tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51113757695860133162024-03-14T06:41:50.520-07:00Adventures in AliyahLandHelping you live the 2000-year-old dream... in the 21st century.Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.comBlogger410125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-36174344580895938542022-03-07T01:40:00.000-08:002022-03-07T01:40:48.944-08:00Say Shalom... and other lies of Hebrew school<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT--Zkv3a1vQZy_69H-Z3dMNXZvkGuYYHSKBk-BtUCQf0-sPxShc0z1Uc-Q6q7lVBSxjNR37yLMBipRaf0wVbF3QG7mjk99ARHbYzkpO0hjIJZZdHIsFs9sk0O7lUT8aMQJTXV2zdJ_bs6oiv83feQhbQTA0myrsTbAEo6s6UcytndzcEH10SJoJ5d=s2240"><font size="3"><img title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT--Zkv3a1vQZy_69H-Z3dMNXZvkGuYYHSKBk-BtUCQf0-sPxShc0z1Uc-Q6q7lVBSxjNR37yLMBipRaf0wVbF3QG7mjk99ARHbYzkpO0hjIJZZdHIsFs9sk0O7lUT8aMQJTXV2zdJ_bs6oiv83feQhbQTA0myrsTbAEo6s6UcytndzcEH10SJoJ5d=s2240" width="600" height="338"></font></a> <p><font size="3">Hey, there, long time no see! <br> You know, I could give you a whole bunch of excuses, about how things are busy busy busy and I'm working hard to both make a living and write creatively - and ideally get published someday soon. <br> But I won't.</font></p> <font size="3"></font> <p><font size="3">I'll just share with you something I just realized almost <em>NOBODY</em> tells olim. <br> When you start learning Hebrew, they begin with hello and goodbye, which -- almost everybody will tell you -- is the exact same word: שלום / Shalom. <br> Handy, right?</font></p> <font size="3"></font> <p><font size="3">Except that much of the time you probably won't use it for either.</font></p> <font size="3"></font> <p><font size="3">Shalom is definitely a word, and you will certainly use it often. <br> But maybe not the way you think.</font></p> <font size="3"></font> <p><font size="3">First of all, I don't know if I've ever heard any Israeli actually say Shalom as goodbye. I honestly think people would look at you weird if you tried. It IS used in formal contexts, like in an add reading, "Say Goodbye to Dandruff," you might use the word "Shalom." I've only ever seen this in a negative context - things you don't want, like cockroaches. </font></p> <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2022/03/say-shalom-to-and-other-lies-of-hebrew.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-16151116540823441282021-09-29T07:14:00.001-07:002021-09-29T07:22:43.030-07:00Introducing: The unique Israeli holiday celebration you’re not going to want to miss! (with video)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzaqFP3te9IVLlGasPRdYJRSdVzAt_yisQ3BBm8oOwoalW2nNuL-2SyW0IzmgRE9fzm7F2E6OsH84HH4f2Qh7wtwb8S7FSpvEKsy0W08J-mI1qXCYnE6zb8bMJqjKwPTZmm_OQ3IPBFY/s500/hakafot.jpg"><img title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzaqFP3te9IVLlGasPRdYJRSdVzAt_yisQ3BBm8oOwoalW2nNuL-2SyW0IzmgRE9fzm7F2E6OsH84HH4f2Qh7wtwb8S7FSpvEKsy0W08J-mI1qXCYnE6zb8bMJqjKwPTZmm_OQ3IPBFY/s500/hakafot.jpg" width="504" height="504"></a> <p>Yes, it’s one of my favourite unique Israeli holiday customs: hakafot shniyot! And I can’t believe I haven’t written about it before (or maybe I have?).</p> <p>Outside of Israel, most people keep 2 days of chag so they're all partied out by the time Simchas Torah ends. But here, it's all one day, so people want to keep right on partying. Not to mention -- if you wait until AFTER the chag, you can have a BETTER party: one with loud music, live or otherwise, stands selling snack foods, bubble blowers, and other kitschy glow-in-the-dark accessories, and much more. PLUS you can record it on your phone. Which I did last night.</p> <p>Hakafot shniyot - second hakafot - are pretty popular regardless of how religious the community is. They take out the sifrei Torah and announce which hakafa it is, starting each one with a round of "hosha na"s -- very much like the real thing. I don't know if there's any halachic basis to any of it, but basically it's a lot of fun and not a lot of rules. </p> <p>That said: This year, they WERE enforcing a very strict "tav yarok" (תו ירוק / green tag) which is basically the green passport system. To get into the area in front of the main shul here, you had to show either the COVID passport app or a test from within the past 24 hours (that's how little kids were able to get in). Even with the COVID passport app, they were making you recite your Teudat Zehut by heart while the guards held the tav yarok so you couldn't see it and borrow your friend's. If you passed the test they were giving out wristbands.</p> Here's what it looked like around here last night... <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2021/09/introducing-unique-israeli-holiday.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-6751926512510177562021-09-26T04:39:00.001-07:002021-09-26T11:44:04.882-07:00Which instant coffee is best in Israel–? (with handy Hebrew coffee vocabulary)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD8762W97MfGpemwykhgAfwc4hneNhYHd6tqJTBtor87v1W9Erzcl8_NXd9nenTZFM0m1bF2dAQxiqpPGg2cCCoESGmmfRdj2onG_sEzFts0szALNcXAkvHdo4TF1u2fwLxYK1YGAi98/s0/whichonecoffee.jpg"><img title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD8762W97MfGpemwykhgAfwc4hneNhYHd6tqJTBtor87v1W9Erzcl8_NXd9nenTZFM0m1bF2dAQxiqpPGg2cCCoESGmmfRdj2onG_sEzFts0szALNcXAkvHdo4TF1u2fwLxYK1YGAi98/s0/whichonecoffee.jpg" width="504" height="504"></a> </p> <p>This being Sukkos, or as we say it in Israel, Sukkot, there’s probably one burning question on your mind: which instant coffee is best? Okay, it doesn’t actually have much to do with the holiday, except that I’m home and have a little bit of time on my hands.</p> <p>The first thing you should know is that if you ask people what the best instant coffee is, people being what they are, you’re going to get a whole bunch who tell you that nothing will compare to REAL coffee. Which, depending on who you ask, is either brewed or cold-brewed or espresso’d or capsuled in a special machine or whatever.</p> <p>So let’s just get that out of the way first. If you’re looking for REAL coffee, almost any coffee is probably fine as long as it’s fresh. You can go to a special roastery – everyone has one they swear by and I guess I will shout out to <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x151db72429c98b69%3A0xca496c98d21cbf48!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMumwE6uQL8QyVegTBO48iZTXd37nYdtz7F47sE%3Dw443-h250-k-no!5z16fXldek15kg15LXkdeo15nXkNecINee15XXpten15nXnyAtIEdvb2dsZSBTZWFyY2g!15sCgIgAQ">Gabriel Coffee in Kiryat Motzkin</a> for being a cute friendly shop that roasts coffee beans and grinds them nicely to whatever fineness you like (I have a French press, so coarse grind is important).</p> <p>And if you’re one of those people who say, “Well, if you’re getting instant it’s going to be garbage anyway,” then I honestly wonder what you’re still doing reading this. I’ll give you a second to click away.</p> <p>Okay, good. Now we’re alone.</p> <h1>But first, a terrible joke</h1> <p>Now that we’ve gotten rid of the drip-coffee and barista purists, let’s move on to a joke my ulpan teacher taught me that I still don’t understand: “When it comes to coffee… it’s either <em>neis</em>, or it’s <em>botz</em>!”</p> <p>So the first part of this is <em>neis</em>. Which is the generic Israeli term for instant coffee, from Nescafe. Israelis love </p> <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2021/09/which-instant-coffee-is-best-in-israel.