A Happy, Sweet, New Year to You!

Things are crazy here as we prepare for Rosh Hashana. I got a babysitter for 3 hours today, which expires in 28 minutes. It's a 20 minute ride back home, so this will be quick.

We are having a Rosh Hashana meal here in the synagogue on Tuesday evening. We hired a chef. Then we had to buy more glasses, plates. Still not sure about tableclothes and cutlery. At the last minute we decided to buy real ones, but time is running out. . .

So someone bought a whole buch of plates, and then toiveled them, but unfortunately the stickers were all left on - 2 on each plate, so those need to be redone.

On the home front, my honey cake is made. Full stop. And I made my challah dough. So we have a long night ahead of us.

Mendel has been walking around singing "Dip the apple in the honey. . ." We've been practicing all week. And on Friday he tasted real honey from my 3 kilogram container, which he declared to be 'yummy'. So much for the Mommy preschool.

So, to quote our favorite song
"leshana tova u'mesuka
have a happy sweet new year!"
(hurraaaaay! [clap hands])

Of Dogs and Cats

When I walk somewhere with Yisroel, I am amazed at the random people who come to ask the rabbi for advice. Like the guy in the gas station who wanted permission to divorce him wife. And the (non-Jewish) woman who came to the synagogue the other day to ask if the rabbi could come to bless her house. Yisroel gives very deep answers. Be nice to your wife, do good deeds, be kind to others, etc.

Last night, at 10:30 the phone rang. The voice on the other line sounded very distraught. After a short introduction, he blurted out his question. He had been walking and had seen a dog and a cat fighting. The cat was almost killed, but not quite. This fellow put an end to the cat's misery, and now wanted to know what prayer he should say to repent from having killed a cat.

For my part, overhearing Yisroel's end of the conversation, ("A dog?" "The cat died?") just cracked me up. I laughed quietly so the poor cat-killer would not hear.

A bureaucracy update

I went with our secretary to apply for our temporary residency permits.

To backtrack, we had gotten permission for Yisroel to hand in my application. I filled everything out before I went to New York, and spent a morning and part of an afternoon signing a power-of-attorney. But when Yisroel went to apply, they refused to accept my, or the kids, applications.

Then we got back here, and I was supposed to go last week to finally give them in. I arranged a babysitter and everything. But then we discovered that one of our friends in the immigration hierarchy was no longer working there, and another was on vacation. so it took a week, and Yisroel met with a new director. We received permission to hand in our documents today.

So today I shlepped with our secretary and Baila (smile ammunition) for a 2:00 appointment. We climbed 3 flights of stairs (no elevator, I was holding Baila, and our secretary uses a cane), and pounded on the door. It was finally opened after our secretary banged her cane tip on the door. But, we were told, the woman we needed to see was out to lunch. Lunch should be over at 2 (It was 2 at the time) so we should go walk around for half an hour to an hour. Anyway, we sat down an a windowsill to wait, because G-d forbid we should be offered a chair, and a few minutes later a woman passed by. We told her who we were waiting for, and she grunted and walked on past us. So our secreatry called up after her "Any idea if she'll be here soon?" To which we receivedd, for reply, the information that this woman was the one we were supposed to meet. Thanks for telling us. There's nothing like Russia's customer service.

Anyway, to make a long story short, we waited for a long time, while they searched through the documents, trying to find some mistake. They discovered, to their delight, that 2 forms that I filled out 2 months ago have since been changed. I need to get the new forms, fill them out, and then we can hand in the documents.

I just overheard our secretary on the phone, explaining a little frustratedly that no, there are 2 kids. One is Menachem, and one is Menucha.

We are hopeful.

Tefillin Club - Do-Over

A complaint was registered that I made this Sunday morning minyan sound awfully boring. So let me rephrase that post, or at least add to it.

This minyan on Sunday was especially exciting, because itwas motivated by the attendees. They assked to come on sunday so they could hear shofar, and wanted to bring their tefillin with them so they could all do it together.

It's really special when people themselves ask for more, and it's not only us starting the programs and coming up with the ideas.

Future Jewish Community Center of Vladivostok

So here's the unofficial plan.

The front part of the building is the original synagogue, and as a historic building, has to stay the way it was originally built. Notice the luchos, (tablets), in the front, which we recently uncovered.At the top, on the sides, you can see metal Stars of David. These stars were there originally, and were knocked out when the synagogue was seized. The little shack-looking thing on the right does not belong to us. We believe that it was once the rabbi's house, and was then given to the director of the factory, whose grandson now lives in it. It's pretty tiny, and while we'd love to own it, he wants a ridiculous amount of money for it, which he is not getting from us. There used to be more windows at the bottom of the synagogue, and then the street was built up and they were covered. Today, if you look, you can see evidence of at least 5 windows. On the side of the building, where the main entrance is, there was another window below the top left one, but the stairs cover it.

The front of the building will be the synagogue, and the back, which was added by the factory, and is not historic, will be the rest of the center. The entire space is something like 900 meters. This plan is for 4 stories in the back, in addition to a basement and roof. The area is pretty small though, and then there are annoying things like stairs and bathrooms that get in the way.

The star of David on the top of the building will light up at night. Around the rim of the roof, there will be a metal fence, matching the coverings on the windows. The architect had an idea for the windows in the top to number 8, and the star would be the 9th, like a menorah, but it didn't fit.

This is still a work in progress, so many changes will be made before the final version.

