Monday, April 25, 2011

Pesach!!!!

Okay, so I did my seder at the Simons. It was a huge privilage because this was the first time they had ever had any guests for the seder. It was just me and mindy and we really really enjoyed it. Especially the famous 'Simon Choir'!
First day I ate by Meisels and then that night I did Havdala with the handful of other girls who were only keeping one day.
First day of chol Hamoed I stayed around the dorm and played Shabbos goy for everyone who was keeping 2 days. That night I made a matzah lesagna and then i got called down again to make another one a bit later. I can't rememeber what I did on- o, i do remember.
On thursday a couple of the girls decided to go bike riding in Ganei Yehoshua in Tel Aviv and invited me. I went and we had a lot of fun waiting in line. Unfortunetely the lines being hours long was not condusive to our chol hamoed happiness so instead we played in the park for a bit. Right before we were about to leave I noticed a little girl walking around the packed park crying. So Mindy and I helped her find her parents. It wasn't so hard considering there were at least 800 frum families there... :) It was actually really cool, at one point, from where we were sitting we could see 6 minyanim at one time in different corners of the park. Then we rode the train for about 2 minutes to our bus stop to go back to Yerushalym.
Erev Shabbos I was supposed to go shopping but it rained. (It was raining for four days starting from the second day of pesach.) But then on my way to the bus stop to go to Kiryat Sefer for shabbos I ended up finding what I had been looking for anyways.
I was at my teacher Rabbi Kornblau for shabbos with a friend and we stayed by a detroit family that just made Aliyah. (Ehrinrich- they are Mrs. Kornblau's parents)
Erev Yom Tov Sheni I made Matzah Meal Pancakes at Ariella's (since we can't cook gebrachs in the dorm). I'm actually really in the mood to make more right now.... hmmmm
neways, Last night I ate at my Em Bayit's house. Afterward I went to hear Stallin sing Az Yashir at midnight in Meah Shearim. We got back to the dorm really late. Today I did a meal in the dorm and then chilled out until Yom tov ended. Everyone is trying to convince me to go out and buy pizza or something but I feel very sentimental about that... maybe i'll get a burger... or maybe not. hmmm... what to do?????
okay, hope everyone elses pesach was as great as mine was!
<3 you all!!

Pre Pesach Preparations

Okay, So the week before pesach I stayed in Efrat from Sunday until Wednesday night. Monday was Aviad's birthday so Deja's family and I went to the zoo with the kids to celebrate. Afterward we ate out in Malcha mall and then got back in time for Mindy to come vist me. It was her birthday too so she came to have a party and sleep over. We tried to roast mashmellows in a park but we had a broken lighter and it had just rained so we couldn't use any of the wood to start the fire. Instead we just ate cold mashmellows and candy and froze in the park until we decided we had had enough birthday fun :}
Thursday P'ninim went on a trip to the zoo with our chesed kids as a favor to our chesed families. I didn't end up taking any kids and Mindy ended up running the project so in the end... Mindy took me. I saw a rinacersrasorus!!!! and i got to go on the train!!!!! :D
After the trip I pesach cleaned my room- only took like 3 hours what with moving all the beds, bunk beds, and closets... even though it had been spotless before.
That night we wanted to go sleep on the beach but we were warned about the danger so instead we ended up making camp on the porch. And Mindy and I finally got to roast our mashmellows ;)
Shabbos was an optional in shabbos for whoever wanted. I stayed in and ate shalosh seudos by Ariella's. Motzei Shabbos I went to sleep earlyish... cause Sunday I went back to Efrat for my last day there. At the end of the day I said good bye to the kids and had to run to get back in time for Bedikas Chametz. I did the dining room which should have been cleaned with a toothpick before but no such luck shayne... found croutons and all kinds of crumbs everywhere. Erev Pesach we did Biur Chametz and got ourselves ready for the chag.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Pre Pesach Tiyul- ONLY LOYAL P'NINIM STUDENTS ALLOWED!

