Wednesday, January 10, 2007

My Birthday Posting.

Thanks JoeSettler for pointing out my Birthday. Not.

It's not that this is an ultra-significant birthday for me, but overall, I'm not a huge fan of my own birthday. It probably comes from my childhood.

Take yourself back in time...to the 1970's.

Plaid pants. Bell Bottoms, Horn-rimmed spectacles.

It was Sunday...and my friends were all over at my house, celebrating my birthday. Typical birthday stuff going on, and the cake comes out. Everyone starts singing:

Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday dear...

screeeeech!
Insert INTERRUPTION here!


My younger brother bursts into the room, screaming att the top of his lungs, "The Cowboys just scored a touchdown, the Cowboys just scored"

and EVERYONE (except me) ran out of the room to see the Super Bowl game on TV.

Did I mention that I hate the Super Bowl and spectator sports?

I was left singing by myself, "Happy Birthday to me"...

Screeeeeech. (sort of like nails on a chalkboard).
Abrupt Change of Subject.

I'm not really sad about the birthday. I'd like to share a story from a Bar Mitzva I was just at this evening.

Here was the conversation at my table:


Important Woman: Hey Jameel, Happy Birthday!

Jameel: Thanks!

Important Woman: So, who was it?

Jameel: Huh?

Important Woman: Who was it who told you to turn off the light?

Jameel: What light?

Mrs. Muqata: (turning to Important Woman): It was Daniel.

Important Woman: Jameel, I do read your blog! I wanted to know who it was that told you turn the light off in your car, that was in the ambulance that drove by you.

Jameel: Really? I didn't know you read my blog...or at least, that often.

Important Woman: And what's with the soap opera?

Jameel: Soap Opera?

Important Woman: You know the one with only 6 episodes.

Mrs. Muqata: Jameel, stop being so dense! She's talking about the Soap Opera on Shifra's blog!

Hmm. Seems like the JBlogosphere has permeated my life waaaay too much.

(And Shifra, I guess you should update the Soap Opera...you have fans everywhere!)

And then...while pondering the above exchange, the oh-so-boring-presentation-of-the-friends-of-the-bar-mitzva-boy was starting...and my son was there. He begged us to leave yeshiva a bit early so he could "practice".

I never did these things as a kid in the US. We just sat around making a silly "memory glass" at Bar Mitzvas for the lucky Bar Mitvza boy. Here in Israel, there is always some BORING skit or song which the friends of the Bar Mitzva boy hammer out, usually embarrassing themselves, as the guests politely clap.

Tonight, there was a different air to the boys. 6 of them marched in wearing black t-shirts underneath their white shirts...which were unbuttoned. My son had this huge smile on his face, along with his friends...and they started a choreographed dance to some chassidic song. But unlike the presentations you see at Bar Mitzvas...they were decent! In fact, they were very well choreographed for 12-13 year old yeshiva kids.

What was their secret? They danced in pairs, as a group, jumping over each other, and it was rather "professional", and everyone enjoyed the show.

Our community Rav came over to our table to ask, "Alright....which mother taught them? There's no way a group of 12-13 year old BOYS, who can't even remember to bring their books to school or that they have a test today can possibly manage such a well choreographed dance!"

And then...the secret was out. It wasn't even one of the mom's that taught them how to dance.

Shockingly enough...it was all prepared by the older sister of one of the boys!

Who would have thought?!

And then, at the end of their performance, their backs faced us, and they removed their white shirts so we could read the words "Mazal Tov" which was spelled out letter-by-letter on the back of their black t-shirts.

I think they raised the bar for Bar Mitzva presentations by a quantum leap.

Have a Good Evening...





Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jameel, Happy Birthday and thanks for the reminder!
Was the sequel (or the next chapter) to Eliyahu's Secret ever done? If so, where is it. I happen to have liked very much your imagination. If you did not complete it, please do. We are waiting.

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

Thanks Neshama. Actually, I wrote more of it -- in 2 parallel stories. One was rather dark, while the other one was "brighter."

Which one do you want, and I'll finish it and post it.

Anonymous said...

