An amazing two weeks...

Robin eggs in a nest in the vineyard


Shabbat should be like this more often; sleeping till 10 a.m., leisurely lunch with great friends, 8 games of volleyball followed by 23 games of basketball followed by umpteen games of cards, all infused with silly/interesting/agitating/wonderful conversations. I wonder what's possible to actualize in my every-week Shabbat observance...

I also spent some time finally digging into "The Sacred Table," a new food book I contributed an article to. Between some of what I've read, and the intense study and deep conversations we've done these past two weeks, I have a feeling my congregants are going to hear about Kashrut this upcoming High Holidays...

What a terrific two weeks it's been here at the farm... Once again, spending time with great, idealistic, funny, smart people. Before my sabbatical began, when it was all theoretical, and I really didn't know what I wanted to do, I had this idea that I wanted to sweat and study. Kayam and the Kollel have given me that great opportunity once again, and I surely hope to be able to come here again and again. I have planted some of my roots here. And to mix metaphors, this place, this ground, these people, have gotten into my blood.

Your farm quiz

Can you guess what we're growing in each of these pictures? Winner (most correct answers) gets a Pearlstone t-shirt!

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One Week Down...

So far, I've planted tomatoes, cucumbers, fennel, and musk melon. I've weed whacked vetch (a cover crop) to make way for corn (ironic, based on last year's experience of weed-whacking a failed corn crop!).I've harvested peas, beets, lettuce, and strawberries. I've weeded flowers, onions, potatoes, and nearly every other crop in the field.

I'm also on goat- and chicken-feeding/watering duty this week, and Eitan tells me that I'll have a chance to milk the goat before I go.

It's been a wonderful six days on the farm, with six more to go. Shabbat was glorious-- stayed up with the gang until two a.m., slept till 11 a.m., went for a walk for an hour and a half, then slept for two more hours! I think I was a student at the UW the last time I had a Shabbat like that... This place has just become one of the very special places in my life; I hope that I can make time to come here every summer, and perhaps a couple of other times in between summers.

It's also been extra special since two people I met last summer, who started dating last summer, got engaged on the farm on Thursday night. We toasted more than a few "l'chaims" to them, which probably helped in the quality of sleep Friday night!

The work has been hard but so good; the study has been intense and rewarding. The community of folks here this year are much more laid back in every way than the folks last summer, much as I loved them. That's made for more laid back discussions on religion, more laid back eating/shopping/cooking, just a less intense and confrontational atmosphere.

Hard to believe that in 10 days we leave for Jerusalem-- on the one hand, I can hardly wait; on the other hand, I know that part of me won't be ready to leave Kayam Farm. If I have to leave here for somewhere else, Jerusalem is a prtty good substitute!

Down on the farm...

It's great to be back on the farm-- it feels a little like a homecoming; I also had the feeling as I turned onto Mt. Gilead Road that I always had turning onto Lac La Belle Drive heading back into OSRUI; a stomach churning excitement combined with a bit of nerves. Will my friends be back? Will the new kids like me? What will be different this time? What will be the same?

Well, the folks are nice; Gabe and Jakir are the old friends, and there are a small group of new ones living in the village. There's another Joel-- this one from Australia, on his way to study at Hadar. And Rachel, who worked on the farm all last summer, is coming up on Mondays and Tuesdays as she has decided to focus her PhD on Kayam!

It seems it'll be a nice group. For now, I have my own tent. It's funny to have such a small group in the village; by the time I left last summer, there were 20 people to cook for; tonight, there were 7.

I walked down to the farm, and was instantly "lost." Other than the grape vines and the strawberry bushes, all the crops have been rotated, so I don't know where anything is! I'm sure I'll learn quickly.

Off to bed for an early rise tomorrow.

Renewal again

Sabbatical Part II: Back and Better than ever

Part 2 of my sabbatical began this past week with a wonderful trip to the midwest, bracketed by a family Bat Mitzvah in Indiana and a family friend Bar Mitzvah in Cleveland.

Suprising bit: Cleveland has great food! Check out the West Side-- Momocho for Happy Hour, great Mexican, and great people, especially on Thursday between 5 and 6:30 p.m.! The Happy Dog, for hot dogs with 50 different toppings-- I recommend the chole! And the West Side Market, which got us ready for Machane Yehuda, near where we'll be living in Jerusalem for the month of July.

Today I'm off for a couple of weeks back at Kayam Farm, and I can't wait!

More later. Thanks for reading!