Beautiful Sufganiyot
We may not have Dunkin Donuts here in Israel, so Chanukah time and Roladin bakery’s sufganiyot (Israeli version of donuts) are the closest we can get. Most sufganiyot could be confused with a roll – a big round piece of cakey bread, with a dot of filling which could fall off if you’re not careful. However, I think there are a few bakeries that really put in the extra effort (read: filling)
- Cafe Ne’eman – King George St. I recommend the white chocolate
- Marzipan Bakery – Mahane Yehuda Market & Rahel Imenu St., Jerusalem
- Roladin – Mamilla Mall [featured below]
Is it wrong to frame this picture and hang it over my couch? I think it’s beautiful. I recommend the chocolate chocolate flavor. Pure heaven. I think I’m gonna have to keep going back until I’ve tried every flavor.
Flavors include macchiato, halva, pistachio, vodka melon, banana, with all sorts of goodies sprinkled and added on top. For more sufganiya goodness, read Haaretz’s writeup.
“Safe Sex in the Holy City”
It’s World AIDS Day once again and we still don’t have a cure. That said we must continue to stay safe and informed about the disease. Here in Jerusalem it seems we’re more worried about terrorist attacks, getting jay-walking tickets or a spontaneous protest headed up by those crazy Haredis (see what happens when you don’t have TV, you have to make your own Entertainment at the expense of others). But the truth is, AIDS is a deadly disease in Israel just like the rest of the world. And even if it doesn’t make headlines like the Swine Flu, it’s still affecting your life and your loved ones.
Staying safe and informed is the best way to battle the disease until we find a cure and the Jerusalem Open House is the best way to do that. The organization has a weekly clinic open on Sundays which provides a free and completely anonymous rapid HIV testing service, as well as counseling, information and education about HIV/ AIDS. The clinic has also packed up their bags and visited other sites to give these free and anonymous tests. This World AIDS Day they will be at The Hebrew University’s Mt. Scopus campus giving those tests to students and staff alike.
As well as the free testing, the organization will be celebrating “Safe Sex in the Holy City” Thursday, Dec. 3rd at the Talpiot club ‘Campus’ where your NIS 40 entrance fee will support the clinic. The night’s festivities will begin at 11:30pm and rock on until the wee hours of early morning. Best of all there will be a drag show to keep us entertain while staying safe.
And so to get you in the party mood, I remind you of the World AIDS Day post I wrote about last year.
For more info about the organization check out their website or contact Shira at shira@joh.org.il.
Chanukah Time! Flash Mob in Jerusalem
In case you’ve been following my tweets you may have noticed that I’m obsessed with Improv Everywhere and the whole idea of going into places and doing random things to surprise strangers and cause a scene. Every time I’m in the central bus station or supermarket in Jerusalem, I just want to break into song and dance or freeze in place like they did in Grand Central Station in New York City or Tel Aviv’s version.
I finally got my chance to partake in a flash mob last Friday at Jerusalem’s popular hangout spot, the midrachov/Ben Yehuda St. Nefesh B’nefesh organized the mission, taught us the dance, and now, released the official video. Enjoy and Happy Chanukah!!
And if you still want more, here’s the Making of the Flash Mob Video.
Here are some of my other favorite Improv Everywhere videos:
19 questions you should ask before renting an apartment in Jerusalem and the rest of Israel
After moving apartments several times in Jerusalem, I’ve started keeping track of all the questions I ask during each apartment hunt. Here’s a helpful guide for how to find an apartment in Israel with lists of different apartment websites.
Here’s a translation of an apartment notice from one of the best flat hunting sites Yad2:
- Price: Price range is usually the first thing that narrows down my apartment search. If the price is in dollars, make sure you feel comfortable with the conversion solution which typically is either a)whatever the rate is on the first of each month or b)setting a rate at the beginning of the contract. I prefer the second option so I’m not nervous about what the rate will be each month.
- Entrance Date: One of the first questions to ask each apartment is if it’s relevant anymore (actuali in Hebrew). And if so, when is the move in date?
- Location: Will you feel safe walking around at night? Are there lots of busses nearby? Is it near things that are important to you (friends, supermakets, kindergarten, etc.). To help find the street before you head over, you can use Google Maps which takes english or hebrew street names.
- Number of Rooms: Be wary of the 2.5 rooms – what exactly will that .5 be and will it actually make a difference in adding space to the apartment.
- Size: How many square meters is it? Sometimes an apartment will sound big in square meters but it may not be set up in a very user-friendly way
- Arnona: Depending on the size of the apartment, you’ll have to pay a certain amount of municipal property tax.
