Monday, July 19th
A lot to blog.
We had a wonderful dinner at Zvi and Tami's. Entertained by Maya, their 10 year old daughter. She was so funny and the girls were comparing iphone apps with her. She is so outgoing and funny. She kept us laughing the whole night. When we first arrived, Zvi took us on a tour of the institute, which has really grown in the last 27 years. I recognized some of it, but so much development. He took us into the mathematics institute where saw a computer from 1954. Very big. The girls got a kick out of that. Dinner was delicious-typical Israeli fare that we can't seem to tire of. It was great the girls came with us. We all had a great time. We got back to the hotel late via a cab driver from hell. He went so fast that the 30-35 minute trip took only 20. Then we read in today's Jerusalem Post that 50/1,000 cab rides result in injured passengers. We got lucky!
Up early on Sunday morning and checked out of the hotel. We got on busses and went to the Jaffa institute. This is a program started in the 1980's to provide programs for kids (arabs and jews) in the poorest areas around Tel Aviv. It has now expanded and is a large program with several other locations and even a boarding school in the south. We visited and played with the kids etc. See the photos below of the Harry Potter books and one of the girls at the institute. Sarah's KITT group made a large donation to this program.
Then we headed to a Tel Aviv mall....felt like the Beverly Center. Not much special there, but the girls had a good time and Marc and I walked around outside and found a medical clinic to look at (always in search of a tax deduction opportunity).
After that we went to a fascinating interactive museum, the Palmach Museum, which tells the story of the early IDF. It was very interactive and moving. I will have to remember to describe the museum to Heather. Never seen anything like it. On the way up to the North (Galilee) we stopped at the site of Yitzak Rabin's assassination. The spot has a plaque but also there is a memorial that shows where everyone was standing (Rabin, bodyguards etc.) at the time.
Then back on the bus for the long ride up to the Golan Heights. This took about 3 hours and with a stop or two and some traffic (sig alert on the Israeli freeway?) we finally arrived at dinner about 7:30, starved. Dinner was in an amazing place. There were tables set up outside under trees with lights. Salads on tables when we arrived...the usual (eggplant, hummus, tomato etc.) Then they brought a mixed grill for each table of chicken, lamb, sausages and I am sure some other things. We have been sitting with different families each night and finding some interesting people. Marc and are are the MDs of the trip...thanks to the Cantor's announcements. No real illnesses yet, just some minor tummy troubles. But not us!
After dinner (dessert of watermelon-very popular here- and baklava and mint tea) we went to our hotel. This is where we are now. it is called the Pastoral hotel and Spa in Kfar Blum It is on a huge piece of land owned by the Kfar Blum Kibbutz. One of the kibbutz' businesses is operating the hotel. This feels as close as we will ever get to a 'family camp'! There is a spa, great olympic sized pool and a beautiful dining room. The best part? Not the 20 different yogurts at breakfast along with all the different smoked fishes, but the fact that the kibbutz will do your laundry for just $12 a bag-yahoo, clean clothes!!
A lot to blog.
We had a wonderful dinner at Zvi and Tami's. Entertained by Maya, their 10 year old daughter. She was so funny and the girls were comparing iphone apps with her. She is so outgoing and funny. She kept us laughing the whole night. When we first arrived, Zvi took us on a tour of the institute, which has really grown in the last 27 years. I recognized some of it, but so much development. He took us into the mathematics institute where saw a computer from 1954. Very big. The girls got a kick out of that. Dinner was delicious-typical Israeli fare that we can't seem to tire of. It was great the girls came with us. We all had a great time. We got back to the hotel late via a cab driver from hell. He went so fast that the 30-35 minute trip took only 20. Then we read in today's Jerusalem Post that 50/1,000 cab rides result in injured passengers. We got lucky!
Up early on Sunday morning and checked out of the hotel. We got on busses and went to the Jaffa institute. This is a program started in the 1980's to provide programs for kids (arabs and jews) in the poorest areas around Tel Aviv. It has now expanded and is a large program with several other locations and even a boarding school in the south. We visited and played with the kids etc. See the photos below of the Harry Potter books and one of the girls at the institute. Sarah's KITT group made a large donation to this program.
Then we headed to a Tel Aviv mall....felt like the Beverly Center. Not much special there, but the girls had a good time and Marc and I walked around outside and found a medical clinic to look at (always in search of a tax deduction opportunity).
After that we went to a fascinating interactive museum, the Palmach Museum, which tells the story of the early IDF. It was very interactive and moving. I will have to remember to describe the museum to Heather. Never seen anything like it. On the way up to the North (Galilee) we stopped at the site of Yitzak Rabin's assassination. The spot has a plaque but also there is a memorial that shows where everyone was standing (Rabin, bodyguards etc.) at the time.
Then back on the bus for the long ride up to the Golan Heights. This took about 3 hours and with a stop or two and some traffic (sig alert on the Israeli freeway?) we finally arrived at dinner about 7:30, starved. Dinner was in an amazing place. There were tables set up outside under trees with lights. Salads on tables when we arrived...the usual (eggplant, hummus, tomato etc.) Then they brought a mixed grill for each table of chicken, lamb, sausages and I am sure some other things. We have been sitting with different families each night and finding some interesting people. Marc and are are the MDs of the trip...thanks to the Cantor's announcements. No real illnesses yet, just some minor tummy troubles. But not us!
After dinner (dessert of watermelon-very popular here- and baklava and mint tea) we went to our hotel. This is where we are now. it is called the Pastoral hotel and Spa in Kfar Blum It is on a huge piece of land owned by the Kfar Blum Kibbutz. One of the kibbutz' businesses is operating the hotel. This feels as close as we will ever get to a 'family camp'! There is a spa, great olympic sized pool and a beautiful dining room. The best part? Not the 20 different yogurts at breakfast along with all the different smoked fishes, but the fact that the kibbutz will do your laundry for just $12 a bag-yahoo, clean clothes!!
posted by csmcid at 7:50 AM
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