It's a week of armies and war and soldiers and remembrance and the childer's have reacted in a what I can only call a big muddle. Their Dad is spending the week in the miluim which is the army service that all males do until around the age of 40 to 45. He's training which means…
Temporary Home
It's Sukkot which in Israel means a number of things. Firstly it usually heralds the change in the weather. Hooray. The humidity goes down, the wind picks up, we even usually experience a few drops of rain (literally a few drops). Sukkot also means that people's balconies and gardens and kosher eateries gain an odd…
It’s oh so quiet
Imagine your city, town or village without traffic, with all the stores closed. No buses, trains or even planes overhead. No open 24hr corner shop, no open petrol station. Just quiet. Welcome to Yom Kippur in Israel. A 24 hour period from sunset until sunset the following day when the whole country falls silent. Oh…
Bonfire Night Israel style.
As the smoke clears from a slightly damp Independence Day barbecue the important task of collecting wood in shopping trolleys begins for the next fire friendly festival in Israel, Lag BaOmer. You would be forgiven for thinking that it's just one big festival over here at the moment but in actual fact Jews are currently in the…
Seders I have known
In 1997 in Wellington, New Zealand I attended my first Passover Seder. I had absolutely zero idea what a Seder was, truth be told, I didn't really know what Passover was. I had vague recollections of being taught about this important Jewish holiday in a Religious Education lesson at high school but as my RE…
Yum, Treats for Purim
Continuing on with the Purim theme I feel the need to introduce those of you not familiar with the treat that fills my local bakeries and coffee shops at this time of year; Oznei Haman or Hamantaschen. Hamantaschen is Yiddish for Haman's pockets and Oznei Haman in Hebrew literally translated means Haman's ears. Google it and there are a number of…
Just a brilliant disguise
It's Purim next Sunday and in Israel it is Purim week. Purim is actually only one day, but as any parent of young children in Israel knows, the party starts now. You could also ask any parent of a young child in Israel how they are feeling about Purim by Wednesday and they might possibly admit that…
39 and Counting 