Every time I stay up the whole night, I think back to the first time I did it, in חברון. Truthfully, I think the first time I stayed up a whole night was in New Orleans but that one doesn't count cuz I dozed off for a good few minutes sometime near the morning and cuz I was stam up but not really wide awake. In חברון, I was wide awake. And much took place. But let's leave that aside for the moment. The moment that stays strongest is hearing the wake up calls of the chickens. Seeing the sky complete change realities as I stayed the same. Ah, incredible.
I miss חברון.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
And Still, I Burn To Return (to EretzYisroel)
A typical happening in Israel (that I just read at Treppenwitz's blog):
I was standing at the entrance to Kiryat Arba waiting for the bus that would take me to Beer Sheva (Zahava had the car), when a late model SUV pulled up and let off a 20-something woman at the bus stop.
The woman was dressed in loose slacks, a pretty blouse and sweater, and had her dark hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail. At her feet sat an overstuffed soft-sided suitcase, and in her arms she held a baby blanket and a bottle filled with milk or formula.
This seemed odd... baby blanket, baby bottle... but no baby.
But then I spotted the car that had dropped her off idling nearby, and as our bus approached, an older man (perhaps in his 40s) emerged from the car with a baby and handed the child to the woman. Mystery solved. Since it was cold outside, they had simply left the baby inside the warm car until the last possible moment. Responsible parents.
But as I was watching the man pass the baby to the woman, the blanket slipped from her arm and landed by her suitcase. But for this small slip I would never have noticed that there was a luggage identification tag on the handle... written in Arabic. And on the suitcase itself I noticed there were a few more Arabic words written in magic marker.
I should pause here to point out that once upon a time it was commonplace to see Arabs riding Israeli buses and Jews riding the Arab bus lines. If you were in a hurry and a bus came along you simply took whatever bus passed. Likewise Jews and Arabs shopped freely in one another's communities and stores, meaning there was significant economic overlap.
However, this isn't to say that there was much social interaction. There wasn't.
Of course there were exceptional cases of Jewish and Arab families becoming close because of work or proximity... to the point where they invited each other to family celebrations and such. But for the most part, the relationship was one of economic convenience rather than affection (by any stretch of the imagination).
So back to this woman boarding the same bus that I was about to take to Beer Sheva... a bus with bulletproof windows and armor plating on the sides, roof and floor against a very real external threat. Now here was a potential internal threat... against which none of that armor would help!
A moment before I had looked at this woman and seen only a caring mother who loved her baby so much, she had asked her husband (or some other relative or friend) to wait with the car so the infant wouldn't be out in the cold. Now all I could see was a potential suicide bomber with the perfect cover.
Apparently I wasn't the only one who had noticed the Arabic writing on the suitcase. Nobody was saying anything, but when the woman asked the driver to open the luggage compartment, her Arabic-accented Hebrew caught the attention of everyone nearby. Suddenly this woman had become the object of silent but intense scrutiny from a bunch of Israelis who would otherwise have been pushing one another out of the way to get on the bus.
A young soldier with the insignia of an elite infantry unit on his shoulder saw that the woman was having trouble juggling the baby and her suitcase, so as she was speaking to the driver, he deftly took her suitcase and carried it towards the storage compartment that was now opening on the side of the bus.
Under other circumstances, his gesture would have seemed polite... chivalrous, even. But as he got on the bus and flashed his ID to the driver (soldiers ride free in uniform, but they need to show their army card), he leaned in close enough not to be heard by anyone but the driver (and the person behind him; me) and said, "It was too light to be problematic."
The driver, who had certainly heard the woman's accent, nodded and visibly relaxed. The people at the front of the bus who had watched the exchange between the soldier and the driver (without hearing it), also visibly relaxed once they saw the driver's posture change back to one of 'business as usual'.
The only person who seemed unaware of the scrutiny and discussion was the Arab woman who was now seated about halfway back on the left side... fussing with her baby.
I was standing at the entrance to Kiryat Arba waiting for the bus that would take me to Beer Sheva (Zahava had the car), when a late model SUV pulled up and let off a 20-something woman at the bus stop.
The woman was dressed in loose slacks, a pretty blouse and sweater, and had her dark hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail. At her feet sat an overstuffed soft-sided suitcase, and in her arms she held a baby blanket and a bottle filled with milk or formula.
This seemed odd... baby blanket, baby bottle... but no baby.
But then I spotted the car that had dropped her off idling nearby, and as our bus approached, an older man (perhaps in his 40s) emerged from the car with a baby and handed the child to the woman. Mystery solved. Since it was cold outside, they had simply left the baby inside the warm car until the last possible moment. Responsible parents.
But as I was watching the man pass the baby to the woman, the blanket slipped from her arm and landed by her suitcase. But for this small slip I would never have noticed that there was a luggage identification tag on the handle... written in Arabic. And on the suitcase itself I noticed there were a few more Arabic words written in magic marker.
I should pause here to point out that once upon a time it was commonplace to see Arabs riding Israeli buses and Jews riding the Arab bus lines. If you were in a hurry and a bus came along you simply took whatever bus passed. Likewise Jews and Arabs shopped freely in one another's communities and stores, meaning there was significant economic overlap.
However, this isn't to say that there was much social interaction. There wasn't.
Of course there were exceptional cases of Jewish and Arab families becoming close because of work or proximity... to the point where they invited each other to family celebrations and such. But for the most part, the relationship was one of economic convenience rather than affection (by any stretch of the imagination).
So back to this woman boarding the same bus that I was about to take to Beer Sheva... a bus with bulletproof windows and armor plating on the sides, roof and floor against a very real external threat. Now here was a potential internal threat... against which none of that armor would help!
A moment before I had looked at this woman and seen only a caring mother who loved her baby so much, she had asked her husband (or some other relative or friend) to wait with the car so the infant wouldn't be out in the cold. Now all I could see was a potential suicide bomber with the perfect cover.
