Upcoming trip to Prague and Vienna

Hi Everyone,



I just booked my 4-day trip to Prague, Czech Republic and I'm very excited. Since the Yeshiva gives allows us a four week break in between the summer session and fall session I decided to take advantage of my close proximity to so many neat places. I booked a 4 night air + hotel package through Expedia for less than $750. My hotel is located just a few minutes' walk from the Old Town Square, Prague Castle, Jewish Quarter, which is one of the finest and most well-maintained in all of Europe, with four active orthodox synagogues, shops, and kosher restaurants. I intend to visit the Terezin death camp built by the Nazis and perhaps if I have time I'll venture to a brewery or one of the famous glass-blowing factories. With God's help, I'll also take the CzechRail to Vienna (a 4 hour train ride) and spend the day in Austria.

I wanted to remind you that you can reach me by phone at 1-480-305-0646, a local USA number linked to my Israel cell phone.

Baruch Hashem, it's finally starting to cool down here a little bit as we soon make the transition into the fall. During the intersession, I also hope to travel back up north to spend some more time in the Golan Heights area and IY"H see the seaport of Haifa.

All my best,

Jordan
חנן

The Kalover Rebbe and A Visit From My Scottsdale Rabbi

Hi Everyone,

The week is once again winding down here as shabbat is soon coming in and I am reflecting on all the things that have been happening. I am meticulous about sharing as much as possible with all of you, ensuring not to forget anything while it's current and still fresh on my mind so that the blog entries do not lose their vitality and enthusiasm.

Anyway, so why I am saying this? Because I sat in bed last night, unable to sleep because our dilapitated room fan is no match to the Jerusalem humidity, and I realized that I still had some news to share with you all before shabbat.

No, I'm not engaged! But, b'ezras haShem (with God's help), it should be soon! I couldn't help but recognize the suspense building up so I had to take it for a spin!!! Sorry :)

Firstly, the Kalover Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Taub from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, came to our Yeshiva on Monday to speak with students. I had never heard of this branch of Hassidim before and no wonder, because they're one of the minor Hassidic branches existing today. However, that belies their significance as a Hassidic dynasty because the first Kalover Rebbe was the first Hassidic Rebbe in Hungary. This group--like all Hassidic groups--is named after the place in Eastern Europe where it originated, Kaliv, Hungary.

So, what's so exciting about Hassidic Rebbes? Well, they are very special people that possess what's called "ruach hakodesh", or holy spirit meaning they're living on a spiritual plane that most people will never attain or understand. Consequently, it is beleived by many (don't trust me, read the Hassidic stories) that Hassidic Rebbes are capable of strong foresight and spiritual intellect.

The Kalover Rebbe, R' Moshe Taub, is known world-wide and travels the globe speaking with Jews everywhere. He is known to simply feel your hands and gain insight into who you are. Sounds farfetched, right? It's not. I waited apprehensively outside the classroom with ten other yeshiva guys as the Rebbe's assistant would call the next name on the list in his thick yiddish accent. When I went in, the Rebbe was seated and his smile was infectious and glowing with holiness. He asked me my name, where I'm from, how long I've been learning in yeshiva, etc. He took my hand and held it tightly, intermittenly squeezing my cheeks, and told me the areas of my live where I'm having doubt or indecision about what to do. He told me I'm a very nervous, energetic person with something to say about everything and that a career in medicine linked with a life dedicated to Torah and Mitzvoth is a praiseworthy way to serve the Almighty.

Here's a picture someone took of me while the Rebbe, shlita, was giving me a blessing.

As I said, today Kaliv is very small and has a community in Williamsburgh, NY and Jerusalem, Israel. Most of the hassidim left Europe after the holocaust and you won't find any Kalover hassidim in Kaliv, Hungary today.

