I got in touch with my new tutor yesterday (recommended to me by Leah Golomb) and immediately we both sensed it was a good shidduch (match). What I liked about her is that she not only has a wealth of textual knowledge, but she also has a store of factoids about different rabbis and when they lived, which will add some extra depth to our learning. She also happens to remember every single one of Reb Shlomo’s classes, so I will definitely be picking her brain for those. We decided to get together a couple of mornings a week to learn text (we’ve settled on the story of Joseph and his brothers) in a coffee shop in Nachlaot. I hung up the phone knowing I was moving in the right direction.

And then a miracle happened. I went to an OA meeting this morning and shared a little bit about what’s been going on with me, and after the meeting was over a woman came up to me and said, “I think I’m your tutor”. I couldn’t believe it! Out of all the people in Jerusalem, this woman is the one who is going to be teaching me AND she’s in program. It was like Gd gave me a Birthday, Channukah and a Just Because present all in one: not only will I be able to learn Torah with her, but we can give each other program support. I try not to drop the “M” word indiscriminately, but in this case, I will say that this was most definitely a miracle.

I have been everywhere today. First Har Nof for the meeting, then to Geula to buy sneakers for Yonah and a book for Mommy, home for lunch and then to Nachlaot for therapy and to pick up some educational toys for the Little Man. It must be nice to be Yonah; he scored some major gifts today without ever leaving his daycare. It’s an interesting experience for me walking through Geula and Me’a Shearim now, as an Orthodox woman. No joke, four years ago those neighborhoods scared the crap out of me. I think I expected a siren to go off, everyone to freeze, point at me and yell at me for not being “religious enough”. I have since learned that there is no such thing as “religious enough”, since each person is on his or her own journey, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t still have some insecurities about it. However, I’m in a much more comfortable place now, so much so that I can actually enjoy a walk through these bustling neighborhoods lined with stores. Geula and Mea Shearim are kind of the center of the Orthodox world, and they really are a world in and of themselves, even if they only stretch some city blocks. Within only a few paces, there is every kind of Jewish store you can think of and all kinds of colorful characters in ultra-orthodox garb. I actually found myself entertained by my outing today.

Tomorrow Yonah and I are off to Moshav Modi’in for the Rosh Chodesh celebration. I’ve decided to be gentle on myself and not host my own thing tomorrow night; I get the feeling I’m going to be mucho exhausted. That said, I am going to drink up all the fabulous female spiritual energy in one of my favorite places in the world and just enjoy being a guest instead of a hostess.

Tonight is the second session of my women’s chabura and I am majorly wrestling with myself about going; it’s cold, I have a brutal sinus infection and I have to be careful about doing too much. Rachel and I had a good laugh the other day after I told her that I think I have a lot more energy than I actually do, to the point that I exert myself until I literally get sick. We got off the bus and I said, “I’m not ready to go home yet; I think I’m going to go for a walk…” and then proceeded to almost fall over from exhaustion. So I’m not the best barometer of my energy level. However, my friend Chaya who runs the group just called and mentioned that the group is earlier tonight, so I’m taking it as a sign that I should get my butt there.