First I want to start by dedicating this post to a 13 year old inspiration who became an angel in heaven this week after a 6 year battle with cancer. Her name was Talia Castellano, and she had positivity and love to give until her last breath. I can't do her story justice on my blog, but you can read her story and follow her continued impact on her Facebook page: Angels for Talia.
Talia teaches us a real lesson. We never have it as bad as it seems, and in leu of what we think may be going wrong in our lives, we need to "just keep swimming" and stay positive. She is a real inspiration to us all, and her impact will surely help children and adults alike forever.
On a bit of a lighter note, my week has been a bit crazy. Tuesday was Tisha b'Av. For those of you who know me, you might know that I am a pretty bad faster. BH I made it through the fast with flying colors until the final four hours, which were spent in good company with my cousins in the Old City. Our break fast included some good, old fashioned, southern breakfast food. We were just missing the grits! It was such a treat, and a good way to bring up our morale after such a somber day. School has been going well. It is a time period called Bein Hazmanim right now, which is the period of time in between the summer session and the start of the Jewish month of El Ul. It's about 3 weeks of a pretty chill, half day schedule at school. I'm enjoying it so far! I plan to do a bit of day and overnight traveling these next couple of weeks. So far on the schedule we have a couple of beach days and 2 nights at a frum hotel in Netanya. I'm pretty excited and I hope it all actually works out. Pictures will be posted, don't wory! This Shabbos I am going about an hour outside of Jerusalem to a place called Ramat Beit Shemesh. I am going with one of my roommates and another friend from our Jewel program. I'll get to see a close family from Indianapolis who recently made Aliyah! It's so exciting to have a piece of Indiana with me in Israel.
In other news, I am officially the proud owner of a tznius bathing suit from an Israel-based company, MarSea. Check them out online. They have vendors throughout Israel. I had a great experience buying mine and I am officially set to jump in the waves of the Mediterranean in tznius style!
That's pretty much all for now. I'll post some pictures when my internet stops being disfunctional. There may be a mid week post after Shabbos if anything worth telling happens. I hope you all have a wonderful and restful Shabbos! XOXO, Frum girl
Friday, July 19, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
This week in the life of...
This week in the life of your's truly has been pretty uneventful but good so far. I can't even remember the last post I did, so sorry if there is any repetition. Here are some highlights from the last little bit I can remember:
1. I went to the big mall in Jerusalem with some Shearim girls and got my nails done (before the 9 days, obvi)
2. I've been hanging out with one of my besties and her cute little baby a lot :)
3. I got a delicious crepe at Waffle Bar (leave it to me to always be eating)
4. I have, bli neder (without a vow), started to daven Mincha everyday (which is a BIG step for me)
5. I visited one of my bubbie rebbetzins and had a special dinner with her and her husband
6. I ruined 2 of my favorite shirts in the wash #israel/firstworldproblems
7. I tried to go re-buy the shirt and it was out of stock
8. I had a wonderful Shabbos in Har Nof with cousins and some new friends that I know I am going to be spending a lot of time with this year
9. My bed broke and I got a new and bigger one (Thanks Rabbi Pavlov!!)
10. I ate more crepes and iced coffee
All in all it's been a good and reflective 9 days so far. Tisha B'Av is next week, so I am gearing up (aka drinking gallons of water) for the fast. I'm looking forward to a relaxing Shabbos in Ramot with one of my good friends' family. The last day of classes for the week are tomorrow, and then after Tisha B'Av the summer program ends and the end-of-summer program starts at school, so I will have some new classes, and hopefully some trips, to share with everyone. I hope you all are having a good week, and I'll be back when I have any news thats worth sharing! XOXO, frum girl.
