He Did It! Levi's Wedding - Od Yishama

This was a really nice wedding. I got the honor to be an eid or witness on Levi's ketubah and at the chupah. It was awesome. Here's a picture of the chatan and challah.

"Od yishoma b'oray y'hudah uvchutzot y'rusholayim, kol sason v'kol simcha, kol chatan v'kol kalah"

May there still be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, the sound of joy and the sound of celebration, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

More Pics

Here's a picture of the Tsuf D'vash, the Morocan knesset I go to sometimes in the morning. They ask me to come more to help make a minyan. I love the way it looks inside and the people are super nice.

Burning Out

Hi. I entitled this one "Burning Out" not because I'm burning out but because Hanuka is over and the last of the oil has been burned. This Hanuka was special to me because I'm in the Old City celebrating it. It's Hanukiyot all over the place. It a huge switch from the states where there is so much materialism. For those of you that haven't had a chance to read the story of the Macabees you really should. They were fighting against a threat to their beliefs from the Greek influence of selfishness, paganism, and uncontrolled passions. This isn't to say that it's this way ONLY in the states. There are some places in Israel that are the same. Hanuka is for the individual to see what foreign influences have invaded their conscious and eradicate it.

The last day of Hanuka I was coming in from prayer and noticed the only wick that was still burning. It was like a mashal to me to keep going even when others have burned out. Here's a picture of hit. Talk to you later.

Ahhhhhh...

Today we had off from yeshiva. What a nice Hanuka gift. However, I'm a little worried because I think we'll be in for a long week. When we would have a short week in the classroom that meant I had to do in 3.5 days what would normally take 5. Boy did the teachers and students feel it. But I'll enjoy this break anyway. Hanuka Sameach!

Turnaround

It's amazing how my time is flying over here. I feel as if I've been here forever but still a short time. Those of you that have ever been here may understand what I mean. My day is so compacted that it feels as if I've lived here for a while. However, it's only been 4 months. It's almost 2009. I will have only 5 months more to be here starting in January. Once Pesach rolls around my time here will be up shortly after.

I'm trying to appreciate Yerushalyim every minute of the day. It's still feels great going to the Kotel HaMaaravi. It's still feels great walking to Mea Shaarim. It's still feels great just to stand outside and see the Yerushalmi sky. I wish I could live everyday as if it was my last day here but sometimes the day-to-day clouds my thinking.

Baruch Hashem this week has been a week that I have been able to appreciate it. You'll remember that I had a really bad week and was ready to either find another yeshiva or just return home. Well this week has been a major turn around. I spoke with my rosh yeshiva on yom rishon and yom sheni I started working with a different chavruta. It's not that my previous chavruta was bad but we just didn't have the same chemistry. My new chavruta is not really new. I've had him before. My learning has shot up tremendously.

This week has also been fun because it's Hanuka, we've had half days, and there are jelly donuts all over Israel. Mmmmmmmmmmm. So now I've had time to do a little introspection. There are still a lot of things to do before I leave but for now. Learning is good and Israel is good.

Chazak!

Happy Hanuka!!!

Here are some pics of the IDF soldiers dancing at the Kotel, some of the menoras at the dorm, my menora and the menora at the Kotel.

Sick Again

Once again I'm under the weather. I don't know if this is from stress or not. I'm starting to relate it to being at yeshiva. I have to admit it's been very hard to go back everyday. I've been looking into going elsewhere but my Hebrew isn't good enough for the places I want to go. I actually learn with a guy at a Sephardi yeshiva but the shiurim are b'ivrit (in Hebrew)

I remember going to an ulpan (place where you learn Hebrew by speaking ONLY Hebrew)in Atlanta. I told them I wanted to learn Hebrew so that I can feel comfortable in Israel when I visit. They all said you don't have to learn Hebrew just to get around. This is partially true but since they were secular they didn't think of the possibility of me going to a yeshiva and being religious.

Sigh. What to do, What to do, What to do.