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-71195706447910139822021-03-30T08:19:00.003-07:002021-03-30T08:30:42.102-07:00A small Pesach adventure close to home<p><a href="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1TMUB0mjmfMmciPD9eTN77IMGa_pda0Em"><img alt="image" border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidf6S87uG-a6NyHBU61SWt0QfiDekUJZKXqQgiW8doCsw7lPG2IJvqM9tDhVWW2UQJ0j6ZWT34X2YABRPs1MuTLEOsPIsjMjF6T21g9jAZT4vI6EdF1yTjHH2MJnpULITKBxYG99zrfGQ/s500/deleteme.jpg" style="background-image: none; display: inline;" title="image" width="504"></a> </p> <p>Are you still feeling holed up this Pesach???</p> I feel like a groundhog coming out of its hole, a little bit at a time, after a year of… well, weirdness. <p>I hope the past year has been okay for you and your family.</p> <p>I hope you’re somewhere safe and healthy enjoying Pesach with a few more loved ones than perhaps you were with at this time last year.</p> <p>After having every single plan cancelled for the last year-and-a-bit, we finally ventured out on an official Family Outing yesterday. I didn’t dare go too far afield, so we visited a local “national park” called <a href="https://www.parks.org.il/en/reserve-park/en-afek-nature-reserve/">Ein Afek</a> (its official name is “The En Afek Nature Reserve”).</p> <p>National parks in Israel are naturally smaller than the ones we’re used to from Canada, with a whole lot less nature. But the trade-off is that they are always pretty close to either home or other civilized parts, you can often get there by public transportation, and they also often offer a glimpse into some pretty interesting history.</p> <p>Ein Afek has all three:</p> <ul> <li>It’s a ten-minute bus ride from our local mall, the Kiryon, probably a ten-minute drive from our house, if we were driving</li> <li>It has some cool nature bits, including some natural local wetlands</li> <li>It has some cool history bits, including both Biblical, Crusader, and British Mandate-era connections</li> </ul> <p>I won’t pretend that this is Deep Nature, but at certain angles, it’s quite pretty and you do forget that you’re in the middle of the vast sprawling suburbs known as the Krayot, halfway between Haifa and Akko.</p> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1sIuZINeabiMOt1cwCEBPn-h0ppce0NXz"><img alt="image" border="0" height="304" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1h6C8a9-7vYOcbLDQZCmY9vsHI2iLrCFs" style="background-image: none; display: inline;" title="image" width="404"></a></p> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1Nb2IDTvnBaNv_vOIHmGDbYYvE_KVWVOI"><img alt="image" border="0" height="304" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1lZ3y6jnBxurPXpmISPgsP5pXr7KhemBV" style="background-image: none; display: inline;" title="image" width="404"></a> </p> <p> </p> Our children were entertained, I think mainly by being out of the house, but also by <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2021/03/a-small-pesach-adventure-close-to-home.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-69307826744264828362020-12-02T00:45:00.001-08:002021-03-30T08:31:17.497-07:00Translating legal documents in Israel? Here's what you need to know<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a style="padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center; clear: left; display: inline !important;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmuK5e6rFsYgOF-WXhsUjTOa6a7mnIH5qgCrBVgN_EI0wPxt01-28u98VTRVYAah_mAZbpgEuE7DHY_vg0M5_ezbexe4apbOafoIapguXkl90cnaCrSL7wjNEO1dnws_Q4ZNgNEXshvU/s0/deleteme.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmuK5e6rFsYgOF-WXhsUjTOa6a7mnIH5qgCrBVgN_EI0wPxt01-28u98VTRVYAah_mAZbpgEuE7DHY_vg0M5_ezbexe4apbOafoIapguXkl90cnaCrSL7wjNEO1dnws_Q4ZNgNEXshvU/s0/deleteme.jpg" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="500"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sometimes, people wonder what I do for a living here in Israel.</div> <p>Even more weirdly, sometimes they <em>don't</em>. I guess they assume I make a living blogging or writing children's books. But no, or at least, not yet. Which may be why you don't hear from me here so often!</p> <p>A lot of what I do these days is translation. (You can find out more on my site: <a href="http://IsraelTranslation.com">IsraelTranslation.com</a>) <br> I translate a whole bunch of stuff: kids' books, academic documents, and these days, a whole lot of CVs. Oh, and from Hebrew to English only. </p> <p>Many people assume I translate both ways, which baffles me. I'm great at writing in English (in my humble opinion), but I can't imagine my writing in Hebrew ever progressing beyond the most basic level.</p> <p>Sometimes people ask if I provide "legal translation," not meaning legal documents (which I don't do; you need a specialist in the legal system for that), but legally <em>certified </em>translations that you can use for purposes like immigration or other legal-related things.</p> <p>The short answer is that what they want is probably a NOTARIZED translation, and I can't do that because I'm not a notary. And because in Israel notaries must be lawyers, it will probably cost a whole lot more for translation even if you do find a notary to do it. Fortunately, there is another way.</p> <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2020/12/translating-legal-documents-in-israel.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-28770571113083813082020-07-16T12:38:00.000-07:002020-07-16T12:45:39.123-07:00Things that are cool in Israel #12: Boureka Laws (with boureka and freezer puff pastry dough vocab lists)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWSpvPZE4GIDtJvcioKRrF9D1KMV6KS6egJTmLm2K3WnyvQ3a1POISW9uuokmNSKiXxUkgejxq4KeMCV-4ibA5el6p_Sv5FeKqkStIIeOBnEbLSeHzchYwnJelrVFyH9qI5X7pmSdj_c/s1600/bourekablog.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWSpvPZE4GIDtJvcioKRrF9D1KMV6KS6egJTmLm2K3WnyvQ3a1POISW9uuokmNSKiXxUkgejxq4KeMCV-4ibA5el6p_Sv5FeKqkStIIeOBnEbLSeHzchYwnJelrVFyH9qI5X7pmSdj_c/s1600/bourekablog.jpg" width="500" height="659" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="1055"></a> <br> <br> Every once in a while, just when we start feeling Israeli, something new comes along that honestly charms the pants off of me all over again. Something like… <strong>the Boureka Law.</strong></p> <p>Yup, that’s really a thing. Read on to find out.</p> <h2>Tummy rumbles </h2> <p>For supper tonight, at NR's request, we're making homemade bourekas. We bought the pastry and now we just have to make a bunch of fillings and bake them up. In case you're wondering, there are a million kinds of freezer pastry here. Probably in North America as well, but there, most of them weren't kosher. Usually, we just</p> <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2020/07/things-that-are-cool-in-israel-12.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-37375299013517369432020-06-15T03:31:00.000-07:002020-06-15T03:35:18.797-07:00Little Minyans Everywhere<div class="separator" style="text-align: center; clear: both;"><a style="clear: left; margin-right: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; float: left;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFzBb4JK8n_81KeWzGlsxijwbUNthOAROfcPmd4nVWO4w8CAWT7PKiZzGF5wn7V4lvir7J9SuK4CvU5rHj6lx1NlSTEF_SpNEkvwGX6clQci3iFieHbjegQbZa7v9uist1U93I17dqHQ/s1600/minyans.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFzBb4JK8n_81KeWzGlsxijwbUNthOAROfcPmd4nVWO4w8CAWT7PKiZzGF5wn7V4lvir7J9SuK4CvU5rHj6lx1NlSTEF_SpNEkvwGX6clQci3iFieHbjegQbZa7v9uist1U93I17dqHQ/s1600/minyans.jpg" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="500"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">So we moved! And one of the greatest unsung features of our building is a very regular minyan.