Segment change over and mate reunion. My beloved mate of almost 36 years, Hilary, joined me so did my dear mate of 44 years, Ian Rosenbaum and his wife Debritu. We had met 44 years ago on the Manley Sydney harbour ferry where where he was leading a HaBonim Zionist youth group outing and I had noticed the Jewish apparel and struck up a conversation. We became fast friends which included an overland odyssey road trip through the outback with Rabbi Arthur Bielfled who visited me on his round the world sabbatical. We drove out to Adelaide and along the gorgeous coast to Melbourne and back over a week. This was our third cruise overnight visit to Ian and Debritu's home in St Ives on the North Shore. We marveled how their boys, Yoni and Ben, had matured into fine young mensches from energetic boys.
Ian and Debritu picked up Hilary from her long flight to SYD from DEN via LA and IAH (long story and even longer flight!) and then Gabe and I and whisked us to their home via a scenic detour to Lane Cove National Park complete with Kookaburras and flying foxes. After a rest, we made a sacred memorial pilgrimage to the eastern suburbs of Double Bay to Bondi Beach to pay tribute to the 15 souls lost in the Chanuka massacre whose ripples shocked the Australian Jewish and and non Jewish community alike into vigilance and resilience, upset our Chanuka cruise in the Mediterranean, and increased security protocols throughout our Jewish heritage world cruise visits.
Bondi Beach Chanukah massacre memorial.
Matilda Bee 10 yrs old
We went to a suburb evening performance at the Sydney Opera House to see a contemporary adaptation of Puccini's "Turnabout" which takes place in China where we will be for Passover.
After the performance Ian and Ben "Jubered" us back to their place while we visited the famous Luna Park that ben idolized as a child.
NSW Art Gallery and the new Modem Art addition. The Art Gallery has two art museum buildings in the Domain in Sydney on Gadigal Country. These have been given Sydney Aboriginal language names: Naala Nura, meaning 'seeing Country', and Naala Badu, meaning 'seeing waters'. WE enjoyed the indigenous art to see Australia and its stunning waters in a new way.
We meandered to the Botanic Gardens complete with the Jurassic Fern pavilion and then to the Macquarie scenic harbor walk. We then toured the historic NSW public library and gallery and completed our tour with the Archibald fountain in Hyde Park with a peak at the outside of the secured Great Synagogue.
Farewell to my mate, Ian, and Gabe and hello Hilary as our cruise continues heading north to the tropics of Australia's Deep North and Far End!
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