A recommendation for a good Hostel in Jerusalem

Posted on January 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

For your next trip to the Jerusalem, if you’re looking for good accommodation at reasonable prices we found a terrific spot. The abraham hostel jerusalem is a fun to be in, clean, and very welcoming hostel! not to mention the Ulpan, hiking club, and terrific tours.  The hostel provides an astounding 9 common rooms, each include a TV room, a bar, an internet gallery and a coffee shop. They also have a kitchen open to guests and on site laundry facilities for your convenience. One of the best we’ve been to yet.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Aida at Masada – A Classic Opera Experience

Posted on March 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

I don’t think there has been this amount of cultural buzz ever since the Israeli Oprah House  started conducting an  international opera festival in one of the most meaningful sites in our history – Masada. Proving that the State of Israel can become a centre for culture tourism from all over the world, and indeed more than 4,000 tourists will attend these performance of Nabucco in tandem with thousands of Israelis coming to Masada from all corners of the land.

This festival is both a treat for opera lovers and an emotional experience: presenting opera superstars such as Andrea Bochelli, Carossi Micaela, and Berti Marco, singing on the footsteps of the Mt. Masada, one can not stay indifferent.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Spring has sprung

Posted on February 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

After a couple months of winter, it seems that spring has finally sprung!  The sun is sparkling brightly, the skies are clear blue, and the rainbow hues of Mediterranean flowers are popping up all over the place.

My puppy Gordo in his spring finest

Lines Written in Early Spring ( by William Wordsworth)

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:–
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

A blossoming meadow about stream Gelabun on Golan heights

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Historical Wines

Posted on February 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

The lush lands of the Kedesh Valley have been used to cultivate wines since Abraham walked the lands- literally.  Recent archeological evidence has uncovered wine presses dating back thousands of years.  Seems like the ancient civilizations were really on to something. because now modern wine makers are reclaiming this ancient land to create top-tier wines.

The boutique wineryRamot Naftaly uses the rich Terra Rosa soil as the starting ingredient of their  hand crafted wines.  Vintner Yitzhak Cohen lovingly pours his passion and expertise into  every step of the process. In the early hours of the morning,  before the Mediterranean sun can reach its full intensity, the grapes are hand picked and immediately refrigerated.  Only in the cooler hours of the evening are the  grapes  taken out to be sorted and crushed.

The fresh juices are then transferred to temperature controlled fermentation tanks (the basic winery process may not have changed, but technology has given the process quite a boost since the Biblical era). Finally, the juice is stored in French oak barrels, where it matures over the next year or so into full bodied boutique wines.

The Kedesh Valley is packed full with beautiful sights and lovely vineyards, and  with charming bed and breakfasts conveniently located throughout the area it’s fantastic for a romantic getaway, family sightseeing, and wine aficionados alike!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

From Fool’s Prophecy to Orot (Lights)- the life and art of Avraham Tal

Posted on February 18, 2011 | Leave a comment

Born in the small southern Israeli town of Beer’Sheva to French immigrant parents, Avraham Tal’s foray into the world of music was quite literally by accident. As a young boy of nine, Tal and a childhood friend were playing with a plastic spoon (being of that certain age where anything can be turned into a toy). The spoon shattered, sending plastic shards into Tal’s eye and landing him in the hospital. The boy next to him had a small electronic keyboard, and the two whiled away their hospital hours making music together.

Tal’s mother and grandfather encouraged his budding musical talents and bought him a Yamaha keyboard. Thus began what soon became a large collection of musical instruments- the young Tal saved every shekel from his paper route to buy a new instrument every few months. From drums to bass, Tal experimented with them all, and finally came to realize where his true musical passion lay: singing.

After completing his army service, Tal and several of his friends formed the wildly popular Israel band Shotei Nevua (literally translated as the “Fools of Prophecy”). With their original sound and lyrics that were as clever as they were moving, the band churned out hits for over a decade, growing together both as artists and as friends. But like all good things, the band came to an end, and in 2008 Tal set out on his solo venture.

