One would think Shabbat would be a simple thing. That would be someone like me, who hasn’t a clue. I got that we would be walking to Synagogue, as no mass transport till after sundown. I got we wouldn’t be cooking, I even got that I wouldn’t be checking email or surfing the net. I didn’t know we wouldn’t be turning lights on and off. Oops, I think I only slipped twice. I think. I really, really wanted to try to do things the right way. I wanted to respect the house I was in. And Deb was patient and kind with my many questions about things I don’t know but want to, and things I don’t understand, but want to.

We got up, and got ready which mercifully for me, and those around me did include coffee. Although Maya thought it wasnt’ a “hat place” meaning we wouldn’t need to cover our heads, Deb wisely chose two beautiful scarves for us to take. Her’s was perfect for her outfit, and mine was for my outfit. Which isn’t totally shocking since I was wearing her blouse. I never did have an older sister to bum clothes off of, so this was very cool for me. We set off at a comfortable walking pace and followed the directions we had been given and reached the Synagogue in good time. It was a lovely day for a walk! We got to the Synagogue and then was a bit stymied. WHERE do we go in? A gentleman walked in ahead of us, we thought, well, maybe we get to the women’s section through the men’s. We didn’t see any other door ways. We followed him in and within 2 seconds realized nope, it isn’t. We were really quick on the uptake on that one! We knew we weren’t in the right place. I don’t speak a lot of Hebrew, but sometimes it’s just knowing the right Hebrew to speak. Having sized up the situation I walked up to the gentleman we had followed in, “Sleaha, afoe?” “Excuse me, where?” Like I said, sometimes just the right two words. He was very kind, no doubt he was a bit late getting to his seat, but we followed him and he showed us the entrance to the Women’s section which was through the courtyard.

Light of Israel

We walked in and realized the second thing, it IS a “hat place”. We whipped out our scarves and had them on in 2 seconds flat. The only other lady there was perhaps a bit older than us and we took seats behind her. The service was all in Hebrew, of course. Deb had her Siddur, which is in English, Hebrew AND best of all to me, transliterated! Transliterated for me is the Hebrew “Hooked on Phonics”. I adore transliteration. Some who actually do read and write Hebrew well are very patient with my transliteration, which is at times, wrong, and quite wrong. Others are more of the mind they hate transliteration and would I please just get on with learning to read and write. Told you I am still a doofus about it. But I am getting there. So as the service is being conducted I just kind of follow along with what Deb and the other lady do. Now here is when it gets really interesting to me. This lady doesn’t know us, at all. She must have heard Deb rustling the pages looking for the place in the book where we should be. She holds HER book up over her RIGHT shoulder but still in front of herself. So she can still read it, but the person sitting behind her, on her right could see the correct place in the book. All of our bad luck the person on her right is me. HER Siddur is ALL in Hebrew, and I haven’t a clue, Deb is still flipping through hers looking for the correct place, I don’t want to say anything it case it’s really wrong to talk in service. And so I sit there and just appreciate what a kind, very kind woman this is.

That’s not where her kindness ends. After a bit they switch to another book, the Chumash. She gets up, goes to a bookcase at the back of the room, finds two copies of the Chumash, opens each of them to the CORRECT place and hands us each one. So we too, can be a part of the service. I wish I could say I could read enough to kind of keep up. I can’t, and so couldn’t. But while Deb is pacing along being a part of, I’ve kidnapped her Siddur and am going through it. WOW, I am just blown away! This is the first time I’ve ever just gone through it, all on my own, flipping pages and actually READING it. I see that if one wants to learn to read, THIS would be the most fabulous book! The Hebrew has vowels in it. Adults don’t need vowels in their Hebrew to read, they know what the word is. Children and beginning readers need vowels. I need them so I can sound the word out. Which is why I love transliteration. But it also has what it says in English, and it’s beautiful. I am totally in love with this book. Deb and I have had a conversation about symbols that Christians tend to co-opt from Judaism. Ok, I get that. And I understand and will respect most of it. But this book, I want a copy of this book so much I’m willing to really argue, hard, as though I were looking for a Centurion tank hard. Mercifully, probably for both of us, that is not necessary. At all. It’s totally fine! I get the ISBN number off hers and after sunset get on Amazon.com, find it and email myself the link so I can order it when I get home. Within 24 hours of being home that book is on it’s way to me. And I do love it, as much as I thought I would. I haven’t actually got to the reading part yet. When it came I discovered there are explanations of prayers, history and all kinds of good information in the front, in English. I decide I want to know that too, so am almost done reading that and ready to start the prayer book part.