In addition, on Tuesday of this another very special Rabbi came to visit me. This one I know quite well though as he is my Rav from Scottsdale, Arizona. He was giving lectures in Europe and stopped in Israel to spend time with his father, who lives here. Also, Rabbi Shoshan's twin brother teaches at my Yeshiva and they give the name "twins" a whole new meaning! :)

Here's a picture of the two of them in the Beit Midrash. I think I finally am able to distinguish them but it takes a close eye!

Shabbat Shalom! I'm off to Beitar for shabbos. It's an ultra-orthodox settlement in the West Bank. But not to worry! There's 35,000 Jews living there and it's well-fortified. One of my rabbis, Rav Lerner, invited me to his home and I'm very excited. His town is one of the fastest growing in Israel, claiming the fastest birth rate and population growth in all of Israel. Check out their website (in english) if you have a chance. The community looks very surreal, almost like the "ideal" city.

All my best,

Jordan

Jordan

Shabbat with family / Meah Shearim / A Stroll on the Notorious Ben Yehuda St.

בס''ד

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it's been a while since I last wrote. Let me bring you up to date on what's been happening here....

Shabbat with my cousins...on the dairy farm!

Two weeks ago the Yeshiva had its first "out shabbat", meaning the תלמידימ (students) had the opportunity to leave the yeshiva and spend shabbat with family or friends. So, I decided to contact my very distant but very close relatives who live on a חרדי moshav called בית חלקיה Beit Hilkiah near the Mediterranean about 30 minutes south of Tel Aviv. They--Rachel Esther and Eliezer Wyel--were very happy to hear from me and gladly invited me for Shabbat. Rachel Esther is my mother's father's first cousin who, Baruch Hashem, has 12 children who all live in


Israel (mostly in Bnei Brac). I took a coach bus from the central bus station to their remote moshav about an hour from Jerusalem and arrived with plenty of time to explore their relatively

young community and the dairy farm before shabbat came in. Here is a picture of the entrance
to the moshav (sorry if it's a little boring). This is a standard sign you'll see throughout Israel indicating any incorporated city, town, municipality, or neighborhood generally.














Meah Shearim: about as orthodox as it gets in Jerusalem!

I also went to one of the oldest neighborhoods of west Jerusalem called Meah Shearim which literally translates to "100 Gates" but actually takes its meaning from the verse in Bereishis (Genesis) 26:12, Isaac sowed in that land, and in that year he reaped "meah shearim- a hundredfold", God had blessed him."

The residents, mostly orthodox Haredi Jews (for more see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haredi_Judaism) hope that they too will be prosperous and be blessed like Yitzchok.

Anyway, seeing this area was very exciting. Lots of people, lots of stores and great shopping galore! And, of course, lots of religious Jews.

Waiting at the bus stop to go to Meah Shearim.

It's very common to see soldiers (both on duty and off duty in plain clothes) lugging around their automatic assault rifles. It's both a sad reality and a pleasant sense of security at the same time that Israel is always alert and prepared for acts of terror in the most civil of contexts such as public buses and restaurants.

What I found to be quite striking was the poignant signs displayed prominently at the entrance to Meah Shearim which requested that visitors respect the Jewish laws of צניעות (tzniut) or modesty when entering the neighborhood. On shabbat, it asks people to not drive, smoke, photograph or use cell phones. I thought that was pretty cool, the idea of a place where Jewish law is upheld on a community level and imposed upon even those who wish to visit: not something you see anywhere else in the world except for maybe Boro Park in Brooklyn.

A busy erev shabbos (Friday afternoon) on the main street in Meah Shearim

My roommate and I and some other guys from Yeshiva went to some great bookstores and got our fill of falafel for the week at one of the best falafel restaurants in Jerusalem: Falafel Geula!

