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Month of Kislev 5767 - חודש כסלו תשס"ז (November 22 - December 21, 2006)
בס"ד

I hope to try to keep up and not fall behind, but I have had a very busy last few weeks. I'm still really busy, but I'm taking a break now to finish this entry, which I started over a month ago. At least I'm still only a month and a half behind now. By the way, you should all be checking www.kumah.org everyday for my pictures - I'm the official photographer of the new Kumah Neo-Zionist Überblog!

**Note that when you see 2 asterisks (**) it means that I'm adding comments based on the fact that today is February 8 - כ"א טבת and a lot happens in a month, some of which applies to stuff written in this journal.

Month of Kislev 5767 - חודש כסלו תשס"ז (November 22 - December 21, 2006)

Wednesday, November 22 - א' כסלו:
I went with Ruthi's Yesha Experiences on a very interesting trip today. We went around the country visiting Gush Katif expellees in their new, but temporary, homes and yishuvim. They're all rebuilding their lives even though the government has not agreed to let them start building any of their permanent houses and hasn't given any of the working compensation and not all of the housing compensation money yet. In the meantime, the "caravillot", literally built to last for 2-3 years (regardless of their decent look on the outside), are already half way done with their lifespan! Our first stop was in Shekef where Tel Katifa is now. They brought their Aron Kodesh with them, which I recognized. Then we went to Amatzia where 38 families from Moshav Katif and 8 families from Neve Dekalim are staying. From there we saw a barren mountain where no one is living now, but Arabs are looking to populate, as the government refuses to let the Jews built a permanent yishuv. Our next stop was Nitzan where 480 families from various yishuvim live. I bought a memorial chain there and we heard from a few people. We also saw signs up welcoming the OU convention that was coming to visit, but yelling at them for inviting Olmert to speak at the convention. On our way to the next yishuv, we stopped by some greenhouses that a former Gush Katif farmer has set up, mostly with his the last money he had left and his housing compensation because the government hasn't given him any work compensation. He already has some flowers and vegetables growing and there are more on the way. He gave us some sprouts to take home and plant. Then we went to Kibbutz Ein Tzurim and heard from Anita Tucker among others. She's there with 44 other families from Netzer Hazani, as well as 17 from Gadid and 58 from Neve Dekalim. I bought a sweatshirt there. Our last stop was Yad Binyamin, where 80 families from Ganei Tal are staying, along with 100 from the Torah Chaim Yeshivah, and 50 from other yishuvim. There are some shops there, including a pizzeria where we ate dinner and a Judaic store where I bought a book with lots of pictures from the disengagement struggle, at least 2 of which I'm in.
I got back tonight just in time for the awesome ESP BBQ and Kumzitz! There was great food, nice music and singing, lots of fun hanging and chilling with friends at the Givat Mordechai Summit park.

Thursday, November 23 - ב' כסלו:
I worked with the photographer for 9 hours at an interesting and fun Sefardi / Bucharian wedding today. It was a very Israeli affair, but it just so happens that they were cutting freshly cooked turkey during the Shmorg - HAPPY THANKSGIVING! The funny thing is that I saw my barber and a guy who works at my watch repair shop there.

Shabbat, November 24-25 - ד' כסלו:
I had a fun, pleasant Shabbat at Shmuel and Chava Sokol's in Ramat Beit Shemesh. I met a lot of friends around the neighborhood (Ezri, Ilya, Yohai, and more). Shmuel and I spent a long time talking about our Parshah sheet project, and going over his archives of Yeshiva University activities to convince me that we can actually do this. Tonight I stayed over there late to work on the website for the Parshah sheet.

