Updates, Future Dates, and Some Sad Stuff

I hope you all have been enjoying The Tzniut Project -- and from the comments I've been getting on and off the blog, I'd have to say that the preliminary answer to that is yes. On that note, I really want to do a Men's Series on the same topic, with a few added/altered questions. Any volunteers? I'd probably start it up in about two weeks, so we've got time. If you're interested, shoot me an email!

In other news, I've been out and about around the web, and I hope you'll do some reading off-site.

I wrote a piece for Lubavitch.com about my Memories of Joplin, because, well, as you'll read there, I grew up there and everything that's been happening has been insanely emotional and devastating for me. If you click here, you'll see the Google Map of the tornado's path, and if you search for my childhood address (1921 East 33rd Street), you'll see that where I grew up is in the path. So, if you haven't already, please consider donating to the relief fund. The OU has set up a Disaster Fund for Joplin.

I also have a piece up on JDate.com in honor of the soon-to-come One-Year Anniversary of being all married and stuff. The piece is from my perspective, but in case you're new around here and haven't heard the story of how we met, it might be amusing for you. Man, I can't believe it's been almost a year; it feels like just yesterday. We made it!

Stay tuned for some real and meaty posts about the reason I have been MIA aside from The Tzniut Project posts. I'll cheat and tell you where I've been: At an iCenter Fellows meeting in Oak Brook, IL. And as a further teaser, the hotel we're staying in is on Hamburger University Campus (yes, that's McDonald's) and everything here is laden with McDonald's propaganda. I feel dirty.

And sad. I just found a street-map of the skating rink I wrote about in the Lubavitch article. Keeley's. The name was Keeley's. Sigh ... 


Note: I will be in Israel from June 6-23 most likely. Will need some meals and things, and I'll be in Jerusalem for the trip. Wahoooo! Let me know if you'd like me to crash your Shabbos table.

Kashering Everything!

There was a great article in The New York Times yesterday about technology and advancements in making life easier in the Orthodox community when it comes to Shabbos. The Zomet Institution and Kosher Innovations have both managed to create a host of interesting ways to apply technology on the Sabbath, including a lamp that you don't have to turn off but merely has a twisting shade to cover up the light and an observant alarm clock. Interesting and news to me is that Whirlpool and Viking have put Sabbath mode settings on most of their ovens, refrigerators, and even wine cellars. I thought those were special-order kinds of things!

But it's things like this that I just don't get:

Zomet created the metal detectors used to screen worshippers at the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, in a manner that uses electricity in a way not prohibited on the Sabbath. It also developed pens that use ink that disappears after a few days, based on a rabbinic interpretation that only forbids permanent writing, and Sabbath phones, which are dialed in an indirect manner with special buttons and a microprocessor.

I mean, how can you use electricity "in a way not prohibited on the Sabbath" ...? Can someone explain that one to me? I'm terribly curious! I think the Sabbath phones are useful, as the article says that the Israeli army uses them for soldiers, which makes sense. Said Rabbi Herschel Schachter about such innovations: “if you make the burden slightly lighter, it’s O.K. The Torah doesn’t want to make life impossible.” At any rate, an interesting article to check out if you ask me.

Oh! And those of you who were wondering how my date went ... it went quite well. Here are some pictures for your viewing enjoyment. I think I'm hooked on letterboxing, though, because it's so nifty. I just need to figure out what I want my stamp of choice to be that represents me. Oh what to choose ...

She's going Letterboxing with a Boy.

So in about an hour or so I'm supposed to head off with JDater E to go Letterboxing. What is Letterboxing you ask? Well, I'm so glad you asked! From Wikipedia:

Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art and puzzle solving. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places (like parks) and distribute clues to finding the box in printed catalogs, on one of several web sites, or by word of mouth. Individual letterboxes usually contain a logbook and a rubber stamp. Finders make an imprint of the letterbox's stamp on their personal logbook, and leave an impression of their personal stamp on the letterbox's logbook — as proof of having found the box. Many letterboxers keep careful track of their "find count."

It's something new to me, and as someone who hasn't spent a whole lot of time in the great outdoors, it should be an interesting experience I think. 

I was thinking, though, a friend recently visited the rebbe's ohel and davened for a shidduch soon. Now, I know technically shidduch is the process of matchmaking in Orthodox circles, but since I'm not *technically* Orthodox nor am I really able to be match-made considering my route of conversion back in 2006, I think that at any rate, it could be just as feasible to consider that a shidduch be merely a match. About a week after this friend had davened JDater E showed up.

