Shavua Tov...!

With the end of Shabbat came the beginning of a so far restful week for me, but a tense one for the community.  On Sunday, I went with my Israeli friend to the primary school, where we taught a small group of students of all ages who dorm at Hadassah (thus the captive Sunday audience!)

We taught them the meaning of the shema prayer, discussing the definitions of the words and ideas such as "who is Yisrael referring to?" (it took a while to drill into their heads that it was not just Yaakov (Jacob), who they correctly identified by his alternative name but who they didn't realize wasn't the sole addressee for this centerpiece of Jewish prayer).  I still struggle with the fact that kids seem to really understand nothing even of the Hebrew terms they use on a regular basis--when I asked today's P6 class what they say when Shabbat ends they all eagerly answered "Shavua tov!" but not one could tell me what those words meant (now, hopefully, they can!) The queasy feelings of Hebrew School teaching and near-missionizing still bubble up every so often.  I know, in the end, I am teaching only what I've been asked to teach, but I don't know if this discomfort will ever fully go away.

After teaching yesterday, I made my way with several other visitors to the community to the clinic which is sponsored by the Abayudaya (or more accurately built in their name by their donors) but which serves the larger Mbale-area community.  We visited a couple of people we knew there, including a young girl who had been in one of my spelling classes last week and had fallen mysteriously unconscious during the night on Thursday.  Luckily, she seems mostly recovered, and when I saw her today, back in Nabugoye, she said she would be going back to school tomorrow.  Following our Tobin visit I took an unexpected trip, with the two Israeli girls, to a small Mbale recording studio, where they recorded a song they wrote from the the Old Testament book of Song of Songs with Rachman, a community member and Yeshiva student who has a passion for music.  I've never been in a recording studio, period, so I can only guess that this one was somewhat smaller and dingier than the average USA model, but it was a very interesting experience nonetheless.

Today brought more Hebrew and English spelling instruction (which I'm struggling to find meaning in, though the teacher seems to think its of the highest importance).  At the same time, the rabbi began a three day trial during which he is up against his opponent in the Parliamentary elections, which he lost (the claim is) due to ballot stuffing, intimidation and other forms of corruption on the part of the government.  From my understanding the trial got off to a slow start today and is not proving to be the most exciting of proceedings, so while I may take off a day to go witness this unique event I may end up refraining. Also an issue, like many things in this country (including almost every class I'm asked to teach) nothing starts on time, sometimes ridiculously so.  The trial was scheduled for 9, delayed to 2:30 and then did not begin until 4:30, when the lawyers spoke for 15 minutes and that was it.  Tomorrow the witnesses begin to testify, so hopefully that will go more efficiently, but who knows...

As for tomorrow, my teaching schedule is pretty light (though it may spontaneously grow, who knows?) but I'm hoping to get in my first interview or two.  I've started having some interesting conversations with people, so I'm excited to get some documented!  By the end of the week I'm hoping to have my first  (of several, if possible) conversations with the rabbi, should he not be too exhausted from the week's proceedings.

That's all for now--hope you enjoyed this somewhat lighter account than yesterday's! (Don't worry, many more weird thoughts to come :-))

(P.S. Shabbat menu, as per the request--tilapia, rice, chapatti, mixed sauteed veggies, avocado.)
Update: The guesthouse keeper just walked in with three locals.  When we asked him if they were staying here, he told us that they were trial witnesses for the rabbi, and that they were having them stay here so that they wouldn't get bribed during the night before they testify tomorrow.  Well there's some fun insight into the Ugandan court system...