Letter About The Sad State of Jerusalem Loos in "In Jerusalem"

This past week I wrote a letter to the Jerusalem Post' Jerusalem supplement "In Jerusalem" about the deteriorating standards in upkeep, maintenance, cleanliness, and stocking of soap and toilet paper in the municipality's public toilets. They printed it in the very next issue.

I guess the editorial staff agrees with me. I wonder if there will be any replies from the Jerusalem Municipality or reactions from other readers. What do you think?

To Remember and Not to Forget

יום השואה

לזכור ולא לשכוח

Yesterday my "senior citizens class" and I joined the other students in Ulpanat Ofra, the Ofra Girls High School in commemorating/remembering the Holocaust.

There were two parts to the memorial. First they divided the student body into a few smaller groups in large seminar rooms to hear personal Holocaust stories. As the Holocaust gets further away in time, there are fewer and fewer survivors left alive who can tell their stories. The woman who spoke to us is one of the youngest survivors. She was born in Holland during World War Two, and her parents took quite a bit of convincing to pass their newborn baby to a total stranger, someone in the underground who had volunteered to care for her.

The miracles continued in that not only did she survive and thrive, but both parents also survived, and the woman who had cared for her willingly returned her to them. Post-war Dutch Laws made it very difficult for Jewish families to reclaim their children who had been cared for by non-Jews. The woman and those who helped her parents survive have remained in contact to this day.

After that moving and amazing story, we all crowded into the auditorium for a much longer and varied program. It included standing for the siren, prayers, readings, dance and more. I must say that the students were quiet and attentive throughout the event. Here in Israel, it doesn't matter what your family history, it's clear that the message is relevant to all.

Rethinking My Family's Holocaust

For the longest time I'd just say that my family had no Holocaust story, but then I realized that no story is really a story. It's more a mystery unless someone tries major research.

"No Holocaust Story" is a Story

What do you think?

Just Peachy

The other day I was pleasantly surprised to find nice looking peaches at a decent price in Machane Yehuda, so I bought a few. Once I got home, I saw that they weren't 100% perfect, but they are exactly what I need for my breakfast.

Ginger "scrapings," apples, goat yogurt* and peaches are a great breakfast combination.

I guess summer really has arrived!

*In addition to the peaches, I found a nice supply of my favorite goat yogurt, the one from Susiya, in a grocery store on the same shuq street as the peaches.

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #28, Machane Yehuda WC, Fright at First Sight

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See  #27,  #26,  #25,  #24,  #23, #22, #21,#20, #19, #18, #17, #16,  #15a, #15,  #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9,  #8, #7,  #6,  #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1

It is located by this fish store close to the corner of the shuk street, not lane.

Lots of people have asked me to review these public toilets. It's not that easy, because I don't get to Machane Yehuda very often, and I rarely succeed in finding the 00, WCs. Today after my friend and I ate in one of the new shuq "eateries," we continued wandering around and I was overjoyed to find the loo.  That is until I began to walk in.

I must say that besides the off-putting disgusting mess, the WC didn't smell, and to its credit it also had toilet paper and soap.

It seems to me that the Jerusalem Municipality has been trying its budget-cutting skills in the department that is responsible for public toilets. There has been a serious deterioration in the standards of Jerusalem Public Toilets in the past couple of years. WCs I've used for years without complaints have become BYOP-Bring Your Own Paper and HYN-Hold Your Nose. And on the rare occasion I find them clean and equipped, I think I've won the lottery.

The mess of paper that greeted me must have been from those women who used it in between the last cleaning and my arrival. My only complaint that can be blamed on the municipality is that they have to fix the lock of the handicapped stall.

Of course, maybe I was just lucky and arrived there within an hour of cleaning. But we all know that smells remain in toilets which aren't cleaned well and sufficiently frequently according to use. And I had no complaints about that problem in the shuq loo.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Big Bird, Little Bird

That's why I keep my screens closed...

What do you think?

Kitchen Post-Passover "Normal" and Maimuna Memories

We've always made a point of getting all of the Passover kitchenware stored away and the regular chametz things back on their shelves before hitting the sack after Pesach. And the switch to Passover is also done in one hysterical campaign. Even in the days when I made large s'darim (seders) I never  started cooking for them while there were still chametz dishes/pots out.

So, before we went to bed, we had finished switching back.

There were some great years, when the kids were around to help and big enough to really make life easy for us. Those same years, neighbors a few doors away did a nice Maimuna celebration. Going to it was like getting rewarded for all of our hard work. Of course our Moroccan neighbors had managed to put together a great party in much less time... 

