November 13, 2005
well, I made it back…whew.
Flight was interesting.
Approx. 6 or 7 people with kippas.
The rest were religious christians that were on a pilgrimage from North Carolina or alabama.
Quite an interesting flight. I’ve seen more jews at a simon and garfunkel concert.
We had to daven without a minyan.
Going backwards… Shabbos was really great.
Friday night I crashed a shalom zachor of an old chavrusa of mine from Montreal, Yehuda Belsky, Who’s uncle lives in RBS.
The next morning I davened at RabbI weinfeld and walked over to Rabbi Friedman’s shul.
Approx one year ago my tallis was misplaced. I originally thought it was lost at the Young Israel of Staten Island,, but after searching and comign up empty. I thought I may have misplaced it at a aufruf lst year. After a search and a announcement from the gabbai… no tallis. So Its back to the old drawing board.
Afterwards, I walked to see se Neek and yaffa and the boys and then to the Sheva Brochos or my cousin.
It was great getting such a nice welcome. It makes leaving so much harder. BUT… it feels good to be part of a great family.
he only down side was when my cousins yelled at me for missing the wedding.. not that they missed my presence or presents.. rather the balloon twisting.
Oh well, good to be missed for something I guess.
The goodbyes sat. night were difficult. More for my folks and siblings than for myself. I hope to see them soon whether its in Israel or in NY.
I also learned a very important lesson.. 50 pounds is 50 pounds. At continental if you go over 50 pounds… they charge you.
Until 70 pounds its 25 dollars… more than 70 its 400 dollars.
One suitcase was 68.5 the other was 65.
close.
With the blocks of cheese, roasts and hot dogs.. there was hardly room for the other meats. I eve had to stuff 1,000 balloons in my coat pocket to lessen the load. In case you were wondering.. a third checked piece of luggage would have cost 135 dollars.
All in all it was a very successful 2 weeks. I learned more about SAP in these 2 weeks than I have in the past 6 months. I also feel confident that I can land another consulting gig in the states or a permanent job here in Israel.
I also learned how diffucult it is to stay away from my family and eretz yisroel. Its a great feeling walking off the plane at Ben Gurion and seeing kippas and the “black hatters”…
Though Flatbush and Monsey are great… its not OURS… the cars and buses and goyim are there to remind us of that.
On the plane, of the 6 or 7 frum people. I knew one of them from yeshiva, Eli Reviel Bakst who is here for the week with a married woman ( I think its his wife) and I met a friend of Tzvi Kimmel, Michael Brim. A chiropracter from Monsey that sold his practise in Monsey and is opening up one here.
Well, I’m going to sign off early. Its 9pm and I’m too tired to stay up much longer.
Good night y’all…
See you soon,,
U.D.
