Current mood:	accomplished
Current music:	Terry Cashman - The Song of October

Month of Tishrei 5767 - חודש תשרי תשס"ז (September 22 - October 22, 2006)
בס"ד

I've been busier than expected, but I'm making it my business not to fall as far behind as I used to be, so here's an update from not-too-long-ago.
Spend time reading 9/28 and 10/4 - 6 and 12 Tishrei - about my visits with families of soldiers who were killed in the war. It is interesting and inspirational.

**Note that when you see 2 asterisks (**) it means that I'm adding comments based on the fact that today is November 28 - י"ב כסלו and a lot happens in a month, some of which applies to stuff written in this journal.

Month of Tishrei 5767 - חודש תשרי תשס"ז (September 22 - October 21, 2006)

Shabbat-Sunday, September 22-24 - ROSH HASHANAH - ראש השנה - א'-ב' תשרי:
Rosh HaShanah was awesome, physically and spiritually.
Night 1: I davened at Machon Lev. Between Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma'ariv, the rosh yeshivah, Rav Bar Chaim, gave a long shiur. Rabbi Geller gave a shiur in English for the English speakers that was interesting. When his shiur ended, we listened to the end of the rosh yeshivah's shiur. Rabbi Geller brought his family to the dorms for the holiday and some English speakers stayed in. We took food out of the chadar ochel and ate together in 1 of the classrooms. I love the Gellers, so it's always a treat to spend time with the 6 kids. Rebbetzin Geller made cakes for every meal so that was also a treat. I also got to feel like a madrich again, helping out with the meal. When I came back to my apartment, I had some nice, sweet, high quality Muscat wine before going to sleep.
Day 1: I davened at Machon Lev, kiddush in the Chadar Ochel before Mussaf. Lunch was with the Gellers and ESP in a classroom again, see last night for details.
After Minchah at Machon Lev, Dan and I went back to our apartment with Jonathan and Joel for Seudah Shlishit. It was good that I bought good Challahs and rugelach in anticipation of having people over. It was a much nicer Seudah Shlishit than Machon Lev's and we weren't doing a separate meal with the Gellers and ESP.
Night 2: The 4 of us from Seudah Shlishit went to Ma'ariv at Chanichei (neighborhood Shul) then went to my friend Shraga in the neighborhood for dinner. He's British and teaches English at Machon Lev. His brother, Yoav, and I were in class together and are partners on my final project. He's married and has a really cute 14 month old boy. As always, Shraga and Feigi made great food. They had another couple with 2 kids over and we all had fun with the kids, the toys, and especially the kids books. It was a long meal and a late night but very enjoyable.
Day 2: I davened at Machon Lev again. Kiddush was by ourselves with the leftovers of the Rebbetzin's 3 cakes - much better than the chadar ochel's cakes. 100 Shofar blows later I was off to my cousins in Beit HaKerem. Lunch was awesome, so much great food! Among the people at my cousins, were 2 or 3 Christian Zionists. It was interesting to talk to them. I walked back to my apartment after lunch. On the way back I saw a Chabad rabbi blowing shofar for a bunch of secular Jews in the new Beit HaKerem shopping center plaza. It was great to see how excited they were about it and that Chabad was out there doing it. I heard lots of Shofar blowing coming from random other places around the neighborhood. I also noticed that even the non-Kosher McDonald's in that shopping center was closed on Rosh HaShanah. Interesting that even a non-Kosher restaurant closes on a Jewish holiday. I guess that's because there are enough secular Jews celebrating it. Baruch Hashem! Now if only they would eat at 1 of a myriad of Kosher places nearby instead. I went with Dan to Minchah at Chanichei, followed by a short walk to Tashlich at a packed Botanical Gardens pond. Most of the people were English speakers. Israelis often do Tashlich by a sewer, water pipe, or even a sink. It's usually the "chutznikim" - those not originally from Israel, like myself - who are brought up doing Tashlich by a pond or lake and make sure to continue doing that. You're not allowed to throw bread in the pond there, which is not a problem because that custom that I grew up with is quite frowned upon (because Tashlich is not a quick fix for Teshuvah as some might think when throwing bread away like throwing sins away, and there are other reasons for it like annointing Hashem as King because kings used to be annointed by a stream of water). It's also a halachic problem feeding ducks, birds, and fish that aren't yours on (Shabbat and) Yom Tov.
Tonight we had a softball game to work off some of that excess Rosh HaShanah food. I made diving and jumping catches, and threw a runner out at 3rd from RF in a losing effort. I continued my hitting slump, going 0-5.
Late night Selichot at Yeshivat Chevron.

Monday, September 25 - Fast of Gedaliah - צום גדליה - ג' תשרי:
It was a pretty easy fast, I got some sleep, and Shmuel came over for a bit. He joined our apartment for a pizza breakfast.
I got a Shabbat invite after Maariv tonight by a neighborhood English speaker who has been seeing me around lately.
Late night Selichot at Yeshivat Chevron, followed by a long night of playing with router firmware with Nachman.