Siddur

So, back to the service. We finish the service, and towards the end more women show up, they are dressed fancier than the three of us. It seems there is a Bar Mitzvah taking place after the service. We don’t stay for that part.

As we get ready to leave, I walk up and crouch down next to the kind lady, and tell her “toda raba”. Sometimes it’s not that you know a lot of words, just knowing two right ones can be enough I think. I really did enjoy going and was glad again, I listened to the advice of my “force of nature” friend.

We have a wonderful walk back to the apartment and when we get back Deb takes my picture. She asks if I want to hold her Siddur. BETACH!! בטח

We have a light lunch, and then I can either write in my book, read a book, or we can visit. It’s Deb’s poor luck we start to visit. For five or six hours. One would think after that she would be falling off asleep. Nope, when we are done, I curl up in a ball and am dead to the world. I wake up shortly before sunset. Deb has used the time productively and written in her book. I’ve added not one word to mine.

After sunset we eat a little, make a cup of coffee each and now cell phone use is allowed and I go outside to my palm tree to make a few phone calls and return the text messages that have come in. Didn’t tell folks ahead of time I wouldn’t be returning texts on Shabbat.

After sunset we hop on a bus to Glida Beer Sheva, the most fabulous ice cream parlor. The bus ride was fun, the walk was fun, the ice cream parlor was fabulous fun. To my great astonishment they don’t have pomegranate ice cream! THAT was what I wanted. Luckily for me, they did have mocha and coffee ice creams. Oh my goodness that was fun! We passed a store where Deb is getting a beautiful dress. All the dresses in the window were beautiful!

Glida Beer Sheva-yummy!

It was a wonderful Shabbat for me, Deb survived it, this was good. I have a new Siddur, that although it is in Ashkenazi and I speak Sephardic Hebrew it’s ok.  Deb told me some of the differences, and if I get in a spot I have people I can ask for help. For a day when you don’t do much, it sure was full! And full of grace.

Some Angels Wear Headscarves

On Friday evening we were very blessed! We were invited to go to my friend Deb’s landlord’s for dinner with his family. Shlomo is my “force of nature” friend Nissim’s brother. I have never been to a Shabbat supper and so am very excited to see what this new adventure will be like.

We dressed a bit nice, and I’m glad. When we first got there we met Shlomo’s wife, Devorah. She is a very gracious, kind woman. I just love her. She is also a marvelous cook! Though Shlomo insists he did ALL the cooking, I rather suspect Devorah had a hand in one or two of the wonderful dishes we ate that night. Another lovely lady that was there was Maya, she is Shlomo and Devorah’s daughter who lives in Tel Aviv. While they all speak English better than I speak Hebrew, Maya said her English was the best, and it is very good. She translated when the need arose. We visited for a while and then another brother, Danny showed up. My jaw almost hit the floor, he looks so much like Nissim. He is funny, and very kind, just like his brothers. Then one of Shlomo’s sons, Yoel and his wife came with their children. Shlomo leaves briefly to go get more grandchildren. Seems their other son and his wife are sick, but the children are coming. After everyone is there we begin the supper.

Ready for dinner

It starts with Danny telling the story of creation. As I understand it, this is often read. Not this time, Danny recites the whole thing from memory. Nissim and I had covered what to do if I couldn’t understand someone. I don’t know enough words to ask them to speak slower, but I do know how to say Sleaha, ata madebere yoter medie mahail bishvele. Excuse me, you are speaking too fast for me. Somehow this didn’t seem the time or place to say that. Danny could have slowed down till it took till Saturday night to finsh and I couldn’t have kept up. I don’t know enough words yet! It was beautiful, it really was.

