Joyce's (Different than Ed's)
Okay folks this is Joyce’s blog of Sydney because Ed and I had some different experiences (I also haven’t read his book!)………The day Ed taught at the medical school in Sydney Australia, Rebecca, Emily and I went to the Australian museum. Emily was fascinated by all this history and field museum. She loved all the stuffed animals and Rebecca and I loved the minerals and jewels! We then went on a tour of the Great Synagogue that was built in the 1800’s. It was magnificent and an informative tour. There is less than 1 percent of the population that is in Sydney that is Jewish. With the exception of two synagogues which are described as “progressive� the other five are modern orthodox. We actually experienced a service as a family when we were invited by the doctor Ed worked with to his shul for Friday night service and then a wonderful Shabbat meal at Dr. Caplan’s home with his wife Kim and their two sons. It was interesting in that it is called an orthodox shul yet the men only wore yalmulkes and no talit, including the rabbi. The separation between men and women was actually separated by the bima so women did not feel separate and away from the service. Children were running up and down the bima, the rabbi blessed the children under canopies the men held and then each child was given a candy. The songs and prayers were those we sing at Temple but different melodies. Everyone was sooooooo welcoming. Went another day to Manly beach as Ed described. Rebecca decided the best part of Sydney for her was meeting Michelle Basman’s cousin’s daughter who is also 18 and having lunch and hanging with her. One day I spent all on my own and found my mom the perfect belated birthday present. Wanted to send Uug boots to everyone back home but discovered that they are actually more than they are in the US. The store owners said even though they say they are Australian they are probably made in China! Another highlight for me was the Sydney Opera House. We thought of Emily’s piano teacher, Judith Adams, and how pleased she would be to know Emily also enjoyed the symphony (okay, it got a little long for her but we kept feeding her candy!). It was music by Russian composers.
As a family we are working on how to best navigate all this togetherness, and learning how to compromise. Rebecca discovered she can still do facebook and she makes twice weekly calls to her best friend Annie in Chicago. She has found some great books to read so she easily goes with the flow. Thanks to Mr. Brickwedde, Emily has been doing math problems and Ed, our family math major, supplements. Also, thanks to Emily’s Hebrew teacher, JoEllyn Moran, we have lots of Hebrew homework Rebecca helps Emily with. I am her language arts teacher!!!!!!!!!!!! Onto Cairns Australia today.