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Knock, knock. Am I welcome in this thread?? I have a confession to make – I HAVE NEVER VISITED NEW YORK. It isn’t that I wouldn’t like to, but the opportunity has never presented itself. Nowadays when I read travel columns about the expense involved in such a visit, I shudder and wonder if I will ever get there. When I have been able to save some money I may consider a visit, however the number one destination for me is Eretz as I have also never been there.
I think that part of the problem may be that there are too many schools and yeshivot. Each has their own reasons for existing and has its own following but, with today’s economy, it is time to re-evaluate. It may become necessary for some of these institutions to amalgamate to cut down costs. While I don’t feel that withholding a student’s grades is fair to the child, many parents, often through little fault of their own, are not paying their way. Worse, are the parents who are not paying their fair share – which is common and affects the global budget of the school. Tuition fees are only going to increase and steps must be taken to ensure that all children receive the education they deserve. The problem is not going to go away.
Come north to Canada! We would love to see you.
believer: If someone on this message board just asks their relative the questions on your behalf, you are really not doing your own project. One of the reasons that you may be doing this project is so that you can meet one (or more) of these people in person. There are fewer survivors left every year and you should consider yourself fortunate that you will have the opportunity to meet some. Just getting the questions answered is not the point – you will have to put yourself out just a little bit – it is the very least that you can do. You can call the social work department of any Jewish Seniors home and more than likely they will be able to introduce to some survivors – frum or not.
Be honest.
This is a difficult situation. It would be different if you had a car but for her to expect you to run around the city on the bus is almost chutzpadik. It would also be different if she had no family. Just because her children are boys does not mean that they are not capable of doing some of her errands. Granted she can’t expect them to buy personal items for her but picking up some groceries or returning items are within their expertise. It is nice that she will “repay” you unexpectedly but sometimes that just doesn’t cut it. Perhaps the kindest thing that you could do for her and her family would be to set up a “household” schedule for them so that all of her family members know what is expected of them weekly. She cannot expect you and your daughter to be her personal assistants. Another thing, could you refer her to the Jewish Family Service or whatever it is called in your city. They often can send a person once or twice a week to assist in the home. To make her and her family more self-sufficient would probably be the biggest mitzvah and act of chesed. I know that you are in a difficult position but you cannot continue to run 2 households or you will burn out.
I LOVE davening, particulary during the daily morning minyamin. I find such comfort in the daily repetition and the familiarity of the prayers. Perhaps you should try attending minyan at different shuls where there is more (or less) singing or tehillim or whatever. There is sure to be some shul where you are comfortable. At my shul, during the Amidah, they always say that you may do it in Hebrew or in English or “use your own words of prayer” as Hashem will hear you. Sure, there are some days where my mind wanders and I am not as attentive as I should be, but most days I follow along with wonder and awe. What a wonderful way to start the day!
People who suffer from canker sores should be using a toothpaste that does NOT contain sodium laurel sulfate – the agent that causes toothpaste (and many other products) to foam. There is only one toothpaste on the market without SLS and I cannot think of the name of it at the moment. Shall post it when I can. This information was given to me either by my doctor or my dentist – I can’t remember now.
My father’s family is definitely not Hungarian but from Poland and they called their aunts mooma. My mother’s family from Russia called their aunts chicha.
This is a little off topic, but…. Does anyone know if there is some type of trip to Israel that is similar to Birthright/Taglit that is available for “young” senior citizens? I know that there are dozens of tours and missions (such as JNF or UJA, etc) that a person can go on, but usually they are quite brieg – 7-10 days and very costly. I am looking for something that could last a little bit or a lot longer and costs very, very little.
BP Totty; Sorry – I don’t know from Blackberries, etc. I am more than middle aged and not the most technically savvy. My cell phone doesn’t take pictures or connect to the net – it just makes phone calls – I guess I could live in the shtetl myself. Every once in awhile I even wear one of my old watches that I must wind up. Recently though, I was talking to someone with even less tech knowledge than I have (even though he is a few years younger than me) and he told me that a mutual friend of ours had just purchased a fancy, new phone called a Blueberry.
