a balloontwister’s aliya saga

Monsey.
Weslesy hills.
Lovely.
HOnestly, its like boro park / Flatbush with trees.
Yesterday morning I drove to davening and freaked out ALan Braverman.
I called him before davening and asked him if he was comign to shul.
apparently he did NOT read the he’s back blog… chutzpah.
He thought I was in Israel until I rang the bell.
Tammy was on the phone with Penina at the same exact time…
coindidence,
I
Think
so.
After davening I went back to the Braverman’s for breakfast.
It was uplifting to see that their son is anti disengagement.
He was wearing bright orange pajamas all morning.
Brought tears to my eyes.
(they were burning my retinas)
Went to go see Milch, who IS up to date with the blog.
He may be coming to Israel in January.
Caught an early mincha in Monsey. I was the ONly guy without a jacket.
Maybe their extra yeshivish or maybe its bec. it was cold yesterday.
It is around 50-60 degrees here. NOt too bad but not as nice as in Israel.
I spent the rest of the day resting, running in the exercise room and swimming.
Roughing it here at the Hilton is NOT easy.
One thing that was interesting.
In the A and P in Woodcliff Lake is is easier to spot kosher products.
In Israel you have to read every label..etc.
Here, its oh-u and you’re good to go.
This morning I got up early to catch the 6am shachris in Monsey, its only 13 minutes from my hotel so its very convenient.
I think I’ll be spending shabbos there, due to the fact that in chutz laretz they WORK on fridays so I will have approx 30 minutes to get to monsey after work is over.
well, thats more or less it for sunday and monday morning.
I have to get ready for

I’m Back..
for now.
I cam back friday and I saw some folks at davening and it was nice to see the familiar faces…. well at least some of them.
I have a contract position in New Jersey for a few weeks so… here I am. Its in SAP so I hope the experience will get me a position in Israel…. Or a contract position in the States or europe.
Last night was a great flight… I got to sleep a bit.
THe only downside was the person next to me… or in the row behind me… had.. .a sort of stomach issue… well enough said.
Wow, what a shabbos… I really appreciate the kiddush the guys threw for me at the green room.
I’m also glad that I was able to give 18 shekel and not dollars this morning after my aliya.
but seriously, its an eerie feeling being back for the first time in three months.
Feels like I never left.
It was fun seeing the shocked looks on everyone’s faces.
It was also interesting to hear that alot of people are really reading the blog and darshining it.
I was wondering whether I should write a blog while I am in chutz laretz… but..
being here IS part of the aliya story.
There are many olim that keep their US jobs and travel. Its not the ideal situation, but we’ll see how things shake up after this contract.
I hope Penina and the kids are managing ok.
Heck, they’re probably doing better.
Well, I’m going to sign off and get some sleep. Its not easy getting over the Jetlag.. yawn..
well, see you guys soon.
U.D.

