Bayit banamal
I’m not the first to write about Tel Aviv’s namal, the refurbished port/boardwalk at the northern end of the city. And I must confess a ‘hubati’ (read below) love for strolling along its wooden planks, hillocked in some places to encourage kids on scooters, bikes and skateboards, and with just the right kind of cafes and restaurants along its length. (Although, as my mother pointed out recently, there are not enough benches for just sitting and looking at the sea.)
(’Hubatim’ or a ‘hubati’ — pronounced cho-BA-tim — is someone or those from Holon/Bat Yam. It’s a tongue-in-cheek/somewhat derogatory term for the Tel Aviv version of the bridge-and-tunnel crowd, those who don’t actually live in Tel Aviv, but come in from the outskirts to enjoy ‘the big city.’ Another TLV friend of mine has a kindly term for those of us who don’t live in the Big Orange, ‘ambassadors and diplomats.’)
This isn’t an entry about hubatim, however, rather about a societal development that I noticed at the namal. Sure, it’s got the shopping, the restaurants, the event halls and bars. But during the day, besides the ‘ambassadors and diplomats’ strolling along the boardwalk, as well as the tourists and unexplained working-age people who are hanging out rather than working — btw, they must be freelancers — there are many, many moms with babies, pushing strollers and carrying babes in slings. Sure, it’s a nice place to stroll when you’ve got a kvetchy ankle-biter. And the Israeli commercial network is clearly starting to feed into that trend, with a Steimatzky’s for kids, a Shilav (of course), including a lovely playground outside the store, and Dyada, a kind of club for babies and their parents.
It’s all quite baby-friendly, which is a helpful thing when you’re trying to negotiate the real world from the vantage point of a double stroller loaded with two one-year-olds. Then again, all they really wanted to do was crawl after the seagulls.
Photo credit: Debbie Zimelman
Dead Sea skin
Salt at the Dead Sea
It seems the Export Institute has realized just how unique our minerals are, and has arranged ‘dozens of meetings’ for a collection of Dead Sea cosmetics companies during a two-day marathon at New York City’s Pennsylvania Hotel. The companies attending include B4U, Biscol, Canaan Chic Cosmetic, InterCosma, Odeyah, Paloma Dead Sea, Sea of Spa – Dead Sea, Spa Cosmetics and Spider Pharm Industries.
The Israel Manufacturers Association has even developed a quality label for genuine Dead Sea products, with the aim of discerning between the original DS cosmetics manufacturers and the frauds, or in more genteel terms, pirate industry. According to sources at the Manufacturers Association, the companies that produce genuine Dead Sea products, such as mud, lotions and creams have to prove that the source of their products is the Dead Sea and not some random body of water…and that it contains the rich combo of minerals that makes the Dead Sea a source of skin rejuvenation and vitality.
If you’re in NYC, check out the Dead Sea folk at the PA Hotel, just through tomorrow. And back home, consider some Dead Sea cream for that dry skin on the heels of your feet. It’ll do the trick.
Accessorize it
Filed under: Art, Business, General, Israeliness, design
Eva Teffner necklace and earrings
With discounts of 20%-30% on the current season, and 60%-80% on previous seasons, deals are clearly to be had. And while I don’t know all the designers who will be present, I can tell you that Or Forbin, whose line of jewelry, Eva Teffner — named for her grandmother — will be there, and she offers some extremely clever and affordable costume jewels. She uses elements of collage, printing on metal and then incorporating that into the earrings, pendants and pins that are part of her inventory.
Cooperative ceramics
Work by one fave ceramist, Marcelle Klein
For the uninitiated, the artist cooperative, often materialized in Israel as a ceramicists’ cooperative, is a group of artists who join together to rent a storefront and sell their creations. From what I’ve gleaned from my internet research — namely, not a whole lot — there are such cooperatives all over the world, although Israel seems to possess a large number of them. I like to think that’s because of our communal way of thinking, in which the thought is that it’s always better to work together than apart.
