Musuem, Shabbat, etc.

I apologize - I had problems posting this entry and tho't it had gone thru only to just discover that my last promise of a post wasn't kept! It was written when I said just not posted so here ya go:

Well, the Diaspora Museum is a definite recommendation! LIke any musuem in Israel you need more than one visit. It takes you through different 'gates' that cover the different values and ideals of the Jewish people and tries to show how those were kept and modified throughout the diaspora as well as gives you the history of the Jewish people. One room is filled with replicas of synagogues throughout the diaspora of those that are still standing and of those in times past. Each were unique in architecture yet maintained the basic elements in a synagogue (ner tamid, place for the Torah scroll, congregation facing towards Jerusalem).


I spent Shabbat with Eve and her beautiful family and enjoyed it immensely. As the last bus on Fridays from Tzuba to Jerusalem is @ 3 and the buses in Jerusalem stop running around 3 I had to take an earlier bus in and hence I arrived at their apartment quite early! The daughters were busily cleaning and cooking making the last preparations before Shabbat. Eve is a physician in the emergency room and so she didn' t arrive home until just before Shabbat. The girls, Hannah and Rachel, were very friendly and I immediately felt comfortable and at ease. I went with Hannah to part of the service at their shul (synagogue) but we were later than she thought so we actually only caught the last 20 minutes or so! We returned home to a true Shabbat feast. The meal is served in courses and I'm not sure if that part is Israeli or Jewish but we started with little salads and dips (that part is uniquely Israeli, I'm told) which include hummus, salsa, challah (traditional Shabbat bread), diced cucumbers and tomatoes, and other tasty dips; for the main meal we had matza ball soup and then Hannah made some very tasty cookies. Afterwards, Bill, their dad, gave us an overview of the week's Torah portion and then proceeded to ask questions. It was a relaxed after-dinner discussion that included everyone. I stayed at a neighbor's apartment who was visiting family and Hannah joined me.


The next morning I attended services but this time with Eve, however, we arrived pretty much for the very end! Eve and I went on a walk as the weather was beautiful and we went to a nearby park. It was very piturespque with many families out enjoying one another. We went to Linda's (another lady I met at my Psalms' class as well as a friend of the Gerber's) and had Shabbat lunch with her and some other friends of hers. She is from England and her other friends were from there as well. We spent most of the afternoon there and returned home late afternoon.


Hannah and Rachel have a habit of reading together a book called "Way of G-d" by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto on Shabbat. I also have been reading that book, but in English but didn't bring it. So they proceeded to read outloud in Hebrew and then translate. Not long after Shabbat ended, they heard "Havdalah in the Park" and so we raced down the stairs to see it. Havdalah means separation and its a short service after shabbat that kind of closes out Shabbat officially. A family from the neighborhood started doing the service out in the park with a guitar and other families gather and join in singing and dancing. It was very nice.


I can't believe that my time is almost over - it doesn't seem I've been here four months already. I definitely have mixed emotions. While I miss my family and friends very much I already sense that I will miss Israel greatly. However, I know for now I need to go home and I look forward to it. Much has happened while I've been away with my niece's accident and my grandfather's passing and my brother's wedding so I do long to see my family. One interesting experience though is approaching before my time ends. Apparently we are going to participate in a 4 day program, Gadna, that generally is for Israeli teens to introduce them to the Israeli military - so I'm sure I'll have a story or two! It's in about a week and a half. I don't know much but I do know early mornings await me - oy vey! But, I did hear a rumor that we'll get to shoot an M16, so that sounds quite adventerous! Well I need to go - the beautiful weather is calling me to walk! Be well.