culture

9 Favorite Tastes of Hanukkah in Machane Yehuda Market

Sharon A

Hanukkah in Jerusalem, Israel,

can be celebrated in so many ways,

but one universal favorite is a visit to

the Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk.

Walking to the shuk through the Nachlaot neighborhood

Nahlaot street with graffiti

is not always easy, as short cuts can be blocked off.

Truck in Jerusalem street

Construction seems to be going on everywhere.

Machena Yehuda market

Even walking is not so simple on the narrow roads.

Often we joke that Jerusalem streets were built for donkeys.

These days maybe,

Nachlaot motorcycle sign

 they are better suited for flying motorcycles.

But if you persist and keep going,

Multi colored cheeses in machane yehuda market

where else will you find kosher cheese,

so colorful and flavorful?

For a Hanukkah dairy holiday treat,

Machane yehuda market cheese made with wine

 try this wine cheese, it was terrific.

Wine in cheese,

Wine kosher from Arab winery machane yehuda market

but of course, wine is for celebrating.

The varieties found in the shuk astound every time,

Variety of olives in machane yehuda market

amazing varieties of olives,

machane yehuda market selection of olive oils for hanukah

plus those olive oils!

Some are special for use in Hanukkah menorahs,

to use instead of candles for the eight nights of Hanukkah.

Halva, huge blocks of halva,

varieties of halva in machane yehuda market

where else will you find Hot Chilli halva,

Machine to make halva in machane yehuda market

and see the machine that makes it.

Solomon Sousa painted shutter in Machane Yehuda Market

Some of the shutters of shops come down at night,

but then the partying begins.

BeerBazaar in shuk

Beer tasting, so many flavors of beer,

Machane Yehuda Market beer Bazaar back room

this warm party room in back is becoming

a new “hot” spot on the cold winter nights.

Too much food and drink, and the new

Machane Yehuda Market pay bathrooms, restroom for 3 shekel

 “fresh up shop” pay toilets could come in handy.

Always merchandise to purchase,

Hanukiot in Machane Yehuda Market

but for Hanukkah the menorahs are displayed outside.

A walk through the shuk

is always good for photo ops,

Rimonim in Machane Yehuda Market

with ripe pomegranates,

and my Hanukkah favorite,

the fresh strawberry season has started.

Night is coming at shuk, Machane Yehuda market

Machane Yehuda Market is changing daily,

and if you have not been in awhile, it is a must see.

A Hanukkah tasting tour would not be complete,

Donuts for Hanukkah suffgania

without suffganiot,

those donuts filled with fruit jam

or dozens of other flavors.

I am saving up Hanukiot, my favorite Hanukkah menorahs,

for a special post next week.

Meanwhile, enjoy this new sound and light projection

on the walls of Old City outside of

 Jaffa Gate and up from Mamilla Mall.

חנוכה שמח

Happy Hanukkah

UPDATED last night of Hanukkah:

Kosher Cheese store in Machane Yehuda Market Jerusalem Israel

I received comments about cheese and other shops,

in the shuk, questions about kosher supervision.

The piece of paper attached to the wall, at the top of this photo,

is a valid kosher certificate.

Sadly, not all the shops have proper supervision.

The staff at this one is happy to offer you a taste.

29 November Celebrated in Jerusalem

Sharon A

November 29, 1947

Important enough to be the name of a Jerusalem street.

כט November street sign in Jerusalem for 29 November

It was the day the UN passed Resolution 181

to re-establish a Jewish State in our ancestral homeland.

“The UN Vote: Then and Now”

was the theme of a November 29th conference

AACI Israel forever foundation Danny Ayalon

featuring former Ambassador Danny Ayalon as the keynote speaker.

Workshops were held in the afternoon on topics

which included delegitimization, antisemitism,

Anti-Zionism, BDS, Hate Bias, and Jewish rights.

The morning panel on Public Diplomacy on Shaping Social Action

was moderated by former Jerusalem Post editor Steve Linde.

November 29 UN vote then and now

 Barry Shaw, Olga Deutsch, Avital Leibovich, Asher Fredman,

and Ashley Perry (left to right) spoke about current advocacy.

