I feel like I had to watch the show in case I run into any of the characters, I mean actors, on the street in Jerusalem. I really love that Jerusalem itself is practically a character on the show, and I love seeing it filmed in places I go all the time. I think my favorite part was when they go to Shilav, a baby store, in the Talpiot area of Jerusalem and they filmed the real sales guy who works there. I remember him from when I was searching for strollers!

If you need to catch up, you can watch Season 1 and Season 2  (the links may only work for people in Israel, not sure)

So, without further ado, click on the links below to see what happens in season three.

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6
• Episode 7
• Episode 8
• Episode 9
• Episode 10
• Episode 11
• Episode 12
• Episode 13
• Episode 14
• Episode 15 – Last episode

I felt cool. Really cool. Because this film is amazing. ‘Unorthodox’, a feature documentary, tracks the lives of three teenagers from the modern Orthodox community as they spend their post-high school year studying in Israel. The film follows the teenagers through their journey in Israel and America. The documentary tells this intimate story with personal video diaries, giving us those real life moments that are both raw and profound.

As well as the story of these three teenagers, the documentary weaves together Anna Wexler’s own story. Wexler, the woman behind the documentary who left her modern Orthodox community, reveals her own life story adding a very private layer to the film.

In this exclusive behind the scenes, check out our Q&A with filmmaker Anna Wexler herself and a special Vlog from Producer Shira on the Kickstarter Campaign!

Q: Why did Anna decide to do this documentary?

A: In a sense, this documentary tells my own story. I grew up in the Modern Orthodox community in New Jersey, and as a teenager, I broke away from the religion. I watched as many of my friends graduated from high school and went to spend a year studying in a seminary in Israel. These friends had also grown up in Modern Orthodox homes, but like me, they had rebelled, and were not religious by the time they went to Israel. When they came back from their year in Israel they had completely changed: some of my male friends no longer spoke to me since they didn’t want to get “distracted” by women; others now wore black hats and spent their mornings learning in yeshiva. My friends who were girls were suddenly wearing long skirts and long sleeves. And everyone strictly adhered to Shabbat (no more going out on Friday night) and kosher.

I wanted to find out what happens over this year—what makes people change so drastically, and why do the changes happen so reliably, year after year? Originally I wanted to write an article or thesis about the “year in Israel” but I met a producer who suggested that I make a documentary film about the experience. So as a sophomore in college, I got my close friend Nadja Oertelt on board. We taught ourselves a bit about documentary film and together we set out to follow three teenagers through their year in Israel.

Q: How, if any, has the goal changed throughout the process?

A: I think the goal has always remained the same—to find out what happens over the year in Israel. What changed was that I became a character in the film. All throughout production people told me that this was my story and that I should be in the film, but I stubbornly resisted. It was only many years later, in the editing room, that I realized how much richer the story would be if you watched the teenagers travel to Israel through my eyes, and if Orthodox Judaism was explained through my childhood experiences instead of using onscreen text. In addition, I saw that my story—of leaving the community—could add another layer to the film, and thus the film could encompass a broader variety of personal experiences with religion.

Q: Why did Shira become an Associate Producer?

A: I met Shira when I moved to Israel, and we’ve been close friends since 2009. When I was working on the full-length rough cut this summer, she provided helpful advice and feedback, and when I was working on the trailer this fall, Shira was there at all hours of the night. I would share my screen on Skype and she’d help me tweak the individual cuts. Nadja and I have been thinking about bringing on a third person for a while now, and Shira was always the front-runner in my mind (I don’t think she knows that). When we launched the Kickstarter campaign in December and were overwhelmed with responses, Nadja and I decided that it was the right time to bring on a third person and we made Shira a formal offer. Lucky for us, she accepted.

Shira also has a personal connection to the film—she grew up in a religious home and has been through her own struggles with the faith.

Q: What’s it like filming in Israel as oppose to America?

A: People react to the camera differently. In America, we felt that people tended to be more suspicious—Americans have a deep-seated sense of privacy and personal rights, and they are sensitive to potential violations of those rights.

