RJ

Hello everyone,
I would like to do a blog on my friend RJ. He made his first trip to Israel this summer. He landed in Israel at Ben Gurion Airport on August 31st and went straight to Eilat. He loves scuba diving and what better place to do it than in the Red Sea in Eilat. The same Red Sea that Moses brought the Jews to before entering the Promised Land without him.
Here is a picture of him diving in the Red Sea:

Isn't that cool? Wouldn't you like to be under there swimming with the fish, but, watch out for the ones that would like to eat you. RJ would like to let you know the only disappointment he felt after diving was that he was unable to catch a big fish for my Mitzi. Oh well, better luck next time.

He spend a whole week there and then on to Jerusalem.
You will not see the bus but the signs pointing towards Jerusalem from Eilat.

After about 4 1/2 hours he was in Jerusalem for the final week before he left Israel.

Here are some of the pictures of him in Jerusalem. He walked all over and took lots of pictures. I will be showing you just some of the pictures.

One of the things that was important for him to do while in Jerusalem was to visit the Kotel and put notes in the wall for some people. I am sure that was quite an experience for him to be at a place he may just saw in pictures before.

RJ could not get enough of the Kotel that when we got together we also went there. Here we are relaxing in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. I must have been lost in thought is why I didn't smile. RJ was very happy to just be there is why he was smiling. It is an experience to be in the Old City and just look around at everything.

After we left the Old City we took the train and went to eat muffins on Ben Yehuda. Ben Yehuda has shops and restaurants and people love to hang out there and just sit and watch what is going on around them and watch people go back and forth.

The last stop was for RJ to come to our home and meet my Mitzi and sit on my favorite chair on the porch.

Here he is sitting on my chair:

Look at how relaxed he is.
Thursday was his last day in Jerusalem and in Israel so I am sure he just wanted to spend time by himself and reflect on all he saw and felt here.

Friday, he left and now he is back in the United States.
I hope you enjoyed reading about RJ first trip to Israel. I sure when he comes back he will have more adventures here.

Before I close I would like to hear from you out there what it was like coming to Israel for the first time.
I would like to begin: I came to Israel for my very first time in 1985, the year before I made aliya. I traveled alot in the States and after I was felt I no longer needed to just travel places I wanted to find a place where I wanted to really settle down and leave Minneapolis. I had a friend that lived in Phoenix and liked the climate and also Arizona, but, that wasn't the place. I decided it was time to visit my Homeland. I came in the summer and found it strange that it did not rain and didn't need an umbrella and also found that stores would close from 1 pm to 4 pm for a siesta or whatever you call it. What I actually found here was that I was free to be a Jew and decided it was time to come Home. I made aliya the following year on a very cold and windy day and that to myself what am I doing. It turned into years and I have found my place in many ways here. I am Home and Home to stay. I would really like to hear from others. Living here you learn so much and the holidays is so special and our history is beautiful. I am walking in places that we read about in our Bible. It is an amazing country. Yes, there are problems, but, this country is so full of such beauty.
So, I hope people after reading about RJ's visit will write about theirs and tell others about this amazing country so they will want to visit also.
Now, I will say thank you.