Our Journey to Israel

Welcome to our blog. We hope you enjoy traveling through Israel with us as we share our experience.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

October 10, 2011

Our first circumcision party and what a party it was.  It was almost like a wedding reception in the states as far as the decorations and food and drink goes.  Penny, a guy Roly works with, had a grandson and that is who the circumcision was for.  Did you know they don't name the baby until after the circumcision.  We watched the entire thing.  They even gave the baby some wine before.  We had a wonderful time and it was a great experience.  Penny's father said special blessings on those that wanted them so we all got them.  Not sure what he said as it was all in Hebrew but Roly told me later.  There was so much food!!  We had lots of appetizers when we arrived (including sushi!!), then they served us fish or veal (I had the fish.....delish!!).  I was so full but thought "I'll have some coffee with whatever the dessert is"..............not time for dessert yet......now you can have steak or chicken with rice and salad!!  WOW.........then dessert, three different kinds.  OK, roll me outta here!!

Chuck Haas and all his glory!

Chuck and Lisa before we left for the party

Me and Roly before we left for the party

Baby has no idea what is coming!

Penny and his wife


Boeing table

Military guys.....we felt very safe

VERY safe!!

That's my man!!

Roly receiving his blessing from the great-grandfather (Penny's father)


Mike Deguire receiving his blessing

Penny and his father

Lisa receiving her blessing (Roly listening so he can tell her what is said.....LOL)


Chuck receiving his blessing



Fish with head.......yep, Roly ate it!

Father of the baby with his daughter

Mommy and baby



Penny and Roly


October 11, 2011

Today Lisa and I went to Carmel Market and found this group of young girls dancing.  There was a guy playing guitar and a wind instrument and they were having such fun dancing around.  Also, they were dancing right by this stand where this elderly lady makes wonderful pitas and then puts a great cream cheese type spread on them.  She is always there and they are wonderful!


See the guy in the background?  He has the wind instrument around his neck so he can play that and the guitar at the same time!

Obviously the lady with the scarf is the one that makes the pitas.  The little girl in the front is eating one of them.  They are very popular in Israel.

October 6, 2011

This evening we went to Whitehall to celebrate my 48th birthday.  It was a beautiful evening and we even got a little spiffed up!!

Notice the "candle"?  It was sparkler and was sparkling when they brought it, camera was not fast enough!


Beach with Mark - September 2011

Roly and I headed to a new beach and met up with Mark.  It was truly beautiful.  One of the best beaches we've been to yet.  The sand didn't have many shells or rocks and there were not many people so we got a front row view.  Roly and Mark played a game that is very popular in Israel but I can't remember the name of it.  They both look great doing it.


Roly makes it look very easy!

Mark has mad skills!



The birds were hungry too!

Sukkot and Simchat - October 12-21, 2011

For forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous "clouds of glory" surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember God's kindness and reaffirm our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah – a hut of temporary construction with a roof-covering of branches – for the duration of the autumn Sukkot festival. For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah – reciting a special blessing – and otherwise regard it as our home.
We reaffirm our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah.  Another mitzvah that is unique to Sukkot is the taking of the Four Kinds:  an etrog (citron), a lulav (palm frond), at least three hadassim (myrtle branches) and two aravot (willow branches). The Midrash tells us that the Four Kinds represent the various types and personalities that comprise the community of Israel, whose intrinsic unity we emphasize on Sukkot.
On each day of the festival (except Shabbat), during the daytime hours, we take the Four Kinds, recite a blessing over them, bring them together in our hands and wave them in all six directions: right, left, forward, up, down and to the rear. (The Four Kinds are also an integral part of the holiday's daily morning service.)
Sukkot is also called The Time of Our Joy; indeed, a special joy pervades the festival. Nightly Water-Drawing Celebrations, reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of water for use in the festival service, fill the synagogues and streets with song, music, and dance until the wee hours of the morning.
Sukkot runs from the fifteenth through the twenty-first of Tishrei. The first two days of this festival (in Israel only the first day) are a major holiday, when most forms of work are prohibited. On the preceding nights, women and girls light candles, reciting the appropriate blessings, and we enjoy nightly and daily festive meals, accompanied by the Kiddush.
Celebrations fill the streets with song and dance until the wee hours of the morning.  The remaining days of the festival are Chol Hamoed ("intermediate days"), when most forms of work are permitted. We try to avoid going to work, writing, and certain other activities – many families use this time to enjoy fun family outings