Still Here

I know it's been a while since my last post. We've been pretty busy settling in. We finally got our stuff from the port. That story should be coming soon as a separate post. Ayelet's contractions calmed down, especially once she got to sleep in a bed. Now she is ready for things to pick up again. Stay tuned for an announcement about that, hopefully within two weeks.

Here is a tour of our house in Katzrin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_mplgGgqmA.

We are largely unpacked, but there are still many boxes around. We need to get some shelves and a breakfront. I have shifted focus to preparing for the birth and looking for a job. With God's help both will happen soon, with ease and joy.

In the meantime, we are enjoying our 10 kilo washing machine, our newly found clothes and toys, etc. Now to get back to work...

Still Settling In

I forgot something very important about Shavuot in Kaserin. On Shavuot I got an Aliyah to the Torah. They made a mishebayrach for us and sang "V;shavu Banim" (a song traditionally song for new olim), and even took the opportunity to pelt me with candies (not so healthy for the kids, but much cleaner for the target than fruit). It took 5 months, but we got a very nice welcome here. And it was unexpected. I guess it helps that they like to sing in this shul.

Also, one of our neighbors pointed out that we moved here the week of Parshat Naso, where we read about the chanukat ha'mizbeach, the dedication of the mishkan (tabernacle) and the altar. He said it was fitting that we are moving into our home on this week. I realized that we arrived in Israel on Chanuka, a festival celebrating the re-dedication on the mikdash. So too, we arrived on Chanuka to an absorption center, and made a more proper dedication in our home the week of Parshat Naso. Very cool.

We have been talking to Personal Logistic, Strand's people here about taking delivery of our crate. They wanted me to come to Ashdod. This is a full day, at least, even with a car. Ayelet has been having contractions and is taking it very easy. I do not want to be so far away. With a car (a fortune in rental and gas) I am 2-3 hours away. By mass transit I am a day away depending on schedule. After a day of talking we discover that I can scan and email documents and then mail copies. Why couldn't thins have been offerred two days ago? There is also the issue of extra fees. I knew there would be port fees. I would like to discuss them, because i think they are quite high. There is also storage. they want over 3000 shekel for storage for 3 months. I think that's excessive. There is also a 2000 shekel fee for delivering out of there normal delivery range. there delivery range is the center of the county. My contract says door to door with no mention of a distance limit. Apparently, this is built into the original quote. Since we didn't know where we were going he didn't factor this in. But the fine print does not mention this at all. It does mention extra fees for delivering over the Green Line. The guy in New York basically said tough. So after paying several thousand dollars we need to pay an equivalent amount in shekels to get our stuff. Nothing is ever easy in this country. Eveything requires a discussion, a plea, and and extra fee. Well, not everything. But many things.

I did rent a car Monday to go to Ashdod. I didn't go, but the car did get us to Tiveria for Ayelet's ultrasound. the doctor was very nice and helpful (not something to take for granted here). After signing off on the car I realized that they gave me a stick shift. When I asked about this he said, "I'll try to find you an automatic. In the meantime try to drive this one." He didn't seem to care about undue wear and tear on the transmission. Ayelet's midwife talked me through it and I managed to drive it around a bit. They did find me an automatic. I was not prepared to drive on the highways or in the hills of Tiveria with a stick shift. I do plan to learn stick, and maybe that is what we will buy (B"EH in a few weeks).

I had a job interview yesterday at a software shop in the Qazrin Industrial Park. I got the impression he wanted to help me, but he didn't seem to have anything for me. He looked at my resume and asked me what I like to do. I told him. He basically said, "I don't need you for that. What do you like to do?" I told him again. He said, "It will take you too long to learn how to do that in my company. What do you like to do?" In the end he said he'll call me back. So the jobhunt continues. I plan to go back to the industrial park tomorrow and go around introducing myself. Maybe I can work at the Golan Heights Winery.

Ayelet is working on a new program in conjuction with www.BinahBaby.com. It is a Post Pardom Doula training program; training women to help mothers after the birth. Information is coming soon to www.wholebodybirth.com. I will be posting it later, when Ayelet gives me the content.

Ok, that's it for now. There's other stuff to do. Enjoy, comment, and keep in touch,
Yoram

Home for Shabbat

Tomorrow night we will be having a friday night meal in our home. We've spent the past many Shabbatot in many different places, even two in the merkaz klitah. But now we will be home. And it will be really nice.

We are settling in nicely. Netanel is adjusting to gan. He is finishing up the year in the same gan where he will go next year, so that should make it easier. Next week Odeliya will be in some sort of program. We are still working out the details. Pre-gan programs are really expensive. There are many attractions around us, museums, hikes, playgrounds, the pinat chai (mini-zoo). There are lots of things to do with the kids after gan. We are starting to do them.

