חגיגת התחלת השנה אזרחית במחנה הבונים בספרימונט בבלגיה

בשנות ה-60 היו בתנועת הבונים מחנות בו החניכים נסעו למקום אקראי שנבחר על ידי מדריכי התנועה. אני חושד שאחת הסיבות לבחירת מקום היה עלות האכסניה ואפשרות להגשת אוכל "דמוי כשר". במקרה זה היה מחנה חורף שהיה בזמן חופשת חג המולד והשנה החדשה. המקום שנבחר היה ספרימונט שבארדנים שבבלגיה, באזור בו השפה השלטת היתה צרפתית. לא ידענו שבמחמת העולם השניה היו שם קרבות קשים בין צבאות בנות הברית והנאצים. גם המדריכים לא היו ככל הנראה מודעים לעובדה הזאת. עסקנו בפעילות השגרתית במחנות: חוץ משינה ואכילה, היו פעולות בו הכניסו בנו ציונות על ידי המדריכים וגם השליחים, קיבוצניקים שנשלחו מהארץ, תרמו את חלקם. לען האמת לא ממש הבנתי מה רצו להביע. חוץ מזה היה מסדר בבוקר ובערב, העלו את דגל ישראל והורידו אותו. למסדר קראו מיפקד, אחרי שהגעתי ארצה והעברית שבפי השתפרה אף פעם לא שמעתי את המילה הזאת. כיוון שהבונים היא תנועה יהודית חגגנו את חנוכה והתעלמנו מחג המולד. לגבי חג התחלת השנה האזרחית החדשה התקרבה החלטנו החניכים בינינו שמין הראוי לארגן חגיגה. הלכנו כמה חבר'ה לכפר וקנינו כיבוד. המשימה לא היתה קלה בגלל שהמקומיים דיברו רק צרפתית ולא פלמית. לא ברור לי איך אבל למדריכים נודע על היוזמה. בצעד חינוכי, הם הודיעו לנו אם נחגוג את השנה החדשה האזרחית, יישלחו אותנו הביתה. היתה בעיה והתיעצנו מה לעשות. כבר היה כיבוד וכבר התכוננו נפשית לחגיגה ולא רצינו לוותר, אבל גם לא להסתבך. הצעתי שהכי פשור לקיים את המסיבה יום לפני המועד, ככה המדריכים לא יכלו לטעון שחגגנו ללא אישור את החגא. חגגנו כמו שצריך והיה שמח. המדריכים לא שמו לב לאירוע והכל עבר בשלום. רק למחרת ביום האמיתי הם שמו לב שאין הכנות למסיבה שהם אסרו לקיים. כשהבינו שעבדנו עליהם היה כעס גדול, אבל הם לא יכלו להעניש אותנו. זה כנראה מקרה בודד בהיסטריה האנושית שבו חגגו יום מוקדם יותר.

My grandfather Salomon Gerstmann

Some years I have been researching my family's history. My father's ancestors came from Lemberg - Lwow - Lviv. As my father's maternal aunt Elka Flach survived the Holocaust I know more about my grandmother's family. About my paternal grandfather Salomon Gerstmann I had no information. Luckily, I could find his birth certificate and learned that he was born in a small village near Komarno and Rudki on September 10th 1894. His parents were Eisig Klinghofer and Ryfka Gerstmann. In the days of Austrian rule many Jewish couples didn't have a civil marriage at the local authorities, but only a religious one. Children born from such couples would have the mother's surname, so Salomon was a Gerstmann. His younger siblings Mariem and Sender Josef were already Klinghofers as the parents had a civil marriage before they were born. I was lucky enough to find details about him on a list of the Polish census of 1937 in Lwow. The Details were: Salomon Gerstman born in 1984, a merchant who lived on Bernadynsky 2, which was the family's address. The year 1984 was obviously a typo and should be 1894. The surname was written with one N at the end and not a double N like in the German spelling. The professional merchant was correct as my father told me that his father Salomon who was a medical doctor could not work as a MD and imported Kosher wine from Tokaj in Hungaria together with one of his cousins of the Czortkover family. He would travel to Hungary by train some 350 kilometers. In order to be able to eat according to the Kashrut (Kosher) rules he kept a silver spoon in his pocket and so he could eat a soft-boiled egg with a slice of bread. My father told me that his father Salomon was a senior medical officer in the Polish army, but sadly I didn't find documents about that. Last month I found a new document about Salomon, stating that he got wounded on May 25th 1916 in WWI, his rank was Gefreiter and he served in the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian army. His unit was LSTIR 25 5th company K. Salomon was married to Paulina - Pnina my grandmother, they had 2 daughters and a son, my father. The whole family was killed during the Shoah and only my father survived. My grandfather got wounded during WW1 in May 1916 and I myself 51 years later under similar circumstances.

