World Wide Reblog

Putting the Cart Before the Horse

2011-12-06T12:31:00.001-05:00

I am ritually challenged. Not in the sense that ritual is difficult for me, but quite the contrary - I’m obsessive compulsive about ritual. I am one of the first to notice when there is a bare male head in the synagogue; a prayer out of order in our service; a tallit worn incorrectly. I keep a spare kippah in my tallit bag, one in my computer bag and one in my car just in case I forget mine at home in the morning (which I have only a couple of times.) I have a tallit at shul and one in my car at all times. I have multiple pairs of tzitzit, extra shabbat candles, a prayerbook in my tallit bag and on my iPhone and more mezuzot than you can count. I’m addicted to ritual.

The problem with my disorder is that very often I find myself putting the ritual itself ahead of the goal of ritual - bringing us closer to God and Torah. I get distracted from my prayers when I see people walk in to shul without a kippah; my focus is broken when the prayer leader or Torah reader makes the slightest mistake. When it comes to ritual I am my own and everyone else’s greatest critic.

Putting the cart before the horse is not the most effective way to move forward in life. And Judaism is, of course, all about moving forward. The Prophets of the Bible call us humans, holchim, movers. The whole purpose of our existence is to continually move forward and grow in our humanity and in our spirituality. Because we instinctively know this we, very often, trot or gallop forward in our spiritual lives: We meditate, we talk to God privately, we share precious and sacred moments, we light candles. But we also drag along a cart wherever we go.

We Jews shlep around a cart full of Jewish ritual on our journey. We do so because we know that there are too many times when we are not inspired to connect; when we are down right frustrated, too busy, or disinterested. Because we know that our humanity gets in the way of living a life of complete awareness and spiritual enlightenment we shlep around this cart full of ritual to keep us in check and to put us on the right path when we stray.

When we aren’t feeling thankful, the Jewish ritual of prayer reminds us that there is much to be thankful for. When we are feeling haughty and full of ourselves, the ritual of kippah reminds us that God is much greater than us. When we are feeling scared and alone, the ritual of tallit reminds us that we are safe under God’s wings of peace.

Life would be easier if we could just ride our horse into the sunset without any extra “baggage.” But we do have baggage - a cart load in fact. And thank goodness we do. For when our trusty steed has run out of steam we know that there is spiritual nourishment to be found in Jewish ritual.

As it turns out sometimes you do have to but the cart before the horse.

My Abba

2011-11-17T11:40:00.001-05:00

My אבא
11.16.2011

My אבא always looked good. For the 15 years that I’ve known him, my אבא always looked good - not a wrinkle to be found, on his face or his clothing. (Although the wrinkle-free clothing is probably due more to Cynthia than Milton.)

My אבא also loved good food - especially Chinese food and sweets. (There were probably other delicacies he enjoyed but dared not talk about in front of his son-in-law, the rabbi.)

While my אבא always looked good and while he always ate well - his clothing, his food and his drink didn’t need to be fancy. Just enough to sustain him with a bit left over to share with others.

So I’d like to celebrate my אבא with a teaching about food, a little drink and clothing.

Breslov Chasidim have been known as the “Dead Chasidim” because of their obsession with the World to Come. Their teacher, Reb Nachman of Breslov teaches us that the Torah we study in this world is the food we will eat in the World to Come. The heartfelt prayers we say in this world are that which we will drink in the World to Come. The mitzvot we do in this world are our clothing in the World to Come.

But the World to Come is not some distant place or time, far off in the future - it is here, now - hidden behind the veil of our physical and broken existence. The very purity and Unity that we yearn for is hidden behind the duplicity of this world.

I recently learned that there is a simple, three-letter Hebrew word that describes both the Oneness and Unity of the World to Come and the duplicity and complexity of the world in which we live. The World to Come is represented by a simple א - the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet representing Oneness. The world in which we live is a ב - the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet representing choice, duplicity and sometimes, chaos.

More than a destination though, the World to Come is the point from which we start and the point toward which we journey. Our world is preceded by and followed by the World to Come. We begin in א, move into ב and then continue our journey in א.

א, ב, א. A simple Hebrew word to teach us about our life journeys - אבא...My אבא.

You see, my אבא didn’t just eat, drink and dress well in this world. Because of the תורה on his lips, the prayer in his heart and the countless מצות that he did in this world, I am positive that my אבא is sitting back in his seat, right now, full and content after a huge feast including plenty of vegetable lo mein (no broccoli and no carrots, please); refreshed after a full glass of a fine wine and looking sharp as ever (not a wrinkle to be found).

And I’d like to think that while with us my אבא also lifted the veil between the brokenness of this world and the perfection of the next just enough for us to see that one good person, one צדיק - my אבא has earned a well-deserved rest. Thank you Milton, for being my אבא.

Good Shabbes

2011-10-25T19:32:00.000-04:00

It's All Obama's Fault

2011-10-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

Five Years

2011-10-24T20:05:00.000-04:00

Five Years
Rabbi David

The news of Gilad Shalit’s release spread on Twitter like wildfire. Gilad Shalit had never even heard of Twitter. Since he was kidnapped, more than 700 million people have joined Facebook and I have gone through four iterations of the iPhone. I have moved three times, dieted once, beaten cancer once, quit smoking, had another child, signed another contract, made and lost friends. I have buried too many people.

So much has happened in five short years.

I am writing this, of course, just after Gilad Shalit was released from the terrorists of Hamas to come home to his family in Israel. He has been gone, held in a dark hole, for more than five years. In watching all of this unfold I have been thinking about all that has happened in five years; all that he has missed and what I may have missed.

It is so easy to miss life as it passes us by. We don’t need to be captured by our enemies to have our present stolen from us. All we need to do is close our eyes to the mystery and majesty of the moment. And we do this all too well.

Every morning we say a blessing, Praised are You, ADONAI, our God, Ruler of the Universe Who opens the eyes of the blind. This blessing isn’t thanking God for healing physical blindness - it is praising God for allowing us to recognize our own blindness and thanking God for helping us to open our eyes.

Abraham Joshua Heschel calls this eye opening experience, “Radical Amazement.” When we see, in every moment, something amazing - something holy - then we are truly free.

