Vacationing at Home

When we chose to live in Shiloh thirty-seven years ago, there weren't too many yishuvim, communities to choose from. And conditions in most, if not all, were pretty difficult. But there was something that drew me to Shiloh, and still keeps me here. I love the people and the spiritual tie I feel with the entire Tanach, Biblical significance...

But please don't forget that Judaism is a synthesis or more exactly a harmony between the body and the soul. And I love the "orchestration" here in Shiloh. Just a kilometer and a half, about a mile from the Biblical site, which is a very well developed and developing archeological park, we have our community swimming pool. The pool is just a couple of minutes' walk from our house. We take out an seasonal membership, so we can come for frequent swims. On rare occasions, like when I'm with one of the granddaughters, I relax in the shade there.

There's no reason to "go on a vacation" in the summer. My "vacation" is here at home in Shiloh.

Vacationing Up North

Cross-posted on Shiloh Musings

Last week I posted a few pictures from our A Bissel Vacation up north taken and posted on my phone. Yes, a smartphone is very much like a mini laptop computer. I don't see the need for a tablet, even though my Samsung J7 isn't the most powerful of phones. But typing on a tiny/mini-keyboard and saying really interesting isn't for the phone. So now I'll tell you more about our vacation.

My husband works for the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, and they had joined with the Kinar-Galilee Hotel for a truly interesting program that began Thursday evening, then a tour Friday morning and a Shabbat full of activities. As an employee of the Begin Center Education Department, my husband was needed to guide one of the buses. As a result we had a wonderful weekend and finally made it to the Kinar, which is really a great hotel.

As the sun set, I took some amazing photos of the hotel grounds and Lake Kinneret:

Dr. Udi Lebel, PhD

Here are more of the photos I took. Thursday night we heard a lecture by Dr. Udi Lebel, PhD, "Beyond the Pantheon": Bereavement, Memory and the Strategy of De-Legitimization Against Herut, which was totally fascinating. He talked about the enduring hatred Ben-Gurion had for anyone who had been associated with the Etzel and Lechi. For example the two men on the screen behind Lebel were twin brothers who had both been killed during the War for Independence. The difference was that one had been with the Haganah and the other Etzel, so the family only got bereavement benefits for the son killed while in the Haganah. They were told they'd lose those benefits if they made a joint memorial for their two sons.

After that we watched the excellent one-man show, "Mr. Begin," which was totally amazing. If you have the opportunity to see it, go. It was in Hebrew.

The following morning we were off to tour to Shlomo Ben-Yosef memorial and grave in the old cemetery in Rosh Pinna, the Memorial for Mishmar HaYarden and Tel Chai.

There were two busloads of people, and we heard very positive reactions. On Shabbat there were two more lectures,  "From Ben Gurion to Levi Eshkol" by Muki Tzur and Herzi Makov, Director of the Begin Center spoke about From Menachem Begin to Yitzchak Shamir.  The veteran singing duo Tzemed Re'im were also there to entertain and act as part of the choir at the Ashkenaz synagogue.

All and all it was a really excellent program which ended after Shabbat. If they repeat the program, try to attend if you can.

Granny, "Savta," Day at the Israel Museum

When my kids were little we went to the Israel Museum an awful lot. For two years, before we moved to Shiloh, the two older girls were students there and learned all sorts of arts and crafts.  After we moved to Shiloh I kept up family membership for a number of years so that we could visit unlimited times when they had vacation from school.  So, of course it's the place to take the grandkids when on vacation.  Yesterday was the day.

As you can see, we weren't the only ones with that idea.  And when the kids were at the "illusion" craft activity you could hear "Savta," granny, more than "imma," mommy.