</div> <p>This is temporary, due to corona. Building minyans are nothing new in Israel, but usually they're "lobby minyans" held only for "quickie" davening, like maariv after Shabbos, not on a regular basis, with a Torah, for longer davening. And definitely not Shabbos morning, when everybody tends to go off in their own direction.</p> <p>Until now. <br> And one of the joys of life in a Jewish country, I've decided, is waking up Shabbos morning surrounded by prayer. <br> Not just mumbling, but all-out singing, with gusto.</p> <p>(This picture has been making the rounds of social media... best guesses seem to suggest it's somewhere in England. It’s definitely not Israel, so I guess this phenomenon has spread out a little.)</p> <a href="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1ht-FZINsoUnqovaJduy3g0bHXCoI1jg9"><img title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="image" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1OC-2pfWQRwTerCCGoiJ96ejGJ2O8gP3t" width="404" height="517"></a> <p>Last Shabbos, our last in our old apartment, I went out for a walk with the kids after we lit candles (with masks on!). We passed at least a dozen little minyanim, so we started </p> <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2020/06/little-minyans-everywhere.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-27199544567055915032020-05-24T03:29:00.000-07:002020-05-24T03:34:39.485-07:00If you're overrun by ants in Israel, is it ANTY-semitism? (with helpful "bugs" vocab chart!)<div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><a style="margin-right: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MFTIHMDx4qoybF4fc_Jdl5crqXEHKQ4COdd4_-rDNC9Jfv3osIJYd1HNZDaiWj0kaOms6QP5K0IeWhtaV52syUOg7DdtWiEr5lYiKKlGL-U_gcGpc01AZO9fA8mv4OLLmaA99h2tgEk/s1600/ants.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MFTIHMDx4qoybF4fc_Jdl5crqXEHKQ4COdd4_-rDNC9Jfv3osIJYd1HNZDaiWj0kaOms6QP5K0IeWhtaV52syUOg7DdtWiEr5lYiKKlGL-U_gcGpc01AZO9fA8mv4OLLmaA99h2tgEk/s1600/ants.jpg" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500"></a></div> <p>Sigh. I wish it was a joke. <br> But alas, it isn't.</p> <p>How are the ants where you live? <br> Growing up, I met two kinds of ants: black and red. </p> <p>Black ants were friendly ants you could gather up and experiment with. I wasn't the one with the magnifying glass, but these guys were slow and inoffensive enough that you could, if you were so inclined, corral them, then sizzle and pop them by magnifying the rays of the sun.</p> <p>Red ants, well, you didn't want to mess with them, because there were rumours that they'd bite you. But they were also shy ants, and if you kept out of their way, they'd mostly keep out of yours.</p> <p>The creepiest ant incident in my entire childhood was one time, on a family trip, when my toddler sister sat down by the roadside (maybe we were stopping to fix the car in some way?) and then started shrieking because she'd sat on a massive anthill. <br> She was always doing stuff like that.</p> <p>So presumably there were some aggressive ants within driving distance of our home. But they weren't exactly a clear and present danger.</p> <p>There were also certain facts I learned about ants. Maybe you learned them too. Spoiler alert: FACTS THAT TURNED OUT TO BE 100% WRONG HERE IN ISRAEL. <br> Facts like… Ants love crumbs </p> <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2020/05/if-youre-overrun-by-ants-in-israel-is.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-63908316898576518322020-05-13T03:43:00.001-07:002020-05-13T03:43:01.147-07:00Weird, wacky, wonderful (Hebrew) words: I'm already (כְּבָר) lying to you...<div class="separator" style="text-align: center; clear: both;"><a style="clear: left; margin-right: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; float: left;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDgLCc_uwkY_TVK5s_BK_yPuqaug3_WoDHQBQgpmgSd77CMAvii6esgDy53GpARD47000pyqgJu09O_B_9465mWOatUq91yoGiecchzIzrnQVssXEvvsowsbqTiIMWAzDO2pK_uDyqHI/s1600/boomers.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block;" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDgLCc_uwkY_TVK5s_BK_yPuqaug3_WoDHQBQgpmgSd77CMAvii6esgDy53GpARD47000pyqgJu09O_B_9465mWOatUq91yoGiecchzIzrnQVssXEvvsowsbqTiIMWAzDO2pK_uDyqHI/s1600/boomers.jpg" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="500"></a></div> <p>Running out to the car to get something? Just popping out to the makolet? <br> Just let folks know you'll be right back... like by saying you'll be right back. <br> Right?</p> <p><em>Wrong.</em> <br> Not in Hebrew. In Hebrew, you don't say, "I'll be right back." <br></p> <p>(Okay, you can, before everybody rushes in to correct me -- there IS an expression, אני תכף חוזר / <em>ani techef chozer </em>/ "I will immediately return," or תכף אשוב / <em>techef ashuv </em>/ which literally means this very thing. But I would argue that few people use these expressions in real life, just write them on signs in shop windows.)</p> <p>Instead, usually, you say, אני כבר חוזר / <em>ani kvar chozeir </em>/ "I'm already on my way back." <br> Even while you're turning around and walking the other way.</p> <p>This expression has been tickling my </p> <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2020/05/weird-wacky-wonderful-hebrew-words-im.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-59440690094650344162020-05-11T00:26:00.000-07:002020-05-11T00:28:51.712-07:00It's not Israel, it's YOU (and other ugly lies of aliyah)<div class="separator" style="text-align: center; clear: both;"><a style="clear: left; margin-right: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; float: left;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKpxMqoeIyvaXaUh6Tw98BIkKWktcg-nIe8CeWX-V8cpRZsDQa6tkKyIsUYdSX8pga6erqz0b-OWGGYPJsq0SS8ywg7ookrZ0U6HPkkWNIBCi9O4ux3c9MFU1jL8eHZWTbJT9d7AH7CI/s1600/waterpipe.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img style="float: left; display: inline;" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKpxMqoeIyvaXaUh6Tw98BIkKWktcg-nIe8CeWX-V8cpRZsDQa6tkKyIsUYdSX8pga6erqz0b-OWGGYPJsq0SS8ywg7ookrZ0U6HPkkWNIBCi9O4ux3c9MFU1jL8eHZWTbJT9d7AH7CI/s1600/waterpipe.jpg" align="left" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="500"></a></div> <p>"It's not Israel, it's you."</p> <p>At least, that's what I tell myself sometimes.</p> <p>"It's all your fault," I tell myself. <br> Most of these thoughts start with the words, "That's what you get..."</p> <p>That's what you get for living in an older building, without a vaad bayit. A building that isn't maintained. A building where the tenants seriously don't care about anything as long as the thing doesn't fall down around their ears. A building where the neighbours physically threaten us </p> <a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2020/05/its-not-israel-its-you-and-other-ugly.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-32222243885043316102020-04-05T04:18:00.000-07:002020-04-05T04:20:29.850-07:00Talking to Haredim (badly) about coronavirus<div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">
<a style="margin-right: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AH6uzHbycYgFY3pLC-FX-VC_aRzwQ6jXpqZWjqgDOLXGJztk8TQuhXaDQQ8PZbvzYr2dpkLBCeZTximitCBia6LTCPeXWxLyRcvz9sJp-ItsJpcHLlmDOEzYcDDO7_sV3r_w3NBj85o/s1600/talking.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AH6uzHbycYgFY3pLC-FX-VC_aRzwQ6jXpqZWjqgDOLXGJztk8TQuhXaDQQ8PZbvzYr2dpkLBCeZTximitCBia6LTCPeXWxLyRcvz9sJp-ItsJpcHLlmDOEzYcDDO7_sV3r_w3NBj85o/s1600/talking.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="500"></a></div><p>Disgusting... horrifying... sickening...<br>
