BBQ in Gan Sacher

Actual Date:  8/24/14

As the grand finale to our Bain Hazmanim, we went for a family BBQ to Gan Sacher in Yerushalayim.  The park was packed with all sorts of people- tons of frum families, as well as some interesting characters- a group of Karate students practicing their moves, and some jugglers showing off their skills.  We had a lovely time relaxing on the grass, roasting marshmallows while the BBQ got ready, and then enjoying delicious food.  Yehuda Leib and Hillel loved the vast grassy area- they kept running around and around, giggling and enjoying their freedom.

Afterwards we went to the playground, where they have amazing manual "gym" equipment.  The kids had a really fun time trying out all the various different types of equipment, feeling how each one required them to push or pull their muscles in a different way to get it to work.  The kids could have stayed there for hours, but their poor parents were too exhausted, so we all headed home happy and tired!

Chol Hamoed Trip 5774

One Sukkos night when the kids were asleep,
Cuddled up in the Sukkah not making a peep,
A certain Yunger father and mother,
Were having a conversation with one another.

Where to go, was the big debate,
It has to be somewhere really top-rate!
Perhpas we should we rent another car
And take the family on a trip quite far!

But is it really worth the time and expense?
And keeping the kids in such suspense?
Maybe somewhere closer would be just fine,
We still could have a really nice time!

SpeedyKef is a luna-park very close-by
But the pool's closed for the season- will it still be kdai?
They've got lots of other fun stuff to do,
And its really convenient for me and for you.

Will the kids be upset or will they be thrilled?
I think it'll be great, said Mama, super-chilled.
Lets pack up our bags and get on our way,
We're sure to have a super duper day!

The kiddos were excited, and full of anticipation,
What would be our trip's destination?
And when we revealed to them where we would be,
They jumped for joy and said "Yippee!"

We went on a roller-coaster type ride,
Where you speed down the mountain on a metal slide.
Bumper cars, a ferris wheel, and trampolines too-
Bungee jumping, go-carts, and a cute petting zoo!

We all had a really fun time-
By each of the rides there was hardly a line!
Since the pool was closed the crowds stayed away,
And we had a wonderful day!

 

A fun summer afternoon in גן אלמליח

Since we had to move over summer break, we were so busy packing that we didn't have much time for trips. One afternoon, after having spent too many days at home, we decided to get out for a few hours with the kids, to have a fun, refreshing time.  We went to גן אלמליח, a lovely park which is pretty close to Malcha Mall, which is pretty easy for us to get to.  It has huge slides which the kids really enjoy, and its really breezy there, so even on a hot summer day it was quite pleasant.  We brought along tons of snacks, bubbles, and a kite, and had a lovely afternoon.  We were so busy having fun (meaning, I was so busy trying to fly the kite!) that we barely had time to take pictures- but I did manage to get one picture of Bentzi and the kids.

Isn't Azriel Shraga's pose so "HIM"!?

Grapefruit picking for Leket Israel

Our Doda Racheli and cousin Leora were here visiting for a week, and they thought of a really nice activity, that would be an opportunity for them to spend time with their cousins, while doing a mitzvah at the same time!  There's an organization here called "Leket" which collects surplus food and produce, and helps distribute it to poor people throughout Israel.  One of the things they do is send volunteers out to fields, to pick produce that was either planted specifically for them, or produce which the farmers don't need and would otherwise go to waste.  This produce gets sent to soup kitchens throughout the country, and is distributed to needy families.

So on Shushan Purim, Bentzi and the older kids (I stayed home with the "junior division") met up in a field  near Rechovot, together with a bunch of our other Yunger cousins.  The kids had a nice time learning about the mitzvos that Leket does, and then they went out to the fields to pick grapefruits.  It was fun climbing the trees to pick fruit, and they were allowed to taste the fruit while they were out in the fields (no problems with תרומות and מעשרות that way).

Thanks, Doda Racheli, for the great idea- it was so nice to spend time with you, and to do a mitzvah at the same time made it much more meaningful!  We hope to see you again soon!

(and no, Shifra Yunger did not get married...she must be wearing that silly tichel because its in style or something?!)

