1st century synagogue sand for sale

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Situation is too complicated for me to blog about, so today let's have a simple post instead.

For ABC Wednesday   S is for  tiny bottles of Sea of Galilee water and corked bottles of synagogue sand.
Only 8 shekels.
At the Magdala gift shop for pilgrims and tourists.
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Mezuzahs in the malls

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If  these are the days you are looking for a silly, I mean unusual gift, how about a mezuzah *  in the shape of a Muppet or a superhero or bearing your favorite college team's name?

I saw them in the window of a gift shop here where the Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall meets Jaffa Street.
Since the advent of the tram last year, most of Jaffa St. has also become a pedestrian mall.
Just don't forget and stroll onto the tracks because the tram will honk at you.
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*Properly speaking, the Hebrew word mezuzah (meaning doorpost) refers to the handwritten parchment scroll inside the outer case.

Read all about proper mezuzahs at my post Mezuzot  in s-p-a-c-e . 
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(A post for Our World Tuesday.)
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Happy 3rd candle of Chanuka tonight!
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Drawing water with grace

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Continuing the topic of world water shortage, I'd like to draw your attention to a short video of a beautiful and smiling woman drawing water--so gracefully--from a well in Senegal.
The Heifer Blog posted it for Blog Action Day.
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Heifer International is a great organization that gives livestock, training, and hope to needy families around the world.

Heifer Ranch volunteers, ca. 1997
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You can see from this photo what fun it is to be a volunteer at the Learning Center at Heifer Ranch .

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I worked and lived with young folks like these at the Ranch in Arkansas from 1996 to 2002 (that's me on the right).

The kids did mostly guiding and experiential education work with the thousands of visitors who come through the ranch every year.

I got to take care of livestock and teach young work-campers how we do chores, and sometimes I worked in the organic gardens.

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You too can contribute to Heifer's noble work, with gifts of your time or your money.

Christmas, Chanuka, birthdays are coming. Give the gift of hope, buy an animal or a share of an animal, through the unique gift catalog.

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The gift of a daughter

Friday was a hot day in the Jerusalem Hills. When two friends arrived for Friday dinner and welcoming the Sabbath, we decided to eat outside on the little patio and enjoy the coolness of evening. The candles had to stay home alone. We later found them looking like stalactites.
The candlesticks were a gift from my daughter, whose BIRTHDAY it is today! Is a mother entitled to get personal on the blog and brag a bit today? Yalla!
After moving to Australia, Naomi and her husband started graduate studies at the Uni of New South Wales. Within the last four and a half years both of them managed to earn a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and to bring two wonderful sons into the world.
They also take time to travel and to enjoy life. Naomi is brave enough to go hang-gliding
and to pilot airplanes!
Happy birthday dearest Naomi, light of my life!

My very own Kiddush cup

Good friends came over for Kabbalat Shabbat, the welcoming of the Sabbath. Before the meal comes the Kiddush, thanking God for creating the fruit of the vine. Tonight for the first time we drank the wine from this lovely wooden Kiddush cup, a gift from the friends for my Forty Years Since Aliyah Day. It is designed by Jerusalem artist Yair Emanuel. Other lovely pieces of Judaica crafted by him can be seen at http://www.canaan-online.com/150246.
Shabbat shalom!