Lately, I have been listening to a lot of Israeli songs. I always loved Hebrew, and now I feel that I am feeling it closer to my heart than ever. I have got acquainted with some really beautiful songs both music and lyrics-wise. They are not new, they might remind you of your youth or…
Category: Israel
Wine! Glorious (kosher) Wine!
Not sure if I said it already, but my younger daughter is studying to become a sommelier. Apparently, there are only 249 masters of this trade in the whole world! In America, there are only 25 women. One can study for years and years and still fail the Master’s exam. So, there is a long…
Food! Glorious (Israeli) Food!
Just because on a day of horrible news from Israel I saw this article about food, I couldn’t leave it be. Here it is for you, my readers. Whether you are in Israel now or plan to go, read this, you’ll love it. Personally, I can totally vouch for Hachpuria, where I’ve finally eaten this…
שִׂמְחוּ אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם – Rejoice you with Jerusalem
This Shabbat we will mark the start (Rosh Chodesh) of the new month of Elul, This time is supposed to bring us all to a calm and self-searching mood. This is not easy at all when each one of us is busy with life, minor and major problems, thinking about holiday meal planning and the like….
About the Shuk – Again
Did you know that Rosh ha-Shana is only a month away? The thought dawned on me during my Shabbat rest. As I started going through my multiple collection of recipes to see which ones I can incorporate Simanim into, I found an old article about the cute cafe we stumbled upon a couple of years…
Life after Pardes in Jerusalem
Well, every good thing comes to an end, and I am firmly settled back in the land of the USA, the city of New York, the supposed “center of the world” or so it deems itself. For me, of course, this phrase does not ring true. The only real center of the world is Jerusalem,…
This Land is Your Land
Walking the streets of Jerusalem, and especially hiking the land around it keeps me thinking of Gd pretty much every minute when I am not in class. The beauty of this land is matched by the resilience and wit of its people. I am not going to say a lot – see for yourself. From me…
A Reading Day or Gush Katif Forever?!
Today was a reading day for me. Sometimes, I get to spend a day in bed getting out of it for a glass of water moving about the apartment like a zombie, a pain here, a pain there. No big deal if someone is used to it like I am. Thank G-d, it’s not often…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Eikev / עקב
Reading these last parashot of the year, I keep wondering – why did things go wrong after the years of miraculous existence in the desert that should have taught our forefathers all the right things? יב וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן, אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה, וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם, אֹתָם–וְשָׁמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ, אֶת-הַבְּרִית וְאֶת-הַחֶסֶד, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע, לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ. 12 And it shall come…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Shelach / שְׁלַח
Every Parshah “accidentally” throws some very contemporary notes at you. Everyone knows how ancient the city of Hebron is. This Parshah points out the depth of its history by comparing it to a city, apparently, well known in the ancient word and stating that Hebron is seven years older. כב וַיַּעֲלוּ בַנֶּגֶב, וַיָּבֹא עַד-חֶבְרוֹן, וְשָׁם אֲחִימַן…
Just One Verse
A friend of mine just made Aliyah. Originally from Donetsk, she had to run to Kiev from the horrors of the war not wanted by anyone. There, she waited for permission to enter Eretz Yisrael. As an artist, a jewellery maker, a make-everything-myself lady, she settled in the best place for creative souls – the city…