December 8-14

We are nearing the end of this trip! Sometimes we wonder where the time went, although as you have seen a lot has gone on!  We may actually need a vacation from our vacation!! However, that is not likely to happen when we get back, so let’s just enjoy reliving the last week in review…

Shabbat was spent in Jerusalem at Nomi and Elan’s home in the old city. We actually stayed in the German colony, at our friend Diane and Ed Zeligman’s apartment. It’s really beautiful, in a very central location. On Shabbat morning really did not know where to go to synagogue,  I walked out the front door, and looked lost. A very nice guy from New York (Living in Jerusalem for the last 12 or so years) said,”You look like you need a place to go to shul”, so I followed him. This was a real treat, a beautiful renovated old synagogue on Yael Street. Very friendly people, lots of singing, and a really heimish (homey) atmosphere. The meals on Friday night and Saturday at Nomi and Elan’s were great, and we saw Elan in action as he had students visiting his home to eat and study on Shabbat. It’s really impressive to see both how much he has accomplished both as a teacher and mentor!

At the close of Shabbat we lit the first Chanukah candle. We ushered in the holiday with singing and games with Shoshana and Shlomo. That evening we met Carol and David Novosellors, ex-Montrealer’s who have moved to Efrat. We had a great time catching up.  On Sunday we babysat Shoshana and Shlomo and spent the day at the Jerusalem Zoo! I don’t know who had more fun, the kids or us watching them. That evening, we left Jerusalem and went to the Tel Aviv area for an amazing museum experience, called Dialogue in the Dark in Holon with the Goldbergers. The guides are blind and we were led in pitch darkness through various rooms that provide every day scenarios, like a home, a forest or a market, using a white cane and our other senses. Our guide was excellent and we had some interesting discussions with him at the end about his experience, attitudes and frustrations. Highly recommended!

The rest of the week was almost a blur. Monday started in Netanya, and ended with  dinner in Neve Daniel with the Gila, Ariel and the Twersky’s.  Tuesday was visit ex-Montrealers day, we had breakfast with the Seal Family overlooking the gorgeous Marina in Herzliya (a treat if you have never been there), and then a late dinner with the Maliachs in South Netanya. This was sandwiched by Barbara meeting a group of Israeli OT researchers and some preparation for the family “invading” the next day. On Wednesday we met the Jerusalem gang at Monkey Park, a small zoo the features (you guessed it) Monkeys! The kids had a ball and one sharp eyed monkey almost ran off with Shlomo’s Chanukah donut!  That evening we celebrated Shlomo’s upcoming 2^nd birthday with the Goldberger family. I wish I could post the whole video of his blowing out the candles. A two year old can be very serious!

As it is Chanukah, many people were off for the holiday. I would like to say in passing that being in Israel for Chanukah is most unlike being in North America for the holidays. First, Chanuka is anything but a commercial holiday. Gift giving is really a North American tradition, and most things here are very low key. There are also the different food choices here; in North America, we eat fried potato latkes (pancakes) and in Israel, sufganiot (deep fried donuts). The common denominator is the oil, to celebrate the miracle of Chanuka  that occurred in the Temple when a small flask of pure olive oil burned for eight days. This followed the liberation of Israel from invading armies by the Macabees. The main sign of the holiday is the presence of Chanukiot,  8 armed candelabras,  in windows and on porches and doorways, especially in Jerusalem. Our Montreal weather is not exactly favorable for outdoor placement. The light and warmth of the holiday is very unique and very precious. It is really about freedom and there is a very strong emphasis on the family.

With the holiday in full swing, every place we went was mobbed with kids. It’s a great sight, but on Thursday we tried two children’s museums which were both packed to the rafters before we needed up taking the kids to play at Ikea! Then Gila and Ariel joined us and we had a great dinner out together, before coming home to prepare for Shabbat.  That included a trip to the Chassidic enclave nearby which makes the best chopped liver in the country (well, we haven’t tried that many, but it is really good) and visits to the fruit and vegetable market and bakery.

We spent a superb Shabbat with the kids and grandchildren, talking, singing, playing and just enjoying. We missed having Monty, Daniella and Tali around, but we got to spend quality time with Gila and Ariel and excellent time at the park with Shoshana and Shlomo.  We lit the 8^th Chanukah candle, sang and danced, then said goodbye to all.

