Desert Wine

It's been a quiet week.

The highlight was the excursion we took on Tuesday to the Negev. Tours for locals is very popular here. There are tours for kids as part of their school curricula, tours for army draftees as part of their basic training, tours for workers as a company benefit and all kinds of tours for people in the third phase of life, which sounds a lot better than seniors citizens.

Even tho we were told the tour would begin at 730AM, it left about 45 minutes late. Naturally the first stop was a coffee break. We finally got to the first real stop - the Pula Reserve - which is a biosphere between the cities of Kiryat Gat and Sderot. There are many areas like this in Israel - unique biospheres and micro-climates. This one happens to be on the Israel Trail, which is a walking trail that goes the entire length of the country from Metulla in the north to Eilat in the south. Or if you prefer, from the Lebanese border to the Egyptian border. The anemone, the signature Israeli wildflower, is in bloom in the Negev at this time of year, and Pula is one of the places to view them. There's another fascinating plant that grows in the area. As the guide explained, this is the plant that made it possible to transition from nomadic hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers. It sounded a bit exaggerated to me, but the explanation made sense. When burned, the plant reaches a temperature of 1700 degrees celsius. This makes it possible to soften the local limestone to a powdery substance, which, when mixed with water, forms plaster. The plaster was used to line cisterns to store water, thereby making it possible to have a water source.

We continued to the desert city of Arad and visited the local history museum. One of the town's original founders was our docent. Located roughly between Beersheva and the Dead Sea, 20th century Arad (as opposed to the biblical Arad located nearby) was founded in 1960, intended to be the first planned city in Israel. At the time there were good jobs and the city's micro-climate made it an ideal place to treat asthma. Well, that was then. Asthma was cured and the jobs dried up as factories closed. Tourism didn't really take off they way they hoped it would, with 4X4 jeep tours of the desert. Today the city is run down; the population is 22,000 and they keep losing people to the big cities where opportunities abound. We had lunch at the city's only hotel, although I can't imagine who stays there.

From there we went to the Large Machtesh. A machtesh is a geological phenomenon, similar to a crater, unique to Israel. It's formed when two mountains collapse into themselves, forming a valley or crater. There are 3 in Israel (Ramon, Large and Small) and the word has never been translated. We took a short hike into the machtesh to see yet another geological phenomenon: huge boulders that look very much like petrified wood, but there are no growth rings or any telltale signs of fossilized bugs and insects. They also have quartz-like characteristics. Yet the chemical analysis doesn't confirm what their composition really is. A mystery for the ages.

Our last stop was of all things a vineyard. Yes, in the middle of the desert. It turns out that 2500 years ago grapes thrived in this area, and were supplied to vintners. When the Muslims conquered in the 7th century alcohol consumption was banned, wine was no longer produced and the grape market dried up. Even back in those days it was all about the economy and jobs. When archaeologists started to explore the region and found wine amphora they realized grapes and wine had been produced here. Researchers from Ben Gurion University in Beersheva figured out how it was possible in the harsh desert conditions and voila, by using those same ancient methods an industry was re-born. We had a tasting and the wine was surprisingly good. Hopefully the bottle I bought will make it back to the States.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,

Peggy and Sid

Catching up

It's been a very busy 10 days ...

This is our 4th extended trip to Israel. We've had company from the States each time, but this was the first time we've had a group. It was a great experience for us and for them.

My close friend (and first sister in law) Linda and her brother Denny arrived on Wednesday, February 8. We met them at the airport and headed straight to the Galilee for a 2 night stay. It was already dark when we left the airport so we missed the scenery along the way, and the ride took about half an hour more than usual due to traffic. We stayed at Ohalo Manor, which sounds more like it should be in Hawaii than the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee at Kibbutz Kinneret. Fortunately they were awake enough to go to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Ein Gev, which stayed open just for us. Then, a well-deserved good night's sleep.