I’m sure you’ve noticed all the pictures in the media, in Israel and beyond, of haredim ("ultra-orthodox Jews") defying lockdown orders, congregating in public, hanging out in minyans and yeshivas, not wearing masks?</p>
<p>I have.<br>
I've been shocked, horrified, disgusted.</p>
<p>But then I sat down with it for a bit and really thought things through.</p>
<p>One of the things I had to learn during my Master's degree, and for some of my other writing, is seeing the missing pieces of the puzzle. Who or what aren't you considering in your sweeping generalizations?</p>
<p>This is called academic honesty, and the media could seriously use some of it these days.</p><h2>Why are we so bad at talking to strangers?</h2>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/39IinS6"><img width="153" height="244" title="image" align="right" style="float: right; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1VU1kKSsbLY7TVEgX2C19ZXrYtFAAbcl1" border="0"></a>Another thing making me rethink this is Malcolm Gladwell's recent book <em><a href="https://amzn.to/39IinS6">Talking to Strangers</a></em> (affiliate link), which is all about how we have trouble communicating with people who are unlike "us" -- however we define "us" at any given moment. And about how these communication problems lead to bigger problems, possibly even the spread of pandemics.</p>
<p>(My conclusion, not his; his is </p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2020/04/talking-to-haredim-badly-about.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-88372156097755562052020-01-27T08:01:00.000-08:002020-01-27T08:12:52.365-08:00Do American Jews get a vote in Israel?<div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">
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<p>If you hate politics, I get it. Please move along. Just skip this post.</p>
<p>When I started this site, I feel like I made a promise to you and to myself that I wouldn't get political. If you want to know more of my thoughts on getting political, in a book that weirdly doesn't get very political, I urge you to read my book, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/gettingpolitical"><em>Getting Political: Scenes from a Life in Israel</em></a>. (Hey, even if you don't want to know my thoughts, pick up the book anyway! Seriously, it doesn't get very political...)</p>
<p>And yet.</p>
<p><em>And yet.</em></p>
<p>There are times when I feel like I have to get political.</p>
<p>Because when you move to Israel, you cease, in some important way, to be a "diaspora Jew" and become an “Israeli Jew.”<br>
</p><p>You live here, you walk the daled amos basically every single day of your life, you breathe the holy and <a href="http://blog.aliyahland.com/2013/09/on-stink.html">sometimes stinky air</a>.<br>
</p>
<p>You <a href="http://blog.aliyahland.com/2019/12/why-is-israel-so-noisy.html">live with the noise</a>, or block it out with a nonstop stream of English podcasts and audiobooks.<br>
</p>
<p>You vote in the elections.</p>
<p>And I don't even have a post I can link to about the elections, because I haven't talked about politics.</p>
<p>But just for a minute, I want to. So please cut me some slack.<br>
Because I came across this article about <a href="https://www.cjnews.com/news/international/how-the-canadian-diaspora-can-influence-israel">how the Canadian diaspora, and presumably, the rest of the diaspora, can influence Israel</a>.<br>
</p>
<p>And it scared me.</p>
<p>Spoiler alert: the way that diaspora Jews can influence Israel, apparently, is to participate in the World Zionist Congress coming up in October. In fairness, it's held in Jerusalem, so they
</p></div><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2020/01/do-american-jews-get-vote-in-israel.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-12558358270015474022019-12-20T05:49:00.000-08:002019-12-21T13:21:03.352-08:00Why is Israel so noisy???<div class="separator">
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</div><p align="left" class="separator">The noise in Israel drives me crazy sometimes. There, I said it. And I feel better for saying it. And yes, it is specifically the noise <em>in Israel</em>. Because Israel truly is an especially noisy place.</p><p align="left" class="separator">I used to just think we lived in a particularly noisy neighbourhood. Luck of the draw, I figured. Then I travelled around and realized that I do indeed live in a particularly noisy neighbourhood – and that neighbourhood is called <em>the State of Israel</em>.</p><p align="left" class="separator">You simply can’t get away from noise here. So don’t even try.</p><p align="left" class="separator">Take our house, for example. We live within walking distance of four schools, all of which, instead of school bells, play tunes and <a href="http://blog.aliyahland.com/2014/01/things-that-are-weird-in-israel-4.html">chimes (instead of school bells, like we had in Canada)</a> so loud you can hear them blocks away. GZ’s school routinely plays music for the kids’ enjoyment in the yard as they arrive in the morning, and you can hear that two blocks away as well. </p><p align="left" class="separator">Then there are the happy routines of parades, celebrations, simchas, and special occasions, each of which
</p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/12/why-is-israel-so-noisy.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-53471950779687193002019-11-12T03:16:00.000-08:002019-11-12T03:16:34.010-08:00To every fruit, there is a season (with helpful seasonal Hebrew vocabulary!)<div class="separator" style="text-align: center; clear: both;">
<a style="margin-right: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJabzjGTROiRVjoCecCuCVzMikBpND_ssA-Ssw0PhHASf_FsqVbaxspoIS9ZeUFmjAONv3qhf7wq9jfHAJxbUBt3CjQFuW2Eb7SF_GTVPPQ0DMG6p32I0xeHOeKLLEZbgrShDvx6qucgY/s1600/postfruitpic.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJabzjGTROiRVjoCecCuCVzMikBpND_ssA-Ssw0PhHASf_FsqVbaxspoIS9ZeUFmjAONv3qhf7wq9jfHAJxbUBt3CjQFuW2Eb7SF_GTVPPQ0DMG6p32I0xeHOeKLLEZbgrShDvx6qucgY/s1600/postfruitpic.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center; clear: both;"><br></div><p>In Canada, there are seasons. Lots and lots of them. Well, four, but they’re all exciting and distinctly different. You’re probably familiar with them: winter, spring, summer, and fall.<p>Israel doesn’t have seasons, as such, a fact which has been driven home by this long, warm fall. And been hammered into our skulls with a recent two-week November heatwave חמסין / <i>chamseen</i> (hot wind from the eastern deserts) that’s left us parched and sweating, and left my plants wilting at a time of year when they’re usually starting to soak up the first downpours of the year.<p>(Interestingly, <a href="https://anglo-list.com/general-3/about-israel/israel-weather-sharav-hamsin">as this article points out</a>, most Israelis probably call the chamseen by that name because it’s hot, which is חם / <i>cham</i> in Hebrew, in fact it comes from the Arabic word for fifty – meaning fifty days a year of icky sandy hot and dry conditions.)<p>Spring and fall are often called עונות המעבר / <i>onot hama’avar</i>, the transitional season. Meaning they’re neither here nor there – just seasons that get you from one place to another. (When you sit on the aisle in a movie theatre or airplane, you’re also sitting on the מעבר / <i>ma’avar – </i>exactly<i> </i>the same word.)