Page 58 - issue
P. 58
yard, completely surrounded by high ate of Yeshivas Ateres Yisrael, he had ducer, it has been surpassed by tourism.
walls. A building stood in front of us. We spent a number of years in Central Once we got off the highway and started
walked through the building and were American countries, like Panama, as a heading up the mountains, my doubts
suddenly in a large open space of green mechanech, where he picked up about the beauty of Costa Rica evapo-
grass, facing the shul at the far end of Spanish. Now he’s here – a chareidi rav rated. Everything was such a beautiful
the grass. It was gorgeous: a magnificent presiding over a non-shomer Shabbos, green. There were gorgeous, colorful
structure of white stone with the shining mostly non-kosher Jewish community. tropical flowers growing on the side of
Hebrew words, “Ki veiti beit tefila He was upbeat and said he was looking the road. Then we saw terraces of coffee
yikareh lechol ha’amim.” Another build- forward to seeing us Friday night at his bean plants dotting the hillsides.
ing to our left housed the community home.
center, the Hebrew school, dairy cafete- We came to La Poas Volcano
ria, and Holocaust memorial. We stood Walking back to the hotel, I looked National Park, home to an extinct vol-
dumbstruck, and then realized we were around. There were mountains in the cano that imploded on itself and is now
very late for davening because of the distance, but as far as beauty is con- just a large crater with some kind of
guards. Inside, in the small chapel, were cerned, there was nothing special about greenish blue liquid inside. It was very
the rabbi, a local mechanech, a handful San Jose. I was wondering whether it hard to see it because we were located
of chasidim, and about 15 other people. wasn’t much different in the rest of the in one of Costa Rica’s famous cloud
Some were tourists while others were country and whether I made a big mis- forests, and the clouds were camouflag-
locals who came to recite Kaddish. The take flying 18 hours to get here. ing it. Eli was lucky; he managed to steal
makeup of the worshippers reminded a shot during a three-second window of
me a little of my childhood days in ◆◆◆ opportunity when the clouds parted.
Woodmore Hebrew and Shaarei Zion Then we saw a lake surrounded by trees
Congregations in Baltimore. We rushed back to the hotel, had our that was stunning. My doubts about
breakfast, and then hurried to the lobby whether to visit Costa Rica absolutely
After Davening, we approached the to meet our guide for the day, who was evaporated! We walked through the
rav of the shul, and the official rabbi of to take us north in his van to the La tropical forest, a first for me, for about
Costa Rica, Rabbi Itzik Prober. He Poaz Volcano. We traveled for about an two hours. Our guide spoke to me in
looked like he was in his late thirties. hour and a half, mostly on the Pan English and to my companion in
Originally from Bnei Brak and a gradu- American Highway which extends as far Spanish.
as Canada. He told us that, while coffee
was once Costa Rica’s main income pro-
4Do4n’3t P-a2ni1c! C3a-ll1At8la0nt0ic!
www.atlantic-mechanical.com
PLUMBING REPAIRSAutograph • 410-585-1513
DRAIN CLEANING
Autograph • 410-585-1513
SEWER/WATER REPLACEMENTS
SEWER CAMERA SERVICE
SUMP PUMP SERVICES
LAUNDRY TUB REPLACEMENTS
GARBAGE DISPOSALS
REMODELING
SHOMER SHABBOS • LICENSED & INSURED • SAME DAY SERVICE
MD Master Plumber/Gas Fitter License #8725
50 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
walls. A building stood in front of us. We spent a number of years in Central Once we got off the highway and started
walked through the building and were American countries, like Panama, as a heading up the mountains, my doubts
suddenly in a large open space of green mechanech, where he picked up about the beauty of Costa Rica evapo-
grass, facing the shul at the far end of Spanish. Now he’s here – a chareidi rav rated. Everything was such a beautiful
the grass. It was gorgeous: a magnificent presiding over a non-shomer Shabbos, green. There were gorgeous, colorful
structure of white stone with the shining mostly non-kosher Jewish community. tropical flowers growing on the side of
Hebrew words, “Ki veiti beit tefila He was upbeat and said he was looking the road. Then we saw terraces of coffee
yikareh lechol ha’amim.” Another build- forward to seeing us Friday night at his bean plants dotting the hillsides.
ing to our left housed the community home.
center, the Hebrew school, dairy cafete- We came to La Poas Volcano
ria, and Holocaust memorial. We stood Walking back to the hotel, I looked National Park, home to an extinct vol-
dumbstruck, and then realized we were around. There were mountains in the cano that imploded on itself and is now
very late for davening because of the distance, but as far as beauty is con- just a large crater with some kind of
guards. Inside, in the small chapel, were cerned, there was nothing special about greenish blue liquid inside. It was very
the rabbi, a local mechanech, a handful San Jose. I was wondering whether it hard to see it because we were located
of chasidim, and about 15 other people. wasn’t much different in the rest of the in one of Costa Rica’s famous cloud
Some were tourists while others were country and whether I made a big mis- forests, and the clouds were camouflag-
locals who came to recite Kaddish. The take flying 18 hours to get here. ing it. Eli was lucky; he managed to steal
makeup of the worshippers reminded a shot during a three-second window of
me a little of my childhood days in ◆◆◆ opportunity when the clouds parted.
Woodmore Hebrew and Shaarei Zion Then we saw a lake surrounded by trees
Congregations in Baltimore. We rushed back to the hotel, had our that was stunning. My doubts about
breakfast, and then hurried to the lobby whether to visit Costa Rica absolutely
After Davening, we approached the to meet our guide for the day, who was evaporated! We walked through the
rav of the shul, and the official rabbi of to take us north in his van to the La tropical forest, a first for me, for about
Costa Rica, Rabbi Itzik Prober. He Poaz Volcano. We traveled for about an two hours. Our guide spoke to me in
looked like he was in his late thirties. hour and a half, mostly on the Pan English and to my companion in
Originally from Bnei Brak and a gradu- American Highway which extends as far Spanish.
as Canada. He told us that, while coffee
was once Costa Rica’s main income pro-
4Do4n’3t P-a2ni1c! C3a-ll1At8la0nt0ic!
www.atlantic-mechanical.com
PLUMBING REPAIRSAutograph • 410-585-1513
DRAIN CLEANING
Autograph • 410-585-1513
SEWER/WATER REPLACEMENTS
SEWER CAMERA SERVICE
SUMP PUMP SERVICES
LAUNDRY TUB REPLACEMENTS
GARBAGE DISPOSALS
REMODELING
SHOMER SHABBOS • LICENSED & INSURED • SAME DAY SERVICE
MD Master Plumber/Gas Fitter License #8725
50 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
