Today, Part 1: Yom HaShoah Observance Events.

I have a lot to blog about today -- even though I shouldn't be blogging at all, but packing! -- so I'll split it into two entries. Today is Yom HaShoah, and my city (for the first time) hosted an observance day for it. It was all planned mostly by folks from the temple, so I've been hearing about it long time. Unfortunately, Rabbi W couldn't be there -- he to attend a funeral in Baton Rouge -- and neither could Sassy Jewish Grandfather #1, who really spearheaded the whole event. So, the only religious leaders there were Christian ones, but fortunately, nothing offensive happened (it has before).

The first event was at a downtown exhibition center. It's a big, beautiful old building that used to be a school -- my aunt and uncles went there -- but during my lifetime it's always been a museum/theater. There were lots of photographs and artwork on display, some of them on loan from the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. (I've been there, and to ones in Houston and Paris. The one in DC was the most impressive.) My favorite part had to be the Episcopalian school student choir. They did two songs, "Ani Ma'amin" and "Torah Orah." Their Hebrew wasn't great, but their singing was amazing!

The only thing that really bugged me was that refreshments were provided by Chick Fil-A! I thought it was hugely inappropriate. Gays were persecuted and killed in the Holocaust too, and Chick Fil-A is an very homophobic company that fires its employees for "sinful" behavior and donates millions to groups that encourage gay discrimination. For them to serve food at a Yom HaShoah event? Rebecca wanted to puke. Never again means never again, not never again unless it's the gays.

The second event was along the lake front, and it concluded with all of us throwing a flower into the water. It was very solemn and moving.

The "Ani Ma'amin" is an ancient Hebrew declaration of faith. It can be translated as:

I believe in God, in a greater truth,
and in things greater than this world.
I believe that the Messiah will come,
and he will find me waiting.
No matter how long he may delay,
I still believe in him.
No matter what happens,
I believe.

I loved that I was able to ride my bike to both events. I'm going to miss living so close to the lake -- which brings us to Part 2.

Today, Part 2: Goodbye, Apartment Q, hello, Apartment 44!

This will probably be the last post I make from this apartment. Today, between Yom HaShoah events, I signed the lease and got the keys to our new place. It's still kinda hard to believe that we're moving. When I woke up this morning, Sara said, "I can't believe we're moving tomorrow. And I don't think this apartment believes it, either." Haha. True to our procrastinating nature, we left everything to the last minute! I did put a very small dent in moving things into our new place, but I wasn't able to carry much with my skinny arms -- and it didn't take long before sweat was dripping off me!

I will be glad to see the last of "Smallpartment" -- as Sara and I have decided to refer back to this one in the future -- but I don't want to make it seem like living here was a totally bad experience. There are two big things to be thankful for:

#1) Living within walking distance of Grandma, right up until the day she moved out of her old house. Now that Grandma has died and the house where she lived for 47 years is sold and being remodeled, I realize how precious this was. I will always treasure my memories of all those lazy afternoons spent walking Sable (who's also gone now, the poor old puppy) over to her house, visiting with her, eating her cooking, watering her garden, and swinging on her porch swing. It was a blessing to have her so close by during her final years.

#2) Living within biking distance of the only Jewish temple in a 50-mile radius. Sara says I wouldn't have converted to Judaism without NCIS (which led me to writing fanfiction, which led me to learning more about Judaism for a Ziva-centric fic I wrote). But I honestly don't think that I would've converted -- or at least, not at this time in my life -- if I hadn't lived in such close proximity to the temple. (It's almost literally right around the corner from this apartment, and so easy to reach on my bike.) I've always been interested in Judaism, but riding my bike past the temple all the time was what really gave the courage to walk through those doors for the first time. And I've never regretted it. What a blessing.

I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous about leaving Smallpartment. I guess change is always hard. I pray that our new place will bring us blessings, too. It's appropriate that we should move so soon after Passover.

The Lord said to Moses, "Remember that I have brought you out of Egypt by a mighty hand." And the Lord led the people out of Egypt by way of the desert, which is by the Red Sea. The Lord went before them to show the way, by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, that He may be with them at all times. -- Exodus 13.