Tikkun Olam

I know there's a big fuss about Thanksgiving coinciding with Chanukah this year, and I can understand that. The former is an important American secular (as opposed to Christian, although it was that as well, generically) holiday, and Chanukah, although a "minor" holiday-as opposed to a Holy holiday such as Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Pesach/Passover and Shavuot-designated by our sages thousands of years ago (it ain't new, that's for sure), is quite big in the United States, giving Jews, both affiliated and not something to celebrate while their Christian brethren are making a big commercial deal about Christmas. But what is the reason we celebrate Chanukah? The popular narrative is that the one little cruse of pure, un-contaminated oil was only enough to last for one day, but miraculously, it lasted for eight!  Of course, I loved this legend growing up; it made Chanukah magical to me, and I'm sure to many others.  Here is an interview with Rabbi David...

                                                                                  After those awful stories below I wanted to bring in the Shabbat on a positive, holy, spiritual note.  Shabbat is a beautiful mitzvah (commandment). It is actually the Fourth Commandment (emphasis mine): " Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord your G-d . On it you shall not do any manner of work -- you, your son, your daughter, your man-servant, your maid-servant, your cattle, and your stranger that...

My oldest grandson's Bar-Mitzvah was a truly special event.  He is a wonderful boy.  He is loving.  He is kind.  He has a sense of humor.  And he has Down Syndrome.  My eldest daughter is a wonderful mother, who raised him to be the kind, loving young man he is today.  He has a wonderful Rabbi and Rebbetzin, who understand his situation, and show him love and kindness, gently moving him forward in Judaism, in small steps, so that he can feel the accomplishments; all the time, gently. The 'theme' for today's NaBloPoMo (which, in case you haven't a clue to what that word is, stands for "National Blog Posting Month" by BlogHer ) is, "Which daily tasks take up the most of your energy (does getting out of bed count?)?" So I am posting instead, what energizes me the most: being with the people I love.  Here are some photos of the milestone of Yaakov Yehoshua's Bar-Mitzvah.  Obviously, we can't show you photos of the Shabbat service when h...

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 ....

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 ).

Yes, that famous Jewish Blog Carnival, Haveil Havalim #293 the-post-Thanksgiving-pre-Chanukah Edition is now up and running at Homeshuling . Go, read it.  After all, what else have you got to do? (Um, me? All I have to do is write up my copious notes for my preschool kids' developmental milestones for their portfolios and  read and organize my staff meeting notes and my curricula for the next two weeks. Think I'll read Haveil Havalim...)

This is a very sweet and pretty upbeat Chanukah video.  It's getting me in the mood!   Can't wait for Chanukah, and yummy levivot *!  Thank you, Chabad , for your ongoing great work! *levivot : potato pancakes, traditional for Chanukah

It's hard to believe that Chanukah 5771 is almost here.  This is one of the times that I so miss being in Israel.  I want to be surrounded by my own people's holiday and culture.  Chanukah is a celebration of the restoration of religious freedom and the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) to the Jewish people.  America--let's face it--was founded by Christians and promotes Christian holidays, which is understandable.  I am a proud American, but also a proud Jew. Being a Jew is the core of my being, and as a Jew, I have the need to be surrounded by my own heritage, customs and laws.  I can feel this so much more in a Jewish country, where my religion is the main, official one.  Besides, there is nothing like Israeli sufganiyot (American jelly doughnuts can't hold a candle, so to speak). Thanks to Jacob Richman for posting all his Chanukah videos .  I don't know whether this one is on his list, however. (By the way, no offense meant to anyone, Ch...

I should have written about this on Chanukah, but time did not permit (hat tip to my older son, Mister A ., for sending me this story) so I am posting it now. Those who say that Jews are usurpers in the land of Israel, need to see this video and read the story (the original is in Hebrew; translation below). In brief, a secular Israeli Jew was building his house in Jerusalem, when he accidentally, while digging out his basement came upon a cave five meters underground. It contained writings in ancient Hebrew, and what seems to be the burial place of the last Hasmonean king, Mattityahu ben Yehudah (Mattathias: not to be confused with Matityahu ben Yochanan , the father of Yehuda Maccabee). As a result of his findings, this secular Israeli Jew did teshuva ("returned") and became religious. Hanukkah miracle: a secret burial cave was discovered in a garden house in Givat Hamivtar, Jerusalem. One hypothesis is that the burial cave belongs to none other than the last Hasmone...

The last day of Chanukah was this past Shabbat. I have a lot of trouble transitioning from a chag * to a regular week; I never want to let go of the holiday: it is my connection with ha-olam ha-ruchani *, and I keep wanting to hang on. . .so it was just today that I uploaded my Chanukah pictures and am posting some of them here (and will share them on Me-ander , too). This year, unlike last year, I took plenty of pics, as we had a full chag (Baruch Hashem), including a friend's annual open-house, a Chabad family dinner and a party of our own on the 6th night, complete with home-made latkes, or levivot* in Hebrew (a joint venture) and home-made sufganiyot * (the Head Chef did it all by himself). It all culminated with a shared family-and-friends-Shabbat-dinner on the last night of Chanukah, at our home. Here are some of the highlights: The two photos above are of our card table which annually morphs into a chanukiya table. Our dining room table transformed into a Chanukah Party ...

