For the Love of Hummus

Reunited and the Hummus is so good

2011-11-02T07:59:00.003+02:00

Okay, let's be clear: even though you may find some circular motions in this post, it is by no means a round-up. Round ups are so last blog year. This is more of a "Where are they now?" expose.

To be honest, this picture pretty much sums up Dafna's return to this great land:

It's been a whirlwind two weeks - Gilad Schalit is home, Qaddafi is really, really dead, Rachel and Dafna have both started a new school year, and we're pretty sure we had Hummus Ben Sira twice in one week. Rachel has moved into a sweet little apartment in Rehavia with a personal kiddie pool, just down the street from Bibi. Hopefully there will be a block party soon. Dafna is all settled in to her digs at Tel Aviv University, and by settled in we of course mean watching magnificent Israeli cable TV 24/7. Two nights ago, she fulfilled her lifelong dream of eating a bag of her favorite Israeli granola and watching the season 3 premiere of Srugim, aka Friends minus all the sex.

But also, Dafna has been doing lots of reading and posturing, chiefly in the field of Biblical Archaeology. She's still trying to figure out exactly when the Second Millenium BCE was. Any suggestions? Rachel has been explosively busy not only as famed night/duty/holiday supplement/copy editor emeritus at the Jerusalem Post, but also starting her second (and final!) year as Hebrew U.'s best Conflict Resolution and Mediation graduate student. We think she's figured out the solution to Middle East Peace: isn't pita bread the real enemy? Have we made that joke before? It still works.

Also, this is probably going to jinx everything, but something really weird and other-wordly has been happening to our two favorite hummus bloggers ever since they first arrived in the Holy Land some two years ago. They have the insane ability to actually control television programming. Every time one of them says "I wish this were on," or "That's just like this movie you haven't seen but hopefully will get to watch on TV soon because it's not worth renting," it actually comes true. Case in point: while recently watching Clueless, Rachel brought to light the fact that the movie is based on Jane Austen's Emma. Two nights later, while visiting her Savta (Grandmother), Dafna noticed a froofy British film was on TV when she came in. Do we even have to tell you? Emma.

What are the odds??

Welcome home

2011-10-18T10:12:00.003+02:00

Today is a historic day for Israel. Gilad Schalit, a kidnapped soldier who has been held in captivity by Hamas terrorists for roughly five years and four months (1,941 days), is coming home to Israel. In exchange for Schalit, 1,027 Palestinian prisoners are being returned to the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The plan is already underway this morning. Schalit has been transferred to Egypt (it's 10:12 am and he was just interviewed by Egyptian state television. He apparently speaks fluent Arabic now.) and his family is waiting to meet him at Israel's Tel Nof Air Force Base in Rehovot, near Tel Aviv, where he will be flown soon. The 1:1,027 swap, as the media has dubbed it, is insane and beautiful at the same time. Israel values human life so much that it is willing to set over 1,000 terrorists free; today, it will set 477 free with the other 550 to follow later. Israel needs every parent whose child willingly or unwillingly enlists in the IDF to know the government will do its best to save him or her. On the other hand, Hamas supporters rallied in the West Bank this morning chanting, "We want another Schalit."

I just pray Schalit reaches Israel and his home, Mitzpe Hila, safely.

Israel is welcoming a less historic, but still exciting Israeli home today... the one, the only: Dafna Nechama Laskin. She is flying at this very moment having dreams of Michael Greilsammer's violin doing the backstroke in a bowl of hummus.

Where there's a will, there's a hummus

2011-10-02T15:38:00.003+02:00

Ahalan Wasahalan Hummus Enthusiasts,

Here to talk plans. Big, fantastic plans.

1. Dafna has recently read in several cookbooks and on certain, trustworthy websites, that it's possible softening chickpeas in baking soda has a detrimental effect on the integrity of the resulting hummus. A more back-breaking solution? Peeling the chickpeas after boiling them.
2. Thanks to a secret family tip from Dafna's Tarzana cousin, Etti, we now know that just a small, discreet amount of mayonnaise may give hummus a smoother, yet more cohesive, consistency. Report from the lab to follow.
3. October 13th marks the First Birthday of the sweetest little niece you've ever seen, evidenced here:

Do you think she'd like a hummus cake? For that matter, don't you think she should be eating a completely hummus-based diet? Very digestible for babies and no chewing required.

4. Are you sitting down? Are you starting your engines, battening down the hatches, and girding your loins? In mere weeks, Dafna returns to the Holy Land of Hummus, where she will be studying the Archaeology and Geographical History of Ancient Hummus Production. Yes, readers. It is high time for a long hiatus from American hummus. Headed back to where it all began.

Hummus hits Palo Alto

2011-09-14T10:19:00.006+03:00

Dear hummus lovers,

There’s a new hummus hot spot taking downtown Palo Alto by storm. Rachel discovered it when she was home for her sister’s beautiful wedding—at which no hummus was served, but other really delicious foods were. Oren’s Hummus Shop on University Avenue has a bright and chic ambiance. Crystal chandeliers hang from its ceilings, and a quirky chalkboard with eye-catching scribbles about the origins of hummus is displayed on a wall. The menu is pretty expansive, offering a variety of Middle Eastern foods like tabuli and baklava. Best of all, it’s open till midnight, unusual for the city that turns in around 9 p.m. Dafna ordered the hummus with beef on top and Rachel ate hummus topped with chickpeas. No, it was not the best hummus we’ve ever eaten. It was bland, weak in the spice and flavor department, particularly lacking in lemon. Just bland and kinda boring. On the upside, it was creamy, had a nice texture and it came warm—generally makes hummus taste good and easy to lap up. Rachel is also told that the meat was pretty delicious. The pita came hot and fresh, very key. All in all, it made for a filling midnight snack post-movie at the Stanford Theater, practically next door. Enjoy, Palo Altans.

Hummus with beef on top

Instructions on the wall

Back in the land of hummus, the social justice movement has packed up its tents. All summer long protesters have met regularly in the north, south and center for rallies and marches demanding affordable housing and “justice, not charity.” Now, the movement, made up mostly of students and young families, but with ultra-Orthodox and elderly supporters, is hoping to influence the Knesset’s next budget making health care, education and housing more of a priority. The movement is launching roundtable discussions across the country on these topics. The aim is inclusivity.

Here is a shot from Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv where the first tent city started over a month ago.

"All of Israel's tents for one another" (based on the teaching in Hebrew "all of Israel is responsible for one another")

Rachel also has a blossoming career as a bridesmaid. It will be tough returning to civilian life.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the hummus

2011-08-18T18:16:00.008+03:00

Uh, okay.

Inspired by her new-found geographical surroundings (Connecticut), Dafna decided it was time to try this delicious-looking hummus recipe from Michael Solomonov, whose Zahav restaurant in Philadelphia has received endless accolades and critics' admiration.

Since Zahav is apparently the sort of restaurant two NY Post writers recently suggested was worth leaving the city for, and where the hummus is supposedly a 'revelation,' one would imagine the house hummus recipe to be amazing. Incredible. Life-altering. Divine.

With words like these floating around, the anticipation was unbearable. The chickpeas were soaked in baking soda overnight, as directed. Then brought to a boil with the garlic cloves, then kept at a simmer, yadda yadda yadda. Fast forward to the tasting, because what else matters? Verdict:

This hummus was a disaster of epic proportions, not only because of the build-up, but because it was just terrible. Dafna has made some questionable dishes before, but this was bad enough to rival even the Great Gnocchi Debacle of 2010. Ask Rachel how bad that gnocchi was. (The words 'glue' and 'gum' should come up.)

Nothing helped. Not more lemon juice, not fresh garlic, not salt, nothing. The hummus coats the mouth like a combination of hot tooth paste and gum that has lost it's structural integrity thanks to that piece of chocolate you had in your mouth right before you started chewing. And in hindsight, as Dafna's mom pointed out, it was doomed from the start. Using boiled garlic cloves vs. fresh. Adding plain tehina instead of preparing it first with the proper seasonings. This stuff made her stomach hurt after just one spoonful. She's just glad Rachel didn't have to suffer through it.

Dafna doesn't blame Chef Solomonov. Maybe this hummus tastes good at the restaurant, and she's sure the other dishes are delicious as well. But she can't shoulder all the blame for this terrible, terrible injustice served to perfectly innocent, hopeful, peace-loving chickpeas. Retaliation is in the works, via Dafna's mom's Lebanese hummus recipe.

Ask not what your hummus can do for you.

2011-08-16T17:48:00.011+03:00

Friends,

Dafna is really at a loss. A terrible, confusing loss. She doesn't know if this is a roundup, a retrospective, or maybe even a recollection. Allow her to explain.

There has been much consumption of hummus, among other delicious things, over the last few weeks (months, more like it.) But it just doesn't have that roundup feel. Maybe summary is the word. Yes. Summary indeed.

This summary begins with an old friend and a new-to-me trick. I'm talking about the amazing, and amazingly affordable, hummus at the Turkish Kebab House in West Haven, Conn. Dafna has coveted their hummus for years, served with a delicious, chewy sort of focaccia (please don't be sad, pita.) It's salty, garlicky, peppery, almost eggy-tasting, and most importantly, creamy in the best way. Normally, creamy hummus is bland and almost like a mayonnaise, but those Turks have a secret trick. A secret trick with roots in the backyard of their most-hated enemy. That's right. The secret, you ask? Greek yogurt. Just a tablespoon or two. It's incredible, and unites even the biggest haters.

Next up was a trip to the Hummus Kitchen, a mini-chain Dafna always assumed was just one more notch in the belt that is NYC's burgeoning, and frequently questionable, hummus scene. The hummus was easily the best in the city. The hummus with meat, a combination of beef and lamb, was perfectly fatty and salty, the hummus underneath holding up against the oily mix on top.

But that's not what we care about. Nor do we care about their delicious, herb-filled falafel or crispy bourekas. No. Here's all that mattered:

That's right. Do not adjust your monitors. Goldstar Beer! Sweet and bitter, malty and smooth. Drinkable even warm. Available for 5 shekel at most convenience stores. Goldstar is the most elusive Israeli food product in New York, and here it was, all along. At about 200% mark-up. Oh well.

Okay, but then what happened is that Dafna went to a different Hummus Kitchen branch with Gabby, seen below, and remembered that yes, the hummus is the best. But even better? Dafna finally found it. The holy grail of good falafel. A falafel sandwich that is greater than the sum of its parts. Every flavor melds together - the lemony, minty chopped Israeli salad, the thick pickle slices, the creamy tahina and thick hummus, the hot, fluffy falafel. Separate, each impressive in its own right. Together, unstoppable.

Okay, hold on. That may have all been really boring. We know what you're really here to see. The reunion of the creative team behind this brilliant hummus blog, right? No one actually likes Dafna's blurry iPhone photos of NYC hummus. We know. Well, Rachel has those pictures, and a forthcoming blog about Palo Alto's newest hummusiya, among other things. But here's a cool shot of the organ player at PA's old-timiest movie theater, where we saw Strangers on a Train. Creepy.

One last thought: do yourselves a favor and never stop watching this video from you know who: Michael and Shimrit Greilsammer - Tirkedi.

Hummus With a Side of Violin

2011-07-23T17:48:00.002+03:00

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.

Stop the Presses!

2011-06-17T20:30:00.004+03:00

Okay, wait. A few things.

