Wednesdays, I get up early. Our synagogue has morning services that start at 7:15. Without ten adults, we can't say all the prayers.
This Wedensday, it means leaving before sunrise. In the dark I can just make out some kids' chalk drawings, simple shapes mostly, rainbows and stars.
After synagogue, I hit up the local bakery. My regular counter-guy tells me he's studying Arabic. He asks me if it's like Hebrew. I tell him yes, it's very similar - for starters they're both written right to left. "Yeah!" he says. "My teacher always yells, 'Start on the right!"
Thursday, I help a fellow rabbi with a Jewish conversion. The woman converting is from Taiwan. I ask which figure in Jewish text has special meaning for her. "Moses," she says. Like her, he walks a long path of self-discovery.
Later that afternoon, my new downstairs neighbor knocks on my door. She's from Seattle, her girlfriend originally from Mexico City. Can we feed their cats while they're gone for Christmas? Of course. My husband and I are glad to help.