Harvey and Irma Pre-Rosh Hashana Reminder

Yesterday I had a wonderful time in Matan, Jerusalem, preparing my soul for the spiritual aspect of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. And I have many friends who have already begun cooking and freezing food for the holiday meals.

It's difficult to believe that there are many Jews, and of course millions of others, who may not even know where they will be for the holidays. They've been forced from their homes by two catastrophic storms, Harvey and Irma.

The ramifications of Harvey on Texas have yet to be calculated, and people are fleeing their homes in Florida, as I write this.

In just two weeks it will already be Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish Year, a two day holiday, which this year is "extended" to three, since there's no break before Shabbat.

The month leading to Rosh Hashana is Elul, when we are supposed to do Teshuva, which is more than repentance. We're supposed to carefully think of our past year and how we should do better in our relationship to Gd and our fellow man.

As the many millions of people who live in the areas of the American south, who have been and are being affected by Harvey and Irma know much too well, Gd who controls the weather is most powerful.  The powers of man are ridiculously puny in comparison.

South Florida, Surprisingly Jewish

The Forward has an article about the changing Jewish demographics in Southern Florida.  It should no longer be considered as mostly a retirement community.

Welcome to South Florida’s Jewish community, an amalgam of retirees, Latin American immigrants, Orthodox families, Holocaust survivors and plenty more.
More than half a million Jews live in three counties there – Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach – making the region America’s third-largest Jewish metro area behind only New York and Los Angeles. Add in the smaller Jewish communities elsewhere in Florida, and one of every 10 American Jews resides in the Sunshine State.
While many are retirees, Florida isn’t just a place for elderly Jews. A combination of factors – lower costs of living than in the Northeast, the lack of state income tax, Jewish institutional infrastructure, the draw of Miami to Latin American immigrants and, yes, the weather – has helped turn Florida into one of America’s largest, most diverse and most unusual Jewish communities.
“I think today we are no longer simply a retirement community,” said Jewish demographer Ira Sheskin, a professor of geography at the University of Miami.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/192624/south-floridas-jewish-community-grows-beyond-its-r/?p=all#ixzz2t8lA1hYm

I agree.  I noticed that when I was there very recently visiting cousins.  Actually two of my aunts and their families moved to Miami in the 1950's and raised their children, six of my cousins, there.  So I've always known that "regular Jews of all ages" live in Florida.  I also have friends with young children who have relocated to Florida in more recent years.  It's like New York with better weather and less expensive real estate.

I spent a lovely Shabbat with a family who are active in the Young Israel of Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida, of course.  I saw an extremely large, warm Orthodox community. I saw kosher restaurants all over, Miami, Aventura, Hollywood, and ate in a few.  There's also a fascinating Jewish Museum.

Here are some of the more "Jewish Pictures" I took there:

Of course, as lovely as the visit was, I still think that we Jews should be in Eretz Yisrael, The Land of Israel.

Watch Out America

Hat tip Boker Tov Boulder

One of my post -Barack Obama predictions concerns the dangerous/exaggerated expectations of some of his supporters. The "changes" they want in American society are a lot deeper and more drastic than Obama can provide, whether or not he actually agrees with their agendas.

They're not the most patient or tolerant members of American society. I'd hate to be in America when they begin to demonstrate their disappointment.

Yes, I'm talking about American Moslems, and there are many more than most people want to admit.

Here's the Anti-Israel Pandemonium in Gaza City Fort Lauderdale FL USA.