How i Met the Goldii part MMMMMDCCLXXIV

Of course I forgot to post earlier and after reading all these other posts I'm a little embarrassed to post my version..... Here goes!!

Ever since I "met" Ezzie thru the blog about 4 years ago he's been begging me to come for a shabbos. I always had excuses and never managed to make it for a visit. I think there was one weekend i ALMOST came for shabbos and then something got in the way. Ezzie brought that one up for months afterwards. After about a year of turning down shabbos invites from SerandEz i finally sent THEM an invite, to my wedding.

i couldn't believe they responded that they WOULD attend, and even helped me with some rides for friends coming in from The City. I still appreciate that - it's not easy to do favors in NY especially involving cars!!

When i was working on place cards at my mother's friend's house we were going through the "G"s and my mom's friend said "Hey, Ezzie Goldish, is he the one with the blog? How do you know him??" errr.....

I don't remember the details so clearly, i THINK i remember Ezzie coming over at Kabbalas Panim to say hi, but i could be making that part up. (Seeing as he has no clue about this Purim Shpiel, i can't even ask him to clarify the sequence of events) I probably have a valid excuse for not remembering every single face i saw that day, right?! I remember being surprised at how tall he was.

I *do* remember seeing Serach for the first time -- i was surrounded by loud, clapping, stomping bochurim (thank G-d my brother stood close by to act as a shield!) who were dancing their way backwards across the hall away from the chuppah room. I saw a hand wave at me from behind the mass of black & white suits - I stood on my toes and saw a petite girl in a dark sheitel waving at me. I couldn't figure out who she was until suddenly it clicked, it must have been Serach! Even Elianna was in attendance!

I remember when I was sitting on the men's side watching the shtick fly by (or cartwheel by) some posters appeared, made out of scotch tape (were the cereal boxes yours too? I can't remember). Someone on the men's side made shtick for ME!? Ezzie had teamed up with Gus to make some shtick that *i* would appreciate! He claims he's never made (shtick) signs before, but these were pretty professional.

And that's the story of how i met Serach -- and Ezzie! A few years later we finally stopped in for the Thanksgiving bash, i just remember being so shocked at how quiet Ezzie was and how outgoing Serach was!

Once you meet the Goldii, there's no getting rid of them! they even visited us in our home a few weeks ago, way out in Hicksville. And bought the house next to us!

A freilechin Purim!
Stam/A2 & M2
--
Sent from my iPhone, please excuse any errors

63

No, that's not a typo. My Dad's birthday is 5 Iyar, and he is now 63 years old - Yom Huledet Sameach, Dad! And on the English calendar, my best friend Shragi (of the Well Waddaya Know series) is 26 years old today, and I hope his hesder and Bar-Ilan friends remember that when they're all celebrating Yom Ha'atzma'ut today.

For Israel's 61st birthday this Yom Ha'atzma'ut, here a couple of the pieces I really liked from past years that were posted here. Shragi sent in a composition from someone titled "This Is Israel", and Stam wrote a beautiful piece last year called "Between Two Worlds".

Vus iz Dus??

I have NO IDEA what to say about this.... so check it out and add your response to the comment sections....

http://www.vimeo.com/3805691
password: hollywood

A Promise Fulfilled

About one year ago, I promised to write about an event I attended. It was a beautiful affair, located in (of all places) Lakewood, New Jersey, and I had a blast.

I never wrote about it. In fairness to me, I was quite busy at the time... but then it slipped my mind, and I kept looking for a good opportunity to write it, and it just didn't happen. It is now one year later, and I'm not one for breaking promises, so here we go - a promise (belatedly) fulfilled:

What was so fascinating about the event I was invited to was that it was a wedding, and I'd received a formal invitation, and yet... I'd never met either the bride or the groom before. As far as I knew, I'd know only two other attendees: Moshe, and Mir. I drove straight from work with Mir and three others whom I didn't know in the back, and after a nice wait to get through the Lincoln Tunnel, we were on our way. We had a nice time shmoozing during the hour and a half drive,

Once Moshe arrived, we did something that I've never done before and there is a strong likelihood I'll never do it again: We made signs. They were pretty funny, and we knew they'd be appreciated by the kallah and perhaps even the chosson. And yet, I'd still never met either.

