Zhensky Den

In Russia they take their few holidays seriously.

Therefore, this past Shabbos, being Zhensky Den (womens day), the walk to shul was more intertesting than usual, with men all over rushing around carrying flowers, or watching their little children while their wives were (I'm assuming) out partying or finally catching up on sleep. Their were also romantic couples camped out all over, and several street bands singing lullabies. It was a fun experience, topped off with two soldiers, who stopped me to ask for cigarettes. When I explained them about Shabbos, they told me they were from Northern Ossetia and Dagestan, and they keep Shabbos on Friday (Muslims, I assume). Then they asked me if I knew Igor the Jew in the market, thereby giving me another name of a Jew to look for and perhaps invite for Shabbos.

Today is also Zhensky Den (2 days, perhaps because we are in the diaspora), and so the children gave Chayale a present. It was really cute.

I don't think I ever mentioned what we do each Sunday. So here is a report:

From 12:00 to 2:00 is Sunday school. Chayale has arranged for there to be kosher crafts and she does arts and cr4afts with the children in a genius way that there is always a lesson. She also teaches Alef Beis by having the kids color in all sorts of pictures that start with that letter (for example an 'ananas' for Aleph), and putting in their "alef-beis train" that Chayale made for each kid.

I teach a Jewish History class, which always turns into a discussion about different Jewish items, becuase while you teach history, you understand more Jewish things (such as, in explaining the sheishes yemei breishis you learn about shabbos...)

Then we go to meet the studnets, with whom we just chat.

I am trying to start classes. I plan to introduce them at Purim with a sign-up list.

Cricket in Russia!

The other day I was being driven down Pushkina Street when I noticed a group of Kavkaz-looking boys playing cricket in an alleyway! Cricket in Russia! Hey, if cricket can be played in Russia, definitely roller-hockey is a possibility.

In other news, we decided that now that a Rabbi is in town, things much change. Suprisingly, the hostility we expected (and have received on other occassions) hasn't been seen (probably because we have raised 1500 bucks for Purim, more than all of them put together, though we still need to raise more hint hint). In other words, everyone agrees that the huge Purim meal in which we are inviting the ENTIRE COMMUNITY (both factions... a first for this community in about 5 years) will be entirely kosher.

Chayale also has promised to help prepare food for Shabbos and to make Shabbos kosher, which means that for now we prepare everything at home, and bring it to the centre to be eaten. We want to kasher the kitchen, which altogether (new dishes, stove, etc.) will cost 1000 dollars.

Anyone wanna help sponsor a kosher kitchen for a large Jewish community in Russia?

Ivanovo, Russia: Man Get 4 Years In Jail For Attacking Rabbi

Ivanovo Leninsky District Court handed down a sentence to the local resident who attacked the chairman of Ivanovo Jewish Community Ervin Kirshtein and his foreign guests - reported HERE on YWN.

In addition to a four-year jail sentence, the court will impose on him a penalty of 80,000 ruble moral damages in favor of Kirshtein, and 40,000 ruble moral damages in favor of community member Valery Makushev.

According to earlier reports, on June 11, 2007, some youths attacked the chairman of local Jewish Community Ervin Kirshtein, Jewish Community member Valery Makushev, and their guests from Montreal, rabbi Zvi Hershcovich with his wife and 8-year-old daughter walking about the central streets of Ivanovo.

(Source: Interfax)



That from theyeshivanews.com

My did Miriam grow.

Hows that for news?

White toilet paper

Who would know? all toilet paper here (except for the sandpaper ones) are colored for some reason.

But a big heros thank you goes to Leibele and Chanie Rodal who sent us ULTRASOFT WHITE toiletpaper!!!!

We are now able to sit down on our chairs properly. Thank you guys.

Another video

Miriam and Chayale singing Pattycake.

First video upload

Esty and Chayale playing an arcade game in the Galeria. We went skating as well, and word spread. Several people have already mentioned that they heard the Rabbi is a good skater ;) More videos to come.

Internet at work

The arrival of Esty brought luck with it.

High-speed internet here costs 400 bucks to install, and takes a month. Well, in short, when our secretary went to pay for it, they said that there was a sale, for only about 275 dollars and they installed it within 4 days. This means that we now have internet in the office, which is where I am writing from.

So much is going on, but instead of writing it all, I will try and post pictures and videos.

This one is Chayale teaching women how to make Challah a few weeks ago. One of the ladies now makes Challah (6 braids) herself each week for Shabbos!

My sister is in town

Esty came in for a week, and there is nothing like having a family member visit you after spending 4 months in the middle of nowhere trying to find kosher food.

Incidentally, before this past Shabbos we got a call from a community member who wanted to meet us. She speaks a fluent English, and so I invited her and her husband for Shabbos. They are a really cute couple, and we found out that their daughter lives with her husband in MOntreal!!! Now that Esty's here she gave Esty a package to bring to Montreal for her daughter. Such a nice couple.

