The temperature has cooled down somewhat in Israel but the political atmosphere has been heating up. While Israelis are now enjoying seasonal temperatures in the 27-30 C range, I would imagine that it is quite a bit hotter inside the Knesset.
On Tuesday, Israeli MKs (Member of the Knesset - the Israeli Parliament) will hold a closed-ballot election for the position of President of Israel. The MKs will select a replacement for outgoing President Shimon Peres. The campaign for a new president has been mired in scandal with various allegations surfacing over the course of the campaign against different candidates.
The most recent casualty was Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, the candidate favoured by many Labour party members. He withdrew from the race after being questioned about financial improprieties relating to his purchase of an apartment and the source of the funds. Another candidate, Sivan Shalom, dropped out of the race earlier after 15 year old allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. The allegations were not substantiated and the Shalom was vindicated but the damage had been done. Other allegations were made against some of the remaining candidates but so far they have remained in the race.
The position of President in Israel is largely a figurehead position, much like the position of Governor General in Canada. The President has the power to ask a party to form a government after an election (by building a majority coalition) though by convention, it is generally the part with the largest number of seats in the Knesset. If that party cannot form a government, the President can ask another party to try if the President believes that the party can put together a coalition. The President also attends various state ceremonies and has certain powers to pardon convicted criminals.
Former Israeli President Moshe Katzav was convicted of sexual assault and is now serving time in prison. His successor, the current incumbent President Shimon Peres, has seemingly restored dignity to the office and has been a very popular president. A recent poll of Israelis indicated that more than 63% felt that Peres has done a good job. Many would probably prefer that he continue to serve in the role. However, as indefatigable as the 90 year old Peres might be, he is limited to one term by Israel's "Basic Law."
Peres has been a tireless promoter of peace and of Israeli goodwill worldwide. He has met with leaders across the world and has sought to build bridges and create mutual understanding. Tonight, President Peres will be in the Vatican along with the Pope and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The three will be participating in a multi-faith prayer ceremony for peace - with prayers in English, Hebrew, Arabic and Italian. The prayers will include Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers, focusing on peace. While no one expects that these prayers will have any immediate political impact, the symbolism on Peres' part, as one of his last big gestures as the Israeli President, demonstrates his desire for peace and his hope that his participation will be seen as a representation of the yearning of the Israeli people for a peaceful solution to the problems of the Middle East.
Whomever is elected on Tuesday as Peres' successor will have big boots to fill. Meanwhile, in light of the most recent withdrawal from the race of Ben-Eliezer, some Knesset members, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, are reportedly making efforts to delay the vote by a week or two. Perhaps the thinking is that this would given them more time to try to find other potential candidates - or to decide who they should support from the remaining field. It is hard to see how a two week delay would change very much in this race - though perhaps further scandals will emerge and the field of candidates will be narrowed even further.
Meanwhile, Sivan Shalom, who is no longer a presidential candidate, was a strong advocate of making Sundays a day off in Israel. His push for a five day week seems to have lost some steam recently and Israelis continue to enjoy a six-day work week (even though many Israelis do not work on Fridays). Our kids continue to "enjoy" a six day school week. I note this simply to point out that although next Sunday is Father's Day in Canada and the United States, there is no such holiday in Israel. On the third Sunday in June, the kids will be in school just as they are on any other Sunday. Those who are serving in the army will be at their bases as they would be on any other Sunday.
How does this all tie in to the Israeli presidential elections? It probably doesn't. But here's hoping that whichever candidate is elected as Israel's next President will serve the State with dignity and honour and continue along the path of outgoing President Shimon Peres in spreading Israeli goodwill throughout the world.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Shavuot 2014 - the Rolling Stones, the Heat Wave and Reform Conversions in Israel
The Jewish festival of Shavuot has drawn to a close in Israel. The holiday is celebrated for one day in Israel though it is celebrated for two days outside of the Jewish state in Orthodox and Conservative communities.
Across the country, many Israelis joined evening study sessions - "tikkuns," of all different types. Some were more traditional, focusing on the study of the Torah and accompanying commentaries. Other study sessions featured discussions and lectures on current political events, issues facing Israel and contentious issues facing the Jewish people. In recent years, the number of Israelis participating in tikkuns has dramatically increased, even though many of these events are not religious in nature.
