Teaching Tu B’Shevat in classrooms without borders
For many years Hebrew schools in North America barely related to the Jewish holiday of Tu B’shevat, New Year for the Trees.
Lifestyle
Happy New Year Trees, and spiritual reasons for Tu B’Shevat Customs
Tonight marks the end of the Jewish holiday Tu B’Shevat. The Jewish New Year of the trees. Here is an enlightening article on the spiritual customs surrounding this ecological, Jewish holiday.
Kosher single malt whiskey: Milk & Honey Distillery whisky
Although drinking alcohol is considered to be Haram or forbidden for Muslims, alcoholic beverages are becoming increasingly popular in Israel, and among Christians in the Middle East where growing vineyards and producing wine and vinegar has ancient historical roots.
Will the Polar Vortex “Dip” freeze the Middle East?
Extreme winter weather has been causing severe climate changes all over. The includes the Middle East, where a freak December winter storm paralyzed Jerusalem and Amman and brought snow to Cairo for the first time in 100 years. Will the Middle East experience a Polar Vortex?
Sustainable, Online Green Courses for 2014
I introduced Green Prophet readers to environmental e-learning and Laurie updated us with details on Mitx, Coursera and Udacity environmentalism courses in Februrary 2013. A new term has just begun with a wide selection courses related to environmentalism. So this is a good time for a refresher on how Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) work.
Why this rare 2000 year old snail dyed fabric is sacred for the Jews
See the images: These very rare textiles were found in the Wadi Murabba’at caves south of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Why is this ancient find so exciting for the Jews?
Hidden secrets of Techelet holy blue dye discovered in Israel
For more than 3000 years, Jews dreamed of recovering a lost blue dye called techelet. Using clues laid down over 100 years ago by one rabbi in Poland, and another in Israel, Ptil Techelet, the Association for the Promotion and Distribution of Tekhelet, has succeeded in tracking down the dye’s source and reviving it.
London church unveils temporary replica of Bethlehem’s “separation wall” [video]
Too many people have an idealized picture in their head of what Bethlehem looks like today, but St. James Church in central London aims to change that with an 8 meter temporary tall wall that obscures the church’s façade.
10 Ways To Reduce Holiday Waste
Frankly, we’re hoping that the above image of holiday shoppers makes you a tad uncomfortable. To enjoy holidays as greenly as possible, buy or make meaningful gifts that add to joy, not more trash to landfills. Here are 10 ways you can reduce the inevitable waste that accumulates after the last gifts are unwrapped.
Lesbian penguins “out” at the Israeli zoo
Unlike Gulf states nearby, and Kuwait which is hoping to start a gaydar test to ban gays from moving to the country, Israel is extremely tolerant when it comes to its gay community. So much that it’s promoting the “free” love of its latest lesbian couple, two penguins at the zoo.
Sloughi, ancient desert hunting dogs, beloved but disappearing
Although confused with the Saluki, the Persian hound, the Sloughi is an ancient sighthound breed endemic to North Africa. For thousands of years the Sloughi has been the trusted hunting companion of the nomadic tribes of the Maghreb.
Polygamous foreigners can glean from Turkey’s one wife law
Polygamous Arab men who buy property in Turkey must choose just one of their brides to carry over the threshold; polygamy isn’t legal in this country which grants residency permits to just one wife.
Google “spies” find weir trap fishing used illegally in Iran, Qatar and Bahrain
A Kuwaiti in Canada uses Google Earth to uncover how a banned method of Middle East fishing is being used to trap an estimated 31,000 tons of fish per year.
Cautionary tale when saving refugees, and the world
Cash is King. An essential ingredient of charitable giving; it greases the wheels when moving goods. A month after 4,000 hats were collected and shipped from Ireland to Jordan, they’re finally keeping some of Syria’s refugees a bit warmer. But in the end, it took money to drop the curtain on this act of giving.
UNESCO to Protect Olives and Turkish Coffee as Cultural Heritage
We love olive oil and hummus, but there is more to the Mediterranean diet than just food. UNESCO has recently added the rituals, knowledge, and skills associated with the food common to residents of Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco, and Portugal to its list of heritage “intangibles” that are worthy of protection. To eat cous […]