On Thursday night before Yom Kippur, over 100,000 people of all types came to the Kotel it was as usual an amazing experience. It took a long time to get out of the Kotel area, but I was very impressed at the behavior of the mass crowed, there was no pushing or shoving. Latter that night at about 2:00am I was able to get into the Breslav Mikveh, which I must say is gorgeous facility and most importantly the water was clean. You had your choice between the cold water mikvah and the hot water mikveh, the hot water was great!
At 7:00am Friday morning I arrived at the Mugrabi Gate, which leads into Har Habayit. The police decided to not allow us to go up and kept about 100 of us standing at the gate for about 45 minutes. In the meantime they were allowing non-Jews and secular Jews to go up without difficulty and all “religious” Jews to stand in the waiting area. I should note that the police had confiscated all our teudat zehut, so it was virtually a prison.
Yom Kippur was nice and I had a special moment on the night of Yom Kippur. I walked outside of the old city and walked on the roads. It was pure silence, it looked like a ghost town and you got the feeling that the entire city is unified. Not a single car moving, not a single store open I stood there and the only thing I could hear was the sound of the wind.
The morning after Yom Kippur I started the day by ascending to the Har Habayit and was left alone by the police, I was even able to quietly say tehillim at certain points (am I a criminal?). Later in the day, the moment I had been fearing for over a week now came, I was let go by Orayta. For every yerida there hopefully comes an aliyah, Bezrat Hashem.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Sound of the Shofar
The sound of the Shofar
My first Rosh Hashana in the Old City was a special experience that will not soon be forgotten. First of all, now while I know this will sound like Kefira to some, I did go to hear the Shofar on the first day of Rosh Hashana. I know what you are thinking “BUT IT WAS SHABBAT”! Yes and the Halacha in accordance with the ruling of Rebbe Yochanan Ben Zaki that we blow the shofar in front of the beit din on Shabbat and that is why over 100 years ago Rabbi Shlezinger convened a beit din and blew shofar on Shabbat. While I davened at the Yeshivt Orayta minyan I slipped out for about 20 minutes to walk to the tochechi Yerushalayim shul located in the old city about 4-5 minute walk from the Yeshiva.
Rav Yisrael Ariel who is a member of the renewing Sanhedrin was present as were 5 other musmachim, the other 17 members of the minyan brought the total number to 23, so the musmachim of the Sanhedrin included us 17 non musmachim to make a beit din of 23. Then we all took a vote and it was decided by a vote of 23-0 to blow the shofar. I found it kind of strange that a complete am haaretz like myself, was sitting on a beit din with Rav Ariel and other big talmidei chachamim. Also had I not specifically gone to hear the shofar it may not have happened.
The rest of Yom Tov was very busy, the other 3 madrichim and I were very busy preparing for, serving and clearing up after the meals, but it was ok. I spent a couple hours on the second day of Rosh Hashana blowing shofar for random groups of “secular” Israelis visiting the old city, I was shocked at how many did not hear the shofar, so at least I was able to be of some help.
My first Rosh Hashana in the Old City was a special experience that will not soon be forgotten. First of all, now while I know this will sound like Kefira to some, I did go to hear the Shofar on the first day of Rosh Hashana. I know what you are thinking “BUT IT WAS SHABBAT”! Yes and the Halacha in accordance with the ruling of Rebbe Yochanan Ben Zaki that we blow the shofar in front of the beit din on Shabbat and that is why over 100 years ago Rabbi Shlezinger convened a beit din and blew shofar on Shabbat. While I davened at the Yeshivt Orayta minyan I slipped out for about 20 minutes to walk to the tochechi Yerushalayim shul located in the old city about 4-5 minute walk from the Yeshiva.
Rav Yisrael Ariel who is a member of the renewing Sanhedrin was present as were 5 other musmachim, the other 17 members of the minyan brought the total number to 23, so the musmachim of the Sanhedrin included us 17 non musmachim to make a beit din of 23. Then we all took a vote and it was decided by a vote of 23-0 to blow the shofar. I found it kind of strange that a complete am haaretz like myself, was sitting on a beit din with Rav Ariel and other big talmidei chachamim. Also had I not specifically gone to hear the shofar it may not have happened.
The rest of Yom Tov was very busy, the other 3 madrichim and I were very busy preparing for, serving and clearing up after the meals, but it was ok. I spent a couple hours on the second day of Rosh Hashana blowing shofar for random groups of “secular” Israelis visiting the old city, I was shocked at how many did not hear the shofar, so at least I was able to be of some help.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Aliyah Party
Aliyah Party!
Wow, sorry I have not written for a while, but a lot has been happening. Last Wednesday my brother joined me and made Aliyah as well and he got an awesome welcome! Hundreds of people came out to the airport to greet the new Nefesh b Nefesh olim with singing and dancing. I was shocked that they invited Tzipi Livni to speak, but apparently she did a lot to help NBN, hey everyone’s got a plus I guess. In any event I got a bank account last Thursday and a cell phone yesterday and I need to go to the Misrad Klita to set up my sal klita (financial absorption package).
