December 8-14

We are nearing the end of this trip! Sometimes we wonder where the time went, although as you have seen a lot has gone on!  We may actually need a vacation from our vacation!! However, that is not likely to happen when we get back, so let’s just enjoy reliving the last week in review…

Shabbat was spent in Jerusalem at Nomi and Elan’s home in the old city. We actually stayed in the German colony, at our friend Diane and Ed Zeligman’s apartment. It’s really beautiful, in a very central location. On Shabbat morning really did not know where to go to synagogue,  I walked out the front door, and looked lost. A very nice guy from New York (Living in Jerusalem for the last 12 or so years) said,”You look like you need a place to go to shul”, so I followed him. This was a real treat, a beautiful renovated old synagogue on Yael Street. Very friendly people, lots of singing, and a really heimish (homey) atmosphere. The meals on Friday night and Saturday at Nomi and Elan’s were great, and we saw Elan in action as he had students visiting his home to eat and study on Shabbat. It’s really impressive to see both how much he has accomplished both as a teacher and mentor!

At the close of Shabbat we lit the first Chanukah candle. We ushered in the holiday with singing and games with Shoshana and Shlomo. That evening we met Carol and David Novosellors, ex-Montrealer’s who have moved to Efrat. We had a great time catching up.  On Sunday we babysat Shoshana and Shlomo and spent the day at the Jerusalem Zoo! I don’t know who had more fun, the kids or us watching them. That evening, we left Jerusalem and went to the Tel Aviv area for an amazing museum experience, called Dialogue in the Dark in Holon with the Goldbergers. The guides are blind and we were led in pitch darkness through various rooms that provide every day scenarios, like a home, a forest or a market, using a white cane and our other senses. Our guide was excellent and we had some interesting discussions with him at the end about his experience, attitudes and frustrations. Highly recommended!

The rest of the week was almost a blur. Monday started in Netanya, and ended with  dinner in Neve Daniel with the Gila, Ariel and the Twersky’s.  Tuesday was visit ex-Montrealers day, we had breakfast with the Seal Family overlooking the gorgeous Marina in Herzliya (a treat if you have never been there), and then a late dinner with the Maliachs in South Netanya. This was sandwiched by Barbara meeting a group of Israeli OT researchers and some preparation for the family “invading” the next day. On Wednesday we met the Jerusalem gang at Monkey Park, a small zoo the features (you guessed it) Monkeys! The kids had a ball and one sharp eyed monkey almost ran off with Shlomo’s Chanukah donut!  That evening we celebrated Shlomo’s upcoming 2^nd birthday with the Goldberger family. I wish I could post the whole video of his blowing out the candles. A two year old can be very serious!

As it is Chanukah, many people were off for the holiday. I would like to say in passing that being in Israel for Chanukah is most unlike being in North America for the holidays. First, Chanuka is anything but a commercial holiday. Gift giving is really a North American tradition, and most things here are very low key. There are also the different food choices here; in North America, we eat fried potato latkes (pancakes) and in Israel, sufganiot (deep fried donuts). The common denominator is the oil, to celebrate the miracle of Chanuka  that occurred in the Temple when a small flask of pure olive oil burned for eight days. This followed the liberation of Israel from invading armies by the Macabees. The main sign of the holiday is the presence of Chanukiot,  8 armed candelabras,  in windows and on porches and doorways, especially in Jerusalem. Our Montreal weather is not exactly favorable for outdoor placement. The light and warmth of the holiday is very unique and very precious. It is really about freedom and there is a very strong emphasis on the family.

With the holiday in full swing, every place we went was mobbed with kids. It’s a great sight, but on Thursday we tried two children’s museums which were both packed to the rafters before we needed up taking the kids to play at Ikea! Then Gila and Ariel joined us and we had a great dinner out together, before coming home to prepare for Shabbat.  That included a trip to the Chassidic enclave nearby which makes the best chopped liver in the country (well, we haven’t tried that many, but it is really good) and visits to the fruit and vegetable market and bakery.

We spent a superb Shabbat with the kids and grandchildren, talking, singing, playing and just enjoying. We missed having Monty, Daniella and Tali around, but we got to spend quality time with Gila and Ariel and excellent time at the park with Shoshana and Shlomo.  We lit the 8^th Chanukah candle, sang and danced, then said goodbye to all.

This ends this installment. It’s been over 3 weeks, a wedding, Chanukah and special time with everyone. We added a new member to the family and saw the little ones magically grow and change before our eyes. From a practical point of view by now we can drive the central corridor in Israel (Highway 1, 4 and 2) with our eyes closed, and can tell you where every traffic jam usually starts and ends, and what is the best and the worst time to try and do an errand in that area. We bid farewell to the kids, to Netanya and to Israel and look forward to coming back soon (hopefully for Passover) and more special times.

Wishing you a wonderful last day of Chanukah (as we fly home)

Barbara and Bruce

We wish Danielle Wiesz a Happy Birthday

Refuah Shlema to Zisel bat Bella

December 7, 2012 Post Wedding 2

So how do you keep up the momentum that follows the high that comes after a wedding? Well, we started to describe the 7 days of post wedding celebrations that often follow a traditional Jewish Wedding. Ariel and Gila were “feted” on different nights by various friends and family. I mentioned the one we organized in the gardens of Anna Ticho house in Jerusalem. The next day we descended on the town of Neve Daniel where Gila’s family lives for a Shabbat with the Twersky family.

