Better Late than Never, The "Unveiling"

It was a bit crazy to go to the states, davka, this time of the year. It's not like there was an important family wedding or medical emergency with my father (who is in Arizona, where I also went) or someone else important. Even though it's close to two years since my mother passed away, and we hadn't yet done the unveiling, the time was best for others, so I went.

We were lots a cousins together, plus a couple of old friends. It was nice being together.

My mother is buried with her old friends from Oakland Jewish Center, Bayside, NY, which closed its doors the same summer my mother passed away.

I don't think my mother would be crazy about her location in this corner, but that's where she is now. When my father reaches his "120," he'll join her. My sister based the design of the stone on the one by our paternal grandparents' graves in the "Neshelsk" NY cemetery.

After our little ceremony, which we did without any rabbi, we went to the nearby Hunki's Pizza of Plainview, LI, NY. We shared salads, pizzas, felafel and each other's company, which was nice.

March Jewish Book Carnival and Havel Havelim

March Jewish Book Carnival on A Damaged Mirror and 

Debut Havel Havelim on One Bittersweet Symphony

Let's start with Havel Havelim, the long-running international Jewish blog carnival, which is hosted by volunteer bloggers each week. This week's, for the first time, is on One Bittersweet Symphony. She did a wonderful job. There's a nice variety of blogposts. Check it out; you're sure to find some great blog posts to read and share.

Next week Yocheved of It's My Crisis and I'll Cry if I Need To is the host, G-d willing. Please send her your links to giveretgolani@gmail.com with "HH" as subject  and a short "blurb" about the post before Shabbat, thanks.

For more information about Havel Havelim join our facebook page.

The Jewish Book Carnival comes out monthly, in the middle of the month, and this month's is to be found on  A Damaged Mirror. It includes a wide variety of links to book reviews of Jewish books. Take a look, and you're bound to find reading ideas.

Enjoy them all, Havel Havelim and the and the Jewish Book Carnival.

52 Frames Weekly Photography Challenge, Didn't Miss a Week!

Although I was on the road for almost three weeks, considering a staff trip with my husband's Begin Heritage Center and then a family visit to Arizona and New York, I still managed to send in photos, granted not the best quality, to 52 Frames.

I used my Galaxy 2 "smartphone," considered rather borderline retarded by today's standards, for both the photo-taking and sending off to the 52Frames site. When in New York, my phone was used as a "tablet," and I had a small, old, cheap cellphone with an American simcard which for $2- a day gave me unlimited American phone-calls.

Here are the photos, starting backwards, most recent to the one which was posted when I was "in-transit" between Israel and Arizona.

"Ritual," which we were told did not need to be a religious ritual. I ended up taking a picture of my "NY Ritual," which is shopping for bargains. This photo is from the Fifth Avenue branch of Lord & Taylor's, a favorite spot for me where sales items get another 50% knocked off.

I took two photos which were very similar. One was blurry, and the other not, but my big mistake was not deleting the blurry one which ended up being the one submitted. Here's the one I had meant to submit.

The lesson is to delete all bad photos!!!

The week before was Reflection, and I took advantage of the large windows and gorgeous art of my Purim-Shabbat hosts in Manhattan. Thank you!!

And the Week 9 Black and White. I took the photo in Jerusalem, at the shuq/shuk, Machane Yehuda open market.

It was taken in "color" although it is black and white. I did use the computer at home to edit it a bit, which is how I achieved that "blurry frame."

Now I'm home, thank G-d. And I know that Passover is soon. G-d willing I'll do all that is necessary and not lose my smile.

New and Old in Newark Airport

Yesterday, I spent a few hours in Newark Airport awaiting my flight home. It was nothing like the night I had spent there just two weeks earlier.  First of all the weather had warmed up and snow was no where to be found. Flights were mostly on time, too, and there wasn't an epidemic of cancelled ones.

We're in the 21st Century, which is pretty obvious. Garbage cans are like preschool toys. Fit the correct garbage into the right hole:

"PAPER"
"PLASTIC"
"ALUMINUM PANS"

OK, this can has seen better times. Letters are already missing. OK, it isn't 2001 anymore... 

Electric cart being charged!

There was one "old-fashioned" machine, a public telephone. Not everyone has a phone that can be used in the USA, so although I didn't see anyone using these, there are available.

Two weeks have passed pretty quickly

Last day of the visit, according to plan. This is the day or supposed to be the day that the visit was planned around, my mother's unveiling. Gd willing we'll pay her proper respect at her grave and my sister, brother and I will see lots of family members, cousins and children of cousins and our kids. I have really enjoyed the week and a half I've been based in Manhattan. It's my favorite place in Chutz l'Aretz, out of Israel. No other place compares. Gd willing I will return for happier occasions.

