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Hi again!
 
Hi again!
  
Daniela has been at [http://www.yu.edu/stern/ Stern College] for a week, almost; and is getting acclimated slowlyShe was a bit shocked at the prices of things in NYC - but we're sure she'll find a way to make it workSarah starts school next week, and is not really looking forward to changing from "vacation" mode to "study" mode[[Blog/August 2008/Aug 22nd|Last week]] I mentioned Esther's going to the doctor -- I got so many concerned responses, I feel the need to mention that "it's not serious", so while we thank you for your concern, you really don't need to be worried.
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Sarah started school this week; she's got a very tough schedule ("horrific", in her words)To her credit, the only thing she's really complained about was having P.E. (and a PE teacher who takes it seriously)Apparently there's a ''bagrut'' for PE as well.  Somehow, I don't see the kids at her school taking that all too seriouslyWe don't know what sort of tutoring she's going to need, if any -- we'll probably find out in the next few weeks.
  
Aliyah advice: Israel is ''not'' the USAIt's not EnglandIt's not even France!  Try to keep that in mind, when you move hereYou are not just ''moving'', you are ''changing your life'' -- and if you insist on living here as you would in the US, you will be bound to have a disappointing and difficult time.  Yes, you can live the same lifestyle you had in the US -- if you are willing to spend three times as much money to do soOn the other hand, if you live "like an Israeli", you will not only fit in better, you will have an easier time.  More advice next week...
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We're trying to figure out exactly where we're going to put our {{wiki|sukkah}} this year.  The place with the most room has a fig-tree overhanging it, so that tree would have to be cut-back considerably.  The front area isn't the right shape or big enoughSo it's going to be an interesting challenge this yearWe'll keep you informedIn the meantime, the weather here in the Judean Desert is hot and somewhat humid, making it pretty uncomfortableI hope the humidity is a sign that winter isn't too far away.
  
The item which prompted the preceding public-service announcement: Osem-brand "Chinese-style soy sauce".  It resembles actual soy-sauce as much as I resemble {{wiki|Michael Jackson}} (Heaven forbid!).  The Osem ketchup is very good, pretty close to "Heinz" brand in the US.  But the soy-sauce is actually revolting.  Going to the store here can be a crap-shoot, when you don't know which brands are "good" or not.  Here's a clue: stick with the middle-eastern kinds of foods -- they're usually very good.  Fake American-style foods are often pretty bad.  And fake Asian foods are even worse.  On the other hand, dairy products are excellent, and vegetables and fruits are superb. And some things [http://bogieworks.blogs.com/treppenwitz/2008/08/its-no-trouble.html just have to be experienced].
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I want to mention two "sickies" this weekMy mother, Chanah Rachel bat Flora -- who is not "sick" right now but recovering from an infection which put her in the hospital for a few days; and my friend Michael Shelomo Bar-Ron who was injured while working on his [http://www.abirwarriorarts.com/ Abir] technique. May they both have a speedy and complete recovery!  ''Update:'' I just found out my friend Dov Ber ben Eliyahu is also in need of refu'a!  What is this?  Every time I think of someone, they end up in pain?!?
  
In an ironic twist of fate, a friend of mine -- whom I first met twenty years ago when I worked at ''Traveling Software'' in Seattle, has [http://claymore4-livinginthesouthwest.blogspot.com/ also moved to the desert].  The Sonoran desert, while we're in the {{wiki2|Judea|Judean desert}}.  We're having real desert weather now -- 40+ degrees, but it's a bit humid so it is really uncomfortableIt was supposed to cool down... but the weather people here are not better than anywhere else..
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In aliyah news, the [http://www.nbn.org.il/index.php Nefesh b'Nefesh] organization is [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127419 taking over responsibility] for American aliyahNow you won't have to deal with the Jewish Agency as well as NBN, you can do everything through one agency, which is a huge win for new-olimHowever...
  
As we are led down the left-wing path to peace and prosperity, it appears that {{wiki|thoughtcrime}} is being outlawed in the [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1219572126927&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Israeli Defense Forces]Perhaps the {{wiki|Ministry of Truth}} will install monitoring devices in our homes, next?  I don't think [http://www.makor1.co.il/makor/Article.faces;jsessionid=3edb07f230d5b7bc4fa40b8b4ea7a7b1bf595def9534.e34Mc3aTbNiTby0LaxmNbxqRchmMe0?articleId=33900&channel=1&subchannel=5 Rabbi Rozen's comparison] of "Peace Now" to the halachic category of ''mosrim'' (informers) will endear him to MiniTru -- but I don't think he cares, honestly.
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Aliyah advice: NBN is ''not'' the only solution. They are excellent at what they do, but they are not helpful when your needs are outside their expertiseThat is, if you have never lived in Israel they're great. But if you have, you really need to do research on your own. That is the theme of the 'advice' for this week: make sure you research as much as possible, before you come.  That way you will have fewer unpleasant experiences.
  
In further bizarro-world news, our "friend" and "ally" the US is asking for [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127337 more goodwill gestures] from us towards the FakestiniansExcuse me?  Why is the "goodwill" only expected from our side?  When have "they" ''ever'' displayed "goodwill"?  Oh, I got it! When they continue to launch missiles at Sderot even though they declared a cease-fire?  No?  Oh, wait ... I know!  When they [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/152153 attack vehicles with firebombs and metal objects]? No?  Well, what thenC'mon, they're our ''partners for peace'' for cryin' out loud! The most "goodwill" we should show them is to give them exit-visas for the actual "Fakestinian" homeland -- the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (where they are not welcome, and whose leaders have no qualms about giving them the ''respect'' they so richly deserve).
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One of the things you will notice when you come here is the tension between the "secular" and the "religious".  For example, the far-left secular paper "Haaretz" opined that the fact there are a record number of young men entering the yeshivas this year is [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1017428.html a disaster] that will cost the state 30 billion shekelsI'm not sure how that works out, as there are only 63,000 entering yeshivas. That works out to almost 500 thousand shekels per student... which is more than four years average Israeli salaryThe State is not paying for their studies, so what givesIn the Israeli far-left view, one's worth is strictly dependent on one's income. Ironic, given the Stalinist-socialist basis of their ideology...
  
