That being said, I have some time while I watch the movie and while the WK plays FIFA. I know Shabbat was only 3 days ago, but it feels like a million days ago. We had a very nice Shabbat in Jerusalem. We went to Friday night services at the synagogue, and it was nice to see some of our female friends again because I hadn't seen any women at any of the morning services. Once again, I was touched because after the Mourner's Kaddish, a total stranger approached me and offered me condolences.
After services, we went to Rabbi Pear's house for dinner. The Pear Family was hosting a group of law review editors from top law schools around the US for a mission sponsored by the American Israeli Friendship League. Every Friday night, Rabbi Pear has everyone go around the table and offer his/her name, a little background, what happened that was nice this week, and "words of wisdom" The conversation was very interesting, and we enjoyed the evening. We knew we would see the Pear Family and other friends at synagogue Saturday morning, so it was easier to leave their house that night.Saturday afternoon, the WK and I went to an older couple's house for Shabbat lunch. They are an interesting pair - he grew up as a religious Jew and she did not. When they married, she became observant and they lived in an orthodox community in North Hollywood. After 35+ years and the death of their parents, they decided to make aliyah (move to Israel).
On Saturday afternoon, we met my friend, Jessie, her twin sons, and another boy, and went to the Jerusalem Skate Park. I posted some pics on Facebook from the excursion. According to Jessie's son, the Skate Park is the 4th largest in Jerusalem. There were lots of people, mostly from age 4 or 5 to 17 or 18, at the Skate Park, on both skateboards and rollerblades. The WK borrowed skates and a helmet from our friends, and he had a great time. It was also nice to see the WK hang out with other kids around his age. The WK and I get along very well, but I imagine he's a bit tired of only seeing and talking with his Ima (Mom) over the last 9-10 days. To be honest, his Ima is a bit tired of only seeing and talking with him! :-)
The WK and I set an alarm for Sunday morning. We didn't go to services, but we wanted to check out one of our favorite cafes, Cafe Katamon Hayeshana. It was about a 10 minute walk from our dira. The WK had loved Katamon Hayeshana, primarily because of the amazing jam that he used on his toast. The WK is right - they have the *best* jam! I also love their natool! We are hoping to have a small brunch at the Cafe after the WK's Bar-Mitzvah service. Anyway, we walked into the Cafe, ordered breakfast, and then asked to see the owner. When the owner came over, we spoke in Hebrew. I told her I was sure she didn't remember us but that we had lived in Jerusalem a couple of years ago and that this was one of our favorite restaurants because of. She then cut me off and answered in Hebrew, "hu ohev et ha riba! Ani zocheret oto!" ("he loves the jam. I remember him!") We spoke to her about using the Cafe after the Bar Mitzvah, and she was very interested. In Israel, everything is much less formal, and the owner couldn't begin to plan for an event in April, after Passover. Instead, we exchanged email and phone numbers, and we will certainly be in touch when the date is closer. Even though I knew we wouldn't be able to finalize anything, I still wanted to meet with her face-to-face and to discuss the possibility. We hope something works out!!
For those of you who followed the blog in 2012, you may remember Shmulik, our cab driver and friend. Shmulik was the cab driver who drove us (especially when my Dad and sister were visiting) back and forth to Tel Aviv and to tourist places. Shmulik also drove us to the airport when we returned to the United States, and he was the one who took that great final picture of us at the dira. Anyway, we had spoken to Shmulik a couple of times when we were in Cambridge and had called him when we returned to Jerusalem last week. After the WK and I returned from the Cafe, Shmulik met us at our hotel. I'll go into more detail in my next post about our time with Shmulik!
On Saturday afternoon, we met my friend, Jessie, her twin sons, and another boy, and went to the Jerusalem Skate Park. I posted some pics on Facebook from the excursion. According to Jessie's son, the Skate Park is the 4th largest in Jerusalem. There were lots of people, mostly from age 4 or 5 to 17 or 18, at the Skate Park, on both skateboards and rollerblades. The WK borrowed skates and a helmet from our friends, and he had a great time. It was also nice to see the WK hang out with other kids around his age. The WK and I get along very well, but I imagine he's a bit tired of only seeing and talking with his Ima (Mom) over the last 9-10 days. To be honest, his Ima is a bit tired of only seeing and talking with him! :-)
The WK and I set an alarm for Sunday morning. We didn't go to services, but we wanted to check out one of our favorite cafes, Cafe Katamon Hayeshana. It was about a 10 minute walk from our dira. The WK had loved Katamon Hayeshana, primarily because of the amazing jam that he used on his toast. The WK is right - they have the *best* jam! I also love their natool! We are hoping to have a small brunch at the Cafe after the WK's Bar-Mitzvah service. Anyway, we walked into the Cafe, ordered breakfast, and then asked to see the owner. When the owner came over, we spoke in Hebrew. I told her I was sure she didn't remember us but that we had lived in Jerusalem a couple of years ago and that this was one of our favorite restaurants because of. She then cut me off and answered in Hebrew, "hu ohev et ha riba! Ani zocheret oto!" ("he loves the jam. I remember him!") We spoke to her about using the Cafe after the Bar Mitzvah, and she was very interested. In Israel, everything is much less formal, and the owner couldn't begin to plan for an event in April, after Passover. Instead, we exchanged email and phone numbers, and we will certainly be in touch when the date is closer. Even though I knew we wouldn't be able to finalize anything, I still wanted to meet with her face-to-face and to discuss the possibility. We hope something works out!!
For those of you who followed the blog in 2012, you may remember Shmulik, our cab driver and friend. Shmulik was the cab driver who drove us (especially when my Dad and sister were visiting) back and forth to Tel Aviv and to tourist places. Shmulik also drove us to the airport when we returned to the United States, and he was the one who took that great final picture of us at the dira. Anyway, we had spoken to Shmulik a couple of times when we were in Cambridge and had called him when we returned to Jerusalem last week. After the WK and I returned from the Cafe, Shmulik met us at our hotel. I'll go into more detail in my next post about our time with Shmulik!
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