March Madness

I just worked for close to an hour on a blog post--these pictures take a while to upload--and it's all gone. Deleted. So don't go into this recreation of a posting with high blog expectations. The energy it will take to recreate it is heroic.

Hello! Salaam and good evening to you. Please, come in, come in. Closer, closer. Oh. A little too close. A little too close.

Here are several life-changing fact for you: Hummus Ben Sira is open till 2 am every night. There is a 24-hour supermarket on Ben Yehuda. There's a wise female figure in the Talmud who speaks occasionally named Ima Shalom (Mother of Peace). He who controls the Golan controls the Kineret, the fresh-water source in the region. That's why Syria won't be getting it back any time soon.

Subliminal concert sponsored by Masa in TA. Pure fun. Pure joy. Loud Israeli hip hop. Catchiest of lyrics.



The concert was held on the namal, the dock. They had portable toilets. Dafna totally used one.


Sarah Lauing had a swanky birthday party at the Mamilla Hotel's Mirrors Bar last week. So fancy and famous. Cool bathrooms.


Went on a Golan Tiyul with a Pardes group. Our Israeli guides said it's the best time of year to visit the Golan because it's so green and most trees and flowers are in bloom. We went hiking and hung around some waterfalls. I liked interacting with the Israeli and American school groups. I even bumped into a group from Gideon Hausner Day School from Palo Alto, CA!







Saw some ruins of old synagogues and Talmudic villages (400 CE). People were shrieking on the bus: "YAYEEEEEE!" so excited were they for a Talmudic village. Lots of young families moving to the Golan and starting farming communities. Careful of the jackals and mines. But in all seriousness, it's unbelievable beautiful there. Who wants to run away with me and join a moshav?



Wine tasting, Golan. Got a free bottle opener. Delicious.


Saw a huge praying mantis at the winery. Davening jokes were made.


I have to mention that I bumped into some awesome Avodahniks last Friday night. They are on NFTY's Eisendrath International Exchange program. I can't wait to see them again.

A word about hummus: While I'm still super eager to try new hummus places, I have learned that the best hummus comes few and far between. When I get a hankering for hummus sometimes I just feel like relying on the old favorites rather than trying something new, even when it comes with a recommendation. Usually that recommendation is wrong. So be careful. It's serious business. Anything less than incredible is disgusting.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Pesach Sameach!

How about a nice little drash I recently heard?
Your Pesach seder should be filled with questions and conversations regarding the going out of Egypt and the laws surrounding the holiday. Use your "Pe" (mouth) to make some "Sach" (conversation).