Bring our boys home

קיבלתי את זה בדא"ל

ביום חמישי 31/08/2006 תערך עצרת הזדהות עם החטופים. העצרת תתקיים בכיכר רבין, ת"א החל משעה 19:00.

נכוחותם חשובה ביותר ! - מחזירים את הבנים הביתה ! אנא העבירו הודעה זאת לכמה שיותר אנשים ! תודה !

I just recieved the above email, it roughly translates to say: Demonstration for the kidnapped soldiers on Thurs at 7pm at Kikar Rabin, Tel Aviv. Bring our boys home and spread the word.

See you there.

Weddings and Photo's

Mc D's at the Airport
Originally uploaded by BritishYosef.

Just a quick post as shabbat is minutes away. More photos are online on my flickr account, these are from a friends wedding last Monday night. More to come next week, another wedding and a planned trip to Tel Aviv.

Shabbat Shalom!

New Photos on Flickr

Every so often I get a call from a friend in the UK to tell me I haven't blogged in a while. Something I am quite aware of, but it was his way of saying "hi, how are you?". There are a few reasons I chose to blog less, one day I might go into them.

Internet obsessions come and go, last summer it was blogger, this year it is facebook, and my current favorite is flickr, and I have been spending time making sure there is more material there. Check out some of my new photos, including a wedding I was at last week, and a lovely Shabbat I just spent at En Gedi, except for the slight sunburn.

It was great to be away for a weekend, no need to cook, and spend two days on tiyulim, in the pool, and simply reading a book. I would highly recommend the Eretz En Gedi resort, this was the second time I have visited the place, and would certainly go back again. It's inexpensive but without compromising on quality.

Work continues to be good and even though we're edging towards the end of the summer, more friends arrive this week and the fun is just beginning.

Worlds View of the Headlines

Three weeks into the escalation on the Northern boarder, everyone has their own theory as to what will be next. Meanwhile, tourists are still enjoying holidays in the centre of the country, and most people have adapted their lives so to keep on living. Some watch the news much more, others self impose a media blackout. In honesty, there is enough out there for you to choose what you want to believe.

Here are a selection of the days headlines:
Fighting to End in Days - Ynet (Israel)
Hopes of Peace Rise - The Times (UK)
UN considers Lebanon truce text - BBC (UK)
IDF to Stay in Lebabnon - Haaretz (Israel)
Fighting Rages as Diplomats debate at UN - CNN (US)
Israeli warplanes strike Beirut as Tel Aviv braces for rocket fire - Middle East Times
Ceasefire? Not so Fast - Ynet (Israel)

The worlds eyes are on Israel, away from Iran, and no one really knows what will happen in the coming days and weeks. As far as I can see, too many civilians have been killed and too many soldiers have died.

War aside, not much has changed in the ten days since I last posted here. I have had a full house with friends here from London, Seattle and San Fran, and tomorrow some more friends from the UK arrive to stay for their summer holidays. Work continues to be good, although I should probably be working rather than writing right now, and the weather is heating up.

On a personal note, things are slowly gearing up for a new chapter in my aliya. University is not far round the corner, and the decision not to move out of my apartment this summer means there is one less thing to worry about until January at least, I just have to focus on making sure the rest of the loose ends tie up nicely.

On Thursday I'll have been here twenty months. Time flies.