Observations about life in Israel from a Canadian immigrant's perspective.
Thursday October 26Beit Guvrin to Jerusalem (almost!)Distance: 56 km/35 mi (almost!)Ascent: 1350 m/4430 ft (almost!)The alarm went off at 4:30! Ugh!!! We were to leave the hotel at 6:00, so in order for Amir to daven shacharit, to change into biking clothes, and to then eat breakfast, the alarm rang at this untimely hour. Not… Continue reading Alyn Bike Ride 2010 – Day 5
Wednesday October 27Kibbutz Mashabei Sade to Besor Wadi Be’eri Distance: 78 km/48 mi Ascent: 400 m/1310 ft I woke to a garden budding with yellow shirts and blooming with white socks. It looked like the morning after a party – except everyone was up early, looking healthy, vibrant and fresh. The cyclists were soon out… Continue reading Alyn Bike Ride 2010 – Day 4
Tuesday October 26Sde Boker- Ein Akev- Halukim Ridge- Kibbutz Mashabei SadeDistance: 40 km/25 mi distance Ascent: 550 m/1800 ft ascentWe woke up just as the sun was starting to rise across the desert. Peeking out the window, we saw ibex coming out of the crater, nibbling on scraggly bushes. We made coffee in our room… Continue reading Alyn Bike Ride 2010 – Day 3
Monday October 25Mitzpe Ramon to Sde BokerDistance: 47 km/30 mi Ascent: 400 m/1310 ftEven before breakfast began, I peeked out the window and saw riders eagerly cleaning and tuning their bikes. I felt that pang of ‘I have not cleaned my bike’ and ‘I don’t even know what they are doing.’ I felt like a… Continue reading Alyn Bike Ride 2010 – Day 2
Sunday October 24Mitzpe Ramon CraterDistance: 40 km/25 mi distanceAscent: 600 m/1970 ftWoke up at 5 am this morning without the aid of an alarm clock. I had such mixed feelings of excitement, dread and a fear of sleeping in and missing the bus, I did not sleep all night. So now I can officially say… Continue reading Alyn Bike Ride 2010 – Day 1
Where else, other than Israel, does a country take a day off for introspection? And where on this planet does an entire nation stop what they are doing to contemplate their deeds? Which other country asks forgiveness for their wrongdoings, and prepares to make amends?In this fast-paced world, life has become a complex mesh of… Continue reading Sublime and Sacred: Yom Kippur in Israel
Yet another ‘moment’ in Israel. I am sick and I need a prescription. I am not in my familiar home town in Israel, the place where I have a friendly English speaking doctor. She is a former Australian who works out of her house, and who has a large waiting room painted in a calm… Continue reading Under The Weather in Zefat
What causes 250,000 Jews from all over Israel (and the world) to congregate on the same day in one small moshav outside one ancient cave? What is it that inspires many of them to camp nearby in tents, to stay up all night singing, dancing and learning and to pour out their hearts reciting tehillim… Continue reading Lag B’Omer in Meron
Wednesday April 29It was hard to wake up early on Yom Haatzmaut day, but the sweet wafting of Amir’s pancakes always does wonders for the kids. By 9:30 we were on the road, our picnic hamper strapped to the roof of our car. This time, we were not heading to Israel’s Vegas (Eilat), or to… Continue reading Yom Haatzmaut in Nahal Oz
Tuesday April 28Happy 61st Israel! We go from the sadness of a remembrance day for our fallen soldiers to the exuberance of Independence Day. In Ra'anana, people throng to Park Ra’anana in the tens of thousands. Three stages were set up in the park with non-stop entertainment. Vendors were selling flashing, glow-in-the-dark trinkets, and, of… Continue reading Yom Haatzmaut 2009
Life in Israel 