Five years ago, when I came to live in Spain, I had no idea how much my Spanish ancestry would consume me. I read everything I could get my hands on, I started writing a blog, The Perfumed Garden, devoted to the incredible contribution to food history of my Sephardi people (and by that I mean the Jews of Spain, not the countries to which they fled during the long years of the Inquisition) – I even found out, thanks to the incredibly devoted scribes of the hate machine – who was put to the fire for cooking a shabbat stew or not lighting a fire on a Saturday.

So, it was with some trepidation I began reading James Mitchell Kaplan’s debut novel By Fire, By Water, a breathtaking story set amidst the few short, history altering years in Spain where centuries of the “golden age” of Muslim rule came to an end and when Spain became the world’s first global super power thanks to the vision of Christopher Columbus.

I need not have worried.  Kaplan is a gifted wordsmith and a story teller second to none.  ”This is a book,” he emphasizes, “that takes place at a specific time, the story of a man (Luis de Santangel, a member of the Spanish court and a Jewish converso) who is initially skeptical about the quest of a Genoese sailor, but as events unfurl, he slowly buys into Columbus’ dream because he has no other options available. Santangel realises the world in which he lives is growing ever more dysfunctional, it is the dissolution of a whole society, and Columbus, he sees, is a man who can fulfill a mission, a mission bigger than the individual. And for all Columbus’ grandiose egoism, it was true.”

There are sentences Kaplan has written, so exquisite in their perfection, so achingly pure, that they will be imprinted on my brain for ever – “The waves and curls of silver that adorned Yossi’s pieces were characters of the alphabet, spelling words like jewelry spilling over the edges of a bowl or serving dish. When the filigree did not represent letters, it resembled the distilled essence of Arabic writing. “

He says: “There is a lot of debate about the golden age of Islam. Yes, Islam was the most tolerant culture in the 10th and 11th centuries, but that is relevant to then, not today. Evaluated from today’s standpoint, it wouldn’t be seen so. Calligraphy is a high art form in the Arabic world, I feel it is important to make people aware of the beauty in Arabic culture. Today there is a tendency to over-simplify and marginalize.”

Mr Kaplan has stayed true, more or less, to actual events and real characters; it is evident that he has researched painstakingly, and he has devoted himself to not only the Jewish conversos, but to Columbus, the Catholic monarchy and its Inquisitors and the fervor of religious fundamentalism – and as a result, his novel sees events and personalities, and what drives them,  from all perspectives.

By Fire, By Water is a novel that can be read time and time again, where each reading will surprise you with a jewel that you missed previously. It is inspirational, thought-provoking and intelligent with beautiful, flowing narrative; rich, incredible attention to detail and accuracy and tinged with healthy dose of realism, no matter how painful to the reader, and, as you might imagine, given the events, there can be no Hollywood-style ending.

The Alhambra Decree of 1492, the same cataclysmic year when Columbus sailed westward and created a new world order, saw Spain’s Jews, who had been in the country centuries before the Moors, leave forcibly, en masse, on Tisha B’Av. Ironically, the common thread that linked Isabel, Fernando, Santangel and the great Inquisitor, Tomas de Torquemada, was not just a chain of events, but their shared Jewish ancestry.

Historical footnote: Four hundred and seventy-six years after King Fernando and Queen Isabel ordered the Jewish expulsion, the Spanish Government finally declared that the order was void.

By Fire, By Water is available at Amazon.com

If you are a fan of By Fire, By Water, then you might be interested to know that Mitchell James Kaplan will be giving one lucky Michal’s Tefillin reader a signed copy of his incredible debut novel. Details in the next issue, which is out on September 1st 2010.

Antisemitism never went away. It took on various new guises but it’s here and today raises its ugly head in various forms of deligitmisation of Israel and steady drip feeds of Anti Jewish feeling worldwide.

Aro Korol, A Catholic Polish film maker, has decided to tackle the issue using his film making talent to expose what happens even today in his own birth country and show how it is linked to global events.

The film, Hitler’s Daughter, highlights Polish anti-Semitism, which Korol feels is rife. It will show links with the world’s current spate of demonization of Israel by Europe and the radical Islamic world.
Korol’s story is an interesting one. As a boy, he lived in Poland with his family, amongst a mixture of Christian influences. His family friends and neighbours were Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and various other groups. There was no issue for the young Aro about what a person’s religious belief was. All he knew was tolerance among his neighbours.

