Isaacs Family Newsletter, August 2015

 Don’t say anything. Nothing sarcastic. Just let me dive straight in.

 Once I set myself a challenge: read every article in the weekend magazine of a particular Hebrew newspaper. Not so tricky, so I added a catch. As soon as an article includes defamation, lies or lashon hara, stop reading and move on to the next one. It didn’t take long to finish the entire magazine. The only piece I read from beginning to end was the Chess column.

 I’m not sure the journalists are completely at fault. Were their brief to submit 500 words every week, no doubt their articles would be informative and insightful. But when required to produce 5000 words, inevitably the core insights are spiced up with gossip, conjecture, insinuation, innuendo, character demolition and affected wisdom safely based on hindsight.

 These lines are being written at 4pm on Friday afternoon…

What has all that preamble to do with the price of bread? Well, it amuses me that journalists, in (rare?) moments of conscience or when concerned to preserve their “good” name, sometimes open articles with “these lines are being written as”…and then they quote the date and time. Normally this is to cover their little tushies in the event that, by the time we read their print, the news or opinions are out of date or proved wrong. But I find myself in the same situation. Ari and his start-up are on the edge of an achievement whose nature I cannot divulge. Perhaps by the time the newsletter is approved by Judy, I will be able to add a PS with the news. (It’s good).

 In parallel, Ari has just returned from his now annual trip to the European students debating competition. This year he was ranked 6^th out of 250 in the English as a Second Language competition.

 Elon the Incredible

Elon is working hard on his Magic business. He opened a Facebook page. Feel free to like and share. He started selling to some shops and over the busier days of the summer occasionally employs friends to work in various locations. It’s a seasonal business with August and chagim being bonanza time. Funny. I always felt sorry for those condemned to work to service my leisure such as store workers on Fridays, hotel staff at weekends and those who work hardest in July and August. Even candy floss sellers on Independence day. Elon would be very happy for every day of the year to be chol hamoed (so would I).

 Naphtali – our last miluimnik (reserve solider)

After almost three years, Naphtali is out the army. Ari, Elon and Naphtali’s army service overlapped to such an extent that Judy and I were parents of soldiers continuously for over 8 years (Bad family planning?). The discharge of (probably) the last soldier in the family is a relief but also a moment of great pride. All three boys served in combatant units. One is an officer and the others both received distinctions for outstanding service.                                                       

The circumstances of Naphtali’s discharge are less joyous. Many of you will know already that eye was cut by wire. He is having a cataract operation in three weeks after which will we know the extent of the permanent damage but his doctors are hopeful that his vision will just need correction with glasses. We just have to wait and see (no pun intended).

 Orly the Adventurer

You can’t hit 21 in this country without flying to the Far East (for boys it’s 22). Orly is now ticking the box on Thailand  with a bunch of friends, whatsapping us with commentary and pictures of the sites. Mother, Grandmother (and to a greater extent than he is willing to admit, also Father) are worried crazy. Exotic diseases; international crime; Islamic terror…all these and other scenarios race through our heads.  Do we parents ever learn to let go? (In my heart of hearts, I hope not).

Les Grandes Vacationnes

This is not a spelling mistake. Well, it is. But I wanted to hint that we just came back from a very female-dominated vacation – Daddy and the girls – in the north. By other benchmarks, it was not at all feminine. I mean it wasn’t a manicure-pedicure-massage-paint-my-nails type chick thing. A girls’ holiday in our family still involves mountain climbing and dipping in the freezing water of the northern rivers - Kziv,  Hazbani, and Banias. The difference is, we pack Conditioner.  

I vividly recall one newsletter, written around 20 years ago, at a time when we had three or four active or  hyperactive infants and toddlers, in which I described the unfamiliar sensation of pure peace – with all kids fed, playing happily in the shallow water of choreshat tal. This peace lasted about five minutes (reminiscent of the Middle East) until the boys starting drowning each other. Now, with the little ones all grown up, I clocked three days of almost uninterrupted tranquility - relaxing with a good book in the morning sunshine (after davening, running  and eating) as the girls continue to snore. Chicken soup for the soul. The quietude and serenity were sooooo good, it felt like a sin (deep down I have Catholic tendencies). Shouldn’t I have been learning torah or washing the dishes or something?

Mother Abigail

At the end of the school year, Abigail was awarded a special distinction which basically crowned her as the tsadika of her class. This did not surprise us. Two weeks later she returned from a summer camp with another award for pretty much the same thing. A true sweetie-pie – and now with diplomas to prove it.

Elisheva and the Digits

Elisheva has been selected to participate in a program for gifted mathematics students. This did not surprise us. And we are very proud. We will be more proud if she sticks with the program, which is seriously in question since the maths lessons clash with her gymnastics class. For Elisheva, the resolution of that equation is trivial.

Wishing you all a safe, enjoyable and tranquil summer.

 Michael Judy

Ari, Elon, Naphtali, Orly, Abigail and Elisheva

Elkana