November 21, 2009 Update

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well. We have been here almost 3 months already. The holidays have been over for more than a month, so everyone is settling into their normal routines. I am happy to report that I have officially been recognized as a new immigrant from the Absorption Ministry. The bad news is that just because one part of the Government recognizes that, doesn't mean that other Governmental ministries or offices recognize that. As a result, I am still waiting on the National Insurance Office (Bituach Leumi), to recognize my status in order to get health care. I suspect I will continue to experience some surprises in the future regarding my status, but for the most part, I think that is behind me. I have begun to look for work and I am continuing to learn Hebrew.

Caryn is doing well, and is also continuing learning Hebrew. I think she is enjoying it more than me, as she generally stays awake during class, and I am not always successful. The kids are all adjusting well. Ilan has lost his first tooth, which was very exciting. He was disappointed in the morning, when he thought he didn't get any money from the tooth fairy. After looking for 20 minutes for the money we knew the tooth fairy put under his pillow, Ilan indicated that the only thing he found under his pillow was this piece of paper. The piece of paper happened to be 20 Shekel, which Ilan did not realize was the money in Israel. Once we told him it was worth more than 5 dollars, he was happy. Gali is continuing to make friends, and seems to be enjoying school more. Tiki is as crazy as ever, and Eitan gets cuter by the day. He has two little teeth now, and has started crawling, which always keeps life interesting.

Our big trip the past month was to the mall in Jerusalem, which we took the train to. We ate Pizza Hut, and everyone had a good time and had fun. We are planning another trip this Tuesday to buy Channukah presents.

That's about it for now. Please keep in touch and you can always feel free to call us at 646-875-4073. If you are worried about calling at an inappropriate time, don't worry about it, as the line will only ring if the computer is on. I hope everyone is well.

Kol Tuv,
Zumi