Zichron Ya'akov Israel : Romance and Restaurants

I am still seeking true love in Israel. It is a challenge but also fun and interesting. My latest adventure involved a woman from Zichron Ya'kov. "Zichron" is a small town about thirty minutes by bus from my home in Haifa. There are roughly thirty thousand residents, of whom many native English speaking olim or immigrants.  It is a  quaint community known for its great restaurants, rustic scenery, and historic sites. There are also wineries in the region which were established in the 1880s by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. Zichron was the first Moshav or cooperative community founded in Israel. 


I tried my luck with one of Israel's dating services. My first referral from the dating service was last month. Her name was Anat,  a woman in her fifties from Zichron.

I contacted my new friend Anat by phone who suggested that our first meeting be for coffee at Mol Zichron which is an outlet mall about six miles from the town itself. Anat was from New York originally but has lived in Israel for thirty years. She turned out to be a pleasant looking sort in with bright red hair. We discussed her career as a social worker and her six grandchildren, I told her a bit about myself and suggested that we tour her community. The city has a famous Midrachov or founders street that houses many highly respected restaurants, small gift shops, wineries, and museums. It was late September therefore the weather was fairly cool. The Mediterranean skies were clear and blue. It was a great day for a Tiyul or tour and my quest for romance.

Anat hesitated for several minutes started to stutter and added that we have a problem. I could feel my sense of rejection arising again. Had I failed once more in my search for true love?

"I am in a relationship" stated Anat. "That is why that I suggested that we meet at the Mul." Anat explained to me that she was in a six year relationship with a wonderful man from Tel Aviv. "I wanted to meet you at the Mul as I am very well known in the community," added Anat. She explained to me that she cared for David but that the relationship was stale and seemed to offer little future. She was also terrified at her age to try someone else. Economic security was her main concern. David helps her with her bills and really is a friend. Life is difficult anywhere for those over fifty especially women in Israel. Sadly, age and gender discrimination are facts of life in the Jewish homeland. Women are expected to serve in the military in Israel but often receive less pay than men for the same job in the workplace. Women also face the other traditional forms of harassment at work that are common in many societies.

Rotschild's Old Administration Building in Zichron Yaakov

Anat and I talked for several hours about her six wonderful grandchildren, all residents of Zichron, her experiences as citizen of Israel, and about my favorite topic, food. She gave me a list of restaurants to try for dinner in the town and a referral to a wonderful single British immigrant named Jane. I have met with Jane three times since then and I have two new friends.

I went on to eat a great dinner and to tour the town. Two of the moshav's original buildings have been turned into history museums: Beit Aharonson - dedicated to the history of the pre-state NILI underground resistance organization - and the Museum of the First Aliya (wave of immigration to Israel). All these and more make the "Midrachov" an interesting and charming place to visit.

From its early days, Zikhron Ya’akov was a center of Israel's wine industry. The moshav's founding farmers cultivated vineyards and the large winery built here in 1889 became the area’s most important industry. The winery (now owned by Carmel Mizrahi wineries), has a visitors center with free guided tours. The restaurants are my favorite part of the community, which I plan to visit often.

Four is Our Favorite Number in Haifa Israel

Natalie and Maria are my servers and best buddies at my favorite Chinese restaurant in Haifa. They are both Russian olim or immigrants and students at our local university. I love to eat barvaz or duck and drink red wine at the Nof Hotel Restaurant which is known and loved throughout the world. They have great food and a wonderful view of the Baha'i Gardens. Yes, we have a McDonald's and Pizza Hut nearby. I mentioned to my friends that I had just come from a Talmud class where the subject of significant numbers in Judaism was discussed. We met at their break to drink coffee and share our theories about significant numbers in Judaism; we all claim the number four as our favorite. 

Nof Hotel (Hotels.com)

With the invention of writing, symbols were found to represent the numbers. Different methods of representing numeric symbols were invented, but the most common one was the division in groups of ten. 

The numeric systems inventions vary across time and place, and there is no doubt that the properties of such a system can facilitate or impede the development of mathematical understanding. Chinese (and Asian languages based on ancient Chinese) are organized such that the numerical names are compatible with the traditional 10-base numeration system. So, spoken numbers correspond exactly to their written equivalent: the number15 is spoken as "ten five" and 57 as "five ten seven." 

The national language of Israel is Hebrew. The modern form of the language is based on the language of the Torah. There are additions of modern words of course which is common to languages throughout the world. .The Hebrew numerals don't have a base, because they're not a positional numeral system any more than Roman numerals are. The numbers eleven through nineteen are ten plus one through nine in both spoken and written forms. One of the challenges of studying the Hebrew language is learning to think differently regarding the numerical system. 

