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How are you? I hope you're all fine. I'm feeling a bit snowed under with Passover cleaning, but apart from that, everything's great! Actually I'm really enjoying doing the house out this year. It's very satisfying to throw out all the rubbish and see the house spick and span. Now if only it would stay that way for more than ten minutes!! I find that my girls – Emuna (8), and Nachala (will be 6 on Passover) – are forever cutting up coloured paper (yes – coloured with a "u"; I'm British originally, remember!) and making all sorts of ingenious things. I suppose I'm just jealous, because I'm not that creative! They must get that from my husband.
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Anyway I thought I'd tell you a bit more about myself. I'm now learning for a B.A. in Jewish History through the External Programme (funny spelling again!) of the University of London. I'm just finishing my second year. Of course that's another commitment in my schedule. The course is great, although we only receive a list of bibliography and subjects and that's all until the exams. No tutors, no feedback. It's easier through the academic year, but makes revising – which I'm trying to do now, among other things – very hard. Anyway, I hope to pass the exams, and complete the B.A. next year. A degree is one of the things which went by the wayside, when I came to live in Israel. I got married, started a family and didn't finish my degree. Now, with 7 kids, I finally have time to do this! Sounds strange, but it's true! I have my sights set on an M.A. afterwards.
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I also wanted to tell you more about the school here. Its name is "Nachalat Tzvi" and it comprises a boys' school and a girls' school – both under separate auspices – from 1st to 8th grades. It's a regional school, so the children of the neighbouring settlements learn here as well as kids from Elon Moreh. In addition to the normal school hours, there are extra hours of religious education, which the parents finance. It's a tremendous expense for a big family to pay extra for this, but everyone does it willingly as we all realise the importance of Torah learning for the People of Israel.
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The school manages on a low budget, and it's quite difficult to set up new projects. For example, one project which is near to my heart, is a language lab. The kids in Elon Moreh have very little exposure to English as most families, for ideological reasons, don't have T.Vs, so it's hard to teach English. If we had a place where children could get maximum exposure to English, it would help. Of course, in the 21st century (by the Roman calendar) English is a pre-requisite for getting ahead in most professions. With G-d's help, I am sure that we will succeed in funding this.
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What's news from Elon Moreh? Thank G-d there have been a few births, with a few more on the way. One family just had number 10 two days ago. The mother was under a lot of pressure. Her due date had come and gone, and this coming Shabbat will be the Barmitzvah of her 4th son. She was so worried that she wouldn't be at home for this important occasion!! Thank G-d, she gave birth to a healthy girl (just as well it was a girl – can you imagine a brit the day after having a Barmitzvah in the family?!), and will be at home for Shabbat. That's the way things go here – many happy occasions together!!
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