Zipporah Porath witness to November 29 in 1947

 Zipporah Porath gave her eyewitness account

of the excitement that filled the Jerusalem streets many years ago

when the UN made possibly its first and last pro-Israel proclamation.

The World Zionist Organization marked 70 years since the historic vote

29 November celebration Jerusalem

with music and Israeli dancing.

Zionist leaders were again on the balcony watching the proceedings.

29 November celebraton

That is Yaakov Hagoel and Avraham Dudevani on the left, Natan Sharansky in the middle,

and Theodore Herzl on the right side of this photo.

29 November at Jewish Agency buidling

Lights and visuals were projected on to the building.

Could Theodore Herzl imagine such a scene?

actor as Theodore Herzl at Jewish Agency

He certainly never imagined David Ben-Gurion taking a selfie

while standing there next to him.

The date of November 30, 1947, marked

 the beginning of the mass exodus of Jews from Arab countries,

the Jewish Nakba Day.

Most came to Eretz Yisrael,

and after many hardships, began new lives.

This year Sigd was celebrated on November 30.

After thousands of years of going to mountain tops

Sigd on Tayelet

and yearning to return to Jerusalem,

the Ethiopian holiday has become an official Israeli one.

November 30 at night is also Rosh Chodesh Kislev,

so besides Israeli and Ethiopian dancing,

Hanukkah donuts

the streets are beginning to be lined with suffganiot,

The Hanukkah donuts season has begun.

Giving Thanks in Jerusalem

Sharon A

It is easy to forget about the Thanksgiving Holiday

when living in Israel.

Except for social media posts about the difficulty

of obtaining a whole turkey in a country

where so much turkey is consumed,

regular Israelis have no idea it is a holiday.

What is consuming everyone’s attention is that for

three days, arson-ignited forest fires are spreading,

forcing people from their homes,

with the latest fires raging in Haifa.

Thankfully,

I have not heard of any deaths,

but the destruction is massive.

Israel’s  working poor have a difficult time,

their basic monthly salaries are too low.

One set back with a sick family member

could tip the balance and set debts soaring,

causing families to lose their homes.

If you take the light rail train to the end of line

Pisgat Zev light rail trains street view

all the way to Pisgat Zev,

View street in Pisgat Zev

the northern Jerusalem neighborhood

with tens of thousands of residents

New construction in Pisgat Zev

you will see new construction projects underway.

Since it is further from the city center,

 rentals are more reasonably priced,

and therefore, it is home to some of Jerusalem’s poorest families.

This week I was inside several of their apartments:

religious, not religious, Ethiopian,

down-on-your-luck poverty does not discriminate.

an apartment in Pisgat Zev needing help

This kitchen with its wood trim looks lovely,

but it is a six-floor walk-up with no elevator,

makes it a lower rental property.

Israeli rentals, most often, do not come with appliances.

Oven in apartment that is broken

The oven was broken, and

 the tenant did not have money to buy a new one.

On the real Jerusalem streets,

not all is beautiful or perfect.

Thankfully, there are people trying to help.

as you will see at the end of this blog.

Meanwhile, if you have the time and money,

you could eat and drink every night in a different location.

Jerusalem winter festivals Hebrew signs

Hamshushalim in Jerusalem,

 special hotel deals and offers each December weekend,

has been going strong for years.

Open Restaurant is Jerusalem’s newest food festival.

From November 22-26,

tours, food, classes and more,

will be happening on the Jerusalem streets.

One event at the Hansen House has robots

serving as waiters for 3D printed food.

What a contrast to those struggling to get along.

There is so much to be thankful for every day.

This is first year in a long time,

I did not actively participate in a Thanksgiving Dinner for lone soldiers.

Hard to do it all, time is short,

I won’t keep you any longer today.

But if you are thankful for what you have,

consider helping those who are not so fortunate.

Here are links to three worthy organizations

I was involved with this week:

Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin

OneFamily

Give a Fridge Project 

Take a look and see what you can do

to make the world a better place.

Thanks from Jerusalem, Israel.