Page 110 - issue
P. 110
well in the system. a repeat of the story of how Shira met earth.” While hanging up laundry out-
her friend Shani. Yisrael was invited by side at night, she kept on hearing
◆◆◆ one of his friends to this same musical frightening noises that sounded like
family for a Shabbos meal. Since Arabs laughing and making parties.
An interesting incident happened Yisrael is quite a talented singer him- Finally she figured out that the sounds
before the Sondhelm’s move to Israel, self, his friend figured that he would she was hearing were in fact hyenas.
which ended up having a good impact have a good time. Little did he know What a relief! One early morning on his
on their daughter Shira. While studying that his shidduch was about to unfold. way to a neitz minyan, a man even
in Israel, a friend of Asher’s invited him Upon meeting Yisrael, the family reported seeing a pack of wild animals
come along to a family for a Friday thought he would be a great shidduch strolling down the street!
night seuda, where he said there would for Sara Lea. Sure enough, the couple
be lots of beautiful singing. met and became engaged. One com- Even though Sara Lea made friends
monality was quite apparent: their right away in Beitar, she felt an under-
During the course of the meal, shared appreciation and talent for lying loneliness until the population
Asher noticed that the children in the music. grew. Over time, Beitar expanded, and
family were the same ages as his own the newest neighborhood, Givat C, is
siblings. After Shabbos, one of the chil- ◆◆◆ almost finished on a third hill. In fact,
dren in the family, eight-year old Shani Beitar has been rated to have the
began a correspondence by mail with The Baruchovs began their marriage fastest population growth amongst the
Asher’s little sister Shira. When the in Yerushalayim’s Romema neighbor- West Bank settlements. The buses
Sondhelms moved to Israel, Shira’s hood, located a short distance from come and go often, and shops of every
friendship with Shani increased. For Yeshivas Torah Ohr, where Yisrael was kind are to be found. The city has
the first year of school, Shira seemed learning. Unsure of where to settle per- received many awards over the years in
satisfied with just playing with Shani manently, the young couple consulted recognition of its water preservation,
and didn’t seem to be making friends the Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Ohr, Rav beauty, landscaping, cleanliness, and
with any of the girls in school. Mrs. Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, z”tl, who prevention of teen dropout. It contains
Sondhelm thought that it was strange, advised them to buy their apartment in a very large number of playgrounds
because she knew that Shira was a Beitar Illit. and parks, and has a gorgeous view of
sociable girl and had plenty of friends the surrounding hills.
in Baltimore. She tried involving Shira So, in 1997, the Baruchovs moved
with other girls, but friendships were into the beautiful city of Beitar, which is Beitar is a one hundred percent
not forming. At the end of the year, located in the Judean Hills of Gush chareidi community, and every charei-
Shira finally confided in her mother Etzion, only 6.2 miles southwest of di sect can be found there; Litvish,
and told her that her classmates were Yerushalayim. Beitar Illit was estab- Sefardi, Yerushalmi, chasidish,
being friendly; it was she who didn’t lished in 1984, and at that time, the city Lubavitch, Breslov, and Teimani. Beitar
want to be friends with them. Why not? completely built up its upper section. knows no shortage of shuls and
The little girl reasoned that she would Down the hill, however, where the schools, catering to the many different
have to say goodbye to all those girls at Baruchovs had moved, the new devel- shades of Yiddishkeit living there. The
the end of the year when her family oping neighborhood was “very barren.” residents of Beitar also receive top
would move back to the States. After There was one makolet (small grocery security. The town includes people
reassuring Shira that they were in Eretz shop), which was a 15-minute walk from all kinds of backgrounds includ-
Yisrael to stay, she settled down and from the Baruchovs’ apartment. They ing Israeli, American, British, South
happily made friends. didn’t have a car at the time, and buses African, French, Russian, and South
came quite infrequently. In addition, American. With all these groups, the
When Sara Lea finished her semi- there was no telephone service for four city maintains a remarkably peaceful
nary year, her plan was to go to the months, except for public pay phones, existence. And despite the many
Israeli Michlala Women’s College to get and most people did not have cell nationalities, the streets of Beitar have
a degree in music. However, she was phones in those days. When they had a distinctly Israeli flavor, with most peo-
not accepted, and was advised to first to make a phone call, the Baruchovs ple speaking Hebrew.
work on becoming fluent in Hebrew, so would go to the next street over and
she would do well in the program. So, wait in line for their turn. Sometimes, Rav Yaakov Friedman, the
Sara Lea went to ulpan (Hebrew lan- the pay phone rang, and they would son–in–law of Rav Yosef Tendler, z”tl,
guage school) and became a madricha track down a neighbor to tell them that moved his yeshiva, Bircas Mordechai, to
as well in an English-speaking semi- they had received a call. Beitar about 10 years ago. The yeshiva
nary. When the ulpan was finished, she and kollel are geared towards solid
attended Michlala, and about a year- Since there were no apartments learners, and there’s a blend of
and-a-half later became a kallah to across from her building, just moun- American Israeli and American learn-
Yisrael Baruchov from Brooklyn, New tains and a lot of vacant apartments ers. One unique element of the yeshiva
York. waiting for families to move in, Sara is that the kollel avreichim learn
Lea felt like she was “at the end of the
The way the couple met was almost
106 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
her friend Shani. Yisrael was invited by side at night, she kept on hearing
◆◆◆ one of his friends to this same musical frightening noises that sounded like
family for a Shabbos meal. Since Arabs laughing and making parties.
