Hockey Night in Neve Daniel

A couple of days ago Yonatan came home from school and told me that today there was going to be a hockey game. He had arranged to teach his Israeli or rather hebrew speaking Israeli friends (we're all Israeli now) how to play street hockey. That's great Yoni, kol hakavod! He runs upstairs to put on his Maple Leafs Hockey Jersey with SHERMAN on the back. He together with David and Max proceed to finish assembling one of the two nets we brought. As they work the kids begin to show up. They are holding the hockey sticks looking at them like foreign objects trying them in different hands which one is for left which for right..."ze yemini? o smali?" Then they start in on the goalie equipment..now the scene became very comical. The boys were putting on pads and blockers in ways I never even thought of. LO, Lothat's upside down, lo kacha......they were all laughing and having a great time. Yonatan, very serious was still working on the net determined to get this thing going. The boys tried walking with the goalie equipment on and nearly fell over, more peels of laughter and chatter. This is good , this is good I'm thinking! Finally the net is finished and the boys are ready to go up to the flat street above us, we live on a big hill..hockey would not work. First, the annoying mother must get a picture which you see here. They shlep the net up the street and the game begins. A few minutes after they leave Avital comes home from school..do you see what's going on up there? That is the funniest thing I have ever seen! She yelled to Yonatan...way to go , if you can't go to Canada, bring Canada to Neve Daniel!!! I head up to have a look at the goings on. Everyone had been instructed already how to use the sticks and the game is on. The kids were so happy english and hebrew speakers! Teams were split to have both on each team. At one point two of the hebrew speakers were fighting to get the ball, Yonatan yells out why are you fighting YOU'RE ON THE SAME TEAM!!!! OH, they stop! The boys played until it was time to go to B'nei Akiva. They all shlepped the stuff down, laughing and talking. Todah, Todah, nesachek paam acher! We'll play another time. Yonatan smiling says goodbye..lehit see you at the snif! He looks happy... for one of the first times with his new friends he was the teacher, the helper, the giver instead of the reverse. See ya later Ema , I'm going to b'nei akiva. He doesn't notice that once again I'm blinking rapidly to keep my tears at bay! This is a good moment!

Our Rav Packs a Pistol

I never imagined I would write about my gun carrying rav. We were driving out of the yishuv when we came upon our rav throwing out the garbage, oh kids look there is the rav, wave hello. The rav leans over to throw out his refuse when we see the pistol on his waist. wow , ema the rav has a gun! Rabbi Taub never had a gun....of course dears Rav Taub never needed a gun (although it probably would have been useful at a board meeting now and then.....to shoot in the air of course...), Rav Matanya Ben Shachar needs a gun...no I don't mean he needs a gun I mean, he only wants to have a gun because..... we want the people around us to know we have guns to defend ourselves so he wants to have one also....its just for "show".......nothing to worry about, okay?.....they seem fine with the explanation and didn't look any for the worse, in fact I'm not sure they are even listening to me. okay i say, okay our rav packs a pistol no big deal!! no big deal! okay!

My Tunnel Road Conflict

It seems like only a few months ago that my family stood before our friends on Purim and sang "tunnel road take me home" (to the tune of country road) as part of our purim shpiel. Well now tunnel road does take me home to the place where I belong, it also takes me to Jerusalem, the other place we belong and where we do most of our errands and shopping. There is nothing, nothing like driving through the judean hills, windows down, because the weather out here is so pleasant, music playing (sometimes kids fighting)!!! Just before the tunnels, there is an army checkpoint! Here you slow down , go over some bumpy road, the young handsome jewish soldier looks in your window and either waves you through or sends you over to the side. I always get waved through. I always watch the Palestinian license plates get pulled over, always , they of course have to get checked. I would also hate me if I were them, I think to myself. They can't just hop into Jerusalem like I can, they always get pulled over at the machsom( checkpoint). Then I look at the faces of the young soldiers doing the pulling over and checking and I get so angry......why do these young boys have to put themselves at risk to search these people and cars? Why, why, WHY? They pull those cars over because there is a risk that these cars, buses or someone in them may be heading somewhere to do harm. As you all know, and sometimes the world knows, there is a history of blowing oneself up in order to do harm or achieve....well I don't know what it or what they think it achieves....but the basis to search the cars and the people is not unfounded. So then, I get angry that the young soldiers really have no choice but to pull over the greater population of those who commit these murders, which then only makes the greater population feel more hatred toward us. Do they know, we have no choice?
In the meantime, every time I drive into town (when I drive into town, I drive into Jerusalem..wild!), I go through this major debate and back and forth inside my head. So much for a relaxing , carefree drive, there isn't too much you can do here that is really carefree...even a simple drive becomes a major introspection. I don't really come to any conclusions, right now I don't think there are any. I pass through the tunnels , turn my music louder and watch for Jerusalem to come into view. What a Z'chut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Yishuv has a new Playground

