a balloontwister’s aliya saga

On shabbos I noticed perhaps the most ironic moment… Maybe a bit sad.. Not sure what to make of it.

At the Chabad center at Shabbos Mincha. I noticed a fellow sitting on my table with an open artscroll gemora. He had a huge silk kippa and had a turtleneck sweater on… in short.. he didnt look like he was “shabbos dressed”. I remarked to myself that its interesting how jewish people from all walks are learning gemora with the artscroll. I noticed a second later, that next to his gemora was a set of car keys and that he was learning Meseches Shabbos. So he was learning Shabbos after he drove on shabbos. After speaking to some of the locals, that is apparently no big thing is Columbus. Alot of people who come to shul DO drive to shul. Not all of the minyanim but some of them.

This morning I went to the kollel for davening… Only takes 15 minutes from where I am staying (I got lost this morning so it took me longer). SOme people drove but its monday so its not that big of a problem. Well, I’m going to sign off… I had a meeting earlier and I would like to do SOME work today. Tonight I’m heading to the Ohio State Basketball game. So I hope to bring my Schottenstein Gemora to the Schottenstein center.

J

Its not shabbos in jerusalem or Beit Shemesh.. but it was very nice.

It took 5 minutes to find the connection as we played Jewish Geopgraphy.

The people I stayed by gre up near my cousin Faygie Grauman.

Regards from Yanky Tewner…from Willamsburg, not the virginia one. We davened at chabad and it was typical of chabad except one thing.

Typical: We davened at 10:15 this morning, It was very friendly and Inclusine as Jews from the entire spectrum were there, Big Kiddush / Lunch

Not Typical: No Vodka or mashkeh.

Everyone is the shul was very nice and friendly. I actually met a ger who is making aliya so I spoke to him for a few minutes about Israel. I hope he still comes. All in all I had a great shabbos as the people were very friendly to me. The funniest thing I heard was the response I got when I asked someone what the rabbi does during the week. He runs the largest Bingo program in Ohio. True.

Well, I’m going to sign off. I’m heading to work tommorrow and maybe see a wrestling match at Ohio State U.

Have a good week

J

Its a girl. Mazel tov to the Akselruds. YOssi is a father once again. Despite Moshe’s wishes (he wanted “nothing” when asked if he wanted a boy or girl). 8 and 7… pounds and ounces that is. In Israel we use kilograms… so 8 kilograms would have been a bit much.. (I think a car weighs that much.) Well, the schonfelds have landed and David is so far on his diet… I give it another day until its felafel three times a day.

So I noticed a few stares on my first day. I don’t think Im being overly sensitive. I really fel tthe stares.. At first I thought it was the kippa.. then at the hotel I realized what it was. The toilet paper on the back of my shoe. At least they’re not anti semitic. Just anti moron. ( I guess I’m still in trouble…) The people here are actually very nice. Alot of beard wearers. Mostly Men but alot. Speaking about beards, shalosh seudos I was invited to the new Woodmere / Ramat Beit Shemesh chaboorah. They formed a shalosh seudos that mixes the US aish kodesh, tuna fish and chasiddus. Everyone except 2 people had a beard. When I looked around I felt like I was looking at the famous painting of the last supper. I guess Tryfus was Jesus and someone was judas… etc… Not sure Dovid will like that I noticed that… but it WAS funny.

I got invited out for shabbos, fyi.. The chazon who is a chiyuv invited me. Nice voice. Good demeanor. Very friendly. She’s a bit tall, but I hope she can cook. So I got that out of the way, shabbos is taken care of. The shul is actually very nice. Dave Yurowitz says he knows the rabbi here. But The rabbi still seems very nice.

I also found the kosher deli, restaurant, a CVS for cereal … just forgot the spoons and bowls… it takes a really long time when you use a fork to eat raisan bran.

Well, I’m signing off,

J

Its a dreary monday is Columbus, Oh. Rainy, damp, gray…oy.
Yes, I’m on a SAP contract position editing SAP documents in Columbus.
I left Israel Sat. Night and arrived sunday evening. The second leg of the trip was most interesting.
JFK to Columbus.
We got on a BUS. I’m like… excuse me.. I paid for a plane ticket… luckily the bus ride was only 2 minutes long until we got on the plane.
When I got my boarding pass.. I requested a aisle seat.
The agent said. You have an aisle and a window seat… there is only 1 seat on the left side of the plane.
You heard right… a 50 seat plans that had 18 people on it.
The funnist thing was the flight attendant was making the anouncements on a microphone system.
I’m thinking.. you could probably just talk regular.. its a small plane. about the size of your living room.
Im sure she did it to feel important.. look at me. I have a microphone. The meal consisted of a drink and a small granola bar.
It was nice seeing the folks in SI and brooklyn. I didn’t have alot of time to see everyone..
Well, I hear the schonfelds have landed and they even davened at Holy Smokes this morning.
Well, I’m going to get back to this stuff.
Have a good day,
Jay

