Today, I found myself thinking about Yom HaZicharon in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, we accidentally went to the Yom HaZicharon ceremony at the Kotel. In 2012, we passed Har Hertzl as 11:00 was approaching on our way home from a fertility appointment. We could see the people swarming for their annual day of communal grief. In 2013, Channah was living in her own world of grief, when a teacher pulled her away from the school tekes to try to protect her from the raw emotions that can come out on this day.
For me, I usually acknowledge Yom HaZicharon within the privacy of my family, as I listen and feel the blast of the siren. Having had the experience of having to head to safety upon hearing that sound, brings a different feeling from that sound. This year is not like other years. I finished davening maariv from my mirpeset shortly before the siren. An Israeli flag that was raised before mincha was lowered to half staff, as someone played 'taps' on their cell phone. A few minutes of pause and then the blast from the siren. A few families had come outside for this experience. The only movement was a small child who had been running around, walking back to his family to join in the moment of commemoration.
This year is not like other years. For the first time ever, all the military cemeteries are locked. At one point the bereaved families, threatened to storm the cemeteries for 11:00 tomorrow. I hope this will not happen and that families have taken the opportunity to visit their loved ones over the past few days. There are organizations that have also offered to set up virtual visits to graves tomorrow.
The threat of storming a cemetery. Completely irrational and dangerous but in some way captures the feelings, that have been felt across the country. A week ago from Sunday, the first steps of easing the lock down went into effect. All of a sudden, people were complaining if X has been released why can't Y. Then on Tuesday Ikea opened. Vendors from Mahane Yehuda, threatened that if Ikea could open, they would open with or without permission. They followed through with their threat yesterday, clashing with police. Big chain stores kept their doors closed, even with permission to open. They threatened that they deserved equally compensation to small businesses. Of course once all the stores are open, how can we keep schools closed. All of a sudden, what was promised to be a slow transition back to restarting life as 'normal' has been moving really fast. Shlomo's Gan could be open as soon as Sunday.
Yesterday was a classic example of why it is hard to have faith in those playing with our lives. The Health Ministry proposed that the limit of people going out for exercise to be unlimited, instead to the 500m current limit. As soon as the decision was published after approval, the Health Ministry stepped in to have the decision reversed. They wanted unlimited exercise distance for professional athletes only. In the end the 500m rule is being scrapped on Thursday. The regulations confining us to 100m from our home, cannot be far behind.
There are two family members in our home that are considered high risk. I have been comforted by the results we have started to see for keeping the virus contained. I am worried about the size of the 2nd wave of infections that is bound to come. The fact the country is starting to function again, makes it easier to prepare for our move in 5 weeks. At the same time I am concerned for the health and well being of my family. Tonight and tomorrow we remember the sacrifice those have made to keep us safe in our homeland. That is followed by a celebration (although muted this year) of what we have achieved. I pray that the threat passes soon and we can go back to building on the accomplishments of this great country.
Monday, April 27, 2020
Monday, April 6, 2020
To Minyan or not to Minyan: Lockdown Edition
It all started when the Government announced that public gatherings were to be limited to 100 people. In order to take to the pressure off of the shuls, our building was able to borrow a sefer torah. An Aaron Kodesh was even built to store the sefer torah. Shabbat davening took place in the lobby of our building. It was convenient but I did miss going to shul.
The minyan continued during the week. The social distancing protocols were put in place and those davening kept their 2m distance. There were 3 minyanim in the morning, hashkama, regular, youth in order to keep the numbers down. As I walked Bailey through the 6am minyan, I realized that it was not a safe place for me to be. I have 2 high risk members in my household and keeping us all safe along with everyone around is our top priority. I also stopped taking Bailey for his morning walk, to avoid being in close proximity to others due to a minyan.
That week more lock down rules were brought into effect, limiting public gatherings to 10 people. My former shul, immediately announced that they were closing. The minyan continued. The organizers showed a psak of how minyan could have up to 19 people without violating the 10 person rule. As soon as there were 20 people, the minyan would split.
