By: Rebecca

For the last 20 years, the city of Haifa has hosted a celebration called the Hag Shel Hagim or "Holiday of Holidays." Although this year, the Christian (Christmas), Jewish (Chanukah), and Muslim (Ramadan) holidays were nowhere near each other, the month-long event celebrates all three and has something for everyone. There are arts and crafts for kids, free outdoor concerts, classical music at various churches, street fairs, etc. 

This past Saturday, we took a walk down to the Arab Christian neighborhood (Wadi Nisnas) to take in the experience. We had been told it would be crowded, but we were completely unprepared for how many people there were. It was fantastic to see so many folks out and about enjoying the beautiful weather. 

People filling the streets in Wadi Nisnas

Although Chanukah is long over, there were still some sufganiyot for sale along with all kinds of other treats. Overall, maybe a little healthier than the food you would normally get a street fair in the US. We were tempted by roasted nuts, fresh juice, and falafel. There were some less healthier choices as well: candied apples, knafa, and of course, baklavah. 

Knafa for sale

Fresh squeezed juice anyone?

I am missing Christmas a little bit, but not as much as I thought I might. I got plenty of lights and decorations in Italy and there are lots of apartments with trees in the window here as well. We got a small tree to decorate to go with the lights we have put up in the apartment. Tonight's baking adventure was gingerbread cookies and tomorrow, homemade eggnog. 

Gingerbread cookies all iced and ready to eat!

More pictures here.

By: Jason and Rebecca

Italy has something for everyone, plain and simple. Take your pick:  How about taking in the colossal and ancient sites of Rome like the Colosseum, the Forum, Capitoline Hill or the Vatican?  Or spending some time among the countless museums of Italian Renaissance art or Etruscan culture (people that pre-dated the Roman Empire and for whom Tuscany is named).  

The Colosseum at sunset

Looking back toward the Roman Forum from the Colosseum

Christmas tree lighting in St. Peter's Square

Not your thing?  Okay, what about eating your way through Italy starting with fresh pasta, arancini, pizza (of course) and wine followed by canoli dipped in chocolate and pistachios with a side of delicious gelato (you choose, there’s hundreds of flavors)?  

All this making you tired?  No problem.  Just gussy up to one of the thousands of coffee bars where you can slam a euro or two on the counter and be served the best espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, etc. you’ve ever had.  Be quick to down it, because you still have lots of other sites, sounds, and delicious smells awaiting you.

For a more laid back and relaxing time, grab a car (only a 5-speed will do) and drive north a couple hours where you will be transported into another world that flows with glowing sunshine, robust vineyards, and medieval-fortress cities perched atop of hills: the Tuscan countryside. On the way, stop at a gas station for famous buffalo mozzarella and more canoli.

Siena, Italy

Forgotten grapes

All that driving making you hungry again? Check in to the B&B (in a restored 18th century farmhouse), and take a bus into Siena for a fabulous dinner at a restaurant tucked into an Estruscan tomb. Take in the city at night - complete with Christmas lights.

Dinner in an Estruscan tomb

The next morning, tour Siena by daylight, do some shopping and drink more espresso! You'll need it for the drive through Tuscany. Visit vineyards, wine cellars, cheese shops, and more. Watch the sun set over the hills. End up in Orvieto and take in the Christmas parade and lights. Have dinner at a local bar and then head back to Rome. 

Montepulciano, Italy by moonlight

Orvieto, Italy - Christmas time!

That's just a snapshot of how we spent our week. We had a great time and hope reading this post puts you in the holiday spirit. Made some great friends (thanks to Marco and Isabelle for sharing their home with us!). Italy has so much to offer and we barely scratched the surface. We'd love to go back again someday soon!

Lots more pictures of our trip in the photo album!

By: Jason

We are up to Chanukah in the cycle of holidays here in Israel. Since we were in Israel for Purim last year, the only holiday we haven't experienced was Rosh Hashana (since we were in the US). Chanukah is a relatively minor holiday in comparison to the others, but nonetheless, like all holidays, there are the veritable traditions that include foods, symbols, songs, and activities.  Chanukah (and its importance) reflects a time of year when the weather changes and the nights begin earlier.  Chanukah not only represents a historical victory over the Greeks, but the candles and lights represent an unending determination and endurance of people and their will to survive and persevere. 

Although in the US, it is somewhat traditional to give gifts (probably an artifact of Christmas-crossover), it doesn't seem to be a tradition here. Instead its about the food and gathering with friends and family.

