Warm Story for a Cold Week

It is foggy, grey and wet outside.

The white snow seems so long ago.

Last week the colors were so beautiful,

Jerusalem marathon

 it was perfect weather to train for Jerusalem’s marathon next month.

Even now, tree cuttings  still block many parks and sidewalks, 

rainy street photo Jerusalem

with even more cuttings appearing after the first cleanup.

So much talk this week was of weather and elections.

It wasn’t just branches that were blocking sidewalks in Jerusalem, Israel.

Israeli Jerusalem street photo

These TV news trucks were parked on the sidewalks near Beit Hanasi,

the President’s residence, as they waited for official election results.

However, before the rain started on Monday,

wedding photos

 there was a very special wedding in Jerusalem.

photo Elisheva Chai sons

The oldest of these three young men was 16 years old

when their father was shot and killed by terrorists and

their mother instantly became a widow with 7 children,

the youngest 4 months old.

Gil Efrati photo

Their mother Elisheva Chai was getting married to Gil Efrati of Jerusalem.

Rain drops fell as the chupah stood ready outside,

  heavenly tears lightly covering the ground.

chatan tish photo

The chatan sat with friends before the ceremony,

dancing at Jewish wedding photo

then the dancing began as the bride and groom were led 

chuppah at night photo

to the bright and still dry chupah at Ramat Rachel.

Jewish wedding

But were there any dry eyes at this celebration?

Gil Efrati has never been married before,

and now he is the father to seven beautiful children.

wedding photo children

After Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai z”l was murdered, 

Elisheva Chai was able to raise a wonderful family.

She gives credit to the support they received from OneFamily.

Cars are honking, people are cranky and trying to stay warm.

I am so glad for this wonderful story to warm up

an other wise cold and dreary week. 

To see more of this story and special simcha please, click HERE

Holiday Leftovers

This year gender segregation made international headlines,

not the Hanukkah and holiday lights

nor the sights of Jerusalem.

On the last day of Hanukkah at the Great Synagogue,

hundreds of women took over and occupied the men’s section.

This women’s only gathering of prayer and performances 

 called for the unity of all the people of Israel…it did not make headlines.

Dozens of special children’s performances were held.

The thousands of chanukiot that decorated shop windows, 

 lined the sidewalks,

and eateries,

and were displayed on the tops of cars are being stored away for next year.

Traffic was a grid-lock nightmare,

with tens of thousands of international visitors in Jerusalem,

 as many gathered for weddings and various other celebrations. 

Millions of sufganiot were sold

and served over the holiday period.

 105 of the doughnuts were consumed by Elie Klein of Bet Shemesh,

as his ‘Dough for Doughnuts’  fundraising stunt inspired donations

of $14,000 from people around the world for 83 charities.

And not a crumb was leftover from my Hanukkah cookie.

It would be nice if the women’s project, “One  People”

was the headline next year.

Meanwhile, after all the days of  holiday and celebrations…

almost everyone needs a vacation.