a balloontwister’s aliya saga

News flash…. there is no WADI in Wadi Dolev..
I did the Wadi Dolev hike this morning and there was no water.
Maybe in the rain season.. .but definately not now.
I saw:
Several lizards.
2 sheep
1 dog that scared me silly.. (insert joke here)
THAT was it for 8 kilometers.
Not a soul to be seen.
Not a house.
Nothing.
Its actually a strange feeling being the only person in sight..
Walking in a valley between mountains.
I hope to learn more about the terrain in the area and see more of the area.
LAst night we went to an Asian restaurant where the OFF the square place USED to be.
Yup, Off the square is.. off the map.
I had coconut soup… took hald the bowl to get used to the taste… not bad once you get used to it.
Then we had spicy chicken or something…
They also had these fancy chopsticks.. I asked if we could take them home. They told us no.
SO if anyone wants to see them. I have a pair in my house.
We just got home from little league.
here, its drills, practice and then a scrimmage for 2 or 3 innings against another team.
In the first practice, the coaches pitch.
Out coach got 3 strikeouts in the first inning.
The problem was.. it was against our own team.
Its going to be interesting to see how well the kids do with overhand pitching and a field that is as smooth as the surface of the moon.
Well, I gotta cut it short.
I have to pick up Yoni from his tutor.
Have a good shabbos!
U.D.

Just got a call…
Tamar HAS been found.
5 minutes after getting a call from Penina that Tamar has left the building…she was found at a neighbor… eating cereal in her pajamas.
(How the cereal got in her pajamas, I’ll never know).
Last night we attended a chanukas habayis of a neighbor. What makes THIS family so special is their incredible emuna and love of Israel.
This couple lost their only daughter, who was pregnant in a suicide bombing incident. Despite this, they came to live in Israel and in their invitation they mention how LUCKY and thankful they are to H-shem that they are in Eretz Yisroel.
Boggles the mind.
It gives us inspiration living here.
Despite the obstacles in our lives we HAVE to believe that with our faith and teshuva…. we will be alright. and If something chas vsholom bad happens we have to also know that it will be alright and this is the way H-shem wanted it.
Next week thursday, my Balloon chug and I will be going to Hadassa Em Kerem hospital to twist balloons for the children there. I’m VERY excited about this. It will the first time these kids will be twisting balloons for other people and doing chesed for sick children.
It will also be the first time that MY kids will be participating in a Chesed project twisting balloons and bringing smiles to the kids there.
Tonight, after our balloon chug, We are taking my brother and wife out to eat l’koved his 33 birthday.
Anybody who wants to sponsor …. please email me your VISA number…
well, I’m going to do some work.
I have to leave early today as I have a balloon gig in Beit Shemesh and because this is the last work day of the week!
WooHOO.
See Ya.
U.d.
p.s. Of course I remember shraigie and david / dovid. Send them my best!

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Just got a call…
Tamar HAS been found.
5 minutes after getting a call from Penina that Tamar has left the building…she was found at a neighbor… eating cereal in her pajamas.
(How the cereal got in her pajamas, I’ll never know).
Last night we attended a chanukas habayis of a neighbor. What makes THIS family so special is their incredible emuna and love of Israel.
This couple lost their only daughter, who was pregnant in a suicide bombing incident. Despite this, they came to live in Israel and in their invitation they mention how LUCKY and thankful they are to H-shem that they are in Eretz Yisroel.
Boggles the mind.
It gives us inspiration living here.
Despite the obstacles in our lives we HAVE to believe that with our faith and teshuva…. we will be alright. and If something chas vsholom bad happens we have to also know that it will be alright and this is the way H-shem wanted it.
Next week thursday, my Balloon chug and I will be going to Hadassa Em Kerem hospital to twist balloons for the children there. I’m VERY excited about this. It will the first time these kids will be twisting balloons for other people and doing chesed for sick children.
It will also be the first time that MY kids will be participating in a Chesed project twisting balloons and bringing smiles to the kids there.
Tonight, after our balloon chug, We are taking my brother and wife out to eat l’koved his 33 birthday.
Anybody who wants to sponsor …. please email me your VISA number…
well, I’m going to do some work.
I have to leave early today as I have a balloon gig in Beit Shemesh and because this is the last work day of the week!
WooHOO.
See Ya.
U.d.
p.s. Of course I remember shraigie and david / dovid. Send them my best!

