tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59585501293742703852024-03-05T21:27:32.139-08:00The Shabbat ExperimentDaniel Reiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04412078931349981828noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-33469211320459002982010-11-14T21:46:00.000-08:002010-11-14T22:00:18.065-08:00Lighting CandlesSo our experiment has come to an end and I was surprised to see not many people wrote about there last experience... Soooo, I guess I'll say something. I have really enjoyed it and I think it was nice that the last week was something so simplistic and one of the first things I think about when I think of Shabbat. Lighting Candles... My group assignment was to light candles with friends or with students, it was such a great assignment because I have really been taking this entire experiment as an opportunity to share shabbat with my students. Every Monday I get together with some of my students for bagels on the lawn and we talk about our weekend and I always talk about the shabbat experiment assignment of the week. So this past weekend when we were assigned to include them, it seemed almost too easy, we had a program filled weekend and I was excited to share Shabbat with my students all weekend long. <div><br /></div><div>Our Hillel has shabbat in house every other week and on the off weeks students host potluck shabbatot in their homes, and this week was the off week that my student interns decided to host. All week long we talked about what they were going to cook and all of the details for their shabbat meal without staff. On Friday morning one of my interns came by the building to cook chicken from scratch with a special Moroccan recipe his mother gave him, and I sent him on his way in the afternoon with a paper bag filled with shabbat candles, matches, grape juice and challah. </div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday night we hosted an area wide Havdalah Beach bonfire for all 8 San Diego campuses to attend which was a huge success! We had a fabulous turn out from all the campuses and students from all types of observance backgrounds from the students who walked the hour walk from UCSD to the students from North County who drove an hour to attend. Being able to offer such a great weekend to the students was something my coworkers and I were really proud of. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday was our Annual Mitzvah Day and again had a fabulous turnout. At each event we had, I was more and more impressed and touched by this Shabbat Experiment. I thought about it all week long and this weekend when I didn't have a Shabbat Experiment assignment, I assigned myself something. This Shabbat was a great time and I know that after the 10 weeks of committing to keep a piece of Shabbat I can easily keep celebrating Shabbat on my own and with the people in my life. </div>Erica Feinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312773547668057048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-56520766525277333242010-11-05T11:40:00.000-07:002010-11-05T12:13:51.207-07:00Light Candles!!<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPROGRA%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPROGRA%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPROGRA%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; color:windowtext;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">When I saw that I was assigned this week’s task of the Shabbat Experiment, I couldn’t have been more excited. Growing up, lighting Shabbat candles was a family tradition that even the dog participates in! No matter how busy we were growing up, Friday night dinner was preceded by lighting Shabbat candles out of my great-grandmother’s candlesticks, singing the blessings (with the dog chiming in) and being blessed by my parents. Every week it is the same ritual, even now as my sister and I are grown up and not always around on Friday nights, my parents still light candles and now bless our new puppy, Pitzel! Some weeks my parents also call me before Shabbat dinner and do the blessing over the phone. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So why am I sharing this childhood memory with you? I think lighting candles on Shabbat is one of the most calming, peaceful activities one can do. Now, because I am at work most Friday nights, I don’t use the candlesticks that my Grandma gave me last Chanukkah, that would be completely dangerous to leave them burning in my apartment! Instead, I light candles with my students. We do a communal candle lighting before services and I invite students to help light the “big” candles and the tea-lights we use. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So my request for this Shabbat is to <b style="">light candles with your students or friends tonight OR tomorrow evening to celebrate Havdallah and bless them</b>. Not in the traditional way of how a parent blesses a child, but share something with your friends or students that you wish for them, such as good health and happiness, the goal is to give a meaningful blessing! After Shabbat, take a moment to share with me your blessing either by email or by posting to the blog. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I hope you have a wonderful weekend!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Shabbat Shalom,<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Audrey<o:p></o:p></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786860606601495694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-28203405732492683372010-11-04T12:46:00.000-07:002010-11-04T12:48:55.148-07:00Light Candles<p class="MsoNormal">The thing about lighting a fire is that you can expand the fire to light other fires without diminishing from the original flame. You can share something with others without taking away something from yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For example, a smile from a friend (or a stranger) on a bad day can really lighten your mood, and you may smile at 3 other people that day – lighting a chain reaction of smiles (and better moods!).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Group Gimmel's task for this week is to do just that: smile at people who you think might need a little help this Shabbat.