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!

IN SEARCH OF THE RED CALANIYOT

Every year in early spring the south of Israel is covered with red Calaniyot. On short notice, I packed up my faithful partner, Gypsy, and headed in that direction on a beautiful sunny day caught in between our miraculous rainy days in search of a photographer's dreamworld, the fields of red. But this year the weather has been so sporadic that instead of red, I found field after field of brilliant yellow.
And never to be disappointed as a photographer, the most enjoyable event was watching Gypsy's first encounter with a herd of cows. She was the entertainment that made my day! Only a wire fence separated her and the cows, although she tried and tried to dig a hole and crawl under - unsuccessfully. Finally, she sat and wimpered and cried, rolling over and prancing around until surprisingly she caught the attention of several whose curiosity got the best of them and they came to greet her. Nose to nose, tongue to tongue, they licked each other with yukky, sloppy kisses as I laughed and laughed for some some time watching her silly antics. I eventually coaxed her back to the car and drove off with her whimpering and woofing as if she were leaving her newfound friends for the last time, which in all reality, is probably true.

On the return trip, I finally saw red! There was a small patch of the red hanging out on the side of the road. I felt Hashem didn't want to disappoint me. It was as if He put the red flowers there just for me. I can just hear what you're thinking - Yeah! Right! - Okay! So humor me! At least I succeeded in getting the most wanted photographs of the day for my library!

VISIT TO NEOT K'DUMIM

I met with my friend Marcy who was visiting from the States and her first stop on tour was a morning visit to Neot K'dumim.
Neot K'dumim is a Biblical Reserve which lies between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The paths are strewn with plants found in scripture, and the hills are covered with groves of bushes and trees imbedded throughout the Tenach.
Marcy planted several trees in her mother's memory. After our visit together, she went one way and I decided to stay to photograph the luscious scenery.
The early morning mist enveloped the atmosphere and a mystical mystery filled one's soul, leaving one with a sense of being translated into the wonderment of Gan Eden. Yet, one is always left with more questions than answers when walking among the ancient places of Israel.

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