No small sacrifice

It's been months of terror in Holy Land.  Murder after horrific murder, mothers, fathers, and children have been targeted in attacks by Palestinians.  They are free to travel in Israel and have therefore been allowed access to crowds of civilians.  13 year old boys on bikes, couples traveling with young children, men praying in a synagogue; all are acceptable targets for people who cultivate hate amongst their young.  Videos of toddlers in full Hamas garb beheading toy sheep which "spurt" blood are available to all viewers on YouTube.  Yet many still just don't want to press the "watch" button.

Day after day the attacks continue, but you will never hear about them on your local news because it's not news anymore.  In fact, it is all in a normal day's work for terrorists.  My family in America does not hear this news.  It is carefully filtered so as not to victimize the Israelis whom many prefer to vilify instead. 

Last week a father and his son were murdered before shabbat on their way to a celebration just four days prior to his daughter's wedding.  Yesterday the terror hit even closer; an 18 year old American boy studying at a yeshiva in my town, whose classmates I know well, was gunned down on his way to bring food to soldiers.  His hometown in Massachusetts is a community I was once a part of and love; my friends who still reside there are in shock this erev shabbat as their community prepares to bury their beloved son.  Others here in Israel are in shock over the death of a young father in the same attack.  Funerals here have become commonplace; we have become accustomed to the sounds of sobs and moans over bodies wrapped for burial.  Yet still, life goes on.  The young bride ended her seven day mourning period to announce that her wedding will take place next week with all of Israel invited.  Despair is not an option.  The Israeli people are resilient to an extraordinary degree.  It is astonishing that devotion to the Jewish values of countering evil with holiness can be and is adhered to even in the depths of the darkest times that have fallen upon our people.  That a young bride and her family can emerge from such a devastating tragedy with plans for an enormous nuptial celebration just two weeks later is unfathomable.  But my friends, THIS is the core of the Jewish psyche and is why in the face of thousands of years of genocidal threats, from the Jewish people have emerged countless technological inventions, Nobel prizewinners and a religion of peace.  The 

REAL sustainers of peace in a world that has seemingly gone mad.

Sometimes tragedy just puts everything in perspective.

This morning as I prepared a shabbat feast for my family, a glass shattered into a bowl of 2 kilos of chopped meat.  I stared at the ruined mixture and I thanked the One Above.  My greatest sacrifice this week was 2 kilos of ground beef, while two families I know of sacrificed so much more.

Baruch Dayan Haemet.  May Hashem comfort the mourners.

A sand storm is a good time to cook

The sky is covered by a golden yellow haze.  It greeted me this morning as I very unusually bounced downstairs to make school lunches.  Lest you think I am waxing poetic, I am not gazing at the beauty of nature for pure enjoyment.  In the Middle East a hazy yellow sky heralds a massive dust storm.  I am not talking about a sand blizzard the likes of a scene from Lawrence of Arabia.  It's more of a hovering cloud, a presence challenging hikers and bikers to inhale its sandy substance in great breaths.

My love for hiking in the Holy Land is no secret; my distaste for walking while being broiled alive under the scorching Middle Eastern sun like a piece of salmon is another story.  Call me a wimp. I simply feel no pleasure in it.  Nighttime runs around the town are heavenly; dehydration feels as if it will certainly put me in a heavenly place much faster.

Hmmmm........what shall I do today?

The school year has kicked off and in just a few days Rosh Hashana, the new year, will be upon us.  Shopping for meats, chickens, fish, and side dish ingredients is mandatory this week in order to be ready for the throngs of yeshiva students who will grace our table.  Cooking enough food to fill the bellies of 18 year old boys is not for the fainthearted.  Neither is cooking enough meatballs to feed 65 lone soldiers who must celebrate the holiday far from their families who reside outside of Israel.

Will it all come together in time?  Of course it will!

On your mark.......get set........GO!!

Shanah tovah everyone!