Sunday, November 26 - ה' כסלו:
A guy was supposed to come and fix our floor this morning. He came, looked at what had to be done, took note, and said he'd come back with the supplies in a few days. At least it allowed me to leave the apartment and go to shul for the last minyan and my halachah chevruta.
After a much needed nap, I went shopping, and tonight shmuel came over. We went to the mall to get him a new router and I set it up. Then we did more work on our website and trying to fix his laptop. My softball game got cancelled due to lack of players.
Tonight Nisan and I made use of his new projector and my video card, setting up a double monitor so I could work on my computer and we could watch the wild Bears-Patriots game on the projector with TVUPlayer. That was really cool. And a lot more fun than the online updates I was getting of the Giants' giant collapse.

Monday, November 27 - ו' כסלו:
I did some C++ tutoring, followed by night seder.
It was a quiet day for a change, I did some relaxing, and work on this journal and my blog.

Tuesday, November 28 - ז' כסלו:
Long halachah seder after last minyan this morning, followed by some apartment fun with the friend who crashed on our couch last night.
It was a late night tonight - my friend Yitz from Ginot Shomron came down to Jerusalem to drive me with my chair to the mall to get it fixed finally, then we went to Ramat Beit Shemesh to watch a movie with Shmuel, and for me to get some stuff from him for our project. I got back late and stayed up later.
In other news, I discovered that my cell phone can do call conferencing.

Wednesday, November 29 - ח' כסלו:
The country is basically on strike so I couldn't go to the Municipality or the Ministry Of Absoption this morning. I don't know when I'll be able to do that again. Hopefully sooner rather than later as the country loses half a billion shekels every day of the strike. **The strike ended the next day, but it took a few days to sort things out, especially at the airport.
After davening and my halachah chevruta, I caught up on some sleep and relaxed, and did some computer organizing. I helped out at night seder tonight then spent an hour with some friends at Amichai's finishing his leftover Shabbat food.
Late night working on my latest photoblog entry -
Israel Baseball League tryout pictures!
http://eyeinzion.blogspot.com/2006/11/inaugural-israel-baseball-league.html
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=327&l=58f0a&id=501014124
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328&l=2c066&id=501014124

Thursday, November 30 - ט' כסלו:
I went to Machon Lev to daven Minchah and gave back 1 of the laptops I've been trying to fix for a friend. She gave me an awesome cake as payment. And I bumped into a friend there too who told me that my friend, her brother, will be coming to Israel soon. **I spent last Shabbat with them.
Fun assistant coaching little league this afternoon.
Tonight I bowled my best game ever - 171! But that could be because I was out on a date. **It would end up being my last with this girl though.

Shabbat, December 1-2 - י"א כסלו:
I hosted 2 peoplel (Ilya and Eliyahu) in my apartment for Mike Tewner's Auf Ruf during our Machon Lev ESP in-Shabbat! Rabbi Talansky joined us for the shabbaton. We took over the almost empty (it was officially a "closed Shabbat" for Israelis) Chadar Ochel and Beit Medrash. We had a nice Carlebach Kabbalat Shabbat and an interesting Oneg after dinner. I read 2 Aliyot Shabbat morning and spoke about Mike in a Dvar Torah at lunch. It was a lot of fun and really nice.
Tonight was an early night for a very pleasant change as I didn't sleep much over Shabbat or during the last week and I was exhausted to say the least.

Sunday, December 3 - י"ב כסלו:
This morning I went to the Municipality and Ministry of Absorption. Then I went shopping in the shuk and bumped into a friend who told me how amazing my pictures of his wedding were.
I finally started using my microwave today - good stuff! Some great hot chocolate this morning and BBQ chicken wings tonight. Mmm...
I went 2-6 with some nice defense at 2nd base in our big softball win, something like 17-5. When I came back, I stayed up late working on my Parshah sheet website while watching a really exciting Islanders win over the Rangers on MSG through TVUPlayer. What a game!

