Skype information, part II, and the Shabbat I never had

Ok, right off the bat, I ordered a phone from Skype, so y'all can call me for free, if I'm around. Plus, it's local in Atlanta, so even if you've got one of those old-fashioned land lines, you can still call for free. CRAZY!

Tha digits:

(678) 389-9374

Would be great to hear from y'all, just remember that I'm 7 hours ahead.

Other news:

Looks like I'm going to move dorms tomorrow. I'm sorry I don't have the luxurious bathrooms at Haifa to compare it to, but here is the current situation at my dorms:


Mmm, who can guess what's growing here?

Oh yeah, that's sanitation for you.

On the plus side, I'm going to be moving in with Robert, my super awesome chevre from Livnot 158, who's currently studying spoken Arabic at Hebrew U. We'll be in an apartment-style setting, with two Israeli roommates (good for practicing the Ivrit). I'm very excited to get out of this dump and into a setting where I'm further away from all the distractions that Jerusalem has to offer. I've certainly noticed that getting back into the study mentality is harder here; at Haifa, we were so isolated, studying was a prime activity. Here, there are always 80 things to do, and buckling down to study becomes a tougher decision. That said, I'm working on it.

So, here's what I almost did for Shabbat.

Two days ago, I was on a tour at the amazing Israel museum when I received a phone call from Yonah David, all-around superstar at Livnot. He had a question for me: would I head up to Tzfat for the weekend to help with refugees, feeding and sheltering them? Wow, I was floored. Just as I was finding my emotional center again, I was faced with a really tough decision. I felt so motivated to go, on one hand; I knew I'd be helping some amazing families, would meet some special people, and would definitely have a Shabbat to remember. That said, going to Tzfat right now is, well, kind of crazy. It is still getting shelled. It is still in a war zone. And while the IDF walks around Tzfat in body armor, I'd have nothing of the sort. Plus, mom would kill me.

Hence, I decided not to go. I feel strangely selfish staying here this Shabbat; I feel like I backed out on an obligation I should have taken. That said, I need to realize that staying and going were both right decisions, for different reasons, and that either path had it's own wisdom. I'm sure that this Shabbat will be amazing for it's own reasons, and I'll definitely be thinking about those in Tzfat.

Finally, I got enrolled at the gym here, which definitely makes the Haifa gym looks like the weights that grampa showed you how to use in the garage when you were 12 and wanted to be buff. It's certainly built for a king; the facilities are spotless, the machinery all brand new, the staff really friendly, and the pool refreshing (or so it looks).

If only they'd spend some of that dough on the dorms they already have.

If I don't write before then, Shabbat Shalom everyone.