Today we also went to the edge of the city to see a brush fire. It was cool, but I think they needed more than 2 fire trucks. It seems to be out now, so I guess everything was ok. I was a little nervous since there were 5-6 year old kids climbing up the hill to get a closer look. But I suppose brush fires don't move THAT quickly over dry reeds and stuff. And the smoke will prepare them for smoking, which is still a national pastime. I guess the Israeli attitude of disregarding danger starts very young, so it's ok for the kids to check out the fire unattended. Personally, I would want the children to be a least 7 or 8 before they did that.

I have been meeting lots of people and getting lots of welcomes. Still no job offers. But I also am not so clear what I am looking for. I feel like I'll know it when it comes to me. I just need to be out there doing things to receive that opportunity.

Meanwhile, Ayelet has a home-birth midwife and is preparing for the baby. We are all getting excited for that. She is also working on her business more (speaking of birth). There should be more resources posted and more information coming out soon. Go to http://www.wholebodybirth.com to sign up for her newsletter.

Ok, that's enough for now. It's late and I need to get some sleep. Hopefully more will be posted soon, along with the pictures and videos.

Shabbat Shalom,
Yoram

We Have A Home In Our Home

A lot has happened in the past few weeks.

We had some excitement on Yom Yerushalaim. We were at Kikar Tzahal watching the "Rikudgalim," the annual flag parade. I actually slipped away to meet up with up with Ayelet's brother Daniel. Ayelet and our friend Barbara were with the kids and her daughter Leah. At some point they went closer to watch the marchers. The kids climbed on a concrete barrier to see better. Odeliya also climbed up. Ayelet turned to grab her and when she turned back the other 2 kids were on the ground. Netanel was crying, with a nasty bump on his head. Lead seemed fine. A few minutes later the roles were reversed. Netanel was playing and singing and Leah was suffering from hand numbness and memory loss. I met them at Terem (a non-hospital emergency clinic). Three hours later we went home. Thank God, Leah is fine, with maybe a mild concussion for all the trouble.

The next day, Friday, Odeliya and I (since she was awake) went to the Kotel to join in my nephew Eli's hanachat tefillin (putting on tefillin for the first time). It was fun and nice to hang out with family. Meanwhile, Ayelet and Netanel sepnt some quality time together, during which Ayelet discovered Netanel's lice. Thank God Odeliya didn't have it, because that would have been veeery difficult. After much washing and combing we were all clean.

Now on to the better stuff: we finalized our lease and moved to a house. the house is located up in Katzrin, the city of the Golan Heights. It is officially a city, but it is smaller than the entire town of Efrat. You can walk the circumference in under an hour. We moved up last Tuesday to a resounding welcome. We were leant mattresses, chairs, a table, and whatever else we needed. We also had two welcome banners on our door and lots of food. For the past week people have been welcoming us and offerring help. It actually feels more like a yishuv than a city. We have also acquired a refrigerator and a whole bunch of furniture.

I need to thank some people here. There are more, but these are the ones that stand now, as I write this: Yael Atal at the Merkaz Klitah in Jerusalem has worked tirelessly for us, getting us whatever right, benefit, or perk she could. This includes a truck to move us at the Jewish Agency's expense. Nefesh B'Nefesh has been tremendously helpful, particularly Michele, the coordinator of the Go North initiative. Also, here in Qatzrin: Avishai, Shifra, Elazar, Becky, etc, etc, etc. Hakarat Hatov to everyone and to God for helping it all go smoothly (may this PLEASE continue).

I will soon be posting a link to the video tour(s) of our house and first week in Katsrin. Please enjoy and comment.

There is still much to do. But now we have a comfortable place to come home to. There is room to play, couches on which to sit, bathtubs, a kitchen big enough for swinging cats (take that however you want). Now we just need our beds from the port.

The kids are very happy to be here. They love the bath, and the room. Also they have figured out how to run outside to the playground all by themselves. I'm not so happy about this one yet, but what can I do. Netanel is sttling down nicely in gan. the kids here are very sweet, and he is making friends. He is trying hard to learn Hebrew (he is also getting better at reading English) and also trying to roll his "r's" in the Israeli style. Odeliya keeps asking to go to gan too. We are working on something for her, but daycare before gan age is really expensive. Ayelet and I are very busy with all the arranging. She is also building her business (http://www.wholebodybith.com) and settling in for giving birth. I am focusing on finding a job now, while moving slowly on other projects. There is much to do. The taks of finding a comfortable home is done, so on to the next item.

With Hashem's help our Aliyah will continue to progress positively. Stay tuned for more updates on our settlement in Qatsrin.