<p>The term onot hama’avar usually crops up when we’re talking about health, and other problems, that come up during spring, and especially fall. Colds, allergies, migraines, skin problems – most Israelis are suffering from some combination of all these at the moment, compounded by the current hot, dry wind which has meant I can’t smile or my lips will crack.<p>Normally, the fall עונת המעבר / <i>onat hama’avar</i> (singular) is also the time to get immunized with this year’s flu vaccine, a fact driven into my head by my ulpan teacher. But this year the vaccines were late (for <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/After-long-delay-flu-shot-season-set-to-begin-606350">various international reasons</a> and not due to a conspiracy and/or the fact we have no government!) and we haven’t gotten ours yet.<p>But however you feel about the weather, that’s actually NOT what a want to talk about. Because there are even more important seasons in Israel: seasons you must be aware of, seasons people argue heatedly about on Facebook, seasons you need to prepare for before you leave the house.<p>I’m talking about <i>fruit</i> seasons, of course.<p>I’ve already said many times that we’re <a href="http://blog.aliyahland.com/2018/07/whats-cheaper-three-things-youll-love.html">huge fans of Israeli fruit</a>. It’s cheap and more delicious than anything I ever</p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/11/to-every-fruit-there-is-season-with.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-69500316214548270112019-10-29T03:40:00.001-07:002019-10-29T04:40:16.762-07:00Amharic class: An immersion in ignorance<div class="separator" style="text-align: center; clear: both;">
<a style="margin-right: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDtZ_VPrVQ7nExZwdaAaIu-z1XojL6rHz1RQvEtJ2I8M0K9TFlWEccJiMrOHQ8wn1daA1CXDsuLHxzbpbd7CrdBvuFCOgJB3q01RLND9bWUE16JG5RPF5Gw_rF3h0n7RvNhHCGaYXt1c/s1600/amharicpost.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img style="display: inline;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDtZ_VPrVQ7nExZwdaAaIu-z1XojL6rHz1RQvEtJ2I8M0K9TFlWEccJiMrOHQ8wn1daA1CXDsuLHxzbpbd7CrdBvuFCOgJB3q01RLND9bWUE16JG5RPF5Gw_rF3h0n7RvNhHCGaYXt1c/s1600/amharicpost.jpg" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500"></a></div><p>Do you ever overhear people talking in another language and wonder what they were saying?<p>When I was in Amsterdam a few weeks ago I was looking around at all the happy Dutch people, eavesdropping on all their conversations I couldn't understand and I was thinking exactly that. What are they talking about?<p>But in fact I know exactly what they were talking about. The exact same things we do: “Drat, I forgot to buy milk,” “What are you doing Thursday?” and “This new boss is driving me crazy.” Or whatever.<p>The point is, it’s probably much more mundane than we think it will be. And it’s not at all exotic or foreign, because nobody is once you get to know them close up. They’re not sitting across from me on the tram thinking, “As a Dutch person, I would love to go home and eat… well, maybe pancakes. Because that’s what we Dutch people enjoy.”<p>Dutch people, mostly, don’t think or talk about being Dutch because being Dutch is for the most part invisible to them. That doesn’t mean they’re not proud, just that on a daily basis, in ordinary conversations, it factors in very little. They think and talk about mundane things because they’re just people. Just like us.<p>There are two kinds of people I meet when I say I'm learning Amharic. The first kind </p></p></p></p></p></p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/10/amharic-class-immersion-in-ignorance_29.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-23507248728775504202019-10-08T02:40:00.000-07:002019-10-09T12:50:15.824-07:00Shutting Down, Starting Anew (guest post)<div class="separator" style="text-align: center; clear: both;">
<a style="margin-right: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DQeopFknQ5j_uu_CN9an5-ZHT-IINJa2HZ-T_wuwRe_IApxXdprvLQ9i4CicpzUYWDLdsuGOpQo9yfddvMqQ47dzxG4VqXXhsDV_p_3HPM1jfmleaZLMXuBLdzJMztzSG-zAl_ZFgMQ/s1600/ykimage.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img align="left" style="float: left; display: inline;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DQeopFknQ5j_uu_CN9an5-ZHT-IINJa2HZ-T_wuwRe_IApxXdprvLQ9i4CicpzUYWDLdsuGOpQo9yfddvMqQ47dzxG4VqXXhsDV_p_3HPM1jfmleaZLMXuBLdzJMztzSG-zAl_ZFgMQ/s1600/ykimage.jpg" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500"></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">Sometimes, someone else says it better than I ever could. <strong>Leonie Lachamish </strong>is a 41-year olah from the UK who lives near Jerusalem.</div><p>Every Erev Yom Kippur, while we were bringing up young children, I'd make sure the radio was on for the 2pm news so we could all hear the announcement that Israel's National Airport, Ben Gurion Airport (that functions 24/7) was closing down until after Yom Kippur (around 30 hours later) and then that all the radio stations were ceasing their broadcasts until </p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/10/shutting-down-starting-anew-guest-post.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-37014904243377196772019-06-12T02:53:00.002-07:002019-06-12T03:26:27.678-07:00Coming to Israel? You NEED these comprehensive travel tips! (guest post)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVg9w0MInObnIK5PL1AF1U84oua7ZyiJkanhdbqm67aoXuL61eA2ljr_DegiRkVktWVN4LhlKDNoBXXbzTCIFLTzK8Ku-OcF1aCcS8_kpUxtGAhrmDDRg8tMgcriOBWv_b98RivNBzXU/s1600/travtips.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVg9w0MInObnIK5PL1AF1U84oua7ZyiJkanhdbqm67aoXuL61eA2ljr_DegiRkVktWVN4LhlKDNoBXXbzTCIFLTzK8Ku-OcF1aCcS8_kpUxtGAhrmDDRg8tMgcriOBWv_b98RivNBzXU/s1600/travtips.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="500"></a></p><p>Summer tourism and aliyah season is almost here, and whether it’s your first trip to Israel or your eightieth, don’t you wish you could have a list of all the little things everybody else wishes they’d thought of? </p><p>This comprehensive travel guide was written by Debra Nussbaum Stepen. She’s a Licensed Tour Guide in Israel (no mean feat, as it takes years of study and deep historical and geographical knowledge!) and you can find out more about her and her services at <a href="http://debratours.com/">debratours.com</a>.<br></p><h2>Comprehensive Travel Tips for Tourists</h2><p>1. Do not throw out the little slip of paper that they give you at the airport. This is your entry visa and entitles you to exemption of the 17% VAT tax on </p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/06/coming-to-israel-you-need-these.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-14056158365325447062019-05-07T10:03:00.001-07:002019-05-07T10:19:01.973-07:00The horrifying truth about Lag Baomer bonfires<div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: white; user-select: auto;"><font size="2">