Judaism is all about Radical Amazement and marking moments. We say blessings, 100 every day to mark sacred moments; we do mitzvot at every turn to mark sacred moments; we pray, we sing, we light candles, we shake, we eat, we dance - all to mark sacred moments; all to celebrate our radical amazement at the world around us and the flight of time.

A lot has happened in five years. A lot has happened in the five or so minutes it has taken you to read these words. What have you missed? What Jewish rituals can you embrace to help you open your eyes - to free your soul.

Baggage

2011-08-29T09:22:00.000-04:00

Shalom God,
I have baggage. I'm shlepping around feelings, emotions, pains, struggles and anger that I don't need or want. Here I am - in a new home, ready to begin a new year - with a healthy family, a wonderful community, fantastic opportunities for learning and growing and I'm still burdened with my baggage.

Please God, give me the strength to shed my fear. Give me the vision to look with new eyes. Give me the patience to unpack my stuff so my burden lightens. Help me see each person as a blessing and a teacher. Remind me that You are the only judge and that I should step off the bench.

I'm tired of being weighted down God - if You could carry some of my baggage - I would appreciate it.

Thanks for listening,
David

An Empty Room

2011-07-25T12:09:00.000-04:00

Shalom God,

There has been an empty room in my house lately. Three out of the last seven nights, my eldest daughter has slept out of the house. This isn't new. In fact, she was away for a full month a couple of years ago at summer camp but since then she has been home every night...until recently.

Last night I walked by her empty room and suddenly felt that emptiness jump into my gut. The last time I remember that emptiness was on Castaway Cay - Disney's Island in the Caribbean. It was just after Liat had died and we went on a family vacation to try and find some joy - I guess. Dalia was off playing with the other kids at the Disney Kids' Club on the Island. I was hiding behind a tree watching her, making sure she was okay (read as: making sure I was okay.)

I felt that emptiness then and I felt it again last night. It's not a bad emptiness - its just an...empty emptiness. I want, desperately, to fill it but know that it cannot be filled. My little girls have to grow up and I have to accept empty rooms from time to time.

You have taught me that everything that is good and sacred is mine only for a short while. And I know that I should be thankful for all that I have - at this moment, right now. I do yearn, though, for just a little more time with a full house - with all of my girls in their rooms. If I could hold onto that just for...forever.

David

Meourning

2011-07-18T12:04:00.000-04:00

Shalom God,

Yesterday we had to tell our girls that one of our cats had most likely died. We don't know for sure but we haven't seen him in more than a week and she was sick. We imagine that he left to find a place to die.

You know, hope is a wonderful thing but it can also be painful. My eldest held out hope until late at night that we would find our furry friend (Coko.) Having to convince her to let go of that hope was painful for us. We never want her to lose hope - faith. But sometimes you do have to let go.

Especially for my eldest, letting go is hard. I don't think she every really let go of her sister Liat when she died. Sometimes I think that all of the struggles to let go that she faces in her young life are just a continuation of that first letting go. Or maybe that's me I'm talking about.

In any case, Coko, we miss you. You were a really good friend. Maya, your sister, misses you too. God, if You care for the souls of animals as You do the souls of humans, please look after Coko. Please stroke his fur for us and give him kisses. He brought love into our home and for that we are thankful.

Baruch Dayan Emet
David

It's Not About the Money...

2011-07-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

Shalom God,

You know (because You know everything) that I'm not good with money. I don't go out and spend on frivolous things (well, not often); I don't take expensive vacations and I don't have fancy cars. If I am guilty of anything - I imagine it's spoiling my kids. I am indeed guilty of spending too much money on my children. Other than that I try and remember the difference between "need" and "want."

That doesn't mean I haven't made mistakes - oh, I've made plenty of financial mistakes and I will be paying for them for quite a while.

You know what I wish - I wish that I never had to worry about money again - not because I have things I want to buy or places I want to go - but because I have causes I want to support and people I want to help. I have found one of the most frustrating things is knowing that there are real needs in the world that I can't support because of my own financial situation.

In my own life I hold on tightly to Your teaching - "Who is rich? One who is happy with his/her portion." And I believe that I am one of the wealthiest people alive (by Your standards.) The problem is I live in a world that runs according to a different standard - one that values paper currency more than spiritual currency.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - thank You for the riches You have bestowed upon me. Should you find a few extra coins in between the cushions of your couch I would be honored to take those off your hands. I know a few causes that could use those coins.

David

Grow Up

2011-07-06T09:27:00.000-04:00

Shalom God,
Explain something to me - how is it that my children are growing up but I'm not? I'm not denying my age - I'm not afraid of getting old - I just don't think of myself as an...adult. And I certainly don't think of myself as responsible enough to have three children, one of whom is a teenager!

Don't get me wrong I think I'm a fit father - I just think You have more faith in me than I have in myself. As I look back on the first 13 years of my parenting I see so many mistakes - so many missed opportunities. I wonder if You've ever looked back on Your "early years" of "parenting" us and thought to Yourself, "WOW did I screw that one up."

Sometimes I read the stories of Your interactions with my ancestors and I imagine a little regret in hindsight. There were a few things that I would have done differently than You. But then again, I'm positive that as You've watched me parent You've said to Yourself, "Oy David, what are you doing?"

All I can say, God, is, "I'm trying" and "I'm growing up." For every year that my children grow I gain not only more grey hair but also tremendous knowledge and insight about myself, the parent and the person I want to be.

I am so thankful to You, God, for the example You've shown in how to raise, and sometimes, how not to raise children. I appreciate the times that You've allowed us to see Your successes and, even more so, your mistakes. I pray that You and my children, continue to have patience with me as I become the parent You know I can be.

Thank You for Your patience and for helping me to grow up.

David

Let It Go

2011-06-26T23:08:00.000-04:00

Shalom God,
I'm in a difficult place. I'm holding onto pain and I need to let it go - but I don't know how. I've often felt that one of the many blessings I have been given is an acute awareness and understanding of my own emotional, psychological and spiritual life. The curse that goes along with that is knowing where I am and where I want to be but not being able to move myself from one place to the next.

