Abba's trip to Baltimore

Before we left, we actually had the chance to be Menachem Avel by the family of Rav Ovadiah Yosef zt"l. The Rebbe was actually able to get us to be the first ones to be Menachem Avel and from there we headed straight for the airport. I snapped this shot opposite the media gallery and inadvertently ended up in a lot of the newspapers on the other end of this shot

The first half of this trip was in New York and New Jersey. Spent time with Saba on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Wednesday night we were in Teaneck and saw Bubby & Grandpa who came from Elizabeth; Uncle Bentzy (the Nagel's live in Teaneck) and Gail and David (who have also been living during the week in Teaneck since Racheli started Frisch). I also saw Judah who came over the few blocks from Bergenfield as well as Avrumki Allen, an old friend from YSMZ, who comes from Melbourne, Australia, but has been living in Englewood for the past 10+ years.

Thursday through Monday we were based in Passaic and visited a bunch of schools. Since Grandma Toby lived about a half mile from where I was staying, I came by on Friday and did the best I could do, which lasted about 45 minutes

On Tuesday morning we visited Yavneh Academy where Binyamin is in the eighth grade. I was able to convince Hershel, a former Gabbi of the Rebbe who lives in Brooklyn, to join us in New Jersey to free me up for the rest of the day, as after Yavneh the Rebbe had a wedding in Boro Park that night and Hershel would accompnay him for the rest of the day.
So after lunch I headed to Elizabeth to pick up the 2 suitcases for Ima, and after trying on a bunch of Uncle Shlomo's suits that didn't fit, Bubby convinced me to go shopping with her on Route 22 and we found 2 suits which Bubby took with her to hem herself and bring with her when she visits with Grandpa for Chanukah.
From Elizabeth I went to Flatbush for Mincha and spent time with Grandma Rhoda, before having dinner at the Jacobs and catching Maariv. Then I headed to Queens to visit Aunt Dina, Uncle Zach and Cooper. Aunt Lisa was also supposed to meet us there, but she had to cancel. Saba texted me that if I wanted to come to visit him that night to see him again I could BUT THERE WAS NO PRESSURE TO DO SO (sic), so I spent the night in Great Neck.

Wendesday morning I went from Great Neck to Flatbush to pick up the Rebbe, back to Little Neck to visit Yeshiva Har Torah, and back to Flatbush to finish some unfinished business. So between Tuesday and Wednesday I went back and forth on the Jackie Robinson Parkway a bunch of times. I thought of mom each time I passed, but couldn't find the time to visit on this trip. From Flatbush we drove to Baltimore via Lakewood to pick up some Sefarim at IsraelBookShop

Thursday morning we were at TA Baltimore where Oshy and Sunny Blashka go to school. That is me hiding behind the Rebbe, with my hand on his back pointing out that this is Grandpa's grandson Oshy.

 On Thursday afternoon I also found time to drop by their home which was a half-mile from where we were staying. I was able to spend some time with David and the rest of the family (although Raizy was working) over some local pizza. Even Mr. Vayes was there.

Friday afternoon, while the Rebbe was resting I finally got to visit Avigdor and his family on Yeshiva Lane, it was about a 15 minute drive from our side of Baltimore. R.T. seemed to avoid me but the other kids were friendly. Avigdor and I took the younger four kids to the playground while Tamara got things ready for Shabbos. Here is Ephrayim on his bicycle

I should have taken more photos but I was too busy enjoying my limited time with Avigdor and his kids on the beautiful Ner Yisroel campus. Although it's my fault that Akiva got some soap in his eyes during bath time, overall I must applaud myself that I caused minimal damage on Aunt Tamara's household.

Motzai Shabbos Avigdor came to the Melaveh Malka at the Baltimore Community Kollel and we spent most of the time analyzing the halachic sources of Melaveh Malka to justify us being there in the first place

Sunday late morning Avigdor had to do carpool, so he dropped of Dovi at the Hachnasas Sefer Torah on our side of town and after dancing with the Torah and showing Dovi my Israeli coins, I drove him back to Yeshiva Lane and spent some more time with the kids before I had to return to the Rebbe in the early afternoon

Sunday afternoon we saw David and his three oldest boys who skipped out on the local Uncle Moishe concert and came to the Rebbe for a bracha.

Avigdor came back on Sunday evening to keep me company while I managed the Rebbe's appointments in the backyard shul. We said our goodbyes looking forward to June, when a family wedding should bring us back together again...

The Weiss's visit over Succos

We finally got some good pictures from Aunt Gail's iPhone to share on the blog so here is the recap of the visit

Gail, David, Racheli and Zeidy came to Eretz Yisroel for Succos. (Zeidy is actually making Aliyah). They joined us for Shabbos Chol HaMoed Succos.

On Friday we headed to Ein Mabua, which is one of our family nature spots near Mitzpeh Yericho. Ima and Zeidy stayed behind to get us ready for Shabbos and the rest of us dressed for a water hike and came in two cars (even Tali came)

We somehow managed to fit everyone in the house for sleeping and for meals in the Sukkah. Racheli, Elazar and Ezra took turns not feeling well and that extra space in the Sukkah made a big difference. Over Shabbos we davened mostly at Yagel Yaakov as it was nearby for Zeidy, but on Friday night Zeidy made the walk up the big hill to the main shul to get a better feel of the people from the older neighborhood as well as to see the lookout over Jericho after davening. Uncle David entertained Elisheva and Ezra with jokes and riddles for much of Shabbos

On Sunday, Gail, David and Racheli took Elisheva to Ein Gedi, while the rest of us cleaned up from Shabbos and hosted the Zeevi's that afternoon for lunch in the Sukkah. Ask Gail for pictures of that (she took quite a few), especially her prized video of the walking crab.

We said our goodbyes on early Sunday evening when they returned back and we didn't think we would see them again, but then late on Sunday night, we were invited to join Eli at his sheep farm in Shilo for a barbecue. Rochelle took Eli, Zeidy and Gail in one car, and David and I drove the two other cars to Shilo. We also met David's brother Alvin along with other cousins from David's side. It was beautiful countryside that I would probably never otherwise see. The land looks like it hadn't been touched since it was conquered by Yehoshua, except of course for the modern sheep pen...

There was also a horse there and the kids were treated to horse rides. The wind started picking up in the late afternoon, when the sheep went on their twice a day grazing, and everyone tried to find whatever shelter they could from the wind. The one-bedroom house where one of the workers lives was not big enough for the thirty people who showed up for the barbecue so we took turns eating in the small Sukkah and sitting in the small house out of the wind. It was certainly a new experience for the entire family, to be in Shiloh and to see a community like that and I'm glad we went.