Photo Friday (Vol. XX*XI) [shorn locks edition]

Before we plunge into the business at hand, I have two small bits of 'old business' to mention:

1.  I want to thank one and all who extended birthday wishes in comments, emails and phone calls.  I don't make a big deal out of birthdays other than to indulge in a bit too much introspection... but all of your kind words were better than any party.  Thank you.

2.  In my post this week called 'Connectedness' I neglected to mention another connection to the 'Mississippi Burning' story.  For those of you who saw the film (or are familiar with the events on which it was based), you may remember that one of the secondary characters is a nebby, bespectacled attorney who spends much of the film assisting and advising the two FBI men (Hackman / Defoe).  He is the one they tell to purchase the motel when the owner doesn't want them to use it as a barracks for the crowd of Federal agents who have come to Mississippi.  Anyway, the man on whom that attorney character is based is named Kessler (I don't recall his first name), and he made aliyah many years ago to the Israeli town of Shiloh.  His son lives near me here in Gush Etzion in a settlement called Tekoa. 

Now, on with the show!

Ariella (our eldest) has long thick beautiful brown hair (with auburn highlights) that she likes to  wear in long ponytails or braids.  The problem (if you could call it that) is that when her hair gets very long it becomes very difficult to brush/comb... and is often a source of tears and conflict between Ari and her mother (feel free to share your pain if this sounds at all familiar).

The only thing that has kept any of us sane throughout the later stages of Ari's hair growing is that she has gotten into the habit of donating her hair every couple of years to an organization that makes free wigs for kids with cancer.  Each time the tears have come over the difficulty of managing Ari's hair, the specter of altruism waiting just over the horizon has allowed cooler heads to prevail.

This past week we measured Ari's hair and were relieved to find that it is well in excess of the minimum length for donation... so we summoned the hairdresser to our home.

Here are a couple of before pictures:

Doing the deed:

And the end result:

How glamorous is an 11-year-old allowed to be?

After the hairdresser finished with Ariella, Zahava had her hair done (as long as she was already here, right?)  Zahava is a bit camera shy so I may need to get a court order to be allowed to photograph my beautiful wife with her fab new 'do'.  I'll let you know.

One more thing before I let you go for the weekend.

On my way home from work I often take little detours in search of little known archaeological sites and areas of historical significance.  Luckily, an academic from Ben Gurion University (he works in their nano-technology research facility), who frequently rides with me also enjoys these little jaunts. 

On Wednesday we set off in search of some ruins that were supposed to be situated near the Yatir Forest, north of Beer Sheva.  We followed the dirt track for miles (kilometers, actually) and saw several likely sets ancient stone ruins... but none of them were marked so we weren't sure what we were looking at.

Deep in the middle of nowhere we passed a stone monument with an inscription and stopped to read it.  Israel is dotted with literally thousands of such monuments which designate for whom who a forest was named or what historical event took place nearby.  It is a bit sad that so many of them, like this one, are situated in remote areas where they are seldom seen and appreciated.

I thought I'd rectify the lonely isolation of this one marker and share it with you this week.  One of my readers in particular may find it particularly interesting (as always, click to enlarge the image):

Standing in a remote corner of the Judean Desert is an unlikely forest.  I had the privilege of standing quietly and reading about a little known hero who had no personal stake in the fate of the Jews... yet sacrificed his position, his reputation and all he had spent his entire life trying to become, just to save as many as he could.

The inscription says: "Forest in memory of Dr. Aristides De Sousa Mendes, a righteous gentile.  Portuguese Consul General in Bordeaux in 1940.  Against the orders of his government he issued visas to 10,000 Jews, saving them from certain death.  He was dismissed disgraced and died in poverty."

Somehow, a small stand of trees doesn't seem to be an adequate thank-you for such heroism, but maybe my little side trip wasn't meant to find the ruins of some ancient Jewish settlement, but rather to allow you the opportunity to say this man's name aloud and thank him for his sacrifice.

Shabbat Shalom!