We then made our way through the pleasant but absolutely huge Phoenix airport. I have some not wonderful memories of that airport, and I tried not to dwell on it but it was hard to eliminate the sinking feeling in my stomach. I was glad when we got into the rental car. It's an easy ride from the airport and though we got kind of warm walking the mile and getting the bus to the rental car center, we didn't really sweat because, you know, it's a dry heat. That said, it's a dry everything around here until you get to Scottsdale. Then suddenly you see patches of green. What might these be? Golf courses, of course (this one complete with moon-set at 7:30 AM).
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I did a couple of videos two years ago why walked around Tempe, another suburb of Phoenix, where I concluded after walking around for a while that this is hell. Based on my walk this morning, I will stand by that characterization. I just want to add, that it had to be one of the inner circles of Hell. Scottsdale is the part of held for white-collar crime. There are nice landscape features and upscale shops and green spots. But it's still flat, everything looks the same, and it's just one of the outer circles of Hell.
The evening service was, as are all the services at this shul, a reform service. This meant it was led by a woman playing the guitar singing high notes who very much enjoyed the sound of her voice. She sang a lot of words very fast and she sang loud. It is like a speed reading service.
I knew I didn't like her because the first thing she said when she stop singing the first song, was that she wanted to know if people were too cold. About half the people said yes and so since she herself was cold, she went and turned the heat up, unconcerned with those of us who were either warm or comfortable. I was not in anyway shape or form cold, nor was Ronnie, so we put up with the increased heat. It was okay, because you know, it's a dry heat.
The rabbi at them service was reasonably funny, perhaps 30% as funny as he thought he was. He started out by saying he'd been on a trip all week and haven't had a chance to prepare the Torah reading and therefore, was there anyone in the congregation who could fill in for him? And of course it was the bat mitzvah girl. Very very cute. After the passage from the Torah he mentioned the golden calf, as part of the translation. He said wow there's a lot to say about this, but we're just out of time will have to continue this tomorrow morning at 10:30. Can any of you make it?
Is a funny thing was talking (I'm sorry I have to be quiet now because I'm about to pass a person holding a sign. She was actually quite busy texting. That was actually really weird, because I saw a sign by the side of the road and then noticed instead of posting had two legs. And then I realize it was somebody there holding the sign I saw a hand on top and could tell somebody was holding the sign. She was just leaning up against the lampposts, texting away and holding a sign with her other hand).
The other funny thing, was his discussion was about whether it was okay to celebrate Valentine's Day as a Jew. He went through the scriptural requirements for celebrating a non-Jewish religious holiday and it seems like Valentine's Day met those requirements (the criteria is mostly that the holiday's secular practice is in harmony with Jewish precepts). He also noted that there was a Jewish equivalent whose name I forget that's in August. He concluded that saying as Jews let's declare February 15 to be Valenstein's Day celebrated by 50% off candy at all stores.
I knew I didn't like her because the first thing she said when she stop singing the first song, was that she wanted to know if people were too cold. About half the people said yes and so since she herself was cold, she went and turned the heat up, unconcerned with those of us who were either warm or comfortable. I was not in anyway shape or form cold, nor was Ronnie, so we put up with the increased heat. It was okay, because you know, it's a dry heat.
The rabbi at them service was reasonably funny, perhaps 30% as funny as he thought he was. He started out by saying he'd been on a trip all week and haven't had a chance to prepare the Torah reading and therefore, was there anyone in the congregation who could fill in for him? And of course it was the bat mitzvah girl. Very very cute. After the passage from the Torah he mentioned the golden calf, as part of the translation. He said wow there's a lot to say about this, but we're just out of time will have to continue this tomorrow morning at 10:30. Can any of you make it?
Is a funny thing was talking (I'm sorry I have to be quiet now because I'm about to pass a person holding a sign. She was actually quite busy texting. That was actually really weird, because I saw a sign by the side of the road and then noticed instead of posting had two legs. And then I realize it was somebody there holding the sign I saw a hand on top and could tell somebody was holding the sign. She was just leaning up against the lampposts, texting away and holding a sign with her other hand).
The other funny thing, was his discussion was about whether it was okay to celebrate Valentine's Day as a Jew. He went through the scriptural requirements for celebrating a non-Jewish religious holiday and it seems like Valentine's Day met those requirements (the criteria is mostly that the holiday's secular practice is in harmony with Jewish precepts). He also noted that there was a Jewish equivalent whose name I forget that's in August. He concluded that saying as Jews let's declare February 15 to be Valenstein's Day celebrated by 50% off candy at all stores.
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