Celebrating our 1st Hanukkah in Israel. We've got everything we need: menorah, candles, donuts, and wine. (No latkes this year... because they don't sell Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix here, and I'm too lazy to make them from scratch.)

Shabbat Shalom - First Shabbat in Israel

Our very first Shabbat Shalom in The Holy Land. Simple, yet very special. It’s so warm (75 degrees) right now at 6:45pm. Perfect night to sit outside and hear all the people in the neighborhood celebrating Shabbat. 

It's really interesting that Friday (in the day) begins the weekend in Israel.

When I was chatting on Facebook Messenger with Ann (an American from River Heights, UT), who  lives in Haifa, she warned me that we needed to get to the store early today because they close at 2pm for Shabbat.

So Devon and I gave the dogs a day off and walked down to the the Haifa Zoo, so we could see where all the banks are and write down their hours. We also found some drug stores (aka pharmacies). We're beginning to note prices for things we may or may not need.

By the time we got to the grocery store it was about 1pm and you could see pandemonium setting in. I told Devon that it reminded me of Saturday afternoon at Macey's in Providence, Utah. Where it always felt like people were preparing for a blizzard instead of just the normal Sunday closure.

We bought a few groceries and some tea lights, mini challah, and even some red wine.

Much to our delight, our Air BnB hosts invited us to have dinner with them. We were treated to all sorts of interesting foods - pasta with free tomatoes, salad, cooked cucumber, and some sort of bean dish. No meat because they are vegetarians, and no bread. Maybe they are gluten free?

Unfortunately, the wine I bought earlier in the day, which we decided to share with our hosts, did not go with the meal. One of the family explained that the Hebrew writing on the bottle said "Sweet" red wine. It would be more appropriate for Passover... or a Bris.

Oh well. Luckily, they had some white wine on hand - which went swimmingly with dinner. Devon was sure to grab a snapshot of the good wine, so we'd know better for next time.

We had a nice time eating and visiting with our hosts - Dorit and Moaz. In addition to us, was their daughter, who had recently been in Japan), their son and his girlfriend (who live in Haifa).

At the end of the meal we decided to turn in early. Shabbat Shalom.

Focusing on Gratitude

Still working hard to deal with the anxiety about the impending move. Today is the last day before we move into the final week countdown. Oy vey.

Devon's mom has been an absolute treasure, trying everything she can to help me get through this.

Earlier in the week Carolynn told me that the answer to everything is love. Just feeling and embracing love.

However, the next morning she corrected that and said she realized that sometimes when life is too dark you can't feel love. Which in that case, you should switch to gratitude. As gratitude leads to love.

So I got the idea that maybe since I'm feeling so much fear about moving to Israel, perhaps I should focus on gratitude. So here goes.

