Tikkun Olam

So the P.A. at Urgent Care asked me, "did you diagnose yourself?" Actually, I did. And I was right (-wish I had been wrong). Couldn't sleep last night because of the searing pain, and woke D.H. up around 3:45 a.m. to research "shingles" on the web. He had no idea what I was talking about, but I did, having read about it quite a while back (and knowing that my uncle had it, and he said it was...awful...). But I had a hunch about my symptoms, and (I'm really thrilled about this part) I was right: I have Shingles . Herpes Zoster. Dormant Varicella virus. Which just hybernated happily in my innocent, unsuspecting body from the time I had chicken pox as a wee child, waiting for the right moment to rear its ugly head--you know the moment--the one where you 1) have no income, and 2) have no medical insurance, and are 3) stressed to the gills --yes, that moment. All my initial symptoms, which at the time seemed totally unrelated and even nebulous, at that-...

Have been feeling lousy all week; throbbing pain in right upper back, thought it was shoulder blade, but maybe wasn't there. Erev Shabbat developed (in addition to this throbbing since Tuesday) a sharp pain in the region of my ear, every few seconds or so; and today, Shabbat, broke out in large blotches of a rash. Don't know if all of these are related. Took a Benedryl equivalent, and am going to the Yeshiva Melaveh Malkah. Now, that's an intelligent thing to do. *(nablopomo day#30)

I think this might be, uh, appropriate for Tu b'Shevat, (marginally). After all, just like wheat and barley, BEER is made from. . . grain. . . So let's hear it for beer, and Chutzpah (they're a little weird, but have a good sound).

The holiday of Tu b'Shevat (the 15th day of the month of Shevat), which is Israel's Arbor Day, has gained more popularity and acceptance over the years as one to be observed with more than a tree planting, even though that is extemely important. Did you know that Israel was the only country to finish the twentieth century with more trees than it started with? (From The Daily, University of Washington, 2002 ): Israel is a rebirth. It is the realization of the age-old dream of the Jewish people to return to the land of our origin, the land in which our nation was formed, the land from which we were exiled and kept out for 2,000 years. For 2,000 years, we did not forget - three times a day, observant Jews everywhere pray for rain in the right season in the land of Israel. Every major Jewish festival ends with the words: “… Next year in Jerusalem.” In this rebirth, the people of Israel resurrected the ancient Hebrew language. Once confined to prayer and holy texts alone, 5 mill...

Here is the 50th (Yovel, or "Jubilee" in English) Edition of the KCC, started by Batya when a recipe carnival rejected her post because it wasn't on the theme food, pork (who knew?). Go read it and check out the links at Me-Ander , Batya's blog (one of 'em. don't know how she does it). *(nablopomo day#28)

Since I had written much on the efficiency of the Israeli field hospital in Haiti and the great disaster relief and humanitarian work that they had been doing, I feel it is fitting to post this video of the closing ceremony: after two weeks, the Israelis are going home, halfway across the world (hat tip Rafi ). *(nablopomo day# 27)

Ok, after the highlight of the weekend with our extended Shabbaton, I was trying to figure out what to do for an encore, when I saw Batya's post on Ruby Tuesday , which originally was a Rolling Stones song but became a blogging theme to post something RED every Tuesday. So I decided I would post my first ever Ruby Tuesday pic, of two of my beautiful granddaughters, the daughters of my eldest, Mrs. Baby K'tan who live in that sunny-some-other-state-but-not-mine-place. This post now covers three subjects: 1) Ruby Tuesday, 2) Nablopomo, and 3) the January theme for Nablopomo, which is "Best." How about that for efficiency? The photo was shot at our younger son's wedding two-and-a-half years ago, ironically not in the state where they live, but in that other one --a smaller one, area-wise (but much, much bigger in so many other ways), right outside of Jerusalem at Chavat Aviv . Are those flowers red, or what? (Are those girls gorgeous [ bli ayin ra'ah ], or w...

