To my dearest family, friends, neighbors, and all others interesting in reading, Shalom, Allo, and Hello. 

A cold wave is approaching Israel, with rain and a possibility of snow on the mountains. I chose to stay home this Shabbat, nursing a slight cold. 

I have a daily routine, visiting my neighbor, across the hall, Bertha. She is at least ten years my senior, busy sewing as she did all her life from the time she was six years old.  Born in Iraq, 

Bertha never learn to read or write. Does her measurements according to the size of the tiles in her kitchen. (each tile 20x20 cm, five tiles = 1 meter).  She told me once: My eyes are a centimeter, and my hands are a Kilogram. Meaning, I can measure with my eyes and with my hands. 

Bertha, and her, just married, husband, arrived in Israel in 1952 with the large 200,000 other Jews from Iraq known as the famous  Babylonian Immigration. It is an historical immigration. Thirty generation (over 2000 years) of Jewish presence in Iraq ended within a few weeks, in 1952. 

So, visiting Bertha daily, at time just to say hello, she always asks me "Where are you ?"  and in Arabic I answer : "Honnie", meaning "here". Through the time I live here, I do have a very slight understanding of the Arabic language she speaks with her friends & family who frequent her place. 

Refusing to wear a hearing aide, and busy at her singer machine, she never hears the guests

coming to visit her, until the tapping of her shoulder. (Bertha's home is never locked between 9:00 am and 8:00 pm.)   Yesterday, she forgot to unlock her door, and when her friend Camilla

came for her daily visit, she could not come in, in spite, ringing and knocking.  Today, when I visited Bertha, she announced in her broken Hebrew :  "My Ears are Dead"......

Thursday, is the day I volunteer at  "ALEH". A home for special, very special children. 

There are four such places in Israel. My volunteering home is in the heart of a very religious neighborhood in the total orthodox city of B'nei Baraq. There is a home in Jerusalem, in Gedera, and an entire village in the south, near the town of Netivot in the Negev. 

On Thursday, dressed up appropriately, long sleeve top, long skirt, (no pens) I arrive at about 2:00 pm. For the first two hours, I help the head nurse in arranging the medication in the cabinets, then I go to what is called "Tinokiya", (the babies). Sadly, some of the "babies" are 12 years old. Majority are fed via tube, unable to swallow, all are unable to walk, talk, or using their limbs.  My baby is Johnie, a beautiful 7 years old, who by now recognizes me, when I arrive, with a big smile. I was told to  keep  talking to him, pronouncing the word A-B-B-A, (meaning father).

I am happy to tell he says ABBA, and now also IMA. (mother). 

Between 4:00pm & 6:00pm the place is busy with activities. regardless the children's condition, the teachers, the aides, the therapists, the nurse, all the staff are involved with the children's activities. Yesterday, activity director project was Pancake making. Like in a regular class, she told the children about pancake making, pronouncing the "A" in pancake like in fAther.  Because the Israel Academy for language just picked up a Hebrew name for pancake and cupcake,  "OOGONIT" we used the Hebrew word. ( Cake in Hebrew = ooga).  Every ingredient we used was shown to the children. The Eggs for the mixture was broken by a child with the assistance of a staff,  we mixed all walking between the children, repeating "now we are mixing". 

An electric pancake maker was used, and in no time the pancakes were piling up.  I am very proud to say, I was in charge of making the "dressings".  With no Maple syrup or honey, I made 3 flavors.  Try this : 1. Soft spreading Chocolate (about 3 Tbs) with Sour Cream. (about 3 Tbs). Mix well.  2. Soft fine like cottage Cheese, sour cream, 1 tsp Vanilla sugar, 2 tsp Vanilla instant powder pudding. Mix well.   3. Strawberry, very fine strained Jelly/Jam, and sour cream. Mix well.  (No recipe was used, just the look of the product, as Bertha probably would say: my tongue is the recipe...... 

The children are unable to eat the Oogonim, but we went to a few children who are not in danger of just tasting the dressing. 

As the staff was eating, music was playing, and the place was hopping. 

Only in Israel.

I miss you all. sending my LOVE.

Ima, Savta, The Shvig, Estherika, Ludmilla, me, Esther, eem.