Disabled, but not without abilities

The scene: a coffee shop. The actors: teens living with muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy. The plot: poking fun at how the able-bodied treat those who are not. With their new play "Please Be Seated", these spirited youngsters prove that not being able-bodied is anything but disabled.

Beit HaGalgalim, or House of Wheels, is a non-profit devoted to the rehabilitation and support of special needs youth. With 5 centers across Israel offering services to over 350 children, the organization gives these youth an opportunity to participate in activities that the might not usually get a chance to join in on, like kayaking and camping trips. One of their goals is to create an accessible culture- a culture that embraces those living with special needs, both physically and emotionally.

The play is performed entirely by youth living with special needs, and is intended to communicate to the audience that they are capable of creating, thinking, and speaking for themselves- and can have a sense of humor about the whole situation. The idea of putting on a play had been gelling around for several years now, and finally came to fruition with the "Please Be Seated" production. The act of creating and acting in this play is an empowering experience for many of the performers, who have both literally and figuratively found their voice on stage.

Modern Romance

Born and raised in Israel, Iris Braunstein Shemesh grew up surrounded by beautiful nature and a rich mosaic of cultures. She fuses these influences together when creating her unique jewelry pieces for Iris Design . Her dynamic jewelry reflects her passion for color, pattern, and the great outdoors. Bright florals, jungle animal prints, birds prints and angels combine to make these pieces pop! You are sure to get noticed with these romantic but modern designs.



Her design process is meticulous and precise. Iris starts with a resin base, which she favors because it is a lightweight material. She achieves a textured, three-dimensional look by combining rich fabrics, glistening silk paper, and decorative threads. Her charming hand-painted touches give each piece a personalized touch. Each piece is finished with a glossy coating of enamel and set with crystal to give it a lovely sparkle!



In addition to her jewelry designs, Iris also creates unusual and sweet gifts, like this Hamsa (good fortune charm) for the little princess!

We Are Made One with What We Touch and See

We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.

-Oscar Wilde

Glee!

Are you a Gleek? The song-and-dance show Glee has caught on like wildfire, with a ton of fans all over the globe. The Glee fever has spread to Israel, and a flash mob broke out in Dizengoff Mall (Tel Aviv) to promote the show.

Vivacious Viognier

Beautiful wines are one of Israel's many bountiful products. The Carmel and Galil region are dotted with picturesque vineyards that make for lovely day trips (complete with a delicious tasting session at the end!). Israel used to best known for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Emerald Riesling, but it looks like there's a new kid on the block- the elusive and exclusive Viognier.

Viognier is somewhat of a pretty princess among grapes: its finicky and hard to grow, and actually almost became extinct about two decades ago. Thanks to some cloning changes that have made it a more reliable and sturdy strain,it is now making a comeback, much to the delight of wine connoisseurs everywhere. Recent successes with this white grape have shown that it may be particularly suited to Israel's hot and humid climate.

This well-rounded white wine has a unique aroma, fragrant with fruity notes such as pear and peaches. Some even notice a background touch of honeysuckle, making this unusual wine the perfect treat on a warm summers day. Only a few select wineries are producing Viognier, but should you manage to find this rare wine it will surely be worth it. Cheers!

Winter is finally here!

We can't beleive that winter is finally here!



The poetry of earth is never dead! ~ John Keats

Pictures taken by Almog Halili, on December 11th 2010.

Project Palozzo

With its mix of striking architectural styles and general state of slight dilapidation, the city of Tel Aviv is the perfect canvas for street artists. There's one artist who leaves his signature eggplant sketches on wall corners, and another who brightens up the pavement with his smiling daisies. From small tags to professionally rendered murals spanning entire building sides, street art is definitely a part of Tel Aviv's art scene.

Typically of course, street art is done outside- abandoned buildings, the sides of bus stops, and those retro air conditioner boxes all make for great impromptu art spaces. Street art mixes the high (precise artistic skills) and the low (cheap materials and a low budget gallery space) to make for an interactive and dynamic art form. Street art is spontaneous and of the people, it grabs you as go about your day instead of being tucked away safe behind museum walls. But what would happen if we moved art off the streets and back indoors...

