Staten’s Island

29 Iyar, 5779 New Jersey Chanoch Ne’eman

On Friday I was in Long Island, having gone out there for a shidduch meeting. I left the Five Towns area at 3 pm. Foolishly, I turned on my vehicle’s GPS to steer me home.

This GPS has a good sense of humor. It took me in circles. I went past JFK airport, twice. I went past Prospect Park. Up Ocean Avenue. Eventually it said “out of memory, use other travel route – press OK” and turned off.

So not having a cell phone with data, I asked some folks on a bench on Ocean Ave. They weren’t sure, or what they said sounded wrong, so I asked a older fellow of some foreign accent, and he told me what sounded more right.

So I am crawling over the Verrazanno at 6 pm. Candle-lighting is at 8:05 pm, and I am trying to get to Lawrenceville, NJ, on the far side of the state. Called some of my parents’s friends in Staten Island to ask if i can stay with them in an emergency. They said no, they are leaving now.

Around 6:25, we are crawling slowly over Staten Island. I need to use the bathroom. I decide I have to get off to do at least that.

I try getting off at exit 13, but I am blocked by traffic. I get off at Exit 14, go up the ramp, in left lane. Sign says left lane must turn left, so I turn left. go up hill, looking for store to stop. Turn right near some grocery, but signs say no parking, its near some big church. I keep going and come to light. I say to Hashem, I am flustered, but I have good thoughts and good feelings it’s going to be alright. I know you are already sending the rescue. I am not scared at all, I say. Then I see a car go through the light driven by a hasidic Jew it seems to me. I try to see where he went, I want to follow him.

When the light changes, I turn, drive past the fellow as he is getting out of his car. I park, and notice other Jewish people. So I figure I will ask for a shul and ask if I can pay someone to let me stay by them.

I meet s couple and ask them what neighborhood it is? They say Willowbrook. There is a Young Israel in a couple blocks they say. I walk there, where the early Shabbos minyan is starting.

Someone calls out a man who was the previous President of the shul. He speaks with me and says he will arrange a place for me to stay and places to eat.

I had a lovely Shabbos there.

Motzoei Shabbos, I left at 10 pm, and got home at 11:30 pm, with no traffic. Meaning I could not have made it home in time Friday.

Tags: Religion