A Jewish Grandmother: Original, unedited daily musings, and host to the monthly Kosher Cooking Carnival. **Copyright(C)BatyaMedad ** For permission to use these in publications of any sort, please contact me directly. Private accredited distribution encouraged. Thank you.
If you look on the left sidebar of this blog, you'll see I have a blogroll, which I call "INTERESTING BLOGS." Over the years, from the time Jewish and Israeli bloggers considered ourselves a community, I've added to this list. And not only do I just collect, but I "visit" and comment on other blogs. I also write up "blog roundups," which are posts that feature posts by other bloggers. My most recent was here, but I usually host in on Shiloh Musings, my other blog.
For many years there was a weekly Jewish/Israeli blog roundup called Havel Havelim, plus the monthly Kosher Cooking Carnival and JPIX, but they've all faded away. My blogrolls have blogs that haven't had a new post for years. Since I set them both up to feature "newest post first," you can see the old blogs on the bottom of the list. Some of these blogs were extraordinarily good. There are some bloggers who blog on rare occasions, every few weeks or months, according to unschedulable whims. Even I've cut down an awful lot, frm daily on both blogs to a few times a week, according to what seems worth writing.
I'd like your input if possible. Could you please look at the blogrolls on both my blogs and let me know which of those "dead" blogs aren't worth keeping, and which ones are worth reading, even though the posts are very old.
Once upon a time there was Havel Havelim, a weekly roundup of blog posts about Israel and Judaism. I met a lot of amazing people through it, some in person and some just online. Now a few of those people still blog, less frequently, and some I'm facebook friends with and others on instagram. And I even have real life f2f friends I first met via blogging.
In the heyday of blogging, there had been a real community spirit, but now it's different. It is what it is.
Still I think that there are some great blogs out there, and I'll now post a number of blog post titles linked to the blog. I hope you make the time to click, read, comment and even share. Yes, share on your blog if you're a blogger, or facebook or twitter or just send on whatsapp or email. It's a new world out there. Sorry, but in these roundups I don't include "blogs" that are on news sites, just independent blogs. If you have any to recommend, please add them to the comments here. Both my blogs, this and Shiloh Musings have blog rolls, listings of blogs I look at, or looked at when they were "live."
All opinions in included posts are those of the bloggers, not necessarily mine. Enjoy:
If you like the genre of Jewish books, a very broad one for sure, then click the Jewish Book Carnival: March 2019 and see what's offered.
To those of you who write and/or publish Jewish/Israeli books and need reviews, then contact the bloggers who are linked in the post. Most of us are always interested in getting new books to read and review.
My post reviewing Maybe Esther-A Family Story is included in the Jewish Book Carnival. I hope the round-up interests you in reading some of the books. Thanks to the bloggers who host it each month.
Bloggers, am I the only one who has noticed a downward trend in page/post views? I wonder if it's personal, or maybe the anti-spam check has kept the fake views down...
I do blog a bit less than previously. No longer do I skirt the OCD daily posting on both blogs, even when it's done by writing in advance and setting up the post to be published on a future date. Now I blog less frequently and rarely on both blogs, this one and Shiloh Musings, on the same day.
Blogs for me are the ones we publish on our own "sites," not when using the "blog" option on conventional mainstream news sites. That's another genre completely.
Over a decade ago, bloggers from all over the world developed a community, visiting, commenting and even promoting each other's blogs in a few different "blog carnivals." There were some Jewish ones which I was involved in, and I'm still friendly with other bloggers I met through these "carnivals." Havel Havelim was the biggest of all and continued for many years. I still use the name when posting blog "roundups."
Very few of the blogs from way back when are still active, but there are some interesting, well-written blogs. Here are a few posts for your reading pleasure. Please read, comment and share. And if there are some blogs you'd like to recommend, then list them in the comments here with full links, thanks.
Listed below are titles of blog posts about Israel and Jewish topics from a variety of blogs. Click to read and enjoy.
It seems like the last of the genre of Jewish blog carnivals is the Jewish Book Carnival. I'm involved with it and davka hosted the most recent one, May, 2018.