Many Israelis also enjoyed the custom of eating dairy on the holiday of Shavuot - cheese blintzes (known as blintches in Israel) are a particularly popular food item. Cheese cake and other cheese dishes are also ubiquitous.
Israelis woke up this morning to an extreme heat wave. Record temperatures of 44C in Beersheba (for this date) and 41C in K'far Saba (where are our shul is located) were reached. Fortunately our shul air conditioning seemed to be working This meant that I could read the fourth aliyah (the recitation of the 10 commandments) without sweating too much...
The big event in Israel this apres-Shavuot evening was the Rolling Stones concert in Park Yarkon in Tel-Aviv. Attendance for the concert was estimated at 44,000, with ticket prices ranging from 700 to 1800 N.I.S. ($225 to $575, approximately). It was the first ever Rolling Stones concert in Israel. The Stones went ahead with the concert as planned despite a great deal of pressure from the anti-Israel BDS movement, which called on the Stones to boycott Israel. The Stones rejected calls from vocal anti-Israel activists including members of Pink Floyd and went ahead with the concert and their mini-tour of Israel, much to the delight of many Israelis. Band members were seen at different historic sites in Israel earlier today including Caesaria and the Old City of Jerusalem.
Kol Hakavod to Mick Jagger and the Stones for performing in Israel. Having seen them a number of years ago, I was not interested in laying out that kind of money for a relatively short (15 to 17 song set), general admission concert with 44,000 of my best pals. But it certainly was a "happening" in Israel and that is great for those who attended.
Finally, on an issue that is somewhat related to the holiday of Shavuot, I thought it would be interesting to mention that, earlier this week, the Israeli High Court began hearing a case involving the issue of whether or not the State of Israel should recognize Reform (and Conservative) conversions in Israel. The case involves a Colombian born man who married an Israeli and underwent a Reform conversion to Judaism in Israel. Under current Israeli law, non-Orthodox conversions that are performed outside of Israel are recognized for purposes of the Law of Return, even for Israeli residents who leave the country to convert. However, non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel have not been recognized.
The issue has generated a great deal of controversy in Israel, which continues to grant a monopoly to Orthodox Jewish institutions over a whole range of personal status issues in Israel including marriages, burials, conversions and divorces. For example, Israelis looking to marry in Israel are forced to have their weddings officiated by Orthodox rabbis if they wish to have their marriages recognized under Israeli law. Many Israelis choose to leave Israel and marry elsewhere rather than agree to this state-enforced monopoly.
While there had been some hope among many Israelis that Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and his party would succeed in changing some of these laws and introducing alternatives for Israelis, progress has been slow on this issue. The issue is particularly relevant on the holiday of Shavuot since we read the Megillah of Ruth, the story of Ruth a convert to Judaism. Many commentators have pointed out that it was far easier for Ruth to join the Jewish people than it has become for someone to convert to Judaism under current Israeli law.
Nevertheless, there are still many prominent, secular Israeli commentators and broadcasters who seem willing to continue the current status quo. Often, it is a case of "the shul that I don't go to should be an Orthodox one....if I were ever to attend..."
So how does this all tie together? I am certainly not making any suggestion that Mick Jagger or Keith Richards will attempt a Reform conversion to Judaism while in Israel (highly doubtful) nor do I have any idea whether or not they will manage to sample some cheese blintzes in honour of the holiday of Shavuot. I do know that they will experience some stifling Israeli heat even though their limos, hotel rooms and private jets are well air conditioned - and the concert stage features giant air conditioners to keep them singing "start me up" without passing out. That's about the best I can do in terms of tying together a few different Shavuot related notes.
Chag Sameach to all.
Across the country, many Israelis joined evening study sessions - "tikkuns," of all different types. Some were more traditional, focusing on the study of the Torah and accompanying commentaries. Other study sessions featured discussions and lectures on current political events, issues facing Israel and contentious issues facing the Jewish people. In recent years, the number of Israelis participating in tikkuns has dramatically increased, even though many of these events are not religious in nature.