That Thursday, more restrictions were announced. I was left with the understanding that private minyanim were no longer being permitted in Israel. This impression was also supported by friends who live in different cities in North America, where their local Rabbanim had said as much. In a discussion of the rules on Facebook, two of my friends got into an argument. My friend in chul was saying kaddish for a number of people. He was frustrated about having the ability to say kaddish taken away and how it was becoming almost impossible to find a private minyan, even when every effort to be careful with social distancing was being done. My friend in Israel, basically said that davening in a minyan was assur and he should just get over it. I know my friend in chul was very hurt by the tone of the conversation.
On Friday night I was sitting at my dining room table, davening Kabbalat Shabbat, while contemplating the fight between my friends. Suddenly, I noticed beautiful singing coming from outside. I could here davening from 3 separate minyanim. The one in our lobby, the overflow minyan outside our building and the minyan on the other side of the parking lot. Our building faces a building with nice courtyard in between. The next buildings on the other side of the parking lot are mostly a duplicate design. I was drawn out to my mirpeset by the singing. Even though I felt the minyan should not take place, I joined in anyways. I figured, that the minyan existed whether I was there or not and from my mirpeset, I couldn't put anyone else at risk. Davening during the day, was inside, so I davened on my own.
After Shabbat, my Facebook feed was filled with people talking about the beautiful davening from Friday night in their communities. Some had balcony minyans, some had Zoom Kabbalat Shabbat davening before Shabbat started. I found the updated ministry guidelines. It turned out that the minyanim from our building was in compliance with competent Rabbanim and the Health Ministry.
During the week, one of our neighbours complained that they were tired of the fact the entrance to their home has become a full functioning shul. The decision was made to start davening outside. The next day, indoor minyanim were banned as part of the lockdown. This presented me with a tough delemma. Should I daven with the minyan from my mirpeset? There were a few factors that I took into consideration: the minyan would happen with or without me, it was in compliance with the Ministry of Health, it was following a valid halachic opinion, a senior doctor from a local hospital was part of the minyan, the doctors boys were running the youth minyan. I decided to join. It was a positive experience for me and it added some structure into the day. On Friday night, we had too many people. The minyan broke into 2 minyanim as required. On Shabbat it was nice to have Shlomo come out and daven with me, while remaining safe in the confines of our home. Wipes were on hand to deal with issues of contact during Torah reading.
Last week, public gatherings were reduced to a maximum of 2 people. There was some enthusiasm as they tried to arrange a proper balcony only minyan. In the end the logistics were too difficult to overcome. That afternoon,the minyan continued in a section of the parking lot with a mostly obstructed view, parking spots marking off social distancing. Technically, I could have joined, as I could see them from my kitchen window. I didn't want to have anything to do with them. The minyan lasted one more day before being disbanded.
On Friday, Shlomo got excited as people were gathering to daven mincha. As I looked out my window, I noticed that they had a proper balcony minyan. As we davened people started to gather downstairs. We ended up with enough people for their own minyan downstairs. I decided to not let the walk up crowd ruin a beautiful davening.
There was promise that the next day Torah reading would be done in an appropriate manner. Something about people going up and down.
Shlomo and I were outside when we got to Torah reading. They brought out a sefardi sefer torah. It made sense as this new minyan was being run by Moroccans. As it is read standing up, I thought it would also work better for social distancing. During the first aliyah the person had his tallis wrapped carefully around his face. 2nd and 3rd aliyah had people putting in a half hearted effort to cover their face. After that, all precautions were out the window and I had an anxiety attack. Once I regained control, I finished up davening on my own and came inside. I decided that it was a pretend balcony minyan, with way too many people on the ground.
That minyan continued. This morning at Shacharit they only had one person on the balcony. The Vaad Bayit from our building sent a warning to our two buildings that they were breaking the law and endangering everyone's health. Should it happen again, the police will be called. This afternoon Morrocan minyan moved to the park across the street.
I have consulted with a Rabbi on how I should have acted as the rules keep changing. I keep running into new situations that I did not anticipate. Living in lockdown is hard. I never would have guessed that the biggest moral/ethical challenges would be davening in the most convenient minyan I have ever had in my entire life.
The minyan continued during the week. The social distancing protocols were put in place and those davening kept their 2m distance. There were 3 minyanim in the morning, hashkama, regular, youth in order to keep the numbers down. As I walked Bailey through the 6am minyan, I realized that it was not a safe place for me to be. I have 2 high risk members in my household and keeping us all safe along with everyone around is our top priority. I also stopped taking Bailey for his morning walk, to avoid being in close proximity to others due to a minyan.
