After recovering from our trip to Germany, we went back to playing tourist in Israel. We took the kids to the Safari Zoo near Tel Aviv. There's a 250 acre area where they tried to recreate an African Savannah and the animals roam around and while you drive in your car. An ostrich just about broke the window trying to steal Alfonso's apple. They have the lions in a separate section from the other animals. Alejandro waited until we were all gated in with the lions to announce he had to go to the bathroom. Oh, how I loathe potty training! There's also a beautiful and size-able "normal" zoo with animal enclosures that we walked through as well. The kids took their first trip to Jerusalem (we'd gone during the house hunting trip without them.) Alfonso was once again amazed by the history and culture. I once again felt overwhelmed by the crowds and chaos and confusion.
Bet Govrin and the Soreq Cave
We have turned into a bunch of spelunkers. Alfonso and I first visited Bet Govrin sans kiddos. A co-worker's teenage daughter came to babysit. Alejandro literally pushed us out of the house, happy to have a new playmate while Dante bawled. There are several caves built by different cultures for varying purposes over the centuries -- burial tombs, quarrying, housing, cultivating pigeons. Apparently, some of the Bedouin (nomads/gypsies) use the park as grazing land and the path we took through the park coincided with their grazing route.
Most of these national parks have too much to see in one day. We took the kids another day and we still haven't been though the whole thing. The kids' expressions of wonder and excitement as we entered the caves were priceless. This past weekend we went to a natural stalactite cave in the Judean Hills. While it is amazing to see what ancient civilizations accomplished with relatively limited means yet these structures still exist thousands of years later, nature holds a beauty that man could never duplicate (although woman might come close.)
The Jewish Experience
We missed the big 60th independence day celebration when we were in Germany but, we've hit a few more holidays and are slowly learning more about the religion, culture and traditions of the Jewish people. I'm not even close to being an expert and there are so many flavors of Jews with varying levels of practice and different interpretations of scripture just as Christianity encompasses dozens of creeds.
Lag B'Omer is a Jewish holiday that I still don't quite understand what it is for but they have huge bonfires all over. After seeing all the little Israeli kids burning bread before Passover began, I was starting to think we had a bunch of pyros in our neighborhood.
Shavuot is to commemorate God revealing the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. They celebrate by eating lots of cheese and dairy dishes. Again I don't understand the reasoning, but it is a very tasty tradition. 
Sabbath -- The work week is Sunday through Thursday. The Sabbath begins sundown on Friday. So about 4 PM on Friday, everything shuts down until sundown on Saturday evening. In this time, those who practice do not work or touch money. Work includes operating man made machinery such as a car. For our month in Tel Aviv, we stayed at a kosher hotel so while there were still people who worked -- the breakfast they served on Saturday had been prepared the day before and the coffee was unfiltered. There was a special elevator that stopped on each floor so one wouldn't have to press a button. One time, Alfonso was in the lobby with an observant Jewish woman and the Shabbath elevator was on the 28th floor. He offered to let her on the normal elevator and press the button for her, she laughed and declined. It is possible to find gas stations, grocery stores and some restaurants open but not many. Even for the secular Jews, family is very important here and everyone gathers with their family on Friday evening for the Sabbath dinner. 
Anyhow, we are learning a lot about history, geography and culture. I wish the kids were a bit older so they could remember more of the experience. But they are happy to just go to the beach.
Love always,
debi
