Homecoming

Well, we're connected, so I can finally blog. And we're here! What an overwhelmingly amazing experience! Baruch Hashem, the plane ride was uneventful. Leah watched Peter Pan three times - once in English and twice in Hebrew - since it was the only kids' movie available. El Al has sure come a long way - you can watch what you want when you want, and play games, too. That was the focus for the kids. The Ministry of the Interior was on the plane, so they came around collecting our passports and confirming information. That way, our documents were ready for us when we landed. As you probably already know, we wore the T-shirts on the plane, which everyone loved. It was also an easy way to spot everyone at the airport. Before we landed, they announced over the PA system that the largest welcoming group to date came to greet us at the airport - almost 900 people! The Zacks' (which was great for Simcha and Bezalel), Zvi Fass (with Naama via cellphone), Jeffrey Schreiber, the Friedlanders, Tobi and Zvi, Lippy and Maureen, and the entire Spolter crew from Kiryat Sefer (which was great for Leah and Petachya) all came to greet us with signs, snacks, small toys, and many hugs. So many people came over to us and said: "This is the best thing you will ever do with your life." Wow! After the ceremony, which was very moving (I hope you saw the part about the woman who was on the Exodus!), R went upstairs to get the documents (travel and health insurance vouchers as well as an envelope with shekels from the Ministry of Absorption) and I went to get the luggage. Thanks again to Pam and Yair who stayed around until we got into a taxi. Actually, two taxis, since we had so much stuff. The drive to Yad Binyamin was very straight. When we got to our street (Slav), the driver started looking for our house number (32a). On the left we saw numbers 35, 33, and 31, but on the right we only saw houses in early stages of construction. The driver turned to me and asked: "Are you sure your house is ready?" Sure enough, after we passed number 15 on the left, 32 showed up on the right - complete!. We live in a small cul-de-sac with 8 houses, all numbers 32, letters a-h. Ours is the first, so we have our own private driveway, which is kind of cool.
Since we've come, so many people have stopped by to say hello. Our first night, we were given dinner by the welcoming committee in Yad Binyamin. Yair brought us a small fridge from his in-laws, which has been incredibly helpful, as have the many groceries, the electric kettle and last nights' dinner sent from Pam. Yair also took R shopping yesterday to buy a toaster oven, microwave, hot water pot for Shabbos, etc. He first took Leah and Petachya back to his house, so they had a fantastic day. Simcha and Moishie were left here to play with Simcha and Bezalel, and they all spent a few hours shooting hoops at the outdoor covered basketball hoop.
Oleh Chadash (new immigrant) story of the day: Petachya spilled yogurt on one of Ruby's shirts, by mistake, so Ruby went to buy detergent yesterday so we could was his shirt in the sink. He bought a laundry booster that you use with regular detergent instead! I tried it, though, and it still worked! I hung the shirt outside on the enclosed clothes line, and it was dry in two hours!
Our communication situation: We had our phone and internet installed this morning, as you can tell. Our Israeli phone number is: (077) 501-1327. If you're dialling from the US, you dial 011-972-77-501-1327. Our phones are still charging, so you might want to wait a bit before calling so we don't get cut off (it's now 5:07pm Israel time).
Our Shabbos plans: We are invited out for all 3 meals - how cool is that!
I have lots more to say, but I'll spare you for now, and save it for my 3am post, if tonight is anything like last night. We miss you and love you all in the US!