Apparently I wasn't the only one who had noticed the Arabic writing on the suitcase. Nobody was saying anything, but when the woman asked the driver to open the luggage compartment, her Arabic-accented Hebrew caught the attention of everyone nearby. Suddenly this woman had become the object of silent but intense scrutiny from a bunch of Israelis who would otherwise have been pushing one another out of the way to get on the bus.
A young soldier with the insignia of an elite infantry unit on his shoulder saw that the woman was having trouble juggling the baby and her suitcase, so as she was speaking to the driver, he deftly took her suitcase and carried it towards the storage compartment that was now opening on the side of the bus.
Under other circumstances, his gesture would have seemed polite... chivalrous, even. But as he got on the bus and flashed his ID to the driver (soldiers ride free in uniform, but they need to show their army card), he leaned in close enough not to be heard by anyone but the driver (and the person behind him; me) and said, "It was too light to be problematic."
The driver, who had certainly heard the woman's accent, nodded and visibly relaxed. The people at the front of the bus who had watched the exchange between the soldier and the driver (without hearing it), also visibly relaxed once they saw the driver's posture change back to one of 'business as usual'.
The only person who seemed unaware of the scrutiny and discussion was the Arab woman who was now seated about halfway back on the left side... fussing with her baby.
My Sister From A Different Mother
Alright, so Abraham said it first, but yo--"maaseh avot siman l'banim".
And so, I too, have a sister from a different mother that I'd like to marry.
My beautiful, awesome, funny, hardworking, talented, honest, zany, intelligent and more, sister.
(Bet you don't know many "and more" kinda folk.)
Can it get any better than working for siblings even when on different continents?
Do stronger bonds exist over the ones we share, us two marketplace maids, whispering heatedly about our employers as well as our fellow employees?
Our outstanding mutual admiration is hard to be believed.
We are truly sisters.
And so, I too, have a sister from a different mother that I'd like to marry.
My beautiful, awesome, funny, hardworking, talented, honest, zany, intelligent and more, sister.
(Bet you don't know many "and more" kinda folk.)
Can it get any better than working for siblings even when on different continents?
Do stronger bonds exist over the ones we share, us two marketplace maids, whispering heatedly about our employers as well as our fellow employees?
Our outstanding mutual admiration is hard to be believed.
We are truly sisters.
Táamu U'reu Ki Toiv Haveieh
Oof to see his name there by her cousin-- ;(
But, not that you can use it on someone else, the title of this post does say the Eibershter is gut...
But, not that you can use it on someone else, the title of this post does say the Eibershter is gut...
Piano Stairs!
See, if more people would be spending their time, energy and resources on projects such as these instead of brain-cell zapping video games, the world and its inhabitants would be much much better off!
00:11
See, it made me smile again this time :)
Ooh nice pun there, Jav, niiice pun.
-
That was the end of my post. Then I suddenly thought of how YOU would've written it on your blog. Probably something like this:
I was chatting with a friend the other night (I met her online, from my blog. Ya know its sooooooooooooo cool when you can meet people from your blog and I loooooove getting to know my readers and making real connections with them. [ed-i'm gagging. dont know if i can continue]. Anyhow, where was I? Oh yes! I was chatting with this friend and suddenly I noticed the time. Now, I don't know about you but for me, I'm still not used to the army time thingy that people outta my dear ol America use. Like seriously, I don't get why they can't be normal like us and just use our system of am and pm. But whateverrrrrr. So I see the time on my computer (well not MY computer but the one I use here) says 00:00. That means it's 12 oclock midnight. Cuz it starts from 1 and then it goes till 23 and then after 23:59, it goes to 00:00. First I thought my computer was broken and I'm like "Oh great, I think the computer is broken." (in a sarcastic way, not a serious way that I thought it was great). Then I realized that it meant midnight (see, I didn't have someone explain it to me like I just did to you). I thought it was SOOO cool! I had to blog it to share with everyone. I really enjoyed it and hope you do, too. Please comment and let me know what you think. Anyway, the thing with the quote is like this. After I enjoyed that sight of 00:00, I realized that I'm very much the kind of person who appreciates the little things in life. Like I don't need big things to get me excited, even small things will do the trick. So even though you can't RELY on external amusements to bring you HAPPINESS, you can still appreciate them. I thought it was very important for people to keep in mind so I wrote it in quote form as it seems to stick more, has more power, when it's in that form. I even wrote a quote about that some time back..it's one of the first of Mion Quotes--meaning My Own Quotes.
But personally, that's too much blabbing and info for something I don't feel the need to share. I blab when it's bubbling inside me. Not when I have a snapshot I'd like to freeze. So, my post was two lines :)
Ooh nice pun there, Jav, niiice pun.
-
That was the end of my post. Then I suddenly thought of how YOU would've written it on your blog. Probably something like this:
I was chatting with a friend the other night (I met her online, from my blog. Ya know its sooooooooooooo cool when you can meet people from your blog and I loooooove getting to know my readers and making real connections with them. [ed-i'm gagging. dont know if i can continue]. Anyhow, where was I? Oh yes! I was chatting with this friend and suddenly I noticed the time. Now, I don't know about you but for me, I'm still not used to the army time thingy that people outta my dear ol America use. Like seriously, I don't get why they can't be normal like us and just use our system of am and pm. But whateverrrrrr. So I see the time on my computer (well not MY computer but the one I use here) says 00:00. That means it's 12 oclock midnight. Cuz it starts from 1 and then it goes till 23 and then after 23:59, it goes to 00:00. First I thought my computer was broken and I'm like "Oh great, I think the computer is broken." (in a sarcastic way, not a serious way that I thought it was great). Then I realized that it meant midnight (see, I didn't have someone explain it to me like I just did to you). I thought it was SOOO cool! I had to blog it to share with everyone. I really enjoyed it and hope you do, too. Please comment and let me know what you think. Anyway, the thing with the quote is like this. After I enjoyed that sight of 00:00, I realized that I'm very much the kind of person who appreciates the little things in life. Like I don't need big things to get me excited, even small things will do the trick. So even though you can't RELY on external amusements to bring you HAPPINESS, you can still appreciate them. I thought it was very important for people to keep in mind so I wrote it in quote form as it seems to stick more, has more power, when it's in that form. I even wrote a quote about that some time back..it's one of the first of Mion Quotes--meaning My Own Quotes.
