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Haifa Holiday of Holidays 2019 Concerts & Events

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Haifa Holiday of Holidays 2019 Concerts & Events
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2019 Haifa Holiday of Holidays – English list of concerts, events & activities.  Schedule for 19 – 30 December 2019

Enjoy one of the concerts and events in the German Colony during the 2019 Haifa, Holiday of Holidays, Festivals of Festivals – חג החגים

haifa holiday of holidays

Here is the schedule of concerts and activities that will be taking place in the German Colony, Wadi Nis Nas and other venues during the Haifa Holiday of Holidays 2019 from December 19th – December 30th. Some are free and some are not. This page is the most comprehensive English listing of events you will find anywhere.

18 December

16:30 & 17:00 A guided Christmas walkabout – Bet HaGeffen Theater.  Highly recommended.

19 December (Official Opening)

13:00 Feed your body and feed your soul,  Art and food. – Bet HaGeffen Theater

14:00 Open house.  Meet the resident of Wadi NisNas when they host you for  a coffee or a meal

14:30 A guided Christmas walkabout – Bet HaGeffen Theater.  Highly recommended.

17:00 Exhibition – Artist Nadeen Srouji – Bet HaGeffen Gallery

17:00 A guided Christmas walkabout – Bet HaGeffen Theater.  Highly recommended.

18:30 Release & Art in the Public Space Workshop with Dafna Talmon – Bet HaGeffen Theater

20:00 Guided tour of her works, with Nadeen Srouji – Bet HaGeffen Gallery

21:00 Opening Ceremony – Bet HaGeffen Theater

20 December

From 09:00 Between the Carmel and the Sea – Meet the women of Haifa.  Women who have impacted society; Dr. Hanna Safron, Agnes Shahadeh and Rola Adiv – Cafein

10:00 Feed your body and feed your soul,  Art and food. – Bet HaGeffen Theater

10:00 Palestinian embroidery with Grace Shahan – Bet HaGeffen Theater

10:00 Ethiopian craft workshop – Bet HaGeffen Theater

10:00 Mandalay workshop – The Flowers of life – – Bet HaGeffen Theater

11:00 Open house.  Meet the resident of Wadi NisNas when they host you for  a coffee or a meal

12:00 The Third Space – Bet HaGeffen Gallery

12:00 Misa Criolla – by Argentine composer Ariel Ramires and performed by Yishai Shtekler

13:00 Tijwall Ensemble – Bet HaGeffen Theater

13:00 Feed your body and feed your soul,  Art and food. – Bet HaGeffen Theater

13:30 Open house.  Meet the resident of Wadi NisNas when they host you for  a coffee or a meal

21:30 PoeTREE Around the world in 80 days — Bet HaGeffen Theater

21 December

11:00 Visit Santa at his home (venue details not yet provided – perhaps in the North Pole!!!)

11:00 Taking photos with your smartphone workshop – Bet HaGeffen Theater

11:00 Snow White & the 7 dwarfs – Rappaport Auditorium

14:00 Steps – Children’s Art Exhibition – Bet HaGeffen Gallery

16:30 Bukra Fil Mish-Mish (no details available yet)

20:30 From Guangzhou Province in China – Traditional Chinese and Mongolian singing and dancing  – Bet HaGeffen Theater

20:30 Phantom of the Fringe alternative theater – Haifa Theater

21:00 Italian Ensemble – The Studio

23 December

16:00 Introduction to the Sea – Presentation by Eugenio Viola Lecture: Chief Curator of the MAMBO Museum, Bogota –  Bet HaGeffen Gallery

16:30 A guided Christmas walkabout – Bet HaGeffen Theater.  Highly recommended.

17:00 A guided Christmas walkabout – Bet HaGeffen Theater.  Highly recommended.

17:30 The Wizard of Oz – Haifa Theater

18:00 Short stories and poetry by Mira Levi – Bookshop

19:30 Clowns without borders – Beit HaGeffen Theater

21:00 Celebrating Food Culture – workshops and tasting (no venue details yet)

24 December

10:00 onwards – Following the lost ship Emmanuel – Haifa Martime Museum

11:00 The Dreidel & Japanese origami – Tikotim Museum

17:30 Mulan – Haifa Theater

20:00 The Surface with Noa Sella – Beit HaGeffen Theater

20:30 Yair the Maniac – an evening of jazz – Kafeh HaPina

25 December

10:00 onwards – Following the lost ship Emmanuel – Haifa Martime Museum

11:00 Japanese lantern workshop – Tikotin Museum

12:00 In the Depths – a light workshop – Haifa Martime Museum

17:30 My best friend – Children’s theater – Haifa Theater

19:00 Ethiopian Dinner – Beit HaGeffen Theater

19:00 Why did the fish cry? Children’s theater – Beit Yad Lebanim

20:00 An evening of stories of the tribe – Beit HaGeffen Gallery

21:15 Big Ears, Small Mouth – a story of Ethiopian Aliyah – Beit HaGeffen Theater

