Baking · Cooking · Entertainment · General · History · Innovation · Israel · Jaffa · Kitchen · Lifestyle · Lilienblum Street · Nightlife · Photography · Restaurants · Tel Aviv · Tel Aviv & Antwerp · Tourism · Travel guide

15 hotspots in Tel Aviv for this summer (2017)

The Norman amazing boutique hotel in my favorite neighborhood right behind Rothschild Boulevard… my advice is to go there for breakfast

“Stay: The Norman”: 
“To find the best value for your money when booking your accommodation in Tel Aviv, have a look at the map of 
Tel Aviv on AllTheRooms.”Onza located in the hippest area in the Jaffa Fleamarket amazing Turkish food and vibe

Orna & Ella perfect for lunch on Shenkin Street 

Cafe Bucke perfect for breakfast and lunch, hip people only  🙂

Cafe Noir timeless! go for the chicken shnitzel.

HaSalon just google Eyal Shani. PS ideal for big groups and parties. need to make reservation ahead. this is the only restaurant I shared that is NOT walking distance from the heart of the city.

Nanuchka 100% VEGAN and then you just dance on the bar ok?Abraxas North as Jessica Biel tweeted: best burger ever
America Burgers my personal favorite burgers in town including an amazing vegetarian one!Delicatessen always good for breakfast and brunch and take away food and delicatessenBrasserie another classic of 24/7 amazing French foodManta Ray the only real gourmet food ON THE BEACH including amazing sea food and sea viewThe Old Man & The Sea real Meditteranean atmosphere and food at Jaffa Port

A few side notes:

  • yes life – and dining – in Israel is expensive
  • almost all restaurants stay open and are cool with menus at any hours (unlike Belgium)
  • another great Israeli invention is EatWith if you want a home dinner
  • contact me for more details or assistance during your trip: marilyn_josephine@ymail.com
History · Israel · Jaffa · Lifestyle · Press · Tel Aviv · Tourism · Travel guide

Tel Aviv officially crowned ‘Creative City’ by UNESCO

 

A decade after UNESCO recognized Tel Aviv as a World Cultural Heritage site…

 

UNESCO Announces Tel Aviv a Creative City

 

Tel Aviv has previously received official recognition from UNESCO as a world heritage site for its extraordinary and beautiful collection of more than 4000 original white Bauhaus buildings scattered throughout the city. Today, the White City is to enjoy an additional title of Creative City as Tel Aviv is now the newest member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the category of Media Arts.

 

UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization established the Creative Cities Network in order to encourage cooperation between international cities as a means to promote local creative industries, harnessing entrepreneurship and creativity to strengthen the local economy and social development. This evening, Tel Aviv will join 41 other cities each recognized in one of seven categories: Literature, Film, Music, Craft and Folk Art, Design, Media Arts and Gastronomy. Other notable members include Dublin (Literature), Liverpool (Music), Sydney (Film) and Berlin (Design).

 

Link to UNESCO’s website: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/creativity/creative-cities-network/

 

Tel Aviv will become a member of the Creative Cities Network recognized in the field of Media Arts. Cities in this area are characterized by the existence of creative industries and cultural activity driven by the use of digital technology and the successful implementation of media arts for the benefit of improving urban life. This is measured by the accessibility of cultural events and products through digital technology and the existence of electronic art forms and their integration into the life of civil society and their ability to strengthening local working studios and media arts projects.

 

The city’s flourishing high-tech scene and enterprises, especially in the media arts field – both earned Tel Aviv its place in the Creative Cities Network. Currently there are more than 700 early stage startups in Tel Aviv, a city with just over 400,000 residents. Tel Aviv has the second highest number of startups of any city in the world, and has the highest number of startups per capita.

 

The acceptance of Tel Aviv into the Creative Cities Network is a great honor for the city and will only strengthen the development of activities, projects and initiatives in the field of Media Arts and culture, and continue the Municipalities activities with the wide range of communities living in the city, academia, the business sector, industry, cultural institutions and more. Alongside local activities, an important aspect of the Network is creating international partnerships between the cities. Partnerships based on cooperative learning and the exchange of knowledge, enabling each partner to harness the creativity in their local economy and use it for social development. In order to retain the title, Tel Aviv will present annually to the organization and demonstrate the past-years cooperative initiatives with officials in the city and internationally.

