HOLY LAND BOOK - Draft

THE HOLY LAND

Published in 2018

THE essential guide to living in Israel

The Holy Land - The Essential Guide to Living in Israel 3

The Holy Land

The Essential Guide to Living in Israel

ISRAEL BRIEF

MOVING TO ISRAEL

GETTING SETTLED

JUDAISM

CHRISTIANITY

GETTING AROUND

OTHER RELIGIONS

mUCH THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

I truly appreciate you all

GERARD W. MAGEE Jr.

ANGELA Simonson-Hijarunguru

Joshua Hendricks

JONATHAN SCHOOLS

KELLY LISSOLO

sTELA sEARS

William clark

hOLLY mARTIN

DEW Tiantawach

Marla clark

MICHAEL PEPPLE

MICHELLE HELLER

David Meadows

nona azimov

Thank you so much for your time, support, words of

encouragement, ideas or constructive criticism. I am so grateful!

Love,

Catalina Magee,

Force Protection Detachment Executive Assistant


FOREWORD

Audience - Unofficial for American Embassy in Israel

All rights reserved. No part of this

publication may be translated,

reproduced or transmitted in any

form or by any means, including

photocopying, or by any information

storage and retrieval system, without

the express written permission of

Force Protection Detachment`s

Chief.

Every effort has been made to

ensure that the information in this

book was correct at the time of

going to press. However, some

details, such as telephone numbers,

opening hours, prices, websites

and travel information, are liable to

change.

Map references have been included,

and are as accurate as possible, but

it is always advisable to consult the

website, Google maps or contact

the listing direct to be certain of the

exact location.

The author of this publication,

Catalina Magee, is not responsible

for any consequences arising from

the use of this book, nor for any

material or any third party websites,

and hereby disclaim any liability, cost

or expense suffered in connection

with the use of this book caused by

errors, omissions or misleading

information resulting from

negligence, accident or any cause.

The publication had no proofreaders;

therefore, please excuse any

misspells or grammar errors.

This book has been put together by

Force Protection Detachment Admin.

Assistant Catalina Magee, specifically

for the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, as

a gift of appreciation for our great

community.

This publication contains tried-andtested

information, personal recommendations

and first-hand advice

compiled by expats who live in Tel

Aviv.

If you are new to Israel, chances are,

this essential guide to living here

will become your ‘go-to’ resource for

everything as you navigate your way

around this fantastic country.

If you have been here for a while, it

offers you updated recommendations

on the latest expat haunts,

including shops, sporting venues,

classes, networks, getting settled

and volunteering opportunities.

Countless volunteering hours and

sleepless nights have been invested

in this project.

The core project team have worked

tirelessly to keep this project moving

forward and to make it a success. We

extend our grateful thanks to everyone

who contributed, even if only

with words of encouragement.

It has been a wonderful opportunity

to be given the chance to make a

difference in someone`s life and their

experience of the Holy Land. This

place means so much to me, and I

hope you`ll love it just as much.

Everyone that has worked on this

project hopes that you will find this

essential guide to living in Israel a

source of support, encouragement

and confidence, as you find a way

around this incredible and everchanging

country. I am so excited

for you, and wishing you the best

assignment of your life.

ISRAEL BRIEF

WELCOME

The State of Israel was

established on May 14, 1948.

The name Israel means “one

who struggles with God” and

is rooted in the Biblical

passage 32.:28 where Jacob is

renamed Israel after

struggling with an unnamed

assailant.

Israel has a total area of

20,770 sq km -approximately

the same size as the U.S.

state of New Jersey.

Israel is bordered by Lebanon

and Syria in the north, Jordan

and the West Bank in the

east, and Egypt and the Gaza

Strip in the south-west, and

has coastlines on the

Mediterranean in the west

and the Gulf of Eilat (also

known as the Gulf of Aqaba)

in the south.

The highest point in Israel is

Mt. Meron (3,692 ft/1,125 m)

near Safed. The lowest point

(on land) on the earth is at

the Dead Sea, on the border of

Jordan and Israel. The Dead

Sea lies at 1,312 feet (400

meters) below sea level.

The most important river in

Israel is the Jordan. Other

bodies of water include the

Sea of Galilee and the Dead

Sea (part of which belongs to

neighboring Jordan).

Owing to interior drainage

and a high rate of

evaporation, the waters of the

Dead Sea contain about eight

times as much salt as the

ocean.

Standard time: 3 hours ahead

of GMT Israel operates

Daylight Saving Time, when

the clocks are 3 hours ahead

of Greenwich Mean Time

(GMT+3). Daylight Saving Time

starts at 02:00 a.m. on the

Friday before the last Sunday

of March and ends at 02:00

a.m. on the last Sunday of

October.

Israel enjoys long, warm

summers (April-October) and

generally mild

winters (November-March),

with cooler weather in hilly

region such as Jerusalem

and Safed.

Rainfall is relatively heavy in

the north and center of the

country with much less in

the northern Negev desert

and negligible amounts in

the southern areas.

Weather extremes range

from occasional winter

snowfall in the mountain

regions to periodic

oppressively hot dry winds

that send temperatures

soaring, particularly in the

summer .

The design of the flag of the State of Israel

was inspired by the Jewish prayer shawl

(tallit). The Star (or Shield) of David is a

common symbol of the people of Israel

dating from Biblical times. The flag was

adopted officially on October 28, 1948.

The Hebrew calendar is based on the

semi- lunar year; therefore Jewish

holidays fall on different Gregorian dates

each year .

Some say that the Jewish year represents

the number of years since creation,

calculated by adding up the ages of

people in the Bible back to the time of

creation.

However, this doesn’t mean the universe

has existed for only 5,700 years as we

understand years. Many Orthodox Jews

acknowledge that the first 6 "days" of

creation aren’t necessarily 24-hour days

(indeed, a 24-hour day would be

meaningless until the creation of the

sun on the 4th "day").

Israel is home to a diverse population

from many ethnic, religious, cultural and

social backgrounds.

Of its more than 8.5 million inhabitants,

over 75% are Jews (over half are nativeborn

and mostly first and second

generation) while the rest come from

some 80 countries around the world;

about 20% are Arabs of whom the

majority are Muslim and the remaining

5% are Christians, Druze and Circassian .

Recommended Reading:

The Israelis, Donna Rosenthal

(Amazon.com)

As long as in the heart, within,

A Jewish soul still yearns,

And onward toward the East,

An eye still watches toward Zion.

Our hope has not yet been lost,

The two thousand year old hope,

To be a free nation in our own homeland,

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

Kol 'od balevav P'nimah -

Nefesh Yehudi homiyah

Ulfa'atey mizrach kadimah

Ayin l'tzion tzofiyah.

Od lo avdah tikvatenu

Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim:

Li'hyot am chofshi b'artzenu

Eretz Tzion Virushalayim.

The title of the national anthem, HATIKVA,

means "The Hope." It was written by

Naftali Herz Imber (1856-1909), who

moved to Palestine in 1882 from Galicia.

The melody was arranged by Samuel

Cohen, an immigrant from Moldavia, from

a musical theme in Smetana's "Moldau"

that is partly based on a Scandinavian

folk song. Hatikva expresses the hope of

the Jewish people that they would

someday return to the land (Zion) of their

forefathers as prophesied in the Hebrew

Bible. The Jewish people were exiled from

Israel in 70 C.E. by the Roman army led by

Titus who destroyed the Temple in

Jerusalem. During the two thousand

years of exile, the Jewish people said

special daily prayers for return to Israel

while facing the East in the direction of

Jerusalem. Zion is synonymous with

Israel and Jerusalem.


Within generations, the Israelites went from being

sons of the same person, Jacob, to a kingdom with

some of the greatest rulers in history. This lesson

details how that transformation happened.

Jacob's Sons to Exodus

While the Jews may consider Abraham to be their

patriarch, or founding father, it is really with the

story of Jacob and his sons that the nation of

Israel finds its beginning. After being sold into

slavery in Egypt, Jacob's favorite son, Joseph,

manages to convince the pharaoh of his use as an

advisor, and wins the right for his family, including

Jacob and Joseph's 11 brothers, to come to Egypt

to live.

However, within a few generations, the relationship

between the Israelites, as they were known at this

point, and the Egyptians sours because it seems

that the Egyptians are losing control of their

country to so many immigrants. They are forced

into servitude until a Jew by the name of Moses

appears quite literally from the pharaoh's own

palace and demands their freedom.

The Egyptians suffer a number of plagues before

finally the Israelites get their freedom and leave

Egypt in a move known as the Exodus. However,

this move itself was not without serious issues.

The Egyptians tried to pursue the Israelites,

leading to Moses parting the seas to allow his

people to safely pass while trapping the pursuing

Egyptians. Alone in the desert, having balked at the

suggestion to conquer their Promised Land, where

God had guaranteed them a life, the Israelites have

to wander for 40 years for the entire generation

that came out of Egypt to pass away.

For Want of a King

With guidance from God, the Israelites manage to

conquer much of the Promised Land, a region that

is still disputed today between Israelis and

Palestinians, and build a society around their 12

tribes.

The 12 tribes were based on the 12 sons of Jacob,

and each was given a duty, whether to cultivate

land or serve as priests for the whole nation. The

tribe that served as priests was known as the

Levites and were forbidden from owning territory

as a tribe, unlike the other groups.

For some time, the Israelites existed in this theocracy,

living according to the laws of their religion, Judaism,

as interpreted by the Levite priests. However, with

time, the Israelites yearned for a king to unite them as

one nation against their enemies. This was especially

necessarily given the fact that the judges who settled

disputes within Israel were drawn from the Levites,

and the next in line to become judges were sons of

the prophet Samuel. Samuel's sons were dishonest,

wicked men, and the Israelites desperately wanted a

way around their authority. With time, God chose to

give them a king.

Three Kings and a Split

Unfortunately, for the Israelites, the man given as king

is Saul, who becomes a living embodiment for the

need for checks on kingly authority. Primarily, he

disobeys God's order, via Samuel, to kill all the

Amalekites, a group that the Israelites had been at war

with. Saul not only fails to execute the order, but then

lies about it. Samuel lets Saul know that he is no

longer favored by God and abandons him.

About this time, the boy who would be the greatest

king in Jewish history, David, arrives. Born a shepherd,

he offers to slay the Philistine giant Goliath using only

a sling and stones. David becomes close friends with

Saul's son, Jonathan, yet Saul grows jealous of David,

sending him on riskier and riskier missions.

However, it is Saul and Jonathan who are destined to

die at a great battle, leaving David as king. David

proves his worth by following the commandments,

expanding the kingdom, and even writes the Psalms.

However, with time, he gets too cocky. Soon, he lusts

after married women, sending their husbands on

impossible missions of their own. Eventually, David is

too old to rule, and the crown is passed to one of his

sons, Solomon.

If David is remembered in Jewish tradition for the

blessings and punishments of following God's law,

then Solomon is remembered for making the smartest

request possible of any king. In a dream, God asks

him what he wants, and Solomon states that his one

desire is for wisdom by which to rule better. The

stories of Solomon's wisdom fill the holy texts of

Abrahamic religions.

Most famously, two women arguing over a baby come

to his court. Both claim to be the mother, so Solomon

says since no easy solution is possible, just cut the

baby in half and give each woman half. The real

mother falls to her knees in tears, saying that the

other woman can have the child, just not to hurt it.

Solomon recognizes immediately who the real mother

is and awards her custody.


"ISRAEL HAS ITS ATTRACTIONS. IT'S THE MOST DRAMATIC COUNTRY IN THE

WORLD. EVERYBODY'S ENGAGED. EVERYBODY ARGUES. WHEN I LEAVE

ISRAEL, I GET A LITTLE BIT BORED, YOU KNOW?"

- Shimon Peres

Israel is a parliamentary democracy

based on universal suffrage and

proportional representation. Israel's

legislative branch is a 120-member

parliament known as the Knesset.

Membership in the Knesset is allocated

to parties based on their proportion of

the vote. Elections to the Knesset are

normally held every four years, but the

Knesset can decide to dissolve itself

ahead of time by a simple majority,

known as a vote of no-confidence. As of

this writing, in the 20th Knesset, there

are 11 Arab and Druze and 27 female

members.

Israel's legal system is a mixed system,

influenced by Anglo-American,

Continental and Jewish law principles. As

for the Anglo-American influence, the

Israeli legal system is based on the

principle of stare-decisis (precedent). It is

an adversarial system, not an

inquisitorial one, in the sense that the

parties (e.g. plaintiff and defendant) are

the ones that bring the evidence before

the court. The court does not conduct any

independent investigation on the case.

There is no jury in Israeli courts, and

cases are decided upon by professional

judges.

The Judiciary branch of Israel is made of

a 3-tier system of courts: at the lowest

level are the Magistrate Courts, situated

in most cities. Above them, serving both

as an appellate court and as a court of

first instance are the District Courts (6 of

them, situated in the 6 judicial districts of

Jerusalem,

Page 6 of 38

South, Tel Aviv, Centre, Haifa and

Nazareth). At the top of the judicial

pyramid is the Supreme Court seated in

Jerusalem.

Religious tribunals (Jewish, Islamic

Sharia'a, Druze and Christian) have

exclusive jurisdiction on annulment of

marriages.

While the Israel Declaration of

Independence describes the country as a

"Jewish state," freedom of religion and

the inviolability of the holy places and

centers of worship for all religions are

guaranteed by law. Israeli Arabs and

other non-Jews are generally free to

practice their religions.

The Old City in Jerusalem reflects this

diversity perhaps better than any other

area of Israel, with its four quarters:

Armenian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish.

Communities carried over from the

British Mandate include Eastern

Orthodox, Latin, Greek, Armenian and

Syrian (Catholic), Gregorian, Chaldean

(Uniate), Melkite, Maronite, Syrian

Orthodox, and Jewish. Three more

religious communities have since been

recognized - the Druze, the Evangelical

Episcopals, and Baha'i. The Bah’ai Center

in Haifa is world renown.

Relations among different religious

groups--between Jews and non-Jews,

between Christians and Muslims, and

among the different streams of Judaism-

-often are strained. Many Jewish citizens

object to the exclusive control the

Orthodox Jewish authorities have over

Jewish marriages, divorces, and most

burials.

This has been, at times, a source of

serious controversy in society. Tensions

between Jews and non-Jews are the

result of historical grievances, cultural

and religious differences, and are

compounded by governmental and

societal discrimination against Israeli-

Arabs.


Education is a priority in Israel. A quarter of

Israel's workforce holds university degrees -

ranking third in the industrialized world, after

the United States and Holland - and 12 percent

hold advanced degrees. Israel has the highest

ratio of university degrees to the population in

the world.

The multicultural nature of Israel's society is

accommodated within the framework of the

education system.

Accordingly, schools are divided into four

groups: state schools, attended by the majority

of pupils; state religious schools, which

emphasize Jewish studies, tradition and

observance; Arab and Druze schools, with

instruction in Arabic and special focus on Arab

and Druze history, religion and culture and

private schools, which operate under various

religious and international auspices. Education

is compulsory from age 6 to 16 and is free up to

the age 18.

The Israeli school system is organized into

kindergartens, 6-year primary schools, 3-year

junior secondary schools, and 3-year senior

secondary schools, after which a

comprehensive examination is offered for

university admissions. There are seven

university-level institutions in Israel, a number

of regional colleges, and an Open University

program.

University Students by Field of Study (2011)

(Total 120,552 students in 7 universities)

Humanities

21.5%

Social Sciences

23.3%

Science and mathematics

15.6%

Engineering

14.9%

Medicine

10.9%

Page 8 of 38

Law

7.8%

Business & Administration

4.7%

Agriculture

Israel's military consists of a unified Israel

Defense Forces (IDF), known in Hebrew by the

acronym Tzahal.

Historically, there have been no separate Israeli

military services; the Navy and Air Force are

subordinate to the Army. There are other

paramilitary government agencies which deal

with different aspects of Israel's security (such

as MAGAV and the Shin Bet).

The IDF is considered one of the strongest

military forces in the Middle East and ranks

among the most battle-trained armed forces in

the world, having had to defend the country in

five major wars.

The IDF's main resource is the training quality

of its soldiers, but it also relies heavily on hightech

weapons systems (both developed and

manufactured in Israel for its specific needs,

and also largely imported from the United

States), and expert manpower, rather than

possession of overwhelming manpower.

Most Israelis, males and females, are drafted

into the military at the age of 18. Exceptions are

Israeli Arabs, confirmed pacifists, and women

who declare themselves religiously observant.

Compulsory service is three years for men, and

24 months for women.

Circassians and (Muslim) Bedouin actively

enlist in the IDF. Since 1956, Druze men have

been conscripted in the same way as Jewish

men, at the request of the Druze community.

Following compulsory service, Israeli men

become part of the IDF reserve forces, and are

usually required to serve several weeks every

year as reservists, until their 40's.

Recommended Viewing: Claude Lanzman

directed a documentary called “Tzahal”, number

3 in a trilogy. He was provided extraordinary

access to facilities and personnel making for a

very interesting film.


The IDF operates air, ground and naval forces in

order to protect Israel against foreign armies

and terrorists. The IDF elite units are called

Sayeret. The most famous Sayeret units are

Sayeret Matkal and Shayetet-13 (Navy Seals).

THE INTELLIGENCE BRANCH (AMAN)

INFANTRY BRIGADES (Paratroopers, Golani,

Givati, Nahal, Mechanics Infantry)

ARMORED CORPS AND ARTILLERY CORPS

ENGINEERING CORPS

AIR FORCE

NAVY

ISRAELI POLICE: a civilian force. As most other

police forces in the world, their duties include

crime fighting, traffic control and maintaining

public safety.

BORDER POLICE ("MAGAV"): the combat arm of the

Israeli Police. Border Police troops are trained by

the IDF in high infantry level but serve under

the police. They are deployed in the disputed

territories and in the countryside. They are also

deployed on the borders of Israel.

YAMAM is the elite civilian counter-terrorism

unit of Israel.

MASHAZ (Civilian Guard): a volunteer

organization of citizens which assists in daily

police work. Members are trained to provide the

initial response to a security situation until the

police arrive. MASHAZ volunteers are armed with

M1 Carbine and personal handguns. The

MASHAZ also have special units, but their

members require additional training and a

higher level of commitment.

SHIN BET/SHABAK (Israel Internal Security

Service): Shin-Bet's duties are to protect

ministers and high public officials (such as the

president or the head of police), to prevent the

violent insurrection, to gather intelligence, to

pinpoint terrorist cells and prevent them from

causing damage. Shin-Bet activities are

classified.

MOSSAD (Hebrew: "Institute for Intelligence and

Special Tasks"): the Mossad is an Israeli

intelligence agency. It is responsible for

intelligence collection, covert action (including

paramilitary activities and assassinations) and

counter-terrorism. Its focus is on Arab nations

and organizations throughout the world.

LOTAR Eilat: a special reserve unit for counterterror

which based in Eilat.

KABATs (Security Officers): public officials

trained in combat and able to handle terrorist

threats. The KABATs, besides supplying an initial

response to threats, are experts in security

issues. When they are deployed in a small town

or village, they are responsible for that town or

village's defense.

SHABAS - Prison service: the SHABAS is

responsible for guarding Israeli prisons and

making sure that the prisoners do not escape.

The SHABAS elite unit is called "Metzada" and is

specialized for hostage situations inside

prisons.

MAGEN DAVID ADOM: Israeli first aid

organization responsible for emergency

medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank

services. The name means "Red Star of David".

MECHABEY ESH (Fire department): Israeli

firefighters. They are responsible for

extinguishing fires and extracting people

trapped in structures (ranging from stuck

elevators to collapsed buildings).

PIKUD HAOREF RESCUE TEAM: a military rescue

team which handles large-scale civilian

disasters such as earthquakes, collapsing

buildings and missile attacks on cities.

ZAKA - Hessed Shel Emet ("True Grace"): a

volunteer organization mostly comprised of

Haredi Jews who assume the duty of collecting

human remains following a disaster, to provide

those remains a proper Jewish burial. ZAKA has

gained much positive publicity for its efforts in

handling remains of victims of suicide

bombings.

Local Rescue teams: A rescue team on each of

the Galil, the Golan Heights and the Negev

rescues lost travelers and tourists. (We hope

you don’t require their assistance on the Tour!)

Recently, a team of professors, commanders and

former judges, led by Tel Aviv University head of

Ethics cathedra, Professor Assa Kasher, developed

a code of conduct which emphasizes the right

behavior in low intensity warfare against

terrorists, where soldiers must operate within a

civilian population. Reserve units and regular

units alike are taught the following eleven rules of

conduct, which are an addition to the more

general IDF Spirit:

Military action can only be taken against military

targets.

The use of force must be proportional.

Soldiers may only use weaponry they were

issued by the IDF.

Anyone who surrenders cannot be attacked.

Only those who are properly trained can

interrogate prisoners.

Soldiers must accord dignity and respect to the

Palestinian population and those arrested.

Soldiers must give appropriate medical care,

when conditions allow, to oneself and one's

enemy.

Pillaging is absolutely and totally illegal.

Soldiers must show proper respect for religious

and cultural sites and artifacts.

Soldiers must protect international aid workers,

including their property and vehicles.

Soldiers must report all violations of this code.

The Israeli strategy, its expertise in counterterrorism

is naturally at the heart of the

Chameleon Security Tour. Boaz Ganor of the

Institute for Counter Terrorism writes that,

“since its establishment, the state of Israel has

had to cope with waves of terrorism and

terrorist activity at its borders, inside Israel

itself and in the Territories. These terror attacks

have necessitated the swift and consistent

development of technological means, military

doctrines, and general policy for counter

terrorism. Many years of experience in dealing

with terror and terrorist activity has crystallized

into accepted Israeli strategy.”


The Mossad is one of the world's most wellknown

intelligence agencies, and is often

viewed in the same regard as the CIA and MI6. It

is known for its efficiency, and many believe it

has made a large contribution to the stability

and security of Israel.

Mossad was formed in December 1949 as the

"Central Institute for Coordination", at the

recommendation of Reuven Shiloah to Prime

Minister David Ben Gurion. Shiloah desired a

central body to coordinate and improve

cooperation between the existing security

services - the Army's Intelligence Department

(AMAN), the General Security Service (GSS or

"Shabak") and the Foreign Office's "political

department". In March 1951 it was reorganized,

and made a part of the Prime Minister's Office,

reporting directly to the Prime Minister. Its

current staff is estimated at approximately

1,200.

The Mossad is headquartered in Tel Aviv and

has eight departments:

Collections Department is the largest, with

responsibility for espionage operations.

Political Action and Liaison Department

conducts political activities and liaison with

friendly foreign intelligence services and with

nations with which Israel does not have normal

diplomatic relations.

Special Operations Division (Metsada)

conducts assassination, sabotage, and

paramilitary projects.

LAP (Lohamah Psichlogit) Department is

responsible for psychological warfare,

propaganda and deception operations.

Research Department is responsible for

intelligence synthesis.

Technology Department is responsible for

development of technologies to support Mossad

operations.

Mossad is a civilian service, and does not use

military ranks, although most of the Mossad's

staff have served in the Israeli Defense Force.

The assassination of the Hamas leader

Mahmoud al-Mabhouhin in Dubai by a Mossad

hit squad (the Mossad has never publically

admitted to the hit) in January 2010 captured

world headlines.

Controversy also swirls around Stuxnet, the

computer worm responsible for partially disabling

Iran’s Natanz nuclear plant. Some analysts are

certain Stuxnet is the product of an Israel-U.S.

cooperative effort, others point to a China

connection. UNIT 8200, an elite technology intel

unit of the IDF Intelligence Corps, is the largest

unit of the IDF, analogous to the NSA in the United

States, and described as a “hot bed for the best

brains in Israel.” UNIT 8200 was allegedly

responsible for disabling Syrian anti aircraft

defenses as part of the September 2007 attack by

the IAF that destroyed a nuclear reactor in

northern Syria.

The YAMAM is self-dependent, training its own

operators in all fields, such as sniping, recon, dog

operating, bomb disposal, etc. As a result, the

YAMAM has a very rapid deployment time and

high coordination between various squads

(sniping squad, entry team, engagement force,

etc.). The YAMAM's primary duties are:

Hostage rescue (terrorist events).

Hostage rescue (criminal events).

Counter terrorism (preventative operations).

SWAT duties - handling dangerous criminals.

Undercover police operations.

VIP security.

Most of the YAMAM's activity is classified, and

published YAMAM operations are often credited to

other units. Nevertheless, the YAMAM enjoys a

high reputation among SF professionals and the

Israeli public.

The YAMAM was established after the Maalot

massacre, where a failed operation by military

special forces units ended with 21 children

murdered before the terrorists were killed. Since

hostage rescue in friendly territory is different

from counter-terrorism in hostile areas, it was

decided to establish an elite civilian force, which

develops and practices a special CQB (Close

Quarters Battles) doctrine for counter-terrorism

operations in friendly territory and hostage

rescue. In late 1974 the YAMAM was established

and falls under the direct jurisdiction of a special

forces counter-terrorism unit of the MAGAV — the

combat arm of the police.

Israel's economy is larger than all of its

immediate neighbors combined. Israel is a

technologically advanced market economy with

a highly skilled and well-educated workforce.

Cultural life is vibrant, restaurants and beaches

are crowded, and there is a lot of business being

conducted. The United States is Israel's largest

trading partner, and there are opportunities for

U.S. exporters. In 2010, Israel was granted

membership in the Organization for Economic

Cooperation and Development, the OECD. A

recognized leader in high-tech industries,

Israel's investment in research and

development is higher than any single OECD

country.

Some basic statistics from 2012:

Gross Domestic Product $387 billion (nominal

2017)

Exports US$ 62.5 B

Imports US$ 70.2 B

Tourists Arriving 3.6 million (2017) $5.8 Billion

revenue

Air Freight 275,870 tons

Electricity Productions 61 B kilowatt hours

Private automobiles 7.2 million

Unemployment 4.0%

Electric Car Grid Project

The California-based company Better Place

constructed an extensive grid of electric car

recharge stations across Israel in the hope to

launch it into oil independecy. Although the

company eventually filed for bankruptcy, the

grid is active and there are rumors that Tesla

may bring its electric car to Israel.

Gas Reserve Discoveries

In 2009, 60 miles off the Mediterranean coast of

Haifa, the Tamar field was discovered, with 8.4

trillion cubic feet of natural gas. In 2010, the

Leviathan was discovered also off the coast of

Haifa, the largest gas find of the decade with 16

trillion cu ft of gas estimated to be worth some

$95 billion. The expectation is that these gas

finds will support Israel’s gas needs for the next

100 years and transform the nation into an

energy exporter.

Securities trading in Israel dates back to 1935,

when the Anglo-Palestine Bank Ltd., together with

pre-state Israel's leading banks and brokerage

firms, founded the Exchange Bureau for Securities,

which acted as an unofficial stock exchange.

Trading and listings increased over the next

decade, and when Israel was founded in 1948, the

authorities made an effort to establish an official

bourse. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange was

incorporated and began operations in 1953. A

decade later, a group of bourse members

established the TASE Clearing House Ltd. In 1968,

the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, enacted the

Securities Law, which created a solid regulatory

framework for the TASE operations. In 1983, the

Exchange moved to its current location at Ahad

Ha'Am Street in Tel Aviv.

Among the members of the TASE are 12 Israeli

banks and 14 brokerage firms. The Bank of Israel

is also an Exchange member and nominates one

of its senior officials as a member of the TASE's

board of directors.

The TASE trades shares of more than 650 listed

companies in a range of industries, offering a

broad opportunity for international investors. More

than 20 TASE-listed companies are also listed on

exchanges in other countries, mostly on the

Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange. Foreign

entities invested more than $3 billion in the TASE,

over 5% of the total market value of stocks traded

on the TASE. Outside the United States and

Canada, Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ

listed companies. The credit rating assigned to

Israel by Moody's for 2010 is A-1, and its shortterm

credit rating is P1, their highest rating

available for short-term credit.

In absolute terms, Israel has the largest number

of startup companies than any other country in

the world, except the US (3,500 companies mostly

in hi-tech). And Israel is ranked #2 in the world for

venture capital funds right behind the US with 70

active VCs and 220 international investing in

Israel.


"ISRAEL WAS NOT CREATED IN ORDER TO DISAPPEAR - ISRAEL WILL ENDURE

AND FLOURISH. IT IS THE CHILD OF HOPE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE. IT CAN

NEITHER BE BROKEN BY ADVERSITY NOR DEMORALIZED BY SUCCESS. IT

CARRIES THE SHIELD OF DEMOCRACY AND IT HONORS THE SWORD OF

FREEDOM."

-John Kennedy

The business environment and style in Israel

will seem familiar to American businesses, but

personal relationships can play a relatively

larger role within Israel's tight-knit population

than in the United States (see article below).

Appointments can be made on fairly short

notice, but punctuality is desired. Usually,

Israelis arrive well prepared for meetings and

are very direct.

Israelis are familiar with the fact that most U.S.

businesspeople dress formally for meetings.

However, this does not mean they will be

dressed formally, especially in the summer

months when short shirts and no ties are the

norm. Business suits are appropriate for

meetings with VIPs, some private sector

companies, and senior government officials.

Most businesses and government offices are

open 40-45 hours/week, Sunday thru Thursday.

It may be possible to schedule business

appointments for Friday morning, but no

appointments or business are done on

Saturdays. Common office hours are from 8:00

a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Israelis, Americans, Europeans and Asians all

view space, time and values from a different place.

If we are all to expect the Israeli, or the Japanese

or the French to act, to behave in the exact

manner - then we will be greatly disappointed!

Many business people from the States come to

Israel expecting to do business as if they were still

in New York, California or Texas. The smiles and

handshakes look the same, even the suits and

ties, but after a few minutes have passed, both

sides, which have come together with great

respect and mutual admiration - feel something is

not right!

The Israeli, who is often perceived as being

arrogant, aggressive and pushy, is actually being

direct and honest. And the American, European

and Asian, who are seen by the Israeli as being

artificial, phony and weak - are actually displaying

politeness and respect.

If both sides are to go into a commercial venture,

without taking the time to understand each

other’s cultural traits - they are heading for

disaster!To be successful in business with an

Israeli, you must understand how they see you

and where they come from. Israeli society is what

is referred to as a polychronic culture

(relationship-oriented), in contrast to American,

British or German culture which is monochronic

(rule-oriented). The Israeli culture is relationshiporiented,

and emotions are primary.

Taken from:

http://www.israelmarketing.com/doingbusiness.

html)

Aviation & Aerospace

Medical Device and Supplies

Automotive

Agrotechnology

Software

Environmental Technology

Cosmetics & Toiletries

Safety & Security

Electronics

Optics

Telecommunications

Hardware & D.I.Y

Biotechnology

Subcontracting

Film Industry

High-Tech Start Ups

Packaging

Fashion & Textiles

Tourism

Office Supplies

On December 10, 2005 Robert J. Aumann of the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem received the

Nobel Prize in Economics for 2005 with Thomas C.

Schelling of the University of Maryland "for having

enhanced our understanding of conflict and

cooperation through game-theory analysis."

Professor Aumann is the eighth Israeli to win a

Nobel Prize.


ISRAEL21c is a not-for-profit corporation

organized under the laws of California that

works with existing institutions and the media

to inform Americans about 21st century Israel,

its people, its institutions and its contributions

to global society.

Israel leads the world in the number of

scientists and technicians in the workforce, with

145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over

70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With

over 25% of its work force employed in technical

professions.

Israel places first in this category as well. Israel

produces more scientific papers per capita than

any other nation by a large margin -109 per

10,000 people - as well as one of the highest per

capita rates of patents filed.

The first PC anti-virus was developed in Israel

in 1979 by the same company that developed

the Melissa anti-virus program.

The world's most predominant company in

internet firewall safety systems is Check Point,

an Israeli company that controls 40% of the

world's market.

AOL's instant message program was designed

by an Israeli software company.

Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D

facilities outside the U.S. in Israel.

Motorola built its largest development center

worldwide in Israel.

Windows NT software was developed by

Microsoft-Israel.

The Pentium MMX Chip technology was

designed in Israel at Intel.

The Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI) was

established in 1953 and is today Israel’s largest

aerospace and defense company, with a wide

range of products from UAVs, satellites, aircraft,

missile systems and more. Its close relationship

with the IDF affords it battle tested experience for

R&D efforts.

The Tavor bullpup 5.56mm assault rifle was

developed by IWI in cooperation with IDF to be

reliable and accurate under extreme conditions.

Designs with ergonomics in mind, it is lighter and

shorter than the AK-47 and has built in laser sight.

Corner shot is an innovative grenade launcher

and handgun designed for urban combat that can

as its name implies shoot around corners.

Many countries produce and use Unmanned

Aerial Vehicles (UAV)s and Israel is no exception.

In 2007, IAI debuted the Heron or Eitan, the largest

UAV on the market with a wingspan of a Boeing

737. Link to news video.

There are five major medical centers in Israel, in

addition to numerous local hospitals, laboratories

and clinics. The best known centers are Sourasky

Medical Centre/Tel Aviv, Hadassah/Jerusalem,

Rambam/Haifa and Shaare Zedek/Jerusalem.

These centers serve the entire population,

regardless of religion or ethnicity. Some say that

the Israeli ER is the great equalizer…

There are joint committees between the Israel

Ministry of Health (IMOH) and the Palestinian

Health Authority (PHA) with an aim of cooperation

on the various issues in the fields of health. These

include issues of public health, preventive

medicine, exchange of medical statistics; drug

and pharmaceutical as regards quality and safety

of drugs produced in Israel and in the Palestinian

authority, regulations for transportation of drugs

between Gaza, Judea-Samaria and Israel,

regulations regarding donations and import of

drugs; training programs for health and medical

personnel and referral of Palestinian patients to

Israeli hospitals for hospitalization and

ambulatory care. Such complementary medical

service in Israel is needed because of the lack of

certain facilities in areas of the Palestinian

autonomy. About 4,000 patients from Judea-

Samaria and Gaza are referred yearly for

hospitalization and about 8,600 patients from both

areas are referred yearly for ambulatory

procedures and therapeutic care.

Cooperation between Magen David Adam of Israel

and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Palestinian ambulance drivers get their training in

first aid and emergency medicine from Magen

David Adam instructors.

