2019 Update on Aliyah

We’ve been here 5 years now

View from the Har Hanegev Field School

We participated in our congregation’s Shabbaton this year in February. It was great to get away. We had a fairly lengthy trip the night before, Thursday, down through Be’er Sheva and decided to eat supper at the mall in Be’er Sheva.

The carter from outside the Ramon Center

We stayed at the Field School in Mitzpe Ramon, Har Hanegev Field School. Before the Shabbaton actually began, we visited the Ramon Center which overlooks the crater. It has a section dedicated to Ilan Ramon’s story and other areas about the crater’s formation itself.

Collage Coffee Table of
Ari Shomron

After the Ramon Center, we went looking around and found the shop of Ari Shomron Design. His coffee tables caught our eyes, but we didn’t make an immediate purchase.

Couples Therapy Chair

We ate in the downtown area at a local health food store that offers soup, before returning to the field school to prepare for Shabbat.

Mauna Coffee Shop Mitzpe Ramon

The actual Shabbaton was very nice although the field school on that Shabbat was cold and windy. Walking between the room and the Hadar Ohel, the Beit K’neset and the Ma’adon was a challenge and we did have to take to the room for some of the Shabbat afternoon.

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After Three Years – Are we still Olim Hadashim

Chanan is our Aliyah tape measure. He turned three a few weeks ago, and so did our Aliyah. We still get notices from Nefesh B’Nefesh, but no more special discounts. They are still a resource to call, like when I got a bill for past due Bituach Leumi payments. Weren’t the supposed to send us a bill first. No, that’s typical. No notice, then backbill. But it all worked out. Though now I must figure what to do with the new form they sent me. So it goes.
We are now trying to figure out what events to choose from the many listed in the weekend paper, to fill our week nights with. Much to choose from, too much to do!

Lunch in Springtime

Spring is showing itself, at least for the next few days. Friday brunch at Beit Lechem and Yehuda, Bagel Byte. Last chance since they will be moving to Yad Haharutzim next week. Such a lovely patio outside the store, to sit and watch the dwindling Friday traffic. 
We took the time to walk a little (400 meters from home) so I can get out stretch my legs without overdoing it. I’m in the third week after knee replacement, and this time it was the full knee. More complicated, more pain, longer recovery. Last December, in my third week after the left partial knee, a was walking outside much more than today. Patience and lovely days like today are getting me through the days. 

So goes our thorough testing of the Aliyah medical system transition. We’ve been in so many different clinic settings, wading through varied and morphing rules about hithyuvot (preauthorization). Sitting at an outdoor cafe is a just reward for surviving the system, keeping the smile. 

It has been awhile since I updated my blog. Posting to Facebook has been easier, although this iPad app I’m using is easy too. 

Walking Home

It’s a beautiful day walking home from the dentist.   I thought I’d better enjoy the weather a bit before the cold winds blow through. A beautiful 65 degree day, and a down hill walk in to German Colony. From Emek and a fresh juiced carrot drink, it was a nice walk home.

I always stop to look at the sunlight in the golden hands, and who can resist the lion’s fountain before the corner of David Remez and Beit Lechem. The weather reports are predicting cold days ahead with sand storms blowing through. I opened the windows wide for the day to get a last quick rush of Jerusalem air in the apartment.

Man Ray at the Israel Museum

We had the opportunity this past week to visit the Man Ray exhibit at the museum. Having the membership makes it easy to just pop over there and see what’s new. This exhibit is ending on January 23rd, so we thought we should make a trip so
on. It’s great being here and being able to visit places and exhibits whenever we can spare the time. Sunday was a free day for us, so we got a ride with Alieza and I gave up swimming for the day.

 

Objects are humanized, humans are objectified

A Windy Winter Week

It’s been a blustery week with the brunt of stormy weather hitting on Friday and Shabbat. Chanan and his parents headed to Tel Aviv on Thursday night but still got a windy welcome there on Friday. We missed them on Shabbat, but shared our day with guests Friday night and also were hosted on Shabbat lunch, for overall, an interesting and stimulating Shabbat, full of discussions and stories of Aliyah, now and twenty years ago. Seudat Shlishit featured a guest speaker on new age Zionism. Overall a busy Shabbat!

Two years in Jerusalem

What better way to celebrate two years since our Aliyah date, 24-December-2013, than tasting new flavors at Nespresso in the Mamilla mall. We returned our used capsules and picked up some new
ones. They always offer you a taste of new flavors. And of course, when in the Mamilla mall to recycle capsules, why not stop for lunch at a cafe. Rimon this particular afternoon. A little chilly, but their enclosed outdoor space was just fine. A very nice little Aliyah celebration.

And what always makes it so much fun here, is Chanan! Our little marker for our Aliyah! He was born one month after our leaving New York, and so his two year birthday will be exceptional. And he’s already saying “No”. Or sometimes “Go Saba, Saba’s car, go.” Maybe it’s the car Bamba that makes it fun.

Been here more than a year!

It’s hard to believe, but we’ve been here for 14 months. This was our second Purim, and even more involved with the the community and enjoying family. The year has had it’s ups and downs and we traveled to Boston and New York more often than we wanted to. Living in Jerusalem is just plain awesome and we hate to leave for a moment, let alone a month as I had to in December. We are looking forward to the Pesach visit by our Atlanta crew, who will be here the short week that their work schedule permits. Hoping for the best this trying week before Pesach preparations begin in earnest.

We’re very busy – but a trip across town is always fun!

Driving from Har HaTzofim back to Bakka

Ema drives in Jerusalem on the way back from Hebrew University. We just picked up Alieza from the university and my started aching, so I asked her to drive. Might as well, she’s on the roster of drivers for our Hyundai i25. The traffic on Derech Hebron was tight and a lot of the drivers were also tight. At least that’s what it seems like with the frequent beeps.

We have lots of parking on the street outside of Kibutz Galuyot. It’s great when school is out. We have to be careful those special times when parents and others, come to pick up their kids.

Summer day in Jerusalem

A nice afternoon at the Old Rakevet station

We walked today down the Rakevet path to the train station where we found venders and performers and lots of kids. So much to take in, a summer festival. Would ave been better had it not been Shiva Assar bTamuz. Kol loved it. She likes crowds. Met cousins. Painted faces. Some of us had yogurt.