I know, I know--the weekend had to end sometime. We extended it to this morning, but the jig was up: after having breakfast in the cabin, we packed up our stuff, loaded up the car, checked to make sure we had everything, threw out our trash, and for the last time, locked up the little cabin with the loft (called "The Getaway" - each cabin had a name), and left for the main lodge to say our goodbyes to our friend, the owner. Here are some photos which I just uploaded to show you our cute little "Getaway" cabin (I must say that after living in that cabin for over three days and then returning to our townhome, it seemed mamash like a palace: huge, beautiful, and the downstairs bathroom even has a sink in it!) On the left, the famous loft and ladder leading up to it. Looks easier than it is (rule #1: as in the army, you first have to be able to haul your own weight ...) On right, is the "living room" which consisted of the futon, two folding chairs, and a...

It is so beautiful here, I don't want to leave. Found out there was an option to stay one more night, and I took the opportunity: told D.H. I want to stay. He was at first non-commital, but hey--he's not working, so it's not as if he has to be back early for work on Monday, so I convinced him. We had anyway been planning to stay until later today, watching the game (D.H. is; I went hiking and am now blogging!) and barbequeing ( how do you spell that word?!), so we would have had to start the drive back in the dark, which I would prefer not to do if I could avoid it. Besides, I've gotten used to the vertical ladder climb-up to the loft, and it's very cozy up there; it's the kind of bedroom I would have wanted as a child; so I really wanted to stay another night. Getting ready to set up the food, so will finish up this update-post now. *(Nablopomo day#24)

I wrote erev Shabbat (Friday, the 'eve' of Shabbat) briefly about the Shabbaton "weekend getaway" that we were going to in the woods of the southern end of the R---- mountains, and because of Nablopomo ( darn that Nablopomo!) I must write now, motzei Shabbat (Saturday night). The following is a short primer for those unfamiliar with our Sabbath laws, to explain why I don't blog on Shabbat. On the Sabbath ("Shabbat" in Hebrew), we are not permitted to do any work or conduct any business, among other proscriptions, such as not cooking, setting or changing settings of electrical appliances or using anything electric, except, for example, electric lights which were set before Shabbat, which we are allowed to benefit from (but not adjust) during this Holy day. Shabbat is Holy, and dedicated to strengthening the connection between man and G-d. We are in effect, 'emulating' Ribono shel Olam (the Ruler of the Universe) in resting on the seventh day, j...

I've posted early this morning (well, 8:00 a.m. to me is early, these days) because D.H. and I are leaving to go on a two-and-a-half hour drive (yay! the open road!) to the woods near the next metropolis over for a small shul-community Shabbaton in the mountains. The previous Shabbaton which we attended was two years ago, when our son, Nathaniel Blumenstein and his lovely wife Noodles visited here from Israel, and we had a wonderful time. I keep thinking, that is the only thing missing from this weekend: our children and their families. We are incomplete for the moment, but I'm sure I will enjoy myself there. A change of environment, especially going to "the country" as I called it as a child, will do me good (growing up in NYC, my heart lifted when we left the city and started to see green again: trees, grass--and also sky; guess you'd say I was a 'country girl' at heart.). ( No, our cabin is not going to look like this one. For one thing, there's ...

Got a report yesterday ( hat tip, D.H* ) that a meteorite fell on a small medical office in Lorton, Virginia . What if, G-d forbid, it had hit a person, a moving car, or maybe an airplane in flight? Even a small one this size can be deadly. The sky is falling, literally. *D.H.: Dear Hubby *(nablopomo day#22)

Have I written about US airport security measures versus the Israeli ones before, such as maybe here , and here (does the sun come up every morning?)? Well, unless you live under a rock, you know that it's happened again. A Kentucky bound US Airways Express flight was diverted to Philadelphia, because a 17-year old Jewish teen was, uh, praying on the plane while wearing his tefillin (called phylacteries in English) and a passenger reported him to the flight crew. Well, but of course--Jews always hijack airplanes, shoot up soldiers and civilians at army bases while yelling Allahu Akbar and plant explosives in their underwear. Which is why this boy, traveling with his 16-year old sister from White Plains to Kentucky was suspect as a terrorist, right? These American knee-jerk reactions (emphasis on "jerk ") to perceived threats indicates that there is very little logic or reason behind these 'security measures,' but wait--here is an interview on Israeli's ...

