5767...

It's Jewish new year time, yes the 5767th one and Shana Tova to everybody.

Was it a good year, meaningful, challenging, interesting?

Its a time for reflections, introspections, new years resolutions, looking back and planning ahead. But does that really happen, who actually set their new goals aims and plans for the year, everyone tries but does not really do it. Well thats how I feel about it at the moment. I tried a little bit but never quiet finished off the list.

It is still strange and taking a bit of adapting to the festivals while being in Israel, you defintely see and feel it but it is far from the traditional routinely upbringing I have had my whole life in a diaspora Jewish community and being with my family.

I went to a couple of friends (SA, US friends) we did the full blessings and even organised the chopped liver, gefilte fish (packaged) and made the briscuit and tzimis ourselves (like good ashkanezi Jewish boys). So the effort was there the good food (the most important part of any Jewish celebration) was present. It was delicious meal and the theme of the evening pulled back to the past of what traditions we and our family did on the festivals. That's one of the main things for the chagim (Jewish festivals): Family. Everyone seems to fly home if they can for the chaggim, make some sort of effort to connect or be with family and in most Tel Avivian cases either drive north out of the city to their families in the suburbs. It is amazing how empty the city gets, its beautiful, quiet and lots of parking.

The rest of the weekend was just spent lying around, reading the papers Rosh Hashana editions and eating lots and hanging out with friends, (and also getting hooked on the 24 mini-series). Nothing much more than that. Back to work tomorrow, (we got today-Sunday- off which is usually a work day) and the start of a whoel new fresh Jewish year in another 33 years time for the big 5800 are people going to be celebrating the rounded figure like the millenium parties?

POP QUIZ:

What was the big Israeli story of the year: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/SurveyHaaretzEn.jhtml

My vote went towards Sharon's stroke - definitely in my opinion a historical event (although every event could be argued to be a histroical one) it changed the playing fields and created the what if questions we asking now when looking back on what has happened the past year in which the new leadership handled the Israeli politics and conflicts.

Thats my festive view of the festivals from on top of the world.