Our first week in the land has been full and fascinating. Especially full for me, since I've been shuttling between two universities, helping to set up a new apartment, getting to know people in a Hebrew / Russian speaking congregation (but fortunately there is one English - speaking home group, led by Marc Chopinsky, formerly of Israel's Hope). It's pretty cool having a home group worship led by the man who wrote many of the songs! Marc and Leah are very gracious and hospitable. They invite everyone to come early for a potluck dinner every week and we didn't get home until 11:00 P.M. (Marc did doze off while we discussed Y2K and other potential crises in the land which make Y2K pale by comparison, IMHO.) One of the members of our group is planning to move into a new house in Shomron (Samaria) next fall. So you see what I mean about fascinating! The Chopinskys, Shiskoffs and other new friends all live within a few blocks, across the Acco highway from us.

But it's time for some pictures! On Friday, as soon as we got our rental car for the month (we opted out of renting a car at the airport, since the taxi driver offered to take us and ALL our luggage to Haifa!), we went to the science museum in the old Technion building in downtown Haifa (the modern Technion now occupies a whole hilltop on the edge of town). As you can see, Adam had a blast with one of many hands - on demonstrations. I was impressed by the Israeli jet and the tank out back.

Acco is about 10 miles up the road from where we live (actually, we live in an area known as the K'riayot, a little north of Haifa Bay), so we made a day trip the next day. From the Ottoman wall along the coast, there is a view down the coast from Acco to the Haifa peninsula (the K'riayot, where we live, is in between). The crusader arch is part of a fortress which has been excavated from under an Druze Moslem palace / fortress. Nearby, we saw a tombstone of a Crusader - period bishop of Nazareth who died just before the Crusaders lost Acco (and the land) to the infidels (who of course considered the Crusaders to be the infidels).

We got to our first Shabbat service in the land at Ohalei Rachamim (Tents of Mercy). Eitan Shiskoff blew the shofar as a call to worship. You might be able to make out Marc Chopinsky with his guitar on the left. They have a new facility in a warehouse. The service is mostly in Hebrew translated into Russian from the stage. English is translated into headsets. Eddie Santoro (whom we visited on our way back from Tel Aviv on Monday) estimates that Ohalei is about 90% Russian. We're looking forward to our first Pesach in the land and a trip to Jerusalem next week! We love you all and enjoy hearing from you!

From: Glenn David Blank