1. So as it turns out, Dafna had it all wrong at the Hummus Place. Yes, the West Village branch (or sneef, in Hebrew!) was good, but then she went to the Upper West Side sneef with her mom, and wow was that one so much better.

Here's the "eggplant sandwich," or sabich:

It was pretty great. Pickles, egg, techina, lots of fried eggplant. No potato but that was okay.

It was so okay, in fact, that Dafna went back the next day with Marlowe, friend from Israel and current resident of Merced, visiting the East Coast for a bit. She had the hummus-techina with falafel on the side. Dafna loved the falafel, Marlowe was not the biggest fan. Even though she looks pretty pleased here:

Why else do we care about Marlowe? Because her brother owns the Maoz Vegetarian branch in Berkeley, and vouches for its tastiness. So that's a pretty great little circle, and Dafna thought a nice way to include Rachel's Bay Area entourage of family and well wishers.

Okay, that's it. Just a short one this time. Nothing too crazy. Move it along!

Roundup, Shmoundup. Bo Boundup.

2011-06-10T19:41:00.005+03:00

Howdy Faithful Followers,

Well, this post, technically, is a round up, but it's starting to become clear that our idea of a round up now must be expanded, due to the rampant 'round up' abuse that Dafna has so frequently committed. Can we call it a half-circle up? Because there's a lot to be said about different hummus places in New York City, but perhaps it's not a round up. You guys tell us.

A few weeks ago, Dafna wandered down to the Upper West Side in search of this magical land known to some as 'The Shtetl,' to others 'Little Tel Aviv.' There were tales of hummus, sabich, Goldstar Beer, and many Jews. She got off the subway, dawdled west on 72nd Street, and almost immediately laid eyes upon SoomSoom, a sort of falafel/sabich fast food place.

$7.50 for a sabich?? This better have been the best. Ever. Period. Here's what it looked like halfway through (and I think upside down somehow):

Okay. Sort of hard to distinguish what's going on there, so here's the situation: good, creamy hummus, nice spongy pita, two, count them TWO hard boiled eggs and eggplant. All of those things would have been fine on their own, but everyone knows sabich and fried potato go together like the cliff and the sea at Rosh Hanikra. SoomSoom, however, did something really strange. They shoved in half a ton of boiled, unsalted potato slices. Boiled? What? Maybe it's easier/faster to do, but it was so unflavored, and there was just so much of it. Ack. The good news was their little salad area, which contained all of the classics - Israeli salad, onions in sumac, green and red cabbage, spicy shredded carrots, amba, etc.

Then, across the street, like an oasis of coffee-flavored blended ice beverages in the barren Be'ersheva landscape, there it was: Aroma. Rachel has been spoiled by Aroma in Tarzana (the other Little Tel Aviv), but Dafna has never experience American Aroma. It was like walking into an alternate galaxy. There they were, all the salads, sandwiches, delicious drinks and bourekas, but everything was in...English. Dafna got an ice Aroma and vowed to return one day soon, demanding pickles on her egg salad sandwich, per usual.

Okay. Let's take it back to our humble hummus beginnings for just a moment. Last Friday, Dafna ended up at the Hummus Place in the West Village. Here's the 'hummus with fava beans' (Hummus Place, don't abandon your roots - you mean 'hummus with ful'!)

Looks awesome, right? Well you know what? It WAS awesome. Yes, the cilantro dressing was a little much, but the egg in the middle was great, the hummus warm and light, the beans not too mushy. Pita was debatable, but fine. Could there have been more? Sure. But a good showing, all around. (Minus all of these ridiculous New York prices, wah wah.)

Out of desperation, there may soon be ventures to Maoz (a chain falafel place? Eek), a place near Columbia called Amir's, and Nanoosh, which looks maybe decent. We'll keep you in the loop.

What else? I'll tell you what else! Do you people know that Rachel Marder has been officially employed by the Jerusalem Post as a copy editor for more than a month now? Here's her byline on this article, too! Dafna continues the job search. Anyone want to lend a hand?

That's all for now, folks. Wishing you all a Shabbat full of Shalom.

Guest Post by Leah Zeff

2011-05-27T11:46:00.002+03:00

Hello to all of Rachel and Dafna's blog followers. I have never blogged but requested this special opportunity to publicize an extraordinary find in the hummus world. While I was recently in America I found a hidden gem in the refrigerated dips section in the local Safeway. It is creamy and delicious, and packaged in a nice clear container with a red rimmed top. Comes in a variety of flavors such as supremely spicy (highly recommended), roasted red peppers, greek olive, and many more. Yes, keep your eyes peeled for Sabra© brand Hummus (OU Kosher, Parve).

Hummus, even unto its innermost parts.

2011-04-13T14:00:00.000+03:00

Okay people. Dafna has been having intense, uncontrollable, incapacitating cravings for, surprise ... hummus. Specifically, for the what she now considers to officially be her favorite Israeli hummus, Ben Sira. Yes yes, there's that delicious Nahariyan locale known as Danny's Hummusiya, but something about that Ben Sira charm. The beans in the table, the planning to have enough cash before you go because they don't take credit card, the mushrooms and cauliflower. Rachel gets to go whenever she wants, but Dafna just gets to hear about it and dream. She's also been craving shakshuka, and made this little pan of it recently: Supposedly New York City ( I always imagine myself in those Pace Salsa Commercials with a southern accent when I say that. New York City??) has some decent places, some of which I've even been to. There's The Hummus Place, which matches in texture but is a bit undersalted as I recall. The Chickpea lacks two important flavors - pride and love, both of which may be even more important than lemon and salt. Taim has good falafel and sabich but pretty standard hummus. Supposedly there is a place in the outer reaches of Brooklyn, Mimi's, that actually serves authentic, I feel sick but I can't stop eating this, please someone just take the fork away, hummus.

Well folks, I did it. I went. I sat on the B train for 55 minutes of an ethnic safari - rivaled only by the ride to Hebrew U. through Mea Shearim - until I reached Mimi's. And holy cow, was I disappointed. It started out innocently enough, ordering hummus with pitriyot - mushrooms. But two things made me uneasy before I took my first 'wipe.' First, it took 15 minutes for the order to come out. My order being a bowl of already-cooked hummus. Second, I heard a microwave. Let's gloss over the hummus itself, which was overly lemony (who would think such a phrase could appear in this blog?), overly salty (seriously, who is writing this thing??) and under-spiced. But the kicker? My hummus had spots of that sort of darkened, hardening crust that can appear on half-eaten hummus sitting in the fridge for weeks, or as I discovered when we made hummus last June, forms when you leave hummus sitting in the hot sun. You know what that means? It means they microwaved my hummus. Need I go on? Case dismissed, court adjourned, other legal jargon.

But then, this event, the second Hummus Taste Off, happened recently (thanks, Amanda, for the tip.)

So, there's minor hope for hummus in New York City, after all.
(This stuff's made in New York City?? Seriously, just watch this commercial)

Wait! Also, meet Dafna's soon-to-be new roommate. Tim currently works as Fordham University's Alumni Relations and Development secret weapon, without whom the school would likely implode.

Springtime for Israel

2011-04-06T02:03:00.012+03:00

Chodesh tov, friends! Time to throw a little Jewish knowledge your way. Today is the first day of the Jewish month of Nisan. This is an important day for several reasons. Firstly, it's Rachel's Hebrew birthday. Secondly, tradition teaches it's the day the mishkan (the tabernacle the Jews carried in the desert for 40 years) was finished. Thirdly, recognizing rosh chodesh ("head of the month") Nisan was the first commandment given by G-d to the Jewish people. Soon followed by the commandment to never covet your neighbor's hummus or falsely testify against hummus. The arrival of Nisan also means Pesach is upon us (14th Nisan), so start peeling those tomatoes, liquidizing your sugar and hiding your quinoa (it's a gray area?!). Speaking of delicious foods, I went to the hu mmus capital of Israel last week with my parents and the Congregation Beth Am group that was visiting. The restaurant was a major crowd pleaser. The hummus was okay. Kind of a let down, honestly. Lacking in flavor, crucial lemon juice and too oily. None of that stopped me from dipping the fries like a beast. I mean, it's still Abu Ghosh. I had a wonderful visit with my parents. We happily spent several days in the lush, rainy north. Below, our hike in Banias. Everything is in full bloom in the north. Springtime always makes me think of Hitler in the best way. My cousin apparently built this beautiful new metal sculpture called "Turning the World Upside-Down" (by Anish Kapoor) at the Israel Museum. My dad, pictured in front of it. I found a photograph at the Israel Museum of one of Dafna's pastry chef colleagues. August Sander, German 1876-1964. Pastry Cook, 1928. Moshe Dayan on King George St. Sculpture of the national sport in Israel, spitting like you just don't care. Outside Dafna's favorite government building, the ministry of culture and sports. Shout out to UConn for winning the NCAA! I've been hearing about some tasty hummus in the Ein Karem neighborhood of Jerusalem. Looking forward to trying that!

Are we supposed to call this a roundup?

2011-03-27T20:57:00.014+02:00

Dear faithful readers,

As the title suggests, I'm a bit wary in approaching a label for this post. I've been in America for a bit under a month now, slowly getting into the swing of things - home, the gym, driving a car, the total lack of edible hummus, you know. All the important things.

Before I wax poetic, a few important things need to be picked up right where we last left off:

1. The day after we ate that monstrously delicious hummus in Cafe Mizrahi in the shuk, we joined Ruthie and her fearless food guide, Ben, for a northern tiyul to Nazareth - chiefly, to experience the spice Mecca that is the El Babour spice emporium. It did not disappoint. We watched them make fresh za'atar, sampled all sorts of nuts and fruits, and fantasized about all of the things you could make with that many spices.

2. We ate many delicious salatim, some savory kebabs on cinammon sticks and a whole trout (really, the whole thing. I ate an eyeball by accident. Slimy, a little chewy, but overall innocuous). We also caught the Church of the Annunciation and some lovely signs about how if you aren't Muslim, you're a big fat loser. Nice to know that I can remedy my loser status with just a few prayers of submission.

3. My last day in country was relaxing, emotional, intense, but the more I think about it, passed with absolutely no feeling of finality, for which I am very thankful. Rachel and I had breakfast at Cafe Bagina (cue the Austin Powers-esque pronunciation), wandered down to Yad Lakashish and made some important purchases, stopped in to Ma'aleh film school (remember Rachel's article? Here it is, in case you forgot: http://blog.omanoot.com/maaleh-a-jewish-film-school ), took a peek at the Ministry of Sports and Culture (but why the two always together?) and got a few snacks at the shuk.

4. The sendoff I got from the sheirut driver to the airport far exceeded my expectations. First he yelled at me for having too many bags,then was ready to murder me when he realized the street was one way. He asked me if I knew where the next pickup street was, which I did. I directed us back to Baka, until he discovered he'd said the wrong street name. I'll spare you the rest of the details, like how he told a group of seminary girls to stop saying goodbye to their friend because she wouldn't miss them anyway, and just tell you that it took us TWO HOURS to get out of the city. As I dragged my 5 bags away from the curb at Ben Gurion, he shook his head through his open window at me and sped off. The perfect farewell.

So where are we now? Well, I seem to be setting myself up for a culinary career, and plan to move to the city in about a month. I'll be less stingy with details as it becomes finalized. Right now I want to jump to the poetry, and plan on waxing it for a little while.