Magen David Adom (MDA) was organized in 1930

in Tel Aviv as a volunteer, "shoestring" operation

by a group of seven Israeli doctors, as a oneroom

emergency medical service.

1998 Nairobi, Kenya US Embassy Explosion Blood

units, paramedics

1995 Egio-Greece Earthquake Sheets and blankets

1994 December Djibouti Floods Medical aid,

medical corps, complete field hospital July

Rwanda Medical aid, medical corps, complete field

hospital.

In July of 1950, the Knesset (Israel's Parliament)

ratified the Magen David Adom Law, which

charged MDA with responsibility for:

Providing auxiliary service to Israel's Army

Medical Corps in wartime, including providing

emergency medical care for the wounded and

war refugees

Providing civilian emergency, medical, and

first-aid services and

temporary shelter in emergency situations

Maintaining a blood bank for civilian use.

Highlights of International Aid (as of 2010)

2010 - Haiti Earthquake Israel set up full field

hospital within two days, flying in 220 medical

specialists, a search and rescue team with

canine units, security, construction crews, and

communications and logistics experts.

2004 - 2005 S.E. Asia Tsunami Medical relief

team, medical supplies, and food supplies

Kenya Terrorist attack Blood units 7 Paramedics

Congo Volcanic eruption Distribution of medical

supplies; Two tons donated by Israel United

Kibbutz Movement

2001 USA Terrorist Attack Blood Units; India

Earthquake Paramedic Crew

2000 Ethiopia Starvation Donated food (including

baby food and flour), water, and medication. A

bank account for donations setup. Eritrea

Refugee Relief Food and basic medical

equipment

1999 Indonesia/Bali Blood Bank Fire Disaster

2400 Empty Single Blood Bags 55 Bottles of Anti-

AB Sera (Ortho and Gamma) A serum detecting

Hepatitis C and B Kosovo Refugee Relief

Paramedics, Mobile Field Hospitals, Blood Units,

Clothing Donations Turkey Earthquake 12

paramedics sent for Search and Rescue efforts

Kosovo Aid Rebuilding Blood Services MDA Blood

Bank Supervisor sent to provide technical

assistance Greece Earthquake Paramedics and

blood supplies;

Israeli scientists developed the first fully

computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic

instrumentation for breast cancer.

An Israeli company developed a computerized

system for ensuring proper administration of

medications, thus minimizing human error from

medical treatment. Every year in U.S. hospitals

7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.

Israel's Givun imaging developed the first

ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a

pill. Used to view the small intestine from the

inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer

and digestive disorders.

Researchers in Israel developed a new device

that directly helps the heart pump blood, an

innovation with the potential to save lives among

those with congestive heart failure. The new

device is synchronized with the heart's

mechanical operations through a sophisticated

system of sensors.

Historically, the Ministry of Communications was

a division within the Ministry of Transportation in

charge of postal delivery as well as oversight of

the telephone and telegraph facilities that had

existed since the British Mandate period (1922-

1948). This division became the Ministry of Posts

in 1952, and the Ministry of Communications was

established in 1971. The Postal Authority began to

operate outside of the Ministry in 1987; and Bezeq,

the Israeli Telecommunications Company, was

founded in 1982.

There are 2.1 mobile cellular phones per

household in Israel, and 5.3 million (2010) Internet

users: Israel has the highest number of home

computers in the world, and ranks 2nd after

Canada, in internet users.


Israel has two official languages: Hebrew and

Arabic. English is very widely spoken as a

second language, and with a recent influx of

immigrants from Eastern Europe (Romanians

being a large part), Russian has also become

commonplace. Three dozen languages are

spoken in Israel …including Bulgarian, Czech,

Egyptian Spoken Arabic (25,000), French (40,000),

Italian (7,249), Levantine Bedawi Spoken Arabic

(50,000), Malayalam (8,000), Marathi (8,000), North

Levantine Spoken Arabic (100,000), Northern

Uzbek, Samaritan, Samaritan Aramaic, Spanish

(60,000), Standard German (200,000), Turkish

(30,000), Western Farsi, Western Yiddish, many

other languages.

Hebrew is a linguistic cousin to Arabic, written

from right to left in printed and cursive forms. It

is not at all the same as Yiddish, which like

English, is a Germanic language in the Indo-

European language family.

The most famous work originally written in

Hebrew is the Tanakh, though the time at which

it was written is a matter of dispute (see dating

the Bible for details). The earliest extant copies

were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, written

between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st

century CE.

After the depletion of the Jewish population of

parts of Roman occupied Judea, it is believed

that Hebrew gradually ceased to be a spoken

language roughly around 200 CE, but has stayed

as the major written language throughout the

centuries. Not only religious, but texts for a large

variety of purposes: letters and contracts,

science, philosophy, medicine, poetry, protocols

of courts—all resorted to Hebrew, which thus

adapted itself to various new fields and

terminologies by borrowings and new

inventions.

The revival of Hebrew as a mother tongue was

initiated by the efforts of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda

(1858-1922). He joined the Jewish national

movement and in 1881 emigrated to Eretz Israel,

then a province of the Ottoman Empire.

Motivated by the surrounding ideals of

renovation and rejection of the Diaspora "shtetl"

lifestyle, Ben-Yehuda set out to develop tools for

making the literary and liturgical language into

everyday spoken language.

The literacy rate in Israel is 97.1% (2009) and it

boasts the world’s second highest per capita of

new books published. Israelis are avid newspaper

readers, with more than 90% of Israeli adults

reading a newspaper at least once a week. Major

daily papers are in Hebrew; others are in Arabic,

English, French, Polish, Yiddish, Russian,

Romanian, Hungarian, and German.

Israel has several professional ballet and modern

dance companies, and folk dancing, which draws

upon the cultural heritage of many immigrant

groups, continues to be very popular. There is

great public interest in the theater; the repertoire

covers the entire range of classical and

contemporary drama in translation as well as

plays by Israeli authors. Of the three major

repertory companies, the most famous, Habimah,

was founded in 1917.

The arts are actively encouraged and supported by

the government. The Israeli Philharmonic

Orchestra performs throughout the country and

frequently tours abroad.

The Jerusalem Symphony and the New Israel

Opera also tour frequently, as do other musical

ensembles. Almost every municipality has a

chamber orchestra or ensemble, many boasting

the talents of gifted performers from the countries

of the former Soviet Union.

The origins of the Philharmonic are interesting. In

1935, all Jewish musicians in Germany were

dismissed from their jobs by the Nazi government.

Bronislaw Huberman a Polish-born concert

violinist from Vienna, recruited 75

instrumentalists from throughout Europe to

immigrate to Palestine with him to form a new

Jewish orchestra.

Arturo Toscanini conducted the Palestine

Symphony's first concert, in Tel Aviv on Dec. 26,

1936. The Italian maestro refused any payment,

declaring, "I am doing this for humanity."

With its 120 museums, Israel has more

museums per capita than any other country.

These include the Israel Museum in Jerusalem,

which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls along with

an extensive collection of regional

archaeological artifacts, art, and Jewish

religious and folk exhibits. Israel's museums

are relatively new, innovative, and interactive.

They display the discoveries of the past, of the

self, and of nationhood that are happening so

intensively every day in Israeli society.

Israel Museum (Jerusalem): Although it only

opened in 1965, in 3 decades the Israel Museum

has made its place on the world museum map.

Its greatest treasures, beautifully exhibited,

include a number of the Dead Sea Scrolls; a

dazzling, all-encompassing collection of

archaeological finds from Israel; a vast treasury

of world Judaica and costumes, including

reconstructions of the interiors of synagogues

brought to Israel from Italy, Germany, and

Cochin, India; and excellent collections of

primitive, pre-Colombian, European, and

modern art.

L. A. Mayer Memorial Museum of Islamic Art

(Jerusalem): The Museum was founded by the

late Mrs. Vera Bryce Salomons, realizing her

long-standing idea of giving expression to the

impressive artistic achievements of Israel's

Muslim neighbors. Many scholars of

international renown took part in the

establishment of the Museum, attracted to both

its research activities and to the challenge of

bridging the gap between the two cultures.

Bet Hatfutzot, The Diaspora Museum (Tel Aviv): Not a

museum in terms of displaying actual genuine

artifacts, Bet Hatfutzot is rather a state-of-the-art

multimedia exhibit that illustrates the histories of

Jewish communities throughout the world.

Eretz Israel Museum (Tel Aviv): This museum covers

many aspects of the land of Israel, including its

natural history, flora and fauna, archaeology,

folklore, and traditional crafts. Highlights include a

bazaar filled with craftspeople demonstrating such

skills from antiquity as glass blowing, olive pressing,

weaving, and pottery making; an extraordinary

collection of ancient glass; and excavations of a tell

(an ancient mound) located on the grounds of the

museum.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art: Notable for strong collections

of Israeli and contemporary European art, the

museum has just begun to exhibit its newest gift: the

Jaglom Collection of Impressionist and Post-

Impressionist Art.

Active artist colonies thrive in Safed, Jaffa, and Ein

Hod, and Israeli painters and sculptors exhibit works

worldwide.

Yad VaShem Memorial (Jerusalem): This large

complex is a memorial to the six million Jews

killed by the Nazis during World War II. Part of

the museum is a teaching experience, with

films, photographs, and documents pertaining

to the Holocaust; part is an archive in which

information about each individual victim will be

gathered and kept. A third part of the complex

consists of memorial structures, gardens, and

installations such as the Avenue of the

Righteous, in memory of those who risked their

lives to shelter Jews.


The most pervasive culinary influences in Israel

are the cooking styles of the Middle-East, North

Africa, the Mediterranean basin, and Central and

Eastern Europe. So devoted are many to the food

of their origins that there has been little crossfertilization

between these varied styles. Of all

these styles, probably the best-known

throughout Israel is that of the Middle-East.

Because most Middle-Eastern inhabitants are

Moslems and are, like Jews, forbidden to eat

pork, Israelis have been readily able to adopt

these culinary styles to their own tables. In

addition to the indigenous cookery of Israeli

Arabs (themselves influenced by the

sophisticated cookery of Lebanon and Syria as

well as the country-style cuisine of the

Palestinians), Jews from Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan,

Syria, Egypt, Libya and Yemen have each made

unique contributions to the national table.

A major influence on Israeli cuisine comes from

the peoples of the Maghreb, the North African

nations of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Among

the most renowned dishes of these countries is

couscous. Originally devised by wandering

Berber tribesmen some 4,000 years ago,

couscous is a stew based on hard wheat

semolina, topped with simple-to-prepare meats

and a variety of vegetables and accompanied by

side dishes. As with nearly any stew, couscous

comes in an infinite number of varieties.

Algerian versions invariably include tomatoes;

Moroccan offerings rely on saffron; and Tunisian

couscous is highly spiced.

Also important to Middle-Eastern cookery is the

lavish use of herbs, spices and various

members of the onion family, including garlic.

In addition to the herbs and spices ordinarily

found on most Western tables, cardamom,

cinnamon, ginger, coriander, cumin, and mint

make their way into many dishes. Salads served

without parsley are considered barbaric, and

olives are considered such essential fare that

they are deemed equally appropriate at

breakfast or lunch as at dinner.

The cooking style of Central and Eastern Europe that

has made itself most evident in the Israeli kitchen is

that of the Yiddish kitchen.

Diverse but rarely subtle, these are the foods that

most Americans and Europeans consider to be

typically "Jewish". Much in evidence are dishes like

gefilte fish (fish balls made of finely minced carp,

pike or a mixture of both, generally served in their

own jelly and often accompanied by horseradish).

From Hungary, whose cookery is marked by the

liberal use of dozens of types of paprika, have come

goulash soup and stew. Polish cooking, from which

Israelis have adopted freely, features the heavy use

of sour cream and dill as main cooking ingredients.

Dishes from Poland include czarnina (duck soup);

cold fruit soups; krupnik (barley, potato and sour

cream soup); and a variety of stuffed cabbage rolls.

From Russia has come borscht, the famous beet

based soup that can be red or clear, cold or hot and

may contain meats, vegetables and sour cream.

From the Caucasian republics of Armenia, Georgia

and Azerbaijan have come barbecue specialties such

as skewered lamb shishlik and tabaka, pressed fried

whole chicken served with a walnut-based sauce.

From Greece and Turkey have come such popular

dishes as moussaka (a baked eggplant, cheese and

meat pie); dolmas (stuffed grape leaves similar to the

Kurdish yaprah) and the incredibly light, honeysoaked

baklava pastries.

If any group of people have raised stand-up

dining to an art form it is the Israelis. It is not so

much that people are in too much of a rush to

sit down as that it is that wherever one wanders,

a feast of Middle-Eastern treats are being

hawked from street-side stands, and moveable

carts. The two most popular foods for stand-up

dining are felafel and shawarma. Felafel, deepfried

balls of chickpeas and seasonings, may be

of dubious nutritional value but when well

made they are delicious and fun to eat.

Shawarma, which is made from small, thin

pieces of lamb (not all that different than

Turkish donner-kebab) , beef or turkey meat that

are built up on a skewer in cylindrical form to a

height of about two feet (50 centimeters) and

then cooked on vertically rotating grills, is no

less a pleasure.

The felafel or shawarma are then placed in a

pita bread (nearly everything considered edible

in Israel eventually makes its way into a pita)

and seasoned with tchina, humous, a variety of

salads and seasonings. One of the "tricks" to

master is managing to put as much as is

possible into the pita and then to avoid having

the contents of your sandwich drip on your

clothing. This sounds easy enough until one

realizes that the number of condiments

available includes such diverse treats as

sauerkraut, red cabbage, marinated sweet and

hot peppers, an assortment of olives, pickles

made out of cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and

carrots and at least five different preparations of

eggplant. Some purists will put only tchina and

one salad on their felafel or shawarma. (source

Daniel Rogov)

Is There an "Israeli Cuisine"?

Although several food writers have praised what

they call "Israeli cuisine", the truth is that the

country has not developed a unique cuisine.

What those visitors are praising are the varied

styles of Mediterranean cookery, many of which

have reached high points within Israel but none

of which have come together to form what one

might call a "true" cuisine.


MOVING TO ISRAEL

15 Things You Need To Know Before

You Travel To Israel :

Source: http://www.traveltomtom.net/destinations/middle-east/israel/17-things-you-need-to-know-before-you-travel-to-israel

Expensive

Country of hummus

You might not expect a dip to be healthy but hummus is actually pretty healthy and originates from Israel. With

every meal you will get a plate of hummus either as a starter or as a main dish. It is pretty normal for Israeli’s

to have a Hummus lunch, just some bread and a bowl of hummus. There is even a popular Instagram account

called Hot Dudes And Hummus, check it out if you are into it before your trip to Israel so you know what to

expect.

Sharing food

A trip to Israel is not complete if you didn’t try 281 dishes in 1 week! I am a big fan of 9 small plates on the

table and dipping your bread or vegetable in all of them. A good thing to know before you travel to Israel because

ordering a main dish for yourself is weird! :) Israelis love to share food and expect them to order a lot of

different things and just try everything. Ordering a main dish just for your self will frown eyebrows.

Kosher

Food has rules in Israel as far as that counts for religious people. You will often find restaurants stating that they

offer ‘kosher’ food, which basically means they stick to the rules of the religion, It is something like Halal food

for Muslims. Main rule is: don’t mix dairy with meat. In reality most young Israeli’s don’t care at all, but it is good

to know when you are planning a trip to Israel.

Fight for your right

Living in Israel is unlike in any other country and some expats explained me that they really had to get used to

some Israeli habits when they moved here. From your 18th almost everyone in Israel has to join the army for

at least 2 years, boys and girls. I saw kids walking around with a big gun in their hand who looked half my age,

but on the contrary also cute girls flirting with me in their uniform. The military service is compulsory but it will

definitely form you as a person. Israeli’s have a getting things done mentality and can be super direct! Get used

to it, this hands-on mentality is how they have been raised.

Safety issues

Israel will always be a country with issues and yes there are always people that will have their opinions about

the conflicts going on here. But I did not go to Israel to discuss this or to find out more about it. I was there to

see the beauty, the crazy and the holy! But of course I can understand that safety issues are important visiting

Israel tips. But just because Israel is a place of conflict that does not mean it isn’t safe. I have walked around on

the streets at night and during the day and went to remote areas in the South and visit the Dead Sea, but didn’t

stumble upon anything that made me feel unsafe. Security is so tight that it actually annoyed me like crazy

sometimes. Expect long lines at the airport security. I waited 40 minutes to go through security, got questioned

20 minutes before entering Israel and 10 minutes when I left. Why? I assume it contributes to make Israel a safe

place, which it definitely is nowadays. Safety issues? No worries…

This is may be one of the most important things to know before you travel to Israel. Wow Israel you really surprised me with your price levels! I

did not expect anything like this at all. I just came from Sydney and was used to pay $7 for a beer, but a beer in Tel Aviv can easily cost $10. Damn

it! Groceries are not cheap either. Apparently the salaries are not outrageous like in Australia so respect for those who are living here and have to

deal with it. Streetfood $6 - $11, mid range hotel room $130, car rental $70 per day, meal at the beach $35. Damn I wish you were cheaper Israel!

Tel Aviv looks better at night

When I walked around my first time in Tel Aviv I was not really impressed by its beauty. From my friends balcony I could overlook the city and that

didn’t really help either. Don’t expect stunning historical cities with beautiful squares like in Europe, during the day just go to the beach. The best

Israel travel tip is to see the this city at night. Tel Aviv’s beauty comes out at night and wow the stories are true! Damn what an epic nightlife has

this city! Unlimited bars and clubs and restaurants and the cool thing is that it is bustling everywhere. Inside the bars and outside on the patio.

There are so many people hanging around in the streets. Don’t get disappointed walking around Tel Aviv by day, wait till the sun goes down! ;)

Smoking in bars

It felt like I was stepping back in time when I entered a bar for the first time. Even in Thailand there are places where there is a strict law against

smoking in bars, but everywhere I went in Israel people were smoking cigarettes. For the die-hard smokers this will be paradise, but for me it was

hell. My clothes smelled so awful and my hair even worse. Every time I went out I had to take a shower when I came home in the middle of the

night! I felt like those nights back when I was 20. Well, there was no escaping I had to get used to it…

Bedouin culture still exists

The South of Israel is covered in sand, this is the playground of the Negev Desert. There is hardly any life possible

and obviously there are not that many places of interest but there are some oasis’ and since I had never

been to any of them it was cool to stay overnight at one of these places. The Bedouin culture is still alive here

and drinking tea and eating there the local food is a great experience. Want to experience this on your trip to

Israel? Check out the following Facebook Page: KfarHanokdim.il

Second biggest Burning Man Festival: MidBurn

The desert can be fierce with temperatures touching 40 degrees during the day and getting as low as 10 degrees

at night, but somehow this environment once a year lures 14,000 people to the middle of nowhere. Israel is

home to the second biggest Burning Man festival after the original one in Nevada, USA. I was lucky enough to

get tickets (with a foreign passport it is easy to get tickets for this sold-out festival) and to go wild in the desert

for 4 days straight. Put this festival in your agenda when you are planning to to visit Israel. What an unbelievable

experience, one of the most amazing festivals I have ever been to. It is like CrazyLand, everything imaginable

is possible! People come to Burning Man to explore what is beyond their borders in terms of sexuality, drugs,

meeting people, giving, taking, caring. I am not a virgin anymore, I am a Burner! Midburn I will be back… Read

here more about how I experienced the 10 principles of Burning Man at Mid Burn.

Themed beaches

Tel Aviv is a beach destination and that means the city center is only footsteps away from the ocean. But before

you walk to the beach make sure to ask someone where to go. This is one of those things to know before you

travel to Israel or things can get awkward. LOL! A lot of beaches are specifically catered for a group of people

whether religious, gay, families and even a beach where dogs are running around freely. Totally in line with the

crazy contrasts in this country the gay beach is next to the religious beach.

Second biggest Gay Pride

With all those gay people living in Tel Aviv it is no wonder that the city hosts the second biggest Gay Pride in

the world. A massive parade will roam the city streets of Tel Aviv in the early morning and end up on the beach

with a crazy party. Around 200.000 people witness the parade and party all day long. I was lucky to be part of it,

although totally straight I loved it to bits and pieces, what an epic party! When possible try to squeeze this into

your itinerary.

Craziest city in the world

Keeping up with the contrasts lets talk about Jerusalem! One of the best Israel travel tips: Tel Aviv plays, Jerusalem

prays. This city is a place you have never seen before. Why oh why did those religious people all chose

this city to be holy? The Western Wall is the most holy place in the world for Jews, only a stone throw away from

Jezus’ tomb for the Christians and the third most holy place for Muslims is just across the street. Damn it can

you make it even more complicated? Walking around here as a non-religious tourist you will definitely feel the

Holy Spirit. After a day strolling through the spectacular old city I ended up in a gay bar, can there be any more

contrasts? In need of a great guide? Check out Da’at Travel on Facebook.

Lowest point on earth

We all know about the highest point on earth, but not that many people realize that the Dead Sea

on the border of Israel and Jordan is the lowest point on earth; a crazy landscape to discover and for

sure worth the drive downhill. Enjoy the spectacular views from up top or jump in the only boat that

drives on the Dead Sea apart from a research vessel. How to arrange this boat ride on the Dead Sea?

Click here to get connected with Abraham Hostels as they are the unique seller of this tour.

Planning a trip to Israel

I was lucky enough to be chosen by Vibe Israel to join their yearly returning travel blogging press

trip and therefore I did not need to plan my trip to Israel. I wish though I had known a couple things

before I traveled to Israel and therefore I hope this list was helpful to you. I sincerely hope you will

consider this country to be your next destination and that my blogs about this controversial country

convinced you that it is an amazing place to travel and to experience its great contrasts. In the next

link you will find unusual things to do in Israel, not just the standard stuff but some epic adventures.

Find out what!


Importing Your Pet

DOGS – Breed restrictions

Under the Regulations for the Control of Dogs (Imports of

Dangerous Dogs), 5765 – 2004, it is prohibited to import a dog

belonging to a dangerous breed, as well as a dog that is the

result of a cross with a dangerous breed and that exhibits

behavior patterns and physical traits similar to those of a

dangerous breed. Excluding exceptional instances,

accompanied by a license from the director as set out in the

said regulation.

The prohibited dangerous breeds are:

• American Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Amstaff)

• Bull Terrier

• Argentinean Dogo

• Japanese Tosa

• Staffordshire Bull Terrier (English Staff)

• Pitt Bull Terrier

• Brazilian Fila and Rottweiler

________________________________________

Age Restrictions

The dog/cat shall be no less than 4 months of age upon arrival

in Israel, with the exception of arrivals from Oceania, Great

Britain, Japan, and Cyprus, from which the pet can be

imported at 3 months of age. Dogs coming from those

exceptional countries, if they were not vaccinated, must be

vaccinated against rabies within 5 days of their arrival in

Israel.

________________________________________

Microchip Requirements

All dogs and cats must be tagged with a subcutaneous

electronic chip that transmits on a frequency of 134.2 kilohertz

and can be read with a chip reader that conforms to the

provisions of the ISO Standard No. 11784 or of Annex A of ISO

Standard 11785. If the chip does not conform to these

standards, the importer or the importer’s representative is

required to be in possession of another means to read it.

Import Licenses

According to the Israeli Veterinary Services & Animal Health,

dogs and cats imported to Israel ONLY require an import

license issued by the Director of the Veterinary Services in the

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development IF:

• The pet HAS NOT been with you (the owner) for the last 90

days before arrival into Israel;

• You are importing MORE THAN TWO PETS at one time; and

• The pet is NOT TRAVELING WITH YOU. If you are shipping

your pet as cargo, you need an import license.

Regardless of these rules indicated above, the U.S. Embassy

recommends that you place a request for an import license,

just in case.

To request an import license, use the following form REQUEST

FOR VETERINARY PERMIT FOR IMPORT, attach it an email,

and send the request to rachelaf@moag.gov.il (Atten: Rachel |

Tel: (+972) 3-968-8987 / 3-968-8986.

The request should include the animal species, sex, breed,

age, expected date of arrival in Israel, and country of origin.

The license request may be submitted prior to obtaining the

official health certificates.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Shlomo Garazi

Chief Import & Export Veterinary Officer

Veterinary Services and Animal Health

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Kimron St., Rishon Le Tzion

Email: Vs-airport@moag.gov.il

Tel.: (+972) 3-968-1649

For import licenses: Vs-airport@moag.gov.il

Vaccinations & Immunizations

Rabies Vaccination: Your pet is required to have been

vaccinated against rabies no more than one year and no less

than 30 days prior to their arrival in Israel. (With the

exception of arrivals from Oceania, Great Britain, Japan, and

Cyprus; such dogs, if they were not vaccinated, must be

vaccinated against rabies within 5 days of their arrival in

Israel.)


Rabies titer blood test

A rabies titer blood test must be done not less than 30 days

after the rabies vaccination. The titer test does not need to be

done if the pet is coming from a rabies free country. This

serological test for the animal, carried out on a sample taken

by an approved veterinarian and tested in an OIE-approved

laboratory, must state that the rabies neutralizing antibody

titer was equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml. Allow 4 to 6

weeks to get the results back. The titer test needs to be sent to

the U.S. government lab in Kansas (check with your vet).

________________________________________

THE FIRST FORM

The U.S. Official Health Certificate/Health Form

The official U.S. veterinary health certificate (which you obtain

from your vet) should be issued and signed not more than 10

calendar days prior to arrival. You can find the USDAapproved

health certificate online (APHIS 7001). Schedule a

visit with your veterinarian (with animal for examination) and

he/she will complete the form and sign it. The form will

provide information on your pet’s vaccinations. However,

please note that in a letter (read letter) from USDA-APHIS, the

7001 form is not always required unless stipulated by the

airline. Check with the airline and work with your vet to verify

exactly which type of health certificate is required for

transport of your pet.

THE SECOND FORM

The Israeli-Required Health Certificate

The Israeli “Veterinary Certificate for Domestic Dogs, Cats

and Ferrets Entering Israel” is in the Import Packet for Israel

for Dogs / Cats / Ferrets (page 2 and 3). This must be filled out

by your vet. It is required for entrance into Israel. This form

should be issued and signed not more than 10 calendar days

prior to arrival. Send the Israeli-required health certificate to

the USDA-APHIS government veterinarian for signature and

approval.

Form Endorsement: This health certificate must be submitted

to and signed by a government veterinarian of the country of

origin.

In the United States, the USDA-APHIS office closest to the

Washington, D.C. area and covers DC, MD, DE, and VA is:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS)

Veterinary Services

Federal Building

400 N. 8th St, Rm. 726

Richmond, VA 23219-4824

Tel: (804) 343-2567 / Fax: (804) 343-2599

Alternatively, try 301-851-3300 and press option #2 / If a staff

member does not answer directly, you may leave a phone

message. However, this office advises that pet owners send an

email to vspsva@usda.gov and they will respond.

Not located in the Washington, DC area?

Use this website to find a USDA-APHIS government vet

nearest you: www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/servicecenters-endorsement-offices

THERE IS A FEE FOR OBTAINING A SIGNATURE FROM THE

USDA-APHIS VETERINARIAN.

________________________________________

Notification of Pet Arrival

The Israeli authorities require that you submit (via email or

via FAX) Annex B “Notification on Pet Travel” (located in the

packet at the top of this page) and a photocopy of all

veterinary certificates.

The email must be sent two working days prior to putting your

animal on a plane. Your pet may not be released at the airport

if they do not have this paperwork upon your arrival.

Dogs and cats that are healthy on arrival and accompanied by

the required documentation, will not require a period of

quarantine in Israel.

Remember: The paperwork for shipping your pet must

include the official veterinary health certificates, which were

issued not more than 10 days prior to arrival and signed by a

government accredited veterinarian (USDA-APHIS) of the

country of origin. The health certificates must be attached to

the import permit (if you are required to use an import

permit). Please submit all of this papework with your

Notification of Pet Arrival email.

Send the Notification of Pet Arrival paperwork to:


Send the Notification of Pet Arrival paperwork to:

Dr. Shlomo Garazi





Email: Vs-airport@moag.gov.il

Tel.: (+972) 3-968-1649 | FAX: (+972) 3-977-2033

The most common port of entry is Ben Gurion Airport, email

Vs-airport@moag.gov.il and FAX: (+972) 3-977-2033 (as noted

above). If you enter Israel via another port, the FAXES are:

Haifa (+972) 4-862-2455; Ashdod (+972) 8-856-5673; and Eilat

(+972) 8-632-3054.

________________________________________

Method of Transportation

Please check with the airline on any restrictions on the

method of transport. We recommend checking with the airline

on the maximum allowed crate size for all legs of the itinerary.

If you plan on using a pet shipper, we ask that you obtain a

listing of pet shippers from the Department of State’s

Overseas Briefing Center by emailing

FSIOBCInfoCenter@state.gov.

Be sure that all your pet paperwork is attached to the pet

carrier. Normally the airlines will do this for you. In addition,

keep copies of everything

________________________________________

Temperature Restrictions

We recommend checking with the airline on any temperature

restrictions, particularly when traveling during the summer

months.

________________________________________

Arrival Planning

GSO MotorPool can assist with picking up your pet ONLY IF

your pet arrives on the same plane as you.

If you use a pet shipper to transport your pet to Israel (not

arriving on the same plane as you), it is your responsibility to

arrange for pickup of the animal at the airport. You may seek

the help of a local pet shipper for pick up (services noted on

the next page).

• Terminal4Pets – http://terminal4pets.com – 1-800-220-555

or (+972) 8-926-4554

• Vets4Pets – http://vets4pets.co.il

• The Dog Farm – www.dogfarm.co.il/english.asp

• Globespeed via Pets Flying Home – www.globespeed.com/ |

www.petsflyinghome.com | Contact: Tal at

tal@globespeed.com

• Bivas Bros – www.bivasbros.co.il | Dudi@bivas.bros | (+972)

52-229-2985 | Avi at (+972) 54-4280-999 | avi@bivasbros.com

• Pet Passport – www.petpassport.co.il/en

________________________________________

Quarantine

Dogs and cats that are healthy on arrival and accompanied by

the required documentation, will not require a period of

quarantine in Israel.

________________________________________

Israeli Contact for Additional Pet Questions

It is highly recommended that you contact either Dr. Shlomo

Garazi or Dr. Ziv Avni of the Israeli Veterinary Services and

Animal Health with questions regarding importing pets to

Israeli. They both communicate in excellent English and will

respond to your email quickly.

Dr. Shlomo Garazi





Email: shlomoga@moag.gov.il

Tel.: (+972) 3-968-1649

FAX for import licenses: (+972) 3-968-8963

Dr. Ziv Avni – 050-624-1657

Ben Gurion Airport, quarantine station chief veterinary

officer.

P.O.B 12 Beit Dagan 50250.

Tel: (+972) 3-979-2240

Fax: (+972) 3-977-2033

Email: zviav@moag.gov.il

Updated February 17, 2017


Kennels & Boarding

Below, please find a list of kennels and boarding houses in the greater Tel Aviv area.

Please note that we do not recommend a certain kennel or boarding house over another;

rather, this list was provided by community members and could contain outdated

information.

For the most accurate results, please consult the US Embassy community on the CLO Tel

Aviv Facebook page.

Randel Family Home Dog Pension

Located on Tchernihovski street in central Tel-Aviv, adjacent to dog friendly

Gan Meir 052-242-5784 or 03-525-7166 / dovran@gmail.com

/ randelfamilyhomedogpension.yolasite.com

Uncle Moshe’s Farm

Located in Kfar Truman (near Ben Gurion airport)

03-971-1111 / info@dodmoshe.com / www.dodmoshe.com/en/

Cat Pensions (Sponsored by Vets4Pets)

32 Yehuda Hayamit St / 03-683-3396

Howlywood

Located in Rananna off Givat Chen / 050-844-6568 / Jonyreider@gmail.com

/ www.howlywood.co.il

The Dog Farm

Moshav Beit Halevi (Near Natanya) / 09-898-6381 / dogfarm.bh@gmail.com

www.dogfarm.co.il/english.asp

The Dog’s Lounge

1 David Hamelech St / 054-913-6035 / TheDogsLounge@gmail.com / KelevLand

KelevLand.com

Afikim Kennels

04-675-4572 or 050-539-5242 / www.afikimdogs.co.il (In Hebrew) / Afikimenglish.livecity.me

Pet Taxi – Michal

24-hour number: 050-522-2265

Michal is a vet tech with 15 years’ experience and her vehicle is equipped as an ambulance

for dogs.

How can you

apply for an internship in Israel?

Studying abroad not only offers your career a boost but also gives you a new and improved perspective towards

education and life in general. After graduating from High School many individuals choose to opt for an internship

with a reputable company abroad. Owing to the versatility and diversity of the country and its people,

internships in Israel are an excellent option to consider. However, you could easily become overwhelmed by the

number of available opportunities and the differences between the various internship programs offered and how

to apply to them. Below are two important tips that can help you head in the right direction:

Choosing the field

Before applying for an internship, you need to decide which field (or fields) you are interested in, and opt for

the appropriate internship program accordingly. Ideally, internships are the first step to an exciting and fruitful

career of your choice. The value of gaining experience in a relevant field cannot be overstated and embodies

the essence of any internship program. Many interns eventually become indispensable to the organization they

are working for, which can lead to paid, long-term position offers. But competition can get intense for many of

the top internship positions companies and organizations offer every year, So make sure to put your good foot

forward and present yourself in the best possible light when applying.

The Various Sources of Internships

Some of the best-rated universities in Israel offer Internship support programs that are designed to help students

apply for various Internship programs in Israel. If you are a student of one of these universities, be sure to inquire

about Internship related services.

For those who are not currently enrolled in a University in Israel, there are various organizations that offer a

variety of Internships in Israel. You can also apply for financial aid and scholarships that can help you finance

your way through the program and gain valuable experience in the relevant field of your choice. While most

entry-level Interns don’t get paid for their work, the value of gaining hands-on experience in any field through an

internship program with a professional, established company is one of the best long terms investments anyone

can make for their career.

https://www.ramah.org.il/scholarships/

Most communities offer Israel travel scholarships through their local Jewish Federation or through other Jewish

agencies. In most cases, these community funds are available only for the teens in the areas that they serve.