We spent Thursday doing a circuit around the Galilee. The first stop was Magdala, located near the modern city of Migdal, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The site was discovered by accident in 2009, when construction began on a hotel. As often happens here, ruins were uncovered as the ground was being excavated for the foundation. Turns out this was the location of the ancient city of Magdala, a fishing village that is very important in Christian history as the home of Mary Magdalene. What makes this place unique is that it was covered by mudslides (only 10 inches deep) but never built over, as most places were, and the remains of the city were well preserved. We had a remarkable docent take us thru the ruins and the modern additions to the archaeological park which include chapels with amazing mosaics. The hotel that started the whole thing will be open some time this year.

We continued to Nof Ginossar, the kibbutz that has a 2000 year old fishing boat on display. Popularly known as the "Jesus Boat" it was discovered in 1986 when the level of the lake dropped to a record low following years of drought. The film showing the boat's rescue and preservation (after being covered with mud for two millennia) was as fascinating as the boat itself. We followed that with visits to Kfar Nahum (Capernaum) and Kursi, another relatively recent site (discovered in the course of building a new road) on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. 

That was plenty for the first day. We went back to the kibbutz for a short rest, then had dinner at the Pagoda, our other favorite local restaurant. 

Friday, being a short day, was limited to one spectacular site, Caesarea. This was a very important city and seaport two thousand years ago. It's a large and well preserved site, and you get a good sense of how vast, wealthy and significant the city was during Roman times. From there we got to Jerusalem in record time, dropped Linda and Denny off at the apartment they rented and rushed home to get Shabbat dinner ready. The directions I gave them to walk to our apartment were right on, and the four of us had a very nice and relaxing dinner together.

The London Three (our niece Jenny, her husband Dave and their friend Georgi) arrived the next day. We took a walk to the Old City and the Western Wall via the Armenian and Jewish Quarters. It was the first time Sid and I had gone there since we arrived. It was Dave's birthday and we wanted to do something special that evening so I scouted out restaurants (specifically hoummous restaurants) that were open on Saturday night. We went to Hatzot, where Sid and I had gone a couple weeks before, to celebrate, and took a short walk thru the night scene at the shuk on our way home.

On Tuesday the 7 of us squeezed into an SUV and headed south to the Dead Sea. We stopped for a hike at Ein Gedi, where there was more water than I've seen in the past, and continued to the Ein Gedi spa. One of their objectives was to float in the Dead Sea. Sid and I knew better - it's very cold at this time of year. We stayed in the spa with the warm mineral pools while they went down to the beach which unfortunately has retreated nearly 1/4 of a mile in the past several years due to the lowering levels of the sea. Yes, it's a big problem. 

The goal for Wednesday morning was to walk up the Snake Path at Massada to see the sunrise. (Jenny's idea of course. Ever since I took her to Paris and we walked to the top of every single monument, she hasn't stopped climbing.) We stayed at the Massada youth hostel Tuesday night, which was surprisingly comfortable, had surprisingly good food and was very crowded with groups of Israeli high school kids and German tourists. We (everyone except Sid who had the foresight to sleep in) got up and met in the lobby at 520AM. When we got to the entrance of the Snake Path we were informed by a very apologetic gatekeeper that the path was closed because of a minor rock slide during the night that made the path unstable. (Someone from the National Parks authority has the unenviable job of walking up the path every morning to make sure it's safe.) By way of compensation he comped us for the cable car, which was actually quite generous since it saved us about $18 each. So we went up the old fashioned way, by cable car. We were disappointed, but it leaves something for us to do the next time.

The weather during their trip was mostly cold and rainy. This impacts on plans, especially when most of the sightseeing is on foot. The big decision that had to be made, and soon, was when to go to Tel Aviv. With considerable deliberation they decided to go there on Friday, which left Thursday open for a rainy day activity in Jerusalem. They started the day by going to the Temple Mount for literally 5 minutes, then met us at the Israel Museum. Sid and I hadn't been through the museum for a very long time, and a lot of it has been very nicely redone.

On Friday they went by bus to Tel Aviv; actually they started in Jaffa which has reinvented itself over the last few years. They met Dori at Abu Hassan, which she says has the best hoummous in the entire country. After all, one of the goals of their trip was to find the best hoummous in Israel, so this was as much a research project as a lunch stop. They spent some time in Tel Aviv proper before returning to Jerusalem. And they all (Dori included) came for dinner Friday night.

