Why We Stopped Using Facebook:

I still remember the first time I was making my Myspace profile back in around 2005. I was in the Air Force and had just moved to Montgomery Alabama from Japan. I was sitting in  a community center for young people in the Military called "The Lookout," and fiddling around making a profile. I thought, "What fun!". I get to pick my own music and create my own background along with listing all the things about yourself. That was the beginning of my life in the social media experience. I'm not sure why I ended up switching to Facebook because I like the features of Myspace better, but it happened nevertheless. Fast forward to my life now in 2018. Life could not be more different. I wasn't a Jew back then for one thing, and was in the United States Air Force in Japan. I've had so many different experiences and along the way have met so many different people who I, of course, end up collecting on Facebook. After many years of the Facebook experience, I think I've realized how Facebook has effected my life and many others. While I think Facebook can be used for good, I think for us it's time to say goodbye to it and here are the reasons why:

First I want to say the things I like about Facebook and will still be using. My favorite thing is actually the Facebook groups. I think they are so useful, for example some of the groups I belong to after moving to Israel are "Dogs for Olim" is a group for people new to living in Israel and who want information on where to get a dog. You get updates on dogs that need homes, or when they are having adoption days. Another group I belong to is the community I live in group which allows you to get information on what is happening specifically in the community,  and ask questions to the locals everything from hours to stores, to getting an onion because I don't want to go all the way to the grocery store, and instead just go a few houses down to a friendly neighbor who is willing to give me an onion. If you have a business, Facebook is a great way to advertise and get connected with people. Keeping people informed and keeping people connected who you might not other wise be connected over the decades I think Facebook is great at.

Now for the downsides. One of the biggest reasons is how Facebook can affect your emotional state. There are a range of emotions you can feel while using Facebook, and feeling good and happy isn't always the primary emotion.  In fact more often than not, it can actually bring the opposite of happiness. Studies have shown that Facebook can make people jealous, angry, depressed, annoyed, and sad. The Facebook feed is good when you find out things you want to know about people, and bad when you find out things you wish you never knew.  It can lead people to be less satisfied with their lot in life. It's the grass is always greener syndrome. Most people do not post their dirty laundry on Facebook (thank G-d), however there are always exceptions. One of the reasons Lashon Haro (negative speech) is so bad is whatever it is you learn about someone, it can change your perception of them for the bad. For example, I've seen some people post their dirty laundry for everyone to see, men posting offensive posts about women's body parts or something, people's political views and how they speak to other people who disagree with them, or public shaming posts. All of these is most of the time are either TMI(To much information), inappropriate, or just annoying and offensive. Jealousy is also a huge reason for unhappiness. I know people who have unfriended people because they saw they weren't invited to a party or something from a "friend" they thought they were close to, and were to hurt by the fact they weren't invited they unfriended them.  There is no end to the amount of things that can make people feel bad and jealous about. https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/2b71df56-1cdb-46a1-9122-4e3d7ed98e59

If adults are experiencing all these negative side effects, then should kids (who are even more prone to the side effects) be using Facebook? This is another reason I am letting go of Facebook. Since I don't want my kids using it, I think it's best to be an example and not use it either. Studies show that teens who use Facebook had more feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness. Since they are still developing they are still learning how to cope with all the different things they go through, it doesn't make sense to give them Facebook and make it even harder for them than things already are.
https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/

 While it's nice to be to able to look at all the statuses of all the people you know on the Facebook feed, I don't think it is really a necessary thing for us to do on a daily basis. Even with the people closest to me, I don't need to know what they are doing every day of their lives, nor do I need to inform other people my daily status. Judaism teaches that every person was put on their earth with their own unique mission that only they can fulfill on this earth. It's up to them to carry it out and help make the world a better place and bring G-d's presence into the world. Facebook can be a tool to help communicate, and it can also be used a a huge distraction from using the precious time G-d gave us in the way that we should. My husband and I are going through the book, "Chesbon Hanefesh," which is about how to improve your character traits. One of the character traits it lists is "diligence" and a short description of it is, "Always find something to do, for yourself or for a friend and don't allow one moment of your life to be wasted." Diligence means using every second we have been given on this earth the best way possible. Every time you waste time you mark down how many for that day and then count up the total for the week. I noticed the most demerits I got were because of Facebook. It's so easy to spend to much time on it and there are definitively more productive ways of using what little time Hashem gave us on this earth.

