(My video for this week).
This week has allowed me to meet so many incredible people. I have had the opportunity to learn more about my community, to connect with people in difficult times, and to discover what drives people.
Shabbat was an incredibly, moving experience. We were able to celebrate Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh Elul. We sang the Psalms of Hallel, had the gift of reading from two Torahs. I was able to conclude Tractate Zevachim and do the Hadran with the entire community. Sounds great if you don't have any other plans that day--which it is Shabbat--why would you have other plans? ;-) Lesson learned: long extra Hebrew selection is not universally beloved when the service is already long.
This week included the first day of school for the children, which is an incredible parenting experience. It was powerful. Besides the adorable photos, it is powerful to see you children grow. We want our children to learn how to take responsibility, to learn how to care for one another, to be a positive force in this world.
I feel so blessed at CBI. I've met so many people this week and started planning for many programs, classes and events to come.
A (very) partial list of this week past week's plans and meetings:
Meeting people one on one
Israel Bonds--learning about how we can invest in our AND Israel's future
Menorah Manor--incredible opportunities for cooperation
Visiting residents at Menorah manor
Daily Minyanim--love my morning people (and coffee)
Coffee crew at black crow--conversations about God, Torah, Israel, friendship, St Pete and more
Minyan in the evening with the whole family
Welcoming a new Jew into the covenant
Helping a family complete their covenant
Beginning our Ok-TORAH-fest planning
Getting our Conversion class dates in order
Writing for the High Holidays (eek!)
Photos in reverse order:
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| Our new child-size tables for Kiddish |
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| Take your daughter to minyan, we've got puppets! |
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| The Gulf of Mexico (without red tide) makes an amazing mikvah. Next time at the beach I'll wear the right suit. |
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| Chapel Hill Memorial Park is beautiful |
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| Whole family came to evening minyan, didn't get a photo of the whole family. |
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| Coffee at the Black Crow |
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| Yum |
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| Family of ducks on the way to shul |
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| It's official. We are Florida residents. Registered to vote! |
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| This is a beautiful city. |
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| Time to start another tractate of Talmud. Thanks Koren! |
I can't say enough about Rabbi Adin Even-Israel's Talmud. Koren Publishers have done incredible work to bring his original Hebrew translation into English, adding photographs, diagrams, text divisions and making it even more accessible. It is a phenomenal resource and the books themselves are beautifully printed, easy to read and more. (No they aren't giving them to me, but I have bought the whole set!)
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| Exploring our city on my day off (monday) |
I'm exhausted and Shabbat is coming. Looking forward to dinner with some of our Seniors around the corner!
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