A Fork And A Suitcase

What do we leave behind?  What remains when we are no longer alive? Nahman Bialik left behind many beautiful and critically acclaimed poems, his beloved house, and love for Israel that still resonates, among many other things. His strong stance against anti-Semitism influenced the founding of Haganah (a Jewish paramilitary organization, and a predecessor of IDF). Nahman Bialik - a Jewish poet who wrote in Hebrew and Yiddish was a pioneer of modern Hebrew poetry.  He was born in 1873 in a small Ukrainian village.  Bialik did not have a happy childhood, a fact often felt in his poems.   He studied at a Talmudic academy in Lithuania but eventually drifted away from religious studies.  He made a living teaching Hebrew while studying Russian and German literature in Odessa.  He moved around a lot, not staying too long in one place.  Bialik's first collection of critically acclaimed poetry was published in 1901 in Warsaw, Poland.  In 1924 he moved to Tel Aviv, purchased a plot, wh

Prior to our trip, I prepared a list of restaurants for many different occasions: casual dining, a beloved hole in the wall, a romantic restaurant for a special dinner with my great guy, a fun night out with friends, a place for something sweet and decadent, and a kosher restaurant for a dinner with observant friends.  I had a few great kosher restaurants on my list like: Lumina - by the marina Meatos - 2 Weitzman Street Deca - 10 Ha'Ta-asiya Goshen - 30 Nachalat Binyamin Blue Sky - Carlton Hotel Keeping kosher and eating delicious and creative food is fairly easy in Tel Aviv, and even easier in Jerusalem (see my post on Ishtabach). I chose Fish Market, a lovely Greek - Mediterranean restaurant, for a dinner with a group of friends who are strictly kosher. I liked the white and blue decor of the restaurant, very Greek and clean looking.    The open kitchen was bright and spacious.   The menu has plenty of fish, pasta, gyro, vegetable and fresh cheese optio

We spent over an hour walking around the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, and saw plenty of great opportunities to sit down for a nice lunch, we just couldn't agree on where.  So, we just kept walking, hoping to find a place that everyone in our group of four would like.  That's when we stumbled upon Ishtabach, a nice low-key eatery one street over from the market.  An amazing smell emanating from inside drew us in.  Oren Sasson-Levi, the chef and founder of Ishtabach recalls eating the shamburach made by his Kurdish grandmother when he was a child.  Interestingly, Oren fell into a coma a few years ago, and came up with the idea for Ishtabach during a long recovery period. The name means: "The man is a cook", also reminiscent of the word "yishtabach" - from the Kaddish prayer, meaning "May He be praised".   The decor is very rustic, warm and inviting, it feels like a perfect hang out place for young people.