Team Liz Heads Back to America

To continue to follow Team Liz's adventures please find us on our new blog: Team Liz in America.

Our Final Days in the Holy Land

Well, it has been nearly two months since our last posting. It was a whirlwind final two weeks of June as we packed up and headed back to America. Here are some snap shots from our final days in the Holy Land.


This is the corner of Derech Hebron and David Remez - our house was around the corner.



The Friday before we left the country we took our final walk to the Old City. Liz captured a "taste" of the local tradition to sell gummies and other candies in the open in the markets.

Farewell BBQ - #3 if you are still counting

Well, this was it. The final party before we leave for America. It was an amazing party. So great we ran out of food! We had over 50 of our nearest and dearest friends come to wish us well. It was a truly meaningful evening with some sad goodbyes. We will miss our life and our friends in Israel intensely. We only hope that we can hold onto most of what we learned about ourselves and about life and bring it back to America with us. Thanks to all those amazing friends who welcomed us into their lives and communities over these last two years. We will miss all of you. Come visit us in NYC.


(Left Photo) Liz with our friends Eduardo and Dani.






Liz with Gadi and Andrea - it was a veritable Muehlstein reunion in Jerusalem. (Right Photo)

Shlomo, Leon and Paul - the meeting of the Rabbis.

Final Dinner with Friends

Our dear friends Abe and LeAnne and their daughters Ella and Marion took us out for a fabulous farewell dinner at this little French restaurant hidden in the Shuk (market). We ate really well there.




Here we are toasting our year together with this fruity slushy drink thing that they served us at the beginning of the meal.

Packing

So the movers descended on our home today. Here's a shot of the packing before the
movers arrived. We had so much more stuff than we thought we did! Oy!

BBQ #2 - this time it really happened

So our second BBQ finally took place. This was an evening filled with new and old friends as well as with music. Our old friends Ari and Sharon joined us all the way from NYC while Marion brought her cello and agreed to play some music that she has been working on for the last couple of months.

Marion plays the cello.

David and Emma Starr hang out with Saul near the grill.

Last Weekend Away

So Team Liz has had our final weekend of travel around Israel. Looks like we will be bound to Jerusalem for the next three weeks to pack and close-up our lives here. But this past weekend we rented a car and visited a highly recommended moshav (organized community - like a kibbutz but different), up in the Northern part of Israel, called Amirim.

We relaxed by the pool, got massages, and even did some yoga. Then we visited Liz's cousins and spent the night with other friends in a small town called Pardes Hanna.

Saul teaches our friend's son, Ariel Ben Tal, how to to play some guitar.






It continues to amaze us that two years of living here are almost over. We are sad to leave but of course we are also eager to return to our family and friends in America.

Mandel Jerusalem Fellow Graduation

On June 5th, 2007 Saul officially graduated from his two year fellowship with The Mandel Jerusalem Fellows. The highlight of the evening's festivities was Saul's graduation speech.

Saul spoke beautifully and ALL in Hebrew. He was also the best dressed guy there, if I do say so myself! The graduation was held at The Bible Lands Museum which is a section of the Israel Museum.

The two of us in the Museum before the ceremony.

Saul, Ruti and Leon celebrate graduating.

(almost) BBQ #2

Sadly, due to illness the official BBQ #2 had to be canceled. Don't fret we found another date to eat, drink and be merry. Check-out our blog entry from June 11th!

Watching Movies in the Forest

On impulse yesterday we rented a car and bought tickets for the final event of the Israeli Eco-Film Festival. This event took place in the forest of Ben Shemen about 35 minutes drive outside of Jerusalem, near a town called Modi'in. The event started at 9PM. We parked our car and walked up a gravel path to find ourselves in a cleared gravel area with a large screen set-up and about 200 plastic outdoor chairs. The night was clear and the weather perfect. We first watched a strange and not very good animated short film called: The Man Who Planted Trees. The main film was An Inconvenient Truth. It was certainly a unique way to see films about the environment - sitting in a nature reserve under the moon. We highly recommend it!

Eating Cheesecake at the Western Wall

Well, to be honest we didn't eat cheesecake at the Western Wall but we did celebrate Shavuot (the holiday where we commemorate the giving of Torah at Mt. Sinai). There is a custom to study all night in honor of Torah, so we studied a little, slept a little and then got up at 3:30AM and took a walk to the Old City (with a lot of other people). There is also a custom to eat dairy - some say cheesecake is the best way to fulfill that requirement.