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Lisa Friedman</p>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817268646703344635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-77879065968847047842010-11-03T18:13:00.001-07:002010-11-03T18:24:59.845-07:00Getting rid of excessWhen I read Andrea's task for this week's Avoid Commerce, "Count your receipts", my first thought was 'this will be easy' as I was moving on Monday and was therefore going to be home packing all weekend and not spending any money. <div><br /></div><div>As I started to pack, however, I realized that I owned a whole lot of stuff that I didn't need, and therefore thought it would be more appropriate to count my possessions instead of my receipts. How, in the span of one year, I was able to accumulate so much junk, I am not sure, but I am sure that not only am I going to do a serious purge and donate a lot of old clothes but that I am also going to be more mindful when making purchases in the future and whether they are things I really need or the best way to spend my money. I figured there was no better time to make this resolution than while thinking about the relationship between shabbat and commerce, and all of those things in my life.<div><br /></div><div>Hope everyone is having a good week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jaime</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-15420889490539115022010-10-21T10:20:00.000-07:002010-10-21T10:31:59.201-07:00Eating for two<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcttIZPM1NRqgpGr4HtGpT647HGZ-ue1YEKRF_KBPFsmDxqeP9cpvfjwqWT4QN1cMCP6VUW54lOvisiuh7j10-d-ws1U0X2ytJbaGgBJw6YixXO_50vPa_C4wwAbMqWHxkbTMOjMEfh96D/s1600/october2010+066.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcttIZPM1NRqgpGr4HtGpT647HGZ-ue1YEKRF_KBPFsmDxqeP9cpvfjwqWT4QN1cMCP6VUW54lOvisiuh7j10-d-ws1U0X2ytJbaGgBJw6YixXO_50vPa_C4wwAbMqWHxkbTMOjMEfh96D/s320/october2010+066.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530550747057333922" /></a><br />This past week I was gave our group the task to find a person who is living on the street and give them bread. Well, I ended up having a pretty intense interaction, definitely way deeper than expected. <br /><br />This is Sheryl, she's pregnant,she lives on the street, and her unborn baby is going to need surgery. Sheryl wasn't asking for much when people walked by her, just prayers. She said people wouldn't even give her that, "It's Sunday, some of these people had to have come from church, they could at least say a prayer for me" Sheryl said to me as tears rolled down her cheeks. I stood there wondering what I could do for her, thinking about how many people in the world are experiencing this right now. Vermont is supposed to be a beautiful friendly place, but nobody stopped to even offer up a prayer for Sheryl. I didn't have much to offer her but a loaf of bread and prayers, sometimes all we need to give is our prayers.Greg Yellinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15059302686631628203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-62618928175096230142010-10-17T11:51:00.000-07:002010-10-17T12:10:04.583-07:00Eat Bread!So, firstly, I apologize that this is coming after Shabbat, but I had to work this Shabbat for a freshman retreat, so I may or may not have had the time to take a moment for myself until now...<br /><br />Eating Bread. Food. It is what makes our Jewish world go 'round, no?<br /><br />The first thing I thought of when I received this principle was my grandmother who lives in Israel. She is one of the rocks of my family and has suffered more than any person should throughout her 80 something years of life.<br /><br />I want to share a short story about my grandmother...<br /><br />I remember when I was younger feeling it was strange that my grandmother made a bracha over bread but not on any other food - <em>Baruch Atah Adonai, Elohainu Melech Haolam Hamotzi Lechem Meen Ha'aretz</em> - the words we hear and say ourselves what seems on a regular basis. I asked my father why this was the case with his mother. You see, my grandmother is a Holocaust survivor. She survived Auschwitz and the struggles of not having food for weeks, specifically, bread. I learned that from the day she was liberated, she always, but always would say the Hamotzi because bread was the one thing in life she would never take for granted again.<br /><br />Everytime I say the Hamotzi I think of my grandmother and what strong woman she is and how that is an inspiration for me to fight for what I want and to cherish those people and things around me that mean the most to me, afterall, we never know what can happen tomorrow.<br /><br />This week, I want you all to grab a piece of bread, let it be your favorite even, either by yourself or with a friend or family member and say the Hamotzi. The difference this time around, I want you to think what is it in life that you cherish and tend to take for granted and vow for this week to make more of an effort to achnowledge it, whatever or whoever it may be. If it is a friend or loved one, tell them they are valued. If it be an activity you enjoy taking part in, then do it! Love it and remember that it may be gone tomorrow. Remind yourself what inspires you most!<br /><br />I want to end with one of my favorite quotes that I love..."<em>You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying too much about the future." </em><br /><br />Think in the now and live in the moment...Alexi Bienerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640809502200722986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-42647186426699600832010-10-16T06:47:00.000-07:002010-10-16T06:48:19.560-07:00Connecting with my old Indian friendsThis is a tad late.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflzmz96oKHH4k7bbAwv5nvG5weM-VWp-Qgp8x0t7xxEweFUOI4s2iwkwYPjc1rLpnFbE5wY22iHaZUY67QX19jjy6s4tokwOb8ROURGywgZOjgNujIa8NLi6g4PC7u2B6PPUx1GCZDdKs/s1600/murti+and+neel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflzmz96oKHH4k7bbAwv5nvG5weM-VWp-Qgp8x0t7xxEweFUOI4s2iwkwYPjc1rLpnFbE5wY22iHaZUY67QX19jjy6s4tokwOb8ROURGywgZOjgNujIa8NLi6g4PC7u2B6PPUx1GCZDdKs/s320/murti+and+neel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neel, Murti, and me in college</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>So for last week's Shabbat Experiment, I was actually in India on vacation. Our assignment was to email or call and old friend we haven't heard from in a while. In high school and in college, I was very close with a number of Indians whom I haven't seen now for some time. And given my trip, I had been thinking of them a lot. So I emailed three of them who I was very close with to ask how they've been doing, tell them about my trip, see where in India their families are from, and when was the last time they were there. It made me so happy to hear back from them. They were thrilled that I went to India, that I thought of them, and that I bothered to get in touch. These friends used to be very close to me, and it felt SO good to hear from them again. That's the way it is with old friends--when you see each other or get in touch, it feels like no time has passed at all!</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Daniel Reiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04412078931349981828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-27377499784642059572010-10-15T11:40:00.000-07:002010-10-15T11:40:06.773-07:00Connect with Loved OnesThis is a tad late. Here was group Gimmel's assignment from last week.<br />