We were driving down the road to the new neighbourhood in Neve Daniel. Wow, look at all that beautiful playground paraphanelia..I guess they are going to build a playground over here finally. Darrell looked at me and sighed ...it's from Gush Katif! Suddenly, the playground I thought was so great doesn't seem so great anymore! What will we think when we take our kids to this playground? Will we wonder about the children who played on it in its original home? Will we wonder where they are now and if they miss their playground?..their home?...their neighbours? What will we tell our kids when they see that sad look on our faces when we speak of their new playground? Maybe we will just tell them to think of the people, families and children who once used this playground and hope that they feel some comfort in that our children and families think of them and remember what was...their playground will help us to remember and not forget their sacrifice! The question is, and will be answered in time, was the sacrifice of their homes, synagogues, schools, businesses, and communities for something actual or all for naught?!
HAVE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO OF THE BEAUTIFUL HOMES WHICH USED TO BEwww.zippyvideos.com/9279069171334486/beitiingushkatif2

Sde Boaz - an outpost adjacent to Neve Daniel by Zeev Orenstein

(http://israelperspectives.blogspot.com/2005/09/reconnecting-with-land-of-israel.html)
Reconnecting with the Land of Israel (by Ze'ev Orenstein)Last night I had the distinct privilege of visiting some friends who live in Sde Boaz, a newly established Jewish community just outside of Neve Daniel in Gush Etzion.
I want to share some special things that I noticed about Sde Boaz:
* Sde Boaz is situated on one of the highest points in Israel, and as such, one can see for miles (kilometers) in every direction. There are likely few better places in Israel from where one can take in so much of the Land of Israel - and I believe that it is for this reason that this area was frequented by our forefathers.
* Sde Boaz is surrounded by beautiful hills and valleys full of nature. The air is crisp, cool and fresh. With every breath that one inhales, he is cleansing his body, both in a physical sense, as well as spiritually, as the very air seems to have a mystical quality to it.
I had the opportunity to visit the spring just outside of Sde Boaz (which has goldfish in it), and to eat figs right off the trees that surround Sde Boaz. This had an added signifigance, as figs are one of the 7 species special to the Land of Israel, and as such, I got to also make a Shehechiyanu blessing on the fruit (as I had not had one in quite some time), thanking G-d for having blessed me with the opportunity to partake of the fruit of His chosen land, the Land of Israel, as a proud Jew, who had returned home.
* Sde Boaz, home to about 25 people, is full of both religious and secular Jews, new immigrants and native Israelis, who live together with a shared love for the Jewish People and the Land of Israel and the desire to live in a Jewish State.
* Sde Boaz is not surrounded by any fences (that would otherwise restrict the natural growth of the community), and all work that is done in the community is done through Jewish labor.
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* Sde Boaz also happens to be, in the eyes of the world, and some in Israel, an illegal outpost which the State of Israel has committed itself to remove.
* Sde Boaz is considered to be an illegal outpost even though it is built on state owned land (via the Jewish National Fund) that was purchased through money that was collected by our gransparents, who stood on street corners holding the small, blue JNF tzedaka boxes, in order that Jews would be able to live anywhere in the Land of Israel.
Illegal outposts like Sde Boaz are communities full of some of the most wonderful Jews around, modern day pioneers who believe in working the land and in building new Jewish communities throughout the Land of Israel, Jews who do not apologize for believing in the right of the Jewish People to a Jewish State in the Land of Israel - and who are committed to this ideal not merely in word but in physical deed, Jews who are willing to live with less material comfort, but whose lives are full of a richness that money simply can't buy.
Even for one who lives in Israel like myself, it is easy, in the course of day-to-day living, to have one's physical connection to the Land of Israel become a bit removed. Thankfully, last night, I was able to recharge my batteries. There is just something special about walking through the hills and valleys of the Land of Israel, eating the fruits of the land right off the tree, and doing so with my fellow Jewish brothers and sisters who also have chosen to make Aliyah and build their lives in the Jewish homeland.