I have to start with that photograph, which is actually of a photograph. That is my favorite work by Toby Cohen, called The Flying Sukkah. For me it symbolizes a lot of things about Israel, and I have a panoramic post card with that print on one side from his opening last May. (See more of his work here: http://blog.omanoot.com/visual-artists/photography/toby-cohen )

Memory is a powerful thing. I'm not the first person to say it or realize it, but living in Israel, and I think I can safely say in Jerusalem, is an intensely vivid experience. And no, I'm not talking about the 'big' memories, like reading Torah with Women of the Wall, walking in the streets on Yom Kippur, or hiking Monfort in 100 degree heat. Those are memories I can pull in and push back, that I can describe in a story with ease.

The memories I'm talking about are the ones that just pop in when I close my eyes, smell something, hear a tune. For whatever reason, they are little bits I've held onto even without realizing it.

I hear the radio tuning through stations and it's a hot September afternoon, I'm waiting for Rachel outside of her internship and trying to find Galgalatz on my iPod, thinking about pizza.

They're talking on the news about the biggest full moon in years, and suddenly I'm on the bridge to the Cinematheque, watching a full moon just hang over the Old City walls, in the way it can only on a clear night over Jerusalem.

I smell instant coffee and I'm standing in my kitchen, waiting for the click of the electric kettle and watching the national religious women walk in and out of the small female college across the alley.

Tomer Yosef came up on my playlist and there I am on the bus back from Tel Aviv, marking my distance by the bridge they built for the new intercity train route, deserted during the day and nearly invisible at night.

I don't know that these were important moments, or if my brain just fires them off precisely because they are never the ones for which I reach. When I see them it's completely real, happening in front of me at that very second. In most memories, I think we see what happened as if we're out of our bodies, watching ourselves in the scene. I see these as if through myself. In a way, it's like they haven't stopped happening since they've started.

If you waited on HaRakevet right now, I'd pop out of that little alleyway any second, cross the muddy tracks and pick up the pace, wondering what to make for dinner, just like I'm still there.

And the secret ingredient is...

2011-02-26T00:30:00.012+02:00

Mounds and mounds of lemon juice. Hummus drenched in lemon juice. Thank you, Cafe Mizrahi! In case you read our pathetic posting yesterday, we went back to the scene of our fabulous hummus encounter, and learned the name of the restaurant, Baruch Hashem.

Today our hummus came with slices of egg on the side. Nothing better than eggy hummus. Unfortunately not everyone at our table liked egg, so we couldn't mix it in. We are confident the hummus would have reached it's highest potential had the egg been fully mixed in, but it was still tasty minimally mixed in. The pita was also soft and doughy, super fresh.

This was definitely chic, upscale hummus. Not what we can do everyday, but good for when the parents come to visit.

Aside from the hummus, we ate a delicious brunch with Ruthie, Hannah Ellenson, Ruthie's friend Deborah and Hannah's friend Ezra. Who doesn't love brunch? Check out Hannah's mouth-watering poached eggs.

It's still sakhlab season in Jerusalem. Translation, it's still cold as a Kadafi at a cocktail party. Here's a sweet, sassy and super absorbent Dafna absorbing an equally sweet and sassy cup this morning at Mahane Yehuda.

Rabbi Susan Lippe snapped this piece of graffiti genius on a recycling bin in Jerusalem. Come back, Suzie Q!

Poems by the late great Israeli poet Leah Goldberg are up in Tel Aviv, still in celebration of the city turning 100 in 2009. Here's our resident poet posing with a sign:

Before we sign off today, dear readers, we need to inform you of some exciting life changes. Dafna is taking her culinary talents to the next level and starting culinary school in NYC in April. She'll continue to blog with Rachel (who the hell is writing this??) about her search for the perfect hummus as well as all the inventive cuisine she's sure to make. Rachel will hold down the fort. Maybe replace Dafna with a life-size piece of pita?

A Small Tragedy

2011-02-24T16:37:00.004+02:00

Shalom Shalom Hummus Lovers,

Hands down, we have discovered a gold star chick pea of a hummus restaurant. We thought we'd seen it all, sampled it all. We thought we'd found all there was to find, and we were wrong. We recently ate lunch at little place in Mahane Yehuda with our dear friend Olivia. Of course, we had to have the hummus appetizer. We weren't expecting that much...like I said, we've tried many types now, getting a bit jaded. But we take it all back. This hummus was spiced differently. It had pickled pepper shavings on top and mixed in, the perfect amount of techina mixed in, sweet chickpeas, and a lovely hint of lemon. It was so creamy. Now, for the sad part. I can't remember the restaurant's name!

Not to worry. We're going back tomorrow (fingers crossed) with Ruthie Ellenson (she doesn't even know it yet!), and believe you me, I'll have my camera and notepad ready.

Ariella's Visiting! Quick! Hide the cigarettes in the cat baby by the fridge next to the vodka condoms

2010-11-29T08:11:00.013+02:00

Well shalom, shalom. We miss y'all and we know you miss the hummus, so here we are.

Since we last left off, dear readers, Rachel and Dafna had just returned from Nahariya, city for fun lovers. Many amazing things have happened since then, and you probably want to know about them, yes? Where to even start?

To celebrate the first weekend of October, Rachel, Dafna and Dafna's fantastic roommate, Jessica, ventured a little journey up to Ramat HaGolan, near the Syrian border, to see some nature! And boy was there nature.

There have been concerts:

(Marsh Dondurma, this fun brass band (See Rachel's article here.)
http://blog.omanoot.com/the-peoples-band#more-2397

And sports:

(Hapoel Yerushalayim basketball with PJ, Dafna's neighbor and the nicest guy alive)

Go Randall!

And of course, hummus:

(From Rachmo, a cafeteria-style restaurant right outside the Iraqi Shuk, and Ha'Agas, a little organic place in the shuk)

Rachmo intentionally has some of the lowest prices in Jerusalem. We've heard also that if you don't have money they will just feed you. Nice.

Agas (Pear). We tried the hot pear cider, hummus and red lentil soup:

Both Rachmo and Agas serve hummus that can be characterized as Jerusalem hummus. I can't believe we sort of know what that means now. It's gritty and earthy, well flavored with a hint of lemon.

We had some not so great hummus at another place at the end the Iraqi shuk. It was incredibly crowded so we assumed it would be good. Everyone working there looked alike. One big happy mizrahi family. The people-watching was phenomenal but the hummus was too creamy and lacked flavor.

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving at Rachel's apartment with some great company:

In other cultural news, thanks to Dafna's internship at the Jerusalem Cinematheque, we saw several hundred movies at the International Jewish Film Festival, like Mary and Max the sweetest, saddest movie you'll ever see.

Rachel and Leah Zeff braved a 2 hour movie about Otto Frank in German and French with Hebrew subtitles.

What's new in Jerusalem, you ask? Plenty, we say. Rachel is knee-deep in her Master's work, learning how to manage conflicts like a champion (in HEBREW, it must be noted.) Dafna has language envy. But you know what Dafna has right now? Her parents are visiting! She is looking forward to spending Shabbat with them in Tel Aviv. Not to mention Dafna's sababa, 100 achuz sister Ariella is arriving shortly. New Years/Silvester will be one for the books. Rachel is excited that Rabbi Susan Elizabeth Lippe of Austin, Texas is visiting soon. There's talk of eating pomelos at Kibbutz Yahel. 'Tis the season!

Rachel just started working for Masa doing "hasbara" (PR) for taglit groups. She gets to wear a cool white collar shirt and visit hotels in East Jerusalem. When Rachel starts working for the Academy of Hebrew Language "Litaglet" (to taglit) will be added as a verb.

Sad news: It's been 7 days and 3.5 hours since Dafna and Rachel stopped eating bread and pasta. That means no pita! They're finding substitutes though. Yesterday Rachel and a friend went to hummus ben sira (see earlier post) and shared some hummus ful with rice. Also, there's peanut sauce. Gallons of it. And delicious, undercooked tofu. And healthy brown rice and barley. HELP I'M STARVING.

We're going to try to crash an interview/concert tonight...for our own safety we'll only blog about it after if we succeed.

Nahariyah: City for Fun, Lovers

2010-09-26T10:51:00.018+02:00

We just spent some beautiful, unbelievably hot few days up north. This vaca had everything: mystery, hummus, intrigue, sand, sweat, Dora the Explorer. We stayed at Dafna's aunt's and uncle's lovely home in Nahariyah, right on the beach. We visited a Christian Arab village nearby called Ma'alot. According to the guide book, this village is the pork capital of Israel. They have pig farms and restaurants that sell pork. Right on! Gilad Shalit's yishuv, Mitzpeh Hila, is right by this village. It's a beautiful yishuv with amazing views of the green north and Lebanon. The hike culminated in a visit to an 11th century Crusaders fort. We had lots of questions about how it's still standing, how it ever stood and how they designed such an ingenious plumbing system.

We ate fantastic hummus ful (bean) at Nahariyah's finest hummus restaurant, Hummusia shel Dani. Spongy, hot pita, fresh ful, light hummus. The olive oil made the dish though. It actually tasted like olive. I don't know what kind of olive oil I've been eating up until now, but it's terrible by comparison.

Dafna has spent a lot of time in Nahariyah, of course, because she's a devoted niece and cousin. Rachel has only been once, last Pesach, and never got to go to Rosh HaNikra, so Dafna made sure they went this time around. Rosh HaNikra's slogan is "a love affair between sea and mountain." The area is famous for these grottos. As far as I understand it, water hits these mountains and shapes the rock and creates crevices. So we walked through them. The only way to get to the grottos is via cable car (first, an hour-long line in the blazing heat surrounded by babies). It was all worth it though.

Cable car

The grottos

Important to mention...watching TV is an effective way not only to be entertained but to learn Hebrew. We watched a lot of madhim (amazing) TV this weekend.

So that you don't think we're idiotic Americans totally unaware of what's going on around us, please know that we have formed some pretty frightening opinions of Jerusalem, the most unnatural, forced, uncomfortably historical/religious place in this country. We'll write more about this.

In a matter of hours, the settlement freeze is going to end. Isn't that exciting? Netanyahu is absolutely going to extend it. It's just annoying that he's building the tension so much.

We wrote some limericks on the train last night. In case you ever need a greeting card to break up with an Israeli. "PT" is Petach Tikvah's nickname.

There once was a loser from PT
whose face I never again wish to see
Stop sending me messages
There are no last vestiges
of this relationship between you and me

There once was a dork from Jerusalem
whose bedside manner was gruesome
Your calls are too frequent
Your appearance delinquent
Leave me alone or I'll call Gavin Newsom

There once was a freak from Arad
whose mouth was agape like a cod
You just can't stop drooling
There's no one you're fooling
We know that you're actually scrod

Shake shake shake. shake shake shake. shake your lulav.

2010-09-23T12:30:00.004+02:00

Rather than revisiting every awesome thing we've done (like going to the Jerusalem Beer Festival, visiting the Israel Museum, or walking in the middle of the streets during Yom Kippur--the coolest thing ever) I think I'll give a preview of what's to come/is already happening:

It's Succot, festival of sitting, eating and overheating in booths. Rachel is on a hafsaka (break) from school since finishing ulpan (kol hakavod!) and Dafna is welcoming the opportunity to flee from Jerusalem for a few days. We're heading to TA today and Nahariyah tonight--city for fun lovers--northern hiking on Friday and Rosh HaNikrah on Saturday.

