Ambitions of the non-pawns
Nearly half of the all time great chess champs are Jewish, Russians have special levels of love for the game, and “check mate,” the adage recited ritualistically by players upon achieving victory, is said to have been derived from Hebrew, so it’s only natural that the Israeli chess scene be vibrant and growing.
Alon Cohen-Revivo, 2008’s Jerusalem Chess Champion, is working hard to make sure that chess culture has a comfortable home in Jerusalem. His two-year-old organization, Jeru-Chess, has been making a considerable difference lately, according to a recent Jerusalem Post report. Together with the Municipality of Jerusalem, Jeru-Chess hosted a major International Chess Festival (pictured) this past July.
With a home base in the German Colony’s recently renovated International Cultural and Community Center, Jeru-Chess boasts a roster of around 60 regular members, and it has hosted workshops in about 30 schools, special needs groups, community centers and old age homes.
Cohen-Revivo looks at chess as a therapeutic endeavor.
“Several solid research studies show the beneficial effects of chess on mental health patients, CP patients, people with Alzheimer’s disease and Asperger’s syndrome,” says Cohen-Revivo, 35. “Chess is also a good outlet for children with ADHD.”
He also sees the game as a springboard for educational opportunities.
Mediation and listening skills are also useful in chess, he says. “I listen for the unmet needs of my pupils, what they need to improve. I also try to give a feeling of self-confidence, ability to contain and understand complexity, and, of course, pure chess knowledge.”
….Cohen-Revivo’s innovative teaching approach doesn’t end there. “The queen is like an octopus that can go eight different directions; she has a long arm and can move forward and backwards and sometimes on the diagonal,” he explains. “Danny Deen, a famous comic character, is the knight.
“I use a lot of metaphors and techniques that are relevant and effective,” he says. For example, “Sometimes kids only use pieces on one side of the board. I begin to shake the ‘dozing hand’ and make snoring sounds to wake up the sleeping pieces.”
Your move, Tel Aviv.
The long haul
Israelis are getting ready for Rosh Hashana they only way we know how – by shopping.
Most people at work are still coming to terms with the length of the holiday – the only two day religious holiday celebrated here.
“You mean, we don’t go back to work until Thursday? I might as well take a trip abroad,” said one colleague.
Not having any close family here, Rosh Hashana – like every other holiday – has always been bittersweet for my family. We get together with friends and other families for some meals, hang out by ourselves for some, but without the mishpacha around, there’s always something missing.
Herb Keinon in The Jerusalem Post, put it very aptly:
As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I grew up with a very small extended family – no relatives on my mother’s side; grandparents, two aunts and three cousins on my father’s. My childhood table never brimmed over with relatives. But I didn’t know the difference; it’s what I knew.
But my kids have a different reference point. They see friends with relatives spilling out the windows, and want some too.“Why can’t we have relatives,” the youngest son asked once, using the same tone he uses when asking for more ice cream. Indeed, the lack of a large clan is hardest on him, something that has to do with his bar mitzva in six months.
Here’s hoping that all Israelity readers – even David Joe – whether in the bosom of their families, or enjoying the holiday with friends old and new, have a meaningful Rosh Hashana, and that next year will bring peace and tranquility to all.
Nostalgia Sunday
Filed under: Art, General, Holidays, Israeliness, Pop Culture
I don’t know Hayim Shtayter personally but he is a man after my own heart. Shtayer, a veteran Israeli graphic designer, has an extensive collection of antique and period greeting cards for the Jewish New Year, some of which can be found online.
What is nice about this season is that even today, if you go down to the open market shuk, there are still stands selling this sort of card. Brightly colored, often embossed and/or sprinkled with sparkles, these are hopeful messages for the near future, a mix of national pride, military might and religious symbolism.
And sometimes, with a new house and a new car thrown in for good measure!
The “Shana Tova” (good new year) style – described by graphic designer David Tartakover in a 1978 book as “folk art created by anonymous artists” – was honored by the Israel Postal Service in 2000 and 2001 when it commissioned Shtayer to create a series of stamps using images from Rosh HaShana cards.
If you like the Shana Tova style, there’s still time to send an e-card to friends and family. The one I got was really sweet. In any case, best wishes for a New Year filled with health, happiness and a bit of peace, wherever we can find it! Shana Tova!
Shana tova u’metuka
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Religion
There’s no question that Rosh Hashana cheer is in the air, whether it’s signing off of every conversation with a Shana Tova salutation, wishing a Shana Tova to each clerk, salesperson or person that one meets, and the number of Shana Tova emails — not to mention the round challahs and apples and honey gifts on Facebook — that are arriving in the email inbox.
The streets are crowded with people, shopping all the time, for food, gifts, last-minute outfits, and the planners who are already picking up decorations for their sukkah.
