Monday, April 5, 2010

The call of nature

.
Three million Israelis (of a population just over seven million) flocked to Israel's forests, nature reserves, and national parks during the Passover week vacation just now ending!
.
The intermediary days of Pesach are a rare chance for very religious Jews on leave from their intense studies to get out into nature (and to go a bit wild).
Near my village is an underground spring. Kids like to take off their shoes and wade into the tunnels.
I enjoyed the scene pictured above, so symbolic of the week of Pesach. A religious boy had hung up his suit coat and fedora on the tree in order to climb down to the spring.
.
On normal weekdays the spring is a hidden place of silence and solitude, under the fig trees, in the valley.
Not this past week!
.
The nearby wadi was also full of big families exploring what feels like a Swiss forest.
The older kids tried to hold the hand of younger brothers or sisters on the more dangerous parts of the trail.
This dead pine tree was still attached at the roots. A dozen little kids were straddling it and bouncing it up and down like a seesaw.
Great fun, and all natural!
.
Such was our sunny, warm, fun world all week for That's My World Tuesday.
.

19 comments:

  1. chère belle Dina,cétait beau ici aussi pour le jour des Pâques.

    Ah c'est magnifique il accroche son manteau et son fedora pour aller au ruisseau pour le fun mais c'est l'eau sacré aussi.
    Ah merci pour partager!

    shalom
    HUGS

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just meant that the water was god's sacred symbol of purification. WOW you mean this stream may be used for ritual immersion.beautiful coincidence the boys play and are sanctified!rejoice in the lord.
    great stuff Dina you arrive at the source of spiritual existence.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shalom Crederae. Springs do have a special "holy" feeling about them. I like that in French you can call a spring "source."

    I think our spring down in the valley qualifies as a kosher mikva.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's beautiful Dina you are right. Both ruisseau and spring both can mean source. I never thought about that before. That's a sacred idea!

    ReplyDelete
  5. la source . . . THE Source ?

    ReplyDelete
  6. oui.

    belle journée magique et sacrée.
    shalom

    ReplyDelete
  7. This must be really spectacular: half a country flocking into any kind of wilderness available! The Italian for spring is sorgente.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Another tradition of yours I was not aware of, but the first photo is indeed a great symbol of what you describe. Very clever capture!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can't imagine our more devout headed to anything more natural than a lake when on a religious holiday.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very nice, Dina. In Italy on the Easter Monday we have the traditional day trip to the country generally with a pic-nic.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Apologies if I've commented twice, looked in earlier but can't remember whethere I did.

    So its a hat. I was wondering why there was a tire in the tree.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a wonderful break for everyone! Like you, I also loved the coat and hat hanging on the tree.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Looks like they have a great time in the nature! Your lucky to have so much nature in that little country and so much people. Here is only 4,5 mill and we have so much nature.
    Wish you a great week:-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. well Dina after my writing tangent here that you have inspired me on I have to say that this is one of the sweetest most inspirational images in Blogger for the jewish or easter passover!
    I wish I could cut and paste this photograph and attach it to the front page of Blogger!
    Well I had only one easter chocolate bunny. That is great for next Easter, you have to leave room for improvement!haha.If only those ears weren't solidly filled ha ha.They wouldn't be such a tremendous obstacle.haha.
    thankyou.
    shalom.

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a great place - I think I'm going to ask my kids if they'd like to go there on Saturday :). Are you around if we do?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for the photographs. The Source was also the title of a good book about Israel. Unfortunately, there is another scene of Jews having a picnic in a movie I saw many years ago and that scene did not end well. The first photo reminded me of that scene.

    ReplyDelete
  17. What great shots, Dina! Beautiful and lovely nature environments.

    ReplyDelete
  18. All your holiday posts are so warm, wonderful, generous! I love this one with the hat and coat on the limb.

    ReplyDelete


Thanks for your comment!
Comment moderation is on so I will see any new comments even on older posts!