Jerusalem Post, Billboard; April 25, 2008
Click here for original
My partner in party-crime Anat and I were surprised when the entrance to the Landen mega-bar was rather unpopulated upon our arrival. The last time we were there the entrance hallway was clobbered with yuppy-ish, well- dressed Tel Avivians vying for entrance, and we had given up on getting in. Located in an underground cellar type room at the London Ministore mall, Landen is Tel Aviv's nightlife flavor of the month.
Men were carrying lists and buff, unfriendly security men guarded the entrance. The bouncers gave us a hard time getting in, despite the low turnout, asking us with their mean glares, "who are you for us to let you in?" When we did finally make it passed the gate, we hoped the place would at least be worth the hit to our egos.
At first we wondered what all the fuss was about. The bar-goers looked pretty bored and not particularly easygoing. The large room was dominated by a heavy, pentagonal bar. Bookshelves along the back wall attempted to add a sense of homeliness, while the brick wall attempted to add the feeling of being in a ghetto. Lighting from industrial-looking bulbs did not shine brightly enough to allow us party girls to sufficiently examine the people, the guys in particular.
We tried to flag down the hunky bartender, but the bar stools were so large that we could hardly approach the counter. I didn't understand, three cute girls are trying to get drunk-shouldn't the bartenders rush to serve us?
Eventually, we decided to leave for Villa Sokolov, the other hot bar a block over that has already received a glorious review in this paper for its fun vibe, pop music and hot men. The line there was unusually short as well. Upon entering the reason became clear, the Maccabi game was being screened on the monitors. Most guys had probably stayed home.
Still, at Villa Sokolov we got what Landen didn't offer, a great sound system, adequate lighting and approachable bartenders. They weren't as cute as the Landen bartenders, but definitely smarter. They served us right away.
I was disappointed by the music though Anat liked it. They played too much cheesy Israeli rock and not the rock and American pop I gushed over the last time. Even after two beers and a vodka chaser the guys didn't look particularly appealing-they remained gruff and simple. So we walked back to Landen about 2 o'clock in the morning.
The lighting still disappointed, and it took fifteen minutes to get a drink (try the mini-bar in the back), but immediately some semi-cute TV journalist flirted with me- and thanks to the drinks provided by Villa Sokolov-I flirted back. The monitors played recorded clips from Guns 'N Roses and Queen concerts that had made Villa Sokolov such a success my first time there. I wonder: do bars spy on each other?
But Anat lagged in the aisles never really finding her groove. She agreed that the Landen crowd was a little more our type-young, educated professionals-which may have also contributed to their snobbiness. I would have liked some sort of combination between Landen and Villa Sokolov - the guys at Landen and the facilities at Villa Sokolov.
Then again, after meeting that journalist the next day under better lighting, with the conversation generator consisting of the refrain "what else?", I wondered if maybe it's time to throw in the drink towel and go back to internet dating on weekends. Nah - at the end of the day (or night), this was so much more fun.
Landen is located on 2 Shaul Hameleh Boulevard in the London Ministore, (052) 691-9191.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Debra Winger explores Jewish/Arab day schools
Jewish Journal, April 24, 2008
Click here for original
Students at the Hand in Hand Max Rayne Bilingual School in Jerusalem didn't know they were meeting a celebrity. They weren't born when the films "Officer and a Gentleman" and "Terms of Endearment" garnered Debra Winger her Oscar nominations.
But Winger's tour last month to the Hand in Hand Arab-Jewish day schools was not necessarily meant to move the students, but to enrich her own understanding of pathways for Arab and Jewish co-existence.
"I'd like to think I'm helping, but in the end, it feels selfish -- how much I got out of seeing this and what it did to my heart," the 53-year-old actress told a group of reporters in the library of the school's new Jerusalem campus.
Raised in a secular Jewish household in Cleveland, Winger volunteered on a kibbutz in 1972 and has maintained her connection ever since. In fact, she was introduced to the bilingual schools following a talk at the Jewish Federation in Florida on the occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary.
Speaking to the federation audience, she recalled a "fight" she had with an Arab American friend that was triggered by the Second Lebanon War, which broke out while Winger served as a judge for the Jerusalem Film Festival.
"We couldn't even talk to each other," Winger told The Jewish Journal, recounting the episode. "She would forward me e-mails with newspaper articles for me to read, and I would reply, saying could you please replace 'Zionist occupation' with 'Israel' before you send it to me, and then I'll read it, because I want to hear different opinions, and you have to show some respect."
Eventually the two reconciled and made their private peace.
"I think in a way we have a deeper, richer understanding and more openness," she said.
At first, the audience -- perhaps expecting a more "what-Israel-means-to-me" type speech -- responded with silence to the story. But then Lee Gordon, director of the American Friends of Hand in Hand and the bilingual schools' co-founder, initiated a contagious round of applause. After the talk, he spoke with her about the schools' efforts at promoting dialogue.
Initially, Winger was skeptical of the educational franchise.
"I thought, 'Oh, it's another Jewish school that's inviting a few Arabs, kumbaya, and, you know, it doesn't ultimately work,'" she said.
But she accepted Gordon's invitation and went to Israel with her husband, director and actor Arliss Howard, and their 10-year-old son. Upon touring three of the Hand in Hand schools, Winger's skepticism softened.
"I used to think I could see the face of a peacemaker," she said, "but clearly, I've been wrong way too much. The [students] look like peacemakers to me. They understand the dilemma in a different way."
At one point, Winger stopped two children in the yard, and they admitted they didn't know who she was. They thought she was just some American visitor.
"Do you have any questions for me?" Winger asked.
They stared and smiled.
The students carry on their day as usual in what comes across as a typical elementary school. Teenagers roam the halls in jeans and sneakers, and toddlers storm the yard at recess. At one point, Winger joined the children for folk dancing in the yard.
Several clues hint to the school's uniqueness. Two languages are spoken: Hebrew and Arabic. Some female teachers wear the traditional Muslim hijabs. Universal messages of love and peace taken from the Torah, the Gospels and the Quran, as well as from great Western thinkers, are printed in Hebrew and Arabic on classroom doors.
The Jerusalem student body is equally diverse -- 50 percent Jewish, 40 percent Muslim and 10 percent Christian. The majority of Arabs are Israeli citizens.
A good portion of the classes are taught by an Arab-Jewish team. The school supplements the state curriculum with programs that attend to the dual nature of the school. From fourth grade on, Jews and Arabs study their respective religious traditions independently.
The Jerusalem branch opened 10 years ago, along with the Galilee branch, followed by new schools in Wadi Ara and Beersheva. The new Jerusalem campus testifies to the growth of the school from a small, first-grade class to a full-fledged day school with 450 children. The school is expanding into high school, and this fall will add a 10th-grade class.
Seventh-graders Areen Nashef, a Muslim, and her Jewish best friend, Yael Keinan, both 12 years old, smiled mischievously when they got called out of class to speak with The Journal. This is not the first time they've spoken to the press. Friends since first grade, they often get together outside of school and sleep over at each other's houses.
"I thought Areen was a Jew when we first met," said Yael who has long, dirty-blond hair and a pink paper clip dangling from her earring. "After a few days, she told me she was an Arab, and after that it didn't matter."
Both are proud for breaking stereotypes of the "other."
"I went to my cousin who lives in Taibe, up north," said Areen. "They didn't know that I study at a bilingual school. They study in Arabic and learn Hebrew because you have to communicate. When I told them I study with a Jew, they asked, 'What, they didn't hit you, hurt you?'"
Yael, who describes herself as traditional, has encountered similar suspicions.
"I have a friend who couldn't believe I had an Arab friend. She saw only what she saw on the news," Yael said.
Both thoroughly enjoy their studies.
"It's fun to speak more than one language and also learn another culture," said Yael.
Speaking in Hebrew, the students have much to say about sensitive issues, particularly politics. Areen described wanting "to feel that Jews were hurt by the Nazis." On the same note, Yael recalled visiting Arab villages that fell to the Israeli forces during the War of Independence.
"I don't identify with the Jews or the Palestinians," said Areen. "I just know you have to have two nations. I think you may need a Jewish state, but it shouldn't come at the expense of another people." She favors a two-state solution, while Yael suggests a joint government.
"The conflict is about who comes first," Yael said.
When they disagree, "We don't fight about it, we discuss it," Areen said.
Their views do not necessarily represent the school's, which does not hold any political platform. The school's focus, said Ala Khatib, the Arab co-principal, at an interview with his Jewish counterpart, Dalia Peretz, is quality multicultural education.
"National issues and the like are not as sensitive here as they are on the outside," Khatib said. "It's part of the program. They study it, tackle it, investigate it. Students learn about differences and respect the differences.