In any case, I stumbled upon yet another ceramists’ cooperative in Machane Yehuda the other week, Pri HaAdama (Fruit of the Earth), which features the work of 14, yes, 14, different ceramicists. The collection is wonderful, with many pieces to choose from and at surprisingly low prices.
While I’m at it, I’ll mention two other favorite ceramic cooperatives, Shmone B’Yachad, or Eight Altogether, at 8 Yoel Solomon Street in Jerusalem’s Nachalat Shiva neighborhood, downtown. The other fave is Shlush Shloshim in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv, on 30 Shlush Street (You can find Marcelle Klein’s work there).
Body shop makes a dent in insurance premiums
Filed under: A New Reality, Business, General, Israeliness, Life
In a country where there’s nary a car that’s not pocked with dents, scrapes, and nicks, I’ve been extremely fortunate to have escaped being involved with any road accidents that required involving insurance companies. Until last week.
An older lady turned right at a stop sign, without really looking left, and sideswiped my car as I drove by. When we pulled over, I really wanted to wail on her, over how she typified the aggressive, sloppy Israeli driving style. But she was so apologetic and shaken up that I ended up telling her it wasn’t so bad and that she shouldn’t worry.
And it wasn’t that bad, just some paint scraped away, one door guard ripped off and a slight dent. I told her I would bring it to the body shop next door to my usual mechanic and see how much it cost. It the estimate was less than her NIS 1,000 deductible, which I was sure it would be, then we could avoid going through our insurance companies and the accompanying hassles.
The next day, I brought the car to the body shop and was given an estimate for NIS 1,600. So I tried a couple other places, but received similar estimates. Of course, at that point, the lady decided to go through her insurance company, which triggered a series of bureaucratic forms, faxes, phone calls and a visit to an accident assessor that over the next few days kept me busy for hours.
It’s an odd arrangement when the victim of an accident ends up having to do all the work to repair the damage caused by the other person. But that’s just a sideline to the main point here – yes, there is one.
I finally got the car repairs completed yesterday at the original body shop I went to and went to the office to settle up (I also didn’t know that I had to pay for all the repairs and accident assessor costs, and then file a claim with the lady’s insurance company to get reimbursed.)
When I asked the manager who to make the NIS 1,600 check out to, he said ‘no, that’s not how much it cost – it’s NIS 3,450.’
Now, I’m getting reimbursed anyway, but I couldn’t resist asking him, ‘You told me when I was going to do the repair privately that it would be NIS 1,600. You’re doubling the price because the insurance company is paying for it?’
He just shrugged and said the Hebrew equivalent of ‘That’s the way it is.’
Maybe I’m just naive, and this is the way of the world, not only in Israel but in most countries when it comes to insurance claims. But it just doesn’t seem right, does it. I’ve always wondered why our car insurance premiums are so outrageously high. And yesterday, I found out why.
Pomegranate economics
As we say goodbye to the ‘chagim’ period, the month-long span of Jewish holidays, a piece of news about pomegranates, a major fruit in the Rosh Hashana new fruit ritual. The pomegranate has also become a major component of the health food trade, given its antioxidants that lower blood pressure and reduce risk factors for heart disease. As a result, Israeli farmers have doubled the size of their pomegranate orchards over the past five years to 20,000 dunam from the previous 10,000 dunam, or 2,500 acres. Them’s a lot of pomegranate seeds. As a result, an oversupply of the red-seeded fruit has led to a 30% drop in prices over the last few weeks, and at the height of pomegranate season, according to a recent item in Ha’aretz.