Our new chanukiah on the 8th night

Top-down view - with our collection of sea glass and shells

All around Israel there were Chanukiah (Chanukah menorahs) at virtually every intersection, in storefronts, at train stations, office buildings, schools, and of course in homes.  The ubiquitous potato latkes that many of us are accustomed to (with applesauce and sour cream, of course!), took a back seat to a fried and oily delicacy called sufganiot in Hebrew (jelly donuts to the rest of us).  Because the tradition is to eat a variety of oily foods (symbolic of the temple oil and its miracle of burning 8 nights), Israelis have embraced the donut as the poster child for Chanukah. You can find them at virtually every street corner, bakery, supermarket, and convenience store.  We tried our fair share (more than I could have imagined!), but the one that sticks out was a massive donut generously covered with confectionery sugar that we found at a bakery in Tel Aviv. 

Bat-sheva's homemade sufganiyot

This holiday also brings together all types of people and is a truly worthy of the phrase, “The Festival of Lights”. For me, the inclusiveness of Chanukah was solidified the other day when I was at work, eating my lunch at my desk and Ehud barged in, “We are lighting the candles and you should join us.”  I leapt up and joined about a dozen others from the department in the prayers and singing of Ma Atzor (Rock of Ages).  It was a really a lot of fun.

By: Rebecca and Jason

Thanksgiving was very different for us this year. Usually we run around to two dinners on Thursday trying to spend time with all the family in a short visit. This year we were 6,000 miles away, but still managed to fit in two Thanksgiving dinners and a Chanukah party! 

Thursday evening we headed to Tel Aviv for a Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by Fulbright at a very nice hotel. We weren't sure what to expect, but the food was quite good. More Mediterranean than traditional New England, but it was nice. My one major complaint was that there were no mashed potatoes! Almost all of the new Fulbright cohort was there as well as all but one of last year's crowd. We had a great time and it was nice to get another chance to talk to the new folks. 

The Chanukiah and Thanksgiving buffet

While waiting for our train back to Haifa, we were able to Skype into the Goldstein-Conner Thanksgiving/Chanukah/birthday party. Not the same as being there, but we did get to see just about everyone however, we are still trying to figure out who was actually coherent and remembered speaking to us (it seemed like quite the party!).  We got home after 1:00am - certainly a memorable day.

Friday afternoon we joined many other Anglos in Haifa (English speakers group in Haifa) for a potluck Thanksgiving/Chanukah party. The party was held at the Japanese Art Museum in Haifa (a place we've been meaning to go for months). The museum was closed to the public, but we were allowed access to the exhibits for the first couple hours so we wandered around until it was time for dinner. The food was great! Two big turkeys and lots of side dishes. The only thing missing was... Mashed potatoes! Again! After dinner, we lit the Chanukiah and the event organizer passed out Chanukah presents for trivia questions.

Colliding cultures
Japanese museum, Thanksgiving, and Chanukah

After dinner Chanukah gifts

From there, we headed straight to Afula for a Shabbat Chanukah dinner at with Ehud and Bat-Sheva's families. Even though we were convinced we couldn't eat any more, we managed to stuff the corners with homemade latkes, applesauce, kugel, soup, salad, sufganiyot, and fruit.

Lighting the Chanukiah with Bat-sheva and Ehud

Definitely a departure from our usual Thanksgiving festivities, but certainly a fun and very memorable one! We are thankful for all our friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic. 

We didn't need much to eat on Saturday after all the celebrating, but we did agree on what to have for dinner... Mashed potatoes! 

By: Rebecca

Several months ago, I wrote a post about some of the major differences between life in Israel and the US. Though I have gotten used to many of them, some of them are still hard to understand, and there are some new ones we have discovered. 

• Seasonal produce. Still awesome, but sometimes frustrating. I missed lime season completely. How am I supposed to make Mexican food...or a decent gin and tonic?
• There are large containers of yogurt - made from goat or sheep milk. Cow milk yogurt, as far as I can tell, only comes in single-serve containers.
• It gets dustier. April brought an unusually high number of dust storms. They are as awful as they sound. Picture thick fog, but instead of water, it's made out of very fine dust. The storms are accompanied by a hot wind that blows the sand everywhere. There is really nothing to do except close all the windows and stay inside.
• People are not very good with the concept of lines, or waiting in them. Thankfully, at places like the post office, there is a number system (similar to the deli counter at an American grocery store). In a moment of genius, someone also decided that you should be able to enter your phone number and get a text message when it's your turn.
• No doesn't mean no. At least not usually. If you play the game, there is usually a way to get around the rules (a kombina). 
• Drivers are crazy!! People drive like they are in a race to be the first car to anywhere. On the other hand, most Israeli's make parallel parking look effortless. They can park a car in a space I wouldn't try to park a bicycle. 
• Don't order drip coffee. Since most people drink instant or Turkish, the drip coffee is terrible. The cappuccino, on the other hand, is delicious and usually the same price. Even the bus station kiosk makes a decent cappuccino. 

