I Don't Want to be Late for the Chocolate Festival

Shalom Yeladim:


Does looking at this

make you lick your lips?

If it does -- and I bet it does -- then come with me to the annual Chocolate Festival at Hatachana -- the restored Tel Aviv Train Station in Neve Tzedek. All of Israel's best chocolatiers will be there. They're going to show us how to make chocolate.

I can't wait because making chocolate is kind of like a Jewish tradition. Don't laugh.  I'm serious. The connection between Jews and chocolates goes all the way back to the Spanish Inquisition. There's even a book that's come out about Jewish merchants and chocolate called On the Chocolate Trail. But let's stay with chocolate in Israel. It all began in 1933 when the Elite candy company was created. Today we have many, many more companies making chocolate. You could say we're kind of like a chocolate heaven. We even have a chocolate farm! That makes sense. After all, chocolate is made from cocoa beans and cocoa beans grow on trees. Leave it to us to turn those trees into a farm. I guess we had to, because the all-time favorite school snack in Israel is a chocolate spread sandwich. I even found a recipe for making chocolate spread, created by the American-Israeli cookbook author Jamie Geller.

Hey, in case you haven't heard, chocolate gives you energy and bittersweet chocolate is healthy. Like all other foods -- you have to make sure you don't eat too much. Me? I eat a little bit every day. 

Mmmm....I can smell the chocolate.  Going in for a landing. This looks like some festival!

Byyyye

Chocolate Photo Credit

Girls Can Make it in Math and Science. A New Israeli Animated Series Proves It!

Hey Banot -- Girls. I want to introduce you to my new friends Purple and Nine.

Nine is the assertive redhead on the left...and Purple? Purple's in trouble because she's broken one of her father's precious chess pieces. The solution? She's going to make an exact double of the chess piece by using a 3D printer.

Sounds crazy to you? Not to me. Not in our 21st Century. And what's really cool is that Purple and Nine are girls who are techies! Even better, they are the latest animated stars made in Israel by two savvy female entrepreneurs.

Yup. Two American-Israeli women with hi-tech backgrounds -- Rebecca Rachmany and Miriam Lottner -- decided that it's time the world's Start-Up Nation (Israel of course) gets girls excited about math, science and technology. The way to do it? Through a new 3D animated web series they've created for girls, ages 8-12. Called Purple and Nine it just made its debut on YouTube this past Thursday. Have a look at the first five-minute episode. It's totally awesome!

Want to know more about this series? Read this article that just appeared in Ha'aretz.

And boys? I think you'll also be interested in Purple and Nine. They're cute, funny and SMART!

Bye for now.

Le'hitraot
Zvuvi

It's My Favorite Tree's Birthday

Shalom Girls & Boys:


Do you have a favorite tree? I do. It's this acacia tree standing in the middle of Israel's desert.

I love flying down south so I can sit on a branch and watch the sunset. It's just me and my tree, alone, away from every busy bee. In fact, I'm watching the sun set right now and thinking about Tu B'Shvat -- which is only a few days away. I bet you'd like to see what planting a tree in Israel is like on this holiday. You don't have to look far. I found some video clips for you, like this one.

Do trees add a lot to your life? What do your friends have to say about trees?  I went to Shalom Sesame  and asked some boys and girls.  And you know what? I also found this neat video with a song called I Wanna Be A Tree. Have a look and let's all wish the trees in Israel Happy Birthday and a Happy New Year!






Acacia tree photo credit

I'm Going to Haifa to Celebrate the Holiday of Holidays

Shalom Yeladim:

I'm flying to Haifa to celebrate the Holiday of Holidays. This is the 20th year that Haifa is celebrating this event, which ALWAYS takes place during the month of December.

You might say that Haifa is the capital of Israel's northern region. It's a city with a very diverse population -- Jews, Arabs and Christians. The Holiday of Holidays celebrates Haifa's cultural diversity through lots of yummy street foods, entertaining street performances, and wonderful artwork displays.

Want to see what this celebration looks like? Click here and enjoy all the photos. It looks really cool. Want to join me next year?

Gotta fly.
Zvuvi

Our Maccabi is Making a Hanukkah Slam Dunk

Shalom Yeladim:


I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgivukkah celebration.  Now it's on to a slam dunk for the Maccabim at the White House.

I know that our Prime Minister tried doing a full court press in the Iran arena, but let's put politics aside and enjoy our 21st century Maccabi hero. Maybe you've read about him? His name is Omri Caspi. This is Omri when he played for Maccabi Tel Aviv back in 2005.

Today he's a big-time NBA star playing for the Houston Rockets, and guess what? President Obama has invited him to the White House to light a Hanukkah candle. I may be wrong, but I read that the lighting ceremony is going to be held this coming Thursday. Omri is real excited.  He says that it gives him a chance to represent Israel AND the entire Jewish community -- that means in the United States and Israel, and hey, all over the world! I am sooo proud and so is his mother Ilana, who is visiting him right now in Texas. Omri is such a good son, he's taking Mama with him to the White House. 

Like me, Omri is no fly-by-night.  This is his 5th year in the NBA -- and this is my 4th year writing this blog. 

See you soon Omri!

Photo credit

Even I'm Getting Ready for Thanksgivukkah!!!!

Shalom Yeladim:


I know you can't wait for this year's Hanukkah-Thanksgiving celebration. Even I'm invited to a Thanksgivukkah dinner! Can you believe? Yup 6,000 miles away and I'm going to be eating הודו for Hanukkah. Have your teachers told you that the word הודו has a double meaning? It's the word for turkey and it also means thanks, so this Hebrew word is going to have a special place in your joint celebration.

What else am I going to do? Watch Hanukkah shows like this one on TV, go to a Hanukkah play -- there are so many to see.......

And, I'm going to hear The Fountainheads sing about Hanukkah. I love them. They are sooo cool.

Boy, am I going to gobble up this holiday! BTW, for an added Israeli twist try this step-by-step recipe for cranberry jelly sufganiyot.

!חג חנוכה שמח



Hanukkah Poster Credit

I'm Going to the Annual Olive Branch Festival So I Can Stock Up On Olive Oil For Hanukkah

Shalom Girls and Boys:


It's olive harvest time and Hanukkah is in the air. That's why I'm flying up North to the Annual Olive Branch Festival.  In between hiking -- O.K. flying -- and jeep tours, I'm going to learn how to pick and press olives.

Harvesting olives has been going on for thousands of years in the Land of Israel.  Have you ever seen an olive tree? They're kinda short and wide like this olive tree in the Galilee which is sooo old they call it ancient.

If you think the oil miracle we celebrate on Hanukkah was vegetable or soy oil, you're wrong.  It was olive oil, of course. That makes sense since olives are one of the seven species mentioned in the Bible. 

Olives are so rooted to our land that we even have a mountain called Mount of Olives because it once was covered with olive groves. And olive oil? It's about as Israeli as you can get. In fact, anything olive is -- olives, olive branches, olive colored army uniforms.  Have a look at our state emblem and this stamp from Israel's early years. 

Both have olive branches in their design, very much like the olive branch the dove brought back to Noah --  another Biblical connection!

Enough talk. Gotta go. I have to get to the Olive Branch Festival on time if I'm going to have enough olive oil for Hanukkah. I love lighting my Hanukkiah because olive oil is easily drawn into the wicks, creating a clear, bright light.  Do you see what I mean?

Wish me luck in becoming the best olive picker and presser around.

Le'Hitraot.....

Zvuvi

Tree Photo Credit

Stamp Photo Credit

Hanukkiah Photo Credit