What I always like about Rosh Hashana in Israel, as well as Yom Kippur and Sukkot (and all the rest of the calendar year, for that matter), is that they are holidays for everyone, secular or religious. Sure, some of us spend a lot of time in synagogues during this month-long holiday period, thinking about personal repentance and ancient piyutim, and that’s our choice. Many don’t. But nearly everyone in Israel is celebrating in some way, sharing special meals with family and friends, buying “shay l’chag“, holiday gifts for one’s hairdresser, accountant, travel agent or clients, cleaning up the house and yard before the onslaught of guests, and thinking of creative ways to use honey or new fruits.
I suppose that for me, it comes down to the fact that no matter how many years I’ve been living here, I still derive a little thrill at how different it feels to celebrate one’s new year in September rather than January. It feels different to say Shana Tova U’Metuka, rather than Happy New Year. It feels different to toss around pomegranate seeds, rather than glitter at midnight.
So here’s to a happy new year for all Israelity readers and bloggers, and finding your kind of celebration. Sweetness and happiness in 5768.
Who are YOU Voting For?
My fellow Americans: the upcoming Presidential election is only weeks away. You owe it to yourself to make an informed decision, which is why I took the liberty of live-blogging the first debate between Senators McCain and Obama Friday night. Here’s a sample from the 4 AM local kick-off time:
4:10 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? I think I met them at the Mobile, Alabama Matza Ball once.
4:13 Lehrer to Obama: “Say it directly to him.” The moderator is apparently auditioning to be a matchmaker on the Upper West Side.
4:14 “I still believe our best days are ahead of us.” How do we get that kind of optimism here? “Dehr eez no hope een deh gah-verhn-mehnt….deh politicians all SAHK!“
4:16 Ech omrim “earmarked pork barrel spending”? The rabbinate is going to have something to say about this.
4:18 “$300 billion is really important.” THREE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS?!?! Where do I get THAT kind of aid? All together now….come on, Nefesh B’Nefesh….HOOK A BROTHA UP!!!
Read the whole thing here. And shana tovah (Happy New Year) to all!
First rains
It was the first rain yesterday. In Israel we take our rain seriously. My children were out there quick as a flash, dancing around the garden as if…, well as if they hadn’t seen rain for six months.
Their education in water conservation was immediately apparent. Every container they could find was pressed into use catching raindrops and run off water from the roof. When the rain stopped they began diligently watering all the pots.
It may have been short, and it was definitely filthy (the first rain always leaves you wiping down your windows, car, garden furniture, and the floor, if you unluckily left your window open), but yesterday’s rain was a welcome sight for everyone.
Last year’s dry, warm winter compounded three previous years of drought, leaving Israel facing its worst water crisis in years.
With the red line of the Galilee – Israel’s main reservoir of natural water – already breached, pumping looks as if its set to reach the black line, beyond which point many believe the damage to the lake is irreversible.
With the government seemingly doing little to reverse the crisis – even water rates haven’t gone up in price – we desperately need rain this year, and many will be hoping that Saturday’s early shower will be an indication of a rainy winter to come. Around Jerusalem at least, up to half an inch fell yesterday, while in Tel Aviv and other areas of the country, the rain was fairly light and drizzly, allowing the parched earth to absorb some of the run off.
No forecasters are willing to give any predictions of rainfall this winter, but the rain did set in motion one important yearly tradition, known and dreaded by parents – mostly mothers – everywhere: the autumn switch to winter clothes, an exhausting job that involves trailing through the dark recesses of children’s wardrobes, and boxes stashed under the bed.
Rosh Hashana means honey
I’m quite looking forward to tomorrow. I’m hitting the supermarket this evening with a gargantuan shopping list and will spend most of the night prepping all my dishes I’ll be cooking for Rosh Hashana. Dishes for the new year should always be sweet, so nearly everything I make needs to have a healthy dose of honey in it. Luckily, in nearby Kfar Ruth, a small agricultural village established in the late seventies lies a boutique honeymaker who sells the best honey I’ve had in Israel. Shai Spector opened his honey business a few years ago. It is housed in a beautiful building and is open only on Fridays, because Spector spends the rest of the week tending to his bee colonies. His honey come in many different varieties and he even some that are infused with herbs such as zatar (hyssop) and sage.
I’m no fan of honey cake but found a recipe via Baroness Tapuzina and simply cannot resist making it. It’s called Ka’ikeh b’Ah’sal which is a Honey Cake With Sesame Glaze. The recipe is from the Syrian Jewish cookbook “A Fistful of Lentils” by Jennifer Abadi. You can find the recipe here. The Baroness also links to other interesting Rosh Hashana recipes and I’d like to personally thank her for saving me a few hours of research. As a main course I’ll be making Georgian Chicken in Pomegranate and Tamarind Sauce which I also found via her blog.
Shana Tova to all. May this year bring you prosperity, health and much goodness.
Time for Mincha, Paul
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Life, Music, Pop Culture, Religion
Paul McCartney’s played all around the world, with The Beatles, with Wings, and on his own. I’m sure he’s encountered some strange sights and situations (among them spending a few days in a Japanese jail for pot possession), but his historic performance Thursday night in Israel likely presented a first at a McCartney show – its very own Chabad mitzvah booth.
