Lisa Saltzman Mishli

When Old Friends Go Walking and Talking

3 December 2013

Segment 24 – Horvat Hanot to Azeka Junction * The feedback after our last hike on the Israel Trail a month ago encouraged me to organize another outing as soon as possible. The selected date, during the Hanukkah holiday, was problematic for some and convenient for others. I decided to go with the earlier date, and save the following one as a rain date. Turned out there was no need to postpone; the weather was ideal for hiking. But since we've not yet had any significant rainfall this year, the trail was dry, and I spent much of the day searching for some color to photograph. Our hiking group consisted of long-time friends, whose friendships go as far back as school days and army service (aside from Miri and Shlomo being siblings). A chatty bunch. Delightful company. Before starting the…

Good to Be Back on the Israel Trail

1 November 2013

Segment 24 – Even Sapir to Horvat Hanot * On just a week's notice, I gathered a small group of hiking friends, and took to the Israel Trail once again. We picked up the trail near Moshav Even Sapir, just outside Jerusalem, where we had finished a previous hike some two years ago. The autumn day was crisp and comfortable for hiking, and provided clear vistas as we traversed the hills and valleys. The first segment of our hike was along the Springs Trail in the Aminadav forest. We passed many springs and pools, some dry and others filled with water. Definitely a place to return to on a hot summer day for a refreshing dip. A view of Hadassah Hospital (Ein Kerem) from the trail. Playing peek-a-boo in the rock formations. Upon reaching Horvat Saadim, a small nature reserve noted for…

March in May on the Israel Trail

29 May 2011

Segment 12 – Alon Hagalil to outskirts of Tivon * Rain in Israel on the last weekend in May?! Almost unheard of, but that's the kind of weather we've been experiencing this year. Thunder and heavy rain had woken us at 5 a.m., just before the alarm clock. As we drove north, the rain continued on and off. The forecast was for scattered showers as well as sunshine and high temperatures. We expected the latter to prevail at this late spring date. We met and began our hike on the Israel Trail at the entrance to Alon Hagalil. Just as we started, a wave of rain rolled in, and we scrambled back into our cars. Within a few minutes the downpour changed to a drizzle, and we started off again. As we hiked through the Alonim forest, the rain alternately got…

Welcoming Winter on the Israel Trail

4 January 2011

Segment 28 – Dvir(a) to Sansana * "The way you spend New Years is the way you'll spend the rest of the year." A friend of mine posted that message on Facebook on New Year's day. If that message is true, well then, I can expect to be doing a lot more hiking on the Israel Trail this year, and in the company of wonderful friends. Despite last minute cancellations from my regular hiking companions, and the threat of rain, I did not want to postpone this hike a second time. As long as we had two cars, to park one at each end of the segment, we were good to go. Unlike our previous outing on the trail with 19 hikers, this time we were just five, and that was just fine! Yuval and I were joined by…

Ups and Downs on the Israel Trail

23 November 2010

Segments 23 - Shoevah to Even Sapir * Although November is almost over, Israel has not yet received any significant rainfall this autumn. Our weather concern for this hiking day was not if it would be cold and wet, but rather how hot it might be. Faced with such conditions, I decided the best segment for today's hike on the Israel National Trail would be the ascent to Jerusalem. I hoped to enjoy the greenery and shade of the forests, and to find water in the spring-fed pools marked on the map. Since this segment is the closest the Israel Trail gets to Jerusalem, it was a natural decision to hike the trail in an "ascent to Jerusalem". But we had plenty of descents as well. We began our hike in Shoevah, the same place we began a hike…

I’ve Joined the Club

26 October 2010

Since I first learned that the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure [for breast cancer] would be held in Jerusalem on October 28th, I have had the date marked on my calendar. But a couple weeks ago I realized I would not be able to participate. I recently went to see the dermatologist for my annual check of moles and spots (I’ve got lots, but nothing has ever raised a flag). I also wanted to ask the doctor to remove what I thought was a fatty deposit on the side of my nose near my eye, since it was constantly irritated by the nosepad of my eyeglasses. Earlier this summer my ophthalmologist had identified a small bump on my eyelid as a trivial fatty deposit, so when this similar-looking (in my mind) bump appeared on my nose later…

Insights of an MTBO Amateur

12 October 2010

Now that I have biked in about 20 mountain bike orienteering (MTBO) events, 17 of which were Israeli MTBO league meets, I've reached some conclusions about my relationship with this esoteric sport. Insight Number 1. For me there are two kinds of events: the ones that make me say, "That was beyond my ability. I'm not going to do another MTBO event again"; and the ones that make me say, "That was a great challenge. I'll be back for more." It would be wonderful if every event could evoke the latter response, but that's not the case. I've taken stock, and have counted 5 of those 17 events made me want to quit. In those instances, a combination of two or more factors were to blame: (A) The trails and terrain were beyond my riding abilities, meaning I had…

Turn, Turn, Turn – A New Season on the Israel Trail

3 October 2010

Segment 19 - Tel Afek to Tel Aviv, along the Yarkon River * September 25, 2010. Officially it's now autumn. Our clocks have already been switched to winter (standard) time. But judging from the extreme and unbearable heat, it is still summer. That made it tough to be on the Israel Trail during the week of Succot, but we were eager to get back into the hiking mode. To begin our hiking season I selected a easy segment close to home, along the Yarkon river. I gave Yuval the choice of direction. He prefered to end the hike in Ramat Hahayal where ice-cream and frozen yoghurt shops would await us. Our group comprised just 10 hikers, mostly core members and a couple guests, after several last-minute cancellations. We began our hike just outside the Tel Afek National Park, at the Rosh HaAyin train station, shortly before 8 a.m. The sky was overcast and the air…

Nahal Anabe and Municipal Megalomania

19 September 2010

I am trying to save a sliver of nature and history. I am hoping that sanity will prevail over megalomania. In the not too distant future, when you see the natural landscape of Nahal Anabe and Ben Shemen Forest obliterated by 4- and 6-lane thoroughfares, remember this blog post. Remember how some citizens-who-cared tried to convince the bureaucrats and elected officials of Modiin that preserving the city's "backyard" habitat is just as vital for city residents as creating commerce and jobs. Until recently I had never been involved in environmental activism. That changed this past spring when I was enlisted by my friend Alon Tal to join a group of petitioners in an effort to divert a road leading from Highway 431 to the Business Park in Modiin (Ligad). [Alon is one of Israeli's leading environmentalists. He founded Adam Teva V'din - the Israel Union for Environmental Defense and the…

Four Generations Meyer-Saltzman-Mishli 1989

Truths My Mother Taught Me

30 July 2010

I did not write this post. The title's "Mother" is my grandmother, Ruth Radman Meyer; "Me" is my mother, Bernice Meyer Saltzman. My mother wrote and delivered this speech in February 1995. Fifteen years later, I am still impressed and inspired every time I read it. This tribute to my grandmother is also a testament to my mother's outstanding abilities as a scholar, writer and parent. I am publishing it this week to honor my mother's memory on her 10th yahrzeit (anniversary of her death). Truths My Mother Taught Me Presented by Bernice Meyer Saltzmanto the Jewish Women's Club of Richmond VATuesday, February 28, 1995 Bernice Meyer Saltzman 1994 One of the blessings of being sixty-something is that you are in the position of learning from people both older and younger than you. Recently the young 39-year-old Rabbi Simeon Glaser of…