Shabbos--Saturday. Shabbos morning you slept in while I went across the street to the Yeshurun Central Synagogue for morning prayers. I was introduced to “Yeckie” (German)-style davening, with its cantorial flourishes and ritual formalities. It appeared to me that the majority of worshipers were over the age of 65; I wonder what will become of the German-Jewish synagogue when this age cohort is no longer with us.
I dragged you out of your beds in time to walk to Harold and Shanie Stiefel’s apartment for lunch. These fortunate Atlantans spend their summers in Jerusalem in their large airy flat on Keren HaYesod just a few blocks down from the Great Jerusalem Synagogue. We joined them, their 4 lovely daughters, their son Daniel, a friend of his serving in the IDF, and Harold’s parents for a sumptuous Shabbat meal and some really interesting conversation. (Harold is one of those people who can talk about anything—he knows a lot without seeming like a know-it-all. I especially enjoyed hearing his stories about life in Israel.)
You probably noticed that we were asked to wash “natilas yadayim” before the recital of Kiddush, not afterwards as we do at home. This is a “Yeckie” custom of unknown meaning (to me). I can only assume it derives from the fact that German Jews are known for not wasting time. Perhaps this custom was adopted in order to get to the “business” part of the meal as quickly and efficiently as possible!
As an example of Germanic focus on punctuality, Harold announced that we would “bensch” precisely at 1:15 and walk down the block in time to daven mincha at the earliest possible time before returning to the flat for dessert. I am glad we didn’t give in to the temptation to “bail out” of this exercise for an afternoon nap because we would have missed a treat. Upon our return to the apartment we noticed the table was filled with the most delectable cakes, rugelahs (coated with marzipan no less), sweets and fruits I’ve seen. We stayed another hour eating and shmoosing. I think I gained 5 pounds on the spot.
The Shomron (Samaria). I would wager that few Israelis-- not to mention Americans-- have visited the “West Bank” communities of Judea (to Jerusalem's south) or Samaria (in the north). A gentlemen named Moshe, who is a colleague of the ubiquitous and colorful Chanoch E., led us on a land tour of the Samarian settlements of Elkana, Shaarei Tikveh and Ariel. Much of the world conceives of these “settlements” as a collection of temporary, illegal dwellings on land seized from Arabs by Zionist radicals. As we saw, these places are fully developed towns and cities more reminiscent of the enclaves of San Diego than of ramshackle outposts. We also saw a number of Arab villages throughout the Shomron, as well as vast tracts of land and hilltops in the territory that are claimed by neither Jew nor Arab. If all the Jews in, say, the town of Ariel were forcibly evicted tomorrow “for the sake of peace,” it might well be ransacked by the Arabs, but I doubt a single Arab would feel compelled to move there..JPG)
I don’t know whether or not it is a good idea for Jews to spend so much time and energy expanding these settlements (although I believe they should have the right to do so). There are plenty of opportunities for Jews to expand their presence in “Israel proper,” whether it be in Modi’in, Bet Shemesh, the new town of Lachish, Ashdod or even the Galil. Apparently Arabs are buying up hundreds of dunams of “Jewish” land throughout Israel. Perhaps it would behoove both Israeli and American Jews to consolidate their hold on the parts of Israel that (at least so far) are undisputed rather than focus on the more far-flung enterprises.
Our Final Hours in Israel. After our return from the Shomron we were all laid low by a stomach bug that left us weak and listless for almost 24 hours. Fortunately we recovered by midday Monday, our final day in Israel. After packing and hurriedly snatching up some last minute gifts on Ben Yehuda Street ("hurriedly" is an expensive way to shop), we shoved our luggage into the Hyundai and trundled off to Nachalat Shmuel Yeshiva, where the last of the week-long Sheva Brachas for the Scheinbergs’ daughter and son-in-law was underway.
A room full of around 45 high school bocherim honored the chosson and kallah through words of Torah and singing while their devoted Rosh HaYeshiva and his family looked on approvingly. We were more like spectators than participants, but it was hard not to appreciate the event for its youthful exuberance, solemn spiritual significance and the yiddishe nachas felt by family and friends.
