[Note: I combined my first two letters here.  The second letter, below, 
contains links to our first pictures in Israel.]
<p>
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999<br>
From: Glenn David Blank <glennblank@yahoo.com><br>
Subject: Anachnu po (We are here)!<p>

Shalom from Haifa, Israel!  We arrived at Ben-Gurion on schedule yesterday.
Getting through the passport lines took an hour (apparently some kind of strike
slowed things and two or three planes arrived about the same time).  I slept
during a long taxi ride to Haifa and beyond, where our apartment is. First
we had to find our landlords, the Zamsteins, a friendly and garrulous older
couple who want to make us feel at home.  Originally from Poland, they survived
the Holocaust, then came to Israel, then to Brooklyn for many years, and have
retired in Israel.  Our apartment is spacious (three bedrooms, a large living
room, dining room, kitchen, even an extra toilet) if spartanly furnished.
For our first supper in the land, we had Domino's pizza--it's around the
corner from our apartment.  However, I don't recall ever having zuchini on
a pizza before--delicious!  Abigail had trouble sleeping on a mattress for
the first time; she apparently rolled off and walked in Adam's room crying.
It's much warmer here--in the 60's.  It took me at least an hour to get to
Technion campus by bus.  Things definitely move at a slower pace here!
Adam loves the palm trees and other than jet lag, we're glad to be here.
<p>
Shalom!
Glenn
<br>
P.S. Our address is: 
23 Henrietta Szold St
<p>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 07:52:55 -0800 (PST)<br>
From: Glenn David Blank <glennblank@yahoo.com><br>
Subject: Week 1 in Eretz Yisrael<br>
<p>
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
<i>Israel's Hope</i>).  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 11PM.  (Marc did doze off
while we discussed Y2K and other potential crises in the land which make
Y2K pale by comparsion, 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.
<p>
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, <a href="scienMus.jpg"> Adam had a blast with one of
many hands-on demonstrations</a>.  I was impressed by the <a href="scienJet.jpg">Israeli jet</a>
and <a href="scientnk.jpg"> the tank out back</a>.
<p>
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, <a href="accoHaif.jpg">
there is a view down the coast from Acco to the Haifa peninsula</a> (the K'riayot,
where we live, is in between).  <a href="accoArch.jpg">The crusader arch
is part of a fortress</a> which has been excavated from under an Druze Moslem
palace/fortress.  Nearby, <a href="accoBish.jpg"> we saw a tombstone of a Crusader-period
bishop of Nazareth</a> who died just before the Crusaders lost Acco (and the land) to the
infidels (who of course condidered the Crusaders to be the infidels!).
<p>
We got to our first Shabbat service in the land at Ohalei Rachamim
(Tents of Mercy).  <a href="tentmerc.jpg">Eitan Shiskoff blew the shofar as
a call to worship</a>.  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!
<p>
Love,
<br>
Glenn, Pamela, Adam and Abigail