Not only can going through the Facebook feed by a waste of time, after thinking about the effects of Facebook I realized that it doesn't even really bring me that much joy. If I was going to spend some leisure time doing something that really contributed to my happiness, Facebook does not make the list of one of those things.

Results in poor communication:

Often people will use Facebook as their primary way to contact us, which is fine if you have no other way to contact us because we just met or something, but if you are a close person to us, Facebook should not the be primary way to communicate with close family and friends. People find out family members have died on Facebook rather then people calling them personally to deliver the news.

Negative things Facebook as a company has done:

Facebook is run by we all know the famous Mark Zuckerberg, another fellow Jew. Yet for some reason he does more to protect terrorists than his own people. As well as his new "censorship" of news.

• http://www.newsweek.com/why-cant-facebook-take-down-all-terrorist-content-782598
• https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/17/facebook-and-fake-news-controversy-in-philippines-around-rappler.htm
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiD-pZ1mViY
• Inciting violence against Jews:
• Video: The Big Facebook Experiment: One page incites against Jews. One page incites against Palestinians. Which page will be closed by Facebook?

In the end Facebook is just another tool and we can decide how we are going to use it, like with most everything else in life. I think everyone could benefit by asking themselves,"If life is short, how much should Facebook be a part of it?"

References:

• Quit social media | Dr. Cal Newport | TEDxTysons
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E7hkPZ-HTk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CcPWvnlVBY
• way:https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/108390/jewish/What-is-Lifes-Purpose.htm
• http://etzion.org.il/en/you-shall-not-place-stumbling-block-blind-chazals-metaphoric-approach
• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/01/loneliness-felt-intensely-young-people-study-finds-turning-facebook/
• https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-study-claims-facebook-instagram-and-snapchat-are-linked-to-depression-2018-11-09

Conversion process - Kosher Home part 1: Mezuzas:

Moving into one's first new house is one of those big adult milestones that one looks forward to. We had an additional milestone: we were also were creating a Jewish home. Who knew there was such a thing, but the more we went through the conversion process, the more we learned just how many distinct things you have to do as a Jew that sets you apart from the rest of the world. Orthodox Jews really do embody being, "in this world, but not of this world."

One of the first things you have to do when you move into a new place, is to make sure you put up a "mezuzah" on every door way with the except the bathroom. This is one of the 613
mitzvos(commandments) that Jews are supposed to do, which comes from Devarim 6:9;
"Write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates." There are many things that Jews do that are reminders of what we are supposed to do and what life is all about. The mezuzah is one of those symbols. It is a scroll inside a decorative. The important part is what is inside the casing which is probably the most important Jewish statement reminding us that there is only one G-d. The Shema says: “Hear o Israel, the L‑rd is our G‑d, the L‑rd is One.” It is written in Hebrew on parchment paper.  The Shema is one of the first sentences Jews teach our children and is said every night before we go to sleep. We started saying it when we put our son Cyrus to bed once he was old enough to talk. We must have told him what was inside the mezuzah because when Cyrus was watching Stephan put up our first mezuzah he pointed at it and little two year old Cyrus said the Shema. We had our sponsoring Rabbi and community Rabbi come and check and make sure that we had a Mezuzah in all the right places. Some places need a mezuzah, such as the entry way to our living room even though it's technically not a door way ,which is the part where a Rabbi can help make sure of. A tradition the Jews have is to kiss the mezuzah everytime one enters or leaves the place where a mezuzah is, which I think is because it helps the person with the second part of the mitzvah which is to remember the content inside the mezuzah. The Rambam writes at the end of Hilchos Mezuzah, "Every time that a person enters or leaves he will encounter the Unity of G-d, the Holy Name of G-d." "A person is obligated to be extremely cautious about the mezuzah. (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah, beg, ch 228)

The scroll:

The scroll is what is rolled up inside the Mezuzah case.

The versus are from 6:4-9 and 11:13-21:
Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One.
You shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and your shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, and when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.