The Commute OR Me and My Mazda 5

I started working in Tel Aviv two weeks ago and have been commuting there twice per week. The drive takes about 75 minutes and usually gives me time to ponder, relax and enjoy.... and to stew a bit when the traffic backs up in Tel Aviv.
Around 7:30 I hop in to my car. I stop at the front gate to see if anyone needs a liftimToday I gave a lift to a fellow who just made aliyah to Neve Daniel a couple of weeks ago (I think he is part of the 7th family that made aliyah to Neve Daniel this summer).
Then I glide down from the heights of Neve Daniel to the Hebron Jerusalem road and make a left turn towards Jerusalem. I spend the next 5 minutes enjoying the sun gleaming on the Judean Hills and sharing the road with many donkeys carrying Arabs. For some reason I enjoy calling out Donkey everytime we pass one and when with the kids we all guess how many donkeys we will pass on the 10 minute ride to Jerusalem (usually about 4 or 5)
Then I turn left before entering the Tunnels and drive towards Beitar, a city of approximately 10,000 Hareidim living just over the Green Line. Shortly after passing Beitar I go through a machsom (checkpoint) and wave good mornings to the young soldiers manning their posts.
And then starts the most fun and beautiful part of the drive - the long winding descent to Beit Shemesh. The beauty of this section of the drive is so enjoyable. The danger on the road lies not in the tight winding turns but rather the possibility of missing one of these turns while you are enjoying the beautiful tree covered hills. During these drives it often strikes me how lucky we are to have moved to this beautiful country of ours. Somehow just viewing the beauty of our land gives me a feeling of wholeness and wellbeing. I must admist that the fun is enhanced by the comfort and handling of our new Mazda 5 which feels more like a car than a minivan.
About 20 minutes later I arrive in Beit Shemesh and turn right towards the main Jerusalem Tel Aviv highway. This highway usually backs up fairly close to Tel Aviv but it doesn't take too long. I wind my way to the Shalom Tower (about 400 feet tall and the tallest building in Tel Aviv for decades but it is now dwarfed by the real office towers of Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan). I park in a parking lot near the office which is paid for by my employer.
The trip home is similar but the views are altered as I now enjoy the fading light of the days as sunset is close to 6:30 now. I also get to enjoy some of the talk radio on the way home. I am able to gauge the improvements in my Hebrew as I am able to follow the conversations more and more. I turn on the air conditioning when I get in the car to go home as the temperature has been in the low 30s in Tel Aviv. As I ascend from Beit Shemesh to Gush Etzion I put the windows down and watch as the temperature guage drops to the low to mid 20s as I climb the hills and the sun sets behind them.
Although the 10 minute drive to Richmond Hill was surely easier, the 75 minute drive to Tel Aviv has its compensating factors. I guess over time I may be less enamoured with the trip especially when doing it on a daily basis but it will always be special to some extent.