"It's very important among us that we don't have to agree," he continued. "You can disagree, but the question is how to stay together even when the differences are very difficult and sensitive."
Sympathy for the other's narratives and grievances is expressed on Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) when two ceremonies are held: a commemoration of Al Nakba (the Catastrophe), which marks the expulsion of Arabs from lands captured by Israel, and a festive celebration in honor of Israel's founding.
"For us, Yom Ha'Atzmaut is a happy day; for them, it's a sad day," said eighth-grader Jamie Pregman, 14. He took time from recess with his Muslim classmate, Haneen Kinani, to speak with The Journal. She wore jeans and he an Adidas sweatshirt; it was hard to tell their ethnicity by appearance alone.
"As an Arab, it's hard for you to believe in a land that you feel was taken from you. So how can you support that?" Haneen exclaimed in perfect Hebrew. "Yom Ha'Atzmaut is a day that's not connected to me. I don't have to celebrate it. With Al Nakba, I identify with it more."
Most of the time, though, they don't discuss politics; they are too busy studying for their matriculation exams. During Winger's visit, Jamie, whose parents are American, asked for Winger's autograph on a photograph he printed from the Internet.
The idea of teaching Al Nakba in grade school sparked controversy in the Knesset last year, when the Education Ministry approved its inclusion in Israeli textbooks.
"Outside, one may ask, 'How do you teach Nakba; how can you challenge state basics?'" said Peretz, sister of former Defense Minister Amir Peretz. "I don't see it this way, and the school doesn't see it this way. We see the attempt to ignore other things that exist -- to hide and bury them -- as really dangerous."
Dr. Daniel Gordis, senior fellow at the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem-based think tank and research institute in the process of starting Israel's first liberal arts college, questions the wisdom of teaching competing national narratives at this level.
"If engaging in this multicultural education undermines our ability to engender in young Israeli kids a belief in the importance, even sanctity, of the Jewish state, as noble as the idea is, it might be a foolish and shortsighted idea," Gordis said.
He has visited the school in the past and met with parents who described the Yom Ha'Atzmaut/Nakba commemorations. While he appreciates Hand in Hand's intentions, he believes high school and college are more appropriate stages for Jewish students to study critically "the narrative which, of course, doesn't just tell a different story, but a story that says Israel is fundamentally illegitimate."
Peretz thinks that teaching both religions and historical narratives does not require Jewish students to sacrifice their national or religious identity.
"The perspective of the school is that each child has to be strong in his own identity," she said. "Through the strength of knowing their own heritage and history, they deepen familiarity with the other's culture, history, language."
The divide between Jews and Arabs was brought to the forefront of public discussion after last month's attack on yeshivat Merkaz HaRav by an Arab from East Jerusalem. The school addressed the attack as it did any violent incidents that severely affect Arabs and Jews -- whether rocket attacks on Sderot or operations of Israel Defense Forces in Gaza. The faculty and administration discuss the incidents beforehand, and teachers air emotions and concerns in class according to the students' age group.
"We oppose any kind of violence," said Peretz, "so when it's violence that hurts innocent citizens, it's something that everybody here objects to -- doesn't matter if the victims are Arabs or Jews. With children, we have to deal with fears that they bring up."
Gordis is concerned that such an attitude breeds moral relativism.
"The minute you teach kids that any violence is bad," he said, "what you are effectively stating is that the State of Israel doesn't have the right to defend itself, and it plays into the hands of the enemy."
At the informal press conference with Winger, Areen offered her reaction to the Merkaz HaRav attack.
"I felt how can my Jewish friends look in my eyes and not feel bad or angry," she said. "But this is the school, and we need to handle those things in our own special way, to go through them, not to get mad at each other, but to help each other in the hard times and to talk about it, not ignore it."
Areen aspires to be an interior designer; her best friend Yael envisions a career in politics.
"I think when we'll be older, maybe after college, we'll meet each other in the government and change things," Yael said. "People hear about us all over the world."
Before returning to her home in New York, Winger pledged to help increase awareness.
"I'm not carrying a message," she said. "Every day is the message. Every day when you see them drop their children off or say good morning to each other and leave their children here, I don't need anything more than that."
Click here for original
Students at the Hand in Hand Max Rayne Bilingual School in Jerusalem didn't know they were meeting a celebrity. They weren't born when the films "Officer and a Gentleman" and "Terms of Endearment" garnered Debra Winger her Oscar nominations.
But Winger's tour last month to the Hand in Hand Arab-Jewish day schools was not necessarily meant to move the students, but to enrich her own understanding of pathways for Arab and Jewish co-existence.
"I'd like to think I'm helping, but in the end, it feels selfish -- how much I got out of seeing this and what it did to my heart," the 53-year-old actress told a group of reporters in the library of the school's new Jerusalem campus.
Raised in a secular Jewish household in Cleveland, Winger volunteered on a kibbutz in 1972 and has maintained her connection ever since. In fact, she was introduced to the bilingual schools following a talk at the Jewish Federation in Florida on the occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary.
Speaking to the federation audience, she recalled a "fight" she had with an Arab American friend that was triggered by the Second Lebanon War, which broke out while Winger served as a judge for the Jerusalem Film Festival.
"We couldn't even talk to each other," Winger told The Jewish Journal, recounting the episode. "She would forward me e-mails with newspaper articles for me to read, and I would reply, saying could you please replace 'Zionist occupation' with 'Israel' before you send it to me, and then I'll read it, because I want to hear different opinions, and you have to show some respect."
Eventually the two reconciled and made their private peace.
"I think in a way we have a deeper, richer understanding and more openness," she said.
At first, the audience -- perhaps expecting a more "what-Israel-means-to-me" type speech -- responded with silence to the story. But then Lee Gordon, director of the American Friends of Hand in Hand and the bilingual schools' co-founder, initiated a contagious round of applause. After the talk, he spoke with her about the schools' efforts at promoting dialogue.
Initially, Winger was skeptical of the educational franchise.
"I thought, 'Oh, it's another Jewish school that's inviting a few Arabs, kumbaya, and, you know, it doesn't ultimately work,'" she said.
But she accepted Gordon's invitation and went to Israel with her husband, director and actor Arliss Howard, and their 10-year-old son. Upon touring three of the Hand in Hand schools, Winger's skepticism softened.
"I used to think I could see the face of a peacemaker," she said, "but clearly, I've been wrong way too much. The [students] look like peacemakers to me. They understand the dilemma in a different way."
At one point, Winger stopped two children in the yard, and they admitted they didn't know who she was. They thought she was just some American visitor.
"Do you have any questions for me?" Winger asked.
They stared and smiled.
The students carry on their day as usual in what comes across as a typical elementary school. Teenagers roam the halls in jeans and sneakers, and toddlers storm the yard at recess. At one point, Winger joined the children for folk dancing in the yard.
Several clues hint to the school's uniqueness. Two languages are spoken: Hebrew and Arabic. Some female teachers wear the traditional Muslim hijabs. Universal messages of love and peace taken from the Torah, the Gospels and the Quran, as well as from great Western thinkers, are printed in Hebrew and Arabic on classroom doors.
The Jerusalem student body is equally diverse -- 50 percent Jewish, 40 percent Muslim and 10 percent Christian. The majority of Arabs are Israeli citizens.
A good portion of the classes are taught by an Arab-Jewish team. The school supplements the state curriculum with programs that attend to the dual nature of the school. From fourth grade on, Jews and Arabs study their respective religious traditions independently.
The Jerusalem branch opened 10 years ago, along with the Galilee branch, followed by new schools in Wadi Ara and Beersheva. The new Jerusalem campus testifies to the growth of the school from a small, first-grade class to a full-fledged day school with 450 children. The school is expanding into high school, and this fall will add a 10th-grade class.
Seventh-graders Areen Nashef, a Muslim, and her Jewish best friend, Yael Keinan, both 12 years old, smiled mischievously when they got called out of class to speak with The Journal. This is not the first time they've spoken to the press. Friends since first grade, they often get together outside of school and sleep over at each other's houses.
"I thought Areen was a Jew when we first met," said Yael who has long, dirty-blond hair and a pink paper clip dangling from her earring. "After a few days, she told me she was an Arab, and after that it didn't matter."
Both are proud for breaking stereotypes of the "other."
"I went to my cousin who lives in Taibe, up north," said Areen. "They didn't know that I study at a bilingual school. They study in Arabic and learn Hebrew because you have to communicate. When I told them I study with a Jew, they asked, 'What, they didn't hit you, hurt you?'"
Yael, who describes herself as traditional, has encountered similar suspicions.
