Nothing goes better with hummus than Michael Greilsammer. There have been so many sightings of this fantastic Jerusalem musician that it’s seriously hard to keep up. It all started two Thursdays ago when Rachel went to the Israel Museum’s “Contact Point” and spied Greilsammer playing a private violin concert for some lucky patrons. Rachel was filled with a jealous rage.
Later, she saw him at the Jerusalem tent protests at Tzahal Square — who knew that little grassy area outside the Old City had a name? Greilsammer and his singer/guitarist wife Shimrit came out to perform and show their support for the cause sweeping Israel over the last week—for the government to regulate the out of control housing prices. The crowd of mostly Ashkenazi students had a definitively social vibe of beer drinking, music and dancing. Getting the government’s attention has never been so fun. The protesters set up around 20 tents, which they have slept in for several nights so far. If Dafna’s looking for an apartment, look no further: This location’s got fresh air, amazing light, a beautiful next door view of the Old City and friendly haredi neighbors.
The next Greilsammer sighting came two days ago when Dafna and Rachel learned, thanks to Emily Bernstein, that they are featured in one of his music videos! Please notice their blurry, bobbing faces from 56-58 seconds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsEds_HvMa8
Now the question is of course, do you think Michael and Shimrit have noticed all of the Rachel sightings?
In other news, Rachel is moving to an apartment in Rehavia today. In honor of the occasion, she tried a hummus restaurant in the neighborhood yesterday; from Gaza to Berlin, purportedly tasty. The hummusia (hummus restaurant in Hebrew) derives its name from that time in 1992 when Germany invaded the Gaza Strip, took their hummus away and made the residents eat bratwurst. Actually, the restaurant just sits at the corner of those two streets.
The verdict: Gaza to Berlin is fantastic. Thank G-d Rachel moved. It is the creamiest hummus she’s ever had. So smooth and the flavor of the chickpea really sang. This lingo is all coming from “Top Chef,” by the way. It had a nutty quality that made it taste like creamy peanut butter. A tangy spinach vegetable on top was a great complement, and the lemon, garlic and oil layer on top coexisted in harmony. With regards to the creaminess, Rachel noticed they use a food processor to make the hummus, while at Ben Sira they make the hummus in mysterious bubbling pots. It was obvious this place was going to be good even before she walked in the door. If you see Israeli men in their 20s or so packing the place, you know the hummus is tops, experience has shown. The minute families are involved, the quality drops.
