Beach Day, First Time in Decades

Yes, that's me in the water

The other day a couple of friends and I went off for a very short beach day. The last time I may have gotten fully wet in the ocean at a beach was well over forty years ago. I don't remember much about the water, since I was busy taking care of my three daughters who were pretty small at the time. My strongest memory of that day was the awful sunburn I got on my back. It was probably the worst sunburn I've ever suffered. As a child, being the "dark one" in the family, I was never considered sensitive to the sun, so it was a real shock when I found myself burnt.

This week's adventure was different. First of all, it's part of my:

• Why not? Let's do it.
• If not now, when?
• Take advantage of every opportunity.
• Live it up...
• Pleasures of retirement. 
• Etcetera...

We had a full day together starting with our weekly Tanach, Bible studies, then lunch in IKEA, my first visit there. For ages, I've been calling myself: 

"Probably The Only Person Who Has Never Been To IKEA." 

Now my husband is the sole holder of that title. And since he doesn't like shopping, he may hold it even longer than Queen Elizabeth has held hers.

IKEA was chosen as the lunch venue, since not only is it strictly kosher, but it also charges relatively little for a meal. If you're wondering if I bought anything in IKEA, just a little thing to prop up my phone and some paper napkins. I wasn't even tempted by anything else.

Since we had guessed that the beaches would be empty, and we wore modest bathing suits, we went to Palmachim Beach. It was a good choice. The end of summer vacation meant that few people were there. It's also a lovely beach, clean and with all the facilities we needed.

We took turns falling, but I had no problem getting up.

As an extra treat, we had some ice cream. I must admit that I ended up tasting some of the beach water, which was saltier than I had remembered. One thing that surprised me was the oily feel of the water. I don't remember ocean water as oily. Please don't tell me that it's pollution. Since we sat on folding chairs, the same ones we had taken to Shakespeare last week, oops I still have to blog about that, we didn't get full of sand. I must admit that I didn't shower off before leaving. The natural ocean water was a pleasure after three months of pool chlorine.

The trip back to Jerusalem was without delays, and miraculously I made it in time for a Shiloh bus. Again Gd was good to me, since Yermiyahu Street was clear, and the ride home was relatively fast and uneventful.

"Joys of Retirement" for sure. We must do it again.

Astounding Growth, Shiloh's Elementary Schools

September 1, 2019, first day of school

Thirty-eight years ago, September 1, 1981, the Shiloh Elementary School, Ohel Shiloh, opened its doors, yes doors since each class was in a separate small building, for the first time. There were eighteen students in three classes, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades.

In 1981, Shiloh was a small, rather isolated community which was trying to grow and expand. It had been decided that in order to attract more families, make life easier, more attractive and provide employment opportunities, they would open a school.

A local school was one of the factors that helped us decide to move to Shiloh, even though our eldest daughter would have to travel to Ofra. There weren't enough "older children" to have more than three classes. For the first school year, the classes were in new prefabricated homes that Arik Sharon, as Minister of Housing, had brought to Shiloh. Even though the summer of 1981 brought a record-breaking number of new families to Shiloh, most of the houses were empty. It was good to have the school using three of them.

The following year, the school moved down to the neighborhood near the Tel Shiloh, and more prefabricated buildings were brought in for the growing school. A few years later a proper school building was built in the "Middle" of Shiloh, between Tel Shiloh and our neighborhood over a mile up the hill. Preschools and the Infant Day Care Center were also built in the area. More buildings had to be added to the elementary school, as it reached eight grades plus separate classes for boys and girls. As the school continued to grow, especially since students came from nearby Eli, Maale Levona, Shevut Rachel, Shiloh Valley hilltop communities, Southern Shomron and  Jordan Valley, two separate schools were set up, one for the boys and one for the girls.

My youngest child graduated 8th grade over twenty years ago when the school was still relatively small and hadn't yet been divided. I've had little reason to enter it, more accurately the schools, besides Election Day, for many years. And the voting booths/stations are set up in the building cloest to the entrance to the schools' campus. Since there's now a maze of buildings, I can't even point out the original one, where I had been the girls gym teacher for many years. Davka, this week my I accompanied a friend in one of the buildings in the middle of the campus. She had to bring something to one of her children. If I hadn't been with her, I'd still be trying to find my way out.

Here are a few pictures of Ohel Shiloh Elementary Schools circa 2019, 5779-80 on the Jewish Calendar.

One of The Bonuses of Walking

Like most walkers, I walk to keep fit, lose weight etc. And besides having to periodically buy comfortable walking shoes, which should be worn even if you don't walk much, it's free. Yes, unlike most other sports, fitness methods, classes, pool memberships etc, walking doesn't require an expense.

