Essential Tips for Living in Israel

Ode to Merkaz Hamagshimim

A few months ago I heard that Merkaz Hamagshimim was sold and moving to another location. All because of scumbag Madoff who lost $90 million of Hadassah’s money. I started reminiscing with others about what a wonderful “soft landing pad” The Merkaz was and how chaval (a shame) that it won’t be there in the same format for the next olim or would-be olim who come to Israel. The Merkaz was a combination of absorption center and community center located in the German Colony of Jeusalem. A place where you could live for a year on the cheap after making aliyah or while figuring out what to do in Israel and seeing if you want to move here for good.

If it hadn’t been for Merkaz Hamagshimim, I don’t know that I’d still be in Israel. It was while living in The Merkaz that I got to go to ulpan, work at an internship-turned-job, do Jewish learning, meet my would-be husband,  meet co-blogger Molly and other friends, and the list goes on. In order to get a real sense of coming to Israel through a newcomers eye, I dug into group emails I had sent and found hilarious observations from my first year in Israel in 2004-05 while living at The Merkaz.  Enjoy!

Arrival

I’ve arrived!!!!!!!  Merkaz Hamagshimim is unbelievable. I love my room but am still slightly nauseous from the ride from the airport. Replace ride with crazy israeli driver. i think he thought it was six flags great adventure and that we were on a roller coaster. he was the only one that went weee. oy.

Walking to town

We timed the walk to town today, and with our new carefully planned route it takes about 20 minutes to the Conservative Yeshiva and 30 minutes to town. I know the time, not because I have a watch, which I don’t, but because I’ve been carryng around my clock. Every time I want to check the time I pull out a clock from my bag. Maybe I should tie it around my neck. Or get a watch. We’ll see.

My Room

My room is really cute, airy, breezy, and right across from a camp (I hope) where Abba’s “dancing queen” has been playing since 9AM. Sometimes they listened to it in hebrew for variety and sang along. To say the least, its been in my head all day. My room also has a stove top and a fridge. the stove top was SOOOO nasty, so i bought some cleaning spray, only to find out later it was really to polish wooden furniture. yeah for hebrew and the english i failed to pay attention to. way to go. but actually it cleaned the grime nicely and also turned it into wood, which was an added bonus.

Only two computers at The Merkaz

Thank you for your emails, i read them over and over (you know who you are who have been emailing) because i miss you and because i love staring at this computer screen, i have been at it for (gasp) the past 2 hours almost. i am hogging the computer at the merkaz (there’s more than 1) because i am far too tired to be social  So last night after scrubbing my stove for 3 hours (or so it felt) i tried to fall asleep to the beautiful sounds of cats meowing. oh jerusalem, you will never cease to live up to your reputation of being infestd with stray cats, even for me.

The no-shake internship

This morning I met with the people that I will be interning for. It took me less than 20 minutes to walk there, which is great. The walk to work is so nice, with lots of flowers, and cute stores, and fruit stands,  and i’m sure i won’t be able to resist the little bakery with fresh, warm, baked goods (my biggest weakness) so i’m really looking forward to it. The guys that I’m working for are really laid back and seem very nice. They are religious so there was no handshake (in case that was on your mind, now you know)

Awkward Change

Speaking of hands, I am sooo awkward, well in general, but more specifically at the supermarket, I extend my hand for the change but they always place it on the plastic counter. next time i will remember. woooops.

Supermarket Shopping

I went to the supermarket and pretty much bought everything in sight. How could I resist those sesame pretzels, and ‘vaflim’, and nutella, and cucumbers that I thought were zucchini. Woops.

Hebrew and Japanese

Ya caught me- i got nothin on japanese, but my hebrew is improving drastically. I love the people in my ulpan- i went to lunch with them and spoke hebrew for an hour. it was ‘fantasti’ .

Israel. week 25? Maybe. whos going to check.. honestly

What I’m trying to say is that I’ve been here for a while and am still very unsure of the future.

Discovering sabich

one more thing- food item called sabeech— amazing! ‘madheem’ wowsers. i hate eggplant but not sabeech eggplant, so fried and delicious and the pita and the hardboiled egg and wow. come visit and i’ll show you the best place.

