How Do We Celebrate Shavuot in Israel?

Shalom Girls & Boys:

I have to be quick because Shabbat is about an hour away and right when Shabbat ends, Shavuot begins. Which is why I'm buzzing by. I want you to see how we celebrate Shavuot in Israel and I just found this wonderful "photo album." It has pictures of every which way we celebrate -- from Samaritans on Mount Girizim, to Hassidim harvesting wheat, to children on a kibbutz.

What do we eat? All kinds of dairy dishes.

I'd love to chat, but I've got to fly. Hope that doesn't cheese you off.

Cheers...I mean cheese!
Have a Shabbat Shalom & Chag Sameach...Zvuvi

This Shavuot You Can Help Save Our 400 Endangered Flower Species

Shalom Girls & Boys:

I love this time of the year. The sweet smell of flowers is everywhere.


Look at this wild tulip.

Isn't is beautiful!!!! Close your eyes and imagine what it smells like.

This tulip is one of the 2,400 flower varieties growing in our teeny tiny country. Most of them are grown by professional flower growers.  Still, there are 400 different kinds of wild flowers growing in Israel  that are in trouble. They're called endangered species.  We HAVE to protect them because they're part of what makes Israel so beautiful.

So, I started thinking about the flower side of Israel. One thought led to another. First I started thinking about the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Then I heard they have this cool idea of people and families adopting a flower species. Want to see the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens? Watch this  video.

Next thought -- Shavuot and how we use flowers and leaves to decorate our synagogues and homes.
So, I connected the dots and guess what I came up with?
A Zvuvi idea: How about you and me, and everybody collecting money from family, friends, schoolmates so that we can adopt an endangered Israeli flower species for Shavuot??!!

It's just a suggestion and it could be a great school project.  I even have a contact name at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens: Tal Setzmetzky. Or if you want, I found this site -- Friends of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.


Think about it. While you do, have a look at some of our other wild flowers.

Power to the flower!

Tulip photo credit
Wild flowers Rosh Hanikra
Mt. Tabor Flowers Photo Credit

We're One of the World's Happiest Countries! Happy Independence Day!

Shalom Girls & Boys:

I hope you're getting ready to celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut -- Israel Independence Day. Everybody over here is. Flags are flying -- like this one specially made for car windows.

What's more, people are smiling, and there's a lot to smile about. There has to be, otherwise why would the U.N. declare us the 14th happiest country in the world! 

I know you're asking "WHAAT! How can that be?" You're right, we're not exactly located in the best neighborhood, and let's face it the neighbors want us to move out. But we're not budging. Why we're not is the top reason we're so happy. We've done it. We've returned to the land of Israel and built one unbelievable country not only for us, but for all Jews around the world. 

That's one BIG reason to celebrate. Not just us, you too. I recently heard a Jewish mother in America say that now that her children are in their twenties, no longer in Day School and learning about Israel, Yom Ha'Atzmaut is not really important. HUH!!!???? I really gave it to her. Regardless of how old you are Yom Ha'Atzmaut should be important to you and every Jew around the world.  Why? Because it's good to know that all of us have each other and a wonderful country.

So that's my preach for the day, but that lady got me really upset.

According to the U.N. report, political freedom, people you can count on -- meaning strong friendships and loving family -- job security, good mental and physical health are all part of the happiness picture.  We've got oodles of most of that. Plus we have other reasons to be so happy and I'm going to let the photos speak for themselves.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

Yom Ha'atzma'ut Sa'me'ach. Happy Israel Independence Day!

Flag Photo Credit

Kotel Photo Credit

Beach Photo Credit

Ibex photo credit

Kayaking photo credit

basketball photo credit

cheerleaders photo credit

Israeli Arabs LOVE Eating Matza!

Shalom Girls & Boys:

Since Passover is just around the corner, I'm on my way to buy Matza and you'll never guess where.  Not at the supermarket.  Not at the local makolet -- grocery store. Not in the shuk -- outdoor market.
Nope.
I'm buzzing by Jaffa (next to Tel Aviv), Umm el-Fahm (a city up north) and Nazareth (another city up north) where many Israeli Arabs live. You can't believe the amount of Matza they sell there.  In fact, if I don't rush it will be sold out.