- Floor Number / Elevator: Find out what floor number it’s on – and whether the building is on a raised platform or not. If it’s a high floor, is there an elevator? Shabbat elevator?
- Vad Bayit: The maintenance fee for each building differs slightly and can range anywhere from 40-300+ shekels per month. The lower range usually covers someone who cleans the building once a week. The higher range usually means that there is heating (hasaka) for the building during certain times of the day.
- Dud Shemesh(solar panel for hot water): For me, this is really a dealbreaker and I try to only look at apartments that have a dud shemesh. Mainly so I can just say dude a lot, but also because there is so much unbearably hot sun during the summer that it would be such a shame to let it go to waste, and a dud saves electricity costs.
- Daytime/Nightime: Is there plenty of warm sunshine during the day? Is it scary at night. I recommend checking out an apartment both during the day and at night so you get the full picture.
- Balcony (mirpeset) / Closed balcony (mirpeset sherut) If an apartment has a balcony, find out if it’s open or closed. Also nice to know if it is sukkah-friendly.
- Furniture: Does the place come with a stove, fridge, built-in closets, washing machine, couches, etc? Sometimes landlords just happen to have an extra closet laying around. On the other hand, we went to see an apartment that didn’t allow gas stoves so be sure to ask, ask, ask about any details you can think of.
- Landlords: Does the landlord pace the apartment every 2 seconds? Are they nice on the phone but then shady in person? Pay attention to the landlord’s behavior – you don’t want to be handing your hard earned money over to a scumbag each month. Make sure to ask about repairs, and the landlord’s responsibilities to you.
- Pets: What I’ve found with pets is that there’s usually a don’t ask, don’t tell policy. The landlords usually don’t care as long as you keep the place clean and it doesn’t cause trouble with the neighbors.
- Parking: If you have a car, make sure there is either a designated parking area, or at least lots of little side streets nearby with ample parking
- Heating/air conditioning: Find out what kind of heating system there is. Also, you can ask the current tenants how the apartment fares during the summer and winter.
- Roommates: If you’re looking to live with others, you’ll have a whole new list of questions – do you want to live with religious people, people that you know, Israelis, etc. Make sure you get a good, friendly vibe when you’re choosing roommates because you’re gonna see these people plenty.
- Agent: Check to see if there is an agent. If the apartment is going through an agent, the fee is typically one month’s rent. You can find plenty of apartments without an agent so only use one as the very last resort.
- Storage: Does the place come with a separate storage space?
Good luck with your apartment hunt!
If you have anything to add, please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.
Israel the Airhead!
This country is funny. Have you ever met someone who is an airhead yet somehow they have a full scholarship to a top university? They can figure out math problems that use numbers and letters but they can’t remember to look both ways before crossing the street? That airhead is Israel.
It seems weird but after I tell you what I tell you, I think you will agree. Here’s why Israel is such an airhead: Trains. It comes down to trains.
In Jerusalem you have the light rail, or you have the tracks, dirt and mess of what is supposed to be a light rail. It’s been in the process of being built for about 10 years and who knows when it will ever be ready. In fact it was recently reported that practice trains will begin to ride some of the tracks- which means they will find all sorts of problems and have to rebuild, remodel and restart the whole train game. The light rail has literally eaten up the center of the city and left its remains like a toilet. You know it’s true even if you don’t like the analogy. Stores and cafes have shut down due to lack of commerce, buses travel down narrow one-way streets which are used as two-way streets and sometimes even three-way streets (dirty). My favorite people-watching cross walk at King George and Jaffa has disappeared along with the businesses and bustle of everyday life.
Yet all this said something so innovative and brilliant is also happening on trains in a different part of the country.
Israel Railways is offering a lecture series, from top Professors while you ride your usual morning commute. This is pure genius. Where did they come up with this? Rather than staring out a window, listening to your iPod, or trying not to fall asleep and miss your stop, you can now have a refreshing cup of morning coffee and refreshing lecture from top Hebrew University Professor Chanoch Gutfreund on “Einstein’s Love Letters.” I mean could you think of a better way to start your day?
So there’s my point in case. The Jerusalem light rail makes this country an airhead, twirling her hair around her finger and staring into space. Yet, while she may look like no one is home, the sheer genius of train lectures makes you realize that indeed the lights are on and only getting brighter.