Part of what made the wedding so fascinating was that while I didn't know either side, I ran into a few people who I knew at the wedding in addition to Moshe and Mir, and nobody thought it strange to run into anyone who was there. Both families are from "out of town", one family has moved once or twice, and in both cases, everyone knows them - and loves them. One friend noted how he'd quickly become a ben bayis at the home of the groom's family - and this is not a friend who doesn't have plenty of family of his own. Yet there was something that drew him there and made him feel at home constantly. The bride's family is well known for their work, and one of Serach's best friends is obsessed with the whole family from her time working with them and her experiences with them when it comes to opening up their home and themselves. The positive impact each family had on any person they met was truly heart-warming and inspiring - and we haven't even gotten to the young couple.

The young couple who so graciously asked for our attendance fit right in with their families. One need only see their daily Facebook conversations or talk to any of their friends to understand what they're like and just how well liked they are, and how genuine those friendships are. They've spent their first year of marriage opening up their home to all those who need and all those who wish to join them, despite living out in small town, USA. They're just a beautiful couple, inside and out, and one can see that now just as one could see it one year ago, at their beautiful wedding.

So, to our very own Stam and M^2 - I really can't believe it's been a year already. May you continue to be blessed with happiness and health, and may your marriage continue to grow beautifully. Happy Anniversary!!

Help Friendship Circle Win $25,000 - or $50,000

Jews around the world helped Leah Larson of Yaldah Magazine win $100,000 - now we have a chance to help another organization, Friendship Circle of Sharon, MA.

Friendship Circle of Sharon (www.sharonfriends.com)

The Friendship Circle's unique approach brings together teenage volunteers and children with special needs for hours of fun and friendship. These shared experiences empower children with special needs, while enriching the lives of everyone involved.

Children with special needs bloom and gain the confidence they need to make the most their abilities and talents.
Teenage volunteers learn the priceless value of giving, the curative power of friendship, and the vital importance of integrating children with special needs into our communities.

Parents and siblings receive much-needed needed respite and support from the Friendship Circle community, and all those who assist it.

The Friendship Circle of Sharon is affiliated with and under the auspices of the Chabad Lubavitch Torah Center Inc.

Follow the steps below to register and vote for the Friendship Circle to get a chance to win $25,000 - plus the top 15 contenders will be entered into a raffle for an additional $25,000

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER & VOTE
(Note: by clicking the link above, you will skip the first step shown below and will be directed straight to the registration page)

Why is the _____ Shaking?

[Insert: Table/Room/Car/Building...] For all those who understand, this one's for you.

And for everyone else, this is just awesome. (Just ask SpEd and Stam.) Mom, I think you should try this; the mouseover text is "You can do this one in every 30 times and still have 97% positive feedback."

I should note that it's sad when these random cartoons are way funnier than anything during the Super Bowl. There were very few horrible SB commercials yesterday, but there were no amazing ones, either. This second comic would make for a better commercial than almost all the ones that actually aired yesterday.

A Small Taste of Home

My husband, M, lived in Israel for two years while attending Yeshiva. It's been about two years since he got back and he misses it more than ever. Every time we go to the mall we get a little taste of what he misses so much. Our local mall has 7 kiosks run by Israelis, most of them positioned near each other. The calls of "Shalom, achi!" and sales pitches flood us as we pass by. While I understand a lot of Ivrit, I am still pretty shy and most definitely not comfortable to converse b'Ivrit. M on the other hand can speak an almost flawless Ivrit. So we always stop to chat with them as we pass by, invite them for a Shabbos meal, and offer help with anything they might need.

One of the guys, R, actually called M up a few weeks ago to inquire about mezuzot for his new apartment. M collected a few and went over one night to help R hang the mezuzot.

