Snow

Well it has been snowing here not all that hard it is much worse almost everywhere else North, south East and West. As normal the whole world seems to have come to a grinding holt just because of little snow! Ventured out today and its like a mad house out there so am very glad that I am not doing any shopping as Hanukah is over. Looking forward to Limmud which is in just 5 days time am already facebooking people to see if they are going to be there, as I said earlier I am not teaching this year but I am going to faciliate the morning chavurta, which will not mean that much to you unless you are a limmudnik.
Went to Rebecca's play (street theater) yesterday which was interesting esp. the puppet which was most impressive.

Old=Menorah

This Menorah belonged to my grandfather who owned a razor blade factory, during the war the government regulated the production of razor blades and the contract went to another company. So my grandfather's factor started making cigarette lighters instead. Because of the U-boat threat transport wood was difficult and matches unattainable. One Hanukkah the workers in the factor used spare parts to make Menorahs and one was given to my Grandfather and then it came into our house. For a long time it lived on a shelf until we became involved again with Judaism in a big way. I must say that it is rather hard to use, the candles do try and escape and its is showing its age. But because of its history we like to use it every year. I should say that I am talking about the large silvery one in the centre the others are from Chabad.

Last Hanukah posting.

So here is a nearly complete model of the Temple, which took ages to make and involved cutting and clueing and tapping the whole works rally. I left the roof of Holy of holies off but that aside its finished.

Temple

For complex reasons I am now in the middle of making a model of the Second Temple. Photos will follow. It is one of tthose models where you cut pices of cardbord out and stick them together it is taking rather a long time but i have to say that it looks rather good.

Classical Reform

There is a very interesting article in this week's issue of the JC (Jewish Chronicle) about a group of American Reform rabbis who want to move back towards 'Classical Reform' that is little ritual, almost no Hebrew Organ music, an emphasis or rationality, 'the eternal truths of Divine monotheism. This group is, apparently unhappy about the increase in "God talk' in American Reform as well as more interest in ritual and indeed halakhah. For those of you who know me, or have been reading my blog, will know that this is an area that I am looking at as part of my thesis. There has been an increase in interest in ritual in nearly all parts of the Non-Orthodox world, and even in the Orthodox world.

Speaking personally I like more ritual it adds meaning, and I like God to be part of my Judaism. Otherwise there is very little point. I think that this group is on the losing side anyway, anyone who is keen enough to do Jewish will want some substance to it. And any one who isn't isn't. Anyway i need to go as Hanukah candles need to be lit before Shabbat comes in.

And if anyone is wondering why i am Reform (albeit of the British type) it is because although I want ritual and substance I also want inclusiveness and egalitarianism. There I think that this post should have upset just about everybody. Chag Samech hanukah and shabbat shalom.

One more photo.

I now seem able to upload photos to this blog so I hope that it will be a bit less boring soon. In the photo in the post below the sticker in the window is to raise awareness of the problem of the trafficing of women and is a Hanukah suggestion from Tzeddek a left-wing Jewish organisation in California.

This one is just getting the hanukah menorah ready on first night.

Hanukah

This is a bit of an experiment as i am going to try and add some photos to this entry.

Dentist

Well I am now fully sorted for Hanukah gifting which is just as well as we will be doing it tomorow 8th night. I am also getting ready for xmass for my Non-Jewish friends (I am very pleased with two of these gifts) although i need to get a move on with posting the cards. Hanukah has been a lot of fun and today it is snowing!! As yet its not sticking but it is very beautiful and cold, which i like even if no-one else does. Today I had a very long session at the dentist about 80 minutes I was really really shaking when i came out and had to sit down for a while before even trying to head home. I have been having a root-canal which has taken about 6 visits each one of at least 50 mins I am very glad that it is at an end and it does look much better than having a big cap where my tooth was.
Am really getting to be in a sate of excitment about Limmud, see above posting now that i am getting texts from friends about meeting there and emails about whats on, how to get there and all the rest. I am not presenting this year so it is something of a year off; it will be nice just to relax and go to sessions with out being nervous about how one's session will go.

Hanukah

I am now more or less sorted for Hanukah, I know that I have left it very late as it is now fourth day but as we dont tend to go big on gifts for hanukah until the 7th or 8th nights so that its ok. I have also made a start of gifting for my Christian friends and i still have a bit of time for that espisally becasue i wont be seeing them untill the new year. It has become very cold now but as it is now mid-December it is not all that surprising that we should be having winter weather. I am also really beinging to looking forward to Limmud, (Limmud is an educational confrence on Jewish studies held around Christmass time, but it is like a year at uni, a festival, a rock concert and a joyful meeting with friends old and new all rolled into one.). I see people there who i dont see at any other time of the year but sence i have now been going for something like 19 years, not sure if my first limmud was either '90, 91 maybe as late as '92 but i dont think it was late.
Anyway I had better go and get on with some work on my thesis. On that topic I am making slow progress on my thesis but i keep telling myself that i am at the writting up stage so that is good.

Two blogs post in one day.

Two post in one day what has happened to me? I am sitting in the mainroom enjoying the Hanukah lights. Happy Hanukah.

Work life and other stuff

Hey I sorry that i have left it so long from my last post I have been very busy although i dont seem to have manged to do all that much, well thats not all that true I have made progress just not as much as i would have liked. I am still working hard on my thesis. It is still like wresseling with an oiled occatpus but i have the feeling, almost for the frist time sence after the first semster, that i am cofidant that i am actually going to finish. I have found some time to be sociable with friends which is a necessary for me otherwise i would go mad, i have a small circle of friends but i really need them. hope i am not driving them too mad with all my fussing about my thesis. I am now am really starting to look forward to Limmud which is fast apporaching. The only other thing is that i have had an extreem hair-cut gone very short. This is an attempt to conceal my baldness which at 31 is getting quite bad.