Day 8

Some random thoughts from yesterday (Shabbat):

We had just begun “walking the psalms” with Rabbi David Wilfond. We were perched on some ancient steps in the old city that were just beginning to turn gold and listening to the Rabbi describe how we all ascend to Jerusalem with “a lot of baggage piled on our shoulders” when Charlie Rich remarked quietly, “Hrrmph, not me!” There were a few giggles. For those of you eagerly following the saga, Charlie’s suitcase did finally arrive last evening.

Returning to our room last night, after a rather long walk home from Ben Yehuda Mall with Anne, I realize that she will out-walk all of us.

Day Eight: Sunday, June 20, 2010

LaDa’at: To Know –
The Geopolitics of Jerusalem.

This morning, Robbie (from the Parents Circle – Families Forum) was a powerful voice for the people. Regardless of what is happening in the political scene, and regardless of what we see in the media, there are real people – Israelis and Palestinians, Arabs and Jews – with real children they love, who are dying and being killed, some sniped at and many sadly caught in the crossfire. Much like our own wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, until the conflict hits home – becomes personal somehow – it is difficult for us to want to work hard to end it. Robbie, and the stories from her organization, clearly embodied and communicated that personal contact for us.

After quite a bus ride via vistas and controlled highways in the “West Bank,” we could see Bethlehem in the near distance, but we couldn’t go there. Actually standing next to the 8-meters-tall concrete separation barrier and touching it was surprisingly comforting. Its existence has virtually eliminated homicide bombers in Israel. And it is mostly (96%) fence, not wall. It’s a necessity so that Israelis can live “normal” lives, more like we get to do in the U.S., reducing the daily fear caused by terrorism. The commentary from Muki is that much of what we see in the media may be real, but it is often not representative. Radical sound bites and visuals of “the Apartheid Wall” play better on our TVs than an invisible fence and nuanced discourse. One of the best memorable moments was when the stern soldier came over to ensure we weren’t taking any photos of the security gate, watch tower, etc. Then, he gladly posed for a photo with Anne and actually broke a smile when he put his arm around Zach and they switched hats, reminding us that the stern guy in uniform is still a young teen at heart.

At Kfar Etzion kibbutz, we met Sandy, a kibbutznik originally from Los Angeles. We heard her story and watched a 25-minute sound and light show about the history of the Gush Etzion settlement, their heroic stand to protect Jerusalem in ’48, and the tragic conclusion in their bunker. I found it rather surreal, because, once the projector started working without the white screen, we got to watch the video on the striated wooden wall, which kept reminding me of the striped uniforms and prison bars of concentration camps. We were in good company; as we came back out into the sun, we were surrounded by many young soldiers who’d come to see the 2PM showing of the same historical film. Muki reminded us that the soldiers come from all different sorts of backgrounds and that it’s important for them to learn about whom and what they’re fighting for.

Returning to the community of Efrat (where we had lunch earlier), we met with modern Orthodox Rabbi Shlomo Rishkin, one of the town’s founders and its Chief Rabbi. He stunned most of us with his talk – for example, while they do still separate men and women during their services, their girls do become Bat Mitzvah, and he said some of his schools even have rabbinate training for women. One of the statements that particularly stuck with me: “The biggest obstacle to growing faith and religion in Israel is the Orthodox monopoly.”

Most of us took the opportunity to “set down roots” in Israeli soil by planting trees. We also got to meet Malka, formerly Michelle, whose mother and Anne were consecutive presidents of Hadassah in New York. Our guide at Neot Kedumim nature reserve boarded the bus, welcomed us, and told us she had made aliyah from New York. Anne, of course, asked where in New York; Michelle said “Newburgh” – and then the hilarity ensued. Anne said later this evening:

“The emotions of meeting someone whom I knew and catching up on old friends makes me realize what a small world it is! The last time I saw her, she was in elementary school, and yet she remembered my name.”

Walking the seven species of the Bible at the nature reserve was a fun, low-intellectual-stress activity. We learned how ancient Israelis harvested, processed, and produced food from their crops. Sandy may not have been the most proficient grain thresher, but he was probably just making the rest of us city-folk comfortable. I learned a lot about basic farming that my dad, a New York City bus driver, never taught me. And David Wark doing the hamster-exercise routine in the water wheel was an event not to be missed!

