a balloontwister’s aliya saga

Wow, what a Bar Mitzvah.
SO far parts 1 and 2 are in the history books.

Morning at Chevron and Evening at the Mul Ha’ahar restaurant in Talpiot.
Dovid and I took the cab at 6am to meet up with the bus at the King Solomon Hotel.
The driver was a divorced woman who Penina met somewhere that gives rides to make ends meet.
all was fine until she said “The king solomon? That’s in GIvat Sha’ul”, right?”
Um… no…
not even close.
SO the 30 minute ride took close to an hour as we got lost and asked directions.
I think besides the actual driving a car service driver should also be familiar with the destination.
Like a pilot know how to fly a plane, but an important part is knowing where to go and land.
“Attention passengers, We’re 30,000 feet off the ground… Does anyone know exactly where Newark is? Is it New Jersey or Newark, Delaware?”
Its like renting a car… HOLDING the reservation is as important as TAKING the reservation (seinfeld reference).
Well, in either way, it was good to help someone out who needs the parnasa.
The trip to chevron was great.
Davening, hearing my Uncle Moshe Levinger give an impromptu Dvar Torah.
Seeing the cousins.
Seeing my Aunt Levinger.
And getting a tour of Yeshiva Sha’arei Chevron.
You don’t understand the heroism of the Jews there until you go on the roof of the yeshiva.
Its in the center of the valley and from the roof you see the ENTIRE city.
YOu see the mountains / hills and the valley and the “cave at the edge of the field.” The reference to the posuk on how avraham described it.
The only thing you see are arabs and arabhouses. 250 yeshiva boys and 90 families amongst… thousands of arabs…
and people are living in carvans WAITING to get their hands on arab houses so they can move in.
From start to finish it was great as there was a “tour guide” who is actually a menahel of the yeshiva that “arranges” these trips. SO any Bar Mitzvah or simcha can be coordinated. FRom bussing to food to getting a walking tour of Avraham Avinu, he handled it all.
It is the same fellow I met At Eli Gelb’s house in Wesley Hills, he was collecting money for the yeshiva.
IF anyone in the listening audience is thinking about making a simcha in Chevron, a “co-ordinator is needed”.
I actually had a very scary moment.
At my aunt house in chevron, we were talking about the large family she has and how some kids married sephardic boys…etc.
She remarked how when moshe was in prison, depending on which son in law spent shabbos, the kiddush was either ashkenazik or sephardic..
I heard my father in my head remark, “Which time?”.
I looked around because that is EXACTLY what he would say (and has said) when talking about Uncle Moshe.
Scary.
Besides the physical similarities, now the same style of jokes.
I only wish I had more.
If you do not know of Rabbi Levinger, just type in his name in yahoo or google and you’ll find information on this Hero that is the reason why people can even visit or daven at the meoras hamachpealah.
We finally got back to Jerusalem at 1:30 pm…
I hopped a car service, to a sherut… to Beit Shemesh, then a car service home…
Then it was mincha and off to the balloon chug and then off to talpiot for the evening bar mitzvah portion.
We had such a nice time as the kids were invited and behaved.
SO they got to meet some new cousins and some who they’ve only met once or twice before.
This morning michal mentioned how nice Estie Bryk, the mother of the bar mitzvah boy was.
She kept asking the kids if they were alright, if they needed anything.
Usually people are only concerned with their friends… or the adults..etc.
The bryk’s are incredible people.
Joel gives a shiur
and Estie GOES to more shiurim than any man or woman. She goes to Israel for learning programs.
We had a great time. Cousin shmuli was there with his wife. Cousin shmuel was there with his wife. ELi Reich and Family and Yitzy Fisher and family were there.
The israeli contingency was in full force.
They actually had a turkey at the shmorg. (not that great) for the thansgiving portion and some mystery meat that was supposed to be corned beef.
“Yes kids, the mystery meat from last night was… veal.” Anyone know which movie that was from? First right answer gets you an israeli hot dog.”
This morning tamar is feeling fine. Michal may have strep.
Theres a stomach virus and strep going around here…
In a few hours, we’re taking a van to the King Solomon hotel as we are spending shabbos there.
Updates after shabbos…
Take care and have a good shabbos,
U.D.
P.S. Devorah Feit’s call came AFTER our Anniversary.