Going on tiyulim

so i’m going on a Merkaz  tiyul this weekend with hiking and biking and raking and caking and poking and soaking (?)

The Lingo

Rak Rega. (insert hand motion here which makes me want to curse out Israelis every chance I get)

Returning after a trip to the States

here i am. back in israel. as an israeli. more agressive? don’t think so. better hebrew? yes. better than an israeli? ehhh…

Making Aliyah

so i’ve gone and i’ve done it. the big A word. not the curse word, the other one. aliya. or aliyah. depending on how much you like silent letters.

What’s in Season? Winter Fruits and Vegetables in Israel

Note from Rebecca: I’ve been reading Miriam’s blog, Israeli Kitchen, and asked her if she could help us out during the year to remember which fruits and vegetables are in season. For some reason, I can never remember when celery turns wilty or avocado can sadly no longer be found or when strawberries make a most welcome comeback. So Miriam to the rescue!  Miriam creates original recipes and posts them on her blog and agreed to share some of her favorite winter recipes with The Big Felafel. Enjoy and make sure to check out Israeli Kitchen for more recipes. Stay tuned for the Spring, Summer and Fall editions of “What’s in Season”. Without further ado, Miriam of Israeli Kitchen:

When rain streams over my window and it gets dark early, I cook soup. The family shleps in towards evening, dripping and complaining. As they pull off coats and put umbrellas away, they sniff the aromatic odor wafting from the big pot on the stove, and know that in a few minutes they’ll be sitting down to their favorite winter food – home-made soup.

I started my soup in the supermarket, slowly cruising the vegetable aisles. All kinds of mushrooms were on sale. Then there was firm, golden corn on the cob, which made me think of cornbread baked with corn kernels in it. Slender, pale-green leeks and crisp celery lay in orderly rows. Piles of potatoes, both white and red varieties…hmm. A delicate leek and potato soup, aromatic with celery, possibly?

Or how about a robust white bean soup with tomatoes and diced carrots, flavored with thyme and plenty of onions? There were so many vegetables! But I was enjoying this cook’s dilemma.

I pushed the shopping cart on. Knobby celeriac and pale parsley roots were fat and tender. When the weather gets hot again, they’ll go thin, not as good. I like to include one or two of those roots in my chicken or beef soups for the rich, sweetish flavor they give out. All those vegetables are in season and reasonably priced. What soup, what soup would I feed my family tonight?

The mushrooms won. I could have bought a few vibrantly green stalks of broccoli, also in season, for a broccoli/mushroom soup, but I love the pure taste of mushrooms alone. I chose a little basket of firm, brown Portobelos and served my soup with warm slices of that chunky cornbread.

We ate and thawed out. The soup performed its reliable magic, filling stomachs and souls with comfort. By the time we sigh and push our bowls away, life had started looking good again.

A colorful salad of sliced tomatoes and avocados followed. It needed only a little lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and a dusting of salt for dressing. All Israeli winter produce for dinner last night.

Recipes:

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

450 grams – 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, clean and sliced thinly. Put 4 aside for later.

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 small potato, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1 cup water

3 cups of milk

2 Tablespoons white wine

1 Tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or a sprig of fresh

salt and white pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped chives or chopped parsley

Method:

1. In your soup pot, sauté the onions till they’re wilted.

2. Add the sliced mushrooms and the diced potatoes. Stir and cook till the mushrooms have released their juice and the potatoes are starting to get soft.

3. Add the garlic and the bay leaf.

4. Add the water. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables over low heat till they are all soft.

5. Take the pot off the heat. Either transfer the soup base to a blender or food processor, or use a stick blender, but process it till the vegetables are blended.

6. Return the blended vegetables to the pot (I just take my stick blender to the whole thing – off the heat, of course).

7. Add the milk, bring it up to a simmer, and cook for another 15 minutes. Don’t let the milk boil over.

8. Swirl the butter in. Add the wine and the thyme and the 4 sliced mushrooms you put aside, and simmer the soup another minute or so.

Spoon out some of the mushroom slices into each bowl and sprinkle chopped chives or parsley over them. Serve.

