Tikkun Olam

I haven't had time to post for ten days--we were in the process of a forced move--better known as hell week --difficult enough and tiring for younger people; kal va-chomer for... older people ('physically challenging' is putting it mildly), and are just now getting settled in our new temporary apartment for a month, while our townhome is being renovated.  Then, in about a month, we have to do the whole thing all over again back into the townhome.  This was not our choice, but the management's, with an excuse of fulfilling their purchase contract in a timely fashion ("lender compliance"). What do we get out of this? New paint, carpeting, light fixtures, kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets and fixtures, and $200 more in rent.  There is not enough time to express my feelings on this...Shabbat is in two minutes so I have enough time to say. . . Shabbat Shalom! *Copyright alert: No infringement of any text or graphic copyright is ever intended o...

FOOD! El Al is instituting new gourmet, Israeli breakfasts on their flights to Israel.  Now, there's a reason to fly El Al (also, on a side note--it's safer...).

In several previous posts I compared U.S. airport security to it's Israeli counterpart, and in my considered opinion the United States comes up lacking. In my post of January 21, 2010 I wrote about an airplane being diverted from its flight because a Jewish teen was davening* on the plane.  Wasted time and effort, and a scare for an airplane filled with passengers and a teen traveling with his sister to visit relatives.  In December, 2009 I posted about our poor intel gathering and screening techniques which allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board a Northwest flight and attempt to blow up the plane. As recently as last month I posted about the new, invasive security system which reveals everyone's birthday suit. Thank G-d Abdulmutallab and others failed in their Jihadist mission.  But one day, if we don't change our methodology for screening these evil people off the passenger lists, one of them might, G-d forbid, succeed.  It is only a matter of time... ...

Brigitte Gabriel tells of her childhood in Christian Lebanon, and how the Christians were "rewarded" by the Muslims after having received sanctuary there. Why are Christians not raging against this?  All I hear is...silence. Survivor Of Islam - Brigitte Gabriel Speaks Candidly

Israel, thank G-d, does have friends around the world, friends who care enough to come and see the Carmel fire destruction for themselves, and help rebuild by planting new trees to replenish the depleted forest. Ambassadors Plant First Trees in Burnt Carmel Forest

I am posting the URL to the memorial site for Rabbi Uriel Malka (the English page), because I wanted everyone to see this.  If you can, please financially contribute to his family: his widow and five children.  I thank you in advance for your concern and your kindness.  May we in the future know only smachot --occasions for happiness and joy.   http://uriel-malka.com/en/  

Here is a good post from Jewish Israel about the holiday confusion in galut (the diaspora), symbolized by the so-called Chanukah video by Matisyahu. People may not understand why an American who loves America would consider leaving this great country to live in a tiny little, old-new country such as Israel.  If I were a Christian, or another non-Jew, I would be out of my mind to leave this country.  But I am a Jew.  I want to be in a country where my holidays, my religion and my culture are prominent, and are the "official" ones of the land in which I live.  That is why my long-term goal (hopefully shorter than longer) is to move back to Israel.  Although I love seeing the lights, colors and decorations of the holiday season--I have always loved lights and colors, my artistic nature craves it--I ache to see chanukiyot in people's windows and in doorways. This excerpt of the Jewish Israel article might help explain some of my feelings to you, my loyal reade...

Had nothing to do today as I took an unpaid day off to see a doc about my carpal tunnel syndrome which has been festering for over twenty-seven years and getting worse (it hoits ) and in the early evening I visited Dov Bear's blog (boredom can drive one to do strange things sometimes...) and read his dissing of the Maccabeats relative to another group singing a Chanukah song.  I hadn't been on the bandwagon, and so hadn't heard the Maccabeats sing. After reading DB's post and listened to the group whose video he posted, I decided to watch one the Maccabeats' videos.  I am hooked.  There is no question that the latter (that's the Maccabeats, to you) is better.  They have a great ear for music, are on key, harmonize beautifully, and do it a cappella, for gosh sake.  Basically, it's like this: if I were a guy, I would've gone to YU and been in that choir.  That's it.  Maybe in my next gilgul ... I mean, they sing Matisyahu better than Matisyahu ....

On December 2nd I posted about the shock of hearing of the terrible untimely death of Rabbi Uriel Malka, whom I knew.  Here is an article which describes what sort of man he was.  I was wrong about his age.  He wasn't 34.  He was 32. Rabbi who survived Hizbullah fire among dead on bus By RHONDA SPIVAK   12/06/2010 02:58 Uriel Malka, former Winnipeg school principal and Denver emissary, 32, was working as a chaplain in the Prisons Service.   Rabbi Uriel Malka, 32, who fought in the IDF against Hizbullah in hand-to-hand combat in the Second Lebanon War, was among those killed on the Prisons Service bus that was engulfed by flames in the Carmel forest fire on Thursday. Malka, from Karnei Shomron, who was training to be a chaplain in the prison system, was with Prisons Service cadets en route to Damun Prison to e...

Not posting.  Just basking in the glow of the Chanukah menorah. May the light of goodness fill the world and dispel the dark. (thanks, Arlene ).

As you might have heard--it has been all over the news--a huge fire of suspicious origins broke out simultaneously in three different places in the Mount Carmel area today in Israel. I found out about this from a parent of one of our students just this morning.  As upsetting as it was, I didn't know what was coming.  This evening, as my husband and I were going out to dinner - a Chanukah treat for ourselves - we met an acquaintance who told us that an Israeli Sephardic Rabbi whom I knew, a beloved former teacher in our local Jewish Day School--was one of the 40 or so victims on the bus that was engulfed in flames .  He was heading--as a chaplain--along with the prison guards to evacuate a prison which was in the path of the fire. Here is a post from a Yid about Rav (Rabbi) Malka and the terrible tragedy of his sudden death. Rabbi Malka leaves a widow and small children.  He was only 34. Baruch Dayan haEmet...