With the gift holidays officially open now is the time to reconsider gift giving, especially now with the current economic crisis!

• First, do you really need to spend so much on gifts? Be thoughtful, instead of spendful! It will make you feel so much more appreciated than stressing over credit-card bills for months.
• Can you make gifts? I used to like giving people jewelry, until one day I decided to start making simple items. Eventually I got good enough to sell my wares. Do you have a hobby that you can cash in on?
• Adopt a “Secret Santa” system. We used to give gifts to everyone in my home until we all got fed up with spending so much and not being able to really think about our gifts. A month before the holiday we all take a name out of a hat and set a price limit for the gift. When everyone gets together they are more excited to give than to receive their gift.

Keep in mind that holidays are supposed to be special. Instead of putting in extra money in gifts that will only add to your clutter, put the time into making the day special, the atmosphere and the company. If you do this you will find a much more meaningful holiday season for all!

The post Creative Gifts for Christmas appeared first on Green Prophet.

On November 25, a Red Sea dive boat capsized, leaving 44 tourists and crew fending for their lives. We have a saga of stories you can follow here about the Sea Story incident, including interviews with survivors. Timothy, a diver reached out to us hoping to raise concerns he had while diving in Egypt with the same company that charted the ill-fated Sea Story, but he travelled just a week earlier.

“I am a certified PADI divemaster with over 600 worldwide dives. I am not a survivor of the sinking – I was on a different boat the Sea Pearl, operated by the same company, during the week immediately previous to the sinking,” says Timothy, using his first name only.

Like survivors of the Sea Story, Timothy says Dive Pro transferred him to another boat last minute: “This often happens for operational reasons – desire to have boats travel fully booked; mechanical or logistical issues with the boats; crew availability; weather and conditions, etc. I had been booked onto the Tillis but was moved to the Sea Pearl about 48 hours before the trip was due to begin.

“This wasn’t an issue for me, but many others were annoyed that they could not travel on their preferred boat, or that they had paid for an upper-deck cabin but were now on the lower deck,” he says.

What message do you have for other divers booking liveaboard trips anywhere in the world?

“Be very aware of safety concerns when researching a Red Sea live-aboard trip. Review your chosen boat’s safety provisions. Book (and insist upon receiving) an upper-deck cabin.

“Familiarise you and your buddy with your life jackets.”

What message do you have for divers whose intuition tells you the boat isn’t safe? 

“Trust your intuition. However there is little you can do other than take safety into your own hands.”

Will you dive in Egypt again and if yes, with who?

“Likely, but perhaps shore dives, and with a different company, which I will thoroughly research.”

How many diving boat accidents were there in 2024 in Egypt?

The post Dive boat tourist raises concerns and tips for dive safety appeared first on Green Prophet.

There is an expression from Jewish sages: choose a rabbi, buy a friend. Research now shows that at least the second part of the expression rings true when put to the test.

Researchers found that the next time you’re looking to cheer up a friend or loved one, giving them a small gift — flowers, candy, a homemade treat — may lift their spirits faster and better than a supportive talk or text chat.

A new research paper co-authored by Hillary Wiener, assistant professor of marketing at UAlbany’s Massry School of Business, finds that receivers of support “perceive a gift to be a larger sacrifice” by the support giver rather than a conversation. This perceived difference in sacrifice results in gifts being more effective at “promoting emotional recovery” or, in other words, making recipients feel better.

The paper, “Money can buy me love: Gifts are a more effective form of acute social support than conversations,” was published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology. Co-authors are Holly Howe from HEC Montreal and Tanya Chartrand from Duke University.

“A gift that’s given — outside of a birthday or holidays — feels more like they were really thinking about you. They went out of their way to do something special for you,” Wiener says of the findings. “And it’s that feeling of being cared about that makes people feel better.”

The research deployed seven studies, including a behavioral analysis of live interactions between 81 pairs of genuine friends with actual sacrifices of time and money. In that study, the friends were assigned roles of “support givers” and “support receivers.”

Related: why experience gifts are the perfect choice

The latter group wrote private notes, unseen by researchers, about situations for which they wanted support. The former group, the givers, were further divided to either give a small gift or to have a talk with their friend. Researchers checked to ensure the gifts and time were of comparable value. As expected, the support recipients reported feeling better after receiving the gifts versus having the talks. The six other studies examined aspects such as why recipients perceive gifts as a larger sacrifice, the intentionality of the gift and how direct enjoyment plays a role.

