The Sukkah!!!



inside the Sukkah

Lulav and Etrog

Ben, Ezra, Jeramias in the Sukkah


Jacki, Hannah, me before Chag Ha-Mayim.

Dancing on stage in front of the pool.

dancing on platforms over pool

again

dancing with jugs


children singing

fire on the water


fire being put out by "rain"

adorable little girl that kept coming over and picking leaves off, saying "i love you, i dont love you, i love you, i dont love you" as she pulled each leaf off.

Its raining!!! It is officially the rainy season here. It has rained every day for the last few days. So far I have really enjoyed it, it's a nice change from all the very hot weather, and Israel needs it, it has been a very hot dry year, but I think I will get sick of it soon. We were given winter coats today (we all look like a little homeless-they are hand me downs from kibbutzniks, so they are all ripped, and too big, especially on the girls.) The rain actually started two days after the Chag Ha-Mayim (water holiday). The Kibbutz puts on a beautiful festival the night of Chag Ha-mayim. The original kibbutzniks composed a show of songs and dances to celebrate the harvest and pray for rain. They have done the same performance every year since this was created in the first few years of the kibbutz. When the dancers get too old or dont want to do it again, they teach the dances to the new generation. It's beautiful. The whole performance is on top of the swimming pool and at the end they light a fire and float it in the middle of the pool.

After that there was a big party at the Kibbutz pub a "disco" party, so there was lots of dancing and drinking and everyone was there. It was great to be able to hang out with all the kibbutzniks that I see when I am working in the dining hall.

The kibbutz is so secular that generally the ulpanists are much more excited about the holidays than the kibbutzniks. For sukkot we requested a sukkah for the Ulpan and decorated it. My friend Hannah and I were chief decorators.

Enjoy the pictures :)