On our ride back to Jerusalem, making aliyah up Route 1 this time, there were numerous phone calls in and out as people wished their families a Happy Fathers’ Day.

A group of us walked up to meet Daniella at the Jaffa Gate later in the evening for an absolutely amazing sound and light show covering the entire history of Jerusalem. The show was projected on the Old City walls within David’s Tower Museum. When I saw the wheat and pomegranates and the other plants of the seven species being painted in light on the walls, I reflected on a most perfect day. Wake up call is set for 6:45 for another fun-filled day tomorrow.

Charlie and Marjorie Levine

Shabbat

Good Shabbas!
Another eventful day and rewarding in so many ways. We awoke to Shabbat in Jerusalem. Some of us chose to "chill" at the hotel, enjoying this beautiful hotel and pool. Others of us went exploring. We chose to walk to Hebrew Union College for services. Rabbi Spilker led us to HUC walking through the first Jewish neighborhood outside the Old City established around the late 1800s, Mishkenot Sh'ananim. It is adorned with beautiful flowers and this was a beautiful walk. Upon arriving at HUC, the sanctuary was packed with many visiting groups. There were so many people that chairs were lining the entrance. The service was led by Rabbi Spilker's former classmates and colleagues from HUC. The service was complete with 2 guitars, piano, drum, and beautiful cantorial voices.
After the service, a group of us walked back to the hotel. While walking we passed the YMCA. Normally, I would have passed on by but before departing for Israel my father had told me that going to the top of the tower of the YMCA was a "must do!". We bought our elevator tickets for 10 shekels and went to the top. The view was amazing! You could see to the horizon 360 degrees around the city. Jerusalem is a sprawling city in all directions. This ascent really gave us all a perspective and an appreciation for the city. Thanks, dad! The best 10 shekels I've spent so far! We meandered back to the hotel for lunch and a few minutes rest.
Little did I know that the day was just beginning...
The group met up and we walked through the "Valley of Death" and arrived at the Jaffa Gate. We walked through the Arab market and then along the rooftops of the Old City where our guide Muki pointed out the different "quarters" of the Old City.
After some shopping in the Arab market we met up at the Jaffa Gate and then met up with Rabbi David Wilfond for a "Walking the Psalms in Jerusalem" shabbat walking tour. Rabbi Wilfond led us in reading and studying Psalms that related to what we were seeing. We saw King David's Tomb along our walk. This was really interesting to relate our text with the exact place we were standing. Really interesting! At one point we were standing next to a shul, adjacent to that was a church, and adjacent to that was a mosque. This is truly a Holy land.
Our walking tour ended up inside the Old City in a spot overlooking Mount of Olives, adjacent to the Western Wall, and looking out in front of us we could see some mosques. The sounds of prayer coming from all directions-- sounds coming from the Western Wall, call to worship coming from the mosques, church bells ringing. At this overlook, we gathered together for Havdallah. The kids joined Rabbi Spilker in leading Havdallah. Truly we celebrated as a Mount Zion community our first Shabbat together in Eretz Israel and in Jerusalem. This was very moving and a Shabbat I will always remember.

Our evening continued on as we headed toward Ben Yehuda and Nachalat Shiva Pedestrian Mall where we joined the many Israelis out on the town. It was a big celebration of dancing, singing, and shopping!
And, finally as I finish writing this blog entry it is 1:00am. A full and wonderful day. As I took my evening pills I noticed that we still have another week as pilgrims. Each day has been a wonderful adventure and I cherish those to come. We are learning so many things, wrestling with new concepts and ideas, opening our minds, and especially opening our hearts to this incredible Holy land.
Lila tov,
Susan Schwartz

Day 6

Day 6: Driving The Rift – A Day of Spirit and Ascension
June 18, 2010

(this was written in pieces by each of us in the Rich family- Liddy, Charlie, Robin & Rebecca. Each of the “I’s” is one of us. You can guess which one…)