Typical dress of Chassidic Jews. Meah Shearim is home to a few large Chassidic groups, namely Slonim, Breslav, Satmar, and Toldos Aharon. It's pretty easy to tell them apart as they each have a unique element of their garb (either hat or jacket or their socks)

For more on Meah Shearim, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meah_Shearim

Night life on Ben Yehuda Street

Named after Eliezer Ben Yehuda, who in the late 19th century almost single-handedly revived Hebrew as a modern spoken language, the street is the heart of the downtown triangle formed with King George Street and Jaffa Road. It's an open-air pedestrian mall, known in Hebrew as the Midrachov, a combination of midracha (sidewalk) and rechov (street). Cafés have tables out on the cobblestones; vendors display cheap, arty items like funky jewelry and prints; and buskers are usually out in good weather, playing all kinds of tunes new and old. It's a great place to sip coffee or munch falafel and watch the passing crowd and that's exactly what I did with the guys from Yeshiva. Many American brands can be found here in the kosher form such as McDonalds, Burger King, and my favorite: Coffee Bean!











































Well, that's about all for now. Look forward to hearing from you, whether it be a comment on my blog or updates from your lives back home.


All my best,
Jordan
זוסמן חנן

Roof-top Vews of Jerusalem from Yeshiva Darche Noam

Beis Midrash - With special Video Footage!

The Beis Midrash is where all the students learn during the day
Usually, it's pretty crowded with about 70 people learning with each other
but I managed to snag a shot during a break period.

A Taste of Yeshiva (View video above)

Yeshiva Darche Noam

Exterior of the Yeshiva

The "luxurious" dormitory rooms. At least we have our own private bath and shower.

My room, shared with two other guys. One from Albuquerque, the other from Milwaukee.

Rehov Beit Hakerem

This is looking toward the main road that passes through Beit Hakerem, called Sderot Herzl.

And looking the other way, entering into Beit Hakerem and the Yeshiva, which will be on the left-hand side

Beit Hakerem, Jerusalem

This is the neighborhood where my Yeshiva is located. It has an interesting feel to it, because it's religiously very mixed. Everything closes on shabbat (the sabbath) and the handful of restaurants and cafes located on the main street (Rehov Beit Hakerem) are kosher l'mehadrin (the highest level of kasruth in Israel). However, about half the residents or more are secular or traditional Jews. The main shopping plaza at the end of the street has two cafes, a kiosk/newstand, bookstore and large supermarket called "Mr. Zohl's". I love going to Mr. Zohl's because it reminds me of being at home in the states with all the megastores. Mr. Zohl's is as close as you get to a "Walmart Supercenter" in Israel. There are two chinese restaurants, an italian restaurant and tapas bar as well as a few hair salons for men and women and a beauty spa. Also, there is a health food store and a store that sells only Crocs (although they're a tad more expensive here, they're still quite popular).

The neighborhood borders Bait v'gan as well as communities such as Har Nof and Zichron Moshe. The Israeli government building is a short walk from the yeshiva as well as the Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem. A 15 minute car/bus ride will take you to the Old City. Beit Hakerem is west of the Old City of Jerusalem and the downtown area.

Wrong Phone Number!

Sorry about the error in my first post!

My cell phone number in Israel is actually:
972-052-516-7815

Pictures coming soon!

Hello from Jerusalem, Israel!

B"H



Dear Family and Friends, I hope this email finds you all doing well. With much thanks to the Almighty, I have arrived in Israel to begin my six months of intensive Jewish studies at a Yeshiva in Jerusalem. The name of the Yeshiva is Darche Noam. Feel free to check it out online at http://www.darchenoam.org/.



Let me back up and start from the beginning...