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</font><p><font size="3">There's so much I love about the period between Pesach and Shavuos here in Israel. But there's one thing that absolutely disgusts me. I'll tell you in a minute and see if you feel the same.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">When we lived in Canada, this time of year was pretty dull and featureless. There's Pesach... Yom HaAtzmaut, if we remembered it... Lag Baomer, if we got our act together to get to a bonfire... and then Shavuos.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">It was okay, but nothing special.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">Here in Israel, it's a VERY special time of year, especially if you measure by how many days the kids have to wear white shirts to school. In many religious schools, often kids are supposed to wear white shirts for Rosh Chodesh and any other special occasion... and these seven weeks give us PLENTY of those. </font></p><p><font size="3">My son's school also has them wear white shirts on Fridays, bringing the white-shirt days up to an uncountably high number: two days for Rosh Chodesh Iyar, Yom Hashoah, a couple of Fridays, Yom Hazikaron, and more that I'm probably not remembering. Some chains actually have sales on white t-shirts with school logos just to help parents stock up.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">I love all these special days, especially Yom Haatzmaut, which comes smack-dab in the middle of the solemn sefirah period and means we can celebrate Israel's birth with music, which we don't normally listen to during this period (I'm aware that different people observe this different, halachically -- consult your rav for details if you're not sure).</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">But here's what I don't love. </font></p><p><font size="3">What I hate, if you'll allow me to use a strong word. What disgusts me.</font></p><font size="3">
</font><p><font size="3">Lag Baomer</font></p></div></div></div><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/05/the-horrifying-truth-about-lag-baomer.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-23895702992410383232019-04-28T00:32:00.001-07:002019-04-28T00:53:15.408-07:00Nefesh b'Nefesh: How helpful are they AFTER you make aliyah?<div dir="ltr"><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14R3b7YBZOnyeXkhNxGjtgecOn5S0BeoVi6tx8zNv3Jh6jKuj1F3let0HaeCR6GDbriwX6JhkOjqhjWig9s5IBqV-H6-TMq-0JgqtR2UjNy6KxrbZmv_2qDd6BizsMt-m7u5iSBSCGRo/s1600/image-746331.png"><img width="500" height="500" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6684844922985720946" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14R3b7YBZOnyeXkhNxGjtgecOn5S0BeoVi6tx8zNv3Jh6jKuj1F3let0HaeCR6GDbriwX6JhkOjqhjWig9s5IBqV-H6-TMq-0JgqtR2UjNy6KxrbZmv_2qDd6BizsMt-m7u5iSBSCGRo/s320/image-746331.png" border="0"></a></div><p>One of my children will sometimes say, "You hate Nefesh b'Nefesh." But nothing could be further from the truth. Really.</p>
<p>So let's just say it straight out before I start here -- I love Nefesh b'Nefesh. Adore them.</p>
<p>We have met and been helped by so many great people through Nefesh b'Nefesh (NbN). I don't know what the aliyah process would have been like without them, but I'm sure it would have been quite a bit harder.</p>
<p>So that's the first thing.</p>
<p>The second thing, though, is that olim sometimes arrive with unrealistic expectations about what NbN is going to do for them.</p><p>At this point, I’ve met quite a few of these olim, and some, I’ll admit, actually <em>do </em>hate NbN. </p></div><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/04/nefesh-bnefesh-how-helpful-are-they.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-38089801492249894602019-04-23T02:26:00.002-07:002019-04-23T02:27:59.157-07:00Cranky Complaints-Lady Visits -- a bathroom in Jerusalem!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2gVnueN4bXzD2GJ_YqDCIoQr4npFdPWDg1UFxxUjq7a244yJHm708Du8NK1Va8xRCab4ZdhwiUDAOnjnIraF1NA4nm6rdRMDOpjwlFVYHODvBH2v_9V746vji7iGxPpw288mi_aBs7g/s1600/image-742412.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="500" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6683015683415627234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2gVnueN4bXzD2GJ_YqDCIoQr4npFdPWDg1UFxxUjq7a244yJHm708Du8NK1Va8xRCab4ZdhwiUDAOnjnIraF1NA4nm6rdRMDOpjwlFVYHODvBH2v_9V746vji7iGxPpw288mi_aBs7g/s400/image-742412.png" width="667"></a>
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I'm curious... what do YOU think? Is this issue as outrageous as it feels to me? Or am I overreacting / overthinking?</div>
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(This wouldn't be the first time...)</div>
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Backing up for a second:</div>
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On my other blog, <a href="http://www.mamaland.org/" target="_blank">Adventures in MamaLand, </a>I used to have a recurring "<a href="http://www.mamaland.org/search/label/kvetchs" target="_blank">Cranky Complaints-Lady</a>" feature where I wrote complain-y letters to a whole bunch of places which were deserving of my scorn. </div>
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Most are a little weird looking back, and way too wordy. A good complaint letter should get right to the point. And it should probably be in a language that the recipient understands and can read. But this issue at the brand-new train station in Jerusalem has been bugging me for a while... so I decided to write a letter. </div>
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Just venting makes me feel a little better. But yeah -- like I said, be gentle, but am I off base here in thinking the women's bathrooms should be <i>women's </i>bathrooms, i.e., a private safe space where I can adjust my tichel behind closed doors?</div>
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Let me know (gently!) in the comments!<br>
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p.s. I apologize for not being around more often -- one huge reason is that as of March, the program I used to post to Blogger (Open Live Writer) is no longer supported by Google/Blogger. I've been looking around for another home for these blogs... but it's had to take a back seat to parnassah and other concerns. But I'm still around, and if you ever need to get a hold of me, please email -- Tzivia @ aliyahland.com</div>
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Dear Israel Railways,</div>
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I've been through the train station at Jerusalem Navon several times so far and the station is always clean and efficient. It's a pleasure to arrive by train rather than by bus after the long journey from north of Haifa.</div>
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<br></div>
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However, I have noticed one particularly troubling problem -- there seem to always be men in the women's bathroom, specifically cleaning staff. On one occasion a man walked right in to clean one of the women's bathrooms without first knocking and asking women to leave. On our most recent visit, during Pesach, I noticed that there is a staff "break room" right inside the women's bathroom on the main floor. Two or three men were in there taking a break while we were using the bathroom.</div>
<a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/04/cranky-complaints-lady-visits-bathroom.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-6472695964614353422019-04-03T06:17:00.000-07:002019-04-03T06:20:34.133-07:00What every parent must know about youth groups in Israel (with handy vocabulary list!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoeTFWibMaJeU7kzNDUJGJ2-INUS0lOCukcvcY6Ny7rWdBLlOQMudbyHTegPoE9CFxkl6aaBRvp6p1ZU0l-euhecKHWn0cBdoimeZ5IPcrvahqFydk3OV_Ul7MW0vQwrL96ueI5eUteE/s1600/movements.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoeTFWibMaJeU7kzNDUJGJ2-INUS0lOCukcvcY6Ny7rWdBLlOQMudbyHTegPoE9CFxkl6aaBRvp6p1ZU0l-euhecKHWn0cBdoimeZ5IPcrvahqFydk3OV_Ul7MW0vQwrL96ueI5eUteE/s1600/movements.jpg" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="500"></a>
