Shabbat Shalom
July 1st, 2006
Here in Israel, the Sabbath day begins Friday at sundown and everything shuts down (actually things shut down more like an hour before the sunset just to be on the safe side). So if you want to do anything on Friday it is best that you do it while the sun is high in the sky. A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to play some basketball, so I joined him and a couple of other guys from the Narkis St. Congregation for some midday basketball, and let me tell you the sun may have been high in the sky, but it felt as if it were only a few 100 feet from us. As we were playing Bball, guys kept showing up, so what stated as a 2 on 2 match grew to a full court game of 5 on 5. It had been a really long time since I had played a full court game, and to be honest I wasn’t really getting back in time to on defense. All in all I had a blast and am looking forward to playing again. Some of the guys we played with were quite good. At any rate after the game I went home tired, sunburned and in pain, so when I made it to the dorms I took a short shower and just fell into bed!
Later that night was to be the first Shabbat Dinner for us here at the Hebrew U. or at least those of us who just arrived in the country. When I woke of from my nap, I looked over at the clock and it was 8:09 and we were to meet for the dinner at 8:00! So I jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes and ran out of the building. Thank goodness the place for the dinner was in a hotel right across the street from my dorm building. I ran across the street and into the hotel and down to the ground floor. I walked up to the first table I came to and asked if I could join the group sitting there (which they agreed to let me join them) just as the guy leading the group began the opening prayer! Ahh… just like the most of my life, I made it just in the knick of time! The food was good and I enjoyed myself talking with some of the folks there at my table. After dinner I returned to my room and watched Amalie with my roommate. This is a great movie! Its so happy!
The next morning, I felt all the running I did the day before. My calves felt like they ripping themselves from my legs. And even though I had worn sunblock playing basketball, I could still feel the sun on my face when I woke up. So as sore and sun-sticken as I was I decided to make the day of rest and actual day of rest and recuperation. So I didn’t make it to the Narkis St Congregation this morning for their Shabbat service. The more things change the more they stay the same I guess.
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