Kids update…
My sister in law checked my niece, Miri’s hair..LICE.
oh oh… Miri was at house… let’s check Michal’s hair..
Lice.
Apparently Lice is an issue here.
Fortunately Mendy Newman’s Wife… not sur eof her first name.. I think it’s Missus, checks and is a lice expert.. not sure what that means exactly.. BUT.. we got michal’s hair checked and shampooed and only 1 was seen so I think we’re in the clear.
Yoni is doing well with his new tutor who is impressed with his hebrew skills so far. The tutor also ends his lessons by giving a treat to yoni.. i.e. ices, candy… SO far I have NOT been able to score any for myself. THe school day as gotten longer by 30 minutes for some reason though it starts 10 minutes later.
Moshe did NOT go to school yesterday, due to the fact that the schneider family who made the bris yesterday, has a son in his class -so he went to the bris which ended around 10 and school on tuesday ends 12:30… AND.. the boy (and HIS younger brother) in moshe’s class spent the day our house.
Good news for The new mother.
Bad news for the Akselrud Mother who had to watch all these kids all day.
Tamar Who had diarhea for a week also had a hoarse voice for 2 days… Another trip to the doctor yielded no new answers.
“its a virus / bug thats going around…. could take a week”
Thank G-d she’s going much, much better.. The crying is loud again.
I hate to say this but it WAS funny batheing her and although she was crying … it wasn’t very loud…I kind of laughed a bit… Does that make me a bad parent?
“that’s all you got?”
Tonight we have a chanukas habayis at a nighbor who I never met.
I figure everyone in my area is new so I should be invited to more of these parties… hmmm..
Its also my brother’s birthday today. I think we’re going out to eat tommorrow night. I hope I don’t have to pay.
well, I’m going to do some work.
See ya!
U.D.

Mazel Tov and Mazel tov.
We had a bar mitzvah last night. Avi-ad Levinger, grandson of Rabbi Moshe and Miriam Levinger of Chevron
Who?
Just check out
http://www.akohl.com/voices/html/levinger.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron
Or do an internet search to find out about Rabbi and rebbetzin Levinger of Chevron.
Miriam (rebetzin) Is my great aunt, My Grandmother’s Little sister.
Out of 11 children, ONE is not living in the chevron area or kiryat arba.
The one son, Ephraim, married an american (Oy) and is living in “chootz l’aretz” (Ramot).
SO the bar mitzvah was a huge culture war, as My cousin Eli would put it.
You had the people from Ramot. More modern looking people.
and the cousins from Kiryat Arba / Chevron who had beards, wives with the kerchiefs and round hats.. (not sure what to call them. With all the cousins… maybe 30 kids or more.
As I was talking to a cousin I noticed a pair of legs coming out from out of a towel on her shoulder… It took me 30 seconds to realize she was having a regular conversation nursing her baby.. at a bar mitzvah.
Check please!
Ein Baya.
No big deal.
I brought my balloons and would up making hats for most of the kids… whew.. A good 40 minutes of nonstop twisting.
I actually CAN get used to the israeli simcha scene.
A shirt and pants and thats it.
No hat.
No jacket.
No tie.
and this was a fancy bar mitzvah…
My brother was there.
Cousin Eli
Cousin Shmuel who just got married and learns there.
Cousin Moshe who learns there.
SO while we are far away from our US cousins…. sort to speak..
We are meeting and becoming close to our Israeli cousins.
I had a nice conversation with cousin Shlomo.
3 years ago Dovid and I came to israel for a rally and we wound up going to Shlomo’s son’s Bris at the meoras Hamachpala by the Kever of Avrohom and Sarah.
It was a most memorable bris.
The baby is now three and he has a baby as well.
His oldest son, ages 6 or 7.
Knows how to make a balloon sword so he enjoyed the balloons… I enjoyed the fact that his father who is a good 6 foot 3.. CAN’T blow up a balloon.
In my broken hebrew I said… “you’re a BIG man, you can’t blow this little balloon up”.
At one point all the grandchildren sang a song for the bar mitzvah boy… it was like a huge choir.
around 30 kids were all singing….excluding around 5 or 6 babies and older granchildren…
We finally made it back to Beit Shemesh around 12:00am.
This morning we had a bris.
Friends of ours…
which means it was a different crowd this morning..
which means..
I was able to wear the same shirt.
Betach!
(how’s that avromi?)
Well, I have to work because I came 4 hours late, so I have some work to make up….
Have a great day!
p.s. anyone want to quarterback for the Jets?
and please be kind to Kenny Kenig (and Jimmy Oddo) He’s NOT having an easy time with all this
U.D.

