What A Difference A Tree Makes

I trust you can see the giant tree towering over the orange tree.

That enormous tree, which had been growing as quickly as Jack's beanstalk is now history. I paid a neighbor to chop it down and take it away. Last year it wasn't all that big. I could easily hang out my laundry, which dried quickly, and it certainly wasn't taller than the orange tree then.

Suddenly, this year, as winter turned to spring, laundry didn't dry all that well, and that strange tree, which grew uninvited, began to take over the yard and barge into the orange tree. Before Passover, even though I was sick with COVID, I could see that it had to go before it strangled the orange tree.

Yes, it's Shmitta year, when we're supposed to give the fields and gardens a break. But when a non-fruitbearing tree endangers a fruit-bearing tree, it can be cut down.

Today my neighbor came over with his electric saw and got to work on the tree, which was actually two or maybe more like Siamese twins or a two-headed monster.

Within a few hours, they were gone, and I felt that I could breath. I hadn't realized how much that two-headed monster of a tree had taken over my yard. 

I immediately did a couple of loads of laundry and was amazed at how quickly things dried. Laundry hadn't been drying the past few months, and it wasn't because of winter. We've been in the house over 35 years, and laundry had always dried quickly, until this year. Apparently, the tree trapped in the humidity, dampness in the clothes. 

It's like having having cataract surgery... Suddenly I can see from my merpeset (terrace.)

Community Challah Baking in Honor of Shabbat Olami, World Shabbat

A couple of weeks ago, Jews all over the world participated in The Shabbat Project, and one of the big activities was community challah baking, the Challah Challenge. Here in Shiloh, the local Inner Circle Women's Center sponsored the challah challenge, organizing it in a synagogue hall. Women of all ages came to mix and knead their challah dough together. 

The Inner Circle Women's Center in Shilo, is a program of The Ne'eman Foundation USA/Canada/Israel.  The purpose of the center is to encourage and support women's activities to strengthen women and to give to the community as a whole- including new mommies, meals on wheels, cooking for the seniors, support groups etc...

While the challah rose, there was entertainment and inspiring words. We could have listened all night, but it was soon time to "punch down" the challah dough and then "take challah" for the blessing. 

After the blessing, the challah was shaped and painted with egg. Finally we took the challah home for baking. Many of the challot were then given as Shabbat gifts to new families, that had recently moved to Shiloh.

It was a lovely inspiring evening, and everyone thanked Sara Katz of The Inner Circle Women's Center for organizing such a pleasant and successful event.

"Prepare My Prayer," Perfect Timing, Book Review

Prepare My Prayer
by Rabbi Dov Singer

I read Prepare My Prayer by Rabbi Dov Singer just as the corona virus aka COVID-19 began to restrict our basic life as Jews. The fear and uncertainty of our basic health has certainly been affecting the faith of most of us regardless of our general spirituality and religious observance. It was very clear that I'd need time to fully digest Singer's book.

page xv

The Introduction had me very wary, because it mentioned "Hasidic revival," of which I've never been a fan. I have problems with the entire concept of hasidism, because for me is theologically problematic. As I understand it, hasidim place a rebbe between themselves and Gd. According to my understanding of Judaism, one of the main principles is that we worship Gd directly. I also don't go to graves and tombs to pray to Gd.

Despite my doubts, I read through the book very carefully. Prepare My Prayer ended up being extremely timely, because it encourages looking for words, phrases sections of our long prayers that speak to us personally, in addition to the solitary, hibodedut, praying we are now commanded to observe.

Temporarily, until the corona virus aka COVID-19 is no longer considered an immediate danger, community aka prayer with a minyan (group of ten or more) is forbidden in most of the Jewish World. Rebbe Nachman and his followers are suddenly "mainstream." We all must learn how to pray alone, and I consider Prepare My Prayer to be the perfect tool to help us.

Here in Israel we're not allowed to take long walks to isolate ourselves for prayer in the ways of classic Bratslav, but we do have to find the beauty and relevance from the text. Singer's Prepare My Prayer really encourages us to look at the prayers instead of just following.