The carnival consists of all sorts of blog posts about Jewish books and authors, not just book reviews. If you'd like more information or would like to host an edition email carnival@jewishlibraries.org.
I decided to present a roundup of blogs written by women. I'd say that these Ladies' Blogs are more varied and interesting than blogs in general aka blogs written by men. We write on the same political, Torah, health and personal topics as men, but we also write about topics that men ignore. Yes, these are mostly Jewish or Israeli blogs, though some are written to be for general readership. I know many of the bloggers personally, though not all.
I hope you enjoy the selection I've chosen, and if you know of other suitable blogs written by women, please include the links in the comments below.
Of course, like with any blog round-up, please visit, read, comment and share among friends. I'm sticking to my usual format of just writing the blog post title. But I'm illustrating the post with logos or pictures from the included blogs.
This morning, while drinking my coffee, I decided to start my week with a blog carnival, a roundup of blog posts from all over the Jewish blogging world. OK, the vast majority are Israeli blogs and bloggers, but there's definitely a wide range of topics and even opinions, IMHO.
I've been blogging for well over a decade. My husband and I are among the most veteran of that genre. Blogging offers us a welcome and open forum to voice our opinions and not be dependent on the whims and agendas of others. I've mentored a number of bloggers, too. One great thing about blogging is:
It's free! The only cost is your time.
Today, there are so many free options for blogging, so that if the idea appeals to you, it won't cost you money, not a cent, not an agora, not a single pence etc.
Please check out the various posts, and be sure to comment if you have something to say. And if you'd like to recommend other blogs, please give me the information in the comments, thanks.
I had been planning on posting this Pesach/Passover edition of the Kosher Cooking Carnival last Wednesday, while finishing my Pesach preparations at home. But, as John Lennon so famously said:
Yes, as many probably know, since I've been blogging about it non-stop and writing on facebook, my father died last Tuesday morning Israel time. He and my mother are now together in their adjoining graves, which they purchased in 1959.
My father's death put a hold on my KCC planning, and then Passover stopped the shiva, and now it's Chol Hamoed, and we still have to eat, so I decided that I'd do a very quick Kosher Cooking Carnival and hope I didn't lose any of the posts people sent me. I try to keep track and organize KCC on facebook, and you're invited to sign up there. I will just list a whole bunch, ok a few, post titles I think you'll find interesting, without naming the blog or site.
I'm pretty sure that this selection of Kosher for Passover recipes will suffice for a basic KP menu, at least in an Ashkenazi home. I'd appreciate your feedback. Unlike most editions of the Kosher Cooking Carnival, this time I accepted even older posts, not just recent ones, because I wanted it to help everyone cook for Passover. All the recipes are tasty and usable and servable all year long.
Please visit them, comment and share, thanks. Also, of course, please send out the link to this edition of the Kosher Cooking Carnival!!
I'm planning a pre-Passover Kosher Cooking Carnival here on this blog and want links to your favorite Passover food posts, or your recipes, tips etc. which I'll post giving you credit (as per your requested way of identifying yourself, including nom de plume of your choice.) Please email me to shilohmuse@gmail.com with KCC as subject, thanks.
Recipes can have short stories/background pieces about the foods and experiences. So, let's get started before we're too busy cooking, and our kitchens look like this!
I haven't done this for a very long time, so I'm just grabbing a few recipe and kosher food posts. I'm listing the titles only and hope that you'll visit and comment and share thanks. And please remember that I run a KCC- Kosher Cooking Carnival page on facebook. If you'd like to get more involved, then please email me, shilohmuse@gmail.com, thanks.
Again, you're invited to send me links and kosher food blogs to be used in the next Kosher Cooking Carnival. And I'm sure you'll like the posts included, so please visit, comment and share, thanks.
This month's edition of the Jewish Book Carnival is at The ProsenPeople, a Jewish Book Council blog. Take a look at the carnival of Jewish book reviews and find some great new Jewish books to read, buy for yourself or give as gifts to others.
It seems like this Jewish blog carnival is the strongest still going on. There are many participants and volunteers to host.
