Back to the action! We are sitting in Nomi and Elan’s dining
room in Efrat preparing for Shabbat. All the kids are home and the sun is
actually shining, after a record two weeks of rain. There were all-time
highs in rainfall in the north and south of Israel over the past 15 days.
Driving along the highways, the grass and trees are green and even usually arid
areas are being replenished. The weather calls for a few more days of rain,
till Tuesday this coming week, which is (alas) the day we are leaving. Still,
the temperature in Netanya has been 12-17C most days, so nicer than Montreal….or
is it? Alert; today Montreal and Efrat are about the same at +7C. I guess it’s
preparation for the end of the trip. Still, lots to share about the last week,
so here we go.
Shabbat in Netanya last week was (you guessed it) rainy! Gila,
Ariel, Elisha, Ora and Adi joined us and the kids took over the apartment,
which was OK since we could not get out to the park. We were able to take a
short walk to give everyone an airing, but the break in the rain did not last long.
The inclement weather did not diminish a Shabbat filled with good food, games,
songs and lots of construction projects with this new game Barbara found! After
Shabbat, Elisha and Ora were invited to stay with us in Netanya for a “pajama
party” and sleepover! This provided both a break for tired parents and a treat
for the older kids and us! Everyone had fun making chocolate dipped pretzels
and watching videos. (Warning: if I start using expressions like “Ready,
Steady, Go!” and other British phrasing, it’s from an overdose of Peppa Pig!)
(Snort!)
On Sunday after breakfast and a few more videos, Elisha and
Ora got to bounce on a whole bunch of trampolines, play video games, go on
rides, have pizza for lunch…just a typical day in the neighborhood! We brought
home two pretty tired kids who went to bed super well after dinner. Then we
were off for a couple of days on our own!
Restaurant reviews with Barbara and Bruce: OK gourmets,
now is your chance to explore some new places for your culinary pleasure! We
start in Netanya at Segev, a new restaurant in the Cinema City complex.
Moshe Segev is an Israeli celebrity chef who owns a chain of unique
restaurants. The Netanya Branch is the only one under rabbinic supervision, and
is an artful mix of grill and Asian tastes. The Segev Concept is to order the
house appetizers, which will give you an all you can eat menu of 5 ‘starters’
like focaccia, a soup, salads, and pate. Then the main dish, which was as
pretty as it was delicious. We in fact did not take the appetizers, but shared
a piece of “Obligatory Chocolate Cake” which was unbelievable good! It definitely
should be on your list of places to try. Next, we go to Jerusalem, where we had
dinner at Meat and Eat at the First Train Station. This is a strictly kosher
steak house, and one of the few that serve sirloin and filet mignon (for a
lesson on why this is complicated for kosher diner’s just message me). The filet
mignon was superb. We spent the night in Jerusalem at the new Orient Hotel, a
spectacular property in the heart of Jerusalem, walking distance from most key
locations. The only problem was (yes, yet again…) it was raining! Our walks
were a bit short, but we still enjoyed the neighborhood and were treated to an
amazing breakfast at the hotel the next morning. This was a real 5 star breakfast
buffet, not to be missed!
Continuing in Jerusalem, Wednesday AM was clear and cool, so
it was a good time to walk to the Old City, visit the Kotel-Western Wall and
mingle with hundreds of other tourists. Elan and Nomi lived in the Old City for
5 years, so we have spent a lot of time there, but visiting the Kotel never
loses its spiritual magic. Elan teaches at a school there (Yeshivat Hakotel)
and we met him for lunch (well, after the above-mentioned breakfast, only Elan
ate lunch) and chatted. Then back to Givat Shmuel for an evening of
baby-sitting and helping with baby Adi. Thursday Barbara took Gila and Adi out
for some much-needed errands, and Bruce met some colleagues for new and ongoing
collaborations. The day ended with a visit to a Prodag, a Netanya landmark famous
for its herring, which we brought for both families for Shabbat!
As the week transcends from ultra-busy to the peace of
Shabbat, we are super happy to join Elan, Nomi, Shoshana, Shlomo, Nadav and
Aryeh in their new house. Jenna will be joining us as well! We can’t wait to discuss Bat Mitzvah plans with Shoshana, play chess with Shlomo, and chase Nadav and Aryeh around the house! The visit will end in a few days, but the memories and good
time will last for a long time!
We wish you a warm, dry and peaceful Shabbat Shalom!
Barbara and Bruce
A special thank you to Daisy and Chuck Millman for the gorgeous blanket (and hat) for Adi featured in the first picture above.
Now to cover January's BDs!
Happy Birthday to Ariel!
Happy Birthday to Uncle Paul!
Happy Birthday to Jeff!
Happy Birthday to Zev!
Happy Birthday to Linda L!
Happy Birthday to Roanne!
Happy Birthday to Jacob!
Happy Half-Birthday to Shoshana!
And, the most special Happy Birthday and many more amazing times to my best friend and soulmate Barbara!
Refuah Shelema to Pinchas David Ben Adel
This is also Sylvia Fruchter’s birthday (A’H), and the 2nd
anniversary in the secular calendar of her passing. May her memory always be a
blessing to all who knew her.
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