Page 37 - issue
P. 37
Journey to Telz Stone 33
Ghosh is unusual in being friendly to the Jews since the days
before the State. The leaders and inhabitants of this town do
not tolerate terrorism and have good relations with Telz
Stone and the Israeli government to this day.
Once, Mrs. Blumenfeld planned at trip to the States with
two of her younger children for parlor meetings. Because of
an unusual and severe snowstorm in the area, no driver
dared drive them to the airport. Not wanting to miss their
flight, young Meir called an Arab driver from Abu Ghosh
whom he knew from his school van to take them to the air-
port. The driver not only agreed but even charged the nor-
mal price!
Some people like to attribute the good relations with Abu
Ghosh to the holiness of the area. In the times of Shmuel
Hanavi, the aron kodesh remained in Kiryat Ye’arim for many
years, until Dovid Hamelech brought it to Yerushalayim.
Whatever the reason, baruch Hashem, Telz Stone is consid-
ered a safe community and enjoys a richness of Torah amidst
an out-of-town lifestyle.
◆◆◆
Mrs. Blumenfeld describes the adjustment her other chil-
dren experienced upon their second aliyah. Yitzchok, the
oldest, was a brilliant boy becoming bar mitzva when his fam-
ily made aliyah. He went to yeshiva with two other English-
speaking boys and made other friends right away. But years
later, he told his mother how he used to cry in frustration
over the language barrier. Chava was eleven years old and
was miserable when she first started a school with Israelis
with about 40 kids per class. So Mrs. Blumenfeld chose a dif-
ferent school with smaller classes in the Old City. Chava went
there with two American friends and was much happier. Now,
she’s very integrated, even though she toughed it out to learn
the language. Yisrael was four years old at the time of aliyah
and found his own childishly innocent path to success: He
gave away things from the house to “buy” friends.
Being born in Israel certainly affords an easier integration
in many cases. The youngest Mandelcorn girl, Ruchoma, was
born in Israel and relates that, when she was a child and
young teenager, she wasn’t all that fond of Telz Stone,
because “It was a small place, and everyone knows who you
are and thinks it’s their business to notice everything you do.”
When she reached her high school years, however, she start-
ed to appreciate the friendly and cohesive community she
was living in, where people are there for each other. For
example, the mo’atza (community council) organizes family
outings. Ruchoma began her marriage in Telz Stone and sub-
sequently moved to Beitar, where she is living today.
When I ask Mrs. Blumenfeld about her own process of
integration into the Israeli culture the second time around,
she describes her experience positively. Back in America, she
was on the lower end financially and often felt like she
“couldn’t keep up with the Joneses.” But here in Eretz Yisrael,
she feels more materially comfortable, since she is in a better
u 410 358 8509 u
Ghosh is unusual in being friendly to the Jews since the days
before the State. The leaders and inhabitants of this town do
not tolerate terrorism and have good relations with Telz
Stone and the Israeli government to this day.
Once, Mrs. Blumenfeld planned at trip to the States with
two of her younger children for parlor meetings. Because of
an unusual and severe snowstorm in the area, no driver
dared drive them to the airport. Not wanting to miss their
flight, young Meir called an Arab driver from Abu Ghosh
whom he knew from his school van to take them to the air-
port. The driver not only agreed but even charged the nor-
mal price!
Some people like to attribute the good relations with Abu
Ghosh to the holiness of the area. In the times of Shmuel
Hanavi, the aron kodesh remained in Kiryat Ye’arim for many
years, until Dovid Hamelech brought it to Yerushalayim.
Whatever the reason, baruch Hashem, Telz Stone is consid-
ered a safe community and enjoys a richness of Torah amidst
an out-of-town lifestyle.
◆◆◆
Mrs. Blumenfeld describes the adjustment her other chil-
dren experienced upon their second aliyah. Yitzchok, the
oldest, was a brilliant boy becoming bar mitzva when his fam-
ily made aliyah. He went to yeshiva with two other English-
speaking boys and made other friends right away. But years
later, he told his mother how he used to cry in frustration
over the language barrier. Chava was eleven years old and
was miserable when she first started a school with Israelis
with about 40 kids per class. So Mrs. Blumenfeld chose a dif-
ferent school with smaller classes in the Old City. Chava went
there with two American friends and was much happier. Now,
she’s very integrated, even though she toughed it out to learn
the language. Yisrael was four years old at the time of aliyah
and found his own childishly innocent path to success: He
gave away things from the house to “buy” friends.
Being born in Israel certainly affords an easier integration
in many cases. The youngest Mandelcorn girl, Ruchoma, was
born in Israel and relates that, when she was a child and
young teenager, she wasn’t all that fond of Telz Stone,
because “It was a small place, and everyone knows who you
are and thinks it’s their business to notice everything you do.”
When she reached her high school years, however, she start-
ed to appreciate the friendly and cohesive community she
was living in, where people are there for each other. For
example, the mo’atza (community council) organizes family
outings. Ruchoma began her marriage in Telz Stone and sub-
sequently moved to Beitar, where she is living today.
When I ask Mrs. Blumenfeld about her own process of
integration into the Israeli culture the second time around,
she describes her experience positively. Back in America, she
was on the lower end financially and often felt like she
“couldn’t keep up with the Joneses.” But here in Eretz Yisrael,
she feels more materially comfortable, since she is in a better
u 410 358 8509 u