Hand cream on the highway

My hands are always dry.  In the winter it is from the cold, in the summer from the dry heat and all year round from the constant submergence in dishwater.  Somewhere between necessity and luxury and atop my night table sits an emollient and pleasant smelling moisturizer which I purchased from one of my favorite chain stores.  Its products send a pleasing aroma out to beckon prospective customers from the walkway out front and has achieved status in the hearts of woman who want to spoil themselves with a lotion, scrub or shower gel, not to mention the thousand other lovely accessories such as candles, sponges, nail kits and bathrobes that make those of the feminine gender feel like ladies of leisure, even for ten minutes out of our day.

Of course lotions can be found in every room in my home as well as in my car.  And every now and then while running to supermarkets, physicians, and schools, a whiff of the satiny cream transports me to the ocean, to a mango orchard or perhaps to a field of lilacs.  A lovely, affordable and short getaway; who could ask for more?

One day I had begun my trip to fetch my husband from the airport, an uncomplicated 30 minute drive.  On the main road and not yet on the highway I decided to prep my hands for the homecoming. I envisioned my spouse's return, a sweet reunion cut short by a loving touch on the hand turned to dismay at my sandpaper fingers.  No, that would not do at all.

The traffic lights were in agreement, and at the next red I hastily fetched my hand cream, unscrewed the cap and squeezed the oily concoction over my fingers.  Before I had a chance to completely rub the moisture into my skin the darn light turned green.  Not to be outdone, I continued to maneuver my automobile while maneuvering the cream over my hands until every millimeter of skin was silky smooth.

How proud I was at my skillful duel maneuver!  For a moment I glanced around to see if anyone had noticed my somewhat risky driving distraction, but traffic moved smoothly.  At the next red light a truck pulled up next to me.  When its window opened I started to panic.  Here it comes, I thought, another ticked off Israeli driver about to berate me for my "not as smooth as I thought" maneuvers.  Great. Just great.  That should put me in a fine mood for greeting my husband after two weeks apart.

Ignoring the driver didn't seem to discourage him; I had no choice but to hesitantly open my window and brace myself for the verbal assault.  The driver leaned far out the window and spoke to me.  Over the rumble of engines I strained to understand his Hebrew.  "MAH?" I asked him.  WHAT??

Dangling one arm out the window, his hand grasping a tube, he asked me, "At tzrichah krem yadayim?"  "YOU NEED HAND CREAM?"

And they say Israelis aren't friendly.  And yes, that actually happened.

All eyes on Israel....and Iran

It's all over the news; the nuclear deal with Iran has been struck and all will be well........or not.  All could be destroyed.

There is uncertainty in the minds of some, certainty of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon in the minds of others. But although the fundamental Islamic country has repeatedly sworn to Israel's and America's destruction, we are really not all that worried.

The idea of an Iranian-initiated apocalypse is nothing new.  When we made aliyah to our beloved homeland eight years ago my husband asked the pointed question: "Are you not concerned about moving our children to a country that Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe off the map?"  Without a thought I answered "No."  It simply made no sense in my mind that G-d himself would make it a mitzvah, or commandment, to settle Eretz Yisrael only to wipe us out once we got here.  I cannot assume to know how G-d works; I'm just so sure it's not like that.

To be perfectly honest, we are used to receiving hatred for our efforts to survive in a part of the world that has brought terror abroad for decades.  Being Old Faithful amongst thriving terror organizations isn't easy, but as my kids will attest to it's a real rush when you see what national unity and a strong military can achieve.  When you view footage of your army helping and treating the enemy it can make you want to scream.  It can also make you damn proud.  We may not have a lot of friends in high places, but we have The One in the highest place and that gives our lives the thrill of a blessed existence.

We will always do the right thing, will always be a "light unto the nations" as we were commanded thousands of years ago.

Do you like Bill Maher?  He is a witty, entertaining guy who had the honor of interviewing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2013.  It is incredible how Netanyahu's views have stayed consistent throughout the years unlike many politicians we know.  So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy this wonderful video of When Bibi met Bill :)

http://www.westernjournalism.com/watch-benjamin-netanyahu-like-youve-never-heard-him-before/

We have this summer

One season reminds us of another, does it not?  As the temperature soared in June, memories, albeit bitter ones, gently floated into our subconscious as a nation.  One year ago we lost three precious souls to inhumane terrorists, three teen-aged boys on the way home for shabbat, gunned down in the automobile of the captors that had offered them a ride.  What started out as a weekend like any other became a national nightmare and embroiled the country in a summer of misery, as rockets rained down on neighborhoods south and center.  As I recall the events of last summer I often refer to the time period as "that which made us Israeli."  Running for shelter at the terrifying sound of a siren is not for the faint of heart.  It is for the strong, for Am Yisrael, the people of Israel.  We cling to life and we cling to hope.  And we survive.

