Posts
Having been away for three and half out of five weeks (NY and London), it was great to return home. Not that I don’t enjoy seeing family and our alumni, but everyone knows there is no place like home.
One of the great parts about Israeli attitudes is the commitment toward the community that the average Israeli displays. With mandatory military service and a voluntary national service program for women, Israeli youth are indoctrinated with the need to care about the well being of others at a very young age. This commitment often (although certainly not always) extends itself to a high level of volunteerism in the “nationalistic” or “Zionistic” ranks.
One of these extraordinary volunteers is Benny Pflanzer, the Manka”l (Director) of the Yeshiva I work at, Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi. Aside from being some type of executive officer of his Golani battalion (I don’t understand what he does – just that it is important in the army) who is regularly called for reserve duty, he recently trained to be a paramedic and volunteers his time for Magen David Edom (“MADA”) – the Israeli emergency medical response/ambulance service.
He takes this commitment very seriously, spending time both on emergency calls and driving and ambulance when needed, in order to serve the needs of his neighbors. His dedication is actually quite intimidating at times, and I often see it as a silent rebuke for the fact that other than actually making Aliyah (which many Israelis see as a dedication beyond anything they can do), I don’t feel like I really give much back to my new country.
When he asked me what I thought about our Yeshiva serving as host for an emergency response exercise, I told him that I thought it was a great idea. Reflecting on the effectiveness of their emergency responders to the Mercaz HaRav terrorist attack, MADA was looking to stage a simulation of a similar attack in order to prepare their medics.
The medics came to the building for an educational seminar, at the end of which we conducted the simulation. In order to provide for a realistic response by the medics, they were not told about the simulation until literally seconds before it began.
Each student was given a role. Some were victims (with injury and vital sign cards hung on their necks), others were bystanders (encouraged to display shock or volunteer to help as needed) and one was even a member of the media (with video camera in hand) encouraged to be as “in their face” and annoying as possible in order to give a true realistic flavor. They were also encourage to be as realistic as possible, by screaming and yelling and creating a general sense of pandemonium.
As I prepared to video the simulation, I wandered outside to the Yeshiva’s parking lot where I found an incredibly chilling scene. In preparation for the drill, there were ambulances with flashers running and a series of stretchers lined up in a row, waiting for “victims”. Even though I knew it was a fake, it still shook me.
Once the simulation began it was truly chaotic. Our guys threw themselves into their parts wholeheartedly. As a bystander I was overwhelmed by the noise and frantic activity. While the gravity of an actual attack was not present and there were frequent smiles exchanged, there was definitely a serious approach taken to the work and all “victims” were identified, triaged, treated and “taken” by ambulance in less than 20 minutes from the start of the event.
Although we certainly hope that such preparedness is not needed, we were quite proud to have participated and be a part (minor as it may be) of preparing these dedicated volunteers to do their duty when called upon.
The simulation also served as a kind of kickoff to Channuka season. Without the heavy influence of other religions’ holidays in Israel, we are free to celebrate Channuka as an entire society. Sufganiyot began to appear in the bakeries and grocery stores and channuka candles sprouted on store counters throughout the land. And, our personal favorite, the kids started singing their channuka songs (none of which we, as American born, are familiar with).
We are no longer in the “first zone” (first year in Israel, first channuka, etc.) for many items. We are somewhat “used to” the idea that this is a Jewish country. It was a special moment for Goldie and I then, when one of our students (Daniel Bonner from Dallas, Texas) walked into the office, looked at a calendar and commented, “Is it X-mas today? I had NO IDEA!”
Yet another reminder of what makes our home special.
As we went to press this week, the latest series of violence erupted in Gaza. My nephew (Yonatan Ben Arieh), who serves in the Golani brigade, stands a very strong chance of being called into action within days, if not weeks. Please keep him and all of our men and women in the Armed Services in your tefillot as well as those bystanders who are injured or heaven forbid killed, simply so that the enemy can inflict pain upon us. May the violence end soon, may our military be successful in accomplishing their mission and may we see a safe, secure Israel very soon.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Letter to the Editor By Shmuel Katz 1/1/2009
Dear Editor,
I was quite dismayed to see Rav Aryeh Z. Ginzberg’s letter in last week’s paper, in which he criticizes the tone of some of my recent “Aliyah Chronicle” articles. It was all the more distressing because Rav Ginzberg’s last comment upon my articles (“A Personal Response,” April 27, 2007) imparted an inspiring sense of tremendous chizuk for Goldie and I when we were going through such trying times. To face such a sharp rebuke from a friend who has in the past been a source of inner strength and confidence—a person who enhanced our bitachon when it was truly ebbing—was quite painful. I respect and admire him and certainly hope that his letter and my response do not mar our personal friendship in any way.
Twenty months ago, Larry Gordon, publisher of the Five Towns Jewish Times, approached me with what I thought was a tremendously novel idea. He was convinced that the public would be interested in hearing about aliyah from a personal perspective and that people would respond to a personal journal of the everyday experiences of an oleh. Perhaps, he added, coming to understand that the many hurdles faced in making aliyah can be overcome will inspire others to follow in our footsteps. And thus “Our Aliyah Chronicle” was born.
Almost immediately, it became apparent that Larry’s idea was right on target. From the first week the column hit the paper, we were approached by people who told of their admiration that we were taking the plunge, of a relative who had gone before us, and even a few who thought we were making a terrible mistake. I remember a conversation I had with Rav Ginzberg, at the annual Hatzalah barbecue in 2006, in which he predicted that my articles would inspire many others to come on aliyah in our footsteps.
Over time, it was made clear to me that one of the most compelling parts of the series was my willingness to be honest about not only the highs, but the lows as well. At his son’s bar mitzvah, Larry shared some feedback he had gotten from a friend in the Five Towns about how my articles were more captivating than any other series he had read about Israel because “you never know what is going to happen with Katz. One week he is higher than a kite and the next week is the worst week he has ever had. He writes life.”
In the feedback that I have gotten from those who have chosen to follow us or are considering following us to Israel, that same message appears. They see from our experiences that there are highs and there are lows, but that the lows can be overcome and it is just that piece of reality that encourages him. I often hear, “If you could do it—with all that you have faced—so can I.”
So, at least in my opinion, the fact that I share the bad along with the good actually enhances my message. No one reading my articles can accuse me of glossing over the tough spots. Which is a good thing. The last thing I would want on my conscience is someone having a claim that I misled them or failed to be honest with them about such a life-changing endeavor.
And, according to my inbox, many of you feel the same. I want to thank Rabbi Ginzberg for inspiring feedback that I got this week from others. Last week’s criticism of my articles has inspired people to show me their support, and I appreciate it.
Rav Ginzberg also says that he misses the wonderful inspiration that my stories of life in Eretz Yisrael used to bring. The fact is that I am still writing stories about my other experiences here, such as being interviewed for the radio for the USA elections, a story about my speaking to Batya’s fourth-grade class (in Hebrew for 45 minutes) about being a kohein, and the overwhelming feelings we had in Chaya’s getting her first citizen’s ID card—I wrote all this in the month of November. (In December, I wrote two articles: one, the article in question, and the other focused on my USA trip.)
Rav Ginzberg raises additional issues, saying that what I wrote is akin to the sin of the meraglim, telling lashon ha’ra about our holy land of Israel. He certainly makes a compelling case, and asks some serious questions about the justification for my treatment of the radical chareidim and their outrageous behavior.
