As I mentioned before, it was just chag season here, and chag season ends with the last day of sukkot: simchas Torah! Simchas Torah is a very unique holiday in which everyone basically just parties at shul for 4 hours at night, and 6 hours the next morning with the Torah. There are seven Hakafot (torah blessings) that we say, and after each one there is about 20 minutes of dancing and singing. As we get closer to the 7th blessing the dancing and singing get longer and longer. We sang all kinds of songs, many of them I didn't know but some of them I did.
On Friday night, Aaron, David, Tyler, Seth, Max, Brian, Asaf and some others went to Kol Rina. If you remember, Kol Rina was the shul that we went to the first weekend but couldn't find for almost an hour. This time we knew where we were going and it only took 15 minutes. It was a good service, and after Ma'ariv the leader of the shul (I don't know if he's the rabbi, or just the Chazzan, he's American and speaks both English and Hebrew perfectly) stood up on a chair inbetween the Machitzah and basically asked people if they wanted to pay over 1000 Shekalim for the honor of reading one of the Hakafot out loud during the upcoming dancing/song session. After about 40 minutes of 3 takers, some of the people pledged over 2000 Shekels, he got fed up with waiting and started the dancing.
They took out 4 Torahs from the bomb sheltered and locked ark. We danced with them for about 2 hours before we had to leave and get back to base for dinner. I actually ended up having the honor of reading one of them out loud. It just so happened to be the longest one and I definitely made up my own tune that made no sense because I didn't really know what I was doing.
I just got my ulpan grade. 83. not bad, not great but in Israel that's a B+. So, I'll think B+, and since I got a 87 on my Jerusalem final as well, that's a A-. OK sorry for getting distracted.
It was a really great night. We danced and sang and ended up getting back in time for dinner and the Nativ Tish. That's just a sweet song session.
The next morning, I went to Shira Chadasha with Seffi and a bunch of other people. I was there for about 5 hours, dancing with the torah and whatnot. It's a tradition in Israel that everyone in every shul in Israel on Simchat Torah morning gets an Alyehia (blessing over the torah). So I had one of course and it was great.
OK I really got to go to sleep. It's after midnight and I'm tired. Sorry... :( but by the way our mini fridge broke again and I lost 18 shekel on Shock chocolate milk, aka "shoko". that was lame
OK time go to, talk soon. Unfourtunately there's no pics from simchat torah, sorry :(
Talk soon,
-Josh
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