This ends this installment. It’s been over 3 weeks, a wedding, Chanukah and special time with everyone. We added a new member to the family and saw the little ones magically grow and change before our eyes. From a practical point of view by now we can drive the central corridor in Israel (Highway 1, 4 and 2) with our eyes closed, and can tell you where every traffic jam usually starts and ends, and what is the best and the worst time to try and do an errand in that area. We bid farewell to the kids, to Netanya and to Israel and look forward to coming back soon (hopefully for Passover) and more special times.

Wishing you a wonderful last day of Chanukah (as we fly home)

Barbara and Bruce

We wish Danielle Wiesz a Happy Birthday

Refuah Shlema to Zisel bat Bella

December 7, 2012 Post Wedding 2

So how do you keep up the momentum that follows the high that comes after a wedding? Well, we started to describe the 7 days of post wedding celebrations that often follow a traditional Jewish Wedding. Ariel and Gila were “feted” on different nights by various friends and family. I mentioned the one we organized in the gardens of Anna Ticho house in Jerusalem. The next day we descended on the town of Neve Daniel where Gila’s family lives for a Shabbat with the Twersky family.

When you are invited to join a family that has 10 children for Shabbat, you know that everything will be on a large scale! Our hosts, Geula and Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky, were amazing, and they clearly know how to deal with a crowd. The combined Twersky and Mazer families, with our boys, spouses, children, my mom had the table set for 22 at each meal, not counting a few of the Twersky’s friends that were invited. Friday night dinner was followed by an open invitation to the community to drop in and many did, often chipping in with baked goods or something to add to the table. Saturday lunch after synagogue also included a group of friends dropping in. Full credit to Geula and Rav Yitzhak for being amazing hosts; super organized and composed. Really impressive!  The two families hit it off really well and we look forward to celebrating many happy events together with our growing circle of families.

Saturday night also meant the end of Grandma Phyllis' trip to Israel, as well as the time for Monty, Daniella and Talia to return to Toronto for Monty’s marathon of residency interviews over the next 6+ weeks. He will be going from Vermont to Buffalo, from Baltimore to Boston, from New York to Cincinnati and many points in between. There will be a stop in Florida at the Wagner’s new condo somewhere in there. I hope he can keep it straight! Truthfully, he’s really organized, and we wish him luck in matching to a great position for next year. Phyllis had a great time here; how can you match celebrating a grandson’s wedding? (Maybe with a great grandchild’s wedding? We definitely hope so!) She arrived back safely to the less than balmy climate of Montreal.

And now, to more tranquil times (although Gila and Ariel had two more evenings of celebrations on Saturday and Sunday nights). Barbara and I took off east to Netanya for some time near the water. We arrived Sunday and the weather was perfect, 25 and sunny. As noted in previous posts, there is an open invitation for people to visit us! We took some long walks and even got to stroll in the sand. Monday was a very eventful day. Since we rented a car (and Ariel doesn't have one) we volunteered to help the Newlyweds with some shopping errands, starting at IKEA. Notice the capitals, which is their trademark. IKEA in Israel is like IKEA stores all over the world…huge, maze-like, with a dizzying array of housewares, furniture, knick-knacks, organizers, products you think you need, and many things you never thought you needed! However, Israel’s Ikea has a few twists. It has a synagogue, Talmudic Study sessions (Daf Yomi, the daily cycle of Talmud study), and a strictly Kosher cafeteria featuring their famous Swedish Meatballs (NB: Google Swedish Meatballs: They are always made with beef, pork, butter and milk… doesn't sound Kosher to me! Must be some good tasting impostor . We went to the Afternoon (Mincha) prayer service at 2, and the Rabbi announced that the evening service would be at 6. Considering the size of the store, it’s amazing we weren't there for the evening service, supper and maybe breakfast the next day! Gila and Ariel did quite well, purchasing a small truckload of things for their apartment, which arrived, un-assembled the next day. Good thing we included a tool kit for assembly…!