The holiday of Chanukah is going splendidly so far (Baruch Hashem). We have had Chanukah party after party, get-together after get-together, and eaten home-made and store bought levivot ('latkes' for you Eastern European-type Yiddish folks) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts or "Bismarks" for you, uh, other folks. . .) In addition, which actually was the highlight of the week, the sixth night of Chanukah--in Israel--it was the fifth day for us--we had the great treat of being with our children & grandchildren , albeit virtually, for their Chanukiyah lighting ceremony and songs. How, you ask? (thought you'd never). Very simple: my younger son Nathaniel Blumenstein invited his brother, Mister Arnold Mayergi & his lovely wife Hardally & their baby sister Rambo to Jerusalem for that night's candle-lighting in their apartment (or flat , for you Europeans). N.Blumenstein ( he can cook, a little like his Abba) had fried yummy levivot for the occasion, ...

(As seen on Not Quite Perfect ) Did you know that Chanukah is good for your health? Just pop a pill to get your essential Chanukah OIL; or better yet, just light the menorah. . .

This is where I really want to be, this Chanukah and every Chanukah hence. Meanwhile, let's Distribute the light . Chag Urim Sameach!

What to write about? It’s not as if there is nothing; au contraire, we live in interesting times, as they say, for better and for worse (and often it seems as if it’s mainly for worse). So instead of writing about the economy (what there is of it) and resultant increase in Aliyah to Israel, or the global increase in anti-Semitism and almost universal blame on Israel for… everything , or the potential suicide bomber thwarted by a vigilant (thank G-d) IDF army and security guards in Qalandiyah (my son perhaps one of them, as that is his territory), or Bibi’s capitulation to Washington by implementing the building freeze in Judea and Samaria (the so-called“settlements” in the “West Bank”)—instead, I’ll write about… my birthday ! Yes, I just had a birthday (good Lord, not another one), two, in fact: my Hebrew date is Yud-Dalet, the 14 th of the month of Kislev (for those clueless, it is Kislev right now: the Chanukah month), and my secular birthday is December 7 th , a day th...

Oh, I wish I had been on Rehov Ben Yehudah street this past Friday, November 20th, 2009, to see this flash mob dance in the middle of the midrachov * ! It looks 'spontaneous,' but of course it was planned and choreographed to look that way, by none other than Nefesh b'Nefesh . It is just so catching and contagious. Makes one feel like celebrating. Chanukah is not far off; hey I've got an idea: let's all celebrate it in. . . ISRAEL!! *midrachov: pedestrian mall, lit. "sidewalk-street."

Really, Leora's post and looking at her photo of her 'chanukah table' with all their menorahs on them made me wax nostalgic. . . Chanukah was one of our favorite magical holidays when our kids were little. I know it's a very Northern Hemisphere view of it, but our memories of Chanukah are of dark, snowy evenings with our chanukiyots'* blazing candles in all the colors of the rainbow, or their oil wicks flickering in the air, creating dancing shadows on the walls and reflections in the frosty windows, lighting up the night from within. A Jewish Holiday Meme via Here in HP (who got it from Ima on the Bima , who got it from--oh, enough already!): Everything that I am writing about below took place in the past. Our children haven't been home for a long time now, and except for 2004 in a different state, and 2005 in Israel, we have not been together for Chanukah in years. But this is what we used to do, and hopefully, in the near future, do again (with the ad...

After a very (unusually) busy summer, with our traveling out of state to visit and care for our grandchildren, and then having one grandson visit here with his aunt (my middlest, Toodles) , and then for a few days all three of our daughters being here together--the " three sisters ' --first time in years --the importance of family relationships and missing them is starting to set in, again... Our youngest daughter, here for a 30-day leave from the army (which she had to divide among 3 states because that is where her family and friends are), left in the beginning of August, for several days in New York and then back to Israel. This had been her first trip back here in four years, because of the commitments of school and then the army. We had seen her previously one-and-a-half years ago at her oldest brother's wedding in March, 2008. Our middlest just graduated from college in Israel, and is back in the States for a year-no, not at 'home' (where is home, these da...

Get your own Menorah at ChaiSpace ! I wish I had seen this when Chanukah began. Now it will only be up for a day and a half, as I am writing this at 4:40 p.m. my time, the end of the seventh day of Chanukah. Our radio is set to automatically turn on every day, including Shabbat. We heard first the BBC and then at 6:30 a.m. the NPR report about Operation Oferet Yetzukah *, that the IDF launched a massive air strike into Gaza. It's about time. I am tired of the negative, accusatory questions posed to Israeli representatives, such as 'why is Israel launching an aggresive strike, why isn't Israel concerned about civilian casualties, how will Israel answer world condemnation,' and blah, blah, blah. It makes me sick. The responsibility for the so-called Palestinians (anyone living in the region before the State of Israel was also a Palestinian, Jews included; there is no "Arab" state called Palestine, never has been, and such a state should NOT be created) in G...

Chanukah is coming. I wrote that before the chag began. I can't believe that I haven't been able to post since November 30th: my computer has been out of commission so long that now Chanukah is here ! Thank G-d we have the most wonderful chagim (holidays) to remind us of Goodness, and Light, and the Purpose of Life--especially in the light (NO pun intended there) of what is happening in the U.S. with the revelation of serious corruption and fraud, some major one even perpetrated by a Jew named Bernie (a shanda): fodder for anti-Semitism, of course. My computer had been corrupted by 2 Trojans which disabled the security software - how appropriate, in this season, to beware of Greeks bearing gifts --but now they have been quarantined (the Trojans, not the Greeks) and I can reconnect to the internet, my lifeline. I felt totally disconnected (not a pun. really.) without it . Now to my earth-shatteringly-important question: why, oh why do they NOT have levivot* in Israel? You ge...