Team Liz in Jerusalem

Team Liz Heads Back to America

2007-07-01T14:48:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-29T18:16:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-26T18:36:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-25T18:26:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-24T18:36:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-11T05:40:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-10T05:57:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-05T04:46:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-02T05:37:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-25T03:28:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-23T03:23:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-19T05:06:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-18T08:43:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-18T01:57:00.001-04:00

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

2007-05-03T10:39:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-10T00:11:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-03T08:25:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-01T16:35:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-27T07:16:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-20T17:43:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-14T07:22:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-13T11:40:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-04T14:04:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-02T12:43:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-25T14:33:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-22T14:40:00.000-05:00

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).

Hannah Madeline is Named

2007-02-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

We are thrilled to announce that Liz's neice Hannah Madeline was named on Sunday, February 18th. Liz's brother Jonathan officiated the naming. Hannah Madeline's Hebrew name is Hannah Mordechai. Her middle name is in honor and memory of her great grandfather Marc Glatzer. Although Team Liz could not attend we were there in spirit.

The proud parents, Samantha (Liz's step-sister) and Brian Loges.

Thursday Night Fun

2007-02-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

We had a little get together at our house on Thursday, February 8th. The usually suspects were in attendance: Liz's chevruta (study partner) LeAnne and her husband Abe and two children Ella and Marion as well as another friend from the Yeshiva, Scott. There was much merry making, wine drinking and pie eating. LeAnne outdid herself with her strawberry rhubarb pie - for you non-believers out there let us assure you that this was THE best pie we have ever tasted.

Dinner with our friends.

LeAnne and Ella serve THE pie.

Scott attempts to eat a second piece of pie - he does not succeed!

LeAnne and Saul.

Team Liz in the United States, Again

2007-01-23T13:46:00.000-05:00

So Team Liz was back in America in January 2007. This time there was a lot more working interspersed with seeing friends and family. Some highlights included attending Limmud NY, spending a short weekend in Miami as well as Liz getting to meet her newest neice Hannah Madeline for the first time. Here are some photos from our trip. Enjoy!

Our friend's Paul and Stephanie were kind enough to include us in a lovely Saturday morning brunch that they were hosting in their home that looks over the East river. Paul was generous enough to take some photos of us on their balcony.

Marta reads a story to Ruby, Vivian & Sasha at brunch at Stephanie and Paul's.

Saul teaching at Limmud NY.

Hanging out on the beach in Miami.

New Year's Eve & Team Liz's First Anniversary

2007-01-01T08:51:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it! One year ago we were in upstate New York with most of our friends and family celebrating our wedding. It has been an amazing year of changes and growth for Team Liz as a couple and as individuals. We are so thankful for all of our many blessings. The opportunity to live in Israel for a second year. To have friends and family visit us and to be able to visit you. For the health of our family and friends. For the joy of welcoming two new members of Liz's family, baby Noah and in December we welcomed baby Hannah. Here are some photos from our NYE party. It was a modest affair in comparison to last NYE but we think it was no less fun! (Click HERE to see additional photos from the evening's festivities.)

NYE in Jerusalem brought terrible rain and tons of fog - usually this view is a clear one and you can see all the way across the valley outside our apartment.

Saul and Phillip whoop it up!

Ruti, Liz and LeAnne toast the New Year!

The meeting of three worlds thanks to Deborah Iarussi!
Julie Blaine, Heidi Gold and Saul enjoy their Jerusalem reunion.

Team Shalva joined us for this year's celebrations too.
It has been great fun having Sara, Ben and little Lev in Jerusalem this year.

The Final Supper

2006-12-28T08:39:00.000-05:00

Team Liz had time for just one more meal before they boarded their plane back to Israel. Thanks to Marti & Jeffrey, we shared dinner at their house with Liz's cousins, Debbie and Randy and their daughters Allyson and Melissa. Liz's other cousin Robert and uncle Ira were also part of the dinner.

Uncle Ira, Saul, Robert and Randy listening intently.

Marti, Deb & Liz.

Marti and Jeffrey enjoying hosting dinner.

