A Week's Update

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for my serious lack of posts this week, maybe you can tell that it's been an insanely busy week...but I'll do my best to update on this week...Here we go!

Sunday...Hebrew, Bible, Liturgy, voice lesson after going to bed at 2am (not so hot), homework and dinner with Julia, home to crash.

Monday...Services, Hebrew, Bible, Rosh HaShanah meeting, gym, Rabbinic Forum, study until late at the Coffee Bean with the girls.

Tuesday...Rabbinic Literature, Hebrew, History, Kesher meeting, Zmirot, Choir, crash.

Wednesday...Israel seminar in Tel Aviv all day, dinner with Elana about volunteering.

Thursday...Hebrew, Biblical Grammar, gym, learning with David, quick trip to the shuk, dinner at Rena's with Deb, Edie and Michael, meeting, Hurricaine Bingo Night, post-bingo hang out with the girls, crash crash crash.

Friday...Woke up early, volunteered (more on that later), cooked chicken for Shabbat dinner, got myself and my apartment ready for Shabbat, went to the HUC "meet and greet" at Har El Synagogue, services at Har El, dinner at my place with Rachel, Robyn, Rena, Michael, Lauren, Alon, Deb, Edie, David W and his friend Brent until late. Cleaned up, went to sleep.

Today...services at HUC with an amazing d'var Torah by Rabbi Marmur, lunch and napping, dinner and studying at Coffee Bean...blogging...

The highlight of my week was definitly starting my volunteer work. I'm going to be teaching music at Tali Bayit V'Gan, one of the Progressive ("Reform") elementary schools in Jerusalem. Elana and I met with Ana, the volunteer coordinator on Friday morning and then taught for a couple of hours. We'll mostly be supplementing what the students are learning in class by teaching fun, new, "NFTY" melodies and reviewing liturgical songs. I'm so excited!

This past Friday we taught three first grade classes, two third grade classes and a second grade class. The kids are adorable, mostly well behaved and best of all, LOVE to sing! Since I spent the last year teaching Jewish music in a synagogue, I'm not used to kids who like to sing and who will actually sing with having to pull teeth. Elana and I will be switching off every week and hopefully one of us will be there every week. It's one of those volunteer projects that will really make a difference and I'll feel really good about.

I'm going to let my coffee buzz wear off and then get some sleep...it's going to be a big week here! Love to all who are reading!