Hockey Night in Neve Daniel

A couple of days ago Yonatan came home from school and told me that today there was going to be a hockey game. He had arranged to teach his Israeli or rather hebrew speaking Israeli friends (we're all Israeli now) how to play street hockey. That's great Yoni, kol hakavod! He runs upstairs to put on his Maple Leafs Hockey Jersey with SHERMAN on the back. He together with David and Max proceed to finish assembling one of the two nets we brought. As they work the kids begin to show up. They are holding the hockey sticks looking at them like foreign objects trying them in different hands which one is for left which for right..."ze yemini? o smali?" Then they start in on the goalie equipment..now the scene became very comical. The boys were putting on pads and blockers in ways I never even thought of. LO, Lothat's upside down, lo kacha......they were all laughing and having a great time. Yonatan, very serious was still working on the net determined to get this thing going. The boys tried walking with the goalie equipment on and nearly fell over, more peels of laughter and chatter. This is good , this is good I'm thinking! Finally the net is finished and the boys are ready to go up to the flat street above us, we live on a big hill..hockey would not work. First, the annoying mother must get a picture which you see here. They shlep the net up the street and the game begins. A few minutes after they leave Avital comes home from school..do you see what's going on up there? That is the funniest thing I have ever seen! She yelled to Yonatan...way to go , if you can't go to Canada, bring Canada to Neve Daniel!!! I head up to have a look at the goings on. Everyone had been instructed already how to use the sticks and the game is on. The kids were so happy english and hebrew speakers! Teams were split to have both on each team. At one point two of the hebrew speakers were fighting to get the ball, Yonatan yells out why are you fighting YOU'RE ON THE SAME TEAM!!!! OH, they stop! The boys played until it was time to go to B'nei Akiva. They all shlepped the stuff down, laughing and talking. Todah, Todah, nesachek paam acher! We'll play another time. Yonatan smiling says goodbye..lehit see you at the snif! He looks happy... for one of the first times with his new friends he was the teacher, the helper, the giver instead of the reverse. See ya later Ema , I'm going to b'nei akiva. He doesn't notice that once again I'm blinking rapidly to keep my tears at bay! This is a good moment!