Caves to shabbat

 

Our first touristy stop took us to the stalactite caves outside of Bet Shemesh. Thousands of years old, the stalectic and stalagmites hang high above our heads and plunge into the bottom depths of darkness. The earths natural wonders do not disappoint as the humidity of the cave wraps around us like a welcome blanket on a crisp evening. We were joined by our favourite Halemish’s and two of their kiddos. After the kids raced through the caves, we grabbed a dairy picnic lunch at a popular restaurant in a gas station parking lot before grabbing some shade at a nearby park. Health and fitness seem to be a focus here as we find so many exercise parks and the kids are loving them. The playgrounds here are so elaborate with huge overhanging shade tents making year-round accessibility. We melt into the countryside sharing laughs and deep conversations of the realities that come with travel and young children.

 

4pm takes us to Bet Shemesh to my Uncle Asher’s home for a traditional orthodox shabbat. We are greeted by my cousin and her adorable children; the kids blend immediately together after missing their social interactions from back home. I feel very grateful for my children to experience an authentic and meaningful shabbat filled with amazing food, family and a chance to sit and relax from a long and busy work week for some. We learned about the rules that go along with a religious shabbat (the hardest being no screen time for some) and the joys of family and thousands of years old masorat “traditions” that Jewish people have kept alive. We finish shabbat with full bellies and many memories spent with nine adorable second cousins and their parents.