Duggars in the land

November 29, 2011 - 11:53 AM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: Blogging, Business, Entertainment, General, health, Israeliness, Life, Religion, Travel, tv 

Duggars on ElAl

I can’t believe I missed this when it was happening, but it appears that the Duggars, that conservative Baptist family of 19 (!) children (all stars of “19 Kids and Counting”), — soon to be 20, cuz Mom Michelle is pregnant again — recently visited Israel while on a grand world tour, tv crew included.

Duggars heading into the Kinneret

They clearly had very little press while they were here, because it wasn’t mentioned on the news or in the papers at the time. Then again, families with many children traveling around is not that uncommon around here, although 19, soon to be 20, is worth mentioning, even in this land of large families. Highlights included a boat ride on the Kinneret, baptizing in the Jordan River, eating falafel and pita, a camel ride, floating in the Dead Sea, buying pickles in Jerusalem’s Old City (not clear about this one, did they mean Machane Yehuda?), and other famed Christian sites, including the Garden Tomb.

Outside Yad Sarah

What did bring the Duggars to local attention was their visit to emergency clinic Terem and then aid organization Yad Sarah, when Josie, the baby, was heavily congested and required a doctor’s visit as well as extra oxygen to help her through the illness. As reported on Ynet, their guide brought them straight to Yad Sarah for the equipment, and then Mama Duggar, one of the older daughters and Josie, the youngest, ended up staying in Israel for another week while the rest of the family headed home.

Here’s a clip of their stop in London; the Israel part of the trip isn’t online yet, as it just aired on Sunday.

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Naked Israelis Expose New Life at the Dead Sea

September 23, 2011 - 10:39 AM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Environment, Technology 

dead sea new life
The world was talking about the 1,000 naked Israelis at the Dead Sea last week, and thanks to that coverage, I wonder how many more are interested in the dating profiles of Israelis. But it turns out, whether you support the liberal idea or not of the Spencer Tunick’s naked photo shoot, it has led to some good green karma for the Dead Sea, as Tunick had hoped. (You can find many Israelis, by the way, on one of 20 great top dating websites a friend of mine has put together). It includes the popular JDate site.

This morning I interviewed an Israeli researcher Danny Ionescu, a microbiologist, at a Max Plank Institute in Germany. His latest studies on the extreme environment of the Dead Sea shows that there is more Dead Sea “life” there than previously thought. He and colleagues from Hebrew University and Ben Gurion University spent last June surveying underwater springs at the Dead Sea.

He and a diving colleague strapped on some special deep-sea diving gear (the Dead Sea water will burn and sting your eyes and even kill you if ingested) and discovered to their surprise mats and layers of green microorganisms lining the Dead Sea floor around the newly discovered springs.

While the micro-organisms are not likely to survive up further in the higher salt content and minerals of the Dead Sea, the micro-organisms which have found a rare niche living in the Dead Sea, proving it contains more life than ever. It is believed they get their energy source from sulfur.

As someone who is a bit of a cheerleader for planet earth, I was very excited to hear about this new discovery. Because when scientists are able to show the complicated and delicate balance of nature, it makes it harder for industrialists and politicians to make sweeping decisions that could wipe out millions of years of evolution.

There is a call to fill the depleting Dead Sea with desalinated water from the Red Sea. Environmentalists believe this will upset the delicate balance of minerals at the Dead Sea, already highly disturbed by man-made causes while mining for minerals like bromide and phosphorus. The latest study on what’s down there, researcher Ionescu agrees, will give more food for thought on future engineering solutions.

And social action featuring naked Israelis could be used for saving a lot more environmental problems that Israel and the region faces. How about getting naked for the Jordan River? Getting naked for the Mediterranean Sea, getting naked for solar energy or getting naked to support ____? Would you sign up to support a good cause?