When we filmed in Israel, we often encountered the opposite issue—people were so enthusiastic about being on camera that they’d wave their hands in front of the lens or stick their faces right into the camera and shout random things. Fortunately, Nadja—who was doing the filming—doesn’t understand Hebrew, so whenever they yelled at her, she was able to block it out pretty easily. I found myself clearing the way and trying to fend people off as Nadja was shooting.

Q: Why should people see this film?

A: First and foremost, it’s going to be a great movie with a fascinating narrative! By weaving together the very different experiences of four characters, the audience will really get a picture of the varied personal struggles that people undergo with fait. This is something that is not really openly talked about, especially in the Orthodox community, where on the whole, it’s not okay to seriously question. Unorthodox will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will definitely surprise you—there are plenty of plot twists.

Also, I think that Unorthodox will bring up important discussions about the year in Israel and the Modern Orthodox educational system. On a personal level, I’d really like the film to spark conversation about attitudes towards people who seriously question, or outright reject, Orthodox Judaism. We’ve gotten so many emails from people who are not religious but who are afraid to “come out of the closet” for fear of losing their families and social networks. Right now the approach is largely black or white: you’re either religious or not. The reality is that religious beliefs are fluid—it’s a journey, not a two-sided coin.

Don’t just look forward to the film, make it happen and join their Kickstarter Campaign.

EliShuk...it's for real!

The Mahane Yehuda Shuk is one of my most favorite places in Jerusalem. Almost everything is cheap. You can sample the fruit or the nuts with just a wink of the eye. There are so many different smells you can’t tell the good ones from the fish-head ones. And you get to meet a very unique part of Israeli society, from those that do all their shopping there, to the people that have owned their stalls for generations.

I recently found out that a friend of mine, Alex King, not only has a father-in-law with a stall in the Iraqi shuk, but that he also has the stall online…on Facebook. Not only is this awesome, but I am pretty sure this is the only shuk shop branching out into the social media world.  Alex admits his father-in-law is not the most web savy person, but is just as excited to share his shop online as he is to any customer in the shuk.

For anyone that has out of town guests, tourists or just friends that want to go to the shuk, you should definitely make Eli’s shop a part of the tour. As a part of the online presence, Eli uploads pictures of the latest products and makes sure to give his online audience a special treat with giveaways! Ahhh, now I really have your attention! What kind of treats are we talking about?

Well click hereto score yourself some delicious chocolate coins just in time for Hannukah, and stay tuned for other yummy goods.  And now for a little Q&A about the man behind the stall, the treats and the Facebook page!

Hannukah giveaway

When did Eli’s shop first open in the shuk?
The shop at its current location was established in 1958 by Na’im Shkuri, Eli’s father who immigrated from Iraq in 1951. Up until 1978 the shop sold fruits and vegetables. Since 1978 it branched out into confectionary and in recent years other areas such as electrical goods.

Who is this Eli?

Eli of Eli's Shop

Eli Ben-Na’im was born in Amhara in Southern Iraq. He made Aliyah in 1951 and moved to Jerusalem. He spent his teenage years in Kibbutz Ein Karmel in the North. He served in a combat unit in the army. He has served in all of Israel’s wars from the 1956 Sinai Campaign up to and including the 1982 Lebanon War. He is married, has four daughters and seven grandchildren (with number 8 on the way!). Eli has worked in the shuk since the mid- 1950′s.

Why did Eli decide to bring the shuk shop online?
The shop has been online for half a year now. The Facebook platform was chosen because it offers great social media tools and can also act as a website for the shop, even for people who don’t have Facebook.

All the merchandise in the shop can be seen on the page (in the photo album section) and new products are regularly added.

Sweets for your sweetie!

The page gives the shop a way to communicate with its customers and the wall offers a forum for the customers to post and to talk, fostering a little “on-line shuk community”.

Moreover, all the photos, updates and posts give the user a “taste of the shuk on your computer” which is widely enjoyed by fans that outside of Jerusalem and all over the world.

Most importantly, the page offers fans special deals and discounts from time to time, so click “like” so you can enjoy them!

