Hello everyone!
Yes, contrary to my recent posting activity (or lack thereof), I am still alive. Studying is going great, and I'm really settling into life here. We just started our winter vacation, so I will use some of my free time over the next couple weeks to update you as much as possible.
For now, I just wanted to share a bit of good news that I know many of you have been waiting for...
I had my interview for the Jewish Theological Seminary Rabbinical School today...
And it went very well...
And I was informed a few hours later that they would be honored to have me as a student next year!
So, I will be going to JTS next year as an official rabbinical student!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Let the Classes Begin!
Here I am, already at the end of my first week of classes. Studying at a Yeshiva is long and intellectually exhausting...so of course I love it! Here's what my week looks like right now:
SUNDAY:
7:10 am Halacha Yomit - every day we spend about 15 minutes studying a little bit of Halacha (Jewish law). Right now, we're looking at the laws of Yom Kippur. Unfortunately, since I'm not a morning person at all, I haven't always been able to make it every day, but whenever I do go I love it. It's incredible how much you can learn in 15 minutes!
7:30 am Shacharit - morning prayers. I'm proud to say, I've made it every day so far!
8:20 am Breakfast - what? A girl's gotta eat!
8:45 am Talmud - Right now, we are studying chapter 3 of Sukkot. I'm learning all about lulav and etrog. After the holidays, we'll be moving to Bava Kamma, chapter 8. It's quite interesting, and I'm proud to report that my rabbinic Hebrew vocabulary has improved already.
12:30 pm Lunch
1:40 pm Mincha - afternoon prayers.
2:00 pm Biblical Hebrew Grammar - umm, I learn Biblical Hebrew Grammar. It's pretty self explanatory. But very interesting.
3:20 pm Tanach with Mefarshim - right now, we're studying the book of Jonah (very appropriate, since we read it on Yom Kippur). For the rest of the fall, we'll be studying different books of the Prophets, which I can't wait for! I've never really had a chance to seriously study Nevi'im (Prophets), so I'm very happy to be taking this class.
6:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Women and Halacha - We study issues of women and Jewish law. It's very interesting, and very challenging, since it touches on issues that are very personal and important to me.
MONDAY:
7:10 am Halacha Yomit
7:30 am Shacharit
8:20 am Breakfast
8:45 am Talmud
12:30 pm Lunch and class on Conservative Judaism - one of my favorite classes (taught by Rabbi Jim Lebeau, for any of you Temple Beth El-ers following my blog), where we talk and learn about various topics pertaining specifically to Conservative Judaism. It's a small class with a lot of really interesting readings and conversations.
1:40 pm Mincha
2:00 pm Sifrut (Literature) - A class entirely in Hebrew (and I can understand most of it!). We read a variety of Hebrew literature, including songs and plays. We also practice speaking, and learn about Israeli culture.
3:20 pm Bekiut Mishnah - We read and study Mishna at a pretty fast pace (about 1 chapter a week, or so I'm told!). Right now, we're reading Chulin, so basically I'm learning how to slaughter kosher meat. I'm also learning a ton about the structure and language of the Mishna, so even if being able to slaughter my own beef is not something I'm really interested in, I'm really enjoying the class.
6:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Spiritual Counseling - unfortunately, this class doesn't begin until mid-October. So I can't tell you about it yet, but I've heard from second year students that it is great.
SUNDAY:
7:10 am Halacha Yomit - every day we spend about 15 minutes studying a little bit of Halacha (Jewish law). Right now, we're looking at the laws of Yom Kippur. Unfortunately, since I'm not a morning person at all, I haven't always been able to make it every day, but whenever I do go I love it. It's incredible how much you can learn in 15 minutes!
7:30 am Shacharit - morning prayers. I'm proud to say, I've made it every day so far!
8:20 am Breakfast - what? A girl's gotta eat!
8:45 am Talmud - Right now, we are studying chapter 3 of Sukkot. I'm learning all about lulav and etrog. After the holidays, we'll be moving to Bava Kamma, chapter 8. It's quite interesting, and I'm proud to report that my rabbinic Hebrew vocabulary has improved already.
