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{{bheader|September 12th|Devar/5768/Ki Tetse}}
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{{bheader|September 19th|Devar/5768/Ki Tavo}}
  
  
 
Hi again!
 
Hi again!
  
It's been a bit stressful this week.  Daniela found out her computer got infected with a virus ... and she started panicking.  We spend many hours this week trying to get rid of the problem -- it wasn't just one virus, but many -- and we still haven't completely restored her machine to proper shape.  I could rant about how insecure Windows is... but I won't.  Ah, what the hell?  Windows is a blight upon the computing world.  Never mind; you're not interested in hearing me rant yet again about Windows insecurity.
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What a week! Lots of stuff to talk about...
  
I've been banging my head against the wall at work, trying to get a technical specification written for a project we are doing with an Indian companyThe problem I'm having is that the Indian company doesn't seem to have the slightest idea what a "specification" is, and the process is taking much longer than it shouldSo I'm going ahead with what I ''think'' they mean, but I know -- and this is based on lots of experience -- that whatever I do will ''not'' be what they actually want.  Oh well, that's life ...
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First - this past shabbat there was a terrorist event in the small town of Yitzhar.  One of our cousins from a neighboring village took it into his head to cause some damage.  So he went into Yitzhar, burned one house and stabbed a nine year old boy who tried to stop him.  Then he ran off to the neighboring villageA group of irate Yitzhar residents went into the village and fired some shots and threw some stones.  That was apparently the event.  Now, depending on what you choose to read, you will hear a story of [http://israelinsider.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2018399%3ABlogPost%3A6921 self defense], or perhaps [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221142463212&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull the Wild West]Or more ridiculous: [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221142471312&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull pogroms] and [http://israelinsider.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2018399%3ABlogPost%3A7105 yet more on pogroms]. Then of course, there's the [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221142466441&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull lame response of our government].
  
I know I've mentioned it before, but the medical care here is refreshingly good.  This week I had to have an x-ray and an ultrasound takenIn the past, when I've had to do these (in the States), I would have to make a special appointment, pay a co-pay, and after the event would have to go back to my doctor for the results. Here, I walked in (I did have to make an appointment for the ultrasound), got my pictures taken. Immediately afterward I was given CDs with the results - and I didn't have to pay anything. Well, maybe my ''kupah'' will bill me, I don't know yet. The next day I went and got a written report from the supervising doctor, enumerating the findings.  Similarly, when I went to get periodic blood tests, the results appeared on-line and I could check them from home.  I like the idea that here, your medical information is really yours, and you have access to it... something I don't remember encountering in the US.
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Not everyone who reads these pages is JewishFor my Christian readers: this is why [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127592 you should care].
  
Aliyah advice: get to know peopleEverything here -- from dealing with the government, to getting a job -- works more smoothly if you 'know someone'.  So social networking is important, especially for people who didn't grow up hereUse your friends to make new contacts.  Use your synagogue, your ''ulpan'', even the local market.  Don't be afraid to talk to people you don't know -- after all, as the saying goes, a stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.
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What else?  Oh, on the way to work every day I hear an alarming ad on the radioIt opens with ''shofarot'' sounding an alarm - then the serious voice of the announcer tells us that [http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=11590 Rabbi Nachman's grave] is in danger.  Why?  Because some Ukrainian businessman won a judgment of $10 million against the grave-site of R' Nahman.  So the announcer continues, imploring us to donate money to 'save our Rebbe's grave'.  Not that I have anything against R' Nahman, Heaven forbid -- but wouldn't it make sense to ''move his grave'' to Israel and thereby (1) solve the Ukrainian problem, (2) save Breslovers millions of dollars every Rosh Hashana and (3) provide a more honorable resting place for their Rebbe?
  
