Tale of 2 Shabbatot
This was an email to my folks & Rivka, so now I'm posting it. An update was needed, and lots of LJ folks in the story, at least the first one.
I wanted to write about last Shabbat, but that didn't happen, so I'm doing it now. Last Shabbat I stayed at joshbrown & mick_hale's place. They are two guys I know from my medieval recreation group (SCA for those who know what that is). They live in a neighborhood, which is sort of center of town, but also fairly observant. zachkessin & kmelion, who I stayed with for Shabbat Chanukkah, were there as well so it made for a nice crowd. We davened in a very crowded (overflowed into outdoors) Carlebachy (lots of singing) minyan, at a place called Shir Chadash. Unfortunately, we had to daven outside, and mick_hale got cold so we went back and finished praying there. kmelion & mick_hale had prepared dinner, which was very good, if a bit pot-luck (it just had that feel to it). After dinner I learned a new game, known as Settlers of Catan .
Sat morning zachkessin & I returned to Shir Chadash. We were early enough that we got indoor seats this time, but it was packed by the end. It got a bit stuffy, but otherwise very nice. They rush a bit through the early parts in order to sing the later parts which people are there for (because really, who comes at the beginning of services anyway? Just crazy yeshiva boys and those they drag along) so that was a bit annoying, but otherwise it was quite nice. After services they had a very nice kiddush. They took down the mechitza (separation between genders) and let us mingle, which may explain the large number of marriages and births in this shul. It struck as very much the young marrieds shul, but also the singles shul. Lots of people my age-ish and a bit up.
After davening we had lunch, which was similarly pot-luck-ish, but very nice. Then Shabbat naps began. I stayed up and read while EVERYONE else took a nap. OK. A few games were played after naptime ended, including more Settlers of Catan, but also random other games. After Shabbat, mick_hale & yaffa were going to a movie so zachkessin & kmelion joined them for a double date. I wanted to see the movie (Rent) as well, so I went & sat far away from the lovebirds and enjoyed the film immensely. zachkessin & kmelion saw a different movie, but we all met up for food afterwards. That was also nice, sitting on Emek Refaim, a very strolly sort of a street, having a burger and talking with friends.
Fast forward a bit to this week. I had been learning with Josh (not joshbrown) before Shacharit in the mornings, because it guaranteed I'd be awake on time in the morn. He went to CA for a bit, so I missed a few mornings this week. However, on Tuesday I got so many little hints to try harder the following morning (Rabbi Silberberg spoke to me. He asked if I was sick, and then suggested that he understands my sleeping problem. I was unaware of a sleeping problem, but apparently falling asleep in his class too often qualifies as a sleeping problem, so I guess I have one. Of late I've noticed that I fall asleep in class less, which is a good thing.) Tuesday night we go to a rabbi's house for dinner once a month. I went to Rabbi Farber this past week, and he gets up and davens at sunrise every morning, and has been doing so for 14 years now. He is not a young man either (There's a dispute as to the exact age, but lower 70s). He is, to say the least, inspirational. So I got up the following morning, learned with one of the other guys who was there Tue night. That lasted exactly one day. But on Fri morn I davened with the sunrise at the Kotel (Western Wall). Of course, in the winter sunrise is later, and it's actually later now than in Dec for some reason. Don't ask me why, but it is. Chaim & Eric came with me and we learned together for a bit afterwards. Then Chaim & I walked to Mea Shearim/Geula area, which is the super-observant part of town. I had to check out the prices on ink, parchment & such for the SCA. I was elected based on looking like a person who might have some reason to buy this stuff (being a scribe for Torah scrolls). So, after some meandering through Mea Shearim, Rabbi Farber, who Chaim had called agreed to drive me to the yeshiva, and Chaim to somewhere else.
This Shabbat, about 10 guys from the yeshiva went to Bnei Brak, which is a very yeshiva heavy town. It is basically a city of observant Jews with over 100 yeshivot and more synagogues than that even. Friday afternoon I went with a couple of guys to the Vizhnitzer mikva, which is huge. However, it was very crowded right before Shabbat. We prayed Friday night in the Ponevich yeshiva, which has this whole interesting story about how the town rabbi escaped from Lithuania, and basically built the yeshiva in memory of his town, destroyed in the Shoah. The room holds probably a thousand people and is nearly always full of guys between 16 and 25 learning. I couldn't handle such a place, I must say. We had dinner with a fellow who had clearly "made it". He had a mikveh & a swimming pool in his apt on the ground floor. I was absolutely amazed. Don't ask where the money comes from (renting out the pool actually), but his is a level of luxury I could live with. He also had a brood of children of course, and he learns full time, which is pretty common in Bnei Brak. Not the life for me, at least right now. At some point, I'm going to want to stop being a student, at least I think.
