Lag BaOmer Came and Went

I can’t believe how much time has gone by since I uploaded photos. Lag BaOmer (33rd day of the counting of the barley offering when the Temple still stood) was two weeks ago. Work’s been insane, so I haven’t had much energy for other activities in the evening.

Lag BaOmer is accompanied by frenzied burning of bonfires. Israeli children deforest the country, gathering scrap wood, shipping pallets, old furniture — if it burns, it’s not safe to leave outside during the weeks after Passover!

The photo of the two girls meeting on the street with their collection of tree branches, old chairs, and a plastic baby seat (doesn’t seem very good to burn) is a bit blurry because I was across the street and had to take the shot very quickly when cars weren’t in the way.

Other years I’ve photographed the bonfires. This year I stayed indoors because I prefer breathing clean air.

The Bnei Akiva (youth group) in our neighbourhood takes its contribution to local air pollution very seriously! They gathered an amazing quantity of wood for burning. The boys are unloading one truck while a car is driving up with another load.

My husband and I went to the annual fun day at Superland (amusement park in Rishon leZion), which my company holds every year. Our son didn’t come because he had activities at his pre-army academy that day. I didn’t take my big DSLR this time, just a small point&shoot. This photo was taken from the ground.

One of our annual traditions is the Congo raft ride. I held the small camera by the seat as we spun around. It reminds me of old computer games, so I chose an electronic audio track. Must be the feeling of spinning around and bouncing off such obviously fake rocks.

  

The Jerusalem Light Exhibit begins in about ten days but for the first time I won’t be photographing it. I’ll be in Italy for 10 days with the family!

Video: Fig Tree Photo Series, Spring 2012

I took a series of photos of a fig bud and a fig tree from February 14 to May 8, 2012, in the courtyard of the building where I work. Unfortunately, I assumed that this series would be finished (and the tree in full leaf) by Passover. I was wrong, so there is a noticeable gap where I wasn’t around for 8 days. Moral of the story: pick a tree closer to home.

I took the photos at roughly the same time each morning, but you can tell that it took me a while to figure out where to stand so that I could get a consistent results. The tree photos are all over the place, but leaving a camera and tripod set up for three months at work was not an option…. So I’ll have to be more careful about that in the future. I’ve already got next year’s tree picked out, with a couple other possible candidates and I’ve set a reminder in my calendar for next February.

Not much happens for the first half of the series, so the early pictures are more of a testimony to my sheer stubbornness. Every morning I would get my espresso in the dairy cafeteria and walk outside to the courtyard to photography “my” tree, sometimes borrowing umbrellas from co-workers. It is  interesting to see the changes in the weather and the ground cover and other trees.
 
 

 
 

Photos: Ice City in Jerusalem

Last night we went to Israel’s first ice festival, עיר הקרח (Ice City) in Jerusalem, at the old train station. I packed leg warmers, hats, and gloves. They provide a coat at the exhibit.

Thirty-five sculptors, lighting technicians, designers, and builders came from China to recreate a local version of the Harbin Ice Festival of northern China. The sculptures are based on Jerusalem landmarks, Israeli children’s literature, and biblical stories. The complex, which was specially built for the exhibit, is kept at a temperature of -10 degrees C. For an extra charge you can go ice-skating but we only went to the ice sculpture exhibit.

The exhibit has been extended to the end of May 2012. It’s a bit pricey (75 NIS, and you might only get half an hour or so to view it), but it’s worth knowing that if you have an Isracard (Mastercard in Israel), you can get the tickets for half price. Just allow enough time to order them because you have to get a coupon from Isracard and use it to order the tickets. Dress warmly because it is an ice exhibit, after all.

The lighting was constantly changing, which made the exhibit very interesting to photograph. Depending on the colour and the direction of the light, a sculpture could have very different appearances.

The Tower of David was very impressive.

Mishkenot Shana’anim.

Moses Montefiore’s carriage:

Montefiore Windmill of Yemin Moshe, photographed through the pillars of the ice bridge in the next section:

Animals of Noah’s Ark.

Animal photographed through a wall. The ice was amazingly clear.

Merry-go-round:

The Mifletzet (“Monster”), a children’s slide in the Kiryat haYovel neighbourhood of Jerusalem:

Cinderella’s coach, after it turned into a pumpkin:

Dorothy and the Tin Man:

Vodka bar, but no one seemed to be at the counter.

Photo Walk, Passover 2012

I had planned to visit the Ein Hod artists’ colony today but my plans fell through. A friend in Maale Adumim suggested a photo walk together, since she was planning to go out to photograph a few flowers anyway. So we wandered around central Maale Adumim and took a few photos in the early afternoon. Afterwards I walked to the mall to buy some fish for yom tov lunch.

