Israel October 2007

Israel 2007 Oct-Nov

This year’s trip to Jerusalem gave me a peek at one thing certain in a future sure to be filled with uncertainties: there are five (going on six) children growing up in a far-off land, knowing—as acting as though—they are valued and incredibly loved. What a gift to the world.

Joseph hired a shuttle to transport the clan from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv for our reunion at Ben Gurien Airport. This time I tried to lower my screechy voice, a difficult thing to do in the moment that I see everyone for the first time and realize how very much I have missed my daughter and her family:

I traveled the customary route this time, all the way on British Airways with the week layover in London, so no repeat trauma suffered at the hands of Swiss Air. This itinerary put me in the right terminal at Heathrow to pick up the traditional plastic bubble blowing surprise that allows me bond with the children via Tel Aviv to Jerusalem:

Nachman was the recipient of the first blown bubble. Each visit it seems that it's the 2-year-old who is the most suspicious of and shy with me.

Photography by Mindela-->

Shimon (4) crashes whenever/wherever it's time, often snoring.

Shimon later drove his own car, chauffeuring younger brother, Nachman. Watch their little tootsies in the video. At the end of the ride (and about to crash into me), Shimon is saying, "Now it's time to go get some Petrol." Nachman will get his ceremonial haircut in July on his 3rd birthday.

Shimon usually prefers singing to talking. He sing-talks about everything. I would tease him, saying (coached by Mindy and A/RR): "Shimon zingt a gantze tzeit." (Shimon sings all the time!) His usual reply, laughing, “Neyn, Neyn! Ich zing nisht ich red nor!" (No, no! I am just talking!”) I think that he's singing his own version of the Hebrew alphabet…at least the first few letters)…

All the children are very protective of their little brother.

Shemuel (Samuel, 9 mos here) is the sunniest, happiest baby ever.

Maybe it's because the saying is true: "Instead of watching TV, the children in this culture watch the youngest child." (A/RR suspects that he's so happy because he's their first "formula baby.")

There's always someone watching the baby, reaching down to pick him up…

...or to give him a hug.

The only equivalent of the children going to the movies is their viewing of the yearly attraction—little videos of themselves in the past that they watch on my laptop.

(Nachman didn't realize that he was laughing at himself as a baby).

The girls are growing up so fast—and so beautifully. I joke with them about there being "Mama-Mama, Mama-Mindy and Mama-Rivke." Then they add—pointing to me—"and Mama-Nana."

Mindy is good with details, quite a perfectionist and loving her art tutoring lessons. She can manage the whole house (and all children within) if A/RR has to step out. Rivke is a natural at scanning what needs to be done and jumps in without saying a word. Once having arrived at their destination on a short trip, A/RR realized that she'd forgotten the portable potty seat for Nachman. Rivke had thought of it herself, having packed it to bring along in her own suitcase. This visit she became a pro at doing mazes in the puzzle book that a friend sent with me.

Both girls made attempts to learn some English words and tried to teach me some Yiddish. When I saw how all the children lit up whenever they heard me say something in (pretty lame) Yiddish, I realized that I simply must get over my resistance and learn their language. Unfortunately, it's hard to find a good program that extends beyond teaching tourists how to order knishes. (Watch the free podcast on iTunes: "Millie’s Yiddish Class." Oye).

Mindy is now 9-years-old and Rivke just turned 7. Here they were preparing for her little family party. The leftovers were saved for Shabbos treats (as per Shimon's instructions at the end).

I asked my granddaughters to sing a song for me. They might want to work on the arms choreography…

I marvel at the innocence of the girls in their world. After school one afternoon, Mindy seemed so animated while she debriefed with her Mama about something. I always try to be patient and wait awhile before asking, "Um, so… what did he/she say?" In America, I might have imagined this conversation to have been concerning something such as, "And so-and-so lost her cell phone!" A/RR finally translates for me at the end. (She'd awakened that morning with a sinus headache).

The other side of that coin is that my grandchildren have little or no awareness of people, cultures or events outside their protected world. On a previous visit I brought the DVD of Koyaanisqatsi that A/RR had requested, one that she and her father had enjoyed years ago. It's a documentary of stunning global images set to music. The children watched breathtaking scenes of deserts, oceans, mountains and the Grand Canyon. And then clips of the Challenger exploding in midair flashed on my computer screen. Mindy and Rivke fired questions to their mother, appearing to be quite upset. I could see her trying to explain what it all meant. Worried that to continue the viewing might give the children nightmares, she asked me to shut it down.

Here is my granddaughters' greatest passion:

I took this during my last night in Jerusalem after Shabbos dinner when I walked all the children to the park, just a short distance from their home. I hid my camera in my coat while I waited impatiently for Motzi Shabbos—the end of Shabbos—when it's permissible to drive cars, turn on switches, use cameras, etc. Shabbos ends at nightfall when three stars are visible, approximately 40 minutes after sunset.

Mindy also likes to dress up like Nana-->

The Mitzvah (commandment) of Havdallah (“to separate”) is performed at the conclusion of Shabbos. It involves a prayer that acknowledges the separation of the serenity of Shabbos and the mundane work week ahead, entreating G-d to grant a spiritually wholesome one. This mitzvah is rooted in one of the Ten Commandments: "Remember to sanctify Shabbos." The sages interpreted this as a directive to sanctify the Shabbos when it enters – the Friday night Kiddush – and when it departs – the Havdallah.

The family gathers around the ceremonial implements—the cup, the spice box and the candle—to usher out Shabbos. It is customary to overfill the cup of wine so that some will spill over as a "good sign" for the new week—"My cup overfloweth." Then a blessing is recited over spices such as cloves or cinnamon that everyone smells. This is to calm the soul since it is saddened at having lost an "extra soul" which was added to it during Shabbos and which departs on Saturday night.

A/RR is offering me/my camera lens a piece of citron with embedded cloves to smell. (I thought it was a muffin). Mindela is serving as light technician while Shimon (more than) samples the bottle he has prepared for Shemuel).

Finally, a blessing is recited over a flame that represent fire that was first created on Saturday night when Adam hit together two stones, a supernatural divine light that illuminated the world during the first week of Creation. (They start of their week by gazing at their fingernails that are considered to be a blessing since they are constantly growing).

I didn't see the Arab house cleaner this visit. Other customers had reportedly seen the young woman surreptitiously using their makeup and suspected her of taking little items. A/RR said that the girl once told her about her friend who stops off on her way to work to apply her makeup from that on display in various stores. She thought this was a very clever of her friend.

Because Hamas is now power and watching everyone, the gal has been forced to become religious. "Won’t this help her become more trustworthy?" I asked. "No," A/RR replied, "It’s going to make things worse. Now she will become anti-Semitic."

Continued prayers for peace in the Middle East.