Mom-o y Mono

Hello, friends!

I am writing to you from the confines of my living room, swathed in sickness and doused in warm liquids. A week ago I was diagnosed with the kissing disease, known throughout the world as mono. Who I got this from, I have no idea. But someone really nasty either sneezed in my coffee or spit in my cereal... and as a result, here I am! Swollen glands, intense fatigue, and an altogether bitter taste in my mouth about the sanitation (or lack thereof) in the Middle East.

The past couple of days have been a doozy, but the ultimate highlight was having my mother here with me. I believe it to be some sort of divine intervention that she scheduled her trip in conjunction with my diagnosis.

With mom in front of my apartment

It was wonderful, absolutely wonderful to have her here. For the first few days I was feeling fine, so we managed to get in some great sightseeing. We took in Yad Vashem, the shuk, Caesaria, Haifa, Akko, and Rosh Hanikra (all along the northern coast) and lay on the beach in Tel Aviv together. Though the mono posed a hindrance, it did not diminish from the joy of just being together. It also reminded me of how much I miss my family and home.

In the beautiful grottoes of Rosh Hanikra, the northernmost coastal point of Israel

My mother was here during the week of Sukkot, or "festival of booths." It's a holiday that commemorates the Jews wandering in the desert for forty years and making makeshift huts for themselves as temporary housing. It celebrates God's benevolence, for the people of Israel never had to strive for anything, as long as they kept their faith in God.

Personally, I found Sukkot to be a wacky, fantastic, and cool time to be in Jerusalem. Sukkahs sprung up in every corner of the city, and Jerusalem itself received a downpour of tourists of all faiths. Walking through the city, I noticed sukkahs on balconies, in front yards, back yards, and on the street! Restaurants erected them for their more religious customers and decorated them to the high heavens. It was altogether awesome, and fascinating to observe.

Mom in front of a massive restaurant sukkah in the Mamilla Mall

Posing with my landlord Naomi, her husband Yankele, their kids Yuval and Roni, and my roommate Lauren, after Shabbat dinner in their sukkah.

Perhaps the best part of having my mother here with me was getting her to see my life in Jerusalem. She met some of my friends, saw my neighborhood haunts, experienced the massive shutdown known as Shabbat, and managed to see the front facade of HUC. (They're all locked up for Sukkot) As we walked together through the streets of my city, it became more familiar to her. We visited as a family back in 1997, so to come back and see how this place has changed was interesting, to say the least.

Following a get-to-know-my-friends dinner with Lisa, Leslie, and others.

All in all, I would have loved for more time with mom, but the mono made things difficult. After a week together, she headed back to Los Angeles and I crawled into bed. So far, I haven't emerged from the apartment. When I will, no one knows! For now, I'm just trying to keep the faith and stay strong! Any wishes of wellness, you know where to find me!

So from Jerusalem to wherever you are, I'm thinking of you.

Much Love,
Jaclyn