Sweets from Gd and the Neighbors

Some of the neighbors have sent out messages, that we're all invited to pick fruit from their garden "orchard." I haven't gotten there, but they really must have a lot of fruit if it's more than they, their kids and grandchildren, too, can use.

Other neighbors left out some grapes for passers by to nosh. The note says:

בתאבון

בורא פרי העץ

הופרשו תרומות ומעשרות

BITEI'AVON

Borei Pri Ha'etz

Hufrishu Trumot u'Masrot

HEARTY APPETITE (ENJOY)

...Creator of the Fruit of the Tree (appropriate blessing before eating)

required "tithes" were taken

So Much Doing in Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh

On Friday, Rosh Chodesh Av, a few friends and I made it to  for our traditional Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers. As we walked to the spot where it's believed that the Biblical Mishkan, Tabernacle had stood/rested for almost four hundred years, we were amazed at all of the changes and signs of archaeological digging. We had just been there a month earlier on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz! It's obvious that the staff is working very hard.

Our guess is that they have some great surprises planned for Thursday's Kenes Shiloh #5! I highly recommend attending if you can. Since the event is in Hebrew only, that may be a problem for some of you. But even weak Hebrew will be sufficient if you sit with someone who can translate. It begins with tours of the Tel that cost NS31. There were two basic routes, one for first-timers which includes the movie, and the other for those of us who have been there before, which show updates about what has been discovered. The program of lectures afterwards is free, though the recommended organized transportation does cost money. Use the contact information on the poster below to signup and get more information, for tickets click.

After the tours there are lectures. This is definitely a must-attend event!

Ladies, don't forget to mark Rosh Chodesh Elul, 5776, September 4, 2016, 8:30am for our Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers at Tel Shiloh. If you have more questions about it, please contact me shilohmuse@gmail.com.

Women's Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma

Tel Shiloh Rosh Chodesh Elul

Sunday September 4, 2016

1st of Elul, 5776, 8:30am

Hallel and Musaf for Rosh Chodesh

Tour of Tel Shiloh

Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים ראש חודש אלול

בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

יום א' 3/9  א' אלול, תשע"ו 8:30

הלל ומוסף לראש חודש

יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל

כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

Bilingually Mourning, Shiva in Two Languages

Since the 7 Day Shiva Candle was only lit halfway through shiva for my brother, it's still burning strong.

Or you can also call this post:

The Advantage/Adventure of Being Bilingual!

After close to forty-six, our 46th Aliyah Anniversary is in less than two months, years in Israel I've reached the point where I can rather easily switch between Hebrew and English pretty much mid-sentence. And many of our anglo friends are the same.

Even among friends more veteran here, and there aren't too many, English is still the language we prefer for conversing among ourselves. So while I was sitting shiva for my brother this week, a very good portion of the time you'd here only English. But then, if suddenly a Hebrew speaking neighbor would enter, they'd follow my lead and even mid-sentence switch into Hebrew. At no point did I have over anyone in the anglo crowd totally incapable of following the switch.

Shiloh isn't known as one of those "English speaking" places like Gush Etzion or Ramat Beit Shemesh, but there are quite a few anglos and bilinguals from birth, like my kids can be called. They are the Israelis who grew up hearing, and usually speaking, English at home but functioned in Hebrew outside. So, they appear to be regular Hebrew-speaking Israelis, but not only do they know English well, frequently as if they had been a foreign country, their culture and sense of humor are very binational.

That's it for now. Today is Friday, and I have so much to do... Back to ordinary life, thank Gd.

Sign is down, and Shiva is over

Street Art- Decorating the Neighborhood

One night when I was walking around the neighborhood I saw that someone was starting to paint the shelter that is now used as a Shabbat synagogue, the Senior Citizens activities and a few other things. When I passed there again a few days later, in daylight, I discovered that some serious mural painting had been done. 

The painting of buildings and store shutters, like in Jerusalem's iconic Machane Yehuda, is a very popular genre of public art here in Israel. 

There have been other buildings so decorated in Shiloh, but these pictures are different from the "fun stuff" usually seen here. I'm not quite sure what the artist had tried to portray. Is it Ancient Biblical Shiloh, Jerusalem or just total fantasy?

