Shalom from Bernie and Joan Hulkower (posted Jan. 27)

Sholom,
Besides the fact that I love being in Israel the other thing I love this year is our I Pad. Just to be able to sit at the desk in our room whenever we feel like and keep connected to you all is a modern miracle.We have had some great and insipiring times. On one of the first days we went once again to the Independence Hall where Ben Gurion declared the State. one of the statements that our guide made was about the beauty of Israel and how the world needs Israel. One thing she said that we cannot relate to is how difficult it is for each and every Israeli to send their sons and daughters off to the Army.where ever we are and look around every person has been in the service of their country. This results in the overwhelming love and feeling for their country. One evening we had Kurt Raveh, an underwater archeologist, who came to Israel from Holland as a volunteer in the Yom Kippur war and stayed to become a leading archeologist in recovering ships and artifacts that are deep in the sea from thousands of years ago. His greates find was the Jesus ship that is now on display in Tiberius at Nof Ginosar.On Tuesday we worked in the Canadian Forest Park pruning over grown trees and clearing the area of branches. After our hard work we had a picnic lunch of tuna and egg salad bagels.Yesterday while the group went north to Zichron Yakov, Bernie and I didn't go because we went in the evening to Shula's grandson's wedding. But during the day we went to Beit Reuth, a long term rehab Hospital where I used to work in, to visit my friend Fanny. She has been a patient here for over 15 years. Smart ,bright, speaks 5 languages remembers that B is a Leo. The problem is that she is a hemi plegic from a bullet sustained when her father came home one day and shot and killed her mother and put a bullet in Fanny's head. She is now 34 years old and loves it when we come to visit. Every other weekend she goes home to BeerSheva to her sisters house,and they have a dog that she adores. Many of the patients are long term there that recognized me from year to year as well as the staff, even though I haven't worked there for many years. This morning we did our usual treck to the Carmel Market but when it started to rain on the way home we took the sherut back. I love the Sherut. It's a mini van that holds ten people and stops at any corner that you flag it down and stops when you are rewady to get off. But the best thing is that as you get on you go for the first seat and then pass the money to the driver from hand to hand till it gets to him and then as needed he sends the change back to you in the back . Pretty cool.That's all folks.Shabbat ShalomLove J&B