Israel - select pics - batch 2

As promised, here is the second batch of select pics from Israel. A third batch is already being prepared. In the photo above, Barry flaunts his fresh box of Marzipan rogelach. They are so tasty!


From left to right: Avi, Sandy, Barry, and Ian sift through dirt in order to find ancient artifacts.


A tree grows in Brooklyn.


The only way to start your day is with a bagel and Snapple. Just ask Shaby.


A shuk is a fun place to shop. Just hold onto your wallet...and pockets...and valuables. OK, it's not that fun.


Sunrise at Massada.

What is really amazing is that the Kotel is 4 times taller than it appears, but most of it is below ground level.

The view from Massada.

Hello G-d. It's me, Margaret.

Someone remembered to wax the floor.

Captain Hook made a wrong turn and wound up at the Israel Museum.


Dave and Fux.


An anti-disengagement parade in Jerusalem.

Avi on Massada.


The military cemetery at Har Herzl.

Dr. Love

Photo batch #3 is coming soon.

The Tale of the Missing Camera

As promised earlier(June 17th), here is the story behind Sophia's missing camera:
It all began on a warm Jerusalem evening when Sophia, Shaby, Barry, and I discovered that we were locked out of our hostel after missing the 1 AM curfew. We opted to wander through the city in search of a motel. We stumbled across the Miran Hotel, an extremely sketchy old place with warped floorboards and skewed wall dimensions. It was like being in a funhouse. Soph and Shaby wound up sharing a bed, while Barry disappeared into a sunken sofa-bed matress. I slept on the floor atop a pile of couch pillows. The next day, we vacated the dumpy hotel and hopped a cab back to the hostel. From there, Soph grabbed a shuttle to the airport, and flew home. Before doing so, she was horrified to discover that her camera was missing - along with all 140 photographs she took while in Israel. It was made the duty of Barry and I to find her missing camera. It was either in the creepy hotel, or in the cab. Either way, the odds were stacked against us. "Don't tell me the odds" I defiantly stated. "Agreed", Barry responded. And the search began.
The two of us ventured back to the Miran and faced off against the suspicious desk manager. He denied having found a camera and told us to get lost. I told you he was suspicious. We came back later, but the night manager was just as cold. We decided that there was a decent chance that the camera had been left in the cab we had taken. Luckily, I remembered the name of the cabby, after having read his license out of sheer curiosity. His name was David Cohen, and our search continued.
Barry and I had heard about a lost and found place for taxis in Jerusalem, but that turned out to be pure fiction. We soon learned that all the cabs in Israel look alike, and there are over 70 companies. The next day, we hiked through the hills of Jerusalem, in the searing heat of the Israeli sun. Beyond the sweat which caked our eyelids, we spied the headquarters of one of the bigger cab companies - Rehavia Taxi.
Barry and I burst through their door and demanded to know whether they had an employee by the name of David Cohen. "Yes, we do. Here's his cell number". Too easy! We called him up, and learned that he was the cabbie we were looking for. He had the camera. We met with him a few days later and retreived it. I'm writing this all from the Barbara Frum Library in Toronto. Barry and I just returned the camera to Sophia a mere few hours ago, and she was so happy to have it back that she offered to buy us lunch.
I know, I know - this was not the most thrilling blog post you have ever read, but know this; Losing something important to you, and then retreiving it again against all odds is an amazing thing. When push comes to shove, you should never give up hope. There's always a chance things will work out and you'll come out on top. And who knows, maybe you'll wind up getting some lunch in the process.

New Israel pictures coming (really) soon!

Israel - select pics - batch 1

Here's the first batch of pics. I just got back last night and I'm still feeling a little jetlagged. The image above is a portrait of a camel drag queen. Enjoy.


A burger shop owner in the old city of Jerusalem. All the shopkeepers like to stand outside their stores during the day to escape the heat emnating from their kitchens. They tend to pose dramatically.


When I was davening at the Kotel, a bunch of photographers approached me from multiple angles and started taking pictures of people, including myself. Very inconsiderate. This is one of them.


The camel has enough eyebrow hair for the both of them.

Sophia and I at the largest Birthright mega-event ever. 5000 people, including 500 Canadians. Soph surprised me at a supermarket and joined my bus on its way to the show. I still look a little dazed in the picture. Those are her sunglasses. See the webcast of the event.

Sunrise at Massada. We climbed before dawn (on about 2 hours sleep). It was worth it.

A moment of reflection at the Victims of Terror memorial at Har Herzl. Unfortunately, the PA has not followed up on its promises to help halt Palestinian terror.

The soldiers that joined our trip. We lived and travelled together. Laughed and cried together. I already miss them.

A dove on the Kotel.

Barry and Shaby after their honeymoon! I wish a hearty 'mazel tov' to the happy couple. Nah, they are not really married. Kinda looks like it though, eh? Check out the Arabic coke in Barry's hand. We got it when we were in the Muslim quarter.

A tower in Tel-Aviv by the shore. This was photographed just before we left for the airport in order to send home those that were not extending their tickets.

Is this not one of the strangest signs you have ever seen? This kid is stuffing an ice cream cone into the face of a smiley girl. Also, if you give it a second glance, you'll notice that the hand on her shoulder is a man's hand. Fun kibbutz, spooky sign.

Soph contemplates the nature of existence while perched on a ledge opposite the Kotel. Next to her rests the infamous lost camera. (More on this soon.)

Yartzheit candles burn at the tomb of King David. A fire broke out (see above), but no-one seemed to care since it was on stone and seemed to be well contained.

Check back for more images in the near future. Any feedback may be left in the comment section.

cabs and cameras

Sophia misplaced her camera after staying in a sketchy hotel (a story to be told in a future post) and we believe that it was possibly left in a taxi. Barry and I spent a big chunk of the day hiking through Jerusalem in search of the famed Taxi Lost and Found building. We didn't find it, but we miraculously got the cell phone number of our cabbie. He hasn't been answering it. Now, Barry and I are going to give the driver's cell a few more rings before getting ready for our final Shabbat in Jerusalem (for now). I must add, we had a lot of fun today. Searching through this city was by no means a chore. It is always an adventure.

For he's a jolly-good fellow

My boy Barry and I have been travelling Israel for the last 2 and a half weeks, enjoying all the country has to offer (,which is a lot!). We have rafted down rivers, climbed mountains, stayed in creepy motels, and even had the opportunity to ride invisible bikes after reaching a hallucinatory high from sleep deprivation brought on by staying up all night to study on erev Shavuot. Whenever I want to see an attraction Barry is not particularly into, he generously accomodates me anyhow. He endeared himself to the rest of our hostel by sharing a box of Marzipan rogelach. This lad has a big heart, and it comes as no surprise that his alter-ego is called Dr. Love. After having known Barry for nearly the full of my twenty years, I must say that I am one hell of a lucky guy. No-one could ask for a better friend. As far as I know, the two of us were introduced a few months after my birth (May 3rd, 85). I declare this post the commemoration of 20 years of amazing friendship. If the next 20 are half as great, they will be amazing. Thanks for everything achi. Oh, and remember pal, "I'll do kiddish".

from Israel

Blogging from a foreign country is always fun, but this place doesn't feel foreign at all. I feel as if I am home. I'm in a hostel in the Jewish quarter of the old city as I type this. I don't have the capacity to upload pics or share much info yet - I'm just posting this so that in the future, I will be able to brag that I am an international blogger extraordinare. When I return (June 20th, G-d willing), I'll share some stories and the pics to accompany them.