AM Inspiration

I know this is an oldie..but a goodie! I love things like this 

Happy Shabbat Chanuka!  I went to the lighting of the "biggest Menorah in the world!" by Central Park on Tuesday night.  It was quite the sight to be seen.  We were standing there among the crowd and my sister and I were wondering how many of the people there where actually Jewish and how many just stopped to watch the spectacle.  Its at events like this that you just feel proud to be Jewish and Chabad is at its best. It is heartwarming to walk down the dirty streets of Manhattan and see men in black hats and peyot handing out Menorahs and literally spreading light.  That is the nature of light. It only takes a little bit to dispel vast amounts of darkness. It follows then that as Jews, one of the smallest (perhaps the loudest) but still one of the smallest of the world's minorities it is our job to be a light onto the nations.  I was recently at The Brooklyn Museum ( now that I have loads of time) and was looking at some pret...

In honor of the Festival Lights and the tradition of  8 days of gift giving...here is the gift i would love to receive :P Obviously there is more to Chanukah than gifts..and Gd willing I will get to the inspiration part my namesake not just the AM part  In the meantime..if you are in the NYC area.. Lighting of the world's largest hanukkah menorah expand map Map Data Terms of Use Photo: Joe Buglewicz email print December 16 – December 23, 2014 Grand Army Plaza Fifth Avenue and 59th Street Manhattan, NY 10019 get directions description/ Gather around the 32-foot-high, gold-colored, 4,000-pound steel holiday icon at Grand Army Plaza (Fifth Avenue and West 59th Street, across the street from The Plaza hotel) to kick off the annual Jewish Festival of Lights. Lightings generally take place at 5:30pm, ...

I think that just sums it up perfectly. It is such a hard line. To balance between hope and expectation. I personally am constantly grappling with it.  To go back to shidduchim..because it always comes back to shidduchim... look forward but never wait.. How many girls do we all know that have put their lives on hold waiting to get married? How many of our friends don't go on trips, don't make career moves...wont buy themselves jewelry, Wont spring for that nice linen...because they are waiting for when they are married?  I cannot even begin to count how many times people have told me..."wait, you'll do that with your husband."   I want to go backpacking across Europe- wait and do it with your husband Skydiving- ditto  highlighting my hair even- wait till your married (don't want to Gd forbid screw up my chances of getting married with the wrong color streaks)  I book a ticket a few months in advance...but what if you are da...

One of my favorite Disney movies is Mulan. Probably has something to do with the fact that its one of the first Disney movies where the girl takes her destiny in her own hands..she does the rescuing. she is awesome and fierce and strong..She is everything I want. Plus she gets the guy in the end..whats not to like? The scene where she goes to meet the matchmaker is epic just because it strikes a chord. Here are the lyrics...you'll see what i mean. This is what you give me to work with? Well, honey, I've seen worse We're going to turn this sow's ear into a silk purse  We'll have you washed and dried Primped and polished till you glow with pride Trust me recipe for instant bride You'll bring honor to us all  Wait and see When we're through Boys will gladly go to war for you With good fortune And a great hairdo You'll bring honor to us all  A girl can bring her family great honor in one way By striking a good match And this could be the day Men want ...

I was having this conversation over Shabbat. A lot of us have a false sense of security. We say things like never again and it could never happen here. But unfortunately, that just is not true. We have become too comfortable in Galut and G-d is doing what He always does when we get too accustomed to our cushy lives. He shakes things up. He makes us wake up and notice. There is  no city, state, country we are safe. There is no where we our protected from our enemies. The people that hate us...they are everywhere. Some are better at hiding it than others. The worst of it is the ones that our indoctrinated, and brainwashed. The school children who are raised with hate in their hearts.They really believe that we are evil and it is their duty to destroy us. If we saw the propaganda that they saw...who knows what we would be compelled to do?  I was discussing with a friend about what would happen if Gd forbid we have a repeat of the holocaust in our times. It isn't so far fetched...