Exhilarating
and Bustling July
In Canada, we await with great anticipation
the arrival of the summer months accompanied by a bounty of blessings – enhanced
outdoor activity and social life, the flavours of fresh local produce, and last
but not least, the pleasures of being part of a dazzling natural environment, experience that feeds our senses and can easily find its way to our inner
spiritual source.
Thus far, my impression is that in Israel
the summer jubilee boils down to increased stress caused by massive tourism,
bottleneck traffic and stifling hot weather that drains one’s energy and slows
down the mind. My heat/humidity tolerance has definitely been tested over and
over. Because I don’t have a car, walk a lot and rely on public transportation,
I have to endure walking or standing under the melting sun. I can feel a steady
stream of sweat travelling down my spine, and the clothes clinging to my skin. I carry on my day gasping for fresh air and
often feeling weak, dizzy and faded. I am told to drink and drink, which of
course causes me to seek a public washroom in the oddest places, and some
establishments don’t let you use their facilities. I’ve never been fond of
public washrooms, but if I am asked to choose, I prefer them in Canada, to say
the least. The high temperatures really affect everyone, unless you are by the seashore under an umbrella and can cool off with the ocean breeze and from time to
time can plunge into the restoring water of the local beaches. I decided that
living in a city with beach access is definitely a must, that is, if one has
the means.
In Israel, the summer is best enjoyed in
the evening, a time when the city comes alive after the blinding sun disappears
in the horizon and the hot air seems to breath again the smells of lazy, slow
down, vacation time. Restaurants and cafes are packed with people of all ages,
and the night is young before the sun rises again.
My
Daughter Nadia in Israel!
On Monday, July 4th, I got up
and early (6:00am) as Sarah, Kaden’s daughter, kindly offered me a ride to the
airport to catch the arrival of an El Al flight from Toronto carrying 16 young
Canadian passengers that joined a mission trip organized by the Jewish National
Fund (JNF), among them, one of the apples of my eyes, my daughter Nadia.
All five of us, Elana, Israel, Sapir, Nadia
and I, headed to the Tel Aviv Port, to experience the groove of Latin
American music in Israel. Our evening was filled with the energy of two young
women meeting for the first time, salsa music, summer fever and friendship.
The next morning we spent time at Kaden’s
home. Nadia paid her respects to her in an altogether honorable way, and together we expressed our
gratitude for allowing Nadia to stay with me. All along, Kaden was extremely
welcoming and kind to us. It was remarkable to watch Nadia and Kaden
interacting, speaking Spanish with Ladino or Ladino with Spanish, laughing,
hugging and feeling connected. It was obvious that Kaden’s heart was warmed and
fed with Nadia’s young, positive and genuine energy, and her inspiring affection and caring.
Time is precious, I told Nadia, so that
same afternoon we headed off to Kvutzat Yavne. Our friends, Dvora and Eli,
long-time residents of the Kibbutz, invited us to visit, stay the night, and
enjoy the Kibbutz surroundings. The Cohen family is exemplary and our
relationship with them is very meaningful given our crossing of paths during
their short stage in Vancouver. Nadia and I stayed overnight in the comfortable
and spacious newlywed’s apartment (Odeyah, one of their daughters and son in
law Ilan), who happened to be away on their honeymoon. We were treated to meals
in the Kibbutz’ communal dining room where we met lovely people. Nadia was
impressed with a young girl who worked her shift, a special needs person that
portrayed confidence in herself and connectedness with others. We were
impressed to witness how others, including her peers, treated her with utmost
respect and guidance and we could see how she felt integrated and valued. Nadia
and I were very grateful for this first-hand experience at the Kibbutz.
The Kibbutz life today is not what it was in
the past. The societal model of communal everything has evolved into a more balanced
community-family format, thus the name Kvutzat (integrated groups) instead of
Kibbutz (single group). Everyone in Kvutzat Yavne has a fully equipped home,
and children live with their parents. The Kibbutz community acts as an extended
family, providing support and a sense of belonging. All meals are provided in
the dining room, laundry is washed in the laundry center, children are cared
for in the local nurseries, and old people have programs and activities of
their own and are also integrated to the larger community, cared for and
entertained. What is key is that everyone
contributes time towards the running of the kibbutz, whether in the kitchen,
the nursery, the farm, the orchards, or the luscious grounds.