26 December

10:00 onwards – Following the lost ship Emmanuel – Haifa Martime Museum

11:00 onwards – family activities in the gardens of Beit HaGeffen

15:00 Rabbits – Children’s theater – Beit HaGeffen Theater

17:00 Pyjama party – Haifa Museum

19:00 Wild Nights – a selection of cult movies – Cinamatheque

17:30 The fisherman and the fish – Childrens theater – Haifa Theater

19:00 Geshem-Telephone – how is animation done? – Beit HaGeffen Gallery

20:00 Soul Fingers – Fusion of Arab music, jazz and rock – Beit HaGeffen Gallery

20:00 End of year exhibition by the students of Tiltan Art College

20:30 Jam Jam – a jam session – Kafeh HaPina

21:00 Rain – an Israeli music, super group.

27 December

10:00 Feed your body and feed your soul,  Art and food. – Bet HaGeffen Theater

10:00 Meat wire sculpture workshop – Bet HaGeffen Theater

10:00 onwards – Following the lost ship Emmanuel – Haifa Martime Museum

13:00 Feed your body and feed your soul,  Art and food. – Bet HaGeffen Theater

13:30 Release & Art in the Public Space – a Workshop with Dafna Talmon – Bet HaGeffen Theater

13:30 Merrily on High-fa, The University of Haifa Ensemble.  70 singers present Christmas carols and Christmas themed music – The Catholic Church

13:30 Open house.  Meet the resident of Wadi NisNas when they host you for  a coffee or a meal

18:30 Singing circle of soul music – Bet HaGeffen Theater

21:30 “Yafeh Nefesh” Beautiful Soul – Yossi Tzabari sings some of his songs – Beit HaGeffen Theater

28 December

10:00 onwards – Following the lost ship Emmanuel – Haifa Martime Museum

11:00 Uri Biton – multi sensory musical performance for the entire family – Beit HaGeffen Theater

11:00 Mysterious lights of the night workshop – Haifa Art Musuem

13:00 Judas Maccabeus Concert – Greek Orthodox Church

16:00 Where is Elle-Kari and what happened to Noriko-san? is an Israeli documentary by Dvorit Shargal from 2014. It deals with the photo books from the series Children’s Everywhere by Anna Riwkin-Brick, Astrid Lindgren, Leah Goldberg and Elly Jannes.  Nominated for Ophir Award for Best Documentary under 60 minutes – Beit HaGeffen Theater

19:00 Gloria – a festive concert – The Catholic Church

20:00 – Schubert in Wadi Nisnas – a festive concert of Schubert’s work by the Carmel Ensemble and various soloists – St John’s Church

29 December

10:00 onwards – Following the lost ship Emmanuel – Haifa Martime Museum

11:00 I’m a water super hero – Haifa Martime Museum

20:00 Zohar Presko shares jokes in Arabic – Beit HaGeffen Theater

20:00 Israel Philharmonic Orchestra – Rappaport Auditorium

30 December

10:00 onwards – Following the lost ship Emmanuel – Haifa Maritime Museum

Venues in Haifa
Bet Hageffen Theater

Hatzionut 33

 Bet HaGeffen Gallery

HaGeffen St. 2

 St John’s Church

Khuri St 24-30
The Catholic Church

Hageffen St. 35

 Cafein

Hanassi Blvd 125

 Rappaport Auditorium

Hanassi 142
The Studio

Hanassi 142

 Haifa Theater

Pevzner 50

 The Bookshop

HaAtzmaut 68
Tikotin Museum

Hanassi 89

 Haifa Maritime Museum

Allenby 198

 Kafeh HaPina

Massada 43
Beit Yad Lebanim

Ahuzza

 Haifa Museum

Ben Gurion 11

 Haifa Cinametheque

Hanassi 142
Tiltan Art College

HaAtzmaut 65

 Haifa Art Museum

Shabtai Levi 26

 Greek Orthodox Church

HaParsim 3

Recommended restaurants (not kosher)  in the German Colony; Fattoush, Oak Burger Bar, Ein AlWadi, Garden Restaurant, Colony Grill, Shtroudel and also Maayan HaBira downtown

Note: The organizers of the Haifa Holiday of Holidays reserve the right to change or cancel performances without prior notice.

