The Eisenberg Israel Adventure

Keeping the Customer Satisfied...

2011-12-22T15:35:00.005+02:00

In a city like Modi'in, which has thousands of English speaking residents, one would expect the local businesses to be aware of their customer base. Now, I know that the term "customer service" in Israel does not mean the same thing it does in the US. I have lived in Israel over three years and I get that. But, in today's economy and with more and more competition popping up in the market place, it seems that even larger companies should perhaps know their markets.

Today, I had an unbelievable experience with Israel's largest chain of movie theaters, Rav Chen. I have been a life long Muppets fan and I have been waiting for Chanukah vacation to take the family to see the new Muppets movie. In Israel, many of the popular kids movies are dubbed into Hebrew so that "everyone" can enjoy the content. So, when selecting show times it is always important to check in which language the movie will be presented.

Yesterday, I went online and checked the Muppets schedule and found that there would be screenings at 11AM and 1PM. The language listed for both was English. Just to be sure, I also called the theater and was told that yes, there would be English showings.

So, with that we took the kids to the mall, stood in line and got to the ticket counter, only to be told that there were no English showings until 7:30PM. Shocked, I responded that there must be some mistake, as I had called less than an hour before. The guy shrugged his shoulders, laughed and told me to either buy a ticket or get out of line. At that point I insisted on speaking to the manager, who they initially refused to call. It was not until I refused to budge out of the line that someone took me into the theater and into the manager's office.

I asked the manager why, on a week where all of the students are on vacation, they would have no English movies. He first tried to tell me that the Muppets was an old movie, therefore they did not need English showings. So, of course I then asked him what was the newest kids movie, and if there were English screenings of that film. Not surprisingly, he said no, and then tried to blame his boss at Rav Chen.

When I asked him how they could ignore the large English speaking customer base in the city, he basically responded by saying, "we don't need you."

I left the theater quite surprised and upset as at the end of the day, I had to go back and explain to the kids that there would be no movie.

It appears that there are two explanations for why Rav Chen would not add more English movie screenings. Either they are ignorant and have not done proper market research, or they don't care, as seemed to be the case with this manager. Either way, it does not seem acceptable.

I get the way Israel works. I understand that in terms of global population, English speakers are in the minority. I am not suggesting that businesses go out of their way to accommodate English speakers. If this movie was originally filmed in Hebrew I would never expect the theater to dub an English version. But, here was something so simple. They could have added one English showing of the movie, which would have most likely sold out anyway.

I would like to call on as many people as possible to send Rav Chen a message that the English speaking customers are indeed important. Ravit is in charge of scheduling for the chain. Her number is 09-952-6223. I urge as many of you as possible to call and complain that there are not enough English showings of the kids movies. Let Rav Chen know that in a city like Modi'in we are important, and that our business does count.

I will be bringing my movie business to the other chains, until I see a change in policy. I urge all of you to do the same.

Personally, I don't know who would want to see the Muppets dubbed in Hebrew. Part of the entertainment are the voices. Having some Israeli guy as Kermit the Frog wouldn't do it for me in any case.

A Busy Vacation

2011-10-19T14:00:00.003+02:00

For the past 10 days, I have been on my first "vacation" from work in over a year. Between getting ready for Sukkot, traveling around the country, and being witness to important world events, the last week has not exactly been restful. But, as the week winds down and we are about to start the last of this group of holidays, I can definitely say that not all vacations need to be restful. This break from the normal routine was a welcome opportunity to spend time remembering why we live in Israel. Here are a few highlights...

The weather cooperated this year and the first day of Sukkot was pleasant. After some enjoyable meals both in our Sukkah and with friends, it was time to begin our week long trek exploring the country.

On Sunday, we traveled North to Yemin Orde, which is an orphanage and youth village for children both without parents and who are new Olim and have no local support systems. My niece Chaviva, raised money for the center for her Bat Mitzvah project and we wanted to see the cause first hand. In addition to its regular needs, Yemin Orde was in need of help as it sustained heavy damages in last year's Carmel Fire. As we toured the campus, we saw the fire's path first hand. Campus buildings including homes and offices were literally burned to the grown. As we learned more about the center's mission and the work that they do to help the less fortunate children, we realized how lucky we all were. All members of our group, both children and adults learned first hand about the effects of the Carmel fire and its short term and long term effects.

On Monday, we traveled to Cholon. The younger kids, together with Aunt Naomi visited the Israeli Children's Museum while the older group went to the blind museum. In this museum, participants learn what it is like to live life unable to see. This was not the typical museum experience.

Tuesday, was a big day here in Israel, as Gilad Schalit was finally freed after over 5 years in captivity. There are many opinions about the deal which secured Schalit's freedom. Many feel that the price was too high. Even with the many opinions, everyone was happy to see Gilad Schalit step back on Israeli soil.

Our group traveled to Jerusalem where we spent the day giving back to the less fortunate and learning about our history in a unique way.

Last Sukkot we all helped back boxes of food for the needy at the Yad Eliezer warehouse. We decided to make this a tradition and we all returned to lend a hand. All of us from old to young spent an hour packing food that will be distributed to families all over Israel. Some of the younger members of our group were surprised that families were so poor that they could not even buy noodles and bread. After helping to pack and seal many boxes, we traveled to the Old City for the second part of our day.

We participated in a scavenger hunt that taught us about some lesser known landmarks in the Old City. After splitting into teams, (adults vs teens/kids) we set out to visit all of the destinations on our list. We sure did a lot of walking about I am happy to report that the adults won! We ended the day with a visit to the Kotel.

Today, I stayed home to do some cooking, while Debbie led a group to the Solar Gardens. This is an interactive hands on museum that teaches about how to live in an environmentally responsible world. The kids made their own paper and even made their own popcorn without the use of any fuel.

Now, as we head into Simchat Torah, the week of "vacation" is coming to an end. While it has not been restful, it has definitely been eventful and of course enjoyable.

To see more photos of our trips click here.

Thank God for Chayalei Tzahal

2011-08-28T11:47:00.003+03:00

This past Shabbat we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend Shabbat with my cousins in Har Bracha, a Yishuv located a few kilometers from Nablus. We were a little nervous on the drive there, but thank goodness we arrived safely and had a great Shabbat. Mazel Tov to Yaffa and Netanel and thank you for providing us a reason to all spend Shabbat together. It was especially nice being able to spend time with my Aunt Edith and Uncle Walter, as well as with our cousins Benjy and Helen.

After a nice and relaxing Shabbat, we started our drive back to Modi'in. The first part of the drive after exiting Har Bracha is the most nerve wracking as we needed to spend about 10 minutes driving straight through a large Arab city that is not know for being too friendly. After a very serious Tfilat Haderech we set out on the drive home.

We made it through they city of Harura, without incident and we thought our difficulties were behind us. As we approached a major checkpoint called Tzomet Tapuach we suddenly ran in to a large block that had been placed in the road. This block was completely black which made it impossible to see at night. The car jumped but luckily we were all ok. I immediately drove the car over to the shoulder and cautiously exited the vehicle to see what had happened. Right away I noticed that my front tire had been completely flattened. I knew there was no chance of fixing it and that I would have to change it with the spare.

Now, I do know how to change a flat tire, but we had a small problem. The spare for our van was stored underneath the car and we did not know how to get to the tire. All of the instructions we had did not match the car. Since we were right at the army checkpoint, my cousin Racheli who had the misfortune of taking a ride with us, suggested that we ask the soldiers to help. At first I did not want to ask them, as I knew they had better things to do, but after a few more frustrating moments, I asked her to go over and ask for help. A few minutes later, she returned with 5 soldiers who were only too happy to lend a hand.

I did not feel quite as stupid, as they too had difficulties finding out how to release the tire. Finally however they figured it out and began to jack up the car. Here is also when I discovered how much I needed the soldiers. It took 4 of them to turn the wrench to loosen the bolt on the damaged tire. There was no way I could have gotten that off by myself.

After a long process and a lot of team work, the soldiers switched the damaged tire with the spare and we were ready to go. These guys could have just dismissed this as our problem, but they were more than ready to help. We also had the good fortune that one of the soldiers, just happened to be in charge of a motor pool on his army base. He made changing the tire look easy.

Now, keep in mind that while all this was going on, we were also joined on the side of the road my my cousin Tammy's family. Her nephew had graciously offered to come and help us but he too had a flat tire. Then Tammy's sister and family came as we had also been traveling with their daughter. At the end of the ordeal, we were very thankful for all of the help we received. I remarked to Debbie on the way home that I am not convinced that a US soldier standing at a checkpoint would have dropped everything the way these guys did. This shows that we can depend on our soldiers not just during times of war, but in our everyday lives as well.

While this incident was unpleasant to say the least, we do consider ourselves very lucky, as if this had happened 1 minute earlier, I honestly don't know what we would have done.

And, while I don't like to see anyone else suffer from the same misfortunes, it did help a little that 2 other motorists also blew tires in the same place. According to the soldiers, this has been happening all the time.

Eventually, we made it back to Modi'in, happy to be home. The trip took us 3 hours, so we didn't get home until very late, but it was good to be there.

Today, we brought the car to be fixed and thank goodness for insurance! At the end of the process, we are very lucky that this was no more than an inconvenience.

Thank you to all of the people who helped us through this episode.

Learning About Israel Through Experience

2011-05-09T09:38:00.000+03:00

Last night, I was watching TV with my six year old son. He had on the Hop channel which is a popular kids channel here in Israel. Most of their programs contain some type of educational message. Whether it be reading comprehension, math skills, or just social skills, we know that what my son watches on Hop will at least be age level appropriate. Yesterday after watching together with my son, I received a new found appreciation for non-traditional education methods.

After his usual program was over, a special show started. This show, featured a puppet lamb and his grandmother. The grandmother showed the lamb a photo of her son Gadi. The lamb puppet, who was meant to be a little child asked why Gadi was only in the photo, and why he had never been to their house. The grandmother explained that Gadi was killed during the Six Day War. The lamb puppet did not know what the term “killed” actually meant. He asked, “so he’ll be coming later?” Grandmother explained that no, Gadi will not be coming home. She then began to describe the day of Yom Hazikaron and why it was so meaningful. It was so interesting to see the response of the little child and how he comprehended this difficult day. The program proceeded to show the drive that the grandmother and her grandson took to Har Hamenuchot. On the way, they discussed the miracle of the State of Israel, and how people like Gadi enabled us to be where we are today.

As we were watching, my son turned to me and asked, “Why does Israel have so many wars?” I talked with him further about how special it is to live in Israel and how God is always helping us to stay strong. It occurred to me, that this 15 minute TV program explained Yom Hazikaron far better than I could have ever hoped. My son was able to become part of the experience and left with a better appreciation of what it really means to live in Medinat Yisroel.

Education comes in all different forms. When I was working in the United States, I would always tell teachers that lessons could come from anywhere. With the Internet as a major educational tool, this is truer than ever. Teachers can use virtual technology to actually bring students into an experience. As a student, I can recall all of the countless classes on Zionism, Yom Hazikaron, and Yom Ha’atzmaut. While they may have conveyed information, none of those lessons actually conveyed the experience. This experience based learning however makes education happen. After 12 years as a Jewish day school student, I did not gain a true appreciation for Medinat Yisroel until I was here in Israel for Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atmaut. I can still recall the ceremony we attended in Jerusalem. They read out loud the names of all of the soldiers who had been killed that year. Then, the next day sadness turned to joy as we ran up and down Ben Yehuda celebrating the miracle of the State of Israel.

As we commemorate Yom Hazikaron and prepare to celebrate the miracle of Yom Ha’atzmaut, we must remember that it is not a book or lecture that makes these days meaningful. It is the experience that makes it important. As a six year old, my son learned about a concept that would have been very difficult to explain otherwise. I asked him if his teacher talked about it, and while he said she did, I know that in his mind, the importance of the day did not register strongly. Seeing it happen however, in those 15 minutes gave my son the experience. As we all commemorate those who have fallen for the State of Israel and celebrate the last 63 years, we should remember that it is the experiences that can truly impact our lives.

Vacation!!??

2011-03-09T08:31:00.002+02:00

So, it is not often that I get to take a true vacation day. Do not misunderstand, as I really like my job. I started 7 months ago and it has been a roller coaster adventure ever since. But, at some point everyone needs at least 1 day off every once in a while. About 2 weeks ago, I sent an email to my staff to tell everyone that I would be taking 3 days off from work. I figured if I could plan far enough in advance, nothing would get in the way.

Well, by the end of that week it became clear that vacation was not in the cards. I had three meetings scheduled for those "vacation" days that I just could not miss. They all turned out to be great meetings for the company, but it meant that vacation would have to be put on hold. I decided however at the last minute, that the chances of getting 3 days free in a row were limited at best. So, with one day this week with no in person meetings, I decided to take a one day vacation and make the best of it.

First, I knew I had to prepare. I proceeded to download some vacation entertainment. Some original series Star Trek, a few episodes of Family Matters (I love Urkel, what can I say?), and of course to make it a true couch potato day I needed some vintage Charles In Charge. I was all set. Nothing was going to stop me from filling my gut with salty snacks and hopefully falling asleep in my own drool.

Debbie had a great idea to go out for breakfast to start the day off right. I agreed, as even though it was a dairy meal, I do like going out for breakfast with Debbie. After a nice breakfast at the mall, we were already to return home, when Debbie's doctor called and informed her that her strep test had come back positive. So, off we were to the doctor's office for a prescription and then to the pharmacy. I was about an hour behind schedule on my binge eating, but hey these things happen.

When we got back home, I made the mistake of checking my email before turning on the TV. Of course I had 10 new emails waiting for me, some of which actually looked important. So, I decided I would take a few minutes and deal with them quickly. A few minutes turned into a half hour, but there was still time. I picked up the remote, turned on the TV and then... the phone rang. Now, I should have known better then to answer it so it's really my own fault, but the result of my decision was another 25 minute phone conversation. The good news is it produced a great business lead. The bad news, well this was supposed to be a vacation day.

OK, no problem. It was 11AM but I still had time. I decided to begin with some old episodes of Family Guy. I got in about 1 episode when Debbie decided to join me for some quality TV watching. So, we changed the show to the newest episode of Glee. Usually, I don't mind a completely absurd show about crazy high school students who have ok voices, but it just wasn't the same as watching Peter's fart jokes on Family Guy.

After Glee, I got some more time before I had to go pick up Avi and another child from school. When I came back, I again checked my email and right then I realized that a real vacation day was just not gonna happen.

I plowed through some emails and realized that I needed to pick up some things for a program we are doing on Thursday. I got through about half of a Star Trek episode and ran out to do some errands. When I cam back I finished the episode and started Charles In Charge. Yes, I know what you're thinking, but hey it was my day off. At 4PM however I had a conference call for work that I had to do so once again, the show got paused. Well, the 4PM call got postponed to 7PM, but Debbie took Avi to basketball which meant I had to take care of Eitan.

After a quick bath and dinner I once again tried to finish the episode I started earlier. I was determined!

Well, in the end I probably did about 4 hours worth of real work which I guess even with the interruptions made it a vacation day after all. Urkel, don't worry. I'm saving you for next time.

Only 15 Minutes Away

2011-02-11T11:15:00.002+02:00

Last night we attended the Simchat Bat of our newest family member, Yael Bialik. Yael is Nechama and Gershon's newest daughter. It was great to see all of the family that was there. I even got to practice my Hebrew as most people there spoke both English and Hebrew quite well. We all enjoyed the delicious food and homemade deserts. I must say I was a little worried on the way that we would be feasting on dairy, but Nechama and Gershon did not let me down! I think I ate enough chicken and potatoes to feed a small army.

With all of the festivities, I still found time to embarrass my wife. It really wasn't my fault. I was meeting members of Gershon's family for the first time when I mistakingly confused his sister with his mother. It really was an unintentional flub, and in my defense Jewish dress does some times make it difficult to tell a person's exact age. I think the entire episode was really just a compliment to Gershon's mother, but Debbie did not buy that.

Debbie smoothed the situation over, as she too has been mistaken for other ages on numerous occasions. I remember when we were at a wedding a year or 2 ago, Debbie was asked which seminary she attended. Of course, being mistaken for someone younger is a bit different, but I think this kind of thing can happen to anyone. Maybe we should all wear name tags with our vital information displayed.

Well, despite this little snafu, the party was a lot of fun. One of the best parts about getting together with Tzivi, Atara, and the rest is that they still laugh at my jokes. Most people have tired of my lame sense of humor a long time ago, but they are always good for a laugh. We all agreed that Atara's new baby Etai, has a lot of Goldberg traits. For those of you who don't know, we are all from different branches of the Goldberg family. What was most funny however is that Atara's husband Snir, is as Yeminite as they come. So here we were looking at a Goldberg with a dark skinned complexion. I remarked that if he ever writes an autobiography, he can call it "Oy Gevalt Habbibi."

We noticed on the way, that it was only a 15 minute drive to Rechovot. It always seemed a lot further. Now that we know how to get there, we hope to see the cousins a bit more often. Getting back was a bit of an adventure but that's a different story.

Finally, my cousin does not like me to post pictures of her and her kids on Facebook. I understand the concern, so I am posting a link to another photo sharing online tool. It was funny, because I have not used anything other than Facebook to share photos in a long time. I knew I still had an active user account for myphotoalbum.com as I seem to get a lot of junk mail from them. It took me a few tries but I finally figured out the correct username and password combination. So, here is the non Facebook link to the photos: Photo Sharing by MyPhotoAlbum :: MyPhotoAlbum :: Nechama and Gerson's Simchat Bat

Thanks for a great party.

What's For Dinner Daddy?

2011-01-21T08:34:00.003+02:00

So, let's begin by reviewing a typical day from this past week. After getting up at around 6 and taking a quick shower, I then proceed to wake the children, get them dressed, give them breakfast, pack their bags, take them to school, and then drive to Jerusalem for 3 quality hours in the office. At about 11:30, I am back in the car to Modi'in. Instead of going home however, I begin the pickup list for Debbie's after school program or Tzaharon. After driving around in what seems like a circle for about an hour, I return home and try to keep 8 little kids happy. Those of you with little kids know that this can be especially challenging. At 4PM, I put the kids back in the car, and prepare for another seemingly aimless drive around Modi'in as I drop the kids back off at their houses. I need to make sure that I arrive at Eitan's school by 4:3o to collect him and his projects. Back home by 4:45, it is time to get ready for the next day. Lunches need to be made, chores need to be completed, and most importantly dinner needs to be ordered.... I mean cooked. Once the kids have been fed, changed/bathed and put to sleep, I get to go back to my official job, and spend another 3-4 hours doing the work that I did not do in the middle of the day. Then, the next stay, I start again.

No, I am not writing this to complain, as there are many out there who I know would take no pity on me. Rather, I am sharing this to give all the fathers out there an idea of what it really means to be a single parent. Normally, we get to go to work and come home at the end of a long day. We miss what happens when we are not around. This week for me has been an eye opening experience. There are parts of this domesticated living that I have actually enjoyed. I'll be the first to admit that during a normal week, I don't get to spend too much time at home. Last week for example, after coming home from work, I had to go out again for meeting 3 nights in a row. This week, for better or worse I get to stay home.

You may want to know where Debbie has gone. No, she did not run away. She is spending the week in Florida with her family, celebrating our niece's Bat Mitzvah. A week of sleeping late, shopping, and relaxing by the pool.... Sounds like a great week to me! Don't worry Dear, when you come home, we'll make sure you are re acclimated quickly. In all seriousness, Debbie works hard and deserves the vacation. The best part is, that in this role reversal, I have really learned what happens behind the scenes. So on one hand, I have a better appreciation for what Debbie does each day. On the other hand, I will now know when things are exaggerated. This could be a valuable experience indeed.

Most importantly, the kids seem to be doing fine. Avi keeps asking why he didn't get to go. I told him that's between him and Grandpa. Eitan does not seem to understand that America is far away. He always asks if Mommy will pick me up today. When I explain to him that Mommy won't be back for a few more days, he asks if I will pick him up. So of course I tell him yes. He then asks if he can have candy when he gets home. So, of course I tell him yes as well. By that point, everything is fine.

Thanks to the many friends who have offered to help us and who are hosting us for Shabbat. The truth is, we are doing well, and the basic routine of the children has not changed too much. And yes, as you can see, they are happily helping me with the chores.

More next week

Shabbat Shalom

2010- Schools in Modi'in

2010-12-31T16:01:00.003+02:00

I remember that while living in the United States, New Year's was a rather big event. There were parties, entertainment, and of course the obligatory new year's resolutions. Speaking of those resolutions, no I have not yet lost 20 pounds. Looking at today's Facebook feed, I remembered just how crazy this time of year used to be for us.

Now, those of you who know us well know that we are not the biggest party animals out there. New Year's eve for us was generally spent either at a friend's house at a low key gathering, or just sitting at home, where at 11:58 I would wake Debbie up so she could see the ball drop. Whatever the level of celebration was however, here in Israel it does not seem to be such a big deal.

Now, of course the fact that New Year's falls out on a Friday night already means not as many large events and parties. But even among my secular friends, there does not seem to be a whole lot happening. Not sure why that is, but it's ok with me.

This past year was eventful for all of us. 2010 brought new opportunities, new jobs, new schools, and many other new challenges. This past week, Debbie and I have attended 2 open houses for possible schools for first grade. The fact that Avi, is going to be going to a real school next year shows how a year can go by quickly. Up until this point, the main objectives have had to do with finger paint, and after school options. Now, as we are getting ready to enter the next educational chapter, we are facing decisions about Math programs and educational visions.

As a former teacher, this entire process has been quite discouraging. Part of the problem is that there just aren't many choices. Let's face it, while many things here in Israel are superior, education has fallen by the way side. We are lucky that Modi'in happens to have one of the better school systems. After seeing what Modi'in has to offer however, I can only imagine what is happening in other cities and towns.

The first school we saw was the religious public elementary school. The school has about 600 students and not such a great reputation. As we all know, open houses are a chance for schools to to show their best. Let's just say that this school's best seemed to be mediocre.

Today, I went to another school that had an great facility and very impressive art work on the walls. This school prides itself on being a community day school, with students of all religious backgrounds. The premise sounded appealing, as I received a good education from this type of school. The problem however is that after walking through this school and actually seeing the classes, I concluded that this school does not actually have an identity of its own. Every class, seemed to operate according to the assigned teacher. Talking to students really told a better story of the school. While there were many impressive parts of the school, I didn't really feel it was the right place for Avi.

We have one more option to investigate and then we must make a rather important decision. I guess that's part of moving forward. As we move from 2010 to 2011 changes will occur. Some of these changes will be virtually unnoticeable, while some will leave a more lasting impression. Here's hoping 2011 brings success to us all.

8 Years and Counting...

2010-12-23T11:43:00.002+02:00

Yesterday, Debbie and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. To say a lot has happened over the past eight years would be an understatement. Two kids, four jobs, and a new country later, time has been good to us.

Every year, in order to reflect on the past, Debbie and I always pop in our wedding DVD to see just how much time has really passed. Last night, we started watching the video with the kids. It was very interesting to hear their reactions. Eitan kept asking why he was not there, and Avi kept asking how much longer it would be until he was there. When we said 2 years, every few minutes he asked, "has it been 2 years yet?" "Yes," I told him, "there was a life before you came along."

Looking back at the video, I realized just how much had changed in the past eight years.

As we were watching Debbie looked and me and said, "you were so much younger." The fact is that she is correct. Last night I looked at a photo taken before our wedding, next to a recent photo and I have aged. I don't know if it's the stresses of Aliyah or what but I really did look like a little kid.

The other thing that struck me were the actual guests present. Obviously, we still appreciate all of the friends and relatives who cam to the wedding, but I started to wonder how many of those people would be invited if we were sending out invitations today? Since our wedding, we made some great friends in Highland Park, and of course some great friends here in Israel. There are so many people that we just do not see anymore. Of course thanks to Facebook, we are still able to keep track of the happenings of our extended group. But, we and them have changed.

When looking back at an eight year old event, it is only natural that some people are no longer with us. This year however was especially difficult. Each year, as the camera passes through the tables, Debbie and I provide the audio commentary. We say things like, "divorced, divorced, gay, died..." It sounds bad, but it's just our way of reviewing what has changed. This year however, when the camera panned to people like Joyce Lederman, Uncle Lenny, and others, we realized that time does pass by.

When looking back at an 8 year old wedding event, it is obvious that times do change. People move on, grow up, and yes people die. After eight years, it indeed would have been a very different wedding party.

But, there are some good stories too. Avi asked, "where's Uncle Roey?" It was funny to see Avi and Esther sitting on opposite sides of a table. Jenna was there but no Matthew yet. We barely recognized the cousins, and what's really unbelievable is that Chaviva, our niece and flower girl is celebrating her Bat Mitzvah.

In the words of one of my favorite country singers, Kathy Mattea, "Time passes by, people pass on. At the drop of a tear they're gone. So do what you want, say what you like, love why you're here before time passes by."

Here to many more years!

Doughnuts Anyone?.

2010-12-03T11:56:00.004+02:00

I don't know if it's just the way the dates fall out this year or if time is going by quickly, but it just does not seem to be Chanukah time.

Last week, we were enjoying our Thanksgiving turkey dinner, and now just a few days later, here we are lighting Chanukah candles. Of course the weather situation does not really help either. I can't remember the last time I was wearing short sleeves on Chanukah. I looked at a picture we took last year during the same time and there I was in long sleeves and a sweater. Well, weather it feels right or not, here we are celebrating our third Chanukah in Israel.

Israel can be a funny place sometimes. In a country where the secular population clearly outweighs the religious population, it is amazing to see how some holidays are embraced by everyone. Last night, as I lit my candles on our porch, I looked at the buildings across the street and I saw candles burning in almost every window. If you think about this, it's actually pretty amazing, as even those people who are clearly not religious took the time to light Chanukah candles.

Chanukah in fact has become more than just a religious holiday. Even secular Israelis look at Chanukah with pride as it serves as another example of how much we have overcome. As you may or may not know, Chanukah in Israel is not really an 8 day holiday. Yes, we light the candles for 8 nights but the celebration period really lasts the entire month of Kislev. Over the past two weeks both Avi and Eitan have had parties both in school and with friends. I had the opportunity to go to Avi's school party this year, and while it was very nice, I still for the life of me can't figure out the whole logic behind these types of events. The school celebration featured Avi and his 35 classmates singing along with a CD, trying to drown out the original audio track. I remember when I was Avi's age that we were at least accompanies by a pianist. Here, it was just a contest of what would project louder. After the singing, the parents were invited (yay) to dance with the children. Again, very nice, but the whole program seemed to lack the production values that I have always come to expect in these types of programs. At the end, each kid received a jelly doughnut which while a nice treat was not exactly a welcomed addition at 7:30PM. Imagine a room full of 35 5 year olds, already hyper, eating jelly doughnuts right before bed time. After ingesting his treat, Avi and I walked (well actually he ran) home and had a quick dinner before going to bed. All in all it was a nice evening, although the implementation left a little to be desired.

Once Chanuakh actually started, the kids did a great job getting in the spirit. As you can see from the videos, both Avi and Eitan do a great job when it comes to lighting candles. Today, we even continued our tradition as the kids helped me make latkes. I have to thank Jenna and Matthew across the street for letting us use their food processor. The latkes came out very tasty and we will enjoy them on Shabbat.

Lastly, let's get back to the sufganyot (jelly doughnuts). Here in Israel, the jelly doughnut industry has taken the country by storm. Every bakery, grocery store, cafe, restaurant, etc. each has their own version of the popular Chanukah treat. I must say however that so far, I personally have not partaken. I hope however that by next week, I am able to report back on at least one delicious jelly doughnut.

Wishing everyone a Happy Chanukah!

What Happened to Our Day Off?

