Papa would be proud

I just talked to Aunt Lynne.

She asked "Is it true you are studying to be a rabbi?", I answered yes (well I have to get accepted, etc, but yes I am."

and what she said next took my breath away...

"Papa would be proud."

That's basically all the motivation I need right there. I can now fly through these essays.

I am staying safe due to recent events in Gaza...It is different actually living here when these things happen, as opposed to reading about them in American newspapers.

Love to all.
-Lauren

Oh My Goodness!!!

I had a wonderful, wonderful evening!

Colleen and I went to the Kotel this evening.

Guess who I ran into...Daniela Feldman, Evan Gadol and Zach Wienstein!!

Daniela and I screamed when we saw each other, ran and gave each other hugs (multiple hugs of course) :)

I just kept on bumping into people I knew from camp!

AND it happened to be the same night that 3 units of the IDF were having their ceremony to be initiated into the Israeli Army! I heard "Shomone Alienu" and of course Hatikva. It was the first time I heard Hatikva here in Israel and it was in Jerusalem, as I stood with my face touching the Kotel. Pretty powerful stuff.. Amazing, amazing night...

Now off to write more essays...

Baruch...Dayan HaEmet

 Baruch...Dayan HaEmet-Blessed are you Lord...the Judge of truth

I decided to take the day off from yeshiva because of Great Grandma.

Initially I was going to try to go and see how I felt, but I just could not focus-I ended up crying in the bathroom. I talked to a good friend of mine who I've met at the yeshiva and told her why I was upset and what was wrong. Strangely enough, I called her this morning-I had absolutely no idea I called her.

I decided to talk to Reb Shmuel (the Rosh Yeshiva) about the particularities of mourning. He said that I can say kaddish only if no one else is saying it for her and I get permission from my parents (because Baruch Hashem they are both still alive). I have not found out if someone will be saying kaddish for her.

I plan to go to the Kotel (Western Wall) with a great friend of mine from university. I want to take advantage of being able to actually go to the Kotel. 

Bbye for now.

Rabbinical School Essays..

I am currently working on my essays to Rabbinical School.

The first time I began writing these essays I started to tear up. I think it was out of gratefulness and awe of the fact that I was really beginning to make this a reality. I am writing essays for an application to rabbinical school...

These questions are about the most challenging questions I have ever had to write about. But wow. I am just so excited to see how they are going to turn out. I cannot wait to finish them and see what comes out of this experience. It is quite interesting because they are questions I have been thinking about for years..it is just difficult for me to write down my reactions.

Concerning this process of writing the essays, I have mixed feelings of being frustrated, but also being so beautifully excited by the outcome and journey I will take by writing them.

With me luck....