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Dreidels and Hanukkah

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Dreidels and Hanukkah
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Dreidels and Hanukkah

Dreidels – plural for Dreidel is a Yiddish word for a spinning top. The Hebrew word is סביבון‬ sevivon. A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, played during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

dreidels

Hannukah Dreidel – Image credit: Unsplash

Dreidels are used by kids to play games during Hanukkah.  Dreidels are not just  simple toys – they are laced with hidden messages. Rav Nissim Mordechai Makor tells us more;

There a 4 Hebrew letters on every dreidel; Nun Gimmel Shin and Hey (נ ג ש ה).  These four letters can be placed in different sequences for example; Nun Gimmel Hey Shin – this acronym stands for the phrase Ness Gadol Haya Sham – a great miracle happened there.
 
The four letters, in a different order, spell the word “Goshnah.” – גשנה  –
Rav Makor tells us that Yaacov sent Yehudah ahead to Egypt to establish a Yeshiva in Goshen (גשן), Genesis 46:28. Yaacov knew that the first exile was starting and was thus planting seeds to ensure that the Jews would survive as Torah learning is the root of our survival. He also knew there would be four more exiles and he was preparing for a refuah/ healing for those exiles.
The Torah in Exodus 2:23, describes the period of Egyptian bondage with the words;
 
“Yamim harabim/many days.” The four letters of rabim (ר ב י מ) represent the names;
Romi (Rome), Bavel (Babylonia), Yavan (Greece) and Madai (Media which was part of the Persian Empire). The Egyptian exile was the source of all four subsequent exiles, and is described as the period of “rabim”. The miraculous Exodus from Egypt did not merely free our ancestors from Egypt, it established the model of triumph which has accompanied our nation throughout the millennia. 
 
As we said before, the dreidel bears the Hebrew letters; gimmel, shin, nun and hey one its four sides. The gematria or numerology of the letters is 358 which is the same gematria as the word Hebrew word Mashiach (Messiah).
This simple dreidel is not so simple after all. It send us a big message. Hashem is telling us that even though there are exiles, eventually they will come to an end and we will be redeemed as we were in Egypt. 
May we witness the coming of Mashiach bekarov – soon.
 
The fourth side of most dreidels is inscribed with the letter פ‬ (Pei) instead of the letter ש (Shin), rendering the acronym, נס גדול היה פה‬, Nes Gadol Hayah Poh—”A great miracle happened here”, referring to the miracle occurring in the Land of Israel.

Playing with Dreidels

To play the dreidel game each player begins with an equal number of game pieces (usually 10–15). The game pieces can be any object, such as coins, beads, raisins, etc.

To start the game, every participant puts one game piece into a central “pot”. Every player also puts one game piece into the pot at the end of every player’s turn.

Each player spins the dreidel once during their turn. Depending on which side is facing up when it stops spinning, the player whose turn it is gives or takes game pieces from the pot:

-If נ‬ (nun) is facing up, the player does nothing.

-If ג‬ (gimel) is facing up, the player gets everything in the pot.

-If ה‬ (hei) is facing up, the player gets half of the pieces in the pot. If there are an odd number of pieces in the pot, the player takes the half the pot rounded up to the nearest whole number.

-If ש‬ (shin) or פ‬ (pe) is facing up, the player adds one of their game pieces to the pot (sometimes accompanied by the chant “Shin, Shin, put one in”). In some game versions a Shin results in adding three game pieces to the pot (one for each stem of the Shin).

If the player is out of pieces, they are either “out” or may ask another player for a “loan”

I have a little Dreidel – English words to the Dreidel song

I have a little dreidel. I made it out of clay.
And when it’s dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, then dreidel I shall play.

It has a lovely body, with legs so short and thin.
When it gets all tired, it drops and then I win!
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with leg so short and thin.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, it drops and then I win!

My dreidel’s always playful. It loves to dance and spin.
A happy game of dreidel, come play now let’s begin.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, it loves to dance and spin.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel. Come play now let’s begin.

I have a little dreidel. I made it out of clay.
When it’s dry and ready, dreidel I shall play.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, then dreidel I shall play.

Chag Hanukkah Sameach!

 

Haifa Festival of Festivals 2018 Walking Tours.

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Haifa Festival of Festivals 2018 Walking Tours.
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Haifa Festival of Festivals 2018 – Walking Tours

haifa festival of festivals 2018 walking tours

Scenes from the Haifa Festival of Festivals ( Image: Anglo-List)

Program of Walking Tours

The graffiti tour – Friday, December 7 at 10 am 
Understand and learn about the graffiti artists,how to cope with the tension created by forbidden and permitted activities and how to continue to exist.
60 ₪ early bird tickets or  at the door, 80 NIS

Tour from black to green – Fridays 7,14,21 / 12 at 10 am 
On the morning of November 24, 2016, a huge fire broke out in Haifa. The city turned from green to black. In a new premiere tour, agronomists Hanoch Burger and Khaled Hamoud will followi the path of the damage to the recovery and restoration or the urban environment. 40 NIS advance purchase, 60 NIS at the door.

