Shiloh, Local Democracy! Voting for The Town Council

Again, for the twentieth time at least, I was on our local election committee. It's my annual contribution, volunteer job. I help run our local elections for Mazkirut, which is very much like a town council. Each councilor, there are five, serves two years, but to make sure there's always someone with experience, not all five are chosen the same year. One year we elect two and the next year we elect three.

People nominate themselves, and do some campaigning. Sometimes a couple of candidates campaign together, and other times each on his/her own. There are over three hundred families living in Shiloh. Voting rights are the heads of household, husband, wife and also those adults without a spouse, as long as they are either the home-owner or renter. Also to vote, one must be an official member our our community, a "member of the aguda." After the first year, people are approved or not. Most are approved. If the person/family is problematic, doesn't pay taxes, fees, etc. They aren't accepted.

I enjoy running elections, because I get to see lots of neighbors.  Here are photos from the elections.

She was first one to vote. She got to the library before we set everything up!

the committee

Notice the healthy food we were brought to nosh on! That salad was specially for me.

There had been urgings to postpone elections because a storm was forecast, but I told them that if it snows by 5:30 then we'll change the date. It didn't snow and barely rained. And the turnout was fine!

Elisha Davidson, Part 1, Anxiously Awaiting Part 2!

I've just finished reading ELISHA DAVIDSON and the Letters of Fire Part One of a Trilogy by M. R. Attar, Menorah Books, and I'm impatiently awaiting the next one and the one after that. The book had been sitting here waiting for me to find time to read it. Finally I finished a few books which had been here even longer.

One advantage to the fact that it had taken me so long is that there will be less time to wait for part two. Yes, I'm serious. The story of young Elisha Davidson who somehow finds himself part of in incomprehensible situation between a "rock" and an unstable Kohen-Priest. And I want to read the entire story!

In the Old City of Jerusalem, a secret school exists which trains students in an all-powerful otherworldly wisdom. Young Elisha Davidson isn't considered one of their most promising students, but after he accidentally discovers a strange ‘stone’ buried behind the walls of his own home, he ends up unleashing mysterious letters of fire that plunge him into a labyrinth of ancient scripture, legend and mysticism. Now Elisha is not only light-years ahead of his classmates, he’s reached a more advanced level than his school’s most venerated ‘master'. What happens when Elisha suddenly holds the keys to unimaginable ancient powers?
Elisha Davidson and the Letters of Fire isn’t based on fantasy. It draws only on non-fiction manuscripts, dating as far back as 5,775 years ago, and exposes the most extraordinary and cryptic teachings of the human race.

M. R. Attar has written a very gripping readable adventure book, suitable for all ages, yes, just like Harry Potter allegedly is. In all honesty, I've never read a Harry Potter book. That sort of fantasy just doesn't interest me. But  ELISHA DAVIDSON and the Letters of Fire  is Jewish, so I figured I'd give it a try.

Yes, of course I recommend the book. It's an enjoyable read and would make a great gift, too.

Product Code: ELDAVLF

ISBN: 978-1-940516-20-2

Binding: Paperback/ 234 pages

Dimensions:8” H x 5” W

Weight: 0.65 lb

Global shipping available.

The Photogenic Israel Museum

I have no doubt that rain or shine, day or night, there is no place like the Israel Museum for photography. Here are a few pictures form my most recent visit.

Me in the Big Bambú

It's a must see for tourists and a great place if you need to take pictures. Best of all it'ls fun for the whole family or nice if you want to go there on your own.

Raining Mud

Those of us in the mountainous parts of Israel had been warned about another snowstorm for last night and today. I had received numerous emails and phone calls begging me to change the day of the local elections scheduled for last night, but I kept on refusing.

"If it's snowing by 5:30pm, then we'll think about it," I kept telling everyone.

And to the comments about "stormy weather," as the evening progressed, I was incredulous.

"What storm? It's just a bit windy."
"Isn't it raining?"
"No."

