An Excuse to Party

The Israeli and Jewish social media, blogging, facebook whatever scene actually loves an excuse to f2f party.  So when HaDassa Sabo Milner, In The Pink, announced that she'd be in Israel again, another f2f was planned.

Here are some scenes.  Can you label the pictures?  List the names and blogs and whatevers of the people?

 

Israel, Such a Small Country, I Can Make a Day Trip to The South

Yesterday I met f2f some friends with whom I generally meet on the internet.  We may use facebook for daily group contact, but we, even the youngest who are my childrens' age, prefer the real thing, f2f meetings.  The social media doesn't rate compared to sitting around a table together talking and eating or walking around checking out stores together.

A couple of months ago we met up in Jerusalem, coming from as far afield as the Netivot area, Gush Etzion, Beit Shemesh, Hashmonayim and Shiloh.  We decided that the next f2f get-together would be in the south, Netivot to be specific.  And yesterday was the day.  We came from as far north as Netanya and Elon Moreh, making my Shiloh look a lot more convenient.  There were also women from Gush Etzion, Maale Adumim, Jerusalem, Beit Shemsh, Shiloh and the south.  I hope I didn't leave anyone out.

We're all busy people, but we made time for this get-together.  I'm embarrassed to say that I wasn't the only one who admitted that I hadn't really been in Netivot before.  You'd think it on the moon or something. 

Being carless, the logistics of getting from Shiloh to Netivot and back, by a combination of buses, tremps, aka rides and a healthy dose of Siyate d'Shmaya, the help/hand of G-d, can be rather nerve-wracking at times.  But even after my ride from Jerusalem to Netivot had to cancel barely twelve hours before take-off everything ended up beyond fantastic. 

Risa aka Isramom ended up leaving from Jerusalem by car, and I had a fantastic tremp which left me off a short walk from her apartment.  We had a great time together, and Netivot ended up much closer than we had expected.

We've all gotten a different perspective of the trip.  Miriam, who lives near Netivot wrote this on her blog.

Living in the South, I want to tell my friends, how much I appreciated your effort and enjoyed spending the day you. You are always welcomed in my neck of the woods.

Miriam mentioned that I entered one of their portable bomb shelters and stretched out my arms to show how narrow they are. 

You must understand that I have very short arms.  Three quarter length sleeves look long on me and long ones just hang over my hands and get dirty. 

I don't think too many people can fit in these bomb shelters.  And considering how busy Netivot is and how large and how many stores, there certainly aren't enough of them or other safe options when attacked.



Yocheved and Miriam in a portable bomb shelter.

After walking and shopping on Netivot's main drag, we went to lunch at Greg's.

The food was delicious and the company even better.  Another of the bloggers in the group was A Soldier's Mother.

The jewelry was sold for charity.





And then after eating we went to the Tomb of the Baba Sali, who had been the main spiritual leader of Moroccan Jewry.

 

We heard amazing stories about him from one of our group.  There was constant "traffic" as people came in and out to pray.  We were even offered food for a bracha  blessing by one.

Photo by Ruti on the way to Beersheva

And then, sadly, too soon, we had to leave and make our ways back up north.  Ruti and I got a ride to Beersheva with Reesa.  We discovered the Beersheva bus station in the midst of major renovations and had to run to the nearby train station for a "pit stop" before taking the express bus to Jerusalem.  I got to the Jerusalem bus station just in time to catch a bus home.  I quickly set up my chanukiya, Chanukah menorah, made the blessings and lit it.

Chag Chanukah Sameach to all!

The Bima Ima's Pre-Passover Kosher Cooking Carnival

The Bima Ima is a real wonder woman, considering all she gets done.  Her fourth maternity leave just ended and while going back to work just before Purim she still managed to put together not only a Havel Havelim.... here's the very latest Kosher Cooking Carnival.