Shabbat was very nice, I went up to visit my cousins in Ginot Shomron. Since I have two aunts, from my father’s side and my mother’s side who live in Ginot I never lack a place to eat or stay. I also saw a lot of my other cousins who started their post high school year of study in Israel.
On the other front the madrich job is a little more challenging than I thought . These guys simply do not want to get out of bed! Ok you always have your few tzadikim, but some of these guys are just here to chill out and they are using the spiritual nature of this particular Yeshiva as a sort of shield to hide their true intentions.
The “Rova” (Jewish quarter) of the old city is always noisy this time of year. It never gets quite, the streets are packed 24 hours a day, six day of week, with Jews coming from all over Israel to visit before Rosh Hashana. Even the restaurants stay open until like 2 or 3 to accommodate for the masses.As we get into the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the sound of repentance will only grow louder, may Hashem hear it.
Wow, sorry I have not written for a while, but a lot has been happening. Last Wednesday my brother joined me and made Aliyah as well and he got an awesome welcome! Hundreds of people came out to the airport to greet the new Nefesh b Nefesh olim with singing and dancing. I was shocked that they invited Tzipi Livni to speak, but apparently she did a lot to help NBN, hey everyone’s got a plus I guess. In any event I got a bank account last Thursday and a cell phone yesterday and I need to go to the Misrad Klita to set up my sal klita (financial absorption package).
Shabbat was very nice, I went up to visit my cousins in Ginot Shomron. Since I have two aunts, from my father’s side and my mother’s side who live in Ginot I never lack a place to eat or stay. I also saw a lot of my other cousins who started their post high school year of study in Israel.
On the other front the madrich job is a little more challenging than I thought . These guys simply do not want to get out of bed! Ok you always have your few tzadikim, but some of these guys are just here to chill out and they are using the spiritual nature of this particular Yeshiva as a sort of shield to hide their true intentions.
The “Rova” (Jewish quarter) of the old city is always noisy this time of year. It never gets quite, the streets are packed 24 hours a day, six day of week, with Jews coming from all over Israel to visit before Rosh Hashana. Even the restaurants stay open until like 2 or 3 to accommodate for the masses.As we get into the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the sound of repentance will only grow louder, may Hashem hear it.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
I am an Israeli
At about 3:30PM Tuesday morning, September 1st I finally rejoined the Jewish People in the Land of Israel. My experience in the airport was lets say less than pleasant, but I guess helped me to acclimate to the way Israel works. It took a couple of hours at least until the ministry of absorption signed off on the three necessary forms. When I got the forms I went back down stairs to get my luggage and it was nowhere to be found. It took ELAL like an hour and a half to find it, to my great relief. At that point I was supposed to get a free ride to Jerusalem, but that also took like an hour and a half. So my first 5 hours in Israel was spent in the airport.On Wednesday I went to the post office in the old city so that I could get my health insurance. The ministry of absorption gave me a slip at the airport, which then I have to submit to a post office and they send it to the appropriate health coverage. Well the first place told me that they could not do it. So I went to the other post office near Shar Yaffo and they also told me they could not do it, because their connection was down and that I should return to the first post office and tell them that they should do their job. In any event the guy blew up and me and told me to leave, ah I am loving it. Also I started the madrich job today, which was cool. The yeshiva took the guys to the beach for a BBQ, so that was fun.
On Thursday the guys in the Yeshiva started their learning schedules. The hardest thing about being a madrich is waking up the guys, they simply do not want to get out of bed. I ran around to different offices to try to get forms filled out, but still no luck.
Shabbat was special. The singing and ruach was incredible Friday night the guys in the Yeshiva were flying, that’s the only way I can describe it. On Shabbat morning me and another madrich woke up a few minutes late, but hey what can you do.
Sunday was uneventful, but Monday, today I finally got my kupat cholim, which is health coverage. So thank the Almighty for that. Tomorrow with the help of G-d, I will travel to Ben Gurion to met my brother who is also making Aliyah.
On Thursday the guys in the Yeshiva started their learning schedules. The hardest thing about being a madrich is waking up the guys, they simply do not want to get out of bed. I ran around to different offices to try to get forms filled out, but still no luck.
Shabbat was special. The singing and ruach was incredible Friday night the guys in the Yeshiva were flying, that’s the only way I can describe it. On Shabbat morning me and another madrich woke up a few minutes late, but hey what can you do.
Sunday was uneventful, but Monday, today I finally got my kupat cholim, which is health coverage. So thank the Almighty for that. Tomorrow with the help of G-d, I will travel to Ben Gurion to met my brother who is also making Aliyah.
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