12:30 pm Lunch
1:40 pm Mincha - afternoon prayers.
2:00 pm Biblical Hebrew Grammar - umm, I learn Biblical Hebrew Grammar. It's pretty self explanatory. But very interesting.
3:20 pm Tanach with Mefarshim - right now, we're studying the book of Jonah (very appropriate, since we read it on Yom Kippur). For the rest of the fall, we'll be studying different books of the Prophets, which I can't wait for! I've never really had a chance to seriously study Nevi'im (Prophets), so I'm very happy to be taking this class.
6:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Women and Halacha - We study issues of women and Jewish law. It's very interesting, and very challenging, since it touches on issues that are very personal and important to me.
MONDAY:
7:10 am Halacha Yomit
7:30 am Shacharit
8:20 am Breakfast
8:45 am Talmud
12:30 pm Lunch and class on Conservative Judaism - one of my favorite classes (taught by Rabbi Jim Lebeau, for any of you Temple Beth El-ers following my blog), where we talk and learn about various topics pertaining specifically to Conservative Judaism. It's a small class with a lot of really interesting readings and conversations.
1:40 pm Mincha
2:00 pm Sifrut (Literature) - A class entirely in Hebrew (and I can understand most of it!). We read a variety of Hebrew literature, including songs and plays. We also practice speaking, and learn about Israeli culture.
3:20 pm Bekiut Mishnah - We read and study Mishna at a pretty fast pace (about 1 chapter a week, or so I'm told!). Right now, we're reading Chulin, so basically I'm learning how to slaughter kosher meat. I'm also learning a ton about the structure and language of the Mishna, so even if being able to slaughter my own beef is not something I'm really interested in, I'm really enjoying the class.
6:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Spiritual Counseling - unfortunately, this class doesn't begin until mid-October. So I can't tell you about it yet, but I've heard from second year students that it is great.
TUESDAY:
7:10 am Halacha Yomit
7:30 am Shacharit
8:20 am Breakfast
8:45 am Tanach with Mefarshim
12:00 pm Lunch and speakers on Israeli Society - this class hasn't met yet either, but I will let you all know about it once it does.
1:40 pm Mincha
2:00 pm Biblical Hebrew Grammar
3:20 pm Medieval Jewish Thought - so, I love this class. We talk about philosophy and theology. And Maimonides. And everything. It's a great topic, a great teacher, and a great group of students! And I'm getting to explore my new-found love of philosophy in a really challenging and inspirational way.
WEDNESDAY:
7:10 am Halacha Yomit
7:30 am Shacharit
8:20 am Breakfast
8:45 am Talmud
12:30 pm Lunch
1:40 pm Mincha
2:00 pm Sifrut
3:20 pm Midrash - We read and study Midrashim, which are essentially interpretations of stories in the Bible, and look at how those interpretations reflect the society in which they were written.
THURSDAY
7:10 am Halacha Yomit
7:30 am Shacharit
8:20 am Breakfast
12:00 pm Sicha (discussion) with Rosh Yeshiva
1:00 pm Linch
1:30 pm Parashat HaShavua - we study the weekly Torah portion. The class hasn't started yet, but the Rabbi who teaches it also taught over the summer, and if the clas is anything like it was then, it will be great.
2:45 pm Mincha
3:00 pm Gemilut Hesed - volunteering in the Jerusalem community. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, but I do know it will be very exciting.