Kinnert Cemetary
The site is beautiful – surrounded by date palm groves, shaded by trees, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, canopied by blue sky, with the Golan cliffs across the Sea, and many bird songs in the air. The beauty of the location is difficult to capture in words; the spirit of the place is equally indescribable.
They came early in the 20th century, leaving houses and families to build a vision into reality. The vision was one of egalitarian worker communities, educated and independent. These women and men worked to reclaim the land as agronomists and farm laborers, newspaper and literary publishers, nurses, and poets. Berl Katsenelson and Rachel are among those honored here.
It was especially meaningful for several of us who work in the Labor movement. These were the mothers and fathers of moving thought into worker action by forming an early settlement kibbutz. The welfare of the whole community was agreed to be the priority, not the welfare of the individual.
Rachel’s poetry is kept and read by the side of her grave. Her poetry has been set to music. Many of her dreams were denied her in life, but her words live on.
While their bodies rest in this place of peace their spirits have led the way for many in thought, expression, and action.

Beit Alpha Synagogue

We pulled off the main highway to go to the national park of Beit Alpha to see the 1500 year old floor mosaic from the ancient synagogue. It featured a huge zodiac which you wouldn’t normally see in a synagogue and we watch a movie which simulated the fund-raising and production for the floor-and possible explanation for why the Zodiac, as well as other more traditional Jewish symbols, were included. (Simplest explanation: it was hip at the time!)
The most impressive thing to me was the short news-reel clip showing the kibbutzim who were uncovering the mosaic while digging in the earth. What a find! How amazing to be involved in building a new land, and continually uncovering an incredibly ancient land. Like the hippodrome we saw in Caesaria, which Muki told us wasn’t even there 20 years ago when he worked on that kibbutz, the “everyday-ness” of these archaeological wonders…is pretty wild.
Around this time we started looking at our map and realized we were about to enter the Palestinian or occupied territories/West Bank/Judea & Samaria (among the many names given this area). We saw how close we were to Jordan, Jericho and Jenin, to settlements, to many things we read about in the papers and now it was real. Also making it real were Muki’s stories of patrolling this area while in the reserves, including the scary Pesach night they thought a terrorist had come through the fence, and it turned out to be an animal and a fish caught in the Jordan…well it’s a long pretty funny story that Muki tells well.

We prepared for our entry into Jerusalem by stopping on Mt. Scopus. With the beautiful Hebrew University and its enormous rooftop menorah at our backs, and our first panoramic view of Jerusalem before us, we celebrated with the Shehecheyanu, Kiddush, and ate traditional fruits and nuts. Most of us tried to photographically capture this very specific moment in time, in a timeless place with ageless sites and enduring spirituality. Rabbi and Muki asked us to see Jerusalem with our eyes in the following days, but to also see and feel with our hearts. We came down from Mt. Scopus, and ascended into the city, with our hearts very full.



(Note: I have been reading the Amos Oz memoir during this week and just got to the parts about the siege of Jerusalem. Lots of tears while reading as well as experiencing these places and feeling the history. Highly recommend the book.)

Jerusalem Market

A group of us climbed the 5 flights to where Daniella has an apartment on the roof overlooking Jerusalem, only a block from the marketplace. In addition to a great view, the roof is cool because like most Israeli roofs it has lots of solar panels for the water heaters. Over 90% of the water heaters in the country (I think!) are heated by the sun!

After visiting Daniella’s apartment we were all released into the outdoor market. There were two sections of the market, outdoor and covered (which was still outside, but had a roof). Our family immediately went over to the covered side. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. There was so much real, every-day Israeli life. Everyone was bustling around and smells were incredible. We had some great food and a great time.

Jerusalem & the Mount Zion Hotel

The front of our bus has a banner that reads “Mount Zion Temple Tour led by Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker. “ After a full day of experiencing the land, this bus pulled up at the Mount Zion Hotel overlooking Mount Zion.

I was particularly excited because after arriving more than 32 hours later on this trip than planned (major Delta Airlines snafu), I was expecting our luggage to finally catch up to us. (Charlie & I have been wearing borrowed clothes, bathing suits, and sandals from many of our fellow travelers.) Word was that luggage had arrived, just in time for Shabbat. The good news is that my bag had arrived. The bad news is that we still don’t know where Charlie’s bag is. So we had to knock on a few doors and add “Shabbat clothes” to things that we’ve borrowed.
As always, Muki, our tour guide and the Rabbi, gave us instructions on the proper dress for Shabbat. While everyone is clean and neat, people are quite casual. Men wear pants, or perhaps shorts, and most wear white shirts. Women wear skirts or pants and also white. Muki predicted that while the dress is casual, we’d noticed many with hair that has that “just washed” look.
So, dressed for services in our Israeli casuals we met at the hotel lobby. Our bus delivered us to Kehukkat Kol Haneshema, a progressive movement synagogue, 2 blocks from the apartment where the Spilker family lived during their sabbatical.
A member of the board greeted us and talked a bit about the congregation. The Kabbalat Shabbat service was spirited. Everyone sang. Everyone. Though there wasn’t much English in the service, there also wasn’t much talking. Our prayer books did have English translation. And many of the tunes were from our Mt. Zion repertoire.

