Mizrachi SA Jewish Observer - Pesach 2016 | Page 58

STAN THE GOOD SHABBOS MAN STAN ‘THE GOOD SHABBOS MAN’ STAN SMOOKLER all odds.At Pesach, it is time to reflect on WWW: What Was, Was, but also to retrace the steps of Moses and the Kinderlach of Israel, and at the same time our own forefathers’ steps. On the 29th August, 2016 the Malatan village is having the 75th Anniversary march of those who were taken in the Holocaust. They have got a tour going from Souff Effrikka, and Arnie Garber is going.We are all from the village of Malat. The website is having a makeover for the next few months, and will offer even better ‘Meisa’s’. Running a website that is so active is not an easy job, and it takes hours of work to keep it up to date. By the time the Webmaster is finished, they reckon it will be easier to pick up on Mobile phones and other mediums. This exercise does not come ‘Billig’ (cheap…), BUT, it should make the running smoother. PESACH HAS arrived late this year, and it seems like yesterday that we were preparing for Chanukah! The Stan the Good Shabbos www.stantgsm.com online blog goes from strength to strength each year, and this is the Blog’s 16th year It looks like it will be another ‘Humdinger’ with the Olympics happening in August. Hopefully it will manage to stay a light-hearted look at the ‘Beloved Country’, Yiddisher Community’ and all things Souff Effrikken. I want to stay focused on local matters, a ‘Biesel’ on Israel, and that’s it. I get soooo many ‘Shniebels’ (disgruntled) readers writing in because I missed something in their country……again. I can only write about things brought to my attention, and then of course I still have to check some of the dubious ‘Meisa’s’. Israel at the moment is not in a good ‘space’, and these daily attacks are toooo shreklach for words. Hopefully it calms down. The year has started and I am focusing on the Lithuania activities. A few months ago, a few South African ‘Yidden’ joined the Challah Bake as part of the Shabbos Project, and quite a few manne from Chabad of Illovo went.You can ‘Gib A Kuk’ on the www.jewishlita. com website, and find news on what’s happen in ‘Litvak’ country. They are attracting more and more tourists who come to see the roots of their families, and they have managed to keep the small infrastructure going against 58 The Stan The Good Shabbos Man blog continues to offer a wide variety of info each week, and keeps the readers very busy. Some weeks I get as many as 400 replies from that week’s letter, which is huge, and I reply to all private e-mails. Of course I still get an average of 800 mails a week, with jokes & Gaserai. I would say that all topics bring in many responses, BUT, Sport and Simcha’s are still high above the rest. A few stats from the letter show that we are getting up to 30,000 visits a month and 4m “hits” a month, which is humungous. Keep reading and send your ‘Meisa’s’; that is how it continues. The jokes are a SERIAAAAAAAAAAAAAS part of the letter, as many go for the jokes, so keep sending in jokes to [email protected] Have a Freiliche Pesach and wonderful Seders. May Pesach bring with it peace and prosperity for all Yidden in the Diaspora and of course, the Land of Milk & Honey (Israel). I wish all our readers a Chag Sameach Stan The Good Shabbos Man www.stantgsm.com ■ Abe goes to see his boss and says, “we’re doing some heavy house-cleaning at home tomorrow for Pesach and my wife needs me to help with the attic and the garage, moving and hauling stuff.” “We’re short-handed, Abe,” the boss replies. “I just can’t give you the day off.” “Thanks, boss.” says Abe, “I knew I could count on you!” 59