"I have a friend who couldn't believe I had an Arab friend. She saw only what she saw on the news," Yael said.
Both thoroughly enjoy their studies.
"It's fun to speak more than one language and also learn another culture," said Yael.
Speaking in Hebrew, the students have much to say about sensitive issues, particularly politics. Areen described wanting "to feel that Jews were hurt by the Nazis." On the same note, Yael recalled visiting Arab villages that fell to the Israeli forces during the War of Independence.
"I don't identify with the Jews or the Palestinians," said Areen. "I just know you have to have two nations. I think you may need a Jewish state, but it shouldn't come at the expense of another people." She favors a two-state solution, while Yael suggests a joint government.
"The conflict is about who comes first," Yael said.
When they disagree, "We don't fight about it, we discuss it," Areen said.
Their views do not necessarily represent the school's, which does not hold any political platform. The school's focus, said Ala Khatib, the Arab co-principal, at an interview with his Jewish counterpart, Dalia Peretz, is quality multicultural education.
"National issues and the like are not as sensitive here as they are on the outside," Khatib said. "It's part of the program. They study it, tackle it, investigate it. Students learn about differences and respect the differences.
"It's very important among us that we don't have to agree," he continued. "You can disagree, but the question is how to stay together even when the differences are very difficult and sensitive."
Sympathy for the other's narratives and grievances is expressed on Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) when two ceremonies are held: a commemoration of Al Nakba (the Catastrophe), which marks the expulsion of Arabs from lands captured by Israel, and a festive celebration in honor of Israel's founding.
"For us, Yom Ha'Atzmaut is a happy day; for them, it's a sad day," said eighth-grader Jamie Pregman, 14. He took time from recess with his Muslim classmate, Haneen Kinani, to speak with The Journal. She wore jeans and he an Adidas sweatshirt; it was hard to tell their ethnicity by appearance alone.
"As an Arab, it's hard for you to believe in a land that you feel was taken from you. So how can you support that?" Haneen exclaimed in perfect Hebrew. "Yom Ha'Atzmaut is a day that's not connected to me. I don't have to celebrate it. With Al Nakba, I identify with it more."
Most of the time, though, they don't discuss politics; they are too busy studying for their matriculation exams. During Winger's visit, Jamie, whose parents are American, asked for Winger's autograph on a photograph he printed from the Internet.
The idea of teaching Al Nakba in grade school sparked controversy in the Knesset last year, when the Education Ministry approved its inclusion in Israeli textbooks.
"Outside, one may ask, 'How do you teach Nakba; how can you challenge state basics?'" said Peretz, sister of former Defense Minister Amir Peretz. "I don't see it this way, and the school doesn't see it this way. We see the attempt to ignore other things that exist -- to hide and bury them -- as really dangerous."
Dr. Daniel Gordis, senior fellow at the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem-based think tank and research institute in the process of starting Israel's first liberal arts college, questions the wisdom of teaching competing national narratives at this level.
"If engaging in this multicultural education undermines our ability to engender in young Israeli kids a belief in the importance, even sanctity, of the Jewish state, as noble as the idea is, it might be a foolish and shortsighted idea," Gordis said.
He has visited the school in the past and met with parents who described the Yom Ha'Atzmaut/Nakba commemorations. While he appreciates Hand in Hand's intentions, he believes high school and college are more appropriate stages for Jewish students to study critically "the narrative which, of course, doesn't just tell a different story, but a story that says Israel is fundamentally illegitimate."
Peretz thinks that teaching both religions and historical narratives does not require Jewish students to sacrifice their national or religious identity.
"The perspective of the school is that each child has to be strong in his own identity," she said. "Through the strength of knowing their own heritage and history, they deepen familiarity with the other's culture, history, language."
The divide between Jews and Arabs was brought to the forefront of public discussion after last month's attack on yeshivat Merkaz HaRav by an Arab from East Jerusalem. The school addressed the attack as it did any violent incidents that severely affect Arabs and Jews -- whether rocket attacks on Sderot or operations of Israel Defense Forces in Gaza. The faculty and administration discuss the incidents beforehand, and teachers air emotions and concerns in class according to the students' age group.
"We oppose any kind of violence," said Peretz, "so when it's violence that hurts innocent citizens, it's something that everybody here objects to -- doesn't matter if the victims are Arabs or Jews. With children, we have to deal with fears that they bring up."
Gordis is concerned that such an attitude breeds moral relativism.
"The minute you teach kids that any violence is bad," he said, "what you are effectively stating is that the State of Israel doesn't have the right to defend itself, and it plays into the hands of the enemy."
At the informal press conference with Winger, Areen offered her reaction to the Merkaz HaRav attack.
"I felt how can my Jewish friends look in my eyes and not feel bad or angry," she said. "But this is the school, and we need to handle those things in our own special way, to go through them, not to get mad at each other, but to help each other in the hard times and to talk about it, not ignore it."
Areen aspires to be an interior designer; her best friend Yael envisions a career in politics.
"I think when we'll be older, maybe after college, we'll meet each other in the government and change things," Yael said. "People hear about us all over the world."
Before returning to her home in New York, Winger pledged to help increase awareness.
"I'm not carrying a message," she said. "Every day is the message. Every day when you see them drop their children off or say good morning to each other and leave their children here, I don't need anything more than that."
The sunny side of Ashkelon
Jerusalem Post, Weekend Magazine; April 24, 2008
Click here for original
Tourists are invited to ignore the threat of rockets and partake in this ancient city's coastal attractions - including a marina, archeology and a beer brewery
In the past few months, Ashkelon has gotten media attention more for its ability to attract rockets from Gaza than for its ability to attract tourists, but the city is determined not to let the rockets rain on its coastal parade of recreational sites.
During a recent press tour of Ashkelon, the city's mayor unveiled plans to brand Ashkelon as a city of leisure and sports.
"Our greatest assets are our natural resources, which are suited for a resort area," Roni Mehatzri told a group of journalists at the Dan Gardens Hotel.
With a population of 125,000, Ashkelon looks like a laid-back beach town. Moving toward the coast, Ashkelon gets prettier and more pastoral, with new residential high- rises and attractive two-story seaside villas. The streets and coast are adorned with palm trees.
Understandably, the beach has been the focus of Ashkelon's refurbishing efforts, with NIS 30 million already invested in a well-paved beach promenade. Plans for an 18-hole golf course are ready and await approval. Ashkelon's marina is home to sports and sailing clubs.
As one of the oldest cities in the world, Ashkelon would do well to flaunt its archeological resources as well. As a thoroughfare between Egypt and Syria, the city served as an ancient maritime center. Even its name - Ashkelon - comes from the word "shekel," indicating its commercial importance. Since the Bronze Age, rulers who have staked their claim on the Holy Land have left their mark on the city's architecture and archeology.
As for the rockets, Mehatzri thinks the press casts a darker picture of the sunny city. "The less we talk about the issue, the better it will be for the city and the country."
National Park
The Ashkelon National Park is home to one of the country's most remarkable archeological discoveries: a 4,000-year-old gate to the ancient fortified Canaanite city, believed to be the oldest extant arched gate in the world. This gate serves as an apt starting point, though a guide is recommended to compensate for lack of adequate explanatory placards. But the park is upping efforts to maximize its potential as an outdoor museum by creating a visitors' center and restoring its archeological treasures.
"We're in the process of rebranding the park from a picnic and barbecue site into a heritage site," said Hanan Levavi, the park's director. "It's important for us to show the archeological side."
The park stands on its own as a beautiful nature reserve, shaded by tamarisk and sycamore trees. With birds chirping in the background, picnickers can eat at tables near a Canaanite shrine, an ancient well and a cistern. Or they may choose to lay out a blanket on the grass where the Roman basilica once stood. Rows of heavy marble columns lead to a large ditch where life-sized, beautifully carved statues of Atlas, the goddess Nike and the Egyptian goddess Isis have been placed for visitors' viewing pleasure.
(08) 673-6444; www.parks.org.il
The Ashkelon Marina
Every boat and yacht that docks at the Ashkelon Marina is sure to get individual attention. "We're fighting for every tourist we get," said Michal Rateir, the marina's secretary.
Business has lagged due to security concerns. In August 2006, a rocket fell on the gate separating the Ashkelon Marina from the coast, and last month a rocket fell on a nearby parking lot.
But one can't tell the marina was nearly the victim of rocket hits; it looks peaceful and pastoral. Boats of various sizes moor on its harbor, while children learn how to sail and paddle.