Tuesday, September 26 - ד' תשרי:
I didn't open a bank account today, as the guy at the bank advised me. Instead I'll be updating my old account IY"H tomorrow. I did some shopping while in the new Beit HaKerem shopping plaza after visiting the bank though.
Nachman and I got the good router firmware to work well today! I'm finally feeling the power of the 3 mbps / 278 kbps!
More trop teaching at night seder tonight.
Late night Selichot at Yeshivat Chevron.

Wednesday, September 27 - ה' תשרי:
I got up early this morning to go to the Rabbinate to be a witness for a friend who is getting married, to testify that he's single and Jewish. Then I went to the bank to change my old passport account to an Oleh Chadash (new immigrant) account with my Teudat Zehut (ID) #. That was followed by breakfast at Holy Bagel. I had an hour and a half to kill so I sat on Ben Yehuda for over an hour learning, giving Tzedakah, listening to a guy play violin, smiling as tourists went by, and just enjoying the scene. Then I went to the Ministry of Absorption to sign up for unemployment insurance. I had to wait there for 2 hours, but it wasn't so bad because I met 2 girls from my Nefesh B'Nefesh flight there and waited with them. We all got taken at about the same time, then we went out for lunch at a nearby dairy cafe. It was a very spontaneous but fun day.
Late night Selichot at Yeshivat Chevron.
I'm finally on Facebook! And that kept me up really late tonight.

Thursday, September 28 - ו' תשרי:
I went with a friend (Zev) and 1 of his friends on behalf of World Mizrachi to give gifts (checks) to families of soldiers who were killed in the war (specifically married soldiers who left widows and children). The money was collected by a shul in Engelwood, NJ. They wanted to do something to help Israel in the war, so they collected money, and decided on this with World Mizrachi. We had a nice taxi driver take us to Rosh Ha'Ayin, Ra'anana, Netanyah, and Ramat Gan today. We met some very interesting people - see description below (worthwhile to spend the time reading because it's interesting and you'll begin to feel a connection to the people and not view them statistics as the media will normally lead you to do). This was a chance for me to do something for the families who suffered during the war, as I had felt guilty leaving the country in the middle of the war for my vacation without volunteering to help at all. It was truly a very unique experience. I really felt the unity of Am Yisrael. And I got to be a Shaliach Mitzvah for Tzedakah, which is always an important thing.
Here is a description of the visits today and the soldiers who were lost. I hope I didn't confuse any soldiers. Some I'm certain are correct, but I might have mistaken 1. In any case, it's a soldier who was killed and you should read about him:

• The first family we visited was in Rosh Ha'Ayin. We caught them at a bad time and weren't so prepared with what we were going to say, so we didn't get a chance to talk to them much. Here's the story about the soldier:
  August 10, 2006 – Maj. Nimrod Hillel, 42, of Rosh Ha’Ayin, was killed when an antitank missile fired by Hizbullah terrorists exploded near him in the southern Lebanese village of Labuna.
  Hizbullah terrorists fired a number of anti-tank missiles at IDF forces in the western sector of Southern Lebanon near the seashore. An engineering vehicle and a Merkava Mark Two tank were hit. Maj. Nimrod Hillel was in the tank.
  “Unfortunately, we are very good at organizing funerals,” said Nimrod’s wife Ofira at his funeral, “But we are not so good at protecting our children. People should think about this.”
  “It seems cliché, but there has never been a father and husband like Nimrod,” Ofira said over his grave.
  A family friend said that, “G-d takes the best ones. He knows what He is going. Nimrod was a saint, modest, a faithful and devoted husband, and always ready to help – even before he was asked. This is a wonderful family with terrific children. Nimrod was the glue that held them together. It is simply heart-breaking.”
  Nimrod’s uncle Yossie said that despite his name, Nimrod was not rebellious. He asked that Nimrod “get as close to the throne as possible, and tell G-d enough. 100 years He has been testing us. Tell him that we want a little peace and quiet.”
  Maj. Nimrod Hillel was buried in Rosh Ha’Ayin. He is survived by his parents Michael and Chava, his wife Ofira, and four children: Yasmin (12), Noam (6), and twin daughters – Hadas and Sapir (3).
  