And it will be, if you will diligently obey My commandments which I enjoin upon you this day, to love the L-rd Your G-d and to serve Him with all yhour heart and with all your soul. I will give rain for your land at the proper time, the early rain and the late rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be sated. Take care lest your heart be lured away and you turn astray and worship alien gods and bow down to them. For then the L-rd's wrath will flate up against you, and He will close the heavens so that there will be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce, and you will swiftly perish from the good land which the L-rd gives you. Therefore, place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign on your hand and they shall be a reminder between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, to speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, and when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates-so that your day and the days o your children may be prolonged on the land which the L-rd swore to your fathers to give to them for as long as the heavens are above the earth.

These versus from the Torah are written with a special quill pen by what's known in Hebrew as a Sofer(specially trained religious devout scribe) on a handmade parchment from a kosher animal. The Sofer has to be extremely careful because there are thousands of requirements that must be met in order for the mezuzah to be written in accordance with the laws. For example, the mezuzah is invalid if even one of the 713 letters is shaped incorrectly or one of the letters is missing(see links below for more details on what makes a kosher mezuzah).

Judaism has all kinds of things that we do in to remind us I think of what our life's purpose is, and what life is really about. One of my favorite things going through this process is seeing how kids act being brought up as Orthodox Jews. I see kids at Shabbos tables acting rambunctious and crazy with their friends, but on the way home from school I see one of those boys kiss the mezuzah before he goes inside the house, which is an amazing thing to see. Having kids, I see how they get so caught up in what they are doing that they forget about everything else (which adults can relate to as well), and yet seeing a mezuzah can snap an 8 yr old boy out of his daydreams and brings him back to the present, where he thinks about what he is doing. We all need reminders like that in our life, and I'm so grateful for the many that Judaism has to offer.

References:
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/704621/jewish/Mitzvah-Mezuzah-or-Just-Mezuzah.htm

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/256923/jewish/The-Mezuzah-Scroll-and-Case.htm

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/256915/jewish/What-Is-a-Mezuzah.htm

Welcome to Beit Shemesh:

After about an hour-long ride, we arrived at our final destination from the Ben Gurion airport to our house in Beit Shemesh. We got out of the car and started hauling out our luggage from the vehicle.

The driver left, and there we were, all four of us, two cats, and twenty bags of luggage standing outside in the garage of the house and couldn't wait to get inside and crash after not sleeping for 48 hrs. We waited with anticipation as Stephan put the keys in the door hole  and tried to open the door with the mounds of keys he had been given to the house. After many tries he realized it wasn't working and we needed a code. Now what were we going to do? Here we were on a day so hot in Israel they issued a heat warning and were trapped outside with two little exhausted kids and cats. I was about to breakdown right there in the garage but just before I was about to lose it, a car pulled over and stopped. Someone from inside it rolled down their window and said, "Hi, we just wanted to introduce ourselves." We told the nice couple about our predicament and B'H they happen to know the people who used to live in the house before us and knew the code of the house and let us in. There are no words for how relieved and happy we felt. We brought our stuff inside and the next thing on my mind was I wanted to find out was how to turn on the AC. They showed us how to do that also and also had food and water for us.

The first thing we did was pull out the inflatable mattresses and made the kids take a nap because it was still morning time and they needed to rest a bit if they were ever going to get through rest of the day until night time. The rest of the day people from the community stopped by our place on and off introducing themselves, and bringing us welcome gifts like home baked goods, water, and the hospitality committee organized a family to cook dinner for us! Our amazing next-door neighbor offered one of her fold out tables and chairs to use until we got our own, and set us up with a mini fridge right away(I didn't even think of that). She even offered to take me to the grocery store so I could get things and she said she would tell me what things were what since so many products have Hebrew writing on them. I took her up on her amazing offer which was so helpful since we didn't have a car yet. It was such a warm and inspiring welcome and made us feel we chose the right place to land in Israel.

Ulpan Experience:

One of the amazing things about Israel is they give new Olim(Immigrants) five months of free Hebrew education which they call Ulpan. Not only do you get to learn the holy language for free, but it's a great place to start out with because you are usually among people who are going through the same thing you are and can be a good support system. It's also a cultural experience because you get to meet people from all over the world. I met people from England, Russia, Australia, Poland, Yemin, and even a Pakistani couple. It was a diverse group of people from all different religious backgrounds so you learn about people's different view points of things and where they come from. They also take you on trips around Israel with the group which is another chance to bond with everyone, as well as experience Israel.

