Shabbos, Super Bowl, and our new CHEVRA!

Our first Shabbos in Israel was so nice! We decided to have both Friday night dinner and Shabbos lunch in our apartment and have some friends over.  We have such a nice kitchen here that Ira even lent a helping hand in all of the cooking! He’s made some amazing omelets and pancakes in his day (see Ira's previous pancake artwork below), but he finally moved beyond the breakfast-food category! SCORE! He is the best meatball roller in J-town (sorry, Rach if you’re reading this…you’re great too!). I am so lucky to have a man who is so good with his hands.  I asked him if he ever thought of making a career out of these skills?  Oh yah, he’s going into surgery. Also important.  Almost as important as cooking for Shabbos.

On Friday night I was practically passing out at the dinner table and so I thought, “Yes! This is my chance to get on a normal sleep-schedule! (like I’m an infant, ya know?)” So I curled up with my book (I’ve been reading this excellent book, America’s Queen, a biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis…literally so much glamour and scandal and schmutz, I can’t put it down)…and I was passed out by 9 PM.  I woke up around 12:30 AM and I think my body is so incredibly off schedule that it just thought I needed a short nap (or else I really am on an infant’s sleep schedule).  I couldn’t fall back to sleep until almost 5.  Seriously.  What is the chap [deal] with that?! Needless to say, I didn’t make it to shul in the morning as I’d promised myself I would.  (Does ANYONE have any tips for getting to sleep!?)  Lunch was nice with Ira’s friend, Kenny, my girl, Lauren Friedman, and Ira’s cousin Naomi.  There was lots of “rowdy” conversation followed by a nice, short walk. 

By Saturday night I was so exhausted that I was starting to become a 3-headed monster, (Me?! Never!) so I sent Ira out to pick up sushi and froyo as I reviewed my Ulpan pre-class homework.  Homework before the first class is a major drag, but this Ulpan is one-on-one, so I can’t exactly just NOT do it—there’s nobody else for the teacher to call on.  And like going to the gym, if I don’t start out doing it, I never will. 

I had to do the homework Saturday night because Sunday is a normal workday here and therefore my first day of class. No matter how much time I’ve spent in Israel, the first few Sundays are always such a shock to my system.  Imagine if Sunday were Monday; wouldn’t that mess you up too?  Who prepares for the week on a Saturday night?  If someone would have told me three years ago that I would be spending my Saturday night studying Hebrew, I would’ve said “Are you kidding!?” Now, after my exciting Saturday study night I can say “Ma pit ‘om!?” (“Are you kidding!?” in Hebrew) which is either sad or happy depending on how you see it.  In an attempt to prove to myself that I am still fun and social, I made Ira promise me that the next night, we would go watch the Super Bowl in town even though it started at 1:30 AM. 

So yesterday was one of the longest days of my life…I know all days are the same length, but I was awake for over 22 consecutive hours, which is not really so normal. 

I was actually able to fall asleep at a reasonable hour on Saturday night for the first time, so I decided to wake up at 7 and take a spinning class.  I’ve taken spinning a total of like 5 times in my life, spread out over 5 years.  Well, I swear, after ten minutes I was dying, and not because my heart rate was too high, but solely because I could literally feel the bruises forming.  Every time (all 5 of them) I take spinning I forget how hard those freaking bike seats are! What do you guys do about that?  Does everyone wear padded leggings or do you build up some kind of immunity to the pain?  (Miriam, I am mostly directing this question to you.  My sister-in-law takes spinning 16 times a week.  And then works out with her trainer after.  And then runs 12 miles after that.)  After spinning, I decided to do some lifting.  I accomplished like 3 things in the hour because I kept having to take out my phone to recalculate the weight from pounds to kilos.  I don’t even know how much I really lift to begin with, so I am not sure how this is going to work.  “I am determined to figure out the gym thing.  It’s going to happen for me.” This is what I repeat to myself 3 times a day. (similar to my Ulpan affirmation: "I enjoy studying Hebrew.  I understand and speak Hebrew easily and fluently.  I progress rapidly in Hebrew.")

After the gym, I had my first day of Ulpan.  It was super intense, but awesome! I went from knowing nothing to asking Lauren, “At Medaberet Rusit?” (Do you speak Russian?) in a day! I am working on saying my “reish” (Hebrew “R” sound) like a true Israeli…even when speaking in English.  It is particularly amusing when pronouncing people’s names such as Laurrrrren and Irrrrra.  I really wish there was an audio feature on this blog so I could show off my “reish”ing abilities.  