A few weeks ago, M decided he wanted to do something for the Israelis to bring them a taste of home. They are all in America without their families and no Jewishness around them. Our original plan to bake sufganiot didn't work out as planned, but luckily a local business brought in a shipment from Beigel's in NY. We ordered tin chanukiot and colored chanukah candles from NY, photocopied the brachot, and wrote out cards out that said "Chanukah Sameach!" with our names and phone number.

We were expecting snow storms starting on Friday and lasting through the weekend, so Thursday night we packed up all the goodies and drove our reindeer to the mall. Our first stop was R, since he was familiar with us. He couldn't believe it. We stopped by each kiosk passing out the gifts. The last thing we pulled out at each stop were the sufganiot.

The Israeli kiosk neighbors pulled in closer to watch the show. The people in the stores nearby watched with interest. As we handed out the goodies the Israelis were shrieking with excitement. Chanukiya! Aizeh chamud!

They started singing Chanukah songs, the men shook M's hand and the girls hugged me. One group insisted on taking a picture with us. Many of them hadn't even thought about Chanukah. Almost every single Israeli said they had to call their parents to tell them they would be lighting a chanukiya this year. And almost every single Israeli asked us if we were Chabad.

M was friendly with one of the men that sold Dead Sea products ("Seacret"), Y. Every time M would pass the kiosk A would try to reel him in to buy something for his wife. M got away with it by saying I was very picky about smells, etc. In the middle of all the excitement last night, Y pulled M aside to ask which scent I liked better. M said he didn't know so A shoved a few tubes of lotion under my nose. He went into his whole sales pitch about supporting Israel by purchasing their products. We were laughing that even at a time like this Y could be so determined. We asked if he had read the NYT article on Israeli mall workers and he laughed. The next thing we knew, Y put a set of products into a bag and said "Happy Chanukah!". He threw in some manly mud soap for M too.

We distributed 15 chanukiot and about 2 dozen sufganiot, but the reactions were priceless. Everyone was so excited and happy to have that small taste of home, it felt nice to be the ones to cause that happiness. A few even promised to come for a Shabbat meal too.

Chanukah Sameach!

post script: After we left the mall some friends of ours went. Each kiosk stopped them to ask if they knew Stam & M. The couple decided we must go to the mall waaaay too often, until the found out what had happened earlier in the evening.

Something Amazing

Hat tip: Stam

There's a really interesting article in the Wall Street Journal which takes a closer look at the growing phenomenon of Israeli kiosk salesmen in the US, particularly during the holiday season.

At malls across the country, shoppers are being besieged by a determined crop of salespeople: young Israelis who man mobile carts and have a no-holds-barred selling style.

Amid the grimmest holiday season in years, these workers are approaching passing mall shoppers or calling out from their stations, pitching body lotions, irons, toys and knickknacks. They demonstrate their wares by flying remote-control helicopters, steaming shirts and applying makeup. Instead of charging American-style fixed prices, they harness the culture of the bazaar and often quote numbers based on what they think a customer will be willing to pay.

While I have somewhat mixed feelings about how some of the Israelis tend to do business, most of them tend to be eminently respectful (if a bit pushy) and admittedly great salesmen. Their attitude and self-confidence is amazing (in the article one talks about being able to sell ice to Eskimos), and they certainly get the job done. It's a good piece, check it out. Below is the music video the article mentions by Rami Feinstein, a well known Israeli musician who wrote a song about his annual stint as such a salesman.

Kollel Tabloids

On the radio they were discussing (again) whether or not Jennifer Aniston was pregnant. One of the radio hosts had a good point: "If you're an actress, there's always a rumor that you're pregnant"

My version of this: "If you're a kollel wife, there's always a rumor that you're pregnant".

Beer Update

By request of Ezzie... (apparently i just got my own series!) From the CRC:

November 12, 2008
14 Cheshvan 5769


An email alert was sent on November 11th addressing some issues regarding the kosher status of certain Anheuser-Busch beers. We want to clarify that all flavored beers require a reliable hashgacha. At the present time, both the Lime and the Chelada beers are not certified kosher.