Wednesday we went on a tiyul with whoever was left here for pesach. In the morning we went to the chocolate factory- De Karina. We got to see how they make the chocolates by hand and then we also were able to make our own chocolates. We made chocolate designs, chocolate cups, chocolate truffles, chocolate faces (OUR faces to be more precise)... "Mindy started it!!" lol
Afterward we drove out to a ropes course place where we could do a huge climbing wall, a cool ropes obsticle course in the air, and archery. Originally, there was also a zip line option but since it was freezing and raining, and since the zip dropes you off in a- Ksiv:Lake Kri:Swamp, :} we couldn't go. Anways, it was a ton of fun anyways. Anyone who is interested in a minnie story that happened here but is not neccessary to write out, can email me and show me how much you love me :) even if its just out of curiosity. ;P
Afterward we went to the Kever of Rebbe Meir Baal HaNes and davened Mincha there.
Then we ate dinner and drove out to the kineret to watch a light/water show. It was beyond beyond cool. And thanx to all the wonderous rain we've been having lately, the kineret-o-meter measurer thing said that the water is above the warning line. Hurray!!!
Then we bonded for 2 and a half hours on the way home.
And then I went to sleep early b/c on Thursday I went to work again. Funny thing, both days I worked so far, there were Chefetz Chashud's on the way to the bus. Tuesday it almost made me miss my bus b/c they blocked off my whole street and I had to go through the Shechuna to get to the Tachana Mercazit. Thursday it was right in front of the Tachana Mercazit so it delayed my bus just enough so I could make it there on time. :) Second one was an insane Hashgacha pratis story... don't know how it was possible that i made it to that bus b/c it was so for sure that i had missed it, but then i didn't :)
and Today, I am chilling... went to Ariella's for a few hours... ate some of her chometz... This shabbos I'm staying in the dorm and going to meals close by. Maybe we'll go to the kotel for shalosh seudot... idk.
neways... Have a Great Shabbos e/o!!!!
<3 me

Pesach is coming... Spring is in the air... Rain is- RAIN!

Okay, so I guess its would make sense to start with the Mechanchos evening that I mentioned last entry. I went to my Mechanechet's house and we had a lovely pizza dinner and sang songs at the piano. We also did a really cool activity. She gave us tons of jewish magazines, paper, scissors, and glue sticks. We were told to make a collage representing ourselves from pictures and words we found in the magazine. We were all really into it and spent over an hour working on it. Afterward we all presented our collages to the group and explained the things we put on it. My collage was divided in 4... one corner was my past, one was all the things I like or like to do, one was this year in sem (an essential trasition and turning point), and the last was my future. I joined all four of them together with a giant "Miracles" in the center of the paper, because Hashem has made my life the way it is and only with Hashgacha/Miracles does e/t come together the way its supposed to be.
Did I mention that we had a Kibud Av VaEm- Yom Iyun last week? I missed part of it when i was sick but i caught the end.
Thursday was normal.
Friday I stayed in the dorm... or did I?? I can't remember...Oh right- I did. We had a mandatory In-shabbos because it was the last before Pesach vacation and most of the girls went home. Random Interjection- of all the girls who have left for pesach vacation to go home, the only one that hasn't left yet is my roommate- and that's b/c she loves me :) just sayin.
So anyways, Friday night we did in the the dorm with the Simons (my teachers). I was still a shtickle sick so I went to sleep early and missed "the best speaker of the whole year" and that made me sad... but I'm over it. ;) Shabbos day We ate in the dorm also with my Em Bayit and her family. In the afternoon, a friend took me to a beautiful nature path thingy with flowers and grass!!!!! and since the weather was absolutely sensational, I took a nap in the grass :D a much missed commodity. (is that how you spell it?... ) Then for Shalosh Seudos we went to the Meisels and heard Gila Manolson speak about Tznius. Even those of us who weren't already aware of who this woman was, were very impressed. Motzei Shabbos we chilled...
Speaking of chilled... starting Sunday its been absolutely gross out, rainy and freezing and muddy. But thank G-d for the rain... we need it. (and yes, i'm convincing myself of that)
Sunday and Monday we had a Pesach Yom Iyun, which was really inspirational. Monday I went with my Halacha Rebbe to go ask a shaala from Rabbi Ezriel Oroback, the son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Orobach. My question was about keeping 1 or 2 days of Yom tov. The Rav Orobach asked a bunch of questions to my Rebbe and he then asked me. Sof Ma`asa, I am keeping one day of yom tov from now on. :) but i have to tell you that i'm really nervous to. I'm afraid its going to feel like being mechalel shabbos if i know that all of my friends are keeping 2 days... we'll see. The older girls who are keeping one day already told me it won't be weird and i'll get used to it fast... I guess i have to trust them. The Rav also gave me a Bracha!! All in all, it was really a special experience for me.
Tuesday I started work in Efrat. I'm helping Deja around the house and with the kids.