Brawl in Yeshiva High School

Last year my children were at a very small yeshiva where they were watched by staff all the time, even the high schoolers. Their complaint was lack of freedom, and total boredom.

Yesterday my 15 year old son R, now back at his original large high school, was in the cafeteria (a large gym) eating breakfast after davening. Sitting at his table was a boy, let's call him "D". Another boy "E" comes over to the table, and davka (on purpose) knocks over D's tea. D jumps up from the table, grabs E and starts smashing him against the table, knocking over all the food.

By this time, the other kids start to notice, and begin moving around the room, gathering to watch. One of the larger boys in the class tries to break up the fight by restraining D, inadvertently enabling E to land a few punches at D.

All the while there are no teachers or administrators in the room at all. The students manage to somehow keep the conflict from escalating, until the Hebrew principal, Rabbi S, walks in to the room to get his breakfast. He is his usual smiling self and fails to notice anything amiss. He gets his food and walks out.

E runs outside the building, and he is crying. Soon his mother picks him up from school. Still it doesn't seem like anyone in administration knows what's going on.

According to R, the fight had something to do with the school bus and a girl, but he doesn't know the details. The point of the story was that the kids managed to police themselves and keep the brawl from turning into a scene from "Animal House".

R was grinning while telling the story, concluding that this school is NOT boring. He is glad to be back.

G-d Sends the Refuah Before the Makkah

This means that G-d sends you the thing that will save you, before the evil plague hits.

In our case, we got our new dog, Lilo, just before my son got a concussion in a car accident. He has trouble sleeping from the headaches and neck pain, but the dog stays by his side.

The gulf coast was hit by a plague again, and that always raises the question: why doesn't
G-d give everyone their refuah before the makkah?

I am so grateful to Hashem.

Muktsa Magazine

Since I am a doctor, I get a lot of magazines for free; some I read, some I dump right away. "Rolling Stone" is usually in the latter category, but for some unknown reason I actually opened mine up to find the centerfold flashing lights at me and playing spooky music. It was a promo for a new TV show! Oh great! It's bad enough I have to deal with perfume samples that inflame my sensitive sinuses, and now this dilemma.

I believe that as a Modern Orthodox Jew its ok to read newsapapers and magazines on shabbos. I don't exactly have the background to learn Talmud all day, and in my boring community with nothing to do on a long summer shabbos day, I like to get through all the reading clutter that's piled up over the week.

I read. That's what I do. Now some Rabbi, somewhere is going to hear about this and issue a halachik warning not to read secular magazines on shabbos, which I'm sure is their agenda anyway. Another muksta thing to worry about. I'll just have to check the magazines ahead of time for music, lighting and other theatrics.

And don't tell me my dogs are muksta...they are my babies, just like my human babies only no Yeshiva tuition. The new addition is doing great, by the way. We named her Lilo. The kids love her, and the older dog is getting used to her.

Please try to open your home to a hurricane rescue pet or any rescue pets. The North Shore Animal League has them here in NY, or if you live in another area, go to Petfinder.

Katrina Rescue Dog

We have a new pet, a Katrina Rescue dog from North Shore Animal League! Don't worry they only bring pets up North who were released for adoption, and they do this to make room for all the new homeless/displaced pets as a result of the hurricane. She's a sweet shih tzu mix, young, quiet and cuddly. I hope the family decides on a name soon.

My original shih tzu, Freddie, is taking it well. Even my husband, once over the initial shock, seems to like her.

Black-out, Brown Out, and it's NOT Miller Time

That is just so funny that LA had a blackout today. We New Yorkers are so used to this stuff happening to us, that it's nice to see our rivals in the west have a little taste of it. One day the terrorist threatens you, and then the next day something happens to make you jittery with panic.

Finally, Brown resigned from FEMA. I haven't had a chance to read about the newly appointed FEMA head, but I did hear that he was a firefighter for many years. That alone renders him infinitely more qualified than the Arabian horse maven.

My mother says Michael Chertoff is Jewish. I have not confirmed it, but even if true I remain unimpressed by his performance. I think Brown is taking all the fall, when Chertoff should be sharing in the blame equally.

Speaking of politics, tomorrow is primary day, and my guy Anthony Weiner is leaving Gifford Miller in the dust! Momentum, momentum, momentum is building! I'm actually going to help my son tomorrow to get the vote out in Jewish Queens for his candidate, in spite of the fact that I don't live within NYC and can't vote for him. A run-off with Ferrer is what we are hoping for.

My husband is a NYC teacher and based on the problems he's discussed with me, I can tell that Weiner has the best understanding of the situation in the NYC public schools. Also, my husband would like a raise and a contract, if that's not so terrible. The poor guy works 16 hour days trying to teach science to high school kids who can't read or write.

Let me tell you, teaching is really hard work.

21,000 Wandering Jews

I've done the math. There are 9,000 homeless Jews from Gaza and 12,000 more homeless Jews from New Orleans. It's been quite a couple of weeks! Then on top of the misery of our own people, there are countless others, mostly poor and black who are even worse off.

It's so hard to feel any sense of security today. The Israeli government doesn't take care of its own people, and neither does the US government. I'm an American and a Jew and I'm on my own for my own survival in the event of catastrophe. This is not to minimize the good works of so many people who give of themselves to help in whatever way they can. Just today while running a few errands I saw lemonade stands, kids selling books, and raffles being sold at Walmart all for the benefit of Katrina victims. Disaster often brings out the best of people, but seems to expose the callousness of government.

For those of you who want to help out by donating to the Red Cross, I would suggest doing it throught the Barry Manilow fan club. For every dollar you give, his foundation will match it, and he will match it. So $1 becomes $3. A good deal for all.