This was posted on The Muqata , and I am cross-posting it here. It is an account of exactly what the Israelis are doing at their field hospital to help the injured Haitians. Did you know that the Israeli contingent has an ethics committee to evaluate difficult medical procedures and their outcomes? As I've stated and documented in previous posts such as this one , the IDF has one of the highest ethical standards in the world. (This following was translated by Jameel from the original Hebrew letter sent by the IDF soldier in Haiti to his parents.) The Delegation to Haiti - Sent by an IDF soldier in Haiti to his parents. In the lifesaving IDF Medical Corps Delegation to Haiti which is housed in tents, doctors prevent disabilities. They administer aid to the sick, provide warmth, love, and a human touch. They love the wounded. In the IDF Medical Corps Delegation to Haiti which is housed in tents located in the middle of a hell, every complex medical case has an ethics review boar...

This needs no words. It speaks for itself (hat tip Arlene From Israel ). Visit msnbc.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy

By now most of you have probably seen or heard of the full-functioning, efficient Israeli field hospital run by the IDF in Haiti, leaving the other nations which sent rescue teams (including the United States's) behind in the dust. I first saw the video below on A Soldier's Mother and Arlene From Israel . It is now all over the blogosphere (especially the JBlogosphere), but I am reproducing it here specifically for my readers, many of whom are not that familiar with Jewish blogging or blogging in general. It is a sight to see: CNN, no lover of Israel, praising her for speedily setting up a full-functioning, efficient hospital capable of medical imaging and surgery. What's in it for Israel, you might ask? First of all, would you ask that of the United States in its humanitarian efforts? All countries should be held by the same standard. However, if that question were asked, hypothetically, the answer would be: what's "in it" for Israel is doing good and sav...

I must be living inside a box.  I didn't know there was such a thing as an " expatriate directory " for former Americans (or anybody, from anywhere) who left their country and are living in foreign lands.  Maybe I should let my kids know about this, if they don't already.   Moving to another country is a momentous change.  I can only speak for myself here, but even though as a Jew, one moves to Israel to return to the Jewish Homeland of the Torah (Bible), to a country where your Jewish history unfolded and where Jewish holidays are national holidays, there is still a connection with (and sometimes a nostalgia for) the country in which you were raised and in which you have spent the formative years of your life. You can't help comparing-and-contrasting the two countries.  It's a natural reaction.  You immediately see the differences, positive and negative.  And then, when you return to the original country for a visit, you experience culture shock.*  And then, ...

This has been all over the news: Israeli doctor delivered a healthy baby to a Haitian woman in the Israeli field hospital which was the first to be set up in Port-au-Prince. In gratitude to the Israeli doctor, the woman named her child "Israel." I wonder how many know about Israel's humanitarian missions sent to other disaster areas? Often the rescuers have to disguise their Jewishness or the fact that they are from Israel, because of the prevalence of antisemitism in those areas, including the possibility that they would be denied access to help.

This morning I did something wonderful, that I rarely, if ever do: go out with friends for coffee and shmoozing. Today I was invited out by a friend to Starbuck's for a coffee-and-Yiddish-and-Hebrew-Poetry-reading-and-explicating-treat . Does that sound boring to you? It might, to some, but not to me. Although these days I rarely read poetry, which I love (and on which I grew up). I used to read, and even dabbled a little in poetry writing (my poems weren't very good). My father ( alav hashalom *) was a Hebrew scholar, teacher and poet, and published one thin little book of poetry, after having published many poems and articles in Hebrew newspapers and literary magazines (many now defunct) such as Ma'ariv, Bitzaron, and Niv (the latter which he founded many years ago) . He also translated poetry by the American and British masters to Hebrew, as well as Shakespeare's Measure for Measure (מידה במידה ). My friend ( -mefuzeret le-gamrei *, somewhat like me--but a wonde...

