Tel Aviv Weekend

Friday morning we took the bus to Tel Aviv and spent some time in the Palmach museum which we had been told was well-designed and worth a visit. Like other modern museums in Israel, this one is experiential rather than frontal, but unlike others it completely did away with fact and artifact and instead focuses solely on emotion and story. The museum is built in such a way that you "follow" the exploits of a troupe of Palmach fighters through their early lives as trainees into the establishment of the State of Israel and the creation of the IDF. While the underground labyrinth of caves, roadside cafes, and bunkers was impressive, and the movies we very nice, neither of us feels that we came out of the experience knowing anything more about the history of the country or the people who fought for its creation and safety. The entire production seemed centered more on the promotion of Zionism and patriotism than on education.

After the museum we ate lunch in the the beautiful HaYarkon park, and watched rowers, dog-walkers, and roller bladers turn Tel Aviv into Central Park. We then ambled down the pier area, and even discovered a Max Brenner chocolate shop and cafe (if you don't know Max Brenner chocolate, think of Godiva's). After a relaxing afternoon we caught the bus to Givat Shmuel.

We spent Shabbat with the family of a friend of Rina's (herself, her husband, and their adorable and friendly baby). Unlike the villages of our other Shabbat excursions, Givat Shmuel is a practically a city, with high-rise apartments, malls, multiple synagogues, etc. While smaller than the neighboring Benei Brak and Petah Tikvah, the area has far more of a 'city feel' than areas in the Gush. We had a great time with the family and their friends and seeing the area, and closed out the weekend with an all-day breakfast at a local cafe (not that it lasted all day, it was just offered by the cafe all day) then came back to Jerusalem to get ready for the last few days of school before Pesach vacation.