I spent 3 days in the Big Apple this week, giving our office there a bit of assistance in this, the busiest times of the year.
One of my conditions for coming to the big city was that I'd be able to go to JFK on Monday morning to see off the first NBN Charter flight of the summer which carried 21 of "my" Olim. It's one of my regrets that I haven't been able to do this more often during the course of my Shlichut (this was only the second time I've managed it out of 13 charter flights whilst I've been here) so I wasn't going to pass up on an opportunity.
I arrived at the airport with 3 of my colleagues and after saying hi to my friends on the NBN staff I went to find my people; a young girl just out of High School who's father I know from the football field who'll be going to the IDF, an incredible family who I've had lots of contact with over the years I've been here, young people from Philly, Richmond, Rockville and Atlanta and a great guy from SC. I missed 3 of my other people - young Olim, going to the army and also missed much of the goodbye ceremony when I realised that a family of 6 was nowhere to be seen.
Eventually I tracked the mother and kids down and it was obvious why they weren't at the ceremony; rental car being returned, unloading one car and another car with luggage somewhere at JFK (but not where it should have been). I take the view that different people need different things from their Shaliach. I did what was needed at that time - schlepped suitcases and drafted in others to help (a family of 6 takes a lot of bags!) and wrote out a dozen luggage labels to make sure that everything got there safely. I saw pictures of the family at Ben Gurion the next day so everything must have worked out (although I don't know about their bags).
All in all it was a tremendous experience to see my Olim off. The next time I do it, I'll be with Mrs G and the monkey and we'll be getting on the plane with the Olim on our way home - something which I've been dreaming of doing for a while (more in another post).
Friday, July 10, 2009
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Leaving friends behind
Friday night was a memorable one. I have been suggesting for a while that rather than spending all day cooking we should be having "bistro style" meals - simple and hearty with like minded friends, possibly with shared preparation.
The holiday weekend provided a perfect opportunity to try this out with a Bar B Q theme and an invite to one of our favourite couples with another of our favourites also on the guest list.
We arrived early on Friday with a 6 pack of Sam Adams and a marinated London Broil (basically a big steak - in London it's called something totally different). I took out the meat and made sure the grill man had a beer. Being a gentleman I didn't let him drink alone. Boneless chicken thighs (definitely the best for grilling) were already cooking and as the meat went on, so too did some thick slices of seasoned red peppers.
A couple of flips later and we were ready to roll. The menfolk went to shul, womenfolk discussed their knitting and the monkey played with their little lady (got a goodnight kiss out of the evening, we already like the parents.....)
The addition of an excellent green salad and some oven roasted potato and some sweetcorn finished the menu in style. A bottle of red, some beers and a 15 year old Balvenie graced the table.
We talked, laughed and ate our fill in a casual meal that continued until late. As Shabbat meals go it's up high on the list. Even the monkey transferred comfortably.
Although I've missed our friends at home, we've been blessed to land up in a community with plenty of like minded people and have made some amazing friendships. We'll miss them but look forward to hosting them in the years to come.
Gilly
The holiday weekend provided a perfect opportunity to try this out with a Bar B Q theme and an invite to one of our favourite couples with another of our favourites also on the guest list.
We arrived early on Friday with a 6 pack of Sam Adams and a marinated London Broil (basically a big steak - in London it's called something totally different). I took out the meat and made sure the grill man had a beer. Being a gentleman I didn't let him drink alone. Boneless chicken thighs (definitely the best for grilling) were already cooking and as the meat went on, so too did some thick slices of seasoned red peppers.
A couple of flips later and we were ready to roll. The menfolk went to shul, womenfolk discussed their knitting and the monkey played with their little lady (got a goodnight kiss out of the evening, we already like the parents.....)
The addition of an excellent green salad and some oven roasted potato and some sweetcorn finished the menu in style. A bottle of red, some beers and a 15 year old Balvenie graced the table.
We talked, laughed and ate our fill in a casual meal that continued until late. As Shabbat meals go it's up high on the list. Even the monkey transferred comfortably.
