On a recent trip to my local Glatt Mart—post-workout, fetchingly bedraggled—I ran into my friends (of course) who were also grocery shopping at 9pm for some reason.
During our mid-aisle schmooze, we checked out each other’s carts and shared our respective food staples.
My cart looked pretty LA that day, I have to admit, and it’s true that I aim for healthy and do a fair amount of cooking. But to keep things from getting boring, I spice up the ordinary with sauces. “Oh, have you tried these?” Daniella asked, walking into the frozen food section.
Of course I had heard of Dorot frozen herbs, but sauces?
The abridged version: I tried them, I love them, I’m telling you about them. Gluten free, sugar free, raw, yes! Plus, the way they’re packaged you can use some without the rest spoiling in your fridge. And most satisfyingly, they’re produced in Israel—at Kibbutz Dorot near Sderot, to be specific—so when you buy them you support the family and the land.
I’ve tried two flavors—so far, so delicious. I recommend. To your health!
First Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Next Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day.
Then Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day.
The order and proximity of these events to one another isn’t just stam, per chance or random. One informs the next, showing us the dark so that we can see light.
Yom HaShoah, celebrated today, memorializes the Holocaust, one of the most horrific expressions of human cruelty in the history of mankind where 6 million Jews were systematically murdered, eradicating 2/3 of European Jewry.
Anti-Semitism, the irrational hatred of Jews, persists as a bloody stain on the consciousness of humanity. While the Holocaust is the most dramatic example of this hostility in modern history—pogroms, crusades, inquisitions, massacres, and expulsions targeting Jews existed for centuries before World War II. Even now, Iran denies the Holocaust while simultaneously plotting a second one. Anti-Semitism runs rampant, unhidden and unashamed, throughout the Arab world. And European anti-Semitism plays possum, pretending to be dead only to jump up quite alive and bite, as we’ve seen in Hungary, France and the Ukraine in recent months.
Jews’ historical, moral and religious claim to the land of Israel cannot be disputed (unless one wants to contest archeological science and rewrite history, and some try). But, the atrocities of the Holocaust helped the rest of the world to “get up to speed,” and concede that the time had come for international, legal recognition of Israel as the Jewish homeland. Millenia of displacement were quite enough. Jews needed to a safe place to call home and defend themselves, because the rest of the world could not be depended upon to behave morally and save them. After all, the perpetrators of the worst attacks on Jews in history were committed by the most “enlightened” and powerful societies of their day—the Hellenists, the Romans, the Germans, etc.
Yom HaShoah, we remember the horrors of the Holocaust, the danger of the diaspora, our homeless past.
But we are a different generation. Next Year in Jerusalem is us. We have a home. But it came with—and continues to come with—a price.
Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day comes a week after Yom HaShoah. To Americans who live far away from the realities of war, Memorial Day means BBQs and pool parties. But Israel’s compulsory military service means every Israeli knows a fallen soldier or victim of terror. The kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit rocked the country because he could have been anyone’s brother or son.
Freedom is not free, and Israelis understand this paradox intimately. Then, before we step on the glass and celebrate the marriage of the Jews to their beshert, Israel, we honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to create that precious reality.
On both Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron sirens blare across Israel. Everyone stops their car, stands at attention, and gives a moment of silence to honor and remember.
But then we celebrate. The day after Yom HaZikaron is Yom HaAtzmaut – Israel’s Independence Day. Solemnity shifts to joy, as the entire country takes to the streets to sing and dance.
Jewish couples marry under a wedding canopy or chuppah. A tallit, or prayer shawl, supported by poles creates this holy space. The traditional blue-and-white tallit inspired the design of the Israeli flag. How fitting then that across Israel, this flag flies, supported by poles over the heads of Jews and their beloved land.
Today we see how far we’ve come.
Yom HaShoah: We remember the 6 million victims and rebuke complacency, eyes open, lessons learned.
Yom HaZikaron: We remember those who paid the ultimate price to establish and protect our home, and ensure we are victims never again.
Yom HaAtzmaut: We celebrate the reunion of the Jewish people with their true love, Israel—the ultimate love story of a people who never gave up on their home, and the home that blossomed at its beloved’s return.
The reuniting of soulmates can take years, decades, lifetimes, or hundreds of lifetimes. We are the generation living the dream, and we are the generation charged with protecting it.
With all of my energy left at work, I can hardly form complete sentences. So, I’ll save the talk and instead share some of my week’s highlights in pictures:
Proof that if a dog and cat grow up not knowing they are supposed to be enemies, they can become best friends.
BDS (the vile, anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions movement) failed at the University of New Mexico. Kudos to my friends at StandWithUs for helping to make it happen. The truth will out.
Meet Srulik. This lil’ fella symbolized Israel in an Israeli cartoon for decades. Originally drawn after the 6-day War, this illustration is appropriate again this week.
