Two funny things happened yesterday evening, when I went to pick up my not-feeling-so-well son from his yeshiva dormitory.
1. While in the city of Kefar Sava, I heard Jewish music approaching from the opposite lane of the main street I was driving on. The music got louder and louder as I lowered my window to see what the spectacle was all about.
In the opposing lane was a van with disco lights and loudspeakers blasting music, and 3 police cars were following. The van was moving very slowly, and as I passed it, I saw a procession of people carrying a chuppa, and a person holding a new Sefer Torah under the chuppa, as they slowly walked behind the van. Behind them were dozens of people (and the police cars and policemen) all singing and dancing to honor the arrival of a new Sefer Torah, which was on it's way to a shul; it's new home.
That was very cool.
2. After picking up my son (and spending 15 minutes trying to convince his yeshiva that he really was sick and should go home instead of staying in his dorm), we were driving home and I heard an Intensive Care Ambulance behind me. I saw its flashing lights and moved over to the right lane so it could pass by.
I thought to myself that it was weird that the Mobile ICU was on its way to a call and I didn't get a pager message about it. I turned on the dome/map light to see if I had "missed" the pager message. A second later, my MDA/Hatzala "Meers" (Nextel-type cellular walkie talkie device) announces: "Jameel!! You know it's illegal to drive with your dome light on?!"
My son was in shock. Who was talking to me? I had only turned on the light for a second...
The ICU ambulance flew by, and sitting in the paramedic's seat was a neighbor of mine -- he was on his night shift.
I replied that without turning on the light I couldn't read the pager message!
He laughed, said they didn't need any more help for the accident they were rushing to, and he hoped to see me on a shift with him soon.
Small country we live in.
1. While in the city of Kefar Sava, I heard Jewish music approaching from the opposite lane of the main street I was driving on. The music got louder and louder as I lowered my window to see what the spectacle was all about.
In the opposing lane was a van with disco lights and loudspeakers blasting music, and 3 police cars were following. The van was moving very slowly, and as I passed it, I saw a procession of people carrying a chuppa, and a person holding a new Sefer Torah under the chuppa, as they slowly walked behind the van. Behind them were dozens of people (and the police cars and policemen) all singing and dancing to honor the arrival of a new Sefer Torah, which was on it's way to a shul; it's new home.
That was very cool.
2. After picking up my son (and spending 15 minutes trying to convince his yeshiva that he really was sick and should go home instead of staying in his dorm), we were driving home and I heard an Intensive Care Ambulance behind me. I saw its flashing lights and moved over to the right lane so it could pass by.
I thought to myself that it was weird that the Mobile ICU was on its way to a call and I didn't get a pager message about it. I turned on the dome/map light to see if I had "missed" the pager message. A second later, my MDA/Hatzala "Meers" (Nextel-type cellular walkie talkie device) announces: "Jameel!! You know it's illegal to drive with your dome light on?!"
My son was in shock. Who was talking to me? I had only turned on the light for a second...
The ICU ambulance flew by, and sitting in the paramedic's seat was a neighbor of mine -- he was on his night shift.
I replied that without turning on the light I couldn't read the pager message!
He laughed, said they didn't need any more help for the accident they were rushing to, and he hoped to see me on a shift with him soon.
Small country we live in.
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael
thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeletegreat stories.
ReplyDeleteI really love the small-town atmosphere that Israel has managed, somehow, to keep.
he called you Jameel? does he read your blog?
ReplyDeleteWe had one of those torah parades in our neighborhood a few months ago! It was wild.......a definitely "Only in Israel"
ReplyDeleteWe also just had a hachnasat sefer torah - to my son's school! Very exciting. It's a private, hareidi/leumi/sefardi/really not in any category type school, but a lot of the city turned out. (maybe it was the free cotton candy?) We had one last year at the school my other younger kids go to - a dati-leumi public school. Complete with disco van. :)
ReplyDeleteI like the ambulance story too - How's your son?
i love the disco vans for hachnasat sefer torah..
ReplyDeletei always thought there was just one, but a week ago we saw one, and my wife explained to me that there's a number of them.. all they do is go around from one hachnasat sefer torah to another..
that has to be the coolest job.. (for deaf chareidim wearing sunglasses of course those things are l_o_u_d and bright)
it is pretty amazing that there are enough hachnasot sifrei torah to generate a sub-culture devoted to it.