Everything and nothing
So I havent written for a little while. I had thought to myself oh i havent really got a let to say, not so much has really happened. The more i think about it, the more i think thats frankly not true.
Ill start then with the stunning ashes victory. The first time England have beaten Australia in a cricket series for 18 years! I have to admit im sitting here listening to a radio summary of the past sporting week - great stuff. That said its not exactly setting the israeli public alight, and with israel loosing to Latvia in the European basketball Championships things are not on a sporting high over here.
On a personal note, ulpan continues and in fact is only going to remain the bain of my life for the next week and a half - hurrumph. On a brighter note Pardes has started up again its bigger and bouncier than ever. It seems like the community in its embryonic stage appears to be shaping up well. The incoming educators are a likeable bunch and weve had the opportunity to bond a little already and we went last week on our 2nd Temple Period Tiyul around the old city etc. Pay attention, i dont say this very often about the Educators programme, but the Tiyul was really good, useful and frankly well-worth it. Theres now also this funky new 3d computer tour of Jerusalem of the 2nd Temple period. So we were able to walk through the streets of Jerusalem and actually to the Temple, in the footsteps of the pilgrims of yesteryear! Superb.
Whilst im gushing - these are all relative statements - as i sat at the opening Pardes, cheesy cheese and wine thing i was struck by a sense of the fact of how grateful i am to be doing what i am doing and being able to be at Pardes, in jerusalem for an extended period, learning Jewish stuff.
Most exciting of all is the fact that i can confirm that i am the proud owner of an apartment in Jerusalem! For those of you with decent Jerusalem geography its in Arnona on Shalom Yehuda. I got the go ahead to move in from my current land-lady here, so ill be able to live at my new abode from the beginning of December. My own stake in the State of Israel, my home hopefully when i return from my teaching stint in the States 4 years from now!
So things are good here then, long may it continue!
Ill start then with the stunning ashes victory. The first time England have beaten Australia in a cricket series for 18 years! I have to admit im sitting here listening to a radio summary of the past sporting week - great stuff. That said its not exactly setting the israeli public alight, and with israel loosing to Latvia in the European basketball Championships things are not on a sporting high over here.
On a personal note, ulpan continues and in fact is only going to remain the bain of my life for the next week and a half - hurrumph. On a brighter note Pardes has started up again its bigger and bouncier than ever. It seems like the community in its embryonic stage appears to be shaping up well. The incoming educators are a likeable bunch and weve had the opportunity to bond a little already and we went last week on our 2nd Temple Period Tiyul around the old city etc. Pay attention, i dont say this very often about the Educators programme, but the Tiyul was really good, useful and frankly well-worth it. Theres now also this funky new 3d computer tour of Jerusalem of the 2nd Temple period. So we were able to walk through the streets of Jerusalem and actually to the Temple, in the footsteps of the pilgrims of yesteryear! Superb.
Whilst im gushing - these are all relative statements - as i sat at the opening Pardes, cheesy cheese and wine thing i was struck by a sense of the fact of how grateful i am to be doing what i am doing and being able to be at Pardes, in jerusalem for an extended period, learning Jewish stuff.
Most exciting of all is the fact that i can confirm that i am the proud owner of an apartment in Jerusalem! For those of you with decent Jerusalem geography its in Arnona on Shalom Yehuda. I got the go ahead to move in from my current land-lady here, so ill be able to live at my new abode from the beginning of December. My own stake in the State of Israel, my home hopefully when i return from my teaching stint in the States 4 years from now!
So things are good here then, long may it continue!
posted by Ben at 10:40 pm
1 Comments:
a) you bought a place? argh!
b) you're making aliyah? whatever happened to you?! How are you going to faff effectively in Jerusalem?
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