My first day at school....

I had a very long first day at school. I'm excited about my classes. I was previously a Spanish/French major and now I'm studying Business so, it's different studying in English.

An interesting thing happened today. I was sitting on a bench studying and this guy came up to ask me if I was Jewish. Of course, he was peddling something. He was recruiting people to work for the next Bloomberg campaign. Whatever, the point is that almost a year after my conversion, I still find myself smiling, "that's right, I ****AM**** Jewish."

The blog will be hankering down some...

I just want to give my blog readers a heads up that the blog will be hankering down.

Tomorrow, yours truly ventures back into the world of books and learning. She will make the trek twice a week to the hallowed halls of Brooklyn College to learn the ins and outs of business and marketing. Your blogwriter has been out of college for more than a decade, unless you count the school in the Army (US Army, that is). This still, was completed in October of 1999, so yeah, it's still about a decade. This time, my financial barriers are out of the way. I will finish. I will get me a ed-juh-muh-Kay-shun. Most importantly, I want that paper that says BACHELORS DEGREE.

So, since I doubt my readers want to be bored with blogposts about accounting principles and the various styles of management, I will be blogging less.

Guest posts are always welcomed! My Email address is in my profile.

Shidduch dates VS. regular dates

I just saw a comment here on the blog on my recent discussion of the shidduch date and the guy who just asked the same question OVER and OVER again. You know, these guys are almost as bad as the secular men who ask dirty questions. Either way, it's a meat market. Each one is just a different kind of meat market from the other.

New Hadag Nachash video!

They just put up this new video where they collaborate with a group named Shabak S. They really like to collaborate with other artists. One of the reasons why I love this group so much is the mindset is so different from a US group. They collaborate because they love the art of the music. As an artist (sort of) I can really appreciate that. In the US, the labels really take over and it becomes almost pure business and the art is lost.

Something Ironic from a shidduch date

Somehow it just crossed my mind about something interesting that happened on a date I had. I met up with this guy outside the front of a local kosher restaurant. Next door to the restaurant was a place labeled kosher, however, no one considers it to be reliably backed. This guy wanted to go in there to eat. He didn't want to trust my judgement. In the end, he decided I wasn't worried enough about the kashrus of the reliably backed restaurant and he said that I wasn't on his level.

Isn't it ironic?

Obnoxious questions don't a shidduch make...

Friday afternoon while I was on my way to where I was going for Shabbos, I got a
shidduch call from shadchan. She gave the guy my number and he called me
immediately. (Incidentally, what is with people arranging a shidduch within two
hours of Shabbos, seems innappropriate to me.)

When this guy called me, he wanted to know everything right there on the phone.
Excuse my ignorance, but isn't a guy supposed to check my references instead of
ask me questions? Furthermore, he kept asking me REPEATEDLY what families I eat
by in my own neighborhood and I told him, I go away for Shabbos.

Is there some rule that if people in your own neighborhood don't host meals for
people that I'm not observant or something? Someone thinks that he wants to see
if I know how to prepare for Shabbos. However, it seems to me that the answers
to these questions don't indicate anything. I know conversion candidates and
"BT's" who eat by people but, don't keep anything at home and don't know how to
make a Shabbos. The only way someone knows how to make Shabbos, is if they host
people themself. The bulk of Shabbos preparation comes with the cooking.

Water is thicker than blood....

When I have to tell people that my blood relatives have mostly stopped talking, people think this happened as a result of my conversion to Judaism. Actually, it's the reverse. I grew up in a happy home. Yes, my parents were divorced but, I had my mother, my grandmother, an aunt who lived around the corner and a father who lived not too far away. My mother's sister had five kids and so, I had these cousins I was sort of close to, as well.

