What are Gilbarim, and how did they come to be what they are today? If that is the question you've been asking yourself, than you've come to the right place. You might not get much else here, but then again, you'll probably get more than you asked for. A short walk with the Gilbarim is what we're offering: We are Ncoom and Chaia Gilbar. We each grew up in the U.S. of A., and at some point, figured out that there was a certain culture going on there, but if we wanted to live as Jews, Israel was the place where that was happening. We each moved there about 23 years ago, met in Jerusalem, and lived happily ever after.

We were married 19 years ago on a barren Jerusalem hillside, overlooking the site where the Temple once stood, and the Judean desert. In Israel weddings are very different one from the next, and tend to reflect the bride and the groom.

For instance, a Hatan (groom) and Cala (bride) are compared to a King and Queen on their wedding day, and they traditionally do not see each other until they meet under the hupa (bridal canopy). It seemed odd to me for the King to show up and not at least send some kind of greeting to the Queen, so I sent some messengers, blowing a shofar and bearing flowers, which they rained down upon the Queen. You don't necessarily find that at every wedding, but each one seems to capture something of the particular couple. A good time was had by all. And, we got married.

After five years in Jerusalem, and two years in a moshav (like a kibutz, but different), we moved to Shilo, in the hills north of Jerusalem, where we live to this day. It's a dream of a place, where people are striving to create a community living as Jews, meaning finding the way the Torah expresses itself in this odd world we live in. At a time when culture is so often toxic, it's a refreshing change.

We set about creating a family. We have seven kids, who are pretty special, each and every one. Here's a group shot, but go to the Tzabarim page to see what one generation can do.

There is much confusion about what Israel is all about today. Between the internal questions, such as how important is it that we are a Jewish state, and the external questions, such as our right to existense amidst a hostile Arab (world?) population, one has to answer a lot of questions just to get out of bed in the morning. Here's the way we see it.

Ncoom means consoler, or compassionate one. I primarily work as a therapist at Maor Aynayim Family Therapy Center. I see a lot of children, as well as couples, and individuals who are seeking to make things work better in their lives. Chaia means alive, or life force. She has given birth to 7 mighty children, does some informal therapy, some things hard to classify but close to social work, and keeps the whole boat afloat. More about the two of us if you want, by going, beyond.

Shalom. and remember that it would all be a better world if we could just

Ncoom & Chaia