Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Exploring Israel: Netanya Posted by Sean Young on Nov 28, 2013
Netanya (Hebrew: נְתַנְיָה, lit., “gift of God”) is a city in the Northern Central District of Israel. It is located 30 km north of Tel Aviv, and 56 km south of Haifa. Netanya was named in honor of Nathan Straus, a prominent Jewish American merchant and philanthropist in the early twentieth century. According to the…
Exploring Israel: The Temple Mount Posted by Sean Young on Nov 6, 2013
The Temple Mount, (הַר הַבַּיִת) is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem for thousands of years. At least four religions are known to have used the Temple Mount: Judaism, Christianity, Roman religion, and Islam. the first temple was built by Solomon in 957 BCE and destroyed by…
Building Your Vocabulary: Eating Out (2) Posted by Sean Young on Oct 30, 2013
At the restaurant, cafe, or snack bar, wherever you go to eat or have a snack, you may have some dietary restrictions to keep in mind. Some are voluntary, others may be for health reasons. So you need to be prepared with the following phrases – just in case you need them. Eating kosher or…
Exploring Israel: The Western Wall Posted by Sean Young on Oct 11, 2013
The Western Wall or Ha-Kotel (הַכֹּתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי; Arabic:حائط البراق) is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple’s courtyard, and is the second most sacred site recognized by the Jewish faith (the Temple Mount itself is the most sacred site). הַכֹּתֶל refers not only to the exposed section facing a large…
Celebration – Sukkot Posted by Sean Young on Sep 18, 2013
Sukkot (סוכות or סֻכּוֹת – Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles) is a Biblically mandated Jewish festival celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. In it, the Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. It follows the solemn holiday of Yom Kippur, or the Day of…
Exploring Israel: Haifa Posted by Sean Young on Aug 26, 2013
Haifa (Hebrew: חֵיפָה; Arabic: حيفا Ḥayfā ) is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 291,000. Haifa is a mixed city: 80.5% are Jews, 5.3% are Arab Christians, 4.8% Arab Muslims, and 9.4% other groups. It is also home to the Bahá’í World Centre, a…
Recipe: Challah bread Posted by Sean Young on Aug 22, 2013
Challah (חַלָּה) is a loaf of braided bread eaten on Sabbath and Jewish holidays. According to Jewish tradition, the three Sabbath meals (Friday night, Saturday lunch, and Saturday late afternoon) and two holiday meals (one at night and lunch the following day) each begin with two complete loaves of bread. This “double loaf” commemorates…