 

Commenting on the achievement, the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ron Huldai said:

 

“Ten years ago, UNESCO declared the White City of Tel Aviv as a world heritage site. The world recognized the importance of the city’s architectural past. Starting from today, Tel Aviv’s entrance to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network UNESCO reflects the world’s recognition of the city’s contribution to the present and the future – recognition of Tel Aviv as a vibrant center of cultural creation and breakthrough technology, the creative industries and the focus of the original visionary scene of digital innovation and initiatives”.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxvevYZ2suw Urban Symphony featuring the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo

 

http://youtu.be/-n_BgwdovOY Comical clip about Tel Aviv with quotes from Barack Obama

 

 

jumpingman BoardWalk_photo_by_Kfir_Bolotin_60 Atidim_7_photo_by_Kfir_Bolotin_24photos by Kfir Bolotin

 

Architecture · Fashion · History · Israel · Restaurants · Tel Aviv · Tourism · Travel guide

Sarona Quarter – a new/old place to be

Before the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, Sarona was originally a German Templer colony northeast of the city of Jaffa. In the end of the 19th century, the Templer settlement of Sarona was one of the first modern agricultural settlements in Palestine and became a model for the Jewish pioneers. In the 20th century it was a farming community but immigration was growing and houses were being built throughout British occupation. During the Nazi occupation, it served as an internment camp for the Germans.

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In 1948, when the British Mandate ended and British troops left Sarona, the old houses and army barracks were used by the newly formed Israeli government as offices and called the area the “Kirya”: part became a military compound and other parts became houses to other ministries of the Israeli government.

‘With the rapid growth of Tel Aviv, the Kirya became prime real-estate in the heart of the city. When plans for redeveloping the area were proposed in the mid-1970s, preservationists successfully campaigned against demolition. Consulting with historians, it was decided that Sarona was of heritage value and that 18 structures with distinct architectural styles would be preserved. Civil government departments were moved out of the Sarona’s low buildings and into a single high office building erected at its eastern end. During the widening of Kaplan Street, Sarona’s main thoroughfare, considerable effort was made to move the historic buildings intact. These are destined to become an area of cafés and recreation. A high-rise headquarters building was also erected in the military section, though historic buildings in the compound remain in IDF use.’ (source: WikiPedia)

Since 2003, the Tel Aviv municipality has been working to preserve and restore Sarona. And now we can finally enjoy this new old kid in town: new residents apartment buildings, preserved historic buildings, lots of green area, children’s playgrounds and new businesses: shops, bars and restaurants.

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Shopping: Tommy Hilfiger, G-Star, Liebeskind, Fred Perry, Stussy, Imelda, L’Occitane, Adidas, etc.

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Food: Claro, Rustico, Akiko, Little Italy, Roladine, Wilhelmina, Jajo, Anita, Beer Garden, etc.

קלארו. צילום ארז חרודי (8) sarona

קלארו. צילום ארז חרודי (5)saronaphoto credit: ארז חרודי

 

Sarona Market

Antwerp · Bauhaus · Cooking · Food · General · History · Israel · Jaffa · Judaism · Kitchen · Restaurants · Tel Aviv & Antwerp · Tourism

‘Belgian Culinary Week’ in Tel Aviv – special guest: chef Viki Geunes

Tel Aviv’s popularity is growing in the European media, finally! In the context of the Belgian Culinary Week in Tel Aviv, we had the pleasure of having chef Viki Geunes here, accompanied by a tv-crew for ATV – Antwerp Television and a reporter from the renowned cooking magazine ‘Culinaire Ambiance‘. In the videos below you’ll see their discoveries in the city…

Part one: Chef Viki Geunes from the renowned ‘t Zilte restaurant in Antwerp discovers the city of Tel Aviv and meets Yossi Shitrit, chef from Kitchen Market, as part of the “Belgian Culinary Week” held at the new Namal Tel Aviv. Viki visits the Carmel Market and enjoys local flavors…

Part two: Viki Geunes and Yossi Shitrit share their local knowledge and host a cooking demo for the Israeli chefs and press. Then Viki meets with Marilyn Ambach and while telling her story, she takes him to her favorite spots around Rothschild Boulevard.