But personally, that's too much blabbing and info for something I don't feel the need to share. I blab when it's bubbling inside me. Not when I have a snapshot I'd like to freeze. So, my post was two lines :)
G-dly Heresy; Necessary Ego; Mistaken Depression
They asked the Baal Shem Tov, "The Talmud tells us that for everything G-d forbade, He provided us something permissible of the same sort. If so, what did He permit that corresponds to the sin of heresy?"
The Baal Shem Tov replied, "Acts of kindness."
Because when you see suffering, you don't say, "G-d runs the universe. G-d will take care. G-d knows what is best." You do everything in your power to relieve that suffering as though there is no G-d. You become a heretic in G-d's name.
Do good with all your ego. Say, "I need to make this happen." Say, "I have to see this done."
Not only is this "I" permissible, it is crucial to getting things done.
So what is forbidden? To believe the "I" belongs to you.
Much depression stems from haughtiness.
If you would realize who you really are, you wouldn’t be so disappointed with yourself.
PS. Because people usually don't read the labels--lemme tell you here that these are not my own words. Nor my own ideas. Tzvi Freeman has condensed over 50 years of wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe and sends em out in daily doses. Subscribe here, order his book here. Oh and to further clarify--these were sent out as 3 diff emails over the past 3 past months. I had them starred, waitin to be blogged, and finally put em all together kacha. It flows nicely, no? Yes.
The Baal Shem Tov replied, "Acts of kindness."
Because when you see suffering, you don't say, "G-d runs the universe. G-d will take care. G-d knows what is best." You do everything in your power to relieve that suffering as though there is no G-d. You become a heretic in G-d's name.
Do good with all your ego. Say, "I need to make this happen." Say, "I have to see this done."
Not only is this "I" permissible, it is crucial to getting things done.
So what is forbidden? To believe the "I" belongs to you.
Much depression stems from haughtiness.
If you would realize who you really are, you wouldn’t be so disappointed with yourself.
PS. Because people usually don't read the labels--lemme tell you here that these are not my own words. Nor my own ideas. Tzvi Freeman has condensed over 50 years of wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe and sends em out in daily doses. Subscribe here, order his book here. Oh and to further clarify--these were sent out as 3 diff emails over the past 3 past months. I had them starred, waitin to be blogged, and finally put em all together kacha. It flows nicely, no? Yes.
That's so cool! I never knew this--when Hashem was dictating the Torah to Moshe Rabbeinu to be written down, Moshe stopped by one law and refused to write it! Ha! You can read the full Dvar Torah here.
Come to Tel Shilo!
Yup, he'll be your tour guide. Never took a tour myself, but if he's as helpful and kind personally as he is electronically, you're in good hands. (By ''electronically'', I mean over email. When I wanted more info bout the book I mentioned here, he contacted me and kept me up to date and smatter of fact, my book should be in the mail right now.) Anyway, this pic is fantastic and NOT posed which is the point of this post :)
"Rebbe, My Girlfriend is Not Jewish"
In 1980, a Brazilian college student had a yechidus (private audience) with the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
During the Yechidus the Brazilian student brought up his relationship with a non-Jewish woman, wanting to hear the Rebbe's opinion.
"Rebbe, my girl friend, who is not Jewish, and I, are thinking of getting married. What would the Rebbe say about that?"
"There are," the Rebbe replied, "many aspects of our lives over which we have no control. Many physical conditions, as it has been scientifically shown, cannot be altered since they are a consequence of our genetic makeup, which has been inherited from past generations. There is not much, generally, which can be done by others to help these conditions.
"However, our daily functioning is primarily influenced by decisions we make throughout our lives. When people make dangerous decisions, we expect those around them to work to prevent the danger. If, for example, we hear someone planning to commit suicide, even if they say that they clearly know what they are doing and have made a conscious decision to proceed with the suicide, it is universally assumed that we will do all we can to stop that from happening.
"Our spiritual lives are shaped by the choices we make. In a sense, the results can be more tragic than suicide. Unlike suicide, which occurs momentarily and no longer distresses the perpetrator, a dangerous decision about one's spiritual life will hassle a person for many years. So, we must do all we can to dissuade a fellow Jew from marrying a non-Jew.
"May G-d bless both you and your girlfriend to find the right person for yourselves, and then, with your respective spouses, you will both live happily. Meanwhile, you should discontinue any relationship with her, and it should never be renewed. You should go from strength to strength."
Keren Simchos Chosson V'Kallah
To help Keren Simchos Chosson V'kallah, click here (nope-not askin you to donate money; just a coupla minutes) and go to "Write a Review" at the top left of the profile.
P.S. Choose "yes" from the Jewish Choice Awards drop down.
P.S. Choose "yes" from the Jewish Choice Awards drop down.
Blondi's World Tour
Many months ago, I got this email from Asaf's father and ashamedly have not posted it until now. (Do you remember Asaf? I sent a stone for the project in his memory.) Anyhow, see if you can join this one:
And yet another year went by …
Last year, on summer 2008 I launched the “Blondi world tour” memorial campaign, I sent my son, Asaf, nick named Blondi, on his world tour. Asaf was killed in a terror attack on March 2003 and can’t go to his world tour as any other young man does. I prepared a one page flyer with his photo and asked you to take it with you on your travels. I asked you to email me back a photo of Asaf from wherever you are. Please see below the original letter I sent out last year.