Then the meal began, talk about a gastronomic delight! Grilled eggplant, the most marvelous quinoa, cauliflower and spice dish (I STILL want the recipe, hint hint) fish, All kinds of vegetables, cooked all kinds of ways. I was in heaven. The Challah bread is amazing! It’s a beautiful loaf of braided bread, beautifully browned and buttered on top, soft and yummy inside. You get chunks of it, butter spreads like a dream and it melts in your mouth. Shlomo seemed to be having a wonderful time doing some kind of quiz with one of his grandsons.

Quiz Time

After dinner we moved outside to the balcony to visit. It’s nice out there and we discuss where we’ve been, where we plan to go. We tell them my quest to go to Masada ends tomorrow. I finally get to go. I tell them their brother has been so kind to help me with my Hebrew. Shlomo asks if he speaks it well? I tell them he speaks it like a Sabra, like he has been doing it all his life. They thought that was pretty funny.

Later they were talking about having some work done, I told them I knew a good electrician. Deb helpfully chimed in “yeah, well, he’s not that good”. I think it took the brothers a couple minutes to figure out Deb and I were talking about their brother. It was pretty cute.

But not as cute as when I ask if they can give me an idea where to try my hunt for the elusive Centurion tank model. I’m not sure what it is about a woman asking to buy a Centurion tank that seems to make men nervous, but it does. Maya thinks maybe Toys R Us, but I was hoping to find one in Israel to take back.

From there the discussion arose, should we rent a car to drive to Masada? The advantages? Come and go as we please, if we do get done in time we could drive over to Ein Gedi as there is not much transportation available in the area. The disadvantages? Neither of us has ever driven in Israel. I’ve driven in Ireland many times, not the same. Taking a wrong road and winding up in a wrong place has very real and very bad consequences. Not to mention the cost. We waffle and decide to decide later. I mean, we wound up in east Jerusalem and that was using the light rail.

Then we ask about a Synagogue we could attend. It needs to be close enough to walk as no mass transit runs on Shabbat. Danny suggests one and gives us directions. It doesn’t sound too hard to find, this is good.

We finished up our marvelous supper with chocolate cake and parve ice cream. Since I really don’t know a lot about some of these things, I have to ask. Seems the ice cream was ok to serve because it wasn’t really ice cream. It was chemicals. Better living through chemistry! It was very yummy ice cream flavored chemistry!

So last Sunday, June 1st I got to go to KosherFest at Ohev Sholom. It was such a wonderful time.

KosherFest

My buddy and dear friend Christie came up from Oklahoma to go with me. This makes it extra wonderful because it’s “Girl’s Day Out”! I miss Christie so dreadfully since she moved to Oklahoma, but she has been wonderful about coming up for visits when she can, and thank heavens for cell phones with free long distance! While it is really hampering our mission to solve the world’s problems, it does help us with being there for each other. But KosherFest, good food, great music and best of all “Girl’s Day Out”!

I have pre-ordered my food, 5 packages of Cheese Blintz, NO, only TWO of them are for me, thank you very much! Two are for my friend Deb who can’t seem to get back here from Israel to pick up her own, and if I don’t there will be NO cheese blintz for Sukkot (this is a crisis in my book), one for my dear Christie who drove up, and two for my freezer. A carton of Chef Barry Brooks Tabouli, a package of Mandelbrot and one of Strudel and one loaf of Challah bread. So to keep everything nice I have a cooler with ice ready, we stop at Quick Trip to get a soda and a sweet tea. It is after all a “road trip” even if it is a short one. So with Christie riding shotgun we set out and point the Saturn west. Christie is an excellent navigator and we arrive in good time. The helpful Policeman helps us find the right parking area and we are set. They have increased Police presence due to the shooting a few weeks ago. While this may reassure many, I would be much more assured if there were a sign out stating “Legal Concealed Carry Allowed and Encouraged”.

We enter the festival area and begin to wander around. The first person I see is my friend Henry, who is on the Israel Spirit Committee. We talk about Tikvah’s dance times and we discuss the REAL NEED for a frozen coffee machine for the booth for the Ethnic Enrichment Festival. We ARE going to work on this, Henry and I are agreed, we NEED one!

