Oh the little things we take for granted

Human Again!
September 24, 2004

Oh the little things we take for granted. We now have an oven, a full size side-by-side refrigerator, a washing machine, and a dryer. I'm back in the chocolate chip cookie baking business, Randi is making Challah again, I don't have to defrost a 50 yr old freezer every few days, and we can actually do our laundry in our house. The boxes are slowly disappearing. Though, some are literally becoming part of the furniture. For example, I'm using two stacks of boxes to support a rod in the closet in our master bedroom. (Some of you will instantly realize that the idea having a built in closet at all is an innovation for Israel.) It is clear that many boxes will remain until we move into our house.

Randi, Etana, and I all passed our driving tests on Monday. It wasn't a moment too soon as the Histadrut began a general strike on Tuesday which has effectively halted everything in the country, but more on that later. The driving tests were preceded by a driving lesson for each of us. We were all in the car together so we experienced about 2 1/2 hours of lessons combined. The test lasted about 5 minutes for each of us. I really have no idea how the tester assessed our driving ability from just, literally, a drive around the block. In a classic "Israel moment" the tester wished each of us Hatzlacha (good luck) as we took the wheel and of course he wished us all a G'mar Chatima Tova as he left the car.

The test results are no longer revealed directly to drivers at the time of the test. Apparently, several years ago after failing a test an irate testee pulled out a gun and shot the tester, another tester came over to see what happened and he was also shot, a policeman came over to assist and he too was shot, then the testee shot himself. So now the instructor returns at the end of the day to check a list posted on a window at the testing station.

I generally like to keep these updates on the lighter side, but after my last installment someone asked me to share my feelings about the terror attack in Be'er Sheva which occurred a couple of weeks ago. Being generally disconnected from the news since we moved here, I wasn't aware of it until Randi's aunt called from New York asking if everyone was all right. I can't explain why, but I immediately felt defensive and said everyone was fine and for good measure I added that I'd be sure to call and check on her the next time terrorists struck New York. In actuality I was terrified. At that moment I had no idea where the attack took place. Randi, Meira, and Elisheva had just taken the bus to the mall and Etana was somewhere in Jerusalem. I quickly ran to my computer to check and was relieved when I saw that it was relatively far away. Even though it was in Be'er Sheva there was still an immediacy and fear I hadn't felt since 9/11.

A few days after the attack I had occasion to drive on the new route 6 that runs north-south just west of the "green line". Along part of this route one can see the wall that makes up part of the security fence. This wall is no more obtrusive than the thousands of miles of acoustic barriers that line US highways. Yet somehow the goons at the UN and in Europe seem to feel that this simple device erected to prevent carnages like the one in Be'er Sheva (and since then in Jerusalem) are an obstacle to peace! It's difficult to put into words the contempt one feels for the idiots at the New York Times, the UN, the State department, etc. who try to portray this as anything but a simple defensive measure which is actually saving lives.

In the days that it's taken me to write this the Histadrute general strike has already ended. Being somewhat politically conservative (ahem) I don't have a lot of patience for a gorilla sized union that sends 300,000 people on strike, costs the country 100's of millions of dollars, and makes us look like fools on the world economic stage because a few thousand workers have pay gripes with their local towns. I realize that the country is trying to climb out of the darkness that is socialism and that it will still take some time before they all come around to think the right way, i.e. like me. :)

Several people have asked if my davening on Rosh Hashanah was more special in some way being here in the Holy Land. I'll have to be honest and say that it's pretty similar to what I've experienced in the past. Don't get me wrong, the davening was wonderful. The first day I davened at our regular shul. Services began at 6:50 and lasted until 1:20. Those of you who know me well know that is a tad long for me, being a denizen of Hashkama (early and short) minyamim for lo these past 15 or so years. But even so it was a very pleasant service. The next day I davened at a Netz (sunrise) minyan at a different shul; 5:40 to 10:00. That had the added advantage of allowing Randi to daven at the regular shul while I watched Meira.

A moment of spirituality came to me today while I was driving to Maalei Adumim. I looked up at the sign as I approached the main highway and seeing the word "Yerushalayim" sent chills up my spine. Part of it was the reality of seeing "Yerushalayim" instead of "Bayonne" or "Staten Island" and part of it was that wonderful feeling of knowing that such signs are now just a regular part of my life. Maybe I need to find a Yom Kippur minyan next to the security fence on highway 6. :)

This next part is for our friends in Highland Park/Edison. I know that our community is well represented here in the Holy Land but we are falling behind other towns in New Jersey. We went to a neighbor for a meal during Rosh Hashanah. They made aliyah last year from Teaneck. There was a picture on their fridge of a bunch of kids. It showed all the kids from just one day school in Teaneck who made aliyah last summer. There were 38 kids in the picture! And lets not even talk about Passaic. 18 families last summer and 6 this summer. OK, Teaneck is one thing, they have a ton of restaurants, but Passaic? I don't think they even have a Kosher Dunkin Donuts. Don't we want to win this color war? :)