Slice of Life

Two weeks ago, I woke up to a rattling WhatsApp message sent to our family chat by a family member whom I love dearly, but… There was a photo of a group of people davening at Kever Yosef along with a reassuring comment stating that we can be calm – they had already exited Shechem. This was followed by a comment from another family member, whom I also love dearly, who congratulated the original poster (and, yes, I do still love him, in case you were wondering) for providing all of this exciting information after the fact.

We dip the apple in the honey and savor its sweetness, hoping for a sweet year. We blow the shofar to awaken ourselves to do t’shuvah. We eat maror to remind us of the bitterness we experienced when we were slaves in Mitzrayim. As frum Jews, we live a life that’s filled with symbols.

We moved.  Okay…so, we didn’t really move.  It just feels that way. We still live in Ramat Beit Shemesh.  Same address. But our home is different now.  It appears that the United Nations has uprooted itself from New York City and transplanted itself right in our home.  No, we are not anti-Semitic.  Of course, not! We love Israel!  We love Jews.  And we all get along well, baruch Hashem.  But some things have changed. 

Beit Shemesh is no stranger to the news. Over the years, the intense conflicts between the various segments of the population provided fodder for news outlets looking for a juicy scoop. And there was no shortage of fodder.

There are weddings and there are weddings. The guests at a wedding that took place a few short weeks ago will forever remember the occasion for many reasons.

I have a lot of enemies. I don’t know them personally, but I’ve noticed many drivers passing me on the road who don’t seem to be particularly happy with me. They do not wave and smile as they pass. They sometimes have an angry look on their faces and often it seems that one of their hands is permanently attached to the horn. What can I say? I’m not an Indy 500 racer, which puts me in a negligible minority in this country. Driving on the road is not my favorite activity either. Just so you know.