Jewish musings, Mon., Apr. 15

[gazelle18]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Frieda (hopefully)?
Holly
Lee
Louise
Peachy

And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[gazelle18]

Hi everyone,

As in the past, I have a LOT of people coming to my house for seder. I have a long list of to-dos, but have made a good start as of yesterday (Sunday).

What is the most daunting part of your prep that you’ll be doing this year? Sometimes I freeze, and then procrastinate, in the face of a mountain of work. How do you handle the prospect of a big project, or a long series of undone tasks that absolutely, positively have to get done?

[hollygail]

First, THANK YOU, Louise, for posting the link for the Hartman Institute's supplement. I'm going nuts deciding how much of it to add...

I've told you that I'm leading two (of three) sedarim I'll be attending this year. The first night I'll be at the home of the same friend as last year. I know almost everyone who's coming; one woman in particular I've been friends with since 1989 when I first moved to San Diego County. One woman is bringing with her a co-worker and the co-worker's husband (I believe neither is Jewish); one man I helped learn how to read Hebrew (and I'm still helping him learn the Shabbat morning prayers) is bringing his wife and daughter (whom I've never met; neither of the two Jewish), and our host (do I really have to say "hostess?) is inviting one friend (also not Jewish). However, I'm planning to be as "me" as ever with this group. I'm completely comfortable bringing whatever cute things and extremely uncomfortable pieces of information I want to include.

However, the following Saturday (when all of my DS's family can fly into L.A.), I'm leading the family seder. I believe I've mentioned that DS warned me about one woman she invited (DS plays bridge twice a week; there is a total of eight women who do; she invited one of the other seven) who is a Christian Fundamentalist (or a Fundamentalist Christian; I'm not sure of the difference). I decided early on that I'm going to add a little more Hebrew than I usually do for my own family, and maybe be a little more traditional than I usually am, but I'm not willing to change myself for this stranger; we will have an empty chair for the hostages still unaccounted for, and a picture of Carmen Gat (the woman who was leading yoga classes for the children she was kidnapped with) and I'll tell what I've learned about her, as well as adding an 11th drop of wine removed from my cup with the standard 10 plagues.

I find I'm kind of stuck in my feelings regarding the complete and total lack of ally-ship shown by any women's organizations in the entire world (other than specifically Jewish women's groups) about the horrendous stories of the bodies of some female IDF soldiers found by other IDF soldiers, their trousers torn, their vaginas ripped from having been shot to death from guns having been thrust into said vaginas, not to mention the rapes of hostages and other incredible-to-comprehend molestations of female hostages (breasts sliced off? Are you effing serious?). Not one women's organization in the world has the guts to make any sort of public statement about the extreme violence against these women hostages?

[brgmsn]

I also do our seders and while I don't have quite as many people coming, it's over 2 nights and my DD1 is coming to help. I make lists. My guests, my menu, my grocery list at which stores, a daily last week before Passover daily list. I update and cross off things as I make them. Some stuff can't be done until the last minute like salads. I try and make things as easy for myself as possible by having lots of room temperature salads. Everything but the mains for the meat eaters is vegan and gluten free. Folks also bring things. I do not bake or make desserts, so that is always farmed out.
In other words, I make lists, break down big jobs into smaller ones, and ask for help.
ETA--hollygail, I am appalled as well about the lack of women backing other women. I get the world hates us, but as women we don't stick together? THat's disgraceful. And shameful.
We did talk about it last night at our Women's Seder at our synagogue. It was very comforting to be among women who know how we each feel.
I'm adding an olive to my seder plate this year too to symbolize peace. Our table came up with that one last night

[louise]

I get paralyzed sometimes too. Like Lee often says, it's the lists that finally get me through. There's the satisfaction of working through them, the reassurance that you remembered everything, and sometimes once you see it all spelled out it helps youorganize the sequence, etc. I'm not facing a mountain like you are but I do need to kasher my kitchen and finish up the synagogue kitchen on Sunday. Also there are still things I need to buy for both locations but not cooking much. I am hoping to get a big part of my kitchen done today.

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.

These days I read the paper before breakfast; I am so anxious about Israel.

Re today's topic: Yes, louise, lists are the way to get things done. Let me give you a hint. Write down some things that are really easy so you can check them off quickly. It seems to me to make a major list less daunting when there are some items already done.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[peachymom1]

The kitchen is the most daunting for me. This year, I delegated all other cleaning to DH and DS33. Since DH isn't working, and DS33 works only part-time, they have a lot more time than I do. They haven't complained. They aren't using their time as efficiently as I would, but I don't care, as long as they get it done, which it looks like they will. I expect to be done by noon on Sunday.

We're not hosting this year, but we are bringing desserts and potatoes, so I'm taking Monday off so the three of us can do all the baking and make the taters. I'm grateful not to be hosting this year, but I do kind of miss it. Oh well. I'm reading Torah this Shabbat, as well as the first day of Passover, so I have to study as well. The readings for Metzora this Shabbat require more time, since I haven't done them in a long time, but the one for Passover is easy - I could do it in my sleep (and probably have). Once or twice through will be enough practice on that one.

About women not standing up for other women -- it makes me sad too, but OTOH, they might just be afraid to speak up. Sheesh, I'm American and live in a liberal place, and I'm sometimes afraid to speak up.