Saying goodbye

It sure is hard to leave Baby Gefen and her big sister and brother, but that's life. 

 We are posting some of the pictures from the last few days and we'll be posting more soon. 

 See you soon, Sabba and Sabbi.

Baby gets a bath!

 Who doesn't love a bath!

  

Gefen certainly loved her first bath!  And oh what fun it is to be wrapped in a warm towel and then go to sleep....

Celebrating Gefen Yael

 

First the baby is born, then she is named, then it is time to party!  Ariele & Avrami welcomed their new baby into the community by naming her on Shabbat morning, and then celebrating her arrival and naming with a party just after Shabbat ended on Saturday night. 

Maya and Daniyel were quite excited to get the party started!

Avrami's sister, Sheba, planned and prepared a spectacular event with lovely food, desserts, wine, and plenty of chocolate.  

Ariele, her father, and the rabbi of the community each gave a beautiful talk about Gefen's name and its meaning and significance.  

Gefen ("grapevine") reminds us of the wine that is used to sanctify all Jewish celebrations and holidays.  Yael, named for Ariele's grandfather Julius (Yoel), is a combination of two names for God.  We wish for Gefen Yael that she be strong and steadfast like a  grapevine, be gentle and loyal like her great-grandfather, and be godly in her world.

Mazal tov to the grandparents and the Rosen and Sager family! 

Baby gets a name

There is usually a "hum" in the synagogue -- not noise per se, but an outcome of the special joy of being in community.  However, after our son-in-law, Avram, made the blessing dedicating a portion of the Torah reading, a profound quiet covered the crowd.  "May the One who blessed our ancestors bless the newborn and may she be called in Israel:  GEFEN YAEL."  Silence erupted into celebration; people sang and threw candy.  The parents smiled; the grandparents shed tears of joy.

Gefen means "vine" -- a sturdy, steadfast carrier of many kinds of fruits.  Gefen has a long and noble history of being transplanted.  Israel itself is called a gefen transplanted back to its home from Egypt. 

All fruits that come from a gefen receive the blessing, "Baruch ata...borei p'ri ha'etz/Praised are You who creates the fruit of the tree."  Only over wine is God celebrated as "borei p'ri ha-gefen"/creator of the fruit of the vine.  Of course, wine is not a fruit nor is it a creation unique to God.  Rather, wine attests to a unique partnership between the Creator and the creative.  We give credit to the Creator and to the carrier of fruit and tradition -- for our Gefen.

The name Yael locates the baby in wide and small circles of memory.  Yael was a biblical hero.  But Yoel, Gefen's great-grandfather of blessed memory, was a hero of her family in recent memory.  Yoel, Julius, was kindhearted and wise.  He could build almost anything, specializing in building relationships with his grandchildren.  May his fruits be carried by this new Gefen Yael, this steadfast vine nourished by soil and soul.  Mazal Tov!

Homecoming

Our newest granddaughter came home today!  

 

Maya is so thrilled to be able to cuddle with her little sister -- she will be a fabulous mother's helper!  Daniyel is not quite sure what to make of all this, but he stops by the baby periodically and gives her a quick, gentle kiss on the head.  He then resumes playing with his new truck, which seems to be attracting much more attention than the little pink bundle!  Stay tuned! 

 

Big Brother, Big Sister

Maya and Daniyel love their big brother, big sister gifts!

Waiting for the baby to come home

How shall we pass the time while waiting for the baby to come home from the hospital.  A trip to the park, of course!  Enjoy some pictures of Maya and Daniyel while we await the baby's homecoming....

Our new granddaughter

Our new granddaughter was born today in Israel.

We arrived several days ago to join the waiting game as she decided when she would arrive in the world.

After Shabbat (late Saturday night) Ariele left for the hospital, only to deliver her baby in less than an hour!  

The newest Rosen arrived on November 14 at 1:17 am, weighing in at over 8 pounds!  

 Big sister Maya and big brother Daniyel are quite excited!

