Finally a Siyum

On Shabbat I made a siyum, a celebration of completing a section of the Torah. I finished learning the 6 sections of the Mishna. I actually had finished it on Simchat Torah, but it took until now to organize it. We did it at home on Shabbat afternoon. I managed to tie in Chanuka and Bnei Akiva, since it was Shabbat Irgun. I've already started round 2 of mishna. I started this 3 years ago. The learning is in merit good health for my family. This time around I am doing a minimum of 2 mishnayot a day, with the option of doing more. Sometimes I can squeeze in an extra mishna at work.

Speaking about Shabbat Irgun, I was very impressed with the crown here in Katzrin. Our Beit Knesset is also the Bnei Akiva (BA) headquarters and the place was packed with kids. And they were davning, not just hanging out. It's cool that so many kids are excited to be part of BA and involved in davening. After the siyum I went to mincha and the walls were shaking from the kids singing Yad Achim (the BA anthem).

In other news, Odeliya's toilet training is going well. We put here in daycare for half a day. It's a small group in a woman's house. She's amazing and Odeliya is loving it. Hopefully everything will conitnue slowly. Ayelet is enjoying here freer time. She get to play with Yitzchak more this way. We are still working on how to give Netanel and Odeliya the time they need. We're planning to do some tiyuling on Chanuka. Also, with my having Fridays off we can use some of that time too. Hopefully soon I'll have some answers about employment that will allow us to plan the near future a little better.

For now I'm looking forward to a Thanksgiving dinner tomorow night. Even though we're in Israel we still have lots to be thankful for. And this is not a bad custom to hang onto, at least for a little bit.

Animal Flus in Reverse

So every year, in addition to the regular flu we have a scare of some animal disease: avian flu, swine flu, etc. I wonder if the animal kingdom has similar scares to the human world. Are migratory birds banned from landing in their normal winter home because they may be carrying the human flu?

I was just wondering.

Netanel's Heart of Gold

I was helping to make dinner one night last week (now that I finish work at 4:30 instead of 7. I was making chips, er, french fires, er, victory fries (can we like France now?). Anyway, with Odeliya standing on a chair watching me some oil splashed up and burned me as I dropped potatos into the frying pan. I sustained burns in the 2nd degree range and it really hurt. Odeliya spent the rest of my cooking reminding me to be careful. She was visibly upset and concerned for me.

During bedtime, when my finger still hurt, Netanel had me make a fist and bent my finger in several ways to see if I'll be okay. After his detailed axamination he said, "You'll be okay. I'm doing what you do." I thanked him for his concern and expertise. Children see and hear everything. Netanel in particular takes it all in and processes it. You never know when he'll ask a question about a conversation the adults had while he was playing in the other room. I just hope he continues to learn the right lessons.

Here's why I'm not so worried:

We don't stock candies at home. The kids are allowed to eat one if they get them at shul. The processed sugar tends to have a particularly bad effect on Netanel. On Firday night he got 2 candies. He ate one and saved one for the next day. On Shabbat morning he ate the one he saved. He also got more in shul and ate one of those (against regulations). There was a bar mitzvah this past Shabbat and many, many candies were thrown. Netanel collected 2 pockets full of candies. Many of these came from gleaning the floor int he ladies' section to get the candies that didn't quite make it over the mechitza. He did this by slithering under said mechitza (he's not close to 0% body fat). I reminded him of the importance of sharing. At the end of services he had saved one candy for himself and given the rest to friends. This includes running back inside the shul to get more candy for a friend that was crying because he didn't get any.

I am so proud of his sharing and caring. He has an amazing heart. As another example, some kids knocked on our door this evening collection money to help cancer patients. When I explained to Tani what they wanted he ran to his tzedaka box to give them the money.

Lastly, watching Netanel interact with baby Yitzchak is amazing. Tani plays with him and talks to him. He teaches the baby things and congratulated him as he succeeds in getting his fingers in his mouth. Any the baby reacts to him. He looks for his siblings' voices and gets excited when they come to play with him.

The End of the Harvest

Well, it's (as usual) been a while since my last post. But this time I have a good excuse. During the week between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur I was asked to come back to the winery the day after Yom Kippur. I did. I have been working in the wine-making area.

