AUGUST STARTS WITH A BANG

David began the month teaching another new course for Bnei Akiva, this time doing four days in a row on the destruction of the first and second temples. This experience has demonstrated that without a car some teaching jobs are not really worthwhile taking (unless special arrangements are made). David has been schlepping back and forth from Ramot Shapiro, a few kilometres outside Shoresh; factoring in the crazy travel time and the physical and mental toll the travel takes effectively renders the experience significantly not worthwhile and not appropriately compensated. The good news is that today was his last day, so this teaching commitment is now over.

Almost as exciting is the fact that I erected our first bookshelf in the living room, raising some of our books from their lowly positions, stacked as they are on the floor. We already have some shelves in the study, but it is great to finally be able to make some headway in our living space.

Even more exciting than that was the extraordinary number of people who came to the second part of David's Jewish History in Six Chapters (Part 2, The Talmudic Period, 0-500CE) last night. We had an audience of around 60 people! A truly great turn-out and hopefully a sign of things to come...

Then, amazingly, I dragged myself out of bed this morning before 7am (I know, I still find it hard to believe myself). I did this for a very exciting reason: to meet Fai at the airport! So, the Solomon Hotel has reopened for business and we are proud to be hosting such a guest (who is currently taking a small break to deal with her jet-lag). Quite right too.