This weekend we decided to escape our standard Jerusalem routine and spend some time with friends who live in Neve Daniel, part of the settlements outside of Jerusalem. We started off by going to Kfar Etzion, a kibbutz, to pick up my Naot at an outlet store, and have a picnic lunch, sort of a last grasp at summer before the torrential downpours begin. Once our shopping and lunching was over, we hitched a ride over to Neve Daniel.
This was a first experience for both of us in this sort of community, and even though we'd heard about it we were still shocked when confronted. The community is tiny (350 families), surrounded by hills and other tiny gated communities (the gates aren't ornamental, either - they are barbed and menacing.), and look exactly like the suburbs they are. Totally unlike Jerusalem, Neve Daniel is quiet, clean, and full of actual houses.
The weekend was really nice. We spent time with our friends (Shira and Ricky) and their two adorable children, as well as two reticent midrasha girls who were spending the shabbat there. The Pleasantville-atmosphere we felt when we first entered the town pervaded our time there, and made for a very relaxing break. It wasn't necessarily something we'd want to move to permanently, but it definitely has its allure.
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