My Kids go to School in Israel

written by: Ruth
It is really hard to believe, you make all these plans for a year maybe two, months and months of packing , arranging, buying etc. you gear up to leave, one two maybe three parties, lots of crying and sad goodbyes, you arrive...more crying, you unpack and arrange and arrange then when 6-8 weeks have passed by and you just begin to feel settled ....then your kids go to school, not school like we knew a few months ago back in the old country , but school in Israel. I am not sure who was more nervous on Sept 1 ..my four kids or Darrell(chaim) and I! We did the school supply thing, one of Avital's friends had to tell me what everything on the list was. We bought what books we needed and then the alarm rang (at 6:30 am I might add). By 7:15a.m. everyone was gone, and for the first time in 8 weeks Darrell and I were alone...it was very scary. That wasn't so bad we looked at each other in disbelief, no one cried (except me) and no one had said they weren't going to go...this is going to be okay , I looked at Darrell and he said" Today was the easy day it's tomorrow that they won't want to go back." Thanks Darrell!!Everyone came home and seemed happy, no they didn't understand anything but no one wanted to talk everyone grabbed a snack and ran out to friends. I waited all day wondering and worrying and they had run off to friends. I guess it was a good sign.
Each boy was in class with a good friend Yonatan was with Shimon his new israeli english speaking friend and David was with Max another boy on our yishuv who made aliyah the same day as us. Each child is sitting beside an english speaker who can help him have some idea of what is going on in class. Avital is in a school (noga - beit shemesh) with many olim and who have a special sensitivity to new olim. She is in class with a couple of english speaking friends from the yishuv and efrat. She says it is hard and she often doesn't understand what is going on but it doesn't seem to really bother her.....We are so impressed by her! Sara is in gan on the yishuv, she is a little cutie, hangs her tik up on the hook and goes into class, there are some english speakers in her class but the truth is they speak mostly hebrew amongst themselves, thank goodness for Rivka (max's sister). the gan is clean and set up so nicely, her gannenet is sweet and soft spoken....in hebrew. I have to stay with Sara for a few minutes each morning until she dismisses me , but other than that she seems to be fine. She is happy to go to gan and also happy to come home. I asked her if she wanted to stay for Saharon (afternoon program), she asked if it was in hebrew, when I said yes she said no thank you it's enough hebrew for me. She is picking up new words all the time and even says them with a cute little accent.
We are very pleased thus far with our school choices. The boys school is in Efrat, the principal made aliyah when he was 12 or 13 so is quite sympathetic to their situation. He let Yoni come home early last week one day, when Y. was complaining of various body ailments. He called that night to see how he was and not only spoke to us but asked to speak with Yonatan. This wasn't the first call just to see how they are doing! I keep wondering how the boys are going to learn hebrew but the principal keeps insisting they will , they just will....okay I say just explain to me one more time....HOW?!Homework time is fun and notes home, they are just a hoot. "What does that note say Abba?"......."How am I suppose to know , it's all in hebrew!"
Last week was curriculum night week which was a real shock to me. After so many years at netivot and eitz chaim curriculum nights it was surreal to be sitting in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar faces. What struck me , was the difference in opening addresses of the principals and also of the teachers...they spoke about the "events of the summer" and how the kids were dealing with it, and how the staff were helping the kids to deal with it. I really felt that we weren't in Kansas anymore and we had landed down smack in the middle of Jewish History in the making. we and our children were now going to be a part of this history in the making, for better or for worse. As scary as that can be at times it is also very "real" and very meaningful.
We have been told that having kids go off to school happy and coming home relatively happy is 75% of the battle so we feel very blessed. We hope and pray that they have a relatively easy klita and learn the language quickly. Once they have the language under their belt they can move forward in limud torah in eretz yisrael.

A very moving Photo Essay of the Disengagement

Friends,
Something truly heartrending and beautiful. I highlyrecommend you watch this.
My thanks and my congratulations toTzvi Freeman for his touching photoessay and to Chabad.org for trying tobring the people of Israel together.
You can view it by visitinghttp://tinyurl.com/csn7k

Aliyah is Not Always a Breeze (or how to get an Israeli driver's license)