Monday, December 4 - י"ג כסלו:
I have a new baby cousin! Yay! Achituv Kavon! (See Shmuel Alef Perek 22 for the name achituv, among other places - but there's more to why they chose it than that.) I got to see him and his brother Yosefi and a bunch of family this morning at the Brit Milah. I was the official photographer apparently and I think I may have even been the only one with a camera. So I took 190 pictures, mostly of really cute kids, from both families! It was an early, but fun morning.
I helped out at night seder tonight. Then another late night tonight working on the parshah sheet website.

Tuesday, December 5 - י"ד כסלו:
Today was a slow day, but I finally finished the Ba'al HaTurim on the Torah today (that should've happened about a month and a half ago), then I did some stuff around the apartment.
I was out late in Ramat Beit Shemesh at Shmuel and Chava's for Yitz and Ariel's goodbye party today. They are 2 friends from Ginot Shomron that are going to America for different reasons and different lengths of time.

Wednesday, December 6 - ט"ו כסלו:
We got our wall fixed today from when they put in new pipes 4 weeks ago, but we're still waiting for floor to be fixed.
I was at night seder tonight then I came back and started programming Yavneh Olami's Summer Internship Program application form for their website.

Thursday, December 7 - ט"ז כסלו:
I got a haircut this morning, then went to the airport to meet my parents and Uncle Morris! I surprised them and they appreciated it. I also met another friend who was on the same flight and gave me duty free to bring back to neighborhood friends.
After dropping off Unc and my parents at their respective hotels, I went with Dad to coach little league baseball. That was fun as usual. I think Dad enjoyed it too. Then Mom, Dad, Unc, and I went out to eat at Cup o' Joe. It's the first time I've eaten there and it was pretty good.

Friday, December 8 - י"ז כסלו:
Mike Tewner's wedding!!! Mike was in Machon Lev's ESP the year before me and stayed on in computer science. We became good friends during my Shanah Alef and when I stayed on in computer science, we took many classes together. I used to hang out with him in the computer center, occasionally I'd go to his music gigs (he's a very talented musician and systems administrator). Over the years we've become good friends. I was with him the night he met his future wife. As for the wedding, it was different than most weddings I've been at, but fitting for Mike and Shoshi and very fun nonetheless. It was a really nice wedding on a Friday morning in the Biblical botanical gardens of Neot Kedumim. A small wedding in a beautiful setting, with good dairy food too (great apple cider and pancakes, among other things). The band was one that Mike has played for Mike played some flute too, at one point playing Eshet Chayil for his wife. I got to see some old friends at the wedding too.

Shabbat, December 8-9 - י"ח כסלו:
I got back from the wedding just in time to shower and get dressed again for Shabbat. It was a nice Shabbat with my parents in Yerushalayim, with a lot of Carlebach and food. We davened at the Kotel Friday night, walked back via Gan Ha'Atzma'ut, nice dinner in their (Lev Yerushalayim) hotel. Nice davening, as always, at Kol Rina (the bomb shelter Carlebach shul) Shabbat morning, followed by our own kiddush and challah, early Minchah at Yeshurun, then huge Se'udah Shlishit (lunch) at the Dan Panorama with Uncle Morris. Chaya and Yisroel came by for a bit to pick up a package after Shabbat.

Sunday, December 10 - י"ט כסלו:
I spent most of today programming Yavneh Olami's Summer Internship Program application website - http://www.yavneholami.org/act/sipapp.php. Finally Yavneh Olami is paying me to do something for them.
Tonight I met my parents at the One Family Fund Chanukah boutique, then we went out to eat on Emek Refaim at Coolinary - great food, nice place.
I went straight from there to Machon Lev for a Chabad Farbrengen in honor of 19 Kislev. That was fun. Finally 1 AM Maariv at Chevron and I ended the night exhausted.

Monday, December 11 - כ' כסלו:
Late, late night doing web programming for the parshah sheet - http://www.torahfromzion.com
Fun Sheva Brachot for Mike and Shoshi tonight, featuring Mexican style food!
Lots of apartment happenings today - the guy finally came to fix my floor, my parents came for the 1st time, I gave them a tour, and we had felafel for lunch from neighborhood place. Then Yoav came to work on our final project for the 1st time in many months.

