It took long enough, but Israel is taking steps to combat the severe water shortage by imposing a tax on excess usage. According to Ynet, the tax goes into effect on July 1. Update: The law hasn't been passed, and there is a question about whether the tax will be retroactive. A family of four … [Read more...]
Hoopoe Duo: Summer Stock Sunday
June 14, 2009 by
Israelis love hoopoes, and voted them in as its national bird. I spotted this pair digging in the local park: For more of this week's summer stock photos, see Robin's blog. Last week's entry: Pitangos … [Read more...]
Fleas Are Worse than Bombs
June 11, 2009 by
The city assigns each street a designated day for leaving out large items for pickup. Yesterday, I put out a stroller, in the hope that someone would find it and use it. When a friend emailed that she wanted it, I went down to retrieve it. While there, I met a neighbor from across the street. … [Read more...]
Gifted Education in Israel
June 9, 2009 by
A reader whose child was being tested for giftedness asked me to write about the Education Ministry's programs. Testing Israeli children are tested for giftedness in second or third grade, depending on the municipality. To be accepted into the education ministry's programming for the following … [Read more...]
Summer Stock Sunday: Pitangos
June 7, 2009 by
Robin from Around the Island started Summer Stock Sunday, a photo meme. Click on the links below to see what other bloggers have posted. A few years ago, a friend pointed out a pitango tree with its tangy, red berries that ripen throughout the late spring and early summer. I would have gone … [Read more...]
Exclusive: Interview with a Former Kannai, Part I
June 4, 2009 by
In my series on Pashkevilim, I gave highlights of a lecture about the community of anti-Zionist kannaim, or zealots, in Jerusalem. @Jewnet invited me to interview her husband Moshe Yossef, a former kannai, for an insider's view. I've divided the interview into two parts. Part I is about Rabbi … [Read more...]
Shavuot, Eruv Tavshilin, Recipes and Carnivals
May 28, 2009 by
The holiday of Shavuot begins Thursday evening. Known in English as Pentecost because it takes place fifty days after Passover, Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The two main customs associated with the holiday are serving dairy foods and staying up all night to study … [Read more...]
Pashkevilim: Anti-Establishment Jerusalem Wall Posters Part II
May 27, 2009 by
In honor of Jerusalem Day our synagogue hosted Tzuriel Rashi, professor of political science and communications and expert on pashkevilim, political and religious wall posters found on the streets of large haredi neighborhoods. This is Part II. See Part I and Part III. In the pre-State period, … [Read more...]
Pashkvilim: Anti-Establishment Posters in Jerusalem, Part I
May 22, 2009 by
Pashkevilim hold up the buidings of Jerusalem. Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, Former Satmar Rebbe Today marks Jerusalem Day, commemorating the unification of Jerusalem and the restoration of its Old City to Israel's control. As part of the celebration our synagogue hosted a talk called "Al Homotayich … [Read more...]
Abortion in the Religious Zionist Community
May 8, 2009 by
See below for an update. In this week's newspaper Makor Rishon, Yifat Erlich interviews couples in the national religious community who underwent abortions because of health problems with the fetus. Afraid of criticism from their close-knit communities, many ended up alone during this traumatic … [Read more...]
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