Andrea Sultan
Mini Israel
When I want to not cry about the loss of one of my best friends I think about our visit to Mini Israel in 2006. We were there for Pesach and spent a full day touring with Midge and David. The day was exhausting and difficult for Midge. She skipped some of our museum stops because getting on and off the minibus and maneuvering around the buildings was hard. But all that changed when we got to Mini Israel and spotted a golf cart.
David didn’t want to ride in the golf cart with Midge so I happily volunteered. We were two middle-aged moms, novice golf cart drivers and we had so much fun. (Everyone else thought we were crazy.) Like Thelma and Louise we loved the freedom, independence and adventure we gained from our new set of wheels. We tried to avoid hitting people and not run over baby carriages. We made jokes about everything we saw including spotting and taking pictures of look-alikes (if you want the names you’ll have to ask me in person). Pretending we knew Hebrew or just reading the signs made us feel like real Israelis.
We loved feeling free and being alone. We made a stealth junk food run in the cafeteria. Midge had given all her food to my Sephardi children because the snacks contained kitniyot so we enjoyed our unhealthy treats of potato chips and other nosh that Midge shouldn’t have eaten, but loved so much. Our adventure in Mini Israel was the highlight of our day.
Over the years Midge and I were always there for each other. I remember when her house was contaminated and she lived with me before moving into her mobile home that was situated on the side lawn. We shared children’s birthday parties. She would watch my kids when someone was home sick. She was incredibly kind and did so much for me. She was one of my best friends.
Mini Israel
When I want to not cry about the loss of one of my best friends I think about our visit to Mini Israel in 2006. We were there for Pesach and spent a full day touring with Midge and David. The day was exhausting and difficult for Midge. She skipped some of our museum stops because getting on and off the minibus and maneuvering around the buildings was hard. But all that changed when we got to Mini Israel and spotted a golf cart.
David didn’t want to ride in the golf cart with Midge so I happily volunteered. We were two middle-aged moms, novice golf cart drivers and we had so much fun. (Everyone else thought we were crazy.) Like Thelma and Louise we loved the freedom, independence and adventure we gained from our new set of wheels. We tried to avoid hitting people and not run over baby carriages. We made jokes about everything we saw including spotting and taking pictures of look-alikes (if you want the names you’ll have to ask me in person). Pretending we knew Hebrew or just reading the signs made us feel like real Israelis.
We loved feeling free and being alone. We made a stealth junk food run in the cafeteria. Midge had given all her food to my Sephardi children because the snacks contained kitniyot so we enjoyed our unhealthy treats of potato chips and other nosh that Midge shouldn’t have eaten, but loved so much. Our adventure in Mini Israel was the highlight of our day.
Over the years Midge and I were always there for each other. I remember when her house was contaminated and she lived with me before moving into her mobile home that was situated on the side lawn. We shared children’s birthday parties. She would watch my kids when someone was home sick. She was incredibly kind and did so much for me. She was one of my best friends.