Face 2 Facebook

Yesterday a group of amazing women made history by turning a facebook group into an f2f (real-time) relationship.

I'm not the first to have blogged about it.  Miriam and Rachel beat me to the punch keyboard.  We all agree that it was an amazing event.  No doubt Sharon Katz, of Voices Magazine will blog about it and maybe Risa will blog, too.  I offered the non-bloggers in the group to guest-blog on one of my blogs if they want, on any topic.

Uncharacteristically for me, I ended up arriving last due to some travel snafus.  But I was greeted with so many hugs by women who thanked me for, well being me, which was a very new experience for myself.

Even though we've been communicating for months via facebook, I had no idea of the challenges so many of the members are going through and have overcome.  It was inspiring for sure.  We ended the "brunch" by dividing up T'hillim, Psalms and saying them with prayers for all.

We met in the Café Café in Center 1, near the Jerusalem Central Bus Station.  They were very accommodating in offering our group a private room, which is where a store used to be right next to the restaurant.  That gave us some privacy, and we didn't annoy the other patrons all that much, I hope.  I shared a Halulmi Salad with a friend.  It was perfect.

Unfortunately, service hasn't improved at all at Café Café.  The last time I was there I had promised myself never to return, but one should never say never.  The service was slow and disorganized, though the staff was very pleasant.  We laughed at the irony in the big sign at the main entrance to the expanded Center 1.

When they say "take your time," they mean it.

The View From the Top

I have no problems sitting in the Ezrat Nashim, Women's Gallery, in my synagogue.  One of the reasons is that I have the best seat in the house.  I'm front row and center.  It's not my original seat.  When we built our shul, I had my husband buy me the seat most similar to the one I always chose in the temporary structure* we used to pray in.  I'd always take the third row, furthest in, by the wall, so I could lean against the wall when tired of standing.  I never considered myself of the "elite" to sit any closer to the front.  And I didn't want to sit too far to the back.  I was very happy in my "corner" of sorts praying to G-d.

After a few minor renovations, the removal of the door to the stairs and a small addition I began suffering from the "breeze," aka draft that blew in straight to my place to my legs and side.  Nobody liked to sit next to me, which would have protected me, because of the freezing wind.  I would ask women closest to the door to please keep it closed, but others complained that there was no air.  Yes, it was very unpleasant.  Finally, the person who was chairman of the shul committee offered me a different seat.  One of the women did not like sitting in the front row.  She didn't care about the draft, so we switched.

I love watching what goes on downstairs.  All Simchat Torah I wished it had been permitted to photograph, the scenes were so moving.  Paula, A Soldier's Mother writes something very similar to what I had been thinking.

I consider myself so privileged to be part of an extraordinarily wonderful community, congregation, neighborhood.  I watched the children and the elderly and all those in between as they prayed and danced and helped each other.  We now have ramp access to the synagogue including a second Ezrat Nashim, so that those who can't climb stairs can still fully participate.

This Simchat Torah, the second aka breakaway, chassidic, "younger" or whatever you want to call it minyan prayed with us instead of in the miklat/shelter they usually use.  We now have enough room, and the kids really enjoyed all being together.  They aren't involved in their parents' decisions.  It's all one neighborhood.  Also, some neighbors who usually go to the Aidot Mizrach (North African) shul dovened with us, since we're closer to their house.  I also saw some neighbors who usually go down the hill to the main shul prayed with us.

Shiloh has a large number of synagogues, which is nice.  Choice is good, as long as it's done in good spirit.  We have Ashkenaz, Israeli United, Aidot Mizrach and Yemenite.  And when the hesder yeshiva is in session with students, they have a couple of minyanim, too.  There are also a couple of very early ones which usually finish in a short time.  Some young fathers go there and then babysit so their wives can then pray in the later shuls.

Simchat Torah night in Shiloh the tradition is to meet up, all the shuls, in a central spot and dance together with the Sifrei Torah.

We're in Shiloh for thirty-one years, plus a bit, so I really know most of my neighbors.  Many of today's children and children of the children who once lived and played here.  And the very elderly were once active parents and grandparents.  We've all gotten older, and some of us are sadly remembered on the dedication plaques decorating the walls of the shul's additions.  Newer families fit right in seamlessly.

Baruch HaShem!  Thank G-d for my hometown Shiloh!!!