OK, maybe you'll need a sunhat and sunscreen, but many sedentary people have those for lying the sun and floating on rafts, cruising etc.

So, besides the frugality of walking, there's an added bonus, views, sunsets, sunrises etc. Last night I scheduled a walk with a friend, so I'd see the golden sunset. All it cost was a few calories, and I wanted to lose/spend those anyhow.

"Where's The Beer?" Jerusalem Beer Festival 2019

Doug taking notes

Last night, as I wandered around the Jerusalem Beer Festival with my beer maiven and mentor, Doug Greener, sampling the latest Israeli commercial craft beer creations, I began to feel confused. Are all of these new "beers" beer?

In previous Jerusalem Beer Festivals, the dominant taste was the "hops" some with various flavorings. Last night, granted that we were, davka, going for new beers, the word we all used the most to describe the beers was "fruity." The cherry beer pictured above, looked and tasted more like cherry soda.

oats and wheat

We tasted a very unusual "date beer," which could be made for Passover, since there's nothing in the ingredients of the forbidden chametz. I suggested to the beermaker that he markets it as a Biblical drink, since there's a good chance that dates had been used way back when, as an alternative for grapes.

After awhile and lots of sample drinks of the new versions of craft beer, all I wanted to say was:

"Where's The Beer?"

Most of the beers we drank were pleasant tasting and rather fruity. The IPAs had a nice kick. But contrary to other years, the dominant taste of hops was missing. Can it be beer sans hops or tasting more fruity than anything else?

Many of the beers we sampled, and I trust Doug to write a more detailed report, were closer to flavored fizzy wines and fruit-flavored sodas. I didn't taste the blonde beers, since I don't usually enjoy them.

Besides the smaller craft beer companies, some of the larger Israeli beers were at the fair as were some foreign ones. They served more of the classic bitter beer. I guess that the small craft brewers have found it better not to compete with those big successful companies. Craft beer brewers look for a different niche/customer.

I suggest you try for yourself. The Jerusalem Beer Festival 2019 is open tonight, too. Opens at 6pm in Independence Park, Gan Haatzmaut. Even if you don't like beer, maybe you'll davka like the beers that don't taste all that much like beer. Some people go to the Jerusalem Beer Festival just for the music and party atmosphere. There's all sorts of food for sale from a variety of food trucks.

Your opinions are welcome in the comments.

Just one more thing about flavored beer. There may be kashrut problems concerning manufactured flavoring ingredients in the various beers. If you have any questions, ask the brewer. Many I saw and met last night appear Torah/kashrut observant, but ingredients are more questionable out of Israel. The owners may not even understand your questions about kashrut.

At least the whiskey didn't pretend to be beer.

Looks Dangerous To Me, Slip-Sliding Around

When I was walking in Jerusalem last week, I noticed a new "attraction" in the First Station. They set up some sort of "play area." OK, but this "play area" is a synthetic surface, kept wet, and the kids are supposed to run around, play ball, fall and slide.

It makes me very nervous.

I'm glad that my sons are too old, my older grandson too timid and the younger ones too young. Or am I just nuts?

Giant Jug in Israel Museum Found in Shiloh

If you wander through the Israel Museum, as I sometimes do, you'll find this enormous jug in the Archaeology Department. Shiloh, yes, where I live, is more than just a vibrant town. There's a fascinating archaeological and tourist site, which is nicely maintained and always adding new and high tech exhibits.

Shiloh is the Biblical Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for almost four hundred 400 years. Shiloh was the spiritual and administrative capital of the Jewish People before King David ruled from Jerusalem. It was in Shiloh where Hannah prayed for a son.

In addition to seeing the jug in the Israel Museum, you can go to Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, and see its original location. The site is open to visitors Sunday-Friday. For more information: Phone: 02-5789111, Fax: 02-9948011, visit@telshilo.org.il.

You can get to Shiloh by car or public transportation, Egged Taavura buses 461 and 463.

Shiloh is more than just another archaeological site. It's one of the Jewish People's holiest places, and many people come here to pray. For well over a decade I've been inviting women to join me on Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the Jewish Month, which is traditionally known as a Women's Holiday.

Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers, Ellul, Sunday 1st of Ellul, 5779, September 1, 2019 at 8:30am, Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh. For more information email me shilohmuse@gmail.com, subject: Rosh Chodesh.

תפילת נשים בראש חודש אלול תהיה יום א', א' באלול, ,8:30 1-9-2019 בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה. לפרטים נוספים , shilohmuse@gmail.com subject: Rosh Chodesh.

This is where the jug was found almost forty years ago.