2010-11-19T08:49:00.002+02:00

If you ask anyone who has made Aliyah, about the most difficult part of the transition, most people will mention the fact that Sunday is a regular work day. We have discussed working on Sunday with families who have been here for over twenty years and even they will say that no one gets used to it.
In fact, when I was in America this past summer I didn't know what to do with myself on Sunday. I forgot how nice it was to have a real day off from work. When we lived in America, not every Sunday was so exciting. In fact, most were spent running to Target, cleaning up, making home repairs, and other common tasks that we just didn't have time to do during the week. Now, with Sunday a regular work day, we are left with Friday as our "day off."
The problems however are obvious. First, during most of the year, Friday is really just a half day. Today for example, Shabbat begins at 4:15, meaning that even if we wanted to go on a trip or do something special, we would really only have a half day. Second, the kids actually have school on Fridays. Now, don't get me wrong, while we love having the kids home, it is nice to have some time where I am home and they are at school. Two weeks ago, Debbie and I actually went out to breakfast without the kids. We don't get to do that very often. With the kids in school however, having a family day become next to impossible. Yes, I know their chances of Ivy League will not be in jeopardy if they miss an occasional Friday, but there is a routine, and we don't like to just take the kids out of school unless there is a good reason.
OK, so let's move forward 2 years. We have finally come to accept that Friday is in effect our Sunday. If the native Israelis have dealt with this system then we can too. Why then, did I have to spend my supposed day off in Avi's school planting flowers?
Avi's school had a gardening day that parents were required to attend. Since Debbie gets stuck doing most of the school meetings, events, etc. I agreed to take this one for the team. I arrived and as we sat for 30 minutes watching the kids sing songs and daven, all of the parents in the room had the same reaction. As one father said (in Hebrew), "This is very nice, but I think someone forgot that it's Friday." Looking around, I quickly realized thankfully that this was not just a case of me having a bad attitude. Virtually none of the parents looked happy to be there. Of course, we tried to hide this from the kids, but as we stood out in the hot sun, planting flowers, we were all looking at our watches hoping we would still have time to do the shopping, bakery run, clean-up, and maybe even have time left for a cup of coffee.
The program was in fact very nice. Avi of course did a great job as he always does. if Friday however is supposed to be the day off, and is supposed to be the day to do those Sunday activities, then the system should not be able to have it both ways.
I suggested to a co-worker of mine, almost as a joke that we get Sunday off and just work a few extra hours the other days of the week. To my surprise, my friend looked at me and commented that this was a really good idea. Now, I don't know if we need such drastic measures, but hey, this activity could have been held any other day and times besides Friday.
Pick a system folks and stick to it.

Yes, I'm Still Here...

2010-10-28T08:36:00.002+02:00

When I began learning about blogs and social media in general, a person who was very familiar with the industry commented that "a blog is not really a blog unless posts are added on a daily basis." Now, we can argue about the daily schedule, but it is true that blogs are supposed to feature regular posts.

So despite this opinion, the fact that I have not posted an entry in a month does not mean that this is no longer a blog. It just means that between general laziness, my busy schedule, and the every day routines, the blog posts that I wanted to write, just never happened.

Well, here I am- back and ready to write again. For the 6 of you who are actually reading this blog, I have not forgotten you, and I hope that you have not forgotten me.

Life is full of changes. Kids grow up, new jobs start, and even the weather is supposed to change. As these things do change however, one has to ask if newer is always better? I remember the famous "New Coke" debacle from when I was a little kid. Yes, you had Michael Jackson singing for Pepsi, but everyone else in the world seemed focused on the amazing product that was about to hit stores. Well, we all know the end of that story. It seems however that some companies and people in general just don't learn from the past.

It is no secret that I am a big Skype user. I am on almost every day at work, and occasionally we even use it at home to see Grandma and Grandpa live. A few days ago I was prompted to download a newer version, so without thinking too much I pressed ok. Now, I have to say that the newer version does not seem to actually add anything to Skype's capabilities, at least not for my needs. It did make it more difficult to find contacts, and while it could be that I am just not used to it, the whole interface just seems awkward. Hey, maybe it's just me.

Another example of poor updating brings me to Facebook. I have to admit, I've become pretty hooked. Before we made Aliyah, I was not a Facebook fan. Working with a mostly teen population, I saw a lot of problematic activities on the site. But now, after having moved 6,000 miles away from family members and friends, it is nice to be able to remain "involved" and up to date in everyone's lives, even if they are far way. While I enjoy reading most of my Facebook posts, I dread reading the messages that Facebook itself sends to its members. These messages usually have something to do with a change in the site's display, or in how the site will function. At the end of the day, they usually do something to mess the thing up, and create bad faith and resentment among its members. I always stop to think about why they need to do these seemingly silly updates. They must spend millions of dollars developing these "improvements" and generally at the end of the day, members complain and some security threat is exposed. So, why bother? Is newer always better?

To be fair, sometimes updates are needed. I remember Internet Explorer 6 and Windows XP before SP2, but I do feel that before we embark on the next "New Coke" we must reflect and decide if change is even needed in the first place.

Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

2010-09-27T08:10:00.003+02:00

Chol Hamoed is a particularly interesting time in Israel. While not an official work holiday, many people do take vacation days in order to spend time engaged in family activities.

This is actually the first year in my entire professional career that I have to work at all over a Chol Hamoed. In the States, working for Jewish day schools had its advantages, and when we came to Israel the company where I worked for the first two years, made the Chol Hamoed days a mandatory vacation. So this year, after starting my new job, I am actually writing this blog entry from my desk at my office in Jerusalem. No, it's not too bad. The fact is that yesterday I did take an official vacation day, and tomorrow, while I will be working, it will be from home. So, I really only need to come into the office for one of the three days.

The trip into Jerusalem this morning was a bit surreal. Normally, the bus rides from both Modi'in and from the central bus station can be somewhat chaotic. There are usually lots of people all trying to claim that last seat on the sherut, or the last good standing place on the bus. We always get to our destination, but the trips are not always calm and restful. Today however, seemed almost like an alternate reality. At the bus stop in Modi'in, there were only two of us waiting for the Jerusalem bus. When a sherut arrived, there was no pushing. In fact, both of us were easily able to get seats. The trip into Jerusalem took 22 minutes. Normally, in the morning, the trip can take between 45 minutes and an hour. When I exited the sherut, the local bus which I take to my office had just pulled up to the bus stop. Again, there are usually swarms of people fighting to get on the bus. Today, there were three people on the entire 2 section bus. By the time we arrived at my stop, I was the last passenger. I made it to work this morning door to door in under an hour. It reminds me of going to work on Christmas. While it was a pleasure to have such an enjoyable and calm travel experience, once can not help but wonder if it makes sense to run all of these services and buses if no one is using them. Maybe Chol Hamoed should become a national holiday or at least a national work from home week.

Yesterday, together with Debbie's parents and sister's family we went back to one of our favorite spots here in Israel, Shvil Hatapuzim. For those of you who are regular readers, you may remember my comments about the place. It is unique because of all of the activities which they offer. There are literally activities for all ages. We had a great day, and even Eitan got into the game. For the first time he went on the boat ride and the cars smiling and excited.

Of course the day would not be complete without one unpleasant moment. We of course arrived at the park early, as we knew it would be a busy day. We especially wanted to make sure that each member of the family had a chair to sit on and a place for all the bags. As we normally do, during the course of the day, we left our belongings and went to the different attractions. When my brother in law and I returned to the chair area, we saw that 2 men had taken 2 of our chairs and had actually moved our belongings. We gave them a look which was ignored and went about our business. About 5 minutes later, one of the men goes over to one of our chairs, removes the item that was on it and proceeds to pick up the chair. This is all while we were sitting there. At that point both my brother in law and I asked him to put the chair down, explaining that his actions were impolite to say the least. He started yelling at us and when I went to put the chair down, he started to grab it from me, making a scene in the process. I know my abilities, and let's just say he was bigger. I was also not looking for a physical altercation. After all, I would not have wanted to get the other man's yom tov clothing dirty. So instead, I proceeded to the park's maind esk and explained what had happened to the owner, and I requested that the other group be removed from the park. He came over and of course the other man lied about what had taken place. In the end, they were not removed, but they did decide to move to another section of the park. After we made sure that they were aware of our suspicions about the lack of forks in their family tree, another member of their group actually apologized and brought us new chairs. We explained that our argument had nothing to do with the chairs. If the man had asked if he could borrow a chair we would have of course said yes.

In any case the day continued and after an ice cream break and some more play time, it was time to get back on the road. We ended the day with a terrific dinner at Aish, one of our favorite restaurants in Modi'in. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

This whole episode does bring up a good point. This impolite man was dressed very nicely for Sukkot. Even at the water park his wife was wearing what looked like New York's finest sheital and he was wearing nice black pants. Looking at them, you would have thought that these were the most pious people around. Clothes however, do not make a person. A person's actions are what makes his reputation.

Sukkot is Here

2010-09-24T15:15:00.003+02:00

We made it through Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur went surprisingly well. This year, for the first time, I davened Musaf on Yom Kippur. While I do tend to go pretty fast, at the end of the day, Musaf is still very long. I made sure to include some of the favorite American tunes, and I managed to finish in about 2 hours. While I did not rush through, I did not waste any time either. When I finished my legs were so stiff, that I needed to hold on while coming down from the bimah. Feeling did return pretty quickly, but the whole experience wiped me out more than anything else.

Once Yom Kippur did end, we were ready to put all of our attention towards Sukkot. This year, we are happy to have Debbie's parents in Israel for the Chag, so we are looking forward to a great week with them. The first thing we needed to do for the holiday is think about the Sukkah itself. Now, one of the best things about the new apartment is that the mirpeset/porch is designed to serve as a sukkah. So, in actuality there was very little I had to do. The only thing I had to add was Schah/roof. With the help of a friend, this took about 15 minutes, a personal record for putting up the Sukkah. Once that was done, the next focus was actually buying a lulav and etorg.

In Israel, this works a little differently than in the States. In the US, I remember as a kid that my father would always have to pre order his arba minim weeks in advance, and when we went to pick them up, there was no choosing. The place had our name on our boxes and that was it. Here, in Israel, not only can you choose each and every part of the arba minim set, but you can buy them literally anywhere. The malls, grocery stores, and even some gas stations sell lulavim. So no, I could not bring myself to buy my lulav at the gas station, but the fact that I could was kind of cool. When I did buy my lulav and etrog, I paid the man and walked away from the table. I instantly realized that there was no bamboo holder that you usually find attached to the lulav. I went back and asked and was informed that he did not sell them and that I should just hold everything together. Well, I know that some people do have that custom, but I like the regualr method, so I then had to find another store that carried the lulav holders. The good news is that by Tuesday, I was ready to go.

The first day of Yom Tov went very well. The Shul had a sukkah hop event and Avi ate enough junk and candy to last the entire week. Today, which for those of you living outside of Israel is the second day of a 3 day Yom Tov, was our first day of Chol Hamoed. We decided to spend it helping an organization that distributes food to the needy. This was totally Debbie's idea, although if she knew I was adding this, she would be embarrassed. Thanks for convincing us to go. Together with Grandma, Grandpa and the Eckman family, we traveled to Jerusalem and spent the morning sorting and packing boxes at Yad Eliezer's warehouse. Not only did everyone have a good time, but the kids especially enjoyed being part of a special Mitzvah.

We will be spending Shabbat in Chasmonaim and are looking forward to a great week of touring and fun.

Happy Chag!

Remembering Joyce Lederman

2010-09-16T13:06:00.002+02:00

Sadly, this is not the first time I have had to write this type of blog post. This time however is different, for Joyce Lederman A"H was not a relative, although I think a case could have been made. Joyce however was a person who had a profound impact and influence on my life. We were saddened this morning when we heard that she had lost her battle with cancer.

For those of you who know me well, you know that Joyce's son Joe and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember. As with any good friend, I think I spent at least as much time at his house over the years, as I did at mine. His parents, were always quick to welcome me and include me as they would a member of their own family. Joyce personally invited me along on many trips to the Science Center and other places, and as was the rule with her own kids, I too had to stay at the table until I ate something green.

Anyone can set an extra place at the table. What made Joyce different however, was the joy she experienced in doing these extra things. While it may have been true that my house usually had better junk food, I knew that the Lederman house was always full of culture, talent, and general warmth. I will always remember that at the end of our high school graduation ceremony, Joyce gave Joe a big hug, and right away gave me the same treatment. At many times, I felt like just one of the gang.

When Joe went off to College Park, and I was still living and working in Baltimore, I had a standing invitation for dinner every Wednesday night. David was especially happy, as my night was meatloaf night. During these dinners, Joyce would always make sure that I was doing ok. She would ask me about school, and would always tell me not to be lazy and work hard because she knew I could do it. Her meatloaf was really good as well.

As the years went by, and I left Baltimore, first to New Jersey and then to Israel, Joe, would always tell me the same thing every time we spoke. He would always say, "by the way, may parents say Hi." I never really thought much about that statement and I always sent regards back, but now I realize that I was more than just a friend of Joe's who was allowed back in the house. I may not have been the prodigal son that Joe was in my house, but I would like to think I was pretty close.

Joyce Lederman was a woman of great talent and warmth and her examples have helped influence how I relate towards my own children. My kids do not leave the table until they have eaten their veggies, and if they don't like what's for dinner, you guessed it there's yogurt or fruit. I say these things not as a joke, but rather to demonstrate just how strong Joyce's influence was on my life.

She will be greatly missed, but I know that her inspiration and values will continue to live on for many years to come.

Happy Belated New Year

2010-09-12T10:57:00.002+02:00

I had everything all planned out. I was going to leave myself an hour before candle lighting to sit down and write a well thought out and meaningful blog entry for the new year. Then, the phone started ringing, and before I knew it, I had 12 minutes to shower, get dressed, and get to Shul.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to wish a Shana Tova to my small but loyal group of readers.

It is hard to believe that we just celebrated our third new year living in Israel. The last year has been full of new firsts, and continued experiences. In the last week alone, Eitan has started his first year in a real gan, Avi is back in a regular gan program, Debbie has started her first year running her own Tzaharon, and I have also started a new job. Sounds like a lot, but all of these firsts keep us busy and excited about what is to come.

As we approach the third year of our Aliyah, and our first year living in our new home, we are hopeful that this year, will be quiet yet happy and productive.

Shana Tova to all!!

Time Has a Way...

2010-08-27T16:06:00.002+03:00

As we get closer to Rosh Hashanah, my blogging times seems to be decreasing. I usually write my posts during this time Friday afternoon (about 4PM). Since we make an early Shabbat however, we will be lighting candles in just over an hour.

I did not want the week to go by however without sharing a quick story. Recently, on August 19th, we celebrated our 2 year Aliyah anniversary. The problem is, that we were so busy between work, kaytana, and just general life, that we forgot to celebrate or even knowledge this important date. Now, some of you out there may know what can happen when we forget an important date. Those anniversaries, birthdays, and Hallmark holidays can really get you in trouble. This time however, both Debbie and I forgot this important event in our lives. The only way we even realized we forgot, was yesterday during Avi's school orientation, one of the other parents asked us how long we had been in Israel. At the same time, we both looked at each other and realized that the 19th had slid past.

We have heard various opinions on this slip. Some have said that forgetting this date means that we are so immersed in Israeli life and culture that the day we can is not important. This may be true to a certain degree, but I can't help but think that we should have given this date more attention. If I had missed one of the kids's birthdays, we would have been in real trouble.

Last year, we actually went out to a nice restaurant and celebrated, so if nothing else my forgetfulness cost me a steak. August 19th is already in Outlook for next year.

Speaking of steaks, we are looking forward to celebrating the birthday of our friend Jenna this coming Sunday night. Jenna's mom Joyce is visiting from Baltimore and offered to take us out kids and all for dinner. I am not sure if she knows what she's getting herself into, but we are eagerly anticipating this outing.

Hit the Target!

2010-08-17T09:54:00.003+03:00

I just returned to Israel after spending a week in the United States. For a long time before the trip, I had wanted to go back to visit. I had never really missed the places, but it was the little things. For those of you who have lived here in Israel, you know that we often think about how things are different in America.

After spending a week that was full of American comforts and familiarities such as Mountain Dew, Target, and courteous drivers, I can honestly say that it was good to come home to Israel. Don't get me wrong, as I had a great trip. I spent the first part of the week in Norfolk, Virginia, where I trained the staff of the TV station at Old Dominion University. They were excited to learn and eager to use the new system which made the training very easy. It was also nice seeing my sister and brother in law Rachel and Roey who happened to be on vacation in Virginia Beach. Of course my nephew Benjy slept through our entire dinner, but when you're tired you're tired.

After my 3 days in Norfolk, I drove up 95 to Baltimore. It is amazing how different the driving is in the United States. After driving here in Israel for 2 years, I have picked up some Israeli habits. You know, the speeding and failure to signal that makes the roads in Israel so much fun. It took me a while to remember that people in the USA were actually polite. At one point, I didn't realize that the exit I needed was on the left side of the road. In Israel, I would have surely missed the exit, but in Virginia, all I had to do was signal and everyone let me over. When I got up to Baltimore, the first thing I noticed was that despite being away for 2 years, nothing had changed. They were still doing the same Beltway construction as when I left. It was nice to be back in the old home town however and I had a great time seeing the family and a few friends. I think however that the biggest benefactor of my visit was Target. After not being there for 2 years, I had a lot of time to make up. Somehow, it all made its way back to Israel. I also visited several other malls and thanks to my Mom, made my way through every show store in the greater Baltimore area.

Shabbat was quiet, and was a good chance to catch up on some needed sleep. When you only go for a week, there is no time to deal with jet lag. So, Friday night was an early night for me, but most of the day on Shabbat was spent talking to family friends who stopped by to say hello. Saturday night, I got to hang out with my friend Jeremy who was also visiting from Modi'in. We tried to go to Kosher Bite for old times sake, but they were closed. We thought it was sad that there was no place in the entire city to get a burger on a Saturday night. At least we tried. On Sunday, after a quick lunch at Max's in Silver Spring it was back on the plane to come home.

Speaking of the flights, I am happy to say that they were all uneventful. With connections, I always worry, as if one flight is delayed it can ruin the entire travel experience. Everything however ran on time. The one thing I can not figure out are the airline meals. In a world where we can have anything we want by pressing a button, you would think that someone could figure out how to do a decent kosher meal. On the first flight, I had the same meal for dinner and for lunch. It was nasty both times, but was even worse the second time as they served it cold. Thank goodness I brought my own food. If anyone can figure out how to do these right, there's money to be made.

In any case, when I did arrive back in Modi'in, Avi immediately gave me a big hug and Avi immediately asked where his gift was. At least some things never change.

It was a busy but productive week in the USA and it was nice to visit. I have no doubt however that we made the right decision by moving to Israel. Baltimore while a nice place to visit, is definitely not my home. Target is nice, but I'll take Shufersal any day.

A Busy Few Weeks

2010-08-06T13:35:00.002+03:00

When I started this blog over two years ago, I had no idea what it really meant to be a blogger. Whenever too much time elapses between posts, and I receive complaints from my small yet loyal band of readers, I remember that part of maintaining a blog means that I must take the time to share my experiences and yes, even some insights as well.

So, here I go trying to quickly catch up on a busy, yet productive past few weeks.

Some of you may know that for the past several months, I have been trying to find a new job. I have been on several interviews and have even been offered some positions, however until this point nothing had been enough to make me even think about leaving my current position. A few weeks ago, I interviewed for a position that sounded ideal, enabling me to combine my educational and technology based experiences. I went for the first interview, and after not hearing back for 2 weeks, I kind of figured they had gone in a different direction. The next Shabbat, while sitting in Shul, I happened to see one of the people with whom I had interviewed. I figured, this was a good thing, as he would either awkwardly avoid me, or he would let me know what was happening. As it was, this turned out to be a good thing as he approached me and informed me that I was one of two finalists for the position and that someone would contact me soon. Sure enough, later that week I received a call to come in for a second interview, and to make a long story short, I was offered the new position on Wednesday. So, in one month I will be starting work for a company called GreenPoint as the Director of Curriculum Development for a new on-line educational platform. For the first time in a very long while, I am actually excited about the professional possibilities that this position could bring. Don't worry, I will try and keep you posted.

Now, that news may seem like a post all in itself, but the story does not stop there. While all of this was happening, my current company asked me if I would fly to America to train some new customers. Since I have not been back since we made Aliyah, I was kind of itching for the chance to go back and visit. Don't get me wrong. I love living here in Israel, but there are some things that I do miss about the old country. With all of the details in place, I will be flying Sunday morning into Washington, and then driving south down to Norfolk, VA where I will be conducting three days of training. When I am done there, I will drive back up to Baltimore and do one more day of training for a different company, before spending Shabbat back home with my parents. I was a bit nervous as I was getting ready to tell my company I was leaving. I did not want them to cancel the trip last minute. Luckily, they were understanding and nice, and the trip looks like it is moving forward.

So, you may think the story ends there, but it doesn't. Going to America is nice, but since I have never traveled out of Israel, I never bothered to get an Israeli passport, which is needed for traveling in and out of the country. The regular way to get the passport is to go to the Modi'in city hall, fill out the forms and then you get the passport about 3 weeks later. The problem here however was that I did not have 3 weeks. I had to get this done in 1 week. So, I had to go to the main ministry of interior building in a city called Ramle'. The process was not too bad, all things considered, even though I had to go back two times to get the passport. The good news is that now, I have what I need to travel.

That takes care of the business side, now on to the fun stuff. After the 3 weeks, all of the concerts happen all at the same time. Last week, I went with my friend Elliott to the amphitheater in Cesaria for a Shweky concert. I had seen Shweky once before at Latrun and was not so impressed, but I decided to give him another shot. I am glad I did! The show was amazing both musically and was produced quite well. The amount of guests was unlike anything I had seen before. And, seeing a concert in Cesaria was a treat in itself. Last night, our musical month continued, this time with the entire family as we went to see the Yeshiva Boys Concert in Israel for the first time. While not quite at the same level as the week before, we did have fun. Avi started off strong, but fell asleep at the end. Eitan was the opposite. He was tired at the beginning but got a second wind before the night was over. There were some sound issues that should have been resolved before the show started, but it was a nice evening.

Today, I spent some time with the kids and took them to lunch with my friend Jeremy and his son Natan. The kids do much better when they are with other children than when it is just us. Jeremy and I will actually be in Baltimore at the same time next week, so we may meet for an old fashioned trip to Kosher Bite. We'll say if time allows.

Well, I think that's it for now. Over the course of next week, I will try and update you on my trip.

Independence Taken a Bit Too Far

2010-07-16T14:00:00.004+03:00

It has been another hot week in Israel. While eating dairy all week, due to the 9 days has been difficult, it is nice to be able to eat ice cream for desert. Since I am not the biggest dairy fan, Debbie has really tried her best to find other alternatives. She bought some fake meat products at the store and while some of them would be acceptable if I were a contestant on Survivor, I am ready to eat real meat! People told us before we made Aliyah, that children in Israel, are much more independent then in the USA. Over the past two years, we have seen signs of this, as we regularly see children doing things such as playing in the park, riding bikes, and other activities, alone. Our American instincts still do not let us give our children permission to do these and other things on their own. This week however, the level of independence took a giant leap forward that even the Israeli parents found problematic. Every day, a bus picks Avi up for camp. The bus is chaperoned by a volunteer, who is there to make sure that the children our safe and arrive to camp without any problems. On Monday morning, Debbie received a phone call from Avi's camp head saying there was a problem. Debbie's first thought was, "what did he do now?" But, the camp director assured Debbie that Avi was not the reason for this call. Apparently, the bus had dropped off Avi and the other children without first checking to make sure that there was an adult present. The bus had arrived early, and the children were left alone. Luckily, no one disappeared or got hurt, but let's just say that even the Israeli parents were unhappy. Debbie, and every other parent called to complain and this chaperone was replaced the next day. We still can not believe however that such a thing could even happen. On a much more positive note, we went to Yerushalayim today to see our good friend Matt Klein, who is here as a Birthright staff member. It was great to see Matt, as while we have kept in touch thanks to Facebook, we had not actually seen him since before we moved to Israel. Together with Matt we walked through the Machane Yehuda Shuk and bought lots of good stuff for Shabbat. After that, we went to our favorite shwarma place, but because of the 9 days settled for falafels. I guess in Israel, a falafel is almost as good. After lunch we stopped for frozen yogurt and walked around Ben Yehuda. It was nice to see such a big crowd, as when we were there last, it was empty. It is always nice to spend time with friends and relatives from the old country, so we hope to see all of you reading this blog, when you're here. Shababt Shalom

Happy Birthday Eitan!

2010-07-09T07:50:00.002+03:00

I had a technology teacher who always told us that a blog was not really a blog unless it was updated daily. Well, if that's the case, I am not sure what I am writing, but even though I have not exactly been keeping up with those daily postings, I can assure you that all is well here in Modi'in.
The truth is that, since the move, life has settled back down into its normal routine of work, school, chores, etc. Life has a way of continuing, whether you are ready to enjoy it or not.
During the past few weeks, we were privileged enough to host an extended Kramer family reunion here in Modi'in. Well, maybe host is pushing it, as we did go out to eat. But, it was great to see our cousin Helen who was visiting from the States, and equally as great to see David and Tammy. Even though we both live in Israel now, we still don't get to see each other nearly often enough. Dinner was great, although, let's just say our waiter did nothing to earn his tip.
The fact that we were able to relax and enjoy a dinner out after the move, was in fact proof that life does go forward. My nephew Brad also stayed with us for 2 weeks while his parents were in New Jersey. It was nice having a built in baby sitter, and someone with whom I could actually discuss sports. Debbie couldn't believe the amount of food that was consumed. But, knowing how much teen agers can eat, I was happy to have some competition. You see, as long as there's someone here to eat more, the attention is taken off of me.
Brad's in camp now, and summer is going by quickly. Which brings me to the point of this posting. Tomorrow, is Eitan's 3rd birthday. This may not seem like such a special occasion, as if you ask Eitan, he is most excited about the pizza we promised him for lunch today. Eitan's birthday however shows our progress since we made Aliyah almost 2 years ago. When we arrived in Israel, Eitan was only 1. He had the easiest adjustment since he really didn't know what was happening. Over the past two years though, he has grown into an actual person, with a distinct personality. Over the same 2 year period, we have all grown into our new lives here in Israel. This week, Debbie began the oh so much fun task of toilet training the birthday boy. We were not sure if he was ready, or how he would do. After a day of much floor washing, he seems to be doing a pretty good job. I guess that's a sign that even the little guys get older.
As we enjoy life and all of its experiences, we can remember that while things may start off seemingly impossible and messy, life has a funny way of making this happen.

The Day Before

2010-06-14T15:12:00.002+03:00

First, let me begin this post with some free advice. If you can, avoid moving at all costs. There is really nothing fun about the whole experience. Let me share one painful story about why moving is unpleasant.
When we decided to move, we also decided that this would be a good time to switch our phone and Internet service. Since we arrived in Israel, we have been using a company called Bezeq for both our phone and Internet service and we have not been thrilled with either one. Those of you who have visited us over the past years, know that our Internet service was always slow, and sometimes didn't work at all. So, we called the other Israeli service and scheduled an installation in the new apartment. All I had to do now was call Bezeq and let them know that I was leaving. You would think this would be an easy step. When I called however they told me that there was no record of my account in their computer. I asked how that could be. I do pay them every month and believe me when I tell you they have no problem taking my money.
After two hours on the phone with the company, using every piece of ID information I could think of, I finally just decided to give up. I figured that worst case scenario, I would call the credit card company and ask them to stop payments to this company.
Before taking this drastic step however I decided to try one more idea. This time I accessed my credit card on-line statement that clearly showed the Bezeq charges. Armed with some clear evidence I called Bezeq again, and after waiting for a customer service representative, I began the ID process one last time. Of course, at the beginning they couldn't find my records. The service rep. even tried to convince me that I actually had another Internet provider. That's when I mentioned that I was staring at the credit card statement that clearly listed the Bezeq charge. He then asked me to email the statement to him so he could examine the "evidence." Finally, after 3 hours wasted arguing, I was getting somewhere.
When he got the email, and saw the charge, he did some clicking and finally came back and told me that he had found my account. When I asked why it had taken so much effort to find seemingly simple information, it turned out that my Israeli identification number had been entered into their computer system without the last digit. Therefore, my information did not appear during searches.
At that moment, I knew why I was switching to a different company, yet I was happy that the ordeal was over. When the service rep. asked me why I was cancelling, I responded by pointing out what had happened over the past day and a half. He really couldn't argue.
This is just one example of why moving sucks. Tomorrow is the big day. The movers should arrive at 8AM in the morning and we are hoping that by the time the kids are done with school at 4:30, that the job is complete. Debbie and I both took over some items today in the car, and tomorrow morning we will also take care of a few items like the computer and jewelry that we don't want to go on the truck.
We are all looking forward to being in the new place, and I am sure we will be happy there. Getting there however has been a stressful process that I am happy is almost over.
On a slightly different topic, a letter to the editor which I wrote this week appeared in the Baltimore Jewish Times. You can click on this link to check it out: http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/letters/ My letter is about half way down. Two students from my old high school, Beth Tfiloh decided to spend their post high school time, not in Israel but in the Palestinian territories, volunteering at a refugee camp in Bethlehem. After the Jewish Times ran a story about their experiences, a community member wrote a very disparaging letter about Beth Tfiloh. Now, while I do not for a second condone what the students did, I know for a fact that Beth Tfiloh goes out of its way to teach about the importance and our appreciation for Israel. So, as a faithful school alum, living in the holy land I felt it was my duty to stick up for the school, that is at least partly responsible for my feelings towards Israel.
So, here we are ready for the big move. Living in Israel has in some ways been different then we imagined, but well worth these inconveniences. On a positive note, I was in my new apartment this morning and I met one of our neighbors. She seemed very nice and told me that we will enjoy living there.
Let's hope she's right!