Be Cool. Matisyahu gives us a much needed beat
Living in Israel is never easy. Understatement. And now with talk about a third Intifada, actual rioting in the Old City and calls of the destruction of Israel from Arab leaders in East Jerusalem to Arab leaders in the Arab nations, life here seems to be more stressful than ever. Reading the news makes me nervous to walk the streets, ride the buses or be in crowded places.
But I still go out and I still live my life here. In fact last night I went to the Matisyahu concert held at Sultan’s Pool right outside the walls of the Old City. On my way I couldn’t help but worry about the possible terrorism that could take place. My mind has a wild imagination, so I was worried about the parked cars, the people with big bags and making sure the security guards were thoroughly during their job—not to mention my fears of 18-year-old “Shana Alef” girls and boys that would probably be drinking beer and standing next to me at the concert (some might argue that is the scariest of all).
But when the music started all the fears, worries and doubts disappeared into the raging beats and all I could do was move to them. Matisyahu’s lyrics and mere presence reminded me that this isn’t just a concert in Israel, this is a part of our way of life and nothing or no one can change that. We are the Jewish people and this is our Homeland. The songs helped to remind me that life is hard, life for the Jews has always been hard, but we can still find the joy in the fog of hate and we can still bust a move.
So I danced to the music. We all danced to the music—even if our moves were that of Jewish white boys and girls, and we couldn’t manage to stay on rhythm. We danced because we could. Because we were dancing in an ancient pool of the Israelites. Because the Old City, might be old but we are keeping it young. We are keeping it. We’re dancing for our ancestors; we’re dancing for our future. We’re dancing cause we think we’re cool and we’re dancing because we know we’re afraid.
The last piece that Matisyahu left the crowd with is his famous song “Jerusalem.” The lyrics say it all, “Jerusalem, if I forget you, fire not gonna come from me tongue. Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do.” From the prayers of King David to the hopes of the next generation, thank you Matisyahu for reminding us to move to the beat and keep going.
11+ Awesome things to do in Israel this Sukkot
As you start planning your Sukkot vacation in Israel for 2009, I wanted to give you a few fun and less touristy activities that you might not have on your list. I also look forward to hearing about your plans for Sukkot so please share in the comments section below.
1. Cinema City VIP
Imagine going to the movies in Israel. You’re only allowed to go in 2 minutes and 30 seconds before the move starts. People trample over you to get to their seats. Arsim answer their phones at the best part of the movie.
Now imagine going to the movies in style.
For 120 shekels, you can see how the rich and famous live. When you go to Cinema City VIP, you’re invited to come 45 minutes early to a lounge to enjoy a light meal including bread, cheese, vegetables, snacks, and desserts. And you even get as many glasses of champagne or coffee as you can down within those 45 minutes. Once you’ve had your fill of delish treats, and head inside the theater, the staff hands you Ben&Jerry’s ice cream, any soda or drink you like, and a big cup of popcorn. And here’s the best part – it’s all unlimited refills. So you can get up whenever you like during movie and pile up as many Chunky Monkeys as your stomach can handle.
Once you find your seat – one of only 20 VIP seats, you can recline in your leather lazy boy chair and put your feet up on the footrest! In short, treat yourself and a loved one to Cinema City at least once! I think Herzl would have enjoyed the luxury of this establishment located in his namesake, Herzilya. Or, thanks to Jennifer’s comment, it’s actually in Ramat Hasharon.
2. Nalagaat: Blind and Deaf Theater in Tel Aviv-Yafo
For a totally different experience than Cinema City, you can get back in touch with reality and appreciate the little things in life by visiting Nalagaat – a blind and deaf theater troupe that performs weekly in Yafo. The troupe comes from all different backgrounds – both ethnically including Russians, Israeli-Arabs, native Israelis, and range in their ability to hear, see, or speak.
Their play, “Not by Bread Alone” tells the story and dreams of the different characters and brings them together with senses they all share – smell, touch and taste.
Following the performance, you have 2 non-typical dining options – the Blackout Restaurant where you eat in the dark, assisted by blind waiters, or Capish Cafe where you are served by deaf waiters. Truly a touching experience which I highly recommend.
3. Get Down and Dirty at a 3 day Hippie Festival
Just try going to an interview wearing these pants. But go to one of Israel’s many hippie-dippie Indian/meditations/ashram/love/no-showering-for-a-few-days festivals during Sukkot and Pesach, and you’ll feel right at home in diaper pants. This Sukkot, there are 2 festivals in southern Israel, Sagol and Desert Ashram/Zorba Habuddha that offer a 3 day escape from the real world, and entrance into a world where you receive a hug on your way in from a perfect stranger, followed by hundreds of people lounging around, enjoying chai tea, meditation workshops, good music, and possibly some not so legal substances. So pack up your tent, sleeping bags, and paper pants. Throw out any expectations or pretenses, and get ready to get down with your dirty, hippie self.