Some of these posts sound like throwbacks to the shtetl. For goodness sakes, it is almost essential to know how to drive in this day and age. How would you expect a woman to shop for groceries, car pool kids to school, etc, etc. The younger you are when you learn the better your skills will – usually. It is also important in cases of emergency – and one never knows when an emergency will crop. While it may not be neccessary for a young woman to be out “cruising” the McDonalds parking lot, it often is neccessary for her to visit her Baba in a nursing home, etc, etc, etc. I am surprised that some of you would allow your daughters to have a battery operated watch – or do you??? After all, it is a modern convenience.
Personally, I think that “Blinquie” is tres elegant.
I received this email this morning and thought that some of you or your friends may be interested.
SHARSHERET & WOMEN’S LEAGUE WEBINAR
Please join Women’s League and Sharsheret, the national not-for-profit organization supporting Jewish women and families facing breast cancer, for a FREE webinar Wednesday evening, October 20th, 8:30 pm (EDT).
This 30 minute webinar will be a wonderful opportunity for you to learn about Sharsheret’s free programs available to women and families in your community and to find out how members of your community can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.
Webinar topics will include:
Educating your community about the issues unique to young Jewish women and families facing breast cancer
Engaging your community members through educational programs, outreach events, and seminars
Empowering Jewish women and providing them with the tools necessary to guard their health
Presenting innovative seminars on the impact of breast cancer on Jewish families, breast cancer genetics, and the importance of knowing your family history
Nurturing the next generation of Jewish community leaders
To register for the webinar and login instructions, please contact Sharsheret Director of Community Engagement Rebecca Schwartz at [email protected] or call (866) 474-2774.
We look forward to your participation.
Helpful: You said “Every sheigitz does porn. What else is new?”
I am just reading this thread out of interest in what NY residents think the issues are. I don’t live in NY or even in the US. However, remarks like yours are derogatory to say the least and at best, are generalizations. I suppose that you can speak for every gentile in the world. Yes, they are gentiles, not goyim, which although is a Hebrew word, has a negative connotation in English – same as shiksah. There are many moral, upright people in the world and not all of them are Jewish. It is careless remarks like yours that do much to promote anti-semitism.
You may be able to take one or two of the prerequisite courses online such as psychology and anatomy, but you must attend most classes in person as you must practice the techniques that you are learning. A great deal of the learning is done “in the field” – on ambulances and in the ER. Some programs of study cannot be learned via the internet. Would you want to go to a doctor who earned his degree online (which would be impossible) – I think not.
My ex-husband had only his Hebrew name and it is Avrom. I constantly received phone calls for Abner and Ivan and Avery. Once after 3 of these calls in a short period of time, I told my father in law that the fact that he had not given his son a secular name, as well, had done him a great diservice. In the age that he grew up, I truly believe this – he was an underachiever in both school and the working world. I can’t blame all of this on his name, but certainly some of it.
FYI – I used to have a Chinese friend who had an “English” name. She told me that the educated Chinese and those in the business world (in North America) add an English name to facilitate business dealings. The less educated – she used the example of Chinese restaurant workers – usually do not adopt another name.
Why don’t you try contacting the publisher?
hashemprincess: Good luck. There is one flaw in your plan – you want to lose the weight quickly. There is ample proof that crash diets do not work – the weight will come off quickly, but you will regain it even more quickly. A slow and steady weight loss can only be accomplished by lifestyle changes and regular exercise. You should not be on a “diet” as this means there will be a beginning and an end to it, instead you must come to terms with a healthier life plan. This does not mean that you can never again eat cheesecake – only that everything must be done in moderation. The first thing you should do is learn about nutrition and its effects on your body. If you wish to begin with an “eating” plan, something like Weight Watchers is probably your best bet as they teach proper eating habits. Good luck.
Biting the pitum? Feh! Yuck!
Yoish – Did you ever think that some (or many) of these couples may also be lying about being so happily married? Nobody really knows what may be going on behind closed doors.
This thread reminds me of an old joke: A brief synopsis of all Jewish holidays: they tried to kill us, we won, lets eat.