What is unique about Eli’s shop?
Eli has worked in the shop since it was established in 1958 making the shop probably the last remaining family-run establishment in the “Iraqi Shuk” part of the market that is still staffed by the original founding members. It retains its authentic old-fashioned Jerusalem shuk character. (Most other shops in the Iraqi Shuk are now rented out or subcontracted to hired workers).

To learn more about Eli’s Shop, products click here.

To find Eli click here.

I hope to see you there. There will be comedy sketches, improv, music, beer and even stand-up with the very talented Benji Lovitt.

For details click here. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

We look like BFFs in this picture.

Update on the Sarah Silverman Be My BFF Campaign: It worked! That’s right; I will no longer just be Molly, but the Molly that met Sarah Silverman. The Molly that used her social media tools and connections to become a little bit of a stalker in her pursuit to meet someone really funny while in Israel.

How did it all happen.

Well, for background on my campaign you can read my first post. Basically after facebooking, tweeting, spreading the words among friends and random strangers at bus stops or waiting in long bathroom lines, I managed to find someone that knows her sister, Susan Silverman.

Susan Silverman lives in Jerusalem. I got in touch with Susan and did my best to explain that I am not really a total weirdo and just want to meet Sarah. She, being super nice, said she thought we could arrange some sort of coffee date. As I read her email I jumped up and down (first I took the lap top off my lap, smart thinking).

I had to keep it a secret. It was hard. I am really good at keeping secrets, but I wanted to share the news with all my friends that helped me out. Still I patiently waited for the day to arrive.

By Tuesday the President’s Conference had officially started and I knew Sarah Silverman must be somewhere in Jerusalem since she was supposed to appear on the first panel. Sitting a few rows back in a large conference hall, I watched Sarah Silverman give her interview. From the high of watching her from a short distance, I decided to call her sister a few hours later to check in about our coffee date.

My skinny friend and co-blogger, Rebecca, stood beside me as I tried to sound as normal as possible when scheduling my big moment. It was decided that I would meet Sarah at a family BBQ the next evening – just me, Sarah, family, friends and my husband and baby (should’ve asked if I could bring the dog too).

As the hours ticked by I got increasingly nervous. It was almost like a blind date. I asked for advice from some of my friends and they told me to be myself and just enjoy the meeting.

So that’s what I did. Almost. I got to the BBQ and walked in, felt a rush of heat go over my whole body, and walked back out. I got super nervous. I just had to tell myself she is a normal person like anyone else. My G-d this is the woman that talked about poop on stage yesterday at the President’s Conference, she is just like me!

I met Susan first and thanked her for the opportunity. Like any Jewish mother she encouraged me to eat and have a good time and then she brought me to Sarah. It was awesome. Sarah gave me a big hug as I introduced myself to her as the semi-stalker she had heard about from her sister.

The pants I gave Sarah look just like Jasmine's but the waist goes much higher...much higher.

I gave her a present, some Jewish stuff, but the main gift was a pair of super Israeli pants from Bazaar Strauss. Wrong in all the wrong places, the turquoise MC Hammer pants are known in Israel as, “Aladdin pants,” or “poop pants.” I explained to her that there was no right way to wear them. As she stood examining them she asked how high up they are supposed to go. I told her I really didn’t know, but I guess up to the boobs if possible. I wanted her to have a quintessential part of Israel and something funny to remember us by. I told her if she ever doesn’t feel funny enough she should definitely wear these. She took them and thanked me.

After grabbing a plate of food and making my way into the circle of chairs on the balcony, I proceeded to hang out with Sarah and her friends. I introduced her to my baby boy, who of course was wearing his ‘party pooper onesie’. But like any good party pooper, as soon as she held him he started crying. Thanks kid. But she took it well, and later in the evening when he cried with her again, she posed with him for some sad face pictures. Nice.

Crying like a baby or tears of joy? Sarah plays along.

We talked about all the things you would talk about when you introduce a Diaspora Jew to Israel: cats (they are the squirrels of Jerusalem), cottage cheese prices (through the roof and boycotts throughout the country) and how the old city is really old. All the important stuff.

