We might be Giants

For our first full day in Israel, after spending the prior afternoon unpacking and setting up our rental house to our specifications (four flights of stairs, my calves are going to be in great shape come August), we met up with our good friends who are also visiting Israel for part of the summer.

They conveniently brought along with them a driver and mini bus and tour guide. So after driving a very good natured and organized Angel's Bakery worker crazy making 16 custom sandwiches we headed off to British Park.
Sarah Edri, their/later-to-be-our tour guide passed out pages of pasukim (passages) of Shmuel 1 for the kids to read out loud after we enjoyed our picnic lunch. They read the story of the battle between David (a wee little shepherd) and the big, bad (and apparently uncircumcised) giant Goliath. We hiked a short while passing cement blocks inscribed in the original Hebrew of the very same passages that we just read. We followed the story of David and Goliath up the hill. For those of you thinking of doing this hike it is a very low key easy hike. Unfortunately it is not stroller friendly as you need to climb a few steep steps. At the top of the hill we were treated to a lovely view of the land of Yehuda. Quickly everyone realized that we were looking out at THE battle site. As cool as that was, the best was yet to come (except according to Meir who kept asking if we can "move this along"). Sarah pulled out plastic swords, shields and helmets. Our Goliath - Levi - was measured and chosen and instructed to "talk smack" to our volunteer David -- Max L..
 Max came right back with some fighting words of his own. We all heard how Dovid was brave enough to fight Goliat. He relied on the power and strength of HaShem and not weapons and might. A lesson we can all take to heart - you don't have to be as tall as Dovie in order to be a giant in your own right. After the mock battle, we checked out the sundial, reset our watches, and headed back down.
Due to Shlomo's bar mitzvah later that evening, we returned back to our house in order to freshen up and change. Crawling through Bar Kochva caves will have to wait.