Part three: Viki and Marilyn wander around Jaffa and its charm…

You can watch the ATV reruns here and wait for the May edition of Culinary Ambiance…

Thank you: Willem Asaert, Viviane & Viki, Raf de Mot, Walter Schrooten

 

History · Israel · Tourism

Discovering Israel: Jerusalem, Dead Sea and the North

Here are some suggestions for those interested in discovering Israel. If you book a vacation for a week or ten days you can stay in Tel Aviv and enjoy the city and the beach life. Then take a few days to visit the country:

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Renting a car is easy and cheap (Suncar) and all road signs are in English, Arabic and Hebrew so you shouln’t worry about getting lost. If you only plan on visiting Jerusalem then you could use public transportation like the bus, the service taxis departing from Tel Aviv’s central bus station or the train. In Jerusalem make sure to visit the Old City including the Wailing Wall, the Jewish, Christian and Muslim Quarters in the narrow streets and the Church of the Saint Sepulchre. You should also visit Mount Scopus, the Mahane Yehuda food market, The Knesset (Parliament), Yad Vashem and the Eretz Israel museum. Contact us for more info and we can find you a guide in any language.

Food: MachneYuda, Mamilla, quick food joints                                                                                                               Accommodation: Mamilla, King David Hotel, Scottish Guesthouse, Dan Boutique Hotel

Get inspired and watch the Simpsons’ visit to the Holy Land

Courtesy of Aish.com

DEAD SEA

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The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth and almost one of the official wonders of the world. It is a natural spa with many benefits for the skin. Located more than 400 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is an experience; from rubbing mud on your skin till floating in the sea reading a book.

Another amazing place to visit in that area is Massada. ‘Massada is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau (akin to a mesa) on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. According to Josephus, theSiege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First Jewish–Roman War ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Jewish rebels and their families hiding there.’ (source: Wikipedia) You can walk the snake path up and down, many do it on sunrise or sunset for its beauty and also because of the heat. For the lazy ones: there is a cable cart.

Accommodation: Ein Gedi Hotel, Isrotel Dead Sea

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CIMG3744Massada by sunrise

NORTH

In the North you can make various trips to the Galil (Nazareth, Sea of Galilea, Jordan River), to the Golan Heights, to Caesarea, Haifa and Acco. Many accommodation options vary from “Zimmer” (guesthouses or luxury bungalows) to resorts.

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view from Sof Haderech somewhere in the North…

More info and customized visits on request: marilyn_josephine@ymail.com

 

Architecture · Bauhaus · History · Tel Aviv · Tourism

Bauhaus Tel Aviv – The White City

As seen in Lust for Life on Belgian TV – January 16th: “4000 Bauhaus gevels

What Is Bauhaus – source: the Bauhaus Center in Tel Aviv

Bauhaus school in Dessau
The Bauhaus school building

The Bauhaus was a school which operated in Germany between 1919 and 1933 and was devoted to art, architecture and design. It had remarkable influences on all these disciplines. Although throughout it’s years it carried varied approaches, some ideas were maintained. One main principle is the reunion of the arts and the crafts in order to achieve total works of art. According to this principle, all arts, as well as new technologies, should be combined in the art of building.

A significant approach in the school was the search for the basic ingredients of art and design. Thus evolved the “Bauhaus Style” in architecture and design—in which primary forms and colors are given great importance.

The Bauhaus had a great impact on the Modern Movement in architecture, embracing functionalism and rationality and condemning ornament. The architectural style of the modern movement is called “The International Style” or “Bauhaus Style”. This style is characterized by asymmetry, compositions of primary volumes—cubic and rounded, ribbon windows, pilots, thermometer windows, balconies, roof terraces and plays of shadow and light.

Bauhaus In Israel – source: the Bauhaus Center in Tel Aviv

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Modern white building rises from the sand in Tel Aviv

Four Israeli architects studied in the Bauhaus school: Arieh Sharon, Shmuel Mestechkin, Munio Gitai-Weinraub and Shlomo Bernstein. However, the influence of the Bauhaus on the architecture built in Israel in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s was by far wider than being expressed by those architects only. The legacy of the Bauhaus was absorbed by other architects, studying in Brussels, Ghent and Italy, such as: Dov Carmi, Genia Averbuch, Ben-Ami Shulman, Ze’ev Rechter and Joseph Neufeld. And of course—all of those prominent figures presented the new ideas to just everyone who was around.

In Tel Aviv only, more than 4,000 “Bauhaus Style” buildings were built. Thousands more were built in Haifa, Jerusalem, the Kibbutzim and elsewhere in Israel. The main question is, therfore—how, in an era when this new style was still unpopular, did it reach such magnitude in the built work in Israel? The main answer is that the social-cultural ideology behind the “Bauhaus Style” fit like a glove to the socialist-Zionist movement and to the striving of this movement to create a new world. White houses, in every sense—form, style, material, functionality, color—grew from the sands without a past, towards a future.