After meeting the gracious Mrs. Scheinberg and her beautiful daughter Rivka and her new husband, Rabbi Scheinberg announced that he would like to take us to Petach Tikvah, near Tel Aviv, to visit Yeshiva Ohr Yisroel. This was not so much a suggestion as a declaration of fact. It didn't seem possible to resist a will as strong as Rav Scheinberg’s, and so we piled in the car and went along.
According to Rabbi Scheinberg, Ohr Yisroel is one of the most demanding and rigorous post-high school yeshivos in Israel, with 350 or so of the “best and the brightest” talmidim (students). It is impossible for me to judge the quality of the learners or the learning, but certainly I was impressed by the sight and sound of hundreds of boys learning Gemara (Talmud) in the beis midrash that Monday afternoon. I have seen this sight before, at the Mirrer Yeshiva in Jerusalem and Ner Israel in Baltimore, and it is a sight that never fails to awe and inspire.
We all have different missions to fulfill and there are many ways to contribute to Am Yisroel without engaging in full-time Torah study, as praiseworthy as that is. However, because so few Jews engage in the mitzvah of Torah learning even on a part-time basis, one has to view the boys and men engaged in the full-time study of Torah as carrying all of K’lal Yisroel on their shoulders. By helping support institutions of Torah learning both in Israel and at home, we not only have a share in the accomplishments of their talmidim-- we help bring more Torah into the world in the merit of K’lal Yisroel and, G-d willing, help hasten the day of our Redemption.
We were delighted to learn that the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Rozen, had taken time from his crushing schedule to meet with us. He ushered us in to his comfortable and surprisingly spacious study/conference room, where fruits, cakes and soft drinks were laid out for us. Language barriers limited our conversation to pleasantries, but the Rav managed to communicate to us his warmth, sincerity and devotion to his Yeshiva and “his boys.” Merely being in the presence of one as humble and self-effacing as Rav Rozen is a memorable experience.
We ended our visit to Ohr Yisroel and said our goodbyes to Yaacov and Rav Sheinberg, then made our way to Tel Aviv for a look at the Mediterranean and a bite to eat. After a long, exhausting and satisfying day we checked in at the airport and soon thereafter boarded our flight to Atlanta.
I dragged you out of your beds in time to walk to Harold and Shanie Stiefel’s apartment for lunch. These fortunate Atlantans spend their summers in Jerusalem in their large airy flat on Keren HaYesod just a few blocks down from the Great Jerusalem Synagogue. We joined them, their 4 lovely daughters, their son Daniel, a friend of his serving in the IDF, and Harold’s parents for a sumptuous Shabbat meal and some really interesting conversation. (Harold is one of those people who can talk about anything—he knows a lot without seeming like a know-it-all. I especially enjoyed hearing his stories about life in Israel.)
You probably noticed that we were asked to wash “natilas yadayim” before the recital of Kiddush, not afterwards as we do at home. This is a “Yeckie” custom of unknown meaning (to me). I can only assume it derives from the fact that German Jews are known for not wasting time. Perhaps this custom was adopted in order to get to the “business” part of the meal as quickly and efficiently as possible!
As an example of Germanic focus on punctuality, Harold announced that we would “bensch” precisely at 1:15 and walk down the block in time to daven mincha at the earliest possible time before returning to the flat for dessert. I am glad we didn’t give in to the temptation to “bail out” of this exercise for an afternoon nap because we would have missed a treat. Upon our return to the apartment we noticed the table was filled with the most delectable cakes, rugelahs (coated with marzipan no less), sweets and fruits I’ve seen. We stayed another hour eating and shmoosing. I think I gained 5 pounds on the spot.