Many Israelis also enjoyed the custom of eating dairy on the holiday of Shavuot - cheese blintzes (known as blintches in Israel) are a particularly popular food item. Cheese cake and other cheese dishes are also ubiquitous.
Israelis woke up this morning to an extreme heat wave. Record temperatures of 44C in Beersheba (for this date) and 41C in K'far Saba (where are our shul is located) were reached. Fortunately our shul air conditioning seemed to be working This meant that I could read the fourth aliyah (the recitation of the 10 commandments) without sweating too much...
The big event in Israel this apres-Shavuot evening was the Rolling Stones concert in Park Yarkon in Tel-Aviv. Attendance for the concert was estimated at 44,000, with ticket prices ranging from 700 to 1800 N.I.S. ($225 to $575, approximately). It was the first ever Rolling Stones concert in Israel. The Stones went ahead with the concert as planned despite a great deal of pressure from the anti-Israel BDS movement, which called on the Stones to boycott Israel. The Stones rejected calls from vocal anti-Israel activists including members of Pink Floyd and went ahead with the concert and their mini-tour of Israel, much to the delight of many Israelis. Band members were seen at different historic sites in Israel earlier today including Caesaria and the Old City of Jerusalem.
Kol Hakavod to Mick Jagger and the Stones for performing in Israel. Having seen them a number of years ago, I was not interested in laying out that kind of money for a relatively short (15 to 17 song set), general admission concert with 44,000 of my best pals. But it certainly was a "happening" in Israel and that is great for those who attended.
Finally, on an issue that is somewhat related to the holiday of Shavuot, I thought it would be interesting to mention that, earlier this week, the Israeli High Court began hearing a case involving the issue of whether or not the State of Israel should recognize Reform (and Conservative) conversions in Israel. The case involves a Colombian born man who married an Israeli and underwent a Reform conversion to Judaism in Israel. Under current Israeli law, non-Orthodox conversions that are performed outside of Israel are recognized for purposes of the Law of Return, even for Israeli residents who leave the country to convert. However, non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel have not been recognized.
The issue has generated a great deal of controversy in Israel, which continues to grant a monopoly to Orthodox Jewish institutions over a whole range of personal status issues in Israel including marriages, burials, conversions and divorces. For example, Israelis looking to marry in Israel are forced to have their weddings officiated by Orthodox rabbis if they wish to have their marriages recognized under Israeli law. Many Israelis choose to leave Israel and marry elsewhere rather than agree to this state-enforced monopoly.
While there had been some hope among many Israelis that Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and his party would succeed in changing some of these laws and introducing alternatives for Israelis, progress has been slow on this issue. The issue is particularly relevant on the holiday of Shavuot since we read the Megillah of Ruth, the story of Ruth a convert to Judaism. Many commentators have pointed out that it was far easier for Ruth to join the Jewish people than it has become for someone to convert to Judaism under current Israeli law.
Nevertheless, there are still many prominent, secular Israeli commentators and broadcasters who seem willing to continue the current status quo. Often, it is a case of "the shul that I don't go to should be an Orthodox one....if I were ever to attend..."
So how does this all tie together? I am certainly not making any suggestion that Mick Jagger or Keith Richards will attempt a Reform conversion to Judaism while in Israel (highly doubtful) nor do I have any idea whether or not they will manage to sample some cheese blintzes in honour of the holiday of Shavuot. I do know that they will experience some stifling Israeli heat even though their limos, hotel rooms and private jets are well air conditioned - and the concert stage features giant air conditioners to keep them singing "start me up" without passing out. That's about the best I can do in terms of tying together a few different Shavuot related notes.
Chag Sameach to all.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Israelis Rejoice - Tel-Aviv's Maccabi Electra Wins European Basketball Championship
 | |
| Maccabi Tel-Aviv Wins European Basketball Championship |
For a small country like Israel, this type of sports accomplishment is simply huge. By some estimates, close to 10,000 Israelis travelled to Milan, Italy to attend the game. Haaretz reports that approximately one third of Israelis actually watched the game, including my family members, as well as Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres. (Not in the same location...)