There were some challenges that I faced during Ulpan. One of the challenges was the intensity of it. It is hard for me to sit for four hrs straight learning a language (and a hard one at that). There was a quiz every week, and homework. It's hard balancing having time to study and do homework, while having to raise kids and all the other things that come along with moving to another country. Time is something that I felt I never had enough of and felt like I was always running. I was placed in Aleph which is the beginners class. Beginners class in my eyes is starting from scratch like learning the Aleph Beis and learning to read with vowels along and going from there.  However that's not what they mean by beginners. In Aleph, they already expect you to know how to read Hebrew and write in script. I knew how to read Hebrew (not like a pro though) with vowels, or read without vowels (which is what we did through the whole class) but did not know script, and they tested us on script on our first day. The next day the teacher spoke me and told her I need to retake the test. So I studied hard, and in two weeks I was able to retake the test again, and this time I passed! While it is mentally challenging to the point where at the end of class we all usually let out a simultaneous groan from a hard day of work, the class does motivate you to work harder than you normally would on your own. There is a lot of reading out loud in class and the teacher often will ask you what the answer is to a question on the board, so you need to be paying attention or you won't get it. You also speak to each other in Hebrew and are expected to know how to ask the question and respond back appropriately.  Even if you are someone who is on the lazy side and wouldn't normally do all the homework, your ego will probably get the best of you and make you study because you don't want to sound look like a noob in front of everyone.

It's was my first time being taught by an Israeli, which was a cultural experience also. I didn't know what to expect because Israeli's are described as the people who are like the prickly pear that grows in the dessert. The plant is hard on the outside, but soft and sweet on the inside. My teacher was not even hard on the outside, she was a very kind and patient person and I loved having her as a teacher. I thought she handled herself very well with all the different questions coming at her and all the people from different backgrounds bringing up controversial topics (not always having to do with Hebrew) but she handled everything very gracefully and with a sense of humor. I feel blessed to be able to have had her as my first Israeli teacher. I think teachers here are more chill and open than I'm used to in the States, which is why I think she handled the controversial questions and comments well because in Israel she said they speak about these things with their students. They can speak about things like religion, politics, and other serious topics. If people learn new things that are true then it's great, however if teachers are teaching things that are not true, it's a problem which is why there are good and bad things to being so open in a classroom.

One of my fellow students blew me away with another cultural experience. He joked a lot and did the Asian squinty eyes thing at me at least twice. When I told people I used to be in the Air Force he asked if I was part of the Kamikaze's and another person in the group also did the squinty eye thing and laughed. I was blown away at how insensitive they were, I wasn't offended but more shocked than anything, because I really don't believe they were doing it with malice. I just think they didn't think about how that could be taken in an offensive way. Maybe because they were from different countries their culture isn't sensitive to things like that I don't know but that was another experience.

At the end of Ulpan, you get a written test and an Oral test. I actually passed my oral test, which was a huge surprise because I said not long ago that I doubt I would pass this class. Every time I succeed in doing something that I found to be really hard, I feel like I experienced just a hint of what it must have felt like for Chris Gardner in the movie "Pursuit of Happiness," when he was told that he got the job he had been working so hard to get. I didn't have time to practice more than an hr a day, and some how made it through. I would practice more before quizzes or tests. There was one quiz every week usually. It feels so good to have completed Aleph, but I will miss the people, and feel so grateful to have had this opportunity.  I plan on working with a tutor about twice a week to practice reading and speaking and having her work on pronunciation with me, and I will continue to practice the things I've learned to make sure I retain the foundation of this amazing language and hope to one day G-d willing be fluent!

Getting off the plane - Thank You Nefesh B'Nefesh!

I gotta hand it to Nefesh B'Nefesh(NBN). The organization was founded in 2002 with the mission to help people make aliyah as easy as possible, and that is what they did for us. They actually pay for people's flights who are making aliyah, along with so many other helpful things which you can check out on their website: http://www.nbn.org.il/nefesh-bnefesh-history-milestones/ A neat thing about flying on a NBN flight, everyone on the plane is making aliyah along with you so there is a huge sense of camaraderie and comfort in being with people who are all going through something similar. As the plane was landing the pilot made an announcement saying after we land we will be entering Israel as Israeli citizens for the first time.

