Has Rebecca come full circle? Not quite...
Congratulate Rebecca! I actually managed to fast for most of Yom Kippur yesterday. I had a few bites here and there (I made the devilled eggs yesterday, and while cracking the eggs, I cracked too) but for the most part, I managed to abstain. The biggest mistake I made was running errands on my bike after I’d barely eaten all day. Very stupid of me.
As it turned out, I wasn’t the only one to bring devilled eggs to the break-the-fast, but I will say - speaking objectively, of course - that my eggs were better. The others had relish in the filling (yuck!) and were topped with paprika; they also looked professionally made. It is a useless fact that devilled eggs are so called because they are meant to be so spicy to make you think of the flames of hell! You can’t deliver the flames of hell with mild, tasteless paprika. I topped mine with Tony Chachere’s. For any non-Louisiana readers, it’s a very spicy Cajun seasoning that we put on everything down here. (Barbecue! Beans! Popcorn! Crackers! Pizza!) It’s also not the way pronounced the way it’s spelt. I’m not crazy about it, but it was perfect for devilled eggs.
Of course, there was more food besides just devilled eggs - brisket, three kinds of kugel, salads, chopped liver, and various different desserts. I sat with Sarah, a young woman about my age who hasn’t been attending services long. She told me she was nervous being the new person there and not knowing anyone, and boy, do I remember how that feels. I said almost the exact same thing the first time I attended a dinner after services (over a year ago now). I had tried to sneak out early, but as soon as Mr. G and Rebekah saw me walk one step towards the door, they cried, “Rebecca, you’re not leaving yet? Oh no, you have to stay and eat with us!” (I was tempted to ask them if they knew my grandma. She says the same thing every time you try to leave her house. Even if she’s just fed you!) When I mumbled that I didn’t know anyone there, Rebekah grabbed my arm and said, “I’m taking you around the room and introducing you to everyone right now!” And she did. In fact, she introduced me to too many people for me to keep straight. I introduced Sarah to a few folks last night. I really, really hope I was as good at making her feel welcome as others were with me.
“The stranger living among you must be treated as one of your own. Love him as yourself, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.” - Leviticus 19:34.
As it turned out, I wasn’t the only one to bring devilled eggs to the break-the-fast, but I will say - speaking objectively, of course - that my eggs were better. The others had relish in the filling (yuck!) and were topped with paprika; they also looked professionally made. It is a useless fact that devilled eggs are so called because they are meant to be so spicy to make you think of the flames of hell! You can’t deliver the flames of hell with mild, tasteless paprika. I topped mine with Tony Chachere’s. For any non-Louisiana readers, it’s a very spicy Cajun seasoning that we put on everything down here. (Barbecue! Beans! Popcorn! Crackers! Pizza!) It’s also not the way pronounced the way it’s spelt. I’m not crazy about it, but it was perfect for devilled eggs.
Of course, there was more food besides just devilled eggs - brisket, three kinds of kugel, salads, chopped liver, and various different desserts. I sat with Sarah, a young woman about my age who hasn’t been attending services long. She told me she was nervous being the new person there and not knowing anyone, and boy, do I remember how that feels. I said almost the exact same thing the first time I attended a dinner after services (over a year ago now). I had tried to sneak out early, but as soon as Mr. G and Rebekah saw me walk one step towards the door, they cried, “Rebecca, you’re not leaving yet? Oh no, you have to stay and eat with us!” (I was tempted to ask them if they knew my grandma. She says the same thing every time you try to leave her house. Even if she’s just fed you!) When I mumbled that I didn’t know anyone there, Rebekah grabbed my arm and said, “I’m taking you around the room and introducing you to everyone right now!” And she did. In fact, she introduced me to too many people for me to keep straight. I introduced Sarah to a few folks last night. I really, really hope I was as good at making her feel welcome as others were with me.
“The stranger living among you must be treated as one of your own. Love him as yourself, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.” - Leviticus 19:34.