Catriel Sugarman who
reconstructed
Rebbe Nachman's chair

Israel Museum

Davka, just before Purim, at the Israel Museum, there was the grand opening of an exhibit depicting the Bratslav Hasidim's solitary prayer, which I attended and wrote about. The curators were fascinated by the beauty and spiritualism of solitary praying on logs and broken chairs, rather than in well-kept decorated synagogues.

Even when today's restrictions are long over and history, our prayers should be more personalized and meaningful, not just a proscribed mumbo-jumbo. Too many young people have left observance, because they couldn't connect spiritually, intellectually and emotionally to the long, standardized, structured classic prayers. Rabbi Singer is the principal of Yeshiva High School Mekor Chaim, and no doubt he has found many welcome ears for his approach to Jewish Prayer.

Despite my initial misgivings, I got a lot from reading Prepare My Prayer by Rabbi Dov Singer and highly recommend it for yourself and as a gift to people of all ages.

Table for Two, Passover, 2020, Pesach 5780 מה נשתנה הלילה הזה?

?מה נשתנה הלילה הזה

Here are two views of our Passover Seder Table, which for the very first time in history was set and ready before I lit the holiday candles. I'm not sure exactly how many of the forty-nine, yes 49 s'darim we've had as a married couple we hosted. It's most probably just over half or two-thirds.



But one thing for sure; I never had the table fully set before lighting candles before. So we have no old photos of the table all set up.

In addition, from the time our daughters were old enough, they took charge of setting the table, so I probably haven't done it alone for well over forty years.

I had too many matzah covers to choose from. I gave my husband his traditional one, which had been given to us by my parents. And I used mine, which I had embroidered from a kit over forty years ago. Others we must have inherited from my parents' stock of Judaica.

On the table there are lots of memories plus the mosaic hotplate I made in our local senior citizen group. The Seder Plate and other hotplate were gifts from friends. The two-handled washing cup was from (one of) our children. I'm pretty sure that the glass wine goblets date back to a rather large seder we hosted in our small Jerusalem apartment over forty years ago.

Another first time in well over forty years, my husband did the entire seder on his own. All I contributed was the ?מה נשתנה הלילה הזה Mah nishtanah...? Why is this night...? aka the Four Questions. And of course I planned and cooked, while he followed his tradition of preparing the charoset (chopped apples and nuts) and chrain, horseradish paste.

Now I must prepare for Shabbat. No time to rest/goof off.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Pesach Kasher V'Sameach

Eight 8 Days of Chanukah, Lighting The Menorah 5780, 2019

Here's my pictorial "essay" showing this year's Chanukah candle-lighting. Night two was at our family party, and night three we had a guest.

Chanukah #1

Chanukah #2

Chanukah #3

Chanukah #4

Chanukah #5

Chanukah#6

Chanukah #7

Chanukah #8

Thank Gd, the oil and candles burned safely here in Shiloh. Enjoying "Zot Chanukah," the Eighth day of Chanukah and looking forward to a warm wonderful year until next Chanukah.

#ShidduchCrisis, Book Review

Anyone who knows the meaning of #ShidduchCrisis also knows what siyate diShmaya means. Gd's timing is amazing. Just as I finished reading #ShidduchCrisis: Short Stories by Penina Shtauber, I attended a parlor meeting concerning the choosing of a new Chief Rabbi for our town. The neighbor facilitating the meeting made sure we had read and understood a long list of requirements and qualifications that a new rabbi would have to meet and agree to.

Deja vu, I had to control my laughter. The committee that made that list must have been inspired by the advisers of the unfortunate young people Shtauber describes in her book. The stories are short and mostly sad. Some made me angry. It's so clear from the characters Shtauber writes about that the emphasis on lists, requirements, including height and weight, dress size etc has distracted those in the shidduch dating scene from their real aim. And I'm sure that the professional shadchanim, who have an ulterior motive -money- harm more than help.

