A spooky whirling skirt

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Ben-Gurion University is having a very unusual exhibition right now.
"Tzena Urena" is a group exhibition focusing on Israeli Jewish women's responses to their religious and female identity.

Watch Zipora Mendel's "The Twirling Movement of a White Skirt" in my little video clip.

Here is an explanation!
You can enlarge the photo if necessary.
I was the only one in the exhibit and being there alone with this whirling skirt was a bit spooky.
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UPDATE May 18: On the subject of white shirts, here is something funny from today's Haaretz:
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.790006
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(For ABC Wednesday.).
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Desert Embroidery, for World Fair Trade Day

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Today is World Fair Trade Day!

And what better example of fair trade than Desert Embroidery, the Association for the Improvement of Women's Status, begun by the women in the Bedouin town Lakia.

The women in the association do fine traditional embroidery by hand.
Each works in her home and then brings her creations to the center to be finished into products that are sold in their shop.

To quote their website:

In the 1980's, a group of Bedouin girls got together to improve life in their village. In 1996 the Association for the Improvement of Women's Status achieved official recognition as the first Bedouin women's non-profit organization in Southern Israel.
Today we run a successful embroidery program to generate income for Bedouin women and preserve traditional handicrafts. We operate a mobile library serving over 1,500 children, as well as educational programs for women and youth. We invite you to visit the Desert Embroidery Visitor Center or browse the fine handmade embroidery products we offer. 

The colors and patterns handed down over the generations tell a unique story, depending on how they are blended; that is why each young Bedouin woman embroiders a dress of her own to tell her own life story.
Please take a look at the website  which explains what the brave women of Lakia have accomplished.
Your heart will swell.
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UPDATE: This paragraph tells fascinating things about the symbolism of Bedouin embroidery!
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(Linking to Our World Tuesday.)
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Upside down Down Under

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UPSIDE DOWN is today's subject for City Daily Photo Theme Day.
My laundry was drying on the fence in the hot Australian sun back in 2005 when I lived an almost hermit life for a month in rural New South Wales as a volunteer for the Good Samaritan Donkey Sanctuary.
To read more about the good life there and to see some of the over 100 sweet donkeys, please go to my earlier posts,  "Preaching to the donkeys"  and  "Bless the donkeys."
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Their faces should be red, not white.

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If all these monotonous white shirts say "Sale"  then it must be the end of season sale at the Zara store in a Beer Sheva mall.

The Spanish international fashion chain got in trouble, with Jews at least, for "innocently" putting this shirt on the market.
Shirt is made in Turkey, by the way.

See the full story at The Times of Israel, which begins thus:

For only NIS 80 ($23), your little tyke can have that fashion forward fresh-from-the-concentration-camp look now on sale at international chain Zara.

The children’s 65% cotton, 35% polyester white shirt with dark horizontal stripes sports a fetching yellow Star of David badge on its left breast. It’s called the “sheriff,” and a closer look reveals that the word is indeed lightly etched upon the badge.

And then see Zara's subsequent  foot-in-mouth apology.   Oi.
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"Desert Embroidery" by Bedouin women

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Bedouin handicrafts on exhibit at a gallery in Beer Sheva.

This embroidery is made by Desert Embroidery, the Association for the Improvement of Women's Status, in the town of Lakiya (just a few miles west of Meitar).

From their nice website:

In the 1980's, a group of Bedouin girls got together to improve life in their village. In 1996 the Association for the Improvement of Women's Status achieved official recognition as the first Bedouin women's non-profit organization in Southern Israel. 

Today we run a successful embroidery program to generate income for Bedouin women and preserve traditional handicrafts. 

We operate a mobile library serving over 1,500 children, as well as educational programs for women and youth. 

We invite you to visit the Desert Embroidery Visitor Center or browse the fine handmade embroidery products we offer. 

Read More

See a nice little video of the kids at the mobile library on YouTube.

The temporary exhibit of Bedouin crafts is  at the Artist's House of the Negev.

The gallery is in an old house in the Old City of Beer Sheva.
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(Linking to signs, signs  and to  Our World Tuesday.)
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Left behind

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I walked down to the open land just outside of Meitar this evening.
It is vast desert and a little forest you can have all to yourself, especially right before and after sunset.

But why was there a pair of big black shoes and an empty pair of jeans at the foot of the Israel National Trail marker??
Suddenly it felt kind of creepy to be all alone and I turned toward home.
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Libby will be pretty in pink

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No, don't worry, this is not a post-Rapture picture.    LOL!
I never saw the movie "Left Behind" but I hear that some empty clothes were  left in the plane.

It is just a picture for City Daily Photo's  September 1st Theme Day about all things PINK.

Horsey pyjamas, a leotard, a blouse with pink appliques, and jeans -- all for my little granddaughter, Libby, who is coming here to Meitar in early October!
I enjoy buying stuff at the Fourth of July yard sale put on every year by AACI,  the Association for Americans and Canadians in Israel.
You can find fun vintage American clothes not found in Israeli stores, and for just a few shekels.
Fortunately my sensible daughter is all for making use of hand-me-downs.
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The many names of Jerusalem

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In this holiday week of Sukkot, Jerusalem is overflowing with Israeli and foreign tourists, Christian pilgrims, and native Jerusalemites.
Just like in Biblical days, the city is packed with those who go up to Jerusalem for Sukkot, one of the three great pilgrimage festivals; but miraculously, there is always room for everyone.

 The midrash says that Jerusalem has 70 different names.
Here is the Israel Museum T-shirt to prove it.
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Click on the photo to get a larger size. 

And here are some of the names in Hebrew.
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Pictures on this post are from the Israel Museum gift shop website.
It's fun to see what ideas they come up with  for T-shirts.
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For more about the names, see Wikipedia.
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