Shake it Like a Salt Shaker

-Thank you to the YinYang twins for this blog's title.

So, I have just returned from a pretty sweet trip to London and Italy. You will get all sort of info and pics about that shortly. It was amazing! Shabbat, after red-eye catchup sleep, was also very nice.

In the meantime, this post serves to show my three or four fans that I'm here and safe, just in case you don't follow my Facebook addictive status updating.

I got back to Jerusalem at about 5:30AM, and promptly made my way upstairs to turn on the hot water heater (remember, no auto-hot water in Israel!) so I could wash 2 days of Italy and airplane off of me, unpacked my borrowed backpack, did some general organizing, quickly scanned the email I've been unable to deal with, showered, and went to bed as the sun was rising on Jerusalem.

What did I miss when I was gone? There was an interesting article in the Forward on Kosher restaurants open on Shabbat, all about the 2nd Avenue Deli. It was covering a review, and subsequent blog, in the NYTimes. The last line of the article is my favorite. As somebody whose friends have enjoyed many a 2nd Avenue Deli Shabbat dinner, back when it was on 2nd Avenue, and as somebody who often disagrees with the religious right (more below), the article strikes a chord. Shomer Shabbat (observing Shabbat) and Shomer Kashrut (keeping kosher) are not always hand in hand, as its possible to keep kosher but not keep Shabbat. Keeping the 2nd Avenue Deli open is another pluralistic approach -- think of all the options for a Jew in NYC on a Friday night. Why not begin your night with a traditional Shabbat dinner, housed in an magically historical (although relocated) deli?

In this, the most blessed of cities, apparently, I missed talk of earthquakes and a slushing (Israeli snowstorm). I also missed Rafi (aaaawwww).

There have been quite a few (5, I believe) minor earthquakes in Jerusalem this (school/Jewish) year. I have slept through them, or flat out not noticed the tremors, every single time. This coming from a girl who is absolutely terrified of earthquakes sounds crazy, but it's true. I didn't even know Jerusalem was on an ACTUAL fault line. I thought all fault lines are philosophical, but NO, of COURSE Jerusalem could split in two, physically, without the aid of a security "fence", at any moment.

Why am I telling you this? Because there's some crazy super-religious Knesset (Parliament) member - I think he's in Shas - who is quite sure that if Israel tightens (insert inappropriate snicker here) up current, liberal laws on homosexuality, "millions of sheqels" will be saved (in earthquake damages). I mean, come on. Really? I know I'm liberal, but this is just too much for me. I feel like next he's going to say something like, "Maybe good old Ahmadinijad (can't spell that, don't care to look it up) has it right in Iran. Deny, deny, deny. I mean, when was the last time THEY had an earthquake?" Iran denies that they have any homosexuals, and they take away rights left and, um, right. Fabulous.

Apparently, sodomy causes earthquakes. And not just in the bedroom. (I couldn't resist.)