For some time, I have been a subscriber to an email group called “Avira d’Eretz Yisroel” (loosely translated as “the holy atmosphere of the Land of Israel”). There, and on his website, www.aviraderetzyisroel.org, Yoel Berman promotes successful “chareidi” aliyah from North America by educating and informing his readership about communities, old and new, that are appropriate for American bnei Torah and their families – a goal that he shows to be practical, attainable, and worth striving for. If you’re a regular reader of the Where What When, you’ve probably seen some of his articles featured in these pages.

As we pray for rain in our Holy Land, my personal deluge has come in the form of having to replace several major household appliances almost at once. The oven, fridge, and air conditioner that had served us well for 15 years all went belly-up within a six-month period. Financially challenging, yes – but also technologically terrifying. Just as I was getting comfortable setting the Shabbos mode on my new oven, it was time to order a new fridge. From my preliminary research, I learned that some refrigerators now come with a Shabbos mode setting, too.

“I highly recommend the GE with the Shabbos Keeper attachment made by Zman Technologies,” advised a frum salesman at Baltimore’s newly-opened Town Appliance store. “It’s programmed according to your location to automatically put the fridge in Shabbos mode an hour-and-a-half before every Shabbos and Yom Tov – and will turn off the Shabbos mode an hour-and-a-half after Shabbos/Yom Tov – for the next 30 years!”