I still plan on posting a new joint format of Havel Havelim and the Kosher Cooking Carnival after Simchat Torah. If you have written or read some interesting posts about the Holidays, Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur and Succot/Simchat Torah, then please send me the links, thanks. For more information and updates, you can join the facebook pages, Havel Havelim and Kosher Cooking Carnival.
It will be based on celebrating the Jewish Holidays, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot and Simchat Torah. It's about the prayers, customs, halacha, the food, nostalgia, Torah, etc.Please send links plus a one line blurb from your blogs or blogs you've read and liked. This year only, please. Deadline: before Shabbat Bereishit. shilohmuse@gmail.com subject: holiday HH
Remember:
You don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share Jewish Blog Carnivals!
For the past few years, I've pretty much been the defacto "coordinator" of the veteran Jewish blog carnival, Havel Havelim. It was started by Soccer Dad possibly in 2004 or earlier. I'm not sure exactly. In its heyday it came out weekly and was hosted by a wide variety of Jewish bloggers all over the world. After a few years, Soccer Dad passed the baton on to someone named Jack, and when Jack had enough, it was rescued by Esser Agaroth who set up the facebook page, and I somehow found myself holding it together and doing most of the hosting of late. I just wonder if anyone would mind or even notice if I'd stop cold turkey. Almost nobody sends me links to posts. I just include whatever blogs I like and rarely get thanks. I don't do it for the thanks, but there was a time when bloggers were happy to be included, which is rare now. The other day I posted a question, my thoughts about this on the facebook page, and it was totally ignored. This is it:
There seems to be less and less interest in Havel Havalim. Sometimes I wonder if I should just let it die out. But I'm not willing to do that yet. Since I've been the only host of late, I'll post when convenient for myself. With the Jewish Holidays getting sooner and sooner, that means that every week isn't realistic. So unless there are volunteers to host, HH will appear at my convenience. Like many bloggers I like the idea a a periodic post featuring links from other blogs. I'll keep the name Havel Havelim. You'll be included if you send me links, besides the blogs I choose. So please send in your links from the past week to shilohmuse@gmail.com HH as subject and a blurb would be appreciated, thanks. If you're willing to host, just let me know, thanks.You'll be included if you send me links, besides the blogs I choose. So please send in your links from the past week to shilohmuse@gmail.com HH as subject and a blurb would be appreciated, thanks.If you're willing to host, just let me know, thanks.
I did tag members of the group. One person sent me a link for the next Havel Havelim. Click here to see the one I posted last week.
And besides Havel Havelim, a number of years ago I began another blog carnival, the Kosher Cooking Carnival when a post I had submitted to a general blog carnival had been rejected, because that week/month they were only accepting those for ham. KCC is a monthly carnival which is supposed to appear around Rosh Chodesh. It, too, has lost its following, or food bloggers aren't interested in the community of a blog carnival. I've been combining it with Havel Havelim.
I'm not calling it quits. I think I'll just do periodic posts which are links from other Jewish blogs about everything, including the kitchen sink. And if you'd like to be included or see a post that should be included about any Jewish or Israeli issues, including kosher recipes and reviews of kosher restaurants and cookbooks, please send them to me, thanks.
We're a week into the Jewish Month of Ellul, which means that in three weeks it'll be Rosh Hashannah, and a week after that's over it's Yom Kippur and a few days after that we have the Succot Holiday which ends with Simchat Torah.
Yes, for Jews of all stripes there's lots to do and lots to think about. And for Jewish bloggers there should be lots to blog about, so please send me links to the posts, OK?