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Speaking of the far-left, The Jerusalem Post's resident idiot Derfner wrote [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1220444321712&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull one of the most offensively anti-female] pieces I've ever read.  Of course, he was denigrating Sarah Palin - of whom I had not even heard until this past Saturday night.  It's all right for a woman to be successful and assertive, if she is ''liberal'', but not if she's ''conservative''.  At least, that's what I get from his diatribe.
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You might think I am "right-wing", based on many of my comments.  The truth is that I am independent but have no patience for liberal (or conservative) gas-bags .  This upcoming US election had me underwhelmed -- neither of the primary candidates really "did it" for me.  That is, until this week.  I applaud McCain's appointment of Palin as a brilliant strategic move, which may very well propel his ticket to the Oval Office.  Read [http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/conventions/videos/transcripts/20080903_PALIN_SPEECH.html Palin's speech] at the RNC, and tell me you aren't impressed...  Then look her up on YouTube! and hear her talk.  And [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1220526712963&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull read this analysis].  I tell you, this might be a turn-around for America.  Now, if we could only get someone similar here in Israel...
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In the interest of fair disclosure: if you are one of those (primarily left-wing so-called 'liberals') who wishes to boycott Israel, please [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU221GA5-u8 watch this video first].  Don't say you weren't warned.
  
 
Until next week,<br>
 
Until next week,<br>
 
Shabbat shalom!
 
Shabbat shalom!
  
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Latest revision as of 11:29, 12 September 2008

September 5th (See this week's devar torah)
Send Ron feedback on this blog


Hi again!

Sarah started school this week; she's got a very tough schedule ("horrific", in her words). To her credit, the only thing she's really complained about was having P.E. (and a PE teacher who takes it seriously). Apparently there's a bagrut for PE as well. Somehow, I don't see the kids at her school taking that all too seriously. We don't know what sort of tutoring she's going to need, if any -- we'll probably find out in the next few weeks.

We're trying to figure out exactly where we're going to put our sukkah this year. The place with the most room has a fig-tree overhanging it, so that tree would have to be cut-back considerably. The front area isn't the right shape or big enough. So it's going to be an interesting challenge this year. We'll keep you informed. In the meantime, the weather here in the Judean Desert is hot and somewhat humid, making it pretty uncomfortable. I hope the humidity is a sign that winter isn't too far away.

I want to mention two "sickies" this week. My mother, Chanah Rachel bat Flora -- who is not "sick" right now but recovering from an infection which put her in the hospital for a few days; and my friend Michael Shelomo Bar-Ron who was injured while working on his Abir technique. May they both have a speedy and complete recovery! Update: I just found out my friend Dov Ber ben Eliyahu is also in need of refu'a! What is this? Every time I think of someone, they end up in pain?!?

In aliyah news, the Nefesh b'Nefesh organization is taking over responsibility for American aliyah. Now you won't have to deal with the Jewish Agency as well as NBN, you can do everything through one agency, which is a huge win for new-olim. However...

Aliyah advice: NBN is not the only solution. They are excellent at what they do, but they are not helpful when your needs are outside their expertise. That is, if you have never lived in Israel they're great. But if you have, you really need to do research on your own. That is the theme of the 'advice' for this week: make sure you research as much as possible, before you come. That way you will have fewer unpleasant experiences.

One of the things you will notice when you come here is the tension between the "secular" and the "religious". For example, the far-left secular paper "Haaretz" opined that the fact there are a record number of young men entering the yeshivas this year is a disaster that will cost the state 30 billion shekels. I'm not sure how that works out, as there are only 63,000 entering yeshivas. That works out to almost 500 thousand shekels per student... which is more than four years average Israeli salary. The State is not paying for their studies, so what gives? In the Israeli far-left view, one's worth is strictly dependent on one's income. Ironic, given the Stalinist-socialist basis of their ideology...

Speaking of the far-left, The Jerusalem Post's resident idiot Derfner wrote one of the most offensively anti-female pieces I've ever read. Of course, he was denigrating Sarah Palin - of whom I had not even heard until this past Saturday night. It's all right for a woman to be successful and assertive, if she is liberal, but not if she's conservative. At least, that's what I get from his diatribe.

You might think I am "right-wing", based on many of my comments. The truth is that I am independent but have no patience for liberal (or conservative) gas-bags . This upcoming US election had me underwhelmed -- neither of the primary candidates really "did it" for me. That is, until this week. I applaud McCain's appointment of Palin as a brilliant strategic move, which may very well propel his ticket to the Oval Office. Read Palin's speech at the RNC, and tell me you aren't impressed... Then look her up on YouTube! and hear her talk. And read this analysis. I tell you, this might be a turn-around for America. Now, if we could only get someone similar here in Israel...

In the interest of fair disclosure: if you are one of those (primarily left-wing so-called 'liberals') who wishes to boycott Israel, please watch this video first. Don't say you weren't warned.

Until next week,
Shabbat shalom!



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