Foto Friday – Apples & Honey

September 17, 2009 - 11:35 PM by Rachel Neiman · 1 Comment
Filed under: Art, Foto Friday, General, Holidays 

One of the more lovely traditions of Rosh Hashana is eating apples dipped honey to symbolize our hopes for a sweet new year. At this season, you start seeing apples and honey everywhere. Body artist Flora certainly does…
flora_apple_bodyart

Dorit “Dot” Malin, a talented architectural and stage lighting designer, created this lovely image incorporating dance and light.
dorit_dot_malin_shana_tova

Israel’s Fruit Production and Marketing Board has chosen to market apples the old-fashioned way…
apple_campaign

And there are a slew of apple-themed New Year’s animations on YouTube! A small selection follows. Enjoy! And a healthy, happy and prosperous Shana Tova to all.

Picking apples for New Year at Kibbutz Malkiya

Apples and Honey

Shana Tova – the Apple’s Perspective

Shana Tova – Another Apple

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Nostalgia Sunday – Old/New Cards for the New Year

September 13, 2009 - 4:00 PM by Rachel Neiman · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Art, General, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture 

Israelis love their nostalgia and nowhere is that more evident than the Jewish New Year.
New Year 1

There’s something about starting a new year that brings out the child in us…
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Perhaps our wishes for health, prosperity and peace will not be in vain and will this year be granted…
new_year-11

…as we look forward… and never backwards…
Shana_tova_watchman

…in the hopeful belief that this time, this year, things will be different!
Shana_tova_Yael_Bar

That last image – new and nostalgia-inspired rather than actually old — was created by graphic designer Yael Bar, a member of the Israeli Community of Designers who this past Friday held a New Year’s greeting card event at the Israel Cartoon Museum in Holon. More images from that event — and of their work — can be found here.

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Light up the sky

August 3, 2008 - 8:56 PM by Jessica · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness 

Driving into Jerusalem this evening, we were treated to an array of firecrackers lighting up the sky over our general neighborhood. We couldn’t quite figure out where they were coming from at first, but given that we’re in the period of the nine days before Tisha B’Av, it was clear that they weren’t coming from a wedding hall in Talpiot, as weddings aren’t held during this mourning period. As we approached our ‘hood, it became clear that they were coming from Beit Safafa, a nearby Arab neighborhood where someone, somewhere, was probably celebrating something.

It isn’t an unusual happening to have firecrackers going off in our neck of the woods, particularly during the spring and summer months. It starts with Purim, when the noisy merrymaking includes firecrackers, although local rabbis have been prohibiting their use after the number of injuries goes up during the three-day holiday. Then it continues into Yom Haatzmaut, with massive displays in local towns and cities as a sign that Yom Hazikaron/Memorial Day has ended and the celebrations of Yom Haatzmaut, Independence Day, can begin.

But once the merrymaking starts in the spring, it continues unabated into the summer, with nearly every event, whether it’s the nightly weddings, outdoor summer concerts or just general solstice revelry that brings out the fireworks. It’s sort of the westernized version of firing a gun into the air during a celebration, a local Middle Eastern custom, or the slightly tamer version of the Israeli love of fire scultpures, witnessed in Scouts ceremonies, when an entire banner or symbol will be set ablaze in the evening light.

Whatever the reason, once you get over being spooked by the sound, which can sound a lot like a bomb — tfu, tfu, tfu — you head outside and look up at the sky for the latest pyrotechnic display. Fun for free.

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