• The second family was a British family who made aliyah (the soldier's parents - the soldier's widow went back to live with her parents). The soldier had only been married 3 weeks and had not yet gone on his honeymoon or moved into his new apartment with his wife. We sat and spoke to them for awhile. They told us about a fund that they started in memory of their son. The fund is to pay for a large house in their city to be open for lone soldiers (without family or friends here) to go whenever they don't have somewhere else to go - ie when they're off for a Shabbat or even during the week and need a meal, laundry, bed, etc...
  July 20, 2006 – Maj. Binyamin (Benjy) Hillman, 27, of Ra’anana, was killed, along with four other soldiers, in a clash with Hizbullah terrorists on the Lebanese side of the border near Moshav Avivim.
  Even among a generation of remarkable Golani field commanders, Benji Hillman, 27, stood out. He spent a large part of his service in Egoz, which was established in 1995 to deal with Hezbollah and developed expertise in fighting guerrilla forces in South Lebanon. After the withdrawal from Lebanon, in May 2000, the unit was left nearly unemployed. Its then-commander, Tamir Yidai, incorporated Egoz into the fighting that erupted in the territories several months later. Because of his previous job, running the deputy chief of staff's bureau, Yidai continued to get beeper notices from the operations brigade. He located the more active sectors in the West Bank and sent his men there.
  In the summer of 2002, ahead of an Egoz arrest sweep in the Nablus casbah, a newspaper snapped Hillman as he painted his face together with other officers. For Hillman, then the unit's operations officer, it was a final mission before a big trip overseas. Even a momentary visitor could not miss him: energetic, brimming with humor, the object of open affection from commanders and comrades alike.
  Benjy Hillman was not married long enough to go on his honeymoon in Thailand. He was married just three weeks ago and had yet to move into the apartment that he and his wife had bought in Modi’in.
  One of Hillman’s new relatives on his wife’s side told Israel Radio that Hillman was a gentle person, "One out of tens of thousands.‘ The relative said Hillman had been ’dedicated to those around him, to his soldiers and his family."
  Hillman, who immigrated from Britain at age 4, is survived by his parents, Daniel and Judy, sister Abigail, brother Shimon, and his wife of three weeks, Ayala.
  Relatively few brown berets could be seen at his funeral on Friday in Ra'anana, because most Golani soldiers are busy fighting up north.
  


• The third family we visited was in Netanyah. Before describing this visit, let me just say that our goal was more than just delivering money; it was also to strengthen and show solidarity and support with the mourning family. We left this family as much strengthened and inspired from seeing them, if not more, than they from us. This is an exemplary family. We could truly use more families like this one in Israel. It may surprise you when I tell you that this is a secular family. This family, however, understands the importance of our traditions and heritage, and doesn't believe in giving up to post-Zionism, but rather fighting for our country with the feeling and spirit of Zionists in the 1940s-1970s. Again we visited the soldiers parents. They have lost other family members in wars, but understand that they are dying for a good cause and will still be happy to go out to the battlefield in the future. Everyone in the family is an elite unit too. The soldier's father was in an elite unit in 1 of the wars. Some of the family's ancestors were founders of the first kibbutzim. The soldier's mother is a nursery school teacher at a public school. She teaches the children brachot (blessings) even though she may not necessarily say them at home when she's eating because she understands that without our traditions and heritage, we have nothing, and certainly no right to the country. She told us that she makes sure her family celebrates the holidays and even follows such traditions as starting to build their Succah right after Yom Kippur ends. They have a pomegranate tree in their backyard (1 of the 7 species of Israel). She gave us some to eat. They were amazing! Our whole trip was worth it just to meet this family.
  July 20, 2006 - Maj. Ran Yehoshua Kochva, 37, of Moshav Beit Hanania, was killed when the helicopter he was piloting crashed in a mid-air accident while en route to battle against Hizbullah terrorists in South Lebanon.
  The accident occurred at around 11:30 pm when two Apache helicopters, part of an Israel Air Force formation en route to southern Lebanon to engage in anti-terrorist operations against Hizbullah strongholds, crashed in mid-air near Ramot Naftali in northern Israel.
  At the funeral, Ran’s widow Galit dedicated the song “Who loves you more than me” to his memory. She said that her husband gave her the disc with the song, by Micha Sheetrit, which describes the love of the Land of Israel.
  “From the place where I am now, I cannot imagine life without you,” Galit said at the funeral. “I have no clue how to make our children feel like a family.
  You were so beautiful inside and out. You were loving and dedicated. You had a good and caring heart. I could count the days you were upset on one hand. You taught me to love and to know the land. I know that you count on me to be strong for the children.”
  Ran Kochva was an architect by profession, and served in the reserves in the Apache fleet. His commander eulogized Ran: “The eyes see, the head knows, and the heart refuses to accept it. I have known you for 18 years, from the time of our pilots’ course. You were a true professional, an excellent warrior, and a superb reservist. We will always remember your sharp humor. We will continue with our task, even if the tears blur our vision and choke our throats. You were a loving friend.”
  Dovrat, a family friend, described how much Ran loved Israel. “You were the only one who could put everything into proportion. The name you chose for your architecture company, “Sabra” was very fitting. Thorny on the outside but very sweet on the inside. You knew how to focus on the love of life. You were a wonderful father, who cooked as a hobby, and a pilot whose love of the land was in his soul.”
  Maj. Ran Yehoshua Kochva was buried in the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery. He is survived by his wife Galit, a 5-year-old daughter, and one-year-old
  twins.