62 Reasons to Be Grateful for Going to Israel

1. Free plane ticket (even if it's only one way!)
2. I can take my dogs (even if is costing a small fortune).
3. No dog quarantine. When we land in Israel the dogs are instant citizens too. No having to wait in a at some custom's kennel for 6 months to prove they are healthy.
4. Instant citizenship for both Devon and I.
5. Six months living allowance.
6. Free medical for the first year, with no pre-existing condition limitations.
7. Free language training. Hebrew Ulpan for 6 months to help us learn how to speak, read, and write in Hebrew.
8. Mediterranean Sea. I will finally get to live near a beach.
9. Get to go visit all the places I have blogged about over the years.
10. Found Air BnB hosts who were... okay about dogs, us arriving in the middle of the night, and willing to let us use their address as our arrival address for our Israeli Identity cards. 
11. Lots of American/Israeli Facebook friends available to help answer all of our questions.
12. All the contacts my friend Nily has given me - especially her friend, Gila.
13. Lots of great places to see and explore that aren't even listed in my blog.
14. Anatel cell phone - because I can have an Israeli number AND I get to keep my US cell phone number as a virtual phone number. Wow, how clever is that?
15. I will live in a country, where for the first time in my life, I will not be the minority.
16. With today's technology (Zoom, Facebook, Uberconference, Whats App, etc.) I can stay in touch with family and friends.
17. Being in the Middle East we will be in the middle of the world (great spot to travel from).
18. If we don't like Haifa we can always move somewhere else. We are not obligated to stay where we first start out.
19. I get to experience living in a world where people barter for things. Kind of different.
20. Will have the opportunity/experiences to finish writing my book "Letter in the Torah."
21. According to an Intuitive Reading I had awhile back, I have some "unfinished business from a prior life in Israel." Which means I have the unique opportunity to finally resolve this and move on.
22. I am making a difference by being an Israeli that is a Reform Jewish Woman in an Interfaith Marriage (I'm definitely not the norm).
23. Get to go to Safed and maybe I will "see" those mystical Kabbalists in-person (or at least in-spirit).
24. Get to walk in my Grandfather's footsteps (Grandad Tim was stationed with the British Military in Haifa in 1936).
25. Get to walk in my mother's footsteps. She loved Israel and wanted to move there. Maybe I'm bringing a part of her home.
26. Israel is the Start-Up Nation that embraces High Tech. This might be a good place for my tech skills to flourish.
27. They have a moderate climate. It's a lot warmer in Israel than when we were living in Logan, UT.
28. My husband wants to got with me. Sometimes I think he actually wants to go more than I do.
29. Israel allows for dual citizenship. Which means I don't have to give up my American, British, or Canadian citizenship.
30. Dogs get to ride on the buses in Israel. Since we won't have a car. Thank goodness for that.
31. Might finally learn Hebrew after all these years of failing miserably.
32. Get to learn (or at least be exposed) other languages too. Russian. Arabic.
33. Get to live in a country with an incredible history.
34. Lots and lots and lots of beach cities/towns to explore.
35. Might get to check out a kibbutz. I've always been curious about what they are like.
36. Lots of sunshine, palm trees, and other exotic Mediterranean flora and fauna.
37. Get to walk in the shoes of my own children and see/experience what they did on their Birthright Trips.
38. New foods to taste for the first time. 
39. Can learn how to cook (or watch Devon) new dishes.
40. Will be living a simpler life. Won't be encumbered by what it takes to run/clean a big house. 
41. Can carve out a new life for myself as an empty-nester. Still trying to figure out my own identity, now that my kids have grown up and moved on with their own lives.
42. Got a referral for a veterinarian in Haifa who speaks English.
43. My Las Vegas library card might still allow me to check out Kindle books.
44. They have an IKEA in Haifa!
45. We can live without owning a car (I hope).
46. Easy to get to Tel Aviv by train and then on to Jerusalem.
47. Haifa is the only city that has transportation on Shabbat.
48. Lots of Jewish holidays in Israel. I will never again experiencing the conflict of trying to observe Jewish holidays in a place where I'm the minority.
49. They have a public library. Books. (Although if they are only in Hebrew... I'm toast.)
50. They have some nice people that I have already made friends with from the US. So, not everyone in the country will be wanting to cheat, steal, or kill us.
51. Amazon just opened there. Apparently they are not doing well. 
52. While they don't have an Apple Store, they do have authorized Apple repair companies.
53. Their coast faces the "right way" for me. They face WEST. So it will be like walking on the beach in OR, CA, or Mexico. I have never liked the East Coast. Just feels odd to me.
54. We do already have friends and family there. Steve & Ona. Devon's cousin, Mara.
55. Moving to Israel could lead to an exciting and adventurous life. 
56. The Bahai Gardens look like such a beautiful spot to visit.
57. We get to do a reboot with our lives - it's truly a second act for Devon and I.
58. They do have "groups" I can join. Like WordPress and other meetups.
59. They have a Toastmasters group. But they are unchartered. What's up with that?
60. Get to be part of the survival of Judaism. Be part of Theodore Hertzl's Zionist dream - "Jews returning to the land God gave the Jewish people."
61. Since we will be walking everywhere - I might be more fit.
62. Medical treatments might be more advanced.

Peru - Day 1 Landing a day early

 This was a great day... we go theeodppddp

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Day 687: Lech-Lecha Artist - Miryam Israel

I came across this woman's story and thought it was kind of cool. Apparently she was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and in the early 90s, decided to take a trip to Israel. While visiting Jerusalem, she had a special experience with G-d and felt like she was being called to return to her Jewish roots.

So, despite having a well established life and career in Portugal, Miryam left her family, home, and job, and moved to "the land G-d showed her." All alone, she made aliyah to Israel and began to paint. She focused her artistic talent on painting Biblical and/or Jewish landscapes, scenes, and the people of the Old City.