Korol’s Grandmother Marta worked in the local Cinema Paradiso. He remembers that sneaking in to the film shows and there began the longing for a film career. He says “my grandmother used to get fifteen free tickets for the film shows after she retired. She kept five and she would give me ten. I would go to that cinema time and time again to watch ‘Gone with the Wind’ and other classics”.

Film became Aro Korol’s life. At fifteen, he gained a part as a movie extra but what really inspired him was how film was made and the idea of directing his own movies.

Korol was eighteen when Steven Spielberg came to Krakow to film his then new movie, ‘Schindler’s List’. Aro Korol decided nothing would keep him away from the set and spent almost an hour trying to get past the security guards to get to the action. He describes what happens next. “I gave the security guards three tons of rubbish about why it was I should be able to go and watch the filming. It really was quite crazy when I think of it now, but I marched in eventually. I managed to get to the line producer, Marek Brocki, who was so stunned at my nerve, he gave me a crew badge”. Day after day, he returned to the set to watch the unfolding of what was to be a masterpiece.

In his late teens, Korol went to work in Germany and came back to Poland as a twenty year old. He then became aware of Radio Maryja. The station was started in 1991, by Redemptorist Tadeusz Rydzyk, often called Father Director by his followers. Korol started to notice what was apparently a massive channel for anti-Semitic and political broadcasts and it greatly disturbed him.

A year later, in Milan, he met the man who was to become his mentor and best friend, Lewis Kaplan. Kaplan was an art dealer and a cultured man who loved to parade Aro around in designer clothing and introduced him to people across the world. Wherever Lewis went, Aro went, be it Europe, Africa, Israel or Asia. The main event for every visit was a trip to the local synagogue and the contemporary art museums and galleries. Korol’s knowledge increased and he went from mild annoyance at being subjected to the pilgrimages to the synagogues to a respect and fascination with Judaism. He visited Yad Vashem and his eyes were opened to a suffering he had known little about.

In 1997 Lewis gave his protégé the greatest gift of all. He sent him to study at New York Film University. While in New York Korol met Gerry Schoenfeld and his wife Pat. Schoenfeld was one of the most influential figures in the theatre business and made a huge impact on Korol by being the first to refer to him as ‘an artist’. He then invited the couple back to Poland as a gesture of his friendship. Gerry refused to come, as he stated that he felt that ‘all Poles were anti-Semites’. Korol was devastated. Anti-Semitism was not something he had every considered part of his world and he wanted to show his new friends the Poland he loved. Eventually Pat agreed to come alone, in 1998.

Aro took her to Auschwitz and the trip was supposed to include a visit to the neighbouring camp, Birkenau. Pat Shoenfeld was so sickened by this visit that she left Auschwitz and made her way back to the airport for the first flight she could get back to New York.

During his time in New York, Korol spent time with Hannah and Howard Davitz, director of American TV phenomenon ‘Howdy Doody’. His memories of the couple included Hannah making his ‘second Barmitzvah’ party for his twenty-sixth birthday. Korol still calls Hannah today on Jewish festivals and is ‘the best Jew’ she knows.

In Poland in 2005, the presidential elections began. Kaczynski the new president was a so called moderate, but his twin brother Jaroslaw and the party were huge supporters of Radio Maryja. In 2006 the ‘Tolerance March’ in Poznan, Poland, sixty or more gays and lesbians were arrested and beaten by the police. People in the crowd shouted “gas them like the Jews!”. This is when Aro Korol decided to begin his film. Originally the idea was to make a film about homophobia, but the story became more complex for Korol. He understood much about irrational hatred from Jewish friends and was becoming outraged that after World War Two, his country could be making steps backwards. He met a transvestite in New York, Tina Benez. Korol listened to the music made by the flamboyant Benez and decided to use the track ‘Hitler’s Daughter’, as the title of his movie.

In 2008 Lewis Kaplan died and Korol wanted to get away from New York and start afresh. He left everything and came to London. Lewis left him an inheritance which Korol decided to use to create ‘Hitler’s Daughter’ in Lewis’s honour. He felt the best thank you he could give his long time friend was to expose the poison of anti-Semitism using film. He had used all the inheritance money; every penny has gone into the movie as it is so far. He has also received death threats from supporters of Radio Maryja.