Wiener knows that the finding may seem counterintuitive, perhaps even controversial to some.

“I think there’s this idea in society that … talking to others can be difficult and that you shouldn’t just buy your way out of doing it,” says Wiener. “What I really like about this finding is that it’s kind of a win-win where the thing that feels easier for the giver is actually more beneficial for the recipient.”

Wiener and her research partners acknowledge more studies need to be done and caution that constant gifts and higher perceived levels of sacrifice could actually cause feelings of indebtedness or even guilt in the recipient. If you’re thinking that springing for a shared gift experience, like a spa treatment or kayaking trip is the perfect answer, the researchers say to consider that the gesture could be perceived by the recipient as partially self-motivated.

The post Give a gift, win a friend: new research appeared first on Green Prophet.

Los Angeles is the biggest city in California and the second-most populous city in the United States. Naturally, a city as diverse, dynamic, vast, mercurial, and frequently misunderstood as Los Angeles has many nicknames. It takes time to adjust to Los Angeles. For most individuals, it’s either love or hate. It can be not easy to know where to begin with all the glamor and splendor. Here are some of the most important things I learned from my trip to Los Angeles. This book will provide you with the necessary information to create the ideal Los Angeles itinerary.

Where to Stay in Los Angeles

With so many wonderful hotels in Los Angeles, it can be hard to choose. The Mediterranean climate of Southern California results in moderate winters, low humidity, and plenty of sunshine. Spring provides spectacular blossoms, fresh strawberry doughnuts, and sunny autumns lengthen the rosé and rooftop season. The expansive city is massive – it has a lot to offer, and there are virtually infinite places to stay. Where you visit will probably have a significant impact on your L.A. vacation.

There are also a lot of Airbnbs and rental homes to choose from. The most significant suggestion is to choose the neighborhood where you ought to be or want to spend the most time to limit traveling and optimize vacationing and then select a lodging in that neighborhood.

If you plan on staying in Los Angeles for more than three or four days, we recommend staying in two or three different neighborhoods, and using a plan my route app to help you navigate the city efficiently. This way, you can make the most out of your time and see all the sights you want to see without getting lost or spending too much time in transit.

You may relax on the beach for a few days, get an adrenaline rush at the amusement parks for a few days, and then explore the city in Downtown L.A. or West Hollywood. With a slew of new lodging options, many of which are housed in ancient converted buildings, downtown is undoubtedly having a moment. Many of the hippest shops, such as Nomad and The Hoxton, are transplants from other trendy cities. The Ritz-Carlton is a high-end alternative. Award-winning restaurants, stadiums and stages, bars, and museums are all within walking distance in either case.

Santa Monica is the place to go if you want to be near the beach. It’s also on the west side of town, which means the reverse commute will make traveling around the city easier.

This coastal community is an attraction in and of itself, with a mix of celebrities, surfers, and hippies calling it home. While most visitors come to the beach, which is fantastic, there are many other things to do in the neighborhood.

New Things in LA for 2022

Since Los Angeles is such a big city, there will always be something fresh to do and see, be it a temporary exhibit at one of the city’s museums, a festival, a pop-up, or something completely different. The most significant development in Los Angeles is the construction boom. The Los Angeles skyline has already changed dramatically in recent years, with much more to come. This has resulted in a changing skyline, with the OUE Skyspace L.A. being the state’s tallest open-air observation facility. Public transit has also seen significant investment. Visitors to Los Angeles will essentially see this in construction on Metro lines and new stations during the next few years.

This is part of the Metro Vision 2028 Plan, which is a long-term development strategy for projects between now and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This includes a slew of infrastructural upgrades to give Angelenos and visitors more public transportation options, so they don’t have to rely on the freeway.

There are new museums in the future as well. On Miracle Mile, the long-awaited Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has finally opened. This $400 million renovation of a 1939 L.A. landmark has been in the works for a decade. The architecture is stunning, with a distinctive spherical structure and a 1,500-panel glass dome.

Although a road journey from other regions of California, Arizona, or Las Vegas is appealing, most guests arrive by plane, meaning your time in the Southland will likely begin and end at Los Angeles International Airport.

This glitzy glamor capital which is also the epicenter of the nation’s film and television industry inclusive of many electrifying attractions like Universal Studios Hollywood,Beverly Hills, Hollywood Walk of Fame and much more deserves your complete attention. 

The post Planning a Trip to Los Angeles This Summer appeared first on Green Prophet.