Art and food tasting – Fridays 7,14,21 / 12 Saturdays 8,15,21 / 12 at 11:00 and 14:00 
A new tour combining art and cuisine. From Beit Hageffen straight to Wadi Nisnas to explore unique street art that have been in the Wadi for 25 years. Visit small restaurants serving local, fresh and delicious food. Hear the story of the wonderful neighborhood that is almost as it was in 1948, and now combines old with new.. 60 ₪ early bird tickets or 80 NIS at the door.

Come for Lunch – Saturdays 8:15 / 12 at 12:30
In the Wadi al-Jamal neighborhood – Ein Hayam is a mixed and colorful neighborhood at the foot of Mount Carmel. As part of the holiday celebrations, residents of the neighborhood open their doors and invite you into the neighborhood with its special character, characterized by co-existence. Around the dinner table, you will be served an authentic lunch in the tradition of the host family. ₪ 80 early bird tickets or 100 NIS at the door.

Inspirational Women’s Day Tour – Friday: December 7, 21, 9: 30 New!
Who are the women of Haifa? Feminists, activists, artists? A tour in the wake of Haifa’s women.
Between the Carmel and the sea are images of strong, active Haifa women who work tirelessly for the sake of the community and for themselves, with  fascinating and inspiring life stories.
Get to know the feminine side of Haifa in a tour that will begin in the center of the Carmel in a meeting led by Dr. Hannah Safran, well known in the Haifa community as a peace and feminist activist.

The tour lasts about three hours.

110 NIS early bird or 130 NIS at the door.

Open house experience in the wadi – Fridays 7,14,21 Saturdays 8,15,22 hours: 10:00 12:30
Locals in Wadi NisNas open their doors and invite you in. Share the stories of those who remember the neighborhood like it was when Arabs and Jews cooked together in the courtyard of the building. Arabic, Yiddish and other languages mixed together and heard only in Haifa. Drink coffee, hear a story, ask questions. The tour lasts two hours. 70 ₪ early bird tickets. 90 NIS at the door. 

Christmas Tour – Thursday 13 + 20 16:30 | 17:30

Haifa in December is like Christmas abroad

A special and festive Christmas tour – wonder through the decorated streets and the illuminated Christmas trees, the Churches and private homes that flicker with colorful lights and herald the coming of the Christmas holiday.

70 NIS early bird tickets or 90 NIS at the door.

Flea Markets – more than just vintage – Fridays 7,14 – 13:30 Saturdays 8:15 10:00 +13:30 – New!
Dr. Ofer Schwarzglass, a local resident of Yad Vaedan for market and environmental affairs, knows the small, secret alleys that tell special stories, architecture and history of the flea market. See beyond vintage and antiques.

40 NIS early bird tickets or 60 NIS at the door

Around Ein Hayam – Saturdays 8-15 December at 10:00

Ein Hayam is a community-tourism initiative initiated by the residents of Ein al-Hayam and Wadi al-Jamal where Jews and Arabs co-exist. The neighborhood is located on the green slopes of the Carmel opposite the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, has about 2,800 Jewish and Arab residents, Christians and Muslims and growing Haredi population. The neighborhood has unique good neighborliness and mutual understanding. Around the neighborhood are plenty of archeological, historical and religious sites and nature. The tour lasts two hours. 30 NIS early bird or 50 at the door.

What’s happening in the German Colony?

More details, early bird and discounted tickets and a full program on the festival’s website: 

The Haifa Festival of Festivals 2018

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The Haifa Festival of Festivals 2018

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The Haifa Festival of Festivals 2018 – Holiday of Holidays – חג החגים

More music, more shows, more flavors, more scents, more tours, more exhibits at the Haifa Festival of Festivals 2018

This year, the  Haifa Festival of Festivals  is celebrating its 25th year. Haifa is a city of many religions, it’s multicultural with a variety of cuisines and natural beauty. The Festival of Festival extends over two weekends in December with rich and diverse cultural and educational activities for the whole family. The festival’s events are based on the belief that face-to-face encounters with other cultures, each with their own heritage are important for breaking barriers and building trust between different nationalities, ethnic and religious groups in Haifa and Israel.

Every year, visitors from all over the country come to the festival to participate in a colorful celebration of music, poetry, theater, literature, art and more. An initiative of Beit Hagefen – the Arab-Jewish Cultural Center and the Municipality of Haifa, it began in 1993. This year it will expand beyond the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood and events will also take place in the German Colony with many tours in the area. The aim of the festival is to promote and foster tolerance and mutual respect through culture and art.

haifa festival of festivals 2018

Scenes from the Haifa Festival of Festivals ( Image: Anglo-List)

Highlights of The Haifa Festival of Festivals 2018

6.12  Festive Opening Event at Haifa Auditorium

19:00: 80 Worlds in One Day – Performances singing, dance and acting – the Marseilles group ‘Mot Pour Mot’ – with Roni Someck, Yankele Pilzer and Rabia Khoury. The show is in Hebrew, Arabic and French.