Please note that the status of beer packed in kegs and sold “on tap” has the same status as beer sold in bottles.

For a more detailed report, please visit our website at:
http://www.crcweb.org/kosher/consumer/Anheuser-Busch%20Report%20(Nov%202008).pdf

Another Kashrus Notice

Apparently this one is pretty important to Ezzie & Friends:

Effective November 11 2008, Subway Restaurant, located at 28 Water Street, New York, NY, will no longer be certified OU Kosher.

Clearing Up the Budweiser Kashrus Issue

I was going to write an introduction to this e-mail from the CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council), explaining why anyone would have even thought of this, but it looks like the e-mail says it all. (I will add that Ezzie asked me to post this :-P)

Chicago Rabbinical Council
2701 West Howard Street
Chicago, IL 60645

(773) 465-3900 Fax: (773) 465-6632

Rabbi Sholem Y. Fishbane: Kashruth Administrator - fishbane@crcweb.org
Rabbi Dovid Cohen: Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator - dcohen@crcweb.org

Anheuser-Busch Beer Products

Mott's, a division of Dr Pepper/Snapple Group, sells a beverage called Clamato which contains clam powder, and Anheuser-Busch recently introduced a beverage called Chelada which is a mixture of Budweiser beer and Clamato. In recent months, Kashrus Magazine wrote that since Chelada is tunnel pasteurized on the same equipment as other beer products, the public should avoid all Budweiser products until the process is "inspected by a competent kashrus expert". [While investigating the issue of Chelada, we also became aware of a related issue stemming from another Anheuser-Busch product called "Bud Light Lime"].

The cRc, which certifies many items produced in the same plant as the Clamato, investigated this concern via visiting the plants where Clamato and Chelada are produced, reviewing formulas, extensive discussions with the companies, and independent research. The following are our conclusions:

• Anheuser-Busch beers sold in bottles are free and clear of any concerns.
• Dr Pepper has already made changes to the production of the Clamato used in Chelada, without changing its basic recipe, so that Anheuser-Busch beers sold in cans will also be acceptable.
• The kosher status of Anheuser-Busch beers are not affected by the Bud Light Lime beverage bottled on shared equipment.

The rationale for these conclusions are beyond the scope of this statement, and will be presented to kashrus professionals at their AKO Conference to be held on November 13, 2008. A more detailed version of this statement, is posted on the cRc website, www.crcweb.org.

Last Chance: VOTE FOR LEAH

Leah Larson of Yaldah Magazine is head-to-head with "Danny from Utah" in Wells Fargo's Someday Stories contest. Danny has way too many contacts, and is planning some sort of college party Friday night to get thousands of votes. Leah has been ahead every week, until Shabbos comes around. That's when Danny jumps ahead by hundreds of votes.

Voting ends Monday, November 10th. Leah needs a big push before Shabbos comes around. Aish.com recently published an article written by Leah about Yaldah.

People always ask me, "How did you do it?" I sometimes ask myself the same question. How can someone so young accomplish something so big? And I think part of the answer is because I was so young. Children have a natural imagination. They're always thinking up big ideas and dreams. It's the adults who try to pound reality into them. If an adult has an idea, they'll usually think through all the little details of what might not work; they're afraid of failure. Kids aren't afraid to take risks and try new things. After all, that's what childhood is all about.

Recently, I’ve been blessed with an incredible opportunity for YALDAH to expand. My mother heard about the “Someday Stories” essay contest sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, asking people to write about what they would do with $100,000. My mother wrote about how with that money Yaldah could expand and offer so much more to Jewish girls.

I was thrilled to find out that I was one of five finalists from over 10,000 entries. Wells Fargo came to my house for a day to video, and came in their signature stagecoach! They posted a short video about each finalist on their website, and for over seven weeks people can vote for which finalist should win the $100,000.

Winning $100,000 would take off the burden of constantly having to fundraise to cover our expensive printing costs. We’d be able to expand to publish more books for girls, publish longer issues more often, pay professional staff, keep subscription costs affordable, offer scholarships to our Jewish girls’ retreats, and so much more.

