(no subject)
Wow, it's been longer than I thought it had been since the last time I wrote in here.
It's been a pretty busy and eventful... month and a half-ish, though, and I'm trying to remember where I even left off. Looking at my last entry, I had just seen Steven Page (still a great show, and am still hooked on listening to "Entourage" and "Alternative Girlfriend" because of it), so I guess I'll try to go back from there.
A lot of the busyness has been of the Jewish variety, with I think Pesach being the next eventful thing to happen after Steven Page. Oy, and trying to find a seder was a pain in the ass, and totally made me feel like an orphan, but in the end I did find one. It was at the home of one of the families from my congregation, and while slightly awkward, it was interesting and I'm glad I had the experience. Plus, I learned that I do quite like matzah, even though I was dying for all thing chametz by the time it over. Not to mention, I've decided that for next year I'm going to go Sephardic and enjoy my kitniyot.
And speaking of Sephardic, the week of Pesach I finally went to the Sephardic synagogue that Local Rabbi wanted to me. It was a very lovely building but... that's really all I've got. I wasn't a fan of separate-seating, especially with the women up on the balcony - there was like no good seats to actually see what was going on and that acoustics were terrible. Not that it mattered during the 95% Hebrew that I was hopelessly lost during, but when the time came for the English sermon I couldn't hear a word. I also missed getting to interact with the Torah when it goes around the sanctuary, and it wasn't the same watching the men do it. Not to mention, man that thing was long. I got up to pee at the three and a half hour mark and just never went back.
And after that... I think was the class trip to Jewish Funeral Home, which was a really interesting lecture. I really like the whole process of getting the body buried quickly and respectfully, not dragging it out with countless viewings and all that jazz, and focusing on supporting the grieving. I also really liked the putting the stone on the tombstone too.
Then there was Holocaust Remembrance Day, and going to the synagogue here in town to listen to a survivor speak. A very lovely woman who had a great story and a really good sense of humour, and I so wish I had thought to bring money with me so I could have bought her book. It was also a really huge turn out, with apparently one third of attendees not being Jewish which is pretty awesome (I wonder which side I was counted on for that little tally...).
There was also the class trip to the Holocaust Education Centre, which wasn't too bad. They were super unprepared for our class, so the "guided" portion wasn't that great, but getting to wander around and read some of the stories and see some of the artifacts was pretty amazing and really sobering. Plus seeing one of the Torah scrolls that was rescued from a burning synagogue during Kristallnacht was incredible, and extra neat knowing that it was given to Rabbi Gunther Plaut, since I knew the name from the Torah commentary books that I'm supposed to be reading. I also had no idea he was the Rabbi at one point of Holy Blossom.
The Holocaust Centre also had a super cool interactive exhibit where you got to see recorded video of a survivor, who had been recorded telling his story and answer like a thousand questions, and ask him questions where it would play the most appropriate answer. That was really neat and really powerful as he shared his feelings on Germans/Germany today, Holocaust deniers, and a bit about his personal story. That was by far my favourite aspect of the trip.
I think Yad Vashem is going to be pretty amazing, as well.
Then, I think the next thing would be Yom Ha'atzmaut at Holy Blossom. I went primarily to get another Reform synagogue crossed off my list for Local Rabbi, but because of Independence Day, the Consul General of Israel was a guest speaker to share a bit about her experiences as a diplomat, as well as some of the goods and bads about Israel during it's inception. I have no idea why, but the one that sticks with me the most is that Israel has one of the - if not the - best-ranked field hospitals in the world. And the only foreign one Japan would let in after Fukishima.
I also got o finally wander Toronto's Chinatown that day, and bought a cheap little green duck pen to commemorate it.
I think that about brings me up to the last week or so. I had my regular service at my synagogue last Saturday, which was nothing out of the ordinary, except for learning one absolutely heartbreaking fact: the board of the synagogue has asked Local Rabbi to step down from his position, and he will be retiring in June. Apparently they want someone "much younger," which I think is funny because I'm a good twenty years younger than any of its current members (not counting kids of members). So that was pretty crushing and I can't imagine what it's going to be like without him.
I wonder if that will be able to speed up my beit din and (hopefully) mikvah, though, since I'll be losing my sponsoring rabbi. A few people in the class already have dates apparently for the beit din, which are eithyer the end of May of beginning-ish of June, which is crazy soon. Local Rabbi did say he will start working on that soon when I saw him last.
I can't believe there are only two more classes left - and not even classes. A review for the final exam, and then the exam itself. All of our content is done, and it's insane that this whole like 40-ish weeks is almost done. I'm super nervous about the exam, though, and am going to really have to start studying soon.
I have my final one-on-one meeting with Local Rabbi this Thursday, so I'm hoping I'll learn a bit more then. At our last meeting (you know, aside from the J Date stuff that still makes me giggle) he said that he would be getting more into my theology and motivations this time around, so I'm a tad nervous for that but not too worried.
And to finish off, since it's getting late and I'm super exhausted, I'll end with one development that amazingly isn't Semitic at all: I have finally earned full-time at work! Guaranteed hours, benefits plan, double bonuses, and I'm sure something else I can't think of. I'm super stoked and pretty damn proud of myself; they're super picky about who they offer full-time to.