That week more lock down rules were brought into effect, limiting public gatherings to 10 people. My former shul, immediately announced that they were closing. The minyan continued. The organizers showed a psak of how minyan could have up to 19 people without violating the 10 person rule. As soon as there were 20 people, the minyan would split.
That Thursday, more restrictions were announced. I was left with the understanding that private minyanim were no longer being permitted in Israel. This impression was also supported by friends who live in different cities in North America, where their local Rabbanim had said as much. In a discussion of the rules on Facebook, two of my friends got into an argument. My friend in chul was saying kaddish for a number of people. He was frustrated about having the ability to say kaddish taken away and how it was becoming almost impossible to find a private minyan, even when every effort to be careful with social distancing was being done. My friend in Israel, basically said that davening in a minyan was assur and he should just get over it. I know my friend in chul was very hurt by the tone of the conversation.
On Friday night I was sitting at my dining room table, davening Kabbalat Shabbat, while contemplating the fight between my friends. Suddenly, I noticed beautiful singing coming from outside. I could here davening from 3 separate minyanim. The one in our lobby, the overflow minyan outside our building and the minyan on the other side of the parking lot. Our building faces a building with nice courtyard in between. The next buildings on the other side of the parking lot are mostly a duplicate design. I was drawn out to my mirpeset by the singing. Even though I felt the minyan should not take place, I joined in anyways. I figured, that the minyan existed whether I was there or not and from my mirpeset, I couldn't put anyone else at risk. Davening during the day, was inside, so I davened on my own.
After Shabbat, my Facebook feed was filled with people talking about the beautiful davening from Friday night in their communities. Some had balcony minyans, some had Zoom Kabbalat Shabbat davening before Shabbat started. I found the updated ministry guidelines. It turned out that the minyanim from our building was in compliance with competent Rabbanim and the Health Ministry.
During the week, one of our neighbours complained that they were tired of the fact the entrance to their home has become a full functioning shul. The decision was made to start davening outside. The next day, indoor minyanim were banned as part of the lockdown. This presented me with a tough delemma. Should I daven with the minyan from my mirpeset? There were a few factors that I took into consideration: the minyan would happen with or without me, it was in compliance with the Ministry of Health, it was following a valid halachic opinion, a senior doctor from a local hospital was part of the minyan, the doctors boys were running the youth minyan. I decided to join. It was a positive experience for me and it added some structure into the day. On Friday night, we had too many people. The minyan broke into 2 minyanim as required. On Shabbat it was nice to have Shlomo come out and daven with me, while remaining safe in the confines of our home. Wipes were on hand to deal with issues of contact during Torah reading.
Last week, public gatherings were reduced to a maximum of 2 people. There was some enthusiasm as they tried to arrange a proper balcony only minyan. In the end the logistics were too difficult to overcome. That afternoon,the minyan continued in a section of the parking lot with a mostly obstructed view, parking spots marking off social distancing. Technically, I could have joined, as I could see them from my kitchen window. I didn't want to have anything to do with them. The minyan lasted one more day before being disbanded.
On Friday, Shlomo got excited as people were gathering to daven mincha. As I looked out my window, I noticed that they had a proper balcony minyan. As we davened people started to gather downstairs. We ended up with enough people for their own minyan downstairs. I decided to not let the walk up crowd ruin a beautiful davening.
There was promise that the next day Torah reading would be done in an appropriate manner. Something about people going up and down.
Shlomo and I were outside when we got to Torah reading. They brought out a sefardi sefer torah. It made sense as this new minyan was being run by Moroccans. As it is read standing up, I thought it would also work better for social distancing. During the first aliyah the person had his tallis wrapped carefully around his face. 2nd and 3rd aliyah had people putting in a half hearted effort to cover their face. After that, all precautions were out the window and I had an anxiety attack. Once I regained control, I finished up davening on my own and came inside. I decided that it was a pretend balcony minyan, with way too many people on the ground.
That minyan continued. This morning at Shacharit they only had one person on the balcony. The Vaad Bayit from our building sent a warning to our two buildings that they were breaking the law and endangering everyone's health. Should it happen again, the police will be called. This afternoon Morrocan minyan moved to the park across the street.
I have consulted with a Rabbi on how I should have acted as the rules keep changing. I keep running into new situations that I did not anticipate. Living in lockdown is hard. I never would have guessed that the biggest moral/ethical challenges would be davening in the most convenient minyan I have ever had in my entire life.
Monday, December 30, 2019
A Night at the Musem
Our major tiyul over Channukah was arranged by Misrad Klita (Absorption Ministry) and the Haifa Association for Immigrant Absorption who hosted a program at Madatech (Science Centre) during after hours. We thought it sounded like a lot of fun. Our local Anglo community even coordinated a bus, to make it easier to get there.
The amount of disorganization is something that one can come to expect from Israelis. Our bus dropped us off on the opposite side of the museum from where we were entering. We entered through an outside gate, where tropit (Grape drink) and suganiyot (Jelly Donuts) were being served as the only refreshments for the evening. The promise that the tropit would be served later in the evening, in a more contained area to avoid allergy exposure, did not come to fruition. Along with refreshments, we were given tickets and bracelets to help organize the meeting and schedule.
We spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out where the different activities are. There was an announcement for everyone to gather around the open area between the two buildings for speeches. The first speaker was a representative from the Mayor's office, with a dvar torah about the miracle of Channuakah and the miracle of Eretz Israel.
That was followed by announcement for instructions for the evening. The first set were in Hebrew, with detailed instructions of where all the events were taken place and when, along with an explanation of the bracelets. That was followed by the first attempt to make announcements by the Russian interpreter. As the instructions were complicated, they ended up taking a time out to stop and explain everything she needed to announce. During the pause another interpreter took the opportunity to make an announcement in French, that there were not going to be any instructions in French or English as everyone was expected to understand the Hebrew. Next up was the English interpreter who said that if anyone didn't understand they should speak to her privately. Finally the instructions were given in Russian. They concluded with a message in Hebrew, all activities were going to take place precisely on time.
It was time to move on to candle lighting. People were asked to stay (even though it would have made people late for the activities) A Rabbi with a chair and a menorah was brought to the middle. He made the brachot and attempted to light the candles. It was not an easy task in the strong wind. There wasn't any singing afterwards, which was interesting as they had been playing the music half an hour earlier.
Now that our family knew where events were taking place, our family headed to the motion simulator movie. Shlomo was flagged for not meeting the minimum age 6, while a whole bunch of 4 year olds took their seats with no issue. In the end, I stayed for the movie, while the rest of the family explored the museum.
I am not a big fan of motion simulators. Unless the presentation is designed around the motion technology, such as a race car or roller coaster simulation. Otherwise I find there is too much shaking for the sake of having the ability to, rather than creating a multi-faceted experience. I found the same to be true in this case.
It was a cute presentation on the solar system, starting from the big bang, through the solar system all the way to the outskirts of the Milky Way. They then did a zoom in on a cell in the body, showing how the universe is just as expansive in the other direction, as they went down to a quark.
There were two awkward memorable parts from the presentation. After covering the death of the dinosaurs they transferred in to: A meteor will hit the earth, causing destruction to most of the species on earth. The sun will expand and swallow up the inner planets of the solar system before becoming a white dwarf. Only after declaring a need for humans to find new places in the galaxy to live, did they mention that it won't happen for a long time. That traumatized some of the kids, who thought we were talking about their life time. Some Mom's appeased their kids by saying that nobody has any way of knowing if such an event could take place. I also saw a kid turn to their mom and ask 'What was it liking living your whole life, thinking something was a planet and then one day find out it wasn't.' Who knew that Pluto's planetary demotion could make me feel so old.
After the movie, I rejoined the family. We decided to skip the 2nd presentation as all the kids were having a great time at the different exhibits. It was much easier to explore when the individual exhibits were all mostly empty.
Overall everyone had a great time. It was a good reminder of the level of organization to be expected at these types of events.
The amount of disorganization is something that one can come to expect from Israelis. Our bus dropped us off on the opposite side of the museum from where we were entering. We entered through an outside gate, where tropit (Grape drink) and suganiyot (Jelly Donuts) were being served as the only refreshments for the evening. The promise that the tropit would be served later in the evening, in a more contained area to avoid allergy exposure, did not come to fruition. Along with refreshments, we were given tickets and bracelets to help organize the meeting and schedule.
We spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out where the different activities are. There was an announcement for everyone to gather around the open area between the two buildings for speeches. The first speaker was a representative from the Mayor's office, with a dvar torah about the miracle of Channuakah and the miracle of Eretz Israel.
That was followed by announcement for instructions for the evening. The first set were in Hebrew, with detailed instructions of where all the events were taken place and when, along with an explanation of the bracelets. That was followed by the first attempt to make announcements by the Russian interpreter. As the instructions were complicated, they ended up taking a time out to stop and explain everything she needed to announce. During the pause another interpreter took the opportunity to make an announcement in French, that there were not going to be any instructions in French or English as everyone was expected to understand the Hebrew. Next up was the English interpreter who said that if anyone didn't understand they should speak to her privately. Finally the instructions were given in Russian. They concluded with a message in Hebrew, all activities were going to take place precisely on time.
It was time to move on to candle lighting. People were asked to stay (even though it would have made people late for the activities) A Rabbi with a chair and a menorah was brought to the middle. He made the brachot and attempted to light the candles. It was not an easy task in the strong wind. There wasn't any singing afterwards, which was interesting as they had been playing the music half an hour earlier.
Now that our family knew where events were taking place, our family headed to the motion simulator movie. Shlomo was flagged for not meeting the minimum age 6, while a whole bunch of 4 year olds took their seats with no issue. In the end, I stayed for the movie, while the rest of the family explored the museum.
I am not a big fan of motion simulators. Unless the presentation is designed around the motion technology, such as a race car or roller coaster simulation. Otherwise I find there is too much shaking for the sake of having the ability to, rather than creating a multi-faceted experience. I found the same to be true in this case.
It was a cute presentation on the solar system, starting from the big bang, through the solar system all the way to the outskirts of the Milky Way. They then did a zoom in on a cell in the body, showing how the universe is just as expansive in the other direction, as they went down to a quark.
There were two awkward memorable parts from the presentation. After covering the death of the dinosaurs they transferred in to: A meteor will hit the earth, causing destruction to most of the species on earth. The sun will expand and swallow up the inner planets of the solar system before becoming a white dwarf. Only after declaring a need for humans to find new places in the galaxy to live, did they mention that it won't happen for a long time. That traumatized some of the kids, who thought we were talking about their life time. Some Mom's appeased their kids by saying that nobody has any way of knowing if such an event could take place. I also saw a kid turn to their mom and ask 'What was it liking living your whole life, thinking something was a planet and then one day find out it wasn't.' Who knew that Pluto's planetary demotion could make me feel so old.
After the movie, I rejoined the family. We decided to skip the 2nd presentation as all the kids were having a great time at the different exhibits. It was much easier to explore when the individual exhibits were all mostly empty.
Overall everyone had a great time. It was a good reminder of the level of organization to be expected at these types of events.
 |
| Channah & Hoodie |
 |
| The ball is being kept in the air from air blowing from below |
 |
| One of my favorite activities at Madatech. You colour a drawing. The drawing is scanned and added to the moving screen. |
Monday, December 16, 2019
Railway to Chelm
Back in
May, then Minister of Transportation, Yisrael Katz came out with the following
quote.
'When I
work in my current position as Minister of Transportation around Israel to
build roads, ports, airports, and train tracks, I know that this is the real
victory over what the Nazis tried to do. Each new rail line is the answer to
those train lines that transported helpless and hopeless Jews to their
deaths..'
I was
among many who made the same joke. If the Israeli Authorities were in charge of
transportation in Nazi Germany, the death tolls would probably have been
significantly lower. Anyone who has ever taken the train or knows someone who
has taken the train, is probably aware of bizarre decisions made by Israel
Rail. Of course the hypocritical fight over railway maintenance was a big issue
a number of years ago. I never dreamed that their level of incompetence could
inconvenience my entire community.
The train
tracks mark the border between Kiryat Motzkin and Kiryat Shmuel. There is only
one pedestrian crossing point. This crossing point is used by many within the
community during the week to facilitate ease of kids getting to school, people
going to work, getting to shul during the week and on Shabbat and especially for
those wanting to get from Kiryat Motzkin to the beach in Kiryat Yam. Given
Kiryat Shmuel closes its roads for Shabbat and holidays, this crossing is
essential for those needing to get non-emergent medical care as well. Channah
uses the crossing to get to school and to get to the bus for after school
activities. We, as a family, all use the crossing to get to shul.