• The last family we stopped at was the widow of a soldier who had worked for Microsoft Israel. This was particularly interesting for me as a computer guy. He was relatively high up in Microsoft, worked on some advanced projects that I recognized, and did some teaching to new recruits as well if I recall correctly. It was interesting to see all the emails that people in the company sent in his memory.
  August 9, 2006 – Sgt. Maj. Nimrod Segev, 28, of Ramat Gan, was killed in an IDF operation against Hizbullah terrorists in southern Lebanon.
  Nimrod Segev was called up a week ago for reserve duty, where he served in an armored brigade.
  “Who would have believed that the day after he entered Lebanon, he would be dead?” asked his father Chezi. “Nimrod loved military service, and despite the fact he didn’t feel well, that he had become dehydrated and needed to spend two days at home, he insisted on returning to be with his comrades. During the last few days, he was still joking with us and told us that his unit was staying outside Lebanon, and that it was not certain they would even go in at all. The day after he went in, an anti-tank missile hit his tank, and he and his friends were killed. It’s a tragedy for his wife and his small children, whom we need to hug now and tell that they no longer have a father.”
  Nimrod worked at Microsoft Israel. His brother Ehud, a known personality in Israel, is a successful magician around the world, who was performing abroad when word of his brother’s death was delivered.
  Sgt. Maj. Nimrod Segev was buried in Rosh Pina, where his parents live. He is survived by his wife Iris, his sons Vick (9) and Omer (3), his parents Chezi and Iris, and his brother Ehud.
  

Shabbat, September 29-30 - Shabbat Shuva - שבת שובה - ח' תשרי:
I spent Shabbat in the neighborhood. I was out Friday night by a British family. The father / husband has been seeing me in shul and hearing me speak English so he came over to me 1 day, started talking to me, and invited me over. He has 5 cute kids and it was a very nice meal. There were a bunch of other guests too - Katamon crowd. I was in the apartment with the roommates for lunch, followed by a game of Settlers. We ate Seudah Shlishit by Amichai and Adina.
I was at a great Motza"Sh Shuva Drasha by Rabbi Riskin tonight (at the Yeshurun Shul), and saw 2 high school teachers (Rabbis Kronman and Ben-Nun) there, followed later by the last Selichot (I did that at the Chevron Yeshivah again).
Israel moved clocks back an hour, as is the pre-Yom Kippur minhag here.

Sunday, October 1 - Erev Yom Kippur - ערב יום כפור - ט' תשרי:
I did Kaparot on a chicken in town with Nisan (apartment-mate), then we did a little shopping for our se'udah. We came back and went to Machon Lev for the Mikveh and Minchah. As we walked out of Minchah, we got a call from Amichai inviting us for the se'udah, so we went there with Dan instead of eating what we'd bought earlier. It was quite a big se'udah.

Sunday-Monday, October 1-2 - Yom Kippur - יום כפור - י' תשרי:
It was a very meaningful Yom Kippur. I davened at Machon Lev and appointed myself as acting provisional ESP madrich because none of the other madrichim or sub/vice madrichim were around. I woke some guys and helped others with davening. After the fast, I had a little bite in the apartment, then headed over to Amichai and Adina's for a good breakfast.
Tonight we heard lots of construction outside - the sounds of people building their Succot! I love israel over the holidays. As always, the only cars out on Yom Kippur were emergency vehicles and Arab taxis.

Tuesday, October 3 - י"א תשרי:
I built Ruthi's (of Ruthi's Yesha Experiences) Succah today with a friend.
I stayed up all night watching the Yankees game on mlb.tv tonight with Nisan over beer, hot dogs, and our new coffee table that we just bought tonight. It was a great night.

Wednesday, October 4 - י"ב תשרי:
I did lots of errands today at the post office and bought a Succah!
It was a very moving night. Again I went around the country with 2 friends on behalf of World Mizrachi to deliver money from a shul in Engelwood, NJ to families of soldiers killed in the war. Tonight we went to another 4 families, 3 at which we stayed over half an hour, 2 over an hour, 2 soldiers who were shot down in same helicopter (among 5), both whose wives were 6 months pregnant with their first kids. One family was secular but had such faith in Hashem and was desperate for the money we brought today - she said we were like angels. What a night!
See above for a description of our mission. Here are the descriptions of the soldiers and our experiences:

• The 1st family we visited was the parents of a soldier killed in a helicopter that was shot down. The helicopter had just unloaded 36 other passengers as they realized they were being shot at and didn't want to take a chance losing more soldiers. 1 of the other soldiers you'll read about below was also on this helicopter. This was a special soldier who saved 36 lives in his last act in the army. His parents are Olim from a Spanish speaking country (in South America?) if I remember correctly. His wife was 6 months pregnant with their first child.
  August 12, 2006 – Capt. Daniel Gomez, 25, of Nehalim, was one of five soldiers killed when the helicopter on which they were serving, was shot down by Hizbullah terrorists over southern Lebanon.
  Daniel Gomez and his wife Sarit celebrated their wedding anniversary last Wednesday. On Friday, a piano was delivered to their home – something Sarit had always dreamed of having – as an anniversary present from Daniel to his wife.
  Sarit is in the sixth month of pregnancy, expecting the couple’s first child.
  Matan, a friend of Daniel’s who has known him since the age of 14, said that, “He grew up in Moshav Nehalim, and studied at the pre-military academy in Atzmona. As long as I can remember, he always dreamed of being a pilot. He was the guy who held our group together, always joking and making everyone laugh. He loved the army, and was devoted to the air force. He wanted so badly to take part in the fighting in Lebanon. When people asked him if he was afraid, he told them that he was more worried about the soldiers who are on the ground. He was a modest and shy person.”
  Capt. Daniel Gomez was buried in Nehalim. He is survived by his wife Sarit, his parents Patrick and Miriam, and four siblings – Ayelet, Orly, Liora and Yair.
  


