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Mount Carmel

Humid

31/07/2010

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God’s vineyard is burning and the road leads nowhere

The synagogue oh the synagogue

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Rhus coriaria l.

Guinea fowl, Spring chicken, Pullet = chicken thigh on a skewer

Fillet steak with fiffer sauce (pepper) 

Fillet steak with fiffer sauce (pepper)

To begin with we should like you to know that you are welcome- very welcome indeed. We’re sure you’ve planned your trip carefully and that you’ve digested all the information your travel agent and the Israel Government Tourist Corporation could offer (Israel is the land of milk and honey and the electric current is 220 volts AC). Just to confuse you a bit more, we’ve collected some additional tips for you: – let’s face it: no matter how good a time you have here, it’s going to cost you some money. Israel pounds are the currency of the country so you might as well stock up on them from the start. The Bank Leumi is the place to change your money. It has over 80 branches throughout the country, including ports of arrival. The clerks try to be friendly, their English could be improved upon and the rate of exchange is IL. 1.800 To $ 1.00. The Israel pound is made up of 1,000 prutot. We have coins of the following denominations: 1, 5, 10 and 25 prutot are very small money. 50 prutot or 5 piastres (also known as a “shilling” from olden days) will buy you a glass of gazoz – the national soft drink. 100 prutot or 10 piastres – will pay the postage for a letter to any place inside Israel. 250 prutot or 25 piastres –a cup of Espresso coffee, and a good one at that. And paper notes of 250 and 500 and of 1, 5, 10 and 50 pounds. Being a serious person you are, no doubt, interested in your food. Besides the usual hotel fare, we suggest that you try some Oriental dishes such as: -

• Shashlik – charcoal-broiled lamb on skewers
• Kebab – ground meat broiled on skewers
• Humus – cooked chickpeas, ground and pounded, mixed with herbs and oil
• Tehina – sesame seed paste mixed with garlic, parsley and lemon juice
• Falafel – ground chickpeas formed into balls, deep-fried, usually sold by side-walk vendors
• Bourrekas – unsweetened paper-thin pastry filled with spinach or cheese
• Suniya – ground meat baked in Tehina sauce.
• In summer, vendors set up pots of boiling water on the street corners and sell Tiras Cham (corn-on-the-cop) to passers-by. Try it.

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If you want to find an address on Abraham Lincoln street, let’s say, you can stop the first man you see and ask “Ayfo (where) rehov (street) Abraham Lincoln?” Now the problem will be to understand his answer. Our only suggestion is that you leave your book of basic Hebrew in the hotel and stick to English. The chances are he will not only answer in English but also invite you to his house to meet his family and have a cup of tea.

We strongly advise against trying to learn the language while you’re here, unless you’re staying longer than two weeks. But you might as well know that toda means thank you; sliha means sorry; bevakasha means please and Kama means how much. Also caffeh means coffee, Tay means tea, cinema means movies, taxi means cab and idiot – a very ancient Talmudic word – means idiot. This being the Tenth Anniversary year, the official engagement book is full of conventions, congresses, festivals, parades, performances and all manner of celebrations for your entertainment and ours. Here are some unofficial ideas that might interest you. You might, for instance, take a stroll through Tel-Aviv’s Carmel Market, the largest outdoor marketplace in the country. You might sit a while in Café Cassit on Dizengoff Street, Tel-Aviv, the favorite meeting place of theatre people and writers. The Last Chance nightclub in Beersheba is worth missing an hour’s sleep for, and there’s a new fish restaurant and bar in Eilat called the End of the World. Take a ride on a bus. It may not be the most comfortable means of transportation but it’s certainly one of the most interesting. If you’re going from Tel Aviv to Beersheba for instance, on a regular inter-city bus, your toes will be stepped on by young farmers from kibbutzim in the Negev, soldiers, new immigrants from almost anywhere, and you may even share a seat with a live chicken or a young lamb. In any case, such a ride is bound to be more amusing than a comfortable journey in a chartered taxi – to say nothing of the money you’ll save. Don’t be shy. If you’re interested in the people of Israel, let us assure you that the people of Israel are also interested in you. (You’re from Poughkeepsie? Maybe you know my uncle, Moshe Rabinowitz? He lives in Toledo). You can start a conversation with almost anyone anywhere and find them friendly, frank and perspiring. If they don’t speak English, go ahead and try your rusty Yiddish or high-school French. If they dash off after your first question, don’t despair, they‘ve probably gone to find a translator in the nearest grocery shop. (The grocer’s sister’s brother-in-law lives in Chicago). Or they may have run home to get their uncle’s address.

