FSU Pesach Project

Hi again, everyone. A few months ago, I posted a blog about my opportunity to go to the Former Soviet Union with my classmates to participate in the 6th annual FSU Pesach Project. I will be going to Baranovichi-Brest, Belarus to lead Passover sederim, lead educational programming about Progressive Judaism and Judaism in general, and give concerts of Jewish and secular music to the residents there. As many of you know, we've been fundraising for the last few months, and now that we're getting closer and closer to the trip, we still need a lot of money to reach our goal. So many of you have generously given towards the project, and your kindness is very much appreciated by me and all of my classmates. However, if you haven't donated yet, and are willing and able, every little bit helps get us towards our goal. Donating is fast and simple; go to www.pesachproject.com and click on the red 'Donate Now!' button on the top right-hand side of the page, which will lead you on the way. Make sure to put my name under the 'Comments' section so the money goes directly towards my contribution and not into the general fund.

Again, to those of you who've already donated, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I am incredibly excited for this opportunity to experience, teach, and share Judaism and Jewish music with people who are so hungry to learn yet have no one to teach them.

Beginning of the End

OK, so I know it's been a long time again, and I know there are no pictures to entertain you with--sorry about that guys. I'm still having computer issues; the guy who fixed it came by last night to deliver my repaired computer, and it was my computer (the shell, case, etc.) with someone else's C-drive (memory of the computer.) So basically, I have some other guy's programs, music pics, etc., and someone else has all of my stuff. He took an hour of my time searching for songs, files, etc. that might have been on my C-drive (though I told him from the get-go that it was NOT my machine) and then told me himself that it probably wasn't my C-drive afterall. He took the laptop back, so after 3 weeks, I am STILL without my laptop and STILL at the mercy of Steph and HUC's computers. And I'm pretty pissed off about it.

Welcome to the balagan that is Israel. I promise my complaining will end here.

Anyways, in general, life has been pretty good in the last 2 weeks. I've been busy with school, homework, learning repertoire, planning services, practicing my Megillah trope, schlepping through the Negev (expect a blog about our trip as soon as I can upload the pics--they're incredible), getting ready for Belarus, and more and more and more. They call the 2nd semester of the Year in Israel the "3-P's": Purim, Pesach, and Packing, and I'm beginning to realize how true this is. Time is flying because we're so busy, and before I know it, the semester and year in Israel will be over. On one hand, it's exciting to say that I will have accomplished a year of cantorial school and that I survived living in Israel. On the other, I'm sad to leave here. Not only have I fallen in love with many aspects of this country (computer repairmen aside) and built a relationship with this beautiful place, but I'm realizing that I might never again have an opportunity to live and study in Israel. I want to concentrate on studying ISRAEL this semester; her land, her secrets, her adventures. I need to take advantage of what I can before my time here is over and I begin my new adventure in NYC. I've already talked to people about planning weekend trips to various spots to visit new places and revisit some new favorite spots, so hopefully that will happen and I'll have lots to write about (and plenty of pictures, Whitney, I promise!)

I booked my flight home for the end of the year. As of May 24, I'll be back in the STL for the summer. I'm excited to go home, though I don't have any definite plans for the summer as of yet. I turned down a great opportunity to be the music leader for the JCC Camps, which probably wasn't the wisest financial or networking decision, but for vocal and personal reasons, I knew that it just wasn't the right job for me. I was able to see 2 of the rabbis from Temple Israel a couple of weeks ago, and Rabbi Feder and I discussed the possibility of maybe doing more at TI than just singing Friday nights in July. I'm hoping we can put something together that will give me some sort of income and, more importantly (in my opinion) some valuable job experience. I would love to try out some other leadership opportunities this summer, like delivering a D'var Torah or teaching some B'nai Mitzvah students. I'll keep you posted as to what turns up.

Oh! I was also asked by my former professor/advisor from Mizzou if I would lead her daughter's Bat Mitzvah service in July. I excitedly said 'yes' and will be leading my first-ever lifecycle event and solo service in Columbia this summer. I'm nervous about it, but so very excited and ready to take on the challenge. Dr Sims and I had a great relationship, and her daughter Rayna was one of my favorite Sunday School students, so I'm hoping this will be a beautiful and memorable experience for all involved.

Anyways, I am off to eat lunch and do some work. Keep your emails coming, and know that I am thinking of you, and that I will post pictures and other fun things the moment I get my computer back. Much love!

