My boss is not Jewish. However, he knows a great deal about Judiasm. He knows all the basic terms and what they mean, so I don't often have to explain myself when I talk to him. Yesterday, he returned from our main facility, and told me that "they had that booth up, but it was empty." I told him it was called a succa, and that it would probably be empty except during mealtimes.

Then we chatted a few minutes about the length of the holiday (9 days!). He knows that I don't shave during chol hamoed, the middle part of the holiday. Then I told him that I was all "holidayed out," and that I can't wait to get my Sundays back again.

One of the real advantages to making aliyah is that there are one day chagim, as opposed to two days here in the Diaspora. It's something I look forward to. I even once mentioned it as a reason to make aliyah at a Nefesh B'Nefesh meeting. These two day chagim make me nuts - it gets hot, and we all end up sweaty and smelly. Not the most comfortable way to enjoy the chag, especially if the shule (synagogue) is crowded. I most certainly think that we should be able to do away with the extra days - IMHO. (Jewish holidays listed in the Torah - Pesach (Passover), Shavuot, and Sukkot - are one day on each end. Outside of Israel each end is two days. This has to do with the way the new moon was announced during the days when the Bait Hamikdosh (the Temple in Jerusalem) was standing.

I won't talk about losing Sundays when we move - that's for another post. Moadim b'simcha, and to any Jewish readers out there - Chag Samayach and Shabbat Shalom!