The locals are doing their share to keep it lively. Every seventh grader in Ashkelon gets a maritime lesson at the marina's educational center. On weekends, locals stream into the pubs and restaurants flanking the boats. Facing the sunset are holiday apartments where Israelis and foreigners have understandably made their vacation homes. For $400 a week, vacationers can rent a two-room apartment. Indeed, on a non-rainy day, the marina looks like an ideal place to relax.
(08) 673-3780; www.ashkelon-marina.co.il
Carlsberg Brewery
The quality of water running through Ashkelon's aquifers has made the city a prime locale for the industrial plant of Israel's Carlsberg Brewery, a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company.
The state-of-the-art brewery combines booze, culture, beer education and corporate marketing at its impressive visitors' center.
Immediately upon entering, a bar designed like a ship welcomes visitors with glasses of draft beer brewed on the premises. Across from the bar is a professionally curated, informative exhibit tracing the history of beer in the Near East using ancient beer artifacts found throughout Israel: beer jugs, beer straws (used to filter the beer from barley residue) and barley grains from the Bronze Age found in Arad. Unfortunately, placards are in Hebrew only.
The auditorium is designed like a saloon. Here, a guide screens a presentation detailing the company's corporate profile followed by a rather corny film tracing the founding of Carlsberg in Denmark to its expansion to Ashkelon. Visitors are taken inside the brewery, where a short film explains the process of beer-making through animated barley grains. From the films alone one might not be able to tell the visitors' center caters to ages 10 and up.
(08) 674-0740; www.carlsberg.co.il; Open: Sun. to Thurs. 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; reservation only. Groups: NIS 20 per person; Seniors NIS 17; Students NIS 15; Soldiers free.
Luna
Until Luna, Ashkelon's restaurant scene was dominated mostly by the run-of-the-mill meat grills, pizza joints and a McDonald's. Situated in a restored mosque about 700 years old, Luna offers a contemporary menu of salads, appetizers, fish and steaks made with the finest raw materials. In the evening, jazz music and candlelight within the Ottoman arched walls lend to a romantic atmosphere and unique dining experience.
The Israeli salad and hot Arabic salads brim with fresh flavor, as do the sauteed mushroom appetizer. The baked sea bream flavored with fresh thyme, served with tempura potato chips, attests to the proficiency of the chef - only the actual fish serving was rather small compared to the generous portions of everything else. Service: sweet, friendly and attentive; prices very reasonable.
Kosher. (08) 672-2220; www.luna-cafe.co.il
Dan Gardens
The exterior of the former Ganei Shulamit hotel retains its 1970s looks, but the funky, colorful sofas in the lobby and well-stocked bar clearly signal its modern, four-star side. Dan Gardens boasts a fully equipped business lounge near the lobby. And there always seems to be activity at the hotel, since it is the base of choice for EU personnel shuttling to and from Gaza for their diplomatic duties.
Modernity was carried into my room with its sleek, round lounge chair and LCD TV screen; the amenities were otherwise basic, yet comfortable. The wooden doors and key locks attest to its old-fashioned roots. The windows face the sea, but it takes a nice stroll to get there. The lunch and dinner buffets rate particularly high for a four-star hotel.
The large pool and tanning deck, while inviting, generally lack a resort feel. The neat gardens are not exactly lush and tropical, but the hotel has put great care into child safety and entertainment. For example, the unaesthetic bright green padding surrounding the pool is meant to prevent slipping.
In the back, a recreation center called Magic Land offers go-karts, rides and a jumping castle - a sure-fire kid-pleaser. An impressive indoor play center is divided into several rooms filled with books, puppets, toys, play sets and a Gymboree. On weekends, the staff keeps kids busy so parents can enjoy the hotel spa around the corner. Converted from a hotel wing, the spa is equipped with large, sleekly designed treatment rooms, each with its own shower and bathroom.
(08) 674-8888; Rates for May-June on B&B basis for a couple and two children: Sat. to Wed.: NIS 540; Thurs.: NIS 390; Fri.: NIS 760 a night.
Click here for original
Tourists are invited to ignore the threat of rockets and partake in this ancient city's coastal attractions - including a marina, archeology and a beer brewery
In the past few months, Ashkelon has gotten media attention more for its ability to attract rockets from Gaza than for its ability to attract tourists, but the city is determined not to let the rockets rain on its coastal parade of recreational sites.
During a recent press tour of Ashkelon, the city's mayor unveiled plans to brand Ashkelon as a city of leisure and sports.
"Our greatest assets are our natural resources, which are suited for a resort area," Roni Mehatzri told a group of journalists at the Dan Gardens Hotel.
With a population of 125,000, Ashkelon looks like a laid-back beach town. Moving toward the coast, Ashkelon gets prettier and more pastoral, with new residential high- rises and attractive two-story seaside villas. The streets and coast are adorned with palm trees.
Understandably, the beach has been the focus of Ashkelon's refurbishing efforts, with NIS 30 million already invested in a well-paved beach promenade. Plans for an 18-hole golf course are ready and await approval. Ashkelon's marina is home to sports and sailing clubs.
As one of the oldest cities in the world, Ashkelon would do well to flaunt its archeological resources as well. As a thoroughfare between Egypt and Syria, the city served as an ancient maritime center. Even its name - Ashkelon - comes from the word "shekel," indicating its commercial importance. Since the Bronze Age, rulers who have staked their claim on the Holy Land have left their mark on the city's architecture and archeology.
As for the rockets, Mehatzri thinks the press casts a darker picture of the sunny city. "The less we talk about the issue, the better it will be for the city and the country."
National Park
The Ashkelon National Park is home to one of the country's most remarkable archeological discoveries: a 4,000-year-old gate to the ancient fortified Canaanite city, believed to be the oldest extant arched gate in the world. This gate serves as an apt starting point, though a guide is recommended to compensate for lack of adequate explanatory placards. But the park is upping efforts to maximize its potential as an outdoor museum by creating a visitors' center and restoring its archeological treasures.
"We're in the process of rebranding the park from a picnic and barbecue site into a heritage site," said Hanan Levavi, the park's director. "It's important for us to show the archeological side."
The park stands on its own as a beautiful nature reserve, shaded by tamarisk and sycamore trees. With birds chirping in the background, picnickers can eat at tables near a Canaanite shrine, an ancient well and a cistern. Or they may choose to lay out a blanket on the grass where the Roman basilica once stood. Rows of heavy marble columns lead to a large ditch where life-sized, beautifully carved statues of Atlas, the goddess Nike and the Egyptian goddess Isis have been placed for visitors' viewing pleasure.
(08) 673-6444; www.parks.org.il
The Ashkelon Marina
Every boat and yacht that docks at the Ashkelon Marina is sure to get individual attention. "We're fighting for every tourist we get," said Michal Rateir, the marina's secretary.
Business has lagged due to security concerns. In August 2006, a rocket fell on the gate separating the Ashkelon Marina from the coast, and last month a rocket fell on a nearby parking lot.
But one can't tell the marina was nearly the victim of rocket hits; it looks peaceful and pastoral. Boats of various sizes moor on its harbor, while children learn how to sail and paddle.
The locals are doing their share to keep it lively. Every seventh grader in Ashkelon gets a maritime lesson at the marina's educational center. On weekends, locals stream into the pubs and restaurants flanking the boats. Facing the sunset are holiday apartments where Israelis and foreigners have understandably made their vacation homes. For $400 a week, vacationers can rent a two-room apartment. Indeed, on a non-rainy day, the marina looks like an ideal place to relax.
(08) 673-3780; www.ashkelon-marina.co.il
Carlsberg Brewery
The quality of water running through Ashkelon's aquifers has made the city a prime locale for the industrial plant of Israel's Carlsberg Brewery, a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company.
The state-of-the-art brewery combines booze, culture, beer education and corporate marketing at its impressive visitors' center.
Immediately upon entering, a bar designed like a ship welcomes visitors with glasses of draft beer brewed on the premises. Across from the bar is a professionally curated, informative exhibit tracing the history of beer in the Near East using ancient beer artifacts found throughout Israel: beer jugs, beer straws (used to filter the beer from barley residue) and barley grains from the Bronze Age found in Arad. Unfortunately, placards are in Hebrew only.
The auditorium is designed like a saloon. Here, a guide screens a presentation detailing the company's corporate profile followed by a rather corny film tracing the founding of Carlsberg in Denmark to its expansion to Ashkelon. Visitors are taken inside the brewery, where a short film explains the process of beer-making through animated barley grains. From the films alone one might not be able to tell the visitors' center caters to ages 10 and up.
(08) 674-0740; www.carlsberg.co.il; Open: Sun. to Thurs. 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; reservation only. Groups: NIS 20 per person; Seniors NIS 17; Students NIS 15; Soldiers free.
