Shchita in the Living Room

SL is now in 3rd grade and learning Vayikra, which is all about the sacrifices brought in the Beis Hamikdash.

So this morning, I step out into the living room to spot the three boys kneeling on the ground over a little stuffed goat (a toy stuffed goat, not a real stuffed goat as a coworker thought). SL was hovering over the goat holding a toy wooden knife explaining to the others how to checht the korban and bring it afterwards.

I just turned around and went back to bed.

Lag B'Omer

I think it's amazing how over here Lag B'Omer is a real holiday.

The kids have off today.

Everyone has a bonfire - my kids school even made one.

All the stores closed early last night.

But yet, I still have work...

Pesach Chumrah

So I had this whole idea about a new chumrah about since some people take Pesach cleaning to the extreme, and it turns into a spring cleaning, I thought that since spring cleaning is a chukas hagoyim, it really should be stopped!

However, in my research for this chumrah, I went to the master source of all human knowledge - wikipedia - and found this article on Spring Cleaning. unfortunately, it brings down Pesach cleaning as a source for spring cleaning, so there goes that one.

What's 4 1/2 months between friends?

Am I back?

Perhaps.

Will I stay?

I can only try.

Let's see where this goes....

Election Roundup

Wow, I am so happy that the elections here are over! I don't even know who won yet, and frankly, I couldn't care that much. You know why? B/c of the following reasons:

1. No more Moshe Abutbol songs
2. My kids not singing the Moshe Abutbol theme song
3. No more election litter

Among other things I've noticed that the politics here, are way different than the US.

For starters, in the US, who gets elected to the city council doesn't really change the city that much. Your guy or some other, they are still going to get the basics done.

Here, it can make the difference of who is going to get a school building. I had a real negius to vote for one party, since the menahel of our school is there #2 guy. That means, he gets in, we probably will get a school (I wasn't worried about him getting elected though).

The gedolim appear to be used greatly in the elections. If you don't vote this way, like the gedolim say, you're going to gehinom, or you're a toavah, take your pick. On top of that, one party had brought one of the biggest gedolim in the country to come down to our city and "electioneer" for them, I mean, why waste his time to bring him down here, I'm sure he has better things to do than worry about the politics of Beit Shemesh. I'm not c"v knocking him, as I'm sure he was doing what he thought was best, but the people responsible, who got him to come down, it's not as if he is some big shot politician, who you want to bring down to get his endorsement. You want his endorsement, you go to him, don't bring him down here to get him dirty c"v.

Any, I'm happy they are over. we'll see who wins shortly...

Neighborhood Excitement

This evening we had some excitement for the kids. Some kid runs over to his parent by the benches where Sarah and the neighborhood women hang out and shmooze (while watching the children of course), and start yelling about something being chashuv, very chashuv. Only after a few times, we realize, oh, a chafetz chashud!

Now when doesn't a c"c bring joy and fun to children?

You get to watch the robot be deployed, get yelled at police to stay back, and even here a few rounds go off, as the robot desperately tries to detonate some poor kids knapsack that he left behind as he was running for the bus.

Why, I recall when I was in yeshiva here, in my first year, someone noticed a suspicious looking woman drop a bag or two into our garbage area, so the police came down (while we were still in shiur), and started evacuating us from the beis medrash. And when I say evacuating, I mean he was yelling at us to get out of there!

Now what would you except a bunch of American yeshiva guys to do?

We snapped pictures of course!

Ahhh, memories, but I digress. Anyway, some poor kids lost bag, about an hour of the police time wasted, and the neighborhood kids get some free entertainment!

Aliyah Motivational Posters

In the days and weeks leading up to the US elections, I have heard the same rumblings that preceded the 2004 elections. "If that guy wins, I'm moving to Canada". Only this time, it was "If that guy wins, I'm moving to Israel"

Well people, here's your chance! I've only been here for about 5 months, but I (and I'm sure most of the rest of this country) will gladly accept you and welcome you with open arms.

Just in case you need some motivation to make the move, as I'm sure in a few weeks, you'll be saying "ehh, he's not really that bad", I have made up a few motivational posters for you to hang* in your house.

Better yet, hang them in your shul, get your friends to come as well!

* These photos were gleaned form the internet, and I take no responsibility for any copyright problems that might come about due to your use of them