Start Singing, Shabbat Shirah 5775 Havel Havelim!

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"Adon Olam," Book Based on Prayer

Rabbi Zalman Weiss's book "Adon Olam- A Search for Meaning," is an interesting way to bring across the great philosophic questions.

It's about G-d and faith. It's Jewish Philosophy for those searching for answers, reassurance and support.

Rabbi Zalman Weiss does have wonderful stories to tell.

Rabbi Zalman Weiss is an Orthodox rabbi living Jerusalem, Israel. He received smicha from Rabbi Zalman Nechemiah Goldberg, and studied at the yeshivas of Kol Yaakov in Munsey, NY, and Ohr Samaych and MiLi in Jerusalem, Israel. Rabbi Weiss has been actively involved in the education of potential converts for many years, working with the Beis Din of Rabbi Nissim Karelitz of Bnei Brak. His students probing questions about faith in G-d and the tenants of Orthodox Judaism inspired the research that evolved in this book.

Adom Olam follows the spiritual journeys a handful of young men studying in the same yeshiva for those not yet fully Torah observant, each from different background. And not only do the students come from different worlds, but so do their teachers. Each one can be a book by himself.

You feel that there is more to Judaism, much more than you presently understand. You are yearning to connect with a bigger picture, but you don’t have any idea how to find it. Sometimes you don’t even know what questions to ask. I know your feelings and I know your questions.

Adom Olam answers Questions. It's an excellent book for those asking questions and looking for answers about G-d.

Product Code: ADNOLM

ISBN: 978-1-940516-18-9

Dimensions:7.8 ” H x 4.8” W

Weight: 1.0 lb

Global shipping available.

You Never Know What You'll Find on Jerusalem Streets

The other night when my daughter and I were making our way from Piccolino, about which I'll again write later bli neder, to the bus, we heard music and spied this scene, almost a Broadway musical...

In real life you would't expect to spy such spirited dancing in the street*. Would you?

*Ben-Yehuda Street, downtown Jerusalem was once a very busy street with cars, buses, traffic lights and a taxi stand. For decades it has been closed to vehicles, but it's still a street.

Pre-Passover Inventory Time

Yes, it's that time of the year. Think of it also as saving money before the heavy Pesach, Passover expenses. Check what you already have enough of, so you don't find yourself with more chametz, the food forbidden on Passover, when the Holiday begins.

I generally post photos of my freezer, yes, my small fridge freezer. Sometimes I'm totally amazed at what has been stored away all year waiting for a special occasion. I used to check around Purim, a bare month before Passover, but now we're just two at home and the freezer is larger than it was way back when the house was full of kids and guests.

I really should have started emptying it out around Chanuka, but I forgot. Now it's early in Shavat, and I have two months to go.

Finishing up the food makes for interesting menus.

Beautiful Debut Havel Havelim on IsraelForever!!

We of the international Jewish Havel Havelim community are overjoyed to be featured on the IsraelForever site. This week's Havel Havelim is up there for all to see, lots of new readers and fans.

And about next week:

OK, it looks like I'm hosting next week:"http://shilohmusings.blogspot.co.il/ shilohmuse@gmail.com with "HH" as subject and a short "blurb" about the post. You're also invited to send me posts from other bloggers, not just yours, thanks"

Please check out the IsraelForever Havel Havelim. It's full of wonderful blog posts about all sorts of topics. Read, comment and share.

And remember:

You don't have to be a blogger to enjoy=read, comment and share
HAVEL HAVELIM!!

52Frames Complementary Colors, A Tough Decision!

• blue-orange
• purple-yellow
• red-green

I had all sorts of plans to tie up blue and orange scarves artistically, but I couldn't find a model and didn't feel like doing it as a selfie, to get the extra credit of a fashion shoot.

needs cropping

Then I took some photos at work of orange and blue, then red and green jackets, but, as you can see, they really looked schvach, rather awful.