Jubilant Israeli fans celebrated at Rabin square in Tel-Aviv and reporters crowded the Tel-Aviv airport awaiting the return home of the victorious team. The Maccabi basketball team, like many of the European basketball clubs, features several American players. Maccabi has seven American players on its roster who played at U.S. colleges including Tyrese Rice, Ricky Hickman and Devin Smith, all of whom featured prominently in the Maccabi win. There are also a number of Israeli born players on the roster, including Ben Altit, Yogev Ohayun and Guy Pnini.
Basketball is quite popular in Israel, though probably second fiddle to soccer (football). Nevertheless, a testament to the success of Israeli basketball is the fact that two Israeli basketball players currently play in the NBA. The first Israeli to make the NBA, Omri Casspi, plays on the Houston Rockets. He spent a few years of his early career in a starring role on Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The other Israeli NBA player is Gal Mekel, who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks.
Many Toronto basketball fans are well aware of the Maccabi basketball team. Retired NBA star Anthony Parker played several seasons for Maccabi Tel-Aviv before joining the Toronto Raptors. While with Maccabi, Parker was instrumental in helping the team rack up championship victories. He joined the Toronto Raptors in 2006 and helped the team to its first playoff berth and first division title. In fact, Maccabi beat the Raptors in an exhibition match at the Air Canada Centre on October 16, 2005, 105-103. The Raptors took revenge a year later, beating Maccabi 118-84 on October 19, 2006. The Maccabi 2005 victory was reportedly the first time that a European basketball team beat an NBA team in North American.
Sadly, amid all of the hoopla, the Maccabi victory was not without its detractors. Israeli news service Haaretz reported that more than 18,000 offensive, anti-Semitic tweets were posted on Twitter, mostly in the Spanish language, following the victory by the Israeli team. The content was obscene and outrageous and I am not about to dignify these tweets by publicizing the words used. This type of racist deluge is similar to the flood of obscene tweets that PK Subban, a Montreal Canadiens' hockey player faced a couple of weeks ago after the Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins in an NHL playoff hockey game(In Subban's case, the tweeters attacked the colour of his skin rather than his religion).
The barrage of anti-Semitic tweets apparently emanated, primarily from Spain. But it may have been indicative of a broader problem of widespread European anti-Semitism. These tweets came only a week or so after the ADL published its global anti-Semitism survey, in which Greece captured the ignominious title of "most anti-Semitic country in Europe" with some 69% of Greeks described as espousing anti-Semitic views. Moving to another part of Europe, the Jerusalem Post, this week, reported that some 75% of French Jews are considering leaving France, with a significant number citing concerns about anti-Semitism as a key factor. There have been numerous reports of anti-Semitic incidents in Ukraine as current events have progressed in that country. So taking everything into account, it is perhaps unsurprising that an Israeli basketball team has elicited an anti-Semitic response from some Europeans. Hopefully these are only the actions of a small minority.
Overall, this Maccabi victory injected a huge dose of pride into Israeli society, which is always happy to celebrate national accomplishments. Now if only the Israeli national soccer team could return to the World Cup, the country would really celebrate. As it stands, Israel was only able to qualify for the World Cup of Football in 1969. It has faced an enormous qualifying battle since Israel is forced to compete against the best European teams rather than its neighbours. (For my April Fool's column about this issue, click here)
As this year's World Cup gets underway in June, 2014, much of Israeli society is likely to grind to a standstill during some of the key matches, particularly the later rounds of the playoffs. One could only imagine what would happen if Israel were to make it to the later rounds of the World Cup. Hopefully one day we'll find out. For now, Israelis will have to revel in sports accomplishments on the court floor rather than the football pitch.
Congratulations to Maccabi - or, as they say in Israel, "Kol HaKavod!"
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Remembrance Day) - Through Music
It is one of the most difficult weeks in Israel. Two of the most significant days of the year are commemorated within a week of each other. Last Monday was "Yom Hashoah v'Hagevurah" - Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day. The link is to my blog entry from 2012.