It was a great night. I saw her as a real person. She and her sister are very close and they sat there reminiscing about funny childhood stories. She loved hanging out with her nieces and nephews, was open and friendly with anyone that walked through the door, and seemed so comfortable. I loved hearing her talk about comedy, since I am also a comedian (if only to myself) in my comedy troupe Hahafuch (had to plug it). It was fun to hear her and a few other comedians talk about that world. I have never been in a conversation like that. And when I say ‘in’ I mean I was on the sidelines listening to them talk about stand up and just taking it all in.

Thumbs up, that'll win her over!

And that’s what I did with this campaign. I took in the whole experience, from the first idea of ‘what if I could meet Sarah Silverman while she is in Israel’ to writing a post, and in the end actually meeting this incredible comedian. I would like to thank all the people that helped me in my campaign and in my success. As Sarah Silverman says, ““Guess what, Martin Luther King? I had a (beep) dream, too.” Thank you to Sarah Silverman for making this Jewish girl’s dream in a far away land come true.

1. Watching Am Segula – Mah Kashur’s new comedy series. Verrry similar to their previous series, Yisraelim. Well, it is the same guys, so it makes sense.
2. Join the Koby Mandell Foundation FB page and double your chances of winning 2 free tix to @comedyforkoby.
3. Site-specific art installations by Bezalel students transform downtown Jerusalem’s bars Oh bars. I think those days are pretty much over for me or is it cool to bring a 7 month old with?
4. Festivals and More Festivals in Jerusalem (via @janglo) I think Israel has set a world record for most amount of festivals per capita or per season or however it is that we measure festival records.
5. Contest for Design of New Banknotes in Israel. Weird set of qualifications: graphic design AND certified bookkeeper. Good luck with that, State O’Israel.
6. Israeli family names their baby “Like” There was also an Egyptian family who named their baby Facebook. And they say we can’t get along with our neighbors. We have weird names in common. Isn’t that enough?
7. Fox pulls Israeli sitcom Traffic Light after 13 episodes Ramzor, the Hebrew version, was such an Israeli-type show, I was wondering how that would work out. I guess it didn’t.
8. ISRAEL21c invited to global cancer fellowship Impressive.
9. Intern in Israel program gets boost from U.S. firms I went to this Masa event and met some awesome recruiters from Urban Outfitters, Citibank and other big names. Great job Masa for really putting in lots of effort to run successful internship programs in Israel
10. Love the @benjilovitt 63 Reasons why I love Israel As usual, Benji outdoes himself with his Israel love.
11. Ayalim, a nonprofit in the Negev and Galil building sustainable student housing village. Inspiring for Yom Ha’atzmaut
12. New Yom Ha’atzmaut video by Aish. How many people do you recognize? I counted 2.
13. Huge Naked Art installation to be in the Dead Sea or Mea Shearim. Hope no one gets angry…
14. Way off track / Fast train to Jerusalem will have to wait Originally, the Tel Aviv – Jerusalem fast train was planned to be finished by 2017. But since that seems too close.. they’ve now postponed it until two thousand and never. Oh well. It’s the thought that counts, right?
15. Anglodeals Amazing! All the daily group deal sites in English!
16. J’lem haredim find gentile hametz buyer has taken it! Hilarious! Bet you never thought someone would actually come and get your chametz.
17. ‎@hebrewU and eTeacher Group Offer Aramaic Language via Online Program (via @religion_state) I totally think there should be Aramaic Ulpan. Sign me up.
18. New Noise Laws in Israel (via @ahoova) No more loud car alarms. Huh? Isn’t that the point of car alarms.
