Whoever Invented Backseat Speaker Deserves Eternal Hell

I'll never forget the first time I experienced the noise from a backseat speaker. I had just buckled into my in-laws' car and the blast almost blasted me through the roof. I let out a scream from the pain, and they innocently asked what was wrong. From the time they had gotten their new car, nobody had ever sat in back, and I was the first one to have experienced/suffered the noise from that speaker.

Those in the front seat didn't find it loud, but it blasted into my ears most painfully. In Israel I traveled by bus mostly, and cars there hadn't yet been equipped with them. Afterwards, they too had them, and the torture became international.

In recent years I hadn't had the bad experiences, that is until very recently, when twice in the space of a week I found myself traveling with fingers in my ears.

It's clear that whoever came up with that invention never had to travel with it on while sitting in the backseat.

Sign That Sh'mitta is Ending

When checking out the vegetables in Rami Levy, Sha'ar Binyamin, I saw that it said:

Squash

Eighth

That means that the squash being sold is from the 8th year, so not applicable to the laws of Sh'mitta, 7th year agricultural products.

Internet Woes

Recently that red light has been on a lot. That indicates no internet, and with no internet I'm not a happy camper. We use Bezeq or some combination of Bezeq and Netvision. Nothing is clear to me except that no matter how much cheaper each deal is supposed to be we pay more and get worse service.

Stairs in The Israel Museum, More Handicapped Accessible

The last time I posted about the Israel Museum, On The Fringe commented that she was still traumatized from a visit to the museum with a visually handicapped friend, because the stairs were so black it was impossible for her friend to see them clearly. So, last week when I returned to the museum, just can't keep me away for long,  I made a point of photographing stairs there.

This is in the main hallway, and not only are there bright metallic raised circles/balls, and strips, but at the far end, you can see that there is a ramp, too. 

A few years ago, the Israel Museum underwent extensive changes and renovations. One of the aims was to make it much more handicapped accessible. It was built/planned for a young country, and it seemed like every exhibition hall required going either up or down a few steps. Today's Israel Museum has fewer steps plus more ramps and elevators. In terms of the neds of the visually handicapped, limited vision, it should also be safer.

Here are a few more photos:

I'm interested in your reactions, thanks.

Visiting Kibbutz Yavne

Friday morning I got up early for the trip to Kibbutz Yavne.

No, it wasn't a pleasure trip. It was only the second time I had ever been there. The first time was over a decade ago. My neighbor's father had died and I managed to get a ride to the funeral. And now her mother had passed away, and I wanted to pay a shiva call.

So, I was lucky to find a ride Friday morning, when I was free. I joined a car full of women wondering how we'd manage to fit in all of our cooking and Shabbat preparations before candle lighting, which is so early this time of year. But the trip took less time than we had expected. There was little traffic in both directions. And we're all very experienced housekeepers along with the rest of our responsibilities.

Our neighbor and all of her siblings had long left the kibbutz, so when her mother had to enter nursing home there, yes there is a proper and professional nursing home on Kibbutz Yavne, her apartment was no longer hers. Being that many families are in that situation, and since in the traditional kibbutz people had very small homes, there are "guest facilities." Actually, that's where the family was housed for the shiva (mourning.) The building we went to had formerly been a "children's home" in the days when children did not live with their parents. Once the policy had changed, the building was renovated for its new use.

Of course the kibbutz took care of all of the family's needs during the shiva, food, cleaning, etc. And having a bunch of rooms meant that each of the mourning children could receive guests without disturbing each other.

Kibbutzim are well-known for the meticulous upkeep of public areas, as you can see in these pictures taken near the house where my friend was sitting shiva. There were also very easy to follow signs leading us to the "house of mourners" once we entered the kibbutz. We did not have to look for people to direct us.

Many of the kibbutzim are no longer kibbutzim, but Kibbutz Yavne still functions, though not exactly as it once did. The concept/philosophy of extreme socialism and group over individual needs is the antithesis of modern life.

Another Book Review, Whew...

Sometimes I just have too much to do and too much to read and a pile of books I had promised to review waiting very impatiently for me. And there are weeks when I read nothing but whatever's on the computer screen, phone and of course my daily prayers and psalms and the Bible chapters for my Matan classes. My life just gets too busy. You must understand that I am the type who has always loved to read, from when I first learned in the First Grade. When I was younger, I'd read non-stop. One of the great extra perks of breast-feeding my kids was that it was an opportunity to sit and read at the same time.