Luna
Until Luna, Ashkelon's restaurant scene was dominated mostly by the run-of-the-mill meat grills, pizza joints and a McDonald's. Situated in a restored mosque about 700 years old, Luna offers a contemporary menu of salads, appetizers, fish and steaks made with the finest raw materials. In the evening, jazz music and candlelight within the Ottoman arched walls lend to a romantic atmosphere and unique dining experience.
The Israeli salad and hot Arabic salads brim with fresh flavor, as do the sauteed mushroom appetizer. The baked sea bream flavored with fresh thyme, served with tempura potato chips, attests to the proficiency of the chef - only the actual fish serving was rather small compared to the generous portions of everything else. Service: sweet, friendly and attentive; prices very reasonable.
Kosher. (08) 672-2220; www.luna-cafe.co.il
Dan Gardens
The exterior of the former Ganei Shulamit hotel retains its 1970s looks, but the funky, colorful sofas in the lobby and well-stocked bar clearly signal its modern, four-star side. Dan Gardens boasts a fully equipped business lounge near the lobby. And there always seems to be activity at the hotel, since it is the base of choice for EU personnel shuttling to and from Gaza for their diplomatic duties.
Modernity was carried into my room with its sleek, round lounge chair and LCD TV screen; the amenities were otherwise basic, yet comfortable. The wooden doors and key locks attest to its old-fashioned roots. The windows face the sea, but it takes a nice stroll to get there. The lunch and dinner buffets rate particularly high for a four-star hotel.
The large pool and tanning deck, while inviting, generally lack a resort feel. The neat gardens are not exactly lush and tropical, but the hotel has put great care into child safety and entertainment. For example, the unaesthetic bright green padding surrounding the pool is meant to prevent slipping.
In the back, a recreation center called Magic Land offers go-karts, rides and a jumping castle - a sure-fire kid-pleaser. An impressive indoor play center is divided into several rooms filled with books, puppets, toys, play sets and a Gymboree. On weekends, the staff keeps kids busy so parents can enjoy the hotel spa around the corner. Converted from a hotel wing, the spa is equipped with large, sleekly designed treatment rooms, each with its own shower and bathroom.
(08) 674-8888; Rates for May-June on B&B basis for a couple and two children: Sat. to Wed.: NIS 540; Thurs.: NIS 390; Fri.: NIS 760 a night.
Friday, April 11, 2008
What would Jesus eat? (restaurant review)
Jerusalem Post, Billboard; April 11, 2008
Click here for original
I was hardly expecting to find a sophisticated, stylish resto-bar in Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus and the Arab capital of Israel where I arrived as part of a private press tour of the myriad Christian sites dominating the city. But not far from the grotto where Mary is said to have lived and the synagogue where Jesus is said to have prayed, lies the totally hip and contemporary Sudfeh.
It had been two weeks since the attack on Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav, which triggered public concerns regarding the Arab "fifth column"-but the only columns I saw were sleek wooden ones supporting a colorful, well-stocked, arch- shaped bar. Large stone walls of the multi-level space cast an ancient shadow while the chandeliers with frilled shades gave off the sense of a brothel.
I could have pictured Sudfeh in some European metropolis.
Another shocker for those who might erroneously imagine Nazareth as a backward Arab city: Sudfeh is owned by two women, both named Mary.
Mary Ann Durr, the daughter of a Dutch mother and Nazarene father, used to work as a graphic artist under Mary Abu Jaber, a Nazareth native who organized municipal cultural events. Both decided it was time for them to break out of their routine careers and create a place where they themselves would want to hang out. They came across an old, dumpy Ottoman home. After gutting it completely, they applied their artistic flair to transform it into what it is today. They called the place 'Sudfeh,' Arabic for coincidence, because that is how they view their endeavor.
The customers, on the whole, were attractive and stylishly dressed. It was difficult to gauge the exact demographics in Sudfeh, although I did notice one guy wearing a cross. I wondered how a bar could be sustained in a city whose population is split two-thirds Muslim, one- third Christian. After all, Islam forbids alcohol. But as my Israeli-Arab-atheist-Muslim guide put it, "Without Muslims you have no bars."
Nazareth has a decently sized secular Muslim population and Sudfeh is the place to see and be seen in the secular Arab world. That night the mayor of a nearby Arab village was present. I didn't hear much Hebrew, but I was told that Jews from surrounding towns and even from the country's center make the pilgrimage here, especially on the weekends.
The cute and cheerful servers and bartenders all wore green leprechaun hats in honor of St. Patrick's Day, which they celebrated a few days late-but who's counting? The owners hired an Irish band for the night who added good cheer to the place. Sudfeh has obviously invested in the sound system; it is the only bar to offer Arab Karaoke night in Israel. Sudfeh sees itself as a cultural center. As such, it hosts theme nights once a month, and on April 30, the Maries will inaugurate an art gallery on the premises with the works of Nazarene Karima Abboud, the first Palestinian female photographer.
As a fully functioning restaurant by day and night, Sudfeh invests heavily to offer a creative fusion menu. The chef, from the nearby Arab city of Sakhnin, prepares a tempting variety of vegetarian, seafood and meat dishes with an Arabic and European touch. Italian food makes up a small part of the menu. Grandma's Salad (NIS 32) served with hardened labaneh balls was one of the tastiest Arabic salads that I've tried. The Sudfeh salad (NIS 36) served with mushrooms, sprouts, dried figs and apples more than satisfied with its blend of sweet and salty. The jumbo shrimp tempura (NIS 38) deep fried in beer batter, was meaty and perfectly crisped - a highly recommended finger food. The entrecote in goose breast wine sauce (NIS 78) had a unique smoky flavor but may have been a bit too experimental for my somewhat conservative palate. Probably should've gone for the classic steak.
By the end of the night, people got up and danced, working off their food by doing the locomotion. And when the band was ready to call it a night, everyone kept shouting, "more, more, more."
Sudfeh definitely left me wanting more, and next time I'm in northern Israel, I'll be sure to stop there.
Sudfeh is located at 908/35 Mary's Well and open on Sunday from 6 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. and Monday through Saturday from noon until 1:30 a.m. Reservations are recommended on weekends. For more information call (04) 656-6611 or visit www.rol.co.il/sites/sudfeh.
Click here for original
I was hardly expecting to find a sophisticated, stylish resto-bar in Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus and the Arab capital of Israel where I arrived as part of a private press tour of the myriad Christian sites dominating the city. But not far from the grotto where Mary is said to have lived and the synagogue where Jesus is said to have prayed, lies the totally hip and contemporary Sudfeh.
It had been two weeks since the attack on Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav, which triggered public concerns regarding the Arab "fifth column"-but the only columns I saw were sleek wooden ones supporting a colorful, well-stocked, arch- shaped bar. Large stone walls of the multi-level space cast an ancient shadow while the chandeliers with frilled shades gave off the sense of a brothel.
I could have pictured Sudfeh in some European metropolis.
Another shocker for those who might erroneously imagine Nazareth as a backward Arab city: Sudfeh is owned by two women, both named Mary.
Mary Ann Durr, the daughter of a Dutch mother and Nazarene father, used to work as a graphic artist under Mary Abu Jaber, a Nazareth native who organized municipal cultural events. Both decided it was time for them to break out of their routine careers and create a place where they themselves would want to hang out. They came across an old, dumpy Ottoman home. After gutting it completely, they applied their artistic flair to transform it into what it is today. They called the place 'Sudfeh,' Arabic for coincidence, because that is how they view their endeavor.
The customers, on the whole, were attractive and stylishly dressed. It was difficult to gauge the exact demographics in Sudfeh, although I did notice one guy wearing a cross. I wondered how a bar could be sustained in a city whose population is split two-thirds Muslim, one- third Christian. After all, Islam forbids alcohol. But as my Israeli-Arab-atheist-Muslim guide put it, "Without Muslims you have no bars."
Nazareth has a decently sized secular Muslim population and Sudfeh is the place to see and be seen in the secular Arab world. That night the mayor of a nearby Arab village was present. I didn't hear much Hebrew, but I was told that Jews from surrounding towns and even from the country's center make the pilgrimage here, especially on the weekends.
The cute and cheerful servers and bartenders all wore green leprechaun hats in honor of St. Patrick's Day, which they celebrated a few days late-but who's counting? The owners hired an Irish band for the night who added good cheer to the place. Sudfeh has obviously invested in the sound system; it is the only bar to offer Arab Karaoke night in Israel. Sudfeh sees itself as a cultural center. As such, it hosts theme nights once a month, and on April 30, the Maries will inaugurate an art gallery on the premises with the works of Nazarene Karima Abboud, the first Palestinian female photographer.