• We came at a bad time to the 2nd family, but there were kids running around and the family told us how much they missed their dad.
  August 9, 2006 – Maj. Natan Yahav, 36, of Kiryat Ono, was one of nine soldiers killed when an anti-tank missile fired by Hizbullah terrorists struck the building in which they were positioned in the southern Lebanese village of Dibel, causing it to collapse.
  Natan Yahav was named after an uncle who was killed in the War of Independence. He worked as an electronics engineer for Motorola, and was called up for emergency
  reserve duty three weeks ago. He entered Lebanon on Tuesday. “We had a feeling he was in danger,” said his sister Hagit. “It was a bad feeling. He knew it, and would always make sure to call us.
  About three years ago, Natan established the company he then commanded in the Engineering Corps. The company was composed of reservists from the Paratroopers Engineering Company, and members of the “Yahalom” unit of combat engineers.
  “He had a lot of motivation,” said Hagit. “He never spoke of his fears. He was optimistic without question. The country was as important to him as his family. He served a lot of time in the reserves and never once criticized.”
  Natan received a few hours of leave on Monday, before entering Lebanon. He spent the time with his family. “They were supposed to travel abroad together in the next few weeks,” said his brother-in-law Yair. “Natan worked very hard, but spent all his available free time with his children.”
  Maj. Natan Yahav was buried in Kiryat Ono. He is survived by his wife and two children, and his siblings.


• The last 2 families we stayed at for over an hour each. The 3rd family was the widow and children of another soldier who saved lives - he told most soldiers (maybe all married soldiers, I don't remember) to go home for the weekend because nothing was happening. Soon thereafter a katyusha hit where they were stationed in Kibbutz Kfar Giladi (a kibbutz up north where I stayed once for a Yavneh Olami shabbaton and once on my bar mitzvah trip to Israel), killing the remaining soldiers. This family is secular, but traditional Sefardi. The widow was talking about how everything is from Hashem and she can't understand things and was upset obviously, but Hashem has a plan and she knows her husband is in Heaven. When we handed her the gift (check), she called us angels. She wants to move because it's hard for her without her husband remembering how he used to be all over the apartment. She found the perfect apartment, but didn't have enough money to pay for the deposit and it was due. Then we handed her a check. All she could do was thank Hashem for sending angels. I got the chills. Talk about Shaliach Mitzvah. I can't even describe how we felt after leaving there.
  August 6, 2006 – Sgt. Maj. Shmuel Halfon, 41, of Bat Yam, was killed when a Katyusha missile fired by Hizbullah terrorists landed in Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, where he was stationed.
  Shmuel Halfon lost his father at a very young age. Last week, his son Gil asked him how he felt when his father died. “I cried,” he answered. “I cried, and in the end, I got stronger.”
  “At eight in the morning, I spoke to him,” said his wife Iris, “but the battery on his cellphone died. He told me he would recharge it, and promised that he wasn’t going into Lebanon. In the afternoon, when we heard what had happened, we tried calling him again, but couldn’t reach him. No one at the hospital or the army had any information.
  “In the afternoon, Aharon tried calling his father’s cellphone, and a military policeman answered. Aharon asked if he was in Kfar Giladi, and he said yes, and that he happened to answer the phone. That’s how we realized he was gone. When the IDF representative came to the door, I begged him to tell me Shmuel was wounded. He took my hands and asked me to sit down. That’s when I saw my whole world collapse in front of my eyes.”
  Iris said that her husband loved to do reserve duty, and that he had gone two weeks ago. A week ago, they told him to go back home. He came home, and the following day was called up again. He was also a big fan of the Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer club.
  Iris said that Shmuel was, “The perfect father. On Saturday night, Gil called him to tell him the team had won, and they were so happy together.”
  Their youngest son Liad was born August 24 last year after a very difficult pregnancy and an emergency delivery. The family decided to celebrate his birth on the 24th of eery month. They went out for dinner every month on that date to celebrate. “Now, he won’t be with us to celebrate his real birthday,” said Iris.
  “Now his children will have to deal with the same pain he did.”
  Sgt. Maj. Shmuel Halfon was buried in Bat Yam. He is survived by his wife Iris, and three sons – Aharon (16), Gil (12), and Liad-Or (11.5 months).
  