Today Korol is living in London and looking for investors to help him finish his story of a conscience.

For more information contact Aro Korol at akorol@me.com

www.hitlersdaughtermovie.com

What does Israel mean to you?  Kabbalists refer to Israel, and Jerusalem in particular as the centre, not just of the world, but of the universe. In spiritual terms.

Jerusalem has been at the centre of our civilisation for millennia. David’s City. Yerushalayim. Zion. Urušalaym. Jerusalén. It has been home to Jews, Muslims and Christians for over 2,000 years and it still is. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, yet Jerusalem remains. Its golden light never fades.

Since the last issue of Michal’s Tefillin, the world seems to have taken leave of its senses over Israel. I am not going to add my ten cents worth to the already over-stuffed, over-inflated column inches on this subject, but what I will say is this:  as it goes with Israel, so it goes with the rest of the world. This is not a new quote, I truly cannot remember who first said it, but it was recently revived by former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar.

Jerusalem is the light of the world for everyone. Kabbalist Rav Laitman says: “What is this force that a man suddenly feels within him, operating on him, drawing him towards Jerusalem? A person starts feeling the spiritual root that exists in this city. This exists within us, close to us. It has spiritual eternal life. It’s the force of love. There are stones, there are streets, but we don’t feel the city itself.

“The real Jerusalem can only be felt within a corrected heart. Today, there is a ruin in our heart. Take a look at this world. It’s broken to pieces and it’s rocked by wars and suffering. Every individual in this world is like a cancerous cell living only for itself, consuming others. It’s the same with Jerusalem. We are tearing it to pieces.  Let’s start from the heart, ask for corrections (for our ego). Asking for corrections is called ‘prayer.’ It isn’t what is written in a prayer book, it’s what is written in a person’s heart.”

We all share the hope of what this ancient city stands for – we all come from the same source, we are all the circle of life.

We are all Jerusalem.

Photo by Brandeis.edu

Haifa Bay and its surrounding suburbs, the krayot of Kiryat Haim, Kiryat Yam and Kiryat Motzkin, do not exactly have the reputation of being the most beautiful of places. The small towns and suburbs which sprang up to accommodate floods of people leaving shattered lives and concentration camps after WW2, are still areas of new immigrant absorption.

But these towns have one breathtaking thing that makes them special. Their location. While you might think being next to one of the Mediterranean’s busiest shipping lanes is not exactly paradise, the small suburbs that line Haifa Bay have one of the most beautiful views in the world. And miles and miles of white sand on which to sit and stare at the blues and hues of the Med, the ever-changing skies and the magnificent sunsets.

Nadia Kushnir’s incredible photography stirs emotions for she brings power and beauty to a place that many people think lacks both.  These photos prove otherwise.

All photographs were taken by Nadia Kushnir.

Known to others as the Sea of Galilee (this comes from the area where Kinneret is located, the Galil), the harp-shaped lake is the largest freshwater lake in Israel and also, at 209 meters below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on earth.

Each of us has a “secret beach” – imagined or real, beyond the horizon, or just past the next rocky outcrop. It’s a special place that exists at the edge of our world. A place where there is much longed-for, much-needed serenity, rest, inspiration and rejuvenation.

Cool sand and soft, warm breezes;  breathtaking blues and greens  of the water mirrors the clear, endless sky above it.

Just close your eyes and listen to the gentle rhythm of waves caressing the shore. Their peaceful rustling makes time and space dissolve. This timeless, elemental Sea of Galilee draws us in…

Now let the soothing sounds of Kinneret’s foamy waves take you back to your secret beach. Enjoy!

For more information on secret getaways, family trips, or historical touring, go to: www.ekinneret.co.il  or www. beinharim.co.il

All photos copyright of Sharon Novikov. Additional text by Sharon Novikov.

We fell for the beautiful romance in Zohar Mor’s vintage jewellery. Pretty, delicate and feminine, Zohar is inspired by her global travels. For more information go to: www.kululush.com

Hair clip by Kululush

Loveable Treasures

Katie Fulford makes Loveable Treasures out of merino wool and 100% love. We just fell head over heels for her tiny little adorable animals.