<br />
This week's Shabbat Experiment is to connect with loved ones. Who were you thinking about this Yom Kippur? Who's someone you have a special relationship with that needs a little fostering? Maybe it's a friend from college you haven't called all year. Or that cousin who you've been meaning to email, but just keep forgetting.<br />
<br />
Take 15 minutes this weekend to get in touch with that person. Even if they don't answer the call, or don't immediately respond to the email, leave them a nice message. Something heartfelt. Let them know you've been thinking about them. ***Bonus points if you take 3 minutes before the phone call to mentally remind yourself what important things have been happening in this person's life, and ask him/her about them***<br />
<br />
Shabbat shalom.Daniel Reiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04412078931349981828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-10174466095317871062010-10-15T10:47:00.001-07:002010-10-15T10:47:51.221-07:00So, I was somewhat amused by the fact that I was assigned this particular week, given the fact that I'm not a big bread person (Heather spent 10 days with me in Israel on Birthright this summer, so she can attest to this). Strangely enough, I've actually been doing some thinking lately about how central bread is to the concept of a "meal" in Judaism, and what that means for people who for medical reasons or personal preference don't include bread in their meals. Are they excluded from table rituals such as washing the hands, saying the <i>motzi </i>blessing, and participating in <i>Birkat HaMazon</i>? The solution of gluten-free challah aside, perhaps we can reinterpret the "eat bread" charge for this week. <br /><br />The traditional blessing upon eating bread blesses God for "bringing forth bread from the Earth". However, we all know that we don't pull plastic packages of Zomicks out of our backyards (I mean, maybe they do in Brooklyn, but not out here in California). Bread is representative of the partnership between God and human beings in creating food and sustenance for the world. In Birkat HaMazon, the Grace after Meals, the first paragraph tells us that God provides food and nourishment for all creatures. But what about world hunger?! I can walk 200 meters outside my apartment in downtown Sacramento right now and find at least five people who have probably gone more than 24 hours without a solid meal. Hypocrisy! How can we thank God for something that doesn't appear to be true?!<br /><br />Going back to the idea of bread being symbolic of the partnership between God and humans in sustaining the world, perhaps we aren't holding up our end of the bargain. The Earth provides resources for food, but it is up to humans to determine how we make and distribute the food so that we can fulfill the vision put forth in Birkat HaMazon, of a world where all living creatures are nourished. <br /><br />Back to this "eat bread" thing. Challah, in particular, is filled with intentionality. We separate a piece of dough (called "taking challah" during the preparation process and make a special bracha over the separation. The loaves of challah take center stage on our Shabbat table; they are what elevate just an ordinary meal with friends into a <i>seudat Shabbat. </i><i> </i>For those who can't/don't eat challah, the same sort of intentionality can be taken and applied to some other part of the meal to separate it from the rest of the week.<br /><br />So, for this week, choose one or more of the following:<br /><ul><li>Fulfill your end of the bargain by doing something to aid the problem of hunger in our world. Find a homeless person and offer him/her a meal, volunteer in a food bank or soup kitchen, make a donation to a hunger relief agency such as <a href="http://www.mazon.org/" target="_blank">MAZON</a>, or support your Hillel's Challah for Hunger chapter this week, if you have one. </li><li>Celebrate farmers as God's partners in providing food for the world. Visit a local farmer's market and buy some fresh produce or other delicious goods for your Shabbat table.<br /></li><li>Before you dig in to your Friday night dinner, take a few moments to think about the journey your food took to get to your table. How far did it travel? (hopefully not too far, unless a bag of Bamba is serving as your appetizer). How many people worked to get you your meal? What kinds of resources were used? What is the cultural/ethnic origin of the food you're eating? Is it a family recipe? Is there some special significance to what you're eating? Anyways, there could be a million questions, but just take an extra second (think of it as an extended bracha moment), to appreciate your food. <br /></li></ul>Shabbat Shalom!<br />MaiyaMaiyaCYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16022291299908043418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-58967256803439355642010-10-14T13:11:00.000-07:002010-10-14T20:09:39.305-07:00MIssion: Mitzvah<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUz4rLfsjBXwOA3g1k25sdJhOdxbe-YKQH1qDz8c6ookXFb329msfYPkG_T91nwQoPJglX355m34H0uSWKRw-8bc9wQO23UjD5YXODT71VI3HHmm34Slwl3cSKKo3ygUiuM-i6GB49ZVh8/s1600/fall.