[HANASHIR:11648] Re: Hava Nirvana 2002

[Judy Hudspeth <jwshudspeth...>]

Hey Wendy!  Have I mentioned how wonderful I think you are?!?!?  Thanks for 
being there during the sowing and reaping.  You're a good lady!


>From: "Wendy Goldberg" <wendy(dot)goldberg (at) prodigy(dot)net>
>Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: [HANASHIR:11626] Hava Nirvana 2002
>Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 07:41:04 -0500
>
>Hello, all!  What a fabulous week at OSRUI!  Thanks to everyone who made it
>a special time!!!!!
>
>There were many highlights of our time together, but I have to share the 
>one
>that has become my ultimate synthesis highlight.
>
>I was driving home listening to the music on my cool new mini disc player,
>singing along, and I was envisioning beginning the "Twin Cities Jewish
>Gospel Chorus", which is going to start in about three weeks.  I was taking
>some notes "very carefully) every once in a while, and finally decided to
>pull over and write out my plan while the ideas where just flowing.  I
>stopped in Osseo, WI, a tiny town, and chose the family restaurant over the
>big chain restaurants, since I'm always trying to support small businesses
>over corporations.
>
>Well, this turned out to be a great choice.  Everyone in there was eating
>Sunday dinner with their families.  Lots of roasted chicken, pot roast,
>pork, etc.  I really wasn't hungry but felt that sitting and drinking water
>might be a bit rude, so I ordered the only vegetarian thing on the menu,
>mozarella sticks, and sat with all of my papers, notebook, journal, and 
>cell
>phone (I noticed that NO ONE else had a cell phone).  I was taking notes 
>and
>talking with the wait staff when a family of two couples and four children
>were being seated next to me.  One of the women was staring curiously at my
>notes, so in my post-HN effusiveness, I asked her if she wanted to see what
>I was writing.  WOuldn't you know, she could see my effusiveness and raise
>me one, so we began talking about my idea to begin a gospel chorus (without
>mentioning that it was Jewish--this was small town wisconsin).  She
>immediately asks, starry-eyed, "Do you believe?" and I realize I'm dealing
>with very religious Christians from small town Indiana (Bible-thumping
>country). So, I respond, well, no, but my friend, ____, does, only he 
>thinks
>you've got it all wrong.
>
>Pretty soon I have joined them at their table and they are eating my
>mozarella sticks, and we're talking about Hava Nashira, Jesus, and how it's
>not a great idea to ask a post-Holocaust people to try to believe in Jesus.
>We're a bit defensive when it comes to that.  She was great and we had a 
>lot
>of fun talking, and I told them I was going to be in big trouble if I made
>even more friends on this trip.  I called Dan to say that I would be just a
>little later, since now I was in the lap of this fun Christian family and 
>we
>were yakking a mile a minute.   He replied simply, "Would you just be a
>little careful?"
>
>
>The pinnacle was when I sang "G-d is In" to them at their table.  I asked
>them that if I started crying hard or climbed under the table in complete
>embarrassment, would they please just help me to the car and send me home,
>to which they agreed.  They also agreed to pay for the mozarella sticks in
>exchange for the song, which was fair, since they ate them.
>
>I also warned them that there might be some offensive ideas or words, and
>would it be okay to use the word "hell" in front of the children.  Karen 
>(my
>latest new best friend) responded, "Honey, we believe in hell, so it's just
>fine!"
>
>We sang G-d is in and they LOVED it, and had already copied down Billy's
>website info so they could get his CD by the time I finished singing.  My
>advice was to buy 100 and give them as gifts to everyone.  They asked if
>they could be in touch and I gave them my email saying, "As long as you
>don't try to get me to believe in Jesus, it's fine."  I repeated that again
>before I left and they were quite cool.
>
>I laughed for a good half hour about this experience on the way home and
>felt like it was quite the icing on the cake!
>
>Be in touch.  thanks for everything!  If you are interested in joining my
>gospel chorus, rehearsals will be on Wednesday nights in July and August!
>
>Wendy Goldberg
>Minneapolis
>
>
>
>




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