Katie discovered needle felting about 2 years ago, when she saw some miniature animals online.  She says: “I loved the cuteness of them and was keen to learn how to make some for myself. I bought a simple book about needle felting and taught myself the techniques. I loved it from the very first time I tried. After a few months of making little animals I decided to open my Loveable Treasures Etsy shop to see if anyone else enjoyed my animals.  I now make new ‘babies’ every single day, including the weekends! Talk about addicted!”

Each creation takes between 1 hour up to 3 hours depending on how much detail they include.  Katie loves custom orders and in the past has been asked to make an arctic fox, a wombat and very favourite commission was for a platypus. She says:  ”Each one is made with pure love. Sometimes I am very sad to see them go, but I hope that they all find lovely new homes. I have had the most wonderful feedback from my lovely customers and that brings so much happiness to me. ”

http://www.loveabletreasures.etsy.com

MonstersEtc

The talented and gorgeous Noa Ben Dov Bibi has created a sweet dreams soft as cloud mobile/wall decoration for MonstersEtc – but she can create a custom made one using different dolls and shapes to your specification.

from http://www.etsy.com/listing/45975606/cloud-mobile-wall-decoration

Ooty Sale!

Ceramic 12 karat gold swirl handmade earrings by the glorious Ooty Reut Raz Yaacobi on sale at $14. Each pair is one of a kind!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ooty

Ms Ramos is the writer and creator of AlwaysOrderDessert.com, a culinary, lifestyle, and entertaining blog featuring original recipes and ideas for inspired living. Always Order Dessert has been called one of the “Best of the Web” by Saveur Magazine, and  in 2009, the leading New Media website Mashable.com named Alejandra one of the “Top 55 Foodies to Follow on Twitter.”

And while making challah has brought us to Always Order Dessert (chipotle challah, anyone?) there was much more, ohhh much more to keep us there, salivating.

Alejandra’s style is easy-breezy and infectious. You can taste her zest for life just by reading her words. And you’ll wonder why you never tried a six-braid challah before.

The video is here:  Six Braid Challah by Alejandra Ramos

Alejandra’s blogspot is at: http://www.alwaysorderdessert.com

The age-old story of clandestine, illicit wrong-side-of-the-tracks love is brought to modern day Israel when the Jewish daughter of a garage mechanic falls in love with her father’s Arab employee.

Set in Jaffa, an ages old city which sits cheek to jowl with ultra-modern, ultra-urbane Tel Aviv, this is one place where Jews and Arabs share the same streets and live together, as they have done for centuries, in an uneasy peace.

The two young lovers, Mali (Dana Ivgy) and Toufik, played by the drop-dead gorgeous Mahmood Shalaby, have been in love with one another since childhood and when Mali becomes pregnant, they secretly plan their wedding.

The tenderness of their love, the shocking separation that seems inevitable and the poignancy of the real-life, on-going situation in Israel, makes one wonder why, in the 21st century, people still are not allowed to fall in love with ‘just anyone’. This film is both thought-provoking and heartbreaking.

Jaffa is available to buy on DVD at  http://www.amazon.com/Jaffa-Dana-Ivgy/dp/B003DVLPQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1277109039&sr=1-1

Watch the trailer here: Jaffa

Recently, Monique put a lot of time and effort into rallying the world into realising the mind-boggling ridiculousness of the British Advertising Standards refusal to allow Israel to use pictures of its Wailing Wall in Jerusalem as part of a bring tourists to Israel campaign, as according to the ASA, Jerusalem is occupied.

Monique, who at the tender age of 16 tried to make aliyah to Israel behind her parents’ backs, runs her own PR agency, London Digital PR, which excels at social media marketing and online advertising. The effervescent Ms Lester has also been devoting her time to cyber stalking, bullying and other forms of cyber crime.

Monique ‘Wonder Woman’ Lester

Teaming up with respected Norwegian film maker Linda May Kallestein, Monique is contributing to a documentary and an accompanying book about various forms of cyber terror.

Says Monique:  ” Cyber life surpasses our traditional national states, enabling criminal activity to go beyond national borders, yet with little international legislation to govern and protect against it.  Stalkers have thus been given new tools to use in their pursuit to control others, spread fear and even ruin personal and professional lives.

They do so at little risk of legal persecution, even though they can inflict harm which often is far greater than traditional stalkers ever could dream of accomplishing.”