Cappuccino from Aroma - the Israeli equivalent of Starbucks

• Everyone wants exact change. Even when there's a drawer full of money in front of them (like at the grocery store), you are still expected to hand over whatever amount means they have the least counting to do. If something costs 51.20 you should either give exactly that, or 101.20 so they can give you a 50 as change. 
• You can find a good hamburger. It took some time, but with the help of good friends, we finally found a good burger place in Haifa.
• People are very creative and resourceful. On our recent trip to Tel Aviv, we saw a huge billboard tied down with zip-ties. 
• I still don't understand the mops!

By Jason and Rebecca

We've been committed to exploring Tel Aviv (Israel's largest city) the past few weeks. There's tons to see and do, and we've only scratched the surface. We wanted to share a few highlights from our most recent day trip.

The easiest way to get to Tel Aviv from Haifa is the train. It's fast, cheap, and efficient. Once there, we can walk to almost everything we are interested in seeing.

One of the many bike and pedestrian trails in Tel Aviv

First stop on this trip was the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Surprisingly spacious (especially for Israel), they have an impressive collection of art. We spent most of our time in the Impressionist section, but also toured contemporary (lots of Andy Warhol) and photography. There was a special exhibit commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war. It was small, but intense and captured the feeling of that moment in history. 

Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Next, we made a long trek to the Nachalat Binyamin market - a weekly craft fair showing the works of Israeli artists: jewelry, ceramics, paintings, textiles, glass, and seasonal items. Surrounding this pedestrian mall are a variety of restaurants, cafes, and shops, making it a great place to spend a few hours. We have been on a quest for a Chanukah menorah (technically called a Chanukiah since menorah literally translates to lamp). Last time we visited the market, we had spotted one we liked and, since Chanukah is right around the corner and a chanukiah is on our list of items to get while in Israel, we decided to go for it. 

Our Chanukiah - stained glass and an
unusual round design

Street performer at the market - a wannabe Joni Mitchell?

After perusing the market, we decided to get some food while on the walk back to the train. Trying to be healthy, we got a delicious fruit smoothy at one of the ubiquitous smoothy stands. We followed that up with another Chanukah treat - sufganiyot! Basically a jelly doughnut. To redeem ourselves, for dinner we stopped at a small restaurant called Fresh Kitchen and split a delicious cheese and roasted veggie panini and a salad. 

DELICIOUS sufganiyot!

We also stumbled on one of the best music/movie stores we've ever seen. They had every movie you could think of organized by genre, actor, director, and country - even an entire shelf of Canadian films! We browsed the extensive music collection and Jason picked up a CD of instrumental middle-eastern flavored jazz by a native Haifa musician. 

It was great to explore Tel Aviv and enjoy the beautiful weather. We plan to go back again soon. 

Just one example of Tel Aviv's interesting architecture

By: Jason

After a long day in the field (see previous post) I came home to get cleaned up. A hot shower felt great, but I decided to take a short nap. Not 5 minutes into my slumber, my phone rang loudly.

Jason: "Shalom?"
Caller: "Hi Jason, this is Oz. I have a lobster for you."
Jason: "Who, who is this?"
Caller: "Dr. Oz" (not the one on American TV)
Jason: "Oz? Oh, right, sure that's great."
Oz: "I bring it over to your house. We go to University. I drop you off."
Jason: "Oh...okay. Call me when you are on the way." 
Click.

This was obviously a big surprise, but I was elated to have another lobster for my research. However, I was exhausted and not looking forward to making the trek back and forth to the University. I started to think of how I could keep the lobster at home for the night instead. Then it hit me, eureka! I happen to have a battery powered air pump, a bucket, and nice cool spot on the balcony. I think this might work. I just hoped the lobster was in good shape. 

Two hours later...

Dr. Oz calls. I meet him on the street with the bucket and some cash (yes, I still had to pay for the lobster). He motions at me to unstrap a bucket from the back of his pickup truck complete with salt water (now I'm set) and one very large and feisty slipper lobster. I'm hurrying because the truck is blocking traffic, but Oz seems unconcerned, chatting with my neighbor who he apparently knows from school. I hand him the money - there's not even any time to make change - and he drives off. Mission accomplished. 

The lobster was quite happy on the porch overnight and made it to University in one piece the next morning. You never know when you're going to need a bucket, sea water, and an air pump!

