Lagniappe

Lagniappe= a french word meaning a "little something extra."

As I begin this blog, I couldn't help but start with something from my roots, a little Louisiana to send you on your way. "The little extra" will give you an idea of what I've been doing for the last two years, the purpose of this blog, and what I will be doing for the next year and more. Maybe it's a tad more than a little something extra, but I'm from NOLA after all. I think my Southern is showing, and couldn't be more excited!

 

The last month has been a blur of preparation and moving (from Cincinnati, OH); and as the big day approaches, it still doesn't feel real. With only a few minor things to cross off my to-do list, and just a handful of people to see, my life is finally beginning to settle down before I leave for Israel. More importantly, I finally have a few free minutes to process what I'm doing with my life-moving to Israel and beginning Rabbinical School at Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion.  

 I began the process towards Rabbinical School about a year ago. I finally came to the realization that becoming a rabbi was what I was meant to do. After months of contemplation, filling out applications, doing interviews, and being accepted, I began to prepare for my first year of Rab School which meant planning to move to Israel for a year. Now, I have no idea how many of you have ever planned a move to another country for a year, but it is simultaneously the most exciting thing in the world and the most daunting and terrifying thing in the world. There are so many unknowns not to mention logistical nightmares out the wazoo (yea, there might have been a tiny snafu with my visa and passport going to Cincinnati and not NOLA...), in the end, however, as you might or might not know, it is totally worth it. At least that's what I hope I'll think in about two days once I finally touch down in Ben Gurion Airport on June 1st (at 5pm--SO MUCH JETLAG). 

 Okay, you might or might not have noticed that this blog is mostly going to be stream of consciousness, which means I'll probably interrupt myself about twelve times per post. The winner of the non-sequitur award is...Me? Now, I don't think they actually give out this award, but I might be somewhere on the list of nominees if it DID exist. 

Back to the task at hand--so on June 1st, I touch down in Tel Aviv and move into my apartment in Jerusalem (I'll take pics once I get there!) and then I begin my orientation in Jerusalem on June 5th. I have absolutely no idea what this year will look like or turn into, but believe it will be central to further developing and deepening my relationship with Israel, while leading me to better understand where I will go with my rabbinate in the future. 

So in case you want to skip all of the above text and get to my main points:

1. What I've Been Up To: Getting a Master's Degree in Judaic Studies at HUC-JIR in Cincinnati.

2. Purpose of This Blog: To tell the story of my adventures in Israel and my adventures at HUC. 

3. What Am I Doing Next Year and Beyond--Beginning Rabbinical School in Israel, and moving there for a year before continuing my rabbinical studies in Cincinnati in August of 2015. 

In essence, this blog will be a space for my thoughts on my life in Israel and my journey during my Year in Israel and my later progress during rabbinical school. I will post pictures from my life, exciting foods and adventures, while also writing about my experiences. I hope you will enjoy learning about what I'm doing, and follow my through my journey. For my family and those of you who know me well, I hope this blog will give you a bird's eye view into my life when you can't be my side. And for anyone for comes across my blog, I hope this blog brings you joy, sometimes makes you laugh a bit and provides you with an enlightening thought or two. 

Bailey