Dinner at Toby and Sam's

2006-12-27T08:28:00.000-05:00

Team Liz arrived in Brooklyn to enjoy dinner hosted by our dear friends
Toby and Sam! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Michael, Mark (Saul's brother), Quincy (the black furball, I mean dog, in Mark's arms) and Josh enjoying dinner together.

Saul and Toby after dinner.

Susan and Liz after dinner.

Jeffrey's Birthday

2006-12-27T08:16:00.000-05:00

Team Liz left North Carolina and headed to NYC.
We spent a very short but fun-filled 30 hours in NYC.
Our first stop was Liz's Mom's apartment.
We ate some appetizers, wished Jeffrey and Jessica a happy birthday and
then headed to Brooklyn.

Jeffrey, Jessica and Marti (Liz's step-father, step-sister and Mom)

Jeffrey and Matt (Jessica's husband).

More eating and merry making

2006-12-26T07:19:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day and the day after Christmas were filled with family, gifts and of course lots of big meals. Liz's brother Jonathan and his wife Ginny joined the festivities on December 26th.(To see more photos click HERE.)

How many Jews does it take to change a light bulb on Christmas? Saul, Jonathan & Ginny.

Saul experiences the joy of both Chanukah & Christmas!

Liz's sister Tanya showing school spirit with her new NYU gear.

Liz's step-brother Danny overwhelmed by gifts.

Thanks to Jonathan & Ginny, Saul is now the proud owner of his very own Darth Tater - that's right a huge Mr. Potato Head filled with smaller Mr. Potato Heads all with Star Wars themes. You know you're jealous!

Christmas Eve

2006-12-24T06:05:00.000-05:00

This was the first Christmas that Liz & Saul had the opportunity to celebrate in NC with Liz's family. Our family does a number of wonderful traditions including: dancing, enjoying a large dinner with as many family members as are in the area, roasting a whole pig for said dinner and of course toasting to the year that has passed and hoping for a happy and healthy new year. (To see more photos click HERE).

We will spare you the upclose photos of the roasting pig - but the box with coals on top of it contains said pig.
This box is called a "chinese box" and apparently is a cooking method to slow roast just about anything.
The pig took over 6 hours! Elisa, Danny (Liz's younger step-brother) and Louis are shown in this photo.

It was a sunny and beautiful Christmas Eve. The weather was so nice that folks were playing golf!
This picture taken from Liz's family's back porch.

Digna, Paul and Tanya (Liz's step-mom, step-brother and sister) in the kitchen before dinner on Christmas Eve.

Liz's dad Jeff, opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate the evening.

The Eighth Night of Chanukah

2006-12-22T05:44:00.000-05:00

Team Liz headed to North Carolina to spend the holidays with Liz's family.
Saul's parents, Judy & Carl, drove all the way from Florida to join us for
the eighth night of Chanukah.
We are so thankful to them for coming all that way.
(To see more photos from our entire trip to the U.S. click here -
you will not need to sign in to view photos)

Jeff (Liz's Dad), Liz & Judy light the menorahs.

Like father like son - Noah sitting on Paul's (Liz's step-brother) lap after dinner.

Carl, Saul & Judy rejoice at being together for Chanukah.

The Fifth Night of Chanukah

2006-12-20T05:18:00.000-05:00

Our dear friends LeAnne & Abe were kind enough to host an intimate and rocking fifth night of Chanukah party (Dec. 19, 2006) in their home here in Jerusalem.
They made fabulous latkes; dreidels were spuns; wine was drunk and outrageous brownies were consumed!
Oh yeah and the kids came out in costume for a wild rumpus and the adults sang some songs!
(To see more photos from this evening click here - you do not need to sign-in to view the photos.)

Liz & LeAnne in the kitchen.

The wild rumpus.

Sarah, LeAnne, Scott & Saul singing songs.

Hannah Madeline was Born!

2006-12-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

Team Liz is very excited to announce the birth of Hannah Madeline Loges.

Hannah's mom, Samantha, is Liz's step-sister. Liz is now a step-aunt twice over!

Samantha, Hannah and Brian.