The
crossing is located just north of the train station. Due to outdated technology
the crossing lights and barrier are activated before the northbound trains even
pull into the station. This results in unnecessarily long waiting times and
impatient people crossing before the train arrives at the crossing. About a
year ago, instructions to be me more careful were painted on the ground
approaching the crossing. For some reason it didn't seem to change the
situation.
Last week
it was announced in the local news that the pedestrian crossing would be
closing. The train station could be used instead of the crossing. A 'high tech'
solution would be implemented to allow crossing during the hours that the train
station was closed. Confusion around the logistics of the change as well as
anger at the inconvenience of the move, were of great concern.
It turned out that Israel Railway is in the process of closing all of their pedestrian crossings. The sudden push to the top of the priority list was caused by a 16 year old, with head phones that was almost hit by a train.
As of today the new system is now in place. The crossing is closed by a gate on each side of the tracks. The gate is locked with a padlock. A security guard is stationed in front of each of the padlocked gates. There is a ticket machine located outside the train station. (The machine ran out of tickets today) People have to go through a security check. The ticket allows them access to the platform for 15 minutes, where the stairs are located to cross to the other side. As the train is located in the opposite direction of school and requires going through morning rush hour security, Channah estimates that it adds another 8 to 10 minutes on her trip to school. Another minute or two on the way home as the train entrance from Kiryat Motzkin is at the opposite end of the station.
It turned out that Israel Railway is in the process of closing all of their pedestrian crossings. The sudden push to the top of the priority list was caused by a 16 year old, with head phones that was almost hit by a train.
As of today the new system is now in place. The crossing is closed by a gate on each side of the tracks. The gate is locked with a padlock. A security guard is stationed in front of each of the padlocked gates. There is a ticket machine located outside the train station. (The machine ran out of tickets today) People have to go through a security check. The ticket allows them access to the platform for 15 minutes, where the stairs are located to cross to the other side. As the train is located in the opposite direction of school and requires going through morning rush hour security, Channah estimates that it adds another 8 to 10 minutes on her trip to school. Another minute or two on the way home as the train entrance from Kiryat Motzkin is at the opposite end of the station.
I
understand the motivation for eliminating the need to for pedestrians to cross
the train tracks. There is no reason why they couldn't have come up with a
practical solution to achieving the goal.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
10 Years
This morning started out as a typical morning. We had the usual challenges of navigating Shlomo through his morning routine as he continues to develop his sense of independence. Then he was off for another day of Keytana. However, there was a change of status in our home. As it is our 10th Aliyahversary, Channah and I are no longer considered New Olim. Peri gets to maintain her status for a few more years.
I once had a tour guide explain the meaning behind Israel being referred to as the Land of Milk & Honey. It wasn't meant to be philosophical or poetic. It was meant as a description to Bnei Yisrael of the type of topography they would encounter. It was to assure them that the land was suited for the type of agricultural work they would need to grow crops, feed their animals and ultimately provide for their families. It is a land filled with opportunity ready was to be unlocked.
Living in this country has been a tremendous privilege and opportunity for me and my family. My 8 years in Beit Shemesh helped me and my family develop in ways that I could not imagine if I was still in Chul. The move to the north has given me an entirely new perspective on life. As a result I am learning to be even more comfortable with who I am and who I want to be.
Channah has thrived in her new surroundings. By the time Channah reached Grade 1, she could pass herself off as a Sabra. For the most part Shlomo passes himself off as more Israeli than Anglo. I love watching Shlomo and Yehduit grow and develop at every stage. I have a wonderful wife, amazing kids and a home that is filled with love. There is nothing more I could ever ask for.
The future of the Jewish people is here. I can feel it when the kids are at the park. I can feel it picking up and dropping off Shlomo from Gan. I can feel it on the beach. I can feel it between the pipes on the ice. I can feel it as I cross the train tracks on the way to shul on Shabbat, knowing that there will not be another train until the late afternoon. I can feel it at a restaurant, mall or museum. I feel it in the political sphere as society tries to figure out what kind of society to be. It is just part of who we are, living as Israelis. I keep hearing about the disconnect of diaspora Jews from both Israel and Judaism. It is not the first time where Jews couldn't see the future of the Jewish people and ended up on the outskirts of Jewish history.
