"After the Holidays," אחרי החגים

Here in Israel and in some of the Jewish World, there's a frequently heard phrase:

"After the Holidays,"
Acharei hachaggim... אחרי החגים

The "Holidays" referred to are Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot and Simchat Torah. From beginning to end, not counting all the preparations, mostly in the kitchen but spiritual, too, this is a period lasting a minimum of three weeks plus to almost two months.

Jews out of the Land of Israel who observe traditional Torah Judaism don't have the twenty-three hour break before Shabbat that I have. They are now in the third week, out of four, in which a two day holiday is immediately followed by Shabbat. We, here in Israel, just had it once with Rosh Hashanah.

sukka partially undone

Since we're not supposed to do any "unnecessary work," like laundering, we have a backlog of dirty wash. I asked my husband to take down the sukkah walls, so I could hang wash easily this morning. So now one wash is already hung to dry in the sun, and a second is being laundered in the machine.

Today, I'll do the side dishes for our Shabbat meals. The meat and poultry were cooked before Simchat Torah.

This coming week begins more of my study schedule. Matan's regular classes will begin, though my senior citizens study program in the Ofra Girls High School began at the beginning of the regular school year with the teenagers.

When I was a high school remedial EFL teacher, this part of the year, from after to holidays until Chanuka, made up the bulk of the time we had to teach all of the year's curriculum. TU B'Shvat was sometimes too soon after Chanukah, and then, if there wasn't an extra Jewish Month of Adar, Purim took over the kids' time much too quickly and lasted a lot longer than you'd expect. Don't forget that almost immediately after Purim comes Passover, and by then the school year is well over, considering how many Bagrut, Israeli Matriculation tests the kids must be prepared for. Honestly, I'm glad to be out of that high pressure wringer. Yes, sometimes retirement has its advantages.