Getting There...

2010-06-09T16:38:00.002+03:00

So, in my last post oh so long ago, I wrote about the difficulties associated with changing neighborhoods and locations. We have made a lot of progress since the last post. We formally took possession of the apartment on June 1. Since then the place has been painted, a wall has been torn down, drapes have been ordered (coming tomorrow), furniture is starting to be delivered, and well it is actually starting to feel like our home.
Every time I have gone into the apartment and have seen another bit of progress, I have realized the difference between renting and owning a place of our own. With the rental, while the neighborhood was great, we knew that the arrangement was only temporary. We always knew that at the end of our two year lease, we would need to find a new place. Because of this realization we never did things to make the place feel like our home. Improvement projects were of course out of the question, as we never wanted to invest in another person's property. Even hanging art and photos on the wall was a big deal, as every hole and nick needs to be repaired. Now, in the new place all of the art work and photographs that have been in storage all this time are getting ready to make a return appearance. We don't have a lot of wall space but we will use whatever space we have to put our personal stamps on the apartment.
Of course, all of the preparations and excitement have come at a time, where living in Israel is even more meaningful. For the outside world it was easy to look at the events of the past week and mediately condemn Israel's actions. The problem is that as is usually the case, Israel actually acted with self restraint and responsibility. When a person is attacked, he has a right to defend himself. Unfortunately, Israel is constantly put in the position of having to defend itself against aggressors. But, hopefully over time, the rest of the world will come to its senses and understand that Israel is here to stay. How do you think the US would react if unapproved ships tried to dock off the coast of New York? Do we honestly think that after several warnings were ignored they wouldn't board the illegal vessels? The Israel double standard has struck again, but hopefully opinions will be set right over time.
This week is our final Shabbat in Buchman. Our time in Buchman is ending as it began. We are having both meals with close friends, people I know we will continue to see regularly, even in Givat C. The move of course brings with it new challenges, new adventures, hopefully some new friends, and even more hopefully no broken furniture (been there done that). Over the next week, Internet permitting, I will continue to document the events leading up to and including our move up the mountain to Givat C.

Out With the Old (and In With the New?)

2010-05-18T17:32:00.002+03:00

In another three weeks, we will be moving into our new apartment in Givat C. While we are happy and excited to be moving, it has been yet another period of transition, as we leave the Buchman neighborhood, and prepare to move to Givat C.
It is no secret that we had always hoped to be able to buy in Buchman. The housing prices however have just gotten completely out of hand. So, with the realization that we would never be able to own in Buchman, we set our sites on Givat C, and we found a very nice apartment within (barely) our price range.
This move represents the second time in three years that we will in a sense be starting over. Yes, Givat C and Buchman are close enough that if we want to walk, or if people want to walk it is possible. But, there will be times where we will miss being so close to our friends. Just this week, we were asked by friends expecting their second child to come over and watch their son, so they could go to the hospital for the big day. We hope that we are able to continue to have the same dynamics with our close friends, even though we will be further away.
Getting ready for the move itself, has also been a bit of a struggle. Our new apartment, does not contain a lot of storage space. Therefore, we are forced to yet again get rid of some items that we no longer need. It seems like we just did this in New Jersey! The problem is however that Debbie and I have had different definitions as to what is considered to be a no longer needed ite. For example, Debbie insisted on selling Eitan's crib and baby furniture. I had always envisioned keeping those items for the long term, as while Eitan may be ready to sleep in a bed, who know when these items may be needed in the future. The truth is that storing these and other similar items, would have been challenging. However, some items, which even though, may represent the past, are difficult to sell. Even our couch, which I will be the first to admit has seen better days, has a lot of history. Debbie and I purchased the couch when we got married and the couch has always been a central fixture in our living rooms, wherever they were.
As we continue to prepare for our move to Givat C which is only a short distance away, in many ways the move feels much further. Hopefully, we will find the community in Givat C to be as welcoming and friendly as the Buchman community. We look forward to what is about to come, but we are also a bit sad to be leaving the past.
We are about to celebrate our final Chag as Buchman residents. As has thankfully been the case most of the time, we have plans with friends, and are looking forward to a nice holiday. At the same time, we will be wondering about the experiences which we will be having in the future.

Happy 62nd Birthday Israel!

2010-04-21T18:14:00.002+03:00

This year's Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration again reminded us why we came here and why we go through, what are sometimes strenuous and challenging experiences to be able to live in Israel.
On Monday night, we all went to the city's Maariv service, which is held every year as a way to start the Yom Ha'atzmaut festivities. I know I say this every year, but I was again amazed at how well the kids behaved. Davening did not start until after 8, and I only brought minimal snacks with me. Somehow though, they sat when they needed to sit, and behaved very well. Throughout the service, the group broke out into dancing, around the big auditorium. Normally, I am not a big fan of long davenings, but this was an exception. Avi asked many times to go and dance with the group, and I could not say no. Eitan was not sure what to make of the experience, but took it all in and even though he was obviously tired, took one for the team.
After the davening, we headed next door to the high school building for a special Yom Ha'atzmaut outdoor concert. As soon as we arrived, we could hear the music, and as soon as we got to our seats, we were all ready to jump up and join the party. With flags waving, and the bands playing, we enjoyed a fantastic night of festivities. I was surprised again at how many songs Avi was singing. This really made it more meaningful to him as between school, and Uncle Moishy, many of the tunes were familiar to him. After the first act, Aron Razel, a well known singer came up to perform. It was nice to see him live, as while I have heard many of his recorded songs, I had never actually seen him perform. At about 10PM Debbie and I decided it was time to go. Eitan had a glazed look over his eyes, and by that point Avi was laying on my lap. Of course, as we were walking out towards the car, Avi asked why we couldn't stay longer. When we finally reached home, there were no arguments when it came time to go to bed.
The next morning, despite the fact that he had been up until 10:30 the night before, Avi woke up at his usual time. So, I decided to take him along to Shul for the special Yom Ha'atzmaut davening. For those of you who celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut in the States, you may if you are lucky be able to find a minyan that says Hallel. Here in Israel, Yom Ha'atzmaut in many ways is treated as a day of Chol Hamoed Yom Tov. The first part of shacharit follows the Shabbat service, and even the other parts include singing like you would normally hear on Shabbat. It was a very nice davening, but I think Avi got a little "Shulled out." He was ready to go!
When we got home, we headed out to a new park that just opened in Modi'in, called Park Anabe. It is a really nice park. I am glad to see my tax money finally went for something nice. Among the attractions are a huge playground as well as a manmade lake with boating. Avi of course wanted to go on a boat ride, so since it was a special day I agreed to take him. The sign said that the cost was 25 shekels for 15 minutes. Well, it turned out to be 25 shekels per person. So, at 50 shekels this was an expensive 15 minutes! We had already promised Avi, so we went ahead and paid the high cost. And, I will admit that while it was expensive, we had a lot of fun. We did however make a point of telling Avi that we would not be doing this every time we went to the park.
After the boat ride, Avi and Eitan (and Debbie) loved playing on the playground. They have a lot of different climbing structures, sand, swings, and a lot of other activities. Best of all, they seem to want to keep it clean. There were park employees there the entire time, cleaning and trying to keep the park nice. After about an hour, we were all hot and tired and we decided to head home. Besides, we had to get ready for the day's main event, the annual Yom Ha'atzmaut BBQ.
For those of you who have ever been to one of my BBQ's, you know that I take them very seriously. This is no laughing matter. We invited several other families, and to Debbie's credit, every family was assigned to bring a different item. By the time everyone arrived, there were enough food and drinks to feed a starving nation. After a little more than 2 hours of grilling, even I was able to sit back and relax (and eat) to appreciate the meaning of the day.
Yes, the tiyulim, music, and especially the BBQ were all great. But what really makes the day unique is thinking about our almost 2 years here celebrating. I have commented before on this blog that Israel is the only country in the world that welcomes immigrants with open arms. Yom Ha'atzmaut gives us a chance to pause and reflect on how and why this is all possible.

Missing the Ripken Way

2010-04-16T12:50:00.002+03:00

Growing up in Baltimore, baseball and the Orioles were the past time of most school aged kids. I can remember going to my first baseball game in 1985. My Dad took me to a night game at the old Memorial Stadium. To this day I can still remember watching Tippy Martinez blow a save opportunity against the Milwaukee Brewers, who yes, at the time before inter league play were in the American league.
The O's had a decent year in '85 going 83 and 78 but still coming in 4th place in a division that was competitive even then. Back in 1985 though, even with the blown saves and sometimes lackluster play, the Orioles always made us proud. The following season, we went to more games then usual, as my grandfather who lived in the Washington area received a lot of tickets that he could not use. That was not a great season, as the O's finished 73 and 89 and in seventh place. To a seven year old kid though, watching the greats like Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray made it ok, even if the team did not play well. During one game, there was a rain delay. Rick Dempsey, the Orioles former catcher entertained the fans by sliding all over the rain coverings. After about 30 minutes, the rain passed and the teams were able to continue. Even if the teams were bad, the old Oriole magic made it all better. You saw a team of players who actually wanted to play for the love of the game, not just for the big pay day.
Fast forward to 2010. The Orioles have not had a winning season since 1996. The Oriole greats like Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Dempsey, and the rest are long gone. Every year, the team has signed some big name free agents to try to get them out of last place. Clark, Palmeiro, Tejada, Lopez, and others have proven that one guy can't do it by himself. It takes the contributions of all 25 players, no matter how much you pay one guy. For a long time, even through all of the losing seasons, the fans remained loyal, hoping that the Orioles would reclaim their old glory. Every year, they always said they were almost there, yet every year as ticket prices are raised, the stats have continued to go down. In 2010, with a team full of home grown prospects and lots of talent, we were ready to reclaim the magic. Here we are though, 10 days into the season and the team is picking up where they left off. The team is off to a 1-8 start, the worst start since 1988's infamous 0-21. There could be a lot of explanations as to why the Orioles continue to under perform. Some could blame the manager, others could blame the inexperience of the players, and others could say that the division is stronger then it's ever been. At the end of the day though, one can't help but feel a bit of a let down from the team that was at one time synonymous with pride and victory. It's obvious from the game attendance reports that the fans in Baltimore are equally as frustrated. The last home game drew only 9,000 fans, a far cry from the days where we had to buy tickets weeks in advance.
Here in Israel, where baseball is not the popular sport, many don't understand the frustrations of us baseball fans. Following baseball from here is easier with the Internet, but still requires more effort. Waking up to read the latest Orioles box score unfortunately, has been getting the day off to a really depressing start.
Despite these frustrations, I still consider myself to be an Orioles fan. Sadly though the next generation are not getting the same good Orioles magic vibes that we grew up with years ago. This is sad not only for the Orioles but for Baltimore as well. The O's were the city's pride and joy. Now they are the city's big joke.
Baltimore can't afford any more big jokes. So, Mr. Angelos, let's finally wake up and make some tough decisions.
The pieces are there. There are some great young players who will be able to carry this team in the future. But, at 1 and 8 it is obvious that some work still needs to be done. First, while I am the first to admit that the problems are not one person's fault, it may be time for a new manager. Trembley has done a decent job in getting the team through some rough spots but now it may be time to bring in someone with more experience. Maybe Angelos could apologize to Dave Johnson. Second, how about rewarding those fans who have stuck with the team through all of these losing seasons. Maybe some cheaper ticket plans would lure some of the fans back to Oriole Park. Third, for those of us here in Israel and other far away places, we'll take just about anything we can get. How about unblocking some of those web filters so we too can watch some of the action on line for free!
well, I know Angelos is probably not reading this blog, but I hope that next time I write about my old home town heroes, the story will have a happier ending.

Pesach Adventures...

2010-04-02T12:02:00.002+03:00

After all of the preparations, cooking, cleaning, and everything else that goes into making Pesach, it has been nice to actually enjoy the holiday.
Seder went very well. Debbie's sister and family and my sister joined us for what turned out to be a very lively kid friendly seder. Eitan and the rest of the kids did a great job with the various versions of the Ma-Neshtanah, and with some other games and activities, I think everyone had a nice time.
Tuesday afternoon, after some much needed naps, Debbie and her sister took the kids to the park, and my nephew and I decided to stay back for some additional sleep. We received a nice surprise visit from our good friend Mia Lazarus and the Fischer family and we all had a busy but nice day.
On Wednesday, we began the Chol Hamoed part of the holiday, which of course means trips and plenty of fun for all. Late Wednesday morning, we met my cousins, the Kramer's and most of their kids for what has become our anual Pesach tiyul. You see, the Kramer family has been in Israel for a lot longer then we have been here. They know those great places that don't appear in the travel guides. Whenever we go some place with them, we never actually know what we will be doing or where we will end up. We always know however that we will have a good time. Therefore, we eagerly anticipated our time with them. After driving down some windy dirt roads, we found what could best be described as a natural water slide, located near Tel Afek outside of Petach Tikvah. Again, this place is not part of the AAA guide. While we were not the only people there, it certainly was not as crowded as some of the more main stream tourist attractions. Yet, as we knew we would, we all had a great time. I think Avi had it the best, as all of the Kramer kids entertained him and took him in the water. On second thought, maybe Debbie and I had the best time, as we didn't have to do anything, except sit and relax. Of course Eitan had no interest in going in the water, which was just find with me. Our next stop, was a montain top just past Karnei Shomron. The view was amazing, as we could see from Ashkelon to Chadeira from this one point. This mountain is actually considered to be an ileagal outpost. There are about 30 families living in caravans, who have maintained a constant presence. When you read about the ileagal outposts in the news, it is easy to imagine that they are insignifigant. The first thing I saw however was the importance of this mountain for Israel's security. Giving away this land would hand over a vantage point that could be used to attack virtually any part of Israel. I wonder if Ehud Barak has actually been to this ileagal outpost. After enjoying and appreciating the view, we went back the the Kramer's for a huge and amazing BBQ. We are still full.
On Thursday, we joined the absorption department of Modi'in for a trip to Massada and the Dead Sea. The kids had never been this far down south and when the trip was announced, we thought it would be a good and fun opportunity to see a different part of the country. Our good friends the Bob's and the Gilbert's also came, so we got to spend some time with them as well.
When we arrived at Massada, Debbie and Rena decided that they were going to walk up the mountain. For those of you who have never done this, it is not a short walk. It generally takes about an hour and is literally all up hill. Most people prefer to do this climb early in the morning before the sun comes up. But my wife and my sister decided to make the climb at 11AM with the sun shining down. This of course meant that I had to deal with both kids on the Massada tour, which was not a big deal, but as those of you who have been there know Massada is not stroller friendly, meaning that in addition to keeping an eye on Avi in a very busy locale, I also had to carry Eitan from place to place. We managed to make it through and our tour guide did a good job of involving the kids. Avi got to play a zealot. My son the zealot! Now I'm a proud parent!
Debbie and Rena finally joined us for the end of the tour. After heading back down in the cable car and enjoying a much needed kosher for Pesach ice cream, we got back on the bus and headed for the Dead Sea.
Now, the first they they tell you when you go to the Dead Sea is not to get the water in your eyes, as the salt content of the water can iritate the eyes. Avi, Rena and I went down to the water first. Avi was a little apprehensive but Rena did a good job of getting him in. She tried to get him to lie back and float but he was a bit scared. Then came Debbie and Eitan. As we all know, Eitan is not a fan of any water, and as usual wanted no part of the Dead Sea. Debbie on the other hand was determined to have both kids enjoy the entire Dead Sea experience. So, after bringing Eitan into the water against his wishes, she proceeded to try to get Avi to float. Avi then lost his balance and went under the water, eyes and all. I imediately caught him and tried to make him feel better, while Debbie continued to work with Eitan. At that point Avi could not/would not open his eyes, as the salt water was burning. I took Avi to the outdoor showers and tried to get him to go in and open his eyes, but he refused. So as they do in Israel, the woman in line next to us picked him up and stuck him under the water. I was going to stop her but she was actually getting the job done. By the time she finished, Avi was still screaming, but his eyes were open so I knew we were making progress. Next, I took him back to the towels and sat with him until he felt better. He told me that he didn't want to come back to the Dead Sea, but after talking about it some more, I convinced him that the next time, since he now knew what to expect, he would have a better time.
After getting dressed we all got back on the bus, full of salt and very tired. I think we all fell asleep during some part of the trip back to Modi'in. The kids had no trouble going to sleep last night!
After two days of trips and activities, today was a relaxed day. At shul this morning, it was amazing to see how all of the men looked like walking zombies. After talking to some of the other people there, it seemed that we all had the same experiences of traveling and hiking and the hot sun. While we all had fun, it was clear that Shabbat could not be coming too soon.
Other than a short bike ride with Avi, we have spent today relaxing. I made matza brie for breakfast and plan on spending some serious time this afternoon watching TV. We have had a great time so far and are looking forward to the last days.
To see more photos of our Pesach click here.

Erev Pesach with The Simpsons

2010-03-29T15:19:00.002+03:00

So, it's almost time for the main event. The food is cooked, the house is cleaned, and the children are taking naps. This morning, Avi and I went to Shul for the siyum for the first born. He was excited about the Pesach cookie he got at the end of davening, so I told him to get used to them. After davening, we came home and went outside to burn our chametz. Those of you in Baltimore are used to a community, controlled fire at the Glen Avenue Fire Station. In Israel, biur chametz is a bit different. Here, you can find a fire burning on just about every street. There was one right outside of our building. Avi, Eitan, my sister, and I all went to throw our chametz into the fire. Avi is definitely the fire lover in the family. Eitan, was not such a fan of the smoke. The real excitement of the day however came at lunch time. Those of you in the States know that Erev Pesach is usually slim pickings as far as food is concerned. You can't eat bread, and you can't eat matzah, so that doesn't leave too many choices. In Israel this is not a problem, as in the mall every restaurant is kosher for Pesach and was therefore open for business today. Now, most of the places have kitniyot menus, and those of you who are regular readers know how I feel about kitniyot. But on Erev Pesach, even we are allowed to eat kitniyot. After fighting for a parking space, we made our way to the food court and ordered a full Burger's Bar lunch. They had everything you could want, just on potato rolls, instead of the usual bread. As we were eating, we all reflected back on the old days, when Erev Peach consisted of hard salami and diet coke. Not that there's anything wrong with hard salami, but hey, this is Burger's Bar we're talking about. Once the kids went for their naps, we welcomed The Simpson family to Israel. We were a bit worried about what we would watch, as The Simpsons are not exactly known for being politically correct. After watching however we were amazed at how accurately the episode reflected certain parts of life here in Israel. Of course, there were the usual inappropriate and crude jokes, but this is The Simpsons after all. After all the work of preparing for Pesach, this was a great way to relax and appreciate this country for what it is. Below is a clip from the episode. So, we hope everyone has a Chag Sameach and an enjoyable seder. Stay tuned for more Chol Hamoed updates as the week continues.

It's Pesach Time!

2010-03-26T16:50:00.002+03:00

As is the case with every other holiday, the Pesach experience started well before the actual holiday. This is the first year that we will actually be hosting Pesach, as my sister and Debbie's sister and family will be joining us for seder. While this is not our first time hosting Pesach, it is our first time here in Israel. Some would expect the process here to be easier than in America. In actuality however, it is amazing how similar the Pesach preparations have been.
The first step, was to figure out what we needed to do to get ready. Debbie and I quickly figured out sleeping arrangements, and the kitchen plan, but those were the easy parts. The real fun started about a week ago. Pesach shopping in Israel is equally as fun here as in America. High prices for limited selections can make for a frustrating experience. So, after seeing an ad in the Jerusalem Post for a discount store that was open on Saturday night, I grabbed my friend Jeremy, and we set out for Jerusalem armed with a long shopping list and a lot of patience. We left soon after Shabbat was over, so the store was not so crazy when we arrived. We both did pretty well, completing our lists and left with a sense of satisfaction. That satisfaction was short lived however, as I quickly realized how much more food we needed to buy.
While I was at the store, Debbie began the kitchen turnover process got a lot accomplished as well. Over the next week, Debbie continued to clean and did a great job of getting the entire house ready for Pesach.
On Tuesday, I took the car for the annual trip to the gas station vacuum. This really brought me back to the old days at the Crown station next to Tov Pizza. I cleaned the car, and was amazed at what I found. When I got to work, everyone wanted to know why I was already so tired that early in the morning. The next day, Debbie and I went to buy paper goods and to do our second shopping trip at Yesh, a chareidi super market with good deals. As we proceeded to cross more items off our list, it dawned on me how crazy the whole kitniyot thing is. Most of Israel is of Sephardic descent, and eats kitniyot products. It is only us Ashkenazim who need to be careful. If anyone can give me a good reason, why despite the fact that the items are not chametz, we still can't eat them, I'm all ears! I mean, we couldn't even find frozen veggies without kitniyot!
Since two stores was still not enough, Debbie dropped me at home with the groceries and headed back out to the next grocery store to get just a few remaining items. I went to work late that day, and when I came home at 9PM, Debbie was again exhausted, but the kitchen was just about ready to go.
The next night, when I cam home from work, I placed the counter top covers which we had ordered and we were ready to start the real fun of cooking for Pesach. Of course, Thursday night still had plenty of time left to get some more preparation items checked off the list. After going to Shul to sell our chametz, I stopped by the hair cut place to make an appointment. He explained that he was totally booked but if I wanted to stay now he would cut my hair. I looked at my watch and could not believe that this guy wanted to cut my hair at 9:20PM, but I said ok, as this also meant that I would not have to find another place right before Pesach.
So, that brings us to Friday. Debbie spent most of the day in the kitchen, cooking and baking. My turn comes on Sunday, and by Monday night we should be ready for the main event. One nice added bonus is that since our kitchen is now chametz free, we have been eating out every meal.
Is all this headache worth it? Well, while I would love to be in some 5 star hotel being waited on hand and foot, the reality is that if that can't happen, then this, despite all of the work is a good option. I still find it ironic however that the holiday which celebrates the Jews going from slavery to freedom also features the most work.

Why Doing the Minimum is OK

2010-03-12T16:57:00.007+02:00

This past week, a valuable lesson was re-enforced. If I do the bare minimum amount of work, everyone involved is happy. If I do more than the minimum no one really cares, and no additional recognition is given.

This may sound like a sad portrayal of the professional world, but I learned this week, that philosophy did in fact hold true. On Wednesday, Avi was home sick. Since Debbie needed to go to work in the afternoon, I called my boss and I gave him 3 options, asking him to pick the one that worked best for him. Option number 1 was for me to take a sick day and stay home. I did not mind this choice, as I still have plenty of sick days left. Option number 2 was to come into the office from 7:30-12:15, and leave early, so I could be home by 1:00 for Debbie to go to work. The third option was for me to spend the entire day working from home.

My boss, immediately chose option number 3, as he said it did not pay to come into the office for just a few hours. I was happy, as a day where I don't have to travel is always a nice treat. So, I spent Wednesday sitting at my dining room table, working remotely on a variety of tasks and projects. Before I knew it, lunch time came. I could not believe how much work I had actually completed! Usually, while in the office, I am interrupted constantly, and my attention is diverted to other matters. On Wednesday, I was actually able to spend 4 hours in the morning, uninterrupted (I did have to change Avi's DVD twice) and productive. After lunch, I continued working, and by 4PM, I had completed more work in one day than I do in an entire week sitting in my office. I was actually astounded when I compared the difference. This was even with some office interruptions. Of course, Skype was open and I was chatting a lot, but I was still able to get more work done.

The next morning, when I went into the office, I actually felt proud and accomplished. I could not wait to show my boss what I did and how much I had completed. A funny thing happened though. When I showed him my completed work, my boss was generally unimpressed. He did not really care that I had completed so much. He instructed me to upload my work to the server and to continue on. I was in fact surprised that I did not receive so much as a "way to go" or "good job." When I worked in leadership roles, I always tried to encourage and compliment people when they went above and beyond. Here, I realized that I could have spent a majority of my day working from home, watching TV and relaxing.

In a world with a terrible economy, unemployment, and poverty, it is amazing to me that a company would not want to encourage its employees to exceed expectations. I have heard similar stories at other companies, so I do not think that this was an isolated circumstance.

On the positive side, Avi enjoyed having me home, and he is feeling much better.

I want to give a shout out to my friend Yosef, with whom I have been working on a project. His new website www.lingodesigns.com is now up and running and open for business. This is a unique idea and I want to wish Yosef lots of luck and success.

On a similar topic, it is always great to see the innovate ideas of others. Debbie showed me this video earlier today.

2010-03-05T12:58:00.003+02:00

It's been a while since the last post. I could try and make excuses, as it has been quite a busy month. The truth is though, that laziness is to blame. So, in just a few minutes, I will try and catch everyone up on what's been happening.

It's amazing what a little surgery can do! You read all the time about the stars who go in for a small procedure and come out looking younger and feeling better. Well, since Avi had his procedure, we have seen a huge turnaround in both his behavior and his general attitude. He is more positive and more interested in what others have to say. His teachers tell us that Avi is more involved and is participating in more meaningful ways. Since the surgery, when we ask Avi what he did in school, he actually tells us what he did that day. Before, he would always tell us, "I don't remember." So, sometimes a little visit to the hospital can actually be a good thing.

Work has been, well the usual. It is always frustrating when you are forced to settle for mediocrity. We had a group of Russians with us for 2 weeks to receive training. Usually, when a group comes we take them out for dinner to a nice restaurant. With this group, it was decided that it was enough to just take them to a bar, as "Russians just like to drink." In the end, they didn't actually complain, so I guess they were happy. Around the same time, I discovered a technical problem with the program we use to create most of our work. I even figured out a way to fix the issue, but my boss had to figure out a solution on his own, as of course he is the only one who can solve any problems. In the end, he of course came up with the same conclusions I did. So much for productivity.

Purim was great as well. Saturday night, we went to the American shul for Megillah reading. Avi sat with me and Eitan sat with Debbie. Thanks to some big bags of snacks, both kids were very well behaved. Both of them especially liked when the person reading, did each person in a different voice. After Megillah reading they had a carnival and magic show. Purim day started off normally. Avi and I went to Shul in the morning and then we came home so Debbie could go to a later reading. Sometime while Debbie was out, the sky opened and it began to pour. Delivering mishloach manot became especially wet, as it was pouring the entire time. When we were finally finished, we were quite wet, but we got some good food from others, so we had a nice lunch. In the afternoon, we got together with some other families for a group Purim seudah. Everyone had a great time. We ate and drank too much, both signs of a successful seudah. Avi and Eitan both dressed up as Batman. I should have gone as the Joker, but I didn't think of it until too late. Maybe next year.

Now that Purim is over, it's back to the normal routine. We are making Pesach this year, so the coming weeks will be busy working, cleaning, and shopping for Pesach. We have already begun emptying the freezer, and I know that in the next 2 weeks, we will be eating a lot of hot dogs and the other left over frozen foods.

So, that in a nutshell is where what's happening. Stay tuned for further postings.

Avi's Day at the Hospital

2010-02-03T10:49:00.002+02:00

Yesterday, Avi had some minor surgery to insert tubes in his ears and to remove his adenoids. The surgery B"H went very well and Avi bounced back to his normal self pretty quickly. Still, for us, the entire process leading up to the surgery was just another learning experience as new Olim.