Oz the lobster

By: Jason

You may ask: so what does a typical field day look like here in Israel? This post is one I should have written a while ago, but it took a long time to understand what "typical" meant. Here it goes:

Tuesday

5:30 am: Get up; grab lunch, water, coffee, cooler, toolbox, bucket, dive booties, change of clothes, towel; walk to bus stop.

6:00 am: Transfer to second bus. By now, plenty of weird looks - I'm carrying all kinds of unusual items.

6:30 am: Arrive at University Sadna (Dive Facility). Meet the guys (Amir and Mosheko); load the truck and the boat with gear and equipment; and, just when you though you were ready to go, relax with a cup of Turkish coffee (now I'm awake!!!).

7:30 am: On the road to field site. Unexpected detour through residential neighborhood. Involving a 3-point turn by an F-350 towing a 20-ft boat on a trailer. 

8:00 am: Arrive at field site. Get wet and start the military-style boat launch. This involves lots of yelling and being ordered around, but it works - just hard at 8 in the morning. 

Boat launch in Nahariyya, northern Israel

8:30 am: Collecting data, doing research, diving, launching nets - the best part of my day. The guys are helpful, creative, and fun to work with.

Hauling in the net

Capturing the critters

10:00 am: One more station to sample. But... alas, Amir decides it's time for a coffee break. From beneath the deck, he unpacks a toolbox. Out comes a camping stove, finjan, and glass cups. The water boils and the Turkish coffee flows. Amir transforms the workbench into a coffee bar and installs himself as the barista. If coffee isn't your thing, feel free to take a refreshing swim instead. 

Variations on the coffee break include: Anchoring the boat and swimming to the beach to have coffee with the local kibbutz sailing club. Or, picking up acquaintances, friends, colleagues, or the former chief admiral of the Israeli navy.

10:30 am: Finish with plankton tows, moving on to diving.

10:45 am: In the water diving, dodging jellyfish

11:00 am: Get your ass in the boat by hauling yourself through the tuna door. If you fail, you will be left behind when Mosheko takes off like a bat out of hell. 

12:00 pm: Lunch time! Variations on this include: no lunch, packed sandwiches, hummus at a gas station, or dock the boat at a busy fish pier send runner to best hummus place in Israel for takeout. While this happening, watch culinary show filming at fish pier. Are we really on TV? Ask the Dutch guy, he's the producer. 

If anyone sees this on the Food Network, let me know

12:45 pm: Back to the boat launch and time to extract the boat - stressful times! One person on the boat, one in the truck and the rest in the water. Lots of yelling and getting wet. Pull the boat, yank the rope, gun the engine, spin the tires, cross your fingers. Chances are you will repeat these steps more than once.

The R/V Zvi - finally on the trailer!

1:15 pm: Head home to Haifa. 

2:00 pm: Arrive at the Sadna. Unpack and wash the boat, truck, gear, etc. 

3:00 pm: Finish up and, if you're lucky, get dropped off at a more convenient bus stop. 

By: Rebecca

One of our goals for the fall and winter is go to on more tiyulim around Haifa. We took a step (or 316 of them) toward that goal last week on an exploration of one of Haifa's many wadis.

Called Nahal Siah, this hike starts from a nondescript trail above a school. It is impossible to tell that you are about to enter a lovely stretch of forest, but then suddenly you look up and see no buildings at all! At the end of the hike we had a choice: Walk to the road and take the bus home or, climb the crazy stairs up a steep hill to the Kababir Mosque. Guess which path we chose?

I thought this time I would create a little photo gallery of our hike. If you want to see larger versions of these photos, visit our photo album. Enjoy!

Starting the hike

Through the forest

Jason

A view of the mosque

The spring

The spring and wadi

Looking down the steps

Kababir Mosque

Rebecca

The view from the top - it was worth it!

Can you see the stairs? Look closely

Fossils in a cliff make of chalk

By: Jason and Rebecca

We thought we'd take an opportunity to give you a unique perspective of our neighborhood. One of the largest neighborhoods in Haifa, Hadar stretches from the commercial district near the port, about halfway up the mountain. We live in the upper reaches of Hadar and have a great view of the city below us. Hadar is a very diverse area and our street in particular is very mixed. There are Russians, Christian Arabs, Jews, Ethiopians, Baha'i, and several ex-pats. This makes for some interesting interactions and great people watching! 

