The Torah of "Pan y Toráh"

We've had a blog entry already (March 31) about bread baking in Valparaíso, the "pan" part of our "Pan y Toráh" (Bread and Torah) actividades. But what about the Torah part?
Linda has been working - very slowly but steadily - on writing Torah panels.



She gave a powerpoint slide presentation in April to the Max Nordau sinagoga community on "El Mundo de Safrut" (The World of Scribal Arts). She has also given lessons to two aspiring scribes, which in turn has provided her with the opportunity to practice her Spanish in a whole new way.




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She is currently teaching a weekly course in beginning Hebrew at the sinagoga, using her book Aleph Isn't Tough, which is a bit tougher when it's taught in Spanish. This has provided Linda with an opportunity to learn vocabulary words she might never have otherwise needed, such as: vocales, consonantes, sílabas, prefijos and sufijos.








And we just had the opportunity to closely examine with Rabino Roberto Feldmann the three beautiful Torah scrolls in the ark at the Max Nordau synagogue, one of which is the first Torah scroll in Chile and dates back to the founding of the sinagoga.



Linda discussed with Rabino Roberto the condition of the scrolls and possible options for some repairs.

Dog Blog (and Cat Chat)

Street animals are one of the inescapable facets of life in Valparaiso. Dogs and cats share the public parks, sidewalks and pasajes (passageways) with pedestrians in a way completely unlike what we are accustomed to in the States. The most noteworthy feature of these street animals is not their number (impressive though this may be) but their mellow demeanor. Dogs sprawl across plazas and walkways, ignoring passersby who likewise tend to ignore them. We gringos who expect barking and territorial claims don't quite know what to make of this passivity. On the other hand, dogs behind fences or closed gates on private property seem to understand in such circumstances that they have a job to do, and they can furiously out-bark any gringo guard dog.
All of this can best be appreciated through some selected photos of Vaparaiso street scenes:

First, a one-dog shot. This fellow is sprawled in the middle of a busy pedestrian walkway in Parque Italia (there's Linda in the background).


Two dogs. Note that these fellows are behind a fence, and hence are "DOGS on DUTY". They are the only ones you will see who are vigilant and ready for action.



Three dogs on Calle Cummings:





Four dogs in Plaza Bizmark:




An impromptu five dog convention on Calle Capilla (a short way down the hill from where we live)



How many dogs can you find in this picture of Plaza Anibal Pinto? (Hint - more than the next number in our increasing sequence!)



And what about cats? Well, here's a shot of a fish vendor who comes down our block every so often. (That's our apartment building in the background.)