Some may disagree with me, but overall I feel that the health care system in Israel is stronger and more organized than in the United States. While, there may sometimes be long lines and time wasted sitting in waiting rooms, the simplicity and the level of care, almost make you forget the minor annoying parts.

Avi's surgery was done at Asutah Hospital in Tel-Aviv. This hospital was nicer than any hospital I have ever been in. While I hope to never need to be in a hospital, this is the hospital I would choose. The place was clean, organized, and friendly. The admissions process was simple, and they were ready for Avi, as soon as we arrived. Now, I realize that we may have just gotten lucky, but hey, everyone deserves some luck once in a while.

When Avi was in surgery, we sat in the spacious waiting room that had a faster Internet connection than I have at work, and I work for a hi-tech company. When the doctor came to tell us that Avi was out of surgery and in recovery, the nurses and the rest of the hospital staff, were all nice and helpful. I can't remember the last time I was able to say that about any place in Israel or in America.

Luckily, Avi recovered very quickly. When he work up, he asked for a drink, as he was not allowed to eat or drink before the surgery. The nurse brought him a cup of water, and Avi immediately asked, why he had to drink water and why he couldn't have juice or petel instead? We knew right away that Avi was back to his normal self. After 2 ice creams and a popsicle, we were on our way home by 2PM.

While we were waiting for Avi to be taken to surgery, we shared a room with an Israeli family whose daughter was having the same surgery. They decided not to tell their daughter what was happening. We on the other hand took the opposite approach. Debbie even read Avi Curious George goes to the Hospital so Avi would know exactly what was happening. When Avi woke up from his surgery he was calm and composed. When the other girl woke up she was alarmed and her mother said she started screaming. Looks like we took the right approach. Avi and the other girl did get to spend some time hanging out, as while we were waiting for the surgery, they watched Dora on my laptop. Technology saves the day again!

I am happy to report that Avi is pretty much back to his normal self. He gets to stay home from school for a few days, but once he found out Grandma would be there to play with him, he was happy.

So, while many things have not gone so easy in this country, I must say that our experiences with the health care system have been nothing but positive.

Mazel Tov Brad!

2010-01-29T13:55:00.005+02:00

This week, we are celebrating my nephew Brad's Bar Mitzvah. This week has been in the planning stages for as long as I can remember, so it's actually amazing that this week has finally come.

Besides for being the proud uncle, I also had the privledge of being Brad's Bar Mitzvah teacher. I have taught Bar Mitzvah to a number of boys over the years, and while they have all done a great job, I can honestly say that Brad was the easiest to teach. First, teaching Bar Mitzvah lessons in Israel starts off easier, as the students already know how to read Hebrew. You may laugh but I remember teaching one boy, who could barely read Hebrew. He went on to do a nice job, but we had to work a lot harder. Second, Brad is the most responsible and talented 12 year old I know. During the past year, that we have been working together, I never had to worry that Brad would be unprepared or disinterested. Even with a 2 and a half month break over the summer, Brad still managed to finish learning his Parsha, ahead of schedule. That only happens with a strong comitment. I thought for sure that when Brad saw his haftara, that we would have a least somewhat of a struggle. The haftara for this week's Parsha, may very well be the longest one! It literally goes on for 3 pages. Brad however was unphased. After learning the haftara trup, he imediately got to work learning his haftara. As his teacher, he not only made my job easy, but enjoyable as well.

I know that this Shabbat, Brad will shine. I know that this is only the first of many shining moments that Brad will have, and we all look forward to watching his continued growth and success.

Now, that I have gotten all that good stuff out of the way, I would be remiss if I did not talk a little bit about the activities of this past week. Most Bar Mitzvot, happen over Shabbat. Brad's Bar Mitzvah however, has been a week long party. On Monday, we all gathered at the Kotel, to hear Brad read from the Torah for the first time. After hearing him read for all of the guests, I knew that he was a natural. After minyan was over, we proceeded to Between the Arches, a restaraunt in the old city for a delicious breakfast. Then, we visited the Chain of Generations exhibit, which showed how Jewish history, despite so many tragedies and challenges has remained intact. After this moving exhibit, we went on a tour of the Muslim quarter of the old city, and saw efforts that were being made to re establish a Jewish presence in this area. It had been a while since we were in this part of the old city, and was nice to get back to our roots. The tour, which was led by the Ateret Kohanim organization included yeshivot, houses, and other Jewish building in the middle of the Arab neighborhood. When we got back to Hashmonaim, even after a long day, Brad and I did a quick review session.

Tuesday and Wednesday were regular work days, although Brad and I did practice for about an hour Wednesday evening. Thursday morning, we arrived in Hashmonaim at 7AM for what would be a fun filled day of touring and learning more about the importance of Jewish unity. After picking up various relatives in Jerusalem, our first stop was Mearat Hamachpela, the tomb of the matriarchs and pariarchs in Hebron. I had not been to Hebron in years, so it was really good to be back. We davened in the room dedicated to Avraham and Sarah, and Brad again did a wonderful job leining. We then had another incredible breakfast and set out to visit the Jewish neighborhoods in this largely Arab city. As we walked around with our guide, it became obvious that it takes a special person to live in Hebron. The Jewish enclaves were all surounded by Arab buildings. As we heard more about the history of the Jews in Hebron, and what they have had to endure over the years, the fact that there has been a constant Jewish presence in the city is nothing short of remarkable. At our first stop, we came to the place where 9 years ago, Shalhevet Pass, a pre school girl, playing in a Jewish park was shot and killed by an Arab terrorist. None of us could imagine living in fear, every time a kid went out to play. Even after this incident occured however, her family still lives in Hebron.

After some more stops, we again got back on the bus and traveled to Bet Lechem to visit Kever Rachel, the place where Rachel Imenu is buried. This was an especially sad stop, as over the past 5 years, the Kever has been made into a fortress, because of terrorist activities. When I was there last, about 10 years ago, the bus let us off, and we walked in. Now, there is a 10 ft. high concreate wall with gaurd towers. We actually felt like prisoners in our own land. After a quick Minchah break, we headed to our last destination called Eretz Bereishit.

Here, they recreate the experiences we learn about in the book of Bereishit. We were greeted by Damesek Elizer, Avraham's servent, and dressed in the traditonal clothing of that time period. We then proceeded to Avraham's tent. Some of us walked, while some rode on camels.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Avraham who told us about himself and fed us a delicious dinner.

By the time we went home we were all tired but happy as well.

Now, here we are on Friday afternoon, just one day before the culminating event. I know that Brad will do a great job tomorrow, and Debbie and I wish a Mazel Tov to the entire family!

Shabbat Shalom

Pay Attention to the Little Things

2010-01-15T15:27:00.002+02:00

As on-line bill paying and banking have become more and more available, I always prefer to use the on-line services, rather than writing checks, and keeping track of paper statements. The services are especially helpful here in Israel, as we still have a few American bills and it would be a huge hassle to have to mail in checks every month. With all of the available conveniances, I always considered myself to be a careful on-line banker. I always check my credit card statements and my account activities on at least a weekly basis. This week, we learned a lesson as to why it is so important not to remove the human touch from the process.
So, back in November, I wrote a check from my US based Wachovia checking account to Cheerfully Changed, which is a money exchange service here in Israel. I needed to bring some money from our American account to our Israeli bank account, and this was the easiest and quickest way. A few days later I saw that the check had cleared and the money was deducted from the Wachovia account and desposited into our Israeli account.
At that point, I assumed that everything had gone ok, and I never gave it another thought. Last week however, we noticed a large sum of money was missing from the Wachovia account. At first glance, we could not figure out where the money went. Everything on the account ledger looked ok. We started to second guess ourselves, wondering what large expense we were not remembering. Now, I must give credit to Debbie who figured out where the money went. It turned out that the check that was written to Cheerfully Changed had in fact been cashed again, for a second time.
Now, you may ask yourselves, how this could happen. Even if a check is submitted a second time, shouldn't the bank realize that there is a problem. I then spent the next 3 hours on the phone with Wachovia trying to figure out what happened. They could not deny that they messed up, but they were not willing to refund the money without further investigation. As we were on the phone with Wachovia's brilliant staff, my father went in person to a Wachovia branch to find out what happened.
It turned out that Cheerfully Changed had accidentally submitted a pile of checks twice. Most of them came back, but aparantly one or two went through. Let me say now, that we do not think Cheerfully Changed did this on purpouse. This was a mistake on their part, but the bank should have caught the mistake. As I told Wachovia on the phone, "this is why we don't keep our money under the mattress." The bank is supposed to safegaurd your money, not lose it.
In the end, both Cheerfully Changed and Wachovia worked to return the money, but this shows that even with all of the on-line possibilities, you must keep an eye on your money.

Fit to Print

2010-01-08T08:11:00.004+02:00

Yes, it has been a while since my last post. The truth is though, that this time of year is generally uneventful. Chanukah is over which means 3 months of non-stop work, school, chores, and all of the other fun stuff that life in any country brings your way.
We have been able to have some fun over the past week, as Bubbie and Aunt Rena are in Israel for a short visit. After spending the end of last week and Shabbat with us, they have spent this week in the Jerusalem area, as tourists. Yes, I can vaguely remember those days! We are happy to have them back for their second and final Shabbat and I know the kids are both excited. This was a good time of year for them to come, as there really is not too much going on. Of course in 3 weeks we will be celebrating my nephew Brad's Bar Mitzvah, but more on that in a future post.
Every morning, I usually begin my day by checking my email. Between emails from the States, list serves, and the other normal messages, there is usually a lot to go through, and a lot to delete as well. A few days ago, a friend of mine from Highland Park, sent me a message that the Jewish State, a local Jewish newspaper in Central New Jersey was doing a story on Aliyah, and was looking for families who made Aliyah from the Highland Park area. I decided, it might be fun and maybe even helpful to share some of our experiences, so I contacted the reporter by phone, and had a nice interview. You can read the article here:

http://thejewishstate.net/jan810aliyah.html

The article turned out to be a nice piece. Just goes to show, that there are a few more people out there who care what I have to say. Hey, I might be up to double digits by now.
Shabbat Shalom

2009-12-29T10:59:00.001+02:00

This video shows what can really be done to fix the economy. Now, if only someone would listen to Israel.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

2009-12-23T12:32:00.003+02:00

Yesterday, Debbie and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. While every year is important, this year, for some reason felt like a big milestone. Maybe it's because so much has happened in the past few years, that when we look bag at our lives 7 years ago, there are so many changes.
As we do every year, last night we watched our wedding video. As the years go by, we always note the happenings of the people we don't speak to regularly. As we watched this year, so many of our old friends have either moved, gotten married, had kids, changed jobs, etc. A few, have totally fallen off the face of the Earth altogether, so we can only wonder about them. We also notice more and more people who are no longer living. Seven years ago, many of these people were active and vibrant. In 7 years, some have been on the losing end of life battles. On a happier note, we saw people who we never thought would find true happiness in their lives. Many of them, have thankfully proved everyone wrong and have married, had children, or have been successful in other ways. It truly is amazing how much has changed in 7 years.
One one hand 7 years is a long time. As we know, a lot can happen in 7 years. On the other hand, we can hope that this is just the beginning and in 20 years, we'll really be able to look back. I am still hoping that in 20 years, I will still be able to play the DVD!
Weather 7 years, 10 years, or 50 years, the time is only as good as the people around you make it. In 7 years, I have been lucky enough to have a loving wife, 2 great kids and an overall good run. And, while throughout everything, the time really has flown by. It is really hard to believe that 7 years have passed.
Here's looking forward to many more years of happiness and success. If Debbie is lucky, I may even learn to clean up mmore after myself in the next 7 years. Anything is possible.

One Big Bracha Levatala!

2009-12-13T14:47:00.003+02:00

So, those of you who read this blog regularly know that the place where I work does not exactly go out of its way to adhere to halachic standards. Between the non kosher cafeteria and the pepperoni pizza, I have come to accept the fact that just because I work in Israel, it does not mean I get to work in a Jewish environment.
Sometimes, they do try to "celebrate" events as best they can. For example, they gave out gift certificate presents before Rosh Hashanah and Pesach. These gestures were very nice and quite appreciated. Today though, proves that it is not always the thought that counts.
After lunch everyone was called to gather for the annual Chanukah lighting ceremony. This was odd in itself, as 2PM was clearly too early to light candles. The end of the day for most people is between 5 and 6, so there is no reason candles could not have been lit at the correct time. That aside, I arrived at the ceremony to find a clearly not kosher chanukiya. This chanukiya was more of a candelabra with each stem on a different level. This is clearly a problem, as on a kosher chanukiya the 8 regular candles must be on the same level. Only the 9th candle, the shammash can be raised. Now, I realize that this was an honest mistake, as this particular candelabra/chanukiya was made by an employee's son in school. Even Avi came home with a non kosher chanukiya so I know these things can happen. But, here in the holy land where just about every grocery, book-store, bakery, etc. sells some sort of chanukiya, the company could have made a bit more of an effort.
After, hearing 2 nice brachot levatalot, as the candles were lit, we were all offered delicious looking sufganyot/jelly donuts. Don't worry, the donuts were from a known kosher bakery, that we have eaten from many times. The only problem was that the donuts, which were clearly dairy, were served less than a half hour after the employees enjoyed a festive Chanuaka meat lunch. You do the math!
Sure, all of these things can happen anywhere, but these are the things I expect to see in Chutz La'aretz, not in the holy land.
I have decided though, that I owe myself a good jelly donut at a later point. Hey, maybe there will be leftovers when I can once again eat dairy. (yeah right).
Just goes to show, you can never be too careful.

2009-12-06T13:46:00.002+02:00

It takes a special occasion for me to post on Friday and Sunday. Today, happens to be Avi's 5th birthday. I am amazed at how quickly time seems to have passed. A lot can happen in 5 years, and I still don't feel old enough to have a kid who is a half a decade old. Those of you who were around when Avi was born, know that he has always been grown up for age. He started talking early, and has always been very opinionated and sure of himself. I guess he gets those traits from his mother.
Avi, throughout his 5 years, has continued to amze me with his great ideas, creativity, and "big boy behavior." Recently, Avi complained that we were making him go to sleep too early. He asked, "why do you get to stay up?" So I answered, "because I'm the Daddy." Without missing a beat, Avi answered that he was old enough to be a daddy too, because "daddys get to stay up late!"
Well, we have quite a few years to go for that one, but Avi has been our oldest in every sense of the word. We have even taken time to work on the important things like eating lots of food, watching TV, and of course the required rude bodily noises. I have always felt as a first born myself, that these things are important for basic survival.
As we continue to watch Avi grow and mature, I know that he will continue to make us all proud. And, with 5 years down...only 8 years to go until his Bar Mitzvah!
Happy Birthday Avi!

Welcoming the new Shul

2009-12-04T14:35:00.003+02:00

The everyday routine here in Israel is very similar to the United States. Between going to work, school, grocery stores, doctors appointments, and the other usual routine stops, it is sometimes easy to forget that we are here living in the holy land. Today however, we had a nice reminder about why we are here.
One of our Shuls, just completed construction of a new building up the block from our house. This afternoon, they held a "hachnasat Sefer Torah" or Torah dedication in honor of the new Shul. Avi and I participated in the procession from the Shul's old location to the new building. As we danced through the streets, under a chupah escorting the new Sefer Torah to its new home, I could not help but think about how the same event would have been done in America. Even with the mayor in attendance, I don't think Route 18 or even Greenspring Avenue would ever be closed for a Torah dedication. In Israel, these things are the part of everyday life that you don't read about in the NY Times and that you don't see on CNN.
As we danced down the street, during my turn holding the Torah, Avi asked why we were allowed to walk in the middle of the street. Usually, he knows that we can only walk on the side walk. I explained that today was a special day. I described how the opening of a new Shul is a special event, and that we celebrate with the singing and the dancing. Avi agreed, and as we continued down the road, he started to get into it even more. At one point, as they played a song called "Mare Kohen" all of the kohanim, including Avi danced together, escorting the chupah down the street. The best day school in America could not provide this type of education.
My friend shot this video footage of the event:

Shabbat Shalom

Turkey For Everyone?

2009-11-25T11:10:00.003+02:00

First, to my regular readers, (yes there seem to be a few) sorry for taking so long to post again. Between a bad cold, work, and the usual happenings, things have been quite busy. I know those are not good excuses, but hopefully the next few weeks will bring more to discuss.
We are approaching our second Thanksgiving here in Israel. Last year, Thanksgiving was more or less the same. Grandma and Grandpa were here. We had the usual turkey dinner, potatoes, and even though we were in Israel, Thanksgiving was celebrated the same way. This year, Grandma and Grandpoa are not here, there is no turkey dinner, unless you count the ground turkey that seems to be in every other food here, and if it were not for the constant Black Friday adds on-line, I don't know if I would have even remembered about the holiday at all.
What does this say about our American connection? In the States, we would not have dreamed of missing Thanksgiving. Even for those non turkey eaters out there, Thanksgiving was always a day we looked forward to celebrating.
While I do plan on eating some turkey, pumpkin pie is going to be a bit harder to find. What's most interesting, is that even in a community with several Americans, I have only heard of one family who is having a formal Thanksgiving dinner. I guess, traditions really do depend on where you are.
So to all of you who will be enjoying turkeys, cranberries, pumpkins, the Macy's Parade, and FOOTBALL, think of us while you are eating that extra slice or drinking that extra beer.
Happy Thanksgiving!

The End of a Generation- Aunt Ruth Remembered

2009-11-06T12:46:00.005+02:00

I find myself having to write these types of postings far too often. Yesterday, my cousin Nechama called to tell me the news that her grandmother and my great Aunt Ruth had passed away. Aunt Ruth was the final link to a generation full of history and tradition, which generations since have tried to emulate. Her passing marks a true end of the era. She lived a life full of challenges and hardships, but also full of energy and excitement.
Aunt Ruth was the oldest of the Goldberg siblings. Often when I was growing up, she would come to Baltimore to visit her sister, my Bubby. Everyone, from Bubby on down, looked forward to her visits. While Aunt Ruth lived in New York, she was always a regular presence in our lives. This was no small task. She had children and grandchildren of her own, but still found time for her extended family. She lived in the same building as Uncle Lenny A"H and formed a close bond with her younger brother. Until she became ill, several years ago, she was the caretaker who made sure that Uncle Lenny ate his vegetables and stayed well. This trait embodied Aunt Ruth's personality. When someone needed help, she was there to save the day.
I remember when I was 12, I was diagnosed with diabetes. Aunt Ruth, who was there visiting, pitched in at a time when help was needed the most. To this day, I don't think her being there was an accident. Years later, I spent time with Aunt Ruth while she was in Israel visiting her daughter and grandchildren. Here was this 80 something year old lady, in a foreign country riding buses, going on tours, and even fighting with Israeli cab drivers. There was nothing that could stop Aunt Ruth from helping wherever she was needed.
When I was 10, my Bubby took me to New York for the first time. Being the oldest grandson had its perks. The plan was for my Bubby to leave me in New York for a week to spend time with Aunt Ruth. Uncle Lenny was going to bring me back to Baltimore the following week. If you were to ask any other 10 year old if he was excited to be spending a week with his senior citizen great aunt and uncle, I don't think there would be too much excitement, but I knew I was in for an exciting week. Over the next week, Aunt Ruth took me to so many places. We took subways, buses, and walked a lot and in the course of 5 days, we covered all of the big spots. To this day, I am not sure where her energy came from.
Aunt Ruth was also the only older person I knew growing up who went to camp. I always thought that camp was for kids, but Aunt Ruth couldn't wait for her camp sessions. Even as the years went on, she had the motivation and energy to make the most of what life had to offer. I must have been no older that 7 when my family went on vacation to Atlantic City. Over 20 years later, the only things I remember about that trip center around Aunt Ruth. She was already there on a trip and I remember arriving and seeing her waving to us on the boardwalk. I also remember her being on a first name basis with the hotel's matre d. That was one of the few family vacations that I remember actually enjoying.
This was Aunt Ruth. Her age and her life's challenges never held her back from helping those in need and living life to its fullest. When I got married almost 7 years ago, it was only natural for Aunt Ruth and Uncle Lenny to walk down the aisle. Their influences and contributions to my life, will never be forgotten.
The last time I saw Aunt Ruth was about a week before we left on Aliyah. I met Uncle Lenny in Queens and together with Avi, we went to visit Aunt Ruth at her nursing home. By that point, I was not sure if she really remembered who I was. Still, I wanted Avi to remember someone who had a profound impact on my life. Even that day, she still yelled at Uncle Lenny to go to the doctor.
Aunt Ruth's passing may mark the end of the generation. With children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many grand nieces and nephews, I know that her legacy will continue for generations to come.

Happy "Surprise" Birthday Debbie!

2009-10-25T08:32:00.003+02:00

Let's face it, some birthdays are more special than others. Certain ages have become milestones. Today is Debbie's 30th birthday, which is certainly a birthday worth noting. In her 30 years, Debbie has gone through school, gotten married, had 2 kids, and oh yeah, has moved to a new country. Not bad for 30 years! As a 31 year old myself, I can personally attest that it only gets better from here! Last night, together with Debbie's sister and kids and some close friends, we celebrated Debbie's birthday with a "surprise" party at Debbie's favorite restaurant. Let me explain the quotes. You see, for the almost 7 years that Debbie and I have been married, I have never been able to surprise her. This year I was more determined then ever to pull it off. I was doing ok through this past week. I sent out an Evite to all of the guests, and even used a different email address. I made all the arrangements from work, so she would not hear anything. I even contacted friends and family in the States to send birthday wishes. Until Thursday, she did not suspect a thing. Then, it happened. Sometimes, the technology that we come to love and depend on, just screws you over. You see, one of the invited guests, responded as a maybe. Since I had to give the restaurant a final head count, I Skype texted this person and asked if he was coming. I forgot that my Skype account was also signed in on Debbie's laptop. So, even though I was sitting at my desk at work having this chat, Debbie, who was at her computer at home, was able to see the entire chat taking place. Together with some help from her sister and kids, and the beans were spilled. I guess I have no one to blame but myself. I came so close, closer than I have ever come before. Next time I will succeed! Well, even though it was no longer a surprise, we still had a great party. Many of our Modi'in friends turned out for the event. We enjoyed some great food, and an amazing desert. Debbie even blushed a little when I read some of the birthday greetings that were sent to me to share. Check out the video clip above to see the cake! (Thanks Grandma and Grandpa)

Holidays are Over- BACK TO WORK

2009-10-12T08:50:00.005+02:00

After weeks of planning and anticipating, it is hard to believe that the chagim are over. It is actually kind of depressing to think that there are no more vacation days for 9 weeks. Yes, 9 weeks of 5 day work weeks, and general aggravation.
We did have a great end to our Sukkot vacation though. On Tuesday, Debbie and my parents graciously gave me a break and took the kids to the beach for a few hours. There must have been divine intervention as, while sitting at home in Modi'in, there were on and off showers. I thought for sure that everyone would come running back in. It turned out that 15 minutes away, at the beach, the weather was great. When I told Debbie that it had rained here, she was surprised. So, after using the time to catch up on some work and on some TV, the kids came back. Tuesday night, it was my turn to give Debbie some time off. I took my parents, Avi, and my nephew Brad to a concert given by a famous Jewish singer named Yakov Shwekki. The concert was being held at Latrun which is quite close to Modi'in, so I figured it would be a nice Sukkot treat. Debbie is not the biggest Jewish music fan, so I decided that it would be a chance for her to have some peace and quiet. The concert was called for 8, so we left our house at 7, thinking we would have plenty of time.
When we arrived at Latrun, I immediately knew I should have left earlier. We ended up having to park several miles down the road at Mini Israel and take a shuttle to the concert. Well, our shuttle bus driver must have not gotten the map, as on the way back to Latrun, he got lost. We were driving up these tiny dirt roads in pitch black, trying to get to the concert. We did eventually get there, but we were stuck on that bus for a good half hour. Then, when we did get into the concert, we were surprised to learn that we did not have assigned seats. For what we paid, I thought that we would surely have our own spot. Instead, we ended up on the grass area behind the main seating. In the end it wasn't so bad, as we were able to hear and even see ok. They also had huge screens up, so we didn't miss much.
Avi was a real trooper for the concert. It did not start until 8PM, which is an hour after he usually goes to sleep. Around 10PM though, when he asked me to go to sleep, I knew that it was time to go. We made our way outside only to discover that the shuttle buses were not yet running. After arguing, pleading, and trying to convince someone to start one of the buses, all of us, together with several other families with small children, finally made it back to our cars. We got back in at around 11:15PM, yet somehow Avi still woke up at 7AM.
On Wednesday, we spent the day together with my cousin Nechama and her family at the Monkey Park in Ben Shemen. I was there with the boys last Sukkot and we had a great time. This was a good option as it is a lot of fun and did not involve a lot of traveling. Avi, and Nechama's son Netanel really hit it off, and spent most of the time there together. While they don't live that far, we don't get to spend a lot of time with them as we are all so busy. It was nice to have an excuse to get together. After a nice lunch, we came home and while the kids rested, I took my parents grocery shopping, so they could really experience all that Israel has to offer.
Wednesday night was especially important, as we took my parents to see our newly purchased apartment. As Debbie and I both said to my mother, their opinions did not matter all that much as we had already bought it. Still, it a good review doesn't hurt. Luckily, even my mother liked what she saw. Of course, she had a lot of suggestions that we most likely won't take, but she was impressed which is what counts the most. The people who sold us the apartment were very nice as well, and we joined them in their Sukkah for a L'Chaim to celebrate the sale and of course the parental approval.
On Thursday, we spent the morning at Bet Halomotai, a kids amusement and water park on Kibbutz Givat Brenner. Eitan had a good time on the slides and bikes, while Avi of course had a great time getting wet. This was not an all day activity, but was just long enough to do the trick. We had to get home on the early side, as we had to prepare for a large family BBQ that afternoon.
We do not get to see a lot of any of the Kramer families. Aunt Edith, Uncle Walter, Benji and Helen of course live in the States, and David, Tammy and the kids are all very busy. So, we were very happy to be able to host the family at our house. Things started off well enough, as I went out and started grilling as I always do before a BBQ. After a little while, I went back outside to put more meat on the grill and discovered that I was out of gas. The timing could not have been worse, as in a few minutes many hungry mouths would be showing up, expecting food. Debbie and my father went to the store to try to get another tank, and in the meantime I tried to stall. Then Debbie called to tell me that the store was also out of gas. In a state of panic, I quickly thought of my options. I was not about to put good meat in the oven. That would go against everything I believe in, so I ran upstairs to our neighbors Donny and Elana, and they graciously let me finish the grilling on their propane grill. So, after a lot of running up and down the steps, all the food was grilled to satisfaction and we all had a great time. I decided 2 things from this experience. First, before a large BBQ, always make sure to have enough gas. Second, when we move to the new place, we are getting a gas line for the grill.
After saying our goodbyes to everyone, we quickly cleaned up and went to sleep. The next day, Friday was Hoshanah Rabbah. Davening, was not too long, so we were home by 9:30. Bubby and Zaidy took Avi to the mall and I went to pick up food for Friday night and to take care of some other errands. Friday night was Simchat Torah, and Avi had a great time dancing and acting crazy in Shul. Eitan seemed a little scared by the whole thing, but eventually warmed up to the experience. It's nice being a Kohen, as by the time the first Hakafah was over, I had already gotten to dance with the Torah. We stayed for the first 3 Hakafot and then we went home to have dinner. By that point, Avi especially was already starting to lose it, so we decided to leave before things got bad.
The next morning, my Dad and I went to hashcamah. While I don't like having to get up at 5:30, it was still better than spending 6 hours in Shul. By 8:15, we were done, and we were home by 8:30. Debbie and I took the kids back to the regular minyan for more dancing. Eitan again, took a while to warm up to the whole thing, but Avi like the night before had a good time. My back is still feeling him up on my shoulders. We stayed in Shul for an hour and then went back home to play. On the way home we met our friend and neighbor Pesha, who when she heard we had real Oreo cookies, came right over. I learned something really interesting. Oreo cookies from the States are not dairy, even though they have a D on the package. The only reason the D is there is that the package suggests you eat them with milk. Her kids and my kids played for a while, which helped to eat up some of the time between Shul and lunch.
When lunch time came, we went to our friends Colin and Michelle for what turned out to be a huge meal. The Bob's and another couple were there as well, and we all had a great time. For a variety of reasons, I am not usually such a big drinker, but Colin has quite an impressive selection. After eating and drinking more than I care to admit, we made our way home. Surprisingly, I was not hungry for dinner. Since that almost never happens to me, I knew that Michelle and the rest of the women who contributed food to the meal did a good job.
Saturday night, after Havdalah we went to Chashmonaim to see Debbie's cousins, David and Roni who were visiting from New Jersey. It was nice to see them, but since it was already pretty late and we all had work the next day, we did not stay too long. When we got home, the kids went to sleep and we got ready for the real world to begin again.
Sunday, was an especially difficult day getting back to work. You get accustomed to a vacation routine, and it is hard to go back. Debbie also had a full day of work, so my parents took Avi for the day to Jerusalem.
So here were are on Monday, back at work, back to routine, and waiting 9 more weeks for the next break. Well, at least with my parents here we get to eat out a lot.
Hang in there all!
For more photos...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114856&id=794847846&l=472a7c3d27

