Saturday, March 20, 2009
Our friend, Dara, is leaving soon. For her last Shabbat in Jerusalem, as usually happens, we all fan out to our various synagogues for Kabbalat Shabbat, then reconvene at our house for Kiddush and dinner. This was a special evening; some of us had family in town, some of us went to Nava Tehila, the Renewal Congregation, some more traditional congregations, some simply called home to connect with family stateside. We went to Renewal, where I sit between two amazing guitarists dueling in rhythms and eastern riffs. This kehilla is very intense, the rabbi leads the service in Hebrew with a bit of English sprinkled in, none of the anglo people seem to care. And a lot of music we use is created over the course of the current month. There are drums, french horn, guitars, and voices, its very beautiful. One of the things I love most about working with Nava Tehila is the rehearsal process, and how its based in text, but fed by improvisation. The rehearsals are quite powerful, and for me very emotional.
So of course we only sat down to eat at 8pm. Singing, making Kiddush, exchanging recipes. One of the nicest things about the shabbatot here this year, is how many people gather as regulars at our home. And I think they feel it too, because they bring food, they jump up to serve, help clean, do dishes; Leslie says we're running a hostel. I like that.
Ben and Coby, as usual, were so tired, they were already crashing on the couches, but we made kiddush, and Dara said Hamotzi over the two sweetest challot from נאמנ you've ever tasted--like jelly doughnuts. So sweet your fingers are sticky afterwards. All year long we've been trying to sing, and have always gotten sidetracked between Phillip's vodka infusions with crazy exotic Israeli fruit, the wine, and all the side conversations. But tonight we sang. Niggunim, kiddush, psalms, chicken, banging on tables-lightly, wine. We were cantor heavy so we sang and sang. 14 of us. Dara, consistent with her cheery and generous demeanor made a toast, deflecting attention away from herself onto us, being her home away from home. She is bringing home $851 worth of books from Pomerantz Bookstore and will continue her studies in Canada, bringing something special to 4 feet of snow. We make many many promises to hike in Sedona with Adam and Josh, ski in the Laurentians with Marci, and deliver her baby--when she's pregnant. And sing some more.
Andrea took her parents home, Adam and Leslie ducked out, eventually Coby finally went to sleep, Ben passed out behind the couch, and Shmuel took out his prayer cards. We sang Birkat Hamazon -- Josh took a nap on the big couch and I, as I usually do, fell asleep on the little couch. Phillip picked me up and brought me to bed and they continued to solve the problems of the universe for a few more hours. As I write this there are people asleep in various places in the house, but it feels so warm and terrific. And is such a great balance to the crazy brain saturation from earlier this week.
Purim here is like nowhere else in the world.
I know, I say that about alot of things, but it is true. It's the culture that is so different.
People walk around the streets so openly preparing for Purim, just like all the other holidays, that are celebrated nationally. EVERYONE dresses up here, even the adults. People were stopping by the apartment all day dropping off bags of Mishloach Manot: candy, tzedakah, it was great.
Fantastically, after 2 weeks of preparation, we piled into the Beit Knesset on campus, dressed as everything from Madonna, to Hulk Hogan, to an Egged Bus, pirates, angels, devils, princesses, daati women, bikers, cowboys, etc...I was a just fantasy mom with a crazy wig, boa, and sunglasses. Silly, crazy and very clever Maariv service with the Megilla reading in the middle. Tamar is 9 months pregnant, I 'gabay-ed' for her for the first time, and read from a real Megilla using a magic wand as a 'yad', first time ever. Fun Fun Fun. Truly. The melodies are dramatic and very expressive, and since it is a kookie holiday, we are encouraged to use the wild trope to tell the story in as fantastical a manner as possible. It was so much fun, and from studying this so intensely, realize what a truly terrible story it is. So many of the characters have such awful flaws. But it was so much fun! During the reading the only sounds you could hear were the hysteria of the groggers and the sound of bottles falling over. What an evening. The Beit Knesset was left wrecked, sticky floor, boa feathers everywhere (I wasn't the only one), candy wrappers under chairs. Wow.