For more information on either cyber terror or the UK ASA campaign, or if you would like to talk to Monique about advertising and marketing, please contact her via www.londondigitalpr.com

The first time I visited Israel, it was a very bittersweet experience. First of all, it was mind-blowingly amazing that everyone was Jewish, that I was no longer part of some obscure minority, that this vibrant, beautiful country was full of my vibrant, beautiful people, millions and millions and millions of them.

Then you find out about the pain. The people with numbers tattooed on their forearms; the Children’s Memorial at Yad Vashem, where memorial candles in the dark reflected against mirrors create the impression of 1.5 million stars, for each lost child, shining in the firmament. And finally finding out that a lot of the names of the streets in Tel Aviv were named for those who fought with their lives so that I could walk down them in safety.

The memories I treasure of Israel is that undiluted passion for life of its citizens. I’ve never really experienced that anywhere else in the globe. No matter that they’re still trying to blow us to kingdom come, life is too precious to waste one drop. Life is fleeting and fragile and all we have to keep us going is love.

Right after these two intense days of mourning comes Independence Day – its scheduling to remind people that there is a high price to pay for freedom. During the War of Independence, Natan Alterman, a Polish immigrant, wrote a poem called The Silver Platter (below) which has since taken on Gettysburg Address-like status in Israel. Peace and freedom is the birthright of every person on the planet, but it doesn’t come served on a silver platter.

This year, we ask only that you make your love stronger than anyone’s hate.

photo from JDate

The Silver Platter by Nathan Alterman

The earth grows still. The lurid sky slowly pales over smoking borders.
Heartsick but still living, a people stand by
To greet the uniqueness
Of the miracle. Readied, they wait beneath the moon,
Wrapped in awesome joy before the light. – - Then soon,
A girl and boy step forward,
And slowly walk before the waiting nation;
In work clothes and heavy-shod
They climb
In stillness.
Wearing still the dress of battle, the grime
Of aching day and fired night
Unwashed, weary until death, not knowing rest,
But wearing youth like dewdrops in their hair.
- – Silently the two approach
And stand.
Are they of the quick or of the dead?
Through wondering tears, the people stare.
“Who are you, the silent two?”
And they reply: “We are the silver platter
Upon which the Jewish State was served to you.”
And speaking, fall in shadow at the nation’s feet.
Let the rest in Israel’s chronicles be told.

Picture from Shearim Blogspot

Shlomit, a younger designer who works and lives in Tel Aviv, sells her jewelery online through Etsy and through selected stores in Israel. She told us: “I have a degree in Industrial Design, but in the past few years I began designing my own line of jewelry and accessories. I basically started doing it as a hobby, but quickly people were interested in buying and as the demand grew I started making more items, slowly developing my own unique style. Last year I opened my studio and shop in Tel Aviv,  where I display the jewelry designs and where I manufacture the jewelry with the help of 6 wonderful girls who work with me. My line is distributed to shops all over the country and abroad, and to customers through my shop on Etsy.com.”

A quick glance through Shlomit’s catalogue shows her influences. “I find inspiration in almost everything around me, and I try to find beauty in normal everyday things,” she says, “Especially I am inspired by the beauty of nature and by motifs from past decades, trying to give them an updated, modern twist”.

She is about to launch a new line of clothing, featuring dreamy, fun summery dresses, complementing the delicate jewelery. The new range, Details, will also be available on Etsy. Shlomit says: “Designing clothes is something which I wanted to do for years. It’s just a coincidence I started designing jewelry and not something else, as I am drawn to many fields of design. This year, after my jewelry business become bigger and more successful, I found the courage to try and expand in more fields. My line of dresses also reflects my aesthetic point of view, and the name “DETAILS” was chosen since I put extra thought to the small details that make the difference, whether it’s and addition of lace, or buttons or unique trimmings.

“I believe that if you are a designer at heart, there is no field of design you can’t touch. I always try to make the world around me pretty for me and for others, and I am happy to make jewelry that is unique and stylish yet affordable.”

All of Shlomit’s jewelery is very reasonably priced, but if you want to try your luck on Facebook, Shlomit Ofir Designs gives away a piece of jewelery to a very lucky person every week.

www.shlomitofir.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/shlomitofir

http://www.etsy.com/shop/shlomitofirdetails

“…And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land… a land flowing with milk and honey” – and chocolate….