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Well, stayed up late to listen to the Jets game on the internet…. losing a close homegame… not good.
Oh well, nothing has changed.
We had a busy shabbos.
Dovid started davening at the Yeshiva (lev hatorah will be referred to as The Yeshiva from here on out, or until a new yeshiva comes along) and he liked it alot. He convinced me to go for slichos and it was very nice. A little sicha, speech, for about 15 minutes. Then slichos.
At shalosh seudos at Aish Kodesh (which will be referred to as Aish Kodesh until a New aish kodesh comes along) I sat near the interim gabbai and I introduced him to my brother dovid. ( who will be referred to as… well, i think you get the picture). His eyes lit up… not like when Fishy’s eyes light up when Litchy walks in…. but he lit up…
He said to Dovid.
“You’re Famous”
“you’re married to Sara Baila”
She is a sheital macher (wig maker for those non yiddish speakers) and is becoming quite popular.
With the women too.
I laughed at this.
“don’t laugh”, he told me. “You’re Sara Baila’s brother in law”
SO much for being my own person.
He said this in ALMOST on the level of excitement of when the yeshiva chevron heard that The Alter Of Shabotka was coming. The women are thrilled that Sara Baila is here.
(I think more than Dovid -ed)
I also met Rav Chaim Soloveichik at a Shalom Zachor friday night. He spoke for a few minutes and I introduced myself to him.
His shul is a shtickle shlep from where I live, and with the Hot weather….
Perhaps I’ll check out the shul when it is not 100 degrees on shabbos…
If that will ever happen.
Before Shabbos I made some balloons for the shalom zachor. The kids here look like they’ve never seen balloons before. They also have no idea what Meridian All-Stars July 2001 is… (joke for some of you… Right, litchy..?)
Only one person made a “You made BLUE balloons?” comment.
Blue is the “PRO disengagement” color.
Last night I spoke to Kenny as we lamented the Jets together and then I called Fishy.
I realized how lucky I was to be working sunday as he was pulling a yurowitz.
Yurowitz = getting dragged kicking and screaming to boro park shopping.
Fishy was at the shoe store. Which I’m sure was fun.
The crying, screaming, changing diapers, spit up… and that was just from Menachem.
I’m sure the babies were doing worse.
“Sorry, honey, I can’t go shopping.. I WORK Sundays….woo hoo!!!!.. er.. I mean… RATS!”
Tonight we have a bar mitzvah in Jerusalem. My cousin Ephraim invited us for his Son’s Bar Mitzvah. Not sure what the dressing situation is.
At the last bar mitzvah. People were wearing suits with ties, without ties.. but most wore just a a white shirt. A bit odd that they weren’t wearing pants.. but its a different culture.
Well, I’m going to do some work… and remember..
Its right before Rosh Hashana.
THe days of selichos.
If we could just daven with a little more kavana. Maybe..just Maybe….

the Yankees won’t make the playoffs…
See YA!
U.D.

