Steinbergs in Israel - Shabbos & Carllebach

Just sitting in our seats at the HA'UMA convnetion centre, waiting to see a Carllebach concert - 17th anniversary memorial concert. We've really taken to his tunes because the Mayanot Shul we go to across the road from us is a 'happy-clappy' Shul - a bit different but fun and full of ru'ach.

Shabbos night there were 11 people inc. us crammed in our tiny kitchen for Shabbos dinner, eating food that we bought from the M.Yehuda Shuq. It doesn't get much more Jerusalem, Nahlaot than that. Had a really nice evening with Tzippi&Elie Furst from 5-towns Long Island. They are here for their son's BarMitzvah at the Kotel and they also came with their niece who's studying in Tzfat. It is amazing the connections that you make with people you've never met before - Elie's Auntie is Ella Blesofsky (principal at B.Rivkah) and Tzippi is old friends with Devori Reicher (our v.good friends and v.good neighbours). Shabbos lunch we invited Jeremy Herman (orig. Sydney) who we met at Mayanot. We sat outside on our back verandah and shmoozed and ate. Very nice.

We've had a great Shabbos with Beth too. And the Rabbi (R.Gestettner originally from Sydney) has invited me and a group of guys to go to Hebron next week and stay there over Shabbos - parshat Chayei Sarah. This is supposed to be one of those annual awesome experiences in Israel - around 20,000 people go to the Ma'arat HaMachpela (camp out over Shabbos) to hear the Torah reading of when Abraham buys the Ma'arat. We will have an apartment there and will be going to the Chabad Farbrengen's etc. This experience should rival Birkat Cohanim at the Kotel. Apparently there is a large hall that the Muslim Waqf open to Jews only twice a year - this is one of them. Beth will be staying with Rochelle at Nahlaot.

Girls finished school Friday and they've had a great time the last month there, and made some nice friends. We bought some cakes for their class and their classes gave them a going away present with personal notes, etc. A very good experience...

Oops the concert has started....

P

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Blog online: http://steinbergsinisrael.blogspot.com
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Jerusalem address: 27 Narkis, Nahlaot.
Telephone: (03) 9015-9718 (local call in Australia)
Telephone: +972-(0)52-3396805 (in Israel)
Time: Melbourne Aust (AEST) minus -9 hours (e.g. Melb 10am=J'lem 1am)
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