It’s called an adoptive family. And it sounds super awkward and uncomfortable. Plus I already have a family. Who are these strange people inviting me to their house and cooking me dinner? Who are these strange people telling me that their laundry machine is sad without more clothes to wash and that whenever I want I can come hang out/eat/escape/whatever that I can go to their house? Who are these strange people offering me kitchenwares, sheets, and towels? Where am I? Did all of that really just happen?
Max, Jordan, and I were picked up by Rotem and Nitzan. They smiled and hugged us–saying to us in perfect English that they are happy to meet us. We follow these strangers to their car (because that’s normal…right?) and we take a 15 minute ride outside of Karmiel to a moshave in Mizgat. (They ride was breath-ta kingly beautiful and I kept stuttering while being nervous and trying to talk to them while attempting to take in the view.
A moshav is a little villiage. About 200 families live in theirs. It’s a community. They pay taxes to the moshav and there are committees to put on various events and such. Some examples of committees that Rotem told us about are culture, education, social, and chaggim (holidays). It sounds like a really incredible place to live.
Rotem and her husband Avi used to live on a Kibbutz…but they said that it was like living in a glass house and that sharing everything was not exactly for them. Rotem’s parents still live on a kibbutz…and when we met them eariler tonight, they kindly demanded that we come visit.
Dinner was incredible. The food in Israel just tastes better (for real). We had grilled chicken, eggplant and tahini, four or five different types of salads, potatoes, and probably a lot of other foods. Throughout the whole night Jordan and I kept grabbing eachothers hands, sharing a glance and mouthing something along the lines of “Wow this is amazing. These people are so incredible.”
Rotem and Avi have traveled all over the world. They are amazingly warm, brave, intelligent, and loving people. Their daughter Nitzan is 16 but she seems at least 21. They have two more children, a boy and a girl, but neither were around because they are both currently serving in the army.
Rotem and Avi sent us home with enough kitchenwares to supply our whole group of 23. Before dropping us off at the Mercaz Klita, they drove us around our neighborhood…pointing out good, fair-priced markets and grocery stores. We got out of the car and gave them each a big hug and a kiss on the cheek–saying that we’d see them again very soon, that we had an amazing time, and thanks again for everything.
kvetshing 