*a rickety cardboard prefab, aka caravan

Never Too Late to Learn

I enjoyed reading Sam Sokol's Jerusalem Post article about Matan, even though it is about their Talmud department and not the Bible classes Ive been taking the past few years. 

My Matan courses are the highlight of my week.  I've become a great fan of the TaNaCh, Bible.  I'm taking three courses at Matan, each totally different.

• Al HaPerek- Matan has divided the Bible from Joshua until the last book into a five year program.  Each week we receive questions based on two (sometimes more) chapters.  I learn with a small group of friends.  Other participants learn alone or with a family member or an Al HaPerek group.  This is a wonderful opportunity.  No matter how strong or weak your Bible learning background it's possible to learn a lot here.
• From King David to the Davidic Dynasty-Dr. Yael Ziegler, I love politics, modern and Biblical.  I've been fascinated by King David, his rise and fall for many years.  Now, this year, we'll be learning about his children and their rivalries.
• From Adolescence to Maturity in Sefer B´Midbar-Atara Snowbell, this will be the third year I'll be studying with Atara Snowbell and the second year year we'll be delving into the mysteries of the Book of Bamidbar, which means "in the desert," although it was translated as "Numbers" by the early English language printers.

Some of the courses, at least the English ones, are also open to male students.  Al HaPerek isn't restricted to women at all.  Classes resume next week, so if you're interested in studying, either in Hebrew or English, now's the time to look into it. There are also some other branches, not only in Jerusalem.  And it's also possible to sign up to listen to all of the courses.

Students are all ages.  Many of us are using our time now to make up for the fact that we have a very weak Jewish studies background.  They certainly didn't teach this in New York Public Schools.  And other fellow students come from very strong Jewish studies backgrounds and find the level of teaching in Matan so high that it's truly inspiring. 

Remember that adult classes and curriculum are nothing like even what the best Jewish school offers.  Yes, it's never too late!

Celebrating Havel Havelim, An Aspiring Mekubal Does it Again

There are some wonderful jbloggers out there in the world of Jewish blogging.  Michael, An Aspiring Mekubal, is always willing to pitch in when we're short a host.  I really appreciate his generosity.

So here's Havel Havelim #380, which he managed to produce on the Eve of Simchat Torah, just a week after his previous edition HH #379.  There is a nice variety of posts from lots of blogs.  He must have spent a lot of time finding them.  Please read, comment and share.  It's a great way to keep some of the holiday spirit.

Next week's Havel Havelim host is  Ima 2 Seven.  Please send in your links via blog carnival.  If you're a Jewish blogger and would like to get more involved aka become a host, join our facebook page.

There are other Jewish blog carnivals (floating internet magazines,) such as the Kosher Cooking Carnival.  Send in your posts via blog carnival, and we also have a facebook page.

There's also JPIX for Jewish picture posts.

Various Types of Jewish Intermarriage, The Good, Bad and the Risky

The Good: In the Jewish World, there are all sorts of Jews from various countries, ethnic groups and cultures.  In the days when travel was rare and generally in one direction only Jews married within their own village, ethnic culture and even extended family.  Today's world is very different. There's lots of traveling, moving etc.  A Jewish neighborhood or social group will have Jews from a wide variety of ethnic groups, Ashekenaz (Europe,), Aidot Mizrach (North-Africa-Arab,) converts and more.  Jewish Life and customs, like food and prayers are sometimes very different but still based on the Torah.  In the Israeli branch of my very Ashkenaz family we now have a new generation of Tunisian and Yemenite Jews whose mothers were born Ashkenaz.  This new generation unites the Jewish People. That's the good intermarriage, in italics l'havdil-to differentiate between this and the real one when a Jew marries out of the faith.

The Bad:  According to traditional Jewish Law, a child's religion is according to the mother, so when a Jewish man marries a non-Jewish woman, his children won't be Jewish.  Of course if she converts according to Torah Law, she and the children born after conversion are fully Jewish, but conversions are rare.   Most intermarriage is between Jewish men and non-Jewish women.  There's a double problem here.  The resulting children aren't Jewish and there are fewer Jewish men available to marry Jewish women.  That's the bad intermarriage.

