Boarding...

To those who still like to frequent my blog,

This is a brand new up to the minute post – finally!  I am currently sitting in Ben Gurion airport, sipping my final ice coffee (but only for 10 days) and freezing my tush off waiting for my flight to board. Some of you may know, others perhaps finding out at this moment, that I am flying back to North America for a once in a lifetime event, my beautiful and holy friend – Emily Danoff – will be getting married BH this coming Sunday! I could not be more honored to be able to share this day with her. After what will be a typically New York style whorlwind 5 days, I’ll head to Montreal and the comfort of a heated home and a car (luxuries I look forward to savouring). Unfortunately my trip is not long and after 5 days of Channukah celebrations with friends and fam I’ll be going back through NYC to Israel J

Now that I’m sure you’re grateful for the play by play of my upcoming trip I guess a short catch up is in order. Neve has been really great, I’m learning a lot of practical Judaism and some inspiring in-depth stuff as well. I can tell you how many times you have to say a prayer on the same apple if your moving around with it, what to do if your traveling and want to light channukah candles, what you can and cannot use to wash your hands before eating bread, and much much more! Although all this info is exceedingly necessary to live a Torah observant life, my soul is striving for a more meat. I’ve been stubborn by staying in my level when the Rabbis feel I should have moved up to Advanced 3 months ago. So after getting a taste of what truly gets my Jewish engine going, learning one-on-one with a tutor and helping a friend/Chevrutah (2 people learning together) – I’m figuring out how to tailor my experience at Neve so that it gives me what I need. And as per the Rabbis’ advice I will move up a level come my return to Israel – sort of.

Why sort of?  I recently found out that I was accepted as a madricha (counselor like position) on this Winter’s Jewel trip (the same Women’s learning trip I did one year ago). Its officially unofficial because I haven’t signed a contract just yet but G-d willing it soon will be. These past few months have been a bit hard for me because I am used to being busy with several different commitments. Being at NEve, I’ve really just been going to classes and familiarizing myself with every ice coffee location in the city (especially those that offer Caramel topping!). If I’m not doing more things then I can list on one hand then I feel useless and unproductive. So, being a madricha and getting into some volunteer opportunities will hopefully enhance my experience in Israel.

Today in my Chumash (bible) class we had a Siyum (a little celebration that happens when you finish a chapter, book, topic etc). As a result, each girl had to prepare a Dvar Torah (a speech, words of Torah) based on something we had touched upon in this particular section of the book of Bereishit (Genesis). I would love to share it with all of you but this blog is already long (and kinda boring I’m sorry) and my flight is boarding in…15 minutes (AHHHHHh so didn’t notice the time….reaction completely genuine if you could see my face and panicked typing fingers).

Much love to all of you and come back tomorrow for some words of Torah that I hope will provide you with insight or inspiration or simply relieve you of your boredom.

Xoxo

Dana

Ps Michal you should know that I hit up 5 Pizza shops asking for your “Tavlinim” (Israeli spices to put on Pizza). And although they all thought I was slightly bizarre or starting my own at home pizza joint, I managed to amass a small (small) collection.