Happy Birthday

January 22, 2010 - 8:39 AM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Food, General, Israeliness, Life 

I remember when we first moved to Israel 25 years ago, as young nearly penniless college grads, my wife’s birthday came around and we deliberated whether we could ‘splurge’ and go out to celebrate at a restaurant – meaning a place where there’s a staff that comes to take your order at your table rather than going up to a counter and ordering and getting a number.

There weren’t that many options in those days – a ‘steakiya’ on Jerusalem’s Aggripas Street near Mahane Yehuda, one of the hotels that catered to American tourists, a few Chinese and Italian places that paled in comparison to their Western counterparts.

I recall we did decide to go for one of the options, and I’m sure we enjoyed it immensely.

I had to laugh yesterday, because, as my wife’s birthday rolled around, we found ourselves in the same quandry. Can we ‘splurge’ and go out for dinner?

While we’ve raised four kids, bought a home, own a car, and both earn salaries, we’re still basically in the same sitatuation in our lives in regards to money (which is probably why I still think I’m 25).

The point was even sharpened by an email birthday greeting from one of my wife’s college friends in the US – with whom coincidentally, she shares a birthday.

She and her husband were headed to Las Vegas for five day for her big day. We felt happy for them, and laughed to each other about the differences in our lives with some of those who made their lives in the US. What are the possibilities of us flying to Naples or Barcelona for five days, when we couldn’t even decide whether to spring for a $50 meal?

Luckily, we could laugh at it, and we did decide to go out – to a nice Italian restaurant. Twenty five years later, there are many more choices in Jerusalem and quality of food is excellent. And we enjoyed it immensely.

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Israeli model Esti Ginzburg shot in New York

March 12, 2009 - 3:45 PM by · 4 Comments
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Pop Culture 

Esti GinsburgBar Refaeli seems to be getting some positive attention headed Israel’s way, thanks to her recent appearance on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and other correlating accomplishments, as I enumerated earlier this month:

Bar is going to save Israel from a water crisis. Bar ate at these three Tel Aviv restaurants (I’ve eaten at all three as well). Bar wins a Women’s World Style Award. Bar appears on Ellen Degeneres. Bar’s body appears on the fuselage of a 737 jet. Bar eats a hamburger (this is news apparently). Bar shuts down the New York Stock Exchange. And my personal favorite, Leo (that kid from Growing Pains) must convert to Judaism in order to marry Bar.

I’m not the only one getting sick of her hotness. The Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO) is apparently wondering about Refaeli’s contributions to the greater good of womankind.

Basically, the gist is, can’t there be another Israeli hottie about whom we can get excited? And the answer is decidedly yes. Meet Esti Ginzburg, a Tel Aviv teen who also featured prominently in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, for which she was photographed in Naples.

She’s come a long way since her first modeling gig, for the Tnuva dairy farms, at age eight. Two years ago, she replaced Yael Bar Zohar as the face of Fox clothing, and she hasn’t looked back since. Ginzburg went on to become an international talent, representing brands like FCUK, Pull & Bear, Castro, Tommy Hilfiger. She also recently featured in promotional materials associated with the H&M clothing store’s Winter 08-09 line (pictured). She’s also been on the cover of the French version of Elle magazine four times.

Ginzburg was recently announced as joining the stable of Victoria’s Secret models on the Israeli website for the E! entertainment industry news channel (story in Hebrew). Apparently a shoot is already underway in New York, where Ginzburg is celebrating her 19th birthday. Mazal tov.

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