Sat morning I got up and again davened with sunrise. It was a very very dry, no singing ever, over in two hours Lithuanian style minyan. However, there was a big rabbi there, so we went. I think he said two words to me: "Good Shabbos". He didn't speak in shul or anything, and it was again a big room. So basically it didn't matter that there was a big rabbi (R' Chaim Kanievsky, son of the Steipler) there. But it was still an interesting enough experience. The guys who didn't daven with me at the sunrise minyan davened in the Bnei Brak hospital, which is the only minyan in Bnei Brak which follows German customs. They said it was interesting, and there was apparently a bunch of singing. German custom heavily influenced the British Jewish community, so the one Brit who went was very happy in that minyan. They gave us a tour of the hospital, which has as its largest section the maternity ward (500-600 births per month in that hospital).
We then had lunch at the home of a British rabbi, who arranged most of the Shabbaton for us. The food was again very good, and he really encouraged us to a) eat a lot, b) sing, c) enjoy ourselves, d) relax. He absolutely made the Shabbos. He was also very funny. We also had seuda slishit (sort of noshy third meal of Shabbat) at his place, but I managed to get a nap in between. The nap was very needed, after two days in a row of early rising, as well as cholent(shabbat stew), which seems to be an excellent sleep inducer. I davened Mincha at the same place I had davened Shacharit, but they seemed to be very slow this time. We took a while noshing for seuda slishit, and Rabbi Lyons, our host managed to be funny again while being highly controversial. We talked about whether people have an innate moral compass or not, as well as a few other things. Not everyone is a fan of controversy, but I found it very interesting and quite stimulating actually.
OK, so I think that is everything. Oh, I joined a role playing group here, which has heavy overlap with the SCA (midieval group), so that gives me an escape once in a while. Not sure if that should reassure you that I'm still normal or make you think I'm weirder than before, but either way, figured it'd be of interest.
I wanted to write about last Shabbat, but that didn't happen, so I'm doing it now. Last Shabbat I stayed at joshbrown & mick_hale's place. They are two guys I know from my medieval recreation group (SCA for those who know what that is). They live in a neighborhood, which is sort of center of town, but also fairly observant. zachkessin & kmelion, who I stayed with for Shabbat Chanukkah, were there as well so it made for a nice crowd. We davened in a very crowded (overflowed into outdoors) Carlebachy (lots of singing) minyan, at a place called Shir Chadash. Unfortunately, we had to daven outside, and mick_hale got cold so we went back and finished praying there. kmelion & mick_hale had prepared dinner, which was very good, if a bit pot-luck (it just had that feel to it). After dinner I learned a new game, known as Settlers of Catan .
Sat morning zachkessin & I returned to Shir Chadash. We were early enough that we got indoor seats this time, but it was packed by the end. It got a bit stuffy, but otherwise very nice. They rush a bit through the early parts in order to sing the later parts which people are there for (because really, who comes at the beginning of services anyway? Just crazy yeshiva boys and those they drag along) so that was a bit annoying, but otherwise it was quite nice. After services they had a very nice kiddush. They took down the mechitza (separation between genders) and let us mingle, which may explain the large number of marriages and births in this shul. It struck as very much the young marrieds shul, but also the singles shul. Lots of people my age-ish and a bit up.
After davening we had lunch, which was similarly pot-luck-ish, but very nice. Then Shabbat naps began. I stayed up and read while EVERYONE else took a nap. OK. A few games were played after naptime ended, including more Settlers of Catan, but also random other games. After Shabbat, mick_hale & yaffa were going to a movie so zachkessin & kmelion joined them for a double date. I wanted to see the movie (Rent) as well, so I went & sat far away from the lovebirds and enjoyed the film immensely. zachkessin & kmelion saw a different movie, but we all met up for food afterwards. That was also nice, sitting on Emek Refaim, a very strolly sort of a street, having a burger and talking with friends.
