Shalom from Haifa, Israel! We arrived at Ben-Gurion on schedule yesterday. Getting through the passport lines took an hour (apparently some kind of strike slowed things and two or three planes arrived about the same time). I slept during a long taxi ride to Haifa and beyond, where our apartment is. First we had to find our landlords, the Zamsteins, a friendly and garrulous older couple who want to make us feel at home. Originally from Poland, they survived the Holocaust, then came to Israel, then to Brooklyn for many years, and have retired in Israel. Our apartment is spacious (three bedrooms, a large living room, dining room, kitchen, even an extra toilet) if spartanly furnished. For our first supper in the land, we had Domino's pizza - it's around the corner from our apartment. However, I don't recall ever having zucchini on a pizza before - delicious! Abigail had trouble sleeping on a mattress for the first time; she apparently rolled off and walked in Adam's room crying. It's much warmer here - in the 60's. It took me at least an hour to get to Technion campus by bus. Things definitely move at a slower pace here! Adam loves the palm trees and other than jet lag, we're glad to be here.

From: Glenn David Blank