Number Seven

I’m author number seven out of the eighteen who have written stories for Dark London, the new anthology to be published by Darkstroke.

I’ve long thought of my lucky number as twenty-five. Why?

• I was born on 25th August.
• The house I grew up in was at number 75 (25 x 3).
• I came to live in Israel on 25th October.
• When I was 25, I lived at number 25.

However, seven is a rather special number in Judaism because:

• The menorah (the 7-branched candelabrum) has been a symbol for Judaism for about 3000 years.
• The festival of Sukkoth, which involves eating (and sometimes sleeping) in booths, as a reminder of the years when the Israelites wandered through the desert, lasts for 7 days.
• Simchat Torah, the Rejoicing of the Torah, includes parading around the synagogue 7 times.
• The wedding ceremony includes 7 blessings.
• The festival of Shavuot, commemorating the receiving of the Torah, is celebrated 7 weeks after Passover, which commemorates the exodus from Egypt.
• The shivah, the period of mourning, lasts for 7 days.

I couldn’t be author #25 because there aren’t 25 authors in the anthology, but I’m happy to be #7, and I imagine one of the characters in my short story is, too.

Publication will be this summer. I’m excited!