Horde -- Thundering, not Mongol: A Meandering Ponderance

[gnomi]

I spent a year in Israel between graduating high school and starting college. I was on Young Judaea's Year Course, which meant that I was with a mixed group of folks from around the US plus (I think) 6 from the UK (members of FZY -- that's "Eff-Zed-Why" for those of you playing the home game -- a "sister organization" to YJ). The majority of these folks I hadn't met prior to being in Israel, though a couple I'd known from camp or from being in the same YJ region with them. And I'd talk to my parents on Sundays, usually ending our conversations with an overview of what I might do that evening.

"I donno," I'd say. "I'm probably going out with the thundering horde, go to the Midrachov (a pedestrian mall in Jerusalem)."

Thus, "the thundering horde" became what I called any sufficiently large group of friends. The composition of this horde changed on a regular basis, but the name became shorthand for "a group of folks, I can't say exactly who."

Flash forward to my sophomore year in college. I had met mabfan and he had introduced me to 530nm330hz and introverte. In turn, I had introduced all of them to vettecat. After not very long, it became traditional for mabfan, 530nm330hz, introverte, and me to spend Shabbat meals together. And then it became traditional for us to do something Motz'ai Shabbat together. And I would call my parents (usually from 530nm330hz's apartment) to let them know not to look for me at my place until late. Conversations would go something like this:

Me: "Gut voch. Just calling to say I'm going out with the thundering horde tonight."

Them: "OK, tell them hi for us."

At some point, one of the other 4 folks overheard me use the phrase "The thundering horde" and thought it made a good name for us. So the 5 of us became The Thundering Horde. And over time, more folks joined the Horde. The five of us were the "Horde Core," and others joined the Horde over the years. We even had a mailing list for whatever weirdness was appropriate for the Horde. The Horde over the years staged outings to movies, bookstores, museums, and lots else.

The Horde has changed over the years, with people moving in and out of the area. Some Hordesters have produced Hordelings. And now almost all of the original Horde is here on LJ.

So I give a collective wave to the Horde. You've all made my life richer, and I thank you all.

Comments

[cicirossi.livejournal.com]

almost totally unrelatedly this reminds me of a button I had in college that said "Rampaging Anarchist Horde and Floating Beer Party"

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Hee!

We were a Rampaging Horde, to be sure. Floating Beer Party, not so much (I cannot drink; most of my friends drink only occasionally or not at all). We celebrated my 21st birthday with a party that included no alcohol (but, if I recall correctly, much chocolate).

[cicirossi.livejournal.com]

lol. That's okay. I drank enough for me and you both!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Hee!

We have a concept in Judaism of being able to appoint an emissary or an agent to perform certain acts on our behalf (the Hebrew term for this is "Yotzai." So I am yotzai on what they do). And my family has extended this to non-religious tasks, as well. For instance, I ask my mother if I can be yotzai on her nap, as she might have the time for a nap while I'm in the office.

Perhaps I can, in retrospect, be yotzai on your drinking? :-)

[twitch124.livejournal.com]

"Horde Core" is a great turn of phrase.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I cannot remember which one of us coined it. It may very well have been me. But given all of the Core's proclivity for wordplay, it could've been any of us.

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

My sister went on Year Course. I could not, due to scholarship issues. When were you there?

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I went 1989-90; my sister (beckyfeld) went on Year Course 1985-86.

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

I think you were on Year Course with my sister! Does the last name "Zohar" ring any bells?

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

It does. Was she in Jerusalem first or on Kibbutz first?

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

I don't remember. I'll e-mail her. Too funny!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

My maiden name was Pearlman.

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

She remembers you from MH as well as Year Course, and just asked me what you were up to and how I knew you.

The world of the Zohar family is small indeed! :-)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Oh! She was in my MH!

I likely have photos of her in my parents' house, then. :-)

Small world, indeed.

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

And yes, she looks - and thinks - NOTHING like me. She is now a successful television producer in Manhattan, with expensive stilletto heels and power lunches, looking for a strong, sane mensch who likes strong, smart, successful women. She rents a house on the Jersey shore with other girlfriends each summer, has her nails done at least weekly, keeps her cellphone surgically attached to her ear, and could be on Sex in the City if she were anorexic. There isn't a fannish bone in her body.

Me? I cancelled my cable TV, and haven't worn heels in so long that I'd probably end up sprawled on the ground if I tried.

It's sometimes astonishing to think we are sisters.

Wait - she remembers you as being very sweet. I guess there's one thing my sister and I agree about. :-)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

You're both very kind. Please send her my regards.

My sister and I are alike in many ways. Sometimes frighteningly so. But we have our differences, too. Which is a good thing.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

And on further thought, it's completely possible she knows my sort-of cousin, Gail Barringer, who is also a TV producer in Manhattan.

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

No, she doesn't know her. But she figures that they'll run into one another professionally eventually. I guess the glass ceiling has a rather Darwinian effect on women in that field. :-/

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Mm, yeah. I can see that.

Gail started out as the staff accountant at L&O: SVU and over the years got moved into being a producer. But I really don't know where she could move up any further with the L&O folks. She'd probably have to move latterally at this point.

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

Kibbutz first. She was (and is) one of those freckle-faced snub-nose cute sort of women who get proofed for ID until they turn 30. What was your maiden name?

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I was J'lem first, so we were on different sections. But it's possible we knew each other anyway, since the two sections intermingled periodically.

And Pearlman.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

It is rather cool that the Horde has been reunited in cyberspace! (I always thought your mom named us - I must have misremembered.) It's been way too long since we had a Thundering, but everyone's so busy these days. I do fondly remember that leapfrogged five-way phone call when we were all trying to decide when and where to meet one Sunday afternoon, in the days before cell phones... :-)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I remember that! If I recall correctly, you and I each had 3-way calling, and introverte and 530nm33hz were collocated and could each pick up an extension. It was not so great, signal-quality-wise, but it really cut down on the planning time.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

I think you're right... I knew you called mabfan and I called 530nm33hz, I didn't remember whether he then called introverte but she could very well have been there on an extension. That would make sense.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Wel. I'm not sure what to say except a shout out right back atcha. (Did I get the hip slang right? :-)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Yup. You're down with that hip slang! :-)

[introverte.livejournal.com]

Word.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Number.