At the Conclusion of Simchat Torah and "The Season"

After a month of Elul, blowing shofar, L'david, Selichot, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Teshuva, Tefilla, Tzekada, Sukka, Lulav/Etrog, Hallel, Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, the month-long intense period known as "The Chagim" has now come to a close. It has been a fantastic run and one that will forerver be remembered by us as our first "set" here in Israel.

The Chag was SO beautiful here! Last night for Hakafot, the ruach (spirit) was so strong in Shul. Then, in the middle of the Hakafot, we went out to the Kikar (a very nice traffic circle with trees, grass, etc) and joined another Shul nearby for joint Hakafot out in the street. It was a sight to behold as I just sat there for a minute absorbing the scene that I was watching. It was SO enjoyable and SO nice to be part of. In the morning, the ruach was good, but when about 60 boys from Bnei Akiva showed up, the ruach was incredible! They electrified the entire place! After everyone had his Aliya, there was a shul-wide Kiddush in the social hall, which was beautiful. Someone gave a Dvar Torah, made a Bracha Achrona and then it was back upstairs for the rest of Torah reading and the end of Tefilla.
Remember, that here in Israel, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are on the same day. So, I was interested to see how things would work going from the joy and glee of Hakafot to the more somber mood of Tefillat Geshem and Yizkor. It worked SO well! Moving the seats back in place (having been moved for the dancing) and the nusach of the Tefilla now changing and becoming more low-key were actions that seemed to affect the mood in the Shul. Tefillat Geshem is recited here before Mussaf (not as part of the repetition of the Shemona Esray) and was preceded by Yizkor. It was as if a switch was thrown and we switched from the festive feeling of Simchat Torah to the more tempered feel of Shemini Atzeret.
The day is so short here that by the time we got up from the table from our host from lunch, I had about 45 minutes until Mincha. A short time later, we davened Maariv and the Chagim of 5770 are now a part of history.

And now, real-world life begins again...for some that means returning to Chutz La'aretz. For others it is saying good bye to friends or relatives who may have come for an extended stay. For others, it means no more Tiyulim for a while but a chance to go back to the office.

Whatever it means to anyone, one thing is for sure...this was an absolutely magnificent few weeks. Our thanks to the greater Mitzpe Nevo area for having made this such an enjoyable experience. Next stop...Chanuka...but, it will have to wait 2 months...until then, back to work!


Shavua Tov!

Imagine If the Shoe Were on the Other Foot

Let's imagine if the shoe were on the other foot...

In what has been seen as a major incitement to the peace process, Avraham Midrechov has charged that the Moslem Antiquities Authority (the organization charged with protecting all ancient Palestinian finds dating back to 2006 C.E.) has been digging secretly under the popular Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall. It is believed that if this reprehensible behavior continues, Jews from all over the world will be called to action to preserve the sanctity of Ben Yehuda and Fro-Yo everywhere. Various secret militants (who are so secret that they don't even cover their faces with cloth for fear that some will recognize the shmatta their mother used on the couch when they were little and reveal their identity) have stated that they intend to file a protest with the UN in order that they condemn Israel for the Arab excavation that is certainly happening there.

Judge Rasha Goldstein has been dispatched to the location to investigate the charges. Wait...this just in...Judge Goldstein, who has nothing against the Zionist enemy, uh, I mean, Israel, declared that he had reliable witnesses that say they never ever saw such digging take place. In his words, "These very credible witnesses say they have never seen such digging and therefore Israel is the agressor and the Moslem world must attack the Zionist enemy." (The Jewish population of Israel thanks Judge Goldstein for his unbiased and detailed report)

In related news, an artist in Saudi Arabia drew a likeness of Moses showing him with a hooked-nose representing a stereotype of the Jew since ancient times. In reaction, militant Jews all over have issued a "Shanda" against this artist urging Jews all over to revolt against Moslems where ever they may be.

