Hil, the community sounds amazing. I've never heard of a community that offers snacks and water during Yom Kippur (but I live in Jerusalem, so that doesn't say much). That's very thoughtful.
The snacks and water were upstairs, so not so helpful for me, but they're really working on finding a more accessible location to have services. I ended up leaving during the afternoon break -- I was thinking about eating something at home and then going back for the evening services, but I needed some rest instead. They've got a bunch of things scheduled for Sukkot this week, and nearly all of them are at times when I can't go.
I remember, when I was a kid, our synagogue would build a Sukkah in the parking lot, and all the Jewish kids would go there for lunch each day. As far as I can remember, lunch was always tuna sandwiches. (I'm sure they must have served something else. They couldn't have actually given us tuna sandwiches every day for a week? But that's all that I can remember. Tuna sandwiches and cookies.)
Grief is so physically exhausting.
So true. Sending comforting vibes to your uncle. My step-dad has aged decades since my mom died. It is so hard. Losing your mate is like an amputation.
My MiL's ability to cope with ANYTHING (already not her strength) has gone to hell since my FiL died in February. They'd been together since she was 14.
Hil, my bus goes by a temple and the other morning I noticed some cloth on a frame out in front. I was confused for a moment and then I noticed the branches over the top and realized what it was.
Grief is so physically exhausting.
I truly is. I'm sorry, Steph. Comfort to your family.
I'd thought I wouldn't get to visit a sukkah this year, because between my schedule this week, and a bunch of sukkahs in inaccessible places, it just wouldn't work out, but Chabad set up a mini sukkah on campus, near my office, so I went to that one, which was nice.
One of my fondest memories of the All of a Kind Family books was the sukkah they built.
I actually do have room on my back porch to build a small sukkah, I think. I wasn't organized enough for it this year, but maybe next year. They sell sukkah kits that work kind of like those pop-up tents.
Four of the rabbi's sons (the oldest maybe 10 or so) were at the sukkah. One of them, a boy who looked about five, asked if he could lead me in the blessings. I didn't need the help -- I know the blessings -- but he looked so proud of being able to do it, so I let him tell me the words one at a time and I repeated each one, and told him he did a very good job. Then his older brother criticized my lulav-shaking technique.
