Jaqui Needs YOUR help

Shalom Everyone,

unfortuneatley due to my Hebrew exam tomorrow I have to make this blog a short one but here it goes.

This Pesach (Passover), Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), in partnership with the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), will be sending 17 students to facilitate educational programming and prayer experiences in progressive communities in the Former Soviet Union (FSU). The FSU Pesach Project is made possible by the financial support of family, friends and the greater progressive Jewish community around the world. This tremendous opportunity strengthens the connections between HUC-JIR and Worldwide Progressive Judaism, enriches progressive communities in the FSU, and provides participants with the once-in-a-lifetime experience of sharing Pesach with the unique Jewish communities in the FSU. I would love to have your support through whatever kind of donation you can spare. I know for many people, finances are very tight so even if you can only spare a dollar or two you donation will be taken with the deepest gratitude and thanks.

Here is the link to donate: http://fsupesachproject2011.wordpress.com/ from here click on the donation tab at the top of the page and then once there click the donate now link on the right side. It is important that you make clear the donation will be going to me; Jaclyn McCabe. Thank you all so much for your support!!

xoxo

Jaqui

Time With Uncle Dennis

While my original plan was to just copy and paste what Uncle Dennis been emailing to everyone I decided that was a bad idea for a number of reasons... 1) For those of you already getting his email... it's just plain boring to read it again 2) I am not actually with him for most of the stuff he is doing because, yes, Jaqui is at school. Anyhoo... we have been having a good time. Trying to eat out as much as possible but it's proving to be very difficult since many days I don't get home from school till about 6ish on some days and then I immediately have to get going on my homework. It's actually nice for someone to see why I rarely update my blog... I DO THE SAME THINGS EVERY DAY!!!!!!!! While sleeping on the couch doesn't seem to be too bad, the worst part is that I am getting eaten alive by mosquitoes... who created those things anyway?

I have made a new friend. His name is Muhammed, he is an Arab Israeli. It is actually really cool to have an Arab friend because it gives me a completely different perspective about Israeli society that I never would have gotten otherwise and also adds a dynamic to my year in Israel that very few people would be able to get. While there are many times we talk about what it is I am doing here and what it's like for him to be an Arab living in Jerusalem most of out talks having nothing to do with religion, politics, or challenges we are each facing...we just talk as if we are old friends. It is nice to have a friend that is in no way associated with school, Judaism, or anything else I am doing here. Muhammed is a bus driver so about once a week I will hop on the bus (the #18) during the last route of his night and stand and talk with him. I keep him entertained to say the least :D After he route we hop into his car and go to a local park or back to my apartment (depending on the weather) and smoke Hookah. After we smoke he drops me off at my apartment and then heads back to his village. There are many times when he asks me how I am doing so far away from home and I always give him the same answer, "it's so hard being away from my family because my family is the most important thing to me, but I am very fortunate to get this opportunity that I would have never gotten otherwise" to which he responds, "well you are part of my family, so you have family here now too." As bizarre and crazy as that may sound when he says it, there is a slight feeling of warmth that comes over me, knowing that I have 'family" here in Israel. This is usually followed by the, so when are you leaving again question or the are you planning on coming back to Israel. I tell him my return to the states is not for another 6 months and that we shouldn't worry about it now. I will keep you all updated about that friendship.

Midterms are just about over... and by just about over i mean I have one more due tomorrow and thats it. I am not used to so many tests... as and English major and even with the Judaic studies major a lot of my midterms and finals were papers, so I am having to develop my study skills all over again (at least it feels that way). Luckily I already have one of my finals so I am already going to start working on that so that when mom comes I will have one less thing to worry about... oh ya, mom will be here in 1 month and 2 days!!!!! sooo excited!!! (side note mom: if you plan on using my computer... don't plan on using it very much)

Uncle Dennis and I are heading up a little north this weekend for shabbat so we will let you all know how that goes.