The Diet Starts Tomorrow

2009-10-06T12:16:00.002+02:00

It's Sukkot again, and yes, just as is the case with every other Jewish holiday and event, we have been spending our time, eating, praying, and having fun.
We got to spend the first day of the Chag in Yerushalayim, with my cousins, Benji and Helen, who made a Bar Mitzvah for their son Yosef. Talk about good food! Between the carving stations, buffets, and the desert tables, there was not much room left for anything else. Of course, even when we were not hungry we found room. Oh yes, Yosef did a great job as well. It was also personally enjoyable to do the Bar Mitzvah photos before Shabbat started. It had been a while since anyone had asked me to do official pictures and it felt good to get back into it. Who know? Maybe it will spark something again.
After Shabbat was over, we headed back to Modi'in full and ready for lots of Chol Hamoed fun. Unfortunately, my father who is visiting over Sukkot with my mother, came down with a stomach virus.
Debbie and I, together with Debbie's sister and family decided to take the kids to Shvil Hatapuzim. For those of you who are regular readers, you may remember, that we had been there during our vacation up North. We had such a great time, that we decided to go back. The kids all had a blast. Even my 12 year old nephew Brad, found what to do.
While on line for a boat ride, a rather large man sat in a kayak and actually sank the thing. He tipped over and was soaking wet. The water was only 2 or 3 ft. deep, but boy was the guy upset. His wallet, phone, and other papers were all in his pocket at the time. Looking at his general size, I am still surprised the ride operators even let him try. If we were in the States, I don't think the guy would have made it on, but hey, this is Israel.
While we were all having fun, my father who we told not to come, was feeling pretty lousy. He spent most of the afternoon in a hammock. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon in general, but he was a special shade of green. When we got home, we got ready to go out again to have dinner with our friends Jenna and Matthew. Dad, this time decided to stay home. After an amazing dinner at a new restaurant called Aish, we came home, and finally, Dad agreed to see a doctor. I called a friend who happens to be a gastroenterologist, and he immediately sent my father to Terem which is like the ER, as by this point he was very dehydrated. He came home later that night, already feeling a bit better.
On Monday, we had planned to go to Yerushalayim for Birkat Cohanim. The plan was to leave early, as many of the city's streets are closed, and there are an insane number of people. I had always wanted to go, so we decided to give it a try. Because of my father's illness, and my mother's inability to decide whether to go (she stayed home) we did not get on the road until very late. By the time we arrived in Yerushalayim, the traffic was crazy and the streets we needed were closed off. After about an hour, we finally reached the Mashbir and parked there. We figured we could always walk to the kotel from there.
We started down Rechov Yaffo, and I must say that Avi especially, did a great job walking. When we reached the old city, we immediately saw the number of people. I have been to the old city many times, and I have never seen it so crowded. After an ice cream break, we finally made it down to the kotel, hot and tired, but happy to be there. Even though Birkat Cohanim was over, there were still thousands of people still there. Avi and I made our way to the wall and spent a few minutes there. We then went back to meet Debbie and Eitan. Three hours of effort for 5 minutes at the wall! It was certainly an experience. We knew at that point that Avi would not be able to walk back up the hills to the center of town. We decided to try to get a taxi or a bus back to where our car was parked. There must have been 200 people waiting to board the busses. We actually got lucky and pushed our way onto a bus fairly quickly. We did not even look to see where the bus was going. We just wanted to get out of there. Well, we should have paid more attention. This particular bus went all around the city, except where we needed to go. After riding this bus for 45 minutes, it finally dropped us off near the Central Bus Satiation. From there we took a cab back to where we parked. After a quick shwarma we headed home. While we were proud of ourselves for actually doing what we set out to accomplish, we are not so sure we would do that again any time soon.
After resting for an hour or 2, we headed out again, this time with my mother as well to Bet Shemesh for the annual Shemeshfest concert. We had a great time last year, and this year was amazing as well. We saw some great performances and the kids had a great time listening to the music and dancing. When we got home, the kids went right to sleep. We were not far behind.
So far, we have had a busy and fun Chag. We have plans for the rest of the week, and Dad is feeling better too. Hopefully, by tomorrow he will be able to join us on our activity.
More on that later.
Chag Sameach

Busy Busy

2009-09-25T15:43:00.002+03:00

The new Jewish year is off to a busy start. We spent Rosh Hashanah together with several friends. As Jews do, we ate an incredible amount of food. Luckily, all of our meals were meat, and we brought in the new year in the proper manner. A week before Yom Tov, I was asked to daven the first day at our Shul's hashcama or early minyan. I agreed, I did not have plans to daven anywhere else. It was a great minyan with nice people and some good singing. It was difficult waking up so early two days in a row, but it was worth it. For the first time in a few years, Debbie actually go to go to Shul and daven, as I got home by 9:30 and was able to watch the kids. I got some good brownie points without even trying.
Yom Kippur is different in Israel than in the United States. Here, the clocks change before Yom Kippur, so the fast actually ends quite early. By 6:15PM Monday night we will be eating. This is especially good, as it turns out that Yom Kippur will also be quite a busy day, busier than usual that is. Also, about a week ago I was asked to daven minchah for one of our Shuls. I agreed, providing that had a back up in place, just in case I was not up to it. They said ok. Then, on Rosh Hashanah, I was asked to daven Shacharit at another minyan. I agreed before I went home to look over the davening. There is a reason Yom Kippur davening runs so long. Well, I am looking forward to a busy, but hopefully successful day. I always have the backups in place, but hopefully I won't need them.
Today, we also started getting ready for Sukkot. Last year, when we bought our Sukkah, I did not have anything in our storage room, as we had our Sukkah before we had our lift. By the time Sukkot was over however, I had a lot more to fit in the storage room. As a result, our Sukkah got stuck in the back. So, this morning, before building the Sukkah, I first had to rearrange the storage room in order to get to all of the poles and other parts. In the end it did not take too long. Next week, I need to buy a light and some ties to hang the wall. We are also planning a trip to Kiryat Sefer to pick out lulavim and etrogim. Avi is excited about that, but more on that next time.
So, an easy and meaningful fast to all, and don't worry, I will think of all of you still fasting, as we are eating Monday night.

Shanna Tova!

2009-09-18T15:41:00.002+03:00

When this time of year rolls around, I can not help but to think back about where I was at this time last year. A year ago, we were still waiting for our lift. We spent Rosh Hashanah sleeping on air mattresses and eating out for every meal, as we had almost no cooking capabilities. A year later, we have out furniture and our beds, and we are only eating out for half of the meals, although this time by choice.
A year can bring a lot of changes. At this time last year, I still referred to myself as a teacher and Debbie still referred to herself as a social worker. A year later, Debbie is the teacher, and I am working in hi-tech. A year ago, purchasing a home was the last thing on our minds. We had just arrived and were still dealing with adjusting to life here in general. Grocery shopping was difficult enough. Buying a home seemed impossible. A year later, we are home owners, and hope to be in our new home by next Rosh Hashanah. A year ago, our children did not speak a word of Hebrew. Avi especially, had a lot of difficulties communicating with his teachers, as he simply did not understand. A year later, and you would think our kids have lived here forever. I always find it funny when Avi speaks "Henglish" the word I use to describe a cross between Hebrew and English. He and Eitan both really get around well, and are able to be part of everything.
A year brings many changes. At the start of the secular new year, everyone always talks about "new year resolutions." Some resolve to get a better job, while others promise to lose weight. In the end, it seems that very few of the resolutions are actually kept. So instead of making a resolution now, I am going to just hope that life continues to move forward. That's really what it's all about. We all want better jobs, more money, less pressure, etc. In the end however, we must be proactive in making these things happen. It's not enough to just want to lose the weight. It's not enough to want a new job. We actually have to work to make these things happen. Sometimes the work pays off and sadly, sometimes it does not. The important thing is however, that our lives on both a personal and professional basis are in fact moving forward.
So, in wishing all of you a Shanna Tova, I am also hoping that all of our lives continue to grow and move forward to help us reach our ultimate goals.
A Happy and Healthy New Year To All!

Home at Last!

2009-09-07T07:53:00.002+03:00

For some of you, this may be old news, but I can finally share it with everyone else. After many months of searching, Debbie and I are now Israeli property owners. We recently closed on a duplex apartment in the Givat C section of Modi'in.
While, we have come to feel at home here in Israel over the past year, owning a piece of the land, really does make a difference. Until now, as renters, there was no physical connection. Owning property is not only an investment in the actual home, but is also an investment in the future. In our minds, this reinforces the idea that we are here to stay. So, while we will not be moving until next summer, we are looking forward to being homeowners once again.
The Israeli real estate process is quite different than in America. I explained in an earlier posting how difficult it was to go through the entire process. We were very lucky however, as our lawyer was amazing! He not only took care of all of the contracts and negotiations, but he also got us our mortgage. We have spoken to a lot of other people and no one can believe that he did so much. So, if anyone needs a recommendation for an Israeli lawyer, let me know.
Through the process of searching for a home, we met a lot of Modi'in's real estate agents. Some were nice, but some were just downright dishonest, and unethical. We had one group of realtors who tried to fabricate another bid, so we would bid higher on a property. Another one, tried to pressure us to buy something so much, we finally walked away. While some say that doing business with friends is a mistake, in the end, it was the friends who found us our new home. Ayala and Matthew of Schumacher Realty really helped us to be able to make this possible. In the end, we were happy to be able to give our commission to a friend.
So, in between now and next summer we will be measuring, selling a few things, and getting ready to make what will hopefully be our last move.

Kineret Vacation

2009-08-28T09:32:00.004+03:00

We spent this past week on vacation at the Kineret. What a difference a 2 hour drive can make. One of the nicest things about living in Israel is the amount of scenery crammed in to such a small geographic area. Living in a city like Modi’in, we don’t get to see a lot of water and beaches. Driving up North however, felt in many ways like a different country. Debbie pointed out that you could never find a place like the Kineret so close to New Jersey.
Sunday morning, we packed up the car and set out for our trip. Armed with my map and Google directions, we got on the road. After about an hour of driving we stopped at a place called “Shvil Hatapuzim.” This turned out to be a great way to start our vacation. Our friends, Israel and Liora had been up North the week before and recommended this place. We spent about 4 hours there but we easily could have spent the entire day. The kids went swimming, road bikes, drove cars, paddled boats, and a lot more. After an ice cream break we piled back in the car and continued up North towards the Kineret. About 40 minutes later, we arrived at Kibbutz Ma’agan. This place was recommended by another friend who had stayed here a few weeks ago.
While certainly not fancy, the place was nice enough. This was our first “family vacation” so we all had to get used to the close quarters. The Kibbutz had a huge pool facility where we spent a lot of time during the week. After trying out the pool, we decided to go to Tiberias for dinner. Lunch had consisted of sandwiches we made at home and ice cream, so we were all pretty hungry. We ate at a place called Pagoda, which is by far the best Chinese food I have ever eaten in Israel. Even Debbie, who does not usually eat Chinese food was impressed. While not cheap, the portions were huge and we all left quite full. It was good that the car was a few blocks away as we all needed a good walk.
When we got back to the Kibbutz, we put the kids to sleep. This turned out to be a long process, as they found it fun to be sharing a room. Avi and Eitan played until very late at night. We would all pay for this the next day, but what can you do? It was then that I also discovered that our room did not have Internet access. I was quite surprised as in today’s day and age, what hotel does not have Internet? In fact, I was planning to blog every day, but I was unable to do so. We were able to check email in the hotel’s lobby, so at least we were not totally cut off. Debbie and I were both exhausted so by 10:30, the kids had finally gone to sleep and we decided to turn in as well.

On Monday, we started the day with breakfast at the hotel. Avi’s eyes opened wide, as there was a lot of food. Debbie even made sandwiches for lunch. We decided to get an early start as we had a lot we wanted to accomplish. This day would be spent traveling through the Golan. We discovered quickly however, that just because we wanted to start early, it did not mean that everyone else wanted to as well. At our first stop, we found that the attraction did not open for another hour. We got back in the car and decided to keep going. Eventually, we arrived in Katzrin. I had not been there since high school. Originally, we had planned to tour the winery but when we finally found it, they told us the tour was full. This actually turned out to be a good thing as they pointed us towards a much more kid friendly activity. Instead we did a tour of the Ancient Katzrin. The kids (and Debbie) got to make wine the Lucy way by stomping on the grapes with their feet. Avi loved this and Eitan was not quite sure what to make of it. I decided to just take photos and let everyone have fun. At the end though, even I had to get involved as the tour guide needed a Shomer Shabbat person to pour the wine into the bottles. This way, it could be used for Kiddush. Now, if you ask me, I would never serve this stuff. Think about drinking a dark swill that was made with the feet of dirty little kids. Debbie on the other hand, carried the bottle of grape juice around with her all day, before finally giving in and getting rid of it. The kids had fun though so that’s all that really mattered.
After a quick pizza break, we headed for Kibbutz Ein Zivan and the Dekarina chocolate factory. This small operation is no Hersehy but it was another great family activity. We got a tour of the chocolate factory and then Avi got to do a chocolate based project. Debbie, Eitan, and I had fun too, as a chocolate factory has a lot of chocolate!
Next, we headed to one of the most outer parts of the Golan, Moshav Aloai Habashan to visit my cousin Atara, who moved there a while back. When I say outer I’m not kidding. Any time the directions say, “if you end up in Syria you went too far” you know you’re far out there. It was nice seeing Atara though, and meeting her daughter Neta. She showed us the Moshav’s Refet or cow pasture. Avi kept taunting the cows, and Eitan just laughed. I kept thinking about a juicy hamburger, so we all had a good time.
After saying farewell, we headed back to our hotel, exhausted but happy. The kids went right to bed that night with no problems! Debbie and I were not far behind. I did finish the left over Chinese food from the night before though.

On Tuesday, we decided to get a later start, as we saw things were not open anyway. After breakfast, we spent about an hour and a half at the Kineret beach and the pool. Eitan is not a fan of the water, so Debbie and I had to take turns singing Uncle Moishy songs to make him feel better. After the pool we drove around the corner to Kibbutz Ein Gev. Here we went to Saba Yossi’s toy factory. This is a great kids activity. Avi selected a toy model and got to paint it and assemble it. Eitan got to play on the handmade indoor playground. The activity was a little pricy but Avi loved it. He got to hammer, and drill, 2 activities we do not do much at home. When he was finished he got to take his airplane home.
Next, we headed South to Old Gesher, a kibbutz and power plant from the early 1900’s. This activity was recommended by my cousin. I had never really heard of it bu we decided to try it. It was very interesting and the kids seemed to enjoy it. There was a lot of 3D and special FX presentations. The adults learned something new and the kids still had a good time. We were very proud of ourselves as we did all of the activities during this vacation in Hebrew. Often, waiting for an English tour would have delayed us too much, and sometimes it just was not a choice. We all did pretty well though, so after a year we are finally starting to understand!
After Old Gesher, we went to Gani Choga, a natural spring. It was so hot, that we were happy to have a water activity. The kids, especially Avi enjoyed the water. They had water slides, ropes, and other activities, so Avi was very happy. We spent a good 2 hours there. Afterwards, we stopped in Bet Shan for an ice cream break.
The last activity of the day was meeting another cousin. We arranged to go to Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi to meet Mike and Adina Ehrlich. I had met them once almost 15 years ago, but I remembered they lived on Tirat Tzvi, so in Israeli style, I called them and said “hey we’re coming.” They invited us for dinner and it was nice to meet them again. They gave us a tour of the Kibbutz and showed us how the Kibbutz goes almost all the way to the Jordanian border. It was very interesting to see how close we were. Tirat Tzvi is known for their meet factory, but they do a lot of other things as well. We saw the fish ponds, dairy, and we even got to pick dates. It was great for the kids to be able to get the Kibbutz experience.
We said good night, and headed back North, again exhausted after another full day. Again, the kids did not give any trouble about going to sleep.

On Wednesday, we again started off at the pool, and then went 5 minutes up the road to Kibbutz Deganya Bet. Here, we went on a family bicycle ride around the Kibbutz. Maybe we are just in really bad shape, but this ride hurt! Debbie and I were peddling. Eitan was in between us and Avi had his own seat in the back. We had a good time, but we were a bit sore afterwards. No pain no gain!
Next, we went up North to Tzfat. I had not been to Tzfat in about 8 years, so while planning this vacation, I wanted to make sure we got to spend some time there. While it may not be so kid friendly, we decided that a little bit of education was not a bad thing. We arrived in Tzfat and even found parking. We stopped for some lunch and then walked through the Artists quarter. I did not bring a map with em but between reading some signs, and going off what I remembered from a long time ago, we found our way. I took Avi to the Ari’s Bet Knesset and we talked about how the Ari is responsible for Kabbalat Shabbat. Avi was actually excited as he comes to Shul with me every Friday night. At that moment I was glad we came to Tzfat. Next, we stopped at the candle factory to buy a new Havdala candle. We have needed a new one for some time, but we have kept saying, that we would get one in Tzfat. After another ice cream break we walked back to the car. We had planned to make another stop, but it was already 4:30, so we decided to drive back to our hotel. When we got there we went back to the pool. We had dinner that night at the hotel and the kids actually went to sleep by 7:45, which for this trip was actually a good time.

Thursday, was our last day and while we were tired, we were all sad to leave. Avi told me that he is going to remember the hotel and that when he is a daddy he was going to come back there. I told him to bring me with him. It was nice to spend a week having fun and enjoying each other’s company (most of the time anyway). We have so many activities and attractions we did not have time to do, that our next trip is almost planned.
Well, it’s good to be back home, but we are already looking forward to next summer.
To see more photos of our trip click here.

One Year and Going Strong... An Aliyah Survival Guide

2009-08-19T10:38:00.002+03:00

Today, marks the one year anniversary of our move to Israel. The year has certainly gone by quickly. It has been a year full of challenges, new experiences, some difficulties, and of course, new beginnings. Over the course of the year, we have learned a great deal about Israel, and life in general. You never know what you are really capable of until you are put to the test. The year has certainly been full of tests. As the name of this blog suggests, it really has been a huge adventure. We have often compared our first year here in Israel to the TV show, "The Amazing Race." For the better part of the year we have raced, sometimes literally to be able to create and build our lives in a new environment. I don't think we'll ever be done, but I am happy to report that we are off to a good start.

Over the past year, some of our friends from the "old country" have asked us for advice about moving to Israel. Whenever I get asked, I always have to laugh, as I am by no means an expert on the Aliyah experience. We just went through it ourselves. Every time I have given someone advice, I have always prefaced it by saying, "this is just what we did. Doesn't mean we did it right." Weather we did things right or wrong, it is exciting to know that we are still in one piece, and yes, we are even able to help others going through the same adventure.
In honor of our one year anniversary, I have compiled a short "survival guide" to getting started here in Israel. Again, these are just our experiences, but after meeting many new Olim over the past year, I think that almost everyone goes through some of the same things. So if you are thinking about Aliyah, hope this helps just a little. If you have made Aliyah already, share your opinions and thoughts.

1. They really are happy to see you – The first thing you see when you get off that NBN flight, tired, scared, and unsure of what comes next, is the most amazing welcome you could imagine. With music playing, friends and family all waving their flags, and an important government person there to greet you as well, you get a feeling that your presence really matters. Well, it's true. Israel really is happy to see you. While it's not all music and dancing, most people here will help you in any way they can. No other country in the world makes it so easy to become a citizen. You will leave the airport with a sense of pride and accomplishment, even though you just arrived.
2. It takes a while– When you arrive in Israel, NBN gives you a checklist of all of the things you need to do. The list can seem overwhelming as health insurance, bank accounts, school registrations, drivers licenses, etc. all seem urgent and important. While you do want to try to get through this list relatively quickly, you need to understand that certain things take more time in Israel. I remember, our first day here we went to the bank to open an account. We figured we would be in and out in a half hour, as we didn't really need anything too complicated. Three hours later, we walked out of the bank all set. The bank employees were actually very nice and quite helpful. It just took a long time.
3. Get by with a little help from your friends – To paraphrase the famous Beatles song, help from friends and family if you have here is essential. We moved to Modi'in knowing only 1 family. Within 2 hours of being in our new apartment, we had offers to help with anything we could have possibly needed. We were without our lift for the first 6 weeks we were here, but so many people offered to lend us furniture, toys, appliances, and anything else we needed. We did not eat a Shabbat or Yom Tov meal at home for almost 3 months. Don't feel bad about taking the help. We had strangers doing our laundry for us. Now, I realize that this would never be acceptable in the US, but in Israel, everyone seems to help each other. Every time we had to ask for something we felt awkward at the beginning, but as the year has gone forward, we have been able to help other families going through the same process.
4. Ulpan, not just to learn Hebrew – Even with all of the issues and tasks to complete, Debbie made it a priority to attend Ulpan. Of course, this is important for the obvious reason. Even if you think you know Hebrew, take Ulpan anyway as for some reason, even after attending Jewish day schools for 12+ years, we are still not fluent. That's a discussion for another time, but the point is, any help you can get is important. Ulpan though, had another positive effect. Debbie was in the course with many other new Olim from around the area. Instantly, she had a support group of people who were all going through the same issues. Debbie made many lasting friendships through Ulpan. Now, a year later we can look back with those friends and laugh about some of the past year's events.
5. Be Flexible – In America, we were all used to having things the way we wanted. If something did not come as expected, we complained and they did it again. Israel does not always work like that. I have been told that I am a very stubborn person. While I disagree, I do admit that I expect certain things. In the States, when an appointment was called for 10AM, I expected it to start at 10AM. I learned quickly, that things just don't work like that in Israel. Flexibility is important. I remember Debbie was complimented me for not getting upset when we were left to sit in a waiting room for an hour. She remarked how, in America I would have left, but here I was waiting patiently. Sometimes, it's hard to do, but remember, the Israeli culture has existed long before we all got here. People also have to sometimes learn to live with less material possessions than they had in the States. A new car in Israel can cost over $30,000. Many families here, including us, get by on 1 car. It's not always convenient but we make due. Your living space might be smaller as well. We came from a 6 bedroom house in the States to a 4 bedroom condo in Israel. We have plenty of space, but it did take some getting used to.
6. Don’t let the economy get you down – We all know that the economy has not been in a good place for quite some time. Jobs are hard to come by, and housing prices have not gotten much cheaper. First of all, be responsible and come with some savings if at all possible. If you are lucky, it's going to take you at least a few months to find a job. If you make Aliyah in the summer, many companies will tell you "Acharai Hachagim" or "after the holidays." This is a standard response, meaning that while they may offer you a job, they are not going to hire you now to be on vacation for most of September. This means, that again, if you are lucky you may have to be prepared to be out of work for a few months. That's if you're lucky. With the economy what it is, the reality is that there are not as many jobs as there used to be. Companies that had 20 programmers have cut back to 5. It may take some time to find something, and when you do (you will eventually) the salary may not be enough to pay all the bills. Perhaps, the most difficult part of my personal Aliyah experience was the early realization that I would have to switch careers. In the States, I worked in education. I loved what I did, but I quickly found that education based jobs in Israel did not pay that well. I was forced to start looking for a new career. I took some time to take a technical writing certification course, and after that I finally found a decent job with a company where I work in the training and support department. Sure, I like my job, but I really miss my old one. I am always looking for opportunities to do some formal education work, but the rent has to be paid. If you are willing to be flexible and to think outside the box, there will be opportunities.
7. The kids will be fine – As parents, we of course worried about how the kids would adjust. We made Aliyah at what people said was the right time. Our kids were 3 and 1 when we came, but we were still worried how they would do in Hebrew speaking gans, and how we would do with an educational system that put 30 kids in 1 class. While there were some issues, we had a very positive year overall. My son Avi, who is 4 has learned Hebrew very quickly. We were out this past week, and when we were buying him something, the man asked him what color. He answered, "Kachol" and turned around and said "That means blue." My 4 yeard old is translating for us! A few weeks ago, we were at someone else's house and we heard my son talking to another child in Hebrew. We were amazed, as we had never really heard it from that perspective. Even my 2 year old Eitan, speaks adds Hebrew to his vocabulary. When he eats something he likes, he shouts "yummy, Taim!" The fact is that the kids picked up the language much faster than the adults. The transition for the kids was not without some issues, but a year later, the kids are doing great and people have told us that it looks like the kids have been here for a lot longer than a year.
8. It's OK to have a bad day – Aliyah is exciting, and great, but there are going to be some tough times. There were a few times early in the year, when I was ready to pack up and move back to the States. There were times when things did not work out the way they needed to. We were doing everything right but the system just didn't respond. It's not admitting defeat to have bad days. When you are planning your trip and you go to the NBN presentations, they don't show you the frustration and aggravation that you will no doubt feel along the way. Sometimes, you need to just sit back and say, "I did the best I could." It will work out in the end. Sometimes, it just takes time.
9. Don't be afraid to try new things – Yes, sure you have already done the newest thing possible by moving to a new country. There are the little things though, that you may be hesitant to try at first but you may end of liking. First, despite what you may have heard, there is nothing wrong with Israeli toilet paper! You can even get buy on Osem brand ketchup. Seriously though, life may change a little bit. During one of our days in Modi'in, we were sitting at a restaurant having lunch, and I happened to have some questions. I decided to take a chance and ask the people at the table next to me for some advice. Not only, did I get a wealth of good information, but I realized that they had been through the same thing, not so long before. I would have never just started a conversation with strangers in America. We also walk a lot more than we did in America. With only 1 car, Debbie usually walks the kids to school every day. In America, we hopped in the car to drive 2 blocks. Here, we actually walk a little.
10. Have a place to vent – I originally started this blog not only to have a place to share my experiences, but also to have a place to vent to the general public. There are going to be times where you need to complain and get stuff off your chest. For me, the blog came in handy many times. For others, this could be a good friend, spouse, or other outlet. After 47 posts, I am proud to say that the blog, has become more than just a place to vent. I have been amazed to see that people actually seem to read what I write. As the blog continues to grow, hopefully my shared experiences will grow as well.

Despite all of the challenges and frustrating moments, the last year has been a true gift. We are all very happy here in our new home, and really could not imagine living anywhere else. When we look back to the past year's events, we are proud of each other for making this commitment. Debbie and I both grew up in homes and schools that taught the importance of living in Israel. We are proud that we have been able to make this life-long dream come true. We are grateful that our children will grow up here, living and loving Medinat Yisrael.

If you are planning a trip, or if you would like share your own Aliyah experiences, please feel free to use this forum.
Looking forward to many more years!

