Neighbours

 I said it before and I'll say it again - nothing like moving to the other side of the world for increased education.  We are learning so much.

Here, we learn most from our neighbours.

There are people here from the four corners of the earth; from every country, every race and every language group; from every economic level and every education level. There are people here from every religion known to man and then some.  

We moved five times since we arrived in Israel in 2008.  That means a new place every year.  In each place we had neighbours who differ from others in their belief system, their mother tongue, and their economic level and above all - in their expressions.

In one place we had a Russian who left burned oil in supper pots and reused it for making omelet for breakfast - she spoke only when spoken to and even then only under pressure. In another place the neighbours were mostly Israeli born, they were friendly and their behavior more familiar to us; Canadians like, they were private and quiet and said a nice 'hello' in the elevator.  In the third dwelling we met people from Eastern Europe who became close, loving friends that taught and explained to us the mysteries of the locals. In the fourth, Holocaust survivors taught us about kindness and long-time volunteering in the city. Now, in the fifth we have Moroccan and Georgian background - a new encounter. We live near people who are so different in their behavior from anyone we have ever met that we need to keep observing and asking for clarifications.  Like the man who decided to chop meat in the stairwell and the sound got us running to see who is breaking the stairs or the walls or both. I am glad I know some people who can explain.

Fifteenth Day, 2014 - thank You God for neighbours; Thank You for placing us among them-  to learn from them, to be welcomed by them and to pray for them.  Thank You for your daily reminder that you love our neighbours as much as you love us.

Learning to live among my people, who were raised in other cultures,

Orith