Spoiled and grateful. My boss gifted me with something she knew I’d love just to say thanks, AND a friend sent me tasty treats at work to encourage me to keep going with the blog, AND many of you commented on my last post online and privately to me. I feel the love, thank you. Bottom line: my people rock.
Epic Israel as experienced vicariously through my friend’s pictures. Takes you right back, doesn’t it? No filters here.
TGIF everyone. I hope as you look back on your week, beautiful pictures come to mind. Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom…a peaceful day of rest, food, connection and schmoozing! The best.
Taking bets, taking bets now! Anyone want to wager how long I’ll be able to keep my plants alive?
I love the idea of gardening. I love freshly picked fruits and veggies. There’s nothing more decadent than visiting the orchards in Israel and plucking produce straight from the source. And I think to myself, “I want this all of the time. I want a keenly green thumb too. I could totally make it happen.” Yet tragically, duality exists between my ability to execute such a plan without executing my plants.
Grim track record be damned. Off I go to create a window into Israel through a window box of my own, soon-to-be overflowing with fresh herbs and a few sprightly flowers for a lick of color.
Problem #1: I do not have a garden. I live in an apartment.
My green-thumbed friend Roy once grew Momotaro tomatoes so gorgeous, they inspired me to give them a photo shoot of their very own. Roy noticed my interest and so gifted me with a window box on my birthday, even pre-installing it with…straw or squashed tumbleweeds. (I’m not sure what this stuff is, but it helps stop the water from completely leaking out of the bottom.)
Solution #1: I will employ said window box.
The unsuspecting victims in the top left are rosemary, basil, cilantro and Alyssium flowers. Be sure to free the roots before the planting like I did in the top right picture. This way, the plants can soak up all the water they’re allegedly getting. At the bottom, the window box’s ‘before’ picture.
Problem #2: I do not really like dirt or worms.
My mom, also gifted with a glorious green thumb, assures me I should face few wriggly critters atop an urban apartment building.
Solution #2: I shall persist and commit myself to regular manicures.
Rosemary, cilantro and basil in their new home. Alyssium will fill in the gaps, as we see in the bottom photo. And what Israeli-inspired garden would be complete without a flag to dance in the breeze?
Problem #3: I famously forget to water plants. (If only they would bark when they need something!)
I always feel bad for the plants I buy, for they face an uncertain fate. Perhaps I could install an innovative irrigation system like the ones Israelis creatively employ to make the desert bloom! (A bit much for a 2-foot long window box?) Alas, with only my watering can and forgetful memory to save them, my plants too often remain dry as the Negev.
Solution #3: I will set an alarm on my phone…and try to remember not to ignore it.
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” With any luck, this latest garden will be the seed of a new green-thumbed future that would even make the kibbutznikim proud.
Game nights are one of my favorite ways to spend an evening with friends. I have awesome memories of loud nights of Pictionary and Celebrity, where my competitive streak has led my team to glorious victory…or spectacular moping.
However, as kids have come to dominate my cohort’s time, game nights have grown less frequent. Still, I’m always up for a good game of Rummikub, Backgammon or Master Mind, three of my faves that don’t require a crowd. Imagine my delight this week when I learned, completely per chance, that all three have Israeli or Jewish roots! Now I love them even more.
Turns out…
RUMMIKUB was invented by Ephraim Hertzano, a Romanian-born Jew, who emigrated to Mandate Palestine in the early 1930s. Ergo, he was a Zionist. Be still my beating heart. I have fond memories of sitting around my grandparents’ table, playing this game with their wooden set from Israel. Intensely concentrating, I’d try to concoct an incredibly disruptive move that would flip the table upside-down! (My grandfather would usually do it first though.)
Fun fact: There are 3 versions of the game—American, Sabra (Israeli) and International. Modern Rummikub sets only include the Sabra rules, and Rummikub remains Israel’s #1 export game.
When visiting my parents, I inevitably end up sitting across from my mom playing MASTER MIND. I don’t recommend you go up against her. She puts me to shame every time by breaking the code within 3 or 4 tries! And I’m not talking about the cheesy 4-hole version of the game; we only play Master Mind Deluxe in my house.
Fun fact: Mordecai Meirowitz, an Israeli postmaster and telecommunications expert invented the modern game in 1970.
Great BACKGAMMON skills impress me. I’ve played SHESH BESH(the Israeli name for the game)on dates and judged the guy based on his skills. Does this make me a bad person? What can I say, I like big brains.
Fun fact: Backgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players in history. Called Nard before acquiring its modern names, it was first referenced in…the Talmud!
These are timeless brainy games—that’s what I love about them. They’re mind sharpening and gimmick free: no batteries, buzzers, graphics or props (which, by the way, make them super Shabbat friendly too). Winning requires logic, strategy and a whiff of luck.
