Tu Bishvat - The New Year for Trees – January 18, 2019

The National Tu Bishvat,Event is synonymous with KKL-JNF and for the past 20+ years has been a major activity of the CAARI (Canadian & American Active Retirees in Israel)  group.  It is one of our major volunteer experiences.    

Here, in Israel it is a festival of renewal, a celebration of nature and a holiday of the environment.  It is an event for all ages. 

Thousands of Israelis from all over the country visit KKL-JNF forests to plant trees over the next few days.  It is lovely to see families young and old,  with saplings in hand, walking to the planting sites to plant the green pine sapling, gather the earth around it and say the planter’s prayer.  Many of the children make their own signs and proudly tag their sapling!  With time these saplings will grow and develop into trees that will provide fresh green areas for Israel’s residents and help to combat global warming and preserve the environment.   

 CAARI boarded the buses around 7:30 driving  toward Jerusalem to Mishmar Mishmar Ayalon, located near the area of Latrun.  It was quite a site to see the hillside dotted with the KKL-JNF flags, which located the dug holes to plant the saplings.  Buses brought the people to the site and over the day.   CAARI handed out over 4000 saplings to the happy planters, young and old.  It also gave us a chance to meet and speak with Israelis, help them plants, take pictures of the families and enjoy the festive day!   

Shabbat Shalom,

CAARI 2019 

Community Service, trip to the Tel Aviv Safari and Yemenite Dinner - Jan. 17

The Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan (commonly known as the Safari Ramat Gan) is the largest collection of wildlife in human care in the Middle East and established in 1974. The 250-acre site consists of both a drive-through African safari area and a modern outdoor zoo. Our very knowledgeable guide,  Arad,  guided us through the park, describing the animals and personal stories about them.  Did you know that Yossi, the elephant,  is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the largest elephant in the world?  Too much good Israeli zoo cooking?!  

We also toured the  Israeli Wildlife Hospital, located at the Safari and saw the staff operating on a wounded owl that had been brought to the zoo for treatment.  

Dr. Horowitz, the veterinarian spoke to us about the condition of the owl.    Israelis  listen to Dr. Horowitz daily on radio, giving reports about the animals from the Safari. Only in Israel would you get this.  In addition, in Friday’s paper there was an article on the 29^th birthday of one of the giraffes.  CAARI takes us to the most interesting places. 

By Pearl: Thursday we went to the Ramat Gan Safari where animals roam free including hippos, zebras. ostrich, and Thompson gazelles. There are 13 rhinos here the most of any zoo in the world. We saw the most magnificent Sumatran tiger and beautiful giraffes as well as the largest elephant in the world who weighs 71/2 tons. Chickens and roosters wander the grounds as well. For me, great fun. 

Dinner at the Yemenite Restaurant, Maganda! 

WARMEST regards,

CAARI 2019

Pictures  by Susan,  Pearl and Marcia

Community Service, tour i24NEWS Station and Speaker - Jan. 16. 2019

Well, it is winter here so we expect a bit of rain, wind and cooler temperatures.  That is the weather report today.  

CAARI marches on – the taxis pick us up for our morning community service, back for lunch and off to an afternoon tour.  Today’s tour is i24 News,  a 24 hour TV news station and broadcasts in French, English and Arabic.  Bob Wheelock,  Vice President, Content, spoke to us about the station with great enthusiasm.  He formerly worked for various news USA news stations and now happy to be working at i24 News.

 

By Pearl: This is a remarkable TV station located in the port of Jaffa. It was the brainchild of a man called Frank Melloul And Patrick Drahi who wanted to create a news channel which was impartial and apolitical and accurate.  I have had their APP on my iPhone since last year.  Get the latest international download the APP news i24news. 

After dinner, Miri Eisin, a favorite CAARI lecturer, began her career in the IDF as part of the Israeli intelligence community. She spoke to us about the regional geopolitics. 

Another great day! 

CAARI 2019

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Tuesday, January 15 - Forest Day and Visit to Winery

January 15 - Forest Day! Ah, sunshine, blue skies and warmer temperatures. Perfect day to work in the JNF Forest.  Usually, Tuesdays are our forest days. 

After an fulfilling Israeli breakfast we boarded our bus, with Zaharia, our CAARI driver, and off we went.  Driving along the beautiful Mediterranean Sea is breathtaking!  On to the highway driving towards Jerusalem to the JNF’s Ayalon  Park Canada.  This is a Jewish National Fund  recreation national park covering over 1750 acres. 

Everything in Israel has a story as Neil, our guide tells us. 

And, you can’t go far without seeing some aspect of the work of the Jewish National Fund, from taking care of the forests, to reservoirs, etc. .  Historically, going back to Biblical times in the Book of Joshua, the Park is a site where many battles were fought to control the Ayalon Valley.  