Although I've missed our friends at home, we've been blessed to land up in a community with plenty of like minded people and have made some amazing friendships. We'll miss them but look forward to hosting them in the years to come.
Gilly
Friday, June 19, 2009
Hard at work
A busy week has seen me in Atlanta helping out a colleague by meeting with some people for her. Next week I'm doing a similar favour but in NYC for 3 days.
Just did a count and realised that (not even including the New York people next week) we'll be sending close to 150 people to Israel between now and the end of August which is pretty awesome!
Still trying to figure out the exact details of the return trip but will most certainly be home no later than the 18th which is incredibly exciting. The job front is still worrying me but I had an email from the HR guy the other day that he needs to speak with me - we just having been able to find a time to speak - hopefully next week I'll have something a little more concrete.
Shabbat shalom
Just did a count and realised that (not even including the New York people next week) we'll be sending close to 150 people to Israel between now and the end of August which is pretty awesome!
Still trying to figure out the exact details of the return trip but will most certainly be home no later than the 18th which is incredibly exciting. The job front is still worrying me but I had an email from the HR guy the other day that he needs to speak with me - we just having been able to find a time to speak - hopefully next week I'll have something a little more concrete.
Shabbat shalom
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Safe?
Driving home from work I noted a police car parked outside the JCC, a second one outside our shul and a 3rd at Chabad. I'm sure that there was one parked up outside every Jewish "target" in the Greater DC area. This of course is the response to the horrific and senseless shooting today at the US Holocaust Museum.
I was at the Holocaust Museum 2 weeks ago with guests from Israel - it's an interesting Museum, filled with school groups from across the States with tickets sold out weeks in advance (entrance is free but if you want a specific time spot ahead of time you have to pay). It's got a very different feel from Yad Vashem and is one of the most visited museums in the country. It also has a hefty security presence of the type with which Israelis are very familiar - think of the Central Bus Station or the Kanyon - X ray machines, metal detectors and big men with guns and no sense of humour.
The US second amendment allows pretty much anyone the right to go into a store and buy a gun - Target doesn't sell them (not around these parts at least) but for a bog standard white supremacist nut (a reminder that it's not just the Islamic extremists who hate us) to get his hands on firearms doesn't take too much.
So the alternate scenario for today is what has got me seriously nervous - this guy chose a hard target - security sitting there armed to the teeth and, although he killed one guard (our thoughts are with his family) he was quickly dealt with (not well enough in my book as he's still in intensive care rather than the morgue). Had he chosen a soft target - walked into a Synagogue on Shabbat morning with a weapon and extra ammo however, the scene would have been one of carnage.
I'm glad to be going back to a place where the rules are so strict that I can't get a gun license just because I want to pack heat (the 2nd is one of the amendments which I don't buy into (the 18th was at least abolished later and the less said about the 19th the better :) ) and where the security services are able to deal with this sort of thing far more effectively than in the land of the free. Oftentimes people will tell me that they consider Israel a dangerous place - for Jews the US is potentially far more dangerous - I just wish people would take the hint before something really horrible happens.
I was at the Holocaust Museum 2 weeks ago with guests from Israel - it's an interesting Museum, filled with school groups from across the States with tickets sold out weeks in advance (entrance is free but if you want a specific time spot ahead of time you have to pay). It's got a very different feel from Yad Vashem and is one of the most visited museums in the country. It also has a hefty security presence of the type with which Israelis are very familiar - think of the Central Bus Station or the Kanyon - X ray machines, metal detectors and big men with guns and no sense of humour.
The US second amendment allows pretty much anyone the right to go into a store and buy a gun - Target doesn't sell them (not around these parts at least) but for a bog standard white supremacist nut (a reminder that it's not just the Islamic extremists who hate us) to get his hands on firearms doesn't take too much.