Long Time No Blog

Hi guys. Sorry to keep you anxiously waiting for a new post; it's been a CRAZY couple of weeks here in J'lem, and since my computer has been broken (though it will hopefully be fixed very soon) I've been unable to spend a lot of time posting about everything going on. This week has proven to be way more interesting and a much better week than last, so the focus of this post will be on the last few days.

First of all, Steph, Erin and I led our morning service this past Monday. We all felt really good going into the service, and I am happy to say that it came out way better than any of us could have imagined. I did a lot of singing, including some new (to me) Nusach, some of my favorite pieces, and some congregational favorites. I took a risk and sang the Debbie Friedman Mi Sheberach, which everyone loves EXCEPT Eli Schleifer--after the service he congratulated me on a job well done and told me I could throw the piece out a very high window--that's our Schleif! Also, my friend/neighbor Nicole delivered her d'var torah, which was incredibly smart and meaningful, and it made our service complete. I was also so proud of Steph and Erin; they had this one chance to put together a great service, and they did it with flying colors. Their hebrew was great, their teaching moments were unique and useful, and the the Nusach they were risky enough to lead turned out beautifully. I am very proud of both of them, and it was such a pleasure to be a part of their team :)

At our review later in the day, all of us recieved nothing but compliments and simple constructive critcism. I am happy to say that all of the review panel was thrilled with my parts of the service; Gingy mentioned he could tell a huge difference from the beginning of the year, and Tamar (the assistant director of the cantorial program) mentioned that my service leading was the kind that made people want to be Jewish. Both of those comments, especially the latter, were so great to hear--I really feel now like I am doing exactly what I am meant to be doing with my life. The chances to lead a community in prayer, whenever it may be, make every struggle and hardship of this year completely worth it. I realized the other day that nothing makes me happier than singing Jewish music with a community of people, and leading that community in praising and praying to Gd. It's an incredibly beautiful thing to realize that you are GOOD at doing what you love to do--it's something I hope I never take for granted. I give y'all permission to smack me if I turn my positivity into a divatude :)

Tuesday, we woke up to the second snow storm in Israel in the last month. It's rare that Israel ever gets snow, and we've gotten it twice now! The snow was sadly gone by the end of the day, but we got to sleep in (yay for late-start days!) and once again see how beautiful J'lem is in the snow.

Yesterday, as part of our Israel Seminar class, we had the chance to go out into the streets and talk to real Israelis about topics that matter to them. We were encouraged to talk to people in cafes, bookstores, shops, etc and ask them questions about what it means to them to be Israeli and the future of Israel. When we met in the morning for our introduction to the day, I had to admit that I was terrified about the day; I don't like talking in my good English to strange Americans, and I was supposed to go out and talk in my mediorce (at best) Hebrew to strange, pushy, mean Israelis.

It was helpful that we began the day not in the streets of Jerusalem, but in an average Israeli high school. The purpose of going to the school was to talk to the kids in English about their lives, their schooling, their parents, their future army careers, etc. When we arrived, there was a class of kids learning Israeli dances in an outside courtyard. Right away, the kids ran up to us, grabbed our hands, and forced us into their circle to dance with them. They didn't care who we were or what we were doing--they didn't care if we spoke great hebrew or had good dancing skills. All they cared about was sharing their joy and spirit with us and welcoming us wholeheartedly into their community. Aside from laughing and dancing, we were experiencing real Israeli culture and seeing a side of Israelis we don't usually get the see. Israelis, once you are able to get past their tough skins, are actually kind and joyful people. It was nice to be reminded of this and actually experience it firsthand, and I know that this was one of those year-in-Israel moments that I will never forget.

After the dancing and discussions with the high schoolers (and the reminder that I am SO HAPPY that I will never have to be in high school ever again) we were dropped off on Hillel street, in the middle of downtown Jerusalem, to begin our discussions with "real" Israelis. It took me awhile to gather up the courage to speak to anyone (and thank goodness PJ was there to help me get things started.) After chatting it up in a cafe, Steph and I went to talk to the woman who waxes our eyebrows; she is Israeli and always chats us up whenever we're in there, so we figured we could ask her some questions. So, I had an eyebrow arch while Channi talked about life as an Israeli. Her hebrew is very fast, and it was hard to understand her, but she happily talked to us about her life, her family, her struggles and her hopes for the State of Israel. Israelis are amazing like that; once they know you and can trust you, they will gladly tell you anything you want to know about their lives. Unlike the USA, in Israel you can ask personal questions, even to those you barely know, and people will give you honest answers. If you can get past the fear of being too personal, you can learn some very interesting things about people.