Cornbread with Fresh Corn Kernels

Ingredients:

1/1/4 cups white flour

3/4 cup corn meal

4 Tblsp. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder (Israelis can just empty out a little package of baking powder into the bowl)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 Tblsp. melted butter. You can use oil or marg, but it will never be as good.

2 corn cobs, broken in halves and steamed till the kernels are tender.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 F – 190 C.

Have ready a medium-sized bowl and two smaller bowls.

1. Scrape the kernels off the corn cobs; put into one of the smaller bowls and set aside.

2. Sift the dry ingredients into the larger bowl.

3. In the smaller bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk and melted butter and mix well.

4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing well again.

5. Add the corn kernels to the batter and mix.

6. Spread the batter in a butter 9-inch pie dish; or line your pan with baking paper.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown all over.

Here’s a quick list of especially delicious and available  fruits and vegetables during the winter months.

Please feel free to comment with your favorite winter eats in Israel.

1. mushrooms, many varieties
2. all the citrus: oranges, pomelos, grapefruits, tangerines
3. apples
4. avocados
5. lettuce: cos or Arab lettuce, oak-leaf, iceberg

Beautiful Sufganiyot

We may not have Dunkin Donuts here in Israel, so Chanukah time and Roladin bakery’s sufganiyot (Israeli version of donuts)  are the closest we can get. Most sufganiyot could be confused with a roll – a big round piece of cakey bread, with a dot of filling which could fall off if you’re not careful. However,  I think there are a few bakeries that really put in the extra effort (read: filling)

• Cafe Ne’eman – King George St. I recommend the white chocolate
• Marzipan Bakery - Mahane Yehuda Market & Rahel Imenu St., Jerusalem
• Roladin – Mamilla Mall [featured below]

Is it wrong to frame this picture and hang it over my couch? I think it’s beautiful.  I recommend the chocolate chocolate flavor. Pure heaven.  I think I’m gonna have to keep going back until I’ve tried every flavor.

Flavors include macchiato, halva, pistachio, vodka melon, banana, with all sorts of goodies sprinkled and added on top. For more sufganiya goodness, read Haaretz’s writeup.

“Safe Sex in the Holy City”

It’s World AIDS Day once again and we still don’t have a cure. That said we must continue to stay safe and informed about the disease. Here in Jerusalem it seems we’re more worried about terrorist attacks, getting jay-walking tickets or a spontaneous protest headed up by those crazy Haredis (see what happens when you don’t have TV, you have to make your own Entertainment at the expense of others). But the truth is, AIDS is a deadly disease in Israel just like the rest of the world. And even if it doesn’t make headlines like the Swine Flu, it’s still affecting your life and your loved ones.

Staying safe and informed is the best way to battle the disease until we find a cure and the Jerusalem Open House is the best way to do that. The organization has a weekly clinic open on Sundays which provides a free and completely anonymous rapid HIV testing service, as well as counseling, information and education about HIV/ AIDS. The clinic has also packed up their bags and visited other sites to give these free and anonymous tests. This World AIDS Day they will be at The Hebrew University’s Mt. Scopus campus giving those tests to students and staff alike.

As well as the free testing, the organization will be celebrating “Safe Sex in the Holy City” Thursday, Dec. 3^rd at the Talpiot club ‘Campus’ where your NIS 40 entrance fee will support the clinic. The night’s festivities will begin at 11:30pm and rock on until the wee hours of early morning. Best of all there will be a drag show to keep us entertain while staying safe.

And so to get you in the party mood, I remind you of the World AIDS Day post I wrote about last year.

For more info about the organization check out their website or contact Shira at shira@joh.org.il.

Chanukah Time! Flash Mob in Jerusalem

In case you’ve been following my tweets you may have noticed that I’m obsessed with Improv Everywhere and the whole idea of going into places and doing random things to surprise strangers and cause a scene. Every time I’m in the central bus station or supermarket in Jerusalem, I just want to break into song and dance or freeze in place like they did in Grand Central Station in New York City or Tel Aviv’s version.