Tonight marks the start of Yom Hazikaron in Israel - Memorial Day for Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terror. I have provided a link to one of my previous blogs about this emotional day.
But I wanted to focus this time on a different aspect of this sombre day - the use of music. Much of the most beautiful Israeli music has been written about loss, about war and about those who have fallen. On Yom Hazikaron, the radio and TV stations play special Yom Hazikaron music all day. At commemorative ceremonies, many different singers perform these songs throughout the country. One can't help but weep while listening to so many of these songs, often written by those who have suffered the loss of a family member, close friend or fellow soldier.
In this youtube collection of Yom Hazikaron songs, Yaniv Siso has put together a collection of 99 songs. He has dedicated the collection to his brother Netanel, who fell at the age of 23 while serving in the Israeli Defence Forces.
There are so many songs that it would be difficult to choose the most recommended. But I have always found this song to be incredibly powerful - it is called "Ma Avorech" (link includes lyrics and tranlation)
("
This next piece is a powerful song by Boaz Sharabi - "kshe Tavo" - "when you come back," which is dedicated to Israeli Air Force pilot Ron Arad who went missing in 1986.
And finally, I thought it would be worthwile this song "Tzair L'Netzach," performed by Rami Kleinstein:
These are just a few examples of the powerful music that Israelis might hear on Yom Hazikaron. It is really a unique aspect of the commemoration of such a solemn holiday. Certainly, I cannnot think of anything comparable in Canada or the United States. This music stirs the hearts and souls of Israelis everywhere as they remember those who have fallen - and as they sing and hope for an end to the wars and strife that have plagued Israel and the Middle East.
Tonight marks the start of Yom Hazikaron in Israel - Memorial Day for Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terror. I have provided a link to one of my previous blogs about this emotional day.
But I wanted to focus this time on a different aspect of this sombre day - the use of music. Much of the most beautiful Israeli music has been written about loss, about war and about those who have fallen. On Yom Hazikaron, the radio and TV stations play special Yom Hazikaron music all day. At commemorative ceremonies, many different singers perform these songs throughout the country. One can't help but weep while listening to so many of these songs, often written by those who have suffered the loss of a family member, close friend or fellow soldier.
In this youtube collection of Yom Hazikaron songs, Yaniv Siso has put together a collection of 99 songs. He has dedicated the collection to his brother Netanel, who fell at the age of 23 while serving in the Israeli Defence Forces.
There are so many songs that it would be difficult to choose the most recommended. But I have always found this song to be incredibly powerful - it is called "Ma Avorech" (link includes lyrics and tranlation)
("
This next piece is a powerful song by Boaz Sharabi - "kshe Tavo" - "when you come back," which is dedicated to Israeli Air Force pilot Ron Arad who went missing in 1986.
And finally, I thought it would be worthwile this song "Tzair L'Netzach," performed by Rami Kleinstein:
These are just a few examples of the powerful music that Israelis might hear on Yom Hazikaron. It is really a unique aspect of the commemoration of such a solemn holiday. Certainly, I cannnot think of anything comparable in Canada or the United States. This music stirs the hearts and souls of Israelis everywhere as they remember those who have fallen - and as they sing and hope for an end to the wars and strife that have plagued Israel and the Middle East.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Mimouna 2014
 |
| mimouna table in Israel |
What is a mimouna? Well, I'm not going to repeat the entire Wikepdia entry, which is linked above. In short, it is a Moroccan-Jewish gathering marking the end of pesach (passover) which features various food items, especially mufleta (recipe link), which is, more or less, a form of fried dough. I suppose it is like a beaver tail. It is traditionally eaten with some honey. The mimouna has become the quintessential celebration of Moroccan-Jewish culture in Israel (other than perhaps, the henna celebration before a wedding) and mufleta is seen as the represenative food. Many Moroccon families host a mimouna, which is considered an open-door event. People are not necessarily invited - they just show up at the house of their nearest Moroccan friend or cousin - and hope that they are hosting a mimouna this year....
 |
| President Shimon Peres at Mimouna |
 |
| Prime Minister Netanyahu - at mimouna 2014 |
Most mimounas probably require the active participation of the women. I tend to doubt that my Moroccan cousin could prepare mufleta himself though I'm quite certain that there are at least some Moroccan Israeli men somewhere who could.