This Shabbat I read enough of the latest Rabbi Sacks book, Lessons in Leadership, to review it. Here's my blurb:

I particularly enjoy how Rabbi Sacks integrates his broad general knowledge into the very traditional genre of Parshat Shavua books without compromising his rabbinic standards. 

And here's the link to the review.

Book Review: Lessons in Leadership by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks 

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.co.il/2015/11/lessons-in-leadership-recent-parshat.html

Enjoy both the review and the book!!

Additional Safety Barriers at Ofra Junction

I frequently wait for a ride home to Shiloh at the Ofra Junction. It's a good spot for rides. After night shift a friend quite often gives me a ride to there, and I wait. Sometimes it takes a few seconds to get a ride, and sometimes the minutes feel endless. That's tremping aka hitchhiking; it can be very unreliable. But when you don't have a car, and there's no bus expected, nu....? What else can I do?

For years there were a few cement barriers near the unused bus stop, but that was a bit far for me, since I like to be in view of the guard at Ofra. I stand very close to the corner.

And yes, there have been a number of terror attacks at similar spots. The Arab terrorists' latest method is running people over. So the security people placed a whole bunch of barriers for us to stand behind. The idea is also, if Gd forbid there is some shooting, we'll have someplace to hide.

Not Home Much

Israel Museum

This week has been very busy. I haven't been home much between work, a wedding, studying, going to Jerusalem, the Israel Museum, a reunion with old friends etc.

Jerusalem at night

This morning, I don't have time for a long blog post on both blogs. Yesterday's posts, on this blog and Shiloh Musings were both written in advance and set up to post early in the morning. You can do that on blogger. That's because I usually sleep in Jerusalem Tuesday night in order to get to Matan rested and alert enough for a morning of classes and don't have a computer with me. My phone isn't all that good for blogging, though I managed when it was newer. Now there's just not enough memory left, and most aps have been deleted. And trying to type on that mini-screen is torture. I don't even like laptops for extended typing, what is needed to properly write/blog.

Gd willing I'll catch up on my blogging and all at some point, but it is good to be busy.

Photographing Emotion for 52Frames

For this week's 52Frames, we were supposed to photograph Emotion. I'm not quite sure whether I should have called it "Panic" instead of "Desperation." What do you think?

"Desperation!"With barely twenty, yes 20, hours left to the deadline, the very desperate 52Framer found a model to show emotion, yes, herself. This is what "Desperation!" looks like!"Desperation" in the Cambridge Dictionary:

"The feeling that you have when you are in such a bad situation that you are willing to take risks in order to change it."

Yes, that's why I used myself as a model and a zigzagging background to emphasise the panic I felt.

Just a Partial Victory

still out in the cold and rain, sun and snow

I've blogged on how happy we are that our bus routes now extend past Pisgat Ze'ev and end up not far from Cinema City, near what's called the Kiryat Memshala,  the Government Office area near the Knesset, on the way to the Israel Museum. My husband is on the residents committee that has been negotiating with and lobbying Egged and the Transportation Ministry for that improvement, and people are always thanking me for those efforts and success, though partial.

There are people who have told me that during the year we were exiled to Pisgat Zeev, they had never once taken a bus home. It was just too inconvenient and complicated. They just tremped aka hitchhiked. Now they are back to taking buses, even though we're forced to wait in the elements, meaning outside.

I took these photos last week of people waiting at the most popular of the bus stops, the beginning of Yirmiyahu street just up (and let's stress that UP) from Center 1.

As you can see, it was a rainy day, and many tried for protection with umbrellas, because there wasn't enough room at the double-bus stop. Many buses stop there, and even if you're on one of the few seats you may be very unlucky. You may find yourself missing the bus, because you can't see the number quickly enough. The infirm and those will young children and lots of packages are at most risk.

When our buses left from the Central Bus Station, we had protection from the weather, security inspections to keep out Arab terrorists, and there was something to do --shop, wander, pray in the synagogue and eat-- if we were early for the bus.

Our public transportation on Egged Tavura, though improved, still isn't what it should be.

Low Calorie/Carb Eating Out- Just Ask for a Plate!