I look at myself, today, and see my anger, my pain, my frustration - whatever garbage I'm carrying around with me and I want to let it go, I want to just drop it; forget it; ignore it; wipe it away take away it's power over me - but I'm just not that strong.

I know that this too shall pass and I will find happiness again. I know that I won't be in a funk for much longer - but being here now - really stinks.

I put a "to do" item on my calendar for everyday of the year: Be Your Best Self. God, please help me remember to be my best self even when I don't feel my best. Help me find happiness even when I feel filled with sadness. Help me hold on to what is good and let the rest go.

Thanks for listening,
David

Happy Birthday

2011-06-23T12:37:00.000-04:00

Shalom God,
I'm in between today. You see yesterday, the 22nd of June was Liati's birthday and tomorrow the 24th is Ayelet's. It seems so symbolic - Liat came first then Ayelet and in between the two I had to find space for myself - to believe that I could go on; that I could love again; that I could find joy.

So here I am, 11 years later back in that space - remembering Liati and celebrating Ayelet.

I remember when we were choosing Ayelet's name - we wanted to name her after Liat and looked for names that shared the same gematria (numerical value) as the name Liat. We found Ayelet and only later realized that it was not just the gematria that the two names shared, but the letters as well - ליאת and אילת.

Though she never met her, Ayelet is bound up with Liat in my heart. Every year at this time I hold both of them, one on either side with me in between.

Thanks for listening,
David

Distraction

2011-06-22T22:24:00.000-04:00

Shalom God,
It has been more than a year - not that long since we've spoken, but that long since I've written. I am so easily distracted. Actually that's not all together true. I am really quite focused. My problem isn't distraction as much as it is focus. When I focus in on a task, a project, or a goal it is very difficult to get me to give my attention to anything but that task, project or goal.

And so, as it turns out, I've been quite focused these past many months and it has been hard for me to give You the attention You deserve.

Every time I find myself in this position (and it happens more often then I'd like, as You know) I'm reminded of how important ritual is in my life. Were it not for ritual I would probably connect with You far less than I do. It is ritual, liturgy and tradition that forces me to turn my focus away from my task to Yours - away from my goal to Yours.

I need those reminders - I need ritual to distract me every now and again. Thank you for the gift of focus and for the blessing of distraction.

Yours (quite literally),
David

Uncharted Desert Isle

2011-06-17T16:32:00.001-04:00

Re-Packaging Ourselves

2011-04-12T15:49:00.001-04:00

There has been quite a bit of talk in the Jewish world lately, and specifically in the Conservative movement, of the need to re-packaging ourselves. When we look at the number of Jews who are choosing Judaism and again, specifically, Conservative Judaism compared to just a few years ago – we must acknowledge that we are not reaching peoples hearts and souls as we use to. It’s not that our message has soured or become any less profound – just that our delivery of that message and the way it is packaged isn’t reaching and inspiring the Jews of the 21st century.

Very often we mix up the packaging for the package – the wrapping for the contents. Think of a precious piece of china that you want to send to your friend across the country. When you wrap it up for shipping you use layer upon layer of bubble wrap and tissue paper. Then you place that in a box full of packing peanuts. By the time you’re done – the content of your package is hard to find in all of the packaging that you’ve used to protect it.

In the Jewish world we call this packaging – Siyagot LaTorah – fences around the Torah. These fences keep us from transgressing the most important laws of Judaism. They also create layers and layers of custom and tradition that very often distracts us from the content it is trying to protect – Torah.

In re-packaging Judaism and Torah we need not water down or simplify the core teachings, laws and practices – on the contrary, we must amplify and celebrate them. And we must also distinguish between what is truly at the core and what we have layered over it.

In our community too, we are at a place of searching for our core: What are we about? Who are we? Who do we want to be? Ever since our strategic planning process began last year many, many people have been hard at work asking these questions and peeling away the layers of packaging. There is still more work to be done and there are many people stepping up to do that work.

I wonder what you feel is at the core of your Judaism? What core ideas do you protect with layers of bubble wrap? I wonder what might be at the core of Temple Beth Abraham? If we were to break through the fences that we have set up – what would we find at the heart of our beating and living community?

2010-11-15T21:36:00.001-05:00

Just left the Friends of the IDF dinner. So proud of Israel and her supporters. So proud of Aaron Chism, a lone soldier from Beth Abraham.

I See You

2010-11-01T22:22:00.000-04:00

2010-10-29T00:40:00.001-04:00

Archaeologist Netzer dies after fall during excavation http://ping.fm/oh1xi

I Have a Yard

2010-10-21T14:49:00.000-04:00

November 2010 Temple Bulletin Message

2010-10-21T13:38:00.001-04:00

Please note: This post was written prior to Dalia becoming a Bat Mitzvah .

Blessed are You, who has freed me from obligation for this child

After officiating at hundreds of b’nei mitzvah I have finally reached that important milestone of serving, not as rabbi but father to the bat mitzvah. Initially I anticipated the stress of it all. In fact, I had decided to chronicle the stressful weeks leading up to the simcha on my weekly rebcast. But I didn’t really feel much stress. Everything just fell into place. I’m sure my familiarity with the service and the synagogue service helped a bit also. As I write this to you the day has not yet come so disaster can still strike - but I’m not too worried.

Being on this side of the bimah has also allowed me to see the process, a bit, through Dalia’s eyes. I wondered often – what does this all mean to her? Is it just a party? Will she remember the service, her d’var Torah, her parsha? What will she take from this moment in her life?

As much as I’d like to think that twelve and thirteen year olds will remember their b’nei mitzvah as spiritual highlights of their young religious lives – I’m not that naïve. Dalia, like most others probably, worried about what she would wear, the DJ, the food and her friends – oh yeah – and that stuff she was chanting from that thing.

Becoming a Bat Mitzvah may not go down in her memory book as a spiritual highlight, but it will in mine.

For Dalia, this is a lifecycle event that connects her with her family and friends. She is surrounded by love. For me, this is the moment when my daughter stands before God, for the first time, without me.

For Dalia, this is a celebration of all that she is able to accomplish. For me, this is a celebration of all that I have had a hand in creating.