The Risky: According to traditional Jewish Law, a child's religion is according to the mother, so when a Jewish woman marries a non-Jewish man, the children are Jewish, but these children are generally raised with both religions. They are frequently told that they can choose their religion or none when they are older.  Very few are given much of a Jewish education even when the parents both decide that the children should have one, because in most locations only Reform synagogues will accept these families as members.  It's extremely difficult to raise Torah observant children when their father isn't Jewish.  There is less support and in many cases they have loving family members who aren't Jewish which makes the kids more ambivalent about their religious identities.

Modern life is very complicated.  Most Jewish families have all of these situations.  Mine does for sure.

Confession: I'm Among That One Billion

This is a bit tough to admit, since I'm a genetically disposed non-conformist.  Generally, even when I'm not trying to be different, I stand out in a crowd, choosing the wrong color, style or opinion.  So for me to be one of those one billion 1,000,000,000 people on facebook, it makes me rather nervous.  Has the internet dulled my uncontrollable innate individuality?

It was via facebook that my cousin's daughter discovered my flight plans for this past summer and convinced me to detour to Philly from Newark Airport, when I had planned on going straight to New York.  I had a great time in Philadelphia with cousins, saw almost a dozen, some I had never even met before.  Yes, most of the arrangements were via facebook, plus some emails and a phone call.  Yes, I can fully thank facebook for that great day.

My jblogger friends and I have been relying on our Havel Havelim facebook page to keep HH going, seeing who will volunteer to host, publicizing editions and messaging our posts etc.

We even had an excuse the expression "tweet-up" which was partially organized via facebook communications aka friends.

There's a group of us planning an f2f in a few days.  We have a closed facebook group.  It's our little "coffee clatch" group.  We chat about all sorts of things.  Some of us know each other in the real world, but I don't think everyone knows everyone outside of facebook.

I must admit that I only signed up with facebook because I was told that it was a good way to promote my blogs.  Other people are involved with facebook to promote businesses. 

I can relate to Ruth Eglash's article in the Jerusalem Post about the panic when she was locked out of her facebook account, I was also locked out, though not as long.  I didn't thought that I had become so dependent or addicted to it.

I guess when it comes to communication, it makes sense to be part of the masses, or with whom will you communicate?

Another "Only In Israel" Succot Celebrated So Publicly

I'm not the first to shoot this sort of photo:

This Egged, public bus, not only has its number, but the greeting מועדים לשמחה Mo'adim L'Simcha, A Joyful Holiday alternates with the geographical destination.

There never was a time when all Jews were strictly Torah observant.  That is except for those few magic moments at Mount Sinai when all Jewish souls, alive and yet to be born declared:

 "נעשה ונשמה" "Na'aseh v'nishma," "We will do (obey/observe) and we will listen." 

Anyone who claims otherwise is wrong.  We Jews, as humans,  have always had free will, and that enables us to sin.  So, those who want to concentrate on the problems here in Israel with Torah observance will tell you how awful it is.  Of course it's easy to complain about the problems and sins of others, but I want to show you the wonderful Jewish life here.

Enjoy this medley of pictures I took in Jerusalem over Succot.  There are more on my facebook page.

It says: Chol HaMoed, CLOSED, Chag Sameach, Happy Holiday

Israel's a Jewish Country, with good and bad, just like the Jewish People.

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom

Only "In" Israel, Keeping Shabbat as Official Israeli Abroad

American public life has its Joe Lieberman Shabbat stories, like Al Gore as Shabbos goy.  There aren't too many fully Torah observant Jews in high and difficult public positions in America.

But in Israel, it has become more and more common for Shomer Shabbat, strictly Sabbath observing people to have the sort of jobs one wouldn't dare to attempt even a decade or so ago.  Maybe all over the world, feminists are admitting that women can't do everything without something cracking, but here in Israel it's more and more common to see kippot of all sizes on men in positions that once seemed impossible if you didn't want to compromise your observance.  In the IDF there are a number of female officers in skirts and "kissu'i rosh," covered hair--meaning they are married and Torah observant.

The prime ministerial motorcade in

New York’s JFK airport

photo credit: Raphael Ahren/Times of Israel

Times of Israel writer, Raphael Ahren, reported how he managed to cover Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's United Nations trip in New York without breaking Shabbat.  According to Ahren, on Shabbat there was a supply of ready-made kosher food taking up two rooms, one for meat and one for dairy, in the hotel where Bibi was staying.  My guess is that the large order his office placed Friday afternoon to the strictly kosher, Pomegranate kosher supermarket made up either all or some of that food.