המבוך הקסום Labyrinth, "Magic Maze," Playing Games

After my friends and I had our little "road trip" admiring the local vineyards, we continued "partying" and decided to play a board game. In Hebrew it's called המבוך הקסוםHaMevoch HaKassum , which which would be translated as the Magic Maze or "Labyrinth," as it's officially called in English.

Most of us had not only never played it before, but we hadn't even heard of it. Our hostess once started playing it but her grandchildren decided to quit before anyone had won. So, it was new and a challenge for all of us.

You need strategy, luck and quick thinking. I wonder if it's like coaching and/or playing football.

Yes, we did have fun!

Kosher for Passover Bargain Salad & Sandwich in Jerusalem

Today my friend and I went to Jerusalem. We saw a fascinating exhibit of Pre-State Haggadot in the National Library, Givat Ram, Hebrew University, then we needed to eat lunch. Finding certified/supervised Kosher for Passover No Kitniyot, legumes which most Ashkenaz Jews don't eat on Passover, food isn't all that easy. I figured we'd find something in Center 1, but it's a good thing my friend suggested the Central Bus Station.

One of the sandwich and salad places had both kitniyot and non-kitniyot salads and sandwiches. They were clearly labeled and on separate counters.

Non-Kitniyot were NS30 for either a sandwich or a salad, while the kitniyot were NS25, at least the sandwiches were. We took salads, which were a nice size. I had Tuna, while my friend took the Greek Salad. There was no dressing. We should have asked for olive oil. We received a fork and napkins. There are tables and chairs in the nearby food court, so we had a nice leisurely lunch together. The tables seemed clean and cared for.

Afterwards we walked through Center 1 on our way to the bus home. It's a good thing we didn't take my advice. It was like a ghost town. Most of the stores were closed, especially the restaurants and fast food places.

Kosher for Passover Lunch in Jerusalem

The other day when we were in the Old City of Jerusalem, part of the plan was to have lunch out. We needed a kosher for Passover no kitniyot certified restaurant. At first we thought that we'd have to walk back out and either go to one of the restaurants in Mamilla Mall or Nachalat Shiva. I dreaded the usual lines and jacked up special Kosher for Passover prices. But then we noticed a small, modest looking restaurant with all of the required kosher certificates in full view.

It was the Holy Cafe, on Tiferet Israel Street in the Jewish Quarter. They had tables under shade umbrellas outside, but we requested to sit indoors. And within a minute a table for four was set up for us. By the time we finished our lunch, lots of other diners were also seated around tables indoors.

The menu was simple, but we all found something to eat.

My husband and I had the Tuna Salad. It wasn't bad, but I should have asked for olive oil. They also served us those "potato starch rolls," which could almost pass for regular white bread. The menu had promised that they would come with butter, but there wasn't any. I decided not to ask for the butter, since we're all trying to keep our weight down. Don't worry. The next day I made up for it and had much too much butter with matzah when picnicking with friends. 

The plastic cutlery looked "real," until you touched it.

Our companions had the quiche, broccoli, and the "Geek," sic Salad, which was the typo for Greek. You'd think that somebody would have the common sense to proofread the menu before printing it.

Since we don't know what their regular prices are, we don't have any idea if the Passover ones were higher. Portion size was nothing special, which meant that we didn't stuff ourselves. We're all big eaters, so not a drop of food was leftover. We didn't order dessert, even to share.

I don't know what other restaurant options there were nearby. We didn't notice any. Yes, I'll recommend it if you want a nice simple meal. Even when the main indoor area filled up, it wasn't noisy. We could hear each other easily, which is important for me. And I'm glad we didn't have to fight the crowds. If you know more about this little spot, please let me know in the comments, thanks.

Passover/Pesach Visit to Jerusalem

Yesterday we met with cousins in Jerusalem. The plan was to go to the new Plugat Hakotel Museum in the former Maon Betar, Old City Jerusalem, where we had lived for almost a year after making aliyah in 1970. But when we got there we discovered that too many other people had the same idea. It's a very small museum, and you have to reserve a specific time slot to see the exhibits and movie. Since we're all retirees, we decided to do it another time.

Instead we found a place for lunch and just walked around a bit. Jerusalem was full of visitors from near and far.  We made our way out of the Old City through Mamilla Mall and then to the lobby of the Jerusalem Waldorf Astoria, where we sat and chatted. After that we made our separate ways.

Here are some photos:

Cooking Up a Storm for The Kiddies

We set up a second table in order to accommodate the clan yesterday. There were chairs out for all but the youngest, who's under a month old. Just because I'm no longer in the Passover Seder business doesn't mean that I'm neither hosting nor cooking for them. Not only did I have everyone over for our traditional family Pesach food, but I served on real plates. And I even washed up all the dishes, pots and pans afterwards.