Simchas torah and geshem mixed together equals a very long day…
Its quite an experience having simchas torah in RBS, the singing … dancing….
Even walking home you hear it in the streets…
In Aish Kodesh an announcement was made NOT to sing your own song… but rather have it approved by the gabbai. Apparently there was a fight last year, people were singing their own songs… led to a huge balagon.
Unfortunately for them, I don’t do simchas torah that way.
I MAKE the balagon.
While singing “yisroel btach bashem” for the third time and interrupting some other song that was “overplayed” I was told to stop or face getting hit.
I stopped.
When I was handed the sfer torah I figured No one would hit a man holding the sefer torah.
I was right. Whew.
In the morning I had a few kids singing yisroel btach hashem and even the rebbi joined in.
THEN, I changed moshe emes vsoraso emes… to
Moshe braun is the gabbai.
(Moshe braun is the gabbi, fyi)
He didn’t mind it at first.
Or the first 50 times.
Then when half the shul started singing it… and when he made the announcements at mincha… and ma’ariv… I think he WAS starting to mind.
I hope to keep it going the entire year.
Moshe Braun is the gabbai.
Moshe Braun is the gabbai..
(repeat throughout the song)
Not bad, eh?
After a few hakafot at Aish, we went to Beis Tefilla.
I asked someone where the candy for the kids were.
He said, “some grandfather from NY has suitcases full….etc”"
Milton!
Milty was in the basement with a mask on, I think, handing out candy to dozens of kids.
THe next day I heard he had pizza ordered for the chutzniks to eat after their aliyos on the second day of yom tov.
After beis tefilla we wandered to the Yeshiva and saw cousin zanvy.
He did 300 blatt gemora for atah haresa, he said he is allowed to learn 60 and review it 5 times…. but… I mean.. thats almost daf yomi.
Looks like zanvy is going to have a busy year…. baruch H-shem!
Dovid’s kugals for chabad went well… so he’s BACK in.
Last night we had a goodbye BBQ, for Ruthie, aliza, and Avi. They left at 4:30 in the morning by taxi.
It was sad as it seems like the 2 weeks they were here flew by.
I think next time ruthie will NOT be staying with us for the entire length. She also wants to get a car next time. I think 2 1/2 weeks with the kids and cousins… and packing.. repacking… etc.. is a bit much.
Last night was a bit sad for Penina and Myself.
The goodbyes are not easy.
When will the kids see avi next? or Aliza? Or Ruthie?
We have email and the 718 phone number.. but… its not the same.
well, I’m going to sign off.
Congrats to the White Sox!
It was a good baseball season.
As it says in the seforim.
“any year in which the YAnkees do NOT win, is a good year”
U.D.

Chol hamoed… continues.
Yesterday it was Neut Kedummim.
Its a huge park near modi’im where they have “seasonal” exhibits.
For succos they have all the succahs that are mentioned in the mishna.
Over 20 amos.
Succa on another succa.
Succa on a boat.
Succa on a camel.
Its alot of walking and it was a nice place to go for a short visit.
WE went with Dovid’s family and our cousins, the Reich’s.
They live in Nof ayalon and we hardly see them so it was nice for the kids to see their Israeli cousins.
After that we went to the Carlebach festival in Nevo Modi’im.
A real hippy joint.
It is where the people that Rev Shlomo was mekarev live.
The big acts were there:
Chaim dovid, Reva lsheva, moshav band and others.
I didn’t see much of it as I was on my stilts and twisting balloons.
It was a different experience than the beis shemesh festival
For one thing.
When I was wearing a tye dyed shirt when balloontwisting in Beit Shemesh, I stood out,
LAst night I fit right in.
Also, the beit shemesh was a “concert with vendors”
This was a Festival. THe vendors were just as big a part of the action as the music. Art vendors, food, crafts, “holistic” healers… etc.
I polled the kids as to which one they liked better.
SOme said This. SOme said the other.
Penina liked this one better.
THe music was also more “carlebach” where the beit shemesh was more “rock-israeli” style and “carlebach”..
Either way it was a great way to cap off an exciting Chol Hamoed.
Today is a quiet day being Hashana rabbah.
DOvid is busy though.
He has to bake 6 kugals for the Chabad Minyan.
He gets off cheap.
The other shuls are asking for whiskey.
Today is also the last day for succa so I have to look around for a kosher one that is still standing.
Ours didn’t quite make it.
This also marks the first succos that I didn’t work on Chol Hamoed.. in a long while.
Here, bec. the kids have school every day you HAVE to go on trips and most people get off or take vacation. There are no off days for a long while. Kids are in school everyday until Chanukah and Penina is already planning for that…
Back to today.. sorry…
Tonight and tommorrow is simchat torah… and shmini atzeres rolled into one.
I hear tommorrow is a huge balagon.
Hakafos, Aliyos, and GESHEM. I hear its an all day event.
With the daf at 3:30ish and mincha at 4:30ish…. I don’t think I’ll even be home.
I think there will be a smaller break than our 20 minute Yom Kippur break.
oh well, its a new experience and I’m really excited.
I may start off hakafos at Aish Kodesh and then end up at Carlebach.. those guys are a fun group.
I keep running into them at the different events… Festival, Simchat Beit Hashoeva, Kumzits for the Gush Kafiv people.
well, I’m going to sign off. Its almost 12 and I think I have to take the kids to lunch somewhere.
I already did the daf. The stories with Adam are over… back to pasim and cows… oy..
Oh, Almost forgot…
I saw Sy Fertig this morning at the Carlebach minyan. I guess they have enough ba’al korehs this Yom tov on the Island.
Moadim Lsimcha!!!!
U.D.