• The last family we visited was the parents of another of the 5 soldiers killed when their helicopter was shot down, right after saving 36 lives. This soldier had been on many special operations for the army throughout his career around the world. Each time he brought back a stone and his parents proudly showed us his collection. His widow was also 6 months pregnant with their first child, just like the first soldier whose family we visited. We spent a long time at this family, talking to them, looking at pictures, memorabilia, and more. He was a hero. All of them were heroes.
  August 12, 2006 – Sgt. Maj. Ron Mashiach, 33, of Gedera, was one of five soldiers killed when the helicopter on which they were serving, was shot down by Hizbullah terrorists over southern Lebanon.
  Ron Mashiach served as a helicopter technician, aboard the Yassur helicopter that was shot down. He had barely seen his wife Sivan or his other relatives since the beginning of the war in Lebanon. Sivan was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, expecting the couple’s first child, and other than looking forward to the upcoming birth, the couple had planned to celebrate her birthday this coming weekend.
  Sivan and Ron got married two and a half years ago, after having met during their service in the Air Force. “She joined the flight squadron as an adjutant,” said her brother-in-law Gal Keidar. “They simply liked each other. The entire squadron and all the soldiers were at their wedding. She personally knew the entire helicopter team – everyone who was killed.”
  Ron’s father Avraham said that, “We were supposed to meet – the entire family – on Shabbat. Yesterday morning, he called and said that he was on alert. He didn’t say more than that. We are a fighting family, and we don’t speak about such things over the phone. We don’t talk about secrets like these talking heads on the television.”
  Ron’s father wasn’t the only one who didn’t know the details of what his son was doing. Sivan also didn’t know much. “She didn’t know, and I told her it was better for her to know only after the fact,” said Gal. “You could see in his eyes how good a person Ron was. His favorite pastime was raising fish in their home aquarium.”
  Ron took part in an operation in the Baalbek region two weeks ago, where special forces were dropped in enemy territory. His brother Dov remembers that, “I never even heard the details from him. The last time we spoke, he just said that he was rushing to go out on more missions.”
  Avraham Mashiach said that his son never expressed any fear about his activities in Lebanon. “He was sure of himself. He knew exactly what he wanted. He was an exacting person – straight as an arrow, very orderly, and very devoted to his wife and family.”
  Sgt. Maj. Ron Mashiach was buried in Gedera. He is survived by his wife Sivan, his unborn child, his parents Avraham and Rivka, and two older siblings.
  

Thursday, October 5 - י"ג תשרי:
I was in Meah Shearim in the early afternoon to get my Lulav & Etrog and plastic chairs for the Succah (and the apartment). When I came back, Dan and Joel helped me build my Succah! All while little kids around were watching and we were having fun with them :-). Then the 3 of us went back out, I got checks from the bank and wrote out 3 for buildingg maintenance (ועד הבית) for the rest of 2006, with the Hebrew dates as is allowed here! Then gave 2 friends a tour of a crazy packed Meah Shearim where I picked up some decorations. Tonight I bought a new computer desk from a guy in the neighborhood who was selling a used 1 as good as new for half price.
Finally I watched the Yankees and the Mets on mlb.tv.

Shabbat, October 6-7 - Succot 1 - סכות א - ט"ו תשרי:
Succot in Israel is the best!
I ate by cousins with a friend (Joel) last night, ate by family friends (Farkash) in Meah Shearim (>45 min walk each way) for lunch, and hosted 3 friends from the dorms in my Succah for Seudah Shlishit and Havdalah. All the meals were very nice.
I watched the Yankees lose tonight, ordered from New Deli (and found out 1 of my friends is taking phone orders there now) with 4 friends, and ate in my Succah while listening to the Yankees on wireless internet from my apartment on my laptop. When I came back up, I finally posted another blog entry at eyeinzion.blogspot.com (**but haven't posted anymore since for a variety of reasons), and watched 2/3 of the Mets game.
I slept in the Succah last night and tonight, this time on a mattress as opposed to the last few years in Machon Lev's Succah on the other side of the campus where I didn't feel like shlepping a mattress. Walking around Jerusalem on Succot is really exciting - you see Succot everywhere, on Yom Tov / Shabbat you hear families singing songs, and talking and laughing, as you walk by and it makes everyone feel like 1 big Jewish family. There are 2 mitzvot that you fulfill with your whole body - sitting and a Succah and settling the Land of Israel. If you're in a Succah on Succot, you do both. If you're not in Israel, when you leave your Succah, your body is no longer enveloped in a mitzvah anymore. Just something to think about. (Mikveh could be a 3rd such mitzvah, but it's not direct - you have to purify yourself at times and that means dipping in a mikveh, but there's no commandment in and of itself to dip.)

Sunday, October 8 - Succot 2 - סכות ב - ט"ז תשרי:
It may have been Yom Tov outside Israel, but in Israel, it was an awesome day of Chol HaMoed Succot. I went to the Sherover and Haas Promenade (Tayelet) by Armon HaNatziv (Talpiyot) for a jeep safari ride (through the Ir David - [King] David's City - tourist site) around the hills of southern Jerusalem with a tour in English. We drove through Ramat Rachel, forest, past Tzur Baher, across from Har Homa, over a hill that I think is called Satellite Hill. We got to see some of the topography of the region. As the tour ended, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianksy rode by on a Segway on an Ir David tour. I got a great picture of him. When he came back, we davened in the same Minchah minyan and I took a picture with him. Then I walked around to the end of the Tayelet and around Givat Hananya and Abu Tor to the Shiloach Pool in Ir David, where the water for the water drawing festival (Simchat Beit HaShoevah) in the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) actually came from, for the most authentic Simchat Beit HaShoevah possible today. We may not have had Levites singing on the stairs of the Beit HaMikdash, but there was an amazing concert with singers Yaakov Shwekey and Chaim Yisrael. The event was sold out and the police had to block off the area to keep the crowd away. People with tickets were treated like dignitaries and the crowd was shoved away to let us in. Yaakov Shwekey will cause that to happen. He's worth it. I was there with a few friends (Dan and Efraim B.). When the concert ended, we left via the Old City, where we met some friends and ate some Shwarma in an Old City restaurant Succah.