There is a minhag (custom) that when a son or daughter becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the parents recite the blessing "Baruch She'pitarani Me'onsho Shel Zeh," Blessed are You, who has freed me from obligation for this child (Rema on Orach Chaim 225:2.) The Rema, who penned this teaching, is thinking of freedom from the legal obligation of mitzvot. As of becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah each child must take responsibility for their own relationship with God and mitzvot.

Although I may be off the hook for her mitzvot or lack there of – I’m still hooked. Dalia may have become a “Jewish adult” but my emotional and spiritual obligations to her remain as important to me as ever. In fact, I doubt that I will ever be freed from those blessed obligations. I may not be Dalia’s “Rabbi” but as a parent I am her “rabbi.”

And so, after the Bat Mitzvah has faded into our collective memories I will continue to teach her, guide her and try to inspire her – and she will undoubtedly do the same for me.

The Road Traveled

2010-10-14T11:43:00.000-04:00

Dalia's Bat Mitzvah

2010-10-11T15:18:00.000-04:00

2010-10-11T13:45:00.001-04:00

A Jordanian who gets it http://ping.fm/Honj1

2010-10-04T20:44:00.001-04:00

trailer12,Video Mixdown http://ping.fm/8MNQU

2010-09-27T21:02:00.001-04:00

Most Israelis approve of Reform, Conservative conversions http://ping.fm/VZqfw

2010-09-22T15:05:00.003-04:00

Sh'ma http://ping.fm/0EdD9

2010-09-22T15:05:00.001-04:00

Yotzeir Or http://ping.fm/snpRF

2010-09-20T14:08:00.001-04:00

It is done. A new day begins.

2010-09-17T16:05:00.001-04:00

Arab League rejects "Jewish state" http://ping.fm/aVKj2

2010-09-16T21:40:00.001-04:00

Israeli Supreme Court says Jerusalem must fund gay community center http://ping.fm/t5Pgf

2010-09-04T07:43:00.001-04:00

Haredim caught vandalizing deli selling non-kosher meat in Jerusalem http://ping.fm/Ytzp2

2010-08-30T11:01:00.001-04:00

Wheeeeee http://ping.fm/RHH8n

Wheeeeee

2010-08-29T11:40:00.000-04:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g_FjnkjgwI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

2010-08-29T08:26:00.001-04:00

'Abbas is evil, may the Lord strike him' http://ping.fm/mnoWM

2010-08-05T14:21:00.001-04:00

The Bat Mitzvah Files: You're Invited http://ping.fm/ZAEDe

2010-08-04T23:41:00.001-04:00

I Believe live from NewCAJE http://ping.fm/tdxcE

2010-08-04T11:44:00.001-04:00

HaMakom live from NewCAJE http://ping.fm/fcJbQ

2010-08-04T11:20:00.001-04:00

Zeh Hayom http://ping.fm/RfE59

2010-08-03T22:24:00.001-04:00

Just got off stage at NewCAJE. Guitar was off but vocals were on. Oh well - can't win them all.

2010-08-03T13:12:00.001-04:00

Birchot Hashachar http://ping.fm/Y3qtz

2010-08-02T20:11:00.001-04:00

Modeh Ani http://ping.fm/1dkA5

2010-08-01T22:21:00.001-04:00

Just sang with Julie Silver and Kol B'seder. Is there anything better?!?!

2010-07-26T07:53:00.001-04:00

Ayelet is in surgery. Tonsils and adenoids. Please hold her in your thoughts.

2010-07-18T11:55:00.001-04:00

Open house is starting. Ohhhh St Joseph please sell our house.

2010-07-13T16:45:00.001-04:00

Please share this video of The Women of the Wall: http://bit.ly/******

2010-07-12T12:58:00.001-04:00

The Dream, The Reality http://ping.fm/alkA4

2010-07-12T10:57:00.001-04:00

Women of Wall leader arrested - Israel News, Ynetnews http://ping.fm/4jNPZ

2010-07-09T08:46:00.001-04:00

Safe and sound on the ground in Boston!

2010-07-09T05:35:00.001-04:00

Landed safely in Philly. Long flight. More waiting in passport control and customs. Back in the air in 90min.

2010-07-08T15:23:00.001-04:00

Heading home. This trip taught me how much I love iced coffee and reminded me how much I love my family.

2010-07-07T06:07:00.001-04:00

Morning on the sea. Off to Haifa.

2010-07-06T10:05:00.001-04:00

The Paskin crew is traveling thru israel by themselves in a mini van. We feel so Israeli! Leaving good friends and heading to the beach!

2010-07-03T14:30:00.001-04:00

On the beach in Nahariya. Shavua tov!

2010-07-02T06:29:00.001-04:00

Lunch in Katzrin after a jeep ride in the Golan. Next - the wild rapids of the Yarden.

2010-07-01T06:31:00.001-04:00

Haredi School Fight Undermines Israeli Democracy http://ping.fm/ZfMaH

2010-06-23T09:06:00.001-04:00

Landed safe and sound in Israel. So happy to be back!

2010-06-22T20:58:00.001-04:00

Just boarded. Off to israel!

2010-06-10T22:06:00.001-04:00

Guilty Until Proven Guilty | Foreign Policy http://ping.fm/zM95o

2010-06-06T10:19:00.001-04:00

So proud of my congregation and community.