The first photo I got was a young gazelle buck grazing close to haGittit Street. This was about as challenging as photographing a cow at a dairy. He didn’t know he was supposed to bound away over the hills. After a while I started posing the critter, by walking to the other side and making chirping noises so that he would turn his head towards me. I like this photo because you can see his budding horns quite clearly.

Poppies in the ruins of the St. Martyrius Monastery, which I’ve never seen. (Need to find a tour group that’s going there.)

Rose with split toning:

Kalanchoe flowers:

Masses of flowers on the road divider between the mall and the library.

The Death Star. It’s a disco ball hanging in front of a big digital screen with ads running all the time. I underexposed it to make it look a little more mysterious:

Nahal Prat Hike

My husband was working yesterday and my son went up north with friends, so I accepted an invitation to hike along Nahal Prat/Wadi Kelt. I haven’t seen this area for a long time. If you don’t like crowds, this is not the hike for you during the Passover holiday! The pools and parks are jammed with picnickers. However, if you are fit enough to hike the trail (medium difficulty, not recommended for very young children), you will quickly reach areas without crowds.

The Nahal Prat route from Anatot to the car park on the highway near Nofei Prat is about 5-6 km. Add another kilometer if you’re coming by foot from Anatot. When the upper and lower parking lots get full, the Parks Authority start turning people back. They won’t let taxis through. Add another kilometer if you walk to Ein Al Fuwar (Ein Mabu’a). There is a charge at the Anatot park entrance. At the other end, Ein Al Fuwar is free (and as full as you expect it to be!). You will find the hours, entrance fee, and other useful info in English at the Israel Nature & Parks Authority site.

We took the scenic route by foot from Anatot. The normally brown and dusty hills are covered with desert rocket, white mustard, and horehound flowers in spring:

Near the bottom you pass the Firan monastery (Russian Orthodox). It is open to the public (modest dress required) during certain hours.

In this view of the monastery church, you can see the original hermits’ cells in the cliff wall. I don’t think they’re inhabited at the moment. This photo was taken quite a distance away, which is why it’s a bit hazy.

At the bottom of the trail are couple pools and a picnic area. A very crowded picnic area.

This boy brought over a pan of shakshouka (eggs poached in sauteed tomatoes and peppers). Some people bring enough equipment to furnish a small kitchen. This is not your average picnic.

A woman asked me to photograph a couple teenage girls by the cold water pool and gave me her email address to send her the photos. (I sent five photos this morning. She thanked me and said the photos were lovely.)

The Nahal Prat trail follows a stream that flows year round, past several natural pools, stands of wild mint and pampas grass, and lots of rock ledges. The trail crosses the stream several times. Although there are rocks placed as stepping stones, they’re slippery. You have to be quite agile to keep your shoes dry the entire trip. I only got one toe wet, at the last crossing.

Wild mint:

Pool with high walls and small waterfall:

The rock formations are stunning, full of natural caves and ledges:

The ponds are teaming with matzah-eating fish. I’ve heard that you can get a fish pedicure as well, but I’m just not into fish nibbling my toes. If you stick your feet into the water they’ll swarm around your feet. It’s a bit disquieting.

One of the boys stuck a piece of matzah between his toes.

Fish carrying off a piece of matzah.

There are a few spots where you have to climb on iron bars. You don’t need to be a professional rock climber but you do need to be in reasonably good physical shape to manage the steep slopes.

If you are walking from the parking lot at the end of the hiking route to Ein Fuwar, there are two routes. The road is the longer way (about 1.5 km) but it’s smoother and easier on the feet. The dry wadi is quicker but it’s murder on the feet — lots of gravel, sand, big and small rocks.

Unfortunately, my battery went dead before the end of the hike (forgot that I’d shot video of the matzah baking), so I can’t show you Ein Fuwar. You’ll have to imagine a tiny swimming pool surrounded by about 200 people — haredi and Sephardi families, Arab teenagers, anyone who’s looking for a free activity during Passover (which is about 85% of the country). The site has porta-toilets and a refreshments counter, which were both pronounced acceptable. I noticed that the patio includes the mosaic floor of an small church (you can see the outlines of the rotunda).

Baking Matzah

This is something that almost no one does — bake their own matzah for Passover. Lots of people do matzah-baking demonstrations and educational classes before the holiday, but this family is actually baking their own matzah for the Seder, in a home-made wood-burning oven. I walked up to their house at noon to take a few photos. I also recorded some video footage but I won’t have time to edit it until after the first day of Passover. Too much to do!

Matzah must be made in 18 minutes, from the moment that the water and flour are combined until the baking is finished. A timer is used. The water has to be mayim shelanu, water that has “rested.” It’s poured into jugs the night before and rested in a cool place until it’s needed for baking. (For an overview of the details, see this site.) You’ll notice that all the utensils are steel: table cover, rolling pins, mixing bowl.