The Ladies Go to the Sea

2006-12-12T10:54:00.000-05:00

So Liz took a day off from her studies at the Yeshiva and rented a car with some girlfriends and headed out of town to the Dead Sea. Luckily the Dead Sea is only a one hour drive from Jerusalem. The distance may be short, but the environment changes dramatically. Before you know it you are not only well below sea level but you are surrounded by desert and beautiful mountains.
Definitely a way to rejuvinate the soul after many hours inside a Yeshiva!
Here are some photos from our journey.

LeAnne and Clary in the Dead Sea.

LeAnne & Liz in the car before we leave Jerusalem.

The beautiful mountains of the Judean desert.

Marti & Jeffrey in Israel, Part III

2006-12-01T08:12:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday we explored other areas in and around Tel Aviv including Jaffa Port, Rothschild Boulevard and Shuk HaKarmel.

Marti & Jeffrey in front of an Eastern food store in Shuk HaKarmel.
The name of the store is "balagan" which became Marti & Jeffrey's new favorite Hebrew word (see below).

The big surprise of the visit was that this morning (Wednesday) all the transportation unions in Israel went on strike. What this means practically is that at the moment Marti and Jeffrey may be stuck in Israel. All borders are closed and the airport is not open. Their flight is 10:30 AM on 11-30-06 so perhaps by then the strike will be concluded...we shall see.

After spending 24 hours trying to get out of Israel the word "balagan" took on a very real meaning. Simply, balagan means "a mess" more specifically it means what Ben Gurion Airport looks like the day after a strike of the transportation union ends and their are thousands of travelers trying to get on the first plane out of the country!

We are happy to report that Marti and Jeffrey were only stuck in Israel one extra day and arrived back in NYC safe and sound!

Marti & Jeffrey in Israel Part II

2006-11-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Sunday, Saul spent the morning by the pool and then took a bus back to Jerusalem, while Liz, Marti and Jeff went off across the Israel/Jordanian border to visit the lost city of Petra.

The Treasury in the lost city of Petra.

Monday Liz, Marti and Jeff visited a kibbutz, drove through and then visited the top of Makhtesh Ramon (a large crater) and
then had lunch in Be'er Sheva.

Marti & Jeffrey on the edge of Makhtesh Ramon.

We arrived safely in Tel Aviv to enjoy the sunset over the Mediterranean and then dined at Pastis on the famous Rothschild Boulevard (fabulous food - we highly recommend it!). Tuesday was spent visiting our cousins, Shimshon & Rivka Eden, who now live in Tel Yitzhaq a retirement community near Netanya. Here is Marti with them at lunch.

Tuesday afternoon Liz, Marti and Jeff explored Neve Tzedek the hip, happening community that is in Southern Tel Aviv right next door to Jaffa. Saul rejoined the "tour" on Tuesday evening. We ate at another terrific place called Caremella.

Marti & Jeffrey in Israel

2006-11-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

Liz's mom Marti and her step-dad Jeffrey arrived in Israel on November 21st. Here are Marti and Jeffrey in the shuk (outdoor food market) in Jerusalem. While at the shuk we shopped for last minute food items for our Thanksgiving dinner.

What an amazing week we all had around Israel and Jordan. Here is a brief list of our adventures: we spent Thanksgiving Thursday cooking and entertaining at our house in Jerusalem. Then on Friday morning (11-24-06) Mom, Jeff and Liz met up with Liz's friend Gadi and took a tour of the Mt. of Olives and into the Old City.

We had what Liz's Mom is calling "the best hummos I have ever tried" at the legendary Abu Shukri Restaurant in the Old City. From there we spent Shabbat services with my new classmates at HUC and then back home for turkey left-overs. Saturday we drove down to Eilat and spent a couple hours walking around Timna National Park. We ate dinner at a terrific fish restaurant in Eilat called The Last Refuge.

Team Liz around Jerusalem

2006-11-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

Team Liz took a lovely morning walk around the Old City in Jerusalem.
After that Team Liz visited the Mt. of Olives.

Check out the photos from our walk.
Here is the Midgal David or Tower of David.
This Tower is next to the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City.