The closest thing to a "storm" was the mud rain I found myself out in when trying to make my way home. Because of another RavKav (bus/train card) foul-up I had missed the 3:15 and 3:30 buses home. So I tremped, but it was one of my least pleasant attempts to tremp. I ended up waiting a long time in the nasty weather. There wasn't all that much rain, and whatever came down was mixed with sand, turning it into a "mud rain."

I'll have to launder my coat. I'm glad I don't wash windows. Car washes should be doing good business as soon as the weather clears.

A Soldiers' "Pina Chama" in Shiloh

In Shiloh, there is now a "Pina Chama" for soldiers in Shiloh. A "Pina Chama" is a "free coffee shop" for soldiers, where they can stop for a nosh as a gift from supporters. There has been one in Gush Etzion for many years. There it's staffed by dedicated volunteers. One of my sons once discovered an old friend of mine there, when he mentioned that his "mother has a lot of friends in Efrat."

The Shiloh Pina Chama is in the pizza place. A few tables have been set aside for the soldiers, and nosherei is set up daily for them to eat. It was established by a young couple, Meir and Liron Avitan in memory of grandparents.

The official opening was this week, though it has been open for awhile.

Until all the paperwork is complete, donations are via the local grocery store.

Another Taste of Piccolino

A couple of weeks ago, my dining partner and I decided to pay another visit to Piccolino. We had enjoyed our previous visit so much, when we were seated at the friendly bar, which in some ways was like a luncheonette of old. I used to enjoy sitting on high stools and being part of the "action," rather than at a quiet table when eating on my own. Unless you crave a "private" spot for your meal, the bar is a great place to sit.

But on this second visit we ate outside, in the very warm and comfortable setting serenaded by two very talented young men on the violin and piano.

The music was a very melodious combination of light classical and Klesmir. It was very pleasant and just the right volume.

Yes, we went to Piccolino for the food, not the music. And the food was great!  I started my meal with the most delicious Cream of Tomato Soup I had ever eaten. I was tempted to lick the bowl; it was that good!

For Main Course, my companion had their "Tuna Salad" which was unlike any I'd ever seen. I had Stuffed Artichoke Hearts with Root Vegetables. Both were excellent.

The desserts we got were superb. They were worth the calories!


There was some sort of layered cake, as you can see in the photo:

We had some fresh mint tea and an irresistible combination of chocolate and whipped cream. All I can say is that my self-control got up and left. I had no defenses against these desserts.

  They were totally irresistible. Piccolino is in Jerusalem's Nachalat Shiva neighborhood. 12 Yoel Moshe Solomon Street, Music Square, Jerusalem. Mail: Nava@piccolino.co.il   Phone: 02-6244186

Adventures in AliyahLand, "Yikes It's Yitro" Havel Havelim

Tzivia of Adventures in Aliyahland,  Adventures in Breadland, plus more blogs and books, including one I reviewed, than I can list here has produced a wonderful Havel Havelim. It's full of a wide variety of blog posts about Jewish topics from all over, just the way a Havel Havelim should be.

I fully recommend checking it out, and reading the various posts, commenting, sharing etc.

Havel Havelim is the weekly international Jewish bloggers carnival, a round up of blog posts from all over the world on a wide range of subjects. We're in open group, always looking for new members, from Israel and abroad. We keep in touch via our facebook page.

Next week's host is A Soldier's Mother.

Enjoy! Thanks, Tzivia!!

Possible Solution to My USA Income Tax Problem

Does anyone know more about this?

Considering that my husband and I moved to Israel in our very early twenties in 1970, going on forty-five 45 years ago, we're very upset about the recent law and enthusiastic enforcement of it requiring that all American citizens, even expats who earn little money and ask nothing of the USA Government must file tax returns. Remember that we pay for our American Passports. Finding a qualified accountant here in Israel to do it for us will cost a lot of money, which we don't have to spare.

For us, relinquishing American citizenship isn't an option. We have close family there and need to visit without the hassles of visas.

