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{{bheader|Aug 14th|Devar/5769/Reeh}}  
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{{bheader|Aug 21st|Devar/5769/Shoftim}}  
  
 
Hi again!  
 
Hi again!  
  
This week we attended the wedding of my third-cousin-once-removed, whose parents (also my cousins, of course) live on the other side of Jerusalem from us.  The groom's mother is one of the "long lost relatives" I met when I first came to Israel, in the 1980s -- and we've kept in touch to varying degrees since then.
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Yet another busy week in our humble household just east of Jerusalem.
  
In any case, the wedding was held in a place called [http://www.pekangarden.co.il/ Gan Hapekan] (the Pecan Garden), which is almost an hour and a half drive from where we liveSo we go there and the first people we see at the place are our next-door neighbors from Maale Adummim!  Turns out, they are close friends of the bride's family.
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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).
  
Besides meeting my neighbors, we also met up with quite a few of my various and sundry cousins -- some from Israel and some from the USI really enjoyed catching up with the family, and hope to stay in a bit closer contact than before.
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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 quicklyHer 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.
  
And speaking of that "various and sundry", one of my cousins (from the other side of my family) was contacted by a previously unknown second-cousin of his, who had a bunch of information on our (common) familySo now I have that information, and I'll be incorporating it into the mostly moribund family-tree project.
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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 directlyAnyway, for a "starving student" using a pay-phone for the occasional call is much less expensive than paying for a regular phone.
  
This is Grampa Victor's last shabbat here with us this time around, so we're pulling out all the stops{{wiki|Kibbeh}}, stuffed artichokes, {{wiki|challah}}, {{wiki|matbucha}}, roasted chicken, [[Recipes/Hummus|Hummus]], [[Recipes/Techina|techina]] and [[Recipes/Green Hilbe|hilbe]]Plus a fruit cobbler for dessert. All homemade, of course. And that's just for tonight... mmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
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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 morningBummer, 'cause I enjoy my yoghurt! Anyway, I'll let you know if the new regimen makes any significant difference.
  
This is also Daniela's penultimate shabbat with us this time.  So I made "fish-n-chips" last night per her request, and I have to make "pad thai" sometime this week to fulfill my fatherly obligation to spoil her before she slips out of my reach again.
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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.
  
Sarah is starting her summer job on Sunday. I think she's looking forward to making some moneyI'm taking Sunday and Monday off from work so I can spend time with Grampa Victor and Daniela before they escape our clutchesWe'll see just what we end up doing.
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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 HebrewAlso 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 populationFeh.
  
American pressure on Israel to not build "in the disputed territories" has reached new heights of stupidity.  Here in Maale Adummim, the mayor is protesting that [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249418591255&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull he can't build in the industrial park] -- which is part of Maaleh Adummim, not an expansion of anything.  Nobody ever lived there.  Nobody lives there.  Nobody wants to live there.  But due to Uncle Sugar's pressure, our faithless government is not permitting us to build where we already have the legal right and presence to do so. 
 
 
This is, of course, supposed to encourage our "peace partners" to stop attempting to murder us and rather, grudgingly, permit us to live.  On an even smaller plot of land than we already have, but then we should be simply grateful to be alive, no?  Sadly, those same "partners for peace" have now officially decided [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249418582678&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull only recalcitrant terrorists need apply] for their government.  These aren't street goons, these are the government of the so-called "PA".  Well ok, they ''are'' street goons - but they get paid by the "PA".  Actually, they get paid by the UN and other well-meaning but increasingly irrelevant suckers of the Western World. Schmucks.
 
  
 
Until next week,<br>
 
Until next week,<br>
 
Shabbat shalom!
 
Shabbat shalom!
  
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Latest revision as of 16:03, 28 August 2009

Aug 21st (See this week's devar torah)
Send Ron feedback on this blog

Hi again!

Yet another busy week in our humble household just east of Jerusalem.

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 "Herod the Great" (the "not so great", according to us Jews).

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.

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.

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 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 consulate in Jerusalem is its embassy to the Arabs. It should be noted that the 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.


Until next week,
Shabbat shalom!



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