After a quiet, rainy Tuesday, Barbara and I drove to the ancient city of Safed (Tzefat) on Wednesday. Tzefat is best known as the center of Jewish mysticism. This dates back to the turn of the millennium (not Y2K), when during Roman Times, Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai escaped the Roman Armies and fled to the North of Israel, to Meron, not far from Tzefat. There he delved into the mystical, Kabbalistic side of Judaism and is considered the author of the primary work of Jewish Mysticism, the Zohar. Over the centuries the northern city of Tzefat has been home to many Kabbalistic and Hassidic Masters, including the famous Rabbi Isaac Luria, the Ari HaKadosh. Today, Tzefat is a city like many others, but the old city of Tzefat is a haven for artist and history buffs alike. It is replete with synagogues from past centuries, an artist colony, and dozens of art shops with an amazingly sophisticated array of Judaic art. One of the vendors was a high school classmate of Monty’s, Emmanuel Bouzaglou. It was great seeing him in a different context, and we even bought a gift from him. The combination of mysticism, spirituality and art is pervasive; talking to artists in the area, you see their perspective on life. As one ex-Denverite artist who moved to Israel several years ago told us, there is much more to life than what most of us are involved in. There is caring about others, beauty, spirituality, happiness and cherishing the cycles we all go through. What amazing insight! 

As you know I often bringing up the political landscape, but in truth, we have been busy and distracted, and the cease fire was welcome to all. Regardless of the posturing afterwards, what is crucial is that the children in southern Israel are safe, and we pray and hope for safety and security for all children. Israel is having an election in January, and as you know the multi-party system here leads to confusing, not always logical coalitions in the ruling government. For now, parties are consolidating their candidate lists (specific percentage of votes leads to more of a list being elected) and there is some jockeying between parities. The incumbent Likud led by Bibi Netanyahu appears to be in the driver’s seat. 

We are spending this coming Shabbat in Jerusalem, to see Nomi, Elan, Shoshana and Shlomo, and will return to the coast on Sunday. Next week everyone is joining us here, and we will wrap up this amazing visit.

With that, we wish you a Shabbat Shalom, one of artistic beauty,  personal growth and bright lights.

Happy Hanuka!

Barbara and Bruce

We wish Refuah Shlema to Zisel bat Pesia. 

We wish the sincerest condolences to the Lieberman Family on the passing of Aron Lieberman Z"L. Montreal has lost a great baal tzedaka and pillar of the community. 

November 30th Post Wedding

“It will be heard in the cities of Judah and the surroundings of Jerusalem, sounds of joy and the voice of happiness, the voice of a groom and the voice of a bride!” Jeremiah 33 verses 10-11.

Those words are part of the seventh of the seven blessings that constitute the kiddushim, the Jewish wedding ceremony. Kiddushin does not really mean marriage; the root is both that of holy and sanctified or set apart. In the Jewish wedding ceremony, a bride and groom are sanctified to one another, brought together in an amazing union, to build a new, strong house full of values and commitment. It is a wonderful experience and as many of you know, this week we had the honor and privilege to celebrate the marriage of our son Ariel to Gila Twersky.

When we left off last week, we were preparing for the family to come together for Shabbat. We celebrated the special Shabbat Chattan (Groom’s Shabbat) with a Friday night dinner that united the Mazers from all over Israel at an apartment we rented in Jerusalem, with my Mom and our neighbor Ryan Fiter in attendance. Shabbat Morning we went to where Ariel had studied in Jerusalem, Yeshivat Hakotel in the Old City, where he was called to the Torah and read the Haftarah (reading from the Prophets after the main Torah reading). Many of his friends were in attendance, and the whole Yeshiva came alive as we danced with the Chattan in celebration of the upcoming marriage. We had a whole group of friends at Elan and Nomi’s home for lunch, as well as our cousins Linda and Allan Zysblatt. We had great food, great discussion, lots of thought provoking works of Torah in an amazing setting. The stage was being set for Monday’s big event.

Sunday was a day of preparations; a bit of running around and making sure all was set. We hung out in the old city with Shlomo and Shoshana, and Ariel went to his Yeshiva and spent the evening with friends (not to mention Romanian Salami and some good Scotch). I don’t think he overdid things though, because he was up at 5:45 to go to the earliest morning prayers possible to start his day!