Solidarity in Sderot

2009-08-16T08:31:00.003+03:00

This past Friday, we made a long overdue trip to Sderot. We had of course, read about Sderot on line and in the newspapers, and we had heard about the troubles being faced by the city's residents. After reading one article in the Jerusalem Post, a few weeks ago, we all agreed that it was finally time to make the trip. Together with Aunt Rena, we all piled in the van and began our journey.
While, Traveling south on Route 3, we passed my old Yeshiva on Kibbutz Ein Tzurim. Not a lot of people feel nostalgic when passing Kiryat Melachi, but actually driving on this road where I spent so much time many years before waiting for busses brought back a lot of memories. I was surprised to see Ein Tzurim's newest addition, a Paz Gas station right at the entrance. I guess, everything changes over time.
About a half hour later we arrived in Sderot, not sure what to expect. In reality, it seemed like any other small Israeli town. There were some produce kiosks along the main street, as well as some other small shops. I had trouble imagining Barrack Obama touring this little town, as there are certainly bigger cities. As we drove through the city, towards the main shopping area, we noticed a few houses that were undergoing major reconstruction. We also saw that almost all of the city's bus stops had been turned into shelters. What we didn't see however had the greatest effect. With all of the stores and shops we passed, one would expect the place to be bustling with Erev Shabbat activity. There were however, very few people around. Some parts almost felt like a ghost town, that you would see on TV. Here were all of these merchants with stores full of goods. The problem was there was no one to buy anything.
As we walked through, we tried to buy as much as we could and support as many places as possible. Of course we know that the few hundred shekels we were able to spend would not make a dent. Being there however seemed to be just as important to the shop keepers. No store had more than 1 person working. It seemed obvious, especially in places like hair salons and restaurants that there used to be more people working. Now however, it seemed that in order to cut back expenses, store owners were trying to do everything themselves.
Those places we did go to could not be happier to see us. We went to a bakery in the small shuk and the woman behind the counter was very friendly. Yes, I bought more rugulach, challah, burekas, etc than we needed, but the smile on her face made it worth it. We went to another store to buy some side dishes for Friday night dinner. We walked in and there were many trays with all different types of food. Unfortunately, we were the only ones in the store. Again, we bought more than we needed, and the store owner was very appreciative.
As we walked around we were also looking for goggles, which we had promised Avi we would buy. Finally, we found a store that carried them. The man behind the counter asked Avi in Hebrew which color he wanted. Avi answered, "kachol" and then turned around and said to Debbie and I, "that means blue." Nice to know that our 4 year old can serve as our translator.
After we finished shopping we went to look for a pizza place for lunch. We had seen a lot fo signs, so we figured we would pick one. The problem was that every pizza store we went to was closed down. This was our first time in any Israeli town where we were unable to find pizza! We did find a shwarma/falafel place but even that was a one man operation that looked as if it had once been much busier.
So, in the end, while depressing at times, we had a great time walking through Sderot. That may seem odd, but knowing that our presence mattered to the city's residents made the trip a success.
On the way home, we stopped for gas at Ein Tzurim and I quickly drove through to show Avi and Aunt Rena the yeshiva. Unfortunately, it has since closed, but the buildings are still there.
It only took us about an hour to drive to Sderot, and while our purchases will sadly not help their economical situation, it did help to lift their moral. If you live in Israel or if you are planning a trip, I would definitely recommend taking some time to show your support.

Remembering Uncle Lenny

2009-08-09T18:25:00.007+03:00

Today, I must turn a bit more serious.
I received the unfortunate news today that my great Uncle Lenny, passed away last night after a long battle with cancer.
His death truly marks the end of the Goldberg line. The Goldberg's were not wealthy, but they always seemed to bring their own unique gifts to wherever they went. Uncle Lenny's father, my great grandfather was the Rabbi of Lindenhurst, Long Island. In those days, the Rabbi did everything. He was the shochet, the tzedaka collector, the chevra kadisha, and whatever else he needed to be. Uncle Lenny, over the years talked often about "how things used to be." My Bubby, often spoke about how while the family was quite poor, there was always room for guests that needed a place to stay. This was perhaps the trait that the Goldberg family was known for the most. Bubby's house was always full of guests. Uncle Lenny, while not a wealthy man, worked hard and always gave a lot of tzedakah. He always spoke about how important it was to earn a living. Those of you who knew Uncle Lenny, surely remember the countless stories he used to tell. If anyone else had been telling them, they would have gotten old, very quickly. Uncle Lenny, though brought home the message every time.
In addition to his tzedaka, Uncle Lenny was very involved in his Shul, serving as the Gabbai for several years. He would always tell stories of how he had to decide who got Aliyot, and how he hated having to turn people down. His work in his Shul made him quite famous in certain circles. I remember I was once in Teaneck, and I met a man from Forest Hills. I asked him if he knew Uncle Lenny. As soon as I mentioned his name, the man's face lit up. "Ah Lenny! I don't know what we'd do without him." This was in fact a typical Uncle Lenny story.
Uncle Lenny never got married and never had kids of his own. I suppose that was part of the reason we were always so close. I think he always thought of his grand nieces and nephews as his extended family. We always thought of him and his sister, my Aunt Ruth as our extended grandparents. At my wedding, sadly Bubby had passed away several years before, and my grandfather was too ill to attend. Uncle Lenny and Aunt Ruth proudly walked down the aisle, "shepping the same nachas" as my Bubby would have felt. (See Above)That was the Goldberg legacy.
Sure, there were some quirks. We always made fun of Uncle Lenny for putting ketchup in his chicken soup. Some even called him Uncle Looney! At the end of the day, he was always there to say "good job" or "Mazel Tov." At my Bar Mitzvah he spoke about the importance of thanking Hashem every morning for getting up and being able to start a new day. Even in his later years, Uncle Lenny walked, sometimes through the pouring rain to make sure that there was a minyan. I don't know of a better way to have thanked Hashem every morning.
So here we are, on the day of his funeral. Sadly, because he had no children of his own, there is no biological offspring to carry his legacy. I said to my wife Debbie, how sad it is that there are no children to say kaddish for Uncle Lenny.(Luckily, my cousin has agreed to take on this task.) The truth is though, that his legacy will live on for many years to come. I can't think of a better example for my kids to look at as a role model. He embodied everything which we as Jews and as good human beings value. I have no doubt that his examples and messages will live on forever.

Paying for Nothing

2009-08-02T07:31:00.002+03:00

(I started writing this post on Friday, but due to soup, matzo balls, and some chicken, the second half is being written Saturday night.)
Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we end up having to pay for things we don't need or use. This week, we learned about a loophole in Israeli practice that enables mishpachtonim or pre school programs to charge for time that they are in fact closed.
Eitan has been in a mishpachton since September. We have paid at the beginning of every month for that month's days. This has worked out fine for both us and for Svetlanna, the lady that runs the program. Even when there are months that contain a lot of vacation days, like Sukkot or Pesach, we pay the entire month, as being a former teacher myself, I know that everyone deserves some paid vacation.
We were surprised however to find out that she expected a full month's payment for August, since Eitan's last day is August 8th. Now, you need to understand that Svetlanna means business. Arguing over money with a 300 lb. Russian woman is not an easy thing to do. When I dropped Eitan off on Thursday she immediately asked me why we were even questioning this policy. After all, as she put it, everyone deserves some vacation. She then asked me how much vacation I received per year. When I answered 10 days, not 3+ weeks she responded by telling me again that we needed to pay. I told her that I would discuss it with Debbie and get back to her.
When I got to work, I asked some of the Israelis their opinion. Most told me in colorful terms to tell her no, and pay her only for the time that Eitan is actually there. I then however, went to the Modi'in list serve to seek advice. I received many responses saying that this policy of charging for the entire month was in fact normal, however Svetlanna should have informed us of the policy at the beginning of the year. She did not do this, as I am sure if she had, I would have argued about it then.
To make matters even more complicated, we have been hit up over the past week for additional mishpachton expenses on top of the regular payments. 60 shekels to rent a place for the end of the year party, food for the party, presents for the teachers,... I am not unreasonable, and I certainly appreciate the hard work of teachers. I know that teachers are overworked and underpaid. i just don't think that their additional payments should come out of my pocket.
So, now we must decide weather to tell the great Svetlanna to go away or to just pay her what she wants, because everyone seems to do it. On the positive side, we went to the end of the year party. Svetlanna was the best performer there, as most of the kids seemed pretty PO'd to be there. Eitan did smile once or twice though (see above).

Proud To Be Jewish??

2009-07-24T17:37:00.002+03:00

This week, was not one of the better weeks for the general Jewish name. The weeks began with photos of Bernie Madoff's prison bus. Yes, we had to see the bus that brought the infamous Madoff to his new home. After months of his name being plastered across the headlines, we needed yet another reminder of his story. Yes, I was happy to see that he finally received his punishment, but honestly, I could not care less where he was being sent.
Monday morning, I had a chance to glance at the day's issue of the Jerusalem Post. The top headline was about riots in Mea Sha'araim. Despite the clear evidence against a mother who was accused of starving her son and was being held for psychiatric review, many in the Charedi community did not share the State's concern that she may pose a danger to herself and to her children. Their response was to stage violent demonstrations in support of this obviously troubled woman. They even went as far as to accuse Hadassah Hospital of a cover-up. The whole episode is fairly ridiculous to anyone outside of the Charedi community. To anyone on the outside however, this is just another case of crazy and inappropriate Jewish behavior. I suppose that as long as they have a "good" reason for setting fires, disrupting traffic, and lashon hara, then they are acting the way God intended. Until they can come up with some proof that this is in fact the correct way, maybe they can stop embarrassing the rest of us.
If these things were not bad enough, the week ended with 30 people being arrested in New Jersey and New York on charges of money laundering and human organ trafficking. Of course, the front page of this morning's New York Times was of a Chasidic man, with his velvet kippah and tzitzit waving, being handcuffed by the FBI. Several of the men were from the Syrian community of Deal, New Jersey where I used to work. While I did not know any of the individuals personally, I have to be honest and say that I believe the charges against them. I was witness to several "shady episodes" while I worked in the community. In fact, they were the major reason I decided to leave. So, while of course innocent until proven guilty is the American way, let's be frank and admit that yeah, they did it.
So, all in all not a great week for us Jews. With the 9 days half over, and Tisha B'Av just around the corner, maybe we can call on our brethren to set better examples. Being religious means more than dressing the part. It is more than dressing in 7 layers in the heat of summer. It means acting the way, God truly intended us to act. And, if you are going to behave in these ways, at least leave the tzitzit at home.

You've Gotta Be Kidding!

2009-07-15T07:41:00.002+03:00

You might think that here in Israel, these kids of things don't happen, but I assure you this is a true story.
Those of you who are regular readers know that the cafeteria where I work is not strictly kosher. When I started working for the company, I was told that while all food brought in is ok, there is really no supervision during the cooking or preparation and that it is better not to eat the food. I took that advice, and in the months since, I have noticed several problematic episodes. One time, when I was in the kitchen, just to get a drink, I saw a cheese omelet being friend next to a pan of meet. The same spatula was used for both. So, from this, I certainly know, that eating in the cafeteria is a problem.
Yesterday, my boss told me that the kitchen staff were on vacation, so the company was ordering food in. I was not sure if I would be able to eat it, but I figured I would at least check. Maybe I would get lucky. I asked my boss if he knew what was being ordered and he said that usually they brought in either pizza or Chinese food. I figured that with either option, there was at least a chance that I could eat it.
So, I went to the food area to find several boxes of pizza, covered in pepperoni! Yes, you read that correctly. At first I thought that maybe it was vegetarian, but one whiff of the air, proved that it was not.
This may not seem like a big deal for those of you reading this outside of Israel. Here however, while there are pizza stores that do not have kosher certification, it is extremely difficult to find a pizza store that is actually trafe. There just aren't that many. In the entire city of Modi'in, there is one.
So, while I would not have been upset if the pizza just happened to come from a non-certified place, I was a bit put off that they actually went out of their way to make the food not kosher. In fact, they probably paid more for this type of pizza.
I still find it ironic, that while working in New Jersey, I had 11 kosher restaurants within walking distance, and here in Israel, I get to smell pepperoni at work.

From the Other Side

2009-07-07T10:18:00.003+03:00

At 5:30 AM this morning, Debbie and I awoke to get ready for a trip to the airport. With the kids awake at least physically, we headed to Ben Gurion this morning at about 6:20.
No, we were not on our way to a tropical destination. We were going to meet our good friends, Jeremy and Chana Bob, who arrived this morning on a Nefesh B'Nefesh charter flight as new Olim.
When we arrived, people were just entering the hall. Right away, the anticipation began to build. First, they announced that the plane was 10 minutes from landing. Soon after that, the plane's landing was broadcast live for all to see. Everyone clapped, and eagerly waited for people to begin getting off the plane.
Eventually, we all headed outside to meet the new Olim as they got off the busses. Avi held up his sign proud and Eitan enjoyed waving his flag and dancing to the music. After only about 10 minutes, the Bob family came off the bus, as Israel's newest residents. We went inside with them, as they enjoyed their first moments as Israeli citizens.
This morning's experience reminded us that almost a year ago, we had been the new Olim coming off the airport bus. It had been us who faced a mixture of excitement and uncertainty, as we embarked on the greatest challenge of our lives. With a lot of divine help, our first year has been a success! We know that the Bob's will face challenges and roadblocks in their journey, but we are confident, that when all is said and done, they will too know that they made the correct choice.
While sitting in the big hall, waiting for the plane to land, I started talking with the people sitting behind us. I asked them who they were there to welcome. They looked at me with a puzzled look on their faces, and asked me what I meant. I thought that I had asked a fairly straight forward question but I again asked, who are you here to meet. One of them answered, "we're here to meet everybody!"
At first I thought this was kind of odd, as why would you wake up early and come if you did not have anyone specific to welcome. Then, I realized that this was one of the reasons our Aliyah has been successful. We are living in a country where each person getting off that plane today, really matters. Most people living in Israel, will drop everything to help an Oleh Chadash. When we came to Modi'in a year ago, without our lift, and knowing almost no one, it was these kinds of people who helped us and made us feel welcome.
As we waited for the Bob's this morning, I knew as I watched all of the other people waiting for the new Olim that we had made the right decision. It felt kind of like a graduation to be on this side. People are now asking us for advice and information. I don't know if our advice is any good, but it's at least nice to be able to give it.
We wish the Bob family, and all of the other families who came on today's flight a successful Aliyah. It's not always easy, but it is most certainly worth it!

Lying to Your Kids- The Joys of Being a Parent

2009-07-05T13:59:00.003+03:00

Most parents try to teach their kids the importance of telling the truth. In fact, when our kids are not totally honest, we tend to come down on them pretty hard. How often have you heard a parent say to their child, "you can tell me anything as long as you tell the truth."
As a parent, I of course want my children to be truthful and honest. After all, this is how trust and responsibilities are earned. The question however, is if the responsibilities associated with telling the truth apply to the parents as well?
When I was a kid, I would sometimes ask if I could have something special or do a special fun activity. Often, the answer was, "we'll see." Now, 20 something years later, I and most adults know that "we'll see" is actually code for no way in hell! I remember one time, as a child I wanted to go to the local candy store and stock up on the basic supplies such as jelly beans, gum, and fish jelly candies. After much pestering, my mother finally said, "we'll see if we have time." I actually thought that there might be time and that I had a shot at actually gorging myself with a pile of junk. In the end however, it was clear that time had nothing to do with it. In her defense, what parent in their right minds would take their children to a candy store for no reason. That's just a cavity waiting to happen! But, I was a gullible kid, waiting for my candy. In the end, everything worked out, as lucky certain grandmothers saved the day.
I raise this whole topic, as Friday night, while we were eating Shabbat dinner, Avi was given his plate of food, and immediately complained that he had to eat chicken. For those of you who don't know, Avi is not a chicken fan. Getting him to eat any chicken not in nugget form is a task. We try not to make him eat it during the week, but on Shabbat we usually have chicken. Avi took one look at his plate and said "oooo yuck! I don't want to eat chicken." So, without pause, I told him, "That's not chicken. That's turkey." He said, "ok" and proceeded to clean his plate. So, yes, I got him to eat his dinner, but I was not exactly forthcoming and honest. Is this OK? We used to do the same thing with my sister, who is the opposite. She loves chicken but hates turkey. Every Thanksgiving, we would just tell her that it was chicken. To her credit, by the time she was 17, it stopped working, but hey we had a good run.
On one hand, our kids do what we do and say what we say. On the other hand, sometimes, as parents we just have no energy to argue with the kids about something as trivial as eating vegetables.
What do you think?

The Hunt Goes Into Full Swing

2009-06-26T16:22:00.002+03:00

The time has finally come. After almost an entire year of paying someone else's mortgage, we have started our search for a place of our own. For those of you who have been through this process in Israel, you know how different things our here than in Israel. We have certainly gotten our education in Israeli real-estate.
First, in America, the seller pays the real estate agent a percentage of the house's sale price. In Israel however, the agent's fee is paid by the buyer. To me, this makes no sense, as the agent is hired by the seller, but hey, we just live here. What this means, is that any time we go to see a house or apartment, we must first negotiate with the agent as to how much we will pay him, if we choose to buy the property.
We started our search process by contacting a few local real estate agents and asking them to show us their listings. Would you believe that some of them are too lazy to schedule showings? There is one person who came highly recommended, who we have had to call 3 times! I think we have decided to move on to someone else, but you would think that as they do get a commission they would be more motivated.
Another difference is that when a seller lists a property with a real estate company, only that company's agents can show the property. This means, that we have to work with several agents, as no one person can show us everything we want to see.
Ok, so once we have found something we like, the next step is qualifying for a mortgage. Now, granted things in the US are not what they used to be. The approval process is a lot more strict. A person with a job and good credit can however still qualify for a decent sized mortgage. In Israel, the buyer must put down an average of 30% of the selling price, leaving the rest to finance. With this restriction, our price range had to come down, as we have to make sure we can meet this down payment requirement. Here in Modi'in, where things are already too expensive, this only makes it more challenging.
Last night, we met with a mortgage broker, who in 2 short hours gave us all of our mortgage options. To sum it all up, there are no great options. There is no such thing here as a fixed rate mortgage. All of the mortgages are tied to various things such as Libor, the shekel exchange rate, and even the dollar. Basically, no matter what you do, you are going to end of paying. The trick seems to be to find the best combination of mortgages and most importantly to pay off your mortgage early. Unless of course, you get one of the mortgages with a penalty for early pay offs, but that's a different conversation all together.
So what now? Currently, we are in a good position, as we have our apartment until May if needed. That means, we are not in a huge rush to find something. On the other hand, the sooner we can stop paying rent, the better. We have looked at several properties and have expressed some interest in a few of them. This week, we will see what happens. Either we will make some offers, or we will keep looking.
This whole process has been exhausting, but hopefully when it is all over, we'll end up with a nice place to call our own. Here's hoping it will be bigger than a shoe box!

A Polish Guy, A Japanese Guy, and an American all Walked Into The Room...

2009-06-12T17:11:00.002+03:00

No, this is not the start of a funny joke. This is actually what has been happening at work for the last 2 weeks. Two weeks ago, I started with my first training seminar at work. Distributors from all over the world came to our office to receive training on our company's newest product releases. For me, it was a bit overwhelming as I was supposed to be teaching the group how to use many of these products. However, there were many subjects where I did not know a whole lot more than they did.
As they say, a good teacher is also a good actor. Somehow, I did not let my ignorance get the better of me. It is interesting how learning styles vary depending on a person's geographic background. For example, they guy from Japan literally wrote down everything we said. If I sneezed, there he was taking notes. Of course, since I don't read Japanese, I don't really know what he was writing, but there were a lot of pages in his notebook. The guys from France on the other hand, didn't even show up for every session. When they did come, they usually came 30-40 minutes late. Yet somehow, they were able to do everything they needed to accomplish. The American was of course somewhere in the middle. She was definitely taking notes, but was also spacing out during some of the more mundane and boring parts of the training program. That brought back a lot of my own personal memories.
At the end of the training, the company took everyone out to dinner. There I discovered a common bond between all nationalities; BEER! Since the company was paying, no one was shy about drinking. I lost count at twelve pitchers. One thing I do know is that the restaurant definitely lost money on this deal. While I did not drink quite as much beer as the rest of the group, it was nice to interact with people outside of the training program. And, if i ever find myself in Japan, France, Poland, England, or Belgium, I know that I will not go thirsty!
After a long week, it was nice to finally spend some quality time with Debbie and the kids. Now, usually when I say "quality time" it involves a movie and some sort of food. Today, however we actually went outside! Avi's Gan sponsored a trip to a water park on Kibbutz Givat Brenner. It was a hot day, so Avi and Debbie especially enjoyed getting wet. Eitan, apparently takes after me and is not a huge fan of the water, so he and I played on the dry part of the playground. It was especially nice for Avi, as he saw a lot of his friends there. After almost 3 hours of fun in the sun, we took the kids to Holy Bagel for lunch. Fridays in this country take on an extra importance as besides being Erev Shabbat, Friday is also the activity day. As tired as I am after a full week of work, it is nice being able to go places and to have fun with everyone. We are already planning our summer trip schedule. If anyone has any ideas, let us know.
That's it for now. I will try and make sure not as much time passes between posts.
Shabbat Shalom

Some Things are Hard To Forget

2009-05-26T11:09:00.002+03:00

One of the hardest parts of Aliyah has been to change careers. I went from working in Jewish education to Israel's hi-tech industry. While, I do enjoy my current job, at least for the most part, it has been a very difficult transition.
Over the past weeks, I have been reminded several times just how difficult the transition has been. Two weeks ago, one of my former students called and asked if she could come for Shabbat with two friends. I had not spoken to this student in quite some time, so I was very happy to hear from her. We of course, told her she could come, and we had a very nice Shabbat together with her and her friends. Of course, the topic of school came up and we spent a good portion of the Friday night meal, talking about the good old days. The following Monday, I was invited to a Ma'ayanot class reunion in Jerusalem. It was perhaps the nicest school related event I have ever been at. It was great to see all of the students as well as my old principal. Throughout the evening, I kept getting asked, "how's Aliyah?" and "What are you doing now?" The first question was easy to answer, as our Aliyah has gone generally well. The second questions was a bit tougher. As I told my former students, that I was no longer a teacher, and that I was working for a company, they actually seemed both surprised and disappointed. It was not that I was close with every student. Some, probably, even wished that they had not been in my class. What they all had in common however, was that they all identified me as a teacher and educator. Now, all of the sudden, that is no longer the case. It made me start to think about the change as well. After a very enjoyable and nostalgic evening, I headed back to Modi'in with a lot on my mind.
Two days later, another student called and again asked if she could come for Shabbat with 2 friends. Now this student, was here already once this year, so she knew where she was coming. I was much closer with this student last year than I was with the student from the previous week. Again, we had a great Shabbat, talking about the past and looking forward to the future as well.
When it was over, I could not help but stop to think if I had made the right decision, leaving education. Sure, everyone says that Aliyah brings sacrifices, and yes, there were financial reasons for the switch as well. But, if all were equal, I don't think I would have left education.
Don't worry folks! I'm not quitting my current job. For one thing, 31 is too young for a mid life crisis. I also have to do those pesky little things like pay the rent, buy food, etc. I am however, always keeping my eyes open for a chance to go back to what I believe I belong.

Finally Saw Star Trek!

2009-05-17T08:14:00.002+03:00

Last night, I finally got to see the new Star Trek movie. Of course I was very excited to finally be able to go. It had been out for an entire week. Normally, I would have been the first person in line, but this time, I had to wait. So how was it? Spoiler Alert!
If you plan to see the movie stop reading. If you have already seen it, keep going and weigh in with your own opinions.
The movie was all in all a great movie. Lots of action, special FX, and even some comedy. It kept us all on the edges of our seat almost the entire time. It was especially interesting to see the background story. So much has been hinted to over the years, but this was the first time this period has ever been the main focus. The performances were also almost all very well acted. Zachary Quinto was a prefect choice as Spock. For anyone who watches Heroes, you know that he is a gifted actor. He was the perfect choice to play this part. It was also nice to see Leonard Nimoy back one more time as Spock. It was a small role, but was meaningful and important to the story.
Now for the criticism!
I know that this creative team is new to the Star Trek world. I knew that sometimes there needed to be creative license with the ST canon. I think though that at times, this movie was trying too hard to please the non ST fans, that it forgot some of the basics principles of the ST story.
Here in not particular order are my issues with the new movie:\
1. Blowing up Vulcan!- Come on! This planet has been featured in countless episodes, movies, and stories from all of the series. How can you take something featured so much and just wipe it from existance? Also, while I could have done without Winona Ryder, Amanda was definitely killed too early.
2. The Spock/Uhura Romance- On one hand it was nice to see the Uhura character get so much screen time. The actress who played Uhura was quite good. Everyone knows however that it was Nurse Chapel who had feelings for Spock. Where did this Uhura thing come from?
3. Checkov- Ensign Checkov did not join the crew until the second season of the original series. It was clear then, that he was a new young officer. If this was the case, how could he have been on the bridge during Captain Pike's command? Also, Sulu first joined the Enterprise as the ship's physicist not as the helmsman.
4. Kirk's Birth- It was interesting to really get into the origins of the Jim Kirk character. There was however, no mention of Kirk's older brother or of this best friend Gary Mitchell.
5. Captain Pike- Anyone who is a true fan knows that Captain Pike was not the first captain of the Enterprise. The first captain was Robert April. There was no mention of this character. Also, I found it hard to believe that Spock was already a commander in the movie. That would mean he was not promoted for over 20 years.

OK, so you may say that I am a geek for pointing out all of these things. You would in fact be correct. My point is that, while I very much enjoyed the movie, I am not sure that it can truly be considered part of the Star Trek history.

Playing With Fire

2009-05-14T18:16:00.003+03:00

This week, we celebrated Lag B'Omer. As with most holidays here in Israel, it seemed to last a good 2 or 3 days longer than expected. The official holiday was Monday night and Tuesday, but the medurot or bonfires started on Sunday. We made sure to buy plenty of extra potatos and onions, as it is customary to rost them in the fire. Avi even had a medura at his gan! Who says matches are not allowed in pre-school?
Monday night, our Shul had its medura right outside our building. This was especially conveniant, as it started kind of late and we were happy not to have to go too far with the kids. The fire started when someone decided to burn their old sofa. Those cushions burn quickly. Throughout the evening people added their own pieces of wood and other flamible material to the fire. Avi enjoyed throwing the wood in, and Eitan who is now walking kept trying to go in for a closer look. Don't worry, Debbie was in charge!
Together with another neighbor, we got our onions in the fire. After about 45 minutes we took them out, and together with a good shot of whiskey, my neighbor and I enjoyed our roasted food. Mmmm good!
There were medurot in Modi'in literally every 100 yards or so. Some, like ours were very big, while some were much smaller. The air smelled like one big BBQ which while nice at first, made it very hard to breathe. When I went out to go to work the next morning, i could still smell the fires. We closed all of our windows and trisim, yet the smell still somehow got in. All part of the experience I guess.
What makes Lag B'omer interesting for me, is it has become one of those occasions that everyone seems to celebrate. At work the next day, many people came in late because they were up late the night before at their medurot. My boss, who is as chiloni/ secular as they come, could not stop talking about how big he made his fire. I guess in this case, bigger is better!
Well, we are already getting ready for Shabbat. One of my old students called yesterday and asked if she could come with 2 friends. Debbie has insisted on doing most of the cooking now that I am at work. We are invited out for lunch so at least there is only 1 meal to worry about. I am sure we will eat well!

A Walk, Some Pickled Herring, To Boldly Go?

