Difference between revisions of "Blog/August 2009/Aug 28th"

Latest revision as of 12:20, 4 September 2009

Aug 28th (See this week's devar torah)
Send Ron feedback on this blog

Hi again!

Sarah and Daniela both started school this week -- one day for Sarah, and two for Daniela. Sarah also finished her work, and Daniela is trying to find some work.

We're getting back to routine now that summer is grinding to a halt and our visitors have all returned home. So we'll have a nice quiet shabbat this week, B"H. Of course, the peace and quiet will only last a couple more weeks: the "high holidays" are coming upon us quickly, and we're not really ready yet! Gotta work on that 'holiday mood'...

In the ongoing family-tree project, quite a bit of progress was made on my side -- to large extent due to the incredible resource of the CMU Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project. Within a short period I was able to verify dates of birth and family relationships which had been a mystery for a long time. Between that and the online US census records (from "Ancestry.com") I was able to piece together quite a bit. Now if I could only break the Atlantic barrier and figure out exactly where the people migrated from in Europe! I did discover a new cousin living in Israel, which is exciting.

Esther's side of the family tree is even more difficult. Though she knows where her family came from (Smyrna, Beirut and Damascus), they all had basically the same four or five names. So she knows where they came from, but will have trouble verifying the people themselves; while I have no idea where they came from.

Sorry, I don't have anything fascinating to say this week. Maybe next time I'll be more interesting? Tune in and see...

Until next week,
Shabbat shalom!

Top: Blog

Prev: Aug 21st

Next: Sep 4th

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 {{blog}}
-{{bheader|Aug 21st|Devar/5769/Shoftim}}
+{{bheader|Aug 28th|Devar/5769/Ki Tetse}}
 Hi again!
-Yet another busy week in our humble household just east of Jerusalem.
+Sarah and Daniela both started school this week -- one day for Sarah, and two for Daniela. Sarah also finished her work, and Daniela is trying to find some work.
-Since grandpa Victor was returning to Argentina this week, I took two days off work so I could spend it with him, as well as with Daniela whose last shabbat with us is today.  We went to Herodion and spent a couple hours looking at the cisterns and (perhaps) seeing Herod's tomb (we weren't sure we saw it, but it is apparently there).  That would be the famous "{{wiki|Herod the Great}}" (the "not so great", according to us Jews).
+We're getting back to routine now that summer is grinding to a halt and our visitors have all returned home.  So we'll have a nice quiet shabbat this week, B"H.  Of course, the peace and quiet will only last a couple more weeks: the "high holidays" are coming upon us quickly, and we're not really ready yet!  Gotta work on that 'holiday mood'...
-Sarah completed her first week of paid work.  She is helping at an ''ulpan'', which is a kind of course to help people learn Hebrew more quickly.  Her job is assisting the teacher take care of the kids, and to help teach.  It was a rough week for her ... she's not used to working.
+In the ongoing [http://ronware.org/family/ family-tree project], quite a bit of progress was made on my side -- to large extent due to the incredible resource of the [http://pjn.library.cmu.edu/ CMU Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project].  Within a short period I was able to verify dates of birth and family relationships which had been a mystery for a long time.  Between that and the online US census records (from "Ancestry.com") I was able to piece together quite a bit.  Now if I could only break the Atlantic barrier and figure out exactly where the people migrated from in Europe!  I did discover a new cousin living in Israel, which is exciting.
-Daniela is abandoning her family for the golden shores of America. Again.  We will have a quiet ''shabbat'', just the nook-u-lar family.  She's been upset she can't find the celphone she used in the US -- a pre-pay "disposable" phone -- but since she has Skype as do the rest of us, it's not too important unless she needs someone in NYC to call her directly.  Anyway, for a "starving student" using a pay-phone for the occasional call is much less expensive than paying for a regular phone.
+Esther's side of the family tree is even more difficult.  Though she knows where her family came from (Smyrna, Beirut and Damascus), they all had basically the same four or five names.  So she knows where they came from, but will have trouble verifying the people themselves; while I have no idea where they came from.
-I had my first appointment with a nutritionist to help work out what my diet should be (to help control diabetes and to lose weight as well).  Nothing really different from what I've been doing for the past two months, but she said I wasn't eating enough -- and that I should cut out the yoghurt in the morning.  Bummer, 'cause I enjoy my yoghurt!  Anyway, I'll let you know if the new regimen makes any significant difference.
-Last week I mentioned that I had received some updated family tree information from a long-lost relative.  After updating my data, I contacted some of the family who had helped me out the first go-round.  I also incorporated Esther's family tree.  So now for your enjoyment, I present the current state of the continually updated [http://ronware.org/family Aaron/Escaba Family Tree].  If you want to contribute to the effort, just sign up for an account -- and you can help make history too.  Well, you can if you have any useful family information for me.
-And for my rant: the US seems to be confused.  It thinks the [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/132974 consulate in Jerusalem] is its embassy to the Arabs.  It should be noted that the [http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/ consulate's website] has English and Arabic -- but no Hebrew -- even though it sits in the sovereign territory of the only country in the world whose principal language is Hebrew.  Also note that it is located in ''West'' Jerusalem, not the supposedly "arab" East Jerusalem!  It is yet another outrageous act of American imperiousness (or more particularly, State Department intransigence).  The US Congress passed a law in 1995 that the embassy in Israel belongs in Jerusalem 14 years ago! -- and yet every administration since then has found a reason to not move the embassy!  I say, eject the Consul and the Consulate and let them set up in Ramallah if they only intend on treating the Arab population.  Feh.
+Sorry, I don't have anything fascinating to say this week.  Maybe next time I'll be more interesting?  Tune in and see...
 Until next week,<br>
 Shabbat shalom!
-{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/August 2009/Aug 14th|Aug 14th||}}
+{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/August 2009/Aug 21st|Aug 21st|Blog/September 2009/Sep 4th|Sep 4th}}

Difference between revisions of "Blog/August 2009/Aug 28th"

From RonWareWiki

< Blog‎ | August 2009

Latest revision as of 12:20, 4 September 2009