Gone.
The succa is gone.
Last night and this morning we were treated to hurricane style wind.
At 1am we made the decision to Cut our losses…
We are succaless…. so is half of ramat beit shemesh.
This morning there is still wind and all of the succas have some damage.
Either the schach is down, or the walls are ripped….etc.
In our 2 foot backyard I received a new bamboo mat…
Courtesy of our neighbor’s succa and the wind.
DOn’t worry, I took it in before he could see where it went.
This way I save money on next year’s… One of my mats got ripped so I have a new one already.
Don’t tell abe newman… its his son’s… er…WAS his son’s bamboo.
Last night we had a very interesting experience.
Dovid, ALiza, Avi went to jerusalem for a concert. Blue fringe…some others… in the Great Synagogue.
I took Ruthie and Zehava to a biet hashoava featuring Dov Shurin.
I wasn’t THAT familiar with his “music / Politics” but some of you I’m sure are.
He is what Kahane and Carlebach are in one person.
Very right wing politics and his songs reflect that.
Nekama.
Down With arafat.
Are just 2 of his songs.
He is banned on the radio and politicians do not want to be aligned with him.
He was in a succa in our neighborhood and approx. 70 people were there to hear him sing / speak..
Besides other things, he said how when carlebach wrote songs we were “winners” of the wars…etc.
Now, we are “losers” and we have given and given to murderers and liars.
Shabbos was very nice.
DOvid who was with chabad.
Then OUT of chabad is back IN.
“They keep pulling me BACK” - Michael Corleone.
They started talking about the simchas torah kiddush and Dovid volunteered the Kugal.
He doesn’t buy it.
He makes it.
Dovid has become very handy in the kitchen.
He makes a mean Potato Kugal among other things.
I told hm to just add vodka and the chabad dudes will love it.
TOday, if the wind calms down, we hope to end up at the Carlebach Festival in Moshav Modiin.
It was established by Rav Shlomo with his followers.. and I hear its a real happenning place.
We also hope to go to neot kedummim.
It is where they have the succas mentioned in the mishna.
We’ll see.
Alot to do and see here.
Shabbos was nice.
We had Estie Buchsbaum… again with a different friend.
It was incredible. she had Avi had an discussion if the women can make their own mezuman.
She pulls out a gemora berachos and the friend pulls out the Rambam..
Wow.
I was very impressed.
I was too tired to get in the middle.
So I just pulled down the mattresses and went to sleep.
This year I slept in the succa 3 nights. MY previous high was 2, I think.
well, I’m going to sign off. Tamar is making a mess and I think the door is open…
Cach her before she leave…
U.D.