If you do not find your hometown in the list below, check out the National Federation Directory (in the United

States) or the Jewish Federations of Canada – UIA (in Canada).

More programs at the link below:

https://seminar.ramah.org.il/asiyah-internships/

What to Wear

Clothing on Shabbat is a notch more formal and festive than on a

weekday, so if you think “dinner party,” you will likely strike the right

note. Men will fit right in with a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt

(coat and tie optional) and kippah, and women with a modest dress or a

modest top and skirt.

What to Expect?

After everyone has arrived and indulged in a few minutes of chit-chat,

family and friends will move to the table and find their seats.

At this point on a Friday night, your host (often accompanied by others)

will sing two hymns:

The “Shalom Aleichem” hymn, with which we welcome the angels who

visit every home at the start of Shabbat, request their blessing and bid

them farewell.

The song of “Eishet Chayil,” which is a tribute to the Jewish woman,

written by King Solomon, extolling her for the wisdom and hard work

with which she makes her home the lovely and nurturing place it is.

Typically everyone stands for the singing of these hymns, but if it is difficult

for you for any reason, you may certainly sit down.

At the Shabbat day meal, we begin immediately with kiddush.

Kiddush

Your host will recite kiddush holding a cup of wine, and everyone will

receive a few sips of wine to drink. The recitation of this blessing over

a cup of wine is a way of fulfilling the mitzvah of sanctifying the day of

rest (the word kiddush translates as “sanctification”).

On Friday night all typically stand for the recitation of kiddush, while on

Shabbat day some people sit. Take your cues from those around you.

Challah

Immediately following kiddush, everyone will leave their chairs and go

to the sink for the ritual hand-washing for bread. If you are not familiar

with this procedure, your hosts will be happy to guide you through it

and help you recite the blessing.

After washing hands, we don’t speak until after we’ve eaten some

challah, so just return to your chair and wait quietly. Hand motions and

facial expressions are often used for necessary communication at this

point. When everyone is seated again, your host will recite the blessing

over bread and then distribute challah, first dipping each piece in salt.

After you’ve eaten a bite, feel free to talk again.


GETTING SETTLED

Welcome to Tel Aviv

Congratulations on your assignment to Embassy

Jerusalem! The Embassy Community is very

happy to welcome you to Israel Our Embassy is

one of the most exciting, high profile embassies

in the world. It hosts frequent visits by

the President, Secretary of State, other Cabinet

Members, Congressional Delegations, Flag Officers,

and Naval Ships.

Please review this cable in its entirety, as it

contains essential information about your

upcoming tour.

NEW

HOME

You will receive emails with additional information

from the Community Liaison Office (CLO),

General Services Office (GSO) Shipping, GSO

Housing, and the Human Resources (HR) Office.

Please also refer to the Israel Post Report and

the Overseas Briefing Center’s Israel Post Info

to Go page; these resources contain a wealth

of information to help make your transition a

smooth one.

For employees of non-State agencies, please

let the Community Liaison Office know of

your assignment and arrival plans, so we may

best support your needs. We understand that

assignments can happen on short notice and

strive to coordinate with all Embassy sections

for a smooth transition. We look forward to

your arrival, and wish you a rewarding tour in

Israel!

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

1. Embassy Office Locations

The address of the Embassy Branch Office is 71

Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 6343229, Israel. The

Embassy Brach Office phone number is +972-3-

519-7575 and the fax number is +972-3-517-

3227.

Most Mission employees work in the Chancery,

but employees of the U.S. Agency for International

Development (USAID), the U.S. Commercial

Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the

Department of Homeland Security, and the Public

Diplomacy Section work in separate facilities

in Tel Aviv. The EBO Warehouse and Annex,

which includes most of the GSO and Facilities

Maintenance (FAC) offices, along with the

Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA),

the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),

and the Open Source Enterprise are located in

Herzliya Pituach, approximately 10 miles north

of Tel Aviv. The Mission hours are 8:00 a.m. to

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. DCAA and

some employees of USACE operate on the

regular Israeli workweek of Sunday through

Thursday.

2. Your Travel Plans, Visas, and Diplomatic

Passports Please advise your agency/section

representative ASAP of your firm travel plans,

including the flight number, date, and time of

arrival (and copy the CLO at CLOTelAviv@state.

gov). Your office sponsor will make the

necessary transportation arrangements from

the airport, to include arranging for an expeditor

to greet you at the airport and escort you to

your new home.

In accordance with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign

Affairs (MFA) instructions, all official travelers

MUST use diplomatic or official passports, with

the appropriate visa, to enter Israel.

The traveler MUST obtain a visa for Israel in

advance. Dependents of diplomats who do not

have diplomatic/official passports must have

a visa issued in their national passports prior

to arrival in Israel. Visas are not issued at the

airport upon arrival.

The MFA has informed us that they will not

issue visas for newly arrived diplomats entering

Israel on tourist passports. Please ensure your

passports are valid for at least six months.

Spouses and family members holding Israeli

passports will not receive diplomatic visas or

MFA Identification Cards.

Other foreign-born spouses and family members who

do not have an American diplomatic passport should

enter Israel following the visa requirements in place

for their country of citizenship. Upon check-in with HR,

we will assist with extending or obtaining a long-term

visa. Foreign-born spouses must bring a copy of their

marriage certificate in order to obtain accreditation

and a MFA ID Card. Foreign-born dependents, other

than spouses, will need to provide a copy of their birth

certificate. The MFA also requires a statement from the

diplomat documenting the relationship between the

diplomat and the foreign-born dependent. Please note

that the MFA has advised that dependents who will not

reside at Post permanently, such as students, will not

be issued a MFA ID Card. Please contact the Tel Aviv HR

Office (TelAvivHRO@state.gov) for more information.

3. Mandatory FACT Training

The State Department has updated the training requirements

for the Foreign Affairs Counter-Threat (FACT) and

High Threat Security Overseas Seminar (HTSOS) courses

and,

effective January 1, 2017, FACT is mandatory for all

USDH transferring to Mission Israel. Eligible Family

Members (EFMs) who receive an offer of employment or

expect to work while at Post are also required to complete

FACT. For EFMs who do not plan to work, HTSOS is

required although FACT is strongly encouraged.

Validity: A training completion certificate for those

who have taken FACT or HTSOS is considered valid

for five years. Employees or employed EFMs assigned

to a FACTmandatory post will be required to have a

certificate valid at minimum through the date of arrival

at post for their tour of duty. Employees and employed

EFMs are strongly encouraged to ensure their certificate

is valid through the tour of duty. Employees and

employed EFMs will otherwise be required to complete

FACT during their next official travel to Washington,

DC if their FACT certification expires during the tour of

duty and they have at least 180 days remaining in their

assignment.

The HTSOS (HT401) course can be accessed from the

following internet link: http://fsitraining.state.gov/ or

intranet link: http://reg.fsi.state.gov/dstc/CourseCatalog.

aspx?EventId=HT401.

The FACT (OT611) course can be accessed from the

following internet link: http://fsitraining.state.gov/or

intranet link: http://reg.fsi.state.gov/dstc/CourseCatalog.

aspx?EventId=OT611.

For more details, please see 14 State 83174. Questions

may also be sent to the DSTC Registrar at DSTCRegistrarOffice@state.gov.

3. CLO Pre-Arrival Information and Sponsors The Community

Liaison Office (CLO) will assign a community

sponsor, who will assist you in acclimating to your new

neighborhood and home. Your agency/section head

will assign an office sponsor, who is responsible for

many of the administrative details prior to your arrival.

The CLO will introduce you via email to your sponsors.

Prior to your arrival, the CLO team will send you a welcome

email, which will include a link to a CLO questionnaire

to help tailor subsequent correspondence to your

specific needs. They also will add you and any adult

family members to the distribution list of the Embassy

CLO newsletter. In addition, the Tel Aviv Post video,

available at the Overseas Briefing Center, will give you

a visual tour of the Mission, housing, schools, city, and

country.

The CLO is available to offer guidance and answer any

questions you may have. If you do not hear from the

CLO after your assignment notification, you are encouraged

to contact the CLO directly at CLOTelAviv@state.

gov or by telephone at +972-3-519-7389/7682. The

CLO website, https://clotelaviv.wordpress.com, and

closed Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/

groups/clotelaviv, also contain information for newcomers.

4. Human Resources In-Processing

Your first stop at the EBO (Embassy Branch Office) will

likely be the HR Office. They will arrange with your

office sponsor to meet you on your first workday to

in-process and to apply for your MFA ID card(s). All

employees must bring their completed biographic

information sheet, which will be sent via email prior to

arrival. Please also bring four (4) passport-sized photos

for yourself and your dependents over the age of 10, as

well as all diplomatic passports. Note: For Department

of State employees, you will need your employee ID

number.

5. The Health Unit

The EBO maintains a Health Unit at the Chancery. A

Medical Provider (MP), locally hired Nurse Practitioner

(NP) and RNs, as well as an Administrative Assistant staff

the unit. The unit treats acute illnesses and chronic

medical problems, provides immunizations and preventive

health care, and refers patients to local specialists.

Israel has excellent medical facilities and standards are

generally very high, but the health care system is often

confusing to newcomers. The Health Unit can provide

guidance in navigating the Israeli health care system.

Post recommends that you bring a six month supply of

prescription medications. Most prescription medications

are available locally, but require being seen by

an Israeli physician to get a prescription filled at a local

pharmacy. The MP can write prescriptions for medications

from U.S. mail order pharmacies, for delivery to

your DPO address.


Many U.S. equivalent over-the-counter

medications are available in Israel.

Israel does not have adequate fluoride in

the water, and the Health Unit staff can

provide you with information for your

children. The tap water in major cities in

Israel is safe to drink, though may have

a different taste due to high mineral

content.

Unless you are active duty military, you

are required to obtain your Medical

Clearance from MED Washington PRIOR to

arriving at Post. If you have children with

special needs or other medical concerns,

please contact the Health Unit at +972-

3-519-7323 or the Office of Medical

Services in Washington, prior to arrival.

6. Customs and Shipping

(UAB, HHE, and POV) Comprehensive

shipping information is available on

EBO’s intranet site under GSO Shipping.

GSO Shipping will email you complete

information on shipping your personal effects

and POV; this will include a detailed

newcomers’ shipping information handout.

If you have not received it, please

contact the Shipping Office as soon as

possible, as the shipping instructions are

vital to ensuring the smooth shipment of

your HHE, UAB, and POV. The GSO Shipping

Office can be reached by email at

TelAvivGSOShipping@state.gov or by fax

at +972-9-955-5802.

Be sure to check with Post to ensure your

vehicle conforms to Israeli import regulations,

which differ from American vehicle

specifications.

Please note that vehicle registration

requires the sponsor to have a MFA ID

card. A second vehicle can be registered

only for the spouse of the sponsor,

provided the spouse has also registered

for a MFA card and holds a valid driver’s

license. Please also contact GSO Shipping

before sending food and drink contents in

your shipments. Remember to hand carry

the packing lists for your HHE and UAB

shipments, as well as your POV registration/title,

so we can institute customs

clearance without delay.

Smith Training Driver Safety Requirement

All employees and long-term TDY staff are

required to complete this training if they

plan to self-drive a vehicle in Israel on

official business.

This includes official, leased, or personal

vehicles. Employees must schedule the

training with GSO Motorpool (Eyal Nitzan

or Iris Ben Ezra) before they can selfdrive

a vehicle, unless the employee can

provide a training certificate verifying

completion of training within the last two

years. There are no substitutes for the

Smith course.

7. Housing

GSO Housing provides detailed information

on Tel Aviv’s housing program, along

with photos and a copy of Post’s Housing

Handbook, on the GSO Housing section

of Tel Aviv’s intranet site. All Mission

members in the greater Tel Aviv area live

in fully furnished housing. Agencies with

housing needs outside of the greater

Tel Aviv area may not participate in the

pooled furnishings program. Please consult

you agency if you will reside outside

the greater Tel Aviv area.

Incoming employees should complete the

housing questionnaire, which GSO Housing

will email to you, as soon as possible.

If you have not received the questionnaire

or have other housing questions,

please email GSO Housing at

TelAvivGSOHousing@state.gov.

Prior to the employee’s arrival, an interagency

housing board assigns quarters,

based on position rank, family size, and

the projected arrival date. After considering

these primary factors, the board

will make every effort to accommodate

employee preferences, based on the

available housing pool at the time of the

employee’s projected arrival. Housing

options are generally divided between

apartments in Tel Aviv and houses in the

northern suburbs.

Downtown Tel Aviv is a desirable place

to live for many people, with apartments

ranging from walking distance to

a 15-20 minute drive to the Chancery.

The apartments are generally small with

limited storage. Although the Department

authorizes the normal limited shipment

of 7200lbs (net) for HHEs to Tel Aviv, Post

recommends limiting it to 2500-4000lbs

for those assigned to live in Tel Aviv

apartments.

Families with children usually live in

single-family houses or townhouses in

the suburbs, which are approximately

10 miles to the north of Tel Aviv. Traffic

conditions vary greatly, and the drive time

to the Chancery typically takes between

20 to 40 minutes. These neighborhoods

are 25 to 45 minutes from Walworth

Barbour American International School

(WBAIS), located in Even Yehuda.

Temporary Quarters

The Embassy Jerusalem makes every effort

to have permanent housing ready for

employees and families upon arrival at

post. However, some employees may be

assigned temporary quarters, until permanent

quarters become available.

Late assignments, significant changes to

the arrival date, and new requirements

from the employee increase the odds of a

temporary housing assignment. Temporary

housing is usually in an embassyleased

or embassy-owned property;

temporary housing assignments generally

last for a few weeks, but can be longer.

Embassy Shuttle Service

Due to the security situation in Israel,

U.S. Government personnel and their

dependents are prohibited from using

the public bus system. For this reason, an

Embassy shuttle service for home-to-office

transportation of American direct-hire

employees is authorized, at a cost to employees

of $2.70 each way, for transportation

to and from the EBO’s downtown

facilities only (i.e., Chancery, Hamared

Trade Tower, and Migdalor Building).

8. Pets

Comprehensive information on shipping

your pet(s) – as well as information on

housing restrictions, veterinary services,

and local attitudes towards pets – is

available in the Tel Aviv OBC Pet Survey.

Additionally, GSO Shipping will email you

information on shipping your pet. Please

note: All pets must have a Rabies Titer

test for entrance into Israel. Results take

time so please plan accordingly.

Please note that under Israel’s Regulations

for the Control of Dogs (Imports

of Dangerous Dogs), 5765 – 2004, it is

prohibited to import a dog belonging to

a dangerous breed, as well as a dog that

is the result of a cross with a dangerous

breed and that exhibits behavior patterns

and physical traits similar to those of a

dangerous breed.

The dangerous breeds are: American

Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Amstaff), Bull

Terrier, Argentinean Dogo, Japanese Tosa,

Staffordshire Bull Terrier (English Staff), Pit

Bull Terrier, Brazilian Fila and Rottweiler.

9. Firearms

Post policy states importation or acquisition

of personally owned firearms is not

permitted. For information on importing

official firearms, please coordinate

through the Regional Security Office

(RSO).

10. Mail

Tel Aviv is a Diplomatic Post Office (DPO)

post. Please contact your office sponsor

for your correct personal mailbox number,

prior to forwarding mail to this post. You

may also email the DPO at

TelAvivMailroom@state.gov. Please check

in with the DPO mailroom staff immediately

upon arrival to ensure your mail has

been arriving and is properly addressed.

Never include “Tel Aviv” or “Israel” in your

personal or official addresses. Doing so

could significantly delay your mail transit

times. The following examples are the

correct address formats:

Personal Mail: (Your Name)

UNIT 9700, Box XXXX (XXXX = Assigned

personal box number) DPO AE 09830-

XXXX (XXXX = Assigned personal box

number)

Official mail: (Your Section)

Attn: (Your Name) 9700 Tel Aviv PL

Washington DC 20521-9700

Enrollment at WBAIS is contingent upon

the student’s ability to meet the academic

standards set forth by WBAIS.

ATTENTION for families with children with

special needs: WBAIS has limited services

available for assisting children with

special needs. It is in your best interest to

contact the school as soon as possible to

discuss your child’s needs.

Please make sure you have all records

available when contacting the school.

WBAIS also offers a half day preschool

program and an organized after school

program for children ages 3-5.

The preschool has two classes, one for

3-4 year old students (maximum class

size is 14) and one for 4-5 year old

students (maximum class size is 16).

Children must be 3 years of age before

September 1 to enter the 3 year old class

and 4 years of age before September 1

to enter the 4 year old class. To ensure

priority consideration, applications must

be received no later than April 15th of the

year of enrollment.

Other English-language preschools are

available in the Tel Aviv and Herzliya areas,

as are Hebrew-speaking preschools.

For additional information on preschools,

please contact the CLO.

Walworth Barbour American International

School (WBAIS) P.O. Box 484 64

Hashomron Street Even Yehuda 40500,

Israel Tel: +972-9-890-1000

Fax: +972-9-890-1001

Email: registrar@wbais.net

Website: www.wbais.net

Sending any items other than documents

through an international courier service is

not recommended. From Post’s experience,

sending goods through such services

has proven costly to the individual,

due to airport storage and paperwork

fees. Use of DPO is both faster and less

expensive.

11. Schools

Most Mission children attend the Walworth

Barbour American International

School (WBAIS), preschool- grade 12, in

Even Yehuda, Israel. Requests for enrollment

applications and specific questions

about the program should be directed to

the school.

Admission Process: www.wbais.net/

admissions/admiss ions-process/childrenlivingoutside-israel

For information on other K-12

educational options, please refer to Tel

Aviv School Options, available at the

Overseas Briefing Center. Please contact

the CLO with any questions.

12. Family Member Employment

There are a variety of eligible family

member (EFM) positions within the EBO,

including Consular positions, as well as

HR Assistant, Housing Coordinator, ESTH

Assistant, and Roving Administrative Assistant

positions.


The Bilateral Work Agreement between

Israel and the United States allows EFMs

to obtain unrestricted work permits to

work for any employer in Israel.

compliance with local laws and Department

of State regulations, and provide

medical and national (work accident)

insurance.

The work permit application process

is initiated at Post and normally takes

4months.

The work permit is issued for one year

at a time and can be extended up to 63

months.

The local job market is highly competitive,

as many Israelis are university educated

and speak English fluently.

However, Israel’s large tech industry offers

job opportunities in positions such

as IT, marketing, sales/customer service,

technical writing, social network coordination,

and others that may not require

Hebrew fluency. Intel, HP, IBM, Cisco and

other multinational corporations have

established research centers in Israel and

may seek computer programmers and

engineers.

There is also a demand for English teachers,

particularly in international schools,

such as WBAIS, and private language

institutes, such as Berlitz or The Wall

Street Institute. Although lawyers and

accountants will encounter steep competition

in Israel, there are private firms

and international organizations that seek

professionals with U.S. training.

Salaries in Israel are generally lower

than in the United States, particularly for

entry-level positions. Local taxes will be

deducted from the salary.

Family members must have

Chief of Mission approval before

accepting outside employment or

engaging in a home-based business or

other outside activities.

When hiring a third country national (TCN)

from abroad or locally, three forms are

required: an undertaking form, completed

by the sponsor; a visa application form,

completed by the domestic employee;

and, a declaration form, completed by

both parties. The HR Office can provide

details. The MFA approves all requests for

TCN domestic hires.

There are strict guidelines on domestic

employee salaries and benefits, as well as

length of time TCN domestic employees

may remain in Israel. If you are interested

in sponsoring a domestic employee in

Israel, please contact the HR Office at

TelAvivHRO@state.gov.

14. OpenNet and ClassNet Migration

For State Department employees, in order

to have your existing OpenNet and Class-

Net user accounts migrated to Tel Aviv,

you will need to do the following:

Provide your current OpenNet and Class-

Net systems administrators (and complete

the applicable bureau/post specific forms,

if required) with the following information

before you leave:

a. Departure date

b. Onward assignment to Tel Aviv

c. Reporting date

d. State Department email addresses

(example: doejx@state.gov

and doejx@state.sgov.gov)

Ask them to open tickets with the IT

Service Center (ITServiceCenter@state.

gov) in order to coordinate your account

moves.

Please contact the HR Office for details on

that process.

13. Domestic Employees

To successfully transfer your account to

your gaining post, your Outlook folder

size (including subfolders) MUST be

100MB or less.

Domestic employees can be hired locally

or from abroad.

In either case, a sponsor must complete

a contract agreement with the domestic

employee, complete a declaration of

Once this is completed, notify your new

supervisor or section that you will be

arriving and request that they submit an

OpenNet access request to the Tel Aviv

ISC and a ClassNet access request to the

IPC.


DistrictHospitals

NORTH DISTRICT

Baruch Padeh Medical Center

Route 768, Ramat-Poria

Tiberias, Israel 15208

Medical Administration#: +972-4- 665-2206

Emergency Department #: +972-4- 665-2803

Website: http://www.poria.health.gov.il

Emek Medical Center

Afula 18101, Israel

Hospital Director #: +972-4- 649-4417

Hospital Contact #: +972 4-649- 4000

Website: https://hospitals.clalit.co.il

Ziv Medical Center

Derech HaRambam

Tsfat, 13100, Israel

Hospital Contact #: +972-4- 682-8811


Website: http://www.ziv.org.il

HAIFA DISTRICT

Bnai Zion Medical Center

47 Golomb St.

Haifa, 31048 Israel

Hospital Contact #: + 972-4- 837-1973

Website: http://www.b-zion.org.il

Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

Ha-Shalom St,

Hadera, 38100

Medical Administration #: +972-4- 630-4281


Website: http://hy.health.gov.il/eng/

Rambam Health Care Campus

HaAliya HaShniya St 8

Haifa, 3109601, Israel

Medical Administration #: +972-4- 777-1300


Website: https://www.rambam.org.il

HOPITALS AROUND

CENTRAL DISTRICT

Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center

Tzrifin, 70300, Israel

Hospital Contact #: +972-8-977-9999

Website: http://www.assafh.org

Kaplan Medical Center

Pasternak St., POB 1

Rehovot, 76100, Israel

Hospital Contact #: +972-8-944-1211

Website: http://afkmc.org/

Rabin Medical Center

Ze’ev Jabotinsky Rd 39

Petah Tikva, 49100, Israel

Main Operator #:+972-3-937-7377

Emergency Department Beilinson #: +972-3-

937-7300

Emergency Department Hasharon #: +972-3-

937-2345

Website: http://hospitals.clalit.co.il/Hospitals/

Rabin/en-us/Pages/Homepage.aspx

Sanz Medical Center/Laniado Hospital

16 Divrei Khayim St.

Netanya, 42150 Israel

Emergency Department #: +972-9-860-4624

Website: http://www.en.laniado.org.il

TEL AVIV DISTRICT

The Chaim Sheba Medical Center

Emek HaEla St 1

Ramat Gan, Israel

Medical Administration #: +972-3-530-2306

Emergency Department #: +972-3-530-3101

Website: https://eng.sheba.co.il/

Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov

Hospital)

6 Weizmann Street

Tel Aviv 64239, Israel

Management #: +972-3-697-3491

Emergency Department #:

+972-3-697-3686

*(The Emergency Department is located in

the Sourasky Building, Basement Floor -1,

Wings B and C)

Website: http://www.tasmc.org.il/sites/en/

Pages/default.aspx

SOUTHERN DISTRICT

Barzilai Medical Center

Hahistadrout St 2,

Ashkelon, Israel 7830604

Medical Administration #: +972-8-

6745600

Emergency Department #: +972-8-

6745100

Website: http://www.barzilaimc.org.il

Soroka Medical Center

Rager Boulevard, P.O.B 151

Beer Sheva 85025, Israel

Medical Administration #: +972-8-

6400309

Emergency Department #: +972-8-

6400589

Website: http://hospitals.clalit.co.il/hospitals/Soroka/en-us/Pages/Home.aspx

Yoseftal Medical Center

Derekh Yotam 2

Eilat, 88104, Israel

Hospital Contact #: +972 8-635-8011

Website: https://hospitals.clalit.co.il/joseftal/he/Pages/default.aspx

JERUSALEM DISTRICT

Hadassah Medical Center

Ein Kerem

Jerusalem, 91120, Israel

Hospital Contact #: +972-2-6779111

Ein Kerem Emergency Department #: +972-

2-677-1200

Website: http://www.hadassah-med.com/

Shaare Zedek Medical Center

12 Shmuel Bait St.

Jerusalem 9103102

Hospital Contact #: + 972-2-6666666

Emergency Department #: + 972-2-

6555509

Must-See Museums in Israel

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem Among the world’s leading

Art and Archeology museums. Located at Ruppin

Boulevard, near the Knesset. Call 02-670-8811 or visit

www.english.imjnet.org.il for more information.

2) Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv Amazing historical and

archeological museum. Located at 2 Haim Levanon St.,

Ramat Aviv. Call 03-641-5244 or visit

www.eretzmuseum.org.il/ for more information.

3) Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv Houses the best of

Israeli art from Rubin and Tumarkin to Weinstein and

Rovner. Located at 27 Shaul Hamelech Blvd., Tel Aviv.

Call 03-607-7020 or Visit www.tamuseum.com for more

information.

4) Yad Vashem, Jerusalem Israel’s living memorial to the

millions murdered in the Holocaust. Located in Her

Hazikaron, Jerusalem. Call 02-644-3600 or Visit

www.yadvashem.org for more information.

5) MadaTech, Israel’s National Museum of Science,

Technology and Space, Haifa Israel’s best location for

making science fun. Located at 25 Shmaryahu Levin St. /

12 Balfour St, Hadar Hacarmel. Call 04-861-4444 or visit

www.madatech.org.il for more information.

6) Design Museum Holon, Holon One of the world’s

leading museums of design and contemporary culture.

Located at 8 Sha’ar Ha’arayot st., Holon. Call 073-215-1515

or Visit www.dmh.org.il for more information.

7) Tikotin—The Museum of Japanese Art, Haifa The only

museum of its kind in Israel, housing thousands of pieces

of Japanese art. Located at 89 Hanassi Ave., Haifa. Call

04-838-3554 or visit www.tmja.org.il for more

information.

10) Tower of David Museum, Jerusalem Depicts 4,000

Years or Jerusalem’s history. Located near the Jaffa Gate

in the Old City, Jerusalem. Call 02-626-5333 or visit

www.towerofdavid.org.il for more information. For

Reservations call 02-626-2884.

11) The Negev Museum of Art, Beersheba Collection

includes local and regional artworks of all media.

Located at 60 Ha’atzmaut St., Beersheba. Call 08-699-

3535 or visit www.negev-museum.org.il/index_e.php for

more information.

12) Israeli Children’s Museum, Holon An educational and

cultural institution providing experiences far different

than any other Israeli museum. Located at Mifratz

Shlomo St., Peres Park, Holon. Call 03-650-3001 or visit

www.holon.muni.il/English/culture/pages/childrenmuse

um.aspx for more information.

13) Olymic Experience Museum, Tel Aviv Focusing on the

historical background, this museum highlights sporting

achievements at the Olympic Games. Located at 6 Shitrit

St., Hadar Yosef, Tel-Aviv. Call 03-795-5900 or visit

www.olympic.one.co.il for more information.

14) Israel Railway Museum, Haifa

Provides a historical overview of railways in the Holy

Land and their part in the development of the country.

Located at 1 Hativat Golani St., Haifa. Call 04-856-4180 or

04-856-4293 or visit

http://rail.co.il/EN/Fun/Museum/Pages/default.aspx for

more information.

8) L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art Houses permanent

collections among the most important exhibitions of

Islamic art in the world. Located at 2 Hapalmah St.,

Jerusalem. Call 02-566-1291 or visit www.islamicart.co.il

for more information.

9) Museum of Art, Ein Harod Highlights Israeli art from

the 17th Century onwards. Call 04-648-5701 or Visit

www.museumeinharod.org.il for more information.


SHOPPING

Insider Tips to Shopping

Almost all grocery store chains in Israel

have discount/membership programs. Most

stores are closed on Shabbat and some

close as early as 2 p.m. on Fridays. Here is a

list of some of the best known ones.

Stop Market

Location: Top floor of the Arena Mall in

Herzliya Marina. Open: 24/7 Features: Carts

are unlocked, international foods section

Bonus Program: Pick up a Discount card

at the Help Desk. For every 200 NIS you

spend, you earn bonus points (receive a

stamp in the discount card). Once the card

is full, hand it in at the checkout for a 100

NIS discount on your groceries!

Sunday-Tuesday: 3 NIS/kilo on selected

fresh fruits and vegetables when spending

at least 150NIS on other items. No more

than one kilo of each item at the sale price.

Wednesday-Tuesday: Buy one, get one ½

off on cleaning supplies.

Teva Markets (Natural Food Stores)

Location: Herzliya Pituach and Netanya

(see below) Bonus Program: They provide

a 5% member discount card. Each location

only honors their own card. Eden market in

Netanya: This location is much larger and

is more reasonably priced than the other

store. This market has a fresh fish counter, as

well as hormone and antibiotic free meats.

Closes at 3 pm on Fridays and stays closed

through Shabbat. The market in Herzliya

Pituach: Open on Shabbat while the other

closes at 3 on Friday and stays closed

through Shabbat.

Half Free Super Stores

Location: There are many large discount

super stores in the area. The biggest and

best is located east off of Route 5, take the

2nd Petah Tikva exit (just past Route 4).

No Bonus Program, but: This store offers

incredible savings and there is no membership

required.

Tiv Ta’am

Location: Behind the Ikea, off Route 2 North,

in Netanya. Another is located near the

EBO, and near the MigDalor building.

Bonus Program: The membership card

gives you sale prices and discounts on

large orders. They are also open on Shabbat.

Features: This market has Asian food,

pork products and fine spirits. Most of the

employees are Russian. They are open on

Shabbat.

Mega

Location: Seven Stars Mall in Herzliya. Bonus

Program: Their discount card can also

be used at Pizza Hut, KFC and a dozen

other retail stores that have the “YOU”

sign posted.

AM/PM

Location: At the Karen Hayesod roundabout

on Hanassi Street in Hertzlya

Pituach. Bonus Program: This is a pricey

mini market but if you open an account

with them, they offer a 10% discount at

the end of each month.

Meat Land

Location: Ra’anana on Bar Ilan Street.

Features: Offers a decent variety of imported

American goods.

Vegetable Stands Locations: You will find

vegetable stands located around the city

and in the suburbs. There are two in Kfar

Shmaryahu and one located off Route 2,

near Cinema City Mall.

Open Air Markets

Locations: Herzliya Farmer’s Market:

Open every Thursday from 3-9 pm in the

Industrial Zone. Carmel Market in Tel

Aviv: Open Sunday-Thursday. Friday it

closes early and is closed all day Saturday.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, also visit

the crafts market on the adjacent street.

The top of the market starts off of Allenby

Street. Tel Aviv Port: Fresh produce

every Tuesday and Friday. Kfar Netter:

Located near WBAIS (school), this market

has cheap produce every Friday. Left at

the first light after the train station exit.

Straight until the street turns 90 degrees

and park. Walk up the drive way of the

first house and find seasonal produce.

Arab Butcher in Tira

Location: On the East side of Ra’anana,

follow Rd. 554 to Tira. There will be a

line of shops and the butcher is 3 shops

up from the Asado de Tira. Directions:

Put “Tira, Israel” in Waze. As soon as you

enter the town, the butcher is on the right

with automatic sliding glass doors. For

a definite address or more info you can

call Joseph at 09-793-6670. Features:

Great selection of meats at very reasonable

prices. They speak English and offer

a Heshbonit Mas. Closed on Fridays, but

open Saturdays! There’s a vegetable

vendor next door.

Fish Market in Netanya

Location: Exit of Route 2 North at the 3rd

Netanya exit onto Hwy 57. Turn right

at the first light, then right at the next

light. There will be a fish sign on the left.

Features: Excellent smoked salmon at a

reasonable price. The place is frequented

by caterers.

Yoggi Butcher in Kfar Shmaryahu

Location: Kfar Schmaryahu offeres a small

selection of stores just off of Route 2.

This butcher is located on the parking lot

side. Features: Great selection of meats

and cheeses. Here, you can also find cuts

of pork, homemade pork sausage and bacon!

The staff is very friendly and speaks

English fluently. They also offer deli-style

egg salad and other prepared foods.

The Home Center

Location: At the Gash exit, off Route 2

(when heading north of Kfar Shmaryahu).

Follow the road back under Route 2 to the

large selection of stores. Features: Home

goods, gardening equipment, automotive

items.

Artisan Bread Store

Location: Across the street from Ikea in

Netanya. Take Route 2 North and take the

exit for Netanya South. Features: Wonderful

breads and baked goods.

AT CHECK OUT, REMEMBER TO REQUEST A

HESHBONIT MAS!!

SHOPPING

Hard to Find and

Expensive Items in Israel

This list is designed to give you an idea, prior to your arrival to Tel Aviv, as to what to expect

when shopping, and/or what to consider adding to your Household Goods shipment.

Keep in mind, this list is comprised of community opinions, and it’s all relative! While

one person may consider an item to be expensive or difficult to find, others may not. Like

anything, it’s one person’s opinion, and it’s what they’re willing to pay (or not!)

Hard to Find Items

Expensive Items

American wines (available at Duty Free

store)

Frozen berries

Bisquick (waffle & pancake mixes in general)

Broths & Stocks

Cake, cookie & muffin mixes

Candy – US brands & holiday

Canned green chilis & jalapenos

Canned pie fillings

Canned pumpkin

Christmas decorations

Christmas trees

Christmas tree stands

Cold medicine

Cranberries (frozen available)

and cranberry sauce

Crisco

Graham crackers

Holiday paper products (Valentine’s Day,

Easter, Patriotic, Thanksgiving, Christmas)

Lint rollers

Limes (only available June- Oct)

Mini marshmallows

Mexican food items

Mops (American style)

Muffin cups

Pork products

Premade pie crust

Rubber cement

Skim milk

Solid white tuna

Special occasion cards in English

Spices for special occasion food (pumpkin

pie, oriental)

Tuxedo

Tylenol “meltaways”

Water chestnuts

Wrapping paper

Shredded turkey cans

Chicken Masala Sauce

Snoring patches

Thanksgiving stuffing and ornaments

Alternative grain flower

Band-aids

Cereal

Canned goods

Canned shrimp & crab

Children’s gifts

Children’s shoes

Children’s school supplies

Chocolate chips (especially dairy)

Contact lens solution

Cosmetics

Car tires and other car parts

Deodorants

Feminine hygiene products

Gluten-free products

Maple syrup

Oil filters for cars

Paper towels

Pet food & litter

Plastic wrap (the quality is not good here)

Pudding mix

Razor blades

Shaving cream

Steel cut oats

Soy sauce

Sunblock

Tortillas

Vitamins & Supplements

Ziplock bags

Sleeping pills

Large Gift Bags

Aluminum Foil

Shoes

Clothes

Jewelry

Kitchenware

Chili powder

Cranberry sauce

Table cloths

A decent wine

Gouda cheese

Electronics

Photo by Kat Maryschuk on Unsplash





Duty Free


Mail & Post Offices

All diplomatic American personnel at post receive their mail through the Diplomatic Post Office (DPO).

