9-28-08 I got a cool movie/music little toy thingy

I love the world because I just bought this recorder/music/movie player that does a bunch of cool stuff.  I just finished... well I guess not really finished... but I'm putting stuff on it right now.  It's tiny but it's widescreen and perfect looking.  It's perfect to record the shiurim(classes) and to watch movies while I work out.

Which by the way is the most genius thing I've evere invented.  So many of you may not be so aware of what it's like to be in a place where people are studying how to be holy all day... let's just say it's very different from... America.  One this is for sure, no one watches movies... or at least I'm the only one that gets caught watching movies.  So I created an amazing system.  I already don't have so much time to waste watching movies and poking on facebook sooooo... I download movies and I only watch them when I work out.  That way I get to watch movies and it forces me to work out... and also makes me really want to work out... especially when I'm in the middle of a movie(cuz I only bike for about 30 min at a time).

It's been quite some time since I've written anything.  Lots of great stuff!

This past Shabbat my friend Matt Needleman and myself went to one of the Rabbi's houses.  One of the most amazing things about religious Jewish families, at least in my experience, is the behavior of their children.  It's unbelievable.  This Rabbi has 6 children, 2 of which are a little wild... and one of the two has downs syndrome.  However, the amount of love in the house is amazing.  One of the kids was getting a little wild and throwing stuff and the Rabbi sat down with him and talked to him about how he loves his mom and doesn't really want to throw things at her and how his son shouldn't give in to the negative inhibitions that he feels when they tell him to throw things... you have no idea the effect it had.  For the next hour he was really good.

By the way... who is Red?  I know you left a message on here and I appreciate it but I don't really know who you are... haha

So classes have been amazing, I've been getting some dope dope info on life.  It's amazing how I'm in classes most of the day, working harder than college, with homework and I'm still having the best time ever.  I wish you could all meet the people here haha.  You will eventually because they're the best and they're those friends that stick with you.   But it's crazy how cool and talented the people here are... it almost makes no sense why they're here and not using their talents.  There's one guy http://www.myspace.com/facingeastband who is in a band and making music videos and traveling back to the US every 3 months to go on tour!  There's so many cool people!  I'm not being overly enthusiastic like usual... they are actually ridiculously awesome.

Anyway tomorrow is Rosh Hashanah which starts the 10 days of Tshuvah where I get to say sorry to everyone and hopefully get forgiven for all the annoying stuff I've done to all of you.  And we get to have huge feasts... but the week ends with Yom Kippur where we fast for a day and hopefully G-d still loves me at that point so he doesn't make me smoted haha

Ok enough of my rambling for now.  I hope everyones being awesome

ttyl

Omz

9-13-08 Amazing Shabbat and Happiness

These past few days have been really great.  I don't know what it was exactly that sparked it all but I think it has something to do with changing the mindset I've been having.  For a while I'd been trying to prove the Rabbis and Talmud wrong and constantly just trying to argue... you could say only for the sake of being right... not for truth.  

Kate has been incredibly helpful... both knowing and not knowing that she was doing it.  But she really exposed me to the right information either from books, people, her own intuition etc.  And as Yeshiva began I started applying everything I knew... from looking for the good in other people, to seeing that there is potential good in every situation, to seeing that every challenge is an opportunity to overcome it and get closer to a larger purpose and goal.  A lot of that corny stuff you hear constantly... but instead of hearing it, thinking it, or even meditating on it... I actually started to put it into practice.  The results were astounding.  I was warm and respectful to others and it changed the entire atmosphere of any room I was in.  I started thanking the amazing Rabbis that teach us every day because they could be doing a million other things (These are people who have made successes in their lives before they found Judaism... and some who are just plain dope jews) but instead they are investing their time in a small population of Jewish men to make us more amazing human beings.  

I just have been feeling so happy.  There's a lot that has to do with G-d but I'll spare the details to keep you all from getting freaked out and thinking I've been brainwashed.  Haha you know... someone's parents accused this Yeshiva of brainwashing their son (who is here with me) when he decided to stay for the year.  And the Rabbi's reply was 1) Didn't you know I was listed in the phone book under cult leaders and 2) Most peoples brains probably need to be washed.  

The second part is for sure true.  I think the core of the happiness I feel now is knowing that I am doing the exact thing that I am supposed to be doing.  I thought long and hard and then talked to Kate about what exactly I wanted out of life... and what I should do in life.  Still not completely sure... but my plan to be a real estate agent is definitely not my destiny.  

So I hope I freaked you all out a little bit.  

