November 21-28

Week of November 21-28

I don’t know why this has happened, but perhaps the planets are aligned in a particular fashion that has led to this tremendous coincidence (when the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars…). This dawned on me as we once again filled out an absentee ballot for the upcoming Quebec election. As I am sure that you have noticed, every possible jurisdiction that means something to us has or will be having an election. We’ve had Canada, the US, all Israel Mayoral (as you remember we commented on Jerusalem) now Quebec jumped on the bandwagon…and the piece de resistance, Israel will elect a new prime minister in February. Of course, it’s nice to see the Quebec Liberals ahead in the polls and M. Mario and Co. crash and burn. I don’t even mind telling you that we (like almost every other member of the tribe) will vote Liberal in D’arcy McGee (Go Lawrence!). Charest was better in a minority situation than with a majority, so I hate to see him get cocky again. It just does not look like Mme Marois and the PEQ’s will give him enough of a run for his money. With 10 days to go though, anything can happen, and we will wait and see.

Here in Israel, people are getting worked up about the elections, past and present. The initial polls have the Likud (Biby Netanyahu) ahead of Kadima (Tzippi Livni) by 34-26 seats, plus more friends than enemies to make a coalition with. Netanyahu pulled a PR coup by getting Benny Begin (the late Menachem’s son) to come back to politics after several years of retirement, plus Danny Ayalon, a past Ambasador to the US and foriengn policy guru who had joined another party. What did Tzippi do? She talked Haim Ramon into coming back to Kadima. Ramon is most recently known for being on trial for sexually abusing staff members. Somehow, I wonder why some people go into politics…. Maybe next week I’ll share some of the goings on in the Hasidic political communities that have made the paper; they’ve had us all shaking our heads.

We started last Shabbat in one of the holiest places we’ve davened at since we arrived. No, not the Kotel, but rather, Barbara and I went to a Carlebach Minyan in the upstairs of a local synagogue named Yakar (precious). The minyan is run by Amichai, and each Friday night he packs in dozens of teens, many religious, and many not, boy with earrings and tattoos…The whole group sings and claps and dances. And, there were clearly more women than men. And what elevated the holiness even more was that there were 3 announcements to make sure that if anyone needs a place to eat for Friday night, or has room at their table, speak to Amichai. At least 4 kids needed places, and the few people of our age there swept them up. This goes on every week... truly amazing ruach (spirit) and a wonderful example of what tzedaka and Shabbat can really be about.

We were invited out twice last Shabbat. Friday night we spent with Francesca Levi- Schaffer and her husband Yaacov and 4 of their friends. You may know that Francesca is the scientist I am working with at Hadassah/Hebrew U. The group included another immunologist, a professor of Medieval Islamic History, a concert violinist, an engineer who specializes in restoring ancient buildings; a very eclectic and interesting group. In fact, we were the only religious couple, but Kiddush and Shalom Alechem has a way of unifying all Jews. Shabbat lunch was another treat- we went to (relative) Newlyweds Jason (Yaacov) and Sarah Lerner. Jason’s mother Anna and her sister Marian were in town. It was great to see Anna here and Jason and Sarah are doing great. Steven Lerner, who is in a Nachal Haredi unit in Tzahal, also made a guest appearance (he was exhausted and slept till 1!!) He's doing very well. After Shabbat we invited our friends Michal and Ronen Selah and their children (Moriah, Meytal, Eyal, Yonatan, Tzur, and Efrat; see picture) for a Melaveh Malkah. It was very special to spend time with them; as some of you may remember, the Selah’s were our neighbors in 1999-2000 when Ronen was vice principal of Hebrew Academy. The older kids got a real kick out of seeing pictures of our house covered in snow from last winter’s crazy snow falls.

Yesterday Bruce went to Assaf Harofeh Hospital, located in between Rishon Le’Tzion and Ramleh (nor Ramalah). Assaf Harofeh is the oldest hospital in Israel, and still has barrack like structures from the British Mandate days being used as outpatient clinics. The host was Yitzhak Katz, a former fellow at National Jewish in Denver, and I spoke to the pediatric department about Immune deficiency. It was a good visit, and I got to see Petach Tiqvah (lots of construction) and got lots of sunshine and warm weather. Barbara also travelled, but not for quite as pleasant an occasion. She visited her colleague P’nina Wiess in Ramat Gan, whose father had passed away late last week.

You may notice that this is being posted a bit early this week. We are going down to Eilat for a few days; by agreement, no computers and no work. So, we’ll wish you Shabbat Shalom a bit early and we’ll catch you up on tales from the south next week.

