More reminiscing

Time for more reminiscing ... saying kedusha at mincha reminded me of visiting my bubby a"h when I was growing up...(I was at mincha after RAbbi G's shabbos shuva drasha)...my bubby's second husband, whom I never knew since he was niftar when I was a toddler was a chassidishe rebbe who had a shul in Boro Park - a shtiebel ... my bubby maintained the shtiebel, by herself until she was nifteres in 1976. the first floor was the shul, a big dining room (the ezras nashim on shabbos) and the kitchen. all the other living areas (living room, bedrooms etc) were up one flight of stairs...we used to visit Bubby Z almost every sunday, and many times I would visit for Shabbos and/or Yom Tov. Well...I got to know the shortened kedusha very well, by heart...for everytime we were there that there was a minyan and they were up to kedusha, we stopped what we were doing, stood up and said kedusha...

I remember visiting for shabbosim, before my single uncle was married and before he was in the army...and he used to serve Bubby's "kiddush"...the same thing every shabbos...piping hot lukshen kugel (kept in the oven all night long)...what we used to call "vanilla" and "chocolate"..the vanilla kugel was an ordinary salt and pepper thin lukshen kugel and the "chocolate" was a very sweet almost Yerushalmy kugel...and soft "nahit"...for those who don't know what "nahit" is...it's arbis or chick peas...there probably was herring and kichel too...but I just remember my uncle and his cronies cutting the kugel in the kitchen and then serving it to the baalei batim...

I have wonderful memories of Bubby Z...when my turn came to be a grandmother I knew I wanted to be called "Bubby" because of my memories of her...

She was an excellent seamstress...if only I would have saved those beautiful wool pleated skirts she made me for my daughters...she would walk down 13th Ave in Boro Park...look in the window of the children's shop (the name I cannot remember) and then go home and without a pattern, copy the dress/jumper/skirt in the window...the only thing she ever refused to make me was a purple pleated skirts...purple has been my favorite color forever...and she wouldn't make me a "fad" color...so that was the first skirt I ever bought..I must have been about 13 years old!! what memories...may her memory be a blessing to us all and may she be a meilitza yosher for us at this time of year.

Tomorrow...memories of Yom Kippurs past!! Gmar Chasima Tova

Driving granddaughters

Went to bed last night with the beginnings of a cold...ugh...I guess it's a combination of cool nights and evenings, hot days and lots of snotty nosed students (not to mention grandchildren with runny noses!!) UGh...I hat feeling like this...DH let me sleep late today...I didn't hear him stirring at 5 am...he did call at 7:15 to "wake" me..but I'm happy I awoke on my own an hour earlier. I hate rushing in the A.M. well...I still didn't get my preferred parking spot near the building...5 minutes earlier would have made the difference..and by the time I got inside...with my two preschool grandchildren who are my "carpool" the whole elementary was dismissed to make their way to their classrooms so the going was a little slow..gotta get up a little earlier tomorrow..and just leave a bit earlier...it's my "carpool" day off, so it's just getting me to school..so that should help..enough ranting!! Don't get me wrong...I love taking the granddaughters...they are sooo cute in the back..their conversations are a riot!!

Yom tov was lovely...20 people Friday nite...kids, hubbies, their kids, nephew, wife their kids...little noisy and messy..but lots of blessings!! days were nice...shul both days...went very quickly I must say...good meal motzay shabbos at dd#2...all in all a nice yom tov!! back to the real world tomorrow...up early to eat b4 the fast. Gmar Chasima Tova to all. BubbyT

Erev Rosh Hashanah brings back memories...of Rosh Hashanah pasts...when I was a child...my father became Rabbi of a shul in Queens, NY when I was 2 years old...I remember in my childhood -- the trials and tribulations of building that shul...they said it couldn't be done..but my father, A"H prevailed...one year Rosh Hashanah we davened in a storefront...I remember being very very scared of the chazzan when he fell "korim" during aleinu..it scared me for years...I remember that memory from the store "shul". I also remember a little boy asking if I were the RAbbi's daughter and I asked my mother "what's that?" (to my parent's credit they never put that yoke upon us...you have to act a certain way because you are the Rabbi's daughter)...We also davened in a tent under the steel frame of the new shul...then the shul was finally built...on usual Shabbosim it was divided in 1/2...one half for the sanctuary and 1/2 for the social hall but on the Yamim Noraim (or High Holidays) as they were called, it was packed to the back...most of the congregants were not observant..only a handful of shomer shabbos, but to my father's credit...many of their children went on to become observant through Y.U. seminars, many attending Y.U. and Stern and now their children are way to right of them. My father believed that shul should start at 8 am and end promptly at 1 on R.H. His feeling was that, those who wanted to daven it all would be there at the beginning but why be matriach the kahal to stay late in the afternoon. Musaf always started at 11 and ended at 1...He also limited his sermons to not more than 20 minutes...I don't ever remember my father writing or practicing his sermons but they were always relevant, up to date and lots of times had to do with current events. Of course, my mother and sister and I had to sit in first row...so everytime we got up the whole ladies' section got up..even if we were going to the bathroom..or standing to straighten our skirts..the women behind (who had no clue about davening) got up..very humorous. The Baal Tefillah for Musaf was the same every year...I still remember his tunes and when D.H. got a job davening for R.H. one year I was the one who taught him some of the tunes (LOL...with my terrible voice) I remember my mother, A"H, who was not a well woman, felt sick one R.H. we were sitting in the first row, next to the mechitzah which was in front of her and to the side...it was terrible so after that we got seats on the aisle...I think that is why, to this day, I demand an aisle seat for R.H. I cannot sit between people or too close to the wall/mechitzah. Tashlich was always at a park near the East River...a great time for socializing...and my parents always visited the former president of the shul after Tashlich. Don't remember more of R.H. growing up...will probably reminisce about Y.K. and Sukkos over the next few weeks.
Best wishes to all for a shana Tova.
BubbyT

I think it is only appropriate that I start this blog on erev erev Rosh Hashanah...after lurking and reading blogs for the last year+ I figured I might as well add my two cents to world opinions. The only thing I want to say now is that I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year...a year full of good health, happiness and may your wishes be answered by Hashem l'tova..for good!!
I have lots to be thankful for and I especially want to thank Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the bracha of an extremely close family unit...we are blessed...all our children, grandchildren, mother in law, many nieces, nephews, cousins..all within a few miles..it's truly a bracha...just miss our siblings and many relatives in Eretz Yisroel..but feel they are close too, when we visit yearly. I thank Hashem for all our good health and happiness...and all the brachot He bestows upon us. I thank Hashem for all our good friends...and they are many!! For anything else I have forgotten to be grateful for..Thank you!!