Finally a moment to blog.
Its been an exciting chag so far…
Estie Buchsbaum and her 2 friends.
Avi Waldman
Aunt Ruthie and Aliza.
Snorkeling.
Chaim Dovid
Reishit.
Where to begin….hmmm..
Its been exciting having our first succos here.
First night at Dovid.
day at home.
Its a great feeling to host our first yom tov meal.
Dovid was zoche to put up 4 succas…his own.
Sruli, took down supporting posts and crashed the succa over.. and over… cute.
The interesting thing was having guests over who kept the second day.
We served them Pizza for the seudah. They also polished off ice cream cake.
THe next day, our 1st day chol hamoed we didn’t do much due to the RAIN Dovid had to stay home for the plumber. HE had some…. “smells” and some “stuff” come up from the drain. Not a good thing.
And wouldn’t you know it….we finally had rain and it HAD to be Yom Tov…
Oh well. I almost forgot what rain was like.
It wasn’t a total loss and I had a balloontwisting class in Ranana so I shlepped the boys to it.
That night the beis shemesh music festival was cancelled due to the rain.
Yesterday we had a GREAT tiyul.
Snorkeling for the Chilazon.
We drove an hour and a half to NAchsholin where the techellit institue is and had a video about the halachik background of the chilazon. And the Purple to Blue finding that confirmed that the chilazon was actually found.
Then we went snorkeling to find it. Kids Loved it. So did we.
Then we went to mix the dyes to produce blue dye.
an AMAZING trip.
Educational.
Torah.
Snorkeling.
Can’t beat that.
Last night was the annual beit shemesh festival. We saw Jeffrey Goldgrab and ELi Shmuckler over the chag as well. I met them at their rabbi’s house 2nd night of the chag… after I told them we had Esti B. and 2 other girls over… they were a cloud of dust… and they came back a few more time over the next day. Playing ping pong and shmoozing.
At the Festival there were approx 10 acts playing in front of a few thousand people.
I was on my stilts and sold some balloons for 2 hours until I went to the Reishit Succa Party.
I was invited by Rabbi Marcus to twist balloons for the people there. One thing about Rabbi J.
He can REALLY work a crowd.
He knows how to talk to everybody.. and make them feel choshuv and important.
Rabbi Chaim soloveichik spoke for a few minutes, as it was His fathers’ yahrzeit.
I hope I didnt upset him as I was twisting balloons during his speech.
This morning I decorated and twisted balloons in Har Nof for a new store that is opening.
DOvid Newman is opening a new store that sells take out food, and is only open fridays.
It was a total balagon!
After 10 minutes I had 100 kids all pushing and clamoring for balloons.
I almost fell off my stilts a few times as I was getting jostled and pushed around.
It was my first time in har nof.. not a great experience…
It was probably my worst balloon experience as the kids were just trampling over each other.
The interesting thing was trying to seperate the boys and girls.
Men were upset about the pritzos… Im like… these are 5 and 6 year old kids mostly…
oh well.
After the ballooning I took the kids to a farm nearby.
Its a pleasure to have the little things taken care of.
A kosher succa.
Kosher cotton candy.
All frum people.
I can really get used to this.
Its nice just striking up a conversation with anybody…
People are very nice here.
well, I really hate to cut it short… BUT..
Shabbos is in an hour and Estie buchsbaum is back…with another friend… so I hope to get some hot water if I make it quick.
U.D.