I miss you all soooooooooooooooooooo much!

xoxo

J

UNCLE DENNIS IS COMING!

soooo since I know that I am a terrible blogger and haven't written in G-d knows how long I thought of a really amazing idea! Since uncle Dennis is going to be here in exactly 2 days i thought i would just take what he writes and make comments on it... good idea??? i think sooooooo. (especially since not everyone that follows my blog is on his mailing list)

To give you a minor update before I comment on his email he already sent out here is an update:

1) I made friends with a bus driver who lets me ride the bus for free...WOOHOO!!!! look how good I am at saving money

2) Dmitry sent me a package (for those of you that don't know who Dmitry is... well u can pretty much as anyone in my family and they will be able to tell you) but, the package has yet to arrive, so I am anxious on finally receiving something in the mail.

3) the dried pineapple here is AH-MA-ZING!

4) I have a crock pot here and since it's beginning to get cold here I would love some crock pot recipes.

5)I am pretty sure I am slowly converting my family (and by family i mean Rebecca) over to a MacBook... I am really excited for her!!! Bec-O you'll love it.

6) my apartment is DISGUSTING! For some of you, I know this is going to be hard to believe, but in all seriousness I am the only one that cleans in this place! So i went on petition and didn't mop or anything for 2 weeks and my roommates still didn't get the picture, so finally I gave in a mopped. (Don't worry, i will clean before uncle dennis gets here)

7) i don't think im going to have enough clothes for the winter time... so i will let you know if u need some early hanukkah presents

8) WAY TO GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!

9) the exchange rate SUCKS right now. when i got here it was 3.86 and now it's like 3.5... lets keep our fingers cross that is goes up and for those of you that are close with G-d... maybe you'll wanna look itnto that and say a couple prayers for me.

I think thats it... not for the commentary on Uncle D's 1st email!

Finally...I'm off to Jerusalem bright an early Tuesday morning. Jaqui, I think will be meeting me at the airport in Tel Aviv (this would be a true statement if my teacher would ever get back to me!!!!!) and we'll bus back to her apartment in Jerusalem. She called me this morning to tell me that her antiquities teacher (actually, he's my Biblical History teacher, but who really cares?) has a field trip lined up for the Old City of David on Thursday and I'm invited!!! Luckily the tour will be in English...otherwise Jaqui would have to translate. (so yes, the idea of me translating might sound silly, but I would just like to put this out there... My hebrew is actually pretty good and you all would only be so lucky to have my translate a tour in Hebrew... if anything I would definitely make it more entertaining!!!) WHEW!

It's been hectic at the store...the Giants etc. Thanks to my buddy Gary, I've been getting lots more mdse. than I had ordered or anticipated selling as sales have been unbelievable, to say the least.

I'm looking forward to spending quality time with Jaqui and seeing Jerusalem in much more detail than when I was there 2 years ago for just 5 days. (thanks for the pressure!!!!! I definitley do the best I can. Since I am very confident in my knowledge of the 18 bus line...the bus line my new friend drives... i can atleast explain about those parts of Jerusalem) I'll be spending some time with Bruce, my old best friend from my early days of school and growing up...he lived just around the corner from me, to our college days in Berkeley.

Email me anytime and I'll have access to Jaqui's computer to respond. (While this assumption was never run by me, yes, Uncle D will have access to my computer with some qualifications... i need to use it for school and for school work, so the amount of time he actually spends on the computer is probably going to be less then he is thinking ... also... we all know he has is phone that he never seems to be able to put down, so if he isn't able to use my computer there is no doubt in my mind that you will be able to reach him on his phone. With that being said, I don't know if he is going to have his phone working here... so if anyone needs to get a hold of us please call me on my cell phone here in Israel to which we will then call you from skype!)

Shalom,

Dennis

I THINK THAT'S IT FOR NOW! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR MORE BLOGS THAN YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS COMBINED!

xoxo

Jaqui