Remember when your mom told you not to draw on the walls? Well a new indoor street art project, Project Palozzo is doing just that with, and producing awesomely creative results. Two illustrators (Zach Cohen and Ori Toor) and a sociology major (Yoav Tamir) are living together in a dilapidated house in Tel Aviv and turning it into a collaborative ongoing art project. According to their sassy little Tumblr, which they frequently update with photographs of their latest creations, the house was built by Yoav's grandfather but was uninhabited for quite a while and fell into a state of disrepair. Now these three are putting their combined skills together, transforming their space by painting, writing and drawing on the walls of their renovation project cum gallery. I wonder what their moms have to say about all this?

Project palazzo - Wall drawing timelapse from ori toor on Vimeo.

Haifa Haifa

As many of you may have read, the north of Israel has suffered from a serious forest fire, the likes of which have never before been seen in Israel.

The devastation is wide reaching and the loss of these precious forests will be felt for generations to come.

The fires that broke out suddenly in the Galilee spread rapidly and have destroyed 20% of the trees in the national forest.

Haifa, the largest city in the north, is a beautifully green area that slopes gently down into the Mediterranean. Many songs have been composed and sung in its honor, including this song sung by the Israeli Army Band.



If you or someone you know would like to contribute to the rehabilitation effort for the Carmel region, you can click here for a list of organizations.

Last night of "the Festival of Lights"

Happy Hanukkah everybody!
As the sun goes down the streets are filled with warm light spread from every Hanukkiya placed on the front of every house window. I wish these pictures will transfer the unique feeling in the streets of Israel, these past 8 days of Hanukkah - "The Festival of Lights"
Chag Sameach!
From Eastory - Gifts. Stories. People.

LesBeat

Inexplicably, Israelis LOVE cover bands. Some are ok, some are woefully terrible, and a surprisingly large amount are a knee-slappin, toe-tappin good time.

Introducing the LesBeat Beatles cover band, an oddly named but nonetheless very enjoyable band who knows how to get the crowd groovin.

In case you live in Tel Aviv and see this post in time, they are performing tonight at the Radio bar.

Enjoy!

Jamaica – Jerusalem

"Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,
So that every mouth can be fed.
Poor me, the Israelite."

Why in the world would a Jamaican ska/reggae musician refer to the "Israelites" in his song? Because Demand Dekker was a Jamaican ska/reggae artist who was influenced by the popular Rastafarian spiritual movement spread out in his homeland which has a deep-rooted connection with Judaism. The roots of Rasta/Jewish mix begin all the way back to that steamy affair between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba with a strange blend of Jewish flavor creeping into the spiritual history of Ethiopia, turning up subtly in 20^th century Rastafarian lifestyle, and then inevitably in reggae music.

Yes. There are historical, iconographical and spiritual parallels that provide credence to the weird cocktail between Judaism and Rastafari. From a historical perspective it is told that Menelik, Solomon’s only son with Queen Sheba, stole the Ark of the Covenant from the temple in Jerusalem and carried it to Ethiopia where some suggest it still remains. Over 2000 years later, Rastafarians appear in Jamaica as adherents of Hailie Salsie who see him as the 2^nd coming of Christ. To make a long story short, Rastas begin to refer to Jewish historical concepts in their liturgy, songs and prayer. Reference to Zion and Promise Land, Exodus are everywhere in the Rasta world.

The term most commonly noted with Rasta is "Zion". For Jews Zion most often refers to Jerusalem and, by extension, the Biblical land of Israel. The word is found in texts dating back almost three millennia. It commonly referred to a specific mountain near Jerusalem (Mount Zion), on which stood the Jebusite fortress of the same name that was conquered by David and was later named the City of David.

For Rastafarians, Zion is to be found in Africa, and more specifically in Ethiopia, where the term is also in use. Some Rasta believe themselves to represent the real Children of Israel in modern times, and their goal is to repatriate to Africa, or to Zion. Rasta reggae is full of references to Zion; among the best-known examples are the Bob Marley songs '"Zion Train," "Iron Lion Zion", the Bunny Wailer song "Rastaman" ("The Rasta come from Zion, Rastaman a Lion!"), The Abyssinians' "Forward Unto Zion" and Kiddus I's "Graduation In Zion," and much more.

