We are two HUC rabbinical students living in Jerusalem for the year on a street that happens to rhyme with our names - a match made in heaven? We think so.
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13
May
“Molly on Moshe Hess” just doesn’t have the same ring to it…
12
May
Amman Jordan Cats! Thank you to SO Josh Bloom for submitting these photos!
11
May
Jerusalem Cat Photo of the Day!
10
May
Featured blog of the day! This blog was recently started by three of our SOs (significant others), Nani, Arielle, and Fran, to share their recipe creations with the world. Enjoy!
09
May
Jerusalem Cat Photo of the Day!
This cat is perched on the roof of our neighbor’s house, much like a bird would be in a normal city.
08
May
Another laborious day of studying liturgy
07
May
This Shabbat was Molly and Bess’s last opportunity to experience a different synagogue in Israel, so Molly decided to visit Kehilat Tzur Hadassah. Tzur Hadassah is a Reform synagogue and they recently became a “twin congregation” with Molly’s home congregation, Temple B’nai Torah. Here is Molly’s Top 5 of the evening:
1. Meeting Rabbi Ofer Sabath-Beit Halachmi! He is genuinely one of the friendliest/happiest rabbis I have ever met.
2. After a year in Israel, I am still amazed by how active the participation is in services.
3. Dinner at Alen and Gail’s house with their two children and the entire Sabath-Beit Halachmi family (one of whom happens to be Dave’s liturgy teacher). We were served dinner by someone who just happened to have been trained as a professional chef.
4. Making a face-to-face connection with some wonderful people that will hopefully stay connected with TBT. Our conversation over dinner about Israel-Diaspora relations reminded me how important it is to make personal connections with Reform Jews living in Israel.
5. Dave’s kippah getting us through the border check-point.
Happy Birthday to our classmate, Ethan Prosnit!
06
May
Last Day with Zohara, David Levine, and Yossi Leshem :(
Last Day of Class!
i spent the better portion of my waking hours with these people this year…. last day of class with Kitah Bet!
The day Jeremy had been waiting for ALL YEAR - he busted out his trusty Olevetti typewriter in liturgy. If you think it’s hard to pay attention in class with people typing away on a laptop, just be grateful that you aren’t sitting next to one of these. Even David Levine was struggling to speak loudly enough around it and that’s saying a lot…
05
May
Last Day of Israel Seminar :(
Happy Birthday to SO Nani Abrams!
04
May
See you in LA, Dave Mendelsson!!!
Instead of classes as usual, Molly and Bess attended a special program about Reform Zionism with the Israeli rabbinic students. Here is Molly’s Top 5 of the Special Day:
1. Rabbi Dick Hirsch (pictured above) spoke to us about the importance of what we’re doing here in Israel. Rabbi Hirsch came to Israel when the Year-in-Israel program didn’t exist, and he had to take time off from his rabbinic studies at HUC to come study in Jerusalem. That being said, he also knows what a blog is (which is more than we can say for some of our faculty), so he is certainly moving with the times!
2. Our last-ditch attempt to win over Rabbi Marc Rosenstein. We’re gaining ground though, he actually smiled at us. Marc, if you’re reading this, please send a sign.
3. This is more of a “bottom 5”, but it would feel wrong not to mention the death of Rabbi David Forman. How fitting that we spent the day focusing on Reform Zionism. Click here to read about all of Rabbi Forman’s contribution to the Reform movement, Israel, and the pursuit of social justice.
4. After spending the morning learning about Reform Zionism, we were challenged to explain to a group of Birthright kids what, exactly, the Reform movement is doing over here in Israel. Success factor: Pretty low…
On the bright side, Bess met someone from Kansas City!
5. Finally meeting Isaac Nuell. Destiny.
via jodiesays