Home Sweet Home! Givat Ze'ev, Israel

Givat Ze'ev is 'Home Sweet Home' for me. Since I am a whole lot 'country bumkin', and a whole lot less 'city girl', I chose to live on the outskirts of the inner city of Jerusalem. Givat Ze'ev is located in the Hills of Binyamin between Jerusalem and Modiin. It is absolutely beautiful, yet as with any community, we have our share of the good, the bad and the ugly!

SHUSHAN PURIM AT THE ZOO

Celebrating Purim with the Children

I made my annual visit to the zoo on Shushan Purim and celebrated with a mixed crowd of animals, some furrier than others, and weirdly some even had human faces. Midget Royalty paraded through the zoo park: a host of kings and queens, princes and princesses, cohanim, butterflies and ladybugs, and more. We all know that Purim is not Purim without children showing off their costumes and painted faces. Yet, you often wonder who are enjoying showing off their little ones in costumes more, the children and babies or the proud parents and grandparents. Especially when you observe a young child attempting to pull his wings off or quickly snap his head off, or makeup smeared from ear to ear which makes you contemplate as to what or who they were originally, all the while parents are frantically trying to keep them together in one piece, at least until the photo shoot is over.

A Variety of Birds at the Jerusalem Zoo

Quite a variety of birds find a comfortable homing place at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo. Colorful cranes with their gangly legs referred to as 'sticks', and elegant, twisted necks which makes for a lot of fun as you watch them and put together the puzzle of which neck and head belongs to which body. Rowdy little ducks and swans grace the open waters, while those on the wild side are found homed in huge pens. I personally used to find this caging of birds and animals difficult to deal with since I felt the wild should have their liberty. But, when you learn of all the horrific poaching of wildlife in the animal kingdom, you have to sometimes realize being caged is safer in many ways. Especially since so many wild animals are on the list of extinction in the very near future.

Animals at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem

I'm not so sure that the animals were not somewhat confused at seeing baby tigers and lions, plus other baby animals being carried in the arms of that odd species called "human beings"! But none of the disguised babies were abducted by the incarcerated species of creation. Yet I wonder who was observing who as each species ganged up on one side or the other, the human and the animal, and you wonder whose more the 'odd balls', you or the monkeys! What are the animals thinking about the human species gaping across at them? I guess that is why monkeys are not my favorite animal to observe. Their conduct and mannerisms fit too close to home.
The favorite entertainers of the day were not the elephants or the monkeys as in years past, but it was the bears who stole the show!

MISHLOAH MANOT FOR PURIM

The celebration of Purim symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The customs of Purim include exchanging food portions with friends and neighbors, giving gifts to the poor and underprivileged, holding a festive meal or banquet, and most important is the reading of Megilat Esther. I was on the list of several friends, including my synagogue, as a recipient of their generous mishloah manot delivered directly to my front door. It really gives an older person a warm feeling to receive surprising gifts of such generosity. May we become a partner with Hashem and triumph over the wicked Haman of our generation!