So, that's my week! It's very long, but I'm learning so much. I can't believe its only been 4 days! Keep posted for more detailed blogs about each class, coming soon
Sunday, August 30, 2009
The Shuk
The Machane Yehuda shuk (market) is one of my favorite places to go. Yes, I did just say that I enjoy grocery shopping more than many other things. However, the shuk is not your average grocery store! Picture two different streets running parallel to each other, one outdoors and one covered over. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people crowding these streets, shouting and bargaining and bustling through with their little wheeled carts (this picture was taken right before the shuk closed one day. If you com
e during the afternoon, there are so many people you have to push just to get through!). You can buy dried fruits and nuts, fresh pita bread and pastries, meat, fish, cheese...but my favorite thing about the shuk (besides my whole wheat pita stand) is the fruits and vegetables. I am telling you, produce tastes ten times better here in Israel than it does in the US, especially if it comes from the shuk. And the selection! Friday morning, I went to the shuk to get ingredients for a fruit salad to bring to a Shabbat lunch. I picked up some pretty standard fruits - apples, nectarines, plums, grapes. I also was able to pur
chase a few mangos (which are finally in season!!), 2 pomegranates, and a couple passion fruits (which didn't actually go into the fruit salad). Walking around, I also saw a very pretty fruit, which I had never seen before. The seller had one cut in half on his stand, and it smelled very sweet, so I figured "why not," and decided to try something new. Turns out that this fruit was a yellow pitaya (aka dragon fruit), and it was delicious! It's also considered by many to be one of the top ten most exotic fruits, and here it is, just a bus ride away!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Why I Am a Conservative Jew
(I've put definitions of several technical terms at the bottom of this post, so if there is a word you don't understand, check there)
Of all the things I have learned so far at the Conservative Yeshiva, I think the most important thing I have gained is a greater understanding of and appreciation for Conservative Judaism. Before this summer, I had never spent that much time thinking about why I choose to be a Conservative Jew. The Conservative movement was simply where I fit. I believe that Jews are obligated to observe the mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah, so being a Reform Jew wouldn't work for me; and Orthodox Judaism just seemed too static, besides the fact that I am too socially liberal to accept a lot of Orthodox customs. As for Reconstructionist Judaism, Renewal Judaism, Humanistic Judaism...well, I barely even knew what those were until the past couple years, so even considering one of those denominations was not on my mind. I guess you could say that I wasn't a Conservative Jew because I thought Conservative Judaism was right, I was a Conservative Jew because everything else was not right for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not that there weren't dozens of things about Conservative Judaism that made perfect sense to me - there were! It's just that I never had really articulated for myself why Conservative Judaism makes sense and is right for me.
Thankfully, all this began to change several weeks ago when Rabbi Joel Roth gave a lunch time shiur (lesson/lecture) entitled "Why I Am a Conservative Jew." Rabbi Roth said so many incredible things, and I found myself wishing that I had a perfect memory or that everyone I knew was there to hear him speak. For fear of getting his message wrong, I won't even try to relay everything he said. All I can say is, if you ever find out that he is giving the speech again (which he often does), go and hear what he has to say for yourself.
What I will tell you, however, is the message I took away from his shiur. Conservative Judaism is not "Judaism lite." It is not the denomination of Judaism you join when you don't want to commit yourself to Orthodox observance, but you still want to hear services in Hebrew. Conservative Judaism and the Conservative way of understanding Torah is a way of understanding Torah that goes back thousands of years. I remember Rabbi Roth saying that he believes if the rabbis of the Mishna and Talmud were alive today, many of them would be Conservative Jews!
This idea really blew my mind. I have grown up hearing (from Orthodox Jews) that Orthodox Judaism is the right way - the only right way - to observe Judaism, and any other way of understanding or practicing Judaism is missing most of the point. I had never heard anyone get up and say why Conservative Judaism is right. Although I hate to say it, I think I may have heard this statement about Orthodoxy so many times that I started on some level to believe it. It certainly had never crossed my mind that what we do as Conservative Jews is a tradition from several thousand years ago that we are simply continuing.
However, the more I think about it, and the more I learn at the Yeshiva, I think Rabbi Roth is right. Throughout the Talmud, you can see the rabbis trying to make Jewish law fit their worldview and what they think is right! This worldview is different for the tannaim, the amoraim, and the later commentators, and the decisions that these different groups of people make on what the Torah itself means also changes over time. I was able to see this for myself in the Introduction to Talmud and Rabbinics class that I took during the first summer session, where we studied Berachot Chapter 9. The chapter discusses under what circumstances you should say certain blessings, many of which have to do with natural phenomena. Throughout the chapter, we were able to see shifts in what the rabbis were concerned with and how they viewed the world, shifts from blessing communal miracles to individual miracles; from understanding the word "בראשית" ("creation") as meaning any permanent natural phenomenon (as opposed to temporary), to understanding "בראשית" as meaning anything not man-made (a Talmudic response to modernity!). As subtle and unimportant as these shifts may seem, to me they make a great statement: part of the Jewish tradition is to understand and even adapt halacha (Jewish law) to fit your worldview. This is huge! Understanding this means that it is inherently part of the Jewish tradition to understand Torah through your understanding of the world, and to work within the halachic system (system of Jewish law) to make Jewish law fit with your current worldview. It means that Judaism has always been a dynamic, changing religion. It means that Conservative Jews are simply continuing the age-old Jewish tradition.