The following numbers hold a special significance in Judaism and often in other faiths and cultures:
The number one refers to the universal creator. 
The number three:
The patriarchs of the Jewish people, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The number of prayers recited daily
The number of shofar sounds
The Shlosha (three) Ragalim (Jewish festivals): Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot
The four matriarchs of the Jewish people Sarah (wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac), Rebecca (wife of Isaac, mother of Jacob and Esau) Rachel and Leah (wives of Jacob, mothers of several of his 13 children)
During the Pesach Seder: four cups of wine, four questions, and four sons of Judaism
Number of sides on the Dreidal.
The number 7 is the Divine number of completion the covenant of holiness and sanctification, and also all The general symbols for all association with God; the favorite religious number of Judaism, that was holy and sanctifying in purpose
The menorah in the Temple had seven lamps.

REMEMBER? The 7 years Jacob served for Rachel?
and the 7 more years after that, because of the switch on his wedding night?
REMEMBER? The 7 years of Good Harvest, followed by 7 years of famine?
The dreams of the Pharaoh about the seven (7) cows who ate seven (7) cows?
And his 2nd dream about the 7 ears of corn? Do you remember?

A full week of shiva is seven days; the term "shiva" refers to the seven-day period Number of days of Sukkot, Number of days of Pesach (Israel), Blessings in the Amidah of Shabbat, Yom Tov, and Musaf (except Rosh Hashanah) Number of aliyot on Shabbat.

The number forty is associated with:

In the story of Noah and the Great Flood, it rains for "forty days and forty nights" (Gen 7:4, 12, 17; 8:6)
Moses spends "forty days and forty nights" on Mount Sinai when receiving the Law from God (Exod 24:18; cf. Deut 9:9-25).
Moses spends another "forty days and forty nights" on the mountain, encountering God a second time (Exod 34:28; cf. Deut 10:10)
The Israelite spies scout out the Promised Land for forty days (Num 13:25, 34); but due to their lack of faith, God requires the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years.  Several great kings reign over Israel for forty years, including David (2 Sam 5:4; 1 Kgs 2:11; 1 Chron 29:27), Solomon (1 Kgs 11:42; 2 Chron 9:30), Jehoash (2 Kgs 12:1; aka Joash, 2 Chron 24:1).

Natalie, Maria, and I all love the number four due to its association with the Jewish holiday Passover. Pesach, or Passover in English, is one of the best known Jewish holidays, as much for its connection to Jewish redemption and the figure of Moses as for its ties with Christian history (the Last Supper was apparently a Passover Seder)
. 

In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that G-d helped the Children of Israel escape slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the death of the Egyptian first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to pass over the first-born in these homes, hence the name of the holiday (Exodus 12:11-13). 

There is some debate over where the term is actually derived from. When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread". Matzo (flat unleavened bread) is a symbol of the holiday. It is a joyous and festive holiday and often associated with the rebirth of Israel.

Burgers But Not Fried Chicken in Haifa Israel

Visitors to the modern Jewish state no longer need to ponder the old question: “will we eat well during our trip”

The limited choice of restaurants in the early years of austerity and struggle in the land of Canaan have long since given way to the selection of hundreds of top quality restaurants ranging from American fast food mainstays such as McDonald’s to finer quality restaurants that offer culinary choices from all over the world. The Baal HaBayit or owner of my apartment building also owns a wonderful Chinese Restaurant in Haifa that can be compared with any in which I have eaten. The Nof Hotel Restaurant is know throughout the world. I have a deal worked out with them to get quality dining as part of our rental agreement. The cook is from Moscow and many of the servers are native Arabic speakers from our region or Russian immigrants. There is a Japanese restaurant and several mid-priced cafes with three blocks of my home in the “Mercaz” section of Haifa.

“Dependable” is the reassuring thought for those teenagers or adults who can’t afford the high-priced choices at the better quality restaurants. Immediately next door to us is our local McDonald’s — there are now half a dozen or so in our community. Therefore visitors to our community from America can enjoy the same high-cholesterol junk foods and feel like they never left home. While McDonald’s operates several Kosher and non-Kosher restaurants, all the meat served in the restaurants is 100% kosher beef. The difference is that the non-Kosher branches open on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, in addition to serving dairy products. A kosher McDonald’s was also opened in Argentina, at the Abasto de Buenos Aires shopping mall. Argentina and Israel are the only branches in the world that barbecue their burgers on charcoal. I do not taste the difference and nobody else seems to notice as well. The menu is the same as big Mac in America without including native cuisine. Prices are higher due to local food costs. The service is great at my neighboring McDonald’s even though two of the cashiers admonish me to eat healthier: “This type of food is not for people your age, sir”. That hurts, but they mean well. Israelis are very outspoken especially about health issues.