It seems that we Jew are always concerned with what is on the menu and the more the table groans, the better we feel. A true story – many years ago while driving by a Salvation Army church, I happened to notice their sign said “Jesus is coming, are you ready?”. Emes – the first thing that went through my mind was “what would I serve?”
On a more serious note, I would like to wish you all a happy and healthy Sukkot complete with warm weather and a wasp free environment. Enjoy your families and friends and remember that you can diet next week.
The purpose of an IV is to provide hydration – doesn’t this defeat the purpose of fasting? Also, it would be difficult to attend shul while pushing around an IV pole.
so right – What would be the difference between a female dentist seeing a male patient and a female doctor seeing a male patient? In fact, I don’t think that I can EVER remember being alone in a room with my dentist – there is always an assistant present – and I have been alone with my doctor most of the time.
These are a few of my tips. When shopping for groceries make a list and stick to it. Don’t shop when you are hungry – it leads to a lot of impulse purchases. Study the weekly grocery store flyers and shop where the prices are lowest. Use manufacturer coupons that come in the newspaper – but only if you need or use the product. If something you use often is on sale at a great price and isn’t perishable, stock up. Often, on the internet, you can find coupons that aren’t published elsewhere. I recently got a coupon for 5.00 off ice cream using the internet.
Safta – unless it is a very small tree, I strongly recommend that you use a licensed tree service. If, G-d forbid, when the tree is coming down there is a possibility it could damage your house or roof or a worker could be injured. A tree service has the experience and the insurance coverage and its workers should be covered by workers compensation in case of injury.
I am firmly of the opinion that shul honors should never have a cash value. Many people cannot afford mishugas like this but are the lifeblood of their shuls and their minyans. Many of the wealthier members are as well, but many only come a few times a year and because they have the cash can buy their aliyah. Those that are there day in and day out, regardless of their finances are the ones that truly deserve the koved.
Here is one myth that I will clear up – at least for myself. I dress only to please myself. When purchasing anything to wear, I only think of how I will feel wearing it. If others like what I am wearing that is just a bonus.
The reason I suggested a menorah or mezzuzah comes from personal experience. When my daughter had her Bat Mitzvah over 30 years ago, it was fashionable to use a gift registry at one particular gift shop. She chose, in my opinion, a bunch of chazereih. I gently suggested that perhaps she should also select a couple of more “mature” items and she grudgingly agreed. She received most of what she chose and number of pieces of gold jewellery – nothing expensive – a lot of fine gold chains – necklaces and bracelets. Eventually all of the jewellery broke and was lost and she lost interest in the teen-aged selections. However, when she married and left home she did take with her the lovely Chanukiyah she received and a collection of Boda glass animal figurines that she chose. From all of those gifts, the only ones that survived were the ones she could and does appreciate as an adult.
My wish for all of you for this New Year is that the question that is the subject of this thread should be the most serious problem that you have. Wouldn’t that make for a sholomdik world? I wish you all Shana Tova and an easy fast.
What about something that she may not have so much use for now but will later on in her life – like a beautiful mezzuzah, a chanukiyah or a pair of candlesticks.
My parents – who taught me how important tzedakah is.
Yanky 55: I agree with what you say – being divorced can be difficult. I am divorced for 6 years after nearly 39 years of being married. Luckily my daughter was grown and married when this happened. While there was never any physical abuse, the constant belittling became wearisome. There was a definite lack of communication and eventually we were 2 people sharing a residence. The past few years have proved to be wonderful – I have become very independent and much more sociable – he never wanted to socialize. I have a host of friends and life is very good. However, it would sometimes be nice to have someone to accompany me to a play, concert or restaurant. I often miss being part of a couple as it seems that much of the social order of the world works on this principle. My only suggestions for a better relationship are to ensure that lines of communication are always open and the couple are comfortable in talking things out. The other thing is to never go to sleep angry with each other – work things out before retiring or things will not be much better in the morning.
I just received this email. It is lengthy and the last part of it is apropos to this thread. I find the first part of it very thought provoking.
