The Conservative Synagogue

There is a conservative synagogue in Haifa that really reaches out to help the English-speaking olim. Russian olim have all kinds of help but everyone else -- not so much.  David figured out why the Russians are spoiled over all other olim and that is because many of the Russians coming over have technical expertise which Israel wants to take advantage of.  Israel already benefits from US technology, but it is always good to know about the technology from countries that support your enemy.  Thus Russians get the royal treatment.

Olim like David and I, have to rely on people like Rabbi Dubi, as in the Doobie Brothers, as in Scooby-Doo Where are You.  That's really his name.  He is the Rabbi at a American-style conservative synagogue where women are equal and play a role in the 3-hour Saturday morning service.  He has really helped us a lot and now we're obligated to become members of the synagogue and when we start making money, donate to the cause -- and we hope to do that someday.  

Here's some things Rabbi Dooby and his secretary have helped with:  translating our phone bill, translating the lease, translating other things, helping get us a washing machine and bed.  Stuff like that.

We have learned that you do not call and set an appointment to see the rabbi, like you would in an American synagogue.  You just show up.  If someone is there, they will help.  If they're not there, come again some other time.

We were hunting down Rabbi Dubi the other day and he wasn't around.  What we thought was a bus ride for nothing turned out to be serendipity.  We met a woman who moved to Israel 62 years ago.  She was from France and said after helping build the nation was still considered olim.  She said when she arrived, Haifa was all forest.  She also had nothing good to say about Arabs or Obama.

There was a black guy who was working on a computer and he spoke English perfectly.  Like an idiot I said, "Oh, are you Ethiopian?"  He took it in stride and was very kind, but turned out to be American olim and 3-years in Israel with a Obama-like background his mother being Jewish.

I asked if he was Ethiopian because I am fascinated with their story and want to talk to them about their experiences in Ethiopia and moving to Israel.  In Ethiopia, of all places, they discovered blacks practicing the religion very similar to how it is practiced everywhere else.  They did DNA and found Jewish genes, and the Israeli government began the process of bringing them out of 3rd-world poverty into 2nd-world poverty which must seem like science fiction and immense wealth to people who were without electricity and running water.  They seem to be adapting nicely.

Here's the weird thing, the Ethiopian Jews look more Jewish than the Russian Jews.  David and I were walking and passed by an Ethiopian Jew kvetching at his wife.  Who needs DNA, the kvetching said it all.

Then we met a man who has the same first name as I do, except the J is pronounced with a Y-sound.  His wife is from the Philippines and they have a 15-year old daughter.  They used to live in California and moved to Israel 5-months ago.  Their experiences mirrored ours.  In fact, they stayed in the same temporary housing we did!  The exact same unit and all she could remember was the bad smell coming out of the toilet.  Yeah, I guess I forgot to blog about that, but I kept sprinkling Ajax down there and that helped with the odor. 

They had the same project coordinator as we did, and she pulled the same thing with them as she did us.  When we first arrived, she was like don't worry about finding a place, then it was hurry up and move.  Rabbi Dubi found them a place and is helping them get furniture too.  The wife is cleaning houses, Rabbi Dubi being one of her clients.  

Here's the weird thing.  The cat that I fed, they fed too.  And just like what happened to me, two little girls came over and claimed the cat belonged to them.

Like everyone else who has gone to Ulpan, they still don't know much Hebrew and are one month from graduating.  After Level 1 of Pimsleur, we are about as comfortable as they are in speaking.  David and I are seriously debating whether or not to do Ulpan or simply learn Hebrew ourselves.  We met an English speaking immigrant who works at the grocery store and she speaks Hebrew fluently and she never went to Ulpan.  

However, Ulpan is free to olim and it seems a shame to pass on an educational opportunity.  Since we have a year to enroll, we're going to continue with Pimsleur and see how well we are doing with the language in May or June.  At that time, if we think Ulpan will enhance what we already know we'll start it then.