This morning before checking my yahoo mail, I saw an interesting headline in their news about freebies for seniors. Look at this:

Free tax preparation. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help to all taxpayers with an emphasis on those age 60 and older. Volunteers, who are certified by the IRS, specialize in pension and other retirement-related tax issues. Use theTCE locator tool to find a site near you. And AARP Foundation Tax-Aide offers free tax preparation for low- to moderate-income taxpayers, especially those 60 and older, at more than 5,000 locations.

I plan on clicking the links here for more information, but I'd like to know if anyone how there reading this knows more, thanks. I'll be visiting the states soon.

PS How can I get an American "senior citizen card?" I missed out on train discounts in a previous visit, because the ticket checker didn't recognize my passport as official proof.

"Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew," A Book Review

Hebrew is a very unique language, and if you want to know more about it and its history and holiness, then Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew  by Reuven Chaim Klein, Mosaica Press, is the book for you!

Rabbi Klein has put together an amazingly deep, well-researched book about Hebrew. Hebrew is like no other language. Any combination of letters means something, and the history of the language, linguistics and usage are all covered in his book.

Throughout Jewish literature, the Hebrew language is referred to as Lashon HaKodesh. Its history, origins, decline, and rebirth are simply fascinating. Furthermore, at its deepest level, Lashon HaKodesh is called such ( the Holy Language ) because it is intrinsically sacred and is thus unlike any other language known to Man. Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew seeks to understand the holiness of Lashon HaKodesh, follows its history, and focuses on the significance of Aramaic and other Jewish languages such as Yiddish and Ladino. An extended section is devoted to Modern Hebrew, its controversies, and its implications from a religious perspective. This unique work delves into the linguistic history of each Jewish language , as well as the philological, Kabbalistic, and Halachic approaches to this topic taken by various Rabbinic figures through the ages. The author also compares and contrasts traditional Jewish views to those of modern-day academia, offering proofs and difficulties to both approaches. As the old saying goes, Two Jews, three opinions. In almost every chapter, more than one way of looking at the matter at hand is presented. In some cases, the differing opinions can be harmonized, but ultimately many matters remain subject to dispute. Hopefully, the mere knowledge of these sources will whet the reader s intellectual curiosity to learn more. Written by a brilliant young scholar, Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew is ground-breaking, intriguing, and remarkable. (Amazon)

Learn about Biblical mentions of Hebrew and Biblical figures refered to as "עברי" "Ivri," "Hebrew." Of course Klein mentions the Biblical Tower of Babel, when G-d punishes everyone by taking away common language. He gives us a number of Midrashim  which explain the role of Hebrew in the story.

The section I found most interesting with ramifications until today concern the use of Modern Hebrew here in the HolyLand from the early Zionists and before. It disturbs me greatly to see how Ashekenaz (European) Jews, whether Torah observant or not, ignored the fact that there were many, many G-d fearing Jews in other parts of the world. The fact that Yiddish was proposed by quite a few as the official of Jews here in the Land of Israel discriminated against Jews who came from areas where it wasn't used at all. And Klein wrote about the great Ashkenaz rabbis who consider the Sefardic (North African) pronunciation to be spiritually inferior to the Ashkenazic also treats Sefardim as inferiors. I am happy that we have the Hebrew of today and pray that it will unite us.

Yes, Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew  gives lots of food for thought.

Jewish Law and Divorce

Even though marriage and family are among the cornerstones of Jewish Life, there are times when Jewish Law recognizes that divorce is the only right way.

In theory, a husband promises to financially compensate a wife and free her in the Ketuba, the document incorrectly known as a marriage contract. The wife doesn't sign it; only the husband does. A contract is signed by both sides. Since only the husband signs the Ketuba, it is more a legally binding witnessed pledge to the wife by the husband. The man promises large amounts of money if something goes wrong.

That's great in theory, but we all know that reality is different. It's rare to hear of a man who admits the marriage must end, even if he initiates proceedings,  and is willing to financially compensate the wife and end the marriage by giving her a Jewish Gett (divorce document.)

