The past 5 weeks

Hello again from Jerusalem!

Sorry for the long gap between posts.  Make sure you check out Liana's blog, http://lrpadventures.blogspot.com/.   She has posted several times in the past few days, catching up on all her experiences, and her stories are wonderful!

The main reason for my lack of posts the past few weeks is that I came down with quite a case of pneumonia in the middle of March.  It took me 3 1/2 weeks to get over it, but thankfully I am totally back to myself now.  See pic.

I received excellent care from clinics, hospitals, doctors and a physical therapist in Jerusalem, as well as from my fabulous husband, who not only took care of me, but also our kids, our house, and pretty much everything during those weeks.  THANK YOU, JAY!!!!

My parents, Melanie and Jerry, arrived at the end of March for their very first visit to Israel.  They spent two weeks with us, walking Jerusalem, talking with Israelis (imagine my Dad, talking to people!), enjoying amazing Israeli food and hospitality, and traveling the country.  We visited the Sea of Galilee, Sefat, Tiberias, Haifa, Kibbutz Yagur, Tel Aviv, Masada, the Dead Sea, and the Ein Gedi nature reserve.  The kids took their grandparents to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, and we spent a day with Lana Sadok, our neighbor in Needham.  We finally saw the David's Citadel light show in the Old City (we all loved it), we hosted our cousins for a really nice Shabbat lunch, we spent a fun Shabbat evening with Ethan Bennett, and we enjoyed Friday night Shabbat services at the progressive congregation in Mevasseret Tzion, outiside Jerusalem, where our good friend Maya Leibovich is the Rabbi.  (And we had another delicious meal at her house, as well!) Liana has really enjoyed being part of her school choir.  During my parent's visit they participated in a Jerusalem-wide choir festival.  We all got to see Liana sing/shine!! In short, it was a very full visit.  What my parents loved most was meeting and talking with people everywhere they went.  Here are a few pics, and again, go to Liana's website for more descriptions!

Gorgeous Ein Gedi, with it's waterfalls, ibex, and hyrex walking along the paths with us!

 

 
Masada--We all walked up the snake path at sunrise and came down the cable car...

In Sefat, we walked and walked...Despite the rain and cooler weather, we loved the narrow streets, alley ways, the mystical synagogues, the awesome Sefat candle shop, and the art.....

And a rainbow followed us back to our guesthouse...

On my parents' first day in Israel, we sent them with three kids (including Lana) in a cab to the zoo.  Of course, within moments, my dad was on a first name basis with the cab driver, Moti, his first of many, many new friends in this country!

At the Sea of Galilee, trying to make a splash with stones from far away...

Shabbat lunch with representatives from the Israel Zeffren family (Alan, Naama, Micha, Matar, and Nomi)

A very relaxed Melanie, wearing her stylish hat she bought at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve.

And here are a few more highlights from the past few weeks:

Jonah is in a soccer class once a week up at our neighborhood Park Gid'on.  Watch him use those skills he learned from Scott McConchie!  Much of Jonah's Hebrew vocabulary is soccer related!

Jay and the kids got to hear the Megillah on Purim at Kol Haneshama congregation (a Reform/Progressive congregation right around the corner from our apartment).  Liana and Jay dressed as "Ish Adom" and "Ish Yarok," the red and green men from the crosswalk signals.  Jonah was a very cute Ninja.



We have spent time at a really good petting zoo, which is part of the kids' school.  Way to go, Jonah, who used to be scared of most animals...

Jonah and Liana ice-skated under a big tent in Safra Square in downtown Jerusalem in April!
Very crowded, and everyone only gets to skate for half an hour, but an experience, nonetheless!

Jay has been able to return to lots of studying, speaking Hebrew, working out at the gym, and reading huge books in cafes and on our porch with a glass of wine!  His classes at the Conservative Yeshiva and the Hartman Institute will pick up again after Pesach.  And Jay and I have enjoyed some time alone, walking around the old city, eating at yummy restaurants, like this one in the Arab shuk!


We are having seder with the Zeffren family, and then we are travelling  to our family, Sara and Yuval's Moshav in the south.  We'll be visiting friends near Beer Sheva later in the week, and then we'll be in Tel Aviv for a couple days before school starts up again.

Hope all is well with you and where you are!!

Hag Sameach, and thanks for reading!
Love,
Emily