Traveling in style!

I got a ride home on the mitzvah mobile that is parked in midtown. It is an experience. more on it later...I love the Chassidic music...

Miracles and Maimouna

I'm not able to reveal the details, but I do want to say I
witnessed a miracle at the Seudat Moshiach. Its all about timing.
Good to meet someone just as crazy as me. Its a Morrocan and other Sephardic tradition
the night after Pesach to celebrate Maimouna, which has the word emunah, faith in it. Going from eating matza, the bread of faith to bread. Celebrated in Flatbush with pizza-had to be toasted to be edible, and other people needed cookies and cream ice cream. Shmuel sang on his guitar. A taste of the Geula. wishing everyone a good shabbos.

Pesach. Free your mind and the rest will follow

Pesach. the mouth opens. Pushing past limitations. I enjoyed the 2nd night seder.
1st night... exhausted. went to an all women's seder that had a lot of potential to sing and share. the women seemed somewhat fixated on getting their halachic requirements fulfilled. oy.
and then for the day meal I went to a home that served matza in a ziplock bag. I refuse.

Went to Iyyun for some breathing room and found creative people to resonate with.
walked to the Brooklyn bridge on Friday. reconnected with a friend from high school on shabbat. he's still adorable as ever.
its sunny and clear, off to the countryside.

Sunshine on Sunday

The world is a beautiful place when the sun shines. Rode my bicycle on a windy morning to Park Slope. Checked out the flea market there. Went to a class on Detox at the COOP. gotta network, met a fellow landswoman who moved out here. Want to go back outside and play. clearing clutter can be exhausting,even when its not mine.

Enlightenment through Cleaning

Staying in my friend's apt, I am cleaning her clutter. Ok, that we should be focused on our own chametz. Finding a Passover cookbook. Let me educate how Chabadniks eat on Pesach. In a pure way. No matza ball soup. No matza brie. No garlic. If it can't be peeled, you don't eat it. We're talking eggs and potatoes and beets and carrots and apples and avocado-but no dipping your matza into the guacamole. Keeps things simple. No spices. Yes. you can have coffee. Nothing processed, like in a can. My purist nature resonates with this.

Back to cleaning, there's lots to dust and pack away, but I think I am going to go out and celebrate a bit. Remember, joy breaks all bounds...

SHabbat HAHAHA Gadol

Welcome back to the Heights. I've hit the ground running, unpacking, clearing clutter, cleaning for shabbat and Passover. Remember, dust is not chametz, but I clutter is. Bought a bicycle, its a beauty, a Schwinn. I've risked my life already riding it on the streets. Remember, I'm not in Berkeley anymore.
Bought daffodils l'kavod shabbos, and passed out 2 to 2 girls on the street. Gotta spread the joy. I went shopping for some fruits and vegetables, and yes, I'm not in Berkeley anymore.
I was very tired, so I prayed in Beit Shaina-sometimes horizontal is a good place to be. We went downstairs to the Lezells. It feels very regal in their apt, with gold curtains. A chatan (groom) and kallah (bride) from France were there. They had flown to NY to go to the Ohel (the Lubavicher Rebbe's Gravesite). Their attraction was very palpable. No homemade challah, since people are freaked about cleaning for chametz. No need to panic. Daniella and Shmuel Lezell have 14 children. Daniella is from France and she is a beautiful woman. Shmuel is American, and very sweet. Their 4 youngest children were at home, ranging in ages of 19-16. Yanky who is 18 is very charming and has the ability to sell. He was trying out his technique on us, and I got some very good coaching.

Chaya and I went for a walk after dinner, which was around 12 am. I am amazed by all of the RV's for the parade tomorrow. Wewalked into 770 (the main synagouge at 770 Eastern Parkway).I am happy to know that the leaking sink in the womens section is now fixed. When I returned home, I found myself at the bookshelf, pulling books of intrest. Fulfillment in Marriage. Finding your Spouse in 30 days...

I went to Beis Levi Yitzhak shul today and got there for the last Torah reading. I entered wearing a scarf on my head. It could be confused that I got married, mostly a sign that I am not on the market. I introduced myself to a few women and shared l'chaim laughter with them. Had a piece of marble cake and kugel. The pleasures of Shabbos.

I gotta say, you can learn a lot about organization from Chabad. They have Chabad houses ALL over the world! I went to lunch at my friend's brother's house. He is in San Paolo, Brasil. I want to visit! We sat at a big formal table and ate on plastic plates. Oy, if I collected all of the garbage I generated. When the conversation got too gossipy about other people, I shifted the subject to share some words of Torah about achieving enlightenment through housecleaning.

I had a good shabbos shluff (nap). It was much needed. I awoke later than I wanted to-I was going to attend a talk that was in a big hall where they hold weddings. I went next door to Slyvia, who is Algerian, and has a very handsome son learning at Hadar HaTorah-a place where Baal Teshvua men learn. We sat at the table and I shared my dvar Torah about cleaning as well as l'chaim laughter. She's one of my biggest fans.

I went to 770 for a class about the difference between a righteous person and a tzaddik. I stayed until havdalah. The man who led it-I'm assuming he's a Rabbi-took bottle of wine, candle and spices and sings. Its powerful to be in a space with hundreds of people. I'm not saying Jews, because honestly, I think a lot of the people there are seriously religious fanatics and not Torah true Jews. more on that later.. Now, let the partying begin as it is the Lubavicher Rebbe's 108th birthday!

Letting go...

I like my friend Avishai's phrase, Completed the useful purpose. Its good for clothes, relationships,objects. I'm in the process of letting go of shmattes. Always more from where they came from. Doing a sesame oil massage and a hot bath is very grounding.
Went to the farmers market after a long hiatus-drank some fennel kombucha and mocha ice cream-got to keep it all in balance. Strawberries are in season. I found the cheapest organic eggs are sold at Spiral Gardens on Sacramento at Oregon. I'm going to miss Berkeley.