Thursday night, since I was off to see the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions play the Jerusalem Kings, who have a purple and yellow uniform, I was hoping to get a good shot of that.

But as us can see, they came out blurry.

Since on my way to the game I went through the shuq/shuk Machane Yehuda where I took lots of red/green and purple/yellow photos.

Of course, only some of them are cropped here. They would have changed a bit if they had been. I also found that my camera didn't always do justice to the purples. I had to turn off the flash so the purple flower looked its color.

On Friday, I still wasn't sure what I would do, especially when I photographed this gorgeous "kalanit," poppy.

In the end, after lots of cropping and thinking and then ignoring them for a bit, late Saturday night, just before I went to bed, I turned the computer on yet again and chose this very cropped strawberry:

I hope I chose correctly. What do you think?

On With Winter, Soon Adar and Then Spring

One of the wonderful things about my monthly Rosh Chodesh all-women prayer sessions at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh is following the seasons.

Last week we celebrated Rosh Chodesh Shevat,the beginning of the Jewish month of Shevat, which is the last month of winter on the Jewish Calendar in Israel. Jewish Holidays are very Land and season oriented. That's another proof of our intrinsic connection to the Land of Israel.

Spring is definitely in the air, as the saying goes. All around Shiloh we can see the beautiful wild flowers. G-d has so far been very good and generous to us this winter. We've had rain, snow and cold weather, which is what we need for sufficient water and agriculture.

Rosh Chodesh is traditionally considered the "Women's Holiday," which is why it's such an important time for women to pray together. That's why I instituted the group prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh.

Next Rosh Chodesh is Adar, the Month of Joy. It's the month when threats become blessings, and the days begin to get very long. It's the month of Purim, the holiday when G-d controls the game of chance.

Women's Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh Rosh Chodesh Adar

Friday February 20, 2015

1st of Adar, 5775, 8:30am

Tour of Tel Shiloh

Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים ראש חודש אדר בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

יום ו' 20-2  א' אדר, תשע"ה 8:30

יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל

כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

Please save the date, publicize it and join us.

You can visit the holy site of Shiloh almost anytime, Sunday-Friday noon. Guided tours can be arranged through the Shiloh HaKeduma, Ancient Shiloh office. Email visit@telshilo.org.il or phone 02-994-4019. 

Have a wonderful and blessed month. May the rain be a blessing for all, G-d willing.

Tevet-Shevat Kosher Cooking Carnival

Sorry that I never got around to posting a separate Tevet edition of the Kosher Cooking Carnival; I didn't even do a joint one with Havel Havelim. I hope to make up for that with this one. Since I haven't gotten many posts, I'll just search.   If you'd like to be a host or want to know, then join our KCC facebook page.

I started the Kosher Cooking Carnival when a recipe carnival rejected my recipe, because the theme of the week was port. So, since then there has been a KCC pretty much every  month. Please check out the posts, comment and share. This is much more than just a recipe carnival. Since kosher food is more than just bagels and kneidelach, We also include posts about halacha, Jewish Law, customs, reviews of kosher restaurants and cookbooks, too. I welcome your participation. Contact me at shilohmuse@gmail.com.

Dig in and enjoy the posts, thanks.

Kichel, from Tzivia
Cookbook Memories, Celebrity Kosher...
Different Jewish food customs when in mourning.
Sweet Butternut Squash Kugel
From Frugal & Kosher Red Lentil and Tomato Soup
Piccolino, delicious in Jerusalem!
Should we call this adventures is "soupland?"
Pragmatic Attic's Spinach and Chickpea Curry
Two Meals for the price of one

Doug's reports on First Israeli craft beer kiddush in America and Samson at Tzora.
Roza, Worse than disappointing
Couldn't be Parve, Poppyseed Babka
A lovely meal at MODERN, Israel Museum
Olive oil challah
Simply Vegetables, vegetables made easily
Miriam's Hot Bowl of Soup

Kashrut alert! Not all wines are Kosher for Passover!!
Ruti's mama's Ginger Snaps!
Kosher Foodies Vegetarian Moussaka
The Kosher Spoon celery root and red lentil soup
Best 5 Shekel meal in Jerusalem
Jew Hungry, 24 Coffee Recipes
Revisiting Cafe Rimon, meat.