It's extremely hot. It's giving me fever. POP. Um, what else? We've become culinary experts in one particular field - paerve, oily desserts. Chiefly, APPLE CAKE. Not just any old apple cake. Smitten Kitchen's apple cake. This cake is like crack, but better because it's much cheaper and no less addictive. And because we won't get stopped at the border for having it in our possession. It is just so, so so delicious. We're told it's the greatest dessert since a Hershey's bar... (?). (We're trying to think of a dessert that is both famous and not really that awesome but we're having a hard time.)

Rachel is making so many Israeli friends--do ulpan teachers count? Dafna is eagerly awaiting the arrival of a little baby girl. She's going back to CT in Oct in order to welcome her.

Anyway, that's all from Uziya 15. To the sheirut!

Outside of the Louvre
e

The Louvre

For the Love of Our Hummus

2010-06-12T04:43:00.008+03:00

In honor of our last week in Israel, we (really it was Dafna but I squeezed the lemon juice) made our very own hummus. It was taim (delicious) on all counts. Very flavorful, the zatar on top added some zing, it was chunky AND creamy, thick but not too thick, and held up well in the sun. Everyone who tried it agreed, and one Israeli was included in that bunch. He liked it most of all and couldn't believe that we hadn't trained for years.

Our Secret Recipe = Tachini, chick peas, lemon juice, zatar, garlic, salt and olive oil.

We took the hummus with us to Gordon beach for a picnic.

Rachel is back in Palo Alto and Dafna is back in Hamden. Here we are getting excited to walk on American soil. But inside we were sad and homesick. We can't wait to return to the Land of Hummus!

Holy Land Round Up

2010-05-31T16:06:00.019+03:00

Dear Family, Friends, Well-Wishers, Strangers, and Stalkers,

We always knew this day would come, but did we know it would happen so soon? I'm talking, of course, about Rachel's last ulpan class. Oh, also, our penultimate blog post from Israel!

Yes, yes. I know. Calm yourselves. After a little over five months, the time has come to bid farewell to the hummus and embrace, at least for a little while, corn flakes and apple pie. But don't worry, this won't be a long, gasbag, posturing post. Instead we'll tell you a little about our very safe trip to Bethlehem, the land where okay, fine, Jesus REALLY walked and the Virgin Mary REALLY spilled some breast milk, and the long-awaited Shtar concert (fantastiche!) and maybe a few other events from the last few weeks thrown in!

Our venture to B'lehem began at Kever Rachel, where a lovely Orthodox woman coughed in my face after I declined the opportunity to buy a red string bracelet, and Rachel davenned Shacharit. Kever Rachel is a place where woman pray for fertility, or for healthy babies, which is generally what I think they pray for at every tomb but hey, I'm no Pardes student.

Then it was on to Bethlehem! Little known fact, the literal translation in Arabic is house of meat, while in Hebrew it's house of bread! Rachel was beyond excited. There was no trouble at Checkpoint Charlie (thanks to that rare currency of blue gold, aka American passports)and then it was on to the big sites!

Church of the Nativity! Shepard's Field! The Milky Grotto! Some Overpriced Souvenir Shop! (Tim, if you're reading this, look forward to some tasteful olive wood Christmas ornaments this year.) Well, our first stop was Shepard's Field, which was where Ruth and Boaz saw a shooting star, and actually the star was Jesus. As far as I could tell. We'll never know the truth, because it was closed.

Then it was off to the Milky Grotto, where we bumped into King David standing guard outside. Inside was a cool relief from the heat, and we found a chalky sort of cave church where we were told several different versions of the same story. Namely that: This was the place where Mary was breastfeeding Jesus, and a few drops of milk fell to the ground, turning the color of the grotto from a sort of reddish to a chalky white.

From there it was a hop, skip, and holy conception over to the Church and Grotto of the Nativity, filled ceiling to floor with gold-plated religious artifacts, portraits and reliefs of the Man himself, and foreign tourists.

Our kind cab driver met us outside each of these stops (reassuring and stalker-ish, mostly comforting). We invited/begged him to walk with us through the shuk and he seemed happy to oblige. Dafna had some shopping to take care of--Boni, Bamba's Arab step-sister snack food:

We learned that these mannequins' eyes are covered because it's unwholesome to look into the eyes of women.

Guess what? Bethlehemites don't use agurot. Smarty-pants.

We couldn't be happier to re-enter Israel...

We went to see Shtar the other night at Canaan. Shtar is a Hip Hop Orthodox Zionist band Dafna discovered that we now love. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxNTjSGtaAM
"Shtar" means document, or something like that. While my Shtar gently weeps. Check out Dafna's Omanoot comment on their flyer. She wrote that for them!

We forgot to mention it, but Dafna's bday party was awesome. We ate brownies, sang Kanye West songs and played Uno. Our pals came out in full force.

Last blog post is forthcoming: We just made our own hummus!

Tying up some loose ends, or Dafna's vomit showers Jerusalem in honor of Yom Yerushalayim

2010-05-15T14:57:00.009+03:00

For all of you out there who video chat or skype with us, here's an outside look at what we look like when we talk to you!

Anyone ever heard of a little book called Everything is Illuminated? Written by Elijah Wood? I mean, Jonathan Safran Foer, his twin. We had the distinct privilege and pleasure of attending a few sessions of the International Writers Festival in Yemin Moshe. We saw Amir Gutfreund interview Jonathan Safran Foer, Andre Kurekov interview Etgar Keret and A.B. Yehoshua interview Daniel Mendelsohn. All fantastic. All informative. Altogether a very pleasant experience, except for the older members of the crowd pushing and shushing us cooler, younger members of the audience. It was hard because it was hot in the tent, but come on, people. The most articulate person was absolutely Jonathan Safran Foer. A.B. Yehoshua had the smartest, most well thought out questions. Daniel Mendelsohn was the most American. He kept using his same three Yiddish words of schlep, mishpocha and meshugga. Andre and Etgar had the best rapport. Etgar was hilarious. And Andre's English put ours to shame, and he's from Eastern Europe! Amir Gutfreund is still very sad about the Holocaust and has a serious self-esteem complex standing next to Jonathan Safran Foer.

We stood in line to meet Jonathan and Amir. I bought a couple books by them and they both signed them. Dafna had to do a little song and dance for Jonathan because Rachel was so star struck and dumb. Jonathan and his family are living in Jerusalem for a few months. Should Rachel have offered to babysit? According to Jonathan, if I sold his hard cover, first edition of Eating Animals I could get 75 bucks for it on the street.

Rachel went on a little Pardes Shabbaton to Achziv, a beach town near the beach town Naharriyah. Nahrriyah is for fun lovers! Achziv is famous because the Haganah tried to blow up a bridge there but were unsuccessful. The town still stands. We stayed at a field school there. The food left much to be desired, but the sunsets were niflah. Tugged at my Zionist heart strings to see the flag wave next to the sunset. I hiked in a cave and talked to my spiritual chevrutah, aka myself.

The following Tuesday, we went to the namal in Yafo to visit the theater company Na Laga'at, or Please Touch. It is the world's only deaf and blind theater company, and has been operating for three years. It's amazing. Before the show, we had dinner at Blackout, the theater's restaurant. It's pitch black inside, so it simulates the experience that a blind person would have. The waiters are blind, the food delicious. When we say pitch black, we mean COMPLETELY dark. No shapes or outlines. We eventually started just eating with our hands! This is what our waiter, Beza, had to say on the Web site about his experience:

"In “Nalaga’at” I'm doing something I never thought I'll ever do; being a waiter at a gourmet restaurant. Meeting real friends with the same disabilities makes me feel good and also working with good people who aren't disabled.“

Then it was off to the theater for the play, which is called "Not By Bread Alone." The actors are all deaf and blind, and throughout the show they make bread as they talk about their lives and their dreams with the help of super titles, sign language and other devices. The acting was excellent and we got to try the bread after! It was a very unique, very important experience.

The next day was Yom Yerushalayim, which celebrates the 1967 reunification of Jerusalem, which makes it somewhat of a complicated celebration. On the one hand, most Jews are very happy to have a unified capital. On the other hand, many of those same people understand how complicated East Jerusalem and the outcomes of the Six Day War. Has the 1967 euphoria dissolved with today's disillusionment? Is this a war to celebrate or to look back on with regret? Perhaps both. We didn't get to see it due to time constraints, but there's a big parade from Gan Sacher to the Western Wall, where thousands of children are brainwashed to believe in the Zionist project. KIDDING! They march with Israeli and Yerushalmi flags, and then wind up at the Kotel, where it turns into dancing! That night we went out and Dafna bumped into Edeet Cohen, old, old, friend from back in the day at Ezra Academy. They haven't seen each other since third grade. It was explosive and monumental. Dafna vomited near her. That put a damper on the reunion.

Yesterday we became hipsters and went to the T Market, a tshirt festival happening in major cities around the country. The one in Jerusalem was held behind the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. Bling bling! We picked up a couple rings and a necklace. Rachel Pfeffer started the bow jewelery craze and Israeli artists have jumped on her bandwagon. Many tanks to her.

Last night we celebrated Shabbat at the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. Women sit in a big, not air conditioned balcony (in stark contrast to the awesome AC at shira chadasha this morning). Usually there is a men's choir that sings on Friday nights. It reminded me of Glee.

Friends and family, please wish Dafna a very happy 37th birthday. Rachel's planning to throw Dafna a tasteful,it's-almost-time-to-say-goodbye-to-your-thirties party next week. Wine and cheese, Apples to Apples, a beer keg. Very adult.

Rachel's refrigerator is broken! So we had McFlurries aka glida pitzutz from the only place open. Thank you, golden arches for providing us with a traditional, lovely Friday night dinner. Our first since we got to Middle Earth.

HUC is ending its semester, so Keara and Carmela are hitting the old dusty trail. Wishing them happy years in Los Angeles.

We'll both be home pretty soon...until then, we're trying to devour all of the hummus in this city and soak up life with our trusty pita bread.

The Yoms, The Parents, The Violin, The Basketball!

2010-05-04T17:43:00.000+03:00

Well howdy howdy!

It's been a really fun, busy-in-a-great-way almost 2 weeks or so. Lots of stuff going on - Yom HaZikaron, Yom Ha'atzmaut, Lag b'Omer, Rachel's parents visiting, some concerts, some basketball, and a Shabbat in the Gush!

Rachel's parents! The only word I can think of is lovely. Best couple of Rabbis I've ever met. They did a lot of fun things (Botanical Gardens at Hebrew U. in Givat Ram, Beit Ticho, ate at T'anim, what I'm told is an amazing vegetarian restaurant in Yemin Moshe, among many other adventures.)

Where to even begin? A bit late here on the events of the Yoms, but worth describing however briefly. Sunday night, Rachel, Rachel's parents and I headed over to the Kotel for the national memorial ceremony for soldiers. Very solemn, very quiet. It started with a siren, and then they lit the memorial flame. We heard President Shimon Peres and Ramatkal (hmm. what's the American equivalent? chairman of the joint chiefs? someone help me out) Gabi Ashkenazi both give speeches. On the way home, we caught some singing at Shira Chadasha.