Today, Miryam is a citizen of Israel and continues to live and paint in Jerusalem. http://www.israelartguide.co.il/yisrael/

Even though Miryam doesn't appear to be affiliated with a specific art gallery, I have a strong feeling that I will meet her one day. I can almost picture walking down a street in the Old City of Jerusalem and there she is -capturing the scene with her canvas and pastels.

I think Miryam Israel is an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt the call to pick up and start a new life someplace else. Talk about a "leap of faith."

Day 686: Tzfat Gallery of Mystical Art

The Tzfat Gallery of Mystical Art. Okay, who could pass up on visiting a place with such a cool name? Certainly not me. Anyplace that combines art, mysticism, and Judaism, is my kind of place! So visiting this gallery in Safed is definitely going to be on my Israel "must see" list.  

The Tzfat Gallery of Mystical Art is located in the Old City of Tzfat, in the Mayan Haradum Square in the center of the Artist Quarter. The gallery is run by artist Avraham Lowenthal. Born and raised in the United States, this Israeli artist blends the study of  Jewish spirituality with his passion for painting. In addition to running his gallery/art studio, Avraham also offers an "Introduction to Kabbalah" class to travelers. This free presentation focuses on how the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah have inspired Avraham's art. Groups are encouraged to set up tours in advance.

Gallery Phone:  04-692-3051
avraham@kabbalahart.com

Returning Light Meditation

In the video below, Avraham discusses how this painting "Returning Light Meditation" is aligned with the teachings of unconditional love, as outlined in the Kabbalah.

Update: when my son when on his Birthright Trip to Israel, by "coincidence" his tour took him to this exact same gallery. Being a teenager, he of course had never read my blog and had no idea that I written about wanting to go to this place. However, as he walked around the gallery, he said that he couldn't help but think how much I would love it there. So, he collected a business card and brought it back for me. And guess what was the graphic on that business card?  The Returning Light Meditation of course. 

Day 685: Change of Plans

There is a great quote by the great "Jewish Philosopher", Woody Allen:

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” 

~ Woody Allen

So there I was, thinking that I had a solid plan on when I would travel to Israel. On the day that I first created this blog, I set a specific intention on exactly when I would be going to visit Israel. I even got clear on how long I wanted to go for. However, I wasn't too clear on the HOW.

But, being the woo woo kind of person that I am, I decided to say "Yes" to the whole thing. I somehow just figured that if it was meant to be, it would all work out somehow. After all, during the course of my life I have made many "leaps of faith" that worked out perfectly. The trick to this attitude is not become too attached to the answer. Which means, that you sometimes have to realize that the universe may likely tweak your goal and give you something even better than you originally thought of.

So a couple of months ago, my hubby and I decided to go out for coffee and talk. It had been quite awhile since we got out of the house and really had a good heart-to-heart about our life and where it was heading. One thing that came up during that chat was that my husband was actually not very happy with my plans to go Israel. Not because he had any issue of me going there, but more at not being included in the equation. Little did I realize that he thought 100 days was a little bit too long for us to be apart. So with that in mind, we started talking about "what it would take" for him to come with me.

One thing led to another, and we started to get a grander vision of maybe 100 days was thinking too small. If I really wanted to get a feel for what it is like to live in Israel, travel to all the places listed on this blog, then maybe we should plan a much longer trip.  Especially since I am now very determined that a big part of going to Israel is to document my adventures in a book.

At this point, I am not sure if my original departure date will work for both my husband and I traveling together.  Especially since my youngest son will still be slugging out his time in High School. So the trip might need to be delayed for a few more years... so that we are in a better position to pick up and leave the United States for an extended period of time.

However, not being the kind of person who throws the baby out with the bathwater, I am not willing to let go of my original departure date.  Perhaps it won't come into fruition of the 100 day trip I planned. However, maybe it might evolve into an abbreviated trip that I take by myself.  At the very least, it gives me a target to work towards... instead of a "someday we'll go to Israel".  I hate "someday" as it is just too vague and never seems to materialize.

 So in the meantime, I will continue with my plans. Continue with this blog.  And just keep moving forward towards that lofty goal of mine.