Oh Canada !

People. It's all about people, beautiful, welcoming people, wherever I find myself. Yet place has a place. I am loving the gentle Montreal snow, white sky, white rooves. white snow weighing down the dark grey evergreens, this early Sunday Montreal morning. I'm filled with an overflowing sense of pleasure and cuddling, this whole trip.
My visit so far:
*a sweet and loving goodbye at the airport with Beno and Adam, Adam reminding me in his matter-of-fact way of our connection to the land of Israel, and of the energy and lifeforce of this place.
*good flight
*Joyce was right there at the airport, and we spent a cozy day, watching snow fall on her garden, playing duets for guitar and violin, and making buckwheat crepes. Maple syrup!
*Joyce drove me to Yoni, who was already cooking up a cholent, and Beno's eggplant with techina dish for Shabbat lunch. He's beautiful. He played the most soulful, jazzy Amazing Grace, on the grand piano that fills the music room. Loved seeing so much of our Duke St. home here.
*A tromp through exhilarating, shocking cold snowy streets for Friday night service at Yoni's shul. Loud, ecstatic Carlebach singing and joyous dancing to welcome in the Shabbat. The special pleasure was that Leibish Hundert, my Rabbi, was there, and gave a fine drash about farness and nearness.
*Friday supper, serene but bubbling with play and story, at Elliott and Katrina Silverman's. Sushi to start, a nod at Beno, whom they love and admire and miss. Instant happy connection with my three enchanting little ones, Malke and Yossi, dreamily doulad by Eva, and Mordy, whose birth I attended, Eva giving me the simple advice that Katrina's body is wise and knows what to do, so that my job was to clear the way for her expression. What a sweet and affectionate child.
*The night walk home with Yoni was cold, beautiful.
*Saturday morning Yoni went to shul and I visited several friends in the neighbourhood. I loved that it has been a short enough time that it was natural to see me. And most of all I loved hearing how they adore Yoni.
*Unplanned, Yoni actually arrived at the Dworkin's house after shul, the very spot where I was visiting. We walked together, with Leibish and Dena and the new baby Akiva Shalom, to Yoni's place. Leibish and Dena are the ones who had a tiny preemie baby girl two years ago, and saw her through a short and complicated high tech life. She died while still in preemie care. In her life, she sure inspired a lot of people to understand what prayer is. And that prayers are not always answered in the way we hope. Dena and Leibish are positive, hopeful people, and their easy, uncomplicated love for this tiny little boybabe, is beautiful.
*Yoni's cholent was brilliant, tender beef with wheat berries, sweet potatoes, barley and quinoa. And a little hawaidge, a yemenite spice. What exquisite flavours. Every bite of the meal was divine. And it was a total shomer Shabbat Shabbat for me. Such a fine thing to do. Montreal is where I encounter Judaism.
*The men went off to pray somewhere, and the women and babe sang and learned, then the men came home for Havdalah, with spices I'd brought from Israel.
*Nighttime music jam at the bagel shop, good klezmer-jazz music, Yoni on clarinet and accordion.
*now it's early Sunday morning, a quiet and cozy time, the snow falling and falling over Montreal.