Out of all biblical holidays Rosh ha-Shana may be the strangest one. It does not belong to the category of shalosh regalim, three pilgrimage holidays, when we are specifically commanded by Gd to commemorate the agricultural and spiritual milestones of the year by going to Jerusalem Temple: שָׁלֹ֣שׁ רְגָלִ֔ים תָּחֹ֥ג לִ֖י בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃ Three times a…
Tag: Israel
Can we really disagree constructively?
I have initially published this blog post on Times of Israel. It was a part of my requirement, but I am grateful I was pushed to write. Hopefully, I will keep going at this: We live in a time when it is extremely hard to listen to the opinions of others. The world around us…
Back to the “Safety of the Land of the Free”
After I’ve returned from Israel a few days ago, I am still not sure if I can coherently express my feelings. Things that we’ve seen cannot be unseen, words that we heard cannot be unheard. The images of the tiny burned houses of the youth village of Kfar Aza are forever etched into my mind….
On the Road to my Favorite Place in Pain
Tomorrow, I am going to Israel. I have been there in times of joy. I have been there in times of pain when even the taxi drivers thanked visitors not deterred by the suicide bombings. This time it is different. The pain is never easy, but this time, the pain is unbearable. Every account, every…
Zahav & Israeli Soul
I have written about Michael Solomonov and his book Zahav a little bit. Now I want to highlight a few dishes that I made from it and include some words about his next one – Israeli Soul. Both books are written in collaboration with Steven Cook, and I was lucky to be on the presentations…
Fun Food and Israel Related Articles
It is no surprise that Israeli chefs are on the forefront of all things new. Why should food be an exemption? There have been a number of articles lately about innovative ways Israelis think about food using words like “vegan, ecological, and locavore”. New-old plants are appearing on the restaurants’ tables straight from the biblical times. …
New Cool Articles about Jewish Food
Food is always on my mind. While it’s been a while since I wrote about my culinary experiments (not for the lack of experimenting, but lack of time to write about them), it doesn’t mean that I stopped cooking, naturally. I have been posting some pics on my Instagram account lamenting my abilities as a photographer….
Hebrew in My Heart
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…
Random Spring Pre-Purim Thoughts
Spring is, inevitably, coming. And, with it come hopes, dreams of the better future, associations with pink / rosy glasses. Time and again, my mind races back and forth bringing pleasant thoughts and emotions and going back to the darkness that is so ingrained in my whole being. Personal ups and downs are mixed today…
וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה – And this is the Blessing
We are approaching the end of the Autumn Holy Days, the last two parashot in the Torah before starting anew with “In the Beginning”. This week is the final blessing Moshe gives to the nation, the “stiff-necked people” he had to deal with for over 40 years. He has the strength and the desire to…
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…
Noshing Across the Nation 