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General · History · Israel · Tel Aviv · Tourism · Travel guide

The Merrymakers – The Holy Land

http://themerrymakers.be/2014/01/15/the-holy-land/ by Ruth Van Soom

TelAviv_1_SmallThere are those moments in life that go beyond expectations, a sequence of rare experiences that force you to live in the presence and to truly enjoy every second of it. My seven days journey to Israel was such a moment. For the short time being I forgot about the thoughts I was thinking, the plans I was making and the memories I was holding on to.

So I can already tell you this: my writings won’t give you any insights on historical, political or religious situations and nor will I give you a review of all the places-to-be in Tel Aviv. Just do a Google search and you’ll find all the information you want on these subjects. My goal is to describe you, the best I can, the little things that caught my eye and my senses in the Holy Land.

TelAviv_2TelAviv_3TelAviv_TheMerrymakers©_3TelAviv_TheMerrymakers©_15Before I start my story it’s important for you to know who the protagonists are. So let me introduce to you Marie-France Vodikulwakidi and Marilyn Ambach: two strong, intelligent and sweet women. MF is originally Congolese but has been living in Belgium the greatest part of her life, she’s not only my colleague but also a dear friend. Mar(k)ske was born in Antwerp but moved to Tel Aviv a few years ago. She’s doing a fantastic job in concert production for artists such as Leonard Cohen and Cyndi “Girls just wanna have fun” Lauper.

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TheMerrymakers©_TelAviv_MarilynMy story starts on January 1st, 2014 when Marie-France and I finally landed on Israeli grounds around 11pm. First we dropped our stuff at Marilyn’s place and we immediately headed to Benedicts, my favorite breakfast place in Tel Aviv. This became the indication of one week full of play, no sleep and plenty of coffee. The energy floating through TLV is so full of magic that every moment you spend sleeping seems like an enormous waste of time.

Every morning we did our very best to get up early which isn’t our best feature to be very honest. What’s so beautiful about TLV around this time of year is the mystic, kind of winter’ish light. To enjoy that experience waking up before 10 am is required, because at 4.30 pm sunset is already there. During the day we tried to walk around as much as possible since it’s the preferred way to fully absorb all the impressions and discover the finest places.

One of those walks led us to the African part of the city thanks to friend and guide Jeremy Fogel. Here we discovered a different kind of Tel Aviv with hidden treasures such as the little garden from a local artist you can see on the first picture. Just being there and picking grapefruits from the tree made me think that the simple things in life actually are the ones that impress you the most. The three children we met there are Jeremy’s neighbors and compared to our ‘life standards’ they have nothing but a really small house and their family. When I saw the smiles on their faces when we brought them some bananas I realized how spoiled we all are and that most of the time we’re making a lot of fuss about things that aren’t essentially relevant.

To keep those simple things in mind, we went to a different greengrocer’s stall every day to cook our own meals instead of going to restaurants. Every evening we had our special “girls just wanna have fun” cosy moment in the kitchen. We laughed, talked and sang while cutting vegetables and making tahina. After dinner Marie-France and I went out most of the days to discover a small part of the TLV nightlife while Marilyn was occupied organizing the tour of her latest friend Cyndi Lauper. About our crazy nights out in town, the only thing I can say is: what happens in Tel Aviv, stays in Tel Aviv…

TelAviv_TheMerrymakers©_1TelAviv_TheMerrymakers©_3What I couldn’t do on my last visit to the Holy Land and definitely wanted to experience this time, was a trip to the Dead Sea and of course a visit to the place where it all started, Jerusalem. So we rented a car and with just some road indications from Marilyn, Marie-France and I headed to the lowest place on earth.

Driving through the Israeli landscape and seeing traffic signs to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jericho was definitely special. As you may already know or are finding out right now, my entire life I’ve been very interested in history with in particular everything that happened before the fall of the West Roman Empire. I can’t even express how fascinating it was to finally be driving through the country that still plays such an important role in many modern cultures.

Our first stop was the Dead Sea which is known for its large amount of salt and skin healing powers. Even though it wasn’t that warm, Marie-France and I went into the water, rubbed ourselves in with mud and enjoyed floating. This is a kind of unusual and funny experience I can definitely recommend. Afterwards we went wild in the souvenir shop buying all kinds of skin products just to keep this experience alive when back in Belgium.