4. Hiking
Pack up your apartment, put it on your back, and head out to the beautiful nature trails that Israel has to offer. You can find a list of trails around Israel on the SPNI website.
5. Paintball
For those of you who need to get out your aggression this vacation or enjoy being pelted with bright blue and green paintballs, then you’re in luck. There are a few Paintball Branches in Israel: Haifa, Kfar Saba, Be’er Sheva. There are different activities for adults and children. Check out the Paintball Israel website for more info, and pricing.
6. Rock Climbing or Rappelling
If you’re interested in testing your fear of heights, you can start indoors with rock climbing, or do some rappelling outdoors.
#7-11: Jerusalem Blueprint put together a great guide of Sukkot activities in Jerusalem which includes the first ever Red Bull Soap Box Racing event, Matisyahu concert in the Sultan’s pool, and more.
12+: Fun in Jerusalem’s guide to events in Jerusalem for kids
13+: Green Prophet’s guide to Green Events during Sukkot
THE ROSH HASHANA VIDEO: Laugh your way into the new year!
It’s that time of year: apples, honey, prayers and tons of celebration…the Jewish New Year. And once again Benji and I hit the streets, this time in Tel Aviv, to find out how Israelis plan to celebrate the holiday and what sins they may want to say “sorry” for. Check out the clip and learn more about Benji at www.whatwarzone.com.
The Big Felafel to be on Social Media & Aliyah Panel at the Second Jewish Bloggers Convention
After unexpectedly being listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Jewish Twitterers, The Big Felafel is finally getting its crack at stardom, more specifically, stardom amongst Jewish bloggers who live in Israel or want to move to Israel.
I am really flattered to have been asked to be on the panel “Aliyah Doesn’t End At the Airport! Employing Social Media for a successful Aliyah” at the upcoming Second Jewish Bloggers Convention in Jerusalem. Personally, I think it’s more fun to be in the audience and make wisecracks, but this year I’ll be on the stage and have to leave the peanut gallery to everyone else.
Besides being ridiculously addictive and at times stalker-esque, it really is amazing how many people I’ve interacted with and how much I’ve learned via social media – blogging, twittering, facebook, linkedin, etc. And, although we haven’t written much lately on The Big F, since August is the vacation month in Israel, I hope we’ve also been able to share our knowledge and help others with their Israel journey.
The best part of the conference last year was meeting fellow bloggers and seeing the person behind the blog. This year it will be fun to meet people behind the tweet, as well.
Other posts about the conference:
Jewish Blog-Con: A Zionist Love Story – loved it! Orit Arfa likens Israel to a lover and confesses her feelings through the good and the bad.
The Details:
September 13, 2009
2-10pm: what? you’ve never been to an 8 hour conference?! Well, at least snack time is included. But I think nap time might be needed as well. I guess the thinking was to make the convention convenient for people in the US.
Registration:
LIVE in Jerusalem: You can register for the actual, real-life, in-the-flesh, come-out-of-your-shell-and-meet-people conference in Jerusalem (50 NIS includes buffet dinner) here: jbloggers.org
LIVE in your home via Webcast: You can watch it live over the web, but you still have to register here: jbloggers.org
The schedule:
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Registration and Workshops
Workshops
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Session 1A
Monetizing your blog:
Dos, Don’ts and Great Expectations.
with Stephen Leavitt
Session 1B
Networking for Money:
Your Social Network has value.”Give and ye shall receive”.
with David Abitbol
Session 1C
Defending Israel Through Social Media Tools:
with Jameel@Muqata, Israel Matzav, Yishai Fleisher and Ashley Perry
Will not be webcast or recorded.
Space is limited.
3:05 – 3:45 PM
Session 2A
The Business of Blogging:
Using your blog to build a sustainable business and recurring income.
with Zack Miller
Session 2B
Twittering for Bloggers:
#JBloggers Everything you ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. From Intro to Expert.
with Ahuvah Berger
3:50 – 4:30 PM
Session 3A
Fascinated with Facebook:
How to use Facebook to promote yourself, your blog, your products and your services.
with Jacob Richman
Session 3B
Twittering for Bloggers:
#JBloggers Everything you ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. From Intro to Expert.
with Ahuvah Berger
Session 3C
Be a Better Blogger:
Nobody cares what you ate for breakfast: How to write the compelling blog post to build readership.
with David “Treppenwitz” Bogner
4:30 – 5:00 PM Networking time: Meet your fellow bloggers.