Art, also on the I.S.C. comes over and I get to introduce Christie to Art, he tells me Joe is teaching Hebrew and takes me over to the white board where he is teaching. I remember Joe! He was one of the wonderful people that came to Open Range Fellowship last year to help present “A Taste of Israel”. Joe is explaining if you can read a license plate, you can learn to read Hebrew. Sounds good because I’m still a doofus with my reading and writing, although I AM making progress! So after he tells us a little bit and I see what he is saying. Then another gentleman comes over. One look and it pops into my mind who he might be, since he looks a whole lot like his brothers. It is, Naftaly, the brother of my friend Nissim. Nissim is not far behind. We visit for a little bit and find out the musical schedule and go get good seats at the tables to watch the shows. A group has been preforming Scott Joplin and Christie and I have both enjoyed it. The next group is Oy Tate and my friend Nissim is preforming with them. Wonderful group that has you feet tapping with a will of their own! Everyone around us seemed to be having a ball as well listening to them. We visit with Naftaly some while we listen.

Oy Tate!

After that, Tikvah begins their dances as they take you on a trip around Israel using different songs and dances from different parts of the country. I love watching Tikvah, they are such a wonderful group, both as dancers and people. Sue Ellen leads the group and she is also my must visit for jewelry. She makes such beautiful and interesting things. She is where I got my agarot earrings that I just love. Christie had commented how inclusive the group at KosherFest is, they welcome everyone. This is very evident with Tikvah, they have community dancing at the end of their performance. Everyone that wants to try is welcome to come and join in! This time is no different and members of the audience come and join in and learn to dance. Henry changes into a musician for the community dancing. A man of many talents that Henry! My friend Deb (a different Deb than the one still in Israel) who is also with the Tikvah group has entrusted me with her camera again. Her assignment to me? Take as many pictures as you can, she will sort the good from the bad, just shoot away. Alrighty then! That’s one I can happily do. So there are very few seconds of Tikvah’s performance that hasn’t been captured by Deb’s camera which happily didn’t overheat!

Tikvah Dancers

In Action

That’s How It’s Done!

Multi-talented Henry

Community Dancing

After Tikvah finishes Chef Barry Brooks comes up and gives a demonstration on how to make hummus. I am convinced hummus is a perfect food and I love it. Though I confess, I think the hummus we make for the Israel booth for the Ethnic Enrichment Festival is the best ever. Of COURSE I AM NOT biased? Why are you asking?

After Chef Barry’s demo, and by the way, Chef Barry’s Tabouli is totally wonderful, it is the Tizmoret Orchestra’s turn for the stage. This is another group my friend Nissim is in. Nissim too, is a man of many talents. As you can hear with this song Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold) by Naomi Shemer they are wonderful. They had us all clapping and several were dancing to some of the songs. Charlie, a wonderful gentleman I met at the Yom HaZikaron service a few weeks ago was there and WOW can that lad dance! He just had such joy and spirit it was a pleasure watching him. Charlie is just a very nice man.

Towards the end of KosherFest while we were walking around we ran into Ben. Ben is one of the Commissioners on the Israel Spirit committee and had been working with Art to give out the good literature. He was with Yahav, she is the Ambassador to the JCC from Israel. She is one of the people that worked so hard at putting together the very moving Yom HaZikaron service I wrote about. While too many view Memorial Day as “National BBQ Day” the Yom HaZikaron service was very moving and poignant. Those who worked putting it together had obviously cared a great deal.

Christie ate at KosherFest and she said the food was wonderful! I didn’t, I had my camcorder and was determined to get as many pictures and videos as I could. A woman with a mission I was.

We had a great time at KosherFest, good food, good friends and lots of fun! I hope to go back next year, and I really hope Christie can come up and go with me! That “Girl’s Day Out” is a wonderful thing!

Now are you wishing you had gone? You’ll have another chance next year! I can tell you the Tabouli, Mandelbrot, Challah bread and Strudel are totally fabulous!

Nissim contemplates the next song.