I wrote about Israel's rescue efforts in Haiti here , but Arlene Kushner expands upon it in her post " With Great Pride " (scroll down to her January 17th post). As Arlene mentions, this might be a 'first' for the Haitians, to see Israeli Jews helping people in need, not because they are "Jewish" and in need, but because they are. . . human beings, and because their G-d-- my G-d--to whom we pray, commands us to do so. ( Remember, folks, to compare and contrast. . . ). Go view a video of the Israeli rescue team at work here . This is the best kind of PR Israel can do to market itself in the Third World (and perhaps in the First World, as well): showing how the Jewish Nation is supposed to live, and what a Jew is supposed to be. Did I mention before that I am proud to be a Jew? Oh. Well, I'm saying it again.

I wrote previously about the foolish and inadequate security measures here in the United States, and how they compare with the rational and effective Israeli measures in public places and at airports. So you can imagine how I felt when I recently received an email (originally circulated in 2007) from a friend about Juval Aviv, a "former Mossad agent" who supposedly advised the U.S. government on security measures. He also investigated the Lockerbie bombing for Pan Am, and produced a report describing a complicated Middle-East-to-U.S. heroin smuggling operation which involved connections to Hezbollah and hostages from the West. Problem is, Mr. Aviv's past is not so verifiable. What he claims is his past profession as a secret Israeli agent seems to have been refuted by the Israeli government: was he a security agent, or merely an airport gate guard? Snopes (updated today) questions his legitimacy and states that his claims of having predicted terrorist attacks in the U...

Calling all JBloggers (and non , too) to the latest edition of Haveil Havalim , the Jewish Blog Carnival #252 (I think that's the right number; Jack didn't say. . .) right there at the-year-of-Jack's Random Thoughts . Read, ruminate, and rejoice. (*I could use this post as a nablopomo entry, but that would be. . .cheating.)

Hodesh tov, everyone. Just finished a great Shabbat Rosh Hodesh (I can't believe it's Shevat already. . .intimations of sh'kediyot and spring. . .) with moving tefilot--I love singing the Hallel (to myself, in shul)--and a cholent kiddush which actually was a seudah in honor of the yahrtzeit of the Rav's father, a"h, but since we had already planned our seudah at home, we just partook of the kiddush as a kiddush. We just returned home (well, an hour or so ago) from a very interesting melaveh malkah with a special speaker--a Jewish cop from Las Vegas --who spoke on the topic, "You Have the Right to Remain Jewish." He discovered his Judaism while he was on the force, and fought to be an observant Jew while being an undercover police officer on the vice squad ( that was one of the most interesting stories) and other departments. Because of all the activities, I didn't have a chance to post until now--it's before midnight here and still Day #16--so...

Did you hear about the floor collapsing under the Weight Watchers during weigh in? Maybe they weren't eating small enough portions? *Copyright alert: No infringement of any text or graphic copyright is ever intended on this blog. If you own the copyright to any original image or document used for the creation of the graphics or information on this site, please contact the blog administrator with all pertinent info so that proper credit can be given. If you wish to have it removed from the site, just say the word; it shall be, ASAP.

Are the Taliban of Jewish descent? According to research now being funded by Israel , the Afridi Pathans in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan may be descendant from the Israelite tribe of Ephraim: According to experts, Israel’s decision to facilitate the research could also be because of the theory supported by many that Afghanistan’s Pashtun fighters, the community from which the Taliban draw their strength, are descendants of Afridi Pathans. Just what we need. Welcome the evil in-laws (they say your worst enemy comes from within you, but this is. . . mugzam kvar* *). (please pardon the bad language; generally it's not my style, but this was priceless.) *(Nablopomo Day #15) **mugzam kvar: lit., "exaggerated already;" in the vernacular: over the top already! *Copyright alert: No infringement of any text or graphic copyright is ever intended on this blog. If you own the copyright to any original image or document used for the creation of the graphics or information on thi...

Israel's Magen David Adom is taking part in the international rescue mission and helping the IDF send a 220-man paramedics team to help the Haitians recover from the devastating 7.0 on-the-richter-scale-earthquake which hit and all but destroyed Port-au-Prince, its capital and killing an expected tens-of-thousands. The team includes dogs from the Israeli Oketz Dog Unit who are trained to find people buried under rubble. We have a philosophy that "saving one life is like saving the world." I am proud to be a Jew.

