The Pragmatician

Comments and emails will be answered asap,please forgive the delay...

A trip to Israel is always memorable but this year’s is even more so as I did nothing there.
Nothing at all, no visits (to family or museums), no tiyulim(outings) of any kind (who needs the desert when there are so many kosher desserts available?)
Nope just relax, eat and drink.

I’ve made a couple of interesting observations though.

-It’s amazing being able to finally taste the famous Pizza Hut pizza, but it’s very unsettling to see two arabic women on the second table to the right doing the same.How come 2 arabs have no qualms about walking into a mall patronized mainly by Jews?

-I appreciate the need for security at the airports which for a second reminded me of those awful lines at Disney, but I don’t get the point if weird and suspicious looking people get through anyway?

-It’s wonderful that there’s such a large selection of bottled water brands, but what’s the point if all of them have an almost immediate averse effect on my digestive system.?

-How wonderful that everything has a Hersher, but why not make it Cholov Yisrael while you're at it?

I always felt proud of my so-so but doable knowledge of Hebrew, after witnessing a non Jewish Chinese guy being infinitely more fluent it sort of dissipated completely.(not a question, I know)

How come a mel gibson movie was shown at least thrice during my short stay on a Israeli channel? I’m not really surprised, this was a rhetorical question.

But an announcement sounding like :’Dear viewers a MG picture was on the schedule tonight, however due to his insensitive and plain anti semtical remarks, a different movie will be shown instead’.would’ve been very much appreciated.
Well dream on….
I’d like to mention that I decided to boycott the movie, even though I knew very well that it would have no further effect whatsoever.

Don't get me wrong though it was a wonderful vacation and I can't wait to come again!

I'll be catching up on all your blogs !
Please let me know if a missed an important or otherwise special post.
Glad to be back....

I'm going to 'rest' and 'relax' for two weeks.
See you all then......

Got this by email, really worth taking a moment to listen to.

Here's a guy who does not call a lemon an apple and does call terrorists peace boycotters.

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=196C870646607516

Take a moment to read Neil's story and take a moment to absorb the lesson.

And if all the bad news and pre-Tisha Be'Av stress gets the better of you, surf you way to the always deliciously satiric ‘The Knish’

The subject of Shiduchim remains a burning one.
Hordes of singles are looking for their zivug, actually waiting is a better term as actively looking is frowned upon in chareidi and most MO circles.

I think I’ve mentioned a few time that I never tire of trying.
Although hundreds (slightly inflated number) of suggestions I made were either completely ignored or torn apart, even though I had people indignantly slam the phone in my face, even though it cost me a friendship, I still try to come up with sound ideas and “redt” them.

It’s not a job to me, I do not spend half the day writing names on a blank paper and draw arrows, it happens when I see someone on the street or hear someone’s name come up in a conversation.
Then, sometimes, a click goes off in my head and I try to act on it as soon as I get a chance..

It’s not a lot of effort either. If I know the people I can make the suggestion myself, and when I’m not familiar with either the boy or the girl I pass it on to our local and very experienced Shadchan.

Yet when I talk to married friends, who I know have cousins and friends all over the world, I’m surprised to find out that only very few of them make any effort to find matches for their single friends and relatives.
Excuses vary from ‘they’re too picky’ to ‘she’ll never agree.’
If I had a dime for each couple that got engaged of which no one thought either the boy or the girl’s side would ever agree to it, I’d had a lot more dimes than I do now.

It’s everyone responsibility, everyone has a few minutes to make a phone call, everyone knows single people who honestly want to get married.
And if you can’t find anyone, you can still daven to H’Ashem to help them.

Act now…!

Have you ever made a Shidduch?