Strange Offers
29 Mar 2012 1 Comment
There is just over a week to go before Pesach (the holiday of Passover), and in the middle of cleaning, menu planning for the holiday, and purchasing food and clothing for the family, most women are looking at all of the chametz (leavened substances which are prohibited to eat or have in your house on Passover) that they still need to get rid of.
The very organized women will of course have menu plans for the next few days that use most of it. The less organized (I fall into this category) will have too much to use up.
One alternative is to donate the chametz to charity, but this only covers unopened packages. What do you do with the rest?
This is where the email comes in, and some of the very interesting, and strange offers to be found. About 6 months ago our yishuv decided to open a email list just for the women. This was done so that we could discuss both delicate matters such as our local mikveh, and more prosaic matters like requests for Purim costumes, recipes, hat sales, and the new exercise craze, Zomba.
Today I saw offers of opened bags of bread crumbs, pearl barley, and ice cream cones.
I have an opened box of lasagna noodles – too little to feed my family, but enough for a couple. Any takers?
Pain
26 Oct 2011 1 Comment
This article in Ynetnews about infertility in the religious community made me very sad. As someone who has experienced both primary and secondary infertility, I could relate to what the women in the article said, although I personally found my faith to be a help to me.
My experience also has made me more sensitive to others who are going through the same situation. I pray every day for couples, some who live on my yishuv, who have not been blessed with children, yet, although they have been married for quite a while.
I don’t tell them this, though. One of the most difficult parts of being infertile is that in addition to the searing pain of childlessness is the humiliation of knowing your condition is public. I sometimes felt that I was wearing a sign on my back saying “go ahead, feel sorry for me”. That is why I think that the greatest gift you can give to an infertile couple is the gift of privacy. The only person I appreciated talking to me about my condition was the nurse on the yishuv, who referred me to a good doctor and helped with some of the treatments. The other comments sometimes made to me were well meaning but painful just the same.
Pray for people you know going through this pain, but talk about other things in their presence, unless they bring up the subject themselves. Thank G-d every day for the children you do have (which I have been lucky to be blessed with) and hope that they will also feel this joy.
The Sky’s the Limit
27 Jul 2011 1 Comment
in Girl talk, Israeli Life, Jewish Holidays
One of he many reasons why we moved to Israel was the fact that there are many more opportunities here for Orthodox Jews. Where in the Diaspora you might think to yourself, a religious Jew can’t do THAT, here in Israel there are usually chances to fulfill yourself in many different avenues.
I saw an advertisement for just this kind of fulfillment. On Tu B’Av (the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av) there will be a dance festival just for women in the ancient part of Shilo. Dance workshops, an outdoor cafe, and a dance performance are the main attractions. The time and place are also very symbolic, as Tu B’Av was the day that the young women would borrow dresses from each other (so that noone would know who was rich and who was poor) and dance in the grape orchards to attract a spouse.
I personally am not a dance person, but I know that there are many religious women who love to dance, and will welcome the opportunity to take part in workshops like these.
Dance workshops and performance just for women
Ok, I Confess
29 Apr 2011 1 Comment
Supposedly half the planet (hype? reality?) will be tuning in by either television, radio, or internet to the royal wedding today. I confess that I will be one of them.
In between cleaning and cooking for Shabbat I want to see Kate in her wedding dress.
My blogging lately has been filled with the security situation in Israel, and of course this includes tragic news. I need a break from this stuff, and a modern day “Cinderalla” story is just the ticket.
These Will NOT Be Available At The Next Hat Sale
23 Jun 2010 1 Comment
in Girl talk
As an Orthodox Jewish woman I cover my hair due to modesty – and I do not believe in wearing sheitels (wigs). I understand that according to halacha (Jewish law) it is permitted, but personally I don’t think it is modest.
Therefore I wear berets and scarves, and sometimes hats. Periodically there are hat sales in my community, especially before a Jewish holiday when many women buy new dresses and need hats to match.
I can guarantee you that the hats shown here will NOT be available.
hat tip (pun intended!) neoneocon
Some Advice on Self-Defense for Women
03 May 2010 1 Comment
in Girl talk
Shimshonit has a great post with some very practical tips about self-defense for women. I have always toyed with the idea of taking a self-defense course. When I worked as a balanit in the mikveh (mikveh attendant) I was in a relatively isolated place (except for other women, of course) for three evenings a week. Granted, it was on my yishuv, which is surrounded by a patrolled fence, but I still thought that the skills might come in handy.
Now that I don’t work in the mikveh anymore, it seems less urgent, but nevertheless…..Another thing to add to the “someday” list!
I’m A Woman Driver, and Proud of It!