As a fully functioning restaurant by day and night, Sudfeh invests heavily to offer a creative fusion menu. The chef, from the nearby Arab city of Sakhnin, prepares a tempting variety of vegetarian, seafood and meat dishes with an Arabic and European touch. Italian food makes up a small part of the menu. Grandma's Salad (NIS 32) served with hardened labaneh balls was one of the tastiest Arabic salads that I've tried. The Sudfeh salad (NIS 36) served with mushrooms, sprouts, dried figs and apples more than satisfied with its blend of sweet and salty. The jumbo shrimp tempura (NIS 38) deep fried in beer batter, was meaty and perfectly crisped - a highly recommended finger food. The entrecote in goose breast wine sauce (NIS 78) had a unique smoky flavor but may have been a bit too experimental for my somewhat conservative palate. Probably should've gone for the classic steak.
By the end of the night, people got up and danced, working off their food by doing the locomotion. And when the band was ready to call it a night, everyone kept shouting, "more, more, more."
Sudfeh definitely left me wanting more, and next time I'm in northern Israel, I'll be sure to stop there.
Sudfeh is located at 908/35 Mary's Well and open on Sunday from 6 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. and Monday through Saturday from noon until 1:30 a.m. Reservations are recommended on weekends. For more information call (04) 656-6611 or visit www.rol.co.il/sites/sudfeh.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
No food will be wasted if Joseph Gitler has his way
The Jewish Journal, April 10, 2008
Click here for original
In the city of Ra'anana, in the center of Israel, the corporate cafeteria at the publicly traded Amdocs high-tech company is full of young executives and IT specialists finishing up their lunch break.
The cafeteria is the size of a fancy Las Vegas hotel buffet, with countless stalls dedicated to hot and cold salads, grilled meats, starches and even classic home cooking -- enough choice and quantity to satisfy the high-tech employees throughout their long workday.
But a kitchen worker pushes a cart back into the kitchen full of untouched filets of beef laden with gravy.
"You see what perfectly good meat this is?" remarked Joseph Gitler, founder of Table to Table, an Israeli food rescue organization. "To think that would go to waste."
Rescuing excess food from Israeli corporate cafeterias on a daily basis is just one of the projects Gitler conceived about five and a half years ago when, as a new immigrant to Israel, he decided he must do something about the disturbing reports of poverty in Israel. He took time off from his job as a marketing executive at an Israeli high-tech company to spend time in soup kitchens and other charitable food providers, only to find they often didn't have enough food to provide.
"No one was thinking big on how to rescue food en masse," Gitler told The Journal from the cafeteria as Amdocs employees and visitors from London voluntarily packaged chicken and rice for transport via the Table to Table truck. "I simply opened the yellow pages, called catered events, and asked if they have extra food they'd be willing to donate. Most of them responded favorably. Actually, it was more than ‘yes.' It was: ‘Where have you been?'"
The 33-year-old New York native initially went on a private mission to gather the unused food, packing it in refrigerators at his home in Ra'anana, where he lives with his Canadian-born wife and four children. He looked to City Harvest in New York and Second Harvest in Toronto as models of large-scale organizations dedicated to rescuing food.
"Within two weeks, the amount of quality food available was very self-evident, and I put a posting on local English internet listings saying ‘this is what I'm doing, who wants to join me?'" he said. "And it ran from there."
Today, Table to Table is the largest organization of its kind in Israel, operating on an annual budget of $2.2 million, funded mostly through anonymous donors. Altogether 35 employees and some 4,000 monthly volunteers now work to collect food from weddings and b'nai mitzvah, corporate cafeterias and army bases, as well as neglected agricultural fields. For every dollar spent, Gitler estimates Table to Table saves $5 worth of food, not to mention uncalculated costs in energy consumption. On average it rescues 12,000 to 14,000 meals (defined as a protein and two sides) and 40 to 50 tons of produce per week. From the warehouse in Ra'anana, the food gets channeled through 106 nonprofit charitable organizations.
But, Gitler said, Table to Table has not yet tapped resources in northern and southern Israel, and recent poverty statistics have given him the impetus to expand.
According to a report put out last month by Israel's Welfare and Social Services Ministry, close to one-third of Israel's population cannot afford to buy essential food items, while 24,000 people eat in soup kitchens and 22,500 families turn to others to feed them. In Israel, food costs have risen by 6 percent in the last year. The push to get food to the needy is particularly strong right before a Jewish holiday. With Passover approaching, Table to Table is working with farmers to gather food required for the seder table.
"We got farmers who want to donate specifically for Pesach -- particularly lettuce. Lettuce is very expensive this year with because of shmita" (the practice of allowing fields to lie fallow every seven years), said Mark Eilim, the director of Project Gleaning, or Leket in Hebrew. Leket also attracts farmers who must abandon fields out of economic efficiency or who must leave-over fruit and vegetables not suitable for sale due to size or minor imperfections.
Leket started four years ago at the grass-roots level when Eilim, then a driver for Table to Table, was approached by a farmer who had persimmons he couldn't sell.
"He offered to let us take some off the floor," Eilim said. "There was nothing wrong with them. They just weren't the right size."
Together with some volunteers, Eilim gathered 25 tons of persimmons over a few nights. Today he oversees thousands of volunteers monthly -- including Birthright Israel participants, schoolchildren and even prisoners -- who harvest fields throughout Israel. high-tech companies turn to Table to Table for uplifting afternoon company outings.
At a large strawberry field in Hod HaSharon flanked by residential high-rises, a few dozen employees from the Israeli high-tech company worked to pick perfectly ripe, red and delicious strawberries in a field belonging to second-generation farmer, Efraim Yosef.
"I would have shut off the sprinklers, dried up the field," Yosef said. "Since I know people are coming, I continue to irrigate it."
So far his fields have yielded 9,000 baskets of strawberries for families for whom the fruit is a luxury. According to Eilim, most farmers donate a portion of their fields as an act of charity.
"If I could cause a child to smile when he sees strawberries in his refrigerator or on the table," Yosef said. "It gives me a lot."
Click here for original
In the city of Ra'anana, in the center of Israel, the corporate cafeteria at the publicly traded Amdocs high-tech company is full of young executives and IT specialists finishing up their lunch break.
The cafeteria is the size of a fancy Las Vegas hotel buffet, with countless stalls dedicated to hot and cold salads, grilled meats, starches and even classic home cooking -- enough choice and quantity to satisfy the high-tech employees throughout their long workday.
But a kitchen worker pushes a cart back into the kitchen full of untouched filets of beef laden with gravy.
"You see what perfectly good meat this is?" remarked Joseph Gitler, founder of Table to Table, an Israeli food rescue organization. "To think that would go to waste."
Rescuing excess food from Israeli corporate cafeterias on a daily basis is just one of the projects Gitler conceived about five and a half years ago when, as a new immigrant to Israel, he decided he must do something about the disturbing reports of poverty in Israel. He took time off from his job as a marketing executive at an Israeli high-tech company to spend time in soup kitchens and other charitable food providers, only to find they often didn't have enough food to provide.
"No one was thinking big on how to rescue food en masse," Gitler told The Journal from the cafeteria as Amdocs employees and visitors from London voluntarily packaged chicken and rice for transport via the Table to Table truck. "I simply opened the yellow pages, called catered events, and asked if they have extra food they'd be willing to donate. Most of them responded favorably. Actually, it was more than ‘yes.' It was: ‘Where have you been?'"
The 33-year-old New York native initially went on a private mission to gather the unused food, packing it in refrigerators at his home in Ra'anana, where he lives with his Canadian-born wife and four children. He looked to City Harvest in New York and Second Harvest in Toronto as models of large-scale organizations dedicated to rescuing food.
"Within two weeks, the amount of quality food available was very self-evident, and I put a posting on local English internet listings saying ‘this is what I'm doing, who wants to join me?'" he said. "And it ran from there."
Today, Table to Table is the largest organization of its kind in Israel, operating on an annual budget of $2.2 million, funded mostly through anonymous donors. Altogether 35 employees and some 4,000 monthly volunteers now work to collect food from weddings and b'nai mitzvah, corporate cafeterias and army bases, as well as neglected agricultural fields. For every dollar spent, Gitler estimates Table to Table saves $5 worth of food, not to mention uncalculated costs in energy consumption. On average it rescues 12,000 to 14,000 meals (defined as a protein and two sides) and 40 to 50 tons of produce per week. From the warehouse in Ra'anana, the food gets channeled through 106 nonprofit charitable organizations.
But, Gitler said, Table to Table has not yet tapped resources in northern and southern Israel, and recent poverty statistics have given him the impetus to expand.