Written in a Spanish newspaper
REMEMBER AS YOU READ — IT WAS IN A SPANISH NEWSPAPER
> Date: Tue. 15 January 2008
>
> ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ
>
> By Sebastian Vilar Rodrigez
>
> I walked down the street in Barcelona , and suddenly discovered a terrible truth – Europe died in Auschwitz …. We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world.
>
> The contribution of this people is felt in all areas of life: science, art, international trade, and above all, as the conscience of the world. These are the people we burned.
>
> And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of racism, we opened our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and poverty, due to an unwillingness to work and support their families with pride.
>
> They have blown up our trains and turned our beautiful Spanish cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime.
>
> Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the government, they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts.
>
> And thus, in our misery, we have exchanged culture for fanatical hatred, creative skill for destructive skill, intelligence for backwardness and superstition.
>
> We have exchanged the pursuit of peace of the Jews of Europe and their talent for a better future for their children, their determined clinging to life because life is holy, for those who pursue death, for people consumed by the desire for death for themselves and others, for our children and theirs.
>
> What a terrible mistake was made by miserable Europe .
> ***********************************
>
> A lot of Americans have become so insulated from reality that they imagine America can suffer defeat without any inconvenience to themselves.
>
> Absolutely No Profiling! Pause a moment, reflect back, and take the following multiple choice test.
>
> These events are actual events from history. They really happened! Do you remember?
>
> HERE’S THE TEST
>
> 1. 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by:
> a. Superman
> b. Jay Leno
> c. Harry Potter
> d. A Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 2. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by:
> a. Olga Corbett
> b. Sitting Bull
> c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 3. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
> a. Lost Norwegians
> b. Elvis
> c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 4. During the 1980’s a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
> a. John Dillinger
> b. The King of Sweden
> c. The Boy Scouts
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 5. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
> a. A pizza delivery boy
> b. Pee Wee Herman
> c. Geraldo Rivera
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 6. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
> a. The Smurfs
> b. Davey Jones
> c. The Little Mermaid
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 7. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
> a. Captain Kidd
> b. Charles Lindberg
> c. Mother Teresa
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 8. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
> a. Scooby Doo
> b. The Tooth Fairy
> c. The Sundance Kid
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 9. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
> a. Richard Simmons
> b. Grandma Moses
> c. Michael Jordan
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 10. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
> a. Mr. Rogers
> b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill’s women problems
> c. The World Wrestling Federation
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 11. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:
> a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
> b. The Supreme Court of Florida
> c. Mr Bean
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 12. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
> a. Enron
> b. The Lutheran Church
> c. The NFL
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 13. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
> a. Bonnie and Clyde
> b. Captain Kangaroo
> c. Billy Graham
> d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
>
> 14. And now we can add: In 2009, 31 people wounded and 13 American Soldiers murdered on base at Fort Hood by a Major that was known as…
> a: You guessed it – A Muslim male extremist between the age of 17 and 40.
>
> No, I really don’t see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you? So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile certain people. They must conduct random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, secret agents who are members of the President’s security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winner and former Governor Joe Foss, but leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40 alone lest they be guilty of profiling.
>
> Let’s send this to as many people as we can so that the Nancy Pelosis, Gloria Aldreds and other dunder-headed attorneys along with Federal Justices that want to thwart common sense, feel ashamed of themselves – if they have any such sense.
>
> We can not allow the socialist transformation being brought on by the current administration to continue. Look at what it has done to Europe . We all must stand together before it’s too late and everything America stands for is lost.
>
>
> The Global Islamic population is approximately
> 1,200,000,000; that is ONE BILLION TWO HUNDRED
> MILLION or 20% of the world’s population.
> They have received the following Nobel Prizes:
> /
> Literature:
> /1988 – Najib Mahfooz
> /
> Peace:
> /1978 – Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat
> 1990 – Elias James Corey
> 1994 – Yaser Arafat:
> 1999 – Ahmed Zewai
> /
> Economics:
> /(zero)
>
> /
> Physics:
> /(zero)
> /
> Medicine:
> /1960 – Peter Brian Medawar
> 1998 – Ferid Mourad
>
> TOTAL: 7 SEVEN
>
>
> The Global Jewish population is approximately
> 14,000,000; that is FOURTEEN MILLION or about 0.02%
> of the world’s population.