I remember reading about the mosque that was vandalized in Judea (the so-called "West Bank"), and how a Jewish delegation including a chief rabbi came to the village where the mosque was, to deliver copies of the Kor'an in replacement of those destroyed and express outrage at at " this wretched act of burning a place holy to the Muslim people ." He was pelted with rocks as he left the village. I was filled with pride that an Israeli group came to show empathy and condemn the act, even though, IMHO they do not deserve it. The Jews have been persecuted on and off for thousands of years at the hands of almost every country they lived in while in the diaspora. We have experienced pogroms with hundreds of our people raped and murdered in Eastern Europe by peasants fired up by the Catholic Church (think Poland in the 19th century), our synagogues have been vandalized, firebombed and our holy books destroyed countless times, by everyone--Christians and Nazis and Mu...

There are still plenty of topics and subjects to write about, politically and culturally speaking, but I think I am experiencing TMI - 'too much information.' Have you ever had that problem? I've just spent the last several hours reading the Opinion and Op-Ed pages in the Wall Street Journal as well as different articles on the web (what they used to call 'surfing the 'net), and there are so many which interest me, that I can't make a decision as to what to write about! Let me give you an example or two. I couldn't decide whether to write about 1) Jews and Israel sending aid to the stricken Island of Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake which devastated it yesterday; does the world have a clue how much that little country of Israel--herself besieged and surrounded by enemies--does in sending disaster relief all over the world? Read about it also here . Or: 2) Jewish woman flees to freedom with her four children from Gaza; does anyone have any idea what kind of...

I just read a guest post by E. Fink on DovBear about Black Hats (capitals intended) being like kugel. He says (as he states, partially tongue-and-cheekly ) that it, like kugel, is a social phenomenon, not a religious one. I tend to agree, and although I am not going in depth (with links and hours of research) into this here, I do want to say something about it. A Black Hat (and shtreimel for that matter) or kapote or bekishe is more reminiscent of 17th century Polish dress (and Jewish dress at that time) which means it is cultural in nature. Just as we in the twenty-first century in the West dress (men, specifically) in pants and shirt/jacket, most men in that era wore long coats (often over knickers, long socks and blousy shirts which some Hassidic sects wear today) and warm hats, appropriate for the cold climate of Eastern Europe, but not so for their Sephardic and transplanted Ashkenazic brethren in the Middle East. Somehow or other, Hassidic sects fixated on a cultural dress of...

There seems to be a serious problem in the U.S. and Israel with the Haredim (translated as"ultra-Orthodox" by some) being forced--by their own standards--to pay for extravagant weddings for their children which they can't afford. Some fathers of marriageable daughters have considered selling an organ in order to pay for their daughter's wedding! In addition, their children are also not encouraged to learn a trade and earn a living, but rather study Torah--exclusively--and they end up living in poverty. When their children are at marriageable age, the cycle repeats again. The fact is that not everyone is cut-out for full-time Torah learning. In Eastern Europe, most boys learned a trade, and continued learning Torah, if they were so inclined. Learning was and still is greatly respected; only the geniuses and those who exhibited great promise were supported by people in the community in order to learn. Not everyone is a Torah genius, an ilui . Most people are aver...

Okay, so we had a discussion on Our Shiputzim on the word " fadicha ," which is Israeli slang meaning approximately a 'mess-up,' or 'awkward or embarrassing moment,' or a 'lousy complication,' etc. So some years ago, around 2005, when I heard my sons using this word, I thought it was funny, and decided to be a cool Savta and use it. Only when the time came to use it, I had forgotten it. What I remembered was a parallel universe's approximation of it: " fachula ." AFTER my kids picked themselves up off the floor laughing ("ROTFLOL" just doesn't cut it here), I used it again just for laughs (my kids' laughter makes me happy), and it stuck--and became a Family Joke. So now, everyone knows that a fachula is a fadicha in Afula .

Go for it here . And as Yisrael Medad says, " shkoyach! " (I just love the corruption of that word).

