petach tikva | A Mother in Israel

The Watermelon Horse

Israel is a country of contradictions. You can walk down the street and find futuristic robots , a herd of goats, or the owner of a horse and cart making a sale.

Women’s Megillah Reading, Fake Fur Hats, and Purim Humor

Last night, after a noisy reading in our synagogue (but with only a few caps), I asked my daughter if she wanted to come to the women’s reading of Megillat (Scroll of) Esther this morning. She didn’t say no right away, which is almost a yes for a teen, so we went. I don’t believe I’ve ever been to a women’s reading before.

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March 10, 2009 · Filed under environment, feminism, my children, petach tikva, purim

Petach Tikva’s Bat Cave

Petach Tikvas Bat Cave

[My Purim basket Giveaway ends Monday, March 3.]

Sometimes the urban environment is an ideal place for wild animals. Here’s an example: In 2006, Petach Tikva’s two hospitals merged to form the Rabin Medical Center. Since then, several new buildings have appeared at the Beilinson campus while the Hasharon campus, several kilometers away, lies stagnating.

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February 27, 2009 · Filed under Israeli living, environment, petach tikva

Environmental Dissidence

recycling box
My son’s school has been emphasizing the importance of the environment. He insists on bringing his sandwich in a reusable container and refuses a recycled bread bag. And a few months ago the school hosted an event on environmental topics, including making crafts with recycled items and a discussion of water in Judaism. Cardboard boxes, prepared by the municipality, were provided for each household to collect old paper. The box reads: “You recycled? You helped! In Petach Tikva we take responsibility for the environment.” Petach Tikva, refreshingly, is first in the country for percentage of trash recycled.

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February 13, 2009 · Filed under environment, petach tikva, schools

On Hoopoes, Black Cats, and Dodecagons

A few months ago, the city began to erect a traffic circle at this dangerous intersection. Work stopped temporarily when residents of a neighboring street sued the city out of concern for the extra traffic in front of their homes. I am more concerned about the safety of the intersection, but I realize other issues are involved. My daughter fears the traffic circle will make it harder to cross the street on her way to school, when there are a large number of cars. She won’t be able to judge which cars are headed toward her as they go around the circle.