Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Aviv and Stav: The Origin and Meaning of Two Common Hebrew Names Posted by Ayana on Dec 3, 2018
Two out of four seasons became popular Hebrew names: Aviv אָבׅיב (means “spring”) and Stav סְתָיו (means “autumn”). Aviv אָבׅיב My grandmother’s old friend never celebrated her birthday. She didn’t know the exact day, she didn’t even know the year (שָׁנָה sha-na) she was born. She only knew she was born during spring, because her…
Israel’ s Sole Olympic Gold Winner to Auction Off Medal Posted by Ayana on Nov 26, 2018
Last month, the windsurfer Gal Fridman, Israel’ s sole Olympic gold winner, published an ad on his Facebook page: “מחפש תותח אי ביי שמבין במכירה פומבית של פריט נדיר היחיד מסוגו בארץ” “Looking for an Ebay expert who understands how to auction a rare item, one of its kind in Israel” Fridman won a bronze medal at…
What happened during the 2018 Israel Municipal Election Posted by Ayana on Nov 12, 2018
The municipal election in Israel is held every five years. In Israel, a local authority (רָשׁוּת) leader’s term (כְּהֻנָּה) lasts five years. The number of terms (כְּהֻנּוֺת) a local authority leader can serve is unlimited. Residents (תּוֹשָׁבׅים) can choose their leaders again and again, for unrestricted number of terms. Quite a few mayors (רָאשֵׁי עָרׅים)…
Eating Kosher Posted by Ayana on Oct 22, 2018
Kosher (כָּשֵׁר, pronounced as ka-sher) is a Hebrew adjective, meaning “fit”, “proper”, or “correct”. כָּשֵׁר also means “fit to eat” according to the Jewish laws of Kashruth (כַּשְׁרוּת) – a set of dietary rules that dictates what kinds of food can be eaten and how it needs to be prepared. The כַּשְׁרוּת laws concerns any…
Honey, Bees and Hives in Hebrew Posted by Ayana on Sep 17, 2018
Honey (דְּבַש) is an essential ingredient in the Jewish New Year dinner, as we’ve learned in the last post. Various flavors of דְּבַש (pronounced de-vash) filled the supermarket shelves before the holiday; a small jar of דְּבַש is common among other treats given as gift; and during new year dinner, for a sweet new year…
Jewish New Year Food Posted by Ayana on Sep 3, 2018
Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה) is the Jewish New Year (its name means “head of the year”). As with any Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated according to the Jewish calendar (this year on September 9th) and is full of traditional food. מַאֲכְלֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (Rosh Hashanah foods) are all symbolic. They are called סׅימָנׅים (si-ma-nim…
Survive a Long, Hot Israeli Summer with Ice Cream Posted by Ayana on Jul 23, 2018
The Israeli summer is long. The hot humid season in Israel lasts from June till August, but heat waves hit our little country as soon as the spring. The autumn is pretty warm as well, and so it feels like summer extends for too long. What gives us plenty of opportunities to gorge on ice…