a balloontwister’s aliya saga

Today marks the reunification of Jerusalem as well as our family as Penina is heading back and should be landing in a few hours. We celebrate that after thousands of years of NOT having control over our holiest and most important city… WE FINALLY do. Its only with h-shem’s mercy that we can daven at the Kotel and walk the streets with pride as we all feel a connection to it. First time, 20th time…50th time… when you drive in through the jaffa gate or walk in the cardo… and especially daven at the kotel….its a new experience and we can never take it for granted. Generations of jews were not able to do what we can do today. Whether you said hallel today or not we have to thank H-shem for the special gift we have.

Still, The only issue is… can the cleaning lady Penina have the place ready by the time the wife penina gets here. Its going to be close.

Last night I took most of the kids to the science fair. Yoni didn’t make a project so he hung around the house and went bicycling with some friends. The fair was interesting. They had teachers teach the kids AND parents and make a project. So I sat in a class and listened to something about echos. I had no idea what she was talking about. It could have been the parsha or the mets… I had to ask michal. Good thing she knew. There were no projects that showed how the second grade is better in math than the kenig family. (ask Tali about that one). The most interesting part was projects that yoni’s class did that was supposed to be models of places in JErusalem. The machane Yehuda shuk. Ram Sports (the only good sporting good store in israel). There was actually a model of the kotel made in taffy and some green candy.

This morning davening was interesting. Shachris like shabbos… then full hallel with a brocha in the middle of davening as opposed to the end. Moshe had a tiyul with his talmud torah as they took all the kids to the old city. Yoni and michal are having a party in class today. Tamar.. well.. she went to shul with me again… This entire week she came to shachris. One chair has a few peanut butter stains on it courtesy of you know who. I was going to take the kids to jerusalem but was told to stay away. TOday and last night its too crowded and the streets and infrastructure is not set up to handle all the cars that come in.. so we’ll have to do it another time.

All in all its been a very challenging week. Its difficult enough with the kids but trying to work has been almost impossible. I have to still make up some hours Sat. night. The most difficult part is the work is not easy and I have to be in contact with the people in baltimore on a daily basis. When the kids get to bed and the house finally got quiet.. I was too tired to work. Well, in another few hours… things should get semi back to normal. But Penina felt it was important to be there for her father and family so that was of utmost importance. She came with 2 empty suitcases and I think both were stuffed overweight on the return and she went to costco for the entire RBS.

Well, I’m going to take advantage of the quiet house for a few hours…. Penina is going to be mad at me about something. shoes… papers.. theres always something that is out of place… Soon I’m off to little league with Yoni and then we are spending shabbos at Cousin Eli and Not as tall kenig in Nof Ayalon.

Shabbat shalom and chag sameach.

Jerusalem is ours….

u.d.