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Ido Tadmor is Dancing for the Dead Sea

March 15, 2011 - 11:22 AM by · 2 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, Environment 

dead sea dancerInternationally-acclaimed dance Ido Tadmor does an enigmatic dance for the Dead Sea at Kalya Beach. (image by Inbal Marmari)

Becoming one of seven natural wonders can have enormous benefits for tourism, though competition is steep. Among the 28 candidates for the present campaign are the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos, and the Grand Canyon. Scores of people, even Harley Davidson riders, have shown their support for the Dead Sea campaign, which will be a boon to Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. But there’s more to the campaign than generating money. The founder, Bernard Weber, intended for this global initiative to protect remaining beautiful places, to generate unity and respect. Perhaps more than any other pledge of support, Ido Tadmor’s Dead Sea dance – choreographed by him – does just that. Read more

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Jeff Goldberg on his Israeli vacation

January 30, 2011 - 6:06 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Entertainment, General, History and Culture, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life, Pop Culture, Travel 

I don’t know about you, but it’s now February and I’m dying for a vacation. That doesn’t mean there’s any in the offing, unless you count an upcoming weekend away at my sister’s house. Even if there were one in the offing, where would I want to go? I’d probably settle for a weekend in a zimmer up north, or a quick getaway at the Dead Sea. Over to the U.S.? Not happening. Then again, as I’ve learned in my 15 years here, taking a vacation in the States, my native homeland, is not necessarily a vacation. In fact, even when I’m there, I’ve gotta get away to really get away.

Jeff Goldberg on 'Meet the Press'

Which is why I was curious to hear what Atlantic Monthly correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg would have to say about taking a vacation in Israel, the region to which he takes many of his work trips. As he told Da’at, a Jerusalem tour company, he relishes his private relationship with Israel, and with many friends who live here, back from his days in the army and working for the Jerusalem Post.

“My relationship to Israel is different than my relationship to politics or the government of Israel,” says Jeff. “Israel is the Jewish homeland and I belong to a religion that is based partially on territory, on a specific place. The politics of the moment have to be immaterial to me when I take my children to Israel and explain what it means.”

And so, when he and his wife bring their three kids here, as they do every couple of years, they focus on fun and not “too many ancient Nabatean ruins.”

“These kids haven’t been to Yad Vashem,” says Jeff. “They’ve been to various ruins, but their idea of Israel is the beach and [chocolate café] Max Brenner and clothes shopping. For my son, it’s the IDF museum and crawling around on tanks. It’s not hard to do because Israel is a fun place. It’s floating in the Dead Sea and eating ice cream. I don’t want the heaviness to weigh them down.”

I like that sensibility. It’s also a good reminder that when I need a vacation, all I really need is a day in Tel Aviv. It’s a brain break.

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Foto Friday – Behind the Urban Outfitters Scene

January 28, 2011 - 6:39 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Art, Blogging, Business, design, Entertainment, Foto Friday, General, Pop Culture, Travel 

A few weeks ago, Jessica reported that Urban Outfitters had come to Israel for a catalogue shoot. Urban Outfitters has since posted a sneak peek on Facebook at their Early Spring line, which includes some gorgeous shots of some equally gorgeous people making our drab winter surroundings that much brighter.

Along with the fashion shots, there are also some interesting artistic ones as well. That’s because three of the models — Coco Young, Marcel Castenmiller and Jonas Kesseler — are also photographers in their own right. Urban Outfitters who, despite their retro aesthetic, are ever on the cutting edge, asked the trio to document their Israel experience with a Behind the Scenes look.

The result: “Their photos reveal the little unexpected moments that make a trip special – snacks, late nights and the people that you meet for a second but will remember forever.”

The full exhibition is posted on the Urban Outfitters blog, along with interviews with the artists. Coco Young said that the Dead Sea was one of the trip’s highlights.

Photo by Coco Young

She also kept an eye out for unusual fashion statements.

Photo by Coco Young

The Dead Sea was also a highlight for Marcel Castenmiller but his favorite part of the day, he said, was “Getting back to the hotel room and staying up late with Coco and Jonas drinking wine.”

Photo by Marcel Castenmiller

And the absurd little details of a country where a kitchen clock gets tied to a street lamp — for heaven knows what reason — didn’t escape his notice.

Photo by Marcel Castenmiller

Jonas Kesseler said the funniest moment of his trip was arriving at the airport only to be strip-searched on his way into Israel. Glad to hear he kept a sense of humor about it. Certainly, that wit is reflected in his work.

Photos by Jonas Kesseler

Kesseler’s website, by the way, features a photo and drawing essay about his “wandering the endless streets of Tokyo”. Here’s hoping that a new edition — the lighter side of coming hard up against the finite borders of our little country, perhaps? — will turn up in the near future. As for Urban Outfitters, a radio commentator put it best today when he said, “Next time you come, please could you bring a branch of your store with you, too?”

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