Monday we closed up the Jerusalem apartment and drove up to the Moshav where the wedding would be, called Shoresh. Shoresh is a small community on a hilltop 18 km outside of Jerusalem with spectacular views and a wedding hall on the top of the hill. It’s very popular…2 friends of Ariel got married there the week before! We checked into the adjoining hotel to get dressed and get ready for pictures and the celebration. The bride and groom customarily do not see each other for 7 days before the ceremony, so it was fun to see Ariel ducking behind things so they would not see each other while they were taking pictures in the same area!

The celebration itself was amazing (I sent out a link earlier with some of the festivities, for whoever wished to get a taste!) Weddings in Israel are much less formal than in North America. The signing and music are infectious, and the various parts of the ceremony (and there are several) are punctuated with spontaneous singing, dancing and clapping. The groom (and in our case the bride) don’t walk down the aisle formally; they are surrounded by the wedding guests and danced to the Chuppa (wedding canopy). The band and the singing only paused for the ceremonial blessings and the formal reading of the marriage contract. The atmosphere is completely different from the more solemn style of Britain and North America. One of our guests said that she wants all of her kids to get married in that style! Not only is it an amazing, emotional experience to marry off a child but the happiness in the hall makes the event tremendously special.

Just a few words on our new daughter in law, Gila. She’s the daughter of Rabbi Yitzhak and Geulah Twersky. The Twersky’s are from New York and moved to Israel 6 years ago. Rabbi Twersky is an educator and Geula also is in education but is an amazing artist (check out www.geulaart.com). The wedding invitation was based on one of her paintings. Gila is one of 10 children! She is a very poised, articulate and intelligent young woman who is studying in a girls Seminary in the mornings and teaching Hebrew in the afternoons. She is applying to the same university that Ariel is studying in for next year and they will be living in Givat Shmuel, the suburb of Tel Aviv where Bar Ilan University is located. We spent time with her when she visited Montreal during the Jewish holidays this fall and she is a very welcome addition to the family!

The rest of this week was spent in Jerusalem. Bruce attended the 2^nd international Allergy and Immunology Meeting at the David Citadel and Barbara ran around a lot doing things for the newlyweds and seeing friends and family (including Bilha Fruchter). Last night we had a group of Ariel’s friends (including Noam Levkovich and Dan Illouz) for a celebratory dinner, one of seven that the bride and groom traditionally have in the week after the wedding. We were outside, at a place called Anna Ticho House, in the gardens in the center of Jerusalem. I could not think of a more ideal place!

This Shabbat we are getting together with Gila’s family at their home in Neve Daniel. The Mazer clan and Twersky clan, and a few of their friends are getting together to continue the celebrations! More on that next week.

We wish a Happy Birthday to Talia Bella Mazer, who is turning 1!

We wish wish a refua shlema (speedy recovery ) to Sylvia

We wish everyone a Shabbat of joy and happiness with family and friends!

Barbara and Bruce

November 23 Pre-Wedding

We’re here! We made it! After a series of weeks running around, preparations, countless phone calls and discussions, we have landed in Jerusalem and are ready to celebrate Gila and Ariel’s wedding!  We will be in Jerusalem for Shabbat, to celebrate the Chatan (groom) and his last week as a single guy, and complete preparations for the big event on Monday. We have rented an apartment not far from the Inbal Hotel and the Old City (for those of you who can picture the location) and have the whole family including my mother here together.

The situation here is calm and stable. A cease fire went into effect Wednesday evening and at the moment there has been little to shatter the quiet. There is a lot of political posturing by both sides, but at least for the moment, there is no shelling in the south of Israel, and no talk of imminent invasion. Of course, there an infinite amount of potential problems and this is not a definitive answer to for any of the parties. There is much work to be done to provide better solutions to the current situation.

OK, enough politics! The weekend promises to be very exciting, with Shabbat in Jerusalem,  Ariel’s Aufruf (special call up to the Torah on the Shabbat before the wedding)  is tomorrow and wedding preparations on Sunday. The best part is that the family is all together, with Monty, Daniella and Tali arriving from Haifa and Elan, Nomi, Shoshana and Shlomo here in Jerusalem. My Mom, Phyllis, flew in on Wednesday and has been playing with Tali ever since! We get to spend great quality time with the grandchildren and kids (Note the order!) and enjoy being together. We even have a little more of Sunrise Ave. as Ryan Fiter is here for Shabbat and the Wedding as well and Cote St. Luc representation with Anna and Ivan Lerner and Gabi Cohen also joining us tomorrow.