When you are invited to join a family that has 10 children for Shabbat, you know that everything will be on a large scale! Our hosts, Geula and Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky, were amazing, and they clearly know how to deal with a crowd. The combined Twersky and Mazer families, with our boys, spouses, children, my mom had the table set for 22 at each meal, not counting a few of the Twersky’s friends that were invited. Friday night dinner was followed by an open invitation to the community to drop in and many did, often chipping in with baked goods or something to add to the table. Saturday lunch after synagogue also included a group of friends dropping in. Full credit to Geula and Rav Yitzhak for being amazing hosts; super organized and composed. Really impressive!  The two families hit it off really well and we look forward to celebrating many happy events together with our growing circle of families.

Saturday night also meant the end of Grandma Phyllis' trip to Israel, as well as the time for Monty, Daniella and Talia to return to Toronto for Monty’s marathon of residency interviews over the next 6+ weeks. He will be going from Vermont to Buffalo, from Baltimore to Boston, from New York to Cincinnati and many points in between. There will be a stop in Florida at the Wagner’s new condo somewhere in there. I hope he can keep it straight! Truthfully, he’s really organized, and we wish him luck in matching to a great position for next year. Phyllis had a great time here; how can you match celebrating a grandson’s wedding? (Maybe with a great grandchild’s wedding? We definitely hope so!) She arrived back safely to the less than balmy climate of Montreal.

And now, to more tranquil times (although Gila and Ariel had two more evenings of celebrations on Saturday and Sunday nights). Barbara and I took off east to Netanya for some time near the water. We arrived Sunday and the weather was perfect, 25 and sunny. As noted in previous posts, there is an open invitation for people to visit us! We took some long walks and even got to stroll in the sand. Monday was a very eventful day. Since we rented a car (and Ariel doesn't have one) we volunteered to help the Newlyweds with some shopping errands, starting at IKEA. Notice the capitals, which is their trademark. IKEA in Israel is like IKEA stores all over the world…huge, maze-like, with a dizzying array of housewares, furniture, knick-knacks, organizers, products you think you need, and many things you never thought you needed! However, Israel’s Ikea has a few twists. It has a synagogue, Talmudic Study sessions (Daf Yomi, the daily cycle of Talmud study), and a strictly Kosher cafeteria featuring their famous Swedish Meatballs (NB: Google Swedish Meatballs: They are always made with beef, pork, butter and milk… doesn't sound Kosher to me! Must be some good tasting impostor . We went to the Afternoon (Mincha) prayer service at 2, and the Rabbi announced that the evening service would be at 6. Considering the size of the store, it’s amazing we weren't there for the evening service, supper and maybe breakfast the next day! Gila and Ariel did quite well, purchasing a small truckload of things for their apartment, which arrived, un-assembled the next day. Good thing we included a tool kit for assembly…!

After a quiet, rainy Tuesday, Barbara and I drove to the ancient city of Safed (Tzefat) on Wednesday. Tzefat is best known as the center of Jewish mysticism. This dates back to the turn of the millennium (not Y2K), when during Roman Times, Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai escaped the Roman Armies and fled to the North of Israel, to Meron, not far from Tzefat. There he delved into the mystical, Kabbalistic side of Judaism and is considered the author of the primary work of Jewish Mysticism, the Zohar. Over the centuries the northern city of Tzefat has been home to many Kabbalistic and Hassidic Masters, including the famous Rabbi Isaac Luria, the Ari HaKadosh. Today, Tzefat is a city like many others, but the old city of Tzefat is a haven for artist and history buffs alike. It is replete with synagogues from past centuries, an artist colony, and dozens of art shops with an amazingly sophisticated array of Judaic art. One of the vendors was a high school classmate of Monty’s, Emmanuel Bouzaglou. It was great seeing him in a different context, and we even bought a gift from him. The combination of mysticism, spirituality and art is pervasive; talking to artists in the area, you see their perspective on life. As one ex-Denverite artist who moved to Israel several years ago told us, there is much more to life than what most of us are involved in. There is caring about others, beauty, spirituality, happiness and cherishing the cycles we all go through. What amazing insight! 

As you know I often bringing up the political landscape, but in truth, we have been busy and distracted, and the cease fire was welcome to all. Regardless of the posturing afterwards, what is crucial is that the children in southern Israel are safe, and we pray and hope for safety and security for all children. Israel is having an election in January, and as you know the multi-party system here leads to confusing, not always logical coalitions in the ruling government. For now, parties are consolidating their candidate lists (specific percentage of votes leads to more of a list being elected) and there is some jockeying between parities. The incumbent Likud led by Bibi Netanyahu appears to be in the driver’s seat. 

We are spending this coming Shabbat in Jerusalem, to see Nomi, Elan, Shoshana and Shlomo, and will return to the coast on Sunday. Next week everyone is joining us here, and we will wrap up this amazing visit.

With that, we wish you a Shabbat Shalom, one of artistic beauty,  personal growth and bright lights.

Happy Hanuka!

Barbara and Bruce

We wish Refuah Shlema to Zisel bat Pesia. 

We wish the sincerest condolences to the Lieberman Family on the passing of Aron Lieberman Z"L. Montreal has lost a great baal tzedaka and pillar of the community.