A Disclaimer:
I hope that this post does not offend anyone. I don't know what the right way to practice Judaism is. Gd is the only one who knows. I do what I believe is right, but that doesn't mean that I believe other approaches to Judaism are necessarily wrong. We all do what we believe to be the right thing, and we all have reasons why we have chosen our approaches to religion. I am simply presenting my new-found reasons for why I am a Conservative Jew.
Definitions:
Amoraim Rabbis from the time of the Talmud (approximately 220 CE to the 400s)
Berachot Literally, berachot means blessings. Berachot is a tractate of the Mishna and Talmud that discusses blessings.
Mishna A document compiled around 200 CE that, among other things, expands upon/defines Jewish law as found in the written Torah. One part of what is called the "Oral Torah" or "Oral Law"
Talmud The other part of the Oral Torah/Oral Law that, among other things, expands upon/defines/comments on/reinterprets the Mishna, compiled around 500 CE. Talmud is also sometimes called Gemara. Note, though, that "Talmud" can also refer to the Mishna and Gemara together. This is usually the meaning of "Talmud" when someone speaks of a book of Talmud, or of reading Talmud, since the traditional layout is to present a paragraph of Mishna, immediately followed by the corresponding Gemara.
Tannaim Rabbis from the time of the Mishna (from approximately 70 CE to 200 CE)
Of all the things I have learned so far at the Conservative Yeshiva, I think the most important thing I have gained is a greater understanding of and appreciation for Conservative Judaism. Before this summer, I had never spent that much time thinking about why I choose to be a Conservative Jew. The Conservative movement was simply where I fit. I believe that Jews are obligated to observe the mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah, so being a Reform Jew wouldn't work for me; and Orthodox Judaism just seemed too static, besides the fact that I am too socially liberal to accept a lot of Orthodox customs. As for Reconstructionist Judaism, Renewal Judaism, Humanistic Judaism...well, I barely even knew what those were until the past couple years, so even considering one of those denominations was not on my mind. I guess you could say that I wasn't a Conservative Jew because I thought Conservative Judaism was right, I was a Conservative Jew because everything else was not right for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not that there weren't dozens of things about Conservative Judaism that made perfect sense to me - there were! It's just that I never had really articulated for myself why Conservative Judaism makes sense and is right for me.
Thankfully, all this began to change several weeks ago when Rabbi Joel Roth gave a lunch time shiur (lesson/lecture) entitled "Why I Am a Conservative Jew." Rabbi Roth said so many incredible things, and I found myself wishing that I had a perfect memory or that everyone I knew was there to hear him speak. For fear of getting his message wrong, I won't even try to relay everything he said. All I can say is, if you ever find out that he is giving the speech again (which he often does), go and hear what he has to say for yourself.
What I will tell you, however, is the message I took away from his shiur. Conservative Judaism is not "Judaism lite." It is not the denomination of Judaism you join when you don't want to commit yourself to Orthodox observance, but you still want to hear services in Hebrew. Conservative Judaism and the Conservative way of understanding Torah is a way of understanding Torah that goes back thousands of years. I remember Rabbi Roth saying that he believes if the rabbis of the Mishna and Talmud were alive today, many of them would be Conservative Jews!
This idea really blew my mind. I have grown up hearing (from Orthodox Jews) that Orthodox Judaism is the right way - the only right way - to observe Judaism, and any other way of understanding or practicing Judaism is missing most of the point. I had never heard anyone get up and say why Conservative Judaism is right. Although I hate to say it, I think I may have heard this statement about Orthodoxy so many times that I started on some level to believe it. It certainly had never crossed my mind that what we do as Conservative Jews is a tradition from several thousand years ago that we are simply continuing.