That’s great for the Israeli consumer, who’s now buying pomegranates at the supermarket for NIS 10 a kilogram, down from NIS 14 at this time last year. So if you’re so inclined, and live in this pomegranate-heavy region, here’re are some recipes from Haim Cohen and Eli Landau, the current recipe-testers and writers for the Ha’aretz weekend magazine. They also offer the same advice as my sister for getting the seeds out of the pomegranate: Fill about half of a good-sized bowl with water; cut the pomegranate in half and place the cut side down in the water. Then just peel off the seeds in the water, which will prevent you, the peeler, from getting sprayed with ruby red pomegranate juice. It’s a a great ‘patent‘, as we say in these parts.
As for the recipes, this is the one I’m thinking about trying this week:
Pomegranate risotto
A slightly sour and wonderful-tasting dish.
half kg. rice for risotto
1.5 liters hot vegetable stock
1.5 cups pomegranate juice
seeds from 1 pomegranate
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
100 gm. butter
olive oil
4-5 tbsp. grated Parmesan
salt and pepper
In a heavy, medium-sized pot, melt 50 gr. butter with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the onion; saute over medium heat until it becomes transparent. Add the rice and saute for another minute or two, while stirring. Add half a cup pomegranate juice and cook until it evaporates almost completely. Add one ladle full of vegetable stock. Add salt and pepper; stir until the liquids are absorbed. Gradually add one ladle full at a time, while stirring. After about 15 minutes of cooking, when the rice is still hard, add the pomegranate seeds and continue to cook until the rice softens. The risotto should be well cooked, not al dente.
Turn off the flame and add 50 gr. butter; stir until it melts. Add the Parmesan, mix well and serve.
An Israeli diamond in Manhattan
Living in Israel, we’re always used to some people – both native Israelis, immigrants and visitors – saying, ‘why can’t they do this like in America?’ about some particular thing that bothers them.
So, it’s especially gratifying to learn that an Israeli model for something is being adopted in the US. In this case, it’s the shining star of Ramat Gan, the towering Diamond Exchange, which is going to be copied to build a Manhattan Diamond Exchange.
According to a report in Ynet, the Internationl Gem Tower which is due to be completed in mid-2011, will house the largest diamond and jewelry center in the US, and will revolutionize the Manhattan’s diamond district.
Builders of the new project, US-based Extell Development, claim that hundreds of people in the diamond business around the world are renting old, dilapidated buildings in the New York diamond district, and are forced to deal with below par work conditions on a daily basis.
Extell additionally claimed that the existing level of security is insufficient for dealing in diamonds and jewelry. This also happens to be the reason the American company takes pride on the fact that it has planned the new complex based on the Israeli model, in which four buildings are interconnected through a system of bridges, which provide diamond dealers from around the world comprehensive and total answers for all their needs. The model has been combined into one 34-storey, 70 sq. meter (about 750 sq. feet) building
The new center is in actuality an exact copy of the model used in the Israeli Diamond Exchange, which is located in Ramat Gan, and will provide all the necessary services for the industry under one roof and will up the level of personal security provided to those working in the field. The project will cost an estimated $750 million.
“Israeli diamond dealers have grown accustomed to doing business under the mantle of increased security provided by the diamond exchange in Ramat Gan that provides quite a wide range of services,” said Extell’s Senior Vice President of Project Management, Raizy Haas. “The tower that will be built will provide the perfect response for all the needs of the diamond and jewelry dealers, including the most advanced security methods in the world.”
The head of the Israel Diamond Exchange President Avi Paz told Ynet he wasn’t surprised that the Manhattan tower is going to be based on the Israeli model: “From India, from Turkey, and from other countries, people have come to learn from us how to organize secure compounds for diamond dealers. We teach them how to provide a commercial infrastructure for the diamond dealer from a security perspective and supporting services for the diamond dealers.”
Looming like a beacon of light off the Ayalon Freeway, the Israel Diamond Exchange has always been a source of Israeli pride. Now that light has just gotten a little brighter.
