A Purim party at B'nei Israel in Norfolk

Norfolk, Virginia is not exactly a place known for its religious Jews.  It’s popular for its seafood, for its Navy connections, and for the beaches of nearby Virginia Beach – hardly a very kosher host of superlatives.  Yet, Norfolk is home to two thriving orthodox Jewish communities (as well as an enormous conservative synagogue) and even boasts of having an eruv. And even if there’s no kosher restaurant, there is at least a kosher bagel place!

Norfolk is the community where I first became exposed to orthodox Judaism back in 2004.  It was nice to go back and visit this weekend.  It was a trip down memory lane to walk the same streets, visit the same homes, and sit in the same seat in shul.

Norfolk is a mostly black-hat community, the kind of place where nearly all the men wear suits on Shabbat (even if it’s hot), yet it’s not an extreme community at all.  It’s not a singing-dancing-drinking kind of shul; it tends to be much more serious than that in terms of community religious observance. Yet, the mood of the synagogue is decidedly lighthearted and there is always a l’chaim available for those who want one.  The community also takes hachnosas orchim very seriously, so if you call up the shul (B’nei Israel – (757) 627-7894), there is an option to have someone provide you with Shabbos accommodations and meals, and if you don’t call ahead, you can just show up at shul – there is always an announcement offering Shabbos meals to anybody who needs them.

Many of the people living in the Norfolk community are ba’al teshuva, so they didn’t grow up orthodox, but became religious later in life.  As a result, there is a very relaxed attitude in the community, which is open and accepting.  Women there might wear short sleeves or hats, even as their husbands insist on wearing suits.  You could pretty much show up in any kind of outfit and nobody would judge you, having been there themselves.  It’s a great feeling and it’s why I was able to open my mind up to orthodoxy while I was there.

Unfortunately, I have never really experienced the Chabad of Norfolk.  When I first became involved in the community, Norfolk had a kollel that was extremely active in outreach (or “inreach”!) and I was so well taken care of that I had no interest in going elsewhere.  Now that I am traveling and spending Shabbat in a different place almost every week, I am excited about seeing a new side of Norfolk! Hopefully in the coming weeks we will have a chance to check it out.

My Brother and Scoutmaster Playing Taps on the Bugle

We spent Shabbat in Norfolk, Virginia, which has a thriving Jewish community. We’ll write more about the Jewish communities around the area, over the next couple weeks as we stay here and visit them. What was amazing to me was running into an old friend from Boy Scouts. We were part of the same Shabbat and kosher-observant Boy Scout troop out of Sharon, Massachusetts. I overheard his name and recognized it immediately. I knew his whole family well from all the scouting activities we did. It has been probably twelve years since we last saw each other. We spoke Shabbat afternoon about the good old Jewish scouting days. I remembered how when I lost my kippah at camp his mother had an extra one from his brother’s Bar Mitzvah, which she gave me. We spoke about the Ponderosa camp, where we would each get our own horse for the week. We had to clean it, feed it, and ride it. Those were some fun old days.

By the nature of traveling around the world I’m often bumping into long-lost friends. There is actually a special beracha/blessing that one makes one seeing a friend for the first time. One makes a berach, blessing when seeing a friend for the first time in 30 days.

Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, shechechianu, v’ki’manu, v’higi’anu lazman hazeh.

This means: Blessed are You, Adonai Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this time.

There is also a blessing which is made if one has not seen the friend in over one year. This blessing traselates as thanking G-d who revives the dead: “Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, mehayeh hameitim.”

One must also have had no communication with the person during the thirty days or the year in order to make the beracha. Making these blessings does not seem to be well-practiced today. Perhaps this is because we live in different times where it is really not so amazing to see someone again after a year.  People travel all the time. People go on a Sabbatical or away to school and come back after a year. It’s normal. But in the old days when someone would set out on a journey by land or by sea it was very possible that you may never meet again. Children would leave their parents to go to a far-off country knowing they may never see each other again, and therefore the beracha of ‘one who revives the dead,’ makes sense to say, as with the blessing of ‘shechachianu’ said after thirty days. Imagine if you were traveling by horse and carriage across the US a few hundred years go. When you’d come back and meet a friend it would be a special event. But now if you fly from New York for a holiday in Florida or the other way round, thirty days passing is nothing special.

Some hold that you should say the blessing without G-d’s name, which is what I like to do.

Here is a write-up about my Eagle Scout Court of honour that took place in a Synagogue, one of the special memories I share with my friend I met this Shabbos.

Harry Houdini a Jewish Star in Hollywood

There are many stars laid out on Hollywood Boulevard and I’m going to share one of my favorites: Harry Houdini, the legendary escape artist who was Jewish and the son of a rabbi. Years ago when I was a kid and liked doing magic tricks I read a book on the life of Houdini.

I like Houdini from many of the stars because he is someone who worked incredibly hard to achieve the things he did. He did not become famous for his looks or perhaps his voice. He trained like crazy to learn how to pick locks, to hold his breath underwater, and to handle baths filled with ice.

In Judaism we respect effort; it’s the work that is put in. “The greater the effort, the greater the reward.” For one person one thing may come naturally where as for the other it is a great struggle. Thus the person who struggles and works hard gains more merit.

Sometimes I use Houdini as my inspiration to remind me to put in the effort.

It’s that time of year where I can see that I am not the only one traveling. There is a lot more movement going around as families and individuals move about from place to place.

In America most people will say they are going on vacation. In Australia it seems people say ‘going on a holiday.’ Is there a difference between these two terms that essentially describe the same thing?

The Lubavitcher Rebbe once said to someone that a Jew must not go on a vacation. A vacation is ‘vacant,’ it is empty. A Jew needs to always go on a ‘holiday.’ This is he goes and makes the place holy. He brings more light and spirituality to the area.”

Something else the Rebbe said once in reference to people going away for the summer: People will go to country home, which often not have as many luxuries as their usual place of dwelling. Some will even go camping where you have really nothing. Yet we’re happy. This is because the more we set aside all our physical attachments to the stuff we have in our homes the more at peace we are.

Have a safe traveling summer.

This is a video I found on youtube. I was part of this climb in 2005. It was awesome. I’m not featured much in this video clip but my face does show up a few times.

I’ve been thinking of organizing a kosher and Shabat observant climb if I can get enough people who are interested.

Airplane Flying through Rainbow in Florida

Yesterday afternoon while driving we saw this rainbow. There is a special bracha which one makes when seeing a rainbow which is: “Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, zokher haberit vene’eman bivrito v’kaiyam bema’amaro.” Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who remembers the covenant, and is faithful to His covenant, and keeps His promise.

This is where the iPhone came in handy, because it’s one of those brachos you’re always trying to remember when you see the rainbow but can’t. Thankfully we could see the bracha on the iPhone.

According to the Torah, the rainbow came into being after the flood of Noah. G-d showed Noah a rainbow and said in the future if I am upset at the world I will show a rainbow. Thus seeing a rainbow is not a good thing and one should not point it out to a friend if they do see it.