So go me . <3
It's been a pretty busy and eventful... month and a half-ish, though, and I'm trying to remember where I even left off. Looking at my last entry, I had just seen Steven Page (still a great show, and am still hooked on listening to "Entourage" and "Alternative Girlfriend" because of it), so I guess I'll try to go back from there.
A lot of the busyness has been of the Jewish variety, with I think Pesach being the next eventful thing to happen after Steven Page. Oy, and trying to find a seder was a pain in the ass, and totally made me feel like an orphan, but in the end I did find one. It was at the home of one of the families from my congregation, and while slightly awkward, it was interesting and I'm glad I had the experience. Plus, I learned that I do quite like matzah, even though I was dying for all thing chametz by the time it over. Not to mention, I've decided that for next year I'm going to go Sephardic and enjoy my kitniyot.
And speaking of Sephardic, the week of Pesach I finally went to the Sephardic synagogue that Local Rabbi wanted to me. It was a very lovely building but... that's really all I've got. I wasn't a fan of separate-seating, especially with the women up on the balcony - there was like no good seats to actually see what was going on and that acoustics were terrible. Not that it mattered during the 95% Hebrew that I was hopelessly lost during, but when the time came for the English sermon I couldn't hear a word. I also missed getting to interact with the Torah when it goes around the sanctuary, and it wasn't the same watching the men do it. Not to mention, man that thing was long. I got up to pee at the three and a half hour mark and just never went back.
And after that... I think was the class trip to Jewish Funeral Home, which was a really interesting lecture. I really like the whole process of getting the body buried quickly and respectfully, not dragging it out with countless viewings and all that jazz, and focusing on supporting the grieving. I also really liked the putting the stone on the tombstone too.
Then there was Holocaust Remembrance Day, and going to the synagogue here in town to listen to a survivor speak. A very lovely woman who had a great story and a really good sense of humour, and I so wish I had thought to bring money with me so I could have bought her book. It was also a really huge turn out, with apparently one third of attendees not being Jewish which is pretty awesome (I wonder which side I was counted on for that little tally...).
There was also the class trip to the Holocaust Education Centre, which wasn't too bad. They were super unprepared for our class, so the "guided" portion wasn't that great, but getting to wander around and read some of the stories and see some of the artifacts was pretty amazing and really sobering. Plus seeing one of the Torah scrolls that was rescued from a burning synagogue during Kristallnacht was incredible, and extra neat knowing that it was given to Rabbi Gunther Plaut, since I knew the name from the Torah commentary books that I'm supposed to be reading. I also had no idea he was the Rabbi at one point of Holy Blossom.
The Holocaust Centre also had a super cool interactive exhibit where you got to see recorded video of a survivor, who had been recorded telling his story and answer like a thousand questions, and ask him questions where it would play the most appropriate answer. That was really neat and really powerful as he shared his feelings on Germans/Germany today, Holocaust deniers, and a bit about his personal story. That was by far my favourite aspect of the trip.
I think Yad Vashem is going to be pretty amazing, as well.
Then, I think the next thing would be Yom Ha'atzmaut at Holy Blossom. I went primarily to get another Reform synagogue crossed off my list for Local Rabbi, but because of Independence Day, the Consul General of Israel was a guest speaker to share a bit about her experiences as a diplomat, as well as some of the goods and bads about Israel during it's inception. I have no idea why, but the one that sticks with me the most is that Israel has one of the - if not the - best-ranked field hospitals in the world. And the only foreign one Japan would let in after Fukishima.
I also got o finally wander Toronto's Chinatown that day, and bought a cheap little green duck pen to commemorate it.
I think that about brings me up to the last week or so. I had my regular service at my synagogue last Saturday, which was nothing out of the ordinary, except for learning one absolutely heartbreaking fact: the board of the synagogue has asked Local Rabbi to step down from his position, and he will be retiring in June. Apparently they want someone "much younger," which I think is funny because I'm a good twenty years younger than any of its current members (not counting kids of members). So that was pretty crushing and I can't imagine what it's going to be like without him.
I wonder if that will be able to speed up my beit din and (hopefully) mikvah, though, since I'll be losing my sponsoring rabbi. A few people in the class already have dates apparently for the beit din, which are eithyer the end of May of beginning-ish of June, which is crazy soon. Local Rabbi did say he will start working on that soon when I saw him last.
I can't believe there are only two more classes left - and not even classes. A review for the final exam, and then the exam itself. All of our content is done, and it's insane that this whole like 40-ish weeks is almost done. I'm super nervous about the exam, though, and am going to really have to start studying soon.
I have my final one-on-one meeting with Local Rabbi this Thursday, so I'm hoping I'll learn a bit more then. At our last meeting (you know, aside from the J Date stuff that still makes me giggle) he said that he would be getting more into my theology and motivations this time around, so I'm a tad nervous for that but not too worried.
And to finish off, since it's getting late and I'm super exhausted, I'll end with one development that amazingly isn't Semitic at all: I have finally earned full-time at work! Guaranteed hours, benefits plan, double bonuses, and I'm sure something else I can't think of. I'm super stoked and pretty damn proud of myself; they're super picky about who they offer full-time to.
So go me . <3