My Home in Israel

If only I could do this at work, then everything would be perfect. Actually I really like my new job, and I’ll give you some more information about it soon.

Plants

Originally uploaded by safranit.

Succot vacation has given me the opportunity to get some shopping done…we’ve also done some social things, but most recently we went to “Shuk Ramle” which is actually in Jerusalem. It is kind of a flea market. I bought these plants (and some socks, tights etc..). The guy who sold them to me said that the one on the top left will bring “osher” (weath)….I hope it works.

Yom Kippur fast was made rather easy in Israel by the fact that it started at 4:10 PM and ended by 5:45 PM. Our big girl made it all the way from 4:10 until 8:30 AM! I was very impressed!

I feel like I didn’t pray much, but I was there for a good amount of time. In the evening for Neila, things were challenging, and it wasn’t even because of the girls. Our synogogue tends to take in all of the neighborhood’s non-religious (Sefardi) residents who want to be there for that final shofar blow of the day. This is nice, and I don’t mind that the once-a-year Jews make there appearance. Their dress, chattiness etc, really don’t bother me. I’m glad that they feel that they should come, even if it is only once a year.

My problem is that my insane neighbor, who has made my life difficult, comes to our shul. How am I supposed to say, I won’t speak evil, when the cause of my evil speech sits down in front of me?

I guess you could say I have more to learn….

Enjoy your new year and I hope we will have some exciting trips to take during Succot which we can share.

Thanks to some wonderful bloggers, neighbors, children and friends, this turned out to be a great Rosh HaShana.

• My adopted mom gave me a great quick chicken recipe, that even I (who hates touching raw meat) was able to prepare.
• Mrs. Balabusta gave the key to working with kids over the holiday.
• Our friends/guests brought wonderful deserts & challot.

and best of all

• Our children went to sleep at their normal bedtime! This meant we could stay up, enjoy our company and not have to focus on them.

My guess is that by next year the eldest won’t be willing to go to sleep this early, but maybe we can get one more year out of this. I really felt more relaxed, and in control than I ever have. No, I didn’t get to pray much (at least one Amidah on each day), but I did hear the shofar blowing. I would have heard it anyway, because Chabad came around and blew it outside our window for our non-synagogue attending neighbors.

I hope everyone else had a spiritually productive, or at least enjoyable Rosh HaShanah.

I’m testing out the ability to put pictures in from dotphoto. If this works, you will see lots more images on this blog. Here is “the little one” with her Grandfather from the summer trip.

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