The new storeroom next to the shelter was also painted as you can see.

Women's Prayers on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz

As our custom, we'll be gathering in Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, on the first day of the Jewish Month of Tammuz, which falls this year on Thursday, July 7, 2016. We pray, as did the Biblical Chana, silently-without fanfare/media and directly to Gd. We do sing Hallel outloud. Please join us!

Women's Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma

Tel Shiloh Rosh Chodesh Tamuz

Thursday July 7, 2016

1st of Tammuz, 5776, 8:15*am

Hallel and Musaf for Rosh Chodesh

Tour of Tel Shiloh

Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים ראש חודש תמוז

בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

יום ה' 7\7 א' תמוז, תשע"ו *8:15

הלל ומוסף לראש חודש

יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל

כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

*כצת מוקדם בגלל החום של קיץ
A bit earlier because of the summer heat 

Here in Shiloh, there is plenty of space, and the shechina Gd's presence remains from days that the Mishkan Holy Tabernacle rested for 369 years, from Joshua to Samuel the Prophet.
Chodesh Tov!

There's lots more to do at Shiloh Hakeduma besides our monthly prayers, so I suggest that you contact them and visit. For more information call 02-994-4019. 

As if Time Stood Still

Yesterday at the pool, I noticed that I was the only one in the pool and saw the clock said almost 9:30am. That meant that any second youngsters (under 18) would be allowed in. I wanted to savor every last second of peace and decided that I'd wait to leave the pool until the children entered the gated part. I would leave as entered.

I was just a could of meters, about six feet, from the ladder at the deep end. I kept on treading water, moving my hands and feet rapidly, yes, exercising, looking at the clock and then looking towards the girls. I could feel my muscles straining, but I didn't stop, didn't go  under, didn't relax and float on my back, didn't dive under. The clock said 9:31, then 9:32.... maybe the clock was slow. Could be. I kept watching the girls, the clock, moving constantly, keeping my head up, my body active.

The girls got closer, and they got closer. The clock already said 9:33 or was it 9:34, when the girls finally entered the pool area. I dove under, towards the ladder. Then I grabbed the bars and pulled my feet almost to the top and climbed out just as the first girls jumped in.

Those extra minutes were glorious and good exercise! And I had a wonderful time in the pool.

Of course, you must understand that I can't show you anyone in the pool...

Such heaven, bli eyin haraa, living in Shiloh.

Yes, The Shiloh Swimming Pool is Open!

I was away in New York for the Grand Season Opening of the Shiloh Swimming Pool. I try not to miss pool days, since our season is terribly short, barely three months. And it's closed for what is considered pleasure swimming from the 1st of Av (Jewish Month) until the 10th of Av aka "the Nine Days." But for various reasons, I had to go when I went, so I did. And I must admit that Gd was with me on that and still wanted me to exercise in the water, so He arranged for me to stay with a friend who has a swimming pool in her building that can be used by guests, which I did very happily. In my modest bathing-suit, and the fact that at the hour my friend and I went, there was hardly anyone there but the lifeguard, and the fact that we were there for health reasons, I don't consider it problematic. 

Once I returned home, I got out the outdoor pool gear, yes, as you can see, the dark plastic glasses, hat and a bathing suit which looks more like an outfit I could wear on Shabbat or a trip to Jerusalem. It has a flowered top, 3/4 length sleeves and a regular-looking skirt with "built-in" shorts.

The Shiloh Swimming Pool, as you can see, is actually two pools, a regular swimming pool and a wading pool for toddlers. There's lots of grass for sitting, plastic chairs and playground toys for the kids. In addition, there's a snackbar in which you can buy all sorts of treats and food. And of course, there are toilets and showers.

There is "separate swimming" only at the pool. Children under five (or is it six?) can be with the opposite sex.  Also, children under a certain age must have an older person along to watch. And the best thing is that the first hour and a half and the last hour before closing are "adults" only. That makes it much more pleasant.

PS I don't "swim." I exercise, do my version of water aerobics.