Preparing for the Kiddush

The last couple days we have mostly been busy preparing for Feyga's kiddush this Shabbos. A kiddush is an event where family and friends come together to honor the birth of a baby girl (the equivalent for boys is a bris or circumcision). Today I baked challahs (braided egg bread for Shabbos) and Calanitte baked the third and final cake to serve at the kiddush. Yesterday we went on a massive shopping spree at the supermarket. I was worried about how we'd get everything in the overflowing shopping cart to a taxi with just three arms (my two and one of Calanitte's since the other was holding the baby), then Calanitte told me that the supermarkets deliver to your door for a flat price no matter how much you buy. Earlier that morning we had taken Feyga to the government-run baby clinic in a neighboring building. The clinic was in what seemed to be a converted apartment, and there Feyga received a shot, and got weighed and measured. Not only was this conveniently located, all of the services are completely free for Israeli citizens.

Aside from preparing for the kiddush, I've taken some small trips around. On Tuesday evening we went to the wedding of the daughter of one of the rabbis from Aaron's old yeshiva. The way that Chassidish weddings go, as do all other Chassidish get-togethers, the men are separated from the women as you walk in the door because men cannot see women dancing, etc. So I was with Calanitte, Avital, and Feyga on the women's side of the wedding hall. There the bride is sitting in a chair, giving blessings to women as they come up to her. The chuppah (wedding canopy) ceremony was supposed to be at 5:30 but it didn't start until 7:45. When it does begin the groom is brought over to the women's side, the fathers (his and the bride's) holding each arm. When he reaches the bride, he places a veil over her head. Then everyone makes their way outside to the chuppah, the bride escorted by the mothers. At this time Calanitte was busy feeding and Avital wanted to stay with her, so I stayed with them. We had a couple courses of the meal, but they were still serving food at 9pm when we decided to leave because Avital had school in the morning and we were getting tired. I couldn't believe the wedding went so late because practically all of the women there (and there was well over 100) had small children and had to leave before the bride even came back from her first meal with her husband. This was the second Chassidish wedding I have been to (the first being Aaron and Calanitte's of course). I later found out that the bride and groom were 18...oy! I knew that they were young because it seemed like the groom still had acne...

Yesterday afternoon, after the major supermarket trip, I went with Aaron up the Kever Shmuel Hanavi (the tomb of Samuel). It's a pretty short taxi ride away, but you have to pass a checkpoint to get there. It is the located on the highest spot in Jerusalem and you can even climb up on the roof, so the view was amazing. After praying there, we bummed a ride back down the hill to Ramot--a very Israeli thing to do.

Between baking and cleaning today, I went downstairs to play on the mini merry-go-round after much pleading for Avital to join me. After getting some weird looks from little kids, I decided to go back up. Now, Calanitte's parents justed stopped by to drop off her younger sister Keren who will be here for Shabbos.

By the way, I'm planning on posting pictures just before I leave on Tuesday.