2010-06-02T21:54:00.001-04:00

Behind the Headlines: The Israeli humanitarian lifeline to Gaza http://ping.fm/7BZzd

2010-06-02T10:33:00.001-04:00

Israeli Navy Soldier Describes the Violent Mob Aboard Mavi Marmara http://ping.fm/1bzcu

2010-06-01T18:08:00.001-04:00

http://ping.fm/khMGj

2010-06-01T17:10:00.001-04:00

Probe reveals flotilla lynchers have ties to Global Jihad - Israel News, Ynetnews http://ping.fm/WNXkP

2010-06-01T16:54:00.001-04:00

ENOUGH! http://ping.fm/VqDK8

SderotMedia.com: News - Why Gaza aid flotilla a media success

2010-05-31T18:20:00.000-04:00

http://sderotmedia.org.il/bin/content.cgi?ID=656&q=3

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Fwd: Statement by CJP and JCRC on the Flotilla to Gaza

2010-05-31T18:18:00.001-04:00

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Begin forwarded message:

From: CJP and JCRC <info@cjp.org>
Date: May 31, 2010 5:55:18 PM EDT
To: school@templebethabraham.org
Subject: Statement by CJP and JCRC on the Flotilla to Gaza
Reply-To: CJP and JCRC <info@cjp.org>

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Statement by Combined Jewish Philanthropies and Jewish Community Relations Council on the Flotilla to Gaza

Our community grieves this most recent loss of life in the Middle East which, like so many others before it, has as its direct cause the refusal of certain forces to end their state of war with Israel. Hamas' determination to persist in its declared effort to eliminate Israel, and to maintain the Gaza Strip as an armed base from which to conduct its campaign of elimination, continues to bring no end of tragedy to the people of this region, and to frustrate hopes for peace at every turn. Hamas' unwillingness to make peace with Israel, and to make Gaza a place of opportunity rather than a place of war, continues unabated and so, too, does the loss of life for which Hamas is responsible. Our hearts go out to the people of this region, and we stand with the state of Israel as it struggles and struggles again to cope with those who, regrettably, refuse to permit Israel and its neighbors to live in peace.

Certain fundamental points are of critical importance. First, Hamas, which rules Gaza with an iron hand, is recognized by the international community as a terrorist enterprise, and one which has pledged itself to the annihilation of Israel and the torpedoing of peace. Second, Hamas insists on using Gaza as an armed base from which to wage war on Israel and, for that matter, on the peace process. Third, it is Hamas and its allies who have necessitated the embargo on the Gaza Strip, which has as its purpose stopping the flow of materials used to launch attacks on Israeli civilian centers.

Fourth, Israel works on a daily basis to ensure that aid that is genuinely humanitarian in nature reaches the civilians of Gaza, who are effectively held hostage by a repressive regime which cares more about waging war on Israel than it does about improving the lives of its people. And finally, the organizers of the flotilla involved in today's incident, who ignored repeated warnings from the Israeli government intended to avoid violence, chose to refuse Israel's offer to ensure that the humanitarian aid on board these ships be routed to the people of Gaza after any non-humanitarian materials were removed. Sadly, this speaks volumes about the real nature of this flotilla.

Our community continues to hope that those who are so adamantly opposed to peace with Israel will join with those who desire peace, and will cease taking actions designed to frustrate the cause of peace in the Middle East to which all reasonable people aspire.

Barry Shrage, President

Brad Bloom, Chair

CJP

Nancy Kaufman, Executive Director

Stuart Rossman, President

JCRC

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2010-05-27T19:40:00.001-04:00

http://bit.ly/d3a9Ki

2010-05-21T14:56:00.001-04:00

Matisyahu Acoustic at The Hangout http://ping.fm/N5c9N

2010-05-21T14:31:00.001-04:00

So looking forward to shabbat!

Obama seeks $205 million for Israel rocket shield - Israel News, Ynetnews

2010-05-13T18:38:00.001-04:00

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3889395,00.html

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Fwd: Statement by President on Israel Independence Day

2010-04-19T19:52:00.001-04:00

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Borrin, Danielle" <Danielle_Borrin@ovp.eop.gov>
Date: April 19, 2010 7:07:22 PM EDT
To: "Borrin, Danielle" <Danielle_Borrin@ovp.eop.gov>
Subject: Statement by President on Israel Independence Day

**Below is the President's statement on Yom HaAtzmaut. Please feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 19, 2010

Statement by President on Israel Independence Day

On the 62nd Anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, I join the American people in congratulating the government and people of Israel on this celebration of their independence. Minutes after David Ben-Gurion declared Israel's independence, realizing the dream of a state for the Jewish people in their historic homeland, the United States became the first country to recognize Israel. To this day, we continue to share a strong, unbreakable bond of friendship between our two nations, anchored by the United States' enduring commitment to Israel's security. Israel remains our important partner and key strategic ally in the Middle East, and I am confident that our special relationship will only be strengthened in the months and years to come. I look forward to continuing our efforts with Israel to achieve comprehensive peace and security in the region, including a two-state solution, and to working together to counter the forces that threaten Israel, the United States, and the world. On this day, we once again honor the extraordinary achievements of the people of Israel, and their deep and abiding friendship with the American people. I offer my best wishes to President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the people of Israel as they celebrate this happy occasion.

##

Go ISRAEL!!!

2010-04-18T21:02:00.001-04:00

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/international/2009/12/28/vital.signs.medical.clowning.cnn

Hamas executes 'Israeli collaborators' - Middle East, World - The Independent

2010-04-17T20:32:00.001-04:00

And this my friends is the difference between Israel and the Palestinians.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/hamas-executes-israeli-collaborators-1946401.html

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

A New Tradition at the White House - the Seder - NYTimes.com

2010-03-27T19:51:00.001-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/us/politics/28seder.html

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Protestors: Israel is not Tehran - Israel News, Ynetnews

2010-03-15T16:48:00.001-04:00

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3862063,00.html

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

SASSDS Israel 2010 Day 7

2010-03-10T04:09:00.005-05:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g2g9eCHClQ&feature=youtube_gdata

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

The Right of Return

2010-03-10T04:09:00.003-05:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JphYA1p-REQ&feature=youtube_gdata

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

SASSDS Israel 2010 Day 8 NEW

2010-03-10T04:09:00.001-05:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqnQtBhpDoM&feature=youtube_gdata

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Rabbi Avi Weiss Backs Down From Ordaining Women – The Sisterhood – Forward.com

2010-03-06T13:26:00.000-05:00

One step forward...two steps back?

Rabbi Avi Weiss Backs Down From Ordaining Women – The Sisterhood – Forward.com

Hello from Nachsholim

2010-03-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

Back in Israel, I'm settled in Nachsholim, a kibbutz just north of Cesaria on the Mediterranean Sea. Time for a quick shower before Shabbat comes in. I hope everyone has a wonderful and peaceful Shabbat!