20:00: Omri – A festive concert with the Fürket El Nour Orchestra, with singers Violet Salame, Raymond Abekis and Natalie Peretz.
Cocktails after the concert; 60 NIS early bird tickets, 80 NIS at the door, Haifa Auditorium, 138 Hanassi Ave.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the festival, the Beit Hagefen Center will inaugurate a new area, “The Third Wing: An area for art and education”. The area is part of the new wing of the Beit Hagefen Gallery that will offer an audience experiences that combine art and activities and focus on acquiring life skills in a multi-cultural society. The festive opening event on 7.12 at 14:00. (Concurrently the exhibition “Tzel Harim”at Beit Hagefen Gallery will open).

At 21:30 – 1,000 Leila v’Leila (1000 nights) – a production of the Department of Cultural Studies, University of Haifa about Arab culture and the West and everything in between – about literary work and their translations.

Open to the public. A House in the Gallery  – Ha’Atzmaut 97, downtown (also on Thursday, December 20)

7 December – 3 Lessons

First Lesson: 7.12 – Have fun learning Arabic with Avshalom Farjun.  The fascinating lectures exploring the roots of Hebrew and Arabic.

Second Lesson 14.12 – Simple conversations in Arabic

Third Lesson: 21.12 – Hebrew and Arabic in the Bible

21:30: 80 Worlds in One Day – Performances singing, dance and acting – the Marseilles group ‘Mot Pour Mot’ – with Roni Someck, Yankele Pilzer and Rabia Khoury. The show is in Hebrew, Arabic and French.

7.12  20:00 – Media Noche – The Haifa Salsa community at a Cuban Salsa party. Lessons and dancing accompanied by instructors and dancers.

Open to the public – Beit HaGefen Theater, 33 Hatziyonut Blvd.

9 December

19:30 – “B’ein Gvarim Karoo L’tarnagol Abu Ali” – launching of the book by Avshalom Farjun and Buthana Shehade – a magnificent ethnic musical celebration featuring the best artists in Israel.

Open to the public – Beit HaGefen Theater – HaTsiyonut Boulevard 33 Haifa

12 December

At 12:30 Hebrew in the Bible in light of Arabic (21.12) – All meetings are accompanied by a meeting in Arabic The opening of each session is about two hours, open to the public, Beit Hagefen Theater – Hatzionut Boulevard 33

20:00 – Media Noche – The Haifa Salsa community at a Cuban Salsa party. Lessons and dancing accompanied by instructors and dancers.

Open to the public – Beit HaGefen Theater, 33 Hatziyonut Blvd.

At 21:30 – 80 Worlds in One Day – Performances singing, dance and acting – the Marseilles group ‘Mot Pour Mot’ – with Roni Someck, Yankele Pilzer and Rabia Khoury. The show is in Hebrew, Arabic and French.

Open to the public – Beit Hagefen Theater – Hatziyonut Boulevard 33 Haifa

14 December

21:30 Marrakesh Express – a celebration of music combining Eastern and Western classics.

40 NIS early bird tickets. 60 NIS at the door. Beit HaGefen Theater, Hatziyonut Blvd 33, Haifa

16 December

20:00 The Oriental Rhymes – a traditional ethnic dance and music show from China

Open to the public – Beit Hagefen Theater, Hatzionut Ave 33

20 December

20:30 Madonna: Singing with Yechiel Hermesh – a satire

40 NIS early bird tickets. 60 NIS at the door. Beit HaGefen Theater, Hatziyonut Blvd.

21 December

21:30 – Mira Awad talks about complexity, resignation, hope and especially about love.

40 NIS early bird tickets. 60 NIS wat the door. Beit HaGefen Theater, Hatziyonut Blvd.

29 December

18:00 – Missa Theresa celebrates Haydn

With the participation of the Orpheod ensemble and the Union Choir conducted by Ronen Borshevsky

Soloists: Soprano – Nur Darwish, Alto – Dima Bakri, Tenor – Liran Kupan, Bass – Yoav Weiss

In the program – Dvorak – Serenade for String Instruments / Haydn – Missa Theresa

Early bird tickets 60 NIS or 80 NIS at the door.  The Catholic Church, Ein Dor 23

Hebrew to English translations gone bad

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Hebrew to English translations gone bad
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Hebrew to English translations gone bad. Google translate doesn’t always get it right.