Our arrival was a bit hectic, bringing Ariel suitcases with gifts and his Montreal purchases to his new apartment in Givat Shmuel, picking up some things in Netanya, returning to get Ariel and then on to Jerusalem. Even though gas prices are over 8 NIS (about $2.15) per litre, there is no shortage of cars on the road! The traffic was pretty dense, so we had to pace ourselves. We finally arrived in Jerusalem in time to tuck Shoshana and Shlomo in, have some dinner and then run off the Shoresh , the location of the wedding, to inspect and pick up food for Shabbat! I won’t tell you what time we ended our very long day…

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Today was a rainy day in Jerusalem, and between catching up on sleep and doing errands for Shabbat, we filled the hours very quickly. We’re now playing with Tali and setting things up. Much more to come for next week, with lots of pictures!

Wishing you all Shabbat  Shalom!

Barbara and Bruce

D’var torah in honor of the Yahrtziet of Mark Samuel, 5773

Parashat Lech Lecha


A D’var torah in honor of the Yahrtziet of Mordechai Aharon Ben Michael, Mark Samuel

Parashat Lech Lecha begins with the call to Avram from Hashem to leave his residence in Haran and go to Eretz Yisrael. However, if we go back to the end of Parashat Noach, we see that Avram’s his father Terach and his family actually contemplating going to Canaan. During his Parasha Shiur last week, Rav Nadav Levin quoted Rav Nebensahl, pointing out that the family of Terach was on a sojourn from Ur Casdim to Eretz Canaan (Noach, chapter 11, verse 31). However, on their way they stopped in Haran, and stayed there. Rav Nebesahl reflects on the short-sightedness of Terach’s decision. Rather than continue on their journey and develop roots in Eretz Canaan, which was and would become the world’s center of spirituality, they stopped in Haran, most likely because it was familiar, because it was comfortable, and reminded them of their previous home. Instead of moving out of their comfort zone, instead of trying to reach the next level, they were satisfied with Haran, and there they stayed until Avram got the call to leave in our parasha.


It is difficult to leave your comfort zone, and to try to get to the next level. We look al around us at family, friends and acquaintances, and in general people don’t like to rock the boat, make waves or effect great change. It is those people who do leave their comfort zone, who do seek something higher and greater, that make the most difference in peoples’ lives. Avaraham Avinu set the greatest example, following G-d’s word and moving from the comfort of Haran to the wilderness of Canaan, a stranger among the tribes there. His is purpose, to find and develop spirituality, to publicize the concept of one G-d, completely changed Mankind. This is why the seemingly trivial detail that his father set of to Canaan and stopped, whereas Avraham heeded the call to go, is highlighted in the Torah. The contrast in decisions is one we all face and make in many aspects of our lives.

To reflect on Mark’s life is to reflect on someone who clearly was never satisfied with staying in his comfort zone. His work challenged the basic building blocks of matter and life. He worked continuously to question fundamental principles and to provide real solutions to the question of what makes up the basic tenants of the world. His quest to determine mathematical proofs to these issues (for over 25 years in the pre-PC world, with a slide rule or a calculator that used “reverse Polish Logic”) is even more impressive today as we can hardly add and subtract without pulling out our smart phones or doing an Excel spread sheet. This quest for ultimate truth led him to collaborate with people all over the world, and his travels frequently took him to colleagues in Israel. There is no question how happy this made him. He would make any excuse to see Professor Karlinsker in Tel Aviv, and always would visit Jerusalem and be sure to take in a good piece of the country. He would always come back from Israel reenergized and recharged, and ready to tackle the next challenge.

Leaving our comfort zone, challenging and pushing the envelope is not easy, but staying in our personal “Haran” rather than completing the journey to Eretz Yisrael can leave us empty. Whether we actually do change the world is not the issue. However, if we strive for the best, if we think out of the box, if we aim for higher heights of understanding and spirituality, the positive changes that occur in us will be the ultimate reward.