We gathered one last time on Saturday night at a restaurant called Kadosh in a relatively new restaurant row near the Mamila Mall. The food scene in Israel has grown by leaps and bounds, and in Jerusalem it seems to have migrated from Emek Refaim to the Mamila neighborhood.

We all had a great time, and hope this will turn out to be the first of many visits to come.

                                                At Hatzot celebrating Dave's birthday.

Away message...

To all of you who wait with baited breath for the weekly episode, there will be a slight delay in posting the latest update. We have out of town guests arriving today, Wednesday Feb 8, and will be busy touring with them. Stay tuned ...

Week 3 - January 27 - February 2

Sid left early Sunday for his second and final week in Sar-el. I had plenty going on to keep me busy.

Most of the week was very cold and rainy. Typical for this time of year, and of course rain is extremely important, but it gets in the way. I should have brought one more layer of warm clothes. I was also busy with office work, which filled a lot of my time.

Sunday I felt like a housewife, which convinced me I'm not cut out for it. Laundry, straightening up, etc. No disrespect to housewives, but it's boring. The reward was attending the second lecture in the Reincarnation series.

For something completely different, on Monday I was part of a photo shoot. My krav maga friend Shefa is now an instructor and she wanted to put together some publicity photos. Because she works at a gym that has a religious clientele, they wouldn't let her use photos with a male attacker. No, it doesn't make sense, but those are the rules. I met her Monday afternoon, along with the photographer, another friend. We did some outdoor shots in a small park downtown, where it was windy and cold. Lots of fun. From there we moved to the gym where she works for the indoor shots. The three of us wound up having dinner together, and for dessert I went to the first of a 3-part lecture series called Absolute Power Corrupts Incrementally. Fascinatng.

The City of Jerusalem went on strike this week, from Sunday to Wednesday. The fight was really a pissing match between the mayor and the finance minister over where funds for the city should come from. The mayor wants an official Jerusalem budget, the finance minister wants to continue allocating funds from the general budget. The first department to strike was sanitation. There's nothing quite like garbage not being picked up, especially around the produce market. The sanitation workers spread the garbage along the light rail tracks, which meant the trains couldn't run. They also lined their trucks up along the major roads in the city, blocking off one lane which effectively made the streets one way. This had a big impact on transportation as well as sanitation. The next move was for the kindergarten teachers to walk out. This proved to be the turning point. In a country where both parents work, this was a real hardship. It took the intervention of Netanyahu to end the strike so both parties could save face. The issue hasn't been resolved, but at least everyone's back to work.

I finally got back to my ceramics class this week. I was warmly welcomed, which is always a good feeling. This time I actually enjoyed the class and was able to complete a small sculpture.

My soldier boy came home yesterday afternoon. His time at Sar-el was rewarding, but he says this is his last time. Of course he said the same thing last year. We went to yet another lecture last night called Genesis and the Big Bang. The title is what pulled us in. The lecturer is a renowned nuclear physicist who explained that there are no discrepancies between biblical time and geological time. 

It was way above our heads. Fortunately the talk was recorded.

Tonight we are having our first Shabbat guests, and tomorrow night we're having a birthday for my Israeli daughter Yafit who turns 44. I've been busy cooking, so I guess the housewife thing is unavoidable.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,

Peggy and Sid

Conspicuous Consumption ... 8 year old Master Chefs

Week 2 - January 19-26

This was a relatively quiet week.

The highlight, the most anticipated event of the week, was Trump's inauguration. Everyone I know here was thrilled. We watched it at Batsheva's and when he took the oath of office we all applauded. Well, not all of us. Dori was in Jerusalem for Shabbat, and she was the only one who didn't share our enthusiasm. As Shlomit (one of the daughters-in-law) put it, you're on your own in this family if you're not right wing. I was happy when Shlomit asked Dori where she stood on Israeli politics, she said she was moving more towards the center. As Sid quotes Churchill, if you're not a liberal when you're young you have no heart; if you're not a conservative when you're old you have no brains.