YOUR NAME

Unit 9700, Box XXXX

DPO, AE 09830

Wondering about wait times? Below are the most common online stores used by our community and an

estimate of how long packages will take to reach Tel Aviv from the United States.

Amazon 10 Days

Walmart 9 Days

Drugstore.com 8 Days

1800 Pet Meds 8 Days

AAFES 9 Days

NetGrocer.com 8 Days

Target 8 Days

Please note that these are calendar days from the date of notification of shipment from the vendor, not

the date the order was placed online – although most either sent them out on the same day or the next

day.

Note: NetGrocer.com usually ships 3-4 days after the order is placed.

Diplomatic Pouch Regulations (and 14 FAM 711) state that authorized users may not use the DPO to mail

any item(s) intended for resale, personal business goods, or items for charitable organizations. This

resale prohibition applies whether sale is to authorized DPO users or not, and regardless of the

beneficiary of the proceeds, (e.g., charitable organizations or schools).

Pouch

For items that cannot be shipped to the DPO, you can use the diplomatic pouch. The pouch address is:

YOUR NAME

9700 Tel Aviv Place

Dulles, VA 20189

Remember that there are certain restrictions regarding what can and cannot be shipped through the

pouch. See State Department regulations.

Israeli Postal Services

airmail-envelope-163625_640Public Post offices are open Sundays through Thursday from 8:30 am to 6:00

pm, from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm on Fridays, and the day before a holiday. Post offices are closed on

Saturdays.





ISRAELI DRIVER`S LICENSE

רמת גן

איטל אופטיק

קניון איילון

קניון ערים


Public Transportation

Driving in Israel can be quite the adventure. Though we

could start a never-ending (and very entertaining)

dialogue on the subject, we will limit ourselves to the

bare essentials:

Discounted Gas Cards and How to Pump Gas

Traffic Rules

Parking

Paying your Route 6 Bill.

TRAFFIC RULES

Diplomatic license plates do not give you impunity from

following the laws of Israel. If you receive a traffic or

parking violation it is your responsibility to pay it.

________________________________________

TRAFFIC LIGHTS

• Prior to turning red, the green light on the traffic light

blinks three times (one blink per-second) and then turns

amber for another 3 seconds. Only then does it turn red.

• When a traffic light in a junction is blinking amber, the

crossing road also has a blinking amber light.

• When a traffic light is out of order and the amber light

is blinking, the driver is obliged to obey the road signs

posted at the junction (such as STOP or YEILD RIGHT OF

WAY).

• It is strictly forbidden to make a right turn on red.

• Pedestrian crossing lights display only green or red.

Green permits crossing the road only in the crosswalk,

while red means no crossing.

LINES ON THE ROAD

• Double yellow lines forming a separate lane are

exclusive lanes for public transportation such as buses

and taxies. In some cases, a fully occupied vehicle can

use the lane as well.

• A yellow line on the road marks the side margin.

• A solid white line is a separation line between two way

traffic. It is strictly forbidden to cross a white center

line, under any circumstances (including turning left

into a parking lot).

________________________________________

SIGNAGE

• A “no stopping” sign is marked by two parallel lines.

• A stop sign is a red octagonal sign displaying a hand

facing the driver. The word “STOP” or “HALT” is not

written on the sign.

________________________________________

OTHER IMPORTANT RULES OF THE ROAD

• Police vehicles and ambulances always travel with

flashing blue and red lights on top of the vehicle. Only if

their siren is sounding do drivers have to merge to the

right, making way for the emergency vehicles.

• All vehicles must have its headlights turned on at any

time of day between November 1st and March 31st. This

makes it easier to be seen in the winter.

• It is prohibited to use a cellular phone while driving

unless it is attached to a microphone installed in the

vehicle.

• In a traffic circle, the vehicles in the circle have the

right of way.

________________________________________

DRIVING RESTRICTIONS FOR US EMBASSY

EMPLOYEES

• Route 90 North from Allenby Border Crossing is offlimits

during hours of darkness.

• Case specific or as things develop. Check with RSO for

latest restrictions.

PARKING

Returning to your car to find a ticket can be extremely

frustrating. In order to avoid getting a ticket, please be

sure to follow the parking laws in Israel. Please

remember, your diplomatic plates do not exempt you

from following the parking rules!

How to know if it is safe to park

White Stripes: No Parking

Yellow Stripes: Public Transportation Zone. No stopping

or parking. However, you can park in this area during

Shabbat (1 hour after sundown Friday to an hour before

sundown Saturday)

Red & Grey Stripes: Residential Parking. Signs will

indicate specific times that residential parking is

enforced.

Blue & White Stripes: Parking is allowed, but payment

may be required.

• Parking Meters: Can be hard to find, but are by far the

easiest to use. Put the money in and press the green

button. Put the ticket on your dashboard. Typically

costs about 5NIS per hour.

• Easy Park: Electronic parking card which can be

purchased at a post office. It is valid throughout the

country (each city has its own code). You can load up to

300NIS and payment is debited depending on the time

you are parked. You can recharge your card at some

post offices and some convenient stores.

• Parking Scratch Card: Cards can be purchased at the

post office and news stands for 6NIS per hour. You

attach the card to your car window after scratching off

the date and time of when you park.

• Cellopark: This is a service by telephone (dial *6452).

There is a monthly fee (7NIS) for the months you use the

service. You must register a credit card and license plate

number prior to using the service. You just dial the

number when you park and then again when you return

to your vehicle.

FREE CD PARKING AT BEN GURION AIRPORT

Did you know the airport has free short-term parking for

diplomatic CD numbered plates?

1. Proceed through security check gate and follow signs

for TERMINAL 3. DO NOT take either of the exits that

indicate “Short-term or Long-term Parking” – continue

straight following signs to TERMINAL 3 as if you are

dropping someone off. Stay in the right lane.

2. When you see the signs for ARRIVALS and

DEPARTURES, take the exit on the far right, toward

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. After you take the exit, you

will see a small white sign for “CD Parking.” Stay to the

far left. The right lane is for taxis and buses.

3. Keep driving down the left-hand side until you see CD

parking signs. Parking is back-in only. There are some

police parking spots there as well, so make sure you do

not park in one of those.

You can park here for up to 24 hours.

CAR RENTALS

Living downtown and just need a car for an hour or two

to run errands? Similar to Zip Car, Car2Go offers hourly

car rentals at locations throughout the city. Learn all

about membership costs, car availability, car pick up

locations, etc. on their website:

https://www.car2go.co.il/en/

If you need to rent a car longer term, the resources

available are similar to those in the States and in Europe.

Rental prices vary between companies and plans. Rates

are comparable to those charged in the US. Please also be

sure to contact Gai Stier in the Travel office for

additional information on discounts available to

Diplomats.

Avis Tel Aviv 03-559-6743

Ben Gurion 03-977-3200

Budget Tel Aviv 03-638-9999

Eldan Tel Aviv 03-527-1166

Ben Gurion 03-977-3400

Hertz Tel Aviv 03-527-9821

Route 6 Bills

Here in Israel you do not need to stop and queue to

deposit the necessary coins or tokens at a toll both.

Highway 6 uses state-of-the-art technology to record

your car’s license plate number, then computes the

correct toll for the number of sections you have traveled.

You are then sent a bill in the mail.

Since Highway 6 billing works on a monthly basis, it will

take some time until you receive your bill. Make sure to

keep records of your trips to ensure that the bills are

accurate and that you are not missing your payment

deadline. Highway 6 will charge high interest fees for

late payment.

________________________________________

There are several ways to pay your bill:

1. Online with a credit card

2. At commercial bank branches (for example Leumi)

3. Over the phone with a credit card – Call 03-908-1111

4. At Alonit or Dor Alon gas stations

5. At Mega, City Mega and Mega Bull supermarkets.


Sheruts

AIRPORT- JERUSALEM WITH THE SHERUT

Sheruts (shared taxis) usually carry about ten-12

passengers and follow set routes…but unlike buses can

stop for you anywhere along the route. They offer a less

expensive alternative to a special taxi. They are also the

only mode of cheap travel on Shabbat and public

holidays.

Sheruts are good for traveling around the city and

between cities, but not always great for getting to

specific places. You can find sheruts in Herzliya that run

South to Tel Aviv and north to Natanya. Sheruts do not

come into the suburban neighborhoods. They only run

along the main roads, usually following standard bus

routes. In Herzliya, you can pick up a sherut along Route

2 (Namir Rd/Coastal Highway). They do not take you

directly to the Embassy, but you could connect to a

different sherut once in Tel Aviv and get as close as Ben

Yehuda and Shalom Alechem. Once you are in Tel Aviv,

there are more sheruts available that can take you closer

to other locations in the city. Sheruts in the city are

numbered to match the bus system.

Sherut Tips

Popular lines in Tel Aviv are 4, 5 and 66. Maps of the

routes can be found at: http://www.dan.co.il/eng/lines/

Rates for routes within Tel Aviv are generally 6.5-7 NIS.

For routes between cities, ask the driver for the rate.

Getting On:

1. Raise your arm – If the sherut is full, it will pass by.

2. Get on & sit down – Most drivers pull away quickly.

Pass your money to the front and change will be

returned to you.

3. Ask the driver to stop – You can ask to stop anywhere

along the route.

A reasonably priced way to get to Jerusalem from Ben-

Gurion Airport is by sherut (shay-root), a van shared by

eight passengers with a fixed per-person rate. The

current fare is NIS 75 per person, baggage included. The

sherut stand, run by Nesher Taxi, is to the left as you exit

the arrivals area of the terminal building. Confirm that

the destination of the Nether van is Jerusalem, give your

luggage to the driver, and climb in. When all the seats

are claimed, the van will take off: The driver must,

without charging an extra agora (a single smalldenomination

coin), take you from the airport to the

hotel or residential address of your choice anywhere in

Jerusalem. If you're lucky, you'll be the first in your

group to be dropped off at your destination. If not, you`ll

find yourself on an odyssey through parts of Jerusalem

you would never normally see.

For the return trip to the airport, your hotel will be glad

to call in advance (reserve about 2 days before your

departure) and make an appointment for a sherut to pick

you up. If you want to make your sherut reservation in

person, the office of Nesher Taxis and Sheruts (it 021625-

72n, known for its extremely reliable airport service, is

upstairs at 23 Ben-Yehuda St., near King George Street.

The company will pick up around the clock, 7 days a

week, but if you need transport to the airport on the

Sabbath, you must make your reservation by Thursday—

the Nesher office is closed on Shabbat.

Tips:

1. Ask when you get on to verify that the sherut goes

where you think it does.

2. Numbered routes will have the number prominently

displayed in the windshield.

3. Sheruts from Netanya to Tel Aviv (found on Route 2)

have the destination in Hebrew in the window.




Charities and Volunteer

Opportunities

Embassy staff, both Israeli and American, are a generous bunch. They get involved in local efforts and look for

ways to contribute to those less fortunate.

There are dozens of charities and organizations throughout Israel that provide education, health services,

meals, clothing, furniture and housing to the poor or disenfranchised. To get started, take a look at the list

provided on this page. Though lengthy, the list is not comprehensive.

Please note that the CLO are doing their best to keep this list updated, but acknowledge that they are not

always informed of changes in hours or contact information. If you have a favorite charity that you don’t see

here, please let them know by emailing CLOTelAviv@state.gov and they will add them to the list.

Blue Bins

Blue bins are placed throughout Herzliya neighborhoods. These blue plastic bins have pictures of shirts,

shoes, and other clothing, to easily identify that it is a drop box for your clean and good quality clothing

donations. Although Herzliyya Municipality doesn’t list locations, there is one we know of on HaMesila St.

Herzliya. Bins are also located around the Tel Aviv Municipality.

ARDC – African Refugee Development Center

ARDC works to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers are free from persecution, live in dignity and have

opportunities. At this time, they are collecting baby care products (new diapers, wipes, formula, diaper rash

cream and soap/shampoo); adult toiletries (new); and non-perishable food (canned beans, tomatoes, tuna and

pasta, rice, oil and flour.) Please contact Iris Kat at iris@ardc-israel.org, to arrange.

Tel Aviv Mothers Make a Difference

This group collects donations for: Invisible Kids, ASSAF, Eritrean Women’s Community Centre, Forgotten

People’s Fund, Kuchinate, UNITAF, Mesila, Pitchon Lev, Tel Aviv Centre for the Blind, Terem, WIZO.

Organizers specifically request the following items for babies and toddlers: cribs, strollers, baby furniture,

clean clothing, diapers & supplies, developmental toys. They also take donations of packaged food. They can

arrange for large items to be picked up at your home. Best way to contact the many wonderful volunteers for

TAMMAD is by messaging them through their Facebook page –

https://www.facebook.com/mothersmakeadifference

UNITAF

In the last two decades, Israel has experienced a rapid influx of foreign residents. A significant number of

these are refugees from Sudan, Eritrea, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of the Congo who fled civil

war, armed conflict and persecution in their native countries.

Today, it is estimated that some 40,000 refugees reside in Israel, primarily in the Greater Tel Aviv area. To

respond to the needs of this community, the municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo created Mesila, a municipal agency

mandated to deal exclusively with foreign worker and refugee issues. The attainment of proper daycare

became one of Mesila’s prime goals because until recently, there were few alternatives available for the

children of working refugee parents. In 2005, together with the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo and a private

donor, Mesila established UNITAF, the first state-of-the-art daycare center for refugee and foreign workers’

children. In 2008, a second UNITAF Center was opened, and in 2010, an after- school program for children

aged 3-6 was added. In 2011, the third UNITAF Center was opened.

UNITAF constitutes a unique work model that stresses what is common between Israeli culture and that of the

immigrants and refugees, and tries to bridge the differences through educational-therapeutic discussions. At

the UNITAF centers, children are cared for by women from the foreign community, who have been especially

trained by Israeli educators to run the daycare facilities in a professional and compassionate manner, while

still preserving the cultural heritage of the children. The environment is pleasant and learning-conducive.

Each child receives three nutritious meals a day, individual attention, mental stimulation and emotional

support. Experts are on hand to diagnose potential developmental problems and to arrange treatment if

necessary and give especial attention to the children that arrived recently from Sinai. Care is given to create a

pluralistic atmosphere where children from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds can spend long hours

together and flourish. The trained nannies run the business independently, but are obliged to meet up with

Israeli standards and criteria, and the Israeli social worker that maintain the logistics as well as the individual

treatment of each child and family keep a frequent dialogue with the nanny in order to make sure they are

kept.Today, 350 children are being cared for in all of UNITAF brunches. Over the last ten years, more than

1600 children have benefitted from the services of UNITAF. There are still hundreds of children on waiting

lists for Unitaf’s day care centers and many babysitters are eager to work with the organization. But for now,

the group’s budget – aside from the municipality-donated locations – is entirely dependent on private

donations and there is no money to open new centers.

•To donate or volunteer for UNITAF, visit www.unitaf.org.il

•Email info@unitaf.org.il

•Their main offices are located at 108 Levinsky Street, Tel Aviv

Elifelet – Citizens for Refugee Children

Elifelet was founded in the Spring of 2012, following a hate crime in Tel Aviv, when ‘Molotov cocktails’ (glass

bottles containing explosives) were thrown into a daycare center at night, while 21 refugee children were

asleep (miraculously, they were physically unhurt). Immediately following the attack, they raised funds and

drafted friends who volunteered to rebuild the burnt center. They realized the extent of the physical and

emotional distress faced by approximately 3,000 refugee children whose parents fled from Eritrea and Sudan

and are now living in South Tel Aviv under extremely difficult conditions. With the help of about 200

volunteers and many donors, Elifelet has adopted one daycare center after another, built therapeutic

afternoon clubs for older children and rescued hundreds of children from a vicious cycle of ongoing physical

and emotional distress.

•Visit http://www.elifelet.org/en for more information.

•Volunteer to help or ask if donations can be made!


Tzimaon – The Good People Fund

Inspired by the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world), The Good People Fund was founded in

2008 to respond to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, primarily in

the United States and Israel. Tzimaon provides financial support, guidance and mentoring to charitable

activities of modest proportions that are undertaken by Good People acting singly or in small groups. Target

endeavors are those that, by their personal scale and often-unusual nature, might otherwise find it difficult to

attract sufficient support. To donate or volunteer, write to naomi@goodpeoplefund.org

Shanti House

The Shanti House serves as temporary housing and as a long-term framework for runaway and street youth,

ages 14-21, regardless of religion, race, sex or gender. At Shanti House we take in youth who are in immediate

danger or are on the brink of becoming victims of physical violence, sexual abuse, crime, prostitution and the

like. We also have prevention programs for at-risk youth throughout the country. You can donate in several

ways:

•Donations of equipment and miscellaneous: If you would like to donate, equipment, clothing or furniture, we

will be pleased to coordinate with you via our email address: office@shanti.org.il

•Purchase Shanti House merchandise including wide range of art, books, CDs, cookbook

•Financial contribution via Bank Transfer; see http://shanti-il.info/english

ESRA (English Speaking Residents Association)

A group of English Speaking residents of Herzliya and Kfar Shmaryahu formed ESRA in 1979, primarily to

fulfill a social need and assist their integration into Israeli society.

One of ESRA’s aims is to encourage English speakers to volunteer in the community, thereby helping others

and at the same time becoming a useful part of Israeli society. The ESRA Community Fund (E.C.F.) aids

immigrants from distressed countries and other disadvantaged sectors of Israeli society. The donated goods

shop in Ra’anana, and the ESRA “Vintage” shop in Kfar Saba, both accept clean, good quality, re-saleable

clothing and household goods.

•ESRA Vintage, 45 Rothschild St. Kfar Saba, Tel: 09-765 4652

•Ra’anana Shop, 100 Ahuza St., (Entry for cars at Hanegev St. 29), Tel: 09-741 2631.

•For pick-up of large items at your residence, please call Ed at 050-535-4884.

Yad Eliezer

Yad Eliezer helps families cope with financial difficulties and empowers them to break through the cycle of

poverty and achieve self-sufficiency, with food programs, job training and other assistance. The efficient

management of a large volunteer effort (96% of funds raised goes directly to needy families) earned Yad

Eliezer a “4-Star Exceptional” rating from Charity Navigator, which rates organizations based on how

effectively and responsibly they utilize donations, and to what extent the charity is growing in terms of

programs and services. To arrange donations or volunteer, contact:

•Email: meira@yadeliezer.org

•Telephone: 02 591 2200

Naamat

The Movement for the Advancement of the Status of Women in Israel works to prevent the phenomena of

violence against women within the family and in society. NAÀMAT operates two centers for the prevention

and treatment of violence,–the Glickman Center in Tel Aviv , under one roof, serves as a shelter for battered

women and their children, and a counseling and treatment center for battered women, violent men, and

children exposed to violence. It houses Jewish and Arab Women, veterans and new immigrants, secular and

traditionally observant.

The Lone Soldier Center

The Lone Soldier Center was established in memory of Michael Levin as a grass-roots, Israeli non-profit

organization created by former lone soldiers in order to assist the next generation of lone soldiers in all

aspects of life, in the military and out. A “lone soldier” is a soldier in the IDF with no family in Israel to

support him or her: a new immigrant, a volunteer from abroad, an orphan or an individual from a broken

home. Lone Soldiers don’t always have the basic items necessary for their military service, or families living

in Israel that can support them. Lone Soldier Centers, throughout the country, serve as their back-up homes.

Items needed:

The Centers supply lone soldiers with personal care items, donated by you, that they need while on duty.

Items needed include Leatherman utility tools, black watches, protective sunglasses, dried fruits, nuts and

energy bars, flip flops, underwear, sports bras, active wear, gloves, winter socks and hats, new toiletries.

•Call (or stop in—they are across the street from the Embassy Branch Office

•Address: Hayarkon 74 (entrance by Embassy Hotel, 1st floor), Tel-Aviv

•Office Hours: Sun-Thurs 9:00-16:00; Fri 9:00-15:00

•Tel: 03-560-1931

DSI Second Hand Stores

DSI works with four, area second hand shops, as a way to raise funds for their charity projects. Your donated

items are sold at the stores, and proceeds from sales are split between the shop owner and a DSI-designated

charity. If your items to do not sell, they are donated to charity.

•Past and Present – Haparsa 7, Nof Yam. Call owner Tzippi, 09-956-1283, for details. Open daily.

•Etcetera – Harishonim 3 or 7 in Kfar Shmaryahu (near the dentist and frame shop). Call owner Adrian, 09

951 4008, for details. Closed Tuesdays.

•Golda Second Hand – Hanadiv 69, Herzylia (next to Fresh Market Supermarket). Call owner Golda

054-200-6111, for details. Closed Tuesdays. Note: If you are with DSI, use the code 300 to designate your

donated item.

•Scandal – Nordau 9, Herzylia Bet (down the road from Garlic Pizza). Call owner Naomi, 09-950-6151, for

details. Closed Saturdays.

Koach La Tet – Power of Giving

Koach La Tet provides basic amenities for the home such as electrical appliances, baby carriages, furniture,

toys, clothes and more.


The organization will pick up items from donors’ homes and transport them to warehouses located

throughout Israel, where they undergo a process of cataloguing, repair and cleaning by volunteers. In order

to receive the household merchandise, persons in need are required to produce documentation from the

Department of Welfare, stating a level of need. The product is “sold” for a nominal price, and transported for

free as quickly as possible by Koach la Tet trucks. Call *3656 to make a donation of furniture or equipment.

•Email: office@meirpanim.org

•Website: www.mifalchaim.org/eng/koach.htm

Lasova

Lasova House, a multi–service center for needy persons, is located at 18 Tzelnov Street in Tel Aviv near the

old central bus station. The center, a first of its type in Israel, merges many services under one roof –a soup

kitchen, 19 youth centers, 3 homeless shelters, the Egged Beged mobile distribution center for clothing to

hospitals and geriatric centers, and collection of surplus food for delivery to the needy. For further

information, to review of our balance sheets and to set up a meeting, please call our offices: 03-7520002, Fax:

03-7519991. For information on volunteering, please refer to: Ergun.kadima@gmail.com

•Website: www.lasova.org.il

•General Email: mankal.lasova@gmail.com

Table-to-Table

Various locations around Israel

Serving as Israel’s umbrella organization for “food-rescue”, Table to Table collects excess, unsold food from

catered events, corporate cafeterias, army bases, food manufacturers, grocers, farms, and packing houses and

delivers the food to nonprofit agencies throughout Israel that serve those in need. Table-to-Table was a

Diplomatic Spouses’ Club Israel (DSCI) designated charity in the past.

Volunteers fuel success today. Everyone volunteers for the same reason–they want to help people in need.

Join the front lines of the fight against hunger – become a Table-to-Table volunteer. There are many ways to

put your talents to use. You determine your own time commitment. What can you do as a volunteer? There

are a number of ways:

Morning hours -prepare sandwiches; during the day – harvest fruits and vegetables; at night – collect excess

food from catered events.

Anytime – perform administrative and computer-based tasks from our office or from your home. Contact

Table to Table if you would like to help.

•Tel: 02-972 4157

•Email: infor@tabletotable.org.il

•Website: www.tabletotable.org.il

•http://www.ivolunteer.org.il/Eng/Index.asp?ArticleID=73&CategoryID=128

Leket Israel, the National Food Bank

Leket Israel works to alleviate the problem of nutritional insecurity amongst the growing numbers of Israel’s

poor. Among volunteer opportunities are Rescue & Redeliver, and Project Leket.

In both projects, individual or group volunteers rescue prepared meal surpluses from restaurants and

catering facilities; or, in the case of Project Leket, rescue thousands of tons of agricultural crops left to rot

each season. Foods are quickly brought to a logistics center in Ra’anana, where food parcels are repackaged

and prepared by volunteers, and delivered to food agencies, soup kitchens, shelters, IDF soldiers, needy

families and non-profits throughout the country. To volunteer as an individual or a group, contact:

•Tel: 0 9 744 1757

•Email: info@leket.org

•See more at: http://www.leket.org.il/english/text/309.aspx#sthash.hAnHtG9Z.dpuf

Hand in Hand Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel

Hand in Hand brings together Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel through a growing network of bilingual

schools and shared communities. After the arson attack last November, both communities, as well as the

international community in Israel and even President Obama in Washington, rallied to defend the school as a

shining light in the darkness.

Their success depends on the support of many individuals who care about creating a safer and more peaceful

environment for all children in Israel. Refurbishing damaged classrooms and intensifying security are

immediate needs. But the most significant response to this attack, in the long term, is to expand the school

network to 10 – 15 bilingual schools, as planned, over the coming decade. All contributions are welcome.

Please join us now. https://www.handinhandk12.org/engage/donate-now

_____________________________________________________________________________

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY IN KUCHINATE

Kuchinate is a collective of African asylum seeking women living in Tel Aviv, Israel. The aim of the Kuchinate

is to produce beautifully designed crocheted baskets, poufs and carpets for your pleasure and use. This

collective is unique in that it is an income generating as well as a psycho social project providing economic,

social and psychological empowerment to over 70 women.

There are many ways to volunteer:

Transport fabric from cutter in Jaffa to the Kuchinate shop

(approx 15 mins away from each other)

Work a sale and transport women and baskets

Keep the Diplomatic community and the US Embassy vendor sales open and flowing by finding home sales

and working these sales.

With US Embassy clearance badge.

Transport women that cannot take the bus to the shop for them to work (one way, as they can taxi back).

Please contact Ruth – Sale Manager at 052-638-8790 or Kuchinate at 054-976-5667

Email – Kuchinate@gmail.com


RELIGIOUS

SERVICES


GETTING AROUND

EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST

Police: 100

Ambulance: 101

Fire DEPARTMENT: 102

U.S. Embassy BRANCH OFFICE

Post One: 03-519-7551 (24/7)

U.S. EMBASSY Jerusalem Post

One: 02-622-7250 (24/7)

FPD Office: 03-519-7502

(duty hrs)

DAO Office: 03-519-7333

(duty hrs)

RSO Office: 03-519-7400

(duty hrs)

TRAVEL TIPS

A Safe Trip

Starts With This

COOLAPPS

https://www.life360.com/

No more endless texts and calls

wondering, did Sarah make it

home? Has Dad left the office?

When will Mom arrive to pick me

up? With Life360, just open the

app and instantly see everyone

in your private Circle on the map.

You can also message the whole

group at once or privately.

S

Satsig

http://www.satsig.net/

Helpful details about VSAT services, cell signal (where

you can find it and which areas to avoid due to not having

cell signal), beam coverages, antenna pointing and how it

works. This web site is here to promote legitimate, satcom

access for people in all locations, who are unable to gain

access using terrestrial ADSL via copper or optical fibre

phone lines or using cable modems. Satcom is an alternative

and provides independent small-dish two-way access

from anywhere except the extreme polar regions.

CellMapper 5.1.2 App

https://www.cellmapper.net/map

- Displays low level cellular network

information data along with

frequency band calculations (for

some providers.)

- Frequency calculator (GSM ARF-

CN, UMTS UARFCN, LTE EARFCN,

CDMA, and iDEN.)

- Displays a map of both coverage

and individual tower sector coverage

and bands.

A F

App - Smart Traveler App

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/smarttraveler.html

The app was first launched in June 2011. It is the

official State Department app for U.S. travelers.

The app invites you to see the world with easy

access to frequently updated official country

information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps,

U.S. embassy locations, and more.

Family Contact from Overseas

https://www.rebtel.com/en/

Skype and Whatsapp will always be staples when it comes

to international calling and messaging, but a wifi connection

is needed to use them. To make cheap calls around

the world without the internet (or faffing around with

phonecards), the app to choose is Rebtel. By “hijacking”

local phonelines, it gets the best available calling rates.

Recently launched, it is currently offering a “Rebel calling”

deal, which means friends or family can be called for free if

they are also using the app (until 2018).

TRAVELResources

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Ever since company founders Tony

and Maureen Wheeler stapled

together their first guidebook

after an epic trip across Asia,

Lonely Planet has put travellers

at the heart of everything they

do, informing and inspiring them

with trusted content for print and

digital from experts who visit

every destination.

https://www.fodors.com/

For 80 years, Fodor’s Travel has

been a trusted resource offering

expert travel advice for every

stage of a traveler’s trip. They

hire local writers who know their

destinations better than anyone

else, allowing them to provide the

best travel recommendations for

all tastes and budget in over 7,500

worldwide destinations.

https://www.osac.gov/Pages/

Home.aspx

E

Eliminate Internet Vulnerability

Ghostery isn’t just for travel. It’s an app that blocks trackers in your browser, stopping

the likes of Facebook from following you around the internet. That’s reason enough to

have the Ghostery extension installed and running on your Mac at all times. But because

Ghostery blocks all that tracking code from being downloaded in the first place, it saves

you a ton of bandwidth. If you are using a tethered connection from your iPhone when

you travel, this is a real boon.

Cloak is easy to use and works on all your devices — Mac, iOS and Android — using

the same account. That is, you pay once, and use as much as you like. A VPN overlays

a private network onto the internet, kind of like a network of private tunnels through

public spaces. This means that you can use insecure public Wi-Fi without worrying.

VPNs aren’t 100 percent secure, but they are way, way better than using public internet

unprotected.

Get prepared on specific things

and find all the below info before

arriving:

- crime and safety in the specific

country,

-areas to avoid in a specific city;

-news and reports,

-emergency “Warden” messages.

https://1password.com/

You should already be using a

password manager like 1Password,

which is infinitely more secure

than using the name of your dog

to log into your bank account.


LIST

15 of the best

1

The

2

Google Trips: for itineraries

travel apps

Free, iOS and Android, get.google.com

Are you the kind of person who prepares for every trip by getting a manila folder and

filling it with every bit of your travel itinerary? Well Google Trips is like that folder, but

without the annoyance of maintaining a tatty pile of paper printouts; the app gathers all

3 4

your travel information from Gmail and Inbox and organises it automatically.

Tunnel Bear: for security

Free, iOS and Android, tunnelbear.com

If you want to stream things such as iPlayer or 4oD, as well as

keep your internet connection secure while abroad - which

is worth it if you connect to lots of random wifi spots - then

you’ll need to use a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs hide

your IP address and location and can “tunnel” you to another

country.

Hopper: for flight booking

Free, iOS and Android, hopper.com

What sets Hopper apart from other flight-booking apps

such as Skyscanner and Cheapflights is that it not only lets

you book flights on your phone, it tells you when to do

it, and how to get the best price and the biggest savings.

Once you’ve searched for a flight, the app will let you know

whether to wait or buy.

5

Packpoint: for packing

• Free, iOS and Android, packpnt.com

Packpoint automatically generates a bespoke packing list for

your trip: you just enter the destination, date of travel and

length of stay along with some details about the activities

you are planning. In the event that the app has misjudged

your desire to have a different outfit for every evening, it’s

easiest to tweak the list once it has been generated.

6 7

Tripit

• Free, iOS and Android, tripit.com

A bit like a pocket travel agent, Tripit

pulls together travel information from

your confirmation emails for flights,

hotels, rental cars, events bookings and

converts it into a single itinerary. Just

forward your emails to the app and it will

do the rest.

Free, iOS and Android, appintheair.mobi

Not exactly slick by name, though certainly slick by nature,

App in the Air is a smart, straightforward, flight tracking

app that has the best coverage of airlines and airports. It

will keep you updated about flight status – even if you don’t

have internet coverage – and helps you manage your time at

the airport, breaking down each flight into four stages; check

in, boarding, takeoff and landing time. It also integrates with

Tripit (#6) allowing you to import all your flights.

Splittr

splittrapp.com

Price: £1.49

App in the Air

There is a selection of apps out there to help you split

bills (Tipulator, Splitwise etc), but Splittr is geared up for

travelling, providing a simple platform to share costs

between friends. You can enter expenses as you go,

including who paid what and the app will do the rest. A

nice touch for longer, multi-destination trips is that all

currencies are supported and you can mix currencies

without having to do the conversion yourself.

9

Google Translate

Free, iOS and Android- Google Translate

This translator can be a useful tool to support your own,

more serious language learning, but realistically, it’s most

useful on a practical level quickly translating day-to-day

words you come across on your travels. For example, you can

hold your camera up to text – such as a sign, or a menu – and

Google will translate it for you instantly. It’s an essential app

for any traveller.

Wolfram Sun Exposure

on iOS only - Price: £0.79

There are a few apps out there that help

11

you manage your time in the sun safely,

but this one offers the most detailed

information to keep you informed. You

enter your skin type and it calculates

how long you can spend sunning

yourself before getting burned, based on

the time of day, where you are and the

strength of sun cream you’re wearing.

It also provides UV forecasts for your

location.

8Free, iOS and Android, livetrekker.com

This ambitious app creates a digital journal of your travels so

LiveTrekker

you can look back on your trips on an interactive map. The

app tracks you as you go, marking a red line along a map on

the exact route you take; the app also monitors your speed

and altitude, making it great for adventure travellers, though

it’s just as fun to look back at your route around a city.

You can add pictures, video, audio and text along the way,

creating a multimedia travel diary you can share.

10

Tipulator

• Free, iOS and Android

The standard tip in Israel is 10% at a restaurant, which is

pretty easy to calculate, but this app makes it even easier!!

12 •

If you need to get somewhere much faster, this app is

Get Taxi

Free, iOS and Android

exactly like Uber for Israel.

13 •

Red Alert


Just to be extra cautious, you can get real time alerts

from this app to receive security updates from all over the

country.