I am not a Torah scholar; I have no semichah or any other form of rabbinic or scholarly ordination. If I err in my interpretation of the following source or in my interpretation of halachah, I apologize.
In the Ramban’s analysis of the sin of the meraglim, he specifically states that their sin was in the use of the word “efes,” (translated as “but”). The meraglim said wonderful things about Israel, then said “but” and proceeded to tell negative things about the land. In that instance, the “but” was used as a means to say, “Yes, it is a great land, but we cannot live there, because…” This, according to the Ramban, is their sin. It’s not the fact that they told the truth, but that they lacked faith that such obstacles could be overcome by the Divine.
I defy anyone to find the “but” in anything I have written. Never have I said that people should not come to Israel, and in the article in question, I specifically closed with a disclaimer that all neighborhoods worldwide have tensions at times, and that this is simply the tension that we are facing in Bet Shemesh at the current time and my hope is that we will overcome such tensions.
I am not criticizing the Land of Israel; I am only decrying the horrible sins of those who by their actions are creating a chillul H-shem. It is their actions that are denigrating the holiness of the land—not mine. At no point do I ever say that this is an Israeli problem or something which is awful about Israel. I am even very particular to point out (on a regular basis) that we are not talking about the vast majority of chareidim, just a very effective minority.
Interestingly, it does not appear to be lashon ha’ra about Israel when I talk about issues relating to the chilonim (non-religious) or the Arabs. They live in Israel, as well, and are part of the aliyah experience. I have written about our concerns about our kids’ future military service and my nephew’s current military service—certainly topics that might make someone reconsider coming on aliyah. Yet, this didn’t seem to be of concern, either.
Rather than criticize me, I respectfully suggest that, as a religious leader, Rabbi Ginzberg should be the first in line to repudiate any connection such thugs and goons have to Torah and the holiness of Israel. All the rabbanim of Bet Shemesh were indeed quick to do so, each one of them calling for every person in the community to do “whatever he can” to stand up to such hooliganism. One of them went so far as to say that any rabbi who encourages such actions is not a rabbi in any sense of the word.
I think some of the difference between our attitudes towards the situation stems from the fact that my children are endangered by these people. My wife and daughters have to walk the streets of Bet Shemesh, and these criminals are a serious threat to their safety. One might have a different perspective if it were his own daughter that was thrown to the ground, pelted with eggs, kicked repeatedly, and called a Nazi (and other, unprintable, names).
I invite anyone who is critical of my reporting to show their own love for the land of Israel and to lead by example—by making aliyah themselves.
Shmuel Katz
Bet Shemesh
I was quite dismayed to see Rav Aryeh Z. Ginzberg’s letter in last week’s paper, in which he criticizes the tone of some of my recent “Aliyah Chronicle” articles. It was all the more distressing because Rav Ginzberg’s last comment upon my articles (“A Personal Response,” April 27, 2007) imparted an inspiring sense of tremendous chizuk for Goldie and I when we were going through such trying times. To face such a sharp rebuke from a friend who has in the past been a source of inner strength and confidence—a person who enhanced our bitachon when it was truly ebbing—was quite painful. I respect and admire him and certainly hope that his letter and my response do not mar our personal friendship in any way.
Twenty months ago, Larry Gordon, publisher of the Five Towns Jewish Times, approached me with what I thought was a tremendously novel idea. He was convinced that the public would be interested in hearing about aliyah from a personal perspective and that people would respond to a personal journal of the everyday experiences of an oleh. Perhaps, he added, coming to understand that the many hurdles faced in making aliyah can be overcome will inspire others to follow in our footsteps. And thus “Our Aliyah Chronicle” was born.
Almost immediately, it became apparent that Larry’s idea was right on target. From the first week the column hit the paper, we were approached by people who told of their admiration that we were taking the plunge, of a relative who had gone before us, and even a few who thought we were making a terrible mistake. I remember a conversation I had with Rav Ginzberg, at the annual Hatzalah barbecue in 2006, in which he predicted that my articles would inspire many others to come on aliyah in our footsteps.
Over time, it was made clear to me that one of the most compelling parts of the series was my willingness to be honest about not only the highs, but the lows as well. At his son’s bar mitzvah, Larry shared some feedback he had gotten from a friend in the Five Towns about how my articles were more captivating than any other series he had read about Israel because “you never know what is going to happen with Katz. One week he is higher than a kite and the next week is the worst week he has ever had. He writes life.”
In the feedback that I have gotten from those who have chosen to follow us or are considering following us to Israel, that same message appears. They see from our experiences that there are highs and there are lows, but that the lows can be overcome and it is just that piece of reality that encourages him. I often hear, “If you could do it—with all that you have faced—so can I.”
So, at least in my opinion, the fact that I share the bad along with the good actually enhances my message. No one reading my articles can accuse me of glossing over the tough spots. Which is a good thing. The last thing I would want on my conscience is someone having a claim that I misled them or failed to be honest with them about such a life-changing endeavor.
And, according to my inbox, many of you feel the same. I want to thank Rabbi Ginzberg for inspiring feedback that I got this week from others. Last week’s criticism of my articles has inspired people to show me their support, and I appreciate it.
Rav Ginzberg also says that he misses the wonderful inspiration that my stories of life in Eretz Yisrael used to bring. The fact is that I am still writing stories about my other experiences here, such as being interviewed for the radio for the USA elections, a story about my speaking to Batya’s fourth-grade class (in Hebrew for 45 minutes) about being a kohein, and the overwhelming feelings we had in Chaya’s getting her first citizen’s ID card—I wrote all this in the month of November. (In December, I wrote two articles: one, the article in question, and the other focused on my USA trip.)
Rav Ginzberg raises additional issues, saying that what I wrote is akin to the sin of the meraglim, telling lashon ha’ra about our holy land of Israel. He certainly makes a compelling case, and asks some serious questions about the justification for my treatment of the radical chareidim and their outrageous behavior.
I am not a Torah scholar; I have no semichah or any other form of rabbinic or scholarly ordination. If I err in my interpretation of the following source or in my interpretation of halachah, I apologize.
In the Ramban’s analysis of the sin of the meraglim, he specifically states that their sin was in the use of the word “efes,” (translated as “but”). The meraglim said wonderful things about Israel, then said “but” and proceeded to tell negative things about the land. In that instance, the “but” was used as a means to say, “Yes, it is a great land, but we cannot live there, because…” This, according to the Ramban, is their sin. It’s not the fact that they told the truth, but that they lacked faith that such obstacles could be overcome by the Divine.
I defy anyone to find the “but” in anything I have written. Never have I said that people should not come to Israel, and in the article in question, I specifically closed with a disclaimer that all neighborhoods worldwide have tensions at times, and that this is simply the tension that we are facing in Bet Shemesh at the current time and my hope is that we will overcome such tensions.
I am not criticizing the Land of Israel; I am only decrying the horrible sins of those who by their actions are creating a chillul H-shem. It is their actions that are denigrating the holiness of the land—not mine. At no point do I ever say that this is an Israeli problem or something which is awful about Israel. I am even very particular to point out (on a regular basis) that we are not talking about the vast majority of chareidim, just a very effective minority.
Interestingly, it does not appear to be lashon ha’ra about Israel when I talk about issues relating to the chilonim (non-religious) or the Arabs. They live in Israel, as well, and are part of the aliyah experience. I have written about our concerns about our kids’ future military service and my nephew’s current military service—certainly topics that might make someone reconsider coming on aliyah. Yet, this didn’t seem to be of concern, either.