2009-05-10T08:04:00.005+03:00

This weekend was a weekend of first in our household. Shabbat morning, Eitan decided for himself that he had enough crawling on the floor. Without any help or coaching, Eitan pulled himself up and began walking on his own. At first, he took a few steps and plopped back down. After a few more tries though, he was up and about. He sure knows how to pick good Mother's Day presents! In Shul, there was a kiddush this week. While Debbie was thrilled that Eitan wanted to walk, it was a bit scary as he took off towards the cookies all by himself. They say that kids in Israel are more independent. I guess, now that's he's able to move around, we can send him off on his own.
During that same kiddush, Avi did something that would make his grandfathers very proud! After someone said kiddush, I told Avi that he could take a cookie or a piece of cake. I thought this would make his day. Instead, Avi goes for a piece of herring! I told him,. I didn't think he would like it, but that's never stopped him before. He took a bit and immediately went back for more. Take that cake!
This weekend also brought another first. The new Star Trek movie came out in theatres this weekend. Normally, as most of you know, I would be the first one in line. The problem however, is that technically; I do not usually see movies until after Lag B'Omer. In the past this has not been a problem, as the Star Trek movies usually come out in June. The opinions around town were mixed as to whether I could go see the movie now, or if I had to wait until later in the week. I was surprised when one Rabbi friend of mine said that for most movies you have to wait, unless they were of Star Trek or X-Men themes. While I was impressed with this decision, I have decided to wait until after Lag B'Omer to see the movie. I am going with a friend this coming Saturday night. In the end I decided that if we could wait this long for a Star Trek movie and even longer for a decent Star Trek movie, then a few more days would not be that bad.
So, in the end, the lesson we can learn is that, if they can finally make some decent Trek movies every few years, then an extra few days is not a big deal. If however, the next one is bad, (anyone familiar with Trek movies knows the general pattern) then there may be a case to go to the third movie during sefira. Only time will tell.
Live Long and Prosper

Happy Birthday Israel

2009-04-29T18:50:00.002+03:00

The week started normally enough. Sunday, was a regular work day. We knew that Yom Ha'atzmaut was coming but being that this is our first year here, we were not really sure what to expect. We figured we would keep things low key. On Monday, when I cam to work, I received a nice surprise. I was told that we had off from Tuesday through Friday. Even though I have only been working a few weeks any vacation time is certainly welcome. Once I knew that I would have these days off, I immediately decided that we should have a "mangal" or BBQ in honor of Yom Ha'atzmaut.
On Shabbat, we had spoken with our friends Matt and Jenna about having a small BBQ. The next day, Debbie spoke with our friends Leora and Israel who were also interested in doing something. After a lot of back and forth planning, we decided to go to Latrun in the morning and then come back to our place for a lunch time mangal. Another family, also came, so all of the sudden our small BBQ was now 4 families.
After a festive davening, we drove to Latrun as planned. It took some time as traffic was already bad. Once there we met up with our friends and began to climb on the various tanks and jeeps. Avi and Eitan both had a lot of fun. While we were there, our friends the Cahan's called and asked if we were doing anything. Since we were already hosting a "small" get together, we invited them to come as well. So, somehow we went from a 5 person lunch to a 17 person major BBQ.
I have to say, that it was a perfect way to mark our first Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel. We grilled an incredible amount of food, as everyone brought something, and we had a great time with our friends.
Israel's 61st birthday was not just about BBQing. The whole country literally stops everything to commemorate Yom Hazikaron and to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut. On Tuesday, Debbie and I went shopping to buy food for the BBQ. At 11AM, the siren sounded and suddenly the atmosphere went from the commotion of a supermarket to absolute silence. For one minute, every person stopped no matter where they were for a moment of silence to remember those who have given their lives for the State of Israel. This one moment, really spoke better then anything which I have ever been a part. In Israel, unlike in other countries, almost everyone has a connection to either a terror victim or to a soldier lost in battle. This moment of silence in actually senta louder message than any other program ever could.
Tuesday night, we all attended the community tfilat chagigit which featured singing and dancing. After Yom Hazikaron officially gave way to Yom Ha'atzmaut the music started and the kids had a great time dancing and enjoying the now festive moment. We partied until about 9PM when it was finally time to get the kids to bed. When we arived back at our home, we had another nice surprise, as we were able to see fireworks from our mirpeset. Avi especially enjoyed seeing them.
In the States, Independence Day and Memorial Day are usually not very meaningful. They are generally nothing more for most, than a day off. In Israel, these days reminded us all why we made this crazy move and why we went through everything we have done over the past year.
Until next year- Happy Birthday Israel!

The Week That Was...

2009-04-16T12:49:00.003+03:00

This was our first year celebrating Pesach as Israelis. That meant only one seder, an extra day of Chol Hamoed and a shorter Pesach. We certainly tried to make the most of the extra time.
We spent the entire Chag living at Debbie's sister's house in Hashmonaim. We had a very nice seder and a relaxing first day. The first day of Chol Hamoed was a Friday. We followed my brother in law Benji to the beach in Herzaliya. Avi had the most fun there, but I was a bit stressed out as we did not leave until after lunch. I think we spent more time getting to and from the beach then we actually did there, but somehow in the end, we made it back with enough time to make an early Shabbat.
The real fun started the next day, as we embarked on our first family tiyul.
For our first full day, we traveled north to the Bet Shan area to Gan Garoo. This is an outdoor zoo/park operated by Kibbutz Nir David. The drive took us a good 2 hours, as this is one of the busiest travel days of the year. We got off to a later start than I would have personally liked but I was just one of the many participants. When we finally arrived, we walked through the park and got to see the kangaroos and other animals. They also had other activities and things for the kids to do. Overall, it was a nice but hot day. The kids had a lot of fun and Grandma and Grandpa got to spend some good quality time with the all of the grandchildren. Thanks to my cousin David, we traveled back a different way, which not only saved us time, but also gave us some really nice scenery to look at as well. We got back tired, smelly, stressed, yet happy as well.
For our next day, we joined my family for a hike and barbeque. My cousins, David and Tammy, invited us to join them in the Gush area. Together with their kids, cousins, and of course Russi we walked from Neve Daniel to Alon Shvut. It was not a long walk, but it was very enjoyable. At the end, we enjoyed an amazing barbeque. It was nice to find out that I am not the only one in the family who enjoys cooking and eating mass quantities of meat. After eating enough to make Debbie disgusted, we bid our farewell and headed back to Hashmonaim.
The Chag ended (of course a day earlier than in the States) and we headed back to our own place. You would think that the story would end there, but....
Thursday morning, as I was preparing to go to the grocery store, to fight with the rest of the city for bread and other supplies, Debbie screamed my name and yelled at me to come upstairs. I figured I had just left something out like normal, but I went up. Good thing I did quickly, as the hose that connects the washing machine to the water had disconnected. There was water everywhere. I quickly shut off the main upstairs water valve, and we began to clean up. Luckily, the water had only been gushing for 10-15 minutes, but it was long enough to make a big mess. I started to squeegee water into the drains, while Debbie started to call neighbors and friends to see if anyone had a wet vac. You would think that someone would have one, but no one did. The entire upper floor of our place had about 2-3 inches of water and it was staring to go down to the main floor as well. Thank God for a resourceful and helpful neighbor names Rachel, who lives in our complex. She came over, armed with a rag and squeegee and started telling us what to do. In about an hour, the place was much better. I must give credit to Debbie who armed with about a gallon of Pine Sol (Mom, you would have feel right at home) managed to clean and improve the situation. While she was on her hands and knees scrubbing, I took the 2 kids to the store to get that food mentioned before. So, the water is just about out, the windows are all open and things are starting to go back to normal.
Now, to cook for Shabbat.

Birchat Hachama, Biur Chametz, and a Pre-Pesach Snack to Remember

2009-04-08T18:17:00.003+03:00

The holiday experience in Israel is always unique and special. This Pesach, our first as residents is certainly no exception. Many people associate Pesach with hard work, cooking, and cleaning. There is certainly more to it than that though. I don't know if it is because we are not making Pesach and therefore don't have all of the work to do, but Pesach here actually feels different than in the States.
This morning, in addition to the regular happenings, we had the chance to participate in a special mitzvah called Birchat Hachamah, the blessing on the sun. This mitzvah only comes around once every 28 years, so it was a special opportunity to be able to do this on our first Erev Pesach. Avi and I went to shul this morning for the first born siyum and we got to do Birchat Hachamah as well. It is always interesting to view these experiences through the eyes of children. That's really what Pesach is all about, so all of the questions Avi asks are really part of the spirit of the holiday.
The best was Biur Chametz. In the States, this is a fairly ordinary practice usually done at either the fire house or in some other controlled fashion. Here in Israel, there were bonfires on every corner. We walked outside and immediately smelled the smoke in the air. We went to burn our chametz and again watching through Avi's eyes was quite interesting. He wanted to know why people were allowed to light fires and wondered if it was dangerous. I assured him that it was ok and he was much more at ease.
Another obvious difference between Pesach in American and Pesach in Israel is the food. While there is certainly more available in America now than in years past, there is still a feeling of a special diet. In Israel, every restaraunt is kosher for Pesach. Yes, Kitniot are a problem but there are a lot of choices. My neighbor brought me a great lunch today from a meat place called Pinati. I am used to having to eat cold food on Erev Pesach so this was a treat. In fact, a bulleting came out today that every cafe in the mall is going to be open for Pesach. Gotta love this country!
We are getting ready to light candles so it is time to sign off. If you have never been in Israel for a Pesach, don't wait any longer. We haven't started yet and already the differences are there. The holiday is in the air as they say. Over the next week, we will be doing plenty of eating, davening, and of course trips around the country, so stay tuned for more on our happenings.
Chag Sameach from Chashmonaim!

Working in Israel

2009-04-01T08:27:00.002+03:00

It has been a little over a week since I started my new job with Orad. So far, the work has been challenging but the company is overall a nice work atmosphere. After working for so many years in the States, certain things to which I have become accustomed are not the case in the Israeli based work environment. Below are some of the differences I have noticed. If I left any out, please leave your comments as I am sure there are more:
1. Informal Feeling- This perhaps sums up the general environment. On the first day, I walked up to the front door and saw 4-5 employees on their smoking breaks. This was a bit strange as it was only 9:45, a little early for a break. I walked in and went to my office, and found my boss laughing hysterically. When I asked him what was so funny, he forwarded me an email that was sent to him by his boss. Let's just say that sending around an email like this would have gotten me in trouble in the US. Even with the informal setting, work still gets done so I guess it somehow works out.
2. Dress Code- Working in a school requires a minimal dress code. I generally showed up to work wearing a shirt and tie. If I had an important meeting I would wear a jacket. Going casual meant no tie. Here in Israel, I have felt quite overdressed. Most employees in the company wear jeans and sweat/T shirts. If someone wears a shirt with a collar, it is surly untucked and wrinkled. I just have not been able to bring myself to come to work like this. No, I don't wear a tie. But, even my button down shirts and Kakis seem to formal. One person already asked me if I was there on an interview and it was my 4th day.
3. Cell Phones- In the US business world, it is generally considered bad etiquette to answer a cell phone call while in a meeting or while on company time. In Israel, cell phones are a regular part of the workplace. In fact, the company even gives employees cell phones as an added perk. Yes, it's supposed to be for when you are traveling or on company business, but everyone knows full well that 90% of the calls made or received are personal.
4. Meal Times- I find it ironic that while working in New Jersey I had the option of having a kosher hot meal every day. In Israel, while the meals are hot, they are not kosher. The company provides its employees with a huge lunch, consisting of salads, soups, several main choices, and amazing looking deserts. For the 3 kosher workers, we are left to fend for ourselves. What is so interesting however, is how serious people take the lunch break. At 1:30, the official lunch time, everything stops. It does not matter what was happening at 1:29. When lunch comes, that's it! From what I understand, some of the workers are often at work until quite late, so their dinner may not be until much later. I just remember in the States that on some days, I did not eat until 2, since work usually came first.

That's it for now. My challenge now is to become just one of the Israeli employees. They say that time can change a person. We'll have to see if that holds true here.

Finally!

2009-03-24T16:46:00.002+02:00

For those of you who are regular readers, I know it has been a while since my last post. Read on and you will understand the hold-up.
So, here I am, living in Israel for 8 months and finally a full time job. After sending out countless resumes, I am happy to announce that I have found a job that will both utilize my skills and get me in to the corporate world here in Israel. I have accepted a position with a hi-tech company called Orad. The job is based in Kfar Saba, so I will have a bit of a commute, but still less than when we lived in New Jersey. I will be creating training material for a new software product which they have developed. After that, I will be training customers in how to use this product. This job will allow me to use my backgrounds and experiences in both education and technology. If all goes well, I will even get to do some traveling.
This whole thing of course came about in the quick and crazy manners we have become accustomed to since moving to Israel.
After sending out countless resumes, I was starting to get a bit discouraged with the whole Israeli job market. I was even considering returning to work in the United States. Then, all of the sudden I received 3 phone calls and interviewed for 3 jobs last week. To complicate matters even more, I was offered all 3 jobs. In addition, my current job made me an offer to try to get me to stay with them. So, after 7 months of nothing, I all of the sudden had to decide between 4 jobs. Immediately, I said no to 2 of the positions. While the money for at least one of them was good, it just was not what I wanted to do. I then had to decide between staying at my current job or taking the new position. To make a long story short, I was tempted to stay in my current job, as I know the people, the system, and what the added responsibilities would entail. After lots of discussions, and back and forth with some close friends and family, I ultimately decided that the Orad job was the way to go. While not perfect (what is?), I feel that this job will allow me to grow the most professionally, and gain the most experience. It is nerve racking to start something new but I am hoping that it will work out.
The icing on the cake is that Debbie promised that when I found a new job, she would take me to PapaGayos. For those of you who don't know, PapaGayos is maybe my favorite restaurant of all time. They bring you 13 meats and you basically eat until you pop! This was of course the real motivation to find a better job!
I start tomorrow, so wish me luck and stay tuned for more updates.

The Month of Purim

2009-03-11T16:54:00.002+02:00

Purim here in Israel seems to last a long time. Since Rosh Chodesh Adar, the celebrations have continued. The kids have had a great time, as it has been a non stop party. The parents have also had a good time, but this is definitely a kid friendly holiday. The jovial atmosphere can be sensed in the streets much more so here than in the States, as everyone around is involved in some type of Purim celebration.
Debbie took the kids last week to a party at City Hall especially for new Olim. The kids had fun and Avi even got to be part of the show. As the week continued, even the weather got fun, as the temperatures have been in the mid 70's for the past week. We have gotten to spend a lot of time at the park, as Avi attempts to beat Lance Armstrong's records on his brand new bike. He is eager to get rid of those training wheels! Eitan too, has become a bit of a daredevil on the playground. He seems to be fearless on that slide. They definitely take after Debbie.
Of course, it's not all play. I agreed to help our Shul edit and produce this year's Purim shpiel video. It took a long time, but we were all happy with the final result. We brought the kids to Shul in full costumes for Megillah reading. They both behaved perfectly during the reading but once it was over, Eitan was ready to leave. After some quick falafel, I sent Debbie home with the kids while I stayed to make sure the video ran smoothly. Purim day was full of the normal activities, Megillah, mishloach manot and a delicious seudah at Jenna and Matthew Mintz's house. We did a chocolate lovers theme for mishloach manot this year. I guess the cholesterol theme will have to wait until next year.
Today is Shushan Purim. Outside of Israel this day is fairly ordinary. In Israel however it takes on extra significance as Purim is celebrated today in Jerusalem and in other walled cities. We took the kids today to the Old City for one last taste of Purim. Avi was a bit confused as to why people were still reading Megillah but I think he got the idea. There was an outdoor carnival and festival at the Mamilla Mall and the kids seemed to enjoy it with only minimal kvetching.
It is still amazing to me how everything turns happy for Purim. Even the traffic lights in Jerusalem had happy faces. The normal music in the elevators was replaced by Purim songs. As we get ready to go back to the normal routine, we hope that the joy felt on Purim continues (alcohol free of course) for the rest of the year. Of course, the end of Purim means that Pesach is less than a month away.

You Really Did Have to Be There to Believe It!

2009-03-01T21:39:00.002+02:00

This past Friday, we were all invited to attend a Purim party at Avi's gan. Everything started off normal enough, as the kids put on clown makeup to get into the spirit. The party was supposed to start at 8:15. An entertainer was supposed to come to lead activities for the kids. After about a half hour the teacher was notified that the entertainers were running an hour late. Not a great start! When they finally did arrive, it was clear that they were totally unprepared. It took them another 20 minutes to get set up. By the time they were ready to go, most of the parents and even some of the kids were ready to go home.
This type of stuff happens all the time. The really unbelievable part came next. The "entertainers" started handing out flammable party poppers to a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds. At first we did not know what is was, but when I picked one up and saw the word "flammable" in big bold letters, I could not believe my eyes. Luckily, Avi's teacher was paying attention and immediately confiscated the poppers from the kids. The other parents in the room, mostly Anglos were all appalled. To make matters even worse, the group's manager started coming around handing out flyers. Like anyone would have these people at their parties!
Only in Israel!

A Crazy (But Fun) Few Days

2009-02-26T21:42:00.004+02:00

It seems that we have gotten to spend more time with family while living in Israel then we did when we lived in the US. In the past two weeks, we have gotten to see our cousin Helen and her daughter Russi as well as my parents who are here this week for a short visit.
Visits are great. The kids, especially Avi love having guests, especially special guests who don't come every day. The time with Bubby and Zaydi has been an especially fun time for both Avi and Eitan.
After picking them up from the airport Monday night, we got started right away on maximizing the time. On Tuesday we headed to Gush Etzion to see one of Israel's most important sites, the Naot shoes outlet store! Zaydi and Avi both found comfortable slippers. We had planned on spending the day in the Gush Etzion area and next headed to a petting zoo in Elazar, a few miles down the road. Unfortunately, they were closed. Their sign said they were opened, but apparently in the Winter, they close on random days. Gotta love the country! Since the small zoo was closed, we decided to go to the real one in Yerushalayim. I had never actually driven from the Gush to Yerushalayim but I had seen it done once or twice so I figured what the hech. The good news is that even with a few wrong turns, we managed to avoid the Arab villages and we made it just fine. We had a very enjoyable afternoon in the zoo and then headed to Kenyon Malchah where Avi decided that we should have Burger King for lunch. I certainly have trained him well!
After finding and squeezing into a parking space, we enjoyed burgers and salads (only women go to Burger King and order salads) and headed back for some much needed rest. Since I work at night, the rest of the day was spent playing outside and just hanging out.
On Wednesday I attended a networking breakfast in Tel Aviv. I have never been to one of these before so I was a little apprehensive about what I would find. After a slow train ride I found the place and went inside to a room full of people as clueless as me. After a 2o shekel drink of orange juice, I started to try to play the game and meet as many people as I could. I actually did meet some interesting people and overall had a nice enough time. The problem was that I would guess about 70% of the people there were, like me, also looking for jobs. This cut the amount of useful contacts. All in all though, it was an interesting experience. Who knows if it helped?
After returning to Modi'in I met Debbie and the parents at the mall and had a nice Shwarma! I then came home and got ready to go to Yerushalayim to teach my course at Young Judea.
Today, Thursday was an especially important day for me. I was invited to present a workshop at the annual Techshoret conference in Yerushalayim. This conference brings together technical writers from all over for professional development and networking. My session, which dealt with using technology within the confines of halachah seemed well received. There were about 15 people in the room and they all asked questions and got involved. During the conference I also met a lot of other technical writers and got to hand out several resumes. You never know how these things will turn out but it never hurts to network. After coming home we enjoyed a delicious Burgers Bar dinner. And yes, for the official record Burgers Bar has been deemed the superior burger in Israel!
We are now focusing on getting ready for Shabbat. A lot to take in over the past few days, but overall we got a lot done.

It's Only Money

2009-02-18T22:09:00.002+02:00

Those of you who read this blog regularly (yes, I know there are a few) know that I sometimes use this space to vent and complain about the differences between Israeli and American culture. While the economy has been quite poor, the dollar seems to have gone back up to around 4. This has been a positive development as it means that the savings we have in America is worth more than it was. Debbie and I started slowly looking at possible housing purchases. As we started to get more serious we realized that even though the dollar has gone up, the entire buying process in Israel makes it very difficult to be able to get anything done.
Let's say we find a place ( no such luck yet). We then have to make sure we can get a mortgage. The problem here is that a borrower has to be able to show that he has earned money here in Israel. Not just money, but a considerable monthly sum. So, here we are, new Olim wanting to take out a mortgage. Now, while I am fortunate enough to have a job, the reality is that we would not depend on that money in order to make a down payment. The problem is, they don't care! Without showing those monthly earnings, they don't care how much you have in savings or how much you are prepared to put down. They put you in a virtually impossible situation.
So, what does all this mean? Well, it means that buying property in Israel just got a lot harder. Not impossible, just more difficult, for you see as with everything else in Israel, there are ways around this. The problem of course is that these solutions end of costing a lot more in the long run.
Well, the good news is we still have not found a place we want to live for the rest of our lives. We will keep looking, and when we do find something, we will have to pick to rob the local branch of Bank Leumi, go back to America and earn a real living, or get creative with the Israeli system. Hey, it's only money right?

Our first Elections!

2009-02-10T17:01:00.003+02:00

Since we have been here, the lection campaigning has continued almost non-stop. Except for a brief pause during the Gaza war, the candidates and their parties have been out trying to get the votes needed. It has been an interesting process to watch. The mudslinging and the campaign politics remind me a lot of a typical US election. In the end, it looks like Bibi will win, although not by as much as they were saying only a few days ago. It was a special treat to be part of this process. Up until now, our connection to Israeli politics was whatever news was reported by the media. We all grew up expressing our opinions as to who should be in charge and what policies should be instituted. Until now however, we were always discussing someone else's government. Our opinions really did not matter. This time, what we think does count, at least a little. Voting today actually felt important. I don't know if it really was, but it felt good to know that my vote and my opinion for the first time really mattered.
I almost did not make it to the polls. I almost missed my first Israeli election. Let me back up a few days. Thursday morning I woke up with the chills and a terrible headache. It turned out I was really sick with the flu. Thursday and Friday were bad days, as I was unable to do much of anything, including eating. Shabbat came and while I started to feel better, my stomach was still not improving and I was unable to eat much. This went on until Monday, when my doctor was still worried and sent me to the ER to get checked out. She was nervous about appendicitis, kidney stones, and a bunch of other unpleasant things.
So, off I go to Hadassah- Har Hatzofim. I arrived at about 1PM and was sat in a tiny waiting area with a bunch of sickly looking people. After about 45 minutes they took me to a bed. So far so good I thought to myself. Well, for the next 2 hours no one even looked in on me to make sure I was breathing. I started to think that maybe they forgot about me, but finally a doctor did come. He told me exactly what I knew already. He decided to put me on an IV of antibiotics and whatever else and then he wanted me to go for a CT scan. He said the whole thing should take no more than 2 more hours. Well, at 8PM a different doctor finally came in to tell me that I was next in line for the CT scan. By this point I was pretty upset, as I had not eaten all day and I did not feel that the hospital staff was giving me the attention that I should have gotten. They never even seemed concerned that as a diabetic I had not eaten. Finally, they came in to take me to the CT scanning room and I had the scan. Unfortunately, there was no one there to take me back to the ER. They just left me sitting in a hallway. A nice Arab man offered to wheel me back, but I said that I could walk myself. About half way back on foot, my orderly passed me and asked me if I needed help. I assured him, I was just fine on my own. After another 45 minutes of waiting, the results came back and I was told I was fine. The IV they had given me actually seemed to have worked and there was no sign of anything to worry about on the CT. After a cab ride back to Modi'in, I finally arrived home tired and hungry, but glad to be home just the same.
While I was going through my ordeal, Debbie took the kids to a Tu'Beshvat event organized by the city of Modi'in especially for new Olim. I was especially proud of Avi when I heard about his conversation with the Mayor of Modi'in, Hayim Bibas. Avi went over to the Mayor and said, "Shalom." The Mayor then asked Avi where he was from. Expecting Avi to say he was from the States, Avi looked at him and said, "I'm from Modi'in." This kid has a future in politics!
Well, I am happy to report that despite all of the trials and tribulations, I am feeling much better and we all got to participate in a historic day in our personal lives as Olim.

Where Do We Go From Here?

2009-01-27T21:54:00.003+02:00

So, it's been a while since my last posting. A lot has happened since I wrote last. Israel left Gaza and entered into a "peace" accord with Hamas. Somehow rockets are still falling on Israel but what can you do? Barack Obama became the first African American to be sworn in as President. Yes, even here in Israel, we all watched the ceremony on TV.
On the personal side, Debbie is almost finished Ulpan and I have another week to go in my technical writing course. All of these events have a common question. What should we do now? Even with all of these new events and changes, where do we go from here?
The Israeli government declared a unilateral pull-out from Gaza saying that they did their job. Today, it was reported that rockets fell in the Ashkelon area. Clearly, there is still work to be done. Many say that the pull-out happened because of the upcoming elections. The 3 main candidates held off on active campaigning during the war. Now that the troops are out, the gloves have come off. The negative TV ads and the media attacks have risen to new heights. Some say Israel left Gaza because of Obama's inauguration. Whatever the reason, many here feel that Israel will soon be going back in. Weather that happens under Olmert or Netanyahu is the question.
Many were worried about how Obama would act towards Israel and the Jews in general. After all, his Senate record was all over the place and his personal views and connections had been called into question. While he has only been in office a week, so far he has sent a clear message to the Arab world. He singled them out in his inauguration speech and even went on Arab TV to deliver his expectations. It is still very early but even I have to admit that he seems to be off to a decent start. So maybe this change will mean something.
On the personal side, Debbie is about to finish her Ulpan course. When we first came to Israel 5 months ago, Ulpan seemed like it would go on forever. Who can think about 5 months down the line? As time went by, Debbie's Hebrew became stronger and the end of this milestone is about to come to and end. Learning the language is one of the greatest Aliyah challenges. We may live in a neighborhood with a lot of English speakers but this is still Israel. Knowing the language is important. So, in this case changes have come about. Debbie now has to decide what to do next. Knowing more Hebrew has drastically increased her options.
After Sukkot, I made a very difficult decision to leave a teaching job and embark on a new career path. I have worked in technology for quite some time, but technical writing is its own field. For 5 months I have been learning the procedures, the programs, and all of the other essential information needed to become a technical writer. While I am still not entirely happy about leaving a full time teaching career, I am excited to have a new field to explore. Now, all I have to do is find a job. Thanks to the terrible economy, companies have been eliminating positions, not creating new ones. I am hopeful however that something will come along. It is still too early to see if this change will pay off, but life is full of risks.
We can read the newspapers, watch the news and of course keep up with the blogs. At the end of the day we must move forward. World events really do matter, especially when they are happening just a few miles down the road. The choices we make in our lives matter as well, as no one really knows what the future will bring. Hopefully, it will be a future full of happiness, success, prosperity, and most importantly PapaGayos!

The War Goes On...

2009-01-15T22:11:00.002+02:00

Here were are 3 weeks later and the war goes on. Every day there is always a reported possibility of a cease fire, but every day the same thing happens. More rockets and attacks on Israel seem to make a cease fire all but impossible. This week the results of the current war hit very close to home. Our neighbor across the street Avi Bluth, an IDF officer was seriously wounded in Gaza. We found out today that he will luckily be ok, but it just goes to show that Hamas's actions are in fact affecting everyone in Israel.
It is interesting to watch the media coverage every day. The media's general bias towards Israel is nothing new, but actually living here only magnifies the true one sided telling of the daily events. As a daily experiment we will often watch CNN and Fox News at the same time. One on TV, and one on the computer thanks to Slingbox. Often, both channels lead with the Gaza war, however CNN reports the headline very differently from Fox. Fox for example was the only mainstream news channel to report that Hamas terrorists were firing from the UN buildings. That fact was somehow forgotten by CNN, BBC, and all the rest. CNN regularly reports the anti-Israel rallies taking place around the world. The rally held in New York this past Sunday was nowhere to be seen. Even Fox only had a few seconds but at least it was something. I have found that much of the accurate news has begun to come from blogs. Muqata may be cynical but our friend Jameel is usually right on target. I find it sad that a private citizen reports the news more accurately then the main stream media but that's just the way it is. Check out this blog at www.muqata.blogspot.com .
Three weeks into the war and at least Israel is starting to show clear signs of victory. Today, Hamas's security chief was killed. They have continued to hit their targets. Rockets are still falling on Israel though so the job is not yet done. Of course the main problem is that we are not at war with another nation. We are at war with terrorists. Normal negotiation strategies do not work when dealing with terrorits. Again, we must have faith in the government (a difficult task any time, especially now) and we must continue to pray for the safe return of all of our soldiers, including Gilad Schalit.
Shabbat Shalom

The Western View of the Current War

2009-01-11T21:58:00.003+02:00

With everything that has been going on over the past few weeks, I often get asked by friends and family, especially those living in the US, how the war is affecting us. In some way I find this to be a little bit of an odd question. Rockets are being dropped literally 25 minutes from our house and thousands of soldiers are being called into active duty. In such a small country, even though we thankfully do not have to deal with rocket attacks, everyone is affected in some way. On the other hand, even though the country is so small, life goes on as normal. In Modi'in, very little has changed since the start of the war. The only real difference has been the added security at the various road checkpoints. Thankfully, our life has remained normal. Again though, in such a small country, even those of us whose routines have not changed our still affected in some way. Last Shabbat, we were asked by our Friday night company if they could bring their family who was coming for Shabbat. Of course we said it was fine. We found out later that the family lived in Bnei Darom, which is right near Ashdod. They did not want to spend Shabbat having to worry about falling rockets. Hearing their stories made the situation that much more real. It was no longer just an article in the newspaper. Another friend of mine who lives in Yad Binyamin told me about how one night last week the sirens went off. As a community of many Olim, many people were caught off guard and did not know what to do. They never thought that they would be put in that situation. Luckily, the rocket fell in an empty field between Yad Binyamin and Gedera, so no one was hurt. That brings us to perhaps the greatest indirect affect of the war. Even with all of the rockets that have fallen on Israel, the casualties on our side have been minimal. Of course, even one is too many however day after day we are witness to miracles first hand. Rockets have fallen on schools, parks and other public areas, but no one has been hurt. Houses have been hit, but in most cases the people living there were not home. This has been the closest affect. The Rabbis in Israel have asked everyone to say Tehillim for the soldiers and for the residents living in the "danger" areas. We have seen first hand that those prayers really do mean something.
So yes, while we have thankfully been safe, I believe that everyone here in Israel is affected by the war. Hopefully, the end is near.