I got a lot of photos from over 80 countries. Many people responded to my wish from all over the world. Now that another summer starts I send this letter again. Whoever sent us photos, thank you very much, others are welcomed to send us photos this year, all people are invited to forward to their friends.
Happy traveling, enjoy your vacation and may you return safely to your homes.
Yossi
Blondi’s father
Blondi’s world tour 2008!
On March 5th 2003, a young high school boy named Asaf (nicknamed Blondi) was on his way home from school. A suicide murderer who blew himself up on Asaf's bus killed him and sixteen other innocent men, women and children.
Asaf was almost seventeen years old when he died, and he is my son.
As every young man does, Asaf would have finished high school and service and would have gone on a trip to see the world: South America, the Far East, India or maybe Australia and New Zealand. He wanted very much to go surfing at the famous beaches in Hawaii and Australia. Asaf wanted to hike the high peaks of Nepal and the Himalayas.
Now I am sending Asaf on his world tour. Without a passport or a back pack. I am sending you only this picture and his spirit and ask you to help take Asaf wherever you go. India, Thailand, New Zealand or the Chinese wall – even the Olympics. Wherever you go, take out the picture, take a photo of it in the place you are and email it back to me (Yossi@Blondi.co.il).
If you are not traveling, take the photo in your city or town, at the mall, city stadium, or even your front or back yard.
Asaf will travel to these places through your photos, which will be displayed in Asaf’s world tour photo album on the internet. This way Asaf will be at all those wonderful places in the world he wasn’t lucky enough to see.
You can print a few copies of the attached picture and leave copies on your way, hang it on a bulletin board at the hotel or the guest house you stay in, leave it along the hiking path, put it in the visitor’s book you write your experience in.
Help me get my son around the world and make his world tour go through each country on the globe.
Yossi Zur, Asaf's father
Email: Yossi@Blondi.co.il
Web: www.Blondi.co.il
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzS3G2pZ7MI
And yet another year went by …
Last year, on summer 2008 I launched the “Blondi world tour” memorial campaign, I sent my son, Asaf, nick named Blondi, on his world tour. Asaf was killed in a terror attack on March 2003 and can’t go to his world tour as any other young man does. I prepared a one page flyer with his photo and asked you to take it with you on your travels. I asked you to email me back a photo of Asaf from wherever you are. Please see below the original letter I sent out last year.
I got a lot of photos from over 80 countries. Many people responded to my wish from all over the world. Now that another summer starts I send this letter again. Whoever sent us photos, thank you very much, others are welcomed to send us photos this year, all people are invited to forward to their friends.
Happy traveling, enjoy your vacation and may you return safely to your homes.
Yossi
Blondi’s father
Blondi’s world tour 2008!
On March 5th 2003, a young high school boy named Asaf (nicknamed Blondi) was on his way home from school. A suicide murderer who blew himself up on Asaf's bus killed him and sixteen other innocent men, women and children.
Asaf was almost seventeen years old when he died, and he is my son.
As every young man does, Asaf would have finished high school and service and would have gone on a trip to see the world: South America, the Far East, India or maybe Australia and New Zealand. He wanted very much to go surfing at the famous beaches in Hawaii and Australia. Asaf wanted to hike the high peaks of Nepal and the Himalayas.
Now I am sending Asaf on his world tour. Without a passport or a back pack. I am sending you only this picture and his spirit and ask you to help take Asaf wherever you go. India, Thailand, New Zealand or the Chinese wall – even the Olympics. Wherever you go, take out the picture, take a photo of it in the place you are and email it back to me (Yossi@Blondi.co.il).
If you are not traveling, take the photo in your city or town, at the mall, city stadium, or even your front or back yard.
Asaf will travel to these places through your photos, which will be displayed in Asaf’s world tour photo album on the internet. This way Asaf will be at all those wonderful places in the world he wasn’t lucky enough to see.
You can print a few copies of the attached picture and leave copies on your way, hang it on a bulletin board at the hotel or the guest house you stay in, leave it along the hiking path, put it in the visitor’s book you write your experience in.
Help me get my son around the world and make his world tour go through each country on the globe.
Yossi Zur, Asaf's father
Email: Yossi@Blondi.co.il
Web: www.Blondi.co.il
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
A Wonderful Day, I Had Today
For a change, I didn't feel like a failure today.
And it's a peaceful, grateful, satisfied feeling I have instead.
Let's start from the morning.
~Easily woke up on time (5:40am) cuz had gone to bed early (10pm) the night before.
~Found clothes quickly, davened with no interruptions, had yummy breakfast (still no olive oil in the house but eventually found some good eggs and had my cooked meal).
~Driver didn't come as late as he sometimes does and he wasn't wearing as much gag-inducing cologne as he usually does.
~Two kids less in the car which means much less fighting (from them) and less begging (from me) to do the pesukim.
~Because the driver wasn't so late, I was able to make copies of the Aleph-Beis sheets (which I had prepared from the day before) that I needed for my first class.
~I greeted all in English rather than yielding (as I regularly do) to the customs (ie language) of the place.
~It was a real pleasure to see the kids-I hadn't spent davening time with them in a long time.
~I was asked to go into the other class for davening but held my ground that I wasn't able to and was consequently allowed to remain with my regular class for davening.
~The kids all recognized the picture of 770 as the shul of the Rebbe
~Shockingly, GY recognized the Beis and Veis. She also spat out, with astounding ease, Hebrew replies to the questions I asked in Hebrew. Wow!
~The kids got a clearer picture of the Parsha when the director came in and 'splained it to em in Spanish.
~I used my hour break to prepare the project I had intended to and I was also able to help a few aides by saying brachot with two other classes. (yeh? you write aides like that? it looks funny). As a bonus, for snack, I had my brown-rice crackers that I had prepared in the morning, guilt free cuz someone is bézrat hashem coming in from New York this week.
