Bar at Empire State Building

Two men are drinking in a bar at the top of the Empire State Building.

One turns to the other and says: "You know last week I discovered that if you jump from the top of this building, by the time you fall to the 10th floor, the winds around the building are so intense that they carry you around the building and back into the window." 

The bartender just shakes his head in disapproval while wiping the bar.

The 2nd Man says: "What are you a nut? There is no way that could be."

1st Man: "No it's true let me prove it to you." So he gets up from the bar, jumps over the balcony, and careens to the street below. 

When he passes the 10th floor, the high wind whips him around the building and back into the 10th floor window and he takes the elevator back up to the bar.

The 2nd Man tells him: "You know I saw that with my own eyes, but that must have been a one-time fluke."

1st Man: "No, I'll prove it again" and again he jumps and hurtles toward the street where the 10th floor wind gently carries him around the building and into the window. 

Once upstairs he urges his fellow drinker to try it.

2nd Man: "Well what the hell, it works, I'll try it." he jumps over the balcony, plunges downward, passes the 11th, 10th, 9th, 8th floors... and hits the sidewalk with a 'splat.'

Back upstairs the Bartender turns to the other drinker: 

"You know, Superman, you're a real asshole when you're drunk".

Story of how Moshe Hackner and Leah Nemon met, got engaged and married

BH

(As I get more time, I will BLN add more details to this story.)

When I moved to Crown Heights in 2018, I would frequent friends on Shabbos and sometimes during the week, and the conversation turned many times to "לא טוב להיות לבדו" and I should remarry.

I would state, "I had done it twice already and they both ended in divorce, and maybe marriage isn't for me. I have accepted that, and I'm happy with the lot Hashem has given me, and the way things are working out at this time."

My situation at that time was the following: I was living in Crown Heights in a 2-bedroom apartment, had a place to work, in addition to a business on the side that was paying for itself. Food in the cupboards and freezer, clean clothes to wear, a car that was just about paid off. 2 of my sons were living with me (and working with me), what more could a happy person ask for?

The follow-up question was: "Do you have someone in mind?" which was "no, but still."

Moving forward to March 2020, when Corona was in full swing, there was a WhatsApp group that I was part of called Kava Shtiebel. This group was an all-around mix of people of all ages, from 18-60+, males and females, plus from all different religious levels. This was an exclusive group, where you could only be added by the admin, and if someone had referred you to the group, that's how one got in. 

Some of the conditions of the group were:

1. You must be active. If you never post anything, you would get booted.
2. No unsolicited messages to members of the opposite sex, without asking openly in the group beforehand. (also a cause for booting)

During the height of the coronavirus epidemic, a nightly Zoom meeting started from around 10pm until around 6am (with different moderators). One condition to get into the Zoom meeting was, you had to have your camera on. You didn't need to participate, but you had to have the camera on.

(for context of the members, some members voiced their concerns that being home for so long and not having any real-life human interaction was giving them great anxiety, and the Zoom should be for the Seder too.

After Pesach, it continued nightly. Once I got back from Florida, see here for context, I got onto the Zoom meetings in the evenings; however, at this early stage of Zoom, the app would drain my battery faster than my charger was able to recharge my phone.

The Corona story of Reb Benzion Hackner OBM

BH

(This is a long story. As I get more time, I will BLN add more details.)

This started back in 2020, towards the end of March, in London, England (United Kingdom)

Both my parents were in UC hospital at the same time, in the same ward, and in 2 beds next to each other. BH my mother, שליט"א recovered and left the hospital on Friday, the 2nd day of Pesach (another whole story), and on Monday, 12 Nissan, 5780, my father's neshama returned to its creator.

To note, my father's birthday is 3 Tammuz, and he passed away around 4am (local time), which in Hawaii was 6pm on 11 Nissan!!! Click to see the local Hawaii times from Chabad.org

Starting in the 1970's my father was in charge of the UK division of WLCC that