> They have received the following Nobel Prizes:
> /
> Literature:
> /1910 – Paul Heyse
> 1927 – Henri Bergson
> 1958 – Boris Pasternak
> 1966 – Shmuel Yosef Agnon
> 1966 – Nelly Sachs
> 1976 – Saul Bellow
> 1978 – Isaac Bashevis Si nger
> 1981 – Elias Canetti
> 1987 – Joseph Brodsky
> 1991 – Nadine Gordimer World
> /
> Peace:
> /1911 – Alfred Fried
> 1911 – Tobias Michael Carel Asser
> 1968 – Rene Cassin
> 1973 – Henry Kissinger
> 1978 – Menachem Begin
> 1986 – Elie Wiesel
> 1994 – Shimon Peres
> 1994 – Yitzhak Rabin
> /
> Physics:
> /1905 – Adolph Von Baeyer
> 1906 – Henri Moissan
> 1907 – Albert Abraham Michelson
> 1908 – Gabriel Lippmann
> 1910 – Otto Wallach
> 1915 – Richard Willstaetter
> 1918 – Fritz Haber
> 1921 – Albert Einstein
> 1922 – Niels Bohr
> 1925 – James Franck
> 1925 – Gustav Hertz
> 1943 – Gustav Stern
> 1943 – George Charles de Hevesy
> 1944 – Isidor Issac Rabi
> 1952 – Felix Bloch
> 1954 – Max Born
> 1958 – Igor Tamm
> 1959 – Emilio Segre
> 1960 – Donald A. Glaser
> 1961 – Robert Hofstadter
> 1961 – Melvin Calvin
> 1962 – Lev Davidovich Landau
> 1962 – Max Ferdinand Perutz
> 1965 – Richard Phillips Feynman
> 1965 – Julian Schwinger
> 1969 – Murray Gell-Mann
> 1971 – Dennis Gabor
> 1972 – William Howard Stein
> 1973 – Brian David Josephson
> 1975 – Ben jamin Mottleson
> 1976 – Burton Richter
> 1977 – Ilya Prigogine
> 1978 – Arno Allan Penzias
> 1978 – Peter L Kapitza
> 1979 – Stephen Weinberg
> 1979 – Sheldon Glashow
> 1979 – Herbert Charles Brown
> 1980 – Paul Berg
> 1980 – Walter Gilbert
> 1981 – Roald Hoffmann
> 1982 – Aaron Klug
> 1985 – Albert A. Hauptman
> 1985 – Jerome Karle
> 1986 – Dudley R. Herschbach
> 1988 – Robert Huber
> 1988 – Leon Lederman
> 1988 – Melvin Schwartz
> 1988 – Jack Steinberger
> 1989 – Si dney Altman
> 1990 – Jerome Friedman
> 1992 – Rudolph Marc us
> 1995 – Martin Perl
> 2000 – Alan J. Heeger
> /
> Economics:
> /1970 – Paul Anthony Samuelson
> 1971 – Si mon Kuznets
> 1972 – Kenneth Joseph Arrow
> 1975 – Leonid Kantorovich
> 1976 – Milton Friedman
> 1978 – Herbert A. Si mon
> 1980 – Lawrence Robert Klein
> 1985 – Franco Modigliani
> 1987 – Robert M. Solow
> 1990 – Harry Mark owitz
> 1990 – Merton Miller
> 1992 – Gary Becker
> 1993 – Robert Fogel
> /
> Medicine:
> /1908 – Elie Metchnikoff
> 1908 – Paul Erlich
> 1914 – Robert Barany
> 1922 – Otto Meyerhof
> 1930 – Karl Landsteiner
> 1931 – Otto Warburg
> 1936 – Otto Loewi
> 1944 – Joseph Erlanger
> 1944 – Herb ert Spencer Gasser
> 1945 – Ernst Boris Chain
> 1946 – Hermann Joseph Muller
> 1950 – Tadeus Reichstein
> 1952 – Selman Abraham Waksman
> 1953 – Hans Krebs
> 1953 – Fritz Albert Lipmann
> 1958 – Joshua Lederberg
> 1959 – Arthur Kornberg
> 1964 – Konrad Bloch
> 1965 – Francois Jacob
> 1965 – Andre Lwoff
> 1967 – George Wald
> 1968 – Marshall W. Nirenberg
> 1969 – Salvador Luria
> 1970 – Julius Axelrod
> 1970 – Si r Bernard Katz
> 1972 – Gerald Maurice Edelman
> 1975 – Howard Martin Temin
> 1976 – Baruch S. Blumberg
> 1977 – Roselyn Sussman Yalow
> 1978 – Daniel Nathans
> 1980 – Baruj Ben acerraf
> 1984 – Cesar Milstein
> 1985 – Michael Stuart Brown
> 1985 – Joseph L. Goldstein
> 1986 – Stanley Cohen [& Rita Levi-Montalcini]
> 1988 – Gertrude Elion
> 1989 – Harold Varmus
> 1991 – Erwin Neher
> 1991 – Bert Sakmann
> 1993 – Richard J. Roberts