Wrapping up, I dedicate this post to my bold brother who launched his first business this week! He’s one of those brilliant freaks who solves puzzles in a blink, and cracks Rubik’s cubes in under 2 minutes behind his back. Brain-bending games are his thing. So having hand-picked the best new adds to today’s market, he’s sharing his finds. Feel free to visit his site, DR’s Toy Chest and wish him Mazal Tov!
Although I didn’t grow up speaking Hebrew, Hebrew has spoken to me since I was a kid. It started with my first visit to Israel at age 11. How strange to feel so at home in such a foreign place? I experienced then what I’ve experienced during every trip since—a happy heart. It’s a soul thing. If you’ve been, you likely understand what I mean intimately. And when you feel your soul smile, you want that feeling to last and deepen and grow.
The key to such expansion, according to me, is Hebrew, which connects a person to Israel and Judaism like nothing else. On the simplest level, I believe that because languages unlock new worlds. The vocabulary, the sentence structures, the emphasis, the sayings all reveal the way a culture sees and interacts with life. Understand the language of a land and be converted from an outsider to an insider.
At age 30, I realized my dream and went to Israel to learn Hebrew. I attended the best Ulpan (intensive Hebrew classes) in the country and emerged speaking Hebrew. High Holiday services that year thrilled me because, for the first time, prayers that were once gibberish had meaning, far beyond the forced translations on the left.
Papers like Hebrew Today’s “Yanshuf” carry on Ben Yehuda’s legacy, using newspapers to teach Hebrew around the world. This brilliant resource comes with a dictionary, pages with and without vowels, a CD to guide pronunciation and games. (!)
Returning to the US, the challenge of maintenance set it. You don’t use it, you lose it, and I wasn’t about to let that happen. Enter Hebrew Today which publishes Hebrew-language newspapers, available around the world that are made especially for students at any level. I’m always excited to find it in my mailbox.
Fascinatingly, the newspaper itself plays an instrumental role in Hebrew’s resurrection as a modern, spoken language. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who pioneered the movement in the 1880’s, published a newspaper called Hatzvi that covered contemporary issues and in so doing, introduced new words to the ancient language. Jews throughout the diaspora read his newspaper and learned modern Hebrew! Thanks to Ben-Yehuda’s dedication, when Jews arrived in Israel after years of exile, they returned speaking the language of their ancestors.
Reading these Hebrew papers are one small way I can bring Israel home, strengthen my connection to Judaism, and continue the legacy of Hebrew and learning as a constant in the story of the Jewish people.
If you ask anyone what constitutes Israeli food, they’ll immediately say falafel and hummus. And while Israelis do harbor deep chickpea appreciation, these foods are to Israelis what burgers and fries are to Americans—treats, comfort food…I dare say, junk food.
Real Israeli food, in my opinion, are salads. Salads and salads and more and more salads. A sea of salads greet me at Israeli restaurants and homes. A heaping side of veggies accompany every meal, even breakfast, alongside warm pita, which I use to soak up every last drop of dressing, and to chase skittish bites around my plate.
Before visiting Israel, I thought of salads as “boring health food.” I certainly don’t anymore. In fact, as a wannabe Israeli, I’ve taken it upon myself to incorporate Salad Culture into my life, and become a Master Salad Maker. I must be doing something right, because I am always charged with salads after asking what I can bring to meals or gatherings.
One easy way to bring Israel home is with SALADS. I made this one for Shabbat, using yummy, seasonal winter/spring ingredients.
Beet’ayavon Salad Salad Ingredients:
Baby Spinach
Baby Arugla
Persian Cucumbers
Baby Tomatoes
Purple Onion
Beets
Mandarins
Handfuls of Walnuts
Dressing Ingredients:
Rice Vinegar
Pink Himalayan Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dijon Mustard (my favorite is Trader Joe’s Whole Grain Dijon)
2 Cloves of Garlic
Honey
To start, combine all of the salad ingredients in a large, fabulous bowl. I eat with my eyes as much as with my mouth, so if a meal looks beautiful, I’m already halfway to delicious.
I use pre-washed, bagged spinach and arugula. Look at this green. No color enhancement here. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of us.
For cucumbers, I like to peel part of the skin off the cucumber. Totally bare, it looses some of its crunch and taste. But full peel-on, it’s a little too dominant for me.
Mandarins are so easy and add so much. Simply peel and cut the individual slices in half. No need to get particular about removing all of the membrane.
The salad before dressing. Nothing boring about this.
The amount of each salad-dressing ingredient will vary, depending on the size of your salad, so forgive me for not having exact amounts listed. Just use the vinegar as your base and add the rest, letting your eye and taste guide you. What’s also nice about this dressing is that you can find all of the ingredients in a non-kosher grocery store.
The finished product looked and smelled wonderful. A dressed salad shines, the glossiness finishing off the vegetables like a lip-gloss completing a look.
Of course I had heard of Dorot frozen herbs, but sauces?
On both Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron sirens blare across Israel. Everyone stops their car, stands at attention, and gives a moment of silence to honor and remember.
