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cellioFriday night at services I ran into Peggy, who I haven't seen in a while. She was there specifically to add a name to the misheberach list. (This is a list of people who are seriously ill, who are mentioned in a special prayer for healing.) Her son is in high school, and earlier in the week three of his classmates were involved in a nasty auto accident. One was treated and released, one has several broken bones, and the third was in a coma and was not expected to recover. Her son is good friends with that third person, and she was pretty upset. (In the small-world department, one of the other two -- I do not know which one -- used to live in our house. We bought the house from her father.)
The accident happened in Ohio and the girl's family is there now. Peggy said that she was planning to pick up some food for the family and go there Saturday. I told her I had a ton of food that had been intended to be a Shabbat meal for guests who never arrived (see previous entry), and would she like to take that for them? I felt a little weird offering what amounts to leftovers, but I also wanted to use a "mitzvah meal" for a (different) mitzvah if I could, rather than just declaring leftovers. (This may sound completely bizarre, but that was my thinking.) And if my doing this might cause her to not have to violate Shabbat by cooking (or going to a grocery store), so much the better. And the food is kosher (I don't know the family so don't know if they care). So she came to my house after services and chatted with Dani for a few minutes while I packed up food for her to take.
Sadly, we learned today that the girl died early this morning. Two people who are not regulars at our morning minyan came today, a mother and her high-school daughter (also a friend of the girl who died). She was really, really shaken.
(No one seems to know how the accident happened. The other two people in the car don't remember it yet. I don't know if there was another vehicle.)
Between this and another recent death that affected several people in our morning minyan, we didn't actually have Torah study today. the rabbi thought it was more important for everyone to just be together, rather than having half the people leave while the other half study. This was the right call. Vayikra will still be there next week.
About a month ago a new person started showing up to the morning minyan regularly. I'd guess that he's about 20, so I asked him if he was a student. He's not; he's working (in a store, I think). He is currently trying to get his employer to keep a promise that he says was made about not making him work on Shabbat and Yom Tov, but it's not resolved yet. He volunteered this as if he expected to be criticized for violating Shabbat, but I don't think anyone in our minyan would do that. Especially as it's obvious that he cares and feels like he's stuck.
I gather that his family does not live in Pittsburgh. He said that his parents have disowned him, but he didn't elaborate and I didn't ask. He seems like a nice person. Young and maybe uncertain about his future, but friendly and reasonable.
This morning I noticed a change in his appearance since last I saw him: he's now wearing a kipa (aka yarmulke) and tzitzit (tallit katan, I mean).[1] The latter is unusual in non-Orthodox circles. I'm happy that he's comfortable enough with his religion to be able to wear these things, and comfortable enough with our minyan that he doesn't think people will question him. I guess we've made a good impression on him in the few weeks since he essentially apologized for going to work after minyan.
This morning he brought a friend who is about the same age. She also seems to be very nice; I think we'll be seeing her again.
[1] A tallit katan is an undergarment with fringes on the corners (the same types of fringes as those on the prayer shawl, the tallit gadol). If you've seen men (typically in black suits) with fringes hanging out from around the waist, that's this garment. The fringes are worn out because you're supposed to see them (and thereby remember the commandments -- sort of like a portable mezuzah). This is a rule for men only, and I've never seen a woman wear one.
The accident happened in Ohio and the girl's family is there now. Peggy said that she was planning to pick up some food for the family and go there Saturday. I told her I had a ton of food that had been intended to be a Shabbat meal for guests who never arrived (see previous entry), and would she like to take that for them? I felt a little weird offering what amounts to leftovers, but I also wanted to use a "mitzvah meal" for a (different) mitzvah if I could, rather than just declaring leftovers. (This may sound completely bizarre, but that was my thinking.) And if my doing this might cause her to not have to violate Shabbat by cooking (or going to a grocery store), so much the better. And the food is kosher (I don't know the family so don't know if they care). So she came to my house after services and chatted with Dani for a few minutes while I packed up food for her to take.
Sadly, we learned today that the girl died early this morning. Two people who are not regulars at our morning minyan came today, a mother and her high-school daughter (also a friend of the girl who died). She was really, really shaken.
(No one seems to know how the accident happened. The other two people in the car don't remember it yet. I don't know if there was another vehicle.)
Between this and another recent death that affected several people in our morning minyan, we didn't actually have Torah study today. the rabbi thought it was more important for everyone to just be together, rather than having half the people leave while the other half study. This was the right call. Vayikra will still be there next week.
About a month ago a new person started showing up to the morning minyan regularly. I'd guess that he's about 20, so I asked him if he was a student. He's not; he's working (in a store, I think). He is currently trying to get his employer to keep a promise that he says was made about not making him work on Shabbat and Yom Tov, but it's not resolved yet. He volunteered this as if he expected to be criticized for violating Shabbat, but I don't think anyone in our minyan would do that. Especially as it's obvious that he cares and feels like he's stuck.
I gather that his family does not live in Pittsburgh. He said that his parents have disowned him, but he didn't elaborate and I didn't ask. He seems like a nice person. Young and maybe uncertain about his future, but friendly and reasonable.
This morning I noticed a change in his appearance since last I saw him: he's now wearing a kipa (aka yarmulke) and tzitzit (tallit katan, I mean).[1] The latter is unusual in non-Orthodox circles. I'm happy that he's comfortable enough with his religion to be able to wear these things, and comfortable enough with our minyan that he doesn't think people will question him. I guess we've made a good impression on him in the few weeks since he essentially apologized for going to work after minyan.
This morning he brought a friend who is about the same age. She also seems to be very nice; I think we'll be seeing her again.
[1] A tallit katan is an undergarment with fringes on the corners (the same types of fringes as those on the prayer shawl, the tallit gadol). If you've seen men (typically in black suits) with fringes hanging out from around the waist, that's this garment. The fringes are worn out because you're supposed to see them (and thereby remember the commandments -- sort of like a portable mezuzah). This is a rule for men only, and I've never seen a woman wear one.
Re: Tallit Katan for women...
Date: 2002-04-07 09:44 am (UTC)If you come across that contact info, I'd be interested.
As for spelling, no clue in this case. I'm utterly hopeless with all things French.
FYI
Date: 2002-05-02 03:03 pm (UTC)