I finally got my chance to partake in a flash mob last Friday at Jerusalem’s popular hangout spot, the midrachov/Ben Yehuda St.  Nefesh B’nefesh organized the mission, taught us the dance, and now, released the official video. Enjoy and Happy Chanukah!!

And if you still want more, here’s the Making of the Flash Mob Video.

Here are some of my other favorite Improv Everywhere videos:

• Grocery Store Musical
• I love Lunch!
• Invisible Dogs

19 questions you should ask before renting an apartment in Jerusalem and the rest of Israel

After moving apartments several times in Jerusalem, I’ve started keeping track of all the questions I ask during each apartment hunt. Here’s a helpful guide for how to find an apartment in Israel with lists of different apartment websites.

Here’s a translation of an apartment notice from one of the best flat hunting sites  Yad2:

1. Price: Price range is usually the first thing that narrows down my apartment search. If the price is in dollars, make sure you feel comfortable with the conversion solution which typically is either a)whatever the rate is on the first of each month or b)setting a rate at the beginning of the contract. I prefer the second option so I’m not nervous about what the rate will be each month.
2. Entrance Date: One of the first questions to ask each apartment is if it’s relevant anymore (actuali in Hebrew). And if so, when is the move in date?
3. Location: Will you feel safe walking around at night? Are there lots of busses nearby? Is it near things that are important to you (friends, supermakets, kindergarten, etc.). To help find the street before you head over, you can use Google Maps which takes english or hebrew street names.
4. Number of Rooms: Be wary of the 2.5 rooms – what exactly will that .5 be and will it actually make a difference in adding space to the apartment.
5. Size: How many square meters is it? Sometimes an apartment will sound big in square meters but it may not be set up in a very user-friendly way
6. Arnona: Depending on the size of the apartment, you’ll have to pay a certain amount of municipal property tax.
7. Floor Number / Elevator: Find out what floor number it’s on – and whether the building is on a raised platform or not. If it’s a high floor, is there an elevator? Shabbat elevator?
8. Vad Bayit: The maintenance fee for each building differs slightly and can range anywhere from 40-300+ shekels per month. The lower range usually covers someone who cleans the building once a week. The higher range usually means that there is heating (hasaka) for the building during certain times of the day.
9. Dud Shemesh(solar panel for hot water): For me, this is really a dealbreaker and I try to only look at apartments that have a dud shemesh. Mainly so I can just say dude a lot, but also because there is so much unbearably hot sun during the summer that it would be such a shame to let it go to waste, and a dud saves electricity costs.
10. Daytime/Nightime: Is there plenty of warm sunshine during the day? Is it scary at night. I recommend checking out an apartment both during the day and at night so you get the full picture.
11. Balcony (mirpeset) / Closed balcony (mirpeset sherut) If an apartment has a balcony,  find out if it’s open or closed. Also nice to know if it is sukkah-friendly.
12. Furniture: Does the place come with a stove, fridge, built-in closets, washing machine, couches, etc? Sometimes landlords just happen to have an extra closet laying around. On the other hand, we went to see an apartment that didn’t allow gas stoves so be sure to ask, ask, ask about any details you can think of.
13. Landlords: Does the landlord pace the apartment every 2 seconds? Are they nice on the phone but then shady in person? Pay attention to the landlord’s behavior – you don’t want to be handing your hard earned money over to a scumbag each month. Make sure to ask about repairs, and the landlord’s responsibilities to you.
14. Pets: What I’ve found with pets is that there’s usually a don’t ask, don’t tell policy. The landlords usually don’t care as long as you keep the place clean and it doesn’t cause trouble with the neighbors.
15. Parking: If you have a car, make sure there is either a designated parking area, or at least lots of little side streets nearby with ample parking
16. Heating/air conditioning: Find out what kind of heating system there is. Also, you can ask the current tenants how the apartment fares during the summer and winter.
17. Roommates: If you’re looking to live with others, you’ll have a whole new list of questions – do you want to live with religious people, people that you know, Israelis, etc. Make sure you get a good, friendly vibe when you’re choosing roommates because you’re gonna see these people plenty.
18. Agent: Check to see if there is an agent. If the apartment is going through an agent, the fee is typically one month’s rent. You can find plenty of apartments without an agent so only use one as the very last resort.
19. Storage: Does the place come with a separate storage space?

