An Olympic Shabbat To All

Because of DSL issues (the current theory being that a hungry possum raccoon has chewed through the outside cable – a real possibility here in the quasi-wilderness of NoCal) and the rush to get Shabbat prepared before the Torino opening ceremonies, the Yenta’s have a stressball of a day.

Not that I’m so much a huge sports fan, but I just love watching the moment when the torch lights up after travelling all that way — it’s a moment when the world seems like a bunch of teams in the same league.

chait and sakhnovkiAfter that, though, I pretty much lose interest. According to the guys at work, all I care about is the figure skating competition, since I’m a girl.

“Nuh-uh!” I protest. “There’s that hot redneck ski guy who was on the cover of Newsweek last week!” But he’s not Jewish, so fuhgeddaboudit.

So right, fine, all I care about is figure skating. Who to root for: Israeli duos (ha ha, due duos — and I thought my remedial italiano was useless) Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovsky and brother/sister team Igor and Lena Zaretski.

Other Jewishy Olympic tidbits:

The dome-and-spire symbol of Torino (or Turin, the same spot where that famous shroud lives) was originally conceived to be a synagogue.

And should not enough powder fall from the sky to accomodate the sports, it’s an Israeli snow-making company that will save the day.

So Shabbat Shalom and happy armchair athletics to all — it doesn’t violate Shabbos if you watch TV at someone else’s house … right?

*Photo of Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovsky c/o Spotlight on Skating.

Update: A more complete “Yids to Root For” list from Bangitout Blog.

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