The support and unity of the Jewish community could help me win. You can vote today (there are only a few days left, voting ends November 10th) at www.wellsfargo.com/somedaystories (it’s under my mother’s name, Evelyn from Sharon,MA).

Please click the link and vote today. You can vote with any valid email address and zip code. If you are located in Israel, use any US Zip Code, or you can use 02067 - that's Sharon, MA. Pass on the link and ask everyone you know to vote.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Happy birthday, Erachet!!!

p.s. i feel like GO president with all the birthday announcements ;)

Happy Birthday to...??

Apparently Special Ed and I share a birthday. Or so it seems from apple's recent post. Either that, or it was Thursday. Eitherway, i feel like a post in our honor.

Happy birthday Special Ed, and happy birthday to me, Stam - aka A2, aka "Battery" as Diana has decided to call me.

The Return of SlugGirl

(i was actually purchasing flying insect killer, but had to post this one!) - from the name, my guess is the company might be based in New England.

The Perfect III

Well, if everyone else is doing it...

While working at a job that made me a bit miserable (or a lot miserable), I found this car parked facing mine when I got to the parking lot on my way home from work one day.

I assigned it as the picture ID for the office and my boss's cell. Watching it flash when my co-workers and/or boss would call made life a little brighter :)

Sometimes We Need to Cry...

Another attack. The text message I received said 12 injured, one seriously. Another news source said 16. (i'm sure there will be at least 3 comments correcting this fact).

As I put my phone back on the passenger seat of my car, something caught my ear. I turned up my fake '3 weeks' music - "Umacha Hashem dima’ah meial kol panim" ("may Hashem wipe away the tears from every face").

Yeh, sounds about right...

In December 2001, the Aish.com featured article really moved me. It was written by Chezi Goldberg, hours after the triple bombing in Ben Yehuda. Maybe it gave me some inspiration, or clarity, or maybe it was hope. But every few weeks I would go back and re-read the article. (7 years later, I still do.) Two years after he wrote the article, Rabbi Goldberg was killed in a terrorist attack.

I walked into work this morning, and my co-worker asked me how I was. I shrugged and said I was fine. I now shrug to myself. Am I 'fine'?

I hope that posting the article below will provide something to at least one person out there....

IF YOU DON'T CRY, WHO WILL?

7:30 a.m. Israel time, Sunday December 2, 2001. Eight Hours after the triple-terror attack on Jerusalem's popular Ben Yehudah pedestrian mall.

He walked into shul. I nodded my acknowledgment like I always do. He made some strange gesture, which I couldn't understand. I went on with the business of the prayer service.

A few minutes later, he walked over to me and said, "Didn't you hear?"

"Hear about what?"

"Didn't you HEAR?"

I understood that he was talking about last night's terror attack on Ben Yehudah Mall.

I assumed that he obviously intended that someone we knew was hurt or killed.

"About who?"

He looked at me as if I had landed from another planet. "About who? About everyone who was attacked last night."

I nodded, "Yes, I heard."

"Then why aren't you crying?"

His words shot through me like a spear piercing my heart. Our Sages teach that "words that come from the heart enter the heart." He was right. Why wasn't I crying?

I could not answer. I had nothing to say.

He pointed around the shul. "Why aren't all my friends crying?"

I could not answer. I had nothing to say.

"Shouldn't we all be crying?"

He was right. What has happened to all of us? -- myself included. We have turned to stone. Some would call it numbness. Some would call it collective national shock. Some would say that we all have suffered never-ending trauma and it has affected our senses.

The excuses are worthless. All the reasons in the world don't justify our distance from the pain that is burning in our midst.

When an attack happens, in the heat of the moment, we frantically check to see if someone we know has been hurt or killed. And then, if we find out that "our friends and family are safe," we breathe a deep sigh of relief, grunt and grumble about the latest tragic event and then, continue with our robotic motions and go on with our lives.

We have not lost our minds, my friends. We have lost our hearts.

