Mikve Sequel
We ended up not going to the Chabad lighting after shabbes, because the weather was unbearable and it was outside. And we also missed their Hanuka event on Sunday because it ended very early and we attended the community event. It was nice and family style. The karaoke was made of childish, at best teenish pop songs, and a few classics a la “Only you”. Nah, I didn’t sing, despite being asked to. I could have sung for a nice Jewish song, or a nice non Jewish song, but not THAT.
The food was nice though, and out of the 5 tickets we bought for the raffle, 3 won. A timer, a not so good quality watch and the matching (?) tie, and a calculator. David, being the proud owner of high class Swiss watches (grew up in Geneva!), wasn’t so happy of the stuff, and neither was I. But it was nice talking to people and Mati had fun crawling around and watching the children play. It sooo showed she wanted to run and join them, but yeah.
After shabbes I managed to, BH BH BH, go to a nice mikve. I had called the mikve lady some time before shabbes, and had an appointment. We arrived late because of traffic jam, but she was just so nice and understanding and told me many times that I was strong for staying “that frum” were I was. It was nice to feel understood and not told crazy fanatic stuff. She herself knew what it was. For decades she lived in a town were she, as the rebbetzin, was one of the two only mikve goers, despite that the town was much bigger than mine (she went to another mikve, as it took 30 years to gather money to open this one).
We also discussed schools. Apparently there is a Litvish school in Joinville, but it has become, according to her, meddling and fanatic: mothers have to cover their hair fully and no tv at home. Too bad for them, we’re not becoming charedi. She said she didn’t hear of the Chabad school in Nogent (but she didn’t seem to like charedi schools), but her children are in Créteil, and it’s great. It’s becoming less and less co-ed (it used to be only separated in high school, now they separate middle school and more), and it’s exactly what my husband wants: plain Orthodox/ French rabbanut (not charedi, not modern) with a strong Litvish lean.
She mentioned the Alliance Israelite school as being all co-ed and Modern Orthodox, and therefore not her style and probably not mine either. It was good to be judged on my ideas and not dismissed as barely frum for not being charedi.
The mikve was nice and clean, the preparation room was a bit small and the sink too, and the hair dryer was slow (I couldn’t use mine, rain fell on it) but apart from that… perfect. I happily gave 20 euros instead of 10.
I need to remember to thank my friend for giving me the phone number.
Annoying fact: there is a new concept, a night kosher delivery called “By Night”, that offers condoms (!!!) to the customers. My husband left them a message asking the interest of condoning forbidden relationships while pushing for kashrus, since number 1 is described as much worse than number 2. He also asked if it was an idea of the Chief Rabbi and if the condoms were bet din certified. Let’s hope it will make them ashamed of their public transgressions and unJewish attitude…if you think it’s a chillul Hashem, tell ‘em!
The food was nice though, and out of the 5 tickets we bought for the raffle, 3 won. A timer, a not so good quality watch and the matching (?) tie, and a calculator. David, being the proud owner of high class Swiss watches (grew up in Geneva!), wasn’t so happy of the stuff, and neither was I. But it was nice talking to people and Mati had fun crawling around and watching the children play. It sooo showed she wanted to run and join them, but yeah.
After shabbes I managed to, BH BH BH, go to a nice mikve. I had called the mikve lady some time before shabbes, and had an appointment. We arrived late because of traffic jam, but she was just so nice and understanding and told me many times that I was strong for staying “that frum” were I was. It was nice to feel understood and not told crazy fanatic stuff. She herself knew what it was. For decades she lived in a town were she, as the rebbetzin, was one of the two only mikve goers, despite that the town was much bigger than mine (she went to another mikve, as it took 30 years to gather money to open this one).
We also discussed schools. Apparently there is a Litvish school in Joinville, but it has become, according to her, meddling and fanatic: mothers have to cover their hair fully and no tv at home. Too bad for them, we’re not becoming charedi. She said she didn’t hear of the Chabad school in Nogent (but she didn’t seem to like charedi schools), but her children are in Créteil, and it’s great. It’s becoming less and less co-ed (it used to be only separated in high school, now they separate middle school and more), and it’s exactly what my husband wants: plain Orthodox/ French rabbanut (not charedi, not modern) with a strong Litvish lean.
She mentioned the Alliance Israelite school as being all co-ed and Modern Orthodox, and therefore not her style and probably not mine either. It was good to be judged on my ideas and not dismissed as barely frum for not being charedi.
The mikve was nice and clean, the preparation room was a bit small and the sink too, and the hair dryer was slow (I couldn’t use mine, rain fell on it) but apart from that… perfect. I happily gave 20 euros instead of 10.
I need to remember to thank my friend for giving me the phone number.
Annoying fact: there is a new concept, a night kosher delivery called “By Night”, that offers condoms (!!!) to the customers. My husband left them a message asking the interest of condoning forbidden relationships while pushing for kashrus, since number 1 is described as much worse than number 2. He also asked if it was an idea of the Chief Rabbi and if the condoms were bet din certified. Let’s hope it will make them ashamed of their public transgressions and unJewish attitude…if you think it’s a chillul Hashem, tell ‘em!