Enjoying Chanukah in Tel Aviv

Today we (Eitan, Isak, Elizur and I) had a great outing to the port of Tel Aviv and the beach! Who could believe it is December? Love to all...

Chag Chanuka Sameach/Isak's b-day

Isak loves his new bike from Baba and Saba:"Thank you! I love you!" He is very proud to be five. He also loved his 5 year old album/photo card from Grammy and Grandpa (gift is waiting for Dec. 26th-part II of birthday gifts)
We also had a great Shabbat Chanuka with Dodi and Ilana. Thanks to everyone for the gifts.
Happy Chanukah to everyone!

Happy birthdays...

Most recent birthday wishes for Baba and Grandma on November 7th. Also a quick pic from Talya's b-day back in October...and finally a short clip from Sarah's "Tasim" night at Bnai Akiva. Every Dati 9th grader in the country participates in this display of flags and orchestrated celebration.

Our sweet trip to Haifa

To get the year off to a sweet start, we took a trip last weekend (the Thursday before Rosh Hashana) to our friends' family in Haifa. Our lovely friend Chen's parents run a small, old-fashioned pastry shop that has a national reputation and loyal clientele. Her dad wakes every morning at 4 to get things started at the bakery. They hosted us for a delicious breakfast and behind-the-scenes tour of the industrial-sized mixer, sufganiya maker, and other pastry shop equipment. We then walked around the beautiful Bahai gardens and coast with Chen and her husband Eitan. A fun and delicious end-of-year / end-of-summer tiyul.



More:

http://picasaweb.google.com/chen8an/JbvBdB#

Eco-tashlich

There are no natural bodies of water in Jerusalem, so tashlich is really tough. But we came up with a great solution. By the afternoon of Rosh Hashana, we found ourselves with three bags of composting -- apple skins, carrot peels, egg shells, pomegranate skins, etc. So we took all our composing to our local community garden, where we usually bring it, and recited the Tashlich verses as we cast our organic waste onto the compost heap. I think it was quite effective. Instead of the ducks eating our sins, the worms feasted on them. It might have worked a little better if we were able to compost our chocolate wrappers and leftover cake, since of course I have no guilt about our fruit and vegetable waste, but unfortunately the worms can't digest that.

--guest blogger INK. More to come on D'yo Ilu Yamey

Happy Birthday Saba Dad!

Yom Huledet Sameach! Hugs from near and far and best wishes from all of us for a happy and sweet year.

Sarah's 14th b-day

Sarah was "surprised" by her friends who all came over dressed in dance outfits. They spent a few hours eating, chatting and dancing. Very cute!