And we're back...

Welcome back to all our oversea returnees. We missed you over the holidays. We're sorry you had to come back but are happy to see you.

~

Over the second days of Yom Tov, I was privileged to be in Montreal, Canada. There were numerous highlights of this trip:

1) I got to talk a whole bunch with the chazzan of the shul I was at who was an older Lubavitcher and he shared with me stories about the many Simchas Torah's (and time in general) he had spent by the Rebbe. He threw me off a little when he said that we need techias ha'meisim so that the Rebbe should come back already.

2) There is a nice sized Breslov community there that i was unaware of. Beautiful mikveh, beautiful sukkah, delicious kugel.

3) I was also privileged to meet and speak with an older Jew, now in his Nineties but who was in his Twenties while in the Warsaw Ghetto. He told me he saw and met the Piaseczner, the Gerrer Rebbe, and R' Menachem Zemba among others. I asked him if he had any particular memories about any of them and he told me he remembered that the Aish Kodesh used to go around on Shabbos with some of his chassidim and encourage those store owners who had their shops open to close them. He told me about the Yamim Noraim and about Sukkos in Warsaw as well as in Majdanek and Auschwitz where he spent a number of years. It was one of those conversations one is likely to remember forever.

4) On the way back into America, our car was randomly selected to be searched and we had to get out, go inside the police area, and fill out those sheets they give you on the plane for customs while they searched the car. I didn't know how strict they would be about smuggling citrons across the border and was afraid they would take my Esrog if I left it in the car. Sukkos was over but I need it for Tu B'Shvat and was not willing to lose it so I put it in my pocket and went inside. Once inside, I then feared that they would make us empty our pockets and discover my holy lemon. I was quite nervous as I filled out the sheet with my esrog place snuggly in my pocket and I even thought the gentile might either notice the extra concern on my face or how I was nervously filling out the paper work. But I prayed and was answered and as our car was cleared my citron crossed over on to American soil.

5) I was sent to Montreal by Yeshiva University as part of their Torah Tours program. As part of this "tour," two ladies from our downtown sister school were part of our "team" of five. After three days, with no mention of the subject, our group was walking back from lunch when the following conversation more or less took place out of nowhere:

Girl: "So Josh...what's the Stollel?"
Me: "I don't know."
(A pause.)
Girl: "I heard it is like kind of a derech."
Me: "Nope. It was more like a kollel in Stokar's basement."
Other Girl: "So like, how many of you are there?"
Me: "That's hilarious. You just made the blog."
Girl: "You do the blog?"
Me: "Sometimes."
Other Girl: "I once saw like a video of 72nd drive."

End of conversation.
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Things to look forward to in the near future:

1) The creation of Zev Rocklin's blog (for his new apartment he just moved into)
2) Rosh Chodesh gathering with Rebbe Reichman - Thursday Night
3) The Nitra Raffle

4) Shabbos at Ash's for anybody who wants to go.
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K. A great man once blessed: May the Canker Sore's of Mar Cheshvan heal quickly, but not too quickly. If that great man wants to come to Y.U. at all, I have an empty bed in my room until Gaby comes back, which although he says will be later this week, could be in months from now.

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See the 84th Picture (and all the others...they're great)
CLICK HERE
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Missing the overseas team. Send pictures of Diller.



Stollel 5770 Flashback:
One year ago yesterday - Rav Harari reading stories of the Kedushas Levi at the hilulah with R' Reichman in the Annex.