There are many examples where Hebrew to English translations go bad and even Google and other online translators, get it wrong.   Olim Hadashim make mistakes all the time.  In my own experience it has sometimes been years later that I learnt what my mistakes were and that they were hilarious in many ways.

Here is one that was recently posted in our Facebook group.

hebrew to english google translations

What makes this hysterical? The words בעלי חיים means animals.  בעלי in Hebrew also means ‘my husband’ and חיים  is a man’s name – Haim.  The actual translation should be Not tested on animals.  

If you have one you’d like to share, please do so in the comments section below.

This Hanukah try Indian Bhajia Onion Fritters.

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This Hanukah try Indian Bhajia Onion Fritters.

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bhajia onion fritterIndian Bhajia deep fried onion fritters instead of traditional latkes on Hanukah.

Tired of the traditional potato latkes or sweet-potato latkes for Hanukah? This Hanukah you might want to try your hand at making Bhajia onion fritters – a traditional Indian recipe that is a great accompaniment to a curry, a soup or a wonderful starter to any meal.

For lovers of Indian cuisine, there is no difference between the Bhajia fritter (also: bhajiya, bhajji) and pakora (also: pakoda, pakodi, fakkura)

Here is the recipe for Indian Bhajia onion fritters…

Ingredients for Bhajia onion fritters

  • 2 large onions finely sliced
  • 200 g of chickpea flower (available in better supermarkets and health-food stores.  If you make your own falafel, chickpea flower is a must-have pantry item)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • salt
  • 100 ml water
  • oil for frying

Method

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan

2. In a large bowl make the batter. Add the chickpea flour, baking powder, turmeric, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and the water. Mix together well and then add the sliced onion – mix the onion through until well coated.

3. Check the temperature of the oil by dropping a small piece of onion into the pan – it should brown fairly slowly – not burn or go dark brown straight away.

4. Carefully drop spoons of the bhajia batter in to the oil, do NOT overcrowd as they will stick together. Fry in small batches for 1 to 2 minutes until they are a golden brown and crispy.

5. Remove them with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on a paper covered plate in a warm oven.

6. Repeat until all the bhajia batter is finished and they are all cooked.

If you like you can serve the bhajia onion fritters with a yogurt based dip – an Indian cucumber raita or another Middle Eastern favorite –  tzatziki (cacik)

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Parshat Hashavua Vayishlach – Part 2

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Parshat Hashavua Vayishlach – Part 2

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Parshat Hashavua Vayishlach – Part 2.

