Two Young Jew(esse)s

This blogpost title may ring parodic echoes in the ears of some of you who survived the 80s and 2 Live Crew, especially if you encountered 2 Live Jews and "Oy! It's So Humid!"

...but it's the translation of the phrase used to describe me & Avielah ( 2 yehudiyot ts'iyrot) in a note that the Nice Rabbi at the Great Synagogue near Marble Arch left for the Israeli security guard there, when he let us dump our bags there for an hour or so 'til Mr. Security Guard would be back and be able to let us in to see the synagogue....which we had wandered up & down the neighborhood seeking& not finding for about half an hour. (He also recommended that we spend the intervening time at the Wallace Collection, which was fantastic! Go Rabbi Rosenfeld!) But if we'd gotten there any earlier, we wouldn't have caught him just going out the door & thus been able to leave my Monster Suitcase (carrying stuff from/for 5 days in Paris + 4 days in London) there while we ran about & picnicked on kosher goodies from Golders Green and whatnot!

I also love that the note has 3 exclamation points after the all-purpose Hebrew expression "b'seder" (okay) -- rough translation =

Oded:
I had these suitcases brought in;
they belong to 2 young Jew(esse)s*.
Okay!!!
Lionel (signed in English, though the rest is Hebrew)

*Because all nouns have gender in Hebrew, our feminine gender is already indicated -- as it is not with the word "Jew" in contemporary English. We don't use the word "Jewess" any more (at least in a non-humorous/archaizing context), but somehow it feels appropriately British & old-school here...

Well, these 2 Young Jew(esse)s had a terrific time, catching up on all that's gone in in our Jewy Geek-Girl lives since last we met, talking about our Jewy/nerdly/adorable (all of the above)Significant Others and their work (or play)... can't wait to see her again soon!

If you're in London on Sunday 6 April, you can learn from her about cool scribal stuff :) when she gives the 4th annual Vivian Solomon Lecture at Southgate and District Reform Synagogue on "Mishpachat Avraham: Seeing Our Origins through the Lens of the Alefbet."