An interesting incident happened Yisrael is quite a talented singer him- Finally she figured out that the sounds
before the Sondhelm’s move to Israel, self, his friend figured that he would she was hearing were in fact hyenas.
which ended up having a good impact have a good time. Little did he know What a relief! One early morning on his
on their daughter Shira. While studying that his shidduch was about to unfold. way to a neitz minyan, a man even
in Israel, a friend of Asher’s invited him Upon meeting Yisrael, the family reported seeing a pack of wild animals
come along to a family for a Friday thought he would be a great shidduch strolling down the street!
night seuda, where he said there would for Sara Lea. Sure enough, the couple
be lots of beautiful singing. met and became engaged. One com- Even though Sara Lea made friends
monality was quite apparent: their right away in Beitar, she felt an under-
During the course of the meal, shared appreciation and talent for lying loneliness until the population
Asher noticed that the children in the music. grew. Over time, Beitar expanded, and
family were the same ages as his own the newest neighborhood, Givat C, is
siblings. After Shabbos, one of the chil- ◆◆◆ almost finished on a third hill. In fact,
dren in the family, eight-year old Shani Beitar has been rated to have the
began a correspondence by mail with The Baruchovs began their marriage fastest population growth amongst the
Asher’s little sister Shira. When the in Yerushalayim’s Romema neighbor- West Bank settlements. The buses
Sondhelms moved to Israel, Shira’s hood, located a short distance from come and go often, and shops of every
friendship with Shani increased. For Yeshivas Torah Ohr, where Yisrael was kind are to be found. The city has
the first year of school, Shira seemed learning. Unsure of where to settle per- received many awards over the years in
satisfied with just playing with Shani manently, the young couple consulted recognition of its water preservation,
and didn’t seem to be making friends the Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Ohr, Rav beauty, landscaping, cleanliness, and
with any of the girls in school. Mrs. Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, z”tl, who prevention of teen dropout. It contains
Sondhelm thought that it was strange, advised them to buy their apartment in a very large number of playgrounds
because she knew that Shira was a Beitar Illit. and parks, and has a gorgeous view of
sociable girl and had plenty of friends the surrounding hills.
in Baltimore. She tried involving Shira So, in 1997, the Baruchovs moved
with other girls, but friendships were into the beautiful city of Beitar, which is Beitar is a one hundred percent
not forming. At the end of the year, located in the Judean Hills of Gush chareidi community, and every charei-
Shira finally confided in her mother Etzion, only 6.2 miles southwest of di sect can be found there; Litvish,
and told her that her classmates were Yerushalayim. Beitar Illit was estab- Sefardi, Yerushalmi, chasidish,
being friendly; it was she who didn’t lished in 1984, and at that time, the city Lubavitch, Breslov, and Teimani. Beitar
want to be friends with them. Why not? completely built up its upper section. knows no shortage of shuls and
The little girl reasoned that she would Down the hill, however, where the schools, catering to the many different
have to say goodbye to all those girls at Baruchovs had moved, the new devel- shades of Yiddishkeit living there. The
the end of the year when her family oping neighborhood was “very barren.” residents of Beitar also receive top
would move back to the States. After There was one makolet (small grocery security. The town includes people
reassuring Shira that they were in Eretz shop), which was a 15-minute walk from all kinds of backgrounds includ-
Yisrael to stay, she settled down and from the Baruchovs’ apartment. They ing Israeli, American, British, South
happily made friends. didn’t have a car at the time, and buses African, French, Russian, and South
came quite infrequently. In addition, American. With all these groups, the
When Sara Lea finished her semi- there was no telephone service for four city maintains a remarkably peaceful
nary year, her plan was to go to the months, except for public pay phones, existence. And despite the many
Israeli Michlala Women’s College to get and most people did not have cell nationalities, the streets of Beitar have
a degree in music. However, she was phones in those days. When they had a distinctly Israeli flavor, with most peo-
not accepted, and was advised to first to make a phone call, the Baruchovs ple speaking Hebrew.
work on becoming fluent in Hebrew, so would go to the next street over and
she would do well in the program. So, wait in line for their turn. Sometimes, Rav Yaakov Friedman, the
Sara Lea went to ulpan (Hebrew lan- the pay phone rang, and they would son–in–law of Rav Yosef Tendler, z”tl,
guage school) and became a madricha track down a neighbor to tell them that moved his yeshiva, Bircas Mordechai, to
as well in an English-speaking semi- they had received a call. Beitar about 10 years ago. The yeshiva
nary. When the ulpan was finished, she and kollel are geared towards solid
attended Michlala, and about a year- Since there were no apartments learners, and there’s a blend of
and-a-half later became a kallah to across from her building, just moun- American Israeli and American learn-
Yisrael Baruchov from Brooklyn, New tains and a lot of vacant apartments ers. One unique element of the yeshiva
York. waiting for families to move in, Sara is that the kollel avreichim learn
Lea felt like she was “at the end of the
The way the couple met was almost
106 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