Havel Havelim is the long-running weekly international Jewish blog carnival, which had been started many years ago (by modern internet standards) by Soccer Dad, who no longer blogs. It floats from blog to blog, and we keep it organized on our facebook page. If you'd like to host one, please let us know, and it's yours! I'm always willing to help newbies. Hosting isn't hard and it's a good way to get your blog better known and know others. The Kosher Cooking Carnival is the monthly (in theory--appearing on or around Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the Jewish Month,) blog carnival I began a number of years ago on the specific topic of kosher food. It can include posts about every aspect from Halacha, Jewish Law, to recipes, customs, kosher cookbooks and restaurants. You can also volunteer to host an edition; we also have a facebook page. To guarantee your post's inclusion in one of the blog carnivals, please send me the link, with a short blurb describing it, to shilohmuse@gmail.com and ither HH or KCC as subject, thanks. If there will be a different host, I'll just forward it. Since Havel Havelim is weekly, please send the link before Shabbat your time, thanks. I not only include links sent to me, but I also look for others.
Remember, that you don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share the posts on Havel Havelim or the Kosher Cooking Carnival.
Tzedek, Tzeddek, that's right!!
First are posts sent to me, then mine and last will be some I've found. Responsibility for content is that of the writer, not mine. Jewish bloggers are a heterogeneous group of people with a wide variety of opinions. If we didn't have opinions, we wouldn't have anything to blog about. If you'd like to be included or have a favorite blog you think should be in it, then don't be shy; send me a link. In the meantime, enjoy:
Yael Shahar, two very interesting posts: Book Review: The Disappearance of God by Richard Elliot Friedman, The Disappearance of God follows the gradual decrease of the divine presence in the Biblical writings—from the unquestioned guide of the Patriarchs, to the distant but still accessible voice of the Prophets, to the absent Deity of Esther. What is the meaning of this trend, and what does it portend for our day? Jewish Book Blog Carnival
As we enter the month of Elul, A Damaged Mirror Blog hosts the Jewish Book Blog Carnival, a monthly event where bloggers who write about Jewish books can meet, read, and comment on each others’ posts.
Drew Kaplan, “The Joy of Text” Features a Discussion on Speaking With One’s Children About Sex and Features Guest Dr. Joy Ladin to Discuss Changing Genders
Ben-Tzion Spitz, Lions of Judah, The Bible itself as well as subsequent Rabbinic commentators have mixed feelings regarding a monarchy. On one hand it seems to be a command that the nation of Israel should have a king. On the other hand, it seems that a monarchy may only be established if the nation desires one. RJS, Yesterday a Nefesh B'Nefesh charter flight landed with 232 new Olim, immigrants to Israel. Of that number, 59 were young people who came to volunteer, to serve in the IDF as lone soldiers. It was so impressive that I had to share a few of those photos in Israellycool. Living the Dream. Last week I wrote about 75 Torah scrolls dedicated at the Kotel. However, I found there was more to the story. As thousands were waiting for the program to begin, over by the Kotel in the Women's Section, a small elite group was gathered. I saw them and photographed the historic moment. Torah: Bond for Eternity This was sent by the blogger's mother who also blogs. On Food, Sociology, and Green Beans in Olive Oil And from the "older generation," DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT TIL IT’S GONE
Jacob Richman, Welcome Home to the New Olim and photos at the airport, 3 Year Jewish Holiday Calendar (5576-5778 / 2015-2018)
I was at the 4th Shiloh Conference, which was wonderful!! Don't miss next year's! Photos From the 4th Shiloh Conference כנס שילה
On Shiloh Musings, among dozens of other topics, I wrote about two revolutions happening right now. The New "American Revolution," 2015/2016 and Shabbat Revolution in Israel Jerusalem's open air market, Machane Yehuda also has some great restaurants Fish Meal in the "Shuk."
We were in Efrat and it sure has grown. Grand Bus Tour of Efrat
And here are a few interesting blog posts and articles.
Yes, we can read and blog during the nine days of mourning the capture of Jerusalem and destruction of our Holy Temples. This week's Havel Havelim, the long-running international weekly Jewish blog carnival, can be found on A Damaged Mirror and is full of fascinating posts on all sorts of topics. I highly recommend that you take a good look, read, comment and share them.
Havel Havelim is organized on our facebook page; that's where you can find out who is hosting. It looks like I'll be hosting the next one on Shiloh Musings, which will come out probably towards the end of the Tisha (9th of) B'Av fast. Please send me (shilohmuse@gmail.com subject: HH) relevant (about all sorts of Jewish and Israeli topics posted this week) links, preferably with a short blurb/explanation) before Shabbat your time. Thanks! And if you'd like to host an edition, please let me know, thanks.