Finally, the Israeli government has decided to relocate tens of thousands of Jews around the city of Jerusalem in order to form a human shield against attacks by Iran who will not bomb Israel since they only have Uranium to run a couple of air conditioners for President "I'm-in-a-dinner-jacket."
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Now, all of this is preposterous...imagine the world listening to any of this. BUT, these are the kinds of claims and actions the Moslems are indeed perpetuating every day and the world licks it up with glee. They claim Israel is digging under the Al Aksa mosque; they DO declare a fatwa on a Danish artist for drawing Mohamed in a poor light (and kill many because of it); they are indeed attempting to move thousands of Palestinians to the edge of Gaza so that Israel will have to think twice of going in again with an attack should Israel be attacked again.

And the world does not bat an eyelash. The world accepts all these claims and actions.

Let us not forget the following quote:

By means of shrewd lies, unremittingly repeated, it is possible to make people believe that heaven is hell -- and hell heaven. The greater the lie, the more readily it will be believed.
--Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf

Time

TIME: Ever since we made Aliya, my concept of time as far as the DATE, the DAY of the week, and the time of the year seems to be disrupted. While yesterday marked three months that we moved, it seems on one hand like yesterday and on the other hand like a year ago. I find myself checking often what the DAY of the week is (even after saying the Yom in the morning); I find myself surprised at times that "it's OCTOBER!?!?" or any other time-related issues. But the one thing that has me really confused is the following: In Chicago, when the time changed to Standard Time and the clocks moved back one hour, to me and many others, it signalled the beginning of winter. It also meant that when Shabbat began at 4:30pm, it was cold, wet and often snowy.
We changed our clocks here just before Yom Kippur, and now Shabbat begins around 4:40pm. Mincha on the weekdays is about 5pm. I find myself often thinking: Hey, it is dark early, Shabbat is starting early...it is "supposed" to be cold. BUT...it is still beautiful outside and the temperature is NOT cold. My brain is still having trouble absorbing that.

Closing a Circle: Summer 2005 to Fall 2009

(See explanation below of the pictures above)

As you are painfully aware, in Summer 2005, Israel threw out over 8,000 Jews from Gush Katif and attempted to re-settle them. I will not review and repeat all of my personal objections to this terrible action, but suffice it to say I was VERY public in disagreeing with the government of Israel in what they did back then. (History has shown that MANY of those who supported the making of Gaza Judenrein made a HUGE mistake).

However, yesterday, I participated in a small ray of hope of those expellees getting back on their feet! As I mentioned a couple of days ago, a Sefer Torah was written in honor of Toronto philanthropist, Kurt Rothschild. This Torah was then transported to the community of Halutza for placement in their temporary Aron Kodesh before the permanent one is ready. I joined about 500 others as we went to this new community. It is located in a hustling, bustling metropolis of barren land (an oxymoron if I ever heard of one!) at the Southern tip of Gaza and 2 km from the Egyptian border. They have caused the desert to bloom and have risen like the mythical Phoenix from the ashes of Gush Katif! Currently, there are 15 families, but the building is being geared towards a community that will house (B'ezrat Hashem) about 500 people. The area is beautiful and serene. It was SO special to dance, sing and rejoice at this event. Besides the festivities, we also had some speeches and light refereshments in a Sukka built just for that day. The evening ended with us davening Maariv under a black sky with millions of stars overhead. (If you ever want to feel the vastness of the cosmos and the grandeur of Hashem, try davening in a desert area under millions of stars!)

A HUGE Yasher Koach to World Mizrachi and Mr Solly Sacks for organizing this event and being a driving force behind it all. It was a HUGE Kiddush Hashem and one that I will not soon forget!

Wednesday night was capped off with a beautiful open Sukkah (thanks Jeremy and Susie!) with many friends...it SO feels like Chol HaMoed Sukkot. It is wonderful...

Wow, Was I Misunderstood and the First Two Days of Chol HaMoed

I received MANY emails and comments on my last posting about celebrating a One-Day Chag. Most of the comments/emails were in the form of telling me that a two-day Chag is great, and I shouldn't be so happy about one-day. Many writers felt that the implication was that I was slamming those who were in Galut and keeping two days. SO...let's be clear: MY note was about my feelings about keeping one-day and, therefore, experiencing an even closer and deeper connection to Israel and our absorption here. My comment in no way was reflecting on what people were doing in Chutz La'aretz. Please go back and re-read the last posting and no where will you find a negative comment about keeping two days in Chutz La'aretz. I hope that clears this up...