Fast forward a bit to this week. I had been learning with Josh (not joshbrown) before Shacharit in the mornings, because it guaranteed I'd be awake on time in the morn. He went to CA for a bit, so I missed a few mornings this week. However, on Tuesday I got so many little hints to try harder the following morning (Rabbi Silberberg spoke to me. He asked if I was sick, and then suggested that he understands my sleeping problem. I was unaware of a sleeping problem, but apparently falling asleep in his class too often qualifies as a sleeping problem, so I guess I have one. Of late I've noticed that I fall asleep in class less, which is a good thing.) Tuesday night we go to a rabbi's house for dinner once a month. I went to Rabbi Farber this past week, and he gets up and davens at sunrise every morning, and has been doing so for 14 years now. He is not a young man either (There's a dispute as to the exact age, but lower 70s). He is, to say the least, inspirational. So I got up the following morning, learned with one of the other guys who was there Tue night. That lasted exactly one day. But on Fri morn I davened with the sunrise at the Kotel (Western Wall). Of course, in the winter sunrise is later, and it's actually later now than in Dec for some reason. Don't ask me why, but it is. Chaim & Eric came with me and we learned together for a bit afterwards. Then Chaim & I walked to Mea Shearim/Geula area, which is the super-observant part of town. I had to check out the prices on ink, parchment & such for the SCA. I was elected based on looking like a person who might have some reason to buy this stuff (being a scribe for Torah scrolls). So, after some meandering through Mea Shearim, Rabbi Farber, who Chaim had called agreed to drive me to the yeshiva, and Chaim to somewhere else.
This Shabbat, about 10 guys from the yeshiva went to Bnei Brak, which is a very yeshiva heavy town. It is basically a city of observant Jews with over 100 yeshivot and more synagogues than that even. Friday afternoon I went with a couple of guys to the Vizhnitzer mikva, which is huge. However, it was very crowded right before Shabbat. We prayed Friday night in the Ponevich yeshiva, which has this whole interesting story about how the town rabbi escaped from Lithuania, and basically built the yeshiva in memory of his town, destroyed in the Shoah. The room holds probably a thousand people and is nearly always full of guys between 16 and 25 learning. I couldn't handle such a place, I must say. We had dinner with a fellow who had clearly "made it". He had a mikveh & a swimming pool in his apt on the ground floor. I was absolutely amazed. Don't ask where the money comes from (renting out the pool actually), but his is a level of luxury I could live with. He also had a brood of children of course, and he learns full time, which is pretty common in Bnei Brak. Not the life for me, at least right now. At some point, I'm going to want to stop being a student, at least I think.
Sat morning I got up and again davened with sunrise. It was a very very dry, no singing ever, over in two hours Lithuanian style minyan. However, there was a big rabbi there, so we went. I think he said two words to me: "Good Shabbos". He didn't speak in shul or anything, and it was again a big room. So basically it didn't matter that there was a big rabbi (R' Chaim Kanievsky, son of the Steipler) there. But it was still an interesting enough experience. The guys who didn't daven with me at the sunrise minyan davened in the Bnei Brak hospital, which is the only minyan in Bnei Brak which follows German customs. They said it was interesting, and there was apparently a bunch of singing. German custom heavily influenced the British Jewish community, so the one Brit who went was very happy in that minyan. They gave us a tour of the hospital, which has as its largest section the maternity ward (500-600 births per month in that hospital).
We then had lunch at the home of a British rabbi, who arranged most of the Shabbaton for us. The food was again very good, and he really encouraged us to a) eat a lot, b) sing, c) enjoy ourselves, d) relax. He absolutely made the Shabbos. He was also very funny. We also had seuda slishit (sort of noshy third meal of Shabbat) at his place, but I managed to get a nap in between. The nap was very needed, after two days in a row of early rising, as well as cholent(shabbat stew), which seems to be an excellent sleep inducer. I davened Mincha at the same place I had davened Shacharit, but they seemed to be very slow this time. We took a while noshing for seuda slishit, and Rabbi Lyons, our host managed to be funny again while being highly controversial. We talked about whether people have an innate moral compass or not, as well as a few other things. Not everyone is a fan of controversy, but I found it very interesting and quite stimulating actually.
OK, so I think that is everything. Oh, I joined a role playing group here, which has heavy overlap with the SCA (midieval group), so that gives me an escape once in a while. Not sure if that should reassure you that I'm still normal or make you think I'm weirder than before, but either way, figured it'd be of interest.