Mixing flour and water in a steel bowl:

Rolling with a steel rolling pin on a steel-covered table:

Handing a raw matzah to the baker:

Preparing to put it in the oven, made of cinder blocks and metal plates (the upper compartment is for baking. The lower compartment is filled with burning wood and there is a plate in front to protect the baker from the heat):

Finished matzah drying on a cloth:

OK, back to the kitchen with me. Only a couple hours left before we start Passover!

Chag Pesach Kasher ve-Sameach!

Burning Chametz

I took these photos this morning of the burning of chametz. Something about fire fascinates kids. They don’t seem to mind the heat (and it is hot today!).

We burned the last of the leavened food around 10:30 this morning. It’s tough coming up with interesting menu ideas when you have a bunch of house guests, can’t eat bread, cakes, rice, legumes, or matzah (our custom is not to eat matzah for the month leading up to Pesach in order for it to be more special when we have it), and the thought of one more potato makes you sick…..

Breakfast menu, day of Seder:

• Leftover chametz (as long as it’s before the cut-off time, which is 10:09 this year, according to our custom)
• Cheese slices
• Rice crackers
• Hard-boiled eggs

Lunch menu, day of Seder:

• Tuna salad with lots of cut up vegetables in it
• Vegetable salad
• Potato-kohlrabi kugel (I didn’t have enough potatoes for a kugel, so I added a large kohlrabi; it was really good)
• Cheese slices

The whole neighbourhood smells like a forest fire, which makes drying the laundry a bit problematic. Oh well, no one’s going to notice a bit of smoke on their bath towels, right?

Ever wonder what 750 grams of horseradish looks like? A caterer friend had some extra and was giving it away. I thought she’d give me a couple roots but her husband handed me the whole lot. So I’ve dried it, wrapped it in newspaper, and put it in the back of the fridge, for when I have more time.

Bedikat Chametz

The evening before the Seder, we perform the ritual of bedikat chametz (Search for Chametz), searching our house for chametz (leavened food) using candles and flashlights. I wrapped ten pieces of cake (normally we use a pita but I threw out the last one while cleaning the freezer) and my son distributed them around the house.

This piece took us a long time to find. He attached it to the pull-chain of the ceiling fan.

I didn’t take the photo then and there. We recited Kol Chamira and I asked him to re-attach the foil-covered cake to the chain.

We’re getting there — the end is in sight! The kitchen has been switched over and I did a lot of cooking today. I am so glad we put an air conditioner in the kitchen. The dish kashering station is right outside my building and the sound of religious pop music and propane torches has been non-stop for a couple days now. (On the other hand, I am very glad not to have that job! Torching oven racks and boiling dishes must be horrible in this sharav ( “scorchingly hot, dry desert wind which blows from the Arabian Desert from May to mid-June and from September to October. It last for two to five days at a time” on this site).

Countdown to Passover 5572

There must be a universal law that when you’re kashering the kitchen (cleaning the oven, turning the stove on full blast) and kashering dishes (waiting in line beside huge propane burners while yeshiva students dunk your dishes in boiling water) that the weather shall turn hot. It’s hot in Maale Adumim. I live next to a mikveh where they set up the kashering station. I hear the propane burners start at 9 a.m. and they burn all day, until around 10 p.m. I’m lucky — I have a strapping teenage son who does the hot, dirty jobs for me and carries home the heaviest groceries. (I won’t be so lucky next year, when he goes into the army.)

Kids always hang around to watch. They’re bored, too young to help with much cleaning, and they have to eat outside anyway, so they gather around the steps of the mikveh.

Here’s something I haven’t seen before: pre-cut celery for Passover. For the truly busy hostess….

When I went for a run this morning, before the heat became intense, I saw two gazelles grazing among the purple flowers (desert rocket). I only had a little point-and-shoot camera with me, so this has been cropped and is a bit grainy.

As of today I’m off work for the Passover holiday. This week we had a celebration in the dairy cafeteria. I didn’t have any wine because I was working on some financial documents but the nut tarts were good.

Video: Independence Day (Yom Atzmaut) Rehearsal at Har Herzl

My officemate thinks that Israel probably has one of the worst marching armies in the world because they hardly ever march. After Baruch and I hiked through the Jerusalem Forest, we walked through Yad Vashem to Har Herzl. We saw soldiers rehearsing for Independence Day (Yom Atzmaut) ceremonies. I tried translating the directions and eventually gave up. It maked me very glad that I will never have to march in public.

Har Herzl is Jerusalem’s military cemetery. Heads of state and other important people are buried there, along with thousands of soldiers (I didn’t see that part).

Golda Meir’s grave: