burger King is just the same as the aforementioned food groups.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

April in Ukraine

Our plans for go to the Ukraine for Passover to help Jewish communities there learn about and experience Passover is really coming to fruition! There's a brand-new really cool website devoted to the project at www.pesachproject.com. There, you can stay up-to-date about the FSU (Former Soviet Union) Pesach (Passover) Project. (There's even a secure site for tax-deductible donations, as the entire project is funded by donations, so please consider helping!)

Jen and I are both already very active on our committees to help plan and organize the trip. Jen is on the logistics committee to buy tickets, rent cars, develop schedules, etc. and I am on the history and geography committee to teach participants about what to expect when they arrive in Belarus, Ukraine, or Russia. The next few months are going to be very exciting!

Thanksgiving

It's the day before Thanksgiving but we have little thought of putting together a large dinner in celebration of this uniquely American holiday. Instead, the plan is to actually go to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner with friends on Thursday night and then, hopefully, catch the new Bond movie at the theater.

I am a huge fan of Thanksgiving and I love turkey and I love all types of meat so what am I doing going to a vegetarian restaurant tomorrow? I think the weekly cycle of a Shabbat holiday every single week - where one is expected to have a festive meal, makes adding in any extra holidays somewhat difficult. We just hosted a huge Shabbat dinner last Friday night and had a wonderful time with our friends. But, we just finished cleaning up yesterday and any prospect of having creating a large meal at this point in the week is not up for discussion.

In addition, the several weeks Jewish holidays took their toll in September and October and now, Hanukkah, a eight-day holiday that required preparation and fun is right around the corner (precisely 24 days away). The holidays in the fall was Israel's Halloween to New Year's season and now that's over.

So, we'll be going to a vegetarian restaurant out of respect for several of our vegetarian friends and we'll have a great time on Thursday night for Thanksgiving but then, the next day is Friday and it's time for another special dinner!

I'm actually thrilled to see such how holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving have not at all impacted the culture in Israel. I did not see any orange and black in October and I have not seen a single turkey decoration this month. It's just business as usual and that's pretty exciting.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Shabbat Shalom



This cat seems to be thoroughly enjoying the Mediterranean Sea from the Tel Aviv beach. Shabbat Shalom y'all!

Tel Aviv Day Trip

On Thursday, we broke loose from the Beit Midrash (house of study) at the Yeshiva and took a trip to Tel Aviv with a great tour guide. We saw historical sites throughout the city from the beginning of the city to sites that showed its modern cosmopolitan nature. It was a fun trip and Jen and I plan to return to Tel Aviv soon, to just spend the day on the beach. It looked so wonderful!





From the beach, modern skyscraper Tel Aviv.





The downtown transformed into a chic shopping district.





We visited Independence Hall, where the State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948.





Pedestrian malls abound and are quite beautiful.





Standing in front of the elaborately decorated door, our tour guide tells us the history of a old Yeshiva in Tel Aviv.

Clock Illiterate

I woke up in the middle of the night last night and looked over at the clock and could not figure out what time it was. I struggled to figure out why I couldn't read the clock. After all, I could see the numbers but I couldn't put them into order. Fortunately, it didn't take me too long to realize that I was reading the clock from right to left. Apparently, my mind is pretty used to reading Hebrew now. I'm surprised I can still type in English.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Yahrzeit

Last night began a 24 hour period of yahrzeit, the memorial day for the death of a loved one, for my maternal grandfather - may his memory be for a blessing.

It is traditional for the family members to recite aloud in public the prayer called the Mourner's Kaddish on the yahrzeit. The Mourner's Kaddish is recited at the evening, morning, and afternoon services (i.e. all three). Thus, I began observing my grandfather's yahrzeit last night, by heading back to the Yeshiva at 6:15 for the Maariv service there.

I also recited the Mourner's Kaddish this morning, each of the three times it occurred in the service. Then, this afternoon, I led, for the first time ever, the afternoon service, known as Mincha. It is highly appropriate for a mourner or person observing yahrzeit to lead services and I wanted to observe that tradition in honor of my grandfather. Thus, I've been working hard for the past month and a half, practicing Mincha day and night to get it right.

When 1:40 p.m. rolled around today, I was so incredibly nervous, my knees were actually shaking so badly - I thought I could've fainted. Fortunately, I wasn't facing the students, faculty, and friends who had gathered (thanks Eve!) to pray and to support me. I made it through Mincha and ended with my last Mourner's Kaddish for the 24 hour period. I'm sure my grandfather would be proud.

And now, it's time to head out to the supermarket to do our shopping for our large Shabbat dinner - it's the first time we've hosted since Rosh Hashanah, which means it's almost been two months.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Laundry



The photo above shows a nice dry, windy summertime day when close would be dry within hours of putting them on the clothesline in the hot summer sun. However, now the weather is a bit more moist and, it's even raining occasionally. Thus, it can take a few days for clothes to dry and for items like sheets - it's highly inconvenient to dry them on the clothesline. We needed to use a dryer and fortunately, there's a cleaners nearby where one can drop off laundry.

So, last week I took the sheets and pillowcases off the bed and took them to our nearby dry cleaners/laundry place and attempted to drop them off for their same-day cleaning. The owner hesitantly accepted my bag of sheets and pillowcases but then handed it back and told me that it didn't weigh enough. Apparently, there's a flat rate for five kilograms of laundry. The owner would let me pay the flat rate for less than 5 kg of laundry. It was very thoughtful of him, in the typical Israeli fashion. Nonetheless, isn't often that I can get to the cleaners' after they don't open until the later hour of 7 a.m.

