Safra-Knit

Update: I don’t know how to get the pictures to work, so I’m changing them to links…I’ve also updated a bit of information.

Yesterday was a banner day, we received three calendars because of donations to various organizations, and the week before we received one from a store at the shuk where we buy our salads.

This one is from “Kupat HaIr.” It is a very technical calendar listing the times for candle lighting on Shabbat and Holidays, the latest time at which you can say the morning prayers.  We gave them donations in the name of a specific person…this isn’t an organization I would normally give my money to.

Merkaz HaRav yeshiva got our donation after the tragedy that happened to their students.  I have a friend whose son is studying there, so it was particularly close to home. 

This one was the prettiest calendar.  It is from the Community of Hebron.  This one will probably be hung up in our home.

And finally, the shuk calendar.  It isn’t the stand we normally go to–and their coleslaw had too much mayo for my taste, but it is a nice magnetic calendar.

Happy New Year, and may this one be filled with happiness and health.

• On the needles: winter hat for big girl

Benji, stop doing this to me!!! I rarely mention other bloggers on my blog, and you get three mentions in a very short period of time!

I know that non-Israelis will miss lots of the references, but he is just too funny! And on the same day that he is in the Jerusalem Post!

I can’t wait until you move to Jerusalem.

The car is definitely a positive in my life…I’ve been doing the pickups without a taxi and it feels good. Today was the first time I filled up the tank. We got the car with about 3/4 of a tank and I used about another half, and I think in the future I’ll fill it to a monetary amount, but I wanted to see what the cost for about a 3/4 of tank would be…well it was 250 shekels (click for current dollar conversion), Kind of scary eh? So you Americans out there…STOP COMPLAINING!

Anyway, where was I…oh yeah..car..right…

On Sunday, my first car commuting day, I heard an Israeli song that was released the year we were here studying (1998). Everyone commented on it because Iggy Waxman sings about Milwaukee. I thought her album was way to standard pop for me, but I enjoyed it on Sunday. (The two links are two different versions…live and somebody’s home video.)

And today I had the radio on an heard the same song both on the way in and the way out of work. It is a cute one–I like it. It makes me think of some of the more fun 80s music.

I’m afraid my knitting is going to suffer if I don’t ride the buses, but that might not be true, because during some of my more stuck moments, I managed to do a good 15-20 stitches. I only knit at red lights….and only if it is really a slow moving road.

In other news, big girl has an ear infection, middle one can’t get enough sleep (no nap at pre-K) and the baby is going through a growth spurt…same old, same old.

• On the needles: Self-striping hat for the little girl.

Remember this post? Well I always assumed that the Tel Aviv mafia and the Jerusalem mafia were two separate entities. As they say in Israel “Everyone and their own Arabs**”

Well apparently the twins aren’t liked by the Tel Aviv guys so much. But I do have to say, this wasn’t anywhere near my home…really.

As hubby said: “I thought they had reformed their ways”…and to quote a really lame Raggedy Ann book “I’m going to be a plumber.”

As the Israelis say “HaShem Yishmor”

**Meaning that you know the Arabs that live near you, and they are okay…it is just the ones in the village over there that are the problem.

Sunday night was the meeting for the parents of the little girl’s kindergarten. The group has 2yrs 9 months-4 year olds…my daughter is one of the oldest, but she is with a group of at least 5 from last year who are also the same age. The meeting was fine…even easier than most. We have a very experienced teacher, and about 31 children. (It was 35, but it looks like it might be a little less.)

The only long discussion was about the extra fees we need to pay. She would like 750 shekels for the year from everyone. This is to cover special treats, shows, classes from outside teachers (chugim in Hebrew) and to cover basic stuff like toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Their whole budget from the city is only 2000 shekels a year for everything! There was a discussion about giving a bit more, and everything was fine with that.

Then a parent asked to speak. She is someone I know reasonably well, but I wasn’t prepared for what she had to say. In the neighborhood kindergartens (both K-4 and K-5) there are a number of missionary families. What does she mean by missionary? Some are Jewish and believe in Jesus as the Messiah, others aren’t Jewish but all are actively involved with activities to bring Jews to this belief system. I was horrified. Firstly, this is a public, but religious kindergarten and this has no place in our school and secondly because I only knew of one family involved with these activities, and I knew their children weren’t at my daughter’s kindergarten.

As someone who grew up in a primarily non-Jewish environment, and even worked for five years at a Catholic college, I have no problem with non-Jews. I don’t even have a problem with non-Jews who believe that I’m going to Hell because I don’t believe in their messiah. (Although, I do feel sad that they are so concerned about my soul.) BUT…nobody should be trying to convert my children via their children. Apparently last year, one girl at this kindergarten told anther boy that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he lives in all of our hearts!

I’ve heard that the city attorney is working on this, but I really didn’t want to have to explain to my 4 year old about different religions on this level for a number of years.

Sigh!

• On the needles: Winter hat for the little girl (completed the socks yesterday!)

If only I had Benji’s writing skills, I’d really have a great post for today. Bear with me…

Coming home on the bus there was a girl in her 20’s (tall, long tanned legs, short shorts…) who had just made Aliyah sitting across the aisle from me. A studly Israeli got on and sat down facing her. He strikes up a conversation with her in very accented English.

So what do you do in Israel?

Ahh you learn in Ulpan?

How long you here?

She enjoyed talking to him, and never once tried any Hebrew. There was a bit of a discussion about what she had learned in Ulpan (not “Eich Korim Lcha” only “Ma Shimcha”…and even that she couldn’t say)

Then the best line: “You have friend here in Israel?”

Her reply: “Yes I have friends here…”

Him: “No, you have friend here in Israel?”

I was going to bust out laughing, but I just looked around to see who else was enjoying this conversation. Unfortunately for him, she got off the bus at the same stop I did. I don’t know if he even got the answer to that question.

Overheard in the office does it again….

2PM Your President Asked the Same Thing!
Teacher: This is David from Israel. Do you have any questions for David?
Senior student: Yes. Do you have air conditioning in your tents?

High School
Houston, Texas

Overheard by: IsraeliTexan
via Overheard in the Office, Aug 8, 2008

Now that the younger two are napping and the older one is relaxing watching Music Man I can summarize their day.

The big girl started second grade. We didn’t know who her teacher would be until she walked in the door. It turns out that she has the same teacher as last year, and this teacher has taken on additional tasks or organizing the curriculum for the first through third grade girls. We liked her last year, and I think this will be a good thing for my daughter. One note…she is pregnant (second child) so we will have to see how that will play out.

Little girl (I hate saying middle girl) started “Trom Chova” or K-4. This is the year before kindergarten. We had a one hour visit to the kindergarten yesterday, and today they were there from 8-10. I thought since it was only to ten I didn’t need to include a “ten o’clock snack”–wrong. She isn’t too upset with me, and she seemed to enjoy herself. We actually had the snack planned out since last week, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. Also of note, day two only goes until 11 AM.

Baby…she went to her first day with the same child minder that her older sister had a few years ago. Of the five babies, four of them have siblings that were there 3 years ago. She only kept them for two hours as well, and my little one slept most of the time.

So overall, looking good, except for the short days which are preventing me from working for the next two days.

NOTE: Oh I forgot the big problem…the little girl, although 4 and 4 months old still needs a nap. She won’t be getting it at her new kindergarten. I have to leave her through to the afternoon program due to work, and I don’t know what to do. I think she will be eating dinner at 5 and going to sleep by 6-6:30! A few times this summer when she didn’t get a nap, she fell asleep by 5:30 and slept through until 6AM!

Even though I don’t always understand him, sometimes he is too funny!