India B'Ivrit

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First off, I have a new phone number here. Please email me (you can do it through the travelblog) or my parents for the number if you need/want to reach me.
Sorry I haven't written in so long, there really wasn't much to write about when I was in Chennai. And now for the full entry:

**Warning: this entry include a great deal of Jewish references. If you don't understand, please post questions under comments. End of warning.**
I think I was studying the wrong language when attempting to learn Tamil.
Last Friday night I went to Chabad (the very orthodox people) with Gila (the recent Brandeis grad with whom I now live) for Shabbat. Rivki, the Rabbi's wife was lovely and had a marvelous dinner at which I was the only non-Israeli at the table (ok, not ENTIRELY true, Gila's family moved from Israel when she was small, but she's still fluent in Hebrew which I'm not). So throughout the meal, all conversations (except for the one, maybe two directed at me) were in Hebrew, leaving me in the land of confuzzlement. No problem though. I was so enthralled with the happy, Shabbat mood which I had missed so much, that the language thing didn't even begin to bother me. It was like one of those dinner montages in a movie where you don't hear what people are saying, but they're all passing tasty looking food and smiling and laughing and you just get a good energy from it all. That was my meal. Also, we finished two and a half bottles of fantasmic whisky (I learned I like whisky, but only if it's good) including a whole bottle of Glenfidditch 12 year reserve. Mmm Mmm good.
I met a guy named Ehud (no, not like that) who is from Israel/New York and now works with street kids here. He's pretty socially awkward in that he'll sit and stare at me (and not always at my eyes) for a long time, even when there's nothing more to talk about. But he's awesome in that he got me an interview for his company yesterday and now they want me to work with street girls, helping them get off the streets and have goals etc. They also are trying to set me up working with Deaf kids here. Also, I'm looking into a position for Youth Coordinator that the Jewish Community Center desperately needs filled. Hopefully one of them will turn out well and I will be able to return in January. Hopes are high right now! The street kid group definately wants me, though they want me to follow around Ehud for the month, working with him and learning the ropes...it may be too awkward for me, but we shall see. Meetings on Thursday!!!!
Last night the Jewish New Year started, and I went back to Chabad for an even bigger, tastier dinner. I don't know how Rivki does it. There were 30 people at dinner last night, most of them Israeli travelers stopping off here for the chag, and she didn't bat an eye. There was more than enough food for all of us and everything was delicious. This meal was largely in English due to the fact that there were more Americans in attendance.
Today I went to services, well I almost didn't because there's a Hindu festival here and these women were dancing down the street, saw me and tried to get me to join them. I wanted to, but it is Rosh Hashanah, so I headed for the Jewish Community Center for shul (for which I was already late because the maid came just as I was going to leave and then the rubbish collector came and then the FedEx guy came, etc etc etc.
Anyway, services were kind of cute and very different from back home. The Adon Olam at the end sounded like a dirge, but the song they sang before (which I've never heard before) soundedc almost like a drinking song and the other 6 Americans and I bounced along to it.
During the sermon, the Rabbi spoke about the importance of saying "Hineni" or "Here I am" as Abraham did when G-d called upon him, and then again when Isaac and finally the angel call upon him. The Rabbi said that it is our duty as humans to answer with Hineni whenever someone we love calls upon us. That we cannot put aside saying Hineni if we are busy or preoccupied or even if we are conflicted. He said that this Torah portion shows us that we must always be able to answer with Hineni, because that is what love is about. I thought it was a lovely idea.
Tuesday night was Taslikh, a ceremony at the water during which people symbolically cast their sins off into the water. There were so many people there, it was amazing! After the service, most people stayed around and began talking in groups. The reform rabbi's wife informed us that there was matchmaking going on as this is one of the only times during the year when the whole community gets together. After that, we all went to Synagogue Magen David for a party. The party included 2 rousing rounds of musical chairs, an...eclectic mix of music and dancing, food, and arguably the worst magician EVER. It was kind of like a Bar Mitzvah and we had a great time! Well, us Americans did at least...
That's all from me right now, hope all is well in the States. I'll try to get some pictures up eventually....

with much love for Tashlikh,
Shaaroni

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