Rather than criticize me, I respectfully suggest that, as a religious leader, Rabbi Ginzberg should be the first in line to repudiate any connection such thugs and goons have to Torah and the holiness of Israel. All the rabbanim of Bet Shemesh were indeed quick to do so, each one of them calling for every person in the community to do “whatever he can” to stand up to such hooliganism. One of them went so far as to say that any rabbi who encourages such actions is not a rabbi in any sense of the word.
I think some of the difference between our attitudes towards the situation stems from the fact that my children are endangered by these people. My wife and daughters have to walk the streets of Bet Shemesh, and these criminals are a serious threat to their safety. One might have a different perspective if it were his own daughter that was thrown to the ground, pelted with eggs, kicked repeatedly, and called a Nazi (and other, unprintable, names).
I invite anyone who is critical of my reporting to show their own love for the land of Israel and to lead by example—by making aliyah themselves.
Shmuel Katz
Bet Shemesh
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Letter to the Editor By Rabbi AZ Ginzberg 12/25/2008
Dear Editor,
Until recently I thought I was the only one disturbed by the content and tone of my friend Shmuel Katz’s articles over the last few months; but the last installment seems to have touched a raw nerve in many others, as well.
When our friend and neighbor made the courageous decision to make aliyah with his family a few years ago he continued his valued and dedicated service to the community by keeping a diary of the challenges, problems, and benefits of the aliyah process. I, like others, read with great interest and concern Reb Shmuel Katz’s journey to the land of our fathers, and the minor setbacks and frustrations that he and his family faced, culminating with a successful aliyah.
His articles were informative, encouraging, even uplifting. I personally know of two families (and there probably were significantly more) that, after reading Shmuel’s weekly diary installments, were encouraged to take the final step to aliyah. V’chein yirbu.
But something happened.
In recent months, feeling the need to share with us some of the challenges of daily life in Ramat Beit Shemesh, in particular dealing with some of the extremists in the community; we have read descriptions of these chareidi extremists as gangsters, criminals etc.; the kind of terminology usually reserved by such secular Israeli newspapers as Haaretz or Yediot Achronot.
Most disturbing is why Reb Shmuel feels that we need to hear the “dark side” of life in Eretz Yisrael, and how this helps people become motivated about aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. If a particular person should ask him about the communal difficulties in Ramat Beit Shemesh, and it would be determined that there would be a “toeles” (purpose) in relating this information to that person, it would probably be acceptable to share this information; albeit without the name calling.
However, what heter is there to speak lashon ha’ra about Eretz Yisrael in a public forum without any toeles whatsoever. On whose halachic authority was this public criticism of life in Eretz Yisrael allowed?
Our Chazal point out that there were two terrible sins committed by Bnei Yisrael in the Midbar: one was the cheit ha’egel, and the other the sin of the meraglim. The fundamental difference between the two is that the cheit ha’egel was forgiven, but the sin of the meraglim was not. Why is that so? I once thought to explain that it was because the eigel was a sin against H-shem, and he was mochel on his kavod. However, the sin of the meraglim was a sin against Eretz Yisrael and on that there is no mechila.
Speaking publicly and disparagingly about Eretz Yisrael and about a specific group, no matter how disturbing, is a form of lashon ha’ra on the land, which the land does not forgive. Added to that is that the unacceptable categorizing of chareidim (even these extremists) as gangsters, etc. is unnecessary at best, prohibited at worst.
How did we go from advocating for aliyah to becoming an antagonist against the chareidim, or “chareidi bashing” as it’s referred to?
I once shared with your readers a story about the previous Amshinover Rebbe, zt”l, of Bayit Vegan. One day, the Rebbe’s driver, who usually wore a jacket out of respect for the Rebbe, commented, “It is so hot today, would the Rebbe mind if I take my jacket off?” The Rebbe replied, “For my part you can take off your shirt, but please don’t speak lashon ha’ra about Eretz Yisrael.”
The Gemara is replete with stories of how the Tannaim and Amoraim went out of their way never to utter a bad or unkind word about Eretz Yisrael, either the land or its people. It is related in Kesuvos (112A) that Rav Ami and Rav Assi would go from sun to shade and vice versa to avoid any feeling of discomfort in Eretz Yisrael.
Is the price of a successful aliyah to feel like an Israeli and take sides in a war against chareidim—even against the most extreme of groups? This will not encourage aliyah, nor will it inspire more Ahavas Yisrael and tolerance against even the most intolerant of us.
I miss the trials and tribulations of the aliyah process and the underlying love for the land and its people. I miss hearing of the experiences of the first yom tov, the first Chanukah, the kedushah of a Shabbos in Eretz Yisrael. And most of all I miss the wonderful inspiration that all of that gave to each and every one of us.
The consistent diary of the life and challenges of aliyah was indeed a valuable service; the chareidi-bashing and tales of communal strife in Ramat Beit Shemesh are not.
Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg
Cedarhurst
Until recently I thought I was the only one disturbed by the content and tone of my friend Shmuel Katz’s articles over the last few months; but the last installment seems to have touched a raw nerve in many others, as well.
When our friend and neighbor made the courageous decision to make aliyah with his family a few years ago he continued his valued and dedicated service to the community by keeping a diary of the challenges, problems, and benefits of the aliyah process. I, like others, read with great interest and concern Reb Shmuel Katz’s journey to the land of our fathers, and the minor setbacks and frustrations that he and his family faced, culminating with a successful aliyah.
His articles were informative, encouraging, even uplifting. I personally know of two families (and there probably were significantly more) that, after reading Shmuel’s weekly diary installments, were encouraged to take the final step to aliyah. V’chein yirbu.
But something happened.
In recent months, feeling the need to share with us some of the challenges of daily life in Ramat Beit Shemesh, in particular dealing with some of the extremists in the community; we have read descriptions of these chareidi extremists as gangsters, criminals etc.; the kind of terminology usually reserved by such secular Israeli newspapers as Haaretz or Yediot Achronot.
Most disturbing is why Reb Shmuel feels that we need to hear the “dark side” of life in Eretz Yisrael, and how this helps people become motivated about aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. If a particular person should ask him about the communal difficulties in Ramat Beit Shemesh, and it would be determined that there would be a “toeles” (purpose) in relating this information to that person, it would probably be acceptable to share this information; albeit without the name calling.
However, what heter is there to speak lashon ha’ra about Eretz Yisrael in a public forum without any toeles whatsoever. On whose halachic authority was this public criticism of life in Eretz Yisrael allowed?
Our Chazal point out that there were two terrible sins committed by Bnei Yisrael in the Midbar: one was the cheit ha’egel, and the other the sin of the meraglim. The fundamental difference between the two is that the cheit ha’egel was forgiven, but the sin of the meraglim was not. Why is that so? I once thought to explain that it was because the eigel was a sin against H-shem, and he was mochel on his kavod. However, the sin of the meraglim was a sin against Eretz Yisrael and on that there is no mechila.
Speaking publicly and disparagingly about Eretz Yisrael and about a specific group, no matter how disturbing, is a form of lashon ha’ra on the land, which the land does not forgive. Added to that is that the unacceptable categorizing of chareidim (even these extremists) as gangsters, etc. is unnecessary at best, prohibited at worst.
How did we go from advocating for aliyah to becoming an antagonist against the chareidim, or “chareidi bashing” as it’s referred to?
