Welcome

Before I start sharing about my life here I want to catch you up on what happened on October 12, 2011. Three major events occurred :

The news that Israel has been waiting for for what seems like forever is finally reality! Gilad Schalit, now 25, was captured by Hamas on June 25, 2006 at a cross-border raid. He has been held hostage at an unknown location at the Gaza Strip. Aside from one letter and one videotaped message, his parents have received no signs of life from their soldier son. Ever since that day, Israelis have wished for his release. Every day that passes the Schalit family loses hope that they will never see their son again. On this day, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) sealed the deal with Hamas that Gilad Schalit will be freed only in exchange for the release of 1000 Hamas prisoners- Palestinians serving prison sentences in Israel, as well as all female and underage Palestinians convicted and serving sentences. Although this will likely increase Hamas’ motivation to attack Israel and abduct more soldiers, at least Gilad is free! The Schalit family will be whole again in just a few days.  http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=241512 When an Israeli is abducted the whole country suffers and feels as though they have lost their brother. Its’ situations like these that make Israeli’s such strong people and create such a close-knit community.

            This day marked the first day of Sukkot (plural for booth in Hebrew). It is the holiday, which the Jews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to The Temple in Jerusalem. During this holiday you will see many makeshift booths covered with plant materials like tree branches or bamboo. This structure is intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dealt with during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. The holiday lasts seven days.

This day also marked my three -month anniversary of moving to Israel. I can not believe I have already lived in this unorganized, rude, balagan (crazyness) of a country for already three months. Where does time go?