Now here's a good way for Israelis and Arabs to compete and have good, clean tasty fun in the process: The BIGGEST HUMOUS contest. The town of Abu Ghosh just outside of Jerusalem which we passed through daily when driving to visit our sons where they used to live, just won the Guiness Book of World Records contest and beat out Lebanon for the largest serving of humous ever. (Maybe the path to peace is through the. . . stomach? ) ( Benji must be in seventh heaven.) (*nablopomo day#9)

Recently I wrote that the United States should consider Israelifying its airports with regard to security measures which are much more sophisticated and logical in Israel; and way-back-when in the summer of '09 I wrote about Israel in the forefront of technological advances (yes, the Dept. of Redundancy Dept . is very active these days). It seems that Israel has done it again, and invented a "Mind-Reading security system " developed by WeCU Technologies, Ltd.--more scientifically called an Intent Detection System --for screening passengers at airports, as well as something called MagShoe , a device which scans shoes for weapons while they are still on people's feet, developed by IDO Security . If the U.S. would recharge its R & D in the private sector, maybe we could develop new technological devices as well, and in the process create more jobs and improve the economy. In the meantime, we should be grateful we have an ally like Israel in the Middle East, and ...

Here is a musical young man whom everyone should see and take inspiration from.  (Hat tip to my friend George; if not for him, I never would have seen this.)   There are many layers to life; what we may consider a handicap may turn out to be Hashem's blessing, in unfathomable ways. . .

The Dept. of Redundancy Dept. (see sidebar) strikes again ! It is my view that since The Big Lie is being shouted from the rooftops daily--you can never repeat a TRUTH too often. Here's one; actually, two (which I've posted about before, several times): 1) The Palestinians are not really interested in a state of their own. 2) The Palestinians are not really interested in. . . PEACE! The reason for the truth in #1 should be obvious just by looking at history, especially recent history, and facing those facts without any political correctness: the Palestinians have had ample time to begin setting up an infrastructure for a state, but instead they have continued to pursue their ultimate goal of destroying Israel through their education, politics and incitement of their people against her. Arlene Kushner wrote an excellent article explaining this back in April 2009, showing that the Palestinians have concentrated on blaming Israel for their situation and praising martyrdom f...

To Ashdod, Tel-Aviv, Haifa, Denver, Dulles, Virginia and Clifton, New Jersey--thank you for reading my blog!! (that's all I wanted to say.)  *Copyright alert: No infringement of any text or graphic copyright is ever intended on this blog. If you own the copyright to any original image or document used for the creation of the graphics or information on this site, please contact the blog administrator with all pertinent info so that proper credit can be given. If you wish to have it removed from the site, just say the word; it shall be, ASAP.

Sometimes I get writer's block and can't think of a thing to write about, but not this week. There are so many topics which interest me and some which enrage me. Among the latter is the continuing saga of the "Arab-Israeli Conflict," which to me is a misnomer; it is really (and always has been) an Arab conflict against the Jews, whom they do not want in what they think of as 'their' territory. Apropos this, in December a delegation of the RCP (the Rabbinical Council for Peace ) met with the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, James Cunningham, and presented a petition for the United States to "reassess it's entire policy towards the Palestinians and Israelis." They said that, in light of the poor results of every so-called "peace plan" proposed and implemented over the years, it was time to try the " Biblical Approach " to the dispute over the land of Israel. "The past 17 years have proven without a shadow of a doubt that every...

I just read an article on Haaretz about the three militants murderers of Rabbi Meir Chai who were killed during their 'capture.' I am satisfied that the IDF did the right thing. And I am at pains here to explain why. The Haaretz report states that An evaluation of the testimonies of family members and the IDF officers suggests that this was not an operation to assassinate. However, the three, Adnan Subuh, Raad Sarkaji and Ghassan Abu Shreikh, were killed by the soldiers, even though two of them were not armed, and it does not even appear that they were trying to escape - a fact that the IDF does not dispute. Family members of the dead are alleging that the three were executed, and say that the Israeli claims that the three were involved in the killing of Rabbi Hai, 32 hours prior to the incident, are lies. The weapon that the security establishment in Israel says were used to kill ...