I once shared with your readers a story about the previous Amshinover Rebbe, zt”l, of Bayit Vegan. One day, the Rebbe’s driver, who usually wore a jacket out of respect for the Rebbe, commented, “It is so hot today, would the Rebbe mind if I take my jacket off?” The Rebbe replied, “For my part you can take off your shirt, but please don’t speak lashon ha’ra about Eretz Yisrael.”
The Gemara is replete with stories of how the Tannaim and Amoraim went out of their way never to utter a bad or unkind word about Eretz Yisrael, either the land or its people. It is related in Kesuvos (112A) that Rav Ami and Rav Assi would go from sun to shade and vice versa to avoid any feeling of discomfort in Eretz Yisrael.
Is the price of a successful aliyah to feel like an Israeli and take sides in a war against chareidim—even against the most extreme of groups? This will not encourage aliyah, nor will it inspire more Ahavas Yisrael and tolerance against even the most intolerant of us.
I miss the trials and tribulations of the aliyah process and the underlying love for the land and its people. I miss hearing of the experiences of the first yom tov, the first Chanukah, the kedushah of a Shabbos in Eretz Yisrael. And most of all I miss the wonderful inspiration that all of that gave to each and every one of us.
The consistent diary of the life and challenges of aliyah was indeed a valuable service; the chareidi-bashing and tales of communal strife in Ramat Beit Shemesh are not.
Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg
Cedarhurst
Climate Change (Article# 100) 12/18/2008
Traveling makes for a strange life. I know that there are plenty of people who travel for their jobs on a regular basis. Until we made Aliyah I was not one of them, and had really never thought that I would join their ranks.
I have to give credit to the families of the traveling parent. I calculated that my 5 or 6 trips I take each year translate into my being away for more than 10% of the Shabbatot of the year. With little kids in the house, this is a significant amount of time for me not to be home, especially since it is the only day we get to spend together as a family (remember – Sunday is a full work/school day here). This absence is certainly felt at home.
This past month was my busiest ever. I was home for 6 days (including Shabbat) out of 24 and it seemed strange trying to get back to a routine. I cannot imagine how the people who travel 8-10 times a year can manage. Thankfully, I am home for 6 weeks straight and can finally get back to a “normal” routine.
Two major events happened here in the past couple of weeks. In the first, the slates for the national elections were selected by each party. We now know who the candidates are and in what order they will get into the Knesset. We also saw how flawed the primary system for the parties is and how easily the system can be manipulated by our “leaders” (not that I have any gripes about Feiglin’s treatment – I am sure some other columnist in the paper will cover that angle for us).
The other major development, at least for Bet Shemesh, was the installation of our new Chareidi mayor. Yeah, I know it is getting boring hearing me rail on about the Chareidim, but it’s news. Since the mayor assumed his office, it appears that the more radical fringes of his community have felt emboldened to step up not just their rhetoric, but their actions as well.
It started with the mass resumption of the Shaaaaaaabbbbiiiiiiiiiiiiissssss shouters – our lovely neighbors who feel an urge to remind us all just what day it is at 3 AM. It continued when a group of thugs (there is no other word for them) came INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD (not theirs) and threatened to beat up a group of teenagers who were talking together in the street on a Friday night. It hit its lowest point (so far) when 3 teenage girls, all of whom were dressed appropriately, were accosted in the Chareidi neighborhood and verbally abused.
Two of them ran to safety. The third did not escape what was quickly becoming a mob. They grabbed her, threw her to the ground and proceeded to kick her. A local teen saw the beating and ran to try to get her away. He too was beaten and then told that if the Chareidim ever saw him again they would kill him.
They only got away when a woman called to them from her building (next door) and they managed to run to her apartment, where she kept them for over an hour until the thugs left before she and her husband walked them home. Although the kids were not hospitalized, they were certainly terrorized and have multiple bruises and scratches.
The initial response from the police and city were muted. They took a report and then went back to business as usual. It was only after they were flooded with calls from the greater Anglo community that they stepped up to the plate to say that they were trying to find ways to address the problem. They will not find one.
Unfortunately, the only thing these thugs respond to is the same thing that bullies respond to. Someone standing up to them. I am convinced that someone will have to be seriously injured before the “official” authorities step in and I am absolutely positive that “unofficial” authorities will end up taking matters into their own hands. There could be a real war here if things get out of hand.
The tragedy is that none of this has to happen. In my opinion, if the mayor called a meeting with the most radical of the Rabbis and told them that he will personally make sure that their schools’ discretionary funding will be cut, that the police will be scrutinizing their shuls and Yeshivot for violations, that quite frankly he will make sure that the municipality does everything to make life difficult for them – they will eventually cave in. I believe that a lot of their recent boldness is a direct result of their confidence that a chareidi mayor would never stand in their way (the same way that the general chareidi public, while not publicly supporting these people, still do nothing to thwart them in their terrorist behavior).
I know my neighbors are going to say, “How could you paint such a bleak picture of Bet Shemesh?” I can only answer that this is the truth of what we are living with in Bet Shemesh these days. I would also add that no community is free from infighting. Be it the school district election wars in the 5 Towns to the anti Semitism that is growing worldwide to the infighting between the various Chassidic sects in NY, tension is always a step away. Hopefully we will get through this as well as we can.
I have to give credit to the families of the traveling parent. I calculated that my 5 or 6 trips I take each year translate into my being away for more than 10% of the Shabbatot of the year. With little kids in the house, this is a significant amount of time for me not to be home, especially since it is the only day we get to spend together as a family (remember – Sunday is a full work/school day here). This absence is certainly felt at home.
This past month was my busiest ever. I was home for 6 days (including Shabbat) out of 24 and it seemed strange trying to get back to a routine. I cannot imagine how the people who travel 8-10 times a year can manage. Thankfully, I am home for 6 weeks straight and can finally get back to a “normal” routine.
Two major events happened here in the past couple of weeks. In the first, the slates for the national elections were selected by each party. We now know who the candidates are and in what order they will get into the Knesset. We also saw how flawed the primary system for the parties is and how easily the system can be manipulated by our “leaders” (not that I have any gripes about Feiglin’s treatment – I am sure some other columnist in the paper will cover that angle for us).
The other major development, at least for Bet Shemesh, was the installation of our new Chareidi mayor. Yeah, I know it is getting boring hearing me rail on about the Chareidim, but it’s news. Since the mayor assumed his office, it appears that the more radical fringes of his community have felt emboldened to step up not just their rhetoric, but their actions as well.
It started with the mass resumption of the Shaaaaaaabbbbiiiiiiiiiiiiissssss shouters – our lovely neighbors who feel an urge to remind us all just what day it is at 3 AM. It continued when a group of thugs (there is no other word for them) came INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD (not theirs) and threatened to beat up a group of teenagers who were talking together in the street on a Friday night. It hit its lowest point (so far) when 3 teenage girls, all of whom were dressed appropriately, were accosted in the Chareidi neighborhood and verbally abused.
Two of them ran to safety. The third did not escape what was quickly becoming a mob. They grabbed her, threw her to the ground and proceeded to kick her. A local teen saw the beating and ran to try to get her away. He too was beaten and then told that if the Chareidim ever saw him again they would kill him.
They only got away when a woman called to them from her building (next door) and they managed to run to her apartment, where she kept them for over an hour until the thugs left before she and her husband walked them home. Although the kids were not hospitalized, they were certainly terrorized and have multiple bruises and scratches.