IMHO, that's  a nice way to start the new year, 5773.  Let's just look for some good stories, not bad ones, ok?

Are You Living in a "Booth?" Memories of an Assimilated Jew

The Ain Prat- Fountainhead group's latest Succot presentation:



When I was growing up, we didn't know much about Succot, even though I studied in Oakland Jewish Center, Bayside, NY, Hebrew School three days a week.  Sometimes we were called in to decorate the shul's succah, but I didn't go to shul on Succot.  I went to school.  I don't even remembering asking to take off for those days. 

I have some memories of going to shul on a Simchat Torah at night once and getting a "jelly apple."  It was probably the only time I had ever eaten one.  My parents were rather strict about what candies we ate.  That resulted in gorging on anything sweet whenever getting the opportunity, a problem I'm still trying to overcome.

There weren't many succot during my childhood, and only when I started becoming religious and ate in frum homes on Succot did I eat in one.  My husband's family didn't have one at all, since they lived in an aprtment. 

During our first Succot in Israel and being married, we didn't have a succah.  We were in the Maon Betar, Old City and brought our food to the one the Bnai Akiva house had put up.

The following year we lived in our very own apartment in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem, and a good friend to this very day helped my husband buy and assemble our very first succah on the special succah merpeset, balcony.  We had lots of guests and not enough chairs, but that's another story...

Chag Sameach

Is It Rude for Guests to...

Is it rude for guests to come without a house gift?

Among our friends and neighbors, the accepted  behavior/manners if invited for a Shabbat or Jewish Holiday meal is to bring something, flowers, wine, or something for the meal.  Nowadays, among our usual hosting/visiting neighbors, I make vegetables, usually baked vegetables in a disposable aluminum tray.  To people we don't know all that well or who live a distance away, we'll bring a bottle of wine.  Most of us have our "usual" contributions to the meal when we are guests.

There have been times when we get calls to take visiting students or other strangers who've come to Shiloh for a Shabbat meal.  It is very rare that these guests bring anything, anything at all. 

When the guests are from some program, I'm surprised that their madrichim, group counselors don't instruct them that it's rude to come empty-handed.  We are not the program's dining room/food service.  Their tuition doesn't go to us and our food budgets.  I hope they say "thank you" to the staff who serve them wherever they are learning, an act which costs nothing.  The program madrichim  should help them organize at least minimal gifts to be given to each hosting family, whether for a meal or sleeping arrangements. 

I don't agree to host in expectation for presents.  I just think that the guests should learn to recognize that we're doing a favor and they should show thankfulness and politeness.

Not long ago, we got a call from a neighbor soon before Shabbat asking us to host some people who just wanted to spend a Shabbat in Shiloh.  We agreed, and I quickly made extra food for them.  Now, these guys weren't poor students.  They worked and one was wealthy enough to own a car, being amazed that we have always managed without one.  They came totally empty-handed, as if we existed to serve them.  I don't even remember a proper "thank-you."

This Year's Succah

Last year #1 son reconstructed our succah with the assistance of the son-in-law. 

Usually my husband is lucky, and at least one of the boys comes to visit pre-Succot to help him construct/assemble it, especially to get the sechach up on top.  This year he had to do it on his own. 

As you can see he managed.  OK, it helps to be tall and we do have a nice ladder he uses when necessary.  OK, our son likes to climb, but...

And I had to decorate it on my own, not for the first time.  We have a box with enough decorations to decorate a succah big enough for dozens of people. 

As you can see, we have a wide variety of decorations, posters, greeting cards, calendar pictures, homemade and a photo, too.

Mekubal-- Havel Havelim Heads Into Succot

The 379th and still counting Havel Havelim is at An Aspiring Mekubal this week, on the Eve of Succot.  I'd say it's an Inspiring Mekubal to take on this important community responsibility.  In the past few months he has hosted Havel Havelim many times.

The best way of thanking An Aspiring Mekubal is to visit and share this wonderful edition of the biggest and most veteran Jewish Bloggers Carnival in the universe!

Chag Succot Sameach

Have a Joyful Succot Holiday

Signs of Succot, Shiloh and Jerusalem

Let the pictures speak for themselves...

 

 

There can be lots of creativity in succah building.