Good luck with your apartment hunt!

If you have anything to add, please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

Israel the Airhead!

This country is funny. Have you ever met someone who is an airhead yet somehow they have a full scholarship to a top university? They can figure out math problems that use numbers and letters but they can’t remember to look both ways before crossing the street? That airhead is Israel.

It seems weird but after I tell you what I tell you, I think you will agree. Here’s why Israel is such an airhead: Trains. It comes down to trains.

In Jerusalem you have the light rail, or you have the tracks, dirt and mess of what is supposed to be a light rail. It’s been in the process of being built for about 10 years and who knows when it will ever be ready. In fact it was recently reported that practice trains will begin to ride some of the tracks- which means they will find all sorts of problems and have to rebuild, remodel and restart the whole train game. The light rail has literally eaten up the center of the city and left its remains like a toilet. You know it’s true even if you don’t like the analogy. Stores and cafes have shut down due to lack of commerce, buses travel down narrow one-way streets which are used as two-way streets and sometimes even three-way streets (dirty). My favorite people-watching cross walk at King George and Jaffa has disappeared along with the businesses and bustle of everyday life.

Yet all this said something so innovative and brilliant is also happening on trains in a different part of the country. Israel Railways is offering a lecture series, from top Professors while you ride your usual morning commute. This is pure genius. Where did they come up with this? Rather than staring out a window, listening to your iPod, or trying not to fall asleep and miss your stop, you can now have a refreshing cup of morning coffee and refreshing lecture from top Hebrew University Professor Chanoch Gutfreund on “Einstein’s Love Letters.” I mean could you think of a better way to start your day?

So there’s my point in case. The Jerusalem light rail makes this country an airhead, twirling her hair around her finger and staring into space. Yet, while she may look like no one is home, the sheer genius of train lectures makes you realize that indeed the lights are on and only getting brighter.

Be Cool. Matisyahu gives us a much needed beat

Living in Israel is never easy. Understatement. And now with talk about a third Intifada, actual rioting in the Old City and calls of the destruction of Israel from Arab leaders in East Jerusalem to Arab leaders in the Arab nations, life here seems to be more stressful than ever. Reading the news makes me nervous to walk the streets, ride the buses or be in crowded places.

But I still go out and I still live my life here. In fact last night I went to the Matisyahu concert held at Sultan’s Pool right outside the walls of the Old City. On my way I couldn’t help but worry about the possible terrorism that could take place. My mind has a wild imagination, so I was worried about the parked cars, the people with big bags and making sure the security guards were thoroughly during their job—not to mention my fears of 18-year-old “Shana Alef” girls and boys that would probably be drinking beer and standing next to me at the concert (some might argue that is the scariest of all).

But when the music started all the fears, worries and doubts disappeared into the raging beats and all I could do was move to them. Matisyahu’s lyrics and mere presence reminded me that this isn’t just a concert in Israel, this is a part of our way of life and nothing or no one can change that. We are the Jewish people and this is our Homeland. The songs helped to remind me that life is hard, life for the Jews has always been hard, but we can still find the joy in the fog of hate and we can still bust a move.

So I danced to the music. We all danced to the music—even if our moves were that of Jewish white boys and girls, and we couldn’t manage to stay on rhythm. We danced because we could. Because we were dancing in an ancient pool of the Israelites. Because the Old City, might be old but we are keeping it young. We are keeping it. We’re dancing for our ancestors; we’re dancing for our future. We’re dancing cause we think we’re cool and we’re dancing because we know we’re afraid.

The last piece that Matisyahu left the crowd with is his famous song “Jerusalem.” The lyrics say it all, “Jerusalem, if I forget you, fire not gonna come from me tongue. Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do.” From the prayers of King David to the hopes of the next generation, thank you Matisyahu for reminding us to move to the beat and keep going.

11+ Awesome things to do in Israel this Sukkot

As you start planning your Sukkot vacation in Israel for 2009, I wanted to give you a few fun and less touristy activities that you might not have on your list.  I also look forward to hearing about your plans for Sukkot so please share in the comments section below.