Based on our previous posts you may be under the impression that aliyah is a breeze. Well, since these posts are intended to provide a realistic picture of the joys and challenges of aliyah, let me describe the procedure to obtain an Israeli driver's license (don't worry, i will eventually deal with the issue of earning a living).
The main impetus to obtaining a driver's license is that you need it in order to purchase a car with olim zehuyot (immigrant's rights). These zehuyout enable you to purchase a new car with a significant savings in the taxes one must pay on a new car. (tangent - although there have been many changes in the zehuyot over the years, they are still significant including the sal klita (cash payments of 60,000NIS (3.7 NIS (New israeli shekel) to each Cdn$) over 6 months including the first payment at the airport when you arrive), free ulpan, reduced municipal and income taxes for 3 years, rent subsidy and some other stuff).
OK, Lets begin. First you go to the local MEMSI (equivalent to CAA) to pick up the form. Then you have to go for a medical and eye exam. Well it is certainly easy to find the doctor. In Jerusalem, as you exit MEMSI, if you have a slightly bewildered look on your face, a russian with a ripped teacher will ask you if you need the doctor exam. "why, yes i do" "okay, friend , you see that hole in the wall across Ben Yehuda. go in there and they will help you out." So you cross the road and follow the signs until you find the office. 5 minutes and 35NIS later the fly by night exams are completed.
Next on to misrad harishui (ministry of permits). Take a number as you walk in. I note this improvement in many Israeli offices and businesses- many places have these numbers you take as you walk in so you don't have to worry anymore about the person showing up in line who you never saw before. And don;t worry if you have number 887 and the sign says 344 because somehow the numbers click off rapidly. The guy at the counter t akes a picture of your foreign drivers license and gives you the form back. These first few steps were achieved in less than an hour. Maybe it was beginners luck.
Now you have to find a driving instructor and take at least one lesson. ()My lesson could be a post on the blog by itself. It will suffice to say that my instructor was more critical of my driving than my wife. I thought she was just setting me up to tell me i would need 9 more lessons before i was ready to take the driving test but at the end of the lesson from hell she said i was ready to go.But first, stop at the post office and pay a 55NIS fee for something.
A few days later i had the test and after 5 minutes of driving the examiner said that is enough. I passed on manual transmission no less. In Israel, if you want to drive stickshift you must pass the test on a manual car. The next day i was able to go back to misrad harishui and pickup my temporary driver's license. then back to the post office to pay the annual license fee. (not sure why we keep trekking back to the post office to pay these fees, but we quickly learn not to ask why- it just makes you crazy)
Now you are ready to go to the car dealership with your teudat oleh (immigrant's certificate) canadian driver's license, israeli driver's license, canadian passportand money to order the car. 10 days later we became the proud owner of a beautiful bordeaux coloured Mazda 5. By the way, here you have to book an appointment to take a test drive as the demonstrators make the rounds among the various dealerships in the country.
So come on over, and we'll give you a ride up and down the Judean Hills. Alas, poor Ruth still has to get her license eventually