Chag Sameach

Have a Joyful Holiday

Pragmatic, Spontaneous aka Creative Cooking

There are two basic types of cooks.  One plans meals, checks recipes and buys the food needed.  My sister-in-law is like that.  We are very close but, oh, so different.  She can go to a half a dozen stores just to get the exact cheese needed for a recipe. 

I'm the opposite.  I never really know what I'll be cooking until I see what there is in the fridge, freezer and pantry.

My meals don't have fancy themes.  I can make a variety of different sorts of dishes for the same meal.  The closest thing to a theme would be "healthy," "balanced" and simple.

I'll give for an example my latest "invention" aka experiment.

Someone gave us a jar of olives.  We don't eat olives.  It's not that we don't like them, but...  I also had some basmati brown rice, which had been cooked up for the pre-Yom Kippur fast meal.  I made a shidduch, match, decided to cook them together.

First I sauteed onion, pepper, some olives (and the brine/liquid) and olive oil.  When I could smell it cooking, I added the cooked rice, cooked covered and stirred on a low flame.  (You may need to add a bit of water.)  When I could smell the rice cooking and the flavors blending, I turned it off.

It was a success.  Everybody liked it. 

Would You Believe....

We all know that reality is the best comedy writer.  I don't think Latma could do much better, even if it pegs this story to a conspiracy.  Maybe the American Secret Service didn't want the Israeli journalists to make it to the United Nations on time...

Here's a funny true life story I saw on a friend's facebook page.  (He's a real friend f2f, not just a fb one.)

I've never thought much of American security, but this story shows their true colors.  Who's really in charge? 

Why should the bus taking Israeli journalists to cover the United Nations run out of gas?

Read the story to find out about their rescue.

I have a lot to do today, my husband's Friday chores along with my own.  He has his turn at work for today.  Every couple of months he has to work on a Friday or Eve of Holiday.  So I have to go down to the grocery store, which isn't my usual Friday assignment.

You may be interested in reading my simple solution to the  problem of Yom Kippur during daylight savings time.  I blogged it this morning on Shiloh Musings.

If I don't get back here before Shabbat, have a peaceful one!

Glad I'm A Woman! And Succah Decorating Tips

There are many Torah observant women who try to bend halacha to give them the responsibilities of men in Jewish Life.  I'm not among them at all.  I'm glad that I don't have to lead a rousing prayer while fasting.  It was enough to dance along to the Yom Kippur prayers on tired legs and an empty stomach.  G-d must have given lots of energy to the young men who acted as our voluntary chazanim, cantors.  I was very happy not to have to deal with all that public responsibility.

Many of us traditional Torah observant women joke that Succot is the female revenge for Passover.

Passover logistics, cleaning and organizing fall mainly on the females, while building a succah and purchasing the arba'a minim, four botanical species fall on the males.  For some men, succah construction is a total nightmare.

 

 

Not everyone enjoys the challenge of building a succah.

And for those who are looking for an easy and inexpensive way to decorate their succah, the best deal is to use the pictures in Jewish Calendars.

I hope that you haven't thrown out last year's calendar, because you can hang up the pictures.  Also, if you've received more than one calendar, this year, or more than you need, you can just hang up pictures from one of the calendars.  Many of the decorations we use, are free calendar pictures.

Enjoy!

Dancing The Prayers

Today was Yom Kippur, a traditional marathon of prayers in the synagogue.  We started last night after finishing a very early dinner.  Everything had to be finished, from the last drop of water to brushing our teeth before the sun had begun to set.

Then we went to pray.  The Yom Kippur evening prayers begin very softly and seriously.  We ask G-d to cancel whatever vows/oaths we may have said over the year, and while we're at it, we add a "PS" that older ones and future ones be cancelled, too.

After that is an extra long evening prayer, including Vidu'i, Confessions.  Most of the tunes are pretty somber, but sometimes I find myself sort of hopping around.

Then it's back home for a long night's sleep.  There isn't much to do on Yom Kippur, certainly not nosh.

The next morning we were back in synagogue sort of glued to our seats.  Well, not quite glued, since we're supposed to stand for long periods of the services.  There was a break, less than two hours.  We don't have professional singers/chazzanim/cantors leading the prayers.  We have some brave neighbors with strong voices.  Some of them are more feeling/soul than skill and would never have been accepted into a school glee club, unless the school had a policy to accept everyone.  But, davka, those neighbors sometimes make the best prayers, all feeling,, and that's what Yom Kippur is about.  Prayers must be sincere or they are useless.

