End of the Year

I have officially completed year one of graduate school! Finals done, papers handed in, and celebrations happening. It's been a busy last few weeks trying to study and finish everything. Now I am just trying to soak up every last moment I have left in Israel.It's also been an emotional past few weeks. You know how Jews take forever to say goodbye, well Israelis are even worse-I guess that's why they say L'hitraot (see you again). We had a breakfast party with in Hebrew with Zohara.We decided to bring breakfast, but Zohara thought she was supposed to bring everything, so basically we had a LOT of food!


The fun continued in David Levine's Liturgy class when Jeremy brought his typewriter and herring for DLevine.

After classes we went out to celebrate two birthdays and the end of school. Last Shabbat we had dinner at Lara and Yoni's apartment after a wonderful musical Shabbat in the courtyard at HUC.

This week was pretty much filled with finals. Ally and I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know Rabbi David Forman this year. Rabbi Forman was a dear friend of Rabbi and Patty Mason and so when we arrived, he invited Ally and I (and our friend Ethan) for Shabbat dinner (I wrote about this back in a blog entry from October). Ally and I were so happy to "babysit" the NSCI teen trip on Ben Yehuda so that Patty and Rabbi Mason were able to go out for dinner with Rabbi Forman and his wife Judy. Rabbi Forman really welcomed us into his life and home and "watched over" us this year. In January, he took me to breakfast just to get me out of a rough patch I had at HUC. Then he invited us for Passover, which we were not able to attend because we were in the FSU. I received an email from Rabbi Forman a little while ago telling me that he wanted to have us over again for Shabbat dinner but that he was recovering from an operation and as soon as he was feeling better, he would be in touch.

That was the last time I heard from Rabbi Forman. He got sick very quickly and unfortunately passed away waiting for a liver transplant last week. When I heard of Rabbi Forman's death I just felt so lucky to have known him. He was such a gentle and warm person.

The day after he passed away, I was helping out with a program that the HUC students had with the Israeli students about Reform Zionism. Without hesitation we dedicated our day of study in honor of Rabbi Forman, a Reform Zionist himself.

Ethan, Arielle (Ethan's girlfriend), Ally and I went to the Forman's on Sunday for Shiva. As we were leaving, Judy told us how we must have been the last HUC students that David knew and had into his home for Shabbat. We may have been some of the last, while Rabbi and Patty Mason some of the first.

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After a long week of finals we had our final Beit Cafe. The night was filled with funny songs, skits, and awards. It was fun, funny, and even a little sad as the first HUC student departed back to the states.

Today, I went with several friends to the Friday art fair and out for a wonderful Israeli breakfast. I got to pick up the ring that my friends bought me for my birthday. It was such a wonderful afternoon of relaxing strolling down the streets of Jerusalem.

It's a hot day in Jerusalem and I have my window open and have heard the honking come to a stop, must mean Shabbat is approaching. I'm so gonna miss this.

Tonight we have Shabbat services followed by dinner with students and faculty at school. Should be a nice evening.

Off to finish the Friday routine-cleaning, watching some tv, and getting ready for Shabbas!