Wishing you a great rest of the week, a Chodesh Tov and Shabbat Shalom!

Barbara and Bruce

November 14-21

When you talk about the rhythm of life in a particular place, you talk about its pace, its vibrations and its people’s tendencies. The rhythms in Israel are different than North America, and those of Jerusalem are different than other places in Israel. Jerusalem is a large mélange, highly spiritual, more traditional than Tel Aviv or Haifa, but still very cosmopolitan, due to the presence of excellent universities and colleges and some high tech industries. That there is a large concentration of religious people who are involved in many of the cosmopolitan pursuits makes things more interesting. An unlike other enclaves that have these large religious populations, such as Bnei Brak or even Raanana, the fact that this is a large city with such tremendous history gives Jerusalem a rhythm of its own. Take Fridays, for example. The work week here is Sunday to Friday, officially, but in many sectors, including the Universities, Friday is a pseudo day off. The city transforms into get ready for Shabbat mode. Traffic is less in the early hours of the day, when most commuters are usually out. Stores are in full sales mode, cafes are busy, as people take time to do errands, chat or scurry around. Meat restaurants are either closed or many become takeout emporiums, setting up buffets for people who wish to save on cooking (but not on money!). The market, Mahane Yehuda, is at its busiest, crowded, noisy and lots of fun (if you have good elbows). Then magically, about 1½ hours before sundown, things quiet down. Traffic is minimal, stores closed, people busy in homes. Then suddenly, a siren sounds from the center of the city. Shabbat. The city rests, so different from the remainder of the week, with its buses and trucks, noise and crowds. People walk, talk, sing…and breath. The ultimate in freedom.

Our week was a busy one, but aren’t they all? (Yours too, I imagine). Shabbat last week was in Modiin, where Elan’s in-laws, Karen and Robert Goldberger, made a Simchat Bat (celebration for the birth of a girl) on Shabbat afternoon. Of course, we were celebrating Shoshana, who co-operated and only slept through part of her party. Many of their very close friends came and we had what could be best described as a “cake marathon”! People came all afternoon and were greeted to trifles, babkas, layer cakes, fruit, you name it! Everyone felt welcome, and besides the cake there was ample amber liquid refreshment that warmed the camaraderie (hamayveen yaveen). We hung out in Modiin until late Saturday, playing with Shoshana and enjoying the family. This week we also got to experience a little culture, treating ourselves to a movie at the Jerusalem Theatre, and last night going to a book launch, the debut publication of Rabbi Ian Pear, Rabbi of the Shir Chadash Congregation (no, not Shira Chadasha for those who know the difference). The book, called The Accidental Zionist, is a compilation of stories and discussions about his life as a traditional but not very well educated Jew to one who became a Rabbi and made Aliyah. The underlying concept is how the modern generation can find meaning in Israel, beyond simply the religious connection. We’ll let you know how the book is when we finish it!

Of course Tuesday evening is family evening, with babysitting in the afternoon, dinner and Bruce and Elan learning g’marra. Elan is become quite an incredible teacher. He has an excellent, logical approach, he tries to keep me on my toes, and he works things through patiently and clearly. However, what really freaked me out was when he started to explain a section by writing out the different possibilities upside down across the table so I could see them. That was eerie…you can ask my patients, I have been doing that for years when I explain medications and other things about allergy. Very cool indeed-genetics at work.

And the piece de resistance: Shoshana rolled over this week!

So to end I thought I’d share a funny incident. As you know, there are no shortage of places to daven (pray) here; at last count we have been to at least 9 different synagogues or shteilbles on Shabbat in Jerusalem alone never walking more than 15 minutes (except for to the Yeshiva). That does not count the places in Modiin, Givat Shmuel, Raanana, etc. So, I decided to find yet another place to pray, and to do so I would follow the first person I saw who looked like they were walking to shul. I left the apartment at about 7:50, saw someone carrying a talit, and followed his brisk pace for about 6 blocks. Then, he turned into his apartment! I had followed someone coming home from an early minyan. So much for great plans.

We were saddened this week by the news of the passing of Ann Brandt, mother of our friend Elaine Hoffman, and Sam Garellek, father of our friend Shimon. Especially from afar, we wish we could be there to help comfort you.

We also are happy to hear about the engagement of Danielle Elbogen to David Kogut. Save a Lechaim for us!

Happy Birthday to Ken!
And may the Als win the Grey Cup!

