A week in The Life

Yom rishon, 24 Sivan 5770.

The Kinneret, showing off a higher water level than in years past

Last week was a powerful week, full of individual gifts for each member of Chez Mizrachi.

 We spent time with friends, welcomed new olim, attended a military tekes, celebrated an anniversary, witnessed change and development, and watched the world behave with increasing weirdness toward our tiny little country.  (I am always amazed that no matter when I switch on the BBC -- for the purpose of being lulled to sleep quickly -- the top story is ALWAYS about Israel.  I wonder if Luxembourg is jealous.  Nah -- probably not.  Maybe if the BBC ever has anything nice to say about us...)

On Yom Rishon, there was the tiyul with my ulpan to Givat HaTachmoshet.

On Yom Sheni, while I was meeting with my friend Adi Brito, here from Baltimore to take care of her dear father, I got a great phone call from Yeshiva Bochur:  "Ema, I'm the last Eastman to make aliyah!"  Baruch Hashem!  After a year-long struggle, my son is a citizen of Israel.

Aryeh, to his brother:  "DUDE!  Nobody else in the WORLD could take a year to make aliyah!"

"Shut up and smile for the camera.  Do I tell people how long it takes for you to clean your ROOM?  We're talking months here, people."

On Yom Shlishi, we attempted to meet new olim at Ben Gurion, but ended up having to greet them by email.  But since we were already in Tel Aviv, it seemed worthwhile to go the extra distance to visit our dear son, Stunt Man, at his military ceremony for moving up to a new level in Basic Training.

"Now I'm no longer lower than bovine excreta.  I have reached the new level of -- bovine excreta."

Yes, Baltimore people -- that's a Verschleisser on Aryeh's right.

It was our 25th wedding anniversary; so the Dearly Beloved took me out to dinner.

(It was a little hard to find a kosher restaurant in the Haifa train station.)  Later, when we were on our way home, we found a terrific little eatery near the Tiveria bus depot.  It may have been near-starvation that made the food taste so good -- or it could have been that the pargiot and veal kebabs were spiced to perfection.

When we got home, we exchanged gifts.  Since it was the Silver Anniversary, Benzi's got some more business.

And because he gives to everyone else, and hardly ever tells anyone what he might want, the Dearly Beloved got a present hand-made by Be'gdei Hemp.

Don't you just WANT to be a settler, when you can look this good?

In the course of the week, we saw pictures of our Soldier Boy (the First)'s new truck, purchased for his landscaping and hauling business.  Way to go, Josh.  You're keeping the family tradition:  your father's father, and his father before him, were in the hauling business.  (Baltimore folk are welcome to call him at the number on the side of the truck.  Hey!  A mother's gotta look out for her grandchildren!)

And we coped, as best we could, with the end of an era, as Sports Guy's hand-made Gush Katif kipah bit the dust, and he decided it's time to "wear a normal kipah."  (Sorry, Devra.)

Stunt Man (aka Soldier Boy the Second) poses with a sleepy Sports Guy, to illustrate that the Orange has moved on.  Note black, barely-visible kipah on Sports Guy's head.  How will we find him in a crowd?

Last but not least, the brilliant Caroline Glick put together a video using humor to teach the Israeli perspective on the Great Flotilla Debacle.  [At the initial posting, I could show you this video here.  However, under pressure, YouTube has since pulled it.  So now, hop on over to Eye on the World to view the Live Leak copy.  The freedom of speech laws are a little harder for Israel to access, even when she carefully follows the Fair Use Doctrine.]



And I don't even see a point in making more than a passing mention of Helen Thomas...

All in all, a totally not-boring week at Casa Mizrachi. Looking forward to whatever new adventures are in store!  (Are YOU coming to Israel soon?  Come to see us.  You will add to the light!)

Glossary:
Olim: immigrants to Israel
Tekes: ceremony
Kinneret: Sea of Galilee
Yom Rishon: Day One (Sunday) -- the days of the week are called numerically, in their progress toward the Sabbath
Tiyul: day hike
Ulpan: intensive Hebrew-language immersion class
Givat HaTachmoshet: Ammunition Hill
Bovine Excreta: look it up, unless you're in the military, in which case you will understand by implication, and wonder why I'm using such big words for such basic ----
Pargiot: chicken thighs, prepared here, like so much in Israel, "al ha-aish," on the grill

"Monday's Child is Fair of Face."

Yom sheni, 3 Iyar 5769.



Welcome to the world, little Sabra.  As was pointed out by my dear son, your father -- lovingly known in these pages as Soldier Boy:  Thank you for making Saba's and Savta's klita complete.



May you give much Yiddishe nachas to your dear parents and to our Tatte b'Shomayim.  May your life be filled with wonder and awe and absolute joy in your knowledge that Hashem runs the world.  May you strike the right balance between kef and concentration.  And may you see the coming of Moshiach, bimheira v'yomeinu!







(For those who will ask, the new little princess came into the world at 04:50 this morning, weighing 4.1 kilo [9.3 pounds], kine hora, puh-puh-puh.  New baby and new ema and new abba are doing fine, baruch Hashem.  May we all share good news and much joy!)

Parenthetical answer to Question Number Two:  Savta.  Because Bubbies are plump and soft and smell of chocolate chip cookies; and Savtas smell of Chanel No. 5, and have a back story.


Glossary:
Klita:  absorption into Israel, and into Israeli society
Yiddishe nachas:  the joy that children can give to their parents and granparents, when they live a truly Jewish life
Tatte b'Shomayim:  Yiddish for "Father in Heaven"
Kef:  Arabic word for "fun" --  Interestingly, there is no word in Hebrew for "fun."
Moshiach:  The Messiah
Bimheira v'yomeinu:  speedily and in our days
Savta:  Grandma in Hebrew
Bubbie:  Grandma in Yiddish