A Neat Piece of News

(Picture note: One of my favorite of the Chagall Windows at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. The inspiration for the windows, other than Chagall's purely amazing creativity, was the section of Torah dealing with Israel/Jacob's blessings to his sons. The blessing that inspires this window starts, "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall." Why is בן פרת, literally "descendant that bears fruit" repeated? I think because Torah, above else, has power by forcing us to ask questions and always examine and move forward in our lives, rather than leaving status quo alone. There is always work to do. As descendants of Israel we continue to ask the questions prompted by a repeated word here, and extra pronoun there. And in those Kleinigkeiten we find G-d because G-d is in the process of making connections much more than any temporary answer that we would wish to stand on and claim to be the only truth. At least that is what I think it means . . . sorry didn't mean to turn a picture note into a word of Torah. I just finished my last final, is all, and am a bit excited.)

I just wanted to share with you all an exciting and complete-surprise piece of news from my last week studying in Jerusalem.

It has been an honor to study at an American rabbinical seminary as an international student. The Michael Klein Prize mentioned in the link above was a humbling exclamation point on what has been year beyond anything I could have imagined it to be. Although I still think that half the people that find out that Sandra and I are emigrating to Germany to be a part of the ongoing re-building and strengthening of Judaism there think we are a little crazy, I also believe that after this year our plans and commitment have begun to be taken very seriously. I may have studied at HUC this year, but I am a student at Abraham Geiger Kolleg -- and very proud to be one.

So much has happened this year, especially the last two months that needs to be written about, but first I have two papers to finish. After that, I promise several long posts in the next two weeks full of details (and maybe even a sound file or two of the most interesting happenings.) My best to you all and thank you for the many ongoing notes of support that you all have sent me this year.

Paul