So we were on the sheirut back from the airport last night, and it was just the two of us, an older man and a young woman left to be dropped off.
Suddenly, the old man says: “What happened to my other bag? I had another bag in here”

Pilot Trip time. God willing, we’ll be back in a week and a half. After that I hope to post about the trip, including reviews of some of the communities that we visited.
Shabbat Shalom

Thanks to Kumah for the great pictures! May we all be zocheh.

This article was published in the Baltimore Jewish Times on February 20, 2004 (with pictures). It is also posted on the NBN website.
It is a very good overview of what is becoming more and more common for new olim: telecommuting to their US jobs from Israel, or flying back several times a year for brief [...]

Click here to view information about the ADL’s take on aliyah (from today’s Arutz-Sheva News).
Abe Foxman, director of the Anti-Defamation League in the U.S., has told Israeli government officials that Israel should hesitate before “inviting” Jews of the Diaspora to immigrate.
“Say, ‘Yes, we want all Jews,’ but don’t pronounce and don’t invite them in times [...]

Great article by the man who sometimes sits next to me at davening. (As usual), Jeff says things as they are, not shying away from explaining why the Jewish people are different (and proud of it!).

By Jeff Jacoby. Originally posted on Jewish World Review.
Blessing the evildoer?
Is hatred of others always a sin? Are [...]

See Part I, Part II and Part III
Recommended Reading List

Article forwarded to me by my father via Israelert
[A TIME TO SPEAK Vol. IV:8 (No. 44) August 2004 - Av-Elul 5764]
Israelert.com source: A Time To Speak
“I have set before you life and death . . Therefore, choose life, that both you and your seed may live.” -Deuteronomy 30:8
[...]

So we are leaving next week for our pilot trip, going to look at commmunities, see friends, etc. Communities on the schedule so far: Kochav Yaakov, Beit El, Karnei Shomron/Nevei Aliza. We would also like to visit Chashmonaim during the week and maybe for Shabbat as well, but we have been having some problems getting [...]

See Part I and Part II
Here are a couple of general hashkafic Nafka Minot that I see between the different ones being discussed (Since given the state of “Modern Orthodox” Judaism today I think that there are very few people who actually practive an MO hashkafah in a halachically sound way I will not [...]