Yes, I know of cases in which the husband was the one to initiate the divorce and then refused to complete it, give his wife a Gett and finish all legal and financial matters between them.

I have an idea that would help in those cases. Any man who comes to a Beit Din, Jewish Court, to initiate divorce must deposit the Gett with the court. That means that as soon as the wife is ready, her Gett is fully signed and waiting for her. That will also stop men from frivolous divorce cases just to pressure and harass their wives. And if you want to make it extra fair, then any woman who initiates must leave a legally signed document saying she will agree to accept a Gett the minute it is offered.

No doubt, the Batei Din will have less work to do once they make it clear that only people truly serious about divorce can initiate it.

I have no idea what the background of this story of the man who has refused his wife a Gett almost twenty years is, and I really don't want to start searching, but I admire the man who recognized him and sent him packing.

Lebanese Fare in the Jerusalem Market

There are more and more proper restaurants opening in Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda open market, the "shuq/shuk." Last week my friend and I tried out one that claims to have Lebanese food.

I'm definitely not a culinary expert and can't tell you if this place really serves authentic Lebanese food. It's right in the middle on the shuq on the main closed "street." If I'm reading the name properly, it's מן הוא בשוק Min Hu b'Shuk, From the Market.

My friend and I ordered two main courses to split. One was meatballs on rice with okra, and the other was the mezza, mid-eastern salad selection, which included cooked eggplant, of course.

The salads were pretty good, very fresh. The staff didn't replenish the salads, though. We could have eaten a bit more, but honestly, there was enough left over so that I was able to use one of the two pittot we were served to make myself a sandwich to bring to work for dinner. Nothing was too salty for me, meaning that those who like very salty food would have to add salt. But this is the way it should be, because otherwise those who either don't like salt or are forbidden salt can have a good meal.

If I remember correctly our split meal, including the tip cost us ns50- each, which isn't all that bad, especially considering that I was able to make my dinner from the leftovers. This isn't a grilled meat joint. So if you want a lot of animal protein, you don't have to look far. But the food was very tasty, and as I already wrote, the salads really were excellent.

I was with the same dining partner who has been going to meat restaurants with me for quite a while. We find them a better buy than the dairy ones, if your budget is limited and you don't want a meal based on carbohydrates. Though davka this meal did have too much rice with the meatballs, which we didn't finish.  The grilled meat joints are best for low-carb meals if you ignore the pittot and substitute salad for chips aka French Fries.

I didn't take down contact numbers for it, but if you're in the shuq you shouldn't have any trouble finding it.

Like Glitter, What a Sight

Walking home last night after translating for the "seniors" TU B'Shvat party, I past glittering trees. I had a wonderful time at the party, which is part of the weekly events in Shiloh. There was music, dancing, a talk and lots of food special for the holiday. In Shiloh we take TU B'Shvat very seriously.

The weather was rather strange yesterday, starting almost summery and then becoming overcast, but no rain.

I passed a park. You must know how sometimes the light hits a tree or something in an extraordinary way.

The moon was also amazing. It was like magic.

There is such beauty here.

A Challenging Replacement...

I really shouldn't complain. The digital scale I bought about six years ago when I started a diet support group worked well until a couple of months ago. Then I had to jiggle it a bit to see my wight. And then nothing worked. The scale was dead. I figured that it must be the battery. The very same battery had worked for almost six years. I turned the scale over and saw that it would need one of those round batteries.

I had never had to deal with any of them before. I didn't know what they were called. So, as you can see, I photographed it, in situ, yes, without touching it.

It took me another week or more to finally go battery shopping. I went to the local grocers where you can get pretty much anything but fresh fruits, vegetables and meat/poultry. Those departments are in the freezer section.

I knew they had batteries of all sorts, since I even got some for my father's hearing-aids when he lived with us.