Stuck in the airport

Well, there was a beautiful conference for all Shluchim and Roshei HaKehillos of Russia in Moscow, and they flew us in and put us up in a gorgeous hotel for a few days. I got to finally meet most of the other Rabbis, and take care of community issues of which I will write about another time, G-d willing.

Yesterday evening, transportation was arranged to take us to the airport. We arrived only to find out that Stavropol is snowed out and the airport there closed.

So we traded our tickets for new ones to Mineralniye Voda leaving today at 11:00 (Min Voda has a larger international airport and is 3 hours from Stavropol).

But we were stuck for the night without a place to stay or kosher food.

We called Or Avner and they told us to get to the Marina Roscha shul and they'll arrange for us transportation back to the airport and a hotel.

We went to the shul, and turns out that Lev Leviev's son had a bar mitzvah and we were all invited, so we got a full, yummy meal. Then we danced a little (first time my Rosh Hakahal danced without a girl), and went to the hotel.

It was 4000 rubles (about 170 bucks) a room, so we had to sdhare a room, and it was one of the drabbiest hotels in the world. THEY DIDNT EVEN GIVE US TOWELS!!!!

But Boruch Hashem I'm here in the airport, and though the flight is delayed til 11:50, and I heard the roads from Min Voda to Stavropol are closed, I;'m confident that it's Hashgocha Protis, and Hashem has a plan or reason why we're here.

Perhaps it was to meet a Jew from Siktivkar (find that on a map) and tell him about Shushan Purim Katan.

Challah baking

On Thursday Chayale invited 3 women over to make Challah together while our housekeeper watches the kids.

Incidentally our amazing housekeeper last Friday told us it was her last day an hour before Shabbos. She felt bad leaving, but her priest told her she should. Then on Sunday our driver told us it was his last day, his rich son hired him. They both were sad to leave, and luckily we quickly found a new driver and housekeeper. We hope they'll be as good as the previous ones.

Anyway, so at 2:00, Anya Yaskovich came with her son, Yaroslav, who is only a little older than Miriam. Then Anya Davidova and Lena Berkun, two amazing women from the community, came with their children.

Together they spent all day making Challahs. They even stayed for supper. I'll try to convince Chayale to write about that experience.

Meanwhile, I am trying to get a working visa. Below I posted some pictures. They are not recent, but enjoy them nonetheless. We bought a computer and soon should have internet at home. Then we'll post more, and the blog will be G-d willing filled with photos, news, and videos.

Last photo for now

Odd, huh? we laughed when we saw this doll in the store, and took a picture (this is in December). Only in Russia would they sell a handcuffed baby in a bathtub.

Recently we've been having guests each shabbos - like 8 at a time (which is alot of fun).

Usually they bring gifts, though we try to discourage them from bringing on Shabbos.

This past week someone brought us THAT VERY DOLL!!!! Yes, Miriam now plays with the handcuffed doll. What should we name it?

Photo

Pictures

Mariashi requested photos. We are having troubles uploading them, but here's another go.

I hope this works. It's a sign we saw in Stavropol.

Garbage pickers

As a kid, in hockey when someone stood close to the net waiting to cash in on rebounds and screaming 'pass', they were called 'garbage-pickers' (though those very same kids, should they ever make it to the NHL would be called 'power forwards').

I never really understood where the term came from, after all - who picks things out of the garbage?

Well, now I understand.

Sometimes when I go out to dump my garebaggio, there is a cluster of poor people licking their lips and waiting like zombies for me to drop it in the dumpster, so that as soon as I leave they can dive in and eat the leftovers of Miriams soggy bananas.

It's kinda freaky. Real people actually PUBLICLY go picking through garbages.

I guess it says alot about the country, huh?

Thank you - public

Thank you to my family, who raised enough money to buy a Megilla for the Jewish Community of Stavropol in my Bubby Leah's memory.

In case you didn't yet hear the story

I assume everyone knows this one, as I've told it to everyone I know, but in case you are at the bottom of the grapevine in the mud, here is an amazing miracle story.

Every Shabbos, some old men and women meet in the Center to talk about the Parsha, eat some food, and read some Jewish newspapers. They do this at 2 PM for some unknown reason, though I am working on making it earlier so I can have a normal Shabbos meal.

Getting back on topic, one of these Jews is, to quote his words, "Yisroel Yitzchak ben Moshe" Farber. Married to a non-Jew, he knows that all his descendants aren't Jewish, yet is the most knowledgable of them all, reading the Parsha each week before Shabbos, and speaking a fluent Yiddish, I mean even fluenter than Rabbi Berkowitz!!!

Anyway, on Tu B'shvat there was a small celebration, and I sat down next to YY, whom I had become very friendly with. As we're talking, he told me that when he was a child he once received a Bracha from a Rebbe.

"Cool" I said in Yiddish (the Yiddish word for cool is 'Brekhtish'). "What was his name? perhaps I heard of him, maybe he was the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, or the Tosher Rebbe..."

