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What a week, what a week!  My nephew’s wedding, the שבע ברכות (''sheva` berakhoth'') celebratory meal.  A music festival and more!

We started off with a bang, with my nephew’s wedding.  The venue was an unusual place called [http://www.safed.co.il/red-khan.html The Red Khan], in the northern city of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safed Tsefat (צפת)].  Sarah, Esther and I left our borderline-desert city of Maale Adummim around noon, and drove up the Jordan Valley highway ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_90_(Israel) route 90]).  Once we got up to the Sea of Galilee, we turned on the GPS and had it help us find the place.  Good thing we did, because we would never had found it otherwise.

Tsefat is the highest city in Israel.  Physically, for sure, at 900m elevation.  The claim is made by the [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/isaac-luria-kabbalah-in-safed/ ''Kabbalists''] that it is also (one of) the highest spiritually.  I’m not quite sure what that means, but then I’m not a student of the esoteric.  Based on the smells, we discerned that Tsefat is probably also one of the ''highest'' in the colloquial sense…

The wedding was very nice, and typical of [http://www.chabad.org/generic_cdo/aid/448431/jewish/The-Wedding.htm Chabad weddings].  Ariele’s family came in from the US, as did one of my cousins.  We were the representatives of our side of the event.  My mother was able to join in via Skype and see the proceedings.

During the week, we hosted one of the ''sheva` berakhoth'' meals at our home.  We were fortunate that the weather was nice, so that we could have the event in our back courtyard.  Turns out we can comfortably have a 30 person sit-down event, outside.  The meal was (as you might expect from Esther) excellent, the crowd friendly, the ''diverei-torah'' illuminating.  Everyone enjoyed themselves (and we would like to extend a hearty “thank you” to our friends who participated).

We especially enjoyed having the opportunity to enlighten our guests from outside the Land as to the actual situation here.  They were surprised to see we live in a modern city (as opposed, I suppose, to tents).  There were surprised to see it is calm and peaceful (which, mostly, it is).  They were surprised to see Arabs and Jews working and living together despite it all.  They saw what the “media” doesn’t show, and for that we’re grateful.

On Thursday evening we went out to dinner with Chaim and Ariele, and my cousin Merrill.  After that, we went to hear the [http://en.sounds-of-jerusalem.org.il/ Sounds of the Old City].  I should have brought my earplugs, alas.  My personal favorite was [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECaXRo7ZINA Radio Effendi], whose performers were very precise, and whose music was interesting.  I especially enjoyed the singer’s vocal technique of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtone_singing “throat singing”], which I’d never heard live before.  While there, we happened upon our son-in-law Jeremy’s brother, Micah.  That was an unexpected bonus!

In more mundane news, we [http://8th-dev.com/forum/index.php/topic,890.0.html released a new version] of our 8th product.  We also expanded our “outreach program” to find new clients.  So far, it’s slow going — but we’re hopeful of ultimate success.  I’ve been sending out feelers to between five and ten new companies every day, which takes up at least an hour or two of my time.

Because of all the excitement, Esther and I are now sleep-deprived and looking forward to a relaxing and quiet ''shabbat'', amen!

Just us this ''shabbat'':<br>
roast beef,
artichokes,
rice,
onion quiche,
''salatim'',
and random remnants from the שבע ברכות.


Until next time,<br>
''shabbat shalom''!

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