Shavua Tov

Shavua Tov l'kulam,

I just got home from another blissful, restful shabbat in Tel Aviv. Truly a fascinating city.

Shabbat this week meant 4, yes I said four, games of bowling (pronounced bah'oh'ling here), marathon speed dinner at YC's parents' home, a few beers, many games won and a few lost of shesh besh/backgammon, laughs, an outing at Basel, sun (burned a bit, oops), some cadur regel (soccer), and delish eats.

I haven't had a chance to reflect properly on Yom Hashoah last week where the siren went off and the world stopped. I was in class, but went out to the street to observe the silence in community. Apparently tomorrow night there will be another siren for Yom Hazikaron at night, and then even another one during the day following. And then the partying for Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day) begins. There are already lots of flags and lights on the streets. Gaydamak has reserved a park in TA where he promises every person in attendance a BBQ something or other and a drink, free. Everyone knows he's trying to buy the public's goodwill in order to shore up support for a political party that he's trying to form, but no one's complaining about the free food. Also, the city of TA decided that instead of booking the hottest singers and putting on a concert that runs millions of dollars, they are organizing a massive singalong. (Yes Abba, I know you would approve.) I am oddly tempted to attend the goofy event anyway.

Talmud *sometimes* rocks. That's what I thought about the Oven of Achnai story that I studied this week. Of course, one week is not long enough, but we're going for breadth here rather than depth. It made me proud that my tradition has something so ambiguous and thought provoking at its core.