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First time I’ve had a second to sit…

Being friday its a mitzva to do as many things you can do before the kids come home and before its shabbos…

Today.. .went to the bank to get credit card.. I’ll explain how it works.. at a later date.. (once I understand how it works)..
Afterwards I went to hike in Wadi Dolev.
On the was to a pool in NEs harim, I saw a park / trail name Wadi Nahal Dolev. Which is a street in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
It is an 8 kilometer hike.. which I think at some point is a stream. well, after 40 minutes I found a dried out stream…. I couldn’t finish it because I had to do car pool.
After car pool I went to take yoni to his tutor.
After that I took Michal and YOni to baseball.
not softball.
Baseball.
There are 2 leagues.
developmental and competition.
Both are in the competition league.
Each team has a girl on it.
Michal so far is our “girl”…
Most are in the developmental, but Michal is in the competition league.
SO far I’ve volunteered to be the coach.
Unlike Staten Island where its 7 or 8 sundays, here is 8 or 9 months…
The first 6 are practices, scrimmages, jogging…etc.
In April the game start.
Gulp.
Thats alot of fridays.
Well, I’m heading off to speak to my folks.. they are calling on the video phone…
For info on ramat shilo..
http://www.ramatshilo.org/

Gut shabbos..
U.D.
(Yudie)

A penina update….
Well, it looks like Penina has dropped out of Ulpan and will be working at Sara B. Wigs. Penina gave it the old college try of 2 sessions in two weeks. Its not easy the lessons are long very intense and there is homework.
There are also people that ask dumb questions.
This week Penina helped with Sara Baila’s business and today is going with Sara Baila to Talpiot to go car shopping again.
While I haven’t met Yoni’s tutor, Penina and Yoni are happy so far. Which gives all us a huge piece of mind.
I worked late last night so I missed the haircut fun.
The barber makes house calls.
Turns out the father of a boy in Moshe’s class gives the hair cuts.
Last night I was dragged… er..brought…. willingly… to the Ramat Shilo “open house”.
There is a new development opening up in Ramat Beit Shemesh that is going to be “based” around Yeshiva Lev Torah.
The only downside is that because its in Ramat Beit Shemesh the cost is relatively high and the houses will be relatively average… small considering the price.
I think houses go from mid 200,000 to mid 400,000… remember thats Dollars not shekel AND the price is always 50,000 - 100,000 more than what the broker says … “oh, you wanted a ROOF? That’s extra… Oh, a bathroom with a bath or water.. thats extra”..etc.
Sara Baila and Penina (and I) are interested in this because we are very happy so far with Ramat Beit Shemesh. The kids are doing great. The schools are great. ALot of shuls. THe best part of this is the yeshiva aspect. We would love to be near and involved in the yeshiva. In Staten Island we loved having a shaichos with Nesivos hatorah, this Lev hatorah has more modern boys but there’s a certain excitement that it brings.
For example, after the meeting we went to the yeshiva which currently is in the basement of a shul in the area and we wanted to see if our cousin was around… well, at 10:45.. despite the music and drum playing.. we saw him learning in the beis medrash.
We said hi and shmoozed for a few minutes but he was so happy to see us.
He said he is more involved in learning that ever before and is having an amazing time.
Dovid, my brother, was not so impressed. THe houses are not big for the money you pay and he is more of a “moshav” guy, BUT… he is is willing to do what is best for the kids and family.
At the meeting he looked a shtickle depressed. Sara baila got mad at him because he was “pessimistic”..
I told him he could be the first person living in the developement if his wife throws him out of the house. I’d give him my tent… and yalla.
Penina got us invited to somebody for a shabbos meal. Not sure who though. It may be kosher… hope so.
I think thats it for penina… hmmm… what else…
mind is blank at the moment, big shock, no?

