I was up in northern VA today, doing the interview thing. I am now awaiting an offer letter, which should get here the end of next week. If all goes well, I will be on staff October 1st.

It occurs to me that it is nearly six and a half years since I last held an on-staff position, and it was not for lack of trying during most of those years. It’s been tough, recovering from being an entry-level programmer laid off in late spring of 2001. Bad enough just trying to get a job in my field after the tech bubble burst. 9/11 smacked our economy hard as well—that’s something people have already forgotten. There were echo layoffs from companies that were hit hard that day. That’s partly why I branched into tech writing, which paid my bills most of last year. But now I’m back in web work, where I started in the tech world, using my programming knowledge for good. (I speak fluent geek.)

The good news is that my income has gone steadily up the last three years, and I am slowly but surely rising from the debt I accrued due to lack of work the last few years. In fact, by Oct. 1, I should have one credit card paid off entirely. As soon as the debt is gone, the saving for a condo/townhouse begins.

By this time next year, I should be a happy homeowner, who can invite Janet and Chris (the job-finders, big yay! to them) down to Richmond for Rosh Hashana (my apple cake is not to be missed; it’s the ONLY thing I bake, ever, and it’s from scratch), where I can have my very own New Year’s dinner. In my very own home.

5768 is shaping up to be a good year in the Yourish household. May it be a sweet year for the rest of you, too.

Worth reprinting in full.

Question: I am a once a year Jew. I go to shul for the High Holydays, having not shown my face the entire year, and then disappear till next High Holydays. Do people like you think I’m a hypocrite for coming to shul once a year?

Answer: Funny, I feel the opposite. I am in awe of once a year Jews. I think you are more in touch with your soul than I am.

I go to shul every day, observe Shabbos, keep kosher, enjoy horseradish on my gefilte fish - all the things that Judaism expects of me. But that’s because I know what they mean. I have been privileged to learn the meaning of Jewish practice, the power of Torah, and I have seen the positive transformation real Judaism can achieve in a person. It’s no surprise that I observe - who wouldn’t if they knew what Judaism was all about?

But I look at the once a year Jews, who mostly have little or no Jewish education, don’t know the meaning of the prayers, are not sure whether they believe or not, and still they come. Why? What are they doing in shul? What brings them?

There is only one explanation. It’s their soul. They have a Jewish soul, so they come to shule.

I on the other hand may have other reasons to come to shul. My mind tells me to go, my habits force me to go, I go this week because I went last week. But for the once a year Jews, there is no external reason to attend shul. The drive comes from deep within; their Jewish essence tells them to go.

The High Holydays season is the one time of year when the Jewish essence comes out of the closet. Jewish souls make a bold and loud statement: “Whether I understand it or not, I am Jewish, and I belong in shul.”

So please don’t feel funny coming to shul. Maybe you’ll be inspired to become a once a month Jew, or even once a week. But even if not, just by coming you remind us of the power of the Jewish soul.

If you were thinking of going to synagogue next week, you’ll be in good company.

So there was a disputed IAF flyover in Syria, which no Israeli politician is talking about. Terrorists tried—and failed—to kidnap more Israeli soldiers (because gee, that’s working out so well for Hamas and Hezbollah now, isn’t it?). And Ban Ki-Moon is starting to talk about the Hariri trial in Lebanon.

Whoops.

I do believe we’ve found the missing piece of the puzzle.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he hopes to appoint judges by the end of the year to preside over a special court that would prosecute suspected killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and other political figures.

But Ban, in a report sent to the UN Security Council yesterday, did not give a date for when the tribunal would begin to function but outlined how judges, prosectors and other officials would be named.

The tribunal, Ban said, would begin functioning when a special UN commission investigating the murders had made substantial progress and financing was obtained. Some US$35 million ($51.73 million) is needed for the first year and pledges of US$85 million for the second and third year.

Politicians are warning Syria to stay out of Lebanon’s upcoming elections.

Yeah. It may very well be yet another misdirection attempt by the Dorktator. Unfortunately, his misdirection ends up in lives being lost.