1. I went to the big mall in Jerusalem with some Shearim girls and got my nails done (before the 9 days, obvi)
2. I've been hanging out with one of my besties and her cute little baby a lot :)
3. I got a delicious crepe at Waffle Bar (leave it to me to always be eating)
4. I have, bli neder (without a vow), started to daven Mincha everyday (which is a BIG step for me)
5. I visited one of my bubbie rebbetzins and had a special dinner with her and her husband
6. I ruined 2 of my favorite shirts in the wash #israel/firstworldproblems
7. I tried to go re-buy the shirt and it was out of stock
8. I had a wonderful Shabbos in Har Nof with cousins and some new friends that I know I am going to be spending a lot of time with this year
9. My bed broke and I got a new and bigger one (Thanks Rabbi Pavlov!!)
10. I ate more crepes and iced coffee
All in all it's been a good and reflective 9 days so far. Tisha B'Av is next week, so I am gearing up (aka drinking gallons of water) for the fast. I'm looking forward to a relaxing Shabbos in Ramot with one of my good friends' family. The last day of classes for the week are tomorrow, and then after Tisha B'Av the summer program ends and the end-of-summer program starts at school, so I will have some new classes, and hopefully some trips, to share with everyone. I hope you all are having a good week, and I'll be back when I have any news thats worth sharing! XOXO, frum girl.
Friday, July 5, 2013
The 3 Weeks
I thought it was only appropriate to have a post dedicated to the 3 Weeks that we are currently in leading up to Tisha B'Av. For those who don't know, Tisha B'Av is the day in Jewish history in which, among other tragedies, the Beis HaMikdash (The Temple) was destroyed. Until the Temple is rebuilt, speedily in our days, with the coming of Moshiach (the Messiah), we have these three weeks from the 17th of the Jewish month of Tammuz until the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av in which we are in a period of mourning without the Beis HaMikdash. Next week will mark the beginning of the month of Av, and the first 9 days leading up to Tisha B'Av are days in which our sadness is increased as we get closer to the day on which the Temple was destroyed. During this 3 week and also 9 day period we have certain restrictions on our daily activities that may bring us happiness.
It has been a good time of reflection for me to constantly remember that we are not living in the best possible state that we could be. Without the Beis HaMikdash the Jewish people are without a physical house for Hashem on Earth, and it makes it that much harder for us to connect with Him. While we are reminded of this in our daily prayers, it is important that we use these three weeks wisely so that, with G-d's help, we will not have to go through this mourning period again.
During this time, I have really been trying to work on myself in order to make myself the best person I can be. In a discussion in one of my classes this week, we spoke about how we do not all have to be like the greatest tzaddiks and tzadekeses in this world. What we do have to be is the best possible version of ourselves. We are all on different paths, and if we are constantly growing and working on our character traits and interpersonal relationships by doing mitzvos, that is all that we are asked to do. This idea has really settled in for me these past two weeks. I do not have to be anyone else. I can strive to have the good middos (character traits) that certain people I have learned about have, but all I need to do is work on myself, to be the best version of me possible. And if we all do that, then the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash will be very, very soon. I hope you all have a wonderful Shabbos, and may this be the last one in which we are in a period of mourning without the Beis HaMikdash!
It has been a good time of reflection for me to constantly remember that we are not living in the best possible state that we could be. Without the Beis HaMikdash the Jewish people are without a physical house for Hashem on Earth, and it makes it that much harder for us to connect with Him. While we are reminded of this in our daily prayers, it is important that we use these three weeks wisely so that, with G-d's help, we will not have to go through this mourning period again.
During this time, I have really been trying to work on myself in order to make myself the best person I can be. In a discussion in one of my classes this week, we spoke about how we do not all have to be like the greatest tzaddiks and tzadekeses in this world. What we do have to be is the best possible version of ourselves. We are all on different paths, and if we are constantly growing and working on our character traits and interpersonal relationships by doing mitzvos, that is all that we are asked to do. This idea has really settled in for me these past two weeks. I do not have to be anyone else. I can strive to have the good middos (character traits) that certain people I have learned about have, but all I need to do is work on myself, to be the best version of me possible. And if we all do that, then the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash will be very, very soon. I hope you all have a wonderful Shabbos, and may this be the last one in which we are in a period of mourning without the Beis HaMikdash!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Once a Hoosier, Always a Hoosier
The night of the NBA draft picks was very exciting for me, but at the same time, it was hard to not be with all my Hoosiers cheering on the what would be number 2 and number 4 overall picks, Victor Oladipo (my love) and Cody Zeller (big handsome). It's times like these that make me grateful I went to an amazing Big 10 university because I love the unity that all the Hoosiers have when we get to cheer on our boys. I was thrilled to wake up in the morning with videos on my phone of the draft picks (thanks to a great friend and fellow Hoosier) and to find out that Victor and Cody were on great teams! Note to everyone: I am now an Orlando Magic fan!