Once we arrived at the outskirts of the Old City we made our way to Robinson's Arch (see photo by Lisa Katz - the arch no longer exists - folks believe the arch to have been destroyed by the Romans). Robinson's Arch is a section of the Western Wall that is set aside for egalitarian prayer. It is a beautiful section of the Wall that has been made into an archaeological park and educational museum. Once at Robinson's Arch we found that we were amongst many of our close friends from the English speaking community in Jerusalem. We all joined in morning prayers as the sun rose over the Western Wall. It was a very special and memorable morning.

After a couple hours at the Wall, we decided it was time for coffee (around 7AM). So we took a walk through the Old City towards Damascus gate in hopes of finding a coffee shop that would also sell us some coffee and traditional Arab sweets. It turned out we needed to exit the Old City through the Damascus Gate to find coffee on the outskirts of the Old City. After coffee we walked back through the city and took two amusing detours.

Saul talked our way into this youth hostel in the Old City that advertised a wonderful view from their rooftop - so we shimmied up their very small stairways and landed on their rooftop overlooking the Dome of the Rock (see photo by Marc Herman). Our next stop on our way back home was at the Convent/Church of St. Mark. This was a strange and unique experience. We wandered in, hoping to take a look at the church and the caretaker of the property sat with us for nearly 25 minutes telling us all about the church. Apparently the lower rooms had once been the house of Mary and they claim the last supper happened there.

BBQ #1

In a valiant effort to see lots of friends, eat good food and finish off all of our booze before we leave the country we have embarked on hosting a series of BBQ's. Thanks to the help of some of the young ladies at the party we counted three stars (the traditional indicator that night has come and that Shabbat is over)
and we fired up the BBQ.

Eduardo and Dani toast to good food.

The evening wound down and Saul played some tunes on his guitar.
Eduardo was very thankful for the last song that Saul played.

Some Words of Torah

I humbly post the following D'var Torah (words of Torah) for your enjoyment. I wrote the following comments on this week's Torah portion for a listserve to which I belong. These comments are in honor of my dad, Jeff, and my new nephew, Judah.

This week’s parasha, Bamidbar is the first parasha of the fourth book of the Torah. Bamidbar, the Hebrew name of the book, means literally “in the desert” which is where the Israelites are preparing to enter. In English we refer to this as the book of Numbers, perhaps because the parasha begins with the commandment from God to Moses to conduct a census of the entire Israelite community. All Israelite males, over the age of 20, are to be counted except for those from the tribe of Levi, who will be counted separately.

Two weeks ago, we read parashat Emor which tells of a different kind of counting: counting the Omer – the 49 days between Pesach and Shavuot. This represents the time between the Israelites exodus from Egypt and the revelation of Torah at Mt. Sinai. During the week when we read Emor I was visiting my father, who has been battling cancer for the last 2 years. In preparing for Shabbat I read a particularly poignant D’var Torah that suggested that we think of counting the Omer as a method for taking notice of and appreciating each day. Counting the Omer can be a reminder of how precious time is: by counting each day, we are made all the more aware of each passing moment in time. Spending two weeks with my father was a gift of time for both of us. We were able to value each moment and note that each day is precious and worth counting.

In Bamidbar, which we read just one week before we celebrate Shavuot, Moses is commanded to count the people of the nation of Israel. One reading, according to Rashbam and Rashban, is that the census had a simple strategic purpose; Moses needed to assess the Israelites military strength as they set-off to conquer the land of Israel which explains why only males over 20 are to be counted, and the Levites, who will not bear arms, are counted separately. I prefer an interpretation given in Midrash Numbers Rabbah 2:19: that the people are to be counted to demonstrate God’s love for each individual. The Midrash depicts God as a king with a fabulous treasure, God checks it over and counts it carefully to make sure nothing is lost.

Reading Bamidbar during the period of the counting of the Omer highlights the connection between counting our days and counting our people. While Emor reminds us to be conscious of and appreciative for each moment, Bambidbar emphasizes the importance of each person within our community. Emor’s message of making each moment count is strengthened in Bamidbar as we are reminded to appreciate not just each moment in our life, but each person within each moment. Yesterday, I felt the power of the connection between these ideas as, with great appreciation to God, my brother and sister-in-law welcomed into the world their first child: a son, my nephew. This week my family adds to its numbers; we are thankful for these moments of miracle and feel blessed by the new person who has entered our midst.

