First Days

Great Timing on that Shoulder Operation

Last Wednesday we arrived at Newark Airport with 16 bags in two heavily laden SUVs. We checked 11 bags weighing about 450 pounds, including eight enormous army duffels, and carried on five more pieces. The skycap seemed unfazed, as did the clerk at the check-in counter. Apparently families schlepping their lives back and forth to Israel is not uncommon. The flight left right on time. We were all glad to be finished with the goodbyes.

At the other end the only tense moments occurred while transporting this massive load, plus our half asleep kids, from the baggage carousel through customs. It took three incredibly overloaded baggage carts, with Ben somehow pushing one, but we did it. A van met us on the other end, and a short time later we were at our new house.

Overall, the trip went much more smoothly than expected.

Without the Chlorine

The Mediterranean Sea in August is as warm as a heated pool in Scarsdale. It’s spectacular to look at and swim in, although unexpectedly rough. Our neighborhood in Herzliya is called Nof Yam, which means “Sea View.” We’ve spent two of our four afternoons so far at the Nof Yam beach, about a half mile from our house. On Friday night we watched the sun set into the water.

At the beach we see some Muslim families. The men and young children wear ordinary bathing suits. But the adolescent girls and women wear complete body covering, as they would on the street – and they go all the way into the water like this!

Really Looking Forward To…

Our first laundry. The washing machine is currently not operational. And after it is fixed, scheduled for Wednesday, we are not sure how we will use it since the operating panel is in German. Anybody know what “Schleudern" means?

“Honey, is this chicken?”

During the day, when not sleeping, we have focused on stocking up the house with food and other supplies. Ellen has done most of the grocery shopping, which is a challenge since she can’t read most of the labels. Mostly the packages have contained what she expected. In the grocery store there are fewer American brands than expected. One of the few Levy staples that has made an appearance in Israel is Cheerios.

We also did an excursion to Ace Hardware, as well as a store whose name is “Home Center” spelled out in Hebrew letters. We are now the proud owners of new bath mats, garbage pails, pillows, brooms, mops and similar items. I wonder if our newly acquired Ace Hardware discount card (6% off on all purchases) will work back home.

The business of life will start this week – opening a bank account, getting cable TV and internet installed, interviews for the kids at school, which starts on August 18. But before then we are planning an overnight trip to Jerusalem with our friends Nomi and Dani DiCastro, who live near Haifa. I met Nomi when I spent a year in Israel before college. Nomi met Dani in the army. His real name is Claudio -- his family is of Italian descent -- but since he’s Israeli, what the hell, he calls himself Dani. They have three kids, ages 12, 8 and 7.

In the News

Benjamin Netanyahu resigned today from the Israeli Cabinet to protest the Gaza Disengagement plan, which was then approved by the Cabinet to take place next Sunday, August 15. On the roads of Israel citizens display their opinions on the plan with banners on their car antennas – blue means pro-Disengagement, orange means against. Polls show that 75% of the Israeli public supports the Gaza Disengagement but there are more orange banners than blue banners on the cars.