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUz4rLfsjBXwOA3g1k25sdJhOdxbe-YKQH1qDz8c6ookXFb329msfYPkG_T91nwQoPJglX355m34H0uSWKRw-8bc9wQO23UjD5YXODT71VI3HHmm34Slwl3cSKKo3ygUiuM-i6GB49ZVh8/s320/fall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527998060225848578" /></a><br />Greetings loved ones,<br /><br />I hope everyone is loving the Fall foliage going on right now, and if you don't really have any then head on over to Burlington (Vermont), it is pretty much amazing. <br /><br />I wanted to take this week's assignment to another level and help enhance your Shabbat experience. During the Passover seder we are supposed to open our doors and say "Let all those who are hungry come eat" but I believe that this should be applied to Shabbat as well (well really everyday but let's just stick with Shabbat for now). <br /><br />Therefore, this weeks assignment is to buy (or bake) a loaf of bread and give it to a homeless person. While I really do enjoy eating bread I think we should also take this opportunity to spread the joy of Shabbat to all those around us.<br /><br />This week's assignment comes with two extra credit options, you will not lose points for getting the extra credit wrong-- you just get extra points for doing it.<br /><br />Extra Credit 1) Sit down and have a conversation with the person you are giving bread to. Find out a little about them (you can even share their story when you blog about it).<br /><br />Extra Credit 2) Document your experience by getting either a picture with your new friend or of your new friend with the bread you gave them.<br /><br />Peaceful Sabbath!<br />GregGreg Yellinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15059302686631628203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-38647863215454781072010-10-14T10:24:00.000-07:002010-10-14T10:24:58.311-07:00Eat Bread... Bake BreadEat Bread seems like a fairly simple task. I'm going to guess that most of us eat some challah at every Shabbat meal we staff. I thought it might be nice, although potentially time consuming, to go a bit further than just Eating bread. I don't know about you...but for me, it's difficult finding the time and motivation to use my kitchen for anything more elaborate than frozen waffles for breakfast or a glass of wine at the end of the day. So for this week's task, let's bake our own challah, to enjoy on our own time...at a shabbat meal with friends, as french toast for brunch, with cream cheese as a snack, as a grilled cheese sandwich (with tomato soup?) on a fall afternoon...or however else you like your challah. Growing up, my mom, sister and I would make challah together each week. We have this great recipe, handed down to my mom from her grandmother. I'm sharing it with you - and I have to say - it makes a pretty delicious challah! If baking isn't your thing - I encourage you to give it a try anyway. Or you can go to the store and pick up some frozen dough or frozen challah. Either way, let's not only bake our bread, but eat it, too!<br />
<br />
Happy Baking,<br />
Arielle<br />
<br />
Grandma Rose’s Challah<br />
Bread:<br />
2 c warm water<br />
2 packages (4 ½ t) dry fast-acting yeast<br />
½ c sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
½ c canola or vegetable oil (plus more for proofing)<br />
½ t salt<br />
8 c flour<br />
½ c golden raisins (optional)<br />
<br />
Honey Glaze:<br />
1 egg<br />
2 T honey<br />
Notes: All-purpose flour is fine, or you can use a ½<br />
and ½ mix of all-purpose and bread flours or<br />
bread flour and whole wheat white flour. This can<br />
also be used to make challah rolls or other shapes.<br />
<br />
Add yeast to warm water, stirring gently to combine. Allow yeast to dissolve for a minute or two. Add sugar and stir gently, allowing yeast to bloom for another minute or so. Add salt, eggs, and oil and stir to combine. Add flour gradually, mixing with wooden spoon or dough hooks on electric stand mixer.When flour is combined and dough is barely sticky, remove from mixing bowl and knead just a few times, adding raisins if desired.Shape dough into large ball. Pour a few tablespoons of oil into large glass bowl.Place dough in oiled bowl and roll around just to coat with oil. Cover bowl with damp towel and/or plastic wrap (just covered, not sealed) and proof in warm oven (on lowest setting) for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Remove dough from bowl to floured surface. Separate into four parts, then separate each of part into three segments. Roll each segment gently to elongate. Pinch three segments together at top and braid, pinching together and tucking under the end. Place braided loaves on baking sheets (2 per sheet). Allow loaves to stand approximately 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. After loaves are done rising, combine glaze ingredients in small bowl and paint over all parts of loaves using pastry or basting brush. Bake each set of loaves for 20 minutes.<br />
<br />
(This recipe makes 4 loaves - after they cool, you can freeze them,<br />
wrapped in waxed paper/tin foil and placed in a ziploc bag - they last<br />
a long time! To use after freezing, defrost them for about 10 minutes,<br />
take off the tin foil and stick in the microwave for a minute)Ariellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17989920563871750109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-51970761629003479352010-10-13T21:11:00.000-07:002010-10-13T21:40:24.048-07:00Connect with Loved OnesMeetings from 9am to 10pm, trips to museums and monuments, a turkey, cranberry sauce, and schnippled green beans.<div><br /></div><div>That's what time with my loved ones is like. I entered into shabbat with my Hillel family in DC - people I've known since I started here over two years ago, and people I've only known since October 4th. There's something really cool to know that you have something in common with your colleagues besides your work and it amazes me how quickly we bond with one another.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday was spent with my big sister and some friends celebrating Canadian thanksgiving in style - will Prosecco and schnippled green beans - my grandmother recipe. Jesse makes schnipple every year in honor of our grandma, and every year, in honor of grandma, I don't touch them. Jesse and I haven't hung out since April, so this was long overdue. Thanks Shabbat Experiment!!