It’s summertime and the weather is fine, goes the odd song and after a heat wave this week, Israel remembers how amazing and simple it is to spend your days away at the beach. Beaches are great activities for kids, for teens, for parents. Bring a picnic or sit up at one of Israel’s beach bars, and you have a day, or even a week of fun. Of course you need to wear sunscreen and be mindful of sun exposure, but for that you can bring or rent a beach umbrella. Where to choose when Israel has so many beaches to offer? Even the City of Tel Aviv has about a dozen beaches to choose from, so we like to recommend the beaches with the Blue Flag.

The Blue Flag is an international symbol for environmental conservation at the beach. This designation is given to 21 beaches in Israel that have demonstrated eco-standards for their sandt and seaside boardwalks. Water cleanliness, wheelchair accessibility and trash management are all criteria for getting a Blue Flag. So if you see one blowing, you know stewards of that beach are adhering to strict standards that are tested twice a month. 

Some of the standards via Israel’s Ministry of Environment Protection include:

Blue Flags are awarded every year. Tel Aviv consistently gets a number of Blue Flags, usually at Metzitzim — Tel Aviv’s northernmost beach, and which also happens to be the city’s only man-made lagoon, where it’s safe for kids and dogs to come and jump in the water; and Tel Aviv’s Jerusalem Beach, which is great for walking to, but which is also wheelchair accessible and includes a workout spot for adults.

Haifa and Eilat tend to pick up a Blue Flag every year, including Dado Beach in Haifa which offers, beach couches, free WiFi services, lots of shade and a mile and a half of beach promenade.

Down in Eilat, which will get scorching hot is the Blue Flag Shchafim Beach, located along the promenade beside the Dan Hotel one of many Israel luxury hotels. It’s a magnet for international travellers and Israelis who jump on a plane from Tel Aviv for some low cost staycations.

The Dan Hotel in Eilat, while a large hotel chain, is a good place to stay since Eilat offers little in the way of boutique or eco hotels. A feature from Dan is great programs for kids, which keeps them happy while parents get to relax. This hotel has also made a commitment to sustainability with some projects and features such as:

•  Thermal windows to reduce air conditioning costs. It get smoking hot in Eilat!
• Heat recovery systems that use energy emitted from the air conditioning systems to heat swimming pools
• Equilibrium pools in all their hotels to save energy and water

The post The best (eco) beaches in Israel appeared first on Green Prophet.

Eid began Friday and will end Monday, the last day of the Hajj. When traveling in Palestinian cities, I have always marveled at the street art communities make to welcome pilgrims home.

Eid al-Adha is also known as the Holiday of Sacrifice, the Feast of the Sacrifice, the Major Festival, the Greater Eid and Bakrid.

Fires, ritual animal slaughter (and sharing that meat with the poor), and feasts are among the cherished celebratory customs.

There has been much debate about the role of meat in the celebration. In 2011, Jordanian Princess Alia spoke about the importance of humane animal slaughter when celebrating Eid al-Adha.

There is a growing awareness that customs in some areas of the Middle East, such as making bonfires by burning trash and tires, can harm the environment. Dr. Hammoud al-Awdi, a sociologist at Sanaa University in Yemen, recently told Al-Shorfa:

“This custom [burning trash] might harm the environment. But it comes from the countryside, where children would collect firewood and place it in piles to burn on the eve of Eid.”

Many Muslims around the world are proactively engaging the ancient traditions in new ways, seeking to revive more sustainable, traditional practices and create new environmentally conscious ways to celebrate.

For many families in the Middle East, this year’s holiday has been marked by fear and bloodshed. In Syria, innocent civilians were killed near a children’s playground in Daf al-Shok, a Sunni residential neighborhood in southern Damascus. And al-Awdi said that public fear is also tangible in Yemen’s capital.

To celebrate, he said people stroll in the city’s gardens, or take quick trips, but are careful to return home before dark.

Read more about Muslim holidays:

Eid Al-Adha: The Muslim Festival of Meat?

Jordan’s Princess Alia Calls for Humane Animal Slaughter Ahead of Eid al-Adha

7 Tips for a Sustainable Eid-ul-Adha Festival

Image of pilgrims in Mecca via AHMAD FAIZAL YAHYA, Shutterstock 

The post A look at Islam’s Eid al-Adha 2012 Across the Middle East appeared first on Green Prophet.