One of the wonderful aspects of the service was Rabbi Weiman-Kellman leading us in closed- eyed reflections on our last Shabbat ending, the week since, and the day leading up to Shabbat, helping us to separate from the week behind us, to truly make it a holy evening and day. Also very meaningful was the ending of the service, a song and prayer for peace in Hebrew and Arabic.

Shabbat Walk & Dinner

Shabbat in Jerusalem truly means peace. After exiting the shul we found most traffic was gone and our bus driver had headed home. Israelis walk the streets with flowers and challah for Shabbus visits. We walked about 20 minutes back to Mt. Zion Hotel, enjoying the neighborhoods, beautiful plants, Israeli recycling bins (!) (huge metal cages for plastic bottles) and running into old friends of Adam and his children. (Rabbi seems to know everyone in Jerusalem!) And then…dinner! Truly our meals have been more like huge feasts and this was the most amazing of all, very delicious and full of unidentified but wonderful tastes. It’s very hard not to eat too much and feel too full. What was very powerful for me was singing the Birchat Hamazon after the meal. I read the translation: “May Jerusalem, You holy city, be restored to all its former glory soon and in our time. Blessed are you, Lord, who in Your mercy will rebuild Jerusalem.” This prayer has been chanted for 1800 years. And now, June 2010, here we are.

Day 5

I apologize in advance for the lack of facts in this blog post…. I am so overwhelmed by every breath I take in Ha’eretz Yisrael that I remember only the emotions and hope I will hold them close to my heart for the rest of my days. This is my second trip to Israel, my first being as a college student on the Birthright program. Needless to say I am seeing Israel through an entirely different set of eyes, yet the feelings invoked by this land are stronger than ever.

But enough about that, I’m sure you are all reading this for an idea of what we did today, not the metaphysical ramblings of a 27 year old man.

The day started with yet another excessive Israeli breakfast, I’ve learned my lesson and try to stick to fruit. We boarded the bus at 8 AM after being read the riot act on what we needed to bring for the day: Modest clothing for visiting the synagogues in Tzfat, water safe clothing for rafting down the Jordan River, and a back up set of clothing so we wouldn’t get the bus wet.

After making sure we were all ready to go we headed to a Modern Orthodox school in the city of Tiberias, which is St Paul’s partner city in Israel. After an introductory slide show by staff, a sea of smiling Jewish faces stormed into the gymnasium to meet us. The first activity was making prayer plaques; the blessing for the wine as well as the Shabbat candle blessings. I was hanging back and trying to help my dad with his Hebrew until one of the trustee’s (a mentor for the children of this particular school), Sasha, pulled me to one of the tables and the work began. After a few minutes of glue smearing I was the proud owner of a prayer plaque for my home.

The music teacher came out next and started singing several songs that I wasn’t familiar with. However, I am blessed with an extremely loud clap which I put to use during these songs. Once the words of “Am Yisrael Chai” left her lips it was an entirely different story. The familiar tune and the energy generated by dozens of kids clapping, singing and loving being Jewish will be one of the defining moments of my trip. It is inspiring to know that the future of our people is in such capable young hands. Finally, with the music blaring from the speakers we all began dancing a Hora-esque jig. I introduced a few new moves to the kids (words cannot do this justice, hopefully pictures will be added) and by the end of the dance I had many new achiim (brothers).