So the other day I walked into the grocers. There was a kid working there. I whipped out my phone and showed him the picture of the battery:

"Where can I find one of these?"
"Duh?
"You have them. Don't you?"
"Over there." He pointed.

So, I walked over and found these cardboard battery packs perforated so you can buy just one. The code was the same as in the photo. I ripped one off and went to pay.

When I got home I prepared for the "replacement operation." I turned the scale over and put it on a chair, then opened the battery spot. That went fine, except that I just couldn't get the battery out. I didn't want to break anything. Finally I gave up and called a neighbor. He came armed with some tools and managed to pry the battery out. Then I replaced it with the new one. I put the scale on the floor and hopped on, saw numbers and hopped off. It was live!

The next morning I rather nervously stepped on after my shower, terrified that many kilo had sneaked on me while the scale was out of commission. Thank G-d, pretty much the same as before. That's a relief.

Greetings From Shiloh #2, 52Frames

This is my second "Greetings From..." photo for 52Frames, the international photography group I've been a member of for over a year. It seems that there are weekly themes/challenges that repeat from year to year along with different ones. I've already done two self-portraits and now a second Greetings From... The big problem for me is making sure that I photograph a visual aspect of Shiloh that is very different from last year's.

SHILOH, Eyes on The FutureEven in Biblical Times, Shiloh schools must have been great or the Biblical Hannah wouldn't have sent her much prayed for son, Samuel, here. Our modern school started with only 18 students in three classes September 1, 1981. Now the school has expanded enormously, and I get great joy seeing the children learning and playing. They are our future!
To learn more about 52Frames, visit our website: www.52frames.com

Last year's photo:

The Main Shiloh Shiloh Synagogue designed to look like the Biblical Mishkan, Tabernacle

The runner ups/runners up:

This is the one I really wanted to submit, shot and cropped it carefully, but I just couldn't send it because of the fence. (The Shiloh שילה is from the Shiloh Pizza place's big sign.

my neighborhood

I liked this one, but I think the ball in the one I chose makes that one more interesting.

While wandering around my neighborhood I discovered this gorgeous spot, but I didn't choose the, since there's nothing very particularly Shiloh about it. It could be almost any place in Israel.

Another view of my neighborhood. 

Did I choose right?

Shiloh Celebrating 37!

My community, town of Shiloh is celebrating thirty-seven 37 years of renewed existance as a Jewish city. There are a number of events planned. Some have already happened and others will be soon.

On Friday night the "young" alte kockas, meaning the "45+" crowd was offered a joint Shabbat dinner. OK, we paid for it and the catered food was awful, but it was nice to get together. Over dessert, (mostly dried) fruit, nuts and other goodies, we were joined by whomever else wanted for words of Torah and memories of the earlier, more challenging days of modern Shiloh.

There was another get-together early Shabbat afternoon when neighbors told their amazing stories. A bit later, during the Bnai Akiva youth movement activities I went over to the "snif," clubhouse, (just across from my house) and told all the kids stories about early days in the neighborhood here, since we're among the original families, having moved here September 1, 1981.

Paintings by the ageless and tireless Greta

Lots of food all from the Land of Israel's "7 species"

There was even special "Land of Israel" beers

Beer flavored with Pomegranates and Dates

Music by Eliezer Rosenfeld
of Kochav Hashachar, who
has entertained us for years

Then after Shabbat there was an enormous get-together. The Yeshivat Shiloh Dining Room was packed. We were seated by neighborhoods and "age." I was in the "very alte kockas table." I think we were all 60+. Here are some photos:

Each group was requested to choose a "Person of the Year," someone who can always be relied on to help and organize help for all the neighbors. We alte kockas, who helped raise and educate Shiloh youth over the decades, were pleased to see that most of the recipients of the honor were home-grown, yes, second generation Shiloh residents. They were chosen by their neighbors, not by us! We must have done something right! No doubt the holiness in the air of this very special Biblical location also has an influence over all of the wonderful people who have grown up here, wherever they live now.