Nes Gadol Haya Po!

Translation for non-Hebrew speakers: A great miracle happened HERE. 

This is different from the dreidels everywhere else in the world which have the letters on four sides to say "A great miracle happened there." So here it is, Chanukah. My first real holiday in Israel. The stores are almost completely sold out of the "good" wooden dreidels with the Herbew letter pey for "po" meaning "here" rather than shin for "sham" meaning "there." Sufganiyot or delicious pillowy doughnuts fill all bakeries even in supermarkets, and the lines at the grocery stores somewhat resemble the days before Christmas in the US when everyone rushes in to buy last minute groceries to feed visiting family and friends. 

It's not a major holiday, so there's no orgy of specific colors or decorations everywhere but just enough to remember a chag (holiday) is coming. Our building has a small display of menorahs or rather chanukiot in the front lobby, and it's been making me smile every time I walk by for days. The excitement of children and the young at heart is felt throughout Israel. I'm told Jerusalem is beautiful this time of year, and we leave for our ten day stay there tomorrow! 

Our weekly Tuesday Tiyul earlier today was around Arad, and we learned there's a lot more to our sleepy little desert city than I think any of us realized including several amazing small museums and 5000 years of history dating back to Biblical times. Who knew! We concluded the tiyul by celebrating the first night of Chanukah with at least 50 Jewish Ethiopian children who live in another absorption center (mercaz klitah) in Arad with their families. They were of course some of the most beautiful little bright eyed faces I have ever seen, and I'm almost surprised none of them made it on the bus with us when we left. The frenzy of tiny hands reaching up eager for sufganiyot when the pastries were finally distributed was unreal. I had my first one! (It's a good thing we'd already said Shechehiyanu!) I swear it was some sort of Chanukah miracle looking around the cramped room and feeling the anticipation and excitement for something wonderful about to happen. I think there's definitely hope for humanity! 

Now I'm back at our mercaz klitah needing badly to take a nap before packing for my trip and doing all the work which still needs to be done on my MASA project before I leave tomorrow. At 8 o'clock tonight we're taking a bus back to the Artists' Quarter where we were earlier today for our "Holla Back 80's Chanukah Party." I still need to figure out what I'm wearing. If only I'd brought the tutu! (Amy- that's partially for you! I promise to reply to your comment another time.) 

Three of us gave Chanukah gifts tonight from all of us at WUJS to the two "very mature" ladies who live in our building and have no family of their own. It was such a blessing bringing joy to them! I do so love unexpected surprises and cheering people up! I adore these lovely ladies, especially because they insist on speaking Hebrew to me in the elevator and not Russian. The days when I understand and am able to respond in Hebrew, I feel as though I can take on the world. 

In other amusing pseudo-miracle news, I got a long email from my dear friend in China who tells me (and allows me bragging rights) that my blog is considered subversive by the Chinese government and is blocked. He has to go through the US proxy server to view it! Ah- another inadvertent success. I suppose I should clarify. The miracle was hearing from him tonight of all nights when I've been thinking about the fact that it's been too long since we've been in touch... not being censored by China. Though it did tickle me to find that out. 

So I guess in conclusion this year the REAL miracle is having found something which makes me so very happy, going for it with everything, and being able to share it with all of you! Cheesy, I know, but it's from the heart. 

Much love and fluffy, sugary, powdery, jelly filled goodness,

*jane