Now, onto Chol HaMoed and what has been going on here...BUSY!!

Sunday, Day #1 of Chol Hamoed...After a nice meal with our family and my in-laws at Village Green, we got together with Fred and Adina Aaron and family for a while. It was great to see them and others from Chicago on our outing and we were thrilled to have them visit us in MA. Towards the latter part of the day, we were to meet some friends in Ramot Gimel for an Open Sukka, but we were kind of early so we went first to Machane Yehuda (open market). As we had not eaten in a long time and were not going to for a while, we bought a couple of small items to tide us over. But, as some was Mezonot, I needed a Sukka in which to eat...no problem! In Yerushalayim, there is a plethora of Sukkot. But we stumbled on a Chabad Public Sukka and made fast friends with some guys learning in Yeshivot for the year. Some young children offered us water and were truly thrilled to welcome us to "their" Sukka. I love it! Then, it was off to the Sukka party and then back home for some much needed rest.

Today, Wednesday was incredible once again, as I made my way to J'lem early to go to the Kotel. There, I participated, along with about 50,000 other people, in the public Birkat Kohanim (priestly blessing). It was a VERY moving experience. I took many pictures and videos and hope to get my act together and post some of them soon. The last time I was at this event was when I was 13 years old. I guess I should attend once every 37 years or so!

This afternoon, Andy and I attended the Annual World Mizrachi Sukka gathering. To be honest, I thought it would be 50 people with light refreshments. Wow, was I wrong! About 400 people with a gorgeous meal in a beautiful Sukka was what greeted us. The food and live music were great and we truly had a wonderful time. One MAJOR purpose of this gathering was to act as a prelude to tomorrow's event...a Sefer Torah was finished today in the Sukka (actually, it was already finished, because it is Chol HaMoed and they would not be able to actually write the letters today. Instead, many of us, myself included, had the opportunity to go over some letters to "finish" the Torah.) Then, tomorrow, I will be joining approximately 500 people going to a Yishuv in the Negev called Bnei Netzarim-Halutza where this Torah will be given all the proper honors of a Hachnassat Sefer Torah. The beauty of this event is that this community is made up of people who had been thrown out/evicted from Gush Katif and whose lives had been uprooted and (in some cases) destroyed as a result of the events of Summer 2005. (The government STILL has not righted the wrongs of that summer, vis-a-vis those who were thrown out). I look forward to attending this occassion tomorrow. In the meantime, we are now off to ANOTHER open Sukka in our neighborhood.

Best wishes for a Moadim L'Simcha!

At the Conclusion of Our First One-Day Chag...

The only word I can come up with for our first one-day Chag in Israel is: "INCREDIBLE!!!!!!" I can not fully explain in writing how this Chag felt. I will say that:

* The feeling of walking around the neighborhood and seeing hundreds of Sukkot and hearing singing and watching all of the people visiting other peoples' Sukkot, well...Dayenu!

* The sounds of hundreds of people davening on Friday night, singing in unison and on Shabbat/Chag morning, singing in unison and the overall feeling of elation of the mood of Sukkot, well...Dayenu!

* The delicious meals that we were treated to at other peoples' homes both at night and by day, and the excellent company, well...Dayenu!

* The Seudah Shlisheet with about 40 new and not-so-new friends at a nearby Sukka and the Zechut of saying a Dvar Torah in their Sukka, well...Dayenu!

* But the ultimate for ME has to have occurred at 5:58pm tonight. But first a bit of background...I have known for years, that we would be making Aliya. Back in 2006, I bought a set of Machzorim for use in Israel for the Chagim. I put a note inside the Machzor for Sukkot that read, " I bought this set of Machzorim in August 2006, to be used on Sukkot when we make Aliya (IYH) in summer of 2009. Chag Sameach!" I looked at that note, as I opened my Machzor on Friday night, and I was overcome with emotion. I was fulfilling that dream! And a part of that dream was to live the Israeli life, which meant only having a one-day Chag. And at 5:58pm tonight, we made Havdala and ended the Chag and began Chol HaMoed. It was a very emotional moment for me, as I felt my klitah (absorption) into Israel that much more acutely. And for that I truly say...DAYENU!