As depressing as the situation described in #ShidduchCrisis, I must say that the book itself is well-written and easy to read. I don't consider it a "spoiler" to say that very few of the couples and those in the shidduch scene described in the book actually get married. That's why the situation is considered a crisis. The stories in #ShidduchCrisis are told in male or female voices.

I recommend that parents, both mother and father read the book and then give it to their children before they get on the shidduch merry-go-round. And of course they should discuss it together. If you want to get the best out of it, take notes, mark passages, or if you or your children read it on Shabbat, be prepared with small pieces of paper to leave by important/significant passages.

Inspired by #ShidduchCrisis, I told the neighbor on the "Choosing a new Rabbi Committee" that after meeting and "auditioning" the candidate rabbis, they should throw the lists in the garbage and just concentrate on the person. And they should ask the candidates a simple question. "If you weren't looking for the job as rabbi, would you want to live in Shiloh?"

Yes, I learned a lot from #ShidduchCrisis.

You don't have to be looking for a spouse to read #ShidduchCrisis by Penina Shtauber. 

Product details

• Series: #ShidduchCrisis (Book 1)
• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Penina Shtauber (September 18, 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9659275706
• ISBN-13: 978-9659275700
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Succah Up Early

Yesterday one of our sons came by to help my husband put up the succah. First I treated him to a nice meal, soup, chicken and all the trimmings. Then they got to work.

As you probably notice, the decorations sort of survived the year in the storage room. So we really don't have too much else to do.

I even cleaned the plastic chairs, since we had a pre-Yom Kippur Shiur, class, in the house afterwards. And then I gave the leftover cake and some watermelon to the lovely young yeshiva student who taught us.

Baruch Hashem, thank Gd...

Shavuot Menu, Keeping it Easy

Maybe someday I'll still do it. A number of years ago, I started writing a cookbook which I named:

The Lazy Cook Cookbook

For some strange reason, people told me that the title is awful. Am I the only person who looks for easy ways to prepare food? I don't like recipes that have too many steps and too many ingredients. Those of you who have seen my recipes already, must have noticed that they're pretty minimal.

Those of us who live very Jewish lives, according to halacha, Jewish Law, will be celebrating the Shavuot Holiday immediately after Shabbat. That means that since it's forbidden to do any preparation, whether cooking, setting the table or even cutting a salad on Shabbat for the Holiday, even the fanciest balabustas, Jewish housekeepers, should keep it pretty simple. The family and guests, if you have any, will want to eat as soon as possible, no doubt.

That's why I decided to serve me and my husband cream cheese, lox and salad. That's not something we have frequently or at all. I may serve a dairy vegetable kugel, which should heat up pretty easily, but I still have to make it today. With the added treat of ice cream for dessert, we should be ready on time to go to a Torah class. Neither of us learn all night anymore. We're not as young as we used to be.

For Shavuot "lunch," after synagogue, I'll make a version of my "one pot baked fish and vegetables" in advance. We don't have any guests for that meal either, so I can cook exactly what we need to eat.

Ever since we both began to "diet," I try to serve us only what we need. The only "unlimited" foods I have on the table are salad and low carbohydrate vegetables. We've never been on "starvation diets." Just the thought of one makes me gorge on forbidden foods. When we have guests, I put out more food, but many of our guests are "repeats" and have the same food preferences as we do.

I bought a couple of special cheeses as Shavuot treats, besides the ice cream. We won't starve for sure.

Soon I'll go to our local swimming pool, and then after breakfast I'll cook, Gd willing.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Shavuot Sameach To All

Mother's Day? No Breakfast in Bed for Me

I have no memories of celebrating "Mother's Day" for my mother when I was a kid. She got gypped, because her birthday was May 14, and there were no "double celebrations" by us. We weren't much of a party family.

My mother and I, a gazillion years ago, in Bell Park Gardens, Bayside, NY

Actually, I have a vague memory of a disastrous attempt to serve my mother "breakfast in bed," never again attempted.