So the alternate scenario for today is what has got me seriously nervous - this guy chose a hard target - security sitting there armed to the teeth and, although he killed one guard (our thoughts are with his family) he was quickly dealt with (not well enough in my book as he's still in intensive care rather than the morgue). Had he chosen a soft target - walked into a Synagogue on Shabbat morning with a weapon and extra ammo however, the scene would have been one of carnage.
I'm glad to be going back to a place where the rules are so strict that I can't get a gun license just because I want to pack heat (the 2nd is one of the amendments which I don't buy into (the 18th was at least abolished later and the less said about the 19th the better :) ) and where the security services are able to deal with this sort of thing far more effectively than in the land of the free. Oftentimes people will tell me that they consider Israel a dangerous place - for Jews the US is potentially far more dangerous - I just wish people would take the hint before something really horrible happens.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Sundays
The notion of having a lazy day on which you can do nothing - Sunday is certainly something that I shall miss.
Today, having woken as late as the monkey would allow, I took said young man to the park whilst Mrs G got together a picnic lunch. We then departed for the Eastern Market downtown. We had a most pleasant wander around the market which will very shortly be moving back to it's revamped location (a devastating fire destroyed most of the original location and it's been in a temporary spot whilst the rebuilding has been done). The weather was stunning, the crowd in good spirits. Excellent jazz from a pavement band kept the mood up and I even managed to find what it was that I'd come with a view to purchasing - a souvenir of DC for our wall in Israel.
From there we headed a few blocks over to the zoo. Like the other national institutions in DC, this has the added benefit of being completely free. We ate our lunch and then strolled through, stopping off at the gorillas and other apes, small mammals house (which delighted our own small mammal) and elephants. The pandas were left for another trip and the big cats had all gone in for an early night by the time we reached them.
We took a slow drive home and feasted on leftovers from our wonderful shabbat meals, leaving time for me to catch up on my emails and Mrs G to sprawl in front of the Tony awards.
One of my Olim put the Sunday experience into an interesting perspective which helps me to deal with the return to the Friday off, Sunday on structure. In Israel we look forward to Shabbat - our day of rest. The moment Shabbat goes out we're preparing for the week ahead and therefore every minute is precious. In Chutz La'aretz we're looking forward to the end of Shabbat so that we can go out on Saturday night and then enjoy our real day of rest - Sunday. that viewpoint really struck me - although it's quite a natural thing to do, it's so wrong if you think of it like that. So, although I will miss having a Sunday, I will be looking forward to what should be my day of rest when we get home.
Today, having woken as late as the monkey would allow, I took said young man to the park whilst Mrs G got together a picnic lunch. We then departed for the Eastern Market downtown. We had a most pleasant wander around the market which will very shortly be moving back to it's revamped location (a devastating fire destroyed most of the original location and it's been in a temporary spot whilst the rebuilding has been done). The weather was stunning, the crowd in good spirits. Excellent jazz from a pavement band kept the mood up and I even managed to find what it was that I'd come with a view to purchasing - a souvenir of DC for our wall in Israel.
From there we headed a few blocks over to the zoo. Like the other national institutions in DC, this has the added benefit of being completely free. We ate our lunch and then strolled through, stopping off at the gorillas and other apes, small mammals house (which delighted our own small mammal) and elephants. The pandas were left for another trip and the big cats had all gone in for an early night by the time we reached them.
We took a slow drive home and feasted on leftovers from our wonderful shabbat meals, leaving time for me to catch up on my emails and Mrs G to sprawl in front of the Tony awards.
One of my Olim put the Sunday experience into an interesting perspective which helps me to deal with the return to the Friday off, Sunday on structure. In Israel we look forward to Shabbat - our day of rest. The moment Shabbat goes out we're preparing for the week ahead and therefore every minute is precious. In Chutz La'aretz we're looking forward to the end of Shabbat so that we can go out on Saturday night and then enjoy our real day of rest - Sunday. that viewpoint really struck me - although it's quite a natural thing to do, it's so wrong if you think of it like that. So, although I will miss having a Sunday, I will be looking forward to what should be my day of rest when we get home.
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