This Is Just Too Absurd To Keep To Myself

I received the following from a Jewish dating site's email list  (I used said site for a little while, a couple years ago, and never quite managed to get off their email list).   I found it absurd on a series of levels, and thought it was too hilarious (at least as something speaking to me) not to share.  First off, I find the notion of paying someone to pray for you to be a little off-kilter.  Secondly, What makes the 8th day of Chanukah so special?  They come up with a reason, and attribute it to someone, or rather, to his book, but it's the first I've ever heard of it.  I don't think that I'm that poorly educated.  Thirdly, I think that right now, I can support Talmud Torah in Jerusalem by doing an extra chazara on my gemara for class just as easily as sending these folks money.  Fourth, it just rubs me wrong, somehow.

Sibling!

After not managing to catch each other over the last few days, and not even quite managing to try to catch each other the first few weeks that I was here, my sister and I finally found each other on Skype this morning (well, this morning for me, last night for her...).  We didn't get to talk long, since I had to get ready for the day, and she was hitting bedtime (ahh, time zone difference, how I loath thee), but she told me that she saw the chuppah, and really likes it.  (Since it's for her wedding and I basically didn't consult with her on it at all, this is a very good thing.)  We talked a bit about Israel and dancing and such things, but mostly it was just really nice to talk to her, regardless of the topic.