Pesach Aftermath

A great picture I forgot to share. When I finally made it to the grocery store a day and a half after the end of Pesach, look at how bare the pasta section was. Everyone was ready for their carbs again, lol.

Shavuah tov and good week from the Holy Land!

Pesach - Feasting to Our Freedom

This is, oddly enough, the first Pesach that I think I have GAINED weight.  Normally for me, Pesach is like the Jewish Atkins diet with no carbs, and sadly enough in America, not a lot of meat since Arkansas was/is lacking in the Kosher foods department.  Remember - we don't eat anything with any sort of leavening agent in it during Pesach, such as bread, cakes, cookies, crackers, and for those of us who are of Eastern European decent, this also includes rice and beans.  This year was COMPLETELY different.  I have not been that continually stuffed in my entire life, even when I lived in Italy, and that friends, is saying a lot. 

I left you guys at the pre-Pesach preparations, so let's pick up at the festive first night Seder.  I spent all the major milestones of this holiday with my Moroccan sister, Anat, and her family who have graciously adopted me.  It was so cool to sit at a table and participate in the Seder and for once understand A LOT of what was going on in Hebrew (and being just as confused as the native Israelis about what was going on in Aramaic).  It was also cool to hear how some of the prayers are said the same as in my family and how some are said differently, as communities and families everywhere have different rhythms and versions they use.  Oy vey, and the food.  There is nothing that can describe a Moroccan table of food other than full and delicious.

Here's me and my Moroccan sister at the beautiful Seder table.  Can't you tell we're related?!

Here's a progression of this really cool tradition that a lot of Moroccan families do where they take the Seder plate and pass it over everyone's head as a form of a blessing.  Everyone got a good bop on the head at the end, although I'm not sure that is part of the blessing.  ;)

 

I had to basically be rolled out of the door after this meal...and after each meal I went to with this huge, fun, loud family.  I finished eating lunch the next day around 3PM and couldn't comfortably put another piece of food in my mouth until 12PM the next day.  True story.  Here's evidence of how much we ate at lunch:

 

Guys, that's only a small portion of the dishes used.

 

The next few days were a mixture of rest and work, as I continue on my training and intensive Hebrew lessons at my new job.  I babysat Merv's dogs and stayed at her house with Pepper for a large portion of the week.  She's such a doll that she cooked for me before she left on vacation, but I also tried my hand at this Passover cooking.  And here is one of the badass results:

 

Made from scratch mazta ball soup - can't say it's as good as a Jewish bubbe would make, but I'm working on it.

 

I also got to discover the magic of there being lots to eat that is Kosher for Passover and that is NOT boring.  I ate chocolate brownies, I ate potato bread, and I even knoshed on pizza.  It's a different, cool, kosher, and Jewish world here, my friends.

 

PIZZA - that I didn't have room to enjoy but that I ate anyway because I had to try it.

 

I realize that I'm mainly writing about food, but I have a feeling not a lot of you will complain.  It was a delicious Pesach!  Another cool thing about the holiday here in Israel is that it is one less day than outside of Israel, so before I knew it, we were close to the end.  I really didn't miss bread so much this year (although the no-carb grumpies did get ahold of me a couple of times towards the end).  My adopted family invited me to lunch just hours before the holiday would end that night, and yet again, I ate until I wanted to explode.  It was a BBQ, and I just couldn't stop eating fresh, grilled meat.  I also learned that goose is my new favorite delicacy.  Also, I'm not cut out to be Moroccan because I had to excuse myself to take a nap on the couch because I was SO FULL. 

 

The table before the meat.  It isn't a proper table without a ton of salads.  So yummy.

 

The last of the Pesach tale ends in another strictly Moroccan tradition which is so cool.  It's a dessert meal called Mimuna, and let me tell you, it's the best way to break the Pesach fast.  We came into Anat's parents' house full of people and food and laughing and music.  We were promptly handed hot tea and mufletta (this pancake covered in honey), and we were instructed to eat and eat and eat.  People get so excited about Mimuna, and I understand why.  I was surrounded by my best friends, my adopted family, and all the sweets and treats my heart could desire.

 

The treats, the mufletta, and the gang.  Who could ask for more?

 

And there you have it.  My first Pesach in Israel as an Israeli...and a couple kilos heavier.  This year, close to Jerusalem.  Next year in Jerusalem?  Or Be'er Sheva.  I love it here.

Is This Really Happening?

I read in the news yesterday where school officials in Sderot (a small town next to Gaza) found where a rocket had damaged a school during the Passover break.  Perhaps you knew, or perhaps you didn't, that while President Obama was visiting Israel, terrorists in Gaza fired four rockets at Israel, two landing in Gaza, and two landing in Israel.  It was initially thought that only one had done damage, and the other one was yet to be found.  What a scary thing to come back to when you're getting a school ready for kids to return. 