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur is a day of introspection and prayer. In Israel, it’s a day of closed business and empty streets. The great soul-searching that began on Rosh HaShana climaxes at sunset on this holiest of days, when we seek to connect  to the Creator as closely as  humans can. We put physicality aside for an entire day, refraining from life-sustaining and life-creating activities as an expression of faith and reliance on the one who made the world.

Which is not to say that Jews don’t love, and celebrate, life’s good things: Le-chaim! is the toast that Jews say when raising a celebratory glass of wine. It means: to life! And as life is a precious gift rooted in the spiritual world, it’s people’s job to release the spiritual spark in everything that lives.

Sounds so esoteric, right? How in the world do you manage that? The answer is: by honoring and protecting creation. Spiritual comes down to the physical. For example, even if you don’t fast,  here are some suggestions on how to repair your eating habits. And others on atoning for environmental sins.

Prayer may not be your thing. But you can review your spiritual account by using familiar objects that, whether you’re conscious of it or not, compose a running commentary on your life and reflect your ecological footprint.

1. Read what your credit card statement says. Does it show lots of expenditure on take-out food? A home-made meal is tastier, healthier, and a better maker of quality time with the family. What impulse purchases appear there whose price might have been given to needy people? How much gasoline are you buying? You might consider walking, biking, or taking public transportation more often.

2. How about your electricity, gas and water bills? Your utility bills reflect your usage of the planet’s precious, and dwindling, resources.

4. Search your fridge. Got any dying veggies in there, yogurts way past expiry date, something moldy in the back of the  shelf? Resolve to buy less and reduce waste. A good rule of thumb: cook everything you buy, and eat everything you cook.

5. Search your closets. Most of us hang on to clothes in good condition that we’ll never put on again. Unless a long-unused garment has sentimental value –  I myself keep a certain little flowered dress that all my daughters have worn – donate it to a cause you respect. And if you have clothes languishing for attention that need only a button replaced or a few stitches, take the minutes to repair them, and start wearing them again. You might have more cool threads than you thought.

6. Time how many minutes or hours you typically spend with techno-toys. Surfing the Net, watching TV, chatting online with strangers while family or friends would love to spend some time with you. Maybe you can find more life-affirming ways to unwind, like reading, taking a walk, or getting together with someone you keep thinking of but haven’t made time to contact. Tafline gives us some powerful ideas about going offline on Yom Kippur.

I wish you a meaningful Yom Kippur.

More thoughts that hover between the spiritual and the material:

• Yom Kippur Fast Food, Before And After
• Green Your Repentance

The post 5 Ways Yom Kippur Can Green The World appeared first on Green Prophet.

In honor of the last day of Hannukah, the Yesh Meain permaculture farm will be hosting an all-day permaculture celebration.

Links are often found between Jewish holidays and the environment, and environmentally-minded organizations in Israel try to find eco-friendly ways to celebrate them.  We’ve seen these eco Jewish celebrations center around Sukkot, a holiday that is spent outdoors anyway.  But this year we have learned of a permaculture party for Hannukah – a holiday praised by Jewish environmentalists for its lesson on energy efficiency.  The party will take place at the Yesh Meain permaculture farm (the same place that sustainable designer Inbal Weisman frequents in order to collect materials for her upcycled fabric owls) on the last night of Hannukah.

The celebrations will include: swapping/sharing of seeds (and whatever else comes to mind), tours and workshops for children, a general assembly of the members of the Israeli Permaculture Organization, and a communal vegan/vegetarian feast.

Starting at 10am on Wednesday December 28th and continuing until 11:30pm, this day-long event will begin with mingling and workshops.  Intended for kids of all ages, the workshops will include solar oven tutorials, upcycling crafts, instruction on the use of micro organisms for various ecological systems, and more.

The events will be scattered among the different ecologically-constructed structures at Yesh Meain, including their yurt and mud houses.

Started in 2007 by graduates of the Permaculture Design Course at the Center for Creative Ecology on Kibbutz Lotan, Yesh Meain “aims to create a center for environmental and social awareness.  [They] aspire to encourage key changes in the consuming behavior, the use of resources and the perception of abundance within the Israeli society.”

For more information about the Permaculture Hannukah gathering, visit the event’s Facebook page or website.

Read more about eco-Hannukah:
8 Tips For Energy Efficiency “Miracle” This Hannukah [SLIDESHOW]
Miraculously Sustainable and Upcycled Hannukah Menorah Designs
Climate Change and Hanukah – A Connection?