Anyway this Yeshiva is amazing.  The things that these Rabbis have stored in their minds... I can't even comprehend it.  But as my friend Alex says... They're all "Jewels".  Every class we learn something really True about life.  And it's just so so much fun.  Also the people that are here with me are people who gave up all kinds of amazing things for Yeshiva... from pro-baseball, to big jobs on wall street.... Others include professional musicians, people who've dedicated their lives to teaching others, and geniuses of all shapes and sizes.  It's just really amazing to be around them.

Anyway Shabbat was awesome and I'm so excited to be starting off this year.  And I love Kate and you should all tell her how amazing she is.  And I love life... tell it how amazing it is too.  And G-d if you believe in him :)

Love
Omz

9-9-08

In exactly one year it will be 9-9-09... I bet they won't used that for any advertising campaigns...

Sooo, my friend Matt Needleman finally got to Yeshiva... and i am finally able to move in to my permanent room. �Everythings settling down. �Today Alex and I went to Machon Shlomo because their cook, Ricki, is amazing and she made my favorite of her food called Kube (cue-beh).

Yesterday Matt wanted to buy a drum so we went to this dudes house/store/bedowin tent in the middle of the city and he let me play an amazing shofar that I really want to buy and also a bugle, drums etc. �Matt bought a sick drum... and then the dude just let us hang out and they smoked hookah while I had some delicious tea(all free!). �

The other day all of the Rabbis of our school were having a meeting... pretty holy meeting! �

I'm pretty stoked for Yeshiva to start. �I've been reading books and learning about what the prayers we say in hebrew really mean past the definitions given in English in the Sidur(prayerbook). �It's really amazing how off the translations for most things are. �And how much is missed by not reading it in its original Hebrew. �So many mistakes have been made over bad translation its unbelievable.

I kicked butt in fantasy football even though I played all of the Buffalo Bills players... I'm determined to win with them... because 1) I don't plan on winning anyway and therefore 2) if I win with the Bill's players it will be utterly humiliating for the other people in the league... and even 3) that means the Bills are doing well!.... Which will be very sad if I miss watching their games the year they are good... but I'll have to find a tv for the superbowl if they make it...

Btw if you're reading this... Which I have a feeling no one does... except Kate (Thanks :) )... write a comment. �Haha I'm totally going to get 0 comments. �O how sad.

Maybe I'll just stop writing blogs then... you people don't even want to know whats going on in my life... except if you are reading this then I guess you do care. �So thanks for caring! �Why are you such a great friend? �I miss you. �I don't think I appreciated you enough. �Maybe I should come home and give you a hug!

Kosher food rocks

Love

Omri

9-3-08 Anniversary and Tel Aviv

The dinner was absolutely amazing. We went to a Vaqueiro (http://www.eluna.com/Rest/Vaqueiro.asp?mumu=435) which is an all you can eat Kosher Brazilian restaurant. Their specialty is 10 different types of meat which they bring out one at a time. It was so delicious. From the Entrecote to the Pergiot(spring chicken)... everything was so tasty. The staff was also amazing and we wrote them an amazing review at the end of the meal on a laptop that they gave us to use for the review!

Kate got me some really cool stuff for our 2 year. An amazing waterproof Talit bag and Tefillin Cannister with a compass! The set of Chofetz Chaim's lesson a day (he talks about speaking badly about other people and I loved these books back in NY and kept reading them when I visited her at work). As well as a book for both of us to read together which is a letter the Rambam wrote to his son! Really really cool stuff and so useful for this year!

If you want to know what I got her you'll have to read her blog which there should be a link to on this page under my blogs... and if she hasn't written about it yet you should make her because she is a much better writer then I.

There was a cute cat that helped us finish what we didn't eat, an amazing atmosphere and great conversations. Altogether it was a fantastic night and I couldn't imagine it better!

I woke up the next day and went to Tel Aviv with Ari Kafka(Really cool guy...2nd year at Yeshiva), Ilya(my roommate-switched over from another Yeshiva for the year), and Alex(my future roommate- also 2nd year here). We had a fun time avoiding scandelous parts of the Beach, traveling around the city, and guess what I had for lunch... MORE MEAT... lol we went to one of the only really kosher places around where we were... It was chinese. However, when we asked what the menu said she offered us either the grill...or Thai food. Since Thai food was almost twice as expensive for some reason we ended up eating meat... The best part is Ilya had chicken wings and french fries, and bread... at a Chinese restaurant! To his credit he ordered fried rice and they gave him the fries by accident.

Anyway, it was quite a hilarious day. Today I slept in way too long and am achy from all the traveling and working out I did the day before so I'm just being a little lazy for the day. I researched a bunch of stuff online and I'm kinda dissapointed in the news... it's super lame. I'm not even going to talk about what it talked about to save you all the hours of lameness that you will be lame for reading all the lame lamities.

Anyway,
Hope you're all having amazing summers(haha I bet I'm talking to like 3 people)
Love
Omri