The livelihood of Kvutzat Yavne weighs
heavily on the sale of its superior products. Most of Yavne's
agricultural production is in field crops, fruit orchards, poultry, and dairy, all
contained within approximately 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of land. Major
industry located on the kibbutz includes olive and cucumber processing plants, and the largest chicken hatchery
in the country (dispatching 600,000 chicks per day). Kvutzat
Yavne also houses the reputable watch factory Adi,
which is considered the largest of its kind in the country.
Thanks to our relationship with the Cohen’s,
the watch factory Adi gave us a 40% discount. I got myself a watch and a wall
clock for my new home. I love it!
In the afternoon the Cohen’s made plans to
allow us entry to the pool, since the kibbutz community is very strict about public access to their facilities. While we basted in the shade (the sun was
too hot to bear), I imagined myself living in a Kibbutz community, and
anticipated that I would feel a sense of belonging, safety and comfort. I thought that Nadia and Carol would have grown up supported by others and exposed to peers with whom they would have had much in common, unlike the experience of living as a Jew in the Diaspora, and wanting to fit in, often assimilating and losing touch of our spiritual identity.
At the end of a lovely and relaxing day,
Dvora kindly drove us home to Yehud, as she was on her way to visit her sister
who lives in Petach Tivkvah.
Thanks to my previous city touring
experience, Nadia and I truly covered a lot of ground during her short stay. We
commuted by train and bus, which was often frustrating, considering the heat
and waiting time. Yet, her company made every journey pleasant, as we observed
people, laughed at silly incidents and shared everything.
We visited the Azrielli Center, Sarona Park, Diezengoff Street, the Tel Aviv Port, Shuk haCarmel, the old train station (haHatachana), the Sholom Tower and the Bahai Gardens in Haifa, including riding the gondola on top of Stella Maris, a field trip we shared with Kaden, Elana and her daughters, two young women that appeared totally aloof of their surrounding and the people around them.
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| Miriam and Avi with Nadia |
Among our favorite sight seeing was a trip to
Cinema City in Rishon l’Tzion, where we had a lovely burger dinner at a popular
restaurant called “Moses the Cat.” What is memorable about this outing is that we were having a good time and forgot to check the bus #138 schedule. The 9:50pm bus had long gone and we had to wait until 12:15am before we could head home. The wait was painstaking. We considered going into a film, but did not want to risk it. We hung around the busy mall until it was time to head to the bus station. Once we boarded the bus exhausted, we fell asleep and missed our stop. We were startled when the driver announced that he had reached the last station. Yes, we were already in Yehud, yet had to walk approximately 40 minutes at 1:00am until we finally arrived home. On the way, we still had a few laughs of our own silliness. Is this not memorable?
Another day we visited Beit Hatfustot housed
in Tel Aviv University. Nadia absolutely loved the media exhibits in the Synagogue
Hall, and we wished we had more time to enjoy them. Kaden had invited us to a
Ladino concert by a famous local singer. And we thought we could make it? Good luck.
Our ride to Yehud from TAU took nearly two hours. Disappointed and all, we
ended up in the weekly evening shuk in Yehud, where we had fun looking at yet
more stuff.
We experienced the beach twice, once in
Rishon l’Tzion and another time in Tel Aviv. We also spent time with Miriam and Family and
Yaffa, all dear friends that we love and appreciate.
On Friday afternoon we visited the Abraham
Hostel in Tel Aviv, as the venue sponsored a job fair in a small scale.
Interestingly, a young man that could not keep his eyes off Nadia, finally
decided to approach her. Apparently they
had met during Nadia’s volunteer program in Israel in 2015. What a small world! While I cheered for her to befriend this man, Nadia did not wish to pursue it.
I have left the best for last, and that is,
our trip to Tzfat. Thanks to my previous
connections, we found comfortable accommodation at Ascent, the Kabalah Center
founded many decades ago by an American Chabbad Rabbi, Shaul Leiter and his wife
Haya Bracha. Their daughter, Rivki, is married to our own Rabbi Levy in
Richmond, and thus the close connection.
On our first day we decided to join a jeep tour of the Tzfat mountain range. Shlomo, a religious and experienced driver, drove us confidently through a narrow, winding, uphill/downhill, uneven and curvy path. I was scared and at times I thought we would not return back to flat land in one piece. However, Shlomo knew better and even muttered that this was nothing compared to his other rides. Nadia and I held hands while she laughed all the way through while her mother repeatedly uttered “Shma Israel...” The views from up above were worth every turn and twist of the road. At one point Shlomo drew our attention to an army base, a small and compact structure that houses one of Israel’s Operation Dome detectors (see picture below). Shlomo emphasized the unique geography and altitude of this area as pivotal for the army to defend our borders. In the horizon we could spot Lebanon and Jordan, at close range from our sacred land.