19. New Jerusalem Culture site launched (on Drupal.. in case you’re as nerdy as I am and wanted to check) Good source for upcoming cultural events like the Light Festival and Opera Festival and even the Festival Festival. Bet you never heard of that one.
20. Funny shorts about Pini, an Israeli living in London Really short episodes which is great for someone with a short attention span like me. I just watched all of them straight through. The series is in English and Hebrew and could be a good ulpan tool – just read the subtitles the whole time.
21. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to visit Rabbi Lau in Israel What a crazy story. Turns out that Kareem’s father was in the army during WWII and liberated Rabbi Lau. Why do I keep thinking about the movie Airplane?
22. Gevalt! Israel launches a cellphone in Yiddish Reminds me of my college days and my semester of Yiddish. Now I see where that knowledge could be useful again!
23. Oldie but a goodie Matzah Ball Rap A great Passover video that doesn’t get old. And it stars my old kitchen… and friends!
24. Answers.com being sold for $127 million Wow. Kol Hakavod. Answers.com is such a great part of the local Jerusalem community, sponsoring events, hiring Israelis, etc.
25. Hilarious report on the English spoken by service providers in Israel (thanks @felafelballs) Reads like a comedy script for a sketch by… hahafuch (Jerusalem’s comedy troupe)
26. Artists coming to perform in Israel 2011 featuring Megadeath, Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias via @igoogledisrael.com
27. Vanessa Mae is coming to perform in Israel via @igoogledisrael.com
28. In Latest Discovery, Have They Found the Nails Used to Crucify Jesus?
29. ‎50 things to do in Jerusalem this spring – GoJerusalem.com
30. ‘Amazing Israel Race’ Kicks Off in Boston. It’s not happening in Israel, but such a great idea, I wish they would do something like that in Israel.
31. In Israel, a check of supermarkets shows consumers should stick to stores they find most convenient, and leave paltry price differences behind.(via Haaretz)
32. Al Gore invests $10m. in Israeli solar energy projects Israeli solar on a roll! First Google then Al Gore!
33. Google invests $168m in Brightsource solar project – Globes
34. Bieber visits the Western Wall
35. iPhone app by @rustybrick gets rid of chametz (via @janglo)
36. Four Israeli divas serenade traffic from atop Jerusalem bridge via Haaretz
37. Justin Bieber performs tonight in Tel Aviv. Won’t get to meet Bibi.I was so hoping that Bibi would meet with Bieber. But what would they talk about?
38. Donald Trump sues Israeli co selling “Trump Vodka” – Globes I’m so surprised this is the only Israeli counterfeit being caught. What about stores in Israel that are called Best Buy and Versace that have no connection to the real brands?
39. Israeli App Testing Company Turns From Google And Microsoft To Startups (via @NoCamels)
40. New Glasses from $6.95! – Janglo (link no longer available)
41. Payless ShoeSource arrives in Israel Petach Tikva and Beer Sheva. avg price for shoes: 100 NIS (via @janglo)
42. ‎5 day program in Jerusalem this summer to help residents improve their neighborhoods and green the city
43. Tel Aviv University @telavivuniv Computer Project Funded By Google featured on @mashable!
44. Regional C’ttee approves Jerusalem’s Cinema City – Globes
45. Really? Tel Aviv ranked Israel’s greenest city – Globes
46. Ophir Tours offers $95,000 space trips – Globes
47. Such a nice video about Shir Hadash! Feat. Rabbi Pear
48. The Bezalel Art Fair now happening every Friday from 9am – 3pm
49. Mirs and Xfone win wireless tender (Source:Globes). New cellphone numbers will be 058 and 053 (Source: israel Hayom)
50. Cellular competition starts today for 2 new providers in Israel Reminds me to watch this video again
51. VIDEO: “Ya’alili” by 8th Day: The official music video (via @janglo)
    