However, the more I think about it, and the more I learn at the Yeshiva, I think Rabbi Roth is right. Throughout the Talmud, you can see the rabbis trying to make Jewish law fit their worldview and what they think is right! This worldview is different for the tannaim, the amoraim, and the later commentators, and the decisions that these different groups of people make on what the Torah itself means also changes over time. I was able to see this for myself in the Introduction to Talmud and Rabbinics class that I took during the first summer session, where we studied Berachot Chapter 9. The chapter discusses under what circumstances you should say certain blessings, many of which have to do with natural phenomena. Throughout the chapter, we were able to see shifts in what the rabbis were concerned with and how they viewed the world, shifts from blessing communal miracles to individual miracles; from understanding the word "בראשית" ("creation") as meaning any permanent natural phenomenon (as opposed to temporary), to understanding "בראשית" as meaning anything not man-made (a Talmudic response to modernity!). As subtle and unimportant as these shifts may seem, to me they make a great statement: part of the Jewish tradition is to understand and even adapt halacha (Jewish law) to fit your worldview. This is huge! Understanding this means that it is inherently part of the Jewish tradition to understand Torah through your understanding of the world, and to work within the halachic system (system of Jewish law) to make Jewish law fit with your current worldview. It means that Judaism has always been a dynamic, changing religion. It means that Conservative Jews are simply continuing the age-old Jewish tradition.
A Disclaimer:
I hope that this post does not offend anyone. I don't know what the right way to practice Judaism is. Gd is the only one who knows. I do what I believe is right, but that doesn't mean that I believe other approaches to Judaism are necessarily wrong. We all do what we believe to be the right thing, and we all have reasons why we have chosen our approaches to religion. I am simply presenting my new-found reasons for why I am a Conservative Jew.
Definitions:
Amoraim Rabbis from the time of the Talmud (approximately 220 CE to the 400s)
Berachot Literally, berachot means blessings. Berachot is a tractate of the Mishna and Talmud that discusses blessings.
Mishna A document compiled around 200 CE that, among other things, expands upon/defines Jewish law as found in the written Torah. One part of what is called the "Oral Torah" or "Oral Law"
Talmud The other part of the Oral Torah/Oral Law that, among other things, expands upon/defines/comments on/reinterprets the Mishna, compiled around 500 CE. Talmud is also sometimes called Gemara. Note, though, that "Talmud" can also refer to the Mishna and Gemara together. This is usually the meaning of "Talmud" when someone speaks of a book of Talmud, or of reading Talmud, since the traditional layout is to present a paragraph of Mishna, immediately followed by the corresponding Gemara.
Tannaim Rabbis from the time of the Mishna (from approximately 70 CE to 200 CE)
Working Girl
Although I came to Jerusalem to study at the Conservative Yeshiva, sadly, the Yeshiva is currently in the middle of its 3 1/2 week vacation. So, instead of being a student, I have become a working girl with two jobs, one of them full time!
My first job is one that I have had for over a month now, and will continue to have throughout the year. One day at the Yeshiva, a woman who had been in my Ulpan (Hebrew) class came up to me and asked if I had a few minutes to talk. She explained that she and her family live in France, but her grandmother, we'll call her Flora, lives here in Israel. Flora is getting old and has fallen a few times, but refuses to have a live-in aid. Would I be interested in visiting her a few times a week?
Would I?! Of course! I had been looking for work, and beginning to doubt if I could find anything other than house cleaning (which I will do, but do not enjoy). This seemed like a gift from heaven that fell right into my lap. I began to visit Flora three times a week, and quickly learned that this job is even better than I thought it would be. Flora is a delightful 86 year old woman who moved to Israel from Washington, DC in the 1960s, before the 6 Day War. We have dozens of commonalities. We sit, talk, and eat dinner, and the two hours that I am there fly by every time. I love hearing stories about her family, and about what Israel was like 40 or 50 years ago. Plus, she is so happy to see me every time I come, it makes me feel great.
