January 1994

Jan 2nd 1994

Newsletter No. 1 21/6/93

Here's a new idea! Since we never get round to writing to our family and friends, we thought of sending out a horribly impersonal but highly informative newsletter. If the response to this newsletter is positive, we can turn this into a regular feature. Watch this space.


FAMILY NEWS

For those of you with whom we haven't been in touch for a long time, we are proud to announce the birth or Naftali - son number three - born, most inconveniently, on Shabbat, October 24th 1992.

Naftali, now eight months, is the double of his elder brother Elon. Not only do they look identical, they both have the same roguish, winning smile and generous belly. Naftali has just mastered the art of sitting and is already impatient to begin standing. Within no time I expect he'll be into the pots and pans and doing as much damage as his brothers.

Elon is almost three and his speech has improved noticeably. His hobbies, other than fighting with Ari, are jigsaw puzzles and riding his tricycle. Unfortunately, he does both indoors.

Ari, aged five and a half, is consumed with two passions - swimming and chess. He can swim several lengths of a 25 metre pool, but much prefers to play around in the deep end, jumping in backwards, splashing all who come near, and diving for coins.

We taught Ari how to play chess a couple of months ago, and have been playing three games a day ever since. When Mum and Dad wont play (because after three games a day we get bored), Ari challenges everyone and anyone who steps through the front door to a game (normally before saying "hello"). Naturally, his game is improving. He plays a mean Four Knights opening, and at this rate will soon be beating us - which is something we never expected. You see, when Ari was born "Mummy" and "Daddy" thought that all the "mating" was over!!

Judy has been kept busy recently caring for the children, looking after the new house, and planning the garden. In between, she teaches computers several times a week to new immigrants from Russian and to groups of gifted children. The lessons take place at Orot - a seminary conveniently located in Elkana. The work is neither stimulating nor rewarding, and Judy is counting the days to the end of the school year with no less enthusiasm than her pupils.

Michael is still at Telrad, writing documentation for Telrad's telephone systems and data communications equipment. Recently, he's been involved in putting together responses to tenders that Telrad has submitted, which has been both challenging and enjoyable. Michael hopes to be able to do more of that sort of marketing work, and less of the dry technical writing, in the future.


THE HOUSE

We have, thank G-d, moved into our beautiful new house in Elkana. The beauty of the house is somewhat marred by having no electricity, no phone, no garden, no garden walls, no pavements, no streetlamps, no neighbours, and, worst of all, no cable TV. "Never mind," we say. "Rome wasn't built in a day". And come to think of it, the Romans are still waiting for cables.

If things go as promised (which you can be perfectly sure they wont), we'll have a phone in July, a garden in August, electricity in September, neighbours in October, walls in November (and Christmas in December).

Meanwhile, even without so many basic necessities of life, we, and especially the children, are enjoying the new house and garden. Or to be more precise, we are enjoying the house and the children are enjoying the garden. Right now, the garden bears greater similarity to the dictionary definition of "mudbath" than to that of "garden". In the next newsletter, I hope to be able to report the existence of a garden that Michael and Judy can also use.

Bernard, Dorothy and children and grandchildren, and Barbara and Curtis, David and Anthony and children and grandchildren, are all well. They can write their own letters. I'm not writing for them.

Please remember whenever any of you are in Israel that we would be delighted to see you. And even if you can't make it out to where we live, at least give us a call (once our phone starts working). The number will be: 03-9362 551

Incase newsletter two doesn't come out before Rosh Hashana, we wish you all Shana Tova and ketiva ve'hatima tova.

Lots of love

Michael and Judy
Ari, Elon and Naftali Isaacs