This chapter is well written with a lot of threads starting to show up - how things are connected I guess you'll reveal in the rest of the story. But maybe some back story would also be good - it looks like Tony is being sent in undercover ice cold, with virtually no understanding of the culture he is being asked to blend in with. And with Ziva snapping at him all the time, who is supposed to coach him on how to behave? Or do the normal studying and pre-mission prep work with? If they've been stood up it would be good for the reader to know.

Poor Tony. Interesting chapter. Can't wait for more.

I learn so much about Jewish culture reading your writings. Tony might get annoyed by all the restraints of the custom, but I love that he's trying for Ziva's sake.

Ziva seems to get short with Tony rather easily though. :/ Possibly because everything is still fresh with her father's death and she probably didn't expect having to go back so fast, for a case no less.

I'm nervous with Tony's apprehension at the end. Hopefully they won't get into any danger.

I'm still loving this and was so happy to see the update. It's a very intricate, vivid picture of Jerusalem, and so well-written. Please update soon.

I really like this. Good to see them out of the element, and Tony is acting as I imagine he would when faced with all the customs. Looking forward to seeing where this is headed.

It's so good to see an update. I'm loving this story more and more - it's cool to see Tony and Ziva in such a different setting - although some of things that happen in this story make me as angry as Tony (and probably as confused). But then, I have my own issues with shuls that don't allow women on the bimah. I can't wait to read more!

Wait WHAT? You finally update and don't tell me? I'm offended! (Huffs and crosses arms.. and tries hard not to glare cause that'll hurt my head..)

Eat a cheeseburger? Guess I wasn't too far off when I asked if he'd gone looking for one yet :D

Ooh.. this IS quite different from the 'first draft' or whatever you sent me.. It DOES seem to flow better! :) (I missed the whole Ziva rambling about stuff that let us all completely lost - well except those like YOU, who understand it, of course :P - .. but you made up for it by having Leibel take over that part (ish - not AS much. hehe) instead! :)

Ooh! Angry Ziva! But YAY! Im actually really happy she did that! Tony DID have it coming! :P (Would've liked to see how all those people in the street react to that.. haha... her shoving him to the ground :P)

"So he was on his way to like, keeping kosher and stuff?" .. hmm.. I know she's currently reacting to everything a bit more strongly than usual.. but I still totally get her frustration at Tony... This isn't even that bad, but it's like it still kinda shows how he doesn't take it all that serious :/ .. Or maybe I'm just WAY off.. haha! :D
Pfft! An then HE gets mad? (I know it's not about her saying something to help get info etc.. He'd have no problem doing the same if he needed to on any other case..) Is he just THAT MUCH against that culture or is it like a mix of just being frustrated himself and needing an outlet and maybe not liking the idea that Ziva's grown up in a culture like that? Hmm...

I BET Tony is proud of understanding.. must be so very frustrating being stuck in a situation like theirs and be completely lost.. new culture, a language that doesn't gat translated a lot (cause even ZIVA uses the original terms rather than translate them into english).. I guess it only makes sense for hm to be.. tense or irritable or something...

Ooh! Love their little showdown! :)
Doesn't wanna go to Mossad, huh? Don't blame her.. that place must hold so many memories, and I doubt most of them are good ones :/ (not necessarily from the BUILDING... just in general... it's a part of her life she thought was OVER after all..)

Aww.. no pictures f her mom :(
Loved that little scene, though... and it gave them (and us) a few moments away from the frustrations etc :P

Yes! Finally! A real conversation in which they talked about.. well.. what bothered them or something? I THINK you know what I mean! haha :P ... even if it wasn't all deep and all, I think it was still really good for them to at least.. acknowledge it to each other or... Oh well.. no clue how to explain it! :)

Uh oh... pictures of them? doubt that's good... :/ But they were there when Ziva told him he was gonna go, right? So wouldn't 'yarmulke' know there was a chance of getting seen by Tony? (I'd say maybe he's 'helping' them... but I really don't believe that!)

Haha! Ninja Ziva right there when he needs her :P (I'm not sure what I love the most... the way Ziva just assimilates to the 'rules' or the way Tony eagerly protests them.. hehe)

HAHAHA! Patrami sandwich! I'd say Ziva was psychic or knew him really REALLY well... but I guess he DID mention them that same morning! :)

Oooh! loved the whole last scene too! I mean, yes, Tony is learning stuff... but we are too! Dunno about everyone else reading this, but I'm JUST as clueless as him with all of this stuff! hehe
And the ending.. uh oh! o.O Can't wait to see where you're going with this!

loved it loved it LOVED IT! Cause Im SURE you didnt figure that out already.. :P

And I hate to say this.. but yes, this was MUCH better and more flowy etc that the other stuff... (which I STILL loved... but yes, GO YOU! You definitely gave it a very good upgrade! :D)

(And sorry for all my rambliness.. and probably missed most of the important parts.. but hey! You can't blame me.. concussion and all!... which is starting to hurt quite bad again.. I need to get away from computer again, I think.. and DID read this over many small time intervals... so you cant get mad at me for not staying away from the screen/reading! :P)

this is amazing! you capture the characters so well and have a very interesting storyline. please update soon!

Sorry.
For some reason I read chapter 2 first.
Why?
I DO NOT KNOW.

But this is an excellent start to the story and chapter 2 just whetted my appetite further.

Please could I have some more?

Good start.

And very informative.
I love being inside the yeshiva!

More please.

What a happy surprise to find this story updated! I've been eagerly awaiting the next chapter. I just love the care you've taken to make this so detailed (as you do with all your stories). I really like how clearly Tony's emotions, tiredness, confusion and frustration with the case and the culture come across here. Looking forward to the next chapter...whenever it appears! :)

What a lovely surprise! I had to read it a few times to make sure I absorbed everything- because even though it's sparser than your other stories, it's more complex and layered. Because you have to read between the lines- because what's not said is almost as important as what is. But I'm loving it! I'm worried about Ziva, and that Yalmuke is going to hurt her, and that maybe Zellers murder was more complicated than we thought. My heart hurt when the woman slapped Zivas shoulder, and when she said she didn't have any pictures of her mother. Something about the Mossad agents handling her mothers jewlery makes me feel a little ill- like they don't know what they're holding. And victim blaming. The thing that makes me angriest. Tony's overwhelmed by it all, but he sure is holding his own.
Fabulous work, as usual. More soon? Xoxoxo

This was amazing, I loved it! Please update soon. I love all the descriptions and the explanations that make the story real.

Sooo.. I'm trying to follow all this, I really am but this had me really confused: " God must remind us all the time that we are made b'tzelem elokim—in his image! "
Doesn't elokim mean God?

I think this is a little too confusing for some of us... like me... I love the writing and the plot and all, but I read in a foreign language about a foreign language, not impossible but difficult. I know very little Hebrew, most of it from trying to read the bible in its oltldest form, but I never came very far.

I cannot understand many things and this is so interesting to me! I would love to learn about what those people teach, their reasons! You make that possible, but inaccessible for me...

Nevertheless, I love this story! It is so different from everything else I've read on here. In a good way.

Please keep this story going. Seeing Ziva in Israel and following the customs is very interesting