Grape Picking in Bat Ayin

I think most families have the same challenge during vacation time- what to do with the kids that will be fun AND cheap at the same time?  Add to that being age-appropriate, and close enough to get to- that makes the challenge even  harder.  Bentzi and I were putting our heads together, trying to come up with some nice trips for the kids over the summer, and Bentzi found out about a free grape picking event in Bat Ayin, one of the yishuvim in Gush Etzion, which is not far from us.  He readily volunteered to stay home with Nissim (the vineyard wasn't exactly stroller friendly) and that I should take the kids (we can also only fit five of us in the car).  So I headed out with the 4 older kids bright and early, to hit the vineyards before the hot summer sun was at its hottest.

When we got there, each kid was supplied with a special shears to cut the grapes off of the vine.  Everyone had fun finding the grapes buried within the leaves of the vine, and we were amazed at how many crates of grapes we were able to pick.  Just as everyone was starting to get tired, the vineyard owner offered us a ride in his tractor- which was a lot of fun and left us invigorated, ready to do more.  We got to taste plenty of grapes - yum! - and we even brought home a huge bag full to make our own wine (which we did...but the product was not so successful!)

It was also nice to see the מצוות that are connected with farming, hands on.  We were show where the פאה was, and warned to make sure not to pick from there.  And Yisrael, who had learned all the הלכות this past year in Cheder, was busy explaining to everyone what he had learned about לקט and שכחה.  It was a nice חזרה for him, and a wonderful learning experience for the rest of us!

While we were there, the vineyard owner's wife- who is originially from the US- told me about a natural spring nearby which was made into a mikveh hundreds of years ago- and is still used today.  She said its a lot of fun, so after we were too hot and exhausted to continue picking grapes, we headed to the spring.  The spring flows from within a cave, and there is a structure with a kosher mikveh inside.  Yisrael and Bruria tried going in the actual mikveh, but it was too deep for them to reach the floor.  Outside of the structure is another pool they built, which is much shallower- and the kids had an absolute blast splashing around in the water- they were there for hours - literally!- and they enjoyed every mintue! 

I hadn't come prepared with bathings suits (I think I did have one towel in the car) so afterwards we went for a short hike in the area to dry up- where we found ancient homes and a shul- I'm not sure which תקופה they were from.

We finally headed home, happy and exhausted - and best of all, aside from transportation, the trip was completely free!  (unless you count the pie of pizza we bought when we got back to Beitar because everyone was starving- I hadn't planned on being out until almost 4 in the afternoon!)

A lovely afternoon in פארק בגין- עין קובי

Yesterday we planned to go to the park in Gilo (which many of you are familiar with) to have a BBQ and play in the park.  But when Bentzi came home from morning seder, he commented that it was a really nice cool day - and its a חבל to "waste" going to פארק גילה on a day like that (for those of you who are unfamiliar with this park in southern ירושלים, it is on the side of the mountain and very shady- so even on a pretty hot day, its rather cool there)  So we changed our plans and decided to stay local, and spend the afternoon in one of the parks here in Beitar.  Yisrael wanted to go to one of the new parks in Givah B, but when we got there, we couldn't really find ANY shady, grassy areas which would be comfortable for a BBQ.

So we came up with an impromptu Plan C- to go to פארק בגין, a forest preserve that's 5 minutes down the road from Beitar (in safe territory, no worry!)  It was close enough that Bentzi was able to drop me off with some of the kids and then pick up the rest of the crew (we don't all fit in our car)  It was a great choice- we picked a nice spot with picnic tables, and got our BBQ started.

There's an interesting blog I visit from time to time, written by a frum woman here in E"Y.  She has many tips on frugal living- and one post of hers describes how to make a BBQ without buying any coals, using bits of wood instead.  I figured we might as well try it out (we did bring coals along just in case!)- so the kids got all busy collecting different sizes of branches and wood scraps that had fallen from the nearby trees.  It was a lot of fun for them, much more so than a regular BBQ- even Naftali was busy bringing me twigs to put in the fire.  (Anyone who has bought cheap "coals" here in E"Y has seen that they are really just pieces of wood covered with a black substance- and our "coals" worked just as well- if not better!)

It was a great learning experience- the kids got a mini science lesson, as I explained how the fire burns the wood, and how the thicker pieces get really hot so even when the flames die down, there is still plenty of heat from the wood.  Bentzi offered a mini mussar lesson, using the fire as a משל to illustrate how the fire of תורה goes into a person's נמשה and heats it up, and how once a person's נמשה is so hot with תורה, that heat can spread to warm up others.

