Chol HaMoed - Day 3 and 4

Just a quick update (fun stuff, not medical)

Tuesday, we went to a 'fun day' sponsored by Jeremy's Circle, at Ya'ar B'reishit, in Tel Aviv's Park HaYarkon. They have all sorts of cool outdoor activities there, including rope bridges, an Omega, and a climbing wall. My son and youngest daughter are monkeys! They both climbed all the way to the top!! (Apparently, they did not inherent my fear of heights!) I would have loved to participate in the activities, but they were only for kids. Although my eldest could have participated, she spent most of the time taking pictures. So unfair!

Wednesday, we went on a bus tour of the Shomron. At Yitzhar, I recognized one of the two young men who run the organic winery -- he's a cousin of Moshe's!! We tasted three wines: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Puah (a blend of the two wines). Both my son and I enjoyed the wines, but we are the only ones in our family to appreciate dry wine. Then we visited Chavat Alumot (050-4407311), one of the "hill-top settlements" of Itamar and received a tour from ?? Meshulami (I forget her first name), who runs the farm, and manages their cheese and yoghurt production. The Meshulami family also opened their home and succah to us, which we greatly appreciated.

On the way out of Itamar, my youngest, who started running a fever, needed to 'use the facilities.' The bus driver showed us where to walk to the shul (synagogue), but I just stopped at the first house with kids playing outside and asked to speak to their parents. We were invited in and treated with warmth and hospitality. When we declined their offer of food or drink, they invited us to come another time. On the way out, Moshe turned to me and asked "Do you know who that man is?" He was so kind and friendly, I never would have imagined he was someone so important. It turns out, we had walked into the home of the Chief Rabbi of the Israeli Army!



Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

With love and optimism,
RivkA