</div>Orlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395947834332792107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-8197071870080923792010-10-10T07:05:00.000-07:002010-10-10T07:17:18.383-07:00Connecting meaningfullyI haven't posted in a little while, but I was very excited when I saw that the task for the week was to connect with loved ones. This is actually something I've been thinking a lot about recently. As some of you may know, I don't currently work for Hillel. In late August, my boyfriend got a fantastic job offer in DC and we decided we would be moving there together. I luckily found something soon after and tomorrow I start work at the Israel on Campus Coalition... now moving out a few weeks <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> my boyfriend. The past few weeks have been a bit crazy. After a few years in Michigan, I finally found a group of friends who were not going to graduate and leave (at least in the near future) and now here I was saying goodbye. I made a point to really "be present" when I was with my friends. I know we'll all still be in touch and I know they will come and visit in DC, but it has been great connecting with them and enjoying ice cream and dinners, etc. over the past month.<br />Shabbat Experiment to be continued... in DC.Allison McMillanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04821645194471774106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-61956049096412814202010-10-08T13:42:00.000-07:002010-10-08T13:44:59.376-07:00week 7: connect with loved ones<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><div>I could not be more excited to have been given the task of <b>connect with loved ones!</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>For those of you that do not know, this weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving. Now thanksgiving in Canada (as the few Canadians in this group can attest) is not like American thanksgiving, in that a lot of Jews in Canada do not celebrate thanksgiving. Last year my friends and I decided that we liked the idea and that we wanted to start the tradition of celebrating thanksgiving together.</div><div><br /></div><div>My friends are so important to me, as is my family, which is why this weeks task is not only to connect with loved ones, but to <b>give thanks</b>. This shabbat/this weekend I hope that we can all find a time and find a way to be thankful for our loved ones and truly appreciate how important they are to our lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shabbat Shalom,</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" >Jaime Reich</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" >Toronto</span></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-82661902633560015142010-10-07T07:33:00.001-07:002010-10-07T07:34:21.253-07:00Week #7 Assignment<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">This week we are charged with the task of "connecting with loved ones".<span style=""> </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">My assignment for you is to have a family dinner (this doesn't necessarily mean blood relatives - it can mean whatever you feel it does).<span style=""> </span>This may seem like an easy job, but even if we are able to align our schedules and get together with our loved ones, we aren't always "there".<span style=""> </span>So I am asking you not only to have a family dinner, but to be completely present at it.<span style=""> </span>Share whats been going on in your life and listen to what your loved ones have to share.<span style=""> </span>Cook together, eat together, laugh together, and just be together.<span style=""> </span>You never know what tomorrow will bring...</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I hope that you get to enjoy at least a part of this long weekend!<span style=""> </span>Have an amazing and meaningful Shabbat!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">B'Yididut,</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Joie</p>Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314038985568422449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-44289232397623796952010-10-03T16:29:00.000-07:002010-10-03T16:31:36.400-07:00Students inspire us too!<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Give Back:</p><p class="MsoNormal">This weeks task to give back was an interesting one, when I was thinking about being kind to people and letting people go ahead, my first thought was about those crazy drivers who think where they are going and what they have to do is more important than anything else in the world. I hadn’t decided what I was going to do on my task when I got to work Friday night for Shabbat at Hillel and then during services a student of mine gave a drash that couldn’t have been any more perfect for this weeks assignment. He talked about a Romanian man who had known tragedy since childhood. He was 76 years old; he had lived through the holocaust and after the holocaust moved to Israel. Liviu Librescu eventually became a teacher at Virginia Tech and died holding a door closed while his 22 student’s were able to escape from the gunman during the Virginia Tech shooting. The reason I thought the drash related to our task this week so well was because my student talked about the connection between this man and Simchat Torah. The end of Deuteronomy is about Moses stepping back and watching his people enter the land of Israel and beginning of Genesis is about God making man and woman, creating the Garden of Eden and then getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden. His point wasn’t about this man being like Moses or Adam and Eve, but his point was that God may have taken us out of the Garden, but that God handed us another wonderful garden to live in and the gift is really us making the world we live in a better one by giving to other people. Liviu gave his life in order to give his student’s a chance to escape. Being able to step back this Shabbat and think about what kind of impact I can make on other people by giving back or stepping up was a really valuable moment that I hope made an impact on the students who also heard the drash this Shabbat. </p> <!--EndFragment-->Erica Feinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312773547668057048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-61095558925867631572010-10-03T15:10:00.000-07:002010-10-03T15:17:47.255-07:00Moving on UpFor this week's task, I wasn't quite sure how to find an opportunity to 'pay it forward' but luckily enough, today one of my friends needed help moving from his old place to his new place. My oldest friend and I went over to help, and we spent the day repainting the walls back to white. We had a blast!