Chag Sameach

SUKKAH CITY

Wishing everyone a chag sameach! The fire department of Midwood gave out fire safety packets targeting frum Jews today. The information is quite helpful. Have a happy , healthy and safe holiday.

The Chabad sukkah in Union Square last year

Yom Kippur Thoughts

     Before Yom Kippur I thought that I would write a very different post. Now that Yom Kippur has passed... well much has changed.
     As with much in life, one really does not know what one would do in a crisis until one is confronted with it. This Kol Nidre I had that sort of test. I was minding my own business and went to to the ladies room at some point . When I left the stall before me appeared a woman whose face was covered in blood. When I looked around I saw that there was a foot wide trail of blood on the floor in the bathroom leading to the door. It looked like a scene in a movie where someone had been attacked. I knew that hadn't happened but that was my gut reaction. I also felt like I wanted to bolt out of there and somehow manage not to step in all of the blood. I felt in shock but I also knew that I had to get help . I weaved my way between the blood to the rest of the shul and told someone what had happened and that we needed to get hatzalah. She went to the men's section and about five men ran downstairs to the ladies room to help the woman. As it turns out there is a whole fleet of men at that shul who are part of hatzalah. They took it from there.
      Life is can change with the blink of an eye for better or for worse. One has to be thankful for all the blessings one has. At first it was difficult to have kavanah after seeing the injured woman in shul, but afterward it made the weight of what Yom Kippur means a lot stronger. I sincerely hope the lady has a refuah shelemah.

I Am Big Bird Official Trailer (2014) - Caroll Spinney, Sesame Street Do...

     I loved Sesame Street as a kid. Big bird was so much fun to watch. When  I noticed this video on Amazon Prime I decided that this was the time to watch it. It did not disappoint. This is the story of the man who still plays Big Bird on Sesame Street. He is such a nice , gentle person. It is so lovely to watch. There is a reason Big Bird is still popular. Caroll Spinney.

The Olden Days.

     When I was a kid I used to think of when my parents grew up as the "olden days".  I even used to ask them to tell me stories about said olden days. It really is funny because when I used to do  this my parents were in their early thirties. As a kid I thought parents were old by virtue of the fact they were parents. As and adult I am glad that I grew up in those olden days. Things were not as innocent as most like to pretend , but whatever lack of technology we had then make us the better people we are today. 

Shanah Tovah

    I would like to wish everyone a shanah tovah. Wishing everyone health, happiness and peace.

Rosh Hashanah Greeting 2015

Expertise

      One problem that I have with rabbis making decisions about medicine and technology is that many of them do not really have education the fields they are giving a ruling  on. I suppose that in the cases where they do not have the education in that they can only give a halachic ruling  based on their knowledge of the subject whatever that knowledge may be. This is one reason that I think its important for frum people to be involved in every field so that there are people who are versed in halacha who actually know the fields Jews  may have halachic questions about.
      

The Last Havdallah of 5775

    In honor of the last havdallah of 5776 I am posting this video of havdallah all over the world.  Its beautiful.  I am happy to note that there are women as well as men  in this video. Shavuah tov!

Remembering 9/11

View of lower Manhattan from the Q train. Freedom tower on far right

  Another 9/11 is here . I am off of work today and and am watching the reading of the the names of those who perished in the attacks of 9/11. It always brings tears to my eyes. This year there isn't really a theme for those reading the names . Every type of relative of those who were lost are reading the names. It is a little disconcerting how sometimes as they read the names there is a lag between the photo on the screen and the name that is read. They do not always match. The sound from CBS keeps fading in and out .
      I admit that I do not usually watch all of the names being read. Its such a long list. Its a beautiful day today. It was a very hot sunny day in New York City on  9/11  of 2001. I particularly remember how bright it was that Tuesday because the day before had been so rainy.

Lower Manhattan.. Freedom tower on far right

The Freedom Tower

    I am glad that the weather is nice out today . It makes it a little easier for those downtown who are there for the memorial ceremony .
    As I watch the names and ages of those who we have lost flash on the television screen I realize that they would be fourteen years older now had they lived. Those who were young then would no longer be so young. They were not blessed to be able to experience the passage of time.
      9/11 was a horrible day for all of us. It was a living nightmare that one could not escape. I remember waking up 9/12 /01 thinking  "Now  what?" What  does one do after the world has been changed forever? After 14 years I have learned that life does go on even when one is not sure it can. It just takes awhile to get back on track sometimes.
     I have included some pictures of downtown Manhattan. Some include the new freedom tower that memorializes 9/11 . The tower is the very tall building on the right side of the first and third picture and its the building in the center in the last picture.
          Lets never forget those live who were lost and those who were so brave that day. Lets pray for peace. 

Anger

      You really don't know someone until you piss them off. Some people have acceptable anger ratings and others are off the charts. When I'm dating someone I don't go out of my way to get them angry but I don't mind when they do because then I get to find out what they are like when they get angry.

Psoriasis Matters

      I have mentioned the challenge of living with psoriasis before, but now I have an exciting remedy that I have discovered that really has changed my life. Dead sea mud soap. After  using it on my face, scalp and other places on my body I am now a true believer in the power of dead sea mud bar soap. It does not completely remove the need for medicine but it severely reduces the flaky symptoms.  Its the  next best thing to swimming in the actual Dead Sea.
      Dead Sea mud soap is WAYYYY cheaper than medicine and it supports Israel. Its win-win