Last night Lauren took me to an awesome class on the month of Adar.  On the Hebrew calendar, this year is a leap year.  Instead of adding one day every four years like we do with this solar calendar, the Hebrew calendar adds an ENTIRE MONTH on a leap year.  So, we have Adar Rishon because it’s a leap year, followed by Adar Sheni (that’s right, two Adars…count them, 1, 2).  I learned so many amazing things about Adar(s)—specifically this is really a time to draw strength.  Adar is the most joyous month.  There is no joy, like the joy we get when we perceive a situation to be awful or even devastating and then things turn out to be okay or even wonderful (just think of the story of Purim…the Jews were doomed, but Haman’s plot was overturned and we thrive- l’chaim tovim v’shalom!).  Basically, in a nutshell, if you’re going to get sued, or have a dangerous surgery you should do it in Adar(s).  K?

So, after FINALLY sleeping through the night on Saturday, I had to go and mess EVERYTHING up with the sleep schedule by suggesting we go watch the Super Bowl (We don’t get any channels that play the game, so we had to go to the American bar, Mike’s Place to watch). 

I was really tired…it had been a long day…BUT I just had to prove to myself how much “fun” I am.  Ira gave it to me straight: “If you really want to go to town to watch it, I’ll go, but I’m not leaving before it’s over.  Once I commit to watching it, I’m staying ‘til the end.”  Me: “Obviously, no problem! [holding back yawns] I want to go outttttttt…I’m young and funnn [holding back more yawns].” 

We got to Mike’s Place and the crowd looked like this (faces have been removed to protect identities)

I love Israel, because EVERYONE goes out here.  It doesn’t matter how religious you are, you go to the bar.  Well, I don’t make a habit out of being overtly friendly to Chassidic teenage boys (I didn’t know it was appropriate?), but for some reason last night was different.  I was taking pictures, predominantly to post on my blog, but also for my own personal archives, because I mean, I’m sorry, but, it’s amusing to see what kind of crowd comes to watch the Super Bowl in Jerusalem. 

At first, the yeshiva bachors (aka the Chassidic boys), seemed kind of offended by my photography.  Ira and his friend Kenny weren’t helping by yelling things to me such as “Lizzy, they’re not Amish.” And “Stop acting like you’re at the museum or the zoo.”  (see Ira and Kenny below).Then, suddenly, one of the teenage bachors, thought he recognized Kenny! In his Yiddish accent, he exclaimed “Are you Chananya Yom Tov Lipa Braun? From 59^th Street and 13^th Avenue in Boro Park?!” Kenny immediately reverted back to his yiddisha ways and replied “Yes, *Menachin? *Yoel's zin? [Yoel’s son?] Vus machste mit deer? [what’s up with you?]”

*names changes to protect identities

Ira with Kenny

Well, once Kenny aka Chananya Yom Tov Lipa ben Chaim Eliezer Duvid’s Boro Park identity was exposed, it was like we had all been BFF with Menachin and his chevra [group of friends] for YEARS I tell you!

We played trivia together, we gave them marriage advice (about 6 of these teenage boys are engaged and getting married in the next couple of months), we talked sheitels [wigs] and kishka (see previous post), and one even offered to teach me some Gemara.  A female chavruta [learning partner]!? These boys are much more progressive, friendly, and funny (SOOOOOOO FUNNYYYYYYY!) than I would’ve ever thought! I would share more from our interactions, but it’s probably not polite to do that.  Let’s just say this, I was super mad at first because the bar was airing the game on ESPN instead of CBS, so we couldn’t see any of the commercials.  Well, there are only 3 reasons I watch the Super Bowl: 1. Junk food and booze,

2. Socializing, and 3. THE COMMERCIALS.  Do people actually watch for the game?  Well, BH, it turned out to be the best blessing that we couldn’t see the commercials because I was far more entertained by the yeshiva boys than I would’ve been by the commercials.  They even joined OUR table (see below). They are a great group and we are so excited to be having four of them for a meal this Shabbos!

I was reminded of a great lesson I can never learn enough times: I should always assume the best about people…especially those different from me. Especially when they have payos.

Unfamiliar with the term “payos” (also “payot”)?

Payot (also peyot, payos, payess, peyess, peyos Hebrew: singular, פֵּאָה; plural, פֵּאוֹת‎) is the Hebrew word for sidelocks or sidecurls. Payot are worn by some men and boys in the Orthodox Jewish community based on an interpretation of the Biblical injunction against shaving the "corners" of one's head. Literally, pe'ah means corner, side or edge. There are different styles of payes among Haredi, Yemenite, and Hasidic Jews. Yemenite Jews called their sidelocks simanim, literally signs, because their long curled sidelocks served as a distinguishing feature in Yemenite society.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payot

This one of the new chevra is going on the fridge:

We got home after 5 AM and I am paying for it today.  Mazel tov to the Packers!