Manni's Shvil: 23.4. visiting family Tifferet in Kfar Vitkin, Organic Farm, Moshaw with melking station, visiting Mordechai

Finally we met our wonderful exchange family from last summer, the Tifferets from Kfar Vitkin.

All roads were blocked and it took us more than an hour to get there. We later learnt that these days at Pessach are the only time of the year when the Orthodox families are allowed to drive somewhere.
Dan and Sigal did some special things with us, they took us to an Organic Farm where Dan's friend showed us around. This place functions as a prototype farm and they already set up this type of farm in various countries in Africa and Asia. Everything was growing there: herbs, fruit trees, greenhouses full of vegetables. We saw a henhouse and stables for goats with babies, and many tanks of fish. We could try some tomatoes and cucumbers - very aromatic.

The next stop was a cowshed in another Moshaw and we could watch the fully automized milking process. We heard that Israeli cows give around 40 liters of milk (Manni said his parent's cows gave about 20 - amazing! This must be due to the fact that they live in the land of milk and honey!

Dan wanted us to meet Mordechai from the village who people call Motke. He is 95 years old and a very warm and open man who was born in Halberstadt and who lost his parents when he was 14 in the Holocaust. He and his 5 sibblings could make it to Israel and started a new life here. Motke was telling us about his whole life, how he grew up in Germany and how hard his life as a pioneer in Israel was. He hadn't been here very long when he was recruited by the British Army. He is part of this generation who built this country from nothing. Where he lives now were only dunes and sand back then. Motke said when he arrived in Israel the most wanted people were builders and farmers. We feel very honored that we were introduced to this amazing man.

When we arrived home, Sigal had already prepared dinner - one of the Matze recipes: pancakes with mazzot and eggs. It was delicious. We had a nice time of sharing. Daphne told us about her school, the first Democratic School in Israel, it's in Hadera and the students are involved in all decisions, they even choose which subjects they want to learn (and they are also free not to learn them).

It was a very nice evening - thank you Dan and Sigal for your great ideas! We enjoyed seeing you!