Despite being a narrow, one-way road, our street is a major thoroughfare connecting two major roads that go up and down the mountain. This provides an added dimension of chaos and amusement. In addition to the usual delivery and garbage trucks, everything from tow-trucks to ambulances to tour buses (and even the occasional off-duty city bus) squeeze by our apartment - and no, there's not a lot of room. One of our friends was asked by a bus driver to help by turning in the side mirrors of numerous cars so he could fit around a particularly tight corner. 

There are always a few old Russian ladies sitting outside our building on a bench, not sure what they are talking about - maybe world peace or whichever vodka is on sale. They don't even get up when the watermelon truck drives by on a hot summer day yelling through a megaphone loud enough to wake the dead. One day I watched as two men parallel-parked a car with a dead battery (impressive!). The neighborhood shul, just a few doors down, even held evening services on the sidewalk one Shabbat. 

The watermelon truck and some creative parking

Parallel parking a dead car. I don't know how they
managed this with only two people!

Besides humans, we have resident cats of course (too many!), birds, geckos, jackals, and even a hedgehog! 

All in all, it's a great place to live. There's never a dull moment! Hillel street is really a microcosm of Haifa, and Israel as a whole, and allows us to immerse ourselves in the vibrant culture and atmosphere 

By: Jason and Rebecca

Tiyul: Hike, trek (pl. tiyulim)

As we have mentioned before, the city of Haifa is a mountain. The city isn't on the mountain, it is part of the mountain stretching from the gritty port on the Mediterranean to the University perched at the very top of Carmel Mt. (~1,800 ft above sea level). Hidden among the neighborhoods, shops, falafel stands, shrines, hotels and highrises, there is a surprising network of green spaces. These trails encompass a variety of terrains: forests, wadis (dry river beds), and hillsides covered in sun-loving plants and shrubs.

Jason hiking past a eucalyptus tree

Although there are 8 official trails, many more exist connecting all parts of the city.  Each trail is marked with a colored blaze, but unlike the White Mountains, the trailheads for the Haifa tiyulim can be very hard to find! They are hidden next to bus stops, at the end of a cul-de-sac, or, our favorite, behind the zoo!

Even though you are surrounded by the city, it feels like you are in another world. Enveloped by lush forest filled with bird song, you forget for a moment the busy metropolis on the other side of the trees. It is a welcome change of pace and a good chance to reconnect with nature. 

The Mediterranean sea framed by olive trees 

On a recent hike, we stopped for a snack and heard howling shrieks coming from further down the trail. Interestingly, we also heard them in our neighborhood the other night! Jackals! The sound is very unnerving - a cross between a howling wolf and a crying baby. 

One of our goals for the fall and winter is to take more tiyulim. I learned my lesson about hiking in the summer when I went on a tiyul with my friend Abby and her son Rafi. It started out, as most Haifa tiyulim do, with a long hike downhill. We passed some ancient ruins and lovely springs of cool fresh water. Looking at the map, we decided to hike across the hill and down to the other side to get the bus home. What we didn't realize was that we would be crossing a hillside with no shade in the hottest part of the day. At one point, we had to bushwhack our way to a road as the trail ran through a fenced-off construction area. We were tired and hot, but we made it! 

We are looking forward to many more tiyulim. It's so great to have a little bit of nature to escape to, even in a city the size of Haifa. 

You can look at a map of the city, showing all the green space at the Haifa Tourist Board's website: http://www.tour-haifa.co.il/eng/Attractions_Map.html

By: Jason and Rebecca

As we mentioned in the previous post, Fulbright sponsored a trip to Israel's south. It was the first trip of the new year. The main purpose of the trip was to meet the new Fulbrighters and to reconnect with the others. Ambassador (Dan) Shapiro showed up for an informal meet-and-greet before we all headed out on the bus. 

Just like the trip in February, we stayed over night at a kibbutz. This time, it was Kibbutz Ein Gedi located on a hill overlooking the Dead Sea. The kibbutz has created an oasis in the desert and the scenery is a beautiful contrast between the sand and stone of the desert, the bright green foliage of the oasis, and the brilliant blue of the sea. 

View of the Dead Sea from Ein Gedi Kibbutz

Morning sun on the desert mountains

It was great to get to know everyone over dinner followed by tea on the bar patio. According to the signs on our table, we were the "Funbright" group. Judging by the amount of laughter at dinner, this is proving to be quite true. The other neat thing about this group is the huge diversity of backgrounds. There are several archaeologists - from classical to digital, professors, photographers, engineers, historians, ecologists, and biologists. It definitely made for some spirited and hilarious conversation.

The next day brought the jeep excursion, lunch at another kibbutz, a trip to a weaving center in a Bedouin town, and finally a long bus ride back to Haifa.