For G-d's sake man, America is not home! Poland was not home and Germany was not home. Even in the 1200's when there were only five Jews in Israel, Spain was not "home"! You're in Katzrin, an area that housed our people in the first AND second temple periods, and afterwards as well. THAT is home. Someone with your geographical background shouldn't have as hard a time understanding that...

Sorry, just taking every opportunity for "Zionist Evangelism"...

what happened to your facebook account?

Chill, man.

"Sorry, just taking every opportunity for "Zionist Evangelism"..." -- Yeah, it's enough to push anyone to go the other way.

Sophie -- I've been FB-free for a long time.

Oh, and Shlomo -- I have a hard time taking such comments seriously from someone who lives in New York. Why do you live in a place you claim G-d despises? Pick yourself up and move to Israel, where you will experience the 'correct' weather and live at 'home'. Then you can lecture me. How's that for a deal?

Sorry, it just pains me to see American Jews and German Jews and Dutch Jews in Jerusalem saying "Ugh, I can't take it here, I can't wit to go home!" Or sitting in a house in the areas allotted y G-d to the tribes of our ancestors (Katzrin is in Menashe) looking out the window thinking "Away from home...away from home". Now, it could be you're somewhat of a "homebody" (as are most females, as far as I see), but this is about very general Judaic principles which perhaps aren't taught enough in the girls schools, or in Brooklyn in general. Perhaps preaching is a bit forceful though, maybe I'll just write posts about it and whoever is interested can see them there (but there is also an idea of saying something where "it needs to be said")..

I mean, "Israel", as we know it, is one of the greatest miracles in history, and surely one of the greatest miracles and kindnesses bestowed upon us by the Deity. Jut because people were born into a certain historical reality doesn't mean thy have to totally overlook and take for granted it's importance (especially for Jews, who learned hard lessons about what happens to them if they stay in foreign countries not long ago).

My own reasons for being in this city despised by G-d (: P. G-d DOES despise it, you know) are actually pretty technical, but suffice it to say all I'm really doing is working towards the goal of having a normal family life in "eretz yisrael, with my fellow members of am yisrael, according to torat yisral". Honestly, I gasp at an add for young couples to buy real estate in the Hamodia as if they were advertising prostitutes there, so..

"Sorry, it just pains me to see American Jews and German Jews and Dutch Jews in Jerusalem saying "Ugh, I can't take it here, I can't wit to go home!"" -- And I don't blame you for having that reaction. I just don't see why you are having it on my blog, since I never said that I can't take it here or that I can't wait to get home. Sure, I said it is very hot here, but I did call Maalot Dafna my "home away from home." This blog post was one of my shortest, and yet its message was that I am having a great time there in Katzrin. I don't see how you could have taken that the wrong way. I am in no hurry to return home; on the contrary, I would love to stay here a bit longer than we are. So don't take my posts the wrong way please.

"Or sitting in a house in the areas allotted y G-d to the tribes of our ancestors (Katzrin is in Menashe) looking out the window thinking "Away from home...away from home"." -- Those words were all together for a reason. My thoughts were that I was away from my 'home away from home', by which I was referring to Maalot Dafna. My point was that I was away from Maalot Dafna. So on the contrary, I think that that is a pretty positive attitude toward it. Sorry you misinterpreted it.

OK, if maalot dafna is home to you then very well, you're Zionist enough!

I can so picture the Israeli taxi experience, it's making my blod pressure rise. You have to scream at them a little, I think they like that.
Next time a taxi driver offers to drop you off in the middle of nowhere, just say NO!
What's wrong with you people, letting them take advantage of you like that?

I don't know, I haven't gotten the hang of the Israeli attitude yet and how to use it to my own advantage. And it's not like he said he'll be dropping us off in the middle of nowhere....

Dad didn't let them take advantage of us yesterday though. Some driver offered us a ride for 50 shekel, when by the meter it would only be worth 30. We settled for 35.