Chag HaSuccot 5766

I know it's a bit out of chronological order, but here is a link to a short film I made of our first Succot in Eretz Yisrael.

Click here or on the play button to start film...

(If you can not view the video, then you probably need to install/upgrade to Macromedia Flash 8. It takes only about 20 seconds, and is 100% safe for your computer. CLICK HERE to go to Macromedia's site, then click the DOWNLOAD NOW button, and follow the install instructions.)

Photos From Pesach Chol Hamoed 5766

A picnic we were supposed to go to was cancelled because of rain. With six kids antsy to "doooo somthing" we quickly decided to drive up the the Kinneret (The Sea of Gallilee) and camp (despite the rain.) With no planning and one hour of packing we were on our way. We had a great time!

Here's the crew gathered around the Davidka in Tzfat. The Davidka is a homemade cannon that the Israelis used in the 1948 war for independence. It's effectiveness in intimadating the Arabs was largely due to the incredibly loud sound it made when fired, as opposed to its actual utility as a canon.

This is our kitty, Toolie Cat. He wasn't on the tiyul, but he likes having his picture taken

Naomi is posing infront of the hills of the Golan holding a wild poppy that you are not supposed to pick.

Shoshana at the campgrounds.

Rachel and Bentzion running through the streets of Tzfat.

More views of Tzfat.

Ari and Robbie setting tent along side the Kinneret

Playing with fire! One of the best things about camping for a kid

Naomi overlooking the Kinneret

Ta Daa! Luxury suite accommodations for the night.

Click on Movie to Play
(will open new window)

I have recently been working on perfecting the technology to stream high quality video over the internet. To see a sample, click on the movie player above. This is a short home movie I made while on our family trip to the Smokey Mountains last summer. Please let me know how it plays on your computer so I can continue to make improvements.

The City of David

The City of David is located to the south, and just outside the walls of the Old City. It is here that King David established his capital over 3,000 years ago. On the tour of the excavations, one can view the walls, towers, fortifications, and dwelling places from the time of David. The tour also includes a 45 minute walk through the elaborate underground water systems. The underground tunnels and chambers were dug thousands of years ago, through solid rock, to carry water from the Gishon Spring into the center of the city.

(click on photos for larger view)

Entering Yechezkiel's Tunnel. This is the underground tunnel that brought water from the Gishon Spring from outside the city walls.

Digital Photo, Sony Cybershot

Walking through Yechezkiel's Tunnel. The water level varies from ankle deep to waist high. Participants each carry their own flashlights.

Digital Photo, Sony Cybershot

Climing out of Yechezkiel's Tunnel

Digital Photo, Sony Cybershot

Bentzi and a security guard at outside the exit of Yechezkiel's Tunnel.

Canon QL-17. Scan from Film Negative, Fuji Superia 100

Bentzi at The Shiloa Pools. This is where the waters from Yechezkiel's Tunnel arrived inside the city. In Yechezkiels time this whole area whould have been filled with water from the spring.

Canon QL-17. Scan from Film Negative, Fuji Superia 100

Har Hazaytim (The Mount of Olives), as seen from the City of David

Canon QL-17. Scan from Film Negative, Fuji Superia 100

Here are some photos...

I've just posted a few photos. All were taken with a Canon QL-17 GIII Camera. Right before we made Aliyah, I purchased two of these cameras for $10 each from a camera store that was liquidating all its old cameras. Both were in excellent condition, and required not much more than a simple cleaning. One of them is even a very rare all black body, and both came with proper Canonolite D Flashes. These cameras were made in 1972, but as you can see, they take pictures as good as any modern camera - film or digital. In fact, to achieve this level of quality and detail with a modern digital camera, you would need the equivalent of a 20 megapixel camera (the best $1,200+ digitals today are 8 megapixel at most).

(click the photos below for larger images)


Bentzi in the airport before our Aliyah flight
Canon QL-17, Scan from Film Negative, Kodak 400UC



Ari in the airport before our Aliyah flight
Canon QL-17, Scan from Film Negative, Kodak 400UC




Shoshana at the Machne Yehuda
Canon QL-17, Scan from Film Negative, Fuji Superia 200




Scene at the Machne Yehuda
Canon QL-17, Scan from Film Negative, Fuji Superia 200




Scene at the Machne Yehuda
Canon QL-17, Scan from Film Negative, Fuji Superia 200




Yehuda Machlev. He is a veteran of 3 Israeli wars, and has been making the best voltage transformers in Israel for over 50 years.
Canon QL-17, Scan from Film Negative, Fuji Superia 200

The First 90 Days...

Wow...

It's hard to believe that we've been living in Israel now for just a bit over 3 months. Not hard to believe in the ususal sense of "Wow, where did the time go?", but hard to believe in just how comfortable and natural life feels after only 3 months. And, most surprising, it's not a feeling that has taken 3 months to develop. It's more like that feeling met us at the airport, drove us home, and has been with us ever since. In a way, that is exactly how it did happen...

"El Al FLight 27, you are cleared for take-off..."

Even though we were not on an official Nefesh B'Nefesh aliyah flight with 200 other olim, we were traveling with 3 other families making aliyah. One of these families, the Barr's, was also headed to Kochav Yaakov, and had in fact rented the house next door to the house we had rented. This made not only the flight a bit less stressful, but also provided a certain level of comfort and validation to the decision process which had led us to choose Kochav Yaakov.

At the airport in Israel, we were met by an AACI volunteer who guided us through the requisite new immigrant paperwork and processing, the culmination of which is the receipt of a Teudat Oleh, a passport-like document which is your first official recognition as an Israeli citezen.

The next step was to retrieve our checked luggage. As olim chadashim (new immigrants), we were entitled to 3 checked pieces of luggage per ticket, which for our family of 8 translated into 24 seventy pound packages. We opted to pack in 24 heay-duty cardboard boxes, so that we could simply throw the "luggage" away as we unpacked, and not have to worry about the storage and expense of dealing with 24 pieces of real luggage. At the luggage pick-up area, we were met by Kochav Yaakov resident Shlomo Benzaquen. Shlomo, along with his wife Susie and their 5 kids, very much personify that feeling of warmth and comfort I touched upon earlier.

...to be continued