Basically, the wine-makers tell us what to do and we, the workers, do it. It's very interesting. My main job was to take care of the pump-overs. This is a very important part of the red-wine process. I have also learned much about making wine, and I've gotten into great shape. If I thought the warehouse was hard work, this is much harder.

We have to carry equipment all around the area: pumps, hoses, clamps, pipes, etc. And it's all outside. We work rain or shine. Also, we are constantly climbing up and down to acces the tops of the really bid tanks. thedre are ladders and stairs.

The view froom up there is awesome. On a clear day you can see the kinenet and a lot of the Golan.

The other day, as I was leaving for work (we have a van that picks us up and takes us home), Odeliya was in my bed driving a car of Yitzchak. Ayelet moved him out of the way. As I left I heard Odeliya say, "Hey! I was using the baby!" Which I thought was a funny and disturbing thing to say.

But I digress. My job at the winery is through the harvest. The harvest ended today. The last grapes came to us for crushing and making into wine. Per the manager I have 2-3 weeks left until my job here is terminated. This gives me some time to find the next thing. I just wish God would show me the next step.


Okay, it's a few days since I wrote that. Since I haven't posted, I'll add to it. I have been told that there is more work for me and they'd like me to hang around. I asked one of the managers about transferring to a different department after th epost-harvest work is done. I said that I have other skills that I could use. He said they were thinking of that because they want to upgrade their computer system. So we'll see where this goes. But either way next week I get to work fewer hours. It drops from a 12 hour shift to 9 and a half hours.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch...

Ok, so it's not a ranch yet. But Ayelet has embraced homemaker/mommyhood-ness. She has Odeliya almost toilet-trained, has been baking all of our bread, and has started making pickles and "milk" drinks (almond, soy, etc.) So I need to give her credit for doing an amazing job, especially with me being out of the house so much. Tonight, when I finish this post I will be resuming the job of cleaning for Shabbat. It's a big job this week.

We are expecting company for Shabbat. Ayelet's brother and sister, with their spouses, are coming. It should be lots of fun. Ayelet is discussing the menu with her brother now. It should be lots of fun.

We are also looking into farming. It was one of the dreams we shared before we made Aliyah. We are researching learning farming and different crops. I'll keep you posted

I need to point out that among the sounds heard in Katzrin we have the booms of tank practice, machine gun fire (also from drills, thanks God), jackals, and other animals. I kind of like it.

Ok, not to prepare for Shabbat. I even bought silver polish to polish Ayelet's candlesticks.

Shabbat Shalom.

A Dvar Torah for Chizuk

Sitting in shul last week (I know it's overdue) something in the Torah reading hit me. There are no chidushim here. It is all based on the basic text. But it gave me chizuk, and maybe it will inspire you too.

In Devarim 30:15-16 we are told that Hashem and Moshe have put before us life and the good and death and the bad. Basically, if we follow the book that Hashem gave us, if we keep the Torah, we will get the good. If we do not keep the Torah, we will get the bad. It's just that simple. Of course, putting it into practice is not that simple, but the concept is. We also see it in the second chapter of shema that we say every day. Following the Torah gives us life and sustenance. Not following brings punishment, lack of rain, and death.

Obviously the practical application is not so easy. There are many mitzvot, tons of commandments. And it gets harder each day as the world gets more complicated. This is where the next bit of inspiration comes in. Moshe is giving his final speech to Bnei Yisrael and preparing to die. After leading the people for 40 years he is handing the reigns over to Yehoshua. Yehoshua has been second in command for a long time. He was groomed for leadership and even served as the commander of our army when Hashem told us to go fight. Yet he was unsure. Just as we are unsure now of how to follow the Torah. Just as we are not sure where we belong and what we are supposed to do. Yehoshua knew his purpose and was still scared. So Moshe told him "Chazak Ve'Amatz," Be strong and of good courage. Despite knowing his job and being prepared, Yehoshua needed support. And it happends again, Hashem also tells Yehoshua Chazal Ve'Amatz several times and promises to help him in his duties.