A Most Beautiful Chatuna

We were privileged to attend the marriage of Jerry and Shauna Tepperman's son Ari to Rachel Bercowitz of Alon Shvut. I must start out by saying that it was the most beautiful wedding I have been to ...really! I was tired, a little overwhelmed arranging and leaving the kids so early but I was quickly re-energized after arriving. It took place on kibbutz Sora near betshemesh. The kabbalat panim was outside in a beautiful grassy area set within beautiful flowering bushes and trees. The backdrop was the hills and fields around betshemesh and the setting sun. IN the middle of the field sat the kalla on her chair , looking absolutely radiant. She was surrounded by her friends and family all sitting on big white pillows on the grass. One had a flute another bongos and all were singing , including the kallah, they were all clearly "into it". I greeted Shauna who also was radiant, she told me to go over and say hi to Rachel. I started but stopped because I felt I did not want to interrupt the beautiful singing which she was so clearly enjoying. Soon they danced in the chattan, who was beaming himself. I was a little afraid that the beams of joy radiating from each of their faces were going to intersect and cause some kind of explosion mid-air, luckily this did not occur and the wedding continued. Ari sang solo accompanied by a violin..bo-e kalla to his kalla. Once he finished, everyone continued singing to the couple , it felt as though it went from song to song without missing a beat and although everyone was singing it was as if it was one voice. I mentioned the beaming chattan and kallah, but I must also mention that Jerry and Shauna were also beaming and I really felt that I could not look at their faces for any sustained period of time because it was too much emotion to see at one moment. I certainly was relating to them as parents marrying off their son and wondered if one day Darrell and I would be standing in their places at a wedding similar to this one. As I described earlier, the setting of this event was really naturally beautiful,the grass , trees, flowers , hills the sunset and the simple but stunning chuppa set off to the side (it was white covered in simple delicate greenery and it had coloured glass bulbs hanging under ) but it wasn't the setting that made this event so special...it was the unbelievable ruach and togetherness some sort of really special feeling which was taking over the place. Soon after the veil was lowered , the fathers brachot the beaming chattan was escorted by his beaming parents and all his friends, it was one unit sort of taking him to the chuppah. Soon after , the beaming kallah and her beaming parents and all their family/friends also moved toward the chuppah together or so it seemed, all singing. The ceremony proceeded, most stood up beside the chuppah it appeared as though everyone was a part of this chuppah. I realized what made this ceremony so special was that it was not a spectator event rather it was participatory. I looked around at the young friends who were right up front watching in quiet and then spontaneously singing together at times throughout the ceremony. I looked at the beautiful young women , beautifully dressed but not overly dressed, I watched the young guys all in white shirts, there were chayalim with their guns, khakis, boots and who had changed into clean white t-shirts. It was a good thing I was wearing my sunglasses because I really was overcome by emotion. As I related to the parents at the bodekin, I was looking at these kids and picturing my kids in number of years. They too will be in the army, they too will have grown up in Israel, they too will be attending their friends weddings and their own weddings ....is this what they will look like? I certainly hope so!!! After many hard weeks of pakcing, arriving, adjusting, organizing and doing and unpacking and moving etc. etc. this is exactly what I needed to see, this brief glimpse at the youth of Israel gave me chizuk , it reminded me why we were doing this and that it would be all worth it. To see these young spiritual, thoughtful, joyful, united, kids celebrating in a way that transformed a "wedding" into a beautiful religious marriage ceremony was overwhelming to say the least. Do these kids appreciate or celebrate more deeply because of how they grow up or the circumstances around them? Do they feel the spirituality more deeply because they have developed as people in the land of Israel? I don't know, but these are a different group of youngsters than I have seen elsewhere. I hope and pray that one day my kids will feel what they feel and will develop in a way that is unique to those that grew up in this "holy land". Okay back to the chuppah, there is more spontaneous singing and the chuppah is complete. the couple is danced away and I stay standing where I was. I find myself besides Darrell(Chaim now) and all I could say is...wow! It is all going to be worth it Gd. willing. I tell him that this was the most beautiful chuppah I have ever seen, He asks even nicer than ours...oh yeah , way nicer (and ours was beautiful)! Soon the dancing began and really it was incredible. Darrell saw me part way through and mentioned that he did not know where all these guys had springs inserted into the bottom of their shoes. Alex pomson told him that the "older guys'" springs had worn out and parts were no longer available. The absolute joy and simcha that was happening on each side of the chuppa was awesome. At times I just stood by and watched. Those of you who know me , are aware that it is a rare occurance for me to opt out of the dancing to observe but I just wanted to take the whole scene in. Many of the guys were clearly Ari's army buddies, and you could really see the warmth, comraderie and love that they all had for the chattan and for each other. You could see how your army friends are of a different calibre and are the friends many have for life. They donned their berrets and sang a song to Ari and Rachel, they danced but REALLY danced their hearts out. Some had taken off their heavy boots I guess so that they could spring higher, and obviously their guns were away. Maybe one day my boys will get a few hours off to go mesameach their army buddy, they will put on a clean white tshirt, lock their gun, take off their boots and dance with a real deep simcha which I saw that night. The evening came to an end, and I reluctantly got ready to leave. I can't really remember what I ate, it was good I'm sure, were there flowers on the table...I can't recall..there was no colour scheme, no greeting lineups, or processions to the chuppah, no chair covers, I cannot even remember what colour the tablecloths were...but that was the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to. My wish for the chattan and kallah is that all their days together continue to move forward and that they feel the joy and happiness that everyone but especially they felt on their wedding day. It was just what the new olim needed to be a part of!!