A small country the size of New Jersey nestled in the middle of the Arab world and bordered by three seas (Dead, Med, Red), Israel is a fascinating place rich in history and steeped in tradition. Famous for hummus, the Mossad, being Jewish and the sprawling metropolis that is Tel-Aviv, this place is far from […]
Casual Israeli Ibex
I did not expect there to be much wildlife in Israel. I don’t know why. Maybe it was because the desert brought to mind dry desolate expanses or terrain devoid of life and filled with hostile living conditions (like Tatooine…filled with sand people). Yet my preconceptions and assumptions were again proven incorrect (I really need […]
Scuba Diving The Red Sea In Photos
During my time in Israel I had the opportunity to go scuba diving in the Red Sea. To anyone who hasn’t been scuba diving before – I strongly recommend that you do it immediately. Since describing scuba diving the Red Sea to you with my words would undoubtedly do the experience a great injustice, here […]
The Worst Fruit I’ve Ever Tasted: The Palestinian Sweet Lime
Fruits of the genus citrus tend to be some of my favorites, and I rarely find one that my taste buds do not agree with (although I am not very partial to grapefruit). But this was before the Palestinian Sweet Lime (PSL). Handling this mystery fruit prior to cutting it open, you could be convinced […]
Drinking in Israel: Arak (ערק)
In Brazil you have cachaça, in Russia you have vodka, in the Caribbean you have rum, and in Israel you have Arak. Arak (uh-rock or ar-ick if you’re trying to have an accent) is a member of the anis drink family, and tastes (as some of you more seasoned drinkers may have guessed) like black […]
The Mikvah: The Holy Jew Bath
A Mikvah (or Mikveh), quite simply, can be described as a ritualistic Jew bath. Want to know more? Excellent, here we go: Used primarily by the more Orthodox Jewish communities, it is used to symbolically purify the body. According to Jewish law, a mikvah must be connected to a naturally occurring water source and it […]
The Western Wall
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – In the Old City of Jerusalem stands the remnants of a structure believed to have been built in 19 BCE – the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall). Standing 187 feet (57 m) tall, the structure faces a large open plaza that is used for prayer and as a pasture […]
Kosher Food Explained
Worst airline food ever.[/caption] Apparently airlines (at least Austrian Airlines) are thoughtful enough (or afraid enough of Jewish wrath) to allow their passengers the option of a Kosher meal. En route to Israel, I had the good fortune of having been placed on the list of lucky kosher meal recipients. In lieu of the regular lazy […]
Floating In The Dead Sea Is Blowing My Mind
I almost feel wrong saying it (as I don’t want to give the impression that I am in any way discounting anything I did and/or saw in Israel), but the Dead Sea has to be hands down the most awesome thing in Israel. Before my journey to the Holy Land I had heard from friends, […]
The Krembo
Something about Israel gives me a seemingly insatiable appetite for candy, and luckily the country’s bountiful offering has so far fulfilled my needs. Arguably the most famous of the country’s magical sweets goes by the name of krembo, and I am still undecided as to my opinion regarding the treat. Imagine a very soft marshmallow […]