The initial response from the police and city were muted. They took a report and then went back to business as usual. It was only after they were flooded with calls from the greater Anglo community that they stepped up to the plate to say that they were trying to find ways to address the problem. They will not find one.
Unfortunately, the only thing these thugs respond to is the same thing that bullies respond to. Someone standing up to them. I am convinced that someone will have to be seriously injured before the “official” authorities step in and I am absolutely positive that “unofficial” authorities will end up taking matters into their own hands. There could be a real war here if things get out of hand.
The tragedy is that none of this has to happen. In my opinion, if the mayor called a meeting with the most radical of the Rabbis and told them that he will personally make sure that their schools’ discretionary funding will be cut, that the police will be scrutinizing their shuls and Yeshivot for violations, that quite frankly he will make sure that the municipality does everything to make life difficult for them – they will eventually cave in. I believe that a lot of their recent boldness is a direct result of their confidence that a chareidi mayor would never stand in their way (the same way that the general chareidi public, while not publicly supporting these people, still do nothing to thwart them in their terrorist behavior).
I know my neighbors are going to say, “How could you paint such a bleak picture of Bet Shemesh?” I can only answer that this is the truth of what we are living with in Bet Shemesh these days. I would also add that no community is free from infighting. Be it the school district election wars in the 5 Towns to the anti Semitism that is growing worldwide to the infighting between the various Chassidic sects in NY, tension is always a step away. Hopefully we will get through this as well as we can.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
They Just Want to Kill Us (Article# 99B) 12/4/08
As I prepared to leave the USA and ran my last minute errands, I heard the initial reports of terrorist activity in Mumbai, India. Immersed as I was in my own activities, I did not follow the news closely. It was not until I was at minyan that I heard about the attack on the chabad house, and with the confusion and chaos that went on – it was only after I had returned home and was watching CNN a few minutes before Shabbat began that we heard reports of the killing of the people in the chabad house.
Much will be written and said about these tragic events. The Israeli government will certainly use the funerals as a “see what victims we are” platform (they won’t necessarily be wrong). Yet this particular attack, pointed at a “Jewish” target tugs at the heart of the average Israeli in a more personal way than other people. For several reasons.
We are after all, a country that is sadly all too familiar with the sight of a baby screaming for his missing mother or father. We experience such tragedies with a frequency that would not be tolerated in the USA or other major nations. Yet that is a story for another day.
We are also the country upon whom our enemies have drawn a large target and would gleefully obliterate if they could. We know what it means to have people infiltrate our cities and homes and seek to murder and maim. Their goal is not to make a point other than attempting to make us so miserable that we would do anything to appease them. And appeasement hasn’t worked. But that too is for another time.
It is the specific target, a Chabad house, which has struck a cord here. Jews from many countries are certainly familiar with Chabad. Many of those who come from other countries (not Israel) and travel on business or pleasure have come to recognize that they can find a minyan and often a meal in the most remote of places – simply by seeking out the local Chabad house representatives. Israelis, even many secular ones and those who are not observant but still consider themselves to be traditional, identify with the Chabad network as a home away from home as well.
Many Israelis, upon completing their military or national service and before entering University or the workplace, take a months long trip of discovery. They travel to various places worldwide and armed with their backpacks they seek to experience whatever the world has to offer. A vast majority of these youth are not religious and are quite comfortable traveling in the remote countryside.
As they travel and reach major cities, they will invariably find themselves drawn to the local Chabad house where they are always welcomed with a smile and warm greeting. Be it for a minute, a meal or even a Shabbat, Israelis come to Chabad for that brief taste of home, reconnecting with their identity as Jews – religious or not.
To deliberately target such a place (and make no mistake – the Chabad House was deliberately targeted) reminds all of us here in Israel just how much we are hated. It reminds we who live in the Jewish State that no matter where we go in the world and how much kindness we dispense, that our enemies seek nothing less than our total annihilation and obliteration. It sometimes takes a tragedy such as this to remind us, no matter what our backgrounds or beliefs, to reach across boundaries and grieve as one people and one nation for the loss of so many precious lives, Jew and non Jew alike.
I often bemoan the lack of Achdut that is displayed here in Israel. I am disappointed that we can no longer seem to bond together as one Jewish nation with tolerance and love for one another, no matter what our differences. It is unfortunate that it takes such a tragedy to force us to find some common ground.
So today Israel is transfixed by the images and stunned by the savagery. Yet, we also know too familiarly what happens after the cameras turn off and the world is no longer watching. We know what it means to raise orphans. We have consoled countless parents who have buried their children before their time. We have rebuilt and will continue to do so. We understand that we must never allow terrorism to win.
That sense of “I will never let you defeat me” was reflected by Rav Metzger in his eulogy and by Shimon Peres in his, but it was most strikingly demonstrated by Rivkah Holtzberg’s parents’ decision to be the new Directors of the Mumbai Chabad. Their commitment, to continue to do good despite the pain and harm they have suffered, is what our nation is all about.
Much will be written and said about these tragic events. The Israeli government will certainly use the funerals as a “see what victims we are” platform (they won’t necessarily be wrong). Yet this particular attack, pointed at a “Jewish” target tugs at the heart of the average Israeli in a more personal way than other people. For several reasons.
We are after all, a country that is sadly all too familiar with the sight of a baby screaming for his missing mother or father. We experience such tragedies with a frequency that would not be tolerated in the USA or other major nations. Yet that is a story for another day.
We are also the country upon whom our enemies have drawn a large target and would gleefully obliterate if they could. We know what it means to have people infiltrate our cities and homes and seek to murder and maim. Their goal is not to make a point other than attempting to make us so miserable that we would do anything to appease them. And appeasement hasn’t worked. But that too is for another time.
It is the specific target, a Chabad house, which has struck a cord here. Jews from many countries are certainly familiar with Chabad. Many of those who come from other countries (not Israel) and travel on business or pleasure have come to recognize that they can find a minyan and often a meal in the most remote of places – simply by seeking out the local Chabad house representatives. Israelis, even many secular ones and those who are not observant but still consider themselves to be traditional, identify with the Chabad network as a home away from home as well.
Many Israelis, upon completing their military or national service and before entering University or the workplace, take a months long trip of discovery. They travel to various places worldwide and armed with their backpacks they seek to experience whatever the world has to offer. A vast majority of these youth are not religious and are quite comfortable traveling in the remote countryside.
As they travel and reach major cities, they will invariably find themselves drawn to the local Chabad house where they are always welcomed with a smile and warm greeting. Be it for a minute, a meal or even a Shabbat, Israelis come to Chabad for that brief taste of home, reconnecting with their identity as Jews – religious or not.
To deliberately target such a place (and make no mistake – the Chabad House was deliberately targeted) reminds all of us here in Israel just how much we are hated. It reminds we who live in the Jewish State that no matter where we go in the world and how much kindness we dispense, that our enemies seek nothing less than our total annihilation and obliteration. It sometimes takes a tragedy such as this to remind us, no matter what our backgrounds or beliefs, to reach across boundaries and grieve as one people and one nation for the loss of so many precious lives, Jew and non Jew alike.
I often bemoan the lack of Achdut that is displayed here in Israel. I am disappointed that we can no longer seem to bond together as one Jewish nation with tolerance and love for one another, no matter what our differences. It is unfortunate that it takes such a tragedy to force us to find some common ground.
So today Israel is transfixed by the images and stunned by the savagery. Yet, we also know too familiarly what happens after the cameras turn off and the world is no longer watching. We know what it means to raise orphans. We have consoled countless parents who have buried their children before their time. We have rebuilt and will continue to do so. We understand that we must never allow terrorism to win.
