The clinic in Barta'a

After scouring the web in the last 2 months I finally came across a project I am going to be involved in (see the following): http://middleway.org/English/clinic.html and http://middleway.org/English/index.html
The number of cross communal, interfaith, grass roots peace projects is staggering considering all the negative press and media coverage. And that's just what I was looking for; being involved in working with people from all sides of the conflict, highlighting the commonality of our humanity, transcending the superficial ethnic-political differences.

Where are we going to?

This is the 'main street' in Zichron Yaakov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zikhron_Ya'aqov), the village / town where we will be staying.















It's adjacent to Ma'ayn Zvi, my kibbutz which has recently been privatized.







Sunset over the Kibbutz Fish Ponds (http://www.pbase.com/fredyr/maayan_tzvi)

Going on Sabbatical

Some background for taking this Sabbatical

I have been living in the UK for 20 years and look forward to going back to my Kibbutz in Israel where I was born and brought up. This will give me a chance to reconnect with my community and the rural agricultural landscape of northern Israel. It would be a wonderful opportunity for us as a family to experience a very different way of life and for the children to become fluent in another language and cultural context.

I intend to keep up my acupuncture skills by working 1 or 2 days a week in the local (county general) hospital, but I am also looking forward to doing something totally different. I have enrolled on an intensive Arabic course in Givat Haviva http://givathaviva.org.il/english/ which is a Jewish – Arab centre for peace. Improving my Arabic will be useful as I am hoping to be involved in a couple of peace / coexistence projects between Jews and Arabs - Israelis and Palestinians.

I am also looking forward to catching up on my professional and non-professional reading and writing and spending more time with my family and nature. 'Hanging out' on the beach is also very appealing.

Clare is hoping to study pottery and Hebrew and also to spend more time with the Kids and me. So, we will all be doing new things. And having fun. But also expecting some difficulties and looking forward to the challenges along the way.

Going on Sabbatical

We are getting ready to go on our 1 year adventure in Israel. Leaving London in 6 weeks.

The kids are getting very excited about the trip as you can see:

Watch this space......