Back in my old stomping grounds...

So, most of my fans are probably ready to kill me by this time, as I haven't posted in who knows how long. So, let's bring everybody back up to speed.

I am back in my pre Israel yeshiva in central Jersey, and thank God every day that I didn't go to Baltimore. Mind you, I have nothing against Baltimore, but to be honest, the day I went for my interview was a cold dark damp morning, I wasn't feeling well, and i just overall didn't have a good vibe from the place.

The yeshiva there is large (not on the Mir scale, but still...), and not one guy came over to me to say hello or ask my name. In preparation to even be allowed to come for an interview, I had to do a whole song and dance when speaking with the head honcho in charge of screening applicants over the phone. I have respect for people whom respect is required, but this kind of thing really goes against my entire ethos. Whatever. I get there, and the guy tells me to prepare a page of gemara with all the relevant commentaries. After a short time, he calls me into his office and proceeds to grill me on it. Once we're done with that, he starts asking me all kinds of seemingly irrelevant questions, and I just couldn't get the nagging sensation out of my head that maybe I was making a mistake in even taking an interview.

I returned home that night, and the whole next day, the honcho kept stringing me along, telling me to call back later, he still hasn't decided yet. My parents are by now getting nervous, getting on my case about not having a back up plan if I don't get in, etc. I myself felt at a loss.

Many people were telling me not to go back to my old yeshiva because I would have the wrong attitude about returning. That is, I would expect the place to have stayed the same, and meanwhile not only had I changed, but the yeshiva had as well. To a degree, I shared the same concerns as them. Until someone I trust and respect called me up and told me to stop being ridiculous, and go back to my rebbe. He warned about having the right attitude, but told that 100%, I should go.

I'm glad I listened to him.

It feels great to be back in a place that has such fond memories; a lot of guys who I was here with originally have also come back, and I think that the new group of guys are good ones. Hearing people tell me that they were so excited to hear that I was coming back has been totally amazing, and I'm even enjoying the responsibilty of being an older guy. Don't worry- I'm not one of those holier than thou types, either.

Anyhoo, that's what's been going on. I decided with my parents that I won't start dating til around Chanuka time, which gives me time to reestablish myself into the yeshiva structure. After that? Lock your doors!

On a side - but no less important - note, I'd like to call everybodies' attention to a new book that should be hitting stores near you soon. The title of the book is "Wisdom From The Batcave" and it's written by a close personal friend of mine, Cary A. Friedman. An orthodox rabbi, Rabbi Friedman has been a prison chaplain in North Carolina ( he was study partners with Jonathan Pollard for a while), and worked as an outreach rabbi in Duke University. After moving to New Jersey, he took the pulpit in an Orthodox shul, and also began lecturing for the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit's Moral and Ethics course in the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia. he's the author of several judaism and religious themed books, including two on marriage and one on spiritual survival in law enforcement.

Without giving too much away, Rabbi Friedman grew up with an obsession with Batman, which extended into the amassing of all kinds of paraphenalia. When studying for his rabbinical ordination, he had the epiphany that a lot of things he was learning regarding values and morality he'd already gleaned - sometimes on a subliminal level, sometimes overtly - from the pages of Batman comics. Later, as an outreach rabbi and a lecturer, he found that incorporating his knowledge and love for the Batman into his work helped him make connections to people who would otherwise be less receptive.

"Wisdom From The Batcave" goes through the mythology of the Batman, taking out profound lessons from a seemingly ( especially to any philistine who never read a comic book) unlikely source. Even if you've never heard of the Batman ( perish the thought), this book is a wonderful read, with anecdotes and powerful lessons. I should know; I contributed to it after reading the original manuscript.

So, go to his website at www.batwisdom.com and check it out. You can order it online, or request it at your local bookstore. But please, try it out. You won't be sorry after reading it....

Originally posted Tuesday, 7 November 2006