The whole day was a lesson in anthropology and learning about the lives of people who built their lives here. It was incredibly special for all of us.

Anyways, I'm off to my Israeli art song class. I really hope everything is well for you, and that I'll be able to post more often in the near future. Keep your fingers crossed that my computer can be fixed and I'll get it back with all of my music, pictures, videos, and programs. Miss you and love you all!

2nd Semester

Since it's past the beginning of my 2nd semester of cantorial school, I figured it was time to give you all a rundown of my new schedule.  Last semester was a blast from the past, where I studied Bible, Nusach, and Jewish music history.  Now, we've returned to the common era, and we're talking more and more about contemporary worship practices and the music found today in Israel and in the American Reform synagogues.  I'm actually 100% excited for this semester, and the new set of challenges it will bring--I will be learning music by the bucketful, continuing my journey through classical Jewish liturgy, reading, writing and speaking modern hebrew, and gearing up for my adventures to Belarus and to Prague in the spring.  

My schedule is just as jam-packed and busy as before.  I'm still taking hebrew everyday, along with a Biblical Grammar class on Sundays.  This semester, I promised myself that I would really hunker down and try to give my hebrew the attention it needs and deserves.  So far, I'm staying on track...just keep reminding me to study my verbs and vocab!  I'm also continuing with Liturgy, where we'll be leaving the morning service and getting more and more into the Shabbat and festival services.  Also still on the ballot from last semester is Cantillation; I'm a little worried about this class, as we're going to be studying the other 5 systems of trope (there are 7 systems altogether: Torah, Haftarah, Esther, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.)  I had plenty of trouble learning just Torah and Haftarah last semester, so I'm a little afraid about more than doubling my workload in this class in one semester.  But, Eli is an amazing teacher, and he'll work with me.  They might not all be perfect by May, but I'll be happy if I have a good sense of them all by then; thank goodness there's a table with musical notation in the back of my Cantillation books!

This semester I have 3 new classes, which all look fantastic thus far.  First I have Israeli Pop, Folk and Rock, where we'll study modern Israeli music and the social contexts that lie within it.  I'm actually pretty psyched for this class; I've been looking for ways to build my Israeli music collection and learn about the history behind it.  Our professor seems great--she is a doctoral student at Hebrew University, writing a dissertation on Z'mirot, or songs sung on Shabbat.  She's given us CDs and requires us to go to at least 3 concerts throughout the semester so we can experience modern Israeli music firsthand.  Cool, huh?

Then, on Tuesdays, we have what is called Cantorial Workshop, where we learn about the pieces used in the modern American Reform synagogues.  We spent our first lesson singing through pieces in Gates of Song, the musical companion to Gates of Prayer, one of the prayer books used in the Reform movement (that is slowly making its way out, thanks to Mishkan T'fillah.)  The music from GOS itself is still very relevant and useful to cantors no matter which prayer book your congregation uses.  We'll also be singing our way through The Complete Shireinu, the latest and greatest Jewish music songbook on the market right now, and a packet of other music Tamar has put together for us.  The goal of this class is to get us ready to serve our congregations next year, to give us the musical tools we'll need to survive our jobs as "real" cantors.  We're each responsible for learning 1-2 solo pieces a week, so my repertoire of Jewish music will grow and grow and grow, which I am excited and ready for.

Thursdays, we study Israeli Art Song (a fancy way of saying Israeli classical music songs.)  This course reminds me a lot of an American music history course I took my freshman year at Mizzou; we look at the history, structure, form, harmonies, etc. of the piece and try to get a deeper understanding of it in context.  So far, it's been very interesting, and the music we're studying at the moment ties into some Western music history I've studied in the past.  

Also this semester, I will be singing 2 services (or 3, if you count the Kabbalat Shabbat I co-lead last week), writing several papers, continuing with my wonderful voice teacher, gathering documents to give to the Russian translators before we leave for the FSU Pesach Project, fixing my resume/researching/phone interviewing for jobs for next year along with all of the other little things that I know life will throw at me.  It'll be busy, that's for sure, but I'm hoping I will grow and change and learn a ton in my last semester here.  It's scary to think that in 4 months, I'll be permanently back in the US and my year-in-Israel will be over.  I'll enjoy every minute I can of the time I have left, that's for sure!