Light refreshments will be served
Convention
5:00 PM (10:00 AM EST) Opening Remarks
5:10 – 5:25 PM Convention Kickoff Speaker:
How Social Media is Influencing Community
David Horovitz, Editor in Chief, The Jerusalem Post
5:30 – 6:45 PM First Panel: Jewish 2.0
Social Media and the Future of the Jewish Community
Panelists:
David Kelsey / Jewcy (News and Media), Yonasan (Jonathan) Rosenblum / The Jerusalem Post (Religion), Orit Arfa / LA Jewish Journal (Community), Tova Serkin / JGooders (Philanthropy)
Moderator: Danielle Sheldon /Jewlicious
7:00 – 7:45 PM Dinner
7:45 – 8:00 PM Comedy with Benji Lovitt “What War Zone“
8:00 – 8:45 PM Keynote Speaker: Defending Israel Online
Ron Dermer: Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel
to be followed by Q&A
8:45 – 9:45 PM Second Panel: Aliyah Doesn’t End At the Airport!
Employing Social Media for a successful Aliyah
Panelists:
Clifton Flack / JobShuk, Zev Stub / Janglo,
Rebecca Markowitz / “The Big Felafel“, Marc Rosenberg (Nefesh B’Nefesh)
Moderator: Allison Kaplan Sommer
With Q&A at the end.
9:45 – 10:00 PM Closing remarks
Hope to see you there! If you’re still around and not too tired, please come say hi!
The Bomb Still Explodes: The Hebrew University Bombing 7 Years Later
Frank Sinatra Cafeteria Memorial
Yesterday I took part in a live twitter chat with Maia Sigal Leslau, a victim of the Hebrew University bombing. The terrorist attack took place on July 31st, 2002 at the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria on the Mt. Scopus campus. The Hebrew University was intentionally targeted because it stands as a symbol to the revitalization of the Jewish people and is home to thousands of students from all over the world.
The bomb— a cell phone in a bag on the table of the bustling café, where students gathered mid day to eat a quick lunch or take a much needed break—went off and killed nine people and injured over eighty. One of those nine was my friend Marla Bennett.
I remember the phone call about her death that changed my world forever. I was in complete denial and to this day I have not really accepted her passing. I remember demanding proof that they knew it was her, that they knew she was dead. And even though I got my answer it never felt real.
Marla Bennett, 24-years-old z"l
Yesterday, the opportunity to speak with Maia helped me cope with reality. She personally told me about the bombing from her point of view. She didn’t hear the bomb go off, but she said she knew something was wrong. She was alert and asked her friend to take her bag and call her mother.
Maia survived despite shrapnel piercing her brain. She lost sight in her eye and still has scars, not to mention the emotional scaring. I would think that anyone that survived the bombing would be afraid, angry and have a loss of faith. But not Maia. She is a strong willed young woman, who actually became more religious since the bombing.
Maia is inspiring. She not only inspires me to be more thankful of what I have, but made me realize that if Marla had survived the bombing she too would be like Maia. Marla would be strong and do her best to stay positive in the face of evil. Marla was the nicest person I ever met. Nice as in good intentions, a big heart, a never ending smile and hope that survived her death.
The chat may have been short with 140 characters at a time, but the message is long lasting.
Thank you Maia for your candor.
Marla not a day goes by that I don’t wish you were still alive.
Below please find some of Maia’s comments during the conversation. The twitter chat took place through Hebrew University’s twitter account: @HebrewU (English) and @HebrewU_heb (Hebrew).
@FelafelBalls I’m getting over it every day, every morning when I get up and thank G-d for being in this world, for being alive.10:06 AM Jul 28th
@slerner #izkor I became religious after the bombing, understanding and believing this is the hand of G-d keeping me alive.10:16 AM Jul 28th
@charliekalech #izkor I’m sad abt the 9 people who are not w/ us any more. I’m sorry for myself that someone changed my life without asking.10:12 AM Jul 28th
@dejerusalem #izkor The bombing was not really a surprise, sad to say. During 2002 it was a daily routine in Jerusalem.10:36 AM Jul 28th
@miriamschwab #izkor It’s on July 31, the memorial will be held tmrw on campus. My lesson: We have only one Land, this is the true home.10:53 AM Jul 28th
@dejerusalem #izkor I’m one of the lucky ones, I’m a survivor. I always remember I could have been a victim. It is always with me.11:02 AM Jul 28th
The Big Felafel 