classy class class

Hey World,

So after my ranty post I want to have something positive, and truth be told I'm in a much better mood today than yesterday. Things look like they are going to work out for rosh hashana in terms of meals and coordinating everything, so I think it will be a-ok. I just need to make sure I get enough food before the stores close for 3 whole days!!! That is the crazy thing about living in Jerusalem/Israel, but with adequate preparation I think I'll be ok :-)

Anyways today I had class, and I have to say I LOVE my classes. Sometimes I have my doubts whether or not I'm in the right place, but when I'm in class I know I'm in the right place. It is really lovely, and I really enjoy the subjects I have had thus far. Today I had 3 classes I hadn't had yet. First was Jewish Though taught all in Hebrew. My teacher seems awesome. He was very clear and he wasn't intimidating which is nice when we are all speaking in a language we haven't quite mastered. He made it clear that if we had trouble understanding we should ask, and if we need to speak in english sometimes it's ok. Then we studied some mishnah, and I felt at home haha (If I haven't mentioned already I majored in Talmud for part of my undergrad degree, so I know my way around rabbinic literature).

After that we had a liturgy class. This class is about the weekday and shabbat prayers, what they mean and how prayer and the services have evolved over time. I am excited to learn more about the evolution of prayer and also more about how the Reform movement's prayer specifically has evolved. So for the first part of liturgy we have a big lecture class because there is one professor, Rabbi Dalia Marx, who is an expert and a great teacher so the administration wanted everyone to have her, so we all have her in lecture. Then for the second hour we split up into four classes for smaller discussion. My class def got lucky because we are in the smaller class with Rabbi Marx also. It was a nice class today, and she is teaching it in hebrew which I really enjoyed.

It's really exciting for me to be in Hebrew classes, it is (to be a little dramatic) the culmination of all my Hebrew study up to this point. To be able to study the texts in their original language and also talk about them in that language is really great. It's exciting that I understand enough to learn these concepts in Hebrew, I might have trouble understanding Hebrew on the streets, but Hebrew in the classroom without all the crazy slang I can do pretty well.

After that I had a biblical history class...that stuff is crazay, I'm sure I will share with you some interesting stuff I learn throughout this semester.

After class I went to a Jewish bookstore to get some books for class/life. Being in the Jewish bookstore helped me realize I am definitely heading into the right profession. I get so excited in there, I just want to buy everything. I went with my friend who was also wandering around looking at everything. In the end I got a book for class, a machzor (prayer book for the high holidays), a koren sidur with english translation (I'm super excited about that purchase, it is a great siddur with halacha/rules about prayer in the back of the book), and I got some cheap benchers to have in the apartment which I am super excited to use. Yay zmirot! If I was rich I would have bought out the whole store, there were so many interesting books there, ohhh man.

So I am in the middle of working on a Talmud curriculum for my community service project. I think it's pretty good and I'm really excited about it. I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss it, so I hope my boss likes it! ahhhh

Ok back to work then bed. Woooo.

lyla tov

Becca