While the food was cooking, the kids had fun climbing in the olive trees right by the picnic tables.  Bruria is already becoming a mini seminary girl, asking me to take pictures of her in various poses in the tree.  Yisrael and Azriel joined her, and then we even got Naftali to go up- so we got a few nice family shots.

After a delicious lunch, we played in the historic site nearby- עין קובי - which has underground caves running from the ruins of ancient houses, to a water cistern which they dug.  The kids had fun crawling through the caves and coming out at all the different exits (I tried joining them but there were parts of the caves which were a bit too narrow for me!)- we gave them a flashlight and they had a real blast.

Before beginning to head home, we lit a small bonfire (now that we were experts!) and roasted marshmallows- a delicious treat to leave a sweet taste in our mouths after a really fun afternoon!

Chol Hamoed Pesach- trip to מערת המכפלה

One thing we've always wanted to do was go to מערת המכפלה- I was supposed to go in seminary but our trip was cancelled when the Intifada broke out...and I haven't made it there since.  So when we saw all the ads about special security, transportation, and activities in חברון over חול המועד, we decided to take advantage and go join the tens of thousands of other Yidden who go out to מערת המכפלה during Pesach and Sukkos.

It was a bit of a shlep going there- the buses going straight from Beitar were not leaving until late in the afternoon, and not coming back until the evening- not so conducive for little kids.  So we went to Yerushalayim (some by bus, some by car) where we took a bus from בניני האומה to חברון.  When we got there, the area was packed- Yidden of every color and stripe, all coming to daven by קברי אבות- it was such a beautiful feeling- to be part of a global community that is so varied, yet so united in our desire to connect to the רבש"ע.

After sitting down to eat and refresh ourselves after all that traveling, we waited on line to enter the מערה.  Since there were so many people there, the security was limiting the amount of people allowed inside at one time.  We had סייתא דשמיא and when the soldiers saw that we were waiting with such young children, they allowed us inside so that we wouldn't roast in the hot sun.  We davened by each of the קברים- even the children said some תהילים, and then met up again outside.

On the men's side, Bentzi was listening to a man describing how he went into the actual מערה (deep below the structure where everyone davens) as part of a secret mission about 25 years ago.  He bought a DVD from him, where he describes what he saw there, including pictures, videos, and quotes from חז"ל.  (Bentzi and I watched it at home once we got the kids in bed- and it was really interesting!)

There were many activites going on in the area around מערת המכפלה- singing, projects, donkey rides, and tours.  We decided to take a tour of the old city of חברון- where Yidden lived for hundreds of years, up until the pogroms in 1929.  The tour guide pointed out many different buildings, describing for us what life was like in חברון העתיקה.  We even walked through the Arab שוק, where he showed us where the מזוזות used to be, in the now Arab "owned" storefronts.  There were soldiers positioned all over the place (note the picture below of the soldiers on a rooftop) to make sure that we were safe.

We had a really nice, exhausting day- and while I wouldn't do it every חול המועד, we were very happy we went and hope to go again!

 

Our visit in מכון למקדש

ACTUAL DATE: 4/11/2012 - 4th day of חול המועד פסח

Anyone who's taken the steps from the Old City down to the Kosel has noticed the Menorah enclosed in a glass case on the way down- (when I was in seminary it was in the Cardo, but has since been moved). The kids were always so excited to see it, and I would burst their bubble and tell them, not its not really זהב טהור, its just a model. And the real מנורה in the בית המקדש was much bigger too (after all, the כהן גדול had to climb up a set of stairs to reach it, didn't he?)

Well turns out that I was wrong on both accounts. Yes, the מנורה is REAL gold, and it is (at least according to some שיטות), the exact size of the מנורה in the בית המקדש. We learned all this and more, at our visit to the מכון למקדש on חול המועד פסח. We went for a very enlightening tour of the different replicas they've made -בגדי כהונה, שולחן, מזבח הזבב, to mention a few! The kids really enjoyed, especially Yisrael who had just finished learning about the משכן and the בגדי כהונה in פרשת תרומה and פרשת תצוה- he participated nicely when the tour guide asked questions to the group, showing how well he had learned these ענינים.

