Towel Break
This update is being written in the middle of Towel Duty.
Yuriy sat me down a few weeks back and mentioned how he and the other second years have taken note of how well I was doing. He gave me a glorious speech saying how it was time for me to step up and take a leadership role in the Mahcon Shlomo community, how it was time to take the next leap forward. I am all in, I say. Anything I can do to help the Yeshiva. Just give me the chance.
And he put me on Towel Duty.
In truth I was and am very flattered to be held in such high regard, even if it is Towel Duty. There are eight towels (6 bathrooms, 2 kitchens) in the Yeshiva that need to be constantly replaced and cleaned. Its not so bad; replace the towels, say, twice a week, and do 1-2 loads of laundry a week. I can do that.
And I am doing that right now. With load one in the dryer and load two in the washer, I have time to update the last week in Jerusalem.
*****
Wednesday got hectic during Rabbi Gershenfeld’s Torah sheer. Rabbi Gershenfeld received word that a potential donor wanted to see the yeshiva in 5-10 minutes. This particular donor has a spot on the Forbes Richest Americans list, so reading the blessings that Jacob passes to his sons in Parshas Vayechi had to wait. Those of us wearing sweatshirts and flip-flops ran downstairs to put on button-down shirts and close-toed shoes; those already appropriately dressed ran to straighten up the Beis Midrash. We hurry back to our seats, prepared at any moment to appear deep in discussion should our billionaire guest make an appearance.
It was a false alarm from my perspective. Rabbi Gershenfeld did meet with the donor, as did two of our more impressive students, but he was not to step foot in our classroom.
This was a week that we were already very crunched for time; Sunday was a fast day (Tenth of Tevet, to mourn the following three events: the Translation of the Torah into Greek; the death of Ezra; the Babylonian Siege of the First Temple) and was henceforth a halfday; Thursday was off as part of our New Years vacation. What is generally a 5-day week to learn the week’s parsha was condensed into just 2.
On a positive note, we have officially finished the book of Beresheis (Genesis). Next up: time for Moses to take charge.
*****
Thursday and Sunday, instead of daytrips, we spent our vacation time playing hours of basketball. Tough games of basketball. Seeing as though my jumpshot and ball-handling skills are completely non-existent, I spend the game banging around in the post and throwing elbows. Then again, nearly all of us buchars (except for Jamie, who dominates out there) are completely unskilled and capable only of banging around and throwing elbows, so we’re pretty evenly matched.
*****
Saw my first two movies in Israel
Movie One: Avatar
In the evening of the aforementioned Sunday (the Fast day), two of us took a cab out to Talpyot to see Avatar. Talpyot is 45 mins away by cab, and it is the only place in Jerusalem playing the movie. We tried to make the 6:45 showing but it is sold out. The 8:30 showing is almost sold out. We haven’t made it this far to turn around, so we bite the bullet and wait around.
When we enter the theater, it is maybe a 200 person theater … very small. The first trailer they show was for Toy Story 3, but it is dubbed in Hebrew. This is potentially terrifying: maybe Avatar, too, is dubbed in Hebrew. The next trailer subtitled in Hebrew. Avatar could go either way. When Avatar began with glorious English dialogue, it was sweet relief. The one problem: regardless of what language is spoken on the screen, there will only be Hebrew subtitles; hence, when the Na’vi Aliens speak their language, I had to infer what there were saying. This was not hard to do, as underneath the stunning visuals, Avatar really is a very generic and clichéd movie.
Movie Two: A Serious Man
A Serious Man was showing exclusively in the German Colony, so again, a 45 minute drive is required to get out there. Five of us went during Motzei Shabbas (Saturday Night).
Flat out, this movie is a masterpiece. The Coen brothers have been the best in the business for some time now with such movies as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men to their credit. A Serious Man is by far their most personal movie as they recreate their 1970s Jewish Midwestern Suburban upbringing, and they nail it. The movie is not autobiographical by any stretch, but rather a brilliant and darkly funny retelling of the Book of Job in which the Coen brothers simultaneously explore immense moral dilemmas while exploring their thoughts on Judaism and God. Extremely smart, and also very funny.
Sadly, of the 4 other guys with whom I saw the movie, 2 of them fell asleep for the second half of the movie, and the other 2 simply didn’t connect with the movie on my level. I came home from the movie unable to discuss and revel within the glory of the movie. Rough.
*****
New Years was low key for us. Some wanted to go out and see Avatar, but I had already done so and was not interested. Instead, New Years was spent around a couple six packs and poker night. I threw the iPod on and forced some bluegrass on the other guys before putting on Bruce Springsteen. Generally New Years is a good excuse to reflect on the past year; this year it means reflecting over the decade. When the 2000s began, I was preparing for my Bar Mitzvah. Ten years later: a college graduate studying in Jerusalem. 2020? Should be interesting.
And on that note, I have towels to do. Til next time …
I don’t remember which movie it was, but in this movie, the new prisoner ends up in the laundry working as hard as he can. The older inmates tell him no matter how hard or lazy he works, the towels will keep coming. My point? I have no point.
I was the billionaire at Machon Shlomo.
Fact, I do not have a billion dollars.
the sisters have taken quite a likin’ to you. especially boggs.