Save him from execution!

Martin at his Bar Mitzvah

We need your help today to save the life of Martin Grossman who is set to be executed on February 16th. We are only advocating that he not get the death penalty at this time. We are asking that the Governor take the time to hold a proper clemency hearing to determine if the Death Penalty is really appropriate in this case. This may not be easy for you to go out of your way to try and save the life of someone who took someone else’s life but we must do what is just and right and what the Torah teaches us is correct. Prominent Rabbis have ruled that every Jew has the responsibility to save this man’s life. Please sign the petition at the end of this story.

the funk is creeping back :(

My River Rollin Weekend at Golani's (yeah!!)

Ahh twas so stupendous.
So warm, so funny, so nostalgic, so deep, so cozy, so silly, so friendly, so random, so familiar, so battlesome and so peaceful. Just so peaceful.
Peaceful and perfect.

The tone was set even before I got there--just driving in my new car made me feel like a different person :)

Walking through the door, I was slightly overwhelmed by Yossi's friendliness and interest. Tried to make myself invisible, naturally.
I was honestly a tad irritated by Golani's insistence on keeping the identity of the guests a secret but the bukser tree story was so hysterically funny, it balanced it out ;)

Chava'le, Hillel, Golani, Yossi, Shua, Shoter, Singer and Chavi.
A cooler bunch, you won't find.
Ok fine, if Rachel (and Co) was there, it woulda notched up the coolness.

How mishug was it when the big bro walked in!? Just like that..! -shakes head, grinning-

It's a bit awkward to write now, actually, cuz Blondie may read this really soon. Additionally, tis one of the first times I'm writin bout real people. Too, the mum reads this. Hmmm.

So the meal progressed with all the ad-jay-ktivs listed above. Shoter made me n Golani laugh with every comment of his. The singer was..the singer. No, no she didn't sing. But she was herself. (heehee)

Lotsa food and for thought. Ashreinu Mah Tov Chelkeinu, was my thought. Sai the yiddishkeit, sai the frumkeit, sai the chassidishkeit. Sai altz. Just so glad, so appreciative to have been given this gift. Along with the battles of course. After all-someone's gotta discover the treasures on the dark path. And more than that, someone's gotta forge new paths for the trekkers behind.

Very reminiscent, afterward, of that first Shabbos, that friday night with shvester pete and I on the floor by the wall, covered in blankets (me wearin the red n orange n black plaid skirt with the black turtleneck), attempting to high-five and gettin filibustered on the way, the exchange of brains n souls, wit n confidence (only the confidence made its appearance, the confusion was definitely in attendance but it chose to hide), old and young. Awesomeness. An awesomeness that affected me majorly and for a looooong time. In an awesome way and at times, frankly, in a not so awesome way.

Anyhooo, glad I woke up on time Shabbat morning. Hello M family. Yes, I heard you asking about me from the other room.

I like that part of town.

So funny to be in Shul. I was like four different characters at once. Weeeird. But not in a bad way. "I really like your skirt".

RIP OFF THE SKIRT, AT LAST!!

To sit, to talk, to eat, to share, to listen, to laugh, to read, to sleep, to pray. (Always praying??)

(L'mafreah, good to know the hole did indeed go unnoticed.)

The "when can we talk?" was miraculous. The new friendship was. Is.

Mini-thrill to drive up to Nestle Crunch (minus the sugar). All that detective work to get the address, last time. Heehee. Dina was completely not scary (yes dear, I too was a bit nervous). Kids all listened/liked. Finally got to chat with Shvester #3's kids in Spanish. LOLL Was gonna make a remark to the 5 year old bout adult Jewish music but couldn't think of a subtle way that would be understood quick enough, before the dad would return.

On the subject of adult Jewish music:

My Friend Accidentally Sings Songs with Stranger-Boys at Red Lights.

Uh huh. (big grin)

That scores plenny-a points...mostly cuz we also have the dork/nerd scale with us at all times. Like it's not cool if your cool. It's cool when you're not. So we rocked. Or rather, we rolled.

Rollin, rollin, rollin on the riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiver.

-End Scene-

Difference Between 1am and 4am

There is one.
And it's high time I start acknowledging it by respecting it.

Assistance Needed on Flight to Israel

Mom with 2 kids is planning a trip to Israel (exact dates unknown as of yet). Looking for individual to assist with the kids on the plane. Specifically, the person will need to hold one of the kids on their lap for the trip. Compensation is available for this wonderful deed. So, if you or someone you know is travelling to Israel in the near future, please email jrfleisher@gmail.com asap with details of your itinerary. Thanks! Rachel Fleisher

The Previous Rebbe Writing In His Diary (photo)

Shliach: OY, NAV!.....Us: WAWY!

Hesitant to ask Chabad to participate in another vote, Rabbi Yossi Rubin from Clifton Park, NY however, does want to win that $5000 that Berkshire Bank is itching to give away.