Hope all is well in the U S of A.  Missing you all and sending loads of love from J'lem!  

An Emotional Week

Hi All.  It's been an emotional roller-coaster of a week here in Jerusalem, for a lot of different reasons.  I think I've cried, laughed, been angry and mean, been anxious and afraid, been calm and peaceful, and even more, all within the last 5 days.  Sometimes a week is just like that, though I think feelings seem to intensify living in a place like Jerusalem and being a part of a group of people like the HUC students.  

The week started off with a terribly sad announcement from my friend, rabbinical student colleague, and personal trainer, Dave.  For reasons I don't feel comfortable writing on here, he and his beautiful family are leaving Jerusalem to return to San Francisco on Tuesday.  I am heartbroken by this, for several different reasons, and it has been bothering me a lot more than I care to show or admit.  I know he is making the right decision for himself and his family, but I can't help thinking about what a shame it is, and how sad it will be, to send him home.  Please keep my friend Dave and his family in your thoughts and prayers--they need them more than I could ever describe on this blog.

Then, later that same day, I got up from my desk at home, tripped over my computer chord, and sent myself AND my brand-new computer crashing to the ground.  I have a large bruise on my left leg, and my computer is pretty much dead.  From what Adam was saying, it sounds like I need a new hard-drive, which means I have lost all of my music, papers, and pictures from this year.  It is also incredibly expensive to get computer parts in this country, and equally expensive to ship my computer back to the States, so it puts me in a terrible financial crunch.  It also means that I will not have many of the pictures (though, thank goodness for Facebook, which has allowed me to upload many of them onto the internet) that I took this year.  Go figure.  When I told my mom about this on Tuesday, she said that she was glad my computer was hurt and I wasn't; I jokingly replied that I wish I would have been hurt instead of my computer.  Health insurance pays for broken bones--it won't pay for a new hard-drive :(

Anyways, on the more positive side, Cantor Bruce Ruben, the head of the School of Sacred Music on the NYC campus, along with Cantor Josee Wolff, who is in charge of job placement for cantorial students, have both been on campus this week.  We've had a week full of meetings, dinners, interviews, and a special recording that was made this morning which is sent to potential employers for next year.  It's been stressful and busy, but also wonderful to get to know Bruce and Josee.  They are great people, who genuinely care about us (Bruce himself offered me his own Tylenol yesterday, after noticing that I wasn't feeling well--it was so nice of him.)  We've been discussing what the next 4 years of school will be like, and it's a little overwhelming to think about.  I will have a full schedule of classes AND a job at a congregation where I will be a cantor for real; it's a little intimidating and I am a bit afraid of how I will handle it all, but I'm also very, very excited.   I love being on the bimah and singing Jewish music, and I can't wait to have the opportunity to do so in a congregation and be seen as THE cantor.  Pretty cool!

Anyways, a million other things have happened since my last post, but I am totally wiped out and ready for a Friday afternoon nap.  I have a quick meeting with Erin and Steph about our service that is on February 18, and then I plan on taking the rest of my shabbat to hardcore CHILL OUT.  I was invited to dinner at Michelle's house, but I think I am going to stay home, rest and make some mean mushroom barley soup in lieu of joining her and my other friends.  I think some quality "me" time will be just what the doctor ordered, and I'm hoping I can get over this nasty cough/cold/sore throat thing that I've developed.   

I don't realize sometimes how incredibly lucky I am to live my dreams and to have a passion that I am inspired by and decided to follow.  Despite the obstacles of this year, despite illnesses and homesickness and all of the other millions of things I complain about, I am so fortunate and so lucky to be here.  

Shabbat shalom u'mevorach.

A Fantastic Shabbat

The cantorial students a few weeks ago at our Cantor's Concert: Julia, Vicky, Elana, Michelle, and me.

For the last 3 shabbatot, I was lucky enough to be at home in St Louis, celebrating shabbat with my family and friends at Temple Israel. As wonderful as it is to be at home and with my family, shabbat is never the same anywhere in the world as it is here in Jerusalem. I've talked before about what the city is like around shabbat; quiet, warm (even with snow on the ground!), friendly, and radiating with spirit. This shabbat was particularly beautiful, as it was the first one back together as a class after winter break following our trips to the States and elsewhere, and was the conclusion to our yearly colloquium. We spent much of colloquium focusing on building communities within our congregations, and to see our HUC community celebrating shabbat together after such discussions was really nice.