Monday, October 9 - Succot 3 - סכות ג - י"ז תשרי:
I slept too late for Birkat Cohanim this morning, so I just davened in a shul by me, then went to the Kotel with Dov for Tehillim as the record sized crowd dispersed. We got a nice overhead view on our way in. I took some pictures, met some friends, went with Dov and Efraim to town for fruit juice in Chabad's Succah. Then it was off to Chevron. There was a record setting crowd there too. Getting on the bus was crazier than ever, but worth it. We heard the end of the concert there, including Chaim Yisrael, Adi Ran, and Mordechai Ben David! We also davened in Me'arat HaMachpelah and ate lunch in the Succah there. Then it was back to Jerusalem and from there to Beit Shemesh for the concert there. Efraim and I met up with a bunch of other friends, including Ephraim C. I ate dinner in a Succah there and heard Adi Ran (again), Moshav Band (they were great and they had an amazing female drummer that Ephraim got me to take some great zoom pictures of), Shai Gabso (Israel's version of an "American Idol"), saw many friends, and went on a CD shopping spree (all good CD's). What an awesome day full of music, Simchat Beit HaShoevot, friends, and fun! Followed by some sleep in my Succah!

Tuesday, October 10 - Succot 4 - סכות ד - י"ח תשרי:
I was out all day after very little sleep last night. I went with Dov and his daughters to Pnei Kedem (in Gush Etzion) for their annual kite festival. That was pretty neat. There were also activities for kids that his daughters enjoyed. I saw a few friends there and spoke to a photographer who was selling pictures in 1 of the artists booths. We drove from there to Ramat Beit Shemesh, ate some lunch, and played in the grass. After Dov took the girls home, I went to Minchah. From there, another friend, Yitz, picked me up and we went to the Beit Shemesh concert, night 2! Again I saw lots of friends. I had Burgers Bar tonight in another Succah in the park. Tonight we heard Naftali Abramson (a friend, whose music I love), Pey Daled (from America), Chaim Dovid, and a few others. We left early to make a Tehillim minyan at the Kotel for my friend Peretz and his mom, who are in serious but stable condition in Houston after a car accident that took the lives of his sister and father. Refuah Shleimah / Baruch Dayan Emet. **Shloshim is already past, Peretz is doing well, his mother still needs some prayers - Masha bat Sonya.
I got a ride back and went to sleep in my Succah.

Wednesday, October 11 - Succot 5 - סכות ה - י"ט תשרי:
After Shacharit, I took a nap because I haven't been getting much sleep this week. Then off to the Tayelet again to try riding on that funky thing that the mayor was on the other day - a Segway. It is a scooter with sensors that moves based on how you lean your body. It is very cool - for more info go to www.segway.com. The hour and half with the segways included a guided tour on the Tayelet. That was interesting. Watching the sunset was gorgeous. But the best part was clearly the segway. The guide showed us some of the cool features. Segways rock! I took a bus from there to town. I ate dinner in Sbarro's Succah in town and walked around photographing other restaurants' Succot. After dinner, I met Efraim and 2 ESP guys and we went Simchat Beit HaShoevah hopping. We started at Kikar Safra, the Jerusalem municipality. The city built a large, gorgeous, very brightly lit Succah, featuring small models of different style Succot made by students in the city. Every night there was a Simchat Beit HaShoevah there and tonight the featured bands were Acharit HaYamim and the Kinderlach. After some good music and Chareidim going nuts for the Kinderlach, we went Chassidish - to Toldos Aharon in Meah Shearim. They have a huge Succah (probably the biggest I've seen) with free cholent and juice concentrate. It's always fun to do a round of dancing there, but it was overpacked tonight (as always, but even more than usual tonight). I came back to a packed Givat Mordechai because the Chevron Yeshivah across the street was having their Simchat Beit HaShoevah. After listening a little from my window, I actually walked over there. But it started raining! What to do about sleeping? Well by the time the concert ended (~3 AM) and I was ready for bed (even later), it had stopped. Apparently it started again at some point while I was sleeping, but I was too sound asleep to be woken up by it. I just woke up in a little soggy sleeping bag in the morning.

Thursday, October 12 - Succot 6 - סכות ו - כ' תשרי:
I actually took it easy today, ate a couple of meals in my Succah. I was at Machon Lev for the groundbreaking of the new Chadar Ochel building. I went because Machon Lev has decided to stop offering Shabbat food for many of the Shabbatot this year, among some other stupid changes. I met up with a few other Americans to discuss this problem with the president of the school and some other board members who were there. We didn't bother mentioning it to the donors (at least not yet), but we got to meet them a little. Tonight 2 roommates and I ordered out Chinese and ate a nice Hoshana Raba night meal in my Succah. Then I headed out for all night learning at the OU Israel Center.

