Four Days in the Holy Land: part 1

Although I have been back from my trip for almost a week now, I am finally finding the time to post on my blog, so here are my reflections from my trip... thanks for sojourning with me!

Written 9am (Israel time) Tuesday 9/16

I arrived in Israel on Sunday afternoon 9/14 for a four day trip. My purpose: recon

• Mission: Pre-Aliyah Pilot Trip


• Reconnect with the Land --- check


• Cry like a baby at the Kotel ---- check


• Meet and connect with other people in my field --- check


• Find a neighborhood to move to in which we will feel welcome, but not feel like we’ve just transplanted our American lifestyle to a different country ---- working…!

Yesterday I walked all over Yerushalayim. I started out in Arnona (southeast of the center of town), my SIL’s lovely apartment, walked all the way to the center of town, bought minutes for my pay-as-you-go Israeli cell phone, bought a fresh carrot-orange juice, and kept walking. I got on a bus at the Shuk (market) to get to Givaat Shaul. Those of you who were in Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (my post-high school yeshiva in Israel) in it’s first 3 years will appreciate this! The Nefesh B’Nefesh office is in Beit Ofer!! So I got off the bus at the Angel’s bakery and walked the rest of the way – and as I contemplated my reflection in the store windows, I had to wonder who that married woman was, because I was certainly 18 again! It was such a pleasure!

Then I kept walking! I walked down to Ramat Beit Hakerem, near Shaarei Tzedeck hospital, to meet with a dear friend of mine named Michal Schonbrun. Michal is that main proponent of teach the Fertility Awareness Method (aka: FAM – a way of becoming completely aware of how a woman’s body works and what those cycles really mean!). She is also beginning a workshop for religious women on intimacy, and I can’t wait to hear more about how that goes! I’m so impressed with Michal! It was so wonderful to reconnect with her. (Her website is _____) And look out for her name in one of my upcoming newsletters!

After that, I decided I was done with walking for the day! I took a cab back to Arnona, and a bus back into Mercaz Hair (Center of Town) to meet up with another friend of mine, Hadassah, and her friend. We ate greasy, delicious burgers at Burger’s Bar and talked about communities in the Shomron, in the Gush, what to ask when I go out to see neighborhoods, and we talked about our visions for the future: mine to start a Family Health Center, Coralee’s to fly in a hot air balloon, and Hadassah claims it’s to go to DisneyWorld, but I know there are more exciting things in your future, Hadassah!

Plan for today:

Going out to Kochav Yaakov this morning. It’s a settlement north of Jerusalem. Then coming back through Jerusalem to the gush to visit my friend Shoshi in Neve Daniel and my SIL in Efrat and see some of the neighborhoods in the Gush.
I’ll keep you posted!!

Love, Ayelet