According to what I learned there, the מנורה was not nearly as tall as you'd imagine- the כהן גדול could easily reach the top without the steps- but he needed the steps so that his sleeve wouldn't slide up as he reached upwards to light it. Once climbing up the steps, he would be able to reach straight in front of him to light the מנורה, therefore keeping his arms properly covered (this example of צניעות in the בית המקדש is much less known than the example of the ramp to the מזבח).

This is just one of the many amazing things we learned during the tour, where we were able to see, touch, and even smell many different things that were in the בית המקדש. The last part of the tour was a model of the בית המקדש, which was much more beautiful (and supposedly much more accurate) than any other I've seen.

After the guided tour, we watched a video presentation depicting what it was like to be עולה רגל and bring the קרבן פסח. It was very entertaining for the kids, and made the concept much more real and concrete. They also had an activity center where each child was able to choose a project to make, related to the בית המקדש, as well as a cute skit about bringing the קרבן פסח.

Once we finished our visit in מכון למקדש, we headed down the stairs towards the כותל, and of course appreciated the model מנורה much more (it belongs to מכון למקדש and they display it there). And while davening מנחה at the כותל, surrounded by thousands of other Yidden all being "עולה רגל", I felt much more כונה when davening that Hashem should give us back the בית המקדש- for only one who truly understands and appreciates how beautiful it really was, can really mourn its absence and daven for its return, במהרה בימנו אמן!

Our Pre-Pesach Getaway

Since Bentzi started teaching, he doesn't have much vacation.  Usually we like to do something right after Pesach- when the weather is nice and places aren't crowded.  Only this year, he started teaching the Sunday right after Pesach.  Which meant the only time off he had for Pesach was the week before Pesach, and Pesach itself.   So I hustled and got my Pesach cleaning done early, so that we could have a few days to go away before Pesach started.

So early Tuesday morning, with the kitchen turned over and the house ready for Pesach, we packed up the van we rented (no room for our whole family in our regular car!) and headed up North- our destination:  the Golan/Kinneret area.  We headed up along the shore of the Mediterranean, with a stop in Ikea in Netanya where I got some goodies for the house.  They've got a great (free) "babysitting service" there, where you can leave the kids in this huge play area for an hour- they get proper supervision and we get to shop without five kids in tow (we kept Naftali and Nissim with us).  Afterwards, we treated the family to soft-serve ice cream.

Next we stopped by the beach in חדרה for a picnic lunch and to play in the sand.  The water was cold, so we just stuck our toes in (except for an over-eager Bruria who got her whole skirt soaked!)  Sorry, no pics- I was too busy supervising  and couldn't double as a cameraman!

Then we headed towards our final destination for the day- a camping grounds right off the Kinneret.  We found a lovely beach called "חוף גופרה" which had quite a few frum families - enough for a minyan (I guess we weren't the only ones who finished getting ready for Pesach early!)  We barbequed hot dogs and roasted marshmallows, and finally fell asleep in the tent (thank you Menucha for lending us your equipment!) after a busy but enjoyable day.

The next morning, the kids had a blast playing in the water- the כנרת was much warmer and they enjoyed splashing in the water and collecting seashells while we packed up the tent and got ready to head out (don't worry, they were well supervised the entire time!)  Then we headed out to Moshav Yonatan, in the Golan, to visit our Saba Mordechai.  The kids had a nice time visiting with Saba and munching on the rest of his chometz which he had to finish off!

We had hoped to go on a really fun water hike, the מג'רסה, but when we got there, we found out that the site was closed temporarily.  So instead, we  headed towards טבריה, where we took a small boat ride out onto the כנרת.  We had a fun time seeing the shore from a different perspective, and we even saw a few fish splashing through the surface of the water! 

By the time Tatty davened Mincha (and we had some ice cream while we waited) we headed towards the campgrounds.  Only problem is that by the time we got there...it was closed- apparently they only allow entrance until sunset.  But we had wonderful סייעתא דשמיא and were able to find a nice vacation resort nearby- and we "happened" to meet the manager, who let us stay for the night at a rock-bottom  price.  Not quite as cheap as camping, but the accomodations were definitely more comfortable!

