The Jerusalem Marathon and You! (Next Year in Jerusalem Indeed!)
Picture yourself somewhere in this crowd!
If you weren’t one of the 10,000 people that ran in the Jerusalem Marathon, Half-marathon, 10k or 4.2k race this past Friday, I am here to tell you that you better be next year. If you want a challenge, if you want to be healthy and if you want to eat pasta like it’s nobody’s business then sign up for the 2012 race now.
I am writing this to you, sore legs and all, to say that everyone has the potential to run in a race like this, and if you don’t do it then you are missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime. And to run the Jerusalem track, that’s the cherry on the top. Running through the streets of Jerusalem, hills and all, is an incredible feeling. Running with others who are sharing in your excitement and pain as you climb yet another incline, is so amazing I wish I could do it again this Friday!
Let’s get this straight. I don’t consider myself a runner. I am a woman who became a mommy and didn’t have the time or money to go to a gym with a newborn to take care of. So I made it my goal to get back in shape with a few DVDs (those postnatal workouts with cheesy trainers telling you you’ll be as fit as ever) and a light jog every now and then. No matter where you run in Jerusalem you are bound to face a hill, so I figured a good twenty minute run was plenty and would keep me healthy. Continue reading this entry »
Guide to Childcare in Israel and 15 questions every parent should ask
If there is one thing harder than birth, we would say it is trying to register your child for day care. Unlike the birthing process, there’s no Lamaze class to teach you breathing techniques as you try to register your child for day care in Israel.
But lucky for our readers, you can learn through our mistakes and questions as we navigate the childcare system in Israel. And let us say right off the bat, that we encourage and beg you to add info in the comments section in order to help the new parent community.
It is barely spring, but according to Israel you need to secure a place for your child for the fall. You must sign up before spaces fill up, and that means that even if you don’t know what part of town, or even what part of the country you are living in, well that’s too bad.
Check out our guide below that explains the different types of daycare options in Israel.
Public/Government Run Childcare:
Maon (Daycare)
Definition: This is large-scale daycare run by various organizations (usually women’s organizations). The government supervises and dictates policy. You must register for these and be accepted (registration starts April 27, 2011). Full-time working mothers have top priority.
Groups:
- 3-15 months: 1 adult for every 6 children, maximum 15 in a group.
- 15 months – 2 years: 1:9 ratio, maximum 23 in a group
- 2-3 years: 1:11 ratio, maximum 27 in a group
Opening Hours:
- Sunday-Thursday: 7:00am-4:00pm (though some go as late as 5:00pm)
- Friday: 7:00 am-1:00pm
- Holidays: Government policy: three weeks in August (of which you pay a full month’s worth of tuition), a week before Pesach and the whole holiday, the other major Jewish holidays and the week of Sukkot.
Prices: NIS1550- NIS 2050, scale-based subsides payments based on household salaries and siblings
What is included: Food (and sometimes sheets)
What you need to bring: diapers, baby wipes, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, (sheet for the bed)
Maons in Jerusalem:
Mishpachton (pre-nursery in someone’s home)
Definition: This is daycare that is run out of a private home. The government supervises and dictates policy. There can be a maximum of 5 children (without getting special permission for more) and no more than 2 children under the age of one. If there are more children an additional caregiver must be present.
Hours and Holidays:
- 6 Day a week Mishpachton: Sun-Thur 7:00am-4:00pm, Fri: 7:00am-12:00pm
- 5 Day a week Mishpachton: Sun-Thur 7:00am-4:30pm or 7:30am-5:00pm (although some places are only until 4:00pm)
- Holidays: They must abide by the government set holiday schedule. This includes taking off three weeks in August (of which you pay a full month’s worth of tuition), a week before Pesach and the whole holiday, the other major Jewish holidays and the week of Sukkot.
Prices: More or less the same price as a Maon, approximately NIS 1550, scale-based subsides payments based on household salaries and siblings.
What is included: Food
What you need to bring: diapers, baby wipes, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, sheet for the bed
Running in Jerusalem or How to Make Buns of Steel!
As I train for the Jerusalem half-marathon, I have come to realize that the Holiest city in the world was meant to be a land filled with extremely fit people. You cannot run five minutes without finding yourself climbing up another hill or flying down one. And when you’re running in your first half-marathon – that’s 21.1 kilometers or 13 miles – you realize that maybe Jerusalem isn’t the best place to start. Then again when you live here, there isn’t much of a choice!
Thanks to the new Gmaps Pedometer, creating my running routes has been easy— but there’s nothing easy about the actual runs. Every route has hills, it is unavoidable. Not only that, Jerusalem doesn’t have a beach, a lake or a boardwalk (I know there is the Haas Promenade in Talpiot, but really not the same as a boardwalk), that could make the run more visually exciting. Sure there is the Jerusalem Forest, but that is just more of the same, with crazy hills and inclines that my legs, butt and thighs will just not accept. And true, we do have the Old City which is a cool place to run through, if you like thousands of tourists getting in your way, cars trying to squeeze through the narrow streets, and broken roads that make for embarrassing and painful (being embarrassed hurts more than bruises) falls.
But I have challenged myself, body and mind, to run this year’s Jerusalem half-marathon and March 25th I hope to achieve my goal with thousands of others. While I am super excited about the half, the real deal is the first full Jerusalem marathon taking place the same day. With over 10,000 people registered, it looks like this will be the country’s biggest marathon, so take that Tel Aviv (with your beautiful beaches, boardwalks and HaYakron!). Continue reading this entry »
The Big Felafel 