Israel Day 7

Monday was Yom Yerushalayim. The Rosenbaums came in and we met them at Gan Saccher to march in the city-wide parade with thousands of other people. Chaya Halbersberg Bernstain (my best friend from kindergarten-fifth grade) and her husband, Yochanan, drove in and picked us up for dinner. We ate at Joy in Emek Refaim.

Israel Day 6

On Sunday we went to the Dead Sea. We stopped at Mitzpeh Orit, a memorial for a girl who was killed that sits atop a beautiful vista overlooking the start of the desert. We then made a pit stop to pick up breakfast and ride a camel! We drove past the many date palm orchards and saw ibex cammoflaged in the rocky terrain. We arrived at Ein Gedi and hiked , stopping at waterfalls along the way to stay cool. We then saw the remains of an ancient synagogue complete with a beautiful mosaic floor. Then we went to the Ein Gedi spa at the Dead Sea, where we ate lunch before relaxing in the mineral-enriched pool and heading to the beach to cover ourselves in mud.

Israel Days 4 and 5

On Friday we went to Ramot Eshkol to visit a friend of mine from high school, Sara Malka. It was so fun to catch up while we sat on the playground with our daughters! We got ready for Shabbat and went to the Great Synagogue. Then the whole family ate our dinner , bought at Machane Yehuda together at the apartment.

We ate Shabbat lunch at our friends, the Pritzkers, in Katamon.
After Shabbat Avery and I went to the new mall just outside the Old City, then walked back through town to pick up schwarma and beer.

Israel Day 3

Thursday we toured Gush Etzion. We started out seeing Efrat and some of the other settlements. We then went to the Gush Etzion Winery, where we tasted some wonderful wines and ate a fabulous dairy lunch. We went to visitor’s center at Kibbutz kfar Etzion where we saw a film on the history of Gush Etzion, its defense of the settlements and Yerushalayim and its struggle to survive over the years. We saw ancient mikvaot and other ruins on the edge of Bat Ayin. We went to Deerland Ranch where we went on the longest zipline in Israel (second longest in the world)! We finished our day by driving through Neve Daniel and other settlements. On top of a hill at sunset we were able to see Harei Moav (in Jordan) to our right and as far as the Mediterranean Sea to our left.

Israel Day 2

Wednesday we went to the Biblical Zoo, where Sophie had a blast looking at all of the animals and got very well-acquainted with a baby goat. On the way back we stopped for a chatzi-chatzi (half schwarma half schnitzel) from Massov. Walking back to the apartment we saw a medic motorcycle donated by our shul in Baltimore!

Israel Day 1

We arrived Monday evening, May 26. After a brief visit with Chanina, Max, and Bella Rosenbaum at the airport, we took a sherut to our apartment at 12 Yosef Trumpeldor Street in Rechavya.

The next day, Tuesday, we all slept in. We walked to town and had lunch at Café Hillel, then continued walking to the Old City. We went to the kotel and stayed for a while. Then we walked back to town. We hung out on Ben Yehuda and took in the typical sights like a man walking a lamb on a leash and a woman wearing a moomoo with a Princess Leia hairdo.

I'm updating!

I know the 3 people (Hi Barb, Rina, and Heidi!) who read this blog have been wondering where the updates are! I guess things just got busy. We had a great Pesach in Silver Spring. Shortly after, Aunt Sharon came to visit and we had fun with her. Then we were busy getting ready for Israel and designing the new bathroom.

I am going to post the Israel trip, divided into the different days and their activities now!