This photo of Cafe HaBank is courtesy of TripAdvisor

McDonald's and Burger King entered Israel. There are also higher priced burgers available at local cafes and restaurants. My two favorites in Haifa are The Sinta Bar and Habank. Both are mid priced and great places for burgers and other delicacies. Habank is my favorite cafe. I eat there often enough that my favorite server Etai automatically orders my well done burger when I enter the door. I can also enjoy a glass of Israeli red wine.

Burger Ranch

Burger Ranch (Hebrew: בּורגראנץ׳‎) is aCIsraeli fast-food chain. In 2010, the Burger Ranch chain included 107 restaurants with over 1500 employees, competing primarily with McDonald’s Israel. They have a branch at our central bus station and therefore I am a fairly frequent visitor. Burger King has a location in Haifa. I do dream of my beloved Wendy’s, especially their Chill, and of course Kentucky Fried Chicken.Chili and American style fried chicken are not often found in Haifa. KFC locations do exist in other parts of Israel and many Palestinians adore the cuisine as well. That brings us to my favorite experience in my five years as a newcomer to the land of Canaan.

I have been blessed to participate in many interfaith activities in Israel.
Run4Unity was held here in the Holy Land on May 13, 2012 in the natural landscape and archeology of Caesarea Maritime. There were more than 400 boys and girls between the ages of 12 to 17, from the Palestinian territories and cities of Israel. The participants were Christians, Muslims and Jews.

This event is organized by the Focolare. The Focolare Movement which is an international organization that promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood. Founded in 1943 in Trento, northern Italy by Chiara Lubich as a religious movement, the Focolare Movement, though primarily Roman Catholic, now has strong links to the major Christian denominations and other religions, or in some cases, with the non-religious. It is also called the “Opera di Maria,” or “Work of Mary”. The Focolare Movement operates in 182 nations and has five million members. It is the largest Catholic outreach movement in the world.

Run4Unity, last held in 2008, involved more than 100,000 young people from 9 to 17 from all over the world. Participants were young people of different ethnicity, cultures, and religions, all running to give witness to their commitment to peace and unity by crossing many of the planet’s significant places.

   www.run4unity.net is a great site for more information

I volunteered to be one of the security guards during the period of time prior to the beginning of the organized events. I happened to hear three of the young people communicating with each other in perfect English. They were dressed in the uniforms of the activity. Participation from English speaking countries is rare in this region. I asked them where they were from and they answered in unison and with great pride that “We are Palestinians from Ramallah.” Then they proceeded to tell me that they had lived in Indiana for many years, which explained their wonderful grasp of English. We discussed in length my favorite topic, which of course is food. We all reminisced about Mexican Food, Wendy’s, barbecue spare ribs, and of course burgers.

They proceeded to add this statement; “We have visited Haifa which is a primitive place”. I hesitated and thought it best not to respond. The rules of these activities strongly admonish political discussions. They quickly added to my relief that “You do not have KFC in Haifa”, with great glee, KFC opened a branch in Ramallah in February becoming the first American fast food chain to directly open a location in the Palestinian territories. We proceeded to eat Pizza, drink Coca Cola, and enjoy the wonderful event. Food is indeed the universal language.

Looking for Love on Tu B' Av

Today is February 14th, the day that many in the world celebrate Valentines Day, known as a day of romance and dedicated to lovers. The origins of Valentine's Day are not clear but many sources believe that it stems from the story of St. Valentine, a Roman priest who was martyred on or around February 14 in the year 270 CE. How he became the patron saint of lovers still remains a mystery.

The ancient form of the ceremony included putting girls’ names in a box and letting the boys draw them out. Couples would then be paired off until the following year. The Christian church substituted saints’ names for girls’ names in hope that the participant would model his life after the saint whose name he drew. However, it was once again girls’ names that ended up in the box by the 16th century.

Valentine Card from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Eventually the custom of sending anonymous cards or messages to those whom one admired became the accepted way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. There was an increased interest in Valentine's Day, first in the United States and then in Canada, in the mid-19th century. Early versions of Valentine cards fashioned of satin and lace and ornamented with flowers, ribbons, and images of cupids or birds appeared in England in the 1880s.

Judaism has a holiday - Tu B'Av, which is associated with romance. I will share some of the history of our celebration and then a recent quest for true love.

Tu B'Av (Hebrew: ט"ו באב, the fifteenth of the month Av) is a minor Jewish holiday. In modern-day Israel, it is celebrated as a holiday of love (Hebrew:חג האהבה‎, Hag HaAhava), compared by some to Valentine's Day. It has been said to be a "great day for weddings".