On the Road Again, Part Deux

2010-03-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

I'm just recovering from my first journey and now I have to get packing for my second. I was supposed to leave yesterday for Israel with our Schechter 8th graders but decided that I needed a little more time in between trips and with my family. That has been the biggest struggle with both of these wonderful trips - leaving my family. I wish I could just bring them along!

My Schechter students should be landing any minute at Ben Gurion Airport and I will be joining them on Friday (leaving on Thursday afternoon.) I can't wait to see them all and be "home" again. I'll try and reblog while I'm there. Until then - L'hitra'ot!

Almost there

2010-02-22T09:07:00.001-05:00

We're about 15 minutes away!

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

On the road

2010-02-22T08:51:00.000-05:00

We just left the airport and are on the road. I'll let you know when we're about 15 minutes out.

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Welcome home

2010-02-22T08:11:00.001-05:00

We just touched down safe and sound in Boston. I'll post again when we're on the road. See you soon!

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

In Philly

2010-02-22T04:17:00.001-05:00

We just landed safe and sound in Philly!

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

L'hitraot

2010-02-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

Hello all,
We're just about to pack up the bus and leave for our farewell dinner. We had a wonderful day exploring the Old City of Jerusalem.

Our last video is posted on YouTube here and on the temple website here.

We will let you know when we land in Philly (at around 5:00am) and then when we land in Boston at around 8:30am.

See you soon!
Rabbi David

Party on Ben Yehuda

2010-02-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

Hello all and Shavua Tov again. We just came in from a night out on Rechov Ben Yehuda (Ben Yehuda street.) Tomorrow morning we wake up and take everything with us for our last day. We will begin the day in the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and then experience the Kotel Tunnel tour. Following that we will visit the Davidson Archeological center and learn, in depth, about the Temple mount and what we have discovered about it through archeology.

From there we will grab some lunch in the Jewish quarter and shmy around a bit in the Cardo. (I'm afraid there won't be much more shopping because there isn't much more money!) From there it's off to a farewell dinner and the airport.

I have some video from tonight but will save it for tomorrow's post. As I mentioned before, I'll try and get the video up sometime in the early evening by us (late morning for you.)

Laila Tov!
Rabbi David

Shavua Tov

2010-02-20T11:52:00.000-05:00

Shavua Tov! We just finished a beautiful Havdalah as we bid farewell to our Shabbat in Jerusalem. It was such a peaceful day filled with davening, enjoying the outdoors and each other. Tonight, Courtney is going to share a reblog with the assistance of Samantha L.

Today we went to an Orthodox temple and walked to the biggest temple in Jerusalem. In the temple the boys and girls were separated and then all of the girls went outside to sit outside in the courtyard. We also played a bit of soccer with little Israeli kids.

Then we came back and played games and enjoyed food in Rabbi David's room. Everyone tried new foods (Sam added: "Except for me!") like Israeli candy, pastries, and tart fruit.

We then walked to the park and relaxed on the grass or climbed the trees. We saw a lot of birds, stray cats, and lizards. Later at night we walked to the park and had a Havdalah service. Now everyone else is packing and getting ready to go shopping at Ben Yehuda Street. We should probably be getting ready too, so see you all when we get back!

P.S: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!-From Courtney

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem

2010-02-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

An early Shabbat Shalom. Tonight we walk to the Kotel for the very first time to welcome Shabbat. We just got back to the hotel to prepare and thought that we'd share some more reblogging with you. This post comes from Jake:

Today was an educational day. We learned all about ancient Israel history through studying their ancient artifacts and finding some of our own. It was a little wet but mostly fun. We were looking for valuable artifacts in the same earth that Muslims were just throwing out from the Temple Mount. I came up with an impressive piece of glass that was very old. We found pot handles from the first Temple period which is like 800-1000 BCE. That's 3,000 years ago and pretty impressive.

Then we went to Har Herzl where we learned about how Herzl was a dreamer and his life story. It wasn't like swimming in the Dead Sea but it was still enjoyable. We saw his grave and put a stone on it.

We went to a very crowded market called Machane Yehuda, which is where everyone goes to get ready for Shabbat. I got a cool keychain and cookies to share with the group (Jamie copied me and got the same cookies.)

Now we're just chilling at the hotel and waiting for Shabbat and the events to come.

(From Rabbi David: Today's video is being posted now and barring any technical difficulties should be up within the hour.)

Day Four Video

2010-02-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

The videos seem to be getting longer and longer! Today's video is up on the temple website here and on our YouTube playlist page here.

I will do my best to get a video up tomorrow before Shabbat but it's going to be tight. I'll do some recording on Saturday night and then on Sunday and do my best to post it while we're waiting for our flight in the airport. If not I'll put it up when we return home.

While I'm thinking about it - you should know how amazing your children have been. They have really been open to trying new things, learning, singing, praying and just having fun. They are hearing and using Hebrew words and bringing the texts that they have studied this year to life in the places we have visited.

When we return on Monday, that, of course, will not be the end of this trip. We want to capitalize on all of the excitement, energy, enthusiasm and spirit that your children have now so that they can help inspire our congregation, not to mention our next group of pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Tomorrow we spend the day in Jerusalem beginning with an archeological dig and then a museum all about Theodore Herzl. Before Shabbat comes in we will visit Machane Yehuda - an amazing open air market. We will welcome Shabbat at Robinson's Arch next to the Kotel and then take in the scene at the Kotel itself.

From there we will walk to Fuchsberg, which is the Conservative Center and Yeshiva here in Jerusalem. They are hosting us for dinner and I think it's going to be a blast. Saturday we'll daven in the morning, walk in the afternoon and then shop at night.

Okay - I'm pooped. Laila Tov for now and we'll reblog again tomorrow. If I don't get the chance to say this tomorrow - SHABBAT SHALOM!

Rabbi David

Another Busy Day!

2010-02-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

Hello from the Holy City! We have arrived in Jerusalem after a wonderful and exhausting day. The kids just came back in from exploring Rechov Ben Yehuda (Ben Yehuda street) where we will spend more time after Shabbat.

