Updatey

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I had a nice shabbat. I went to the synagogue in town. It is very pretty and very huge, like an 18^th century cathedral. Also like a cathedral, the service is very formal with a rabbi and a chazan in swishy robes, and an organ, and not much congregational participation to speak of. There were a lot of people there and I was too embarrassed about not being able to speak Swedish to introduce myself to anyone, which was stupid. I'll remedy that another week.

They seem to have mixed feelings about Girls Doing Stuff; three sections (which I actually quite like), and they had a bat mitzvah (and two bar mitzvahs, twin boys at the same time) and the girl got to come up on the bimah and have a fuss made over her, and she read haftarah, with someone else reading the blessings. (The boys just read the blessings and didn't leyn, but I don't know if they're just incompetent, or whether that's the normal system.) But she didn't wear a kippah or tallit, and she was the only woman who did anything ritual. Looked like a compromise, involving girls without doing anything halachically controversial.

The other thing that was pleasant was that my landlords / hosts invited me for dinner. It's amazing how much more able to cope I feel with a hot meal inside me and having enjoyed some sensible human contact. Not being able to eat properly is the biggest nuisance about living in the basement; otherwise it's very comfortable. In between I did some walking around in the local park, and saw woodpeckers and deer and lots of finches and spring flowers (they're still at the crocuses and scylla and beginnings of daffodils stage, there are even a few late blooming snowdrops and aconites).

Today has not been so much fun, due to an excess of not very successful shopping. I went to Ikea; I suppose if I'm going to be sucked into the Ikea vortex it's a bit cooler if it happens in Sweden! I found some of the stuff I was looking for, and earmarked other stuff to get my parents to help me carry when they come next week. Then I came into town which went badly, partly because a lot of the shops I need are closed on Sunday, and partly because a lot of shops I need I haven't yet found. I still have no kettle and no teapot, and this is going to make my flat significantly less habitable if I can't sort it out soon!

I'm looking forward to starting work Tuesday. At the moment I'm spending a lot of time sleeping for lack of anything else at all to do; I'm rationing my reading as much as I can bear, and I'm rationing my internet from financial necessity (besides which, the internet cafe is 3 train stops away, so I can't really use it as general entertainment). I miss being able to have proper conversations with all you guys, but I am skimming entries and know what's going on at least. In LJ, anyway; LJ is definitely a priority over world news when I'm only online for 20 minutes every other day! Spending most of the day asleep is also, I suspect, connected to not really getting enough to eat. Blah.

Comments

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Glad you seem to be settling in, or starting to, at least.

I went to the synagogue in town.

As a matter of interest, how many do they have?

three sections

?

Not being able to eat properly is the biggest nuisance about living in the basement; otherwise it's very comfortable.

Could you explain the connection, please?

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There are three synagogues, two little shtible Orthodox ones, and the big huge cathedral of a synagogue which defines itself as Progressive / Conservative. Three sections means men, women (in the balcony, no less!) and mixed.

Can't eat properly because I have no cooking facilities and no fridge. I am not prepared to eat every meal in a restaurant, especially as I can't find any restaurants that are sensibly priced. Hence, I'm living on bread and cheese.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Three sections means men, women (in the balcony, no less!) and mixed.

Very sensible. I understand Hakol Olin in the NNLS operates likewise.

Can't eat properly because I have no cooking facilities and no fridge. I am not prepared to eat every meal in a restaurant, especially as I can't find any restaurants that are sensibly priced. Hence, I'm living on bread and cheese.

Yikes! But I suppose you knew about that when you took the place. Can't you negotiate for use of the upstairs kitchen? Also, I presume the lack of fridge is simply because you haven't got one yet...?

Sweden

[ploni-bat-ploni.livejournal.com]

Hi Livredor,

I just got news that I received a scholarship to engage in Jewish studies in Stockholm. I'll be moving there on the 14th of August. I hope that, if you're interested, we can get together and you can get me acquainted with life in Stockholm. Your description of the shul was helpful. I think one of the reasons why they don't want to rock the halachic boat is because they are an "einheitsgemeinde" - a unified community between the Orthodox and the Conservatives. Is there any chance for improvement? I will survive not being counted in the minyan or receiving aliyot but I am rather keen on being able to wear my tallit, atleast now and again. Are there any Egalitarian alternatives?

Hope to hear from you soon!

Re: Sweden

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Mazel tov on the scholarship! That's very exciting, and I'm also excited that it will bring you to Sweden.

I will email you at some point over the weekend to discuss all this in more detail; I am scribbling this in 10 spare minutes before my Swedish lesson.

I am gradually learning my way around Jewish politics here. I think the Einheitsgemeinde thing is very cool even if not necessarily good for gender egalitarianism. I don't know if you saw that I mentioned that the Conservative shul is talking about "experimenting with egalitarianism" during June and have promised me an aliyah, later on they're going to vote on whether they should make a habit of that. I believe there are also Progressive / Liberal / egal groups going on on an informal basis, but because they are so informal I haven't yet managed to contact them.

I wear a tallit here. I always have, and the only place I've got into trouble for it is Lethargic Man's parents' shul in Newcastle. But so far the only comments I have had have been positive. So if my experience is anything to go by, I don't think you should have a problem.

Jewish status is funky here too; the Einheitsgemeinde means that anyone with any Jewish parent can be a general member, but they're using pretty much an Orthodox definition for "religious members". I haven't yet got round to trying to join so I don't know how much fuss they're going to make about documentary proof, querying non-Orthodox conversions etc. But I will let you know.

Re: Sweden

[ploni-bat-ploni.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Livredor...

So you think I should just show up with my tallit? They won't have a fit over it? It's important for me to know beforehand because I want to be consistent in what I do but I don't want to be offensive either. Of course, I don't want to part with the tallit. Do you also wear it in the non-Egalitarian services?

I'd be interested to hear more. Good luck with your lesson and drop me a line through regular mail so we can discuss things.

Thanks!

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Sounds good so far -- and I can't believe you're going to IKEA in Sweden. Coals to Newcastle, much? & ;-) Not that it isn't always cool to go there.

Glad your landlords-slash-hosts seem nice. (And I agree about the wonders of hot meals.)

All the best, sweetie.

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I know, I felt very silly going to Ikea. But it does have a lot of stuff I need, so I had to live with being silly.

And thanks for commenting, it means a lot.

[darcydodo]

Glad you're alive! Send address & phone number as soon as they exist, naturally. :) *hugs*

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Ooh, you're alive too, this is also good. My address is a few entries back, look under the emigration tag and you should find it. But I don't have a phone number yet. I also don't have a personnummer, an ID number, which means nobody will believe I exist. But I intend to get that sorted next week.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Just as well we all believe you exist, then, or you might blink out of existence in a puff of logic. ;^b

address

[pne.livejournal.com]

My address is a few entries back, look under the emigration tag and you should find it.

I don't see it; I presume that means I mayn't.

May I, please?

[darcydodo]

I can't fiiiiiind it! :(

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That's very annoying, cos you're definitely in my filter. Anyway, see my latest entry now, as I have full updated contact details including postcode and phone number.