A day in my daughter’s life

A year ago, when Eden, my youngest daughter was on her final school year, she announced her intention to volunteer for a year before going to the army. The organization of her choice was AMICHAI – a parent based organization which is aimed at children and adults with mental disabilities. I had mixed feelings about her decision. On the one hand, I couldn’t be prouder of her. She was clearly following in her sister’s and my footsteps. On the other hand, at that point in time my daughter was very childish and knowing what it was like to work with people with disabilities, I was afraid for her delicate soul. Little did I know!

To hope or not to hope...

בס"ד

 Do you believe that books and movies that we read and watch or conversations that we were "occasionally" involved in and people we have bumped into come to us by chance? Personally, I do not. There are a couple of reasons that the book I’m about to talk about has come into my hands. I have been processing the data for my seminar papers for about a couple of months, hence I have been reading relatively a lot about education, psychology and a strong connection between the two. I want you, readers, to breathe the air of excitement I had after encountering the "Psychology of Hope" by Snyder, C.R.

Beauty and the Beast 2017

I'm interested to know whether others my age would want to see this movie knowing the plot. For whom who like nostalgia they will probably enjoy and not feel childish going to see it because it isn’t animated. Also, comparing to the animated movie from 1991 it has more details and is less simplified, which makes you feel that it is appropriate to watch at your age.

I want to hold your hand...

Touch is a powerful thing.

We've known this since we were babies. Maybe back then, we knew it even better than we do now.
Many things we do instinctively have healing benefits. Did you know, for example, that simply placing your palm on your forehead helps neutralize your body's "fight or flight" response and gets your brain out of its blackout state when you are unable to think?

Read & Listen: Music is the Key

                                  

"Kings and queens don't seem so far...." #King'sBlood
Source: Twitter

It was another casual Thursday, my shift in Perach was over, and I was waiting at the central station for the bus to get back home. While I was waiting, something weird happened to me.  A band  I never heard of before followed me on Twitter.  I usually do not follow back because they all sound the same to me, but something about the band’s name (Secondborn) caught my attention. Since the bus was late and I had some free time, I decided to check the band’s video clips on YouTube, and while I listened to the songs on YouTube, suddenly, I realized that I was falling in love with their music.

My Favorite Hotel

If you are a person who likes tanning in the sun, eating quality food, drinking special wines and relaxing through meditation- Cramim hotel is a perfect place for you!

The Story of the New Last Name by Elene Ferante

Not long after I finished My Brilliant Friend, I gathered that its sequel, The Story of a New Name, is out in stores. I hurried to get it, not knowing than that it would be the finest novel I ever laid my hungry fingers on.

Some impressions of Thessaloniki and My Brilliant Friend

Years ago, when it was published in Israel, I read The Days of Abandonment by the anonymous Italian author who is known by her pseudonym Elene Ferrante. The novel was an international success, and when it was translated into Hebrew it was not long before it reached the best-selling book list and received praise from literature critics in Israel. But to me, a bookworm ever since I learned my Aleph Bet, the book was slightly overrated. It contained graphic language, but that was not an advantage or a disadvantage. It dealt with the subject of rage, and I found it hard to read two-hundred pages about rage, since it is not an evolving emotion. Many years have passed since I purchased that yellow cover skinny novel, and again, the newspapers and media feeds were all singing praises for Elene Ferrante, be whoever she may be, and her new novel translated to Hebrew, My Brilliant Friend.  Curios by the ongoing accolades, and the different poets and screenwriters who posted photos of the book lying on their coffee table, I decided not to go against the flow – and give 
this new novel a go myself.

Let's Go to The Movies

La La Land

This is the movie everybody is talking about and for good reason. I have recently seen the movie in the cinema and would like to recommend you go to the movies. Today!!

La La Land is a romantic musical set  in Los Angeles.  Emma Stone gives a wonderful performance as  an actress struggling to succeed (Mia Dolen) and mail lead Ryan Gosling gives a brilliant performance as  a jazz musician (Seb. Wilder).both actors were nominated for Oscar for best actor/actress in leading role. Music, costume design, directing, original screenplay are among other categories it was nominated for the Oscar. 14 categories all in all.