Remember, you don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share HAVEL HAVELIM!
I couldn't think of a clever title for this combined Havel Havelim and Kosher Cooking Carnival, besides the fact that they are all "postponed."
Yesterday, Shabbat was the 17th of Tammuz, but since we don't fast, except for Yom Kippur, on Shabbat, the fast was postponed until today.
I usually post my Havel Havelim, the international Jewish blog carnival on Saturday night after Shabbat, but that, too was postponed until today.
I really had planned on posting a Kosher Cooking Carnival for Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, and that has obviously been postponed, since it's now closer to Av than to Tammuz, so this combines the two months.
So, I hope you don't mind that lazy summer's day, when I'm not working and not eating I've decided to produce another joint HH and KCC.
Havel Havelim is the long-running weekly international Jewish blog carnival, which had been started many years ago (by modern internet standards) by Soccer Dad, who no longer blogs. It floats from blog to blog, and we keep it organized on our facebook page. If you'd like to host one, please let us know, and it's yours! I'm always willing to help newbies. Hosting isn't hard and it's a good way to get your blog better known and know others.
The Kosher Cooking Carnival is the monthly (in theory--appearing on or around Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the Jewish Month,) blog carnival I began a number of years ago on the specific topic of kosher food. It can include posts about every aspect from Halacha, Jewish Law, to recipes, customs, kosher cookbooks and restaurants. You can also volunteer to host an edition; we also have a facebook page.
To guarantee your post's inclusion in one of the blog carnivals, please send me the link, with a short blurb describing it, to shilohmuse@gmail.com and ither HH or KCC as subject, thanks. If there will be a different host, I'll just forward it. Since Havel Havelim is weekly, please send the link before Shabbat your time, thanks. I not only include links sent to me, but I also look for others.
Remember, that you don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share the posts on Havel Havelim or the Kosher Cooking Carnival.
Marcia, last week's HH hostess, There may be no school but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't discuss the Torah with your kids.
Enjoying the Bible Online offers innovative fun activities, questions, and discussion guidelines related to God forbidding the children of Israel to use a sword while building an altar (in the book of Exodus) in "Does it Matter How We Get to the End Product?"
We aren't giving up. We aren't finished. We aren't history. We have a future. G-d willing we will be truly sovereign and rebuild our Holy Temple in our Holy City of Jerusalem, and the days of mourning will be turned into days of festivity and worship of G-d, and all of those in the Next World will return to us in joy together!
Yael of A Damaged Mirror is back in the business hosting Havel Havelim and has done a great job as usual. We're all glad to have her back with us. Please check out the HH. Visit the various posts, comment and share. I'm sure you'll find plenty to read and think about.
Havel Havelim is the long-running weekly international Jewish and Israeli blog carnival. It was founded by Soccer Dad, who no longer blogs, and today we coordinate it on our facebook page. I'll be hosting next week, and you're invited to join our friendly internet community. If you'd like to host, please let me know; I can help you out, coach you through it. And if you have a post from this week (your own or something great you've read) you'd like included, please send me the link, shilohmuse@gmail.com, before Shabbat your time, thanks.
Please remember that you don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share HAVEL HAVELIM!
Thank you, Marcia, for hosting such an inspiring Father's Day Havel Havalim. I'll never forget how daunting my first few were for me.
Be sure to visit, comment and share this week's Havel Havelim. There are lots of blog posts on Marcia's Havel Havelim which are totally new to me, so I can't wait to check them out, and I recommend that all my readers do, too.
Havel Havelim is the long running international Jewish and Israeli blog carnival which includes posts on a very wide variety of topics. We keep organized on our facebook page, where you can get information about who's hosting and even volunteer yourself.
Blogging isn't dead!