Maybe that's why the idea of breakfast in bed sort of turns my stomach. I don't understand the attraction. All I can think of is the dirt, the food getting all over the sheet and blanket, which could bring bugs. And then all the extra laundry to clean it up.

Besides the mess that breakfast in bed can easily make, today, as a religious Jew, who makes a point to pray the Shacharit, Morning Prayer, properly dressed each day before eating breakfast, I can't quite figure out the logistics. Am I supposed to change back into pyjamas, and then climb into bed before eating? Trust me. I'm more comfortable sitting at the table.

I have no objection to eating breakfast "out," whether a hotel breakfast, a restaurant or special breakfast with friends. But first I try to at least drink my water plus some coffee, and pray of course.
After that you can serve me.

There wasn't an American style "Mother's Day" here in Israel when my kids lived at home. Now that they're all grown and out of the house, I try to get a bit of quality time with each whenever possible, a lot more frequently than one day a year.

It's strange to think that I'm the matriarch with grown children and grandchildren. My cousins and I are the "older generation." Most of us are older than our grandparents were as we remember them. Actually, I've already lived longer than three of my grandparents. That thought/fact makes me treasure every day Gd gives me, even though my parents lived much longer.

I enjoy the blessing of health and being able to get out of bed each morning and starting the day admiring the sunrise, drinking lemon water, then coffee.



Breakfast is for later and never in bed.

Blog Visiting, A Roundup From Blogs All Over

Once upon a time there was Havel Havelim, a weekly roundup of blog posts about Israel and Judaism. I met a lot of amazing people through it, some in person and some just online. Now a few of those people still blog, less frequently, and some I'm facebook friends with and others on instagram. And I even have real life f2f friends I first met via blogging.

In the heyday of blogging, there had been a real community spirit, but now it's different. It is what it is.

Still I think that there are some great blogs out there, and I'll now post a number of blog post titles linked to the blog. I hope you make the time to click, read, comment and even share. Yes, share on your blog if you're a blogger, or facebook or twitter or just send on whatsapp or email. It's a new world out there. Sorry, but in these roundups I don't include "blogs" that are on news sites, just independent blogs. If you have any to recommend, please add them to the comments here. Both my blogs, this and Shiloh Musings have blog rolls, listings of blogs I look at, or looked at when they were "live."

All opinions in included posts are those of the bloggers, not necessarily mine. Enjoy:

4 Treasures in Northern Israel
Homemade Challah, Yes, Passover's Over
Tame the body, unleash the soul (Kedoshim)
Heroism, Gevurah גבורה Yom HaZikaron LiShoah UliGevurah
Shma Yisrael
Two examples of NYT apathy during the Holocaust
Cartoonist Antonio Moreira Antunes Claims Antisemitic Allegations Come From “The Jewish Propaganda Machine”
Holocaust
And We Remember.....
Visiting an Old Age Home in Jerusalem
Bread of Affliction
Redemption, Exodus: Would You have been One of the One Fifth 1/5?
Nefesh b'Nefesh: How helpful are they AFTER you make aliyah?
The Post-1967 Origin of "Judea and Samaria"
Stand Up to the Bullies

Shabbat Shalom Umevorach,

May You have a Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat

Post-Pesach/Passover 5779, 2019

Yes, it's hard to believe but last night as Shabbat ended, so did Passover for Jews wherever.  This is a rare year when even those of us in the Holy Land find ourselves still in Passover mode for eight full days. That's because as Passover ended, Shabbat began, and on Shabbat we are forbidden to cook, shop, switch the kitchen etc. Also, the chametz we had sold stays sold until after Shabbat.

Before the Chag Shvi'i shel Pesach, the last day of Passover, we make a special blessing Eruv Tavshilin which starts the cooking of a meal which is to be eaten on Shabbat. We may finish the cooking, and do any other food preparation for Shabbat as part of that Eruv Tavshilin.