The next day, I hurried over to Har Herzl for the 11AM siren, and made it just in time. The military cemetery was unbelievably crowded, and I ended up in a section for soldiers killed in the 1990s, with active-duty soldiers and families at nearly every grave. Netanyahu spoke, and it was strange to hear so many people muttering "Amen" and "Brichu" as the Kaddish was said. It was also extremely hot, and a lot of people passed out. I managed to grab some water from kids here on YJ Year Course and explored a bit, waiting for Rachel and the Rabbis Marder for a tour being given by David Bernstein, who I think is the dean of Pardes. Very informative. We learned about people who were killed defending Gush Etzion, among others.
As we were standing in the area for soldiers killed in the Second Lebanon War, we spotted David Grossman standing at the grave of his son, Uri. It was odd, and perhaps more symbolic, to see him standing there only hours after Netanyahu had stood at the grave of his brother, Yoni, who was killed at Entebbe. Outside of politics, here were two people who have both suffered loss for the same cause, the State of Israel.

Then it was time for...Yom Ha'atzmaut! Talk about switching gears. Rachel and the Rabbis caught some Hallel and singing at Shira Chadasha (and then some fireworks) while I spent the evening with some lovely Pardes pals. We went over to Ben Yehuda and saw reggae violinist Michael Greilsammer playing a concert (more on that later!). Then it was off to folk dancing at Kikar Safra, where Rachel met up with us. Then another party at Machane Yehuda, and then the savory scent of BBQ at 3AM, wafting into our cab as we passed Gan Sacher. Our first Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel, and it was a fantastic experience. I just wish I could remember more.

I almost forgot! Rachel's friend Micaela, currently working with the JDC in Rwanda, came for a visit! Here she is with the incomparable Sarah Lauing. We spent a lovely afternoon gossiping about Palo Alto (even I recognized a few names) and then ate fancy food at a fancy place.

Let's fast forward a little. I headed north for a little family time and saw Mt. Meron in the process, while Rachel spent a lovely weekend at Kibbutz Lotan. A busy week ensued, and suddenly it was the weekend again. I ate my fill of uncooked food at a "Raw Shabbat" at the office/Edoe's apartment. It was...invigorating. Rachel spent a peaceful Shabbat at her teacher's house in Efrat. I'm told the food was phenomenal and a good time was had. We reconvened Saturday night at the Yellow Submarine in J-ru for...Michael Greilsammer! I interviewed him (great guy) and then we saw him play, and my oh my was it enjoyable. The man is a genius with the violin. Check out his Myspace: www.myspace.com/mgsunshine

It was also Erev Lag b'Omer, and on the walk home we happened upon many bonfires of varying intensity. The city smelled like burning wood, plastic and sofa beds. And who knows what else.

Sunday night we went to a HaPoel Jerusalem basketball game.

Now listen. Rachel is a former child basketball star and I went to a state school with two really good basketball teams, but never in our lives had we witnessed the scene at Malcha Stadium. We were nearly courtside sitting with "the local color," aka lots of kids and teens screaming like crazy. Banging big drums like crazy. Blowing air horns like crazy. Whistling like crazy. It was CRAZY, okay?? But amazing. We thought we were in between two warring clans. I think a full-on, bow and arrow-filled battle was only minutes away. And we won! Rachel got a t-shirt, myself a scarf. We're officially Jerusalem fans. (Sorry Mom.)

I'm back in TA, hard at work making Israeli art accessible to all you out of country fans. Tomorrow, Rachel and I are seeing some old friends speak at the International Writer's Festival. And by old friends I mean Jonathan Safran Foer, Etgar Keret and A.B. Yehoshua. Then Saturday, a Yeshiva music festival featuring my actual friends, the guys from Shtar, whose album just came out, and whose interview I should be working on right now.

Is that everything? It might be. Oh, Rachel made her favorite kugel. It was delicious. There better be some left for dinner tomorrow.

A very special visitor

2010-04-22T22:19:00.020+03:00

One afternoon when I was about 7 my favorite babysitter picked me and my best friend up from school. I couldn't have been more excited. We were going to play all afternoon and have so much fun talking to spirits on my Ouija board. Everything was going well until this babysitter unlocked the door to my house. The alarm started to go off in terrifyingly loud screeches. Problem: My babysitter didn't know the alarm code. There went my lovely afternoon right out the door. I never forgave her for this incident until she came and visited Jerusalem a couple weeks ago. Now I can safely say that I have gotten over the incredible disappointment.

I can't even believe how much we did with Ruthie Ellenson while she was here. It wasn't even two days, and yet we packed in a ton of sites and hummus. Let's start with the hummus.

Ruthie, her sister Hannah (the friend I should have hung out with that day in 1993), Dafna and I went to Abu Ghosh to eat many things at the Lebanese Restaurant. I would describe the hummus as lemony and earthy. It had a very rich taste and texture. We also ate turkish salad, arab/israeli salad, labane, falafel and other great, great things. Also, our food literally arrived 30 seconds after we ordered it. Here's to hummus!

After dinner we went over to the cellar bar at the American colony hotel (a 19th century former palace near the old city of Jerusalem) and had some fancy drinks. Mine was a hot chocolate plus something else. I think it was called a hot baby. It was definitely a hot drink, baby.

The next morning we woke up bright and early to meet the only mummy in Jerusalem. He lives at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. This institute is totally hidden away. We never would have noticed it had Ruthie not heard a rumor about it. We couldn't stop staring at this mummy. It was amazing. A real Jerusalem secret.

We then visited the Italian Jewish Synagogue, the Underground Prisoner's Museum, the Old City and the Museum on the Seam. Can you even believe that? And we even found time to eat hummus at Abu Shukri's in the Muslim quarter.
The synagogue was beautiful. Very decorative. The man with the programs outside warned us that we are not allowed to take any pictures. One member of our group thought she could bypass the rule and sneak a little photo. Little did she know that this man not only has a hidden camera in the synagogue but was also carrying a gun! Luckily it all turned out okay, but we were nervous for a second.

At the underground prisoner's museum we talked like British people (mumbling snootily a lot) since the British controlled the prison during mandated Palestine. The inmates were Jews and Arabs who engaged in anti-British activity, mostly violent stuff like blowing up bridges. Two Jews were supposed to be executed there in 1946, but they blew themselves up instead. As disturbing (and inspiring?) as this was to hear about, we were still having fun. Ruthie likes taking silly pictures.
Lunch time. Aruchat Tzohorayim. Abu Shukri's hummus was super flavorful. It had a lot of spices in it. It's a stand-out place, very famous. Another highlight of the Muslim quarter: lots of children playing with fake guns that look shockingly real.

Outside the awesome Museum on the Seam--features artists from all over the world whose pieces deal with conflict and coexistence.
A relaxing end to a super beautiful day. Thanks, Ruthie, for more than making up for the alarm thing and taking us to awesome places! We miss you!

The Negev: Sand, Sun and Ben-Gurion

2010-04-05T19:07:00.015+03:00

(Title disclaimer: totally rhymes with a bit of poetic license and an emphasis on the -on part of Ben Gurion. Go with it.)

Hey all! Rachel and I just spent a fantastic weekend galavanting around the Negev. For those of you who may be unaware, the Negev is Israel's big desert, and when I say big I mean it makes up 60% of the entire country. It's really beautiful but pretty darn desolate in some places. There are a few main roads, all of which sort of encircle this vast, empty middle space where as far as I can guess, there could be some sort of alien colony or fully stocked, abandoned fireworks factory.

So we stuck to the "civilized areas," but retained a bit of incivility by camping out at night! Before we left, I attempted to make sure the tent worked. Thankfully, a kind woman with a headlamp at our first destination helped us out a bit.
We first hit up Tel Arad, the ruins of a fortress from 3,000 years ago outside the modern city of Arad. It was hot. It was dry. There are ongoing excavations at the site, and when we played the quiet game there was not a single sound.

Then we high-tailed it over to the "East Coast," aka the Dead Sea. It was hot. It was dry. The water felt amazing on our skin, and in case you are wondering, was extremely salty. Salty enough even for my salt-loving self. And certainly enough for this geologist:
Conveniently, right across the street from the Dead Sea were two interesting places. The Flour Cave, a big, cold cave with salt deposits on the rock (and rock like glass), and above it, Mt. Sodom. Yes, that's right. Sodom as in that wicked little city we've all been warned about. The mountain had wickedly steep steps to the top, but a fantastic view of the light blue Dead Sea waters and a peaceful moonscape.

From there it was on to Mamshit campground, which happens to be right next door to the famed Mamshit Camel Ranch. We set up camp, battened down the hatches and settled down for the night with our delicious edibles. I was comforted by the horde of young families camping around us, though slightly discomforted by the rock under the tent right where my pillow was.
Good morning! We decided to really splurge and ride some camels next door! Rachel and I happen to be camel riding experts, having been to that same ranch twice each before. At 10AM, we hopped onto the old gals and headed out for a stroll through Mamshit on our desert limousines. We learned that Mamshit's lot in life was as a stopover for spice traders on their way from Yemen to Jerusalem. Avi, our guide, told us that it would take more than two months for them to make the journey, traveling 30km a day. Mamshit was also where Nabateans, notoriously adept at finding water in the desert, lived, serving as a border between the Roman Empire and the Arab world. Fascinating, no? By the end, all we could think about was the stifling heat and the chaffing. Did I mention that Rachel's camel licked my leg? It was soft, and slimy, and a little too intimate for my taste.
From there it was onward south to Sde Boker, land of David Ben-Gurion, first prime minister of Israel and former Sde Boker kibbutz member. We took a tour of his house, which included separate bedrooms and bathrooms for David and his wife, Paula, and a library filled with probably every book written about Israel until 1973. There was a great exhibit featuring quotes, pictures and artifacts. It was Graceland for Ben Gurion junkies such as ourselves.
It was also crazy hot. We dragged it over to Ben Gurion's burial site with an unbelievable (re: I can't even describe) view of desert canyons and some ibex! We chilled in the shade for a bit before taking a hike through Wadi Haverim. We were going to hike Wadi Karakash, but couldn't find it. The trail sign sort of just pointed off a cliff, so we chose the second one. On our way out, we sort of under-estimated the distance to the parking lot and Rachel climbed hands and knees up a steep, sandy slope only to...climb down the other side. But she looked pretty cool doing it.

Then it was on to our favorite gas station, aka the only place in town to buy food/supplies/fire starting devices. Thanks to a Dutch man and some handy quick lighting coals, we set up our tent in some intense sandy wind and got a fire roaring in time for dinner! Aluminum foil-wrapped potatoes never tasted so good. Neither did strawberry marshmallows. Neither did smoked meat, aged over a period of two days of desert travel.
We made friends with some soldiers ("warriors," as they called themselves) eating a lot of meat a few tents away. In sharing our plans to go to Be'er Sheva the next day, one of them pointed out that Israel's 4th-largest city is, in fact, "ehhh, a shit-hole." Nevermind. We were on a mission to see it all - the air force museum, the museum of art, Abraham's Well, and the Joe Alon Bedouin Museum.
Stop number one was great. At the air force museum (which was free that day thanks to Bank HaPoalim), there were lots of families checking out dozens of old and new fighter plans. We joined a family of olim from Beit Shemesh for an English tour with Lee, an air force soldier lucky enough to be a guide at the air force museum as her army service. What a life Lee has. It was hard to pay attention to her while walking between all the planes (Mirages, Mysteres, F-16s, Spitfires, Cobras, shall I continue?) but basically we learned the following: not too long ago, no one wanted to give Israel any military equipment that actually worked. And if it did work, it cost a lot of money. These days, we're told this little country doesn't really produce it's own stuff. The old US of A supplies Israel with their aviation needs, like this working F-16I (the I means it's Israeli-modified) on display for the Chag:
Farewell planes! Hello food. Be'er Sheva isn't exactly a culinary hot-spot (the guide book uses the word dismal) so finding the Aroma in the Negev Mall was like discovering water in the desert.
Then came the chance for Be'er Sheva to live up to the soldier's epithet. No, I didn't time it, but I am fairly sure Rachel and I spent nearly three hours (in a town with very little) looking for Abraham's Well. We knew it wasn't going to be anything life changing, but it's Abraham, and it's a well, and goshdarnit, we were on a mission. As it turned out, the well is in fact inside a building, which happens to be the city's welcome center. And, as it turns out, they were closed early for the Chag. Let's just say the tourism bureau of Be'er Sheva will be hearing from us about their wells, their restaurants, and their poorly-marked signs.
I say poorly-marked because our adventure to the Joe Alon Bedouin Museum was somewhat impeded by a lack of a sign pointing to it. It was closed when we got there, but I think this picture gives us the gist of Bedouin life, right?
On the positive side, getting lost in Be'er Sheva allowed us to see the university campus (Ben Gurion University) and the old city shuk.

