June 26- July 3

So, we’re back! We arrived in Jerusalem last Friday, landing after 3 PM. The flight was uneventful, and landing so ‘late’ at Ben-Gurion has great advantages. There were no lines at passport control and we got our luggage and were out in under half an hour. We took a taxi to Jerusalem (the taxi driver didn’t know how to get to the Old City, but that is another story) and we were greeted by Elan saying “Welcome Home!” It does not seem like that long since we’ve left, and Jerusalem and especially the Rova Hayehudi definitely felt very much like home. Of course, even though it’s only been a few months, Shoshana has changed tremendously, as befits an 11 month old! Lots of new tricks…more babbling, faster crawling, lots of cruising and even a few steps! It looks like by the time she gets to Montreal on July 31st. she should be walking a lot.
It really did not take much time for her to warm up to us; she went to Barbara within a couple of hours, and by Shabbat afternoon Shoshana was playing Horsey with me like we were old friends (which we are, of course). Enjoy the pictures, and I may post some video on Facebook next week!

Shabbat was great, starting with Kabalat Shabbat at the Kotel, great food (thanks Nomi!) and it was excellent to see our Jerusalem family. We obviously slept well, and even enjoyed a nap after lunch. We babysat Motzei Shabbat and Sunday while Nomi studied, and celebrated our anniversary with Elan, Nomi and Shoshana at Café Rimon, on a beautiful, windy Jerusalem evening.

I don’t know what it is about being here, but I guess since every political issue is potentially a big one. So discourses about politics are intense, even if you are here as a ‘tourist”. The big issue is really the settlements, and the proposed settlement freeze. Currently, the controversy is over a permit given to build 50 new homes in Adam. Well, we were in Adam; Elan and Co lived there last year while they rented a home from a couple of shlichut (working in Toronto). Adam is in the shtachim, just north of Pizgat zev, and North East of Maaleh Adumim. Not an Arab family for kilometers. No sign of protests, or even the security fence, or anything that says dispute. Just a lot of green and hills young families and babies, synagogues, schools and little shops. Go a little east and you hit Psagot, known for its great winery and for its latest new citizens, the Zviel family. In between? No, no War Zone, but a large Rami Levy supermarket, the Chiffon bakery (great place) and a few other shops. These stores are shared, quiet peacefully, but Jew and Arab alike. I don’t know about you, but if a few more diplomats visited this place, and then, say, Darfur, don’t you think that Darfur and it’s thousands slaughtered every day may need more meaningful concentration than stopping constructions on a few townhouses in a peaceful area?

The rest of our week was busy. Barbara had a conference in Haifa, so after another morning of playing with Shoshana, we took off by bus to Haifa. It is really a beautiful city, green, built on Mount Carmel, with water all around. Our room at the Dan Carmel was on the 10th floor, and the view was spectacular! Barbara attended the annual Virtual Reality in Rehabilitation conference. There was a great McGill contingent, and between the sessions and the evening programs (a mini cruise and dinner on the Kineret, a reception at Haifa City Hall and a tour of the city) the three days there flew by. We don’t talk a lot about Haifa, but it really is a spectacular place to visit.
I came back on Wednesday PM with a few missions in mind; I went grocery shopping with Elan (and several hundred other dati people) at a pretty large Mehadrin (extra-) Kosher supermarket. I can explain gladly for anyone interested! Thursday we took Shoshana for a vaccination, and then I walked her around and played with her till Ima and Abba came home. Barbara returned last night, and we prepared for Shabbat, which is going to be spent with Nomi’s parents, the Goldberger family, coming in from Modi’in. We will all be together in the Old City, which is, as you would imagine, a pretty ideal place to spend Shabbat!

We wish sincere condolences and deepest wishes of sympathy to our friend Jeff Rein on the passing of his father. Mr. Rein was a sweet, committed man with a sense of humor and we enjoyed the Shabbatot and Seders that we spent with him, including this year. E will be greatly missed. His funeral is Sunday in Montreal and burial will be here in Israel.

A Mazel Tov to Cindy and Raffi Faust on the upcoming marriage of Michal to Noam

A a wish for a wonderful Shabbat to everyone!