My mother was REALLY big on holidays. When Xmas came around we *had* to decorate the house. We didn't just put up a tree. We put lights around our front window. We put these window stickies up on the window for our door to the outside (the side door was ours and the landlord who lived upstairs used the front door.) Whenever, any holiday came around, we were off to her sister's house. During the week, we were off to her sister's house. My grandmother used to say that her car knew the way to her other daughter's house. Even non-family holidays, my mother was big on them. If it was Valentine's Day, we just *had* to wear red and get valentines for our classmates and green was mandatory on St. Patrick's day.

However, something happened... first my grandmother got sick, then my mother got sick and eventually passed away. Two of the five cousins have died. My aunt and my sister stopped talking. I went off to college. When I transferred to a local public college from my private college in the sticks, I found that the family had really disbanned itself. My grandmother eventually passed on but, no one told me about it. Apparently, they expected me to call my mother's cemetary periodically to see if my grandmother had been checked in.

The interesting thing is that when I think about how close my family was at one time, I don't think I would have converted if I still had that family. I wouldn't have wanted to give up all those family gatherings. When I ask why I had to lose my mother which set in motion the whole family falling apart, I think that maybe it's because I was supposed to convert to Judaism. So, here I am, Jewish, as I find that water (my Jewish friends) is thicker than blood (relatives).

Message from the Jews to the rest of the world

Nu, what type of Jew is Michaltastik?

I thought I'd take a minute or so to talk about the great divide we have in Orthodoxy. I am in a unique position as I really straddle this divide. I mean, my music tastes include the secular Israeli pop group, Hadag Nachash AND Lipa Schmeltzer, the chasidic/chareidi pop singer. Most of my friends (and two of my three rabbis) are yeshivish but, I consider myself Modern Orthodox. This past Shabbos, I was in Flatbush almost Boro Park with a family where the women wore turbans. I davened in one of those shuls where there's not even a balcony, the women are upstairs but it's not a balcony. They had a hole in the floor so that the women could hear the service. The week before, I was in Riverdale. Yes, Riverdale, famed for Avi Weiss, the controversial rabbi who's trying to sneak women rabbis into Orthodoxy. I even davened the two Maarivs at HIR. I mean, wow, talk about refusing to nail myself down Jewishly!

However, I'm happy with this vareity I have going on. Nu, where do I stand? Well, I consider myself Modern Orthodox. However, I don't think I'm a regular Modern Orthodox Jewish girl. I don't particularly identify with the Avi Weiss types. For example, I don't have a TV. I hold some really yeshivishah type chumrahs. I definitely don't dress Modern Orthodox. So, I call myself Modern Orthodox Machmir or Modern ORTHODOX, as opposed to MODERN Orthodox. I am often criticized by those to the right of me as if there is only ONE type of Modern Orthodox. No, no, no... Let me respond....

I don't have a TV, but I'll watch other people's TVs rather freely. I don't want it right there because then I would watch it all the time and I don't want that. I would go to the movies, but how often would I do that? Not very often. I definitely don't go out to clubs or push the limits of tznius, something that those to the left of me do. Those to the left of me are looking for every possible heter and lenient ruling to go by. I do not do this. Nu, you're yeshivish then, right? NOPERS! Why not? Well, let's see, I will listen to secular music if it's reasonably clean. I don't want to marry and support a kollel guy and I, in fact, do not agree with this whole thing, kolllel for an eternity not followed by becoming a rabbi as a profession. You see? I'm not so easily pinned down.

Ok, that being said, I"m going to have some breakfast and I'll be back to post: The Great Divide: that is, the great Jewish divide down the middle of Orthodoxy.

Nice little conversion story...

I just ran across this cute little conversion story. I see that she is from Western NY, which is where I am from. I wonder if she is also from Buffalo. It doesn't say if she is from Buffalo or Rochester, which are the two cities in "Western NY." However, there are a lot of Catholics in Buffalo. Actually, my mother had a strict Catholic upbringing, but if you've read this blog or you know me, you know that I was NOT raised as a strict Catholic, AT ALL. Hahahah, I saw my mother in church for maybe a wedding or a christening, not even the holidays.