I really thought this was what I was going to blog about.  Then, I read that there were more rockets shot into Israel yesterday in protest of a prisoner who had died in an Israeli prison from cancer.  But, again, I really thought that was all I was going to blog about.

Then, as I was in bed getting ready to go to sleep, I read that Israel had sent planes into Gaza to bomb some open areas around cities as a warning against continued rocket attack.  Needless to say, I slept uneasy last night.  But, I naively thought, that was it.

Just now, as I'm getting ready to start my day, an alert from a Hebrew news agency pops up on my phone, and I can't believe what I've read.  Surely, since my Hebrew is still shaky, I read it wrong.  No.  More rockets fired on Sderot 20 minutes ago.  My stomach fell to the floor as I read this.  Dealing with a war that was a surprise was a piece of cake - you just have to survive and the adrenaline pushes you along.  Now, I'm sitting here, processing all the steps leading up to probably more rocket attacks and probably another war, and I'm paralyzed with fear.  And now, my brain is working overtime, reminding my body that there could be sirens, I could have to run, and I guess just trying keep me from being utterly surprised.

I hear helicopters flying over Be'er Sheva, but I'm not sure if it's any connection to what is going on.  There are lots of military bases around BS, so it could just be routine.  It does, however, remind me of where I am and what possibly is next. 

Maybe things will just calm down, and this was just a little skirmish between two cranky kids, but something tells me it's not.  I hope to hell I'm wrong.

Awesome Friend Spotlight - Artur Katz

As promised, here's the first of my spotlight series about my insanely talented friends here.  This guy has co-starred in the majority of my adventures since I became an Israeli, and I am happy and lucky enough to call him my BFF.  So, without further ado, I give you, Artur Katz!

Artur (attention:  not ArtHur!) is off-the-charts talented, a singer, pianist, and soon to be, one hell of a music producer.  He's currently studying in one of the most prestigious music schools here in Israel called Rimon.  Seriously, guys, he's going to be famous.

This is us New Year's Eve.  He KILLED his NYE performance!  All in a Santa hat (okay, he'll kill me.  It's actually Grandfather Frost's hat...Santa's Russian 2nd cousin, I'm guessing).

 

How about a sampling of his glorious voice?  He's been singing since he was a youngin', and he even traveled to the United States (among other international locations) to perform WHEN HE WAS 14.  That good, friends.  Here he is singing his version of Britney Spear's "Womanizer":

 



 

Artur is fluent in many languages, and he sings in all of them PLUS more.  Spanish, Russian, English, Italian, Portuguese, Hebrew, etc..  As mentioned earlier, he's also working on his production techniques.  Check out his retro mix of Beyonce's "Deja Vu" here.

 

We both share an enormous love and respect for Justin Timberlake.  One of my current assignments (of MANY) from Artur is to teach him how to dance like JT.  I'm not sure that he realizes that I can't even dance like JT, but it'll be fun trying.  :)  And you better believe that when Justin comes to Europe on tour, we'll be there!  We even like to joke that Artur will one day be the Israeli Justin Timberlake.  Watch this video of a "Lovestoned/Billie Jean" mashup where Artur was featured with a local band called the Safranim, and see if you think he can be the JT of the Middle East...

 

Also, here is another SUPER impressive video that combines his beautiful voice and his outstanding production skills.  He took Depeche Mode's "Shake the Disease" and turned it into something much different and very special.  I'm personally addicted to his version, and it's a regular on my iTunes playlist.  Listen for yourself, and then compare to the original:

 

 

Anndddddd if you liked what you heard, please go here and vote for his song to win in an Israeli Depeche Mode competition.  Just scroll down the page (I realize it is in Hebrew), find his video (the one from above - and it's clearly marked in English, thankfully), and vote (by clicking the Facebook "like" button to the left of the video)!  Voting is open for a few days.  Let's get him to the top!

 

I could go on and on about Artur, but let's suffice it to say that he is one of the most genuine, hardworking, intelligent, caring, diligent, and talented people I know.  His understanding and love for music is unmatched, and his brain is constantly working to make new, amazing things.  His mission is to bring true, energetic pop music to the Israeli scene, and he'll be releasing his first album very soon.  Also, if you're in Be'er Sheva (or even in Israel and want to come to BS!), he and another super-amazing-talented friend, Meirav, perform at the local restaurant called The Sifria every Tuesday night, 10-11pm - it's songs by request and always a fun time! 

 

I'm proud to call Artur my friend and even prouder of what he's doing.  Subscribe to his YouTube channel and let's show him some true international support!  Loves you, Arturo! 



Coming Up Next...