Shabbat Shalom,

Barbara and Bruce

November 7 - 14

It’s an absolutely gorgeous day in Jerusalem, sunny, low 20’s, not too humid; we took a long walk to Mea Shearim, buying a few things for a Suedah Shlishit party that the Goldberger’s are having for Shoshana. We are heading off to Modiin for Shabbat in a couple of hours. Believe it or not, this is the first time that we are all going to be together for Shabbat since we arrived in September. Robert Goldberger is a commuting physician, and his trips to Toronto keep him away for several weeks at a time. Everyone is looking forward to this important celebration.

The week past again was busy. We were blessed to celebrate our friend Phil (Fischel) Stark’s birthday on Motzei Shabbat. Phil and his wife Sarah Leah are new olim and newlyweds, and their touching story is on Frumster.com (http://www.frumster.com/success_details_sy.php?successid=159 ).
Barbara again went to Tel Aviv, to be part of a conference and to lecture to a group of health care practitioners who are involved in driving assessment and research. Sunday she met with the physician responsible for driving assessment for the Ministry of Health, to discuss the role of occupational therapy in this important issue. She spent Sunday night in Bnei Brak at her friend and colleague Tamar Wiess. Suffice it to say that Bnei Brak is always an interesting experience. The rest of the week flew by, with our Tuesday dinner with ‘the kids” (Maybe I’ll write a cookbook on cooking on the fly in Jerusalem). Wednesday we had dinner with our old Denver friends Reuven and Chani Or, and one of their sons Matan.
And of course, you are all waiting for the election results: Nir Barakat won by 51% of the vote. Porush 42%, Gadymak 3.5% and Dan Birron (inhale) 1%. This is probably good for Jeruslaem, but only time will tell.

We have all encountered people who seem to be just a little more in tune to what is going on, how to help others or just go a little extra. We’ve been very fortunate to have been exposed to many outstanding friends, relatives and others over the years. Since we’ve been in Israel, we have had the pleasure of benefiting from a little extra attention from our friends Pnina and Yithak Zocher. Many may know the Zochers, from the time that Yitzhak was the educational director of Hebrew Academy from 2002-2006. From day of our arrival literally they have been our major resource. The first morning we were here, the first phone call was Yitzhak. The second morning (OK closer to noon, we were pretty jet lagged) the phone rings: have you been outside your apartment yet? The Zochers left a bag of fresh bagels and Rogelach. To this day those were the best bagels we have had here, and the closest thing to Montreal bagels in this country. We needed someone to help clean the apartment? The Zochers found “Rina”. We have had a Shabbat dinner there; always the teacher, Yitzhak taught us parshat hashavua (weekly torah portion) using a book he has just completed tying things in the Torah Portion to symbols in Jerusalem. All this, in spite of Pnina’s mother passing away before Yom Kippur, and other things going on in their life with 4 children and 10 grandchildren. Last week they took us on a walk that covered famous mezuzot collected at the great synagogue, the oldest Jewish neighborhood developed by the British (important reading: The memoirs of Elizabeth Finn, the governess of Jerusalem in the late 1880’s) and to the military cemetery to light a Yahrtziet candle in memory of Hanah Senesh, a young Israeli woman from Hungary who is famous for her poetry and for being captured in a mission during WWII to help rescue Hungarian Jews. She was captured and executed as a traitor to Hungary, but has a special place in the military cemetery as a heroine.

In fact, last week was not only the anniversary of the death of Hannah Senesh, but anniversary of Krystalnacht, as well as the murder of Yitzhak Rabin. There was a very moving ceremony for Krystalnacht near our home, where the German and Austrian ambassadors both spoke. Television last week included documentaries on Rabin, the Holocaust, and a brand new historical docudrama about Hanah Senaesh (again thanks to the Zochors for that tip). The juxtaposition of the Krystalnacht and Hanah Senesh, both important Holocaust related events, with Rabin’s assassination is sobering. We are reminded that we must always be on our guard, never be too complacent, as there are forces in the world that can always rise against us. To ensure our survival, we not only must be on our guard, but be sure that, as we learned from the case of Rabin, we do not lift our hands against each other and allow our unity to deteriorate.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and Go Als Go!

Barbara and Bruce

PS: Send in a caption for the picture!

