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Chicago would be amazing for me, as my family lives there already and I could easily just live with my grandparents or something for a bit! And I know a lot of that area, as we go there lots and lots of times a year. But, haven't explored too much besides where family lives, so there's a lot I'd love to do there.

If it's on the East Coast, probably the only place I might conceivably go to in the next few years is Boston, as I really would like to visit my friend there.


And Neuf, that might be hard to kick with. xd Chicago eliminates that problem, as I could just drive there with my family- it's 5-7 hours from where I live.

I've always wanted to go to Chicago, but my mother tells me it gets so hot their during summer you can hardly move. However, there is Lollapalooza, and Matisyahu was there last year, and I almost got to go, but didn't. sad

But to Cindy, I can certainly understand being intimidated by big cities, but New York City has apparently gotten a lot better than what it was. I would be more scared of Atlanta, personally.

Well my vote is before the heat gets TOO opressive. Late May or early June. That would probably be best vacation wise/heat wise anywhere we go...

ok, I think we should decide on city, but what makes one better than the other. We have guild reps in major cities with different jewish neighborhoods.

I think we should start calling hotels and finding out rates on a TENATIVE DATE of Wednesday August 15 to Sunday August 19th.

WHy these days? why not, unless there's a major conflict, and I would like to what our guild rep has for shabbat service for the solo acts who struggle to observe in an opressive realm of "you can't be serious, you're not that kinda jew!" so yeah Shabbat and Havdallah would be nifty I think on the trip.

Plus that gives us a day to all get there, (wednesday) a day for shopping (thursday) and a day of Travel (sunday)

oh wow, this is actually sounding like a feasable plan!

I couldn't possibly host Shabbos in my tiny apartment, but I could very easily drum up places for people to go if they'd like. (I live in a studio apartment in someone's basement - me and my cat are a tight fit in here, and I don't even have a kitchen table or anyplace for anyone to sit. lol )

I know a rabbi who moderates an online mailing list for Orthodox conversion discussion and he's awesome for that kind of thing, as is the rabbi from my old shul who works with gerim and BTs all the time.. I'm also involved with Ohr Naava Women's Torah Center as well as a group called Horeini and they love to help people find Shabbos hospitality. This is how I always have somewhere to go if I want to. 3nodding

Actually, really, anyone who comes to NYC ever is more than welcome to contact me for help finding a place to have Shabbos. 3nodding It's totally something you should be able to do with a religious family if you get the chance.

Hee hee hee. Yeah, we might. And then you'll tell me what I'm doing wrong, and we'll laugh at that, too. There are as many Judaisms as there are Jews.

I'm thinking we may want to avoid holidays, actually, because there are those among us (me) who stay by their families and do home-togetherness things on those days, even if work is permitted.

Saturday, the Jewish restaurants and shops will be closed, but we could all check out a couple of different synagogues. I can think of several Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox shuls -- modern and otherwise -- that might be nice places for all of us. Then we can sit and talk about them, answer one another's questions, and just chill out. Either the following week or the week before (depending on whether Shabbat is closer to the beginning or the end of everyone's visits), we can go to shops and restaurants, maybe attend a daily prayer session here or there (those would be Orthodox, for the most part, though a couple of Conservative synagogues meet for the morning prayers; I can't think of a non-Orthodox synagogue that meets for prayers in afternoon or evening). And I'll see if I can bring a tour group to one of the mikvahs I know, and we can talk about the mikvah experience, how it's different for men and for women, and so on.

And, of course, we'll also want to look at some stuff that's not specifically Jewish, such as museums, or boat tours of the city (though those can be expensive, like $25 to $40 per person).

That is, if we do Chicago. If we do somewhere else, the people who live there should be the ones to play tour guide. As some folks have noted, Chicago's so hot that hell (if there was a place such as hell) isn't going to impress me much. It's actually extremely nice throughout May and June, unless something weird happens and we get a late cold snap or an early heat wave; this year it didn't get above 80 degrees at all until... today. But even if it does get that hot, that gives great opportunities for bringing less luggage, too, because lightweight summer clothing is so much smaller to pack than heavy winter stuff. Just, no matter where we meet up, make sure everyone brings at least one "modest" outfit -- covering the arms to the elbows, the legs to the knees, and the chest up to the collarbone -- for attending synagogues during the week, and a slightly nicer one for Shabbat. Even in Reform synagogues, where it's a bit more casual, one should show proper respect for the Torah that will be read there. (Hey, if I can wear long sleeves and skirts in 100+ weather, you guys can take it, I promise!)

I haven't been to the Jewish areas of New York, and I haven't seen Boston at all, but I hear those are excellent places to go. I'd love to see those places. Especially if we can make it from, say, a Sunday to the following Sunday or Monday, or from a Wednesday to a Wednesday. That way we'll get a Shabbat in, but no one will have to travel on Shabbat or scramble to find Shabbat accommodations on a Friday at an hour till sundown.

My building has one hospitality suite with two bedrooms and one bathroom. It's $99 a night, but four people could easily stay there. There is also a smaller hotel within walking distance of my apartment building, and their prices are pretty reasonable, according to a couple I know who stayed there when they visited me about three years ago. Unfortunately my apartment is too small to fit even one visitor, but if everyone's within walking distance of my apartment, I could get us all together for a casual, festive Shabbat meal. Also, if I have enough notice, I can ask people at my synagogue if they can host various folks for Shabbat. OR, if you all stay up in the really Jewish neighborhood (which I do recommend, and if people are interested in that instead, I'll look for some likely hotels), we can all meet together there. I actually recommend that if people come to Chicago, stay within walking distance of my place in order to make Shabbat together, and we can just take the bus up to the Jewish area for shopping and restaurants.

Wherever we go, though, let's not do it this year. Let's wait until next spring/summer. First of all, I selfishly want to get to be there, and I can't do it on the dates LordNeuf has suggested because I'm going on a cruise to the Caribbean, and yes, now you all totally want to be me. wink Second, meeting next year will give us all time to schedule vacation days from work, save up money for transportation and hotels and expenses, and make sure that the minors can get parents to come with them. NO MINOR should come alone. Please. You should never, ever meet online strangers alone, no matter how well you think you know them, especially if you're young and smart and strong.

I live in England, and I'm pretty poor, so I guess I'm out of the running for this meet-up.

Have a great time, everyone! <3