Reflecting on the past decade....

Last night, as we approached midnight, Lindsay and I were reminiscing about where we were 10 years ago. The year 2000 was upon us, and we were in Jerusalem.

I was in my first year of rabbinical school at HUC-JIR, on the Jerusalem campus. I lived there for one year, and Lindsay was kind enough to come out for a visit over winter break. We were so afraid that either, a) the world would end (Y2K, etc) as midnight approached, or b) some crazy group would decide to decimate Jerusalem. Thus, my class chose to celebrate the new year at school, a few yards from a bomb shelter. We were overlooking the Jaffa Gate to the Old City, and we watched as Christian pilgrims carried torches into the gated city. It was majestic, awe-inspiring, and even a little terrifying.

Nothing happened, of course, but there was nowhere else I wanted to be as the new decade began (and, yes, I know that, technically the decade began in 2001, but no one seems to count that way).

What an amazing way to enter the new decade.

Here are some highlights of the decade in my life:

1. Moved to New York for the duration of rabbinical school in August, 2000.
2. Ended the engagement to my college fiance, started to figure out who I truly was for the first time - Fall, 2000
   
3. Appeared on the short-lived Oxygen Network game show, "Trackers," and won! (a karaoke machine, naturally!!) - Fall, 2000
4. Adopted my calico, Precious, in January, 2001
5. Developed a long-standing passion for KARAOKE!
   
6. Began a two-year student pulpit in Brandon, FL at Congregation Beth Shalom - learned so much about being a rabbi - 2001-2003
7. Lindsay moved to NYC, and in with me, in 2002
   
8. Was in a longterm relationship from 2003-2007
9. Ordained as a rabbi in 2004
10. Worked at an amazing NYC congregation for five years (2004-2009)
11. Started THIS BLOG in February, 2007!
    
12. Underwent successful spinal fusion surgery in December, 2007
13. Joined the Temple B'nai Torah family in Wantagh as their rabbi this past summer.

So much to celebrate - and these are just a few of the highlights. Wishing you all a blessed 2010 filled with light, joy, and love. Here's to another terrific year!!

All kinds of updates

Hello, all!!

Yes, it's your lovable old pal, Marci, checking in after a brief hiatus. My life has been on a non-stop path of stress and chaos - not always of a negative nature, but just requiring a lot of time and energy. No matter what, as you would imagine, there is a lot to catch you up on!

First cool thing: I am going to Israel in two days!! You've heard me mention this upcoming trip, and I can't believe that it is almost here! I hope to be blogging about the trip while I am there (at the request of my dear friend, Andi). I will post pictures of my adventures - we are primarily in Jerusalem for the convention, but there are a few trips to Tel Aviv and other communities throughout. I also will be sure to take pictures of the fun times with friends and classmates, including Rabbi Phyllis Sommer (have to travel to the other side of the planet to see her!).

Second cool thing: My Jenny Craig adventures continue to go really well! My latest weight loss total is 24.2 lbs - so close to that 25 pound mark!! I will do my best while in Israel, while not driving myself crazy. But, it continues to be a success, and people are really starting to notice that I look thinner. Woohoo!!

Third cool thing: I had a passport adventure this morning. My passport doesn't expire until the end of April, so I assumed that it was going to be fine for my 10 days in Israel. Yeah, it turns out that it isn't okay at all - your passport needs to be valid for at least six months past your travel dates. When did I figure that part out? On Tuesday!!! and I leave SATURDAY!!! I have to tell you, I am so grateful that the US Department of State offers same-day passports (which costs a pretty penny, but is still available nonetheless) as long as you travel to very specific locations. I called the NYC location first - they didn't have an appointment available until NEXT WEDNESDAY!!! Yep, that wouldn't really help :) So, I looked around on the government's website, and there is a site in Norwalk, CT, which had an appointment available this morning. Thank goodness! So, I shlepped up there, went through the whole routine of standing in various lines, waiting for my number to be called, and finally, after 2 1/2 hours, received my brand-new passport.

This one doesn't expire until 2019. I remember when I got my soon-to-expire passport back in 1999 - I was preparing to leave for rabbinical school (the first year is in Jerusalem), standing at a major precipice in my life, not knowing what was to come over the years to come. I was also struck by the fact that that passport would expire in 2009 - when I would be nearly 31 years old, when I would be five years into my career as a rabbi, and, I hoped, married with kids. Well, the married with kids part hasn't panned out just yet, but I am so happy with where I am. I am healthy, out of pain, enjoying my career, and living with my sister. There are wonderful, profound adventures around every corner. I wonder what will happen between now and the next time I have to renew my passport!!!

Studying Hebrew with Mom

I'm sitting on the phone with my mother right now, and she is proudly studying her Biblical Hebrew. I am so happy for her - she has worked so hard towards becoming a certified Cantor in the Reform Movement. She only has 7 more topics to pass before she completes this extensive and challenging program.

After working as a cantor in our home synagogue for over 20 years, she longs so desperately to have the TITLE to go along with the holy work she has done for so many years. She is such an inspiration to me - I really credit her with much of my decision to become a rabbi. Because of her, I grew up feeling like the synagogue was my second home, and my family was always there. There were so many times, while I was growing up, that I would be at the temple every single day of the week.

Which leads me to so many of the things that, together, culminated in my becoming a rabbi.

1) Celebrating Shabbat together as a family every Friday night.
2) Attending synagogue, as a family, frequently
3) Attending religious school from pre-school age until High School Graduation.
4) Participation in youth group, both TYG and CFTY
5) Summers at OSRUI
6) Lots of Jewish friends

And then there are all the interests that come together in my career -
1) Education
2) Psychology
3) Theatre
4) Music
5) Judaism (of course)

Guess I'm in the right place! Now we just have to get my mom to finish up her certification program and finally be able to call herself a CANTOR.

Let's wish her luck!