That sense of “I will never let you defeat me” was reflected by Rav Metzger in his eulogy and by Shimon Peres in his, but it was most strikingly demonstrated by Rivkah Holtzberg’s parents’ decision to be the new Directors of the Mumbai Chabad. Their commitment, to continue to do good despite the pain and harm they have suffered, is what our nation is all about.
Support Your Local Library (Article# 99A) 12/4/08
I love the public library system. When we lived in the USA, I took advantage of the library in every city I lived in. I am an avid reader and can (and often do) finish a 300-400 page book in a single Friday night sitting. I even took advantage of the technological advances in Web design, reserving books online and picking them up on my arrival at the library (reducing my average library trip from 40 minutes to 3 minutes).
Since Aliyah I have come to appreciate the USA public library system much more than I had in the past. The library is literally my home away from home when I travel. It is the only place where they offer a place to sit, free internet access (including wireless access so that I can check emails on my laptop) and a ton of peace and quiet – all with zero pressure to buy a coffee or vacate a table for the next patron. You don’t realize what a treat it is to be able to sit and check emails, update yourself with some online news (especially news from home when you are traveling) and get work done until you are traveling and have limited access to the internet.
My favorite library is my home base library, the Hewlett-Woodmere library in Long Island. This was our local library before we made Aliyah and the facility is just awesome. They have a series of private study rooms available for residents and non-residents alike. Whenever I need to check emails, have a skype call chavruta with an alumnus, get information from the Yeshiva’s database or even sit and write my weekly article, I head off to the library, ensconce myself in one of their private rooms for an hour or two and really crank out the work.
It is also a great place to meet people. Almost every time I am there I come across some old friend that I hadn’t seen. It is a great place to reconnect with people and I am quite grateful for the use of it.
Upon our move we discovered that Israel does not have public libraries as such. Libraries may occasionally be funded by a local municipality, but it is the member subscription fees and donations that are the large part of library budgets in Israel. And the budgets aren’t that large.
Our local Bet Shemesh library does not buy books in English, using only books that have been donated to the library to stock its English shelves. The Hebrew language section is definitely larger than the English section, but not by a huge amount. The entire library is housed within one of our community centers and is probably smaller than the school libraries in a couple of your local Yeshivot – but it is what we have and we definitely patronize it (we have 4 memberships for the kids).
Since the resources are limited, there is a limit of how many books (4) each member can have at any time. They also rely a lot upon volunteers (although they have a very professional staff as well who have to be knowledgeable in order to serve their patrons in either of the two main languages they carry books in). On the flipside, without the fully stocked library, our kids have become a lot more computer and internet literate in order to use online resources for school research and other work (their parents have to also be savvy in monitoring internet use as well).
*If you would be interested in donating books to the Bet Shemesh library – feel free to email me and I will forward the offer.*
Throughout my trip, I was asked how the economy of Israel is faring and how badly the US problems have affected us. It is clear to see how difficult things have become in America and it was nice to see the concern for us as well. There is also no doubt that things in Israel will also get worse before they get better.
The dollar’s weakness has hurt all tourist related industries (of which we must include the Yeshiva and Seminary one year programs as a part). The dollar simply buys less and this has hurt budgets. Additionally, at least in the case of charitable organizations, with incomes shrinking or disappearing overseas, we not only get fewer shekels for each dollar donated – we are definitely seeing fewer dollars donated as a whole. There is no question that we are only beginning to see the repercussions from the worldwide recession.
One of the great pleasures of my job is hanging out with our students and alumni. As part of my trips abroad I schedule regular visits to as many college campuses as I can, visiting our alumni in their “natural habitat”. Since each student has his own schedule, I schedule at least 3 hours for each visit to allow for them to come say hi when they do not have a class. So I usually set up shop in the campus kosher cafeteria and let the guys come to me.
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around I was definitely ready to go home. I was amazed at how little traffic I encountered on the way to Newark airport, which was practically empty. I pulled in to the rental car return lot and was trying to figure out what was missing when it hit me, there were no cars there. I think the entire lot had 10 cars in it.
The terminals were also quite deserted. With the exception of the El Al counter, there was almost no one in the airport; getting through security and to the gate was a breeze. Of course, since it was Thanksgiving, most Americans wanting to be in Israel for the week had already flown and the plane was almost totally Israeli.
I was a bit disappointed to be leaving that afternoon. Goldie’s family was having an afternoon get together and it would have been nice to see everyone. Maybe next time. The good part was getting home to the family.
I didn’t end up missing the turkey in the end. Dennis and Rachel Lisbon, our across the street neighbors invited us for a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. Upon hearing that I would be out of the country, they postponed the invitation one day and we enjoyed a Thanksgiving style seuda on Friday night.
PS Thanks for praying for Friday rain. Little league was rained out – only 7 more months of Fridays left to go.
Since Aliyah I have come to appreciate the USA public library system much more than I had in the past. The library is literally my home away from home when I travel. It is the only place where they offer a place to sit, free internet access (including wireless access so that I can check emails on my laptop) and a ton of peace and quiet – all with zero pressure to buy a coffee or vacate a table for the next patron. You don’t realize what a treat it is to be able to sit and check emails, update yourself with some online news (especially news from home when you are traveling) and get work done until you are traveling and have limited access to the internet.
My favorite library is my home base library, the Hewlett-Woodmere library in Long Island. This was our local library before we made Aliyah and the facility is just awesome. They have a series of private study rooms available for residents and non-residents alike. Whenever I need to check emails, have a skype call chavruta with an alumnus, get information from the Yeshiva’s database or even sit and write my weekly article, I head off to the library, ensconce myself in one of their private rooms for an hour or two and really crank out the work.
It is also a great place to meet people. Almost every time I am there I come across some old friend that I hadn’t seen. It is a great place to reconnect with people and I am quite grateful for the use of it.
Upon our move we discovered that Israel does not have public libraries as such. Libraries may occasionally be funded by a local municipality, but it is the member subscription fees and donations that are the large part of library budgets in Israel. And the budgets aren’t that large.
Our local Bet Shemesh library does not buy books in English, using only books that have been donated to the library to stock its English shelves. The Hebrew language section is definitely larger than the English section, but not by a huge amount. The entire library is housed within one of our community centers and is probably smaller than the school libraries in a couple of your local Yeshivot – but it is what we have and we definitely patronize it (we have 4 memberships for the kids).
Since the resources are limited, there is a limit of how many books (4) each member can have at any time. They also rely a lot upon volunteers (although they have a very professional staff as well who have to be knowledgeable in order to serve their patrons in either of the two main languages they carry books in). On the flipside, without the fully stocked library, our kids have become a lot more computer and internet literate in order to use online resources for school research and other work (their parents have to also be savvy in monitoring internet use as well).
*If you would be interested in donating books to the Bet Shemesh library – feel free to email me and I will forward the offer.*
Throughout my trip, I was asked how the economy of Israel is faring and how badly the US problems have affected us. It is clear to see how difficult things have become in America and it was nice to see the concern for us as well. There is also no doubt that things in Israel will also get worse before they get better.
The dollar’s weakness has hurt all tourist related industries (of which we must include the Yeshiva and Seminary one year programs as a part). The dollar simply buys less and this has hurt budgets. Additionally, at least in the case of charitable organizations, with incomes shrinking or disappearing overseas, we not only get fewer shekels for each dollar donated – we are definitely seeing fewer dollars donated as a whole. There is no question that we are only beginning to see the repercussions from the worldwide recession.
