שנה טובה ומתוקה

Our first yom tov in Israel! Managed to finish the shopping and cleaning, and now we're getting ready for the onset of Rosh Hashanah.

Just a quick observation. It is strange, and I have to admit pleasant, to be in a place where the Jewish holidays are...well...the holidays. All of the Egged buses, in addition to their normal routes, have "Shana Tova" flashing on their signs; the whole country (or at least the part of the country I am seeing) seems to be settling in for time with family, on holiday, or in shul.

It's strange, and Kara and I (or at least I) were not really prepared for it. I'm still pretty much in an American mindset -- the Jewish holidays in the States are usually something we kind of have to rush through, at times even apologize for. Apologize for missing work, having to explain to our friends and co-workers why we can't do such-and-such. Even for me, working at a Jewish institution that closes for all the holidays, it feels like I'm in the minority.

I'll just say it straight: the holidays in the 'states are, regardless of your religion, the Christian/national ones. Those are the ones during which the country itself seems festive, where time seems to bend around the festivities. It is really fascinating to be in a place where the festivities of note, to everyone, are the Jewish ones.

Anyway, wishing a pleasant, meaningful and fulfilling new year to all my friends and family, those who celebrate the Jewish holidays and those who don't.