The Shmita year just came to a close, and I’m marvelling at how much life in Israel is connected to the land, the cycles, the weather and more. Shmita is the biblical prohibition against harvesting your land. Every seven years, we are to leave the land alone. This includes everything from the farmers and their… Read More Weeding – a Holy Act
There are many ways that living in Israel creates a feeling of unity for its people – whether some of these things are done on purpose or not. September 1st is one of those ways. The entire country starts school on the same day. Now, in most places in the States, school starts after Labor… Read More September 1 – School Starts!
I have found an incredible culture here of people who nurture a new mom. I don’t remember this mentality in the States as much, and it’s such a beautiful way to see birth and to wish the mother well. A few days after we came home from the hospital, our neighbor showed up at the… Read More Nurturing the New Mom
We had an amazing weekend. It was a bit crazy, but really meaningful and special. On Friday, food started pouring in for our Shalom Zachar and our Shabbat meals. It’s a tradition to have a get together on Friday night after the birth of a baby boy. People come after their meal to eat desserts… Read More Welcome to Our Family Azriel!!
There are few things as amazing as having a baby. I’ve been quite cranky for the last few weeks and ready to have the baby already. I always find it nerve-racking not to know when the baby will be coming – and now I always assume it will be late because the last four were… Read More A New Baby!
After living here for a number of years, you tend to forget about the unique nature of this country and the originality of our interactions. We had a great day with the kids today. We took them to go bowling in Jerusalem and out to lunch. They had a great time bowling. Amichai has never… Read More What a Country…
Things are going very well in the Sussman house right now, Thank Gd. I spent a lot of May and June wondering how I was going to juggle the four kids, the heat, the summer, and the coming baby during July and August. August in Israel is a very rough time for working moms because… Read More Sometimes Things Work Out…
Matan finally – and I mean FINALLY – got his yellow belt in karate yesterday. He’s been working on this belt all year and has had trouble when he’s tested for it in the past. The teacher has taught him to try to make his moves more methodical and slower – at the same time… Read More Matan, the Karate Kid
I don’t know if we’ve written about Israeli weddings before – I’d be surprised if we hadn’t. There is simply nothing like them in the world. I really think that they are the number one example of the Israeli way of life. We went to a wedding this week of two people in the yishuv.… Read More Wedding, Israel Style
With the end of the school year upon us we have been spending a lot of time at the requisite end-of-the-year programs for the kids. On Sunday, it was Yehuda’s Mesibat Siddur (when the kids receive their first Siddur/prayer book) and last night was Matan’s end of the year Siyum (literally ‘completion’, the Jewish ceremony… Read More Plenty of Parties…
