Wow, the chocolate and poppy pastry rolls look pretty awesome.
Salivating to take a serious bite.
But don’t advise for that before taking a drug test.
I heard the poppy seeds may give a false positive. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Category Archives: Jerusalem
From Hate To Love
Just a self-reflection today…
Important to me.
It’s about who I thought I was and…
Who I became.
Truly, I went full circle from a child’s hate to an adult’s love relationship with:
– Reading
– Writing
– Swimming
– Hebrew
As a kid, I tried to avoid these like the plague, and as an adult I like to practice these every single day of my life.
I wonder to myself is it that I strove to become good (or decent) at what I have previously been bad at or was somehow afraid of.
Yet now, they are integral to my life, learning, and growth.
Like the hands of a clock that circle and tick the hours and minutes.
My life takes me full circle and brings me home to who I am and what I really love spending time at. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Camel In Thought
Love this little camel.
My daughter got this is Israel and displays it in the living room.
Sitting peacefully, looking upwards.
Colorful mosaic.
Jerusalem, its brand.
Amazing animals.
I wonder what he’s thinking.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
A Jewish Scorecard: Trump vs. Sanders
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called “A Jewish Scorecard: Trump vs. Sanders.”
In nine months, we will go to the polls again to elect the next President of the United States. Right now, it’s looking like it will be Donald J. Trump versus Bernie Sanders. What is the scorecard of these two men when it comes to the State of Israel—the Jewish homeland that we have returned to after 2,000 years of exile, persecution, and deep yearning, and where the majority of the world’s Jewish people currently reside?
In the end, no candidate is perfect, and each has their own critical flaws. However, you, as the voters will need to tally the score for yourselves and decide who will be President in 2020 and what that means for this country as well as for the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
(Photo: Adapted from Flickr post by The White House (Public Domain) and Linda Sarsour’s Twitter account profile picture)
Israel 2020: Day 7
Today, we went to the Kotel (Holy Western Wall) in Jerusalem.
We went on a special tour of the Kotel Tunnels.
Got to see the foundation stones under the Temple Mount where legend has it that G-d created the world from and where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac.
This is also the place where the first and second Jewish temples stood.
We literally got to see so much of the ancient underground building stones, pillars, arches, bridges, waterways, and even learned how they think that these mega limestones (weighing over 520 metric tonnes) were moved into place so many thousands of years ago with pulleys, gears, and levers.
It was a fascinating and fun tour.
Thank you to my son-in-law and daughter for getting us tickets to this.
Lovely time by all. 😉
(Credit Video: Andy Blumenthal, and sorry about turning it sideways once it gets to the underground waterway)
Israel 2020: Day 4
Wow what an amazing day in Jerusalem!
We went to the Israel Museum (the best museum that I have ever been at), the Shrine of the Book with the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the best part was a tour of the Israeli Knesset.
One of the interesting facts that I learned was that the 120 seats in the Knesset is in the shape of the menorah, and I loved seeing Herzl’s picture facing the speaker (front left).
Also, got to see the Israel Declaration of Independence with all the amazing signatories as well as the most beautiful Chagall paintings!
Inside the Knesset, all I could say to my wife is what a tremendous zechus (merit) it is to be able to be here today in this great hall where the modern laws of the State of Israel are made just as they were thousands of years ago by the Great Assembly of the Israelites.
We are living in the most amazing of historical and religious times. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Hearts and Stones
I love the saying by Rav Zvi Yehudah Cook:
There are people with hearts of stone, and there are stones with hearts of people.
The people know who they are, and the stones reside where has G-d set them.
In the final redemption, the peoples’ hearts will turn back to Hashem and the stones with hearts will rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
The Coming Great American Aliyah
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, “The Coming Great American Aliyah.”
If you just open your eyes and have faith, you will know that you will be going to Israel–the question isn’t if, but when! What G-d has decreed, no man can annul. There are three types of ways things will unfold for American Jews: Some will go to Israel on their own,”nicely.” Others will be going only when they absolutely have to–“not so nicely.” The third group will not be going–unfortunately, as difficult as it is to say, they won’t make it. While this is all about the fulfillment of messianic times, and we don’t know when precisely it will all transpire, I pray that people (including myself) will choose to plan intelligently for the future to make aliyah in good times, and that their shouldn’t be pain and suffering for the Jewish people in getting there, but rather that it is an amazing experience filled with endless blessings.
May G-d bring us in peace, prosperity, and health to fulfill His promise of the ingathering and to rebuild the Temple and bring Mashiach to the world.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Favorite Chocolate Pastries
So these are my favorite chocolate pastries.
They are liked over-sized or really supersized Rugelach.
When these come out of the oven, the soft, hot pastry dough interspersed with overflowing, dripping layers of chocolate are unbelievable!
This mound of chocolate pastries is from Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem.
OMG, I can’t wait to visit again and have one (or more) of these–totally lose all self control! LOL 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Speedily Rebuild The Temple
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, “Rebuilding The Temple, Healing Our People.”
Tisha B’Av (the 9th day of the month of Av) is on Shabbat this year, so we conduct the day of mourning and fast on Sunday. The destruction of the Temple and our subsequents exiles from the Holy Land are deeply traumatic periods of Jewish history. Needless to say, this is a very sad and scary time of year. However, we are living in the time of redemption, when after 2,000 years, the Jewish people have been blessed to be returned to their biblical homeland, Israel. Next up is the rebuilding of the Temple VERY SOON, please G-d.
Let us hope and pray that we are deserving of Hashem’s blessings and mercy, and that sadness will be completely turned into joy, the world will be healed, and peace will prevail.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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