14

•

Even though you might be learning about it in school or

Israeli News


seeing it on T.V. anyway, this is another way to stay on top

of what’s going on around the country!

15

•

Israel App


Be your own personal tour guide and get tips on

everything, from places to travel to on weekends and how

you can spend afternoons off.


THE

MONEY


CURRENCY,

VAT, AND

BANKS

מקור

חשבונית מס


Jerusalem:

an

introduction

to the Holy

City

What springs to mind when you hear the word Jerusalem?

Is it ancient stone alleyways brimming with Jews and

Arabs on their way to prayer? Or perhaps a picture

postcard vista of the Western (Wailing) Wall? Or perhaps

the hustle and bustle of a Jerusalem market, with market

traders howling out their latest prices and bargains in

Hebrew and Arabic?

What you feel for Jerusalem will, of course, depend on

your faith. But forget that for a second, because however

much you might convince yourself that you’re a nonbeliever,

there’s something raw and empowering about

being in the Holy City that it makes you want to start to

believe…in whatever.

Jerusalem is a fascinating city; a city where old meets new,

holy meets secular, and where nature and beautiful

architecture merge into a melting pot of smells, sounds

and sights. I will never forget my first visit to Jerusalem

and the Old City, many moons ago, it was amazingly

inspiring!

Jerusalem is, of course, the meeting point of the three

main faiths: for centuries, Jerusalem has played a

significant role in Christianity as the place of Christ’s

crucifixion, while for Jews Jerusalem is the place of David’s

ancient throne, and the indivisible capital of modern

Israel. To Moslems the city is a sacred place of worship,

centered on the Dome of the Rock.

Located in the Judean Mountains, just north of the Dead

Sea, Jerusalem is home to some 747,600 residents over an

area of 125 square kilometers (including the disputed East

Jerusalem). Out of that 125 km it is, in fact, one square

kilometer which holds incredible importance to so many

over the world – the area known as the Old City.

The Old City is home to sites of key religious significance, including

the Temple Mount, the Western Wall (a remnant of the supporting

wall of the Second Temple), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the

Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque. The old walled city, has been

traditionally divided into four quarters — the Armenian, Christian,

Jewish, and Muslim Quarters, and as you can imagine, tensions and

squabbles often break out: you might not be surprised to hear that the

Old City is historically the world’s most fought over city….

So, yes, we highly recommend you check out the Old City. The places

listed above should all be visited, though some may be off-limits,

depending a little on your faith and the security situation (which very

occasionally takes a turn for the worse). Also check out the narrow

streets of the Old City, which are lined with shops where merchants

sell foodstuffs and traditional handicrafts (TIP: bargain ferociously –

what starts at 50 shekels can often be bought for 5 shekels!).


Dead Sea Facts

10 things you didn’t know about the lowest place on Earth

We love the Dead Sea round these parts, we really do. And if you’ve never been, it really has to be on your list of must sees when visiting Israel.

We’re guessing (OK, presuming) you might have picked up a few bits and bobs about the Dead Sea along your Internet travels, like the amazing

ability to float on your back and the health benefits associated with the area, but we have a feeling you don’t know the really good stuff, so…

1

Water

5

Aristotle

HOT READ

never flows out of Dead Sea because it is surrounded

by land on three sides. The only open side is actually the

route through which water enters Dead Sea from rivers and

streams. Water flows into the Dead Sea (the Jordan River is

the main source of water), but it doesn’t flow out! Why the

heck not, I hear you cry…Well, largely due to evaporation as

it’s very hot in this area.

3

The

minerals in the Dead Sea all

naturally occur within our bodies – yes,

you could become your own health

resort!

used to scribble things about the

Dead Sea in his renowned writings.

6

2

Maybe

somebody before her spotted the potential

(some say Herod the Great), but it was Cleopatra

who first loved and thus promoted the Dead Sea,

even ordering cosmetic factories and resorts be built

along its shores.

4

Many centuries ago, one of the popular

names of the Dead Sea was “The Stinky Sea”.

And it had nothing to do with Cleopatra’s

fondness for hummus.

The Dead Sea is a dinosaur – it’s 3 million years old!

7

You can take a spin along Road 90, the world’s lowest road,

which runs along the shores of the Dead Sea at 393 meters

below sea level.

It is called Dead Sea but the truth is that it is not a sea. It is actually

a salt water lake.

If we are to measure the depth of Dead Sea with respect to sea

level of this planet, it becomes even deeper. Its shores and the

water surface are located 1,401 feet or 427 meters below sea

level, making it a water body on Earth’s lowest elevation of land.

8

Oh

Mummy! Egyptians used to splash some of that Dead Sea mud and asphalt all over in their mummification

process of the deceased. Dead Sea has a very unusual phenomenon. It spits out asphalt almost

constantly. Asphalt used in ancient Egypt for mummification was imported from Dead Sea. Because of this

unusual asphalt spitting phenomenon, the Greeks named the Dead Sea as Lake Asphaltites.

9

Yes, Dead Sea cannot support life but it is useful in several healthcare and treatment types. The pollen

content of this lake is extremely low. It is also free of other allergens. On top of it, it is the home of different

types of minerals. Also, solar UV radiation is greatly reduced near Dead Sea. Additionally, atmospheric

pressure near this lake is high because of its low elevation. These factors together make it beneficial for

human health.

Rain is very rare in the Dead Sea – less than 10cm of rain falls in the area every year (an average winter

temp of 20-23C might give you a clue as why).

10

This hypersaline lake is one of the most salty lakes in this world. The salt concentration of Dead Sea is

33.7%. But this does not make it the saltiest water body because Caspian Sea’s Lagoon Garabogazköl has

35% salinity, Lake Assal in central-western Djibouti has 34.8% salinity, Antarctica’s Lake Vanda has 35%

salinity and Don Juan Pond located in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys has 44% salinity!

It is world’s deepest salt water lake to exist on this planet. It is 1,004 feet or 306 meters deep.

Source: https://igoogledisrael.com/dead-sea-facts-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-lowest-place-on-earth/

http://factslegend.org/25-interesting-dead-sea-facts/


CAESAREA

MARITIMA

H A R B O R A N D H E R O D `S C I T Y

Herod, the ancient world’s master

builder, constructed a magnificent

port city on the Mediterranean

coast of Palestine. He called it

Caesarea in honor of his Roman

patron Augustus Caesar. Maritima

distinguished it from the many

other cities that bore this much

honored name, notably Caesarea

Philippa, another city in Herod’s

kingdom, located inland at the

source of the Jordan River.

According to the first century

historian Josephus, who left us a

detailed description, the port of

Caesarea Maritima was as large as

Piraeus, the port of Athens. If so,

Caesarea was one of the two or

three largest ports on the

Mediterranean, indeed in the world.

The port of Caesarea was all the

more remarkable because it was

located on a 40-mile length of the

Mediterranean shore that had no

natural harbor, bay or inlet. The

Mediterranean coast in the area of

Caesarea is an uninterrupted line

of sand and cliffs.

Here, for the first time in history,

Herod constructed a port on the

open sea without benefit of any

natural features.

The small town of Straton's Tower

was established during the Persian

period, when the Palestinian coast

was governed by the Phoenician

kings of Tyre and Sidon.

The town was part of the territory

that Herod received from Octavian

(Augustus Caesar) after the battle

of Actium in 31 B. C.E., when

Octavian reconfirmed Herod as

king of Judea and increased the

size of his kingdom. Herod rebuilt

Straton's Tower as a showcase

Greco-Roman port city and

renamed it Caesarea.

Herod's establishment of Caesarea

followed the precedent of

Alexander the Great and his

Hellenistic successors, but instead

of naming it after himself he

named it in honor of Octavian — a

brilliant move that demonstrated

Herod's loyalty to his new patron.

Herod's city of Caesarea had two

components: the settlement (on

land), called Caesarea Maritima,

and the harbor, called Sebaste

(Sebastos is Greek for Augustus).

A glance at a map of Palestine

reveals that the coastline is

relatively even and lacks large

natural harbors and anchorages.

Herod's new harbor filled this gap,

and the city quickly became

Palestine's major port city.

Caesarea had a long history and

flourished for centuries. Its

importance increased after Herod

Archelaus was removed from rule

in 6 C. E., when it became the seat

of the local Roman governor

(prefect or procurator) in Palestine

(although Herod had a palace at

Caesarea, Jerusalem was the

capital of his kingdom). After Paul

was arrested, he was imprisoned in

the Roman governor's palace at

Caesarea for two years before

being shipped off to Rome for trial

and (presumably) execution (Acts

23:23—24, 33). Caesarea was a

Greco-Roman city.

With a large Gentile population and a minority of Jews. By Paul's time, the inhabitants also included some

members of the early church: “The next day we left and came to Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip

the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him. . . . After these days we got ready and started to go up to

Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came along and brought us to the house of Mnason of

Cyprus, and early disciple, with whom we were to stay" (Acts 21:8, 15—16). Tensions between Jews and Gentiles

at Caesarea contributed to the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt in 66 C. E., when a pagan ceremony conducted

on the Sabbath near the entrance to a synagogue sparked riots.

Vespasian made Caesarea the headquarters of his operations during the First Revolt. After the revolt, Vespasian

raised Caesarea to the rank of a Roman colony, a status that conveyed certain benefits to the population, which

now included Roman military veterans. In the centuries that followed, Caesarea continued to grow, reaching its

maximum extent during the fifth and sixth centuries C. E. (the Byzantine period). Caesarea was the last major city

in Palestine to fall to the Muslims, surrendering in 640 C. E. after a seven-month-long siege. Although Caesarea

contracted in size after the Muslim conquest, it continued to be an important commercial hub, as indicated by

large quantities of imported pottery from around the Mediterranean. Caesarea was conquered during the First

Crusade (1101) and became a key stronghold of the Crusader kingdom in the Holy Land. The Genoese found a

green-colored glass vessel in the city and declared it to be the Holy Grail, the goblet used by Jesus at the Last

Supper. It was taken to Genoa and placed in the Church of San Lorenzo. Caesarea fell to Saladin in 1187 and was

retaken by the Crusaders in 1191.

When the Mamluke ruler Baybars conquered

Caesarea in 1265, he razed it to the ground,

bringing to an end the city's long history. In

the 1870s and 1880s, the Ottomans settled

Bosnian refugees at Caesarea (Kaisariyeh).

This settlement existed until the

establishment of the state of Israel in 1948;

some descendants of the Bosnian families

still live in the nearby Israeli town of

Hadera. After 1948, the Israeli authorities

cleared and restored the Crusader

fortification walls and moat.

We hear first of Caesarea as the final

destination of the wandering Philip the

Evangelist (8:40), who, besides a modest

missionary range, also had four prophesying

daughters living with him (21:8-9). When in

Jerusalem certain Hellenists wanted to kill

Paul, the brethren spirited him away to

Tarsus via Caesarea (9:30).

Also in Caesarea, the centurion Cornelius

saw a vision in which he was told to sent

for Peter, who was in Joppa at the time

(10:1). Peter too saw a vision, the famous

Great Sheet via which the Lord explained

Peter that the gospel was also for the

gentiles, and the first of those to receive

the gospel and the Holy Spirit was Cornelius

of Caesarea (11:24-48).

Some while later, Peter was arrested in

Jerusalem but miraculously freed from

prison. When Herod (Herod Agrippa I)

couldn't find him, he had the guards

executed and took off to his Roman

buddies in Caesarea himself, and there he

died rather spectacularly (12:19-23, also

Josephus Ant.19.8.2).

On his way from Greece to Antioch, Paul

came ashore in Caesarea (18:22), and later

on his way to Jerusalem, did the same

(21:8) and even picked up some Caesarean

disciples who accompanied him for untold

reasons to Mnason of Cyprus (21:16).

Finally in Jerusalem, Paul was arrested

and after some ado, toted back to

Caesarea, to be tried by Felix the

governor (23:23, 23:33).

After two years, Felix was succeeded by

Porcius Festus, whose inquiries into the

Pauline situation took him to Jerusalem

from Caesarea (25:1), while Paul stayed in

Caesarea (25:4), where he joined him after

eight or ten days (25:6). Several days

later, King Agrippa (Herod Agrippa II) and

Bernice arrived at Caesarea (25:13), and

joined their host Festus in hearing Paul.


ּ

עֵין כ ‏ֶרֶם عين كارم

ʿ ʿ

ḥ

حيفا χ i̯ˈ ˈχ i̯ חֵיפָה

חפה

חוֹף

חוֹף י ‏ָפֶה


ˌ ɛ əˈ ːə ɪˈ ɪ

ɪ

Καισαρεία Φιλί

εια

əˈ ːə Πανειάς

ˈ ɑː

ə

Πάνειον

ā́

əˈ ʊ ə Νερωνιάς

əˈ

ɪə


שִׂרְיֹן

جبل حرمون

جبل الشيخ

הר חרמון

جبل بنطل جبل الغرام

הר בנטל



נֵצֶר ṣ

נָצַר

ṣ


مجیدو

מגידו


ROCK CLIMBING FOR EVERYONE

S T E P - B Y - S T E P

J O R D A N T R A V E L


′ ″ ′ ″

גשר אלנבי

جسر الملك حسين

′ ″ ′ ″

′ ″ ′ ″

מסוף

معبر نهر الأردن

נהר ירדן

تقاطع وادي

מעבר יצחק רבין

عربة

מסוף יצחק רבין




C O M I N G

B A C K T O I S R A E L


T R A V E L

C O S T S

" L A U G H ,

A N D T H E W O R L D

L A U G H S W I T H

Y O U ; W E E P , A N D

Y O U W E E P

A L O N E . "

J O R D A N I A N P R O V E R B


JUDAISM 101

Judaism

Judaism is a lively and diverse monotheistic world religion that shares

characteristics with both Christianity and Islam. Its creative contribution to

cultural history is immense. Jewish Holy Scripture, the Torah, is fundamental

for the organization of Jewish life across the whole world. Various Jewish

communities can today be found in all parts of the world. The Jewish

religion is closely linked with the history of all Israelites.

COOLFACTS

- Judaism is the oldest

monotheistic religion in the old.

- A common Jewish faith

first emerged in the Babylonian

exile.

- The Torah is the

primary holy book of Judaism,

making up the first five chapters

of both the Hebrew Bible and

Christianity`s Old Testament.

The Origin and Beginning of “God`s Chosen People”

According to ancient tradition, Judaism emerged between the Euphrates and

Tigris rivers. The nation of Israel in the Bible originates with Abraham of Ur,

who worshipped a unique God that permeates everything. Six generations

later, descendants of Abraham lived in Egypt as slaves. Moses rose up as a

leader among them, taking his people across the Red Sea and back toward the

“promised land”. During the Exodus, Moses received the Ten Commandments,

a set of laws central to the Jewish religion. These laws are considered by the

Jews as a gift of God and as the holy path.

Settled in the Promised Land, the 12 tribes of Israelites finally unite as a single

nation under Saul, who ruled from 884 to 882 B.C. After him, David, then

Solomon served as powerful leaders, building the temple of Jerusalem, considered

the most important altar of the God Jehovah and the spiritual center

of the Jewish religion. After the death of Solomon, the Israelite nation split

in two. Israel, the northern kingdom, was captured by the Assyrians while the

southern kingdom was taken over by the Babylonian king Nebuchadrezzar in

597 B.C. Ten years later, he destroyed the temple of Jerusalem and deported

large portions of the upper and middle classes to Mesopotamia. This period of

time, called the Exile, unified Jews in their belief in Jehovah and their return to

the Promised Land.

The Promised Land

After the Persians (538 B.C.) captured Babylon, many Jews returned to Israel

and reconstructed the temple in Jerusalem. The country was the tributary

province of the Persian kingdom and remained so even after the victory of

Alexander The Great over the Persians in 333 B.C. With this, the Hellenistic

culture reached Judaism. When the Seleucid king Antiochus IV banned the

temple culture in 168 B.C., a Jewish resistance movement arose. Four years

later, they, under the leadership of the Maccabees, drove out the occupying

forces and newly consecrated the temple. The Romans, called to settle a

dispute between the Maccabee brothers, captured Jerusalem in 63 B.C. Later,

Herod was made Judah`s vassal king, during whose rule Jesus of Nazareth was

born.

Holy Scriptures

The Jewish Bible or

“Tanakh” is the product

of more than 1,000

years of history.

During the rabbinic

period (ca 70 A.D. –sixth

century), the tripartite

canon (traditionally

counted as 24 books)

was created.

Those holy Hebrew

Scriptures are

considered inspired and

consistent, and include

the five books of Moses

(Torah), prophetic

writings (Neviìm) and

hagiographies or writings,

(Ketuvim), which

include the Psalms.

The organization of the

books into chapters can

be traced back to the

Middle Ages; the numbering

of the verses to

the 16th century.

Above: Jewish scripts

often contain magnificent

artistic images.

- Devotion to God and a

lineage reaching back to Abraham

unite Jews all over the world.

- God`s covenant with

Israel made them His chosen people.

The promise was conveyed by

the agreement with Noah after the

flood, the promise of children to

Abraham, and the transmission of

the Torah to Moses.

- During the time of

the judges, many prophets like

Jeremiah arose to interpret God`s

Commandments.

- The diversity of

modern Judaism can be traced to

the different interpretations of

the Torah. Orthodox Jews adhere

strictly to the commandments;

meanwhile in the liberal Judaism

there are even female rabbis.

- There were pogroms

against the Jews during the

Crusades.

- The National Socialists

(Nazis) murdered over six

million Jews.

- Today, Anti-Semitism

is growing in the Arab world.

- The “Judensau” was

ridiculing propaganda against

the Jewish religion in the Middle

Ages.

- Since antiquity, Jews

have been living in Palestine.

- The ancient city of

Jerusalem is the holy city for

three world religions. In 1980,

it was made the lawful national

territory of Israel.

- Over 5 million Jews

live in Israel. It is the only country

in the world in which Jews

hold the majority.

The Classic versus The Modern Judaism

Jewish Learning

The theological-legal structure of classical Judaism shows that the Old Testament easily reveals historical views that could be interpreted wrong,

as of Judaism being a monotheistic religion with unmistakable traces of polytheism. However, before considering this to be an oxymoron, we

need to consider the fact that many misconceptions came from “the Judeo-Christian tradition” (the non-Hebrew), where like in almost all the

foreign-language religions, have been interpreted in different ways.

The most popular delusions and interpretations mentions are that in most books of the Old Testament there is an existence of “other gods”. This

having been said, it is true that “other gods” have been acknowledged, but Yahweh (Jehovah), being the most powerful of all the gods forbids his

people to worship them. Some Jews believe that these writings have been mentioned on purpose, to point out the fact that no” other gods” exist

before Yahweh and that the meaning of “other gods” could also be interpreted as “other religions”. Some other Jews believe that the existence

of the “other gods” is to accentuate the importance of those characters in their Old Testaments, like the first god, also called “Father” and the first

goddess also called “Mother”. In Christian religions, these characters are called Adam and Eve. In some of the later prophets in the Bible, the

existence of all gods other than Yahweh is denied; therefore everything became quite clear that Judaism is far from pure monotheism, even for

the non- Hebrew believers. The doctrines dominant in present-day Orthodox Judaism, which is a direct continuation of the classical Judaism has

a strong influence of the cabbala. Cabbala is a mystical tradition based on the interpretations of the Old Testament. According to Cabbala, the

universe is ruled by several deities, of many characteristics and originated from a First Cause.

From the First Cause, we see a male god called “Wisdom” or “Father” and a female goddess called “Knowledge” or Mother”. The “Wisdom” god

and the “Knowledge” goddess gave birth to “Son” (also called “Small Face” or “The Holy Blessed One”) and Daughter (also called “Lady”), to

“Queen” and many others. Satan has an important personage in the Hebrew Old Testament, because he managed to break the union of the first

two sons and also came very closely to the divine Daughter. The Satan not only ruined the divine union, but he also destruction of the Temples,

the exile of the Jews from the Holy Land and the “whoring after strange gods”. The knowledge and comprehending of the Old Testament is

important for the Classic Jews for many reasons. The Classic Judaism is the foundation of the Modern Judaism (that got developed in the 12th

and 13th centuries) and it plays an important contemporary political role in the system of beliefs on many religious politicians. It contains many

traditions, festivities, prayers and religious acts that (as they believe) could help to bring back the perfect divine unity (in the form of sexual union

between the male and female deities) and to deceive various angels (that are independent minor deities) or to trick Satan. Classic Judaism also

celebrates each stage of life: the circumcision of male infants on their eight day; the 13th year coming of age (in Reform Judaism females hold

a similar celebration, the “Bar Mitzvah”); both the proposal and act of marriage, and then finally the death. Important annual festivals are: Rosh

Hashanah (New Year), Hanukkah, and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

Many points of view have been revealed regarding the cabbalistic system and its importance. Even though the Classic Judaism and its present

political involvement in the Zionist practice have contradicting theories, one should never ignore the past and its influences, because only by

knowing it can one rise above its sightless power.

Israel Shahak notes that:” whatever can be said about this cabbalistic system, it cannot be regarded as monotheistic, unless one is also prepared

to regard Hinduism, the late Graeco-Roman religion, or even the religion of ancient Egypt, as “monotheistic.”

The Torah

The Torah scrolls, which are read out during services

of the synagogue, are held within the ark. The prayer

leader stands upon a raised platform and begins

recitations of consecutive sections of the Torah.

During the main religious services on the Sabbath

and holidays, chapters from the books of the prophets

are also read. Local liturgical customs, prayers,

and hymns continue to play an important role in the

synagogues. Traditional Judaism insists upon women

being seated in a separate gallery.

Synagogues always face eastward. The ark, which

encases the Torah, is on the eastern wall.

The Rabbi

The rabbi was primarily a scholar of the Torah who

was revered by virtue of his charisma and

competence. The authority granted to rabbis by the

Learning and Teaching

Jewish community was restricted to questions pertaining

to the interpretation and application of the

The foundation of the Jewish

faith is the Torah. Within

Torah to everyday life, but held no religious functions.

From the High Middle Ages, rabbis acted in the

these scriptures are the Ten

Commandments, expanded

by the rabbinical tradition

service of the Jewish community and were expected of scriptural interpretation.

They are the sources of the

to deal completely with all questions regarding

Halakha – the Jewish code of

religious laws. By the modern ages they received a

religious law.

position of increasing importance as the religious

and moral authority representative of the Jewish

community, especially when faced with non-Jewish

authorities. In modern Judaism, duties of the rabbi

came to include pastoral duties such as leading worship

services. Since the 19th century, the majority of

traditional Talmudic schools have become academic Synagogues symbolize the

rabbinical seminaries. As a result of the progressive preservation of the collective

Jewish way of life and often

Jewish reform movement going on since the 20th

house social, cultural, and

century, even women have been ordained as rabbis.

administrative facilities.


Who is a Jew?

by Rebecca Weiner

Judaism is a religion as well as a nation and culture. Approximately 13.75 million people worldwide indentify as Jewish,

with the vast majority living in either the United States or Israel.

Jews come in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and nationalities. There are black Jews from Ethiopia, Chinese Jews from Shanghai

and Indian Jews. There are Jews from Morocco and Iran, Jews from South America and Oceania. The practices and

beliefs held by Jews range from those who openly identify as Orthodox and strictly observe ancient precepts to those that

have nothing to do with the religion or culture.

Images Courtesy of Unsplash

Origins of the Words “Jew” & “Judaism”

Today, Judaism is comprised of four major movements: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist. Most Israelis are often described

as “secular,” but the majority observe Jewish holidays and are very knowledgeable about Jewish history and culture, which is taught in public

school. The Conservative and Reform movements are particularly strong in the United States, but have yet to make significant inroads in Israel.

Reconstructionism is a small and relatively new movement. Orthodoxy has grown in recent years in the United States and remains the strongest

movement in Israel. The Orthodox, more so than the other movements, are also divided among different sects.

The Jewish movements have different interpretations of the Torah, which lead to different rituals, spiritual practices and beliefs. The diversity of

beliefs and practices has led to different definitions of “Who is a Jew.” This question is not just philosophical, it has political and legal ramifications.

In Israel, questions of Jewishness have implications for immigration, conversion, marriage, divorce and the allocation of government money.

The original name for the people we now call Jews was Hebrews. The word “Hebrew” (in Hebrew, “Ivri”) is first used in the Torah to describe Abraham

(Gen. 14:13). The word is apparently derived from the name Eber, one of Abraham’s ancestors. Another tradition teaches that the word comes

from the word “eyver,” which means “the other side,” referring to the fact that Abraham came from the other side of the Euphrates, or referring to

the fact Abraham was separated from the other nations morally and spiritually.

Another name used for the people is Children of Israel or Israelites, which refers to the fact that the people are descendants of Jacob, who was

also called Israel.

The word “Jew” (in Hebrew, “Yehudi”) is derived from the name Judah, which was the name of one of Jacob’s twelve sons. Judah was the ancestor

of one of the tribes of Israel, which was named after him. Likewise, the word Judaism literally means “Judah-ism,” that is, the religion of the

Yehudim.

Originally, the term Yehudi referred specifically to members of the tribe of Judah, as distinguished from the other tribes of Israel. However,

after the death of King Solomon, the nation of Israel was split into two kingdoms: the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel (I Kings 12; II

Chronicles 10). After that time, the word Yehudi could properly be used to describe anyone from the kingdom of Judah, which included the tribes

of Judah, Benjamin and Levi, as well as scattered settlements from other tribes. The most obvious biblical example of this usage is in Esther 2:5,

where Mordecai is referred to as both a Yehudi and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

In approximately 722 B.C.E., the kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria and the ten tribes were exiled from the land (II Kings

17), which left only the tribes in Judah’s kingdom to carry on Abraham’s heritage. The people of Judah’s kingdom called themselves

and were known to other nations as Yehudim(Jews), a name still used today.

In common speech, the word “Jew” is used to refer to all of the physical and spiritual descendants of Jacob/Israel, as well as to

the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac and their wives, and the word “Judaism” is used to refer to their beliefs. Technically, this usage

is inaccurate, just as it is technically inaccurate to use the word “Indian” to refer to the original inhabitants of the Americas.

However, this technically inaccurate usage is common both within the Jewish community and outside of it, and is therefore used

throughout this site.

Who is a Jew according to halakhah (Jewish Religious Law)?

Trend Privé Magazine 126

According to Jewish law, a child born to a Jewish mother or an adult who has converted to Judaism is considered a Jew; one does

not have to reaffirm their Jewishness or practice any of the laws of the Torah to be Jewish. According to Reform Judaism, a person

is a Jew if they were born to either a Jewish mother or a Jewish father. Also, Reform Judaism stresses the importance of being

raised Jewish; if a child is born to Jewish parents and was not raised Jewish then the child is not considered Jewish. According

to the Orthodox movement, the father’s religion and whether the person practices is immaterial. No affirmation or upbringing is

needed, as long as the mother was Jewish.

Besides for differing opinions on patrilineal descent, the various streams also have different conversion practices. Conversion

done under the auspices of an Orthodox rabbi, entails Jewish study, brit milah (for men), mikvah (for both men and women) and a

stated commitment to follow the laws of the Torah. Conservative conversions use the same requirements as the Orthodox do;

however, conversions by the Reform movement and other streams do not have the same requirements.

Since the conversion practices are not uniform, many Orthodox Jews do not recognize Reform

or Conservative conversions as valid and, hence, do not consider the converts Jews. Once a person

has converted to Judaism, he is not referred to by any special term; he is as much a Jew as anyone

born Jewish.

About Matrilineal Descent

Many people have asked why traditional Judaism uses matrilineal descent to determine Jewish status,

especially because for tribal affiliation, priestly status and royalty, patrilineal descent determines

membership.

The Torah does not specifically state anywhere that matrilineal descent should be used; however,

there are several passages in the Torah where the child of a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish man is

considered a Jew, and several other passages where the child of a non-Jewish woman and a Jewish

man is not considered a Jew.

In Deuteronomy 7:1-5, G-d prohibits intermarriage, saying “he [ie, the non-Jewish male spouse] will

cause your child to turn away from Me and they will worship the gods of others.” The Torah does not

include a similar concern is for the child of a non-Jewish female spouse. From this, one can infer that

a child of a non-Jewish male spouse is Jewish and can be turned away from Judaism, but the child

of a non-Jewish female spouse is not Jewish andturning away is not an issue. Also, Leviticus 24:10

speaks about the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian man as “among the community of Israel”

(i.e., a Jew).

On the other hand, in Ezra 10:2-3, the Jews returning to Israel vowed to put aside their non-Jewish

wives and the children born to those wives. They could not have put aside those children if those

children were Jews.

Several people have asked how King David could be a Jew given that one of his female ancestors,

Ruth, was not a Jew. However Ruth converted to Judaism before marrying Boaz and bearing Obed. (In

Ruth 1:16 she states her intention to convert.) After she converted, Ruth was Jewish, and her children

born after the conversion were Jewish as well. Even so, Ruth is David’s paternal ancestor, so Ruth’s

Jewish identity or lack thereof would not impact King David’s status as a Jew because King David’s

Jewish status is determined matrilineally.

Implications on Israeli Society

Immigration:

In 1950, the Law of Return was passed in Israel stating that every Jew has the right to immigrate to

Israel, and granting automatic citizenship and benefits to any Jew who makes aliyah. Jewish immigrants

receive better benefits than non-Jewish immigrants, including guaranteed housing, ulpan

(Hebrew language study), full tuition for graduate degrees, and other benefits including discounts on

major purchases, such as cars and appliances. The absorption process is more arduous for non-Jews

and may take many years, during which they might not have health insurance and other government

services.

Three famous cases tested the Law of Return and a Jew’s right to immediate citizenship. The first

example involved Brother Daniel (born Oswald Rufeisen), a Jew who converted to Christianity during

the Holocaust and had become a Carmelite Monk. During his youth, Rufeisen was active in a Zionist

youth movement and fled to Vilna, Lithuania at the start of World War II. There he worked as a slave

laborer and escaped to Mir where he worked for the police as a translator. Rufeisen took advantage of

his position and smuggled arms to his Jewish friends and helped drive the police out from Mir before

it was liquidated, saving nearly 300 Jews. Rufeisen hid in the forest and later a convent, where he decided

to convert to Christianity. In 1962, Rufeisen, now Brother Daniel, applied to immigrate to Israel

and, after being denied, he appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that despite the

fact he was born to a Jewish mother, he had since converted and should not be recognized as a Jew

by the State of Israel.

Following the Brother Daniel case, a new regulation was adopted stating that individuals registered

as Jews for the “nationality” and ‘religion” section of their identity cards must be Jews according to

halakhah and they must not practice another religion. The Shalit case challenged this new ruling.

Benjamin Shalit married a non-Jewish Scottish woman. Since he was an Israeli, she and their children

automatically received Israeli citizenship. The two considered themselves atheists, but part of a Jewish

nation and wanted their children’s identity cards to state Jewish for the nationality designation

and to remain blank for religion. The Ministry of Interior wanted to keep both designations blank, so

the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in the Shalits’ favor.

The decision sparked controversy and, in 1970, an amendment to the Law of Return passed stating

that only persons born to a Jewish mother or who had converted to Judaism were allowed to immigrate

to Israel under the Law of Return. This amendment did not specify what type of conversion is

needed, thereby allowing different interpretations. The Holy Land - The Essential Guide to Living in Israel 127

Since the amendment was passed, religious parties in the Knesset have tried to change it to apply only to Orthodoxconversions, a move that angered

the Reform and Conservative movements in the United States, which felt that it was an attempt to delegitimize their movements.

The Shoshanna Miller Case in 1980 tested the new amendment. She applied for citizenship under the Law of Return as a Reform convert. Initially

her petition was refused and she appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled that she should be granted citizenship, in what became known as the

Miller precedent.

Conversion:

Non-orthodox conversions done outside Israel are allowed; however, in Israel, only Orthodox conversions are accepted by the government and the

Rabbinate. While the issue of conversion had sparked controversy in Israel for many years, the need for a comprehensive conversion policy was

heightened after the arrival of 800,000 Russian immigrants in the late 1980’s. They immigrated under the Law of Return, however, about 200,000

-300,000 were not Jewish according to halakhah. To find a solution acceptable to Orthodox and non-Orthodox streams, the Neeman Committee

was formed. In February 1998, Finance Minister Yaakov Neeman recommended that conversions should be done according to halakhah through a

special Conversion Court, and that a special institute would be created to prepare applicants for conversion, in which they could take courses offered

by all streams of Judaism. The Neeman Committee’s proposal was endorsed by the Cabinet and the Knesset, however it was not accepted by

the Chief Rabbinate. Lacking the support of the Rabbinate, the Neeman Committee’s proposals were never implemented.

In December 1998, Jerusalem District Court Judge Vardi Zeiler ruled that Conservative and Reform converts are allowed to be registered at the

Interior Ministry as Jews, regardless of where the conversion took place. Following this case, appeals were expected and legislation has been proposed

to allow only Orthodox conversions. The conversion issue has yet to be resolved.

The issue of conversion also became controversial after the arrival of thousands of Jews from Ethiopia. Ethiopian Jews did not practice any rituals

or laws pertaining to the Oral Torah and, instead, practice a purer form of Biblical Judaism, which is different than mainstream Ashkenazic and

Sephardic Judaism. Because of these differences and for other ritual purposes, the Rabbinate proposed a symbolic conversion of all Ethiopian

Jews to be done before they married. The Ethiopians refused stating that it delegitimized them as Jews. Eventually the issue was circumvented as a

rabbi sympathetic to their cause was able to register their marriages. Ethiopian rabbis still have difficulty gaining legitimacy for their marriages and

divorces performed in Israel.

Marriage and Divorce:

Marriage ceremonies and divorce proceedings are not allowed to be performed or issued by Conservative or Reform rabbis in Israel. In fact, only

Orthodoxrabbis are allowed to marry Jews and many secular Israelis travel to Cyprus and other foreign countries to have a civil ceremony, which

they can not receive in Israel. Israel does recognize marriages performed abroad by the Conservative and Reform movements; however, divorces

issued abroad by rabbis from these movements are not recognized by the Rabbinate in Israel.