The  plot of the movie follows these two characters as they struggle in their line of work trying to make their dreams come true, while along  the way they meet and eventually fall in love.

The  excellent music, graceful dancing and colorful clothes will keep you in a trance for days after you have seen the movie.  The morning after I saw the film I felt like putting on a bright dress and dancing all the way to school. Not to mention the catchy musical tune that ran in my head throughout the day. La L a land is a movie that will keep you smiling even after you have left the theater despite the fact that  the movie ends quite differently than you would like it to….  I will not give it away. You just have to go and see for yourself. 

This movie is witty, charming, soul full and lovely. I urge those  who haven’t already seen this movie to hurry up and see it.

Enjoy!!

Trailer

Left a Mark

At the tender age of 4, he started to play the violin. When he was 16 years old, he decided to move to Azerbaijan, all alone, in order to learn to play the Kamanche, and recently he received the Ophir Award for his music. Mark Eliyahu - composer, musical producer and arranger, leaves a mark with his music.

The joy of goosebumps

I LOVE scary movies. They make me shiver and tremble, but they also make me excited and when I watch them I always find myself waiting with anticipation to their endings. I’m also interested in the film actors’ lives, the process of making the films, and in the critical response they have generated. You will read all about it in this post.

The legendary performer - Asaf Avidan

I remember when I heard Asaf Avidan for the first time back in 2008. It took no more than few minutes for me to predict that this talented musician/creator/performer is going to be known world wise. Back then, he was singing with the Mojos in small bars mainly in Jerusalem his home town. Today, after separating himself from the mojos he enjoys an extremely successful solo career. Assaf presents a wide range of feelings and views with guitar, harmonica, and various percussion instruments. But above all, stand out, of course, a unique voice, brilliant lyrics and charismatic performance.

Have you seen my Niffler?

Most of us have encountered the "Harry Potter" series by J.K.Rowling at least once in our lives. Whether if we've read the books or seen the movies, we shared an amazing journey with Harry, Ron and Hermione. But although this journey ended a long time ago, a new journey with Mr. Newt Scamander has just begun!

Today is Tuesday!

If you want to read an inspiring book I highly recommend "Tuesdays with Morrie".

Say Cheese

😊Say Cheese😊😊😊

Getting married? Celebrating a Bar/Bat mitzvah?  preparing a gathering for your 40th birthday? If so, you will most definiatley need a skilled photographer.
Well, You are reading the right blog. I know a talented and extremely proffesional phtographer that will make you "simcha"(event) timeless.

"Through the Wall" Movie Review

I had the pleasure of watching Rama Burstein's new film titled "Through the Wall". The movie revolves

around the story of Michal Dreamer (notice the symbolic name), a young bachelorette who has a mobile zoo, and is a Ba'al Tshuvaof the Breslov Hasidic stream.

The Power of Love

I have had the privilege of working for a non-profit organization called Tsad Kadima. This organization was founded almost 30 years ago by a group of parents from Jerusalem who shared a dream for a better life for their young children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). For those who don’t know, CP is caused when there is a neurological damage to the fetal or infant part of the brain which controls motor function. As a result, children with Cerebral Palsy will struggle with posture, balance and movement.Today, the initial group of children, whose parents started it all, accomplished so much. Some of them served the army, many of them are married with children of their own. Tsad Kadima continues moving forward, step after step, one year to the next, giving more and more children the opportunity for a better life.

A Great but Shocking Movie

OSAMA, A Great but Shocking Movie

This is such a powerful movie since it portrays the horrible life women lived in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule.

Osama is a movie that was entirely shot in Afghanistan, by Siddiq Barmak. It was shot when the Taliban regime was ruling Afghanistan and banning all women from working.

The movie follows a powerless pre-teen girl, who is persuaded by her mother and grandmother, after having the mother's husband and uncle killed during the Soviet invasion, to disguise herself as a boy, in order to get a job and support the family.

Are you interested in Improving your life and relationships

Do you want to be less disturbed by what others say?

