Living and Learning in skirts

I woke up, got ready, totally not excited about the long trek up the stairs to She'arim, but actually excited about classes starting. I'm not going to go into the details of each class, but I'll mention some of the good stuff, that is, if I remember it.

The first class I was in was way above my level - we were reading from the Chumash (Torah) and then reading commentary by Rashi - okay, so Rashi kind of writes in his own language and isn't exactly easy to read. Most people actually take a course just on learning how to read Rashi commentary. I have never taken such a course, so I had no idea what was going on. After the class, I switched into the less difficult level, and things were much easier for me. They were still challenging, but it the nice, sort of self-satisfying way.

Going to seminary is an interesting experience for may reasons; the class schedule, the class topic, and the actual place that is seminary. Let me explain.
She'arim is in Har Nof, if you haven't figured that out from my blog yet, and Har Nof is an extremely frummy (religious) town. When I signed up for She'arim, I was told that I should dress modestly, which I figured, since I'd be going to a yeshivah - but also, that I should really dress modestly to respect those living in Har Nof. As in, don't offend the people who live here with your exposed elbows or pants. Granted, it's winter, and I wasn't planning on exposing much of anything to the cold, but, the mere fact that I'm forced to wear a skirt was a little difficult for me to chew. I know it's fickle and shallow, but I really like the fact that I feel comfortable in pants. I don't plan on wearing only skirts every day, and I don't like the fact that I can't walk around my neighborhood in pants because I might offend someone. I don't mind wearing a skirt for the purpose of yeshivah, but when I come home, I want to wear my pants and be happy. That's the first interesting thing.

The schedule of classes is long. Classes start at 8:30, and don't end until 5:30. We get an hour for lunch at 1, and that's our only real break. It's a long day packed with tons of topics - and even the way you do learning is interesting... We'll spend an hour on one topic - I mean we could spend hours and days on one topic... The whole point is to learn as much as possible - and since there are so many rabbis and teachers who have already studied this topic, we get to study those other rabbis' thoughts and research on each topic as well. The classes are well thought out - and each teacher does a bit of speaking, and makes each class interactive.
The main thing that I like about She'arim, is that it doesn't feel at all like they're trying to get you to be more religious - they're giving you topics to learn - they're giving you information, knowledge, and intellectual stimulation. It isn't all halacha (Jewish law) classes - it's about kindness, Women in the Torah, Perkei Avot, Interpersonal Relationships - it's really a good variety of topics that keep you interested and engaged in all of the classes. And many of them give practical applications for the things we learn. It's really interesting and useful.

Sunday's classes were good, but slightly overwhelming, as it was my first day in Yeshivah EVER, but the day went by quickly and I took notes, so I can go back and re-learn what I was trying to learn in class. After class, a few of my apartment mates decided to go down to the Old City. We went to the kotel, davened Ma'ariv (night-time prayer) and walked around, looking at all the beautiful expensive apartments that rich Americans and Anglos live in. The Old City is exactly that - OLD. The Kotel (western wall) has been there for thousands of years, and although it's still standing up just fine, it looks old. I had a spiritual experience there, and we all enjoyed our time. We then went to get dinner, and found this really great cafe with great dairy sandwiches and baked goods. We each got a sandwich and a salad for 39 shekels (about $10) and then each got a hot chocolate muffin-sized cake with chocolate pudding in the middle. OH GOODNESS, it was the best tasting dessert I ever had in my life. I was a happy happy girl, and even though I was full halfway through, I finished it all. It was sooo worth it.