And now the FULL week of Chol HaMoed begins. We will be in J'lem tomorrow, and I look forward to many get-togethers this coming week.

From Maale Adumim, Mitzpe Nevo neighborhood, I wish you and your's a joyous Sukkot and a wonderful Chol HaMoed!

Two Incredible Days!

Wow, has it been busy! These past two days have been very busy and intense and (BH) all for good things!

Let's start with Tuesday...the day began with me going up to Or Yehuda to go to the office and spend some good quality time there. Upon my return to J'lem, I was supposed to go to an Open House dealing with a tour guide course. Unfortunately, it was cancelled and I merely received the info by mail. I spent some time in town and then went to Midreshet Devora (a new Seminary in J'lem) and spoke about making the most of their year in Seminary. From there, it was off to Bayit Ve'gan for the next phase of my (Posner) cousin Bar Mitzva. It was so nice to see some cousins I have not seen in a long time. This is yet another perk of moving to Israel!

Wednesday was a great day...I mentioned a few days ago that I was going to be doing something a little different and that you too would be "involved" in. Well, I made my first of what will be a number of appearances on a local radio show that is also broadcast in the USA. It is called "Rusty Mike Radio" (www.rustymikeradio.com) and the show from yesterday will be available to download right after the Chagim. I spoke about my time in Chicago, Aliya activism and the company I work for. Future shows will deal with Aliya and Aliya-related issues.
Then, I participated in a FABULOUS 7-hour trip/tiyul with a group of other tour operators. We started at the base of Har Ha'Zeitim (Mount of Olives) and discussed the various historical and Tanach-based issues of the area. From there, we participated in sifting through the rubble that was removed from Har HaBayit by the Moslems, learned how to ride on a Segway (for the purpose of knowing what kind of tiyulim are available), took a ride in a 4x4 up through part of East Jerusalem for two unreal views. One view was in the direction of Har HaBayit that was probably one of the best views I have ever seen. The second view was towards the East and afforded me a long-distance view of Maale Adumim. How interesting to see our place from that perspective!

Then, the most interesting part of the day. We had the opportunity to go through a new area in Ir David that has only been visited so far by archeologists and not by visitors. We walked through the newly uncovered Mei HaShiloach and traced the path where visitors to ancient J'lem would go on their way to Har HaBayit for the Chagim. We saw the area exactly from where water was drawn for the Simchat Bet HaShoeva. And then, one of the most astounding things of all...we walked along a HUGE staircase that led directly to the Temple Mount (not going IN actually, of course) and learned an incredible fact. Below the stairs there was a once-in-a-lifetime find! For the first time, archeologists found complete bowls WITH ashes from cooked food in situ under the stairs. They were not broken and put back together by the archeologists but were complete and in tact! These items are more than likely from people hiding from the Romans in the final months before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. It was so exciting to be among the first to see all of these things!
We were also treated to music under the start-lit sky by three young men living in Ir David (among 70 Jewish families). If you have never been to Ir David, or if you have not been there for the last few weeks (things change EVERY DAY!) you owe it to yourself to visit when you are in Israel!

Sukkot is coming and it can be seen, felt, heard EVERYWHERE you turn! People are building sukkot everywhere you look, stands with people selling Lulavim and Etrogim pop up on what seems like every corner; huge tents with dozens of vendors selling Lulav, etrog sets and items for sukkot...it is incredible. And the prices?? You can get a beautiful Mehudar set for about 90 NIS (approx $22.00) which is less than a 1/3 of what I was used to paying! Ah, the law of supply and demand!!!

One last comment about Sukkot...sadly, at the Central Bus Station, there are two men that LIVE under the underpass that goes from the CBS across the street to Binyanei HaUma (the other part of the bus station). Last night, on my way home, as I passed one of these two men, I noticed that someone had given him a Lulav and Etrog for Sukkot. Homeless, he may be, but he has his Lulav..."Mi K'amcha Yisrael..."