Shabbat began with a Kabbalat Shabbat service that I led, along with my friends Marc, Evan, and Tami. I was incredibly nervous (just ask my roommate) to lead this service, mainly because Bruce Ruben, the head of the School of Sacred Music at HUC, was in attendance (it also didn't help that the music and Nusach I needed to learn over winter break was accidentally left in J'lem while I was in St Louis, so I learned everything this week, after travelling and schlepping through the snow and slush.) Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised when the service turned out extraordinarily well--the 4 of us worked very well together, and my service partners really helped to calm my nerves. We received many compliments from our class and all of the faculty from the various stateside campuses that were there. It was a really, really nice way to ring in Shabbat.

After services, my friend Lea and I were picked up by our Biblical grammar professor, Yossi, to join he and his wife Natti for shabbat dinner. I love when HUC faculty members open their homes to us; not only do we get to enjoy home hospitality and a home cooked meal (a real treat, honestly), but we also get to know our professors as human beings, outside of the classroom. I knew very little about Yossi before this dinner, but I am now happy to know about his lovely family and his life outside of HUC. I also made fast friends with his cat, Yoshco, who leaped on my lap when I sat down and parked himself there for the majority of dinner. I don't normally like cats, but Yoshi was sweet and gentle and it was actually kind of nice.

Saturday, we had required services at HUC, where Cantor Evan Kent from Los Angeles helped Eli lead the service. He has a beautiful voice, and is such a warm, caring, wonderful person. We were also lucky enough to witness a Bar Mitzvah, which is a rare occurrence on a Saturday at HUC (most people have their ceremonies on Mondays or Thursdays.) The boy was Israeli, and he was SO CUTE and SO GOOD. He had a gorgeous voice, and I think he chanted his Haftarah portion waaaaaaay better than I'll ever be able to.

After services, I came home for a few minutes before I went to Erin and Batya's to celebrate their daughter Carlie's 2nd birthday. They invited all of the HUC families with children, so I spent a couple of hours with the kiddos, playing with all of Carlie's new toys and laughing at the crazy things that always happen when you have four kids all under the age of 5 together in a small space. It has been so much fun watching these kids grow up the last 7 months; all of them are still young enough that they significantly change, physically and mentally, within a year. And, Carlie had a blast at her party--she totally knew it was her birthday and had a blast soaking up the loads of attention we were all giving her.

PJ (Carlie's "Uncle Be-bo") and I, along with a very squirmy and excited Carlie, playing with her new markers and coloring book.

Hanging out with Noah, Laura and Julie's adorable son. He just started walking, so watching him toddle around is quite possibly the cutest thing in the entire world.

Anyways, Shabbat ended with a beautiful Havdalah service at Julia and Elana's apartment with Elana's family and the other cantorial students. Elana's parents wanted to meet all of us, so after the Havdalah ceremony we spent some time sipping spiced cider and munching on the delicious noshes that Elana served. It was a wonderful way to end a busy and memorable Shabbat, full of friendship and spirit, just as it should be.

And now we're getting back into our routine of classes, homework, reading, tests, field trips, etc. etc. etc. I'm looking forward to this semester, as it is focused almost entirely on hebrew and music, and I am hoping to spend some time traveling outside of Jlem. There's so much left of Israel that I haven't discovered yet, and I only have 4 months left to go! Anyways, I am off to a meeting and reflection group, and then we have choir this evening. Hope everyone is well--I am thinking of you!

Our Exciting First Day Back

Believe it or not, it really does snow in Jerusalem! The sleet/snow mix began around 8pm Tuesday night, and continued overnight and into Wednesday morning. The weather man said that Jerusalem received about 20 centimeters of snow (about 8 inches), but unless he was accounting for the rain/sleet, I don't think we got that much. Snow here is different than snow at home; first of all, it's not the light, pretty snowflakes I'm accustomed to--this is heavy pieces of snow mixed with rain that literally smack anyone walking under it as it falls. Also, the snow that accumulates on the ground is not just snow--it's a freezing slush of rain, ice, and snow. As you can imagine, walking in this slush is not fun, and my shoes, socks, and jeans were all completely soaked after my commutes to and from school this morning.