We had Shabbat lunch at the Sternlights, a family that Dori has known for close to 20 years. Terrific people, very warm and welcoming, great hosts and excellent cooks. On Saturday night we went back to Beryl Wein's shul for another lecture in the street names series -  this time on King George Street. Fascinating lecture about a fascinating period of history.

Sid went to the army on Sunday morning. Neither one of us slept well the night before; there's always the worry that you won't hear the alarm in the morning. But everything worked, he got picked up nice and early, and made it to the meeting point at the airport in plenty of time.

I, on the other hand, was in some sort of limbo. Sid wasn't around and I wasn't exercising - not even walking as much as I normally do. My twice-weekly krav maga class was suspended temporarily and it was high time to figure out a way to compensate. I called my friend Shefa, who in the past year got her krav maga instructor's certificate and is teaching once a week at a local gym. We met for lunch and figured out when we can get together to train. We start Sunday morning. That evening I attended the first of a 3-part series on reincarnation, and it's different than what we normally think of as "reincarnation". Spoiler alert - Job, according to the lecturer, was the reincarnation of Abraham's father Terah, who in that life did not sufficiently repudiate idol worship.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the frumest of them all. On Tuesday I went to my first ultra-orthodox consumer fair (for women only) ever. It was actually pretty interesting. There were lots of suppliers, primarily food preparation and child care products, as well as workshops on health, cooking and caring for infants and toddlers. Plus wigs, giftware and modest fashion. It was mobbed.

We finally got the television to work ... I've been switching back and forth between FOX and local stations. The local press coverage in many ways parallels what we see at home. Even more than the new administration, the cause celebre here is the witch hunt that's being carried out against Netanyahu. The press, which is in the thrall of left-wing anti-Bibi psychosis, is determined to make the government fall at exactly the wrong time. With Trump in the White House there has never been a better opportunity for actual progress on a fair resolution (i.e. Israel not slitting its own throat) to the hundreds of years war that has been waged in this corner of the world.

BTW, the washing machine in this apartment is the best yet. There's a 30 minute cycle that works beautifully. I'm still trying to figure out the oven, altho I did make brownies and an apple pie last week and they turned out fine.

The title of this week's post refers to a birthday party I attended Wednesday. Yes, for 8 year olds (twin girls), who are the daughters of Batsheva's brother David. Some background ... David is a very successful manufacturer of computer parts. He and his wife became parents very late in life - they were over 50. Having kids at an age when most people are becoming grandparents, well let's just say they approach things differently than 20 year olds. When I heard about the Master Chef themed party, my first reaction was what are they going to do for the bat mitzvahs and weddings? I know this sort of thing goes on in the States, and it can get pretty out of hand; I had no idea it also goes on here. Apparently it goes on a lot because there are companies that do themed kids parties. In spite of my inclination not to like it, the party was delightful. There were 50 kids (the girls are in 2 different classes in school, and the custom is to invite everyone in the class), all well-behaved. The organizers did a great job dividing the kids into groups, explaining what to do (they made pizza and pasta), and keeping everything moving along and under control.

So was it fair to dismiss this as conspicuous consumption? What about parents who can't afford to keep up? But there's always another perspective. David has the means to give his kids more than the average parent, and at his age why not? He might not be around for a lot of the celebrations that will take place in the future. He had a big dose of that reality a couple weeks ago; he barely recovered from a collapsed lung. So why not lavish his girls while he can share the fun with them?

Shabbat shalom,

Peggy and Sid

Do I REALLY look 72?

Week 1 - Thursday January 12 - Thursday January 19

We started the week at the grocery store. Of course. But first we stopped for a shakshuka breakfast at a tiny cafe on Hapalmach, which is the main street of our neighborhood. Then we went to the bank, where I used my new ATM card for the first time. What a thrill. The 600 shekels ($158) I withdrew didn't last very long, even tho we only bought a few things to tide us over till Sunday when we went to the shuk.