According to the Talmud, Tu B'Av was a joyous holiday in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, marking the beginning of the grape harvest, while Yom Kippur marked the end of the grape harvest. On both dates, the unmarried girls of Jerusalem dressed in white garments, which they borrowed, and went out to dance in the vineyards (Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta'anit 30b-31a). That same section in the Talmud states that there were no holy days as happy for the Jews as Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur. The holiday celebrated the wood-offering brought in the temple (see Nehemiah 10:35). Josephus refers to it as the Feast of Xylophory ("Wood-bearing")


Originally a post-biblical day of joy, it served as a matchmaking day for unmarried women in the second Temple period (before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.). Tu B'Av was almost unnoticed in the Jewish calendar for many centuries but it has been rejuvenated in recent decades, especially in the modern state of Israel. In its modern incarnation it is gradually becoming a Hebrew-Jewish Day of Love. Below is my experience during our most recent Tu B' Av.

Israeli folk dancing

My seamstress Anat is a pleasant looking and rather charming woman of fifty. She was born and raised in Haifa. She comes from a family of ten siblings of Moroccan origin. She insists that her mission in life is to find me a wife. She is divorced, but seems happy with her work, friends, hobbies, and most importantly her grandchildren. Zehava is two years old today and Daniela is a young lady of four. I enjoy their monthly visits to Haifa. They live in Tel Aviv. Daniela refers to me as the Dod. The Hebrew word for uncle is dod דוד (aunt is doda דודה). In modern Israel, the word Dod is a term used by Israeli children to refer to all male adults whose name they cannot pronounce or simply do not know. The name Earl is generally a challenge to pronounce for Israeli children and many adults. I often use my middle name of Joseph to communicate with my Israeli neighbors.

I did agree to meet a rather attractive female friend of Anat, named Lena. We celebrated Israel's day of romance together. Lena (not real name) is a tall dark skinned and dark haired Israeli who was born and raised in Haifa. She appears to be in my age range. Lena is retired and enjoys her three children and six grandchildren. I now appreciate the meaning of the term "comedy of errors." Tu B'av was my third date with Lena. Our first two encounters were at the local Japanese restaurant. We ate dinner and each of us drank one Japanese beer and we chatted. Lena is a retired pharmacist but shares my two great passions. The first is an effort to promote peace through interfaith activities in Israel-Palestine. The second is the study of Judaism. The Jewish faith is a knowledge based way of life. Judaism puts a great deal of emphasis on the study of The Torah and Talmud. There have been great debates for three thousand years as to whether knowledge is more important or spiritual fulfillment in the Jewish faith. Both are important of course but I believe that how we practice Jewish values is far more important than the formal study. Lena and I agreed on this very important topic in Israel.

Sadly, our third encounter was not a good one. We added two more potent Japanese ales each to this dining occasion. Lena proceeded to tell me that she felt somewhat deceived by my behavior. I had told her during our first phone conversation that my grasp of Hebrew was solid. She then proceeded to critique my vocabulary, grammar, and Hebrew sentence structure at great length. "You have been here for five years and can't do better than that",  Ouch!!!! I calmly thanked her for concerns and suggested a quiet walk at our local park. She agreed and grudgingly admitted that she may have been a bit harsh about my lingual progress.

Tree in San Diego decorated with hearts on Valentine's Day with hearts, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

Like most Israelis, Lena carries her cell phone with her everywhere and always. Her cell phone rang; she answered it and gasped, as the person calling was trying to reach Lena's mother. "I was visiting my mom this afternoon and we must have switched phones by mistake". She pleaded with me to make the forty minute trip to her mom's home to switch phones. We took the bus to her mom's home, I was asked to wait outside as "It will just take a minute"... It took thirty minutes in the 95 degree and 90 percent humidity summer evening. 'Moms still come first'; therefore, I just smiled and we boarded the return bus to our own neighborhood. Lena surprised me by she grasped and kissed me with some degree of passion while we walked to our seats. Yes, the bus lurched and we fell on our tachats (tucheses). Everybody on the bus laughed including me, with the exception of Lena. We arrived at our stop and as we walked away from the bus stop, Lena quickly and sternly bid farewell with a terse "don't call me, I will call you", Ouch again!

I stopped by the next morning to say hello to Anat. She looked at me and sternly told me that there is no hope for my romantic future. There is a happy ending to the story. Zehava and Daniela were visiting the store at the time. Yes they love "The Dod" What greater joy is there in life than sharing precious moments with youngsters. I walked home passing by the Japanese restaurant and stopped to say hello to their greeter, Natasha. She is a twenty five year old immigrant from Russia and my buddy. I told her about my experience with Lena. "I didn't like her anyway", added Natasha. She did have a nice Jewish woman for me named Natalie... She is a different story for another time.