Frequently when standing was becoming painful, the tunes would get lively and I'd find myself dancing.  OK, sort of dancing, since I could only move up or down, busy work for my ankles and knees.

The final part of the Yom Kippur Prayers is Ni'ila, from the Hebrew for locking.  We must get our prayers in before G-d locks the door.  That was sung by a young man with an excellent voice who had chosen great tunes and my neighbors and I who were in the same row ended with our arms around each other swaying to the tunes and singing along.

Perched up in the women's balcony we, too prayed/sang at the top of our lungs.

May your year be full of "good things."

Eve of Yom HaKippurim Message

Yesterday at Yafiz, the color of the day was white.  Most people wanted to buy white clothes for Yom Kippur.  It's traditional to wear white, to symbolize our cleaning, spiritual cleaning.  Our spiritual insides should be as pure as our clothing.  I was very busy putting together suitable outfits for our customers.

My basic Yom Kippur outfit, also worn on Shavuot has been upgraded with a new white (and silver) scarf.  I also recently bought one of those long lace-trimmed shirts to wear under my blouse with the lace showing.  Not only does it look nice, but it'll keep me warm as fasting cools me off.

Dry Bones

Hat tip to Rafi's Life in Israel for the Unetaneh Tokef Prayer. "ונתנה תוקף" - החזן הראשי לצה"ל סא"ל שי אברמסון

On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die at his predestined time and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword, who by beast, who by famine, who by thirst, who by storm, who by plague, who by strangulation, and who by stoning. Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in harmony and who will be harried, who will enjoy tranquillity and who will suffer, who will be impoverished and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be exalted.

Congregation aloud, then chazzan:

But REPENTANCE, PRAYER and CHARITY

Remove the Evil of the Decree!

Gmar Chatima Tova to all

First Havel Havelim of the Year

We're into new Jewish year mode, so there are lots of firsts, of course...

new HH logo by Paula

Ya'aqov's Esser Agaroth is the host of the very first 5773 Havel Havelim, the long longest-running Jewish blog carnival.

There are three Jewish blog carnivals that I know of.  I wonder if somewhere there are Jewish bloggers who do something similar but somehow have slipped under the our radar.  A few years Awhile after I became involved with blogging and blog carnivals, I started the Kosher Cooking Carnival when a recipe of mine was rejected from a recipe carnival, because the edition's theme was pork.  At the same time I was also hosting a lot of editions of Havel Havelim and commented that there were so many gorgeous posts filled with pictures, that maybe we (somebody?) should start an additional Jewish blog carnival based on that theme.  The Bagel Blogger, who no longer blogs, took up that challenge and created JPIX.  Now it's coordinated by Leora.

Back to Havel Havelim...
There's a nice variety of posts, even though Ya'aqov doesn't agree with all of them, including one of mine.  We jbloggers are a very heterogeneous group, so don't think that all the posts included are the same.

Happy reading, and please don't forget to comment and share, thanks.

Gmar chatima tova!
Have a wonderful and many, many more!

ps Jbloggers, please participate in the carnivals by sending in links and hosting, thanks.  Information in the linked editions.

Why The Best Wine is From HERE!

 

When I write "here" or "HERE" I'm referring to the Shiloh area, the genuine Bible Land, Efrayim-Menashe tribal lands.  There's an article in Arutz 7 explaining that famous French wine grapes are actually from here, brought there a millennium ago.

"The grapes used to make Chardonnay are actually grapes that the French Crusaders brought back from here," Harow stated. She said that Israeli wine experts have been explaining that the word Chardonnay actually comes from two Hebrew words meaning "gate of G-d." (Sha'ar Adonoiy)
"We tasted the award-winning wines, but there's something much more then the quality," Harow commented. "We saw the ancient wine presses and the some 2,000 little huts that were found in the regions of Ephraim and Menashe. As good as the wine was its so much more," she said. Further evidence that most French wines are named after the region from where the grapes grow, such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, however there is no such region called Chardonnay in France.

The secret is now out!


 

Chardonnay grapes Wikipedia

more of my grapes

my green grapes before fully ripe


No doubt in the hands of experienced winemakers fantastic wines can be made from my small vineyard.