בְּיוֹםbe-YOMרְבִיעִיre-vi-Iשֶׁעָבַרshe-a-VARנָסַעְתִּיna-SA-tiבָּרַכֶּבֶתba-ra-KE-vetמִתֵּלmi-telאָבִיבa-VIVלְחֵיפָה.le-khei-FA.יָשַׁבְתִּיya-SHAV-tiלְיַדle-YADהַחַלּוֹןha-kha-LONוְהִבַּטְתִּיve-hi-BAT-tiבְּפַרְדְּסֵיbe-far-de-SEIהַתַּפּוּזִיםha-ta-pu-ZIMשֶׁחָלְפוּshe-khal-FUעַלalפָּנַי.pa-NAI.מִישֶׁהִיMI-she-hiהִתְיַשְּׁבָהhit-yash-VAלְיָדִי,le-ya-DI,וּמַשֶּׁהוּu-MA-she-huבָּהּBAHנִרְאָהnir-Aלִיliמְאֹדme-ODמֻכָּר.mu-KAR.אַחֲרֵיa-kha-REIכַּמָּהKA-maשְׁנִיּוֹתshni-YOTזִהִיתִיzi-HI-tiאוֹתָהּ.o-TA.זוֹZOהָיְתָהhai-TAרָחֵל,ra-KHEL,חֲבֶרְתִּיkha-ver-TIמִכִּתָּהmi-ki-TAג'.gi-MEL."עָבְרוּ"av-RUעֶשְׂרִיםes-RIMוְחָמֵשׁve-kha-MESHשָׁנִים!"sha-NIM!"הִיאHIקָרְאָהkar-Aוְחִבְּקָהve-khib-KAאוֹתִיo-TIבְּהִתְרַגְּשׁוּת.be-hit-rag-SHUT.דִּבַּרְנוּdi-BAR-nuכָּלKOLהַדֶּרֶךְha-DE-rekhעַלalהַחַיִּיםha-kha-YIMשֶׁלָּנוּ:she-LA-nu:עֲבוֹדָה,a-vo-DA,יְלָדִיםye-la-DIMוַחֲלוֹמוֹת.va-kha-lo-MOT.בְּתַחֲנַתbe-ta-kha-NATחֵיפָהkhei-FAהִיאHIנָתְנָהnat-NAלִיliאֶתetמִסְפַּרmis-PARהַטֶּלֶפוֹןha-TE-le-fonשֶׁלָּהּshe-LAHוְהִבְטַחְנוּve-hiv-TAKH-nuלִשְׁמֹרlish-MORעַלalקֶשֶׁר.KE-sher.לִפְעָמִיםlif-a-MIMהַמִּפְגָּשִׁיםha-mif-ga-SHIMהַחֲשׁוּבִיםha-kha-shu-VIMבְּיוֹתֵרbe-yo-TERקוֹרוֹתko-ROTבְּאֹפֶןbe-O-fenבִּלְתִּיbil-TIצָפוּיtsa-FUYלַחֲלוּטִין.la-kha-lu-TIN.
Last Wednesday I took the train from Tel Aviv to Haifa. I sat by the window and gazed at the orange groves passing by. Someone sat down next to me, and something about her looked very familiar to me. After a few seconds I recognized her. It was Rachel, my third-grade classmate. "Twenty-five years have gone by!" she exclaimed and hugged me with excitement. We talked the whole way about our lives: work, children, and dreams. At Haifa station she gave me her phone number, and we promised to keep in touch. Sometimes the most important reunions happen in completely unexpected ways.