<p>If you grew up outside of Israel, you may <em>think</em> you know what a youth group is--but you probably don't, at least not until you've experienced the Israeli variety.</p><p>And if you’re too old to experience it yourself, maybe it’s something you can look forward to for your kids.</p><p>(For those of us too old to be part of a youth group ourselves, I’ve put together a list of vocabulary below that you might find helpful – if anything’s missing there, let me know and I’ll add it in!)</p><p>I personally was a Brownie and then a Girl Guide, which is the Canadian version of Girl Scouts, with all the same ideas, mainly that it’s kind of military group of kids who are corralled and brought places and taught principles of healthy living and woodsmanship by adults. Hmm… now that I put it like that, it really doesn’t sound much fun at all.</p><p>This is literally what we had to wear to do these activities:</p><p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjc6PdlBv3eUUvNZgB02x6jIth8q6_TX0E8TrnQgWV7_g5cuKApx3LkOhutoocEMKoaGJmGOfQ9BNDrlotv9BQdfhNPTQdq3E7D3TEgHlGeu7PYGavIukaflDCJzaj1l_o_EJRygPRWw/s1600/blog_guides.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjc6PdlBv3eUUvNZgB02x6jIth8q6_TX0E8TrnQgWV7_g5cuKApx3LkOhutoocEMKoaGJmGOfQ9BNDrlotv9BQdfhNPTQdq3E7D3TEgHlGeu7PYGavIukaflDCJzaj1l_o_EJRygPRWw/s320/blog_guides.jpg" width="319" height="320" data-original-width="1175" data-original-height="1177"></a>
</p><p>(except I didn’t have nearly so many badges!)</p><p>Our weekly meetings were held at a set day and time, following an agenda set by our adult leaders, who in Guides were known as Tawny Owl and Snowy Owl, for whatever reason – again, the woodsy theme, even though we were all actually sitting in my junior high school cafeteria.</p><p>During the summer, I went to Girl Guide camp, which was basically like one long Girl Guide meeting, with an emphasis on woodsmanship and a little more singing. Oh, and we got to wear the “camp uniform,” which was slightly more casual.</p><p>So what do kids do in Israel? And how is it different from what I grew up with?</p><p>Here, there have what are called תנועות נוער / <em>tenuot noar, which literally means </em>meaning youth
</p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/04/what-every-parent-must-know-about-youth.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-36332578060019219732019-01-22T13:13:00.001-08:002019-01-22T13:20:51.738-08:00Seriously, Dude?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoT6p9pa8GJcQ1SBJtsGepdr_Dm9g_CeYxq8moZAy5bdrbsKJDiqwve8faRb65CaNauDmJUFDr5t-fGxMv5iTZZodMfD5wICDcBeQE0QxIHuMFedTBZVVJKzJG0d7TQKTV3ezp-AxWtY/s1600/solarlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoT6p9pa8GJcQ1SBJtsGepdr_Dm9g_CeYxq8moZAy5bdrbsKJDiqwve8faRb65CaNauDmJUFDr5t-fGxMv5iTZZodMfD5wICDcBeQE0QxIHuMFedTBZVVJKzJG0d7TQKTV3ezp-AxWtY/s1600/solarlogo.jpg"></a><br>
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This is another great topic for a winter blog post, as it turns out, because for about ten months of the year, we don't have to think about the dude.<br>
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Who is the dude? Well, actually, the dude is a WHAT, as I’m sure you already know if you've spent any serious time in Israel.<br>
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First of all, the technical definition:<br>
<blockquote>
Dude = דוּד / <em>dude = </em>boiler, pot, kettle, tank, vat… </blockquote>
In other words, what many people in North America at least refer to redundantly as a “hot-water heater.”<br>
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Except that, while in North America our house had a big huge water heater in the basement, powered by natural gas, that kept the water at a nice cozy high temperature 24/7/365 (unless we went on vacation and left just the pilot light on), Israelis (and some others) have figured out that that doesn’t make much sense, because for 20-some-odd hours of the day we simply don’t need hot water.<br>
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Therefore, most homes in Israel have a switch for the dude, somewhere near the bathroom, so you plan ahead and turn on the dude, which is electric, about 15-20 minutes before you need hot water. It heats up, you take your shower, end of story. It can be a hassle to remember this ahead of time, but lots of things in life are the exact same kind of hassle. Most of us don’t keep a kettle full of boiling water on the counter in case we want tea or coffee, we fill up the kettle and plug it in and cool our heels while we wait patiently for our drink.<br>
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Now, I mentioned that the dude is electric, but I also said that for about ten months of the year, we don’t have to think about turning <br>
<a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/01/seriously-dude.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-3880905858291729462019-01-16T11:23:00.001-08:002019-01-16T11:30:30.659-08:00Feeling under the WEATHER...? Two things making me happy in the rain!<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zvbZ6WwpGZ8/XD-EhG2OHmI/AAAAAAAAqv4/HBvRahRVUVoQDEqG5T0-AOYY-rjHv1_BwCHMYCw/s1600-h/image3"><img width="504" height="504" title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mWEJeXV-AuE/XD-Ei1LfZ3I/AAAAAAAAqv8/QyilY7riglAZ0l9DVMbG6J7MxJOasUk9ACHMYCw/image_thumb1?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>Feeling under the weather…?</p><p>And I do mean that literally, by the way. I wouldn't blame you if you were. We've had a LOT of weather to be under this winter so far. The great news is that water levels in the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) are on their way back up to where they're supposed to be, which is one measure of how relatively water-secure this country is.</p><p>[QUICK ASIDE FOR ISRAEL WATER LESSON!]</p><blockquote><p><em>The Kinneret was once Israel’s main source of fresh water. Today, thanks to desalination, it is apparently only responsible for 10%. Still a considerable chunk. Water level in the Kinneret is measured against 3 lines: </em></p><ul><li><em>UPPER RED = Full. The level hasn’t reached this point since about 2002.</em></li><li><em>LOWER RED = Lowest “normal” level. Below this point will have environmental consequences.</em></li><li><em>BLACK = Serious drought / environmental crisis. The line dipped down below this round about October following 5 years of drought and insufficient winter rain.</em></li></ul><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oByK6ILn-EM/XD-EuBVT_5I/AAAAAAAAqwA/PX99WJy2Fzc6tymG1-o0E-k7JmwxkWxigCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B5%255D"><em><img width="404" height="399" title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-amad7hi14cI/XD-EvYILOLI/AAAAAAAAqwE/rG20olZ7CFoMAOXtXjzB5nSZSuN2_d4AACHMYCw/image_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></em></a></p><p>(<a href="http://www.savethekinneret.com/">check a live version of this graph</a>)</p><p><em>Oh, yeah, and because the whole lake is below sea level, the numbers run down – a “bigger,” i.e., more negative, number is WORSE, not better.</em></p><p><em>As you can see from this graph, we’re back above the black line thanks to this winter’s prodigious rain, but not all the way back up to that slightly more comfy lower red line.</em> </p></blockquote><p>[END OF LESSON]</p>
