<p>Well good luck then! I wonder if the ED releases will be on Friday, 12/14?</p>
<p>Happy Chanukah everyone! D1 came home last night! She had a great first semester in every way shape and form and is excited for her new classes 2nd semester. In the meantime she is thrilled to be home for a little down time. This morning, she looked at me and said “I don’t remember when I didn’t have something I have to do. I love it!” Since her friends won’t be home for another week at least she is very much looking forward to being a sloth this week. Has already said all she plans to do is sleep, read (books she wants to read) and watch tv/movies.</p>
<p>Going to make Latkes and brisket for dinner tonight. D1 is very happy!</p>
<p>Love - HMFR! That may be us next year with D2!</p>
<p>Thanks for the new acronym!</p>
<p>Happy Chanukah. ShawSon is home, working on his senior thesis and getting advice on his nascent startup. ShawD is at school studying for 3 exams and writing a paper. I doubt she will get home before the end of the holiday. As I mentioned, her apartment is kosher and she and one of her roommates are experimenting with various Friday night options. Apparently MIT Hillel is not so exciting, but a local Chabad is better. Harvard Hillel seems far away. Not clear about BU. </p>
<p>Last night, we went out to a very fancy restaurant that had some Chanukah inspired items on the menu, including kasha varnishes (with farro past and foie gras–query what does this have to do with Chanukah?), orange blossom beignet, latkes (with sea trout) and brisket.</p>
<p>Omg…I love that HMFR acronym…will have to remember that one next week; starting to lose sleep re: a couple of mine…</p>
<p>Happy Chanukah to all! The empty nest here felt very bizarre but the chickies will be here soon…</p>
<p>HMFR…love it!</p>
<p>ccc: when is your son going on Birthright? My d heads out in a few weeks.
I am stuffed to the gills with brisket and latkes. I love this holiday!</p>
<p>Hi C43! </p>
<p>S leaves for Birthright on Jan. 3rd. Oy. Yes, nervous, concerned, all of the above.</p>
<p>Hi Chocolatechip (and anyone else who has a child who will be going on a Birthright Israel trip)…DS1 will be leaving for Birthright on January 7 and yesterday DH and I attended a parent orientation which was pretty informative). Most people I know who have older kids told me “I never had an orientation”, so if there is not one offered in your area, this is not unusual. Apparently, there are many different trip organizers but they all have to follow some pretty stringent guidelines. They talked about everything from packing (gave us a list), to cell phones (turn off that wifi unless you are in a free hot spot or you will get big $$ charges- you can also rent or purchase a special prepaid phone), to credit/debit cards (you can use your visa, but make sure you have only a 4 digit pin or it wont work and notify your cc company ahead of time), to tipping (approx $70 for the bus driver and tour guide), to electrical outlets (you need a 220v 2prong converter), to meals (2 per day are included, so figure $15 per day for lunch), to weather (apparently, parts of Israel can get pretty cold in the winter like 30 degrees at night, so you need a winter coat).
Most importantly, they talked about safety (my main concern). Every trip has two American staff members and one armed escort/medic. Each bus carries a GPS which allows for immediate contact. The authorities are aware of their location at all times. Any itinerary can be changed immediately to reflect any heightened risk or security concerns. A safety and security orientation is held for every group upon arrival. Free time is considered a group activity and participants are given specific boundaries that are safe to walk within. Use of public transportation is not allowed (very happy to hear that). Buses are never left unlocked or unattended. (Many buses have wifi but you have to contact your trip organizer to find out if your bus will).<br>
Another cool thing I didn’t know about was the “Mifgash”. One of the core components of each trip is that our students will be traveling alongside and living with Israeli peers. Every trip includes a structured mifgash, or encounter, which consists of Israelis their own age- most of who will be from the Israeli military- joining the trip for a minimum of five days (some for the entire 10 days). So not only do our kids get to get to know their Israeli peers, but that means added security (these are trained military soldiers!).<br>
So…after this orientation, I felt much better about the safety issue and much more excited for his trip. I also realized that DS must have received many emails from his trip organizer that he has not told me about (not surprised). After, I called him and asked him to please forward me the emails so that I might have some idea about what is going on, like for example what airport I am taking him to!
If anyone wants more info on what I learned, feel free to PM me. All I can say is that I wish that I was 21 and going on a free trip to Israel!</p>
<p>Thank you jozuko for the info. It’s very helpful. I wonder if there is security on the planes as well. That would be nice.</p>
<p>ccc and jozuko: D is leaving before your kids. </p>
<p>I think I will be in the same boat with D3 in a few years re the HMFR. Unbelievably bright kid with above-average, but not reach-ready grades.</p>
<p>Sorry to hijack the thread away from its mission…I am out of the current loop.</p>
<p>Does anyone have experience with Elizabethtown College?</p>
<p>In honor of all our recent Tulane acceptances:</p>
<p>[Southern</a> Jewish Life: New Tulane football stadium to be named for Jewish philanthropist](<a href=“http://www.sjlmag.com/2012/11/new-tulane-football-stadium-to-be-named.html]Southern”>http://www.sjlmag.com/2012/11/new-tulane-football-stadium-to-be-named.html)</p>
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<p>Thanks for the Birthright info. I hope everyone who is about to depart has a safe trip.</p>
<p>Wow Jozuko what a great post. I wish I had found all of that information in one place when my S was doing birthright. Is there anyway to bookmark that post. I know that information will be useful on this thread that never dies for years to come!</p>
<p>I hope all of your kids have wonderful safe trips and that the acceptances for the waiting seniors come rolling in! Happy Chanukah y’all</p>
<p>spectrum2…bookmark a post?? now you are talking some technical stuff! i’m just glad that i know how to log into cc and post! but if anyone out there wants to bookmark it, i say bookmark away!</p>
<p>Happy Hanukkah everyone!
My daughter doesn’t get home until the 20th, so we are having Hanukkah by skype this year. I mailed her gifts to her, and every day her roommate picks one and hides it-- we have always hidden their Hanukkah gifts and played the ‘hot and cold’ game to help them find them. So now her roommate is playing hot and cold while we watch on skype. </p>
<p>A little crazy, but glad to have the technology.</p>
<p>Sounds like fun! We will all have to be creative next year, with Hanukah falling in November! No one will be home for it.</p>
<p>I looked ahead at the calendar too and realized no one will be home for Chanukah next year :(</p>
<p>It’s looking like a combo Thanksgiving/Chanukah party at my house in 2013! Then I think we will light candles with the kids by skype. Gives me a year to figure out how to do that three-way (LOL).</p>
<p>The good news for me this year is that DD’s spring break is the same week in March as Passover (University of Delaware). Love having her home for seders (and she loves to be here for seders too!). One holiday at a time…</p>
<p>We had checked the calendar over the weekend (since we were solo this year) and, correct me if I’m wrong), I think that that first night of Chanukah is November 27th and Thanksgiving is November 28th?..</p>
<p>You are correct, Rodney - Hanukhah and Thanksgiving will coincide in 2013. It’s a calendar quirk that last happened in 1899 and from what I understand will only ever happen one more time (in 2089).</p>
<p>Latkes could go well with turkey!</p>
<p>Okay, I am so glad I am part of this thread. I am not Jewish and consequently, certain things have never occurred to me before. It never occurred to me that you all don’t get to have your kids home for Hanukkah like we do for Christmas! That just stinks. When I read that, it was this Aha moment and then I was just bummed out. :-(</p>