RESPONSE to SERANDEZ
Ezzie commented on RBS and its proximity to Israel.
It's really not so funny.
But, when we were still in ChU"L and told people that we were going to RBS, their (snide) retort would sometimes be, "Oh, I thought you were going to Israel!"
Where shall I start?
Firstly, to clear the air-
Israel does not = Eretz Yisrael.
Besides, the active sonei Yisrael here really don't differentiate when they plan a pigu'ah.
We still earn and spend Israeli shequalim, we even have to use Hebrew when we shop (gasp!)
--Though a friend berated the gas station attendant for living here in the greater-BS area and not speaking English!!
Our kids' language of instruction is none other than Hebrew
and guess what--even with non-'Israeli style'-driving it's a whole lot less than 2 hours until you reach someplace that doesn't stock North American products and is swarming with Anglos.
And EVEN IF IT WERE TRUE, so what?
WE ARE HERE (and have all the mitzvot and zechuyot associated with this), AND YOU ARE NOT.