Saul sitting in the Armenian tile shop on the Via de LaRosa.

The amazing view of the Temple Mount from the Mt. of Olives.
The Dome of the Rock is the gold dome and the
Al Aqsa Mosque is the black colored dome to your left.

Dinner Party in NYC

2006-11-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

During Liz's last visit to the states her friend's Ari and Sharon where kind enough to host a small dinner party for Liz.
Here are some fun photos from the evenings festivities.

Ari & Sharon my dear friends and the hosts.

Marti, Hanna, Susan and Michael.

Ari, Liz and Ari watch the election results.

Visiting NC

2006-11-05T10:33:00.000-05:00

Liz spent a week in NC visiting her dad and family.

While there she finally got to meet her new nephew Noah. Noah was born at the end of August and
is the son of Liz's step-brother Paul and his wife Carrie.
Liz's brother Jonathan and his wife Ginny also were in NC during Liz's visit.
Here are some photos of Liz's family.

Liz and Liz's step-mom Digna holding the beautiful baby Noah.

The proud papa Paul and mama Carrie with little Noah.

Liz's brother Jonathan with Noah.

Team Liz Goes North for Sukkot

2006-10-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

Liz & Saul rented a car and drove North for their Sukkot break.
We started in Acco which is a crusader port city on the Mediterranean. It has an amazing old city
with lots of windy streets and wonderful stone buildings.
We went to visit because the city hosts an annual Theater Fringe Festival - we enjoyed many performances including some outside on top of the old walls as well as one directed by a friend of ours!

Here we are on the port of Acco - behind us in the distance
you can see the remains of the retaining walls.

To see more pictures from our trip up north click HERE.

Sukkot in Jerusalem

2006-10-04T13:11:00.000-04:00

Sukkot in Jerusalem is an amazing holiday. There is an entire market dedicated to selling lulav, etrog and hadas for the ritual shaking of the lulav. Then there are small non-permament booth structures built everywhere - from the terraces of peoples homes to the sidewalks in front of cafes. You are supposed to eat and sleep in your sukkah (booth) for the week of Sukkot. You are also supposed to gather together something called a lulav (four species of branches wrapped together) and an etrog (looks like a lemon) and shake them while in your Sukkah.

A Jewish man in traditional black hat and coat closely examining

the ends of the lulav which are not supposed to be ripped or cut.

Lulav, etrog and hadas on a table waiting to be sold. When one looks to buy an etrog they are seeking the most beautiful etrog they can find. No blemishes, good coloring etc. People will go to great lengths to find a beautiful etrog. There is even a movie about this - Ha Ushpizzin - I have not seen it but heard it is very good. It is in Hebrew with English subtitles.

Liz's Talmud teacher, Reb Mordechai helps some of

Liz's classmates choose a fine looking lulav.

Team Liz in Africa

2006-08-08T13:20:00.000-04:00

Team Liz took a four week trip to Africa after our week in Amsterdam.
We traveled in Ethiopia for 8 days and then Tanzania for 3 weeks.
This was our long awaited honeymoon. We had a terrific time and saw some
amazingly beautiful places, people and animals. From the stone hewn churches of
Lalibela (Liz's favorite) to the supposed location of the
Ark of the Covenant in Axum and then to 6 days of safari and
then some time on beaches in Zanzibar and down the Tanzanian coast in a
small town called Mikindani (Saul's favorite).
We can not post all the photos but here are a couple -
if you would like a more complete viewing of our holiday click HERE.

Team Liz in Amsterdam 2

2006-07-10T13:57:00.000-04:00

The Night Watch painting by Rembrandt, which is housed in the Rijks Museum, is a prominent tourist attraction in Amsterdam. The Dutch have created a life size statue of the Night Watch in a square outside the hotel where the famed deceit took place.

The Central Train Station in Amsterdam at night.

