Reflections as we near 1 week in quarantine

 We landed at Ben Gurion Airport last week (and today is our 7th day of quarantine).  We have discovered that the time in quarantine has provided lots of opportunity to rest up from the long flight + weeks of packing up our items for the lift.  It has also provided us with the opportunity to try to figure out how to sign up for appointments with government agencies, how to use a washing machine that has instructions only in Hebrew, how to maintain contact with friends in the U.S., and how to incorporate new words into our Hebrew vocabulary that we are certain to need once we are out of quarantine.

The highlight of Shabbat was helping run a service with Daniel Neiden in NYC and participants all over the US in "attendance."  At the end of the service, Daniel sang the blessings (brachot) for the Havdallah ceremony (since it was close to Havdallah time in Jerusalem).  Our friends from TI and across the US held up pictures of candles showing their solidarity with us.  It was quite beautiful and emotional!

Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 298 - Laws Governing Havdalah Candle ...

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