<br /><br />It's been a little over a year since I left RI, but my friends in Providence helped me move without blinking an eye. I know how stressful moving can be (I've moved every single year for the past 4 or 5 years) and it ended up being a pleasure to help my friend today. I know he really appreciated it, and I definitely felt good about helping.<br /><br />Lisa FriedmanLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817268646703344635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-19915697416762603932010-10-03T14:21:00.000-07:002010-10-03T14:40:08.379-07:00The long and winding roadThis has been a rough few weeks for me. An endless stream of frustrating student drama has put a damper on my happy Hillel days. That plus the early mornings, late nights and working weekends has left me feeling worn down, overwhelmed and way behind on housework and personal errands. <br /><br />I had Friday off and despite the absolutely retched weather I decided to run all of my long overdue errands. One of these tasks was to drop off a large pile of packages that needed returning (one wasn't even for me!). So, I set off with my stack of packages in the pouring rain for the local post office. After I managed to get to the counter (I dropped the pile of packages twice, I slipped and fell and had to wait in a 15 minute line) the nice gentleman working told me that 2 of my packages had to go to UPS and he could not accept them. So again I go out into the rain in hopes of finding a UPS store. When I arrived there the fellow working told me he could only take 1 of the packages and the other had to go the the state distribution center (luckily, RI is a very small state and I live right in the middle!). He gave me directions and off I went.<br /><br />I wound my way through the narrow back roads, finally arriving at the UPS distribution center and dropped off my final package. As I left the parking lot I came to a fork in the road. To the right lay the road back towards my house. To the left was the Warwick animal shelter! How fortuitous! I drove excitedly to the animal shelter where I was told that while they did not need any help this weekend, I could sign up to volunteer in the future. I left with a spring in my step and a smile on my face - feeling good for the first time in weeks!<br /><br />Thanks Dani for presenting this task! I look forward to the opportunity to volunteer at the animal shelter and working with the animals who spend their days there! It is something that I have always wanted to do and now I had the excuse to get myself in. (I hope that you had a very happy birthday, as well!) I also want to thank Melissa McCrea. Thanks for sending your package to the wrong address and providing me the path to the animal shelter. I hope that whoever and wherever she is, she finally gets whatever she ordered so many months ago! Sorry for the delay.<br /><br />Have a terrific week everyone!<br /><br />JoieJoiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314038985568422449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-89642100529764654962010-10-02T01:13:00.000-07:002010-10-02T01:16:31.814-07:00Thankful for my Health<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><strong><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal;">Group Bet was assigned this task:</span></span></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><strong><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal;"></span></span>The Assignment:</span></strong> Take a moment this Shabbat to first and foremost <strong><span>consider your health.</span></strong> How are you feeling? Where are you at? When and where do you feel your best? What makes you feel healthiest? We encourage you to think not only in terms of physical health, but mental, emotional, and spiritual health, as well. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">After considering your health, we invite you to do something to nurture it. Maybe it's taking a walk with a family member, or going to a pilates class, or it's taking some time to cook a nice, healthy meal<span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "> (<a href="https://remote.hillelsd.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=b1843c0558464d9194c9a35bb1beacc9&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.cyber-kitchen.com%2frfcj%2fSUKKOT%2fVeg_Roasted_Harvest_Vegetables_in_a_Baked_Pumpkin_-_pareve.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 101, 204); ">here is a Sukkot themed suggestion</a>)</span>. Maybe it's prayer, or singing, or sitting and talking with a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Maybe it's just laying on your bed listening to music or flexing your brain muscles while playing<span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "> <a href="https://remote.hillelsd.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=b1843c0558464d9194c9a35bb1beacc9&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.websudoku.com%2f" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 101, 204); ">Sudoku</a></span>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Last week I was searching how I could achieve this task differently than I already go about my normal week. I exercise regularly and when I’m not eating the pizza and kosher chicken at Hillel I’m usually a pretty health conscious eater, but I was looking for something that would stand out and make this Shabbat special. I ended up going to a yoga class on Friday afternoon because the office was closed for Sukkot and I really enjoyed the class when I went on second day of Rosh Hashanah, which was also a Friday afternoon. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Out assignment for group Bet was to consider your health and really think about how you are doing in all aspects of the word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>During the yoga class I tried to think of how I was going to experience this on Shabbat and where I would go or what I would eat to create a healthy task, at the very end of the yoga class we had a few minutes of silence laying on our mats, which I usually count down the seconds for it to be over, but I ended up thinking about my body and being really thankful to God for my body and everything it can do that is truly magnificent. I started at my toes and thought about how amazing each toes is, worked up my legs thinking about how much my muscles stretch from the beginning of the class to the end of the class, then I got to my stomach and thought about the scratch I had gotten the two days prior cutting down skach for the sukkah and how my body will make that scratch heal after just a few days. That is truly amazing to me. I thought about the skin on my hands and how when I was a kid I would play with the wrinkles on my grandmothers hands and how my skin is still so young and how much I appreciate that. By the end of the silence I realized that I had actually done the task during the yoga session. It was a really nice experience to take a moment and just thank God for my body and all the wonders of the human body. </p> <!