You don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share the Kosher Cooking Carnival!!

American Football in Israel, It's Not Just The Game

There was a festive atmosphere during the first game of last night's double-header in Kraft Stadium, when the Jerusalem "Big Blue" Lions defeated the Jerusalem Kings in a thrilling high-scoring match that ended with a score more like basketball than football.

If you live in Israel and you like American Football, there's plenty to see. There's a very active league all over the country. It may not be the level of the NFL or even college playing, but it is football.

Last night a clan of fans partied bringing their own food.

And they even made sure to clean up afterwards.

There was also lots of food and drinks for sale.

And even before the announcer finished saying that it was half-time, kids were on the field having fun, girls and boys. No doubt that the next generation of female flag football players in Israel will be better than ever.

Is there any place else in the world where a SuperBowl party is catered with Glatt Kosher food?

Mid-Winter Beauty

We're now in the Jewish Month of Sh'vat or Shevat or however you want to spell it. There should be another two months plus of rain, G-d willing. So far we've had a decent amount of rain and even some snow.

Here are a few photos I've taken the past few weeks around Shiloh and traveling to Jerusalem. You can see the rich vegetation and glorious colors in the sky at dawn. In Israel we only get winter rains, so we do need a wet one.

the "early" shkaidia, almond tree in bloom

Chodesh Tov! Busy Day

It's Rosh Chodesh Shevat, the middle of winter in the Jewish Calendar when we can see if this has been a blessed winter or not. Amazing few hours for Shiloh.

Last night there were two weddings. We were at one.

In the morning I went with my friends to doven that's pray at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, Women's Prayers.

And as soon as I got back, a Brit Millah, circumcision.

Cheap, Easy and Comfy Way to "Thermalize" and "Waterproof" Boots

Last week, when it was cold and threatening rain I had been wearing some warm, though not waterproof old boots in the house. They are very old and look awful, and I use them as slippers on cold winter days. It wasn't until I was out of the house and on my way to the bus-stop that I realized that I hadn't changed into my good heavy rain-boots.

My job requires me to be outdoors some of the time, even if it's just going from the main part of the store to the shoe store, which is in a different building. So when I got to work, I decided to take preventative measures. I took off the boots and added plastic bags between them and my socks/tights. Then I put the boots back on.

My feet, so highly and uncomfortably sensitive to the cold stayed warmer than on a summer's day. For me that is a great pleasure and very rare. I suffer from chilblains, which can be described as a form of frostbite. After my feet get too cold and then reheat, they can swell, especially the toes. The same thing happens to my fingers.

All Lined Up for 52Frames

This week's 52Frames theme/challenge was lines. I had great fun taking lines pictures, leading lines and lots of lines.  Here's the photo I finally submitted after a late night facebook message coaching session by a group member. He got me to turn my original shot into black and white. I played with two photo editing programs until I got it.

Lined Up at First Station

 Here's the photo with its color, not actually "original," because it was cropped.

And here are the two others I had been thinking of sending in. Everyone preferred all these lines rather than the simple leading lines photos.

This was considered "second best" by some.

They were all very cropped and taken last Wednesday morning on my way to Matan in Jerusalem. The "winning" shot was in the First Station, the second is a side street off of Rechov Emek Refaiim, and this last one is in the park along the old railroad tracks.

And here are a few photos I took in Shiloh.

Maybe if I had caught the airplane in a better spot...

I'd say that "Lines" is both the easiest and most difficult theme yet. There are lines all over the place, which makes it easy, but choosing and then turning the photo into art is challenging.

I hope you agree that I chose the right photo.