Friday, January 16, 2009

Shabbat Shalom!

The Sabbath cometh, and Tuvia and I are going to the Orthodox shul and then to the home of some members of the shul for a Shabbat dinner. It'll be my first Shabbat dinner in a while, and I'm looking forward to it. It sounds like there'll be three families plus Tuvia and I, so we'll see how it goes. They're of the knowledge that post-dinner we have to drive back to Manchester, since the Orthodox shul is nowhere near where we live. It's one of those things that you just do, until you can work out the details. The family has offered their upstairs, which it appears is completely private -- own room, own bathroom, etc. -- for future Shabbats if we want to stay for a full Shabbos experience. Next week, back on campus, chances are I'll be staying on campus and doing Shabbos up Chabad style, and maybe even for the next few weeks since I have a Friday afternoon class and getting into Manchester to be with Tuvia on Shabbos won't be possible. You bend, you work, you make it happen.

In the meantime, I offer you a video. It's really more a slideshow than a video, since I have lots of pictures of the Bat Mitzvah ceremony. There was one fellow filming it all, but I can't remember who he was, so until I get that video, this is the best I can do. I think that my facial expressions and reactions will probably display the experience better than I can in words at this point. It was emotional, spiritual, and overpowering -- being on top of a mountain where people lived, people died, and people have come and prayed for years and years. Enjoy, and Shabbat Shalom!