From there it was a short hop up to Tel Aviv, to a shower, and a bed that didn't have rocks under it. I thought it was fitting that we ended our Negev adventure at a restaurant on Ben-Gurion Blvd. He would be happy to see a Kosher for Passover restaurant serving cheeseburgers on matzah rolls. His true dream finally realized.

Hummus Said makes us hummus happy

2010-04-02T00:15:00.011+03:00

We have to devote a small post to the hummus that is Hummus Said of Akko's Old City. We journeyed on a train for two hours just to taste it. Devastating news: It closes at 3. We arrived a few minutes after the hour. We begged and pleaded and they wouldn't let us in. Then a hummus miracle occurred. A young Israeli woman leaving the restaurant handed us her untouched take-out hummus. She refused our money. She could see how desperate we were for hummus. Dafna and I haven't had any hummus in weeks in preparation for the day. Enough "Said."

The restaurant manager handed us a few pieces of pita and we were all set. We sat by the water (p.s. Akko is a port city in the north) and really enjoyed our meal. The hummus was thick and oily. It had lots of chick peas mixed in. Had we been able to go into Hummus Said, we could have tried their other kinds of hummus: They have hummus with garlic, eggplant, eggs, peppers and many other varieties. We'll go back sometime.

After lunch we took a little boat ride around the water, visited a beautiful old mosque called Al-Jazzar and got a little freaked out when a man kicked his puppy in the shuk.

Al-Jazzar was a very cruel 18th century leader of Akko who used to have parents kill their own children just to display their loyalty to him. People were really said when he died, but they kept his mosque anyway. Dafna and I had somewhat of an emotional religious experience there. It was odd and surprising.

After Akko we took a sheirut to Nahariyya to spend the first couple days of Pesach with Dafna's family. The food and family were amazing. Nahariyya is a beautiful northern town right on the beach.

Journeying down south, we went to a couple museums in Tel Aviv FOR FREE yesterday. Thanks to Bank HaPoalim, during Chol HaMoed lots of museums are free to the public. We went to the Tel Aviv Art Museum and Beit Hatfutsot (Diaspora Museum), Dafna's old stomping grounds. We saw some awesome new exhibits. One particularly cool one at Beit Hatfutsot was of a digital, surround sound t'fillah experience. We loved the Degas sculptures on display at the art museum.

To top off that day, Dafna made some fabulous apple matzah kugel.

Everyone has their fears

2010-04-01T21:51:00.004+03:00

I think Dafna just overcame one of hers. She pitched our tent in my kitchen. We're leaving early tomorrow morning for a tiyul to the Negev, the glorious desert south of Israel. Dafna was nervous that we wouldn't be able to figure out how to set up our tent, or that when we purchased the tent today, unbeknownst to us we were purchasing a 1987 Israel guide book and some trash bags. As it turns out, the tent is quite cozy. Quite cozy, like, are you breathing on me but in a friendly way. Really, it's hamish.

We'll be going to Qumran, Ein Gedi, Mount Sodom and a Flour Cave and camping out at Mamshit's Camel Ranch tomorrow. We'll see how much we really get to, but we're ambitious. Saturday's itinerary includes a relaxing Shabbat hiking and then camping out in Sde Boker. Plenty of people around. Sunday we're going to Dimona to see the Black Israelite community, do some nuclear experiments and eat vegan soul food. Then, Be'er Sheva and its museums--the Israeli Air Force Museum, Joe Alon Museum and an art museum. Maybe we'll visit the national park there. The sky is the limit.

Dafna's cousin recommends zipping our tent doors tight so that Bedouins don't jump in. Okay. April Fool's? Unfortunately, not in this case. Drink a ton of water. It's supposed to be around 100. Wear a hat. Stay around people and not Asiatic asses. Be patient with each other.

My fear is overdosing on bamba. Two cheers for kidniyot!

Crossing my fingers for well marked signs.

All in all, we are so excited for this trip. It's going to be gorgeous.

Wish us luck and happy matzah to all!

Chayim Chofshim

2010-03-26T17:15:00.010+03:00

Now that Dafna's a fancy social media editor working for the fabulous Omanoot.org-which you all MUST check out-I get to tag along to some cool concerts. She interviews the artists and I get to take some pictures! Some of which even turn out okay.

Here's Mosh Ben Ari performing in an exclusive, intimate concert at the Jerusalem Theater last Saturday night. It was an amazing, amazing show. Ja is one. Dreadlocks are cool. Read Dafna's interview on the Omanoot blog, coming soon. Did you know that Mosh Ben Ari likes Lily Allen? We also saw Mercedes Band at the Yellow Submarine in Jru. Loud, sweaty, Israeli teenagers.

Last Friday we went dancing in the streets. It was a beautiful moment of unity and coexistence. All Jerusalemites joined hands, put their cultural and religious differences aside for the sake of r'kudei am in Gan HaPa'amon.

My chofesh (freedom) from Pardes is going great. Relaxing and music-filled. I went to Haifa with a couple Pardes friends this week, hung out at the lovely beach chof hacarmel, made some new, random Israeli friends and visited the Leo Baeck School to chat with Rabbi Ofek Meir, absolutely one of my favorite people. Ofek runs the progressive/reform elementary school and teaches in the high school.

Can we stop bopping around between cities? No. In Tel Aviv yesterday around Shenkin Street Dafna and I met a man who seemed to be saying that he is the Messiah. When we asked him if he is in fact Jesus, he answered, "Kind of." What?

A Marder store in Tel Aviv near Dizee Dizee Dizengoff Center

You know what else? Soccer is a big deal and apparently Jerusalemites are better at it than Tel Avivians! Beitar Jerusalem beat Maccabi Tel Aviv in the national cup a couple days ago. Exciting game to watch.

Today, back in Jru, it's raining men and water. We went to a lovely little crafts fair in Baka at the Young Judea/Hadassah Center. The artists all use recycled materials to make their jewelery, lamps and wallets. I bought a beautiful little copper necklace. Dafna's going to make the artists famous on Omanoot.

We're spending Seder with Dafna's family in Nahariyah and then we're off to the Negev for some hiking and mud hut living! Happy Passover! Careful with your matzah intake.

March Madness

2010-03-19T11:08:00.013+02:00

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).

Yes, we're still here

2010-03-17T19:55:00.003+02:00

Hi guys. It's me again. (I know, I know. Cue the sustained, audible sigh: Dafna writing again? Why??)

Well, I'll tell you why. Thanks to the upswing of blog-related work at Omanoot, I'm learning a bit about the ways to successfully keep a blog audience. One of those ways is posting more than once a month, as you might imagine. Rachel leads a waaaay busier life than I do, but soon she'll show her face around these parts. I promise. Until then, you can just ignore my posts or be so bored at work/school/on your iPhone while driving that you read them.

Anyhow, speaking of Omanoot, here's the new website: www.omanoot.org. Generally, when a post isn't attributed specifically to someone, that's me blogging! It's pretty fun, and I'm learning a lot about computer things, art things, and even computer-art things.

Can I digress for a bit? If you don't live under a rock/in this country, you know that MARCH MADNESS is upon us. This year my beloved UConn Huskies didn't make the tournament (after going to the Final Four last year...) but I realized that's okay. Why is it okay? Because I can't seem to get any of the games here, so I couldn't watch them anyway.

That was really anti-feminist of me, because as it happens, the Women's team has been undefeated the last 73 games, ranked #1 in the country the entire season, and have won every game by double digits. Statistics like that are absurd, but boring to most people because they are girls. Which is unfortunate. Winning the tournament is sort of a sure thing, but what a crazy upset if they lose.

Okay that's it. This weekend I'm interviewing Mercedes Band and Mosh ben Ari. Mosh is probably #2 on my list of Israeli musicians, so it's safe to say that I am very excited.

Shalom!

Mishe mishe mishe mishe..

2010-03-03T18:47:00.009+02:00

Howdy ya'll. I've got a confession to make. I did a terrible job visually documenting Purim in the Jeru. (Was it Jeru or J-ru that I was trying to make happen? Now I'm confused. Can someone remind me?)

I also didn't wear a costume. I dressed like myself, and when people asked I said I was going as someone who didn't dress up for Purim. That seemed to satisfy the majority of inquiries. Rachel, on the other hand, was a cowgirl. Or cowlady. Cowwoman? Let's go with cowgirl. Sunday night we searched for the party and ended up at Hummus Ben Sira, quite literally one of the only places open. Nothing like a bowl of hummus and cauliflower at 1:30AM.

Monday morning we hopped on over to hear the Women of the Wall read the Megillah! Sarah Lauing, my favorite HUC student-who-is-also-Rachel's-friend-but-not-her-roommate (don't want to offend anyone here), was there too!

The cow girl/lady/woman and Minnie!

I really am beating myself up for not taking more pictures, because Monday Jeru/J-ru was teeming with people in at times elaborate, at times hilarious and at times horrifying costumes. We stopped in at Mamilla to see what was up and found a lot of kids and circus-y things. I took some great video but can't seem to quite upload it. Let's just say there was juggling, plate-spinning and tic-tac-toe. There was also a trip to the Gap, expensive but a little slice of home. There was also this:

Monday night, Rachel's friend Fievel was kind enough to host a Purim Seudah, the highlight being the British man dressed as Santa Claus offering up the following pearl of wisdom: A Hassid is someone who does not puke on the porch. As Santa opened the porch door. In the spirit of Purim, there was much drunkeness, merriment and meat.

Anyway, I leave you with one conclusion: the Mishloach Manot, in sheer variety, quality and availability, truly put to shame any ideas I had about giving gift baskets on Purim.

Some day I'll get the video to work, and you can enjoy some footage of Megillah reading/circus training. Until then, so long from Tel Aviv!

WAIT. I think I promised you all video of my brother on the Martha Show. Here it is, and it is glorious:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1H6axYaIIU

(I know, three blog posts in a row from me. What do we think? Should Rachel grace these pages with her presence?)

A Week in Pictures

2010-02-27T22:14:00.008+02:00

I met up with Matan, one of the Shlichim Tze'irim who was at Ezra with me! We lunched mul ha yam. aka by the beach. I swear he doesn't usually look 12 years old.

Walking home on Dizengoff. All too loud for this little apartment, I think.

My Bloody Valentine, Jerusalem

The lamp store, right near Ben-Gurion Street. Sort of reminds me of that scene with all the jelly fish in Finding Nemo.

