Since 1998 we have been driving back and forth to the temple and in one case to two temples as the Hebrew School was transferring over to a different temple. Special events, crafts, services, dues. It is drawing to an end. Adina still has to go to the temple once a week to work with the Rabbi on her Haftorah but that is easy. Then the Bat Mitzvah in September and that is it.
It really wasn't that bad, but I am not a very religious person but I felt the need to send my children to religious school so that they could make up their own minds as adults how to practice their Judaism. I love the Jewish traditions and food. They make me feel good and warm inside because they remind me of simpler times, a time when the responsibilities were on my parents shoulders and I just had to do as told. It was a time of dressing up and seeing cousins or walking through the neighborhood with other friends, never quite making it inside the temple for the High Holy days, but certainly participating in the sense of community.
This photo was taken before Shabbos and the girls were sitting up on the bema awaiting instructions from their teacher and the Rabbi. Of course I didn't bring my camera because I was always told that I couldn't take photos in the sanctuary. But Jaime said it was okay before Shabbos. So I grabbed Rachel's camera. It really takes pretty good photos. The graduating class, the Hey class, ran the Friday night services. I had to go up at the beginning of the services to read something (English of course!). I used to be so afraid of speaking in front of a crowd, but now I am very used to it. Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Howie were with us and kvelled along with us as Adina recited the Hebrew prayers that she has learned over the years and then the English passages that were assigned to her.
After temple we went home and unwound. Since Joel and Rachel fell asleep early and I wasn't tired yet, I sat in Adina's room and surfed on the laptop. As I was sitting there both cats jumped up and curled up at my feet. I grabbed Adina's camera because I didn't want to run into my room because the cats always follow me around like puppies! I just couldn't believe that they are actually working out their differences. I will probably take this photo to the vet and show her because she told me it would eventually work out but I just didn't believe her.
This one just made me laugh because they are both in the same position.
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