Our Neighborhood

In honor of the Jewish holidays, I thought that I would dedicate a post to our neighborhood out here in Baltimore. We live in a neighborhood in the northwest part of the city. It is interesting because it is predominantly an orthodox Jewish area. It is a a rather unique learning experience for Julie and I. Currently it is the season of some of the biggest Jewish holidays. Last week was Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and this weekend is Yom Kippur (the day of atonement). During Rosh Hashanah, many of the folks in our neighborhood participated in the Tashlikh. This a ritual in which participates cast pockets full of bread into a moving body of water to signify casting away sin. A fellow resident tells me that in New York her synagogue throws bread into the Hudson River, but in our neighborhood it is the Western Run Creek (a little mosquito farm about half a block from our house). Anyway, I didn't take any photos of the ritual but you can read further about the Jewish Holidays (here). Also, I scanned an image of an advertisement that was left on our front porch. It is "mini mishpacha" a doll set for orthodox Jewish children. You can get a feel for the conservative dress. An especially interesting custom is that they don't work from sun down on Friday to sun down Saturday (It's Shabbat dude!--the Jewish day of rest). In fact, I am told that work includes turning light switches on and off...and some even remove the bulb from the fridge....that's dedication.