Post Box Rehovot

Risa, coming to you from beautiful downtown Rehovot reporting on a historic "find". A genuine relic of a bygone age. You heard it here first. (maybe) 

This post box is a reminder that from the end of the World War I until the declaration of the State of Israel on May 15, 1948, Palestine was governed by Great Britain as a mandate of the League of Nations. With 63 years of paint it might be just a bit difficult to see but there is a crown there above the words POST OFFICE.

Winter Friday in Rehovot

Nothing says Israel more than Friday noontime downtown. People are coming and going with their last minute purchases and there is a general feeling of rushing to get ready. By 3 PM (summer or winter) everything is closed or closing down. Religious and the not yet religious alike are winding things down in preparation for something that unites us all. Shabbat, shabbos, sabbath. This is Israel's day of rest. No matter how you define it. 

My daughter Racheli and I met for conversation, coffee and quiche on Friday. I met her on the busiest corner of  downtown Rehovot. The one where these three men have been singing for many years. They brighten even the grayest of Fridays making getting ready for Shabbat special. 

Racheli and I spent almost two hours at a lovely cafe and bakery a few blocks from this crosswalk where the proprietors had enlisted this gentlemen (dressed as I'm not so sure exactly what) to brighten our coffee date. 

Have a great week everyone!

Old House in Downtown Rehovot

21 Ya'akov Street in Rehovot is one of the remaining old homes built in the early days of the city. Way before it was actually a city. Most of the homes of that era have been razed to make room for apartment buildings, as you can see behind the tree in this photo. Number 21 is still in good repair. I wonder how long it will be before the owners are tempted to sell the house to developers?

 On Tuesdays, just post any photo you like (it must be one of your own) that contains the color RED and then link to this blog.

Sunny Day in Rehovot

We got quite a bit of rain last week but for the most part we have been having very mild weather here in Rehovot. These photos were taken  walking on the main shopping street (actually the only shopping street) Herzl Street.

 On Tuesdays, just post any photo you like (it must be one of your own) that contains the color RED and then link to this blog.

Aging in the Computer Age

Computers for Every Age is the name of a program for helping older adults learn to operate and enjoy our digital age. Yes, the Government of Israel and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee started this program to help golden agers take advantage of the computers and especially the Internet. Last week I became a volunteer instructor in this program. I tutor one on one in a special classroom with a  few computers in the offices of Aleh (על"ה) which is Rehovot's very own Association for Aiding the Elderly. It's been around since the 80's with the mission of improving the quality of life for Rehovot's elderly.

Lecture about Internet use at Cafe Aleh this week

Besides the dedicated lessons there are also two computers connected to the Internet to be found in the Cafe Aleh in downtown Rehovot. The lovely cafe, run by volunteers serves coffee and cake all morning and folks come in to be together, socializing or playing cards or reading the newspaper. They have two computers connected to Internet and a few times a week there is someone there to answer questions and give tips about using the computers. On Wednesday mornings I am that 'expert'.
Many of the folks I meet are using a computer for the first time. I show them how to use email and to search for articles and sites in their field of interest. Another popular topic is using the Internet for making doctor appointments through the various HMOs here. Not surprisingly a big hit with this crowd is using Skype to keep in touch with the children and grandchildren.
Besides helping introduce people to the fascinating world of modern communication. meeting people at Cafe Aleh is an education in modern history. These people, in their seventies and eighties are the generation that built the state. They are the younger survivors of the holocaust, the young soldiers of the infant Israel Defense Forces and the young people who came in groups with Aliyat Hanoar (Youth Aliya) before their parents or without their parents in the early days of the State. They are people who remember the ma'abarot (temporary housing) in one of the worst winters Israel has seen (1950 when it snowed even in Rehovot).
I am learning just as much as I am teaching!

New in Rehovot!

Rehovot's municipality has been hard at work redoing the playgrounds in our area. Above is a brand new facility installed in place of what was a really run-down example of neglect. The workers completley dismantled all the old equipment, built the new paths and installed the colorful new stuff. They also put up those sunshades solving a really annoying problem. In summer that colorful plastic is very very hot and not fun to slide down at all. These shades should make the playground more fun to hang around in the hot summer mornings. Also, there is no grass so I imagine that will save the taxpayers money and conserve water. The periphery  of the park is planted with flowersbut that area is fitted with drip irrigation. All in all it looks like a nice deal. One thing still missing - some benches. Hopefully they are on their way! 

For more Straight Out Of the Camera go here

Summer's coming...

Spotted at the market in Rehovot!


and while looking for red in the market I came across these as well:

On Tuesdays, just post any photo you like (it must be one of your own) that contains the color RED and then link to this blog

.This lovely badge was created by Leora from Here in HP.

Springtime in Rehovot

I took this picture on my way to work this week. The Jacarandas are blooming and it's a very colorful time of year. Israel doesn't really have spring. The weather gets warmer and then colder and then warmer again from mid-March until the beginning of June each time the warmer spells get longer and the cooler ones shorter until it's just hot, uncomfortably hot or unbearably hot and then it's winter again for a short time. Spring is marked by colors and these lovely trees are some of the happy colors of Rehovot at this time of year.  

Join the SOOC fun here and here

Playmates

Sharing the simple pleasures of clothespins and granola my two youngest granddaughters have a quiet moment together as the sunshines in.

Find more of SOOC (Straight out of the Camera) HERE.

Rehovot! What's new? What's old?