> 1993 – Phillip Sharp
> 1994 – Alfred Gilman
> 1995 – Edward B. Lewis
> 1996- Lu Rose Iacovino
> TOTAL: 129!
>
>
> The Jews are NOT promoting brain washing children
> in military training camps, teaching them how to
> blow themselves up and cause maximum deaths of Jews
> and other non Muslims. The Jews don’t hijack
> planes, nor kill athletes at the Olympics, or blow
> themselves up in German restaurants.
> There is NOT one single Jew who has destroyed a
> church. There is NOT a single Jew who protests by
> killing people.
>
> The Jews don’t traffic slaves, nor have leaders
> calling for Jihad and death to all the Infidels.
>
> Perhaps the world’s Muslims should consider
> investing more in standard education and less in
> blaming the Jews for all their problems.
>
> Muslims must ask ‘what can they do for humankind’
> before they demand that humankind respects them.
>
> Regardless of your feelings about the crisis
> between Israel and the Palestinians and Arab
> neighbors, even if you believe there is more
> culpability on Israel ‘s part, the following two
> sentences really say it all:
>
> ‘If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there
> would be no more violence. If the Jews put down
> their weapons today, there would be no more
> Israel ?. /Benjamin Netanyahu
>
> General Eisenhower/ Warned Us
> It is a matter of history that when the Supreme
> Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight
> Eisenhower, found the victims of the death camps he
> ordered all possible photographs to be taken, and
> for the German people from surrounding villages to
> be ushered through the camps and even made to bury
> the dead.
>
> He did this because he said in words to this effect:
>
> ‘Get it all on record now – get the films – get the
> witnesses -because somewhere down the road of
> history some bastard will get up and say that this
> never happened’
>
> Recently, the UK debated whether to remove The
> Holocaust from its school curriculum because it
> ‘offends’ the Muslim population which claims it
> never occurred. It is not removed as yet. However,
> this is a frightening portent of the fear that is
> gripping the world and how easily each country is
> giving into it.
>
> It is now more than 60 years after the Second World
> War in Europe ended.
> This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in
> memory of the, 6 million Jews, 20 million Russians,
> 10 million Christians, and 1,900 Catholic priests
> who were ‘murdered, raped, burned, starved, beaten,
> experimented on and humiliated’ while the German
> people looked the other way.
>
> Now, more than ever, with Iran, among others,
> claiming the Holocaust to be ‘a myth,’ it is
> imperative to make sure the world never forgets.
>
> This e-mail is intended to reach 400 million people.
> Be a link in the memorial chain and help distribute
> this around the world.
>
> How many years will it be before the attack on the
> World Trade Center ‘NEVER HAPPENED’ because it
> offends some Muslim in the United States ?
> And now another slap in the face to America!!
>
> Building a Mosque by Ground Zero, is being allowed by N.Y. City Council is unbelievable!!!!!!!!
>
> This Mosque will be opened on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. 9/11/2011……..How does this set with you??