So, we're entering into the last day of Passover in just a few short hours.  This week has been full of new and great experiences, and I can't wait to share pictures and stories from my first Passover as an Israeli.  However, I'm going to wait until after tomorrow night when I go to my first Mimuna with all of my best friends.  It's supposed to be the best way to break the Pesach fast full of desserts and treats that we couldn't eat this whole week.  Can't wait to share with y'all more about this cool Moroccan tradition.

In the meantime, I'm working on a blog post series that will individually showcase each one of my talented and beautiful friends here.  I hope you'll enjoy it.  This first one is a real special musical treat.  Coming to you about 1am Israel time/5pm Arkansas time TODAY!

My First Pesach as an Israeli

Each time there is a holiday (and admittedly, we Jews have A LOT), it's the coolest thing to be thinking, "Wow, my first [insert holiday here] in Israel!"  Channukah was special, and every day gave me something else to be thankful for.  Tu B'Shvat was sweet, and I got to plant trees in MY gorgeous city of Be'er Sheva with my friends from Ulpan.  Purim was hystical and produced the picture of "The Gang" that you see to the right of my page.  Pesach, or Passover, has really been an entire ordeal, and it hasn't even started.  T-minus about an hour before we officially begin celebrating here, but let me tell you what I've experienced for the past few weeks...

Right before my birthday at the beginning of March, there started to be a buzz about "Passover is coming."  I knew I'd eventually get into the swing of things, like everyone else, with the cleaning craze.  I had huge plans to clean and purge, since (I know this is nuts) I had already acquired things that I really didn't need in the 5 short months I've been here.  Suffice it to say that I started the entire apartment cleaning project two weeks ago, and I only finished 30 minutes ago.  BUT my apartment is now cleaner than it has probably ever been, I'm free from clutter, and I really do feel ready for Pesach. 

Now, like a smarty pants, I waited for today to go and buy groceries for my apartment that are Kosher for Passover, and I was warned by many friends of how stupid an idea this was.  What to do?  I started my job yesterday and literally didn't have any time other than today. 

I had a kind of cool experience on the way there.  As I left my apartment, I smelled burnt toast in the air, and I realized that people were burning their chametz (anything with a leavening agent or product in it that is forbidden to eat over Passover).  Kind of a cool tradition, although I didn't do this, as Pepper and I ate all that we had left.  Here's a picture I took to try and give you an idea:

That smoldering pile in the middle of the ground is all the delicious bread that we can't eat for the next week.  Cool and sad all at once.

Even cooler, I saw various other smoke columns rising around the neighborhood, and it kind of felt like I was inside a toaster with the permeating smell.  Goodbye, bread.

I finally arrived to the supermarket.  As I hesitantly entered the store, just bracing for an explosion of people and chaos, I found that it was actually really calm and not at all full.  Therefore, I was able to peruse all the goodies I needed calmly.  Suddenly, I noticed that the bread aisle was covered in thick white plastic and taped off.  As was the bakery.  If you're not aware, we don't eat bread products during Passover (that chametz stuff again).  This was really a powerful experience for me, and I got chills because it hit me (as it often does) that I'm finally living in a Jewish place.  How special.  I wandered through the store and saw other areas sealed off, and everything just felt surreal.  Now, we can debate the legitimacy of this later, as I've already had the debate today of "Well, I don't keep Kosher during Passover, so why should I have to suffer and have a hard time buying bread?"  Send me an email, if you're so inclined.

Many of you know that I am a huge fan of beer, so as I turned onto the drinks aisle, I was overwhelmed to see the entire beer and liquor section also sealed off.  Of course, I knew that I wouldn't be drinking that lovely, foamy, beer-y goodness for the next week, but to have it shoved in my face was a bit cruel.  I also took a picture of this moment...perhaps a picture of my face would've been funnier:

My tears of mourning aren't quite enough to quench my beer thirst.



 

And so, here we are, the sun is setting on an absolutely lovely day, there is this thick aroma of delicious food floating through the air in the neighborhood, and I can just feel the holiday buzz all around me.  I'm going to go enjoy my first Israeli Passover seder (traditional meal where the story of the Exodus from Egypt is told) with my wonderful, adopted Moroccan family.  Sadly, no pictures tonight because we're going to a religious house, but tomorrow, I'll be sure to document the massive food consumption fully for y'all.  Chag Pesach Sameach v'Kasher!  Happy and Kosher Passover!



Some Visuals

I took this picture the last night of the war as the rockets and sirens continued.  Up to the last minute, friends.

Me, Merv, and the dogs waiting out the sirens. We were trying to laugh, but we both got really close to crying after this was taken.

 

The beautiful and peaceful sky after the "storm."  Nice way to start the first normal week after the war.