There are also fascinating places in the park to visit, such as an aqueduct, burial caves, secret tunnels, a crusader castle and church ruins.  In addition, it is the Dedication Center for contributors for JNF Canada.  JNF cares for the park's fruit trees and has planted additional trees, along with developing scenic roads, parking areas, scenic lookouts and many recreation areas for all to use.  

It is ‘winter’ in Israel, but this is the time to get ready for spring and summer, when the Park is heavily used.  Israelis love having picnics, taking nature walks and enjoying the outdoors. And…there are lots of picnic tables and places for barbeques.  This was our project today - painting and picking up litter. 

JNF foresters met us at the picnic site, in the middle of the tree shaded area, gave us painters clothes, gloves, paint and brushes and of course ‘schmatas’ to clean the tables before painting.  Off we went to do our job.  We painted the 20 + tables and barbeque stands in a little over an hour.  The foresters were surprised, so off we went to another site and then another!  In total we painted over 80 tables and stands!  Go CAARI!  Now, time for a picnic lunch for us! 

After lunch, on Tuesday January 15 we drove to Binyamina, to the Tishi Winery for a unique wine tasting experience. Tishbi Winery, is Israel's sixth largest and the only winery in Israel who makes cognac.  Back in the late1800’s, the  Tishbi family was commissioned by Baron Edmond de Rothschild to plant the first modern vineyard in Israel.  Everything has a history!  This was  a different kind of wine tasting.  Each type of wine also went with a different type of chocolate.  So, it wasn’t just for wine lovers, but for those who are chocoholics!

On to a short tour of the charming village of Zikron Yaacov and a history lesson, by Neil,  on the founders of the town and some the early pioneers, from the first Aliya! 

Time for a WONDERFUL dinner which we tremendously enjoyed at the Tishbi Restaurant.               

Great day for CAARI! 

Enjoy the pictures!

Touring Bialik Street in Tel Aviv

Today we continued touring one of the older Tel Aviv neighborhoods from the early 1920’s, known as Bialik Street, home to some of Israel’s well known intellectuals.  This included Haim Nahman Bialik, Israel’s National Poet, the famous painter, Reuven Rubin and the first City Hall of Tel Aviv.  One can only imagine, people from this era, dressed in their finest,  walking down this elegant street, stopping to visit Bialik at his home  or Mayor Dizengoff at City Hall.    The architecture of the  buildings range from eclectic to Bauhaus style and very gracious.

CAARI toured two museums on this street, guided by  knowledgeable guides, who gave us insight into what it was like at that time. 

CAARI arrives in Israel - January 10,2019

The 36^th year of the Canadian American American Active Retirees Program (CAARI) has begun!  

We came from Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg,  New York State, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Chicago, and yes, Anchorage, Alaska!  Several of us had been on the program before and were  excited to see each other and welcome the new participants, who are first timers!  And, the weather couldn’t be better – warm temperatures, sunshine and clear blue skies. 

The first order of business was of course, settling into our Tel Aviv hotel, which will be our home for the next two weeks.  The  Metropolitan Hotel is conveniently located between the Mediterranean Sea and bustling Ben Yehuda Street.   What a joy to view the sea, walk along the sea.

In the Orientation Program we selected our volunteer assignment. 

Some of us will be working in a Rehab Center, others in Botanical Gardens and  most tutoring English in Tel Aviv elementary schools.  Dana, the Director of the Volunteers from Education Department of Tel Aviv Municipality, warmly greeted us.  She explained the importance of our work for the students and teachers.   She wants  us to experience rewarding experience and thanked us for coming to Israel participate in the CAARI  3 – 6 weeks Program.   

Following the meeting, we began a tour of Tel Aviv.  Ah, to be outside walking in the fresh air, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather.  It was Friday and the streets, shops, and especially the café’s were filled with Israelis, also enjoying this delightful day.  Neil, our guide, took us down Ben Yehuda, up Allenby Street to Rothchild Boulevard to the ‘home’ of the origins of Tel Aviv and the place where Ben Gurion declared the State of Israel – 70 years ago.  

We were impressed with the innovative presentation as we followed along a golden walking trail .  Neil took us past  heritage sites connected by the trail that meanders through the streets, with explanations and historic pictures on an iPad. We stopped at various sites, such as the work of Israeli artist, Gutman, the Weiss House, which was part of the new neighborhood of Tel Aviv, the place where Herzliya Gymnasia stood, which was the first Hebrew School in Israel,  and the Great Synagogue of Tel Aviv. 

After the tour we shopped in the Crafts Market, had a bit lunch and back to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat. 

Some enjoyed a very lively and spiritual service at the Tel Aviv International Synagogue, which is a CAARI favorite.  We had the traditional CAARI Shabbat dinner with Kiddish followed by an Oneg Shabbat.

Tomorrow is a free day and Sunday we begin our Community Service.  What a thrill to be here! 

Wishing all a Shabbat Shalom!

CAARI 2019