Shabbat at Bar Ilan

Sarena, Reva and I took a few preshabbos pictures before heading to shul. It was so nice going to shul on Friday night and being able to participate in the davening and sing along. I also loved seeing all the guys with kippahs. I couldn't stop telling Reva how happy I was to be in Israel and how nice it was to see so many Jews and so much kosher food. She pointed out that it was as if I was coming from Poland to Israel and in a way she's right. I hate how Florence doesn't really have any Jewish life and I didn't realize just how much I missed it until I got to Israel and was surrounded by Jews. I ran into a few people I knew at shul including a girl from Ramaz and Raquella Seigel. Dinner was really cute. A bunch of us went to the dorms and ate in the kitchen. The food was delicious. Then we went back to Reva's apartment and played bananagrams before heading to bed.
In the morning we went to shul and heard parshat Zachor. It was so interesting hearing different guys read it in the different nusachs. We then went back to Reva's for lunch and one of her downstairs neighbors also joined us. We once again played bananagrams and we also played Kent. Reva and I of course were on the same team and we were awesome! go cousins!!! Meital also stopped by for a little bit but then had to leave to study for her orgo exam.
On Motzash Reva and I went to a L'Chaim for Sarit Silk and Meir Silverman in Alon Shvut (Sarena took the bus with us to Jerusalem). Right as we got off the bus at Tzomet HaGush I got a phone call from Yedidyah Silverman asking me where I was. I told him I just got to Tzomet HaGush and he asked if I wanted him to pick me up so I said sure that would be great. Once at the sheva brachot I saw people I hadn't seen in a while. It was really great catching up with people. Then after the sheva brachot Yedidyah once again offered to drive me, this time to Hadar's in Efrat. Yedidyah is ridiculously nice. He left his bro's L'chaim to pick me up and then drop me off. It was so exciting seeing Hadar again. I really missed her. It's always nice going to her house because she's such an amazing hostess and her family is always so friendly. It was also nice because we spent like 3 hours talking... in Hebrew! I didn't know I was capable of it but it was so nice being able to talk in hebrew for so long and not really stumble with the language.
until next time!
-arrivederci