And that is why we keep on losing our lives.

IF NOT ME, WHO?

When I left the shul, my friend said to me with tears dripping from his bloodshot eyes, "I heard that the Torah teaches that for every tear that drops from our eyes, another drop of blood is saved."

We are living in a time of absolute madness. And yet, we detach ourselves and keep running on automatic in our daily lives.

Last night, 10 people were killed and nearly 200 were injured. Even MSNBC referred to the triple terror attack as a "slaughter."

And still, we are not crying.

Perhaps my friends, we are foolish to believe that the nations of the world should be upset about the continuous murder and slaughter of Jews -- if we ourselves are not crying about it. Am I not my brother's keeper?

The most effective way for us to stop the carnage in our midst is to wake up and to react to it from our hearts. How can we demand that God stop the tragedy, when most of us react like robots when tragedy strikes?

If we don't cry about what is happening around us, who will?

If you don't cry about what is happening around us, who will?

If I don't cry about what is happening to us, who will?

Maybe our salvation from this horrific mess will come only after we tune into our emotions and cry and scream about it.

NUMB TO THE PAIN

My friend walked into shul this morning and from the looks on his friends' faces, he could not tell that they had heard what had happened on Ben Yehudah Mall.

When our enemies pound us and we fail to react because we no longer feel the pain, we are truly in a precarious position in the battle to survive.

I know a woman who has no sensitivity in her fingers. When she approaches fire, she doesn't feel the pain. That puts her in a dangerous position because she might be getting burnt and not know it, because her senses don't feel it.

If we are being hurt and we don't feel it, then we are in a very risky position. A devastating 3-pronged suicide attack on Jerusalem's most popular thoroughfare should evoke a cry of pain and suffering from all of us, should it not? Unless of course, we have lost our senses.

And if we have lost our senses, then what hope is there?

I turn on the news to hear of more carnage in Haifa. Sixteen dead. Sixteen of my brothers and sisters.

King Solomon said, "There is a time for everything." Now is the time for crying.

May God protect each and every one of us from our enemies so that we will not have to cry in the future.

Jailhouse Rock

My husband showed me this video last night...

An article about the dancing inmates can be found here. Some excerpts from the article:

"Hundreds of inmates at the prison in Cebu, Philippines, have taken to performing large-scale dance numbers to such classics as Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Queen's "Radio Gaga" and several songs from the "Sister Act" films to help pass the time while serving sentences or awaiting trial. "

"Melita Thomeczeck, the Philippine's deputy consulate general in New York, is not surprised by the prison's unconventional rehabilitation regimen. "It's probably like some kind of 'ra-ra' event. Probably something the warden set up to pull their minds off other things.""

"Filipino detainees try to make their life less difficult by engaging in such activities," said a Filipino police officer working in New York. "Music and dancing is so much a way of life in the Philippines, and Filipinos have this tendency to sing and dance their way out of even the most complicated situations."

"Rather, Latessa argued that more appropriate rehabilitation programs, like substance abuse or family reunification programs, should be implemented with such coordination and vigor.

But the Filipino police officer believes such group song-and-dance programs are not a distraction from rehabilitation, but an integral part of it. "It combines the need for physical exercise and their love to sing and dance. In more ways than one, it contributes to their rehabilitation and eventual reintegration."

Thomeczeck sees the possibility of an even greater positive effect: "It's a way to put themselves together physically and probably spiritually."

More videos of the 'dancing inmates' can be found by searching inmates dance or any other combination of similar words....

You Know....

You know it's time to make a trip to the grocery store when:

• you defrost a non dairy creamer to use in a coffee you don't actually need to be pareve
  
• your husband comes home from yeshiva with a tray/carton of tradition soups (okay, really he stopped at the store first..)
  
• all you have to take for lunch is a tube of saltines and winkies (which are not actually a filling candy)
  
• the saltines & winkies lunch follows half a bag of graham crackers & winkies lunch
  
• your co-worker sits down to meet with you and your stomach starts verbally threatening her.
  
• you start a post about grocery shopping...