When Tragedy Strikes...

Tragedy strikes the Chicago and Israel communities...catastrophic...tragic...horrific. All of these descriptors have been used to describe the terrible news of the death of Moshe Menora and three of his granddaughters (Sara and Rickie, age 17, and Racheli, age 15) in a plane accident yesterday in Michigan. (The only bright spot is that a fourth grandchild, Netanel, was spared and is in a Michigan hospital in critical condition--may Hashem send him a refuah shlema.)

In the blink of an eye, the Menora, Klein and Schreiber families' lives have been completely sent into turmoil. Day has turned into night and light into a devastating darkness. Yet...it is not only their tragedy...It is important for them to know that all of us--those who knew the family and those who never met them--are all in a state of mourning at this moment. Granted, we have NO IDEA of the searing pain they are feeling. Yet, I must tell you that after looking at dozens of Jewish news services and speaking to countless people, their tragedy is felt deeply in so many hearts of the Jewish people. At the moment I am writing this, there is still much confusion and chaos as to what will be relative to the funeral(s); the sitting of shiva; the medical condition of Netanel, etc. But one thing is certain: KLAL YISRAEL MOURNS THIS TRAGEDY alongside the family. How often have we seen news reports of light plane crashes with multiple family members killed and thought to ourselves, "how very sad..." and then gone on with our daily lives. After all, nothing like that happens to people WE know. And yet...and yet, this time, it did.
I love the written word and as I sit here, I find myself struggling for the right words to say...but there are none. No words could sum up what we all feel for the Menora, Klein and Schrieber families. I look at the words in  Sefer Iyov (Job) and I look at the words of Kinnot that we will say (hopefully not!) on Tisha B'Av and even THEIR words of pain and suffering seem to shed tears over THIS tragedy.

May Hashem send a Nechama to all the family and a refuah shlema to Netanel Yosef ben Simcha Sima.

HAMAKOM YENACHEM ETCHEM B'TOCH SH'AR AVELEI TZION VI'ROOSHALAYIM!

The Antidote

Yesterday was Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av 5770. Once again, we find ourselves in the final stages of The Three Weeks culminating next week, with the darkest date on the Jewish calendar: Tisha B'Av. It is axiomatic, as it is recorded in the Talmud that both Batei Mikdash (Temples) were destroyed on this day. Each one was destroyed, says the Talmud, for a different reason. The first was destroyed due to the fact that the Jews were transgressing the three major sins. The second was destroyed due to שנאת חנם  (or baseless hatred). For many years, I have heard speech after speech exhorting us to counter the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash Number 2 with acts of אהבת חנם or acts of selfless love. By doing so, the speakers would always say, we were providing the antidote to the destruction and we would help lead the way to the ultimate rebuilding of the Bet HaMikdash.

While it could very well be a true statement, I think that we need to look a little deeper and farther back in history in order to find the true antidote. What is the reason that both Batei Mikdash "just happened" to be destroyed on the same day? The Talmud records that when the "spies" came back from spying out the Land of Canaan, they gave a poor, slanted report. As a result, the Torah tells us that וַתִּשָּׂא֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַֽיִּתְּנ֖וּ אֶת־קוֹלָ֑ם וַיִּבְכּ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הַהֽוּא  ("The entire congregation raised its voice and cried on that night). IN light of this, the Gemara tells us that . ליל תשעה באב היה, אמר להן הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל: אתם בכיתם בכיה של חנם ־ ואני אקבע לכם בכיה לדורות.  (That night was the 9th of Av. G-d said to them, you have cried a useless, pointless cry, I will establish this night as a night of crying for future generations.) In other words, your baseless, false claims about the Land of Israel and the crying that ensued due to this are the root cause of this day (the 9th of Av) becoming a day of tragedy after tragedy for the Jewish people.

If indeed that is the case, then the antidote to the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash is not only Ahavat Chinam...it goes much deeper than that! The antidote is also speaking positively about the Land of Israel...being an advocate for her citizens...it means VISITING the land to see and extol its beauty...and it means living in the Land as well. All of these actions--each and every one of them relative to the Land of Israel--can indeed act as the antidote we all need in order to change the world and lead to the rebuilding of the bet HaMikdash בב''א !

Chofesh HaGadol

Literally, the title means "The Large Vacation." What it refers to is this time of year in Israel when seemingly everyone is on vacation at some point...especially the little kids who are out of school and whose parents are looking for ways to fill their time. It is a time that finds Israelis criss-crossing the country on Tiyulim, camping, sending their kids to short-term day camps or some overnight camps and other fun activities. We are not yet sure what--if anything--we will be doing this summer as far as the Chofesh HaGadol, but we will talk about it in the near future.
But there was one observation I wanted to make about this Chofesh. The other day, as I was walking out of Shul in the morning, I saw a stack of small booklets with a little Pushka (tzedaka can) next to it. I just assumed that it was for people to donate money to a charity and receive some random book for their couple of shekalim. Then, I took a closer look at the booklet. It was arranged that during the Chofesh HaGadol, those who were students would have a guide to what to learn every day...a smattering of Torah, Mishne, Halacha, etc. As I stood there holding one of the books in my hand, I had a broad smile on my face, and someone (who thought I needed professional help, I imagine) asked what I was smiling at. I just told him that I truly love this country...and left it at that. But what did I mean? Here we are poised for this weeks'-long vacation season and students are not only encouraged to continue their Torah education over the summer, they are given the tools with which to do so. And I think that that is just amazing. What a country!

And speaking of Torah...I began to teach a Ladies Tefilla class on Sunday nights (4 weeks ago), and I absolutely love being back into adult education once again! I missed it and am very happy to be doing it once again. I know that MY tefilla is affected by this class as well...

The One Year Party

The other night, most of those who have made Aliya in the past couple of years gathered at the shul in the social hall for a nice evening of celebration. The majority present were celebrating their one year anniversary (like us) but there were those from previous years as well.

The evening was punctuated with a couple of speeches, I gave a brief dvar Torah, there was a live musical presentation, a comedian (who truly captured the essence of living in Israel) and a slide show of pictures taken during this past year (put together by Eric Solat). All in all, the evening was very enjoyable and--as the saying goes--a good time was had by all.

But, a couple of observations are in order. I was looking around the room and thought of two things: First, I knew almost every single person in the room and secondly, I knew almost none of them a little over a year ago. Why do I mention this? Because as I looked around the room, and I thought of how CLOSE so many of us have become, I was a bit overwhelmed. And then I thought of the "feeling" aspect as well. It FEELS like I have known so many of these families for my entire life. It feels like I know my neighbors and new-found friends for my entire life and it is strange to pause and realize that this is just not the case. I have known them for much LESS than my entire life.

And yet...there is a bond...there is a closeness that is hard to put into words. The feeling of going through so much TOGETHER...so many of the same experiences of being an immigrant to a country that until not long ago was just a distant dream. But by living the dream together and by experiencing many of the same events together...many have built a bond that is incredibly strong. While I have a LITTLE bit of family here (with whom I am indeed close), I do not have a LOT of family here. So, it is with great pride that I look at the members of our community and especially those with whom we have become so close and realize...they ARE a part of my family now and we are a part of their's.

Today is Shiva Asar B'Tammuz...a fast day in which we commemorate the breach in the walls of Jerusalem that led to the eventual destruction of the Bet HaMikdash. Since we arrived two days before Shiva Asar B'Tammuz last year, this is the second time we are now here for it. And as I look around my house and the neighborhood and the community, I see with my own eyes how much we have grown and how much we have accomplished in one year. Baruch Hashem...it has been a good year and B'ezrat Hashem, we look forward to many more years to come in this amazing community.

Our One Year Anniversary of Aliya--15 Tammuz

This Sunday, the 15th of Tammuz corresponding to the 27th of June, will mark our one year anniversary of our Aliya.

One year…in the blink of an eye, a year has now passed since we stepped off the Nefesh B’Nefesh / El Al flight last summer. We boarded the plane as citizens of the United States on Monday and landed on Tuesday as citizens of the State of Israel. Just like that…our lifelong dream became a reality. Well, it wasn’t exactly “just like that.” But, as I sit here and reflect on “the year that was, “I am filled with awe, gratitude, admiration and joy. And if I think back to the first few days we lived here, it seems like a lifetime ago because I feel like we have lived here for twenty years!

Allow me to preface this with a disclaimer: I know that while we did indeed have some ups and downs along the way, our experience of our Aliya and Klita was not the norm. Our journey until this point has been very little in the way of problems, issues and crises and lots in the way of things going RIGHT most of the time. Only one way to explain that: Hashem has been incredibly wonderful to us…a fact that we do NOT take for granted.

What seemed in the beginning like a snake path that only the initiated would be permitted to know, we finally figured out our way from the entrance to Maale Adumim to our home in Mitzpe Nevo. Very quickly, and truthfully not long after we moved, when I thought of the word “home” I thought of Maale Adumim and not Chicago. I had actually wondered how long it would take me to stop thinking of the house in Chicago as “home.” It actually happened very fast.

Boxes…boxes…boxes! Everywhere I looked after the delivery of our lift I saw boxes and other packing materials. How in the world were we EVER going to get everything unpacked and set up shop?! Would we have enough room for everything we had brought? How would we know where to buy certain supplies and groceries etc etc etc?!?

In step our new-found friends who were there at every turn with advice, a good word and helping hands. I can not imagine having gone through the first few months here without the support and help of SO many people in Mitzpe Nevo! How would we ever be able to repay them all? When I said this to one of our friends, he suggested that the best way to “repay” THEM was to do in kind for the new Olim that will come this summer. Great idea and one that I will act upon, Bezrat Hashem!

Work…find a job…parnassa…Yes, earning a living would indeed be something I would call a priority and BH, I was able to find work very fast doing something I truly enjoy…working in the tourism industry bringing people to Israel. My daughters and my wife all have adjusted so well here and SO love this country and our community. We could not have ordered a better group of neighbors with whom to share our building and we could not have picked a better neighborhood!

A year later, I reflect back and I am filled with awe at all our family was able to accomplish in such a short time. I no longer feel like an outsider looking in at Jewish History in the making. I feel like a part of the process and like someone who can make a difference merely by living out my dream.

Chicago…home for me for nearly 50 years…home to ALL of my immediate family and home to SO many friends of mine/our’s. I will always have special feelings for Chicago. It is a magnificent city with wonderful people. (I REALLY like Mayor Daley and Chicago politics!) I miss my family but am heartened by the knowledge that they are so happy for us. Thanks to modern technology, we see each other often on Skype—an ISRAELI invention) and talk on the phone nearly every single day. Yet, in spite of all of these good feelings I have and truly close feelings I have to the community in Chicago, I wouldn’t trade my life HERE for anywhere else…not for a million dollars (roughly 3, 810,000 shekel at today’s exchange rate!)

With one year now behind us and B’ezrat Hashem many years ahead of us, I can only hope and pray that we will continue to live a life filled with joy and happiness and health. While it is NOT realistic to expect everything to be good and to never have any setbacks and to never know sorrow and pain…I CAN daven that these things will be few and far between.

I am eternally grateful to Hashem and to my family for enabling me to realize my lifelong dream of hearing the call from Hashem to live in HIS land. Those of you reading this who may be thinking, “I wish that was ME,” can do more than just “wish.” You can take steps to make that dream come true…I am living proof of this.

May Hashem watch over us and all of the other Olim who are coming up on their one year anniversary as well. We ALL have a long road ahead of us, but with the help of Hashem, one day, we will become fully integrated members of society, here in Eretz Yisrael.

Rear View Mirror

As we approach our one year anniversary of Aliya (!), I sat and re-read some of the posts I wrote exactly a year ago on this blog. All I can say is "wow!" When you are going through it and things are happening like they were back then, it is hard to realize the frenetic pace and craziness of all that is going on. But, as I look in the rear view mirror and sit (quietly, calmly) in my home here in Israel and look back at those postings, I almost feel exhausted. The "funny" thing is that when I was writing about all the things left to do and the events left to attend, little did I know that one BIG event that would occur prior to Aliya was waiting for us in the wings...my dad getting very sick very suddenly. It also means that it will be a year since his BARUCH HASHEM complete recovery bli ayin hara and one that we are grateful for each and every day. I hope to make a Seudat Hoda'a (thanksgiving meal...little "T") for this event. As far as our Aliya anniversary (this Sunday, 15 Tammuz on the Hebrew calendar), there will be a gathering of Olim here in Maale Adumim which we will attend. SO DIFFICULT to believe it is almost one year, BH.

More on that later this week...

Let There Be Light

Last night, I joined tens of thousands of people to walk through the Old City to view a marvelous exhibit. For the past two weeks, there has been a public "Light and Sound" show happening in the Old City. It literally drew thousands of people to see various displays and movies. In addition to the lights that were displayed all over the area in a wide range of colors (colours for my Canadian friends!), you were greeted at Sha'ar Yaffo (Jaffa Gate) by a robot about 3 meters tall made of foam and light. Inside, and projected on the outer wall of the Hurva (newly rebuilt) synagogue, a movie was played showing the history of the building, its destruction, rebuilding, destruction and yet again its rebuilding. (Sad that for the most part the visiting to the Hurva has been hijacked by a small group of individuals. Yet another example of taking something beautiful and making it into a symbol of the fiefdom of a few). One of the most impressive things though had to be the lights that were set up on Har HaZeitim (Mt of Olives) facing inwards towards the Old City as you look towards the Kotel. Massive lights alternating in various patterns shone brightly in the nighttime sky. Why do I say that this was the most impressive? Because as I looked at those lights on the right side of my field of vision and then looked at Har haBayit on the left side of my field of vision, I could only imagine in my mind's eye the light that emanated from the Temple Mount in the times that the Bet HaMikdash stood and the light of the Menorah shone into the houses of Jerusalem. I was comforted by the feeling that this light--the OR CHADASH--will once again shine on Jerusalem in the near future B'ezrat Hashem. However, it is necessary for us to realize that this won't happen ONLY B'ezrat (with the help of) Hashem. It requires our input and action as well. But, looking around lately at how Jews have been acting towards each other (no, not a new story!) here in this country lately and the crazy, out of control actions of one sect trying to hijack normative Judaism and claim it as its own...these actions delay the Or Chadash...the New Light that we all pray for. I can only pray that these people will "see the light" sooner rather than later and help to replace the "artificial" lights on Har HaZetim with the light of the Menorah on Har HaBayit, bimhera b'yamenu!