Israelis are not noted for their impeccable manners. They do, however, enjoy shaking hands heartily, with both men and women, whenever they meet. As far as suitable phrases are concerned “shalom” will do for all greetings. At least it will save lazy linguists the trouble of learning the Hebrew equivalents of good morning, good evening and how do you do. It also used for good-bye.

Now, while you’re here, how about buying something?  We have some really beautiful Yemenite jewellery and embroidery, ceramics and ladies and gents’ clothing. And, believe it or not, it’s worthwhile buying a fur coat here. The Government Tourist Corporation has a system of “Recommended for Tourists” shops which display a special emblem. By shopping in these stores, you get a whole 20% reduction on your purchases.

As you will have noticed. People dress vary casually in Israel. Men can get by in sports shirts anywhere during the day. They’re expected to appear in suits and ties only at official receptions, the theatre and stuffy bars. Ladies can wear almost anything that suits their taste and weather, except when visiting religious quarters, where conservative clothes will spare embarrassment.

If friends invite you to their home for meal, usual token of appreciation is a bouquet of flowers, brought with you or sent afterwards. Whenever you want some good, sound official information of friendly assistance, the place to call is at any information office of the Israel Government Tourist Corporation.

And if after having a good look around, you wish for some business information, please ask Bank Leumi. Do you know, for example, that you may open a deposit account in dollars or other (foreign) currency, and that this will bring you a good rate of interest (tax-free in Israel)? Are you interested in investment possibilities in Israel? (When it comes to business we are quite serious people, you see). On all such matters do please call either at our Head Office Herzl Street, Tel-Aviv. Or at any branch of Bank Leumi. There are over 80 of them – remember?

Shalom

Walking out of the southern church into the wilderness what is usually a parched earth; a dessert is now a savanna of weeds blossoming grains and cereals.  Binoculars are ready birds watching day is about to start.

 On the Incense Route heading south East windy semi-cold morning suburbs turning into farm houses and then to agriculturel terraces all frozen in time waiting for the Nabateans camel caravan to come back from the east loaded with frankincense and myrrh.  Our bag packs are heavy to we carry bread, sardines, vegetables- fresh and caned, wine and coffee (soon to find we left the coffee pot behind).  The rest of the morning went by while we went up the mountain stopping from time to time to prove a point to share to ask questions: do you know where to this river flow (med or dead sea). How old is the lime stone? Did the Nabateans how build Sobota practice agriculture combined with traveling or was it a different phase? When did the limes passed here? What is the name of that flower, not this, that? And when do we eat.

Boil the coffee in the pickles round-tin-can. Drink up your wine. Pass the sardines.  Look at the raptors flying over our head: Griffon and Egyptian Vultures patrolling the sky, Steppe Eagles spin up with thermodynamic winds, Common Buzzards flying high. A lunch to remember

Going down the Kenyon, the water- holes are still wet and young kids of a nomadic family splashing droops of childhood, a brake from combing the dessert with their goats looking for weeds and scrap metal. Ammonite fossils peacefully rest in peace, will not be crushed by dinosaurs any more little Owl is dreaming of Athena because the sun is going down  and we need to find are way back to the car and hoop it’s still there. It is.

Blackcap, Sylvia articapilla on route beck to Europe Joins local residents in my backyard the White-throated Kingfisher, Halcyon smyrnensis and the Great Tit, Parus major

 

The Septuagint is not only a translation but also an Interpretation