Tuesday, December 12 - כ"א כסלו:
I went to Kever Rachel today with my parents and Unc. There was a little excitement getting there - my parents missed the bus in the Tachanah Merkazit, I caught it with Unc later in its route, then it got stopped because the army was doing something there, and when it continued, it passed by the stop where my parents and others were waiting because it was actually an Arab bus stop, but I told it to go back and pick them up - but we made it, albeit for only a few minutes.
On the way back, we took the bus to the Romema area so I could point out a yeshivah of chassidim from the place in Poland that Uncle Morris and family are from (Kopyczynze = Kopitchinitz = קאפיטשיניץ).
After Minchah we went to Cafe Rimon for a great dinner.
Then I came back, had some friends over, went to night seder, and did the setting up and cleaning up for a friend who wasn't there.
And another late night, this time with internet issues in addition to web programming.

Wednesday, December 13 - כ"ב כסלו:
I was out with my parents this afternoon on a tour of the Southern and Eastern Walls of Har HaBayit. I've seen the Southern Wall excavations before, but although I've walked around it, I never really talk a good look up close at the Eastern Wall. The tour was interesting. After Minchah at the Kotel, we went to rent a car and went out to Sbarro with Unc.
Tonight was the night seder Chanukah party. That was fun.
But on the way back to my apartment after the party, I got a not so fun phone call - the girl I've been going out with for the last 3 weeks (even though it's only been 2 dates and 4 phone calls), but there were friends over my apartment to joke around with and cheer me up.
Great late night Geminid meteor shower with friends - pretty nice show, almost got a picture of 1. Dan, Louis, and I watched it from the summit, then saw a frog/toad on the way back.
Finally late night persistent router problems.

Thursday, December 14 - כ"ג כסלו:
I was out all day with my parents up north today. We went up the jordan valley road, went around the eastern rim of the Kineret, stopped at an overlook, also stopped at the Keinar Hotel for bathrooms, then continued to the Golan Winery for a tour.That was fun, great wine too - they gave us a special fancy dessert wine that they don't often make - Heightswine made from Gwërtztraminer grapes - I'm a Gwërtrtztraminer fan to begin with and this wine was awesome! Then we splurged on some bottles of wine. From there we went to Tzfat. We stopped at the cemetery and davened Minchah, hit another car trying to get out of the narrow, badly paved street. Then we parked further up, and dad and I went down to see the graves of great sages throughout our history, such as the Shla"h, Rav Alkabetz, Rama"k, Ar"i, and Yosef Karo. It took us a long time to figure out the 1 way streets of Tzfat but we eventually made it up to the old city and ate dinner at the art cafe, overlooking the lower levels of old tzfat, which was nice - good food too but too much of it! Then the drive back with a stop at a rest stop and a picture of a gorgeous sky with sooo many stars, and I saw a beautiful streak of a Geminid meteor out the car window!

Shabbat, December 15-16 - ____I____i - כ"ה כסלו:
Nice shabbat with the family - I lit Chanukah candles with my parents at their hotel, then went to Yeshurun for Chazanut Carlebach - I'm glad my friend Moshe showed up to keep me busy at the long chazanut minyan, followed by dinner at the Dan Panorama with Unc. I slept by my parents at Lev Yerushalayim. Beautiful davening at Kol Rina in the morning, especially Hallel, Kiddush with parents in hotel, early minchah, then huge Se'udah Shlishit (lunch) at the Dan with Unc.
Tonight my parents, Unc, and I went with Dan to a great kosher comedy show at the OU Israel Center - Dovid Kilimnick's "Find Me A Wife" - very funny. See www.israelcomedy.com for more info.