This past Sunday, I left Phoenix at 7:00am to Houston, Texas where I connected with Air France to Paris (CDG) where I had a nice layover that provided for me the opportunity to leave the airport and take a quick, truncated tour of Paris. The flight to Paris from Houston was incredible. Flying business class (l'espace affaires, in AF's language) was incredible and exceeded my expectations in every way. On the Boeing 777-300 aircraft there were about 55 business class seats which were indivdual pods that converted into 180 degree lie-flat beds measuring 6 feet long. Before boarding, I relaxed in the Air France lounge and had a few drinks to loosen up and relax. Unfortunately, the flight took off about 2 hours late due to mechanical difficulties on the engine and this delayed our arrival time in Paris to around 11:30 am local time (roughly a flight duration of 9:40). Two, gourmet, 5-course meals were served in flight and there were two self-serve bar setups equipped with a tap system and bar stools. Upon arrival, I immediately was escorted to the Air France Arrivals Lounge where I was offered a petit dejeuner (breakfast), shower, and massage service. After freshening myself up, I used my remaining 7 hour layover to go into the city. I was accompanied by a religious girl who was also flying to Israel for seminary and wanted to see the city too so it worked out pretty well.



After getting lost over a dozen times at Charles DeGaulle Aiport, and being reminded of how nasty the french people actually are, we finally found connecting train/subway service via the RER which we took to the city center. The thirty minute train ride was painless enough but hot and stuffy. We transferred at the main station to a different line and exited at St. Paul / Le Marais, the predominantly Jewish neighborhood in central Paris with amazing kosher restaurants and bakeries. We had enough time to eat, snap some photos and head back to the airport to catch the connecting Air France flight to Tel Aviv. The four and a half hour flight was also comfortable and the service was again far superior to any US airline! I arrived Tel Aviv at approximately 01:00 am Tuesday Morning. By the time I obtained my bags and hailed a taxi, it was almost already 2:00 am.



I arrived the Yeshiva with no problems except extreme exhaustion (I hadn't slept for two days). I received my key and instructions on getting into my room. I threw my things down in the small, three-person dorm room and grabbed the open bed. I finally fell asleep around 5am and woke around 8:30 to go to orientation and register at the Yeshiva's office.



So, I'm still extremely exhuasted and jetlagged but other than that I'm happy as can be!



Tomorrow, I will be placed into the appropriate Ulpan (hebrew immersion course), Gemara shiur (talmud class), and other courses which I will be taking such as halacha (Jewish law), Hashgafa (philosophy), chassidus (Chassidic thought), and Chumash (5 books of Moses).



Today there was a welcome barbeque for all the new students. In all, there are about 80-100 students that are learning here and probably 60 or more of them are living on the campus in the dorm rooms. I feel very much at home since this yeshiva is well-represented with Arizonans. Currently, there are about 4 or 5 full-time students from Phoenix and Tucson, the most represented place at this yeshiva, followed by London, England. The food so far has been very good and everything is fresh and homemade. We all take our meals in a very cozy little dining hall just like in elementary school. Everyone helps out in the kitchen to serve and clean up which creates a great sense of feeling at home here. Everyone knows everyone else, the rabbeim (rabbis) all eat with the students and interact with the students beyond the classrooms. It's very comfortable and easy to adjust to as everything is so laid-back and "at your own pace".

Here's my contact information while in Israel:

Address: Jordan Fisher
5 Beit Hakerem Street
Beit Hakerem, Jerusalem
Israel 96343
Cell: 972-052-216-7815 (always on, day and night except shabbat)
Yeshiva Main Line/Office (Emergency Number) 972-02-651-1178
Skype: jordanfisher1 (webcam enabled so if you want to have a live video chat)

My internet connection is very good here in the dorm but it is closed during shiurim (lectures) and learning hours so I am mostly going to be online and accessing my email at night (which is the day time in the US.

Nonetheless, I'd love to here from you all and hope you'll post on my blog with comments and questions or whatever!

Here's what to look forward to in the upcoming emails:

-Description of the yeshiva

-My learning schedule and classes I'm taking.

-The surrouding area of Beit Hakerem, an interesting community that is a mix of secular and religious Jews, which is quite rare in Jerusalem.

-Excursions and trips sponsored by the yeshiva throughout the term.

I will, G-d willing, be in contact as often as I can.


Kol Tuv / All the Best,

Jordan Fisher