 

 

 

A "Farmers Market" on Broadway?

Look what I found in Manhattan. Is this a farmer's market?

Public Speaker, Moi!

Sorry no photos yet, but I spoke at the Chabad of Syosset-Jericho last night. I hope they enjoyed what I said.

Before then I had dinner with a cousin and afterwards went to the home of old friends to shmooze and sleep.

Another cousins event planned for today in the city.

Then Shabbat

How Did Great Neck, NY, Become a Jewish Orthodox Center?

When my family moved to Great Neck in 1962, the Jewish community in Great Neck was almost totally secular. There were two Reform "temples," a large affluent Conservative one and a very small, poor Orthodox Synagogue led by Rabbi Efraim Wolf. Within a couple of decades, it had metamorphosed into one of the largest and most vibrant Modern Orthodox centers in the world offering a variety of Orthodox synagogues, kosher supermarkets and an enviable choice of kosher restaurants.

As I've written about many times before, as a newly arrived teenager in Great Neck, my parents pushed me into the Synagogue's Teen Club, as it was called, which was also a charter member/chapter of NCSY. That changed my life and brought me to Torah Judaism, but what changed Great Neck?

I'm still best friend with my best friend of the time who took the spiritual journey/life change along with me. We discussed it a few days ago. We agree that Rabbi Wolf was the key player in this by being so unbelievably welcoming to all. For instance, my friend's parents were not members, but she was as welcomed as I was to the youth activities.

As we're both daughters of CPA's we hit on an economic factor in the synagogue's expansion and influence.

Why did my parents end up in an Orthodox shul, after a very satisfied decade plus membership in the Conservative Oakland Jewish Center, Bayside NY? They were rejected by Great Neck's Conservative Temple Israel, which had all the members its sanctuary could handle. Not only wasn't it welcoming of new Jewish families to Great Neck, it rejected us.  Rabbi Wolf and the Great Neck Synagogue picked up the slack, and people like us felt and were fully accepted, even though my parents did not observe the Sabbath, even though our kitchen was traif (not kosher.)

Thank G-d, thank Rabbi Wolf and thanks to the closed door of Temple Israel!

MOMA and Me

Yes, yesterday I visited MOMA. I managed to pretty much go through the entire museum relatively quickly. It was lovely.

Here are a few pictures:

Snowy New York

Soon after getting to New York last week I realized that all my friends and relatives hadn't been exaggerating about the snow.


We had a very snowy Purim and Shabbat on the Upper Westside.


But then yesterday it began warming up, perfect for my hiking and shopping day Midtown.

Lunch break

Not much snow is left there, and some areas have none at all.

Reflecting on my NY Visit

This week's 52Frames theme/challenge was "reflections." My photo was taken in the home of my Shabbat/Purim hosts.



Nothing is more valuable than good friends and close family. This visit is primary family and friends who are like family. I definitely feel blessed.

First Time "Single Purim" Day in 33 Years, but Three Megillah Readings

We moved to Shiloh, where Purim is celebrated for two days, two feasts, four megillah readings and two days of giving Mishloach Manot in 1981. So ever since we've celebrated two days of Purim. Our Rabbi has been hinting at a soon to be announced "psak," rabbinic decision to have us join Jerusalem and other old walled cities with only Shushan Purim. But it seems almost as far as the rule of the Moshiach.

This Purim I found myself in New York, rather jetlagged after the "red-eye" from Arizona Tuesday night, meaning Wednesday landing. I was so zonked I managed to fast until after the first megillah reading. See yesterday's post. 

Following my hostess's non-binding custom I ended up hearing the megillah two more times. We went to the regular morning prayers and megillah reading in her shul and then also went to the women's reading, which gave us three. That's not the four in two days I'm used to.

But to be perfectly honest, I fell asleep during that first reading--jetlag can do it to anyone--so I feel that the very competent women's reading made up for what I hd slept through the night before.

Purim in New York

Yes, that's me!

Yes, All Alive and Well, Thank G-d

I know the blog has been silent I have been traveling and haven't had computer access. I tried at one point to blog from my phone.

I had quite an adventure trying to get to Phoenix, AZ to see my father and sister and her family. I flew into Newark alright, but then my connecting flight was cancelled due to snow. I ended up in the airport overnight and caught the plane to Los Angeles in the morning. From there a plane to Phoenix. So my visit was shorter than planned.

Thank G-d the trip to NY was uneventful.

I do have a lot to write about , but it's hard on this computer and it is just before Purim...

May you all have a happy, healthy and joyous Purim.