Please forgive me for giving you the impression that everyone had a great time at Lavi.
When I posted yesterday’s blog I figured what could possible go wrong after a great shabbos.
Premature.
sunday morning, Tamar was lost again.
This time she was gone for 15 minutes. She was found on the top floor of the hotel by a cleaning lady.
That was only the beginning.
At the Naot store, Penina and Tamar got thrown OUT of the store due to her crying and screaming.
Tamar that is.
This was about the time that tamar stuck her hand in her diaper and dirtied her dress.
On the way out of Teveria, Zahava started crying because she forgot her watch at the hotel.
After a search the watch was found.
After leaving the hotel for the third time, Michal pulled a room key out of her pocket.
Back to the hotel.
An hour later I got a call from a frantic Penina.
She was lost.
Despite the fact that to get from Lavi to Ramat Beit Shemesh there are only 3 or 4 roads… she still got lost.
She wound up taking highway 1, 2, 4, 5, 6… mind you there aren’t many more highways you could take.
She ended up getting the right way after I got help from coworkers.
Things were peachy until Natan spewed chunks.
Hurled.
lost his lunch.
This happenned 5 minutes from the house.
A minute later, Tamar did the same.
Moshe unfortunately, was caught in the barrage.
The car, one day later still smells..like… well, you can imagine.
This morning I thanked H-shem during modim with extra kavana that I have a job and I had to miss the fun.
Even dovid who is the last person to “wig out” lost it on the way home.
Last night I bought a lulav and esrog from someone in the area.
I ended up buying HUGE lulavs, for me and for my brother in law avi, who MAY be here for succot. His plane lands in Israel 2:30, 2 hours before Yom Tov. The Lulav is almost the size of yoni. THe entire top is CLOSED and its straight. The only downside is that it doesn’t fit in any case and its very heavy.
Its very exciting in Ramat Beit Shemesh on Erev Succot.
People are running around. People buying succa shach and decorations last minute. People trying to buy an esrog last minute to get a deal. Alot of fathers with their kids getting them out of the house so the women could cook and clean.
I ended up taking the boys shopping for food and to the park.
Ruthie took the girls to the Malcha Mall.
In the next few hours, Avi should be arriving.
Estie buchsbaum and 2 sem girls should be arriving and the place will be jumping.
We are expecting 18 people in the succa tonight and the good news is its large enough and its even kosher.
I brought a neighbor who is a rabbi over to make sure all was in place.
If anyone sees rabbi ralbag make sure he looks over Fishy’s succa BEFORE succas we don’t want what happenned last year to repeat.
well, I’m going to sign off and finish today’s daf with Rabbi Grossman.
Please do not leave your computers on during yom tov.
I will NOT be posting on the first day of Chol Hamoed (your second day of yom tov).
Chag Sameach!
U.D.

Shabbos at Lavi… wow..

I recommend it…. highly.
My Aunt treated us and my brother’s family to a shabbos in Hotel Lavi.
For those who do not know what that is… Kibbutz Lavi located just outside of Tiveria (Tiberius) is a Dati Kibbutz (orthodox) that besides making benches for shuls and temples around the world, has a hotel that is very popular.
Similar to the Homowack in the Catskills.
Just this past shabbos there were three bar mitzvahs there. All Americans and Former Americans.
For those who have not been there in the past 3 years, it is alot different.
There is a new wing to the hotel and the dining room is also new.
Unlike 2 years ago when we stayed in the old wing (yes, you were in the old wing dani) this shabbos we were in the new wing. Spacious rooms, decorated nicely, Fruit and cake in each room. Fruit in the bedroom. Like what Debbie has when fishy comes home.
The food is the best part of the hotel.
Plenty of it.. and its quite good.
The hotel also has a pool and an area which has animals.. Cows, horses, donkeys..
The kibbutz also has a walking tour that Penina, Dovid, and Sara Baila went on and found out that our Uncle Moshe Levinger was the first Rabbi of the Kibbutz.
Unfortunately there was no daf yomi shiur but before mincha you saw several people in the shul looking at the gemora with the fancy 3d pictures.
I have no idea how people learned eruvin without the pictures. Due to the girls yelling all shabbos afternoon, I was able to forgo a nap and spent time learning the daf. So far.. bli ayin hara… I’m up to date and I’ve been able to understand alot of the sugyas…
Unfortunately, due to work I had to leave the Hotel sat. night,
rather than have all 14 people cram into a 8 seat minivan.
I crammed in someones car and left the rental car at the hotel for the family to use.
Some of the highlights from shabbos:
1. Aliza and Ruth’s luggage finally arriving from Brussels. At first they were going to deliver the luggage after shabbos, but Aliza got them to deliver the luggage all the way to the Hotel…Kol Hakoved. I think she’ll make a great Israeli, beena.
2. Getting into a political discussion with our waiter who despite being Dati .. is a “Blue” lefty. He is Pro disengagement. We kind of got him into trouble by talking with him at length after the mealand not letting him clear the tables, so we ended up helping him clear and set the table for the next meal.
3. Having a good night sleep. Not at the hotel, but at home by myself until the phone rang at 11pm. Penina and the families went to a small amusement park near the kibbutz and got a phone call about a runaway child that was found roaming the halls of the hotel.
Penina put dovid in charge on Tamar… not a great move.
The baby climbed out of the crib, opened the door and was walking around the hotel.
Tamar has turned out to be a handful. We spent a good portion of shabbos looking around for her. The only time she was quiet was when we put on the TV in the room before shabbos…
Penina and I said perhaps we should consider getting one for home.
We met a few other tourists from Montreal and a family from cleveland, shurfin or shurin… first name mordechai, who says he knows The Scheinermans, friends of ours.
He said he was happy the indians did not get into the playoffs as he was afraid it would distract people from davening on Rosh Hashana.
Moti, Tova… Please tell people this so they can hassle him when he gets home.
The nerve!
well, I’m going to sign off.
I’ll post stuff tommorrrow as I hear more reports of the outings the family went on today in Tiveria.
Have a great day and Chag Sameach!
u.d.