One of the reasons why issues of conversion, marriage and divorce are so important to religious Jews is because of the possibility of mamzerim

(illegitimates). In a Jewish divorce, a get must be signed by the husband. If he does not sign, then the divorce is not official and the couple is still

legally married according to Jewish law. If the get is not issued, the woman is not free to remarry and have children, and if she does remarry and

have children, then those children are considered to be bastards according to Jewish law. (There is no biblical injunction against multiple wives,

however, it has been ruled illegal according to the Rabbis.) The bastard child cannot be issued a Jewish identity card and will not be permitted to

marry another Jew in Israel. The illegitimate child is only permitted to marry other illegitimate children. Hence, many Orthodox Rabbis claim the

reason they want to retain control over conversions, marriage and divorce is to avoid the problem of mamzerim.

Allocation of Funding:

In Israel, another political implication for the “Who is a Jew” question is the allocation

of government funds. The government of Israel sets aside part of their

annual budget for religious purposes, much of these funds are then distributed

by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. In 1994, the High Court of Justice ordered

the allocation of funds to non-Orthodox institutions in Israel. The Ministry of

Religious Affairs agreed to abide by the ruling of the court, however, officials

decided that they would not earmark funds for non-Orthodox supplementary

religious education or for non-Orthodox Torah culture funds.

In 1995, the Ministry of Religious Affairs gave less than a half of a percent of

the available funds to Hebrew Union College (HUC), the Reform Rabbinical Institute

in Israel. Angered by the poor funding, petitions were sent to High Court

to request increased funding for HUC and other Reform institutions.

Funding is also determined by local religious councils. Until recently, non-

Orthodox rabbis were unable to sit in religious councils, which control funds to

local institutions.

Alternative sources of funding have been found by the Conservative and

Reform movements for their schools and programs. Funding for non-Orthodox

schools, such as the Tali schools (run by the Masorti movement in Israel) has

received funds from foundations, non-governmental organizations and the

Jewish Agency.

Photo by Blake Campbell on Unsplash


What is Aliyah?

Aliyah in Judaism

Aliyah is the immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the Land of Israel (Eretz Israel in Hebrew). Also defined as “the act of going up”—that is,

towards Jerusalem—”making Aliyah” by moving to the Land of Israel is one of the most basic tenets of Zionism.

For much of Jewish history most Jews have lived in the diaspora where aliyah was developed as a national aspiration for the Jewish people,

although it was not usually fulfilled until the development of the Zionist movement in the late nineteenth century.

Aliyah is an important Jewish cultural concept and a fundamental component of Zionism. It is enshrined in Israel’s Law of Return, which accords

any Jew (deemed as such by halakha and/or Israeli secular law) and eligible non-Jews (a child and a grandchild of a Jew, the spouse of a

Jew, the spouse of a child of a Jew and the spouse of a grandchild of a Jew), the legal right to assisted immigration and settlement in Israel, as

well as Israeli citizenship. Someone who “makes aliyah” is called an oleh (m.; pl. olim) or olah (f.; pl. olot). Many religious Jews espouse aliyah

as a return to the Promised land, and regard it as the fulfillment of God’s biblical promise to the descendants of the Hebrew patriarchs Abraham,

Isaac, and Jacob. Nachmanides (the Ramban) includes making aliyah in his enumeration of the 613 commandments.

The discussion on this passage in the Mishnah emphasizes the importance of living in Israel: “One should always live in the Land of Israel,

even in a town most of whose inhabitants are idolaters, but let no one live outside the Land, even in a town most of whose inhabitants are

Israelites; for whoever lives in the Land of Israel may be considered to have a God, but whoever lives outside the Land may be regarded as

one who has no God.”

Sifre says that the mitzvah (commandment) of living in Eretz Yisrael is as important as all the other mitzvot put together. There are many mitzvot

such as shmita, the sabbatical year for farming, which can only be performed in Israel.

According to the traditional Jewish ordering of books of the Tanakh (Old Testament), the very last word of the last book in the original Hebrew

(2 Chronicles 36:23) is veya‘al, a jussive verb form derived from the same root asaliyah, meaning “and let him go up” (to Jerusalem in Judah).

2 Chronicles 36:23 (KJV) Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath

charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah. Who[is there] among you of all his people? The LORD his God [be] with

him, and let him go up.

Return to the land of Israel is a recurring theme in Jewish prayers recited every day, three times a day, and holiday services on Passover and

Yom Kippur traditionally conclude with the words “Next year in Jerusalem”. Because Jewish lineage can provide a right to Israeli citizenship,

aliyah (returning to Israel) has both a secular and a religious significance.

For generations of religious Jews, aliyah was associated with the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Jews prayed for their Messiah to come, who

was to redeem the land of Israel from gentile rule and return world Jewry to the land under a Halachic theocracy.

The number of Jews migrating to the land of Israel rose significantly between the 13th and 19th centuries, mainly due to a general decline in

the status of Jews across Europe and an increase in religious persecution. The expulsion of Jews from England (1290), France (1391), Austria

(1421), and Spain (the Alhambradecree of 1492) were seen by many as a sign of approaching redemption and contributed greatly to the messianic

spirit of the time.

Aliyah was also spurred during this period by the resurgence of messianic fervor among the Jews of France, Italy, the Germanic states, Poland,

Russia, and North Africa. The belief in the imminent coming of the Jewish Messiah, the ingathering of the exiles and the re-establishment of

the kingdom of Israel encouraged many who had few other options to make the perilous journey to the land of Israel.

Aliyah in the Modern Era

In Zionist history, the different waves of aliyah, beginning with the arrival of the Biluim from Russia in 1882, are categorized by date and the

country of origin of the immigrants.

The first modern period of immigration to receive a number in common speech was the Third Aliya, which in the World War I period was referred

to as the successor to the First and Second Aliyot from Babylonia in the Biblical period. Reference to earlier modern periods as the First

and Second Aliyot appeared first in 1919 and took a while to catch on.

Between 1882 and 1903, approximately 35,000 Jews immigrated to the southwestern area of Syria, then a province of the Ottoman Empire.

The majority, belonging to the Hovevei Zion and Bilu movements, came from the Russian Empire with a smaller number arriving from Yemen.

Many established agricultural communities. Among the towns that these individuals established are Petah Tikva (already in 1878), Rishon

LeZion, Rosh Pinna, and Zikhron Ya’akov. In 1882 the Yemenite Jews settled in the Arab village of Silwan located south-east of the walls of the

Old City of Jerusalem on the slopes of The Mount of Olives.

Between 1904 and 1914, 40,000 Jews immigrated mainly from Russia to southwestern Syria following pogroms and outbreaks of anti-

Semitism in that country. This group, greatly influenced by socialist ideals, established the first kibbutz, Degania Alef, in 1909 and formed

self-defense organizations, such as Hashomer, to counter increasing Arab hostility and to help Jews to protect their communities from Arab

marauders. Ahuzat Bayit, a new suburb of Jaffa established in 1909, eventually grew to become the city of Tel Aviv.


During this period, some of the underpinnings of an independent nation-state arose: Hebrew,

the ancient national language, was revived as a spoken language; newspapers and

literature written in Hebrew were published; political parties and workers organizations

were established. The First World War effectively ended the period of the Second Aliyah.

Between 1919 and 1923, 40,000 Jews, mainly from Eastern Europe arrived in the wake

of World War I. The British occupation of Palestine and the establishment of the British

Mandate created the conditions for the implementation of the promises contained in the

Balfour Declaration of 1917. Many of the Jewish immigrants were ideologically driven

pioneers, known as halutzim, trained in agriculture and capable of establishing self-sustaining

economies. In spite of immigration quotas established by the British administration,

the Jewish population reached 90,000 by the end of this period. The Jezreel Valley

and the Hefer Plain marshes were drained and converted to agricultural use. Additional

national institutions arose such as the Histradut (General Labor Federation); an elected

assembly; national council; and the Haganah, the forerunner of the Israel Defense Forces.

Between 1924 and 1929, 82,000 Jews arrived, many as a result of anti-Semitism in Poland

and Hungary. The immigration quotas of the United States kept Jews out. This group

contained many middle-class families that moved to the growing towns, establishing small

businesses, and light industry. Of these approximately 23,000 left the country.

Between 1929 and 1939, with the rise of Nazism in Germany, a new wave of 250,000

immigrants arrived; the majority of these, 174,000, arrived between 1933 and 1936, after

which increasing restrictions on immigration by the British made immigration clandestine

and illegal, called Aliyah Bet. The Fifth Aliyah was again driven almost entirely from Europe,

mostly from Eastern Europe (particularly from Poland, Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia),

but also from Greece. A small number of Jewish immigrants also came from

Yemen. The Fifth Aliyah contained large numbers of professionals, doctors, lawyers, and

professors, from Germany. Refugee architects and musicians introduced the Bauhaus style

(the White City of Tel Aviv has the highest concentration of International Style architecture

in the world with a strong element of Bauhaus) and founded the Palestine Philharmonic

Orchestra. With the completion of the port at Haifa and its oil refineries, significant industry

was added to the predominantly agricultural economy. The Jewish population reached

450,000 by 1940.

At the same time, tensions between Arabs and Jews grew during this period, leading to

a series of Arab riots against the Jews in 1929 that left many dead and resulted in the

depopulation of the Jewish community in Hebron. This was followed by more violence

during the “Great Uprising” of 1936–1939. In response to the ever-increasing tension

between the Arabic and Jewish communities married with the various commitments the

British faced at the dawn of World War II, the British issued the White Paper of 1939,

which severely restricted Jewish immigration to 75,000 people for five years. This served

to create a relatively peaceful eight years in Palestine while the Holocaust unfolded in

Europe.

Shortly after their rise to power, the Nazis negotiated the Ha’avarot or “Transfer” Agreement

with the Jewish Agency under which 50,000 German Jews and $100 million worth of

their assets would be moved to Palestine.

The British government limited Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine with quotas,

and following the rise of Nazism to power in Germany, illegal immigration to Mandatory

Palestine commenced. The illegal immigration was known as Aliyah Bet (“secondary immigration”),

or Ha’apalah, and was organized by the Mossad Le’aliyah Bet, as well as by the

Irgun. Immigration was done mainly by sea, and to a lesser extent overland through Iraq

and Syria. During World War II and the years that followed until independence, Aliyah Bet

became the main form of Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine.

Following the war, Berihah (“escape”), an organization of former partisans and ghetto

fighters was primarily responsible for smuggling Jews from Poland and Eastern Europe to

the Italian ports from which they traveled to Mandatory Palestine. Despite British efforts to

curb the illegal immigration, during the 14 years of its operation, 110,000 Jews immigrated

to Palestine. In 1945 reports of the Holocaust with its 6 million Jewish killed, caused

many Jews in Palestine to turn openly against the British Mandate, and illegal immigration

escalated rapidly as many Holocaust survivors joined the Aliyah.

At the beginning of the immigration wave, most of the immigrants to reach Israel were Holocaust

survivors from Europe, including many from displacedpersons camps in Germany,

Austria, and Italy, and from British detention camps on Cyprus. Large sections of shattered

Jewish communities throughout Europe, such as those from Poland and Romania also

immigrated to Israel, with some communities, such as those from Bulgaria and Yugoslavia,

being almost entirely transferred. At the same time, the number of immigrants from Arab

and Muslim countries increased.

Special operations were undertaken to evacuate Jewish communities

perceived to be in serious danger, such as Operation

Magic Carpet, which evacuated almost the entire Jewish population

of Yemen, and Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, which

airlifted most of the Jews of Iraq to Israel. Nearly the entire

Jewish population of Libya left for Israel around this time.

This resulted in a period of austerity. To ensure that Israel,

which at that time had a small economy and scant foreign

currency reserves, could provide for the immigrants, a strict

regime of rationing was put in place. Measures were enacted

to ensure that all Israeli citizens had access to adequate

food, housing, and clothing. Austerity was very restrictive

until 1953; the previous year, Israel had signed a reparations

agreement with West Germany, in which the West German

government would pay Israel as compensation for the Holocaust,

due to Israel’s taking in a large number of Holocaust

survivors. The resulting influx of foreign capital boosted

the Israeli economy and allowed for the relaxing of most

restrictions. The remaining austerity measures were gradually

phased out throughout the following years. When new

immigrants arrived in Israel, they were sprayed with DDT, underwent

a medical examination, were inoculated against diseases,

and were given food. The earliest immigrants received

desirable homes in established urban areas, but most of the

immigrants were then sent to transit camps, known initially

as immigrant camps, and later as Ma’abarot. Many were also

initially housed in reception centers in military barracks. By

the end of 1950, some 93,000 immigrants were housed in 62

transit camps. The Israeli government’s goal was to get the immigrants

out of refugee housing and into society as speedily

as possible. Immigrants who left the camps received a ration

card, an identity card, a mattress, a pair of blankets, and $21

to $36 in cash. They settled either in established cities and

towns, or in kibbutzim and moshavim.Many others stayed in

the Ma’abarot as they were gradually turned into permanent

cities and towns, which became known as development

towns, or were absorbed as neighborhoods of the towns they

were attached to, and the tin dwellings were replaced with

permanent housing.

In the early 1950s, the immigration wave subsided, and emigration

increased; ultimately, some 10% of the immigrants

would leave Israel for other countries in the following years.

In 1953, immigration to Israel averaged 1,200 a month, while

emigration averaged 700 a month. The end of the period of

mass immigration gave Israel a critical opportunity to more

rapidly absorb the immigrants still living in transit camps. The

Israeli government built 260 new settlements and 78,000

housing units to accommodate the immigrants, and by the

mid-1950s, almost all were in permanent housing. The last

ma’abarot closed in 1963.

In the mid-1950s, a smaller wave of immigration began from

North African countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria,

and Egypt, many of which were in the midst of nationalist

struggles. Between 1952 and 1964, some 240,000 North

African Jews came to Israel. During this period, smaller but

significant numbers arrived from other places such as Europe,

Iran, India, and Latin America. In particular, a small immigration

wave from Poland, known as the “Gomulka Aliyah”, took

place during this period. From 1956 to 1960, Poland permitted

free Jewish emigration, and some 50,000 Polish Jews

immigrated to Israel.

Since the founding of the State of Israel, the Jewish Agency

for Israel was mandated as the organization responsible for

aliyah in the diaspora.


Jewish

Piety and Festivities

Jewish piety is determined by the Commandments of the Torah and by centuries of “midrash,”or scholarly

interpretation of the Torah and its meaning. They seek to live a life in accordance with the will of God and

provide structure and significance for day-to-day life and celebration days.

T

O R

Laws of Everyday Life

A

H

The Torah

Dietary laws include avoiding certain types of

meat, such as pork, as well as prohibiting the

common storage and consumption of meat

and dairy products together. All foods that are

permissible to eat by the Commandments of the

Torah are referred as “kosher.” Every week Jews

observe the Sabbath, the seventh day of the

week, as a day off from work.

Worship Services and Festivities

The Torah brings salvation and orientation in all aspects

of Jewish life. Fundamental aspects of the Torah Commandments

include circumcision, observation of the

Sabbath, purity provisions, and dietary laws. The purity

of people reflects upon the sanctity of God. Impurities

include types of skin diseases, bodily excretions, blood,

and above all, contact with the dead. People can retain

purity by immersion within a ritual bath (mikvah) while

impure objects also can be made fit for use through a

method of purification.

Shabbath

Celebrated in the home or synagogue, it is permissible

to break the Commandment of the Sabbath

only when danger is perceived to life and body. (On

Sabbath day, doctors will only operate on those that

are near death. If you`re not about to die, don`t even

bother going to the emergency room on a Friday

night.) In addition, personal piety involves prayers,

fasts, and good works.

The public ceremonies of Judaism are celebrated in the synagogue.

According to the Orthodox Judaism, ten adult Jewish

males must be present during sermon. As common prayer and

reading of the Torah are the focal points of service, within a one

year (three years within Reform communities) the entire text is

recited. Today, the Hebrew Torah is commonly recited within a

sermon held in the local language. Main prayers of the Jewish

service are the “Shema” (“Hear Israel”) and the “Amidah” (“18 Blessings”).

In Orthodox Judaism, a “tefillin”(prayer belt and jacket), a

“tallit” (prayer cloak or shawl), and a “kipa” (cap) are worn during

the prayer.

The annual Jewish festivals and customs were mostly linked with

luminary movements and the vegetative cycle. They were first

established as celebrations of the actions of God such as the

Exodus from Egypt.

Community rituals celebrate each stage of life: The circumcision

of male infants on their eight day; the religious ceremony (“Bar

Mitzvah”) associated with males in their 13th year coming of age

(in Reform Judaism females hold a similar celebration, the “Bat

Mitzvah”); both the proposal and act of marriage, and then finally

death. Important annual festivities are Rosh Hashanah (New Year),

Hanukkah, and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

COOLFACTS

- Zionism

Due to widespread anti-Semitism,

Jewish scholars since the late

19th century have hope for the

modernization of the Jewish

people through the establishment

of Israel as a nation.

Theodor Herzl (also an important

street in Tel Aviv named after him)

is considered as the founder of

the Zionist movement with his

work “The Jewish State” (1896).

The seventh World Zionist Organization

in Basel voted for the

establishment of Palestine as the

homeland for Jews throughout

the world. In May 1948, the Israeli

Declaration of Independence was

publicly read in Tel Aviv.

The ascent to power by the

National Socialists in Germany

overshadowed the 18th Zionist

Congress in Prague in 1933.

- Middle Ages to

the Early Modern Period

Judaism achieved a cultural period

of bloom in the Middle Ages,

primarily on the Iberian Peninsula

and the German cities. However,

it also experienced persecutions

and expulsions.

High points of terror came with

the Crusades, which were increasingly

accompanied by pogroms

– organized persecution- of the

Jews as well as their expulsion

from England (1290) and Spain

(1492). Around 12,000 Jews lived

in Germany at the start of the

Early Modern period.

The first Jews settled in North

America in 1646.

- Enlightenment to

the Foundation of Israel

Different branches of Judaism

began developing from the 19th

century onward in Western Europe

and the U.S. as a reaction to the

Enlightenment. While Orthodox

Jews chose a more isolationist position,

others sought assimilation.

More than ever before, Jews strove

to gain equal rights within societies

in which they were a minority.

This was first achieved in France

following the French Revolution.

The Nazi ascension to power in

Germany in 1933, resulted in unprecedented

anti-Semitic actions.

With the Wannsee conference in

January 20, 1942, the systematic

mass murder of Jews living in the

German-controlled regions was

decided.

On May 14, 1948, David Ben

Gurion proclaimed the state of

Israel, which was successfully

established.

Israel`s main airport is named

after David Ben Gurion.

How to study theTorah?

In Jewish practice, Torah study often takes on a ritualized role similar to that of prayer. A specific place — the beit midrash,

or “house of study” — is a designated room set aside in many Jewish communal buildings. Many Jews carve out set times

during the day or week for Torah study. Torah study may begin with the recitation of a prayer thanking God for “commanding

us to occupy ourselves with the words of Torah” and another asking God to enable us and our descendants to enjoy

knowledge of God through the study of Torah. The Talmud even records specific prayers for entering and leaving a beit

midrash.

Jewish study focuses not on simple absorption of material, but on a dialogue

among students and between students and text. This dialogical mode of study is

exemplified by the standard page layout of many classical texts. Generally, the

focus text — which may be Talmud, Bible, midrash, or a law code — stands at the

center of the page and is surrounded by two or more levels of commentary: one

or more commentaries on the text, and sometimes a later commentary on those

commentaries.

A page of Babylonian Talmud, for instance, includes the commentary of Rashi (Rabbi

Shlomo ben Yitzchak), an eleventh-century rabbi and the pre-eminent talmudic

commentator, and of his grandchildren, collectively known as the Ba’alei Tosafot, or

colloquially, Tosafot (“Additions”). While Rashi is primarily interested in explaining

the text at hand, the Tosafot attempt to reconcile disparate sections of Talmud.

In the course of their discussions, they often expand on and/or challenge Rashi’s

explanations. Later commentators, in turn, expand on and challenge the Tosafot.

The traditional mode of Jewish study maintains an emphasis on dialogue and

disagreement. Jews often study in havruta — in pairs — with each member of the

havruta challenging and asking questions of the other. A person who walks into a

traditional beit midrash is struck immediately by the noise level — havrutot (plural

of havruta) read the text aloud and often argue at some volume, pushing one

another to come to a better understanding of the text at hand.

The placement of Talmud and law codes at the center of the curriculum of the traditional

yeshiva (study institution) reflects an emphasis on halakha — Jewish law

— as the core of Jewish knowledge. The study of Bible and midrash was, for many

centuries, viewed as the domain of women, and not the province of the exclusively

male yeshiva. Today, as the boundaries of Jewish knowledge have expanded, and

as both women and men have gained greater access to the areas previously assigned

to the other, the parameters of Torah study have expanded to include the

study of all types of classical texts, as well as the study of philosophy, literature

and other non-legal works.

Regardless of what one chooses to study, the emphasis on questioning and

dialogue marks the process of talmud torah or sacred Jewish learning. While it

is certainly possible to study on one’s own, studying with a partner or in a group

facilitates this questioning process.

In approaching a text, one may first try to understand the plain meaning, or the

p’shat, of the text: What is the text trying to say in its original context? What do

the individual words mean? Why are certain words and phrases used rather than

others?

One might then ask broader questions about the meaning of the text and about its

relation to other texts: What are the hidden meanings of the text? Why does the

text speak as it does? How do we relate to the text? In what ways does the text

reflect or conflict with our own beliefs and values? What about the text do we find

problematic or challenging? How does this text compare with other Jewish texts, or

with the contemporary practice of Judaism?

Asking these types of questions may rarely lead to a definitive resolution, but will

certainly contribute to a deeper understanding of the texts at hand and of one’s

companions in study. Ultimately, it is the process of study, with its emphasis on

questions and dialogue, which distinguishes talmud Torah from other forms of

study.


What Is the Temple Mount?

The Temple Mount refers to the elevated plaza above the Western Wall in Jerusalem that was the site of both of Judaism’s ancient

temples. The site is also the third holiest in Islam (after Mecca and Medina) and has been a focal point of inter-religious tension for

decades. At present, the site is under Israeli sovereignty but is administered by the Muslim Waqf (religious trust). Jews and other non-

Muslims are permitted to visit, but Jewish prayer is forbidden there — a provision long contested by a small number of Israeli Jews who

oppose Muslim control over the site. Violence has flared at the site on numerous occasions, and Israeli forces sometimes restrict access

to Muslims at times of elevated tensions.

Why is the Temple

Mount holy to Jews?

The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew

as Har Habayit, is traditionally said to be

the site where Abraham demonstrated

his devotion to God by taking his son

Isaac to be sacrificed. The mount is also

the site of both ancient Jewish temples.

The first, built by King Solomon, was

destroyed by the Babylonians in 586

BCE. The second was built in the sixth

century BCE and stood for nearly 600

years before it was destroyed and the

Jewish people exiled in 70 CE by the Roman

Empire. Jews continue to mourn the

destruction on the fast day of Tisha B’Av.

According to Jewish tradition, a third

temple will be built on the site during

the messianic age.

Why is the Temple

Mount holy to Muslims?

The Temple Mount is known to Muslims

as the Haram al-Sharif (the Noble

Sanctuary) and, according to Islamic

tradition, is the site of Muhammad’s

ascent to heaven in the seventh century.

Today, the mount is home to the Al-Aqsa

Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam,

and the gold-topped Dome of the Rock,

one of the most recognized symbols of

Jerusalem.

Are Jews permitted to

visit the mount?

Yes. However, traditional Jewish law has

been understood to bar entry to the the

site. Jewish tradition regards entry to the

Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctum

of the temple where God’s presence

dwells, as strictly forbidden, and as a

result Jews traditionally did not enter the

Temple Mount at all for fear of treading

on sacred ground. (The exact location of

the Holy of Holies is not known.) Though

some have challenged this ruling, in

2005 a group of prominent Israeli rabbis,

including both the Ashkenazi and

Sephardic chief rabbis, reiterated an

earlier religious edict that “no man nor

woman should set foot in the entire

area of the Temple Mount.” The Western

Wall, the last standing retaining wall

of the Temple Mount, is the closest to

the mount that Jews are traditionally

permitted to pray.

Who controls the

Temple Mount?

Since Israeli forces regained control of

the Old City of Jerusalem during the

Six-Day War of 1967, Israel has extended

its sovereignty over the site, though

most of the world regards Israeli authority

in all of eastern Jerusalem to be

illegitimate. Day-to-day authority over

the site rests with the Jerusalem Islamic

Waqf. A waqf is a charitable trust recognized

by Islamic law. Jordan, which had

controlled eastern Jerusalem and the

Islamic holy sites prior to 1967, continued

to exercise a special guardianship

over the mount, an arrangement later

codified in the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace

treaty, under which Israel “respects the

present special role of the Hashemite

Kingdom of Jordan in Muslim Holy

shrines in Jerusalem.” Overall security

for the site, including entry to visitors

and worshippers, rests with Israeli

security forces.

What is Israel’s policy

on access to the Mount?

The Temple Mount may be accessed by

anyone, but entry to the Dome of the

Rock is restricted to Muslims. Though

there are multiple gates to access the

site, non-Muslims must enter through

the Mughrabi Gate, located near the

Western Wall plaza. Israeli security

controls the entry points. At moments

of elevated tensions, Israel has occasionally

closed the site to visitors, including

Muslim worshippers.

Why are some

Israeli Jews pushing

for greater access to

the site?

Efforts to secure Jewish prayer rights at

the Temple Mount have gained traction

in recent years, despite the mainstream

rabbinic opinion that Jews should not

set foot there. A number of rabbis have

issued contrary rulings, saying that visitation

and prayer should be permitted, and

by some estimates the number of Jewish

visitors has vastly increased. Among the

most prominent activists is Yehuda Glick,

an American-born rabbi and current

member of the Israeli Knesset . Glick is a

leading figure in efforts to secure Jewish

prayer rights on the mount, framing his

campaign in the language of civil rights.

In 2014, he survived an assassination attempt

by a suspected member of Islamic

Jihad.

Who is King David?

The biblical King David of Israel was known for his diverse

skills as both a warrior and a writer of psalms. In his 40 years

as ruler, between approximately 1010 and 970 B.C.E., he

united the people of Israel, led them to victory in battle,

conquered land and paved the way for his son, Solomon, to

build the Holy Temple. Almost all knowledge of him is derived

from the books of the Prophets and Writings: Samuel I

and II, Kings I and Chronicles I.

David was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse from the

kingly tribe of Judah. He was also a direct descendent of

Ruth the Moabite. David began his life as a shepherd in

Bethlehem. One day, the prophet Samuel called him out of

the field and anointed him without the knowledge of the

current king, Saul. David simply returned to his sheep. His

first interaction with Saul came when the king was looking

for someone to play music for him, and the king’s attendant

summoned the skilled David to play for him. Saul was

pleased with David and kept him in his service as a musician.

The first time David publicly displayed his courage was

when, as an inexperienced boy armed with only a stick and

a few stones, he confronted the nine-foot, bronze armored

Philistine giant, Goliath of Gath. After skilled warriors had

cowered in fear for 40 days, David made a slingshot, invoked

God’s name, and killed the giant. After this, Saul took David

on as commander of his troops and David formed a close

friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan.

David was successful in battle against the Philistines and

this aroused the jealousy of Saul, who tried to kill David by

throwing a spear at him. David stayed with Saul, however,

and Saul offered him his own daughter, Merav, as a wife. He

later reneged on his promise, but offered David his second

daughter, Michal, in exchange for the foreskins of 100 Philistines,

a price that David paid.

Saul’s jealousy of David grew and he asked his son Jonathan

to kill David. Jonathan was a friend of David’s, however, and

hid David instead. He then went to his father and convinced

Saul to promise not to kill David. Saul promised, and David

returned to his service. This promise did not last and, after

Saul attempted to kill David a second time, Michal helped

David run away to the prophet Samuel in Ramah. David

returned briefly to make a pact of peace with Jonathan and

to verify that Saul was still planning to kill him. He then continued

his flight from Saul, finding refuge with the king of

Moab. On the way, the priest Ahimelech of Nob gave David a

weapon. When Saul heard this, he sent Doeg the Edomite to

kill 85 of the city’s priests.

In the course of his flight, David gained the support of 600

men, and he and his band traveled from city to city. At one

point, in Ein Gedi, David crept up on Saul while he was in a

cave, but instead of killing him, cut a piece from his cloak

and confronted Saul. Saul broke down and admitted that

David would one day be king and asked David to swear that

he would not destroy Saul’s descendants or wipe out Saul’s

name. David swore to this, but it did not stop Saul from

continuing to pursue him. Finally, David and his supporters

joined the service of Achish, the Philistine king of Gath who

entrusted David with control of the city of Ziklag. Under

Achish’s employ, David raided the cities of nomads who

harassed the Jews and gave the spoils as gifts to the leaders

of Judah to win their support for him against Saul. The Holy Land - The Essential Guide to Living in Israel 137

Eventually, while David was out battling a

tribe called the Amalekites, Saul and Jonathan

were killed on Mt. Gilboa in a fight

with the Philistines. David mourned, and

then began a new stage in his life, as king

of Judah. He moved to Hebron, along with

his wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail

of Carmel, and his followers. The people

of Judea were grateful to David for saving

them from desert raiders while he was in

Ziklag, and they appointed David king.

Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner crowned

Ish-Boshet son of Saul king over the tribes

of Israel. The kingdoms of Judah and Israel

fought, with David’s dynasty growing

stronger as Saul’s grew weaker. Finally,

after Abner had a fight with Ish-Boshet,

Abner approached David and made a pact

with him, which allowed David to unite

the two kingdoms and rule over all of Israel.

As Abner was leaving David, however,

David’s advisor and army commander,

Joab, killed Abner without David’s knowledge.

Soon, Ish-Boshet was also killed and

the tribes of Israel anointed David as their

king. David was 30 years old at the time,

and had ruled over Judah for seven years

and six months. Over the years, he had

taken more wives and had many children.

He had also made pacts with kings of various

surrounding countries.

David’s first action as king was to capture

what is now the City of David in Jerusalem,

fortify it and build himself a palace.

When the Philistines heard that David had

been anointed king and was threatening

their hegemony over all of Palestine, they

attacked, spread out over the Valley of

Raphaim and captured Bethlehem. David

retaliated and, in three battles, forced the

Philistines out of Israel.

Once David had established the safety

of his kingdom, he brought the Holy Ark,

which had been passed from city to city,

to Jerusalem. He then wanted to build a

temple to God and consulted Natan the

prophet. Natan replied to David that God

would always be with David, but it would

be up to David’s son to build the Temple

because David had been a warrior and

shed blood.

David then began fighting wars against

Israel’s neighbors on the east bank of

the Jordan. He defeated the Moabites,

the Edomites, the Ammonites and the

Arameans. These wars began as defensive

wars, but ended with the establishment

of a Davidic empire that extended over

both sides of the Jordan River, as far as the

Mediterranean Sea.

David enforced justice in his empire and

established civil and military administrations

in Jerusalem, modeled after those of

the Canaanites and Egyptians. He divided

the country into twelve districts, each

with its own civil, military and religious

institutions. He also established Jerusalem

as the secular and religious center

of the country. Each district paid taxes to

Jerusalem and the people began to make

pilgrimages to Jerusalem each year on the

holidays of Passover, Shavout and Sukkot.

Despite this flawless reign on a national

level, David had many problems in his personal

life. One day while the men were at

war, David spied a beautiful woman, Bathsheba,

from his rooftop. He discovered

that she was married to Uriah the Hittite,

but this did not stop him from sending

for her and getting her pregnant. He then

recalled Uriah from battle and pretended

that Uriah was the father of Bathsheba’s

baby. Uriah refused to go home to his

wife, so David sent Uriah to the front lines

of battle, where he was killed. David then

married Bathsheba. When confronted by

Natan the prophet, David admitted his

sin. In punishment, Bathsheba’s child died

and David was cursed with the promise

of a rebellion from within his own house.

Bathsheba and David soon conceived a

second son, Solomon.

David’s personal strife continued when

his son Amnon raped Tamar, Amnon’s

half-sister. Absalom, who was David’s son

and Tamar’s brother, then killed Amnon.

Absalom fled, but David could not stop

thinking about him. Finally, Joab convinced

David to allow Absalom to return.

Absalom was a handsome man and

became popular with the people of Israel.

Then, 40 years after Samuel had anointed

David king, Absalom, along with 200 men,

journeyed to Hebron with the intention

of rebelling against his father and taking

over his kingdom. He had the support of

the men of Hebron who were insulted by

the removal of the kingdom from Hebron

to Jerusalem, the elders whose status was

undermined by parts of David’s policy and

the Benjamites who wanted to avenge

Saul’s family.

David feared that Absalom would return

and conquer Jerusalem, so he and all his

followers fled the city, leaving only 10

concubines to guard the palace. David

told the priests Zadok and Abiathar to

remain in the city along with his friend

and now spy Hushai the Archite.

Meanwhile, Absalom reached Jerusalem,

took over the city and slept with

David’s concubines. Hushai befriended

Absalom, advised him, and told the

priests to send messengers informing

David of Absalom’s plans. David gathered

his troops and then killed 20,000

of Absalom’s Israelite soldiers, including

Absalom himself. David returned to

power. A second revolt broke out at the

hands of Sheba son of Bichri, but with

the help of Joab, David succeeded in

crushing this rebellion as well, and in

killing Sheba.

Eventually David grew old and had

to stop fighting. He constantly felt

cold and could not get warm. At this

point, Adonijah, David’s oldest son,

declared himself king. David, however,

had promised Bathsheba that her son

Solomon would be king, and publicly

anointed Solomon. Fearful of retribution

Adonijah ran to the altar in Jerusalem,

but Solomon pardoned him and

sent him home.

David delivered a last set of instructions

to his son, telling him to follow

the words of God and to repay in kind

specific people that had either wronged

David or helped him. David then died

after 40 years as king, 33 of those in

Jerusalem. He was buried in the City of

David.

David was a poet and the rabbis believe

that David wrote the Book of Psalms,

or at least edited it. Throughout his life,

David prepared for the construction of

the

Holy Temple by setting aside the necessary

physical materials, commanding

the Levites and others in their duties

for the Temple, and giving the plan for

the Temple to Solomon. It is then fitting

that according to tradition, the Messiah,

who will build the third temple, will be

from the Davidic dynasty. Today, Jews

pray daily for the coming of the “Messiah,

son of David.”