~The younger class went well b''h (I think I shall delete circle time from our schedule and geéndikt. Say, this Spanish accent or whatever that ' is called, works well for Yiddish, and I'd guess Hebrew, as well)
~Easy time by lunch with the brachot
~Walked into a teachers meeting (in order to fill up my pitcher), and got a round of applause from the staff and parents that were present.
~Arranged the driver for today, satisfactorily, as well as for the future, también satisfactorily.
~Had time to daven Mincha and finish Tehillim before twas time to go.
~I (sorta) found what I needed in the store (before tomorrow).
~Came home at 2:45 (rejoiced over the lemons in the fridge!) and had time to finish Chitas, grab a carrot and my gym stuff but not feel rushed ;)
~Get a call from M.R. She tells me that her daughter started responding positively and negatively to properly convey her wants! I only worked with her once or twice on that! Wow! Also, she told me more nice things they said by the teachers meeting.
~On way to gym, was able to start a 'Killer Soduku' with NO hints from the back!
~At the gym, I noticed I left half my outfit at home (heehee, hence the not feeling rushed feeling of before). Gotta chance to check out the stores nearby and also to feel very NORMAL in a NORMAL bike shop. Homesickness eased a notch.
~Worked out well b''h, all the machines are getting easier. And the water worked too :)
~AMAZINGLY no traffic on the way home. Time to shower and prepare AND eat a deluxe meal (TOTALLY healthy and permitted) that I had actually started before (baked sweet potato plus canned salmon 'fried' with an egg and a half an onion). Yum.
~Again, AMAZINGLY no traffic back to other side of town.
~The hour and 15 minutes of therapy went by quickly, as usual. Thing I practiced today: Pulling apart the Clicks (or whatever those things are called) and then sorting them by color in a straight line. Introduced memory cards. Blowing down two blocks at a time, vs one. Imitation (with colored blocks). Feeling the vibrations on the throat to encourage sounds. Stringing beads. And of course "lo" and "ken" and "tichaki" and "achshav" and all those little instructions.
~Got my ride back home right when I needed to and felt happy to be able to help em on the 23rd iyh.
~When I came home, I ate well (healthily, not heartily. Well, that too.), did laundry and typed up my day. And now it's 10:15pm and I'm just about ready to wrap up my day and head for the bed.
How wonderful it is not to feel like a complete failure. Not to feel irresponsible, lazy, overwhelmed, helpless and out of control.
How wonderful it is to feel successful. To feel responsible, prepared, capable and in control.
How wonderful it is. How very very wonderful.
Thank You Hashem and may it be the first of endless more. Gracias!
And it's a peaceful, grateful, satisfied feeling I have instead.
Let's start from the morning.
~Easily woke up on time (5:40am) cuz had gone to bed early (10pm) the night before.
~Found clothes quickly, davened with no interruptions, had yummy breakfast (still no olive oil in the house but eventually found some good eggs and had my cooked meal).
~Driver didn't come as late as he sometimes does and he wasn't wearing as much gag-inducing cologne as he usually does.
~Two kids less in the car which means much less fighting (from them) and less begging (from me) to do the pesukim.
~Because the driver wasn't so late, I was able to make copies of the Aleph-Beis sheets (which I had prepared from the day before) that I needed for my first class.
~I greeted all in English rather than yielding (as I regularly do) to the customs (ie language) of the place.
~It was a real pleasure to see the kids-I hadn't spent davening time with them in a long time.
~I was asked to go into the other class for davening but held my ground that I wasn't able to and was consequently allowed to remain with my regular class for davening.
~The kids all recognized the picture of 770 as the shul of the Rebbe
~Shockingly, GY recognized the Beis and Veis. She also spat out, with astounding ease, Hebrew replies to the questions I asked in Hebrew. Wow!
~The kids got a clearer picture of the Parsha when the director came in and 'splained it to em in Spanish.
~I used my hour break to prepare the project I had intended to and I was also able to help a few aides by saying brachot with two other classes. (yeh? you write aides like that? it looks funny). As a bonus, for snack, I had my brown-rice crackers that I had prepared in the morning, guilt free cuz someone is bézrat hashem coming in from New York this week.
~The younger class went well b''h (I think I shall delete circle time from our schedule and geéndikt. Say, this Spanish accent or whatever that ' is called, works well for Yiddish, and I'd guess Hebrew, as well)
~Easy time by lunch with the brachot
~Walked into a teachers meeting (in order to fill up my pitcher), and got a round of applause from the staff and parents that were present.
~Arranged the driver for today, satisfactorily, as well as for the future, también satisfactorily.
~Had time to daven Mincha and finish Tehillim before twas time to go.
~I (sorta) found what I needed in the store (before tomorrow).
~Came home at 2:45 (rejoiced over the lemons in the fridge!) and had time to finish Chitas, grab a carrot and my gym stuff but not feel rushed ;)
~Get a call from M.R. She tells me that her daughter started responding positively and negatively to properly convey her wants! I only worked with her once or twice on that! Wow! Also, she told me more nice things they said by the teachers meeting.
~On way to gym, was able to start a 'Killer Soduku' with NO hints from the back!
~At the gym, I noticed I left half my outfit at home (heehee, hence the not feeling rushed feeling of before). Gotta chance to check out the stores nearby and also to feel very NORMAL in a NORMAL bike shop. Homesickness eased a notch.
~Worked out well b''h, all the machines are getting easier. And the water worked too :)
~AMAZINGLY no traffic on the way home. Time to shower and prepare AND eat a deluxe meal (TOTALLY healthy and permitted) that I had actually started before (baked sweet potato plus canned salmon 'fried' with an egg and a half an onion). Yum.
~Again, AMAZINGLY no traffic back to other side of town.
~The hour and 15 minutes of therapy went by quickly, as usual. Thing I practiced today: Pulling apart the Clicks (or whatever those things are called) and then sorting them by color in a straight line. Introduced memory cards. Blowing down two blocks at a time, vs one. Imitation (with colored blocks). Feeling the vibrations on the throat to encourage sounds. Stringing beads. And of course "lo" and "ken" and "tichaki" and "achshav" and all those little instructions.