We should always be confident that if we keep the mitzvot and do what Hashem wants, He will help us. Hashem will show us the next step and guide us along the way.

May this year be a year of clear guidance from Above, a year when we start to fulfill our part in God's plan. A year of peace, health, happiness, wealth, success, and growth for all of Am Yisrael.

Shana Tova,
Yoram

Paying my dues

I have been working at the Golan Heights Winery for over a month now. And I don't know how much longer I'll be working there. The guy in charge doesn't seem to know from one day to the next what is going on. It's not a bad job; good, clean manual labor. I spend most of my time in the warehouse filling orders. I get to go around pulling a case of this and 3 bottles of that. It all gets stacked on a pallet and wrapped in plastic wrap. Then it waits for the truck to deliver it.

Because I am a religious Jew I also get to work in the bottling area. I have pulled several shifts in the champagne room. It's fun, and varied from the warehouse. But it usuallt means working a 12 hour day instead of just 9 and a half. Twice I even got to help remove less than perfect grapes from the Pinot Noir harvest. The Yarden Pinot Noir 2009 should be an excellent wine... if you like Pinot Noir.

But all this being said, it is still not the kind of work I'd like to be doing. Especially not at this salary. My friend pointed out that this paying my dues. Many a doctor and engineer made aliyah only to sweep streets for a while. Many of them were able to move back into their field, or something related. Hopefully I will soon be able to move back into one of my fields of interest, where I can do work I enjoy at fair compensation. I have realized that I am a chronically positive person. May this year bring forward movement and success for me, my family, and all of us.

Shana Tova.

In My Spare Time

Wow. Things have been crazy. I've been working at the Golan Heights Winery for the past month. It's a temporary job and it's hard. The shift starts at 7 am and goes until either 4:30 or 7. At least there is a ride to and from. Sometimes I work in the warehouse filling orders and working on the lines assembling gift boxes. Other times I get pulled up to help with wine making and bottling. I needed to be checked out and certifed for that work. I've done a number of shifts in the champagne room. Champagne ages in the bottles, but the caps need to be popped off and the real corks put in. There is a maching to do this, but people need to run the machines and stuff. Also, when the machines break we need to fill in. I also help select the best grapes for the Yarden Pinot Noir 2009. It's going to be very good wine. It's interesting work. I get to learn bits about wine. But it's a long day at minimum wage plus lunch either for free or really cheap. And there is not much time for phone calls to potential full time employers. Worse still, I'm often too tired when I get home to do much networking and job searching.

But I am learning a little bit more. I have a chavruta with Noach, a new Katzerin resident. we are learning gemara Bava Metzi'a. Also, Ariel and I will hopefully resume our learning and I am trying to start a few other things as well.

Ayelet is up and about more now. She is largely recovered from the birth (she had close to the 6 weeks prescribed by Olivia at Odeliya's birth) and by necessity she is doing more since I am out of the house all day. Chaviva is still living with us and is a tremendoun help. Thank God for her. She is also making her plans for the year.

Netanel is doing really well in gan. He has friends and is learning stuff. Last Shabbat he came to shul with me and davened much of his usual davening. Then he and a classmate went scouring the shul for unclaimed candies from the Shabbat chatan. That friend is coming for lunch with her family tomorrow, which should be very nice. But I will need to get back to Shabbat prep in a minute, so I'll wrap up.

I have been learning a tremendous amount about myself while working at the winery. I am basically starting at the bottom, with a temporary job as a laborer. Hopefully I will be able to build myself up pretty quickly. I keep looking for opportunities Hashem will send me. As we go into Rosh HaShana I feel like this is the most prepared I've been in years, and it's not from learning Hilchot Teshuva (although that would also be good). I have been revisting healthcare in addition to efficiency and hi-tech. I am thinking about combining the two and I may go back to school for paramedic or nursing. Of course, we need income in the meantime.

The world is open to me (the world in the molusk of my choice). I just need to find my path and have the courage to follow it. If it means starting from the bottom, so be it. But it would be okay if I could jump a few steps on the fast-track too.

Shabbat Shalom to all. come visit us in the Golan Heights,
Yoram