Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Happy 5769!

L'Shanah tovah - Happy New Year, 5769! It's been an interesting year, I've been to four different countries - the US, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands - I spent 6 months interning for the Quad-City Times - and I've lived in three very different cities - Davenport, Amsterdam, and NYC. 

To top off this exciting year, I attended Rosh Hashanah services in a rather  unique location, on the 45th floor of 7 World Trade Center, it was an awe inspiring location, and looking down from services onto Ground Zero produced some interesting reflections on my part as I'm sure it did for others. The service itself was also unique, put on by the Tribeca Hebrew community and featuring Storahtelling (a radical fusion of storytelling, Torah, contemporary  art and traditional ritual theatre). After seeing the view Monday evening when I attended with  my friend Aliza, I knew I had to bring my camera Tuesday morning!
Tuesday morning, when I brought along my camera, the light was not as beautiful as it had been the night before... a bit overcast and fairly flat, but I'm still quite happy with this image of my awesome friend and roommate for the last few weeks Annie, shooting her own photo of the Manhattan skyline.
Bee photo shot near the Hudson River.
After services ended we walked to the nearby Hudson River for a ritual I really enjoy called Tashlich - which is basically a symbolic way of releasing your sins and transgressions from the previous year in the form of bread crumbs released into (flowing) water. The ritual was accompanied by spirited musicians from Storahtelling playing everything from guitars to bongos to an accordion. There was much merriment and dancing. Very enjoyable and fairly cleansing - nice to start the year off fresh!
This little girl was having such an amazing time with her parents!
Finally I topped off my Rosh Hashanah celebration by having a delicious dinner with my grandmother Joyce at her apartment overlooking the George Washington Bridge and upper Manhattan. I think it's fair to say 5769 started off with some beautiful views of my new home city!

In other news, I start school officially on Friday - my first class will be History of Photojournalism, a 3-hour a week course which I already have homework for, a 1 - 2 page essay on my favorite photo book. Unfortunately my books are all at home (in Iowa), but I think I know what book I'd like to write on, and hopefully they will have it in the extensive and beautiful International Center of Photography (ICP) library. OK... I'm off to prep for school. 

Cheers to a happy and healthy new year!
-T

1 comment:

Saskia said...

L'Shanah tovah! And love the photo of your friend and Manhattan, really nice.