The view from the bus stop

Today, it's raining, hard. Just what we need after all the dry years we've had. Thank God, this is what we pray for. This storm, and it is a storm, is expected to last until Monday, comes just as we celebrate Purim. Kids won't be able to parade around in their costumes this year. I'm sure that's more than a little disappointing to many of them. 
Another event that won't be happening in Rehovot on Sunday is the kickoff of Rehovot's 120th birthday celebration. That has been postponed until next Friday morning. (Rehovot lovers abroad, that gives you a week to get here!) 
In honor of this milestone I am planning a few posts about Rehovot's history. This is not your Ari Ben Canaan (Exodus - Leon Uris, not Moshe Rabennus's - for those of you too young to remember) story. But it is interesting in other ways. 
Most people who think about it associate Rehovot's history with orange groves. The lament is that now the concrete is taking over the old orange groves. 
Well, before the orange groves, there was the idea. You know the one. Returning to Zion. 
Most folks attribute this to Theodore Herzl, who certainly helped organize the Zionists and put the idea out there. But 1890, was six years before he published his book The Jewish State (Der Judenstaat) and seven years before the first Zionist Congress. 
Jews returned to established Jewish cities, Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberius and Safed over the years and by the 19th century there were communities in all these cities.  Petach Tikvah, was the first attempt to establish self supporting agricultural communities outside these cities in 1878. The first 9 of these settlements were all supported by the Baron Rothschild. 
Rehovot was the tenth settlement founded. It was started by middle class business people and merchants who got together money and bought 10,000 dunams of land from the Arabs of Khirbet Duran. 

Rehovot's founders (Epstein, Cohen, Kaplan and Gluskin)

Among the group were members of 'Hovevei Zion' (Lovers of Zion) from Warsaw. Hovevi Zion were religiously observant Jews who helped financially support the early settlements. The story goes that the group approached a woman for support and she asked, "If you are so excited about helping the settlements in Eretz Israel why are you still in Poland?" When they thought about it they realized she was right and decided to put themselves where their money was and organized 'Menucha v'Nahala' (the economic and social organization which actually bought the land and set the legal framework for running the settlement) and the rest is history. 
Oh, and the trademark orange groves were first planted in 1904. 

Proteksia, Democracy and Priviledge

A Mother in Israel is hosting Haveil Havelim this week here. She calls it the No Protektzia Needed Edition. So go exercise your democratic right to read interesting posts from the JBlogsphere.
In other democratic notes, Rehovot residents go to the polls to elect a new mayor today. The one we elected last year was convicted of graft so now we get a chance to figure out how we went wrong last time. Here's hoping we do better this time around.
We spent Shabbat in Mitzpe Ramon where we attended the culmination of Chodesh Irgun Fern Chassida and Baila both have posted about this Bnei Akiva tradition. It's the kick-off month for the youth activities. My youngest daughter is in charge of the girls organization in Mitzpe Ramon this year. In the picture above she is welcoming the newest members to the fold. The fourth grade girls are given a certificate of membership and they were very excited about it. The kids and their young leaders had stripped and painted a shelter during this month and on Saturday afternoon everyone and their parents turned out to see the fruit of their labors. They did a lovely job and it looks like it will be a great place to meet and hang out and maybe even learn something. The ceremony included a rousing flag waving presentation pictured below. I feel so lucky and proud to be here in Israel and see Jewish children waving our flag. After all these years I still feel it's a priviledge.

Celebrating Creation!

On April 8th early in the morning Rav Simcha HaCohen Kook Rehovot's chief rabbi recited the blessing עושה מעשה בראשית (Birkat HaChama commemerating God's creation of the sun on Wednesday the 4th day of the week.)
Rav Kook (a nephew of the Rav Kook) prefaced this bracha which was heard by many Rehovtites who gathered outside one of our major synagoges by saying that this was the fifth time since the founding of Rehovot that Jews gathered here to mark this occasion. This particular ceremony takes place only once in 28 years. He took a shesek fruit (loquat) which he picked that morning and recited the shehechyanu blessing over it as well. This blessing praises and thanks Hashem for keeping us alive to reach these important occaisions.
Because this happens only once in each generation there is something very powerful about coming together, in Eretz Israel, and hearing the shehechyanu on the fruit of the land. Everyone was very moved.
This year the blessing of the sun coincided with the morning of erev Pesach. This is taken by many as a possible sign of redemption being close. (Rav Kook pointed out that another sign mentioned in kabalistic texts is an earthquake in Rome.)
After that we went home, ate breakfast and went out to burn the remains of our chametz.
May we be priveledged to eat our Pesach sacrifice in Jerusalem next year.
All of us, together.
Amen

Dummy Elections in Rehovot Today!

Arutz 2, Israel's second channel is holding mock elections in Rehovot. I was told that Rehovot was picked because our election results in the last elections came close to reflecting the results for the country as a whole. Pretty neat, huh?

I love elections (I think it's an American thing) and I have very strong opinions. I usually know who I'll be voting for way before the elections and I'm usually enthusiastically committed to my party of choice.

This time I'm whats known as a 'floating vote'.

But since even us undecideds will eventually make a decision (I do not hold not voting as an option) I went downtown to stand up and be counted. To make a long story short. I voted Likud.
Although I am not Netanyahu's biggest fan (putting it mildly) I am impressed with many of the names on the list. I am pleased that I will be represented by two religeous women, one of them even from Rehovot! I might still change my mind before election day, but for now I'm fed up with the 'unity' in what used to be the national religeous Zionist camp and see enough like-minded folks in the Likud, who might actually get something done this time around.

Some photos:
Labor (Avoda) presenting it's raison d'etre
Action at the Likud table and Tzippi Who?