Shabbat Shemot

Had a great Shabbat Shemot (that's this week's parsha.) My friend Yigal (Gali) called me a few weeks ago.

"Man, I got this new girlfriend."

Seems like he has a new one every month. Lucky bum.

"Mazal tov," I tell him.

"Yeah, but it's like, she's religious. You know, she keeps shabbat. And I wanna do it too."

"Kol Hakavod!" (way to go.)

"Yeah, but I don't know how, and I'm too embarassed to ask someone, and you're the only guy I know."

"So we'll meet up with my cousins at Bnei Darom for shabbat and learn about how to keep shabbat." (about ten minutes from his home city at Ashdod.

He was so excited. But then, he was struck down by the flu that's making the rounds here, and the day before Shabbat, had to cancel. But I had already made plans to go to Bnei Darom in any case, so I went alone, and got out of the city for a day.

Afterwards, I had the chance to get to Ashdod and visit Gali. If I can't help him learn, then at least I can bikur holim (bisit the sick.) He was pretty happy to see a friendly face, being stuck in that apartment of his all day. Had a good time fully. Caught the 448 back to Jerusalem, and now I'm sitting here, and it's 11PM, and I should get to sleep.

Meanwhile, enjoy some photos of Moshav Bnei Darom.

I went walking through the work area and warehouse on the moshav and discovered some ancient, possibly Canaanite or pre-bronze age carnival equipment. There's gotta be at least one hundred CAL OSHA safety violations there. I wouldn't ride one of these if someone put a gun to my head.

Ferris wheel

Looking towards Ashdod

Givat Washington and the Ashdod-Tel Aviv Railway

Quick: Rorschach test. Looks like uh... a camel jumping over a flaiming angel.Ashdod

Givat Washington. And some agricultural equipment. And a date palm.