Well, maybe “pleasant” is pushing it… How about “less daunting”?

I thought it had something to do with how busy these airports are. But Newark Liberty is only a little busier than Seatac: 32.8 – 35.4 million passangers passing through Newark Liberty in 2008 (depending upon which figures you look at), versus about 32.2 million passangers passing through SeaTac in the same year.

Could it be the... Read more »»]]> Why is the SeaTac airport experience so much more pleasant than the Newark Liberty airport experience?

Well, maybe “pleasant” is pushing it… How about “less daunting”?

I thought it had something to do with how busy these airports are. But Newark Liberty is only a little busier than Seatac: 32.8 – 35.4 million passangers passing through Newark Liberty in 2008 (depending upon which figures you look at), versus about 32.2 million passangers passing through SeaTac in the same year.

Could it be the size of the airports? Well, SeaTac may actually have a slightly greater runway length: Almost 30,000 feet, versus almost 28,000 in Newark Liberty (though the figures I found for Newark Liberty seemed a little suspicious, or at least a little incomplete).

Maybe it’s the manners of airport staff! For that matter, maybe manners on the West Coast in general (versus “manners” on the East Coast), make the general experience at each of these airports so different. Maybe the same can be said about interacting with people in general on the West Coast versus the East Coast.

Whatever the case, we are already missing NY, but the pleasantness of home softens many blows.

And while we are all looking forward to the near forgotton comforts of home, I think we are all acutely aware that we are giving up something prescious by living so far away from this place.

So before we leave, before we even have a chance to refer to this trip in the past tense, we resolve outloud, as well as in our hearts, to... Read more »»]]> Time to leave, unfortunately. We could certainly use a few more weeks here (or at least days).

And while we are all looking forward to the near forgotton comforts of home, I think we are all acutely aware that we are giving up something prescious by living so far away from this place.

So before we leave, before we even have a chance to refer to this trip in the past tense, we resolve outloud, as well as in our hearts, to come back again as soon as possible, G-d willing.

Farewell Crown Heights. We’ll be back as soon as we can, Rebbe.

For now, a “private audience” with our Rebbe’s office will have to do.

We want (read, “need”) Moshiach now!

Instead of Tatty eating kinderfaces, as has been the custom, Sheina Shira gleefully attacked an appropriately decorated pastry from one of the bakeries in Crown Heights.

OK, OK, so I’m exaggerating a bit…

But ever since we started planning this NY trip, I’ve been gripped with fear about maneuvering through a busy subway with four children, my parents, and “Wrong-Way-Gilad”.

Will they be able to get on and off fast enough?

Will we get separated?

Will they annoy other passengers to the point of violence?

Much to my relief, the whole trip was a pleasure. It was... Read more »»]]> I was once an avid subway rider in Tokyo. I loved the precision and reliability of the whole Japanese railway system.

But ever since we started planning this NY trip, I’ve been gripped with fear about maneuvering through a busy subway with four children, my parents, and “Wrong-Way-Gilad”.

Will they be able to get on and off fast enough?

Will we get separated?

Will they annoy other passengers to the point of violence?

Much to my relief, the whole trip was a pleasure. It was a far superior experience compared to the drive to New Jersey.

And most importantly: no one was lost or beaten up by fellow passengers.

And then you visit the displays.

Hospital rooms, dormitories, the inspection hall, detention areas, and more. We even saw a Sefer Tehillim (Book of Psalms) handed to Nathan Solomon in 1924 by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, right here at Ellis Island.