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Harmony Retirement Apartments - Ramat Bet Shemsh (Aleph)

*I’m on my way back home to Chicago after spending 3 wonderful weeks in Israel. We were there for Yom Kippur and Sukkos and spent some real quality time with my son and his family.

I say this every time I leave. But I always feel the need to express my feelings about the beautiful community of Ramat Bet Shemesh (Aleph). The people that I come into contact with there every year are mostly Charedi and some of the finest people I have even known. They are as warm and friendly as could be, welcoming my wife and I as though we were the closest of friends.

This is particularly true of the Shul I attended while I was there. It has the unusual name of Massas Mordechai. It was founded and is run by Charedi Baalei Batim and has no Rav. But my son is the Posek for most of its members as well as many others that are not.

The Shul is attended by people with a wide variety of Hashkafos. And I see as many Kippot Seugot as I do black hats and the occasional Shtreimels attending the daily Minyanim there. Yom Kippur in Massas Mordechai is as inspiring as I’ve ever experienced.  And I am not alone. They are fully sold out and have to turn people away.

In short this trip was another memorable one that I will not soon forget.  Thank you to all the people that made me feel at home. But most of all  thank you to my Israeli family.  Meyer, Dini, Yael, Shimon, Tehila, Nechama, Mordechai, Malka, and Chaim. Love you all!

*This post was to be auto-posted yesterday, while I was in the air on my way back to Chicago. I had apparently left it as a draft instead of scheduling it for Sunday morning. So even though it is a day late (but not really a dollar short), I am posting it today. And because I am suffering from the worst case of jet lag I have ever had, this will be my post for today. New post tomorrow.