~Got my ride back home right when I needed to and felt happy to be able to help em on the 23rd iyh.
~When I came home, I ate well (healthily, not heartily. Well, that too.), did laundry and typed up my day. And now it's 10:15pm and I'm just about ready to wrap up my day and head for the bed.
How wonderful it is not to feel like a complete failure. Not to feel irresponsible, lazy, overwhelmed, helpless and out of control.
How wonderful it is to feel successful. To feel responsible, prepared, capable and in control.
How wonderful it is. How very very wonderful.
Thank You Hashem and may it be the first of endless more. Gracias!
Monday, November 02, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Miracle Chassid
At a wayside inn, a dozen chassidic merchants were warming themselves at the fire. The group included men from towns and villages across
One by one, the chassidim told stories about the miraculous powers of their rebbes. One told how for fifteen years he and his wife had yearned for a child, until they received a blessing from their rebbe: within a year, they were cradling their newborn son in their arms. A second told of how his rebbe had neutralized the Jew-hating, pogrom-inciting priest in their village, while a third related how his rebbe's blessing and special instructions had brought home his wayward son. And so they passed the hours, recounting the wonders performed by their holy mentors.
Finally, they all turned to the one chassid who had listened in silence to their stories. "Nu, whose chassid are you?" they asked. "Let's hear something about your rebbe."
The chassid said: "I am a Chabad chassid, a disciple of Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch. I deal in lumber, and several years ago I was offered a forest for sale. The price was high, but the opportunities were even greater -- there was talk of a railroad to be constructed, raising the demand for and profitability of the local lumber. As I do with all major decisions in my life, I consulted with the Rebbe. He advised me to buy the forest.
"The purchase ruined me. The railroad project fell through and I was left with a basically worthless forest. I lost my entire fortune and was cast heavily into debt."
After a lengthy pause, one of the listeners asked, "And then? What happened?"
"Nothing," said the chassid. "I am still struggling to feed my family and repay my debts."
"So what's the miracle?" they all asked.
"That my relationship with the Rebbe has nothing to do with his wonder-working powers. That I continue to follow his directives in every area of my life. The miracle is that I am his chassid."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
To the mum who has no time to read this:
You know what my new favorite school subject is, right?
Yup, קריאה.
:D
Yup, קריאה.
:D
My JPost Submission (ranked 2 outta 3 pffff)
Two months ago, I received the following email in my inbox:
Hello The Sabra ,
I've stumbled upon your blog "Al Tishali Oti" and I would like to interest you in joining the Jerusalem Post’s Submission Contest powered by BloggersBase. com
I thought your posts could fit perfectly in this contest, which is powered and driven by users like you.
Top-rated entries will be published in The Jerusalem Post online and print editions, increasing your overall exposure.
If you are eager to opine about what's making the headlines, or what's not, if you care to get exposed to a huge audience of the Jerusalem Post and BloggersBase combined and be published in a major international newspaper, please join now at: http://www.bloggersbase.com/
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime.
--Tali Dahan
Content Manager | www.bloggersbase.com
Email: Tali@bloggersbase.com
----------------------------------------
I submitted something last week and now I received this reply:
Congratulations the sabra,
The weekly competition at BloggersBase has just ended and you ranked second out of the three that published Nuggets in the People Goldmine. This means that you have earned the opportunity to publish posts to the surface People blog for the next week.
Publish posts to the People blog during the next week to gain more exposure and traffic. Your active participation increases the chances of this upcoming blog to be promoted into the status of regular blog.
To see your status as well as further statistics, please visit your profile page on BloggersBase.
Congratulations and Good Luck,
The BloggersBase Team.
Tips:
- Now you'll be able to submit multiple posts to the surface blog, which will improve your chances of winning the Timeslot!
- Inviting more friends to join BloggersBase and vote for you will increase your chances of winning next time.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Parshat Lech Lecha Questions
FOR: SCHEJNA (age 4) & MENDELE (age 2)
1. What is the name of this week’s Parsha?
2. What was the name of Avram’s father?
3. What kind of store did he have?
4. What did Avram do when he was in charge of the store one time?
5. How did Terach feel when he came back and saw what happened?
6. Terach went to King Nimrod and told him what his son, Avram, did. What did Nimrod say should happen to Avram?
7. Was Avram scared?
8. Did Avram get burned in the fire? What happened instead?
9. Who said “Lech-Lecha”? Who did He say it to?
10. Where did Avram, his wife Sarai, his father Terach, his nephew Lot and all their friends travel to?
11. After some time, there was a hunger in the land. Where did they travel to buy food?
12. What did Avram do with Sarai before they got to Mitzrayim? Why?
13. What happened to Pharoah when he tried to take Sarai?
14. When Avram and Sarai went back to Mitzrayim, there was food and animals for everyone. What did Avram tell his shepherds to put on the sheep before they went out to eat grass? Why?
15. Did Lot’s shepherds also put a muzzle on their sheep?
16. Hashem promised Avram that he will have so many kids that you can’t even count them, just like the ______________.
17. What did Avram’s name change to? What did Sarai’s name change to?
18. What mitzvah did Hashem tell Avraham to do when he was 99 years old?
This is the review sheet I made for this Parsha, last year. I cry when I see it because there is so much here I won't be able to teach this week...because I cannot properly speak the local language.
1. What is the name of this week’s Parsha?
2. What was the name of Avram’s father?
3. What kind of store did he have?
4. What did Avram do when he was in charge of the store one time?
5. How did Terach feel when he came back and saw what happened?
6. Terach went to King Nimrod and told him what his son, Avram, did. What did Nimrod say should happen to Avram?
7. Was Avram scared?
8. Did Avram get burned in the fire? What happened instead?
9. Who said “Lech-Lecha”? Who did He say it to?
10. Where did Avram, his wife Sarai, his father Terach, his nephew Lot and all their friends travel to?
11. After some time, there was a hunger in the land. Where did they travel to buy food?
12. What did Avram do with Sarai before they got to Mitzrayim? Why?
13. What happened to Pharoah when he tried to take Sarai?
14. When Avram and Sarai went back to Mitzrayim, there was food and animals for everyone. What did Avram tell his shepherds to put on the sheep before they went out to eat grass? Why?
