Temperatures ‘Higher than Normal’ for Season

There is a phrase I’ve learned to dread during evening news, namely “the temperatures will be higher than normal for the season”. July and August are the hottest months in Israel (see chart). With an average temperature of 32⁰C (90⁰F) and 70% humidity, anything “above normal” spells trouble.

Recycling "R" Us

When we first came to California, we realized that handling garbage isn’t as simple as it seems. Back home, in Israel, garbage was simply garbage. You stuffed everything you wanted to throw away into one container, and off it went…  In California we encountered ‘recycling’ and throwing garbage became an acquired skill.

The Great Cottage Cheese Revolt

In Egypt, Facebook was used to pull thousands of people into Cairo’s Tahrir Square and rise against a corrupt regime.  In Syria Facebook is used to drive thousands of demonstrators to rise against dictatorship while braving military brutality. In Israel Facebook is used to protest against the price of Cottage cheese.

319 Boxes Of “Stuff”

We left California carrying a handful of suitcases. The rest of our household was loaded into a 40’ container and shipped to Israel. Since we arrived in Israel, we conducted our lives using what we packed in our suitcases.  Sure, we missed a few items, but overall we did just fine.

Raising The Flag – A Simple Act Of Pride

During the 20 years we lived in California we never raised the Israeli flag on our house, nor placed it on our car. Raising an Israeli flag on a house in California seemed odd, even awkward. Why would you raise a “foreign flag” on an American house?

Goodbye Christmas - Hello Passover

For almost 20 years Christmas has been the dominant holiday for us.  No, we don’t celebrate Christmas being Jewish and all. And we never debated with our children whether Santa Claus exists or not.  The time around December 25^th is referred to as the “Holidays” in the US - out of respect to other holidays.  But in fact Christmas is everywhere – the colors, the lights, the songs and the sales at Macy’s – one of the largest department stores.

Who Needs a Bathtub Anyways?

We decided to remodel the house we live in. Yes, I know…. remodeling can be a nightmare, and put a major strain on your marriage vows. However this is the fifth remodeling we have done together, so I figured it would be a walk in the park...