May Mark’s memory be a blessing and inspiration for us all.
Th-ey nishmato tzrurah b’tzror ha-chaim

Dv'ar Torah in Memory of Mark Samuel

The seventh of Jewish Month of Cheshvan is the Yahrtzeit of Mark Samuel (Mordechai Aharon Ben Michael), our dear brother, father, uncle, and wonderful friend. The seventh of Cheshvan is also the day that, in Israel, we modify the paragraph in Shmoneh Esray that includes the prayer for rain in Israel. The prayer begins “ Barech Alenu Hashem Elokena et Hashana Ha-zot”’ “Bless this year for us, Lord our G-d, and all our crops for goodness”. In the continuation of this prayer, there are two formulas. In the summer, we say “V’Teyn Bracha” (We should be granted blessing) and after the 7^th of Cheshvan in Israel we say V’tey Tal U’Matar l’vracha (We should be granted dew and rains for blessing). The formula is curious. Why do we not say V’ten Bracha shel Tal U’Matar i.e. We should be granted the blessing of dew and rain? Why the inverse formula? Our sages teach that there are two types of rain: Geshmei Bracha and Geshmei Klala; Rains of blessing and Rains of Curse. The meaning of this is very evident today, as we have seen in the past decade horrendous hurricanes, tsunamis and even tornadoes appear in geographical locations that have never previously been affected. For Eretz Yisrael, the dependence on rain for water is more crucial than most countries. We are told that we have a direct influence on the rain; in the second paragraph of Shema, we say three times daily that our actions and our dedication to G-d can affect when the rain comes and bring blessing to the land. We need to focus or actions and prayers to bring Geshmei Bracha, and not Geshmei Klala.

Fundamentally, however, we really cannot comprehend how the rains are controlled, how even the weather patterns that allow us to predict a year that Eretz Yisrael will have the sufficient water for its crops and for its inhabitants. Our primary way of controlling this is through our actions and our prayers. Thus, I think it is very significant that Mark’s yahrtzeit is on the 7^th of Cheshvan.

Understanding the fundamental building blocks of the universe was Mark’s calling, his passion and his life. He was driven to delve deeper and deeper into the things that make up our very being, with the hope that little by little, we could control some aspects of the natural order of life. Be it comprehending sources of energy, small particles that lead to the formation of atoms or molecules, or creating mathematical formulae that could prove crucial theoretical and experimental observations, Mark dedicated himself to building a better world. He wished that all his work would lead to betterment of life for all; that via our understanding of the world, we could always have Rains of Blessing. The change in our prayers on the 7^th of Cheshvan reminds us of how little we understand, and the tenuous position we have in a world in which something as essential to life as rain can be sustaining, or terrifying. It should also remind us, as we reflect, remember and celebrate Mark’s life, that we should not be afraid to devote ourselves to understanding our place in the Universe and to trying to make the world a better place for all.

May Mark’s memory always be a blessing for us.

 

Dvar Torah in Memory of Shlomo Henoch Ben Mordechai Chaim, 2012

This week’s parasha is Shoftim. It begins with an admonition to the Jewish people, “Shoftim v’Shotrim Titen le-cha bechol shearecha.” Judges and Officers shall you take in all of your (gates) cities. The next 2 pesukin deal with specifics, such as not to favor one individual over another, not to take bribes, and not to pervert justice. “Tzedek Tzedek tirdof”; you should pursue justice, so that you will live long and prosper in the land that G-d gave to you.

These three psukim are a very clear foundation for building a society. The need for judges who are not corrupt, for officers who enforce the laws effectively and fairly, is a basic need in any society. The Netziv, Rav Naphtali Tzvi Berlin, comments on the first pasuk that we learn that for each city, it is the responsibility of the head of that city to oversee the municipal courts and ensure they are fair and proper, and if not, he must bear the responsibility. The need for fairness and upright behavior is not only for those in the justice system, but also, more importantly, for the leaders. We don’t have to look far to see that today, those who purport to lead us are also those that are most frequently implicated in scandal. It is not only a major blight when leaders are not trustworthy, it is highly demoralizing to society. If no one in leadership or the justice system can be trusted, why should our personal behavior reflect anything else?

The answer the Torah gives us comes from the wording of the pesukim. It says Shoftim v’Shotrim Titen le-cha bechol shearecha; lecha and Shearecha are in the singular. Normally shouldn’t it say you (plural) should install judges in all your cities? However the singular is used. The Netziv points out that the singular refers to the whole House of Israel (Knesset Yisrael) as one singular unit. In fact, when the Torah refers to curses for Israel, it is usually also written in the singular. We are all one unit; we carry both individual responsibility and collective responsibility. Each one of us has the responsibility to ensure that the justice system is fair and administered properly. And to ensure that we must set individual examples of honesty, treating each other properly and judging each on their merits.

