Shavuot

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Today is Shavuot (shah-voo-oat) or The Festival of Weeks. I know, another holiday?! Yes, in fact Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) was last week too! Let the good times roll! When I worked in a Jewish office in Boston, I remember my roommates exclaiming "seriously? again? you have today off too??" as I waved them off to work with my coffee mug in hand. I'm pretty sure they hated me during the month of October, I think I worked about 4 days that month.

Anyways.

Shavuot, The Festival of Weeks....I am lifting most of this explanation from here with a few of my own thoughts...just a few though.

It is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the temple, this is why it is also known as the Festival of the First Fruits. Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Shavuot is not tied to a particular calendar date, but to a counting of weeks from Passover, hence the name.  Shavuot is also sometimes known as Pentecost, because it falls on the 50th day (pente...five...get it?).  The Jewish people recognize that Passover freed them physically from bondage, but the giving of the Torah on Shavuot redeemed them spiritually.

Work is not permitted during Shavuot, it is celebrated like a normal Shabbat here in Jerusalem. It is also customary to stay up the entire first night of Shavuot and study Torah, then pray as early as possible in the morning. I can personally account for this, as the yeshiva outside our window was most certainly up all night...as were we.  The book of Ruth is read, but there are varying reasons given for this custom. In my mind, however, it makes perfect sense given that she was harvesting the leftover grains in Boaz's fields. 

It is common to eat dairy meals (remember, meals are either meat or dairy accordong to kosher restriction) during Shavuot. Some say it is a reminder of the promise regarding the land of Israel, a land flowing with "milk and honey." Others note that they had just received the kosher laws and dairy was the best option for their first kosher meals. 

This boils down to one thing: expect people to be eating cheesecake today. Seriously.

Chag Sameach!

this weekend, according to my iPhone.

Jaffa, Tel Aviv

Charlie came to visit.

Nate took us out to Meat Burger. Yes, Meat Burger is the name of the place. 

We saw Iron Man in 3D Imax..and took this terribly grainy, embarrassing photo.

I just couldn't leave it out...it's too good.

chai and pizza

Kurt and I took some work on a lunch date. Chai and pesto pizza. 

We don't eat out much, so when we do I like to make it count. 

That chai is incredible...and I like anything with pesto. 

Israel might be expensive, but it does have great food. 

(Also, foamy drinks are so photogenic. Seriously, why is that?)

Hiking Masada...

Last weekend we went camping along the Dead Sea with the young adults group. 

Confession: I had my doubts. 

I love the outdoors, but my social skills aren't typically at an all time high without a shower.  

Kurt was helping to lead the trip though and I'll try anything once. 

Turns out it was awesome, despite the wind and the consequential sand in your eye face sandwich ear canal.

On Saturday we hiked Masada's Snake Path. (here)

Highly suggested - or you can take the cable car.

It's only mildly demoralizing to see it whiz over your head while you're hiking. 

Lately.

We have been eating things like this and this.

Both came out amazingly well and I would highly suggest trying them.

We have been watching this. We just finished Season 1 and I am into it. It's like Oceans 11 means CSI. 

I'm so into it. 

Today is our 3 year anniversary. I still consider us newlyweds though. 

We're going to Tel Aviv this weekend to celebrate in the SUN. 

I discovered that I enjoy camping, particularly on the beach.
More on that later.

We are really into eating breakfast at Kadosh (above).
It's a tiny, European style cafe that makes things like croissant and cheese for breakfast.
Complete with cappuccino.
We only eat out once or twice a month now, but I still love it.

Kurt tried sour cream for the first time yesterday and liked it.
I can't imagine life without it.
It's dark...that I am sure of. 

Yom HaAtzmaut

Pronounced like "yo-m ha-ahtz-mah-oot"... if that helps?

In other words, Israel's Independence Day. 

It was last Tuesday, technically it began Monday evening, which is what you see here. 

As I've said before, Israel's holidays are always...well, better.
This country has done a lot to get here and it's one the oldest and yet youngest countries out there.
This was her 65th birthday!

That evening we got a call from a friend saying "hey do you want to watch the fireworks from the top of The King David Hotel?"

Ummmm...YES.
Yes, I would like to add that to the list of things I have done in life.
The King David is an icon of Jerusalem. (at a mere 3k per night).
Obama rented out the whole hotel when he came earlier this month.
Anyways, a friend of ours is a security guard and took a small group of us to the roof.
(The only other man up there was a hotel guest who had to ask special permission from the manager.)
The little ways that God blesses us is so amazing.

that's the Old City...

somewhere near the Dead Sea.

Did you know that rocks will skip a lot longer on the Dead Sea? We just found that out this weekend. 

Did you also know that we can always see our noses, but our brains just learn to ignore it? I learned that too.

Bet you're having trouble ignoring it now, huh?