Holy Cacao Chocolate is G-DASH-D’s gift to chocoholics. Literally. Not only is this Hevron-based company devoted to finding the best plantations with the best farmers who grow the best cocoa beans in the world, they also have it blessed. This chocolate comes with bracha.

Started by Jo Zander and Zev Stender, their ethos is to keep the cacao in its purest form and their entire process is that of bean to bar, which, is what qualifies it for rabbinical blessing as this process is the only one that keeps the cacao in its pure state. As far as they know, they are Israel’s only artisan chocolatiers who do this.

For serious choco-lovers, here comes the science bit: high quality cocoa used in the chocolate includes Organic Hispaniola 70%, San Martin Peru 72% Dark Chocolate and Gianduja, which is a blend of the 70% Organic Hispaniola and hazelnuts, making it a creamy delicious treat. All of Holy Cacao’s cocoa is roasted gently and at a low temperature to preserve the natural flavors and intrinsic fruit notes.

Currently, Holy Cacao is only available to buy at selected stores and wineries in the Jerusalem area (including Chocolatino, Emek Refaim 52, Tel: 02-563-10-8), although they are looking at ways to ship the product outside Israel, so if you have to have it, contact them!

For more information and contact details go to:

www.holycacaochocolate.com

Sari Glassman’s Hamsa Ring

Protect yourself and look super-stylish with Sari Glassman’s adorably funky Hamsa Ring. This cute ring is handmade from lampwork eye bead in turquoise and orange glass connected to a 14k gold-filled ring and decorated with a 14k gold-filled hamsa. We’re already huge fans of Sari’s immaculate, modern jewelery pieces that are definite investments. Check out her Gaialai shop on Etsy at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gaialai

MonstersEtc

In the first issue of Michal’s Tefillin, we dipped into the world of Noa Ben Dov Bibi’s sock dolls in The Socks Life Of Noa, and now she has joined up with co-conspirator, Ruti Dan, to lead us into the unsuspecting world of MonstersEtc. Just too cute to be true, these hand-stitched art dolls are available on Etsy and custom orders are available. We are featuring Lydia, the gentle purple mammoth; Digby the Sleepy Sock Kitten, Meg the Lilac Monster and Nell the Tripod Monster. All four need and deserve loving homes. Remember, a Monster is not just for the holidays, it’s for life…

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MonstersEtc

Cheli Chelouche: Spring Romanov Necklace

Canadian designer Cheli Chelouche has made this spring’s must-have necklace – a stunning Swarovski and Murano glass object of desire. The necklace features four handwoven Romanov Byzantine flowers embedded with Swarovski crystals and agate and coral beads to match the gorgeous Murano heart pendant. Cheli also makes chainmaille Judaica jewelery and cool  jewelery for men. This is one-of-a-kind, investment jewelery for those who want something totally original and modern.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cheli387

Israeli gourmets and gourmands are already familiar with the country’s beautiful gastronomic magazine, Al HaShulchan (At The Table), the brainchild of the redoubtable cook and food author Janna Gur. Israeli cuisine, to those who have never been, might seem to be some variation of any southern Mediterranean diet, with falafel thrown in, but it is much more important than that.

Israel’s history and its Jewish immigrants from around the globe have brought, amongst others, Russian, Moroccan, Lithuanian, Tunisian, German, Spanish, Persian, Hungarian, French, Polish, Yemenite, Chinese, Indian, Scandinavian, Italian, Egyptian, Syrian and Kazakh influences with them – which has made Israel a nation of food adventurers obsessed with eating (well, it is a Jewish tradition!)

Obsession with food, and it has to be the freshest, and the best quality, runs like delicious Golani wine throughout Gur’s book and her monthly food magazine. The kibbutz settlers built Israel from dirt. The desert they found bloomed under their care and backbreaking labor and today, Israelis enjoy the fruits of this more than at any other time. Recipes in the book include Figs Stuffed With Bulgar & Cranberry Salad; Balkan Potato & Leek Pancakes; Sea Bass in Tehina Sauce; Chili Shakshuka and much, much more. This is feast, not famine. This is for those who love food. Love life.

www.hashulchan.co.il

http://www.amazon.com/Book-New-Israeli-Food-Culinary/dp/0805212248/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270130514&sr=1-1