Israel - Part 2 of 2

One of the reasons for coming to Israel at this time, was so that we could celebrate the Bar mitzvah of our twin cousins Oren and Alon. The planning for this special day had long been organized by our Aunt Ariana and Omi. Thanks to Elana's savvy computer skills, we even helped set up a slideshow presentation at the party. The day started out very early, at 5:40am when we all took a chartered bus to Jerusalem. Although everyone was very tired, it was great being all together on the drive to the Holy city. Once arriving in Jerusalem, we headed straight for the wailing wall (Kotel), where the men and women went to their respective sections. Although there is a divider at the wailing wall, this did not stop us from grabbing a few chairs and peeking over to the men's side to join in the excitement.

There was much commotion on the men's side, as they strapped on the tefillin (religious garb), said their prayers and welcomed the boys into manhood. The women were able to join in by throwing candies and peanuts at the boys; a tradition at bar mitzvah's, which we greatly enjoyed. After the prayer reading at the Kotel, everyone walked over to a lovely restaurant nearby, where a delicious catered brunch awaited us. First were pancakes and pastries to nosh, then came individual pizzas, burekas, quiches and more. Of course dessert followed. To work off all the food we ate, two circles for dancing were formed. One with women, one with men. The twins were lifted up on chairs, while everyone gathered around. It was quite the lively event! After the dancing subsided and speeches were made, a large group assembled for a walking tour around Jerusalem that had been previously arranged. The tour guide was excellent, as he was not only a tour guide but also a historian. Time was tight, but he was able to show us a few of the important spots in the Old City. We were all exhausted by the time we got to the bus to take us back to the Shomron, but were thrilled to have participated in such a special occasion.

On Wednesday we started the day early for an hour and a half drive up to Haifa, in the north of Israel. Our first stop was to see the Baha'i Gardens. Here we saw perfectly manicured, gorgeous gardens atop a hillside, all maintained by the Baha'i people. Unfortunately we chose the only day that they do not have guides showing you through, but we were still able to enjoy the beauty from up above. We left the gardens to Caesarea, an ancient city once run by Jews, Romans, Christians and Arabs. So many years have passed, yet a lot of the buildings are still standing. The horse track still remains, and you can picture yourself high above the arena, where much bood was shed. This was the entertainment for the locals. We also saw an enormous amphitheatre, where they still hold concerts. We had a good chuckle at this lady who was standing on the stage for a full 15 minutes singing for everyone, whether we liked it or not. When she left the stage, I'm not sure if people were cheering because they liked it, or they were happy she was finished with her show.

Thursday night we headed over to our Uncle David's house, where we saw his adorably blond curly-haired children. He and his wife Liat took us for a delicious meal of pita, hummus and Israeli salad. All you can eat. . .and that we did! Then we went to the local bowling alley where the computer screen showed how fast you bowled in kilometres! Too funny. I (Elana) got a little too involved with the speed and that threw off my already fantastic game of ten pin!

Friday we spent a second lovely Shabbat at Uncle Asher's house, this time with Omi and Saba. It was great to see everyone again, since this was our last visit with them. Again, we ate far too much food. We played games all evening using raisins instead of pens (figure that one out) due to shabbat restrictions. Saturday after sundown we drove to my mom's cousin's Yaakov, to spend the evening with him, his wife, and eight children. The house was definitely lively, and it was great to get to know everyone. We are only having small families!!

We also had an overnight with my mother's cousin, Reuvenchik, his wife Shulamit, and his three kids (1, 4 & 6), 2 dogs and 2 cats. Needless to say, all were charming. A special shout out to the older boys for all the kisses we mooched! There place was exciting, chaotic and fun! We had a great time, never a dull moment.

For our sendoff Sunday evening, we went to my mom's cousin Eve's place for a Hannukah party! We lit the candles on the hannukia, ate potato latkes and donuts, and said our last goodbyes. It was a wonderful sendoff to see everyone before we left and also to visit with Ricky and Vera throughout the party.

Israel is a beautiful country, but so different from Canada. We have a quiet laugh over the english menu's with so many spelling mistakes. Many people here are fluent, native english speakers and we just don't get it! The security here is constant, but in some ways it fades into the background of everyday life when you get use to the tanks driving by and soldiers with guns. Locals don't even pay attention. Our bus out of the settlement has bullet proof windows to get to the mall. Scary? or practical?!

We have LOVED our time here, especially seeing all the family and being chauffered with love!