Purim - Day 1 (Part 1)

The sun slowly peaked out over Samson's grave. It had begun. Rav Ari led the way at the morning vasikin minyan, both davening and laining the megillah. Because of the many Stollel members in the house we almost won the morning vote to stomp out every one of Haman's names but we fell just short to the opposition. Breakfast was an assortment of Purim dishes: eggs, milk (chocolate and regular), hamantashen. We exchanged mishloach manos to one another.

From there, some went back to sleep, some to learn and others do deliver and collect tzedaka for matanos li'evyonim.

Towards midday Tzavei had made there way to the Rebbe's house. Much wine had already been consumed and between the yayin and the hot day I kept having these visions of a tiny child playing many different musical instruments.

After various teachings from the Rebbe to his night-shiur and a handful of pieces of chicken from the Holy Rebbetzin the band played some Purim tunes.

And then, it happened...

After coming down to earth, we began to put away the musical equipment. "Wait," I heard him say with a heavy Israeli accent. I spun around and saw him standing in the doorway, sticker-covered guitar already strung around his neck. "I want to play for you my new song"...

~

TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR MORE PURIM ADVENTURE!

Mitzvah Boy to Become Mitzvah Man

Mazal Tov to the Mitzvah Boy on his recent engagement to Aliza!

Everybody* had a great time!

*Except Koegel and a photographer who said something about almost falling off his ladder when "one of the boys charged at him."

Chodesh HaGeulah...Happy Mintan Is Success!

Adar may have "ended" but people for some reason are still happy. The Rosh Chodesh happy minyan combined forces this month, making a joint Washington Heights/Queens quorum. Keep your eyes open for birchas ha'chama minyan updates.

The Chagiga (Comes to an End)

You could smell it in the air. No, not the Peach Keglovich on the breath of underage teenagers, but redemption. The fateful night ended off with a series of "Moshiach Tunes" in hope for a better tomorrow...

After the beis midrash had been restored, tables in their places and seforim on their shelves, I spent a few minutes messing with some kid's head, convincing him that he should come back shana bet.

I made my way down the steps and into the old-work-out-room-now-guest-room to catch some shut eye because I knew that tomorrow would be a big day. My eyes grew heavy and Diller was already snoring. There was still so much more to do.

TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR MORE STOLLEL PURIM ADVENTURE!

GUT SHABBOS, A GUT CHODESH!

CHODESH TOV!!!

בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין ליגאל

ROSH CHODESH MINYAN IN THE NOT SO QUIET ROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF MUSS HALL

7:10

pack your bags

The Show Goes On...

Sruli made his surprise entrance. He looked good, real good.

The chagiga slowly morphed from a handful of organized circles to an all out shake-down.

Looking for a breath of fresh air, I wandered passed the Bisli and R.C. Cola tables and found myself heading into one of the classrooms.

He sat with his back to the door, scribbling a foreign language on the walls.

Some of us eat Bisli, some of us drink Vodka, and some of us write chidushei Torah on the walls...

אחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט, ובלבד שיכוין לבו לשמים

STAY TUNED BECAUSE THERE IS STILL MORE TO COME ON OUR PURIM ADVENTURE!

!פורים שני

ביום שלישי לשבת קודש

יום אחרון לחדש אדר

...וימי הפורים האלה לא יעברו מתוך היהודים

ALL YIDDEN ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO GATHER TONIGHT IN THE UNDERGROUND HEIGHTS aka the mta basement BEGINNING @ 10:30

כי אנחנו עדיין בשושן

Please bring your chametz and mashke

The Rikkud, The Tisch & The Chagiga (Part 1)

We davened ma'ariv, listened to Rav Ari lain the megillah, followed by the annual rikkud. The band had been setting up all the while and so this years post megilla rikud even featured live music.

After the dust had settled, the Stollel made sure to do a rikud at their own pace.

Break-fast was a wonderful spread of fine delacacies amongst them baked-ziti, bagels, tuna fish, pickles and Daniel's award winning soup. We ate slowly and peacefully and prepared to head upstairs to the first (hopefully annual) pre-Chagiga Hisva'adus.

Rav Ari told the ma'aseh of R' Baruch Mordechai and the Chasam Sofer, R' Elie had a word to say as well. The Hisva'adus had reached its height and could reach no higher. The lights turned on and the Chagiga began. Unlike previous years (because at this point everyone was not yet intoxicated with alcoholic beverages) the rikkud began organized with a center circle for the rebbe's kavod ha'Torah.

Ingenious Reishit Faculty move of the night: Locking the beis-midrash porch to avoid B.B. King on Purim-like hangout.

The Chagiga was bound to get wilder, was destined to get crazier. Sruli hadn't been seen for hours. Where had he gone? What was he up to? And where had Moshe Marcus been all this time?

Stay tuned for the answers and more on our count down 'till the Chag HaGeula!

But Seriously...Berditchev?

Shalom Aleichem Chevraya Kadisha! I hope everyones Purim is going well. I apologze for my last rookie blogpost regarding the Stollel in Berditchev, it was confusing and truly amateur. However, it was really the only way of introducing the idea to everyone without blinding you with its true awesomeness. Now that everyone can still see b"H and the wine stains still remain, I would like to throw out some upcoming Stollel opportunities for all the stollelors and commentors to weigh in on (not just Sruli and Alicht).