Jerusalem_TheMerrymakers©_Roadtrip_DeathSea_TheMerrymakers©_5Jerusalem_TheMerrymakers©_7Jerusalem_TheMerrymakers©_11Jerusalem_TheMerrymakers©_12TheWesternWall_Jerusalem_TheMerrymakers©_9And last but not least there’s Jerusalem… the Holy City that carries so many years of history in its walls that you can actually feel the historical energy hovering. The experience of being there blew me off my feet, definitely when standing in front of the Western Wall. All those different people with their own religions, emotions and thoughts facing an enormous amount of holy rocks. The atmosphere was emotionally loaded and very serene at the same time. Marie-France and I took our time to say a few words ourselves and walked away backwards because there’s one very important rule, never turn your back at the wall!

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I’ll be repeating myself when I say this journey was beyond fantastic… Even now, one week later, I’m suffering from a weird and inexplicable nostalgia.

Before really ending this post I just want to say a few words… Markske, thanks for everything, you were fantastic :) And MFke thanks for being such a great friend… Love you long time girls and we definitely have to do this again!

If you want to discover more about Israel and Tel Aviv, definitely check out Marilyn’s blog for all inside information:www.marilynjosephine.com 

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Architecture · General · History · Hotel · Israel · Jaffa · Lifestyle · Photography · Tel Aviv · Tourism · Travel guide

Hotels in Tel Aviv

Tourism is growing and the hotel business in Israel keeps expanding. Here’s a list of some of our finest hotels. Contact us for more info and special rates/deals.

Royal Beach Isrotel – brand new

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Ritz-Carlton Herzliya – brand newScreen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.30.49

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Brown TLV HotelScreen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.38.34

Alma BoutiqueScreen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.40.05

Hotel Montefiore

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The VarsanoScreen shot 2014-01-01 at 16.04.23Screen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.43.59Screen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.44.14Screen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.43.51

Mendeli Street Hotel

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Atlas Hotels Chain – Melody, Cinema, Art+, Shalom Hotel

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Rothschild 96

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Orchid Pasha Tel Aviv-Jaffa Hotel  – under constructionScreen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.36.34

W Jaffa Tel Aviv – under constructionScreen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.30.25Screen shot 2014-01-01 at 15.30.07






 

Antwerp · History

The Red Star Line Museum

It’s the 19th century. America’s industries are flourishing, promising Europeans, poor and rich alike, a new world and a better life. With their whole life packed in a few suitcases, millions of people sail to the United States and Canada. For many people, the trip to the New World begins in a warehouse in Antwerp. Red Star Line ocean steamers pave the way to a new life for about two million men, women and children between 1873 and 1934. It is in this warehouse that the Red Star Line Museum opened its doors only some days ago, telling the story of millions of Europeans who were courageous or desperate enough to leave their old life behind and look for a better existence.

 

1. A brief history

The Red Star Line was created as a trade name in 1873, and was co-operation between the International Navigation Company (Philadelphia) and the Company Société Anonyme de Navigation Belgo-Américaine (Antwerp).  A complex of three brick-red buildings faces the Rijnkaai (Rhine landing stage), a section of the docks in the old Antwerp harbor district. For more than sixty years the Red Star Line ocean steamers docked right there.  They took on passengers by the hundreds from all over continental Europe, all pursuing the American Dream.

Belgians, too, were among those who sought a new future on the other side of the ocean. However, Belgians figured only as a small portion of the Red Star Line’s passengers. Belgian emigration to countries outside of Europe was relatively limited. Antwerp was however a particularly popular port of emigration among Jews from Central and Eastern Europe. These people constituted a sizeable proportion of the Red Star Line’s passengers. To take one statistic: of the 2.8 million people to exchange tsarist Russia for the United States between 1899 and 1914, 40% were Jewish. In many cases, these were people of very limited means who were assisted by several Jewish relief organisations in Antwerp. Many Eastern European Jews emigrated because of the socio-economic situation, but also because of the climate of discrimination against them and outbursts of anti-Semitism – the pogroms. One of the more famous passengers of the Red Star Line is the future prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir.

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2. The museum

The former warehouses of the Red Star Line were reopened as a museum on September 28, 2013. The main focus of the museum are the travel stories that could be retrieved through relatives of Red Star Line passengers. Visitors follow in the footsteps of the emigrants. The exhibition shows the different stages of the journey. Eight themes are presented over two floors: a travel agency in Warsaw, a train compartment, the city of Antwerp, the Red Star Line building, the deck of an ocean steamer, the interior of a ship, arrival at Ellis Island, and a new future in the US. The exhibition depicts how the average European emigrant would have experienced his or her journey at the beginning of the 20th century via attractive images, striking scenography and authentic objects. A strong focus is placed on the personal stories of Red Star Line passengers. Six star witnesses are central to the story. Some of them are still alive, for others the well-documented story is told by a descendant. The witnesses include Albert Einstein and Irving Berlin, two icons of the rich Red Star Line history.