52. Google Exodus – very cute Passover video from Aish.
53. Jon Stewart’s Hilarious Eruv Video
     
     

    The Daily Show
    Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

    
    So funny! The Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac goes to Long Island to investigate the Eruv controversy and finds a solution by creating the Eruv hat! Love!

54. Turning personal tragedy into a call to action Gabe Pransky helps Israelis understand the healthcare system.
55. Israel has the second highest Facebook penetration rate in the world, at 89.8% of unique online visitors.
56. Jerusalem seeks garbage recycling solutions including a large recycling plant – Globes
57. So that’s what happened to Sbarro. Sbarro bankruptcy threatens Israeli branches – Globes
58. NIS 2b project will build Israel’s tallest skyscrapers. Just what we need – a giant target. (Globes)
59. Demand booming for high-tech workers. NET and Java developers are most in demand (Globes)
60. Hospital doctors in Israel to strike. Yikes!
61. Israeli startup Conduit with more users than Twitter negotiating billion-dollar exit (Haaretz)
62. Route 1 to Jerusalem to get multi-billion shekel face-lift (Haaretz)
63. Is this an April fools joke? Talmud study is now a mandatory part of South Korea’s curriculum. Apparently this is for reals! Although I keep thinking about it and can’t convince myself it’s true.
64. Top 10 iPhone apps from Israel
65. Apple eyes giant store in Jerusalem
66. ‎@ladygaga coming to Israel this summer.
67. An Israeli’s e-book guide to decorating cars! Hilarious! @israel21c
68. The Jerusalem Marathon and You! (Next Year in Jerusalem Indeed!)
69. Netanyahu sues “Ma’ariv” and Channel 10 for NIS 2m
70. If you will pay it, it is no immigrant nightmare. A service to help olim through tough times - bureaucracy, cell phone companies, building a home, and more.
71. JAFI reforms may hurt Australian immigration to Israel, leader says
72. Coexistence in maternity ward. The realities of bumping into each other.
73. Urban Outfitters Catalog Photos from Israel
    
74. Sephora execs to visit Israel. Will they be delivering free samples to my door? That is the question
75. New olim seek work in public sector – Gvahim VIDEO
76. Hebrew University gets NIS 100 Million for Humanities Dept
77. ‎10 years later, the Light Rail in Jerusalem is going to start running in April 2011 for a shnekel. Shouldn’t they pay us?
78. Bob Dylan coming to play in Israel in June 2011
79. Guide to Childcare in Israel and 15 questions every parent should ask
80. ‎16 Israelis on Forbes rich list
81. Video: The Slain Fogel Family in Happier Times
82. Finally: Kinneret Tops Red Line
83. Running in Jerusalem or How to Make Buns of Steel!
84. Groupon is bringing on the group buying wars by not wanting to be listed on aggregate sites
85. Will there be real Sundays in Israel? Silvan Shalom thinks so.
86. Hilarious VIDEO about switching cellphone companies in IsraelThanks @habitza
    
87. Merkaz Hamagshimim closes its doors in capital after 14 years. Really sad. I loved that place.
88. Molly from The Big Felafel quoted in Haaretz about Merkaz Hamagshimim
89. Super-Sol launching Super Sol Deal Extra.
    Clever name.
90. ‎25+ Daily Deal and Group Deal websites in Israel
91. Flight’s very tardy? Bill would assure you of hotel and meals
92. Rami Levy inks cellular deal with Pelephone
93. ‎55 Israeli start-ups at Mobile World Congress. Can someone just give me an iphone already?
94. bTendo, STMicroelectronics to develop smallest smartphone projector. No more Barkos?
95. Valentine’s Day at the Tower of David?? Since when is Jerusalem so into Valentine’s Day?!
96. Jerusalem’s Cinema City receives building permit
97. New product seal highlights healthy food. What will the Bamba package reveal?
98. Electricity prices to rise 20% in Israel. Add it to the list: tin, tuna, bread, flour, dairy…
99. Bread prices to be increased, again. It doesn’t include the mini-pitas from Borekas Ima. Phew.
100. Hahafuch: In Your Face-book Hahafuch is Israel’s funniest English-speaking comedy troupe! To invite Hahafuch for a show, email us at hahafuch@gmail.com. Join our fan page: http://www.facebook.com/hahafuch
     
101. Gov’t set to add TV channels. who wants it?
     
     Can ya not? Can we start a protest against the TV tax? Who’s with me?
102. Thank goodness. Knesset panel passes land mine bill
103. Former Israel Tax Authority head sentenced to year in jail. Glad to know my tax dollars are getting put to good use
104. Carmit, near Beersheva looks to attract Anglo olim to build a new community
105. This is what’s really scary in the Middle East: Massive fire destroys Ikea store in Netanya
     
106. Rami Levy sues rival for slander Israeli supermarkets should be on Jerry Springer
107. Government changing channels on Israel’s TV duopoly. If only Israel would drop the TV tax, then the country would be headed in the right direction
108. ‎”Globes” compares Internet provider rates in Israel. Ministry of Communication trying to end exit fines
109. Price of canned goods to rise sharply in Israel.Awesome.
110. Asaf Banner is my new hero.
     