The corner of Moshe Hess and Lincoln Streets, covered in the schmutz.

The second any Israeli hears the word "snow", they immediately take cover in their homes and do not leave until every last flake is gone (my mother would definitely approve.) Because of this, most of the stores, businesses, and schools throughout town were closed today--everything EXCEPT Hebrew Union College. We were a little upset that our program wasn't canceled today, as schlepping through the snow is not exactly what we wanted to be doing at 8am, but we reluctantly made our way to school to begin our 2nd semester with the Annual Colloquium.

The front entrance of HUC

The Academic Courtyard, which is normally green and beautiful

Colloquium is a program that brings professors from the stateside HUC campuses to Jerusalem to meet us and lead us in some programming that deals mainly with contemporary American Jewry. Because of the snow, our Colloquium was cut short today (we ended around 1pm instead of our scheduled 4pm end time.) I would have liked to stay for the whole day; many of the programs dealt with real issues that affect the Reform Jewish communities in America (intermarriage, individual/communal prayer, Jewish education, etc.) and they are a very interesting change from our normal classes. I enjoy having the stateside professors here, including Mark Kligman from the School of Sacred Music who interviewed me when I auditioned last year. The New York-bound students will be meeting with him tomorrow to discuss issues pertinent to HUC in NYC, and I am looking forward to chatting him up a bit about the SSM.

Snow aside, the most exciting part of our day at school was when we received our very own hardcover copies of Mishkan T'fillah, the new prayerbook of the Reform movement. This prayerbook is a very big deal in the Reform movement; it's 15 years in the making and a totally different approach to liturgy than it's predecessor, Gates of Prayer. When you open the book, it is divided into 2 sections; on the right side, you see the traditional prayers in the context of the service. On the left side, there are alternative readings and quotes that you can choose to read or speak along with or instead of the traditional prayers. It allows for many different types of services to suit the different Reform communities. We use it for our Monday morning services at HUC, and the more I get to know it, the more I love it...the possibilities for creative services seem endless! There was a buzz in the room as we anxiously waited in line to receive our copies and thumbed through them before this morning's t'fillah. I am SO EXCITED to have my own hard copy now; I even pulled a Grandpa Sidney and labeled the inside cover with my name and the date--I'm sure he's proud. I can't wait to see what this prayerbook does for the Reform Movement throughout the world.

I am a little too excited about my pretty new prayerbook! Only a Jewish professional (or future Jewish professional, in my case) could be as excited as I was to receive this.

My copy of Mishkan T'fillah (the bright blue book in the center) sitting happily on my bookshelf next to my other books

Anyways, I am off to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow's early start. It's going to be a busy weekend, with Colloquium stuff on Friday (normally our day off), the service I am planning/singing on Friday night, a special service on Saturday morning, and getting ready for our actual 2nd semester classes to begin first thing on Sunday. It's already been a whirlwind since I've been back, and the semester hasn't even officially begun yet!

Continue to keep in touch...lots of love from snowy, schmutzy Jerusalem!

Winter Break

Before I left for Israel, St Louis and home were 2 places I took for granted. I always thought that the STL was mundane and boring, and with the exception of a few choice people and places, the city didn't really have much to offer me. Little things, like driving past the Arch or munching the custard at Ted Drewes (2 of the STL's most-beloved gems) meant practically nothing, and my family, friends, dog, temple, car, dishwasher, dryer, Starbucks, comfy bed, warm & cozy home, and the like were certainly overlooked and under-appreciated.

Until now. Home is certainly where the heart is.

When I arrived to STL 2 1/2 weeks ago, I couldn't have been happier to see/experience the aforementioned things. I ran to the baggage claim at Lambert so excited that my heavy carry-ons felt light-as-a-feather, and I will never forget coming around the bend and seeing my family, my mom, dad, and little brother with huge smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes (even Adam, though he'll never admit it...) It was a defining moment in my life; I knew then that no matter how far I'll ever go, they will always be there when I return and welcome me back with open arms. I know it's cheesy, but it's 100% true.

Later that same day, I came back to my other home in STL: Temple Israel. I was a little nervous about coming back to T.I.; I wondered how people would see me. Would the clergy, staff and congregants view me as the same old Tracy, or would they see me as "Cantor" Tracy (a title I do not yet feel comfortable with using.) Would different things be expected of me now that I'm in cantorial school and on my way to becoming a "professional Jew"?

