Sunday, September 28, 2008

Jameel's Personal Rosh HaShana Message

Dear JBlogosphere and others, (**see below for special update)

I'm reminded of the "outatime" license plate from "Back to the Future" --


since it's Erev Rosh HaShana, and there are so many posts I wanted to write, emails to send, good wishes to convey, and yet, I found myself without enough time to do so.


Luckily, I did managed to accomplish a few important items over the past few days

- completed a pruzbul
- allocated loan money not to be affected by the pruzbul
- managed to get to the bank today so I can pay our HVAC installer before Rosh HaShana
- posted about the opportunity to help save a life.
- went on milluim.
- studied over shabbat with son #2 for his gemara test.

On the other hand, I didn't get to post about milluim, didn't post what I wanted to about Rosh HaShana, didn't post about Nefesh b"Befesh, didn't do a Treppenwitz-type post where he links to many friends of his, which is really a great idea (and I would do it if I had the time...) -- Treppenwitz even calls from time to time, "just to say hi" -- which is truly heart-warming that blog people call sometimes just to say hi.

And therefore, there's something I needed to say. This past year was rather amazing for me on a personal level -- as I managed to meet many of you in person (whether at the JBlogger convention, or in the US, or simply around Israel). Without a doubt, there's something to be learned from everyone, their take on life, their contribution to society, whatever it is that makes them unqiue -- and I appreciate meeting each and everyone one of you.

This past milluim, while sitting around in between exercises I took some pictures of our unit. To my surprise, someone said to me, "Are you going to put that on your blog?" And then another said, "don't put a smiley face on me...put a frowny face on me...", and yet another said, "make my face green"...and yet another said, "don't put anything on my face at all". I guess my blogger identity is quickly becoming the worst kept secret in the JBlogosphere. So I turned to the guy next to me, and said, you really read my blog? He replied that he and his wife read it religiously...

And with that comes responsibility. Not so much the pressure to post quality, informative, and entertaining content -- but that people are actually reading what goes up here. Blogs can ruin lives and have all sorts of negative consequences -- and I hope that this blog still manages to convey something positive.

Some people think that the virtual blogosphere means ignoring "reality" -- and I sincerely apologize if reality took second seat to the virtualness of the blog world.

Additionally, I would like to apologize if you sent me an email to which I didn't reply, to those who sent me links to publish and I didn't, to those I should have linked to...but didn't, and to those commenters who I should have acknowledged with followup comments -- but didn't. It was never malice -- just lack of time...or even a bit of laziness on my part, for which I'm sorry. Not any less important -- is that I'm sorry to those who were upset or offended by anything I may have written (what comes to mind is my posting about shabbat guests).

As we welcome the new year, may we all be inscribed in the books of health, well-being, repentance...and the book redemption. Redemption on a personal level and a national one. May this be a year of increased Jewish unity instead of divisiveness, and may the JBlogosphere bring about positive change.

Shana Tova -- a good year to all of us,

Jameel.


PS: Obligatory Srugim comment: I spoke to Laizy Shapiro for a minute today, and his message to you all is that he appreciates your comments and insights about the Srugim show (they put alot of thought into he writing of it, and many of your comments are spot on.). He also added, "its only a TV show".


Shana Tova!


** Special Update:


Thanks to everyones help & generousity, we managed to raise the full ammount to cover the costs of Gili's surgery.

Gili flew this morning to London, where she is supposed to undergo surgery on this comming Tuesday (first day rosh hashana).

Her name for tefilot is: גילי חיה צביה טובה בת רוית

Shana tova & ktiva vechatima tova



Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

22 comments:

the sabra said...

o i LOVE the picture!
precious. and the frowny face. LOL. (so this whole "grown up" thing--it's a myth?)


may it be the year that we welcome moshiach.

DoubleTapper said...

Hey, How come I'm the only one that looks normal?


DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on
Guns Politics Defense from Israel

Baila said...

Okay, who's the weird guy who's showing his face in the picture?

And who out there thinks Jameel and Jameela should lead a blogger family tiyul on chol hamoed?

I agree with you--it was a great year in the J-blogosphere and it was fun meeting you as well..

May it be a shana tova Umetuka for you and your family, and for all of Am Yisrael.

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

The Sabra: Thanks - I hope to post more of our milluim experience later on...

Baila: Hmm - I'll have to discuss it with Jameela ;-)

Shana Tova!