Went to a JAzz club… just the two of us. SOmething a bit different. I know what you’re thinking.. Its about time they had a Jazz Club in Jerusalem. well, its finally here. In the Russian compound area, off yaffo. I was the only one not smoking. It was good to have an evening away from the kids. It was going to be Wednesday night. SO it turned into the 2 of us spending a thursday night in Jerusalem. Just me and Scott the Juggler… Did you think I meant Penina? She is not into Jazz (not that I am) so it was me and Scott the Juggler. We had a nice time. It was actually my second time being in Jerusalem that night. Earlier we took the balloon chug to perform at the girls orphanage. We went through over 250 balloons is 40 minutes… I think its a new record. 15 kid twister + 35 orphans = A huge mess, alot of squeeking…and MANY, MANY smiles. The kids were able to keep up with the high demands of the girls. FLowers, hearts, heart hats… etc…
so TODAY was our sunday breakfast as we went to the bagel place before (yes, penina and I this time)… the YIshi meeting at Dovid and Sara B’s place. Sara B. is trying to revive the yishi talks and get the ball to continue to roll. About 15 people came to hear about the building and buying process.
Well, I gotta run and get ready for Little league… actually I’m not going to run.. I got some anto inflammatories for the knee. So I think I’l be walking slowly to little league.
good shabbos!
U.D.

Draw your own conclusions…. THIS is why moshiach is not here. THIS is why the non religious and religious make snide comments about chareidim. Remember, this isn’t the same as Chassidim. Chassidim in the US and Israel WORK …. Chareidim are referred to in this country as people who do not work and get benefits from the government. Its a vicious cycle. Can you imagine this happenning elsewhere? Protesting bec. a family isn’t charedi enough? I invite your comments…

‘Irreligious’ Beit Shemesh haredi family told to move

A family living in Ramat Beit Shemesh has been targeted by a group of haredi extremists in the community who deemed that members of the family were not “religious enough” for its taste, police and the family said Monday.

The family, which is haredi and has lived in the predominantly haredi community for the last six years, has been subject to four nights of protests outside their home.

The target of the demonstrators has been the family’s two eldest sons, 22 and 20, who no longer wear haredi garb and are modern Orthodox, the mother of the family said.

Her two sons were beaten up on the way home Friday night by extremists, who have held a demonstration outside their home every night since then, calling on the family to move out, she said.

“These people are not normal,” she said. “It’s like we are living in the Wild West.”

After police arrested two haredi protesters who took part in the Sunday night demonstration, hundreds of haredim rioted Monday afternoon on a main road leading into the neighborhood in Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet, setting trash bins on fire and pelting police with stones, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.

Five demonstrators were arrested.

The mother said she had “no idea” why her family was suddenly being targeted, adding that the whole story was “very strange and troublesome,” but that it had happened once before to a different family in the area.

She added that local rabbis on Monday intervened in an attempt to stop the harassment.

Learned a few things from yesterday’s hike.

1. A hike is MORE than just a walk with trees around. My knee is killing me.

2. A porcupine is REALLY sharp. OUCH.

3. Your kids are growing up when they care less about a shiny rock then you do.

TOday we had a guest from the Old COuntry. Alan Braverman from Wesley HIlls. I was at his house a few months ago for shabbos. I had roast at his house, so we gave him an Israeli treat. Felafel. I also showed him the big tourist site in Beit Shemesh. Yeshiva Reishit. Got to walk around and see the dorms…er.. suites… and the beit Medrash. And catering hall. And tennis court. And computer room. And library. Nice little yeshiva, if they ever fix it up it ould really be nice. On the way back to Ramat Beit Shemesh, we had to take a detour as the main road through ramat Beit Shemesh Beit, was closed due to a protest. There were approx 15 chardedim sitting on the road with about 5 garbage bins overturned.

Welcome to the area, Alan. I guess they don’t have protests in MOnsey that often.

Have a good day,

u.d.

Friday to Sunday… was a roller coaster… ups and downs… downs and ups.
Friday morning I went to the cemetary to complete a minyan for the 1st yahrzeit of the father of Ari Gerber. Ari is a gabbai at the carlebach shul. The kever is in the Beit Shemesh cemetary which is really nice… great view of the area… lots of space…Nice ..very nice.
This shabbos we had some familiar faces. Eli Levin and Moshe Heineman who learned at nesivs hatorah in Staten Island. They are at the Mirrer and they spent the shabbos with us. ELi got my number when I gave him my business cardon Succot at the Mevo Modi’in carlebach festival. I was on my stilts.. and he was on something too.
It was good to host the Mirrer boys and the kids had a nice time having them around. The highlight for them I think was shalosh seudos. We went to aish Kodesh and they were stunned when the Rebbi himself served them. Got them rolls, pitas, salads..etc… The piacesna is not just a rav. He goes out of his way to invite and make everyone welcome. A minute later, the boys line up to say divrei torah. So the guys got a good taste of Aish Kodesh.
Over shabbos I read the Jerusalem Post and saw a listing of a walking / hiking group that meets sundays at Eshta’ol. Its only 10 minutes from my house so I drove penina to the finess club and drove to hike. 6 people with me being the youngest by 20 years. We hiked approx 35 minutes until my cel phone rang. Penina did not take a spare key.. so the group had to hike to the highway to meet up with penina who got a ride to get the key. The bad part was… we had to hike a kilometer out of the way… the good part is we got to daven and say tehillim at the kever of Dan ben Ya’acov… THE dan of the shevatim. SO the day after we read the brachot of the shevatim… we got to daven at the kever of one of the 12. We hiked up hills.. through KKL forrests…. it really was great. They sell maps with the different trails and it turns out that there are probably dozens of trails JUST in our area. The most interesting thing was petriot!… mushrooms. One lady pointed some out.. and another woman collected them. WHY?
For dinner.
S’licha?
Yes, she collects them and cooks them and eats them other vegtables.. OKAAAYYY..
Towards the end we noticed that the entrance to the moshav where the trail ended was closed off by a fence.
Instead of walking around… we squeezed UNDER the fence… on our backs… in the mud.. so besides my pants and boots totally caked in mud… Now my jacket was also covered.
So all of us crawled to fit in an opening that was perhaps a foot high.
“Its for security that they made the fence.”
“to keep out who? FAT people?”… I remarked.
Well, I’m home now…and after a shower… feeling alot better..
Have a good day!
U.D.
P.S. Pictures from the hike are at the Yahoo blog site..
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-22J.iyY7er.rOOZRuHArUhn3rdDm?p=23