Have you ever seen a mannequin in this position??

Just plain weird

THREE Laskins??

2010-02-18T07:54:00.011+02:00

Dear Faithful Companions,

While Rachel and I work on our mind-blowingly fantastic Women of the Wall entry, I wanted to do my own little thang. (Remember ain ba'ad mah? ain't no thang? have you guys been paying attention?... is this thing on?)

I would be so insanely remiss if I didn't devote a post to my dear brother Eliad and sister-in-law Katie! They were just here for about a week, and went on a rampage of tourism throughout the country. It was great to hang out with some Laskins, get some presents from home and eat a lot of salads.

Boy where they excited to be here!

We went to Nazareth and the Galilee and saw many churches! Who knew Jesus did so much here? The Church of Multiplication involved no math, but there were candles and mosaics:

Then we were off to the mighty Jordan! Katie and I bottled Holy Water. Eliad's soul is apparently less clean:

I really liked this watch at the gift shop. The time, you ask? Why surely. It's Virgin o'Clock:

See those hills in the distance? Beyond them, in a little village somewhere, Leah Maloney resides. (If you're new to my life via this blog, Leah is my very good friend from home who is currently in Jordan with the Peace Corps. One day, Leah. One day. But only if you come here.)

The next day we dragged it to the Jeru, and saw many sights, including the grand ol' Kotel. The lovely couple in a photo op:

Later we had dinner at Luciana's and agreed that Israel has made great strides in the availability of good Italian food, and met up with Rachel for some ice cream. In case this post felt one-sided and you were missing her, here she is before going to Peace Players, this fun volunteer thing she does that I'm sure she'll describe in more detail eventually:

What's that? You missed me too? Okay. Here I am on the shores of the Galilee. Where Jesus walked. Take that, Kanye.

And here's the breakfast I made yesterday morning. Delicious if you're into that sort of thing.

That's all folks! Now it's back to work. Check out the Omanoot blog (www.omanoot.tumblr.com), follow us on twitter (twitter.com/omanoot), and check out the Martha blog (www.themarthablog.com) for my brother's guest post from the Holy Land!

So much to say

2010-02-15T22:12:00.011+02:00

Happy Adar. That's not a suggestion; that's an order. You have to increase your happiness level immediately and continue doing so for the next few weeks.

Let's begin with cholent. On Friday I went with a group of Pardes students to help out at a soup kitchen/food bank called Hazon Yeshaya--it's in Mekor HaBracha, a small, charedi-type neighborhood by the shuk. The man who runs the kitchen yelled out orders to us to skin potatoes, chop vegetables, and arrange Shabbat food baskets for families. He runs a very efficient kitchen. After preparing the food, he assigned us different jobs. Taking one look at me, he pointed to a massive, boiling hot pot of cholent. I served so much burning hot, meaty, meaty, meaty cholent.

Yad LaKashish (Lifeline of the Old), the greatest organization of elderly craftspeople:

Can't let this photo go undisplayed. Dafna, lead singer of a sculpture in Yemin Moshe. Walls of the Old City behind her:

Today Pardes held its annual Yom Iyun Shel Chesed in which students and faculty leave the beit midrash and participate in different service projects. I went with Leket, an anti-hunger organization, to pick oranges in a field near Rehovot. It was so nice and hot and humid today. Super beautiful. I got a ton of scratches too. It looks like I've been hanging out with a pack of cats.

At the end of the day I went to ulpan. At the beginning of the day, I went to the Kotel with Women of the Wall, Nashot HaKotel. I have so many thoughts and feelings on this day. Dafna and I are going to devote a very special blog post to this experience.

And now, for the big news you've been waiting for..

2010-02-02T19:44:00.008+02:00

I suppose it's safe to let the cat out of the bag (which, judging by the sheer volume of stray cats in this country, seems to be a popular activity) and inform you all that I have a new internship!

Beit Hatfutsot was nice and all, but I wanted something a little more up my alleycat (they really are everywhere!!) and am now the Social Media Editor at omanoot.com, which is a pretty neat website devoted to Israeli culture through art. I'm still not really sure exactly what I've gotten into, but it's something to the tune of blogging, twittering and Facebooking. If you know my brother, you may find this quite coincidental. Also, check out the Martha Stewart Show tomorrow (Wednesday) to see my brother discuss all the cool tech stuff he saw at CES in Vegas. And eyes peeled for my sister in the audience. And on the subject of siblings, I dedicate this sentence to Betsy for caring about my internship.

(Edit: The Martha episode is taping Wednesday, but not sure when it's airing. Stay tuned.)

Blogging, twittering, Facebooking and meowing about what, you may ask? Music, art, movies, literature, etc. I'm pretty sure this will be a great way to get a little more exposure to arts here and dig my...claws...paws...kitten mittens...into journalistic things. I know. Cats on the brain. Sidenote, Rachel had a recent staredown with a cat climbing on the windowsill of her room. It was both terrifying and comical.

OK. Time to go be a social media editor.

Kalaniiiiiyooottt

2010-01-30T17:07:00.004+02:00

Dear Friends,

My post won't be as interesting as Rachel's, but I did get a few nice pictures in the Western Negev today, where I went with my aunt/uncle/cousins to check out the abundance of kalaniyot, or poppy anemones, like this friendly flower I happened upon:

Apparently the flowers only bloom like that for a few weeks at this time of year. It was nice to be in nature, so to speak, and of course wearing shorts and a t-shirt is nice considering it was 16 degrees in Connecticut yesterday, I heard.

Also in attendance was my very cute second cousin (or first cousin once removed...or first cousin's kid..or whatever we are to eachother) who was actually walking like a person! Amazing. Here he is hanging with some lady friends (my aunt and cousin, Michal)

Anyway, spent a lovely few days in the Jru (trying to make this happen, come on guys!), and got to sit in on one of Rachel's classes about women and mitzvot. Very interesting stuff, but I don't know how she does it from 8:30 in the morning until the evening. I started yawning after 20 minutes.

Not ready to reveal my big news yet, but I promise an update on Monday! In case you are disappointed, here's another picture.

Tonight I'm going to try to find a ticket to the Ivri Lider concert, but it's raining. What to do?

Mushroom season

2010-01-29T13:12:00.007+02:00

Happy Tu B'Shevat, chevri! Happy Jewish Arbor Day!

I have officially completed my first week of classes at Pardes. What a week it was. I love it. I'm taking Chumash, Talmud, Women and Mitzvot, Hassidut, Midrash and Modern Jewish Thought. A lot of text study, learning of common Talmudic phrases (in Aramaic). Mainly I'm getting used to a very different way of thinking about Judaism. Many of the values and beliefs of a Jew engaging in halacha are just different, especially how people relate to G-d. You don't understand everything, and you don't have to. That doesn't matter. We need a lot of boundaries in our lives. Structure and rule keep a community together and keep individuals from going out of control with their emotions. These are some basic messages. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to study like this and engage with text. It's so vital.

Pardes

In case you're interested, in Talmud, which I have three mornings a week from 8:30-11:45, we are studying masechet (tractate) brachot. We're mainly reading about proper conduct and state of mind regarding t'fillah, but last class we got into some laws regarding nidah (menstruation). Baffling and interesting at the same time. This topic made for some inappropriate, TMI kind of conversations. One young man informed me what sort of nidah rule he and his wife follow, in regards to when they can touch and when she's impure. "Oh. Uh-huh. That's interesting."

An oily red pepper stuffed with meat that Dafna ate at a great little hummus place near Pardes. The restaurant doesn't have a sign and is basically in a circus tent. The oily, eggy, hot hummus is a delicious Baka secret.

This week Dafna and I went to a pretty infuriating panel discussion held at PresenTense in Jerusalem. One speaker was a professor of holocaust studies at Hebrew U who works with Israelis against home demolitions, one was a young woman who refused army service to protest Israel's presence in the territories and the last one works to educate Israelis about the nakba. I disagreed with so much of what they said it's hard to express it all. I certainly respect them though. Two of the speakers made some fascinating points regarding the psychology of memory and facing the past.

Overall, it made me sad though how much the speakers believe if only Israel would leave the West Bank and meet the Palestinian people as equals, then...THEN WHAT? And what does that even mean? I despise when people speak in lofty terms but don't say anything concrete. I asked them what they would like to see happen if and when Israel left the West Bank. First, they dismissed the question a little, saying first and foremost, Israel just has to leave the West Bank, then we'll talk about next steps. Let's just wait and see what happens. Ultimately though they said they would like a right of return law for Arabs and a one state democracy, not a Jewish state. Fine, that's one perspective, but G-d help us.

I would like to see a two-state solution, East Jerusalem as the capital, a big, weird highway connecting Gaza and the West Bank, who knows. I just want to still be able to visit the Museum on the Seam in East Jerusalem. Mainly I want there to be big borders.

Dafna noticed that none of the panelists or audience members were Sephardi Jews. We thought a Jew with memory of living in and being expelled from an Arab country would have a very different reaction to all of this.

In lighter news, Carmela and I went to the Shuk this morning. Dafna too. I bought some beautiful fruit and challah. Dafna and Carmela bought kugel yerushalmi (Jerusalem Kugel, basically noodles, black pepper and sugar).

A man selling cabbage thought Dafna was leaning on his produce and he violently shoved her. Shabbat Shalom, sir!

Mushrooms and the cabbage leaner at the shuk

Tonight for Shabbat I'm going with Keara and Carmela to an HUC service and potluck Tu B'Shevat dinner. I look forward to mingling with some new people and celebrating vegetarianism.

My new alarm clock

Dafna has some big, wonderful news to share with you all...

In the beginning!

2010-01-24T21:21:00.004+02:00

Today was our first day! Here's us early this morning before I headed to Pardes and Dafna went to the Diaspora Museum:

Not to totally confuse you folks, since Rachel started posting this entry, but it's Dafna now! I can tell you a little bit about my first day. As you may know, I am interning at Beit Hatfutsot, in the photo archives. Today was sort of a throw into the deep end. After being acquainted with the archivists, I started matching negatives to prints, numbering and clicking and squinting and double-checking and generally going blind. I'll take some pictures when I get a chance. So far it's a little tedious, but looking through pictures from mid-1930s Germany is sort of fascinating. A lot of Jewish kids, youth aliyah, and synagogues.

Anyway, I'm pretty beat. How was Rachel's day, you ask? I guess we'll just have to wait and find out!

Benjamin Disraeli in a dress

2010-01-20T20:45:00.004+02:00

One of my two roommates just came back from her three-week vacation back in the U.S. She is studying to be a Jewish educator at HUC. My second roommate arrives tomorrow. Hope the excellent dynamic keeps up!

The excitement continues in Tel Aviv. One recent evening Dafna purchased a guitar, so now she can sing AND play "Poker face", "Halo", "Hey Mama" and all things Tegan and Sara. Her roommate loves it. In Tel Aviv once again, we took a walk on the Yarkon and visited the little zoo. All different species of animals were in the same large cage. It looked like the end of days or heaven on earth or something. The ibex was lying beside the roosters. The deer kneeled beside the chickens. Dafna fed them all banana chips, which turned out to be not such a great idea because they started competing for the treat and chasing after us.

We ate at an organic falafel/sabich/hummus place called Hippo. It's a small chain in TA. Organic pita is darker brown and more flavorful.