May we all have the opportunity to count each day and appreciate those who have joined us on our journey to this moment of Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom.

Team Liz Becomes an Aunt & Uncle

With much rejoicing and thanks Team Liz is proud and thrilled to announce the birth of Judah Ilan Freirich, son of Jonathan Freirich and Ginny Reel, Liz's brother and sister-in-law.

Judah was born on May 17th at 5:10PM in Nevada. He is 6lbs 14 ounces and 18.5 inches long. Ginny is feeling good. Judah was born with a full head of dark hair, a dimple in his chin and his father's appetite! Liz's mom, Marti, managed to catch a plane from NYC to Reno, rent a car and drive from Reno to Carson City (where the hospital is) and still arrive an hour before the birth - don't get in the way of a first-time grandma!

The brit milah will be next Thursday, May 24th.

Arava/Hazon Israel Ride

Team Liz wants to thank all of our friends and family who generously contributed to our participation in the Arava/Hazon Israel Ride 2007. At the last minute Liz had to pull-out from participating in the ride and is presently in America but Saul is off and riding.

Saul set-out on the Ride on May 2nd representing all of Team Liz. Go Saul! Saul left from Jerusalem with 175 other riders and rode down to the Dead Sea and then to Mesada. May 3rd was a rough day that included an almost continuous 13 mile uphill. Saul is feeling good and riding strong. You can check out the progress of the ride by clicking here.

Once again thanks to everyone for your support - all the money you donated to support Liz also supports Saul and will still be received by the Arava Institute and Hazon in support of peace, co-existence and the environment.

Team Liz in Wadi Rum

During Passover break Team Liz visited Jordan (April 7-10). Since we had already been to Petra we decided to spend a couple nights in Aqaba and two days in Wadi Rum, the Jordanian desert. Liz is fond of describing Wadi Rum in the following way "it's like the Negev on steroids - bigger hills, more space, deeper colors." Now if you have never been to the Negev, Israel's desert, this description may leave something to be desired. We hope these photos will help a little. Enjoy!

This photo was taken by our friend Eduardo. What you can not tell from this photo is that we are standing on top of a rock "bridge". The "bridge" was probably 45 feet high. Here you can see us standing at one end of the "bridge" in a Titanic'esque pose.


Perhaps one of the more special moments of the trip, was when Saul got to jam with this world renowned oud player. His name was Sa'id and he is a Jordanian bedouin. He was unbelievable on the oud and he even took a turn on Saul's guitar.



Saul takes a moment to survey the desert. We had climbed up this amazing sand dune. The sand was super fine and very red.

Team Liz Celebrates Passover

Team Liz spent first night (there is only one night of Passover in Israel unlike outside of Israel) of Passover with our friends Sally and Michael Klein-Katz. We dressed up and sat on the floor; we sang songs and remembered that we had once been slaves in Egypt and that although we, as Jews, are mostly free today, there are many people who still are not free.
We ate a large meal and at 1:30AM Team Liz threw in their head scarfs and called it a night - the seder continued even after we left!

Team Liz in Istanbul

With only a couple short months to go living in this side of the world Team Liz is taking advantage of traveling. This past weekend we travelled to Istanbul, Turkey. What an amazing city. We had two fun-filled and packed days of site seeing. Here are some of our photos. This first one has the famous Blue Mosque behind us.


This photo is of the underground cisterns near the Aya Sofia Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque. This was Liz's favorite place in Istanbul, except for the store where we bought her a new bag.

Here is a photo of Saul literally jumping in the streets of Istanbul. You don't catch that on film every day!

Team Liz Studying Hard

As most of you know Liz has spent this year studying Jewish texts at the Conservative Yeshiva. Here is a picture of her in action with her chevruta (study partner) LeAnne. At the other end of the table is Reb Shlomo. The three of us share this table everyday.

Shabbat with Friends

Team Liz is very aware of the clock ticking down on our adventures here in Israel. We are working very hard to make the most of our final months in the Holy Land. On Friday night we shared Shabbat dinner with our dear friends LeAnne (Liz's study partner) her husband Abe and their two daughters Ella and Marion. Here are some photos from the evenings festivities. Click here if you want to see more photos.