Also, this woman is a cat lover and the girls in JCO (my group, Jewish Conversion Orthodox), we like cats. When an inquiry was put out by a meetup host on cat allergies, one of the women told one of the other girls, "I'm allergic to people who don't have cats!" Hehehe, I like that line.






http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1249418599809&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Arrivals: Devorah Olam: From New York state to Ma'aleh Adumim

Nu, what has Michal been up to?

Nu, Michal hasn't posted since Thursday. Where, oh where could she be?

On Wednesday morning on the way to work, my bike tire went flat. The brakes were not so good and I had already decided that after the summer ended, I would throw the bike out. So, when the tire went flat, I wasn't going to fix it. I bought a new bike on Thursday. I had work on Friday, leaping into Shabbos in Brooklyn.

This morning, I got up earlier to fight crowds (the ones I thought I would beat at 8am) at the laundromat. Then I ran some erranda and I went to the Frum Satire show tonight. Then I came home and I've been catching up on my Facebook page, Email, blog comments from poop and well now you are up to speed.

Hillary Clinton is upset

Have you seen the headlines? Hillary apparently got upset because everyone kept asking what her husband thought of this and that. I can't say that I blame her but, I think she is forgetting that there is a time when Bill was in the spotlight and yet everyone talked about Hillary.

Anyhow, I saw the headlines at the newsstand and then came home to find it in the Hamodia on Tuesday and so, I thought that I would blog it.

Subcontractor airline inefficiency

I read about this in the Hamodia the other day. I meant to blog about it and then didn't get to it. So just now I saw someone's Facebook status where they were talkinga bout this.

Apparently, a subcontractor of Contintental airlines left people on an airline over night last Friday night. There was apparently some issue where they couldn't land and unload where they were supposed to. So, some other carriers resolved it by bussing people in from another airport and others just let their passengers off so they could wait in the airport. The article says that babies were crying and the mood was so eery that passengers could not just sleep the time away.

Vox Poopoli...

We're all arguing here with this self proclaimed respresentative of the populus... come on over, it'll be a blast.

This person says that he (or she?) is not an American... do tell where art thou?

It seems interesting this non-American should be stating how the Americans think and feel. Amongst the yeshivish Jews (my friends), most people are not in favor of Oh, bomb us! However, this person keeps bringing up that many Jews did vote for him. I don't dispute this but, really WHAT KIND of Jews? Certainly not people I know!

Anonymous on the Israel politics and Vox

I tried replying to one of the posts on your blog but it did not work.

Some people think that the two state solution will bring about peace. Most people logically know even after pulling out of Gaza, Gush Katif that it does not work. Syria won't commence talks ulness the Golan Heights are returned to them.

Egypt is doing nothing to prevent the ams smuggle into the Gaza Strip. I'm sure its medical supplies which are coming in!! Considering how much foreign aid Egpyt receives from USA. The UN keeps saying halt all building of settlements in the West Bank, how can you stop natural growth? Who actually listens let alones recognises the legitmacy of the UN anymore? They say go back to the pre 1967 borders, but then we could say the same for the British colonies to be returned to it's rightful owners, or giving the dutch back New York and calling it New Harlem once more. Or all the Spanish/Portguese colonies to be returned.

Why doesn't the World focus it's attention on Daruf? Shouldn't they be more concerned with that?

They (Palestinians, why not call them just Arabs) won't stop, and we all know it. They have no claim to this land, so how can anyone allow for any of it to be given away? I won't recognise a Palestinian State. If Arabs can live and some do under Israeli rule then why can't the rest of them? They talk about the land being stolen, then what about the 850,000 Jews from Arab countries whom were expelled? What about their land and possessions they left behind.

At the end of the day it comes down to simple, pure hatred. But I had a Muslim person tell me that Jews are people of the book?? Now they're blaming Israel for Arafat's death, whats next? What about Gilad Schalit?