He says, "no, his name was Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson."

I frieked out as one could expect, and then demanded to know the story.

"I was the first son born into my family (and the only one) after three girls," he said. "My father always wanted a boy, but he died when I was 9 months old. When I was 2, my mother heard that the Rebbe was coming to town. So she arranged a Yechidus. At the Yechidus she burst into tears, and asked the Rebbe, "my son has no father. Who will take care of him?" The Rebbe answered "Hashem will take care of your son.""

Yisroel Yitzchak then looks at me and continues, "and I survived throught World War 2, communism, and lived a life of luxury throughout. I know Hashem watches over me."

#3 - January 15. New Updates. Problems

Well, News Update is as follows. I am as hormonal as ever. In the morning I am flying high at the thought of having a whole week to myself in New York and spend my hours dreaming about the food I'm going to eat and the milkshakes I'm going to live on. At night, I sob, hysterically, at the INSANE idea of leaving my baby all alone without a mommy. Who's gonna keep her warm and wipe her boogers and give her a fruit or veggie with every meal!?Anyway, meanwhile, we have other problems. Bigger than my hormonal meltdowns.Russia is not a big on the legal and lawful. They haven't quite figured out how to make rules and stick to them. So they just came out with a new law. Even though we got visas for a year, unless we get a new different (expensive) visa or get permanent residency, we must leave the country in February for three months. So we are panicking.I, actually, am having my Shlichus kick-off this week with an older women- with gold teeth- get-together and we're making challah. Sunday, we have a Bar Mitzah, we're teaching the kids about Tu B'Shvat and then in the afternoon, I am having a womens group. Lots of cute, young women are coming to make fruit platters and learn!! I'm so proud of myself!! I got a professional fruit platter lady teacher to come! And a translator!!Oh and one more BIG piece of news: The Segals bought us cheese. They rock!

#2 - Upshernish in Stavropol - posted Jan. 14

Yesterday, we were invited to an Upshernish of a little boy named Yossi who actually has a Jewish mother AND father and brother. We came bearing a Tzizis cake, chocolate chip bars and a present for the boys. Only us and a another family were invited. It was really a beautiful afternoon. Zvi said a beautiful speech about an upshernish and blessed the home. We brought a laminated alef Bais and had Yossi licked honey from it. We stayed for five hours, chatting and eating (fruit and the cake I brought!). They kept on making Lechaims and telling us how happy they are that we came to Stavropol. The dad cried a few times. It was my first real Shlichus experience.Another thing we did was bring our Jewish neightbors cake for Shabbos. They were so happy.Fsyo. for now.

Some old posts of mine which went to the wrong place - #1 - the Metro Millionaires

So... Zvi has been bugging me to post so I will write about my experience I had yesterday in.. Metro!Well, I went to buy an oven so I can finally make normal food. Of course, though I can speak perfect Russian, no one can understand a word I say. So when I inquired about which oven was "Sami Luchi" (the best), they frantically sent the word out that any English pseaking employee should make their way to the aisle. Well, withing minutes there were 10 employees. One spoke English. I chose an oven, a bread machine and then proceeded to continue with my shopping. As I an walking, I notice that this guy is following me. I said "why you following me???" He said "the floor manager said I must go with you and help you with anything you need." They thought I was an American millionaire! Boy did I take advantage. He pushed my cart, ran to get me things, bagged my groceries. I even got his phone number is case I ever need anything. While I was in Metro, by the way, I found the couch of dreams. Leather, chocolate brown and is a sofa bed. We're going back to get it today!Stavropol's awesome. I come to New York in two weeks from today. I'm dreaming about the pizza.

An update

So much happens here you forget to post, especially when you need to travel around to find internet. So here's a little update.

Two days ago our driver was taking Chayale somewhere so I took a taxi home. The guy immediately notifies me that I happen to look Jewish. I answer my standard answer, "ya Superyevrei". This always gets a chuckle. Anyway he tells me his Grandma was Jewish. As a proper shliach, alarm bells rang in my head and I immediately asked him what any one of the Rebbe's shluchim's response to that statement would be. I said, "do you have 1000? we want to make a kosher kitchen...." oops, no that's for fundraising. I actually tried to find out if it was his maternal grandma, and it turned out it was. So I told him he's Jewish.

Of course he asks the standard Xenophobic question upon hearing that. He says, "so why don't I have alot of money?" I replied, "not all Jews have money, you know." Anyway, we spoke a little, and he tells me he has a sister living in Prague (mental note to Rav of Prague, contact that woman). So I took his number and told him I wanna invite him for Shabbos. I ask him his name.

Pause for effect.

ALEX KOVALEV!!!!!

I promise. This is one of my hockey heroes!!! Could Hashem have made me love hockey so much for this very reason???? probably not, but it was kinda cool.

So he is my project of the year. Someday he'll meet his namesake, and say the following words to him: "do you want to put on tefillin?"