First Thanksgiving For me it was easier to give up Thanksgiving. For sure it used to be nice to see everyone on the holiday, but we’ve already moved far away and I feel like I’ve already said my goodbyes. But for Val I think it’s harder, especially because we used to do Thanksgiving with her…
Read moreEthiopia Day – Sigd
Ethiopia Day – Sigd Today in ulpan was Ethiopia day, its the Sigd holiday where they celebrate returning to Jerusalem. We learned about Operation Moses, the 1984 airlift of Ethiopian Jewry. They had to walk from Ethiopia to Sudan and were only airlifted from there. About 4,000 people died on the way during that long…
Read moreRemember that Medical Ulpan?
Remember that Medical Ulpan? The one I took the test for and thought it was super hard? Well last week they called me and said that I actually did OK on the test and even though I wasn’t technically finished level bet (level 2), I could still start the doctors ulpan if I wanted to….
Read moreTalmud and still in ulpan
Talmud and still in ulpan Well we’re still in ulpan. Our hebrew is improving slowly – I think I’m up to maybe 60% understanding of the Rabbi’s talk at shul on Saturday morning. This ulpan runs through mid February. When I first started I was planning to do it for a month then decide if…
Read moreSaying Tehillim and Israeli pop culture
Saying Tehillim and Israeli pop culture I daven shacharit every morning (morning prayers) and with the rockets and all, it seemed like there should be something extra or specific I should be saying to pray for the safety of everyone here. (Interesting to me that this feeling of a need to say a special prayer…
Read moreSmall town perfect for biking
Small town perfect for biking We finally bought some bicycles. I already have a nice Cannondale hybrid in storage in Phoenix but I decided to get another one here. The kids had outgrown theirs and so would have needed new ones anyway. The first bike store we looked at carried very nice bikes, European brands,…
Read moreFirst official safety announcement from the army, city, and schools
First official safety announcement from the army, city, and schools We received this WhatsApp message this morning. All the schools in Tel-Aviv were closed due to the rockets. It seems they have stopped for now. In Ra’anana where we live, a bit north of Tel-Aviv, everything was open as usual. But we discussed the news…
Read moreYitzhak Rabin Memorial Day
Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day Yesterday it was Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day, which is a day to remember the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. It occurred in 1995 (hard to believe it was that long ago). We in America remember that day but now for most of us in America is it just something…
Read moreYom HaAliyah
Yom HaAliyah Yom HaAliyah was this past week and so we had a celebration in our ulpan. We sang some songs and discussed the different countries people come from, and took turns telling a little bit about our own Aliyah stories (in broken hebrew, of course 😅) But the main event was the “pot luck”…
Read moreBlood Drive and Channukah on the horizon
Blood Drive and Channukah on the horizon Several years ago an young Israeli man was killed in a terrorist attack. His family and friends chose to honour his memory by hosting a blood drive every year on the anniversary of his death. So this past Sunday I donated blood (first time doing that in Israel)…
Read moreDrive-Thru Zoo in Ramat Gan and The Iron Kippah
Drive-Thru Zoo in Ramat Gan and The Iron Kippah During the Sukkot holiday we spent one of the days with another family we met who has a boy in one of our boys’ class at school. We went to a drive through zoo in Ramat Gan, just a bit north of Tel-Aviv. It was really…
Read moreWent back to Phoenix to work for a week
Went back to Phoenix to work for a week We’ve now been here for about four months. When you make Aliyah the government of Israel does give you some money for the first six months to help you get on your feet. That really does help but its not enough for most people. Thankfully we…
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