Last week was great. I had a full week of classes, and everything seems to be going great. I really love all of the teachers and topics we're learning about right now, so that makes the long days go a bit quicker. On top of that, the lunches that we get are AMAZING. Like I'm talking gourmet. I have to restrain myself when it gets to a certain point, because I'm going to gain a lot of weight if I don't.
Thursday we went to daven at the kever (grave) of the Ohr HaChaim. He is buried in a cemetery where a lot of tzaddikim are buried. It was a cemetery I have always known about, and it was really breathtaking to be able to go and daven in the merit of such a big gedolim.
Friday morning I went with a friend and her three children to Bat Yam, which is a beach town about 45 minutes outside of Jerusalem. I haven't been able to go to the beach in about a year, so it was phenomenal to be able to see a real ocean/ sea whatever you want to call it (the Mediterranean). Since the women's swimming hours are only on Sunday, Tues, and Thurs we had to share the beach with some interesting characters. We tried to sit as far away from the general population as we could, but a man who was channeling his inner Michael Phelps minus the stellar body aka a large man in a speedo came over to the only two frum-looking women on the beach and asked us to help him find a shidduch. This was a pretty funny encounter. I also decided not to wear sunscreen (mistake #1) in order to work on my frum tan. Well, three days later my lobster burn has finally turned into a nice tan. I had to suffer with a very burnt face, forearms, and neck throughout Shabbos, but I really deserved it. Note to self: WEAR SUNSCREEN. All sunburns and shidduchim aside, it was a beautiful morning at the beach, and I can't wait to go again soon!
I spent Shabbos with my cousins in the Old City, which I always love doing. They are such wonderful people, and I am very lucky to have people I can call my family in Israel. It's comforting to know that I have people looking out for me. Now we're two days into the week, and all is going well! I'm planning to go for sushi with some Shearim girls tonight, but in Israel your plans can change in a matter of seconds. I hope we go, because I'm really craving some sushi. Have a good rest of your week, and here's hoping I can keep my tan for a few more days! XOXO, FRUM GIRL.
Last week was great. I had a full week of classes, and everything seems to be going great. I really love all of the teachers and topics we're learning about right now, so that makes the long days go a bit quicker. On top of that, the lunches that we get are AMAZING. Like I'm talking gourmet. I have to restrain myself when it gets to a certain point, because I'm going to gain a lot of weight if I don't.
Thursday we went to daven at the kever (grave) of the Ohr HaChaim. He is buried in a cemetery where a lot of tzaddikim are buried. It was a cemetery I have always known about, and it was really breathtaking to be able to go and daven in the merit of such a big gedolim.
Friday morning I went with a friend and her three children to Bat Yam, which is a beach town about 45 minutes outside of Jerusalem. I haven't been able to go to the beach in about a year, so it was phenomenal to be able to see a real ocean/ sea whatever you want to call it (the Mediterranean). Since the women's swimming hours are only on Sunday, Tues, and Thurs we had to share the beach with some interesting characters. We tried to sit as far away from the general population as we could, but a man who was channeling his inner Michael Phelps minus the stellar body aka a large man in a speedo came over to the only two frum-looking women on the beach and asked us to help him find a shidduch. This was a pretty funny encounter. I also decided not to wear sunscreen (mistake #1) in order to work on my frum tan. Well, three days later my lobster burn has finally turned into a nice tan. I had to suffer with a very burnt face, forearms, and neck throughout Shabbos, but I really deserved it. Note to self: WEAR SUNSCREEN. All sunburns and shidduchim aside, it was a beautiful morning at the beach, and I can't wait to go again soon!
I spent Shabbos with my cousins in the Old City, which I always love doing. They are such wonderful people, and I am very lucky to have people I can call my family in Israel. It's comforting to know that I have people looking out for me. Now we're two days into the week, and all is going well! I'm planning to go for sushi with some Shearim girls tonight, but in Israel your plans can change in a matter of seconds. I hope we go, because I'm really craving some sushi. Have a good rest of your week, and here's hoping I can keep my tan for a few more days! XOXO, FRUM GIRL.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)