And in Israeli news this week: former {{wiki|Shas}} politician [http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3591436,00.html Aryeh Deri] is trying to run for mayor of Jerusalem, even though he was convicted of fraud, betrayal of the public trust and moral turpitude (the latter bans him from politics until next year sometime)Now it is true that {{wiki|Olmert}} was also mayor of Jerusalem, and that the police intend to bring (multiple) charges of fraud and bribery against him... so perhaps it's not so bad to have Deri -- at least we know ''up front'' that he's a gangster? He was born in Morocco, and a little known fact is he changed his name when he made ''aliyah''.  It used to be ''Derrière''.  Hopefully he'll be left behind this time.
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In personal news... we finally got our dining room table! Finally, we don't have to eat off the folding plastic table and folding metal chairs!  We're looking forward to a more restful shabbat this week.
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Esther went with a neighbor to [http://jewishuniverse.israelnationalnews.com/travel/index.php?articles_ID=81 kever Rachel].  This is her story in her own words:
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"I got a call from a neighbor who was going to drive with her daughter over to kever Rachel and invited me to go.  I immediately accepted the offer since it was one of the places I've never visited.  Up to last month it was not possible for private cars to go all the way to the site.  People had to go by bus from Jerusalem, which according to my neighbor it could take up to an hour, and once they got to the site had to wait to be escorted by a soldier.  Just a couple of weeks ago the government decided to open the road to private cars on an experimental bases.  It took us 25 minutes to get there from Maaleh Adumim.  The kever is right at the entrance to Bethlehem and just a few blocks away from where Daniela attended seminary last year.  You drive in one block and then get in to the road to the grave which is lined on both sides with very high cement walls to protect the visitors from our friendly neighborsOnce inside it is all very quiet.  There is an entrance for the men and one for the women.  The women section has two small rooms where people sit and pray.  I was able to get into the innermost room first standing and then found a chair and sat down.  It was very inspiring to be there and I hope it stays open to private transportation so more people have a chance to go visit".
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Daniela's computer virus problems were finally solved this week.  We reinstalled Windows.  I hate Windows...
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Sarah got her ''bagrut'' results; and while they were disappointing to ''her'', they were not bad at all.  ''Especially'' considering she had to learn Hebrew while learning the subject matter. 
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In more Sarah news: yesterday she got her ''tsav gius'' -- call-up notice from the Army.  So she needs to register with them in December.  In the meantime we need to find out exactly what she has to do for the "religious girls" exemption.  So you can call her 'recruit Sarah' now.
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I got a call this week on my cel-phone, from some woman I don't know, for a woman I don't know.  The conversation went like this: ''Hello, Tali?''.  No, sorry, no Tali here.  ''Are you sure?''.  Yes, I'm sure there's no Tali here.  ''Well, I was given this number for "Tali".  It's about a law-school course.'' That's nice; but I'm not Tali, nor do I know a Tali, nor do I want to be a lawyer... good bye!
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Work was excellent, if stressful this week. I was able to get a small project finished which will serve as a launching-point for future projects.  In 'manly' news, I re-screened our screen door and main window of the kitchen, so we can get a cross-draft now without worrying about bugs flying in.  I know, it's not interesting ... but you have to take the good with the bad.
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 +
In odd news: we were invited to a meeting with the mayor of our town the other night.  Well, we weren't the only invitees, but in any case -- we went, and there was noone else there.  We still don't know why.  So my phone rings, and a friend of mine says he's in our neighborhood, and would I mind dropping by where he was.  Since we were on our way back from the abortive meeting with the mayor anyway, we said "sure".  Turns out, he's at a local Chabad shul (literally two minutes from my house), and they were having a 'chai Elul' partyThe place was just one room -- it reminded me of our shul in Bellevue ''many'' years ago, when it was getting started -- and there was an "interesting" collection of characters thereMore varieties of pickled fish than I'm used to... but it was an interesting end to the evening.
  
 
Until next week,<br>
 
Until next week,<br>
 
Shabbat shalom!
 
Shabbat shalom!
  
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{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/September 2008/Sep 12th|Sep 12th|Blog/September 2008/Sep 26th|Sep 26th}}

Latest revision as of 12:41, 26 September 2008

September 19th (See this week's devar torah)
Send Ron feedback on this blog


Hi again!

What a week! Lots of stuff to talk about...

