We're not in Kansas anymore

So, I get into SFO last night - a full 40 minutes ahead of schedule. I collect my luggage and head out to the Taxi stand. Out of the driver's seat pops a 60-something woman with spikey, electric blue hair. As we chat on the way to the hotel, I learn that she is (as she described herself) a straight, white non-Christian grandmother who enjoys going to a local Black Baptist Church every Sunday, in order to hear the sermon from the lesbian minister.

As a north-easterner, currently living in Tampa, this is not what I think of, when I use the word "Cabbie"! Welcome to San Francisco!

By the way, her favorite lesson from her minister is, "you're only as sick as your secrets."

Nothing is like packing up the car and driving an hour or so to get to a CCAR convention.

No airports, no complex packing necessary, just throw stuff in the car and go. The anticipation of seeing friends, recharging the battery, and enjoying the beauty and culture of San Francisco is great. Living in San Jose and often coming into San Francisco for a life cycle event or meeting is very different than being able to just be in this diamond of a west coast city. I am always excited to enjoy the city in which our convention dwells. When else can one enjoy such great cities like Jerusalem, Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, Boston and now San Francisco! Tonight my wife and I enjoyed a taste of the night life here in San Francisco as we saw a show and had a nosh. I am looking forward to blogging about the convention and sharing some thoughts and perspectives.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Tomorrow I leave for San Francisco. It's a short hop from Los Angeles. But I can't wait to see all my classmates, colleagues and friends and welcome them to the West Coast. PARR -our Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis is glad to welcome our national convention!

I look forward to visiting!

Coffee anyone?

See you at registration.

Exploring the Wonders of San Francisco

After the long cross-country flight from JFK, we arrived in the early afternoon.  Jet lag demanded that we have a snack, and Chinatown was the destination for Dim Sum.  A cable car ride back to the Fairmont completed the experience.

Counting the Days!

In 3 days I will be in San Francisco!

Although I managed to attend a couple of URJ (UAHC back then) Biennials as an excited youth grouper and college student, this will be my first time attending a CCAR Convention. I am very much looking forward to the convention programming in general, and a few things in particular:

1) Meeting Rachel Naomi Remen, author of My Grandfather's Blessings, and Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me (which I listen to as a podcast because it is always on during either Shabbat services or Religious School).

2) All of the opportunities we will have to discuss how our movement can accomodate the growing number of interfaith families in (or not in) our communities.

3) Catching up with my colleagues, some of whom I haven't seen since ordination (or before). We've been able to keep up with each other through social networking sites, email, and Skype, but nothing quite measures up to seeing each other panim al panim.

Shabbat Shalom and see you there!

All my bags are packed...

As I sit in chilly Chicago, I realize that I'm just a few days away from making the cross-country trek to the Coast! For me, this is my third Convention, and it's only the first I've ever attended in the USA. (Toronto and Jerusalem were the others.)

So, mostly for my information but also to see if there's anyone out there reading (is this thing on?) ...

- What do YOU wear at a CCAR Convention? Do you dress up? Dress down?
- What is your BEST tip for Convention-going?

See you in San Francisco!

My Test

This is my first time doing "event blogging." Looking forward to it!