The post Permaculture Hannukah Party at Yesh Meain Ecological Farm appeared first on Green Prophet.

Apples are in full season – just when they’re urgently needed. For cooking down into applesauce, of course, because during the Hebrew holiday of Hannukah, those delicious latkehs need that sweet apple touch for toppings. If you need a traditional latkeh recipe, here is ours. Or try this spicy twist on that traditional potato pancake. The recipe below has a fun, surprise ingredient that will make your applesauce unique.

Flavored applesauce

Yield: 4 3/4 -5 cups

Ingredients:

1.5 kg. organic apples. Tart green apples are best, but any variety will do.

1/4 cup sugar. Use brown for a deeper taste, white for a lighter color

1 stick cinnamon or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1  thick lemon slice  if apples are sweet rather than tart.

3 teabags of any flavor – omit cinnamon or lemon if the tea has a strong cinnamon or lemon flavor

If your apples aren’t organic apples, scrub and rinse them at least twice. Pare away any bruises or nicks. Cut into eighths, removing the core as you cut.

Pour two tablespoons of water into the cooking pot. This is to keep the apple slices from scorching initially.

Put the apples in, and put the sugar, optional cinnamon or lemon slice on top.

Add 2 cups of water. With a spoon, move some of the apples aside to make room for the teabags to be immersed in the water.

Cover and bring to a boil.

Lower heat to medium and cook, uncovered, turning the apples over every so often, for 15 minutes. Take care not to break the teabags.

Taste for sweetness, and if it’s not sweet enough for your taste, add sugar by tablespoons. Remember, it will taste sweeter when it cools down. Cook until apples are soft and mashable.

Remove the cinnamon stick, lemon slice, and teabags. Allow the applesauce to cool.

Blend the applesauce, using a food processor or blender. The peels will give it a chunky texture.

Serve.

Leftover applesauce will last a week in the coolest part of the fridge. Apart from topping latkehs, it’s wonderful on top of plain yoghurt or rice pudding. It’s delicious all by itself, too – even more so with a little whipped cream on top.

Enjoy!
More festive recipes here on Green Prophet:

• Malabi, Silky White Arabic Pudding
• Crunchy Chickpeas for Healthy Snacking
• Eggplant Stuffed with Bulgur and Fruit

Photo by Spring Dew via Flickr.

The post Applesauce for Hanukkah Latkehs RECIPE appeared first on Green Prophet.

Made by artisans who receive fair wages while upcycling metal products, this bike chain menorah is sustainable for people and the environment.

In our recent survey of sustainably designed Hannukah menorahs, we featured menorahs (and other light fixtures) made locally in Israel.  Not all Jews have the luxury of being in an area where Judaica is locally designed and produced, though, and therefore purchase products that are imported.  These products are not always created with the most environmental and socially ethical values in mind, however, and the Judaica market is often  flooded with products made by exploited workers in third world countries.  And so in addition to our sustainably designed Israeli Hannukah menorahs from last week, we now present a sustainable and fair trade upcycled bike chain menorah made in India and available to Jews worldwide.

Sold through various online shops, the bicycle chain menorah is made by artisans at Noah’s Ark International in Moradabad, India.  Since metal costs have skyrocketed in recent years, Noah’s Ark trains craftspeople to upcycle instead and use alternative metals and materials (learn more about Noah’s Ark International in the video clip below).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_DONLRhQJw[/youtube]

As bicycles are still a primary form of transportation in India, bicycle chains are a readily available material.  Their flexibility enables them to be used in multiple ways.

One of the online trade shops that sells the bicycle chain menorah is Fair Trade Judaica, a website launched in 2007 by Ilana Schatz and which both promotes fair trade products and provides assistance in designing new products.

Schatz considers the support of fair trade products to be a concept close to the message of Hannukah itself, and said that “if Hannukah is a story of liberation, then products made for a fair wage represent a different kind of liberation…  When you buy a fair trade product, it can lift that family out of poverty.”

:: JTA
:: Fair Trade Judaica

Read more about fair trade organizations in the Middle East:
Middle Eastern Grassrooters That Keep It Environmentally and Socially Responsible
SAHA’s Fairly Local Trade
Guy Lougashi Weaves Together Baskets and People with Recycled Paper

Image via: Fair Trade Judaica

The post Fair Trade Bike Chain Menorah Good for Environment and for Artisans appeared first on Green Prophet.