Photo by Yisrael Medad,
Yes, the husband

The highlight of the menu was Savta Brei, a calorie laden dish that can be described as "latke-coated matzah" fried in olive oil. Basically, it's just a matter of taking onions and potatoes, grating (you can use a blender or food-processor) them together, mix with eggs, matzah meal, salt and pepper. Yes, just like classic raw potato latkes. Heat some oil in the frying pan, then take matzah, coat with the mush and fry well on both sides. Serve it with applesauce and/or sour cream, just like you'd do with potato latkes.

I'm not quite sure that anyone ate them besides my children. Since the frying went really slowly due to the lack of a good gas stove, I baked up some of the mush as oven latkes. But my husband was overjoyed to have the traditional holiday food of his family. The latkes were more popular with the younger generation and the in-laws.

For my children, I decided to serve one of their childhood Passover treats,  Instant Chocolate Pudding. It had been decades since such a dish had graced our table. As an extra adventure, the grandkids were introduced to what was once the most necessary Passover kitchen tool, the eggbeater. Some of the older ones took turns trying to mix the chocolate pudding with it.

I think everyone had a good time. There was just one almost disaster. The folding table began spontaneously folding mid-meal. Luckily I was sitting at the end and held it up until my son-in-law reopened it. Nothing was lost, especially not weight. We will have to resume our diets after Pesach.

The farewell blessing was:

"Next year in a new kitchen."

Gd willing, speedily in our days...

Purple Chrain, Sing Along and Enjoy

This fantastic little clip/video/cartoon is actually from last year, but I don't remember seeing it then.  Enjoy and singalong...

Retired From Seder Making

I was suprised at the enthusuam this statement got on facebook.

I must admit that I am happy I'm not making the seder this year. Honestly, I hope that I never will have to again. I paid my dues.

And I was even more surprised that my husband said:

"Next year let's go away."

It's not in our budget, and I really do prefer my cooking and most other home cooking to hotels and restaurants. Hotel coffee is probably better than what I serve myself. My Passover perked coffee, made with Turkish isn't that awful. It's better than most instant coffee. And this year we got Tasters Choice for a nice discounted price.

In years past, when I was much younger and the kids very little, I'd do all of the cleaning before Passover. And I'd generally pull an all-nighter to switch our kitchen from regular aka chametz to Pesach mode.

To switch the dishes from upper to lower of the upper cabinets, I'd stand on the counters. Then when all was moved, I'd cover them with hard-to-remove Contac paper. Just to think about it today, a short few weeks since suffering terrible hip pains... And then I'd cook everything for the Seder and following day and days after...

My husband just had three jobs, other than a lot of the shopping. He would make the charoset, grind the chrain, horseradish in the coffee-grinder attachment that came with our Passover blender and cover the diningroom table.

When our daughters got older, they helped a lot with the cleaning. And when our sons got bigger, they not only cleaned, but they helped me move the dishes, pans, etc. That's when I discovered that not only did tall boys not need to stand on the counters, but their strong, large hands could hold more dishes than mine ever could. They did the "switching" in record time. After the army grabbed them, I hired teenage boys from the neighborhood, which was money well spent. And then when my husband's job switched him to part-time, I insisted that he learn my routine and help.

But covering counters is still my job. Now I use reusable "oilcloth," heavy plastic, cut to size. The hardest part is trying to remember how to fit it all.

Now, at my age, and with a very empty nest, after all this work, the last thing I have the interest or energy to do is to cook food for a Passover Seder. Every two years one of our daughters (plus her family) hosts us and the rest of the clan. On alternative years, we joyfully accept invitations. May all of our generous hosts be blessed with good health, gifts from GD and children willing and able to take on the role when they, too, are ready to retire from Seder making.

Pre-Passover Custom

Eat a falafel.

Most years we eat falafel after doing  Bedikat Chametz, the religious ceremony during which the house is searched for any drop of the forbidden  chametz. And in order to find chametz, some bagged chametz is hidden in various corners.

This year I changed the custom, the schedule. Tonight is Bedikat Chametz.  Even though we're not making a Seder, and I don't have lots of cooking, we're turning the kitchen kosher for Passover early, this morning. And since my husband is retired, he won't be going to Jerusalem today. And since we've already started with Daylight Savings Time, it will be past my dinner time when we finally finish Bedikat Chametz.

So, I asked him to bring me a felafel yesterday. It tasted OK. I think that the last time I ate one was pre-Pesach last year.

Taking A Laundry Break

Or should the title be "Taking Break From Laundry?"

We're having one of those ugly spring days today and maybe tomorrow. It gets all sandy, like in sandstorms, and rains mud. It's time to close the windows. And if I need to launder, there are folding dryers which can decorate the house. Or I can use the electric one, which isn't all that great.

