June 5-12, 2010

“Yerushalayim Oro Shel Olam” “Jerusalem is the Light of the World”

This is a statement in the Babylonian Talmud. While there is obviously a lot of debate in today’s world about this statement, the city of Jerusalem has created a modern context: the Second Annual Jerusalem Festival of Lights! This is a series of concerts, displays and sound and light shows that started on Wednesday June 9, and will continue for a week. The main areas that are on display are in an around the Old City (see Complaints department, below). Last night, we kicked off the festivities by going to the opening concert, a sound and light show featuring the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Picture this huge outdoor venue at the Sultan’s Pool outside the walls near Zion Gate, with grandstands, a stage, hundreds of lights and pyrotechnics, and no contingency plans for rain! Pretty slim chance of rain here in the summer. It was a great concert, amazing acoustics and super venue (in spite of the high winds and chilly temperature). We went to the concert with Mary Ruth, Ronnie and Elinor Gehr (real musicians), who then joined us as we wandered through the Old City and took in the lights and displays. It was very impressive and well worth the time to go. We actually only saw about half of what there is going on.

Complaints Department 1: Now the other side of the coin. As many of you know, Nomi, Elan and Shoshana live in an apartment just off the main square of the Jewish Quarter of the old city, right opposite the newly re-built Hurva Synagogue. Of course, this was prime territory for a very impressive but loud animation on the history, destruction (twice) and reconstruction of the Hurva (complete with Shwecky and Avraam Fried music, for those in the know). This was great for us onlookers, but since it went on till 12:15 AM, those living in the buildings all around were kind of annoyed by the noise (not to mention by their crying babies who could not sleep). As of this evening the families in the environs seem to have negotiated that the light part of the sound and light show will continue till closing, but the sound will be turned off at 11. You know what they say: Location, location, location! If it wasn’t for the 3000 years of history in their back yard, this would be equivalent to living on Crescent street on Grand Prix Weekend…but there are significant differences between the Jewish Quarter and Crescent and de Maisonneuve, n’est pas?

Shabbat, where we left off last week, was great, fun and a bit hectic. Monty and Daniella were last minute guests having had a change in their Shabbat plans. We had a great Friday night dinner with the whole family, and then a Montreal Reunion on Shabbat, with the Gehrs, Sutnicks, and Gabe and Ben Homa joining Monty, Daniella, and Ariel at our house. Daniella and Monty visited Daniella’s cousin who just had a baby, and there ample time for napping and reading. Sunday night was dinner out with Elan and Nomi (Happy Belated Anniversary to both young couples in the family!). Monday brought us a special treat. Nomi had a driving test early Tuesday AM in Modiin, so we had a sleep over party with Shoshana. A few of you may have seen the videos of dinner with Shoshana. I may post them on Facebook: they are adorable!! Barbara babysat on Tuesday while Nomi and her lab partner and I worked on an experiment, and then Tuesday evening after dinner we walked a very tired baby (and her Ima) home. To cap it off, Nomi passed her driving test!!

This Shabbat we are headed back to Haifa for more time with Monty and Daniella in Kiryat Shmuel. Barbara will be speaking at Haifa University on Monday, and Bruce will be going back to the lab for a crucial experiment on Sunday and Monday (let's hope it works!)

Wishing everyone a most special Shabbat

Barbara and Bruce

Mazel Tov to Yoni and Jordana, and to Shimon and Brenda Garellek and the Klein family on Yoni and Jordana's upcoming wedding.

Mazel tov to Tamar and Aryeh and to the Feldman and Rossdeutscher families on their upcoming wedding!

Refuah S’hlema (a complete and speedy recovery) to Gilad Schwartz (Gilad Hillel Ben Bracha Mirel)

Refuah S’hlema (a complete and speedy recovery) to Sylvia Fruchter (Zissel bat Bella)

Refuah S’hlema (a complete and speedy recovery) to Robert Goldberger (Shmuel ben Sarah)