Tal first releases as a single artist were embraced by the Israeli music scene and radio waves alike, quickly reaching the #1 spot on the singles playlist. He recently released his second solo album, entitled Orot (Lights). In his own words, Tal explains that his music is about “the power of life, love, lyric and song. It is, in essence, what I believe we are all about or better yet, what we strive to be”. A true artist, Tal gives us beautiful music and inspires us to reach higher and live better.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in music

Nir Hod

Posted on February 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

Born and raised in Israel’s capital of culture, Tel Aviv, Nir Hod was inspired from an early age by the beauty of aesthetics and the power of artwork as a medium of communication. After studying at several prestigious art academies, including Israel’s Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem (where Nir received his BFA) and the Cooper Union School of Art in New York (where he participated in an exchange program), Nir went on to build a successful career with shows spanning the international art scene, from New York to Amsterdam to Tel Aviv. Nir has been widely acclaimed as a serious talent whose lovely and haunting work offers a great perspective on life in Israel.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Indian Love Song (by an Israeli)

Posted on February 15, 2011 | 2 Comments

Israeli songwriter and singer Alma Zohar’s tale of discovering her musical passion is an inspiration for anyone looking to break into the music scene. While many artists say that they have been “singing as soon as they could talk”, Zohar’s music career began much later as a result of a difficult period in her life. After marrying young, Zohar decided to divorce her husband at age 25, and it was only then that she began to seriously pursue her childhood dreams to become a singer.

Zohar began her musical adventure singing with a reggae band which recorded in English, but she soon abandoned the project to work on developing her own musical style. Her style melds musical genres from all over the world, including world music, jazz, reggae, folk and rock, to make a lovely and refreshingly unique sound. Her debut album, “Speak” (“Dabri”) was critically acclaimed and very successful, achieving gold status in Israel.

Of the many top-hits on her debut record, “Indian Love Song (“Shir Ahava Indiani”) was perhaps the most popular of all. Zohar won several awards including Song of the Year for “Indian Love Song” and was honored by Israeli radion stations Reshet Gimel and Galgalatz as the new artist of the year and the Singer of the Year in the Galgalatz Annual Parade.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in music, Uncategorized

Beloved

Posted on February 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Love is the driving force which creates connections in our life. Kabbalah teaches us that love, with its boundless and infinite nature, has the ability to elevate the soul and unite us all; it’s the true force that allows two to become one. Love transcends all boundaries, cultures and religions- it is the universal bond that connects us all.

To celebrate the international holiday of love, Eastory is proud to present this gorgeous gold and silver ring. The Hebrew inscription, taken from Song of Solomon 6:3, reads “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”.

The script inscribed on the golden band swivels around to create a beautifully unique look. This Valentine’s Day, connect with your beloved with this timeless symbol of your love, forever and for always.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in gifts, holidays, Uncategorized

Jerusalem of Light

Posted on February 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Jerusalem Festival of Light transforms the ancient sites and buildings around the Old City into a spectacular, almost mystical artistic experience. The show highlights the enduring timeless beauty of the Old City by contrasting it with contemporary art forms such lighting, art and music. Israeli artists, composers, and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra come together to create the breathtaking week-long festival. Now approaching its third year, the Jerusalem Light Festival shows the Old City in a whole new “light” through the use of light beams, optic thread, video projectors, DVDs, and live music.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The following Light Video piece was created by artists Ronen Aricha, Ori Ben-Shabat and Yosef Meir Jimi. The multimedia installation combines light-video projection, laser and special lighting effects to convert the story of a young boy who departs on a magical journey between lights and sound, from his backyard to the outskirts of his imagination.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in exhibit, film, installation, Uncategorized

modernARTisrael

Posted on February 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

Eran Sasson is one of the Israeli contemporary artists promoted by the art project Moden Art Israel (MAI). This video art deals with the miscommunication and unperceived gaps between people speaking the same language. To enhance the video art’s subject, Eran took a famous song by the  iconic Egyptian singer, Um Cultum, and translated the words from Arabic into Hebrew.  His translation reflects his interpretation of the lyrics to this classic song, rather than the literal translation.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized