How Far We Have Come...How Far We Have to Go

Today is Yom HaShoah...Holocaust Remembrance Day...around the world. Unlike any other community in the world (to the best of my knowledge), only in Israel is a siren blown for two minutes during which time the entire country comes to a standstill.

I had never been here for this siren and I wanted to be fully aware BEFORE it began in order to "prepare" myself. At first, I thought I would go to the local mall and observe as a large crowd of people came to a standstill. As I thought about it more, I felt that solitude would be a better approach but not solitude without some meaning. I left my house 10 minutes before the siren and went around to the other side of the mountain...the side that faces Yerushalayim. I felt it would be symbolic to stand and look at the mountains of the holy Yerushalayim during this moment. I would stand there thinking about those murdered during the Holocaust while looking at a vista that millions could only have dreamed of. What would have been, had there indeed BEEN a State of Israel at that time of history...that is a question left to be pondered as the siren was about to begin.

At exactly 10am, the siren began and I was completely caught off guard for what happened to me emotionally. Tears began to flow almost the second I heard the beginning of the sound. I thought about those who lined up to go to their deaths thinking that they were going to a shower; of those who hid in the forests to save their lives and of those who put up a battle in the Warsaw ghetto.

As I looked at Yerushalayim and thought of these people, I also began to think of how far we have come in such a short time!

Instead of speaking of Six Million in terms of how many were murdered , we can also speak about the six million plus (kein yirboo!) of the Jews now living in Israel. Instead of underground fighters or partisans in a forest, we have the IDF, a military might the envy of all modern nations. We have a country in which we are free to openly be Jewish and express that Jewishness any way we feel appropriate. We have control (to a degree) of Har HaBayit and ALL of Jerusalem. Since 1948, Israel is ruled for the first time in almost 200o years BY JEWS. Yes, there is always a haven for Jews here in Israel.

And yet...we have so far to go! Open today's newspapers and see that Anti-Semitic acts in 2009 DOUBLED world-wide; we have a monster in Iran who publicly declares death to Israel with most of the world not caring; we have country after country calling for divestment, uprising, destruction, etc etc of this beloved country of our's.

Yes, we HAVE come very far in 62 years...but we still have so far to go...

Chol HaMoed

One of the hallmarks of Chol HaMoed (the intermediate days of the holiday--between the first and last day) in Israel is the "tiyul." Loosely translated this means the hike/trek/journey. What it refers to is packing in to a car or bus with many of one's worldly possessions that have to do with food prep and/or hiking paraphernalia and heading out to various locales around the country. The roads are JAMMED with people traveling to and fro in search of "just the right spot" to make a BBQ, or to hike some cliff that beckons, to walk a winding trail or just to sit along a beach and soak up the Vitamin-D.

In the past, for me, Chol HaMoed meant a pretty much regular day, a day trip to Gurnee Mills (shopping mall outside Chicago) and many hours spent thinking about what we should do during this quieter time. However, here, we were determined to be Israeli and join the (literally) thousands of people for one or more Chol HaMoed outings.

On the first day of Chol HaMoed, we made our way to Tel Aviv where we met up with my in-laws spending Chag there in a hotel. After a nice lunch together, the girls went one way and Andy and I spent a wonderfully relaxing time walking on the boardwalk next to the Mediterranean. It was AMAZING to see the range of people there! Sefardim, Ashkenazim, secular...all out doing various forms of relaxation and vacationing...we saw kite flying (with payos-clad chasidim on the other end of the string); fishing, BBQ'ing, skateboarding, singing with musical instruments and many other activities. We were just content to sit there and enjoy the gorgeous weather.

The next day, we all headed to the area of Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. When I say "all" I actually mean ALL of Israel...at least it seemed that way! According to the paper, apparently, 6800 other people did the same thing we did! I guess that is why I noticed a 6-10 KM back-up on the road heading South as we returned heading North! We sat a distance from the Dead Sea and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, as we did by the other body of water! The heat was NOT too intense and the time we spent there was just right...not too short and not too long.

This was followed by a magnificent Shabbat with guests at our table and a special Motz"ash (Motza'ei Shabbat): We went into Yerushalayim to see some of my cousins that were in celebrating the Chag. As an added bonus, we were invited to go to the Old City on a particular roof-top for a small "concert" by Chaim Dovid (see here for who he is if you are not familiar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8CNTZ_Wb2s&feature=youtube_gdata)

The location was a few hundred meters from Har HaBayit, the night breeze was cool and intoxicating, the music was gorgeous and the ambiance was just perfect.

What a wonderful Chol HaMoed this has been! Hard to believe that tonight is the last night of Pesach already! There is something in our Shul tonight that (to me) is quite unusual and unique. I imagine it is done in many places, but I just never did this: There is a public reading of Shirat HaYam (Az Yashir) in honor of the 7th day of Pesach followed by Divrei Torah on the subject...just hope I can stay awake for it!

Chag Sameach!

