Haifa's Multi-Cultural Holiday Lessons

Shalom Girls and Boys:

It's December 25th all over the world. It's the fifth day of Hanukkah.  It's also Christmas day.  I think it's important that we respect each other and I wanted to get some good tips on how to do it. So I just surfed the net, and you wouldn't believe!  I found the coolest way to be ecumenical (ask your parents or your teachers what that means) and it happened last year in Israel!

I'm going to take you back to the terrible Carmel Forest fire last December. A forest is a source for Christmas trees. The Carmel Forest is right next door to the Israeli city of Haifa -- a city where not only Jews live, but also Christians and Muslims.

Bet you didn't know that. In fact, I bet you don't know that Christians make up 2% of Israel's population.  Think about it. It makes sense. The story of Christmas did take place here, in The Holy Land.

But back to Haifa. Every year it wants its Christian residents to feel at home, so it puts up a huge Christmas tree. Last year's fire burned out all hopes for a tree, so a clever Israeli artist came up with the idea of creating a tree out of recycled plastic bottles like this one.


Haifa's Jews, Muslims and Christians contributed bottles.  It was a real joint effort and a great example of ecumenism (remember, I told you to find out what that word means). It attracted a lot of attention all over the world, and a British newspaper interviewed the artist and made a video clip all about it.

This year Haifa has a real tree. It's also holding its 18th annual Holiday of Holidays Festival. Eighteen -- that's Chai (life in Hebrew), and I hope this festival has a long life because it's all about religious tolerance. Remember I said Haifa's population is mostly Jewish but that it also has Muslims and Christians living in it? Well, each of these religions is celebrating a special holiday this month. Hanukkah and Christmas, plus the Muslim holiday, Eid Al-Adha, which has a connection with Abraham. Do you realize that he wasn't only the father of our people? We are descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac, but remember Abraham's other son Ishmael?  The Muslims are his descendants. That means we're cousins, which means we should at least be tolerant of each other. But I don't want to get into that. I'm more interested in something else that unites us --- FOOD. If this Holiday of Holidays Festival is celebrating three different holidays, that means three different types of food. So tell me, what am I doing shmoozing with you like this when I could be eating????


Gotta fly...Zvuvi


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Judah Maccabee Slept Here

Shalom Girls & Boys:

Today I'm going to be your flyguide and take you to the city of Modiin.

Once upon a time Judah Maccabee slept here, and so did his father Mattathias and all of his brothers.  They began their revolt against the Greek rulers in this city.  I don't have to tell you the story of Hanukkah. I bet you're learning it right now. But because Hanukkah is also called the Holiday of Lights, I want to show you how beautiful Modiin looks when it's lit up at night.

Modiin is the miracle city in the middle of Israel -- right between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Over 74,000 people live there.  Many new olim (immigrants) from the United States move here. Most are young families. The mayor and his staff work here, in this modern City Hall.

Even though Modiin is a cool, 21st century city, it is still VERY respectful of its past. That's why men, women and children enjoy participating in archaeological digs during vacation time.

They are proud of what professional archaeologists have dug up. Take a look at the synagogue floor archaeologists found dating all the way back to the time of Judah Maccabee.

And signs of Judah Maccabee himself? Sorry, I can't show you exactly where he slept, but how about where he is buried?

Are these the REAL graves of the Maccabees? Some say YES, but many archaeologists say NO...and that's the mystery we're working on now.
Maybe I'll have the answer for you next year. For now, Happy Hanukkah from the city where the story of Hanukkah began, and thank you Modiin city for the pictures on your website. Special thanks to Modiin Councilman Alex Weinreb for his photos of the Maccabee graves, ancient synagogue floor, and this photo of a rainbow over Modiin. (I don't get it. Did Noah land his ark in Modiin???? Gota check that out!)

Thanksgiving Meal Quiz: What's the Hebrew Connection to the Word "Turkey"?

