Ruach of the Outback returns . . .

If you ask Rabbi Galinsky about the Outback Minyan, he will tell you about one of the most memorable experiences of Shabbat he has ever had. It was a Shabbaton held in the Rice Hollow subdivision, just a stone’s throw from the JCC. It probably included Shlep - the Shabbat Learning and Experience Program. In addition to a full round of Shabbat services from Friday through Saturday evening, there was a kiddush that people never left. The children played and played out in the Bielsky backyard, and the adults sat and talked with each other, and with the Rabbi. There was an atmosphere of contentment you could see and feel.

Well, I am happy to report that that special ruach (spirit or atmosphere - literally "breath") is well and truly back. It can be found not far from where it was before, and just like before, it is drawing new faces to the scene.

You know, when BSBI was pretending to discuss its location options, some liked to say, "Who is going to become shomer shabbat" if the shul moved to the JCC? I don’t know. I don’t go prying into what people do in their private lives.

But I get a thrill out of leaving new West Ashley services and seeing a throng of families with young children strolling home. I am not strictly shomer shabbat, but I prefer walking to shul . . . . from my home.

Could there be more people out there like me?

You betcha!

Happy Labor Day . . . .

Photo-P Rosenthal

If you are in New York in September, here is an exhibition you may want to stop by and see . . .

The artist, Berenice Michelow, is well known in South Africa.

Going Global - could this blog be evolving?

The week in review - Round #1:

When I first began this blog / forum, I began with a very narrow focus - but I realized very soon into it that it had to be more than a whine seller. And so the changes have come along.

First, I went global with a piece on climate change prompted by Al-you-know-who's movie. Had some fun with that, and even picked up on some cool and informative sites on the web. So I figured I would keep this thread going as a subsection - under the link "Climate Watch".

Then came the conflict in Lebanon, and I began reading the Jerusalem Post online. Posted some links to interesting articles there, and this week I set up "Israel Watch" - another link to your right on the Forum entry page. So these forays-on-impulse have become blogs-within-a-blog.

Which brings me to this - I need a place where visitors to the Forum can go and get an update, since entries are being modified all over the place.
And here it is:




The week in review:
Beginning August 25, 2006.






The week began with some Kvatch -
"Could squirrels be evolving?"

(If you don't know what Kvatch is, dig into the archives Feb or Mar 06. And yes, I wrote it, and it is based loosely on real events.)

Then I set up "Israel Watch" and "Climate Watch". Both can be found at the main blog / forum entry page -
Click here! if you feel lost, and look at the links to your right!

"Israel Watch" is obviously more serious - ( one of the articles linked from there is by Alan Dershowitz ), but I really like the newest entry of the "Climate Watch". Go check it out! Should make you think!

The week ends with the forward-looking invitation to our special treat for the Labor Day Week-end. Need I say more?

And so, concluded is this week.

Best wishes to you all . . . and Shavuah Tov.