After a good night's sleep, and a filling 5-star breakfast (we were shocked to discover that the products they served were actually הכשרים we use!) we got ready to go home, with one final attraction on the way- we went "sledding" and "skiing" on הר גלבוע.  While it was a bit ouf of place- it was a hot sunny day- we had a lot of fun (especially since I've never gone skiing before!)  Basically, they have special matting laid down on the slope of a mountain, with cold water sprayers, to make it feel a bit like you're on the snow.  The kids had fun sledding down the mountain- forwards, backwards, doubled up, and all four holding onto each other's sleds- and Bentzi and I took turns supervising and skiing down the slopes.  The kids also enjoyed watching their Mommy ski, challenging me to try the more difficult slope- which I must admit was actually more fun!

After a few hours of (hot) fun, we ate a quick lunch, and headed back to Beitar- just in time for בדיקת חמץ!

B"H we all had a really nice time, and came into Yom Tov feeling refreshed.  And the one of the best parts was that we were able to eat as much Chometz as we wanted, without having to do the "chometz dance" and worrying about bringing crumbs into the house!

Shushan Purim in the Zoo!

Since the Friday after Purim was one of the rare occasions that the whole family had off (now that Bentzi started teaching he doesn't get much "בין הזמנים" anymore...), we decided to take advantage of the opportunity, and go on nice family outing to the zoo.  So as Purim drew to a close, I quickly whipped the house back into shape, set the Shabbos table, and got things ready so we could leave for the zoo in the morning. 

There was a real Purim spirit in the zoo- starting with a clown walking on stilts that greeted us at the entrance (the kids asked me, "is he a REAL clown or was he just מתחפש to a clown?!"- I explained to them that ALL clowns are really people dressed up as clowns).  They also had a "Lion" and "Tiger" near the entrance, which Yisrael and Bruria got a kick out of, but the younger kids were too scared to go near them no matter how much I coaxed or explained!

All the zoo staff were wearing headbands with animal ears.  Why, even the elephants had "face paint" (and tushy paint too)!

Now, a Purim riddle for all my dear readers.  What does this picture have to do with Megillas Esther?  Post your answers in the comments below, and stay tuned soon for the answer!

Happy Shushan Purim!

Family Hike in יער מטע

Beitar is situated in one of the most beautiful areas of the country.  When you head out of Beitar and make a left, the road runs through many miles of beautiful forests- the view is quite captivating (which can be dangerous, if you're the one driving!)  Over Chol Hamoed we went for a hike in one of the nearby forests, called יער מטע- about 15 minutes west of Beitar, on the way towards רמת בית שמש.

We took an easy trail- and the kids really enjoyed following the markers and finding all sorts of plants along the way.  We found pinecones, acorns, ערבות (very appropo for Sukkos!), wild berries, and more. 

The second part of our trail took us to an ancient water cave that had been dug up during the time of the Romans, where they would store water to last them during the summer.  Bentzi and the boys had fun climbing inside, while Bruria, Nissim and I stood at the top and took pictures.

We really enjoyed- it was a beautiful afternoon, and we were able to enjoy each other's company amidst the calm, beautiful forests of הרי יהודה.

Our Post-Pesach Outing

After a busy few weeks of getting ready for Pesach, and Pesach itself, we took the kids out for a nice trip. First stop was the Azrielli Observatory, which is on the top floor of the highest building in Tel Aviv. There's a great view of the surrounding area, and they give you a nice audio tour explaining what you are looking at. The kids really enjoyed the view- they've never seen anything quite like that before!

Our next stop was גני יהושע, a beatiful park in רמת גן- probably the biggest park in the country. It has beautiful lawns, a mini-zoo, playgrounds, and a lake in the middle for paddle boating. Naftali was completely captivated by the ducks in the lake (he kept trying to run in after them!)- we weren't able to get any pictures of him with the ducks because we were too busy trying to hold onto him! We got to see the peacock open its feathers, which I don't think the kids have ever seen, and we enjoyed a nice picnic supper before going to play on the playground equipment.

Naftali found a slide which he LOVED- he went on it at least 20 times (I'm not exaggerating!) and probably would have continued had I not taken him away!

After that, we headed to Hod HaSharon, to visit Savta Esther (the kids' great grandmother- Bentzi's mother's mother). We had a really nice visit, and the kids really boosted her spirits and gave her lots of nachas!

Our visit to the "Zoo" in Beitar

Like every Chol HaMoed, the Iriya of Beitar works hard to bring different activities to Beitar so that parents can take their kids out on fun outings without having to shlep too much (or pay an arm and a leg!) This year, they brought a mini-zoo to Beitar- and it was perfect for us! The kids are young enough that they really enjoyed it and they didn't feel "jipped" because there were no big animals like lions, giraffes, etc.

We actually tried going on the first day of Chol HaMoed but it was such a mob scene that we decided to go to a park nearby and try again another day. Sure enough, when we went on the last day (Erev Yom Tov) it was much quieter and we were really able to enjoy ourselves.

The "zoo" was split up into a few different areas. The first room had a bunch of animals in display cases- like lizards, turtles, snakes, cockroaches (yikes!), tarantulas (YIKES!) and the like. The kids really enjoyed going around to see each exhibit- they especially loved the tarantulas (the one pictured below is dead but there were live ones too!). One of the "zookeepers" took a snake out of its cage, and was letting kids touch it and even hold it. Azriel Shraga was the only one who worked up enough courage to actually touch it (and even that wasn't long enough for me to whip out the camera and get a picture!)

The next area had lots of animals for petting- rabbits, chickens, birds, guinea pigs, and a big turtle. Azriel Shraga was pretty scared that the animals would eat him (I have no idea why he wasn't scared of the snake!) and Bruria wasn't too interested either, but Yisrael and Naftali couldn't get enough of it!

Our trip to the .....

Today we took the kids on a suprise trip ....and we sure had a lot of fun! We kept the destination(s) a secret from them until we got there- we wanted to build up some suspense and anticipation! Yisrael was really into it, he kept trying to figure out where we were going....and boy was he thrilled when he saw that our first stop was....

The beach! The kids had a blast playing in the sand, and "swimming" in the water!

After that, we drove up to Ramat Gan and went to the Safari- it was really fun- lots of animals came up close to the car, and the kids really enjoyed seeing them! We fethem some pretzels so that they'd come close to us- and they really liked them- the antelope kept licking our car window, looking for more!

In the main zoo section, we saw an elephant nursing its baby, and we also got real close to the giraffes- we started feeding them plants, but of course the zoo staff caught us red-handed!

Finally, we ate supper in the beautiful park next to the zoo- the second largest park in Israel. The kids had fun rolling around in the grass, and I had fun taking pictures!

It was a really nice trip, but we were all exhausted and happy to come home after such a busy day!

Loads of fun at SpeedyKef

Our major family outing of the summer was a trip to ספידיכיף, a small amusement park a few minutes away from Beitar. We had a blast! They have an outdoor pool with water slides, with separate hours for men and women- and when its not swimming time, there are lots of other attractions for the kids, like bumper cars, jumping castles, a train ride, a petting zoo and more. The kids had a blast in the pool (Azriel Shraga got to go swimming during both men's and women's hours....he LOVED it!) and they really enjoyed the other rides as well.

I really wanted to go on the roller coaster- they have one which is built into the slopes of the mountain- but none of the kids wanted to come and the line was so long that I couldn't justify making everyone wait for so long just so I could get a thrill! So I ended up going on the "simulator" with Yisrael and Azriel Shraga (Bruria REFUSED to even get near it) - it's basically a circular ride where you sit and it spins you around- nothing too fancy- but after spinning a couple times, I just couldn't wait to get off (I guess I'm getting old!) - as soon as it ended, I got off- but the boys both started to scream "Again!" I wasn't sure if Azriel Shraga would be okay without me holding him, but he didn't want to get off- so I let him do it again with Yisrael- he laughed the whole time....they ended going on it THREE times!

As we were about to leave, Yisrael saw the bumper boats- and he did not want to leave without getting a chance! The boats were in a big pool of water, with paddles that you turn with your hands. It took Yisrael a few minutes to figure out how to maneuver the boat, but once he did, he was moving in all directions! He ended up getting soaked because the water splashes into the boat...he was thrilled!

All in all, we had a really nice time!

Trip to the Zoo

We didn't do much this Bain Hazmanim...B"H with four children we don't fit into a regular rental car, and anyways, what are we going to do anyway?!