15. Did Lot’s shepherds also put a muzzle on their sheep?
16. Hashem promised Avram that he will have so many kids that you can’t even count them, just like the ______________.
17. What did Avram’s name change to? What did Sarai’s name change to?
18. What mitzvah did Hashem tell Avraham to do when he was 99 years old?
This is the review sheet I made for this Parsha, last year. I cry when I see it because there is so much here I won't be able to teach this week...because I cannot properly speak the local language.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
00:00
"Happiness must come from within, but amusement can be found all over." That's what Mion M. Yuzmint tells me.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
They tell me not to react.
They tell me not to react.
"You can't take every death personally", they tell me.
They tell me not to take it so much to heart.
"You need to move on", they tell me.
They tell me not to be so sensitive, so emotional, so attached.
"It's not your brother. It's not your sister. It's not your mother nor your father nor your cousin."
That's what they tell me.
That's what they all tell me.
I tell them otherwise.
I tell them that every boy with a neshama is my brother and every girl with a neshama is my sister. Every Jewish parent is my parent and every Jewish cousin is my cousin.
It's one family.
But they tell me not to react. Well, a solitary and momentary tear is okay. So is a sad sigh and maybe even a bitter curse. A moment of silent contemplation is alright too, but not more than that. No, more than that would be overreacting. And seriously now-you've got to stop overreacting.
Ok, so we can react. Just not overreact.
And who defines the limits? Who draws the border? Tell me-how many tears are permitted and how much contemplation is granted?
"You have to live", they tell me.
Well, so did they. They also had to live. They had to cry (tears of joy) and sigh (contented sighs) and curse (when too many chocolate chips fell into the cookie batter).
They had to be safe and happy, cared-for and healthy.
Yeh, all those things. All those things and more, they had to be.
They have to be.
They have to be all those things.
They have to be here with us, physically.
It's not too late. Redemption?
"You can't take every death personally", they tell me.
They tell me not to take it so much to heart.
"You need to move on", they tell me.
They tell me not to be so sensitive, so emotional, so attached.
"It's not your brother. It's not your sister. It's not your mother nor your father nor your cousin."
That's what they tell me.
That's what they all tell me.
I tell them otherwise.
I tell them that every boy with a neshama is my brother and every girl with a neshama is my sister. Every Jewish parent is my parent and every Jewish cousin is my cousin.
It's one family.
But they tell me not to react. Well, a solitary and momentary tear is okay. So is a sad sigh and maybe even a bitter curse. A moment of silent contemplation is alright too, but not more than that. No, more than that would be overreacting. And seriously now-you've got to stop overreacting.
Ok, so we can react. Just not overreact.
And who defines the limits? Who draws the border? Tell me-how many tears are permitted and how much contemplation is granted?
"You have to live", they tell me.
Well, so did they. They also had to live. They had to cry (tears of joy) and sigh (contented sighs) and curse (when too many chocolate chips fell into the cookie batter).
They had to be safe and happy, cared-for and healthy.
Yeh, all those things. All those things and more, they had to be.
They have to be.
They have to be all those things.
They have to be here with us, physically.
It's not too late. Redemption?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The guys are frying eggs in the kitchen. For some reason, it's making me giggle. Maybe it's cuz it's being done so busily and macher'ish. ;D
A Story
Once at a Chassidic gathering, Rabbi Avraham Zaltzman told a story about his wild childhood in the Yeshiva in the town of
Rabbi Mendel Futerfass, a well known Chassid who had been imprisoned many years in
When he was only twelve years old he was such an uncontrollable child that it was very difficult for him to sit and learn Torah. So he and two other boys in the Yeshiva with similar natures were given various odd jobs to keep them busy in positive ways.
One of these jobs was to milk a few goats in a nearby farm and supply milk to the pupils. But this too became boring and one terrible day, desperate for action, they somehow managed to get one of the goats to drink vodka and then led the intoxicated animal to the entrance large study hall where all the pupils were diligently immersed in Talmudic studies, and pushed it in.
The goat, totally oblivious of the holiness of the place, jumped on tables, knocked over several rabbis and scattered books and papers in all directions. It was hours before the studies could be restored and, of course, it was no secret who was to blame.
The three boys were summoned to the supervisor of the Yeshiva, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (The son of the Rebbe 'Resha'b'; Rebbe Shalom Dov Ber, the fifth Rebbe of Chabad and founder of the Yeshiva), and were told to pack up their belongings and leave.
With no other choice they did as they were told and several hours later were waiting in the train station in the nearby city of
But suddenly Avraham turned to his friends and said, "What are we doing?! We can't leave! We have to go back and plead for mercy!" But the others just shook their heads 'no'.
"It won't work. Did you see the look on the supervisor's face? He doesn't want to see us again. We're finished!" One answered
The other boy agreed. "We were living on mercy as it is. He's not going to take us back this time."
"Yeah, we're out for sure!"
But Avraham didn't give up and before the train arrived he succeeded in convinced one of the boys to come back with him and give it a try.
They said good bye to their friend and trudged back to Lubavitch with no real idea what their next step was but Avraham wouldn't go down without a battle.
They couldn't go back to the Supervisor; he was too angry. And the Rebbe, the supervisor's father, also wasn't the one to approach; he would never override his son's decision… especially here.
Their only chance was the supervisor's grandmother, the Rebbe's mother, Rabbinit Rivka. She had a wonderful warm heart and was a mother for all the boys in the yeshiva; she cooked, sewed and washed for them as well as being there in times of illness and need. Maybe she could help.