>
Thanks for asking Blinky. I am doing very well. I even made it to shul on Saturday and it was wonderful to be back as I hadn’t been for 2 weeks (one week was at a Bar Mitzvah at a different shul and one week I was in hospital). I used my walker to ascend the ramp on the bimah ro recite Birkat HaGomel. My fellow congregants have been amazing to me – there has been a procession of visitors bearing food and flowers and the phone rings a lot. I am truly blessed – and takeh, all of this began when I began attending shul regularly just over 2 years ago. Have an easy fast.
You should probably consult an exterminator for advice. I hope that you kept the ‘snail”. Use a piece of cellophane tape and put it on a piece of paper to show to the exterminator. Also, before you discard any more expensive clothing, consult an “invisible mender”. Many of these garments may be able to be repaired. Good luck.
Emoticon: Yasher koach. What beautiful words. You are truly talented.
Mosh: I think that you are amazing. You have really overcome a lot of adversity and done it very well. You have a good understanding of your condition. I had many years of illness and quickly learned that you must develop a thick skin. Well meaning people (many of them, foolish) will overwhelm you with advice. The only thing that is truly important is how you and your family are doing and from what you report, you are doing well and adapting. Just remember that your family are the important people in your life. Keep on doing what you are doing!! (I hope that I don’t sound like one of the well meaning fools that I mentioned)
Moshe: You have had a very hard year. May Hashem bring nothing but sweetness and improved health this year. Don’t concern yourself with the unwanted and unsolicited advice of others. Sometimes it is offered without adequate forethought but not with any malice. Hopefully things will improve quickly for you. Incidentally, even without you doing anything, the left side of your brain will begin to make new pathways and take over a lot of what the right side used to do – another miracle of the human body.
This may have been posted before, but….. it is the season.
On the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, there is a ceremony called Tashlich. Jews traditionally go to the ocean or a stream or river to pray and throw bread crumbs into the water. Symbolically, the fish devour their sins.
Occasionally, people ask what kind of bread crumbs should be thrown. Here are suggestions for breads which may be most appropriate for specific sins and misbehaviors:
For ordinary sins
White Bread
For particularly dark sins
Pumpernickel
For complex sins
Multi-Grain
For twisted sins
Pretzels
For tasteless sins
Rice Cakes
For sins of indecision
Waffles
For sins committed in haste
Matzoh
For sins of chutzpah
Fresh Bread
For substance abuse
Stoned Wheat
For use of heavy drugs
Poppy Seed
For petty larceny
Stollen
For committing auto theft
Caraway
For timidity/cowardice
Milk Toast
For ill-temperedness
Sourdough
For silliness, eccentricity
Nut Bread
For not giving full value
Shortbread
For jingoism, chauvinism
Yankee Doodles
For excessive irony
Rye Bread
For unnecessary chances
Hero Bread
For telling bad jokes/puns
Corn Bread
For war-mongering
Kaiser Rolls
For dressing immodestly
Tarts
For causing injury to others
Tortes
For racist attitudes
Crackers
For sophisticated racism
Ritz Crackers
For being holier than thou
Bagels
For abrasiveness
Grits
For dropping in without notice
Popovers
For over-eating
Stuffing
For impetuosity
Quick Bread
For raising your voice too often
Challah
For pride and egotism
Puff Pastry
For being overly smothering
Angel Food Cake
For laziness
Any long loaf
For trashing the environment
Dumplings
For those who require a wide selection of crumbs, we suggest a Tashlich Mix available in three grades (Taslich Lite, Medium, and Industrial Strength) at your favorite Jewish bookstore.
I bought a “new” car about 3 months ago. I did a fair bit of research first. The most highly recommended car was a Honda Accord, but the used Japanese cars do not depreciate as much as the American cars do. I ended up buying a 2009 Chev Malibu. It had 39,000 km (I am in Canada) on it. Because I was buying a used car, I was able to get a far more luxurious car – leather seats, sun roof, electric seats and seat warmers, compass and OnStar – which I do not use. This car still has over 3 years left on the new car warranty. I am not a person to go “gaga” over any vehicle – if it has good tires and good brakes, I am happy. My last car was 15 years old and I hope to drive this one for just as long. Incidentally, I bought the car from a car dealership. The car drives well and gets me where I have to go. When I asked people-in-the-know, most recommended the Honda or the Malibu and I am happy with my decision.