The Western Wall

Tisha B’Av is a day of mourning and

despair, but within the sadness of the

day there is also a message of hope.

That message being that despite much

suffering, the Jews will survive and be

redeemed as promised by the prophets

of old. That message of Tisha B’Av is

conveyed in the history of the Western

Wall.

The Byzantine emperor Constantine

adopted Christianity in the early part

of the fourth century. Upon the defeat

of the emperor of the east, Licinius, at

Chrysopolis on September 18, 324 C.E.,

Constantine became ruler of the Holy

Land.

Constantine built churches throughout

the land and strongly encouraged

the proselytism of Jews. It is theorized

that Constantine enacted anti-Jewish

laws.(See The Jews Under Roman and

Byzantine Rule: A Political History of

Palestine from the Bar Kochba Revolt

to the Arab Conquest , page 165.) He

also reinstated legislation of the Roman

emperor Hadrian 117-138 C.E.

The Byzantine emperor Constantine

adopted Christianity in the early part

of the fourth century. Upon the defeat

of the emperor of the east, Licinius, at

Chrysopolis on September 18, 324 C.E.,

Constantine became ruler of the Holy

Land.

Constantine built churches throughout

the land and strongly encouraged

the proselytism of Jews. It is theorized

that Constantine enacted anti-Jewish

laws.(See The Jews Under Roman and

Byzantine Rule: A Political History of

Palestine from the Bar Kochba Revolt

to the Arab Conquest , page 165.) He

also reinstated legislation of the Roman

emperor Hadrian 117-138 C.E.

Following his suppression of the Bar

Kochba Revolt (132-135 C.E.), Hadrian

enacted laws that prohibited the entry

of Jews into Jerusalem or the surrounding

region of Judea. Over time

those laws remained on the books but

were not enforced by all emperors;

many allowed Jewish pilgrimages on

the holidays. Constantine reinstated

those laws, but with some changes.

Jews were again permitted to reside in

Judea. In addition, he also allowed the

Jews to enter Jerusalem and pray at

the Western Wall on one day annually

— Tisha B’Av.

Being the last standing wall surrounding

the Temple, the Western Wall already

possessed a special significance

to the Jews. Perhaps the emperor permitted

the Jews access to the Western

Wall on Tisha B’Av so they could revel

in their sufferings and misery; maybe

he had the notion that such thoughts

would lead them to apostasy. But the

sight of the remnant of the Temple

gave the Jews hope and a sense of

resolve rather than weakening them.

They saw it as a sign of strength and

took solace upon their annual opportunity

to visit the site of their beloved

Temple.

The Talmudic sages of that era spoke

of the special and eternal nature of

the Wall. Rabbi Acha stated that the

Shekhinah, special Divine Presence

of God, will never depart from the

Temple’s Western Wall. The Midrash

cites a quote from Solomon’s Song of

Songs, “Behold, He stands behind our

wall” (Midrash Tanhuma Exodus, 10;

Song of Songs; Exodus Raba 2:2).

The Temple was destroyed,

but a part remained. The

Western Wall served as a

reminder that the Temple

could never be totally destroyed.

The hope for its rebuilding remained

strong in that era and over the centuries.

The seemingly minor changes in

the laws by Constantine allowed the

Jews some solace and inspiration on

their day of mourning.

The Kotel (Western Wall) is the setting

in which the annual cycle, individual

and communal histories, and consecrated

space come together.

In ancient times, the Temple was the

focus of mass pilgrimages, three times

during the year, as prescribed by biblical

law. Pilgrims from all over the land

came to the spot chosen by God to

“place His name there” (Deuteronomy

16), and during the Second Commonwealth

both pilgrims and contributions

reached the Temple from the

Diaspora.

Although the Temple has not been

standing for close to two millennia,

the memory of these events has been

preserved in the synagogue liturgy,

particularly in the “additional prayer” of

the festivals, which recalls the former

sacrifices and the ascent to the Temple.

The fact that the pilgrimage festivals

are a major occasion for present-day

visitors to the Kotel places ancient

expressions of collective memory in

metonymic relation to a contemporary

“place of memory,” creating a sense of

continuity, and perhaps even identity,

between their devotional visit and that

of their ancestors.

Each festival attracts thousands to

the Wall, but each takes on a special

atmosphere reflecting the requirements

of the holiday. The first night of

Passover represents the most intense

ingathering of the family during the

ritual year, and travel to the Kotel later

in the week is preceded by careful

preparations to bring food from home

that has been made according to the

strict Passover rules. Even when the

Wall is not the focus of celebration, as

during Lag B’Omer, 33 days after Passover,

when more than 100,000 Israelis

flock to Meron, it stays in contact with

the ritual pace of the people. It also accommodates,

easily, modern festivities

and solemnities; the sameness of place

provides a persuasive link between the

old and the new.

The Kotel thus appears to be the

natural setting for modern celebrations

such as Israeli Independence

Day or Holocaust Remembrance

Day, even as the forms of these

recently established celebrations

evolve amid debates over their

significance. In some of these

ceremonies religious themes are

given prominence, while in others

the national component clearly

dominates.

In the energetic Friday evening

dance to the Kotel from the Jewish

quarter on the part of young male

yeshiva students, it is difficult to

untangle the political overtones

from the religious commitment. The

meshing of modern Israeli identity

and traditional religious symbols

is salient at military swearing-in

ceremonies, which have become

more frequent at the Wall since the

previous favorite site, Masada, has

relinquished its primacy. In these

ceremonies the recruit, after his

basic training, holds a Bible in one

hand, a rifle in the other, and is told

that without the Book he is nothing

but a murderer.

Other ceremonies reflect current

political events as in the case of

demonstrations concerning distressed

Jewish groups in Russia, Syria,

or Ethiopia. A particularly impressive

event takes place on the eve of

the anniversary of the reunification

of Jerusalem, when thousands of

yeshiva students from all over the

country, stirred by the ideology of

the Gush Emunimmovement, come

to the Kotel carrying torches.

Observing Tisha B’Av

Tisha B’Av, which falls in midsummer

when the sun has dried

up vegetation everywhere, is a

Fast Day that commemorates the

destruction of both the First and

Second Temples and has become

a fundamental observance at the

Kotel. Dressed in slippers, sneakers,

or other footwear without leather,

observant Jews come to spend part

of the day and night at the Wall.

Heightened solemnity intermingles

with pronounced intimacy. Fathers

and sons, mothers and daughters,

boyfriends and girlfriends, yeshiva

students share mats or blankets

spread out both inside and outside

the synagogue plaza.

On this night (and day) all the Jewish

communities and ethnic groups,

all the religious tendencies–including

the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic

“mitzvah tank,” which provides phylacteries

(tefillin ) for the afternoon

prayers — are present. Individual

and collective, communal and national,

can be found, compounded

with one another.

The police guard the area all night

long. Ultra-national groups may try

to reach the Temple Mount, while

pseudo-messiahs and would-be

prophets both lament the existence

of the Diaspora and announce the

imminent reunification of the people.

Inside the synagogue area and

outside, pilgrims read the biblical

Book of Lamentations, chant dirges,

or fraternize in this unique setting

of a foodless picnic in which daily

needs are hardly a distraction.

A mourning ceremony animated

by a pervasive but disorganized

sociality, Tisha B’Av, since the retaking

of the Wall, has emerged as a

point in time and space in which

the meeting of messianic aspiration

and national sentiment has been

crystallized.

This process is reminiscent of the

famous conceit of the Talmud ic

sage, Rabbi Akiva. When asked

why he laughed upon seeing a

fox running through the Temple

ruins, Akiva assured his puzzled

colleagues that his mirth stemmed

from his witnessing the evidence

of the prophecies of destruction

and the implicit certainty that this

guarantees the fulfillment of the

prophecies of redemption.


The HiddenWall

For centuries the small stretch of the

Western Wall of the Temple Mount used

for Jewish prayers was the only part of the

Herodian Temple Mount complex

non-Muslims could actually approach and

touch. The once-important southern wall

of the Temple Mount was largely hidden

by accumulated earth and debris, and by

later buildings that rose and fell with each

successive wave of history.

Now excavations have made the southern

wall and extreme southern part of

the Western Wall accessible all the way

down to the Herodian street level. At

a quiet time of day, when no tour groups

are trudging through, you can sit in

the shade of an ancient shop doorway and

contemplate the charisma and

enormity of the Herodian ashlars. Wild

capers grow out of the monumental walls.

If you look up near the extreme southern

end of the Western Wall where the

level of earth would have been centuries

ago, you can see a large ashlar on

which, probably in the Byzantine era (before

Islamic times), archaeologists

believe a Jewish pilgrim to the ruined

Temple Mount carved the Hebrew words

from Isaiah 66:14: ”And when you see this,

your heart shall rejoice, and your

bones shall flourish like an herb.” For 1,500

years, this visitor‘s message lay hidden in

the earth.

Islamic palace uncovered by archaeologists

at the foot of the Temple Mount, the

Davidson Center contains a small museum

with artifacts found at the site, as well as

videos and computer information on the

Temple Mount history.

The video and digital recreatlon of the

Herodian Temple Mount are interesting,

but there are a number of anachronistic

and questionable details. See if you can

spot them!

There are 1-hour tours available of the

Davidson Center (which is already relatively

self-explanatory) and also of the

Archeological Park (worthwhile for those

who want to understand all the details

of the site). Each tour is $32 per person.

But a map and recorded audio tour of the

site, available at the Davidson Center, is

sufficient for most visitors.

Entrance from near inside of Dung Gate. @

02/627-7550. www.archpark.org.il. NIS 30 ($6.60)

adults; NIS 16 ($3.40) students, children, and

seniors. Sun—Thurs 8am—5pm; Fri 8am—2pm.

Closed Sat.

What is a Hamsa?

Although it may derive from Islamic or pagan

culture, the hamsa today has become a Jewish

and Israeli symbol.

This

symbol of an eye

embedded in the palm of

an open hand has had numerous

other names throughout the ages,

including the eye of Fatima, the hand of

Fatima, and the hand of Miriam. The form is

sometimes rendered naturally and other times

symmetrically with a second thumb replacing the

little finger.

The hamsa has been variously interpreted by scholars

as a Jewish, Christian, or Islamic amulet, and as a pagan

fertility symbol. Yet even as the magical form remains

shrouded in mystery and scholars debate nearly every aspect

of its emergence, it is recognized today as a kabbalistic

amulet and as an important symbol in Jewish art.

Hamsa Origins

As the references to Fatima (Mohammed’s daughter) and to

Miriam (Moses’ sister) suggest, the amulet carries significance to

both Jews and Muslims. One of the most prominent early appearances of the hamsa is the image of a large open hand

that appears on the Puerta Judiciaria (Gate of Judgment) of the Alhambra, a 14th-century Islamic fortress in southern

Spain. The Alhambra hand of Fatima seems to draw upon the Arabic word “khamsa,” which means “five,” a number that

itself is identified with fighting the Evil Eye. The Alhambra motif, as well as other Spanish and Moorish hand images, hints

at the five pillars of Islam (faith, fasting, pilgrimage, prayer, and tax) in the five fingers of the hand.

According to Islamic folklore, Fatima’s hand became a symbol of faith after her husband Ali came home with a new wife

one day. Fatima, who at the time had been cooking, dropped the soup ladle she had been using. Yet she was so preoccupied

by the new arrival that she continued stirring using her bare hand, hardly noticing that she was burning herself.

It would not be unusual for an Islamic symbol to find its way into Sephardic Jewish culture, which flourished alongside

Islam. However, amulets are somewhat problematic in Judaism because the Bible prohibits magic and divination.

Still, the Talmud refers on several occasions to amulets, or kamiyot, which might come from the Hebrew meaning “to

bind.” One law allows for carrying an approved amulet on the Sabbath, which suggests that amulets were common

amongst Jews at some points in history. (Shabbat 53a, 61a). Art historian Walter Leo Hildburgh also raises the

possibility that the hamsa has Christian roots, and might be influenced by the Christian artistic form where Mary

often carries her hands in a”fig” pose, or a configuration where the thumb is tucked under the index finger

beside the middle finger. According to University of Chicago professor Ahmed Achrati, the hamsa did not

necessarily arise in a religious context. The form of the open hand appears in Paleolithic caves in France,

Spain, Argentina, and Australia, including one site in Algeria that earned the name The Cave of the

Hands.

In Egyptian art, the human spirit (called ka) is represented by two arms reaching upward

(forming a horseshoe shape), albeit with only two fingers on each hand. The symbol

of the Phoenician lunar goddess Tanit resembles a woman raising her hands, and

hands also found their way into tomb decorations. Etruscans painted hands

with horns on their tombs, and some Jewish burial practices featured

images of hands (suggesting the priestly blessing) on stone

markers of Levite graves. All of these could be considered

very early precursors to the hamsa.


TIPS FOR AN EASIER FAST

Kosher Food: What

Makes Food Kosher or

Not

The word “kosher” literally means “fit” or

“appropriate.”

Ask an average person to describe food and

they might say it is food “blessed by a rabbi.”

The word “kosher,” however, is Hebrew for

“fit” or “appropriate” and describes the food

that is suitable for a Jew to eat. With its roots

in the Hebrew Bible, the system of defining

which foods are kosher was developed by

the rabbis of late antiquity. Its application to

changing realities has been the work of subsequent

generations, including our own.

Confused why kosher food is categorized

as dairy, meat or pareve (neither meat nor

dairy)?

Kashrut’s Biblical and

Talmudic

Origins

Close readers of the Torah might notice that

according to the book of Genesis, vegetarianism

was commanded by God as the ideal diet

(see Genesis 1:29). However, in the course of

the biblical narratives, this changed to include

a variety of different animals.

Israel produces

93% of its own

food requirements;

however most of

the country’s wheat

is imported.

According to the Torah (Leviticus 11), only

certain kinds of animals are considered

inherently kosher. For land animals, any

creature that both chews its cud and has

split hooves is kosher. For sea creatures,

any fish that has both fins and scales is

acceptable, and for birds, only those birds

approved by the Torah (or others that later

authorities have judged to be like them,

a list that excludes scavengers and birds

of prey). In addition, it is repeated three

times in the Torah that it is forbidden to

cook a baby goat in its own mother’s milk.

The rabbis in the Talmud further developed

these principles of kashrut (Pronounced:

kahsh-ROOT, Origin: Hebrew,

the Jewish dietary laws.). In order to

consume kosher land animals and birds,

it is necessary to slaughter them in a

prescribed way, in a manner that has been

described as a more humane method than

is practiced commercially. In addition,

the prohibition of cooking a baby goat in

its own mother’s milk is the basis for the

complete, physical, hermetic separation of

all milk and meat products. These are the

fundamental elements of kashrut.

Keeping Kosher

Today

All questions, problems or issues about

keeping kosher ultimately revolve around

the basic principles of kashrut described

above.

Usually, the questions have to do with the

last basic element, the complete separation

of milk and meat products. The use of

different sets of dishes and pots and pans,

developed in order to ensure a greater

separation between milk and meat foods.

This is also the basis of waiting several

hours after eating a meat dish before eating

a dairy product, so that the two types

of food shouldn’t even mix together in our

stomachs!

Whether a particular food is considered

kosher or not usually has to do with

whether any substance or product used

in its manufacture was derived from a

non-kosher animal or even an animal that

is kosher but was not slaughtered in the

prescribed manner. Rabbinic supervision

of the production of food (a practice called

hashgacha) enables it to carry a “seal of

approval” (but no, it is not “blessed by a

rabbi”).

The 3 Categories of

Kosher Foods

Dairy

Often described with the Yiddish word

milchig (Pronounced: MILL-khig, Origin:

Yiddish, dairy, as an adjective to describe

food containing dairy, or dishes used

for foods containing dairy. (Kosher laws

prohibit serving meat and dairy together.),

these are foods, such as cheese, milk,

yogurt, ice cream, etc.

Meat

Often referred to with the Yiddish word

fleischig, this includes all kosher animals

and fowl slaughtered in the prescribed

manner, and their derivative products.

Pareve

A Yiddish word meaning “neutral,” this

describes foods that are neither dairy nor

meat, such as eggs and fish, tofu, nuts,

seeds, fruits and vegetables, and the like,

provided they are not prepared with any

milk or meat products.

In keeping kosher, it is necessary to keep

all dairy and meat foods completely separate

— which, unless one is vegetarian,

necessitates separate sets of dishes and

cooking utensils. Pareve foods, however,

may be mixed in and served with either

category of food since these foods are

neither milk nor meat.


Kosher Symbols:

How to decode the different kosher

labels.

Question: I’ve noticed that there are a lot

of different symbols that indicate something

is kosher (Pronounced: KOH-sher, Origin:

Hebrew, adhering to kashrut, the traditional

Jewish dietary laws.) An OU, a triangle K, a

cRc in a triangle, etc. One of my friends only

eats things with some of the symbols, and not

others. What’s the difference?

–Pam, Austin

Answer: You’re right that there are dozens of

different symbols that indicate something is

kosher. Each symbol, known as a hechsher

(Pronounced: HEK-sher, Origin: Hebrew,

kosher certification for foods, and some other

items, identifies product as complying with

Jewish law),comes from a different organization

or rabbi.

Arguably, the best known and most widely

available one in North America is the Orthodox

Union’s, which looks like this:

The Hebrew spelling of “kosher,” which appears

on certain seals and certificates, looks

like this:

Since kosher laws require keeping meat

and dairy separate, kosher products always

specify whether or not they are meat (also

known as fleishig - Pronounced: FLAYshug,

Origin: Yiddish, meaty, an adjective to

identify foods containing meat or dishes that

are used for meat. Jewish dietary laws prohibit

combining meat and dairy foods, -) dairy (also

known as milchig - Pronounced: MILL-khig,

Origin: Yiddish, dairy, as an adjective to describe

food containing dairy, or dishes used for

foods containing dairy. Kosher laws prohibit

serving meat and dairy together.- or chalavi),

or pareve (Pronounced: PAHRV or pah-REV,

Origin: Hebrew, an adjective to describe a food

or dish that is neither meat nor dairy. Kosher

laws prohibit serving meat and dairy together-

), (containing neither meat nor dairy).

Foods certified as kosher for Passover get a

separate label that says “kosher for Passover”

or “kasher l’Pesach.”

Sometimes the label has the Hebrew words

only, which look like this:

Here is an example of a kosher-for-Passover

label on a product:

When shopping for kosher products, it is

important to remember that just because

some items produced by a company are

kosher does not mean all of the company’s

products are kosher.

Why So Many

Different Symbols

and Agencies?

If all products with kosher symbols on

them have been certified as kosher by

someone, then why do we need so many

symbols? Well, because some people only

trust certain organizations to do a good

job of making sure something is kosher.

For this reason, if you are buying something

to bring to the home of a friend who

keeps kosher — maybe as a hostess gift or

because you are making a shiva (visiting

a mourner) call — it is a good idea first to

find out which certifications they trust.

To help explain why people don’t all trust

the same labels, I consulted with Rabbi

Asher Lopatin, president of Yeshivat Chovevei

Torah (Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin:

Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.) Rabbinical

School. He said that sometimes a rabbi

or organization will accept a halachic

(Pronounced: huh-LAKH-ic, Origin: Hebrew,

according to Jewish law, complying with

Jewish law. ) (or Jewish legal) leniency

regarding food that others take issue with.

What’s a good example?

“While there have been some lenient opinions

over the centuries regarding gelatin,”

Rabbi Lopatin said, “current Orthodox

practice, at least in the Diaspora, is to not

accept gelatin from non-kosher animals.

Therefore, supervisions which do accept

the leniencies of gelatin from non-kosher

animals are not acceptable to (Orthodox)

community standards.” And once you have

an organization that allows for gelatin

from a non-kosher animal, the community

might be nervous accepting that organization’s

supervision on any food, even if it

doesn’t contain gelatin.

Think of it like hiring a babysitter. If you

find out that your babysitter has been

giving your kids ice cream for dinner, you

might decide not to trust that babysitter

to be in charge of your kids ever, even if

you ensure that there’s no ice cream in the

house.

Rabbi Lopatin brought up other concerns

a community might have: “The second

issue might be that while the rabbi giving

the supervision might be a great scholar,

he might not have the expertise to supervise

a complicated system which requires

expertise in modern machinery and

processing systems. The third issue is that

sometimes a supervision is just not seen

as rigorous enough in really watching

what is going on. There are some supervisions

— local and national — where people

have seen first hand that the mashgiach

[the person in charge of supervising the

facility for its kashrut (Pronounced: kahsh-

ROOT, Origin: Hebrew, the Jewish dietary

laws.) is not around and that things are

going on that might make the products

non-kosher.”

Ensuring that a product is kosher is

something many people take very seriously,

so they want to be positive that the

people charged with that duty know what

they’re doing, and are present consistently

enough to be sure that nothing improper

is going on.

There are two more factors that differentiate

among the kosher symbols. One

is money. In order for a product to be

certified kosher, the company has to pay

a rabbi or kosher supervision organization

to come in and supervise. This can be

very expensive, and it’s fair to assume that

when a company decides which organization

they want to bring in to certify their

product, they will choose a certification

that fits within their budget.

Finally, it’s worthwhile to note that all

of the kosher certification bodies are

competitors with each other, and so it behooves

them to maintain firmly that their

own hashgacha (supervision) is the most

trustworthy.

As you might expect, a rabbi whose brother

is the head of a kosher certification

body might be inclined to tell his community

that his brother’s organization is the

best one out there. There can be (and have

been) all kinds of political shenanigans

related to kashrut and kosher supervision,

but it’s difficult to know exactly if and

when this is going on. Most people come

up with a standard policy about which

symbols they’ll accept in conjunction with

their rabbi and/or community.

All this talk of food supervision is making

me hungry. I think it’s high time that I

supervise the making of some cookies.

You can look up all the symbols and their

organizations at the link below:

http://www.kashrut.com/agencies/

Kosher Details:

Waiting Between

Meals

How much time is required between

eating meat and dairy?

Because those observing kashrut cannot

eat meat and dairy foods together, this

means that a meal is either a meat meal

or a dairy meal (or a pareve meal for that

matter). You cannot even have meat and

dairy at the same table; that is, one person

can’t eat a bagel with cream cheese at the

same table where someone is eating fried

chicken.

To clarify further, you can’t have a piece

of steak on one plate, prepared without

any dairy, then turn to a second plate and

chomp down on a piece of cheese, even if

you’ve swallowed the steak.

To ensure that meat and milk not be eaten

together in any way, it is customary to

wait a certain amount of time between

meals. After eating meat, the wait time

varies, but the generally accepted amount

of time to wait is six hours.

Different Traditions

Different traditions developed as to the

exact amount of time that must pass

between meat and dairy meals. Wait time

is required because of the nature of meat.

In The Laws of Kashrus, Binyomin Forst

explains that the sages give two primary

reasons: Meat leaves behind a fatty residue

in the throat, and particles of meat might

remain between your teeth. Time is necessary

for the digestive powers of saliva to

break down both that fatty residue and the

meat particles.

For Orthodox Jews, the most common

wait time is six hours. According to

Sephardic (Pronounced: seh-FAR-dik,

Origin: Hebrew, describing Jews descending

from the Jews of Spain.) tradition, six

hours is not merely tradition, but halakhah,

required by Jewish law. Ashke nazic

tradition says that more lenient options

are also halakhically correct. Most agree

that the meat meal should be concluded

with appropriate blessings, signifying the

meal is over. You should then clean and

rinse your mouth and wash your hands.

Some say one hour is sufficient time, and

this has been the accepted tradition of

Dutch Jews.

German Jews follow a tradition of waiting

three hours. Forst says this may be

based on the idea that in winter the time

between meals is shorter; therefore, it is

acceptable to wait a shorter amount of

time year round.

These are three generally accepted waittime

traditions. However, even today, I’ve

encountered people who’ve developed

their own traditions within their communities.

Some wait four hours after eating

chicken, five hours after meat. Some

start counting the wait time after saying

blessings, some start counting as soon as

they’ve swallowed the last bite of meat.

With dairy foods, the wait time between

dairy and meat is minimal. This is based

on [the talmudic tractate] Chullin 105a,

where it says, “How long must one wait

between cheese and flesh? And he replied,

Nothing at all.” Still, you should eat something

like bread to effectively wipe your

mouth of any milky taste, and you should

rinse your mouth and wash your hands.

Hard cheese, described as cheese that

has aged over six months, such as Swiss

cheese, has a stronger flavor and is

thought to leave a fatty residue, so it

requires a six-hour wait.

Chullin 105a

Rather, Bait Shammai say: wipe and the

same is true for rinse and Bait Hillel say:

rinse and the same is true for wipe. one

said this and one said that but they don’t

disagree. The statement itself: Rabbe Zayra

said: wiping the mouth is only with bread.

This is only with wheat bread but not barley

bread. and wheat bread is only if it is cold,

but if it is hot it becomes pasty. and this is

only if it soft but not if it hard. However,

the Halacha is ... with all things can be used

to wipe [the mouth] besides for flour, dates

and vegetables. Rav Asi asked Rabbi Yochanan

How long should one wait between

[eating] meat and cheese? He said, “Not at

all.” Really? But Rav Chisda said, One who

eats meat isn’t allowed to eat cheese, [one

who eats] cheese is allowed to eat meat.

Rather [Rav Asi must have asked] How long

should one wait between [eating] cheese

and meat?... He said, “Not at all.” Regarding

what we quoted above “Rav Chisda said,

One who eats meat isn’t allowed to eat

cheese, [one who eats] cheese is allowed to

eat meat.” Rav Aha bar Yosef said to Rav

Chisda, “The meat this is between the teeth,

what do we make of it?” We reference the

verse, “The meat was still between their

teeth” (Numbers 11:33) Mar Ukva says, In

comparison to my father, regarding this

matter, I am vinegar the son of wine. My

father, when he ate meat, would not eat

cheese until the same time the next day. But

I, even if I won’t eat it at this meal, I’ll eat it

at the next meal.

What It Means to

Keep Kosher for

Passover

Keeping Kosher for Passover means

abstaining from hametz, the fermented

products of five principal grains: wheat,

rye, spelt, barley and oats. Though matzah,

the unleavened bread eaten on Passover, is

made from grain, it is considered acceptable

because it is produced under highly

controlled conditions to ensure that it

does not ferment.

Ashkenazi (Pronounced:

AHSH-ken-AH-zee, Origin: Hebrew, Jews of

Central and Eastern European origin.) Jews

who keep kosher for Passover have also

traditionally avoided eating kitniyot, a

category of foods that includes corn, rice,

beans and lentils, though the Conservative

movement’s rabbinic authorities overturned

the kitniyot prohibition in 2015.

Sephardi Jews do not abstain

from kitniyot (Pronounced: kit-nee-YOTE,

Origin: Hebrew, meaning “little things,” the

term here refers to legumes, corn, rice and

other non-hametz foods prohibited for use

on Passover by some Ashkenazic rabbis in

the medieval period. Many Sephardic Jews

(and Conservative Jews) do allow them on

Passover.)

A minority of Jews add an additional

stringency by avoiding “gebrochts” —

unleavened matzah products that become

wet, such as matzah balls or matzah meal.

Some products that are kosher year-round

are modified slightly to be kosher for Passover

— most famously Coca-Cola, which

substitutes cane sugar for corn syrup

in some regions over the holiday and is

marked by a distinctive yellow cap.


JEWISH HOLIDAYS

Shabbat

Shabbat is considered the most important

of all Jewish holidays. It is the day of rest

and weekly observance of God’s completion

of creation. Starting on Friday night an hour

before sunset, it lasts for 25 hours until sunset

on Saturday night.

“The Feast of the Rejoicing of the Law at the Synagogue in Leghorn”

(Solomon Alexander Hart/The Jewish Museum)

Shemini Atzeret

This holiday literally means the “8th day of

assembly.” It is a festive day after the weeklong

festival of Sukkot, and is marked by the

annual prayer for rain recited in synagogue. In

Israel and in liberal (Reform, Reconstructionist,

Renewal) communities outside of Israel it is

combined with the holiday of Simchat Torah.

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is the most solemn and introspective

day on the Jewish calendar. It emphasizes

personal responsibility for one’s actions. Jewish

tradition teaches that to atone for deeds

committed against another person you must

approach that person directly and apologize.

The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom

Kippur is the traditional time to ask forgiveness

from one’s friends and neighbors, so that

on Yom Kippur one can attain forgiveness and

purification for all misdeeds. The act of atonement

makes the claim that as human beings

we are able to change and improve ourselves.

On Yom Kippur we strive to improve our relationships

both with other human beings and

with God.

The most prominent tradition of the Yom

Kippur holiday is a 25-hour fast from all food

and drink from sunset to sundown the next

day. Many spend the entire day in synagogue

engaged in study and prayer. The holiday ends

with a festive break-the-fast meal.

Sukkot

This seven–day festival celebrates the fall harvest

and also commemorates the time when

the Jews dwelt in the Sinai wilderness on

their way to the Promised Land of Israel. The

holiday is celebrated by building (and then

dwelling in) ceremonial huts called Sukkot,

waving of four different plant species (palm,

myrtle, willow and citron), and many foodfilled

festive gatherings in the Sukkah.

The night before Sukkot, Jewish people sleep

outside in the nature (in their yards and in

tents). On the day of Sukkot, Jewish families

have a big feast. If you get invited to one, it`s

an honor to attend. As a Jewish host, inviting

people to your feast is considered one of

the things you`d have to do in order to get to

Heaven.

Tu B’Shevat

This is the Jewish New Year of the Trees. Observances

include planting of trees, purchasing

trees to be planted in Israel, and a mystical

Tu B’Shevat ritual meal that includes different

colored wine (from white to red) and different

kinds of fruits and nuts.

Rosh Hashanah

During the fall when the days begin to shorten

and the leaves begin to change, Jewish

tradition encourages us to look inward as we

prepare for the New Year ahead. The Jewish

New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is a holiday marked

by festive meals with foods symbolizing

our hopes for the new year—such as apples

dipped in honey for a sweet new year and

pomegranates for a year of plenty—and a day

spent in prayer or quiet meditation.

Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah marks the end and the beginning

of the annual Torah reading cycle. Every

week all over the world, the same Torah

portion is read in Jewish communities. On Simchat

Torah the cycle ends and begins again.

This is accompanied by parading the Torah

scrolls about and with singing and dancing.

Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day)

On this Memorial Day, we commemorate the

soldiers who have fallen fighting for Israel’s

independence and defending its security.

This holiday falls the day before Israel’s Independence

Day.

Hanukkah

This beloved 8–day Jewish winter festival

celebrates the miracle of a small cruse of oil

when it burned for 8 days, instead of only

one. It also celebrates the military victory of

the Jewish Maccabees over the powerful Syrian

Greek army in 167 BCE. The victory was

followed by a rededication (Hanukkah) of the

Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. It is from this act

that the holiday gets its name.

The holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the miraculous

replenishment of the lanterns of the

temple in 164 B.C. Each day one candle is lit

within a “menorah.”

Passover

This seven or eight day festival of freedom

marks the Hebrew exodus from Egypt long

ago. The story is told during a festive ritual

meal called a “Seder.” During the festival, it is

traditional to abstain from all foods containing

leaven; that is, foods made from grain

that have not been prepared according to a

strict Passover cooking procedure. Among

the grain foods that are permitted is matzah,

an unleavened bread that is baked before it

has a chance to rise. Jews celebrate Passover

as a commemoration of their liberation by

God from slavery in ancient Egypt and their

freedom as a nation under the leadership of

Moses.

Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day)

This holiday celebrates the independence

of the Modern State of Israel. In Israel this

day is marked with fireworks, barbeques, and

outdoor revelry.

Purim

The name of this holiday means “lots”, so

named for the lots that were drawn to determine

a dark day in Jewish history. As luck

would have it, those dark days never arrived,

as the evil villian’s plans were thwarted by

the clever Jewish Queen Esther, whose story

is recounted in the Biblical Scroll of Esther.

Celebrations include a public reading of the

scroll, giving gifts to friends and to the needy,

dressing up in costume, eating a special triangle-shaped

pastry, the hamantaschen, and the

drinking of alcohol for those of drinking age.

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day)

Jews all over the world mourn the loss of six

million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust

as part of Hitler’s genocidal “Final Solution.”


Lag B’Omer

This holiday marks the 33rd day of the 49-day

“Omer” period between Passover and Shavuot.

This 7 week period called “the Omer” is traditionally

a quiet time on the Jewish calendar,

but Lag B’Omer, which occurs on the 33rd day

is an exception. Bonfires, outdoor parties and

revelry rule the day, which is also a popular

Jewish wedding date.

Shavuot

Shavuot is the holiday celebration of the

giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. The

celebration of Shavuot is also the Festival

of First Fruits and Grains, a fulfillment of the

promise of spring. The name means “weeks”,

so named for the 7-week period from Passover

to Shavuot.

Tisha B’Av

An important fast day in the Jewish calendar

is Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the Hebrew month

of Av. The day commemorates the destruction

of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE

and 70 CE.

Tu B’Av

Held six days after the fast day of Tisha B’Av

comes a festival of love! A popular wedding

date, the day is celebrated in the best way

possible with wine, chocolate and roses! In

modern-day Israel, it is celebrated as a holiday

of love, similar to Valentine’s Day.

What to Expect at a Shabbat Dinner

What to Do

And Not to Do!

Shabbat is a day of rest that lasts from sundown on Friday evening through nightfall on Saturday night. In addition

to a plethora of things that observant Jews will famously not do on Shabbat (such as driving, working, or

turning on a light switch), there are a host of things we do do in order to “make the Shabbat a delight” (in the

words of Isaiah 58:13). A big part of the “delight” of Shabbat is the enjoyment of three Shabbat meals, mainly

the first two—Friday night dinner and Shabbat lunch—that are elegantly prepared, preceded by the sipping of

ceremonial kiddush wine and the breaking of traditional challah bread, and lingered over with songs, inspiring

thoughts and camaraderie. (The third meal, eaten late on Shabbat afternoon, is normally lighter.)

If you are joining as a guest, the first thing for you to know is that guests are considered an integral part of any

Shabbat meal. Your hosts are very happy to have you—their meal just would not feel right otherwise!

