Hi Nilly! L'Shanah Tova! Thank you for the lovely e-card!

I can't tell you how I enjoy the mental image of Sukkot all over the place, spread over the most unexpected (for me) places. I mean, I love seeing them all around here (walking around in Jerusalem during that holiday is wonderful, for example), but the always-existing (for me) surprise of hearing about them all the way across the ocean is even better.

[Edit: thanks, Teppy!]

Baltimore has a huge jewish community (I think I read somewhere it is the second largest in the US, but I might be making that up) and I live right on the edge of it.

Down south, we used to joke about there being a baptist church on every corner. Driving down Park Heights here, there pretty much is a synagogue on every corner. Sometimes two. And then there is Hannukah house....

there pretty much is a temple on every corner. Sometimes two.

Did you get lots of noise from the shofar being blown on Sunday morning?

Where my parents live, for some reason, there's a concentration of synagogues. During this time of year, it's like a chorus of shofars (goodness, it's strange to plural this word in English) every morning.

And then there is Hannukah house....

I guess that this is something that can be seen only in the USA, a real merge of cultures. There's nothing like this here.

Lee, thanks for the update. I'll have to go soon (a possible new-roommate is coming to check out the apartment), and I know exactly how I'll feel. A friend gave birth a few years ago - she went in to the hospital on Friday, and by the time shabbat was supposed to start, I knew that she's giving birth *right now* but couldn't call and find out, because of shabbat, so I had to wait until the evening of the following day in order to really know what's going on. This is what I believe will happen tonight, with the Zahecubaby. However, that birth ended up with a beautiful, healthy, lovely girl, so I think I'm willing to make that sacrifice (I can't believe how I keep making all this about meMeME).

Hang in there JZ!

Did you get lots of noise from the shofar being blown on Sunday morning?

I'm a few city blocks over and sleep like the dead, so I've not heard it. But now you have me curious!

Note to self: Don't stay logged on to Ebay or leave the kids around the computer.

But now you have me curious!

Well, it depends on how strict they are, I guess. If they manage to have a nimyan every morning for "slikhot", then they should have somebody blow it then. Even if not, usually on the prayer that ends Yom Kippur (so, around the sunset on this coming Monday), they use it, too.

Well, it depends on how strict they are, I guess.

I'm sure there are some fairly strict ones. There seems quite a range.

Note to self: Don't stay logged on to Ebay or leave the kids around the computer.

Har! It's cute - I can see wanting it, even at three.

waves to Nilly