Sunday, December 17 - ____I___i_i - כ"ו כסלו:
I went to Hebrew University this morning with my parents to pick up tickets for their Hillel House's production of West Side Story Wednesday night. Then I came back to my place and spent much of the day working with my final project partner (Yoav) on our project. We may actually finish it within a month. **We would finish the project, but not the report, within that month.

Monday, December 18 - ____I__i_i_i - כ"ז כסלו:
I was out most of the day and night with my parents and Unc - we went to Chevron, ate lunch there, shopped in gift shop, said some Tehillim at Me'arat HaMachpelah, missed the bus we wanted so mom and Unc tremped to Kiryat Arba, dad and I walked, just missed the next bus from Kiryat Arba, but got some nice exercise and touring in, and finally got the following bus.
Back in Yerushalayim, I lit Chanukah candles, then we headed over to cousins (mom's 2nd cousin and family) in Kfar Saba. They had a Chanukah party with lots of family, kids, and amazing food as always. It was a nice night.

Tuesday, December 19 - ____I_i_i_i_i - כ"ח כסלו:
I picked up my bike (which my parents brought in pieces in a box from NY and just got put back together) this morning and rode it back - feels good to have my NY bike here. Great ride.
Then we dropped off a package my parents brought for a friend (Aliza) in Talpiyot.
We bought yogurt with granola for lunch and ate it on the tayelet, enjoying the breathtaking view on a gorgeous day. Then we dropped mom off at the hotel and picked up Unc so he could see the view.
Tonight we went on a very interesting walking tour of alleyways of Nachlaot looking at lit Chanukiyot with family friends (Shlaskys). I took some creative pictures and got to go through some alleyways and parts of Nachlaot I've never seen. We even got to see a Chasid (Ba'al Tshuvah Rabbi Glaser from Aish HaTorah) light a Chanukiyah with all sorts of Kavanot. The tour gave us Sufganiyot and after the tour we went with the family friends to Cafe Hillel for dinner (after stopping in Aroma to find that it is not Kosher because it's open on Shabbat).

Wednesday, December 20 - ___i_I_i_i_i_i - כ"ט כסלו:
We left early this morning for a Nefesh B'Nefesh tiyul in the spirit of Chanukah - we followed the path of the Maccabbees. We walked through Park Canada / Park Ayalon, a pleasant walk on a nice day, with some nice pictures. They gave us sufganiyot at the end, then we went to Modi'in for lunch (Shwarma), and finally Latrun. It was a fun day and I saw an old high school teacher and another high school teacher's husband, 1 of my little leaguers, a friend's parents, and met a few people.
Tonight we went to see opening night of Hebrew University's Hillel House's production of West Side Story. I'm friends with the director (through a cousin), Maria - the star of the show (daughter of family friends who we sat next to), and 1 of the "sharks" (friend of friend). The show was great.
We had a late night dinner at Shnitzi - the Mehadrin restaurant that serves all different flavored shnitzels (chicken cutlets). It was my first time eating there, and it was very good.

Thursday, December 21 - __i_i_I_i_i_i_i - ל' כסלו:
My dad took Amichai and me to Beitar Ilit this morning to visit an old friend, MMe (see last year for details). I'd rather not discuss the details, but suffice to say, we were shocked at how he was, and not in a good way.
This afternoon I did some work on my final project. At candle lighting time, I went to watch Chabad of Givat Mordechai light their big Chanukiyah at the busy intersection where Shehal starts and there are turn offs to the Begin Highway. When I came back, I listened to a few hours of Israel National Radio's (Arutz-Sheva) Sheva-thon - an all night marathon of shows to raise money for the station. I called in to try and win a contest, but I was stumped by a question about a staff members whose show I haven't yet listened to and a question about newscasters which I didn't know because I usually listen to the archived shows, not the live shows with newscasts.
My parents picked me up and we went to our cousins (Kavon) for a fun dinner with lots of cousins (including the 2 babies and Freta's family).

Chanukah to be continued in the Tevet update, IY"H within a few weeks...