Greetings and salutations!

As I write this I am presently on a Swiss Air flight on my way to Zurich where I look forward to spending the weekend visiting some close friends that I actually first met in Israel some years ago. Apart from making final preparations - cleaning the apartment, packing, etc. (in which I was wonderfully aided by another close friend), I have been traveling around in Israel a bit over the last several days.

Plans did change somewhat in that, rather than celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary in Jerusalem, we participated in the local Kfar Saba events. The turnout was great and there was certainly a spirit of rejoicing in the air, but it wasn't the frenzy of loosely organized chaos that Jerusalem would have been; that is to say, I survived the evening without being completely covered by foam - a disappointment to be sure.

I'm not yet prepared to get too introspective here in terms of leaving Israel, what led up to the decision, and what happens next. I will say that I was met with some significant challenges but I also know I have gained valuable insights into my own life and the world at large. Living in Israel was really a dream realized, even if that realization wasn't as extensive as I might have hoped. But I look forward with anticipation and without regret.

You can find a number of updated photo galleries on both my Picasa (Israel) and Facebook (Switzerland) Web albums.

If anyone is familiar with online Israeli video resources, please let me know if you can track down the episode of The Kitchen (Keshet TV) broadcast on March 31st.

With Hope,
Joseph