What absolute fun today...it began at 8:30 am with chapel...student run, with a student leading the service he wrote and created...and during which he preached. The faculty sat in the center first few rows...I looked at this poor fellow...his eyes...his voice cracking and I was swept back immediately 42 years to my first year in rabbinical school, the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles..the old very small campus up in the Hollywood Hills...I remember leading that service, and preaching the first sermon ever in front of my teachers and classmates....it was an amazing instance of memory and complete and utter empathy for this young man! The prayers were by and large inclusive...God was referred to as Father/Mother...!!
I have taught three Old Testament-Hebrew classes! What an absolute blast...the first year students learning biblical Hebrew are using the old...and I mean very, old Weingreen textbooks. OMG! I got an instant headache seeing this textbook!...we studied together and we laughed...I reviewed the 10 Commandments in two classes...they were blown away by what they are not reading! This afternoon I spent 2 hours with 4 Masters Students and their individual projects...tonight after dinner I am meeting with some faculty.
Every day has several classes and pvt meetings..they want to find a way to continue the conversation...several students have asked for my help via e-mail. WOW! This is far more than I expected...could have dreamed of...and surely imagined.
So did you hear about this rabbi who goes into a Christian school in India where they have never met a Jew before!!!! What a treat....
Lots of questions about Israel and the Palestinians...some profs who strongly support the Palestinians who want to ask questions about do all Jews hate them? This will be interesting..and it is only the first day.
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