SuperRaizy said...

That's WONDERFUL news about Gili!
Shana Tova to you and your family, too, Jameel.
I never thought that I would regularly visit any place called "the Muqata", but you and your contributors make it very worthwhile.

Lion of Zion said...

nothing personal, but i'm a little worried about israel's security having seen this picture. seriously, you guys are in so many violations of uniform regulations you look more like a band of columbian druglord mercenaries. and what's with all that orange? are you guys planning on trying to hide in a herd of tigers? how is the enemy not supposed to spot you in such a bright color? :)

good news about gili.

"its only a TV show".

now you tell me, after i finally watched the series?

שנה טובה

Benji Lovitt said...

Shana tovah, Jameel! May you have a happy and healthy new year!

Benji

A Living Nadneyda said...

I'm with Baila... it's tiyul time!

Being that this is my first year joining the jblogosphere, I'd like to thank you for your support early on. I'm sorry we couldn't meet at the NBN conference, but there'll be more opportunities... meanwhile, I definitely feel like I've joined a community, albeit a very sleep-deprived one.

שנת אושר, נחת בריאות.

Sarah Likes Green said...

שנה טובה, כתיבה וחתימה טובה וחג שמח!

Lurker said...

He also added, "its only a TV show".

So is he saying that we should be paying more attention to the movies?

Oh, wait -- there haven't been any Srugim movies yet...

JT said...

Shana Tova!

Anonymous said...

loz - nothing personal, but i'm a little worried about israel's security having seen this picture. seriously, you guys are in so many violations of uniform regulations you look more like a band of columbian druglord mercenaries. and what's with all that orange? are you guys planning on trying to hide in a herd of tigers? how is the enemy not supposed to spot you in such a bright color? :)

It's not that funny. In my unit, even on a regular plain training miluim, we would have been busted big time if any of us were missing part of our uniform. Sure we were raggedy almost all the time, but we were always in uniform, and out weapons were always in good working condition!

Maybe this photo was when they were just getting to the base ... but probably not because they already picked up their M-16's.

I'm more worried about the security of the guy in orange - if some terrorist wants to take a potshot at that group, which one is he going to aim at?

Mark

Jack Steiner said...

Shana Tova

Commenter Abbi said...

Thanks for being a gracious host Jameel!

Shana tova and chag sameach to you and your entire family and all of am yisrael.

Gila said...

Shana tova! Look forward to reading what you have to say in the New Year!

A Soldier's Mother said...

Shana tova, Jameel and to all the jbloggers out there! May it be a good year for all of us! Me - I'm going back to cooking. Shana tova,

Paula

Cosmic X said...

לשנה טובה תיכתב ותיחתם

Anonymous said...

nothing personal, but i'm a little worried about israel's security having seen this picture. seriously, you guys are in so many violations of uniform regulations you look more like a band of columbian druglord mercenaries

That comment made me chuckle. I'd say this picture is a fairly accurate representation of reserve service in the IDF. And regular soldiers look only a little better. It's a "people's army," for better or for worse.

שנה טובה

RivkA with a capital A said...

Shanah Tovah!

Maybe I'll organize another picnic-in-the-park over Succot.

ProfK said...

Shanah Tovah U'mesucah to you and your family. May the year to come be a "good news" year in every way.

DoubleTapper said...

אנו מאחלים לכולכם שנה של ניצחון ונקמה באויבנו, שנה של התיישבות שגשוג ופריחה בכל מרחבי ארצנו הקדושה, שנה שבה נחזור אל עצמנו כיחידים, כעם וכמדינה, שנה של שלום אמת, שנה של בנין המקדש ותיקון עולם במלכות ש-די.

שנה טובה!



We wish everyone a year of victory and vengeance over our enemies; a year of settlement, prosperity, and growth throughout our holy Land; a year in which we will return to ourselves as individuals, as a nation, and as a state; a year of true peace; a year in which we will build the Temple and perfect the world in the kingdom of the Almighty.

Shana Tova!



DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on Guns Politics Defense from Israel

Mindy Schaper said...

Ha, ha, LOL- Sabra, I'm with you on that one.

My thoughts are- men. But whatever. :)

Jameel, you're inspiring me. See plans for possible post-college army duty... (Mindy's father who reads blogs: ~choking~ WHAT?! :) )

That was a nice post. Thanks.

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