     Founder of Shachen Tov, Bmaaglei Tzedek and Teach FIrst Israel
111. What CAN’T you do at a post office in Israel? Hahafuch VIDEO. Love it!
112. Oil of Oleh to help olim navigate Israel. Hahafuch VIDEO. hilarious
113. Ikea’s third store coming to Haifa (Kiryat Ata)
114. Ma’ariv Daily to be distributed for free
115. I love that TimeOut Magazine is free at Aroma. Good incentive to read Hebrew.
116. Trying to understand Israel’s new transportation website Don’t see where the info is for trains. New service – send an sms to *8787 in hebrew for transportation info in Israel

To get you in the mood, here’s an awesome Passover video that asks, What if Moses had facebook?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bezalel Street Arts and Crafts Fair

Opens April 1, 2011

Artists show off their crafts, jewelry, photography and more at this funky street festival.

9am to 3pm
Shatz St., downtown Jerusalem
Free Entrance
More info

AHAVA festival 2011

April 19-23, 2011

at the Dead Sea featuring Yehuda Poliker, Ehud Banai, Eviatar Banai, Mosh Ben Ari, Hadag Nachash, and more
More info

Free museum entrance sponsored by Bank Hapoalim to 46 museums throughout Israel

Some of the museums included:

• Israel Museum, Jerusalem
• Diaspora Museum, Tel Aviv
• Tel Aviv Museum of Art
• Art museums in Ramat Gan, Haifa, Herzliya
• National Parks Authority: Yotvata, Nimrod Fortress, Nahal Taninim, Ovdat
• Air Force Museum, Be’er Sheva
• Merkavot Latrun
• Haifa Zoo

April 22-24, 2011
More info

Stage One- Amateur English Theater Festival

April 20 to April 22 2011

This Passover, Beit Avi Chai in collaboration with Merkaz Hamagshimim Hadassah will spotlight the finest English-language drama, music, comedy, and more that Jerusalem has to offer.

If you can only make it to one event, make sure to come to Hahafuch’s hilarious improv comedy show on April 21, 2011 at 11pm!
More info about the Hahafuch show

More info about the whole festival

Zorba Buddha Festival in the Negev

April 21-25 2011

This is an hippie-esque festival where you camp out and can partake in meditation and spirituality workshops, yoga, dance and theater workshops, and djs who’ll be playing a huge variety of music.

Cost: 317 NIS
More Info

Boombamela Festival in Eilat

April 21-23, 2011

Celebrating its 13th year, Booombamela is another camp-out,  hippie-type festival with big name music performers such as UselessID, Mooke, and Knesiat Hasechel.

The festival offers various workshops and entertainment such as street theater, body painting, interactive art, pottery, holistic and meditation workshops, and more.

Cost: 250 NIS
More info

Eco Social Awareness Festival: The World is in your Hands

April 20-21, 2011

Rishon Letzion

Festival featuring recycled art and workshops to raise awareness and educate about being environmentally friendly.

Free Entrance
More info

Passover at Mini Israel

April 19-25, 2011

The Biggest Matzah in Israel: made with 5.5 kilograms of flour, 2 liters of water, it is 6 meters by 1 meter long, weighs approximately 6 kilograms, 3-4 millimeters thick, and has 119,000 holes.

The Hagada Comes to Life: Actors and singers perform the Hagada. A unique show presents the “Hagada” story in a humorous way with a combination of actors, singers, music instruments, and live music. The audience will meet the characters from the “Hagada” as they “come to life”, and will enjoy live interaction with the characters.

Circus Show: Once a day, there will be a special show with appearances by comedians with amazing acrobatic skills, unicycles, fire juggling, and much more.

More info

Potato Festival

April 21, 2011

Hevel Habasur (south)

Doesn’t sound like a rockin’ good time but apparently there’s contests, food workshops and more.