In any event, the hardest part of hosting or attending a mimouna to me seems to be the timing. When do you change back all of your dishes from Passover to regular dishes? If you are hosting a mimouna, how do you possibly do that quick enough to be ready for all of those guests to arrive? Finally, how do you eat all that fried dough after 7 days of eating ridiculous quantities of pesach food?
I don't have the answers to any of these questions - other than to say "Tradition, Tradition" - in this case, Moroccan tradition....
And after all, the mufleta is quite tasty.
I hope that those who celebrated enjoyed their Pesach holiday and that many managed to find their way to a mimouna. If you did not, you have about a year to figure out how to make mufleta quickly and properly.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Israeli Ice Hockey Team Loses 4-3 in Shootout to Iceland at End of Tough Tournament
Just getting into this tournament had been a big accomplishment for Israel. In 2013, the Israeli national ice hockey team won the Division II Group B tournament. The winner each year moves up to the next division and the last place team is relegated one division down.
This year's Division II Group B included Estonia, Belgium, Iceland, Australia and Serbia.
Israel started the tournament on April 9th with an exciting 4-3 win in overtime against Australia but then lost 10-6 to Serbia on the second day of the tournament. On April 12th, Israel suffered a heartbreaking loss to Belgium - 4-3 in overtime. The toughest game of the tournament was a 16-4 loss to Estonia, the eventual group champions.
On the final day of the tournament, Israel still had a chance to remain in Group A. It faced Iceland. With a win, Israel would remain in the group for the 2015 tournament. After three periods and overtime, the game was tied 3-3. It went to a shootout. The second Iceland shooter scored. Israeli star Oren Eizenman hit the post. The game was over and Israel finished last in the group despite having been very evenly matched against three other teams.
Israeli forward Daniel Erlich tied for third in scoring for the tournament with 2 goals and 8 assists for a total of 10 points. The leading scorer, Robert Rooba of Estonia had 14 points. Israeli players Eliezer Sherbatov, Daniel Mazour and and Oren Eizenman placed 8th, 9th and 10th respectively in scoring.
Overall, this was a disappointing result for Israeli ice hockey. The team proved that it belonged in the division. It won one game and lost two in overtime. It also lost a reasonably close game to Serbia. Unfortunately, the two overtime losses left Israel one point behind Belgium.
Israel will now be relegated back to Group B of Division II. Competing teams will also include Mexico, New Zealand, China, South Africa and Bulgaria. The Group B winner this year was Spain which will move up and take Israel's spot in Group A.
If the Israeli team can put together a similar roster, it will be well positioned to win Group B next year and move back to Group A for 2016. It will probably face its toughest competition from Mexico. I am not sure of the dates or location for the 2015 tournament - but it will take place somewhere in Europe in April or May of 2015.
The Israeli players deserve hearty congratulations for their strong effort. They played four very close games, three of which went to overtime. They were only outmatched in one of the games. Hopefully the Israeli national ice hockey program can build on the play of this team and advance further in the coming years. It will probably help that Israel now has an ice rink in Holon that the players can use for practices - which is much closer to the centre of the country than Israel's only olympic-sized facility in Metullah.
Ice hockey is still a long way from mainstream in Israel but I think it is bound to become somewhat more popular over time.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Pesach 2014 - Board Games Day and Kosher Pesach Burgers
What can you do in Israel over Pesach? Everyone is on vacation, the roads are packed with travelling Israelis and the weather is usually beautiful. So it's a great time to go the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), the beach (the Mediterranean Sea or the Red (Reed) Sea. Many Israelis use this vacation period for trips abroad, since kids are off from school for close to three weeks. Many soldiers even get a bit of break from the army...
There are many festivals across the country - music festivals, camping and all kinds of other cultural events.
One of the things that we have been doing is spending one day of Hol Hamoed on Pesach and on Sukkot at an all day board games day in Jerusalem. We wind up with about 25-30 people, all of whom bring a bunch of their favourite board games - and we play all day. The event is co-sponsored by the Jerusalem Strategy Games Club and the Ra'anana Board Games Group. It is an opportunity to meet some new people, learn a bunch of new games and play some games at a fairly competitive level.