Leaving the school we headed further North into the hills of Gaililee and the mystical city of Tzfat. I must stop and take a moment to thank our bus driver Elle (sp?) who navigated the labryntine streets with unbelievable dexterity in our giant tour bus. We walked through the old city and got a better understnding of mystical Judaism or Kaballah. We visited synagogues of both Ashekenazi and Sephardic jews and heard of the additions both sects made to further this aspect of our faith. The most long lasting addition to our faith as Reform Jews is the Kaballat Shabbat service. Rabbit Spilker told us about a Shabbat that he celebrated in Tzfat, I hope all of us are lucky enough to have a divine experience such as that.
The remainder of the day can be described with one word: WET. Considering the heat we’ve been schlepping around in, I believe this was welcomed by all. Our first stop was a hike through the Tel Dan National Park. It is a lush green forest fed by the main tributary of the Jordan River. This made a fitting transition to the final activity for the day, rafting down the Jordan River. Despite the hype surrounding this river in song and lore it hardly qualifies as deep or wide. The mass amounts of boats in the river created a situation with plenty of splashing and the Israeli version of bumper boats. Watching the wide variety of ages on this trip all come together to spend a great afternoon having fun on the river was a site I hope to see repeated during this trip!!

Adam Bahr

Day 4

Our group became whole with the arrival of Mary Ann and David Wark Sunday evening and Liddy and Charlie Rich Wednesday morning.

The weather was magnificent -- clear and warm --from Tel Aviv up the coast to Caesarea, into the Carmel Mountains, then to Lake Kenneret.

A sign from home appeared from the Medtronic facility in a high-tech suburb of Tel Aviv, Herzelia.

The dilemma of dining and maintaining Jewish values in the context of a larger community was a major theme of the day. At Caesaria Muki, our tour guide, had the group act as the Senhedrim in judging whether Jews could attend gladiator games as part of combat that occurred at the ancient site. He posed a similar question about attending pagan plays in the amphitheater where we had gathered. Muki told us that these were actual questions asked by the Sanhedrin 1,800- 1,600 years ago with similar feelings of ambivalence.

Later in the day at Beit Shearim raised questions about graven images that appeared on stoned caskets buried in caves dating from the 3rd and 4th century CE. What explains the appearance of such images on Jewish caskets when the ten commandments forbids them? Adaptation to contemporary practices in society generally was a possible explanation.

Other stops during the day were: Park Alona to tour the underground aqueduct that supplied water to Ceasarea more than 12 miles away, and Zichron Ya'akov to learn about Aaron Aaronson who discovered the original wheat and help the British invade Turkish-held Palestine during the first World War.

Daniella, our youth counselor, provided Hebrew lessons including how to ask and respond to several questions of phrases. Not surprisingly, a bus-full of Jews ended up giving different responses.

- Mitch Rubinstein

Day 3

Day 3 - Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tel Aviv, Israel

The first full day of the Mount Zion trip’s adventures
By Stuart and Jean King Appelbaum

Monday evening- World Cup soccer broadcast on screens in restaurants, bars, and clubs up and down the Tel Aviv beach.
Tuesday morning- We begin the morning with a 6:15 AM wake-up call (that would be 10:15 PM Monday, MN time, but who’s paying attention?). Our first Israeli breakfast buffet offers the full complement of items Israelis eat first thing in the morning, including green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers. and carrots, many types of cheese (cottage, labene, herbed feta, and more), hard boiled eggs, hot items including scrambled eggs and blintzes, breads, buns, muffins, sweet rolls, juice, coffee--and that list is not inclusive. We eat. Then we eat some more.
We are pleased to welcome Sandy and Carol Weisberg, who have had an adventure in travel that eventually featured a cab ride from Philadelphia to Kennedy Airport and two business class seats that folded into beds where they slept seven hours as they were flying to Tel Aviv.
Onto our bus, and we head to Israel’s Independence Hall. Tali, the same woman who spoke to the 2006 Mount Zion group, orients us to the building (which began as Meir Dizengoff’s home, then became the city’s first art museum) before we see a short film about the declaration of independence. She is enthusiastic and funny and has given this presentation a few thousand times, but remains inspiring. We move to the hall where the chairs, wall coverings, mikes, and gavel are exactly as they were Erev Shabbat, May 14, 1948. It is moving to hear the recordings of Ben-Gurion’s voice, Israel’s Senior Rabbi reciting the Shehekianu, and the orchestra playing Hatikva after the declaration. We move outside to the 1949 monument that documents the sand dune origins of the city, the Jewish workers doing physical labor (the “new Jew), and the modern city. Back on the bus.
Important background note: There are a small number of toilets at Independence Hall. A line instantly forms and we’re on a schedule, so many dutifully wait.
The bus drives us to Jaffa where we stop at a breathtaking overview that features the Mediterranean and Tel Aviv’s skyline. Our guide reads the beginning of the book of Jonah, which contains reference to Jaffa. Many pictures are taken.
A second point of background: Back on the bus, Rabbi Spilker introduces himself, explaining that his role on the trip is to provide spiritual advice and guidance. He begins by instructing us on how to use Israeli toilets, expounding on the difference between a light (half) flush and a heavy (heavy) flush. We are also warned of the dangers of dehydration in the June heat, the importance of drinking lots of water, and the related importance of using toilet s when they are available. A Mount Zion Temple banner is draped across the front of the bus and Rabbi Spilker’s name is prominently displayed as our leader.
Our group divides into two options:
• One group is dropped at the IDF Museum on the coast. [A member of that group will add details.]

