On Gratitude, Part 1

Dear readers, I promise that I haven't forgotten you! I have so much to tell and show you, and I will try to catch up in the next couple of weeks. So here we go!

Almost exactly eight years ago, I opened a volume of Talmud for the first time and fell in love right away, even though I basically had no idea what was going on. At the end of that first week of learning, I called my parents and told them I wanted to quit my job to go study full time. I think they thought I was insane. But I am nothing if not stubborn and determined and sure enough, after one more year of teaching, I left my job to go back to learn Talmud, Halakha (Jewish law), and Tanakh (Bible) full-time.

The shoes!

Guys, the thing about Talmud is that it's HARD. It's written in a combination of Hebrew and Aramaic, there are no vowels or punctuation, the Talmud often leaves out proper nouns, and it very much has its own method of reasoning, the likes of which I have never seen anywhere else. So despite my determination to study full time, it is totally possible that I could have been derailed and given up.

But instead, almost seven years after I started my journey of full-time learning, I am still going strong, more than halfway through the PhD process and also teaching text in a serious and rigorous way. In large part, it is thanks to the woman pictured below, Channa, who was my teacher in that first full-time year of study. Her amazing energy, patience, and skill as a teacher made sure that I not only continued studying, but I continued to feel excited about doing so every day. 

So when it was announced that Channa would be honored at my school/ work's annual dinner this year, I was so thrilled that she would finally get the recognition she deserved. As I told her, I was the one wearing the name tag saying faculty, but next to her, I'll always be the student and she will always be the teacher. Even though she moved to Israel after that first year, I continue to think about her every time I study and teach, and am so glad that she continues to be a role model and mentor for me. 

My amazing first teacher, who taught me
how to teach and how to learn. Mazal tov!

The range of what people wear to the annual dinner is pretty wide, but I was not going to miss my chance to wear my awesome Stitch Fix polka dot dress. This dress came in my first ever fix (pre-blog) and it was way over my budget, but I am so in love with it that I didn't even care. I added a red belt and red shoes for a little pop of color, and I got soooo many compliments that I know that it was worth it. I can't wait to find another occasion to wear my 1950s-style polka dots!

What I'm wearing: Donna Morgan dress via Stitch Fix (here on sale at ModCloth, but almost sold out), Boden cropped cardigan, DKNY peep toe heels (similar here and here), red patent leather belt (similar here, although at a much higher price point), pearl necklace (a gift from my parents when I graduated college)