We also went out for dinner. We strolled over to Emek Refaim, which once upon a time was the happening street in Jerusalem. Over time it's quieted down. Several restaurants have closed, but a few have taken their places. We went to Foccacia, which from the name would suggest pizza and pasta. Instead it was a meat restaurant with a very varied menu. Sid had Thai noodles with beef, which was quite good except for the beef, which was tough and pretty much inedible. I had, of all things since in general I avoid them, a hamburger. But this being Israel it wasn't just any hamburger. It came with a slice of smoked goose breast, pineapple and a sweet sriracha sauce. Actually very good.

My jet lag hit on Thursday night. I couldn't fall asleep, read till at least 2AM, drifted in and out of sleep till 7 and got up because I couldn't get back into sleep. I wasn't up to much, so spent the day finishing unpacking and trying to figure out some of the quirks in the apartment. We went to Batsheva's for dinner, and since all of us were really exhausted, left there relatively early.

On Shabbat we went to Shira Hadasha, the egalitarian synagogue of, by and for Americans and other Anglos. It has changed over the years. Now the service (including the sermon and announcements) are only in Hebrew. I suppose they figured after all this time everyone should know Hebrew, but they certainly haven't retreated from egalitarianism.

On Saturday night we went to a lecture by Rabbi Beryl Wein; one of a series he's giving about Jerusalem street names. This week's street was Josef ben Mattityahu Ha'Cohen, more popularly known as Josephus Flavius. It was well researched, well done and fascinating. As it happens I'm currently reading a historical novel, Captive, which takes place at the same time and makes reference to many of the same names and places.

Sunday we went to the shuk, the famous produce market, which has become the place for dining and bars. As Israel slowly transitions to a 5 day work week, several of the stalls were closed. The good news is that it wasn't at all crowded, except at the really good felafel stand.  

Monday we started our trip for real. Enough shopping - time to engage our brains. Sid went to classes at Pardes, and I went to my women's class, which is one of the reasons I come here. Afterwards I went with my friend Bevie to Rimonim for lunch. As it happens, her sister was there as well having lunch with some friends. After lunch Bevie finally broke down and bought herself a smart phone. Lucky for her, one of her nephews works at a cell phone store, meaning she got a good price and an unlimited personal help line. The factoid about this particular nephew is that 40+ years ago Bevie and I took his dad and another one of Bevie's nephews to the circus, which they claim was a highlight of their childhood.

There is a relatively new custom (new to me at least) that's becoming quite popular here. Called a "hafrashat challah", it's a women-only event that takes place in private homes, synagogues or other public places. It's somewhat hard to explain without getting overly wordy, but it's about delving into the deep spiritual aspects of making challah. There's a speaker, naturally. And you actually make challah. We started with 2 kilos (4.5 pounds) of flour, and as we added each ingredient the speaker explained the symbolism: 3 spoons of salt for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 4 spoons of sugar for Sarah, Rivka, Rachel and Leah. 3 spoons of yeast which involves a play on the Hebrew word for yeast also being the Hebrew word for guard or protector. Etc. All this is a run up to arguably the most important aspect of challah making - separating an olive size piece of dough and putting it aside to be burned in the oven, in remembrance of the sacrificial system during Temple times. The act of separation has a blessing associated with it, as does everything in Judaism. It's a blessing that carries special weight because, like lighting candles to usher in Shabbat, it establishes a personal, private connection to the Creator of the Universe, and offers a few moments for women to speak directly to G-d. The 20 of us said the blessing and had our silent conversations. This isn't something you can do with your eyes open, and we stood with eyes closed and intense concentration. I did peek, however, and saw these women gently swaying back and forth with such focus and belief. It was one of those "you had to be there" moments, and it will stay with me for the rest of my life.

The other highlight this week was a talk by Caroline Glick, who is a brilliant analyst and thinker. She has a mile-long CV, including being on the Oslo negotiating team (and we know how well that went), she's an adviser to Netanyahu, was an officer in the IDF, has published several books, and writes a weekly column for the Jerusalem Post and Maariv (one of the Hebrew papers). The topic was the crisis in the American Jewish Community and she hit the nail right on the head. It will probably be on Youtube - definitely worth an hour of your time.