I was thrilled when I came into T.I. and was hugged by an excited Rabbi Feder, and then Rabbi Shook, and then Linda. Walking into Linda's office and seeing her and Ella, with their warm hugs and smiles was a wonderful moment that I will remember forever. Thank goodness that they, along with the congregation at large, saw me for exactly what I was and still am; they saw me as a cantorial student, caught in the strange juxtaposition of knowing slightly more than the average congregant, but still very much a student of both Judaism and of life. I was treated exactly the same as always by everyone, proving once again that I could leave and change and grow without the fear of not being welcomed back in.

After that first day, my winter break was a mad rush of visitors, reuniting with friends and family, singing, home improvement projects, shopping (thank Gd for Lane Bryant and Target!), cooking, rediscovering my favorite American foods and products, and trying to rest and watch as much wonderful American television as possible. There were so many wonderful moments, and for the sake of time and your eyes, I will simply list some highlights rather than discuss every single one. So, in no particular order:

• Chanukah with mom and Adam the day I got home
• The Mocha and Music talent show at TI
• Having Mike, Joey, and Leah in St Louis, all at the same time!
• Reuniting/taking gorgeous pictures with Rach and Jane...so much fun (and the pictures are great!)
• The welcome-home dinners with both my mom and dad's sides of the family
• Showing my Israel pictures at least 142 times to various people
• Chanting Torah for the Hebrew School and answering the kid's questions about life in cantorial school
• Singing on the bimah with Linda--as wonderful as it is to sing at HUC, nothing can beat that.
• Getting needled by Stefanie, my chiropractor/cousin
• My very un-Kosher cheeseburger from The Sports Page. BEST. MEAL. EVER.
• Meeting Stefani, Adam's girlfriend, who is as adorable as they come.
• Cooking the most Jewish meal EVER and sharing it with my family, Stefani, and Joan.
• TARGET! You'll be proud to know that I only visited 7 times while I was home.
• Brunch with the Arnolds and dinner with the Sangers--thank you for being so proud of me and sincerely interested in what I am doing.
• The many intelligent discussions on Reform Judaism that I was able to participate in, thanks to HUC.

And there were a million other little moments that there just isn't room to list. I had a wonderful trip.

As wonderful as it was to be home, I am also happy to be back in Jerusalem. There is something about Israel that just gets under your skin, despite the challenges and mishaps that are involved with living here. I am struggling with the idea that in 4 months, the year I have been dreaming about and looking forward to is going to be over. I feel like there is still so much that I haven't done yet---my days of saying "I have plenty of time to do that" are officially over. It's also nice to know that J'lem now feels like another home to me, a fact I didn't quite realize before I left for break. I am excited to see my classmates and start classes again, and to see what unravels for us in the next 4 months, in this city where ANYTHING can happen.

I will end with some pictures and a huge THANK YOU to everyone who made my winter break so special. I miss y'all from home already and I can't wait to see you at the end of May. Continue to be well and keep in touch, and know how much you are loved all the way from Jerusalem.

The cake my dad brought to dinner with his family

Bettina, me and Leah waiting for our table at Bailey's Chocolate Bar

Mike and I at the chocolate bar, with our huge pink roses

Me and my men! From left to right: Adam (my brother) Andrew (good friend from high school), Joey and Mike (friends from California), Bryan (cousin)

Trace-O and Lee-lah together again! I was sitting on her lap while trying desperately not to squash her.

My family and Joan, after eating the most Jewish dinner ever.

The Noah-dog, deep in thought

This is what happens when the president of the U.S. visits Jerusalem during finals week

So, in addition to the other millions of things we have to accomplish by Thursday afternoon, when the hell that is finals week is finally over, we're also forced to deal with a very important issue to the State of Israel this week: the visit of President George W. Bush. I will try to leave my personal issues with Bush aside for the meantime, but I have to say that his visit occurs at a most inopportune time for HUC students. The following things will occur once he arrives tomorrow afternoon:

1. Bush and his staff are taking over the King David Hotel, the Dan Panorama Hotel, and portions of other hotels close to where I live in J'lem. Because of this, many of the streets close to me are going to be closed down to both cars and pedestrians. In order to get from home to school (a literally 2-minute walk) we have to carry our Passports and apartment leases and will be subject to security checks whenever we leave our apartment.
2. Also, because the streets are closing, the Nesher taxis that on a normal day would happily take us to the airport, are not going to be running on their normal schedule (if they are running at all.) Therefore, those of us who desperately want to go to the airport on Thursday may not be able to get there. Apparently there are other private taxis that will be running, so I'm staying hopeful that we'll all get to where we need to go, but it's a major pain in the neck. There may also be problems for those of us leaving Israel on Friday (thank goodness that's not me) with flights being cancelled so Bush can leave.
3. Also because of the street-closings, HUC is going to be closed on Wednesday and Thursday. Yep, HUC will be closed for the last half of finals week. Our administrators have been hard at work trying to find either alternative places for us to take our exams, or alternative ways to give us our exams. So, my liturgy exam tomorrow morning is now going to be at some other place that I've never heard of, and my Biblical grammar final is now a take-home final. AND (this is actually a beautiful thing) our Music History test is now at the beginning of next semester, and our paper is also due then. This means I'll have to study a bit over break, and write the paper while I'm home, but it's a HUGE weight off of my shoulders this week.

Also, according to HaAretz newspaper, Israel is spending $25,000 an HOUR to make sure Bush's visit runs smoothly, which is slightly irritating paired with the fact that he probably will just screw up any hope for peace negotiations. But, I said I wouldn't gripe on Bush in this blog, so I'll be done with that for now.

Anyways, sorry to make you spend your time reading about the baligan that is Bush's visit. The whole country is buzzing about it, and it will be interesting to see what happens.

In other, much more exciting news, I found out the other day that I will be going with my friends Ariel and Brad to Baranovichi-Brest, Belarus on the FSU Pesach Project. While I really wanted to go to St Petersburg or Moscow, I am excited for Belarus (just don't ask me how to pronounce the name...I have no clue.) Special thanks to all of you who've already donated to the project in my name...your donations are so appreciated and will help me and my classmates have the experience of a lifetime.

OK, I am off to study liturgy and run some errands. I am SO EXCITED to see you all in 4 days (!) and to spend time in the States...there really is a light at the end of the tunnel, guys! Much love and excitement from Eretz Yisrael to all of you.

Happy 2008!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2008 brings us all wonderful things, good health, and lots of happiness.

My New Years Eve started as any other Monday, with our morning t'fillah. But this Monday, for me at least, was very different. This Monday, for the first time since my Bat Mitzvah 12 years ago, I was called to read from the Torah. It was a big moment for me; not only did I read from the Torah for only the 2nd time in my life, but I also taught myself the text, translation, and trope (the melody used to chant the verses.) While it was only 4 verses, it was a huge culmination of the hard work I've put into the semester. AND, I managed to only make 1 mistake, forgetting to sing the word "el", meaning "to" in English, in one spot. At the service review a few hours later, I recieved great comments about my "performance" and am very encouraged and excited to read again.

The rest of my New Years Eve sadly went downhill from there. I won't go into all of my ba'ayot (problems), but it's been a traumatic week (many of you will surely hear about it NEXT WEEK when I get home.) I had plans to go to Tel Aviv with Stephanie to visit our friends and spend New Year's Eve with them, but since I've been suffering from horrible headaches and nausea all week, which is supposedly from a "viral infection" (this is what the doctor at the clinic called it, after spending 10 minutes Monday night trying to convince me to take a pregnancy test, even though I repeatedly told him it was impossible that I could be pregnant.) So, I opted out of Tel Aviv, to visit the clinic and get to bed early. I'm really sad now that I didn't go, and I do feel a little pathetic, but there will be other New Years', and I needed all the rest I could get to cope with the craziness that is Hebrew Union College the week before finals.

BTW, Temple Israel people...there was a note in the January Bulletin about Paul Lipzt, the scholar-in-residence at the end of January. GO HEAR HIM SPEAK. He is my Israel Seminar professor at HUC, and not only is he an amazing professor and speaker (with absolutely fabulous stories) but he's also one of the nicest people you'll ever have the chance to meet. You will not be disappointed, I promise.

Anyways, just a quick update during my lunch break to wish y'all a Happy New Year. Home is so close I can (almost) touch it, and I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I get to see Noah in 9 days! I hope he remembers who I am...

Much love from Eretz Yisrael.