The Tel Aviv Art Museum has some incredible exhibits right now. One of iron sculptures by Zadok Ben David which is literally breathtaking. Really, Dafna couldn't breathe (allergy attack). He created this huge, incredibly detailed iron forest. There was a great room for kids with works by Alexander Caulder. There were games, films of him, lots of interactive art to be done. We participated in the fun, of course. In another room of paintings, we saw a portrait of Benjamin Disraeli as a young boy wearing a dress.

Today we went to the Tel Aviv residence of David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister. Luckily we arrived 10 minutes before it closed. He had a very sweet and modest apartment. Even when he moved to the Negev he still maintained this apartment. On display are gifts Ben-Gurion received from Jewish communities all over the world. We also looked around the small room where he lay during the Sinai Campaign. He was so sick at that time he couldn't get out of bed, yet he still managed to conduct a war.

I have Orientation at Pardes all day tomorrow, so I'll get to learn more about my classes and schedule, and get to meet my school chums. Classes start in four days.

I have to mention that it has been raining with thunder and lightning quite a bit, and apparently some people died in the Negev due to flooding.

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem put aside their differences for the sake of hummus

2010-01-14T21:34:00.020+02:00

Shalom faithful readers,

Ain badma (ain't no thang), we're back. We're coming to you live from Jerusalem, or as Dafna likes to say, the J-ru (Dafna, stop trying to make J-ru happen. It's NOT going to happen). We spent a couple lovely days in Tel Aviv at Dafna's apartment. We went to the beach, enjoyed some hungarian blintzes at Hungarian Blintzes and washed it all down with milky sakhlav and "a unique apple cider recipe" drink at Cafe Landwer. The night before, we went out with Dafna's cousin Michal and her friend to a bar in Tel Aviv called Tzipa. No joke, we were sitting near two of Israel's top beauty queens. We think one of them was Esti Ginzburg. She was born in 1990.

Gordon Beach, Tel Aviv

Hungarian Blintzes

Before Tel Aviv, Dafna experienced J-ru for the first time. That's a lie, but it was her first time actually enjoying the capital. We checked out the sensational view from the tayelet (promenade) of the whole city, got rejected from a fake museum (Ben Yehuda's international center?) and hung out with some ancient animals at the Biblical zoo. We also went to Yad Vashem.

Now, what were we eating? We had dinner at the Waffle Bar, breakfast at Tal Bagels where Dafna indulged in some risky acidic juice behavior and Rachel had yellow cheese on toast.

Then we got our holy on at the Kotel where we witnessed three b'nai mitzvahs (yes, we stood on chairs to spy), SAW THE BACK OF TZIPI LIVNI'S HEAD at the King David Hotel, also saw a famous unidentifiable basketball player at the Kotel and ate vegetarian fare at the Village Green on Jaffa St.

Best of all, we ate at Hummus Ben Sira on Ben Sira St. The hummus was eggy and oily in the best way possible. It's Rachel's favorite in Jerusalem. It even rivals the hummus Rachel ate with Susan Lippe in Abu Ghosh last week. Dafna ordered the hummus with mushrooms and Rachel had it with garbanzo beans. The pita was hot and pillowy, and the falafel balls were really crispy.

And these two photos are for our loving older sisters Ariella and Betsy:

Nightgowns on Ben Yehuda St.

A note from me to you at a bus stop on King David St.

A Pictorial Summary of the Weekend

2010-01-05T20:01:00.006+02:00

Since I got a new camera just for the occasion of my arrival in this beautiful place, I thought I'd give you a taste, in pictures, of what has been going on.

This was at some crazy orchid theme park:

This was how I spent most of my weekend in Nahariyya - freelance editing from morning to night.

I even dragged my camera to Nahariyya's most delicious hummusiya, whose owner was my uncle's student in third grade. It was mushroom topped and quite excellent, and afterwards Rachel and I discussed the idea that it was OK not to have the best pita with the hummus, because similar to her delicate palate, I don't appreciate too many good-tasting foods at once. Something to the tune of needing cloudy days to appreciate the sunny ones, or whatever.

Anyway, tonight Rachel and Susan Lippe (shoutout!) and I went to a delicious place in Yafo where a couple behind us was sucking face like tomorrow was the end of the world. Slobber.

What else? Pilgrimage to Jerusalem on Saturday. The end. Laila Tov.

Zatar+Chummus=Ta'im (Delicious)

2010-01-03T13:40:00.005+02:00

As Dafna puts it, I have a delicate palate. I'm not interested in eating charif or salty salty pickles on my falafel. However, yesterday I ate some delicious chummus with zatar. Zatar is an herb--i think with thyme, oregano, sesame seeds and salt. It's greenish.

I also went to the falafel place across the street from me today for lunch. It's called Falafel Doron. In the German colony and the nearby neighborhood of Katamon I've seen a number of stores/restaurants with the name "Doron". Apparently it means "gift" in Greek. Anyway, the falafel was very tasty. The place was mobbed, but somehow I managed to push and shove my way through. A couple people, including a little boy, told me it's the best falafel in the city. Who knows. I would have liked more chummus, less salad and sliced potato instead of the french fries. There's another place on Emek Refaim where I recently had amazing falafel with sliced potato.

This morning I went to the Underground prisoners museum by Safar Square. I learned about the women who served in the pre-state militias (lechi, hapalmach and etzel) and the conditions of the Central Jerusalem Prison under British rule. I stood inside one of the crazy cozy isolation cells. The museum also has a memorial to the Jews executed in the Acre prison, as well as the two Jews who blew themselves up rather than be executed in the CJP. The museum was inspiring and raised a lot of questions for me. If it weren't for these terrorists willing to sacrifice their own lives for a state, would Israel exist today?

Sylvester Stallone

2010-01-01T21:59:00.005+02:00

Happy New Year! My 4th straight in Israel. I'm becoming a pro at calling it Sylvester, even though as Rachel and I realized, no one made any Sylvester Stallone jokes last night at the lovely party we attended, hosted by the equally lovely Hannah, Rachel's friend from childhood and beyond.

The last few days have been mish-moshy, we took a little trip to TAU to check out Beit Hatfutsot (big!) and verify that my dad's book sits upon a shelf in the library (three copies!) and generally appreciate the lay of the land (pretty!).

Tonight I ate this magical dessert I had never experienced before, Malabi. Sure that it was poison, I made everyone else try it first. It looked like this:

Poison, right? For some reason, I couldn't get the scene in Indiana Jones where the monkey eats the poisoned dates out of my head. I imagined Jonathan Rhys-Davies turning to the waitress and saying, "Bad Malabi."

I suppose since the point of this blog is hummus, I'll wax poetic on the various foods I've been enjoying in vast quantity - sahleb, sabich (Amanda! Next time I'll take a picture for you), etc., but strangely not hummus. The place I really liked on Ibn Gvirol closed, single tear. I'm waiting for this great place in Nahariya, and for a little Abu Ghosh sampling in Jerusalem.

Anything else food related? Rachel and I had delicious burekas last night, and so that the Russian mafia sitting next to us wouldn't stab us, I ate Rachel's pickles. All 5,000 of them. The end.

Tomorrow - Northward!

The streets are paved with goat cheese

2009-12-31T08:21:00.003+02:00

Yesterday's rain didn't get in my way (although it did ruin an old pair of boots, so I guess I have to buy new Israeli ones). I loved walking through Mahane Yehudah (the shuk)--there is so much to see and eat and hear. From a man selling strawberries (tutim): "Tuti! Tuti fruity! Aizeh tut!" I wished I liked halva because there were a million different kinds. I sampled some very fresh, tasty fruit, and smelled the so fresh they were still blinking fish flapping around. Before the shuk I went to a cafe on Emek Refaim, a street lined with stores and restaurants. This particular cafe's walls are covered in New Yorker covers. I love Israeli breakfasts: I had a sandwich with goat cheese, roasted peppers and avocado.

I also visited the Menachem Begin Heritage Center Museum. It's the kind of museum where you get to watch movies and there are voices talking to you from different angles. Kept me on my toes. There was a group of students in my tour and I really enjoyed listening to the teacher explain SLOWLY what was going on. Begin had quite a life--born in Russia, joined the Betar Zionist youth movement at an early age, mentored by Ze'ev Jabotinsky (revisionist zionism, self-defense focus), imprisoned in Siberia for anti-Soviet activities, commander of the Irgun (pre-state zionist military force), started the Likud party and eventually became prime minister.

I saw a clock exhibit and made a friend at the Islamic Art Museum--just someone studying at JTS who could tell I was American. We walked around the museum and I bumped into her later in the day. She of course also went to Brandeis. We spent most of the exhibit trying to understand the mechanics of a clock.

Today I am meeting my new roommates and moving into the apartment on the best street in the universe--Rachel Imeinu (Rachel our mother)--in the German Colony. I'm also going to try out the falafel place across the street from the apartment, rumored to be excellent. The roommates are HUC students--one in education, the other in rabbinic. They come with high recommendations, but they can't beat Dafna's super cool, super cousin roommate.

I'm going to Tel Aviv tonight for new year's eve. Happy 2010!

Jet Lag

2009-12-28T18:34:00.008+02:00

Tel Aviv was beautiful today - almost 80 degrees and sunny. My parents are here for a few weeks, so my aunt and uncle came and we went to an old Germany colony near the Kirya (re: very important government building) and saw an abandoned underground winery. Why this site of all sites, you may ask? Please prepare for a minor history lesson: In the 1880s, Christian German settlers came to a few different areas in Israel, one of them being on what was then the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Eventually, during World War II (my favorite war), their descendants, who were sympathetic to Hitler, were put on the Queen Mary and sent to Australia. And who, may you ask guarded their Nazi-loving butts? None other than my grandfather, member of the British Police. The end!

For your viewing pleasure:

The place hasn't really been developed, but I'm sure when they finish construction in about two years, it will cost 70 shekel to get in.

Anyway, going to get my first golden, crispy, fiber-filled falafel of the season for dinner right now. I was going to leave you with a beautiful image of Rachel, eating a most delicious baked potato at Newark, but I had to close the window and the internet connection sort of slowed. Oh well. Lehit!

Kiss the ground

2009-12-27T23:09:00.002+02:00

Shalom chaverim! I made it, too, to the lovely Jerusalem. After a galus and startling sheirut ride from the airport, I am now relaxing and studying my map in Sarah Lauing's beautiful apartment and thinking about the days ahead. I am just so happy and grateful to be here. I am looking forward to walking a ton and visiting museums and everything I can for the next couple of weeks.

Arriving was a thrill. Dafna wouldn't let me kiss the actual ground, so I mezuzah-kissed it.

Just a little update

2009-12-27T20:47:00.002+02:00

We made it! Or at least, I made it to Tel Aviv, and I hope Rachel made it to Jerusalem. I guess I'll find out eventually.

The flight was fine, definitely one of the better I've experienced, except for the man on the aisle who only got up once in 10 hours. The nicest flight attendant in the world thought we were vegetarian honeymooners.We had to find creative ways of being comfortable that I wish I had taken pictures of, especially of a particular someone sleeping with her head on the tray table.

It is a little weird to be here for the third time this year already. The charm of arriving in Israel hasn't worn off yet, but I feel very comfortable and all of my electronic devices worked right away, so I think that's a sign that I'm moving closer to native acceptance.

Anyway, I'm nursing a strained neck and a hangnail, so goodnight.

Testing!

2009-11-25T03:16:00.001+02:00

OK, here's one thing I have ready to go. How about you?