Friday in Jerusalem

Cultural Heritage Night

So proud to join in representing Israel with my Fine Art Israel prints at the Cultural Heritage Night. Wonderful to see so many cultures represented!

The Path

Where does your path lead? Wishing you all a blessed and prosperous New Year!

The Path by Julie Alison. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Shavuot!

A beautiful holiday of  Shavuot celebrating the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. 

Reflections

                                                                   

Beautiful  and interesting reflections on the "Golden Hands" in Jerusalem.

Parent's Prayer

Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan, which is this Thursday, is the eve of the new Jewish month in which the Jews received the Torah. This is a very special time to recite this parent's prayer.  http://www.metroimma.com/forum/topics/special-prayer-for-parents-to-recite-erev-rosh-chodesh-sivan

This link has the prayer in both English and Hebrew.

                                                          Much Love and Blessings!

Lag B'Omer - Love Is All Around

 http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/679300/jewish/What-Is-Lag-BaOmer.htm

The holiday of Lag B'Omer features bonfires and lots of them! A central theme of this holiday is something Rabbi Akiva, a great teacher of thousands of students taught. ואהבת לרעך כמוך-Love your neighbor like yourself. How we treat each other, that is what is important.

The little Israeli

This precious 3 month old, the girl after two boys, really shines in her role as a little "princess". Such a fun photoshoot we had together with her mom and a friend along to watch.

Adorable Sabra

Filtered Israeli sunlight enhance the beauty of this adorable "sabra" who had his brit milah at the Kotel in Jerusalem.

Children's Portraits

Sunlight, olive tree and curious little one made for an interesting and fun photo shoot with this beautiful "almost two" year old.

A New Year and a New Start

Here comes a Jewish New Year and Be"H a new start.  One of the benefits of living in Israel is being able to go to the Kotel just a few days before Rosh Hashana, prayer is powerful!!

New Passover Haggadah with Sunflowers!

I took a natural light photo of some beautiful sunflowers and it was chosen to be included in this fantastic and beautiful new Passover e-haggadah which includes many gorgeous photos of Israel.  Created by United with Israel and Israel 365, this is being sent out to over one million people by email and also made available on United with Israel's facebook page which reaches over one million people!  Click on http://israel365.co.il/haggadah/ to view and download.

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Fragrant Fruit Trees in Bloom

                                                      FLOWERING FRUIT TREES

Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the new Jewish month is here and so are the fruit trees in bloom.  The local school around the corner usually sends over some classes to recite the blessing over the flowering fruit trees.  This lemon tree is in our backyard along with a Pomelo tree.  The fragrance is delicious!

"Blessing of Rain"

               
Click Arutz Sheva- Israel News Photo Essay 

Israeli Winter Lemons

          

Roses & Rain



Kabbalistic Tu B'shvat Seder

Today is Tu B'Shevat and for the first time our family held a Tu B'Shevat seder following guidelines on Aish's page Kabbalistic Tu B'shvat Seder.  We enjoyed fifteen different types of fruits and appreciated the beauty and variety.





  

Water Caves

 http://israel365.co.il/ , a project of United With Israel, featured this photo of the beautiful Rosh Hanikra Caves today.  Daily photos and inspiration from the Holy Land.

Festival of Lights

Chanuka is tonight and there is a real feeling of the "Festival of Lights" in the air.  Store displays with brightly colored candles, oils, and many, many types of chanukiot (menorahs).








 

Yahrtzeit of The Arizal



View of Kever of Arizal


Check out this view above the kever of Rav Itzchak Luria (Arizal).  Today, the 5th of Av is his yahrtzeit and many, many people flock to his kever.  For details on the Arizal see
 http://www.safed-kabbalah.com/Arizal/Biography.htm

Pottery with Batya

Batya's Apprentice


We had a great day with Tzfat Artist Batya Erdstein www.erdstein6@gmail.com.  She offers a family workshop and was fantastic with all ages from preschooler through adult, not an easy feat!  Batya brought out the clay and plopped it on the center of the wheel.  She showed how to center the clay and how to shape it.  Everyone had a great time and made several pieces of pottery.  After the pieces air dried, they were painted with a red clay paint.  Batya also has a nice selection of kiln fired glazed pottery for sale and I bought a beautiful dish to put chumous in.  Definately worth a visit!