Happy New Year?

2009-01-02T09:36:00.002+02:00

In the States, we always celebrated New Year's Eve in some way. No, we did not go stand in the freezing cold to see the ball drop in Times Square, but we usually got together with friends or at least did something to mark the occasion. Here in Israel, our "celebration" was non-existent. No parties, no drinking, not even confetti; just a normal evening. January 1 was even a regular work day. There was freezing cold weather but that had nothing to do with it being New Year's. I am not bringing this up to complain, but rather to point out yet another difference between the US and Israel. Here, New Year's is celebrated on Rosh Hashanah not on January 1st. Despite the fact that Israel has become quite secular in many ways, certain traditions have remained. Yes, I am sure that in Tel-Aviv or Haifa I would have probably been able to find a party. Even the desire to celebrate however was missing. I was talking to a friend about this the other day. He pointed out that the lack of celebrating may be related to the war, but I am not so sure.
So, for those of you who did celebrate 2009 in the traditional way hope you had a great party. For those of you however that will be waiting until Tishrei to celebrate, well more power to you!
Shabbat Shalom from Modi'in.

Chanukah the Israeli Way

2008-12-29T10:42:00.005+02:00

Eight days is a long time to celebrate most holidays. Anyone who makes Aliyah immediately looks forward to only one seder or 7 days of Sukkot. Chanukah however is the exception. All 8 days were filled with fun. On the first night Avi found it fascinating that here in Israel it is common to light candles outside. We were able to do this most nights. The kids got their presents and Chanukah was off to a great start. The next day we started our tiyulim. Our first tiyul took us to Kfar Etzion and the Naot outlet store. Grandma and Grandpa treated everyone to a new pair of shoes as well as socks, boots and anything else we needed. I have never had so much fun in a shoe store! We had a nice lunch in Efrat and then made the trip back to Modi'in. That night, the adults and older kids celebrated Grandpa's 70th birthday with a great dinner. Debbie's sister Miriam flew in for the occasion so the 3 sister were together again. We ate enough to last us a few days and slowly rolled home to get ready for the next day's trip.
The next day, we were supposed to travel to the North but the forecast was not optimistic for that part of the country. We decided instead to head south. We had no real plan but we figured we would find things to do on the way. After a bit of a late start, we drove down rt 90, the coastal highway and made several stops along the way. First was a camel ride at the sea level sign. Even though we are not really tourists any more, it was still a lot of fun. Debbie and Avi went up on the camel and so did her sister Naomi with her daughter Zahava. After some laughs and a lot of fun we got back in the cars and continued South. We eventually ended up at Ein Gedi. The kids especially loved the animals and the water. We did the short hike which was just the right length for both the adults and the kids. Avi and Zahava especially were real troopers and did the entire hike with no complaining. The same can not be said for some of the adults but that's another story. After the hike and an ice cream break we headed back to Modi'in.
On Friday, Avi and I went with my good friend Elliott Cahan to pay a shiva call in Ranana. The Tarigan family who we knew from Baltimore was sitting shiva for the loss of their wife and mother Diane. Neither of us knew them all that well, but we wanted to go. A stop at Meatland on the way home helped to brighten up the day.
Shabbat was an event as well. In honor of Grandpa's birthday we all spent Shabbat at Naomi's in Chashmonaim. We were joined by Debbie's cousin Andre and his 7 kids. It was quite a full house but somehow everyone had a place to sleep and eat. Eitan was not so happy as he had terrible teething symptoms. He was up almost all Friday night. We found out the next night that he had a bad ear infection and enflamed gums. Thanks to lots of motrin we were able to get through Shabbat.
Last night, my extended family came over for a Chanukah party. The Kramer's as well as Nechama and her family came to Modi'in. The meatballs and spaghetti seemed to go over well. Dessert was also especially enjoyable. Between Debbie's mandel bread and Tammy's cookies it was a nice end to a good meal. It was especially nice to have all of the Kramer's here at one time. That is not so easy anymore with everyone so spread out. We were grateful however that everyone was able to come. We hope to make this a yearly Chanukah tradition.
Well, those are just some of the highlights. Tomorrow, real life starts again with school, Ulpan, and work. It was however nice to have this special break. We will remember our first Chanukah thanks to all of the family that was with us. The sufganyot help also.

Another "Big Bang" Moment

2008-12-19T06:10:00.002+02:00

This has become one of my favorite shows. Enjoy!

A Needed Break

2008-12-17T15:44:00.002+02:00

Aliyah is great but it can certainly take a lot of energy. With Debbie's parents here, we decided to take advantage of the free baby-sitting and get away for a few days. Leaving work and all of the other daily responsibilities behind, Debbie and I set off for a three day stay in Yerushalayim. That may seem like a strange vacation spot. After all there are a lot of other more traditional spots to go and relax. We decided though that it would be nice to get back to Yerushalayim to do the things the way we used to. Before strollers and snacks and rest stops we used to walk all over the city, and spend time doing activities that are difficult to do with two small children.
Thanks to some left over Starwood points we stayed at the Sheraton Plaza and enjoyed the great location and huge breakfasts. We enjoyed two excellent restaurants on Emek Refaim as well as our regular stop at Cafe Rimon. On our first day we planned to go to the Israel Museum as we had not been in a long time. We arrived to find out that the main building was closed. Not wanting to pay admission for a mostly closed attraction, we hopped across the street to the Knesset to take a tour. Unfortunately, they only offer tours on Sunday and Thursday. So, out of options we headed for Geula. Debbie was looking forward to this anyway as she has wanted to go to the table cloth store for some time. We spent all morning walking through Geula and Mea Shearim, shopping and enjoying the general atmosphere. When we were finished we headed back to the hotel for a rest before heading out again for our evening plans. After walking to the Kotel for Maariv we headed to the main event. Debbie's Ulpan teacher had told her about the sound and light show at Migdal David. Since neither of us had done this we decided to try it out. It was a fantastic show! We recommend it highly. After the show we had dinner and turned in. The next day, we walked back to the kotel for davening and spent some time in the Rova. Then, we walked to Machane Yehuda to visit the Marzipan Bakery which really does make the best rugelach in Israel. By the time we were finished there it was time to get the bus back to Modi'in. It did not take long to come back to the real world as Avi woke up from his nap not feeling well. Sure enough it was strep. A trip to the doctor and some medicine and everyone is fine. It was nice to get away even for a few days.

Avi's 4th Birthday Party

2008-12-07T10:55:00.005+02:00

Thanks to all those who came to party with us. We gained a new appreciation for pre-school teachers. Fiften kids in one place is a lot to handle. Luckily, Grandma was here to help. We discovered at the last minute that our original planned activity would not work out. With 30 minutes to spare, we somehow managed to set up the tables and plan a whole new party. Complete with games, a project and of course cake, a fun time was had by all. It was great to see all of Avi's friends from school as well as some non-school friends as well. Even Uncle Benjy was there to help celebrate the occasion.

All of Avi's friends spoke English except for one. With some translating and some following, everyone managed to participate. Of course, the kids all went home at 8:00 full of sugar but hey, that was not our problem! Avi was very tired at the end of the party and eventually went to sleep. Surprisingly, the most well behaved member of the family was Eitan. He spent most of the party playing quietly with his toys. With his Aunt Naomi keeping an eye on him, Eitan and his cousin Yehuda, made sure that the attention remained focused on Avi.

Turkey Anyone?

2008-11-27T21:09:00.002+02:00

Today marked our first Thanksgiving here in Israel. Unlike other American and secular holidays, there were no signs that today was anything special. It was a regular work day and the kids had regular school. On one had it felt kind of weird. Here we are on Thanksgiving day, going to work, carrying out our normal routines, and wearing short sleeves. Today was nothing like Thanksgivings of the past. No house full of people, no food in the oven, and no Macy's Parade. On the other hand, here were are in Israel, happy and finally getting back to normal routine. As someone said to us today, "Here every day is Thanksgiving." Certainly a lot of truth to that.
We actually are planning to celebrate Thanksgiving with Debbie's family. We will be having our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night for Shabbat. I still got to do my usual job of carving the turkey. It may be ahrd to believe but whole turkeys in Israel are hard to find. You would think that in a country where turkey is used to make everything, it would be easy to find. It seems however that there is not a great demand for whole turkeys. Debbie's sister had to order one from the butcher a month in advance.
With or without the normal turkey dinner, I am sure that this year, even without the normal rituals of pumpkin pie, TV reruns, and bad football we will enjoy our first Israeli Thanksgiving, even if no one else here realizes what is going on.

At the Risk of Embarrassing My Wife...

2008-11-12T22:14:00.002+02:00

See, even here in Israel, some old habits are hard to break!

The Scam of the Century

2008-11-12T04:33:00.003+02:00

Every day, the Jerusalem Post lists the major traffic accidents that took place. According to statistics, more people have been killed in car accidents than in terrorist related activities. A day does not go by where there are not at least 2 major accidents somewhere in the country. This comes as no surprise after spending even 1 day behind the wheel of a car here. One trip to the supermarket will make your life flash before your eyes as it is almost guaranteed that another driver on the way will do something extremely stupid in order to save 2 seconds.
One would think that anyone can get behind the wheel of a car. The fact is however that getting an Israeli driver's license is a complicated and expensive process. No matter who you are or how long you may have driven somewhere else, everyone starts out at the same level. When applying for an Israeli license, you must first take a driving lesson. Think about this for a second. You have been driving 15 years and now you are going to pay a lot of money to be "retaught." When this lesson is complete you better hope that you have an honest driving teacher, as he can make you take several lessons if he thinks you need more practice. While luckily, we had a nice teacher, there are stories of new Olim who had to take up to 30 lessons. At 60 shekels a pop, this can get quite expensive. When you are finished the lesson phase you are then ready to take a road test. Again, it does not matter how long you drove elsewhere. This test costs another 400 shekels. Here too, you are at the mercy of the tester. There is no checklist or clear grading method. He can arbitrarlily decide weather to pass or fail you. If you fail, you must start the driving lessons again. Here also, if you have a dishonest teacher, you can be forced to spend a lot more moeny relearning what you already know. At that point, you can retake the road test. If you still do not pass, the process starts again.
Now, with all of these tests and rules, one would think that Israeli drivers are well trained and generally safe. In reality however, no one really learns to drive with this system. The only people really benefiting from this system are the driving instructors. We happened to have had a good one. We were lucky. Why though should new Olim and others have to go through this drawn out and quite annoying process? Don't we have better ways to spend our time? Current Israeli law allows a new Oleh to use a foreign license for up to a year. The problem however is that in order to buy a new car, you need to have your Israeli license.
This system is clearly not working for Israel. As traffic related deaths continue to rise, one has to think about better ways of preparing drivers. The current system allows driving teachers to continue to charge unsuspecting Olim who already know what they are doing behind the wheel. Maybe they should require Israelis who are charged with a violation to go through this as well. I was in the car for my driving lesson. There was a Russian woman in the front seat who had clearly never been behind the wheel of a car. She will really need 30 lessons. Most of us however obviously do not. So, why should we have to pay for such a useless process?

In Hebrew or In English?

2008-11-02T07:40:00.005+02:00

Our neighborhood in Modi'in certainly has many English speakers. Most of the people we have met speak English as it seems that the English speakers associate more with eachother than with the Israeli community. Outside of our small circle however is when the real challenges come. Often, at places such as the grocery store or restaurants, we will begin speaking Hebrew but the store workers will answer in English. While at times this is because our Hebrew is so poor, it usually happens because the Israelis actually find it easier to communictae in English. Either they do not want to spend the extra time waiting for us to slowly say something that an Israeli could say in 2 seconds or they look at it as a chance to practice their own English. While we are always looking to help our fellow Israelis, at what point can we insist on speaking Hebrew no matter how many mistakes we make or how long it takes us to say what we need to say?
Just last week, I had to call Bezeq, the local phone company. Our Internet connection was not working properly. I was prepared to speak entirely in Hebrew. I even looked up a few important words in the dictionary before the call. As soon as I got connected and said "Shalom" the man on the other end began speaking in English. While in the end this was easier for me, it kind of felt like cheating in some ways.
At the school where I teach, there is a rule that unless you are teaching an English class, you must talk in Hebrew. This past Friday I was in a meeting with 3 other teachers. One was American and 2 were from England. Despite our common original language, the entire conversation took place in Hebrew. While I did not understand every word, I was able to get the main ideas and even participate in the conversation. I actually learned some new words as instead of reverting back to English when i got stuck, they were able to fill in the missing word for me.
I guess I should not complain when people speak English. After all it does make life easier, but at the same time we are living in Israel and it would be nice to learn Hebrew as well.

Our First Sukkot

2008-10-17T16:23:00.003+02:00

Sukkot is in fact the best holiday of the year. It is not just because we only had to keep one day of Yom Tov (although that was nice). One look around Israel and it is obvious that it is a festive time. From the special street lights to the many events that take place every day, Sukkot is a major part of life for all. Almost everyone puts up a Sukkah, even Chilonim. We built a Sukkah this year. Even with everything else happening, I wanted to make sure that we were able to celebrate the Chag properly. While we are not here for any Yom Tov or Shabbat meals, Avi and I eat breakfast in the Sukkah every morning. Avi especially enjoys eating outside.
We spent the first day with Debbie's sister and family in Chashmonaim. Even though we were only there for one day, we ate enough for two days. It was also nice to see our niece Yocheved who was visiting from Seminary. As is usually the case when we go to family, we did not see our kids very much.
On the first day of Chol Hamoed we went to the Monkey Park. It is only a few minutes down the road and the kids had a great time. They had a lot of activities, projects, and of course monkeys for the kids (and adults) to see and do. That first night, we also met our friends from Highland Park, Ezra and Roni and kids for a great dinner at Alberto's a local meat restaurant.
On our second day, we traveled to Rechovot to visit my cousins Nechama, Tzivi, and Racheli and their families. We had not seen everyone in a long time and it was nice to get reacquainted. There are quite a few more of us now than there were just a few years ago. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon. Last night we attended a music festival in Bet Shemesh. Among the many groups that performed were Shlock Rock, Avi and Debbie's favorite Jewish group. The kids had a great time singing, dancing and watching the concert.
Today, we had a quiet day. We spent the morning at Naomi and Benjy's where the kids played and I fixed their computers.
On Sunday we are going with other new Olim to Neot Kedumim an outdoor park/nature reserve with many activities. More on that next week.
As we get ready for Shabbat and look back on a busy week, we can only wait with anticipation on what is to come.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach

Our Lift Finally Arrives!.... Sort of

2008-10-08T14:36:00.001+02:00

After months of waiting, we got a phone call this past Monday and we were told that our lift had finally cleared customs and would be delivered to us the following day. We could not believe this day was finally here. After months of waiting and waiting we would finally have our beds, couch, TV, Heinz ketchup, and many other prized possessions.
Tuesday finally came and Debbie arranged for Avi and Eitan to be out of the house in the afternoon. We were told that the movers would come between 11 and 1 and would be done by 4PM. Around 12:30 I received a phone call letting me know that not only were the movers going to be almost 3 hours late, but they also left much of our lift contents in Haifa. We were told that there was not enough room on the moving truck for the rest of our stuff. With 3 months to prepare you would think these idiots could get something right. We of course called and yelled. They responded with their usual sense of professionalism and yelled back. With nothing more to do, we waited for the truck with most of our stuff to come.
The truck did finally get to our apartment. Immediately, we began to recognize our items coming off the truck. There were even things we had forgotten about. After about 3 hours the truck was empty and the movers came inside to place items in the proper locations and to re-assemble the furniture that was taken apart in New Jersey.
That's when we got our next surprise. As the furniture was unwrapped, we immediately noticed the broken mirrors in our breakfront. If that was not bad enough, our couch also came with two broken areas. Luckily we can still sit on it though! Other items are also in various states of disrepair. At the end we had most of our things and the day was over. The rest should come by Sunday.
We are on our way now for Seudat Hamafseket at the Cahan's. Yom Kippur is almost here and we hare happy to go in to this important day with our stuff.

To the Shomron and Back Again

2008-09-28T08:31:00.000+03:00

It has certainly been a busy week! During the past seven days, and after a few trips by Debbie to Rishon Li'Tzion, we finally got our new car. The 2007 Mazda MPV so far drives quite well. We went to Ginot Shomron for Shabbat and we had a chance to test it out. So far so good! After paying the high Israeli price for a new car, we are hopeful that this van will last us quite a few years. Debbie has made me promise to keep it clean. Well, anything is possible.
We spent this past Shabbat with our cousins David and Tammy Kramer. We had not been to the Shomron for a Shabbat in over five years so it was nice to go back. We had a great time seeing all of the kids (except Eli) and eating the many feasts which Tammy prepared. We were a bit worried about how Avi and Eitan would do in a house with so many kids. After all, things are much more quiet in our Modi'in apartment. I am happy to report that both kids also had a great time. Avi and Chanan seemed to hit it off. They played together all Shabbat afternoon. Eitan loved being cared for by so many cousins. Avi already wants to know when we are going back to Chanan's house.
Now that we are back, it is time to get ready for our first Yom Tov here in Israel. Since we still don't have our stuff, we have been invited out for all 4 meals. See, there are plusses and minuses to every situation. I was asked to daven musaf the first day at our new Shul. I have never davened nusach sefard so I have had to cram a bit more than usual. My machzorim and kittel that I normally use are on our lift, so it really is starting from scratch in a lot of ways. Luckily, I still have Jeremy Bob's recordings on my computer. Thank you Jeremy!
Of course, our first Yom Tov in Israel is 2 days, but we are truly looking forward to the upcoming holidays. In the States, we spend our time figuring out how to make our schedules work in spite of all of the Yom Tovim. Here, it is just the opposite. Everyone is looking forward to Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. We hope to use this time to go on some tiyulim with the kids.
Well, that's it for now
Shana Tova

Wedding- Levy Style

2008-09-15T12:05:00.000+03:00

Last night, Debbie and I attended our first authentic Israel wedding. Our brother in law Roey's sister got married and we were invited to come as guests. After driving to the wedding near Netanya, our experiences began even before entering the hall. The entrance to this wedding happened to be through a gas station. Since I really had to use the bathroom, I figured either way I would get my chance. After, driving down a 2 way dirt road that should have really been 1 way, we found the hall which reminded us of a Vegas attraction, complete with palm trees, water falls, bridges and lights. The buffet was amazing and the decor was "interesting." The members of the wedding party were dressed in "interesting" outfits as well. In continuing the Vegas theme, we felt like we were backstage with Sigfried and Roy. During the ceremony, the family walked down the aisle to a classical rendiditon of ABBA's "Dancing Queen." The Chatan and Kallah then walked down through sparklers and cascading columns of fire. Very Wayne Newton! I am sure at that moment the bride was vary appreciative for double sided tape! The DJ at the wedding showed off his vast collection of sound FX, as even when the Chatan broke the glass, it was amplified by a shattering glass sound. At the end of the ceremony, disco music filled the air and fireworks lit up the sky. The only person missing was John Travolta! This was amazing, although fireworks over a gas station left us a bit worried. It was nice to see Roey in Israel and we are already looking forward to little Ben's Bar Mitzvah. I am sure Raffy and Yaffa are already planning for a great party!
Mazel Tov to the whole Mishpachah!

In Our Empty Place

2008-09-05T16:02:00.000+03:00

Well after 2 weeks of living with the Eckman's we are finally in our own apartment. The only problem is that our stuff is in Turkey. No, not the good kind of Turkey. Because of a workers strike, the ship with our lift got diverted to Turkey. We hear that now the company will send the lifts back into Israel on smaller boats. We are hoping that we get our stuff before Rosh Hashanah but until then we will be living Gilligan Island style on air mattresses. At least Avi thinks it's funny.
The apartment is nice and without furniture in it seems very large. We borrowed a small fridge, some chairs, a table and some other odds and ends to get by. It's kind of like being forced to be a redneck. At least I don't need an outhouse!
People here have been very nice. We are invited out for both Shabbat meals. Tonight we are eating at the Feiler's, Yoel's older brother. Funny how are last meal in Highland Park was with the Feiler's and our first meal in Modi'in is with the Feiler's. We are looking forward to getting some much needed rest and hope to slowly get the kids back on a normal schedule.
Well, that's it for now.
Shabbat Shalom from Modi'in.

Driving We Will Go

2008-08-29T14:26:00.000+03:00

We are about to enjoy our second Shabbat here in Israel. We are still waiting for our lift, but we are told it will be here "sometime next week." The expression "I'll believe it when I see it" comes to mind, but all we can do now is be patient. We keep thanking the Eckman's for continuing to house us and spare us the usual experiences of the mini-fridge and air mattresses.
Today, after speaking to the shipping company, I was informed that papers which I had overnighted on Wednesday had not arrived. Without these papers, the company is unable to begin the customs process. Given the choice of either waiting and placing more faith in the Israeli postal service or dealing with the problem myself, I chose choice number 2. I got in our car with new copies of the paperwork and drove to Yerushalayim to meet the head of the shipping company. For those of you who know me well, you are aware of the fact that I hate driving in places which I do not know. In the 6 years I lived in New Jersey, I only personally drove in Manhattan maybe 4-5 times. Here however, I had little choice, so off I went. After getting bad directions from the shipping guy and crossing 4 lanes of oncoming traffic (that really made me feel Israeli) I finally found him and gave him the papers. Forty minutes of aggravation for 2 minutes worth of work. That's about normal around these parts. At least now, we have been told that we should have our lift delivered next week. We will keep you posted.
Shabbat Shalom from Israel

Learning the System

2008-08-26T16:36:00.000+03:00

Well, it's been a week since we arrived and it has been a true adventure. Every step of the way we have come to realize that Israel is truly a unique place. From the way businesses seem to close at 1PM to the way everything seems to take twice as long, I have had to use every ounce of self control not to get angry or upset. I keep reminding myself that I must learn the new system. All in all, we have gotten a tremendous amount accomplished. We have opened an Israeli bank account, signed up for health insurnace, enrolled Avi in school, and much more. Sunday, we received our Teudat Zehut cards which officially make us Israeli citizens. I guess there's no going back now.
I started my job as an English teacher yesterday and the first day of in-service was not all that different from back in the States. We spent the day engaged in a variety of activities dealing with themes of Elul and teaching strategies. This is my first time sitting in as an English teacher and it is a bit of a weird feeling with the "role change." I am sure I will get used to the new job. I also met today with the WebYeshiva team. It was nice to meet in person the people I have been emailing for so long. I hope to be able to start regular hours for them soon as well. We are just waiting to get our lift and get into our apartment.
Which brings me to my greatest source of frustration. It seems that our boat has taken the scenic route. We were supposed to meet with the head of the shipping company today but he ran late and did not make the meeting. Our boat is supposed to arrive August 31 and hopefully we should receive our things shortly thereafter. I don't know what we would have done if not for the Eckman's who have graciously hosted us until the lift comes.
I guess, though this is the system. Today, we took the kids to Yerushalayim to go to the Kotel. Avi has seen so many videos and photos, but had never been. I think we needed today to remind us why we made this move. Despite all of the challenges of the past week, it is amazing to say that we live in Israel. Our cab driver today could not understand why we moved here. He kept saying he wished he could live in Miami! I guess to each their own. Anyway, that's it for now.

Home At Last

2008-08-19T20:22:00.000+03:00

After a long summer and many months of planning, we stepped off of our Elal plane this morning as new Israeli citizens. The exhausting trip took its toll on the kids and especially on Debbie and myself. Eitan did not seem to like sleeping on the plane and Avi, although he did manage to fall asleep, he did so spread out accross Debbie's seat. Hey, at least he was sleeping. When we finally arrived however, the wait was worth it. The amazing Nefesh B'Nefesh staff helped us poor shleppers with our 4 carry-ons and 2 strollers make our way from the plane to Terminal 1. There we were greated with music, soldiers, and most importantly close family and friends. Debbie's sister Naomi came with her family. My cousins David and Tammy Kramer came as well with most of their crew. Certainly not leaset was my good friend Elliot Cahan who came with his kids to welcome us home. It was so nice to be greated by so many people. After the welcome ceremony which featured a special guest Bibi Netanyahu, I made my way upstairs for what was supposed to be a quick process of getting my teudat oleh and our first sal klita (government Aliyah stipend.)
The process turned out to be my first (and I am sure one of many to come) brush with Israeli beurocracy. Somehow, the ministry of absorption lost and entire folder of applcations and did not process these families in the system. Of course we were inlcuded in this "special group." With the help and nagging of the people waiting as well as by members of the NBN staff, I finally got processed and was able to go back to meet Debbie and the kids. After collecting our luggage and loading into 2 cabs, we proceeded to Hashmonaim where we will be staying with Naomi, Benjy and family until our lift comes. I don't know what we would do without them. I can not imagine sleeping on air mattresses tonight!
Our first day as Israelis did not go exactly as planned, but these things never do. The important thing is we are on our way!

One Week Away

2008-08-11T22:05:00.000+03:00

Finally, I can say we are leaving next week. After a whole summer of packing, moving, trips to Target, and a lot of stressing out, the big day is almost here. While we know how much work is waiting for us in Israel, we are eagerly looking forward to finally being there and being able to call Israel home.
I have been very lucky to secure jobs for the coming year. Life will be hectic and busy, but getting to live in Israel makes it all worth it.

We are Homeless! (In a Good Way)

2008-07-14T16:35:00.000+03:00

Our lift came and we recently closed on our old house 110 Marlborough Rd. We are now temporarily homeless, but luckily my cousins Benji and Helen Kramer have been gracious in letting us move into their home.
The hard part of the summer seems to be over and we are now just patiently waiting for our big day.

Starting to Feel Real

2008-07-03T16:35:00.000+03:00

Today is Thursday, July 3, 2008. We are closing on our house this Monday, and today is my last official day at work at Ma'ayanot. Up until now, our upcoming Aliyah has not felt as real as it does now. Our house is full of boxes, as our lift is scheduled to come this Sunday. Our fridge is almost empty, and most of all, because of all the packing and sorting I actually know where most of my things are!
We are looking forward to our one last Shabbat on Marlborough Rd. We will be joined by Grandma and Grandpa, Yocheved, as well as the Eckman's who are visiting from Israel. Nothing like strength in numbers.

Selling the House

2008-03-24T18:27:00.000+02:00

One of the most difficult parts of Aliyah has been the selling process for our house here in the States. Before we could put the house on the market we discovered that the little water that was in our basement was in fact a big deal to potential buyers. So after much time, sweat, carpet, some aggravation and yes some tears, the water problem has finally been solved!
Now, time to put the house on the market. We are going to try it by ourselves until after Pesach and if we do not get any bites we will list with a real estate agent after the holiday is over.

Above are the before and after photos.

The adventure begins

2008-02-11T23:17:00.000+02:00

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to our Israel Blog. For those of you who have not heard, Debbie and I have officially decided to go for it and give Aliyah a try. Some have told us we are nuts and they are most likely correct, but life is full of risks and this is one time where the risks just made sense.
The next few months will be full of preparation and trepidation as the big day approaches sometime this summer. Throughout it all though, we are both confident that years from now we will look back at this experience as the right choice.
This Blog will be our way of sharing our own Aliyah and Israel experiences. We welcome your comments, feedback and support.
Here's to the start of our greatest adventure ever!