I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm just saying. G-d has worked in more mysterious ways, you know.

Anyhow, there will be oodles of pictures to provide, I'm sure, as I will have camera in tow. Until then, those in the U.S.A enjoy Labor Day and to everyone else -- get back to work!

Jdate and Studying

Well, I did it. I took the plunge. I bit the bullet. I threw myself into it.

I paid for a one-month JDate account. Yikes!

I know, I know. I know what you're thinking and saying and you can shake your head and scoff and chide me all you want, but, well, there was a fellow who piqued my interest and I just had to join to send him a note. Call me impulsive, I guess. But, as it turns out, we're several days later and although that fellow hasn't responded, another fellow and I have been conversing via JDate e-mail. I didn't expect to hear anything so quick, but, you know, it is Connecticut and there doesn't seem to be many people on JDate.

I guess my biggest beef with JDate is the general secular population. I mean, different strokes for different folks, but as a friend said recently ... as time has gone on, there's a lot less J in the JDate these days. At any rate, I'm just feeling out the waters to see what happens. I'm an adventurer, okay?

I will note, though, that a mere seven months ago I blogged about searching for a nice Jewish guy and how I was having problems because I was looking for a fairly religious fellow because I was "somewhere between  Reform and Conservative" ... oh how the times have changed! And so quickly!?

In other news: I did my first official homework tonight, and it was for my Modern Hebrew class. I was so worried about learning the script, but it's almost second nature to me now. It seems so strange and odd looking, but once you get going on it, the letters just flow out from the pencil like a beautiful waterfall. The letters still look weird, but it all seems to fit together nicely. Essentially, what I'm saying, is that it feels good to have this done and my stomach ache is waning and I'm feeling better about everything. Now? I have to plow through Genesis 1-25 and search for common themes and the like. The problem? I'm reading it like I'm preparing a d'var Torah and I can't seem to get very far without picking something apart ... eek! Focus, Chavi, focus! The upside to everything school-related, though, is that I've found another student around my age who lives in the Graduate Housing (he's a Jewish undergrad, post-Navy) who has become the new study buddy. In it alone? Not anymore!

Jewish Un-Dating and Un-Praying.

For those of you who don't know, I'm presently buried under a pile of snow!!!!!!

But really, I must kvetch, if only for a second, about how it is seemingly difficult to meet a nice, single, observant Jewish man. I think maybe it's because I'm somewhere in this gaping hole between Reform and Conservative. Maybe I hang around the wrong circles. I mean, don't get me wrong, if I met someone in Chicago now and then hopped along to graduate school wherever that would put us in quite a situation. But truly, I think it might be more complicated than one would think. I've met several nice men in the past month or so, all of the Jewish variety, but most either "quirky" or oblivious. Then there are the MySpace messages that arrive with blunt messages stating that said messenger is such and such feet tall and does such and such and happens to be Jewish and it would appear is looking for a committed mate. No fun flirtation, no dancing around things, but straight let's get to the point kind of action. Then there are the people on the train who see fit to accost me at 8 a.m. to attempt to get my phone number and name and other personal details. Fact: I do not, in fact, look good in the morning. I look grouchy and tired and irritable. Yet still, sometimes, there is persistence. I refuse to sign up for JDate again, simply because, well, I met some nice guys, and even dated one for about three or four months, but it just doesn't produce the kind of mate a nice Jewish girl like myself is looking for.

So where does a nice Jewish girl like me meet a nice Jewish boy who happens to be religious (not in an Orthodox sense, but religious and passionate as I am)? I mean, I can think of at least three or four nice Jewish guys I know who sort of -- in composite -- make up the perfect Jewish spouse. But, well, they're all married.

Anyhow. After two advances in the past 12 hours I had to write. And anyhow, Chavi, just remember, graduate school will bring an abundance of nerdy, academic Jewish types. Right?

And now for the daily dose from Chabad.org, delivered conveniently to my e-mail inbox. I particularly like this one, actually.

B"H
Unpraying---------

Do not pray.

Prayer means there are two entities, one entity petitioning a higher one. Instead of praying, connect.

Become one with your Maker, so that divine energy will come through you and into our world to heal the sick, to cause the rain to fall...

A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe
(words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman)
Shevat 25, 5768