Dori will be in Jerusalem for Shabbat. We haven't seen her yet, and are very much looking forward to hearing about her life in Tel Aviv. 

So ... I took the light rail to the hafrashat challah. I tapped my transit card as I boarded and made my way to a seat. Because it's on the honor system there are frequent inspections. And we were inspected. I handed my card to the inspector and thought nothing of it until he said I didn't pay for the ride. I looked at him in disbelief and said of course I paid. We went back and forth, and he showed me his hand-held computer that said I hadn't paid. He asked for my identity card, which is standard procedure. Yes, the same identity card I used to vote 2 years ago and caused so much laughter because it's so old. Then he asked my age. I said that's not a polite question and he shouldn't be asking. He replied "we ask that kind of question". I told him to guess. He said 72. I was certain I mis-heard and asked him if he meant 62. No, he said, 72. I was pissed. Then he looked at my identity card and apologized for being off by a few years. Then he gave me a ticket. But he was so charming and sweet about it, explaining that he had no choice, describing the procedure for protesting the fine, and hoping that he hadn't hurt my feelings. Only in Israel. The first thing I did when I sat down again was to pull out a mirror to see if I saw the 72 year old that the inspector saw, and wondered what are the chances insurance will pay for a face lift.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem, the capitol of Israel, which will be recognized as such tomorrow.

Peggy and Sid

Our 2017 Journey Begins ...

January 10-12, 2017

Besides Sid, only one other person knows what kind of pre-trip meltdown I had for 2 days prior to departing. I postponed organizing and packing till the day we left, which should have been OK since our flight didn't leave until 945PM. I already did all the shopping I had to do and mentally prepared a packing list; all I had to do was throw everything in the suitcase. Somehow it didn't quite unfold that way. I had a last minute office emergency that had to be taken care of immediately. I kept remembering something else that needed to be taken care of or brought with. Every time I remembered something I started freaking out about what else I had forgotten or neglected to do. Not a pretty sight, by any means.

The worst of it was that we didn't get upgraded on the flight to London, and I was furious. 24 hours before we departed there were 12 empty seats in business class; the morning we departed there were none. To make matters worse, we were cancelled off the upgrade list, but supposedly put on a list for airport upgrades. When we checked in for the flight the agent said we weren't even on that list, so she put our names back on. In the end we were upgraded (1 hour before the flight took off) at the gate, which was great, but what really infuriated me was that there were 5 empty seats in business class. And I want the $100 it cost me to check an additional bag refunded, since business class passengers are allowed 2 checked bags per person. American Airlines customer service is going to get an ear full about this.

The flight was smooth and we even landed 1/2 an hour early. It's a good thing, because security at Heathrow was more than thorough and took forever. I barely had time at the duty free to pick up a couple bottles of single malt to tide us over for the next 2-1/2 months.

The EL Al flight from London to Tel Aviv was about 95% full, and in coach it makes a big difference in comfort. We sat 4 rows from the back, with about 5 inches of legroom. The good news was by the time we got off the plane our luggage was on the carousel, and there was no line at immigration. Israel is so ahead of the game when it comes to electronic border control. There are kiosks in several locations for biometric passport holders, which apparently everyone but me has.

We got to the apartment around 1130PM. The key was hidden in the garden outside the building (this is why we always bring flashlights). And we only had to shlep the bags up 16 steps. The apartment is very large by Israeli standards (about 800 sq ft, 3 bedrooms and a bath and a half) and nicely rehabbed. And it's for sale ... for the shekel equivalent of $800,000. The owner stocked the fridge with cheese, milk and a box of cookies. We had a cup of tea and unpacked almost everything before crashing and going to sleep at 1AM.

We slept till 8 this morning. The weather is glorious - sunny and quite warm (high 50's). We finished unpacking, went out for breakfast and a bit of shopping at the local supermarket. 

As often as we've come to Israel, each time I see the coast line from the air it's still a thrill. From the moment we landed things felt right. All the reisefeber (pre-travel anxiety) went by the wayside. It feels like a missing limb has spontaneously regenerated. More to the point, it feels like a missing piece of my soul has been revived.

Shabbat shalom,

Peggy and Sid