After Havdala, the ceremony that separates the Holy Shabbat from the regular days, we can then start rearranging the kitchen into regular Chametz mode. About an hour plus after Shabbat, if we've sold our Chametz, we retake possession.

It didn't take me all that long to take off the counter coverings and get my kitchen back to normal. I made sure to find all of my coffee paraphernalia before going to bed, figuring that in the morning I'd be too confused and tired to think straight. Especially since this is the first year/Passover in the new kitchen, it's a bit more complicated to remember where I'd stashed everything.

B"H, thank Gd I found it pretty easy to get this new kitchen in and out of Passover mode. I'm pleased, thank Gd, with my kitchen.

No, I haven't yet had any chametz. Some years it takes me until Shabbat.

Passover/Pesach 5779, 2019 Almost Over

This year's Passover is a day longer than usual for us here in Israel. That's because as it ends Shabbat begins. And we can't start putting away Passover dishes/pots etc on Shabbat, nor can we cook chametz.

So, this year, for all practical purposes, Passover is the same whether you're in Israel or outside of it. In Chutz La'Aretz, meaning out of the Holy Land, there's an extra day, just like they have a Second Seder and celebrate Simchat Torah a day after we do. A number of times in the past, we had visitors from abroad who needed to continue eating strictly Kosher for Passover for eight days, rather than our seven. Those years we couldn't switch everything immediately after the holiday was over for us. But in a year like this one, it's no problem at all. Everyone finishes with Passover the same time.

Now I have to finish off all of the cooking for the last two days of Passover eating.

Enjoy!

PS Please remember to get all of your candles ready before the chag begins and also a 48 hour one so you can light for Shabbat.
PPS Also remember to prepare and bless the Eruv Tavshilin, so you can prepare food for Shabbat on the chag.

Chag Kasher V'Sameach and Shabbat Shalom

Most Important Passover Tip

Yes, it's good to empty the freezer, clean, polish, shop, but especially when restocking with Kosher for Passover food remember that:

Passover is only a week long!
Passover is only a week long!

PASSOVER IS ONLY A WEEK LONG!
PASSOVER IS ONLY A WEEK LONG!

PASSOVER IS ONLY A WEEK LONG!

PASSOVER IS ONLY A WEEK LONG!

Keep smiling 😃😍

stocking up

emptying

emptying

Post-Purim = Pre-Pesach EEKS!

I just gave vegetable soup and either a cupcake or nuts as
Mishloach Manot this Purim. 

Purim here in Shiloh is double the fun, mitzvot, work etc. As I'm written before, here in Shiloh we celebrate both days. OK, some people fly the coop after eating an early seuda, feast on the first day, regular Purim, and sleep in a location that doesn't celebrate the second day. But not us. We celebrate both days, at least until the rabbis declare what is very obvious, that Shiloh is supposed to celebrate on Shushan Purim, the second day, since the wall is still at the ancient site, and Joshua was even here. It's all in the Bible. Gd willing I'll blog more about that on Shiloh Musings.

This is what my freezer (just a fridge freezer) looks like after two days of Purim immediately followed by Shabbat. Luckily I remembered to thaw out the food I had precooked for this Shabbat. Besides that, there are still leftovers in the fridge from the Family Purim Feast to eat up.

I keep looking around the house a groaning, when I think of what an awful mess it is. Yes, I know that cleaning for Pesach isn't about dirt and clutter, but I have no excuse not to make an effort to improve the general situation here. I'm retired and not working at all. Bli eyin haraa, not to tempt the evil eye, I'm healthy.

Actually the kitchen is the easiest part of cleaning, since we just had it renovated half a year ago. I got rid of a lot of things, and there isn't much to switch. Most of my Passover dishes, pots etc are in easily accessible cabinets in the new kitchen.

It's scary to think that I only have three and a half 3 1/2 weeks before Pesach. Thank Gd I'm not hosting the Seder.

Cooking for Two Weeks/Shabbatot, Purim in Shiloh

Ever since our house emptied of kids, and I've had jobs that kept me out in the evenings, or coming home without time to prepare dinner, my Shabbat cooking is for the week.