The week-long Passover Holiday begins Friday just before dusk, and the custom is not to launder during the "intermediate days," aka Chol Hamoed. So, I really try to empty the hampers out beforehand.

We really need the rain, so I'm not complaining at all.

Two Years Since My Father Died...

Sidney Spiegelman, Z"L, 1920- 2016

It's now two years since my father, Sidney Spiegelman, passed away.

His generation was larger than life.

All of my grandparents made their ways from Eastern Europe to New York when they were young. Both of my parents were born in Brooklyn, New York. So was I, but we moved to Bell Park Gardens, Bayside, NY when I was an infant.

My father's father came from Nesielsk, Poland. His family had a business there, and within a few years, most of them started businesses in New York, also. My father's mother was born in Rogotshov, Belarus, the second of six daughters. Even though my great-grandfather Brynien had little money, he hired a teacher so his daughters would have an education. All of my father's grandparents eventually moved to New York, so he grew up within two large clans of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

My father was the second son born, a year and a half after his older brother. They spoke Yiddish until they began school. Around then their younger sister was born. All of them were expected to succeed and get good educations. They all went to college, which was rare for that generation.

My father studied Accounting  in City College and did it as quickly as he could. He wanted to have an academic degree before enlisting in the United States Navy. World War Two had already begun, and he didn't want to be an ordinary soldier.

In order to get the position he wanted, my father also had to hide the weakness in his left eye, which he did. He was trained to use and repair radar on the enormous Navy ships, which was a new technology. They discovered that the radar needed care and repairs to what had been predicted, but his problem solving talents were perfect for the challenges.

After the war, he married my mother, Shirley Shankman, whom he first met before going overseas. No, they hadn't kept in touch while he was serving in the Navy. They took advantage of the Veterans Benefits and moved to Bell Park Gardens when I was a baby. We were living there when my brother and sister were born. My father worked for the New York State Insurance Fund, studied for his CPA certification and began a private practice as an accountant. In 1962, we moved to Great Neck, NY.

My father didn't have hobbies and never watched sports. He was not a spectator. When he had the opportunity he liked to swim. My father liked watching the news and read the New York Times everyday.

Although my father was a proud Jew and called "The Jew" when in the Navy, religious practice didn't appeal to him. He was secular by nature. It was incomprehensible to him that I, his daughter, had become religious. Once he got to see Israel, he was attracted to the dynamic growth and could understand our living here.

A few years before his death, my father lived here in Shiloh with us. At that point my mother was in early stages of dementia and couldn't care for him. We had hoped that she, too, would come to Israel to live. But when she insisted on living near my sister in Arizona, that was set up for both of them. My older son and I took him to join her in Arizona, where they both died. They are buried in New York.

Baking Matzah by Hand

Last night, OK with daylight savings time it was more like late afternoon, while taking a walk around the neighborhood, I noticed some activity going on. Apparently this van brought all the supplies and equipment needed to bake matzah.

So I got a bit closer and took a couple of pictures. Since matzah-baking is strictly timed,  I didn't want to disturb anyone. That's why I didn't get too close.

You can see that they brought gas canisters, an oven and everything else one would need to produce handmade matzah.

Just a few days ago, I had admitted to someone that I had never seen nor participated in matzah-baking.

Should I add matzah-baking to my "Bucket List?"

My Weaving Project, Finally in Use

Almost a full year after finishing my weaving project, I finally found something to do with it. You may notice that it has no name, other than "weaving project," because I never knew what I'd do with it. I just learned and experimented with weaving techniques. I hadn't done any real weaving since I was a little girl and made "potholders." 

Because of the spontaneous, unplanned patterns I had fun creating, I ended up with a strange shape, rather than a rectangle. And as it "settled," it became even less of a rectangle. One of the enjoyable things about weaving was that I could even take it home as I worked on it. It didn't leave a mess, nor did I have to change into clothes that could get messy.

This year, cleaning for Passover and trying to get rid of things, I even thought of giving it to my son's dog. Yes, I was that desperate. One of the reasons I didn't give it to her is that she's much bigger and wouldn't enjoy or fit sleeping on it. Then, also as my pre-Pesach purge, throwing things away, I decided to dump our two bathroom mats. That's because every-time I laundered them dirt would clog up the washing-machine filter. So instead of either buying another mat or using floor rags in the bathroom, I decided give my weaving project a purpose.

What do you think?

Now I really have a reason to smile!

What can one do with a work of art like this?

Removing the "work of art" from its loom.

Shabbat Table

I can't remember the last time, if there ever had been one, when I managed to set the Shabbat table before lighting candles.

What do you think?

PS we had a very needed relaxing Shabbat.