Jameel, Your B-day story is reminescent of a movie called sixty-six which is currently showing here in the UK about a boy whose Bar-Mitzva is scheduled for the same night as the World Cup. Apparently, this is based on the true story of one of the makers of the film. http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/film.php?filmID=97

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

anonymous: Well - this story happened to me in the 70s...and not in the UK either. I can't stand the World Cup, as Ive blogged about before :)

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

I can relate. My birthday is in july, so i was always in sleepaway camp without my family for it. My parents still have guilt. Excuse me for a moment while I collect myself...
Happy birthday!
Larry (The Maggid)

Anonymous said...

Well, thanks to Joesettler(NOT..but really YES) we got to hear it was your birthday..and entertained by that really funny story of your birthday party..- which although painful for you at the time..actually caused much mirth on my end here..so many years later..
although I wish you only HAPPY returns!

Irina Tsukerman said...

Happy Birthday! Hope you have a lot fof fun, and it only gets better every year! By the way, I LOVE the new banner! It was totally worth the wait. It's so nice... and cheerful... and really, really Israelly. I don't know why Israel is the first thing that comes to mind... (It can't be the flag?!) But the colors work perfectly!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see that you're enjoying yourself.

Look at it this way- now you have a fanclub that can throw you a real birthday party! Don't worry- I wouldn't dream of walking out on you!

Sorry I only wished you happy birthday via Google chat.

Keep up the great work!

JoeSettler said...

I think I need to mention that any illegal (out)post I put up have the unspoken, tacit compliance of the local authorities who have supplied the basic infrastructure to make these illegal (out)posts possible.

The local authorities have the ability to make the illegal (out)posts stop, or forcibly take them down, but they don’t, and it has nothing to do with (Joe) Settler strength, but rather the subconscious feeling of all Jews, that even deep into the Muqata, we need (Joe) Settlers standing up for our rights to Eretz Yisrael and Happy Birthdays.

Anonymous said...

Go Joe!

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

Joe: Don't forget to Vote C!

Larry: thanks :)

Towik: (what a great arabic name) Thanks...many happy returns? As in tax returns or right of return? (Or the library book?)

Irina: Glad you like the new banner - Sarah gets all the credit! (And thanks for the birthday wishes)

AS said...

Wait a minute.you mean I missed the superbowl? I thought that was this sun? Happy birthday dude :)

westbankmama said...

Happy birthday Jameel, and I agree with you 100% about the boring Bar Mitzvah skits/songs. I think they should be banned.

Anonymous said...

How fun to have people 'commenting' on your posts outisde of blogger!
Seriously I secrely hope each year my birthday wil pass without notice.

Anonymous said...

The Israeli dati-leumi equivalent is having a bar mitzvah on Shabbat Irgun.

Happy birthday Jameel!

Anonymous said...

Arabic, huh? Hmmmmm..Does that make me an official part of the Muqata? ;)

And - right of return sounds good...(Well...tax returns too..lol!)

Happy Day, Jameel!

Anonymous said...

Arabic, huh? Hmmmmm..Does that make me an official part of the Muqata? ;)

And - right of return sounds good...(Well...tax returns too..lol!)

Happy Day, Jameel!

Anonymous said...

By the way, this past Sundays Cowboys game was no the super bowl. Just wait.

Anonymous said...

Jameel- the bar mitzvah dance sounds super-cute. And of course, happy birthday.

Anonymous said...

From your other younger brother - Happy b-day - perhaps this is why you never wanted to play football with me growing up ;-)(or the real reason why you had to leave the country - to get away from the Super Bowl)

kasamba said...

OH NO!!!
I missed your birthday!!!!

Sorry about the childhood trauma!

(who's the important lady?)

Anonymous said...

Jameel,

From your other younger brother: So that's the real reason you left; to get away from your formerly fanatical football-loving younger brother. It's time to let it go ...

:-)

Happy significant number B-Day!!

We'll all have to come up with a really good belated birthday skit next time we come for waffles.

Jack Steiner said...

Did anyone ever tell you are really old now. ;)

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

If you don't like spectator sports, then why do you like hockey?

The oldest muqata kid showed me where the adults play hockey every motzei shabbat- nice.

again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Good evening folks, I'm new here. I have been reading thru the threads, and there is some crazy people here, do you have room for 1 more?


Bye

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