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For more information on the Red Star Line Museum visit the website.

Red Star Line Museum

Montevideostraat 3
2000 Antwerp
Belgium
tel. +32 3 298 27 70
redstarline@stad.antwerpen.be

History · Judaism · Uncategorized

Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement

Today is Yom Kippur 5774. On Rosh Hashana God inscribes each person’s fate for the coming year into a book called the Book of Life and waits until ten days later, at Yom Kippur, to “seal” the verdict. During those Days of Awe, a Jewish person tries to amend his or her behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God and against other human beings. “Yom Kippur is the 10th Day of Repentance and can’t mask over the fact that we have looked deeply into our soul over these last few days, we have exposed our weaknesses and shortcomings, and that causes us to weep with anxiety and dread lest I be found wanting on the Day of Judgment. But Yom Kippur is also the Day of Atonement, when all sincere penitents are guaranteed a second chance.” At synagogue the service includes the Kol Nidre prayer (meaning all vows) reaching deep in to our souls. Kol Nidre symbolizes the opportunity to free ourselves from the past and is about letting the inner light shine out.  As we’re about to fast for over 24 hours, we first have a big family meal. Yom Kippur ends around sunset the next day with the blow of the Shofar (the ram’s horn) at Synagogue.  On Shabat and on every Jewish Holiday we eat Challah – that is jewish special braided bread. I’ve been trying to make it many times and mostly not sharing as it has not been a success. But today, with a little help from Tori Avey’s website “The Shiksa in the Kitchen”, we have a beautiful and tasty Challah bread with photos as proof. Here’s a great recipe if you’d like to try your own including instructions and variations for braiding. I’ve made a 4-stranded challah, a round one (mostly what we use on high Holidays) and a Unified Heart one (Leonard Cohen fans should know what it its). And talking about Leonard Cohen, even though I shared it last year, I dare to share again. His song “Who by fire” is inspired by this prayer from the liturgy of the Day of Atonement. Here’s an amazing live version from the show in Helsinki in 2012 – yes Javier Mas plays an almost 4-minute-intro.

On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed
How many shall die and how many shall be born
Who shall live and who shall die
Who at the measure of days and who before
Who by fire and who by water
Who by the sword and who by wild beasts
Who by hunger and who by thirst
Who by earthquake and who by plague
Who by strangling and who by stoning
Who shall have rest and who shall go wandering
Who will be tranquil and who shall be harassed
Who shall be at ease and who shall be afflicted
Who shall become poor and who shall become rich
Who shall be brought low and who shall be raised high.

Tsom Kal & Gmar Hatima Tova צום קל וגמר חתימה טובה

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And to end it on a lighter note with Ari Gold from Entourage and his way of celebrating Yom Kippur: http://youtu.be/3iqZIm-d7bk

History · Israel · Tel Aviv

Yom Hazikaron & Yom Ha’Atzmaut Memorial Day & Independence Day

Yom Hazikaron is Israel’s Memorial Day, the Day of Remembrance for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism. This sad day starts with a siren at 20h and is heard all over the country. For one minute, everyone stands still to commemorate the fallen. The official ceremony takes place at the Western Wall and the flag of Israel is lowered to half staff. The next morning, a two-minute siren is sounded at 11h and marks the opening of the official memorial ceremonies and private gatherings at cemeteries. Again, only sad songs on the radio and only war related TV broadcasts until about 19h. Then happens a weird transition from sad to happy, when Independence Day begins.

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indilYom Haatzmaut  is Israel’s Independence Day. On may 14th 1948 the (then future) Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the state of Israel. indil2The official ceremony is held every year at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem but festivities are everywhere. Israel is now 65. In Tel Aviv there are parties all over town, on the streets, in bars, restaurants and houses. People are singing and dancing in the streets. When you live in the heart of the city, you have to go wander around and observe. And if you have a blog, even better, you can capture it on camera and share with the world. But photos and words cannot describe what we saw and heard. The happy atmosphere is omnipresent. It’s loud, people go wild and crazy and it goes on all night long. Bad sleep but good vibe. Luckily the next day is a holiday to recover.

IMG_1344 IMG_1301      IMG_1376 IMG_1299 IMG_1366IMG_1385 IMG_1387 IMG_1402IMG_1394 IMG_1401    Photos taken with my Canon EOS M