When to Come

Confirm with your hosts what time they would like you to show up, and make sure you have good directions,

as they will not be answering their phones starting at sundown on Friday night. The timeframe given may be

loose—“sometime between 12 and 1”—and so you can be flexible in your arrival.

If you are a woman attending a Friday night meal, your hostess may invite you to come early, before Shabbat

starts at sundown, so that you can join her for candle-lighting. If you do this, the time spent between candlelighting

and eating will likely be filled with a combination of chatting, preparing for the meal, or just simply relaxing

on the couch. Your help setting up or reading to restive children will likely be appreciated.

Both the Friday night meal and the Shabbat day meal are preceded by services in the synagogue. Even if you

don’t generally attend synagogue, or don’t attend the same one as your hosts, you can consider joining them this

week, and then simply go home with them afterwards.

What to Bring

Though not necessary, a small hostess gift is appropriate. If the gift is a food item, such as wine or chocolate,

make sure that it is kosher (and if it is wine, that you see the word mevushal on the label). The world of kosher

certification can be complicated. When in doubt, flowers always make a good gift (except for in Israel, where

agricultural rituals make that complicated as well).

Avoid giving a dairy dessert, even a kosher one, as most Shabbat meals feature chicken or meat, and they do not

serve dairy in the same meal as chicken or meat.

If you do choose to give a gift, bring it to your hosts’ home before Shabbat starts. This may seem strange, but is

actually quite normal in observant circles, since Torah does not allow us to carry or conduct transactions—including

the giving or receiving of gifts—on Shabbat. Please don’t bring your gift when you come for the meal, as your

hosts will not be able to receive it then. (If it feels very awkward to you to skip a gift altogether, you can always

follow up with a thank-you note and a gift after Shabbat has ended . . . but rest assured that your hosts are absolutely

not expecting you to do so.)

What to Wear

Clothing on Shabbat is a notch more formal and festive than on a

weekday, so if you think “dinner party,” you will likely strike the right

note. Men will fit right in with a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt

(coat and tie optional) and kippah, and women with a modest dress or a

modest top and skirt.

What to Expect?

After everyone has arrived and indulged in a few minutes of chit-chat,

family and friends will move to the table and find their seats.

At this point on a Friday night, your host (often accompanied by others)

will sing two hymns:

The “Shalom Aleichem” hymn, with which we welcome the angels who

visit every home at the start of Shabbat, request their blessing and bid

them farewell.

The song of “Eishet Chayil,” which is a tribute to the Jewish woman,

written by King Solomon, extolling her for the wisdom and hard work

with which she makes her home the lovely and nurturing place it is.

Typically everyone stands for the singing of these hymns, but if it is difficult

for you for any reason, you may certainly sit down.

At the Shabbat day meal, we begin immediately with kiddush.

Kiddush

Your host will recite kiddush holding a cup of wine, and everyone will

receive a few sips of wine to drink. The recitation of this blessing over

a cup of wine is a way of fulfilling the mitzvah of sanctifying the day of

rest (the word kiddush translates as “sanctification”).

On Friday night all typically stand for the recitation of kiddush, while on

Shabbat day some people sit. Take your cues from those around you.

Challah

Immediately following kiddush, everyone will leave their chairs and go

to the sink for the ritual hand-washing for bread. If you are not familiar

with this procedure, your hosts will be happy to guide you through it

and help you recite the blessing.

After washing hands, we don’t speak until after we’ve eaten some

challah, so just return to your chair and wait quietly. Hand motions and

facial expressions are often used for necessary communication at this

point. When everyone is seated again, your host will recite the blessing

over bread and then distribute challah, first dipping each piece in salt.

After you’ve eaten a bite, feel free to talk again.


The Food

The traditional Friday night Shabbat meal

features a fish course (with gefilte fish as

an Eastern European classic, often nowadays

accompanied by salads inspired by

Israeli cuisine), followed by a soup course

(most classic is chicken soup), and then a

meat or chicken course.

Shabbat day generally features a fish

course and then a meat course containing

a hot stew called tcholent. Since it is

forbidden to cook food on Shabbat, the

tcholent has been slowly cooking since

Friday afternoon before sundown, either

on the stovetop or in a crockpot. (Tcholent

is the Eastern European term; in Sephardic

parlance, the equivalent, often spicier,

dish is known as chameen.)

These multi-course menus are traditional

but not mandatory, and it is increasingly

common to serve a one-course Shabbat

meal, but be prepared . . . what seems

like an entire meal may be just the first

course.

All that, of course, followed by dessert!

Don’t worry, you are not obligated to eat

or even taste everything.

What to Do

Enjoy the food and the company! In addition

to table talk, we make sure to include

words of Torah at our Shabbat tables, and

at some point someone will probably take

the floor for a few minutes to present a

Torah thought. If your hosts have children,

they may share their knowledge of the

weekly Torah portion and enjoy some

positive attention. There will also likely

be some singing, of traditional Shabbat

hymns as well as other Jewish songs of a

joyful or spiritual nature.

You can feel comfortable discussing all

the usual topics that might be discussed

a dinner party—politics, recent experiences,

the weather . . . and don’t be

afraid to ask questions. If anything seems

mystifying or unclear to you, don’t be shy.

Your hosts or fellow guests will be happy

to explain.

If you lend a hand with clearing plates or

carrying serving dishes, it will likely be

appreciated.

What Not to Do

When you come, don’t ring the doorbell.

Knock instead.

Don’t take pictures.

Don’t use your phone.

When using the bathroom, avail yourself

of the tissues or pre-torn toilet paper,

rather than tearing toilet paper.

Important: Please don’t turn off any lights,

as there will be no Shabbat-permissible

way to turn them back on. (If you have

already mistakenly turned off the light in

the bathroom, you can at least know that

you are not the first one to have made

this mistake . . . even those who have

observed Shabbat for many years may

unthinkingly do this.)

Don’t worry, there is no problem at all

with flushing the toilet.

Grace After Meals

As the meal is winding down, someone

will suggest bentching. This Yiddish word

means “blessing,” and is a reference to

the Grace After Meals. Small booklets will

be brought to the table containing the

text of the Grace After Meals. There are

sure to be some booklets with an English

translation, so you can read it comfortably

yourself.

Help! I’m invited to an Orthodox Shabbat.

Now what??

For those of you that are not familiar,

Shabbat-observant folks do not activate

electricity or cook or a host of other

creative activities, many of which may

be surprising to you, on Shabbat. They

have dinner that also involves singing

(not kumbaya), “washing” (not with soap),

“benching” (that doesn’t involve a bench)

and some other quasi-freaky stuff. To

be sure, the dinner is usually delicious,

the atmosphere divine (assuming the

kids don’t fight too much and the guests

don’t radically disagree about politics and

you haven’t mistakenly seated a doctor

and attorney directly across the table

from one another), the guests and hosts

well-meaning, etc. Nevertheless some

clarity is in order, as expectations and

assumptions on either side may well be….

insanely divergent.

Here are 10 things I’d like MY Shabbos

guests to know:

(As an aside: I use the terms Shabbat and

Shabbos interchangeably; both refer to

the Jewish Sabbath as it is observed according

to Jewish law from sundown on

Friday or even a bit earlier, to nightfall on

Saturday night.)

1. I know you may have driven to my home. It’s a little

awkward, because I don’t drive on Shabbos, and you

do. The question of whether a Shabbat-observant Jew

is allowed to invite a fellow Jew over on Shabbat, when

it’s obvious that he will drive, is actually the subject of

intense halachic debate. On the one hand, better to drive

to celebrate Shabbat than to drive to the mall – no? On

the other hand, may I be the instrument of the drive? So

“don’t ask, don’t tell” is the way we deal with it. Because

even if I follow the opinion that I can invite you despite

the drive, it’s much better if I don’t have to give explicit

permission. Which is why I try to avoid the topic!

2. I really appreciate the fact that you didn’t park in

my driveway. When you parked around the block and

walked, you may have felt like an imposter but I viewed it

as a respectful act of not wishing to disturb the Shabbat

atmosphere that exists in the neighborhood. Thank you!

And if you really did walk all the way – double thank you!

You’ve honored your hosts and Shabbat, all in one.

3. So the flowers you brought to dinner, and I kinda left

them hanging out on the counter? You’re so sweet to

bring them… but I can’t put flowers into water on Shabbos.

It’s part of the creative process of growing plants.

I felt uncomfortable, but didn’t want to make you feel

worse about not knowing, so I just decided to hope you

didn’t notice. (More suggestions here for what guests can

bring.)

4. It’s really OK with me that your kids are coloring and

playing piano, activities that are not allowed on Shabbat.

I know you don’t observe Shabbos the way I do. They’re

only kids. My kids do that too, and I overlook it because

they’re only kids, even though mine ARE brought up with

Shabbos. Don’t worry.

5. Yes, you’re allowed to flush the toilet on Shabbos.

6. I’m a little hesitant to ask you if you’d like help with

lighting candles or “washing” hands before challah. See,

if these customs are familiar to you, I don’t want it to

seem like I think you’re ignorant. But if they’re not, I don’t

want to be a bad host and not offer you info and help. It’s

hard for me to know how to strike the balance. I’m not

clairvoyant, so I don’t know how much you know. I hope

you’ll be OK with my mistakes.

7. If anything seems unusual, please ask! It’s not rude or

disrespectful and it makes me so happy that you are asking

so the lines of communication can be open. I don’t

want my life to be inscrutable to you. Please feel free to

ask. Really.

8. It’s great when you involve my kids in the conversation.

See, I’m trying to strike the balance between paying attention

to them and paying attention to you, so if you pay

attention to them, it’s win-win-win.

9. It’s so sweet when you offer to bring something. I

know you don’t keep kosher so please don’t feel bad if

I just ask you to bring flowers or dessert from a kosher

bakery. You might want to check with me which bakery is

kosher because “Farbstein’s Kosher Rugeleh Shop” may

not, in fact, be kosher. Also, many people serve meat or

chicken at Shabbos dinner and therefore would not serve

dairy at dessert, even if it’s not together. Just good to

know.

10. What we really want is for you to have a nice time.

Relax, don’t worry so much about the rules, and just try to

have fun. We know you may not be familiar with the customs

and that’s OK! We like you and that’s what matters.

11. I know I said ten but I couldn’t resist. If you’ve spent

time avoiding my invitation, deleting my email, ignoring

my voicemail, and pretending you didn’t check Facebook,

please know that if you do, indeed, accept my invitation,

you may actually have a very nice time.

How to Make

Challah

Make perfect, fluffy challah every time with this classic recipe.

Classic challah is almost as sacred as Shabbat itself, and we know how gratifying and delicious

it is to prepare homemade challah at home.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/8 cups lukewarm water

1 Tbs dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten, plus 1 whole egg for glazing

1/2 Tbs salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Beat well and leave 10

minutes, until it froths.

2. In a very large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Then add the salt, sugar, and oil and beat

again. Add the frothy yeast mixture and beat well. Now add the flour gradually, and just

enough to make a soft dough that holds together, mixing well, first with a large spoon, then

working it in with your hands.

3. Knead vigorously for about 15 minutes, until it is very smooth and elastic, adding flour if

the dough is too sticky.

4. Pour a little oil in the bowl and turn the dough, so that it is greased all over.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and put it in a warm place to rise for

2‐3 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down and knead again, then

divide into 2 pieces to make 2 loaves.

6. Braid challah into desired shape and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

or a silicone baking mat, leaving plenty of room for them to expand. Allow them to rise

for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

7. Now brush gently with the beaten egg, or if you want to sprinkle with poppy or sesame

seeds, brush first with the whole beaten egg.(The seeds stick better if the white is there too.)

8. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 25-30 minutes or until the loaves are beautifully

golden-brown. They are done if they sound hollow when you tap the bottoms.

The Difference Between Halvah and Tahini

Halvah is a sweet treat that is almost universally

beloved by Jews from around the world.

Even in many American grocery stores you can

find packaged halvah, and Israel is well known

for the rows upon rows of beautiful and varied

halvah flavors featured in its many outdoor

markets.

What is tahini?

Tahini is quite simple: It is ground sesame

seeds. Just like ground peanuts create peanut

butter, ground sesame seeds creates a rich,

sweet and savory paste that is delicious and

versatile.

Not all sesame seeds are created equal, and,

the best-quality tahini is made from Ethiopian

sesame seeds. When ground, they have a delicious

nuttiness with a natural sweetness.

What should you look for when you buy

strongly recommend storing it in the fridge for

sanitary reasons. And when the tahini fibers and

oil do separate over time (which they will), just

give it a good stir before using.

What can you do with tahini?

The question is really: What can’t you do with

tahini? It can be savory, or sweet. It can be simply

drizzled over roasted vegetables, made into a

salad dressing or even added to baked goods like

tahini?

gluten-free tahini and halvah brownies and tahini

Let’s say you want to buy tahini at the grocery chocolate breakfast buns. It can also be drizzled

store, you should check for freshness. While on top of ice cream.

tahini has a long shelf life (it can remain in your So, what is halvah?

pantry for 2-3 years), if you see that the tahini Halvah, which literally means “sweet” in Arabic,

has already separated, with a thick layer of oil is made by mixing tahini and sugar at a high temperature.

Other flavors are often added, including

on top, it is not fresh and not ideal to purchase.

Where should you store tahini?

coffee, marble, pistachio, cardamom and white

While you can store it at room temperature, we chocolate.

OldTestament

Abraham’s Blended Family

The relationship between Sarah and Hagar — and their two

sons — is more complicated than you think.

Commentary on Parashat Chayei Sara, Genesis 23:1-25:18

Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba—now Hebron—in the land of

Canaan; and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah and to bewail her. Then Abraham rose from beside his dead, and spoke to the Hittites, saying, “I am

a resident alien among you............These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names by their villages and by their encampments: twelve chieftains of

as many tribes.— These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to

his kin.— They dwelt from Havilah, by Shur, which is close to Egypt, all the way to Asshur; they camped alongside all their kinsmen.

ABRAHAM, SARAH and HAGAR

Hebrew for “the life of Sarah.” That’s in spite of the fact that it opens with Sarah’s death and then proceeds to detail Abraham’s

mourning, him finding her a burial plot and then selecting a wife for their son, Isaac. But to understand what’s happening here,

I think it’s best to look back.

Just prior to this Torah portion is the binding of Isaac, when Abraham almost sacrifices Isaac. Two things happen after Isaac’s

life is spared by God. First, he flees to his mother’s former handmaid, Hagar, and older brother, Ishmael. Then, his mother,

Sarah, dies. She dies, perhaps, of heartbreak at not only the potential loss of her son in the sacrifice but the physical loss of

her son to Hagar, a woman with whom she has a strained relationship to say the least. It is at this juncture in the lives of our

forebears that Chayei Sara opens.

In this Torah portion, which is so much more about Isaac than about Sarah, we don’t actually see Isaac until after he’s returned

from Beer-lahai-roi, which the passage says he “settled in the region of the Negev.” If you recall from earlier in Genesis, Beerlahai-roi

roughly translated means “the well of he who sees me. “ This same place to which Hagar retreated after being cast

out by Sarah is where Isaac goes to find comfort after the betrayal of his father and death of his mother.

I first noticed the complexity of the familial relationship of Isaac, Ishmael, Sarah, Hagar and Abraham while studying at Pardes,

a coed pluralistic yeshiva in Jerusalem, in the summer of 2015. Our forebears lived in a time of complicated family structures.

It was not unheard of for a man to have several wives, each with several children. These women and children often go unnamed.

Sarah and Hagar are different. These sisterwives

not only are each beloved by God (he

makes great nations, 12 chieftains from them

both) and Abraham (he is twice distressed by

Sarah’s treatment of Hagar and Ishmael), but

by the sons they share. I find it hard to believe

that the strife we read about between Hagar

and Sarah is ongoing; instead, I think the two

Torah mentions of Sarah treating Hagar harshly

are extreme events. It is through this lens that

it makes sense for Isaac to seek refuge, safety

and a piece of home with Hagar after these two

terrible events — almost being murdered by his

father and then losing his mother. He grew up

with both these women as his caretakers, his

mothers. He grew up with Ishmael as his playmate,

his brother. With Hagar and Ishmael sent

away and his mother dead, he was left alone.

It’s only after Sarah has been buried and a wife,

Rebecca, is selected for Isaac that we see him

again.

We read that Isaac loves Rebecca and takes her

to his mother’s tent, where he is finally comforted

after Sarah’s death. It seems that Abraham,

too, finds comfort after his wife’s death and his

son’s marriage, because in the next chapter we

learn that Abraham takes a second wife called

Keturah. There are some scholars who believe

that Keturah is a new figure, while others

believe that Keturah is merely a new name for

Hagar who returns to the family after the death

of Sarah. I tend to place myself in this column.

I have never viewed Hagar as a mere handmaiden

or servant of Sarah, but rather a woman

who Abraham loved as a wife. A woman who

possibly loved Sarah with a complex intimacy

because of their shared husband. A woman

who loved her children, both the son she bore

and the son she helped to raise. It may seem

uncomfortable to reconcile, but if we look at

the way the story plays out, Hagar is the Jewish

people’s stepmother and her son, Ishmael, our

brother.

To me the connection of Hagar as Keturah is

evident by the fact that the sons of Keturah are

named as well as the names of their descendants.

Naming of people in the Torah is often a

sign of significance. The text tells us that children

of Abraham’s other concubines are given

gifts while he is alive and sent to the east. But

these children aren’t named, indicating a lack of

importance.

This idea of Keturah as Hagar is also supported

by how the text ends, with the death of Abraham.

When Abraham dies we read that both

of his sons bury their father in the same cave

where Sarah is buried. We close with a recitation

of the 12 sons of Ishmael, the grandchildren

of Hagar/Keturah and Abraham.

Some pieces of Midrash (Pronounced: MIDDrash,

Origin: Hebrew, the process of interpretation

by which the rabbis filled in “gaps” found in the

Torah.) argue that this recitation of Ishmael’s

children is proof of the promise that God makes

to both Abraham and Sarah and Abraham and

Hagar; that his descendants will be as numerous

as grains of sand and stars in the sky. God

fulfills his promise to Abraham not just through

Isaac, but also through Ishmael. And therefore

through Hagar.

These lessons of Torah push us to think beyond

our comfort and encourage us to consider the

nuances of identity, peoplehood and family. I

think God’s lesson is to lean into that complexity,

because it’s evident that we prosper only

together.

Did You Know?

1. Bamba, Israel’s favorite snack food, is

made exclusively here. First produced in

1964 as cheese-flavored, two years later it

acquired its famous peanut butter taste.

2. Israelis, per capita, are the world’s

biggest consumers of fruits and vegetables.

3. Israelis, per capita, are the world’s

biggest consumers of chicken?

3. Israeli cows produce more milk per cow

than almost any country in the world.

4. Cherry tomatoes were originally

engineered in Israel in 1973.

5. Breeding and raising pigs in Israel is

illegal for Jews.

6. The glue on Israeli stamps is kosher.

7. There are over 100 sushi restaurants in

Tel Aviv…making it the city with the most

sushi restaurants per capita after Tokyo

and NYC.

8. At a shop in Jaffa you can buy hummus

flavored ice cream.

9. The diet of the animals at Jerusalem’s

Biblical Zoo is altered annually so it’s

kosher for Passover?

10. In 2012 Israelis began the Cottage

Cheese Revolution. These were national

demonstrations launched against the high

cost of living prompted by sharp increases

in the price of cottage cheese.

11. Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship

in the world.

12. Israel has the highest rate of entrepreneurship

among women and people over

55 in the world.

13. Israel was the first country to ban

underweight models.

14. Israeli banknotes have braille markings

on them.

15. Israel won the Eurovision song competition

three times.

16. The last time they won, they were represented

by a transgender pop star, Dana

International. The only other time that’s

happened is this year’s winner, Conchita

Wurst, from Austria.

17. When Golda Meir became prime minister

of Israel in 1969, she was only the third

woman elected to lead a country in the

modern world.

18. The largest known dog cemetery in the

ancient world was discovered in the coastal

city of Ashkelon.

19. There’s a rollerblading party that happens

every Tuesday night in Tel Aviv.

20. Out Magazine names Israel “the gay capital

of the Middle East.”

21. The country has the most Bauhaus

buildings in the world.

22. Israel has 137 official beaches (but only

273 km of coastline).

23. In regards to its population, Israel has

the highest ratio of college degrees.

24. The same goes for the ratio of its museums,

and startup companies!

25. Motorola developed the cell phone in

Israel.

26. Voicemail technology was developed in

Israel.

27. The first antivirus software for computers

was created in Israel in 1979.

28. Israel has two official languages: Hebrew

and Arabic.

29. Israel published more books translated

from other languages than any other nation

in the world.

30. The city of Beersheba has the highest

number of chess grandmasters per capita

in the world.

31. Only two countries began the 21st

century with a net gain in their number of

trees; Israel was one of them.

32. The opening scene of the Al Pacino film

The Insider was shot in Israel.

33. Haifa, Israel has one of the smallest

subway systems in the world with a 1.8-km

track and only four carriages — how cute!

34. Israel is one of only three democracies

in the world without a codified constitution.

The other two are New Zealand and Britain.

35. The Sea of Galilee — located .212 km

below sea level — is the lowest freshwater

lake in the world (and the largest in Israel).

36. The Dead Sea is the lowest place on

Earth.

37. Israel is the only country to revive an

unspoken language and establish it as its

national tongue.

38. Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives is the

world’s oldest continuously used cemetery.

39. El Al, Israel’s national airline, set the

world record for the most passengers on

a commercial flight.

40. The world’s largest pepper was

grown in Israel’s Moshav Ein Yahav, as

recorded by The Guinness Book of World

Records in 2013.

41. Life expectancy in Israel is at 82 years

(two years more than the OECD average).

42. Eilat and the Hula Valley Reserve are

some of the best bird-watching sites in

the world. Israel’s national bird is the

hoopoe.

43. Heart tissue regeneration is possible

in the U.S. thanks to Israeli stem-cell

technology.

44. A cooking oil developed in Israel is

capable of breaking up cholesterol and

other blood fats.

45. An Israeli company has developed

the world’s first jellyfish repellent.

46. Israel is one of only nine countries in

the world that can launch its own satellites

into space.

47. AOL Instant Messaging was designed

by an Israeli software company.

48. Yityish Aynaw became Israel’s first

Ethiopian Miss Israel in 2013.

49. Israeli scientists have discovered the

cause of chronic bad breath and an easy

way to fix it.

50. More than 44% of all lawyers registered

in Israel are women.

51. Israel chose its first woman president

of the Supreme Court, Dorit

Beinisch, who served from 2006-2012.

52. Israel has the world’s second highest

per capita of new books.

53. A group of Israeli artists have started

bus stop libraries that are available free

of charge to commuters traveling across

Israel.

54. Israel’s national flower is the

Cyclamen persicum.

CHRISTIANITY101

Christianity

Christianity is one of the most significant monotheistic religions in the

world. Its beliefs are closely linked to Judaism, from which it originated.

The central focus of the Christian faith is based upon the belief of salvation

made possible through the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus of

Nazareth, the son of God. “Christ” corresponds to the Jewish sovereign of

“Messiah” or in Hebrew, “The Anointed One”.

COOLFACTS

• Jesus is the Greek form

of the Aramaic name Joshua.

• The life and actions

of Jesus rooted within the Jewish

tradition.

• The Gospels describe

the life and teachings of Jesus,

which act as the constituents of

faith.

The Roots of Christianity

The inspiration for Christianity is Jesus of Nazareth, whose birth marks the

start of the Western era. Central beliefs and the teaching of Jesus, deemed

the son of God, and interpretations of his death and resurrection.

Located in the New Testament of the Bible, the Gospels, of

which the Gospel of Mark is the oldest, describe the ministry of Jesus of

Nazareth.

Christian beliefs were promoted after Jesus` death by retelling his

parables and lessons within the emerging Christian communities. Initially

retold orally, Jesus` ministry was later collected and organized within a

literary format. The beliefs of early Christian authors are reflected in the

stories of Jesus` birth and life as a young man.

The main message of Jesus was the renewal of Judaism in accordance

with the kingdom of God. As the preachings of Jesus were often portrayed

through allegories of rural life, stories of Him healing the sick and helping

the fringe groups of ancient Jewish society conveyed the Christianity

message to His mainly agrarian audience. The Sermon on the Mount

(found in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew) compiled these teachings.

Their primary theme was love, both for God and for one another. This

message responds to intensely restrictive commandments in the Jewish

Torah, which places limits on behavior and promised exacting punishment

for wrongdoing. Jesus instead encouraged inclusive love and charity as a

guide to behavior and social organization.

By addressing God as “Father,” Jesus relayed a remarkably close relationship.

Arriving in Jerusalem, the religious and political center of Judaism,

this provocative claim was bound to trigger conflict between Jesus and

the temple aristocracy, working under the law of the Romans. Arrested on

charges of blasphemy, Jesus was executed.

The descriptions of his death in the Gospels emphasize the fulfillment of

prophecies of a Messiah, sent by God to redeem humankind, found in the

Old Testament.

The Christian Bible contains

both, an Old and a

New Testament.

The Old Testament

corresponds to the collections

of Jewish Holy

Scriptures.

Christians read in the

Old Testament prophecies

and predictions

that foretell of the coming

of Jesus Christ, as

expressed in the New

Testament.

The canon of the 27

New Testament scriptures

evolved from the

third century. It consists

of the Gospels, stories

of the apostles, letters

(primarily by Paul) and

the revelation of John.

In 1546, the canon of

the Catholic Church

– the official list of

contents of the Holy

Bible- was decreed at

the Council of Trent.

Above: Guttenberg

Bible, printed ca 1455

• Early versions of the

Bible record an ox and donkey at

the Nativity scene.

• The apostles Peter

and Paul emerged as the primary

preachers within early Christianity.

With his letters, Paul provided

the basis of Christian theology for

new communities.

• During the period of

Christian persecution by the Roman

Empire, the Christians buried

their dead underground in catacombs

that were often painted

with Christian motifs.

• Regular communion

services were characteristic of

the collective lifestyle of Early

Christians.

• Since the 11th Century,

a pope has chosen his own

papal name.

• The title of the pope

is “holy father,” his self-designated

name is “servant of God`s

servants.”

• The pope is selected

by the cardinals.

• During the Crusades,

the concept of a pilgrimage was

associated with the idea of a

“just war” against pagans.

• In the 21rst century,

Christianity is increasingly disassociating

itself from its Europecentered

character.

• Martin Luther initiated

the greatest change in the

history of the Western Church

with his shocking assault on

traditional Christianity. In 1517,

Martin Luther sparked the

Reformation in Wittenberg with

his 95 theses against the sale of

indulgences by the papacy.

The Emerge of Christianity

CHRISTIANITY

The early Christians formed a local community that was attractive to many people. From its start as a small Jewish sect, Christianity soon exploded

into an expansive religious movement.

The early Christians believed that Jesus was the Messiah and had been resurrected following his crucifixion.

In the Hebrew version of the Bible, the Messiah (Hebrew: “The Anointed One”) came to represent one who was chosen by God as the rightful

ruler of the Israelites descending from the line of King David. The Christian concept of the Messiah as the apocalyptic bringer of salvation was

expressed in the prophetic books of the Bible.

As early Christians reflected on the meaning of the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus, they came to identify Him as the Messiah and Christ

(Greek:”The Annointed One”). This identification of Jesus as the Christ is the central point of the Christian faith.

Within the early Christian society, all men were equal while women were also allowed to take on important communal positions.

In Antioch, they were joined by followers of the Hellenistic-Roman cults. Christian communities often exempted their members, whether converted

Jews or Gentiles (non-Jews), from strict Jewish laws including circumcision, cleanliness requirements, and food restrictions. Christian leaders

believed in baptism as the symbolic ritual of cleanliness and, after that, purity of the spirit and actions as the way to follow in the path of Jesus.

Soon the followers of Christ were accused of heresy and threatened by the majority of population who held other religious beliefs. Many fled to

Samaria and a few to Antioch, where they were first referred as “Christians”.

Success and Propagation

The transmission of the new religion saw increased

influence over the following decades. Overall, the

remarkable lifestyle of the Christians aroused interest

to join. Entire households, including both families

and their slaves, made the decision to convert.

Christianity spread rapidly from the Middle East,

attracting both the educated and wealthy as well as

the poor and enslaved.

The main reason for the success of Christianity was

the promise of salvation and resurrection. Furthermore,

the solidarity of early Christian communities

was attractive as wealthy Christians made donations

to the poor, the elderly, and the sick. The community

saw to the burial of its members, trans-migratory

Christians were housed, and healers worked without

payment. Once it was recognized that the end of

the world would not occur as soon as had been

expected, gradually more importance was attached

to the Christian lifestyle. As the communities came

to adapt to the norms and values of their environment,

hierarchies emerged, the social structures that

would later become the foundation of the organized

Church.

Christian Persecution

Affirming the Christian faith did harbor risk for followers,

in 64 A.D., the Roman Emperor Nero decreed

the imprisonment and execution of Christians on

charges of alleged arson. Many in the Roman Empire

refused to concede in the face of public sacrifice.

Their resistance and persecution saw the eventual

acceptance of Christianity during the second and

third centuries A.D.

Differences between Denominations

According to the Catholic understanding of faith the

teachings of the Church are based on the Bible and

Christian tradition. The word of God is explained

through Church doctrines.

The Reformers stressed their belief that the Bible

alone was sufficient for the promulgation of faith,

thus contesting the Church’s traditional domination

over religious interpretation. While the Church

assumes that a person “pays dues” in the process

of receiving God’s salvation, Luther contended

that God’s grace was passive; thus faith alone was

sufficient. The hierarchically structured Church

was considered to be the sole mediator between

God and humanity; however, Luther emphasized a

“priesthood of all believers”. Luther accepted only

the first three of the Church’s seven sacraments

(baptism, Eucharist, penance, confirmation, matrimony,

priesthood and unction). Zwingli, on the other

hand, considered baptism and the Eucharist to be

mere symbols of faith.

The Christian Church in the 20th Century expanded

even more and many Protestant denominations

developed and grew in membership.

Fundamentalist and Evangelical religious movements

emerged throughout the developed and the

developing worlds. Highly emotive communal experiences,

such as the trancelike practice of “speaking

in tongues”, often characterized these new religious

expressions.

We are raised in the Church

so that we already know of

Christ’s triumph over death

through the Cross. Our

resistance is not based on a

lack of knowledge, but of a

real human dread of pain and

suffering. It may be difficult

to us to “see” the joy that

comes through the Cross

until we find ourselves “on

the other side,” for “now we

see in a glass darkly, but then

face to face” (1 Corinthians

13:12). It is our hope and the

“certainty” of our faith that

Christ has indeed triumphed

over death, “even death on a

Cross” (Philippians 2:8).

-By Fr. Steven Kostoff

• The Ressurenction of Jesus

is the central event of Christianity,

represented here in the

“Isenheim Altar” by Matthias

Grunewald.


The central focus of the Christian faith is

based upon the belief of salvation made

possible through the crucifixion and

Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the son

of God. “Christ” corresponds to the Jewish

sovereign of “Messiah” or in Hebrew, “The

Anointed One”.







Anointed One”.







Anointed One”.

The central focus of the Christian faith is based upon the belief of salvation made possible through the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus of

Nazareth, the son of God. “Christ” corresponds to the Jewish sovereign of “Messiah” or in Hebrew, “The Anointed One”.

The central focus of the Christian faith is based upon the belief of salvation made possible through the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth,

the son of God. “Christ” corresponds to the Jewish sovereign of “Messiah” or in Hebrew, “The Anointed One”.


The central focus of the Christian faith is based upon the belief of salvation made possible through the crucifixion and Resurrection of

Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God. “Christ” corresponds to the Jewish sovereign of “Messiah” or in Hebrew, “The Anointed One”.

The central focus of the Christian faith is based upon the belief of salvation made possible through the crucifixion and Resurrection of

Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God. “Christ” corresponds to the Jewish sovereign of “Messiah” or in Hebrew, “The Anointed One”.























ISLAM 101

"Allah says in the Qur'an not to despise one

another. So the criterion in Islam is not color or

social status. It's who is most righteous. If I go to

a mosque - and I'm a basketball player with

money and prestige - if I go to a mosque and see

an imam, I feel inferior. He's better than me. It's

about knowledge." Hakeem Olajuwon

ʾ ʾ ḥ أسماء الله الحسنى

الله

ʾ

زبور

ʾ

ɔː ˈɑː

ʔ ː

القرآن

Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith (/bəˈhɑːiː, -ˈhaɪ/; Persian: بهائی Bahā'i)

is a religion teaching the essential worth of all religions,

and the unity and equality of all people.

Established by Bahá'u'lláh in 1863, it initially grew in Iran

and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing

persecution since its inception. Currently it has between 5

and 8 million adherents, known as Bahá'ís, spread out into

most of the world's countries and territories.

It grew from the mid-19th-century Bábí religion, whose

founder taught that God would soon send a prophet in the

same way of Jesus or Muhammad.

In 1863, after being banished from his native Iran,

Bahá'u'lláh announced that he was this prophet. He was

further exiled, spending over a decade in the prison city of

Akka in Ottoman Palestine. Following Bahá'u'lláh's death

in 1892, leadership of the religion fell to his son Àbdu'l-

Bahá (1844–1921), and later his great-grandson Shoghi

Effendi (1897–1957). Bahá'ís around the world annually

elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies that

govern the affairs of the religion, and every five years the

members of all National Spiritual Assemblies elect the

Universal House of Justice, the nine-member supreme

governing institution of the worldwide Bahá'í community,

which sits in Haifa, Israel, near the Shrine of the Báb.

Bahá'í teachings are in some ways similar to other

monotheistic faiths: God is considered single and allpowerful.

However, Bahá'u'lláh taught that religion is orderly and

progressively revealed by one God through Manifestations

of God who are the founders of major world religions

throughout history; Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad being

the most recent in the period before the Báb and

Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'ís regard the major religions as

fundamentally unified in purpose, though varied in social

practices and interpretations. There is a similar emphasis

on the unity of all people, openly rejecting notions of

racism and nationalism. At the heart of Bahá'í teachings is

the goal of a unified world order that ensures the

prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes.


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