So our major trip was...the zoo! We really had a LOVELY time! Yisrael and Bruria were looking forward to it for days. We got to see them feeding penguins, and we saw the elephant taking a shower, and Yisrael was thrilled to see a real live giraffe (he had no idea how tall they really were...I guess he didn't realized how down-scaled his plastic toy one is!) We took the train in the zoo which was great- less walking for us (there is a LOT of walking in the Jerusalem Zoo) and the kids got so excited about it!

They have a children's zoo where goats and sheep are loose- Azriel Shraga and Bruria were pretty scared...especially when one goat tried to steal food from our stroller!

Our post-Sukkos family trip

Like most years, we took a trip with the family after Sukkos- its a great time of year- the weather is usually nice, and places aren't crowded because most people don't have vacation then- plus, prices are much cheaper since its not high season. Only this year, since Sukkos fell out so late, the weather didn't cooperate so nicely-lots of rain (which we will not complain about, since Eretz Yisrael needs the rain desperately!) B"H we still managed to have a nice time.

Our first stop was Moshav Yesodot- a chareidi Moshav- where they (obviously) kept Shmitta. It was nice to see the empty fields, overgrown with weeds. We then visited their orchards, where they had oranges, pamelits, and grapefruits growing. Since these fruits are still from Shmitta, they are hefker- so we were able to pick some! We all enjoyed!



After that, we headed to Zichron Yaakov, to Eden Inn, where we would be staying. They upgraded our room, so we ended up getting a nice apartment suite rather than a regular room. Supper was delicious (the kids had fun making a mess!)- and then we tried to get them to settle down and sleep (they had a lot of fun jumping all over us!)- but B"H everyone finally fell asleep, so we could be well rested for Day 2 of our trip!


The next day, we decided to head up to Chaifa, to see the port and the water. We stopped by a great lookout spot at the top of Har Carmel, where we were able to get a great view of the port below. We saw some freight trains as well, which made Yisrael VERY happy!


And then, it began to rain, on and off. So we decided play it safe, and headed for the Israel Railway Museum, which was indoors. After getting lost and driving around in circles, we finally got to the museum- just as it began to POUR. And of course to get to the museum, you had to walk OUTDOORS on a huge bridge that took you to the other side of the tracks. And to top it all off, it was almost 1 PM, and the museum was closing that day at 2. So we waited under an awning for the rain to settle down, and ended up getting to see a few trains pass by. B"H the kids were not disappointed, although they were soaked!

By then, we were all hungry, and since we didn't think that eating lunch in a park would be a good idea, we headed to a mall, where we sat down and ate deli sandwiches. We then took the kids to a kid's gym in the mall, where they had slides, balls, and a few different jumping castles.

After that, we headed back to the hotel so we could wash up and rest a bit before supper. We decided to get everyone in bed early, so that we could get off to an early start the next morning.

But of course, the next morning, we woke up to thunderstorms (so forget all our plans of going to a farm which is supposed to have a really nice petting zoo!) - so we looked around in some travel books we brought with, and decided to head to Ramat Gan, to the "Man and Living Kingdom Museum". We walked in, and the first exhibit was a huge, fake alligator (crocodile? I'm not sure what the difference is!)- which really freaked the kids out, until we explained to them that it was just pretend. There were lots of stuffed animals (not the teddy-bear type) which the kids enjoyed looking at. They had an exhibit about sea turtles, and Yisrael and Bruria climbed under the shells and pretended that they were turtles! The kids really had a fun time- they didn't want to leave (Azriel Shraga made the biggest fuss of all- every time we walked towards the exit, he kept running in the opposite direction!)



Then we headed to Yerushalayim, to see our new niece/cousin (Mazal tov to my sister, Menucha Berg!)- it was cute to see the kids' reactions- Yisrael looked for a few seconds but quickly lost interest (I guess Meir Mordechai's toy cars were more exciting!) Bruria was enthralled- she kept pointing to the baby's different body parts "Baby has little hands, baby has little nose..." - she was so excited when I let her hold the baby! Azriel Shraga just wanted to poke her eyes and grab her- he loves dolls and I guess he figured this was just a battery-operated one!


Finally, we headed home- After three days of running around, it was nice to be back in Beitar, and to sleep in our own beds again (although Yisrael complained that he wanted to go back to the hotel!)