Seder...ONE Seder

After many years of anticipating Pesach in Israel, it has finally arrived. For those who know me well, you already know that I have always had a difficult time with the Second Seder, as it was always the most "in-your-face-golus" moment of the year to me. I did all that was required, of course, but deep down, it was always difficult. This year was the beginning of a new period of life in that regard. We joined together with our (wonderful) upstairs neighbors and had a magnificent Seder! It was made all that much more special knowing it was the ONLY one we would make this year. We sang, read the Haggada, ate, enjoyed and then, Seder 5770 was a memory!

On the day of Chag, I woke up early and davened at the early Minyan like usual (6:30am) and had the morning to sit in the beautiful weather to learn and relax. We were out for Seduat Chag and then a nice leisurely walk home for a quiet afternoon.

Before you knew it, the first day of Chag was over and we were making Havdala to begin Chol HaMoed. While I did indeed miss the family in Chicago and all of the usual family traditions, we were "comforted" by the fact that we began a new series of traditions right here in Israel.

This week, we will go to visit my in-laws who are spending Chag on a program in Tel Aviv, I will go to the Kotel for Birkat Kohanim and see what little side trips we may make...

Best wishes of Moadim L'Simcha to all!

Burn, Baby, Burn!

It is now Erev Pesach, 5770. It is our very first Pesach in Israel, as Israeli citizens and a moment that I have personally dreamt about for years. Last year, when we sang L'Shana Ha'Ba'a BiRooshalayim, it had a very different meaning back then. Now, as we prepare to welcome Pesach 5770, I walk around Mitzpe Nevo and I look toward Yerushalayim! (By the way, I look at a GROWING Jerusalem, no matter WHAT the president of the USA says!)

After Bedikat Hametz last night, I put the hamtez in a bag to burn this morning. I was told that there usually is a public burning in the area. Well, surprise...no special area (seemingly) was set aside for this as in years past. One of the reasons I am told is that many of those old locations are now either filled with grass, houses or other things that prevent making a fire in those locations.

So, I joined a neighbor, hametz in hand, and drove around to find some other wayward souls looking to burn their treasure. We came across a couple of young guys attempting to build a small fire in a VERY windy area. We got out of the car and joined them to build the fire down a small hill surrounded by a rock wall. We gathered some small sticks, placed the hametz in the pile and threw in some matches. The wind kicked up and before long the hametz was burning strongly! I kept thinking that instead of smelling the fire from THIS, I looked forward to NEXT year when we would smell the Korban Pesach burning on the 14th of Nissan, B'ezrat Hashem!

Having now made the Haroset and helped out in the house, we are all getting closer and closer to the Seder. We will be sharing the Seder with our upstairs neighbors, the Zion family, who also made Aliya (a couple of years ago). Truth is that we ALWAYS had Seder (sedarim!) at my parents' home, so while we are ALL looking forward to this Seder, it will definitely be strange to not be with our family in Chicago.

As this will be the last post before Pesach, I will wish EVERYONE a Chag Pesach Kasher V'Sameach!!! May this be the last one without the Korban Pesach and may we all share in each other's Korban NEXT year!!!!!

Pesach is Upon Us...Almost!

(Kashering Utensils for Pesach--Mitzpe Nevo 5770)

Pesach indeed is CLOSE! it is evidenced by all 5 senses:

I walk down the streets in Mitzpe Nevo and hear vacuum cleaners going all over the place. I see items being thrown out for cleaning purposes; cars being dismantled for cleaning; people shlepping dozens of bags of groceries; kashering of utensils (see pictures) for Pesach use. I smell so much of the Pesach cooking going on in the neighborhood. I feel the feeling of dust on my hands as we continue our (brief) Pesach cleaning. I taste Pesach, as I have had the opportunity to taste some Pesach items already and await more!

Music

When I was a kid, you had three choices to listen to music: someone played an instrument, you listened to the radio or you listened to an LP (Note to those under the age of 40...please consult an encylopedia as to what an LP is. Actually, consult Google to find out what an encyclopedia is and THEN find out what an LP is!). Other than that, there were not that many other choices.

I witnessed the birth of 8-Track tapes, cassette tapes, CD's, Sony Walkman, iPods, iTunes, etc., etc., etc. It is as if every day there is a new method to bring music to the world. I must say that this is a VERY positive advance over the years. Why? Because music is a very powerful tool. Besides the obvious, music has a POWER to transport you to another time and place. For example, you may recall where you were the first time you heard any number of famous songs. Some songs bring a smile to your face as it helps you recall a happy or winsome moment in your life. Other songs may make you sad, as the song may remind you of someone or someplace associated with a sad memory. Yes, music is very powerful.

And why do I mention this today? We are, along with the rest of Jews around the world, in the throes of PESACH CLEANING. While it is somewhat easier this year, it still is Pesach Cleaning. While I work, I like to listen to music. I don't listen to music all that often and certainly not for sustained periods of time. But over the past few days, I have listened to a lot of music both on CD and iPods (not mine...daughter 1, 2 or 3!). And I find myself listening to the same songs I listened to over and over last year in April, May and June...as we packed up and prepared for our journey home to Israel.

And as I work, and I listen to this same music from that time-period, I find I keep pausing to think back to those days. Days of anxiety, days of excitement and days of "what-would-be?" It seems like so long ago, yet when I pause listening to that music, I FEEL inside, and I mean DEEP inside, the same feelings I had back then, almost a YEAR ago.

It was a magical if not scary time...one that I will never forget...and if this year is any indication, I will re-live those memories every year via music for many years to come, B'ezrat Hashem.

Now, back to cleaning...after one more song!

Of Licenses, Motorcycles and a Tiyul

1. Licenses: As in a DRIVER'S license. As those of you who have been following this blog know, Andy and I made the decision after 8 months (already 8 months!?) of being here to bite the bullet and work on getting our driver's licenses. In the States, you learn the Rules of the Road, take a driving test, take a road test, go to the DMV, get insulted by some city workers and then get your license. Here, it is slightly different. First of all, if you are getting a license for the first time, it is MUCH more difficult. You take over 25 driving lessons (that cost a little less than a small car), followed by a test and a few other steps (see below). You learn the Rule of the Road....not the "rules" but just the "rule." And that rule is DRIVE DEFENSIVELY! Always assume the other guy wants to be in front of you and will do anything to accomplish this.

In any case, as we were technically just converting our licenses from USA to Israeli ones, the process is a little less confusing. But, it is still a multi-part process which we began this week. Step One: Go to a participating optometrist where you have an eye exam and have your picture taken. The picture is stored in the computer (to be used by the License Authority for the actual license). You also have a copy of this picture imprinted on the Tofes Yarok (the document that follows your path with you until receipt of the license...guess what color the document is...). STEP 2: You then take this Tofes Yarok to a doctor who must then say you are physically fit to drive. Ok, that was accomplished with no problem as well. Step 3: Go to Misrad HaRishui (the License Authority) where they inspect the documents to ensure that you may go to the next step. Ok, that's done, as well and on to the next step. That next step is to schedule a driving lesson. (You also pay a small fortune to take this lesson as you are paying for the instuctor's time and usage of the car and insurance so that you may drive his car) Yes, after driving for 35 years, I need to take an official lesson. It is this man who determines your future! If he feels you need more lessons, you need more lessons and will spend a fortune on them! If you are ok in the driving lesson, you move to the next step...the driving test. But first, you go to the Post Office, get another document to show you have paid for this step, take that to the instructor, take your test and then (if you pass) you get your temporary license. Once you pay for the final one, you get the official permanent license. Oh, and at the test, the instructor does not tell you if you passed or not yet. Why is that? One time, an instructor told a person taking his test that he had not passed. Reacting to this news, the driver decided to shoot the instructor...not TOO aggressive! As a result, they made a rule that the instructor calls the driver later to inform him.
After Pesach, we hope to finish this arduous process and I will keep you informed. In the meantime, try not to let the suspense of whether or not we succeed keep you awake at night!

2. Motorcycles: As long as we are on the subject of driving, an observation about motorcycles here in Israel. There are thousands on the road here and you can not miss them. There seems to be a set of unwritten Rules of the Road for motorcycles...not only must you be first, you must also weave in and out of traffic, cut off buses, speed to the front of a line up at a red light and drive recklessly, all with a helmet on....the kind of driving that must make a mom proud!
In any case, I thought I had seen all the various permutations of how motorcyclists make the roads more unsafe...that is, until yesterday! I was in traffic (last day of the car usage) in a two lane road, ie, one lane in each direction. In between the lanes was a concrete island medium that was raised from the ground a few centimeters. As I sat there in traffic, carefree yet alert, I heard a noise coming up on my left side. In my rear view mirror and getting closer and closer was some hot dog driving on the median! The width of this median was about 1 mm wider than his tires. One small misstep and he would not be riding much longer. As I sat there somewhat in disbelief, I smiled to myself and thought, ah, yes...the motorcyclist's goals are being met: get there first, get there dangerously and do it with all the speed and flair you can muster.
IF ONLY ISRAEL WERE AS AGGRESSIVE IN ITS PR/HASBARA TO THE WORLD AS THESE MOTORCYCLISTS...WE WOULD BE IN GREAT SHAPE!

3. Tiyul: As we have nothing else to do a week before Pesach (LOL!), Andy and I decided to join our fellow Olim in Maale Adumim for a Nature Tiyul in our area. We walked through a valley/wadi observing the various flora, fauna and wildlife. To cap off the evening, we made a small, roasted marshmallows and baked fresh pita! We were guided by a local Nature Guide who has lived in Maale Adumim for over 20 years. We not only learned a lot, but truly enjoyed ourselves. As we were winding down, rain suddenly began to pour down on us and we all ran for cover and then back to our warm homes. It was a very special tiyul and we are grateful to have had this opporunity. We plan that during Pesach break to B'ezrat Hashem, take more tiyulim and enjoy this magnificent country.