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I was going to lunch but I could not find parking so I doubled back to a new food truck I had seen. It sold Middle-Eastern food. The people running it are from a country where all the young people are very sexy. I got into a conversation with the owner who asked me to sit at his table. He was very warm and friendly. He offered me a Turkish coffee. I talked to him and his worker for half an hour. We are all Jewish. Less than 1% of the population here is. As we were talking two young guys in yarmulkes and strings hanging from their belts came by. Now there were five Jews. One of the yarmulke guys said he was a Rabbi and he invited me to a Hannukah party. He had a beatific smile. He said, it's the place for a Jewish person to be. It's like we were all in a bubble. Everyone was very warm and friendly. I said that I must have ended up there for a reason. I thought my luck had turned around.
Two days later I went to the party. It cost $20.00 a person. The young Rabbi forgot to mention that. The parking was a long way away and I couldn't make it so I had to pay $5.00 and deal with a valet. There were a lot of stairs to get into the place, so I had to get a security guard to let me in the back way because I was using a wheelchair as a walker. The place was the size of a medium sized restaurant but it had four different levels. The ramps between the levels were twice as steep as regulation. This is a space this Orthodox congregation recently acquired to serve as their temple, but it must be the most inaccessible place they could have found. The people were unfriendly, arranged into family-type groups facing each other. One woman literally looked down her nose at me. Even if I had wanted to approach people, it was physically impossible due to the way the room was arranged. The only place there was space was near the stage where loud syrupy Jewish much played. There were a bunch of hyperactive children there playing with plastic swords. Everyone looked sickly.
The young "Rabbi" saw me and said, "Oh, you made it" and turned back to his family. He didn't introduce me to anyone. No one approached me. The Senior Rabbi walked around the room talking to no one. It was miserable. I went to the woman at the door and told her I wasn't comfortable and asked for my money back. She suddenly looked friendly and said she would be my friend. She introduced me to one person. I couldn't get my money back. I was trapped. I was miserable. I ended up eating dinner there. The woman at the door said most of the people there were tourists. I saw the lunch wagon owner and I thought at least he would talk to me. I tried to catch his eye but I failed, about five times. The fifth time I was leaving and I was facing him and about three feet away and he was then trying to avoid my eyes. This was 48 hours after we met. At that point he was definitely stoned, but not earlier. Wow. How rude. How upsetting. What a waste of an evening.
In case you were wondering if he could not have recognized me, I have flame red hair, bright green eyes other characteristics that would be hard to mistake. The lighting was good. It wasn't that noisy. He wasn't with a woman.
And what's with the pothead Rabbi? Even if he wasn't literally, I would say that is exactly what I would expect of one. Nice smile, no follow through. What does the Torah say about lighting up outside of an Orthodox Hannukah party?
Everything seemed like it was opening up a few days ago. I was surrounded by warmth but then I was treated like this. It sucks. It's confusing. This is why people where I live stay disconnected from other people and use a lot of substances. I feel disappointed and betrayed.
Two days later I went to the party. It cost $20.00 a person. The young Rabbi forgot to mention that. The parking was a long way away and I couldn't make it so I had to pay $5.00 and deal with a valet. There were a lot of stairs to get into the place, so I had to get a security guard to let me in the back way because I was using a wheelchair as a walker. The place was the size of a medium sized restaurant but it had four different levels. The ramps between the levels were twice as steep as regulation. This is a space this Orthodox congregation recently acquired to serve as their temple, but it must be the most inaccessible place they could have found. The people were unfriendly, arranged into family-type groups facing each other. One woman literally looked down her nose at me. Even if I had wanted to approach people, it was physically impossible due to the way the room was arranged. The only place there was space was near the stage where loud syrupy Jewish much played. There were a bunch of hyperactive children there playing with plastic swords. Everyone looked sickly.
The young "Rabbi" saw me and said, "Oh, you made it" and turned back to his family. He didn't introduce me to anyone. No one approached me. The Senior Rabbi walked around the room talking to no one. It was miserable. I went to the woman at the door and told her I wasn't comfortable and asked for my money back. She suddenly looked friendly and said she would be my friend. She introduced me to one person. I couldn't get my money back. I was trapped. I was miserable. I ended up eating dinner there. The woman at the door said most of the people there were tourists. I saw the lunch wagon owner and I thought at least he would talk to me. I tried to catch his eye but I failed, about five times. The fifth time I was leaving and I was facing him and about three feet away and he was then trying to avoid my eyes. This was 48 hours after we met. At that point he was definitely stoned, but not earlier. Wow. How rude. How upsetting. What a waste of an evening.
In case you were wondering if he could not have recognized me, I have flame red hair, bright green eyes other characteristics that would be hard to mistake. The lighting was good. It wasn't that noisy. He wasn't with a woman.
And what's with the pothead Rabbi? Even if he wasn't literally, I would say that is exactly what I would expect of one. Nice smile, no follow through. What does the Torah say about lighting up outside of an Orthodox Hannukah party?
Everything seemed like it was opening up a few days ago. I was surrounded by warmth but then I was treated like this. It sucks. It's confusing. This is why people where I live stay disconnected from other people and use a lot of substances. I feel disappointed and betrayed.