• A second group heads back to Jaffa for a “walking tour of the city” featuring the competing Palestinian and Jewish narratives. Well, sort of. The Jewish narrative is presented by an American guide who has just completed his master’s degree in Middle Eastern history; the Palestinian narrative is presented by, well, a Palestinian, who presents his narrative much more powerfully. His counterpart is mainly silent.
The cards are not evenly stacked and, after the walk ends and we’re back on the bus, our guide offers us a more nuanced interpretation of Israel’s history, noting that Jews were not a colonial power, that many displaced residents of Jaffa during Israel’s war of independence, whose descendants are now seeking the right of return, were themselves relative newcomers in Palestine, drawn to the area by the prospect of employment; that Jews were also displaced persons, thrown out of Arab lands.
Rabbi Spilker notes that the language of the British Balfour Declaration (1917) was ambiguous. To some Zionists, it held the promise of The Jewish homeland of Palestine; to others, the language promised a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
By this time, time has passed. It’s been four and a half hours since we left the hotel; three and half hours since the last available toilets at Independence Hall. Remember that we were advised to drink lots of water, and we were obedient. Many people request a bathroom, but there are none available until we arrive at the restaurants of Nachalat Binyamin, a pedestrian mall with arts and crafts merchants, fresh produce and fruits, and (as we are told several times) shmatas where we get lunch (and toilets) on our own.
We spend the afternoon at the Rabin Center, a beautiful new museum (opened two months ago) that traces Israel’s history and the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s life, showing their intersections. It was informative and moving.
The day’s activities were formally concluded with an (optional) visit to Nalaga’ at Theater. Mary Ann and David Wark finally arrived following their own adventure in international travel 10 minutes before the bus was scheduled to take us back to Jaffa for the performance. Good sports, they joined us for an incredible experience. An acting troupe of deaf, blind, deaf/blind performers invited us into their world – their joys, frustrations, aspirations, fantasies. The only one of its kind in the world, Nalaga’at Theater has performed internationally and won widespread acclaim. Safe to say that none of us had ever experienced anything quite like this and were literally moved to tears. Kudos and thanks to Rabbi Spilker for making this option available to us.

The stalwart seven, Carolyn, Harper, Satchel, Robyn, Rebecca, Stuart and Jean walked 3+ miles along the sea back to the hotel... On the way, Brazil scored the winning goal in its World Cup match against North Korea. We saw it on one of many giant screens erected on the beach by local bars and restaurants so guests could watch the games outside with the Mediterranean as backdrop. Quite a day.

We have arrived!

Hi, Everyone!

We arrived safely on Monday afternoon. 26 of us flew together from Minneapolis to Tel Aviv and the others met us at the hotel. We are still waiting on a few people to join us after problems with their flights that they booked separately.

When we got to the airport, we were introduced to our tour guide Muki and our youth counselor Daniella. Muki is a South African who moved to Israel in 1987 and Daniella is a 25 year old who just finished getting her degree.

When we arrived at the hotel, we were met by Rabbi Spilker. We quickly dropped off our bags and went out for dinner at Maganda Restaurant, a Yemeni-Israeli restaurant. We had a great dinner of falafel, hummus pita and meat.

We will be traying to update the blog as frequently as possible. Each family will be responsible for one day so that you can hear from all of us.

Thanks,
Laurel