Brace yourselves:

(1) Neilas HaChodesh Fabrengen - This Wednesday
followed by...
(2) Ish L'rayahu Rosh Chodesh Minyan - Thursday Morning

(3)El Adon al Kol Hamaasim!!! Birchas HaChama Minyan! (location suggestions in exile?) - Wednesday April 8th

(4)The Stollel will officially merge with he who has been unfairly redflagged as a hater of sorts - "Sohn's House" - For a Chol Hamoed Pesach 'Stohnell' (location?) (The Weinberg basement looks miiiigghty fine in the spring time...) (If you're down say -I-)

(5)And Finally please place votes for the August Stollel:
If we make a Stollel in the mountains of the N. America would the Olam rather a place(A) with a community (New Hampshire)
or (B) without a community (We bring our Torah and there's more room to graze in solitude)

Please don't be shy to comment, you wouldn't want Sruli to say that if you don't comment you're above hishtalshalus Hameivin Yavin.

The Arrivals

Day 1 of Videos is a series of the various arrivals.

The plan was to completely surprise the Rebbe and bring a group for Purim. The general consesus was, however, that it would be too much to handle and so some felt that he should be informed that Tzavei (Rapps, Slopsink, and Weinberg) was coming. The remaining members of the Purim Squad (Kosher Dillz, Leicht, J-Al, Eisenberg and Stoke) were still to be a surprise.

We arrived and took some shady sheirut back to Beit Shemesh. The guy asked for a disc to play and we gave him Ein Od Milvado. He thought all the songs sounded the same.

If you listen carefully you can hear Sruli explain the lighting situation on the NJ Turnpike.

The band made themselves known and proceeded to follow the Rebbe to his Night Shiur which was on the topic of "עד דלא ידע" when suddenly...

The Rebbe continued to deliver his discourse about how on Purim we dont have to be bound by time and space and that there are Jews in America (Adam P., Rafi Leicht, Justin Diller...) who wished they could be here for Purim too. If you put your mind in a certain place, the Rebbe explained, then that too can become a reality...

Stoke went from the Airport to the Moshav and stayed hidden throughout Shabbos. Sunday he was spotted in the woods of Tzfat with Eili HaKohen. Ta'anis Esther he hung low in Yerushalayim. Ma'ariv was about to begin and rumor had it, the Stoke was in the building...

And then he truly arrived...

What happened in the next 48 hours? Only time will tell...

Stay Tuned for more Purim Adventure from now until the chag ha'geulah!

טוב לב בסטולל תמיד

And we're back...

The wine of Purim is being digested and the wine of Pesach is fermenting in the barrels.

Stollelt in Eretz Yisrael was a great success. There are many pictures, videos and tales to post but we at Stollel Tamid are busy organizing and preparing for massive posting. Please, Shmad, be patient in the meanwhile.

I figure we will do a Stollel-video a day (perhaps multiple videos if they go together) from now until Pesach in about twenty something days.

As the Rav darshened by the seuda of Rav Machlis from the Riminover: We should begin to שואל ודורש, a lashon of tefilla, that we be zoche to keep all the halachos of Pesach in the best way!

Its a Girl...Mazal Tov

Mazal Tov to Stollel Tamid Frequenters:
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Zlou
with an assist to Stollel Member
Uncle Shiaz
on the birth of the newest Bas Yisrael in Olam Hazeh!

She looks just like you guys!

May she be zoche to grow to chupah and ma'asim tovim and be zoche to have many strong-boned male children!

Gut Purim!

Pictures are being taken, videos are being recorded and wild donkeys have been spotted in the forests of Bat Ayin.

Greetings from team Stollel in Eretz Ha'kodesh! We have arrived in the Holy Land where the air is fresh and the trees still have their leaves. Preparations have begun in anticipation of the great and awesome day.

For all Stollel members (and not yet Stollel members): There will be two (which are one) Stollel seudos this year, one in Ramat Beit Shemesh and the other in the helige Heights. Make sure to pass out at one of your local Stollel meals!

Wishing one and all a פורים שמח!

(And Zalman...Diller sends his best!)

Keep Your Eyes Open...

I won't be able to post for the next few days but the Rosh Stollel has given me a heads up that he plans on uploading a shiur that he will iy"h give Thursday night. It will likely be on a Purim related topic and will likely be excellent! Make sure to check it out.

He also informed me that he had some older Purim shiurim from last year that he had given and uploaded as well.

As we slide into these final days before the holiest of holy, we at the Stollel wish everyone...

A Gut Purim!

Knocking Over Our Enemies...

This Purim...May we be zoche to knock over all of our enemies!
(Not that either of these individuals are our enemies, chas vi'shalom!)

Berditchev here we come!

Do You Want this Alter Bubby to pack you a warm bowl of Chicken Soup?

Do you want the Tzaddikim to have your back come Chodesh Elul?

If you're not sure what you're doing this August...

...And you miss the shtetl

Well then do we have the Stollel for you!

That's right folks the Stollel is officially launching its Berditchev branch this August!

The first three weeks of August

Stollel & Friends: feat. Kedushas Levi, Baal HaTanya, Rebbe Nachman, Rav Pinchas Koretzer, The Maggid, the Rebbe Reb Zusha and the Chernobyler

Connect to the Tzaddikim Amitiim Shocnei Aufar!

(S-Block's at a discounted price for participants)

(Disclaimer: Shneur ZalmanII will be packen the amalek sword, not to worry)

(Coming soon for the Maimodean Chevra - Bergenfield branch)

Stollel Sighting

No idea how they came to this, but thanks to our Lubavitch scout, Garritanya, for catching this Stollel shoutout...

http://gruntig.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-many-people-can-you-fit-in-your-car.html