One of the great pleasures of my job is hanging out with our students and alumni. As part of my trips abroad I schedule regular visits to as many college campuses as I can, visiting our alumni in their “natural habitat”. Since each student has his own schedule, I schedule at least 3 hours for each visit to allow for them to come say hi when they do not have a class. So I usually set up shop in the campus kosher cafeteria and let the guys come to me.
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around I was definitely ready to go home. I was amazed at how little traffic I encountered on the way to Newark airport, which was practically empty. I pulled in to the rental car return lot and was trying to figure out what was missing when it hit me, there were no cars there. I think the entire lot had 10 cars in it.
The terminals were also quite deserted. With the exception of the El Al counter, there was almost no one in the airport; getting through security and to the gate was a breeze. Of course, since it was Thanksgiving, most Americans wanting to be in Israel for the week had already flown and the plane was almost totally Israeli.
I was a bit disappointed to be leaving that afternoon. Goldie’s family was having an afternoon get together and it would have been nice to see everyone. Maybe next time. The good part was getting home to the family.
I didn’t end up missing the turkey in the end. Dennis and Rachel Lisbon, our across the street neighbors invited us for a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. Upon hearing that I would be out of the country, they postponed the invitation one day and we enjoyed a Thanksgiving style seuda on Friday night.
PS Thanks for praying for Friday rain. Little league was rained out – only 7 more months of Fridays left to go.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Back in the USA (Article# 98) 11/27/08
I was preparing to attend Daniel Gottlieb’s (son of Mark and Miriam Gottlieb of Neve Daniel – formerly of Cedarhurst) Bar Mitzva celebration last Sunday evening when I chanced to glance at my email. Larry Gordon had sent me a brief note asking, “I see that there's a strike at BG (Ben Gurion Airport).....what’s the impact?” To which I responded, “OH NO!!!!!!!!!”
Earlier in the week I had been a bit concerned about a possible strike. The airport workers union had conducted a slowdown with the threat of a strike, but when they were ordered back to work by the courts, I assumed that it would be weeks before there was any possibility that there could be problems. These things usually run in cycles and we appeared to be weeks away from the next conflagration.
Apparently the union had a different playbook than mine. At about 5:30 in the afternoon (my flight was midnight) the workers staged a wildcat strike, walking off the job. By the time I had gotten Larry’s email an hour later, flights were already delayed and there was general chaos in trying to get information. The only thing I knew for certain was that I no longer needed to plan on leaving early to do some duty free shopping; I was getting ready for a long flight delay.
We enjoyed the Bar Mitzva. Mazal Tov to the Gottlieb family. They live in Neve Daniel which is very close to Efrat. Being at the Bar Mitzva, we saw a bunch of old friends who live in the area and whom we never get to see. With the kids keeping us scheduled for carpools and a lot of our free time spent trying to see family for things like my sister Bluma’s birthday dinner at Papagaio (all you can eat meat!) – we rarely have time for going out and being seen. So it is a special treat to go to an outside of Bet Shemesh event.
After a couple of hours of posturing, the strike ended and the airport resumed normal operations. In the end, dozens of flights were delayed – but not mine. I almost wish it was cancelled.
I have begun to sit in the window seat. I used to think that the aisle would be more conducive to stretching out and relaxing, but I was never able to get comfortable enough in one to sleep. I find that having the wall to lean against in the window seat facilitates being able to actually sleep.
I had settled into my seat on the plane when a flight attendant approached me with a request for me to switch seats. There was a chareidi passenger who was assigned a middle seat next to (gasp) a woman. Would it e possible for me to switch seats with her so that he would sit down and the plane could take off.
My initial thought was to refuse. I was settled in and comfortable. However, I have sat on a plane that was delayed almost an hour because a single passenger refused to sit down. Not wanting a replay of that, I decided it would be easier to just say yes.
A few minutes after takeoff they turned on the video service and started serving drinks. After some confusion, it became apparent that the video units in my row (and the rows in front and behind me) were totally out. While this was disappointing, the real crushing moment happened when they turned off the lights and we discovered that our individual seat lights weren’t working either. So, without being able to watch or read, we sat in our seats doing nothing (I did manage to get 4 hours of sleep). Suffice it to say that I was quite cranky at the end of the flight.
I always forget how cold it is in the USA. No matter how warm a fall or winter you may be having, it takes me at least 2 days to get used to the temperatures. Of course, coming in the middle of a cold snap doesn’t help. However, by the third day or so, I am back to running around without a coat.
As I mentioned last week, I represented our Yeshiva at the 5 Towns Israel Night (among others) and had a chance to see many old friends while there. This year’s senior class is Chaim’s class; he would have been graduating High School in June had we not moved. I therefore know a lot of the kids and parents from school, shul, little league, etc.
Seeing their sons was quite a shock. Having been away for 2+ years, I had not adjusted my mental picture of them to allow for continued growth and maturity. Even though Chaim has undergone the same growth and I should have anticipated it in his peers, I didn’t make the adjustment. I think it is the same shock I have with the weather. I should know in my mind that it will be cold, but I don’t really adjust to it until I am forced to.
This has been one of the longest stretches that I have been continuously home without a trip overseas. This means that by the time I get to NY several suitcases worth of stuff for us has accumulated (including all the stuff that Goldie and “daughters” ordered online). Goldie emailed me a shopping list of those all important last minute items that I needed to pick up as well.
Bringing in American products is a major part of the Aliyah experience for many. There are those who eschew all trappings of their former lives and fanatically deny themselves those things that are either impossible or ridiculously expensive to get in Israel. We are not one of those families.
I am not talking about luxury goods. A simple brick of American Cheese costs $20+ in Israel (depending on the store and the prevailing exchange rate). We go through a couple of these each month and the extra cost adds up (as does the weight of shlepping these in my suitcase). Crocs brand shoes are more than double the price in Israel and are the norm for footware for the kids. So the ability to “import” your personal goods is a big benefit for the traveling oleh.
The search for “couriers” traveling to Israel and not bringing their full luggage allotment is therefore a serious business in the Anglo communities in Israel. The email lists are full of people asking if “someone” is going to/from a specific place and asking if they can take a “small” package with them.
I have therefore perfected what I call the “commuter pack” suitcase. I pack as little as possible for myself, literally limiting myself to a few changes of clothes and that’s it. I pack my small stack of clothing in my smallest duffel, which I then pack inside a larger duffle or suitcase, so that I only need to check the one bag. For this trip, I even had a second “commuter pack” bag for the brochures/recruitment materials I needed to bring. This meant that I was traveling (outbound) with 4 suitcases.
Real commuters, those guys who go in every week or even every other week HATE to travel with luggage. Most of them prefer to walk onto the plane without having to clear their bags in security and to walk straight out of the airport without having to deal with baggage claim and customs. It is unfair to even think about asking one of these guys to bring a bag, since it really inconveniences them. There are however a minority of these guys who do shlep bags and they are more than happy to help out a neighbor – especially if the package is being dropped off/picked up in the USA without them having to worry about it.
So far, we have been pretty lucky with getting stuff from the USA. I pack the bags to within a half pound of the allowance and whenever the mail or various things back up, my mother in law or brother in law have somehow been able to find someone to take a package for us. When I have a chance, I bring in an extra bag or two and leave the extra suitcases behind for them to use when they find someone willing to take it.