The Shomron (Samaria). I would wager that few Israelis-- not to mention Americans-- have visited the “West Bank” communities of Judea (to Jerusalem's south) or Samaria (in the north). A gentlemen named Moshe, who is a colleague of the ubiquitous and colorful Chanoch E., led us on a land tour of the Samarian settlements of Elkana, Shaarei Tikveh and Ariel. Much of the world conceives of these “settlements” as a collection of temporary, illegal dwellings on land seized from Arabs by Zionist radicals. As we saw, these places are fully developed towns and cities more reminiscent of the enclaves of San Diego than of ramshackle outposts. We also saw a number of Arab villages throughout the Shomron, as well as vast tracts of land and hilltops in the territory that are claimed by neither Jew nor Arab. If all the Jews in, say, the town of Ariel were forcibly evicted tomorrow “for the sake of peace,” it might well be ransacked by the Arabs, but I doubt a single Arab would feel compelled to move there..JPG)
I don’t know whether or not it is a good idea for Jews to spend so much time and energy expanding these settlements (although I believe they should have the right to do so). There are plenty of opportunities for Jews to expand their presence in “Israel proper,” whether it be in Modi’in, Bet Shemesh, the new town of Lachish, Ashdod or even the Galil. Apparently Arabs are buying up hundreds of dunams of “Jewish” land throughout Israel. Perhaps it would behoove both Israeli and American Jews to consolidate their hold on the parts of Israel that (at least so far) are undisputed rather than focus on the more far-flung enterprises.
Our Final Hours in Israel. After our return from the Shomron we were all laid low by a stomach bug that left us weak and listless for almost 24 hours. Fortunately we recovered by midday Monday, our final day in Israel. After packing and hurriedly snatching up some last minute gifts on Ben Yehuda Street ("hurriedly" is an expensive way to shop), we shoved our luggage into the Hyundai and trundled off to Nachalat Shmuel Yeshiva, where the last of the week-long Sheva Brachas for the Scheinbergs’ daughter and son-in-law was underway.
A room full of around 45 high school bocherim honored the chosson and kallah through words of Torah and singing while their devoted Rosh HaYeshiva and his family looked on approvingly. We were more like spectators than participants, but it was hard not to appreciate the event for its youthful exuberance, solemn spiritual significance and the yiddishe nachas felt by family and friends.
After meeting the gracious Mrs. Scheinberg and her beautiful daughter Rivka and her new husband, Rabbi Scheinberg announced that he would like to take us to Petach Tikvah, near Tel Aviv, to visit Yeshiva Ohr Yisroel. This was not so much a suggestion as a declaration of fact. It didn't seem possible to resist a will as strong as Rav Scheinberg’s, and so we piled in the car and went along.
According to Rabbi Scheinberg, Ohr Yisroel is one of the most demanding and rigorous post-high school yeshivos in Israel, with 350 or so of the “best and the brightest” talmidim (students). It is impossible for me to judge the quality of the learners or the learning, but certainly I was impressed by the sight and sound of hundreds of boys learning Gemara (Talmud) in the beis midrash that Monday afternoon. I have seen this sight before, at the Mirrer Yeshiva in Jerusalem and Ner Israel in Baltimore, and it is a sight that never fails to awe and inspire.
We all have different missions to fulfill and there are many ways to contribute to Am Yisroel without engaging in full-time Torah study, as praiseworthy as that is. However, because so few Jews engage in the mitzvah of Torah learning even on a part-time basis, one has to view the boys and men engaged in the full-time study of Torah as carrying all of K’lal Yisroel on their shoulders. By helping support institutions of Torah learning both in Israel and at home, we not only have a share in the accomplishments of their talmidim-- we help bring more Torah into the world in the merit of K’lal Yisroel and, G-d willing, help hasten the day of our Redemption.
We were delighted to learn that the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Rozen, had taken time from his crushing schedule to meet with us. He ushered us in to his comfortable and surprisingly spacious study/conference room, where fruits, cakes and soft drinks were laid out for us. Language barriers limited our conversation to pleasantries, but the Rav managed to communicate to us his warmth, sincerity and devotion to his Yeshiva and “his boys.” Merely being in the presence of one as humble and self-effacing as Rav Rozen is a memorable experience.
We ended our visit to Ohr Yisroel and said our goodbyes to Yaacov and Rav Sheinberg, then made our way to Tel Aviv for a look at the Mediterranean and a bite to eat. After a long, exhausting and satisfying day we checked in at the airport and soon thereafter boarded our flight to Atlanta. 
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