They went to her house, knocked on the door and when she answered Avraham poured out his heart. When he was finished, her answer was to the point.
"I can't go against the decision of my grandson; he's the supervisor of the Yeshiva. The only one that might be able to do that is my son, the Rebbe. But I can't talk to him about this either. I simply can't mix in.
"But, what I can do is this: every morning at ten my son, The Rebbe sits in his room and drinks a cup of tea. Come tomorrow morning and I'll show you where the room is ... but you will have to do the talking."
The two boys found some place to sleep that night and the next morning little Avraham reported to Rabbinit Rivka while his friend, who was simply too afraid, waited outside.
She let him in, pointed him to the room where the Rebbe was sitting, whispered 'good luck' and watched as he bravely approached the door.
The door was open and when the Rebbe saw him standing there he looked up, stared at him for a moment and asked him what he wanted.
"I want to learn in Lubavitch." He was almost crying.
"Lubavitch?" smiled the Rebbe as he motioned him to come closer, "But there are so many other good yeshivas! There is Slovadka, Navordak" and he listed all the other Torah academies, about twenty of them, in the area.
"But I want to learn here, in Lubavitch!" The young boy began to whine. When the Rebbe saw this he began to smile and when Avraham saw the smile he began to cry. This, in turn, caused the Rebbe to laugh, which made Avraham cry even harder.
Suddenly the Rebbe became serious and said, "We will think about it… come back later today."
Avraham backed out of the office, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his sleeve but suddenly he stopped, took two steps forward, which put him back in entrance of the room, and just stood there looking sheepishly at the ground.
"Nu? What do you want now?" The Rebbe asked.
"Err, I have a friend." Avraham answered. "He's waiting outside."
"A friend is it? Well, we will think about him also." The Rebbe replied. "Come back in a few hours."
"Well, the story has a happy ending" Rabbi Avraham concluded to his listeners. "We returned to the Rebbe a few hours later, the Rebbe took us into his son; Yosef Yitzchak's office, said a few words and left.
"His son imposed a stiff fine on us; we had to learn tens of pages of Talmud and Chassidut by heart. But he accepted us back in! And that's the story! How my broken heart got me back into yeshiva."
Rabbi Mendel Futerfass who had been listening with interest was the first to comment.
"Tell me, Reb Avraham, why do you think he did that? What made him accept you back into the yeshiva?"
"Like I said," He replied "That's the point of the story. Because I wanted so much to learn in Lubavitch that I actually wept! That's how much a person should want Chassidut; that his heart is breaking!!
"Nope!" Said Reb Mendel. "You're wrong. Your broken heart is not what got you into Lubavitch.
"The reason the Rebbe took you back was because you worried for your friend! You thought of another Jew! That's why he took you back!! Because of your Ahavat Yisroel!
[They might charge me for a title. I better leave it blank.]
"Remember that deal we had...? You come work for us and we give you a place to stay, food to eat, a mode of transportation...? Well, heh, we were kidding. Oh, no-not about the work part. The room, board and etcetera part :)"
I'm trying hard to smile, too.
Really. It's not that bad. I mean I coulda had to teach Swahili to a lion. Now THAT woulda been frustrating. This? Right after Shabbos Bereishis and Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur and Simchas Torah and being a Jew and a chossid and self-bettering human being? Totally cool.
ENTER CALVIN SMILE
I'm trying hard to smile, too.
Really. It's not that bad. I mean I coulda had to teach Swahili to a lion. Now THAT woulda been frustrating. This? Right after Shabbos Bereishis and Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur and Simchas Torah and being a Jew and a chossid and self-bettering human being? Totally cool.
ENTER CALVIN SMILE
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Firefox Clearing (again)
Memories of Attacks Shadow Mumbai's New Jewish Center
The
After a long search, a couple has been found to replace the Holtzbergs, whose portraits hang in the new Chabad House. But, for security reasons, the new rabbi and his wife asked not to be named.
"My parents do worry for me. And sometimes I am afraid to go outside," said the new rabbi's wife, a soft-spoken woman who was arranging a plate of kosher beef brought to her by a traveler from
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Hachnosas Sefer Torah in Eilat In Memory of Many Loved Ones
The sefer Torah was also donated in the memory of Tmimim Moshe Golan, Yonatan Bitton, and Levi Hendel, all of whom were tragically killed in a road accident during Chanukah 5767. They had been on their way to do mivtzoyim at an army base nearby, and it was only fitting to dedicate a sefer Torah in their memory at the Chabad House from where they set out on their final journey.
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Performer Discovers the Meaning of Shlichus in Eilat
"When I got home, I told my wife that I was no longer miserable. “Today is Rosh Hashanah and I am very happy and truly inspired,” I said. “If you had heard Rabbi Eisenbach and had seen his bittul to a tzaddik, and what it is to give up your whole life, not only on Rosh Hashanah, to Hashem, you would be just as happy as I am. Our one-off trip to Eilat is nothing compared to Rabbi and Mrs. Eisenbach’s eternal journey, during which they have raised all of their children here. Here and onwards, I can only feel great inspiration and joy.""
---------------------------
השינוי של ילדי רמת-השרון: בוטל "חג האופניים"
ילדי רמת-השרון, שחלקם גדלו על יום-כיפור כ"חג האופניים", השתתפו במעמד סליחות מרגש שנערך על-ידי בית-חב"ד בעיר ● הם פייטו, האזינו לדבר תורה, שמעו תקיעת שופר ואמרו סליחות בדביקות
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Rescue of a Stranded Hiker from Wadi Kelt (video)
Yesterday, the Israeli Air Force Unit 669 Search and Rescue team had to rescue a hiker who got injured and stuck in Wadi Kelt. Another hiker caught the rescue on video, and here is the really cool footage...
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Neighborhoods, streets and public places. CE's sukkah was in one of em :)
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