Sukkot

Our sukkah began as 12 boards, each weighing 50 lbs, that Adam and I dragged from Boston.  So here we are with our friend, David, with the boards lying around the picnic table Adam built, contemplating how to build this thing.

Then we were joined by our friends: David, Ray and Craig, and Adam from across the street.  After an hour, the sukkah was built!  It's beautiful and was a great way to spend sukkot with family and friends. 

And a final word of relief that I'm finally learning how to post on this blog and get the words and pictures in order! Barukh Hashem!

Adam and I went to Boston to pick up the accordion that supposedly belonged to my father z"l one day (and maybe another relative before then).  I couldn't believe how Adam just picked up that instrument and already knew how to play it! He's amazing.  We also loaded the sukkah onto a 10 foot truck (that I drove) and brought it to West Hartford.  Enjoy some pics!  Not sure why the type is underlined, but I just came home from a women's retreat (that I ran, for my shul) so I'm too tired to write more!

Simchas!

Yaffa and Ravid's L'Chayim (otherwise known as the night the Garber Girls all wore black and white) was a lot of fun.  Nice people, nice food, nice to be together.  Visited Becky and baby Talia - so cute and so much hair!  Then Adam and I went to Rochester for Marette and Jared's wedding.  More fun, dancing, and good times.  We are exhausted! So no more words, just pictures! Worth a lot, they say. Enjoy!

Fun at Ramah

Some pics from our visit to Camp Ramah New England.  Adam playing with Tikvah.  Adam playing with Yehuda (Rosh Mishlachat).  A beautiful guest house, a wonderful time.  Happy kids.  Very nice.

Red Sox game 2 and lots of fishies!

Adam and I went to the aquarium on July 28 and enjoyed the fishes.  Then we went to the Red Sox again for one of Manny's last days.  Sadly, we lost.  Hence my sad face and Adam trying hard not to laugh at me!

We also saw Pearl H. who balances food and drinks on her head!  Amazing!

Our Trip to Israel - July 2008

B'chol zot heeganu lamrot hakol! - We arrived, in spite of it all!  The journey to Israel was OK.  Following a great win of our beloved Boston Red Sox (curse reversed!) against the Twins, we drove from Boston to JFK for our flight.  Some guys asked Adam to join them for Mincha – thank goodness for my blackberry b/c that’s what he used to daven!  It looked like there weren’t going to be a lot of people on the flight, but now we realize they just must have been hiding somewhere.  Anyway, our seats were right in front of the bathroom, which meant they didn’t go back all the way.  That was annoying. Then a religious woman came and was supposed to sit in our row.  The only way that could happen is if Adam and I sat in the middle 2 seats (we were in the row of 4 in the middle) so that there was a nice guy next to him (who was making aliyah) and this woman next to me.  She was nice and it was fine, but I was annoyed of course.  I really wanted to tell her that the great act of kindness she had been paid (by me) was by a Conservative female rabbi.  But I held back.  She probably figured it out.  My favorite moment of the trip was when she went to the bathroom and took off her hair. J We landed, found our luggage, and found a sherut to Jerusalem (which we had to be the last stop, to our great luck! OY.  But it was a great free tour of Jerusalem’s neighborhoods!).  Our hotel (Dan Pan) is fine.  Our view is of Mapu Street – where I stayed with my family a few years ago!  Our first night we went to Ben Yehuda Street, where Adam had a schwarma and I had a felafel.  A great welcome to Israel! 

Friday - first day of touring

Friday began with a delicious Israeli breakfast.  Then we went to Yad Vashem, the redone Holocaust Memorial.  It was very crowded but of course very important to see.  We ran into cousins Stacy and Matthew there!  Adam and I explored the grounds of Vad Vashem, all of the extra memorials, but somehow we got off the path and found ourselves on the main road, trying to get back to the entrance building where we had left our bag.  We had to walk a whole lot, even an Israeli guard thought we should find transportation, but we made it and while we had to walk through the outside gate again (that’s how far away we were), we got back.  I ran into Cindy F from JTS (now in Chicago) and Eran R who was an Israeli mishlachat with me at Camp Ramah in Canada years ago.  He was Cindy’s tour guide for her program – small world, only in Israel!  After Yad Vashem we walked up to Har Herzl and found the graves of the leaders like Rabin and Teddy Koleck, the soldiers, etc.  Then we took a cab to Machaneh Yehudah where we bought challot and of course rugulach for Shabbat (and great desserts for our Shabbat meals).  There we met cousins Stacy, Michael, Matthew, and Audrey.  We took them on a “5 minute” (Israeli style, so a bit longer) walk to The Village Green for a delicious lunch.  Then we said goodbye to them and walked down Jaffa to find the new Mamilla Mall.  Not easy to find – we almost gave up.  But we found it, walked around a bit, and wondered who would really shop there.  I guess rich Israelis because I think foreigners can get these things for cheaper at home.  Still, it was very cool to see these stores and then see the Old City in the background.  Adam is standing in front of a store called Reuma – Marette’s Hebrew name – so we thought that was neat.  After a rest, we went to Shira Chadasha, the modern Orthodox shul, for Friday night services.  There we saw tons of Conservative rabbis I know, but I couldn’t say hi because they were on the other side of the mechitza!  Sarah A was there – great to see her.  Luciana and Alon and Sima (her mother) and Beni (their son) were there.  I stood in the back with Lu – so much fun to watch Beni play.  At one point someone in charge of the minyan came up to me and asked if I was the official greeter of the night!  I said no, just a guest.  We decided I must just have that look!  Shabbat dinner was fantastic.  We connected with Jimmy and Miriam, Alan’s cousin, and were treated to a family, relaxed Shabbat time.  There were many languages spoken at this dinner – English, Hebrew, and French.  It was quite international!  Adam loved the kubeh – a Moroccan dumpling.  We had a beautiful walk home on Emek Refaim.  Shabbat Shalom, Yerushalayim.