Well – I have made a decision to skip the next Ulpan session and use the additional free time to study what I have learned and to start putting it to use on the street. I am writing up flash cards for myself and will see just how much I remember. I will also be talking with Hebrew-speaking friends so that I am forced to use what I have learned and thus hope not to forget it. I expect to continue again in the less intensive class the following session.

I have a cantorial class on Wednesday, and then will be off until after the holidays. My next session after Wednesday will be in October. I have already been told that I will be given a lot of pieces on Wednesday, so the “time off” is going to be a very busy period for me.

I am staying at the apartment for Shabbat but have been invited to a neighbor’s home for Shabbat dinner tonight. This is someone from the Orthadox shul that I generally go to when I stay here, so I have at least met this gentleman before. The location is ideal --- directly across the street from the apartment.

I found out where another Conservative shul is and am considering going there tomorrow morning to check it out. I understand it is about a 15-20 minute walk from here. I will post where I went after Shabbat. (This is the one I was going to try to go to last week, but did not get to.)

I have been asked by some people what is going on here in Israel relative to Gilad Shalit. For those of you who do not know, Gilad Shalit is a member of the Israeli Defense Forces that was captured in a cross-border raid by Hamas. He has, as of this writing, been in captivity for 1,523 days. He has been seen only in a video released by Hamas, and Hamas has thus far refused to allow the Red Cross or any other humanitarian group to see him.

I have attached some pictures that were taken about ½ block from the Prime Minister’s home yesterday. They show a part of the area that is dedicated to demonstrations in support of Gilad and the diplomatic efforts to free him. There are large demonstrations here once or twice a week, with TV broadcasts from here 3-4 times a week. (I walk buy this location daily. Sometimes it is so crowded that I have to go a different way.) The volunteers here sell fluorescent green ribbons, and I see them everywhere. They are attached to street signs, fences, cars, trucks, busses, people’s clothing, bicycles, scooters and anyplace else you can imagine.