No one is watching Iran at the moment, and as for US funding as Vox Populi goes on about, what about the funding the US gives to Pakistan? Most people know the States/Russia/China will invest money in a nation as most countries do with a clause it in it, what do they get in return? Military or strategic placement? And as for Vox, if Olmert was still in power I'm sure he'd be dismantling even more settlements. Then why if he is from the left, that more Yeshiva students are heading for combant IDF units, requesting elite units and why did the majority of Netanyahu's votes come from the 'settlements'. So what does that say? I call Vox one BIG bluff.

The Orphan and strangers with their big flapping jaws

Last night, I read Aliza “Jewminicana” Hausman’s piece on Aish called the Orphan http://www.aish.com/jw/s/50930757.html

Repeatedly, in this story, Aliza, her sister and brother-in-law had to tell apartment rental agents that they didn’t have parents. I know this story all too well. While in her story, she discusses how the gentiles at the apartment simply ask her about not having parents. She is mentioning how the gentile family was not family, even when they were blood relatives. However, in the Jewish world, her friends stepped up to the plate and helped her fix a seemingly impossible solution.

My situation is fairly similar, though, perhaps not quite and severe and deep-reaching. I, too, do not have “parents.” My mother and grandmother were the ones that raised me. They are both gone now. My parents had been divorced. The family that was leftover after my mother died all stopped talking to each other. The family peacemaker is gone and there’s no longer someone with the heart and influence to make people start talking again.

Now, I have to say that most people I have been to for Shabbos have actually been really great. I want to say that the people in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens are particularly warm and inviting hosts. On the other hand, I have unfortunately, been the victim of some of the ugliest, nastiest gross lack of manners when some others have had me over.

One particular conversation topic that came to mind when reading this article is how people ask a lot of questions about my family. I mean, I’m 33 years old and I’ve had people ask “what do your parents do for a living?” (Ummm, I’m not a child.) Furthermore, I repeatedly tell them, “everyone’s dead-new topic.” These people sometimes actually have the nerve to start probing, “everyone?” They name off relatives, asking about how they died and, “are you sure there’s not SOMEONE who’s alive and you can tell me what they do?” I mean HOLY COW!!!! I know, they probably want to “set me up” this almighty thing for which I’m supposed to be oozing with gratitude.

So, in summary, I’m complaining that people should not have me over so they can pry into my business. If people want to host someone for ulterior motives like getting into their business or ONLY in hopes of setting someone up so that they can tell everyone they are a shadchan, they probably have no business inviting people over. Having someone over for a Shabbos meal is something you’re supposed to be doing because it’s a mitzvah, NOT because you want to get into their business.

This is great, Vox is proving my point...

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128242

The article discusses the fact that Obama suckered Jews into voting for him. Notice that he wants to chit chat with the Iranian president. I bet he'll talk to him before he talks to the Jews.

I never disputed that secular, modern and otherwise whipped Jews were suckered into voting against their own people.

How about a video on the shidduch crisis?

If someone wants to get married the UWS is not the place to live. Everyone knows that that is the land of the tefillin date.

Another point is that the people going to the UWS at a young age like 20, makes you wonder if they want to get married.

There's the pickiness factor. Do you hear these people talking... if someone isn't a 10 in the looks dept, they dont' even want to talk to them, especially the guys. As MODERN singles, the messages from the world and not Judaism seem to be what's gettting through.

It's interesting that there is an admission that getting married is the "prescribed way." This video makes me think of a Shabbos conversation while I was still in the process. The Israeli girl at the table was saying, "it's the men. The men don't want to get married." She says that at the "singles classes" you see the same people over and over again. They are "just looking" not really shopping-for marriage, that is.

Sticker Song live... a subject change

That idiot, VOX POOPULI should read THIS article from the Jpost

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1248277865693&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Just as I suspected, he was wrong. Obama is trying to tell the Jews they can't live wherever in Jerusalem. He is trying to halt building on land purchased from the Arabs to a Jew over a century ago. You see who's side he's on... Yeah, we know who's side he's on.

