Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Three of you wanted to know how Yaakov and I met. Believe it or not, it was a shidduch! When we were first exploring frumkeit, someone who knew us thought we would make a good match. Strangely enough, it worked!
This would be a good time to mention the mekubal Yaakov met, Rabbi Chaibi. Yaakov asked him for a brocha to meet his soulmate. Rabbi Chaibi told him to go to the mikveh a certain number of times, and to take a certain amount of showers, and then to say certain chapters of tehillim in front of an open window. Two weeks later, Yaakov met me. Weird but true.
Yaakov was 26 and I was 19. We met in '95. Interestingly enough, one of our early questions was, "What will we do about Friday night shows?" A few weeks later, Jerry died.
It was a long and winding courtship, off and on at times. I had to do some growing up. I was majorly into partying, while Yaakov was very stable. He owned a home and had a good job. We both knew that we wanted to be religious some day, and raise children within this framework.
A year or so after we met, I went to yeshiva in Crown Heights. He stayed in Florida, intensively learning here. He finally came to Brooklyn to start yeshiva himself, and we got engaged the day he arrived. Just today he joked, "You got lucky - you caught me after a long day of driving. My brain wasn't working."
Truthfully, I was very lucky that Yaakov was willing to wait for me. He waited for years. Yaakov likes to joke when I'm running late; "I waited long enough for you, what's a few more minutes?"
Heather K, the Irish Catholic, asked how I became frum: I was a big spiritual seeker for many years. The first frum people I met used to be disciples of Yogi Bhajan (transcendental meditation). I was a vegetarian into Buddhism at the time, so it was a good match. They lovingly allowed me into their home to experience the beauty of shabbos and yom tov. It was very real to me, it touched my soul. After that, I knew I could never turn back. It took me several years, but I got here. You know, I once read another frum Jew's blog and he described himself religiously as: "Underconstructionist." I think that sums it up for me, too! Heather, I'm sorry you constantly have to google what I'm saying. I've tried in the past to explain the words/concepts I'm talking about, but I find it interrupts the flow of my writing. Here's a link that might help. Thanks for reading! (Hey, you're interested in orthodox Judaism, and I've always had a thing for Ireland. This could be a win-win!)
Eden wants to know how we came to sunny Florida. Basically, we decided there wasn't enough crime in Crown Heights. Seriously though, Yaakov received a job offer and we got a brocha to move. Though I miss Crown Heights, we're very happy in our community here.
Just to address the Hillary issue: I'm not pro- or anti-Hillary, I just think she'll be the next president. I'm actually a John Edwards gal. Oddly enough, neither of us vote. We should, as it's an American privilege. Besides, the Rebbe encouraged his chassidim to vote. Though we like to follow politics, I think it's fair to say we're apathetic. (Yaakov is a huge fan of this site, however.)
Love, Maven @ 
7 Comments:
At 9:36 PM,
Anonymous said…
MAVEN!
Please please reconsider your non-voting practices.
As Americans, we have the privelege to take a stand against what we feel is wrong, and to stand up for what is good in the world.
As Jews, we have a RESPONSIBLITY to support the politicians and the propositions/laws that support us...if we don't, who will???
At 9:36 PM,
Anonymous said…
BTW, love love love the shidduch story...such beshert! What a blessing to find a fellow music lover who was looking to find Judaism at the same time.
At 5:09 AM,
Ayelet Survivor said…
You mean you didn't vote for Buchanan in 2000, like all the other Jews? ;)
What a beautiful story. Gives me hope. Of course, it just goes to show that we all need to be fixing up our single friends more actively...
At 10:52 AM,
Anonymous said…
Hi Maven. Yogi Bhajan was not the TM guru--he taught Kundalini Yoga. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was the TM guy.
At 1:51 PM,
Mrs Andy said…
Thanks for the story of how you met. :)
And please, please, please vote. It's so important to vote--evil wins when good people don't vote--people with values and morals, like you and Y. VOTE!! :)
At 4:08 PM,
Maven said…
ok ok already. i get the point. you guys want us to vote.
anon - yogi b. was the kundalini maven, my mistake! the guru in me bows to the guru in you.
At 2:14 PM,
Anonymous said…
John Edwards? You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're just pulling our leg.
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