Just got the call… no little league tommorrow… WOO HOO.. Don’t tell the kids how happy I was to read the email. THe ground is too wet from the past 3 days of rain. Unlike little league in Staten Island where only 10 sundays are shot. Here 10 MONTHS are shot…. every friday.. EXCEPT… Chanuka and rain…. so the coaches get a normal friday…

Speaking about normal… I apologize for the normal postings. My sister in Law commented that the posts have been “Mushy” and not funny..well, I’m sorry about that.. We’ll try to limit the mushy stuff.

Speaking about mushy, There may be a few more blog readers today, or in the next few days. Nefesh B’nefesh, I think, is featuring this blog in their monthly newsletter.. I mean, everyone is interested in the inane rantings of a Balloontwister who happens to be an oleh chadash… right?

If this doesn’t set back the aliya movement back 30 years.. I don’t know what will. I could see it now, The number of North american olim DROPPED in 2006, officials are puzzled why…. well, YOU’LL know..

Speaking about dropped, It has been raining 3 days in a row…. We have rain, then sun, then clouds… then more rain and wind. OF course its a bracha so no one complains.. but… hey, we were used to 70 degree weather…. oh well. This morning I davened at the shiva house which was a huge walk.. approx 20 steps from my front door.. and I noticed that the family was NOT holding their stomachs. Penina made dinner for them the night before. Chicken with noodles and a cake. I actually was trying to talk Penina out of making dinner for them… I mean…haven’t they been though enough? C’mon… a little rachmonus… actually… they DID eat well, the cake was good (penina made a second one.. which I ate about half of) and her chicken with noodle thingee.. is really good. Chicken tastes the same here… its the meat that doesn’t.

Well, I’m going to sign off… have a good rest of thursday and stay warm!
To link to the Blog on Yahoo 360.. http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-22J.iyY7er.rOOZRuHArUhn3rdDm?p=22
U.D.

Free Hit Counters

Just got the call… no little league tommorrow… WOO HOO.. Don’t tell the kids how happy I was to read the email. THe ground is too wet from the past 3 days of rain. Unlike little league in Staten Island where only 10 sundays are shot. Here 10 MONTHS are shot…. every friday.. EXCEPT… Chanuka and rain…. so the coaches get a normal friday…

Speaking about normal… I apologize for the normal postings. My sister in Law commented that the posts have been “Mushy” and not funny..well, I’m sorry about that.. We’ll try to limit the mushy stuff.

Speaking about mushy, There may be a few more blog readers today, or in the next few days. Nefesh B’nefesh, I think, is featuring this blog in their monthly newsletter.. I mean, everyone is interested in the inane rantings of a Balloontwister who happens to be an oleh chadash… right?

If this doesn’t set back the aliya movement back 30 years.. I don’t know what will. I could see it now, The number of North american olim DROPPED in 2006, officials are puzzled why…. well, YOU’LL know..

Speaking about dropped, It has been raining 3 days in a row…. We have rain, then sun, then clouds… then more rain and wind. OF course its a bracha so no one complains.. but… hey, we were used to 70 degree weather…. oh well. This morning I davened at the shiva house which was a huge walk.. approx 20 steps from my front door.. and I noticed that the family was NOT holding their stomachs. Penina made dinner for them the night before. Chicken with noodles and a cake. I actually was trying to talk Penina out of making dinner for them… I mean…haven’t they been though enough? C’mon… a little rachmonus… actually… they DID eat well, the cake was good (penina made a second one.. which I ate about half of) and her chicken with noodle thingee.. is really good. Chicken tastes the same here… its the meat that doesn’t.

Well, I’m going to sign off… have a good rest of thursday and stay warm!
To link to the Blog on Yahoo 360.. http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-22J.iyY7er.rOOZRuHArUhn3rdDm?p=22
U.D.