<p>But while we're feeling flush (ahem) when it comes to water, we're also being deluged in a desert country that's ill-prepared to deal with an excess of water. When it’s raining, the streets flood, programs and trips get cancelled, and it can be very dangerous to be out on the roads.</p><p>All of which means, it’s a lot better to stay home if you possibly can. (Even though, without central heating, surrounded by dank concrete walls, it can get pretty miserable inside the house as well…)</p>
<p>So I wanted to share two things that I really </p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/01/feeling-under-weather-two-things-making.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-67493164823554597882019-01-15T03:43:00.001-08:002019-01-22T13:07:15.704-08:00What’s the best age to make aliyah? (Spoiler: There isn’t one.)<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qWnBFbeghXY/XD3HSUnmSAI/AAAAAAAAqvY/o8T0xZxu1lIOxxXlZjwF-MwqkHBbU3HVwCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B3%255D"><img width="504" height="504" title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3d4XHwoie30/XD3HUdVsRhI/AAAAAAAAqvc/2PCjjJX5Xhg_cOLlAnJJEVPojfug5CBlwCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B1%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>What's the best age to make aliyah? What's the worst age? The truth is, there is no perfect age. It’s always hard.</p> <p>You read that right: making aliyah can be tough at any age, but I <em>also</em> believe it can be great at any age. So much depends on you, and where you are in your life, and how flexible you are and ready for change and challenge (and growth, and we all know growth is painful!).</p> <p>Yes, aliyah is tough. HOWEVER. Since there are no clouds without a silver lining, there’s always a flipside... so I thought it would be fun to put together three reasons it's tougher to make aliyah when you're older, along with three reasons it’s easier... and then the flipside: three reasons it’s tougher when you're younger and three reasons it’s easier. </p> <p>Whew! It sounds complicated to explain, but I think it’ll be clear
</p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2019/01/whats-best-age-to-make-aliyah-spoiler.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111375769586013316.post-10449782408008375412018-12-04T13:09:00.001-08:002018-12-04T13:16:20.739-08:00Israel: It’s for the birds (and for you)<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sSAJibGPOcw/XAbsWvuR78I/AAAAAAAAqoI/TCVw6JVirXwacPOZeQijTL_MCNP-GTPUgCHMYCw/s1600-h/image79"><img width="504" height="504" title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jcfuLvcell0/XAbsY5rfIdI/AAAAAAAAqoM/Y5s9_DUDWPARRgeR0BAK3nUKA8sYoKrgACHMYCw/image_thumb36?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>When I met my first husband, I told him about our family's annual camping trips to provincial parks where we'd drive in, park on the site, pitch the tent, and head to the beach or river or forest or whatever to enjoy nature. Sometimes, those campsites would have running water, other times, you had to walk somewhere else to get water. My father's strategy was sending the kids to wash dishes in the bathroom -- strictly forbidden according to all provincial campground rules, but you know. Someone has to be an exception to the rules.</p>
<p>So that was camping.</p>
<p>But my first husband quickly declared, "It doesn't count if you can get to it with a car."</p>
<p>He would have had a hard time with Israel.</p><p>Here, camping sometimes means that your tent is just a few feet away from the next person's…</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_wTeeyGRzJY/XAbsaeDafVI/AAAAAAAAqoQ/rI0pOhBnhpcw678KtVLrlRrkXTOCm1BBwCHMYCw/s1600-h/image25"><img width="404" height="302" title="image" style="margin: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_f6PX40RGag/XAbsbhYeG-I/AAAAAAAAqoU/16qrWqh2_5IvN1Mq6bSrgRMo1eAv4eH1ACHMYCw/image_thumb11?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p><font size="1">(© Tiberias municipality via </font><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5:Dover_tverya8.JPG"><font size="1">Wikimedia</font></a><font size="1">)</font></p><p>… and hiking usually means taking one of quite a few well-used routes, like the Israel Trail, a 1025 km. (look it up!) route – nothing to sneeze at, really, given that National Geographic has called one of the world's 20 most "epic trails." But there certainly isn’t the variety, and from what I’ve heard, you’re very likely, in most stretches and hiking-friendly seasons, to bump into a number of fellow travellers.</p><p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ps2Qk2Mz1sg/XAbsdGVwPFI/AAAAAAAAqoY/0CKnMiWtBXEmq0i7vDfoCLyP4IvK3bn5gCHMYCw/s1600-h/image33"><img width="404" height="304" title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lfr7rj_b_RQ/XAbseSB6FFI/AAAAAAAAqoc/pxC4Ll770CkeZYMkaS_7AnZ1EC4PVHxRQCHMYCw/image_thumb15?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p>
(It’s also perhaps the only one that apparently <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Environment/Walk-and-read-413146">features a lending library</a> so you can pick up reading material along the way -- People of the Book, indeed.)<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8g6X4t76mJw/XAbsfV_903I/AAAAAAAAqog/IPjjYoB1r8w5gRbrYAuZCLqIcpgVg_AvgCHMYCw/s1600-h/image18"><img width="404" height="229" title="image" style="display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zQ1oJ-FYTiQ/XAbsg7wgV1I/AAAAAAAAqok/Adx8c1CY8WQzu3RClFWcnNecLhqR3VCqgCHMYCw/image_thumb8?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p><font size="1">(photo credit © </font><a href="https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/royisoko"><font size="1">royisoko</font></a><font size="1"> via </font><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_Hiking_Map_%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%99%D7%AA_%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9C_%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C.jpeg"><font size="1">Wikimedia</font></a><font size="1">)</font></p>
<p>Finding a nature getaway definitely isn't hard in Israel. But as with so many things when you make aliyah, you may have to (slightly) redefine what you mean by the term. </p><p>Since almost every spot is within half an hour's drive of a big city, and there are factories and processing plants of all kinds everywhere from north to south, you're probably not going to get total solitude and silence to commune with nature unless you take to the deep south.</p>
<p>But that has its upside, too, like the fact that you can hop in a bus in Nahariya and within not very long, be standing in the middle of one of the world's most extraordinary bird sanctuaries -- the Hula Valley. A crucial migration spot between Europe and Africa (and back), the Hula Valley hosts about 500 million migrating birds every single year, and an incredible range of birds as well.</p>
<p>And it happens to be crane season RIGHT NOW. Well, okay, as our guide explained, these days, it's crane season all winter long, at least until March.</p>
<p>That's because of the Strange History of the Hula Valley, which I'll sum up here very briefly.<br>
Maybe in Hebrew school you learned how</p></p><a href="http://www.aliyahland.com/2018/12/israel-its-for-birds-and-for-you.html#more"></a>Tziviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11828930310967808828noreply@blogger.com0