With a little bit of luck and hashgach pratis, Peri and I have parnasa where we are able to stay home and raise our children. We never lose sleep at night worrying how we are going to provide a Jewish education for our kids. Their Jewish identity is reinforced in the public sphere. Leaving Beit Shemesh has also restored my faith in tolerance. It has taken the edge off of my cynicism which is the only way to survive the religious battles, intolerance and hatred that makes up the fabric of part of the community.
When I made Aliyah, my Charedi Settler (they happen to live over the Green Line) friends told me that I was a 'Confused Zionist'. 'Real Zionists want to make Aliyah and instead buy Israeli bonds. You sold your Israeli bonds in order to make Aliyah.' It was the best decision that My family and I could have made. After 10 years, I can see how true that is.
I once had a tour guide explain the meaning behind Israel being referred to as the Land of Milk & Honey. It wasn't meant to be philosophical or poetic. It was meant as a description to Bnei Yisrael of the type of topography they would encounter. It was to assure them that the land was suited for the type of agricultural work they would need to grow crops, feed their animals and ultimately provide for their families. It is a land filled with opportunity ready was to be unlocked.
Living in this country has been a tremendous privilege and opportunity for me and my family. My 8 years in Beit Shemesh helped me and my family develop in ways that I could not imagine if I was still in Chul. The move to the north has given me an entirely new perspective on life. As a result I am learning to be even more comfortable with who I am and who I want to be.
Channah has thrived in her new surroundings. By the time Channah reached Grade 1, she could pass herself off as a Sabra. For the most part Shlomo passes himself off as more Israeli than Anglo. I love watching Shlomo and Yehduit grow and develop at every stage. I have a wonderful wife, amazing kids and a home that is filled with love. There is nothing more I could ever ask for.
The future of the Jewish people is here. I can feel it when the kids are at the park. I can feel it picking up and dropping off Shlomo from Gan. I can feel it on the beach. I can feel it between the pipes on the ice. I can feel it as I cross the train tracks on the way to shul on Shabbat, knowing that there will not be another train until the late afternoon. I can feel it at a restaurant, mall or museum. I feel it in the political sphere as society tries to figure out what kind of society to be. It is just part of who we are, living as Israelis. I keep hearing about the disconnect of diaspora Jews from both Israel and Judaism. It is not the first time where Jews couldn't see the future of the Jewish people and ended up on the outskirts of Jewish history.
With a little bit of luck and hashgach pratis, Peri and I have parnasa where we are able to stay home and raise our children. We never lose sleep at night worrying how we are going to provide a Jewish education for our kids. Their Jewish identity is reinforced in the public sphere. Leaving Beit Shemesh has also restored my faith in tolerance. It has taken the edge off of my cynicism which is the only way to survive the religious battles, intolerance and hatred that makes up the fabric of part of the community.
When I made Aliyah, my Charedi Settler (they happen to live over the Green Line) friends told me that I was a 'Confused Zionist'. 'Real Zionists want to make Aliyah and instead buy Israeli bonds. You sold your Israeli bonds in order to make Aliyah.' It was the best decision that My family and I could have made. After 10 years, I can see how true that is.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Beginning Again
It is with tremendous pleasure and HaKarat HaTov that
Peri and I would like to welcome our little (OK not so little) baby girl.
She is the first of her siblings to make it into the 3 kg club. She is the first of her siblings (and parents) to reach full term.
This has been a very difficult pregnancy. A special thank you to all those who helped keep life running as smooth as possible, with all the bumps along the way.
She was born last night, weighing in at 3418
grams (7 lbs 8.5 oz; for those who speak American)
She is the first of her siblings to make it into the 3 kg club. She is the first of her siblings (and parents) to reach full term.
This has been a very difficult pregnancy. A special thank you to all those who helped keep life running as smooth as possible, with all the bumps along the way.
Peri and Jason
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Rethinking 'The Day We Wish Never Happened'
Over the last little while, I keep sitting down to write about life in the Krayot. Each time it ends up being incoherent and I end up giving up until the next time. So much has changed living in the Krayot and there is so much to potentially write about.