In this photo is Ella making the blessing over the wine (grape juice).

LeAnne and Abe bless the challahs.

Saul and Ella jammed together to the Beatles as well as to some Led Zeppelin.

Marion and Liz mug for the camera.

Team Liz at a Folk Jam Session

Team Liz has a good friend, Paul Arberman, who lives with his wife and three children in a bedroom community of Jerusalem called Modi'in. Paul invited us to join him for a night of folk music. So Saul grabbed his guitar and we hopped in our friends car and headed to Modi'in. Saul played a couple songs as seen here. The jam session was held in a synagogue that is housed in a bomb shelter - needless to say the location was a bit bizarre but the music was good!

Ahhh...Paris

So half of Team Liz headed to Paris for the weekend. Liz and her Mom, Marti, spent the weekend visiting churches, museums, synagogues and of course eating really great food. They had amazing luck with the weather which was unseasonably warm and sunny every day! Here are a couple nice photos from the weekend get away. If you want to see more click here.

Liz and Marti in the gardens behind Notre Dame -
this was the ONLY picture taken of them all weekend
that someone else other than Marti or Liz took!

Liz and Marti with Beethoven in the Musee d'Orsay

Marti walking around St. Sulpice Church.

Marti in front of Notre Dame.

Purim 2007

Leave it to the Jews to have a holiday that has two possible days for celebration. But one of those days is contingent on whether the city you live in has walls - but not just any walls, walls that have been around since the time of Joshua ben Nun! Needless to say all of that can cause a people to want to drink until they can't tell the difference. So, Team Liz took advantage of this two day affair and spent Saturday night in Tel Aviv hearing the Megillah read and toasting to Esther.

Saturday night in Tel Aviv, Dan reading the Megillah and Shoshana
(aka bam bam) making sure he doesn't make any mistakes.

On Monday morning we went to the Conservative Yeshiva for some more Megillah (click here for more photos of CY) and then our friends Rafi and Devorah welcomed their son Noam into the Jewish people by having his brit milah (bris) early in the afternoon on Monday (click here for more photos from the bris). Monday evening we got ourselves dressed up and headed to our friends house for a very festive meal (click here for more of these photos). Below are just a sampling of photos from the the weekends festivities. Enjoy!

LeAnne, Abe, Ella and Marion follow along as the Megillah is read at the CY. The noise-makers are sounded every time Haman's name is mentioned.

Rafi holding 8 day old Noam.

Saul and Liz goofing around during our friends festive meal on Monday evening.
Check out that mustache - it is 100% real!

Team Liz Begins to Train

If you haven't heard the big news - Saul and Liz are participating in the Arava/Hazon Ride from Jerusalem to Eilat. The bike ride is designed to raise funds and awareness about peace, the environment and Israel. Team Liz will be riding for 6 days and approximately 300 miles! So we started training and here is a photo from our first training ride in March. You can also donate to help us raise money for this amazing organization by following this link to our team page. Many thanks to all of you who have already donated!

Liz and Saul are in the middle of this photo person 5 and 6 from the left. Hint: Liz is wearing a white bandana and Saul has got a full beard.

Beitar Yerushali'im

Liz took advantage of the opportunity to check out a "professional" soccer/football match here in Jerusalem. Beitar Yerushali'im is the home team. They were playing a team from a town near Tel Aviv. The game was played in the cold and wet weather that is particular to Jerusalem in the winter. The game ended with no score but the experience was well worth the price of admission.

Here is Liz bundled up at the game with her friend and fellow HUC Rab student Jon Prosnit.
Jon and Liz have the strange and dubious honor of both being alumni of Trinity College.
But wait there's more, Liz was Jon's RA his freshman year!

Ne'ot Kedumim

On a recent field trip to Ne'ot Kedumim - a biblical garden - Liz and her classmates at the Conservative Yeshiva enjoyed the opportunity to herd goats and sheep, grind up fresh zahtar (wild oregano) and frolic amongst the wild flowers that have begun to bloom in the lower areas of Israel. Click here for more photos.

Sheep and Goat herding. The secret is to find the goat who is the leader and get them to follow you.

Beautiful wild flowers.

Liz feeling proud of her teams herding accomplishments!

LeAnne and her dime bag of zahtar (wild oregano).