Team Liz in Amsterdam

2006-07-09T07:28:00.000-04:00

The Kaiserfolk (Carl, Judy, Mark, Saul and Liz) headed to Amsterdam for a five day holiday of museums, site seeing and eating good food. Saul and Liz arrived a couple of days early and also visited Rotterdam as well as the Hague. The review of Holland from Saul and Liz is - if you have not been there you ought to go. A beautiful country with lovely people who almost all speak English (very helpful when your bike breaks down in the country side) as well as good food, museums and lots and lots of canals.

Saul and Liz rented bikes on our first day in Amsterdam. This was our first stop, Dam Square at the heart of downtown Amsterdam. We biked out of town about 2 hours when Liz's bike broke down...

Liz left her broken bike in a small town outside Amsterdam and rode back on the back of Saul's bike which enabled her to take lots of pictures, some better than others. This one is of the back of Saul's head.

Here you can catch a glimpse of the famous windmills of Holland along the Amstel River - the same River that Amstel Beer is proudly named after.

Carl & Judy in Jerusalem

2006-06-24T12:42:00.001-04:00

We were thrilled to welcome the Kaiserparents (Judy and Carl) to Jerusalem. We have spent 2 days touring all around town. Here are some highlights from our days.

Saul shows Judy our fabulous view.

Saul and Judy in front of Moses Montefiore's windmill. The windmill is in Yamin Moshe, the first neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem (c. 1860's).

A big shout-out to Avi and Alex for the awesome wedding gift of matching camelbacks. You can see Saul with his here. Needless to say we have never been as hydrated as these last two days of walking around Jerusalem. Thanks!

Judy, Carl and Saul on the Mount of Olives looking out at the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount.

Most Recent Visit to the States

2006-06-17T13:19:00.000-04:00

We have been very blessed this year that many of our friends have had beautiful healthy babies. On our most recent trip to the states (end of May until beginning of June) we visited our friend Mike and his new baby boy Paul who was born at the beginning of March. Liz's mom joined us for the journey to New Haven, CT.

By chance Saul arrived just in time to share dinner with his parents and Liz's mom and step-dad.

Team Liz Hosts an End of Semester BBQ

2006-05-20T11:10:00.000-04:00

The last weekend of the semester (May 20th) we hosted my HUC class for an end of term BBQ. Check out Saul's awesome new apron - thanks Amy!

View from our kitchen out onto our front patio with friends eating the tasty BBQ.

Valentines Day in Israel

2006-02-14T13:51:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is a bit strange to celebrate St. Valentine's Day
with a bunch of rabbinic, cantorial and Jewish
education students in Israel.
However, here's a sweet picture of us from a fun party.

Team Liz's Wedding

2006-01-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some highlight photos from our wedding - December 31, 2005.
Ketubah Signing

Cutting the cake.

Saul dancing with his Mom.

Liz dancing with her Dad.

A long weekend in Jordan - October 2005

2005-10-29T15:43:00.000-04:00

Team Liz in Petra, Jordan.
Liz and the camels in front of the Treasury, which really wasn't a treasury.

A forty-five minute hike uphill takes you to the Monastery, which you can see over Liz's shoulder. It looks a lot like the Treasury, so if you're not so into hiking, you can skip this one. We liked the views a lot though.

Views from 18 Gihon (our home)

2005-09-20T12:48:00.000-04:00

We have a really beautiful home here in Jerusalem. We live in an area called Abu Tor. One of the most amazing parts of our home is our view. We look out on a valley that goes out towards the Judean desert. Off in the distance is the separation barrier or security fence as some like to call it.

Saul hard at work in his favorite spot in the house - his hammock out on our terrace.

The Kaiserparents at the Shuttle launch

2005-07-27T06:16:00.000-04:00

I know that this isn't really about Liz and Saul per se, but Carl and Judy look so happy that I just had to post this!

Florida has been good to the Kaiserparents.

A little more about our neighborhood

2005-07-27T05:29:00.000-04:00

First of all, let's start by letting you know that the building next door is under construction, so we are woken up every morning by the sound of a jackhammer* (usually by around 7 AM). By around 9 AM, it is quiet again. Apparently, the jackhammer is only needed until it's time for Liz to be at school.

Here's another one of those cool recycling bins in the neighborhood.

