Learning Never Ends

Yesterday was the beginning of our seventh week in Israel. While living in Baltimore, I traveled to Israel about 25 times, but this is the longest I've ever been here at one time. 

Looking back over the last 6 weeks, we've accomplished so much! We've been to a dozen official government offices. We've accumulated a whole data bank of information about Israeli driver's licenses, post offices, pharmacies, cell phone plans, insurance, banking, grocery shopping and the necessity of taking notes on the seemingly random opening hours of places where we do frequent business.

We've hired plumbers, handymen, installers and delivery men by the score.  We've unpacked, uncluttered and learned how to do laundry.

We've written checks for furniture, appliances, the first installment of our daughter's tuition bill in Israel and a used car.

This is what our used car looked like when it was new... 10 years ago!

We've learned how to exchange dollars for shekels, how to wire funds locally and internationally and how much postage it takes to mail a letter within Israel.  We've gotten a credit card, checks and ID cards for our medical plan.  We shopped at 5 different places to buy textbooks for our high school student and signed up for ulpan.

We've done a lot!

In the early 1980s, the US government issued a postage stamp that I loved so much, I bought a poster- size version and kept it in my office for years.  Little did I know how relevant it would still be 30 years later.

So yesterday, when we went to the airport to greet five families and two singles from Baltimore who were on the last charter flight of the summer, I was thinking of how much learning awaits them.
They are even newer newbies than us!

To the members of the Furman, Roshgadol, Sharaby, Singer, Spotts, Staiman and Werner families who just made aliyah from Baltimore (and Columbia, MD) and whose learning curve is just beginning:

WELCOME HOME!! 

Scott Furman and family - photo courtesy of Jacob Richman

Karen Furman - photo courtesy of Jacob Richman

Leora Roshgadol (with Beth Gordon whose already been here a few years) - photo courtesy of Jacob Richman

Sima Sharaby - photo courtesy of Jacob Richman

Singer Family - photo courtesy of Jacob Richman

Spotts Family - photo courtesy of Jacob Richman

Arky Staiman with me and Elan

Werner Family - photo courtesy of Jacob Richman