Some topics I have tried or thought about writing about include: living in suburbia while at the same time living in a big city; adapting to a new community; how happy we are with Channah's school, choosing a Gan for Shlomo, being treated as a complete and united family, the decoy local Anglo Facebook group that is used mainly by outsiders to Spam the community, most community communication is done in the women's Whatsapp group with some taking place in the men's Whatsapp group; benefits of living close to the frequently running train station, living close to an abundance of malls, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and movie theatres; living close to the zoo and a theatre; lack of sinat chinam community fights, living near the beach, streets closed on Shabbat, enjoying Channah and Shlomo getting along from having fun to fighting; Shlomo's love of watching the garbage truck; playing hockey with a different group at a different time with a longer commute; having a mirpeset where Shlomo can play outside and enjoy the weather with the dogs, living with full blown PTSD as the depression symptoms have been weening, changing friendship dynamics, occasionally being left out or forgotten.
On Simchat Torah someone suggested that I wasn't doing enough to remember Gabi. Last night, I spent time rereading all kinds of stuff I wrote over the years to remember her. The fact is these days I don't talk about Gabi very much. In fact, I don't like to talk about the hardships of the past very much. This move has given me the freedom to live my life as me, instead of living my life as what happened to me.
Not too long ago there was an anglo oneg. Someone presented an idea that has really put a lot of my feelings into context. Why did Bnei Yisrael not go directly from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael. Why did they have to spend 40 years to make the transition? There are all kinds of reasons but they all have one common denominator. Sometimes the destination is not as important as how you get there.
It has now been 6 years since losing Gabi. I still miss her and there are still occasions where I wonder what it would be like to have her around. Most importantly she has changed who I am. I never had the opportunity to raise her. I do have the ability to be a better person because of her. Somehow that is able to remove the sting just a little bit from a very painful part of my life.
Living in Kiryat Shmuel has lifted the burden of the past for both Channah and myself. For Channah it is clear to see as she blossoms in her new school and our new community. For me it is a little more subtle and can't always be seen from the outside. When I smile and am genuinely happy, my Gabi is there too. She taught me things can go drastically wrong, but that means that it is all that more important to recognize when things go right.
Some topics I have tried or thought about writing about include: living in suburbia while at the same time living in a big city; adapting to a new community; how happy we are with Channah's school, choosing a Gan for Shlomo, being treated as a complete and united family, the decoy local Anglo Facebook group that is used mainly by outsiders to Spam the community, most community communication is done in the women's Whatsapp group with some taking place in the men's Whatsapp group; benefits of living close to the frequently running train station, living close to an abundance of malls, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and movie theatres; living close to the zoo and a theatre; lack of sinat chinam community fights, living near the beach, streets closed on Shabbat, enjoying Channah and Shlomo getting along from having fun to fighting; Shlomo's love of watching the garbage truck; playing hockey with a different group at a different time with a longer commute; having a mirpeset where Shlomo can play outside and enjoy the weather with the dogs, living with full blown PTSD as the depression symptoms have been weening, changing friendship dynamics, occasionally being left out or forgotten.
On Simchat Torah someone suggested that I wasn't doing enough to remember Gabi. Last night, I spent time rereading all kinds of stuff I wrote over the years to remember her. The fact is these days I don't talk about Gabi very much. In fact, I don't like to talk about the hardships of the past very much. This move has given me the freedom to live my life as me, instead of living my life as what happened to me.
Not too long ago there was an anglo oneg. Someone presented an idea that has really put a lot of my feelings into context. Why did Bnei Yisrael not go directly from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael. Why did they have to spend 40 years to make the transition? There are all kinds of reasons but they all have one common denominator. Sometimes the destination is not as important as how you get there.
It has now been 6 years since losing Gabi. I still miss her and there are still occasions where I wonder what it would be like to have her around. Most importantly she has changed who I am. I never had the opportunity to raise her. I do have the ability to be a better person because of her. Somehow that is able to remove the sting just a little bit from a very painful part of my life.
Living in Kiryat Shmuel has lifted the burden of the past for both Channah and myself. For Channah it is clear to see as she blossoms in her new school and our new community. For me it is a little more subtle and can't always be seen from the outside. When I smile and am genuinely happy, my Gabi is there too. She taught me things can go drastically wrong, but that means that it is all that more important to recognize when things go right.
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