Shalom Girls & Boys:
I'm flying in early because I know you're on vacation AND I have an important Thanksgiving question to ask: Is there a Hebrew connection to the word turkey (as in fowl)?

I couldn't believe my wings when I found out this little tidbit. Christopher Columbus thought that the New World was connected to India, so he called this fine feathered friend tuka -- which means peacock in India's Tamil language. Now hold on. I know I said there's a Hebrew connection, but I think it's a double one -- to English and to Tamil.  Here goes. Legend has it that turkey merchants in Spain -- the same country that sent Columbus on his way -- changed the Tamil word to the Hebrew word tukki -- which means parrot in Hebrew -- and that this word eventually evolved into turkey. It certainly makes sense to me. Say these two words out loud and hear how similar they sound. Go ahead. TUKKI.  TURKEY.

Want an even funnier coincidence? How do you say turkey in modern Hebrew? Hodu.



Is there another meaning to the word hodu?
The answer is "yes." It means we give thanks -- as in Thanksgiving. It's also the Hebrew name for the country India, and isn't that where Columbus thought he was heading?

You get it girls and boys?  However you slice it -- the words not the bird -- there is definitely a Hebrew connection to the Thanksgiving holiday. Ask people descended from the Puritans. They should know.

I could just gobble up all this information.  Hey. Wait a minute.  Isn't the word gobble connected to Thanksgiving as well? I mean, isn't that the main word in the vocabulary of a turkey?

Uh oh.  I think someone's getting ready to swat me.
Byyyye....Zvuvi



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No Angry Birds Over Here

Shalom Girls and Boys:

I am sooo excited. Remember I mentioned Israel's Minister of Education in my last post? Guess what? His ministry is at it again, only this time they've decided to use a project in biodiversity to help encourage us to live in peace with our Arab neighbors. And the best thing? It's a project revolving around beings that have wings and fly.
Yup. You guessed it....

BIRDS! As in these friendly feathered creatures.

Aren't they the picture of peace? We don't have any angry birds over here. Angry people...sometimes. But not birds. In fact, last year I wrote a post all about birds in Israel. Maybe that's what inspired the Education Ministry? I sure hope so.

Their new project called Ken La Tzipor -- Yes to Birds -- is being organized together with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and it's being used in all the schools located in Israel's northern region. I mean ALL the schools. Every school where Israeli Jews and Arabs attend. A lot of Israeli Arabs live up north, which is why this project is meant to promote peaceful coexistence through biodiversity. How? Every Jewish and Arab student up north is going to be asked to pick their favorite bird as part of a lesson in coexistence. To help them choose they're going to receive special workbooks on birds in Israel, and playing cards that have pictures and information on all the fine feathered friends living over here. Not the half billion that pass by every Spring and Fall (230 species!) The ones that call Israel their home.

My first question is, are they going to have a party or a meeting for the Jewish and Arab students picking the same birds? I hope so. Stay tuned. I'm going to try to find out.

My next question is, what about the rest of us who fly and have wings? Peace through insect biodiversity. That's edgy, don't you think?  What's that? You say no, it has too much sting.
We'll see.
Le'Hitraot...Zvuvi


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Zvuvi is Watching His Diet

Shalom Girls & Boys:

What will it be? A cream cheese or a chocolate spread sandwich?
CHO-CO-LATE, CHO-CO-LATE. That's what real Israeli kids eat -- or USED TO EAT during the 10 o'clock snack break at school. And if the school day lasted until 2:30 p.m., then for lunch too! But not any more. Nuh, uh. Today it's a real NO NO because  a lot of Israeli kids have gotten...um...I'm just gonna say it. FAT!

There used to be a time when it was hard to find a fat Israeli kid. We used to come home, do our homework and then s-w-i-s-h out of the house we went, straight to the park, playground, anywhere outdoors where we could play soccer, climb trees and ride our bikes. But then our country became this hi-tech capital, with a computer in practically every home, and...you know the story. You've got the same problem. We're all sitting on our tachat -- that's backside in Hebrew -- much too much and snacking while we're playing, and gaining pounds and inches.