Thinking that things were going great and that I had used up any good luck I might have in finding work, a week after the Yeshiva vacation began, I got a phone call from someone who was looking for people to make calls to potential Birthright applicants. (For those of you who don't know, Taglit-Birthright Israel is a free 10 day trip to Israel for Jews between the ages of 18 and 26 who have never been to Israel before.) This would be full-time work, but only for a few weeks, which was perfect for my schedule. I said yes to the job, but I was a little apprehensive at first. I had one job making phone calls before, and I HATED it. It is actually to this day the only job I ever quit. I was making fund raising calls, and I just couldn't handle all the angry people hanging up on me or, even worse, keeping me on the phone for 20 minutes complaining about why they shouldn't be asked to give money to this organization. I was worried this might be the same, but it definitely is not. I absolutely love this job! We only call people who signed up for our mailing list, or who registered for a trip last year but for whatever reasons didn't go. Almost everyone who I call is so happy to hear from us, and I feel great because I'm helping people come to Israel! Plus, the other people in the office are so much fun, and we really have a great time. The only difficult part of the job is that we work US business hours from Jerusalem, so I work from 5 pm to 1 am every day! It's a little crazy, but completely worth it.
My first job is one that I have had for over a month now, and will continue to have throughout the year. One day at the Yeshiva, a woman who had been in my Ulpan (Hebrew) class came up to me and asked if I had a few minutes to talk. She explained that she and her family live in France, but her grandmother, we'll call her Flora, lives here in Israel. Flora is getting old and has fallen a few times, but refuses to have a live-in aid. Would I be interested in visiting her a few times a week?
Would I?! Of course! I had been looking for work, and beginning to doubt if I could find anything other than house cleaning (which I will do, but do not enjoy). This seemed like a gift from heaven that fell right into my lap. I began to visit Flora three times a week, and quickly learned that this job is even better than I thought it would be. Flora is a delightful 86 year old woman who moved to Israel from Washington, DC in the 1960s, before the 6 Day War. We have dozens of commonalities. We sit, talk, and eat dinner, and the two hours that I am there fly by every time. I love hearing stories about her family, and about what Israel was like 40 or 50 years ago. Plus, she is so happy to see me every time I come, it makes me feel great.
Thinking that things were going great and that I had used up any good luck I might have in finding work, a week after the Yeshiva vacation began, I got a phone call from someone who was looking for people to make calls to potential Birthright applicants. (For those of you who don't know, Taglit-Birthright Israel is a free 10 day trip to Israel for Jews between the ages of 18 and 26 who have never been to Israel before.) This would be full-time work, but only for a few weeks, which was perfect for my schedule. I said yes to the job, but I was a little apprehensive at first. I had one job making phone calls before, and I HATED it. It is actually to this day the only job I ever quit. I was making fund raising calls, and I just couldn't handle all the angry people hanging up on me or, even worse, keeping me on the phone for 20 minutes complaining about why they shouldn't be asked to give money to this organization. I was worried this might be the same, but it definitely is not. I absolutely love this job! We only call people who signed up for our mailing list, or who registered for a trip last year but for whatever reasons didn't go. Almost everyone who I call is so happy to hear from us, and I feel great because I'm helping people come to Israel! Plus, the other people in the office are so much fun, and we really have a great time. The only difficult part of the job is that we work US business hours from Jerusalem, so I work from 5 pm to 1 am every day! It's a little crazy, but completely worth it.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
An Apology
I'm afraid that I have to begin this blog with an apology. It's been two months since I arrived in Israel, and I am just now getting this blog started, despite the fact that I promised many people I would keep them updated on my life in Jerusalem. I'm sorry that I haven't been in touch more! So much has happened these past 8 weeks. I spent a wonderful day in Zurich (everything they say about Swiss chocolate is true!), studied in both summer sessions at the Conservative Yeshiva, hosted my first Shabbat dinner, moved into 2 different apartments, signed my first lease, reveled in the joys of cooking in my own kosher kitchen, got a job, got another job, went to the Tzfat Klezmer Festival, and...well, the list keeps going. Over the next week or two, I'll do my best to update you on everything that has happened so far, and to keep you posted about what continues to happen. For now, suffice it to say that life here has been incredible!
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