This week, we'll have very few regular evening meals, between my book club, a grandchild's birthday party and Purim. Here in Shiloh, Purim is a long two day holiday, a third day of food change if you count Ta'anit Ester, The Fast of Esther. We celebrate two days of Purim, so next Friday is also Purim, and Gd willing the kids and grandkids will be coming to eat a festive Purim Lunch. That doesn't leave me much time to prepare for the immediately following Shabbat.

So, I cooked a bit more than usual yesterday of chicken and moussaka/meatloaf (using ground turkey) and froze half of it.

This is in the freezer already, made in a double pan.

The two smaller containers are now frozen for next week. 

I'll have to find time to make side dishes before Shabbat, probably after the Thursday night's Megillah reading, which will be our third out of four.

Many people wonder why we in Shiloh have been instructed by the rabbis to celebrate both days. Other Biblical Cities, like Jerusalem only celebrate the second day, Shushan Purim. But even though we are in the same location, which is agreed by Biblical scholars and archeologists alike, the fact that for centuries Shiloh was deserted probably changes its status. Our local Chief Rabbi Elchanan Bin-Nun, in this year's Purim instructions has stated that although we still must celebrate both days and make the blessings only on the first, we should have strong kavana, spiritual intentions recognizing Shushan Purim as our Purim. Maybe in the near, or more certainly distant, future we in Shiloh will be instructed to drop the first day of Purim and only celebrate on Shushan Purim.

After decades of living in Shiloh, since 1981, we've gotten used to a Two Day Purim. It's certainly a lot easier than having two Pesach Passover S'darim. There are no travel restrictions on Purim, and one can be extremely creative in terms of menu. Having two days for the feast gives a lot of flexibility for family and friends. When we host, we have a choice of days, according to what our children prefer. The most difficult of the Purim logistics is making sure to hear the megillah four times.

Have a Truly Joyous Purim

Chag Purim Same'ach

Blogging Isn't Dead

My Desk-"Multi-Tasking" 52Frames weekly photography challenge

Bloggers, am I the only one who has noticed a downward trend in page/post views? I wonder if it's personal, or maybe the anti-spam check has kept the fake views down...

I do blog a bit less than previously. No longer do I skirt the OCD daily posting on both blogs, even when it's done by writing in advance and setting up the post to be published on a future date. Now I blog less frequently and rarely on both blogs, this one and Shiloh Musings, on the same day.

Blogs for me are the ones we publish on our own "sites," not when using the "blog" option on conventional mainstream news sites. That's another genre completely.

Havel Havelim

Over a decade ago, bloggers from all over the world developed a community, visiting, commenting and even promoting each other's blogs in a few different "blog carnivals." There were some Jewish ones which I was involved in, and I'm still friendly with other bloggers I met through these "carnivals." Havel Havelim was the biggest of all and continued for many years. I still use the name when posting blog "roundups."

Very few of the blogs from way back when are still active, but there are some interesting, well-written blogs. Here are a few posts for your reading pleasure. Please read, comment and share. And if there are some blogs you'd like to recommend, then list them in the comments here with full links, thanks.

Listed below are titles of blog posts about Israel and Jewish topics from a variety of blogs. Click to read and enjoy.

Gala World Betar Reunion
Thank You
An Idolater Complains
Israel: Where We All Have Something to Give
Four Generations
Attractive, Easy to Make Healthy Shabbat or Anytime Food
The Unthinkable is Happening in The USA
Amazing New Poll Exposes that Israelis Are Vastly Against the Two-State Solution
Finally, Farewell to Tsipi Livni, Failed Politician
Purim, Two Weeks After Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet
A Lion taking care of kitties
Has the Peace Process ‘Prevented Palestine’? Joel Singer vs. Seth Anziska
Hurry to The Israel Museum Before Israeli Fashion Exhibit Closes

Enjoy, and keep on visiting and commenting on blogs.