Old-new ways

Today I joined a serious Tanach Tiyulim tour to learn about the enigma of Elijah the Prophet.

Our bus headed north to Mount Carmel. First stop was Ramat Hanadiv, the memorial gardens and crypt of the benefactor Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The day was warm, the admission was free, and hundreds of both Arab and Jewish school children and many families were enjoying a visit.

But what impressed me most was the woman in the beautiful embroidered dress and her way of carrying her purse. It is indeed the easiest way of carrying and hands are left free.

My fellow Heifer Ranch volunteers will remember seeing me transporting livestock feed using this ancient technique. We just cut a big plastic barrel in half, strung a rope through it, and the rope went just above my forehead, with the load easily carried on my back.

Who knows?! Maybe, inspired by the grandmother in this picture, I will get the chutspah to transport groceries or a backpack down the main street of my village with the aid of a tumpline strap on my head.