By: Rav Nissim Mordechai Makor

There are some very interesting incidents in Vayishlach.
First, when Yaacov and Eisav finally meet, it says that Eisav kissed Yaacov. The word that is used is “Vayishakaihu”, Genesis 32:4. The interesting thing about this word is that there are six dots above the word. There are no dots in the Torah, so it must mean that there is a big secret with this word. There is a Midrash that says that Eisav wanted to bite and kill Yaacov and that Yaacov’s neck turned to stone and Eisav broke his teeth and cried out in pain. This is a nice Midrash but it is s simple one. We know that there are seventy faces to the Torah, so I will now give a very deep secret to these dots. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai writes a big discourse about this secret in the Mishnah. He says that these dots have to do with the root of antisemitism.
There is a Halacha that says:
Eisav sonei Yaacov – Eisav hates Yaacov.
What does this all mean???
Rabbi Shimon says that Eisav has to hate Yaacov unless Yaacov does his work. What is this work? Yaacov and Eisav were brothers and when Yaacov came to meet Eisav he came with unconditional love. Eisav came to kill Yaacov, he came with 400 men(there are 400 negative forces). When he encountered Yaacov, Rabbi Shimon says his kiss was sincere by Eisav. At that moment he didn’t want to kill Yaacov anymore, because Yaacov’s love turned his hatred around. Hate cannot stay in the same place as love. Either it gets turned around or it has to run away.
Shlomo Hamelech in Kohelet brings down that the same way as a persons face is reflected in water, the same way a persons emotions are felt by the person opposite one. This is a big secret and I am sure everybody has experienced this with other people. Many times one encounters a person in a bad mood and immediately feels the negative vibes the person is giving off or a person walks into a room and one automatically does not like them.
The way to turn people around is to come to them with love. When you meet a person, send them love and they will suddenly be nice to you. Use this idea and you will be amazed at the results. Use the combination from the Ana Becoach prayer. The acronym of the first line has a numerology of 506 which is the same numerology as Ahavat Chinam/Love for Reason. Think of this meditation and send love to people. It worked for Yaacov!!!
This is what Yaakov’s job is, to be in unity with his brother. If we could do this, Mashiach would come today.
Another very interesting thing in this portion is when Yaacov goes back across the Yabok river to retrieve a little flask of oil. It does not make sense. Again there are big secrets with this episode. First this was not just a regular flask of oil. When Yaacov woke up from his dream in the last portion, he realized he was in a holy place and anointed the stone with this oil. What he found was that the flask refilled itself and he realized that it was very special oil. In fact it was the same oil that was used in the Temple later on and also the oil that was found on Chanukah. This is why he went back to get this flask.
Also the name Yabok is a very big secret. The numerology of Yabok is 112, which is the total of three of Hashem’s names.
26-65-21. These three represent the worlds of Briah 21, Yetzirah 26 and Asiah 65. They represent an elevation. When Yaacov went over the river he was Yaacov and when he came back he was Yisrael. He elevated himself to a much higher level. This is what happens when we grow spiritually, we become a different person, we elevate to a higher level. When we hear the Torah on Shabbat we can elevate ourselves to this higher level to become a new person and our own Yisrael.
Something I read…
There is a vort in this week’s parsha of Vayishlach which is not a vort but rather a yesod, a concept that can change our lives.  For that reason, I often share it with the alumni on Parshat Vayishlach.  We heard it from Rav Hillel Zaks shlita, the Rosh Yeshiva of Knessia Gedolah in Kiryat Sefer and grandson of the Chofetz Chaim ztz”l.
How strong is a malach – an angel?  Is he macho with bulging biceps?  If you think for a moment you’ll probably realize that he is as strong as he needs to be to accomplish the task for which Hashem created him.  The malach that destroyed Sodom must have been quite powerful to cause such an upheaval.
But if so, why was the malach of Eisav unable to defeat Yaakov?  The verse tells us, “he wasn’t able to overcome him”.  Once again, with a little thought, we can understand that Hashem gave this malach enough strength to engage Yaakov in combat but if Yaakov fights back, Hashem did not give the malach the power to defeat Yaakov.  We know that the malach of Eisav is the yetzer hara.  It’s mind boggling but it’s true.  If we allow it to tempt us and our struggle is merely wishful thinking and not real, we lose.  But if we would only fight back we are assured that we will win.  This yesod is an insight to life and its challenges.
It teaches us that we only came to this world to change our bad character traits and if we don’t fight with all our might, Chas veShalom, the malach can beat us.
Rav Yeruchum ztz”l of the Mir asks, what is a tzaddik?  If it is that a tzaddik does mitzvos and a rasha does aveiros, that’s not true because the pasuk says that there is no tzaddik in the world that doesn’t (at times) “mess up”.  Furthermore, we can be “as full of mitzvos as a rimon (pomegranate) and still be a rasha”.  The difference is that a tzaddik fights back when the yetzer hara tempts and challenges him.  A rasha doesn’t bother to fight, follows the path of least resistance and gives in. This is the essence of change. Remember it is a 24/7/365 day job. The yetzer hara never sleeps.
The Ben Ish Chai writes something very interesting about this portion. With regards to the verse, Bereishit 35:1,
“Arise-go up to Beth-el…. And make an alter there to Hashem who appeared to you”.
The Ben Ish Chai writes that in Midrash Bereishit Rabbah, Hashem told Yaacov that all the sorrow and anguish that happened to him regarding his daughter, Dinah and being side-tracked in his travels for no specific reason were because Yaacov Avinu was late in fulfilling his neder(vow). Yaacov made an oath to give one tenth of his income to charity. Hashem, therefore, told Yaacov to hurry up and go to Bet-El in order to fulfill his vow.
The great mussar lesson that we all need to take from this story, is that Yaacov Aveinu, who was one of the greatest Tzaddikim, was punished for not fulfilling his vow. Being a Tzadik did not help him. Hence, the average person should really watch out regarding what he obligates himself to do and not to take lightly what he promises to do regarding Holy items.
Shlomo Hamelech in Kohelet, 5:1-5, says:
“When you make a vow before Hashem, do not be late to pay it”.
The Ben Ish Chai says that the important thing is that the words of a person regarding holiness are not the same as his speech regarding mundane items. A person must consider very carefully what he undertakes to do regarding Holy matters and not to produce words from his mouth or from his heart and make empty promises before Hashem.
The biggest example of this is the promises we make to give charity. Many time we buy aliyot in Shul and forget about them or a meshulach comes to our door and we promise to send money. Be careful of this as we see that Yaacov’s righteousness could not even save him. Another example is promises to help a friend, which we sometimes forget to do. Sharing is a very big spiritual deed. One will one day have to give an accounting before the Heavenly court for these mistakes.
Rather don’t promise or say “Bli Neder”.
The Ben Ish Chai says that regarding mundane items, that a person will not have to give an accounting, however, to train ourselves, we should never make promises we can’t keep. If one says something mundane and doesn’t keep his word, he might cause a Chilul Hashem which is a more serious offense.
Shabbat Shalom.