First - this past shabbat there was a terrorist event in the small town of Yitzhar. One of our cousins from a neighboring village took it into his head to cause some damage. So he went into Yitzhar, burned one house and stabbed a nine year old boy who tried to stop him. Then he ran off to the neighboring village. A group of irate Yitzhar residents went into the village and fired some shots and threw some stones. That was apparently the event. Now, depending on what you choose to read, you will hear a story of self defense, or perhaps the Wild West. Or more ridiculous: pogroms and yet more on pogroms. Then of course, there's the lame response of our government.

Not everyone who reads these pages is Jewish. For my Christian readers: this is why you should care.

What else? Oh, on the way to work every day I hear an alarming ad on the radio. It opens with shofarot sounding an alarm - then the serious voice of the announcer tells us that Rabbi Nachman's grave is in danger. Why? Because some Ukrainian businessman won a judgment of $10 million against the grave-site of R' Nahman. So the announcer continues, imploring us to donate money to 'save our Rebbe's grave'. Not that I have anything against R' Nahman, Heaven forbid -- but wouldn't it make sense to move his grave to Israel and thereby (1) solve the Ukrainian problem, (2) save Breslovers millions of dollars every Rosh Hashana and (3) provide a more honorable resting place for their Rebbe?

In personal news... we finally got our dining room table! Finally, we don't have to eat off the folding plastic table and folding metal chairs! We're looking forward to a more restful shabbat this week.

Esther went with a neighbor to kever Rachel. This is her story in her own words:

"I got a call from a neighbor who was going to drive with her daughter over to kever Rachel and invited me to go. I immediately accepted the offer since it was one of the places I've never visited. Up to last month it was not possible for private cars to go all the way to the site. People had to go by bus from Jerusalem, which according to my neighbor it could take up to an hour, and once they got to the site had to wait to be escorted by a soldier. Just a couple of weeks ago the government decided to open the road to private cars on an experimental bases. It took us 25 minutes to get there from Maaleh Adumim. The kever is right at the entrance to Bethlehem and just a few blocks away from where Daniela attended seminary last year. You drive in one block and then get in to the road to the grave which is lined on both sides with very high cement walls to protect the visitors from our friendly neighbors. Once inside it is all very quiet. There is an entrance for the men and one for the women. The women section has two small rooms where people sit and pray. I was able to get into the innermost room first standing and then found a chair and sat down. It was very inspiring to be there and I hope it stays open to private transportation so more people have a chance to go visit".

Daniela's computer virus problems were finally solved this week. We reinstalled Windows. I hate Windows...

Sarah got her bagrut results; and while they were disappointing to her, they were not bad at all. Especially considering she had to learn Hebrew while learning the subject matter.

In more Sarah news: yesterday she got her tsav gius -- call-up notice from the Army. So she needs to register with them in December. In the meantime we need to find out exactly what she has to do for the "religious girls" exemption. So you can call her 'recruit Sarah' now.

I got a call this week on my cel-phone, from some woman I don't know, for a woman I don't know. The conversation went like this: Hello, Tali?. No, sorry, no Tali here. Are you sure?. Yes, I'm sure there's no Tali here. Well, I was given this number for "Tali". It's about a law-school course. That's nice; but I'm not Tali, nor do I know a Tali, nor do I want to be a lawyer... good bye!

Work was excellent, if stressful this week. I was able to get a small project finished which will serve as a launching-point for future projects. In 'manly' news, I re-screened our screen door and main window of the kitchen, so we can get a cross-draft now without worrying about bugs flying in. I know, it's not interesting ... but you have to take the good with the bad.

In odd news: we were invited to a meeting with the mayor of our town the other night. Well, we weren't the only invitees, but in any case -- we went, and there was noone else there. We still don't know why. So my phone rings, and a friend of mine says he's in our neighborhood, and would I mind dropping by where he was. Since we were on our way back from the abortive meeting with the mayor anyway, we said "sure". Turns out, he's at a local Chabad shul (literally two minutes from my house), and they were having a 'chai Elul' party. The place was just one room -- it reminded me of our shul in Bellevue many years ago, when it was getting started -- and there was an "interesting" collection of characters there. More varieties of pickled fish than I'm used to... but it was an interesting end to the evening.

Until next week,
Shabbat shalom!



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