Food, Friends, and Faux Fall Festivals

Let me clarify that title, these are bona fide festivals, just not in the fall.  We help the students get a taste of the feasting at the end of Ramadan, which is a late summer Muslim holiday.  Then the next week we simulate a Seder or Passover program, which actually takes place in the spring.

 

The students are given license to dress up. 



The  Arab night includes two Muslim muezzins who demonstrate the call to prayer, followed by a feast, then dancing led by Palestinian folk dancers.

Thanks to a school holiday, I enjoyed a visit with Sana', a branch member and friend from past years. She teaches preschool on the day we meet to worship, so seeing her is a rare treat. She is an excellent cook and helped me prepare the can of okra I bought by mistake. 

The gym has fun possibilities for clubhouses.

For Rosh Hashanah, it's traditional to eat  apples, honey, or other sweet treats to wish for a sweet new year. Emily peeled. the apples for our pie.

Our bus driver's daughters sometimes catch a ride in the mornings.

Fu food labels:

Frank was happy with this find:

Madison opened her mission call to Korea Seoul South.  The next morning, Ali opened her call to  the Massachusetts Boston mission. 

Frank and I enjoyed a date on the rooftop of the Notre Dame hotel. 

Bread, fruit, and cheese were the appetizer we shared with two other couples. Frank ordered a taco salad, which was more than he could finish. I had some very good salmon.  We were too stuffed for dessert, probably a good thing because our portion of the bill was 250 shekels.  Over $60. You know you're in a fancy place when they don't serve tap water.  The view and company were amazing.

Ivy and Jenny helped decorate for the Seder.  

 

Emily was an accompanistvfor many of the traditional songs throughout the evening.

Ophir Yarden was our MC, sharing his insights and enthusiasm for the holiday.

The cafeteria staff treated us to 5 star dining.

These captions are shorter than the events deserve, sad to say. Sometimes the things of most importance take a long time to process and compose and all that comes through are the minor details.  We are learning and stretching every day, trying to invite the spitit, build bridges, watch out for friends and family who need a lift, and keep ahead of the ever-quickening schedule. We truly could not do it all without the help of the Lord and the principles that help us have love in our family.