Wow

UYO was incredible.

Incredible.

The best part for me to watch was the bonds created between people who seemed so different. We had women in jeans and men in gartels talking respectfully and openly about religion, egalitarianism, family, hobbies, etc etc. At the graduation ceremony, there were the two non-Jewish instructors, and a rebbetzin in a suit and sheitel and pillbox hat, and all manner of Jews in between, all in the same circle singing "Sending Me Angels" (or watching everyone sing).

Beth told me that one of her friends, who came to graduation, was on a "high" all day Sunday just from the graduation. So you can imagine what the course was like.

Incredible.

We've now got tremendous momentum going. So many people have expressed interest in the May class that I think it may be half full already. There are ten who have expressed a desire to do the instructor-training course, which means that in a couple of years I won't have to fly teachers in from the States any more, and we'll offer the course in Hebrew. Beth's fundraising continues apace, with a Purim card project in the works and a graduate of the November class volunteering to plan a fundraising dinner. Another graduate just offered to plan a reunion Shabbaton in a few months for all UYO grads in Israel.

Incredible.