Mom, the Bucs, and the Dogs

In October, we went to Florida to visit my mother.  We spent some great days together, taking her out for errands, out for grocery shopping, and of course out to eat!  During our visit we arranged for Steve to teach some poetry at Kobernick, the residence where Mom lives.  He was so popular with the seniors that they invited him back to do a second session! 

We continued our trip by spending the weekend with Jacob and Ali in Tampa.  We enjoyed some relaxing time with them and their dogs, Oscar and Brody. 

One of the highlights was going with them and my sister Karen and Bill, to a Tampa Buccaneers football game -- and we were treated to fabulous seats!

The weather was hot and the game was a scorcher -- the Bucs won the game with 10 seconds on the clock!  A cold smoothie and some Thai food topped off the day. 

Just before heading back to Durham, we had lunch with my mother, brother, and sister.  What could be better than a family reunion -- don't we look good!

 

Girls' Weekend

I am very blessed to have a group of friends (see Mindy, Francine, Janice, Renee, and Sabina in picture to the right) that meet yearly to celebrate our girls' weekend!  

  
This year our gathering point was Washington, DC. 

On a gorgeous fall day we took a stroll from out hotel to the Mall at the Capital.  

We enjoyed some museum exhibits, hotel receptions, Shabbat dinner, and plenty of chocolate amidst stories and laughter -- and counting the days until we will meet again at Wildacres.

 

Bringing in the new year

We greeted the new year of 5771 in new surroundings--beautiful Tiburon, California.  For the first time in 32 years, we were not in Durham and while we missed our familiar context, we very much enjoyed our new friends in a very welcoming community at Kol Shofar.  We had a chance to blend the new with the old, as there are many "refugees" from Durham-Chapel Hill in the Tiburon community.  Our hosts, Ron and Rhea Brown, made us feel enormously welcome in our new environment!

Between Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur, we went to Lake Tahoe with some dear friends, Arna and Saul, and enjoyed sights and an environment that we have never experienced before, including a trip into the "old west"--Virginia City, Nevada.  Being over 6000 feet above sea level really was spectacular -- we looked up at 10,000 foot mountains and looked down at the lake from above.  We spent time around the lake, over the lake, on top of the lake, but thankfully not in the lake!  Boat rides and afternoon picnics were a part of our relaxation.

We hope that this trip signals the beginning of a new chapter for us.

New Year's Greetings

What a year it has been for the Sager Family!  After 32 years of serving as Rabbi of Beth El Synagogue, Steve has retired and become Rabbi Emeritus.  

He is busy with his new project, Sicha, which will promote conversations involving ancient texts and modern issues.  He has been teaching and developing pilot projects around the country, so we have been traveling a great deal, taking time to enjoy some new places.  We will be spending the holidays in San Francisco, where Steve will be leading services.

And the family is

expanding!  In November we are planning to travel to Israel to meet our newest grandchild!  

Maya (5) and Daniyel (2 1/2) are very excited to meet their new sibling.  Ariele and Avrami are busy working, parenting, and planning expansions to their house in Israel.

Jacob and Ali got married in Nashville this past January as part of a wonderful New Years' celebration!  They now reside in Tampa and are busy in graduate school, clinic work, and raising two adorable little dogs.

Noah keeps busy with his music career, teaching dozens of piano students each week and playing at a downtown wine bar with his jazz trio.  He enjoys his music, playing with his dog Wesley, and taking long bike rides.

We send wishes for a happy and healthy new year to all our family and friends.  We hope that this year will bring peace, tranquility, and prosperity to us all.  

Shanah Tovah!

WWW 2010

The tenth annual Weinstein Women's Weekend was held in Sarasota this year.  This year the group included my mother (who is doing great at 91), my sister Karen, my niece Rachel, and my new daugther-in-law Ali!  My sister-in-law Linda also joined us.

 
Our weekend included food, chocolate, outings, and Shabbat services and dinner.  We enjoyed sitting in the hot tub, swimming in the pool, watching the drumming circle at sunset on the beach, and learning how to make jewelry together.  We produced 19 necklaces and over 30 earrings during our weekend!  The Weinstein Women really know that girls just like to have fun!