Houston, TX - Shabbos Chanukah

I flew into Houston for a bris to take place on Shabbos Chanukah.

As the bris was on the Holy Day, I did not take any pictures at the bris. Sorry.

Anyway, this was my first time back in Houston since Hurricane Harvey. I had heard things were bad, but I didn't realize how bad. In one section of this neighborhood, every ranch (and not-elevated house) was ruined. Walking around it feels almost like a ghost town.

Even the main sanctuary of the synagogue, and most of the older building was destroyed beyond repair (they have a social hall, relatively new, which is elevated, which they are now using as their sanctuary and multi-purpose room)

On the other hand, they are building! New codes mean every new house needs to be raised above the ground.



And some houses whose basic structure wasn't damaged are being elevated. They will surely be gutted and remodeled when they are ready.

It will be nice to see this community back on its feet. It will take time.

Looking forward to my next trip - under better conditions for all!

Santiago, Dominican Republic

With beautiful timing, the baby was born the Tuesday before Yom Kippur, allowing for the bris to take place the day before Erev Sukkot. As luck would have it, that was really the only way this could have worked out, as I really had no intention to spend the 3 days of Sukkot in the Dominican Republic. 

With one flight coming in from Ft. Lauderdale to Santo Domingo on Tuesday, and one flight flying from Santiago to Miami on Wednesday, that was the route I had to fly.

Here are pictures from Santo Domingo airport

Since the bris was going to take place in Santiago, we had a 3-hr drive, in which I got to see the Dominican Republic "countryside." Lots of motorized bicycles on the road. :)

The mountains are stunning!

And here is a section of roadway that reminded me (a bit) of the Palisades (NY/NJ)

Here is the view from my hosts' apartment.

Grateful to havebeen invited. Honored to have played a role. And appreciative of the opportunity to visit a country I might not have otherwise ever visited were it not for this profession!

Austin, TX and then some

"Can you come to camp for a bris?"

Sure.

So I flew to Austin, TX, and drove an hour to my final destination.

Some of the sites on the way.

A few firsts:
* I've never done a bris in a summer camp
* I've never done a bris with so many young people watching the procedure
* I've never done a bris at which the baby's father wore pink shorts!

Here's the setup:

Bris was very nice - certainly a new experience on many levels.  

As there were no flights home afterwards, I had to spend the night - which worked out nicely for the baby, as my care for him becomes extended through necessity.

Here's my post bris view, lounging on a rocking chair in a late, dry, Texas afternoon.

It's really nice here. I'm not used to the dryness, as in all my former and current living places there was/is always some humidity to contend with.

But I also know I'll remember this bris for a long time, when the baby was brought to summer workplace for his bris.

Kind of like Moses' son, who was to be circumcised on the road to Egypt (Shmot 4:23). But in this journey and heat, there is air conditioning!

Houston Revisited

I can get used to this.

I had the privilege to go to Houston, TX once again for a bris. But this time, since the baby was born on Saturday, it was a "Shabbos bris!"

This meant that I had to fly in Friday before sundown, stay the entire weekend, and I finally came home today (Sunday), as there were no flights out of Houston on Saturday night, by the time Shabbos was over.

As no one in this crowd takes pictures on Saturday (Orthodox Jewish crowd), there are no pictures from the bris.

However, before I left this morning, I took a stoic selfie to mark the occasion and location. (when earbuds are plugged into the phone, it's possible to take a selfie without holding the phone)

This is the twice-recently-flooded sanctuary of UOS (United Orthodox Synagogues), where Rabbi Barry Gelman has been the rabbi for 15 years. Rough times for the shul those were - they seem to be doing well, despite the setbacks.

ANYWAY, it was an honor to serve this beautiful family. I am grateful for the opportunity to be there for them for Shabbos, when it is often very difficult to procure a mohel. I am grateful to my wife for letting me go. Thankful to all those who hosted me (including a couple featured here earlier who have since moved to Houston), and the family that hosted me for Shabbos dinner - which was delicious!!

Lewisburg, PA

WHERE IS LEWISBURG?

Exactly.

It's 3 hours from Newark airport by car.  Or from Philadelphia.

I flew into Newark, rented a car and drove 3 hours on Rt 80. For the Bris of the first baby of a lovely couple doing important work in mid Pennsylvania.

Some pictures from my drive and from the festivities.

St. Augustine, FL

On Thursday I had the distinct pleasure to drive to St. Augustine, FL for a Bris.

I don't typically drive 300 miles for a Bris. But in my last few excursions to Jacksonville and Gainesville between the flight delays and just the less-than-thrilling general airport experience I thought it might take less time to drive. And so I did.

As it turned out, many thousands of flights were canceled that day, so who knows if I'd have gotten the ax from an airline. I didn't hit any rain, but I did drive through this ominous sky.

Beyond that the Bris was a very intimate affair. The parents had fascinating backgrounds, very un-run-of-the-mill, and even current professions quite out of the ordinary.

For me it is very heartwarming to find Jews who are doing their thing, not exactly on the radar of a classical Jewish community (though with membership in a Reform Temple, one need not live close by), who want to have a traditional Bris with a mohel.

It is an honor to make the trip. I am so glad life has put me in a position to service this need for Jews everywhere. And the trust parents put in my mohel-skills is an honor I cherish at every Bris.