Have a good one!
U.D.

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Looks like the kids are getting into the swing of things faster than even we anticipated.
Let’s start from the youngest and work our way up..
Tamar is sleeping through the night again… “no more wake up and climb out of the crib at 5am” she also goes to Gan and plays “toys with Aliza” .. which suprisingly IS accurate.
Moshe’s friend and classmate, sruli Shreiber just had a new addition. SO if anyone knows the schreiber’s formerly of Elizabeth, NJ.. they just had their 7th…
Moshe is constantly running out of the house going to ride bicycles, scooters, etc. and is happy at school. Despite not knowing a thing of what is being said.
Michal is walking to school these days. Penina is trying to get the kids a bit more exercise, so Michal walks to school with her friends and cousins. I think they take the bus home.
On friday Michal and her cousins decided to bike to school.
A 15 minute ride turned into an hour trek.
The shortcuts did not actually save them any time.
They got to school late and all sweaty.
She is also signed up for gymnastics wednesday nights as her “chug”. She is without her cousin Miri so we are happy that she is “doing” her own thing. In class Michal is actually transalating for Miri as well. We’re not too happy with this bec.
a. People should be HELPING michal
b. Miri has to struggle and not be spoonfed everything
Hopefully things will work itself out.
Yoni has gotten a new tutor.
His RAV recommended someone who “doesn’t speak english well” so Yoni would almost have to converse in English. LAst night was the first session with the tutor and after the hour and a half, the tutor was impressed that Yoni WAS able to understand hebrew. Which puts our minds at ease.
The only drawback was where we pay Michal’s tutor 30 skekel per hour. Yoni’s is 50 for an hour and 100 for an hour and a half.
Add michal’s sessions and Yoni’s sessions … the total is about 500 shekel for the week. Which may not sould like alot if converted to dollars.. but it is alot here.
But..
Thats part of life as an oleh.
The first year or two, the taxes are low but you have to pay for the tutoring. I think Jay Berkowitz still has tutors for his kids.
The parents hebrew isn’t good enough to help the kids. plain and simple.
He is also invited away for shabbos to the Grodski’s in Beit Shemesh. So baruch H-shem, Yoni is starting to get some “good friends”.
Well, that covers the kids updates.
Have a great day!
Yudie


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So after getting off the phone with Yosef Kaplan… I ran down to get mincha.. and who is there in his Thomson shirt… its Mr. RJJ himself… not schick… Yosef Kaplan..
We had lunch, his treat, in a quasi Kosher place..
It was nice to be with someone who knew LESS hebrew than myself…
We had the israeli hug. I think greeting is a good time for the hug. Afterwards I think the handshake is the proper protocol.. Of course the pinch was not called for, Mr. Kaplan.. I still can’t sit…lol.
I had a salad, he had the pizza… half mushrooms half olives… I think.
He told me how successful the Chinese auction was.
wow.
Yasher koach to Mrs. Kopper and all the people who helped out. If Yosef was happy than I’m sure it went well. Its too bad he had to fix the raffle so his brother could win something, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Like I’ve said before, Its good to see a familiar face from the old country.
This morning I went to a Senior center to twist balloons. They had a program where people brought their toddlers and babies to cheer up the seniors. So what says more seniors and toddlers than a big balloon hat.
THe highlight or lowlight was this woman who I think was speaking in spanish to me.. and kept touching and patting me when I would turn to inflate my balloons.
Maybe in Mexico or in Latin America instead of tipping the balloon people, you pinch them in the rump or something… Either way I had no idea what she saying. Nor did I know how to say “Please stop touching me and hitting me in my ceaster” in spanish.
I wish varda was here to help me.
Besides that it was nice to bring a little cheer to these people.
The lady in charge said the bright colors are good for the seniors.
Being paid hourly, I was able to take off work because I can make it up later… ein baya.
So I may working to 9pm…
well, have a great day.. and keep in touch.
U.D.