Do you have the feeling that wrong behavior swept you to a problematic situation in relationships?

Do you often feel that you don't know what is the right way to react in a situation in your life?

Do you feel sometimes that the harder you try to convince someone that you aren't the one to blame, you succeed?

Believe it or not!

What goes on your mind when you think of a museum? Do you imagine a quiet, polished hall full of sculptures and paintings? Or maybe an elegantly furnished room full of antiques?

Well, think again! I'd like to introduce you to a completely different museum – "Ripley's Believe it or Not!" museum.

This is Mr. Ripley's portrait, made of bubblegum

Be'er Sheva - The Historical Sites That You Can't Miss!

I have decided to give you, the readers, a brief historical overview of my beautiful hometown- Be'er Sheva, because I'm sure that most of you haven't got the chance to read about it. Be'er sheva, the capital of the Negev, is filled with a variety of attractions, historical sites and antiquities. Over the years the city has developed and become a tourist city. Be'er Sheva is first mentioned in the most ancient book of the world, the Bible, and had different rulers throughout thousands of years of its history. In each of these periods of time, the leaders built impressive buildings, which are preserved till these days. Most of these sites are located in the old city, characterized by a unique and ancient landscape. In my opinion, there are two special sites with a special history that you don't want to miss.

If you want anything (perfectly) done, ask a woman

Yes, I brazenly stole words spoken by the Iron Lady, and yes, I totally chose to use them out of context. Some of you hate me by now (like my husband), and some of you are probably eagerly sitting on the edges of your seats, wondering what’s coming.

בס"ד

XXL Flying Fox

   Dreamed about flying like a bird, haven't you ? Come on, everybody has.

 Even if the feeling of freedom lasts only a minute , it is worth travelling to Europe for it. You can fly at the height of 140 meters at up to a speed of 130 km/h. I would like to introduce to you a XXL Flying Fox.   

An unexpected pleasure from a "must read" book

 When you get a book that you must read, you usually aproach it without much enthusiasm, especially if it is an obligatory book for the English Bagrut. Imagine my surprise when few hours after starting it I realized that I have finished it. This was my feeling when I first read the book "The Giver."

 Even though I am no fan of this genre, I fell in love with the story and was drawn to the hero's life. In few words, the story is set in a society which at first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be something totaly different as the story progresses. The novel follows a 12 year old boy named Jonas. The society has eliminated pain and strife by converting to "Sameness", a plan that has also eradicated emotional depth from their lives. Jonas is selected to inherit the position of 'Receiver of Memory', the person who stores all the past memories of the time before "Sameness", to aid the community's decision making as there may be times where one must draw upon the wisdom gained from history. 

 The way the author managed to reflect the way of life of the characters made me connect to them and think to myself 'What will I do in his place? How would I react?' and in my eyes this is one of the most powerful side effects of a good writing. Few years ago came out the movie with a lot of amazing a famous actors, like Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep, and even the singer Taylor Swift acted there a segnificant role. To my greater surprise I fell in love with the movie. It managed to show the world of the book almost the same way that I have imagined it, or even better. No wonder it won People's Choice Award for the favorite dramatic movie in 2015 and Hollywood Music In Media Award for best soundtrack album in 2014. 

Here is the trailer for the movie:

 If you want to dive into a good book and a wonderful and powerful movie, I highly recomend to read AND watch it. The beauty of books like "The Giver" is that doesn't matter when in your life you read it, your point of view and your feelings towards the character change, you unnoticeably take your life experience, thoughts and believes and give in to the beauty and coherence of the hard but wonderful story that lies between the pages of the book. If I wasn't clear before, I highly recomend to read the book and watch the movie, preferably choosing to read the book before the movie to understand better. You won't regret it, guaranteed!

The Latin Capital of Israel

Jerusalem- the one and only, the holy sin city, they say ten medidas of beauty fell over the earth and that Jerusalem have 9 of them.  In the last seven years Jerusalem has been is going through something that proves it- Jerusalem is becoming the Latin dance capital of Israel! How is that?