Tefillin Club

Yisroel gathered a bunch of guys this morning for a Sunday morning davening. Well, it started at 12 PM, because no one was willing to come earlier than that on a Sunday, but in everyone's mind, it was morning.

The report is: They came, prayed an abbreviated verion of the prayers, listened to the shofar, and heard a Torah thought. (In the form of the Hayom Yom) A few of the guys own their own tefillin, and have been putting on daily for a while, so they showed the others what to do. Then they ate some refreshments, talked, and left. The rumor is that they loved it, and are looking forward to next week at 12.

I wanted to come, but the event conflicted with Mendel's nap. I provided the cake.

Have a great Shabbos!

So I came to the synagogue today for the Shabbos program. To my shock, I saw someone here under the age of 80. She was a nice woman, in her 20s, and was even holding a baby! However, to no one's big surprise, she is not Jewish. Her husband is, she says.

In other news, Shabbos is all cooked, except for my eggplant dishes, which will either be made, or not, depending on if it is too late to buy eggplant. It'll be less work for me, but also less food, which i guess is no big deal, since a whole bunch of our guests chickened out.

I had a cleaning lady today, and paid her an absolute fortune - 1000 rubles, or 40 dollars for 2 1/2 hours of work. And she didn't even do that thorough of a job.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos!

Future building plans

Yisroel and I met with our architect yesterday. It's pretty exciting to see real life plans for our synagogue and center. It still needs lots of work, and fine-tuning, but it is neat nonetheless to see our vision coming to being, on paper, or computer, at least.

The exterior has been redesigned, and is really nice now. I'd like to post a picture, but I'd have to scan it into the scanner and I have 17 more minutes until I have to leave the synagogue, so we'll save that for another time. We have all sorts of quirks, like the old building that can only be preserved, not changed at all. And a really small amount of space into which we'd like to fit a huge amount of stuff.

They have an awesome architect-computer program, where you can add wall, move them down, and construct all sorts of neat things. So that was neat to see.

And I begged a favor from a friend, who babysat for 2 and 1/2 hours while I GOT OUT OF THE HOUSE! Now that was exciting.

An update

So our luggage has arrived. In 4 complete pieces. The cheese did not leak much, I am happy to report. They are as of yet unpacked, filling our bedroom and hallway.

In case you were wondering, my attempt on making corned beef was not an unqualified success. Mostly because I using the wrong cut of meat, it's pretty tough. And salty, but I think that's because I did something wrong. All said, though, it's decent, but not really worth the effort.

I am on the search once more for a babysitter, which would explain why I have no time to write on here. If you happen to know of someone living in Vladivostok and looking for a job, send her my way.

New blog name

We are on the search for a new blog name. Something a little more catchy than life-in-distant-and-cold-vladivostok-which-is-located-in-russia's-far-east-where-we-are working-with-Jews.com

Any ideas?

My Summer Vacation (a report)

It's been just about six weeks without a blog post, and, I am glad to say, I am now back in the land of spotty internet access and pay-for-megabyte plans, so what better time for an update.

America was amazing. The kids had an absolutely amazing time with grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends. The food was, well, for the most part, cooked by someone other than me, and GOOD. We saw, visited, relaxed, socialized, tried to get work in, shopped, and now we are back.

We made it, and, I am happy to report, the trip back, with Yisroel, was about 10 times easier than the trip TO New York. Delta still had nasty customer service, but the cheap Russian airline we took from Moscow to Vladivostok had the sweetest stewardesses. We didn't get a bassinet on either flight, but after asking and being refused on Delta, our seatmate had enough and begged for us to be moved, so we got that bassinet after all. Domadedavo Airport, in Moscow, has an amazing childcare room. Typically Russian, in order to enter, one must present a doctor's certificate of good health. Of course, the doctor is located at the other end of the airport, a floor down and a ten minute walk away. But if should ever find yourself in Domadedavo Airport with little kids, let me assure you that it is well worth the effort. There are tables, chairs, and highchairs. Toys, games and cribs. And best of all BATHTUBS! The kids were so relaxed after their baths that they slept the first 5 or so hours of the flight.

So we are here, thank G-d. Unfortunately, our luggage is not, at least not yet. We packed five suitcases, 3 of clothes, 1 of important food item that I just can't live without, and a 5th of clothes that the kids outgrew, clothes that will fit them next year, and some food items that weren't all that crucial. From New York we were allowed 7 pieces of luggage; from Moscow, only 4, so the we planned to send our 5th box by train, and pick it up in Vladivostok in a few weeks. Guess which box made it to Moscow?

Heaven forbid we should travel without the allowed amount of luggage, so we stopped on the way and bought all sorts of Kosher goodies obtainable in the great city of Moscow. Soy milk, peanut butter, granola bars, wine, and most importantly, mayonnaise.

We arrived on Tuesday, and our luggage was supposed to arrive on Wednesday. JFK airport says they sent it, Moscow says it left there, but the Vladivostok airport says that it has not arrived here. As all my shoes are in the suitcases, I am walking around wearing crocs, probably the only person in this entire city of high-healed wearers to be wearing slippers outside. The saddest part about the saga of the lost luggage is my cheese. I bought a bag of cheeses that were supposed to be my breakfast for the next few months. We wisely sent it under the plane rather than carry it in our hand luggage, because, after all, it is much cooler under the plane.

I am convinced that airport officials somewhere in Siberia are feasting on my cheese. Yisroel says that maybe that's why they made it here yet - no one wants to get close enough to the smelly suitcases to send them here.

Stay tuned for an update.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos!