Xmas (Because I'm Jewish, so I feel weird saying the C word)

I know, I don't normally do holiday posts.  And it's not even time for the holiday yet.  But I just watched Steven Colbert's Chrismas Special (your welcome for the advertising Steve, won't even ask for any royalties) and it reminded me of where I spent Chrismas last year.  Poland looked like a winter wonderland for pretty much the whole time we were there, and the afternoon we spend at Cracow's Christmas Market in the market square (known in Cracow as the "Rynek") was amazing.  It didn't feel like the commercialized farce that I always assumed Chrismas was - there were actually carollers singing under a statue, they were selling hot cider and nuts and other Chrismas treats, and even though it was a market it didn't feel like a commercialized experience.  Which is strange but that's how it was, and I still feel good every time I think about that day.

So to all the goyim who read this (probably none, but you Jews can draw some relevance to your life as well):  This Chrismas you should use your traditions to create an authentic (and wonderful) holiday experience instead of just another excuse to have a big meal and give presents to people!

Checkin

Greetings friendly readers! Been a while. Don't feel the strong need to write, but I kinda feel like I should just in case there are 1 or 2 of you who actually do read this blog on a monthly basis or so. So here we go, my life as it now stands via blog post.

The Ken is running well enough, although attendance at events is rather low. I'm not sure how to fix this, and if I actually want to I'm going to need to put more time and effort into it, and right now as a college freshman I am nowhere near enough "in my groove" to start doing that. I haven't been able to act on any of my plans for the Bogrim, which is frustrating, but I'm sure we'll get some peula together sometime. Hopefully before winter seminar, but we'll see.

School is doing well. Socially still slightly frustrating since I don't really feel as if any of the groups of friends I belong to support me in the ways that I'd like them to, but maybe that's because I've tried not to tie myself down to one little click and have put forth a conscious effort to include people and hang out with lots of different ones. Still don't feel very connected to Judaism while I'm here, but that's beginning to get better methinks. And my grades have started to get better - thank God the holidays are over.

I still am not sure what to expect from my kvutza. I haven't been speaking here about the process we've been going through, but it's been about what you'd expect - everybody starts angry and shouting, and now gradually it's been starting to cool down on both the individual level and as a group. All in all seems to be heading in a positive direction. Or so I think, but I notice that only about 10 of us from my kvutza have signed up for winter seminar and I'm really worried. If nobody comes, how can I talk to them and try to figure out how I feel about all this? And how can we make the positive impact of our kvutza felt if noone goes to the only nation-wide movement seminar?

My biggest worry when I think about it - I've discovered there is no pre-made option available for me where I study engineering at Drexel and continue to have the ability to work at Machaneh. Problimatic to the max. We'll see how this goes though.

Hmm, methinks that sums it up fairly nicely. If you want more than that, drop me a line! Always makes me wonder, who actually reads this blog. So far the people that I know have read this are one former/current madricha of mine, a relative, and another habo who I have met only once (and who read it before I met him). Any others out there?

Till next time, and with much love, signing off.

Josh