There are many of us who blog. A blog is an active and dynamic internet site, like a magazine. Each blogger, some blogs are staffed by more than one, runs it differently depending on the reason for blogging. I keep up two blogs, on which I write almost daily. That's because I love writing and never quite figured out how to get people to pay me for my articles. On my blogs I'm the boss and editor in chief. Shiloh Musings is a more political and serious blog, while this one contains a greater variety of posts from personal to kosher food to just about anything I feel like. There are a few other writers who have blogging rights on my blogs. I wish they'd post more often. Besides that I do have blogging rights on the Jerusalem Post and Arutz 7. The Jewish Press has permission to post whatever they like from my blogs.
So, again, please check out this week's Havel Havelim.
Remember:
You don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share Havel Havelim!
First of all, please check out the latest, and hopefully not really last, Havel Havelim hosted by Tzivia of multiple blogs.
I find it rather ironic, that while more and more people are asking to join our facebook page, fewer and fewer are volunteering to host, and it is becoming rare for the bloggers whose blogs are included, to even comment a thank you or blog about the blog carnival.
Havel Havelim is a weekly international Jewish and Israeli blog carnival. It was started by Soccer Dad, who no longer maintains a blog, though I occasionally see him writing.
I miss the feeling of community that once existed among Jewish bloggers all over the world.
I am willing at this point to continue hosting and trying to promote both Havel Havelim and the Kosher Cooking Carnival.
I would love your comments and opinions.
I would love to get links of your favorite active Jewish blogs, general, Israeli and kosher food ones. Please send them to shilohmuse@gmail.com, thanks.
If you'd like to try hosting one of the carnivals, I'll help you, thanks.
You don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share blog carnivals!!
Shavua Tov, everyone, have a wonderful week!! It seems like it's getting harder and harder to find hosts for the blog carnivals Havel Havelim and Kosher Cooking Carnival. So, yet again, I'm hosting a double, a combined one. Also, I don't get the reactions I used to get. Is it worth continuing?
Nowadays, a lot of blogging is not on personal/private blogs like mine. Many news media sites have what they call "blogs,' and it's not all that difficult to get "blogging rights." I blog on "mainstream media" with the same posts I write here. These blog carnivals were popular when we bloggers had to do our own publicity, but now the bloggers are either very popular and professional with ads or they are on other larger sites. How many of us still maintain blogs like mine? Soccer Dad, who had founded Havel Havelim hasn't blogged for years, and so many of the blogs from the heyday of blog carnivals just don't exist anymore. And if they do, there is no longer the feeling of great camaraderie that there once was. I'd really appreciate some feedback and shares.
The internet sites that were once so helpful in being the conduit between the bloggers and hosts have all closed shop, so now we use facebook pages to coordinate hosting and announce the carnivals. Havel Havelim is here/click, and the Kosher Cooking carnival here/click.
I'm going to give a mix of posts for the two Jewish blog carnivals, some were sent to me, others not. If you did send me a link and it isn't included, just email me with the link, and I'll add it. Next week's Havel Havelim is hosted by Tzivia http://aliyahland.com submit to tzivia@aliyahland.com before Shabbat with a one-line description of your post. And the next Kosher Cooking Carnival, Tammuz, will be mine on me-ander, unless a volunteer steps up to take it. Please send me your links, with a short blurb to shilohmuse@gmail.com by June 15. Remember that KCC is not just a kosher recipe carnival. It includes all aspects of kosher food, including also halachik (Jewish Law,) customs and reviews of cookbooks and restaurants, kosher of course.
On with the show, and please don't forget that...
You don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share blog carnivals!!
Enjoy!
And that's it for this week. I'd really appreciate hearing from you, and of course read, comment and share this blog carnival and the posts included, as many as you can. Enjoy!!
For many years there was a weekly Jewish/Israeli blog roundup called Havel Havelim, plus the monthly Kosher Cooking Carnival and JPIX, but they've all faded away. My blogrolls have blogs that haven't had a new post for years. Since I set them both up to feature "newest post first," you can see the old blogs on the bottom of the list. Some of these blogs were extraordinarily good. There are some bloggers who blog on rare occasions, every few weeks or months, according to unschedulable whims. Even I've cut down an awful lot, frm daily on both blogs to a few times a week, according to what seems worth writing.