On Purim Day, as we walked down Ussishkin to Nachlaot, we passed carloads of people dressed as ducks, clowns, fairies...and then on the street would pass people who would give Ben and Coby Mishloach Manot, they ate an unbelievable amount of candy last week. But it was spectacular, of course they were costumed-out, but Phillip and I and Dara and Shmuel managed to don a new set of costumes for day #2. I was a ladybug. And on the way home in a taxi, they pulled my antenae out of my pig tails and had a duel with them. The cab driver, whose wife was pregnant, actually thought it was cute.
So just when we thought the fun would continue forever...it finally occurred to me to look at Coby's head close up--he was scratching and scratching. Yes. The plague of all preschools. Lice.
In 40 years, never ever, during years of camp, camping, wearing and sharing hats, with my long curly hair had never seen lice.
Until now.
Let's just say it resulted in 2 different bottles of Lice solution, everyone's head being treated, my hands in the bathtub for 3 days, and Ben, Coby, and Phillip getting short hair cuts.
Oy v' Voy.
But it did give me alot to talk about in my hebrew presentation, when I realized that over the last 3 months we had experienced our own version of the 10 plagues...but now we're FREE!
I know, I say that about alot of things, but it is true. It's the culture that is so different.
People walk around the streets so openly preparing for Purim, just like all the other holidays, that are celebrated nationally. EVERYONE dresses up here, even the adults. People were stopping by the apartment all day dropping off bags of Mishloach Manot: candy, tzedakah, it was great.
Fantastically, after 2 weeks of preparation, we piled into the Beit Knesset on campus, dressed as everything from Madonna, to Hulk Hogan, to an Egged Bus, pirates, angels, devils, princesses, daati women, bikers, cowboys, etc...I was a just fantasy mom with a crazy wig, boa, and sunglasses. Silly, crazy and very clever Maariv service with the Megilla reading in the middle. Tamar is 9 months pregnant, I 'gabay-ed' for her for the first time, and read from a real Megilla using a magic wand as a 'yad', first time ever. Fun Fun Fun. Truly. The melodies are dramatic and very expressive, and since it is a kookie holiday, we are encouraged to use the wild trope to tell the story in as fantastical a manner as possible. It was so much fun, and from studying this so intensely, realize what a truly terrible story it is. So many of the characters have such awful flaws. But it was so much fun! During the reading the only sounds you could hear were the hysteria of the groggers and the sound of bottles falling over. What an evening. The Beit Knesset was left wrecked, sticky floor, boa feathers everywhere (I wasn't the only one), candy wrappers under chairs. Wow.
On Purim Day, as we walked down Ussishkin to Nachlaot, we passed carloads of people dressed as ducks, clowns, fairies...and then on the street would pass people who would give Ben and Coby Mishloach Manot, they ate an unbelievable amount of candy last week. But it was spectacular, of course they were costumed-out, but Phillip and I and Dara and Shmuel managed to don a new set of costumes for day #2. I was a ladybug. And on the way home in a taxi, they pulled my antenae out of my pig tails and had a duel with them. The cab driver, whose wife was pregnant, actually thought it was cute.
So just when we thought the fun would continue forever...it finally occurred to me to look at Coby's head close up--he was scratching and scratching. Yes. The plague of all preschools. Lice.
In 40 years, never ever, during years of camp, camping, wearing and sharing hats, with my long curly hair had never seen lice.
Until now.
Let's just say it resulted in 2 different bottles of Lice solution, everyone's head being treated, my hands in the bathtub for 3 days, and Ben, Coby, and Phillip getting short hair cuts.
Oy v' Voy.
But it did give me alot to talk about in my hebrew presentation, when I realized that over the last 3 months we had experienced our own version of the 10 plagues...but now we're FREE!
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