--EndFragment-->Erica Feinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312773547668057048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-67897451409463257532010-09-29T19:22:00.000-07:002010-09-29T19:24:00.540-07:00Giving Back - Week 6For Group Gimmel this week:<br /><br />This week's topic is GIVING BACK. I propose that we think of a time when someone has done something for us (a favor, a surprise) that was really nice/helpful. This week, do that same act to/for someone else.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br />LisaLisaRaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12145946928692121655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-46666324042485770912010-09-13T15:47:00.001-07:002010-09-13T15:51:38.384-07:00Find silence<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; border-collapse: collapse; "><div><span>So I sent this out last week but forgot to post it as a blog...oopsy. Thoughts on the task welcome.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>At the Union of Jewish Students in the UK, we are pioneering a concept known as 'EduAction'. This means that whatever program or text study we run with students, the education/learning/values part must always be followed by an activity to put what you have learned into action...hence 'EduAction'.</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>This week's task therefore has two parts.</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>Part 1.</span></div><div><span>The first is a mini text-study which you can do either with a friend or by yourself, in silence.</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>There is a mishnah in Pirkei Avot which says:</span></div><div><span>"Shimon his son said: All my days have I grown up among the wise and I have not found anything better for a person than silence. Studying Torah is not the most important thing rather fulfilling it. Whoever multiplies words causes sin." (1:17)</span></div><p><span>Questions to ponder:</span></p><p><span>1. Silence is very much an anti-Jewish idea! How many Jewish events can you think of where silence is maintained?! Why do you think Shimon places such importance on it?</span></p><p><span>2. What is the link between his view on silence and his second point that 'Studying Torah is not the most important thing rather fulfilling it'? And what does he mean by that?</span></p><p><span>3. Surely his final statement is a little harsh - we all know that chevruta - paired text study - is lively, full of debate and an excellent way to learn - how would this fit in?</span></p><p><span>Part 2.</span></p><p><span>I've just got home to see my parents for Rosh Hashanah and so I asked my dad what he felt 'Find silence' meant. He suggested something to do with inner-peace which is a bit non-British if you ask me but I'd like to propose the following for the second part of this week's challenge:</span></p><p><span>Shabbat is the silence to the mad rush of the week and provides the oasis of calm - the inner peace - that we all need to recharge our batteries. With this week's Shabbat falling on Shabbat Shuva - the Shabbat of repentance before Yom Kippur - it gives us a good time to think about creating peace with our friends and families. We learn on Rosh Hashanah that one can't ask for forgiveness from God until we have asked for forgiveness from our fellow human beings, so the second part of the experiment is to think of a person in our family, or a friend, or an acquaintance, that we might have fallen out with, even if it wasn't our fault and just to extend the first hand of reconciliation and see how it feels. (Perhaps one of the things Rabbi Shimon is hinting to in the Pirkei Avot text we've just looked at is the power of speech - if we all knew the effect our words had on people, we would think much more carefully about how we speak, and perhaps come to view silence as the most important thing. Perhaps that's why 'Whoever multiplies words causes sin'...)</span></p><p><span>On a more positive note, enjoy the apple and honey, </span><span>Shana tova and Shabbat shalom!</span></p><p><span>Richard</span></p><p><span>***</span></p><p><span>My other idea!</span></p><p><span>What I really wanted to do was to suggest that 'Find silence' might be a good opportunity to think about what life is like for Jews who are unable to hear and think about how they might observe Shabbat.</span></p><p><span>I was going to ask everyone to try to learn one of the blessings for the Friday night rituals in sign language, and then perform it on Shabbat. I didn't have time to get copies of all the actions though, so real apologies!</span></p><p><span>I did however find the following on YouTube which is well worth a watch and really makes you think:</span> </p><p><span>Blessing over wine in Sign Language - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le-U3vKh3tE" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=le-U3vKh3tE</a></span></p><span><p><span>Blessing for bread in Sign Language - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f2822Dcl-w&feature=related" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=4f2822Dcl-w&feature=related</a></span></p><p><span>YouTube channel looking at Jewish holidays and culture in Sign Language - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/jhahinasl" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">http://www.youtube.com/user/<wbr>jhahinasl</a></span></p></span></span>helping handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09425298275539517098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-27248969088708549702010-09-12T20:21:00.000-07:002010-09-20T18:08:49.873-07:00Why Do You Let Me Stay HereThis was my week to devise our group assignment, and I had more difficulty than I'd expected. I haven't looked at other people's responses yet, so I'm not sure whether or not this task resonated, but I thought it was simple and fun enough. I'm interested to see whether it was meaningful (depth vs. breadth and all that crap....)<br />