The few days we spent in Tzfat were most
memorable. We attended a couple of amazing lectures by resident rabbis at Ascent and engaged
in meaningful discussion, mingled with diverse people, most of them in Nadia’s
age group, strolled all over the circular city and hopped into narrow alleys,
tunnels and Galeries. Ascent was full of young energy, and I was particularly impressed with the welcoming environment for all of us that crossed its doors, from the secular to the religious, from the familiar to the stranger. We learned that that particular weekend they were hosting some 100 Israeli soldiers, all young men in their twenties, who attended lectures and activities in the very next room where Nadia and I slept. One morning, we got out of the room and 100 pairs of eyes of young, dark and handsome soldiers were on us. What a good morning! This multipurpose space that overlooks the Tzfat mountains also hosts services, parties and lectures.
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| View from Ascent (entry to Ascent on left) |
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| Jeep tour of Tzfat Valley |
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| Operation Dome Base |
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Challa Making |
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| Shabbat Sundown in Tzfat |
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| Synagogue Hall off Our Room |
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| Our Room on Rooftop |
On Friday night, Rebbetzin Haya Bracha
Leiter hosted us for dinner. She held the forte confidently while her husband
was away. The next day we joined her weekly and unique tour of Tzfat. Her
knowledge on the past and present of the ancient city was spiced up with her
gregarious disposition, wit and humor.
All 13 of us followed her blindly into an ancient circular sound cave
where we joined dozens of others in the dark. The cave has amazing history, however
today it is visited mostly for its acoustics. Inside the cave we joined others
in tune, and I was brave enough to lead the tune of Am Israel Chai, which
others followed. It was a cool
experience to hear our own echo, mixed voices lifting upward the cone shaped
rooftop, as if our combined song inside the cave melted into one tune that made
its way up to the sky.
On our last day we received blessings from
various people, including Rabbi Eyal Reis from the Kabbalah Center, whom I met
during my Kabbalah retreat last June. Rabbi
Reis and his beautiful wife, Nathalie, originally from Venezuela, graciously
invited us for Shabbat, but we were unable to attend as we had already accepted
an invitation from the Leiters. Before
heading home we hired a taxi driver who took us up to Amouka, a place where
Rabbi Jonathan ben Uziel is buried, where thousands pray for true love to come
to them. And we prayed.
We left Tzfat in a state of satiation,
gratitude and blessings.
Nadia’s
Departure, Back to the Routine
When the time came for Nadia to leave Israel I felt extremely sad. Sarah kindly drove us to the airport and I stayed with her until it was time to board her plane. Every minute being together was precious and meaningful. I now had to learn to be without her love and support and on my own again.
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| At Diezenfoff Square |
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At the old train station, haHatachana |
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| Nadia says goodbye to Pixie |
Time For My Own Space
For several weeks I had been feeling trapped living in a space that wasn't mine, and especially lacking privacy and quiet to focus on building myself a new life. Thus, I decided that in August it was time to look for an apartment for myself, as I could not anticipate enduring more time without personal space. I thought myself lucky when I found a marvellous basement apartment in Be’er Yaacov, the city where Miriam and Avi are building their new condo. I was impressed with the landlords, a young couple, with two young children, who built their own home, (he is the architect), including a basement for income purposes.
While I dislike
basements, period, I fell in love with this one, tastefully furnished, new and
sparkly clean. On my own I closed the deal and
from that point onward I felt elated thinking that in few weeks I would finally build
my first home in Israel. It was
difficult to tell Kaden of my move, news that she did not take well given her
need for company and stimulation. I did my best to honor her with gratitude and
attention. The month ended with hope,
excitement and anticipation, for another beginning, August just around the
corner.
For several weeks I had been feeling trapped living in a space that wasn't mine, and especially lacking privacy and quiet to focus on building myself a new life. Thus, I decided that in August it was time to look for an apartment for myself, as I could not anticipate enduring more time without personal space. I thought myself lucky when I found a marvellous basement apartment in Be’er Yaacov, the city where Miriam and Avi are building their new condo. I was impressed with the landlords, a young couple, with two young children, who built their own home, (he is the architect), including a basement for income purposes.
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| At Miriam and Avi's Upcoming Condo in Be'er Yaacov |
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