Tonights reblog post comes from Lily and Samantha C:

We woke up this morning to a clear blue day in a colorful Bedouin tent. We then headed over to breakfast, a delicious assortment of pita bread, fresh fruit, and orange juice. After breakfast we headed over to ride camels, who were moaning and groaning as camels do. Mounting the camels didn't take very long, and so we started off on our trek through the desert. The auburn hills rose around us, the amber crevices digging deep into the sides of the rusty colored hills. The camels walked through the wasteland, over rocks and down hills, bouncing us up and down on their backs all of the way. We even saw a dead carcass of an animal along the way, confirming the heat of the morning. Some of us even named our camels (mines name was Kylie, and Samantha's was Billy). The camels soon walked back to the Bedouin village, leaning down on their knees as we jumped off. Our ride with the camels was very interesting, and we got on the bus to drive down to Masada, looking towards the mountains in the distance.

First we hiked up the Roman ramp that was about about a mile hike. Once we got to the top we looked at all the pretty mountains on the top. Then we davened. Everything we saw was two thousand years old, and very amazing. We saw a black line that separated the old building, that was originally there, from the new stone built by archeologists. We visited the synagogue that was built there, and headed over to the cable cars to travel down from the mountain. We traveled down in the cable car and at the bottom, we drank orange juice and ate ice cream.

After Masada, the bus traveled through the hills of the Judean Desert, over to an oasis called Ein Gedi. Ein Gedi was a wilderness filled with beautiful plants and animals, even though it was in the middle of the desert. There were many small rodent like animals wandering around, but we discovered that even though these animals were so small, that they were actually related to elephants! As we walked on, we saw many beautiful waterfalls, pouring down into crystalline pools of aqua water. We reached one of the last pools, and caustiously walked in, and the water was the perfect temperature, a cool refreshing dip after hiking Masada. I even found a frog in the corner of the pool! We stood under the waterfall, pouring down into the pool. After about 15 minutes, we got out of the pool and headed out to the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea was sooo cool! First we headed into pit were we coverd ourselves in mud. At first some of us didn't want to go in and once we did we had so much fun! We put on our arms and legs. After, we cleaned up we floated in the Dead sea! We all had a blast! But, some people got the water in there eyes. After the wonderful experience in the Dead Sea some of us went into a pool were it was super hot! The Dead sea was one of my favorite experiences!

The Lowest Place on Earth

2010-02-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

Hello from the Yam Hamelach, aka Yam Hamavet, aka the Dead Sea. We have had a very busy day and the children are now floating in the salt filled waters of the sea. I'll let our young reblogers give you all of the details but in short our day started with Camel rides in the desert. From there we hiked up the Roman ramp of Masada and toured the top learning about the significance of this place. A personal high for me was davening Shacharit (the morning service) with the children at the top.

After a cable car ride down we went to Ein Gedi for a swim in the fresh water springs. And now here we are at the Dead Sea. The kids all covered themselves with mud and are having a blast. If you haven't seen the video for day 3 yet - check it out here.

Lots more to come later.
Rabbi David

Under a Starry Sky

2010-02-18T05:49:00.000-05:00

Hello all,
This was written last night by Jill and Jamie. Sorry I couldn't get it posted until today:

It's almost 11:45pm and at 8:00pm we got to the Bedouin tent. We walked around passing many tents on the way to a tent where tables were set up for us to eat. We noticed that there weren't any chairs and the tables were very close to the ground. Everyone sat down on long cushions which were at each side of the table. A man in a green robe thingy brought us the food. The first we got was Israeli salad and pita. The pita was very good and almost everyone ate it. Then the man came over with a tray with rice, meat, tomatoes, and chicken. After that, the man brought pears, apples, dates, and raisins. When we finished dinner the tour guide took us to another tent and we sat down on cushions and blankets.

A different man came in and he had a white robe on and there was another man who made very sweet tea, bitter coffee, and fresh pita. The tea and the pita were good. The man in the white robe showed us how to grind coffee bean and when you grind it, it sounds like a camel or a horse. The man in the white robe played music on his instrument that was a strange looking guitar. He then told us about what our life would be if we lived in a Bedouin tent.

After we sat down in the tent and listened to music our tour guide, Aryeh, took us to the desert, which was mostly rocks and had very little sand (which our science teacher would have loved). We walked for about 15 minutes while holding hands the entire time. After about 5 minutes Melissa came over and held hands too. It didn't take long for us to fall far behind everyone. Our tour guide stopped and waited for us to catch up and we all just sat down we got a little creeped out because it was very dark and our guide told us to sit down and try not to move around the rocks because animals under the rocks might be disturbed and come out.

Then our tour guide had us look up and showed us the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Arrow pointing north, and the North Star. Next he had everyone move away and find there own space just to sit down quietly and listen to God. We were all scared (especially the girls) when we heard viscous dogs barking. After we had about 10 minutes sitting down we started to sing and once again us and Melissa were the last people walking back holding hands trying not to fall over the rocks. All of us stumbled many times. Finally we got back to the tents and now we're about to go to sleep.

Happy Trails To You

2010-02-18T01:35:00.001-05:00

The kids (AND MELISSA) are on the camels and walking into the Aravah desert. Hopefully they will come back for me - and the bus - and their stuff. Great pics and video to come but most importantly...great memories and connections!

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Boker Tov

2010-02-18T00:43:00.001-05:00

Good morning. We just woke the kids up. There isn't a cloud in the sky and it is beautiful here in the desert. In a few minutes we'll have some breakfast and then it's off to the races (camel races that is.)

Still looking for enough connectivity to upload the video and kids' reblog post. Please be patient.

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

Under a Starry Sky

2010-02-17T17:57:00.000-05:00

Hello all. It's about 1am here and the kids are all asleep in the bedouin tent (well almost all of the kids. Two decided to join Melissa in her room. Being a leader of a group has it's perks.)

Anyway. I have a beautiful reblog post from Jill and Jamie as well as a video but unfortunately I don't have enough wireless Internet coverage here in the Aravah desert to upload them tonight. I'll do my best to do it first thing in the morning or as soon as I find coverage.

So until tomorrow - Laila tov!

כל טוב

Rabbi David Paskin

www.davidpaskin.com

(o) 781-828-5250

Sent from my iPhone

Please forgive any typos.

