a balloontwister’s aliya saga

Well, the house is quieter, Mother in law, rochel, and the kids are on the plane.
SO there are about 200 people on an alitalia who will be grumpy when they land today.
Tamar already asked me where dovid was this morning….
Shabbos was again a UN.
There was a singles shabbaton as well as a Nevi Tzion Shabbaton this past shabbos.
On friday night, Rabbi Eli Behar invited me to come to the farbreng at his house.
It was very nice until someone from a different yeshiva threw up due to a bit too much drinking.
(not going to say which yeshiva).
I was talking to a neighbor who was also at the farbreng as we both agreed that it takes a special person to be a rebbi at a “neveh-type” yeshiva.
All it takes is the wrong word or the wrong tone of voice and you could really harm a person.
On the other hand, a good word or a special connection can bring a person closer to H-shem and be the difference between a person being a “good” jew or chas vshalom, not.
Fortunately, we have very talented rebbeim at these yeshivas who are in the trenches every day. Being a former JEP and NCSY advisor I have almost NO inkling of what goes on with today’s teens and young adults. All most of us can do, or should do is try and befriend a young person if he looks a bit “out of place”. In shul its not out of the ordinary to see kids with earrings or long hair…etc. I try to make it my business to go over and welcome the person. Ask him where he is from, what yeshiva he’s in…just a few minutes of chit chat. You never know what it can do for the person or for yourself.
Well, the blog is starting to find its way to other people. I was stopped my Mendy Newman on shabbos who found the blog when someone did a search for him on google.. and this blog popped up. Well, most of the things I say about Mendy aren’t THAT bad.
Last night We went to a melava malcah at the Baum’s.
There was a tzedakah program to collect money for an organization that helps couples with infertility issues. The evening had a program where you invite a few couples and in 90 minutes you try to answer trivia questions as you compete against other couples who have met for the same purpose. We found out a few things.
After 150 shekel and some apple pie and salad. I don’t know that much.
It didn’t help that most of the questions had a “british” twist.
Quess the year the queen did this. Or prince Charles did that.
I think it helped that 2 of the couples in our group were british.
I was going to call Nik, but it was still shabbos in the states.
I don’t think we won, but it was an evening well spent.
Its not easy to get an evening with some friends.
There is school everyday and many of the men are traveling sunday to NY or England… or somewhere. So it was nice to have a nice evening.
This morning instead of going out for our Sunday breakfast, we stayed in and had a quick breakfast as Penina and Sara Baila went food shopping. I hope they got to the gas station ok. There was a few kilometers of gas left when I last checked.
On thursday after the hospital, I drove Michal to Jerusalem to spend some time with Rifky and the Lichtsheins. It was so funny being at the Plaza.
Its boro park.
It is so funny seeing tourists after living here.
Its hard to explain. Even though the israeli look at us anglos as fancy. I look at the tourists as THEY are fancy. I saw a friend of mine at the plaza from yeshiva, Chesky Neiman, and he had a nice button down shirt….
No one in israel except yeshiva boys, kollel people and rebeiim wear white button down shirts.
Brought back some nice memories of yeshiva days, as I used to eat shabbos meals at the neimans in Kew Gardens Hills.
Speaking about yeshiva a familiar face moved to the anglo part of RBS. Zev Tyberg moved closer to me and to aish kodesh and he came to daven by us this past shabbos.
Well, enough for today. I gotta do some work.
Enjoy the day and have a great week and send regards to my mother in law.
We miss her already!
U.D.