I was trying to get five cheerful and overexcited kids to sleep, Zoe, Ori and 3 of their cousins, all camping in their grandparents living room. Yonatan was insisting I should make up a bedtime story, and I was going for the challenge. I knew we were going to visit Beit Govrin caves in the morning (located in the Judea desert not too far from Jerusalem, hundreds of man made caves rich with history dated back approximately 2500 years). I have decided to use the caves as the background for my story. I needed something to start with and that’s all I could think of. I ended the story with 12 lost stones carved by a young girl made of soft chalk shaped like a heart. After a good night sleep, they all woke up determined to find those stones. I was a little stressed (well, not really stressed but already thinking of a story that will explain the disappearance of those stones) I don’t remember ever visiting the caves, but being a little familiar with the area I figured that most likely the local stone is chalk and a heart is an easy shape to imagine. I can’t tell you how relieved I was when they found not one but three heart shaped stones. The story wasn’t that great, but the legend was now real and that’s all they could talk about. We got really lucky that day, not only for finding those stones but also for getting to Beit Govrin on the World Migratory Bird Day without even knowing a day like that existed. We watched 3 Ciconias being released back to nature after getting treated for injuries on their path of travel to warm climate (It was very emotional, I was holding back the tears watching those birds being released back to nature), we solved riddles, watched a movie about the dangers awaiting to migrating birds, made some birds from recycled materials, and all in an amazing setting surrounded by thousands of years of history, breathtaking landscape, and family…Great fortune indeed.
heart shape chalk stone found in Beit Govrin.
one of the Bell Caves in Beit Govrin
a Ciconia before being released back to nature