4 Trade Secrets For Clean Tech Entrepreneurs In Israel
A plucky little country, is how the late Princess Diana once described Israel to Shimon Peres. About the size of New Jersey, Israel has a disproportionate number of clean tech companies and investment in clean technology compared to its size. And now businessman and investor David Anthony from 21Ventures in the US is about to reveal his trade secrets and insider information about clean tech investing in Israel. If you are itching to become a clean tech entrepreneur in Israel, this is must-read information. If you’d like to know more about what makes the industry tick, read on.
Unlike Silicon Valley and the high-tech industry, the clean tech market today has no center of excellence, Anthony tells Green Prophet. In the last 50 years of venture capital investing there has been a saying: Never fly over your company –– meaning one shouldn’t invest in a company that isn’t within a 60 mile radius of the office. But without a center for clean technology, explains Anthony, a VC fund now has to dig into new territory to find the golden investment egg. Investors need to cross borders and turn over new stones.
To help Green Prophet readers better understand what American investors are looking for, we’ve asked Anthony for some tips. Compared to any other country in the Middle East, Israel is a clear and defined leader in this market, so we’ve focused on Israel. Most of Anthony’s tips could work in other non-US locales as well.
Read more
Mama Mamilla
Filed under: A New Reality, Business, General, Holidays, Israeliness, Life, design
Even though I should be used to it, I can never seem to get over what a hopping place
Jerusalem can be. Maybe it’s from growing up in a small New England city where three cars at a red light constituted a traffic jam.
Yesterday, part of the family took a stroll along the Alrov Mamilla Avenue, the posh outdoor shopping promenade that opened up a year or so ago, just outside the Old City walls. Granted it’s during Hol Hamoed Succot, so people are on vacation, but the place was bursting – like the Maine Mall on Black Friday after Thanksgiving.
Around a third of a mile long pedestrian mall with mostly upscale shops and restaurants geared to tourists, the $150 million, the classy avenue was designed as a luxury destination in the style of Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive or The Grove. Of course, those places don’t have The Tower of David looming over it in the background.
There’s about 140 businesses, including international names like Rolex, H. Stern, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Nautica, and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as local chains like Castro, Ronen Chen, Steimatzky Books, and Cafe Rimon.
The Alrov Mamilla Avenue also includes the luxury David’s Village residential project, the David Citadel hotel, the Karta parking lot (site of plenty of haredi Shabbat protests recently) and the newly opened Mamilla Hotel. During the Ottoman period and the British Mandate, Mamilla was a successful financial district, but in the 19 years between the War of Independence and the Six Day War, Mamilla fell into decay. Looking at the area now, it’s hard to remember how dilapidated it was only a few years ago.
We stepped in to check out the first Gap store in Israel, and enjoyed ogling the merchandise, while rolling our eyes at the prices, browsed through the crafts fair on the upper level, and enjoyed the street musicans along the way. The place was bustling with energy and excitement, and provided further proof that Jerusalem is one rocking place.
Israeli Hallmark
Filed under: Art, Business, Holidays, Israeliness, Pop Culture, design
If you haven’t sent out those Rosh Hashana greetings yet — whether in card or email format, or, lo, facebook — never fear. A fantastic Jerusalem collage artist has created greeting cards that will negate all belated wishes, because they’re just so fun and clever.
Yael Bar, according to her bio, is a Jerusalemite who has never lived in Tel Aviv. (Another reason to like her.) After earning a first degree in the history of art and theater, she is now a recent graduate from Bezalel. I think she’s looking for a job, but in the meantime, is making these one-of-a-kind greeting cards that include all sorts of Israeli and non-Israeli personalities, from Shoshana Damari to Leonard Cohen.
Besides the Rosh Hashana editions, which I’m sending to my nearest and dearest, there are cards for all sorts of occasions, from Mazal Tovs and Chag Sameachs to her particular take on Israeli life, with collages lifted from recent newspaper articles, such as Divorce in Modi’in and prime ministers’ ranking.
My favorite Jerusalem gift store, Nisha, was selling the cards, but you can also contact Yael by email and order some of your own.
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