Leon's No News Bulletin 74 Sat 8th Mar 08

Shalom everyone,

Last Shabbat the Kalaniot (anemones) were out in full color to meet us at the hill of kalaniot near Bet Shemesh, actually the hill is a tel, believed to be the site of the ancient city of Timna, where Samson met a Philistine woman. This area is known as the land of Samson.

Tamar took Ettie's hand and walked happily on the pathway between the Kalaniot and the daisies. She wore a purple jacket and matching light purple trousers. Her mother, Sigalit and I were clicking away furiously at out cameras to get good pictures of Tamar with the Kalaniot and the daisies. Grandmother Sari, Sigalit's mother also tramped along happily.

We drove a little way past Bet Shemesh and stopped at a place where there were tables for making a picnic. It was beautiful among the cyclamens and the pine trees we ate our turkey schnitzel that Ettie and Sigalit had prepared for our picnic. We also ate some delicious chocolate cake that Ettie had specially made for our picnic.

In the evening we saw the Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Marvin Freeman. It's about a list of things to do before we die. It was an interesting movie because it showed two different sorts of characters, the one, Marvin Freeman, the altruist and Jack Nicholson, the egocentric.

Last Friday Ettie and I had an appointment to visit Ophir who lives in Kiron, a town near Tel Aviv, between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We decided that we'd go first to the flea market in Jaffa, have some lunch and then go to keep our appointment. Everything worked out according to plan; we even managed to fetch Avishai before returning to Jerusalem.

I didn't know that we were looking for anything special in the flea market until Ettie dragged me past the stalls selling old records, old stoves, old jewelry, old dresses, old 8 mm projectors, old books and stopped in front of an antique furniture shop, proudly displaying a regency period settee with red and white striped upholstery, later on we asked the price; IS 6000, which was probably a bargain but not enough bargain for us, but I was beginning to learn why we were at the flea market.

After again continuing past many stalls selling old bicycles, old motorbikes, old tools, old lamps we again stopped at a carpet place. Nothing caught our fancy but now I knew the second object we were looking for.

This is a very interesting way for Ettie to let me know what she wants. She's a real mystery lady and I never know what she's going to come up with next.

Somewhere I read that the story about having a thousand wives is simply a way of saying that Solomon's wife had a thousand faces so that it seemed to him that he had a thousand wives while he really only had one wife. That's what mystery is, having a new wife each day or having one wife who is different each day.

I returned to the Jaffa flea market again yesterday, Thursday, my free day this week, and walked the streets, as I did on Friday with Ettie, only this time not looking for anything in particular.

It was quite warm; in fact the forecast for today is still warmer. I wore a short sleeved shirt and enjoyed feeling as if it was Summer, although the meteorologists tell us that Winter is far from over.

The market had the same "junk" as on Friday but this time I walked past more of it. There were only two objects that caught my attention; the first was a doll on a stand, she had blond hair, a cute blue dress and a blue hat with frills. I would have bought her but she needed a bit of a clean up and I had now idea how I was going to do that.

The second object was a shop full of gigantic, bronze candelabras. I thought that these could only have come from some monumental building like a synagogue.

The more I think about them the more I realize how majestic is the candelabra as a symbol. It also strikes me that the longing for the candelabra to be kindled as a symbol of the nation lies very deep within me and I suppose other people, Jews and non Jews. I wonder if a longing can be transmitted genetically.

Finally I realized what I was really looking for. I should have known myself better and been aware that its food I was looking for. Not any kind of food but the real down to earth food eaten by the real down to earth people, like manual laborers and office workers.

On a corner two of these old timers were sitting and eating with, what appeared to me as enthusiasm for the food they were eating. Actually, besides these two the only other part of the establishment (at this stage I couldn't call it a restaurant) it looked like a sort of falafel stand, where all the cooking is done in the front and there isn't any place to sit because it's takeaway.

I wasn't interested in takeaway so I crossed the road, meaning to continue in my search for something good to eat. Nevertheless something made me turn around and look again at the scene. I realized that the delicious odor wafting from the place must have made me turn around.

This reminded me of Moses who turned to look at the burning bush. The Torah says that at first he past the burning bush then on second thought turned around, saying to himself, "I will turn and see what is this thing".

Now I noticed some people sitting behind, what appeared to be the kitchen. I had never seen a restaurant with the kitchen in the front, with a lady (later I learned from the constant calling of her name by the diners inside that her name is Amalia) who I took to be the cook running between the pots and the clients.

There seems to be a new trend in restaurants not writing their names on a sign outside. This is the second one like this I've come across in Tel Aviv. I must tell you about the other one, a Thai, Chinese restaurant which is also good.

Well Amalia suggested I try the lung with rice, but I didn't feel brave enough for lung and the bean soup didn't seem as if it would satisfy me so I settled for the kubeh soup. All I have so say it was delicious, basic and nourishing. Afterwards I had a little meat ball with peas with a beer for desert. Amalia told everyone that the meat ball is a new recipe she just tried.

While eating my lunch many people were calling Amalia's name which leads one to think that Amalia is the important one here, but only Amalia calls another name continuously to Jonah, who remains unseen next door, apparently that's the kitchen and Jonah is the real important person here and the real cook.

Wishing you a great no news day

Yours truly.

Leon.