[Update: My gut feeling on this was right. People mentioned that this "festival" didn't get such great reviews]

More info

For more fun ideas for Passover activities in Israel

• Achbar Ha’ir Guide to Pesach - Huge and complete listing of activities around Israel (in Hebrew)
• Fun in Jerusalem for kids activities in Jerusalem
• Jerusalem Blueprint for a listing of activities around Israel geared toward people in their 20′s -40′s
• GoJerusalem.com for a guide to events in Jerusalem
• Restaurants open on Pesach in Israel with eLuna discounts

It seems that the already successful Jerusalem based Aldo ice cream shop on Emek Refaim is now cornering in on the doughnut world. With a huge sign at the front door, the store invites people to their new display of doughnuts, which happens to look exactly like Dunkin Donuts. In fact the company behind this year’s Hannuka miracle is Mr. Donuts, which have already been selling doughnuts in their Alonit stores.

The doughnuts come in all different flavors, sugar coated, chocolate with sprinkles, strawberry, and banana (really not a fan). A single doughnut is NIS 6, but Aldo is currently running a deal, six doughnuts for NIS 30 (that’s almost a doughnut for each day of Hannuka, if you can really pace yourself). I’ve already bought a box full and I won’t tell you how many are left as I write this post!

The man behind the doughnut vision is Zohar Norman, owner and CEO of Cocoa Mr. Donuts. The business guru has been back in Israel for 3 years after conquering the hummus market in America with Sabra Salads. His bakery in Yavne is behind the real doughnuts, using an American style recipe which fries the doughnuts at much higher speeds and best of all are only 180-240 calories a doughnut (another Hannuka miracle). If all goes well, Norman plans to also import American style pizza and muffins, OMG!

And in an exclusive report to The Big Felafel, a source at Holy Bagel has revealed that they are also going to begin selling doughnuts in their Jerusalem stores. I can already smell the doughnut sale wars! Now, we just have to get Norman to buy into Mexican food. How about some burritos and tacos in time for Purim?

Ramzor (Traffic Light), an Israeli sitcom, focuses around three 30-something male characters living in Giv’atayim (near Tel Aviv). While I enjoy the characters, a family man, the ‘living-together’ guy and the bachelor who is a bachelor all the way, it turns out that according to Wikipedia each relationship represents a color of the traffic light, hence the sitcom’s name. The family man, Itzko, is the red light since he is married with a seven-year-old daughter. Amir, the ‘live-together’ guy is the yellow light because he lives with his girlfriend, and of course that leaves the bachelor, Hefer to be the green light because he has no partner and is free to go. However you put it, the show is damn funny and a great ulpan tool for those of us that want to embrace Israeli culture and slang.

The shows are a smart funny and very similar to the current hit in America, ‘Modern Family’. The stories revolve around humorous concepts like an old woman taking over a swimming lane, the friend that only calls you when he walks his dog, getting a housekeeper who ends up making you work for your money and a dog therapist. The characters are all kooky. I personally enjoy Amir (that’s the live-together guy) the most, who is a private show choreographer. Basically he goes to companies and teaches their workers a dance which is themed around their type of work. He deals with the strangest people and yet loves his job and makes the musical numbers work! He alone is worth watching for a half-hour. There is also Itzko’s wife, Lilach, who oddly enough is also the wife on Srugim, yet plays a completely different character on this show. Here she is a self-absorbed journalist who always has the phone by her ear and is ready for her Pulitzer. Her relationship, if you want to call it that, with her husband is more like a great bickering match and makes for good TV. Hefer gives the show its dirtier moments and thus the sitcom has a little something for everyone.

Actor Adir Miller, who plays Amir the ‘live-together’ guy is also the show’s creator and can now add businessman to that list since selling the show to Fox in America. The US version will be written by Bob Fisher who was the executive story editor for “Married with Children.” The series is set to start this Fall.

Check out Free episodes online

Flotilla Choir presents: We Con the World

Click here to view the embedded video.

Flotilla. Where did this word come from anyway? And why is it so awkward to pronounce? Does it rhyme with a Mexican tortilla? Luckily, I found out how you can show your support for Israel’s elite navy unit without having to say the word flotilla. There is a facebook page where you can order a free bumper sticker that says: “We are all unit 13″ in Hebrew. Unit 13 refers to the elite Israel navy unit that intercepted the flotilla.

The site and the form are in Hebrew, so here’s what it asks for:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Cellphone #
• Street
• City
• Zip Code
• If you want updates by email or SMS
• Comments