According to a report put out last month by Israel's Welfare and Social Services Ministry, close to one-third of Israel's population cannot afford to buy essential food items, while 24,000 people eat in soup kitchens and 22,500 families turn to others to feed them. In Israel, food costs have risen by 6 percent in the last year. The push to get food to the needy is particularly strong right before a Jewish holiday. With Passover approaching, Table to Table is working with farmers to gather food required for the seder table.
"We got farmers who want to donate specifically for Pesach -- particularly lettuce. Lettuce is very expensive this year with because of shmita" (the practice of allowing fields to lie fallow every seven years), said Mark Eilim, the director of Project Gleaning, or Leket in Hebrew. Leket also attracts farmers who must abandon fields out of economic efficiency or who must leave-over fruit and vegetables not suitable for sale due to size or minor imperfections.
Leket started four years ago at the grass-roots level when Eilim, then a driver for Table to Table, was approached by a farmer who had persimmons he couldn't sell.
"He offered to let us take some off the floor," Eilim said. "There was nothing wrong with them. They just weren't the right size."
Together with some volunteers, Eilim gathered 25 tons of persimmons over a few nights. Today he oversees thousands of volunteers monthly -- including Birthright Israel participants, schoolchildren and even prisoners -- who harvest fields throughout Israel. high-tech companies turn to Table to Table for uplifting afternoon company outings.
At a large strawberry field in Hod HaSharon flanked by residential high-rises, a few dozen employees from the Israeli high-tech company worked to pick perfectly ripe, red and delicious strawberries in a field belonging to second-generation farmer, Efraim Yosef.
"I would have shut off the sprinklers, dried up the field," Yosef said. "Since I know people are coming, I continue to irrigate it."
So far his fields have yielded 9,000 baskets of strawberries for families for whom the fruit is a luxury. According to Eilim, most farmers donate a portion of their fields as an act of charity.
"If I could cause a child to smile when he sees strawberries in his refrigerator or on the table," Yosef said. "It gives me a lot."
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Weaving multiculturalism
Jerusalem Post, Weekend Magazine; April 3, 2008
Click here for original
Nazareth offers a rich, lively history, beautiful Christian iconography, culture, good food and great hospitality
'What's there to do in Nazareth?" friends asked when I told them I was touring the city commonly referred to as the Arab capital of Israel.
The celebrated hometown of Jesus might not seem a prime destination, especially for Jewish tourists. Hardly any Jews live there: its population of 75,000 is split two- thirds Muslim, one-third Christian. Add to that the heightened current Israeli-Arab tension in the wake of the Jerusalem attack on Yeshivat Merkaz Harav, and it's understandable why some Israeli Jews might shy away.
"That shouldn't be the case," said Tareq Shihada, the director of the Nazareth Cultural and Tourist Association. "People infer their understanding of Nazareth according to what happens in Gaza," says Shihada. "Nazareth is an Arab city, but it's also an Israeli city. There have been no incidents of politically motivated violence here. It's quiet and safer than any other city in Israel."
The Nazareth Cultural and Tourist Association, which hosted my tour, presents Nazareth as a rich tourist hub, and justly so. The city intertwines religion, archeology and history with contemporary culture and cuisine to entice people of all faiths, admittedly mostly Christian. "Nazareth is marketing Israel, not the other way around," says Shihada.
Judging from the number of Christian pilgrims flocking to the city a few days before Easter, there's no denying his point. The streets and shops were bustling; the churches were full. Given the demographics and language, I almost felt like I was in a foreign city - and that's part of Nazareth's charm for the Jewish Israeli visitor.
This northern city offers an alternative to the more predictable Israeli tourist sites and a great - and safe - landing pad for people interested in gaining insight into Christianity and Israeli Arab culture.
NAZARETH VILLAGE
Leave it to Christians to become experts in Jewish life. Jesus, after all, was a Jew, and so his life and times can actually provide insight into Jewish living ca. 70 CE. Nazareth Village presents "the Nazareth Jesus knew," an interactive recreation of a Jewish farming village under Roman occupation based on years of historical and archeological research informed by New Testament scholarship.
The site was built on actual archeological remains of a first-century farm, where a wine press and vat indicate that it specialized in grapes. About half a dozen actors dressed in ancient garb move about the fields, bringing the village to life. A female shepherd (played by an American volunteer) leads sheep, while a dark man in a brown robe presides over the watchtower. This same man also plays Joseph the carpenter. Watch him create a wooden farming tool and, next door, watch a weaver make yarn.
The "Parable Walk" along the olive groves, wheat fields and cisterns dramatizes New Testament agriculture parables, but tours can be tailored to non-Christians who may want a less Christian-oriented commentary.
What might be of particular interest to Jewish visitors is the reconstructed synagogue, which looks nothing like an Orthodox shul today. Stepped platforms surround an open area without a mechitza (partition dividing men and women).
Amer Nicola, the program director, explained how a first century synagogue was literally a beit knesset, a house of gathering where Jewish men and women sat together to hear the Torah reading. It was only after the destruction of the Temple that synagogues became ritual centers. Here, guides dramatize, using a fake Torah scroll, how Jesus's message about universality caused a stir among the Jewish synagogue goers.
To further the time-machine effect, Nazareth Village offers groups biblical meals consisting of lentil soup, cabbage salad and chicken using foods and spices grown in the village.
Tel: (04) 645-6042: www.nazarethvillage.com
MUSMAR POTTERY
Those interested in deepening their understanding of biblical pottery should pay a visit to Musmar Pottery, a third-generation family business that fashions ceramics using ancient and modern methods. After treating us to some coffee in the shop's own mugs, Bassam Musmar showed us what kind of pots were used for storing water, oil and cheese as well as for cooking and baking in ancient times.
The shelves of Musmar Pottery are cluttered with unfinished ceramic bowls and jugs, but this lack of retail finish adds to its authenticity. The pottery shop was founded by Hanna Said Musmar in 1919 who studied the ancient art in Munich. He chose to set up shop in Nazareth for its rich marl clay, made from the soil right behind the shop. Today his friendly grandsons, Hanna and Bassam, are usually on hand to offer coffee - and some breakfast at an extra charge - before introducing individuals and groups to their world of ceramics.
NIS 20 for a one hour visit, extra NIS 5 to make a pot, extra NIS 10 for a breakfast consisting of pita and vegetables. By appointment. (04) 657-5996; 052-631-3775; www.musmar.net
MOUNT PRECIPICE
One tour guide, Fawzy Nasser, a non-practicing Christian Nazarene and author of books on Israeli tourism, explained to us that Mount Precipice is so named because, according to Christian legend, this is where Jews tried to execute the heretical Jesus by casting him down the mountain. Miraculously, Jesus escaped unscathed.
I'm sure Christians are raised to new heights of belief upon visiting the site, but this writer was more inspired by the breathtaking view of the colorful patches of farmland of the Jezreel Valley. Although the air was hazy, on a good day, Nasser explained, one can see Haifa, Mount Carmel, Umm el-Fahm and Jenin.
THE CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION
The Basilica of the Annunciation dominates the landscape of the city and is the center of Christian pilgrimage. The church was first built in 427 CE above a sunken grotto, which, according to Roman Catholic tradition, was the home of the Virgin Mary and the place where she heard the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel of the imminent birth of Jesus. Since then the church has been destroyed and rebuilt by the various powers who have conquered the Levant. The present church was built and consecrated in 1969.
The impressive and large church, designed by Italian architect Giovanni Muzio, looks like it belongs in Florence. A huge bronze door depicts milestones of Jesus's life in relief, with tributes to both the Old and New Testament. Our guide expertly pointed out the Christian symbolism embedded into the design of the interior - the flowers, the colors, the portraits - a sure-fire Christian crowd pleaser. What spoke to my artistic rather than religious sensibilities was its renowned display of beautiful, multi-colored mosaics depicting Mary in the eyes of artists from all over the world.
The White Mosque next door was built in the early 19th century on the principles of intercity peace and tolerance.
Where to eat:
TISHRIN
As the Arab metropolis, Arab villagers flock to Nazareth for upscale and international cuisine. A blend of Arabic, European and Asian cooking is finely executed at Tishrin, considered one of the best restaurants in the city. It's designed like a homey bistro, and offers a totally different atmosphere from the Mizrahi grills or men's cafes common to traditional Arab societies. It was full for lunch with Arabic-speaking, secularly-dressed men, women and children.