So, please stop by to visit her and all the included links.  There are a great variety of topics covered, just what I had been hoping for when I envisioned the Kosher Cooking Carnival many years ago.  Blogging, more specifically, jblogging or Jewish Blogging isn't a new phenomenon.  Even with twitter and facebook joining the fray, blogs are still irreplaceable.  Many of us who also communicate via facebook, where I first saw the Bima Ima's announcement that KCC #65 has been served on her blog, have our blogs set up so the posts can be posted to fb and twitter.  The multiplicity of social media is good for all.

If you're interested in hosting a KCC, please let me know.  And you can send your posts to one via blog carnival.  My recommendation is to send them in as soon as they're posted, so you won't forget.

A Call For HH Posts!

Jbloggers one and all!!

I'm hosting the post-2nd Annual International Jewish Bloggers Conference Havel Havelim!!

I'm sure, whether you were among the masses at Beit Avichai Jerusalem.

  Or if you observed the conference in the comfort of your home, office or favorite park bench or coffee shop, you have something to post and send for Havel Havelim.

You can post about it, even if you ignored it, as long as you say why.

Remember this is the week leading up to Rosh Hashannah.

Now, do you wake up early for "Slichot" prayers?  How much sleep do you get?   Blog about it and send me the link.

Or do you cook?  Or are you pretty much ignoring all the holiday preparation?  Blog about it and send me the link.

Talking about cooking, what do you cook, eat or crave on Rosh Hashannah?  Blog about it and send me the link.

What was your best or worst Rosh Hashannah experience?   Blog about it and send me the link.

Have you gotten new clothes, for yourself or your family for the Holidays?    Blog about it and send me the link.

This post will be posted on Tzom Gedalia.  It's a fast day.  I've always wondered why days which move as slowly as those "non-eating" days could be called "fast days."  If you know, yes:  Blog about it and send me the link.

What else is going on that you've blogged about?  And if you send more than three posts from the same blog,  you may not have all of them included.

And please link this to your blog to remind everyone to send in links, up to three, please.

Not Too Late

... to see the Jewish Bloggers Convention. You can skip through it by moving the time dot, or whatever it's called. I must admit that I'm a fascinated hearing it again as I was the first time which was in person.

You can hear and see me at 01:50, sort of just before the middle. I'm after Carl (no that's not him pictured above) who is after Bibi Netanyahu. Bibi starts around 01:00, but if you don't have time for his entire session, a short speech then longish answers to questions, listen to what he says just before 01:30 about the History of the Jewish People in the Land of Israel.

Many of you have heard a lot about the conference, and now's your chance to hear it for yourself.

A Badge To Remind You

I was given a sidebar badge to signify that I'm planning on attending the First International JBloggers Convention. Nefesh B'Nefesh is hosting.

Now wouldn't it be nice if the jbloggers were making aliyah, rather than just being flown over for the event?

f2f with.... a famous jblogger

Guess who!

"Comment" your guess.

A Full Plate!

JBlogger f2f, HH and KCC Reminder!

On the bus back from Jerusalem I was planning just how to start this post. I thought of titling it "JBlogger f2f, HH and KCC Reminder!," but then I decided to make it the subtitle and call it, as I did, "A Full Plate!"

Yes, do you know whom I met? Try guessing; the answer will be later on in the post.

Yehuda's Havel Havelim is the most amazing, and it's in five parts!!! Just follow instructions. Guess which post is linked first....

Judith, just try to guess more before clicking.

And please don't forget, it's time to send me more kosher food links for the Kosher Cooking Carnival, either yours or anything suitable you see.

• 
  
  kosher restaurants


• 
  
  kosher cookbooks


• 
  
  kosher alerts


• 
  
  traditions


• 
  
  halachot


• 
  
  menus


• 
  
  pictures


• 
  
  anecdotes


• 
  
  and, yes, recipes, too

Please send to shilohmuse at yahoo dot com or via blog carnival.

Thanks and Shavua Tov!