Friday, October 13 - Succot 7 - Hoshana Rabah - סכות ז - הושענא רבא - כ"א תשרי:
After all night learning, we davened Vatikin (at sunrise). I went shopping in the Shuk (empty at that hour of the morning), then came back, had some breakfast, went to sleep, got up and had my last meal in the Succah (in Israel you not only don't, but you're not even allowed to eat in a Succah on Shmini Atzeret / Simchat Torah because of the prohibition of Bal Tosif - adding on to a mitzvah). I took a few pictures, then came in to get ready for Yom Tov.

Shabbat, October 13-14 - Shmini Atzeret / Simchat Torah - שמיני עצרת / שמחת תורה - כ"ב תשרי:
I had an awesome Shmini Atzeret / Simchat Torah. I was in Nachlaot at Kol Rina (the bomb shelter Carlebach shul) at night, which had lots of singing and dancing (3 hours worth) with famous singers such as Aharon Razel, Naftali Abramson, and Dov Shurin, among others. That was followed by a fun dinner by old friend / friend's girlfriend's house with 14 people. That was a late night, but worth it. There were more great Hakafot and fun this morning at Gruss, and I got to see some friends, followed by a great lunch by Moshe and Shani Sladowsky. Yossi joined Nachman, Dan, and me for Seudah Shlishit at the apartment.
Tonight was a fun night of Hakafot Shniyot at Gan HaPa'amon, Ben Yehuda darbuka dudes then Chabad of Ben Yehuda in Kikar Zion, and finally, the pure and holy, full of simchah, packed Beit HaRav Kook, where I met another friend.
Then I came back and watched some baseball.

Sunday, October 15 - Isru Chag - כ"ג תשרי - אסרו חג:
Israel got its first real rains this morning! I was in a taxi on my way to the Ministry of Absorption and heard an interview with a rabbi about the Jewish time of year for rain, an interview with a farmer about the importance of rain, and finally a song about rain. Gotta love Israel!
I ran errands in town all morning, including cashing an American check in the middle of residential Meah Shearim after an exhausting day and late night of Hakafot.
I watched some football tonight, courtesy of tvuplayer (www.tvunetworks.com). It's too bad their Fox and CBS stations are from SF/Oakland Bay Area so I couldn't watch the Giants come back and beat the Falcons.

Monday, October 16 - כ"ד תשרי:
Nisan helped me take down my Succah this morning after watching the Mets win really early this morning. I transferred my 1,065 pictures from Succot to the computer and started reviewing them. Tonight I went to the mall with friends, ate out at a new place in the food court - good chicken steak, and bought epoxy glue, which I used to fix my chair (**didn't work) and refrigerator (**did work).
Unfortunately I didn't find out about the NLCS game being postponed before my pre-game nap. That'll screw up a night of sleep.

Tuesday, October 17 - כ"ה תשרי:
I spent almost 2 hours working on Sladowsky's VOIP router, but I was not completely successful (not my fault though). From there I went to Ramat Beit Shemesh - Shmuel's mom took him, his wife, Ariel, Yitz, and me out to dinner at a good restaurant, then we went back to his place for dessert and to see his Succah. Fun night.
When I came back, I watched the Mets lose while davening Vatikin.

Wednesday, October 18 - כ"ו תשרי:
I was at a Nefesh B'Nefesh seminar on job search strategies tonight. It was interesting. Then 2 phone calls, 1 to a girl, 1 to Peretz (truly a "shiva call").
I watched an awesome Mets win tonight.

Thursday, October 19 - כ"ז תשרי:
I took down Ruthi's Succah this afternoon, then coached 5-6 year olds and 12-14 year olds in little league baseball practice.
I came back and spoke to a photographer about a job as an assistant for 20 minutes (**I ended up getting the job!), then got steak from Burgers Bar for Dan's (roommate) birthday!
I watched the Mets lose game 7 tonight. It's been a great baseball season for NY, but the World Series will be the 2 teams that beat NY.

Shabbat, October 20-21 - כ"ט תשרי:
I had a very nice, relaxing Shabbat away, up in the Yishuv of Ginot Shomron. I was at a friend's house, his family (4/5 brothers were there) is fun, good food, Torah, singing. It turns out that I knew another guy staying at the same house, who sat next to me on both bus rides. We davened at the Young Israel of Neve Aliza, nice Carlebach minyan at night, auf ruf and bar mitzvah this morning. I actually caught up on some sleep for the 1st time in 5767!

Sunday, October 22 - ל' תשרי:
I was at a very interesting and informative seminar sponsored by Nefesh B'Nefesh this morning about starting an online business. I learned a lot and I'm seriously considering putting some of it to use. Tonight was a great softball game! I finally broke out of my slump and went 4-8 with some nice fielding in our 1 run win in the last inning.