Month: May 2016

The Life and Times of Cookie the Cat

~ fredcasden ~ 3 Comments

I intend to finish my series about India, but this needs to get written first……..

 

It was sometime in November, 2010, and I was reading the posts on the Nefesh B’Nefesh e-mail group (something I no longer do). There was one that I had to show to Barbara. “Don’t answer it!” was her response. We agreed I wouldn’t, at least long enough to see if the guy would post it again. But one week later, sure enough, the exact same post appeared, and I didn’t need to read between the lines to understand how frantic he must have been. Continue reading →

India for Me…Shabbat (Days Nine and Ten)

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I believe it is a fact of life that there comes a time on any vacation when you have to face up to the inevitable: it’s almost over, and you had better start thinking about your first day back at work – or whatever it is that you do. I didn’t ask around, but that Friday afternoon was when it struck me. Sunday would be our last day of exploration, and Monday we would be heading to the airport for our final series of security checks on our way back to The Land. But before we set foot on another boat or another plane, there was still one more Shabbat to spend together, one more experience that would prove to be memorable, something to tie together all the loose ends of our journey. Continue reading →

India for Me…Day Nine

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The very first official activity of the OU Adventure to India took place at the airport even before we got on the El Al plane headed to Mumbai. Each of us, in a very informal type of ceremony, received an enormous folder of information about Jewish India – which we could read at our leisure – and a daily itinerary, every day’s activities printed on a separate 4×11.5 inch card, all of which were fastened together with a ring. So, looking ahead (or back), what was scheduled for Fri. Feb. 12 (otherwise known as 3 Adar I)?

Enjoy a boat ride on the backwaters of Cochin, where ocean salt water mixes with fresh inland water. See the spectacular forest, water birds, wild flowers, and lush greenery. Along the way see small villages, rubber trees, and an area of water where no fish can live. Continue reading →