Yom Kippur came and went… FAST.
The fast ended at 5:45PM…
Israel moves the clock back so the fast can end later…
a nice perk to living in Israel.
The davening was very similar to davening in Staten Island, alot of similar negunim… They even used the Green Room Niggun… (shiru) for the end of mussaf,, Hayom Tcharchanu….
Another perk is that the aliyos are sold in Shekel.. so I bought hagbah for 400 shekel..(less than 100 dollars).. I hope I don’t see that on my bill when Rabbi Pollack sends them out next year…. Don’t tell Big Dave..
A very nice thing was the fact that the most expensive aliya, sheeshi, was bought for the Rebbi.
2,000 shekel was the price, more than yonah or peseechah neilah.. A nice gesture.
People are very close and are machshev the rebbi here.
The interesting thing was… from 7am to 5:45pm.. there was only a 20 minute break.
Today, dovid and I drove to Tel aviv to get a van so we can have a better method of transportation for the chagim… We’re heading off to Kibbutz Lavi for shabbos…
ALso, we have some good news about the luggage…..I’m not going to comment until its definate…. but things are looking up..
Well, I really have to run… loading up the car and van and then its off to Tiberius… for shabbos…
Have a great day and a great shabbos!
U.D.

Ruthie and Aliza landed… .sans their luggage.
The flight out of NY was delayed, so THEY barely made it to their connecting flight out of Brussels…
Their Luggage..was NOT as lucky.
Scheduled to come Erev Yom Kippur.
The kids were overjoyed to see their aunt and cousin.
This morning I drove ALiza and Ruthie to the Kotel.
It was ALiza’s first time at the Kotel and my first Selichot at the Kotel.
The place was pretty crowded.. so Im assuming Succot is going to be packed… Baruch H-shem.
During davening I noticed a familiar face….
A guy from Camp Dora Golding, Avi Hornstein.
His older brother, Moti Hornstein was a bunkmate of mine and was killed in an accident in 1989.
They make a night of learning of in his honor during chol hamoed. SO I gave him my number and
I hope to go.
Today is his yahrzeit.
So I said tehillim in his name this morning.
I also had everyone in mind while I was davening this morning that we should all have a year of health and nachas and Simchot.
After davening we came back to Ramat Beit Shemesh and started getting the succa ready. The walls and shach was put up by my brother and me.
The succa is almost 2 times that it was last year so I had to buy more shach.
I also think I may need a diet.
As I was putting up the decorations with the kids, I stepped on a chair and broke it.
I ended up breaking the chair, Falling on the floor, ripping my pants, cutting my leg AND almost pulling off the shach in the process.
That chair is Finished.
Does anyone know how to say weight watchers in hebrew?
Luggage update..
After being told the luggage was not in Israel and was held up in Brussels…. we found out moments ago…. that the luggage WAS in Israel.
Unfortunately the airport is probably closed as its 3 hours before yom kippur AND besides clothes, The formerly frozen meat for succot was in a package.
So it looks like we’re having a vegetarian yom tov.
Yay.
Well, thats all that happenned.. slow day, eh?
Have a great Fast and please have us in mind for an yishuv kal.
We will be davening for everyone back home…
G’mar Chatimah Tovah!
U.D.