This Sunday, the 8^th of Elul is the Yahrtzeit of Shlomo Henoch ben Mordechai Chaim, our dear father and grandfather, dear husband and brother. Sid set a tremendous example for us all in his honesty and how he treated people. I remember many in the business world telling me how Sid was the only one to speak to them like a person, to treat them kindly, to really be human. I remember one summer when I worked in the Mayfair stores that Dad managed, coming to work one and finding that an employee was no longer there. I asked what happened to “John”, and was told “ I caught him with his hand in the till”. There was no room for “Everyone’s doing it” or “It’s not really my money, let the company worry about it”. Honesty was the driving force that made Dad unique in the game. I would tease him later on that being so honest may have been a disadvantage in the business world filled with sharks, but he would have never had it any other way.

As we remember at the time of this second Yahrtzeit, the message of honesty and upright behavior, the example of fairness and proper treatment of others that is the foundation of society should always remain with us. This is Sid’s legacy and it is an everlasting teaching that we should continue to pass down to all generations.

Tehe Nishmato Baruch: His memory and soul shall always be a blessing for his entire family.

Shabbat Shalom

Pesach April 6, 2012

Welcome to spring in Netanya. Sunny, 23 C, light breeze, the ocean beckons…sounds nice, doesn’t it? Come and join us on our next adventure that we can entitle “Passover on the Beach". Actually, we will celebrate the first night of Passover in our apartment, not far from the beach, and the weather has been lovely, but not lying on the beach weather yet. There is really a fine line between just right and too hot. I think this is just right, not humid, perfect for walks or running after the kids in the park. So, we prepare for Passover in Israel once again.

We arrived on Monday of this week, and have been organizing, cleaning, shopping and in the last 24 hours or so, we have been cooking, all in preparation for the upcoming holiday. One thing is clear; we are very much looking forward to our Passover Seder tonight, the festive Passover meal when we recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt. This is to be made even more special by the fact that our whole family is together. All our boys, daughter-in laws, grandchildren…we have not had all the boys together since 2005!! This is really special and will be greatly appreciated (B"H).

In all honesty this has been a week with pretty routine stuff going on. We arrived Monday afternoon, set up in the apartment, and organized to see the family. Tuesday, after waiting a couple of hours for Hertz to come fix our battery (car didn’t start….but they don’t give boosts, they just change the battery!), we set off for Jerusalem to see Elan, Nomi, Shoshana and Shlomo. We took advantage of one of the huge Passover Supermarkets and the half a million other shoppers to load up on Passover food. We picked up Ariel on the way home and had a great dinner by the sea.

Wednesday was Market day, picking up fruits and vegetables in the City Market in Netanya. Then it was off to Haifa, to spend time with Monty, Daniella and Tali and pick up the roasts, chickens and other meat from the Vishnitz Hassidic Butcher in Haifa (Delivered at 1 AM Wednesday night!). Thursday was cooking day, which was a bit of a marathon (menu available on request) but that is what getting ready for the holiday is all about.

I will leave you with a scene of Israel that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. As Passover arrives, we clean our homes of all products that contain Chametz, leavened flour (bread, cakes, cereal, etc). The prohibition about owning leavened products is very important and taken very seriously.

On the morning before Pesach, we customarily burn any leftover Chametz, which is a rather definitive way of removing something from existence. In most communities, the synagogue or community center will set up a bar-b-q or fire pit and everyone will come and throw in the leftovers. In Israel, it is very much a do it your self project. There are fire pits everywhere…any open field, any synagogue….everywhere. Last year I drove to a park where a few people made fires. This year, out our back door is a field, and at least 5 bonfires going on! We didn’t even get to visit the nearby Hasidic community of Sanz, where I figure the fires were burning bright all morning!

We wish everyone a wonderful holiday, whatever you be celebrating!

Chag KasherV’sameach!

Have a Happy Easter

And stay tuned for installment 2 next week, when we share the fun of the holiday!!