1. Cinema City VIP

Imagine going to the movies in Israel. You’re only allowed to go in 2 minutes and 30 seconds before the move starts. People trample over you to get to their seats. Arsim answer their phones at the best part of the movie.

Now imagine going to the movies in style.

For 120 shekels, you can see how the rich and famous live. When you go to Cinema City VIP, you’re invited to come 45 minutes early to a lounge to enjoy a light meal including bread, cheese, vegetables, snacks, and desserts. And you even get as many glasses of champagne or coffee as you can down within those 45 minutes. Once you’ve had your fill of delish treats, and head inside the theater, the staff hands you Ben&Jerry’s ice cream, any soda or drink you like, and a big cup of popcorn. And here’s the best part – it’s all unlimited refills. So you can get up whenever you like during movie and pile up as many Chunky Monkeys as your stomach can handle.

Once you find your seat – one of only 20 VIP seats, you can recline in your leather lazy boy chair and put your feet up on the footrest! In short, treat yourself and a loved one to Cinema City at least once! I think Herzl would have enjoyed the luxury of this establishment located in his namesake, Herzilya. Or, thanks to Jennifer’s comment, it’s actually in Ramat Hasharon.

2. Nalagaat: Blind and Deaf Theater in Tel Aviv-Yafo

For a totally different experience than Cinema City, you can get back in touch with reality and appreciate the little things in life by visiting Nalagaat – a blind and deaf theater troupe that performs weekly in Yafo. The troupe comes from all different backgrounds – both ethnically including Russians, Israeli-Arabs, native Israelis, and range in their ability to hear, see, or speak.

Their play, “Not by Bread Alone” tells the story and dreams of the different characters and brings them together with senses they all share – smell, touch and taste.

Following the performance, you have 2 non-typical dining options – the Blackout Restaurant where you eat in the dark, assisted by blind waiters, or Capish Cafe where you are served by deaf waiters. Truly a touching experience which I highly recommend.

3. Get Down and Dirty at a 3 day Hippie Festival

Just try going to an interview wearing these pants. But go to one of Israel’s many hippie-dippie Indian/meditations/ashram/love/no-showering-for-a-few-days festivals during Sukkot and Pesach, and you’ll feel right at home in diaper pants. This Sukkot, there are 2 festivals in southern Israel, Sagol and Desert Ashram/Zorba Habuddha that offer a 3 day escape from the real world, and entrance into a world where you receive a hug on your way in from a perfect stranger, followed by hundreds of people lounging around, enjoying chai tea, meditation workshops, good music, and possibly some not so legal substances. So pack up your tent, sleeping bags, and paper pants. Throw out any expectations or pretenses, and get ready to get down with your dirty, hippie self.

4. Hiking

Pack up your apartment, put it on your back, and head out to the beautiful nature trails that Israel has to offer. You can find a list of trails around Israel on the SPNI website.

5. Paintball

For those of you who need to get out your aggression this vacation or enjoy being pelted with bright blue and green paintballs, then you’re in luck. There are a few Paintball Branches in Israel: Haifa, Kfar Saba, Be’er Sheva. There are different activities for adults and children. Check out the Paintball Israel website for more info, and pricing.

6. Rock Climbing or Rappelling

If you’re interested in testing your fear of heights, you can start indoors with rock climbing, or do some rappelling outdoors.

#7-11: Jerusalem Blueprint put together a great guide of Sukkot activities in Jerusalem which includes the first ever Red Bull Soap Box Racing event, Matisyahu concert in the Sultan’s pool, and more.

12+: Fun in Jerusalem’s guide to events in Jerusalem for kids

13+: Green Prophet’s guide to Green Events during Sukkot

THE ROSH HASHANA VIDEO: Laugh your way into the new year!

It’s that time of year: apples, honey, prayers and tons of celebration…the Jewish New Year. And once again Benji and I hit the streets, this time in Tel Aviv, to find out how Israelis plan to celebrate the holiday and what sins they may want to say “sorry” for. Check out the clip and learn more about Benji at www.whatwarzone.com.

© 2010 The Big Felafel