<br />
<div><br />
Here's the video I watched without sound:<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FkzRyHa9a6g?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FkzRyHa9a6g?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
I chose this video kind of on a whim. I think it might have been the last song on my iTunes Genius. But I really like the song. From what I can tell, the video doesn't really reflect the lyrics. Zooey Daschenel is adorable as ever, but the video makes me think of a haunted hotel tour in Chattanooga, TN. Though I know he does much of the music for the duo, but I was surprised to see M. Ward in the video, since we rarely hear his voice. I really laughed at the part when all the little Zooey Daschenels were all dancing around the big Zooey Daschenel--it reminded me of Gulliver's Travels.<br />
<br />
In the end, I'm glad there is good music to listen to. I think I liked the song more <i>before</i> I saw the video. </div>Daniel Reiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04412078931349981828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-342882340532593902010-09-12T16:48:00.000-07:002010-09-12T17:01:29.768-07:00Silence... But not reallyI didn't get an exact assignment for this weeks find silences, so I decided to find my own silences. I debated between the obvious don't listen to music, but figured that wouldn't be so much of a challenge because I often find myself sitting in silence. I figured instead I would try to incorporate music into everything I do this shabbat and try to find a way to use that music and look inward at the same time. One of my dearest friends from back home is having a birthday coming up and I am not going to be able to make it to his birthday celebration. To call him a music genius would be an understatement. I have never met someone who knows so much about so many different types of musics from all over the world, and I thank him for a lot of the knowledge I have today about music. I decided that for his birthday instead of getting him a chachkie I would make him a mix that is a compilation of the top songs of 1984 (his birth year). Saturday evening after I got home from a night at a concert of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. I decided to start searching music from 1984 and ended up listening to amazing music until 4 in the morning. <div><br /></div><div>After all of that music I realized that I didn't spend a lot of the time focusing on the silence surrounding the music. So today I went for a jog around my neighborhood and decided to use that time for think about life. It was great to pick a pandora station I don't usually listen to and just tune out everything and focus on my inner silence. It reminded me a lot of a few of my good friends from college who are Deaf. I went to a university that has one of the largest deaf populations in the country so I often think about what it would be like to be deaf. This thought ran through my head throughout the entire job, from crossing the street, to pressing the code at my front gate and not being able to hear the sound that comes with each button I press. It took me three times to get the code right because I couldn't hear the buzzing sounds. </div><div><br /></div><div>I really enjoyed this shabbat and so far every shabbat I have been "experimenting" I have really taken a moment to appreciate the Shabbat experience no matter what our assignment of the week has been. </div>Erica Feinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312773547668057048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-90881186137596971272010-09-12T16:30:00.000-07:002010-09-12T16:46:06.178-07:00Home MoviesOur task this Shabbat was actually pretty well timed... my Dad's cousin has been transferring old home movies into digital form and then sending them to our family. The videos are old - old enough that my father was very young, but not so old that I couldn't recognize my grandmother and grandfather (although they were, of course, not as I remember them). The movies are silent; some in color, some not. I've only seen a couple before, so I decided to watch a silent movie that had a personal connection to me instead of one from youtube.<br /><br />There used to be a family council that met once a year for many many years but hasn't been in existence since probably the 70s. It was a grand event (we have a picture of one such council where there had to have been at least 100 family members there - all from one side!) The video I watched was shot during one of these gatherings in the mid to late 60s. I never met my grandfather on my dad's side, and my grandmother was pretty sickly throughout my childhood. It was pretty exciting to see them alive and vibrant, dancing and singing (silently to me), hugging and kissing people I've never met but am related to. Unfortunately, no one can really tell me what exactly was said in this video, but the tone is pretty clear: love and family.<br /><br />Lisa FriedmanLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817268646703344635noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958550129374270385.post-1791241460808440742010-09-12T13:26:00.000-07:002010-09-12T13:41:37.832-07:00Many Kinds of SilenceThis weekend I decided to take advantage of my first three days off since the students have been back. It was a perfect time for me to seek out silence.<br /><br />I set out to complete the task that Daniel put forth and really enjoyed watching R.E.M's "Man on the Moon" on mute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hKSYgOGtos). The beginning of the video reminded me of an old western where a guy was aimlessly wandering through the desert, talking to himself while random images flashed on the screen. Of course, when you watch it back and listen to the lyrics, you realize the images weren't so random afterall.<br /><br />Another interesting thing happened when I tried to find silence at various points throughout the weekend. No matter where I was or what I was doing, when the noise around me ceased, new melodies and lyrics came into my head. After writing all the new music down, I began to wonder. Many times I feel that I am forcing the creative process- trying to be inspired by new sights and sounds. Maybe I haven't had (song)writer's block. Maybe all I needed was a little silence.Raynahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12204641725778622413noreply@blogger.com0