To seal in flavor, much of the food is prepared in the taboon at the entrance or in ceramic pots. Go for the parsley-rich tabouli salad and mushrooms stuffed with cheese and garlic. As an example of their Arabic fusion dish, try the chicken freike, chicken strips fried in a wok with onion, pine nuts and parsley, served with green wheat. Tel: (04) 608-4666; www.rol.co.il
Where to sleep:
FAUZI AZAR INN
For those who may want to relax in some Jewish-owned hospitality at the end of the day, there's the Fauzi Azar Inn. Despite its somewhat misleading name, the inn was founded by Maoz Inon, a 32-year-old former Tel Aviv resident who saw the tourist potential of Nazareth's abandoned old city. He bought and converted an Ottoman house (that belonged to Fauzi Azar's family, hence the name) into a multilevel, clean and friendly hostel. Inon's best advice for people who want to know where to go: "Walk through the old city and get lost." The Inn won Mapa's "Find of the Year" award in 2006.
Single room for couples: NIS 300 weekdays/ NIS 400 weekends; Family/group room: NIS 100 per person; dorm bed: NIS 60. Tel: 054-432-2352; www.fauziazarinn.com
For more info about Nazareth: Nazareth Cultural and Tourist Association: (04) 601-1072; www.nazarethinfo.org
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Nazareth offers a rich, lively history, beautiful Christian iconography, culture, good food and great hospitality
'What's there to do in Nazareth?" friends asked when I told them I was touring the city commonly referred to as the Arab capital of Israel.
The celebrated hometown of Jesus might not seem a prime destination, especially for Jewish tourists. Hardly any Jews live there: its population of 75,000 is split two- thirds Muslim, one-third Christian. Add to that the heightened current Israeli-Arab tension in the wake of the Jerusalem attack on Yeshivat Merkaz Harav, and it's understandable why some Israeli Jews might shy away.
"That shouldn't be the case," said Tareq Shihada, the director of the Nazareth Cultural and Tourist Association. "People infer their understanding of Nazareth according to what happens in Gaza," says Shihada. "Nazareth is an Arab city, but it's also an Israeli city. There have been no incidents of politically motivated violence here. It's quiet and safer than any other city in Israel."
The Nazareth Cultural and Tourist Association, which hosted my tour, presents Nazareth as a rich tourist hub, and justly so. The city intertwines religion, archeology and history with contemporary culture and cuisine to entice people of all faiths, admittedly mostly Christian. "Nazareth is marketing Israel, not the other way around," says Shihada.
Judging from the number of Christian pilgrims flocking to the city a few days before Easter, there's no denying his point. The streets and shops were bustling; the churches were full. Given the demographics and language, I almost felt like I was in a foreign city - and that's part of Nazareth's charm for the Jewish Israeli visitor.
This northern city offers an alternative to the more predictable Israeli tourist sites and a great - and safe - landing pad for people interested in gaining insight into Christianity and Israeli Arab culture.
NAZARETH VILLAGE
Leave it to Christians to become experts in Jewish life. Jesus, after all, was a Jew, and so his life and times can actually provide insight into Jewish living ca. 70 CE. Nazareth Village presents "the Nazareth Jesus knew," an interactive recreation of a Jewish farming village under Roman occupation based on years of historical and archeological research informed by New Testament scholarship.
The site was built on actual archeological remains of a first-century farm, where a wine press and vat indicate that it specialized in grapes. About half a dozen actors dressed in ancient garb move about the fields, bringing the village to life. A female shepherd (played by an American volunteer) leads sheep, while a dark man in a brown robe presides over the watchtower. This same man also plays Joseph the carpenter. Watch him create a wooden farming tool and, next door, watch a weaver make yarn.
The "Parable Walk" along the olive groves, wheat fields and cisterns dramatizes New Testament agriculture parables, but tours can be tailored to non-Christians who may want a less Christian-oriented commentary.
What might be of particular interest to Jewish visitors is the reconstructed synagogue, which looks nothing like an Orthodox shul today. Stepped platforms surround an open area without a mechitza (partition dividing men and women).
Amer Nicola, the program director, explained how a first century synagogue was literally a beit knesset, a house of gathering where Jewish men and women sat together to hear the Torah reading. It was only after the destruction of the Temple that synagogues became ritual centers. Here, guides dramatize, using a fake Torah scroll, how Jesus's message about universality caused a stir among the Jewish synagogue goers.
To further the time-machine effect, Nazareth Village offers groups biblical meals consisting of lentil soup, cabbage salad and chicken using foods and spices grown in the village.
Tel: (04) 645-6042: www.nazarethvillage.com
MUSMAR POTTERY
Those interested in deepening their understanding of biblical pottery should pay a visit to Musmar Pottery, a third-generation family business that fashions ceramics using ancient and modern methods. After treating us to some coffee in the shop's own mugs, Bassam Musmar showed us what kind of pots were used for storing water, oil and cheese as well as for cooking and baking in ancient times.
The shelves of Musmar Pottery are cluttered with unfinished ceramic bowls and jugs, but this lack of retail finish adds to its authenticity. The pottery shop was founded by Hanna Said Musmar in 1919 who studied the ancient art in Munich. He chose to set up shop in Nazareth for its rich marl clay, made from the soil right behind the shop. Today his friendly grandsons, Hanna and Bassam, are usually on hand to offer coffee - and some breakfast at an extra charge - before introducing individuals and groups to their world of ceramics.
NIS 20 for a one hour visit, extra NIS 5 to make a pot, extra NIS 10 for a breakfast consisting of pita and vegetables. By appointment. (04) 657-5996; 052-631-3775; www.musmar.net
MOUNT PRECIPICE
One tour guide, Fawzy Nasser, a non-practicing Christian Nazarene and author of books on Israeli tourism, explained to us that Mount Precipice is so named because, according to Christian legend, this is where Jews tried to execute the heretical Jesus by casting him down the mountain. Miraculously, Jesus escaped unscathed.
I'm sure Christians are raised to new heights of belief upon visiting the site, but this writer was more inspired by the breathtaking view of the colorful patches of farmland of the Jezreel Valley. Although the air was hazy, on a good day, Nasser explained, one can see Haifa, Mount Carmel, Umm el-Fahm and Jenin.
THE CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION
The Basilica of the Annunciation dominates the landscape of the city and is the center of Christian pilgrimage. The church was first built in 427 CE above a sunken grotto, which, according to Roman Catholic tradition, was the home of the Virgin Mary and the place where she heard the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel of the imminent birth of Jesus. Since then the church has been destroyed and rebuilt by the various powers who have conquered the Levant. The present church was built and consecrated in 1969.
The impressive and large church, designed by Italian architect Giovanni Muzio, looks like it belongs in Florence. A huge bronze door depicts milestones of Jesus's life in relief, with tributes to both the Old and New Testament. Our guide expertly pointed out the Christian symbolism embedded into the design of the interior - the flowers, the colors, the portraits - a sure-fire Christian crowd pleaser. What spoke to my artistic rather than religious sensibilities was its renowned display of beautiful, multi-colored mosaics depicting Mary in the eyes of artists from all over the world.
The White Mosque next door was built in the early 19th century on the principles of intercity peace and tolerance.
Where to eat:
TISHRIN
As the Arab metropolis, Arab villagers flock to Nazareth for upscale and international cuisine. A blend of Arabic, European and Asian cooking is finely executed at Tishrin, considered one of the best restaurants in the city. It's designed like a homey bistro, and offers a totally different atmosphere from the Mizrahi grills or men's cafes common to traditional Arab societies. It was full for lunch with Arabic-speaking, secularly-dressed men, women and children.
To seal in flavor, much of the food is prepared in the taboon at the entrance or in ceramic pots. Go for the parsley-rich tabouli salad and mushrooms stuffed with cheese and garlic. As an example of their Arabic fusion dish, try the chicken freike, chicken strips fried in a wok with onion, pine nuts and parsley, served with green wheat. Tel: (04) 608-4666; www.rol.co.il
Where to sleep:
FAUZI AZAR INN
For those who may want to relax in some Jewish-owned hospitality at the end of the day, there's the Fauzi Azar Inn. Despite its somewhat misleading name, the inn was founded by Maoz Inon, a 32-year-old former Tel Aviv resident who saw the tourist potential of Nazareth's abandoned old city. He bought and converted an Ottoman house (that belonged to Fauzi Azar's family, hence the name) into a multilevel, clean and friendly hostel. Inon's best advice for people who want to know where to go: "Walk through the old city and get lost." The Inn won Mapa's "Find of the Year" award in 2006.
Single room for couples: NIS 300 weekdays/ NIS 400 weekends; Family/group room: NIS 100 per person; dorm bed: NIS 60. Tel: 054-432-2352; www.fauziazarinn.com
For more info about Nazareth: Nazareth Cultural and Tourist Association: (04) 601-1072; www.nazarethinfo.org
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