A summer bar mitzvah has occupied my thoughts and my time.  The remarkable event came and went leaving sweet emotions to fill my summer days.  In June we had already seen the rise of the mercury to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.  But so far no rocket fire prevents us from frequenting pools and dreamy Mediterranean beaches.  With ISIS dueling with Hamas on a doorstep called Gaza, a familiar uncertainty fills the air.  But this time we are not unlike other nations of the world, for uncertainty abounds these days.  At least here in Israel we are prepared for battle; it causes us to remain in a constant state of alert.  Even Israelis travelling abroad have no respite from these concerns.  While on a recent trip to Europe, we emerged from a peaceful shabbat only to discover that rockets had fallen on our country where our loved ones remained during our holiday away.  Yet we knew that all was fine and would be fine.  That's not denial exactly, it's just how we roll.

Will the winds of war blow our way again?  Eventually, no doubt.  But for now the dusty desert days are filled with sweet slurpee drinks, swimming pool splashing and cool chardonnay with our light dinner fare.  As in any home across the world, children play board games to pass the long summer days and play Wii under cool blasting air.  Milkshakes and smoothies fill our brand new blender and after that our stomachs.  Life is good.  We are grateful.

Tomorrow are pediatrician and orthodontic appointments, and cupcakes must be brought to camp for a party.  Friends from the old country surprised us and will be joining us for dinner.  Ahhhh summer.

I'll take a routine hot summer anytime.

Holy Land Hiking

Why do I love it when friends come to visit?  Because it actually gets me away from my computer, dirty dishes, dirty laundry and drudgery to the land that I long for: the Holy Land.

Living in the Land does not guarantee one immunity from the daily chores that mothers of many are required to complete in any given day.  Even in the spiritual capital of the world washing machines and dryers break down, leaks reveal themselves in warped paint, and children "die" of boredom.  The latter would make one wonder why.

Just 50 meters from my garden sits ruins from the Ottoman Empire.  And just 20 kilometers from my home sits Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park, whose quiet beauty spans over 1200 acres.

"At a high point in the park is Tel Maresha, the highest city in the Judean Lowlands. It was fortified by King Rehoboam of Judah following the campaign to the region of the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak: “And Rehoboam...built cities for defense in Judah...Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph” (2 Chron. 11:5-8).

The city reached its height during the Hellenistic period (third-second centuries BCE). The Hasmonean king, John Hyrcanus conquered the city in the second century BCE and forcibly converted its inhabitants. During the Roman period the inhabitants of Maresha abandoned it, building the city of Bet Guvrin nearby and transforming the latter into the capital of the region of western Idumea.  

Bet Guvrin was an important city in the Crusader era as well. Eventually, the Arab village of Beit Jubrin was established among its ruins. It was abandoned during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948."

- Israel Nature and Parks Authority

A wheel in an old mill

My friend and his camera from suburban New York relished every moment in the caves and among the ruins of the ancient Roman military post that have undergone extensive excavation and sit directly across the street from Bet Guvrin-Maresha's entrance.  My 18 year-old son and our dog frolicked, albeit dangerously, leaping from stone to stone with abandon.

The mill

As for me, well, I forgot all about laundry and dishes for a day.  A step back in time was all that the doctor had ordered.  :)

Capturing history

Bell tunnel

A family tomb

This place is for the birds!

A Roman military post

A forgotten structure

Rav Kanievsky is here!!!

There is nothing quite like living in Israel for being surrounded by Gedolei Hador, the great rabbis of the generation!  Rabbi Kanievsky is one of those great men that people run out into the streets to see when he comes to town; think of him as our very own rock star :)  Watch the excitement here!!

Rabbi Kanievsky comes to town!

 https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=949991285028224