Incidentally, a muslim tried to run me over this morning while I was on my way to work. Uh, huh! You see how they are? That's how they are.

Today's blood liebels...

This article:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249275681195&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

talks about how the current hatred against Israel and Zionism is nothing more than modern blood liebels. It's a must-read!

Barak HUSEIN Obama is not even talking to Israel

Thanks to fellow blogger, Aliza "Jewiminicana" Hausman, I just read this article I want to share with my readers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/opinion/28benn.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

In the article, it's pointed out, why should we listen to Obama when he's making demands? He's over there talking to the Arabs and making nice with them. He's not making nice with the Jews. Oh, yes, he went to a Holocost museum.... which totally misses the mark. I divurge with the author of the article when he says American Jews like this and Israeli Jews don't. Perhaps, this is true of lesser affiliated types, but, I think the Orthodox world is more closely tied to Israel than that. Everyone seems to know people who've made aliyah. Most Orthodox Jews have family who have made aliyah. The Shabbos tables buzz with pro-Israel discussions. Sometimes a comment is made about how, "well Obama did visit that shoah museum," -dramatic trail off with the most pronounced eyeroll!

However, it is true that Obama thinks that he can appeal to the Israelis this way. Yes, he's definately off the mark. Although, I will say we are more different than Israelis in the importance of money and stature in the American society versus the Israeli society. Ah, but, this is a whole 'nother can of worms and thus, perhaps, I will blog about this another time.... like when I'm not running off to my job that's not good enough in America....

Conversion news has been sooooooooo boring....

Just an update for those who care. The conversion news has been boring, lately. There was some stuff about Ivanka Trump's conversion for marriage. We covered that. Then they've been talking about an incident in London. A woman had a non-Orthodox conversion and the Orthodox school wouldn't let her kid in. So, in the press people are saying this isn't fair. It's quite what any Orthodox school would do. They think Britney Spears is going to convert.... we'll see how long that one lasts. As I stated, boring, no exciting scandels.

The eyes have it!

Someone commented at one point asking if those were my "green" eyes on the side. My eyes are actually a blue-green hybrid, but we'll go with that. Anyhow, indeed, those are my eyes. I sliced them out of an old headshot for my blogger profile picture.

You’re an actress, right? I thought you were an actress?

Tonight, I went to a friend’s birthday party and I was asked this by a mutual friend who knew me when I was much earlier in my conversion to Judaism and I was still toying with the idea of doing both.

I am frequently asked about whether or not I miss acting. Yes, I really do. I always felt completely natural on stage or in front of a crowd. People always tell me I have such a great personality and how I would have been great for comedy. In fact, one of my teachers did tell me I was “cut out perfectly for comedy.” Actually, everyone in my old acting class told me that I was made for comedy.

Unfortunately though, you can't do both. Practices and performances are on Shabbos. Costumes are not tznius. Dressing rooms are co-ed. Beyond that, some say that women shouldn't perform plays onstage with men or sing in front of men.

I have done some public speaking engagements. Perhaps, I will try that avenue again. Until then, I blog, therefore I am. Oh, blogger! Oh, blogger! Wherefore art thou blogger?

Netanyahu Taking A Stand

So, it's been four years since the residents of Gush Katif were evicted. It seems former Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon has something to do with this.

Lemme guess, Gush Katif was a settlement and one of the US presidents demanded this?

I like this video, too.

I just LOVE this group and especially this video!

Vox Populi, we're done here

Listen buddy, I'm not going to sit here and argue with some gentile who does their research on WIKIPEDIA. Wikipedia is not exactly reliable.

The reality is that Israel belongs to the Jews. The Arabs keep moving in from the other Arab lands. I don't understand why they want our land so bad, the Arabs were not able to make anything grow in the land. I'm sure, I will be told that I am lying. This is the point. The US media keeps telling the same false story over and over again and eventually, they will believe it. Nations and governments change hands. That's the way it works. Israel no longer belongs to the Arabs. The official language is HEBREW in those lands.