So, today I took a larger load to the cleaners that I thought was about 5 kg. The guy at the counter took my bag and told me that my sheets, jeans, and sweatshirts might be ready today. So much for same-day service! He told me I could call him after 5 p.m. to see if he was able to get my laundry done. After class and evening services, I rushed back before 7 p.m. and indeed, the clothes were done and I was thrilled to have fully washed sheets, jeans, and sweatshirts!

Thursday, November 09, 2006

If I Ran The Yeshiva

If I ran the Yeshiva, this would be the model schedule for folks like me (i.e. no background and here to learn a thing or two)...

Shacharit (Morning Prayers) and Breakfast - 7:30-9 a.m.

Hebrew Ulpan - 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - (Because learning Hebrew is so incredibly important)

Lunch - 12:30-1:40 p.m. - No Classes Allowed

Mincha (Afternoon Prayers) - 1:40-2 p.m.

Early Afternoon Classes - 2-3:15 p.m.

History of Judaism, History of and Contemporary Issues in Israel, Parshat HaShavua, Conservative Judaism, and, the always popular, Upcoming Holidays and How to Observe Them

Late Afternoon Classes - 3:20-6:15 p.m. - (All clases in English, using English sources)...
  • Overview of Liturgy (an overview of the siddur [prayerbook] and how to daven [pray])
  • Overview of Halakhah (using Isaac Klein's A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice)
  • Introduction to the Mishna and Talmud
  • Overview of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)
  • Discussion Group and Lecture for Baalei Teshuva (your stupidest questions answered!)

Maariv (Evening Prayers) - 6:15-6:30 p.m.

Obviously, I'm frustrated with what I thought would be offered here and what is actually offered here. Nonetheless, I'm still happy with the opportunities and courses the Yeshiva provides but I might be making some significant changes to my daily schedule in the near future to obtain from the remainder of this year what I need to.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Please Take a Number

Jen and I had an appointment this morning and despite the office's attempts at creating and maintaining order in a chaotic society without lines, the Israelis there did their best to usurp the system. Shortly after we arrived, the conversation went something like this (all in Hebrew, of course)...

MAN (talking loudly to everyone): They have a take-a-number system here, why aren't we using it?!

WOMAN: We all know our place in line, I'm before him and she's after me.

MAN: But if they are changing the number on the wall on the nice LED-lit sign, why don't you people use it?!

ANOTHER WOMAN: We're not, and that's that!

MAN: It just doesn't make sense, this is all chaotic. What's with you people?!

YET ANOTHER WOMAN: Dude! Get off it; we all know our place in line and it's working OK, why the fuss?!

MAN: There's a numbering system, we should use it.

MAN'S DAUGHTER: Dad!

MAN: I just think we should use the numbering system they want us to use!

MAN'S DAUGHTER: Dad!

UNRELATED WOMAN: I know I'm after them (pointing to us) and I'm fine not having a number; I don't need a number.

NURSE: We have a numbering system.

MAN: See! They want us to use the numbering system.

MAN'S DAUGHTER: Dad! Just shut up!

MAN: Mumble, mumble, mumble.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Loose Ends on Saturday Night

Friday night we were invited to a very large Shabbat dinner at the apartment of cantorial students Matt and Jon. They served a scrumptious vegetarian dinner and had about twenty guests. They have a nice large apartment that is right next to the Yeshiva and the synagogue so it is a very convenient place for a dinner. Since the sun sets so early now, Shabbat begins a few minutes after 4 p.m., services start at 4:30 and are done by 6. Thus, Shabbat dinner starts far earlier than in the summer and it seems really late by 9 or 10 o'clock whereas in the summer, we'd start dinner at 8ish and go until 11 or midnight.

We haven't hosted any dinners in a while so in just under two weeks we'll going to host a Shabbat dinner for an intimate crowd of about thirteen, including ourselves. In order to hold that many in our apartment, we either need to borrow chairs or get some more. We've decided that we're just going to go out and buy 5 or 6 cheap plastic garden chairs before our next dinner because we're tired of having to borrow chairs for every dinner we host.

Yesterday afternoon, I went with fellow Yeshiva students and one of our rabbis to visit patients at a nursing home. It was a rewarding and moving experience and I was able to utilize my limited Hebrew skills in talking to residents who had been born, for the most part throughout Europe and immigrated to Israel after World War II and the Holocaust. I'm looking forward to going back and spending more time there.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

To The Repair Shop

Every morning from 7:10 to 7:25 I am the lone student of the Rosh Yeshiva (head of the Yeshiva). It's a daily class that's open to anyone and everyone but I'm the only on there every day. Reb Shmuel (Reb=rabbi) said that for the years he's been teaching the class, he's always only had one person take advantage of the incredible opportunity to learn from a true master.

Since I'm the only student, I get to ask whatever stupid questions I want. So, today, I asked Reb Shmuel to help me make sure that I was putting on my tefillin properly. I pulled the arm tefillin out of the bag and he looked at it strangely and said, "You're left-handed, right?" I replied that I am and he told me that the leather strap was not tied properly. Instead of us tying it ourselves (I was the last to tie it), he recommended I read to a magical place where tefillin are repaired.

So, after classes today, I walked north up King George Street to where it ends and turns into Straus. At 10 Straus, there it was, HaSofer (The Scribe). Inside was a wondrous collection of muzzuzot, tzitzit, tallitot, and tefillin. I waited patiently for the customer in front of me to finish. Once I was helped, the rabbi-sofer quickly retied the knot on my tefillin and replaced the outside case (since the new know was on the opposite site of the original knot) and for a small charge, I was done.

I had a great experience at HaSofer and highly recommend it for all your sofer needs!