Israeli Arabs say that nothing beats Matza. It's a delicacy they wait for once a year.  They love the taste. They love the texture. They eat it from the start of Passover to the end. Then they run out and buy some more.

Who would believe? Do we live in a crazy country or not?  Matza -- the bread of affliction symbolizing our flight to freedom from the Egyptians -- brings Arabs and Jews together??!! Well, not exactly. The fact is that not all Israeli Jews look forward to eating it. They kvetch that it doesn't fill them up like bread, has too many carbs and crumbles too quickly. You name it, there's a complaint, which is only fitting for this holiday since the Bible reports that once we were in the desert we proved that we were (and still are) a nation of kvetchers. And get this! Do you know what many of us in Tel Aviv look forward to on Passover? Actually, on the night Passover ends? We can't wait to go to Jaffa.


To be more exact -- we go to the Abulafia bakery to savor the taste of freshly baked pita bread and other baked goodies.

So I guess, the best way to an Israeli Jew and an Israeli Arab's heart is through the stomach. Passover is proof of the pudding -- Kosher for Passover pudding that is.

Chag Sameach...Zvuvi


Matza photo credit
Pita bread photo credit

I'm Crossing the Red Sea

Shalom Girls & Boys:

You know what I like about living in Israel? I've got several  "Like"s but one of the things I like best is that I can go to the places I read about in the Bible.

Passover is just a few weeks away and I'm reading all about the Children of Israel leaving Egypt.


Way back then there was no GPS.  It could be that there was a short route to The Promised Land, but Moses chose the long way around, through the desert to the Red Sea, which parted in 2, making a beeline straight to the Promised Land.

Hey, shouldn't that be a flyline?
I know...STOP with the puns!
Still, I'm going to take a ZvuviLine to the Red Sea.
Here it is. The body of water that the Children of Israel crossed.

Isn't it beautiful? You can even see some coral reefs. Today, the Red Sea brings you directly to Eilat, the southernmost city in Israel. The temperature in this city can get really hot, but it's one of the coolest places around. I love flying over to the Coral World Underwater Observatory where I get a fly's eye view of the most amazing fish. They are the residents of the Red Sea, and I'm kinda wondering: when the sea divided into 2 and The Children of Israel walked on the dry path in the middle, did they see fish floating in the waves if they looked to the left or the right? If they did, it had to be very distracting. It's hard to concentrate on running away from the Egyptians when you see fish like this:

Sounds fishy to you? Come to Israel for Passover and see for yourself.
Le'Hitraot...Zvuvi





Like Photo Credit
Red Sea Photo Credit
Fish 1 Photo Credit

Purim Spaghetti Western Made in Israel

Shalom Boys & Girls:

Before I start working on my Purim costume I'm going to sit in my Director's seat and watch a new animated Purim clip that's Made in Israel.  It's a spaghetti western starring Mordechai, Haman and Achashverosh. Hey, wait a minute. That ties in with the Purim custom post you received last week. I get a feeling I know what I'm going to dress up as. But back to the clip. There are no subtitles, but there are two versions: Hebrew and English. Enjoy both and have a Happy Purim.

I Just Have to Share This

I'm flying in again this week 'cause I have to share this article I just read on Ynet. I know you don't get excited when presidents or presidential candidates open a FB page, but hey, our president is 89 years old, still going strong, still cool. Have a read:

Zuckerberg to help Peres launch Facebook page President joins world of social networking, launches Israeli, international Facebook pages with help of Mark Zuckerberg Yair Altman Published:  02.24.12, 09:31 / Israel News The president of the State of Israel is joining Facebook and is set to receive a near-royal welcome. Shimon Peres is planning on taking advantage of the social network to call on citizens of the world to ask him questions through his official page on the site and even to suggest ideas that could promote peace in the Middle East. Peres' page in its Israeli version will be launched on Friday and the international version will be launched with more pomp and ceremony at the Facebook headquarters in San Francisco.