Danny moved into Joe's spare bedroom in Joe's house. My cats are vacationing there, because I am going to get the carpets cleaned in my apartment.
I almost didn't get the test or the homework sheet graded and copied in time for class.
Amanda approached me before class started. She said, "I need to leave around *:30, for 5-10 minutes because we break fast and tonight's the last night of Ramadan." I then said, "Tonight's also the 1st night of Rosh Hashanah, and I had hoped to let class out early--> right after everyone does the quiz."
In the first 15 minutes of class, I had 2 or 3 students come in, asking if there was room in my class.... Ummmmm.... no!?!
No more students! Please! Class went by perfectly. I followed my lesson plan and it all went well. I reviewed the chapter: numbers, indefinite and definite articles, things in a class, salutations. Something to consider reviewing is combien de. That's hard for some students.
Hoda is leaving to France in the next week or two.
After class, Joe accompanied me to services at temple Beth (a reform Jewish synagogue out of the city in which I live). The services were held at a neighborhood church, to accommodate the vast number of participants. It was a little odd seeing a cross on a side wall during temple services.
Joe provoked me to tears. Everyone stood for the Mourner's Kaddish and recited it. Joe tapped my arm and said, "STOP. Stop. How dare you say this prayer. You haven't lost a mother, father, sibling or grandparent. You mustn't say this and it's very bad luck. Now someone in your family is going to die!"
After the prayer was done (I continued through this prayer, regardless of what he said) he was enraged and very angry with me.
It turns out that you should only say the Mourner's Kaddish if you lost immediate family in the past 11 months, but MOST reform temples recite this prayer as a congregation, ie: everyone.
His ridiculous superstition made me very upset. It is also provoking an argument over the use of the word most vs. some reform temples, as found on wikipedia. " In many Reform synagogues, the entire congregation recites the Mourners' Kaddish together." Mourner's Kaddish
My, that is upsetting. I have attended Reform synagogue and recited the Mourner's Kaddish right along with everyone else. It's a prayer, not a death spell. You could try pointing this out to Joe.
ReplyDeleteHello French Teacher,
ReplyDeleteI liked reading your blog however, it could be construed as an insult to a culture because you say "ridiculous superstition" when referring to how Joe was reacting to something contrary to his belief system and cultural background. In an effort to deliver your experience maybe a bit more neutrally, it would be wise to remove the word ridiculous. What do you think? It would be the same as Joe saying that what most reform synagogues do is ridiculous however, I do not believe Joe would say that to you.