08 Mar 2010 3 Comments
There have been a few absolutely horrific car crashes here in Israel lately, where parents and children both have been killed. In general, Israeli drivers (or more accurately, Israeli male drivers) are known for their reckless driving.
Now it is official. According to this article in the Jerusalem Post, it turns out that Israeli women are only responsible for 16% of car crashes, although they make up 50% of the drivers.
I see this in my own family. My kids love to drive with westbankpapa, but they complain bitterly that I drive too slowly. I once passed a truck with them in the car, and they asked me “Ima, did you learn how to do that from Abba?” I could not tell if they were being sarcastic or not!
I always say to them, when they get impatient when I don’t pass a slower driver ahead of me (until it is completely safe to do so, of course) that it is better to get there a few minutes later than not to get there at all.
Granted, westbankpapa can park the car really well. (I guess it was all that practice parallel parking in New York – especially when were dating). My kids laugh at me because I choose the parking space as far away from other cars as possible – and I sweat a bit if I must park between two cars, especially if there is not a lot of room to maneuver.
But I am a safe driver – and I see that my Israeli sisters are too. I think the men have a lot to learn from us.
…Speaking of Friendships
20 Oct 2009 3 Comments
in Girl talk
I work four days a week. I usually debate with myself about what to do with my day off – because sometimes I just need to stay home and catch up on the laundry, cleaning, etc., and sometimes I feel that I should be doing something fun.
Today was one of those days off – and I decided I would go to Jerusalem. I haven’t been to the Kotel for a very long time, and I haven’t been to a Jewish bookstore even longer. I said my daily Tehillim at the Kotel this morning , looking up every once in a while to see the various tourist groups. In the short time I was there a group from America, France, and India came and went (judging by their accents, language, and dress, respectively).
I bought myself a Koren siddur – all in Hebrew this time. The Artscroll siddur that I have been using for the past twenty-five years has finally started to come apart, so I knew that I needed a new one. I like the Koren siddur in both Hebrew and English, but I wanted the large format (the letters in the pocket sized one are a bit too small for me) and it seemed a bit heavy to hold in my hand. So I decided I could “graduate” to an all Hebrew siddur, which is much lighter. I don’t know why I hesitated, I daven from an all Hebrew siddur every Shabbat and I have no trouble finding my way around.
The best part of the day was going out to lunch with Aliyah06 – aka Baka Diary. (I can’t remember if she uses her real name on the blog at all, so I am playing it safe here).
With my kids growing up, I have decided that I finally have more time for female friendships, and I am making an effort to cultivate them.
Lady Light Posts, and Batya Comments
03 Sep 2009 4 Comments
Lady Light posts about the roles of women in Judaism, and about synagogue participation specifically, and sees a door “partially opening”. Ari comments beautifully on the post about how women becoming Rabbis is a step down, and I couldn’t agree more!
Batya comments here on her blog, (the comments here are interesting too) and expresses a lot of my sentiments about the subject.
I am honestly puzzled by some women’s feelings that they are being shunted aside “spiritually” because they cannot lead the services in an Orthodox synagogue. I have always thought that the purpose of going to the synagogue was to pray to G-d. Getting up in front of the synagogue and leading the services is a duty which, in my mind, distracts you from this purpose. Someone who does a good job leading the prayers has a lot to think about, most of which is not about the prayers themselves. You have to make sure that your voice is loud enough for everyone to hear, you have to make sure that you are not going too fast (waiting for the Rav to finish before you go on to the next prayer means being a bit distracted, to say the least!), and if you are musically inclined, thinking of which tunes to use when. Many times I think that the people leading (especially the guests who love to add their own chazzanus) do so because they want to show off – not necessarily because they are “uplifted spiritually” by the exercise. (I must add, though, that most of the men in my yishuv do not do this, and it is sometimes hard to find men who are willing to lead).
Orthodox women are not being held back from coming close to G-d in any way. We are “prevented” from one way in which to “show off”. Personally I think this is to our advantage.
I Love Feisty Women
05 Jul 2009 2 Comments
in Girl talk, Havel-Havalim, Israeli Life
I really love feisty women – perhaps because I am such a creampuff (opposites attracting and all that). So I got a kick out of this article about an 89 year old woman who decided to take up “flying” – and raised money for a good cause doing it.
This woman may not necessarily be feisty, but she did make the record books by giving birth to her eighth child – as an Israeli Knesset Member. (Which just goes to show you that we need more younger women in the Knesset….)
I don’t know if Toby is feisty, but she does a great job hosting this week’s Havel-Havalim, right here.
And last, but definitely not least, the feistiest woman in the blogosphere must be RivkA, who is battling cancer. Go on over and give her your support….
Enjoy your reading…
