New Year in the New Land

What can I say? It just wasn't the same. Unfamiliar and strange as I knew it would be. No Spanish people baby sitting the kids (I volunteered Isaac, but he wasn't interested), so the women's section was a balagan, with babies, toddlers and strollers everywhere. My little daven dog next to me petulantly announced that if she didn't have to hear shofar, she would just daven at home. The third time she said this, I snapped at her, that I had heard her the first two times. When we changed our seats things were a bit improved. And the second day was much better. Maybe all those women and babies thought the chag was only one day.

You know me--I like to be occupied on Shabbat or Yom Tov afternoons. And I was. The people here are really nice. But it just wasn't the same. Ah well.

But we were offered (many times!) apples and honey in the malls in the days prior to Rosh Hashannah. And everyone wishes you a chag sameach and shana tova over here. The whole land celebrating a new beginning together and hoping and praying--this will be the year--the year we have peace, the year our soldiers will come home, the year G-d's presence will be known to all...

And that is what makes this all worthwhile...