Rastafarians see themselves as the Jewish slaves of the modern era, longing for the promised land. Just like Jews who yarned for their homeland, so do Rasa's want to be set free to return to Africa. Again this theme appears in Rasta culture and mainly in Reggae songs such as Bob Marley, "Exdous" or "Promise Land" by Aswad.

Jewish symbols and icons can also be seen throughout the Rasa world. The Star of David is the etymological symbol of the Jewish people pops-up all over the Rasta world. The lion of Judah, Rastas most prominent symbol depicting the great Haili Salsie, appears everywhere in liturgy, culture, in icons and symbols.

Jewish dietary laws parallel those of Rastas. Like Jews who adhere to Kashrut, Rastafarians follow their own dietary regulations. Their version of Kashrut, know as I-Tal rejects pork and shellfish as does Kashrut. The common denominator to I-Tal and Kashrut is theold testament.

Rastafarianism is considered a religion, but it can be also regarded as a lifestyle. This is very similar to Judaism in its bureaucratic ordinates and lifestyle guidelines. Jamaican Rasta has adopted many old testaments rules and dubbed them into their own faith. Commandments such as Leviticus 21:5 that clearly outline the regulations regarding hair are the logic to dreadlocks and unshaven beards. Rasta woman are required to dress modesty includes wearing long sleeve and long skirts and non-revealing attire.

In Israel the strange historical connection to Rastafarians exists with the Ethiopiaan Coptic Curch. Hiding in a subtle corner of the Church of the holy selpechure, in a back alley entranch is the Ethiopian Coptic Church. Ethiopian Copts are a strange patchwork in the grand Christian complex. On aged pealing walls, one can find the great King Solomon – Sheba affair frescoed subtly and the roots of Rastafarian – Jewish connection.

In day-to-day Israel, Rasta and Reggae can be found on posters, buttons and clothing of Israeli youth. Freaky teenagers emulate their Jamaican brethren with their dreadlock look. But more so, we find Rasta vibes in excellent Israeli reggae music; local bands such as Hatikva 6, Dag Nahash churn excellent Jamaican rhythm with a spice of the middle east.

While Rastafarians have chosen Judaism, it appears that Israelis have also chosen Rastas too.

author: Yossi Geller

A brighter future

Despite being the Festival of Lights, Hannukah always seemed to pale a little in comparison to its cousins, the glorious Biblically mandated holidays. With jelly-donuts and a stirring tale of the hard-fought battle against the Syrian Greek army and fellow non-observant Jews, Hannukah’s historical stance against assimilation seemed a little tired, a little out of date. Passover brings with it a complex feast of ancient recipes (matzah is totally B.C.E.) to commemorate the Jews dramatic escape from slavery, while Sukkot offers outdoor camping in a tabernacle to remind observers of the 40-year desert trek. Likewise, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are equally dramatic with long synagogue sermons and accompanying feast followed by fast. The themes of these sensational holidays are always made clear by a reading of their Biblical roots; one should either remember one’s devotion to God, devotion to religion, or be thankful for the nation’s ancient escape from a dangerous situation.

But assimilation? Epic battles excite, tiring desert treks move one to sympathy, but assimilation does not really stir in me the same in of emotions. The Jews of the Hannukah story were divided between an observant lifestyle and a Hellenistic one, the Hellenistic one winning out as it was generally considered to be more fun. Yet thousands of years after in the age of the individual, it can be a struggle to connect with this tale of secular versus religious. How can this historical battle over faith and assimilation become a tale for the modern ages?

In this epic story of both personal and national struggle, Hannukah reveals itself to be a story about perseverance and the power of faith. Whether its B.C.E. or 2010, Jewish freedom fighters or just your every-day Joe, sometimes we all fall into darkness. We lose our way, stray from our goals, let our dreams fall by the wayside in pursuit of the easier, more Hellenistic life. The Maccabis and their seemingly hopeless band of fighters inspire the contemporary man to keep fighting the good fight, the fight for a brighter future. If you believe in something passionately, let nothing stand in your way, not even obstacles of Syrian-Greek army proportions. It doesn’t matter if the odds are against you- the world is your oyster (or rather, some kosher and similarly analogical animal, none of which come to mind). When you find something that lights you up, make sure you keep it burning forever. So on this Hannukah, we at Eastory extended our greetings for a brighter future.