Jobs in Israel

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Jobs in Israel

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Latest jobs in Israel for English and foreign language speakers.

Looking for jobs in Israel?

To those who are looking for jobs in Israel – we have an extensive section of employment information, articles and tips for job seekers; Israel employment laws, social benefits, job opportunities, Hebrew to English translations of forms, pay slips, important vocabulary, adjusting to your new workplace and more. Click here…

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Home Front Command – Pikud HaOref – Latest Instructions

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Home Front Command – Pikud HaOref – Latest Instructions

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Home Front Command (Pikud HaOref) – Latest Instructions

The Home Front Command – Pikud HaOref  has issued these instructions (from 12/11/18 at 22:30 until 13/11/18 at 22:30)

HOME FRONT COMMAND PIKUD HAOREF INSTRUCTIONS

Translated by Anglo-List.  The original Hebrew version here…

Our thoughts and prayers are with our friends in Southern Israel.

The Hebrew month of Cheshvan

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The Hebrew month of Cheshvan

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The Hebrew month of Cheshvan coincides with Scorpio on the zodiac.  What makes this month special?

Contributed by: Rav Nissim Mordechai Makor

cheshvan zodiacI heard a lecture from Rabbi Alon Anava about Scorpio and there is a very interesting point he made about this month – Cheshvan.
Everything I have read about Scorpio says that it is the most powerful month. Why?  I never really had an answer until I heard this lecture. Let me explain.
The tribe associated with Scorpio is Menashe. Menashe had a special quality. What was that? He did not complain when Yaacov blessed his younger brother, Ephraim before him. He didn’t mind being second.
To give some background. From the beginning of time, there was always strife between brothers;
  1. Cain and Abel
  2. Shem and Yafet against Ham
  3. Yitzchak and Ishmael
  4. Yaacov and Eisav
  5. Yosef and his brothers

This recurring theme is very important because none of these brothers were able to do this tikkun/correction of achdoot/unity. Unity is one of the most powerful forces in the universe and Chazal says that if the Jews were unified, they would bring the redemption immediately. It also says that if thieves are unified they will be successful. This is the power of unity. We also know that Hashem hates machlokets/arguments more than anything. When the Jews did the sin of the golden calf and the spies, the manna still fell on those days. Yet when Korach had a machloket with Moshe, that day the manna did not fall.

This tikkun/correction is one of the biggest tests in everybody’s life and one that is with us all the days of our lives.
When Yaacov crossed his hands and wanted to bless the younger one first, Yossef told his father that this was wrong. Yosef thought that here we go again with the strife between the brothers. Yet there was not a sound out of Menashe. In all the writings there is not a word that he complained. This was Menashe’s special quality. Even though he was a big shot, he was Yosef’s right hand man, he did not mind being second. He was happy for his brother. When he kept quiet he was able to accomplish this tikkun of unity. This is a very powerful character trait to have, to be happy for others with no jealousy. Later we see with Moshe and Aharon, that they perfected this tikkun. Moshe did not want to accept the job of the redeemer because he was the younger and Aharon was very happy for Moshe when he came to Egypt even though he was the older. Their relationship was the perfect one, in that they cared more about the other one than themselves. This is an amazing chidush.
Why is unity so powerful? There are a few reasons and they are all very powerful.
We know that the sin of hatred for no reason(Sinat Chinam) was the cause of the second Temple being destroyed and also the reason we are still in galut/exile. The antidote for hatred for no reason is love for no reason(Ahavat Chinam). Love for no reason comes about because there is unity between two parties. We know that the acronym for first line of the the prayer, Ana Becoach has a numerology of 506, which is also the numerology of Ahavat Chinam/love for no reason. This acronym is a very powerful force and can be used in our everyday life to help relationships with difficult people.
Also from Menashe, we learn that when he didn’t complain, he let go of his ego. Most people would be upset that they were passed over and would complain. From Menashe’s action we can use this to get rid of our ego. Humility is one of the most powerful character traits and connects to the Sefirah of Keter.
Also Rabbi Akiva told us that, Love thy Neighbor, is one of the most important laws in the Torah. This is a very deep subject, but one of the teachings, is that even though it is very difficult to love a stranger as much as your family, who are your closest neighbors, the idea is to want for your neighbor as much as you want for yourself. If you want a million dollars, then you must want the same or more for your neighbor. This was the power of Menashe. He was happy for his brother.
From the above we see that in this month we have the ability to connect to all these forces, unity, love for no reason, love thy neighbor and humility. This is the power of this month. So much energy. Being able to connect to these qualities makes this month the most powerful and the reason the third Temple will be dedicated in Cheshvan.
Chodesh Tov.
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