You'll recall a few posts earlier I mentioned how fruits like dates and olives are growing in people's yards...here's a pomegranate tree that's just down the block from us.

So, as I was taking this photo of the Greek Embassy, also down the block from us, a car pulls up beside me and starts honking. Hoping that I'm not about to be arrested for photographing an embassy, I walk over and - yes, just like last week - the driver starts telling me how just down the block is a much more interesting photo of the Christian Embassy. You can't make things like this up.

* it might be a piledriver. What do I know?

Signing Reut and Igal's Ketubah

2005-07-24T04:56:00.000-04:00

Somehow amidst all of the exitement and confusion at the wedding, one fairly important step in the marriage process never actually took place...

So, Liz and I went back down to Tel-Aviv a few days later to sign and Igal's ketubah (marriage contract).

Saul signed as the M'sader kedushin (wedding officiant). No, Saul is not a rabbi, but according to Jewish law, in order to officiate a Jewish wedding ceremony one must simply be a knowledgeable Jew. Of course, by forgetting about the ketubah signing at the wedding, Saul may have disqualified himself, but nevermind.

Liz, and Igal's best friend Monica, signed as witnesses.

The "newlyweds" with their Ketubah.

Reut & Igal's Wedding in Jaffa

2005-07-21T04:28:00.000-04:00

We arrived in Jaffa a little early, so we had drinks in a nearby restaurant. This is the view out of the window looking north towards Tel-Aviv.

Here's the wedding hall...

...and here's Reut and Igal on the roof of the hall, where the ceremony was held. You could see the sunset out to the west, Jaffa to the south and east, and Tel-Aviv to the north - beautiful!

Liz at School

2005-07-21T03:45:00.000-04:00

Liz started her Hebrew Ulpan this week. Saul is still on vacation, which is how he has time to sneak up on her to take photos while she's busy learning Hebrew.

Liz is, of course, a student at Hebrew Union College, the Reform Jewish rabbinical seminary. This is the courtyard outside of the academic center.

Walking around Jerusalem

2005-07-21T02:14:00.000-04:00

A bunch of the crosswalk signs have been modified in creative ways. I don't think this is a government sponsored initiative.

As I was taking that last photograph, a car pulled up beside me and the driver and his wife immediately launched into a detailed explanation of why a shot of this building was a more interesting photograph. They wouldn't leave until I promised to take a picture. So, this is the Christian embassy, and it is actually pretty typical of the architecture of our neighborhood, which also has the Italian and Greek embassies and the home of the former mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert.

Katamon recycles! This is on the corner of our block. In Hebrew: "Paper Only." All of the recycling bins in Jerusalem are painted with various murals depicting flowers, smiling children, etc.

According to the Bible, Israel is "a land of wheat and barley, and grape-vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and date-palms (Deut. 8:8)." Walking down Derech Beit Lechem (Bethlehem Street) last night, we passed trees sprouting pomegranites and figs, growing out of people's yards and hanging over the street. In the picture is an olive tree growing in a public park.

On the street where we live

2005-07-18T08:42:00.001-04:00

The sign in front of our apartment building. We
are at 33 "Rehov Kaf-Tet B'November" (which means
"the 29th of November Street"). This is the day that
the United Nations voted to partition Palestine between
Arabs and Jews, establishing the State of Israel.

And here is Liz at the entrance to the building. Lots
of kittens in the yard. In this photo, we are on our
way to Mar Zol ("Mr. Cheap"), the local supermarket.

Liz on our first Shabbat in Jerusalem.

2005-07-09T05:46:00.000-04:00

If you have really good eyesight, or can zoom in,
you can see the Old City over her right shoulder.

Saul on our first Shabbat in Jerusalem.

2005-07-09T05:45:00.000-04:00

We're on the tayelet (boardwalk), about a 20 minute walk
from our summer sublet in Katamon and across the street
from the Mandel Leadership Institute, where Saul will be
doing his fellowship.

We have registered!

2005-06-29T22:45:00.000-04:00

At last, Liz can relax a little. We're registered at Michael C. Fina and BB&B. Whew!