Not good, said Gideon Saar, Israel's Minister of Education, when he saw the latest kids' health and weight statistics. So starting this year he's insisting on healthy eating in school. The Education Ministry is even giving kids colorful boxes divided into sections for fruits, vegetables and healthy sandwiches. Minister Saar says now he's going to go after the vending machines. I mean give a kid a break! Or at least a toffy. Not him. Instead, he's coupled healthy eating with a new Move Your Body program.  Instead of sitting and eating, we're doing Zumba in school.

You know what they say: If you can't beat them, join them. So now I'm going to school so I can be schooled in healthy eating habits. The principal says I have to make sure that my parents eat healthy as well. She didn't like it when I told her they always eat on the fly.
ZVU-VI she shouted. What kind of sandwich did your mother make for you today?
I opened my colorful lunch box that Eema packed with cucumbers, carrots and apple slices. Slowly, I lifted the top of the pita bread and peeked inside the sandwich.
Hummus and tehini I mumbled.
EXCELLENT! she said.



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I'm On My Way to See the Largest Simhat Torah Flag

Shalom Girls & Boys:
It's Rally Round the Flag time. The Simhat Torah flag. We're all going to dance and sing, and wave our flags. But first I'm flying over to the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv where they have a really cool exhibit of Simhat Torah flags through the ages. The coolest flag of all is the largest Simhat Torah flag ever.

This got me thinking: How and when did we Jews start the custom of making special Simhat Torah flags to hand out to kids like you and me, so that we can march (or fly) around the synagogue with them? Sometimes I can be serious (not often, it's bad for my image), so I did a little research and here's what I discovered. The tradition of making flags goes all the way back to 17th Century Ashkenaz, which was in Eastern Europe. I even found sample flags. Maybe they'll be some of the flags I'll see today!

I must be getting really serious (Oh, oh, time to take my temperature!). I even found a historian at Tel Aviv University named Dr. Chaim Grossman who researched Simhat Torah flags. He says the flags created in Ashkenaz were made out of such thin paper that there was no way kids like you and me were going to take good care of them. So sorry, there are no flags going allll the way back. Dr. Grossman also doesn't know exactly how the custom began, but he thinks it was probably taken from a different culture.

So, you know what I did? I looked up the history of flags.  I gotta be honest. It just wasn't fun enough. So I found something better. How to make a Simhat Torah flag  and a Youtube clip of Simhat Torah in Israel.

Gotta go. But first a quick quiz: what flies? Answer: Simhat Torah flags and Zvuvi.
Le-hit-ra-ot.....

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We Just Had Our First Serious Rainfall

We had a surprise visitor yesterday -- Mr. Rain.
Sounds funny to you, but rain in September is almost unheard of in Israel. A huge downpour like the one we had yesterday -- that's a miracle! Do you think it means we're going to have a good year? I hope so. After all, Rosh Hashanah is only a few days away and we don't start praying for rain until Shmini Atzeret/Simhat Torah.

Why do we pray for rain? Because Israel has a dry climate with a short rainy season that begins in October and ends in April.

October's rain is not really rain -- more like spitting. A few drops and poof, it's over. November is a little bit better. December-February are the 3 months we count on. If it doesn't rain we're in trouble. We have very few water resources and our population is growing, making us one thirsty country. Our main water source is Lake Kinneret. We constantly measure its water level to check if we're O.K. Unfortunately, very often it only reaches the red "Danger" line or under it, which means we're having a tough time.

So the fact that it rained soooo early and soooo much -- that's BIG TIME news for us.

The importance of rain is not anything new to the Land of Israel.
Hey, I have an assignment for you. Find out how many times rain is mentioned in the Bible....where, when and why. Once you have the results, write and tell me.

Shana Tova...a sweet, wet year
Zvuvi


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