A fellow had nobody to leave his dog with so he took him to shul with him. Everyone was admiring the dog and the owner said: “you should hear him daven.” It was agreed that the dog would lead the service. After Shacharit, the congregation was amazed at what a wonderful job the dog had done and what a wonderful voice he had. The Rabbi said : “he should become a chazzan.” The owner replied: “you tell him – HE wants to become a doctor.”
Aries: An excellent post. I couldn’t agree more – once a Jew, always a Jew. A person’s level of “frumness” (or lack of) makes no difference. In the end, everything is in Hashem’s hands. I am of the belief that whether or not a family possesses a cell phone, TV or whatever electronic gadget will be next on the market makes no difference at all. It is whether or not a person is leading a “good” life – performing mitzvot, raising children to be productive and respectful and honoring their elders, etc. This is all that truly matters. Everything done above and beyond is merely a bonus. Each family must choose their lifestyle for themselves. However, anyone who thinks that depriving children of today of electronic devices will actually be keeping them away from them is living in a dream world.
Every once in awhile, a bowl of corn flakes with milk and a banana cut over it, makes a very nice dinner. This is particularly true on a day that I may have ‘done lunch” with a friend and eaten more than I usually do at noon. It works for me.
A few weeks ago I made a purchase at a local department store. The sales clerk was absolutely wonderful. She went above and beyond the call of duty – even to the point that when I mentioned the item I was buying (which was a bit of a splurge) was a birthday gift from me to me – she called over another clerk and they sang Happy Birthday to me – she even had other customers join in. She also gave me several bonus gifts that she had available. The next day I called the HR department of the store. When I said that I wanted to talk about a particular clerk in the cosmetic department, I immediately sensed a change in the tone of her voice as I am quite sure she believed she would hear a complaint. I proceded to tell her of my wonderful experience in the store. The HR person couldn’t believe her ears. She told me that nobody ever calls to commend a staff member, just to complain and that this was a pleasant surprise. She assured me that the clerk in question would be told how pleased I was with her service.
I have done this several times over the years because I always find the few minutes that it takes to phone when I have a complaint, so why not find a few minutes to express satisfaction. I firmly believe that if more people did this, shopping (or dealing with any service industry) would be a far more pleasant experience.
If a shul wants to attract young families as members, then it must be attractive to young families. If a child is welcomed in the shul he learns to be comfortable there and gradually begins to participate. At my shul, there are family services downstairs at least twice monthly led by the assistant Rabbi and the program director. This service is extremely family friendly and the parsha is explained at a child’s level of understanding. Also, at the back of the main sanctuary there is spot with small tables, toys and games – if there is no family service that week, the program director sits with the children. There are several small plush toys shaped like Torahs and the children are invited to carry one of them behind the Torah procession. When it is time to sing Eink Eloyhanu and Adon Olam, all the children are invited up to Bimah to participate. It isn’t unusual for a child to stroll across the bimah during the service or for a child to come up with his parent while he has an Aliyah. It brings a smile to everyone’s face to see the children enjoying themselves. These kids will grow up knowing that shul isn’t tedious or unfriendly.
I once asked a frum lady what the point is of wearing a sheitel that was so natural looking that the average person seeing it would think it was her own hair. She told me that she was required to cover her hair but she was not required to look homely.
I highly recommend the literature and books available from the wonderful organization Jews for Judaism. They ‘rescue’ people who have been conned by the messianic groups and put them back on the right track. They are very active in Toronto. Several years ago, they opened an office right next door to a messianic church (they, of course, call them synagogues) and were chatting up people going into the services. They were there every Saturday morning saving Jews until the church got so fed up that they closed. These organizations particularly target Russian Jews who have little Jewish background and many believe that they are actually attending a synagogue. Rabbi Skobec and his organization – which is world-wide truly deserve a Yasher Koach for their wonderful work – and greatfully accept donations.