When we finally got off the long 10-11 hr flight from New York, we started our walk down the stairs from the plane. We saw the NBN crew and reporters filming everyone and taking pictures. It's probably the closest thing we will ever experience of what it must feel like to be a celebrity. After everyone got off the plan we all had to get on a bus to go to another location which is where they hold a big welcoming ceremony for new Olim. It is such an amazing thing to experience. Once you get off the bus, there are loads of people singing and cheering for everyone who made aliyah and holding up signs. There is a band playing music, people dancing, and usually The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu makes a speech but that day there was a warning for how hot it was so they didn't have the usual speeches. I  I was actually relieved because I heard that the speeches were long and all I wanted to do after not sleeping for 24 hrs and being on a plane, was go to our place we were renting and collapse! Words cannot do the experience justice. Check out the video to see for yourself:



When the ceremony ended we were taken to the airport and the process of paperwork began. I was dreading it because there were so many people who had to get processed and most had kids so we had to figure out how we were going to entertain them for who knows how long and we were all tired and hungry. Fortunately NBN was awesome and had a little play area for the kids and had another room set up where they could watch a movie. They also gave the kids this big welcome bag full of toys and candy. They had a food and drink spread of sandwiches, chips, cookies, coffee and water. This made the whole process so much easier to get through, and we didn't even have to wait that long. After about an hr there we got through the paperwork part which was all organized and ready for us, and we were finally taken to our transportation (which was also set up by NBN), we saw all our bags, as well as our cats all ready for us (the kids were so happy to see the cats). Now it was time to head to our final destination, Beit Shemesh here we come!

Why be an observant Jew when you don't have to - Yisro Parsha Lessons:

(Originally written by us for Kol Habirah newspaper)

There are so many lessons to take from Parsha Yisro, it’s overwhelming, It is said that this is possibly the most important Parsha. The word Parsha means a portion of the Torah. I find this claim to be interesting since this week's Parsha happens to be named after Yisro (Jethro), who is a very important, yet not a very well known character in the Torah.  He was Moshe’s father in law, and a Midianite priest. He had seven daughters, one of whom became Moshe’s wife (Tzipporah). He gave Moshe some great leadership advice and is used as an example to this day. Yisro was also one of Pharaoh’s advisers during the time when they were trying to figure out what to do with the Jews.  One of the advisers suggested the final solution, the second said nothing, and Yisro advised them to live in peace with them. We all know which adviser Pharaoh listened to. That is when Yisro fled to Midian. Lastly, despite the fact that Yisro was originally an idol worshiper, he eventually became the first Jewish convert.

 We have a special place our hearts for Yisro, being converts ourselves. That, and the fact that Yisro knew how to celebrate.  When Moshe told him what Hashem did, saving the Jews from Egypt, he made a feast and invited people to eat with him.

 Coming from a Christian background, we can relate to have taken part in idol worship, and more fatteringly, being a truth seeker, and rejecting falsehood once we discovered what the truth was. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe sums it up nicely, "This Parsha is named Yisro to teach us that the way to acquire Torah is to follow the ways of Yisro. Search for truth and be critical. Reject falsehood. And when you discover truth, be ready to sacrifice everything for it!"

 People might not be so thrilled at this kind of adventure. One reason, might be that our priorities are of order, or just wrong. Yisro taught the value of making choices based on truth, and also the value of taking care of ourselves by getting help when we need it. Knowing our limitations and taking care of ourselves is a priority that is easily forgotten. So often, we forget to put ourselves on our list, despite it being so important.

After Yisro heard all of all the miracles that Hashem performed for the Jews, he went to look for Moshe. He found Moshe speaking with a long line of Jews answering questions that they had. When he saw this he said, “Why do you sit alone with all the people standing by you from morning to evening. You will surely become worn out… as well as this people that is with you.” ~ Exodus 18:14-17. He essentially advised Moshe to delegate. He had other knowledgeable people be the ones to answer smaller issues, while Moshe would be the ones to discuss only the more complicated big issues. This method of delegation is used in most big organizations such as the military in order to run efficiently. I remember when I was in the military, we were taught this system.  We were always supposed to try and solve cases at the lowest level possible first, before any cases went to the higher-ups. Moshe listened to Yitro (which I think shows Yisro’s importance when you see the greatest prophet who ever lived listened to his father-in-law’s advice (he also asked his permission to go back to Egypt to free the Jewish people). I think we live in a rat race culture of always running running running. A car, if it’s not maintained and taken care of, will eventually break down and run out of gas. The same things goes for people.  You can’t give what you don’t have.

