Forest Day - "Spring Cleanup" for CAARI by Ron and Marcia Bercov

"On Tuesday morning the CAARI gang, dressed in work clothes, set off to work in Horshim Forest. This place holds special meaning for guide Neil, who served in the army as a soldier under the command of the son of our host, Yashke. His son, Hezi Sapir, died in reserve duty service of his country, on 11 Novemvber 1994. Yashke, Hezi's father and Emalia Hezi's mother(z"l) and sister Miri, dedicated one of the JNF forest's in his memory. On this morning there were a few different tasks to perform, among them painting picnic tables, trimming tree branches, weeding, and for my group, working on a preliminary path through the forest by widening it and lining the sides with stones. Fortunately, other people handled the axe! I just found stones and some larger rocks for the border. When the job was finished, the path looked very inviting." After the group completed all their tasks we hiked the lovely Cyclamen Trail to an overlook. Ah, the spring flowers are so lovely... pinks, whites and deep red anemones covering the forest ground. Neil explained what is known as the 'green line' where Israel is the narrowest from east to west, viewing east both the Israeli and Arab communities on the pre 1967 line and looking west to the sea and seeing Tel Aviv from this overlook.
"Unfortunately, or maybe not so, at that moment the winds started to blow fiercely. We hurried back to the bus, and set off in search of a sheltered place to eat our picnic lunch. Susan and Neil found a community centre nearby in Alfei Menashe, where the staff welcomed everyone, set up chairs and tables, and provided a comfortable space out of the wind and rain."That evening we celebrated Tu B’shevat. To learn more, stay tuned..."
Sending best wishes from Israel,
Shalom,
Ron and Marcia

Farewell and Shalom + visit to Palmach Museum

Greetings!
What a wonderful weekend in Tel Aviv. After a cloudy and rainy week, the sun came out in all its glory and CAARI enjoyed ever minute! Friday is a free day so many took advantage of the crafts market, walked along the beach, had coffee at the cafes - just to be outside was wonderful!
Several of our particpants who were here for the 3 week program departed back for North America and new participants arrived. Lots of hugs for all!
Monday, after our community service, we visited one of Israel's finest museums - the Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv!
We are looking forward to a another busy week including the TuB'shvat celebration.
Our Best,
CAARI 2012

Marilyn and Florence reading their CAARI Poem!

A Friday in Tel Aviv by David Rosner (Winnipeg, Canada)

Shalom,
There I was, minding my own business, walking through the Shuk HaCarmel (very crowded market) in Tel Aviv, when I was attacked by a South African make up artist! Before I knew it, I was seated in her chair and she was applying white base. Colors hit my face. Trims and highlites finished the job. I was stunned when I looked in the mirror.
Who was that person? All that, and it only cost me 20 shekels (five bucks).
I was barely into the process and photographers started to flock like bees to honey.
On my way home I was stopped by a photographer and his daughter is a stroller from Vienna.
The desk clerk at the hotel took several pictures which he claimed he was putting on the hotel facebook.
This is one of them.
Enjoy the weekend.
David

My CAARI Experience by Dolores Orlove

Hi,
The proverb "variety is the spice of life" depicts what CAARI provides people - volunteering to tutor English in schools, assisting patients in rehab centers, visiting innovative kibbutzim, experiencing forests planted in sand and helping to clear them, listening to lectures concerning the successes and challenges of Israel...and offering opportunities for individual interests, as for me snorkling in the Red Sea and smearing mud at the Dead Sea. But most important to experience the 'wonder of the people of Israel for what they have accomplished in 64 years. Shabbat Shalom, Dolores Orlove (Skokie, IL)

Carry on CAARI - rain or shine! by Anice Stark

Greetings and Shalom,
It has been like coming home, expecially since we are staying at the City Hotel, a place that we started out in 1995. Of course, it has changed in the years, but many employees remember us from that time. And...the City Hotel employees are very special. We have a very freindly and cooperative group, lots of first timers and many returnees. Everyone has been impressed with our program and the places we have seen. Everyone loves going to the schools, helping the kids with English and helping the patients in the rehab centers. Our first forest day in Canada Park which was special for the Canadians. We worked in an area we hadn't been before, pruning trees, and picking up the branches we lopped off. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we had a picnic lunch in the Park. Israel, or at least Tel Aviv, has been blessed with rain since we have been here, no one complains as we know how precious it is and as we drive around we can see the winter wheat is green and growing - a benefit of the rain. Anice Stark (Toronto)

Greetings, Another week - rain, rain go away! After a record of 29 days of rain, there is no sign of it stopping But, should we complain? People here pray for rain and there are real results because of it. The winter wheat is as high as I have evern seen it at the time. The ditches are filling up, the water levels are rising, the results will be seen when the drier weather comes in.The rain, whch, is so badly needed, has barely made a dent in the CAARI program. Warm jackets and an umbrella are in vogue and only a slight rearranging in programming.

Carry on CAARI!
Anice

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

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,