The event was in Jerusalem, which meant a lengthy drive from Ra'anana. Even leaving late it in the morning (to avoid rush hour), we wound up facing some outrageously slow traffic. It took us close to three hours to get from Ra'anana to Jerusalem, despite using Google Maps and watching for live updates as to the best available route.
Once there, we (my son and I) ran a five person game of Terra Mystica. This is a fairly recent (2012) board game that has been tremendously popular since its release among avid board game players. There are lots of pieces, a fairly lengthy rule book and a moderately long set up time. But the game is lots of fun for those who like European style strategy games. Some of the players loved it and some were less enthusiastic. One of the interesting aspects of the game is that it features 14 unique teams (races) each with their own special abilities. So the game is asymmetrical, which makes it different each time.
I also tried playing Belfort and Carson City, both of which were fun.
For dinner, the group members ordered hamburgers from Black Burgers in Jerusalem. The burgers came on buns - and were Kosher for Passover - and Kitniyot free....They were actually quite good (the burgers, I mean...). The buns...well...it's Passover after all. Black Burgers has locations all over Israel, but very few are Kosher - aside from the Jerusalem location. So being in Jerusalem, we took advantage and ordered the 220 g Schwarzenegger Burger - the latest house specialty. They cook it however you might like to order it - so we were able to enjoy some perfectly cooked medium to medium rare burgers and then returned to game playing on a full stomach. It is quite something that so many restaurants in Israel take the trouble to convert over their kitchens and open up for the 4 days of Hol Hamoed.
Good food, fun games and a competitive group - even if the commute to Jerusalem was exhaustingly long.
Getting a bit tired of Pesach food already and we still have 4 days to go....
Chag Sameach to all!
There are many festivals across the country - music festivals, camping and all kinds of other cultural events.
One of the things that we have been doing is spending one day of Hol Hamoed on Pesach and on Sukkot at an all day board games day in Jerusalem. We wind up with about 25-30 people, all of whom bring a bunch of their favourite board games - and we play all day. The event is co-sponsored by the Jerusalem Strategy Games Club and the Ra'anana Board Games Group. It is an opportunity to meet some new people, learn a bunch of new games and play some games at a fairly competitive level.
The event was in Jerusalem, which meant a lengthy drive from Ra'anana. Even leaving late it in the morning (to avoid rush hour), we wound up facing some outrageously slow traffic. It took us close to three hours to get from Ra'anana to Jerusalem, despite using Google Maps and watching for live updates as to the best available route.
 |
| Terra Mystica - in Action |
Once there, we (my son and I) ran a five person game of Terra Mystica. This is a fairly recent (2012) board game that has been tremendously popular since its release among avid board game players. There are lots of pieces, a fairly lengthy rule book and a moderately long set up time. But the game is lots of fun for those who like European style strategy games. Some of the players loved it and some were less enthusiastic. One of the interesting aspects of the game is that it features 14 unique teams (races) each with their own special abilities. So the game is asymmetrical, which makes it different each time.
I also tried playing Belfort and Carson City, both of which were fun.
For dinner, the group members ordered hamburgers from Black Burgers in Jerusalem. The burgers came on buns - and were Kosher for Passover - and Kitniyot free....They were actually quite good (the burgers, I mean...). The buns...well...it's Passover after all. Black Burgers has locations all over Israel, but very few are Kosher - aside from the Jerusalem location. So being in Jerusalem, we took advantage and ordered the 220 g Schwarzenegger Burger - the latest house specialty. They cook it however you might like to order it - so we were able to enjoy some perfectly cooked medium to medium rare burgers and then returned to game playing on a full stomach. It is quite something that so many restaurants in Israel take the trouble to convert over their kitchens and open up for the 4 days of Hol Hamoed.
Good food, fun games and a competitive group - even if the commute to Jerusalem was exhaustingly long.
Getting a bit tired of Pesach food already and we still have 4 days to go....
Chag Sameach to all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)