Rollercoaster

The last day has been one of the most emotionally hectic of my life, if not the single most hectic such day.

The highs and lows came and just kept on coming.

The engagement party itself - wonderful, gorgeous, so much fun and so happy - was a high like nothing else I've experienced.
The Yom Hazikaron* ceremony afterwards - my first since firmly deciding that I will be making aliyah** - was amongst the deepest sorrows I've felt in a long time.
Back home and opening presents - reminders of the wonderful future that awaits us - my spirits were again buoyed.
And then packing her bags and seeing her off - my future is once again beyond my reach.

Highs and lows, it's been a tough day. An emotional rollercoaster.
But at least this rollercoaster is running on track and I can see where it stops next. A rough ride, perhaps, but well worth it! As I continue along my track, my future approaches... and I couldn't be happier, because a finer bride-to-be doesn't exist, anywhere.


* Yom Hazikaron is the memorial day for Israel's fallen and missing soldiers, as well as victims of terrorism.
** aliyah means going up and refers to migration to Israel because, of course, Israel is on a spiritually higher plane than the Diaspora.

High Above Sydney, On Top Of The World

So... tonight, way up Centrepoint, i asked Shimrit Chobotaro (my girlfriend, duh!) to marry me.

On one knee, overlooking what has been my life for the last 25 years and looking up at she who will be the rest of my life, I popped The Question.

Needless to say, she answered in the affirmative...

matza meshugaas / charoses neurosis

First, apologies for the use of the Ashkenaz. I will usually very strongly resist use of that spelling, preferring the Sefard/Israeli pronounciation but... well... it rhymed.

The period leading up to Pesach (Passover) is always a bit mad. By "a bit" I really mean "completely". This year was no exception.
So, aside from needing to be up early today to make it to hospital in time for the group birthing clinic, this morning I got up early to continue the cleaning that others had been doing for the preceding days and mum had been doing overnight until 3:30 - and which will continue this morning!

Why do we do this?

This is the time of year when we remove all chametz (leaven) from our homes, such that for the week of Pesach we're unable to see any in our homes.
As a backup plan, anything we neglect to get rid of, we sell and ritually disown ourselves of. But realy that's a 'just in case' measure - the cleaning is truly manic, an attempt to literally rid ourselves and our lives of leaven (there are many interpretations for what this represents, if people are interested we can go into that in a few days).
And this is what Jews worldwide have been doing these last few days.
Manically, neurotically, fastidiously and with more than a touch of obsession-compulsion cleaning our homes and lives.

With this in mind, is it any wonder that all Billy Crystal characters are a bit nuts?

Chag Kasher v'Sameach to all the Jews out there, Happy Easter to all the Christians and to everyone else... just enjoy the long weekend!