w For Openers Israel Rides The Rails F trains travel between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. nom zero-to-hero is the way a friend Service was suspended in 1998 after a series describes the growth of the Israeli of derailments due to worn-out track. The passenger railroad system. train station in Jerusalem is a An efficient rail alternative in boarded-up eyesore. Israel is essential. Rush-hour traffic in Tel However, relief is on the way. After years of Aviv is as bad as anything in the United States fighting over what route to build on, Prime — with Israeli gasoline prices $4 per gallon. Minister Ariel Sharon ended it by ordering Commuter service is offered from nearby that two lines be built. CHARLES cities to four stations in Tel Aviv. One will go from Tel Aviv to Ben-Gurion In addition, one can travel from Beersheva REISMAN Airport, with a spur to Modi'in, southeast of and Ashdod in the south up to Tel Aviv, then Special to the the airport. According to the Jerusalem Post, north to Haifa or the end of the line in Jewish News this line would take eight years to build. Nahriyya. And the trains run on time, in spot- Work has started on this line. lessly clean comfort. The other one will go through Bet Shemesh and Traveling between Tel Aviv and Haifa, trains fly by on to Jerusalem, where a new station will be built. It cars stuck in traffic. The view of countryside with its is reported that this would take two-and-a-half years banana farms and coastal mountains is eye opening. to build, if funding is available. This route runs close to the Mediterranean, allow- ing one to enjoy the sun setting into the sea. It also passes Haifa Harbor where ships of the Israeli Navy are docked. A UJA mission member I was traveling with became excited when he saw the navy ships and jumped out of his seat with his video camera. I tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the sol- diers and suggested videotaping might not be a good idea. (During boat tours of Haifa Harbor, one is told not to film the ships.) The rail system started growing with the opening of new lines in the 1990s and the arrival in 1997 of 37 new passenger cars. These coaches have facing high-backed, comfortable, cushioned seats with a small table in front. In addition, 14 double-deck passenger cars were added in July 2001. Ridership, according to Israel Railways, has grown One ofIsrael's new double-deck passenger trains. to 1.5 million passengers a month. It is not unusual to find trains with standing room only, particularly If you are a railroad buff, there is an organization on weekends when soldiers come home for Shabbat. in Israel called Pasim that shares your enthusiasm. Its The major void in the Israeli rail system is- that no Web site is wvvw.pasim.org The Web site for Israel Railroad is www.israrail.org.il Charles Reisman is a Detroit-area attorney who is a Llq,r46 'cia 15 t, Eon ©2002 T here are many well-known daily prayers; the Shema and the Borechu are examples. Do you know which prayer described as "daily" actually is not recited on almost half the days of the year? — Goldfein •.mad alp Supnp sleep 001 ufip Q.10111 uo pus iou si cssatmAISiosj scpop s)isu tpqm qakaidunumpu atu, :Jamstry Quotables "What unites us with the Jews of Israel, to the Jews in Ethiopia, to the Jews that contin- ue to live in Eastern Europe, and with Jews all over the world, what do we have in com- mon with them, our lives are different, our occupations are different, our concerns are different; what joins them and us is a state- ment that Joseph uttered at the High Temple Court: 'I am your brother. We are together."' — Rabbi Irwin Groner, in the invocation at the Jewish Federation of Metr opolitan Detroit's major gifts appreciation dinner in Southfield. "Italy's 35,000 Jews — out of a total popula- tion of 59 million — are more important than their numbers would indicate because Italy today is celebrating its Jewish past as one of the oldest sites of continuous Jewish settlement in Europe." — Bonny V Fetterman, literal), editor of Reform Judaism, in the winter issue of the Reform movement magazine, in the story "Italy: Land of Renzemberance d Rediscovery" ❑ frequent visitor to Israel. An unconfirmed story I read Maintains Barbra Streisand once said, "Tans' sounds more polite, But try as I might, I call them nochshleppers* instead." Shabbat Candielighting "I feel like a mommy when I light Shabbos candles. I think that when I pray at the Shabbos candles, the people in the hospital get better and can go home. It's nice to see the candles when we eat our Shabbos meal. — Chana Liba Rabin, age 8 Sponsored by Luhavitch Women's Organization. submit a candlelighting message or to receive complimentaly candlesticks • Amzalak of Oak Park at (248) 967-5056 or e-mail: anzzalak@juno.conz 12/27 2002 6 — Martha Jo Fleischmann * hangers-on Yiddish-isms bren Candlelighting Candlelighting Friday, Dec. 27, 4:48 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, 4:54 p.m. Shabbat Ends Shabbat Ends Saturday, Dec. 28, 5:56 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 6:01 p.m. and information on Shabbat candlelighting, call Miriam Yiddish Limericks Someone of great energy; a "fireball." Source: The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten (McGraw Hill).