We're goin' down, down, down, down

2010-02-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

Hello from the highway! We just left the Golan heights and are on the road for a long (4 hour) drive to our home for the night - the Bedouin tent! I'll write more about our evening to come and tomorrow's busy schedule later but for now here is another reblog post from Joseph:

After we left the boat in Tiberias, we headed northwest to Safed to learn about Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. Safed is a very beautiful city with old stone buildings and cobblestone streets. it was very mountainous there so it we had a great view of the valley. We went to Safed Candles, a candle making store with candles that had anything you could imagine! For instance, there were 10 feet tall candles and a hideous one of David and Goliath AFTER David killed him and cut off his head! From there we went up many stairs to an area with restaurants and had falafel, pizza and bagels. Then we went to a market with artists selling their creations.

After that we trekked up to the Golan and saw many soldiers. The Golan has been fought over for years between Israel and Syria. It was taken over by Israel in 1967 during the Six Day war. This area is covered by land mines planted by Syria when they had control of the land. These weapons are as live as ever and some people have died driving or walking over them in the winter.

Now we are driving down to the Negev desert near the Dead Sea for a very busy Thursday.

From the middle of the Kinneret

2010-02-17T02:32:00.000-05:00

It's 9:15am and we are on a boat in the middle of the Kinneret. It is beautiful! We decided to send you a reblog post from here - just to make you jealous. This post is from Eva:

HEY EVERYONE!!! Currently I am in the middle of the Kinneret. The water isn't very clean but the sites are gorgeous. Looking straight ahead I can see the most beautiful landscape you could ever imagine, It is mountains and there is a huge green piece of land - nothing on it. Around it on other parts of land I can see whole cities and the beach. Everywhere else I look there is water and fog. Birds fly through the fog and it practically looks like we could be in a movie. I would never have imagined the Kinneret or Israel for that matter to be this beautiful. It is nothing like I ever imagined. The skies are are blue and there are clouds over head. Once again, this could be in a movie. I just want to take it all in.... and take pictures. Anyway, I am going to go back and enjoy the boat ride before it ends. Also, I am going to play psychiatrist with Rabbi David. BYE!!

Life on the Kinneret

2010-02-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

We've arrived safely at Karei Deshe, a beautiful youth hostel on the Kinneret. After the kids settled into their rooms we headed down for dinner. After dinner we went outside for some reflecting on our experiences and writing in our Chovrot (spiritual journals) and just having some fun!

Tomorrow morning we head out early for a boat ride on the Kinneret. After that we will spend the morning and early afternoon in the mystical city of Tz'fat. After our tour, lunch and, of course, shopping, we'll load up on the bus and drive North to the Golan. We're hoping to have time to reach Har Bental from which we can see clearly not only Israel but also into Syria and Lebanon. While we're there we'll learn about the historic and strategic importance of the Golan.

After that it's a bus ride south all the way to the Bedouin tent where we'll have dinner and then a magical night hike in the desert. In the desert we're going to talk about the importance of listening, hearing and silence and why the Torah was given in the desert.

Tonight's video will be up in a few minutes. You can watch it on our Israel YouTube Playlist here or on the temple website.

Heading up North

2010-02-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

Hello all,
We just left the Palmach Museum (I'll let the kids tell you what the Palmach was). It's an amazing multi-sensory museum. We are now on the road driving North and East to the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). We will be staying there tonight. Our bus driver, Dovid, is taking very good care of us (bus drivers are very important people in Israel.)

Our next reblog post comes from Samantha L.:

Hi everyone back home! Okay, so today we went to Independence Hall and the Palmach Museum. In Independence Hall, we saw where Israel was declared an independent state. We even went into the actual room where it took place!

Also, in Tel Aviv, we went...SHOPPING! In the end, we all ended up going to the same restaurant, and I really don't remember what it was called...all I know is that they had really good french fries! Most of us got a pizza (it could probably serve 2-3 people...but they didn't tell us that! Haha!) and french fries (I ate all of mine in, like, 5 minutes!), but Rabbi David, Mrs. Rudman, and i think someone else got felafel. There was a woman who could write names on grains of rice and could make a necklace out of it by putting it in a tiny container-thing. Sam C, Spencer, and I all got one, and they're really cool. I hope I don't lose mine like last time...

We're on the van-bus-thing because we just went to the Palmach museum. It was kinda half-interactive, not like hands-on, but like, the rooms that we went through were built like the actual scenes where the soldiers were. All of the rooms had at least 1 projector to show a movie about the characters. Some of the rooms had another projector showing actual pictures and videos from where the events actually happened. They also had plaster models of people to be like a background to the story. The sound effects were really cool. When they had the sound of an explosion, Eva and I both said that we jumped back a bit! The last room rotated around itself, because there were lots of different backgrounds. it was kinda like the thing in Disney World about the presidents, because it rotated. After that, we went to a cafe and had ice cream. Most people got this extreme-cookie-dough thing, but I got a Crunch ice cream bar.

If my mom is wondering (which she probably is), I'm eating things (mostly my french fries, and Sam C and Courtney let me have some, too), and for breakfast there were tomatoes (kinda green, but i ate around it!) and we found lots of places with foods that I like. Also, I'm saving the cookies and chips as my I-don't-like-breakfast-or-airplane-food-so-I'll-eat-this food. The rock candy...I ate lots of it on the first plane ride, but I still have some for the other rides. Also, I bought a Milkyway bar, and I'm saving the other half until I'm major tired and need some extra energy. Everyone says that I'll starve if I don't eat anything, but they don't know that I can last a while without food (this Yom Kippur thing will be simple cause I last most weekends without eating until dinner). Although I'm half asleep right now, I'm glad I can type without too many grammar mistakes! Tell Daddy to text Kim (and say that I told him to tell her) and say to go on the site cause I want to show her that I'm still wearing out BFF necklace!

Okay, Rabbi David just asked me if I was writing a blog or a novel, so I'm guessing I'm taking too long. He said to keep typing, but still, I don't want you all back home to spent time reading this when you all back home have driveways to shovel! Gosh, I miss snow... Okay, now he's saying I have to get off so bye everyone!