So though he fears your reaction will be "Oy, not another vote!", we reassure him that "we are with you!" and we go vote and fill in Maimonides School as the school name and 404 Partridge St, Albany NY 12208 as the address.

Yayy! Easy mitzvah :)

hasinut diplomatit

its proteckshion from the low
(something)

Israelis in Haiti & Chase Community Giving

The two things takin up most of my inbox this week.
After the holy Shabbat, I will G-d willing and bli neder and all those things, finally post the videos that are running around and I've saved where you see all the Hebrews running around and saving the world.

BP & FC

So I was driving along in the rain and I saw a blond young man trudging through the puddles in a confident sorta way and I thought 'Hey that looks like Brad Pitt. Imagine I gave him a ride, we'd start talking and then I could ask him to get his billion fans to vote for Friendship Circle!'

By the time most of you read this, the contest will be over and we'll have won the million bucks even without his help.

hey i need a favor (TODAY!)

I would like to ask you to do a big favor and also a big Mitzvah at the same time.
Chase (the bank) is giving away big bucks this week in an online voting contest through Facebook. They have selected a group of charities and now it is up to Facebook users to vote on which of these charities gets the money. The organization with the most votes gets $1 million dollars.

There is only one Jewish charity that made the final list. This charity is called The Friendship Circle and is a Chabad affiliated charity that provides assistance and support to families of children with special needs.

If you are on Facebook please go to www.VoteFC.com where you can link into their Facebook page for the vote.

PS- If you don't have Facebook, don't bother trying to make one, it's too complicated... just forward this message to all your friends and call it a day :)

Freeze at the Detroit Pistons

This is awesomeness in it's ultimate state.
Makes me feel like I should be more proactive about getting people to vote.

Pinning Back My Bangs

Sometimes it's the smallest of actions that can make the biggest of differences. (Ask the shooting panda for references).

Last post was NOT about Jewish girls marrying Arabs r'l (yes Rachel, I'll take that frummy badge and pin it on proudly. Ye, proudly, J/S). I did read an article last week, though, bout a woman who finally had the chance to flee, with her kids, from her abusive Arabic husband. Thanks to Yad L'Achim, she can now continue her life surrounded by Jews. These stories wow me to no end. And especially how one of the soldiers by the Erez Crossing, where she escaped through, says that he donates to Yad L'Achim and feels privileged to have been involved now. (I wrote about another one of these stories last year, and last month I actually read a followup of it!)
Talkin bout Erez Crossing, I think that's where we did our Yom Ha'Atzmaut BarBQ. Wow what a memory. I have some fantastic photos from that day. Son, see our temunois/mesula exchange. Heehee.
Oy Mesula. Whatta mishugeneh I am. Mixing up Yossi and Eliram. LOLLLLLL.

So, the post. And my blog.
I constantly alternate between these two approaches that Robert Frost summarizes. But I also confuse myself with my intense desire to be heard and understood.
Today, reading Ruti's comment, I got it.
The difference in desire and choice depends with whom this communication is taking place.
With some, I want and need to be understood down to the italics and spaces in my brain.
With others, I'm content and even prefer to be understood wrong :)

Where Have You Gone, My Dear Friend?

Where have you gone, my dear friend?
Where have you gone, my sister, my child?

Oh!

One, we were.
One, we are.
One, we will always be.

hugs and frowns
tears and giggles
shouts and chases
thoughts and spaces

we.shared.all

Where have you gone, my dear friend?
Where have you gone, my sister, my child?

Most importantly,
When are you coming back?

uh-oh

Friendship Circle, with 5550 votes, is number 9 on the list. The top of the list has 17,252 votes. That's a lot more votes that we need in order to help FC get their million dollars from Chase.
SPREAD THE WORDDD!!!

a million bucks!

for friendship circle, if they get enough votes.
it's easy shmeasy, please do it!
(do it every day from jan 15-20)

23 minutes to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

"How many siblings does er did she have?"

הוא היה
מכל המילים שיצאו מגדרן
בימים של גאון ויגון ותקווה
שתי מילים יש פשוטות, איומות מכולן
שתי מילים נוראות "הוא היה".

הוא היה נער חמד
הוא היה מתולתל
הוא היה משחק כדור רגל וסל
אבל כשאמרו לו לצאת ‟ הוא יצא
ועכשיו, הוא היה, הוא היה.

הוא היה לסיירת הלב הרוטט
עד נשק למדבר ועוד אין לו י"ט
מבאר החיים לא שתה לרוויה
ועכשיו, הוא היה, הוא היה.

מול אש ועופרת הנער צעד
ולנגה האש את בריתנו כרת
כך הופכים נערים כמותו אגדה
ועכשיו, הוא היה, הוא היה.

מכל המילים שיצאו מגדרן
בימים של גאון ויגון ותקווה
שתי מילים יש פשוטות, איומות מכולן
שתי מילים נוראות "הוא היה"

שלישיית גשר הירקון/מילים: יחיאל מוהר/לחן: דובי זלצר/קיים ביצוע נוסף לשיר זה
:
בי