As the near 50,000 concertgoers of all ages rambled through the grassy Ganei Yehoshua on the way to the show, they passed the usual beer and hot dog vendors, and McCartney memorabilia like ‘Paul in Israel’ t-shirt and button hawkers. But, right in line with the path was a booth set up by Chabad, offering literature, the mitzvah of laying tefillin, and some good yiddishkeit.
I didn’t see many takers in the brief moments I was in view of the booth, as it seemed that most fans were eager to stake their claim on a piece of earth as close to the stage as possible. But the Chabad guys were in good cheer, singing songs (not Beatles) and joining in the revelry.
The audience at the concert was a typically mixed cross section of the usual concert-going teens and 20-somethings, a good representation of parents with young kids, and a lot of aging baby boomers like me. There were plenty kippas generously sprinkled throughout the audience, and all in all, it was a mellow crowd.
A friend who I ran into at the show commented that Israeli rock audiences are so different from American ones, where ‘getting wasted’ is almost part of the DNA for concert-goers. Here, it was a family atmosphere, with the occasional waft of marijuana smoke in the air being the exception and not the norm.
Much ado was made about the NIS 5,000 VIP seating, and the less expensive but still expensive reserved seating area. I didn’t sit in either one, but my impression is that the reserved seating folks, who forked over NIS 1,500 for their seats got the short end of the stick.Their ‘seats’ were the equivalent of the bleachers in a baseball games, pretty far back, and somewhat detached from the excitement of the show.
The VIP stands were a bit closer, but those people were probably in a stupor the whole show from the gourmet buffet and open bar they enjoyed in the huge food tent built just for them on the side. That might explain why it looked like they were sitting throughout the show, while the plebes on the grass were up and dancing and moving the whole time.
When I floated out of the show after over two hours of Beatles magic, the Chabad booth had been dismantled and the staff long gone. Maybe they thought Paul was singing about that other ‘Mary’ when he sang ‘Mother Mary’ in “Let it Be” and not his own mother. Or maybe they just couldn’t compete with the near religious experience that so many people seemed to have at the concert.
Foto Friday
It’s the season of pomegranates, and it’s customary to eat this red-seeded fruit on Rosh Hashanah, because this is when the red seeded fruit is in season and we eat new fruits to celebrate the New Year.
I learned a great way to cut and seed pomegranates from my sister, who taught me to fill a workbowl halfway with water, cut the pomegranate in half, and put the cut side of the fruit into the water. Then pull the seeds out with your fingers immersed in the water. This way, you cut down on spurting red juice all over you, and the water doesn’t affect the seeds, either. Then you’ve got a bowlful of pomegranate seeds for sprinkling in salads, over desserts or straight (or in wine).
Jpost McCartney coverage is pretty McAwesome
So as I write this over 50,000 people have decent upon HaYarkon Park to hear Paul McCartney perform. I love the Beatles as much as the next guy, I really wish I was there, but alas, I could not justify the absurdly high ticket price. Am I regretting the decision? Yeah, a bit. The 490 NIS (roughly $150) won’t mean anything a year from now but there are still lighting fixtures that need to be installed in our apartment, a mini-fake kitchen I need to build for my daughter, a garden that needs to be tended, etc. You get the idea. There won’t ever be another band like the Beatles, and I won’t be able to tell my kids one day that I saw one of the Beatles perform. Though I did see Brian Wilson perform Pet Sounds in London a few years ago and that was pretty spectacular. So at least I got to see one music legend in my life.
Coverage of this show has been out of control. I think McCartney is getting more coverage than the Pope’s visit to Israel back in 2000.
The Jerusalem Post’s coverage has been enjoyable. It’s had a real giddy tone to it. Editor in chief David Horowitz interview with McCartney was obviously a personal career highlight for him and his uber-excited tone and enthusiasm jumps right off the page. A few of the recent headlines:
• Analyze This: How McCartney could rock Ahmadinejad’s world (actually an excellent opinion piece)
• McCartney’s concert kicks off in TA
My fellow Israelity blogger David even dared to bring up the old myth of Paul McCartney’s death and replacement with an impostor (Paul rebuffed this in yesterday’s press conference, which certainly made David’s day).
Subscribe
Subscribe to Israelity via email:
Social Media
Categories
- A New Reality
- Art
- Blogging
- Business
- coexistence
- Crime
- design
- education
- Environment
- Food
- Foto Friday
- General
- health
- History and Culture
- Holidays
- Immigrant Moments
- Israeliness
- Life
- Medical Breakthroughs
- Movies
- Music
- Nostalgia Sunday
- Picture of the Week
- Politics
- Pop Culture
- Profiles
- Religion
- Social Justice
- Sports
- Technology
- Travel
- tv
- War
The Face of Israel Today
-
About Israelity
Free newsletter
Stories from ISRAEL21c.orgPopular Posts