November 1-7

We are now heading into a new era….Jerusalem will have a new mayor in 4 days! (And you thought I meant the Obama era…well, the world is still spinning, isn’t it?). Seriously, now that the US election is over (Kol Hakavod l’Barack Obama, he ran a great campaign) we can concentrate on the Jerusalem elections. Actually, mayors and city councils all over Israel are up for election on November 11. The voter turnout in each city is variable, with small towns having generally high turnout (Your vote does make a difference!) whereas in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, people tend to be a bit more apathetic. In Jerusalem this is coupled by the fact that less than 5% of the Arab residents vote, primarily for political reasons rather than apathy. The claim is that if they voted in a Jerusalem election, that is tantamount to admitting that the city actually exists and has a democratic leadership. For them, the preferred alternative is….actually it’s not clear. In any case, they don’t vote, then they have no one to complain to when their municipal services are not the same as those of the other sectors of the city. It is why there are a small number of Arab citizens trying to increase the voter turnout. We’ll see.

As for the candidates, there is a lot of room for the sarcastic and satiric commentators. First, the mayor appears to be running separate from the parties that make up the council. No one can explain why. The most serious candidate, Nir Barakat is the frontrunner. He has been leader of the opposition for 4 years. He has an impressive track record of successful projects, especially in the education sector. He lost the last election to Uri Lupolianski, the Haredi mayor, because the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) population voted en bloc last time. This time, the Haredi candidate is a real politician, Meir Porush, who was housing minister under Netanyahu. The reason the incumbent is not running again is due to an agreement between Degel Hatorah and Agudat Yisrael, two haredi parties, that they would alternate candidates. Great in theory, but it only worked the first time. This time, it took a long time to wrangle out who would run, because Lupolianski thought that since he was Mayor and the city is still standing, he would automatically win again. However, based on the agreement, he could not, so he tried to find away to run anyway, but eventually did not. Then the former head of Shas, Aryeh Deri (freshly out of jail for bribery) announced his candidacy for Mayor, but the courts ruled that it was too close to his release. The indication is that the Haredi community is going to vote with their consciences this time, rather than by rabbinic decree (probably because no one agrees this time).

The other two mayoral candidates are also worth some digital ink. Arkady Gedymaki is a Russian Businessman, famous for buying Bikur Cholim Hospital when it was in a hole, and building a camp for Sederot children and renting a hotel for refugees from northern towns during the second Lebanon war. So far so good. Only problem with this extremely wealthy individual is where he made all his money. If he loses the election he will likely end up in France where he is on trial for arms running into Angola. Then there is Dan Birron, an entertainer and the head of the Green Leaf party. That’s pretty funny, made more so when you see M. Birron’s picture or hear him speak. He’s been smoking a bit too much of that Green Leaf. The best irony, however, I leave for the Meretz Party. Their two slogans are “Free Jerusalem from being Haredified (loose translation)” and “a Jerusalem for all” which may be contradictory. Their posters portray a smiling guy with a long grey beard who looks like Fidel Castro, “the great liberator”, but is actually a guy named Pepe Alalu, a Meretz city counselor (check him out on Facebook). Next to these posters are caricatures of a smiling gentleman with a long white beard, made to look like Meir Porush (http://www.porush.co.il/) . Two bearded gentlemen, at either end of the political spectrum? Maybe Meretz has a guilty conscience? Or maybe they haven’t been to Cuba to see the wonderful quality of life of the population (especially the Jews) there?
In any case, let’s hope they get few votes.

Several highlights this week included Barbara spending 3 days in Tel Aviv, presenting to a day long workshop at Tel Aviv University with her friend and colleague Isabelle Gelinas. It was very successful (they even got to the beach!) and we enjoyed having Isabelle visit. The professors of Occupational Therapy at TAU showed them around in true Israeli style. There was a lineup of people to take them to interesting neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Mini-Israel as well as to dinners and lunches. Next week Barbara returns to Tel Aviv for another seminar and a meeting in the Ministry of Health to discuss driving rehabilitation strategies. Tuesday night we restarted our dinners at Elan and Nomi’s, which had a hiatus for the chagim. I think with Nomi retuning to school, our cooking will be even more appreciated. Ariel also joined us, and now that he is eating Yeshiva food again….well, you get the message. We had a sleepover with Shoshanna on Wednesday night, to let Ema and Abba go to a close friend’s wedding. Eizeh Booba! (what a doll!).

We just came back from a tour of several interesting Jerusalem sights with our firneds the Zochers. More about this extraordinary couple next week. Shabbat will be in Yerushalyim to recover for the week to come. Besides political commentary I am doing experiments and finished after 8:30 in the lab Thursday night…..

Shabbat Shalom and the best to all!

Barbara and Bruce