The next priority lesson Yisro taught is living up to the truth, which is the foundation priority of which one should base all of their life decisions on. The big question we most frequently get as  converts is, “Why did you want to convert? It's so hard!” One reason the question is the most interesting to people I think, aside from the obvious difficulties that converting to Judaism brings, is it’s not a requirement to be a righteous person. Judaism teaches there are 7 Noahide laws that Hashem gave to the Gentiles to follow. If non-Jews follows those, they are considered righteous people who have a share in the world to come. Also, why sign up to a group where there is so much hatred toward them that it has its own word?  I think  “why” is a fair question to get from people. We have had people tell us that they don’t think they would convert given the option. I think an important question for people to ask themselves is, if they had the choice, would they still choose to be a Jew?

This goes back to Yisro and priorities. What do we really care about in life? Rabbi Akiva Tatz says that if you want to know who someone is, ask them what they want in life. When we stop and think, what do we really want?  Ease and comfort, or meaning and purpose?  If we think of what we want to see in our lives when we look back on our lives after 120 years, what do we want to have accomplished? What do we want people to say about us? Who do we want to have been?  Selfish, arrogant, honor seeking, entitled, lazy gluttons, or the kind of hero with character that people want to teach their kids about? The people in the Torah are probably the most famous people in the world, and have had the most impact on the world, and yet none of their lives I would say would be labeled easy and comfortable.

The Jewish people have spent the last 3,300 years teaching ourselves and the world that no matter who you are, man is subject to a Higher Power who demands morality and character from every individual.  Could there be a bigger purpose?  The all-powerful, all-knowing, loving Creator of existence cares about every second of your life and created eternity to spend it with you.  Could there be a bigger meaning? I think what is unique to being a Jew, rather than a Noahide, that makes us feel like we would be missing something is, the opportunity to be as close to the Almighty as possible, and the amazing community that Orthodox Judaism creates.  We are required to consciously choose good in every action we take, from being grateful and feeding our animals before we eat ourselves, to wasting time at work, improving ourselves continuously, sacrificing parts of ourselves and our desires that we once held dear in order to be truly good human being. Could there be a greater heroism? Hashem made the Jews his chosen people to be a light unto the nations. How could we miss out on that?

References:

http://www.aish.com/tp/b/lp/48942676.html
https://www.torchweb.org/torah_detail.php?id=141

Our First Shabbos As Israeli Citizens:

7/8/2017, Motzie Shabbos:

Our first eruv Shabbos started off sweet. We received several invitations to go to people's houses for Shabbos meals which was so nice. However, we decided we wanted to stay home our first Shabbos in Israel, since we were still getting adjusted and tired from jet leg. A bunch of  families came by and dropped all kinds of goodies for us to enjoy for Shabbos. Everything from home made Challah, to salt, and cookies made out of Israeli flags that a mother and her kids made for us along with some adorable "welcome to Israel" pictures for us.

One of my favorite things about getting to celebrate Shabbos is Israel is candle lighting time. In Israel, sirens go off around the Jerusalem area to alert people that it's almost candle lighting time. When it goes off the kids running in from outside the house with looks of excitement yelling "it's time for candle lighting" and makes the experience of lighting candles and much more epic sort of experience.

Some of the highlights for our first Shabbos in Israel was my husband, Stephan discovering how much he loved the dovening at Shul Friday night. He said that if we would have gone to that shul last year during our pilot trip he would have demanded that we go to beit shemesh because of how much he loved the dovening. We both love music and at shul there was a lot more singing then he's seen in any shul. Someone was keeping the beat on the bimmah, the acoustics were nice, and they were picking a lot of  his favorite tunes. The weather was hot but comfortable. One of the ladies who was making a meal told me they have Tehillim at the park for kids at 10:15am Shabbos morning so we went to that. It was cute, at the end they give the kids popsicles and other treats so of course the kids like it then. We went to Shul afterwards for the kiddush which was nice. There were a lot of people coming up to us and introducing themselves. We feel we really lucked out on being in Beit Shemesh since we are really comfortable here already in the community because of the people. Later that Shabbos Cyrus had two boys show up and ask him if he wanted to play easing my fears of him making friends.  It was a great first Shabbos as Israeli citizens in Israel for everyone.