Of course, it goes without saying that we only ask those people we know well to take the bags. Not because we don’t trust them, but because they have to trust us. Security is a major issue when traveling to/from Israel and I only take items from either a close relative (I took my brother’s mail to last week) or people I know very well, unless the item is mail and was sealed in my presence after I have checked the contents. I would never take a bag or package from someone I didn’t know. Nor should you.
While I was gone, Chaim joined thousands of people (including 5TJT Publisher/Editor Larry Gordon) in Chevron for Shabbat Parshat Chayei Sarah also known as Shabbat Chevron for the past several years. He made his own arrangements and had “an awesome time”, or so he says. I might get more information from him when I get home, but doubt it. He is after all a teenager. He has however, become quite passionate and defensive of Israel – a real change for him. Which we take as a great sign.
Mazal Tov to Chana and Dov Bienstock on the Bar Mitzva of their son Eli. I was able to surprise them at the simcha while in the USA and it was a special treat to see all those friends who attended.
Earlier in the week I had been a bit concerned about a possible strike. The airport workers union had conducted a slowdown with the threat of a strike, but when they were ordered back to work by the courts, I assumed that it would be weeks before there was any possibility that there could be problems. These things usually run in cycles and we appeared to be weeks away from the next conflagration.
Apparently the union had a different playbook than mine. At about 5:30 in the afternoon (my flight was midnight) the workers staged a wildcat strike, walking off the job. By the time I had gotten Larry’s email an hour later, flights were already delayed and there was general chaos in trying to get information. The only thing I knew for certain was that I no longer needed to plan on leaving early to do some duty free shopping; I was getting ready for a long flight delay.
We enjoyed the Bar Mitzva. Mazal Tov to the Gottlieb family. They live in Neve Daniel which is very close to Efrat. Being at the Bar Mitzva, we saw a bunch of old friends who live in the area and whom we never get to see. With the kids keeping us scheduled for carpools and a lot of our free time spent trying to see family for things like my sister Bluma’s birthday dinner at Papagaio (all you can eat meat!) – we rarely have time for going out and being seen. So it is a special treat to go to an outside of Bet Shemesh event.
After a couple of hours of posturing, the strike ended and the airport resumed normal operations. In the end, dozens of flights were delayed – but not mine. I almost wish it was cancelled.
I have begun to sit in the window seat. I used to think that the aisle would be more conducive to stretching out and relaxing, but I was never able to get comfortable enough in one to sleep. I find that having the wall to lean against in the window seat facilitates being able to actually sleep.
I had settled into my seat on the plane when a flight attendant approached me with a request for me to switch seats. There was a chareidi passenger who was assigned a middle seat next to (gasp) a woman. Would it e possible for me to switch seats with her so that he would sit down and the plane could take off.
My initial thought was to refuse. I was settled in and comfortable. However, I have sat on a plane that was delayed almost an hour because a single passenger refused to sit down. Not wanting a replay of that, I decided it would be easier to just say yes.
A few minutes after takeoff they turned on the video service and started serving drinks. After some confusion, it became apparent that the video units in my row (and the rows in front and behind me) were totally out. While this was disappointing, the real crushing moment happened when they turned off the lights and we discovered that our individual seat lights weren’t working either. So, without being able to watch or read, we sat in our seats doing nothing (I did manage to get 4 hours of sleep). Suffice it to say that I was quite cranky at the end of the flight.
I always forget how cold it is in the USA. No matter how warm a fall or winter you may be having, it takes me at least 2 days to get used to the temperatures. Of course, coming in the middle of a cold snap doesn’t help. However, by the third day or so, I am back to running around without a coat.
As I mentioned last week, I represented our Yeshiva at the 5 Towns Israel Night (among others) and had a chance to see many old friends while there. This year’s senior class is Chaim’s class; he would have been graduating High School in June had we not moved. I therefore know a lot of the kids and parents from school, shul, little league, etc.
Seeing their sons was quite a shock. Having been away for 2+ years, I had not adjusted my mental picture of them to allow for continued growth and maturity. Even though Chaim has undergone the same growth and I should have anticipated it in his peers, I didn’t make the adjustment. I think it is the same shock I have with the weather. I should know in my mind that it will be cold, but I don’t really adjust to it until I am forced to.
This has been one of the longest stretches that I have been continuously home without a trip overseas. This means that by the time I get to NY several suitcases worth of stuff for us has accumulated (including all the stuff that Goldie and “daughters” ordered online). Goldie emailed me a shopping list of those all important last minute items that I needed to pick up as well.
Bringing in American products is a major part of the Aliyah experience for many. There are those who eschew all trappings of their former lives and fanatically deny themselves those things that are either impossible or ridiculously expensive to get in Israel. We are not one of those families.
I am not talking about luxury goods. A simple brick of American Cheese costs $20+ in Israel (depending on the store and the prevailing exchange rate). We go through a couple of these each month and the extra cost adds up (as does the weight of shlepping these in my suitcase). Crocs brand shoes are more than double the price in Israel and are the norm for footware for the kids. So the ability to “import” your personal goods is a big benefit for the traveling oleh.
The search for “couriers” traveling to Israel and not bringing their full luggage allotment is therefore a serious business in the Anglo communities in Israel. The email lists are full of people asking if “someone” is going to/from a specific place and asking if they can take a “small” package with them.
I have therefore perfected what I call the “commuter pack” suitcase. I pack as little as possible for myself, literally limiting myself to a few changes of clothes and that’s it. I pack my small stack of clothing in my smallest duffel, which I then pack inside a larger duffle or suitcase, so that I only need to check the one bag. For this trip, I even had a second “commuter pack” bag for the brochures/recruitment materials I needed to bring. This meant that I was traveling (outbound) with 4 suitcases.
Real commuters, those guys who go in every week or even every other week HATE to travel with luggage. Most of them prefer to walk onto the plane without having to clear their bags in security and to walk straight out of the airport without having to deal with baggage claim and customs. It is unfair to even think about asking one of these guys to bring a bag, since it really inconveniences them. There are however a minority of these guys who do shlep bags and they are more than happy to help out a neighbor – especially if the package is being dropped off/picked up in the USA without them having to worry about it.
So far, we have been pretty lucky with getting stuff from the USA. I pack the bags to within a half pound of the allowance and whenever the mail or various things back up, my mother in law or brother in law have somehow been able to find someone to take a package for us. When I have a chance, I bring in an extra bag or two and leave the extra suitcases behind for them to use when they find someone willing to take it.
Of course, it goes without saying that we only ask those people we know well to take the bags. Not because we don’t trust them, but because they have to trust us. Security is a major issue when traveling to/from Israel and I only take items from either a close relative (I took my brother’s mail to last week) or people I know very well, unless the item is mail and was sealed in my presence after I have checked the contents. I would never take a bag or package from someone I didn’t know. Nor should you.
While I was gone, Chaim joined thousands of people (including 5TJT Publisher/Editor Larry Gordon) in Chevron for Shabbat Parshat Chayei Sarah also known as Shabbat Chevron for the past several years. He made his own arrangements and had “an awesome time”, or so he says. I might get more information from him when I get home, but doubt it. He is after all a teenager. He has however, become quite passionate and defensive of Israel – a real change for him. Which we take as a great sign.
Mazal Tov to Chana and Dov Bienstock on the Bar Mitzva of their son Eli. I was able to surprise them at the simcha while in the USA and it was a special treat to see all those friends who attended.
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