Carmel Forest Day by Barbara and Elliott Rothman (Toronto, Canada)

Shalom,
Today we met wjth a JNF forester, Alon, in the Carmel Forest, the site of the Carmel Forest Fire in the fall of 2011. Much needs to be done to clear thousands of acres of burned brush and trees and CAARI was there to help - we schlepped, carried and piled the brush! We also discovered that we weren't the only volunteers as we met 5 men from the Czech Republic who came for 2 weeks to work in the forest. The other assistants were a herd of goats who come to the forest daily to eat the brush. CAARI worked for the morning and then visited the Memorial to honor the people who were killed during the fire. We also visited the Fire Station and met the fireman who were the first responders to the tragic fire. A presentation by CAARI participant, Mel Wasserman (survivor of 9/11) was made to the Fire Chief. It was extremely moving. We, who attended CAARI last year, remember stopping at this spot last year to recall the tradegy. Another amazing day with CAARI. Shalom, Barbara and Elliott Warmest Regards,

"The Pioneer Spirit" by Mel and Sandy Wasserman

Shalom,
CAARI continues its journey through Israel and enjoying the rich experience. Last night we were treated to an extrordinary dance and song performance! It was lively. colorful and a real slice of Israel! Thank you all who organized this wonderful event!

CAARI's Visit to Zichron Ya'acov
by Sandy and Mel Wasserman
"What's in a name... MORE about yesterday at Zichron Ya'akov" "Isn't it amazing what one person can do! Or rather, one family. Of course financial support has to be there, both initially and for follow up, but the dream and the inspiration and the task commitment is essential. The drive, the determination. That's the story of Zichron Ya'akov, the city we visited on Thursday. Baron Edmund de Rothschild had that dream, the finances and the commitment. The town, resting on a hill, is amazing. Picturesque, quaint... a mixture of the old and the new. Rough hewn cobblestone streets, with restaurants and small boutique stores. Views from the hill are of lush vegetation. And sitting among them, old houses with rich histories, telling the story of Israel's founding, and all within two intersecting streets.
One house, the Ahaaronson Family house, with separate small buidlings. So much history here. The story of Sara Ahaaronson - both a love story and a story of commitment to a cause, determination, and gumption. Bravery and courage.
....and, best for last - our visit to Ramat HaNadiv, The Rothschild Compound! The enormous grounds in which the crypt where members of this remarkable family are buried. Lush gardens - a fragrance garden labeled even in Braille, a palm garden, a rose garden. Landscaping. The bones of the Rothschilds were returned to Israel for burial in 1954, twenty years after the Baron died. The gates at the compound entrance bears the Rothschild coat of arms/family shield.
Lunch at a cafe on one of the two streets that make up the town of about 12,000, Zichron Ya'akov. Then a short walking tour of the part of the town, the old synagogue, the building that housed the administration of the Rothschild operations in Israel, now a museum(The building and museum of the first Aliyah), financed by the Arisohn family. The family founded Carnival Cruise line and Bank Hapoalim.
But of course we visited a winery, the Carmel Winery... and tasted wines, and visited the oak barrels in the basement and learned about the history of wines in Israel and Carmel wines. And had a tasty dairy dinner in the Carmel Winery Bistro. " CAARI is now ready to relax and enjoy their Shabbat weekend! Shabbat Shalom to all!

Tuesday, Jan. 24 by The Wassermans & Whitehill

By Sandy and Mel Wasserman
Shalom! An amazing day today! We went to the JNF (KKL, Keren Kayemeth L'Yisrael) Park Canada forest and pruned trees! The forest is beautiful... not just trees. Made up of hills and valleys, it contains a lake, and picnic areas, and hiking trails... even SHEEP walking through! (Shepherds are invited to bring their flocks so that the grass can remain at a reasonable height) Our jobs were to use either saws or large pruning shears to trim and prune, starting from the ground up, to about 5 feet high. This winter pruning will hopefully prevent fires in the summer. We pruned for @ an hour and a half, stopped for a tea break (tea boiled on the site on a propane tank/stove, with sage and za'atar - YUM,) then worked some more. The sun was out, and it was glorious, as we stripped off layer after layer of jackets and sweaters. Next we drove around, saw more of the hills and valleys, passed the city of Modi'in, a booming new city populated by many Americans, Canadians, Brits. We stopped for a picnic lunch in an area with tables and benches, and even a swing. This KKL-JNF Park, funded and financed by Canadian money, used to be 4 Arab villages before the 6 day war.
We are BUSSSSSY! And loving it.
L'hitroa'ot,SANDY & MEL

by Rosalie Whitehill - Our speaker on Underwater Archeology, Kurt Raveh was fascinating. Never thought about it much......but, as he put it, if there were but one shipwreck a year in the ancient ports of Israel....that could mean as many as 5,000 ships buried in the sand around each port with myriad treasures waiting to be found......and in the film he showed, I realized we had with us, the Jacques Cousteau of Israel.