One of the big problems for us weight-watchers, dieters, diabetics etc. is that so many restaurant and fast food places have bread as an integral part of the meal. I have a friend who is determined and disciplined enough to just eat what's inside the pita or bread and not touch anything else. But most of us are made of weaker stuff.

That's why I was so happy to discover that in the little "food court," kiosk by the Sha'ar Binyamin Rami Levy, you can ask for your "chicken breast," mixed grill or whatever on a plate.

You get the same reasonably portioned, personally prepared (I always insist on no added salt) meat accompanied by salad and whatever dressings you want on a small plate, no bread, carbohydrates etc.

And did I tell you it only cost me ns15?

Machane Yehuda's Magical Transformation

Every night, in the Center of Jerusalem something very magic happens. The famous Open Market-Machane Yehuda packs away the onions, bananas, apples etc. to become Jerusalem's latest bar and restaurant scene.

The covers over the shopping lanes, which had been put up to protect the customers from rain as they picked out the very best mango and orange from the rains and wind now now provide the perfect covers for those looking for nightlife. Davka, when my dining partner and I braved the rain walking over there, I wondered how many people would be out considering the weather and the security situation. Nobody can predict where the terrorists will strike against innocent Israelis. But the "night shuk" was filling, and he told me that later on it would be packed. Apparently, 8pm is considered early. It was late enough for me. We ate at Michmoret the excellent fish restaurant where you get a first course of Israeli salads and an excellent bread.

You choose a fish, which is a large portion and comes with either cooked vegetables or "chips," aka French Fries. Along with that we had some beer, and the bill came to about ns100 each, tip extra.

Here are some "street scenes" of the shuk at night!

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Night Came so Early

As I try to psyche myself up for the very first super short Friday of the year, I'm posting some "traveling home in the dark" photos I took Sunday night which was the first early night of the year. You may be wondering what I mean, since the times of sunset and sunrise do change slowly, because the earth in relation to the sun is slow.  But remember that only last Saturday night-Sunday pre-morning did we switch from Daylight Savings Time to Greenwich +2.  The result is that Shabbat candlelighting time is going to be over an hour earlier this week (today) than it was last week, so I and all the other Sabbath observers will have an hour less to get all the cooking and cleaning done. And when I was traveling home from the dentist in Jerusalem last Sunday, it was dark when my body felt it should be light.

On the trip back I had a good seat in the bus and took lots of photos. Night can be gorgeous as you can see here.

waiting for the bus at the "String Bridge" stop

entering the busy traffic

Jerusalem "city line"

Types and Fonts in the Israel Museum

There are quite a few new exhibitions in the Israel Museum, and I had to choose which to see very quickly the other night. I chose the exhibit about the history of modern Hebrew types and fonts,

New Types Three Pioneers of Hebrew Graphic Design.
October 22, 2015-Location: Palevsky Design PavilionArtist: Moshe Spitzer, Franzisca Baruch, Henri FriedlaenderCurator: Ada WardiMoshe Spitzer, Franzisca Baruch, and Henri Friedlaender studied and worked in pre-World War II Germany before immigrating to Israel, where they continued to be active for decades. Their works include the emblem of the City of Jerusalem, the Hadassah typeface, and books published by Tarshish. The exhibition explores the work processes of each one of these groundbreaking designers and presents a selection of their key works.
Organized in collaboration with the German Literature Archive, Marbach, and with the support of the Goethe Institute.
Research assistance granted by the Franz Rosenzweig Minerva Research Center for German-Jewish Literature and Cultural History at the Hebrew University
Henri Friedlaender
"Hadassah" typeface adapted for IBM template, early 1970s
Franzisca Baruch, sketchbook of Hebrew letters copied from ancient manuscripts
Germany, early 1920s
Library of the Schocken VerlagSchocken Publishing House, Berlin, 1933-39

Not only was it interesting and informative, but the display was exquisite. 

The Israel Museum is very child-friendly with lots of fascinating exhibits. It's the perfect place to visit in the winter, because there is so much to see. And of course after the renovations a few years ago, it is now handicapped accessible for those who need it. The restaurants offer a variety of dining options from snacks to full meals. I was there during the rain and started my visit at Mansfield with perfect mint tea and a dried fruit-nut snack to give me the energy to wander around for a few hours. Check their internet site for details.