Falafel 

the most common and affordable street food is served in a pita bread (full or half) along with salad, pickles and Tehina. Falafel balls are usually made of either hummus (chick peas) or ful (broad beans) seeds mixed with parsley and some spices. Those with an edgy stomach may want to try one falafel ball before getting a full serving…

Shawarma 

In Israel (unlike other places such as Turkey) Shawarma is made of turkey meat, and is usually served in pita bread along with salad, Tehina and pickles. The size of the pita may vary, and if you want to get your money’s worth – look at the size of the pita before ordering, and ask for a serving without salad or pickles. This way you can increase the amount of meat you are getting for the same price, and save yourself the second serving.

Sabikh

The meaning of the word is “morning” in arab, and it is the traditional food Iraqi immigrants introduced to the Israeli street. It may be found on all cities in Israel, mainly in Ramat-Gan. The essence of this food is pita bread with fried eggplants, an egg, salad, tehina and pickles.

Pictures courtesy http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%9C

Falafel Balls

Shawarma
Shawarma in Lafa

Sabikh

רחוב

Falafel balls

כדורי פלאפל

Parsley

פטרוזיליה

תבלינים

חמוצים

בשר

Eggplants

חציל

מחיר

אוכל

Nestled in the hills, Degania, the first "kevutza" sits quietly amongst the trees, disturbed only by the daily activity of kibbutz life, and small groups of tourists.  Though it’s not on the ‘beaten trek’ of the tourist’s path, the kibbutz has seen all of the changes of Israel and its land since 1909 when it was first established by settlers. In 1920, the first organized kevutza, Degania Bet was formed and over time the land and system was transformed from a kevutza to a kibbutz and then in 2007 it was privatized. The kibbutz system in Israel has changed throughout its history but one thing remains the same: the people who live in these communal villages each have a part in the history of Israel.

On Degania Alef where great men and women like Moshe Dyane and the poet Rachel were born or raised, Gil Haran, a tour guide from IsraelExperts lives with his family. Gil has lived 14 years on the kibbutz where his wife grew up. They live with their three children in a private house and have seen major changes in kibbutz life since they established themselves on the kibbutz.

"The world around us changed. The reasons for what the kibbutz used to be do not exist anymore," Gil said. "On the other hand," Gil continued, "we didn’t want to loose the core ideology of the way of life of Degania which is the responsibility of the individual to the community and the responsibility of the community to the individual."

Residents now work and earn their own salary, but the community collects communal taxes like the Safety Net to help those less fortunate and keep the gaps between the rich and poor in the community smaller than in general Israeli society.

While Gil works with us at IsraelExperts, his wife works on the Kibbutz in education where all three children went to school. "We live in the same houses, and our kids attend the same schools," Gill said. "When you walk the pathways of the kibbutz you do not see the change on the surface. We live in the same environment as before the privatization of the kibbutz." The difference is all behind the scenes.

For further articles about changes in the Kibbutz  movement from from recent newspapers:

The kibbutz collapse

After 100 years, the kibbutz movement has completely changed

written by IsraelExperts.

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Thousands of Christians will attend Midnight Mass at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity.

Christian pilgrims from around the world will join local Palestinian and Arab-Israeli Christians for Thursday night’s service.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to attend.

Israel has also announced that an unlimited number of West Bank Palestinians will be allowed to enter Israel for holiday and family gatherings. More than 10,000 permits valid between Dec. 20 and Jan. 20 have already been issued, according to Israeli military officials.

In addition, 300 Palestinian Christians in the Gaza Strip over the age of 35 will be allowed to enter the West Bank for 24 hours during the Christmas holiday. Another 300 Palestinian Christians will be permitted to travel to Ben Gurion International Airport. These permits will be issued subject to a security clearance.

During the holiday season, all the crossings into Bethlehem will be open 24 hours a day, according to an IDF official. Additional staff from the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria are scheduled to help ensure easy passage for visitors.

"Israeli security forces will continue to operate in order to ensure freedom of religion and normal way of life for Palestinians uninvolved in terrorism," the statement said.

The beginning of Christmas celebrations in Israel began Thursday afternoon when the Roman Catholic Church’s Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal began his annual Christmas procession from Jerusalem to Manger Square in Bethlehem. Twal  led the Midnight Mass.

Santa in Jerusalem (www.JerusalemShots.com)

Church

כנסיה

חג

נוצרי

חגיגה

ביטחון

procession

תהלוכה