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,

Barbara and Bruce

We wish a very Happy Birthday to our son Elan!
Happy Birthday to our niece Jessica and nephew Joshua (no, they are not twins!)!!

Welcome to Talia

Dec 25-Jan 8^th

Dateline, Netanya, Israel : We w

ould like to introduce you to the newest member of our cast! Welcome to Talia Beila, born on December 9, 2011, daughter of Daniella and Monty Mazer, currently of Haifa! Talia is a gorgeous young lady, a real night owl, who, like many of her generation, prefers to sleep away the days and party all night. Of course, her parents would prefer that she kept more normal hours, but, you can’t be too choosy! Seriously, she is an adorable addition to the Mazer clan, and we wish Talia all the best in this (admittedly sometimes crazy) world, and lots of Naches, pride and joy for Monty and Daniella. Of course, all the grandparents, Bruce and Barbara, and Chuck and Rochel Wagner of Toronto (first timers!), and the super proud great grandmother Phyllis Mazer are super thrilled with the new member of the crew.

With the new plot lines of the Talia saga being written, the other members of the cast congregated in Israel to celebrate. Barbara arrived on December 15^th and Bruce and his Mom arrived on Dec 27^th. The weeks have been super busy, and super fun. We have travelled up and down the coast, with our base apartment in Netanya, going to Haifa to visit Monty and Daniella and the new baby several times. We have travelled down the coast to Givat Shmuel, where Ariel is living, having started Law School at Bar Ilan University. And of course, we travelled across the country to Jerusalem to spend time with Elan, Nomi, Shoshana and Shlomo. Shlomo is celebrating his first birthday! He walks, babbles, plays, and smiles A LOT!

Shoshana is 3 ½ and basically can run the house by herself. There is nothing that gets by her and she keeps all of us smiling.

We have been fortunate enough to attend other peoples smachot (celebrations), with Barbara going to Tali Wasser’s wedding in Tel Aviv, and both of us attending Gabe and Miri Homa’s marriage in Jerusalem on Dec 28. They were beautiful weddings. The night after (Dec 29^th) was a large Toronto wedding, hosted by the Winter Family, at which Monty and Daniella and Daniella’s parents Chuck and Roche

l Wagner attened. That led to us all spending Shabbat last week in Jerusalem, with great meals at Elan and Nomi’s house and lunch at the Inbal Hotel with the entire cast! Talia of course, slept through lunch and almost all other daytime activities when everyone was around!

So, what is going on at home in Netanya? Since we were her in October, we have painted and fixed things up, and added some housewares and furniture. The apartment is very nice, and the location, less than a block from the boardwalk, is superb. We are organized enough to have a large crew for Shabbat this week, including all of our family, the Wagner’s and our cousins Lynda and Allan Zysblatt from Jerusalem. When I have more time, maybe I can tell you the saga of getting a dining room table, but the bottom line is that through some sort of divine intervention (the name of the store was Salvatto and Divana!) we had a dining room set delivered yesterday in time for all of our guests!

There are lots going on in Israel too; crazy stories of tensions between a fringe group of ultra orthodox Jews and more modern orthodox Jews, with a little 8 year old girl appearing on National television to talk about the abuse she receives walking to school. These types of actions really make one ill. There was a wonderful response to all this which I read on the Aish Hatorah Web site. The Torah teaches us to love our neighbors as one’s self. All people are different, and we need to be able to celebrate our differences and teach mutual respect and love. Tensions need to be met with firm but direct communication, teaching tolerance and understanding. To create a better world, we need to take those values that are important and help them guide our behavior, setting positive, constructive examples. That is the type of world we want for Shoshana, Shlomo, Talia and all our children and grandchildren

Shabbat Shalom,

Barbara and Bruce

Mazel Tov to Yaacov and Ryla Fruchter, new grandparents Sylvia and Haim Fruchter, and Aunts Bilha and Orly Fruchter on the birth of Sheelo Netta. May she only bring naches!

Mazel to to Albert and Sari Arazi and new grandparents Rochelle and Jeff Rein on the birth of Olivia Devora. May she bring you lots of joy and light!

Mazel tov to Susan and Allan Mattarasso, on the birth of a new grandson!

Happy 1st birthday to Shlomo Yehuda!

We wish Ariel a Happy Birthday!

We wish our great friend Sylvia Fruchter a Happy Birthday!