Our Adventure Begins

Snowed in at Newark Airport (December 26 & 27, 2010)

Due to two feet of snow, Newark Airport was closed, and we spent two nights in a hotel. Here's the view from our hotel room on the night before we were supposed to leave.

The hotel was so full of stranded passengers, that we had to leave our room after the first night and wait in the lobby during the day for a room for the second night.

We set up a laptop computer and watched a video while we waited for a room. (We finally did get a room for the second night.)

Arrival in Israel (December 29, 2010)

After a ten-hour flight, we arrived in Israel. Here we are collecting our baggage (8 large duffel bags, five backpacks, and a trumpet).

We took a taxi to Yeruham. Here is a view from the taxi.





Getting Settled

Here's our home in Yeruham.

There are no streets in our neighborhood, only clusters of houses built around courtyards. Cars are parked on the periphery of the neighborhood, and then you have to walk in to get to the houses. Here's the view from our front door, looking down on the courtyard.



Here is our living room.

Here's our kitchen.

Here's Margalit's room.

Here's Medad's & Asher's room.

Here's the bathroom. It is divided into two separate rooms (toilet in one, sink & shower in the other).

We dry our laundry out in the sun.

At bedtime, we read books together.

Our Neighborhood

We live next to a big park. It has a playground with giant slides.

The city pool is in the park too. Here's the front entrance.

The pool is closed for the winter. (Winter is 60 degrees at night, 70 degrees in the daytime.)

The park also has outdoor fitness equipment.

There is also an indoor fitness center with a workout room and gymnasium.

Here's the city library, which is across the park from us.

And here's the performing arts center, which is across the street.

And next to the library is the cultural center where they have classes for adults and children in pilates, yoga, ballet, judo, ceramics, painting, drama, dance, etc...

 

The City of Yeruham: A Walk Down the Main Street

Yeruham has a population of 10,000 people. The main street runs from North to South and is about two miles long. From our house, it is a ten minute walk to the center of town, where the supermarket and the children's school are.

Here's what the walk looks like. There are lots of places to sit along the way.

Many people live in apartment buildings like these.

This is the municipal government building.

Here's a local hardware store.

This is the supermarket.

And this is a new neighborhood at the other end of town.

Medad's and Margalit's School

The school that Medad and Margalit attend is called Kol Ya'akov.

The school has many small buildings. Medad's classroom is in the building on the right.

Here is the first grade building where Margalit is in one of three first grade classes.

Here is the central administration building.

 Here's Margalit after school. She is wearing her school sweatshirt.

And here's Medad.

Here's Rachel picking up Margalit & Medad after school.



Outside the school is a felafel stand. Yum!

Asher's Kindergarten

Asher goes to kindergarten four blocks from home. His kindergarten is called Gan Tamar.

Asher eats lunch every day at kindergarten. Today he had roast chicken, couscous, salad, and chocolate cake. Can you find Asher in this picture?



The Desert

Here's what it looks like outside of Yeruham. The nearest city is Dimona, 11 kilometers away.

That's all for now from Yeruham.