Through the fields of Emek Hefer

Back on my bike.

I have a dear friend whom I know already for about 50 years.

She has a PhD in social work.

We have a talk once a year, because we share our birth dates. If that wouldn't be the case we would talk twice a year.

Usually it is about the kids and the grandchildren.

Her field of expertise is dealing with elderly people. She asked me what I am doing with my free time now I am retired. I retired some years ago and was busy doing all kind of tasks  I neglected.

The biggest project was updating and redecorating my house. It was a huge one.

I also have some hobbies and I guided groups of foreign tourists  around the country, as I also am a licensed tour-guide.

This was a kind of hobby and work, because I love touring the country.

I also like photographing and people say I am quite good in it.

I also am a radio amateur (4Z5UY) with a very minimalist station. As my hearing was damaged during my military service, I don't hear very well and that is the reason I prefer digital modes.

( My Radio Ham page )

The question about what I am doing with my free time bothered me and I started thinking what I could do and enjoy. Preferable it would have to be something good for my health.

As child I rode on a bike, mainly to school, but also around the country. 

I became an only child during the first years at secondary school and had a very few friends. So I would take my bike and make very long trips. I loved it.

Till some years ago I would bike around in the area where I live. As the infrastructure in this country for biking is very poor, it was extremely dangerous. One day as I was on my way a driver almost killed when he ran into me. I heard a car approaching me and looked in my mirror. The only solution was to jump from my bike and roll over the shoulder of the road into the ditch at the side of the road. My bike was totally ruined and I had a traumatic shock. The guy who just almost killed me apparently was busy doing something else and didn't look at the road.

I also used to run till my knees started to hurt, then I swapped running with walking.  The problem with walking for me is that it goes too slowly and therefor it bores me.
I bought a new bike and used it several years, but my work didn't leave me much spare time and I left it and gave it to my youngest son.

After the question of my friend I wanted to go back to cycling but in a way that would suit my age and physical condition, which is OK, but not brilliant and nothing to complain about.
After much thinking I bought a pedal assisted e-bike. It helps me, but leaves enough space to work on my fitness. 

So now I ride every day in the paths and dirt roads in my area, avoid riding on main roads, look at the nature and enjoy it immensely.  

On one of my trips my started to behave in an odd way and after inspecting it thoroughly I found a crack in the frame.
It was a manufacturer fault and as it was still under warranty I managed to swap it for a better one.
    

One of the favourite spots I visit almost every day is Agamon Hefer which was a fish farm pool and is now transformed into a nature reserve.
You can see there in the right season Pelicans, Cormorants, Black and White Storks, Jackals and Wilds Boars. 

Today it was the first really rainy day of the year, "the former rain" - Hayoreh, as it is called in the Old Testament - Deuteronomy 11:14.
There was not a single spot in my body that stayed dry and it was great fun.

Visiting Yad Washem with tourists

Almost all tourists I guide, visit Yad Washem the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

We try to understand what happened then and how 6 million innocent people were killed by an industrial system of hate.

Both my parents were active members of the Dutch resistance and I remember that even as a young kid I was aware of the history of the Sho'ah which wiped out almost my entire family.

Many questions are asked during those visits and it is hard to find answers, but some time ago one of the tourists asked me a question that left me speechless.

The person was extremely shocked by the sights shown in the memorial and than I heard a question I as a non-christian couldn't answer.

"Could it be that Jesus came back to earth before the Holocaust and was killed together with the 6.000.000?'

What could I answer?

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Jabel - Tourism in Druze and Circassian Villages

Well-hidden jewels of tourism in Israel are the Druze and Circassian Villages in Galilee.

Many tourists may pay a short visit at the Druse villages on Mount Carmel near Haifa, but very few take their time to see the authentic life of the  Druze and the Circassians.

On your next visit in Israel it is worth to include an in depth visit to one or more of their villages. For details please visit the Jabel website

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Massada the last stronghold of the Great Revolt

Herod the Great (or rather the Cruel) built near the Dead Sea a fortress where he could hide in case of a revolution.

In the year 73 CE, three years after the Temple and Jerusalem were ruined, fought here 960 Zealots under Elazar ben Jair against the Tenth Legion led by Lucius Flavius Silva.

Flavius Josephus tells us that at the end of the battle 10 of the defenders of Massada were chosen to kill the others and one of them to kill the other nine ones. The last survivor took his own life. 

Flavius tells us that they preferred to die as free ones rather than living as slaves.