An interesting thing happened to me on my way home from work today. Eric, my coworker dropped me off, and across the street was Rabbi Schapiro, my local Chabad Rabbi and neighbor. In all the years we have lived across from one another, this is the first time we have run into each other on the street.

We chatted about what we have been up to, and true to form, as a Chabad Rabbi, he asked me if I have been laying tefillin, going to minyan, ect… I was completely honest with him about how lazy I can be on a Saturday and Sunday, but weekdays I am pretty good.

He asked me come around to the side of his mini-van and I joked with him about what i must be in for. He laughed and took out a shofar from him bag of Jew paraphernalia. In the moth of Elul, he explained, we blow the shofar every day except Shabbat in anticipation of the new year and redemption. I have read of this custom before but never participated in it. While blowing it I become impressed! Blowing a shofar isn’t exactly easy.

He explained a Chassidic tale of the prince who left his father, the king, to study in a far away land. Over time he forgot how to speak his native language. Upon returning to his home, he couldn’t ask anyone to let him see his father. But the father, hearing him plead in another language, still recognized his son’s voice.

This interaction, as the tale illustrates, is our actions towards G-d. We are crying out for the attention of our Father and to be allowed back into the kingdom of heaven.

You have to love the Besht and his parables.

I would only reply that we should blow it much louder! He did! One long loud burst.

We laughed about now not a single person waling on the street even thought this was odd. 2 Jews up to something Jewish, I pointed out.

As a parting gift he gave me a delicious loaf of chalah made by hand by his wife.

I left with a Shabbat Shalom and a hug!Went upstairs and there was Idan reading on the couch asking if I knew why he was hearing a shofar being blown in Hoboken, NJ.

Look at me run the meeting!

I was sitting on the curb last Saturday waiting for Anthony and Dan when KAI CHANG came up and asked to take my photo. Here they are and don’t forget to check out more at humanbeat.

It isn’t too warm out, but not too cold either. Nice enough to pause for a soon to be spring shot of the fountain in the park.

Katie and I are just back from making some deliveries around Hoboken for some of the less fortunate. I have to admit that I had no idea there was that level of struggling right in my own backyard. On the cusp of 2007, I am going to use this feeling to volunteer even more in Hoboken.

One older lady, who only spoke Italian, was so happy to see my sister and me with bags of food she wouldn’t stop kissing us and hugging us.

I feel badly about the level of excess I have. There are 5 computers in this house and nearby there are people who need food donations. This is definitely going to change.

Day 8 and we are all done! Happy Hanukkah!

The light show in Grand Central made hundreds maybe thousands of people stop in their tracks!

This is what happened to me this morning:

• I get on the bus and that same lady who douses herself in lavender perfume get on and sits in front of me. To prevent my self from puking on her, I move to the back of the bus.
• In my new smell free - yeah right - seat, I am sat next to by a large man who smells like an ashtray. He proceedes to open his newspaper. Let me get this straight, you are obese, so why not smoke too, while you are at it, great idea. Then you have the nerve to occlude half my reading view with your newspaper? I had to get up and move. The smell of the smoke, plush is ample flesh squishing me into my seat accompanied by the occasional poke near the eye with the corner of his paper were too much. I would rather stand.

I got to work, got my coffee, and shut my door. Ah peace and quiet.